End of the Journey

After a lot of thought and some changes that have occurred over the last year in my life, I've decided to discontinue posting to this site.

Old postings and reviews may be found at my new blog The D Ticket.

The Spirit in Football by Kathryn Nixon and Ana Boudreau

Kathryn Nixon and Ana Boudreau in The Spirit in Football presents the fruits of the spirits from Galatians 5:22-23 to children through images and word pictures related to football. For example, they present to children the idea of gentleness by not reacting badly to a penalty. Or one learns about joy through the excitement of a touchdown. Each of the nine fruits of the spirit is presented in two pages, with one page providing a supporting verse and the other page matching the specific fruit of the spirit to a concept familiar to those who enjoy football. The book also includes an introduction from National Football League player Matt Hasselbeck and a football themed prayer.

I’m a sports fan and looked forward to sharing this book with my son. He really enjoys playing with sports balls so I thought the pictures would grab his interest. He, a young three year old, sat patiently through a full reading of the book. But on a personal level he was more engaged with the author’s baseball book on the fruits of the spirit. At this time, the fruits of the spirit are over his head. But, this book does help serve to introduce concepts like kindness and self control to young children and begin the foundations of character building.

Review Copy Provided by The B&B Media Group, Inc.

The Spirit in Baseball by Kathryn Nixon and Ana Boudreau

Kathryn Nixon and Ana Boudreau in The Spirit in Baseball presents the fruits of the spirits from Galatians 5:22-23 to children through images and word pictures related to baseball. For example, they present to children the idea of patience through waiting for one’s turn at bat. Or one learns about joy through the excitement of a homerun. Each of the nine fruits of the spirit is presented in two pages, with one page providing a supporting verse and the other page matching the specific fruit of the spirit to a concept familiar to those who enjoy baseball. The book also includes an afterward from Mrs. Nixon’s husband Trot Nixon, former Major League Baseball player, and a baseball themed prayer.

I’m a big baseball fan, so this book caught my interest since I could share faith and baseball at the same time with my son. But to be honest, as a young three year old what engaged him was finding the baseball in every picture. He really likes sports balls. So the great news was he would be willing to sit through multiple reads since he could find the baseball every time. But alas the fruits of the spirit are at this time over his head. But, this book does help serve to introduce concepts like kindness and self control to young children.

Review Copy Provided by The B&B Media Group, Inc.

Jesus, My Father, the CIA and Me by Ian Morgan Cron

Ian Morgan Cron in Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me recounts key moments in his life and his growing relationship with God. Cron was born to affluent parents, including a father who was an executive for Screen Gems working in the United Kingdom. His parents socialized with the rich and famous in London, but the senior Cron’s entertainment career was wasted by a curse, the curse of alcoholism. Oh, and his father worked for the fledging CIA on an occasional basis! Cron grew up in fear of this father and seeking to gain his approval and at times just approval. As a young man he developed his own substance abuse problem, which he struggled and struggles with. Along with Cron’s need to connect to his father, Cron also describes hs desir to connect to God in a meaningful way and how he used substance abuse to replicate feeling close to God.

Overall Jesus, My Father the CIA and Me is a highly readable book. The episodes from Cron’s life are typically engaging and you are able to enter into the incidents with Cron. My biggest complaint is Cron occasionally uses phrases or makes cultural references that belong to today and not Cron’s earlier years. For example he makes a reference to “$#*! My Dad Says” which simply removed me from his storytelling taking me a few minutes to return. Cron provides his readers a generally enjoyable tale, which records one man’s walk with addiction and God. It is the sort of summer read that one can both find entertainment and meaning in.

Review Copy Provided by Thomas Nelson

We Shall See God: Charles Spurgeon’s Classic Devotional Thoughts on Heaven by Randy Alcorn

Randy Alcorn in We Shall See God collects fifty experts from Charles Spurgeon’s sermons on the topic of heaven. Alcorn has selected from Spurgeon’s vast treasury of sermons excerpts that show Spurgeon’s thoughts on heaven and the importance of Jesus in a theology of the afterlife. After every two to five page Spurgeon excerpt, Alcorn provides commentary on Spurgeon’s thoughts and helps provide linkages to the modern day. Alcorn for his modern reader additionally edited each section to meet modern conventional grammar, often resulting in rearranging large paragraphs into smaller chunks. Alcorn along with the excerpts provides biographical information on Spurgeon for readers unfamiliar with his life and ministry.

