31 Days of Praise by Ruth Myers

 

★★★★★  

I thought I reviewed this already, years ago when I first read it. Maybe not. This prayer journal lasts a month. Every so often, I pick it up for a month of meditation. I learn something from each topic, expressed in verses paraphrased into a prayer.

It's rich, scriptural (no additional comments), and nourishing. I recommend it during a dry spell, during a time of spiritual longing, and whenever you want to realign yourself with the God of lovingkindness and mercy. 

I'm always encouraged when I read it. I date my journal's line-or-two and when I'm done, flip the page in anticipation of the next day.

Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin

★★★★★  (Yes, it's that good.) 

I'm generally uninterested in American history but Goodwin has taken an exceptional look at 4 leader who shaped governance and business: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson. Those guys would be horrified by the politics of today.

Dividing the book into their early interest and entry into politics, their mid-career disappointments and discoveries, and their legacies, the author takes us through the parallels and divergences of these leaders. 

I highly recommend it - whether you just like stories you can learn from or are a history buff. Great lessons for business leaders, too. 

Oh, and when I finally look at the cover, I see it's won a Pulitzer prize. (No wonder. I learned a lot.)

Finding Your Path to Publication by Judy Penz Sheluk

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
You have an idea and dash down an outline. And maybe you "write a book." But what about the stuff of publishing? What about copyrights and agents and options for putting you book out there? What about getting paid?

Here's your clear guide to terms and processes in the book industry. Ignore it at your peril.

The Narrow Path by Rich Villodas

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
This is a bit scary so buy it at your own risk. What if all disciples of Jesus actually lived the way he said? What if they actually imitated their Master? 

That's the challenge Villodas offers the reader: what did Jesus say about the transformation of the heart? In what ways should our actions reflect our proximity to Jesus?

Using the Sermon on the Mount as a foundation, the author asks some deep questions and throws a wrench into the half-hearted commitment of many so-called Christians. 

Get it. Reflect on it. Examine your own heart. Mine is pounding with possibilities.

Integrating Psychology and Faith by Paul Moes; Blake Riek

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
The authors offer broad summaries of prevailing worldviews which provide foundations for psychology. They include such a "dual-kingdom" models (sacred vs secular), natural vs spiritual worlds, and the influences of various Christian traditions. Then they move to Christian "approaches that take psychology and theology seriously on their own terms."

Moes and Rick explain the transformation of purely secular psychology that occurs when this science comes from a Christian viewpoint. Themes that produce a humanizing metamorphosis include integration of science with Christian/biblical values, taking human agency seriously.

This textbook is suitable for psychology courses in Christian universities and as a student reference. Thoughtful discussion questions at the end of each chapter and an extensive bibliography provide resources for further study and classroom interactions or assignments.

Make your art no matter what by Beth Pickens

★★★★ ☐ When you're ready to move beyond excuses to action, here's your coaching book. I've recommended this to friends who are professional coaches because the topics are relevant across disciplines - art, business, life ... anyone could benefit.

Pickens' questions are excellent and focused, whether you are stuck about time, energy, money, or other common ticking points. The last coach I talked with noted how incredible it is to have these mentors available today.

Pickens will take away all your "good reasons" and help you prioritize what matters to you. That may not be what you think it is - and knowing that everything has a tradeoff and you can put certain things on hold can be reassuring.

Another book that belongs on my bookshelf - and yours.

#makeyourartnomatterwhat #bethpickens 

Progress by Johan Norberg

★★★★ ☐ If you watch the news, you've probably bought into the story that the world is going to hell in a hand basket. Life, society, and the planet are so terrible that they are imminently burning up, freezing out, on fire, under water, or ready for another cataclysmic disaster.

You need this book.

Norberg examines 10 factors that make today "the good old days," as he puts it. These include a look at the food supply, modern sanitation, life expectancy, the environment, abundant literacy, places of freedom ... and more. Life has never been THIS good, he argues.

I was encouraged by his broad view of facts from current research and history. He may make an optimist out of you, so if you struggle with depression and tuning out because "this is such an awful time to be alive," you may be in for a pleasant turnaround. 

