Christianity Books

The Christmas Box Collection: The Christmas Box, Timepiece, the Letter

Richard Paul Evans

List Price: $30.00 By: Simon & Schuster Amazon Marketplace: 11 new & used starting at $8.93

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 48 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"Whatever the reason, I find that with each passing Christmas the story of the Christmas box is told less and needed more. So I record it now for all future generations to accept or dismiss as seems to them good. As for me, I believe." So begins the sentimental tale of romance and family that Richard Paul Evans went to a copy shop and self-published a few years back. Readers decidedly accepted the saga, spending millions of dollars and clamoring for more, so Evans wrote two more heart-rending episodes, Timepiece and The Letter. (The original's megasuccess sparked a TV movie and inspired a parody, Revenge of the Christmas Box.)

At last, all three are collected in one of the most popular holiday-themed tearjerkers since Dickens. Can David Parkin, a hard-working man, learn from a cache of old love letters that there's more to life than work--such as his relationship with his wife, MaryAnne? What becomes of the Parkins' angelic daughter, Andrea? When a bent and bereft old lady is spotted crouching over a snowy grave, and the night watchman tells her the cemetery is closed, what can it mean that she mysteriously disappears, leaving behind one red rose and a letter? Could it have something to do with calamitous family tragedy, with David's mother and the key to healing his hardened heart?

It sure could. Scrooge-like critics did not swoon over Evans's trilogy, but they are quite outnumbered by fans. Evans made millions of readers feel touched, as if by an angel.

Bringing Up Boys

James C. Dobson, Wayne Shepherd

Amazon Price: $22.99 List Price: $22.99 Usually ships in 2 to 5 weeks By: Tyndale Audio Amazon Marketplace: 24 new & used starting at $2.49

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 249 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

A must have for parents with boys! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

For every parent with boys, this book is a must read! Dr. James Dobson brilliantly discusses the challenges boys face in this world and how we as parents should deal with and handle our boys. The future of our young men is so important, and Dr. James Dobson educates the reader on how to help grow our boys into strong, respectful, spiritual men.

Editorial Review:

2002 Gold Medallion Award winner!

With so much confusion about the role of men in our society, it's no wonder so many parents and teachers are at a loss about how to bring up boys. Our culture has vilified masculinity and, as a result, boys are suffering. Parents, teachers, and others involved in shaping the character of boys have many questions. In Bringing Up Boys, Dr. James Dobson, America's most trusted authority on family issues, tackles these questions and offers advice and encouragement based on a firm foundation of biblical principles. Bringing Up Boys--a must-read book for parents, teachers, social workers, youth leaders, counselors--anyone involved in the challenge of turning boys into good men.

The audio book is read by Wayne Shepard and punctuated by original music.

The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus

Lee Strobel

List Price: $17.99 By: Zondervan Amazon Marketplace: 9 new & used starting at $3.86

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Total reviews: 641 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Failed to Address Any of My Questions 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

A good friend of mine, who is quite sincere in his belief, provided me with a copy of this book, believing it would quickly dispel my lifelong agnosticism. I read it in good faith, hoping that here at last might be a book that would address a lifetime's worth of questions. Unfortunately, I realized within the first few minutes of opening it that it would do no such thing. It glossed over the most fundamental objections I have within the first few pages and never looked back from there. Thus, to me, it was essentially worthless, though I labored on to finish the entire book out of respect for my friend. Thankfully, it was mercifully short, and the language made for an easy read. The content was of no value to me, but Strobel, at least, can write a coherent sentence and is a decent writer.

Christian believers should be aware of how weakly this book addresses genuine agnostic objections to the Jesus story, and how poorly it will prepare you to discuss and/or debate the matter with an informed unbeliever.

Quite simply, I have never believed the Jesus story, from the time I was a child. I don't believe in invisible things, be they ghosts, demons, leprechauns or the various and sundry gods of a thousand different religions. I have serious doubts that Jesus ever existed, though I can't rule out that the stories are not based on some bonafide rabbi who actually lived and breathed and preached for a time, even though he somehow missed the attention of Philo of Alexandria, a Jew who lived at exactly the same time and wrote extensively about the history of Palestine. I am puzzled by the existence of religion, which obviously has arisen in virtually every culture that has ever existed on this planet, but have accepted the reality that skeptics like myself are in the minority. Perhaps it is because I am a member of such a seemingly small minority that Strobel's book was not tailored to a mind like mine - but to me the fundamental flaw in his book is that he simply assumes from the very beginning that invisible and supernatural things do exist, that miracles happen, and that the stories told in the Gospels are true.