For the purposes of this review, I want to focus primarily on Spurgeon’s thoughts. Though Alcorn’s commentary is helpful and helps readers get to the point of sermons written in the language of the 19th century. Spurgeon overall paints a picture of heaven that is exciting, better than one can expect and adventurist. Spurgeon chaffs at those who view heaven as a boring uninteresting existence that humans would not want to spend an eternity in. Instead heaven is a place of rest and sabbath where believers will finally know Jesus in a personal manner. The saved will live in heaven as kings, redeemed by the work of Christ. In heaven there will be no place for sin, but there will be room for laughter and joy. Spurgeon believed that believers would retain their personal identities and friendships, deeper than we could have in the old earth, in the restored creation. This is a devotional book and the cheery and exciting picture that Spurgeon paints of heaven is highly encouraging. On a side note there have been a lot of discussion about heaven and what does it mean to be an Universalist. Spurgeon makes clear that he believes that he believes that there will be more in heaven than those that are lost to hell, an existence without God. Alcorn states his belief that Spurgeon is not an Universalist in anyway, as Jesus is the key to salvation. But it does lead to questions about what does it mean to be an Universalist and the importance to provide each other grace in this debate. In my opinion, we are currently experiencing an vigorous theological debate amongst believers about heaven. In short, it’s nice to see where we have been already to help us determine where we are going.

Review Copy Provided by Tyndale House Publishers

Flight Plan: Your Mission to Become a Man by Lee Burns and Braxton Brady

Lee Burns and Braxton Brady in Flight Plan: Your Mission to Become a Man welcomes boys into the adventure of becoming a man. Burns and Brady frame this adventure in word pictures of flight, using stories and examples of flight school, fighter pilots and other aviation allusions. They introduce boys to seven key virtues of manhood:
• The True Friend: Leave No Man Behind
• The Humble Hero: Develop a God Sized Vision
• The Servant Leader: I Am Third
• The Moral Motivator: Make a Difference
• The Bold Adventurer: Don’t Sit Around
• The Noble Knight: Called to Duty
• The Heart Patient: Give Up Control
This is followed by discussions of issues that boys will have to face in a virtuous way as they move into manhood. These topics including relationships, sex, drugs and alcohol, school, success and other issues boys are sure to need to address head on. Every chapter ends with a set of discussion/reflection questions that can help boys examine their own thoughts on the material.

My academic training is history. The old adage was we tell you what we are going to tell you, tell you and then tell you what we told you. Chapter 3 “Flight Pattern” seemed like a great tell them what you’re going to tell them chapter introducing the virtues of a man. Each one of those virtues deserves an in-depth examination. Instead the chapters that follow deal with issues facing boys and young men not further exploration of the seven virtues. Now the discussions of things like sex are frank and handled in a mature and non-demeaning way. But what is missing are strong ties back to the virtues like “The Noble Knight.”

How would I recommend using this book? First, it would be a good discussion piece between fathers and sons. The book would help break the ice on topics I would have loved to have discussed with my own father. I don’t remember my father in I having “the talk” or evening having a glancing conversation on issues like pornography. This book makes it so you can’t but not talk about those issues. It’s that blunt conversation that would make me questioning using the book in some settings as a small group resource. For a group of mature teens willing to engage in a serious conversation about these issues there could be benefits in going through this book in a group setting. But for younger and less mature boys, the use of the proper words for sexual organs will likely result in snickers and laughs. The authors suggest reading the book before age 12, which may work in their setting of a boys school. However, it may not work for every youth leader in their setting with that age group. And for a less mature, and maybe some mature adults, having conversations about sex, your body, or puberty with boys could be problematic.

