Just 18 Summers

I normally shy away from fictional novels. It’s not that I do not like them, but I feel like they are not necessarily a good use of my free time, as I would prefer even my “free” time to be productive in some manner; thus I tend to lean towards books that will lead to spiritual or personal growth. And to be fully honest with you, I also lack self-control. When I start reading a decent fictional work, I get caught up in it so that I can’t focus mentally on the tasks around me until I put the completed book down. Even when the ending is predictable, it’s hard for me to sleep until it is finished… not so bad when I was single, but not when I am married with three little ones running around!

So why did I choose this book to review? I read the description and background behind the book and was interested before I realized it was a novel. But by then my curiosity had gotten the best of me and well, let’s just say I didn’t mind staying on the exercise bike ;)

Written by Rene Gutteridge and Michelle Cox, Just 18 Summers is a novel about four families that struggle with grief, identity and life in the summer after the death of Jenny Browning. From the memories and written accounts in the book (each chapter is written from the perspective of different characters), the reader easily deduces that Jenny was not only a wife, sister, and friend, but also a devout believer in Christ whose life had a left a rippling effect in those around her. Each family is thus left treading water at different stages of life, trying to do it alone, apart from God’s grace. Butch Browning is the father struggling with his new life as a widower. The Andersons are suffering regret as they prepare to “lose” to children to the next stage of life (college and marriage). The O’Reilly’s are a young couple expecting their first child. The Buckleys have fallen into the trap of trying to provide their children every opportunity the mother did not have growing up. 

By the end of the book, through the counseling of a therapist who happens to be a Christian, they’ve all learned the truth that an elderly billionaire learned too late, lonely reminiscing that 

When your child is born, eighteen years seems like they’ll last forever. But it goes by in a blink. … You have just eighteen summers to make memories together. You can’t go back and rewind those days. (p167) 

What a good message though! I’ve found myself thinking “18 summers” often since finishing this book, as it does seem to put it into a more tangible time frame how  much time I have with  my children; it is a good reminder to be intentional with our children, both in teaching them to walk in the Lord and to make lasting memories together, while also not being so fully absorbed in them that you don’t have moments to yourself to get the rest and break you need to rejuvenate yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Although their characters seem to each be a stereotypical extreme, they are nonetheless easily relatable- and I believe most people would be able to identify with one of the four families. Reflecting upon the novel, I was most able to relate to Daphne. No, I didn’t baby proof my home with pool noodles, nor did I worry my floor carpeting was too hard, but I do tend to seek out godly parenting books (you can almost always find one on the nightstand!) in order to try to garner “tangible, applicable” wisdom, when  in conviction I wonder whether if I just read the Bible and prayed whether I would be fairing just as well (if not better), rather than struggling with “not doing enough”, the same thought I think each of these four families struggled with at different degrees. So I appreciated the gentle reminder when Beth tells a laboring Daphne that, “All the books in the world won’t help you live in the moment… God has a plan and a purpose for this little child, and He’s letting you be a part of it, so don’t worry.” (p336) 

What a great reminder of the blessing (and calling) God has given us this Mother’s Day!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I will be received this book free from the publisher in exchange for the review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

The Donkey Who Carried a King

With Palm Sunday just past and Easter approaching, I was reminded of The Donkey Who Carried a King, a children's book written by R.C. Sproul, with earthy-toned illustrations by Chuck Groenink. Although it's title could hint towards it being a story about Palm Sunday, the triumphal entry is really only given a page spread in the book, as it's about so much more.

 

Sproul's frame narrative begins with a little boy Reilly walking home from a day playing with friends. He is sad because he was chosen last in their game. His parents direct him to the sage advice of his grandfather who then tells him the story of a donkey named Davey. Davey was a young colt who had yet to be chosen for any task. When he is finally chosen, it is to carry Christ in His triumphal entry through the streets of Jerusalem. After this privilege, Davey sees himself as too important for the trivial assignments given to him by his owner. Through the wise words of an older donkey, Barnabas, as well as later watching Christ walk to his crucifixion, Davey learns the lessons of servanthood, obedience and a joyful heart.
 

