Seeds of Turmoil by Bryant Wright
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I have spent years studying the Old Testament, and though I have pulled a lot of information out of those hours of study, I still had more to learn about Abraham through this book.  Reading through the Biblical history of him, his children (Isaac and Ishmael) brings to life what we are seeing in the news today from the very beginning of the rivalry.

What seemed like a small instance in lack of faith on Sarah's part has turned into the turmoil we watch and hear about day to day.  This has amazed me for years, but to read this book and see facts laid out so clearly, so easy to understand, just makes it all even more real.  Then to see this same deception and strife passed down for generations seems to bring about the truth in the Word where it speaks of the sins of the father being passed down for generations.  It's there in the Word, but this book organizes all of it so you can plainly see it.

Bryant Wright also pulls in the truth about the religions at the heart of this turmoil, Muslim.  Though I do feel it is Biblically based on facts we can read for ourself, his presentation of it makes it even more visible for those of us who are not Biblical scholars.  This turmoil has been going on for generations, and I'm sure that we are seeing things progress faster than any other generation before us.  Is it a sign of the times, or just a continuation of what came before?

This book will give any reader great insight to the turmoil in the Middle East, showing it's Biblical historical setting and helping us to see why what we see happening today is simply a consequence of things done long ago.
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The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Caught by Neta Jackson  features a group of friends bearing each others burdens.
Throughout the rollercoaster ride life takes them on, these women are there for each other. Jodi Baxter tries to solve everybodys problemwhether she has the capability or not. At one point, her fix-it shenanigans cause problems in her marriage and for some of her Yada Yada sisters.

However, Jodi has her own set of problems to work through. Jodi does not know if her teaching position will be renewed for the upcoming school year. She is worried about her sona  recent high-school graduate with no interest in attending college in the fallwho is on fire for Jesus, saving the world, and a college student that is a few years his senior. Her daughter, a good-hearted girl, has a boyfriend with a father involved in illegal activity, which causes stress in his household.

Avis tries to meet the needs of her troubled, adult daughter, while trying to preserve the serenity of her new marriage. Her efforts leave her torn and heartbroken. Ruth and Ben face an unplanned pregnancy in their fifties. One parent-to-be is delighted, while the other dreads the prospect of raising a child in their golden years and the potential health problems that may arise from the prospective birth.

Nony adjusts to caring for her injured husband after an attack by a racist group.

Florida fights to save her son from gang-influence by moving to a new neighborhood, but trouble follows them.
Becky, under house arrest, needs a job to get her own apartment and custody of her son.

Chanda, in the throes of enjoying her lottery winnings, learns many lessons. Struck with an illness, she questions why God allowed a bad thing to happen to her. A timeless question the author addresses in many ways.

If that isn't enough, the potential merger of Uptown Community and New Morning Church leaves members from both churches unsettled. What would a merger mean to the long-held traditions of the individual churches? How will the new church be structured? Who will be the pastor? Will the members submit to the new direction God seems to leading them towards? Some members submit to the fear of change, too comfortable with the present to allow God to transform their minds, hearts, and lives, to line up with his purposes. As with many Christians, they struggle with trusting Gods path for their lives.

The wonderful element of the novel is these women, from different races and walks-of-life, do not allow prejudice to rule and drive them into their safe little worlds. No. Instead, they choose obedience. They choose to allow God to show that his love and unity are more powerful than Satans lies through their lives.

Yes, the Yada Yada sisters have a lot to pray about, but they do so with diligence, unceasingly, with unwavering faith. The book is a lesson in learning how to live with divine interruptions. It is shining example of what happens when the Holy Spirit interrupts our schedule to show Gods love to hurting people. Dont miss the action in the The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Caught by Neta Jackson .
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Facing Apathy is a compendium of what appear to me to be blog articles by several different men and women of faith. The theme is awakening from an apathetic faith and each chapter does have a seed idea that deserves consideration.

My favorite chapters were

*The Heart of Apathy by Gary Molander
*Creative Action by Stephen Brewster
*The Slow Life by Lydia Cazzell
*Check the Mail by Michael Perkins

There are Twitter references for each author so you can contact them to discuss their chapter if you like. This was not a real  expensive book and part of the proceeds go to support a ministry. I have no issue with that and I'm sure you can find enough encouragement in the book to warrant the purchase.

That said, the weakness of the book is that it needed an additional editor to read it over. Also there is some overlap of subject matter which led me to believe that this was not an assigned topic book, but rather an assembled after-the-fact book ... which is no sin. It does, however, lead to repetitious ideas.

