The Call to Wonder: Loving God like a Child - R.C. Sproul Jr.

4.5/5

This book was such a joy to read.  These Reformed authors (Piper, Platt, Sproul) sure do know how to convict you with their writing while encouraging you to grow in Christ.  In The Call to Wonder: Loving God Like a Child, R.C. Sproul calls us not to just love God, but to know Him.  Many of us can say we love God, but I wonder at times how many would actually deign to say that they know God.  Of course we can not fully understand His sovereignty, but the miracle of Christianity is that not only can we know Him, but that He wants us to know Him!


I've had this book for awhile and was just now able to read it.  Between the time that I received this book and actually read it my life has changed tremendously.  I've had a beautiful baby daughter, survived 2 months of bed rest with a toddler, my husband changed jobs, two separate friends both experienced heartache with the loss of a son and the diagnosis of cancer.  I've even struggled with a little bit of post partum anxiety.  And through it all God has quietly been encouraging me to rest in Him, to trust Him despite the circumstances that have tried to blow my faith away like dandelion puffs.  So I picked up this book, decided to read it so I could finally get back to my book reviews that I love so much, and only God could have known how this book would move me into His arms.  With faith and wonder like a child, just as the author describes.

One section in The Call to Wonder really stuck with me.  Sproul's daughter was diagnosed with a serious medical condition, and his father called to ask how he was handling the grim news.  Sproul Jr. replied, "Dad, I have been preparing for this moment my entire life. There is no faith on the planet that more strongly affirms the sovereignty of God than the Christian faith. We know this did not catch God by surprise. We know that Shannon, Denise, and I all rest in His loving hands. We will, by His grace and in His power, be able to manage."  Wow.  This is knowing God.  This is the kind of faith that the author calls us to experience throughout the book.  I would recommend this read to any Christian who is looking for encouragement to renew the joy and wonder of their walk with Christ.  I came away with a desire to please God, an eagerness to take Him at His word and revel in his majesty.  The Call to Wonder: Loving God like a Child, opened my eyes to what Jesus meant in Matthew 18:3.  I encourage you to discover it as well. 

Disclosure of Material: I received a complimentary copy from Tyndale Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Jesus Experiement - Bill Perkins

3.5/5

Think of The Jesus Experiment as "WWJD" on steroids.  It is an intensive 12 week study into the life and words of Jesus Christ and how you can apply them to your own.  If you ever wondered "What would Jesus do?" in a given situation, The Jesus Experiment will most likely answer that question...and then some.

Bill Perkins uses a twelve chapter format to look into three major areas of Jesus' life and ministry.  These major areas of study include:  

1) What Jesus did in private.
2) What Jesus did in public.
3) What Jesus did with people.

Perkins begins each chapter with a personal story that relates to the subject.  These stories are heartfelt and dramatic, leading the reader through moments of great joy and despair with a gentle hand.  Woven into these stories are biblical discussions and scripture verses that break down the words and actions of Jesus.  There are questions and challenges at the end of each chapter to take you through the week.  I found these sections to be very beneficial and appreciated the thoroughness with which Bill Perkins laid out the areas for reflection and growth.

Bill Perkins started The Jesus Experiment by asking himself, "In what ways do I want to be like Christ?".  I think this is a question that every believer should ask of themselves.  In asking such a question you get to the heart of two issues; who Jesus is and where in your spiritual walk you currently are.  When I began to dwell on that question I realized that my answer was "in every way".  The Jesus Experiment, in addition to the Bible, gave me an intimate look into the character of Christ and helped me to understand what that answer even means.

Disclosure of Material: I received a complimentary copy from Tyndale Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Forsaking All Others - Allison Pittman

2.5/5

I really did not want to give Forsaking All Others by Allison Pittman such a low rating.  In all honestly, I love this author and I do not want to discourage anyone for reading her wonderful novels.  I just did not enjoy this book.  I'm not even sure if I can put a finger on the reason why, because it was very well written.  In fact, everything I've read by Allison Pittman is superbly done, specifically Stealing Home and The Bridegrooms - both excellent!  It is obvious that the topic was well researched, the time period came to life, and Pittman's writing style is both eloquent and descriptive, drawing you into her characters lives almost without effort.  But everything about this novel left me a little flat, in fact I was often tempted to skim pages, look for any interesting dialogue and blatantly wished that I could just skip to the end.