As with some of Sproul's other tales, my four-year old wasn't as interested with the story of Reilly so much as he was with the story of Davey. He did have empathy towards Reilly, especially as he recently had been told by another little boy that they were not friends (The beginning of many scars that will happen in his life, I'm sure, but still hard to take in!). He also enjoyed guessing the Bible stories when the donkeys were talking about their famous predecessors. I once again appreciated how Sproul includes in both narratives the involvement of the generations and the father looking to the older grandfather as a source of wisdom (Job 12:12). There were many wonderful nuggets and lessons tucked into the story and expounded upon in a 3-pg discussion portion at the end of the book. The main lesson being that Christ's life was one of servanthood reflected throughout His life and ministry, and is an example to us, His followers (Matthew 20:28).  I loved that Sproul uses the term "master" when the two donkeys speak of their owner. It makes reality hit home more when the older Barnabas instructs, "...whatever the master decides to put on our backs. Every job is important, even carrying a sack of olives, and you should do your best to do it well." The story shows how God chose Jesus for the worst job- taking the sins of mankind with Him upon the cross; with whatever task we have before us, we should perform it diligently with a cheerful heart for the Lord (Colossians 3:23, I Thess 5:16-18). A good lesson when reinforcing the menial tasks around the house (and a good reminder for this Mama when she is often weary from her calling)! This was a good reinforcement for my young child, who is already constantly trying to be a servant and knight. In addition, both the donkey and the boy struggle with identity and purpose, areas where I think many can relate as well. I was able to use this to show my son that we are children of the King and He is our faithful Friend and will never forsake us.

 

In conclusion, our family enjoyed this book and I would recommend it, again, not as a book specifically about Easter week (though the story finishes with Christ's resurrection and the resulting hope for mankind from His shed blood), but as one to help establish biblical character traits. I do enjoy adding it to our books we read during this Easter season however, as it adds a side narrative to the already well-known story and celebration in our home.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I will be receiving this book free from the publisher in exchange for the review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Let There Be Light

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner, and best-selling author/illustrator Nancy Tillman were teamed together to produce Let There Be Light. With text taken from his Children of God Storybook Bible, this book is written for young children. It elaborately tells the creation story with anthropomorphic detail to make it personal and palpable for the child, including phrases such as, "God's love bubbled over when there was nothing else" and "God... clapped his hands together in delight. 'Isn't it wonderful!'". In addition, Tillman's artwork is imaginative and vivid, with intricate layers such as the wrinkles on the elephant, and the flower bursting forth from an African plain and music sheet.

I thought the illustrations were beautiful and creative. In each picture, Tillman places either the image/form of God or His hand, to show that He was actively involved in the creation of the world, hovering over its existence (although it could be semantically argued that God merely had to speak, no hands needed...). The text only loosely follows Scripture, taking away some of the important repetition seen in Genesis 1 (although Tutu specifies the days, he only mentions the evening and morning differentiations, as well as that God saw it was good once), while embellishing to draw out the feelings in the young child, by reminding the reader of the glory of a flower or how noisy the world would've been after the creation of the animals. Although my two-year old child enjoyed the story, my only real issue with the book is surprisingly what my disappointed four-year old child also pointed out; after I finished, he said that the book was "plain". Asking him to elaborate for me (the illustrations and text seemed anything but!), he said that it wasn't the full creation story, because although God made children, he didn't do it on the sixth day, but instead made Adam and Eve. My child noted that unfortunately, they forgot to draw in these two essential characters to the creation story, with Tillman instead opting for a scene of multi-racial, crowned children enjoying creation.

  

I don't think that our qualm is necessarily a recommendation-killer, but I do think that Let There Be Light  is for those looking for a whimsical book with well-known names attached, whereas those who would rather have the creation account with less embellishment would be best served looking elsewhere.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review  program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

The Prince's Poison Cup

The Prince's Poison Cup is an allegorical book that begins with a little girl, Ella, who has a stomach ache and is given medicine by her father. Unlike the sugary syrups in today's world, this one did not impress the child and she asked the question, "Why does medicine taste so bad if it's going to make us well?" Her father passes the baton to her grandfather who then tells the child a story about the King of Life who can create anything; He has created a beautiful park for His people and enjoys walking in it with them. He also created a lovely fountain, but gave them strict instructions not to drink it's clear flowing water. Of course they are tempted by his archenemy, and their hearts are turned into stone as a result. They leave the park, set up their own dark city and remain in that state until the Prince enters their city to rescue them. Sent by the King, the Prince must fill a golden cup with murky, smelly poison that bubbles up from their city's fountain. When he drinks it, he dies, amongst a triumphant cold-hearted crowd. The King enters the plaza however, brings Him back to life, and the fountain is transformed. The Prince offers this new water as life to all who would come.

