Featured Poetry Books
As soldiers who have just returned from war, we fight a separate war daily in an attempt to leave the war behind. Many soldiers, just like myself, come home from war only to fight a separate internal battle, with debilitating illnesses such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. It was important for me to share my story not only for myself but for those who have fought, for those who have fallen, and for those who continue to wage war in order for the United States of America to continue to remain free. The price of freedom is not free.
War is chaos, and many soldiers bear the scars from it for the rest of our lives.
Available on Amazon in the following formats:
Kindle: $0.99
Paperback: $12.99
Hardcover: $15.99
In 'From Gloom to Glory', Womack pours hope, faith and light into some of the darkest valleys we'll ever walk through. Using his own testimony, with suicide and depression as a reference point, the author structures the book into three parts: daily reminders that lift our spirits, a beacon call to not give up, and a positive note that brightens the gloomy clouds that sometimes hover over life. With 50 poems each centered on the theme of hope and faith against the odds, this is a book of inspiration that speaks to the soul of the reader, and a perfect gift for yourself or someone you love who is dealing with darkness or passing through a valley experience. God turns gloom into glory.
Available on Amazon in the following formats:
Kindle: $4.99
Paperback: $5.00
The Great Commission is found in Matthew 28: 18-20:
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV)
This command was mandated not only to the disciples of biblical times, but all who have received the salvation of the Lord. We have this obligation to spread the Good News of the Gospel wherever we go. In his offering here, The ABC’s of the Gospel: Using the Alphabet to Fulfill the Great Commission, Michael Lee Womack, through his unique, freestyle poetry, uses each letter of the alphabet to break down each element vital to carry out our Christian duty to spread the Gospel, and make disciples wherever we go. Womack has given readers a blueprint of this command from Jesus Christ, our Lord and savior, that is understandable to all age groups.
The ABC’s of the Gospel: Using the Alphabet to Fulfill the Great Commission is an excellent tool for Bible studies, Sunday School lessons, or any individual who seeks to have clarity in how to witness for Christ, and be better “fishers of men” for the edification of God's Kingdom.
Available on Amazon in the following formats:
Kindle: $2.87
Paperback: $5.00
​
Commentary can be creative! Using the gift of poetry, this book explores central concepts within the historical context of every book of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. It highlights biblical truths, principles and lessons in life that the inspired Word gives us, through Christ, to live by.
Available on Amazon in the following formats:
Kindle: $4.99
Paperback: $9.99
REVIEWS & COMMENTS
Review for From A Soldier's Perspective
​
"The poems in this book took me beyond my surface level knowledge of what a soldier goes through and opened my eyes to the grim realities, sacrifices, and hope involved in the calling of a soldier. At times these poems were reminiscent of the Psalms - raw and despairing, but wrapped in hope. Definitely recommend this quick, eye - opening read to anyone craving a deeper view inside the mind of a soldier". - Jessie Mattis, Power
Review for The ABC's of The Gospel: Using the Alphabet to Fulfill the Great Commission
​
"Womack's poems describe the Gospel and Christian life in an easy-to-understand manner. The light and life of Jesus shine through in his poems. These poems are a wonderful reminder of the love of Jesus and the power we have through the Holy Spirit to live a faith-filled life.
These poems can be enjoyed by children and adults". - Barbara M. Britton, Author of Escape To Whispering Creek
​
Review for From Gloom To Glory: We Were Meant To Persevere
"This collection of free verse, rhyming, and acrostic poems offers emotional and spiritual encouragement. It comes from a genuine heart. (Don’t skip the forward. It’ll blow you away, and it lays the foundation for the collection.)
Womack’s poetry consists of simple but powerful concepts and easy-to-grasp phrases. It’s like a coach encouraging an athlete through a difficult game. Or a youth pastor giving advice to teens. But I don’t mean this collection is for youth (though a teen could read it without difficulty); I mean the advice is applicable to times in your life when you feel like an adolescent afloat in a world too cruel to comprehend.
Having said that, I was not depressed or going through a difficult time when I read this collection, but I still found it uplifting and a pleasure to read.
I loved the way Womack mixes in scripture with some of the poems. I also like the short, pithy poems (the kind of thing I want to print out and frame). My favorite was “Hope.”
