Finding God in Anime: A Devotional for Otakus by Laura A. Grace

 

Genre: Inspirational, Christian, Devotions

Source: I purchased a copy

I am not an expert on Anime.  I have read and watched some due to my students telling me I need to check it out. I love the fact that these authors could take something they and so many others are interested in and find a way of using it to show God’s promises and messages.  This devotional is especially well written for young teens. So many of the middle schoolers I teach are into anime.  Each author sought to show through the message of anime and scripture that the two can co-exist.

One of my favorites was “Pikachu, I Choose You” by Laura Grace. One reason is that I am very familiar with Pikachu. My children, my students, and even my grandchildren love Pikachu. The message of putting on the armor of God and standing strong rang so true for me.  I actually had a student quote that to me this last year. He was wearing a shirt proudly proclaiming “Jesus was his Saviour”. He told me the reason he wears those kinds of shirts is because he is “putting on the armor of God.”  If I can see God in Anime, I wonder how many others can. Themes of sacrificing self the way Christ sacrificed himself for us, or being grateful for what we have in the face of mounting obstacles can be found throughout this book.  It is uplifting as well as informative. I had to check out some of the anime I was not familiar with.  I will be talking this book up to my students next year. I know many of them will be surprised by how positive I am about anime.  This is a book I recommend, whether you are a big fan of anime or not.

Keep on Glowing by Robin Emtage

 

Genre: Inspirational

Source: I received an ARC to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

             This book is to be released at the end of June.

When the author told me this was a book for women 40+, I told her I definitely fit that category.

She also told me this wasn't an anti-aging manual I was intrigued.  She talks about finding our inner glow. The thing that stood out the most was making sure we give ourselves permission.  This may seem strange to some.  This was the second time this week I was told that we often don't do what we should, could or want because we as women don't give ourselves permission.  I had never thought of that. 

I have always had a positive outlook on life. My mom used to say when someone would tell her she couldn't, to stand back and watch her. She passed away at the age of 86. Most people didn't realize she was that old because she didn't look it, and she never mentally acted it.  She had a lot of physical obstacles, but that never stopped her. She had what this author calls her "glow".

  The first chapter of this book is about your mindset. I guess I have had that down for quite some time without knowing it was a “thing”. As a middle school teacher the question I get asked at the beginning of each year is how old I am. I always have that one student who announces you are never supposed to ask a woman how old they are.  My reply, “Why? I'm as old as God made me and as of today I am…”  They look shocked and usually reply with something along the lines of, “You’re older than my parents.” I tell them that age is just a number.  I don’t feel 67 and they say I don’t act it.  Since I was 17 or 18 my parents set me on the path of believing in myself, keeping a positive attitude about everything.  I try so hard to distance myself from those who would bring me down. Since God made me unique I don’t compare myself to others.  I have been a writer since I was young.  My dad gave me a notebook when I was very young and told me to write down what frustrated me. He then told me to rip it out and flush it down the toilet. I still keep a journal and I do what I call mental flushes.  When I am frustrated, angered or experience any other negative emotions I write about it. I re-read it and then do a mental flush.

This is pretty much the essence of  her first chapter.  The book gets better. It addresses mental and physical areas as well as relationships.  Areas I need to definitely work on are overcommitting myself. I am a people pleaser.  I want to be so helpful that often I overcommit myself then find my energy lagging because I have not fully learned to set boundaries.  I have learned to take more time for my creative side. This helps me find the balance I need to be the best me. This is exactly what this author talks about. 

