Tag Archives: Reading

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Book Review – The Surprising Imagination Of C. S. Lewis

The Surprising Imagination Of C. S. LewisOne of my favorite authors has always been C. S. Lewis. I might offend some by saying this, but of all his books, the Narnia Chronicles are my least favorite. Many of his other works were much more meaningful to me when I read them, and continue to be so.

However, with that said, his imaginative work in all of his writings is extraordinary. In fact, his imagination was extraordinary. From his poetic writings, before he became a Christian, to his deepest theological efforts, the power of his imagination shines through all of them.

That is the focus of The Surprising Imagination Of C. S. Lewis, by Jerry Root and Mark Neal. In this book, the authors take a thorough look at all of Lewis’ writings, and examine the different forms of imagination used in each of them.

C. S. Lewis found that there are many facets to the imagination, and he made use of almost all of them in his writings. From the baptized imagination he used in Surprised by Joy, to the shared imagination found in Mere Christianity, to the penetrating imagination and the material imagination found in the Narnia stories, and more, Lewis took these different aspects of the imagination and utilized them to a tremendous extent.

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Book Review – Supernatural by Michael S. Heiser

SupernaturalFor the past few months, I have been hearing a lot of hype about a couple of new books by Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm and Supernatural. Both of these books are an examination of the unseen realty of the spiritual realm that we cannot see, but which is very real. The Unseen Realm is the more scholarly of the two works, and my review of that volume will be forthcoming.

Supernatural is a secondary effort, taking the information presented in The Unseen Realm and making it much more readable and easier to understand for the common reader. This review, while it may touch on the material presented in both books, is primarily concerned with Supernatural.

I have been hearing a lot about these books for a while now, and part of me wanted to read them, while another part of me was afraid to. While I know the reality of spiritual warfare and the realm of the unseen, it has always been an uncomfortable topic amongst the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ. It’s too… pentecostal (?) for most of our churches.

And yet this is a very real topic presented in Scripture and there is much to be learned from the pages of the Bible about the forces of good and evil that surround us, which we cannot see. And so, I went into this book with a bit of fascination, and a bit of skepticism for what I might find.

And rightly so. I was faced with thoughts and ideas that I’ve never been faced with before. And, in reading this book, I was forced to examine some of these ideas and see what I believe about them.

Supernatural gave me some insights and ideas that I have been wrestling with since I read the book, and I’m not certain about the conclusions I may reach. This book has really caused me to think, more so than anything I have read in a long while.

First, I want to address the things I found that I didn’t agree with, and then I will share the other side. And finally, I will wrap this review up with something new I am facing and dealing with.

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Book Review – The Entitlement Cure by Dr. John Townsend

The Entitlement Cure“Today we live in a culture that says, ‘Life should be easy and work well.’ This attitude, called entitlement, influences our most important institutions: family, business, church, and government. It’s devastating effects contribute to relational problems, work ethic issues, and emotional struggles. It comes down to this: People are not getting to where they want to go, because they don’t know how to do life the hard way. Entitlement keeps them from tackling challenges and finding success. There is a better way.” – Dr. John Townsend, The Entitlement Cure

One of the greatest plagues on our society in modern times is the attitude of entitlement. My wife and I have long recognized this, and are striving to eliminate this attitude from our own lives, as well as the lives of our children. But it is difficult!

The attitude of entitlement believes that I deserve certain things in my life. I deserve to be treated a certain way. I deserve to have the best.

But that is simply not true. Not at all.

Dr. John Townsend has written a new book that examines this attitude, and seeks to find a way to cure it from our lives. The Entitlement Cure examines this dangerous attitude, and suggests that when we do hard things the right way, we find out that our lives have so much more meaning.

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Book Review – A House Divided by Robert Whitlow

A House DividedI have long been a fan of legal fiction. Novels from authors such as John Grisham and Randy Singer are among my favorites.

Another favorite legal fiction writer is Robert Whitlow. One of my first experiences with Whitlow’s work was his novel, The List. After reading that, I was hooked. Since then, I have read several of Whitlow’s novels,and each is better than the last.

