Across the Great Divide

As a kid, I vaguely remember watching a movie called Across the Great Divide. I don’t remember a ton of details – essentially two orphan kids have to get across the Rocky Mountains and to the West Coast to get their inheritance. In the process, they meet up with… and end up partnering with… a con man which ends up being key to reaching their goal.

The title of the movie has an obvious meaning. Those orphans had to cross the Continental, or Great, Divide – a hydrological boundary that runs from the Bering Strait in Alaska to the Strait of Magellan, at the tip of South America. This line divides two great watersheds. To the east of the divide, all water drains, ultimately, into the Atlantic Ocean. To the west, it courses to the Pacific.

There is, however, another more symbolic meaning to those words. The Great Divide was not just that place where geologically, water flow separated. It was also the converse – it was the place where, for a moment, those ultimately heading in very different directions actually met. Thus, metaphorically, what could be seen by some only as only a source of division could, conceivably, also become a summit meeting place, a place for conversation and dialogue, a place for challenge, growth and change...

Within Christianity, there are a number of these “great divides,” and missions is no different....

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To read the rest, join me at a life overseas: the missions conversation, where I'm posting today!

Lately I've been reading about "picking up strippers... and... serving people just as they are."

That's a pretty a astonishing statement.

That's because that was the topic of the latest book I picked to review.

And since I know you are already thinking the question... 

I'll go ahead and answer it.

Yes.

I ABSOLUTELY picked this book because I was intrigued by the outrageous title... the provocative line drawing of high heeled shoes on the cover... the splash of scarlet on an otherwise gray scale cover.

After all, books with stripper in the title are not often on the shelves at your local Christian bookstore - be those virtual shelves or real (and heavy) wooden ones.

I was intrigued. Wouldn't you have been?

How to Pick up a Stripper and Other Acts of Kindness, by Todd and Erin Stevens, was challenging, refreshing and just downright fun to read. In fact, I read several chapters aloud to my husband as we were traveling last weekend. Todd pastors Friendship Community Church in Nashville, TN, and a key focus of their church is servant evangelism. Basically, what that means is that meeting needs, serving others, and spreading kindness - no strings attached - is evangelistic in nature when the goal is sharing God's love to others. This approach recognizes that spiritual growth (which most followers of Jesus recognize as a process after salvation) is also a process prior to salvation and our goal should always be encouraging people to move one step closer to knowing Jesus. One of their goals, as a church is to "aim love outward... to love [their] community in such a way that if [they] closed the doors tomorrow and ceased to exist as a church, then even the people who had never visited us on a Sunday would miss us terribly... [which] will only happen if [they] demonstrate love for [others] at a level they have never before experienced and would have never expected."

One of the outworkings of that philosophy (and the inspiration for the title of the book) led to Erin Stevens (Todd's wife) deciding to serve - extravagantly - those who worked at one of the strip clubs in town. Servant evangelism isn't their only push, however, in their desire to meet people where they are. They also encourage what they've labeled as kindness evangelism and Good Samaritan outreach. The ultimate goal is always to connect with people in a relevant way and to encourage them to make even the tiniest steps towards knowing God.

Hands down, this is one of the best books I've read on community outreach and serving those all around us. I don't know if I say that because it resonates with a direction I've been compelled to move in recent months or if it has challenged me even more to actively be a servant evangelist, but either way, I highly recommend this book. 

Let me know if you are interested in reading this one!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Are you a "nogwogist?" Would you want to be?

Most who know me know that I'm a special education teacher. I've written several transition plans to help young people move successfully from secondary school into a post secondary school setting, and I care about equal access - not just to education but to life opportunities - for individuals with disabilities.

When I saw this book, I knew I HAD to read it...

The subtitle on the cover of No Greatness without Goodness, by Randy Lewis, pretty well sums it up. The book is all about "how a father's love changed a company and sparked a movement." When Randy and his wife's son Austin received a diagnosis of autism, life changed... drastically. As Randy started considering the future... the next moments... next weeks... next years... next days of life for his son, he decided to do something that would benefit not just his son, but many - and perhaps by example, all - individuals with disabilities. He wanted his son to someday have the security of a job. As the senior executive in Walgreen's, responsible for the functioning of the distribution centers of one of the largest and fastest growing pharmaceutical retailers in the United States, Randy set as his goal the creation of an inclusive workplace where those with disabilities would be employed under the same conditions, held to the same standards, for equal pay and with equal benefits - as their typically abled counterparts.

Not only is the story an authentic glimpse into life with a child like Austin, it is an encouraging and challenging one. The chapters are short and each one has a key point Mr. Lewis wants to make. He succeeds. As I finished the book, I realized that I'd dog-eared at least 20 plus pages where there were quotes, short stories, examples... something I wanted to go back and reread, write down, think on further, etc.

Some of those things I dog-eared?

