The Master's Mind by Lance Hahn

I had high hopes for this book based on the title. We are told in Scripture to have the mind of Christ and I hoped this book would help me see how that happened. While Hahn does a good job explaining our identity in Christ and what that looks like, I was frustrated with a lack of practical suggestions as to how I help bring that reality to pass.

Hahn explains how our thoughts are powerful. “If we can master our minds and bring our thoughts into alignment with the Lord's will and perspective, the rest of our lives will follow suit.” (2) We are to align our identity with Christ's. We are to change our minds and follow His direction. We are to fight the enemy and the barriers he places in the way of our getting to the right mindset. Good so far. Just give me a practical strategy to do that.

Here are some examples of Hahn's suggestions. “If we have baggage from our pasts, we need to let the Holy Spirit sort it and throw out what we no longer need.” (91) Yet he gives no strategy, no suggested prayers nor Bible passages to use. “We need to pray and ask God for His wisdom to rule our thoughts.” (168) A good idea but no help with suggested prayers or other strategy.

He writes that we need to be so filled with the Holy Spirit that He forces out the evil. (175) He mentions the benefits of spiritual disciplines but pretty much leaves it up to us to figure out what they are and how to practice them. (181) The closest thing to a strategy I found was this: “God is not as interested in our getting things right as He is in our getting out of the way and allowing Him to make things right.” (170) So I guess I'll just get out of the way and let God work.

If you are looking for a good exploration of the importance of our thoughts and our beliefs about our identity, this is a good book for you. If you are looking for a book with practical suggestions on how to change your thoughts and conform them to Christ, you will have to look elsewhere.

My rating: 3/5 stars.

Lance Hahn is the senior pastor of Bridgeway Christian Church in Rocklin, California. His first book chronicles his struggles with panic disorder. He is a popular speaker who enjoys writing. He is married with two daughters. You can find out more at http://www.lancehahn.com/.

W Publishing Group (Thomas Nelson), 240 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

5-Word Prayers by Lisa Whittle

Having grown up in an era of long and sonorous prayers, Whittle's book is a breath of fresh air. “Prayer is not about word count, but about heart intent.” (9) The short prayers and the devotions that accompany them are about our feelings, not about technique. I like the encouragement to honest and to have passion in relating to God.

While I liked all of the devotions, a couple really made an impressions on me. One was Day 15: I need You desperately today. What a cry of the heart when we feel like we just cannot face what comes next. Her devotion reminds us that God sees and cares.

Sometimes the prayer and devotion are a spiritual lesson. An example is Day 26: You are my only Master. Reading her devotion is an exhortation. We need to identify what we let master us and turn our hearts to the Master who loves us fiercely.

Sometimes the prayer blends reality with our desire, such as Day 29: I want to trust You. Whittle reminds us God knows the intentions of our heart. He is faithful and worthy to be trusted with our whole being.

I recommend this little book. It is an encouragement to express our heart to God, not in lengthy prayers but in short and meaningful ones. It is a good book for those wanting to communicate their feelings to God but don't know how. Petitions, giving thanks, praise, all kinds of heart felt prayers are included. The forty devotions could be used as a Lenten emphasis on passionately communicating with God. But don't wait until then to relate to God from your heart.

You can read an excerpt here.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

Lisa Whittle is a speaker, Bible teacher, and the author of six books. She is a wife and mom and is grateful to be a work in progress. She lives in North Carolina. You can find out more at https://lisawhittle.com/.

Harvest House Publisher, 176 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Icon Media. My comments are an independent and honest review.

God's Best-Kept Secret by Mark Maulding

Maulding writes about the identity stolen from us in the Fall and how our identity is restored to us when we believe in Jesus for salvation. Satan would like to destroy us with lies about our identity but our new self is the deepest core of who and what we are. (Loc 868/3218)

He writes about the fallacy of the civil war within, the “two self” teaching, a cunning ploy of the devil. “...[T]he Bible says our 'old self' is no longer in play after we become Christians.” (Loc 868/3218) He references Romans 6:6, 2 Corinthians 5:17, and Galatians 2:20. The old self is gone and there is only the new person in Christ.

He does distinguish the old self and the flesh. “The word flesh represents all the ways people have learned to cope with life's challenges apart from dependence on Christ.” (Loc 940/3218) We can still live independently of God, living according to the “flesh.”

He also writes that we must know we are righteous to grow spiritually mature. That righteousness is our identity in Christ. “We truly live our lives in a manner consistent with who we believe we are in our hearts.” (Loc 1269/3218) Jesus has done everything so that we are forgiven, accepted by God and we have rest in Him. That may be new to those who were taught that God sees us through Jesus or that God sees us as if we are righteous.

