To be entirely honest I’m a bit flummoxed by this book.  The Bad Habits of Jesus by Leonard Sweet is not the book I’d hoped for and was so much worse than I imagined it could be.  I struggled all the way through this one.  From the ADHD style of writing to the obsession with alliteration, I had a difficult time figuring out what the book was actually supposed to be about.  I admit that the title grabbed my attention and I wondered where Sweet would go with it, but I was truly disappointed with the book.

Each chapter focuses (sort of) on a “bad habit” of Jesus, which is really just something Jesus did or didn’t do that was different than the norm.  I was particularly annoyed by the chapter about how Jesus spit.  As I read it I wondered if I was just missing the joke or the angle entirely.  It felt a bit tongue in cheek, but in a way that rode the line between annoying and actually funny.  See, that’s the problem, I’m not sure the author was trying to be funny.  But to spend an entire chapter about how Jesus was always disappearing and how rude that was, but how we should emulate him because he’s Jesus was confusing at best and at the very least felt contrived and pointless.  I kept waiting for some profound truth to be dropped, but sadly, none ever was.  Yes, Jesus wasn’t what they expected.  Yes, Jesus did things differently than the people of the time.  Yes, Jesus had different priorities than the people around him.  Did I need to read an entire book about these three pretty obvious ideas?  Nope.

I’ve read so many books this year that were so far superior in quality of writing that The Bad Habits of Jesus was a severe disappointment for me.  Dr. Sweet wrote in circles, very rarely coming to any sort of point.  You know how preachers like to start every point of their sermon with the same letter (to make it easier to remember maybe)?  Sweet did that throughout the whole book – used multiple words with the same beginning letter.  I assume it is the way he teaches, but I found it really annoying. It felt super cheesy, like this one: “Solitude is not solo time but soul time with God.” (p47)

I very much wanted to like this book.  I believe the intentions were good, but the writing is sub-par and it felt like the author’s purposes could have been captured in a much shorter article, rather than an entire book of random ramblings.  I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this book.

 

I have been eager to read this book since several months before it came out.  Many of the authors that I love have suggested it and raved about it, so I knew I would need to read it.  However, I’ve had several people warn me about Brian McLaren’s more “radical” views about Christianity and the Bible and have even had a few warn me not to read this book.

Since I’ve never been that good with being told what to do, I requested it gleefully.  And it didn’t disappoint.  Considering so many in my immediate circle seemed so concerned about this author, I was expecting to find some really radical things in this book.  Sadly, I didn’t.  I mean, I was hoping to have something jump out at me that I would have to yell back at the pages, “Woah, McLaren!  That’s crazy talk!”.  Nope.  Nothing like that.  Sad face.

There were, however, so many things I wholeheartedly agreed with.  Such as this nugget of wisdom:

“This nondiscriminatory love, Jesus says, is the true perfection, the true maturity toward which we should aspire: to be perfect as God is perfect is to love without discrimination because that is how God loves.” (p 43)

or this one:

“In story after story and without a single exception, we see that the driving motivation in Jesus’s life is love.” (p 44)

or maybe this one:

“God loves everyone.  No exceptions.” (p 51)

Wait, that last one might be a little radical, I guess.

The book is broken up into three parts: Spiritual Migration (from a system of beliefs to a way of life), Theological Migration (from a violent God of domination to a nonviolent God of liberation), and Missional Migration (from organized religion to organizing religion).  There is also a hefty section of Appendices at the back of the book mostly on the topic of “Just and Generous Christianity”.  Each chapter ends with a page broken into three parts (Contemplation, Conversation – which has discussion questions, and Action).  I absolutely loved the questions – I can imagine a very lively and thoughtful discussion coming from these questions.  Example: One of the questions after Chapter Three reads: “Are we more serious about teaching math than we are about teaching love?” (p 67).  I’d love to have a conversation about that one!

