Book Review: The Encounter by Stephen Arterburn

Book Description: A wealthy businessman travels to Fairbanks, Alaska, to learn why his mother abandoned him when he was a child, and in the process learns that not everything is as it appears to be.

The Encounter, the unique new book from best-selling author and counselor Stephen Arterburn, is a moving parable involving Jonathan Rush, a wealthy and famous entrepreneur, who is tortured by bitterness toward his mother who abandoned him when he was four. He travels to Alaska to find her but instead meets an enigmatic old woman known only as Mercy. Mercy has the information he needs but is strangely reluctant to talk to him. Somehow Jonathan must find a way to persuade a frightened woman to unlock the secrets of his past.

The book includes an invitation to the readers to verify the facts of their own stories, to accept the reality of their existence, especially the most painful ones, and to live in forgiveness. The end result is a healthy new way to look at life with an ability to share hope with others for the future. Healing is possible but requires truth, acceptance, and forgiveness, including of oneself.

My Review: I think this book, The Encounter, had the potential to be an excellent platform to help its readers understand and deal with their own deep seeded wounds and issues, but I was disappointed with the way it so abruptly ended. It was far to quick and easy a healing for Jonathan who had, evidently, experienced a life-long battle with anger, resentment and  rejection based on the fact that his mother had abandoned him as a four year old child. However, the abrupt ending, after a very simplified  account of an episode where he exploded in anger and drove someone away, left me bewildered.  In my experience, healing of the kind dealt with in The Encounter, doesn't simply vanish the way they did in this book. There was too much left unsaid and too much not adequately dealt with.

Maybe if I had considered it to be a simple parable in a "short story" category, I would have viewed it differently. Or if I had considered the questions posed at the back of the book prior to or during my reading of the story, that might have helped, as well. Certainly without them, for me anyway, this would just be a very unsatisfactory read. I hope those who read The Encounter will start at the end and work their way through using the questions as their guide.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://booksneeze®.com/> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Just Give Me JOY!

Happiness is highly overrated.

It can be contingent on one's feelings or other people or circumstances or the weather or even the time of the month.

It is fickle and conditional and fleeting.

It is often demanding of others.

True Joy, on the other hand, is a state of the soul.

True Joy is steadfast and unshakable,                                                

regardless of life's trials and struggles.

True Joy is a source of strength even when the bearer is weak.

True Joy does not demand that another fulfill her expectations.

True Joy is the fruit of one who is at peace with her LORD.

True Joy is eternal…in the end you get to take it with you.

Give me True Joy over happiness any day and I will thrive.

True happiness, by the way, is a by-product of "complete JOY" and there is only One source.

John 15:9-12 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

Book Review of LONESTAR ANGEL

Book Description

LONESTAR ANGEL by Colleen Coble

Eden’s hope is rekindled when Clay delivers astounding news: their baby girl has been found. Five years ago Eden and Clay Larson’s baby was stolen. When they went to pay the ransom, what happened changed their lives forever—the kidnapper’s car with Baby Brianna inside sunk deep into the river. Eden blamed herself, Clay lost himself in work. Their young and rocky marriage ended. Or so Eden thought.
My Review
   Although "Christian Romances" aren't my first choice in reading selections, I chose to read LONESTAR ANGEL for two reasons: It's a mystery novel and it involved children. The author Colleen Coble, wasted no time setting the stage for this mystery romance. There were no flowing introductions to the characters, no detailed descriptions of the scenery. Instead, she immediately, from page one, jumped right into the plot of the story and the drama that would soon unfold. She captured my attention from the beginning and held it until the end.
   She did fairly well in breaking my presuppositions to the stereotypical nature  of so many "Christian Romance" novels (although not completely). I find that they, too often, run the same course with heroes who are nothing like the men we are inclined to know and heroines who are most often thin, beautiful and irresistible. 
   Nor do I have time for a frivolous, empty plot and if it's going to be called "Christian" then I would like to at least sense that the characters have more than a cursory relationship with or knowledge of God. The mystery element of LONESTAR ANGEL kept it from being a "typical" romance and there was evidence that both Clay and Eden were making significant spiritual changes in their actions and attitudes. 
   And, while there was no way to figure out the end because of the complexities of the plot, it did get a little complicated and, at times, hard to follow. Overall, I found LONESTAR ANGEL to be entertaining and would recommend it to others.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://booksneeze®.com/> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

"Stained Glass Hearts" Book Review

"Life is no doubt full of difficulties, but it is also filled with promise and possibility," says best-selling author and WOF speaker Patsy Clairmont. In Stained Glass Hearts Clairmont guides readers to view the difficult experiences of life through the lens of God's grace. Using art as a theme, and likening people to stained glass windows, she shares that it's when we're surrounded by darkness that His healing light shines most brightly within us. Encouraging women to step back and see life from this new perspective, Patsy offers help and hope for the dark places of life. Much like stained glass, life's broken pieces become the prism through which God's grace shines most brightly and beautifully.


