Teacups and Toasters

In the realm of comic books it’s only worth about five bucks, but I love it!

Through Twitter I learned that Mark Hall, lead singer for the band Casting Crowns, was looking for some people to read and review his new book, Your Own Jesus. It was released August 1, 2009.  I wrote to his publisher and was privileged to receive a copy. Below is my review which can also be found on Amazon.com.

Mark Hall’s new book, Your Own Jesus, is a guide on how to better your relationship with Jesus. It is a refreshing read for Christians, but also contains accounts that may help non-Christians desire to learn more about Jesus. Through touching stories and personal recollections, Mark Hall aims to get Christians out of their Sunday pews and into a serious walk of daily devotion and acting on the Word. Through each section correlated with a Casting Crown’s song from the most recent album, The Alter and the Door, he explains what it means to have your own Jesus, while Jesus Himself is never changing.

Though I enjoyed this book, I found the organization to be a little drawn out and sometimes repetitive. However, this book is worth a read and can be used for group discussion with the helpful discussion guide in the back of the book.

At last I have internet again and am able to write this from our new home. It feels good to be in and mostly settled. There are still a few things to be done, but at least most of the boxes are unpacked. Today I had the chance to finish reading Heaven and the Afterlife by James L. Garlow and Keith Wall. I know I know…it sounds preachy, but really it’s not “preachy.”  I posted before about receiving this book via LibraryThing. If you’d like to receive books before they’re published and review them on their site, or your blog you should check out their Early Reviewers Group.

I was really pleasantly surprised by this book. I didn’t  know what to expect. I’ve read books in this category before that were blatantly misdirecting, mushy, glossy, crowd pleasers. This book is not that. So in fact, I wouldn’t even put it in the same category as those others.  Heaven and the Afterlife is a well researched piece of work. (Footnotes actually appear on the page, not at the back of the book!) The author does a really nice job of looking at and comparing different theologies, philosophies, and ways of thinking, while at the same time presenting his own beliefs.

A variety of subjects are covered such as: near death experiences, heaven, hell, ghosts, reincarnation, purgatory, etc. The chapters are informative and thought provoking. Some sections are frightening, but honesty is best. Even if this is not your typical choice for a read, it really is worth giving a shot. Everyone asks questions about these things and Garlow’s answers are straight forward.

The one thing that I would change, is that on the back cover it reads, “Bestselling Author Demystifies the Afterlife.” The word “Demystifies” is a little misleading. There is nothing mystical about this book.

I’m quite firm in my faith and this book got me thinking even more on some matters involving what I believe. It didn’t change what I believe, but simply got me thinking about some issues that are hard to think about, but are worth every bit of that perplexion.  The book is due out July 1,2009.

Lately, I’ve been reading a bit more than the norm. In a weeks time I read Twilight & The Shack, both of which I would recommend- even though neither are new favorites. The Shack caused me to analyze myself a little, which is in part the purpose it’s author intended and he did quite a nice job of succeeding in that goal. There’s actually a similar goal in a film called The Kingdom of Heaven. Basically, that particular goal is to smack Christians in the face and wake them up. I don’t agree with everything in the film, or even everything in the book, but I do agree on certain points.

The points that I agree on are as follows:

A.  We cannot delude ourselves with our versions of what God should be like.

B. We cannot ignore His presence.

C. We cannot ignore His Word.

D. If we do not do what His Word commands, we’re ignoring His Word.

E. ” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” John 1:1-3

Ignoring God’s Word equates to ignoring Christ. One who considers themselves a follower of Christ can’t just read the Word. They have to actually live it, if they are indeed actually following Him.

I’ve also been reading through 1 and 2 Samuel and am now in 1 Kings and it was completely mind boggling at first to wonder at how these kings could actually ignore God after the awesome things that they were witness to and the awesome things that God imparted to them.  Yet, that’s exactly what most followers do. We get so wrapped up in the things of this world and the influences that are just constantly bombarding us that we place the the awesome things that we have been witness to, into the back of our minds. We shut them off.

An awesome thing to witness doesn’t have to be a visual instance (think parting of the Red Sea type instance). It can be simple. Isn’t accepting Christ into your life simple and yet – awesome? Why then do we shut these witnessed moments off?

My theory is this:  We shut off the amazing because sometimes amazing involves frightening. We don’t like things that we can’t explain.  It may be the same with some of you, but I know that I’ve encountered things in my life that I could not explain and continued about my day and then when I would think back on those things I would wonder how it was possible for me to carry on normally. If I hadn’t carried on normally, I probably wouldn’t have known what to do with myself.

What am I getting at?  We should be careful about how we carry on normally. Our normal should involve living in and of His Word. We shouldn’t fear what we can’t explain and we shouldn’t try to explain it away. There is indeed a spiritual battle going on around us all the time. Sometimes we refer to it behind the veil and often we like to think of it as being behind something so that it doesn’t actually concern us, even though it does very much. It actually kind of comforts me though. When I witness something that I cannot explain I know that it’s just part of what is always occurring, yet is unseen. I’m glad to know that God is in control and His Word will guide me in how to deal with what would otherwise be frightening.

Live the Word. Love the Word. Be of the Word.

-my favorite children’s Christmas book that is.

This is the Stable by Cynthia Cotten and illustrated by Delana Bettoli is a such a sweet telling of the nativity with beautiful (I mean BEAUTIFUL) pictures. The words are soft and the pictures are a mix of bold and earthen tones presented with a detail that lends itself to a rare hue.

As a child growing up my dad always read ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas poem on Christmas eve and I cherish that memory. I think though, that This is the Stable will be the tradition I begin with my daughter. It’s rhythmic repetition calls to be read over and over.

Check it!

I was recently pondering my favorite works of fiction, in the novel form. It’s pretty hard to break it down, but I think I have a top three. I was an English major in college and read a ton. I read so much in fact, that I ended up with reading glasses on a permanent basis. I still try to read a bit, but it’s hard when my life is no longer a hermit’s. (Amen to that!)

My top three are based on the ability to tell a unique story, one that is believable, and that causes me to relate with characters whom are nothing like my own person.  My top three to date are:

1. Till We Have Faces – C.S. Lewis

2. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte

3. O’Pioneers – Willa Cather

(All are beautiful love stories, yet not always in the sense that one would think. Till We Have Faces is esp. unique. I have NEVER read any other novel that EVEN comes CLOSE to telling a similar love story. In recommedation:

Till We Have Faces- for those who want a truly different reading experience

Jane Eyre- for those who root for the underdog and enjoy old fashioned romantic comedies

O’Pioneers- for the steadfast and sturdy with a heart beat from the wilderness