Diary of Avid Readers

Haiku Review: Out Live Your Life

2011-09-30T17:49:00.004-04:00

Out Live Your Life by Max Lucado

Read similar books
But Lucado's patent style
Makes it a must read

Chaos' Map

2010-03-19T22:20:00.005-04:00

Not able to see the forest through the trees? Maybe you can't even identify that those things you're bumping into are trees? Well, an airlift out of this life you're living/this ministry you're doing isn't really an option... But how about a map?

Now a map doesn't tell you where you're going. YOU pick the destination. A map doesn't even tell you where you are or where you've been. It only gives a wide-angle view of all the landscape, which enables the reader to identify localities, destinations, and the paths between them.

This is what Scott Wilson's Steering Through Chaos is. His map of ministry & vision helps the reader recognize landmarks of church (or other ministry) growth and transition.

I have to confess that I'm not moving through this book with my typical speed and voracity, not because it's a slow read, but because I keep recognizing landmarks. I find myself stopping and unpacking some point (current and past) in a ministry I've been a part of with the perspective of Scott's "map."

You can change without growth,
but you can't grow without change. -Scott Wilson

(from chapter 2: Vision)

F.O.C.U.S.

F--First things first.
O--Other things second.
C--Cut out the unimportant.
U--Unify behind vision.
S--Stick with it.

Simple. Yet life changing, if we can do it.

I'll be honest, I'd practically be rewriting the book here to pull out all the gems. As I read, at each new idea or example I think of pastors and leaders in my life that I think could benefit from hearing the message I'm hearing in that passage. By chapter 2 alone, I had a list of a dozen people I want to give copies of the book. I don't mean that in a "...you've been doing things wrong, so read this and get it right" kind of way, rather a "Be encouraged. Here's an outside look at what you're neck deep in. Know that others have been where you are--mired in the chaos of ministry, growth, and transition. You're not alone."

Wilson reminds us that it's God's calling on the lives of pastors and leaders. And, truthfully, He does allow us to experience failure in our lives and ministries but to His glory and our growth.

I really could camp out on every third page or so and affect great change in my life and ministry, but even in that, I must FOCUS on the changes He is making. Knowledge and insight are WONDERFUL things, but without the application of God's Wisdom they are in vain.

I am encouraged. I can't wait to see what God is doing in my life and ministry the fifth time I read this book!

--
Blog Tour "Map" for this book

Primal - Mark Batterson

2009-12-24T15:07:00.005-05:00

Simplicity that explodes the mind.

As was true with Mark Batterson's previous book Wild Goose Chase, I found myself needing to camp out in each chapter in order to honestly assess my life.

Primal cuts to the quick.

Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart

2009-10-28T00:46:00.004-04:00

Clever. As I ponder back over this book, I'm struck by how truly clever it is! I confess that this is the first of Chuck Black’s books that I’ve read. And in choosing this as the first, I was jumping into the third book in a series, which made the style of storytelling take some getting used to. It’s compelling. Sir Dalton is young and in training for his future. We see the misperceptions of his youth regarding some of the people around him. He’s put himself on quite a high horse, but post-training he hits some Reality neck-deep and head-on. While some aspects of his Christian allegory pull the reader out of the story in an attempt to hit the message home, it's the deeper journey and struggles of the main character that I found surprised me in the end.

Dalton faces very real and life-threatening adversaries. He's not your typical storybook hero in that we see him face his greatest adversary in his personal struggle with doubt. Also unique in this telling of the story, there's no magic switch that is flipped "explaining" his overcoming the doubt; instead, we see a wiser soul walk beside him and encourage and guide him in overcoming.

While I'm not the target audience of this book, I'm intrigue by the series and anxious to read the next book!
-LMS

Book Summary: Sir Dalton, a knight in training, seems to have everything going for him. Young, well-liked, and a natural leader, he has earned the respect and admiration of his fellow knights, and especially the beautiful Lady Brynn. But something is amiss at the training camp. Their new trainer is popular but lacks the passion to inspire them to true service to the King and the Prince. Besides this, the knights are too busy enjoying a season of good times to be concerned with a disturbing report that many of their fellow Knights have mysteriously vanished. When Sir Dalton is sent on a mission, he encounters strange attacks, especially when he is alone. As his commitment wanes, the attacks grow in intensity until he is captured by Lord Drox, a massive Shadow Warrior. Bruised and beaten, Dalton refuses to submit to evil and initiates a daring escape with only one of two outcomes—life or death. But what will become of the hundreds of knights he’ll leave behind? In a kingdom of peril, Dalton thinks he is on his own, but two faithful friends have not abandoned him, and neither has a strange old hermit who seems to know much about the Prince. But can Dalton face the evil Shadow Warrior again and survive?

Young adults will be inspired to strengthen their faith along with Sir Dalton, as they follow his exciting and action-packed journey to overcome his doubts and renew his commitment to the King and the Prince in this third installment of Chuck Black’s popular Knights of Arrethtrae series.

