Tag Life

Counterfeit Kingdom

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6/100

This book is about the New Apostolic Reformation known as NAR and its growing popularity. This “Christian” movement puts a lot of emphasis on signs and wonders, and teaches that God is giving new revelations through new apostles and prophets. This book is written by Holly Pivec and Douglas Geivett who argue that this movement distorts the Gospel, twists Scripture, is influenced by New Age beliefs, and leads astray many Christians. They say that what used to be on the fringes of the church is now mainstream, and many are being influenced by it unaware.

I am very grateful to be a member of a church where we literally go line by line in the Bible. My pastor takes each verse and tells us what it is saying in context to the rest of the Bible. This is called exegesis. My church is small. All of us know each other’s business and we hang out outside of Sunday service. I am probably the most emotional one at the church. I raise my hands, I clap, I sway, and I don’t shy away from shouting loud “amens” and “that’s rights'” when our Pastor says beautiful truths about God and the work Jesus did! When we pray, I remember I am in the presence of the Holiest of Holies, and tears usually sprout. When we take communion and I am reminded of the body and blood of Christ broken and shed for me, and if taken incorrectly, I may die; I somberly hold the precious wafer and cup and weep. This is my faith, this is my God, and these are my people. The saints who won’t only worship with me on Sunday, but who will live on eternally with me in Heaven.

I say all of this because I do believe emotions are important in worship. I am moved by God’s Spirit when Scripture is read or when we worship Him through singing. Even when I see a beautiful painting or am awestruck by nature, I praise God for He truly is glorious. Everywhere, I see His hand in so many things. Emotions with no basis in truth though are dangerous.

In the book Counterfeit Kingdom, it starts off with a tragedy. A child has died, and the parents do not plan a funeral, but hold a special “resurrection” service. They have believers pray for their child to come back to life. The world looks on, but a week later, they must face the inevitable and a private memorial service is held. I remember this happening, and having had mixed feelings. I wanted the little girl to live, but I knew she wouldn’t. I don’t have a problem knowing that I will never completely understand God, I am the creation after all, but I do know that God is not a genie. Miracles are rare, that’s why they are miracles. Many times, it is through loss and pain that the deepest lessons are learned. Behind any great person in history, is a life full of lessons learned through pain and struggle. This world is full of sin, and we long for it to stop because we know it is wrong. One day sin will be gone, and this world will be perfect, but that day is yet to come.

This book pointed out the danger in this new philosophy where we can demand blessings from God. Where sickness, illness or trials in a Christian’s life are due to sin or worse, a lack of faith. The book explains how subtly the Christian world is adopting a new idea that all Christians all the time should be wealthy, healthy and thriving in all worldly things.

James 1:2 says: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, WHENEVER you face trials of many kinds
2 Corinthians 4:17 says: For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
Jesus says in John 16:33: In this world you will have trouble.
Jesus says again in John 15:19 – If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Psalm 119:71 encourages us by saying: It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.
2 Corinthians 12:9 – . . .my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Romans 5:3-5 speaks to us on how we should respond to suffering. “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Here is a picture of some Christians probably in the 1st century.

God does bless us. He has blessed me without measure (2 Cor. 9:8). He has healed and mended my broken soul (Isa. 53:5). Because of His Son, I am worthy to be a child of God (Gal. 3:26). I can’t even imagine what God has in store for me (I Cor. 2:9) in Heaven. My best life isn’t here, it isn’t now, but is yet to come.

I recommend this book to any Christian wanting to know more about NAR and about just how popular this movement actually is. It is now mainstream and is affecting our younger generation more and more. I will soon be carrying this book at my bookstore.

This book was published in November of 2022.
It is 272 pages.
It has a Goodreads rating of 4.53
I gave it a 5 star rating.

Here is an older song that speaks on suffering:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQan9L3yXjc

One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot – Book Review

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Book 4/100
Book Challenge: A book with a beautiful cover
Some spoilers ahead, so take caution!

This book was written by Marianne Cronin and is about a 17 year old girl named Lenni who has is terminally ill. She only has a few months to live and her perspective on life is one of urgency. Margot on the other hand, has lived a full life and is 83. She is relatively healthy and we get to travel back and forth between the present and Margot’s interesting life. Together between the life of Lenni and Margot there is 100 years worth of stories.