Overall, this is a good book that outlines the issues that boys face today. The picture of the journey from boyhood to manhood as an adventure is engaging and accurate. And the use of airplane imagery will likely hook some boys reading the book. The best part of this book is it examines some difficult issues, but in a honest, Biblical and grace filled manner. And while some readers may cringe at these topics, transparency is the book’s true strength.

Review Copy Provided by The B&B Media Group, Inc.

Love & War: Find Your Way to Something Beautiful in Your Marriage by John & Stasi Eldredge

John and Stasi Eldredge in Love & War let their readers into a secret. Marriage is a battle, it’s more than a battle it’s a war and failure would be devastating. The Eldredges use their own marriage and those they have counseled to detail how this war for your marriage is taking place and strategies in order to win the day. The key principal that they teach is that a couple should include God in their relationship. Only by centering a marriage around God can a couple survive Satan’s attacks and attempts to rip the relationship apart. Additionally, it is only through God’s strength that a couple can overcome the damage caused by the hurts that each member of the partnership brings into the union. In the end, they argue that one of the most important things every marriage needs is healing, healing of the hurts done by others and by each other. They teach that healing can only come by forgiveness.

I went into this book a little apprehensive. I thought Wild at Heart very insightful but also not my typical preferred content. So I went into this book prepared not to enjoy it. Well, I was wrong. I love how the Eldredges focus on marriage as a story, but not just any story but an epic battle between good and evil for your marriage. I believe this imagery speaks to the heart of a man and is more effective in communicating truth than a 12 step self help fix your marriage book. And let’s be honest, it’s likely the husband and the wife that needs to be wooed into reading a book on marriage. Additionally, the chapters do move from topic to topic, but they don’t give us a checklist to fix a marriage but instead show how couples are attacked in different aspects of their marriage and how Jesus can be invited into that particular battle. I find their advice highly practical and realistic, feeling like advice from those that have reached a spiritually mature place in their marriage to those at the earlier steps. They are clear, your marriage will not be perfect, it will not be a fairy tale, it will have ups and down and they are not going to try to convince you otherwise just because you are a Christian. Speaking of realism, I found their discussion on sex honest, transparent and somewhat refreshing in seeing a Christian couple be honest about the need for sex and how they have been sexually disconnected at times and how they have reconnected. If asked today to recommend a book on marriage, I would wholeheartedly reach first for Love & War.

Review Copy Provided by WaterBrook Multnomah

Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursing God by Mark Batterson

Mark Batterson in Wild Goose Chase attempts to guide us in chasing the Spirit of God, the Wild Goose. Batterson promises this chase is one that will be frustrating, scary but most of all an adventure that is worth it. Batterson pushes his readers to escape boring religion and replace it with an exciting journey. In order to free ourselves to chase the goose, Batterson reviews six cages that keep us from pursuing God. The cage of responsibility keeps us from chasing God because of the things we must do. The cage of routine keeps us from adventure due to habits that we have worked ourselves into. The cage of assumptions holds us back by the things we believe are true but may be false. The cage of guilt reminds us of our faults and keeps us from acting. The cage of failure keeps us from moving forward due to past mistakes and detours. And the cage of fear frustrates our need for chasing the Goose due to the terror of the chase. Once one overcomes these cages, one can live a life of adventure chasing God.

This is a book I have wanted to read for a few years. I love Batterson’s view of a relationship with God as an adventure. That language and word picture is highly attractive to me, a fan of action epics. Who doesn’t want to engage themselves in an adventure, an important adventure at that as one becomes open to the influence of God in their life? Overall, that’s an exciting proposition. And overall Wild Goose Chase is an enjoyable, easy to read book that reminds us that Christians are not called to boring mediocre lives. We were called for adventure. The only criticisms I can give are minor. I was hoping to get more from the book about the Holy Spirit, which is painted as the Wild Goose by the Celtic Christians Batterson cites. Instead, in my mind, it was best to thing of the Wild Goose for this book as a relationship with the Trinity and not the Holy Spirit alone. Additionally, some of Batterson’s stories were ones that I was familiar with. I’m assuming they were used in Primal or Soul Print which I have also read. But even if repetitive, I wish I had read this book before those two and enjoyed it more than his more recent books.

