A Letter to My Mom

Although today is Father's Day, I am going to review a book written for mothers.

This book was a compilation of letters to mothers from sons and daughters. There were famous people who shared their stories about their mothers, including Shania Twain, Josh Groban and Suze Orman. It was nice to get a little insider information on some of their childhood memories.

I was supposed to read this by Mother's Day, but life has been hectic the past two months and there's really never a bad time to give your mom a present. So while this might have been a perfect present for your mom (with a space for you to write your own note in the front if you want), you can still buy it and give it to her now.

No time like the present, right?

I received this book for WaterBrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books. I received this book for free in exchange for a review of the book.

May

Because I was out of the country, I'm behind on posting May books!

 
Although I recommend Nicole Fulgham Baker's Educating All God's Children, I realize some people just don't have time (or possibly enough interest) to get into the subject matter all the way. Schools In Crisis is the CliffNotes version of that book. If you want to find out more about what our children are experiencing in education, pick this book up. It's an easy read and a great way to find out how to get involved.

Praying in Color is a book I've heard about for years. I am glad I read it because it allowed me to see how another person uses creativity during personal prayer times. Although I have yet to actually use some of the things described in this book, I like that someone is trying to expand the idea of what prayer looks like. It's not just with eyes closed and heads bowed.

Because I work in a school book room, I had some free time on my hands to pick a few to read. The Popcorn Book is by one of my favorite children's authors: Tomie de Paola. Check it out!

I've been curious about the story of Rumpelstiltskin since watching Once Upon a Time. I realized I didn't know the story. I'm glad I read it. Tricky, tricky.

Did you know Bill Cosby was a children's author? I didn't. Found The Worst Day of My Life. Easy to relate to.

Memories of Vietnam: War in the First Person. I picked this book out because my dad's generation lived and served in this infamous war. I don't even know how to begin to describe what it must have felt like for these soldiers while they were on foreign ground but also returning home.

Escape to Freedom: The Story of Young Frederick Douglass: A Play for Young People. This book (like mentioned, written as a play) spurred my curiosity for Frederick Douglass. I would love to study him further and I know DC has a museum dedicated to his life.

Overall, May was a good month (but obviously busy!).

April: Super Late!

Sorry for the lateness of this post. Life is flying by!

Spring seems to always be the busiest time of year! I know it's mid-May, but here's the books I read in April!

The Autobiography of George Muller was a book for CS Lewis Institute. It was really interesting to read. It seems like his whole life was about money... praying for it and trusting in God's provision. I struggle with living a life like he did, not letting other people know anything about needs. I love that he wanted to help children in England. He was very persistent in prayer. Loved reading an autobiography of a great missionary.

The Power of a Half Hour by Tommy Barnett
Because I received this book for free, I wrote an entire post for the book here.

Educating All God's Children by Nicole Baker Fulgham. I heard Nicole Baker Fulgham speak at last year's Justice Conference simulcast. I love her passion for education and Michigander background! Reading this book took some time -- I started reading it on the bus and found myself starting to cry, so I had to put it away for a while until I had time to devote to it. It is heartbreaking to hear about the nature of America's education system. There are a lot of factors up against our students and this issue is URGENT. Millions of children are effected by the educational systems we have in place right now. If anything, this book has confirmed that I am supposed to be involved in education in some way. I highly recommend this book!

I heard about It Takes a Fool from a colleague of mine. It is about bullying. This book shares the story of the author's childhood experiences. Just when you think it cannot get any worse, it does. This was an interesting insight into a bully's mindset and what may be happening outside of school to spark the conflicts we see at school.

Sometimes it is best to read children's books. They contain the main points of an issue, so I checked out a few books on Nelson Mandela. This book was really great for giving a broad overview of his life and passion for equality in South Africa. I am excited to go to South Africa this week and see it in person. This man was amazing, and we can learn a lot from him. He's not perfect (he readily admits that), but he has been a world-changer.

This is another children's book from the book room I work in at the school. It was great to read stories of earlier times. It seems like life was so much easier in smalltown USA than now-a-days. At the same time, I am glad to be where I am. Just really funny to read some of the stories and see the differences between now and 50 years ago.

Last but certainly not least, is this book. Anyone who has read Lucado knows that he has a way with words. This book was practical and helpful for thinking through life (looking at your life backwards) to see where we can uniquely serve the Kingdom of God. Read this book slow enough to actually contemplate life. This is not for speed-reading.

Power of Half Hour

As I was reading this book, I couldn't help but realize how influenced by this man and his visions for the world my church is. Everything from the Dream Center to Adopt-a-Block. We have started the process for our own Dream Center here in DC: DC/DC. Sidenote and shameless plug: If you enjoy music, you should download this project (YOU ALONE) from our church's worship team! All proceeds go towards the DC Dream Center.

When we look at problems in any area of life, it can be overwhelming. Barnett really makes it possible to make a difference in someone's life (including your own) by investing thirty minutes at a time.

