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The Christmas Spirit–sharing Christmas
The Christmas Spirit
by Debbie Macomber
What could the pastor of Light of Life church and the owner/bartender/waiter/janitor of the Last Call tavern possibly have in common? They were childhood friends and they maintain their connection by meeting at Mom’s Place monthly for lunch. Pete is clean-cut and Hank looks a little rough and shaggy, but they both love Jesus and people.
Debbie Macomber’s The Christmas Spirit is a humorous romance that is as Christmasy as Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. With only one week to go before Christmas, the two men decide to change places for a week because each thinks he has a harder job than the other. Walking in each other’s shoes teaches the men a lot of lessons about how to deal with all kinds of people with love and compassion and how to trust God. The pastor has to stand up to some tough characters including the Hell’s Outlaws, and Hank must confront the equally challenging Mrs. Millstone who dangles the large donation of a new roof for the church over the pastor’s head.
Both men are single so you can expect some romance. The women they are interested in have backgrounds that complicate their relationships. The waitress Millie might be unacceptable to Pete’s congregation, and the woman who has caught Hank’s attention happens to be Pete’s sister and the church secretary. Because of past pain, she has shut herself off to others with a superior attitude.
The story has a sweet format as Nana tells it to her two grandchildren who have come over to visit. Instead of a fairy tale, she tells them a real story. Eight year old Lance is good with that, but Nana has to promise to forewarn him if there is any kissing so he can cover his ears. Six year old Lily is delighted that there will be kissing. The plot progresses quickly with interludes in which Nana and the kids reflect on events in the story.
So many problems arise, some fun and some more serious. Characters must rise to the occasion to overcome biases, think outside the box, and trust God to work things out.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: General Fiction, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Notes: This is a good book for anyone who feels “church people” are too stuffy or hypocritical.…or for any Christians still holding onto biases. After you read this, you may come away with a new understanding of how God’s love is meant to play out in our world today.
Publication: October 18, 2022—Random House (Ballantine)
Memorable Lines:
Never in all his days had he met anyone more self-righteous than Grace Ann Armstrong. The woman had her nose so far up in the air that she was in danger of drowning in a rainstorm.
In Hank’s way of thinking, Gracie was so heavenly minded, she was no earthly good. Life was black and white for her, unlike Pete, whose real gift was understanding human nature and accepting others for exactly who they were. Pete was never one to cram faith down anyone’s throat. He loved people, and anyone who spent time with him, even a short while, recognized as much.
“Doesn’t the church belong to God?” he asked. “Technically…yes, but…” “It seems to me,” he said, “if God is who you say He is, then it makes sense to me that He knows that the roof needs to be replaced and He’ll see to it.”
The Remarkable Ordinary: How to Stop, Look, and Listen to Life
The Remarkable Ordinary
by Frederick Buechner
Art and music as gateways to God—an interesting thought Frederick Buechner uses as the basis of his first chapter in The Remarkable Ordinary. That beginning was a little slow to take hold on me, and it didn’t really continue on as a predominant theme in the book. In fact, the book continues forward in three parts with a total of eight chapters. As I read, I felt like I was examining Buechner’s mind, his thought processes, his memories, and most importantly his search for God in the ordinary things of life. When he began a relationship with Christ, he was “all in.” Not content to read the Bible through as a first step, he wanted to jump right into seminary. He eventually decided that his training in the ministry and his skills would be best used as a writer rather than as a pastor. He never used the term philosopher, but that is what I see him as. The Remarkable Ordinary is part philosophical treatise and part memoir. He delves into therapy sessions, dreams, and family history that helped form his character and beliefs.
Buechner is honest and introspective, and the book is a product of his soul searching. Each chapter is a collection of his thoughts on various themes. He reflects on holiness, our personal journeys, our efforts at controlling others, and the wars we wage with ourselves and those around us. He shows facets of God to us as he examines the arts, other people, the ordinary things around us, and our stories, dreams and memories. He ties all of these parts of the “remarkable ordinary” into our need to “stop, look, and listen to life.”
I actually read much of the book twice in an effort to understand Buechner’s views. It is different from other books I have read by religious leaders. Buechner is very open about his beliefs and his past and yet, probably rightly, he did not reveal all as he continued to clarify his thoughts. Some things are too personal to share with the world. Frederick Buechner passed away on August 15. 2022, leaving behind a legacy of 39 works of fiction and nonfiction in several genres written over a span of 60 years.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Nonfiction, Christian
Publication: October 3, 2017—Zondervan
Memorable Lines:
It seems to me almost before the Bible says anything else, it is saying that—how important it is to be alive and to pay attention to being alive, pay attention to each other, pay attention to God as he moves and as he speaks. Pay attention to where life or God has tried to take you.
