Religion Books

It's Easier Than You Think is one my favorite books. It's short, sweet, easy to read, and will make you feel better. I reread or dip into it from time to time. I highly recommend it whether you have any interest in Buddhism or not.

best explanation of Buddism for the American reader -- just bought another copy for a friend

Exceeded my expectations, this was my first purchase! Book was new, arrived quickly, & was a great price!

Although the book never dives too deeply into the history of Buddhism, Sylvia's personal stories, accompanied by her thoughts on Buddhist practices, provides more insight into the teachings of Buddha than I could have absorbed in any straight forward text. Since this was my first book on Buddhism, I really appreciated the down to earth method of writing she employs and the honesty with which she shares her experiences. Knowledge is a river flowing through time, and Sylvia Boorstein is a wonderful voice for this modern day and age.

I really enjoyed this book. It simplified and de-mystified Buddhism and protrayed it as a viable lifestyle/worldview for Westerners (and all people, for that matter). Reading this book genuinely brought me happiness.

This is a book that I couldn't read slowly enough for fear that it would end.

Wendell Berry--novelist, poet, essayist--has written an unrequited love story and a love letter to the natural world. Jayber Crow revisits Berry's fictional Kentucky town of Port William and peers into the life of the town's barber, the book's namesake, Jayber.

Berry, a well-known environmentalist, has enough skill to render a page-turning story while advocating for the earth. He's one of our greatest living American writers. I highly recommend this book.

This is an amazing story! Vividly written and really makes you think about what is good in the world. The characters stay alive in your mind for months after finishing the story!

This audio version is well narrated and easy to listen to. It's un-abridged, so all the wonderful descriptions of the book are in there.

Wendell Berry is a fantastic author - I can't wait to start the next book.

The book jacket calls this a "beautiful, lyrical love story," and it is. But it is not the romance of a man for a woman but rather the deep, fond emotion that Jayber Crow holds for his community, his friends, and all that has gone into his non-eventful but ultimately pleasant life. Here is a book that can be an antidote for the disillusion and despair we feel when we seem to be lost in the cosmos. As Jayber reminisces,

"I still do belong to Port William. Being here satisfies me. I have no thought of going away. If I knew for sure that I would die here, I would be glad. And yet definite as all this is, it seems surrounded by the indefinite, like a boat in a fog. I can't look back from where I am now and feel that I have been very much in control of my life. Certainly I have lived on the edge of the Port William community, and I am farther than ever out on the edge of it now. But I feel that I have lived on the edge even of my own life. I have made plans enough, but I see now that I have never lived by plan. Any more than if I had been a bystander watching me live my life. I don't feel that I ever have been quite sure what was going on. Nearly everything that has happened to me has happened by surprise. All the important things have happened by surprise. And whatever has been happening usually has already happened before I have had time to expect it. The world doesn't stop because you are in love or in mourning or in need of time to think. And so when I have thought I was in my story or in charge of it, I really have been only on the edge of it, carried along. Is this because we are in an eternal story that is happening partly in time?" (322)

Berry's lyrical prose helps us to enjoy the opportunity to be "on the edge" of Jayber's life, and we are the better for being carried along by it.

Reading Jayber Crow is like spending the weekend listening to your favorite uncle tell family stories. The conversational tone used by Berry could get sappy in the hands of a less skilled writer, but that doesn't happen on the pages of Jayber Crow. Wendall Berry's prose is exquisite. As the story moves slowly through another time and place, Jayber's voice draws you into his private mind. It is a tender place to be. The story is thought-provoking and deeply moving. I hated for this book to end.

I used to read a lot of books and I never felt the need to quantify or compare one book to another. But when I finished Jayber Crow I knew that this was the best book I had ever read.

As other reviews here will testify, it is astounding how Wendell Berry communicates with mere words the beauty of life, the human heart and the love that holds both together.

I've sold most of the books I owned but I doubt that I will ever part with my copy of Jayber Crow.

This book is a great resource that challenges Christians to analyze their lives as followers of Christ. Moreover, Ortberg challenges the business of life which has infiltrated those who follow Christ.

I wish I had read the reviews here before picking up the book. Let me state right off (to prevent the sure-to-happen viscious replies) that this is a well written, thoughtful book. It is, however, written specifically for "serious" Christians.

