A Wandering Aramean

End of the Journey

2011-06-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-08T11:35:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-08T08:40:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-06T05:24:00.001-07:00

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

2011-06-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-12T05:11:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-28T05:04:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-21T10:32:00.001-07:00

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

2011-04-18T05:13:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-11T05:06:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-04-01T05:10:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-15T05:22:00.001-07:00

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

2011-02-23T05:26:00.001-08:00

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

2011-02-11T05:06:00.000-08:00

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?

2011-01-27T13:00:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-16T14:48:00.000-08:00

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

The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible

2010-12-22T06:27:00.000-08:00

The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible features the New King James Version translation and study helps developed and adapted by Max Lucado. The key study helps are “Life Lessons” which elaborate on passages of scripture providing a context to the section, the main point of the section, a associated text taken from other Lucado writings, an application and finally related scripture. Additionally there are other sections that illuminate the text including “Christ in the Bible: which links passages to the person of Jesus and “New Life in Christ” which focuses on discipleship and growing within Christ. There are also “30 Studies for New Believers” which provides looks at questions new followers may have and provides space for providing reactions to these studies and indexes to help guide personal devotions along with others.

I was already an owner of The Inspirational Study Bible which was an earlier version of this Bible. Supporting materials have been reviewed and edited for this new package but the bulk of the text including the helpful “Life Lessons” are largely the same material. I have found the “Life Lessons” as highly useful in both personal study and sermon preparation. The Bible also draws on Lucado “Life Lessons” study series especially in introductory material. However in reviewing the Romans study it was clear despite similar formats they are complementary not overly duplicative. Overall, I have found this Bible in other forms very useful and think it was beneficial to repackage and reissue this book.

Chazown: Define Your Vision, Pursue Your Passion, Live Your Life on Purpose.

2010-12-20T05:34:00.001-08:00

Throughout Chazown author Craig Groeschel makes one simple thing clear. We are all going somewhere but few are going there on purpose. Our relationships, finances, work, health and more are all moving towards a positive or negative direction; but few people are directing that path to match their purpose. Groeschel introduces his reader to the Hebrew word Chazown, which means dream, revelation or vision. Groeschel argues that everyone has a Chazown which is the God designed purpose for one’s life. He then helps his readers find their Chazown by reviewing their core values, spiritual gifts and past experiences. Groeschel then aids his readers to define their Chazown into a purpose statement. And finally he reviews five key areas of live the need attention in order to reach one’s Chazown; one’s relationship with God, others, finances, health and work. Finally, he empowers his readers to take all that they have learned to take the steps needed to realize their Chazown.

First thought….ShamWow. Second thought….great another book about purpose that’s what we were all looking for! Well, I was wrong. Groeschel doesn’t just tell us and challenge us to live on purpose. No, instead he provides the resources needed to develop and clarify one’s purpose. He asked his readers to keep a Chazown journal to draw out the answers to the key questions he has. I found that I could use the blank space in my book to write responses and look back at them as I went through the book. But Groeschel doesn’t just leave his readers isolated in a book with tasks to perform that are time consuming and perhaps complicated but instead supports the book with www.chazown.com which provides online tools that support the exercises used throughout the book. Groeschel is a great author who speaks truth, painful truth that makes me wish I could just close the book at time. Overall, I think this is an excellent book not just another purpose book that is meaningful as a standalone read or a small group tool.

Review Copy Provided by WaterBrook Multnomah

The Next Christians: The Good News About the End of the Christian Era

2010-11-18T06:30:00.000-08:00

In 2007 Gabe Lyons collaborated with David Kinnamen in unChristian a book that showed us the reality of societies views about those who label themselves Christian. Since I had a friend gift me a copy, I have quoted and referred friends and others to this important text and their advice for overcoming the poor impression that society has of Christians. In The Next Christians not only tells us how to overcome negative Christian stereotypes, but he tells us who will destroy them. Lyons leaves his reader excited for the next movement of God through the next Christians, the restorers. These next Christians struggle against the reality of the world seeking to restore creation to what it ought to be not what it is. The restorers place high value on truth, justice, and beauty. Lyons describes in detail the key characteristics of restorers including their high value on calling, community, countercultural behavior, active engagement with culture and a firm foundation in Jesus Christ. If Christianity has lost its relevance by removing itself from the center of culture, the restorers are our best hope to return saved people to the culture conversation.

The Next Christians is a phenomenal book. Lyons has an ability in his writing to connect all of the dots to things we have all seen in our churches and society in large. As he writes about examples of restorers he knows you begin to think of those in your own life. Those examples that come to mind only further show the truth of Lyons’ writing. Additionally, the book is easy to read due to the engaging material. Honestly, as I got to better understand some of those I interact with, I got excited. I was also challenged with questions about myself as a potential restorer, where I am fighting against the restorers, and how can my own background help sharpen restorers. Lyons’ words lead me to celebrate much of what I do, and also grieve my own non-restorative tendencies. What more can we ask of a book other than lead ourselves down a path of self reflection? The Next Christians also helps reinforce books like Not Like Me. The Next Christians provides a general behavioral overview of restorers, while Eric Bryant in Not Like Me describes the relational toolbox of restorers, though he never makes that claim. The Next Christians is an important book that we as the church need to be discussing and acting on so we can move the Jesus conversation back to the center of the cultural dialogue.

