Jesus Manifesto by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola

In their book Jesus Manifesto, Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola give us a fresh view of the life of Jesus and how He is manifested in everything- from the beautiful mountains of Colorado or the mud in our backyard, to each verse of the New and Old Testament. They encourage their readers to dig down and truly examine their lives and whether Jesus fits into our lives or if we make Jesus our lives. I thought it was interesting to look at my life from this point of view, because it allows the opportunity for you to be a completely different person. If Jesus is in me, and I am living through Jesus, then temptation wouldn't seem so big.

What I enjoyed about this book is that each new point they made convicted me, I found new ways to include Jesus into my life that I had not thought of. It made me realize my utter insignificance alone, and the opportunity for greatness, through Jesus, that I have. It is not about being “Christ-like”, but rather BEING one with Christ!

Ken Wilson "Mystically Wired"

When I first started reading Ken Wilson's Mystically Wired I was a little skeptical of combining the mystical with Christianity. I had always associated the word "mystical" with psychics and unicorns. But as I continued reading, I was drawn by his ideas of going to a different place with God, and how our minds are created (by God) to reach these different levels.

The first half of the book takes you through an eye opening, slightly mind tiring journey of how science and Christianity can be connected and intercede each other, which I found new and refreshing. Many Christian authors do not even attempt to argue this because of the fine line it leads along.

The second half is a guide to improving your prayer life through the ideas stated in the first half of the book. He gives a few simple prayers that surprisingly help improve the focus of your prayer life.

I enjoyed Wilson's book because it was something new and set apart from your everyday book on Christian prayer. I couldn't wait to make my space to meet with God!