Religion Books

My older brother gave me this book years ago, and being handed such a book made me angry. I interpretted the gift as him telling me I hadn't forgiven or was still ruled by the pains of my youth. I therefor did not read it until I was older and realized denying pain was not a helpful course for my life. In the meantime my younger brother had borrowed the book. He had returned it to me marked with his terrible habit of making notes and underlining in books that didn't even belong to him! Those underlined parts spoke of his own pains and his need for more indepth healing; they spoke of my own struggles too.

This book has been a reckoning of coming to terms with grief of losses in my youth, and also a quiet recognition that my siblings have carried the same pains -- each reaching for healing at different times of our lives, each with the help of this book.

There are so many "self help" books out there. This is a "let God" reach into your heart and soul and touch the parts of you that feel empty and untouchable.

I am a Pastoral Counselor and for years I have recommended all of my clients to read this book. It is well put together and quite simple for every level of reader to understand. I tell each client not to rush to read the book but to allow the book to "read you". In some cases where David Seamands examples may not be specifically speaking to an element of emotional damage for the reader, I advise the reader to substitute their particular issue. In December 2008 I am releasing my own book, Stop Tripping Over Your Past, and I am hopeful it will be as much of an excellent tool for those who read it as Healing for Damaged Emotions has been for countless readers.
Dr. Ramona Joseph
Charlotte, NC

Great book to help you understand why you are the way you are.
Really helped me a lot.

I have read this book twice and given it to many friends and the responses are always the same. We need to understand the priciples is this book and apply them in our lives. None of us are exempt at some time or other in our lives from the issues discussed.

As a pastor and spiritual director, I've been using this book as a regular give-away to believers when it becomes obvious that they are stuck - some old wound is yet hindering them from normal spiritual growth in Christ. Having ministered among Native People for several years, as well as those dealing with addictions (even as Christians), I found the truths and principles Dr. Seamands expounds on very beneficial in truly helping people heal from their past emotional wounds, and the memories of them, and then be able to progress in spiritual development. I believe our churches have many folks sitting in the pews, Sunday after Sunday, with serious pain from their past adversely affecting their present ability to relate freely to Christ, or to others in relationships. Until we understand this, and how Christ can work through us as "ministers" by his healing grace to nullify the effects of debilitating memories, we will continue to see believers spiritually 'stuck', stagnated in their growth.
Dr. Seamand's book HEALING OF MEMORIES (now titled, REDEEMING THE PAST: RECOVERING FROM MEMORIES THAT CAUSE OUR PAIN), builds on HEALING DAMAGED EMOTIONS by going, in detail, into the process of ministering healing to those with painful, debilitating memories. Every pastor who counsels should understand how to help believers in this way!

Like many others, I purchased both books thinking that they were different ("Washed" being the sequal), but as you know from reading the other reviews, they're basically the same book.

My initial reaction was frustration. I felt like I had been duped by the publisher....especially since the front cover of "Washed" says that it's by the author of "Save Me From Myself" and the back cover says "You think you've heard this story before but you haven't". Yes, I have! It was called "Save Me From Myself"! I think that instead of giving different titles and cover pictures to the books, they should have simply released them as the same book; one being the "Adult" version and the other being the "Teen" or "Young Adult" version with a simple explaination of the differences.

Upon closer comparison, I felt a bit better about "Washed" leaving the vulgar language and graphic details out, but in essence still delivering the same message. I also like how at the end of each chapter there discussion questions. I lead a small group for the Jr. High boys at our church, and each semester we study books together and meet once a week to do discussion questions on what we've read. Most of the teens in the group are really into music, and I think a book like "Washed By Blood" would hold their attention a lot more than some other books. Also, I would never encourage them to read "Save Me From Myself", but "Washed By Blood" on the other hand is clean, slightly abridged, and the discussion questions make this a book that i'd definately like to study with them. So there's a good possibility i'll be ordering several more copies of "Washed By Blood" to use for our group study, but even if we don't end up doing it together i'd still highly recommend it to them.

So if you know a teen who loves music, or even an adult who might not want to read all of the graphic details about sex and drugs, this is the better choice of the two books to recommend to them.