I put this on my Revival bookshelf because it has elements of calling us back to God, awakening our spirits, and getting us motivated to action. I also like the personal nature of the chapters, giving insight into the dedicated lives of the authors.
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Seeds was a great read.  I don't think parents sometimes realize what they do to their children when they push them in things like athletics.  I think every parent with a child in athletics should read this book, so that they might have a better understanding of what their child is feeling.
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Chauncey Greer is the successful owner of Cute Boy Card Company in Atlanta. He was a member of a popular teen boy band Reunion but was kicked out after the manager found out the real reason for he and his bandmate D's late night hotel room visits. It is now twenty years later and Chauncey has put the past behind him and is still searching for true love. He turns his focus to his church where through his minister's message he finds a renewed interest in a musical career. After a soul stirring solo at church, Chauncey is invited to be the guest soloist at the church revival. He  hits a sour note when he finds out anti-gay fundamentalist preacher Bishop Upchurch is planning to use the church revival as his conservative platform. The gay members of Chauncey's church are planning to boycott the revival and now he is at a crossroads. He has to decide weather to sing at the revival or stand up for what he thinks is right. To make matters worse, D shows up causing Chauncey to face his very painful past.

I Say A Little Prayer is an ambitious novel by E.Lynn Harris. Harris focused on a very explosive topic that no one in the black church wants to talk about: gays and lesbians in the church.  I thought this topic was presented delicately and honestly in this story. I felt the emotion and conviction of Chauncey as he was trying to live his life and trying to do what God wants him to do. Readers will be moved by this story. Fans of this author's previous novels will be pleasantly surprised when two other characters Basil and Yancey make a brief appearance in this novel. But make no mistake, this is not another chapter into the lives of  Basil and Raymond. This story is about Chauncey Greer. After reading this novel, I felt like E. Lynn Harris may be taking his writing into a delightful new direction. I Say A Little Prayer is a satisfying, heart wrenching story that doesn't disappoint.
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Dr. Everett Piper lays out a common sense approach to many of the problems facing our country, U.S.A.
Once you pick up his book, its hard to lay it down! It is not a book for the dishonest and intolerant that politically label themselves as liberals with self-centered undertakings for negating others of their Constitutional Rights and Freedoms.
To say it best, I quote from Dr. Pipers book, To try to separate public life from private life, beliefs from behaviors, head from heart, fact from faith, or attitudes from actions is somewhat akin to a farmer talking about a harvest while ignoring the obvious importance of seeds. Ideas germinate and grow and bear predictable fruit. As a kernel of wheat has the potential to produce amber waves of grain, so will ideas inevitably bear the good fruit of love, joy and peace or the bad crop of hate, revenge and war. All human action, for good or for ill, starts with the power of the smallest seed the seed of an idea.
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Once I started reading David Jeremiah's new book, "What in the World is Going On?" (Thomas Nelson Publisher) I couldn't put it down.  I will tell you - I was honestly surprised that it held my interest.  I thought that the 10 Prophetic Clues You Cannot Afford to Ignore would be a rehash of what I already knew as a Christian.  I was wrong.

This book not only held my interest, it opened my eyes to a lot of the craziness going on today and its biblical meaning.  Dr. Jeremiah's writing style created almost a conversation between the two of us.  I really felt like I was sitting down having coffee with him, learning about what all of this mess in today's world means.  Another thing this book has done for me is cause me to ask questions.  Stimulate conversation between other believers and non-believers as to what their take is on everything going on.

I really have enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to others to purchase to read.  You won't be sorry and in today's world where time is money - it's well worth the cost of both.  As a Christian, we live by faith.  But that doesn't get us off free from being informed.
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I've seen Jeff Stetson's one-act drama, The Meeting, which imagines a meeting between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, two leaders with very different philosophies. It's an exciting play, a rapid, intense look at the issues facing these two African-American leaders during the 1960s. I didn't know about Stetson's novel, Blood on the Leaves, until I read about it in an article by a college professor who uses mysteries to teach social issues. So I bought Blood on the Leaves and read it.

Here is the central question of the plot: should whites who committed crimes against blacks in the South during the years of the big civil rights struggles, and who were then acquitted by all-white juries even though some on those juries knew for a fact that the people on trial committed the crimes they were accused of -- should these whites be called to account decades later and brought to justice? In the novel, an African-American professor espouses that Yes, these people should be brought to justice. And then some of the whites start turning up dead. Murdered. And the professor is brought to trial for murder. And the man prosecuting -- not defending, but prosecuting -- the professor is black. The man defending him is white.