From Gloom to Glory is a hope-filled collection that I felt deep in my heart!". - Priscilla Bettis, Author of WHISPERS OF A SOUTHERN MOON, and book blogger at thewellreadfish.com
CONNECT WITH US
For any inquiries, please reach out to our team:
Join our community:
Book Review for Power Up by Jessie Mattis
"One of the first things that caught my attention about this incredible book by Jessie Mattis is found in the book’s introduction. After giving thanks to God, and her husband, she moves on to her kids, and in doing so she states the following: “I look at you and I see Jesus – loving world changers. That’s the reason I wrote this book – to inspire other kids to be Jesus - loving world changers too”. As soon as I started to make my way through this beautiful book, if was as if Mrs. Mattis was taking me down a joy – filled journey down memory lane, as she had me reminiscing on my days as a youth growing up in church. It was incredible to witness all of the times throughout the story that the main character, Lexi, began to take notice of the Holy Spirit working in her life, and it will make you pause and reflect on the times that the Holy Spirit has been working in yours. Packed with humor and reinforced by the truth of God’s life – changing word, Power Up by Jessie Mattis is a powerful tool for ministering to those young and old, the importance of the Holy Spirit in the life of every believer. If you know of anyone who is curious about the role of the Holy Spirit in their Christian walk, I highly recommend gifting them Power Up by Jessie Mattis!!".
​
For more information on this incredible author please feel free to visit www.jessiemattis.com
In this incredibly written book, Nine Words From Jesus, its author, Chuck Tate, does an exceptional job of extracting valuable lessons from GOD’s word and showing how even the small details have something for us to chew on, and be enriched by. The focal point of this well – written book is Bartimaeus’s story, and it is told to us through the perspective of Bartimaeus, the crowd, as well as JESUS. Tate does an outstanding job of explaining the role that faith plays in our breakthroughs, and how it invites GOD to perform the miraculous in our life. If you are discipling a new believer, this is a great book to pair with GOD’s word, because just how GOD’s promises are backed and reinforced by HIS WORD, so is this incredible book. If you know of someone who is need of peace, hope, and the strength to persevere through a difficult situation, then I highly recommend that you gift them this biblically rich, life – changing book. I’m confident that it will not only fill them with hope, but it will anchor them to CHRIST, the ultimate, never-ending source of hope. As a poet, and an author, I love it when I read where another author utilizes various literary devices to enhance their work. In the following example, Chuck utilizes “alliteration” to share how the word of GOD helps us become strong in the face of adversity: “The key to developing faith – filled fortitude lies in scripture. Mental toughness in the face of adversity is rooted in the renewal of our mind through the Word of God” (Tate 112). This is so true!! Tate’s remarkable story – telling, combined with his incredible sense of humor, will surely keep you engaged. The are so many examples of things from this book that instantly brought a smile to my face. For instance, the first line of chapter 15 begins like this: “Truth be told, I’m an 80’s guy. I graduated from high school in 1988, so for me, the 80’s will always be synonymous with rushing home from school to catch Stryper on MTV, cranking Christian metal bands on my Sony Walkman, and going to Blockbuster to rent movies and video games” (Tate 191). That whole excerpt made me smile, because I was born in February of 1987, and despite our age differences, it is the gospel that closes that gap. The prayers at the end of each chapter will help you feel prepared to receive your breakthrough. This beautifully – written book is a great reminder that the same advice that JESUS gave to the first disciples, is just as useful for us in our days as it was for them in theirs. Tate does an impeccable job of displaying for the reader who JESUS is, which is extremely valuable, because when you know who HE is, you know what HE can do for you, as well as those who have yet to hear of HIS life – changing gospel. This Must - Read book will Fuel your Passion for Sharing Jesus, and Make You Want to Share It, too!!! At the end of the day, if you are looking for your next must – read book, then I highly recommend Nine Words From Jesus: A Manifesto of Hope To Thrive And Prevail In The Future by pastor, and author, Chuck Tate. I promise you, once you're finished, you won’t be disappointed.