We’ve all had saints in our lives, by which I mean not plaster saints, not moral exemplars, not people setting for us a sort of suffocating good example, but I mean saints in the sense of life-givers, people through knowing whom we become more alive.
I was so motivated because I was at that point so on fire with, I can only say, Christ. I was to the point where when I would see his name on a page, it was like seeing the face of somebody you loved, and my heart would beat faster. I had to find out more about him.
I certainly am always at war one way or another with myself, and some of them are wars I must fight to try to slay the demons, to kill the dragon, to lay the ghost to rest. But there are other wars you fight with yourself that are really not worth fighting at all. The war to make yourself be more, do more than you have it in you really to do or to be.
Help is Here: Finding Fresh Strength and Purpose in the Power of the Holy Spirit
Help is Here
by Max Lucado
In the way Max Lucado presents information in all of his writings, he tells us in Help is Here about the Holy Spirit—with lots of Scripture as the basis to which he adds humor and anecdotes to make his point clear and personalize it for the reader. I never realized how many verses of the Bible, especially the New Testament, talk about the Holy Spirit: who He is, His job description, and how we can access His power and help. As always, Max points the reader to God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
When you are in such despair that you don’t know how to pray, the Holy Spirit will intercede and pray for you. When you have a task that is too big for you, you can have the Holy Spirit walking beside you, empowering you. Nothing is too big or too hard for Him. When you need direction, the Holy Spirit is there. When you feel totally undone, the Holy Spirit can breathe new life into you. If you have never investigated the role of the Holy Spirit, I urge you to read Help is Here. Max explains His role in the world and urges you to welcome the Holy Spirit into every part of your day. Practical and inspirational, Help is Here is a treasure for Christians whether you have been walking with Jesus for a lifetime or you have just met Him. If you are a seeker wanting to know more about God, this is a good book for you too.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, Nonfiction, Inspiration
Notes: Help is Here ends with “Questions for Reflection” prepared by Max’s daughter Andrea Lucado. There is a set of questions for each chapter. The book concludes with a few pages of footnotes.
Publication: September 13, 2022—Thomas Nelson
Memorable Lines:
…your Father is more than willing to release blessings in abundance. You have the Spirit as your advocate and your Father as your provider. You may feel weak, but you’ve never been stronger.
We have a helper, a divine instructor. He will save us from the cul-de-sac of confusion and the dead end of doubt. He does this by enrolling us in the primary course of his university: Jesus Christ.
The chief aim of the Spirit is to escort you into the Sistine Chapel of Jesus and watch you grow wide-eyed and slack-jawed. He will enchant you with the manger, empower you with the cross, embolden you with the empty tomb. He will infect you with his love for the Savior.
The help you need is here. Ask the Spirit to infuse you with his power. Throw open the door! Swing wide the gate! Stand on the threshold and say “Come in!”
Some Golden Daybreak–the Second Coming of Christ
Some Golden Daybreak
by Lee Roberson, D.D.
Having worked through two different current Bible studies on the book of Revelation, I came away with more questions than answers. I learned that there are three major perspectives that scholars adopt to address this New Testament book of prophecy. I remember clear teachings when I was a child at Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, so I searched online for a book by the pastor at that time. On a used book site, I found Some Golden Daybreak, a collection of 17 sermons on the Second Coming of Christ written by Dr. Roberson. Since then, I discovered that Amazon has both paperback and a Kindle version so this book has clearly passed the test of time.
I highly recommend Some Golden Daybreak. Its teachings are based on Scriptures found in both the New and Old Testaments and address such topics as the mark of the beast, Armageddon, and the much debated Great Tribulation. It answered many questions for me satisfactorily. If you have wondered about eternal life and salvation, this book will provide hope, inspiration, and answers.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, Religion
Publication: 1957—Sword of the Lord Publishers
Memorable Lines:
He invites all sinners to come and to drink of the water of life. No one is excluded. All are invited. What is the water of life? It is salvation through faith in Christ. How do we take it? Freely, without money and without price. It is for everyone.
He is coming again. He is coming in power and great glory. The Christ who was prophesied to come as Saviour hundreds of years before He was born; the Christ who walked upon the earth and died upon a cross; the Christ who arose triumphant from the grave; the Christ who ascended back into Glory; the Christ who gave His promise before leaving this earth that He would come again—this Christ is coming.
