Sunday, February 6th, 2011
The last book on my “To Review” Docket was Becoming a Woman of Influence by Carol Kent. This book is put out by NavPress, which is always a really reliable publishing company. I tend to enjoy the quality of books they put out.
Becoming a Woman of Influence is about encouraging the reader to invest in the lives of younger women. Kent outlined some key points in how to make a lasting impact on others. Much of the book was a review for me, but for someone who has never taken a younger woman under her wing, this would be an excellent book to read. There is no hokey-ness to this book- only real examples from real people about what it looks like to mentor someone. I especially liked her chapter on Storytelling, which emphasized that we often learn best through hearing others’ stories. Sometimes mentoring can focus on information transfer, but often the power of stories is underestimated.
Anyway, an easy, refreshing read that had solid content. If you’ve been mentoring others, you probably don’t need to read this book, but if you would like to encourage another woman to invest her life in others (and you know she hasn’t), this could be a good gift!
After reading this, I’m curious… in your experience, what are some of the characteristics of women who have invested in you?
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Tags: book review, campus ministry, church, community, navpress
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Friday, January 28th, 2011
Multnomah Publishing recently put out the book Radical by David Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama. My friend Ashley was reading this book when she came to visit and she was enjoying it, so I decided to pick it up as well.
I must say that I did like this book. I think Platt had important things to say, and he did so in a way that many will enjoy reading. He seems authentic, down-to-earth and passionate about living a life obedient to Scripture. Platt challenges his reader to live in radical abandonment to Christ. He calls American Christians on their consumerism/materialism idolatry issues, and challenges us to live more simply so that we can love God and others (who live in poverty) better.
I have read other books like this, and heard other sermons about this, so most of the things in this book were not new for me. I mean, a lot of what he said is what Scripture says. But, maybe for those who need to be specifically challenged, this is a good book.
BUT, there is one insight that I gleaned that has made me think…and it’s related to the idea of the American Dream. Anyone who knows me knows that although I may desire some sort of the American Dream at times, I am pretty vigilent to guard myself from the temptation to be lured in. Plus, I have a husband who probably is rarely tempted to buy into the American Dream, which helps me out too 
. But, Platt brought up a really good point about the American Dream that I have definitely folded into my life. He says on page 46, “The dangerous assumption we unknowingly accept in the American dream is that our greatest asset is our own ability.” He goes on to say that we here in America prize what people can do when they just work hard, believe in themselves and trust in themselves. Did your parents ever tell you growing up that you can do whatever you want? I agree with him that we have mistakenly adopted this mentality as maybe even biblical. However, throughout Scripture we are given example after example of people who were unable to do something, but God helped them do something because he loves to display His power. It leads to the question- are we dependent on ourselves or desperate for God? I think most in America (definitely myself included) need some desperation for God. So, for me, this point was a real impactful one, and something that I’ve been talking and praying and thinking about over these past couple weeks.
One beef I have with Platt is his understanding and expectation of overseas missions. I have been overseas doing missions- and in several different contexts- so I obviously agree that God does call people to go and go they must if called. BUT, Platt tells many stories of how he went overseas and taught pastors about the Bible. My question is- should we be teaching Western Christianity to non-Western nations and people? Why should I go and teach a bunch of pastors in China about the Bible. They have Bibles, they know how to read, they know how to think, and they see God working in their context. I don’t think we have to go and teach them. I think we need to have exchanges of ideas and information. Sure, they could benefit from our thoughts, but also could benefit from their thoughts. I felt like he (and not just him, but others do this too) sees our role as a little too vital to their faith development. However, like I said before, we need to help meet physical needs (however we choose to do that) and we need to go. Sometimes we need to go for our exposure and growth, sometimes we need to go for others’ exposure and growth. And we won’t really know until we go. The reality is we can’t just throw money at them and the churches and say “go do ministry”, because we are a church, one body, and we are created to be in relationship with one another. Sometimes we need to go (and to welcome those who come) because we need to build and foster those relationships. One question he was asked was – “Should I really spend $3500 to go to a country in Africa for a couple weeks when I could just give them the money?” Yes, you should. Because the kingdom of God doesn’t come through money. It comes through relationships. I think we sometimes think that money is what makes the world go round. We need money, or the church needs money, or we need more stuff to do cooler ministry. But the reality is, we don’t need that. We need the Spirit. We need to be desperate for the Spirit in our lives and in the lives of the church body. I need to be desperate for the Spirit to work in and through me and my faith community.
[I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.]
