Fool for Books Giveaway Hop

As a part of the Fool for Books Giveaway Hop, I'm holding a giveaway for:


The Light and the Glory by Peter Marshall, David Manuel, a Christian view of American history.

This is a part of a series that looks at the hand of God in the different periods of our nation's beginnings. This book covers American history from Christopher Columbus to the election of George Washington as our first president. I read it some time ago and found interesting the historical quotes that included Christian sentiments which are usually ignored in modern, school textbooks.


This contest is for USA residents only.


To enter the giveaway:

1) You can leave a comment to this post asking to be entered. (I have comment moderation on to prevent spam comments, so don't worry if your entry comment doesn't appear immediately. It will soon.) Please also leave some way for me to contact you--or follow this blog so you can see the winner announcement.

OR

2) you can twitter me saying "Hi @ChristFocus. Enter me in the giveaway for THE LIGHT AND THE GLORY."


This giveaway ends on April 7, 2013 at midnight. The winner will be randomly selected. I'll announce the winner on April 8, 2013 on this blog.

If you entered using twitter, I'll send you a @ or DM telling you of your win and asking where to send the book. If you entered using the blog comments, you'll need to leave your e-mail address or check back to see if you won so you can e-mail me your mailing address. If the winner hasn't responded with a mailing address within four days, I reserve the right to pick a new winner.

I hope everyone has fun with this!


The blogs participating in the Fool for Books Giveaway Hop:

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop

As a part of the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop, I'm holding a giveaway for your choice of one of the following books:


Pursued by Jud Wilhite. You can read my review.

Christian faith isn't blind obedience to a set of rules and regulations; it is entering into a relationship with a God who pursues us--not to punish, but to love. No matter how far someone has strayed from God, God always remains in passionate pursuit.

Studying the book of Hosea--about the prophet commanded by God to marry an unfaithful prostitute as a metaphor for God's unwavering love--Pursued compellingly illustrates God's plan for every person: to be freed to become his or her own unique self through intimate togetherness with the living, loving God.


Matthew by Michael J. Wilkins is a Bible background commentary. You can read my review.

Full of full-color photos and graphics, the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Matthew walks you verse by verse through Matthew. Things that seem mystifying, puzzling, or obscure will take on tremendous meaning when you view them in their ancient context. You'll deepen your understanding of the teachings of Jesus.


This contest is for USA & Canada residents only.


To enter the giveaway:

1) You can leave a comment to this post asking to be entered and naming which book you'd like to win. (I have comment moderation on to prevent spam comments, so don't worry if your entry comment doesn't appear immediately. It will soon.) Please also leave some way for me to contact you--or follow this blog so you can see the winner announcement.

OR

2) you can twitter me saying "Hi @ChristFocus. Enter me in the giveaway for [give the book name and author's name]."


This giveaway ends on April 5, 2013 at midnight. The winner will be randomly selected. I'll announce the winner on April 6, 2013 on this blog.

If you entered using twitter, I'll send you a @ or DM telling you of your win and asking where to send the book. If you entered using the blog comments, you'll need to leave your e-mail address or check back to see if you won so you can e-mail me your mailing address. If the winner hasn't responded with a mailing address within four days, I reserve the right to pick a new winner.

I hope everyone has fun with this!


The blogs participating in the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop:

Do we take reading for granted?

As a book blogger, I take books and the ability to read for granted. Don't you? Yet according to GFA, "In India alone, there are an estimated 242 million women who are unable to read—that's about half the adult women in the country."

But also...

$1 allows one woman to learn to read, write and do basic math.

Just $1 can completely change an illiterate Asian woman's life. That cup of Starbuck's coffee or that Krispy Kreme doughnut might be wonderful for a few minutes, but it sure doesn't last long. How about joining me in sharing the gift of literacy with others?

Even just a $1 makes a huge difference. But I'm hoping that, together, we can share the joy of reading with 1,000 women. Go to myGFA to donate.

(For those who are curious, the GFA Women's Literacy Program provides these classes for free to any woman in their community, including women who are not Christians.)

The Land & People Jesus Knew by J. Robert Teringo

The Land & People Jesus Knew: A Visual Handbook on Life in First-Century Palestine by J. Robert Teringo ISBN-13: 9780871237972 Hardcover: 264 pages Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Released: November 1, 1985

Source: Borrowed from my local library.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Text and numerous illustrations present aspects of daily life in first-century Palestine as Jesus and his contemporaries might have known it.


