One Month To Live by Kerry & Chris Shook

I've had a hard time getting thru this book.  I received it just before my oldest brother died of cancer.  While the principles outlined in the chapters I read were very helpful, it has just been a difficult year for me and I regret I cannot give a full review of the book.

*I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

http://www.brucewilkinson.com/resources/the-god-pocket/

This is an eBook I received free for my honest review.

The God Pocket, by Bruce Wilkinson, was a book I didn't have to further consider once I read the description.  I honestly thought the concept was going to be be more than what the description offered, but I kind of hoped it wouldn't.  I really wanted it to be spot-on.

We've recently finished up Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University.  We got Baby Step #1 in place and have been working on Baby Step #2 for a while.  You can't officially say you are on #2 until you do #1, but ultimately, anyone who has debt is working on Baby Step #2 already.  Anyway...

As we've been working on this getting-out-of-debt thing, giving has been an issue that has also popped up from time to time.
Various resources have pointed me in that direction and I've been able to share them with Sid and he usually is on board.

As a former Pastor's daughter and now a Pastor's wife, we understand the blessing that giving can be.  We have been recipients of cheerful giving many a time (and we're not talking about offering plates, here) and we simply believe the best thing to do when you've been blessed is to pass it on.  Or, to mention a movie whose concept I loved but outcome I hated... Pay It Forward.

How it all started was when I found a book at GoodWill by Larry Burkett:  Debt Free Living.  Sid came home one day and "found" me reading it.  I was reading it, but I was hoping to spark a conversation and he bit and it got the ball rolling.  It has been slow going, BUT, he has always wanted to be debt-free.  He/we just didn't know how.

We went from checking out Burkett's resources and moved over to Dave Ramsey.  You couldn't really call them competitors because Dave learned his stuff from Larry.  And, well, Larry was no longer living.

Also, I was really obsessed with Podcasts at the time and Dave had Podcasts.  Larry didn't.

At the same time, I had borrowed the entire Pineapple Story Series by Otto Koning.  There is a lot to be learned and applied to healthier finances in his talks, but the one that stood out to me was his talk about "A Widow Who Became A Channel of God's Power".
It really is a funny story of a woman who was living below the poverty level and ended up giving to missions above and beyond her earnings as she used everything that was above her "basic need" to give to the missionaries.

I've also been turned on to the Rabbi Daniel Lapin via Dave Ramsey.  Let me just say, you need a Rabbi.  He also has a lot to say about finances and how the Torah teaches us to deal wisely in business.

So, as you can see, I'm ate up with the topic.  Do I love money?  Uhm. No.  Sometimes, I really hate money.

But, money is amoral.  It is an object.  It is neither good nor bad.  You can do good things with money.  You can do bad things with money.

I love having money at the end of the month.  I love giving money away.  And, I love using cash instead of plastic or paper (checks).

So, all that to say this:

The God Pocket talks about setting aside a certain amount of money to give to God.  You keep it in your special God Pocket.  You don't put it in the offering plate at church.  You don't use it when you go over on the groceries or when the water bill needs paid.  When you put money into the "pocket" it becomes God's and He will tell you when and where to distribute it.

The book details a set of steps in order to best accomplish the task... even getting over the awkwardness of approaching a stranger to give them money.  Cool, huh?

People, when God has been a blessing in your life, it is your God-given privilege to pass His blessings along to others... opening the door for witnessing and strengthening the faith in others.

I encourage everyone to read this book, but to also put it into practice.

• Author's Web Site
• More Info
• Read Chapter One
• Author Bio

This is another book review. (duh)

The subtitle of the book is "One Man's Year of (almost) Living Truthfully Could Change Your Life. No Lie.

Phil Callaway is a comedian/author.  He's known for his book "Laughing Matters".  I haven't read it.  But after reading this book, I want to read it.

Phil is a Christian who has been challenged by a truthfully challenging challenge.  To not lie for an entire year... and write about it.
Now, I know what you're thinking.  Christians don't lie.  Or, even, Christians shouldn't lie.
Let me clear up something right now.  Christians sin.  It's why we admit the need for a Savior.  We can't get to Heaven on our own merits.  We admit we have weaknesses and have called on the One who is there to help.

Moving on.

As one who grew up often tempted to tell less than the truth, I immediately requested this book when the description made its way around my head.  There was no need for me to read about any more books available.  I wanted this one.

Even better, it is a funny book.  Hilarious.  I had to read several snippets to my husband.  He doesn't like to read, much... but he laughed a lot with me.
I have yet to share with him the tale of the e-mail scammer who wanted Phil to open his bank account so they could move money around or something like that.  I admit I didn't read that e-mail in its entirety because I've read hundreds of them before.  But, as he replied and the person wrote back and on and on it went, the funnier it got.

Phil does have a hard time telling the truth from time to time... and he readily admits it, later. He even has old friends coming out of the woodwork to play a game of Truth or Truth?  And, Phil is honest with them.

I could go on and on about the book.. telling you all the funny stuff.... of his very personal struggles and the VERY honest prayers he shares he has prayed to God... and the sweet, but also sad death of his Mother who had dementia in her last days.  To hear Phil tell it, she was a saint.  You will enjoy reading about his mother, for sure.

If you can find a copy of this book, I suggest you pick it up.  It's an easy read.  A quick read.  A whole year goes by very quickly.

I would offer this one up as a giveaway, but after I told a friend how wonderful it was, she said, "I want it when you're finished with it."  So, maybe next time.

I know, I'm a book-tease.

Each chapter starts off with a couple quotes.  It goes into a day by day entry of his life.  Sometimes a lot happens, sometimes he doesn't have much to say.  He ends each chapter with an Honest Confession.  THEN, at the end of the book, there are discussion questions if you're into that sort of book-club, go-over-it-together, kind of thing.



I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.