• "Look deeper, even into troubles. There is gold to be found everywhere." (p. 27)
• "Principles are only the starting point. If you want to make a difference in the world, you need to act on what you believe." (p. 50)
• "The willingness to fail is the first step toward success." (p. 61) 
• "Compassion stirs us to remove the pain of the world. Justice stirs us to remove its cause." (p. 69)
• "It's time to ask yourself, 'If we can't, who can? Who else will make greatness and goodness rhyme?'" (p. 81) 
• "When people say 'best practice,' think best practice so far. If no one has ever done something before, that's an opportunity, not a stop sign." (p. 87)
• "Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood." - a quote of the 19th century architect Daniel Burnham (p. 97)
• Competence is like money that keeps earning interest. One day you can cash it in for an even bigger prize." (p. 103) 
• "We were no longer strangers doing a job; we were men and women coming together to do something important... Use every opportunity to help others see meaning in their work. They will be transformed from bricklayers to cathedral builders." (pp. 104,105)
• "Leaders must work consciously, constantly, and conspicuously to drive out fear... It stands in the way of greatness." (pp. 112,113)
• "We can delegate authority but not responsibility." (p. 124)
• "...many of the scenarios we imagine with dread never happen.... There were problems that we didn't anticipate, of course.... Uncertainty makes people jittery. The best question someone brought up at one of our planning meetings was 'What about the problems we haven't thought of?' I assured everyone that unforeseen problems weren't just a possibility but a certainty and that we would address those occasions as they came up.... We were doing something new, with few precedents to guide us. This meant that we would have to deal with uncertainty and depend on discovery along the way. It was more like blazing a new trail than like making the morning commute. Innovation is a journey, not a commute." (pp 126,127)
• "Doubt and inertia are the status quo's best friends. They always say no to change, risk and innovation." p. 132
• "Don't let the prospect of difficulty stand in the way of the grand possibility." (p. 135)
• "Forget about losing face. Worry about what will happen if you don't have the courage to keep going." (p. 141)
• "[Call] disabilities 'positive distractions' ...[Give] people the freedom to be themselves, with no need to hid their disabilities." (p. 181,182)
• "The workers at Habitat were men and women with obvious challenges. There was no hiding here. And there was no shame... here a disability was just a distraction from the typical, not a flaw in the person's humanity. Brokenness was not a source of shame, nor were gifts a source of pride. There was no 'worthiness' test." (p. 183)
• "There is no 'them'; there is just 'us.' Making that idea a reality changes the workplace. And the world." (p. 184) 
• "Set a clear and elevating goal that inspires and challenges. Focus on what can be, not on what can go wrong." (p. 189) 
• "It takes longer than you think to overcome history. Cultural change does not happen overnight; it requires years of reinforcement and constant attention. As every athlete knows, it takes more effort to stay in shape than it does to get in shape." (p. 193)
• "Greatness is proprietary, but goodness can be shared without being diminished." (p. 197) 
• "Greatness requires continuous energy to maintain and stands at a single point in time. Acts of goodness, in contrast, have a life and energy of their own and touch others in unpredictable ways." (p. 206)
• "As exhilarating as your own success is, it doesn't compare with the joy of helping others succeed. Everybody wins."

There are even more quote worthy phrases and sentences all throughout the book. This book is so much more than the dry story of the steps Walgreen's took to create an inclusive work environment. It is a gentle but exciting exhortation in the importance of seeing individual people, not objectives... a charismatic challenge to begin making changes, even when uncomfortable, for the benefit of those who've not received benefit before... a resounding reminder that there really is no greatness without goodness.

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Are you a nogwogist?

A nogwogist is someone who believes that:

1. no achievement can be considered great if detrimental to the common good
2. a leadership philosophy which seeks to maximize the benefit of all who are impacted by its decisions; ethical leadership; selfless leadership: it is about us not me.
3. a belief that it is possible and desirable seek to reconcile the disparate facets of our lives and embrace the best of all: e.g., achieve excellence, do rewarding work, make a difference and leave the world a better place; to be one person at home and the same person at work; combine good business and good citizenship; do well and do good.

Do you want to be? If so, how will you go about it?

photo credit: John C Abell via photopin cc

When things are terrifying and not at all what they seem

Brendan is still working on his driver's license.

But he also had to get to Saginaw Valley for the day transfer students take any required tests, meet with an academic adviser and register for classes, AND talk to the people that tell you when your first bill or payment is due.

That left me with several hours to occupy while hanging around Saginaw. Since the mall is literally just down the road, that might be an obvious solution.

But, W. Africa kinda killed that for me... It isn't really a pleasurable experience - even when I'm alone and can just wander - any more... 

Still, I drove there looking for a Barnes and Noble because bookstores and libraries are the kind of places I thoroughly enjoy and they are often found in malls.

Not so the case.

Thankfully, Target was just across the street. I knew I wanted to get something to drink and a snack, had a few things that I needed to pick up from Target as well, and figured I could find a book there to read. That's three birds with one stone!

Minutes later, I was wandering through Target, looking for their book section.

THIS is the book I picked up.

It was a mesmerizing read.

Susannah Cahalan was an up and coming writer for the Washington Post when for reasons still not understood, she lost her mind.