Get the book!

When Religion Hurts You by Laura E. Anderson

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
It seems like a lot of previously religious people are tossing in the towel. They're becoming areligious or anti-religious. Sometimes they walk away from settings where they cannot bring their doubts and questions to God or religious leaders. Sometimes it's because of cultish abuse, mental anguish, sexual trauma and other issues.

Anderson gives hope for healing from such traumas. She uses psychology to consider the control issues and abuse that lead to fear and lack of trust in adults and authorities. She does a good job.

I recognize much of what she writes about. My family and my husband's family grew up in a high-control ethnic church where peer pressure (on adults and children) and edicts from the pulpit were prominent. Those defined what was acceptable in theology, recreation, and clothing (hey, no jewelry but brooches; though fancy hats with feathers and other ornaments were ok).

Preachers defined and warned against interactions "with the world." Any thinking child or teen knew some of the strict prescriptions were a double standard or just made no sense. But we went along with it and carried on as a group.

However, the balance for me was that our family had a personal faith and welcomed questions. We children could ask our parent questions as long as we asked respectfully - no sassing or badmouthing. (I don't consider genuine respect for authority to be abusive; it was healthy and reassuring for kids.) My mom and dad sincerely answered with what they did and didn't know. And they encouraged my brothers and me to search the scriptures for ourselves and pray for guidance. 

That worked for me. We left a lot of the cultural baggage and narrow theology behind as university students and adults.

And then we had children who grew up in the next generation of faith. We were much less restrictive but still rule-bound as "strict" parents. So our kids challenged us even more.

We did some weird stuff with dress codes. Ask my daughter about the skirts she wore over her shorts in elementary gym class - what was I thinking? By her teens, I resorted to "wear whatever's modest" for our fashionista, since living in Seattle in the 90s offered grunge clothes in dark, limp, secondhand cover-ups. 

"Don't you care what your kids are wearing?" asked people at church. (Nope. "Modest enough, they're not naked," made this mama happy.) 

And that happened with other things. Because our own parent allowed us to explore the faith, we gradually shed the culture and unclenched our religion. As parents ourselves, we chose the principles of Love God; Love others as more important than following religious mandates that were not in scripture.

"I hate the dumb rules," said one of our teens of the strict codes of behavior and dress in his private school. "I don't think any of this matters. And I don't want to be a hypocritical follower of Jesus by looking good and being unchanged inside like some of my classmates."

"I think you're right, but you're in a place where it matters to your teachers," I replied. "Definitely don't adopt a fake religion with an unchanged heart. Work out your faith with God ... because God is not afraid of your questions. You made a promise to obey him when you were baptized, so take up your issues with him."

So he did. And he came out not only alive, but with more questions and a thriving robust faith.

I'm sorry for those who were brutalized by abuse. I understand the pain like some of our young peers experienced without the balance of being able to ask sincere questions and develop healthy skepticism against strange old-country habits. They weren't able to assimilate truth while living with weird cultural constraints and autocratic boundaries. 

If you're one of those, this book will help you heal. Just don't throw it all away because other stuff got mixed in with scripture. Don't deconstruct to the point where there are no core values left as foundations for growth and abundance.

Always remember that God's not afraid of your questions. The One whose math keeps the planets spinning and the God how hope who renews the ground isn't afraid to let you explore. He cheers your search for what's real and applauds when you leave behind what's been added to his grace, justice, and lovingkindness.

--PS The people Jesus got angry and frustrated with were religious leaders who insisted on adding their burdens to the freedom and liberty of a life with God. Check him out in the eyewitness accounts of his contemporaries in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 

New Testament Theology Eckhard J. Schnabel

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
From a historical perspective, the New Testament takes on a more storied and approachable view. What were people thinking about the emerging body of Christ and its leaders? How did they view the teachings of Peter, Paul, and the others?

From his seat at Gorden Conwell and experience in missions and in the classroom, Schnabel knows how to pull together a book of theology that is readable and usable in the classroom. 

A good addition to current textbooks on NT theology. Recommended for preachers, teachers, and the curious student of the NT.