My Review:
The Land & People Jesus Knew is a mainly-visual handbook covering many aspects of life in Palestine at the time of Jesus. Each page was full of black-and-white sketches that were historically accurate (based on the knowledge available when it was drawn) which illustrated some aspect of Jewish life. A brief paragraph or two described the information behind the illustrations.

I was pleased by the wide variety of topics discussed in the book. It covered information that I haven't found in other "daily life" books. However, it also didn't go into much depth on any topic. Overall, I found the book useful for getting a better idea of the setting that Jesus was born, lived, died (and rose) in.

Topics covered: animals and plants; landscapes and crops of various towns and regions mentioned in N.T.; what village and town life was like, types of houses most people lived in, daily routines, common houseware items, daily and common chores, foods, clothing; growing and raising grain, grapes, figs, olives, sheep; job of carpenter, potter, fisherman, baker, beekeeper, barber, banker, brickmaking, builder, butcher, cook, cheesemaker, coppersmith, dyer, fuller, gardener, herdsmen, innkeeper, quarry hewer, jailor, day laborer, merchant, smith, shoemaker, physician, stonemason, tanner, tax collector, tent maker, midwife, domestic servant, weaver, professional wailer; about Jerusalem; religious groups, holy and feast days, the temple, synagogues; the cultural customs; traders and merchants; the government system (Roman and Jewish) in Palestine; the Roman army.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Sample Page:

And the winner is...

It's time to announce the winner of the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop. Including Twitter entries, we had 16 entries. Using a random number generator and numbering the entrants in the order I received them, the winner is:

Daniel M
who won "The New Answers Book 1"

Congratulations! I'll be contacting you for your address.

For those who didn't win, you can always buy a copy of these books from your favorite bookstore or see if they have them at your local library.

Matthew by Michael J. Wilkins

Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Matthew by Michael J. Wilkins ISBN-13: 9780310278313 Paperback: 204 pages Publisher: Zondervan Released: July 24, 2007

Source: Bought through Half.com..

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Brimming with lavish, full-color photos and graphics, the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary walks you verse by verse through books of the New Testament. Things that seem mystifying, puzzling, or obscure will take on tremendous meaning when you view them in their ancient context. You'll deepen your understanding of the teachings of Jesus.

Written in a clear, engaging style by leading evangelical contributors, it features:

• Commentary based on relevant papyri, inscriptions, archaeological discoveries, and studies of Judaism, Roman culture, Hellenism, and other features of the world of the New Testament
• Hundreds of full-color photographs, color illustrations, and line drawings
• Copious maps, charts, and timelines
• Sidebar articles and insights
• 'Reflections' on the Bible's relevance for 21st-century living

My Review:
Matthew is a Bible commentary on the book of Matthew with a focus on the background context for the verses. The background information was cultural, historical, and geographical and much of it was based on ancient literature and archaeological discoveries. The actual ancient sources were quoted and their relevance explained, which I liked better than the vague summaries or paraphrases that I usually come across.

The commentary moved through Matthew in order. Sidebar articles supplemented the commentary in the main text. There were many full-color, easy-to-read and -understand maps, charts, and timelines. The many full-color pictures illustrated the commentary giving an excellent idea of what a thing, place, or activity was like at the time of Jesus.

The author usually gave the information and let the reader draw their own theological conclusions, which I appreciated. Overall, I found the information useful and interesting. Though written with a slightly more scholarly tone than some lay-level background commentaries, I'd still highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the background context of Jesus' life and teachings.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt at Christianbook.com (click on the "Excerpt" link).

Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop

As a part of the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop, I'm holding a giveaway for your choice of one of the following books:


Renée of France by Simonetta Carr is a short biography. You can read my review.

Renée of France was a correspondent of Calvin and she loved the Reformation, but in sixteenth century Italy such a position could not be lightly held. Add in a husband (the Duke of Ferrara) who served the pope and was determined to oppose Renée, plus the complexity and intrigues of Italian society of the time, and you have all the ingredients for a gripping biography.


The New Answers Book 1 by Ken Ham is a Christian apologetics book.

The world around us provides irrefutable evidence of our Creator, but when challenged, can you defend your faith? Do you have answers to your own questions or those of your family about faith, evolution, creation, and a biblical worldview?

Learn the answers to: Is there really a God? Did God really take six days to create everything? What about evolution? Where did Cain get his wife? Was there really a Noah's ark and world-wide Flood? Does archaeology support the Bible? Was there really an ice age? Where did the races come from? And more...


This contest is for USA & Canada residents only.


