The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck

As a writer myself who has tried writing fiction and found it personally challenging, I find myself routing for any author of a first novel.  While Sara Evan’s The Sweet By and By was not quite the home-run I was hoping for, it was a noteworthy effort and an entertaining read.

The plot for this novel is an often used, but interesting story of relational strain between a mother and her daughter.  Beryl, a middle-aged, many-times married mother of three decides to attend her daughter’s wedding, even though there has been years of silence between them.  Her daughter, Jade, is buried in resentment for the many years her mother left her at home to follow one boyfriend after another.  Jade is also drowning in her own pain and guilt from decisions she made in her past.

The Sweet By and By is a story about forgiveness and redemption, with a one-step-up-from-subtle parallel to the forgiveness and grace that Jesus offers to us all.  My personal feeling is that the story started out a bit too slowly and ended a bit too abruptly.  However, it effectively illustrated just how long and far-reaching pain, guilt, and resentment can go, and how destructive it can be to our hearts and our relationships.  I gave this book 3 1/2 stars and give the author applause for a good first novel.

 You can check out the details of this book and order it at Thomas Nelson Publishers, where I am a Book Review Blogger - http://brb.thomasnelson.com/.

Let Go by Sheila Walsh

I should probably recuse myself from writing this book review solely based on how fond I am of Sheila Walsh. I have attended a few Women of Faith conferences where she speaks and she strikes me as the real deal–genuine, refreshingly honest and personal, and incredibly likeable.  But all bias aside, her newest book, Let Go, is a great addition to any library.  In this book, she addresses those things that hinder us in our relationship with God; those things that separate us from the unfathomable, unconditional, and unending love of our Father for us. Walsh acknowledges that women these days are often overly burdened with things such as shame, unforgiveness, and enslavement to our desires. In fact, she shares some of her own burdens throughout this book. Then, through Scripture and sound biblical advice, she shows the reader how to let them go.

Some highlights and powerful moments for me:

“Jesus left all the glory that was his and embraced all the brokenness and sin that is ours so that we can be free–truly free.”

“If my hope is in anything else apart from Jesus, then it is too small. He is the answer to everything I need or anticipate. He is my deepest desire even when I don’t immediately recognize that. He is my yesterday, today, and tomorrow. When everything else fails, he will not. When everyone else fails, he will not. . .When I have no grace for myself, he does. When I don’t know what to do anymore, he does. Do you see how securely your life is tucked into the very hand of the One who holds the universe in place?”

Let Go is a comforting read in a disconcerting time. I recommend it to all who are hoping to let go of their burdens and fall into Jesus’ arms.

You can check out the details of this book and order it at Thomas Nelson Publishers, where I am a Book Review Blogger - http://brb.thomasnelson.com/.

Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear by Max Lucado

Nobody weaves a biblical story with a life application like Max Lucado, and few use as powerful, creative, or beautiful language.  His words, through rhyme, analogy, and alliteration, seem to soothe and pierce all at the same time.  Lucado’s newest book, Fearless, is no different.  Over the course of 15 chapters, Lucado addresses just over a dozen of the most common and relevant fears in today’s world (parenting, violence, money, and death, to name a few) and he does it in such a way that I found myself feeling encouraged with Scripture and personal stories, as if I was speaking with a trusted friend, and also counseled as if by the Holy Spirit Himself. 

“The promise of Christ and the contention of this book are simple,” Lucado says, “we can fear less tomorrow than we do today.” Statements such as these soothed me. “To sin is to disregard God, ignore his teachings, deny his blessings. Sin is ‘God-less’ living, centering life on the center letter of the word sIn.” Statements such as these convicted me. Lucado’s unique style of writing draws the reader in as if reading a gripping novel, yet teaches timeless truths in an unforgettable way.

Although theologically sound, Fearless is not exceptionally theologically deep.  It may be information we have heard preached before, but it will be old information written in a beautiful and powerful way.  I recommend this book as one of Max Lucado’s better books.

You can check out the details of this book and order it at Thomas Nelson Publishers, where I am a Book Review Blogger - http://brb.thomasnelson.com/. You can also visit http://www.thefearlessbook.com/ for more information and a town hall webcast with Max Lucado.

100 Bible Stories, 100 Bible Songs by Stephen Elkins, Illustrations by Tim O’Connor

 

As a Christian parent, I think that one of the most important things that we can do for our children is to instill in them a love for the Lord and His Word.  100 Bible Stories, 100 Bible Songs is an excellent resource for parents and children for just that purpose. 

Stephen Elkins has created a collection of short and succinct Bible stories while also giving a good representation of many of the most important biblical truths, complete with just enough details for your young child.  Each story concludes with a valuable application.  Tim O’Connor’s illustrations are adorable and the songs (sung by children) that accompany each story are catchy tunes that stay in your head and can be remembered for years to come, teaching biblical truths in memorable ways.  My 4-year old son was singing along by the 5th track!

Although this book is not meant to be a stand-alone Bible for your child, it is a wonderful introduction to God’s Word and can be used as a springboard for deeper discussion and further reading from the Bible, as each page contains the reference from which the story was taken.  This book is geared towards children 4-8 years old, although, I believe it can be used for children as young as 2, and I highly recommend it.

You can check out the details of this book and order it at Thomas Nelson Publishers, where I am a Book Review Blogger - http://brb.thomasnelson.com/