Plus, I'd recommend it for students of religion who wonder what the fuss is about when Christians start quoting their scriptures or for those who consider themselves scholars but think it's time to leave Jesus and his teachings behind. This book might surprise you!

Just the Good Stuff: No-BS Secrets to Success (No Matter What Life Throws at You) by Jim VandeHei

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
The main points are in bold. The text is thin and digestible. If you want wisdom from a successful elder, here you go.

You've heard or read much of this before. But the clarity of presentation and the grouping of ideas makes it possible to take a nibble at a time of VandeHei's experience and mentorship.

Enjoy it when you have a project, are tackling something risky, or if you're just stuck and need inspiration. 

Love Has a Name: Learning to Love the Different, the Difficult, and Everyone Else by Adam Weber

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Weber explores the different kinds of love that Jesus offers his followers. With stories and personal experiences, we are invited into the life of loving others.

You'll probably have to wipe a few tears and will certainly laugh aloud. Whether you are that person who is in need of understanding and love or you are the person who needs to understand and love those who are not like you ... you'll find inspiration and joy in this book.

Recommended for those who struggle to accept others. Or those who have a hard time being accepted.

Instructions for Traveling West: Poems by Joy Sullivan

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Warning: these poems may make you laugh, cry, and think. It's a woman's journey - in poetic prose and poems. 

It's a wonderful exploration of the inner life and progress of transition. While I disagree with some of her choices on her journey, Sullivan brings to light and life the heart how it feels to reshape her life.

Definitely worth reading.

The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obioma

★★★★★  The publisher provided a copy for review. 

It's personal, religious, immersive. Sometimes it's not what you do but what is done to you that defines your heart and your experience. You'll be plunged into the world of war, family, and the dreams and hopes of Kunle and his friends.

You'll be captured by the descriptions and conversations. You'll be immersed in the hardships of combat and the deprivation of normal life.

I recommend this gripping novel if you are interested in culture. You'll be challenged by an insider's view of modern Nigerian life in times of conflict and opposition.

You Are Not Alone: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxious Thoughts and Believing What's True by Jennie Allen

★★★★★  The publisher provided a copy for review. 
Jennie Allen is noted for being frank and up front about how to deal with feelings and how to live with health self-control. In this book for children and teens, she tackles their challenges and anxieties with forthrightness and empathy.

She encourages the young to take their minds captive, warding off anxiety, peer pressure, perfectionism, misunderstandings, and more. I highly recommend this as a gift for parents of middle schoolers and teens. If my kids were teens, I'd get them a copy.

Sweet Home Macrame: A Beginner's Guide to Macrame by Casey Alberti

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
This short volume demonstrates the knots and combinations of basic macrame. The photos clearly explain how to control the design with tools, ties, and tension to create macrame shapes.

The 12 projects are diverse and range from jewelry to household items, to gifts. If you're starting out or trying to get better at macrame, you'll learn a lot. Follow the pictures for guaranteed success. 

Edible Garden Bloom Gardener's Guide by Vicky Chown

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
If you love to garden, if you like to eat healthy, this is for you. Chown starts with the reasons to garden and takes the novice or experienced gardener step by step through growing various plants. 

The soil preparation and maintenance, seeding different crops and keeping them healthy, warding off pests ... it's all here.

If you are starting a garden for the first time or trying to grow a new kind of vegetable or edible, you'll love the clear instructions and labeling, accompanied by photo identification.

Every Living Thing: The Great and Deadly Race to Know All Life by Jason Roberts

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.

What if unrestricted exploration of the world, the seas, and the skies was not the best thing for us? What if we were limiting the pursuit of science even as we seeki to understand?

Roberts writes a compelling comparison of two scientists and researchers who set the foundations for today's quest to know - while showing how their time and history both boosted and limited their influence.

He warns about the price of the drive to know more (and more and more). He exposes the human cost of competition, self-accreditation and pride. And he prods the limitations of culture, small-mindedness, and claims to know everything.

The stories of Buffon and Linnaeus and their separate spheres is interesting and not a little biased toward one above the other. If you like tracing how knowledge develops, you'll love this one.

Accidental Creative by Todd Henry

★★★★★ Call to a responsive mind.

