For my long time readers- it’s back!  Well for this week and next week anyway.  Book Review Friday too a long hiatus because- 1) it takes me forever to finish a book these days and 2) most of the books I’ve read haven’t been all that great.

One of my original Book Review Friday posts was for Maeve Binchy’s Tara Road.  I love Maeve Binchy- well as an author anyway.  I don’t actually know her personally, but I’m sure that she’s lovely.

The main thing that I love about her books is that almost all of them are set somewhere else- Ireland, London, Greece, among them.  I doubt that I’ll ever actually live overseas myself so her books give a look inside people’s lives that I don’t normally see.

Her latest book, Heart and Soul, is set in Dublin, Ireland and revolves around people that visit and work in a heart clinic.   The thing that I really like about this book is that there are characters that have been in many of her past books- in this book too.  You get to see how their lives when on after thier book ended.

Having said that – if you’ve never read any of her books you won’t be lost if this is your first one.  The characters are all so well deveoled that you can still enjoy the book even if you don’t know anything about their past.

If all goes as planned I’ll have another review next Friday- I know two weeks in a row!  Must be a sign of the end times.  Have a great weekend.

  I saw this on a list that Shannon put out of books she read last year and I saw that our local library had it in stock so I checked it out.  This is one of the best books I’ve ever read.  There’s nothing that I didn’t like about this book.  It didn’t have any bad language, any gratuitous…. stuff, it’s just about great storytelling.

Peace Like a River is based in 1963 and the narrator is Reuben (he’s an adult looking back at what happened when he was 11) and it’s just such a strong story.  I don’t want to give anything away, but I had to share one of the laugh out loud parts of the book (there were a few – this one’s my favorite).  He’s talking to his little sister, Swede (who is 9) about their dad.  They’re comparing their dad to different prophets in the Bible:

“You don’t think he’s up there with Moses?” Swede demanded.

I fudged. “What about Obadiah?”

“Low.”

“What about Malachi?”

“Oh, come on.  I don’t even know what those fellows did- no disrespect.”

I saw it was going to have to be somebody famous.  “What about Jonah?”

Swede shook her head.  “Such a griper.  Whine all day long.  Probably God sent the whale so He could get three days of peace and quiet.”

This is a book that anyone could read.  It’s for man or woman- all ages.  I think that Shannon said something to the affect that she doesn’t know anyone that wouldn’t like this book and I completely agree.

  I’m so happy to say that I finally finished one of the 4 books that I’m currently reading!  The Last Disciple by Hank Hanegraaff and Sigmund Brouwer was giving to me by a friend when I told her that I’d read most of the Left Behind series (for some reason I can’t get past book 10- I’ve tried reading the whole series twice- I always lose interest around book 10).  She told me about this series and is letting me borrow her books (thanks H!).  The basis for this series is that the Great Tribulation happened several years after Christ’s death and resurrection.  The book names Nero as the Anti-Christ.  It’s a really interesting theory and after reading the afterword I’m beginning to understand why this is a very plausible explanation.  It explains in the afterword that the Left Behind series takes the fact that the Antichrist dies and is resurrected in a “strictly literal fashion.”  They go on to explain that only God as the power to raise the dead.  Satan does not hold this power and if he did it would put him on an equal playing field with God.  

Now that I got that out of the way- on to the story.  The thing that I really liked about the actual story is it shows what it was like to live back in those times.  It gives you a picture of what the world was like when Christ walked on it.  It was cool to see how the people protected the Word of God.  I take it for granted that I have a printed Bible and I can buy one anytime I want.  Back then the documents that contained the Word of God were protected with their lives.  It was so sacred to them that they would sacrifice anything to protect it.  If you’re interested in the book and want to read some of the first chapter go here.  If you’ve read the Left Behind series- or just like historical fiction this is a great book to check out.

Since it doesn’t look like I’m going to finish any of the books that I’m currently reading- anytime this year- I’m going with a book I read several years ago and really liked.  It’s called Wild at Heart by John Eldredge.  It’s actually a book that is geared towards men, but I found that not only did I learn more about Hubs, but I also got a lot out it for myself.  Not to mention the fact that this is a must read for mom’s with boys- it will help you understand why God created them the way he did.  In fact one of my favorite quotes from the book pertains to little boys:

“I’ve noticed that so often our word to boys is don’t.  Don’t climb on that, don’t break anything, don’t be so aggressive, don’t be so noisy, don’t be so messy, don’t take such crazy risks.  But God’s design- which he placed in boys as the picture of himself is a resounding yes.  Be fierce, be wild, be passionate.

This is a great reminder as my son gets older and wants to take more risks and he is getting louder and aggressive (in a good way- when playing with his dad).  I actually have to go upstairs sometimes when Hubs plays with Baby #1 because they do play loud and rough, but I know that this is how Hubs is teaching Baby #1 to be a man.  Hubs is paving the way and forming the bonds he’ll need for later in life.  I, the overprotective mom, need to step aside sometimes and let boys be boys.  It also helps that I trust Hubs not to ever put Baby #1 in real danger.

For me it helped me see where I fit into Hubs’ world.  It helped me gain understanding of why he thinks the way he does and thinks the way he does.  It helped me see that God wired him that way and that it’s a good thing. 

This book also helped me view Jesus in a different way.  I usually think of him as this man who had kids sitting in his lap, helping widows, healing people.  That was one side- he was also a man with fierceness (if that’s a real word) in his heart.  He wasn’t afraid to stand up to the Pharisees when he healed the woman on the sabbath.  As John Eldredge says- “No question about it- there is something fierce in the heart of God.” 

