Deal

So, I am totally addicted to Groupon.  Here's a link you can use so I can get a $10 credit if you purchase one: http://www.groupon.com/r/uu20423221.  Today I bought this: http://www.groupon.com/deals/booth-no-5?c=dnb&p=2.  Can't wait to have a girls day with Mary and Sara!

Book Review: Hell, Rob Bell and What Happens When People Die

We live in a society where "truth" is relative and saying you know what the truth is gets you called names like "intolerant," "hypocritical," and "judgmental."


Rob Bell is a controversial figure in Christian circles because he's hard to pin down when it comes to "truth."  Bobby Conway isn't.  He believes what the Bible says and, despite being an "apologist," does not apologize for embracing the inerrancy of Scripture.  Conway has written Hell, Rob Bell and What Happens When People Die to disprove Love Wins but also to show how unashamed he is of the gospel and all that it teaches.


While I have not yet read Bell's book, Love Wins, I intend to -- I am not afraid of it and I like to know what I'm refuting.  However, I got the chance to read Bobby Conway's book for free and, well, free is good.


Conway was an unknown quantity to me before I opened his book so I came in without expectation -- well, that's not entirely true.  The book cover is so stark, I thought it looked like something someone would have published personally so my expectations were probably pretty low.  I was pleasantly surprised by the scholarship, honesty and urgency with which it is written.


I wonder why Bell continues to call himself a Christian.  He seems to think he can pick and choose what he wants to believe from the Bible and, if he truly believes as he states in the ads for his book that, "billions of people have been taught that . . . Jesus rescues you from God," [i.e. hell], what part does the Trinity play in his religion (because I think he's made one up)?


Bobby Conway takes his readers step-by-excruciating-step through the mess that is humanity's depravity and sin.  Through the amazing gift God offers to those who will believe on his son, Jesus; His life offered freely for that very depraved humanity.  To salvation.


If Bell is right and there is no hell; if there is no punishment for not believing in the only "name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12), then why did Jesus have to die?  Why believe in Him at all?  Isn't God sending His son to die the ultimate cruelty if it was all for nothing?


The answer is that the Bible teaches that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)  This means that a loving, just and holy God must punish that sin.


Conway walks us through it; invites us to understand and, in the end, if you do not feel an urgency to tell others about Jesus, you need to read his book -- and the Bible -- again.


LOVE does win.  Bell's definitions of "love" and "winning" are just incorrect.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Dug Down Deep: Not Your Ordinary Theological Primer

I had, of course, heard of Joshua Harris; having been in church for 17 years and served as a youth counselor for many of those, I couldn't avoid hearing about how he "kissed dating good-bye."  I made many bad decisions as a young adult until ultimately led to Christ, and had mixed feelings about what I heard about his suggestions but I never had the chance to read the book for myself.

Harris is a married man now, with three children and a thriving pastoral ministry.  As many of us do, he has matured and he has knowledge to impart.  Knowing about, but never having read anything by him, I opened this book with eager anticipation.  I was not disappointed.

The subtitle of Dug Down Deep is "Building Your Life on Truths that Last," and the central scripture is Luke 6:47-48 where Jesus described "the only true foundation for life."  Harris sets the stage with his own experiences and his longing for us to have a solid foundation on which to build our faith.

There are many books that can teach you about the definitions of "church-y" words like "doctrine," "theology," "atonement," and the like.  You can pick up a dictionary -- or visit dictionary.com as I often do.  However, this book is so much more than a mere list of definitions.  Neither is it a dry recitation of those definitions with fancy words and difficult-to-follow sentences.  Harris walks us through systematic theology using glimpses of his own walk, timely and relevant scripture references and the works of theologians both past and present.  The definitions are relatively easy to understand and the examples are often poignant, always appropriate.

This book is useful both as a source for the beginning of your study of church doctrine and orthodoxy, and as a reference as you mature in your faith and come to your own realizations of what those words actually mean to you personally.

It is both easy to read and understand AND mature.  I'll want all my children (ages 14, 18 and 21) to read it but also my husband, who leads a growing men's ministry.

Thank you, Mr. Harris, for a text that is  informative and riveting; useful and meaningful; literate and loving.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

This Blog should be called: Fits and Starts

. . . because I don't write anything for LONG stretches and then I vomit something out and then I do a few book reviews (and I use that term VERY lightly). . .well, you get the picture.

Today I am feeling introspective and somewhat philosophical. Those who know me will KNOW that's very unlike me. I'm not deep. I'm not thoughtful (in any sense of the word). I just prefer not to dwell.

But today is Saturday. Unusual in my life because only one thing is on the calendar. I'm sitting alone in a quiet, albeit messy, kitchen and I just made a "collage" of my son on picnik.com:

Say it with me: WOW!

I prayed for this. I've told the story a thousand times. Friends of ours have a son who is 3 years older than Noah and he was built the same way as Noah all through elementary and most of middle school. All of sudden, in about 7th grade, he started to shoot up. It seemed like every week at church, when I saw him, he was taller, leaner, more of a man.