If you've noticed your creativity fading, pick up this book. 

Maybe your ideas just don't flow like they used to. This one's for you.

Same, if you are starting a project or job and need to be thinking at a high level. 

I was taken aback both by the theories and practical applications offered by Henry. That's not because he's not a respected writer. But rather, he offers such simple and clear explanations and steps forward that it takes you by surprise.

Highly recommended for team leaders, engineers, artists and musicians, and others who need to be functioning beyond the routines and limitations of "heads-down, punch a clock, check out."

More good stuff at the blog here.

Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See

★★★★★ Stunning and gripping.

Our book group is reading this in March. The cover feels like it might be a girls-only book and my flip-through lands on a lot of long descriptions, which I usually skim through.

But I trust these readers. Starting on International Women's Day, I felt obligated to get through it for our book group meeting. I swiped down to turn on my iPhone reader, changed the setting to 1.5X reading speed ... and

was lost! What a marvelous immersion into culture and time (Ming Dynasty). (Similar to this book about women in Pakistan.) You'll want to read this book for its rich descriptions of the inner life of Chinese families in Chinese history. The isolation of individuals and competition for status between family members in the Confusion and Buddhist culture at that point are heart-breaking.

For me, it was an eye-opening reminder of the privileges women enjoy in the West today due to the influences of Christianity.

As a follower of Jesus, I am grateful that he offered a completely different view of human interaction: "Love each other, and in this way people will know you are my disciples." As God-with us, he invited women into his inner circles, as did the early church. Women supported his itinerary ministry and sat at his feet to learn. They were hosts, teacher, and leaders of the early churches (for example, Lydia the business woman, Priscilla the teacher, and Julia the apostle).

We don't have the names of all the male leaders in the New Testament writings, nor of all the women. Enough women's names are included to know they were highly valued and welcome to contribute - not just from a back courtyard, hidden away from sight or as men's possessions. 

Yet by the time of the historical church, male leader often subverted and blocked the inclusion of female leaders. Take for example the medieval scribe who changed f. Junia's name to m. Junias, perhaps due to the "impossibility" in his mind of a female apostle.

That certainly doesn't align with the "everyone come, everyone be empowered by the Spirit, and everyone go and serve" of Acts 2, 1 Corinthians 11, and elsewhere.

Read this amazing novel - and your heart will be moved with the resilience and persistence of women throughout history. 

And if you are a Christ-follower, thank God that both men and women are treasured in his sight because we are all created in his image, called to love him, and empowered to love and serve others in our unique ways, in our special callings. #ladytanscircleofwomen

Herding Tigers by Todd Henry

★★★★★ Herding Tigers by Todd Henry has me spellbound. Except when my dad was the owner or manager, I've never been on a team or in a workplace where these principles of managing creatives were in place.

It is startlingly practical! I would have liked to hand this to my various bosses throughout the years - and would have given them 5X the work if they'd followed the principles Henry identifies. 

He's studied what creatives crave (and need to thrive) as employees or contract workers. And how a leader needs to step up to get the most out of creative teams.

If you feel like you're herding cats - who may turn on you any time - or just have a team that's going in every direction but the one you need, it's time to get this book. Found it in the library but have no regrets on getting a copy for myself.

Letters to My Son in Prison by Ken Guidroz

★★★★★  The publisher provided a copy for review. 
It's a gut-wrenching experience for a parent when our kids suffer. It doesn't matter if they've been a victim of someone's bad decision or accidental harm. It doesn't matter if they've done something stupid and are reaping the consequences. It hurts, any way you look at it.

This book grabs you and thrashes you about with the honesty and transparency of a father's heartbreak and restoration. It shares the account of life we never imagine and never sign up for when we hold our babies in our arms and promise to raise them well. It explores the feelings of betrayal and grief and anger that accompany our journeys with kids who screw up.

And it offers hope. Guidroz and his wife talk about the pressures and relief of God taking us through the valleys of shadows where we never expected to walk. If your kids are healthy, if they're a mess, if they're with or against you, you'll want to read this book - 

And if you have friends who are making bad choices, you'll be better informed and better equipped to love and care for them in the middle of the consequences that are coming.