There were a lot of endearing moments in Margot’s story, but Lenni’s story was mostly sad. There is an interesting relationship that Lenni develops with the hospital’s spiritual adviser, Father Arthur. He is a clergy member and this is where I believe the book fell short for me. Lenni has so many questions about her life. She is about to die and a lot of her questions are very deep and Father Arthur doesn’t truly answer them. As a Christian, I was so frustrated with the dialogue between the two of them! The book towards the end even hints that Lenni may have jarred Father Arthur so much with her questions that he may have ended up questionig his own faith. She’s about to meet her maker and Father Arthur basically answers everything with “I don’t know”. We have the truth, Father Arthur, and in the end that is what Lenni was looking for. Also, the outright abandonment when life got tough was shocking. Lenni’s dad leaves her because he can’t handle seeing her waste away by her illness. Margot’s first husband leaves her when they suffer a devasting event, and Margot also leaves her second husband when the going gets tough! How can you love someone and just leave them to die alone! I would even understand if it was years of devestation, but all of these abandonments lasted months. And Margot running away to live as a lesbian in her 80’s and marry Meena, a woman who just used her, had me fuming. Meena only wanted Margot around when she needed moral support, and even then, she was elusive and never really invested in Margot. I was not happy for Margot and felt that in the end, Meena would leave her like she did multiple times because it wasnt convenient for her to stick around. Meena was not a good friend, and would be a worse partner.

This book does have a very good rating of 4.30 on Goodreads though. So there is a chance that you would like it. It has the feel of A Man Called Ove, so if you liked that book, there is a strong chance you will like this one. I just didn’t like it, but still gave it a solid 3 stars because the author does write beautifully.

This book was published in June 2021
It is 322 pages long

Books Read: A to Z Challenge

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Every year I set out to read books with titles that begin with A – Z. I don’t include the artcles of title pages and sometimes bend the rules, specifically with harder letters like “X” or “Z”. Here is this year’s book list of The A – Z Challenge.

My rating system based solely on my opinion:
* – Trash, hated it. Bad writing, shallow characters, predictable. Stay away.
** – Didn’t like it. Won’t recommend
*** – It was okay. Probably recommend to someone if they like that specific genre or author. This may be just because I’m not into that specific genre, bad writing style, I didn’t like the ending, unnecessary length, wokeness, or there was a whiny character that annoyed me.
**** – Most books I liked will fall into this star rating. I would recommend, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book!
***** – Life changing. I now have a copy on my personal shelf

A – Augustine of Hippo – A Life by Henry Chadwick ***
B – Butcher and the Wren by Alaina Urquhart ***
C – Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff ****
D -Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver ****
E – Elektra by Jennifer Saint ***
F – Foster by Claire Keegan ****
G – The Good Lie by A.R. Torre ****
H – The Housemaid by Freida McFadden ****
I – Innocence by Dean Koontz ***
J – John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace by Jonathan Aitken *****
K – Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi *
L – Live Your Truth by Alisa Childers ****
M – Man Called Ove by Frerik Backman *****
N – Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo ****
O – Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen *****
P – Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell ****
Q – Quitters Inc by Stephen King ***
R – Relic by Preston and Child ***
S – Sour Grape by Jory John ****
T – Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris ***
U – Unseen Realm by Michael S. Heiser ***
V – Vuelta a Mexico by Judy Goldman ***
W – Weyward by Emilia Hart ****
X – The X-Files: Earth Children are Weird by Jason Rekulak ****
Y – You Are Not Your Own by Alan Noble ***
Z – Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You by Ray Bradbury ***

I love this challenge because it really helps get me into looking into different books I would never consider. It also helps me discover new authors and genres I didn’t even know existed!

Happy readings!

John Newton – An Amazing Life

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Book #11 of 2023

For a reader, it is hard to judge books sometimes. The writing style may be great, but the content not so much. Sometimes, the book contains a great plot, but the writing fell short. Then there are books or characters who we can’t stomach because they are so cringey, and sometimes grammatical error causes us to wonder “who was their editor?”. Although all of these things may be true, mercifully, once in a while, a book comes along and changes our lives. The book touches our soul and inspires us to be better humans. It’s the kind of book that ends too quickly and then leaves us sad when we finish it. This is what John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace written by Jonathan Aitken was for me. It is a a biography of the man who famously wrote the classical hymn “Amazing Grace”. He was the man who counseled William WIlberforce to stay in politics and not become a preacher so he could to lead the way in the abolition of the British Slave Trade. Ahead of his time, he was a free thinker seeing how Christians not only need to pervade in church, but also in politics, culture and the secular realm.

