Spiritual Warfare for Your Family, by Leighann McCoy

I'm really not sure what to think of this book.  I think that the cover is a bit of a scare tactic - "What you need to know to protect your children."  It doesn't really accurately describe what's in the book.  

Basically, the book is about strengthening your relationship with God through prayer.  I agree with the author's theology.  She doesn't offer a magic wand, nor does she promise that God will make all your problems go away if you just <fill in your own blank.>  She doesn't pay into the prosperity gospel that's become so popular lately, and that alone is enough to make me feel this book is worthwhile.   You're getting actual Bible-based information here, and that's an incredibly valuable component of modern Christian writing.

That said, the first part of the book was very difficult to get through.  It seemed to wander from topic to topic quite a bit.  The last half of the book was better, in my opinion.  Although I will say that much of the advice given in this book is very general.  It's probably better suited for a group book study so that you can discuss these ideas with others and delve deeper into these concepts than this book does.  I think that the book tries to cover too much, and ends up not covering much very well.

Disclaimer:  I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.  

Three out of Five Stars

The Other Side of the River, by Robert D Halpert, MD.

     Halpert has written a work that discusses Stonewall Jackson and the faith that inspired him.  It's an interesting concept, as I've never read anything that handles this subject matter.

     Unfortunately, the style of the novel made it difficult to read.  It almost has the feel of an Erik Larson book, but where Larson's books have clearly defined point of view and smooth flow, this book does not.  It alternates back and forth between nonfiction and fiction styles - sometimes within the same paragraph.  The juxtaposition of the two does not work well.  The nonfiction portions were often long and didactic, and I would forget in a chapter who the point of view character was.  As a result, transitions were choppy, and the resulting confusion made this a very tough read for me.  My confusion detracted from the subject matter.

     On the plus side, it is meticulously researched and clearly the author spent a great deal of time putting in many interesting details.  I do think this would have worked better as a straight nonfiction book.

     I so wanted to like this book, and I am disappointed that I have to give it such a poor review.  But it was such a tough read for me that I really can't give it more than two stars.

     Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher for a fair and honest review.

       

Surviving a Spiritual Mismatch in Marriage, by Lee and Leslie Strobel

I picked this book up after having seen it mentioned by a few trustworthy articles on couples who are unequally yoked.  I know that Lee Strobel is better known for other books, but this is the first of his that I've read.  I was impressed not only by his candid writing style, but also by the solid theology that exists throughout the book.  It is clear that a lot of thought went into this book, and I appreciated that as someone who can benefit from its wisdom.

The Strobels wrote this book from the perspective of a couple who has been through spiritual mismatch in marriage - Leslie converted to Christianity two years before Lee did.  Their experience gives this book more credibility.  They are able to address many questions that arise when a Christian experiences the turmoil that can result from marriage to an unbeliever.

Throughout the book, they cover the following topics:  their own story, how to find joy in the marriage despite the spiritual mismatch, and tips for how to introduce the unbelieving spouse to God without being pushy.  All advice is centered on Biblical passages.  The Strobels make no grand claims that every Christian will be able to convert his or her unbelieving spouse.  However, they do provide a sense of peace that God will use the marriage for good.  And throughout the book, the reader is encouraged to keep his or her marriage flourishing despite the spiritual mismatch.  The aim of this book is a happy marriage, regardless of each spouse's beliefs.

As the wife of an unbeliever, I found the advice in this book to be very encouraging.  I especially appreciated the section on discovering the exact nature of a spouse's unbelief and how to handle that particular situation - not every spouse is going to fit the mold of Lee's story, after all.

There are also two extra chapters at the end.  One is on boundaries that Christians should set when dating to avoid a spiritual mismatch.  The other is on marriages where two Christian partners are at different points in their spiritual growth.  

I recommend this book for any Christian who needs help with an unequally yoked relationship, be it a marriage or a dating relationship.  

