Book Reviews

Review: Life After Heaven by Steven R. Musick with Paul J. Pastor

April 10, 2017 by Joi 1 Comment

If (like me) you’re an avid reader, you know the feeling: You’ve read an absolutely wonderful book – one that has moved and stirred you greatly that you feel like you’ve taken a spin in the blender. You want to tell everyone in your world to read the book… but you recommend books so regularly, you’re afraid they won’t know just HOW much you want them to read this one.

So the challenge is afoot. How do you convey to them that they simply must read this book – if they’ve ever loved or trusted you before?!

Okay, maybe it’s not that dramatic – but it’s close.

I recommend books frequently to my daughters. And, by recommend, I mean I hand them the books and say, “Oh, girl, you have to read this…” as though they’re still 10 years old, still sitting at the kitchen table, still in our home-school, and still under my “assigned reading” control.

They’re not still any of those things, but I still want them to read the best books. Problem is, with all the reading I do, I’m always coming across great books – so, when I come across one that goes beyond being a “great” book and enters the “blender” zone, I’m met with the challenge of getting my point across… you know, short of sitting on them and reading the book aloud to them.

Kind of like I had to do with Shakespeare with a few of them…

Life After Heaven is an amazing, amazing book. Wherever you happen to be in your Spiritual life, I whole-heartedly recommend this book because it will lead you to the next level. As a Christian, I found this book to be a beautiful accompaniment to my morning Bible reading and Bible study. It opened up my eyes to many Heavenly things I had not considered or thought about.

I am one of those people who (for better or worse) lives VERY much in the moment. I think about my relationship with God as it stands today. I think about my family as they are today. I think about the world (we won’t get into that one right now) as it stands today.

If Life After Heaven only did one thing for me and that thing was open my eyes to the importance of tomorrow, it would have been more than enough. I do find myself more frequently thinking of eternity after reading this remarkable book.

While I know where I will spend eternity, I now think more frequently about others and where they will spend eternity.

From the Back Cover:

After a deadly medical mistake sent a navy sailor to the presence of Jesus, he returned from his near-death experience with new eyes to see the kingdom of heaven in this life. Now he wants to help you experience heaven on earth today.

For years Steve Musick kept his amazing story to himself, afraid no one would believe or understand it. A major allergic reaction had stopped his heart, hurling him into a five-week coma and a powerful experience of heaven. After returning to life, he couldn’t forget the memory of that vibrant place—and, most of all, the loving words and touch of Jesus.

But that was only the beginning. An amazing series of miracles, dreams, and other supernatural events had been set in motion, showing Steve that heaven was close, even in this life. God was calling him to discover echoes of heaven in the here and now—echoes that can happen at any moment, to anyone—that bring overwhelming joy.

At last Steve is ready to tell the story of his journey of a lifetime—two lifetimes. In it you’ll learn the secret of bringing heaven to earth in your everyday world, and how to nurture a relationship with God so real and intimate that you’ll feel his nearness as strongly as Steven did.

Experience one man’s incredible vision of heaven—and learn how you can live in God’s presence and power today.

About the Author

STEVEN R. MUSICK is founder and CEO of Destiny Capital, a respected financial advisory firm. With three master’s degrees in management, financial services, and international economics, Musick has taught at the University of Denver Daniels College of Business. Steve and his wife, Elaine, have three grown sons, three daughters by marriage, and three grandchildren.

PAUL J. PASTOR is a writer, editor, and journalist who loves telling stories of God at work in our world.

I Cannot Recommend This Book Enough

I don’t want to give anything away whatsoever about Life After Heaven or the author’s remarkable journey, so I am simply going to recommend this with all of my heart to anyone and everyone. I want each and every one of you to get your hands on your own copy. I recommend finding a quiet place each day to read and enjoy this book. You will take an emotional, Spiritual journey and… please forgive me for sounding cheesy… but your life will be changed.

Life After Heaven will be one of the most important books you ever read.

Note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. The opinions are entirely my own.

