A Review of "Right Where I Belong" by Krista McGee

This was a free ebook read, provided to me by Booksneeze for the purposes of review.

There was nothing too extraordinary in this novel, but it was enjoyable none the less. My only quarrel would be that it comes across as a bit preachy and not particularly nuanced, but the story (while predictable) was a fun read, and the characters were well developed and yet left you wanting more. The characters were likeable, though I at times felt like this novel was the middle one in a series, and that I was missing pieces that would have helped me to understand the story and characters more fully.  I appreciated the emphasis on calling rather than on income as the major guiding factor in choosing one's career path.  It was a simple novel, but all in all not a bad read!

Surprised by Oxford: A Review

Surprised by Oxford (by Carolyn Weber) has been on my read and review list for over a year.  I attempted to make my way through this lengthy title several times over, and ultimately never managed to succeed in finishing the read.

If I'm honest, this was a great disappointment to me.  Since the book had been highly recommended by several favorite bloggers, I eagerly requested a copy when it was made available on Booksneeze.com for review.  The copy on the book jacket (and the recommendations of others) suggested exactly the sort of memoir that I usually prefer - a coming to faith story complimented by time in a somewhat different culture, and much intellectual and literary discussion.  Unfortunately, I felt that this book bogged down in exactly this - the literary and intellectual discussion.  I wanted so badly to find the text appealing, and instead found that I struggled to enjoy the writing style and that I longed for a bit more emotionalism and a few less literary references.  I plan to eventually re-approach this book, to give it a final try, but I think I'll wait until I have time to devote a larger amount of mental energy to understanding, absorbing and completing this read, rather than struggling to force interest at a time when I find myself in need of lighter reading fare.

Whimsical Wednesday, August 1, 2012

This week's Whimsical Wednesday has a decidedly bookish theme as I anticipate the end of the semester, and a month of time to spend catching up on reading for enjoyment and personal fulfilment.

As always, I'd love to hear if any of these images catch your attention.  Or, in this case, if you have a great suggestion for summer break read!

Source: spacesays.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Source: whispering-literature.tumblr.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Source: nerdquirks.tumblr.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Source: chicagopubliclibrary.tumblr.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Source: heromind.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Bookish Thoughts

On the weekend I went to both the library and the one remaining local Christian bookstore.  With several titles from each place, I can now confidently assure you that we must be near the end of the semester.  It's near the end that my thoughts begin to wander from dedicated text book reading to thoughts of novels, and books that touch the deep places of my soul.  I'm excited to dive in (even before the semester officially ends, and especially over the break and on the airplanes to and from Florida) to some of the titles I bought, and I thought I'd share a few that I'm excited about with you, and ask for your recommendations for good reads.

Some of the titles I'm excited about:

• Jesus Calling - I like how short the readings for each day are, and I've heard nothing but good things about this little book.  Can't wait to incorporate it into my bedtime routine.
• Love Does - again, I've heard nothing but good things about this book by Bob Goff, and I can't wait to read through all his stories and mine the truth and beauty they contain.
• The Jesus Storybook Bible - So I'm not a kid, but I thought a really beautiful, highly recommended kids Bible would be an awesome way to mix up some of my nighttime reading, and maybe even some of the teaching and studying we're doing at house church.
• The Lost Girls - because what could be better than a travel memoir written by three girl-friends, with the subtitle: "three friends, four continents. one unconventional detour around the world."

Okay, those are a few of the titles on my list for my time off.  What have you been reading lately that has inspired you, made you laugh, caused you to think, or just that you genuinely enjoyed as an awesome escapist beach novel?  Leave your suggestions in the comments!

Whimsical Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Another collection of words and images that are inspiring me and catching my attention this week.

Source: 24.media.tumblr.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Source: 24.media.tumblr.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Source: tripadvisor.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Source: google.com.au via Lisa on Pinterest

Source: 24.media.tumblr.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Source: edenclareartfulfairytales.tumblr.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Some Video Love

I came across the following videos on the weekend, and knew that I had to share all of them here.

They are animations of bookshelves and a book shop that are incredibly creative and well-done!  I hope someday my bookshelves come alive like these!

