Unwrapping Lazarus by Pete Carter Book Review

You are invited by God into a life beyond imagining.

Do you wish your faith were greater? Do you suspect that bigger things are offered by a bigger God than you have dared to hope for? The destructive thoughts and behaviors that bind you can be unwrapped–just as Lazarus was unwrapped from his bindings at the mouth of his tomb–freeing you to walk into the supernatural. (Taken from Baker Publishing Group website.)

Do we want something bigger than what we have now? Do we want something, do we crave more than what we have right now in this life? It’s questions that I know I’ve been asking and you have possibly asked yourself. Something that’s holding us back from living in what God wants us to live is ourselves. We aren’t perfect, we are only human. We have pressures coming at us from the world around us and all of the influences that it holds.

It’s like Tug of War and we’re in the middle.

Pete Carter goes through some of the things in this book that can help us free ourselves from the struggles and everything else that we’re fighting with and helps us realize the potential we have and how we can live a bigger life of Faith with God. God doesn’t want us to hold back, he wants everything. We have to, we need unwrap ourselves from everything that keep ourselves closed in – the thoughts, the behaviours, everything that keeps us away from what God wants for us.

It’s like the Peanuts character Linus. He always has the same blanket that he holds onto. Now think of that as the security, the unGodly thoughts, everything that the world thinks we should have. Reading this book, it’s like unwrapping ourselves from that blue blanket, and giving ourselves totally to what God wants for us.

This book, is simple and easy to read. Also providing the real, true stories that he’s experienced helps with understanding everything a lot more, than someone whose written this book  with words that are way over everyone’s head.

Go out and read this book.
It’s one of the many tools that will help transform your life for the better.

About The Author
Pete Carter is part of the senior leadership team of North Kent Community Church in the United Kingdom. He has passion to see good medical practice and Christian healing work side by side. He is a popular speaker and part of the teaching staff of the Revival Alliance network of Bethel Church, Redding, California. He and his wife, Kim, live in New Ash Green in the southeast of England and enjoy being parents and grandparents.

“Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Chosen, a division of Baker Publishing Group”.

I’m writing a novel

I’ve been working on this for a while, and I’ve written things before, but I’m actually getting serious about this. It’s called The Re:Birth Saga, and hopefully I can get 3 books out of this, but at least 2.

It’s a crazy story about adventure and secrets, and surprises and searching for the truth. I think everyone would like it. The First book is the Saga is called The Hidden City, and I hope everyone will read it, because I’ve posted the first chapter online!

http://therebirthsaga.wordpress.com

An Elegant Solution by Paul Robertson

“For young Leonhard Euler, the Bernoulli family have been more than just friends. Master Johann has been a demanding mentor, and his sons have been Leonhard”s allies and companions. But it is also a family torn by jealousy and distrust. Father and sons are engaged in a ruthless competition for prestige among the mathematical elites of Europe, especially the greatest prize: the Chair of Mathematics at the University of Basel, which Johann holds and his sons want. And now, their aspirations may have turned deadly.
Lured into an investigation of the suspicious death of Uncle Jacob twenty years ago, Leonhard soon realizes there”s more at stake than even a prominent appointment. Surrounded by the most brilliant–and cunning–minds of his generation, Leonhard is forced to see how dangerous his world is. His studies in mathematics have always been entwined with his thoughts on theology, and now, caught in a deadly battle of wills, he’ll need both his genius and his faith to survive.” (Description taken from Chapters.ca)

Paul Robertson clearly knows how to write, and write well is one thing that he really knows how to do. Books are like time machines and they can take you to any place in any time setting and it feels like your there. Paul does a great job with this as the research he must have put in for this was amazing! Exquisite detail with everything, down to the last thing, He drew the reader in to the time setting and with a lot of books and with this one it felt like I could actually picture myself in the place setting along with the characters.

The plot in this is absolutely great, and like on the back cover description with the word Mathematics, I wasn’t the greatest in math, but you don’t even really need to be a math person to enjoy this book. The Characters, the  descriptions of places, the details, all such great things!

It’s also suspenseful, and it will lead you waning to not put the book down. It was a fantastic read, and I’m looking forward to what else Mr. Robertson has in store for us!

About the Author

Paul Robertson is a full-time software developer and the author of five novels, including Dark in the City of Light, Road to Nowhere, and The Heir. He is also a former Christian bookstore owner (for 15 years), who lives with his family in Blacksburg, Virginia.
“Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from BakerBooks, a division of Baker Publishing Group”

Singularity – A Jevin Banks Novel

When his friend is murdered, illusionist Jevin Banks is determined to find out what really happened. Drawn into a web of conspiracy and top-secret research on human consciousness, Jevin won”t stop digging until the truth is revealed. Soon he uncovers a dark secret–one that could change the very fabric of human life on the planet.