I do believe in having Christian schools, Christian music, Christian literature, Christian art is important, but what John Newton’s philosophy was that Christians should teach well, make music well, write well and basically create well; and to do such a good job at what we do that the world notices our music, our art, our books. Culture shapes us, and I believe that the Church is not leading when it comes to contributing to it. We – to our chagrin – have let the culture permeate ours. Whatever you do, do it as if you would the Lord, unfortunately I think we have not done that.

If you are a jeweler, make great jewelry. If you are an author, write amazing stories. If you are an educator, teach your students and ignite their passions. Sometimes, I feel that we just want to create and because it has a “Christian” label, we say it is good. Or we wish to seperate ourselves so much from the world that we become obsolete. May this not be. We were made not only to share the Gospel and sanctify ourselves, but also we are to be like our Creator and create good things . Here is what Martin Luther says about this subject:

“The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.”

This book has gone on my shelves – and I am very picky about what goes into my shelf because these are the books I hope to pass on to my children or grandchildren. The book is now full of highlighted quotes and scribbles of thoughts and wondering.

Reading about the life of Mr. Newton before he came to salvation was shocking at time

He was a wretch of the worst kind, but Jesus saved him. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I am found. Was blind, but now I see.” Mr. Newton along with his friend William Cowper wrote beautiful hymns about their love for God. Mr. William Cowper is another biography that I can’t wait to read. He struggled with depression and mental health problems and unfortunately took his own life. John Newton, several times intervened from Mr. Cowper’s suicidal attempts. Also, William Wilberforce, in a time when it was not popular, advocated for not only against the slave trade, but also the rights of animals and their proper treatement. Hannah Moore, another friend of Mr. Newton, was a proponent of teaching all children to read and write – another unpopular idea. Their faith is what moved them to then eventually move the culture. What minds surrounded such a man! I want to be like him! I want all kinds of minds and opinions around me – not just an echo chamber! I want to let the Word of God move me in such a way that it moves the culture around me. I want all that I touch to be the best and to honor God.

Christian, if you have a talent, use it for God’s glory! Be the best at it and let that talent shine on into the darkness that this world produces ad nauseum.

I highly recommend this book if you like biographies or if you want to be inspired by such a tumultous and simultaneously beautiul life as was the life of John Newton. The book is 328 pages long. This book is 5 stars out of 5!


What Jesus Demands

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Book #8 of 2023
Book Review

The word “demand” brings about a lot of connotations. When someone demands instead of asking for something, my rebellious nature usually tends to not give in to said demand. My heels tend to dig in when things are demanded of me. Just ask nicely, and things will go smoother.

Like many of John Piper’s books, he has a way of explaining what he means in very honest ways. My defenses would not be up nor my heels dug in to disobey if a fire fighter, after rescuing me from the flames of a burning building, thrusts a cool cup of water at me and demands I drink it. “Here, drink this!” he would exclaim, and a heaving, soot-covered me would gladly oblige. This is the tone of the book. There are many things that Jesus demands from His followers, but like the newly rescued, my attitude shifts because all Jesus is demanding of me, He is providing and ultimately is for my good. As a rescue, I am grateful and wanting to do what He demands because it feels good to do it. Like the cool water to my parched throat his demands will help me and heal me. There are some healing that is slow and painful, but in the end, I become better and He is glorfied.

In an interview about this book, Mr. Piper states that he took a 4 month study time to focus solely on the second part of the Great Commission which states “and you shall teach them all that I have commanded you”. What has Jesus commanded us to do? Piper mentions that he was able to group all the commands Jesus gives into 50 categories, each one is then listed as a chapter in the book.

This book was intense, but isn’t Christianity? We are miraculously saved from not just Hell, but our own destruction here on earth. What Jesus asks of us goes against the grain of our nature. To forgive the unforgiveable, to love the unlovely, to pray for our enemies and give to those who would steal from us. Why does Jesus ask such things from us? Because, it was/is what He did/does for us. He forgives the unforgiveable. He loves the unlovely. He intercedes for us, and all that we have exploited and taken and used in His creation, He gladly gives us more. We do all these things for others, because we know it was done to us first. Then, to top it all off, we are better for it. When we gladly obey His commands, we are not tied to the petty things and feelings of this world, but we are elevated to a place the world cannot understand.

