Monday, January 17, 2011
Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge
I am so thankful that this is not another book for women written by some woman who has obviously not served in the trenches. Stasi is very real and admits to some of her own failings as a woman. This is not another book that will make women feel guilty if they are not Martha Stewart, Mother Teresa, and Marilyn Monroe wrapped into one.
I highly recommend this book with my only reservation being their unbiblical view of spiritual warfare and their failure to mention baptism as God’s plan for putting us into Christ.
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge
Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
The King’s Christmas List by Eldon Johnson, Illustrated by Bonnie Leick
Where Hearts Are Free, by Golden Keyes Parsons
The third novel in the series "A Darkness to Light" resulted from inspiration found in the author's genealogy. That background was intriguing, as well as its setting in the 1600s. Bridget Barrington fell in love with her family's indentured servant, Philippe Clavell. As soon as she reached marriageable age, her parents arranged for her to meet and marry a rake named Edward Moorehead. Only then did Bridget inform them of her longtime love for Philippe. Prospects were very bleak, in view of the fact that his term of indenture did not end for a few weeks yet. The evening after Bridget told Philippe of her love for him, Mr. Barrington ended the term of his service in exchange for his never again contacting his daughter. Philippe Clavell returned to his family in the Schuylkill Valley. He did not even open the one letter he received from Bridget. Meanwhile, his younger brother Charles remained behind and helped to rescue Bridget just in time.
Even though the main characters were Christian, Where Hearts Are Free contains multiple accounts of violent actions committed by others. The descriptions given were entirely unnecessary to the storyline and ruined an otherwise harmless book. For this reason, I would not recommend Where Hearts Are Free or any other book by Golden Keyes Parsons to careful, Christian readers.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Outlive Your Life, by Max Lucado
The message that "you were made to make a difference" is one of utmost importance in today's culture. Christians must recognize the opportunities that come to ordinary people and act upon them. Max Lucado presents a passionate appeal for action through his modern interpretations of Biblical stories and the lives of Christian workers.
Outlive Your Life presents suggestions for living better lives everyday, but it does not seem to live up to its title. Real-life stories are not backed up with practical suggestions and action plans for the Christian who wants to know how to make a difference. Even though Lucado mentioned several opportunities related to his own interests, he did not make it clear how others should seek for opportunities related to their interests. Young adults reading this book are left with the plaguing question, "How can I make a difference without previous experience or extensive funds?" The book is written in language that appeals to an inexperienced audience, but it does not give them the solutions necessary to make a difference. Outlive Your Life would appeal to a wider group of Christian adults if it addressed such questions or were written in a higher style. I would recommend this book to young adults who tend to miss opportunities for doing good for those closest to them every day.
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.