Evolving In Monkey Town by Rachel Held Evans

“Knowing all the answers isn’t as important as asking the questions.”

I’ve  just finished reading “Evolving in Monkey Town” by Rachel Held Evans. This book was a great read. In fact, I read it twice, and I found myself challenged during both readings.

The book chronicles Rachel’s spiritual journey from her early years in Birmingham, AL, to her teenage and college years in Dayton, TN (home of the famous Scopes Monkey Trial and Bryan College), to her current life as an author, speaker & blogger. This is a story of faith. A faith tried and tested, but ultimately strong enough to ask the most difficult questions…the ones without answers.

Rachel’s story is well written, funny, poignant, insightful, challenging and unfinished. If you are looking for a book to answer all of life’s tough questions, this book is not it. However, if you are looking for a book the will help you ask the right questions, you should definitely read this book!

Similar to Plan B, this book doesn’t end with everything tied up in a nice little bow. To be totally honest, although reading “Evolving in Monkey Town” has helped to strengthen my belief in some areas, I probably have more questions now than before I read this book. Strangely though, there is a greater peace in the line of questions I am asking now than in many of the dogmatic answers I have been so desperately trying to hang onto for years…and my faith is stronger for it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Zondervan Publishers in exchange for publishing a review of the book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews (a book review and give-away)

Josef wrenched himself free from Schneider’s grasp and stepped away.  Not frightened, but angry, he looked again toward the tower hatch.  Still no Hans.  Schneider laughed as Josef looked back at him in bewilderment.  ”Your friend is not here to help you, Landermann.”  Josef was truly puzzled.  Help me what? he thought.  What is this lunatic up to? Then he found out.

I’ve just finished reading “The Heart Mender” by Andy Andrews, and I couldn’t wait to tell you all about this book!   This is the second book that I have read by Mr. Andrews, and I must say that he has definitely converted me into a bonafide fan!

Set in the early days of WWII, in a small coastal town in Alabama, “The Heart Mender” tells an amazing true story of war, loss, forgiveness & redemption. It is a fast paced story, filled with action and suspense. Throughout it all, Andy manages to interweave solid biblical truths in a way that only he can.

This is a book you will definitely want to read, and thanks to the generosity of Thomas Nelson, I have an extra copy of “The Heart Mender”.  So, next Wednesday, I am giving it away.

To qualify for the drawing, here’s all you have to do:

[Please note: This give-away is now over. I have already selected the winner and distributed the copy of this book. Everything below this note is left here for historical purposes, so that the comments make sense. However, I have also removed the links.]

1. Leave a comment here explaining why you would like a copy of this book.
2. Tweet about this give-away by clicking here. -> Tweet This!

That’s it!  Simple right?  By the way, if you don’t have a twitter account you can get one here.  If “twitter ain’t your thang”,  you can still enter the give-away by leaving a comment here and then posting a link on Facebook by clicking here. -> Facebook If you choose the Facebook option, make sure you and I are friends, so I can see your post.  You can send me a friend request here.

On Wednesday, May 26th at noon EST, I’ll randomly pick one entry as the winner, and post the results here on my blog.

Oh, and you can check out the book website here: The Heart Mender

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

And the winner is…..

Congratulations to Adam Ormond (aka @AOWorshipGuy)!  Adam won the free copy of Pete Wilson’s new book “Plan B”.  Hope you enjoy the book, Adam!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and posted a comment on my book review.  For those of you who didn’t win, you can still get the book here.  At the time this is being written, it is less than $10.

Oh, and stay tuned!  There will be more book giveaways in the future!

For anyone who is interested (warning – nerdy, technical stuff to follow), the random drawing was conducted by listing everyone who qualified in the order of entry comments.  A random number between 1 and 100 was generated here.  Using that number “x”, the list was entered here and “randomized” x number of times.  The winner was whoever ended up at the top of the list.

Plan B by Pete Wilson (a book review and give-away)

“Here’s the truth-and this one is thoroughly biblical: throughout life you will face one situation after another that will be completely beyond what you can handle.”

Have you ever read a book, and about 10 pages in, you realize that this book in going to have a significant impact on you?  It has happened only a handful of times for me, and “Plan B” by Pete Wilson definitely falls into that catagory.

Pete is the lead pastor of Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN and is also an active blogger and twitterer.  In this book, he tackles one of the toughest questions we face in life:  ”What do you do when God doesn’t show up the way you thought He would?”

I found Pete’s discussion of this difficult subject to be incredibly honest and personal.  Rather than offering a “paint by numbers” approach to overcoming adversity, Pete candidly shares some of his own “Plan B” experiences as well as the doubts and desperation he felt in the midst of them.

