Want to be More Street Smart? Consider Study of Proverbs...

I sincerely believe God used Proverbs to restore my life, leading to the sale of my business to eBay in order to earn my master's and doctorate degrees in religious studies, allowing me to become a carrier of Christ's message of grace and wisdom. He has made me a better father to my four daughters and husband to my wife, Susan...

I liked the title of this book - the idea of considering Lessons from Proverbs in relation to present day life...

Mitch Kruse has an exceptional life story to share. While this is somewhat of a self-help by which the author has shared that personal story, it is also easy to apply the references and concurrent narrative as you think about your own life... I have found this the best way to deal with study guides rather than to review the book simply as written...

Indeed, this is a resource book that should be kept in your personal library for immediate access. Because of the chaos in today's world, however, I am choosing to dwell on the Chapter on Justice... By the way, you will find study videos on each of the points covered in the book, such as the following:

The thrust of the book, or subtitle, is to help readers understand how to navigate through conflict to community. The justice system itself is under scrutiny and I found this chapter helpful. I would recommend the book if only to help us live through each day when truth, lies, and lack of wisdom seem to be so prevalent and divisive.

Key points to resolution is to consider the person with whom you are in conflict. Then: Pray...Define the Conflict...Examine... Reflect...and...Determine. Many of you may realize this process is close to the scientific approach to any research and may already be routinely following the steps... But have we been praying before we start??? Whoa! Have we been neglecting that? I admit I have too, too often...

