BOOK REVIEW: Clear Winter Nights

"Think back to kindergarten....Until you agree to the basics, like two plus two equals four, you never move on to the multiplication tables. And if you stay endlessly open-minded and never accept the truth that five times five equals twenty five, then you'll never be able to do an advanced math problem....You've got to accept basic truths before you can grow into deeper and richer truths."--Gil

Chris is a twenty-something college student in the midst of a doubting season. He doubts his faith even as he has committed to plant a church, and he doubts his relationships even as he has asked his girlfriend to marry him. Over the period of a few days staying with his grandfather, Gil, who is recovering from a stroke, he airs his doubts to this retired pastor and man of faith. What he gains is clarity and an appreciation of the wisdom that the seasoned saints have to offer the young people of today.

Clear Winter Nights, by Trevin Wax, is a beautifully simple story that honestly takes apart the issues that young people today struggle with as they seek to decide whether to step into their parents' faith...or walk away. Theology, sexual sin, absolute truth, hypocrisy, forgiveness, and the inclusiveness of the gospel are all covered in the easy, casual conversations between Chris and Gil. Gil is humble out of a recognition of the fact he is a sinner saved by grace; Chris is edgy as a result of his youthful immaturity and frustration with his faith struggles. However, Gil is not afraid to confront, and Chris is not too edgy to listen. Together the two of them resolve some issues and agree that others are an ongoing source of prayer and development.

"Failure to evangelize is almost always a worship problem....When you are completely taken with something or someone, you can't help but talk about it...Fix the worship problem, and evangelism starts coming naturally."--Gil

I have two twenty-something sons. I have watched many young people fall away after youth group graduation because their faith has not yet become their own. They give in to the doubts rather than do the hard work of partnering in mentorship with a seasoned saint and hashing them out. This is a particular issue of concern for the church today; we cannot deny it, and we cannot disregard it. We need to, like Gil, find ways to let them be brutally honest about their questions while we humbly give wise counsel from God's Word. As Gil explains, Jesus was gentle, but He wasn't a pushover. He was a friend of sinners, but He also is the one who said, "Go and sin no more."

"The true rebellion is in the heart of the Christian who follows King Jesus by swimming upstream against the current of the world."--Gil 

I loved this book. It will get rereads from me because the truths are so simple yet so timeless. When I grow up I want to be wise, gentle, humble, and bold like Gil!

I did receive a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing.

For more information on the book, go here

Listen up!

Quick blog thought that came out of my morning reading and prayer time today. Isaiah 30:21 says, "And you shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it' whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left." Although this is one of my favorite verses for years now about the Lord's direction on my life, it suddenly struck me today:

Why "behind" me? Why do I hear the word behind me? why not beside me or in front of me?

Then it hit me.

It's because to LISTEN BEHIND me means I am not LOOKING at what is in FRONT of me.

And that makes all the difference. I can see Impossible situations easily. Discouraging circumstances can be smack up in my face. A frustrating checkbook is open, an arm's length away. But God doesn't say that is where I am to concentrate my attention. He tells me to attentively listen behind me, where I CANNOT SEE...and listen to the WORD.

Completely reframes everything! Hope it blesses you too.

BOOK REVIEW: Frame 232

I love historical fiction, so Frame 232, by Wil Mara, was a blast to read. Taking a fresh, completely plausible approach to John F. Kennedy's assassination, Mara weaves together a colliding cast of characters who have personal motivations for either unearthing or keeping hidden the events of that day.

Sheila Baker is a successful gym owner. She inherits the video shot by her mother, who she never knew was the mysterious Babushka lady, when she dies. The video reveals the only existing proof of another assassin that fateful day. Learning of her mother's anguish-stricken years of silence to protect her family from the government's attempts to discover her identity and destroy the video, Sheila enlists the help of Jason Hammond, a young millionaire with anguish of his own and known as an investigator of famous mysteries. Together, they begin to strip away the facades that have kept the truth hidden away in high places; as they do so, dangers threaten their lives. Ultimately, each person involved must face the truth of his past, coming either to repentance or judgment. Through it all, Jason Hammond learns he must face his own past if he wants to gain his own freedom.

Although the plot line is based solely on Mara's imagination, it has such a feel of plausibility that it compelled me to turn many more pages than I usually would at the end of a long day. The action is fast and furious in places, and the events hold together tightly. This is a great read for anyone with even a passing knowledge of the events surrounding November 22, 1963.

I will let Wil Mara answer a few of the most obvious questions about the book himself (from Q and A in Tyndale's media center):

What inspired you to write a novel around the assassination of President John F. 
Kennedy? 

I have always been fascinated by the assassination, which, obviously, was one of the most pivotal and 
enigmatic events in American history. And when I heard about the ‘Babushka Lady’---one of the few 
people in Dealey Plaza that day who remains unidentified---and the possibility that she may have filmed 
the shooting, an idea came to mind that seemed too good to disregard.

How much research did you do for this project? 

An unbelievable amount. I spoke with assassination experts, read literally hundreds and books and 
articles, pored over countless photos...you name it. My goal was to write a fictional story around the 
established facts rather than alter the facts to serve the story. Thus, I had to know pretty much 
everything. I ended up loading my brain with more data than I really needed...but I didn’t mind. 

How has your research informed your own theory of what happened during the JFK 
assassination?

My personal theory, prosaic though it may be, is that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. If you want to be 
convinced, get your hands on a fairly rare book called Lee, which was written by his brother, Robert. 
Once you understand the mind behind the eyes that looked through that rifle scope, you will be convinced.

The best part of this book? It is only the first in a series of forthcoming Jason Hammond novels.

I was given a free copy of this book by Tyndale Publishers for review purposes.