The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning

This twenty-fifth anniversary publication emphasizes our need for grace, exhorting us never to forget thta we will always be needy people; it’s how God designed us, for we cannot welcome grace if we do not need it. This work is a deep look at grace: what it is and is not, who it is for, and why it is needed. Manning drives home the point that we cannot save ourselves. This is not a shameful fact to be covered by more effort; it is rather a pitiful reality with a solution, God’s grace, already available. Forgiveness and grace are not to be experienced once, after which we launch out on our own. Forgiveness and grace are to be like the air we breathe, a constant need and refreshment. Manning’s writing is less conversational than is now popular, as it is more classic and less colloquial both in language and style. This classic work is a powerful look at a timeless subject. I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Strong and Kind by Korie Robertson with Chrys Howard

I wanted to read this newest book because I enjoy Duck Dynasty, and it appears Willie and Korie Robertson have raised some very fine children. Korie’s book is as I expected it to be: down to earth, easy to read, and practical, just like the Robertson clan seems to be. Their approach to childrearing is based deeply on biblical principles, emphasizing qualities lauded in the Bible, such as self-control, honesty, compassion, patience, joy, and humility. Korie’s style is apparently an encouraging one; she spends chapters on parenting with confidence, consistency, love, truth, and creativity, as well as encouraging parents to be real, unified and intentional. Each chapter ends with a page or two written by Willie, giving his perspective on each quality. I found this book refreshing. There is an honesty to it that keeps it from being merely theoretical and a reality to it that seems to make it possible to aim toward and successfully emphasize character traits as you raise your children. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze program.

The Entitlement Cure by Dr. John Townsend

The co-author of “Boundaries” writes now about, essentially, how to establish boundaries with those with an attitude of entitlement, which Townsend defines as “the belief that I am exempt from responsibility and I am owed special treatment.” Townsend maintains that we all, to a greater or lesser extent, struggle with this attitude, at least from time to time. The author carefully lays out a plan for addressing and even solving the problem of entitlement, beginning with a compassionate, relational approach that considers what is best for the person. He encourages us to examine the causes and effects of an attitude of entitlement in others and ourselves. He moves into the process of evaluating motivations to address the problem and then into the change in thought processes that can bring real change. Lastly, Townsend talks about the behavioral changes, such as admitting wrong, facing pain, and taking risks, that lead to fully accepting responsibility and will unhook a person from thinking they deserve special treatment. There are some biblical references and illustrations sprinkled throughout the book, but the book is more practical than theoretical. This was an excellent work and, in reality, another extension of boundary setting and boundary keeping. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze program.

7 Women and the Secret of Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas

This excellent book chronicles the lives and influence of seven great women. While I had heard of five (Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Corrie ten Boom, Rosa Parks, and Mother Teresa), the life stories of most were not known to me. I was not familiar with Hannah More or Saint Maria of Paris. Metaxas effectively narrates the early years of all the subjects and then articulates how their lives affected others, from their families to wider circles and then finally to history itself. The accounts are fascinating and thought provoking. It is a book you could pick up agian and again to remind yourself of the importance of faithfulness in things large and small. The introduction itself was intriguing, where the author talks about his choice of subjects. As he considered suggestions, he said, “What struck me as wrong about these suggestions was that they presumed women should somehow be compared to men. But it seemed wrong to view great women in that way. The great men in Seven Men were not measured against women, so why should the women in Seven Women be measured against men? I wondered what was behind this way of seeing things, that women should be defined against men? Or that men and women should even be compared to each other?” It is this honesty and thoughtfulness that flavors this outstanding book, which I highly recommend. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased reviewed through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program.

http://images.randomhouse.com/cover/9780804139618?width=125&alt=no_cover_b4b.gif http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/234655/the-first-family-detail-by-ronald-kessler/ The First Family Detail by Ronald Kessler Subtitled, “Secret Service Agents Reveal the Hidden Lives of the Presidents”, this book half fulfilled its promise. Included are anecdotes about virtually every president since Kennedy with a few vice presidents thrown in for good measure. Few of the accounts will leave you thinking more highly of the subject. It would be well to note that half the book is dedicated to the premise that the Secret Service cuts corners and is mismanaged, a repeated point made in so belabored a way that one wonders if this was not the author’s main goal in writing this book. A typical point is made on page 231, “Much like a car that never gets regular maintenance and oil changes, the seven-thousand-employee Secret Service lurches along until a tragdy like the Kennedy assaination forces it to rectify deficiencies.” Page 248 incudes this statement: “The fact that Secret Service management has a lackadaisical attitude about securtiy and routinely orders agents to cut corners no doubt contributed to the fact that a uniformed officer with a dog thought he could get away with sitting in his van talking on his personal cell phone.” Be forewarned that The First Family Detail seesaws between anecdotes about First Families and haranguing on the deficits of the Secret Service. In my opinion, both subjects would have been better served had they been addressed in different books. I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

The Colson Way by Owen Strachan

This book is about the example and legacy left by Chuck Colson to the Christian community, weaving together the story of Colson’s life and work with the exhortation to particularly young evangelicals to take up the causes and course of action laid out before them by Colson. Chuck Colson’s life was a fascinating one, where a gifted man, through ability and assertiveness rose to the pinnacle of power in the Nixon White House and then crashed to the bottom of the heap by way of Watergate. Colson was imprisoned in on of the most ignominious falls from grace in recent American history. But before Colson went to prison, he heard the gospel and came into a personal relationship with Jesus. After serving his sentence, Colson was called to work with prisoners, bringing the gospel to them. Prison Fellowship began, growing into a global ministry to which Colson dedicated the rest of his life. In addition to this broad calling, Colson deeply believed in what the author describes as engaging in discourse in the public square, defining and defending traditional biblical beliefs. Strachan gives a good summary of Colson’s life and then issues a call, mainly aimed at the millennial generation, to enter into the public square, continuing the discourse. The book is well written, although at times it belabors the summary of Colson’s effectiveness. The last chapter, though, is a masterpiece of writing, a call to arms for this generation to engage with and address current American culture. I would recommend this book to others. It is thought provoking and inspiring. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program.

The Good, the Bad, and the Grace of God by Jep & Jessica Robertson with Susy Flory

Television isn’t something I watch much, so “Duck Dynasty” is something I’d heard of but had never seen, and I was not familiar with any of the Robertson clan. I read this book, which is aptly titled, because the title and description intrigued me. As advertised, the book lays out the lives of Jep and Jessica Robertson with unflinching honesty, and theirs is a very interesting and probably typical story of a young, modern couple. If this book is anything like “Duck Dynasty”, it is easy to understand the appeal because the subjects are very human, sympathetic, and open; their story left me feeling that I really understood them, warts and all. While their openness revealed at times more than I might have wanted to know, it made the story compelling and, in the end, worth the openness. They are very likable, and their journey makes a lot of sense. Both had wonderful childhoods and went through tremendous struggles in their young adulthoods but came through them triumphantly because they came to Jesus and grew fast and strong in their faith, surrounded by supportive family and friends. The transformation of their lives individually and together stands as a testament to the power of God at work today. One mistake slipped by the co-author and editors: on page 82, Jep’s maternal grandmother is said to have died of “sclerosis of the liver”; undoubtedly it should have been “cirrhosis of the liver”. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze program.