A Love Story

Some of these photographs have "Tim Dodd" stamped on the front. Tim Dodd is an Iowa photographer and childhood friend of Taylor Morris, 23 years old in May 2012 when a bomb blast in Afghanistan made Taylor a quadruple amputee. Taylor's girlfriend and later wife, Danielle Kelly, were together since high school.

There are no words conveying the depth of astounding loss for this young man. He is blessed to have found such an angel.

Tim Dodd gives a short interview HERE.

Book Review: Stephen Mansfield's KILLING JESUS

 Link to Amazon HERE.

Stephen Mansfield paints a historically accurate picture of Jesus' death in his novel, Killing Jesus. Brilliant narrative -- if you've never been able to make it through the Scriptures, you'll find this book helpful to understand what all the fuss is about with Jesus' death. This is not religious, but rather an evidence-based narrative portraying the gritty reality of an execution in first century Jerusalem under Roman rule. A helpful section in the back lists numerous extrabiblical sources and so forth showing the historical basis for Jesus being, not a myth, but a real person.

This is not your typical Scripture study. Highly recommended for adults (children might find parts of this book upsetting).

Thank you to Worthy Press for offering me this book in exchange for my unbiased review. I am delighted to give this work five stars.

Distraction

I know people like this. How sad... http://xkcd.com/356/

Amazing Stories

It's easy to feel irrelevant in a busy world. As Christians we long to promote God's kingdom, but between diapers, or a long commute, or just getting through the work day, it's difficult to imagine what one can do.

Caroline Barnett's book is a reminder that even a single person can make a difference. Her book is filled with inspiring stories from hers and her husband's "Dream Center" in Los Angeles, a comprehensive outreach to the homeless and poor in LA and now in NYC as well, that emphasizes finding God's love and purpose along with food, shelter, and job training.

Her message is that you must look for any opportunities, no matter how small, and pursue them. Find your "trigger point," something that touches you so deeply that you feel you must step out to do something.

This book is inspiring. My only criticism is that similarly to her husband Matthew Barnett's book The Cause Within, I missed having practical teaching on the subject of "stepping out." No matter how fervent the prayers, God usually requires some planning for the person to take advantage of presented opportunities. Still, this book is inspiring as it describes an amazing ministry.

I am grateful to Tyndale House for providing this free review copy in exchange for my unbiased opinion. Thank you Tyndale for letting me read this.