To me, it is obvious that all the biographical information we have about Jesus was first written by whoever developed the Gospel of Mark, and that little new or different regarding the actual life and biography of Jesus was added by the other three gospel writers. Thus we have what is essentially a point source regarding the life of Jesus, and I have yet to receive a compelling argument from anyone that counters my suspicion that maybe the entire story was a work of fiction invented by some literary genius now known to the world only as "Mark." Unfortunately, Strobel does not address this concern in the least. His only comment on this very serious objection is along the lines of: "these gospel writers seemed like good men, so why would they lie?"

Why indeed? The problem of course is that a devout Mormon will say the same thing about Joseph Smith, when to most outsiders it really does appear as if Smith made the entire Book of Mormon up virtually single handedly, and his motives for doing so: money, power, and even sex, are crystal clear to any outsider not caught up in the Mormon faith. The objection that no one person could have come up with the Jesus story is refuted not only by Joseph Smith, but by looking at the complex worlds created in fiction by people like Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, or J.K. Rowling. So of course one person could have come up with the Jesus story, especially since any simple course in comparative religion shows that most of the major premises of Christianity already were present in the Mediterranean basin at the time of St. Paul: whoever Mark was, living where he did, would have had access to the teachings and belief systems of Plato, Buddhism, Zoroaster/Mithras, Judaism, Heracles, and the ancient and well-developed Egyptian religion. From there, it would not be difficult to fuse and merge the best of each into a new amalgamation - the creation of such a hybrid religion would require creativity and ingenuity to be sure - but would not require the development of any new insights or philosophy - those were already there for the taking.

Strobel fails to address the fact that not a single contemporary Roman source mentions Jesus, and that references to Jesus from later writers like Tacitus and Josephus are not only scant but controversial. The oft repeated claim that the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus are "one of the most documented events in history" becomes ridiculous to anyone who has ever actually investigated the matter - but again - Strobel fails to address this.

Having thus blithely, and as I said earlier, in one sentence, dispensed with the most serious objection to Christianity - that the entire thing might have been invented, just like every other religion known to man, Strobel barrels along, treating each story in the gospel now as though it was actually witnessed by a sober and honest person.

I do not make these comments in an effort to stir up a debate, but in the event a Christian apologist happens to make a good faith effort to refute any of the concerns I've just expressed in the last few paragraphs in a "comment" to this review, I would observe that his or her efforts would be far superior and far more useful to me than anything in Strobel's book.

And THAT, more than anything else, drives home the point that Strobel's book is useless. If a stray Christian passerby can spend five minutes responding to me and come up with more compelling and direct arguments than Strobel did in the year or so he spent writing this book, that ought to tell you something about how useful Strobel's book really is as a refutation to agnosticism.

Editorial Review:

The Case for Christ records Lee Strobel's attempt to "determine if there's credible evidence that Jesus of Nazareth really is the Son of God." The book consists primarily of interviews between Strobel (a former legal editor at the Chicago Tribune) and biblical scholars such as Bruce Metzger. Each interview is based on a simple question, concerning historical evidence (for example, "Can the Biographies of Jesus Be Trusted?"), scientific evidence, ("Does Archaeology Confirm or Contradict Jesus' Biographies?"), and "psychiatric evidence" ("Was Jesus Crazy When He Claimed to Be the Son of God?"). Together, these interviews compose a case brief defending Jesus' divinity, and urging readers to reach a verdict of their own.

Rejoice (Redemption Series-Baxter 1, Book 4)

Karen Kingsbury, Gary Smalley

Amazon Price: $19.95 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Brilliance Audio Amazon Marketplace: 16 new & used starting at $2.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Karen Kingsbury Books 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I cannot begin to tell you how it has enriched my life by reading these books in series order. I have had some of the ups and downs mentioned in normal lives of her characters and not only read them for entertainment. I find myself praying over scripture references about situations close to my own realm of life. She will touch and gladden you heart but remember start at the beginning and know the Baxter family!