She descended into what she's called her "Month of Madness," becoming a totally different person. Hallucinations, seizures, discussions about extreme fatigue, schizophrenia, OCD, mental illness, withdrawal from alcohol dependence and finally an auto-immune form of encephalitis... She only has vague memories from that month but her family, her boyfriend, some of her co-workers, her doctors and other medical professionals,journals... and video tapes from her hospital stay... have helped her reconstruct some of that time.

Seizures landed her in an epileptic ward where her parents pushed and her doctors doggedly pursued an explanation for what was happening to her.

Susannah hopes that by sharing her story, others walking a similar path might be able to get the kind of help that gave her the second chance at life... that she almost missed because even though she was clearly totally not the person she had been weeks before, none of the standard tests run by the medical profession could identify a problem.

What could be more terrifying than that. To see with your very eyes that your child is not the person she was... and to have the doctors say, "But there's nothing wrong?"

One of the key things researchers have learned as they've continued to study this disease and other similar phenomena?

Sometimes people who've ended in psychiatric wards, with diagnoses of autism, schizophrenia, multiple personalities... and other terrifying diagnoses... could actually have had a neurological issue that needs to be treated with medications - just as was Susannah's case.

Coming from a family where that rather vague diagnosis of encephalitis has, in the past, reared its ugly head, I found this to be both a worthwhile, informative and fascinating read.

I've even heard rumors of a movie in the works... but I don't know if I'd be able to watch that!

And, if you'd like to hear Susannah Cahalan briefly share about her experience, be sure and check out this video.

One warning - there is some strong language at points in the book, so please be prepared if you decide to read it.

Summer Serendipity Found in a Winter Novella

Books! It's one of the things I LOVE about summer! My kids sit around reading books... Two discovered all my Nancy Drew mysteries from way back when and are almost through the entire series. Another has discovered Father Tim! But one of the best perks of all this reading going on is that I have more time to relax with a good book as well. 

A few years back, I began participating in a couple of the different blogger reading programs where I'm given a book from one of the publishing companies in exchange for posting a review on my blog as well copying, pasting and publishing the same review at one of the online bookstores. 

My most recent read is Evergreen, by Susan May Warren. It is a novella... so it was a super quick read. I think I finished it in an hour and one-half in one afternoon. John and Ingrid Christiansen are about to embark on their first holiday season as official empty-nesters. John wants to surprise his wife with the trip of a lifetime, a celebration of this new phase of life and the opportunity to really invest in each other and their marriage once again. Ingrid, however, is grieving the many changes and nursing an angry, bitter spirit. John notices his wife's sadness, but figures that this trip will fix it, just as he's always been able to fix everything in the past. If only life were that simple...

A series of unexpected happenings, including beginning a relationship with the nephew they didn't even know existed, brings old hurts to the forefront of their relationship and they both realize that their marriage is balancing, but only just so... and doing so precariously at that. Ingrid ends up, at the last minute, playing the character of Mary in a living Nativity scene sponsored by her community... and as she does so, she can't escape this thought: "Maybe, however, you're Mary, and God is simply asking you to be willing to say yes to whatever He asks."

It was, for me, a poignant read with a real life lesson... on many levels.

Although I don't typically enjoy "romance" novels, I do like stories about people who seem real enough that I can identify with them. I could, with the characters in this story... This novella is part of the larger (and still unfinished) Christiansen family series. I believe each book is supposed to be a stand alone work. But that was the only annoying part of this novella, from my perspective. The necessary "background" info to help make sense of the story, information that has been covered already in previous books, didn't integrate super well, which made the book a little hard to really get into reading... at first. Thankfully, that didn't last for long.

If you are looking for a quick but not completely light summer read, especially on a sticky summer day when nothing sounds better than the cool of winter, I'd definitely recommend this one.

According to guidelines from Federal Trade Commission, I received a complimentary copy of this book through Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

photo credit: HAMED MASOUMI via photopin cc

Book Review ~ Preparing Your Teen for College ~

I wanted to read this book, for obvious reasons. I've one who, at the time I received the book, was completing his freshman year and then we've got seven more in line who will, most likely, someday be entering this world of post-secondary school education. My husband and I had already discovered that the struggles our son was experiencing and the ones we'd expected didn't always overlap, and I was hoping this book could give some insight.

I can't say that Preparing Your Teens for College by Alex Chediak did that, exactly. Rather, what it did do was reassure me that there isn't a formula where you punch in some values to replace some variables and the outcome is a nice, neat and tidy equation that is easily solvable. Raising kids is a learning experience - for both child and parent - and I think key to successful navigation of this time period is recognizing that success is movement towards a goal, even if the goal itself is not immediately achieved.