Review: Seven-Mile Miracle by Steven Furtick

March 13, 2017 by Joi 2 Comments

Seven-Mile Miracle by Steven Furtick: A Number 1 Best-Seller on Amazon!

To say that I have a “thing for books” would be a gross understatement. I’m entertained by them, moved by them, motivated by them, changed by them, and… make no mistake… fascinated by them.

I even collect certain types of books – with collections numbering in the obscene:

Agatha Christie Mysteries
Bible Study Books
Cookbooks (new and vintage)
American History Biographies
Books About Kentucky
Inspirational Books
Books About Tea
Books About Herbs
Books About Mental Health & Brain Fitness

There are others, but that’ll give you an idea of the kind of book fanatic you’re dealing with here.

Oftentimes, I’ll come across an author that I resonate so completely with that I set out on a mission – a new collection consisting of every book they’ve ever written. That’s what has happened with the book you see here, Seven-Mile Miracle. Steven Furtick has a gift for taking very informative, inspirational, moving, and compelling words and doing something few are able to pull off…. he has a lot of fun with them.

When you open the book, you completely expect the beauty of the story – any story about Jesus is going to be beautiful after all, since He defined beauty. You even expect the story to be inspiring, motivating, and eye-opening – and this book is all of these things. You may not, however, expect it to be so much fun to read that you don’t want to put it down and you certainly don’t expect it to contain so much humor that you laugh out loud (I always get such stares from my cats when I do that).

Steven Furtick’s humor caught me delightfully off guard and that’s why I will soon have yet another book collection I’ll be working on – all books by Steven Furtick.

Seven-Mile Miracle is, not at all surprisingly, a number 1 best-seller on Amazon right now. Seems I’m not the only one who knows a great author when she reads one or a great book when she’s lucky enough to hold it in her hands.

His Final Words Are Your New Beginning

It’s Good Friday. The Son of God is giving up his life. What does he want to say to us in His final hours? What does He tell the people standing at the foot of the cross, to pass down to the ages? He speaks only seven short statements. Words of forgiveness, salvation, relationship, abandonment, distress, triumph, and reunion. Seven statements that mean everything.

In Seven-Mile Miracle, Pastor Steven Furtick shows us how Jesus’s last words offer mile markers for our journey in relationship with God. It’s a lifelong journey and it’s not always easy. But Jesus is both our guide and our destination as we travel.

Includes questions for reflection and a forty-day reading guide to Jesus’s death and resurrection.

A Proven Path for Spiritual Growth

From time to time we all feel stuck in our relationship with God and frustrated by life’s setbacks. Jesus faced what could have been the ultimate defeat on the cross. Yet he emerged triumphant through his relationship with his heavenly Father. And he showed us the way so that we could do the same.

In Seven-Mile Miracle, Steven Furtick explores how Jesus’s seven last statements on the cross offer a proven spiritual growth path for us. You will experience the Easter message more personally than ever before as you engage the words of forgiveness, salvation, relationship, abandonment, distress, triumph, reunion.

After all, we are not simply believers—people who have put our faith in Jesus. We are not simply disciples—pupils who learn from him. We are called to be followers of Christ. This is your opportunity to follow Jesus through his death, and move forward in his resurrection power, starting now.

Review Continued Below….

Seven-Mile Miracle reads fast, yet you’ll find yourself slowing the process down, just so you’re certain to catch every nugget. I found myself taking notes along the way – a sure sign of a very special book.

I also loved the reflection questions and the Bible reading guide. Each were very thoughtful additions that help transcend a wonderful read into a wonderful source for Bible study.

I hope you’ll head over to Amazon and grab a copy of Seven-Mile Miracle today. You might just bump into me as I search out other books by Steven Furtick. His humor, love for Jesus, and excitement for the Bible resonate with me and I’m certain they will with you as well.

One Hundred Voices: An Anthology (Review)

February 14, 2017 by Joi 1 Comment

Earlier I wrote an article on How to Relax and, immediately after publishing it, I thought, “I think I’ll relax and read a few short stories.”