Five out of Five Stars

Delighting in God, by A.W. Tozer and James L. Snyder

     I'd heard of A.W. Tozer before reading this book, but I'd never read any of his work.  After having read this compilation of his writings by James L. Snyder, I am intrigued and will seek out more of Tozer's work.

     It's rare to find a theologian who is so starkly honest about the state of the evangelical church.  This book is a call to action, a plea for Christians to find the innate joy that comes from a relationship with God.  Tozer especially calls out churches that resort to "entertain[ing] the people" in an effort to bring in large numbers of people to Sunday services.  "Worship today," he writes, "is too emotional and fails to quiet our souls to fully experience the presence of God."  He argues for a worship of God that is based on God alone, not God "plus" anything else.

     This book is more than worth the read for anyone who is feeling that something is missing from their faith life.  It's also especially important for anyone who is satisfied with their faith life.  This book is a challenge to examine our hearts and see what more we can be doing to fully experience the joy that comes from a real relationship with God.

Disclaimer:  I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Five out of Five Stars

The God You Thought You Knew, by Alex McFarland

     Alex McFarland has written a very worthwhile book in The God You Thought You Knew Exposing the 10 Biggest Myths About Christianity.  As the title suggests, there are ten chapters in this book, each one discussion questions that Christians are asked - by others or by themselves - every day.  

     The book is an apologetics discussion.  They're great for enabling a new Christian to learn the faith, or for "experienced" Christians to solidify what they've learned.  I feel that the theology is sound and based on Scripture rather than many of the "magic wand" books I've seen on the market.  If you're looking for a book that tells you how God is going to make you richer / happier / more successful etc, this isn't the book for you.  If you're looking for a book that explains God as he represents himself through the Bible, then this is it.

     Apologetics aside, the topics are very convicting for any Christian.  Take, for example, Myth #1 - Christianity is intolerant and judgmental toward others.  We've got a lot of that in our faith, and none of it is actually condoned by the faith.  The author explains point by point why we are not called to judge others.  This chapter, along with the others, stands as a good reminder for all Christians of who we are called to be.

     In essence, if you've ever wanted to know the answers to tough questions like why the Bible seems to contradict itself, or how accurate the Bible is, then I recommend this book.  It's very thought provoking.  Like any good book, it planted the seed for even more questions in my mind as I read it.  A few areas seemed weak on intellectual rigor.  However, fortunately, the author has listed a topical "further reading" list at the end.  So I've got my homework cut out for me!

    Four out of Five Stars

Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for a  fair and honest review.

Motivate Your Child, by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller

     After years of searching, I have finally found the parenting resource I've been looking for.  Motivate Your Child is the first tool I've seen that finally acknowledges that the conscience of a child needs to be trained before your child is expected to know right from wrong.  Other, more popular, parenting programs assume that your child already has this skill.  And that's a fail, in my opinion, because kids don't always know right from wrong in every occasion.  And for the teachers who are reading this, you already know that there are kids who almost never know right from wrong.  

     This book won't get the credit it is due (A) Because it doesn't have a catchy title and (B) It doesn't have a marketing machine getting it in the hands of every parent and teacher in the country.  What it does have is a keen understanding of what makes children and teens tick.  So it's definitely worth more than a look.

     Here's what you'll get from reading this book:
-    A discussion of a child's conscience and why it needs to
     actually be trained before you can expect a child to
     understand society's rules.

-    An understanding that strong-willed children are already
     internally motivated to do what they want and will naturally

     challenge any other system of reward and consequence

     (even natural consequences) that are put on them.  

-    A guide toward helping your child develop the ability to

     question his/her motives in a difficult situation and to

     analyze not just the appropriateness of his actions, but to

     determine what a better choice would have been.

-    A discussion of natural vs. logical consequences and in

     what cases each technique is more appropriate than the

     other.