Review Copy Provided by WaterBrook Multnomah

Bad Public Relations

2010-11-12T05:57:00.000-08:00

Recently I ran against a bad case of PR. I was sitting in church practicing silence and solitude. Instead of mediating over the verses presented to me for my consideration, I found myself stuck on the transfiguration.

In short summary, during the transfiguration, 3 disciples (Peter, John and James) witnessed Jesus in his glory and in conversation with Moses and Elijah:

28About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30Two men, Moses and Elijah, 31appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.)

34While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him." 36When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen (Luke 9:28-36, NIV).

Here is what struck me. John, we all know about John. He wrote a gospel and epistles and Revelation. Jesus proclaims him beloved. We know a lot about John and his life after the resurrection compared to the majority of the other twelve disciples. John has gotten some great public relations and rightfully we respect him and hold him up as an example to this day.

And then there is Peter, the Rock. He wrote Epistles and his post resurrection actions are documented in Acts and by tradition. We respect Peter, study Peter both his failings and triumphs. And Peter has gotten some great PR.

But then there is James! What about James. He is not the same James who had an epistle added to canon. Acts does not carefully chart James’ movements to help shepherd the early church. Though we can likely assume he was one of the decision makers when Acts refers to the disciples. But beyond being a Son of Thunder with his brother the Beloved, it’s not like we study James’ life intently as an example of holy transformed living or gave him a great nickname.

But why not. Jesus showed James his glory. Jesus not only allowed James into his inner circle of 12 but even added him to the inner inner circle of just three men that got to see this event. So we have to assume that Jesus knew what was in James’ heart and what great work was ahead of him. Jesus chose to reward James by sharing with him this moment. And I have to assume that James did not leave this event changed. I have to assume that after the resurrection, like John and Peter he looked back on this moment and gained strength. And I have to assume that James did great and wonderful things. But again, we don’t elevate him to the position of respect that we do Peter and John.

Now in-depth research, i.e, Wikipedia, shows that James by tradition had a great influence in spreading the church to Spain and was martyred for his efforts. But tradition and history leads me to simply assumption. And my assumption is…James did important things we should all greatly respect. But we fail to place him on the pedestal of John and Peter.

So, what do we learn from this. How about this…..praise doesn’t matter. James did not need accolades to do his important work. James did not need studies completed on his character in order for his efforts to matter. His work glorified Jesus and transformed himself and others. His work was eternal, more eternal than any praise that could be given by men. James mattered to Jesus no matter what raises, plaques, ribbons, gift cards, statues, brand new corvettes or other awards men failed to give him. In the end, seeing Jesus in his glory was more important praise than James could have ever received from men. Jesus’ smile is the best reward any of us can have.

Why I Hate Podcasts

2010-11-05T05:51:00.000-07:00

Burnout

There is so much to chose from that eventually it can become too much. And when you become overwhelmed with the sure volume of teachings available online the easiest way to keep from drowning is to turn it off. It is so much easier to move to sports or other less serious topics available on the internet. With the variety of content available online one can simply ignore teachings and not use podcasts as a tool for growth but something that can simply be ignored.

Local Church Discounts

I love the men that I have called my pastors. They have mentored me, they have poured themselves into my life unconditionally. But they have not always been the most studied or charismatic speakers on a weekly basis as the best teachers one can find online on a weekly basis. Let’s face it, the local pastor is simply more likely to have an off week than a teacher God has blessed with gifts that make them as polished as any inspirational speaker who does not need to live by a van down by the river. Our local guy likely lacks the staff and resources that would make him an every week hit. By exposing yourself to fantastic teaching, one can begin to take their local church pastor less seriously or begin to ask why he/she isn’t as good as (insert favorite name here) that I listen to for free online. Basically, if you expose yourself to enough excellent teachings you can begin to take your local teacher less seriously. And this is a major fault on the listener’s behalf. As good as a speaker may be online, that person is not participating in your life on a daily basis and does not love you on the personal level that one’s local pastor does.

Are You Hearing Me

There are things that I don’t want to talk about. There are things I don’t want to think about. When those subjects come up on a teaching, well it’s pretty easy to find another teaching. The reason they hurt is because I NEED TO GROW IN THIS AREA. Since I need to grow it hurts, hey growth is not always fun and happy. I am a completionist, so eventually I return to that message that I don’t want to hear. But the timing may not be a growth moment by the time I return, listening at a time when my focus on the teaching is fairly superficial. However in the local sanctuary, if I was to turn off the message by walking out of dosing off, let’s face it my pastor and everyone else in my community is going to know. In effect, in my community I’m a captive audience, the same cannot be said for a podcast when I control the volume and play buttons.