    It’s a little unorthodox to review a cookbook for BRF, but that’s what I’m doing today.  I’ve made 4 recipes so far (pizza pitas, blueberry muffins, banana bread, and chicken nuggets) and they’re all great!  I will  admit that my kids weren’t crazy about the chicken nuggets because they don’t look like McDonalds, but I tasted them and they were good.  The banana bread has been a big hit too- it has cauliflower in addition to bananas!  That just blows my mind.  I’m anxious to try the brownies and cake recipes.  This just isn’t the great time of the month to do that - if you know what I mean.  I single handedly ate half of the Halloween cookies we made earlier this week.  This is a great book if you need to sneak fruits and veggies into your kids diets- or even if you don’t you can’t get too much right? 

Today’s book is one that I think most of you haven’t read.  Same Kind of Different as Me.  It’s not by a famous author and it’s an unusual story.  It’s a true story about homeless man and a rich art dealer that become very very good friends.  Looking at that last sentence -that really doesn’t do the book justice at all.  This book is so incredible I just don’t know where to start.  It has so much hope and how these men and Mr. Hall’s wife have such a deep relationship with God.  Their friendship is incredible and Mrs. Hall is one of the strongest women I have ever read about.  Her faith in God and service with the homeless is beyond comparison.  I would even venture to compare her to Mother Teresa- that’s just how awesome she is.  I first heard about the book when one of the authors- Mr. Moore spoke at the church where I go to Bible study (different church than my home church).  Everyone kept going on and on about how good this book was.  I didn’t really think anything of it.  My dear friend, H, lent me her copy to read when she finished it because she liked it so much too.  I was in between books and decided to give it a go.  The first few chapters were a little slow, but I really wanted to finish it since – I didn’t want to return it to her – and have to admit that I didn’t read it all.  Once I really got into it I couldn’t put it down.  I read it every chance I got until I finished it.  The format is that Mr. Hall writes a chapter and Mr. Moore writes a chapter and for most of the book it goes back and forth like that (there are a few chapters where Mr. Hall writes a few in a row).  It was so cool seeing how God forged this relationship between these 2 men who had NOTHING in common.   This book is so inspirational and it’s made me want to look at ways of serving and giving back to my community.

  Grace Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel was one of the first parenting books that I’ve ever read.  I read it when Baby #1 was about 6 months old and I’m so glad that I read it so early.  Things I learned in the book I’ve used as my kids are getting older.  Granted my oldest is only 4, but I’m still using things I learned in the book.  One of the major things I learned is to really think about why you say no to things.  It starts small with- no coloring because I’m too tired to supervise and when they get older moves on to – no long hair on your son because what will others think.  Saying no too much breeds rebellion.  I can vouch for this first hand.  This book taught me to really think about why I’m saying no- is it because it’s something that will harm my child- or is it because it’s inconvenient for me. 

It doesn’t only talk about why you say no- it also talks about having a “home of honor”.  This is one of my favorite quotes from the book:

Homes of honor see the other person’s time, their gifts, their uniqueness, their dreams as gifts to be cherished and stewarded.  Homes of honor still have room for sibling rivalry.  Homes of honor occasionally entertain arguments and disappointments, but for the most part, these homes give children a deep sense of being loved in a secure environment.  All children are important, along with their opinions and concerns.  Their time is respected, their ideas are respected, their space is respected, and their vulnerabilities are respected.  There is a present-tense commitment to making each day an asset that builds on the day the day before. 

  Today’s book review is “Open Door” by Elizabeth Berg.  Like Maeve Binchy I could really put any of her books in here, but this is the first one that I read of hers- again thanks to Oprah’s Book Club.  The thing that I like about all of Elizabeth Berg’s books are how even though the characters can be so different from you – you feel like you can totally relate.  In this book the main character, Samantha, is going through a divorce and the lifestyle changes she has to make and the new friends she makes along the way.  I am very very fortunate and have never been closely affected by divorce.  My parents were married until my dad died and Hubs is my first husband (it feels so weird that I even have to say that- but I know so many women that are my age and already divorced).  This book really let me see how it would feel to go through it.  My heart ached for Samantha as she had to find a job, find someone to rent a room in her house, and explain to her son what was going on.  I had always heard that divorce was hard, but this book really let me see just how hard it is.  Like I said before all of Ms. Berg’s books are great- I have yet to read one that I didn’t like. 

  I’ve read a lot of Christian books in my time and this ranks up there as one of my all time favorites.  I like it so much because it offered a point of view that was really different than what I’ve heard in the Christian realm before.  Donald Miller tells the story of growing up in Houston, Texas and his struggle to find God.  He shares  stories and conversations that he has with his friends on what it means to be a Christian.  One of the best quotes from the books is this:

“I believe that the greatest trick of the devil is not to get us into some sort of evil but rather have us wasting time.  This is why the devil tries so hard to get Christians to be religious.  If he can sink a man’s mind into habit, he will prevent his heart from engaging God.”

I think that what he is saying is so true.  A lot of Christians have become so complacent and comfortable that we (I would definitely be included in this group) aren’t out there winning souls for Christ.  We don’t want to stretch ourselves outside of our nice comfortable churches and social circles to meet people that aren’t like us. 

I also like what he has to say about politics.  Basically that instead of having the equation: Christian = Republicans we need to really see what the politicians are saying.  He said that he specifically prayed that God would open up his eyes to the plight of other people around the world and the impact America has on them and actually prayed on how God wanted him to vote.  I know that I am very lazy when it comes to politics and have definitely fallen into the Christian = Republican trap.  I’m not saying that we shouldn’t vote Republican- just that we should seek God and find out his heart when it comes to making such a big decision.  Even if you don’t agree with everything he has to say- it will really make you think and for me that’s a great read.