Movie Review - "Taking Chance"

I have ONE thing to say about this move - WATCH IT (it will touch your heart forever!!!!!)
It didn't get enough publicity and every American should watch it!

Book Review - "The Shack" by William P. Young

What an emotional roller coaster this book was. This book was hard to put down. It is about a man who is overcome with grief at the loss of his 6-year old daughter.

Let me just interject, after reading about the abduction of his daughter , I found myself wondering how in the WORLD this author was going to make this book have a happy ending...it is after all a Christian book, so I expected a message of hope. My curiosity of how he was going to 'turn this around' motivated me to keep reading albeit some parts were pretty tough to read.

So, anyway, he gets a note in the mailbox from God that says meet me at "The Shack". What he finds is the physical manifestation of Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit waiting for him. The dialogue between them all is easy to understand and definately worth reading.

Thru the dialogue he has different encounters and emotions with dealing with his grief, understanding Gods part in all of it and also dealing with buried issues of his childhood. At one point in the book, I started to well up because I was overcome with JOY!!!! I had to close the book to regain composure. This author actually found a way to turn this story into a story of redemption, forgiveness, hope and mercy!! I felt good again.

I do plan on returning to the dialogue and contemplating further the talks they had (God, Jesus, Mack and the Holy Spirit). I immediately gave this book to a friend of mine who had recently lost a close friend to a brutal murder because I thought it would bring comfort.

This book is riveting and would be a good read for yourself or as a gift. I believe it will bring peace and comfort to their spirit and soul.

The added bonus for me is that I'm from the Portland, OR area living in AZ so it was familiarly 'territory' where it takes place. The author's use of adjectives very definitely describes the Oregon scenery to a T.

I recommend it to anyone who wants to be moved emotionally and spiritually!!!

I think this book is worth supporting to be made into a movie. Not all books are good for movies, this one is.

A++++++

Book Review - "A New Illustrated History of World War II: Rare and Unseen Photographs 1939-1945"

What a great find this book was and definately worth the money!!!

I purchased this book for my 12-year old son because he was interested in real war stories. This book breaks down World War II with real stories and genuinely professional pictures. He loves the book! They say "a picture paints a thousand words" - that describes this book although it is written carefully with full explanations and many commentaries. Nothing is lacking in this book. I can pick up this book any day and read something new.

VERY IMPRESSED. I am a history buff and it's a great HISTORY LESSON!!

Documentary Review: "The War of 1812" by History Channel

If you are looking to understand the War of 1812 and want to know the intricate details - this is an excellent documentary to watch. I recommend it for all teachers/professors out there who want to give a visual perspective to their students!! The actors playing important rolees are believable and it excited me to want to visit Fort McHenry in Maryland to see where Francis Scott Key wrote the poem "The Star Spangled Banner".

I have sang that song countless times but after watching this movie I will be compelled visually to replay certain scenes of this documentary while I'm singing only to add more heartfelt emotion to the moment!

The History Channel did a professional and thorough production and I hope all of you interested in our American History will buy this documentary (DVD) or at least rent it!

A great movie for parents who have school aged children!!!

Book Review - "The Veritas Conflict" by Shaunti Feldhahn

This is a great fictional book that was written carefully and with obvious historical research. It impressed me for many reasons because I love books that paint the spiritual battle going on at the same time telling the human story. It opens your mind to what you can't see but is still real. (Frank Peretti is an expert at this) Shaunti did an outstanding job with it!! Bravo!!!

The book had great historical references regarding Harvard University.

I felt like I got a history lesson, philosophy and a theology lesson all rolled into one!! I personally feel much better equipped regarding defending or presenting my faith to others thanks to the well written, well thought out dialogue between classmates. Thank you Shaunti! These are the adjectives that come to mind when describing my experience as a reader: riveting, suspensful, educational, inspirational, uplifting and full of TRUTH indicated by the name of the book.

Great job Shaunti, your non-fiction books are equally as impressive!!

This book would make a GREAT movie!!!

Book Review - "One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd" by Jim Fergus

This book is written as a diary so it's very easy to read. The events as described are believable and keep you on the edge. I picked up this book to read and did not put it down until I finished. The historical aspect of this book is researched well and will have an emotional affect on you. It's a very well thought out perspective from a historical sense!

The synopsis is that Mary Dodd escaped a mental institution by agreeing to be a part of a Government program which was to unite the Cheyenne Indian Nation with the American white people. The deal was the Cheyenne's were given 1000 women in exchange for 1000 horses. The Cheyenne Nation's culture believed that babies were raised with the mother's tribe, so they felt their only chance to survive the migration of white people was to integrate by marriage. This diary was her adventure out west into the frontier and untamed land. The chief himself chose her to be his wife.

Fergus writes this piece masterfully. There were times I could of easily felt like the story was true. With so much detail into the traditions and the times of American people and Native people. As the reader, I really felt connected to Mary Dodd and her adventure.

Bravo!!!

Book Review: "Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War" by Nathaniel Philbrick

If you want a complete understanding of the first 50 years of our American history, this is the book to read.

It covers the motivation for the pilgrims move to the new world, the beginning days, how the colony was orginized, the relationship with the native indians, namely Massasoit, who without his cooperation and loyalty their likelihood of making it in the beginning years would of been slim or none. It covers every detail of the first 50 years and how the next generation spawned a spoiled set of settlers with new attitudes which inevitably led to King Philips war.

Being a history buff, I had a pretty good understanding of this story to begin with, but this book completely puts it all together. It is written in a manner that is easy to assimilate and emphathize with the events. This allows me to remember names, places and important dates when discussing the events of our pilgrim ancestors. It doesn't glamourize anything and quotes directly from historic journals and maps.

Anyone interested in early American history needs to read this book. After reading this book, I have a completely different perspective on Thanksgiving, the pilgrims and our ancestors. An interesting fact I recieved from this book is that one of ten people are descended from those 102 pilgrims. I happen to know my ancestors include 3 of them, most notably John Alden, who was my 9th great grandfather.

If you REALLY want to know what life was like, what was the relationships like with the Indians, how they cooperated with other colonies and how religion played into to things, read this book!!!
Well written. A great read. A great story!