News
Loading...

Choosing Happiness Even When Life is Hard {Book Review}


Softcover: 176 pages 

Language: English 
Product Dimensions: 7.00 X 4.25 inches 
ISBN-13: 978-971-789-272-6 


Yes, I know, I've been so inactive and busy for a very long time, and I haven’t written any blog within that time. Due to some reasons, I have to temporarily refrain from blogging to prioritize my studies. To end this year, I’d like to leave this book review to all of you; for you to secure a copy of this life-changing book, available at CLC Bookstores.

Written by a Doctor of Medicine, Frank Minirth has written this wonderful piece that really changed my outlook in life. After the success of his best-selling book Happiness is a Choice, I must say that this too could reach the top. Noted that it was written by a Doctor, my first impression is it's less of Biblical content.

All around the world, many people commit suicide to ‘resolve’ or ‘end’ their problems. Many people lose their contact with reality in their grief. Knowing that life is sometimes rough and hard, can we really be happy in the midst of it all?

After I finished the book, I was so inspired by everything the author has shared, his insights and stories are so light as if you are having a hand to hand talk with him. I just felt that it really touches the inner being.This book is filled with so much useful insights and even facts. From discouragements to stress, to anxiety and anger, to loneliness and grief, Minirth has so much to say. Never miss any single chapter; His advises are not just biblically based but also medically. His experiences and years of being a doctor is very much manifested in this book, that he always include medical terms (which are not confusing) for illnesses and disorders that will enlighten you to live a physically-healthy life (have a free doctor consultation with it!). This book will help you discover how to start over to live a joyous life. At the latter part of it you’ll find very useful resources including bible scriptures for encouragement (what an awesome add-on!), and a Glossary full of theological, physiological and psychological terms (a medical dictionary at the same time, just WOW!). To sum it all, an emotional, spiritual, and physical guide book in one.

Lasting happiness is within your reach. As John 10:10b Amplified Version declares: “I [Jesus] came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full till it overflows!]” So this life was meant to be a joyous journey. Certainly, you could choose happiness even when life is hard.

Indeed, your happiness depends on you, simply the decision is yours! Decide now and grab a copy of this life changing book! Your life might never be the same again!

For more info, visit: www.CLCPhilippines.com

Have a #HAPPY, blessed and Jesus-centered 2014! :)

+++

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Frank Minirth, MD, is president of the Minirth Clinic in Richardson, Texas, and one of only 122 doctors in the U.S. and Canada certified by the prestigious American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology. He is the bestselling author of Happiness Is a Choice and can be heard weekly on both local and national radio. 

ABOUT THE CLC PUBLICATIONS:
CLC Publications (formerly Christian Literature Crusade) is the English language publishing house for CLC Ministries International. Headquartered in Fort Washington, PA, CLC has published books for the Deeper Christian Life for over 50 years. Our focus has been to publish books by trusted authors with a clear and timeless message. Some of our better known authors from the past include Watchman Nee, Corrie ten Boom, Amy Carmichael, Andrew Murray and Roy Hession. Today we are also publishing books by well known authors like Warren Wiersbe and Michael Catt.

Many of our books are influenced by the message of the Keswick movement starting in 1875 in England and therefore some of our older authors have British origins or spoke on the Keswick stage at one time or another. While we do not limit our publishing to the theology of this movement, we are certainly excited to be able to convey the message of the Victorious Christian Life to a new generation.
As a part of CLC International, our books are sold and distributed in countries all over the world including but not limited to the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, India, the West Indies, and the Philippines. We are committed to being a significant part of fulfilling CLC’s international purpose of making evangelical Christian literature available to all nations so that people may come to faith and maturity in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Disclosure: A review copy of this book is provided for review by CLCPhilippines



Continue reading »

Top 10 Christmas Songs of 2013 (New Release Tuesday)

Here's a completely obvious fact that needs restating merely for introductory purposes of this article: There's a TON of Christmas music out there. At some point in just about every long-tenured artist's career, they put aside their regular musical contributions and turn their attention to putting their signature spin on well-loved carols (and creating a few original tunes in hopes that they'll become classics). 
The result—for better or for worse—is an ever-increasinglibrary of tunes out there to enjoy for about four weeks out of the year. Although many people (myself included) are sick of the 12-song rotation that includes Bing, Brenda Lee and the Chipmunks all day long, it's also overwhelming to try to set out on one's own Christmas music quest. 
To help, in some small way, I'm sharing a list of my favorite new Christmas songs released by artists in 2013. Although there's plenty more music out there from various other years, this list provides you with some pretty solid listening choices that are brand-new. (If you have any other must-listens from this calendar year, feel free to post them in the comments below!)
And now, in no particular order, here are my Top 10 Christmas songs from 2013. (If you want to listen to these, check out the "NRT New Christmas 2013" Spotify playlist.)