I never saw Noah as anything but a handsome boy but I knew he wasn't "lean". . .not unhealthy, just not athletically built. I prayed he would pull a "Clint Bacon" . . .there, I said the kid's name.

He's doing it. Every day I feel he's grown another fraction of an inch or more. Every day his voice is deeper, he's more of a teenager, less of a boy. And he's becoming a man in so many ways other than just physically.

Marching band started in July. It can be fun but it's also torture on many levels. Sometimes he complains but he keeps going. He's trying things. Pushing his limits -- yesterday was a day off from school and he and his friends went to the local elementary school park and practiced "free running" and "planking" -- nothing dangerous (well, TOO dangerous) but nothing like I'd have seen them doing a year or two ago. More importantly, he is becoming a strong young man after God's heart. He is in the Word. He is trying to live his faith every day and feels compelled to share it -- not in a judgmental way but out of empathy and love for those who don't know Jesus.

I'm so proud of him. At the same time, I'm so sad. There are countless things I wish I'd done differently.

I've had the pleasure and privilege lately of meeting many young moms who stay at home with their children; either homeschooling as they reach school age or just being there when they get home. I'm blown away by them. Many of them do things to earn money from home or on the side -- photography, etsy stores with handmade items, Mary Kay, etc. I'm awed by their love for their families and their ability to sacrifice. I'm humbled by their lives. And I'm sad that I didn't see that as an option when I was a young mother myself.

However, I'm not one to dwell. God has blessed our family so richly. I wasn't the best mom ever but my children seem to see me that way -- talk about GRATEFUL!

Last night was a rare "family game night" -- no one had to work (too late) and so we all had pizza and played Cranium and Balderdash together. We have SO much fun and laugh SO hard on these nights. I'm so amazed at the love we share and so excited about the future. How can I dwell on the mistakes I made when hardly any of it seems to matter when we are all together laughing and loving each other? I can only pray that they learn from my mistakes and observe all the different ways there are to lead their lives and are able to discern God's will for themselves. That would be the greatest blessing of all.

So Noah is becoming a man. And my daughters are amazing young women. I guess I should feel like I've done a good job. But I know my job is never done -- at least while I'm still breathing. I'm grateful for this moment of quiet, when I can feel like at this point I'm doing okay.

I'm trusting God with all the tomorrows. . .

How full is your basket?

Bruce, her husband, may be better known but Darlene Marie Wilkinson does an excellent job of presenting the ideas first presented in his book, Secrets of the Vine.

Mrs. Wilkinson takes women on a journey through a vineyard with a father and daughter . . . and OUR father.

Using lessons from growing grapes, and using Jesus' words from John 15, we learn how to grow toward an abundant life. Where are you in your spiritual walk? Are you being disciplined? Pruned? Have you learned to abide? This little book will help you begin to recognize just that.

It's a short but insightful read; one you will return to again and again because the lessons are important and refreshing.

I highly recommend it!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: The Corruptible by Mark Mynheir

This was such a pleasant surprise! The second installment in Mr. Mynheir's Ray Quinn mysteries, I'll definitely be playing catch-up and reading The Night Watchman...

Ray Quinn is an ex-homicide cop turned PI with a young and slightly impulsive partner, Crevis. Together with their young, tutor/Girl Friday, Pam, they become embroiled in a high stakes hunt for another ex-cop turned security officer. Mayhem ensues. The characters are fun and well drawn. The language is campy film noir but not to the point of distraction from the tense action of the story.

Quinn is typical of a noir-ish gumshoe but modernized and, while macho, also vulnerable. The ex-cop he's after was once a co-worker and Quinn sees a lot of himself in the sad road taken by his target. No one is perfect in The Corruptible world and that's as it should be. There is just enough detail thrown in by Mr. Mynheir, an ex-cop himself, to make things interesting but not mind-numbing as can often happen when a writer is exceedingly proud of their knowledge/research...

All of the supporting characters are well fleshed out, if a bit numerous. I'll be interested to see how the recurring characters develop.

In the end, Quinn, Crevis and Pam get their man and Quinn even starts down a possible road to redemption. Can you say cliffhanger?

I thoroughly enjoyed this easy but compelling read and recommend it with no reservations!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Judgment Day by Wanda L. Dyson

I opened this book hoping for a suspenseful read. I hoped for a riveting storyline and engaging characters. As the Rolling Stones sang: "You can't always get what you want."

Ms. Dyson puts forth a good effort but there are details that are oddly disjointed: For example, why does Alex always mess up colloquialisms? Because she's a blue blood? It doesn't add to the character, it's just annoying. What happens to the bodies at the end?

Many things fall neatly (almost too neatly) into place but some things are left untied and those are the things I wanted double knotted. The characters are one dimensional and, especially in the case of Alex, stiff. The motive behind all the mayhem is sketchy.

However, if you are looking for a great beach read; something to keep you on the towel for a couple of hours, this is your book. The relationships are compelling to the extent you will get a good, even tan and, when it's time to go inside, you won't be loathe to put the book down and it will be easy to remember what was going on when you pick it up again.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Devil You THINK You Know. . .