After reading the book once to make sure it was theologically sound, I read it to my four-year old. He loved it and has requested it multiple times the past few days. What did he enjoy about it? First, he liked the fact that there was a king and prince involved. Next, he loved that the story was similar to the redemption story of the Bible. After every page, he would point out that "the King of Life was like God, because He created the whole world too!" or "the archenemy was like Satan who pretended to be that naughty snake and lied". It could be just the boy in him, but he didn't really seem to get into the background story at all, usually zoning out at the end, and I think this book would have been just fine without Ella and her Grandpa. The only thing he said was missing was that the Prince needed a white horse just like Jesus, though I had to remind him that Christ won't come riding on His white horse until the end. :)

I also thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The illustrations (by Justin Gerard) are lovely and capturing, from the rounded cherubic faces of those filled with love for their Creator, to the hardened, chiseled features of those whose hearts have turned to stone. The author, RC Sproul, is also the founder of Ligonier Ministries. On their website, he states that he started his ministry to "faithfully present the unvarnished truth of Scripture to help people grow in their knowledge of God and His holiness." I believe he accomplished this masterfully in this children's book, as even my four-year old was able to see the allegorical comparison. You can tell Sproul focused on every detail, hinting back to Scripture when he could (There are some great discussion questions and Biblical references at the end of the book). I loved the progression of sin that you could see with the people and the fountain (James 1:14-15, I John 2:15-16), and how he subtly establishes the respect for wisdom from the elderly. Personally, my only fault was at the end, where the Grandpa notes that the origin of sickness was brought about by sin- I felt that his contrasting explanation of this medicine to the cup of poison was forced. In the end however, I highly recommend this book, as yet another creative way (I'm always looking for them!) to teach such the story of God's love, sacrifice and redemption for us.

Disclaimer: I will be receiving a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.

Strange Fire

I was looking for a book to read while with the family over the Thanksgiving holiday. Unfortunately, it didn't arrive before I headed out of town, but it has filled up whatever precious little time I've had in between the baking, wrapping, decorating and teaching that inevitably (and at times unfortunately) comes along with the Christmas season. I haphazardly chose the book, desiring a productive, but not thrilling read, which eliminated all the fictional novels that floated about. It ended up still being quite intriguing. The book? Strange Fire.

Yet another work written by John MacArthur, Strange Fire is a book that quite literally unleashes MacArthur's indignation upon the charismatic and Pentecostal communities. Pulling its title from the biblical account of Nadab and Abihu, the son of Aaron, who after being instructed by the Lord about offerings, instead chose to offer "strange fire" and were thus themselves consumed in the fire of the Lord's holy wrath (Leviticus 10:1-3). How does this pertain to the charismatic communities? MacArthur argues that His divine judgment was upon the two brothers because they dishonored the Lord, worshipping Him with contempt, and refusing to treat Him as holy. In like manner, MacArthur declares that the leaders and their flock are dishonoring the Holy Spirit with their ignominious behavior, reprehensible deceit and false teachings.

After giving a few praise testimonials from the general believing public in the beginning (vs praises from fellow well-known authors), MacArthur introduces the subject at hand (easily summarized with his subtitle, The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship) and then divides the book into three main parts. Part One focuses on the counterfeit revival, and uses Jonathan Edwards' 5-point "distinguishing marks" from 1 John 4 to validate whether the current charismatic movement is a work of the Holy Spirit. (It should take only one guess to figure out MacArthur's conclusion). The second part focuses on some of their defining doctrines, namely present-day prophets and apostles, tongue speaking, and faith healing. In his third part, MacArthur focuses on the identity of the Holy Spirit, as evidenced in Scripture and discovering what His true work is in the lives of believers. MacArthur ends his book with a letter to continuationist believers (those that believe that the miracles and gifts identified in Acts and I Corinthians did not end with the Biblical apostolic era), "Voices from Church History", and his notes, topical and Scriptural indices.

