Being a Sanctuary by Pricelis Perreaux-Dominguez

★★★★★  The publisher provided a copy for review. 
 The dedication gives the hope of the contents: radical love, radical labor, radical life that is sacred, soft, and safe for the Church and the world around it.

Contrasting the perceptions and realities of an unloving, not-serving Body of Christ with the hopefulness and possibilities of Christ's nature, Dominguez opens the possibilities of a collective reflection, repentance and restoration of what Jesus intended.

Each chapter starts with a quote, a verse and a story or observation on how things are. And it ends with reflections in meditations, questions, and scripture. Well worth picking up. Because the concepts are worth pursuing wherever God has placed you in this world of hurt and hopelessness.

Be the body! I'm recommending this for spiritual formation, ministry leadership, and ministry team members - so that through you will flow living water as you reach and teach others in the same.

Cypria by Alex Christofi

★★★★★  The publisher provided a copy for review. 
All I knew about Cyprus was the passages of scripture that mention it. Then I picked up this book ... oh my.

Christofi swirls you through the history pages, narrow streets, and conflicts of a small island. Crucial throughout the human story, Cyprus is place just far enough away to require an effort but so close that it is worth fighting for.

Descriptive and well-researched, it's a worthy addition to books about the region. The photos are a bonus. If you are a history buff, if you have Mediterranean roots, or if you just like a good tale, this will be a joy to read.