To Be Perfectly Honest: One Man’s Year of Almost Living Truthfully Could Change Your Life. No Lie by Phil Callaway

Phil Callaway in To Be Perfectly Honest documents a year of his life and his attempt to avoid lying. The book is a journal of his life for a year, day by day, in his attempt to live entirely truthfully. He records his daily happenings and feelings about the activities of his days. He is “honest” with his readers on his views of faith, relationships and Pac-Man. The journal is a chronicle of a year in which Callaway interacted with Christians and non-Christians, dealt with financial scams, and experienced the death of his mother. At the end of each chapter Callaway presents an honest confession based on his observations for the last month. The book concludes with a discussion guide for use with small groups.

When I agreed to review this book, I was looking for something different than what I typically read. I honestly was trying to seek out a humorous book. And Callaway has plenty of amusing stories and observations, though I honestly, okay I’m going to use honest and truth as much as possible in this review, never had a full out belly laugh. Callaway is very truthful with his reader about how situations made him feel and his opinions on what occurred. He does not hide that he would rather be playing and reaching new high scores in Pac-Man instead of reading his Bible, as a good man of God should. He provides us honest impressions of his interactions with other Christians and how we have failed, he is a reformed Pharisee in his own words. So I do believe this is a very transparent reflection of a man of faith and provides us a window to Callaway’s mind a man honestly seeking to follow Jesus. However, I don’t believe it delivers as a summary of an experiment of truth. Callaway does mention his truth project, but he is not always 100% truthful. For example he has an email exchange with Nigerian scammers where he gives the impression that he wishes to participate in the scammers request. He provides an explanation of why this allowable, but he is not 100 percent truthful. Also when reading the summary of the book I was thinking of a text along the lines of A.J. Jacobs The Year of Living Biblically a book where Jacobs documents his own extreme social experiment. That book delivers due to Jacobs’ review of what his year did to him. It’s especially highly engaging since Jacobs is not a man of faith. Basically I was hoping there was a more in-depth explanation of what his experiment meant to him than the five pages provided from a position closer to my own worldview. I could have taken from this text the same lessons and reflections on a Christian life without the addition of a year of living in truth. And that’s my honest take on this book. I wouldn’t lie to you.

Review Copy Provided by WaterBrook Multnomah

Daddy Dates: Four Daughters, One Clueless Dad, and His Quest to Win Their Hearts by Greg Wright

Greg Wright has been asked by lots of other dads, how did you get such a good relationship with your daughters? Wright explains his journey to better relating to his four daughters in Daddy Dates. As a father of four girls, Wright came to the realization that he was struggling as a dad. In reflecting, and trying to be logical and planful, to overcome this problem, Wright developed a mission statement, “Don’t Screw Up.” He realized as he considered his relationships that as a teenager he was an expert dater and that in dating a man, or boy, seeks to know more about the female he is pursuing. So Wright, relying on past successes decided to date his daughters. He outlines his rules for daddy dates, the rationale behind some of his choices around daddy dates and how daddy dates have changed as his daughters have grown older. One of the keys to daddy dates is Wright teaching his daughters how they should be treated by the young men that eventually will pursue them romantically. Wright calls his daughters on the phone to make dates, which they can refuse, picks them up at home and shows them the courtesies that any father would want a young man to give their daughter. He is even know to dress up for their time together. In the end, Wright does not claim to have all the answers, in fact he notes he is still learning. Wright makes it clear that daddy dates are about interacting with his daughters so he can learn more about them while also sharing life lessons. A daddy date where no conversation has occurred is a failure.

