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My Thought

A thought is not mine,

Till I write it down.

A written thought is mine,

Till I let it go.

Desert Gift - A Review

Desert Gift by Sally John is definitely a book worth reading. It is about a married couple who after twenty-four years together finds one of them asking for a divorce. Jill Galloway is a nationally known marriage expert who has a radio show and is about to release her first book when her husband says he wants a divorce. Jill decides to visit her parents who live in the California desert. Their marriage and their lives both are represented by the desert, dry and dying; but God’s hope is there to help them get through this difficult time in their marriage. “Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after” but God was there to help them put the pieces back together. They come to find out the importance of being best friends to each other in the marriage.

The author has enough seriousness and humor in the book to make it interesting. Sally John not only deals with the marriage proper, but how other relationships (i.e. parents, children, siblings, and friends) as well. “Black and white thinking” (not realizing there are some gray areas in life), being judgmental, personal space, and genetic traits are dealt with in the book. The concept of “let go and let God” by turning our “garbage” over to God is mentioned several times throughout the book. It is a great book in learning about relationships and how God is always with us during the difficult times in life.

Written with the assistance of my wife using a free copy of the book provided by the Tyndale Blog Network.

A Review: Sword of the Lord:The Roots of Fundamentalism In An American Family

The Sword of the Lord:
The Roots Of Fundamentalism In An American Family

A Review

I do not consider myself a Fundamentalist. But in the late 1970’s I did become acquainted with Dr. John R. Rice while at seminary. My on campus job was as the serials librarian at Rolfing Library at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. One of the periodicals we received regularly was John R. Rice’s periodical The Sword of the Lord. I appreciated scanning each issue as it arrived in the library before adding it to the library holdings.

This past month, I discovered that John R. Rice’s grandson had written a history - of the church in America, of fundamentalism, of the Rice family, of his grandfather, and of his own faith. The author has woven together a tale of spiritual growth across generations. It was instructive to see the Christian faith move across America. Like most of church history, it was a spotted history - with times to celebrate as it took off and changed the nation and times to cry as it brought blight upon the church. The book was a pleasure to read - a better history book than most that have crossed my path.

Whether you are familiar with the core character, John R. Rice, or not, I would recommend this look at church history by an author who grew up in a family that defined much of that history.

This review is based on a copy of the book provide free of charge by the publisher.

The Reason Why - A Review

A Book Review

Title: The Reason Why
Author: Mark Mittleberg

I have been postponing writing this review – not because the book held my interest and I could not put it down, but because it did not. Being a rewrite of a book originally penned over 100 years ago by Robert Laidlaw, the author's name was familiar – but not the book. I found the original on-line:

Laidlaw: The Reason Why

Mark Mittelberg's rewrote this small monograph to update illustrations and applications from early in the previous century to speak directly to 21^st century culture. This work may be of interest to a reader who is familiar with the earlier work or who is looking for one man's attempt to apply the scripture to today's world.

This review is based on a free copy provided by the Tyndale Blog Network.

Tyndale Book Club

In a book club?

Like to read?

Like to read books?

Then you might be interested in this contest:

http://www.tyndale.com/00_home/contest.php

To enter the giveaway you just need to visit the contest page and click on the book you’d like to sign up to win. You can even go back and sign up for both books. Each day is a new giveaway so you can return to the site each day and try to win. Every few days the books change, so check back!

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Life Promises for Success

A Review

Life Promises for Success:
promises from God on achieving your best

by

Jim Tressel
Head Football Coach
Ohio State
ISBN:978-1-4143-3728-9

My review is best summed up in the comment I made to my wife earlier this week:

“I really would like this book for Father's Day, except for one problem.”
“What's that”, she asked.
“I already own it.”

This small, daily devotional would make the perfect Father's Day gift for the dad or husband that enjoys football or sports in general and wants a better understanding on the meaning of “success” in the life of a believer. It would be just as appealing to the sports minded mom or any person that is trying to discover where “success” fits into the his or her life – interested in sports or not.

The author has done a superb job of combining scriptural nuggets, anecdotes, quotations, and good advice into a readable, pocket sized, daily devotional. Though written by the coach of a Division I football powerhouse, the book is not a sports book. Anecdotes and quotations are borrowed from all walks of life – literature, politics, the sciences, and sports. Though not common in a daily devotional, my lack of familiarity with many of the individual quoted, an occasional photograph highlighting the individuals in their normal setting, whether in the office or on the football field, would have added some context to the stories and quotations.

Whether a sports fan or a casual fan, the book will help prepare the reader for the game of life wherever it must be played.

This review is based on a free copy of the book provided by the Tyndale Blog Network.