The Big Picture Bible

In the last month or so Matt has gotten in the habit of reading Grace's Bible, "The Big Picture Story Bible", to her at bedtime. She loves it and would even cry if he didn't read it to her. For a while I was keeping it on the top of her bookshelf because it is so heavy and it looked like she might ruin it when she read it. Then I realized I didn't want to discourage Grace reading her Bible in any way. So, if it gets ruined we'll just buy a new one! Anyway, I believe we have the best children's Bible that you can get so I wanted to post about it.

Before Grace was born I did some research on Bibles and found this one had some great reviews and was recommended by Desiring God (a ministry i respect and trust). Desiring God actually has a great list of books to read if you're interested in some quality Christian books.

This Bible is divided into 26 stories so obviously not every story in the Bible is told. But, it is focused on introducing Jesus as God's "forever king". It is really a unique children's Bible because it is more than just a bunch of stories. It really captures the heart of the Bible and our redemption through Christ. So, if you're looking for a great children's Bible give this one a read.

Book Review: Total Church

I have been trying to read more books in 2010 so you may see me posting my brief thoughts about what I've read. The book "Total Church: A Radical Reshaping around Gospel and Community" is an interesting book that proposes a simple model: "Christians are called to a dual fidelity: fidelity to the core content of the gospel and fidelity to the primary context of a believing community." The book was written by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis who are two pastors in the UK. I found the book very intriguing both from a intellectual and practical perspective. The simplicity of their perspective is backed up with biblical teaching and the authors go to great lengths to detail how the principles of gospel and community should permeate all of church life. I was challenged many times in this book to be more gospel- and community-centered in my everyday life and in my ministry roles. In the practical section of the book, I found many specific takeaways that I could reflect on for the church I'm a part of. One limitation of the book is that all of their practical examples are in the context of their specific church in the UK; it doesn't take-away from the book but I would be interested in reading their analysis of other churches applying their principles. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is part of a local church and is open to being challenged in the way they do church.

Here are some quotations that were especially inspiring/challenging to me:

"Church is not a meeting you attend or a place you enter. It is an identity that is ours in Christ."

"Church is not another ball for me to juggle but that which defines who I am and gives Christlike shape to my life."

"[The church] is at the very heart of God's purposes. Jesus came to create a people who would model what it means to live under his rule. It would be a glorious outpost of the kingdom of God, an embassy of heaven. This is where the world can see what it means to be truly human."

"All theology must be missionary in its orientation. We need the same reorientation as churches. We are in a missionary situation, and all that we do must be missionary. Church planting is the best way for this to happen, as it inevitably and naturally shifts the church into missionary mode."

"Being word-centered is more than how you teach and disciple people. It means governing church life by God's word. It means every decision, formal and informal, is explored through explicit reference to God's word."

"Theology is also the task of the church because the only theology that matters and is worthy of the name is practical theology. Theology is the stuff of life...Meaningful theology needs to take place primarily in the routine life of the people of God."

"The key to successful youth work is the Bible."

The Glass Castle

I recently finished reading the book The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls and would highly recommend it. Matt's mom gave it to me to read and I had no clue what it was about but picked it up out of my love for reading. I was gripped by the story from the first page. The author wrote a memoir about her life growing up with an alcoholic father, moving around the country, and not having any money. Her parents were extremely smart but chose a non-traditional lifestyle. The story is fascinating. I was amazed by the children in the family and how they stuck together through the challenges their family faced. This is easily one of the best books I've read in a while (granted I've been reading a lot of books about parenting and those can get old).

P.S. I'm still loving my Kindle and have read 6 books on it since I got it just over a month ago. It definitely has fed my reading habit!

The Kindle

I got it! I got the Kindle from Amazon! I'm so excited! I know a thing is not supposed to make you happy but the Kindle makes me happy. For those of you who don't know it is a wireless reading device. Below are the features Amazon boasts about.