A highly-charged, complex, gripping premise. But despite the gripping ideas, the story just wasn't exciting. It was slow. There seemed to be no building action, with things becoming more and more tense. Never at any point did I feel I was reading a mystery novel. I DID feel I was reading a book that wanted to raise and have readers think about important questions. I can understand why professors might use this novel to teach social issues: it's certainly more interesting than most, if not all, textbooks. But is it as interesting as a well-written mystery? I think not.
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I liked this book.  I give this book 5 stars.  This book gave me the chance to read some of his thoughts that he had recorded in his personal journal(daybook).  One quote that I really liked is " I know there is a God and that he hates injustice.  I see the storm coming and I see His hand in it.  If He has a place and part for me, I am ready".  For me, it has renewed my sense that I as well as my country need to get up from the sleep or the spell we our under that has led us down the wrong path, and get active again in trying to get this country on the right path.
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"Seeds Of Turmoil" by Bryant Wright is an excellent resource on the Biblical roots of the Middle East conflict.  The author takes you through the genealogy of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the promises of God for their future generations. He also teaches about Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael, Rebeka, Jacob and Esau... their faith and lack of it, their waiting on God and their impatience that led to 'helping God out' to fulfill His promises to them. And how all of their decisions led to the crisis that is still going on in the Middle East today.

For me, this was a very interesting book. At first I thought it repetitive, but after reading, I realized it helped me commit more to memory. I have read the Bible for years, read about all the people the author speaks of, and heard or read about the crisis in the Middle East. For the first time... I have a very CLEAR understanding of who these people are, their religions, the decisions they made and how those decisions affected the crisis in the Middle East and the fighting over Israel. This book helped to put it all together for me like never before.

Not only does it help in understanding Biblical history and genealogy, the Middle East and Israel... it has some valuable lessons to be learned as well. It teaches what can happen when we choose to go ahead of God or to 'help God out' as the author puts it. It teaches that our decisions can have an effect like we could never imagine. Maybe for generations to come. All in all.... I found some valuable information and great lessons to ponder. I would recommend this to anyone trying to understand Biblical history or the crisis in the Middle East.

*Thomas Nelson has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.-Thanks Thomas Nelson! :)
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Ellis Gardner is a wild child. She makes her own rules. One thing Ellis loves is catching a wave or two.

Pablo Schwartz is a good friend of Ellis's. He has known her since he was about twelve years old. This is the same time he was first introduced to the world of illegal marijuana growing. It was from here that Pablo realized that there was a lot of money to be made in growing and selling marijuana.

Frank Joseph Bane III is married. Though this has now stopped him from having an affair with Ellis. He is also the owner of a vine yard.

Janice Bane admits that it has been a long time since she has gone a day where she wasn't high.

Come see how these four characters lives intertwine with each other.

Author, Katie Arnoldi brings to light the harsh reality of illegal marijuana growing, all across the United States. Like Mrs. Arnoldi, I was clueless in regards to this subject matter. I knew of what marijuana and how it can make people act but nothing in regards to the process from start to finish on the growing process. I thought that Mrs. Arnoldi did a wonderful job show casing this problem the United States faces. It is a huge problem. One that I did not realize was so massive. The characters were real. They feel the same things we do...love, loss, scared, and pride. While I did enjoy this book and the picture Point Dume painted, I didn't really connect with all the characters. I found Janie to be depressing and like an empty shell. Frank was kind of one note. Ellis showed some glimmer of hope but the stand out character to me was Pablo. He has a story to tell and he brought you into his world. Point Dume smells like a winner!
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Jesus told the parable of seed (the Word of God) falling on hard, rocky and thorny ground and none of these soils produced a crop.  These people who have left the church and Christ remind me of these soils.  They've let other things come in the way of their relationship with Christ.

What the author has done so well is identify how to communicate spiritual issues with those who've left the faith.  I live in Miami.  I speak with people similar to those in this book every day.  This is such an excellent resource because it details the current belief system of those who left the church helping the reader to understand the motivation and world view of that type of person.  It then helps understand how to connect with them.

It reminds me of the Scripture where Paul says he became all things to all people that he might win some.  This book may help you win some back.  I strongly encourage anyone interested in the 20-something generation to get this book.  It is well researched and expertly written.  I really enjoyed it.

Twitter: @johnlchurchill
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What Happened in the Garden?: The Reality and Ramifications of the Creation and Fall of Man edited by Abner Chou is the collective effort of John MacArthur and The Masters College and Seminary faculty, and includes new scientific, literary, business, educational, and legal perspectives on creation and the fall of man. It is a worthwhile volume that will both equip and prepare the reader for a lifetime of reflection.

