Category: inspiration

Christian, inspiration, meditation

Bouquet of Wisdom: Reflections from the Garden

Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Deanna Nowadnick
Publisher: Rhododendron Books
Genre: Christian / Meditation / Inspiration
ISBN: 978-0983589709
Pages: 142
Price: $12.60

Author’s website
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God can speak to us in so many ways, so it shouldn’t surprise us that one of His favorite ways to communicate with us is through nature. In Bouquet of Wisdom, Deanna Nowadnick shares some of the lessons God has given her through her own experiences in the garden.

Each of these short reflections is paired with garden flowers. They open with a Bible verse, followed by a two page sharing of a particular experience in the author’s life, closing with some digging deeper questions for the reader to ponder. Topics covered include patience, mercy, empathy, and dreams, as well as many others.

Other books featured on this site from Deanna Nowadnick are Signs in Life and Fruit of My Spirit. Just as in her two previous books, Deanna Nowadnick is refreshingly honest in sharing her life stories with us. This is an enjoyable and inspiring read, and I highly recommend this book.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

acting, inspiration

The Actor’s Book of Quotes

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Mike Kimmel
Publisher: Ben Rose Creative Arts
Genre: Acting / Inspiration
ISBN: 978-1953057136
Pages: 276
Price: $17.99

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Acting is a hard profession, so it’s helpful to have someone to lean on when the going gets tough. So even if you don’t know any professional actors to guide you, Mike Kimmel has gathered many of their quotes for inspiration. This unique book shares the best of the best on acting and life.

The topics covered are too numerous to list, but include autions, audiences, creativity, criticism, fear, hard work, individuality, optimism, and pessimism. Actors like Steve Martin, Leonard Nimoy, Sean Connery, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, and Fred Astaire as well as many others offer their gems of wisdom.

A few of these quotes are:

To be good, you need to believe in what you’re doing. ~ Billy Crystal

Never treat your audience as customers, always as partners. ~ James Stewart

If you let your head get too big, it’ll break your neck. – Elvis Presley

The first star of a motion picture should be its story. ~ Cecil B. DeMille

This book is the perfect addition to any actor’s bookshelf, which will always be there when facing a big audition or a huge letdown. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, inspiration, self improvement

You Are Enough

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Mandy Hale
Publisher: FaithWords
Genre: Christian / Inspiration
ISBN: 978-1-5460-1234-4
Pages: 176
Price: $20.00

Author’s website
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Mandy Hale has become popular through her twitter account and blog. Known as The Single Woman, she shares her experiences with dating and relationships. But one relationship in particular, along with its painful ending, haunts her more than she realizes.

Carrying the wounds from this experience into her current reality, she suffers an emotional breakdown that she’s unable to deal with on her own. It will take professional help for her to fully recover and face what happened. And when she is finally able to speak with him again, she has a newfound sense of dignity that helps her realize he is not the man she believed him to be. She has gained the knowledge that she really is enough.

You Are Enough is Mandy’s reminder to all of us, that we don’t need to listen to the messages we hear from the world around us. God loves us just as we are, and we don’t need to be better-prettier-smarter to earn his love. We are enough, just as we are. And isn’t that just the message we need to hear?

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, inspiration

Always Fall Forward

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Todd Gerelds
Publisher: Tyndale Momentum
Genre: Christian / Inspiration
ISBN: 978-1-4964-2480-8
Pages: 240
Price: $17.99

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Todd Gerelds, author of Woodlawn, learned a lot of life lessons from his father, Coach Tandy Gerelds, as he was growing up. Always Fall Forward explores some of these words of wisdom from on and off the football field.

Since Coach Gerelds often shared his life advice using analogies from football, Todd takes a similar approach in these 52 short weekly chapters. Each opens with a Bible verse and closes with some additional recommended reading, along with a couple of probing questions. Mindset, preparation, offensive, and defensive tactics offer insights into human nature and how to live a Christian life to the fullest.

Coach Gerelds had a strong faith, as well as a great work ethic, and Todd shares some his dad’s best advice in this book. I highly recommend Always Fall Forward, especially for men.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Catholic, Christian, inspiration, meditation

You Are the Beloved

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Henri J.M. Nouwen
Publisher: Convergent Books
Genre: Christian Inspiration
ISBN: 978-1-101-90637-8
Pages: 416
Price: $26.00

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Henri J.M. Nouwen was a Dutch-born Catholic priest, professor, and pastor, who gained international renown as the author of over 30 books on the spiritual life, including such classics as The Wounded Healer, The Inner Voice of Love, and The Return of the Prodigal Son. In You Are the Beloved, editor Gabrielle Earnshaw has compiled some of his most inspirational passages into a daily meditation book.

