Regret Free Parenting

Regret Free Parenting is one of the most thought provoking books on parenting that I have read in a while. Written by a woman named Catherine Hickem, it is full of first hand experience and friendly advice. Many books will give you advice, expecting you to take it for what it is, with no thinking on your own. Hickem fully expects us as readers to think what is best for our family, what works in our individual situation, and even to disagree – which she says is a sign of thinking things through.

I have found Regret Free Parenting to give mothers the confidence that they need to raise their kids, yet to fully lean on their faith in God. I found it refreshing that while Hickem sees children as people in their own right, she doesn’t suggest that they are the authority. She leaves the job of parenting and decision making where it belongs – to the parents – and she shows us how to teach our children to make smart choices for themselves when the time is right.

I recommend this to any mother, or father, who wants to learn new ways to parent in a loving, Christian, and intentional way. 

Calvin Miller - LOVE

In the book Love, written by Calvin Miller, we are shown many different aspects of love. What it means to us as Christians, how it affects our day to day life in our own personal growth and within the relationships we have with those around us. It is at the base of what so many of us believe, yet it can be so difficult to truly love like God loves. This book takes you through some interesting studies and brings up some thought provoking questions to get your mind and heart thinking not just about love in general, but how to apply it in our lives. This book is written like a study guide, divided into six weeks. There are discussion questions at the end of each chapter to get a group into a lively discussion each week. Miller keeps you digging deeper by having the weekly topic directed at a different area in your life – for example, serving others or personal worship. I read through this book without doing it as a study, but I can see how it could easily work as a small group guide or even make a meaningful personal study. I appreciated that he uses Bible texts throughout and encourages you to get into your own Bible, reading passages for yourself. This is definitely going to be read again by me and I can see myself using it in a group study.

Transforming Church in Rural America by Shannon O'Dell

It’s been a while since I have reviewed a book. Life has been busy. Transforming Church in Rural America written by Shannon O’Dell was a good book to help me get back into the swing of things.

This book is the story of how O’Dell moved his family from a large and prosperous city church to a small and barely there rural church. He tells of God’s calling to bring him from all the things most pastor’s dream of in a church to a somewhat sad situation in a dying church in the sticks of Arkansas.

I can relate all to well to the dying church as we have seen them over and over in our travels. It isn’t to say there isn’t passion or God’s blessings there, but there isn’t much in the way of change to move things forward. This is what O’Dell found too. Tradition and an attitude of “that’s the way it’s always been” gets in the way of growth.

O’Dell speaks honestly about a pastors struggle to want a bigger and better church for his own benefit rather than for spreading God’s word and he takes you through that to get to the real reason behind wanting church growth.

All in all, this book is a wonderful picture of where so many churches are and where they could be if they would open their hearts to some change to reach those they might not otherwise reach. Definitely worth the read, especially for those in rural areas. 

The Way Home (DVD)

Usually I receive books through BookSneeze – the organization that I get to review books for Thomas Nelson, but this time it was different. A DVD came instead. The Way Home is a movie based on a true story of the Simpkins family going through life as so many of us do; busy, stressed and a little on edge. Just as they were finally taking that much needed family vacation with their three boys a horrible things happens. Joe, their 2 year old son, disappears. The Simpkins live in a very rural area with lots of trees, ponds and places begging to be explored by a little boy. Within minutes of realizing he was missing, emergency response teams were in place to come help search. Not only trained professionals showed up, but hoards of people from local churches, many that the family didn’t even know. During this stressful and emotional time for the Simpkins family they are shown love and support by friends, family and complete strangers who come to walk the land around the house in a close grip pattern. Hours go by with no leads, until one older man remembers where he used to go as a child. He heads that way and low and behold, Joe is there, scared and ready to go home. Needless to say, the family is thrilled, as is everyone there helping. A huge celebration is thrown and a new appreciation for family time is understood by all. This movie, while low budget and admittedly somewhat cheesy acting, it really made an impression about priorities and family bonding. It is worth a watch.

The Heavens Proclaim His Glory

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I signed on for the book The Heavens Proclaim His Glory, created and compiled by Lisa Stilwell. I thought maybe a nice little packet of photos of some stars and maybe a few facts stated here or there. From the moment I opened the package I was impressed. This was no small packet; rather it is a weighty hard cover book that with a very striking design. As you first page through it, you see the breathtaking photos of outer space. It truly is remarkable, not only the images themselves, but the fact that we have the technology to capture such sights. The vivid colors and amazing designs almost look as if some graphic artist spent their time on the computer editing a photo of the rainbow, but as you look closely at these images, you are left to gaze in awe at the incredible shots. Each page not only has something to catch the eye, but a Bible verse or an inspiring quote. You are given specific details of each photo, all the while thinking that this simply could not have “exploded” into being. This book helps to reaffirm my believe that God made this universe and that He is a God of beauty and majesty. I will no doubt be leaving this on my coffee table for others to see.

same kind of different as me

It has been a long time since a book has touched my heart and called me to my responsibility to show love like God’s commands us to. Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore is the true story of two lives that couldn’t be farther apart. That is until a woman, Ron’s wife Debbie, felt called by God that she and her husband were to pursue a relationship with Denver at the homeless shelter they volunteered at and where Denver resided. The book is written in a way that gives you a very personal glimpse into each man’s past and how they became who they were when they met and what led them to Debbie, the woman that brought them together. It is a honest look at how much we can take for granted when we simply overlook the needs of others less fortunate and the subtle judgments we make, sometimes without even realizing it. Denver proves that profound wisdom can come in all forms and that it does not need a financial backing to be authentic. Ron shows us that while working hard to reach the goals we set up for ourselves in life, there are no guarantees, but we must not just look beyond the trials, but use them to better ourselves and others in any way possible. This is such heartfelt story, one that deserves to be read by everyone.

I Am Hutterite

Mary Ann Kirkby tells the unique story of the culture in which she grew up in the book I Am Hutterite. Mary Ann gives a detailed description of the lifestyle that most of us only wonder about. I have always found this life fascinating and I thankful she took the time to write this book. Getting a glimpse into a more simple and focused way of living makes me think about the way we live today. Claiming to be a Christian and living exactly how the rest of the world lives with little to show other than going to church every weekend for a couple hours doesn’t really show much of our dedication to God. These people give up everything and commit to share the hard work and profits among the people they share close quarters with for the better part of their lives. They truly have taken the Acts church to a new level that most of us aren’t willing to do. While I don’t know that we need to live life as the Hutterites do, I think we have a lot to learn from their wisdom. I enjoyed the many stories of what they do in their colonies and I find it remarkable that they have been able to continue this standard of living even toady in this world of convenience and technology.