A Surprise Finish
Lynn Kirby
Tommy Nelson
PO Box 141000
Nashville, TN 37214
©1998 120pp Soft Cover
Book Four of the Winning Edge Series finds a young woman torn between her love of God and family, and her love of figure skating. The heroine Kristin is a 13 year-old girl who loves to skate but her father might become a missionary! That could be the end of that. This is the story of a teenage girl who is just getting used to the idea of responsibility and dealing with the consequences of her actions, and the actions of those around her.
A Surprise Finish is targeted toward teenage Christian girls who are trying to cope with adolescence. The back cover reveals that the author Lynn Kirby was herself a figure skater and has a daughter who skates competitively. This makes the book only partially fictional as Kirby doubtless had made some hard decisions about what she loved and helped find answers by taking them to God in prayer. As such these books would be good for the confused young adolescent in your home; it would be good for his sister as well.
Look for these books at any Christian bookstore and maybe even some of those heathen bookstores too. You might even try used bookstores. Amazing things can be found in those places and at reasonable prices. Thorough examination of the book contained therein is required though. Sometimes the employees get confused and put the Christian teenage figure skating books in with the science fiction novels.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Pig in a Taxi & Other African Adventures
Pig in a Taxi & Other African Adventures
by Suzanne Crocker
Baker Books
PO Box 6287
Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
©2006 174pp Soft Cover
Everyone loves a good, cracked out, nonsensical African missionary story right? Well if you do not you should because they are awesome. However not everything involving missionaries is going to end with a revolution, a stolen roof, and fifteen random wild animals chasing the local tax collector. Most of the time missionaries live in a world of extreme culture shock and some Christian ministry work. Usually missionaries convert some of the people and confuse the rest.
These everyday tales of missionary life have oft been forgotten but have now been collected in Suzanne Crocker’s Pig in a Taxi & Other African Adventures. This book tells the tale of five missionary trips, the first began in 1989 and the last ended in 2005. Within Pig in a Taxi the author reveals her, and her husband’s, naivety about how missionary life would work. In the second story she mentions how even bathing, suddenly became a hardship that required careful thought. Each story is only a few pages long so this is not exactly hard reading. For those who have been missionaries this book may provide some flashbacks to those heady days. For those who are considering the call to witness to the people, Pig in a Taxi might reveal the dark secret of missionaries the world over. Teaching the gospel to people in another country is really hard. Do not let the cover fool you though. The Pig does not drive the taxi.
by Suzanne Crocker
Baker Books
PO Box 6287
Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
©2006 174pp Soft Cover
Everyone loves a good, cracked out, nonsensical African missionary story right? Well if you do not you should because they are awesome. However not everything involving missionaries is going to end with a revolution, a stolen roof, and fifteen random wild animals chasing the local tax collector. Most of the time missionaries live in a world of extreme culture shock and some Christian ministry work. Usually missionaries convert some of the people and confuse the rest.
These everyday tales of missionary life have oft been forgotten but have now been collected in Suzanne Crocker’s Pig in a Taxi & Other African Adventures. This book tells the tale of five missionary trips, the first began in 1989 and the last ended in 2005. Within Pig in a Taxi the author reveals her, and her husband’s, naivety about how missionary life would work. In the second story she mentions how even bathing, suddenly became a hardship that required careful thought. Each story is only a few pages long so this is not exactly hard reading. For those who have been missionaries this book may provide some flashbacks to those heady days. For those who are considering the call to witness to the people, Pig in a Taxi might reveal the dark secret of missionaries the world over. Teaching the gospel to people in another country is really hard. Do not let the cover fool you though. The Pig does not drive the taxi.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Acts: An Ironside Expository Commentary
Acts: An Ironside Expository Commentary
by H.A. Ironside
Kregel Publications
PO Box 2607
Grand Rapids, MI 49501
©1920, 2007 367pp Hard Cover
Who loves Bible commentaries? Everyone does! That’s why H.A. Ironside wrote so many. So here for the reading pleasure of boys and girls of all ages is Acts: An Ironside Expository Commentary. This time our rascally writer has his hands full trying to cover the entire book of Acts in one volume! The commentary is 45 lectures long each one filled with valuable information on different segments of the book of Acts. In that particular book, Jesus appears just long enough to say goodbye to his followers and start them on the road to converting the whole world. So to fulfill His orders the boys pick a new disciple, Mathias, and they’re off to change the hearts of and minds of Romans and other furry animals.