I have not read this specific book, but I listened to an interview with Brian Welch on the radio recently and he said this book is the same autobiography as "Save Me From Myself" but it leaves out some of the more in depth details making it more appropriate for a younger audience than the other version. So do not purchase both books! But if you are looking for a book for your teenager, this version may be a better fit.

I hope this helps clear some of the confusion on these books.

Okay, everyone has been rating this a 1 JUST because they think it's the same book with a differnt name. It is the same, but a kid friendly version with less description with the drugs and stuff. Rating this a 1 because they didn't do the research is pathetic. They are lowering the score making other people think it's not a good book...yet they were buying it because they liked the one they had so much..does not make sense! People help out and give it a 5 (just 3 people) to average it out from the bad reviews over "it being the same book". Remember, you are reviewing it so that other people who haven't read it can determine if they want it.

It is so encouraging to read about the miraculous change that Jesus Christ made in Head Welch's life. I recommend this for any non-believer you know... especially teens and young adults who struggle with belief and/or with drugs and alcohol. Its an amazing story and I know God used this book to change my life and will use Brian greatly for the Kingdom! This book is REAL....

To the people saying it's the same as his first book... this was well documented and announced well in advance:

"Also on June 24, 2008, Harper Collins Publishers will simultaneously release the young adult version of Save Me From Myself, entitled "Washed By Blood". "

It's basically the same book but re-written for younger adults. Still worth reading.

This is an outstanding book. I highly recommend it to all Christian women who are pregnant or think about getting pregnant.

I bought this book for my niece a few months before her baby's due date and she loved it!! She'd talk about it all the time and was so uplifted by the stories. Great purchase!

This book starts from the premise in the Bible that nothing is too hard for the Lord. I had never "interpreted" some of the scriptures the way the author did, but I don't think it is harmful to view them that way. The book is loaded with scriptures. I had expected more mundane advice and certainly nothing that expected the incredible. She gives her own experiences as well as including stories from some who had tried this and it had worked. My opinion is that we, mortals, know very little and much more is possible than we judge possible. But it takes faith and, very definitely, humility to tap into the "impossible."

This lady has incredible faith. I learned a lot from this book. I took many of the scripture references and taped them, along with some affirmations. I play the tape over and over again to get the words into my head. No baby as yet, but Amazon wanted a review and I didn't think about waiting several months or a year to write it.

I don't think that those people who tried and "failed" ought to judge themselves or the book. There is a difference between faith to be saved and faith to be healed in a way that our society and traditions say, no, shout is impossible. There is condemnation for one, but not for the other. I think it takes a lot to look in one's soul and see the fine points where we lack faith.

This book is definitely worth trying. There is nothing anti-Christ nor dark about this book.

Christ Centered Childbirth

I am the author of Christ Centered Childbirth, and this book inspired me so much that after my thrid child, I was moved to add to the work Jackie Started. I very much appreciate all that she has offered us. With a measure of discernment, the reader can gain much from her steadfast faith in the perfect design of the woman's ability to give birth.

My first child I had a miscarriage, my second a 23 hour extremely painful birth which ended with 4 degree tears & even more recovery pain that took weeks. And then 7 months later another pregnancy where I was sick 8 out of the 10 months I was pregnant (he was 3 weeks late so it really was 10 months :) and though the birth was shorter, 3 hours, it was the most intensely painful 3 hours I had ever experienced--contraction on top of contraction with no rest. And while my beautiful children were so worth it, the thought of another pregnancy or birth was terrifying to me. A year later I became pregnant again in spite of using protection constantly (it was just God's will :) and this time I had horrible nausea, much worse than any of the others. I later discovered why, I was pregnant with twins!! :D While this was ultra exciting I was also so fearful, I had never heard anything but horror stories in deliveries of twins. My first two births had been drug free, and though incredibly painful, I still wanted this one to be drug free too.

A friend at church gave me a tape of a lady talking about this book, all of the scriptures, and her personal experience. I listened to the cassette tape several times, wrote down all the scriptures and prayed over them every other day from the 5th month on. I prayed especially hard that they would not be born prematurely and would be born on God's appointed day for them. And also believing God for a painfree birth. It was the most wonderful pregnancy I ever had and I praise God so much for it! And I am so grateful to my friend for introducing this to me. At 5 months pregnant I was already beginning to be quite large, in fact I was as large as my sister-in-law who was 8 1/2 months along--and she wasn't tiny. It was getting to the point where I could not walk, and I had been a very active person. I didn't want to gain a lot of weight like I had with my first so I started taking communion at home each day and praying over the pregnancy and childbirth scriptures. After three days I could walk!!