This book is short and easy to read. As a father of a young girl the topic instantly had me hooked. What dad doesn’t want to get advice from another dad, especially one that has established solid relationships with his girls. Additionally, the book has led to discussion within my house. My wife and I have discussed daddy dates in detail as I read the book. These conversations went beyond the daddy date concept but grew to include how we would like our daughter to learn self respect and what she should expect from boys. Not everything Wright proposes may be for every family. In Wright’s house romantic dating is not allowed, it is daddy’s turn to date his girls others can date his daughters later. For my family that is an issue that we have not made a decision on. But again, it’s very beneficial to see another couple’s rationale for that decision and how they have implemented it in their own home. Regardless your opinion of daddy dating, this book definitely sparks discussion amongst parents.

Review Copy Provided by Thomas Nelson

Max on Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions by Max Lucado

Max Lucado in Max on Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions answers the tough questions that many seeking and those who have found God struggle with. Lucado answers 172 questions in one to two page responses in seven thematic sections that include, “Hope”, “Hurt” and “Hereafter.” The questions are a wide range including forgiving others, grief, salvation, parenting and the afterlife. The topics are as diverse as the questions that pastors receive in their day to day work.

Okay, I have to admit it. In the past I have not been a fan of Lucado’s “recycled” writings. Most of this has been due to poor editing or the clear reuse of past material. Lucado informs his reader that some of the responses do in fact come from past writings, though it is only explicitly called out twice that the response came from a past book. However, in Max on Life, the editing works well. The responses really do read like responses to questions. It does not feel like you are reading a copy and paste from other writings. You can easily see Lucado sitting down and writing these out at his desk as a reply to real letters. As always Lucado’s writing is highly accessible and easy to read. If anything, I find myself chuckling as I read some of the responses on heaven and hell, which includes Lucado stating that we would find in heaven many who had not heard the name of Jesus until they awoke to eternity and that people put themselves in hell through their own choices. Though I agree with these responses and see them as highly orthodox, I wonder if this book had been named Rob Bell on Life if Lucado’s views on heaven and hell would have been more heavily debated and criticized. Overall Max on Life is a decent read filled with solid advice and spiritual guidance. Review Copy Provided by Thomas Nelson

The Final Summit: A Quest to Find the One Principle that Will Save Humanity by Andy Andrews

Andy Andrews in The Final Summit continues the story of Traveler David Ponder from The Traveler’s Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success. Ponder has used the wisdom he gathered as a Traveler well. He has built a successful business, loved well and is loved by those who work for him. He used the seven decisions to not only put his life on track but to overcome a business failure later in life. But Ponder is depressed and alone. In this moment of sadness the Archangel Gabriel returns to Ponder calling him to the Final Summit, a gathering of all the Travelers across history. Ponder as the final and the only Traveler from this time leads the summit in which they must use their collective wisdom to provide the two word answer that would return humanity to the pathway that will allow us to be a successful civilization. If Ponder and the Travelers assigned to aid him are unable to provide the answer, humankind will be destroyed. To find the answer, the Travelers discuss and debate the attributes of mankind that need to be developed in order to return to the proper pathway.

Once again Andrews shows himself to be a master storyteller. At times The Final Summit makes one think they are reading a light science fiction book and not a self-help offering. Andrews also does a great job uncovering overlooked historical events and figures. In this case one of the five Travelers assigned to struggle over the answer with Ponder is a completely unknown World War II figure whose wartime actions really should be celebrated and studied more in history books then we currently do. The Travelers appearing in the book include old friends from The Traveler’s Gift but also new historical figures. The reader begins to speculate who is “in the room” at the final summit. A personal favorite of mine was Fred Rogers! The Travelers work through several answers to the question and discuss in depth how each would personally and collectively benefit mankind. Some of those responses do seem to parallel the Seven Decisions. Overall this is good book which Andrews’ fans will be very satisfied with. The only complaint I have is at the beginning of the book Andrews introduces us to characters who have been impacted by Ponder’s life. It would have more satisfying conclusion if those characters could have been revisited so we could observe how they were impacted by the summit. Review Copy Provided by Thomas Nelson

Best Parenting Advice Ever?

Recently I asked “what is the best advice you have ever received about parenting?”