The Cure for Burnout by Emily Ballesteros

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 

You may not want to identify your low energy and low interest in things you were passionate about as "burnout." And your depression and not-again attitude might be due to other things.

Ballessteros talks about three kinds of burnout: by volume, through social pressures, and in seasons of boredom. So how do you set boundaries and manage these low-key seasons? How do you resume a normal and healthy lifestyle where you energy and life-balance is restored? 

How do you pull your head out of the sand or leave the bunker of indifference and toxicity to get your life back? That's the point of the book.

Read it or pass it along - filled with personal and practical stories, this will pull you along into a healthier space for your head and heart.

Friendship Can Save the World by Carrie and Morgan Stephens

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.

In a world where many tout their own loud voice, diversity often takes a back seat to the safety of agreement and homogeny. 

"I'm more comfortable with my own people," a friend told me. That's true - but is safety why you were created uniquely and born at this time of history?

This book encourages friendship with those unlike ourselves, promising benefits and exploring the risks of expanding our narrow circles. You'll be challenged from the book of Ruth in the Bible - watching how an utter outsider becomes grafted into a tight-knit and exclusive community of religion and values. 

It's a challenge. Take it up?

The Substance of Our Faith by Douglas A. Sweeney

 

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
As professor of Divinity School in the Beeson School of Divinity, you'd expect Sweeney to research deeply and understand the historical unfolding of theology and Christian thought. He's a logical and systematic writer of how to approach the Christian faith.

This is the first of two volumes on how theologians handle biblical truth. While I am personally more charismatic in my views on the Spirit, Sweeney handles the scriptural view of the Holy Spirit, the mission of the church, and the unfolding of doctrine gracefully - from a Luther perspective.

I have no hesitation in recommending it as background reading or as a reference work for academics, scholars, and students exploring Christian history and beliefs.

The Power of Change by Melissa Leich

★★★★★  The publisher provided a copy for review.

I'm not sure how much is this is new information, but it is presented in a logical and systematic way. Leigh explains the reasons for change or stasis, recognizing the cycle of change, and how to implement change and overcome resistance. 

This is a book for leaders and influencers. If you sense a change coming, this will give you a structure to approach and take advantage of change.

Each chapter has key takeaways that reinforce and summarize the information so that you could take a team through the book in an abbreviated way - especially for non-readers.

Highly recommended. 

Plants Taste Better by Richard Buckley

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
Beautiful food! beautifully presented. This will inspire the adventurous cook to put more vegetables and fruits on the table.

As a former vegan due to medical issues, I can confirm that tastes change when you eat only plant-based foods. Because Buckley's food is so appealing, it shouldn't be difficult to choose these recipes and hints to create a healthier diet.

Recommended for vegans, vegetarians, omnivores and anyone else who eats. It's great if you collect pretty cookbooks. And highly recommended if you like to cook, too.

Rise Above the Rut by Jay Nesbit

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 

You know the  world is exhausted when you see how many books are being written to address the lack of joy and purpose people are experiencing. Nesbit offers his 3-step process for finding your destiny on the destination of a satisfying life.

Filed with quotes, lists of emotions and experiences, resource links, and journal ideas, you'll move step by step toward finding your unique purpose and what brings you joy.

The author clearly lists the expected benefits and outcomes of his suggestions. He explains the effects of gratitude, planning ahead, and vision-casting. Recommended if you like self-help books or are floundering in the current season, overwhelmed by the plethora of voices vying for your attention and trying to mold you into their image.

Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer

★★★★★  The publisher provided a copy for review before publication.

Comer challenges followers of Jesus to understand and obey what they have signed up for: 

"Jesus assumes that his disciples will obey his teachings. Because that's the very nature of discipleship: learning "to obey everything [Jesus has] commanded you. ... An apprentice of Jesus has no other will than the will of God."

I found myself highlighting many passages from the book to use in a spiritual formation class. The author explains the meaning and goals of becoming an apprentice of Jesus. He warns of the costs of calling ourselves disciples without being willing to follow our master.

