"Know Thine Enemy" and "What is Time"

Although I read four books today, I was only able to get two reviews written.  I'm not upset about it.  Today was very productive.  I started out my day doing Spring cleaning.  I accomplished all but three tasks.  I then finished four books and wrote the review for two of them.  I didn't get the other two completed because  I received four books today and of course had to preview them.  I will start tomorrow morning off with two reviews.  My plans are then to complete two of the three tasks left and then read.  We've had beautiful weather and my yard swing and the books are calling my name.  Until tomorrow.

Know Thine Enemy – Dr. David Ukiwe

Publisher:  XulonPress

Pages:  224

Source:  Review copy from publisher

Genre:  Bible study on spiritual warfare

Book description from Amazon:

The Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul tells us not to be ignorant of the devices of satan. The word "Ignore" is the root word from which we get the word "Ignorant". However, people have been taught incorrectly or misapplied the teachings they heard about dealing with the kingdom of darkness. Some people think they have to ignore satan and go on with their lives because he has been defeated and wouldn't bother them. The other extreme is those who are kind of paranoid, are too conscious of satanic activity and focus excessively on fighting him as if they were trying to win the war. But the victory has already been won by Jesus, all we are doing is enforcing the victory and maintaining law and order. In this book, Dr David Ukiwe takes you on a journey in scriptures to unravel and expose the tricks of the enemy. He uses bible stories and contemporary illustrations to explain how the kingdom of darkness operates and how to successfully wage spiritual warfare. He shares step by step how The System works, and encourages you to believe that you can overcome the challenges of life. You will learn about: • The mission of the kingdom of darkness. • The enemy's weapons of warfare. • How the enemy influences your choices and decisions. • The benefits of controlling your thoughts and emotions. • How to use "spiritual Intelligence". • How to overcome discouragement. • Satan's inferiority complex. • And much more. This handbook which includes a bible study guide for personal and group study is guaranteed to help you live an overcoming and victorious Christian life if you apply the principles therein.

There are many books out in the world on Spiritual Warfare.  Dr. Ukiwe has set out to show us how Satan tries to get at us.  He is a very tricky being.  He uses our weaknesses, and our flaws against us. He clinches on to our human nature and twists it for his benefit.

What is Time – Gary W. Driver

Publisher:  Self

Pages:  156

Source:  Review copy from author

From Amazon:

What is time itself? The question of the time of day, week, month, and year is not difficult to ascertain. The great question is not the time of day, but what is time? The answer is within this book! Empirical evidence and time proves God created the universe. Time is the common denominator of the Bible and Science. Time is the key that reveals God in the most modern scientific discoveries in Quantum Mechanics, Physics, Cosmology, and Geology. Driver connects the dots of the bible and science to reveal the picture of time itself and creation. GOD answers such critics as Stephen Hawking and Richard Dawkins, who declared God is a delusion and not needed in creation. Empirical scientific/biblical evidence contained in this book proves them wrong without the need of faith. While the ‘god particle’ cannot be found, the true and living God speaks now concerning Creation. The mountain of scientific and biblical evidence about the universe outlined in this book totally refutes those assertions and proves the bible is of divine origin. Modern science proves the God’s intelligent design of the bible! “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind”-- Albert Einstein “God’s handiwork is everywhere; therefore, saying that God is missing is like traveling around the globe in search of the Earth”. -- What Is Time –Gary Driver. Learn why time is no illusion; we cannot see the present, why we age, what is eternity. Learn where the bible says the universe is finite and earth is at least 230 million years old! Enclosed proof the Big Bang cannot be the start of time and how this affects evolution. Learn how God and Jesus can wholly claim to have created the same universe and much more.

My Thoughts:

I really wanted to like this book based on its subject content.  The problem is, I really could not understand a lot of it.  I don't understand quantum mechanics and the laws of physicsI believe that God and Science go hand in hand.  The scriptures he used throughout only confused what he was trying to say.  I very seldom give low reviews, but this is one I could not recommend unless there was a high degree of science knowledge.

About the author:

Gary Driver is Senior Pastor at C C Driver Revival Center in Cleveland, Texas. He has been a biblical

teacher and Pastor for 23 years. He and his wife Shere have five children and seven grand children. He

served as Senior Project Manager for 15 years in the building automation industry.