Each day’s reading is one page or less, making it easy to squeeze into a busy day. These beautiful meditations focus on God’s deep and eternal love for us, and encourage us to see that God is more intimate, more loving, and more longing to be in a relationship with each of us than we have ever imagined. Reading these inspiring and uplifting messages would be a perfect way to begin or end each day. I highly recommend You Are the Beloved.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, inspiration

7 Lessons From Heaven

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Mary C. Neal, M.D.
Publisher: Convergent Books
Genre: Christian / Inspiration
ISBN: 978-0-451-49542-6
Pages: 288
Price: $16.99

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In 1999, Mary C. Neal died in a kayaking accident when she was trapped underwater and drowned. She tells of this experience in To Heaven and Back, but realized later that she left out important lessons that still needed to be shared – lessons that taught her how to live a joy-filled life.

As a medical professional, Neal first confirms that she had a true near-death experience (NDE). After exhausting all possible physical causes for what happened to her, she speaks with others who had similar experiences, and confirms that they’re all similar. She did have a true NDE. Next she describes her impressions of heaven and meeting Jesus, who was there at the time of her death to comfort her. Finally, she reveals some of the lessons she learned as a result of her NDE, and how she looks at her life today. Death holds no power over her now, and she guides the reader to see God in a new and wonderful way.

God is real, present, and working in our lives today. 7 Lessons From Heaven shows us just how much He loves us and wants us to share eternity with Him in heaven. I am so grateful to Neal for sharing this story with us.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

inspiration

Dream

Bergers Book Reviews

Dream
Author: Marcia Wieder
Publisher: Next Century Publishing
Genre: Inspiration
ISBN: 978-1681020624
Pages: 232
Price: $21.95

Dream University
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Most of us think about our dreams, but how many actually achieve them? What if we had a blueprint for getting what we really want out of life? Would we jump at the opportunity to have our dreams come true? In Dream, Marcia Wieder explains the process we can use to make them happen.

At first glance, the formula is simple: Clarify – Believe – Act. But so much is hidden behind those concepts, and these are the very things that hold us back. Do you really know what your dream is? What are the limiting beliefs that tell you that it’s not possible for you to have it? And what are the action steps you can begin to take today? These and many more questions are explored, as Marcia Wieder guides us through the dream manifestation process.

More than just helping to set goals, Dream inspires the reader to believe in herself and to live life to the fullest. If you have a dream and you’re not sure how you can make it happen, this is the book for you.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

inspiration

I Just Can’t Take It Anymore!

Bergers Book Reviews

I Just Can't Take It Anymore!
Author: Anthony DeStefano
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
Genre: Inspiration
ISBN: 978-0-7369-4854-8
Pages: 64
Price: $10.99

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Sometimes life feels unbearable and we want to scream, “I Just Can’t Take It Anymore!” But hiding under the covers and waiting for the problems to go away simply isn’t an option. In times like these, an encouraging word can help lift our spirits and put things in their proper perspective.

This short book captures the essence of our frustration through short phrases and humorous photos of kids with expressive faces and gestures. Reading it won’t make our problems magically go away, but we might feel a little more faith in God, believing that He will work everything out for our best interests. This book is a great read for anyone facing struggles and difficulties in their lives – and, really, isn’t that everyone?

Reviewer: Alice Berger

inspiration

Touchstones: Stories for Living the Twelve Gifts

Bergers Book Reviews

Touchstones - Stories for Living the Twelve Gifts
Author: Charlene Costanzo
Publisher: Featherfew
Genre: Inspiration
ISBN: 978-1-891836-01-5
Pages: 272
Price: $9.95

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After completing The Twelve Gifts of Birth, Charlene Costanzo spent time reaching out through a year-long tour around the country. Offering her signature gift of a smooth stone, she tried to help others to appreciate their own unique gifts. Now, in this follow-up book, she provides “touchstones” which demonstrate each of these gifts.

Focusing on strength, beauty, courage, compassion, hope, joy, talent, imagination, reverence, wisdom, love, and faith, Costanzo shares her own and others’ stories that deepen understanding and meaning. Each gift is explored through its own chapter, with pertinent quotes and probing questions for reflection, journaling and discussion.

Some of these stories are heart-felt and touching, reminding us of our inherent self-worth. Many present us with choices, either to live authentically or conform to what is expected. Touchstones: Stories for Living the Twelve Gifts can be read cover to cover, or one can simply focus on a single gift at a time. But no matter how it is read, the stories will inspire.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, inspiration, spirituality

Fruit of My Spirit

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Deanna Nowadnick
Publisher: Rhododendron Books
Genre: Spirituality
ISBN: 978-0-9835897-2-3
Pages: 114
Price: $12.95

Author’s website
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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

Modeling her actions after Paul’s words has not been an easy task for Deanna Nowadnick. As she reviewed her life, intending to provide her sons with a short story, she realized she wanted to share her insights with a larger audience. Fruit of My Spirit was born.

Each chapter focuses on one of the fruits of the Spirit. In it, Nowadnick tells of an incident in her own life relating to that particular characteristic. Her strong faith in God and humility shine through, helping the reader see her struggles and giving hope that we too can overcome. With God’s help, we are all able to be better people.

Nowadnick is warm, open and vulnerable in sharing her life stories with us. The reader will come away with the sense that they already know her and share a common bond. A woman who tries to embody the fruits of the Spirit is a true role model for the rest of us. I highly recommend this inspirational book.

Reviewer: Alice Berger