Is Next To Godliness

Some people say cleanliness is next to godliness. I don't exactly think that's accurate, but I also don't exactly know what it means. There is some kind of list that has cleanliness and godliness next to each other? Or once you get the godliness thing down, cleanliness is next in line? I also think, if cleanliness is next to godliness, they must be separate things. There are many things that are part of godliness, but cleanliness is something separate. Okay, so, I really just use those lines of logic as excuses not to clean or to be grumpy while I am complaining (grumpiness is not part of godliness either, by the way).

So, what is godliness? Some people seem to think happiness is part of godliness. I tend to think they are wrong. However, I recently read a book called The Happy Christian, which I think demonstrates that true happiness is found through godliness. In other words, God's way is the best way. He knows how we work and how things should go, so only by following His ways will we be happy.

The author, David Murray, uses many statistics and study results to demonstrate his points. He also points out that some non-Christians do a better job at some aspects of godliness than many Christians do. He shows how findings in the real world, in secular society, demonstrate some of the principles he is teaching.

He touches on quite a variety of topics. One that I appreciated at the end was the importance of diversity within the church. Since reading it, I have thought back to that section several times as my family has been looking for a church not only for me to lead worship with but also for us to plug into.

I appreciate this book overall and recommend it to you. I am thankful to BookLook Bloggers for providing this book free for review.

Learning From Musicians

Lately, I have been thinking about God and how He is portrayed in the Old Testament versus the New Testament. I have been talking to people who have different views of the Bible than what I grew up with, and it is challenging the way I think. So, when I saw a book on the subject available for review, I decided to request it. 

Soon enough, I had the book and was quickly disappointed that the book was not really anything about reconciling the God of the Old Testament with the New. Instead, it was a book written by two Christian musicians connecting their stories and those of their family and friends with the Old Testament, and finding a God in the Old Testament who is a little more loving and gracious than what they expected.

Initially, I was miffed. It seems the book was misrepresented by it's advertisements. Not only that, but this is the second book in a row I felt that way about. However, I continued reading the book and did find some encouragement and challenge from it. I also thought it offered interesting insight into the lives of the two authors. Did you know Ginny Owens is blind? I didn't. Actually, I didn't know much at all about Ginny Owens, but her name is familiar to me, unlike Andrew Greer, whose name I constantly had to keep distinct from Andrew Peterson in my mind as I was reading it.  

In conclusion, if you're looking for a book to provide reconciliation or even some sort of comparison between God as portrayed in the Old Testament of the Bible and God as portrayed in the New Testament, this is not the book. If you are interested in learning about a couple of Christian musicians and are open to being challenged and encouraged by their stories and how the Old Testament has impacted them, this might be the book for you. 

Oh, it also has questions to think about and or discuss at the end of each chapter. Honestly, I didn't pay much attention to them, so I can't say whether or not they're helpful, but they're there.

I'd like to thank BookLook Bloggers for giving me this book to review. And thank you for reading this.

Understanding The Bible

People can spend a lifetime studying the Bible and not fully understand it. However, it is important that we study it, and there are various resources for helping us do so. God's Story in 66 Verses is Stan Guthrie's resource for making a basic understanding of the Bible more easily attainable. Guthrie goes through the Bible book by book and succinctly describes what each book is about in one short chapter of his book.
I think this book is a great resource for anybody trying to gain a quick understanding of the Bible, book by book. I think Guthrie does a good job of presenting a relatively unbiased explanation of each book. This book surely allows for further investigation of the Bible, but does provide a solid basic understanding.
I was a little thrown off at first when reading the book. Based on the title and description I had read, I was expecting more of an emphasis on the theme verse from each book of the Bible. The chapters, instead, focused on an overview of each book with some allusion to the theme verse.
That being said, I am glad to have read this book and to have it for future reference. I would also recommend this book to others.
I appreciate BookLook Bloggers for giving me this book for review.