About the Author: Chuck Black traveled with the Air Force as a communications engineer and F-16 fighter pilot and began a career as a product design engineer. Chuck and his wife, Andrea, homeschool their six children and have a family music ministry that travels throughout the region. He is the author of nine novels, has been published in The Old Schoolhouse e-zine, and has received praise from parents across the country for his unique approach to telling biblical truths. Chuck and his family live in Williston, North Dakota.

North! Or Be Eaten - Blog Tour!

2009-09-18T21:55:00.006-04:00

Peterson's Igiby family is in full adventure in North! Or Be Eaten. After creating an intricate world and laying out the myriad of background details in On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, we pick up right where we were left off with Janner, Tink, and Leeli in their uncle's tree house.

The adventure is just beginning.

It's easy to forget the band of travelers is three young children with their mother and two older men. They are all quick on their feet and determined to re-find a normal life at the end of their journey. The moment-to-moment happenings make you wonder how you'd survive! The Fangs continue to track them as they dodge the many creatures of Skree, including the toothy cows!

Just when you think you might know a little more than they know, the story takes a distinct turn in an unexpected direction. They are pushed to their limits. It's impossible to know the friends from the foes, and the secret history or gifts of each traveler will stretch your imagination.

Though the musical storytelling of Andrew Peterson has long been a cherished favorite of mine, I was a bit skeptical of the songwriter-turned-author. He has proven his ability to write a whole world in his mind and introduce us, the unsuspecting reader, in the middle of that world mid-stream, and yet unfold his whole world a bit at a time along the journey. Well-done, my friend.

I have to confess that when I received my copy of his new book I had to quickly go and read the first book in the Wingfeather Saga, which I had loaned out and never read. Now having finished them both in short order, I can't wait for there to be more!

-Laura M. Sanders

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book Summary:

Janner, Tink, and Leeli Igiby thought they were normal children with normal lives and a normal past. But now they know they’re really the Lost Jewels of Anniera, heirs to a legendary kingdom across the sea, and suddenly everyone wants to kill them.

Their escape brings readers to the very brink of Fingap Falls, over the Stony Mountains, and across the Ice Prairies, while villains galore try to stop the Igibys permanently. Fearsome toothy cows and horned hounds return, along with new dangers: a mad man running a fork factory, a den of rockroaches, and majestic talking sea dragons.

Andrew Peterson’s lovable characters create what FantasyBookCritic.com says made Book One “one of the best fantasy novels in a very long time,” and Book Two contains even more thrills, exploring “themes universal in nature, ranging from the classic good versus evil, to the importance of family, and burdens of responsibility.”

Andrew Peterson is the author of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, Book One in the Wingfeather Saga, and The Ballad of Matthew’s Begats. He’s also the critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter and recording artist of ten albums, including Resurrection Letters II. He and his wife, Jamie, live with their two sons and one daughter in a little house they call The Warren near Nashville, Tennessee. Visit his websites: www.andrew-peterson.com and www.rabbitroom.com

Top Ten: Favorite Books

2009-09-06T20:51:00.001-04:00

He may be a complete stranger, but he’s my blogging friend.
Pete D recently posted a top ten list of topics to make a top ten list about. Which makes me laugh….brilliant.
Julie, Pete’s daughter, and a fellow lover of The Game posted her top ten favorite books; we shared one.
So I thought I’d take a minute and make a list myself.
Here is my top ten, in no particular order, and just off the top of my head (meaning it may be different tomorrow):

1. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
2. Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
3. Your God is Too Safe or The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan
4. A Time to Kill by John Grisham
5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
6. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
7. Harry Potter and ____________ (all 7 books) by J.K. Rowling
8. The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
9. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
10. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

How about you?

3 Big Questions for a Frantic Family

2009-08-03T22:54:00.001-04:00

Flailing. Floundering.

Sometimes life seems to have more purpose than others. I don't generally ask the big "why" questions, but I do ask God "what now?" Seriously. What now?

Which direction?

A dear friend introduced me to an author of Business Management books, Patrick Lencioni. To my surprise, one of my favorite of his books so far is The Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family. I know, you're thinking, "that doesn't seem like a business management book."

Well, it takes some simplifying of business management principles and applies them organizing and structuring home and family.

And, again, I know what you're thinking "Um, don't you live by yourself?" Yeah, imagine how sad it is to be frantic managing the life of one.

We'll see if applying these principles to a life of one puts me on a manageable track for incorporating others into my life...

North or Be Eaten - COMING SOON!

2009-07-05T19:54:00.003-04:00

Andrew Peterson is releasing the next book in the series. Pop over to his blog about it in The Rabbit Room if you want to get the book and be on the blog tour!

Swaptree - trade books, CDs, DVDs, and video games for free

2009-06-16T21:50:00.000-04:00

11 days in and I'm already an addict!