I don’t necessarily agree with every single thought expressed by the author, however, I found his argument passionate, compelling and well-researched.  There are so many topics covered in this book that it took me a bit longer to get through than I intended (I was shooting for a week – it took two), but only because I needed to go back to scripture and read other articles and essays on the topics to get a more well-rounded understanding.  Here’s the thing about this book: it asks a ton of questions and it makes you think.  Why do you believe what you believe?  Why do we talk about beliefs more than we talk about faith?  What can we learn from the life of Jesus about love?  What does it mean to have a broken-open heart?  I hate books that tell me that I have to think or believe a certain way.  I love books that make me think – that make me ask questions and assess things in new and fresh ways.  The Great Spiritual Migration is the latter.

A faith that has not been questioned, tested and wrestled with is a weak faith.  Questioning your beliefs does not make them weaker, but rather stronger.  Reading opposing viewpoints (although I’m not sure the author of this book and I stand that far apart) shouldn’t destroy your faith, but rather challenge it – which should lead to a better understanding of what you actually believe.

SO.  I loved this book.  There are so many things I agreed with: the call to unity rather than uniformity, the call to a radical (there’s that word again) and all-inclusive love, the focus on social justice and many other things.  There were a few things I wasn’t so sure about.  However, overall – I came out of this book encouraged, inspired and challenged and that’s a pretty great way to come out of a book!

Here are some of my favorite Quotables from The Great Spiritual Migration by Brian McLaren:

“..you can learn beliefs in isolation, you can’t learn love apart from a community.” (p 56)

“We hear Jesus say ‘Follow me’ eighty-seven times in the four Gospels.  How many times does he say, Worship me?  Zero.  Name a religion after me?  Zero.  Recite a creed about me?  Zero.  Erect buildings in my honor?  Zero.  That’s not to say these things are wrong, but succeeding at them without actually forming followers of Christ is like climbing a ladder that’s leaning against the wrong building.” (p 65)

“..the less aware Christians are of how dangerous Christianity has been, the more dangerous Christianity will be.” (p 71)

“We need to stop pulling apart and start pulling together, converging and collaborating to build a more just, generous, peaceful, regenerative, and joyful world.” (p 156)

“If enough individuals are full of despair and anger in their hearts, there will be violence in the streets.  If enough individuals are full of greed and fear in their hearts, there will be pollution in the rivers and toxins in the air.  If enough individuals are full of supremacy and privilege in their hearts, there will be racism and oppression in society.  You can’t remove the external social symptoms without treating the corresponding internal personal diseases.” (p 167)

“As we work together for the common good, we are all transformed.” (p 176)

“If we simply start moving in faith, what has been impossible can become possible.” (p 178)

“There is so much right in the church, in the world, in humanity.  There is so much good.  And so much beauty.  When we see it, even a tiny glimmer of how precious it is, our hearts swell in gratitude and awe.” (p 180)

 

 

If you know me, you know I LOVE Bible Journaling!  So, I am thrilled to review these two Journal the Word Bibles.  They are both beautiful and have similar styles and covers.  Here are some of the features of each:

First, the NIV Journal the Word Bible

The cover is a dark taupe canvas (with a bit of a blue tint) with leaves in various colors (blue, green, pink, brown).  The spine of the Bible is a beautiful dark blue.  The cover is thick and sturdy.

The margins are about two inches and are lined.  The pages are light cream colored and this is a single column Bible (meaning the text is not in columns on each page, but rather a single, wider column of text).  When you get to the Psalms, this leaves you with tons of space around the words for painting, coloring and journaling.

Now for the NKJV Journal the Word Bible (Large Print)

The cover of this Bible is very similar to the NIV one, however it has a beautiful teal on the spine and corners.  It’s the same canvas as the other, but the colors seem more vibrant and the canvas background under the leaves is more cream colored than the other (which has a definite blue/purple tint).  Because this Bible is Large Print, it’s much thicker than the other and thus quite heavy.  But I LOVE that the words are so large.  It is also single column, so there is plenty of space for journaling – it also has the same two inch, lined margins.  Here’s a comparison of the spines of the Bibles so you can see the difference in size.