Bristling with mystery, suspense, and intrigue, Singularityis the second riveting book in The Jevin Banks Experience. Readers will devour this scientific thriller, flipping pages late into the night until the final shocking page.(Description and Book cover photo from Chapters.ca)

Here it is! the second Jevin Banks Novel from Steven James, and boy this is one thrill ride after another! I liked it just as much as the first , but maybe even slightly better, though, you can decide for yourself. It’s just as face paced as the first one, and I absolutely enjoyed this.

Jevin Banks, illusionist extraordinaire, find’s himself tangled up in a mystery, he doesn’t know where it’s going. Thought provoking as well, there’s a lot of things that are in this book that really make you think. You think you have everything figured out about the book, and than next minute (or page I should say) you don’t have everything figured out!

Steven James has done such a great job with the character development and also the research because he definitely knows what he’s talking about, almost seems like you could relate some of the things to the real world. The detail is spot on, all the detail painting an image like you’re actually there.

I didn’t find anything bad to say about this book, the pace isn’t so, and you’re always wondering what’s going to happen  next with all of the charactersHonestly this book was so good, that I can’t wait until there’s hopefully a new one?
“Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group”.

Chapter 2!

(I’m only posting the first two chapters, so yes, you can say I’m leaking them over the interwebs *Gasp*)

 

Chapter Two

A Grand Adventure

 

Click.

Everyone’s frozen in motion as they hear the faint click sound that was coming from the desk. Jack and Jane both turned around just as they had gotten to the door. Sam stayed exactly where he was, his hand still in the exact same spot.

A secret compartment that was hidden on the underside of the top revealed itself. Sam became thrilled. “I knew it!” He put his hand inside the not so secret compartment trying to feel around to see if anything was in there,

His mom was worried. “Be careful Sam, who knows what’s inside there.”

Of course I’m careful mom, like anything’s going to hap-”

He let out loud noise which startled both of his parents. “Are you ok?” His father was startled. None of them knew what was inside this secret drawer.

Sam was laughing as he pulled out a very crumpled folded piece of paper. “I’m sorry, but I had to. I definitely won’t do it again after today, not into scaring anyone, especially the both of you.”

You better not.” Jane gave him a look.

Jack knew Sam might pull something like that, so he was ready for it. Just like Sam, his father was interested about what was on that folded piece of paper Sam was holding in his hand. “I wonder what’s on the paper. It looks quite old.”

Sam got exciting, his mind now back on the piece of paper. His parents gathered back around the desk as Sam unfolded the paper and laid it out as flat as he could on the desk. Other than the crumpled paper, it also seem very dirty with tears all over it.

Right in the middle of it, in thick black letters were the numbers –

 

2641

I don’t get it.” Jane said as she just looked at it, trying to figure out.

Sam’s face seemed like it almost lit up after a few minutes. “It’s a puzzle!” But to what, he couldn’t figure it out, as could his parents. “The mystery is to what though.”

Don’t stay up to late thinking about it Sam.” His father said as his parents left the room. They could hear him say ‘I won’t’ as they walked up the stairs.

It was already 10:30 at night. Even though it was summer, he didn’t want to stay up too late. He wanted a good start tomorrow so he could finish making his movie. After supper his brother Bobby was at Jake’s house. And when he got home he went right to bed since he was so tired.

Which meant quite for Sam to concentrate. He sat in the chair just staring at the four numbers and he was trying to figure out what they meant.

Going through every possible thing in his mind, he couldn’t figure anything out. Even when he thought he had he had a great answer but thinking it through revealed that it wasn’t so great after all. He went to bed an hour later, he couldn’t figure anything out that what help him. Sam thought he should get some rest and then tackle this thing tomorrow with a fresh mindset.

He rested his head against the pillow and closed his eyes.

 

He sat up in bed feeling almost wide awake because a lightbulb went off inside his head.

Sam Wilson had an idea. Even though last night he though he had great ideas, he thought this would be the greatest idea of them all.

Even though it was only two o’clock in the morning and the sun was still over in the other part of the world, Sam knew the idea couldn’t wait until he went back to bed and got up around nine, he didn’t want to forget it.

No one else is up, so I have to be quiet. Like a mouse, no wait, quiet like a ninja.