You just have to love irony, don’t you?!

I have always had a special place in my heart for short stories – whether they’re collected in a beautiful anthology like One Hundred Voices (pictured here) or they’re a collection of short stories from one specific author (Agatha Christie, for example), they rock my literary world.

If you’ve read many of my book reviews on Self Help Daily, you probably know that I very seldom write fiction book reviews. I generally concentrate on inspirational, motivational, health-related, self help…. – genres that resonate with the self help blog.

However, a few things occur to me:

Reading is one of the most relaxing things you can do. It’s a beautiful little mini vacation where you sort of walk away from all the troubles of the world for a while – just long enough to recompose yourself and come back to reality refreshed and ready to grab it by the… well, by whatever you want to grab the world by.
Reading is as beneficial to your brain as it is to your psyche. Somehow, reading fiction is a joyful little workout for your brain cells. As you follow the author’s story, the creative side of your mind becomes FULLY engaged. It begins to say things like, “Will the story go this way?,” “What if this character says this?,” “I can imagine what his neighborhood looks like….” The creative side of our brain, unfortunately, operates on cruise control most of the time. As we go about our daily grind, our creativity simply isn’t frequently called upon. Maybe that’s why reading is so stimulating – we wake up one of the funnest part of our mind – the party animal!

When you take these things into consideration, you realize that reading (whether it’s fiction, non-fiction, or somewhere in between) is phenomenally good for you. If that’s not self help-y, I don’t know what is.

While I spend, probably, 75 percent of my reading time with historical biographies and other works of non-fiction, I absolutely love fiction.

Beware as the self help diva approaches deep waters..

The fascinating thing is there’s a lot of each fictional author in his or her stories. Whether in short stories or novels, authors pour themselves into the story – their loves, hates, fears, victories, losses, dreams…. Anyone who is (like me) terribly fascinated by humans and the things that make them tick will find this truth to be not just delicious but Strawberry Sundae delicious.

One of the authors in One Hundred Voices is my oldest daughter, Emily Dill. This young author isn’t just talented, she is ridiculously talented – and, trust me on this if you ever trusted me on anything – I’m not just saying that because I’m her mother. She is truly a gifted author and everything she writes leaves me speechless.

Not. An. Easy. Task.

I know, firsthand, that Emily pours herself into her fictional stories. Whether it’s her great love for animals (she has two black cats that hung the moon and stars in her and her husband’s world), her love of God, her fascination with graphic novels (favoring heroines and villains – but, seriously, who likes villains??!!), her fanaticism for the Green Bay Packers, her love of children and everything they say or do, or her unrivaled passion for green tea, EACH of her attributes and quirks (I’m looking at you Joker) show up in her stories and I’d wager to say it’s true of all fictional writers.

They may not all be on the surface, but make no mistake about it, they’re there. Why? Because authors pour their heart and soul into their craft. When an author finishes writing a story, there’s often a feeling of BOTH completion and exhaustion.

After pouring themselves body, mind, heart, and soul into creating a fantasy world, they leave nothing on the table – and those of us who read their stories benefit from the whole beautiful process.

Why Short Stories are Extra Special

Like any avid reader, I love a great novel. Getting lost in an Agatha Christie book is a special kind of joy. However, I would be utterly lost without short stories and keep as many around me as possible.

They’re bite-sized tales that stimulate, entertain, and often amaze… all without taking up much of your day. I love that! Sometimes I have time for a couple at one setting and other times, I “break off” one story, then keep on going about my day.

As someone who works from home, I have the luxury of enjoying a short story anytime I feel the need for a mini vacation. I’ll often do just that between online projects, writing articles, cooking, or (ugh) doing household chores.

I may not always have time for a whole chapter of a novel, but I always have time for a short story.

Many anthologies, such as One Hundred Voices aren’t just great to have around the house, they’re great to pop into a bag and take with you, wherever your day takes you.

This particular collection of short stories is absolutely wonderful and is filled with fresh new voices from all walks of life. I am SO grateful that a little bio is included for each author because I love learning more about the person behind the story.