-    A guide toward helping your child become a person of  

     integrity who is able to make choices that are best for him

     or her independent of a parent telling them what to do

     every step of the way.

     This is a Christian book.  The second half of the book is a wonderful resource on how to bring more spirituality into your family without being overbearing about it.

     However, the tools in the first half of the book are relevant to anyone, Christian or not.  I personally used suggestions from the first half to help some of my students learn how to make better choices in social interaction.  It worked better than any other technique I've tried in over 15 years of teaching.  

     I highly recommend this book to anyone who works with children.  These authors understand kids better than any other I've read.

     Disclaimer:  I was provided this book by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

     Five out of Five Stars

Women Are Scary, by Melanie Dale

     Women are Scary is ostensibly a book about how to find, make, and keep female friends while managing to be a mother at the same time.  What it ends up being is a humorous memoir about the difficulties that mothers have trying to maintain adult friendships.  Which, as most moms get, is a tough thing to do.

     I'm still not quite sure what to make of this book.  It starts off very funny, but the style started to wear on me after a while.  The author is a blogger, and while I'm sure her writing style is perfect for a blog, I think there just isn't enough substance here to be worthy of a full length book.  The premise is interesting, but you can't buy this book thinking it's going to be full of awesome relationship advice.  For moms out there, truly, I think we know who makes a good fit for us and who doesn't.  It all comes down to the time that we have for socializing.

     This book is valuable if you just want a good bubble-bath kind of a read that's going to cheer you up at the end of a long day full of too much spit-up and not enough adult conversation.  This book is going to remind you that you are fulfilling a very important God-given role, and that you are not the only one who doesn't channel June Cleaver every day.  

     I also appreciate this book because it acknowledges all mothers equally - adoptive, birth, "working", "stay-at-home" and every other label that society has put upon us.  It also has some incredible suggestions for simple charitable works that mothers can do while on play-date outings with each other.  I'll be looking into some of these ideas myself, and the book is worth a read if only for those suggestions.

     Three out of Five Stars

Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Jesus Swagger, by Jarrid Wilson

Jesus Swagger: Break Free from Poser Christianity is probably a good book for brand-new Christians who are looking to become something more than Sunday Morning Christians.  The book's premise is the importance of living a Christ-like life at all times, not just for an hour on the weekend.  And the author gives us several ideas for how to do that in his own trendy writing style that will probably appeal to many younger Christians.  This message is a good one - after all, a true Christian life is led both inside and outside the church.

However, beyond anything that might help a new Christian think outside the box, I believe readers should exercise caution with this book.  First of all, it doesn't matter what urban dictionary definition of "swagger" the author chooses to use, the term has a negative connotation among most of our society.  It reduces our Lord and Savior to a bit of hipster slang.  And that's pretty rich coming from an author who criticizes the "Jesus is my homeboy" movement as being disrespectful to Christ.  I see no difference between that "#JesusSwagger."  The Bible tells us repeatedly to approach God in worship with "reverence and awe" (Hebrews 12:28, among others).  There is no reverence in this term.  It's a marketing gimmick, plain and simple.

I also take issue with the fact that while the author says once that church worship is still a good thing, the book tends to negate that statement.  A quotation that is particularly bothersome is, "Worshiping during church service is great, but worshiping outside of that element is even greater."  Can we really put one over the other?  Such a statement ignores the significance of listening to an educated pastor explain the true meaning of the Bible.  I can go out into the streets and preach to the masses all I want, but that is worthless if I have not myself taken the time to learn from a good teacher, or to surround myself with mature believers who will challenge me if I am wrong in my teachings.  And every Christian needs to know that, from the new believer to the seasoned pastor.  It is troubling that the two ways of worship are not given equal importance.

However, as I've stated above, I do think this book would be good for brand-new Christians to give them ideas of how to live their faith outside of church.  I also very much agree with the author's stance that churches need to stop making membership growth their main focus.  

