Gaining a heart of wisdom
Irene Hannon examines grief and the providence of God while also exploring the nature of guidance and the importance of cleaning up our messes while they are still fresh. There's an ocean of wisdom pouring out along the narrative flow of her new work of contemporary fiction: Hope Harbor. When Michael Hunter takes a leave of absence from… Continue reading Grief, Regret, and Second Chances
Open the cover to Warrior Chicks, and it is immediately apparent that this is not like every other book that you have encountered on the subject of following God through hard circumstances. Holly Wagner writes in consecutive and vivid word pictures, and although I have never met her, I can predict that this is also… Continue reading Rising Strong
There is a way of speaking and writing that travels well, that finds its way into the small spaces of full days and busy brains so that truth, like a clinging burdock seed, gets caught and carried along for the ride. Tony Reinke has portrayed this aspect of John Newton's theology in Newton on the… Continue reading An Ocean of Theology in a Thimble
Author, Bryan Bishop set out to find answers in his travels through North American and Asia. What he found instead was a lot more questions. Based on reports of a Muslim who had a vision of Jesus as the living God and Savior -- who then began to read the Bible and evangelize his friends, Bryan began… Continue reading National Geographic Meets Operation World
Rich in metaphor, dizzying in apparent contradiction, Scripture describes the Kingdom of God with upside-down truth: life out of death, power in humility, healing from brokenness, suffering as the path to glory. In Stronger, his gripping memoir, Clayton King captures the underlying, big-picture paradox, and while he's at it, he seizes the opportunity to relieve… Continue reading The Great Paradox
In order to get where you want to go, you need to know where you are. It's true in the mall, it's true on a family road trip, and it is earth-shatteringly true in theology. Nathan D. Holsteen and Michael J. Svigel, both professors at Dallas Theological Seminary, have opened the map of Scripture, drawn… Continue reading You Are Here
Between folding loads of laundry for the boys' suitcases and helping them pack for a week of camp; After weeding the bean plants and preparing a summer-day picnic; While luxuriating in my lawn chair at the beach; I have been carried this week on the narrative tide of Patricia Bradley's Gone Without a Trace. In… Continue reading Gone Without a Trace: A Book Review
Proximity to the land, awareness of seasonal patterns of frost and heat, rain and shine: these are among the chief benefits of a garden, and in my ongoing cultivation of the beautiful mess where my veggies grow, I am continually renewed and inspired by the metaphors that spring forth from every aspect of life in… Continue reading Return to the Garden
I've spent the past six months either reading in or teaching from the psalms, but Vic Black has introduced an approach to the psalms that is not only new but also energizing, providing a richer, deeper taste of God's presence in His Words. Vic's book, Speak, Lord begs the question: "Why haven't I thought of… Continue reading First Person, Singular
I really don't believe in coincidence, so when a major oversight on my part caused a disappointing and inconvenient plight for my family, it was not for nothing that Give Yourself a Break by Kim Fredrickson was already on my night stand waiting to be read. I needed to hear its message of "self-compassion" -- the… Continue reading Messing Up and Moving On
Living Our Days 