June Hunt Manipulation

Again June Hunt uses her experience to teach us how to deal with manipulators, especially spiritual manipulations. She explains the difference in manipulation and persuasion. Using Abram’s wife Sarai and Jacob as prime examples of manipulation, we have to wonder if we ourselves may be guilty of manipulating others. As a leader of women, I feel strongly about commitment to the position you hold in ministry. When seeking to instill excellence in others I wanted to make sure I was encouraging and not manipulating. June Hunt’s other pamphlets on Conflict Resolution and Confrontation were very helpful to me in family and work situations. This little book covers all kinds of situations even in the church. Most of us are probably blameworthy with Verbal Manipulations such as flattery, whining, and the guilt game to get our needs met. June presents a scripture from the Bible to help us realize that these habits are not pleasing to God. I myself recall times earlier in my marriage when I have used Non-Verbal methods by pouting, ignoring, or slamming kitchen cabinets and bedroom doors. Ephesians 4:26 reminds us not go to bed angry. Even the roll of the eyes is displeasing to God. Rose Publishing gave me a PDF of this booklet for my review.

Through the Deep Water by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Through the Deep Water by Kim Vogel Sawyer is a historical novel. I have read many Christian novels by this author and admire her dedication to research the history of an area for the setting of her stories. Shame and rejection mar the childhoods of the two main characters. Dinah born in a brothel and robbed of her youthful innocence to earn money to care for her dying mother, she moves to Kansas to escape her past. Shackled by her secrets, she holds everyone at a distance except for Amos, a young chicken farmer. Though crippled by an accident when he was eleven, Amos has ambition and a dream to build up a business. His tenderness and humble character puts Dinah at ease and their friendship develops until the past collides with their future plans. Broken and hopeless Dinah learns from her roommate Ruthie to trust in God her true Father. "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness." Our plans are futile is not initiated by God's mighty hand. The story brings in the familiar bible story when the adulterous woman is brought to Jesus. We need to drop the rock!

This advanced reading copy was given to me to review by Waterbrook Press.

Rose Book of Bible Chart Volume 3

Thank you Rose Publishing for allowing me to review this book. I cannot tell what a wonderful resource this is for a bible study teacher. Prayer is one of the points I will highlight this week and there was a section in the Christian Living Section. A category for Bible Favorites: Old Testament includes Esther, Ruth as well as Psalms and Proverbs. New Testament Favorites include a comparison of the gospels side by side along with charts of Jesus parables, His miracles and His movements. These are exactly what I need now to teach adult women class every Sunday. Also on Thursday I will begin teaching about Paul’s letter to the Colossae church. I found a map and an information sheet on Gnostics. Resources are so time consuming to search online and their credibility is important. This will be my “go to” book. Next year I will teach 18 weeks on the book of Revelation. A daunting task to be sure but now here it is in the Rose Book of Charts Volume 3. The pages on Heaven were an added bonus since that is a favorite topic of mine and have quite a collection of books. Thanks to Rose Publishing for providing this book free for my review.

Hearing God’s Voice Above All Others

Crash the Chatterbox Hearing God’s Voice Above All Others by Steven Furtick

I will admit that curiosity lead me to choose this book. Steven Furtick is a larger-than-life pastor of a mega church in Charlotte with branches in my home county. He was featured on the news and some people question his actions. How odd of God I had chosen this book before I knew he was the lead pastor and founder of Elevation Church.

The Chatterbox in your head speaks so loudly condemning you for mistakes you've made that you can’t hear God offering you forgiveness along with mercy and grace. I definitely have a chatterbox in my head so I totally get what he is saying. He is a young pastor and appeals to the younger generation. At my age I am not familiar with some of his illustrations using current vocal artists, writers, and even WWF tag team members.  Near the beginning of the book I was about to give up on some of his self dialogue.

I am so glad I stuck it out. Steven’s heart is for God and reaching others for Christ. His transparency and honest replays of his failures and blunders ring true with me. (After all look who Christ chose for His disciples.) The author uses commonly known characters in the Bible to prove his points. This man is right on in his theology and knowledge of the Bible. I readily identify with the story of the Christmas trash and packing peanuts blowing all over the yard. I have been there myself and Pastor Furtick makes a wonderful point of our enemy Satan trying to drown out the voice of God speaking forgiveness and saving grace. I think this is an excellent book for those who are bound by the lies Satan puts in our head.

