Book Review: The Encounter by Stephen Arterburn

This is a wonderful little book.  I am so glad that I was able to get this one for review.  In all honesty, I'm not sure that I would have picked this up on my own.  Now that I've read one of Mr. Arterburn's books, I'll be sure to seek his other stories out on the shelf.

This is a story about forgiveness and healing.  It deals with the hurt created when one doesn't know the whole story behind someones actions.  I think that it is a good illustration on how one shouldn't jump to conclusions.  Always get the full scoop before you go and decide how you feel about a person.

I really enjoyed the characters in the book.  They all felt very "real" to me.  Nothing felt forced about them or their actions.  Sometimes in a short book, things can feel rushed and cramped in the dialogue.  This one felt smooth to me.

All in all, I would recommend this short book by Stephen Arterburn.  It will only take an afternoon for most to read it  but you will be thinking about it long after that.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: A Year with God By R.P. Nettelhorst

I just got a copy of "A Year with God" by R.P. Nettelhorst from Booksneeze.com and I can hardly wait to use it on a daily basis. Needless to say, I'm not going to wait a full year to review this book for you all.

I've spent a while browsing through the book. I really like how the devotionals are broken up into different topics. The topics include hope and fear, love and hate, perseverance and quitting, faith and doubt, loyalty and betrayal, companionship and isolation, mercy and judgment, forgiveness and anger, joy and sadness, and finally peace and conflict. It seems like a very thourough list to me.

Each days devotional begins with a passage of scripture. All of the scriptures used are from the Old Testament. Below the passages the author breaks down the passage and what it can mean for our lives today. Out of the devotionals that I've read, I've found the author very insightful and uplifting.

Another aspect of the book that I liked was that it was listed as "Day 1" etc.. instead of "January 1." I always felt pressured with the calender type devotionals. LOL!! I guess that is just my OCD coming out.

Would I recommend this book? If you are looking for a devotional that focuses on the Old Testament, then a resounding "YES" could be heard from me. It is concise and insightful. I'm excited to use this book over the coming year.