I got some great answers,

• Listen to your kids, but don’t listen to their words. Instead, learn what they need by how they act and respond to you.
• You better have a good reason to say NO. Because if you don’t, then you can say YES.
• Say what you mean, mean what you say.

I love seeing that parents I know are attentive, realistic and let their kids make choices so they can learn from them. Anyone of these pieces of advice could easily be one of the best pieces of parenting advice I’ve ever received. In fact, I may steal them…I mean recycle.

For my family the best parenting advice I ever received was, “Enjoy your kids where they are at.” When I first got this advice during my wife’s pregnancy it really did not make a lot of sense to me. Then my little baby girl began to grow, become more independent, became at times purposely defiant, basically she changed. I don’t sing to her the same songs now that I did when she was two. And, I’m never going to get that back, no matter how I try. At this point I have pictures, videos and at time hazy memories but that little girl is never coming back. She will never need me to carry her around, she will never coo at the simplest things again, she will never again be completely dependent on her mother and me. Luckily, since I was given this piece of advice, I made sure to enjoy my little girl as a newborn, age 2, age 5, today and hopefully tomorrow.

When our second child came, we were really aware of enjoy them where they are at. But will still have to remind ourselves to follow this advice. With a second child and knowing what is to come, often we project him to where he will be and not where he is at. Sometimes I ask, how much easier will life without (cups, diapers, strollers and etc) be? In the end, I have to remember to not run past one time of his life into the next. I need to enjoy him where he is at. Today is not going to get a repeat in the future.

In 1965, the band The Byrds reminded us of the fact that things change in their song “Turn, Turn, Turn” and that there is a season for all things. Or actually, this advice can be found in the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible. “The teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem,” in this wisdom book doesn’t mince words and brings forth some hard realities. The fact that things change is somewhat the teacher makes very clear.

“There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace (NIV, Ecc 3:1-8)”.

Please allow me to rephrase the teacher for today’s parents.

There is a time for diapers and a time for undies.

There is a time for bottles and a time for silverware.

There is a time for dependence and a time for independence.

There is a time for VeggieTales and a time for Star Wars (disclaimer, it is possible to make these occur in the same season.)

There is a time for every stage of your child’s development from birth until they move out.

So, make sure to enjoy them where they are at. Tasks and errands will probably wait, your kids will not.

The Story of the Bible: The Fascinating History of Its Writing, Translation & Effect on Civilization by Larry Stone

Larry Stone in The Story of the Bible provides the history of the Bible’s writing, canon, printing and translations. Stone provides his readers with detail on the ancient civilizations and languages in which the Bible was written and the discovery of manuscripts containing portions of the Bible. He then outlines how the Biblical manuscripts became canonized in the early church, and how additional manuscripts were discovered and furthered our understanding of Biblical content. Stone also demonstrates how the Bible was translated from manuscripts in original languages to Latin, German, eventually English and finally as a missionary tool in native languages. Along with the text, 23 life-size reproductions that can be removed and returned to the book are provided.

Overall this text is a straight forward survey text providing information that can be found elsewhere, such as Christian history textbooks, specific to the Bible. The text is readable and generally understandable. It is not however a complex historical discussion. However that should make it more usable for the general reader. Visually the book is also very pleasing and would look nice on any shelve. I was also surprised by the size of the book, expecting a very short pamphlet style book. This instead really is a coffee table book that’s strength really is its visual presentation. The reproductions to me however were a miss. I struggled to return two of the pullouts to their envelope in the book. In fact, one will never go back in to its original spot. And the reproductions are printed on the same paper as the book itself, making me wonder if it would have been just as effective as added pictures in the book. Really with a pullout I’m looking for something that I could not show in a book or shows the texture or feel of the actual item when teaching. Overall, this is a good introduction to the Bible that is visually pleasing.