Selective Listening

When you are listening and multitasking, you don’t always hear everything. And so the speaker’s message can easily get lost. And then you the listener miss the point. The additional hearing problem is when taking in so a bunch of teaching, which is really easy to do it’s pretty easy to forget or ignore the speaker’s main point or call to action. Simply put, I have heard so many talks that it is impossible for me to be impacted on a personal nature by all of them or even most of them. The best I can hope for is that I am being marinated in great teachings that hopefully sharpens my mind, frees my soul and strengthens my relationship with my creator.

These disadvantages should not stop one from interacting with content online. Instead the listener needs to be aware of the blind spots and traps one can fall into by primarily relying on podcasts for teaching instead of engaging in a religious community.

Not Like Me: A Field Guide for Influencing a Diverse World by Eric Michael Bryant

2010-10-29T05:28:00.000-07:00

Eric Michael Bryant in Not Like Me connects authentic relationships with impacting others for Jesus. Bryant provides a call to engage those that don’t look like us, share our culture or even believe the same as us. In fact he goes so far as to call us to love those people that the Christian mainstream hates. He notes that typically we push away people that don’t think or behave as we do removing our ability to influence them. Bryant instead points out the need to engage these not like me people in true friendships. He urges us to love people without judgment or conditions, realizing that though one may not have a relationship with Jesus, that God still loves that person unconditionally. This is the example that we must follow. Bryant shows that only be entering true relationships with people not like us can we have a lasting impact on their lives and help to show them the power of Jesus.

I have to be honest; I have wanted to read this book from when it was first issued as Peppermint-Filled Piñatas. I’m very happy to say I was not disappointed. Bryant writes what we know in our own hearts, without a relationship with people we cannot expect to successfully impact them. But not only must we have a relationship, we must have a relationship built on love, respect and honesty not one based on a hidden agenda. By being honest we learn more about others and ourselves. Bryant reminds us that Jesus immersed himself amongst those that the religious establishment considered outsiders. And he angered that establishment as he moved salvation past a religious system of dos and do nots to a relationship with a living God. Not Like Me reminds us the simplest and best way for us to introduce someone to a friend, is to be a friend first.

I think this is an important work. Bryant urges us to move past our fears and preconceptions of others, others that we look down at, don’t understand and honestly fear for their cultural and moral choices and to look at people. Basically, he challenges us to look at people as people, not as sinners. By following Bryant’s charge and advice on friendship building we can find that key to demolishing the negative opinions that general public has of Christ followers especially charges of hate filled and judgmental. Not Like Me reminds us that like Jesus to save people we must first love people.

The Grace of God by Andy Stanley

2010-10-19T08:34:00.001-07:00

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Andy Stanley in The Grace of God walks readers through the Old and New Testament to gather attributes of God’s grace. Stanley shows how God’s grace was established at creation and is a thread that runs throughout the entire Bible. God’s grace is a gift, freely given and not earned. God’s grace is unfair, given to those who did not earn it. Most importantly, Stanley shows that God’s grace is for you and me and in doing so shines light on God’s deepest desire to be in relationship with everyone, despite our failures and mistakes. Stanley shows us that grace is better and more unexpected than we could ever hope for.

The strength of The Grace of God is the easy to read narrative style. The structure of the book lies on top of the stories that Stanley retells. Stanley restates them in a way that both those acquainted with the stories and those not can enjoy and easily connect to his points about grace. The chronological sequence of the chapters is confusing when the chapter ending in Christ’s burial is followed by his encounter with then woman at the well. Overall The Grace of God is an encouraging book that reminds us that we can do nothing to earn grace and helps us to better understand the awesomeness of God’s grace. It’s a good book, but one I am afraid I overhyped my expectations for.

Review Copy Provided by Thomas Nelson

Why I Love Podcasts

2010-10-15T06:01:00.000-07:00

Over the last six plus years I have been lucky to have a job that allows me to listen to a lot of podcasts on a daily basis while I complete my job duties. Over that time I have found some great advantages and disadvantages to having the time and access to teachings electronically. Today I want to provide my take on the advantages of podcasts.

Anytime Anywhere
I can listen at work. I can listen in the car. I can listen on a plane. I can listen in the living room. I can listen mowing the yard. I can listen on the train. I can listen walking. I can listen in the bathroom (though maybe I shouldn’t). I can listen at work at my desk. I can listen on the moon. You get the point. I can listen to this content anywhere where my MP3 player has power after a charge. As long as I have device power, I don’t need or require a cord or access to another device. I could be listening while standing in a cave, and that’s a powerful and convenient tool for enriching one’s spirit and mind. Podcasts and MP3 device liberate me from having to be at a set location and time to access content.