After that I walked a 1/2 mile in the morning and 1/2 mile at night till I was 7 months along--then I swam in a friends pool. It was great, I felt so light!! Praying over the scriptures was awesome, God's word works. After I started that I never had any nausea, backaches, leg cramps, swelling, hearburn, no new stretch marks and I slept great (other than a couple night trips to pee :). It was a total miracle! The best pregnancy I had ever gotten to have, because before I had all of those symptoms in abundance except heartburn wasn't real bad with the others--but I had none with these!

When I was 8 months along the doctor said I had dilated to a 4 and would have the babies any time now. I cried driving home, they would be a month early, and it made me so sad. I just heard God whisper to me "Trust Me". So I did, and I just kept praying the scriptures. Whenever I would have a moment of doubt or fear my husband was such a strength, he would just remind me what God's word said and help strengthen my faith with his strength. The last appointment I went in on Tuesday, I told the doctor I felt like it would be Sunday so for him to be ready. I bet he thought that was weird, but I gave him a heads up anyway. :) I was going twice a week, once for a sonogram and once for fetal monitoring. On Friday I called and canceled my appointment and told them I felt like they were arriving on Sunday so if they didn't come then I'd come in Monday.

Sure enough Sunday afternoon the contractions started, they were 38 weeks to the day. They were coming very gently and with no pain, I could just feel the stretching. I went in at 3pm and I was dilated to a 6 1/2. After a few hours it had went up to an 8 but then by 10pm I had never moved past an 8. No pain, just stretching. I was bouncing on the beach ball they had in there, walking around, jumping up and out of the bed for bathroom breaks--the nurses were so incredibly amazed that I could get around so easily with carrying twins. I was huge, my friend called me a triple decker, but praise God I was still able to move around easily. :) The twins literally sat in my lap once I hit the 6 1/2 month mark, and then it grew out from there. Which makes it all the more amazing that I didn't get any new stretch marks!! :) Anyway, at 10pm the doctor asked if I would like my water broken so I did--I figured if they were to be born on Sunday we didn't have much time left! :) 30 minutes after that the stretching got stronger and my friend, my husband and I started praying in tongues. It just seemed like a few minutes after doing that the first baby started coming down! I hollered to get the doctor fast!! I had such a strong desire to push, he asked me to wait till the pedi got there. I said NO I need to push!! He said ok then, but let me get my gloves on and get ready first!! The only uncomfortable part was as she moved through those bones, I just do not like that feeling. Ugh. I still shudder, I can remember that feeling with every one of my kids. But that was the only uncomfortable or remotely uncomfortable part, whohoo! Calleigh Jorja was born in two pushes, then six minutes later Cadence Bethany was born breech with three pushes. All without medication, all painfree!! Oh, I highly, highly recommend it!! It was just so wonderful. :)

They were born August 28, 2005--the night Katrina hit landfall. Calleigh weighed 7 lbs 1oz and Cadence weighed 7 lbs even. They'll be 3 years old this Thursday, it is so awesome. Isn't that a wonderful miracle of God? Born healthy and a nice weight, and a wonderful pain free birth too! Next time I am going to pray for painfree afterpains, those were killer but thankfully they were over in a couple of days. After 3 days I was walking around, carrying them around and acting like nothing had ever happened! It was just so awesome, God is so good.