"Hallelujah Chorus" by John Schlitt
If you're not immediately aware of the name John Schlitt, chances are, you're familiar with his voice. As the current frontman of rock staple Petra, Schlitt's high-octane pipes have been known to make candy canesexplode. Just kidding. But in all seriousness, the opening track of Schlitt's fan-funded The Christmas Project deploys some fantastic arena-rock firepower with some time-tested tunes. It's a rare thing indeed to see Handel's Messiah covered on Christmas albums (compared to some other standards), but when it's covered with distortion and gritty vocals, it's a total win. 
"Joy to the World" by Citizens
Mars Hill worship band Citizens is known for its ability to take hymns and given them a fresh coat of uptempo hipster paint, and that's just what they've done with "Joy to the World." With a killer bass riff and xylophonic chimes opening the first track of their Repeat the Sounding Joy EP, you know you're in for something different on this tune. It's a great blend of the familiar melody line and an inventive, high-energy arrangement.

"Hey Moon" by Sidewalk Prophets
Sidewalk Prophets has a ton of fun on their brand-new (and first) Christmas album, Merry Christmas to You, but on the song "Hey Moon," things get deeper with a song about the Star of David talking to the moon about the birth of Jesus. The lyrically strong, piano-and-strings song, has a few great, memorable lines, such as: "Do you ever get tear in your eye? When you think about the time that God came down / I couldn’t help myself I had to shine so bright," and, "It’s funny how things have changed / I wish they could see the things we’ve seen / Before the colored lights / And Christmas trees."

"Christmas Madness" by The Rocket Summer
In the middle of November, one-man band Bryce Avary announced on his social media outlets that, on a whim, he decided to write, record and release a Christmas EP. The Christmas Madness EP is the result, and the title track is a great song about focusing on the right things in the midst of "Christmas madness." Avary said the song is "about the financial pressures that come with Christmas." It's a driving pop/rock song that is classic The Rocket Summer (or should we say The Rocket Winter?) featuring Avary's high-flying vocals and his playing all of the instruments on the track (except for the sweet saxophone his longtime friend played). 

"Little Drummer Boy" by for KING & COUNTRY
Into the Silent Night EP only has five songs on it (four if you take into account that there are two versions of "Baby Boy"), and the Smallbone brothers waste no time with each track. One of the highlights is the band's fantastic cover of "Little Drummer Boy," a carol that is difficult to pull off with any amount of originality. Plenty of bands have tried; most have failed. Joel and Luke give this B-level Christmas carol a major Brit-rock facelift with driving guitars, twinkling synths and echoing vocals. The delicate first few verses give way to bombastic energetic ending verses, with explosive interludes bridging them all together. Fans of the band know that for KING & COUNTRY loves playing the drums; you can easily picture them hopping around the stage slamming on drums live for this song. (NOTE: "Baby Boy" is clearly the standout on this album, but it was not introduced in 2013.)

"Emmanuel Come (O Come O Come Emmanuel)" by North Point
North Point Music—a part of Atlanta megachurch North Point Church—does a masterful job of taking a well-known Christmas song and giving it a contemporary chorus that enriches the context for today's audiences. They did it well with "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/He Has Come For Us" on their first Christmas album, and they do it again with their retelling of "O Come O Come Emmanuel," as sung by Clarissa Gibson on the Let There Be Light album. The song maintains the original's dark feeling of longing for a savior, along with the juxtaposed chorus of hopeful praise. For this song, North Point added a pre-chorus leading into a modified refrain of "Rejoice!" It's a great illustration of the need and the answer.

"Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by Future of Forestry
From Associate Editor Mary Nikkel's review of Advent Christmas Vol. III: One of the decisions that sets the tracklist apart from most other Christmas releases is the inclusion of "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring," sung in its native German. Foreign language pieces are always a gamble, as they run the risk of alienating English speakers who cannot understand the lyrics, but this rendition is tasteful and never overbearing in its presentation of the original Bach piece. The places where the German might seem slightly stilted to native speakers are smoothed over by exceptional instrumentation choices (particularly a notably rich string section) that give this song the most joyful posture of the EP's selections.

"Feliz Navidad" by Unspoken
This is one of those Christmas songs where you can only think of one rendition of it—Jose Feliciano's—and no one else has even come close to mounting a challenge of presenting to the world a viable cover version—until now, thanks to Centricity's Christmas compilation Christmas: Joy to the World. What's immediately noticeable about multicultural pop/rock band Unspoken's version of the song is that there are no horns, the tempo is slightly slower, and there's somewhat of a shuffled/swing beat. Not only that, but the band wrote verses of their own that reflect upon the past year and on Jesus' birth (all in English). The chorus attached to those verses is familiar—"I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas"—and the familiar "Feliz Navidad" chorus doesn't come out until 2/3 of the way through the song. A song that once felt like a goofy party song has taken a serious turn with Unspoken, and instead of using the Spanish as a shtick, it comes off as more inclusive of the joyful, reflective message. If you haven't heard this version, be prepared for a complete overhaul of what you expect from the song.

"Just A Girl" by Brandon Heath
Brandon Heath is an incredible songwriter, and on his holiday album, Christmas is Here, he turns his attention to a hypothetical story regarding there being no room for Mary and Joseph at the inn in Bethlehem. He imagines the thought process of the innkeeper—which involves wrongly judging Mary—only to regret his decision later: "He's just a babe / Just minutes old there trembling in the hay / I could have found a room for them to stay / I'm so ashamed / He's just a babe." It's a creative take on the Christmas story, and it focuses on a character that rarely has any screen time. The world didn't expect Jesus to come as He did. The question is, do we accept Him on His terms?

"Light of the World" by Lauren Daigle
New Centricity Records signee Lauren Daigle is introduced to the world in a big way with her first single on the Centricity Christmas compilation album, Christmas: Joy to the World. Daigle's voice is at times rough and at times pure and smooth; it's powerful and peaceful. With hints of Kim Walker-Smith, Dara MacLean and even Katy Perry in her voice, there's a distinct quality to her voice that lends some extra drama to this song about longing for Jesus. Daigle sings about real-life issues where people need peace and hope, and presents Heaven's answer: Jesus. The original tune isn't a take on "O Come O Come Emmanuel," but it's certainly a thematic cousin: "The world waits for a miracle / The heart longs for a little bit of hope / O come, o come, Emmanuel / A child prays for peace on Earth and she's calling out from a sea of hurt/ O come, o come, Emmanuel / And can you hear the angels sing it? / Glory, the light of the world is here."

BONUS: "Miraculum (LIVE)" by Lincoln Brewster
Check out this instrumental track from by one of the greatest electric guitar players on the scene today. With some familiar melodies and plenty of musical interest throughout, this is a great track to put on while you're making cookies, wrapping presents, decking your halls or whatever else you do that's Christmassy. What's more impressive than the song itself is the fact that Lincoln played this live—that's right, in one take. Enjoy the musicianship, as presented on Joy to the World: Deluxe Edition.

Posted December 03, 2013 | Editor-in-Chief Marcus Hathcock has been a newspaper reporter, an editor and a church staff member. He's also been involved in opera, acappella, a CCM group and now is a songwriter and the worship leader at his home church in the Portland, Ore. area. Follow his journey atwww.mheternal.com.

SOURCE
Continue reading »

Understanding Your Bible in 15 Minutes a Day {Book Review}

Softcover: 160 pages 
Language: English 
Product Dimensions: 8.50 X 5.50 inches 
ISBN-13: 978-971-789-269-6 

The Bible is the perfect way to know the message of God. Through this, God communicate with us. As the book of Second Timothy 3:16-17 declares: "All Scripture is GOD-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of GOD may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Some may look at it as an ordinary history book and feel bored about it. And we, as Christians may sometimes be overwhelmed with it. We have so many questions and we don't know where to start. There are so much books about the Bible, but sometimes it leaves you without much time to read the Bible itself.

In this book of Daryl Aaron, he answers our questions about the Bible. The cover describes it best. You don't have to use a lot of your time just reading the book itself, unlike any other books of its kind. Say no to very complicated thoughts and other technicalities. Concise and coherent, and a very good tool for discipleship, specially for beginners/ new Christians. Every insights in this book will help you understand the Bible and will make you enjoy reading it. This book will not leave your questions unanswered. Get a daily dose of it and use each to bring you more deeper in your relationship with God.

+++

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 
Daryl Aaron earned his ThM at Dallas Theological Seminary and his PhD at Graduate Theological Foundation. He spent fourteen years in pastoral ministry before coming to Northwestern College to teach theology and Bible. Dr. Aaron lives in Mounds View, Minnesota, with his wife. 

ABOUT THE CLC PUBLICATIONS:
CLC Publications (formerly Christian Literature Crusade) is the English language publishing house for CLC Ministries International. Headquartered in Fort Washington, PA, CLC has published books for the Deeper Christian Life for over 50 years. Our focus has been to publish books by trusted authors with a clear and timeless message. Some of our better known authors from the past include Watchman Nee, Corrie ten Boom, Amy Carmichael, Andrew Murray and Roy Hession. Today we are also publishing books by well known authors like Warren Wiersbe and Michael Catt.

Many of our books are influenced by the message of the Keswick movement starting in 1875 in England and therefore some of our older authors have British origins or spoke on the Keswick stage at one time or another. While we do not limit our publishing to the theology of this movement, we are certainly excited to be able to convey the message of the Victorious Christian Life to a new generation.
As a part of CLC International, our books are sold and distributed in countries all over the world including but not limited to the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, India, the West Indies, and the Philippines. We are committed to being a significant part of fulfilling CLC’s international purpose of making evangelical Christian literature available to all nations so that people may come to faith and maturity in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Disclosure: A review copy of this book is provided for review by CLCPhilippines

For more info. visit: http://www.clcphilippines.com/

Continue reading »

Jaci Velasquez Kicks Off 2013 Christmas Tour


NEWS SOURCE: TKO Marketing
December 5, 2013
NASHVILLE, Tenn., (December 4, 2013) - Award-Winning Recording Artist Jaci Velasquez kicks off her 2013 Christmas tour this week. The tour begins in Bloomington, Minn. on December 6. For more details on tickets, visithttps://www.facebook.com/JaciVelasquezOfficial.
Christmas Tour Dates:
Friday, December 6
Women In Ministry Brunch
11am-1pm
Embassy Suites Minneapolis-Airport
7901 34th Ave S, Bloomington, MN
Register for the event:
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/kkms-women-in-ministry-luncheon-tickets-8515131989
Friday, December 6
Jaci Velasquez Christmas Concert
7pm
Edinbrook Church
4300 Edinbrook Pkwy, Brooklyn Park, MN
Tickets: http://www.kkms.com/ContentPages/4131/wide/
Saturday, December 7
Jaci Velasquez Christmas Concert (in Spanish)
7:30 pm
Bell Shoals Baptist Church
2102 Bell Shoals Rd, Brandon, FL
Tickets: http://www.bellshoals.com/pages/page.asp?page_id=289424
Monday, December 9 
JOY Concert-featuring Jaci V., Wayne Watson, Steve Green, Larnelle Harris
McLean Bible Church
8925 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA
Tuesday, December 10
JOY Concert-featuring Jaci V., Wayne Watson, Steve Green, Larnelle Harris
McLean Bible Church
8925 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA
About Jaci Velasquez
Jaci Velasquez has three RIAA® certified Platinum® albums, three RIAA® certified Gold® albums, 16 number one singles, 6 singles in the top 10, 7 Dove Awards, has graced more than 50 magazine covers, appeared in ads for Pepsi, Doritos, Target, and is the co-host of the syndicated morning show, "The Family Friendly Morning Show with Doug and Jaci Velasquez" on Today's Christian Music Radio Network with more than 1.5 million listeners. To learn more, visithttps://www.facebook.com/JaciVelasquezOfficial.
Continue reading »

 
Copyright © 2016 Servant's Quill - All Rights Reserved