It is different from other materials out there that talk about getting kids ready for college. Many of those focus on things like making sure your child knows how to do his/her laundry, preventing unwanted pregnancy or disease, ways to ensure academic success or developing a plan for avoiding the dreaded freshman fifteen... This book is different. It is set up as a guide for a series of conversations... discussions, if you will... that need to occur between parents and fledgling son or daughter about ready to fly the nest. Eleven conversations structured around things like character, faith, relationships, finances, academics, the college decision are the meat of this text and one idea that is clearly driven home in this book is that "thriving at college begins in the home" as well as in confident and comfortable relationships between parent and child where hard things can be discussed and challenged and even disagreed. For me, one of the most encouraging results of reading this book was not as a "guide" for what we need to do with the rest of the kids, but rather a confirmation that the hard talks we were already having, whether they fit into these specific categories or not, were important and had us on a good track. 

At the same time, I think it is also key to remember that just having these conversations and feeling comfortable with the outcome of them, while a possible predictor of a young person's success at college, does not guarantee a parent's desired outcome...

As I reflect back on my son's first year of college, there were moments of great encouragement where I could see that he was getting it, was learning some hard lessons and was growing as a result. There were other moments where I was tempted to panic and wondered if we might be losing our boy. In the end, I keep turning back to the fact that we've got a great relationship with him, I think he genuinely loves and respects us as well as values our input, but that he is becoming his own man and that we need to trust God and His Spirit to continue shaping, molding and growing our boy - just as He already has.

This book is definitely worth the time investment as long as readers don't expect a formula for guaranteed success.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Tyndale's book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. 

All the pieces were there, but...

...this book just didn't work.

I was intrigued. I wanted it to work. I really tried to like this book. The topics broached were fascinating, challenging ones. I really liked some of the characters.

But...

...it just didn't work.

Veil of Secrets, a cooperative effort by Shannon Ethridge and Kathryn Mackel, strives to immerse its reader into the soap opera of the political campaign world, imagining what that might look like when the players are followers of Jesus as well as the challenges and very real struggles they might face.

There are several key characters, and that may have been the book's downfall. I wanted to know more about them, wanted them to come alive and become real people and not just two dimensional curiosities on the page. Yet that never happened. I was never clear if Melanie (the wife) or Carrie (the sister) was the key protagonist and was always left feeling slightly cheated, as a reader, that neither story was explored to the depth it could have been. The "terrorist threat" was cheesy and did not connect well with the other elements of the story. It wasn't even truly frightening. Most of the characters seemed more self-absorbed than truly interested in their worlds or those around them - and this was supposed to be in the context of a Christian campaign center. With the exception of Carrie, my favorite characters were ones the authors barely touched on - the therapist and the coordinator of the MoveIn protesters.

My husband asked me about the book after I put it down and my comment was something like: "All the pieces seemed to be there, but woven together, the resulting tapestry had huge gaps and thin places. Perhaps if the authors had made a longer book... or a series... with the time to truly look at the many issues they introduced, the book might have been a more satisfying read." 

It's just my opinion, but if you are considering this book, I'd have to say, "Don't bother..."

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. 

“You don’t have to find out you’re dying to start living…” ~ Zach Sobiech

There are a probably as many ways to say goodbye as there are people actually bidding those farewells. It's an experience that is as universal as death. Death... the ultimate goodbye.

Fly a Little Higher, by Laura Sobiech chronicles the story of her son, Zach, and their family, after receiving the news that Zach has osteosarcoma. At first, hopes are high that Zach, with the help of his doctors and the support of his family and friends, will beat the disease. Cure rates tend to hover around 70%. But when the disease came back, first attacking his lungs and then spreading from his hip (the original site) to his pelvis, Zach and his family confronted the reality that in the remaining six to 12 months God had gifted them, they needed to live in the moment, for the moment, intentionally, doing things that really counted... particularly investing in people by using the talents God had given them to bring hope, courage and healing to others. And according to his mother, Zach really is the one who leads this crusade.

He is challenged by his mother to write letters, saying goodbye to those who love him... to those who he loved. Only instead of letters, Zach wrote songs. That's why our family knows about him. My kids and teens are among the millions who've listened to his most well-known song, Clouds. My children weren't saying goodbye to a dying friend - but when this song began making internet waves, it certainly spoke to their hearts as they were saying many permanent goodbyes to friends and precious people from our 15 years in W. Africa.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, reading with laughter and through tears. Zach's girlfriend, Amy, intrigued me. She seemed to be a wonderful young woman who loved Zach with her whole heart, as painful and costly as it was. I hope and pray my own girls would demonstrate this same sort of faithful friendship, love and strength.

Zach's raw lyrics that capture the frustration, fear and and sad brokenness that overwhelms after receiving a terminal diagnosis; yet there's still a tender hopeful quality, a confidence of more to come exuding from the music itself that leaves the listener looking up and forward. 

Well I fell down, down, down

Into this dark and lonely hole

There was no one there to care about me anymore

And I needed a way to climb and grab a hold of the edge

You were sitting there holding a rope.

And we'll go up, up, up

But I'll fly a little higher

We'll go up in the clouds because the view is a little nicer

Up here my dear

It won't be long now, it won't be long now.