Whimsical Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Today's edition of Whimsical Wednesday is particularly bookish.  I had to laugh at the "Nerd Quirks" especially.  I think all of them are true of me!  As always, leave me a comment if one of these particularly caught your attention.  Or, if you're bookish, tell me that I'm not the only one!

Source: etsy.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Source: nerdquirks.tumblr.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Source: nerdquirks.tumblr.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Lisa on Pinterest

Whimsical Wednesday, November 9, 2011

I was quite sick last night, so today's Whimsical Wednesday is quite short.  Just one image that I loved.  So, it's your turn - leave me a link in the comments to something that inspired you this week.

Source: tumblr.com via Lisa on Pinterest

You Ask, I Answer, Take 19

Today's You Ask, I Answer question comes from Johanna again.  She asked:

If you could write a book, what kind of book would it be?

This is a question that makes me smile.  I dream of writing a book, and I actually plan to one day, even if it's only for me.

Most likely I'd write a book of essays and stories from real life.  A memoir/essay style combination.  Maybe throw in some poetry or photographs or song lyrics that have spoken deeply to me.  These are the kinds of books that I love to read, and it's most likely what I'd write.  A story of God's work in the day to day moments of life, of God's sense of humor, of the moments in which I've come to know Him, and that ways that knowing Him has changed my life.

My favorite books are the ones that somehow meld story and truth, so that you don't feel preached at, and yet, you find, when you set the book aside, that your life has been changed and shaped because you read it, because of the truths it contains.  That's the kind of book that I'd love to write someday.

A Review of Sabbath by Dan Allender

This book is the centre of a series of funny timing in my life.  I requested a review copy of it from Booksneeze.com back in February, and started waiting.  When it had been several months and it still hadn't appeared, I contacted them, and looked into the missing book.  They sent me a new copy, and life happened.  I hardly made any progress on reading this book until this week.

How perfectly exquisite is God's sense of humor that in a week where I have been craving silence, quiet, rest, and space, one of the items on my to do list was to finally tackle Dan Allender's book on Sabbath?

I can say for certain that this book will be the centre of further conversations on my blog.

Allender offers a thoughtful and beautifully written discussion of the idea of practicing Sabbath.  It's a topic I've thought often about in recent years, a topic I've listened to various speakers address, and even a topic I've read about, but I don't believe I've ever heard someone address it in a way that made me long for the sort of Sabbath they were describing.  Allender's book did that for me.

The idea that the Sabbath is to be a time filled with delight is central to his premise, and is an idea striking to me - so contrary from the dry, studious, and perhaps even boring ideas of Sabbath that pepper my conservative Christian background.  A day of delight - a day for hope, to set aside work, and worry, a day to enjoy the best - good food and wine, wonderful relationships, and deep conversations.  That sort of description has me pondering how I can practice Sabbath in my own life and context.

I'd highly recommend this book - it's not prescriptive, but presents instead a beautiful argument for the centrality of sabbath not only to the Christian faith, but to our very ability to live full, rich lives.  It's not a complicated read, but is well written, the words flowing beautifully.

As I said, it was a book that fit wonderfully into a week that found me craving quiet rest, and spoke truths that will carry forward with me into the remainder of my life.

Note:  I was provided a free copy of Sabbath by the Booksneeze.com review team.  All opinions are my own.  I was not compensated beyond the copy of the book, and was not required to provide a positive review.

I Need Your Suggestions

Recently I've been trying to spend the last hour before I go to bed without using my laptop, or watching television.  The idea is to not have screen time, and help me to wind down before going to bed.  Theoretically taking an hour to wind down at night is supposed to help me sleep better.  At least that's the goal.

Mostly, I've been using that hour for a bit of prayer, and for reading.

And reading is where you come in.

Given my particular sensitivities, and penchant for nightmares, I have to be pretty careful about what I read right before I go to bed.  I need some suggestions for happy, not super heavy, funny, enjoyable reading material to fill that hour each night.

Have you read anything lately that might fit the bill?  Do you have any favorites that might work?  Leave them in the comments for me.  It's only been a couple of weeks of doing this, and I'm already hitting the end of my stockpiled list of "light" reading!

