Eye Opening

There are those books that you genuinely look forward to reading a chapter each night.  A Sudden Glory by Sharon Jaynes was one of those books.  It wasn't groundbreaking and new.  It was an amazing reminder.  It tore away any facade erected by religion and asked the reader to examine their relationship with the Lover of their soul.  It talked about noticing the little things God gives us each day just to say "I'm here and I love you!"  The book made me consider my day.  What did God give me today?  That amazing blue sky that I just sat in awe of? Yep, that was the gift of my loving Savior who is ever showing me that I am his.  That timely text from a friend wasn't just from them but from God as well.  She had other points to consider besides just the daily miracles we take for granted.  Probably the most earth shaking point for me was that ingratitude is "a casual despising of God's sovereignty."  Wow.  My God has a plan.  He is in control, and even those things I don't like in my life are working to make his BEST plan for my life a reality.  I admit there were certain parts of this book directed at married women that I couldn't fully appreciate, but overall, I recommend it to Christian women who are feeling guilty for wanting something more.  The problem isn't in the desire for something more, but in what we think will satisfy that desire.   Check it out!

Just not "Christian"

I just finished reading The River by Michael Neale.  I was really excited to read this book, but in truth, it kind of let me down a bit.  If I was just reviewing this book as fiction, and not "Christian fiction," it would most likely get a better review.  As for the story line itself, it was pretty good.  I enjoyed it for the most part. The only real hole I found was a conflict resolved at the end much too quickly, but unfortunately, I'm not reviewing this book merely as a piece of fiction.  This book is marketed as "Christian fiction."  The premise of the book is that The River is calling to the main character throughout his life.  He lives in fear of that very river because as a young child, he witnessed the tragic death of his father.  Throughout the book, "The River" is always capitalized, ascribing to it some weight of deity.  There are some good parallels to draw between God and The River, but there are also parallels to other deities of other religions.  The book is vague about it.  There is a higher power.  I'm not the type who thinks every "Christian fiction" book should have the gospel of every page, but this book could honestly be successfully tied to any "higher power."  I liked this book...as fiction, maybe even as "spiritual fiction", but I can't like it as "Christian fiction"

I received a copy of this book as part of the Book Sneeze program.  I was not required to write a positive review.

Twelve Unlikely Heroes

I enjoy reading pretty much anything by John MacArthur, and Twelve Unlikely Heroes was no exception.  I admit, when I first picked it up, I expected it to be about the disciples, but it actually pulls characters out of what many call the "Hall of Faith," and showcase how they were heroic.  Some people don't like the term "Hall of Faith" because they feel that it exalts these Old Testament characters.  It makes people think of lives like theirs as unattainable.  MacArthur examines each of these twelve and shows how, despite being flesh, despite being weak or timid, despite being sinners, each person chose to stand for God in a time that wasn't convenient or easy.  I have always loved the character of Jonathan.  He was David's most loyal friend.  He did the right thing even when all the authority in his life, the king and his father, were doing otherwise.  MacArthur's chapter on Jonathan was incredible.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know the true mean of the word hero (which the introduction spends a bit of time discussing  a little more in depth), is studying the portraits of faith in the Bible or just wants to know that you don't have to be perfect for God to use them.

I was given a copy of this book through the BookSneeze program.  I was not required to write a positive review.

My humblest apologies to my faithful readers :-p

Ok, so, I don't exactly keep up with my blog.  I admit it.  I forget it's here sometimes.  I get busy, and this poor thing suffers.  According to Blogger, I have one faithful person who checks my blog almost daily.  I humbly apologize.

I believe I haven't posted an actual, non book review, entry in almost a year.  So there is a lot of catching up to do.  I was blessed with another year of life.  I am still subbing for the school districts around here.  God has shown himself faithful to me everyday.  I've grown closer to Him this year, and I cannot articulate in so few words as a blog post what He has meant to me.

I was privileged once again to travel to the amazing country of Argentina.  God helped our team overcome countless obstacles to share the gospel with the people there.  At first I wondered about our ministry.  We weren't building water purification systems (their water there is just fine). We weren't a construction team fixing up an orphanage.  I wondered about the impact that would be made by our trip.  Then I realized, we were building relationships.  We built earthly friendships with the Argentine people.  I miss my friends there dearly!  More importantly, we were helping to build eternal relationships.  God allowed our team to share the gospel and plant seeds in the hearts of many people.  God allowed us to encourage believers already serving.    We weren't a professional choir by any means, but little is much when God is in it.

There was another impact from our trip that I wasn't quite expecting.  Not because I was opposed to it, but because I thought I had already received my answer last time I traveled that far south.  I firmly believe God's plan for my life includes long term mission work in the field of Central/South America.  I'm so excited to see how He works out some of the details in the future.  There are certain steps God has to present before I can begin taking some on my own, but all of that belongs in a different post.  So, for now I'm trying to patiently wait, while serving my God wherever He puts me. :)

Go. Read this book. Right now.

I read the book The Perfect Love by Ruth Myers.  It was incredible.  It highlights the love of God in a way that does not negate the importance of the holiness of God, which I have found to be a problem in many books about the love of God.  It was written in a way that holds your attention well.  This is a book I was able to pick up night after night and find something that I could learn from it.  This book was not just written about the love of God, it was written by someone who has lived it.  Myers is a woman with wisdom that amazes me.  Reading this book felt like an everyday meeting with a mentor.  This is a book I have already recommended to friends, and I recommend it to anyone who desires an honest look at the love of God. 

I received a copy of this book through the Blogging for Books program.  I was not required to write a positive review.

 Buy it here

First Review in a long time...

More Lost Than Found by Jared Herd.  I picked up this book, not expecting much.  Most people my age are disgruntled with religion.  Even people in my circles don’t embrace their parents’ church or denomination.  We roll our eyes at certain subjects.  That also means there are a good number of books addressing the issue.  Herd challenges the believer to take a step outside what they’re used to and look at religion from a new angle.  It shows that the Christian life does not have to be a stale. 

That being said, the book doesn’t really say anything “new,” and it isn’t really coherent.  It wasn’t really intended for readers under the age of 30.  The author himself dreads turning 30.  As I am in my upper 20’s already, I didn’t really feel the book was geared toward me.

I received the book from the Booksneeze program.  I was not required to write a positive review.

 

First Review in a long time...

More Lost Than Found by Jared Herd.  I picked up this book, not expecting much.  Most people my age are disgruntled with religion.  Even people in my circles don’t embrace their parents’ church or denomination.  We roll our eyes at certain subjects.  That also means there are a good number of books addressing the issue.  Herd challenges the believer to take a step outside what they’re used to and look at religion from a new angle.  It shows that the Christian life does not have to be a stale. 

That being said, the book doesn’t really say anything “new,” and it isn’t really coherent.  It wasn’t really intended for readers under the age of 30.  The author himself dreads turning 30.  As I am in my upper 20’s already, I didn’t really feel the book was geared toward me.

I received the book from the Booksneeze program.  I was not required to write a positive review.