BOOK REVIEW: Under the Cover of Light

Under the Cover of Light, by Carole Engle Avriett, is not an easy book to read. I knew that when I picked it up. However, it is an important book to read. In this age of societal entitlement and complaining, USAF COL Thomas "Jerry" Curtis tells his story of 7 1/2 years' imprisonment in Hanoi as a prisoner of war...an imprisonment that he endured, not unwaveringly, but by clinging to God and to his love for the United States of America.

Captured while rescuing a pilot who had been shot down in North Vietnam, Curtis experienced starvation, illness, injury, weather extremes, and torture. He also fought his way through loneliness, boredom, and fear. He did all of this honorably, paying a cost he knew beforehand was possible when he elected to serve in the armed forces.

Curtis takes on his memories in a way that puts the reader in his cell with him, yet without the horrific details that would cause the weak at heart to put the book down and walk away. And throughout the story's retelling we see, day after day, month after month, year after year, his ability to keep focused on the God he knows to be true, constant, and faithful. He and his fellow POWs hold church services, recite Scripture to each other, and even take "communion," all of which help them hold onto hope.

I think my favorite part of the book was the pride Curtis felt in, after all those years of desperation, falling into formation with the rest of the freed POWs, coming to attention for the first time in many years, and saluting their de facto POW commander, he of the most senior rank among them. Although they had all suffered, they also all retained their respect for the country they served.

I received this book free of charge from Tyndale Publishing in exchange for a fair review. For more on the author, go here.

BOOK REVIEW: As Kingfishers Catch Fire

I enjoy reading short essays/messages from noted pastors, so this new book by Eugene Peterson, "As Kingfishers Catch Fire," caught my attention. I have read one of his previous books and own a copy of The Message. His ability to take God's Word and put it into contemporary language is refreshing.

"As Kingfishers Catch Fire" is a collection of teachings on selected Bible passages, divided into seven categories based on well-known biblical figures such as Moses, Isaiah, Peter, and John. Following a brief introduction of the person to whom the section is devoted, seven teachings are presented. As per Peterson's forte, these teachings are conversational and casual, with life applications familiar to most people.

I found myself quite drawn into these messages, and one in particular hit with God's perfect timing as an answer to something I had been praying about. Further, his emphasis on simply living in community with other believers--sharing life together in a simple and natural way--is a theme I find so pertinent to these days of the church.

If you are looking for a fresh way to view the Scriptures, or a new opportunity to find application in familiar passage of the Bible, I recommend this book. Read it with pen or highlighter in hand, because you will want to mark sentences for further reflection.

You can find out more about this book here.

I received this book free of charge from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing in exchange for an impartial review.

BOOK REVIEW: Life After Heaven

Life After Heaven, by Steven R. Musick, is a profound reminder that heaven is real. Although he is not the first to return from a short trip to heaven, Musick comes back with a message for himself and all of us while we wait for the day we see Jesus face to face. 

As a young man barely out of adolescence, Musick was in top physical shape, the only one out of 900 recruits in his Navy training base to be selected for both SEAL Team consideration and admission to Annapolis. However, when inoculated with a dangerous swine flu virus through a government research study, he became quite ill--so ill that a few months later he ended up in the emergency room, alarming doctors and nurses with the state of his health. A few moments later, after an allergic reaction to a drug designed to quickly clear his lungs of fluid, he found himself in heaven. 

I love Musick's description of how Jesus, walking with him through an intensely beautiful green meadow, reviewed each of his life situations "and it was ok." Jesus helped him understand the situations from His perspective, setting them all to rights. When Jesus told him, at the end of their time together, "And you can't stay," Musick plummeted back into a broken, hurting body...finding he had been in a coma for five weeks. 

However, as if hearing another story about heaven isn't enough, Musick spends the rest of the book telling us about what he learned his purpose down here is to be until Jesus brings him home for good. The cool thing? We can share in the lessons he learned and be instrumental in interacting with the Lord as "bubbles of heaven" open around us. To me, this puts a compelling spin on his story; one that rings true. I realize I have had experiences similar to what he describes. 

I highly recommend this book! 

If you want more information on the book, go here; if you want more information on the author, go here. 

I received this book free of charge from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing in exchange for a fair review. 

BOOK REVIEW: Waking Up Slowly

Having read and enjoyed Dave Burchett's previous book, Stay, I knew right away I would want to read Waking Up Slowly. Burchett has the ability to talk comfortably about faith and how it works its way into daily details of our lives. In his new book, Burchett turns off his electronic devices and starts "waking up" to the many ways God is real in his--and our--hour by hour experience of life.

With short, simple chapters curiously titled, "How to Reverse Stinkin' Thinkin'," "New Eye for an Old Guy," and "Gratitude Rhymes with Attitude," we learn that the answers to the life issues that most preoccupy us are really right past our noses if we will just look at kids, pets, and--most importantly--our Owners' Manual. Yes, we come with one, and it's called the Bible. He also points a finger at himself, then out at us, for "phubbing"--otherwise known as neglecting the real life people in front of us because we are preoccupied with our screens.