Review Copy Provided by Thomas Nelson

Pujols: More Than the Game by Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth

Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth in Pujols: More Than the Game chronicles the life and spiritual walk of St. Louis Cardinals slugger and Major League Baseball MVP Albert Pujols. They chart his life from the poverty of the Dominican Republic, immigration to the United States and settling in the Kansas City area as a teenager and his quick impact on the game of baseball. Lamb and Ellsworth don’t just document Pujols life between the lines but also chronicle the efforts of Pujols and his wife Deidre to walk a consistent Christian life.

I have a bias. I’m a Cubs fan…so Pujols haunts my dreams. So I came into this reading not wanting to like Pujols. The writers are clearly fans of Pujols and they create a picture of a very moral man who makes choices out of his faith in God and a compassionate heart. In the end, the authors make it difficult for even a Cubs fan, hopefully Pujols’ 2012 team, to dislike this Cardinals’ hero. And the strength of the book is the stories of Pujols’ compassionate acts, these are the scenes where the reader get to better understand Pujols the man, father and husband. Honestly it’s the baseball scenes of the book that are lacking. The authors provide lots of names, numbers, facts and season summaries at a quick pace making it difficult to dig into the action of games and seasons. Also, the book lacks the young people with money acting silly sort of stories that one typically finds in baseball books. I don’t need stories of Pujols drinking and acting immorally but an excellent Christian witness would be stories of a young man really enjoying himself as he earns millions playing a game and being in top physical condition. Honestly this book lacks the funny and silly stories one typically finds in a baseball biography, that is not exploring the evils of steroids. Also, the authors do mention some negative incidents in Pujols career especially in incidents with the press, but they defend Pujols’ character strongly. In fact perhaps too strongly, giving readers a 20 point list of why Pujols has never used steroids, that could easily be boiled down to faith, integrity and bodily stewardship. Sadly, this book is at times just too bland to be considered a great baseball book.

Review Copy Provided by Thomas Nelson

Love and Respect: The Love She Most Desires, The Respect He Desperately Needs by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

Dr. Emerson Eggerichs’ in Love and Respect shares what he believes to be the Biblical formula to a successfully marriage. He found this foundational principle in Ephesians 5:33, which calls for men to love their wives and men to respect their husbands. He shows this command is for men to provide their wives unconditional love while women are to provide their husbands unconditional respect. Eggerichs details how this principle helps men to draw closer to their wives and women draw closer to their husband. By following Eggerichs’ argument he hopes that couples can avoid the harmful effects of the “crazy cycle.” He then details practical steps for men and women to enter the “energizing cycle” with their spouses so they can eventually enter the “rewarding cycle” where both spouses are able to properly relate to their spouse and to God.

I have wanted to read this book for years. So I had very high expectations for this read. Just hearing the description years ago made me say, “that makes sense.” I would say that overall the Ephesians 5:33 principle is clearly explained by Eggerichs and he stays on point, never straying from his message. Additionally, the practical chapters on the “energizing cycle” seemed highly practical and I have attempted to think these chapters in my own interaction with my wife. However, I have also found not all practices work in all marriages, so though one may play with his practical advice, one also needs to be prepared to abandon techniques that do not work in your unique marriage. My only real criticism is that I feel like he spends too much time justifying the Love and Respect model and referencing Love and Respect conferences. But then, I was someone who believed Eggerichs was onto something and have a Biblical worldview that is familiar with Ephesians 5:33 and willing to accept the verse as Biblical truth that should be lived out in one’s life. In the end, I still believe that Eggerichs has exposed for his readers part of male and female design and how we can energize and reward our spouses by an awareness of a woman’s need for love and a man’s need for love. With this reading behind me, I plan on reading the text again. But this time I’ll read it with my wife.

Review Copy Provided by Thomas Nelson

Who Stands Up for the Oppressed?

I have to preface this with, I really do like Star Wars. The Wars is a happy childhood memory and I love that Star Wars: The Clone Wars is on television so I can share it with my kids. But exploring the fictional history of the Clone Wars has left me disturbed.