Say Hello to Kindle

Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines

Lightweight: At 10.2 ounces, lighter than a typical paperback

Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle, anytime, anywhere; no monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots

Books in Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered in less than 60 seconds; no PC required

Paper-like Display: Reads like real paper; now boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and even crisper images

Long Battery Life: 25% longer battery life; read for days without recharging

Carry Your Library: Holds over 1,500 books

Read-to-Me: With the new text-to-speech feature, Kindle can read every newspaper, magazine, blog, and book out loud to you, unless the book's rights holder made the feature unavailable

Free Book Samples: Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy.

Large Selection: Over 300,000 books plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs available


Low Book Prices: New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise

For someone who loves to read and someone who has a new baby this is a DREAM!! I only have to take the Kindle whenever I go places. I don't need to bring 1-10 books everywhere I go. I don't even have to bring my Bible because I downloaded the ESV Study Bible (which is an excellent Study Bible if you're shopping for one) for only $9.99. I also got the entire Sherlock Holmes collection for 99 cents. If I don't want to spend money I just buy a classic (many are free). I can also read while feeding, rocking, or holding Grace. If I need to get her a pacifier I just set the Kindle down and don't have to find a bookmark. This thing is a-m-a-z-i-n-g! This thing is going to be totally worth the money.

State of Fear

Well, I did something I've never done before...bought the same book twice. Ooops. When the book State of Fear came out by Michael Crichton I just had to have it. I couldn't even wait for the library to get and available copy. So, I went out and bought the hardback copy. I read about 10 pages and then quit. Now fast forward 2 years...I was in a train station in Germany perusing the English section of the book store while Matt was off paying for the bathroom and I saw the book State of Fear. Of course I remembered that I had started the book once but had no recollection of actually purchasing it. I was seized with the same need to read the book then and there, so I bought the paperback copy. I was able to read about 1/3 of the book on my plane ride home from Germany but haven't picked it up since the plane. I now own 2 copies of a book I can't seem to read. It's a pretty good story so far but I have a problem with books that I own. I tend to not read them because I can read them anytime I want. Then I go to the library and check out way more books than I can read and try to plow through those before they are due and forget about books I've bought. My goal is to finish State of Fear before school starts. Does anybody want a copy? I'll give it to you for free.

Great Reads

I've read a couple of great novels lately that I would like to recommend to some readers out there. I say some because I think that mostly females would enjoy these books. If you're a male and have read them let me know. I can't quite get inside the male mind, but I'm pretty sure Matt wouldn't like them. Anyway they are Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier and The Passion of Artemisia by Susan Vreeland. Both books captivated me right from the start, were page turners and very well written. You can read about each book below.


My friend Jerusha recommended Rebecca to me a couple of years ago so I bought it and just now got around to reading it. I don't know what took me so long. Daphne Du Maurier first published this book in 1938 and it is described as a romantic suspense novel. The story is of a young girl who married an older widow Mr. de Winter. His previous wife Rebecca captivated many people and the new young bride had to follow in her footsteps. The story of her personal struggles with and what she uncovers about Rebecca made this book wonderful. With some surprising twists and a page turning ending, this book was a thrill to read.


About a month ago I was hanging out at the library with some friends and saw about 20 copies of this book on the shelf. So, I decided I'm going to check it out and give it a read. I was honestly not expecting to like it but Vreeland gave me a great story. Vreeland writes novels about real people, specifically artists, based losely on facts. This was a story of the artist Artemisia Gentileschi and her life. I often enjoy stories that span years of someones life and this one was no exception. Vreeland also did a wonderful job telling the story of Artemisia's painting, Judith, throughout the novel. My description of this book didn't really do it just but it is a great read!

Book Review: "Life Together" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Over the last few years, I have a read a number of books related to small group ministry and building biblical community, focused more on the strategy and practicals of participating in and leading a small group. I have not read many books which speak to the heart of community. I was recommended "Life Together" by a friend and I must say that the book turned out to be one of the most encouraging and challenging books I've ever read. Not only did it speak to the heart of community, but it captured the essence of Christian living.