Although I do not agree with MacArthur on some doctrinal minutiae, I admittedly enjoy reading some of his work, because he consistently includes indepth research on whatever is his focus, copious notes and citations, and an ubiquitous usage of Scripture. In relation to these points, Strange Fire did not disappoint. I was a bit taken aback, though not surprised, by his pointed and accusatory tone towards those within the Charismatic movement. Since I noticed it in a Christian mailing and knew it was out, I did a quick google search and saw that there has been much hoopla over his viewpoints already. My thoughts? Good for him. As Christians, we are called to shed light on areas of darkness and pastors especially are supposed to guard their flocks from ravenous wolves. Is he causing disunity within the body of the church? Perhaps, but I think no more then he does in any of his other works where his beliefs might differ from others within the evangelical world. The only difference with this one versus others I've read, is this book does not hide it's direct accusation from the beginning. Do I agree with him on everything he has written within it's pages? No, but I don't always. I think he tended to lump sum every Pentecostal and charismatic believer as being at fault, though I noticed on at least a couple of occasions he used the non-absolute of "most"... but this could easily be overlooked with page after page of disdain directed towards those within the charismatic world. I for one, know of several believers that consider themselves Pentecostal, and I would not even begin to question their faith as their lives are easily defined by the fruit they bear. But there is a danger of allowing this movement and it's well-known leaders (Hinn, Meyer, Osteen, Dollar, etc) to continue to be associated with evangelical Christianity. I remember in high school, a skit portrayal of Benny Hinn and one of his ill followers desiring healing. I had no idea who Hinn even was, but the skit still produced a hearty laughter from the audience. But to think that the secular society at large might view my beliefs and his as similar and a member of the Trinity as a source for entertainment? Oy vey. Or no wonder people are confused and see us as narrow-minded when outspoken leaders such as Joel Osteen declare that Christ is not the only way to heaven, and justification comes not only through faith, but through your pocketbooks. Que lastima. For that, I'm grateful for MacArthur's bold, albeit controversial book.

In his introduction, MacArthur states that his prayer is that the "Spirit Himself will give you a clear understanding of His true ministry in your own life, that you will embrace a biblical perspective on the Spirit and His gifts, and that you will refuse to be duped by [those which]... vie for our attention today." That was my prayer as I read its pages. And that was the result for me. Would I recommend it? Yes. It is an informational tool for those like me who had no idea the ubiquitious presence of this in the mainstream society today. But I think I would also tell them to in the end, look not on whether someone is "charismatic" or "pentecostal" or any other titular identity, but to test the spirits (1 John 4:1), and look to see if they are bearing the fruit associated with the work of the true Spirit of God (John 15, Galatians 5). We always need to remember to adhere to truth and be diligent to study the Word.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review  program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Pirates on the Farm

When Pirates on the Farm was offered by my book review program, it immediately caught my attention because my 4-year old loves cowboys, knights and... pirates. The former two are usually virtuous characters and books acclaiming their integrity are abundant. As for pirates? Well, lets just say their favorable traits are few and far between, and books for children that highlight those are rare as well. It seems like most involve and even praise feats of stealing and treasure hunting (which admittedly, is what they were known for). It appears this might be the first in a series (The Next Door Series); they introduce the pirates before the story begins, and there is a glossary of terms at the end.

Written by Denette Fretz, Pirates on the Farm has a very cute storyline. The story is told in the perspective of a farmer's daughter, who has a band of swashbuckling pirates move into the house next door in their southern community. Her younger brother is ecstatic, but her mother is less then pleased. Her father represents the gracious and compassionate neighbor, helping them find their "land legs" whenever he has extra time-- and help they need, from building their pirate ship barn, to shearing sheep. The mother and her brigade of friends almost succeed in forcing them to set sail, but in the end learn the valuable lesson of loving your neighbor and not judging on the outward appearances.