Great Teachings
Podcasts allow you access to teachers and preachers that geographical location would never make available to you. I have lived in both predominantly rural and urban areas during this six year span, but I have always lived distantly from those pastors and leaders I enjoy listening to. Without podcasts, I would not have access to those who unknown to them are helping to spiritually mentor me. Additionally, since these podcasts represent a number of diverse churches they have guest speakers that are either prominent or up and coming that I may not typically seek out on my own. While some of these speakers may be hit or miss they have also introduced me to authors that I would have not have typically sought out. And it was all free.

Variety, Variety, Variety
I listen to a variety of speakers from a variety of denominations with a variety of styles. Additionally, they have differing topics they empathize more than others. Creation care is one great example. For some of these speakers creation care is something that humans are very much a part of with calls of action to actively actively participation in stewarding the environment. For others, they do not stress the care of creation, or advocate the trashing of creation, but place it as a secondary issue behind salvation. Additionally diversity has introduced me to new ways of interacting with theology. I had courses in systematic theology, but it was through podcasts that I was introduced to narrative theology and I love a good story. Additionally, I was able to take in different teachers with different styles preaching to different kinds of communities. The great thing is when you take in so much variety, it becomes easy to see what matters most to us as a “Christian Culture.”

Churchless Does Not Mean Message less
I have been churchless my friend, but the great news is now I’m found. During that time I visited several churches, and during periods of burnout I visited nowhere. But during that entire time span despite not having a community I was not left without teaching and preaching. There really is no excuse for not accessing good teaching and preaching anytime anywhere thanks to podcasts and a little internet access.

These are all great reasons to start browsing the large library of teaching hosted on the internet.

The Gospel According to Jesus by Chris Seay

2010-09-24T05:05:00.001-07:00

Chris Seay in The Gospel According to Jesus explores the meaning of righteousness among American churchgoers and attempts to provide a proper perspective on the theology of righteousness. Seay commissioned a Barna research study that finds that most churchgoers have definitional issues around the word righteousness and focus on behavior and actions viewing righteousness as acting moral. Seay attempts to knock down this preconception and turns to Jesus for an example of what righteousness truly is. He paints a picture of righteousness based on relationships with our Savior and with other people and as a quality that brings justice to a broken world. Each chapter is followed by a prayer and interviews with other thinkers such as Mark Batterson and Rick McKinley for review.

The Gospel According to Jesus is a challenging book. And honestly that’s a good thing. Seay pushes his reader to move beyond acting right, putting up an impression of goodness and behaving as expected by our fellowships. Seay urges us to be honest, care for those in need and model Jesus in interactions with others. He sees the righteousness of the saved leading to actions that bring restorative justice to the world. That is a challenge not every reader will be open to! Quoted scripture is taken from The Voice translation, a translation that Seay is deeply involved in but some readers will find alien. This could be uncomfortable to readers unfamiliar with the style and language used by The Voice team, for example the use of the phrase The Eternal for God may simply seem too” new age” and lead to a decreased comfort level for readers. On a personal note, Seay an Astros fan makes jabs at the Chicago Cubs that lead me to reject any credibility Seay has as an author. Sadly, the Cubs refusal to actually beat the Astros this year may prove his points and return to him his authoritative voice. Though seriously, Seay’s personal illustrations successfully aid his arguments by showing how he and others have attempted to live out righteousness as he describes it.

Review Copy Provided by Thomas Nelson

Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference by Max Lucado

2010-09-10T05:03:00.001-07:00

Max Lucado in Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference provides advice on leaving a lasting impression on this world with the resources God has given you. Lucado walks through key verses in the Book of Acts, using stories to bring the point of the verses out to his readers. He describes how the Book of Acts shows a small group of devoted believers, with limited education, influence and resources impacted the world from their own time to this day. Lucado notes that the work of the Book of Acts continues to this day, providing a story that has not ended. Key principles the author shares in leaving a permanent mark on the world includes the primacy of prayer, relationships with other believers and non-believers and modeling Jesus’ concern for the poor. Each chapter if followed by a complimentary Biblical verse for reflection and a prayer to focus the reader on the chapter’s content. A discussion guide for small groups is also provided.

Outlive Your Life is a typical Lucado book with a key strength in engaging writing that expertly uses stories to highlight and teach Lucado’s points. Lucado’s clear and entertaining writing allows readers to briskly read the text. Additionally, I think the text is helpful in reminding the reader that Jesus cared for the poor and was sympathetic to those shunned by society. He calls for us to remove our headphones and look around to the brothers we can partner with and the non-brothers who needs our help, help we must give as a result of our salvation. Personally, the most challenging section for me was on prayer, where Lucado reminds us that Jesus did not call his house one of study, sermons or etc but a house of prayer. Being a studious person, it served as a stark reminder that prayer is essential. Lucado puts his actions where his mouth is, donating his royalties from the book to World Vision. Outlive Your Life is a challenging but readable book that challenges Christians to make lasting impacts in the name of Christ.