Also, here are pictures of the text inside each Bible so you can see the difference between the regular print (top picture) and large print (bottom picture).

Both Bibles are beautiful, but I would love to see a Large Print NIV version with the teal colors on the cover.  If you’re interested in Bible Journaling, or know someone who is – either of these Bibles would make a wonderful gift

 

“Come on, my sister.  Don’t wait until you’re not afraid – jump scared.” (p xii)

All the Pretty Things by Edie Wadsworth is a book that will stay with you long after you read it.  I finished the book about a week ago and I find myself replaying parts of Edie’s story in my head, remembering her heart and her words.  It’s a beautiful and haunting story about Edie’s life, with her relationship with her father playing a central role throughout the book.  Memoirs are some of my very favorite books, and this one is so compelling that it almost reads like a fiction story.  I kept having to remind myself that it was real.  Edie is a superb writer, especially after you get past the halfway point in the book – it really speeds up and pulls you in.

All the Pretty Things is basically the story of Edie’s life from birth to current day.  It’s a story of grace and redemption, of grit and determination. Edie grows from a poor little girl with an alcoholic father whom she loved desperately to a successful doctor with kids of her own.  My favorite part of the book is how all along the way she loves her people so selflessly and beautifully.  I cannot imagine being a child and having to take care of an alcoholic father, going with him to bars to make sure he made it back in one piece, always feeling hungry and never really feeling safe or secure.  I also cannot imagine a way to come out of that childhood without intense anger, bitterness or perhaps even walking in the footsteps of her daddy that she loved so very much.  Miraculously, she fought against bitterness and anger and instead of resigning herself to the life she was born into, she created the life she wanted through crazy hard work and fierce determination.  Her journey is so inspiring.  The unconditional love she shows for her father, while wisely learning to create boundaries to protect herself is an incredible lesson to anyone who struggles with difficult or dangerous people.

This book is exactly why it’s so important to tell your story – even (maybe even especially) when it’s painful or difficult to tell.  Edie’s story is not entirely unique.  There are millions of people who share similar stories of abuse, neglect, poverty or hunger and who will be touched and inspired by Edie’s beautiful words.  The vulnerability she displayed by writing about her life is brave and beautiful.  I was truly moved by her story.

Some of my favorite Quotables from All the Pretty Things by Edie Wadsworth:

“…however confused I felt, I clung to faith because it was the only thing in my life that made sense, the thing I could count on in a world that was always changing.” (p 127)

“Maybe hope, however frail, was taking root in the deepest places; maybe sunlight and peace really would shine in her heart after the rain; maybe heartache can be the birthplace of the most beautiful things.” (p 135)

“..the painful parts of our lies are often the very things that God will use as gifts to bless and change us and the people we meet.” (p 134)

“The sacred mystery that surrounds death is like nothing else in life, and it is a privilege to walk the last miles home with someone.” (p 208)

“I see now that the heart doesn’t settle easily for blame – it longs to be redeemed.” (p 243)

“I learned that we all have wounds, and we can either open them up to the light of day so they can heal or we can keep them buried, where they will fester and one day wreak havoc on us.” (p 244)

“Parenting and living require more faith than knowledge, more grace than rules, more trust than answers.” (p 284)

I’m thrilled to be reviewing this book.  I was excited to receive it and begin to dig in to it.  I have no previous instruction in the Greek language.  I have a few Greek study resources that I use regularly, but I cannot read, write or understand Greek without help.  As a singer, I have taken a few courses on diction in other languages (Italian, French, German, Latin) – that showed me the basic rules of how to pronounce other languages.  I think I was expecting something similar with this book – although I’m not sure why I expected that.  Greek for Everyone by A. Chadwick Thornhill, is a very in-depth introductory textbook on the Greek language – it’s so much more than learning how to read or pronounce Greek.  It’s more about learning the basics of the language, grammar and words.  It says introductory on the cover, but I felt like it was more intense than just an introduction.  It has the feel of a textbook, which I wasn’t so excited about.  The information is solid and easy to understand, but it’s a very dry read.  I had to make myself pick it up and continue to read by telling myself again and again that I really want the information in my brain.