It kind of upsets me when people try to explain away the good things God has provided for us. Or they try to use their personal experience to negate the word of God. I mean, if that was a valid argument people could just say Well, not everyone is saved so God doesn't want to save anyone!! That is just ignorant to me. They suppose that just because it didn't work for them it couldn't work for anyone else. God's word won't work if you have unbelief, and it won't work if you don't any faith or belief for it. The two work against each other, faith and unbelief, and unbelief can cancel a persons God given faith. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) Matthew 17:19-22 clearly shows that praying and fasting is the remedy to unbelief. So that is why saying those scriptures and praying over them everyday works. If you waited till the day before you went to give birth to try it I would imagine it would be harder to quelch the unbelief and let the faith be pure enough to let God's word work! So combine hearing the word, praying the word, and fasting and watch the results of the word of God work in your life too!! Now, I will say when pregnant you are not supposed to fast food or water as that has been known to throw people into pre-term labor. Dehydration and lack of omega-3 essetial fatty acids are two of the main causes of pre-term labor. So if you want to fast while pregnant fast something important to you such as Tv, computer, ect. would be my recomendation and spend that time that you would have spent otherwise doing those things with the Lord. Anyway, I hope this testimony blesses someone's life and helps them see that God is the same--yesterday, today and forever and that he is no respecter of persons. What He will do for me He will do for anyone. :) You just have to believe and purify that belief by squelching the doubt, fear, and unbelief!! :)

I thought this was an easy read as it only took me 2-3 days to read it. I basically enjoyed it but got tired toward the end. I thought it was a bit "fantastic" and whether or not it is true, it did leave me with a feeling of urgency that the Lord is coming VERY soon and also made me want to get a lot closer to Jesus. If a book leads you closer to Christ, then it's worth trying.

This is not your typical Heaven or Hell book. Having said that, I found this book a very real, very personal testimony of someone who has seen and heard and believes that people must know about these places. She is most espcially concerned that everyone knows that Hell is real; she does not want anyone to go there. Her love for Jesus is touching. I was drawn into her meetings with Him as if I was there myself. You might want to get several copies and give them out.

I absolutely enjoyed this book. I could not put it down. I enjoyed it so much that I shared the book with others. I actually bought a copy to give away to someone in the church I was attending after telling them about it. They could not find the book so I took liberty to buy it for them because I knew they would enjoy the book just as much as I did. I even gave my copy away to someone in the church. So, right now I have no copy of my own anymore, but I plan to buy another copy soon. Also, I plan to purchase several more to give away. "Heaven is So Real" revealed the intimacy and passion of the Lord. This is by far my favorite read. "Heaven is So Real" will leave desiring a deeper relationship with the Lord. I remember the day that I was in the book store deciding on a book to purchase. I was so indecisive. I asked Holy Spirit to help me select a book. I continued to look around until I came across "Heaven is so Real". It appeared interesting so, I read the back to get an idea of what the book was about. When I took the book home and read it, I was so taken by this book. It was especially for me. I can relate to Choo's experience in dancing before the Lord. I have my own supernatural experience concerning dancing before Him. This book was chosen for me. I felt the presence of Holy Spirit and His is love as I was reading this book.

As the author reply me in her email, this book will be viewed by two types of people 1. those who care so much of going into heaven. 2. those who love the world more. By looking at the stars given to this book's review, it obviously does that, they all go two extremes, there is no or very little in between, either 5 stars (represending those who want to go to heaven) and 1 star (represending those who love the world more). I don't want to be the judge. I just have to raise this observation. apart from that.... you got to read the book to judge it yourself. for me I am going to choose to be the first type of people and I really hope you would too.

I too read this book. I saved it to read on vacation, I was looking forward to reading it. At first I was enjoying it, the more I read the worse I felt. There are several things that made me feel bad, but I think the most troubling was that a lot of the statements could not be backed by the Bible. I will mention one. When she said Jesus dressed up special for his birthday on Dec. 25. I know the real Jesus knows when His birthday is and we all know it is not Dec. 25. This day was chosen by Constantine's mother, who was a pagan worshiper. She knew this was the date that most pagan worshiper use as there god's birthday, Dec. 25th. Just as what we call Easter is named after the pagan goddess of fertility, Eostre. That is where all the bunny and egg stuff comes from.

Eternal Echoes: Celtic Reflections was a dissapointment for me. It seemed very repetitive although it did make some good points.

My goodness this book droned on and on about belonging and longing without any real wisdom coming through. I will never buy a book again because someone else said it was good I lost money on this one.

Not being familiar with this author I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of Celtic Spirituality I encountered. I was captured from the first few paragraphs of the Prolog. Having such a complete list of the contents was extremly helpful.I will be exploring future books by this author in the future.