Swaptree - trade books, CDs, DVDs, and video games for free

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The Shack

2008-09-25T15:07:00.004-04:00

Have any of you read "The Shack" by William Young yet? I have had several people recommend it who come from very diverse backgrounds. They all seem to love it. I'm curious about any book that can cause such different people to all be in agreement. I would love to know what this group thinks.

Dizzying Chase of The Goose - Part 1

2008-09-18T00:31:00.005-04:00

I, too, am reading Mark Batterson's Wild Goose Chase, and I have to admit that I'm not breezing through it as quickly as I typically do. I wish I could blame my slowness on the writing, but alas it is in the depth of God's work on my heart through this book that has me turning the pages slowly.

I mean it's not War and Peace. It's not even the length of a Harry Potter book. At a mere 192 pages, Wild Goose Chase is altering my life outlook on each page. Because I am not easily changed; this is not a quick read for me. I find myself pouring over the pages, anxious to read Mark's next insight or ministry moment from his non-building-bound church in our nation's capitol, but then I'm stunned by each new revolution.

Could it be that God has pressed "pause" on my life in ministry because I've chosen to fill my life to the brim with responsibilities? Wow. Not that taking responsibility in life is a bad thing. Unfortunately for me, as I've taken on more and more responsibilities in life, I've left less and less room for/energy for/passion for ministry opportunities.

Is it possible that being a creature of habit, predictable to a fault, can stifle my relationship with God? True relationship isn't in the routine of everyday; it's in the meaning of each thing we do.

Another confession... I haven't finished it yet. :)

God and I are having tough conversations about "What does this mean for me?" I'm getting there, but I'm sure as soon as I get to the end I'll need to start right back at the beginning!

...still chasing the Goose!

Wild Goose Chase

2008-09-16T22:38:00.001-04:00

I've been really behind lately with some book reviews. This one is a couple weeks past due.

Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson

Here is a much better review than anything I could come up with and will probably inform you on a much greater level. Actually check that...first what would help you out more would be this introduction video by Mark himself.

When we decide to pursue the Wild Goose we often what we often find out is that there are obstacles that we may have to overcome. Actually the imagery that Batterson uses is cages. After Batterson invites us to reimagine our faith pursuits he begins to help us define and guide us out of these many cages. Some of the cages that Mark leads us through are responsibility, routines, assumptions, guilt, failure and fear.

I don't know about you but I often times find myself in one or more of these cages.

The Road

2008-08-17T22:59:00.004-04:00

Cormac McCarthy is a brilliant American writer and arguably the best today. Not only is his work amazing literary works, but he also has mass appeal. Maybe you've one of his other works; All the Pretty Horses or No Country for Old Men?
Recently however I finished The Road. This is a novel set in a post apotlyptic age and is at it's core a story about the relationship between a father and his son.
Although there is little driving plot lines in the story, that is also why it is so creepy and scary. The father and son just walk down a road. Now they do have some obstacles to navigate through and there is a goal in sight, but these are elements that only build the hopelessness of their world and the destitude nature of their lives.
I don't want to share too much, in case you haven't read it, but do trust me and get to this one soon. Read it before the movie comes out.

The Divine Mentor

2008-08-12T12:04:00.002-04:00

This is the best mediocre book I've read in a long time. The writing is ok but rather boring at times. The stories are kind of cool but it takes a while for the author to get to the point. However, this book has initiated a new spark within me for diving into God's Word and any book that encourages and motivates people to dive into the Bible is worth checking out.

Watership Down

2008-08-05T23:44:00.004-04:00

I have to add this book because not only have a read it half a dozen times starting in elementary school, but it was a summer read for the faculty and staff from work one year that even some of our non-readers still talk about.

I don't really know what it is about following the journey of a bunch of rabbits that is so enthralling, but this author has spun a tale to make you feel part of the warren.

The Jesus I Never Knew

2008-08-05T23:36:00.005-04:00

As I think of more books that I think are blog-worthy, I find this becoming a opening for confessions of a slack, avid reader...

I started this book years ago (I'm thinking like ten years) reading it with a friend from work. Life got busy (even then), and apparently I only read half of it.

Guess this gets back on the reading list!

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

2008-08-05T23:23:00.006-04:00

I have to admit, I haven't made it very far through this book by singer-songwriter Andrew Peterson YET, but I have high hopes... That said, I've heard good things from those who have read it.

Add your own post about the book with the same labels, and it will start a thread!

I'll add my thoughts as I read...

Love as a Way of Life

2008-08-04T08:35:00.005-04:00

This book I got the opportunity to read as part of a publisher's blog marketing. My friend Trevor has this hook-up where the publisher sends him two copies of soon-to-be-released books, and he reads one and gives the other to a friend. Both write a review and he posts them on his blog. So, you can read the review I did for this book on my blog here.

Eat, Pray, Love

2008-08-02T14:57:00.006-04:00

I'll begin with this book because I found even as I only started to read it that it could be a catalyst for great conversation. I found Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert, to be a tremendous journey through extremes. From extreme heartache and hurt on to a journey through extremity in pleasure and sacrifice to find peace and contentment.