The cover and title are somewhat misleading. I thought it was going to be geared to a more general audience. I am sure that for those looking to regain touch with their Christianity it is worthwhile reading. But if you're looking for something that is not so centric into 1 belief system, then this isn't the book for you...

I have read several books on spiritual development
/formation and this is "hand-down" the best and most practical I have ever seen. The Author has either been there or has been given devine insight from God (or both). There is no "air" in this book it is hard hitting, accurate and real life. Should be required reading for all.

I just finished The Life You've Always Wanted in about three days. Ortberg is practical, challenging, and honest. I love his insights on some of the less talked about Christian disciplines - like slowing down, regular confession, and servanthood.

Here is a non-dry, non-wordy, powerful book that any Christian should read. Takes the "pressure" out of spiritual disciplines and inspires me to focus my pursuit of God. Good stuff! I'll read it again.

First of all, I want to say that some of the material in here is among the most applicable and heart-rendering that I have read in a long, long time. It seems to me that this book is almost two different books. The books reminds me of some movies that I have watched where the first half was so magnetic that I could not stop watching. Then the second half of the movie loses my attention because it goes on a tangent or is just plain uninteresting.

Ortberg's discussion of boundaries resonated within me. He states that Christians use boundaries to dictate who is in their group and who is not. Drinking is a boundary. If you drink, you are outside my group. If you don't drink, you are inside the group. The same applies for smoking, dancing, caffeine, you name it. Ortberg implies that this is how many Christians live their lives. He says that our lives should be marked by a transformation of the heart, not by boundaries. Wow.

Another chapter highlighted the need to be quiet, to take things slow. This, he says, is necessary to hear God speak to us. That really does make sense. Being one who likes to speed (and people in Nashville drive SLOW), I found this chapter to be refreshing.

A lot of the book deals specically with spiritual disciplines in bullet fashion (before reading the Bible, do this, this, and this). That's where it started to get uninteresting. Not that this is not important. Far be it from that. But he starts the book with such fervor on the life we are all looking for as Christians and then moves to a bullet list of what to do. For me, I just found that change too much. But still a good buy.

This book hit home. One of my best friends gifted me with this book and it has been one of the best gifts ever. I work full time and have a 10 month old daughter. After reading just a chapter I felt relieved to know I am not the only one feeling stressed with all there is to do everyday while maintaining a home, work, relationships,etc. This book gives permission to slow down, and it says it's okay to stop and listen and not do the big birthday parties and attend all the holiday parties and events. Just being and listening and not doing anything together is time well spent.

As others have noted, this book is a series of reflections about motherhood and the importance of slowing down to savor daily life with loved ones.

This book energized me to make several changes in my own life. Part of my motivation for homeschooling this year was a desire to have a more conscious, contemplative, and purposeful life rather than a frantic-mad-dashing here and there life.

In fact, as the holidays approach, many of my friends are feeling "swamped", "overwhelmed", "stressed" - feelings I remember all too well from previous years. While I still have my moments, overall I am much less stressed than last year. The overall tenor of the holidays is much happier and calmer. I have done my best to pare the holidays down to the essentials, to keep things simple and personal, rather than grandly extravagant. Extravagance has its place, but when children are young, I think simplicity makes so much more sense.

I loved this book so much I chose it for my book club of busy suburban SAHMs. I was quite surprised to find only two (out of nine) loved it as I did! Three thought the book had "some good ideas", but they clearly didn't connect with the author.

The other four were quite negative about Mitten Strings. They felt it was too preachy and perfect and Pollyanna-ish, that "real" people couldn't live like the Kenisons without lots of money. But it's not a financial lifestyle she is talking about, it's an internal one, it is simply making a conscious effort to notice, appreciate, prioritize and streamline.

In trying to figure out the mixed response to this book in my book club, I came up with a couple of ideas. I think the crux of liking the book has to do with the following:

First, it depends on whether you are at a point in your life where you actually consider rushing madly to be a negative thing, rather than proof you are productive. Some people feel empowered and energized by rushing and being busy!

Second, it depends on how contemplative you are feeling when you read the book. The more contemplative you feel, the more likely you might enjoy the book.