When I get back on land

Well I'll never get my chance

Be ready to live and it'll be ripped right out of my hands

Maybe someday we'll take a little ride

We'll go up, up, up and everything will be just fine.

And we'll go up, up, up

But I'll fly a little higher

We'll go up in the clouds because the view is a little nicer

Up here my dear.

It won't be long now, it won't be long now

If only I had a little bit more time

If only I had a little bit more time with you.

We could go up, up, up

And take that little ride

And sit there holding hands

And everything would be just right

And maybe someday I'll see you again

We'll float up in the clouds and we'll never see the end.

And we'll go up, up, up

But I'll fly a little higher

We'll go up in the clouds because the view is a little nicer

Up here my dear

It won't be long now, it won't be long now.

The song is certainly a beautiful legacy. 

The greater legacy, what is more remarkable, is how by dying well, Zach not only encouraged but taught so many to live today well.

This review was published as a part of Book Look Bloggers Review program. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for reviewing it. All opinions expressed are my own.

Recently read a bible study on Hebrews, called Enduring Faith ~

This is one I've been waiting to read for a long time.

The author is a long time friend - in fact she's been like a big sister to me ever since my college years at Penn State.

I can't remember the first time exactly we spoke or corresponded about the idea of writing a Bible study on the book of Hebrews, but I've known she wanted to write this and that she has been working on it amid the busyness of life, for quite a time.

Thus, as soon as I saw Nivine's request for proofreaders, I signed up.

This Bible study, Enduring Faith, doesn't disappoint.

Based on my memory of our conversations, she was frustrated with Bible studies that never provoked readers to genuinely, deeply interact with the Biblical text. Therefore, her goal was to write a study 

• that challenged and helped readers dig into the "meat" of Scripture - consistently - yet do so without becoming burdensome;
• that encouraged thinking through challenging and sometimes confrontational questions;
• that required prayerful consideration of God's Word... its relevance not just today but for each day to come; and
• that promoted meaningful and real application of those relevant truths in lives.

It doesn't surprise me that Nivine would write such a study. I've seen her live this. 

She saw a younger sister struggling very unsuccessfully to live as a Jesus follower in the secular paganism and party-ism of a university environment. She gently but unabashedly confronted the hypocrisy between that girl's life and words, challenged her with God's Word to walk differently... and then faithfully and graciously encouraged her to begin again... resubmitting my life to God. And yeah, in case you hadn't figured it out, I was that girl. The Lord used her in the past to remind me that "...even if *our* faith fails, He remains true--He cannot prove false to Himself." (2 Timothy 2.13, WNT)

Today, her book, Enduring Faith, is released. And just as she succeeded in challenging me and helping me to change years ago, I think she has succeeded in achieving all of the above with this study.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this study was a continual focus on the fact that regardless of what this world throws at me, when I see Jesus for Who He is and all of the amazing, miraculous that He accomplished, I can trust Him. Seeing Him, keeping my eyes on Him and all that means empowers a faith that endures.

I'm not one of those folks who reads and rereads books - except for a select few. This book has qualified for that exclusive group: I'm already looking forward to diving back into this study and digging deep later this summer. 

Look carefully ~ Nivine was a part of our wedding party.
So thankful for her friendship then - even more so now!

Disclaimer - Nivine has asked for people to review her book. That is not, however, why I'm writing... I've been hoping to write this post for a few years now... and I had already written this up, prior to receiving her request. I did receive a copy of the book to proof read.

This one caught me by surprise ~ pleasantly so...

I like legal dramas... Grisham is one of my favorite authors and I totally did not expect this book, Water's Edge by Robert Whitlow, to live up to that sort of expectation. But it did.

Part of the reason was I started the book while still living overseas. Then life in W. Africa happened: a war next door started, internet died, hot season and tons of power outages exhausted, a kid graduated, we moved internationally, I dove back into that phenomenon of worse culture shock coming home than going there...

So I started the book, stopped when life happened - and couldn't get back into it because I couldn't find where I'd left off and was having a hard time wading through the vague familiarity of having already read the first several chapters. It finally took knowing that my review deadline date (or else I'd lose my status as a book reviewer) was rapidly approaching to motivate me to just sit down and read the book.

I'm so glad I did... and thinking I'm gonna go find another one of his action/suspense legal dramas and check it out. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Tom Crane, an up and coming lawyer living the good life in the big city loses his dad, his job and his girl in relatively quick succession. Then, while back in the small town where he grew up attempting to close up and tie up all the loose ends from his father's law practice, he runs into curious circumstances: a mysterious trust fund without clear documentation, unexplained details concerning his father's accidental drowning while out fishing with a friend, an unexpected friend in the daughter of that other man who also died in the accident, an eccentric spiritual warrior uncle, uncomfortable situations with trusted and long time family friends... and last but not least, an unforeseen and lifechangingly powerful intimate encounter with God.

Tom Crane thinks he gets it all figured out and is ready to move on, ready for the next step accepting a great job offer from another big law firm in the big city. I was all set for the "drama" to predictably settle and for the last bit of the book to turn into a sappy Christian romance...