The author has good intentions, but I believe there are better books on this topic.  This one is just a good introduction.

Two out of Five Stars

Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Don't Give Up, Don't Give In, by Louis Zamperini and David Rensin

  This is the book I've been waiting for since I finished Laura Hillenbrand's biography of Louis Zamperini, Unbroken.   I loved that book, but it seemed to me that the real story of heroism came after the war, when Zamperini was able to overcome the atrocities that he was subjected to.  

     This book, which was finished just before Zamperini passed away, tells that story.  I felt on reading Unbroken that it glossed over the power of God in Zamperini's life.  Don't Give Up gets more into how instrumental Zamperini's faith was in helping him overcome post traumatic stress and its symptoms.  As his son writes in this book, "miracles happened to [Zamperini] to demonstrate the power of God in his life."  And that's the story that I think most people don't get to hear about outside of this book.

  
     More than just a testament to Zamperini's faith, this book also tells the lessons that he learned throughout his life's journey.  How do you forgive someone who has deeply hurt you?  How do you stay positive enough to weather the bad times?  How can you maintain your self respect and dignity at all times?  These questions and more are answered in this book.  And in providing us with his wisdom gained through years of unspeakable trial and a life given in service to humankind, I think Louis Zamperini has shown himself to be the kind of hero our society desperately craves.

     I highly recommend this book not just to those interested in Zamperini's story, but also to anyone who feels that there should be more to life than what they have. Life is not meant to be simply survived, but lived.  And Louis Zamperini understood that.


Five out of Five Stars

Messy Beautiful Love, by Darlene Schacht

     This is a book that is well worth the read.  Darlene Schacht, creator of the blog "Time Warp Wife," has done a fantastic job of showing what God can do through one woman.  

     The book discusses what it is to be a wife in a God-honoring marriage.  More than any other book I have read, the role of the wife is carefully delineated here.  And in doing this, Schacht gives Christian women a true gift.  So much of what is written in women's ministry - and particularly the "trendy" books - does not follow Scripture.  It instead twists Scripture into what we want it to be.  

     Darlene Schacht doesn't do this.  This book is Scripturally sound, and I love it for that.  A woman seeking to learn what she can do to better her marriage can read this book without worrying about false doctrine.  And you can't say that about a lot of books out there.

     Beyond that, Schacht is a good writer, and this book is an enjoyable read.  She answers many questions about the Christian marriage.  She talks about so many issues that are central to a good marriage - the choice we must make to be kind when we don't feel like it, the difference between submission and inequality in marriage, the importance of nurturing our husbands, and many other topics important to the Christian wife.

     This book isn't a deep read, nor it is an examination of the psychology of relationships.  It's just one woman's impression of what our role as wives should be.  But it's appropriately backed by Scripture, and for me, that is more than sufficient.  

     I highly recommend this book to any wife who is seeking what her role should be in a God-honoring marriage.  I'll be keeping this book around for further study.


Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


Five out of Five Stars

  

Before You Plan Your Wedding Plan Your Marraige, by Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley

     There are 3 weddings (that I know of) in my family's immediate future, and so I've been looking for good engagement gifts.  One thing I've discovered is that wow there are a lot of books on this topic!  Unfortunately, I've also discovered that for every good pre-wedding book out there, there are 3 or 4 not-so-good books.  There are also a few that are so downright awful you wonder if the author is conducting an experiment to see how much one book can contribute to the high divorce rate.

     Before You Plan Your Wedding... Plan Your Marriage is one of the good ones - the best of the good ones, actually.  So I thought it merited a review.  Because honestly, every couple from the newly engaged to the long married would benefit from the wisdom in this book.  Each chapter lends itself to both personal reflection as well as discussion between the engaged or already married couple.

