Friday, July 19, 2013

God UN-Distorted

I was not certain I wanted to read this book.  I had some ambivalence towards it, but I am glad I read the book, God Distorted, by John Bishop.  In short, Bishop seeks to help those who have had less than ideal fathers by discussing a number of perceptions and realities we've experienced with our earthly fathers and how they shape our view of God.

He writes about ~
  1. The father who was absent.
  2. The passive father.
  3. The demanding father.
  4. The enabling father.
  5. The controlling father.
  6. The abusive father.
  7. The accusing father.

After writing about this, he then contrasts these father images with positive images of God, writing about God the Father who is always with you, who is in perfect control, the God who is safe, and etc.

Finally, in the third section, Bishop attempts to get more practical and helps the reader put things together to better understand what they can do to cultivate a better relationship with God, even though their earthly father has helped skew their view of the true God.

Overall, this is a very good book and one which is helpful to read.  Bishop didn't have the idyllic life either.  His father died in a drunk driving accident when he was four years old.  As he wrote the book, his own son was in jail.  So, there is an authenticity behind much of what Bishop wrote.

At times, admittedly, it seemed a little slow, especially when reading areas which didn't necessarily apply to me, yet, I would recommend this book, as it can be a source of healing.

I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review from Waterbrook Multnomah books from bloggingforbooks.org

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Monday, July 01, 2013

Fearless and Courageous

I wasn’t sure I wanted to read this book.  I’m not fully certain why, maybe partly because I knew how it would end, I knew where the book was headed.  Yet, Fearless is an excellent book.  It’s not just a military book, it’s the story of a man, a hero, a man who was fearless with his life, willing to sacrifice for others. 

Sadly, most of the press we receive about the wars we are engaged in are negative.  While there is sadness in this book, we see Adam Brown as a valiant man who placed God first, even though he had to endure consequences from his sins and mistakes.  Brown's life was changed when he met Jesus in a grimy Arkansas jail cell.  His problems didn't go away, but his life dramatically changed.  He became a changed and different man.  He was devoted to his wife, family and his Navy SEALs team.

The author did his work.  He spoke to family and friends of Adam Brown.  We learn about the dedication Adam had in overcoming many injuries to become a SEAL.  We gain insight into the generosity Adam displayed to people wherever he went.  He even helped organize a drive in his church to send shoes to Afghan children when he learned they had to wear open sandals during the cold and brutal mountain winters.  He tried to make the world a better place by making a difference in the lives of others.

His loyalty to his team was shown in their loyalty to him.  When he was shot multiple times and badly wounded his team made heroic efforts to save him and get him to a hospital.  This was a powerful book to read.  It pulled my emotions in many directions.  I would highly recommend this book to others.

I received this free book from Blogging for Books, from Multnomah Press.  My opinions are based on my reading of this book and I was not compelled to give a positive review.

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Be Intentional and read Intentional Walk

Intentional Walk; An Inside Look at the Faith That Drives the St. Louis Cardinals by Rob Rains is a powerful collection of stories about a number of players on the St. Louis Cardinals players and coaches. 

Admittedly, I’m not a Cardinals fan, but I grew in appreciation for the players on the Cardinals.  This is not just a baseball book, telling funny anecdotes, but it’s a mini biography on many players.  As they share stories about triumphs, mistakes and the many ways they overcame their struggles. 

This is a book about the faith of these players.  They aren’t afraid or embarrassed to talk about their faith and share how they’ve overcome and succeeded as they sought God, whether early in their career, or near the end.  There was also a section about the 2012 playoffs in which the Cardinals lost to the Giants.

I was sold on this book in the Introduction.  Mike Matheny wrote a letter to parents when coaching his son’s little league team, and while it was a long letter, he wrote this, “I always said that the only team I would coach would be a team of orphans, and now here we are.   The reason for me saying this is that I have found the biggest problem with youth sports has been the parents.  I think the concept I am asking all of you to grab is that this experience is ALL about the boys.”  I’ve always wanted to say something like that.  Great statement by Matheny.  He also makes no apologies about being a follower of Jesus in that letter.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book.

I received a copy of this book from free from www.booksneeze.com to read and review. The opinions above are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

I review for BookSneeze®

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