His thoughts were becoming a little loopy at this hour, but he had to stay focus. Check on his lightbulb moment and then right back to bed, he was going to have a busy day tomorrow, actually today, in a couple of hours.

Pulling the small cord attached to the desk lamp, it brought a small yellow glow that basically illuminated the whole room.

He kept a city map in his room that his father gave him years ago, to help him discover the city and everything that was in it. Jack didn’t want Sam to be stuck in the same small area every day.

He wish he could have his new oak desk up in his room, but it is extremely heavy and couldn’t fit going up the stairs, but he still likes the desk that he has up in his room.

Unfolding the large map on the grey coloured desk and seeing the marks on it that he and his father made over the years, he places the unfolded but still crumpled paper from the hidden compartment of the oak desk on the map.

He had figured out almost every possible idea except what he was doing right now. Sam had wondered if they were map coordinates or longitude and latitude. It was worth a shot. On the map that he had laid out before him letters appeared on the top and left side of the map, numbers were bottom and right side.

Usually he was concerned with both letters and numbers, right now he was just focusing on the numbers. Looking along the right hand side he didn’t find the number 26 but he found the number 41. Along the bottom he found 26 so it was a game of connect the dots but with lines. When the two lines connected they came to an area halfway across the city. He thought he remembered the area when he was there with his father last summer, but he could be wrong.

Whatever the case was, tomorrow would be a very interesting day.

Here’s some new reading material for everyone!

So other than reading, which if you read this blog, you’ll know that. But i also like to write. I’ve written lots of things before, but never really been serious about it.

Now I am.

I’ve started something new and I don’t know how it will turn out and everything, but I’m working on it. When I’m done, I’m not sure how to approach the next step, but I’m sure a few of you fine people could help me when I reach that point.

So why this post? Are you going to get to read something? Yes.

I just finished the 2nd chapter before I started this post (So not too long ago.) And I thought getting people to comment on it and such might improve things. So, for your reading pleasure, here is Chapter one of the book that I don’t have a name for it (Chapter 2 will be in a new separate post, so comments, questions, reviews will be most appreciated!)

 

Chapter One

The Surprise

 

I am the terror that will come to get you!”

Two dark figures could be seen running with a bright light shining on the other side. The person in front looked like they had a dark suit on and with the light reflecting off the face revealed they had make on that just covered their face, which was white in colour. The person that was chasing him appeared to have a cape and a mask with pointy tips at the sides.

The one with the white mask on looked behind him, but kept the chase going as he jumped to the roof of the next building. The caped one took something out to throw-

The door opened and with the flick of a switch, the light came on. “Why is it so dark in here?”

The cd player that was playing siren sound effects was stopped.

Everything stopped.

They all turned around to see the person at the door who seemed to interrupt what was happening.

It was a room inside of a house that had backdrops set up all around to make it look like it was night time in a city. The windows were all blacked out and lights were set up all around. The white mask was pulled off to reveal a blond hair, blue eyed 11 year old, and the black hood was pulled over the head of a scruffy brown hair, brown eyed 12 year old.

Aww mom, you ruined it! This was the last scene where Batman was chasing down the owl bad guy dude.” Batman, who was really Bobby Wilson, was upset at the fact this his mom and just ruined a very cool moment in his life, but started to get excited as he was talking. “He was totally going to take him down and find out where the rest of the bad guys are!”

Hey what kind of movie do you think you’re making Sam?” His mother, Jane Wilson, asked.

Sam had got his brother Bobby along with Bobby’s friend Jake to help him with a movie that he wanted to do. Making movies was one of Sam’s favourite things to do in the world. He liked writing the stories and creating characters. It’s what he wanted to do when he got older. He was two weeks into his last summer before college. He would be going to one of several colleges or universities that were situated in different areas of the city. He had decided to go to college because he liked the more hands on approach to things.

It’s nothing that bad mom, Bobby’s just overreacting about all of this.”

Well he better be, I don’t want you to be making one of those crazy horror movies.”

This isn’t going to be one of those stupid movies mom, Sam’s making the next million dollar blockbuster!”

Sam roughs up Bobby’s hair an laughs a bit. “I wish.”

Bobby looks up at Sam, with a why’d you do that? look on his face.

Jane stands in the middle of the door. “I’m sorry I interrupted. You boys can finish what you’re doing.”

We can’t,” Bobby said. “Jake has to go, his mom wants him home for supper.” Jake is Bobby’s best friend and he only lives two doors down. Sometimes it’s hard to get them apart.