I turned my phone off for (most of) five days at the beginning of this year and "woke up slowly" to the fact that I often miss important Life Stuff such as birds singing, hurting people in front of me at the grocery store, and between-the-lines meanings of my sons' retelling of seemingly innocuous experiences. I learned that when I shut off my phone and put it away, my husband and sons get the best of me...why is that such a dumb thing to have to learn? I mean, to quote my 70s self, Duh.

I appreciate Burchett's kindness and "me too" tone throughout this book, his gentle reminders that God's Word really does have all the answers and that when we tune in to His still, small voice we find them.

I received a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for a fair review.

If you are interested in learning more about Dave Burchett, go here.

BOOK REVIEW: Abandoned Faith

Do you have a millenial son or daughter? Work with millenials? Love a millenial? Actually, you probably encounter millenials everywhere you turn, and whether you are steeped in involvement with them or not, they are a force that the church must understand--and engage--if it is to keep its head above water. Abandoned Faith, by Alex McFarland and Jason Jimenez, is an imminently critical thesis on why this large group of young adults are leaving the church and what we can do about it.

I found this book to be extremely encouraging. I am the parent to four millenials and mother in law to two. McFarland and Jimenez lay out clearly the reasons this generation is becoming disconnected with the church, such as superficial preoccupation with external regulations and hypocrisy among those who have influence over them. The authors point the fingers both back at parents and outward to pastors and church members. Ouch.

They also describe what it is young people are looking for in a faith experience, and this surprised me. They want a deeper, more hands-on church experience than we have given them. They care deeply about social justice and are a huge force just waiting to meet the needs of the poor and disenfranchised. However, because so often we just sit in our pews and then go home, they are left dry. They often turn to support social issues that condone what the Bible says are sin simply because we have left them not knowing how to connect otherwise. Ouch.

McFarland and Jimenez also spend valuable time describing what makes millenials tick. They live in such a different world than the one in which we grew up, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. But they also carry heavy stresses that are unique to them as well. I definitely see my millenials in the portrait they paint.

There is much practical counsel in this book for parents, youth and young adult leaders, and those who simply know millenials who they seek to understand and assist. The tone is upbeat and honest, and I believe it will encourage you.

I received this book free of charge from Tyndale Publishing in exchange for a fair review.

To learn more about the authors, go here and here.

BOOK REVIEW: Different

Different, by Sally Clarkson and Nathan Clarkson, is the book I've been waiting for. As the parent of an "outside the box" kid, I find the insights shared by both the authors to be encouraging and inspiring.

Nathan, one of several children in the Clarkson family, lives with severely impacting learning disabilities and mental disorders. As a child, he stood out in stark contrast to his siblings, even though others in his family had varying disabilities of their own. He was clearly "different" in a way that challenged his parents to the limit. Yet his mother, Sally, courageously undertook to understand him, help him, homeschool him, encourage him, and train him up to be a man of sterling Christian character. She also helped him to become who God made him to be: a filmmaker using his "different" creative instincts to be a light in the movie industry.

Two of  my sons have learning disabilities, one more profoundly than the other. We are also a homeschooling family, and I am in the process of training them up to, hopefully, be men of sterling Christian character who go out into the world to do what God made them to do. Different hit a resonant chord in me as I cheer on my sons--one of whom is a budding videographer who best expresses his thoughts and feelings through videos and photography.

If you are the parent of an outside the box kid, or are a teenager or adult struggling with being "different," this book will encourage and inspire you too.

I received a copy free of charge from Tyndale Publishing Company in exchange for a fair review. If you would like to know more about the authors, go here and here.

BOOK REVIEW: Larger than Life Lara

This is a precious book!  In Larger-than-Life Lara, Dandi Daley Mackall accomplishes a double purpose: highlights the beauty of a forgiving young girl's heart while helping school-age children identify the elements of a novel.

Told from the viewpoint of Laney Grafton, a ten-year-old girl who is careful to relate the events of this poignant life lesson through chapters titled, "The Beginning," "Minor Characters," "Villain," "Conflict," etc., we see a snapshot of the life of Lara Phelps. Lara is a new student in Laney's elementary school, and she is extremely overweight. Laney observes Lara with objectivity, but clearly sympathizes with her as she quickly begins to endure the predictable teasing from classmates. Set against the backdrop of preparation for a school play, Laney narrates the ugliness of her fellow students' behavior...and the surprisingly kindness with which Lara meets it.

A subplot that helps us understand Laney's compassion for Lara is the inside look at her own home life, which is lonely and painful. Perhaps this is to remind us of the adage that "Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about." We know that those especially kind to--or cruel to--those visibly different than us often have hidden, hurtful life experiences. We never get to see inside the home of the main tormentor, a boy named Joey, but we can assume he has his own wounded reasons for his behavior towards Lara.

The ending of the story closes the plot well, but leaves Laney's classmates changed forever by the short time they spent with Lara.

I read this story to my 12 year old son as part of our homeschool studies, and he was very affected by its message. In fact, he wanted me to reread it; didn't want to put it back on the shelf. I highly recommend this as school or home reading for kids anywhere from fourth grade through middle school. Its lessons are timeless and enduring. I myself was quite moved by Lara's character.

I received a copy of this book free of charge from Tyndale Publishing in exchange for a fair review.

If you are interested in learning more about this book, you can go here.