Category: Book Reviews
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It’s Not Me, It’s You (And That’s Okay)
“It’s not me, it’s you….” The bad breakup line always seemed so unfair. It’s been my habit to live life assuming there’s always something I can do…some level of responsibility I have to take if I’m truly loving. But over the years, I’ve met the people-pleasers dilemma: some people aren’t pleasable. Living this truth has…
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Grappling with Sanctification
I was sitting on a sofa best described as peach in color, though I’ve never seen a peach that hue. The almost bare walls looked about as lonely as I felt. My computer screen offered the only light of that dreary day. Fingers poised, I searched for words but found more than I could organize…
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Remember When You First Heard about Jesus?
Do you remember when you first heard about Jesus? Or God? Or church? I mean the first, first time. When the words were brand new and meant nothing yet to you. Most of us don’t remember that “first” precisely. These are words and concepts that may have been whispered over you in the womb or…
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God Leads One Step at a Time
The first time I heard “The Very Next Thing” on the radio in my car, I memorized most of the words. Or rather, they just stuck. I was basically a sitting duck for the message. Spinning my wheels in a rut, I’d been so afraid of unknowns I was letting obligation determine my next steps…
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Connecting God’s Power to Our Anchor in Christ
To me, Jesus walking on water isn’t the craziest part of the story recorded in Matthew 14. Peter’s response is. What would inspire a man to say “IF it’s you, Jesus, command me to walk on water too?” If I was skeptical that the guy defying physics was actually Jesus, I still would’ve settled for…
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Growing in the Body of Christ: Review of The Unexplainable Church Bible Study
Some things are better shared. When I received a copy of The Unexplainable Church for review, I expected to squeeze it in amongst other Bible studies and books. Day One stopped me. I haven’t completed this study, answering questions or looking up passages of Scripture. I’ve only read the content and the questions to be…
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Jesus’ I AM Statements and Your Identity
The unchanging character of God is such an assurance. It seems like everything is always changing- which means there is always something new to adapt to, to embrace, to struggle with. But when we know the great I AM, we have someone to rely on always. What a gift that the unchanging, completely trustworthy, everlasting…
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Frustrated with Normalcy
Normal. It’s something we at once don’t want to be confined to and at the same time wish to obtain. Some think it’s a mirage. Others believe it’s what we make it out to be. Jonathan Parnell believes “normal” is something we shouldn’t just accept. In his book Never Settle for Normal, readers are encouraged…
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God’s Reverberating Word
“Sola Scriptura.” I remember reading the phrase (Scripture alone) in High School as our history books tackled the reformation. The concept was mentioned briefly as one of the causes of the divide in Christianity that shook the world at the time. Such a stance was not- and still is not- without powerful consequence. More than…
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A Reality Check on Fear: Book Giveaway!
It may seem a little strange for me to review a book written for moms. The 10 pounds of fur snoozing next to me is the closest thing I have to a ward. Much as he thinks he is a baby, he’s not! My friend Bethany Douglas’s book Helicopter Mom is definitely relevant for the…