Love Your Enemies

It is one thing to think back to the time when Jews and Samaritans were enemies and to try and understand what the act of kindness in Jesus' "Good Samaritan" parable meant. It is another to read the story of a doctor who was kidnapped by the taliban and came to realize that they were in many ways products of circumstance. They didn't know anything other than the life they were living. He even grew to love his captors, in some real sense of the term.
Not only did this book capture my attention, but it kept me wanting to read more and inspired me to want to be a better person.
The story is of a doctor with roots in India but current residence in the United States who makes trips to Afghanistan as a health director with a Morning Star Development. On one of those trips, the vehicle he is in gets stopped and he and his 2 native co-workers get captured by a group of mujahideen. In his book, Dr. Dilip Joseph recounts his thoughts and feelings throughout his captivity with the taliban and rescue by Seal Team 6.
I would recommend this book to just about everybody and am thankful to BookLook Bloggers for providing this book to me free for review.

Can We Have True Joy Without Pain?

I have pondered this question several times throughout my life. God created everything and thus has something to do with pain and the capacity for evil within creation. This topic came up again as I read Into the Canyon by Michael Neale.
The the main character is an old man (about as old as my parents) who tells his story to a younger man. Most of the book is made up of the old man's story of himself and a small group of people who were river guides in Colorado. Through his story, he relates to the younger man what is important in life.
The old man, Gabriel Clarke, was scarred for life when as a child of 5, his dad died saving two men from the river. His mom took him to Kansas, away from the river, where he grew up with his mom and the older couple whose farm they lived on. As the story begins, Gabriel was recently invited back to the river and is becoming a guide.
He has to work through his pain as he also directly works with one of the men his father saved. The people in his life are full of wisdom and patience as he follows the path to forgiveness and freedom.
I am not sure I completely understand the metaphor of The River, which is capitalized throughout the book. It seems almost like a god to the guides. I suppose it is supposed to be the Holy Spirit. Maybe it would have helped to read The River by the same author.
Either way, this was a pretty good book. I did not get bored by it and was in some way inspired by the story.
I have BookLook Bloggers to thank for providing this book to me for review.

So Much Book

I've gotta admit. This book was a little long for me. But it was so good. I would call myself a casual reader. I like to read, but I don't spend a lot of time on it. I also like to finish things that I start, so I don't like a book takes more of my life than I want to give. This book was worth it, though. In fact, I will definitely have to refer back to it and reread sections. I didn't put much of anything into practice while reading this book, but there are many things I would like to try/commit myself to.

You may have heard of Michael Yankoski or adventure as a homeless person. He wrote a book several years ago about that experience called Under the Overpass. I don't want to spend time on that book, though. The book I just finished reading is The Sacred Year. The basis of the book is the author found himself caught up in Christian celebrity and found himself lacking depth in life, relationships, etc. He began his "sacred year" by spending a week at a monastery.
From that point he records various experiences, in a somewhat random, yet cohesive manner. He draws from the wisdom of others and has the self-discipline to do things that, while simple, are very difficult, such as contemplating an apple for an hour or living in a cave for a week.

The insight he draws from his various experiences offer profound lessons. Michael Yankoski is able to present the lessons in a way that is not preachy or coercive. He tells of his experiences not in a way that says, "You must do these things to," but in a way that allows us to learn from his trial and sometimes error.

If you haven't already noticed, I really appreciate this book. It is in many ways the antithesis to our face-paced money-loving culture, a siren enticing the reader to slow down and contemplate the important things in life and appreciate the complexity of the simple. I would recommend it to just about everybody.

I also appreciate BookLook Bloggers for giving me this book free for review.

Good Message

It has taken me a while to get through this latest book from BookLook Bloggers, but it is one of the first husband advice books I have gotten through at all.
This book by Doug Fields comes from a series of messages he gave, advice for men on how to be a hero to their wife. The advice is good, though difficult to follow. He did provide some simple steps to help and practical stories and lessons.
The main idea is for men to stop being so selfish and to realize that they must work together with their wives, with one heart. This is obviously more complicated than it seems, so Fields spends the majority of the book offering ways to live that out and explaining what it really means.
The book is full of great ideas and good lessons or reminders about what a husband should strive to be. However, I had a hard time with the delivery of the message. It seems the author tries too hard to be funny or to appeal to a specific type of man.
When I could force myself to read beyond the delivery, I was able to let some real truth sink in. I might recommend this book to others.
Thank you BookLook Bloggers for providing a free copy for review.