Both my older two children (a four year old and a two year old) loved this story and have requested it to be read frequently. In addition, Gene Barretta did a marvelous job on the illustrations and detail- my son is always pointing out little things here and there on every page. If your child is a pirate fan, I really recommend this book and will be purchasing copies for other little buccaneers I know!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review  program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

Peace on Earth: A Christmas Collection

Apparently I am a bit behind the times. Just as in other reviews, where I had never previously heard of the author, well here again, I had never heard of Mary Engelbreit. Sure, looking back, I've seen her illustrations around here and there (I think I was even gifted a Christmas decoration with her artwork), but I never realized they came from the same, renowned illustrator. In her preface, Engelbreit states that Christmas is her favorite holiday and she has thus collected some of her favorite hymns, stories, poetry and quotes into one eclectic collection, entitled, Peace on Earth: the Christmas Collection.

I chose to review this book when I saw it was a children's book, as my son is a voracious listener. If he knows he can expect a book in the mail, he waits with great anticipation for it to arrive. Thus, we were both delighted when this hardbound book (with a glittery dust jacket) arrived, and he immediately started flipping through its vividly detailed pages. I enjoyed reading the Gospel account of the birth of Jesus (according to Luke) as well as many carols and poems. The illustrated pages would make for a lovely book to have on display during Christmas time, if it wasn't for some of the content. I am very critical with what I put out, as I feel it reflects my beliefs. Because of this, I don't think this one will make it out on display this Christmas season. Perhaps I'm reading into it a bit too  much; I guess I'm a chip off the old block though, because my mother read it to my 4-year old and had a few of the same concerns.

First of all, I'm a bit startled that Zondervan has this book dedicated towards 4-8 year olds. I think they'd enjoy the pictures, and recognize some of the poems, hymns and carols (e.g. Friendly Beasts, First Noel, All Things Bright and Beautiful, etc), but I felt like some of it might be a bit to mature for them. I feel that adults would enjoy this (and appreciate the illustrations) a lot more then young children. Next, if you are not of the Catholic faith, you may be irritated and even offended by Engelbreit's numerous illustrations of the virgin Mary, who is consistently crowned with a halo of some sort. She even includes a poem, 'Lullay, My Liking', which contains the following in a stanza, "pray we now to that child and to his mother dear". I wish instead of caroling children on her cover, that Engelbreit could have placed the virgin Mary and child so that those of the Protestant faith could have been warned in advance. Finally, I was alarmed by the direction with which the theme of her book took as its pages progressed. It seems her focus on peace begins with Christ's birth, but somewhere along the way transitions into a more worldly stance of peace being something achievable by man's power. Nowhere is this better exemplified, then in her inclusion of the story, "Another Boy", by Bruce Barton. Barton writes as if Jesus was born to topple the throne of Rome and cause democracy and equality to rise. He further writes,

"We celebrate His birthday, and the festival of all children everywhere. They, not we, are the really important people of the earth. In cradles, and at the foot of Christmas trees, are the lives that are to overthrow and rebuild all that we have built. Nothing is so powerful or so perfect that it cannot be transformed utterly by the miracle of another girl. Or another boy."

Engelbreit notes in her preface that she believes her selections "capture the true meaning of this wonderful holiday... a small child, humbly born in a stable". And therein lies my problem with this work. The miracle of Christmas was not just the birth of a child, but the Christ child. He is Emmanuel, God with us, not just 'another boy'. And He was born to save mankind; Christmas ought to be a celebration of His birth, not a 'festival of all children everywhere'. And yes, children are important. Scripture says that we need to have faith like a child to enter into the kingdom of heaven. But it comes about in believing in Jesus Christ as Savior and Messiah. Salvation comes from Him alone, unlike her illustrated quote by Jewish philosopher Martin Buber that leans towards a universalistic mindset ("God made so many different kinds of people. Why would he allow only one way to serve Him?")*. True peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, and can only be found in Christ.

*Engelbreit may have arguably used the quote to summarize a selected reading by James Freeman Clarke; he argues that we have all been given different gifts by God, and each is necessary and equal in value. I think she could have used a different quote though (e.g. I Corinthians 12), and by illustrating that quote into a much larger size font, it makes it stand out from the page.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review  program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255