A Simple Blessing: The Extraordinary Power of an Ordinary Prayer Review

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(More customer reviews)Michael W. Smith's latest is short and an easy read. Not real deep but has some good insights.
He encourages us to remember that the only blessing that brings real peace is God's "blessing of character." (pg.15) That true blessings don't come from stuff, but from "submitting one's self to God." (pg.33)
Chapter 4, THE PRAYER FOR PERSONAL HOLINESS, is maybe the best in the entire book. The section on how we unwittingly sometimes pray for adversity is excellent. (pg.103-104)
The message of the book is simple.. be a blessing to others and don't live a selfish life. A message always worth remembering and putting into practice.

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Something wonderful and life-changing has been happening at Michael W. Smith's concerts. Recently he began closing the evening with a simple prayer of blessing woven from Scripture. The response has been overwhelming. The emails and letters of testimony are like nothing he has ever experienced in his 25 years of ministry. Far from being a 'magical' formula for extracting wealth and possessions from God, he has discovered that God's blessings are measured more by the flourishing of character in adversity than by the flourishing of stuff. The amazing result of God's true blessing is overflowing joy and peace. Unfortunately, many are robbed of the promise of blessing because they seek to be blessed more than to bless others. This beautiful work, written with writer Thomas Williams, will inspire readers to examine their hearts and learn to experience God's blessing as they seek to bless others, thus discovering the secret to drawing near to the heart of God.

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Box Out Review

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(More customer reviews)Tough issues abound in teenage life, and this book is filled with insightful, challenging situations to which teenagers can relate. John Coy's research into the teenage experience regarding sports, coaches, relationships, and decisions is obvious in the characters and plot of the novel.
Liam Bergstrom's life revolves around the basketball court, and he embraces the opportunity to play varsity ball after a teammate's injury. Coach Kloss tells him, "We're a tight team. If you ever have anything you need to talk about, come on down. My door is open." Liam is ecstatic! On his first big game day, he cannot believe he is wearing a Horizon High School varsity uniform. But when Coach comes into the locker room for the pre-game talk, Liam learns the one big difference between Varsity and JV: prayer. Though raised in the Catholic faith, Liam is not so sure the inclusion of prayer should be part of high school athletics.
Something else troubles Liam about Coach's behavior. Supposedly a believer in team basketball, the man clearly has favorites and disapproves of the style and attitude of the only black player on the team, Darius. When Darius quits, Coach and the teammates act like he was never really a team player, yet others do not receive similar treatment. Darius, however, maintains that Coach does not really respect the game.
When Coach and his teammates encourage (even expect?) him to attend weekly before-school Horizon Athletic Fellowship meetings, where prayer and expression of one's faith are foremost on the agenda, Liam becomes even more uncomfortable in his new role. The members wear HWJC bracelets (How Would Jesus Compete?), and some hypocritical players communicate a totally different opinion in front of other than they express to individuals. Coach, who was always willing to discuss any issues and concerns, assures Liam he has checked out the prayers, and all is legitimate. Frustrated, Liam eventually contacts an organization called Americans United for Separation of Church and State for guidance.
The author builds upon the conflicts on the court and in school to guide Liam to a difficult decision, one which broadens his definition of basketball and enables him to discover the courage within him to do what is right, not always what is easy.
Athletes will find the basketball details accurate and engaging. Non-athletes will understand the terminology and explanations based on the author's contextual information. All readers will be challenged to defend their positions on racism, prayer in schools, peer pressure, and team sports.


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Humilitas: A Lost Key to Life, Love, and Leadership Review

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(More customer reviews)Our contemporary society may have eclipsed the past in terms of science, medicine and technology, but in some things we are "well below par" when compared to the ancients, according to John Dickson in this book. Real wisdom in life and leadership can be found by opening yourself up to centuries of human thinking on subjects such as communication, ethics, human nature, romantic love and natural human rights.
There are plenty of books which have been written about the virtues of humility, but I was intrigued to find out what a historian might have to say about the virtue of humility as applied to leadership. Humility, according to the author, is the noble choice to forgo your status, deploy your resources or use your influence for the good of others before yourself. Thus true humility presupposes that a person has status and influence, and is not to be confused with low self-esteem or being a doormat.
In subsequent chapters, the author asserts that:
*It is common sense for us to use humility to keep our pride in check.
*We are more attracted to great people who are humble than to those who are not.
*The ancient world admired honour, not humility, but Jesus of Nazareth caused a humility revolution.
*Humility generates learning and growth, and provides a firm basis for self-esteem.
*The humble are frequently more persuasive and inspiring than the arrogant.
*Humility inspires and lifts those around us.
*Humility means treating those who hold contrary beliefs with respect and friendship.
The book is reasonably brief and written in an entertaining style. The author admits that his perspective is that of a historian and not an experienced leader, and the scope of his references to leadership books is fairly narrow, with Jim Collins, John Kotter and the Harvard Business Review getting a fairly good workout, but that does not detract from the validity of what he has to say. I highly recommend this book to business and church leaders.

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Speaker and historian John Dickson shows how the virtue of humility was an important character trait for the 'greats' of history and figures prominently in the findings of psychology and sociology. Developing humility can transform your personal relationships and professional dealings.

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