Sunday Words of Encouragement July 6, 2014

Our Sunday School lesson continues in Revelation but our teacher often goes on very worthwhile rabbit trails. We have been studying Revelation 18 and 19 where there are "Hallelujahs", rejoicing in Heaven, over the destruction of Babylon. Our teacher has interpreted Babylon to be not necessarily a city but a system of evil, of idolatry.  God objects to idols that provoke jealousy (an idea from All In). Idols are anything that takes our focus and devotion away from God.

We want the blessings of God but the blessings should not be just to bring us material possessions. Blessings are to flow through to share with others. Are we reservoirs or conduits? Jesus says that if someone asks for your shirt, you should give them your coat too. Matthew 5:40. We need to share what we have. Most importantly we need to ask God each day: What do You want me to do today?

Pastor's sermon on Freedom went along with the Sunday School message.  'If Jesus sets you free, you are free indeed.' John 8:36. But freedom is a choice. We have to choose everyday to be free from sin. We also should realize that freedom is never free. Someone paid for it. Our country's freedom was paid for by the sacrifice of many warriors. Our freedom from sin was paid for by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

I was looking for another song but, once again, was led to this awesome song that fits.

I Give Myself Away

Galatians 5:1 (NIV)
5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

More and more, Lord, I feel you calling me to focus more fully on what is important in this life: obedience to Your Will.  I seek your strength to help me to have no other idols, to love my neighbor as myself; to serve by allowing you to use me. Let my freedom be found in following your example and serving while showing your love and light to others.

Sharing Beyond Books #158 Comment Giveaway July 5, 2014

Hello again on Saturday night and Welcome to Sharing Beyond Books, SBB!
We had family and friends over for swimming and dinner. I'm tired now and ready to wrap this up and get to bed. :-)