Well worth the time and cost of acquiring, whether you're exploring spiritual practices, a rule of life, or what it means to submit to the forgiven life you've asked God to gift to you.

Finding Margaret Fuller by Allison Pataki

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
A complex retelling of the story of an influencer who lived ahead of her time. This isn't a book about a nice person or someone I want to emulate.

But Pataki brings to life a season and a culture of yesterday in a fascinating and thoughtful way. 

Recommended when you have time to ponder life and worldviews and the influence of one person in many circles. Well-written with complicated character development and historical detail.

Untangle Your Emotions by Jennie Allen

★★★★★  The publisher provided a copy for review.
Do you know what you're feeling right now? 

Last night, when you said something stupid you didn't mean because you got angry or confused

 ... or today when you went into another meeting with that "hostile" person or topic and didn't know how to respond?

HELP! 

Allen offers insights for identifying and using your emotional life for good rather than harm. She encourages the reader to use the power of emotions to understand, assist, and boost you personally and professionally.

Highly recommended. Check out all the podcasts she's done (interviews with influencers) to get a sense of what you're missing if this is still on the shelf. It's been an instant bestseller. When you read it, you'll know why.

The ChatGPT Edge Fletcher Parks

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
Ok, this was unexpectedly helpful. I'm a novice to AI, egged on by my brother, a realtor who uses ChatGPT for all his ads and promotions: "What do you mean you don't use ChatGPT?"

If you use social media but are not a techie, OR if you feel lost in the swarm of A1 offerings, here is your step-up guide. Follow the instructions and get on board - you'll find great ideas but also clear directions for the edge offered by auto-generated content and edits.

Recommended for beginners and middle-stagers.

Watercolor Your Way by Sarah Cray

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
A fresh look at the art and craft of paint and water on the page. You probably won't win awards by using this manual, willed with beautiful illustrations. And you may not become world-famous with the kind of watercolor demonstrated.

But you will enjoy the process of creating beauty from what you see around you, regardless of the level of skill with which you begin. I recommend it for beginners and middle-skill levels.

Open it at your kitchen table or at your desk - and enjoy making something pretty with a light touch, a deft hand, and new tools.

Cray has a lot of followers so check her out on FB, IG, YouTube, etc.

Joy by Danielle Steel

★★☐☐☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.

I had high hopes for this book since it's by an author I usually enjoy. But the theme of leaving what you know and jumping headlong into a new attraction is foreign to me, married for 46 years. I'm totally not into this kind of reinvention since you take your own "stuff" into each relationships.

So, nope not going to recommend this one. My version of joy is a sustained rhythm of gratitude and appreciation for what's around me, not a discarding the past for something new and exciting. Sorry.

Ladykiller by Katherine Wood

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
This one kept me in suspense until the last page. And I still am thinking about possible outcomes. 

If you like suspense and character development and a new kind of plot twist, it's for you. I'm surprised that I enjoy it as much as I did. So ...

For readers of suspense, travel, society, and just plain good fiction, this one's for you.

Upside Down by Danielle Steel

★★★ ☐☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 

I liked Steel's more complex plots and character developments in previous novels. This one - an older-younger/younger-older romance pairing - felt a bit predictable.

It's easy reading. Something to pick up for the commute or beach, when your brain needs entertainment and a diversion.

She's done better but it was still fun.

The Party Crasher by Joshua Ryan Butler

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review    You may be just like my dad. He was a hard-core German with strong opinions on who should lead the Church and the world. He was certain that the way he viewed global challenges was correct. He knew what to do and, had people listened to him, would have fixed everything wrong in today's world. Does anyone tell you, "There's no reasoning with you so let's talk about something else?"

Similarly to Dad, you may be utterly certain of what's black and white in your journey with Jesus. Maybe you follow (or lead) a political movement to change your city, state, country ... or organization. You may be puzzled or frustrated by the fragmentation and cherry-picking of others from news sources, research, or conversations. 

Yet not everyone agrees with you, no matter how much evidence you present. Others have their own sources - and those are opposed to your own information. Welcome to the current culture wars and political divisions.

