A Review: "Red Letter Revolution" by Shane Claiborne and Tony Campolo

"Red Letter Revolution:  What If Jesus Really Meant What He Said?" by Shane Claiborne and Tony Campolo is written as a dialogue between the two authors. They introduce it as a "new movement" of believers who attempt to take seriously the words of Christ and commit to living them out in daily life. Overall, they tackle twenty-six different topics, including hell, Islam, family, racism, homosexuality, immigration, politics, war, national debt, and missions, divided into three separate sections.

There are some good points in the book. Both authors call the church out on handling finances--do we have a balance between what we use for ourselves and what we give away to take care of those in need (both within and without our church)? Both authors call us back to being good stewards of creation, a hearkening back to God's call to Adam in Genesis 1. 

But overall, the book had far more troubling aspects than good ones. I found it to be pretty reductionist and incomplete. For example, evangelism has been reduced to "recruiting agents for God's work in this world" (p. 51). Missions is reduced to simply helping the poor. There is no sense for the real true Gospel in this book. By placing so much emphasis on helping the poor, with that being the end goal of evangelism and missions, you have developed a works-based theology with no discussion of grace. The only aspect of God's character that is ever talked about is love; anger is covered, but really only in regard to the religious people (a barely covered jab at evangelicals).

To me, this book is a piece of liberal propaganda that panders to those who want a Christianity that conforms to the secular culture. It is a call to activism--but an activism that emphasizes works instead of grace, meeting practical needs instead of the true message of the Gospel. Many things in the book may sound good upon first reading them, but as you begin to ponder it, you begin to see the holes in their arguments, especially in light of what the entire Bible says. Could we all stand to take more seriously the words of Christ? Yes. But we enter dangerous territory when we pick and choose only portions of Scripture to take seriously, as these authors are apt to encourage.

This is not a book I can in good conscience recommend to anyone. It's light on theology and heavy on social justice with a few carefully chosen Scriptures thrown in for good measure. I think I'll stick with my Bible--the entire Bible--and a few more doctrinally sound authors.

(I’ve received this complimentary book through the BookLook program in exchange for a review. A positive review was not required and the views expressed in my review are strictly my own.)

A Review: "What About Heaven" by Kathleen Long Bostrom

"What About Heaven" by Kathleen Long Bostrom is a fantastic little book meant to help children begin to understand the amazing promise of heaven. The illustrations in the book are done by Elena Kucharik, the artist for the Care Bears. Her illustrations are whimsical, bright, and colorful.

The book begins with a series of questions about what heaven is like: Is heaven a place that is near or that's far? Can I have a room only for me? What food will I eat? And what clothes will I wear? The second half of the book transitions to answers to those questions. At the top of each page in the second half are the Scripture references referenced on that page. It's a wonderfully, biblically sound book that can be appreciated by people of all ages. The rhyming text, combined with the wonderful illustrations, are sure to make this book a hit with kids.

Both of my preschool age boys enjoyed this book. It's a wonderful little book that will get a lot of mileage in our reading repertoire!

(I’ve received this complimentary book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for a review. A positive review was not required and the views expressed in my review are strictly my own.)

A Review: "To Love and Cherish" by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller

"To Love and Cherish" by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller is the second book in the "Bridal Veil Island" trilogy. Bridal Veil Island, a fictional island set off the coast of Georgia, is a popular resort area that caters to the wealthy. Melinda Colson became a lady's maid out of necessity after her parents died and left her and her brother, Lawrence, penniless. She regularly spends winters on Bridal Veil Island with her employers, where she meets Evan Tarlow, the gamekeeper for the island resort. A romance between them develops, but the future remains uncertain. After a hurricane strikes the island, Melinda leaves her employers and travels back to Bridal Veil in order to search for Evan. She obtains full-time employment on the island in hopes that will spur Evan to proposing. There are plenty of twists and turns in their journey to the altar!

Overall, this book was a bit slow and contrived. Melinda was a bit annoying in that she spent much of her time bemoaning why Evan hadn't proposed yet. Even when it comes out later that he doesn't want to get married until he is financially stable enough to provide for a wife and family (a noble reason, to be sure), she still doesn't accept it and continues to pout and whine.

The plot picked up more steam and became a bit more likeable toward the end, but it simply took a long time to get there. Normally, I love books by Tracie Peterson, but this book, and the series as a whole thus far, have fallen far short of her normal engaging standard. This series hasn't really been up to par lately so I'll probably be bypassing the final book in lieu of some of the authors' other work.

(I’ve received this complimentary book from Bethany House Publishers through the Book Blogger program in exchange for a review. A positive review was not required and the views expressed in my review are strictly my own.)

A Review: "Twelve Unlikely Heroes" by John MacArthur

"Twelve Unlikely Heroes" by John MacArthur takes a detailed look at the lives of twelve different Biblical men and women that the casual reader may gloss over upon first glance. The people that MacArthur chose to examine in this book include Enoch, Joseph, Miriam, Gideon, Samson, Jonathan, Jonah, Esther, John the Baptist, James, Mark, and Onesimus.

MacArthur thoroughly dissects the stories surrounding each person, skillfully bringing together not just Scripture, but historical, archaeological, and cultural evidence as well. It is clearly evident that much research has gone into each story. I truly appreciated the historical evidence presented throughout the book as it helped to tie things together and provide a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding these fascinating people.