This book came to me at the right time.  I started out with a strong glow in my 20s. Somewhere around my early 30s my mindset went the other way. This was so against the way I was raised.  Although I practice so many things already mentioned in this book there was one thing that was pointed out that I was not doing.  I am reaching retirement. I have stayed in my position partly because I love it, but was putting my dream on hold. Why?  Fear. What if I’m not good enough? What If I don’t deserve it. I DO DESERVE my dream. I don’t know EXACTLY how I will get there but I have started working toward it. I have a husband who has told me for the 32 years we have been married that I deserve the best of everything. He is part of the mindset that got me back on the path to glowing. He is the reason I have started reaching for my dreams.  I have started back on the path to better health.  I walked into class last year with my cane. This shocked my students. I told them it was a temporary thing until my body decided to cooperate. I no longer look down on myself when I have to use an aid such as my cane. Three major diagnoses this last year started me on the “Oh, I’m getting old” path. I allowed myself to have a pity party for about a week.  When I announced to myself and my best friend that I wasn’t old I was just taking a new path to getting better, I found my mindset changed and my body and mind felt better. That doesn’t mean I don’t have physical issues anymore.  I have three different auto-immune issues playing around in my body. My goal each day is to let my body know that I am in charge.  It may look different each day, but it's my body, my mind.  I have gotten off the path of glowing at different points throughout my life. This book came along when I needed to remind myself of ways to glow once again.  This is an awesome book and one that I will read time and again as a reminder. It comes out sometime the end of June. I highly recommend it to women where ever they are in their life.

Signs in Life: Finding Direction in Our Travels with God by Deanna Nowadnick

Genre: Christian, Inspirational
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:

SIGNS IN LIFE begins with a late night encounter with law enforcement. In the harsh glare of a flashlight, author DEANNA NOWADNICK learns the consequences of speeding through a stop sign. Other incidents follow. All are linked to the divine signs she's encountered in that bigger journey through life.

Join Deanna as she shares humorous anecdotes and inspirational lessons from her travels with God. See the signs in life. She might be speeding through a stop sign--yet again!--while you're carefully navigating a busy street, but together we're all part of a bigger journey, a greater purpose. We're all part of God's great story.

My Thoughts:

What an inspirational book.  I found myself reading along thinking, Yeah, I’ve missed that sign.  Deanna’s look at her life direction through the use of signs she’s missed in her life will have anyone reading her book wondering what signs they have missed.  I found myself identifying with her situations in so many ways.  I often find myself asking God to help me, only to say to him, “here let me show you how.”  At the end of each chapter she has a set of simple questions to ask yourself.  I can guarantee you that if you read this book there is no way you will not be changed. If forces you to take a good hard look at your life  and to look at those sign we often speed through trying to do things our way.  This is a book that I think will benefit anyone and one I highly recommend.

Believe and Know by Cathy Bryant

Genre: Christian Devotional

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Whether you are looking for a Bible study to help you guide others, or a Bible study to help you seek answers you may have, Cathy Bryant has provided that in this Bible study guide. She states that this book is for Truth-seekers and so it is.  She also speaks to the two types of people who will read this book. The first is the type who believes first and just wants confirmation and the second is those who feel a need to understand before they can believe.  Both will get out of this book what they put into it. It is my prayer that you spend time with this book and the scriptures. You may not yet know what you want out of this book. Read and pray and be assured God will open your eyes and show you what you need.

Cathy has stated as has the scriptures that unbelief keeps us from a right relationship with God.  In Mark chapter 9 verses 14-29 we read about Jesus’ disciples trying to cast the demon out of a young boy. When they could not the father was very frustrated.  He came to Jesus who witnessed the demon possession of the boy and removed the demon. The father was confused by why his disciples could not deliver his son.  It was because of their unbelief.  When Jesus told him that belief was needed the father responded that he believed and then asked the most important thing ever, “help my unbelief.”  We who are Christians are quick to say we believe, until hardships arise.  Then we are quick to criticize and accuse God of ignoring us.  Maybe the real issue is we are having difficulty believing and need to ask God to help us with our unbelief.  After all we are human.

Another thing that came out was in this quote found in the Kindle version section 15.3/82: “It is the same for our non-believing friends and loved ones. We must lay aside the holier-than-thou attitude that demands they believe like we do Instead we must love them unconditionally, pray for them persistently, and treat them with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15)”.  How often do we act or talk down to non-Christians or those who have fallen away as if we are so much better and holier than they are? If you say, ‘I never have’ then you are lying to yourself.  We’ve all done this.  It is a big turn off and will push people away instead of bring them in.

I recognize this in myself when recently I learned a very good friend of mine, with whom I’d shared a strong Christian friendship, had married.  The problem for me with this was that she married another woman. I wanted to pray for her because I knew that this relationship was wrong.  I could not simply because at that point I had the attitude that I didn’t understand (and I don’t) how this could have happened to a Christian.  That wasn’t where my problem with prayer was.  What came next was an issue with pride. I assumed it happened because I was a better Christian.  Oh how God will slap us down when we become so holier-than-thou. 