Here is my basic problem, the clones are slaves and no one speaks for the slaves. The bad guy, the Sith Lord who will remain nameless, is directing both sides of this conflict. And the Jedi, the protectors of the helpless, are directing the clones on the side of the Republic, leading them to their deaths in battle. I know the clones were grown for battle. I know at their hearts they are soldiers. But it’s also clear they are people. And not all clones wish to fight in a war they never chose as we have seen on Friday nights. The Jedi, the good guys, should recognize the helplessness of the clones, but they do nothing. Perhaps they plan to liberate the slave class in future happier times!

The reason I’m upset is God calls us, okay me, to stand up for those who have no voice. And the Jedi are the good guys, so why are they not speaking up for the clones (yes, I am aware that the Jedi are not Christ followers, but in my world view good people even non-followers speak up for the oppressed)? They clearly like the clones, respect the clones, trust the clones (well that’s a mistake) and many treat the clones like the individuals that they are, except for the fact they are slaves fighting a war not of their choosing. The Jedi are looking as bad as the Sith in the way they treat the clone soldiers.

Honestly, it’s led me to mistrust the Jedi when watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I just can’t rely on them to stand up for the innocent.

Then I found the book Order 66 by Karen Traviss. (Please note/NERD ALERT: I understand that the Traviss books are questionable in fitting into accepted George Lucas (GL) canon. I do not advocate their inclusion in GL canon or the revision of GL canon to make them do so. And I am far from an expert on the Star Wars Expanded Universe that includes this book) In this book I found a character I could put my trust in, Kal Skirata. Skirata is a warrior, a Mandalorian, the people of super awesome Boba Fett. Skirata developed a fatherly relationship with one group of young clones and realized something important. The clones are people. He adopted the boys and as his adopted sons ,he will fight to give his boys and their families, and any other clone that asks, a life. He would stand up for their ability to not fight, to live, to love, to father, to make decisions for themselves and their futures. Now, Skirata does steal, murder, lie, kidnap and behaves in an un-Christlike way in order to provide his sons freedom. But here is the thing that struck me, between bad and bad, between evil and acceptance of the status quo, one man was willing to live and die for the innocent. I find myself comforted in knowing that someone was willing in a fake story to stand up for fictional slaves in a completely imaginary way. Sadly it sounds like we won’t be seeing more of Skirata’s story anytime in the future and his future efforts to support the innocent.

Here is where I am left by this book. Am I accepting the status quo of slavery? Do I take actions that keep the innocent and the oppressed in that state of mind? I’m guessing yes. In the end, I’m not Sith, but I’m probably Jedi, accepting what is as something I can’t change or won’t change due to my needs. I have to challenge myself to become Skirata and not accept the loss of innocence just so my life can have extra benefits.

Did I mention I know it’s not real.

Soul Print: Discovering Your Divine Destiny by Mark Batterson

Soul Print: Discovering Your Divine Destiny by Mark Batterson encourages readers to discover their true self and their personal destiny. Batterson argues that everyone has a soul print, which defines not just who one is but who one is destined to become. He adds that our soul print is who God has designed us to be and that it contains our uniqueness. He urges us to embrace our soul print, to have the courage to be ourselves and to not experience regret by failing to be who we were individually designed to be. Batterson then explores the life King David and how his soul print played out in his life. He shows us that our past experiences and weaknesses help us to understand who we are. He shows how like David, our character will be challenged both through experiences and the words of others to behave differently than we have been built. And Batterson shows how accepting our soul print leads to personal success, while rejecting it causes pain in our lives.

Overall, this is an easy book to read. Many readers will be familiar with the stories that Batterson has selected from David’s life providing reassurance that you know where Batterson is heading. And Batterson’s writing style is easy to read. The author’s honesty and willingness to share his own faults also makes the text relatable. He presents several thoughts that many of us have to deal with in our own lives. I’m still meditating on, “I’d rather by hated for who I am than love for who I’m not( Batterson, 102).” So many in ministry have people pleasing personalities realistic talk that this is a bitter but needed pill to swallow. It’s very encouraging to have such a visible and successful pastor provide that pill in a discussion of his own failures.

Review Copy Provided by WaterBrook Multnomah