Tags: book review, community, culture, growth, kingdom of God, multnomah
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Thursday, January 27th, 2011
For days now, Asante has asked me when his new Bible would be coming in the mail. And today…it came! The Beginning Reader’s Bible from Thomas Nelson Publishers is awesome! We enjoyed reading it during Aly’s naptime today, as well as using it in our before-bedtime devotions. This Bible is certainly closer to a grown-up Bible than our beloved Beginner’s Bible from Zondervan. Both Aly and Asante received this Bible from Parkade Baptist Church when we had them dedicated, and it has been so perfect for their attention spans and comprehension. But, Asante (age 3) was definitely ready for this next step.
The illustrations in this Bible are really engaging, descriptive, and interesting! While there are not as many stories in this Bible (sad day, they only have 13 of the OT and 13 of the NT, plus some extra prayers, charts, etc.), each story gives a lot more details and is even written in verse form. Also, one really odd thing about this Bible is that there are no page numbers (but includes a table of contents with page numbers..hmmm). So, that is kind of annoying but of course Asante doesn’t care. He’s more than happy to flip through the pages until he sees a story he wants read to him.
If you’re looking for a kid’s Bible that is thorough, this is not the one for you. BUT, if you want one that has great illustrations and is told in a way that kids will better understand, you may like this one.
I’m curious… what was your favorite Bible story to have read to you as a child? Which one would you definitely include if you were making a children’s Bible?
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Tags: asante, bible, book review, thomas nelson book review
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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010
Jake and I used to memorize a LOT of Scripture. One summer when we were dating, we memorized two new verses every day. And we actually memorized them! By the end of the summer, I think we had the entire sermon on the mount committed to memory. That was a fruitful time for me, and not just because I had memorized so many verses and could check it off some list…but because I was hiding Scripture in my heart, which the Holy Spirit has used again and again since then- to instruct me, encourage me, and lead me in making the right decisions. Scripture memory is good stuff…and a discipline I haven’t kept up for awhile now.
In the mail a couple months ago, I received the Topical Memory System: Life Issues from NavPress to review. It comes with a book of memory verses that you can cut out and put in a memory verse pack (also provided). The memory verse pack is a little envelope-type thing that can fit in a purse or back pocket. The memory verse cards that you put in the pack come in six versions (NIV, NASB, KJV, NKJV, ESV, and NLT), so you can use the version you like and then pass the rest on to friends!
In addition to the verses, it comes with a book where each verse provided is written about by various authors. Some of the verses are related to anger, perfectionism, sex, guilt, self-image, depression, etc. The authors discuss the verse (in context), and then they also expand a little on the issue being dealt with. There are a couple questions to think about at the end of each chapter, along with MANY other verses that you can go to that deal with that topic. It’s pretty good!
So, if scripture memory is something you have been wanting to start for the first time or get back into in the new year, this may be a helpful tool. But, if you don’t want to spend money on it and don’t need the extra help of organization, just start memorizing! =)
p.s. I received this book free, thanks to the NavPress bloggers program. Thanks NavPress!
Tags: book review, navpress, scripture
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Thursday, December 16th, 2010
Now that my semester is officially over (cheers!), I will be pouring some of my free time into watching good movies and reading interesting books…two of my favorite things!
The other evening, Jake, Ashley and I watched the movie The Least Among You. It’s produced by Lionsgate, which (I think) is a Christian production company. You can read about what it’s about here on imbd. I just have to say that I really liked the movie because of the interesting issues that it brings up- not only in how things were in the 60s and 70s, but how things are today regarding race, diversity, and the church. For people who are interested in thinking more about this topic, this would be a really good movie to watch to begin conversations… what if you used it in a small group or with a group of friends to kick off some good and really important conversations?
Diversity is a really hard thing for people in general to deal with- it doesn’t matter if it’s because of race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, or education level. People just have a hard time really accepting and loving and embracing people who are “other.” Watch The Least Among You and allow these issues to bubble up inside of you, and be sure to have time to reflect and ruminate in whatever is going on inside of you after the credits start rolling.
EDIT: JUST KIDDING. LIONSGATE IS NOT A CHRISTIAN PRODUCTION COMPANY .
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Tags: book review, church, race, thomas nelson book review
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Monday, August 30th, 2010
It has been a long time since I’ve thought about those first few days of college- new places, new people, new classes. I had a great college experience overall, but that first semester was really really rough for me. I had a hard time transitioning from knowing and being known by so many people, and then feeling like a stranger in the midst of thousands of others…and not being able to go home whenever I felt like it (I had no car on campus and was 2.5 hours away from my house!).