Editorial Review:

A Terrible Tragedy
Brooke and Peter are struggling in their marriage when they are faced with the single worst moment ever. What was supposed to be a pool party for their two daughters and a handful of children ends in disaster. As three-year-old Hayley fights for her life, the Baxter family draws together, not even sure how to pray.

A Shattered Life
Peter is devastated by Hayley’s accident. Unable to see past his own guilt, he distances himself from Brooke and their girls and finds other ways to ease his pain. Illegal ways. Peter’s choices send him spiraling into a cavernous abyss that threatens to destroy not only his relationship with Brooke but his life.

A Reason to Rejoice
Against the backdrop of great pain and loss, a Baxter wedding takes place in New York City, a wedding that gives all of them a reason to smile again. Now, what will it take for Brooke and the Baxters to move forward, and how will the sudden loss of one special woman change them all?

Making Children Mind without Losing Yours

Dr. Kevin Leman

List Price: $14.99 By: Revell Amazon Marketplace: 7 new & used starting at $6.25

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Total reviews: 39 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

As the title indicates, Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours is a book with a friendly, lighthearted approach. Author Kevin Leman (The New Birth Order Book) speaks directly from his experiences as a father of five and a practicing psychologist. While you won't find specific studies or statistics here, you will find straightforward, practical suggestions that often get right to the heart of troubling situations.

Leman's technique, which he refers to as "reality discipline" is based on a particular passage from the Bible, and his book is liberally sprinkled with his religious beliefs. These references will make this book a particular favorite for some readers; his stance that parents' authority comes directly from God is a fundamental principle of his text, and some parents may prefer a less evangelistic approach. That said, it's hard to disagree with suggestions such as "train yourself to be a good listener" and "give your children direct eye contact." Nearly every suggestion is coupled with a real-life example of the behavior in discussion, making for an easy read, and every chapter ends with questions labeled "to review and apply" as well as a short section of concepts to put into practice. The section dealing with divorce suggests you make a list of the chapter's suggestions you find difficult and create a plan to implement them. Leman assumes that anyone reading this book can find the time to create such plans themselves, and doesn't provide his readers with any step-by-step charts. If you're not up to creating your own action plans, you may prefer a more detailed form of help than this book offers. --Jill Lightner

The Five Love Languages of Children Audio Cassette (Booksounds)

Gary Chapman, Ross Campbell

Amazon Price: $11.24 List Price: $14.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Northfield Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 29 new & used starting at $3.29

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 58 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

I'll admit I was skeptical 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Ordinarily, the follow-on books are kind of flat. The Elizabeth George "After God's Own Heart" books seemed this way, although the first one, "A Woman After God's Own Heart" was excellent.

I was expecting the same sort of flatness from this book. I found a lot to apply in the original Love Languages book, and I'm still sneaking it into my marriage. It's one thing to tell your Quality-Time husband that you are a TOUCH wife, and a whole different thing to gently convince him to touch touch touch touch touch touch. It has brought me to a whole new level of positive reinforcement.

So I figured this one for kids would be a couple of hundred pages of telling parents that kids need *every* love language. And indeed, there was some of that.

But the book was full of clues for how to recognize your child's love language, how it may change over time, and how to communicate.

The book offered a lot. I thought the chapters on conflict were very worthwhile, and even on how to discipline in the different love languages. My kids are so different that I needed all the pointers I could get. And surprise -- thinking about love languages across generations has helped me communicate better with my parents, too -- off to a good start, anyway.

I read this 6 months ago. My eldest started talking more, to me and to other people, NOTICEABLY more, and it's bringing me some relief from one of my biggest parenting worries -- how remote this child has been. That has been the biggest and most immediate change in our family recently, and I can trace it to this book.

I would recommend you read the first Love Languages book first, and then this one to think specifically about your kids.

Oh, and for moms, definitely read A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George. It's family-enhancing.

Editorial Review:

Does your child speak a different language? Attitude. Behavior. Development. Everything depends on the love relationship between you and your child. When children feel loved, they do their best. But how can you make sure your child feels loved?Since 1992, Dr. Gary Chapman's bestselling book The Five Love Languages has helped more than 300,000 couples develop stronger, more fulfilling relationships by teaching them to speak each other's love language. This year Dr. Chapman and Dr. Campbell presented a new tool developed to help adults better relate to children in their book The Five Love Languages of Children. Read by Dr. Chapman with comments from both authors in the introduction and epilogue, this marvelous asset is now available on audio cassette to help you discover your child's primary language. Learn what you can do to effectively convey unconditional feelings of respect, affection, and commitment that will resonate in your child's emotions and behavior.