The book is broken into 18 chapters, most of which deal with grammar (verbs, nominals, pronouns, infinitives, participles, etc).  Chapter two is titled “The Big Picture of Language” and gives a good overview of how the Greek language is put together and how it differs from the English language.  Chapter 14 goes back to the big picture (after twelve chapters of grammar) and sort of puts it all together.  The back of the book includes two appendices (Answers to the “Your Turn” questions that are found throughout the book and an Appendix filled with Greek Paradigms).  There is also a Glossary of Greek Terms and indexes by words, scripture and subjects.

If you’re looking for a crash course in Biblical Greek – this is a great resource.  If you’re looking for something to simply help you understand a few Greek words or phrases, this book might be a little much to take on.  Overall, it is well-written, easy to follow and quite thorough.

The Christian Book of Mystical Verse compiled by A.W. Tozer is just beautiful.  It’s filled with poems, hymns and a prayers by over fifty different authors including Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, Frederick William Faber, John Newton, and Gerhard Tersteegen.  The book is organized into fifteen sections including topics such as the cross of Christ, communion, adoration of God, immortality and the world to come, victory, spiritual warfare and delighting in God’s presence.

If you are not a poetry lover, this is probably not the book for you.  If, like me, you love prose you will love this book.  I keep it in my car so I can read it at stop lights or in drive thru’s.  It’s a great book to read along with your regular Bible study as there are over 100 short poems, lyrics or prayers to reflect and meditate on.  Each one, on its own, is a wonderful inspiration for worship as many of them reflect on specific attributes of the Father, Son or Spirit and all of them are beautifully written.

In the back of the book, the selections are indexed by title, author and first line.  Keep in mind that this book is filled with words written long ago and therefore the language and writing style reflects that.  Many of these selections were written in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, however there are some, such as The Celestial Country by Bernard of Cluny (from the 12th century), that go back much farther.

I particularly love the poem by Anna Laetitia Waring titled My Heart is Resting, O My God.  Here is the last stanza (and my favorite part):My heart is resting, O my God,      

My heart is in Thy care;                    

 I hear the voice of joy and health

Resounding everywhere.

Thou art my portion, saith my soul,

Ten thousand voices say,

And the music of their glad Amen

Will never die away.

For anyone who loves poetry, The Christian Book of Mystical Verse would be an excellent addition to your collection.

I’ve reviewed several Bibles this past year, but this is my favorite one so far!  The Wonders of Creation Holy Bible in the NIV is stunning and perfect for kids to learn to interact with the Scripture in a fun and creative way!

Here’s a list of what is included in this Bible:

• Over 50 pages of black-and-white illustrations ready to be colored
• Key verses called out on each coloring page
• The full text of the NIV translation
• Pink ribbon marker
• Lay-flat binding made for the perfect coloring experience

This Bible is filled with pictures of butterflies, monkeys, trees, flowers, seahorses, kangaroos and even a walrus (which is the cutest!)  Although the cover has quite a bit of pink on it, I still think this Bible would be perfect for both girls and boys.  I mean, what little boy wouldn’t love coloring this awesome picture of a lion?!

 

I’ve been Bible journaling for about two years and my girls are always wanting to color in their own Bibles, but I’ve always had to come up with ideas for them on my own – this Bible is filled with opportunities for my girls to imagine and create alongside Scripture!  If you’re not familiar with Bible Journaling, it’s a movement of people who love to create, color, design, draw and write in the margins of their Bibles.  The idea is that the more creative we can be, the more we will want to get into Scripture.  It’s been a game changer for me.  It’s a way for me to meditate on the Word in a way that allows me to use my hands in a creative way.  I’ve always been a kinesthetic learner and the more I can use my hands, the more likely I am to pay attention and understand what I’m reading.  It’s the reason hat I read with a highlighter in hand.  I have a daughter who learns the same way and I believe this Bible would give her the opportunity to study the Word in a way that fits with her unique, God-given, wiring.

