Book Reviews

Mission like Jesus

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Wow! What?! It’s been how long since I’ve posted? Sorry friends… I’ll try to do better…

One of the things that’s been distracting me is a great book by Tim Chester called  A Meal With Jesus. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to be inspired by the way that food and christian fellowship can change lives, as well as  to anyone who wants a little insight into the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

I love the following part of the introduction:

” How would you complete the sentence: “The Son of Man Came…”? The Son of Man came… preaching the Word… to establish the kingdom of God… to die on the cross.

…..There are three ways the New Testament completes the sentence, “The Son of Man came…” “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45); “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10); “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking…” (Luke 7:34).

The first two are statements of purpose. Why did Jesus come? He came to serve, to give his life as a ransom, to seek and save the lost. The third is a statement of method. How did Jesus come? He came eating and drinking.

The Jews of Jesus’ day would have said the Son of Man will come to vindicate the righteous and defeat God’s enemies. They didn’t expect him to come to seek and save the lost. And they would have said the Son of Man will come in glory and power. They would never have said he would come eating and drinking.

….Jesus spent his time eating and drinking – a lot of his time. He was a party animal. His mission strategy was a long meal, stretching into the evening. He did evangelism and discipleship round a table with some grilled fish, a loaf of bread, and a pitcher of wine. “

 

Don’t you love it? I get chills every time! (Maybe I’m just a big food nerd…)

My mission for you is this… Find this book! Read it. Live it.

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Eye of the Sword by Karyn Henley – A Book Review

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I have to be honest. I wanted to review this book because I just really love a good sci-fi/fantasy book. The truth is however, I was all-but-ready for this particular story to be mediocre at best. Unfortunately, Christian authors do not the best fantasy writers make. Or rather – they either make the BEST (read C. S. Lewis) or they basically flop. (Please feel free to prove me wrong. I would like nothing better!)

I am pleased to report that this book was better than I’d expected! Eye of the Sword is book two of the Angelaeon Circle by Karyn Henley. I’m looking forward to back tracking a bit and reading the first book Breath of Angel.

Eye of the Sword focuses on Trevin, our hero. At times he doesn’t look very heroic – more like someone who’s always in the wrong place at the wrong time – but as the story grows he proves himself to be the hero we knew he was destined to be.

Trevin’s supporting cast is made up of kings, a princess, various levels of angelic beings, mighty warriors and a whole other group who range from badly misled to down-right evil.

At first I was a little concerned by the elaborate names, not only of the characters but also of the places in this book. Eldarra, Aubendahl, The Dregmoors, Ambria, Hanamel – you get the idea. It took me a little while (and a bit of flipping back to an earlier page to check that the person I was reading about was the same person who did such-and-such) but pretty soon I had no problem keeping everyone straight.

It is easy to spot a fantasy author who has read one of the great ones (J. R. R. Tolkien), it inevitably comes out in their writing. So it was with Karyn Henley. Nevertheless, this book was still full of originality and creativity! It was exciting and interesting to read the entire way through and even at the end there were plot twists that kept me guessing…

Near the beginning of the story (while I was being all critical) I had this sense of something missing in the writing. I couldn’t smell the story the way I can with some books. By the end of the book I had forgotten all about that. I closed the final page with a sigh that only comes at the end of a satisfying story mixed with a little regret that it is over. Thankfully the story is NOT over – there is at least one more book yet to be published and I get to go back and read book one!

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a light, engaging novel that has a good combination of adventure and romance.

*I received this book free from the publisher through the Waterbrook Press book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.*

Overdue Book (Review)

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I was going to review this book last year and didn’t. It is now technically “out of date” but I’m going to review it anyways!

Knock ‘Em Dead – The Ultimate Job Search Guide (2011) by Martin Yate   

Although my procrastination means that there is already a newer version of this book out – I feel that it is still very relevant to today’s job hunters.
With five sections covering everything from productive resume writing to networking, the interview to closing the deal – this book covers it all! Written in an interesting and easy to read style, Mr. Yate takes a look at the most effective methods to use when looking for a job as well as what the interviewer sees and is looking for during the brief time you have to make an impression.
This book is great for today’s job market! Because more people are hanging onto their jobs longer and employers are more willing to cut costs by working with less – good jobs seem to be harder to find. It is more important then ever to be able to “sell” yourself and your skills and this book gives you the tools to do that!
This 25th Anniversary Edition of Knock ‘Em Dead even contains a brief summery of each of the thirty fastest-growing occupations in the current job market.
Whether you are fresh out of high school looking for your first job or have many years of experience under your belt and are trying to land a better one – this is a great book for you!

*I received this book for free from booksneeze.com. I was not obligated to write a good review – just my honest opinion.* 

A Review: Love Food & Live Well by Chantel Hobbs

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In her book Love Food & Live Well Chantel Hobbs gives us a down-to-earth and realistic way to “Lose weight, get fit and taste life at it’s very best!” In this book Chantel gives a recount of her own struggle with weight and her journey from nearly 350 pounds to the lean, fit woman she is today. Her open recollection of the emotions and experiences she had while being over weight make this book an encouraging read!
Although some of the writing style and phrases used became a little repetitive as I was reading, I did feel as though I was being addressed by a real woman with real struggles and real successes. This book seems to be a combination “how-to” book and a personal conversation between the author and the world. Even though at times I had a hard time staying interested (I wanted her to just get to the point), this book is jam packed with helpful information and encouraging words.
Chantel addresses some of the bad “deals” we are sold as Americans (the Barbie Myth) and tells us about the best “deal” of all – the one that God offers us!
In the later chapters of this book, she lays out some practical, hands-on tools to assist with weight loss. Chantel passionately discusses carbs, protein and fat and the roles they play in our health and diets. She gives important tips on “how to make meals meaningful” including quick, delicious sounding recipes and delves into the “moving” and exercise portion of our lives, giving detailed directions (including pictures) on different ways to switch up the normal routine.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a light and encouraging book that gives helpful advice about health and fitness!

(Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.)

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Few and Far Between: Moments in the North American DesertFew and Far Between: Moments in the North American Desert by John Martin Campbell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ok… I have a confession. John Martin Campbell is my grandfather. My moms dad. It’s true. So I suppose you could say I “have” to like his books. Truth is though… I really just love the pictures! Some more than others. This book, for instance, is all about deserts – and I love anything to do with the desert. I actually had to ask him in particular for a copy of this book. I love it! The pictures. The fact that my grandfather took the pictures. I don’t usually even bother to read the words. I just drink in the pictures…

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