Madison Park A Place Of Hope: A Review

This memoir of oer 300 pages by Eric L. Motley and is one of the most amazing stories I have read ever.

Welcome to Madison Park, an Alabama Community founded by freed slaves in 1880.

Meet Eric Motley –the following are excerpts from the prologue to this amazing book;

On my grandmother’s dressing table in her farmhouse near Montgomery, Alabama, there was a snow globe containing a tiny fairy-like replica of the White House. It was given to her by the daughter of a family whose house she used to clean. As a child, it inspired my wildest imaginings. “One day,” my grandmother would always tell me, “you can be in this globe.”

That seemed unlikely. I was an African American child born in 1972 to a teenage mom and raised by her adoptive parents-my grandparents. I called them Mama and Daddy. We lived in Madison Park, a rural always struggling Southern community founded after the Civil War by freed slaves. A safety net of neighbors, church friends, tradespeople and most of all, Mama and Daddy, held me up. The whole town had a vested interest in me. They determined to educate me and give me bone-deep confidence in my values, my abilities, and who I was. The first in my family to go to college, I went on to receive a Ph.D. After graduation I moved to Washington, D.C.

At 27 he began work at the White House.

This was one of the few times when childhood fantasy was meeting adult reality. Perseverance, hard work, and good luck had brought me here. But I knew Madison Park was the thread that stitched my life together.

You need to read the entire book but here are some of the highlights:

Madison Park near to Montgomery, Alabama began as a 560 acre plantation which a group of freed slaves bought. They made a down payment on the property in 1880 and within two years they were able to pay the $2,380.00 to pay in full for the plantation becoming the only recorded group of freed slaves in Alabama to purchase an entire estate.

Eric’s great-great grandfather was one of the freedmen who was part of the original group who established Madison Park. Eli Madison was the leader of the group that established Madison Park and the group of former slaves gathered in an open-air temple of arched trees to make a promise under God’s heaven and on the altar of God’s green earth to start their own community, take responsibility for one another and make a success of their lives.

Fast forward to the 1970’s when Eric started school, he was having a challenge reading. The teacher moved him from the “rabbit” reading group to the “turtle” reading group. When this became known, the town people rallied around and neighbors brought him books and  various ladies began a tutorial program to help him with his reading.

Eric excelled in school and eventually graduated from Samford University. From their he went to St Andrews University in Scotland and earned his Master’s degree as well as a Ph.D. Currently  he is an executive vice president of the Aspen Institute based in Washington, D.C.

I was inspired by his story and highly recommend this book. The ISBN # for this book is978-0-310-34963-1. The book is available in book stores as well as on line venues such as Amazon.com

Abraham Lincoln Civil War Stories: A Review

This book authored and compiled by Joe Wheeler contains heartwarming stories about our most beloved president.

What a great book! I have read it many times and every time I read it I am inspired by the stories and history told in this book.

When Lincoln Passed is the story about the two times that Richard Trowbridge saw Abraham Lincoln. Trowbridge had come to America after the death of his parents in England. He was a relative of the queen of England and thought he was of a higher class than others and therefore deserved special privileges because of who he was. Abraham Lincoln rode with him on a stagecoach and advised him to “Serve like a king,” which Lincoln demonstrated what that was by hopping off the stagecoach and putting boards across the muddy ground for the other passengers to walk across.

A few years later after President Lincoln’s assassination, Richard Trowbridge watched the funeral train as Lincoln took his last journey back to his home town of Springfield Il.

“He was coming in a casket wrapped in flags, for he had been killed by an assassin’s bullet,” Richard Trowbridge said as he turned to his wife to mourn the fallen president, adding, “I shall never forget how he carried that board to the coach, I shall never forget that he told me always to serve like a king.”

“Years from now they’ll know that the greatest American of them all is now passing,” Trowbridge declared, an observation that has come to pass.

The well-known story of Dan who was running away from home because his dad had killed Dan’s dog without consulting with Dan after the dog had killed several sheep is included in this book. Turns out that Dan got tired and lay down to sleep and then Abraham Lincoln went out for a walk and came across Dan. Lincoln had been trying to decide whether he should pardon 24 soldiers who were to be shot for deserting the army.  Lincoln talked with Dan and came to an agreement with him that if he would forgive his father and return home he, Lincoln would forgive the 24 soldiers. Lincoln gave Dan a card that would give him admittance to the White House to see him. When Dan got home, he learned that his brother who was a soldier was to be shot for sleeping on duty. Dan and his mother went to see Lincoln and Lincoln pardoned Dan’s brother.

The book is filled with amazing stories that show how Lincoln was a true “servant President”.