The more we study the truth of His coming and the more we observe the trends of the times, the more we feel like fervently praying, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.”
Through Gates of Splendor–a call from God
Through Gates of Splendor
by Elizabeth Elliot
Five young men felt God’s call to share the good news of Jesus with an Ecuadoran Indian tribe that had never had positive encounters with outsiders. Their bad experiences date back to the ruthless rubber traders of the 1870’s—“civilized savages against unbaptized savages.” They had Stone Age technology, were feared by other Indians for their unprovoked ambushes, and had a language known only to themselves. The missionaries and their wives had a daunting task. They started by evangelizing more friendly local tribes and establishing bases, many refurbished from areas abandoned by Shell Oil Co. From these bases they did flyovers of the Auca land, first to find where in the jungle the Aucas were living and later to communicate with them by dropping gifts to demonstrate their friendly intentions.
When they felt the time was right, they finalized plans to land and meet with the Aucas in person. The book becomes very intense at that point. After an initial positive meeting, there is literally radio silence instead of the expected call back to the wives. A search and rescue team went in consisting of Ecuadorian military, volunteer missionaries and Indians, and U.S military. It was a dangerous mission.
Although the preparation and action are the basis of the story, the core of the book is faith in God. Elizabeth Elliot, the author of Through Gates of Splendor, was the wife of Jim Elliot, the first missionary of the group to respond to God’s call to contact this people group who had never heard of Him. Jim Elliot was willing to die if need be to share the good news of salvation to the Aucas. He said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” The story of the lives of these young men and their dedication to God is inspiring and many of their notes and thoughts are recorded in this book. In its pages you will see a vivd picture of what God’s call can look like as well as how these missionaries and their wives responded.
Rating: 5/5
Category: History, Christian, Memoir
Notes: The 40th anniversary edition which I read included:
1. Maps
2. Photographs, many taken at great peril by a Life magazine reporter who chose to stay with the search party when he could have returned to the base and safety.
3. Two Epilogues. One was written in 1958 explaining the immediate aftermath of the first contact and one written in 1996 relating the lives of the families as they evolved over the next 40 years.
Publication: Originally 1956
40th anniversary edition in 1996—Living Books (Tyndale)
Memorable Lines:
“If that old engine had quit up there, God alone could have saved me. I might just as well admit it frankly right here; I don’t like to fly over stuff like that and I have to have a pretty good reason to be over it without a good position-check and a good river to identify my position by. But these are people for whom Christ died, and you have to find them before you can take the Gospel to them, so I was happy to have stumbled on them.”
Pete Fleming was one of those who could not be content while the Aucas remained in darkness. In his diary he wrote: “It is a grave and solemn problem; an unreachable people who murder and kill with extreme hatred. It comes to me strongly that God is leading me to do something about it, and a strong idea and impression comes into my mind that I ought to devote the majority of my time to collecting linguistic data on the tribe and making some intensive air surveys to look for Auca houses….I know that this may be the most important decision of my life, but I have a quiet peace about it.
September, 1955, was the month in which Operation Auca really started, the month in which the Lord began to weave five separate threads into a single glowing fabric for His own Glory. Five men with widely differing personalities had come to Ecuador from the eastern United States, the West Coast, and the Midwestern States. Representing three different “faith-missions,” these men and their wives were one in their common belief in the Bible as the literal and supernatural and perfect word from God to man. Christ said “Go ye”; their answer was “Lord, send me.”
Food Triggers–a Godly approach to healthy eating
Food Triggers
by Amber Lia
Amber Lia writes Food Triggers from the perspective of a certified health coach and a Christian. She began her journey to develop healthy eating habits when she was sixty pounds overweight. She views the journey to health as both a physical and a spiritual battle. She began her personal changes with a “medically designed plan” in consultation with a health coach for accountability. She combined that with examining her food triggers one at a time. This book does not tell you what to eat although she clearly avoids sugars and excessive carbs. She intends her book to be read one chapter per day for 31 days. Each chapter addresses a specific motivation or food trigger, some external and some internal.
