THE JESUS FILES
Doug Powell
From the publisher: "More has been written about Jesus Christ than any other person who ever lived. But how much can we really know about Jesus? Using paintings and vintage photos of the Holy Land, The Jesus Files captures the reality of the events, places, and people in the life of Christ. Plus, the meaning of Jesus and the theological importance of the events of his life are explained as you explore the greatest story ever told."
From me: This is a great little book for introducing a person to the basics of the gospel story. It is visually appealing and concise in what it says. The tail-end section is an apologetic for the resurrection of Jesus. It touches all the major attempts to explain away his empty tomb, and answers them well, but is probably too abridged to satisfy a true skeptic. The one passage that was the biggest revelation to me...something I had never heard before...centered on Jesus' birth: "[Joseph] probably had relatives [in Bethlehem], and therefore the first place he would go would be to their house. The typical house in Israel had three rooms. One for cooking and sleeping, one for the animals, and one for guests. The guest room gets translated as 'inn' in our English Bibles. We think of an inn as a hotel, and the Greek word can mean that. But Bethlehem was too small to have a hotel and it was not on a major road where a hotel would be needed. Many guest rooms were above the rest of the house and were called 'upper rooms'. Luke uses the same Greek word to refer to the upper room where the Last Supper took place and the 'inn' that was full in Bethlehem. But when Luke records the parable of the Good Samaritan, he uses the Greek word that can only mean 'hotel'. He may have used a different word to record Jesus' birth because it was not a hotel."
Page 56/5th sentence: When Jesus ascended, he finally received the glory and honor that was his.
DEWEY: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
Vicki Myron with Bret Witter
"How many lives can one cat touch? How is it possible for an abandoned kitten to transform a small library, save a classic American town, and eventually become famous around the world? You can't even begin to answer those questions until you hear the charming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa."
I was loaned this book by a friend who thought it was cool that the cat and I share the same name. I wasn't expecting a lot from it, but certainly got more than I expected. It's not JUST a true story about a rescued cat. It's also the true story of a rescued woman (the author) and how giving love and attention to an animal got her - and the whole town of Spencer - through some rough times. It is no spoiler to reveal that Dewey dies, but I was surprised to find myself crying just a little when he did.
56/5: He joined a cattle-buying business, then started selling insurance. [NOTE: That's not talking about the cat.]
ABBA'S CHILD: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging
Brennan Manning
"God is calling us to take the mask off and come openly to Him. God longs for us to know in the depth of our being that He loves us and accepts us as we are. When we are our true selves, we can finally claim our identity as God's child - Abba's child - and experience His pure pleasure in who we are. Manning encourages readers to let go of the imposter lifestyle and freely accept our belovedness as a child of the heavenly Father."
I have appreciated Brennan Manning's wisdom, honesty, and simplicity for several years, and this volume did not disappoint me in any way. Let the following quote from the forward encourage you to read this book for yourself: "There have been times when the felt presence of God was more real to me than the chair I am sitting on; when the Word ricocheted like broken-backed lightning in every corner of my soul. And there have been other times...when the Word was as stale as old ice cream and as bland as tame sausage; when the fire in my belly flickered and died; when I mistook dried-up enthusiasm for gray-haired wisdom; when I dismissed youthful idealism as mere naivete.... If you relate to any of these experiences, you might want to browse through this book and pause to reclaim your core identity as Abba's Child."
56/5: We agreed that one humble strawberry had more power than all my pompous inanities.
LETTERS FROM A PEASANT
Brent Olson
"Brent Olson is a sneaky writer. These little essays are like dried tomatoes mysteriously hydrated; they keep expanding to be about the United States, the human condition, and how to live a just life. (Bill Holm, Author)"
This is the second time through this book for me. I decided to pick it up again to keep my mind occupied while eating lunch at work. My first time reading it was part of the inspiration for my humor blog, "Almost the Truth" (www.almostthetruth.blogspot.com). It's why I originally thought that blog would have some significant things to say through its humor...yeah, well, you can't have everything. Plenty of laughs here, along with some good ol', down-home thoughtful thoughts.
56/5: See, this is not only entertaining, it's educational as well.
GRACE: More Than We Deserve; Greater Than We Imagine
Max Lucado
"We talk as though we understand the term "grace". The bank gives us a grace period. The seedy politician falls from grace. We describe an actress as gracious, a dancer as graceful. We use the word for hospitals, baby girls, kings, and pre-meal prayers. But do we really understand it? Max Lucado asks a deep question: Have you been changed by grace? Shaped by grace? Strengthened and emboldened and softened by grace? Snatched by the nape of the neck and shaken to your senses by grace? Grace is the voice that calls us to change and then gives us the power to pull it off."
I've been reading this book in bits and pieces for the past several months; an "advanced reader's copy" from the back room of the Christian bookstore I work at. Like most of Lucado's books, it's full of illustrative stories and vivid word pictures and pastoral care, advice, and challenge. But also like most of his work, it goes down easy but doesn't really make much of an impact. It's like eating cotton candy...an enjoyable experience, but not deeply nutritious. Don't get me wrong...I appreciate Max Lucado, and there are plenty of quotable quotes to be quoted, but he never really makes me think.
56/5: If hurts were hairs, we'd all look like grizzlies.
A.D. 30: A Novel
Ted Dekker
"A sweeping epic set in the harsh deserts of Arabia and ancient Palestine. A war that rages between kingdoms on the earth and in the heart. The harrowing journey of the woman at the center of it all. Step back in time to the year of our Lord, A.D. 30."
My only previous experience with reading Ted Dekker being the highly-disappointing House, I came to this tome with low expectations...all of which were exceeded. (Wait, does that mean I liked this, or not?) To clarify, let me say that, while it took a few chapters to start caring about the characters, it finally kicked in for me during the realistic description of a grueling trek across the desert. Gone were the confusing, boring, supernatural boogieman theatrics of House...replaced by a compelling realism. When the traveling band meets Jesus face-to-face...bingo.
56/5: I could not keep my sorrow at bay, but I did not wish to appear weak, so I kept my thoughts to myself and mourned in silence.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Charles Dickens
"I don't REALLY need to reproduce a publisher's blurb here, do I?"
Beyond a doubt, finally reading this after years of loving Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol and various other Hollywood renditions was an absolute treat! And rest assured, reading the novella was neither spoiled by those movies and TV specials, nor did it spoil my appreciation for them. It was excellent to read Dickens' scene descriptions and realize how faithful the screen adaptations have been, mostly. It was also interesting to come across a couple scenes that, as far as I know, have never made it to the silver screen, small or large. Of additional interest was this particular (free) iBook edition, which includes reproductions of Mr. D's handwritten manuscript pages.
56/5: Landscape: It swung so softly in the outset that it scarcely made a sound; but soon rang out loudly, and so did every bell in the house. Portrait: Every one of them wore chains like Marley's Ghost; some few (they might be guilty governments) were linked together; none were free.