Review Copy Provided by Thomas Nelson

The Boy Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews

2010-09-07T05:06:00.000-07:00

The Boy Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews
Andy Andrews provides a version of his new book The Butterfly Effect: How Your Life Matters in The Boy Who Changed the World. Andrews tells the story of the development of special corn seeds by Norman, a boy who dreamed of feeding the poor, as the boy who changed the world. But Andrews goes on to ask if it was Norman that saved the world or three other boys, Henry, George or Moses whose actions helped lead to the success of Norman’s seeds in saving billions. In the end, the actions of all four boys contributed to the development of the seeds in a series of events that shows that everyone’s actions matter.

I read the book with my daughter. She enjoyed the book and the pictures. She took up the challenge of being a girl who changed the world, and spent the next several moments sharing her plan to help “lost children.” She did at times get confused as the story jumped between boys. And she tried to pick only one of the boys as the one who saved the world. But overall it was a book that succeeded in calling a child to action. There is one error in the portion about George Washington Carver, a mistake only a Cyclone fan would likely pick up on. Andrews states that Carver attended Iowa State University (ISU), the university’s current name. Carver attended ISU under the name of Iowa State Agricultural College. Overall The Boy Who Changed the World is a good book which may inspire a child to think about doing great things.

Review Copy provided by Thomas Nelson

The Butterfly Effect: How Your Life Matters by Andy Andrews

2010-09-07T05:03:00.000-07:00

Andy Andrews in The Butterfly Effect: How Your Life Matters asks the question, “Do I really matter?” Andrews answers the question by telling two stories. The first tale details the heroic efforts of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain at the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. Chamberlain, a man who refused to do nothing, ordered a historic charge that allowed Union forces to win the battle, when a Confederate victory could have decisively changed the history of the United States and the 20th Century. The second story Andrews presents is the chain of effects that led to the development of hybridized high yield, disease resistant corn by Norman Borlaug, a historical figure likely not to be familiar to most readers. Borlaug’s creation has saved billions from famine. But Andrews asks was it Borlaug’s efforts that led to the saving of more than two billion or was it the small efforts of others that lead to Borlaug’s work. Andrews shows that as the Butterfly Effect argues, all of our smallest actions have impacts, and Andrews inspiringly shows that those little things have long term impacts.

This is a gift book, so it’s short. To be honest I have thought about this book for more time than it took for me to read it. The book is visually pleasing starting at the cover, with a shiny butterfly graphic. As the great philosopher Jeff Foxworthy once argued, men are attracted to shiny things. The pages are more graphical than textual. I’m not a huge fan of gift books, but I found myself satisfied with The Butterfly Effect and am glad I took the time to read and reflect on it.

Review Copy provided by Thomas Nelson

Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend Edited by Ravi Zacharias

2010-07-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

Ravi Zacharias guided the collection of essays by his Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) staff in Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend which covers topics as diverse as challenges from non-Christian world religions, evil in the world, spiritual transformation and living a Christ centered life. The text is broken into three sections. The first section, “Addressing the Difficult Questions” provides essays on other world religions including Islam and Hinduism, answering atheists, and engaging youth culture. Additional essays discuss the basics of conversational apologetics, challenges from culture and the challenges of evil and suffering. The second section, “Internalizing the Questions and Answers” provides advice on spiritual growth including dealing with self-deception and a better understanding of the Trinity. In the final section Zacharias provides the two essays in “Living Out the Answers” providing a call for Christians to live out what they speak and claim to believe including practical advice on strengthening one’s body and mind.

To be blunt, this book is and is intended to be heavy lifting. The text covers deep philosophical and theological issues. Therefore this book is likely not for every reader or even mood. It reads much more like a text book than a self help/spiritual growth book in some of the essays. And, being written by multiple authors, the quality of the chapters varies. It is sometimes frustrating to have authors quoting heavily from other authors also in the book, finding me asking what do they think not their colleagues or if they relied so heavily on this essay author why didn’t they write this chapter. Likewise it would be nice to have authors include more personal stories instead of summarizing their study on the topic. The chapters on other religions though informative weigh heavily on global religions which many may not interact with on a daily basis. It would have been a nice addition to include chapters on the Church of Latter Day Saints or Jehovah’s Witnesses as religions that many Christians in the United States may literally have knocking on their door and struggle in understanding Personally, I think the subtitle of “Living the Faith We Defend” is somewhat misleading as only one chapter, which is written by Zacharias, truly addresses living out our faith in a sincere and informed way which was really the topic I wished for the book to address.

Review Copy provided by Thomas Nelson

You Can Be Everything God Wants You to Be by Max Lucado

2010-06-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

You can Be Everything God Wants You to Be by Max Lucado is a repackaging of selections found in Lucado’s earlier book Cure for the Common Life. The text includes short chapters or selections that highlight Lucado’s ability to write theological concepts in an engaging manner. Lucado reinforces to his readers that they are uniquely made by God, suggests that the best way to live is to do is glorifying God by using one’s uniqueness. Lucado urges readers to understand their S.T.O.R.Y (Strengths, Topics, Optimal Conditions, Relationships, Yes!) in order to move into the sweet spot of life. These concepts are passed on within a book designed with a number of pictures and Biblical reflections which could be used for self reflection.