Thanks to everyone who commented last week.
Ten commenters read more female authors; four read equally male and female; and three read male more than female with one more currently reading male.  I think I will check my list more accurately someday when I get a chance.

~~~~

The Winner from SBB #157 comments is: #2 Becky who can make a GC choice if international or book choice from the ARC/Review titles, Christmas titles or Love titles - all linked near the end of the post.  Please let me know your choice by completing the (new) WINNER FORM.

WEEK #158 (One Question.)

Q1. Nikki asks: Do you get Groupons (or similar coupon sites) in your country? Have you bought one before??

A: We do have Groupon here but usually the discounts are at bigger towns an hour or so away. I can't recall using any coupons although I have been tempted.

Image found at Groupon.

Thanks to those who are sending in Questions. DON'T BE SHY! Surely everyone has a Q or two you'd like to ask. Input suggestions in this Suggested Question Form. At the end of each month I draw from the suggestions I used during the month and that person will get a book choice or GC. I thank everyone for submitting questions. Thanks for sending in questions! We still have a supply of questions but from the same people so hopefully others will send more in -- even if they are duplicates I'll weed through or try to modify to use. 

Your turn to share:

Q1. Nikki asks: Do you get Groupons (or similar coupon sites) in your country? Have you bought one before??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the Valentine and "Love" books, the Christmas Giveaway Books (this is the new link), or the June 2013 Newly Updated ARC/Review List.

SBB Rules:
a) Must be a follower.
b) Share a comment on either of the two questions above.
Open internationally and an international winner may get a smaller book or a $5.00 GC if I decide the mailing is too much.

I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made through Saturday July 12, 2014 at 5 PM  central.

Book Review and Giveaway: Heading Home by John Robinson

This is a fast paced, exciting read with a timely Christian message.

Heading Home
by John Robinson

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Sheaf House (August 2, 2010)
• ISBN-13: 978-0979748585

Genre: Christian Fiction
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

The Bible makes it clear no one knows the day or the hour of Christ's return. But it doesn't say we won't know the month. Or the week. When every Christian simultaneously receives a message that Christ will return sometime in the coming week, the world is thrown into stark panic. Two old friends, hardened combat veterans from the closing days of the Vietnam War, set out on a suspenseful quest to redeem that time. What they don't know is that they and their entire church have been targeted for satanic annihilation.

Review:
The beginning of this book jumps the reader into an American military camp in Vietnam in 1972. The primary protagonist, Corporal Nick Castle, a rich boy soldier, is introduced with his three team mate doorgunners: ‘farm boy’ Dooley, imposing Mr. C. T. Barnes and bitterly angry Frankie. Their commander, Colonel ‘Mad Jack’ Rugg, advises Nick that a London news reporter, Trevor Ames, has been flown in to interview the team in a last ditch effort to raise awareness and funding. Ames ends up convincing the Colonel to let him fly on one of the helicopters to make a supply drop to a MASH unit and then a quick patrol. The lives of all of these men are greatly impacted when the routine run ends up in an emergency rescue of a unit under enemy attack.

C.T. Barnes got religion during his tour of duty and shares the message with Nick while he is recovering from injuries. When they returned to the States C. T. became the security chief in Nick’s family business, Castle Industries. Thirty-eight years later Castle Industries is on the edge of a corporate take over. Nick won’t give in to the ruthless demands but he doesn’t see a way to save the company either. Yet, he prays and trusts God to handle the situation.

A few days later Nick and C. T. are in church with their families when a disembodied voice speaks out the words “This Week”. This occurs not only in their church but all over the world. Many believe this to be a message from God announcing His return. Nick and C. T. determine that they must find the three team mates from their unit, as well as their commander and even Trevor Ames, to bring them the message of salvation before it is too late. Thus begins a fast track race to locate the men and reach them with the hopes of seeing acceptance and grace worked in each life.

While Nick and C. T. are intent on their mission their families and church at home are receiving unwanted attention. There is a very evil servant of Satan who seeks to wreck havoc at Nick’s church.

This wasn’t quite what I expected but I enjoyed the quick pace of the novel and the encouraging message with miracle responses. The plot line encourages me, and hopefully other believers, to be ready to share the gospel and not wait until the final hour. The story has good intensity and emotion. The results seemed almost too easy, so not quite real. But God is certainly able to work in such a fashion and that is part of what make this an uplifting book and enjoyable reading.

This was a book I won a while back.

Giveaway:

ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for my gently read Print Copy.

ENTRY FORM HERE

(Don't forget to fill in the form for entry! I have noticed a few commenters who forgot to enter through the Form.)

For 3 Extra Bonus entries comment on the review, OR

visit THE AUTHOR'S WEBSITE and tell me something you like/learned there.

* This contest is open to U.S. address only for cassette audio book.
* This contest will close 5 PM (Central) July 12, 2014.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED after July 12, 2014.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Audible Book Review plus Giveaway: Judgment in Death by J.D.Robb

This is a gripping installment in this series.
Judgment in Death
by J.D.Robb
Narrated by: Susan Ericksen

• Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins 
• • Series: In Death, Book 11
• Format: Unabridged




Release Date:05-20-08
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Program Type: Audiobook

Publisher's Summary
In an uptown strip joint, a cop is found bludgeoned to death. The weapon's a baseball bat. The motive's a mystery. It's a case of serious overkill that pushes Eve Dallas straight into overdrive. Her investigation uncovers a private club that's more than a hot spot. Purgatory's a last chance for atonement where everyone is judged. Where your most intimate fate depends on your most intimate sins. And where one cop's hidden secrets are about to plunge innocent souls into vice-ridden damnation.