This is a wonderful book to read along with The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, The Celtic Spirit by Caitlin Matthews. O'Donohue brings deep insight into such topics as belonging, alienation, kinship, fear... all the basics. His scholarship and sense of poetry help us create a new language out of the depths of our experiences, so that we see ourselves in new light. The author began his journey with the book Anam Cara, which contains a wonderful friendship blessing I say often. Eternal Echoes is even more on point, if not equally so. Slainte, Mr. O'Donohue.

This book is from the soul, and we all need soul food every now and again. I picked it up in Ireland while chilling out from a broken marriage and it spoke to me like no other book has ever done. With prose like exquisite poetry, John O' Donohue touches the soul with a true taste of spirituality.

Very inspirational, it's wonderful to read a work of art that is so "biblical" in it's ability to motivate. It speaks metaphorically,pragmatically and is grounded in common sense. I'm looking forward to reading it again, and then sometime later, again.

I, like many others have read more than one Ludy book in my day. I am currently reading this one and so far it has proven to be excellent.
Not a traditional, "we are all beautiful, just learn to love yourself" kind of book, Leslie calls young women to be consumed by their creator, relying on him for every good thing in life, pointing out that without Christ, we are nothing. Everything we have is given by him.

If you want your life to be touched by Jesus, let the message of this book reach your heart. I would say the emphasis of this book is not so much femininity, as it is being SET APART. We are called to be brave and courageous women of faith and passion in these days of brazen selfishness. My life has really been changed by this book!

I am a big fan of the Ludy's. I LOVE their books! They are life-changing.
If you are looking for a deeper understanding of what it means to be a real woman of God, I highly recommend this book. Especially to our teenage and college age young ladies. This book has a message that is so very needed in our culture -- God doesn't just want us to be sexually pure. He wants way more for us!! Way More!!

This book is truly set apart from a plethora of so called 'Christian books'. It is about living life FULLY devoted to Christ in each area of life...no matter the cost. By reading this book I found myself delving more and more into the Bible and in prayer. It is hard to come across books in which sacrificing ourselves to Christ is the message. There are many examples of women giving their all for Christ in this book. It is not just an inspiring read; it is a life changing book!

This book has captured what it means to be a Godly Christian woman. And its not about wearing a potatoe sack and doing whatever guys tell you to do. You are allowed to be beautiful, to shine - but also to fight for truth, to stand up for those that everybody else ignores or passes by. Being a woman is not all soft and flowery, though there are those aspects also. But as Leslie pointed out, it is time to get some fire back into our hearts! Not a self-centered fire that burns and destroys, but a holy fire that inspires. I felt my heart being moved, and my spirit rising up to join the ranks of Godly women everywhere who have made the choice to be Set-Apart for Christ and His kingdom. Read this book and be encouraged, challenged, and empowered.

The author draws on information from the Bible to set forth the main tenets of Christianity and then uses them as plumb lines to judge 20 different worldviews. The writing is simple and easy to understand and adaptable to a group setting. We are using it in Sunday School class and our folks are enjoying and being edified. I recommend it!

I have never read such a biased book that claims to legitimately compare religions. The descriptions of the other religions are so brief that it seems as if the author is trying to mock and belittle them, instead of objectively comparing them to Christianity. I admit to laughing while reading this because I thought this text was so ridiculous. This book is merely a tool to blindly convert people, and I hope that those who read this book see it for what it is. If you want to legitimately learn about a certain religion and how it compares to Christianity, don't waste your money on this.

Whenever a Protestant book is described as a comparison of "orthodox Christian" with other views, it should give us pause. After all, who defines what is "orthodox Christian?" Mr. Ridenour is a gifted communicator and his books are an easy read. Although he makes no pretense at a scholarly treatment of comparative religion, this work does have an underlying bias that assumes his own evangelical Protestant beliefs to be the test of orthodoxy.

To be fair, one will want to also read the works of some older and more established Christian traditions - Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox in particular. But, for the reader wanting a more balanced comparison from the point of view of the tradition that defined "orthodox" 1500 years prior to the Protestant reformation (perhaps the very defining moment of heterodoxy), one will find a more scholarly treatment in Separated Brethren: A Review of Protestant, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox & Other Religions in the United States.

An easy read but lacking depth and plagued by underlying evangelical presuppositions that should be challenged by the honest seeker or student.