After reading these kinds of books, I often wonder what my life would look like if I radically obeyed all Jesus commands. What would my life be like? I have failed to obey most of the things He demands of me, but as always He is longsuffering and compassionate in allowing me to continue in my sanctification. In His eyes, I am forgiven. Blameless. Loved and doing a great job! Even when I don’t feel that way. Truth is immovable to my fluctuating feelings, and I am so grateful for that.

Piper does warn that it is easy to fall into leagalism with these demands, and anything done without love is in vain and even sinful. This also isn’t a to-do list. Remember the imagery given at the beginning. You are not drinking that cool cup of water begrudgingly. In order to have the right attitude, we must have a right understading of what it cost to save us and be grafted into the family of God. And when we understand who we are and that inspite of that, God loved us and sent His Son to save us, then obeying what He demands becomes easy and even pleasant.

To say I enjoyed this book would be the wrong phrase. I grew when I read this. As Christians, we cannot look the same as the world. There is no other religion in the world where the god does all the work, provides all the faith and asks us to rest in his love. We are truly blessed to do as He demands.

This book is 400 pages. It has a Goodreads rating of 4.26.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas – Book Review

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Book # 7


Usually after reading a book with a WWII setting, I have to take a break from the genre. The depravity of human behavior always shocks me, as does the will to live or to hope during such a dark time. The seriousness of these kinds of books is heavy, and reading one right after the other is hard for me. With The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, I knew to expect a heaviness since I had an idea that it was set during the Holocaust. But the fact that it was written from the perspective of a 9 year-old boy really threw a curve ball into my reading.


I have an infinity to this time period. I read about it, watch documentaries and movies about it, and listen to interviews of survivors. I say this because I have an idea of the atrocities that happened at Auschwitz, but little Bruno (the narrator of the book) had no clue of what was happening on the other side of the wired fence. He’s nine. He’s German and his dad is the Commandant in charge of this concentration camp. Bruno has just moved to Auschwitz in Poland and misses his friends and the previous life that he had in Berlin. In his innocence he can’t even pronounce Auschwitz correctly and pronounces it Out-with. He even calls the Fuhrer, “fury”.  One day, Bruno takes a longer walk than usual, and meets a little boy on the other side of the fence. His name is Shmuel. Shmuel is small and super thin, but Bruno at least has a friend now, since there aren’t many little boys to play with in a concentration camp.

The author, Mr. Boyne, does an incredible job to keep the book tightly locked in the perspective of a little boy. But as an adult who knows exactly what is going on in Auschwitz, who knows how obscene humans can be, the clashing contrast of these two worlds – that of a little boy in 1943 and a 41 year-old woman in 2023 – made me frantic. Bruno cannot fathom why his friend is so thin. Bruno cannot understand why the people who march, then fall and then some never get up. Bruno cannot comprehend why Shmuel shivers at the sight of the soldiers. He is clueless! As he should be! The whole time I am reading this book I am literally shaking the book to somehow shake Bruno to not eat part of the food that he brings Shmuel. To advocate for Shmuel. To stand up to the cruelty and inhumanity that his dad bestows on the prisoners of Auschwitz. But he’s only nine! He can’t even pronounce the name of the camp correctly. And even if he could comprehend that people were methodically starved and worked to death. Bruno has no power. He has no say. He has no authority. This is why I think this is an amazing book, because most of us know what happened in Auschwitz, but Mr. Boyne is able to make it read as a children’s book.

The book is astonishingly not gory or horrific. All the emotions I felt were only because of the knowledge I have of the Holocaust. The end was the hardest part to read, but written so well that my heart was pounding.

If you are a reader of WWII historical fiction, you should also read this book!
Although, the book is written from the perspective of a nine year old, it is not a children’s book. As a mother of 6 children, I would allow my older middle schoolers to read this, but no younger.  

This book receives 4.5 stars out of 5 for me.  
The book is 240 pages long
It has a 4.15 rating on Goodreads

If you like WWII period books, here are some I recommend:
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
The Violinist of Auschwitz by Ellie Midwood
The Huntress by Kate Quinn
Night by Elie Wiesel
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

Grow Your Roots

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Second book for the year is read!

At The Shire Bookstore, all kinds of books come in as donations and I am always so grateful for them! I saw this book and thought it would be a fun read, and it was! The book is titled “Kentucky Ghosts” and is written by William Lynwood Montell. It is composed of 6 short stories and each one mentions the county of where the ghost story originated.