My Review...
I really liked Patsy Clairmont's book Stained Glass Hearts. She uses stories, analogies and word pictures to make profound and indelible points.  She also draws on an eclectic collection of quotes, poems and works of art that I found inspiring (probably because I collect the same things) and interesting. She writes like I preach-by using every day circumstances to communicate and illustrate life principles in colorful and delightful ways. At one point, in my own journey of pain, I used a similar  illustration of stained glass only my object of focus was a of kaleidoscope, but the lessons I believe God taught me very much corresponded with Patsy's. 


I was especially fond of her description of the importance of books in her life, how she enjoys them, uses them and relates to them.  This book is a resource I will draw on again and again.
I think another appealing aspect of this book was the fact that I believe far too many believing women live lives of woundedness for which they never find any true healing. I hope that, for many, Stained Glass Hearts, will open the way for His daughters to find healing for the spiritual and emotional pain that cripples them.  


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://booksneeze®.com/> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

What if America truly were a Christian nation?

There is so much here to ponder...

Tom Ehrich asks, "What if we (America) really lived like Christians?"

What if America truly were a Christian nation?

Not a Southern Baptist nation, or an Episcopal nation, or a Roman Catholic nation. 

Not grounded in the doctrinal and ecclesiastical isms that have grown up over the centuries. But a Christian nation, doing what Jesus did.

Well, we wouldn’t be arguing about sex, that’s for sure. Jesus devoted no time to matters of sexuality.

We wouldn’t be leading cheers for any particular economic system, capitalist or socialist, for in His many teachings about wealth and power, Jesus saw both as snares and delusions.

We wouldn’t be taking votes on who gets medical care, or who gets to live, or who gets to learn, or whose rights matter more, or whose race or religion can’t be allowed to breathe freely. For Jesus gave healing to all who asked, defended the lives of sinners, taught all who were eager to learn, welcomed all to His circle-even outcasts, lepers and children. He had no regard for His own tradition’s finely tuned boundaries.

We wouldn’t be loading great wealth onto the already wealthy, but rather would be asking them to follow the lead of biblical tax collector Zacchaeus and to give away half of what they have.

We wouldn’t need as many lawyers, because generosity would trump tax-reduction strategies, parables would trump rules, property would be shared as needed and people would be forgiving — not suing — each other.

If we were a genuinely Christian nation, we would be gathering the harvest of this abundant land and sharing it with the hungry of our own land and of many lands. 

We would forgive our enemies, speak truth to power and go forth to serve and to sacrifice, not to rule.

We would stand with the poor when predators circled around them. 

We would stand with sinners when the self-righteous picked up stones. 

We would join hands with nonconformists and strangers.

We would become God’s beacon to the nations. And when the tired and poor followed that light to our borders, we would greet them with open arms and make room for them in our communities.

That’s what Jesus did, and that is what it would mean to be a Christian nation.

So to those who insist that America be a Christian nation, I ask: Is this truly what you want? 

Do you want the I-was-hungry-and-you-gave-me-something-to-eat of Matthew 25? 

Do you want the Sermon on the Mount? 

Do you want to shine God’s light in the darkness?

Your behavior says no.

Your shouts against generosity say no.

Your penchant for oppressive culture says no.

Your willingness to shower wealth on the few while the many suffer says no.

Your hostility to freedom says no.

So stop pretending. At least be as honest as the hedge fund manager who paid himself $8 billion last year. It’s “all about the Benjamins,” not the Gospel. 

It’s about stifling any freedom but your own. 

It’s about imposing your cultural preferences on others. 

It’s about turning your fears and appetites into law. 

It’s about you, not about Jesus Christ.

That’s the nature of politics, of course: one “you” versus another “you.” That’s fine, and it’s why we formed a democracy, so that our various interests could compete fairly. 

Just spare us the religious posturing.

If America became a Christian nation, doing what Jesus did, you would be aghast.

Tom Ehrich (www.morningwalkmedia.com) is a writer, Episcopal priest and church consultant. 

Religion News Service distributes his column.

