Mere Churchanity

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review
Book:  Mere Churchianity

Author:  Michael Spencer (The Internet Monk)

Have you left the church in search of Jesus?  Studies show that 1 in 4 young adults claim no formal religious affliation, & church leaders have long known that this generation is largely  missing on Sunday morning.  Hundreds of thousands of "church leavers" have had a mentor and pastor, however, in Michael Spencer, known to blog readers as the Internet Monk.
Spencer discovered the truth that church offiicals often miss, which is that many who leave the church do so in an attempt to find Jesus.
In this book, Spencer's writing continutes to point the disenchanted & dispossessed to a Jesus-shaped spirtuality.  And along the way, his teachs show how you can find others who will go with you on the journey.
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First Line:  This book began with an athiest in a Diary Queen, 33 years ago.

The first words that come to mind when I think of this book is: THE TRUTH HURTS

Ouch...

The things Mr. Spencer says about the church, I have to say, I tend to agree with his views & his reasoning. 

One of my favorite things he said is:

"Following Jesus does not require you to pledge allegiance to a religious instituion"

He made some amazing points about how people view Christians - how churches view Jesus & how churches also pick & choose what they want to see of Jesus... & what they teach of Jesus.

"What would atheists see if Christianity were something Jesus himself wouldnt recognize?"

"Would Jesus invest in 80 acres of prime suburban real estate so he could build a "campus" as a way to chagne the world?

I was reading this, shaking my head so much at the beginning.... but then, it just got depressing.  Because again, THE TRUTH HURTS... & I also see everything he was saying about the church... & it became over whelming to keep reading it & reading it &  knowing what he was saying had bits of truth in it.

I kept waiting for an "answer" at the end - what to look for in a church - a good church... but never really got that answer.  And Mr. Spencer wasnt saying there arent good churches out there... but there was definitely more of what is wrong in churches... which again, I see his point.

The saddest part... I can see where Jesus would feel that way too...

In the end, it was a good reminder that we arent to follow a CHURCH - we are to follow JESUS... & we are to read about Jesus ourselves - we are to learn what Jesus lays on our hearts .... its not always about having a set of rules set by a church - or feeling like the churches judgement on us is the final judgement we will have.  (Amen!) ... the answer is easy really.. Look to Jesus... that's all...

"There is little need for large churches stuffed with satisfied audiences.  There is a great need for a movement of disciples going inot the over looked places of the world to see & serve the Kingdom of God."

My Rating:  3 skeins .... because I'm so torn on how it made me feel.  Pumped up... then very discouraged...

Very thought provoking though... I think everyone that belongs to a church - & every Pastor - should read this book... see if you find yourself in the things He says... or if you ARE standing & preaching & teaching for ONLY Jesus....

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Last Line:  And finally, when we come home, we will find that Jesus has made us like himself, & yet, amazingly, we will have remained in every way ourselves.

Saved Without a Doubt

Book:  Saved Without a Doubt

Author: John MacArthur

Am I really going to Heaven?  Am I really saved?
At some point, everyone has experienced thoughts like these.  Is there any way to overcome those nagging doubts?  Now you can put them to rest by answering a resounding "YES!"
Author John MacArthur carefully examines classical biblical texts affirming the forever quality of salvation, without ignoring the troubling passages that seem to indicate otherwise.  Eleven biblical tests show how those truths apply to you, helping you determine once & for all whether you've experienced salvation.  you can make your feelings with your faith & by taking an encouraging look at victory in the spirit & the unshakable promises of God, persevere!

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First Line:  It's a heartache to me, as a pastor to realize that so many Christians lack assurance of their salvation.

That first line is why the book is called "Saved Without a Doubt"

Can I tell you - I have NO IDEA how I got this book.  It literally came in the mail one day to me - & I have no idea how it got to me - no return address, nothing in it, but the book.  But the title intrigued me, so I read it. 

I will say, its not an easy read... I got confused in areas, got totally lost in other places & even had to skip some sections after getting nothing but frustrated for not understanding.