We were both surprised and survived! The last quarter of the book was much better than just good! I'm so glad that I stuck with it and finished this definite 4 star read!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. 

BOOK REVIEW: If you love Africa and African missionary adventures - be sure and check this one out!

As an expat who lived and worked in Africa, I was hooked from the moment I read...

But you rejected our visas before you even knew we’d originated in Kenya! Robin didn’t dare introduce logic audibly into this proceeding. Recent years had taught her only too well the lessons of dealing with Third World bureaucracy. Never argue injustice. Never look a uniform in the eye. Grovel humbly and smilingly. Above all, let small-minded, petty officials , especially those carrying automatic weapons, feel as big and powerful and important as necessary to get the job done! (p. 9)

Needless to say, I literally devoured, overnight, the book Congo Dawn by Jeanette Windle.

Robin Duncan, former marine and TCK (third-culture kid), is thoroughly disillusioned with God, life and romance thanks to a former almost boyfriend, and she has just taken on a translating/security job with a private mining firm heading into the Ituri region of the Congo. While not necessarily excited about the opportunity, she felt qualified, believed she'd be helping the struggling economy of the region and was herself anticipating the promised and rather large financial recompense for completion of the mission. Her arrival in Congo, however, sets off a series of complicated, dangerous and life-changing events that she never could have anticipated, beginning with the intrusion/rescue of that almost former boyfriend as she's doing her translating job and trying to secure entry into the country.

The people she meets, the questions she is forced to ask herself (and others) and then the corresponding answers she uncovers in the rain forest and in her own heart - provide readers with an exciting and heart-challenging African adventure.

I highly recommend this quick, although not necessarily easy, read - with one caveat. because of some of the subject matter (i.e. ethnic warfare, violence, corruption and cruelty in this part of the world), it is a book for mature readers.

Helping Hand... or Not?

Places like this freak you out. You hate the smell -- urine and antiseptic. You hate the feeling of sadness that settles over you the minute you walk through the door. But you love your grandfather, and that's why you're here. To see him -- possibly for hte last time -- before you go off for months to another country. 

You feel a little guilty, as you pass by room after room, trying not to glance through open doorways at the men and women lying there, mouths open, TVs droning in competition with one another. Your grandfather loved to travel more than just about anything. Now his travels are behind him while yours stretch ahead. You tell yourself he's happy for you and admires what you're doing. You just hope you can make him proud. 

He lies propped on the bed. His face is the color of ash and though he still has his pot belly, his arms and legs look thinner to you, depleted. He smiles when he sees you, though it only registers on one side of his face. When he takes your hand, though, his grip is strong. 

His lips are always chapped now, probably because he can't easily sip water on his own. You stopped on the way for a tube of lip balm, which you take out, remove the cap and hand to him. He can't speak, but you can see he's grateful.

He raises the tube to his lips, his hands trembling, but he can't quite get it to work. The lip balm hovers an inch above his face. He puckers his lips and tries again. Still, he can't control his hand well enough to do it. 

You feel stuck in place, numb. You want to reach out and help him, take the tube from his hands and apply the ointment to his parched lips. Its a simple thing, but you're frozen. All of your life he's been strong and independent. You don't want to take that from him. But you don't want him to suffer, either. 

You stand there, watching him struggle. You feel awkward, unable to bridge that small distance. 

He drops his hand, and the tube of lip balm rolls onto the blanket in front of him. All you have to do is pick it up, touch it to his lips. Pick it up and help him. 

What do you do? (pp 59-60)

These words are from a devotional-type book, an adaptation of an earlier book by the same author, written specifically for teen boys by Eric Greitens I guess technically, you'd call the book "inspirational"  Frankly, it is not the typical type of book I'd ever read. But it caught my eye and so I picked it up. After the fact, I'm so glad I did.

Let me start off by saying this. It ISN'T a "biblical" devotional type book. In fact, I'm pretty sure the guy who wrote would not consider himself a born again follower of Jesus - although he readily admits to praying and belief in God. But he's got some good things to say and a challenging perspective to offer - one that I would think worthwhile for most young men of today.

He shares about how the motivation behind his choice and commitment to serve in the military grew out of firsthand knowledge and experience with people who were experiencing the kindness and help from the United States... but wondering where those who had had a reputation for protecting the weak in those first moments of crisis had been during their first moments of need. At one point, speaking of the needs of displaced and refugee children (and others) in Croatia as a result of Serbian genocide, he says: "We can certainly donate money and clothing, and we can volunteer in the refugee camps. But in the end, these acts of kindness come after the fact. After people have been killed, their homes burned, their lives destroyed. Yes, the clothing, the bread, the school -- all of it helps and is very much appreciated. But I suppose we have to behave the way we would if any person -- our kids, our sisters, brothers, parents -- were threatened. If we really care about these people, we have to be willing to protect them from harm." (p. 81)

Now, I'm not an anti-military pacifist - but as of late, I've been wondering if, as a country, our military actions have been the best choice we could have made. Afghanistan... Iraq... have we actually helped or have we made things worse or does the status quo remain - those are all questions I ask and I can see the validity in arguments for all of the above. So, frankly, I really don't know. I certainly wonder if the motivations given for military action actually match up with the hidden and just as real motivations that no one will talk about.