Finally, it depends on whether you enjoy visual and poetic language. The author writes with a heartfelt, genuine sentimentality that, while I enjoyed it tremendously, can apparently be off-putting to people with more pragmatic sensibilities.

One reviewer said they would not give this book to a parent of an autistic child, or one with Down's Syndrome. I actually think this book has considerable merit for families with special needs children - the key is knowing WHEN to give the book. I have a child who was diagnosed with autism at 3, and when he was younger and we were rushing around madly from therapy to therapy, ransacking our home to make it an engaging learning environment, etc..., I would not have been in the frame of mind to appreciate it.

In fact, according to my three criteria above: the mad rushing was proof I was doing everything I could to help him; who has time to be contemplative when you are trying to save your child from autism; and poetic musings about the wonderful lives of families with typically developing children would have been quite upsetting.

NOW I see things differently. I think the ideas in the book have even MORE relevance for children with special needs, who often thrive in calm, centered environments. I think children with special needs deserve to have their progress, however slow or small, deeply savored and appreciated.

Well anyway. This is not a book that EVERYONE is necessarily going to love, in spite of the steady parade of 5 star reviews. Nevertheless, I join the parade and give this book 5 stars based on my own incredibly positive experience reading it.

I truly enjoyed this book. It is not a religious book (despite the title) nor a parenting guide; it is a deeply spiritual look at what it means to be a family.

Mitten Strings touched me in such a way that I felt like I was reading a letter from a good friend. There was a sense of peace reading it and imagining my family in her book. Her basic premise is to slow down, notice the details of your children's lives and be present with your family. But the book goes so much further than that. We all know to slow down...but to be reminded how magical it can be, with illustrations that are so tender is even better. I highly recommend this book and in fact purchased seven more to give to my friends as a special gift. I'd love to meet the author (Katrina) and sit over a cup of something on the front porch while our children run circles around the house!

It is rare to say but so true. It was given to me by an older woman and it truely changed the way I parent my two boys, see life and helped me create a summer that I will treasure. A must read for those who want to slow down and get off the "treadmill" of life.

Before I started reading this book, I was able to take part of a 24 hour prayer room. This book was in the prayer room, and I started reading just a little. Greig captured me within the first page. When I bought the book, I expected it to be a how-to kind of book, and I was very pleasantly surprised. Greig recounts how he started his prayer room, and how that kickstarted the prayer movement throughout Europe. He is very careful to give every bit of credit to God and people's capacity for God. It is a compelling story...not a how-to. Again, I was very pleasantly surprised, and I would recommend this book to anyone who has a heart for prayer or a desire to pray fiercefully.

This book is truly a testimony of God and how prayer is a way to meet with Him. It shows how prayer provides a way to get close enough to Him to touch His cloak. This book is not for someone who is wanting to know how to start a 24-7 prayer room, although there are ideas that are talked about throughout the book, and about how some were started. I was greatly encouraged while reading this book and it reminded me that God is big and loving; not always safe... but good.

Red Moon Rising is the story of Peter Greig's work in Christian ministry in England and how that work led to founding and growth of the 24-7 Prayer movement. The book begins with the story of Greig's vision of a rising army while camping on the coast of Portugal and works through the first 24-7 prayer room in England, the strong and deep connection of the movement with the 1727 Moravian prayer community, the expansion of the movement into Germany and throughout Europe, onto the party Island of Iziba and finally to the founding of an intentional prayer community known as a Boiler Room.

This book isn't really a "how-to" book but rather a narrative that describes the work of the Holy Spirit and the journey of a group of friends that follow the Spirit's lead to create opportunities of young Christians throughout Europe (and older Christians as well) to reconnect to Christianity's ancient tradition of prayer expressed in ways that are both true to the tradition and relevant to the culture. Title of the book comes from Greig's continued drawing of inspiration from the prophetic passage of the second chapter of Joel that is repeated by Peter on the morning of Pentecost in the book of Acts. It is clear throughout the book that Greig sees this movement as a continued fulfillment of that prophecy and the stories he shares with his readers bear that out.

