Surprised by the Healer by Linda Dillow and Dr. Juli Slattery - my review

Surprised by the Healer: Embracing Hope for Your Broken Story by Linda Dillow and Dr. Juli Slattery is FULL of stories told by nine brave women who have found healing from the Healer.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is...
"There is nothing too broken for God to heal" page 13
Isn't that beautiful and so true? If we will turn it over to Him.

The authors use Biblical scripture along with nine courageous women who tell their stories of hurt, pain, heartache, etc. and how He has healed each of them. Women who have been sexually abused, physically abused,  cheated on etc., they all gave it over to God.

Another great quote...
"Scars remind us where we have been, but they do not have to dictate where we are going"  page 89
I love this one, as everyone has scars of some type, some hidden, and some not. But our Lord can heal them all.

I'm thankful for every brave woman that shared her story for this book to written, and to the authors. It is a book I'm glad I chose to read. I recommend it to all women.

I received a FREE copy from Moody Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion.

Who Are You to Judge by Erwin W. Lutzer

Who Are You to Judge?: Learning to Distinguish Between Truths, Half-Truths, and Lies by Erwin W. Lutzer shows how to judge according to God's word, without being judgmental. 

Today's world says so many things are ok that God says plainly in His  word isn't ok. The question is who do you listen to? The world or the word of God? As for me, I want to make Heaven my home, this world is just a stopping place until HE calls me to come home. So I will follow His word, the Holy Bible, to lead me on the path to home. 

With Chapters titled..

 1.  Why Are We Afraid To Judge?

 2.  Judge Not,That You Not Be Judged

 3.  When You Judge Doctrine

 4.  When Judge False Prophets

 5.  When You Judge Miracles

 6.  When You Judge Entertainment

 7.  When You Judge Appearances

 8.  When You Judge Neopaganism

 9.  When You Judge Ghost, Angels, and Shrines

10. When You Judge Conduct

11. When You Judge Character

Pastor Lutzer explains, using Biblical scriptures, what God has to say on each of these subjects compared to what the world has to say on them. 

Some of my favorite quotes from this book are...

"The love with in the church attracts the world; the holiness within the church convicts the world." page 29

"Even Jesus did not change the world through miracles but through HIS suffering." page 97 

"Let's ask ourselves some hard questions: Are we satisfied with the way we spend our time last year? Let's evaluate the return of our investment for the number of hours we sat in front of the television set during the last twelve months. Did the time spent make us a better person?  Did it improve our character? Imagine what we would be like if we had spend all that time, say, reading our Bible" page 134

"We must clean up our own act before we can help others" page 135 

"Yes, as have learned, there are times when we must judge, but let us be sure to judge ourselves first" page 207 

You may not agree with everything the author has to say, but I personally think he brings across some very great points taken from the Bible, that show us how to judge without being judgmental. Showing how we should live according to the word of God. 

I highly recommend this book to all Christians 

I received a FREE copy from Moody Publishers in exchange for my honest review, rather it be good or bad. Thank you for allowing me to read and review this book, it is one I will be returning to again. 

Between Pain and Grace by Gerald W. Peterman, Andrew J. Schmutzer - my review

Between Pain and Grace: A Biblical Theology of Suffering by Gerald W. Peterman, Andrew J. Schmutzer answers questions according to the Bible and what God has to say about this subject. When I first started this book I wasn't sure I was going to like it but what an eye-opener it is!

I was very interested in reading this, as I watched my Mother who was dying with cancer, as she suffered and the pain she endured. And as for myself I have suffered many things throughout my lifetime. I am now living with chronic pain. So yes you might understand why this is a book I would be quite interested in.

The authors take us on a journey through the Bible to show us how God is in pain himself. How it must break the heart of God to see how the people he has created behave so badly toward each other and destroy the earth he made for us to enjoy. Let's not forget how Jesus suffered for ALL of us, so that we can one day make Heaven our home. Who are we to expect any less suffering or pain than our Father in Heaven and our Savior?

With chapters titled...

1.  The Grammar of Suffering : Basics of Affliction In Scripture
2.  The Relational Ecosystem of Sin and Suffering
3.  The Suffering of God
4.  Emotions and the Suffering of Jesus
5.  Longing to Lament : Returning to the Language of Suffering
6.  Suffering and Redemptive Anger
7.  The Lord's Prayer : Suffering, Prayer, and Worldview
8.  Leadership and Tears
9.  Joseph's Tears: Suffering From Family Toxins
10. Sexual Abuse : Suffering a Host of Betrayals
11. Inner Darkness : The Unique Suffering of Mental Illness
12. Suffering and God's People : Community, Renewal, and Ethics
13. The Metanarrative Renewed

The authors use Biblical scripture to explain pain and suffering to us in each chapter, along with thoughts and questions at the end to get us thinking for ourselves.

One of my favorite quotes from this book...
"Focus on your healing, not the politics of being a victim"

I highly recommend this book to both Christians and Non-Christians alike.
I received an ARC (advanced readers copy) from Moody's Publishers and NetGallery in exchange for my honest review, rather it be good or bad.