     The authors start by discussing how to have an engagement that truly prepares the couple for marriage.  That segment is followed by chapters that delve into better self-awareness.  The reader is guided through a series of highly effective (I know because I've done them!) exercises on learning more about what drives his or her own fears and expectations.  Why is all this self-evaluation important?  Because those fears and expectations are going to affect you in ways you can't always imagine.  If you can't articulate them to yourself, they're going to control you, when it should be the other way around.  They're also going to control your approach to difficulties in your marriage.  And an argument where you don't realize exactly what is bothering you is an argument that is never going to be truly resolved.

     Once the authors lead the reader through this journey into self-awareness, they teach how to use this self-awareness in a manner that is healthy to not just the individual, but the marriage.  The rest of the book is largely devoted to good communication strategies, forgiveness, and teamwork in a marriage.  There is also a great section on marital roles in a God-honoring marriage (and no, this doesn't mean the husband gets to boss the wife around).  There is also a very important section on leaving and cleaving, the Biblical ideal of becoming one with your spouse, forsaking all others.

     I feel that this book is Scripturally sound.  As such, it's going to be of benefit to the Christian couple.  However, if you aren't Christian, this book is still going to be immensely helpful to you.  The sections on self-awareness and good communication apply to everyone.  I've read many books on marriage, both Christian and secular, and this book leaves most of the others far behind.  The authors do a good job of mixing sound advice with amusing anecdotes, and it's a pleasure to read.  I recommend it to anyone who is engaged or just simply wants a better marriage.

Five out of Five Stars

Seven Ways to Be Her Hero, by Doug Fields

Seven Ways to Be Her Hero is a self-help book on marriage written specifically for men.  It offers advice on various topics essential to a good marriage - listening, putting your wife’s needs on high priority, putting aside pride, and shepherding your wife’s heart.

Every piece of advice in this book is true (speaking from the perspective of the wife).  It’s backed by Bible references.  The only problem is that so much of it is generalized.  I really think the author tried to cover too much in one book.  I also found instances of circular logic to be confusing.  For example, in the chapter on shepherding the wife’s heart, the author explains that to truly be a shepherd, you must “exude real manhood.”  And how do you exude real manhood?  By shepherding your wife’s heart.  Very few details are given on exactly how to do this.  

The most impressive piece of the book is the recommendation section.  The publisher got some very prominent Christian authors to recommend this book.  Yet in many cases, the reviewers wrote books that are better reads than this one.  

In short, this book is well-meaning and is a worthwhile read.  But there are far better books out there if you want marital advice that is easy to follow.

Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

3 out of 5 Stars

Daughters in Danger, by Elayne Bennett

Daughters in Danger, by Elayne Bennett, is purportedly about how we can protect our daughters from the threats of our culture.

There can be no doubt that the girls of today face serious obstacles to their health and well-being.  When I picked this book up, I was hoping for a book that would address ways to help our daughters through these issues.  However, the author tries to tackle too many issues.  As a result, the book is disjointed and full of such generalized advice that it doesn't really add much about raising children that is not already widely known.

The first third of the book is full of cautionary tales and partisan rhetoric, despite the author's later claim that she does not see this as a political issue.  There were a few red flags for me - beginning with the statement that "California... educators have all but banished the Boy Scouts from public facilities."  As a California educator and a Boy Scout mother, I disagree with this, and it didn't set a good tone for the book.  The author also makes a broad generalization about young adults based on a limited survey of high schoolers in her foundation.  As an M.Ed. myself, this left me questioning the rest of her research.

The latter half of the book has some good advice, but it doesn't flow well because the author tries to cover too many topics.  The  good advice is interspersed far too often with more cautionary tales both from real life and from literature and movies.  The advice is also over-simplified, giving few details that a parent who is truly struggling would find useful.

I appreciate the author's attempt, but there are better books that cover the topic of how to raise Christian children in today's world.  Her writing style is good, and I'd love to see her write a book that doesn't try to cover quite so much ground.

Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Two out of Five Stars

Jesus on Every Page - 10 Simple Ways to Seek and Find Christ in the Old Testament, by David Murray

Jesus on Every Page - 10 Simple Ways to Seek and Find Christ in the Old Testament is a thought-provoking book that links the New and Old Testaments in a way that is not often done in the modern church.

I will say, this is not the book I was expecting to read. When I first opened this book, I thought that it would be about specific Messianic verses in the Old Testament - those verses that specifically refer to Christ on earth. I am always interested when one of those verses pops up in my reading, and so I was looking forward to reading Jesus on Every Page.

However, the book turned out to be much more than a simple discourse on specific verses. Murray delves into the theology that links the Old Testament with the New. He discusses the New Testament writers and what they had to say about the Old Testament. The majority of the book is then spent on teaching the reader how to find Christ throughout the Old Testament. It is not just about specific verses, although many verses are given. It is about teaching the faithful how to read the Old Testament from a different perspective - with a mind toward finding Christ.

Is Jesus in the Old Testament? Absolutely. He didn't just pop up unexpectedly, and this book will help the Christian find Jesus, so to speak, in a new way.

The book tends toward the academic side, and be prepared to read passages from the Bible concurrently with this book. At times, I felt that the book would be better for a pastor or a seminary student, but I stayed with it and was rewarded for my time. The discussion questions at the end are suitable either for group or individual study. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an intellectual Biblical experience.

Disclaimer - I was provided a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.   

Five out of Five Stars

Reclaiming Love: Radical Relationships in a Complex World, by Ajith Fernando

     Reclaiming Love is nothing short of an amazing book.  I so admire Ajith Fernando for the time and prayerful thought that he must have put into writing this book.  He takes the definition of love that Paul gives in 1 Corinthians 13 and turns these few words into an in depth look at what it means to truly love your neighbor as yourself.

     1 Corinthians 13 places great conviction on so many of us to be more loving.  But we all know it's not as simple as that.  Patience, kindness, perseverance, never keeping a record of wrongs - all of these things are not easy to achieve 100% of the time.  Many of us don't even feel that giving of ourselves in this manner is safe for our own self-worth. 

     Much to my delight, Fernando delves into each of these definitions of love in a way that stems from his years as a pastor and counselor.  He analyses their meaning in a way that is both academic and easy to understand. He then discusses how we can apply each of them in our daily lives.  This isn't a piece of fluff, either - Fernando goes into great detail.  The examples he gives are highly relevant to a number of situations - from personal life to family to work.

     I was especially impressed with his ability to reach out to people who are in recovery - as well as the people who work with them.

     This book is a jewel.  I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in becoming more Christ-like.  It's not a dust-gatherer - it's a book that a reader can return to time and time again.

Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Five out of Five Stars

Intentional Parenting, by Sissy Goff, David Thomas, and Melissa Trevathan

Intentional Parenting is by far one of the best parenting books that I have read.  And it's no wonder, since the authors have vast experience at a family counseling center.  So, not only have they been to the circus, they've been the lion tamers as well - so to speak.

In all seriousness, though, this book really does have some amazing ideas on how to approach this journey we call parenting.  Each chapter discusses how to put real thought into parenting.  

Subjects include consistency, playfulness, spirituality, and patience, and hope.  Key concepts that are necessary for parenting with purpose are examined in detail, with real-life anecdotes and ideas for how to improve on each area. 

I loved that age-appropriate ideas are provided throughout the book.  Clearly, a teen requires a different style than a toddler does, and this book recognizes that.  I also loved the questions posed to the reader.  This book really encourages the reader to put thought into his or her parenting style - it's parenting with purpose!  And no matter how you feel you're doing as a parent, this book is going to provide you with tools that you will be able to use for the benefit of your whole family.  And for fans of Love and Logic, the ideas in this book can be used with that program.

As a teacher and a mother, I highly recommend this book to any parent or soon-to-be-parent. 

Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Five out of Five Stars