Cathy also asks us to look for evidence of God’s supreme existence and more.  Cathy talked about those who don’t believe in God. She made a valid point that if she is wrong then she’s no worse off for believing is something that didn’t exist whereas, the other way around, the non-believer proven wrong is doomed to spiritual death.

I asked a very good Mormon friend who was raised Southern Baptist a question one day. She was talking with me about not believing in the rapture. She told me her parents prayed for her constantly because they felt she was wrong.  I asked her what would happen if the rapture I believe in happened and she was left behind. Her response was that she would pray that she would live long enough to repent.  I’ve heard the same thing from a Jewish friend whose daughter became a Christian. She believes we Christians have set up a very nice religion.  I asked her the same question I’d asked my Mormon friend and her response was the same.

I would encourage you to get and read this book.  Study it.  Use it to help you reach out to those who don’t know the Lord.  If you are one of my followers who don’t believe in Christ then get and read this book to prove me wrong.  This is what one of my Messianic Jewish friends did. He studied the Christian Bible to prove a friend wrong and found God in doing so.

.  I have recently added an “Inspirational” Genre to my classroom and will place a copy of this on my school shelves for those who wish to delve deeper into their beliefs. I will highly recommend this book to everyone I meet

Faith & the Parable of the Blindfold: A fun Biblical Adventure to Find, Keep, and Test your Faith through Symbolism

Genre: Christian, Inspiration
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:
Mystery-laced 'Wordplay,' in More Ways than One!
Thomas tip-toes out of a land controlled by Lady Luck, hoping he's unseen. And with only the gift of a map from a friend (named Christian), Thomas begins this biblical adventure to a second opinion and a new place found in the deepest yet highest of levels: Faith. Within a mystery blindfold, Thomas soon discovers his other "senses" to learn why "patience" and "patients" sound the same only in his hometown!

Join Thomas Walker and other symbolizing characters in this mystery-laced symbolic tale! Juggle 17 scriptures and a new imagination all at once inside his short journey. And you'll learn all about faith and how it works from its Story Symbolism, Fun Facts, Discussion Questions, and a bonus Family Skit version. From the better bible memory method of Christian Parables ® which "scripts your scripture without the versus of verses," enjoy! 

My Thoughts:  
This was a unique way to teach about faith. It was also a unique way to get people to study and memorize scripture.  The symbolism in this book was fabulous.  The book is set up so you can click on the scripture and read it right then and there or you can read it all before or after reading the story.  I myself clicked on it as I read. Then I went back and reread the story.  This is a different way to get people into the scriptures.

Fruit of My Spirit - Deanna Nowadnick

Publisher:  Rhododendron Books

Pages:  114

Source:  Review copy from author

Genre:  Christian Inspirational Memoir

From Goodreads:

Fruit of My Spirit is a memoir of missteps and misdeeds in which Deanna Nowadnick writes of the hugeness of God’s love and faithfulness. Reframing life in God’s grace, she discovers an indescribable, indefinable, inexplicable love that has encircled her without fail throughout life.  Fruit of My Spirit is for anyone who’s ever questioned God’s ability to love and forgive, who’s ever wondered about their place in God’s family or God’s place in theirs. Deanna offers hope for those who dare to question, who secretly wonder, and who fear to ask. Through stories of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, you will experience the enormity of god, too.

My Thoughts:

Deanna has written a book that gives us a lot to think about.  Through her stories of how God has walked with her and develop her spiritual gifts, we get to look at our own lives and see how God has helped us. 

She shows us that God doesn’t promise us we will have no struggles. She shows us that God can use any situation or struggle we have to help us grow.  Her life lessons learned through raising her children show us how God often uses our own children. 

As I have gone through several financial and physical challenges this year I have had that rebellious side of me that complained often and questioned God, asking “why me”?  After reading this book I have to ask, “why not me”?  This book is both a lesson and inspiring.  I hope Deanna continues to write.  I feel that God will use her to inspire and bless those of us who read her books.