Each person MacArthur looks at in this book are all sinners and have all fallen short in various areas. But he highlights so beautifully the way that God worked in each person's life to bring about His greater glory. It's a wonderful reminder that God can (and does!) use flawed, sinful people to accomplish His work and His purposes. In both the prologue and epilogue, MacArthur reminds readers that each man and woman featured in this book were known for both their faith and their faithfulness. These are the people (among many of the Biblical men and women) that I want to look up to and who I want my children to look up to.

(I’ve received this complimentary book through the BookLook program in exchange for a review. A positive review was not required and the views expressed in my review are strictly my own.)

A Review: "Be The Mom" by Tracey Lanter Eyster

"The Creator of the heavens and the earth fashioned you to be the mother of the children He has entrusted to you. What joy it is to embrace the role of motherhood, free ourselves from the traps that aim to devour and devalue us, and live a momlife worthy of His calling. This doesn't mean a momlife without challenges or mistakes, but a momlife increasingly dependent upon our heavenly Father" (p. 153).

Motherhood is full of blessings and challenges. And sometimes it can seem that the challenges outweigh the blessings. Eyster takes a candid look at the most common attitude traps that moms fall prey to. Using humor and real-life examples, she helps debunk these traps and points us to the one perfect parent:  God. She discusses seven traps:  Just a Mom, Me Mom, Martyr Mom, Busy Mom, Mirror Mom, Tomorrow Mom, and They Say Mom. Each chapter ends with a brief quiz to see how embedded in each trap you are, as well as though provoking questions to help pull you out of that particular trap.

Just glancing through the chapter list, it was easy to see a couple of particular traps that are catchy for me, but reading the entire book helped open my eyes to just how subtle some of these traps are. I really appreciated Eyster's candidness and the encouragement that she offered. At the end of the book, she brings it all together by providing four practical faith steps to stay in tune with God as we allow Him to equip us for the task of motherhood:  spend time daily in prayer, find a mentor, seek opportunities to serve, and study His word daily. 

I would definitely recommend this book to all moms, particularly those that are really struggling with embracing their role as mother. The set-up of the book also makes it perfect for book clubs or small groups to read together and discuss. Overall, this was a great read!

(I’ve received this complimentary book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for a review. A positive review was not required and the views expressed in my review are strictly my own.)

A Review: "Touching the Sky" by Tracie Peterson

"Touching the Sky" by Tracie Peterson is the second book in the "Land of the Lone Star" series. This book features the story of Laura Marquardt, a strong and independent Southern woman, and Brandon Reid, a captain in the Union army. The Civil War is over and the nation is slowly being reunified. However, there are plenty of Confederate supporters for whom the war is not yet over.

Despite the Marquardt family's support of the Union, Laura's younger sister, Carissa, makes a hasty decision to marry a Confederate soldier, Malcolm Lowe, which results is disastrous consequences for all involved. Malcolm is being investigated by the army for murder and conspiracy, spearheaded by Brandon Reid. A chance meeting leads to courtship with Laura, who assists him with his investigation.

A side storyline is Laura's desire to help freed blacks learn to read. She longs to help them gain an education to help better themselves in their newfound freedom. Laura begins by teaching an employee in their home and then progresses to several adult women and a couple of children. She is supported in her endeavor by both her father and Brandon.

This was a very enjoyable novel. Peterson really delivered with this second book. The characters are well flushed out and the plot flows smoothly. There are even a couple cameo appearances from two characters from the first book in the series, which made for a nice tie-in. Overall, this book was well done. I'm very much looking forward to the final book in the series!

(I’ve received this complimentary book from Bethany House Publishers through the Book Blogger program in exchange for a review. A positive review was not required and the views expressed in my review are strictly my own.)

A Review: "Mondays With My Old Pastor" by Jose Luis Navajo

"Mondays With My Old Pastor" by Jose Luis Navajo is Navajo's story of finding rejuvenation for ministry through visits with his old pastor. Navajo was burned out on ministry, tired and discouraged. He was questioning even whether he was truly called to pastor a church. At this point, his wife gently suggested that he contact his old pastor. Navajo did just that, and he began meeting with his old pastor (whose name we are never given). His old pastor was a man who pastored the same church for 55 years and was married to his wife for 60 years, until his death. He was a man of tremendous wisdom who passed it on to Navajo, and Navajo blessed readers with the wisdom of his old pastor in this book.

Granted, the book is aimed more at pastors or other leaders in the church, but the principles in this book transcend to apply to the lives of every believer. The old pastor gives us fifteen principles to live by. The wisdom contained in this book is overflowing. I loved the messages that were shared. There are too many wonderful quotes to count in this book! One of my favorites has to do with putting emphasis on preaching the Bible:  "Why are there so few churches where they preach the whole Bible message? Why do so many prefer to tell stories? There may be more attractive messages, but none more powerful. Many topics may be entertaining, but they don't save. Other issues might astonish, but only the cross can transform us" (p. 105).

This is truly a wonderful book that all believers should read. The wisdom contained in this book comes from years of experience and is an absolute treasure trove. We should all be so lucky to glean wisdom from those older and more experienced than us as we journey through life and our own Christian walk!

(I’ve received this complimentary book from Thomas Nelson Publishing House through the Book Sneeze program in exchange for a review. A positive review was not required and the views expressed in my review are strictly my own.)