So how do you engage in difficult exchanges without alienating people who are just as certain that they are right? And how do you lead or cultivate networks among deeply divided NGOs, congregations, and friendships?

What would happen if Jesus showed up? If he crashed your certainty and your party (and theirs)?

This book offers practical solutions to living the life of Jesus among culture wars, religious hardliners (is that you?), and religious certainty. You'll be challenged, offended, and perhaps corrected as you read. Well worth keeping at the front of your bookshelf as you seek the wisdom of God in the diverse world around you.

The Joy of the In-Between by Ashley Hetherington

 

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
You've said, ""Ok, God, I'll obey you." You're ready for the next thing! 

And then you sit. And sit. And wait and wait.

What happens in that waiting season shapes who you are and what God will do through you in the present and the future. This books tackles subjects like the understanding and foreknowledge of God, difficulties in times of uncertainty, and loneliness and other emotions.

Hetherington encourages Christians to consider their life with Jesus as a journey rather than a destination shaped by our own hopes and dreams. 

I recommend this if you're entering a pause, not sure how long you have to stay in place, or don't yet know what the next steps are. You'll have 100 days to reflect on God's goodness and his absolute ability to get you through to where he's taking you.

The Joy of Missing Out by Tanya Dalton

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
The alarm goes off and you're tired. In the morning, you look at your list and wonder - is this doable?You spend the day in a scramble to get everything done. And at night you fall into bed exhausted. If you've got a bullet journal you transfer all the undone tasks to tomorrow or next week. Are we created to live like this? Where does this end?

Dalton encourages the reader to step back and step off the treadmill of expectations - yours and others. She gives step by step direction for cultivating a true self, unique to how you're shaped and wired by your family, education, skills, and experiences.  

I recommend this for entrepreneurs and managers, marrieds and singles,  moms and dads. Find the joy of saying no because you know who you are and what your purpose is in this world.

The Joy of Early Christianity by Steve Simms

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Simms shares a thought-provoking study of the contrast between the living organism of Christ-followers that emerged from time with Jesus and the effects of Pentecost - with today's structured Christian religion.

He explains and warns readers of the constricting process of adding our own agenda and historical expectations of churches to transform ekklesia (communities of committed followers of Jesus) into local churches. 

"Unfortunately ... although religion has taught the resurrection of Christ as a doctrine and put it on the church calendar, it hasn't allowed the living, risen Jesus to be Lord, to take charge, to rule and reign, to lead and direct like he did in pre church Christianity."

He examines the flow of community life, the Living Word and prayers that shaped the thinking and lifestyle of early Christians and explores the significance of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts in the church. He celebrates the freedom from demonic oppressions and religious perfectionism.

I highly recommend this book for pastors, youth leaders, and anyone else seeing to obey the teachings of Jesus in community with a vibrant living faith - beyond religion and rituals. 

The language is simple and easy to read. But each page offers thought-provoking insights, whether you agree with specifics of Simms' doctrinal conclusions or belong to another "tribe" of believers.

Magic Pill: the Extraordinary Benefits and Disturbing Risks of the New Weight-Loss Drugs by Johann Hari

★★★★★  The publisher provided a copy for review.

Oh boy! If your weight is affecting your health, this is a must-read. If you're sick of yo-yo dieting, grab this book. If you're considering using some of the new diet drugs, read this first.

Whether you are overweight because of genetics, addiction to food, health issues, or personal choice, get this careful study. Hari examines obesity, the consequences and liabilities of being perceived as "fat" in Western culture, and the weight-loss drugs that make "the new skinny" a first-time reality for many.

I was introduced to Johann Hari through Stolen Focus, his exposé of digital addiction. It blew me away and changed my habits. (Read that review here.)

Now here comes a startling review of another current crucial issue. But Hari's writing style is compelling and readable. He highlights the advantages, risks, and unknowns of what's being unleashed in the world.

Let me say this: I am not the target market for Ozempic or the other diet drugs. Yet be forewarned. I stayed up late into the night to finish this one. And I included the subtitle above for clarity (which I rarely do).

The book contains information and implications you need to know, either for yourself or to share with others.

Read it if you or someone you care about is struggling with excess weight.