I really wanted to like this book, but it’s a mess. And from my read it appears to be the repackaging that has created the problems and not the text itself. I would like to have used this as a devotional type book much like Lucado’s Grace for the Moment since its clearly not the deeper dive of this material, which would be the full version in Cure For the Common Life. However the varying sizes of the chapters make it difficult to use the text for a devotional, with chapters ranging from one page, two if you count a title page, to five or more pages. Even more confusing are the use of different sized texts and colors which I am still not sure if they indicate a major point, a supporting point or are part of the general text as the beginning of a sentence. The content appears uneven and inconsistent, the presentation of the S.T.O.R.Y. concept for example includes chapters of various sizes and is introduced, built on later in the text, disappears and then returns. At one point in a story a character is introduced as Chief Wiggles and then later on the page it is explained how Halverson earned that nickname, but Halverson was never really introduced to us. I would have been less confused if the Halverson reference was just left out. And finally, Matthew 25:15 is given emphasis on two different pages, pages that only have a chapter title, the verse and a picture. It seemed odd to have the same verse used in such a way twice, but even more frustrating that the page 12 reference identifies the verse as 25:25. It really appears that editing has done this text no favors. The cover proudly displays a sticker that the book is perfect for a graduate. I think there are plenty of better graduation gifts including other books by Lucado.
Review Copy provided by Thomas Nelson

The Heart Mender: A Story of Second Chances by Andy Andrews

2010-06-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews presents two compelling and engaging stories. The first story, which consists of parts 1 and 3 of the book, tells the story of Andrews’ discovery of World War II German U-Boat artifacts in his Gulf Coast yard and his own personal journey to uncover the origins of how these items got into his yard. The second story details the ramification of a chance encounter between Josef a German submariner who becomes separated from his German U-Boat while patrolling the Gulf of Mexico during 1942 and Helen a woman deeply hurt by personal loss leading to anger with God and everyone she is in contact with. Their story is one of grace and ultimately forgiveness allowing each to gain a fresh start on life.

I started this book expecting it to read much like Andrew’s The Traveler’s Gift which used an interesting story to present a number of principles. Instead, this book uses both stories to underscore one valuable lesson, the power of forgiveness and the freedom it gives the forgiver. The book itself and both stories within it are engaging. This combined with the fact that the story is based on real people, made it difficult for me to keep from peeking to the end of the book and where they are now section or searching the internet for information about U-166, Josef’s boat. The story of Josef and Helen combine elements that both men and women will enjoy, giving the reader images of both U-571 and The Notebook as they race through the text. If Andrews’s goals were to entertain and provide a valuable lesson about forgiveness, he has achieved his desire. The Heart Mender is a release of Andrews’ Island of Saints, which he notes had a vocal but small audience. This rerelease will hopefully expose more readers to this engaging tale.

Review Copy provided by Thomas Nelson

Plan B: What Do You Do When God Doesn’t Show Up in the Way You Thought He Would? by Pete Wilson

2010-05-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

Pete Wilson in Plan B takes his readers through various stages of what happens when one’s plans fall apart, or as Wilson says what happens when God doesn’t show up the way you planned. As a pastor, Wilson lives and works among those experiencing personal tragedies and triumphs. Wilson sprinkles his book with stories of these folks and their Plan B experiences along with Biblical principals pulled from the lives of Biblical figures and the teachings of Jesus. In the end, Wilson admits he does not have easy answers for those facing a Plan B. He readily admits he has no Bow to tie his book together with easy to follow steps to walk one through a Plan B. However he does constantly turns us back to God. He reminds us that God does not change, that God keeps his promises, that God uses Plan B to strengthen our faith in him, and regardless of the resolution and our own perceptions of it, He will finish what he started. In the end, while there may not be easy answers, we do have God and his love for us.

I read this book in the middle of my own Plan B situation, in fact, maybe a few Plan Bs. So I found the book timely and encouraging. It was a long time ago since I wanted to be an astronaut and not that long ago my heart screamed to be in fulltime ministry. It has become clear throughout these experiences, Wilson is right. As rough as I may have felt the situation was at times, God clearly was with me. And I have had to constantly reconfigure my own view towards planning. I now find that when I am open to the movement of God, I am less likely to be shattered by plans that did not happen and also have greater rewards. I also appreciate Wilson’s frankness. He does not attempt to set up 7 easy steps towards success in my plan B. Instead he shows how Jesus, Joseph and others from the Bible faced their Plan Bs (both successfully and poorly). I honestly appreciate that he does not try to solve every problem with a Band-Aid of clichés. In the end, Wilson had crafted a nice resource for those facing challenges to their hopes and dreams.
Review Copy provided by Thomas Nelson

Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul (Revised) by John Eldredge

2010-04-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

John Eldredge in Wild at Heart argues that a desire for adventure has been knitted into the heart of everyman. He believes that everyman wishes to be the warrior, the adventurer, the knight, and the hero and that American culture, including the church, has attempted to suppress these God written desires of a man’s heart. Eldredge gives his reader permission to unlock those desires and unleash the wild man within them. Much of the focus in unlocking a man’s heart is the realization of a spiritual wounding, likely caused by a father figure and a establishment with of proper relationship with one’s heavenly father. By allowing men to return to their nature of wildness, Eldredge challenges his reader to participate in the great adventure that life and a relationship with God provide.