I received this book free from Multnomah Press to review for Blogging for Books.

June Hunt Confrontation

June Hunt’s pamphlet on Confrontation was a useful tool for me as I lead a team of women in Bible Study. Sometimes we feel since we are doing God’s work that we can let infraction to the rules slide. But to expose the wrong and establish the right—is a biblical mandate.

Right away I noticed that on every page of the pamphlet is a scripture verse. I use a large amount scripture on my PowerPoint presentations for women. This is a great resource for appropriate scripture.

 “Five Methods of Confrontation Used in the Bible” June uses lots of scriptures throughout her pamphlet. Using characters such as Adam and Eve, Eli and his wicked sons, King David and even Jonah, June teaches us lessons on confrontation. She tells us when we need to confront and when it is best not to confront.

When confronted with truth, hopefully an act will result in conviction, correction, and a change of direction, which will improve the group we work with.

Holy Spirit confronts sin in our lives to produce confession. But God sometimes gives us the task to confront someone for their own good.

Four Styles in Confrontation are the Passive Avoider, Aggressive Attacker, Passive/Aggressive Ambusher, Assertive Activator.  These styles were very interesting and you can clearly pick out your own personality. Later June tells how to use each type with scripted dialogue.

June introduces the “sandwich technique”—two soft slices of bread with the meat of the matter in the middle. This method would be needed with a prickly person who you really do not wish to confront, but God is urging you to for the good of the group.

The top slice of “bread” is appreciation: expressing care and concern for the person, complimenting on the positives. Then use the “meat” of correction to address the problem by recounting the chain of events that led up to the present problem.  Last the bottom slice of “bread “ of encouragement expressing confidence and assurance of future success. 

Rose Publishing gave me an advance copy for review.

June Hunt on Conflict Resolution

June Hunt is the author of many pamphlets by Rose Publishing. Conflict Resolution Solving your People Problems would be helpful at home or at work. People interact differently and have differing opinions. This is a breeding ground for conflict. The answer is not to avoid conflict but to respond to conflict appropriately.

June Hunt uses the character of Esther from the Bible to exemplify the model of conflict resolution between her Uncle Mordecai and Haman his self-declared enemy. Some differences may never be resolved but they can be reconciled.

Although God is not named in the book of Esther he is ultimately the one she turned to for her courage as she fasted and prayed for discernment.

Disharmony at home and wars in the workplace will lead us to a time as Esther did when turned to God for strength courage and resolution.

Conflicts cannot be avoided but they are not necessarily bad. Conflicts require action toward peace. Often conflicts require advanced preparation and planning and sometimes they can be settled through negotiation.

June Hunt shares the different types of aggressors and avoiders a various animals. It was helpful to see yourself in these descriptions.

My favorite part of the booklet is the last seven pages which gives me hints how to memorize and use scriptures to handle conflicts.  I enjoyed the story of Esther and how it relates to conflict resolution.

Rose Publishing has provided me with an advanced reader copy.

Lori Benton knows her history

Living in North Carolina and and teaching NC history, I welcomed the chance to read this historical fiction, the Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn. My preference is a strong female character instead of a wimpy, whining women. Tamsen surely fit the bill. She was a ball of fire and bit too headstrong for her cruel demanding step-father. He was abusive to her mother and selfishly attempted to marry Tamsen off to a wealthy land owner from Virginia. Fate placed Cade and Jesse Bird in her path as she tried to escape the wrath of Hezekiah Parrish. Fleeing Charlotte Towne after the murder of her mother, she carries her mother's secrets with her in a metal box. A shocking revelation ends the book well. Bravo.

I literally could not put this book down after the first few chapters. The author has done a good job of writing a novel full of historic information without it overtaking the storyline. I can't wait to read more of Lori Benton's work.  I received this paperback novel free from Multnomah Press to review for Blogging for Books.