There are 30 power principles included in the book that go along with the personal action plan in the back. Ideally, he suggests going through the book thirty minutes at a time. So pacing yourself while reading the book and actually APPLYING what you're reading is the goal.

Principle #13 is Slow down: Step off your treadmill to get perspective.

"Sometimes it's good to stop running and be quiet. I know that sounds countercultural" (65). ESPECIALLY IN DC!

Principle #17: Make a Career "Work": Boost productivity with thirty-minute meetings (85). ESPECIALLY IN DC!

Thankful for this book. It not only shares principles for life but also stories from Barnett's own life.

I reviewed this book for WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Blogging for Books. I received this book for free in exchange for a review of the book.

March Madness: Book Edition

 Meditating On the Word by Deitrich Bonhoeffer. This is the first book by Bonhoeffer I have been able to get through so far. I'm still working on Cost of Discipleship.

One of my favorite quotes from this book was: "The Word of God demands our time.... To be a Christian is not a matter of a moment; it takes time" (122).

The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn

This small book was a great reminder of being careful with what we are given.

"If we give instead of keep, if we invest in the eternal instead of in the temporal, we store up treasures in heaven that will never stop paying dividends" (18).

The Pursuit of God by A.W. Towzer

Another book for the CS Lewis program. I read this one on my Kindle. Even though it's sometimes convenient, I am not really a fan of Kindle books. I remember less about them. Honestly not a huge fan of Towzer's style of writing, but he has some good thoughts.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Ahh, the good Bronte sister... the one worth reading. I have purposefully not watched any movies, read any reviews, or looked at any spoilers for the book, so the storyline was a complete shock to me! In case you haven't read it, I won't include any details, but overall Jane is a very likable character who was easy to relate to. I liked that she wasn't afraid to speak her mind.

Intercessory Prayer by Dutch Sheets

As part of my prep for the mission trip to South Africa, our team read this book. Having not grown up in a church like the one Dutch talks about, it was interesting to read. I loved chapter fourteen, which was about watchmen and the different responsibilities they have. "Watchmen keep things, places and individuals safe" (261).

The following question haunts me: "Is it possible that some who have fallen away from Christ would not have if someone had interceded for them" (87)?

"The unbeliever cannot war for himself" (188).

I am part of the C.S. Lewis Fellows program, which greatly influences what I read and what time I have leftover to read what I want! The program ends in June and honestly, I can't wait to have some choice in what I get to read! SCARY CLOSE by Donald Miller is one of the top!

February: 3 Books

I go through seasons of reading. Some months I read more books than others. In January, I read six books (probably because I was finishing some books). Here are the three I read in February:

The Art Lesson: I work in a book room and have found a few books by one of my favorite childhood authors, Tomie dePaola. He is fantastic and always has great lessons in his books. Fun quick read.

Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer. This is a C.S. Lewis book I had never heard of before. It was neat to just get an inside look into his letters. It would have been great to get the other side of the book from Malcolm. My favorite chapter in this book is 21 (I subtitled it "prayer is irksome" since none of the chapters have titles). I am comforted by the fact that Lewis did not have it all together -- and he openly admits it. "The truth is, I haven't any language weak enough to depict the weakness of my spiritual life" (113). I'm not the only one! This is a good read if you're looking to dive into the topic of prayer.

Churchless: Because I got this book for free from the publisher in exchange for a review, I wrote a different post on this book. Find it here.

Churchless

Who wants to read research data?

Well the good thing I can tell you about this book is that although it is data-driven, it reads well! Barna is great -- I've even seen him live once, and he was very interesting.

On to the book!

This book made me extremely grateful for my church in DC as well as my home church in Michigan.

"God has called you and your faith community to expand his Kingdom in a particular place with unique features and cultural quirks" (10).

In this book, the "unchurched" include people who grew up in church but no longer attend. It also includes skeptics, atheists, and agnostics.

"Unchurched adults are very much like church adults... except they don't attend church" (43).

My favorite chapter was eight: "Disengaged and Dropping Out". This subject is nothing new in my life as I have watched friends walk away from Christianity for a variety of reasons. This is also why I love NCC and appreciate Pastor Mark's messages. He does not shy away from discussing science (a topic that can be a hindrance to others).

"Many science-minded young Christians are struggling to find ways of staying faithful to both their religious beliefs and their sense of professional calling into a science-related field" (100).

"Single and married-without-children adults have little reason to connect with a church if its resources are funneled toward children's and family ministry" (118).

A suggestion in reaching the unchurched included matching up younger people with older mentors. I cannot tell you how many times I had conversations about this. My generation NEEDS older people in our lives. We are losing out on the art of homecooked meals. There is something amazing that happens when we learn from older generations (and help older generations figure out new technology). I miss that in my life right now since my main community is 20-30 somethings.

This book reminded me of the struggle I went through (even as a church leader) to find my place within the Church. I am thankful for that struggle and how it helps me remain sensitive to others on the journey.

I received this book for free from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for an honest review.