I encourage you to get a copy and read it. If your local book store does not have it in stock you can order it from Amazon.com.

Abraham Lincoln a Man of Faith and Courage: A Review

This book authored by Joe Wheeler contains “Stories of Our Most Admired President.” Leo Tolstoy stated, “Of all the great national heroes and statesman of history Lincoln is the only real giant.”

Abraham Lincoln is generally recognized as America’s greatest president and its central figure.

No other American leader has shaped the soul of our country like the man Abraham Lincoln. His conviction that-we as a nation-are accountable to our Divine Creator fueled his spirit to make courageous decisions in a most turbulent time. Comprising historical facts and delightful stories, this insightful book pays tribute to a great man of God.

Basically Joe Wheeler gives an overview of the life of Abraham Lincoln showing how his faith in God was a very real part of his life.

This book is filled with stories about Abraham Lincoln, Stories Abraham Lincoln told and interesting quotes by Abraham Lincoln.

It is amazing that Lincoln only spent in his entire life about 12 months in a schoolroom yet he was very well educated- much of it from reading many books.

Here are some of the quotes by Lincoln from the book;

Biographies as generally written, are not only misleading, but false. The author makes a wonderful hero of his subject. He magnifies his perfections, if he has any, and suppresses his imperfections. History is not history unless it is the truth.

All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.

When I read aloud two senses catch the idea: first I see what I read; second, I hear it, and therefore I can remember it better.

The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.

I feel the need of reading, It is a loss to a man not to have grown up among books.

Some things legally right are morally wrong.

If you falter and give up, you will lose the power of keeping any resolution.

The way for a young man to rise is to improve himself every way he can, never suspecting that anybody wishes to hinder him.

The better part of one’s life consists of his friendships

If there is anything that links the human with the divine, it is the courage to stand by a principle when everybody else rejects it.

I can see how it might be possible for someone to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heavens and say there is no God.

In regard to the great book (the Bible), I have only to say it is the best gift which God has ever given man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book. But for this book we could not know right from wrong. All things desirable to man are contained in it.

I know there is a God and that He hates injustice and slavery. I see the storm coming and I know that His hand is in it. If He has a place for me, and I think He has, I believe I am ready.

Always bear in mind that your resolution to succeed is more important than any other thing,

I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day.

I encourage you to get a copy of this book and read it. You will be inspired by it immensely. If your local book store does not have it in stock you can order it from www.amazon.com

I'd Like You More If You Were More Like Me: A Review

John Ortberg, a best-selling author has just released this book which I just finished reading this week.

For most people, the idea of having an intimate relationship with God is hard to grasp.

Relationships are tricky enough to pull off with a real, live, flesh-and-blood person. How are we supposed to forge an intimate relationship with a spiritual being we can’t even see? Especially one who is so utterly and completely different from us?

What if…

God isn’t so different from us after all?

…could we share our experiences with God the same way we share our experiences with each other?

…could we appreciate or begin to appreciate God actually uses our relationships with other people to teach us how to love him?

…could we, the more we pursue intimacy with each other, begin to see and understand God’s incredible audacious love for us?

…could we begin to see or appreciate the fact intimacy with God isn’t something we do, but something we receive?

What if God is closer than you thought; would we be more prone to have a more intimate relationship with Him once we acknowledge this?

The author suggests in the book the answer to be in the affirmative.

The author talks about what we need to have a place at the table. To have our own place at the table means we belong. We have an identity. We’re somebody’s sibling, somebody’s parent, somebody’s spouse. We’re in.

A table is a reminder that what really matters in life is relationships. We are hardwired for emotional connection to other people. We want to be known. We crave being loved. We want to be accepted by someone who is completely aware of our gifts and our flaws and yet wants to be with us anyway. In short we crave intimacy.

This book is about relationships with people and with God, both are important.

The book is available at bookstores but you can also order it on Amazon.com and other on line venues including www.Tyndale.com ISBN:  978-1-4143-7902-9

Quiet Strength-The Faith, the Hope, and the Heart of a Woman Who Changed a Nation: A Review

Rosa Parks author and subject of Quiet Strength is recognized as the “mother of the modern-day civil rights movement.”

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She was not trying to start a movement. She was simply tired of social injustice and did not think a woman should be forced to stand so that a man could sit down. Yet her simple act of courage set in motion a chain of events that changed forever the landscape of American race relations.

In Quiet Strength, written and published to commemorate the 40^th year Anniversary of that event, Mrs. Parks speaks to us about her life, her passion for freedom and equality; and her strong faith. Quiet Strength celebrates the principles and convictions that guided Mrs. Parks through a remarkable life. It is a printed legacy-her lasting message to a world still struggling to live in harmony.