Crack another case with Eve Dallas.
©2007 J. D. Robb; (P)2007 Brilliance Audio

Review:
Eve Dallas is called in to investigate another murder in her jurisdiction. She discovers that the murder victim is a cop who was apparently working a second job as club security. Under his body Eve finds thirty silver credit chips. The club, Purgatory, is owned by Eve’s business magnate husband, Roarke.

Eve presses into the details uncovering facts that make it look like the cop was on the take, receiving monies from a criminal boss, Max Ricker. Ricker had escaped arrest recently in circumstances that looked like police information had been leaked. As Eve pushes her investigation into which cops were involved with the failed arrest she bumps into IAB (Internal Affairs Bureau) Lieutenant Webster who unofficially warns her off the case.

Ricker was once a partner with Roarke before Roarke decided Ricker was bad business as Roarke was in the process of cleaning up all his business affairs to legitimate interests. Ricker hates Roarke and isn’t beyond using Eve to get to Roarke. As the book moves along Eve has a childhood memory that reveals a surprising connection to her own past as well. Ricker’s threats against Eve set Roarke on edge and create a tension at home between Eve and Roarke.

The plot clearly involves a killer who is angry by “betrayal”in the system and seeks his own justice. Eve is her usual determined and gutsy self in doggedly pursuing the leads. The tension between Eve and Roarke creates a good emotional interest to add to the mystery. As usual the regular characters, Peabody, Dr. Mira, Mavis and more, add great personality to the story.

I listened to this audio book every chance I got as it was so engrossing. It is one of my favorite in the series so far.

Audio Notes: I love Susan Ericksen as the narrator of this series. She never fails to surprise me at the versatile voices and emotional intensity she nails with her narration. This is a great series to listen to in audio!

I purchased this through my Audible subscription and will continue the series.

Giveaway:

I happened to pick up this Audio Cassette recently with several other In Death titles at a thrift shop.
ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for a used Audio Cassette - appears to be in good working condition.

ENTRY FORM HERE

(Don't forget to fill in the form for entry! I have noticed a few commenters who forgot to enter through the Form.)

For 3 Extra Bonus entries comment on the review, OR

visit THE AUTHOR'S WEBSITE and tell me something you like/learned there.

* This contest is open to U.S. address only for cassette audio book.
* This contest will close 5 PM (Central) July 12, 2014.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED after July 12, 2014.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Audio Book Review: Edge of Tomorrow by Hiroshi Sakurazaka

I liked this quick listen, Sci Fi Action.

Edge of Tomorrow
by Hiroshi Sakurazaka

• Read by Mike Martindale
• Series: All You Need Is Kill
• Audio CD
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio; Unabridged edition (April 29, 2014)
• ISBN-13: 978-1442367876

Genre: Sci Fi Fantasy
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

When the alien Mimics invade, Keiji Kiriya is just one of many recruits shoved into a suit of battle armor called a Jacket and sent out to kill. Keiji dies on the battlefield, only to be reborn each morning to fight and die again and again. On his 158th iteration, he gets a message from a mysterious ally--the female soldier known as the Full Metal Bitch. Is she the key to Keiji's escape or his final death?
First time on CD! The original novel that inspired the sci-fi blockbuster film starring Tom Cruise!

Review:
The world is under attack by an alien army known as Mimics. Their numbers are overwhelming and, in addition to destruction in battle, they poison the waters and earth causing complete devastation to wipe out earth’s inhabitants and prepare the land for Mimic settlement.

Keiji is just a teenager with no real future when he decides to join the battle. He is one of many raw recruits who are used more as fodder while the leaders try to figure out how to slow, much less stop the invasion. Keiji thinks he is prepared for battle but something goes wrong on the unit’s very first engagement. Although they are told the battle will be peripheral it turns out they meet the enemy head on. As Keiji realizes others around him are dying he forges into the fray to strike out at the foe. Keiji kills an enemy warrior but is mortally wounded. As he is struggling with his own death, he sees the beautiful female soldier, Rita, known as the Full Metal Bitch. She has had unprecedented success in battle and is revered as a killing machine. She tries to sooth Keiji as he is dying.

The next morning Keiji awakens in his bunk and thinks that he has dreamed the previous battle and encounters. He soon learns that he has been caught in a time loop living the day before and the day of battle over and over. At first he despairs but then he decides to use the days to train himself more fully in hopes that he can ultimately save his team, if not the base and maybe the world.

I enjoyed the fast paced action and of course the “Goundhog Day” irony of learning to live through repeating days. Through the repeated days the reader/listener learns of Keiji's friendships within his unit as well as his respect for his trainers and command leaders. The views of his squadron add  interest. I especially liked the repeated two day meeting and development of friendship with Rita. There is a twist that is hinted at and revealed at the end.

There is graphic killing that is not suitable for everyone. As the back cover of the CD says: Live, Die, Repeat. The only drawback for me was the harsh, repeated foul words. When used it is repeated in succession. Fortunately it is not throughout the book so you can get to the story beyond the bad language.

Audio Notes: It was a little strange that the narrator was not a younger voice and did not attempt to use a Japanese accent to match the hero. None the less, Mike Martindale does a good job conveying the action and intensity of the story. Listening probably made it easier to get beyond the foul words and definitely made it read faster than a print copy.

I think my husband will like the movie. He doesn't read but says he will "wait for the movie."

I received this Audio Book from Simon & Schuster Audio through AudioBook Jukebox.