For me, the power of this book was found in it's ability to encourage me consider a life of radical prayer both personally and within my community. The stories of God's working through the people of this movement are truly stunning and humility of the leaders of the movement in their willingness to be faithful to the calling of the Spirit and to not usurp It's power for their own benefit is refreshing in a day when it seems that too many church leaders have lost sight that they act in God's providence rather than the other way around. Those looking for a "how-to" guide will need to get ahold of the 24-7 Manual as this text is light on details. However, this book provides the inspiration and the encouragement to do so. As I read each chapter, I found myself called to stop thinking about how to serve God and to start praying and calling others together in prayer.

I highly recommend this book to all Christians wondering if the Spirit still moves in our world and, if It does, how they can connect with It.

THIS book is life-changing and one of the most impacting books I've ever read. After reading that book, I was so fired up about prayer and especially 24/7 prayer that I got a lot of different visions for prayer rooms. We are right now in the process of planning a prayer room and for having an awesome time with the Lord!!!! Everybody should read it who needs to get fired up about prayer!
It shows you how God still changes the World in an freakin awesome way!!!

If you have a heart for the lost, this book is a must read. This book, if implemented could change the heart of any nation. All pastors and certainly interecessors should read it for sure. It gets top rateing from me and was recommended by Bill Johnson's school in Redding.

[[ASIN:084991311X The Thrill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment While K
Keeping Your Clothes On]]
There is so much true enlightenment and wisdom packed into this little book, that could only come from experience. I want to thank Dawn Eden for
her candor and genuine concern for others that she expresses so nicely in this book. I think all singles should read this book. I am a mother of 11 children and I plan on buying several more copies for my older kids. Her personal stories are charming and her rubber-band ball theory is hysterical. READ IT!

Dawn Eden's book is a breath of fresh air, for men and women alike. While she writes from a female perspective, guys have plenty to learn from this book as well.

Dawn shows how chastity is a better path to happiness and sexual fulfillment for women, but guys who read the book can gain an additional insight: they can learn something about the feminine heart and what the (right kind of) girl is looking for in a relationship.

Now I don't mean to sound self-serving - Dawn's book is most definitely not a "dating tips" compendium. In fact, one of her best points is that chastity teaches guys and girls how to treat one another not as objects to be used, but as mysteries to truly love.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has done the dating thing and found it frustrating (which is probably most of us), and is looking for something more. Whether you're a guy or girl, Dawn has something important and beautiful to say to you!

In an age where anything goes - especially when it comes to sex, serial dating and mating has become the standard M.O. among young singles... In "The Thrill of the Chaste...) Dawn Eden exposes the "Sex in the City" lifestyle, beyond any morality issues, for what it really is...an exercise in futility guaranteed to leave those who embrace it lonely, emotionally empty/numb, and moving away, rather than closer, to any hopes of marriage. And that's the upside...the downside is contracting an incurable and/or fatal STD!
This book is "must read" for anyone who has ever questioned whether "sleeping around" in pursuit of physical pleasure will lead to happiness! This is also a good read for parents who were sexually active before marriage/children. These parents tend to teach their kids about the dangers of alcohol, drugs, tobacco but not sex! Many feel that since they survived their own sexual exploits that there's no need to encourage abstinence before marriage (i.e. chastity)... Hmmm... Well think again! When teens experiment with sex they are risking their health and possibly their lives.
Kudos to Dawn Eden for promoting the virtue of chastity, a practice that is guaranteed to lead to an increase in the number of successful marriages, a reduction in the number of unwanted pregnacies and containment of the spread of STDs. Now who's not for that!!!

Love it! A book for women who can finally see through all the false theories the media and popular culture feed to us.

Remarkably well written. Dawn Eden's The Thrill of the Chaste is a breath of fresh air that is much needed in today's world of smothering sexuality. For anyone who has been in an unsatisfying relationship, called a prude, a tease, or has been ridiculed for being a good girl; this book shines light on the beauty and grace of women who respect themselves enough to resist the temporary ecstasy of a few moments of fleeting sexual pleasure in order to empower themselves to see beyond the superficial exterior of the typical dating world and enable them to attract the kind of man that is worthy of one day being their husband. Beautifully written, mature and honest, Eden doesn't force anything on the reader. She will make you smile, sigh, and shake your head as she shares her own experiences. This book makes the reader take a look at their own past and offers some tools in being proactive about the way they approach meeting, dating, and carrying on potential future relationships. Loses a little momentum near the very end, but finishes beautifully. For both virgins and the not-so-virgin, this book is guaranteed to make you think.