In his most recent book, Whitlow tells the story of a man who is on the verge of losing everything. His wife, though divorced, is dead. His son is distant, and his daughter is more than distant. It seems as if she hates her father.

Throw in the battle with alcohol, and you have a man on the brink of destruction. His one ray of hope resides in his relationship with his grandson.

When a local company is accused of environmental poisoning, and several community kids end up with cancer as a result, he is faced with the challenge of bringing justice to his town.

And in the midst of all of this, he searches for healing and restoration.

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The Sacredness Of The Word

I love words. I think I always have. Words have long been a critical part of my life.

The Written Word

As a result of this love, I also greatly enjoy the tools of the word. I love writing with fountain pens, and have a small collection of pens of all sorts, from vintage fountain pens to specialty pens, to custom made pens. And pencils are fun too. I recently was given a box of special issue Blackwing pencils. Using one of those is like what I imagine writing in Heaven will be like.

I also have a fascination with vintage typewriters. I have a couple of older ones, one from the 40s, and one from the early 60s. These are more display pieces than usable equipment, but I do write the occasional letter or note with one of them.

I journal. I carry a Moleskine journal with me at all times, and I usually have a Field Notes brand notebook or two handy as well. The Field Notes are inspired by the old farmers’ field notebooks of the last fifty years. I have several of those old notebooks as well.

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Book Review – 7 Women by Eric Metaxas

7 WomenBiographies are some of my favorite books to read these days. Often, I enjoy reading full length biographies. But sometimes, a simple snippet is enough to whet my appetite.

Such is the case with Eric Metaxas‘ new book, 7 Women. Based on the same premise as his earlier book, 7 Men, in this book, Metaxas takes a look at seven individuals, in this case women, and what made them great.

The seven women he briefly examines include Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Saint Maria of Paris, Corrie ten Boom, Rosa Parks, and Mother Teresa.

In each case, Metaxas looks at the life of these women, and strives to determine what it was that made them great. He could have included a lot of women who did great things, things that men had already accomplished, but that wasn’t his goal. These individuals were each unique in what they accomplished, regardless of gender. So what made them so great?

Each of these seven women command a chapter in the book, and each one is riveting. After reading each mini biography, I thought that Metaxas couldn’t top it in the next chapter, but he managed to make each and every entry into this book incredibly interesting. I was spell-bound through each chapter, and I will seek out more information on several of these lives in the future. My interest has been piqued.

I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of 7 Women and read about these great individuals. You will be inspired. You will be challenged. You will be encouraged. And you will enjoy it.

Question: Who are some of the lives you enjoy reading about the most? What biographies would you recommend that I read next? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

If you are interested in reading 7 Women, by Eric Metaxas, you can purchase it at Amazon.com in print or for Kindle. You can also pick up a copy of 7 Men, both in print and for Kindle as well.

I received this book free from Harper Collins Christian Publishing as part of their BookLook Bloggers review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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Book Review – Our Man In Charleston by Christopher Dickey

Our Man In CharlestonOver the past few years, biographies have become one of my favorite genres to read, especially historical biographical sketches. And, my favorite period is the history of the United States, from the earliest days up through the twentieth century.

And, right in the middle of that spread is the US Civil War.

Most of my reading of this particular portion of the US era has been focused on the westward expansion and the events surrounding that effort. I’ve read little more than an overview of the war period itself. However, that has just changed.

During the 1850s and 60s, Great Britain established a consul in the American South, in Charleston, South Carolina, with the main purpose of alleviating several laws that restricted British trade with the cotton producing southern states, especially in regards to blacks, slave or free, and the slave trade itself.

In Our Man In Charleston, Christopher Dickey goes into great detail in examining the life and times of the British consul, Robert Bunch, and the rapidly changing atmosphere in pre-war Charleston. Bunch is one of a handful of British diplomats in the US, but very quickly becomes perhaps the most critical, as he forwards crucial information across the Atlantic, and updates his government on the state of the US and, eventually, the short-lived Confederacy.