Finally, I love collections like One Hundred Voices so much because of one word: VARIETY. While we each have our favorite fictional genres (mysteries, historical, science fiction, horror, romance….), there’s a lot to be said for branching out. In fact, my own personal genre now is mystery – however, when I first fell in love with reading, I only read historical fiction. That was IT. One fateful day, my mom had an Agatha Christie book setting on the coffee table and I began reading. Before the end of the first chapter, Agatha Christie, mysteries, and Hercule Poirot had me hooked.

It’s nothing short of exciting to branch out and read different genres. Reading the same one would be kind of like going to a carnival and riding only ONE ride. No, thank you, there are far too many to enjoy!

Short Story collections allow you to ride all the rides – now that’s living.

Find One Hundred Voices on Amazon today. – Joi (“Joy”)

One Hundred Voices

The Hum of Angels: Listening for the Messengers of God Around Us (Review)

February 9, 2017 by Joi Leave a Comment

There are certain subjects that fascinate me so completely and so deeply that I could read and talk about them 24 hours a day and look for an extra couple of hours at the end. American History, baseball, the life of Jesus, cooking, the Old Testament, cats, animals/birds, Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Ancient Egypt, and Angels are just a few of these fascinations that my soul is saturated with. So, trust me, if it has been written about any of these subjects, I’ve read it – and, usually re-read it many times over.

I have read countless books and articles about angels and recently had the joyful opportunity to add to my mental and Spiritual library. I finished reading The Hum of Angels: Listening for the Messengers of God Around Us by Scot McKnight this morning and didn’t want to wait another minute before encouraging you to get your hands on this book. It is one of the best books I’ve ever read about angels and I know it’ll stay with me for a lifetime.

I also know it’s going to be one of those “many times over” books, so I’ve told it to get accustomed to my perfume, gypsy bracelets, and coffee breath.

I take an active part in the Blogging for Books program (linked to at the bottom of this review). I am able to choose a different book to read/review after each completed review. When I saw The Hum of Angels available, I nearly pulled a muscle in my arm submitting my request. My limbs simply aren’t accustomed to quick movements – they think it might be that thing they’ve heard of called “exercise” and they panic.

True story: I actually began reading the book as soon as it came in the mail. As in, before I even got inside with it. Have I mentioned that the subject of Angels fascinates me?

Let me make one thing perfectly clear, however – I do not, in any way, worship them or hold them in an esteem on plane with the esteem I have for God, Himself. Or His Son or the Holy Spirit. I do, however, find them uncommonly fascinating and hold them in esteem.

Taking second place to the Trinity, I am certain, does not offend these Heavenly beings.

Like many people, I don’t just “believe” in Angels, I accept them completely as a part of life as much as I do teachers, baristas, Preachers, and authors. I’ve read about them all my life in the Bible and have even experienced them in my own life.

Would You Recognize an Angel if You Saw One?

The majority of earth’s inhabitants believe in angels. Yet many of us cannot claim to have seen one. Why?

Perhaps it’s because in order to encounter one, we first have to learn what to look for and how to look! We live in a world where the natural and supernatural overlap. Angels are constantly on mission from God and constantly at work in the world.

From the Garden of Eden to the book of Revelation, Scripture is filled with hundreds of references to these wondrous creatures. In this creative work, Scot McKnight explores what the Bible says—and doesn’t say—about these majestic beings.

And that’s deeply important, because angels are still on mission today. They express God’s love, confirm his presence, and even lead humans in redemptive worship. Don’t just believe in angels. Learn how to recognize these messengers of God that are all around us, and know how God might be using them to affect our lives.

Most People Believe in Angels.
It’s What we Believe About them that Matters.

Believing in angels is one thing. But how can we know what angels are really like – especially when our preconceived notions have been mostly shape by sensationalized misinterpretations of these wondrous beings?

