Tuesday, March 20, 2012

My Own Worst Enemy by Janet Davis

My Own Worst Enemy by Janet Davis show women how to stop sabataging themselves and learn how to "shine".  the book is composed of three sections-"Many Faces", "Many Phases", and "Choices Along The Way".  In each section are several chapters dealing with ways women so often stop themselves from doing or saying what they really want to out of fear and/or a feeling of unimportance, thinking no one would really want to hear their opinions and ideas. Janet Davis takes examples of select women from the Bible as well as women today and their stories and ties it all together. She also includes the readers, asking them to tell their own stories by listing questions for them to answer and encouraging them with quizes, etc., to overcome their own self-sabatoging ways.  She includes her own story as well of how she has been a self-sabatoger. Each chapter is begun with a saying, a poem and/or a Bible verse which gives the reader a sample in an interesting way about the chapter's content.

I really enjoyed the book because it is not only an easy read but is inspirational and let's the reader know  their situation is not hopeless, that they can indeed be a success in their lives and truly "SHINE" as God intended them to. The reader is encouraged to realize that "shining is not pride" and "hiding is not humility".

I recommend "Our Own Worst Enemy" to any woman who has difficulty in coming out of their shell so to speak and make known the positive things they have to share.

I received this book from Bethany House Publishers in return for an honest review. The words are my own.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Called To Controversy by Ruth Rosen

In "Called To Controversy" Ruth Rosen tells the true story about her father's passion for bringing his fellow Jews to fath in Jesus Christ. Her father, Moishe, founded the "Jews For Jesus" organization following his own conversion to Christ.

Moishe grew up in a Jewish community which did not believe that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. Because of the Jewish community in which he lived, he was not familiar with holidays like Christmas or the New Testament of the Bible and any Jew, who accepted Jesus as their Messiah, was disowned. Sadly, he would experience this, himself when he came to faith in Christ. Probably the most tragic experience of being dis-owned came when he visited his dying mother. He felt he had to try to tell her "you don't have to be afraid...you really can live forever..."  (upon accepting Yeshua (the Jewish name for Jesus) but she responded with "If you've come to tell me about Jesus, you can go to hell." Those were the last words he ever heard her say. You might think that would cause him to pause and wonder if he did the right thing by telling her and even wonder if his passion for winning Jews to Jesus was worth it but his deep belief in what he felt God called him to do kept him going.

Moishe spent the rest of his life bringing the message of Jesus to the Jewish people building up his organization with the help of fellow Christian Jews that he won to Christ until he and his organization, Jews For Jesus" became known all across the United States and even spread to other countries where "Jews For Jesus" organizations were aet up. His daughters became involved with "Jews For Jesus" as well. He spent around thirty years, from the early 60s until he stepped down as the leader in 1996, reaching as many Jewish people for Jesus as he could.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I learned some Jewish names and their meanings and also about some of their rituals and way of life, as well as about Moishe, his family and life's work. I have to say that the parts of the book that affected me the most were about his experience with his dying mother and the last chapter in which Ruth so beautifully told about his illness and death, as well as the postscript which follows written by Moishe's wife, all of which had me in tears.  "Called To Controversy" is a beautifully written book and I highly recommend it whether you are Jewish or Gentile, (as I am).

I received this book from Booksneeze a review program of Nelson Publishers. I was not required to write a possitive review. I was only asked to give an honest one.