I am not a Kentucky native, but I have grown to love this beautiful state. In my home state of Texas, there is hot and hotter when it comes to weather, but here in Western Kentucky I get to enjoy the four seasons. I love the massive trees, the array of birds, the wildlife, and just how close to nature I can get to. The temperatures are not extreme and the people are friendly. It is my prayer that God will keep us here until I draw my last breath. My family has cultivated and grown roots here, and that is what I want to briefly talk about in this blog.

One way that we can grow roots and love for an area is to read about its local history. I know that after I read “Drowned Town” by Jayne Moore Waldrop, I did grow a reverence for the lakes that are minutes from my house. I met the people affected by the flooding of the rivers. I visited sites with my children and walked along the shores of the lakes looking into their vastness trying to imagine a town under there. Reading Kentucky Ghosts helped my roots here get just a little stronger. Two of the six stories spoke of counties I recognized (Trigg and Muhlenberg). The stories in the book weren’t scary per se and they spoke of haints and ghosts in a positive light. I may not believe in ghosts, but the stories told me more about the living than about the dead. It spoke of the connection to family and how love surpases all. One of the stories was a bit silly as it was meant to be. I believe the author of the book wanted this book to feel as if grandma or grandpa was telling you their story around a campfire or the house hearth. That is what the book felt like.

If you like local folk tales or history written in a very simple form, then I believe you would like this book. This book can be read in one sitting. It is only 64 pages long. I only have one copy of this book at The Shire and it is $5. You can also buy this book if you click here.

60 Books This Year!

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This year I was able to read 60 books. Here is my list with short comments on some of them!

The rating is to the right of the book title and author.

* = did not like. Had trouble finishing.
** = it was okay. Sometimes felt like a waste of time.
*** = not bad. Some parts were annoying.
**** = good book, recommend if you like that genre
***** = excellent book. totally recommend for all. May have changed my life!

  1. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak *****
    This book brought back a lot of memories. The illustrations are still impacting, and I so enjoyed reading it again!
  2. John Wycliffe: A Life From Beginning to End by Hourly History ***
  3. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch ****
    This book was very interesting if you like books about parallel universes. It took a couple of chapters to figure out what is going on, but my oh my what a wild ride!
  4. Irreversible Damage by Abigail Shrier *****
    Book on the affects of transgender ideology on our young girls. This book is fair to both sides and raises excellent questions.
  5. Tilly by Frank Peretti ***
    A book about a woman dealing with an abortion.
  6. Post Mortem by Patricia Cornwell ****
  7. A Gospel Primer for Christians by Milton Vincent *****
  8. Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner *****
    Total fan-girl of Skippyjon Jones now!
  9. Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave by Edward T. Welch *****
    Great book if you are a Christian who struggles with any kind of addiction.
  10. Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston **
  11. The Maidens by Alex Michaelides **
    This was nothing like the Silent Patient. Ugh!
  12. Where the Crawdads Sing *****
  13. Eating Disorders by Edward Welch *****
  14. Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier **
    Too much teenage drama for me to care.
  15. Fractured by Karin Slaughter ****
  16. Help! I’m a Slave to Food by Shannon McCoy ****
  17. The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James ****
  18. The Premature Burial by Edgar A. Poe ****
    This one was actually good, and cracked me up. Who knew Poe could be funny!?
  19. The Long Walk by Stephen King ***
    Mr. King and his horrible endings! Great story though!
  20. Piercing Heaven by Robert Elmer *****
    Excellent book on prayer! WOW!!
  21. Oliver Twist: A Graphic Novel by Charles Dickens & Dan Johnson ****
  22. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins ***
    It was okay. Not as good as the Hunger Games. Knowing that Snow isn’t going to die, somewhat removes the suspense for me. Interesting history though.
  23. Endless Love by Scott Spencer **
  24. Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary ****
  25. Naughty Mabel by Nathan Lane ****
    Laughed. Cute book!
  26. Extraordinary Insects by Anne Sverdup-Thygeson ****
  27. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry ****
  28. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen ****
  29. The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman ****
  30. Verity by Colleen Hoover ***
    Not my type of book. Not into relationship drama!
  31. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein *****
    Very emotional book.
  32. Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin **
  33. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee *****
    Excellent book! I couldn’t pick up another book for days because I was still processing this one!
  34. House of Shadows by Darcy Coates ****
    First time I have read this author. Very gothic. I will be reading her again.
  35. The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R.R. Tolkien ***
    Mr. Frodo would agree, it is a long journey of a book.
  36. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson *****
    Suprised at how much I liked this book. Definitely recommend! There are some very uncomfortable scenes of pain and torture though.
  37. Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson ***
  38. The Crucible by Arthur Miller ***
  39. Drowned Town by Jayne Moore Waldrop ***
    Great resource if you want to know more about our local history of Western Kentucky. Historical Fiction though.
  40. Ruckkus on the Ranch bya Texas Tenors **
  41. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart *
    I can’t stand teenage drama! I wanted them all to die!
  42. Lord of the Flies by William Golding ****
  43. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid ***
    She is a good writer, but lots of gay relationships, and frankly that just not my cup of tea.
  44. Gild by Raven Kennedy **
  45. Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell *
    Too woke!
  46. The Bald Bandit by Ron Roy ***
  47. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah Maas ****
    Ms. Maas is an excellent writer, but just not a fantasy fan.
  48. Hearth-Shaped Box by Joe Hill **
    Not into old man, young woman relationships!
  49. Exalting Jesus in Ecclesiastes by Daniel Akin *****
    Excellent Bible study!
  50. Queens Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle **
    Queen Kathering Parr was not woke!
  51. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Stevenson ****
    Wonderful classic!
  52. Knowing Sin by Mark Jones ****
  53. Thinner Leaner Stronger by Michael Matthews ***
  54. The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom *****
    Everyone needs to read this book! WWII non fiction.
  55. A Cat’s Life by Gemma Correl ***
  56. Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica ***
    Great book until the ending! Hated the ending!!
  57. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey ****
  58. Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Durham ***
    Great characters except the main characters.
  59. Zoo by James Patterson **
    Sorry, I’m not a James Patterson fan. I don’t like his writing style. Its too typical!
  60. The Unsaved Christian by Dean Inserra ****
    I just finished this book today. Great read! Recommend to all who live in the USA. There are a lot of unsaved Christians.

