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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Book Reviews
I'm still working on my post to sum up the end of our Bathurst mission trip, but I wanted to jump in with a review for a kids' Bible I received before the trip. The short version is: I love it! The Bible is published by Zondervan, and it's called the Adventure Bible for Early Readers.
The Bible itself is pretty hefty, but the binding is sturdy, and kids will love the 3D cover! (I love the 3D cover.) I think Zondervan has done a great job of presenting God's word in an engaging and accessible format for kids - they recommend this Bible for ages 6-10, which I think is spot on, although depending on the child's reading ability, it probably is too challenging for a 6 year old to sit down and read by themselves, although with that said I think kids could continue to use this Bible past the age of 10. The language is simple and direct, with short sentences and understandable terms used directly in the text (as opposed to in a footnote or at the back of the Bible in a table of ancient weights and measures). I was a bit worried that a kids' Bible might be too dumbed-down to be very useful, but I found that the translation was not dumbed-down at all, just simplified to make it easier to read.
Read more: Book Review: NIrV Adventure Bible for Early Readers
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Book Reviews
Kevin Adams chronicles his journey of faith that began with having it all, losing it all, then deciding not to chase getting it all back. Having lost his business and fortune in the economic crash of 2008, the author shares his painful journey to discover the freedom and peace that come from living in reliance on Jesus for everything. I was challenged by several insights into our Christian culture, where we proclaim a gospel of grace but also expect people to do their part; where we are committed to Christ but not necessarily surrendered to Him; where we don't know how to handle the deep suffering of others and bungle compassion with bad advice and half-hearted offers of "If there's anything I can do..." before making a break for the parking lot.
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Book Reviews
"Mishaps and miracles on the road to happily ever after" aptly sums up the plot and message of this book by blogger and author Mandy Hale. Mandy chronicles the ups, downs and loop-de-loops of her life from high school into her thirties with candour and sass. Ultimately her story shows that it is possible to find happiness even if all your original expectations for life go unmet, and I really enjoyed reading this account of a woman finding her identity in God, not in a career or romantic relationship.
Read more: Book Review: I've Never Been to Vegas, but My Luggage Has
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Book Reviews
I was intrigued to read this book since we live in such a diverse neighbourhood. I know Muslims as kind, hospitable people who share many aspects of faith with me, but I also know there is a world of difference that separates our cultures and our religion, and I was eager to learn more. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus is Nabeel Qureshi's account of his journey from faith in Islam to faith in Jesus Christ, and it is one of the best books I have read in a long time. Qureshi is a fantastic storyteller who brings his devout Muslim upbringing to life, setting the backdrop to understand his sincere and fervent adherence to Islam, which leads him to investigate the evidence for both Christian and Muslim beliefs in an effort to convert his Christian friend to Islam.
By the title of the book, you can guess the ending, but reading through his quest for truth was so engaging for me. I felt the tension as every aspect of Qureshi's worldview came into question, as he faced the cost of what converting to Christianity would mean for him and his family, and I was so encouraged in my own faith as I reviewed the objective evidence that testifies to the truth of Christian claims. I have a greater appreciation for the Bible, a better understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity, and I can better articulate my confidence in Jesus' resurrection after reading this book.
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Book Reviews
Pups of the Spirit teaches kids about the fruit of the Spirit by personifying the characteristics as playful puppies! This sounds cute, and the book itself has charming rhymes and engaging illustrations, but I found the spiritual content of the book very disappointing. First of all, the fruit of the Spirit is a thing, not a list of things - the Spirit doesn't produce nine types of fruit in different people.
In addition to promoting this basic misunderstanding of what the fruit of the Spirit means, the characterization of each pup is oversimplified in my opinion. Kay, the "kind" puppy, likes to knit gifts for her friends and give them away, although they don't always fit; "peaceful" Pete doesn't worry or fight, just snoozes in his hammock! These are cute images, and they do give children an example of each quality, but overall I feel that the book is misleading.
"These pups show us how God wants us to be - each with a special trait he likes to see."
The fruit of the Spirit is not a laundry list of how Christians should act to earn God's favour - the fruit of the Spirit is the product of God's work in our lives. Kids are so eager to please, and I think that sometimes adults take advantage of that, telling kids they should behave nicely so that God will be happy and love them more. Unfortunately, that lays the groundwork for kids to feel insecure in their relationship with God when they realize they can't be perfect all the time. I would be really sad for a child to feel impatient and then wonder whether God is displeased with them because they aren't showing the fruits of the spirit. Ugh.
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Book Reviews
I went back to work this week, which meant I blasted through this book during my commute! It was a great read for the subway - short chapters and not too in-depth, plus it's a very relevant topic for the week of Valentine's Day :)
The Happy Wives Club was an idea that Fawn Weaver came up with after feeling discouraged by how marriage is portrayed in the media and how it is treated by our culture in general. She was happily married, but it seemed that at every turn she was bombarded with the message that it was only a matter of time before everything unravelled. www.HappyWivesClub.com is an upbeat blog dedicated to positively changing the tone about marriage around the world. It began with Fawn's invitation to a few close friends who passed the invite along and has now grown to include over 600 000 members (her goal is a million!).
The book Happy Wives Club chronicles Fawn's travels through over 18 cities on 6 continents to meet and interview happy wives to learn their marriage secrets. These women come from different backgrounds, have different histories and lifestyles, but so much of their advice boils down to the same principles; happy marriages do not happen by accident. Fawn is a great storyteller, and I have a bit of an itch to travel after reading about the exotic cities she experienced, but even more interesting than reading about the food, architecture, history and smells of her travels is the refreshing perspective that all around the world there are marriages that really work: husbands and wives who laugh together, encourage each other, support one another and go to bed happy at the end of each day together.
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Book Reviews
Why am I reviewing a book about dating, you might ask. Well, it's because I received a free copy to do so! But I requested this specific book because I was intrigued at the possibility of it actually having something helpful to say. The thing is, Christians don't always do a great job of integrating our religious norms with cultural norms in the broader world, and dating is definitely an area where I think we can improve.
So let's jump in: True Love Dates, by Debra Fileta, identifies itself as "your indispensable guide to finding the love of your life." Of course, the author pulls a bit of a fast one, since the introduction lets you know this book is not actually about finding love, it is about loving yourself, building healthy relationships and pursuing your relationship with God so that your life is in a good state for whenever that relationship with your future-spouse comes along. There is some good material along the way, an FAQ section at the back, and lots of real-life examples scattered through the book.
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Book Reviews
In Unglued, Lysa TerKerst uses grace, humour and examples from her own life to understand our reactions to raw emotions and to make wise choices in the midst of them. This book explores 4 types of unglued reactions that cover the whole range of how emotions are processed and acted out. Some of this I already knew about myself, but I realized that like most people I deal differently with different people (meaning Matt sees a different side of unglued me than a stranger at the grocery store). Lysa gives practical advice for each reaction type and goes on to explore root issues and triggers for raw emotions. Managing these feelings sure gets easier if you can figure out where they are coming from! Like the pain that causes us to reflexively pull our hand back from a hot stove, strong emotions can be a warning of danger to our emotional health. Finding the roots can help us address identity issues, unspoken fears and areas of brokenness we didn’t realize need fixing.
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Book Reviews
A few weeks ago I found this book on our bookshelf and decided to give it a read. Am I ever glad that I did! Jeff Lucas has created a great guide-book for Christians and churches who want to live out God's grace for lost people. Following the illustration of a piece of music, and writing through the lens of the parable of the prodigal son, this book explores the many facets that come into play when churches truly become sanctuaries for people who may have walked away or rejected God before.