For those of you already familiar with the works of H.A. Ironside it is more of the same serious commentary that you have come to expect. For those readers not familiar with him it is a serious commentary. So for the Christian who wants to study the Bible, this book can be an invaluable tool. For the Christian who is sick of “Christian novels” that look suspiciously like romance novels, Acts: An Ironside Expository Commentary is a breath of fresh air. For the Atheist who is randomly looking things up, the writings of Ironside might present the Bible in a way you never wanted. So read it and let it corrupt the innermost thoughts of that skeptical mind.
by H.A. Ironside
Kregel Publications
PO Box 2607
Grand Rapids, MI 49501
©1920, 2007 367pp Hard Cover
Who loves Bible commentaries? Everyone does! That’s why H.A. Ironside wrote so many. So here for the reading pleasure of boys and girls of all ages is Acts: An Ironside Expository Commentary. This time our rascally writer has his hands full trying to cover the entire book of Acts in one volume! The commentary is 45 lectures long each one filled with valuable information on different segments of the book of Acts. In that particular book, Jesus appears just long enough to say goodbye to his followers and start them on the road to converting the whole world. So to fulfill His orders the boys pick a new disciple, Mathias, and they’re off to change the hearts of and minds of Romans and other furry animals.
For those of you already familiar with the works of H.A. Ironside it is more of the same serious commentary that you have come to expect. For those readers not familiar with him it is a serious commentary. So for the Christian who wants to study the Bible, this book can be an invaluable tool. For the Christian who is sick of “Christian novels” that look suspiciously like romance novels, Acts: An Ironside Expository Commentary is a breath of fresh air. For the Atheist who is randomly looking things up, the writings of Ironside might present the Bible in a way you never wanted. So read it and let it corrupt the innermost thoughts of that skeptical mind.
The Treasure Seekers
The Treasure Seekers
by Patricia Hickman
Bethany House Publishers
11300 Hampshire Avenue South
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55438
©1998 364pp Soft Cover
Ah, the romance novel. From what I was able to learn from English class, old girlfriends, buddy’s girlfriends/wives, and one episode of Remington Steele these books are filled with strange places, bawdy wenches, strong pretty boys, long pornographic sections, and evil creditors sometimes known as debt collectors. This formula has been used for generations to separate lonely girls from their money. Thus do the girls find a delightful escape and the publishing company gets money to squander on fully stocked liquor cabinets. The Treasure Seekers is not one of these books. Well it sort of is but it really is not. Figure on most of the description above but without the pornography, or the bawdiness. Sort of like a more readable version of Jane Austin’s books.
The Treasure Seekers is the fifth book in the Land of the Far Horizon series by Patricia Hickman. The novel concerns a young woman named Annie Carroway. As the book begins the heroine’s (naturally) poor widowed mother is (of course) in severe debt and so (as always) sells the family farm in England to her rich brother-in-law and moves to Australia. Upon arriving Annie finds a handsome young man in trouble with the law and they both must work together to get out of the mess they are in. The book is divided into parts. Part one is the set up. Part two people decide to get married. Part three they get married have a kid and hug; In that order. Patricia Hickman has been writing books for some time and is married to a minister.
by Patricia Hickman
Bethany House Publishers
11300 Hampshire Avenue South
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55438
©1998 364pp Soft Cover
Ah, the romance novel. From what I was able to learn from English class, old girlfriends, buddy’s girlfriends/wives, and one episode of Remington Steele these books are filled with strange places, bawdy wenches, strong pretty boys, long pornographic sections, and evil creditors sometimes known as debt collectors. This formula has been used for generations to separate lonely girls from their money. Thus do the girls find a delightful escape and the publishing company gets money to squander on fully stocked liquor cabinets. The Treasure Seekers is not one of these books. Well it sort of is but it really is not. Figure on most of the description above but without the pornography, or the bawdiness. Sort of like a more readable version of Jane Austin’s books.