Forsaking All Others is the conclusion of the two-part Sister Wives series and focuses on the life of Camilla Fox, recently estranged from both her husband and the Mormon Church.  Camilla is found wandering in a snow storm after running away from her family, leaving behind two daughters and a husband in an attempt to flee from a faith she can no longer claim.  After being rescued by a handsome Army Captain, Camilla eventually finds the strength to cut ties with the Mormon community and start her life over as a follower of Jesus Christ.  Forsaking All Others focuses on this journey of healing, both physical and spiritual, and the path Camilla takes to gain custody of her daughters and introduce them to the true Christian faith.

I have to admit that I did not read the first book in this series, so that put me at a handicap for enjoying this novel.  I missed out on a lot of the chemistry that Pittman built between Camilla and her husband Nathan in the first novel.  I did not feel any sort of ties to him as a character and could not understand the draw and power he held over the Camilla.  Even more baffling was his willingness to let go of his children and give them up to his estranged wife.  Pittman spent much of the novel showing how faithful Nathan was to Brigham Young and the Mormons, it was the wedge that drove so deep between him and his wife that she chose to run away.  Nathan was willing to die for his Mormon faith and Camilla for her Christian faith, there was no way to reconcile those differences.  So in the end, I just did not believe that he would let his daughters go so easily, knowing that their Mother intended to raise them to oppose the Mormon faith.  Again, this is probably because I did not read the first novel and missed out on a lot of character development.  I had to trust that Nathan really did love Camilla and was willing to let her "win" because of this.

Ultimately, I just couldn't fall into the story as I hoped I would.  Pittman writes Camilla's character very well, doing a beautiful job of capturing the Mormon culture, historic locations, and many nuances of that time.  I enjoyed the first half of the book much more than the last, feeling that the final 100 pages or so were filler until the moment she is finally reunited with her children.  Although I did not fall in love with this novel, I do enjoy Allison Pittman and hope to read more from her in the future!

Disclosure of Material: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

my first Hands On Bible - Tyndale Kids

4.5/5

My first Hands-On Bible was produced by Tyndale Kids with the hope that preschoolers can "experience the fun!" and "live the truth!" of the Bible.  I have to say that I am very impressed.  I currently have a 1 1/2 year old little boy who loves to read books and flip pages. Although he is too young to sit still and read through the bible stories with any consistency, he is captivated by the pictures and activities that are included in this Bible. 

What truly makes this product unique is that it is the only preschool Bible with actual text from the Bible.  It features the New Living Translation. I have always had issues with preschool Bibles because they tell stories about scripture but do not include any Scripture text!  This Bible not only has NLT passages that are age appropriate, but it indexes them with both the biblical chapters and verses.

My first Hands-On Bible also includes many activities, prayers and picture lessons to engage your child in learning while they are reading.  An example is the story of Jesus as a Boy in the Temple, taken from Luke 2:41-52.  The scripture in this Bible is interspersed with colorful hand-prints that lead to an activity you can do with your child.  The story includes activities such as dancing at the festival, hiding a toy and playing hide and seek (to mimic Mary and Joesph searching for Jesus when he disappeared), and making worried faces.  All biblical passages conclude with what they call "The Jesus Connection" and offer suggestions for further learning, such as going on a church walk, building a special fort, or saying personal prayers.

This is a wonderful Bible that I look forward to sharing with our family.  The hard back cover and thick glossy pages make it very sturdy and easy to handle.  If I have any complaints about My first Hands-On-Bible, it would be that some of the things included might go over the heads of preschool aged children and might be more appropriate for ages K-3.  However, I appreciate that they did not make the Bible too simplistic and take away from the truth of the stories and the power of reading actual scripture to your children.  I believe that My first Hands-On Bible would be a wonderful addition to any family's prayer and devotional time.

Disclosure of Material: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.