One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the end of each chapter.  Dr. Ukiwe has added questions, a memory verse and something to ponder/think about.  It takes the lesson further and makes the reader think about the application to their own life.

This book is great to use alone in your Bible study time or as a group.  It is one I will recommend.

About the Author:

Dr. David Ukiwe has been a born again Christian for 20 years.  He has taught the principles shared in this book for over 10 years with good results.  The applied principles shared in this book heped Dr. David Ukiwe overcome challenges in his life.

Spring Break Read-a-Thon, Day 1

Well Today is the first official weekday of my Spring Break.  I have set a goal of reading and reviewing at least 3-5 books a day.  Why?  I want and need to get my book pile of review books down.  I have cut way back on the number of books I am accepting to review.  I have noticed several things in the past six months that has me a little concerned.

 First and foremost is that I seem to have moved away from my reason for starting my blog.  Originally it was started to help my students find books they might enjoy reading.  They are always saying that they can't find anything to read.  Over the last year I have observed from my statistics that I have been reading and reviewing more adult books.  That is not a bad thing.  I have parents who read my blog and are looking for books to read.  I have lost some of my students because of this. I need to find a balance in what I review.  I also need to read and review the books I've had on my shelves here at home and at school for the last couple of years.   I  often purchase books for my shelves at school.  If it is a young adult book I read it first to make sure it is appropriate for the age group I read.  That doesn't mean it won't go on my shelf.  It means that often I need to send a letter home to make sure the parents are okay with their child reading it.  I've got stacks I'd love to read and place on my school shelves, but I've not had time to read them.

Another problem created by my backlog of books to be reviewed is that my writing has virtually stopped.  Not because I want it to, but because I am playing catch up on my reviews.  There are some days where I may exceed my goal of reading 3 - 5 books.  No, I am not skimming or speed reading, even though I do read very fast.  I have at least 10 - 15 books on my desk I have started and not finished.  When I looked at my bookmarks in them they were anywhere from half to three-quarters finished.  Yes I know, I'm really bad about starting several books and then not finishing them until later, because life happens, and so does school, you know grading papers, etc.

I have not decided if each day I am going to post  reviews as I go, or try to post them all at one time.  So please, check back often this week to see what I have read.  Besides, Katrina at Callapidder Days will soon be hosting her Spring Reading Thing and I want to read from my TBR pile, instead my review pile.

So join me in reading over spring break.

Student Saturday: Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life - James Patterson

Publisher:  Little, Brown and Company
Pages:  288
Genre:  Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

Looking for a good book?  Well, when you finish reading this, pat yourself on the back because you just found an AMAZING and entertaining book to start and probably end that day.  Yes, 281 pages (yeah, that much entertainment) that you will finish in hopefully one or two class periods if there is time.  I'm not forgetting the teachers and adults, who are lucky enough to say they made it, and enjoy the middle school life of Rafe Khatchadorian.  Say it right you get a prize.  Not really (okay, I admit I even go myself excited) enough about how you'll love it, on to the details!

Middle Schoolers, you know what this is like...Adults are probably trying to forget those (at times) dreadful three years of the past.  Rafe Khatchadorian (cat-chu-door-ee-un) is one of you, yet creative, and imaginative, not like academic creative or imaginative.  He is in his own little way at times.  For instance, "dragon lady", his English teacher, Ms. dontanello.  yes to our friend Rafe she is dragon lady.  he also has the classic rfictional bully problem, he's Miller the killer.  don't even go thinking bad things about him in your head, just in case this dude has GPS and your address.  You read it righ, this dude looks like Popeye after a bucket full of beets.  Rafe's life does NOT usually go his way (more bad times than good), for example, think of your BEST idea ever going completely haywire.  That's his life explained in probably 10 words or less.  You'll also learn that he is a bad soda salesman, along with his talkative pal Leo, and like millions of kids in middle school, has a crush on a girl.  She is Jeanne, theprettiest human Rafe has ever seen.

Wow, I may have made you laugh a minute ago...Give me aminute I need to getmy laughs out from before...Wow you are missing SO much as I type!  get out of that chair or outta that desk and run to that library down the street! Or, ifyou don't want to get expelled, politely raise your hand and ask to go to that library at your school, where yous hould be about now if you listened.  If you really listened, you're halfway down main Street with the police on your tail.  Well?  Waht are you waiting for?  go ahead because Miller could eb tracking you down...Enjoy!