Mrs. Parks has helped make this country a kinder place for people of all races, but as she so eloquently reminds us, there is still much to be done. Quiet Strength gives us the motivation to carry on her legacy.

In March of 1995 I was Book Department Manager of the Potomac Adventist Book Store in Takoma Park, MD. One day I got a call from a representative of the Zondervan Publishing company during which I was asked if we would be interested to have Rosa Parks visit our store and meet our customers as part of the promotion for the new book just being released then; this very book I am reviewing here Quiet Strength. I without hesitation said “Yes!”

After a number of phone calls and working out the arrangements we were able to schedule Rosa Parks to be at the store Friday afternoon, April 28, 1995. I had earlier been informed that she would not be able to sign books for our customers—at that that time she was 82 years old, however she would meet our customers and people could have their picture taken with her.

We then arranged to have an interview about the event at a local radio station WGTS FM during which Gerry Fuller interviewed Johnny Johnson former Assistant Secretary of the  United States Navy about Rosa Parks and the opportunity to meet “someone from history” at Potomac Adventist Book Store, meaning Rosa Parks.

The day finally arrived.  Rosa Parks arrived in a stretch Limo and entered the store. By the time she arrived hundreds of people were already in line to meet her. This was one of the most momentous author events that we had at the Book Store during my 45 years of working at the store.  Rosa Parks was delightful to have at the store and many people were so pleased to get to meet her in person. It is estimated that well over 2000 people came through the store to meet her.

The students from one of the local Elementary Schools made a large banner that said, “We Love you Rosa Parks” which they held up outside the store in the line of people that were waiting to meet this legendary woman Mrs. Parks.

Since she was not going to autograph books for our customers, we had permission to make a commemorative books mark with her autograph printed on it. The book mark said: “I met Rosa Parks Author of Quiet Strength at Potomac Adventist Book Store April 28, 1995 40^th Anniversary of the Courageous Act that Launched the Civil Rights Movement. 1955-1995.”

Quiet Strength, is available from a number of online venues including Amazon.com. I would encourage you to order a copy and read it. Mrs Park’s story will still inspire us to make this world a kinder place for people of all races. Mrs Parks wrote, “I want to be remembered as a person who stood up to injustice, who wanted a better world for young people.”

Breaking Cover: My Secret Life in the CIA and What It Taught Me about What’s Worth Fighting For: A Review

Breaking cover –My Secret Life in the CIA and What It Taught Me about What’s Worth Fighting For by Michele Rigby Assaid is her explosive tell all memoir of her life as a counterterrorism expert for the CIA.

From leading secret undercover missions in some of the world’s most dangerous places to winning success in a male-dominated industry, Michele shows how ordinary people can do extraordinary things-even in the unlikeliest circumstances.

Michelle is a Christian and felt called to work with the CIA who she worked with for 10 years.

Michele Rigby Assad’s Breaking Cover is an absolutely amazing read! It will grab your attention on every single page (it sure grabbed mine) as you follow Michele’s remarkable journey as a spy for the CIA. Even as someone who spent three years undercover for the FBI at a Fortune 500 company during the investigation of the largest white-collar crime case in US history, I was amazed at Michele’s courage and perseverance as she fought terrorism in the most dangerous part of the world, the Middle East. I was especially touched by her story and I have no doubt it would inspire anyone who reads or knows about it. Indeed, there’s no doubt Michele Rigby Assad is a modern-day hero!  Her book will inspire you to do more for your community, your country, and your society, and to live a life of significance.

Mark Whitacre, PhD, Subject of the Warner Brothers movie  The Informant! Starring Matt Damon as Mark Whitaker

It is such an amazing story from her training, to her covert activities in terrorist countries, to when she and her husband retired from the CIA their work and later on leading in a rescue mission to relocate internally displaced Iraqis to Slovakia.

Michele writes, “Serving God isn’t easy. It is gut-wrenching, difficult work. It is not for the faint of heart. But if you listen for his voice, are open to his leading, and obey His will, you will experience adventures beyond your wildest imagination and climb mountains you never dreamed possible.”

She concludes that “God had a grand design in mind when He created me, and He has a grand design for you as well. It’s not always easy to see. But it’s always there,” adding, “my prayer moving forward- for me and for you- is that we might have the patience, the endurance, and the faith to allow Him to weave the disparate pieces of our lives together in the service of His grand design.”

I would encourage you to get a copy of this book and read it. Check with your local book store or to order on line go to www.tyndale.com. Type in Breaking Cover on the search bar and when that opens click on details.