I have been reading Acts of Faith for several years and find it to be the perfect morning read. It sets the tone for my day and helps me remember how blessed I am and how much I need to grow. It often reminds me of lessons that I have forgotten.

I lost my copy at a hotel a few months ago and missed it tremendously, so I had to reorder.

If everyone could learn these lessons, we would be a better world.

GET THIS BOOK! READ THE MEDITATIONS! We need inspirations and meditations and affirmations...THIS BOOK IS A TRIPLE HITTER!!!
I purchased this book when it first came out (Over ten years ago) and at that time I read each meditation daily and FAITHFULLY. Over the years I have had to tape the cover to protect the cover from wear and tear. I also marked the dates of my affirmations, and as I re-read the meditations/affirmations (yes I continue to read the daily affirmations-life doesn't change, there will always be stuff to go through)
I had a chance to see how God has moved me through the various situations I found myself confronted with and also to reflect on how I have grown. I thank God for this book and for giving us Iyanla, who had the wisdom and discernment and OBEDIENCE to write it. I often give this book as a gift when I see folks who are at a place of contemplation; So I recommend this book 100%. Don't be afraid to use it during the happy and not so happy days that will come to past. I have two copies one at home, and one at work. Enjoy!

I had read several other books by Iyanla before I started with this one and I have to say that I have never read another book that give's one so much information and yet is so accessible. Iyanla has a way of making seemingly esoteric issues very relatable and very understandable, and very easy to apply to your everyday life. "Acts of Faith" is definitley in that vein. I would also recommend 'Until Today' by Iyanla which I believe is a more developed version of 'Acts of Faith' in that the daily passages are longer and she give daily affirmations and activities to complete on each day.

Excellent collection of opinions and advise for inspiration and reflection for all aspects of life.

This book has inspired me. I have found several meditations that apply whole heartedly to my life. I have retyped and copied several of the quotes and taped them to my refrigerator or put them on my bulletin board at work. This is a book I needed years ago.

This book has given me insight and inspiration on several different topics. Since I bought it a few years ago, I have yet to put it down. I'm always reading this. I have become more pleasant in certain circumstance because of something I've read here.

For anybody facing lifes highs and lows or debating whether or not to start meditating this book is one you should have. It's so nice to have a book that focuses on the daily ins and outs of being a person of color.

this is a fabulous set. i've only just borrowed it from my neighbor, but i don't know how i'm ever going to give it back. i've already listened to two of the CD's twice, but all four are wonderful. i believe it was in the third one that i 'woke up' for a few brief and wonderous moments. eckhart was talking about rolling up the scroll on which you have writen your life story...and so i did. it didn't last long, but it was the best i've ever felt. it was as if nothing would ever bother me again. i was unbotherable :) my mind was completely silent.

lovely.

I love this cd. I would have given it 5 stars for content but the recording isn't great in the beginning. If you like Eckhart then this will be a nice addition as he uses a lot of humor at this retreat and it made me laugh at the folly of us all in everyday life. But, if you are only going to buy one cd, then buy the cd of his book "A NEW EARTH". So much more information.

I am so glad I bought this book. The DVD's and book are so clarifying and powerful. If you wonder about how your life could be better. If you find yourself worrying about past or future events. This book is for you. It's transformative. It's a spa for the mind.

Filled with a lot of great insights, as I've come to expect and enjoy from Eckhart Tolle. But what I really loved about this particular audio set was hearing what an incredibly playful sense of humor Eckhart has and that made listening to this Audio goldmine of self awareness all the more enjoyable. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Good stuff. great thoughts. something we all need to take the time to reflect upon not thinking about.

One of those books every home needs on the shelf. By the way, read it.

I have made it a habit this year to get through many of the classics on audio book during my daily commute. I picked Pilgrim's Progress since it was one of the most influential English books ever published, and I wanted to see what it was all about.