Lia backs up the information with research and with Scriptures. She encourages the reader to “exchange unhealthy patterns for God-honoring habits.” Some of her chapters resonated with me and others did not apply. She addresses how others can try to sabotage your healthy eating plan and the temptations that may arise when you are in community settings that involve food. There are many difficult areas she addresses including travel, portion control, and boredom. Food Triggers is not a diet plan, but is another tool with insights and practical tips that those struggling with weight loss and/or healthy eating can add to their toolbox.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Nonfiction, Christian
Notes: Although I am in support of portion control, I did not agree with the author’s emphasis on following the serving sizes indicated on packaging. I have always viewed those as the food industry’s efforts to simplify the nutritional labeling. The FDA, however, says that the goal for their newly revised labels is to “bring serving sizes closer to what people actually eat so that when they look at calories and nutrients on the label, these numbers more closely match what they are consuming.” In other words, the serving size is not what people should eat, but what the “average” person consumes. These revised figures have gone up for ice cream, but decreased for yogurt. The government in this case is not leading consumers to healthier eating. You know the old saying, “just because he jumps off a cliff, doesn’t mean you should too.” A good example of that is the marketing of soda in huge cups. Along with that we have a huge increase in obesity and diabetes.
Publication: January 4, 2022—Bethany House (Baker Publishing)
Memorable Lines:
In many ways, our culture has brainwashed us with massive portions and helpings that are, well, NOT helping.
Your health journey will present you with hard choices, and it won’t just be saying no to onion rings—but saying no to people or jobs or places that are not moving you toward God’s best for us.
[part of a prayer from the chapter on holidays] Transform my thinking so that I learn to focus on the people and meaningfulness behind times of celebration, instead of all the things to put in my mouth.
Prayer in the Night–for those who work or watch or weep
Prayer in the Night
by Tish Harrison Warren
“Compline” or “Night Prayer” dates back to the fourth century and is intended to be a simple, private service to end the day. It includes Psalms and other Scriptures. One of the prayers, the subject of Prayer in the Night, is:
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love’s sake. Amen.
Tish Harrison Warren, an Anglican priest, analyzes this prayer describing anecdotally and theologically how and why the prayer has come to mean so much to her.
Life has not been particularly easy for Warren or for many of the parishioners under her care. She is honest and real about her struggles. Most of the book is written in layman terms, but there are some theological concepts that she labels somewhat abstractly. For example, “theodicy” was not a part of my vocabulary although I am aware of the inner conflict many have wondering “why bad things happen to good people.” She used it enough times in context that I was able to adopt it.
Warren doesn’t shy away from pain, vulnerability, weariness, and grieving. She points out the differences between the suffering and the afflicted and how God brings comfort to both. While much of the book addresses the darker side of life, she also brings light on that darkness with the joy, love, and trustworthiness of God.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christianity, Religion, Theology
Notes: Includes Discussion Questions and Suggested Practices for groups or individuals to encourage deep thinking and application.
Publication: January 26, 2021—IVP
Memorable Lines:
When we’re drowning we need a lifeline, and our lifeline in grief cannot be mere optimism that maybe our circumstances will improve because we know that may not be true. We need practices that don’t simply palliate our fears or pain, but that teach us to walk with God in the crucible of our own fragility.
The hope God offers us is this: he will keep close to us, even in darkness, in doubt, in fear and vulnerability. He does not promise to keep bad things from happening. He does not promise that night will not come, or that it will not be terrifying, or that we will immediately be tugged to shore. He promises that we will not be left alone. He will keep watch with us in the night.
In a culture that’s increasingly committed to nursing every grievance, there’s deep wisdom in being able to name what is right and whole about life, to keep moving forward despite obstacles, to have a wider perspective, to look hardship in the eye and laugh.
Return to the Big Valley–three novellas
Return to the Big Valley
by Wanda Brunstetter
Consisting of three novellas written by three generations of Brunstetters, Return to the Big Valley is refreshingly gentle fiction set in Amish country. In this case “gentle” does not mean boring or humdrum.
Wilma’s Wish by Wanda Brunstetter is the story of Wilma Hostetler, a twenty-five year old former school teacher currently making quilted items to sell in her friend’s store. She is very much in love with her fiancée Isaac who works construction. Their lives are upended when Isaac’s widowed sister dies leaving five rambunctious children who don’t know how to respond to suddenly being orphaned. Will a single young man be able to take on these children without losing his beloved Wilma? This is a very sweet story; it addresses important themes of commitment, trust, and grieving.
