Dan O’Deens Blogspot

In The Footsteps of Paul – WOW!

The life of the Apostle Paul is one of the most fascinating of all Bible Characters.  To watch the hand of God on this man from Religious zealot to killer of Christians to the missionary to the gentile is nothing short of a ‘wow’ experience.

Ken Duncan has captured the journeys of Paul in a way that allows us to feel like we took the journey with him.  He follows the steps of Paul and uses the Scripture to retrace his ministry.  The best part, it is a journey in photography.   You get to see the very places where he pioneered church plants throughout New Testament times.   

This is a coffee table book.  The pictures are marvelous and the commentary captures well the journey of a man who committed himself fully to GO wherever God asked him to go and to do whatever God asked him to do.

For those of you who enjoy art and the majesty and missionary side of God, this is a must read/look BOOK!

The Noticer – Review – SUPER!

“The Noticer” by Andy Andrews is fantistically absorbing.  It forces the reader to see people in a different light.   Inter-personal relationships can wear you out.   Perspective can ruin all relationships.   Andy gives a fresh ‘view’ of people as he ‘notices’ the best in people.  He gives people hope and gives them time to work out the insights he leaves them as he “passes through their lives.”  

All of us enjoy the mountain top experiences of life. It’s the ‘valleys’ of life that get us down!  Andy says, “Everyone wants to be on the mountain top.  On the top, it is rocky and cold.  There is NO growth on the top and Why does everyone think that God wants us to always be on the Mountain top?  Sure the view is great, but what is the view for?  It gives us a glimpse of our next destination.  But, to hit it we have to come off the top, go through the valley, and begin the climb to the next slope.  It is in the valley that we experience the lush grass, rich soil and all the learning that enables us to summit life’s next peak. ”

I love his definition on WISDOM:  ”The ability to see, into the future, the consequences of your choices in the present.”  

Perhaps his most enlightening thought concerns CHANGE.   He says, “Change is immediate!  Instantaeous!  It may take a long time to decide to change..but change happens in a heartbeat.”    He goes on to say that “it might take a while for your reputation to catch up to the change you have already made.  If you have changed, show evidence of it.”

His outlook on people’s lives is refreshing.  He always sees the best and has hope for the people he ‘stumbles’ upon.   His bottom line outlook on life, “Keep your fork, the best is yet to come.”

This is a must read for anyone wishing to better their people skills.   

Word of Promise Next Generation NT MP3 Review

This Thomas Nelson product is done  with excellence.   Perhaps I am still a bit old school and don’t have the patience to sit still long enough to listen when I can sit down and enjoy the book.    Did you catch it…. I can sit still long enough as long as it fits my style and comfort.

Exactly why the New Testament and made for this Next Generation is perfect.   Kids download everything.  Why not download the Bible.   To hide God’s Word in our hearts does not require ‘reading.’   I am constantly amazed by how my own kids are capable of listening to songs on the radio and in a couple of hearings they have it memorized!     

Enter Word of Promise MP3!    The ‘actors’ chosen have done a fantastic job at reading their parts.   The voice inflection and dramatization is good and yet not over the top.    Best of all are the sound effects.  As you listen through the book of Revelation, the drama is escalated because of the background effects.

Only one negative note from this pushing 50 reviewer.   I downloaded the CD/MP3 files to my computer.  That was simple enough.   As the files were loaded onto my computer it was difficult to arrange the ‘order’ of the books from the many MP3 files that you end up downloading.   

If you are computer savvy and love to listen to books this one is a must.   Parent’s come to me asking me which version of the Bible should they buy for their teenager?   I used to tell them which ever one they will read.   Now, I can add to that comment…which ever one they will read OR listen to.