To enter the giveaway:

1) You can leave a comment to this post asking to be entered and naming which book you'd like to win. (I have comment moderation on to prevent spam comments, so don't worry if your entry comment doesn't appear immediately. It will soon.) Please also leave some way for me to contact you--or follow this blog so you can see the winner announcement.

OR

2) you can twitter me saying "Hi @ChristFocus. Enter me in the giveaway for [give the book name and author's name]."


This giveaway ends on March 22, 2013 at midnight. The winner will be randomly selected. I'll announce the winner on March 23, 2013 on this blog.

If you entered using twitter, I'll send you a @ or DM telling you of your win and asking where to send the book. If you entered using the blog comments, you'll need to leave your e-mail address or check back to see if you won so you can e-mail me your mailing address. If the winner hasn't responded with a mailing address within four days, I reserve the right to pick a new winner.

I hope everyone has fun with this!


The blogs participating in the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop:

The Attributes of God, Vol. 1, by A.W. Tozer

The Attributes of God, Volume 1 by A.W. Tozer ISBN-13: 9781600661297 Trade Paperback: 110 pages Publisher: Wingspread Publishers Released: February 1, 2007

Source: Bought through Christianbook.com.

Book Description from Goodreads:
What is God like? For A.W. Tozer (1897-1963), there is no question more important. In fact, Tozer's desire to know God and His fullness consumed his entire life and ministry. Originally preached as sermons at Southside Alliance Church in Chicago, this first volume of the Attributes of God examines ten attributes: God's infinitude, immensity, goodness, justice, mercy, grace, omnipresence, immanence, holiness and perfection. A study guide is included for an in depth look at each attribute.


My Review:
The Attributes of God, Volume 1 is a sermon series/Bible study on the attributes of God. Tozer quoted from sources that used old English, which sometimes slowed the reading a little for me, but the main text was very easy to read and understand. A Bible study was included at the back of the book for those desiring to use this book as a group Bible study. The content is fully relevant to today's world.

Tozer looked to Scripture to answer "What is God like?" and he came to balanced, Bible-based conclusions. By balanced, I mean that he didn't let one attribute dominate the others but viewed them as being in perfect harmony with each other. He made a lot of strong comments, some of which are bound to offend some people, but probably not the type of people who would pick up this book.

Overall, I thought he made some excellent, thought-provoking points. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I'd recommend it to others...perhaps as a devotional reading?

The attributes covered in this volume were: God's infinitude, immensity, goodness, justice, mercy, grace, omnipresence, immanence, holiness and perfection.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Amazon's Look Inside.

Understanding Jesus by Stephen M. Miller

Understanding Jesus: A Guide to His Life and Times by Stephen M. Miller ISBN-13: 9781616269142 Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Barbour Publishing Released: February 1, 2013

Source: Review ebook copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
This black-and-white paperback reference is written in a casual, easy-to-read journalistic style. Miller explains the Roman world where Jesus lived, adding new insights from archaeology and ancient history.


My Review:
Understanding Jesus is a Bible reference book about the gospels. It's a detailed historical background book but also a comparative commentary on selected verses or events. It's written in a casual tone but stays focused and contained in-depth, complex information.

The author wrote this book for people who don't know much about Jesus, yet I suspect they would either find this book overwhelming or confusing. For example, his information on the difference between a bride price, a dowry, and a bride gift, the amounts typically paid for each during that time period, and the exact wording of a divorce paper was interesting to me. However, this information didn't really help me understand Jesus' life and teachings better. This depth and type of information is more something I'd recommend to those familiar with the Bible and who want to go deeper than the typical study Bible or Bible handbook.

This book also contained comparative commentary. He'd compare the views of Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and various Protestant scholars on certain verses. For example, why do the two genealogies for Jesus appear different, and why were women--and shameful women at that--included in one genealogy? Again, these were questions that those not familiar with the gospel accounts probably aren't worried about and the variety of opinions given could leave them confused instead of enlightened.

A more advanced student of the Bible might find this book useful. It's a good resource for detailed historical background information on certain topics, and I really enjoyed those sections. This information was based off of ancient literary sources and archaeological finds.

The book could also be a time saver for those who don't want to look up various commentary opinions for themselves. However, I didn't really like the commentary comparison because it came from a different starting point than I do. I would have been okay with it if it'd been presented as "we know it's true, but people have various opinions on the specifics." But I felt like the author was saying, "Here are some differing opinions as well as reasons why those opinions don't work. It's up to you to judge which opinion is true, or even to decide that Jesus or the gospel writer made a mistake."


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.