But it did have areas that really spoke to me & that I really loved... lines like:

"Jesus serves as the anchor of our souls, who forever keeps us from drifting away from God"

"He that lacks assurance of God's love, converses too much with Satan...." (that's goood stuff there!)

There was a section on forgiveness - my favorite topic - & I loved these 3 things:

"What you can't forget - God cant remember!' .... how awesome is that line?

"You may never be able to forget the years of wandering, the many sins of which you have been guilty.  But that which gives peace is the knowledge that God will never recall them again.  He has blotted them from the book of remembrance & he has done it in righteousness, for the account is completely settled.  The debt is paid"

And I loved this - it was from a new believer who was saying why he believed he would be in Heaven:
"If anyone is ever to be kept out of Heaven for my sins - it would have to be Jesus - for He took them all upon Himself & made Himself responsible for them.  But HE IS IN HEAVEN! - never to be turned out - so now, I KNOW I AM SECURE" .... isn't that a cool way to think about it?

Because it was hard, it takes my rating down - but with some wonderful stuff like I mentioned, it raised it back up a little - averaging it out...

My rating:  3 skeins
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Last Line:  He will see to that for sure.

He Sees you when you're sleeping

Book: He Sees You When You're Sleeping

Authors:  Mary Higgins Clark & Carol Higgins Clark

Meet Sterling Brooks.  His was not an exemplary life - he was too self-absorbed to ever really think about anyone else or make a commitment to the women he loved.  On the other hand, he had endearing qualities.  His actual misdeeds were few - his were sins of omission, not commission.

It is a few days before Christmas.  For 46 years, Sterling has lingered in the celestial waiting room outside the heavenly gates, awaiting summons by the Heavenly Council.  Will he be deemed fit for entrance into heaven?  At last the day comes & the council settles on a test for Sterling - he will be sent back to earth & given an opportunity to prove his worthiness by helping someone else.

Sterling Brooks finds himself in Manhattan, at the skating rink in Rockefeller Center.  Among the skaters is a heartbroken seven-year-old named Marissa, & as Sterling soon realizes, it is SHE has has been sent to help.  Marissa's sadness comes from her seperation from the father she adores & her sparkling grandmother.  Both have been forced into the Witness Protection Program because two mobsters, the Badgett Brothers, have put a price on their heads to prevent their testifying against them in an arson case.

Sterling, able to move back & forth in time & place, masterminds a plan to eliminate the threat from the Badgett brothers & reunite Marissa with her loved ones.
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First Line:  "There's nothing worse than listening to the sounds of preparations for a great party, knowing that you're not invited"

I love Mary Higgins Clark - have so many of her mysteries.  So this was a book I had on my shelf for years but put it off because I always wanted to read it around Christmas time.  This year was the year.  It was an easy, quick read - not long at all - & a cute story.  It had predictable parts & a few surprises.  While it wasnt the best book I've read of Mrs. Clark, it was a good, light read for the Christmas season.  A cute little story to end my 2010 book reading...

My rating: 3 skeins
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Last Line:  "Glory to the Newborn King....."

Under the Overpass

Title:  Under the Overpass (A journey of faith on the streets of America)

Author:  Mike Yankoski

(This book was given to me in exchange for a fair, unbiased review)

Ever wonder what it would be like to live homeless?  Mike Yankoski did more than just wonder. By his own choice, Mike's life went from upper-middle class plush to scum-of-the-earth repulsive overnight.  With only a backpack, a sleeping bag, & a guitar, Mike & his traveling companion, Sam, set out to experience life on the streets in six different cities:  Denver, Washington DC, Portland, San Francisco, Phoenix & San Diego.

For more then 5 months, the pair experience firsthand the extreme pains of hunger, the constant danger of living on the streets, exhaustion, depression & social rejection - all by their own choice.  They wanted to find out if their faith was real, if they could actually be the Christians they said they were apart from the comforts they'd always known... to discover what it feels like to be homeless in America.

Mike & Sam's story is gritty, challenging, & utterly captivating.  What you encounter in these pages will radicially alter how you see your world - & may even change your life.
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First Line:  Real punches arent as sharp & clean as Hollywood makes them out to be.