Maulding realizes that living in the new identity we have in Christ may take time. It takes work to change ingrained thinking. He provides suggestions for training our mind to believe the truth. We may have to take authority over Satan's lies and he helps us with that too.

My favorite part of the book was when Maulding reminded readers that the gospels contain ministry under the Old Covenant. Most of what Jesus taught was to Jewish people under the law. It wasn't until Jesus died and rose again that everything changed and there was a fundamental difference as to how God relates to us and we to Him. (Loc 1703/3218) He also has a very good section on suffering and brokenness.

This book is reminiscent of “exchanged life” books, such as those by Major W. Ian Thomas of the 1980s and the works of Hudson Taylor a century earlier. The concept of the exchanged life is somewhat controversial. Many theologians would not agree with all that Maulding writes. He attacks many sacred cows. I think this book contains important truth for every Christian.

You can find out more about the book at https://www.godsbestkeptsecret.com/.

You can watch a message from the author about the book here.

You can download an excerpt and watch a book trailer here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Mark Maulding is founder of Grace Life International, one of the largest Christian counseling and teaching ministries in America. A speaker, counselor, and leadership coach, Maulding is a regular blogger. He and his wife have four adult children and live near Charlotte, North Carolina. You can follow his blog here.

Baker Books, 224 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Cancer, Faith, and Unexpected Joy by Becky Baudouin

Baudouin shares events and insights she experienced while her mother was dying and after her death. The chapters are short vignettes and are suitable for devotional reading. Questions are given at the end of the book for group discussion or personal reflection.

Baudouin also writes about experiences earlier in life. She stuttered as a child and writes about how that affected her in childhood and later. She shares how she learned to not be afraid, turning her worries into prayers.

She believes God allows trials to come our way and that He is always working for our good. Our dependence on Him is what matters most. (56) With that in view, Baudouin writes about being with her mother during the cancer and her feelings after her mother's death. My favorite part of this narrative was when her mother was near death. Heaven became much more real to her. I had found the same with my own mother.

Reading this book is an encouragement to those who feel called by God to write an inspirational memoir. Here is a quote I liked and think explains the motive for Baudouin writing this book: “When God heals us, he turns our shame into our story.” (84) One could say the same about grief or tragedy. Each of us has a story we can tell.

I recommend this book for those facing the death of a loved one or having recently experienced it. It would be a good book for a grief recovery group to read.

You can read an excerpt here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Becky Baudouin is a writer and former columnist at Chicago's Daily Herald. For over a decade, she has helped lead marriage and grief workshops, and is now also a speaker for MOPS. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband and their three daughters. You can find out more at http://www.beckybaudouin.com/.

Kregel Publications, 176 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Blind Spot by Dani Pettrey

This is the third novel in the Chesapeake Valor series and I highly recommend that the others be read before this one. There is much in this novel that relies on events in the previous books. The interaction of the major characters may not make much sense unless the reader is familiar with the back story of their relationships.

I was a bit surprised at the amount of romance in this novel. It seemed to overshadow the suspense aspect of the story. At times the romantic interludes seemed odd as they occurred during times when the agents should have been on high alert.

The plot was two pronged. Some on the team were working on solving a murder. Others on the team were working on a human trafficking case with a very possible connection to a future terrorist attack. The narrative alternates between the teams. I thought the plot of the murder was a little weak. The human trafficking case alone would have made for a good novel. I think a single case would have allowed for a deeper plot and deeper character development.

I do recommend this novel to those who enjoy a romantic suspense that emphasizes the romance aspect.

You can download an excerpt here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Dani Pettrey is a former homeschooling mom and author whose novels have sold more than 300,000 copies. You can find out more at http://danipettrey.com/.

Bethany House Publisher, 336 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Rhinestones on my Flip-Flops by Jane Jenkins Herlong

Just like sugar makes medicine taste better, humor sometimes makes spiritual truth easier to assimilate. Herlong gives us some crazy stories interwoven with spiritual truth to help readers thrive in the midst of life's challenges. This is a book for women only as there are some topics and stories I don't think men would like at all.

I like how Herlong manages to derive spiritual lessons from some of the craziest experiences. I mean, how many beauty pageant contestants get prepared by a funeral home owner? But it worked because she ended up Miss South Carolina years ago. She also uses stories of women in the Bible as teaching examples.