If I would have read this book, published by NavPress, would it have been any easier? Probably not, but that’s not the book’s fault . Everything You Need to Know Before College, by Matthew Paul Turner, was a pretty fast, easy read that covered a lot of bases- relationships, classes, advice, etc. The humor was pretty corny…but I wonder if that’s how youth books are? I’ve been out of that genre for far too long, so although I rolled my eyes a lot, maybe high school seniors would think it was really funny.
Anyway, I will be giving this book away to a high school senior in the next year, and not because I don’t like it- but because I think it will be useful!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Tags: book review, navpress
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Sunday, August 29th, 2010
This Bible is actually really fun. It’s filled with art project, experiments, journal entries, discussion questions, etc. that kids can do to help them remember the Scripture stories that they read. I imagine this would be especially good for kids who are mainly tactile learners. A couple of the activities are ones that Asante could do at this point, but most of them are for older children- probably for kids aged 5-10.
The Bible also has a web element where one can go to find family devotions, reading plans, songs, etc. You can check it out here:
http://www.myhandsonbible.com/
Some of the activities are a little cheesy (um, of course, it’s for kids AND it’s probably targeted at a wide range of kids/parents). BUT, one that I liked was talking about the idea of hospitality, and then encouraged the kids to make lunch (with a little recipe for a pita sandwich) and then invite 3 of their friends over to serve them. It’s things like this that would help connect a story to an action that they would hopefully think of again in the future.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Tags: book review, tyndale
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Sunday, August 29th, 2010
The Kingdom Life: A Practical Theology of Discipleship and Spiritual Formation is a book written by several different theologians/authors/professors who belong to a group called TACT (Theological and Cultural Thinkers). This group came together, several years ago, to discuss how to encourage and strengthen the American church, especially in light of the discouraging statistics from Barna and Gallup research.
This book was a really encouraging and fun read for me because it has brought together many of the things I’ve learned and worked through over this past year in my classes. In the first half of the book, the authors discussed various parts of spiritual formation, exploring issues like what is the gospel? What does community look like for us? What role does suffering play in our formation? What is mission and why are we on it? How do we form spiritually? In the second half, the authors discuss the theology behind spiritual formation- trinitarian theology, the role of the Spirit, and the role of Scripture.
There are a lot of different parts that I could highlight in this review, but I’m making myself choose just one for sake of time and space. The aspect of the book that I liked best was its emphasis on real life transformation, and how it not only CAN happen, but it should happen. For many American Christians, we see the conversion, re-birth experience as the most important part of our spiritual life. We look back at a moment that we “accepted Jesus Christ as Savior” and that’s enough. Maybe most of us want something more, but we are willing to settle for the insurance and assurance of salvation. These authors emphasized that this conversion-centered gospel that many preach and emphasis is incomplete, unhealthy, and results in the research that Barna and Gallup reported.
Instead, we need to learn and model for one another what it looks like to be on the road of discipleship- following Jesus, practicing disciplines that help us to hear and understand God better, learning to say n0 to the flesh, living in open communities of grace, etc. For these authors, they seemed to be wanting to challenge church and lay leaders to first apply these principles to their own life, and then to re-structure, if necessary, the church in order to make sure that they are truly making disciples (and not just converts).
This is a five star book and one that I will certainly be re-rereading during parts of this semester (especially for my Equipping the Laity class). I would highly suggest this to any leader in the American church, and to anyone who thinks that spiritual formation will “just happen.”
As Dallas Willard said, “God is not opposed to effort, but to earning.” – The Divine Conspiracy
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Tags: book review, navpress
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Thursday, July 8th, 2010
For those of you who are raising families, or are dreaming of doing so one day, this may be a good book to put on your future-books-to-buy list. Amazing Adventures, Creative Connections and Daring Deeds is a book dedicated to the grow of a family’s faith together. Way too many times in American church life today, we leave the growing and fostering of our children’s faith to the local church down the street, while ignoring the HUGE responsibility that starts for us parents at Day 1 of child’s life. While this book is probably not for kids that young, this would be a great one to start when the children hit around the age of 3 or 4. Not only does it focus on reflection, Scripture and serving the community around you, but I think it will bring the family together by pushing everyone out of their comfort zone.
One chapter talked about giving generously, and I suspected that the “action” challenge would be something generic like give a few boxes of mac and cheese to your local food shelter. But, the authors (Tim and Alison Simpson) surprised me by challenging the family to pack up EVERY SINGLE PIECE of unopened non-perishable in the house and take it to a food bank or shelter.
Pick this one up. This isn’t for the family who wants to do a little fuzzy devotional together, but for a family who wants to be challenged in growing outside of their comfort zones, with the hope of these kind of things becoming an everyday part of life.
Here’s free excerpt to check out.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Tags: book review, family, navpress
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