Favorite Resources
Have you ever heard a variation of the phrase, "So many choices,
so little time"? That's how I feel about resources! I'll try to keep
them to my favorites.
Please Note: I don't fully endorse everything you'll find
at or in the websites, books or magazines I've listed, but there is
enough good information I couldn't help but share them.
Enjoy.
Ministries & Magazines
This & That
Janel's 20 23 26
20something Favorite Books
I confess, I had a hard time picking these titles. I was only going
to pick 10, but when I started counting, I had a lot more. And I forgot
to think about the kids books I love. That really got me counting...
The books are grouped in loose categories. I tried not to repeat the
information and reviews you can find at Amazon or CBD. I wanted to share
how God has used them in my Christian journey. Please, enjoy!
Some Christian Basics
 Case
for Christ by Lee Strobel
For Easter 2000, our pastor put us in touch with this
wonderful little book. Rich & I were so enamored by it, we took turns
reading it out loud every spare moment we had. We finished it in 3 days!
Lee Strobel was an atheist turned preacher. When he
set out to prove that the Bible was fiction after his wife converted
to Christianity, Strobel got a bit more than he bargained for: a saving
faith in Jesus Christ. The book deals with questions surrounding the
credibility of the written record, examining the claims of Jesus and
the medical possibilities of the resurrection among other things. All
in all it answers quite a few commonly asked questions about Christianity
and Jesus. Reviewed by: Janel
Buy the Book at Amazon.com
 Sacred
Romance by John Eldredge and Brent Curtis
Eldredge: you either love him or hate him. I happen
to think that God has used him in a powerful way to shake up the church.
I love him. Yup. He's got bones in his work, but so do I. And
so do some people on the other side of the theological fence.
I cannot tell you how many pieces of Scripture this
book put together for me. It took me all of 2001 to read and digest
the truths about God and the big picture of Christianity. Christianity
is an adventure story, God is our hero and you are a character along
with a plot line to uncover. Will you willingly join The Story full
of love and action? Or will you run the other way? Reviewed by:
Janel
Buy the Book at Amazon.com
 Fresh
Power by Jim Cymbala
A powerful book on prayer. The church as a whole doesn't
know God. As a result, we also don't know how to talk to him. God placed
this book in my life back in 2004 for one of those Esther 4 "for such
a time as this" times.
I was part of the woman's ministry leadership team for
a large church. We were experiencing growth pangs. God encouraged us
to be bold in prayer and he answered in some pretty amazing ways. Little
did I know it would be the spring board to some serious personal prayers
being answered. God is big. We just need to humbly let loose and trust
him to answer when we call! Jim Cymbola shares his experiences and Scripture
that inspires boldness. Reviewed by: Janel
Buy the Book at Amazon.com
 Experiencing
God by Henry Blackaby and Claude King
In the Experiencing God study, Blackaby talks about
memorial stones. He shows where God commands the Israelites to place
them and why. He then goes on to share that we have 'memory stones'
in our life as well, we just don't often recognize them as such. Doing
this study in 2000 was indeed a boulder of a memorial stone for me.
Blackaby helped me view and relate to God in a way I didn't know possible.
Reviewed by: Janel
Buy the Book at Amazon.com
For the Battle-scarred and Struggling
 Lord
I Want to be Whole by Stormie Omartian
Being emotionally healthy is a delicate balance. It
takes forgiveness, love, grace, truth and a willingness to look at and
correct sin in your own life. It can be a tall order.
Stormie defines 'emotional health' as being at peace
with your past, present and future. I like that. By the time I got to
this book, late last winter, I found that I've walked a lot of the road
she teaches about. It was good encouragement for me to see how far God
has brought me and that my journey with the Lord has brought me to the
same conclusions via a different road. It's a wonderful message for
those struggling with making godly peace with your past or current
life. Reviewed by: Janel
Buy the Book at Amazon.com
 Allure
of Hope by Jan Meyer
I have a special place in my heart for this book. I
truly hope God will let me meet Jan Meyer some day and give her a hug
because she has a heart for him.
God dropped this book in my lap back in October of 2000
on a day when I had all but given up hope. The story of how this book
got into my hands is one of those cool God things in itself. In any
case, it was the first step I took on the path to spiritual maturity
and finding the love of Christ in my day to day life, not just in a
lofty sermon on Sunday. Jan explores 3 types of hope among other things
and encourages us to pick up and move on with God, even when it hurts.
Excellent book! Reviewed by: Janel
Buy the Book at Amazon.com
 Fool-proofing
Your Life by Jan Silvious
There are just some people who don't get it no matter
how you explain it, how you encourage them, how you let them be or how
to chastise them. They are clueless and make your life miserable. You
really wonder if they learned the same language as you despite being
native. They do ignorant things and then anguish that the world is falling
in on their head. They make you want to scream, "HELLO???? Anybody hooooome??"
Scripture tells us there are 2 types of people that
behave this way. One is simply immature, the other is unsaved, the are
both called fools in Proverbs. Jan does a wonderful job of identifying
the two types and helping you come up with wise ways to uncomplicate
your life when you deal with them. I highly recommend this if you have
difficult people in your life or you exhibit some of the above symptoms
and want to 'cure' yourself. Reviewed by: Janel
Buy the Book at Amazon.com
Managing Life
 Women
Who Do Too Much by Patricia Sprinkle
When I feel well, I have so much going on that if I'm
not on top of everything, I go wild trying. If I'm not feeling well,
I sit and obsess about all I'm not getting done. Ugly cycles. This book
really made me stop, evaluate life from God's eyes and realize that
I don't have to save the world single handedly. I just need do what
God hands me, weed out what isn't of God and do the remaining well.
Her involvement map (or whatever she called it) is priceless to see
what you're involved in and WHY you're so busy. The rest to solid advice
on finding your call and living with peace. Reviewed by: Janel
Buy the Book at Amazon.com
Other Book Titles...
Women Helping Women edited by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Carol
Cornish
So Much More by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin
Big Girls Don’t Whine by Jan Silvious
Escape from Codependent Christianity by James Richards
Telling Yourself the Truth by William Backus
Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
Raising Great Kids by Townsend & Cloud
How to Talk So Kids Can Learn by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
The Dewey Color System by Dewey Sadka
Jesus Life Coach by Laurie Beth Jones
Miss Manner’s Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior by
Judith Martin
Mrs. Sharp’s Traditions by Sarah Ban Breathnach
Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely
Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson
Time Management from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern
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