Sam put the video camera down on the table. “Can you come by for an hour or two tomorrow so we can finish this Jake?”

Of course.” Jake answered. “It can’t be in the morning though, my mom wants to cut my hair and then we’re going to the grocery store.

So Bobby will call you after lunch sometime and see if your mom let’s you come over.” Sam talked to Jake’s mom and told him everything that was going to happen before letting her son be a part of this. “Who knows, there might be an ice cream sandwich in it for both of you when we’re done.”

Sweet!” Bobby and Jake gave each other a high five as Jake headed out the door of the Wilson’s two story house.

Sam liked making movies and hanging out with his friends a lot, because he didn’t want to think too much about where he lived in. Ever since he was born he wondered about the city. Everyone seemed friendly and all, but everyone also knew that the city was fenced. The city was surrounded by walls all around it, made to look like they weren’t there, with trees and grass and flowers projected onto the surface. Even high above, there was an artificial light source trying to resemble the sun.

The people who lived inside the concrete bubble were blinded from the outside world. People did go off to fight in the wars, but that was the only reason other than trucks coming in to bring products to the store and that people were allowed outside of the city.

Most people didn’t bother about the why, they liked how their life was, comfortable and everything was in place. Sam on the other hand knew that there was so much more out there. He managed to create a gateway to the internet of the outside world, bypassing the fake internet that the city created. That’s how he’s been able to create movies and share them with the rest of the world.

No one knew exactly why the city was caged in, but it was. Sam had the desire and he wanted to break free of the confines of the city and see what the outside world holds. He wanted to know everything that was out there for him.

If you didn’t know that the city was boxed in, you would think it was like everywhere else because it had everything that any other city would have. There was even a college situated in the city. The only thing it didn’t have was a ‘Welcome to Carpent city’ sign like ever other place that has a sign welcoming people as they drive in. Most of the people don’t even know what part of the world they live in. People over the years have thought they were somewhere in Asia, some have thought South America or Australia. No one was even sure where they were in the world.

Carpent boasted a huge population of around 6.5 million people. Now if they could, people would relate it to almost being like Tokyo, but with a lot more room and not everyone seemed like they’re cramped everywhere they go. They did have a mail system there, a post office would be located in each neighbourhood, or ‘district’ as some tend to call them with large packages being sent to the post office for people to pick up and letters along with smaller packages would be sent right to the home. The only thing that they did not have was an airport, because there really was no need of one at all.

Sam usually took the city bus wherever he needed to go if it was a longer distance. The transit system they had was top notch, everything always ran on time, and if there was a delay or something needed to be fixed, it never took a long amount of time. No one needed to own a car, truck, or SUV because somethings were close by and whatever else that they needed to get they just took the public transit. A sort of eco friendly trend going throughout the entire city.

He knew that there was more but Sam wasn’t sure why exactly, he just had a feeling like there was more to this life than just living in this caged box of a city that he’s been in his entire life.

 

After dinner was finished on the warm Monday evening, Sam had to head out to pick up a few more things to finish off his movie. It wasn’t anything like his mom thought it would be when she didn’t realize that she was interrupting them earlier. It was more of a light action movie with some comedy in it.

It was an idea that he’s had for the last couple of months now, but he had made sure to do it right, spending that timeframe working on the plot, the characters, details, script.

He wanted to make this one really well done. Sam went to the store to pick up at least one red light which spun around to make it look like the lights on top of a police car. Actually he picked up more than just one light so it would look like there were multiple police cars. He also made a mental note to download some extra police sound effects when he got back home.

It was about a ten minute walk or so to the store. It wouldn’t take him long at all, he knew where in the store he had to go, just a quick little stop. There was a few friends in there that Sam said hi to, and the person that was working at the cash was working most of the times Sam had ventured in. The store had a bit of everything in it, and the prices were really good compared to other stores.

 

Sam had walked back into the house carrying a bag that had three lights in it. He had gotten the idea of using mirrors to reflect the lights in a way that made it look like there was a lot more than what was actually there. He could hear the sound of the dishwasher as it was cleaning the dishes from supper that he helped his mom put in before he left for the store.

He could hear his father’s voice coming from their more formal living room, which was just off off the hallway as you came in from the house.

Is that you Sam?”

Yes it is.” Sam turned right into the living room. It was a good sized room complete with a fireplace opposite the entrance with a beautiful table surrounded by two high back chairs and a couch. He saw his father was reading the newspaper that the city produced, not much good Sam thought since basically everything was about the city and not about the rest of the world, but it was at least something. His mother, Jane, was sitting in the other chair and she was working on a crossword puzzle.