Upcoming Reads

In the few days since school ended I've done a bit of reading.  A brain candy novel, and a fascinating memoir about a young woman who converted to Islam, moved to Egypt, and married an Egyptian man.  Seriously, if you're into memoirs, travel, and spiritual themes, you need to read G. Willow Wilson's "The Butterfly Mosque".  It was perhaps the best description of the process of being completely transplanted into another culture, and the challenges that come with that that I have ever read.  I borrowed the copy I read from the local public library, but I think I'm going to order myself a copy for re-reading.  It contributed to all of the reading I've been doing on experiences with Islam lately and left me with fascinating questions to mull over.  My only criticism is that the ending felt abrupt - I wanted more.  I want to know what happened when she and her husband relocated to the US for a time, and how their journey continued, past the early newlywed days.

I still find myself exhausted and struggling to form coherent thoughts, but I'm planning to spend the next week looking for work, catching up with a few friends, and reading, maybe even bus reading.

On my list for the days and weeks to come:

• Chasing the Dragon (Jackie Pullinger)
• Love Wins (Rob Bell)  (yep, I'm going to read the book that there's been all the controversy, not because of the controversy, but because I read all of Rob Bell's books)
• Sabbath (Dan Allender)  (my next booksneeze review title)
• Sisters in War (Christina Asquith)
• The Bookseller of Kabul (Asne Seirstad)
• Between Two Worlds (Zainab Salbi)
• Reconstructing Natalie (Laura Jensen Walker)
• Murder, Mayhem & a Fine Man (Claudia Mair Burney)

One Thousand Gifts

Writing a post about Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts, has been on my to do list for at least three weeks now.  I've stared at that item on my list and wondered how on earth I was going to talk about this book.

It wasn't revolutionary, and it was totally revolutionary.

For close to two years now, I've been pausing each night to list at least five things from that day that made me smile, five things for which to give thanks.  The Daily 5 started out as a moment of desperation.  A terrible weekend, the weekend following my 26th birthday, found me crashing, despondent, and left me desperate for a reason to keep walking, a reason to find joy, a reason to get out of bed in the morning.  Was there something, anything, that was worth smiling about as I went about my days?

As I prayed out of that desperation, I was reminded of a practice I'd read about and even tried occasionally.  I'd heard somewhere that trauma counselors had done some studies showing that making a short list of things you're thankful for had the same affect on your brain chemistry as taking a mild dosage of an anti-depressant.  I'd found it had helped in the past to pick up my mood on a bad day - listing things I loved, or things that made me smile for one reason or another - essentially listing things because of which I'd paused, even momentarily, to give thanks.

And so I made it a habit, these lists.  My "Daily 5".  Each night, showing up here, and listing those things.  At least five, more if I could make it, but those first months five was a stretch.  My lists were (and sometimes still are) repetitive, and yet unique.  I was desperate - if I spotted something odd or quirky as  I traveled around the city, and it made me smile even just a little, it made the list.  And I've been doing it now, nightly, for close to two years.  And it has changed me.  I wrote this, a month or so ago, about the way that counting those moments of thanks has oh so slowly changed my inner dialogue, changed my gut reaction, even just a little.

And so, I picked up Ann's book, already convinced of the value in giving thanks.

What I found, was, as I said, not at all revolutionary, and yet completely revolutionary.

I found a theology, written out, for what my heart had spent a few years discovering.  A theology for giving thanks.

And a reminder.  "Eucharisteo always precedes the miracle."

Giving thanks always comes before the miracle.

It was a truth that registered as I was reading, and one that hit home a week or so after I finished.

I was sitting, quietly, in a church service, and God was speaking.

I wasn't happy.  I'm not at all in love with what he was placing in front of me (well, on a head level, anyway - on a heart level, I'm finding it nestled there, already, unexpectedly.)

And I sat there, stunned, arguing, and that phrase came back to me.  "Eucharisteo always precedes the miracle."

Could I really give thanks, even for this?  This thing that was so contrary to all the plans so nicely formed in my head? 

My pen didn't want to move across the pages of the journal.

