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Book Review – Kingdom’s Dawn by Chuck Black

Kingdom's Dawn by Chuck BlackA few weeks ago, my wife and I had the opportunity to attend the Florida Homeschool Convention. It was a great convention, with lots of incredible workshops and great resources. While we were there, we took a walk through the vendor’s area (actually, we took several walks through there…). My son was drawn to one particular table, holding a display of books… and swords.

My kids looked at the swords, I looked at the books, but we didn’t buy either. we had just moved to Florida, and extra funds were simply non-existent at the moment. As we browsed, though, I struck up a conversation with the guy behind the table, Chuck Black, author of Kingdom’s Dawn, and several other books.

A year ago, I read and reviewed Sir Rowan And The Camerian Conquest, the fifth book in Black’s Knights Of Arrethtrae series. That series is the follow-up series to The Kingdom series, of which Kingdom’s Dawn is the first. Chuck handed me Kingdom’s Dawn, asking if I would do the same again.

As Chuck and I talked, explained to me that The Kingdom series, and Kingdom’s Dawn, is written as an allegorical series of novels, attempting to capture the incredible story of the Bible. Kingdom’s Dawn covers the book of Genesis, describing Leinad’s adventures through life, including hearing about Creation, experiencing Noah’s Flood, and living through the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.

Black has done an excellent job of capturing the essence of these stories, and inserting them into a storyline that captivates the minds of young boys. This is a series of books that I will be completely comfortable allowing my son to read, as he strives to understand the Bible, his faith, and his role in this world.

Chuck Black has developed and incredible resource with these books. The rest of the series will soon join them on my shelf. If you have younger children, especially boys, you should pick one up. It will be worth the cost, and whether your kids read it on their own, or you read it to them, it will be time well spent.

I really enjoyed this book. It brought me back to my childhood, when knights and swords were commonplace in my dreams. And this weekend, I plan to begin reading it chapter by chapter to my boys. And in the process, teach them a little bit more of what it means to be a man, with such qualities as chivalry, compassion and faith.

And it will be fun as we do it.

What resources have you enjoyed reading to your kids? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading Kingdom’s Dawn, the first book in The Kingdom Series, by Chuck Black, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Chuck Black, the author, to read and review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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6 Ways To Eliminate Complaining

Do you want to know what I really hate?

Hearing complainers.

Hearing someone complain just might be the number one thing on my list of pet peeves.

That includes my children complaining about doing their school work or chores, the guy at the bank who complains about having to wait in line too long, and everything in between.

Complaining Child

Imagine my horror when I realized this morning that I have been in a season of life where I have been complaining a lot. Too much.

You know that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you realize you’ve done something bad, and there isn’t a thing you can do about it?

That’s the feeling I had this morning as I read Philippians 2.

Sure, I’ve read it before… dozens of times, if not more. But, for some reason, it really stood out to me this time around.

Here’s the passage that impacted me so forcefully, Philippians 2:14-16a, in the NIV:

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.

That was a pretty intense wake-up call. Because, as I read that over a couple more times, instances of complaining started flashing through my head from the past few days:

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Memorize Scripture – Week 29

I love the classic Bible stories.

You know, the ones everyone learned in Wee Worship as a little kid.

This week’s passage comes from one of those classic stories, the one where Samuel selects David as king over Saul.

And as familiar as we might be with it, there is an important truth hidden in it.

Take a look at the verse for this week. It’s 1 Samuel 16:7:

1 Samuel 16:7

Saul was selected as king for the nation of Israel when they complained that they weren’t like the other nations, when they rejected God as their king.

Saul looked like a king. He was tall and commanding. People automatically looked to him because of his stature.

Not so with David. He was small, young, and, well, normal looking.

David wasn’t someone anyone would associate with kingship, at least not at first blush.

And yet, he turned out to be Israel’s greatest leader.

The reason for this is because God knows what’s in the heart of a person. We tend to look at the externals; but God sees the internal. God looks at the heart.

As a result, this week’s passage should challenge us to not judge the book by its cover, or the people we see by just what we see.

Because we can’t see their heart.

How can you refrain from judging by external appearances? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Memorize Scripture – Week 28

Sometimes, what we need to hear comes in the simplest form…

Recently, we moved from Missouri to Florida. It was a big move, and a big change.

It was scary.

We needed this weeks passage. Take a look at Psalm 56:3:

Psalm 56:3

There isn’t anything really deep to this. Nothing with giant theological ramifications.

Just simple faith.

When fear strikes, trust.

It’s really is that simple.

What fears are you facing right now? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Book review – Fearless by Eric Blehm

FearlessBiographies have been a solid staple of my reading diet for the past few months. Looking deep into the lives of great people is educational, inspiring, and helps me become more of the person that I’m created to be. For most of my life, I dreaded reading the biographies that was assigned to read, or given by friends and families. But recently, I have discovered that learning from the lives of others has incredible benefits for my life.

Last night, in tears, I finished Fearless, a biographical work on the life of Navy SEAL Adam Brown. But the term “biographical” doesn’t describe what this book really is. Fearless is a book about a man, displaying his failures as well as his successes, his patriotism, his courage, his love for his family and for his God. Fearless is better described as “inspirational”, “motivational”, and “life-changing”.

Fearless is the story of Adam Brown, a home-grown boy from Hot Springs, Arkansas. The story details his life and activities as a child and teenager, his descent into drug abuse after high school, and his climb out of that pit into the elite world of specialized Navy warfare as a member of Navy SEAL Team SIX.

Fearless is inspirational. Reading this story will encourage you to higher levels of love and service, for your family, your friends, your country. The life of Adam Brown will inspire you to love more, like Christ did.

Fearless is motivational. As you read of the injuries, the challenges, the setbacks, that Adam Brown overcame, you’ll quickly feel the confidence that you can achieve your dreams as well.

Fearless is life-changing. Very rarely do I tear up when I read a good story. Even more rarely do I cry. Fearless brought me to that point. In the life of Adam Brown, we see a man who loved everyone. His passion for his wife and children was overwhelming. His comradeship with his fellow teammates was deep and enduring. His compassion for the poor and oppressed Afghan children was incredible. And his desire to live for his Savior was awe-inspiring.

Adam Brown was living proof that “with God, all things are possible.” He lived his faith for all to see.

Fearless was so captivating that it was difficult to put it down, even though I knew how it had to end. In the act of protecting his fellow Navy SEALs, and American freedom, Adam Brown gave the ultimate sacrifice. And his story is well worth reading.

Do you read biographies? What is your favorite? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading Fearless, by Eric Blehm, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Multnomah Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“