Good Reminders, Slightly Stale

I haven't been undergoing persecution lately or had anything particularly bad happen in my life, but I have been having a hard time relating to God and figuring out how to live this life. From that position and finding no better looking alternatives, I requested a free copy of The Red Sea Rules by Robert J. Morgan from BookLook Bloggers. It turned out to be just about what I expected: a book with some good reminders but nothing especially new or life-changing.
Morgan draws 10 lessons from the Israelites' passage out of Egypt and through the Red Sea that offer insight for relating to God as we pass through various trials and hardships in our own lives. These lessons include trusting God, praying, and praising, along with (as you might guess) seven others.
I would not necessarily suggest reading this book, but I also don't doubt that it could be used to change a person's life. One thing I do like about it is that the lessons are not overly drawn out, so it's a fairly quick read.

Insight into Joy Through Suffering

You may have heard a song called "Clouds" by Zach Sobeich or seen a video about him and his family. I had not done either of those until I was about halfway through the book Fly A Little Higher written by Zach's mother, Laura.
I have to admit the book was a little bit out of my stylistic preference, but it was good. It went on a little too long for me, but otherwise I have no complaints about it. Laura Sobeich did a great job of capturing the life of their family, the difficulties and the joys surrounding the life and death of her son Zach.
I could relate to Zach somewhat from the musical aspect, and I admit I was somewhat jealous of all the opportunities he had musically. I was also envious of his attitude towards life, his care for others. The book paints a great picture of a great family, while including some of the raw emotion and authentic feelings.
It is a book worth reading. Will it change your life? Maybe. Maybe not.
I am glad I was given the opportunity to read this book by BookLook Bloggers who provided it free for review.

Girls and Shoes

As you might imagine, it generally makes the most sense to read a series in order. When I requested Riley Mae and the Ready Eddy Rapids I didn't realize that it was the second book in a series. Thankfully it was provided for free for review by BookLook Bloggers, and I wanted it more for my daughter in the future than for myself. Having read and reviewed book 2, I decided to request book 1 recently. Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek by Jill Osborne provided some good background information on the characters that I had missed by reading the second book first. The story develops of a young girl whose father works in marketing for a shoe company. The girl, Riley Mae, ends up becoming the spokesgirl for a new line of shoes named after her. Shes learns some lessons in commitment and responsibility and deals with conflicting interests after signing a contract that takes precedence over softball.
I appreciate that each book of the series (at least the two I have read) has its own complete plot while there is also a plot that runs through them, giving them cohesion. I also appreciate some of the lessons that are demonstrated. One caution, however, is that there are several lies, or at least secrets in the book, some that are kept by Riley from her parents. While it is realistic that people hide things from each other, this is something certain parents might not want a book to suggest to their children.
Personally, I won't let that stop me from letting my daughter read this when she gets a little older (after she learns to read).
This book was also provided to me free for review by BookLook Bloggers.

Dealing With Guilt

We all make mistakes. Some seem bigger than others. Some remain in our memories longer. Others may be so bad that we block them out but deal with them subconsciously for a long time. In The Devil Walks In Mattingly author Billy Coffey deals with the issues of guilt and shame through a fictional tale of a small, secluded town. The story focuses on the sheriff of the town, whose shame has made him dead inside as he does all he can to maintain a put-together exterior. His wife, blaming herself for the same death as her husband, though neither knows it, tries to make up for her mistake by helping others. In this tale, this couple comes face to face with their past in a way that forces them to divulge the secrets they have tried to keep buried inside.
I enjoy a fiction novel that has a practical point to it. This novel has just that. While there seems to be a lack of clarity on some points about guilt and shame, the author does a good job of demonstrating the importance of honesty, both with yourself and others, particularly when dealing with guilt. The book seemed long and slow in getting to the point, but in a way, that enabled me to share the anxiety and awkwardness the characters felt as they found their way to the truth of the day that had changed their lives years ago.
I would recommend this book as an intriguing tale dealing with guilt. However, I would also add that it is in no way a comprehensive guide to dealing with guilt and shame.
I appreciate BookLook Bloggers for providing this book to me for review.