I think that was one of the things I most loved about this book. I loved how this man chose to be a soldier, chose to place himself between and become the protector - for not just lofty ideals he believed in, but also of real people living in desperate situations during drastic times. At the end of the day, right or wrong, his courageous actions were motivated by a heart compelled towards compassionate action.

THAT is a lesson any young man... every person... needs to not only learn but to live.

If that were you, standing there next to your grandpa in the scene quoted above, how could you act with both courage and compassion?

I wonder how our world might change if we spent some time pondering that question in many, if not all, of the decisions we face on a regular basis...

But I'll let him speak for himself. Here's his conclusion:

"On the frontlines - in humanitarian crises, in wars overseas, and around some kitchen tables here at home - I'd seen that peace is more than the absence of war and that a good life entails more than the absence of suffering. A good peace, a solid peace, a peace in which communities can flourish, can only be built when we ask ourselves and each other to be more than just good, and better than just strong. And a good life, a meaningful life, a life in which we can enjoy the world and live with purpose, can only be built if we do more than live for ourselves." (p. 247)

Can Failure Really Become Common Ground?

Recently, I've been reading a lot of young adult fiction... partly because I find I often enjoy that particular genre of literature that doesn't seem to be purely entertainment but also willing to ask good and real questions that don't always have clear and easy answers... and partly because I like to know what my kiddos are reading.

And so, in recent weeks, I read the Divergent Trilogy.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Here are a few quotable quotes... 

I found some wallpapers on line with some of the quality quotes that I'd notes. (In other words, I'm not responsible for any spelling errors.)

So what's the trilogy all about?

Set sometime in a future Chicago, society has divided into five (well, technically six, but more about that in a minute) factions or groups: Candor, Amity, Abnegation, Erudite and Dauntless. Each faction is characterized by a particular trait. You can probably figure out the respective traits by thinking about (or looking up in a dictionary if you need to) the meaning of their respective names. As teens approach adulthood, they are given a test to help them determine their primary trait. With that knowledge, each one then chooses whether they will remain in their family faction - where they've spent their entire life up to this point - or if they will choose a different faction based on the results of their test. Then, as "candidates" for their chosen faction, they go through a period of qualification/initiation: they train for some final "test" at which point they are then welcomed into their faction. Those who do not pass their qualification test become part of that sixth group - identified as factionless and they are the outcasts of society.

The lead character discovers during her test that she does not have a predominant trait... she is what they call divergent, and would be in great danger if the powers that be were to discover this about her...

What should she do?

The choices she makes, the people in her life, the questions with which she wrestles, and the circumstances she lives ARE the story of the trilogy.

The lessons she learns and the person she becomes are worth thinking about.

I also believe these books fit the criteria outlined in Philippians 4 as far as the thoughts with which we are to fill our minds - although a certain level of maturity is necessary to read them. I've encouraged my thirteen and older to read the trilogy; my 11 year old has only been allowed to read the first book.

My favorite book of the series, however, was the second one, Insurgent, probably because it is in this book that I feel readers see the main character grow and change the most.

Here's my favorite quote ~

 (p. 409-410, Insurgent, by Veronica Roth)

I love the truth of this quote. We are all unique and different, with different strengths and talents and abilities. But one thing we have in common is failure. Everyone fails. And everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow and become someone new as a result of those failures... and when we recognize, confess and move on, allowing our failures to unite us and to spur us on to something better, something powerful happens. That is a large part of the story of this book... 

Have you read this series? If so, how did you feel about the trilogy? What most challenged or most disturbed you about these books?

If you've not yet read the series - do you think you will? What about your young adults? Will you encourage them to read? Why or why not?

Top Ten (ummmm make that thirteen) Reads (for me) of 2013

13. Unwholly

Rife with action and suspense, this riveting companion to the perennially popular Unwind challenges assumptions about where life begins and ends—and what it means to live.

The first book in this series, Unwind, made my list of top ten reads last year as well.

12. Sweepers

The U.S. Navy made him the ultimate killer. Now they can't stop him...  

It begins with a routine police investigation. A beautiful woman is dead. A detective needs answers. And a newly appointed Pentagon admiral is scrambling for his career and for his life. Suddenly, the inner ring of the Pentagon is being rocked by a living nightmare: a Sweeper-a trained covert assassin, an ex-SEAL scarred by one horrific episode in Vietnam-has gone rogue. And his killing has just begun... 

With a searing insider's view of Pentagon politics, retired Navy captain P.T. Deutermann writes military suspense worthy of Tom Clancy and Nelson DeMile. Now, in his electrifying new novel, a powerful ex-Marine and a courageous woman face a kill zone: of deception, ambition, and sweeping revenge...

