David Gregory (1) (1959–)

It’s so easy to get into a rut. Life can get so mundane and routine and sometimes it takes some unforeseen circumstance to knock you down and make you realize all the things you have unknowingly taken for granted. For Emma Jameson it was the ending of a relationship. She’s in her late twenties, feeling sad and lonely, and at a crossroads. Isn’t life supposed to be better than this? Where is she supposed to go from here? Where is God in all of this?

Haven’t we all had times like these in our lives? Those moments when life doesn’t go the way you expected it to and you don’t know which way to go?

After a note telling Emma to go through the next open door she decides to take a chance. What does she have to lose? She walks through a door and suddenly is in Biblical times walking with Jesus! As a Christian, this is something I have always dreamed of. To be able to ask Jesus whatever you want and to be able to see Him actually teaching the disciples, walking on water, and performing miracles. To see His smile and hear His voice. So amazing! The author did a wonderful job of bringing the Bible to life.

This book is such a treasure and so easy to read. The author has a wonderful way of bringing you into the story and the entire book just flows. It reminded me that there are things that I can do in my Christian walk but then there are things that I simply cannot do and it’s time I stopped trying and “instead, start abiding.”… (més)

Followup to the wildly successful New York Times bestseller Dinner with A Perfect Stranger, where Nick Cominsky met Jesus face-to-face. After that meeting, he figured the Christian life would be smooth sailing . . . until hitting bottom six years later, preparing him for a second surprising encounter -- and some long-sought answers. Six years ago, businessman Nick Cominsky encountered Jesus the old-fashioned way--in a face-to-face meeting. And the Christian life seemed a breeze . . . for a while. But now, having done everything he knows to grow spiritually, he wonders where his closeness with Jesus has gone. Burned out and hopeless, Nick wails his complaints to God during a late-night interstate trip. Then suddenly he runs out of gas--and finds Jesus along the roadside carrying a gas can. Jesus hops in the truck and offers answers Nick never heard in church . . . and a nighttime of adventures ensues beyond anything Nick could have imagined.--Publisher website.… (més)

Suppose there was a plan to change out all human brains with synthetic transplants that would essentially last forever, including the ability back up all of the experiences that it collected over time. One would be virtually (forgive the pun) immortal. What's the drawback? Could it result in the loss of the human soul, never afterward able to connect with God?

But what if society had already abandoned its belief in God, as it did in this novel? It results in a state of mind all too ready to accept such a new reality.

The premise is quite interesting and well thought out. I got to like a couple of the characters very much. Something, though, wouldn't allow me to pull the trigger to give this a five-star rating. It may be that I thought of an angle that the story could have included, but the author either didn't think of or didn't think worthy of his tale. No matter, it wasn't an enjoyment killer.

The author provided many a thought-provoking postulation, like this one:

"What if reality is different than you have believed? What if ultimate reality is a Creator who designed us with a human spirit, who wants to join himself to that spirit, who wants to infuse us with his very own life? And what if our spirit can't find fulfillment or peace or true purpose except by being joined to the One who made it?"

If this bodes true, then humanity is doomed by accepting an artificial means for remaining alive forever.

Definitely worth the time spent reading.… (més)