But this book is not all laughs. Herlong tackles some serious issues too, like grief. She also has some great suggestions for being a wise woman. My favorite part of the book was on the example of Ruth. She was a hard worker, consistent, and reliable. She had no sense of entitlement and no expectations. She was not too proud for hard work.

I'm from the Pacific Northwest and some of Herlong's southern humor was a bit much for me, almost bordering on the profane. I do recommend this book to those who like a dose of humor with their spiritual lessons. Bless your heart.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Jane Jenkins Herlong is an award-winning author, Southern humorist, speaker, singer, and Sirius XM comedian. She was recently inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame. She has also achieved the distinction of Certified Speaking Professional by the National Speakers Association. She is the author of several books and the mother of two adult children. She and her husband live on the family peach farm in South Carolina. You can find out more about her and see some of her humor at http://www.janeherlong.com/.

FaithWords, 240 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Choosing Donald Trump by Stephen Mansfield

The polls didn't give Trump much of a chance to become president. Yet he is now what some describe as the most powerful man in the world. How did that happen? Having read a biography about Trump, I was well aware of his character. I was shocked when I found out that Trump won the votes of 81 percent of white evangelicalism. (Loc 1260/2679) How did that happen?

Mansfield has done an excellent job of explaining how Trump was elected and the particular role of the conservative Christians in that accomplishment. He identifies the anger of Christians, feeling that the country they knew was slipping away. They wanted change at almost any cost. Trump won them over by promising to give their country back to them. (Loc 1282/2679) He won over Christian leaders by promising to abolish the Johnson Amendment, the law restricting pastors from speaking openly on political issues or endorsing candidates from the pulpit. (Loc 1314/2679)

Conservative Christians were so desperate for political power and change that they were willing to overlook Trump's lack of experience, his foul language, his bullying business practices, his disrespect and lack of compassion for the marginalized, his lack of familiarity with what it meant to be a Christian, his public boasts of marital infidelity, and his offensive behavior in general. (Loc 92/2679) Mansfield writes that Christian leaders were “interested in allying themselves to power at any moral cost.” (Loc 241/2679) Other Christians believed God had called and would use an immoral Trump much as God had used an immoral Cyrus in the Old Testament. (Loc 1944/2679)

Mansfield explores the spirituality of Trump and covers the great influence of Norman Vincent Peale in the distant past and Paula White in the recent past. Mansfield is direct on criticizing Trump's claim to be a Christian, noting his lack of knowledge of Christians things and his lack of moral character. (Loc 337/2679)

Mansfield also explains that conservative Christians have now wed themselves to Trump. They are responsible for putting Trump in the White House. They took a risk and now they must reconcile what the Trump administration becomes to what they believe about God and truth. (Loc 1490/2679) Mansfield also writes of the prophetic voice that must come from Christian leaders as Trump will need spiritual counsel.

Those Christian who voted for Trump need to read this book to understand the ramifications of their choice. Those who did not vote for Trump need to read this book to understand how we got to this place in American history.

You can read an excerpt here.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

Stephen Mansfield is the New York Times bestselling author of The Faith of George W. Bush, The Faith of Barack Obama, and Lincoln's Battle with God, among other works of history and biography. Founder of The Mansfield Group, a research and publishing firm, he is also an in demand speaker and consultant. He holds a doctorate in history and literature. He and his wife live in Nashville, Tennessee, and Washington, DC. You can find out more at https://stephenmansfield.tv/.

Baker Books, 208 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Writing the Heart of Your Story by C S Lakin

Why would I, a book reviewer, read a book about writing a novel? This book has helped me to differentiate between a good novel and a great one. I now know all of the elements that make up a captivating novel. I also now know why I rarely give a novel five stars in a review. I now know the exceptional work it takes to craft a great plot and develop characters that are memorable. Many authors just do not bother with all that work.

A particular aspect of this book I really appreciated was Lakin emphasizing the importance of the first paragraph. Authors need to capture readers immediately. So many times I have had to slog through pages of the introduction of characters and settings before a hint of the plot was evident. If I hadn't made a commitment to the publisher or author to review the book, I would have quit reading it. Nancy Pearl, with the Seattle Public Library, suggests giving a book the number of pages equal to 100 minus your age. The older I get, the more quickly an author has to capture my attention.

I do recommend this book to authors and readers alike.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

C. S. Lakin is a novelist, copy editor, writing coach, mom, and more. She teaches the craft of writing at conferences and retreats. She lives near San Francisco. You can find out more at http://www.livewritethrive.com/.

Ubiquitous Press, 214 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the author. My comments are an independent and honest review.