This is the revised edition of Wild at Heart, a book I have known of for several years. I had avoided it fearing Eldredge would challenge me to move into the woods for an extended period of drum playing and living off berries. I found that my reluctance to read Wild at Heart earlier to be a mistake. The text speaks to a man’s soul, with Eldredge hitting on themes such as the desire for adventure that resonates with everyman. Additionally, I have found that the content has led to other deep spiritual conversations with other men. In the end I find myself reflecting on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Aslan is described as a safe but not tame lion. I find myself after reading Eldredge why have I allowed myself to become tamed and how to I return myself to the wild and give my son permission to never be tamed.
Review Copy provided by Thomas Nelson

Everyone Communicates Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently by John C. Maxwell

2010-03-14T20:35:00.000-07:00

John C. Maxwell in Everyone Communicates Few Connect provides guidance to help leaders move from talking and sharing information to connecting to audiences, ranging from one on one to large audiences. Maxwell breaks his work into two parts; principles the theory of connection, and practices, how to connect. At the end of each chapter, Maxwell provides an overview of the major points of each chapter and tips on applying each chapter’s content for different audiences. The author reminds us that in order to be effective we must connect. Overall this book provides tools to improving oneself as a communicator and more importantly as a leader by connecting messages with audiences.

To be honest, many of the principles and practices in this book are not new material. We all know, or should know, that in order to be a successful communicator one needs to energetic, you need to care about your audience and you need to be credible. Despite this, we all need reminders of these “facts” and Maxwell does an excellent job of collecting common sense and practical principles and tips for successful communication. Personally, this book has lead me to self assess how I communicate to a large group in my own workplace. I find myself asking, is it about me or them, and I credible, do I give them credit, do I make them insiders and many many more. This book is a great resource for anyone who needs to communicate, which is pretty much everyone!

Review Copy provided by Thomas Nelson

Hermie: Antonio Meets His Match (DVD)

2010-01-20T09:23:00.001-08:00

Antonio is the man, or army ant to be exact. He protects the garden, excels in sports and has the respect of all the bugs in the garden. But despite all this Antonio has a problem, his new neighbors Angus and the red ants. Angus with his bagpipes, dress (it’s a kilt), and selfish ways is just plain annoying to everyone in the garden. The other bugs ask Antonio to get Angus and his ants out of the garden, but God has instructed Antonio to love his neighbor and love Angus. Antonio is challenged to either follow God’s word or to make his fellow bugs happy by ridding the garden of the Angus menace.

I was pleasantly surprised by this Max Lucado Hermie series DVD. Kids through Antonio are challenged with the question of how do you love the unlovable. Angus is truly annoying and everyone can sympathize with the plight of the garden bugs forced to live next to the red ants. In the end Antonio answers the question of how do you love your neighbor, including the unlovely one, with an act of sacrifice. Through humor and a light storyline, kids are brought face to face with a question that will challenge them into adulthood. The addition of the “Caterpilla” short story is also a nice addition, providing a version of “Cinderella” that is humorous and which boys can related to.
Review Copy provided by Thomas Nelson

Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity by Mark Batterson

2009-12-15T13:47:00.001-08:00

Mark Batterson in Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity challenges the church to question the current state of Christianity. Batterson finds our faith to be educated, civilized and generally acceptable to the world while losing its power, compassion and authenticity. To regain these lost elements Batterson drives us to the essence of our faith in the Primal Commandment Mark 12:30:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

Batterson charges the church with not striving to be great with the commandant, in fact he states the church often is not even good at this charge. The author argues that in order to regain its God given authority, the church and individuals must excel at this essential directive. Batterson then examines the pieces of the primal commandant; heart, soul, mind and strength for his reader. Batterson concludes with a call for a new reformation based on believers who have learned to excel at this basic command.

Though Batterson’s material may seem similar to some readers, Batterson’s voice provides a new take on calls for authentic faith and response. Batterson enjoys science and understanding how things work, reinforcing his faith by understanding the complexity of the world. Batterson the pastor shows a willingness to experiment; seeing movie theaters as a platform for delivering the gospel. Multnomah Books and Batterson are encouraging Christians to consider this book as their first read in 2010 sparking a Primal movement. For some readers this book could serve as a good introduction to emergent thought and a challenge to foster a passionate relationship with God that surpasses apologetics and involves the readers mind and soul. For other readers much of the book will seem to reinforce the thoughts of other authors that have called the church to return to the essentials of the faith. For both audiences this book could be a fruitful first read for 2010, though perhaps not essential.

