Stand Strong - 365 Devotions for Men, by Men

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38749397-stand-strong" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Stand Strong: 365 Devotions for Men by Men" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1519638073m/38749397.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38749397-stand-strong">Stand Strong: 365 Devotions for Men by Men</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13666867.Our_Daily_Bread_Ministries">Our Daily Bread Ministries</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2856216022">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley. What follows is an honest review. <br /><br />It is hard to review a book like this. Devotionals like this are to be read one a day. Advanced copies for review have a time limit on them. The ebook stops working or you have a limited time to review. (Or both). So my first problem was reading several weeks at a time. There is a pattern most devotional books follow. This one it was: Bible verses, story about real life, moral. When done right all flows. When done wrong, you scratch your head and go 'huh'. The publisher of this book is the book publisher for Our Daily Bread magazine. If you have read it these devotionals are just like them and my guess came from them. They do have a habit of hitting the mark most times, we all hit a clunker now and then. <br /><br />Reading several weeks at a time got old fast. These are things you have to take time and ponder. That is not a fault of the book, more of the review process. The book I feel, when used in daily fashion would be good to read one and meditate one. <br /><br />In fact I feel these would be good for anyone. That is why I knocked off a star. These are not men's devotionals. I have said they were most likely culled from Our Daily Bread and for that reason they would have to appeal to all. That is not to say that these devotionals do not have a male focus, just that they are generic enough to, for my taste, to be gender neutral. <br /><br />If you are in need for a good devotional book, one that takes you through every day of the year this would be a book to pick up.
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Blessable: 7 Habits of People Blessed by God by Thien Doan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thien Doan has written an interesting book. Too many people say we are not to be blessed by God, but that is not true. We are to be blessed but only when we do as God asks us. An example early on in the book sets the example. If a child has a breakdown in Walmart and wants a toy, what do you do? You cannot (or should not) give in to the child and bless them for bad behavior. Likewise, God can not bless us if we are having a meltdown wanting him to give, give, give.
From here, he shows us the life of two men in the Bible, Saul and David. One was an example not to follow, the other was one to follow even though he failed. In looking at the lives of each of these men we can see the things that we should do to become more like God and then be able to have blessings in our lives, not because we seek them, but because we seek God.

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