The simple fool is gullible. "A simple man
believes anything, but a prudent man
gives thought to his steps. 14:15.
~~~

Now none of us want to think of ourselves as fools, do we? Yet right there in Proverbs 1:7, we are confronted with the options... And we are told over and over in Proverbs to seek wisdom...knowledge...

Next we find out that there are different types of fools: The gullible fool and the stupid fool. 

The second stage in the progression toward a hardened heart is the stupid fool. He repeats his gullible behavior "As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." 26:11 This fool repeats anger, strained family relationships, wickedness, deceit, slander, and shame. Unlike the gullible fool who learns from his mistakes and doesn't make them again, this fool's repetitive folly carries deeper consequences...

And then there is the stubborn fool, the scorning fool, and the Godless fool... Quite a number of options to see if we fit in anywhere...or maybe just sometimes, does that count? Well, the point is that this book is full of content that makes us think...to attempt to understand... and hopefully gain knowledge...and wisdom...

At that point, readers begin to consider the key to unlocking wisdom, using the acronym WISE: Will, Intellect, Spirit, and Emotions. By considering the revelation in Proverbs of twelve words to the wise: righteousness, equity, justice, wise behavior, understanding, wise communication, prudence, discretion, wise counsel, discipline, knowledge, learning...and readers will proceed on to study each word, beginning with a chapter on righteousness...

Interesting to me was that the first section in that chapter was "Listening to Others." I have known all my life I was better at listening in a conversation/conflict than I was to extemporaneously respond. Many have found they start thinking about their response before they actually listened and that just leads to further the conflict. You know, though, as I grew older, I found I had grown hesitant to voice my own opinions but now that I am, that has, for the first time in my life, increased conflict...with comments like, "You've changed..." I mention this because each of us must know ourselves sufficiently to see what the real issue is we must address...

Somehow Proverbs 16:11 in the New American Bible started me thinking about this issue in my communication norm... A just balance and scales belong to the LORD; All the weights of the bag are His concern. Had I created my present situation since I had not applied equal balance in my listening and talking? Spotlighting "Be Impartial" seemed to expand my thoughts. When it comes to interpersonal conflict, do you tend to be one sided? Do you favor a particular kind of person or behavior over another? I found I had favored the listening role in relationships because it was easier to maintain equilibrium with the individual(s) and save myself from potential arguments... But God tells us that justice is of paramount value for our relationships: "To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice." 21:3

I included this personal experience with the book to show that each of us will be reading and receiving knowledge that we will learn, for ourselves, and for our communication with others.  Or, through continued reading, reevaluate our communication choices.  May you read Street Smarts openly and honestly. In my opinion, you too will find advancement of your knowledge and wisdom. Highly recommended because of that...


GABixlerReviews


MITCH KRUSE is known for his contribution to the collector car and real estate auction arenas. For seventeen years, he was owner, CEO, and auctioneer of the world's largest collector car sales organization. Kruse and his father developed the world's first auction park, home to the annual Auburn, Indiana, collector car auction that attracted three hundred thousand collectors each year. Mitch and his wife, Susan, live in Auburn, Indiana, just 15 minutes north of Fort Wayne, IN, on their family farm, first homesteaded by Kruse's great-great-great grandfather in 1854. They have four daughters.

D.J. WILLIAMS has been in the entertainment industry and nonprofit sector for twenty years. His writing credits include Restoration Road with Mitch Kruse, The Disillusioned, Waking Lazarus, and contributing writer for Holy Bible: Mosaic. Currently based in Los Angeles, Williams continues to add to his producing and directing credits by continuously developing new projects for television, film, and print.

SPIRIT


Andrew Feder





Author House
ISBN: 978-1-4490-2316-4 (e)
ISBN: 978-1-4490-2314-0 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4490-2315-7 (hc)
358 pages (includes front and back matter)









Spirit, by Andrew Feder, is a short but appropriate title for this intriguing and mesmerizing novel. Most of us have heard of “near death” experiences where the soul leaves the body, sees its human form from above and then reenters the body, returning to the world of the living. Well, in this exciting story, we are going to meet Randall Lender, who deliberately leaves his body; it is his latest project that starts out well but has an unwelcome happening. His soul ends up in the body of an accused murderer—an assassin—named Johnny McKenzie aka Johnny M. At the same time, it is reported that the infamous Randall Lender is in a deep coma.

What would you do if you were a young female attorney whose client keeps insisting that he isn’t Johnny McKenzie but is simply occupying his body? This is what Sandy Patea faces as a young attorney whose extreme good looks and lack of any real experience has hindered her legal career. As a public defender, she is always given the “bottom of the barrel” cases and this one is no different since her supervisor tells her exactly how to handle the case—there is to be a plea bargain. On top of that, the Marzottis, the Italian mob of Los Angeles, warns her that they want this whole mess with Johnny settled quickly as he had been working for them. They did not want the assassin in the limelight any longer than absolutely necessary.

Let’s get back to Randall Lender whose beliefs have created a lot of controversy. Obviously, he has supernatural abilities, but knows he needs the help of Ali, his mentor, in order to get out of this murderer’s body and back into his own. Randall had been teaching others about love and self-respect, also emphasizing the fact that religious institutions were using guilt and fear to hide real truths. This same manipulation was also being used by the government—the Guilders—and since Randall was a threat to those planning the new world order, Ali believes there is a conspiracy to get rid of him. Sandy learns most of this information from Ali whom she visits in Vegas, ignoring the wishes of her supervisor. She also meets Randall’s teenaged daughter named Rachel. Ultimately, Sandy is convinced that the murderer she is to defend is, in realty, Randall Lender, who is trapped in Johnny’s body.

Sandy learns that Randall is a WARRIOR of the LIGHT, part of the LIGHT FORCE and that his weapon against the DARK is LOVE. Only after defeating the DARK WARRIOR will he be able to return to his own body. And what a battle it turns out to be! Readers will be turning the pages with excitement and anticipation.

In writing this review, I’ve given readers only a glimpse of the entire storyline. There is mystery, romance, sex, tragedy and knowledge of the spirit world. In addition there are other interesting characters—including an angel—who are vividly described. Readers, through the power of the Internet and Sandy’s desire to hear Randall’s real voice, listen to one of his prior speeches, thereby learning much about his beliefs. If his soul isn’t able to return to his own body, at least his young attorney will have heard his real voice.

There are many shocking surprises before the storyline reaches its powerful conclusion. I am convinced that those who purchase this book will want to read other works by this author. He is an excellent writer and very skilled with background description and effective dialog. I recommend Spirit as a “must read.”


Bettie Corbin Tucker
For Independent Professional Reviewers
http://www.bookreviewers.org/

Note from BRH: Thanks so much to Bettie E. Tucker for sharing her wide and diverse skills in the publishing world...She got 2 months here, by the way, because she happens to be the best friend in the world of the woman who shares this blog with you! And what a mess she introduced me to! LOL You can thank her or tell her she never should have brought me into the publishing world! You decide!

The Locket Spirit


By Julie F. E. Neil
Dog Ear Publishing
ISBN: 9781608443444
212 Pages

What a wonderful book! From the beautiful front cover to the back cover, Julie F. E. Neil presents to readers a unique presentation, The Locket Spirit! You might call it a ghost-hunter novel, but definitely, you can call it a historical romantic suspense that takes place during the present and moves back and forth to the mid-1860s during the Civil War. It even has two love stories to enjoy! I loved it!

Renaldi (Renny) Thomas tells the story. She is a single woman who works out of her home as a consultant. In her spare time, she and her mother attend auctions and then resell them at a mall. One man, who they called Ebay was often there at the auctions, looking at the same items that interested them. They called him Ebay because he resold his items online; that is, until they bid for items out of the same box which held a number of momentoes of the Civil War. While Duane (Ebay) had bought the man’s pocket watch, Renny had bought a locket, pictures and a number of other items, all overpriced since she was bidding high to keep as many items from Duane as possible...

The same thing happened later at another auction when Renny and Duane both wanted to buy 3 books on ghosts and the paranormal...

By that time, Renny really needed them—items were being knocked over in her home and she would catch shadows going by in the mirror, or her dogs would be hiding when she came back from being away. Soon Renny was sleeping at her mother’s, afraid to be in her own home.

But that didn’t stop her from wanting to find out what was happening! Was there a ghost that had suddenly started haunting her home? She was somewhat irritated when Duane started asking pointed questions and indicated he was interested in the paranormal. After all, this was her ghost and house being haunted.

But she did need help—and Duane was there, and willing...

And the search to find out who the spirit was began...

Readers will read of the civil war soldier who was to be married after his 6-month tour of duty, only to be killed and left, dead, in a field. At the time the mystery is being solved, readers have the opportunity to learn more about Renny and how a devastating illness had affected her life. Was this why the Spirit would only communicate with her? Could he somehow connect to her despair and withdrawal from life?

Traveling through the search of Civil War details is an interesting historical visit of the time and memorabilia of that period. Neil goes into detail on many of the items and people and does a fine job sharing about the people living in the South, especially in relation to their relationships with their slaves. Perhaps that is what makes the story even more important...

Follow the two love stories you’ll find in The Locket Spirit by Julie F. E. Neil. Neither are typical stories. Neither are forgettable! Both are stories you won’t want to miss! Highly recommended!

G. A. Bixler