Review Copy provided by Multnomah Books

The Tallest of Smalls by Max Lucado

2009-10-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

In the town of Stiltsville the community is divided into two groups. Once group places themselves above the other standing on stilts. Ollie is a boy who sees himself as not special and desires to be valued by receiving the gift of stilts. When Ollie receives his stilts, his raised position above those on the ground does not last long and Ollie learns that his value is not in stilts but in his relationship with his maker and savior.

Overall this is a very cute book with great illustrations that help engage children to the text. My daughter pointed out visuals that corresponded with the story, furthering the experience. However, despite its cuteness the book does fall a little flat in some areas. The cover advertises a tie-in to the adult Lucado book Fearless. However, readers not familiar with that book will have a hard time connecting this children’s story with the topic of fear. Also in many ways this book feels like another telling if the Punchinello You are Special story which shares a common theme with this book, but Punchinello is more subtle and effective in execution.

Review Copy provided by Thomas Nelson

The Search for God and Guinness: A Biography of the Beer that Changed the World by Stephen Mansfield.

2009-10-12T06:41:00.001-07:00

Stephen Mansfield in The Search for God and Guinness combines two topics that many may find opposed, beer and God. Mansfield provides an overview of the long holy history of beer and its importance from ancient to early modern society. He overturns the myth of the establishment of the Guinness brewery as a God ordained antidote to the social ills of 18^th century Ireland, but instead shows the determination of one religious man in Arthur Guinness’ establishment of the St. James Gate brewery in 1759. Mansfield provides a history of the first Arthur’s decedents in three branches the brewers, the bankers and the “Guinness’s for God” focusing primarily on the brewers and those who made ministry their vocation. The Guinness family history ends with the end of a Guinness directly running the brewery and movement from a family brewery to a major corporation.

The history of the “Guinness’s for God” should be especially heartwarming to Christians. But more exciting is the history of the brewers. The Guinness Brewery is a story of a culture of generosity. It is a tale of care towards brewery staff who were better paid, better educated, better housed and generally lived better lives than their neighbors due to the loving spirit of the Guinness family. The positive effects of the brewery spilled into the streets of Dublin in the early 20^th century to inspire social improvement and social justice. Mansfield is a historian who is able to successfully combine the historian’s craft with a heart for God. He tells a story that both challenges his and our views towards beer and shows what a legacy of love can do to impact the lives of others. His story is one that will make me less judgmental towards those sporting Guinness gear and one that makes we want to share the meaning of a powerful organization.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

2008-04-08T11:21:00.001-07:00

So close to great things that I can see your glory in.

So close to receiving rewards from you.

But so so so so frustrated.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Sometimes

2008-03-27T07:26:00.001-07:00

Sometimes Father I'm just overwhelmed.

Please give me strength to enjoy the gifts you have given me.

I Grumble

2008-02-11T08:02:00.000-08:00

I have it easy.

I have a roof.
I have food.
I have a family.
I have friends, though they are very far away.

I complain. I complain because in the land that Wander I am unconnected.

I complain.

I grumble.

I am ungrateful.

When Moses led Israel out of Egypt, they grumbled:
"But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst (Exodus 17:3, NIV) ?" They were ungrateful for the freedom God gave them. They were ungrateful for an ability to live a life of provision straight from their hands. They grumbled against a God who led them visibly day and night.

I complain. I need to stop, I have it too easy to grumble like I do.

I'm loved by God. I have been led to this land by God. Father I pray you make it clear to me and my family why I am here. Please Father, help me stop grumbling. I need to live the life of freedom you have opened to me, but I am so weak and so much a coward.

Please father be with me....despite my grumbles.

A Call

2008-02-04T10:43:00.000-08:00

I have to be honest, Abram's call always scared me, to my very soul. What if God ever asked me to do something, do something similar. Its just not something I felt I had the courage to do. I have to admit, I'm a coward. Every part of me wants to play it safe, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

In Genesis 12 we find God's call to Abram:
"The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

2 "I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you. (Gen 12 1-3, NIV)"

God asked Abram to give up his home, his larger friends and family and his possessions for a promise. A promise of a great nation. A promise that Abram's name would be glorified. A promise that Abram would be a blessing to others. I think we can't question God is this. Clearly he lived up on his bargain. How greatly have me benefited from the fact that Abram simply heard and obeyed.

I have had a similar call on my life. I have moved my family away from our friends, our church family and our emotional safety. Unlike Abram I have it cushy, I have a job, a roof over my head, food to eat, I don't physically have to wander daily. Yet I feel now like I am wandering like Abram, emotionally and spiritually. I have fears and doubts. My insides cry over what I have lost and what I think I have lost. Still I believe as God kept his promises to Abram, he will bless me too for the fact that we left and have come to a new place, this Canaan of mine.

I hope I will be able to say proudly when this is all done: "Then you shall declare before the LORD your God: "My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous (Duet 26:5, NIV)."