Of the 80+ statements that I highlighted in this book (yeah, I counted them), here are a few of my favorites:

• We get ourselves into all kinds of trouble when we assume God must think and feel as we do
• ….deep hurt and shattered dreams have a way of blinding us to the character and beauty of God.
• Every one of us faces a barrier that is keeping us from the life God has for us
• ….it’s as much about the person we’re becoming as it is about where we’re going.
• [The cross is] the place where the pain of “you will have trouble” meets the triumph of “I have defeated the world.”
• You’ve got to stop looking at your shattered dreams and your unmet expectations as something God is doing to you….He might be doing something in you.

If you have recently been through a “Plan B” situation and are trying to make sense of it, or if you (like me) currently find yourself in one, this book is a great guide to help you find hope (or more accurately, the Giver of Hope) in your situation.

Because I believe this so strongly, I have decided that this Friday, I am giving away a free copy of “Plan B”.  To qualify for the drawing, here’s all you have to do:

[Please note: This give-away is now over. I have already selected the winner and distributed the copy of this book. Everything below this note is left here for historical purposes, so that the comments make sense. However, I have also removed the links.]

1. Leave a comment here explaining why you would like a copy of this book.
2. Tweet about this givaway by clicking here. -> Tweet This!

That’s it!  Simple right?  By the way, if you don’t have a twitter account (why not!) you can still enter by leaving a comment and posting a link on Facebook by clicking here. -> Facebook

On Friday, May 7th at noon EST, I’ll randomly pick one entry as the winner, and post the results here on my blog.

Oh, and you can check out the “Plan B” website here: http://www.planbbook.com/

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Vertical Self

…and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.  (Revelation 2:17)

I just finished reading “The Vertical Self” by Mark Sayers, founder of über, and Senior Leader of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia.  I really enjoyed this book.  Mark explores the phenomenon of how modern culture has changed the way our identity is defined.

Today, rather than a vertical view of self, gaining our identity from God, people tend to have a to a horizontal view of self, gaining our identity from society.

This book is very well written, and contains some incredibly insightful observations about culture (both current and historical), and how this view of self has even invaded the mindset of many churches and Christians.  In addition, Mark offers some practical ways that we can redirect our view of self back to a vertical posture, looking to God to give us our true name.

This book is a great read, and I highly recommend it!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Gospel According to Lost

The Gospel According to Lost by Chris Seay

Lost is NOT just a television show. It has become larger than that—a massive story filled with mystery that has garnered over twenty million participants. Some might call them viewers, but one does not just watch Lost, one participates in it.

Ok, I admit it.  I am a BIG fan of Lost.  It is one of the few dramatic series shows I watch with any type of regularity.  So, when I heard about this book by Chris Seay, I knew I wanted to read it.

I found it to be a very easy, enjoyable read.  Drawing parallels between the story and characters of Lost, and real life, Chris brings out some very fresh insights on faith, community & our own tendency to find ourselves feeling “Lost” from time to time.

If you have not watched any of the Lost series over the past several years, you may have a difficult time following some of the examples in this book.  However, I would recommend it to anyone even slightly intrigued by the show.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Between Wyomings: My God and an iPod On the Open Road

This is my second book review for Thomas Nelson, and I have to say, it took much longer to get here than I though it would!  I received this book in the summer, and it has taken my quite a while to finish it.

I was really excited to get this book, although I was not familiar with Ken Mansfield.  The premise of the book sounded intriguing:  an ex-Rock & Roll music producer from the ’60s, taking a road trip and recounting his journey through music history to find a relationship with God.  I was ready for an exciting adventure with possibly some insider information about some of my favorite classic rock bands.  What I got was a great 50 page short story, painfully stretched into over 200 pages.

Don’t misunderstand me, it is truly a great story, it is just not told in a very engaging way and I found myself wanting to skip to the good parts and not knowing how to find them without reading the entire book.

The bottom line is, if you like watching the Biography Channel, you may like this book, but if you are looking for a “page turner”, this is probably not a book for you.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

“The Noticer” by Andy Andrews

Orange Beach, Alabama, is a simple town filled with simple people. But they all have their share of problems – marriages teetering on the brink of divorce, young adults giving up on life, business people on the verge of bankruptcy, and many of the other obstacles that life seems to dish out to the masses.

Fortunately, when things look the darkest – a mysterious old man named Jones has a miraculous way of showing up…

I have to say, I really liked this book.  Jones is a very intriguing charactor that pulled me into the story from the very beginning.  Throughout the story, as he shows up in the most unlikely places, Jones seems to know a lot about the people he meets.  Sometimes more than they know themselves.

Although the story line was somewhat predictable in a few places, there were enough twists to keep me interested.  Also, there are several great “nuggets” of insight sprinkled throughout the book that are worth finding.

The Noticer has definately chaged my perspective on a few things in my own life after reading it.  This is the first book by Andy Andrews that I have read, but I believe I’ll be reading more.

Also check out The Noticer Project online.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”