Book Review for Escape To Whispering Creek by Barbara M. Britton
​
Escape To Whispering Creek opens with the main character, Emma, discovering that the investment office that she worked at had been robbed, and that her boss, Ron, was missing in action. With Ron nowhere to be found, the mystery of his presence had hooked me, and had begun reeling me deeper into the story, with an ever-growing excitement to learn more!! As she is panicking over the mystery of his absence, she finds a rock with Psalm 18:2 engraved into it: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer”. Shortly after, two police officers are coming into the office to investigate this mystery, and instead of being fearful of being viewed as a suspect, she says the following: “God give me wisdom”(Britton 5). Escape to Whispering Pines is a vivid depiction of how to respond in faith when mysterious things happen in our life. Chapter one ends with Emma praying the following: “Please Lord, keep my mom and dad safe. They don’t know you yet” (Britton 11). This is a beautiful reminder for everyone that has given their life to Christ, that our greatest desire should also be for us to see our loved ones come to know Jesus Christ as their lord and savior. In chapter II, we learn of Donovan’s debilitating injuries that he suffered from a car accident. As he is reflecting on the hospital bills, the rehab, the feeling of being a failure, as well as how he could run a company when it now takes him twice as long to do anything. While doing so, he questions God, as says: “God, why did this happen to me? I am so done with it all” (Britton 15). Each of these characters are experiencing a life that was not going as they had planned, and it made me reflect on Isaiah 55: 8 – 9, because “His thoughts are not our thoughts”, and it made me remember that we should always “Seek first His Kingdom” (Matthew 6:33). In chapter three, Emma shares some of her testimony of how she had come to accept Christ as her Lord and savior, and we discover that “Emma wouldn’t be praying to GOD if it wasn’t for Sam, her friend that had invited her to try youth group, and whisked her to the pastor when Emma desired to follow Jesus” (Britton 17). This reminds me that a true friend does not just care about our physical well – being, but also the well – being of our soul. Having fellow believers as friends is important for every Christian, and we are able to witness just how important this is through Sam and Emma’s friendship. We learn that what Emma needed was “faithful friends who could pray for her and give her wise counsel” (Britton 24), and that is what she found in Sam. One of my favorite moments occurred in chapter five, when for a brief moment, Emma wonders to herself how she had stayed sane through all that she had been going through, but then quickly snaps back to reality, whenever she responds with “Sorry God, you gave me the strength to keep going” (Britton 33). Prior to reading this book by Barbara Britton, I had read Power Up by Jessie Mattis, which is a terrific book on the role of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life, and one that I highly recommend. Chapter seven of Escape to Whispering Creek had me reminiscing about that book, because in the previous chapter, Wade had said some things to Emma out of anger, and chapter seven begins with the Holy Spirit convicting him of doing so, which led to him praying for the Lord to help him apologize to Emma, which he did the next morning. From beginning to end, this book is a constant reminder that the why is never as important as the WHO, and that our timing is not GOD’s timing!! From beginning to end, Escape To Whispering Creek is an incredible novel that I highly recommend, and I am confident that once you have read it, you will too!!
Leora’s Letters by Joy Neal Kidney is seasoned with many luscious literary elements, such as adjectives, alliteration, personification, and similes that combine to make you feel right at home with the characters. The strong, healthy, family dynamic of the Wilson family is captivating, and it is one of the aspects of this remarkable story that I wish more families today could emulate. I believe every family has strong-willed people in them that help to keep them together just like the pillars of a home, and it did not take long to treasure, and recognize Leora as one of the pillars of the Wilson family. If you are like me, and are an admirer of great literature, and the elements that help comprise it, then you will fall in love with the imagery that Mrs. Kidney uses to make you feel as if you are experiencing an Iowa winter in January of 1942. In one of the letters written by Donald to the Wilson family, he said something that really resonated with me. He said, “I have to admit that I am ready for about six months on the farm. I sure do have a better appreciation for the simple life” (Kidney 31). As a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, I found combat to be a place where you have a constant concern of being attacked, and from that point on, everything compared to that became simple. These days, whenever I hear someone that has never deployed complain about something, I usually respond with the following: “We could be deployed with a constant concern of getting blown up, or shot at,” and that typically lightens the mood. In chapter four, there is a moment where Donald was telling the family his account of surviving a battle, and he ended the conversation by saying “I have certainly learned to appreciate the simple things in life (Kidney 85). If you are a veteran that has deployed, this book will definitely resonate with you, and if you are a family member of veteran that has deployed, I believe that it will resonate with you as well. No matter how grim the situation looked, the Wilson family never stopped clinging to hope, and they never stopped praying. A vital reminder to every one of the best way to navigate tough times. If you are looking for your next must – read book, I highly recommend that you purchase a copy of Leora’s Letters by Mrs. Joy Neal Kidney. I promise you this, you will not be disappointed!!".