The Treasure Seekers is the fifth book in the Land of the Far Horizon series by Patricia Hickman. The novel concerns a young woman named Annie Carroway. As the book begins the heroine’s (naturally) poor widowed mother is (of course) in severe debt and so (as always) sells the family farm in England to her rich brother-in-law and moves to Australia. Upon arriving Annie finds a handsome young man in trouble with the law and they both must work together to get out of the mess they are in. The book is divided into parts. Part one is the set up. Part two people decide to get married. Part three they get married have a kid and hug; In that order. Patricia Hickman has been writing books for some time and is married to a minister.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Trouble of Mind and the Disease of Melancholy
Trouble of Mind and the Disease of Melancholy
by Timothy Rogers
Soli Deo Gloria Ministries Inc
PO BOX 451
Morgan, PA 15064
©1658, 2002 396pp Hard Cover
The self-help book is an entity, which many would believe began in the late 20th Century. This is not the case. Timothy Rogers originally published Trouble of Mind and the Disease of Melancholy in the late17th Century. The back cover reveals that Rogers was a Puritan minister who suffered from clinical and spiritual depression. Rogers overcame these and wrote a book on the matter.
While many books focus on the author’s life, Rogers focused his book on the scriptures and used his own life as an example of how they could be applied to help someone with depression. While much of the writings of the past are ignored, or in the case of the Puritans mocked, this book has found a place in a modern world filled with people who worry too much about silly fears, such as Puritans coming to make life boring. Trouble of Mind could provide some comfort for those suffering from depression because the author had it and found relief in the word of God and taking charge of his own life without blaming his problems completely on sin or the interference of others.
Admittedly it was written over 300 years ago but the King James Bible was also translated then. If you can understand it you can definitely understand Trouble of Mind. This book is also conveniently divided into three parts and 31 chapters.
by Timothy Rogers
Soli Deo Gloria Ministries Inc
PO BOX 451
Morgan, PA 15064
©1658, 2002 396pp Hard Cover
The self-help book is an entity, which many would believe began in the late 20th Century. This is not the case. Timothy Rogers originally published Trouble of Mind and the Disease of Melancholy in the late17th Century. The back cover reveals that Rogers was a Puritan minister who suffered from clinical and spiritual depression. Rogers overcame these and wrote a book on the matter.
While many books focus on the author’s life, Rogers focused his book on the scriptures and used his own life as an example of how they could be applied to help someone with depression. While much of the writings of the past are ignored, or in the case of the Puritans mocked, this book has found a place in a modern world filled with people who worry too much about silly fears, such as Puritans coming to make life boring. Trouble of Mind could provide some comfort for those suffering from depression because the author had it and found relief in the word of God and taking charge of his own life without blaming his problems completely on sin or the interference of others.
Admittedly it was written over 300 years ago but the King James Bible was also translated then. If you can understand it you can definitely understand Trouble of Mind. This book is also conveniently divided into three parts and 31 chapters.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Damsels in Distress
Damsels in Distress: Biblical Solutions for Problems Women Face
by Martha Peace
P&R Publishing Company
PO BOX 817
Phillipsburg, NJ 08865
©2006 187pp Soft Cover
A Damsel in Distress makes for a weak but popular form of alliteration. Typically used in conjunction with film and literary sources, Martha Peace instead uses it to reference real world problems that modern Christian women face. Peace’s book looks at how gals interact with each other, their families, and their internal struggles.
The book is divided into four sections and these sections subdivided into chapters. These chapters have interesting titles such as, Well isn’t it Ok if my mother told me?: Gossip and Slander. This writing style avoids dancing around the problems it seeks to address. It is as though Mrs. Peace is declaring war on politeness to get to the point.