Breaking Free: Making Liberty in Christ a Reality in Life with Cassette(s)

Beth Moore

List Price: $39.95 By: Lifeway Christian Resources Amazon Marketplace: 2 new & used starting at $38.99

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Home to Harmony

Amazon Price: $15.96 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperAudio Amazon Marketplace: 10 new & used starting at $10.45

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Total reviews: 50 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Thousands of readers have fallen in love with acclaimed writer Philip Gulley's Home to Harmony, a charming novel of a small town with a kindly spirit whose endearing and eccentric residents are like old friends. Readers will ponder the mysteries and miracles that make Harmony a place worth visiting again and again.

Written in a warm, down-home style, this novel chronicles the moving and humorous world of Quaker pastor Sam Gardner in his first year back in his hometown. Laugh and cry with Sam as he reflects on the quirks of human nature in such memorable vignettes as "The Aluminum Years," in which a bumbling Sam mulls over the proper aluminum item to give his wife for their tenth anniversary. In another unforgettable story, the church quilt mysteriously displays the image of Jesus, drawing throngs of the faithful to the remarkable "Shroud of Harmony." Through it all, Sam's love -- for Billy Bundle, the "World's Shortest Evangelist"; Dale Hinshaw, the narrow-minded church elder who "knew just enough Scripture to be annoying, but not enough to be transformed"; and all the others -- shines through in a collection of stories that readers will treasure for years to come.

Making Love Last Forever

Gary Smalley

List Price: $15.99 By: Word Audio Amazon Marketplace: 20 new & used starting at $0.24

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

For years Gary Smalley has helped millions of couples throughout North America enrich their relationships and deepen their bonds of love and companionship. In this extraordinary book, he shows you how to stay in love through all the stages of life. From first attraction to lifelong commitment, Gary's proven techniques and practical advice show you how to pursue and keep the love you want, and how to energize your relationship with enduring, passion-filled love.

In this book you'll learn how to:

• Understand and use love's best-kept secret
• Deal with the number one enemy of love
• Turn headaches into more love
• Increase your energy to keep loving
• Find the power to keep on loving your spouse
• Use normal conflicts as doorways to intimacy
• Read a woman's built-in marriage manual twelve ways
• Divorce-proof your marriage
• Develop the five vital signs of a healthy marriage
• Respond to your partner's number one request
• Find the powerful secret to great love
• Bring out the best in your maddening mate

With humor, empathy, and insight, Gary Smalley inspires you to fall in love with life and enjoy the deep satisfaction of a lifelong love. Down-to-earth examples, touching personal experiences, and inspiring spiritual principles will motivate you to bring about positive changes in your marriage-whether or not your mate is a willing participant. You'll learn how to tap resources at hand to help you follow through with your journey-and make your love last forever.

The Five Love Languages Audio Cassette

Gary Chapman

List Price: $16.99 By: Northfield Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 17 new & used starting at $8.77

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Total reviews: 627 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Unhappiness in marriage often has a simple root cause: we speak different love languages, believes Dr. Gary Chapman. While working as a marriage counselor for more than 30 years, he identified five love languages: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. In a friendly, often humorous style, he unpacks each one. Some husbands or wives may crave focused attention; another needs regular praise. Gifts are highly important to one spouse, while another sees fixing a leaky faucet, ironing a shirt, or cooking a meal as filling their "love tank." Some partners might find physical touch makes them feel valued: holding hands, giving back rubs, and sexual contact. Chapman illustrates each love language with real-life examples from his counseling practice.

How do you discover your spouse’s – and your own – love language? Chapman’s short questionnaires are one of several ways to find out. Throughout the book, he also includes application questions that can be answered more extensively in the beautifully detailed companion leather journal (an exclusive Amazon.com set). Each section of the journal corresponds with a chapter from the book, offering opportunities for deeper reflection on your marriage.

Although some readers may find choosing to love a spouse that they no longer even like –hoping the feelings of affection will follow later– a difficult concept to swallow, Chapman promises that the results will be worth the effort. "Love is a choice," says Chapman. "And either partner can start the process today." --Cindy Crosby. This text refers to the Amazon.com Exclusive Journal & Paperback Book Set.