The book is divided into three major sections with fifteen chapters, including an introduction and conclusion. Part one contains four distinct essays on Genesis 2-3. Each essay is significant in its own right, and the ground covered properly sets the stage for the remainder of the book. The opening chapter surveys the hermeneutical issues and provides the reader with adequate lenses to understand the challenges involved. Part two contains two important essays and primarily looks to deal with the theological consequences of the creation and fall. The initial chapter establishes the historic position of the Christian church regarding the universal effect of Adams transgression. The second chapter affirms the messianic prophecy of Genesis 3:15 and theological importance of the historical Adam and Eve. Part three covers the worldview implications of the creation and fall. This final section includes seven essays and will be the practical heartbeat of the book for most readers. It is here that the contributors seek to view various aspects of reality through the lenses of Genesis 3 and the previously established worldview.

There are few realities more imperative to our theological understanding of the present world than that discovered in Genesis 1-3. What Happened in the Garden?: The Reality and Ramifications of the Creation and Fall of Man edited by Abner Chou provides an up-to-date engagement on this age-old discussion. The content is clear and appropriately organized. The presuppositions are conservative evangelical in nature, and thus some readers will be met with significant disagreement. Nevertheless, as stated above, this is a worthwhile volume that will both equip and prepare the reader for a lifetime of reflection. It comes highly recommended!
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This is a must read book for anyone who is concerned about what is happening in our backyards. Well written, highly informative, encouraging and valuable in every way. Please spread the news!!!
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I think this book is one of Wilbur Smith's best books.  It tells the history of the struggle between the blacks and whites in present-day Zimbabwe.  This book probably has more violence and bloodshed than any book I've ever read.  However, it tells an important story and has some powerful messages.
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I have just read and am happy to recommend Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming. " Blessed Unrest" is that restlessness and energy that humans of conscience and good will experience when they encounter such evils as injustice, poverty, and wanton damage to the environment.

Author Paul Hawken posits a worldwide coalescing (aided by the World Wide Web) of over a million grass-roots organizations, non-government organizations, relief agencies, and a few enlightened persons and organizations of wealth and influence (e.g., Warren Buffett, the Omidyar Network), each with its special focus, but all sharing a vision of a healed and equitable earth.  He likens this unrest to the body's little understood but marvelously effective immune system

This book is partly about profits-before-people social injustice, and climate change, and it cites at length the many shocking global injustices and environmental catastrophes caused by governments (including ours), transnational corporations, the military, and so on.  Although you may know of some such instances, Hawken details many examples you may not have known before, concerning Bechtel, The IMF, Exxon-Mobile and Conoco, the World Bank, The WTO, and many others. For example. he describes at length how the massive peaceful demonstrations at WTO's Third Ministerial in Seattle in 1999 were turned into "riots" by over-reactive police and sensationalist reporting by the media.

Another example:  The World Bank forced Bolivia (the 5th poorest nation in the world) to privatize a water system to a company partially owned by multinational corporation Bechtel, resulting in water rates to Bolivia's poor becoming higher than for wealthy Bechtel executives living near San Francisco

Hawken holds up two bright red flags regarding our future.  In 2005, the Millenium Ecoystem Assessment report, a consensus representing over 1,000 international scientists, concluded that the earth is rapidly losing its ability to support life as we know it due to pollution and environmental degradation and could soon enter a precipitous decline.  The second red flag is the separate and rapidly increasing threat of climate change, a human-caused phenomenon recently emphasized in the media.  His conclusion is that in order to preserve and heal the earth, and its climate, we must simultaneously address and heal  social injustices, including  of poverty, ignorance, biases of race, religion, nationality, and culture.

You may read other reviews of this book by Googling the author and title.  Hawken is also the author of Natural Capitalism, which former President Clinton has named one of the five most important books in the world today. In its exposition of the world-wide "underground" massing of forces of social change, Blessed Unrest is the only recent book of this kind I have read that gives me a shred of hope for the future.

One caution: as you read, have a good dictionary at your side, unless such words as eutrophication and fungible are part of your daily word bank.  For sure, Hawken has not written Blessed Unrest for Dummies.  But please consider reading this book; it is informative, hopeful, and important.
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Spanning thousands of years across peoples and places, Bryant Wright explains both the deep roots of the Middle Eastern conflict as well as the broad interconnections of today's harvest from those ancient roots. The book will help anyone trying to make sense out of today's headlines and hoping to understand the perspectives of the three great religions which live side by side in such a small area.

One take-away is how we are doomed to constant conflict when we rely on our own devices and wisdom.  As humans we are hard-wired to want justice for past transgressions, and to seek revenge. Such is the history of the Middle Eastern Arab-Israeli conflict. But what about Christ? What about God's grace? As Bryant writes, a personal relationship with Christ--God's free gift--is the answer for all our hatred and our need for revenge. The divine gift of unexpected grace is particularly needed in the Middle East today.

Seeds of Turmoil is both a Biblical study and a political science primer.  It is a rewarding read on both levels.