Unlike many modern books on women, Peace’s seeks to use Biblical references and examples to help the modern Christian woman find her place in society. That place being obeying God the same way men are supposed to. In other words, to any male readers out there who are hoping for a synopsis on Buster Keaton movies and their effects on modern film you will be disappointed. This book was written by a woman for other women to read so it will probably bore men to tears. On the other hand if you have a woman in your life who is a little odd, this might be the book for her, next to the Bible of course. She will need that one as well to get the biblical references.
by Martha Peace
P&R Publishing Company
PO BOX 817
Phillipsburg, NJ 08865
©2006 187pp Soft Cover
A Damsel in Distress makes for a weak but popular form of alliteration. Typically used in conjunction with film and literary sources, Martha Peace instead uses it to reference real world problems that modern Christian women face. Peace’s book looks at how gals interact with each other, their families, and their internal struggles.
The book is divided into four sections and these sections subdivided into chapters. These chapters have interesting titles such as, Well isn’t it Ok if my mother told me?: Gossip and Slander. This writing style avoids dancing around the problems it seeks to address. It is as though Mrs. Peace is declaring war on politeness to get to the point.
Unlike many modern books on women, Peace’s seeks to use Biblical references and examples to help the modern Christian woman find her place in society. That place being obeying God the same way men are supposed to. In other words, to any male readers out there who are hoping for a synopsis on Buster Keaton movies and their effects on modern film you will be disappointed. This book was written by a woman for other women to read so it will probably bore men to tears. On the other hand if you have a woman in your life who is a little odd, this might be the book for her, next to the Bible of course. She will need that one as well to get the biblical references.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Jesus Our Lord
Jesus Our Lord
by John Phillips
Kregel Publications
PO Box 2607
Grand Rapids, MI 49501
©2007 299pp Soft Cover
Understanding our relationship with the Trinity in general and Jesus Christ in particular is surprisingly hard for many Christians, especially Americans. God is frequently relegated to an otherworldly grandfather, Jesus as our hippy buddy, and the Holy Ghost as the part of the Trinity who is just too hard to figure out.
People like to feel in charge of their lives and none more so than Americans. As the country that first really gave controlled anarchy a try, the United States is a nation of men and women who like to have a say in any given decision in the government. Noble classes are illegal and as such many people just do not understand that God is King no matter who you voted for. John Phillips’ book Jesus Our Lord tries to explain to modern readers that Jesus is our lord and must be obeyed. Not only that, but Phillips quite nicely tries to explain what a lord is to a society that has forcibly forgotten the concept. Not that Republican Democracy is wrong, but it serves as good temporal system of government, not a spiritual one.
Jesus Our Lord tries in 24 chapters to explain how Jesus is in charge and what that means our obligations to Him are. Examples of His office are given throughout the Bible beginning with the Old Testament prophecies of His coming. Over the course of the book Phillips gives his readers something to think about when they question biblical teachings that do not suite their own opinions.
by John Phillips
Kregel Publications
PO Box 2607
Grand Rapids, MI 49501
©2007 299pp Soft Cover
Understanding our relationship with the Trinity in general and Jesus Christ in particular is surprisingly hard for many Christians, especially Americans. God is frequently relegated to an otherworldly grandfather, Jesus as our hippy buddy, and the Holy Ghost as the part of the Trinity who is just too hard to figure out.
People like to feel in charge of their lives and none more so than Americans. As the country that first really gave controlled anarchy a try, the United States is a nation of men and women who like to have a say in any given decision in the government. Noble classes are illegal and as such many people just do not understand that God is King no matter who you voted for. John Phillips’ book Jesus Our Lord tries to explain to modern readers that Jesus is our lord and must be obeyed. Not only that, but Phillips quite nicely tries to explain what a lord is to a society that has forcibly forgotten the concept. Not that Republican Democracy is wrong, but it serves as good temporal system of government, not a spiritual one.
Jesus Our Lord tries in 24 chapters to explain how Jesus is in charge and what that means our obligations to Him are. Examples of His office are given throughout the Bible beginning with the Old Testament prophecies of His coming. Over the course of the book Phillips gives his readers something to think about when they question biblical teachings that do not suite their own opinions.
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