I have to say - I think EVERY PERSON - EVERY CHRISTIAN - EVERY CHURCH GOER needs to read this book!!!!!  This book has totally changed the way I look at the world, the homeless, the way the church handles people - so many things... this book has opened my eyes & my heart...

The journey of these two men is so powerful...to see the people that they meet along the way, from people who are struggling to survive, to people who are drug addicts & have mental disorders, to the experiences they have to go through - it will move you... it SHOULD move you... because its the real world.  A world that we dont like to think about & a world we try to ignore....

The most earth shaking moments for me were when they would encounter churches that would turn them away because they were "dirty" or "smelly"... CHURCHES!!!!!!!!!  A Pastor of a church told them they werent "that kind of church" to offer any food to them... wow... the reactions of Christians just made me look in a mirror at myself - how would I react? 

And then, yes, there were some amazing Christians who live their faith!  My favorite story was about a young man the homeless called "The Jesus Guy" - he said he never once preached Jesus - just came down & offered pizzas & conversations once a week... He said, "Isnt it amazing that when we live as we're called & do what we're commanded, the gospel still gets preached" ... Amen

I have a journal of 7 pages of nothing but quotes from this book that rocked me...

From stories of Christians preaching "Fire & Brimstone" to people who are already suffering: "... it seemed they were accusing these broken people of being broken...."

From people kicking out these men out of churches while drug dealers on the street could preach a mighty word of God: "Why do we kick drug users out of the church while quietly over looking those who are ignoring their own different but equally destructive sins?  Why do we reject the loving, self-sacrificing, giving, encouraging Jesus-pursuing drug addict, but recruit the clean, self-interested, gossiping, loveless church goer?"

From youth groups coming  & serving the homeless:  "Something critical is missing in places that care for the broken & needy if the only people there are also broken & needy"

I could go on & on... I'm telling you... if you want a powerful read - that is easy to take in - READ THIS BOOK!!!!!

Last year, for Christmas, I got everyone "The Noticer" .... if I can find this book in time, I will be purchasing this for everyone I know... that's how good it is!!!

If you want to see more about it and/or sample a chapter of the book, go here:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/2010/09/14/sneak-peek-under-the-overpass-5th-anniversary-edition/

My rating:  5 Skeins (no doubts!!!!)
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Last Line:  Walk off the Edge with Him

Beastly

Book:  Beastly

Author:  Alex Flinn

A beast.  Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog, but a horrible new creature who walks upright - a creature with fangs & claws & hair springing from every pore.  I am a monster.

You think I'm talking fairy tales?  No way.  The place is New York City.  The time is now.  It's no deformity, no disease.  And I'll stay this way forever - ruined - unless I can break this spell.

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me.  Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day & prowls by night?  I'll tell you.  I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, & the perfect life.  And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly.... beastly.

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First Line:  I could feel everyone looking at me, but I was used to it.

I have been blogging about the movie that is coming out & I am so excited about it... so when a friend told me the book was out, I had to read it. 

First, the book doesnt look like the previews of the movie - so dont know how "much" of the book is in the movie... but its still the story of the classic Beauty & the Beast... & if you know me, that steals my heart everytime.

This book is tagged as a "YA" - Young Adult book ... I can see that when it talks about Kyle being 16 years old & in high school... but its still a fun little, quick read.

Its not the BEST book I've ever read... And if I wasnt such a Beauty & the Beast fan, I'm not sure how much I would have loved it...

It did have some great lines in it though... when Kyle, who becomes "Adrian" changes & his heart softens, its so sweet to see the words that pour out of him to Lindy.  The relationship between Adrian & the witch, Kendra is very interesting too.  I especially love the blind tutor that is hired to take care of Adrian, Will... which I see in the movie, Neil Patrick Harris plays (YIPEE!)

My rating:  3 skeins for everyone... (for me, being a B&B fan, 4 skeins)

Last Line:  I hold my hand out to her. "May I have this dance?"

Safe Haven

Book:  Safe Haven

Author:  Nicholas Sparks

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past.  Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two relucant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart & 2 younger children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo.  Despire her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community & becoming increasingly attached to Alex & his family.