The Wonders of Creation Bible is the perfect size for small hands (it’s a bit over 5×8) and is hardcover so it will stand up to heavy use (which is exactly what you hope for in a Bible – that it will be heavily used).

I cannot recommend this Bible highly enough!

I’ve been anticipating this book for a while.  As a fan of both The Liturgists and Ask Science Mike podcasts, I couldn’t wait to read Science Mike’s very first book.  It did not disappoint.

Because I read almost exclusively non-fiction, I always read with a highlighter in hand so that I can mark every word I want to read again later.  After the first few chapters of this book, I put down the highlighter.  This book is almost all stories, in the very best way.  It’s impossible to mark favorite phrases or sections because it has to be taken as a whole.  This isn’t a segmented book filled with quotable phrases.  It’s more like a biography and Mike McHargue is a masterful storyteller.  This book was hard to put down – it’s just that good.

Mike took me through the journey of his story – a story of losing his faith, finding his faith and then helping others to find their own way.  Mike gave me permission, through his words, to ask questions I’ve never asked before and to not know the answers.  This feeling of not knowing everything is the essence of his book, which is ironic because Science Mike always seems to know everything.  There’s a spirit of humility and humor woven through his stories that makes the reader feel completely at ease.  It’s impossible not to be drawn into his life, his stories, his world.  It’s also impossible to not see glimpses of your own story within the pages of this book – the questions, the confusion, the seeking and wondering – it’s all there.

Finding God in the Waves isn’t just the story of Mike’s faith, it’s the story of faith in general.  Not knowing everything about everything is what makes faith faith and Mike’s book reminds us of that.  It’s okay to have questions and doubts.  It’s okay to admit that some things are just too messed up for us to swallow or accept.  It’s okay to say that there are parts of the Bible that don’t make any sense to us.  Questioning doesn’t obliterate faith, it expands it.  Faith grows when doubts are allowed out of their secret cages and into the light of day.  This book brought many of mine out of the darkness as I am sure it will do for you.

I told my husband when I picked this book up to begin reading that I was sure that this book would mess me up – that it would break things in me that needed to be broken.

It did.  And I’m thankful for that.

 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from BloggingforBooks.com for the purposes of this review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions expressed are my own

I am thrilled to share with you this amazing new Bible from Zondervan.  I’ve been Bible Journaling for about two years or so and have found it to be such a fun way to meditate on scripture while allowing myself to have some creative time.  A few years back I read a book called, Writing in the Margins by Lisa Nichols Hickman, which started me on my Bible Journaling journey.

Around the same time I discovered Shanna Noel’s Bible Journaling Community on Facebook.  You can also find her website and blog here.

If you’re not familiar with Bible Journaling, here are a few examples of the pages I’ve done:

You can also check out a blog I wrote about Bible Journaling here.

Bible Journaling folk are as diverse a group as you can imagine – coming from many different denominations and backgrounds.  I absolutely love learning from these women and men and being inspired by their journeys and their stories.

So …this Bible.  It’s fabulous!  The cover is a beautiful turquoise with a gold and white circular floral pattern with touches of black and pink butterflies.  They also have a pink covered Bible that has the same pattern.  It has a sturdy hard cover and a beautiful pink band to use as a bookmark or to just hold your Bible closed (after a while of Bible journaling, this will really come in handy!).  The two-inch margins are lined.  If you are into coloring in your Bible, there is plenty of room in this one to do so and if not, the lines are perfect for taking notes as you study scripture.

I assume this Bible is meant for younger girls, but I really believe it’s age-neutral.  All of my girls have commented on how pretty the Bible is and how they’d love for it to be theirs.    If you, like me, love to write in (or color or paint in) the margins of your Bible, this would be a wonderful Bible to use.