Friday, June 16, 2017

Goodreads Giveaway - Jesus: The life and Ministry

Reflections on Christ, from a beloved spiritual writer
A. W. Tozer was a man of remarkable knowledge, an avid reader of Christian writers and philosophers from throughout the ages. But he meditated on the Bible. He was, like John Wesley, “a man of one Book and a student of many.”
Combine this with his poignant writing style and you have works like this onehigh thoughts of God brought low, yet no less moving. 
Jesus: The Life and Ministry of God the Son features selections from Tozer’s writings on the God-man, Jesus Christ. It follows the chronology of Christ's earthly life and explores classic themes of Christology, helping readers better comprehend and appreciate Jesus’ person and work.
When you set out to study Christ, you want to behold His splendor the best you can. That’s why writers like A. W. Tozer are excellent guides: they love the Lord, know Him well, and yet have a way with the written word. They're able to lay the weight of glory on the human heart as few can.

Read Jesus and appreciate anew the Savior of the world and the power of the written word to glorify His name.




My review:

As many of these books I read, you would think I just join a theology class already. On that line of thinking, if I wanted to be preached to I would go to church. If you're writing a book, you need to be aware that you are at once reaching many people and one person. I want to learn about Christianity and God, not be called 'bretheren'.

Between the preaching, there were some interesting ideas, not the least among them the meaning of 'in the beginning'.

There's a lot of hemming and hawing and "Well answer my question and I'll answer yours" but let's be fair, it's a tough subject to tackle for chapter one.

Ultimately, this book is not my cup of tea. But the cover certainly is--I'm a sucker for a god cover.


I received this book free through a Goodreads Giveaway. 

Friday, June 9, 2017

MP Newsroom review: Created for More

If you ever feel like your devotions are disconnected from your day, like your quiet time is competing with your responsibilities, or like your spiritual walk is separate from a walk you take through the grocery store, you need this devotional.

You were created for more.

Devotions aren't supposed to be isolated from your life; the God who created you also calls you to create-whether that is a business, a family, a book, a photograph, a website, a sermon, or a meal for someone hungry.

By tying together our daily creations and our characteristics from God, Created for More will remind you of the life God is calling you to. Read your Bible with excitement, let prayer seep throughout your day, and see your devotion to God multiply as you rejoice in creating for Him.






My review: 

In general, I love devotionals. Particularly daily devotionals. It's like bible study, church, and theology class in 15 minutes a day. What I've been missing from previous devotionals though, is how to pray. I've been praying for a little while now, so I wouldn't say I'm new at it, but the prayer starters in this book are perfect for a jumping off point in each chapter. 

Devotionals also largely tend to be a solitary thing, but this book happens to have a companion website where you can share and talk about challenges with others who are reading this book. Even the challenges that take two people--hello, Internet! There's a website for that. 

While this is marketed toward creative people, it's important to mention there are great takeaways for everyone--from how to be humble with god, to how to be content and relax once in a while. It doesn't take much to tweak some of these challenges to apply to someone who works in an office job (*ahem*) if you're not so creatively inclined.

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

BFB Review: When God Made You

YOU, you... God thinks about you.
God was thinking of you long before your debut. 
From early on, children are looking to discover their place in the world and longing to understand how their personalities, traits, and talents fit in. The assurance that they are deeply loved and a unique creation in our big universe is certain to help them spread their wings and fly. 
Through playful, charming rhyme and vivid, fantastical illustrations, When God Made You inspires young readers to learn about their own special gifts and how they fit into God's divine plan as they grow, explore, and begin to create for themselves. 
'Cause when God made YOU, somehow God knew
That the world needed someone exactly like you!








My Review:

Before we get into the story, let's talk about David Catrow, the Illustrator. The man who drew Molly Lou Melon. The man whose drawings I grew up with, whose drawings I now get to share with my daughter. Catrow's drawings hold a special place in my heart (largely because of the life he brings to curly hair). Thank you, David Catrow.

Now on to Matthew Paul Turner, who wrote this book. This is a lovely book with a great message for kids, which can place the foundation for deeper conversations about who they are and the extraordinary blessing it is that humans are made in God's image. Everyone is special, unique, and serves a purpose in God's greater plan, whether big or small. This can be a tough conversation to start, but this book opens the door.

While I'm not excited to read Turner's other works (25 books and not a real trend on what genre he writes/likes best), I am interested to read his other works.