"Thank you, God, for speaking.  Thank you that even in this direction, especially in this direction, you can be trusted.  Thank you that you will make the way plain.  That you are the one who calms the storms, even if they're only the ones inside of me, the ones that rage against your direction and obedience."

I haven't made peace yet, but Ann's words, her book are still with me. 

This practice of gratitude, one that I thought would be a temporary goal, has, I think, become a permanent part of my heart.

I've had the chance to share the making of those lists with friends, as we've spent the day together, and there was, for me, a special communion in those moments of laughter as we listed the moments of our day.

I've had the chance to make those lists on some very hard days, in the midst of some very hard circumstances, through this year of deconstruction, and that practice has allowed me to recognize grace in dark moments.

I don't really plan to list one thousand gifts.  I've been doing it, in fives and tens and twenties for nearly two years, and this is a way that works for me.  But, I thoroughly recommend Ann's book, and the practice of counting graces, gifts, from God, reasons to be thankful.  Because it will change you.

Mini Reviews (Part 5)

Letters from the Land of Cancer (Walter Wangerin Jr.)

I was hoping for more from this title.  A memoir of his journey through cancer treatments, the book is a series of letters to friends and family, with a few reflections interspersed.  I think that I was hoping for a more intimate account of the day to day struggles, and this isn't what was provided.  That said, towards the end of the book, I was moved to tears as I sat on the bus and read the closing of his account.  It's not the easiest read, not particularly flowing, and perhaps even a bit dense - like reading the correspondence of a stranger, without any emotional attachment.  So, not a stellar recommendation, but definitely not a wasted read.

In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom (Qanta A. Ahmed, MD)

 

This was an absolutely fascinating read, and one which I will likely re-read at some point in the months to come.  It is the personal account of a single female British Muslim doctor, who, after training in the United States, suddenly found herself without a visa, and accepted a position in Saudi Arabia.  It explores medicine, her experiences as a woman, and as a Muslim.  I was particularly captured by her description of her experience of hajj, and of encounters with the religious police.  As I read I found myself making a list of questions, to be answered with further reading and research.  A book that captures me with narrative and leaves me with challenging questions for further reading and study is pretty much my definition of a great read.  For those interested in Islam, the middle east, memoir, culture, or even women's issues, this is definitely worth the time spent reading, and as I said, I expect to re-read it later in the year.

A Spinning, Discombobulated Post

If yesterday was the first day of spring, well, it made a poor showing here in Calgary, arriving with blustery dampness, and more snow, leaving me sleepy and rambling as I sat on the bus and pondered the fact that I had nothing planned for my blog for today.

I try to write these morning posts ahead of time, taking a chunk of time out of my weekend and sitting down to construct a string of thoughtful ponderings, book reviews and whatever fun things I encounter.

I'm writing this post at nearly midnight on Monday night, only hours before it will go live.  And it's the only post I've managed to schedule for this week thus far.

I feel a bit at a loss for words.

I have one book review I badly want to write, but I'm still working to form words around the way the words of another author are shaping my heart in this season.  I wish I could take each of you out for tea instead, paging through the book, reading favorite bits to you, trying to expound with facial expression and tone what I can't quite find the words for.

I'm reading another book that I'm quite sure will need a post of it's own as well.  It's about as different from the first as possible, polar opposites, really, though both are memoirs of sorts, written by women.  But this book, too, is working on my heart and mind in interesting ways.

This is a week full of school and people.  On the school front, there is the perpetual need to tackle Greek and Latin vocabulary lessons, a project to prepare, and a term paper to research and write, and the never ending assigned readings to accomplish.  On the people front, there is a lunch with my pastor, house church on Thursday evening (which I'm leading these days, so that will require my time as well), and arranged times to have meals or coffee or visits with at least three good friends who I simply don't manage to see regularly.

Life is moving quickly these days, and my internal world seems to spin as well, leaving me discombobulated, at a loss for words, and regularly turning an incredulous countenance to Jesus with the question, "Did you really say what I think you just said?"

The author Susan Isaacs has a line about conversation with God that goes, "Sarcasm is a viable form of communication."  My relationship with God is definitely marked all too regularly with a sarcastic quotation of one of my favorite Grey's Anatomy lines, "Seriously? Seriously?"