Ridenour probably wouldn't sit next to me in church but he has compiled a good elementary look into other religions. I don't know that I agreed with his classification of cults versus religion so maybe he should do away with the distinction in the book.

Overall I got what I was looking for but this is certainly not an unbiased look at all religions.

This simple book, easy to read, is a good reference for anyone wanting a comparison of the world religions. It is fair and balanced.

I bought this for my four year old and she loves it. The prayers are really easy for her to understand and learn. It is a book that will be very helpful as she prepares for first communion and confirmation in the years to come. Not only does it have prayers but there are psalms, the 10 commandments, and the beatitudes. Great reference for any child who is learning about the Catholic faith. I am purchasing two more to give to my god children at Easter.

This is an attractive, full-color, child-friendly prayer book at a very reasonable price. At under $4 (for the softcover) it would make an excellent choice for parishes and schools to purchase for First Communicants. A substantial collection of traditional and "home-made" prayers are presented in a comfortable format. The book also includes prayers and mysteries of the Rosary, prayers from the Mass and a section on "Stuff Every Catholic Kid Should Know: Learning Our Faith Tradition". Highly Recommended!

I thought my hubby would enjoy this as he explains the Catholic faith to our boys. Simple, easy to read.

Now in my 70s I was a good traditional catholic with an Aunt,a Nun and an Uncle a priest. My 2 daughters and their families are somewhat Catholic. This book is great for adults to share with their children and has new ideas. On Christmas day, I was able to share this book and everyone liked it.

This is a wonderful way to introduce your child to prayer. The structure of the prayer book is great. The prayers will introduce your child to prayers of faith, the saints, praise of God, and how to just talk to God! I love this prayer book.

This book is a very simple introduction to angels and working with them, which I believe is the point. There seems to be an overlap on what I consider the roles of Spirit Guides to be, however. These guides are never mentioned, as the book seems to make angels the only helpers and guardians available to us. It's an easy and enjoyable read for beginners.

I love this book!!!! Doreen Virtue does it again. A beautiful little book, full of wisdom, insights to angels and wonderful words. Well worth a read and a MUST for believers of ANGELS!!!! :-)

I found immense value with listening to this CD. I learned a great deal about angels and repeatedly listening to it has opened my eyes a great deal. My angels are with me and helping me with every part of my life. I use positive thinking and I ask for help from my angels to achieve whatever I set my mind too. This does not mean I do not need to do anything but rather that the angels will help me do what I need to do naturally; through inspired action.

This is a great beginning book for anyone. It is very uplifting, and honestly brings me peace whenever I open it.

My sister is a great lover of angels - this book delighted her when I shipped it to her as a birthday gift!

Driven By Eternity will shake you up and help you to focus your eyes on things eternal and is a MUST READ for all Christians. The foundational teaching found is this book may go against what you have been taught in the past but it is Biblically sound and will open your eyes.

It is not about you - it is ALL about Him!!!

READ THIS BOOK!

This book is,of course, just like all of the John Bevere books- hitting the spiritual nail right on the head. John is a very blessed writer and speaker conveying the spiritual truths that we need to hear today. I highly recommend this book for everybody!

Finally! This work is long overdue! People are so set in so called "Christian orthodoxy" that they are failing to see the message of Jesus as plainly put forth in the Bible. I have to wonder how those, like Mr. Youngkin and others, have missed these teachings, calling them a "major doctrinal flaw" in Brevere's book. Really? Christs own teachings are doctrinally flawed? I urge those who have fallen into the trap of believing everything that they are taught to read the Bible with new eyes and take it for what it actually says. Who wrote Christian orthodoxy anyway? Men did. Study the history.

This book has impacted how I think and act on a daily basis. It brought eternity into focus for me and has changed many of the beliefs I had accepted without really challenging them against scripture. Bevere gives multiple scriptures as back up for his premises. We were so challenged as a couple that we ordered a case of the books to pass to our family and friends!

I got this book on a recommendation from one of the pastors at my church and I cannot possibly thank him enough. The way John Bevere approaches a sensitive subject - how theology about the 'white throne of judgment' has been confused or downright distorted - is nothing short of genius. Using a well-conceived allegory, Bevere puts so much into perspective. Again, I can't thank Nate Rees (one of our worship leading pastors) enough.