Both of his parents had put down what they were doing and had gotten up from the chairs. “We have something for you.” His mother announced.

For me?” Sam asked. He was surprised, never really received anything in the summer like this.

Yes Sam, for you.” His father, Jack Wilson answered. “We wanted to give it to you closer to when you would be leaving for college, but your mother had brought it up this evening just after you had left and after some discussion between us, we decided that now might be a better time to give it to you so you can get more use out of it, even though we know that you will when you go away to school.

Sam was definitely getting anxious, though he was never usually like this. Maybe it was the thought of them actually telling Sam that we was going to be getting something brought this feeling over him like getting hit by a wave from the ocean. He liked surprises and couldn’t wait to see what this would be.

They headed dow the hallway to the back of the main floor. In front of them was the window paned door leading outside to the backyard. To the right was the door that leaded to the laundry room, and the door to the left was Jack’s office.

His father opened the door to his office.

Sam was definitely surprised they were going in there, he wondered what his father’s office had inside that was for him.

When the door opened he noticed his father’s usual writing desk, which was a beautiful dark stained oak. He remembered several times growing up sitting at that very desk.

He happened to see another desk exactly like it right next to it!
Why would he have two desks exactly the same? Unless…

Do you like it?” His father asked Sam.

Was the other desk for him? If it was he was absolutely speechless. He just stood there not being able to answer for a few minutes since he tried to speak but no words were coming out of his mouth. “Is that..?”

Yes it is Sam, the other desk is for you.”

Sam went over to sit in the comfy black chair that was at the desk. It was the exact same as his father’s, identical in every single detail. “Where did you get another desk exactly like your’s?” Sam slowly spun around in the chair.

His father was standing just inside the door with his mother standing right beside him. “Your grandmother had phoned me just a few weeks ago to tell me that your grandfather had a desk exactly like the one of his that she gave me so many years ago. She had gotten to the point where she didn’t really need it anymore, it was just another place for piling things on. She knew that you really liked the desk I had so when she asked if if you would want it I said yes even before she finished asking me the question because I knew you would absolutely love it and with you going away to school it was the perfect time.”

Even though the city was the way it was, the college that Sam wanted to go to was still about an hour and a half to two hours away, it wasn’t that close. “I absolutely love it! Thank you both so very much.” He got up and gave them both a hug.

Your father and I decided that since it probably won’t be possible to carry it upstairs to your room, we’ll bring it into the spare room down here. You can have almost a study of your very own.”

He was absolutely thrilled by this. They spent the next half an hour cleaning the spare room which they used for storage to move the very heavy oak desk into. They had wheels and other things to help them move the desk, because without those, who knows if they could have even moved it all.

This desk seems to be heavier than the other one even though there both the same.” His father commented

Sitting back down on the chair with a big enough window in front of him, he put his hands palm side down on the solid oak tabletop, it almost feeling soft on his hands and just staring at how the grain flows with it. He looked it over again, and it looked absolutely identical to what his father had. “Thank you, this is absolutely amazing and almost seems like too much.”

We wanted you to have this Sam,” His mother said. “You deserved this and we both know it will be put to some good use.”

Think I’m going to get my computer and bring it down here.” Sam said. His parents smiled at Sam. He still couldn’t believe they gave him a desk. This desk to be exact.

Even though it was the same desk and everything, there was something odd about it. He had a puzzled look on his face and he parents were wondering. “Is something wrong with it Sam?”

Nothing wrong dad, just unusual.” He had to really notice the detail because he’s missed the detail for the last forty minutes. There was some decorative carving that he knew was on there, and it was on here as well but with one very small minor addition. One of the leaves that was carved looked slightly out of place. “One of the leaves is carved the wrong way on this.”

Maybe whoever built the desks wanted it to be different, so they could be told apart from each other?” His mother was also curious, but playing along to get Sam’s imagination going.

It’s possible, but everything else on both desks is identical down to the last detail. Why make one small detail off?” Sam gout out of the chair and inspected it closely. His parents stayed there watching to see what would happen. Sam noticed that the tip of the leaf should be pointing right, when it was pointing left.

Sam liked a good mystery. He looked underneath the desk , felt around for a secret latch or button but there was nothing. He thought it would be amazing if there was a secret compartment. “Maybe you’re right, whoever built these desks just wanted to tell them apart.”

Sorry there isn’t a hidden compartment. I know that’s what you were looking for.” His father said as Sam’s parents turned to head out of the room. Sam put his hand on the desk to help him get up.

Click.