(Though I find myself working these days for a tone less marked with sarcasm and more characterized by a peaceful and trusting acquiescence.)

In the midst of the spinning it seems to be a season where I just don't have as many words to share in a public forum, nor the time I'd like to craft the words I do share.  And so, there will be more of these rambling, discombobulated posts as I devote time to school, to friends, and to my spinning internal world.  But hey, at least they reflect the true state of my life!

Mini Reviews (Part 4)

A Cup of Friendship (Deborah Rodriguez)

I bought this particular title on a whim, based on a suggestion from a friend.  I'd loved Rodriguez's memoir Kabul Beauty School and was willing to give her first attempt at fiction a try.  It was a great story.  In many ways, the story-telling of Kabul Beauty School carried through to A Cup of Friendship, detailing the intersecting lives centered around a cafe in Kabul, and it's owner, Sunny.  The story-telling was fabulous, the characters complex and believable, and the book left you feeling as if you'd truly been given a window into both Afghani culture and the lives of the ex-pats living in Kabul after the initial defeat of the Taliban.  If you're interested in travel, and culture, and looking for an easy read, this is your book!

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress (Rhoda Janzen)

I listened to the unabridged audio version of this book, and I'll admit that I had high hopes for it, since I've had connections to the Mennonite culture for quite a number of years, studied Mennonite history in university, and had read positive things about the book on a few different blogs that I follow.  The text on the jacket promised that this title was "an immensely moving memoir of healing."  It didn't feel like that to me.  It felt like more of a chance to poke fun at the culture that the author suddenly found herself relocated back to, after some painful turns of events.  Janzen does not claim to profess the faith of her culture or her parents and her tone, though trying to be respectful, comes off almost as derisive and dismissive.  And honestly, I'm not sure we see a journey of healing, other than the physical healing that came as she recovered in her parent's home from the injuries sustained in a terrible car accident.  The book is humorous, but at times crass, and it seems as if Janzen goes out of her way to point out the many flaws of the faith and culture of her family and childhood, while focusing far less often on the positive things it also gave her.  I can't decide if I'd recommend this one or not.  It was funny, but left a bit of a bad taste in mouth as well.

Mini Reviews (Part 3)

Safe People: How to Find Relationships that are Good for You and Avoid Those That Aren't (Dr Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend)

I have no idea, honestly, how to sum this book up.  A friend suggested it to me back in September of last year, I resisted, eventually ordered it, and spent several of my late fall bus reading sessions working my way through it.  In the last few weeks I've taken the time to go back through, reading the parts I marked in the fall, and making notes, taking note of what struck me at the time I first read it, and why it struck me then, and how those things were sitting with me now.  It was a relatively easy read, in the sense of being a book that is not technical, but easy to understand and apply.  It was not at all an easy read in that, for me, it spoke deeply, convicting, challenging me, speaking into questions and parts of my life that were very much relevant and helpful.  If you are asking questions about friendships, or other relationships, or have experienced a number of less than healthy ones, I really can't recommend this book enough.  The development of safe, healthy relationships has been something I've struggled with, often choosing profoundly unhealthy and even abusive relationships because I was desperately seeking to be loved and accepted.   The book explored not only what makes a relationship safe or unsafe, but also the reasons that can contribute to choosing unsafe relationships. I found this book to be profoundly helpful as I worked through some difficult relational issues, made some hard decisions, and ultimately believe it has contributed to me moving towards a far more healthy place.  I may have to come back and talk about it at length at some point in the future.

Dreaming in Hindi: Coming Awake in Another Language (Katherine Russell Rich)

To be honest, this book was a disappointment.  It seemed like my dream book - a memoir about travel and learning a new language and culture, while incorporating ideas from linguistics about the process of language acquisition, and exploring the changes on the world stage following 9/11.  (The author, a native New Yorker, landed in India to begin her year of language school, just days before 9/11.)  Everything that I'm theoretically fascinated with, all rolled up into one book.  Unfortunately, it fell short.  It read like a disjointed stream of consciousness, moving back and forth from linguistic theory to personal anecdote, and I felt like there was never anything to grasp on to.  In many ways, it felt aimless, as if it really was a dream, drifting and wandering without ever particularly arriving at a conclusion.  The characters were vague, in fact the author herself seemed vague about the impact of this year on her psyche.  There was no conclusion, no definitive timeline to follow, no way to keep the progression of events straight.  I can't say I'd recommend this one to anyone.