11. The Lord of Opium

As the teenage ruler of his own country, Matt must cope with clones and cartels in this riveting sequel to the modern classic House of the Scorpion, winner of the National Book Award, a Newbery Honor, and a Printz Honor.

10. Hard Face Moon

On November 29, 1864, a village of Cheyenne and Arapaho encamped along Sand Creek in the southeastern Colorado Territory was attacked by Colorado Territory militia under the command of Colonel John Chivington. An estimated 150 to 200 Native Americans were killed, nearly all of them elderly men, women, and children. 

Nancy Oswald, author of the acclaimed young adult novel Nothing Here But Stones, uses the horrific events at Sand Creek as a shattering climax for the story of Hides Inside, a young Cheyenne unable to speak and struggling to gain acceptance as he grows to manhood and seeks to become a warrior.

9. Year of Biblical Womanhood

Strong-willed and independent, Rachel Held Evans couldn’t sew a button on a blouse before she embarked on a radical life experiment—a year of biblical womanhood. Intrigued by the traditionalist resurgence that led many of her friends to abandon their careers to assume traditional gender roles in the home, Evans decides to try it for herself, vowing to take all of the Bible’s instructions for women as literally as possible for a year. 

(My comments about this book, as I do not recommend it to just anyone.)

8. Exodus Road 

(And I'm one of the lucky ones who gets to call Laura "friend!")

What if you lived in a place where you knew children were being sold for sex? Would you send your husband into a brothel to find them? Living in Malaysia, Laura's husband, Matt, who was a former youth pastor, became an undercover investigator deputized by the local police. He investigated hundreds of remote brothels, back alleys, and mafia-driven red-light districts, taking their marriage on a journey into the realities of what rescue from sex trafficking really costs. Laura chronicles her personal journey, as well as the beginning of The Exodus Road-- a nonprofit coalition of investigators which has fueled hundreds of rescues from sex slavery, spans several continents, and continues to grow today. This is her honest, gripping story from the front lines which will leave you both shocked and inspired.

(I've blogged about this book here.)

7. Weary Warriors

The author speaks from her own experience as well as including many stories from interviews with Christian workers who have gone through burn-out and have recovered. The organization, writing style and illustrations (i.e. graphics) make this an easy read. The first half of the book focuses on symptoms and causes, while the second half focuses more on solutions for recovery.

(Wrote a little about this book here.)

6. The Midwife of Hope River

A remarkable new voice in American fiction enchants readers with a moving and uplifting novel that celebrates the miracle of life. In The Midwife of Hope River, first-time novelist Patricia Harmon transports us to poverty stricken Appalachia during the Great Depression years of the 1930s and introduces us to a truly unforgettable heroine. Patience Murphy, a midwife struggling against disease, poverty, and prejudice—and her own haunting past—is a strong and endearing character [who] courageously attempts to bring new light, and life, into an otherwise cruel world.

5. Sarah's Key

Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.

Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond...

(Looking forward to watching this movie!)

4. Divergent

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. 

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

3. And the Mountains Echoed

Khaled Hosseini, the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, has written a new novel about how we love, how we take care of one another, and how the choices we make resonate through generations. In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most. Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe—from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos—the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page.

2. The God Hater

A cranky, atheistic philosophy professor loves to shred the faith of incoming freshmen. He is chosen by a group of scientists to create a philosophy for a computer-generated world exactly like ours. Much to his frustration every model he introduces—from Darwinism, to Existentialism, to Relativism, to Buddhism—fails. The only way to preserve the computer world is to introduce laws from outside their system through a Law Giver. Of course this goes against everything he's ever believed, and he hates it. But even that doesn't completely work because the citizens of that world become legalists and completely miss the spirit behind the Law. The only way to save them is to create a computer character like himself to personally live and explain it. He does. So now there are two of him—the one in our world and the one in the computer world. Unfortunately a rival has introduced a virus into the computer world. Things grow worse until our computer-world professor sees the only way to save his world is to personally absorb the virus and the penalty for breaking the Law. Of course, it's clear to all, including our real-world professor, that this act of selfless love has become a reenactment of the Gospel. It is the only possible choice to save their computer world and, as he finally understands, our own.

(Reviewed this one here... after reading it based on Brendan's recommendation!)

1. The Running Dream

Jessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a car accident. She's not comforted by the news that she'll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when you live to run?

As she struggles to cope with crutches and a first cyborg-like prosthetic, Jessica feels oddly both in the spotlight and invisible. People who don't know what to say, act like she's not there. Which she could handle better if she weren't now keenly aware that she'd done the same thing herself to a girl with CP named Rosa. A girl who is going to tutor her through all the math she's missed. A girl who sees right into the heart of her.

With the support of family, friends, a coach, and her track teammates, Jessica may actually be able to run again. But that's not enough for her now. She doesn't just want to cross finish lines herself—she wants to take Rosa with her.

**************************************

Have you read any of these? What did you think?

What were some of your favorite reads from last year?

Any books you are planning to read this year?

(Please note that all book summaries were copied and pasted directly from amazon.com .)