Halfway Done

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Every year I choose to do the Tim Challies book challenge and if you want to know what I have been reading here is the list so far. I will put the challenge, the title and a quick note of what I thought about it.

A book published in 2020 or 2021 – Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
This book was weird. I somewhat enjoyed it, but probably will not read another book by this author. If you like fantasy with minimal characters and slow builders, then you may like this book.

A memoir or autobiography – Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
This book was full of quips and ways to live. It has a lot of wisdom in it, but it is worldly wisdom. There was some religious aspects to it, but like all self-help books, they fall short to the wisdom given in the Bible. It’s a good book for older teens.

A classic novel – The Curious Life of Benjamin Button by F. Scott FItzgerald
This was another weird novel. It was somewhat Kafkaish and I didn’t really like it. I liked the Great Gatsby, so I thought this would be a good novel, but I was left feeling confused and wondering why I even started it.

A book by a pastor – Something Needs to Change by David Platt
I recommend this book to all Christians! Phenomenal book about taking our faith seriously and shaking off the clutches of complacent Christianity.

A book about a book of the Bible – Colossians He is Enough by Asheritah Ciuciu
Great devotional book! I recommend reading her!

A book published by Zondervan – Case for Faith by Lee Strobel
The book was informative but I had forgotten that Ravi Zacharias was one of the men Lee interviewed, so the book didn’t sit well with. It also seemed a bit too permissive when it came to sin and grace. Case for Christ was better.

A book the word “gospel” in the title – Another Gospel by Alisa Childers
What a great book on the dangers of what is now called deconstruction. Every Christian needs to read this book. Alisa, also has a youTube channel that I enjoy watching. She is a great theologian.

A book with an image of a person on the cover – Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel
This is the second book to the Wolf Hall series. I love the way this woman writes and I love Tudor historical fiction! If you love this era and historical fiction, you will love this book, bur read Wolf Hall first.

A book about a current social issue – (A)typcial Woman by Abigail Dodds
This was a good book, the author did a good job in describing Biblical womanhood. She used Scripture well and I encourage you to read it if you are a Christian woman.

A book for children or teens – Wingfeather by Andrew Peterson
Loved this book. Adventrure, Pirates. Villans. My kids really enjoyed this book It is a series that we may continue. I read this book aloud to my kids.

A book about theology – Royal Deception: Exposing the KJV Only Conspiracies by Fred Butler
This book was lacking in what I really wanted to know. There is so much about KJV onlyist that I wanted to know about and this book did not provide it. I think James White does a better job.

A book about Christian living – Full by Asheritah Ciuciu
I loved this book! I got in on audio, but bought the actual book after I listened to the audio. I plan on re-reading it this year! If you struggle with food addiction, this is a wonderful book full of the Gospel and freedom!