The Canary List by Sigmund Brouwer is a very easy read. Unfortunately, it's a bit simplistic in other ways as well.

While the beginning of the book is intriguing and draws the reader in with a story of a teacher wrongfully accused, the supporting characters are mostly cliches as are the legs of the plot. Do demons exist and are they the engines that drive the evil in the world, or at least some of it? If so, could the very Papacy itself be threatened by demonic possession? It would be a wonderful premise if more research had been done and detail added -- not to mention the fact that the "advance reading copy" I have is very poorly edited.

While I found myself liking the characters of the teacher, Crockett Grey, and the student, Jaimie Piper. However, the first two-thirds of the book takes a long time to get anywhere and the last third of the book is so choppy, you wonder if it was worth the wait. You find yourself asking when the book will actually end.

And, surprisingly, you get to the end of the story without any real answer as to whether Mr. Brouwer believes in demons or not. It doesn't matter, as with many of the poorly executed good ideas called books these days, I see a movie in this one's future.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Get Cozy for this Read

River Jordan presents a spellbinding tale in The Miracle of Mercy Land. The characters are well written and likeable. The plot is compelling.

Mercy Land is a young woman in 1930’s Alabama who proves to be exceptional despite her seeming plain exterior. Mercy’s combination of plain spoken country common sense and journalistic curiosity draw the reader along as her quiet existence is turned upside down by a handsome stranger… or is he?

Miracle is a quick but compelling read and just in time for the beach. Take it along but be sure to set an alarm so you turn over regularly… Mercy wouldn’t want you to burn!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

My Review of Multicolor Lei Personalized Banner

Originally submitted at ShindigZ

Deocrate easily and affordable with a vinyl banner!

Dare to Compare!

• Prices as low as $14.79
• Quick and Easy!
• Over 1,000 designs to choose from
• Our exclusive customizing tool allows you to move, rotate and size.

Multicolor Lei Personalized Banner

Luau-vely!

By Kelly the Queen from Lexington, KY on 2/28/2011

 

5out of 5

Pros: Attractive Design, Colorful, Good Value, Quality Construction

Best Uses: Celebration, Themed Parties

Describe Yourself: Frequent Host

Was this a gift?: No

I haven't had the opportunity to use this yet but it's a great value -- grommets included!

(legalese)

Book Review: Soulprint by Mark Batterson

What do you want to be when you grow up? What is my destiny? What am I supposed to do?

These are questions we are asked and that we ask ourselves our entire lives. As Christians, we begin to ask, "What is God's Will for me?"

Mark Batterson takes on these seemingly enigmatic questions in his book, Soulprint.

Following the blueprint of the life of King David, Batterson leads a treasure hunt. He encourages the reader to dig deeply into the past to discover moments and memories that defined his or her life and to follow the clues in those memories and in the Bible to discover God's Will for what is to come.

Almost every page is filled with sentences "that'll preach," as we say in Christian circles (i.e., "The only thing between you and your destiny is awkwardness. Are you ready to embrace it?"), but allowing those seemingly shallow phrases to sink in and meditating on what makes them "cliche" allows the reader to begin the very search that is the point of the book.

Don't let the size -- or seeming lack thereof -- fool you into thinking it's an "easy" read. It is easy TO read but take it slowly and allow the gems of truth you find along the way to really sink in. You'll be better off having done so and you'll want to recommend this little treasure of a book to many folks you know, believers and unbelievers alike.

This is not the first book I've read that uses David as an example for the Christian life, but, as only God can, each one has built on the other and Soulprint is no exception. The best recommendation any "Christian" book can receive in my mind is that it points back to and plants a craving for Scripture. This book does that. It's a great book for a "retreat weekend" or any time you can set aside for introspection -- because you'll want to set aside that time when you start reading this book, whether you've planned to or not.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

If God is Good by Randy Alcorn

I recently signed up with Blogging for Books through Multnomah Publishing so I could try my hand at reviewing. I am a voracious reader -- or was before I had children -- and was excited at the idea of paying for a book by simply reviewing it. Yes, I was sent the book free of charge in exchange for a review in a timely manner.

As my maiden voyage, I chose If God is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil by Randy Alcorn (Multnomah, 2009).

Having suffered a bit and walked with friends and loved ones through their suffering, I've wondered like everyone where God is in the midst of it. I've learned from those experiences that He is... in the MIDST of it. However, I've never been able to explain how I know that or felt ready to give an answer to anyone who might question me on it.

If God is Good gives solid reasoning to what I have learned from experience.

By walking the reader first through a discussion of the origins of evil and suffering and then through arguments against God's very existence on to how and why God uses suffering, we reach Mr. Alcorn's conclusion with him, having learned a lot of terminology and theology along the way.

And the conclusion? God IS good because God is God. We are not. The real question is why a fallen human race expects to live without suffering. We really don't deserve the wonderful things God gives us every day; beautiful sunrises, laughter, breath... but He gives it. Suffering and evil are not from God but they certainly put His love in sharp relief for us... and that is ultimately why He allows it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”