Crazy Love

For the last number of months (five or so, I think), my house church has been reading and studying Francis Chan's book, "Crazy Love," together.  Just this last week, we finished it.  It's been (in my opinion) a really good thing for our house church to read and study like this together, and Crazy Love has been an ideal fit for us, since there is also a very affordable DVD curriculum available, with one 8-10 minute video for each chapter, and included discussion starters.

To be honest, I'm more excited about what studying together has done for our little house church, than I am about the actual content of the book.  Reading and studying together has stirred discussion, has brought out opinions from some of the quieter people, has inspired people to step up and agree to lead discussion, or to read and get involved.

The content of the book itself, didn't feel new to me.  That said, I read fairly widely, and have read several titles that challenge the reader to take the call of the gospels to follow Christ seriously.

There were two chapters I found particularly striking, however.

The first was chapter 4 - Profile of the Lukewarm.  It wasn't so much that the information was new, just that it was presented in a way that was a hard to ignore - a way that caused me to stop again and consider how I'm living, to stop and pray and ask the Lord what I need to be aware of.  Using the parable of the seeds and the sower, Chan cautions readers, "Do not assume you are good soil."  (pg. 67)  He goes on to list a number of characteristics of the lukewarm.  Characteristics like:

Lukewarm people give money to charity and to the church...as long as it doesn't impinge on their standard of living.  If they have a little extra and it is easy and safe to give, they do so.  After all, God loves a cheerful giver, right? (pg. 69)

Lukewarm people don't really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin.  They don't genuinely hate sin and aren't truly sorry for it; they're merely sorry because God is going to punish them.  Lukewarm people don't really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful one.  (pg. 70)

Lukewarm people love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves.  Their love of others is typically focused on those who love them in return, like family, friends, and other people they know and connect with.  There is little love left over for those who cannot love them back, much less for those who intentionally slight them, whose kids are better athletes than theirs, or with whom conversations are awkward or uncomfortable.  Their love is highly conditional and very selective and comes with strings attached.  (pg. 73)

Lukewarm people are continually concerned with playing it safe; they are slaves to the god of control.  This focus on safe living keeps them from sacrificing and risking for God. (pg. 77)

Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to.  They don't have to trust God if something unexpected happens - they have their savings account.  They don't need God to help them - they have their retirement plan in place.  They don't genuinely seek out what life God would have them live - they have life figured and mapped out.  They don't depend on God on a daily basis - their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are in good health.  The truth is, their lives wouldn't look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God. (pg. 78)

Challenging, huh?

The other chapter (Chapter 8 - Profile of the Obsessed) that caught me did so for much the same reasons.  Instead of profiling the lukewarm, it profiles the one who is obsessed with Christ, and includes statements like these:

People who are obsessed with Jesus aren't consumed with their personal safety and comfort above all else.  Obsessed people care more about God's kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress. (pg. 133)

People who are obsessed with Jesus live lives that connect them with the poor in some way or another.  Obsessed people believe that Jesus talked about money and the poor so often because it was really important to Him (1 John 2:4-6; Matt. 16:24-26). (pg. 135)

Obsessed people are more concerned with obeying God than doing what is expected or fulfilling the status quo. (pg. 136)

People who are obsessed are raw with God; they do not attempt to mask the ugliness of their sins or their failures.  Obsessed people don't put it on for God; He is their safe place, where they can be at peace. (pg. 144)

A person who is obsessed with Jesus is more concerned with his or her character than comfort.  Obsessed people know that true joy doesn't depend on circumstances or environment; it is a gift that must be chosen and cultivated, a gift that ultimately comes from God (James 1:2-4). (pg. 146)

I read this second chapter the same week I was challenged by some stories of people in real life who really were learning what it meant to live obsessed - to not be certain of safety or comforts, to live in obedience.  The combination of Chan's words and these stories I'd encountered was powerful and convicting.