A book of your choice – The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
I love the way this woman writes. This was a good thriller, mystery book.

A book written by a puritan – Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards
Puritans love their descriptions of hell. I am so glad I am saved and this motivates me to keep giving the Gospel to my loved ones.

A book recommended by a friend – Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
This book is set in occupied France. Great book about the love between sisters and the courage of the people who suffered under the Nazis. This book is long, but it does submerge you into this time.

A book about social justice – Why Social Justice is Not Biblical Justice by Scott David Allen
Totally recommend if you are Christian wondering what to think about the culture in the US right now.

A novel that won a Pulitzer prize – The Moor’s Account by Laila Lalami
This book was actually a runner up to the Pulitzer, but still it was beautifully written. It is about the Spanish conquest of the Americas and their exploits. It is harsh and sad. This book was about a slave of one of the Spaniards, one of only 4 survivors.

A book with 2 or more authors – Gay Girl, Good God by Jackie H. Perry and Nancy DeMoss
The book was good, but not my kind of taste. JHP is very artistic and was a bit too long winded about colors, fashion partying and her relationships. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. When it comes to this particular genre, I prefer Rosaria Butterfield.

A book with at least 400 pages – Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Tudor Historical Fiction again. This book was harder to read than Bring up the Bodies because HM uses the pronoun “he” quiet a bit and sometimes I forget what “he” she is talking about. She does better in her second book. I can’t wait to read the third and final book about Mr. Thomas Cromwell.

A book cy CS Lewis or JRR Tolkien – The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
Must read for all Christians. What a wonderful and smart man is Mr. Lewis. This book is about a “younger” demon learning the ropes from his uncle Screwtape on how to ruin the lives of Christians and people.

A book that has a fruit of the Spirit in the title – Sovereign Joy by John Piper
This book was about the lives of Augustine, Luther and Calvin. I loved reading about them and because of this book I have added Augustine’s “Confessions” to my reading list.

A book on the New York Times Bestseller list – Dream Big by Bob Goff
Like always, this man inspires. This is a good book to get you motivated to dream big and pursue your dreams.

A book about prayer – Dangerous Prayers by Craig Groeschel
This was a good book. I was pleasantly surprised though that I already pray dangerous prayers. If you want to grow in how you pray, this is a good book. I just need to pray more often!

A book about theology – Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Suffers by Dane C. Ortlund
This is by far the best book I have read so far this year. What a breath of restful air this was. This book made me cry and reminded me of what a gentle and loving Father I have in God. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

A book of your choice – Outsider by Stephen King
The book started off really good, but what a cop-out for an ending. I wasn’t too happy with the sci-fi cop out. SK does write well though, but the ending was so disappointing.

A book from a theological viewpoint you disagree with – Recovering from Biblical Womanhood by Aimee Byrd
She has a chip on her shoulder and her illustrations and allegories were awful. I also listened to this book on audio and the author reads it and she sounded a bit to “karen” for my taste. Maybe if I read it instead of listening to it, it may be better.

A book by someone whose ethnicity is different than yours – Fault Lines by Voddie Baucham Jr.
Great book. So needed for our times right now. It is a book about the dangers of critical race theory and social justice.

A book that won an award – Deep, Deep Snow by Brian Freeman
This book won the Edgar Award. It is about a young detective solving a case in a small town. It was a great crime/suspense novel.

A book by Charles Dickens or one of his contemporaries – The Woman in the Black Veil by Charles Dickens
This is one of his first books ever written and what a plot twist. Good short book. It was only like 35 pages long.

A book about leadership – 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
There was a lot of insight and great advice in this book. Highly recommend for all people who want to get their life together and do more.

A book based on a true story – Beneath Devil’s Bridge by Loreth Anne White
Good mystery book and great twist at the end.

A book with an illustration on the cover – A Court of Thorns by Sarah J. Maas
This book was a bit too romantic for me. So not my genre at all. If you the Twilight series you will like this. SJM writes extremely well and there were some scenes in the book that were outright scary and frightening, but just not into the romancy parts.

A book with one word in the title – Heaven by Randy Alcorn
Great book about the subject of Heaven. It makes me want to go there already. Death is hard for us to understand, but in the light of the Bible, physical death is what God uses to bring us to Him. Long book, but I definitely recommend.