Always Fall Forward: A Review

Always Fall Forward-Life Lessons I’ll never forget from the “Coach” by Todd Gerelds, who is also the author of Woodlawn  is one of the most inspiring books I have read recently.

Todd Gerelds’ Dad, Tandy Gerelds, was “the Coach” and over the years Todd has begun to realize that his lessons from football apply both on and off the field.

With each passing year, he treasures these life lessons even more; lessons which include the following:

You don’t have to be the best; you just need to be your best.

Avoid negative plays.

Keep your feet moving.

Don’t be defined by your losses or your wins.

Make your mistakes at full speed.

Every day is a good day; some are just better that others.

In the foreword, Rick Burgess says “Football is a great game, but it’s a lousy god…It’s true that anything we love more, serve more, fear more, or value more than God almighty is an idol. However this game can really teach us some life lessons that are of great value.”

He also says he “loves this devotional that Todd has put together because it uses football to teach biblical and life truths that are much more important than the sport itself.”

Tandy Gerelds became head football coach at Woodlawn high school in Alabama in 1971 at a time when the federal government made the decision to begin busing African American students from all-black high schools to predominantly white high schools in inner-city Birmingham, Alabama.

Also, about this time, Gerelds was converted and became a Christian.

One should read Todd Gerelds’ book Woodlawn and watch the movie by the same name to understand more of what was happening at this time racially and also Tandy’s conversion.

This devotional Always Fall Forward, is an inspiring read and will especially be appreciated by those who like football. However, one does not need to be a fan of football to appreciate the concepts written in this book.

Check with your local book store or online at www.Tyndale.com for more information and to purchase the book. When you go to  www.Tyndale.com  type in the title of the book Always Fall Forward  on the search bar and then click on details and you will be able to read more about the book as well as order it.

Waiting for Eddie: A Review

Meet Eddie and Liese Konrad. Theirs is a story of love, separation, faith, and survival that spans decades.

Their story begins in 1910 when Liese was born in the Khortiza area of Ukraine and does not end end until her death in 1981 in Berrien Springs, Michigan.

Follow their journey from their early courtship and marriage, beginning a family, and having to say goodbye to the vagaries of World War II, to the decades-long separation and the trials of Liese being a single immigrant mother and Eddie becoming a prisoner of war through his subsequent life of hardship under a Communist regime.

World War II destroyed many lives, and ripped apart many families. The Konrad family is no different. They had to work together to escape to safety in the midst of a world falling apart. Liese had to fight for the very survival of her children all this while she hoped and waited for her husband to return alive.

In other words, Liese never gave up on her faith or her God neither did she ever gave up hope of ever seeing Eddie again--alive.

The authors wrote this book to honor the love story of their father and mother, Eddie and Liese Konrad.

After spending their early childhood in eastern Europe, Albert and Karl Konrad, the authors and children of the Konrads immigrated to the United States with their mother, Liese.

Albert became a pastor and studied at Andrews University where he earned both BA and MA degrees before retiring and says is learning the art of doing nothing in retirement. In his spare time he reads, preaches and volunteers.

Karl became an educator and retired as Professor of Chemistry after serving at Southwestern Adventist University for over 40 years. In retirement Karl enjoys prison ministry outreach, and volunteer tutoring.

I knew Albert in Maryland when he was pastoring here and so when I had the opportunity to read this book, I was immediately interested and curious to learn “the rest of the story.”

Eddie and Liese were married in the Ukraine December 30, 1937 where Eddie had become a successful photographer and tailor. When World War II came along, Eddie had to join the German Army and served as an interpreter. On his one and only visit home, he did everything possible to  provide coal and wood for heating and cooking for the family which now consisted of Liese and their two boys Albert and Karl.

When Eddie received his orders to report for active duty, he prayed, “Oh God take care of my family.”

Not long after this the family had to flee along with a large group of others and God took care of them as Eddie had prayed.

One amazing situation and irony is, as they were passing through a forest, they noticed a large compound with a three-story house and immediately hoped they could rest there. However, to their dismay, they were told they couldn’t rest there and asked to leave because only soldiers could stay there!

So, dismayed, they reluctantly left the house but feeling they could not travel on farther.

As they were leaving, they heard a man saying “follow me,” which they did and he took them to another house where there were soldiers but he told the soldiers to leave because these civilians needed a place to stay for the night. The soldiers left. Food was provided that night and the next morning, before they left and went forward on their journey.

It seemed that this this man dressed as a common rank soldier may have really been an angel.

When the war was over, Liese and her two boys were able to immigrate to  the United States.

I would encourage you to read the full story and be inspired by how God took care of the Konrads. This amazing book is available at Amazon.com the ISBN is 978-1-4796-0851-5.