The audio book was published by Blackstone Audio and the reader was Robert Whitfield. The reader did an excellent job and was very easy to listen to. He did some characterization with his voice that made it easy to know which character was speaking. I was a little worried about the older style English, but it gave me no problem. It probably helps that I am familiar with the King James Version of the Bible. Overall, listening to this book worked out very well.

This is the first book length allegory that I have been through and I thought it was an excellent way to teach. There is no doubt which principal each character is supposed to represent by their name, and their actions represented that well also. I can understand why so many families had this book in their libraries. As far as Christian doctrine goes, there are a few things that some would disagree with, but most of the principals taught are still generally accepted today. The path to God's presence is filled with opposition, but there is help available and the reward is worth it.

I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to understand an important part of our heritage, and to see what an effective tool allegory is.

I love this book. It was written from a jail cell in the 1600s. This version is the original so the text is difficult to read at first but I would not want a watered down modernized version (which can be purchased). I find if I read in chunks it starts to flow nicely. The characters have names like, "Evangelist", "Piety", "Talkative", "Faith", etc. So you know just where someone is coming from. I have marked up this book with pencil just like I do my scriptures! It is like reading one long parable in story form! Cool book. I'm glad to have found it.

We've read this book to our son and he has really enjoyed it. He doesn't yet fully understand everything and we had to stop and explain a lot to him, but it is something that we plan on reading over and over again as our kids continue to grow.
I read a review that stated that a main flaw in this book was the lack of one on one relationship with Christ. I can understand what they are saying, but I think what you have to keep in mind is that while we are here on earth and in our day and age we do not physically see Christ. He was once here walking and living on this earth, but He is now in heaven. He uses other means now to maintain a personal relationship with us. For example, we can know Christ through His word and through prayer. Just as in the book, He often also sends other Christians along in our life to help us and encourage us. This book is a good example of a walk of faith. We can't see and physically touch Christ right now, but when we are in heaven we WILL see Him just as Bunyan talks about in the book. Christian persevered in his walk without physically seeing Christ and he was rewarded in the end for his faith. For now, how much greater our reward is for those who have not seen Him and yet believed!

Every christian household should have this volume to read and share with the famiy. It never fails to bring me to tears when pilgrim falls before the cross and looses the burden of sin. It is a must have for every christian library and the additional insights from Bunyan are a added blessing!! I cannot say enough good things .....

I bought this book a few years ago, and I often still think about Hannah and her story. It was so touching, and I cried through most of it. This is a book that I felt compelled to pass to a friend. I almost wish that I hadn't, so I could read it again.

I got a great price for this book and it arrived with in 2 weeks from the date of purchase. I was a little dissappointed when i opened the package because the cover and binding was damaged. It looked like they had tried to bend the book. Besides that the book was okay. You get what you pay for.

Oh boy, this was beyond tear-jerker for me. This was such an emotional story. I read this book in one day, while my husband was away. I was glad he wasn't here to tease me about sobbing all the way through this book. Maria Housden is a such a strong woman, what a horrible ordeal she and her family went through losing Hannah.

Hannah's Gift is the story of a remarkable little girl and her fight with cancer.

From the moment she was diagnosed, to the moment of her death, Hannah treats her disease and her fight for life in a unique, touching way.

Despite being only three years old, she appears to understand the cancer fully and is not scared of death, instead, she asks her Grandmother - 'Grandma, when I die, promise you wont forget me?'

Hannah lived her life fully and with no self-pity. I found Hannah's Gift to be less of a record of a families loss, but more a celebration of Hannah's life. Hannah truly brings to life the phrase - 'Only the good die young.'

I loved this book and it really helped me. Some think that Hannah was preceived as the "perfect" child, and I can relate to that. We just lost our Granddaughter on her 2nd. birthday, she had Cystic Fibrous, but died, not from CF, but during a "simple" 15-20 min. procedure in surgery. Two months after her passing I read Hannah's gift. I took care of our little Bethany, while our daughter worked, and they live within walking distance right next to us. We were together every day, so I saw all the same signs. These children ARE so special. They have so much love, they are almost perfect, with very small "wrongs". Like Hannah's mom, I got that feeling, that they know, their time on earth is short,just by the way their eyes will sometimes look at you. They know you love them so much as they love you, but they won't be here to share that love. Yes, Hannah's Gift was a touching story