Something Different

After my previous review, I was looking through the books available for review from BookLook Bloggers and saw several that I thought I might like. I ended up choosing one that I wouldn't normally be interested in but thought might be a good one for my daughter when she gets a little older. I figured it would be an easy book to get through and would offer a change of pace.
The book Riley Mae and the Ready Eddy Rapids by Jill Osborne did end up being a quick read. It follows the adventures of a young spokesperson for a shoe company as she learns the ups and downs of a life of responsibility, a life that takes her away from her home and friends and that involves more thrills than anyone could have been prepared for. Riley seems to be accident prone as people around her continually end up in the hospital. Maybe they aren't just accidents.
The book includes many lessons about growing up and about faith, and I would recommend it for the target audience. If you are a little bit out of the target, like me, you still might be able to get something out of it and maybe even enjoy some or all of it.
I am grateful for BookLook Bloggers for providing this book free for review, and I am interested to see what my daughter will think of it when she learns to read.

Giving

I just finished reading The Happiest Life by Hugh Hewitt, which is a book about giving. The basic premise, as you might guess, is that the best way to live a happy life is to give. Hewitt describes seven gifts that anybody can give. They include intangibles, such as encouragement and energy. The chapters about gifts are followed by descriptions of givers. Basically, he outlines how you can be a giver in various arenas of life based on relationships you have in those arenas.
I appreciate that this book has some great truth about what it actually means to be happy and what are some of the best things to give and best ways to give them. I was able to glean much from the wisdom and experience of the author.
However, at many times, The Happiest Life seems like it should have been written as an autobiography with giving as a major theme throughout Hewitt's life. While I appreciate the stories and examples, I think the book often crossed the line between effectively communicating ideas and merely rambling. At times, I was reminded of the Bible's genealogy sections. While I think those section are important for the complete understanding of God's Word, I don't think they were necessary or helpful for this book. Not only were they not helpful but could often come across as name-dropping.
I would most likely recommend this book to people along with a warning about the amount of unnecessary information.
Thanks to BookSneeze, now BookLook Bloggers, for sending me this free book for review.

Finding

I was recently given the book Dear Mr. Knightley by BookSneeze, for review. For me, the amount of time it takes me to read a book is quite telling. This book I read within a few a days, meaning I enjoyed it and it engaged me.
Katherine Reay's first novel lays out the experiences and feelings of a young woman through letters she writes to a pseudonym attached to the foundation that pays for her Master's education at a prestigious journalism school.
The letters allow Sam to withdraw herself from her books and into the world around her, to be separate from her favorite characters and become herself. Throughout the book, she is faced with challenges to escape the fear, anger and other scars from the past that caused her to hide in the first place and enter a new chapter of life, a life with love and hope.
I appreciate the range of issues the book touches on: foster care, education, career choices, anger, fear, love, hope, God, and others.
I would recommend this book to others, especially those who appreciate reading and/or writing.

A Bleak Future

Jonathan Friesen paints a bleak picture of the future, with the central problem being a lack of fresh water on the earth, in his book Aquifer. Those still alive, are held in constant fear of running out of water. Their only hope is the deliverer, who makes an annual exchange with the creatures who have control of the water source underground. Only the deliverer knows the winding path to reach the "rats" with the light sticks to exchange for another year of fresh water.
Luca, the deliverer's son, faces his future as he matures into adulthood feeling like he has no place in the world, being separate from everybody around him. Growing up, he has little knowledge of his past or the truth about the present. He doesn't even know much about his own father, but a turn of events thrusts him into an adventure during which he learns much about his family and the world and grows into a brave, young man as he searches for hope and a place to fit in.
I really enjoyed the book, not only for the story told but also for the symbolism presented. It is both an entertaining and thought-provoking book.
I appreciate BookSneeze for giving it to me for review.