"The Baker's Wife" Book Review

Who wouldn't be captivated by the book's description? 
It read.... "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, so why is Audrey weakening day by day? 
It's been a tough year for Audrey's family. Her husband Geoff, a pastor, lost his job after a scandal rocked their congregation.Audrey hasn't lost faith. She's held her family together. Their attempt to resurrect a failing bakery is an effort to heal the family wounds and restore their place in the community.Late to the bakery one dim, foggy morning, Audrey turns into the intersection in front of the shop and strikes a vehicle that she can't see even after the collision settles. Emerging from her car into the fog, she discovers she's hit a motor scooter. There's no rider in sight. There's blood, though, so much that she slips in it, injuring her wrists.The absence of the scooter driver is a mystery, especially to Sergeant Jack Mansfield, the detective and church member who drove Geoff from his pulpit. The scooter belongs to Jack's wife, Julie, a teacher at the local high school. She has vanished like morning fog.Though there is no evidence to support Jack's growing suspicion that Audrey and Geoff were involved in Julie's disappearance, the detective is convinced of their guilt. Jack's ability to reason slips as the leads on his wife dry up.When Jack takes the tiny bakery and its patron’s hostage, Audrey must find Julie and unravel the secret of her own mysterious suffering before Jack comes undone."

Almost immediately I developed a love/hate relationship with the story line and its characters. Audrey, at first, seemed to have her own unnervingly strange quirks which caused her to have unusual and, at times, almost life threatening ailments in response to the distress of others. What was that all about? But then her compassion and sensitivity kind of grew on me as she became ever more endearing, especially as she struggles though her own issues and her responses to the less-than-lovely others in her story.

Then there is Jack, who believes himself to be a godly, just and righteous man of God while being harsh, judgmental and even cruel, until finally...!  He is an interesting and difficult character study. 

Audrey and Geoff's son Ed was certainly the most true-to-life character and I liked the addition of Diane (the ex-con) and Leslie (the nerdy student). They helped give the story depth and volume as the plot unfolded. Another interesting element is the unpredictable ending. I won't give it away...you need to read it for yourself.

This is not one of those fairy tale Christian romance novels with a few references to God or church and then not much more. This is a dig down deep look at the real dilemma of dealing with the most difficult people and circumstances in one's life. I especially appreciated the discussion questions at the end of the book. I wish I had read them sooner so that I would have had a clearer understanding of what the author was trying to present. This is a book I will probably read again, just to pick up what I missed the first time around. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

Pondering: The Gift of Common Sense

So we were out on the lake.
Two couples.
Eight children-9 and under.
(Five of them belonged to me.)
We were in an aluminum boat, late in the afternoon.

It had been a great day and we were having a wonderful time, but I was keeping a close eye on the storm clouds in the distance, until finally I said, "Burt, (his name has been changed to protect his innocent wife) those clouds don't look very good and they are coming this way. Don't you think we should head home?"

To which "Burt" responded, "Oh, come on! Where is your faith?" And I responded, something to the effect... "I have great faith and it never fails me, but God also gave me common sense. Now get us off of this lake."

Burt wasn't very happy with me, but at that point I was much more interested in getting my babies out of danger than I was in what he thought or how he felt. Good Grief! That was the last times I put our lives in his hands. (I guess I lost ALL faith in him that day!)

Maybe you've heard this joke?
A religious man is on top of a roof during a great flood. A man comes by in a boat and says "get in, get in!" The religous man replies, " no I have faith in God, he will grant me a miracle."

Later the water is up to his waist and another boat comes by and the guy tells him to get in again. He responds that he has faith in God and God will give him a miracle. With the water at about chest high, another boat comes to rescue him, but he turns down the offer again cause "God will grant him a miracle."

With the water at chin high, a helicopter throws down a ladder and they tell him to get in, mumbling with the water in his mouth, he again turns down the request for help for the faith of God. He arrives at the gates of heaven with broken faith and says to Peter, I thought God would grant me a miracle and I have been let down." St. Peter chuckles and responds, "I don't know what you're complaining about, we sent you three boats and a helicopter."


So here's what I'm pondering...and it all started with the incident at the Indiana State Fair when, what was described as "an ominous cloud" rolled in, bringing high winds that caused an outdoor stage to collapse killing a number of people. Of course, in the aftermath, there were all kinds of investigations being launched and probably some hefty lawsuits. In the days that followed the question was asked, "Why didn't those in authority warn or demand that the audience flee to safety?"

And my question is, "What has happened to the common sense God gave us?" My faith never leaves me, but common sense certainly kicks into high gear when there is an alarm, impending danger or ominous clouds. When did the American public become so thoroughly dependent on those in authority/the government warning us about every possible danger in life that we can no longer look out for our own safety or our family's? Or...for that matter, why do we expect God to do what we should be doing in the first place, take advantage of the opportunities to save ourselves instead of expecting... I don't even know what that guy in the flood was expecting God to do!

 I could go on and on, but I have faith that you know exactly what I'm talking about. Trust God to deliver you when you can't help yourself, but for the love of God, when there's an ominous cloud in the sky, for heaven's sake GET OUT OF THE BOAT!

Proverbs 4:7 "Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment."