lilysreviews

Blurb: "This guy has no mother" is an old Spanish saying used to refer to boys who seem bent on evil and destruction. I remember it well from my childhood in Puerto Rico, because people would often use it when referring to me.

Nicky Cruz knows all about the power of the devil. Since his own dramatic conversion in the 1960s from a life of crime as a New York gang leader, he has met and heard the stories of suffering of many ordinary people, as well as some of the worst prisoners in high security prisons around the world.

Drawing on his spiritualist childhood, his life in New York, and his knowledge and experience of over four decades of spiritual warfare since that time, The Devil Has No Mother shares Nicky Cruz's hard-won understanding of how the devil will try everything possible to gain power in this world--but also shows clearly that it is God who will win the day.

Review: I received this book from the publisher after reading an e-mail sent from Worthy Publishing about the blog tour that this post is a part of. I must say that the title and blurb intrigued me.

Having read the book, I found myself in a bit of a waffle, hence why there is a 4.5 lily rating.

Overall, I found the writing compelling and impassioned. Mr. Cruz's sincerity and passion for his mission comes across in the book - I admire and respect that very much.

What may have me waffling is the tone. This is possibly the case because I want to compare it to On Heaven and Earth by (then) Cardinal Bergoglio and Rabbi Skorka. Granted, I have only started reading On Heaven and Earth and am not, as yet, even a third of the way through, but, to me, the tone is suited more to my tastes.

That is not to say that there is anything inherently wrong with the tone in Mr. Cruz's book. This being my first read of any of Mr. Cruz's writings, I do not have a comparison to his other works, I would like to believe that it conveys the author's passion for his message and for seeing as many people as possible receive it.

Great read and great message as well as a recommended read.

Giveaway: Two print copies will be sent to two commenters on this post. Giveaway is open until 11 P.M., Saturday, November 2 and winners will be notified thereafter. Please leave your first name and e-mail in order to be considered for the contest.

Cross-posted to Facebook, Amazon and GoodReads.

(Image and blurb (from back cover of book) (c) Worthy Publishing)

Blurb:A touching gift book that helps readers understand the power and beauty of prayer and how it can transform our hearts, so that we can be a catalyst for transformation in others. Many of us seek to be blessed more than we seek to bless others. It’s our heart aligned with the heart of God that brings blessing, because He is by nature extravagantly generous and loves giving gifts. No matter where readers are on their journey with God, they will be motivated and inspired to open their hearts and discover the abundant joy and peace that can be theirs through the power of a simple prayer of blessing.

Review: The Power of Ordinary Prayer is a very moving read about how prayer can affect the way we live our lives.

There are a couple of things that stand out for me about the book. One is that it reads like a conversation between the writer and the reader - I find that to be a gift. Two, the message does not come across as "preachy", but rather as one person trying to bring forth a "here, try this out, could very well improve your outlook" message to another person. Another thing that I really like about the book is the "pauses for contemplation" (at least that is how they come across to me) at the end of each chapter that asks questions of the reader to reiterate the message.

There are one or two more things that stand out about the book for me, but those are the main points. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, regardless of what particular faith he or she might be.

(Cover image and blurb (c)Worthy Publishing)