Books & Reviews

Calvin Miller - LOVE

2011-02-06T14:34:00.001-08:00

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

2011-01-16T07:49:00.001-08:00

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)

2010-09-26T09:51:00.001-07:00

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

2010-09-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-23T15:42:00.001-07:00

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.

A Century Turn

2010-05-27T16:13:00.001-07:00

A Century Turns, written by William Bennet, has the subtitle: “New Hopes, New Fears” on it. In today’s modern world of convenience, we can flip on the TV to see just about anything we want. We can bypass all the negative news straight to the night time comedy shows or live in our never ending drama filled sagas found in one of the many soap operas. But you would have to try really hard to totally miss out on what America is about these days. We are all feeling the economic crunch on our wallets. We see the cultural battles found in our own country. We even have issues of who is allowed to be in our country. All in all the U.S. is still a great place to live. But we are faced with many things…New hopes. And New fears. This book gives a detailed history of the past century in this great country, explaining how we got to be where we are today. Bennet has hands on experience that gives the book a credibility you can trust. You get a sense of the ins and outs of the political scene while seeing some of our leaders at their best, and at their worst. I highly recommend this book to anyone, voting with any party, as an informative read and if all else fails, it will bring up a discussion far better than one about your daily soap stars.

Buried Alive

2010-02-08T10:07:00.000-08:00

In Buried Alive, Roy Hallums tells his personal story of how he was kidnapped while working in Iraq. He describes how gangs of kidnappers would snatch people from their daily lives, turning their worlds upside down and demand ransom money from their government, employers or families. The living conditions he dealt with for just under a year was horrible, unfit for even animals. The part that really got me was what his family was going through during this time. He didn’t want them to know he had taken a job in Iraq, so as far as they were concerned he was still working in Saudi Arabia. They lived in the constant unknown of what would or could be happening to their father. Hallums had been in the military before so he had some training to get him through it, but mostly it looks like he lived one day at a time and kept looking forward to seeing his family. It refers to his praying a few times here and there, but really I was expecting to walk away with a more spiritual aspect from this book, especially under the circumstances he was in. I think maybe he is targeting a whole different audience that otherwise wouldn’t read religious books? I think overall it was very interesting and a good read.

Obstacles Welcome

2010-01-16T22:06:00.001-08:00

In Obstacles Welcome, Ralph de la Vega motivates you to not only take control of your professional life, but your personal life as well. De la Vega, President and CEO of AT&T Mobility, starts by telling the story of how he came alone to the U.S. from Cuba as a ten year old boy without his parents and how he worked from the bottom to the very top. This is not done with a “poor me” or “look at how great I am” manner. It is done with a simple mindset that whatever it is that you want, you can get it with hard work and a learning attitude. Throughout the book he uses real life examples from his company to show how straightforward strategies can point you in the direction of you goal. While de la Vega mentions things to do, he also lists things not to do. He inspires and motivates in an easy fashion, as if he were sitting across a table at Starbucks mentoring you through your thought process of how to get where you want to go. The thing I like best about his big idea is that to succeed in the work place, you must succeed personally. Leadership must be a part of who you are in every aspect in order to be a truly good leader. I was inspired by his life story and his determination to push past the very things that would normally be setbacks. I think that every person with a specific goal, whether in an office environment or at home, needs to read this book to work through and obtain a clear and concise road map to success.

In The Sweet By and By

2010-01-04T19:31:00.001-08:00

In The Sweet By and By, Sara Evans, along with the help of Rachel Hauck, brings us a wonderful story of how a future can be made bright by the choices we make in the present regarding the past. In this account, a young bride to be, Jade, comes to terms with some events that happened in the past that she would rather no one in her new life would ever find out about. While her plans were to keep them hidden, God had another idea. He uses the people from her past and present to bring her to a new relationship with Him and mend some broken ties with those who have known her the longest. This is a heartwarming tale of the power of forgiveness. No matter how far you run, your choices will catch up with you someday, good and bad, and when they do, God is there with open arms waiting to grieve and celebrate. The Sweet By and By is well written in a fun format of bouncing between different times in multiple people’s lives. It keeps you wondering what exactly is Jade running from and will she ever come to terms with it and with her God.

The Language of Love & Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

2009-12-02T19:20:00.000-08:00

In The Language of Love & Respect, Dr. Emerson Eggerichs explains our individual needs as a person in a marriage relationship. Just in case you didn’t catch his first book, Love & Respect, he gives a brief history of it in the beginning of this book to make sure you are all up to speed. He gives his take on how God made us to respond to how our spouse feeds us in our needs. Women are designed to need love. Men are designed to need respect. Not only are we each designed to need one or the other, but we are commanded by God to fulfill this need for our spouse. This book shows you how to speak to this deep desire in your spouse by changing how you listen to everything around you. Eggerichs explains men and women see and listen in different colors (blue and pink) and though hearing the exact same words, they usually interpret very different meanings. He shows us the typical reason most of us get on the “Crazy Cycle” and demonstrates how we can not only get off of this cycle, but turn it into a “Reward Cycle”. Whether you have major communication problems in your marriage or the occasional misunderstanding, this book will open your eyes and heart to hear and see things in a way that will let you be closer to your spouse. I enjoyed reading it and recommend it to anyone wanting to step up their communication skills.

5 Cities that Ruled the World by Douglas Wilson

2009-11-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

In his book 5 Cities that Ruled the World, Douglas Wilson creates an easy understanding of just how Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, London and New York have created some lasting impressions on our current modern age. He breaks each city down, giving a condensed yet thorough history of how they were started, what kept them going, what was their downfall and what made them great. Wilson throws in more than a few little known facts which some day could come in very handy in your next game of trivial pursuit or should you star on Jeopardy. His witty writing makes it an easier read than one would think a book on history could be and quite frankly, you just feel smarter after reading it. From giving background information on wars to the importance of baseball in New York, Wilson shares his deep knowledge in many areas. He ties it closely with biblical teaching, and while I don’t agree with all of his theology, I do appreciate his ability to combine “world” history and “Bible” history as I have never really put it together before. I highly recommend this to anyone who has ever wondered how ancient Greek gods, the Reformation, and a man named Constantine could have any sort of influence on our culture here in America.

The Power of Respect

2009-10-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

So I am doing something pretty cool, at least I think so.... I review books for Thomas Nelson and the deal is I get free books if I post reviews....so here is my first one - and a good one it is!!

The Power of Respect by Deborah Norville I have just finished reading The Power of Respect and not only could I not put it down, it has left me to think about the way our world is – lacking so much respect. The author Deborah Norville points out time and time again, while using many eye-opening statistics to back up her ideas, the sad state of our nation in this important area of everyday life that affects every person that has any contact with other humans. The shocking reports of the younger generation showing less and less respect seems to lead to more problems than we may think.

As a parent I am so thankful I found this book when I did, not only to learn how to teach our son the proper ways to show respect, but I find that I have ways I too need to grow in this area. As Norville points out, you can treat people with respect because it is the right thing to do, but it will pay you back in ways unexpected. I highly recommend this to anyone who is a parent, spouse, teacher, leader, businessperson and/or simply a person who interacts with others on a daily basis. We fall so short, but there is a simple solution: The Power or Respect.