But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts & terrifes her... a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo's empathetic & stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety & one of riskier rewards... & that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

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First Sentence:  As Katie wound her way among the tables, a breeze from the Atlantic rippled through her hair.

I've always been a Nicholas Sparks fan.  So when I see he has a new book out, I have to check it out.
Reading the inside cover (see above) - I could already figure out how the story was going to go... honestly, most "love stories" are fairly predictable...

What I wasnt prepared for was the intensity of the story.  This story deals with physical abuse in a marriage Katie is running from.  (I dont feel that is giving away much of the story.... you could figure out this early in the story) ... but the story reminded me so much of the movie, "Sleeping with the Enemy" with Julia Roberts... it was all I could envision while reading it.

I dont do well with stories of physical abuse... it sickens me... it makes me angry... I dont understand it...so needless to say, I had a lot of emotion reading this book.

The story would flip back & forth to the story of Katie & then to her husband who was looking for her, Kevin.  Honestly, I had to skip parts of the story of Kevin, because it was so neurotic - crazed!!!!  The story was very straight on on reflecting the crazed mind this man had... & it made me a nervous wreck...

The book is a beautiful love story of a family, Alex with his children finding Katie & how they all love each other... the new relationships between the two of them & Katie & the children... that part was precious... but then it would flip into the madness of a mind of a psychopath... & then the meeting of the two.  I literally couldnt put down the book in the last 100 pages to see how it would end.

In the end, it wasnt Mr. Sparks best book...("A walk to remember" is still my favorite!!!) - it was a gripping read... but the end also had a unique twist that some might enjoy - I personally thought it was corny (I wont give any of that away) - but that along with the frantic mind of Kevin, I was anxious to just get to the ending...

My Rating:  3 skeins

Last Sentence:  She knew what she believed

Choosing to See

Book:  Choosing to See

Author:  Mary Beth Chapman

I’ve told my kids for years that God doesn’t make mistakes,” writes Mary Beth Chapman, wife of Grammy award winning recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman. “Would I believe it now, when my whole world as I knew it came to an end?” Covering her courtship and marriage to Steven Curtis Chapman, struggles for emotional balance, and living with grief, Mary Beth’s story is our story–wondering where God is when the worst happens. In Choosing to SEE, she shows how she wrestles with God even as she has allowed him to write her story–both during times of happiness and those of tragedy. Readers will hear firsthand about the loss of her daughter, the struggle to heal, and the unexpected path God has placed her on. Even as difficult as life can be, Mary Beth Chapman Chooses to SEE. Includes a 16-page full color photo insert.

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For those of you that know me - you know Steven Curtis Chapman is the one person in the world I would love to sit down & have dinner with - talk to & get to know more about.  This book was the next best thing - written by his wife - so I also adore (heck, I love the whole family!!!)

I loved that it had some background on Mary Beth & Steven meeting & their young marriage & the birth of their children.  Then the adventure into adoption that God led them on...

And then we go through the horrible accident that involved their precious Maria & the way this family that puts their faith in God, how they withstood the attack that satan threw at them....

But you really do get a glimpse into the Chapman household... which made me zoom through this book in 2 days time.  I sighed at the young love of these two young college kids... I laughed at the idea of Steven Curtis Chapman putting a fire out in his underwear... I cried at the personal letters everyone in the family wrote to Maria to include with her "shell" at the funeral. 

Being a big fan as well, I remember Steven Curtis Chapman changing his 'look" when the accident happened.  This book even explained what happened with that - why his head was shaved & where the beard came from... that small story just broke my heart... I even had to read it to Ricky to share... that's the kind of book this is.  Small parts that will reach out & grab your heart & you see a family that has struggled through so much...

But a family that has also been so extremely blessed - with each other & the ministry that they share.

Of course, being a SCC fan, you knew I was going to love it - but I think any mother will appreciate this story - anyone who has adopted will appreciate it - anyone who sadly has lost a child will appreciate the sharing of Mary Beth's grief & openness with it...

My rating:  5 skeins (was there ANY doubt?)