All in all, I'd say Crazy Love is very much worth the read.  Yes, it didn't have a lot that was brand new material, but Chan's heart is sincere, his words are challenging, and for me, anyway, God used this book to challenge how I think about my life and faith and how that gets lived out.

A Review of "In Constant Prayer"

I was delighted when "In Constant Prayer" popped up as an option for a review on booksneeze.com and immediately requested a copy.  Prayer is one of my favorite topics, and by far the most helpful book I've ever read on the subject (Living Prayer) was also written by Benson.  He has become one of my favorite authors, and this book, like all the others of his that I've read, was excellent.  "In Constant Prayer" is part of The Ancient Practices series, exploring the ancient traditions of the church and whether they are applicable to modern culture.  In Constant Prayer examines the tradition of fixed hour prayer, or praying the offices.

Benson writes in a style that engages the reader, and, though I've never heard him speak, as I began to read, I could "hear" his voice - the familiar (and now much beloved) voice and tone from his other books begin to draw me in, and couldn't help but smile.

As an introduction to praying the offices, this is fabulous -engaging and easy to follow, while providing enough history and narrative to draw the reader into the idea of joining in a millenia old concert of prayer.  I did found myself wishing for a more examples of the actual structure of the offices, but am confident that I'll be able to find these in the recommended titles that Benson included at the end of the book.

This book is well worth the read - both for those who already believe a life of prayer is important, and for those who are just beginning to wonder if perhaps there is something to the idea of praying regularly, joining with the saints.

note: In Constant Prayer was provided to me at no charge by booksneeze.com.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions expressed here are my own.

Mini Reviews (Part 2)

Here are a few more mini book reviews - one from a book I just completed on the weekend, and the others from books I read later in 2010.

Tea With Hezbollah (Ted Dekker & Carl Medearis)

This book chronicles a journey of discovery that the two authors took through the Middle East, with stops in such unlikely places as Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudia Arabia and Syria, in hopes of answering the question of whether Jesus' greatest teaching to love your neighbor as yourself, and his story of the good samaritan had any relevance in the Middle East today.  I had high hopes for this one, knowing of Dekker's skill as a storyteller, and having read Medearis' excellent "Muslims, Christians, and Jesus."  Unfortunately the book mostly fell short.  It was an interesting dialogue, with some good questions, but was slow, lacking story telling.  The most compelling part of the book, a story about a young woman named Nicole, turned out to be a modern sort of parable, concocted by Dekker, and in this, his skill as a storyteller shone.  However, discovering that the story of Nicole was a parable, at the very end of the book, was disappointing, and felt like a deception, thanks to the way it had been presented, woven through the very real dialogues of the authors.  I can't decide if I'd say that this was worth the read or not.  I'm not sorry I read it, and it certainly added to my thoughts on travel, Islam, the middle east, and even terrorism, but it did fall significantly short of the hopes I'd had for it.

The Silver Chair (C.S. Lewis)

The Silver Chair has long been my favorite of the Chronicles of Narnia, and Jill Pole amongst my favorite of the various children the series depicts.  I would be sold on the book for a scene in the first few pages alone - a scene discussing thirst and truth, and one which is well worth the price.  But I love The Silver Chair for it's themes of light and darkness, for it's idea of journeying, for the ways it depicts deception disguised as truth, for it's discussion of how easy it is to become distracted in our focus.  I honestly can't say enough good things about this one!

Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile (Rob Bell & Don Golden)

This book was another disappointment.  I'd loved the "Jesus Wants to Save Christians" sermon series that Bell preached several years back, and I'd loved both of Bell's previous books, "Velvet Elvis" and "Sex God", but "Jesus Wants to Save Christians" fell short for me.  Within days of finishing the book, I felt like I couldn't tell you what it was about, or whether it had important things to say - to me, this is a sign of less than stellar communication.    Looking back, I feel like it raised some important challenges for the western church, but I'd be hard pressed to define or repeat those challenges without actually opening the book and turning to find the bits and pieces I'd marked as I read through it.  Not really a recommended read, though I would be curious to listen to the audio version, as I've often found that the more stale written parts of Bell's work come alive when he is reading them and giving them a life and voice.