A book whose title comes from a Bible verse – Filling up the afflictions of Christ by John Piper
Great book on suffering and why we suffer and how God uses our afflictions to make us more like Him. This book is short but very impactful. If you are struggling through a painful time in your life right now, this is a good read. Full of Scripture and grace.

A book by an author 30 years or younger – Angel Killer by Andrew Mayne
This book was great! Its about an FBI agent who happens to also be an ex-magician. The book was fun to read, but also mysterious. Great book for a summer read. Andrew Mayne is also a professional magician.

A book about theology – Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer
A good book about why we should not just feel our faith, but know why we believe. It also has a lot to say about the character of God and who He is. Why we should know about the God we worship.

A novel set in a country that is not your own – The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler and Ann Long
This book is set in Sweden and was annoying. The main characters were not very deep and the way they behaved was erratic and odd. I don’t recommend this book, and will not read any more of their novels.

37 books so far!! It is my hope to read 54 books this year and I think I will be able to make it. From now on, I hope to do book reviews on each of the books I read. Let me know what you think and tell me about some of the books you enjoy reading.

Blessings


Do Not Let Satan Use Us

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Last night the governor of Kentucky stated that wearing masks is no longer voluntary, but mandatory. As expected, Facebook exploded with blistering comments on both sides. Verses like “consider others more than yourself” and “God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear” were thrown around like cafeteria food during a food fight. It was not pretty and in the end someone has to clean this mess up, and it’ usually is not the ones who were throwing the food around.

Do not get me wrong, using Bible verses is a great way to make a point or to strengthen an argument. But the world is watching us hurt our own. How would things have turned out if two Christians with opposing views had said, “I don’t agree with you on this based on my knowledge of Scripture, let me call you so we can pray together, and so you can better understand me and I you.” or “Let me buy you lunch, I will wear a mask for you.”

I think back to moments where my mind was changed on topics I had held strongly to and I can tell you, it was never changed by Christians ramming down Scripture down the throats of their fellow brethren. It was done by weeping pastors worried for my soul pleading for me to repent – based on Scripture. It was done when a close friend lovingly explained a sovereign God while we sat in her car late one night – based on Scripture. It was done listening to a respectful debate between two Christian brothers who love each other – based on Scripture. It was done listening to someone echo my fears, but still not voting a certain way or taking a certain action – based on Scripture. (And may I briefly add that if you haven’t changed your mind on any subject, you are not a very good listener.)

I have learned that we cannot hear when we are angry. I learned this well with foster children, later with raising teenagers and even my adult child. During a meltdown, my kids don’t hear. They don’t even feel the spankings! Any discipline goes out the window and all they end up feeling is resentment. Also, when my emotions are conflated, I am unreasonable and cannot hear anything either. It is later when I am calm and still that the Spirit stabs me with His Word, that I am able to feel the pain of His rebuke or the rebuke of another Believer.

My dear Christians, if you became angry yesterday and “couldn’t believe how other people behaved” and responded to them, could you humbly go to them and ask them if you were a good Christian witness? To a stronger point, could you look them in the eye and partake of holy communion with them? (I Corinthians 11:29) Could you look into your heart and tell the Lord, I have nothing against my brother, and they have nothing against me? If you can’t, make this right. This is serious (I Corinthians 11:30) and we must be different from the way the world handles disagreements.

Romans 12:13 says: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all”

The verse says “as it depends on you”. Don’t wait for the other Believer to make the first move. Don’t brush it off as if it is not a big deal. It is a big deal. A life or death deal.

Why? Because when we are not saved, Satan has us and does what he can to keep us in the darkness, but when we are saved, Satan no longer has us, but can tarnish our witness to keep others in the darkness.

Do not let Satan use you.

If you try to make amends and the other Christian is holding on to their pride, be sorrowful and look back at the verse. It says “if possible”. If it isn’t possible, continue to live your life loving God and loving the saints and then others. Then maybe try again one more time after the election, maybe. 😉

If you didn’t say anything to someone but thought it only – congratulations on showing some self-control, but the feeling to talk to them could be a prompt by the Spirit to come along side them and love on them. Don’t muffle the Spirit, you could be changing their mind soon or they may be on the verge of changing yours!! Or you may not come to an agreement, but at least Satan was denied, God was glorified and this is not a salvific issue. You do know that Christians who wear a mask are still going to Heaven, the same as Christians who don’t?

If an all-knowing, holy God can sit and reason with us feeble minded ignoramuses, (Isaiah 1:18) surely we can reason – one unholy masked ignoramus to another un-masked one! Surely?