To help sort things out, Scot McKnight untangles fact from fiction on topics such as:
* Do loved ones become angels when they die?
* Can we hear from angels?
* Is there a hierarchy of angels?
* Do we have a specific guardian angel?
* Should we be scared of angels?
* Are cherubs and seraphs different creatures than angels?
* Do angels have wings?
* Are angels worship leaders?

The Hum of Angels illuminates what the Bible says about these heavenly beings and helps you to understand the deepest truths about one of God’s most magnificent and yet misunderstood creations.

Why You’re Going to Love The Hum of Angels

When I meet an author that I connect with – one who instantly becomes a favorite, even after one book, I make a vow to read everything they’ve ever written. Given the fact that Scot McKnight is a very prolific author, I’ve got my work cut out for me…. and I couldn’t be more excited!

The Hum of Angels isn’t just a wonderful, rich education on the history and ministry of Angels, it is an inspirational and fascinating book to lose yourself in. Let’s face it, the world today isn’t always a reasonable place in which to hang out – I can’t remember a time in my life when I’ve ever found so much solace and comfort and RELIEF in escaping with a great book. The Hum of Angels was a beautiful and especially rewarding escape.

Whether (like me), through Bible reading and study, you already have a good understanding of Angels or they are fairly new to you – this is a book and this is an author you’re going to love.

One of the things I enjoyed the most was the author’s humor. At one point, a Cubs comment made this St. Louis Cardinal fanatic laugh out loud. My cat thought I’d lost it – then I explained the joke to her and she understood.

See The Hum of Angels for more information and to order your own copy today. This is an absolutely beautiful book to add to your library.

Note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. The opinions are entirely my own. With Blogging for Books, you are able to select the book(s) you want to read/review and when I saw this particular book, I JUMPED at the chance!

Review of an Inspirational Beauty: 31 Verses to Write on Your Heart

January 17, 2017 by Joi Leave a Comment

31 Verses to Write on Your Heart by Liz Curtis HiggsI recently wrote a raving review for Liz Curtis Higgs’ Really Bad Girls of the Bible and today I’m here to do the same – similar raving and same wonderful author. Only the book has changed.

31 Verses to Write on Your Heart is a beautiful collection of favorite Bible verses – collected from over 1,000 women. Accompanying the collection of inspiring and uplifting verses are Liz Curtis Higg’s beautiful (and deliciously witty) stories, words and thoughts. The reader is given perfect illustrations of each Bible verse as it jumps out of the Bible and into your life.

I think that’s the heart of having favorite Bible verses. They are almost always words that spoke to us when we needed them most. One of my personal favorite verses is Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.” (KJV) When my three girls were very young, my dad was in extremely bad health. We knew it wasn’t a matter of “if” he was dying, but “when.” My girls and I packed up our homeschooling books and made the long drive each day from Madisonville to Owensboro (KY), where he was in the hospital.

If you’ve never watched someone you love greatly slowly die, I hope you never do. It’s… well, there doesn’t seem to be a word strong enough for what it is. Even “agonizing” doesn’t seem to cover it.

One night as I was stacking up the books the girls would need to carry with them the next morning, I just laid across the bed and let the tears fall where they may. Since the last thing I wanted my daughters or husband, for that matter, to see was me having a “moment and a half,” I dried my eyes, grabbed my Bible and flung it open – figuring I’d just begin reading wherever my red eyes happened to land.

I “landed” here in Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.” Here’s the thing about Bible verses – often, one verse speaks to one person differently than it does the next person. Why? Because God often has something different to say to each of us!

When I read that verse, it was as though God was meeting me right where I was and telling me to be strong… happier days are ahead and my dad’s suffering and our heartbreak would not last forever. When I closed my Bible (after highlighting the verse and writing it both on the calendar I carried in my purse AND on my heart), I realized something that I have never forgotten – when you keep your eyes on God (“Call unto me”), He will always be there for you (“I WILL answer thee”). What’s more, He will lead, teach, and instruct you (“shew thee great and mighty things”), even if you can’t, for the life of you, see them yourself (“which though knowest not.”)