Bonhoeffer was a Christian leader during WWII Germany and participated in leading an underground seminary which eventually led to his arrest and death. The book details his observations, teachings, and wisdom on what it means to live in community for God. Bonhoeffer detailed the difference between spiritual community and human community. He spoke of the tension of a Christian solely depending on God yet allowing God to use other people in a Christian's life. And through it all, Bonhoeffer painted a picture of an authentic, vibrant, living community that was Christ-saturated and Christ-exalting. The book is a quick read, with the first part containing Bonhoeffer's exposition on a biblical view of community, with the remaining parts of the book detailing the practical community he experienced.

If you are in a small group or find yourself looking for more in your community, I strongly recommend this book. God used it to change my perspective on what real Christ-centered community life can and should be.

Good Books

I've gone through a string of several books in the last month and a few of them have been pretty good. So, I'll give you faithful blog readers 3 recommendations.

Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot - I have read and enjoyed the book Passion and Purity by Elliot, so when I got this book I was excited to read it. I was not let down. Elliot does and amazing job explaining what it means to be a biblical woman. I was extremely challenged in my role as a wife. This book is for any woman in any stage of life but it really spoke to me in my current stage of being married for only 7 months.

Next by Michael Crichton - I'm a big Crichton fan and enjoyed reading this book. This novel dealt with the topic of genetic engineering, so it was pretty intriguing. Although, if you've never read Crichton before I would recommend starting with Congo, Jurassic Park or The Rising Sun (all great novels).

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale - Hale has been a recent discovery of mine. Most of her writing consists of fairy tales in the youth fiction section but they are a joy to read. I just finished Princess Academy (Newbery Honor Book) and was captivated by the story. I've read a couple other books by her this fall but this was my favorite.

Happy reading (even if you don't read these books)!

"Be as careful of the books you read, as of the company you keep, for your habits and character will be as much influenced by the former as the latter. "
~Paxton Hood

Libraries Rule, Bookstores Drool

If you live in Champaign, IL or anyplace somewhat close (namely Urbana) I would highly recommend checking out the brand new Champaign Public Library. As I have perused the shelves of the old library I have watched the new library being built next door and daydreamed about spending time in it one day. Well, that day came. The library opened on January 6th and I was there by January 7th.

"Library Director Marsha Grove predicts that visitors will be amazed by the 122,600-square-foot space, which is three times the size of the building it replaces. 'There’s really no comparison with what we have now,' Grove said. 'We think the public is going to be thrilled and extremely proud when they get a chance to see their new library.'" I was proud of the new library for sure and I just want to spend hours soaking up the atmosphere.

Here are my top 5 favorite things about the new library....

1. Self Checkout everywhere! All you have to do is set your pile of books on this magic pad and the computer knows what you want to check out. What?! That's as cool as the Internet.

2. Seating galore!!! The old library was seriously lacking on a place to sit and read, not this new library. Matt even said he thought there was too much seating. I say impossible!

3. Many conference rooms and study rooms!!! Although I may never use one of these rooms, they looked awesome. I wanted to go sign up for a really hard class at the U of I so I could visit the library and study.

4. More space!!! It was so fun to just wander around the new space and take it all in. The library is huge.

5. It's still free!!! Why buy a new book when you can go to the library and check it out. Look into it people. If you don't have a library card and live in Champaign, I will go with you to the library to get one.

DRACULA

I finished reading the book Dracula written over 100 years ago by Bram Stoker about a week ago and have been meaning to blog about it ever since I read it. I would say it was one of the best books I've read in a while. My friends Jerusha loves the book and inspired me to read it about a year ago but I never got around to it until now. It was actually a very fast read and I had a hard time putting it down at some points. I would not recommend reading it before bed though. Although I didn't have any nightmares, I had weird Draculaish dreams because of the book. Finally, the story is actually meant to be a Christian allegory and I enjoyed reading it with that in mind. Of course Dracula is supposed to represent the devil but you can read it for yourself and figure out the rest.

I also came across a few websites that might interest you regarding Dracula. Some Dracula fans are really bizarre. Yikes!!

Wikipedia Site

Dracula's Homepage

Dracula's Castle

Browse at your own risk!!!