Martha’s Miracle by Jean Brunstetter focuses on a different young couple in Pennsylvania. Martha Yoder’s family moved from Lancaster to Belleville, a smaller Amish community. They own a modest B&B that appeals to tourists. Glen Swarey’s family is also Amish. Neither Martha nor Glen has joined the church yet. Although they are courting, their lives seem to be taking them in different directions. It would take a miracle to remove the obstacles on the pathway to a happy marriage. Martha’s Miracle points out the advantages and disadvantages of both the English and Amish worlds. Its themes include trusting God and seeking His plan for your life, the importance of family, and staying true to your own character and beliefs.
Alma’s Acceptance by Richelle Brunstetter is a story of personal tragedy. Married for almost a year, Alma’s world is shattered when her husband Michael passes away. Devastated, she clears out their house and moves back home. Unable to either settle in or grieve properly, Alma goes from Kentucky to her former hometown in Pennsylvania to get away and to help her friend in her card shop. She quickly reconnects with her childhood friend, Elias. When Alma moved with her parents, neither Elias nor Alma had confessed their romantic feelings to each other. Now they have a second chance, but there are many obstacles including the short amount of time since Michael’s passing, the concerns of their parents, and the necessity of their Amish bishop’s approval. But there is one more challenge that arises that may be the one that separates them forever.
I am not usually fond of novellas because there is just not enough time in that format for character development. All three of these authors did an outstanding job of creating characters with depth and developing interesting plots. I rarely judge novellas to be worthy of five stars, especially when all three are written by different authors, but these ladies have earned the accolades.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, General Fiction, Romance
Notes: Three recipes are included which tie into the respective stories.
Publication: June 1, 2021—Barbour Publishing
Memorable Lines:
Wilma didn’t appreciate the reminder that she’d let her pride get in the way of telling Israel the truth. But her fear of rejection held her back more than pride, and she saw no way of getting past that.
“I’m sure in the English world you wouldn’t have to worry much about being a lady whose hobby is hunting…. there aren’t any set rules about women caring for their homes and family as there are in the Amish community.” Lori chimed in. “I would have to say in the Mennonite groups it isn’t as big of a deal either. If a lady hunts, that’s okay. Each of us has different hobbies.”
His eyes were like ocean waves cascading the shoreline as tears threatened to spill over.
Made to Crave–not a diet plan
Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food
by Lysa TerKeurst
When Lysa TerKeurst decided to get serious about losing weight and keeping it off, she consulted a nutritionist, was given a food plan, had weekly weigh-ins for accountability, and learned a lot about food choices and portions, but all of that is not what her book, Made to Crave, is really about. TerKeurst uses the weight loss challenge as an opportunity to reexamine her relationship with God; what she learned can be applied to other addictions as well. In her introduction she says, “God made us capable of craving so we’d have an unquenchable desire for more of Him, and Him alone. Nothing changes until we make the choice to redirect our misguided cravings to the only one capable of satisfying them. Getting healthy isn’t just about losing weight. It’s not limited to adjusting our diet and hoping for good physical results. It’s about recalibrating our souls so that we want to change—spiritually, physically, and mentally.”
This book is not going to be right for everyone as it tells of TerKeurst’s personal journey. She addresses the problems she confronts like stress eating, being comfortable with your body regardless of your size, and overindulgence. She ties her thoughts into appropriate Scripture references and includes sections at the end that collate the verses into one area according to subject. She also has “Healthy Eating Go-To Scripts” that are self-talk and Scriptures you can use to encourage yourself to stay the course. Each chapter ends with Personal Reflections that reiterate TerKeurst’s theme in that chapter and has questions for thought.
Is this the right book for you? That is a question only you can answer for yourself. As anyone who has ever tried to break the pattern of yo-yo dieting knows, it is not an easy or simple task. I would suggest that it would be one more tool in a Christian’s toolbox when trying to address the complex problem of losing weight. It is not an eating plan or a book that will “fix” your problem. To really work through this process requires soul-searching and hard work.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Christian, Nonfiction, Health
Notes: There is some humor sprinkled through the book. My favorite is her reference to removing her ponytail holder in a desperate attempt to make those scales go down. I can identify in my attempt to attain “data collection consistency,” right?
Publication: 2010—Zondervan
Memorable Lines:
We need a power beyond our frail attempts and fragile resolve. A power greater than our taste buds, hormones, temptations, and our inborn female demand for chocolate. Yes, the truth of who we are and the power to live out that truth—that’s what we need.
But I’ve realized when the desire for treats is triggered by difficult emotions, it’s not really a desire for treats—it’s a thinly veiled attempt at self-medication.
But pity parties are a cruel way to entertain, for they leave behind a deeper emptiness than we started with in the first place.
education pathways 