Wounds

I recently finished reading a book by Anne Graham Lotz, Billy Graham's daughter, called Wounded by God's People. When I first started reading it, I thought it was a pity book, to make you feel good about yourself and entitle you to feel sorry for yourself and to live with wounds and scars. However, I was glad when I continued reading and found out that it does offer some hard truths about forgiveness and doing your part not to wound others.
The book relates ways that we may wound or be wounded to Biblical examples, specifically to Abraham and his family. Lotz provides insight into the ways that each character was involved in wounding, both as wounder and wounded. It made me want to be more conscious of when I have wounded people and do my best to resolve any bitterness that I may have or that others may have towards me.
While it was not written in a style that really appeals to me, I did appreciate the stories and examples that were given, and I think this book could be very helpful to some people.
In fact, it would probably be helpful for me to apply some of the ideas to my own life.
This wasn't an especially memorable book that I would recommend to people, but it was alright to read. I wouldn't recommend against it.
Thanks to BookSneeze for providing this book to me for review.

God Uses The Small For Great Things

What's Your Mark is a collection of snippets about real people and what they are doing to make an impact or "mark" with their lives. The title is a nice play on words, as the book also contains the book of "Mark" from the Bible throughout.
The collection contains a wide variety of people who do a wide variety of things. However, each story is marked by a decision to do something, often something seemingly small, that has become something great. God is very skilled at using the small, seemingly insignificant things and people to make great things happen.
I appreciate Jeremy Cowart for taking the time to put this together. I think it is a neat and inspiring book to have. The photos, though good, are not mind-blowing or breath-taking. The stories, while nice and inspirational, are not sensationally life-changing. This book, though, being small and even seemingly insignificant could definitely be used by God for some great things.

This book was provided free for review by BookSneeze.

A Dream So Big

It's hard to know what it's like to be a long-term overseas missionary unless you have experienced it yourself. Steve Peifer, however, offers great insight into the life of a missionary family that makes you feel like you are part of their adventure. In A Dream So Big, he takes the reader through the highs and lows of his family's journey as he recounts the events that led to leaving a comfortable, American dream life for a not so comfortable but more abundant life in Kenya. He leaves the reader encouraged with hope and challenged with fulfilling God's plan.

Having been on several short-term mission trips, I have often had a desire to go long-term. I enjoyed reading this account of the life of a missionary family and appreciate the candor and humility of the author, allowing readers into the very real and personal parts of his family's journey. 

I would suggest this book to everyone. It is not only an interesting story, but can also challenge Christians and non-Christians to evaluate their life and figure out it's true meaning.

Lemonade

You've probably heard the saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." In Don Jacobson's book When God Makes Lemonade he offers a collection of stories from various authors. The narratives are centered around hope. It is hope in God that allows us to live through, and even thrive in difficult circumstances, as chronicled in this book. 

The collection of stories offers a good example of people being real about the tragedies that happen in life. Although each of the stories describes a certain obstacle or tragedy, though, none is without hope. As Christians, one way we can be a light to the world is by demonstrating the hope we have in God and the peace that comes with that, especially through difficult circumstances.

I really appreciate this book as more than a good read but as a collection of examples of living a life full of the fruit of the Spirit.

Many thanks to BookSneeze for providing this book to me free for review.

Persecuted...Not What I Expected

When I requested a review copy of Persecuted: The Global Assault on Christians by Paul Marshall, Lela Gilbert, and Nina Shea, I was expecting a collection of stories of Christians being persecuted around the world. What I received was more like a textbook in a paperback disguise. In this, I was disappointed.
However, after getting past the initial blow of unmet expectation, I was anything but disappointed by the book. It gives a comprehensive view of the persecution of Christians throughout the world. It is organized and referenced well. It is written with authority and is a very educational book on an important topic.
For a text book on global persecution of Christians, this is an excellent book. It is not, however, an easy-to-read collection of stories.
Thanks, BookSneeze, for providing this book for me to review.