Miracle and Other Christmas Stories by Connie Willis

Are you tired of the same old Christmas stories year after year? “Miracle and Other Christmas Stories” by Connie Willis breaks out of the mold. Think “The Ghost of Christmas Past” with a twist. Imagine being locked in a store toy department for time eternal. What if Mary and Joseph came looking for Bethlehem in this time period? Murder at Christmas time? The dreaded Christmas newsletter - you’ve never read about aliens at Christmas before. This is Christmas with a science fiction flavour. Short stories that will pique your interest and provide several hours of Christmas fun and enjoyment. Included at the back are 12 recommended reads of the season and 12 recommended videos to watch.

Poke the Box by Seth Godin

Catchy covers. Bite-sized paragraphs. Truth bombs. Seth Godin has a way of making you uncomfortable with the status quo. If you like this kind of uncomfortable because it pushes you to move forward, you’ll keep on reading his material. If you just find him weird, the books will hold no appeal. For myself, I can’t get enough of him. “Poke the Box” challenges us to take initiative wherever we are and start “stuff”. Do it differently; raise your hand; take a chance; what will happen if I (fill in the blank).

The book inspired me to get out of my comfort zone and do something that I was worrying about creating a stir with. So what if it fails? So what if people don’t understand? If more people took the ideas in this book seriously we’d have a rush of action. This isn’t just for big business. It can make an impact on your personal life as well. Go ahead – poke the box. You know you want to.

Besides the Bible by Gibson, Green and Pattison

“Besides the Bible” is an enabler book. Subtitled “100 books that have, should, or will create Christian culture”, each chapter had me putting must read books onto my wish list. In fact, what I wanted to do was pull a “Julie and Julia” and read them all in one year. (2 a week!???) When my pulse stopped racing, good sense kicked in and a life-long goal seemed more rational.

We are, indeed, shaped by what we read (or watch or the people we hang with). So if my goal is become a stronger, more committed Christian, reading the books that strong, committed Christians wrote seems like a no-brainer. Alongside the Bible, this compilation would be a good guide to steering through the congested waters of Christian publishing.

Written by Dan Gibson, Jordan Green and John Pattison, the essays are not bland, boring reviews. These men are passionate about the written word and words written about God and the things of God, in particular.

I’m off to buy this book – a good start to a good year of reading.

Lincoln's Dreams by Connie Willis

This was the first ebook read on my new Kobo touch! Yah! I loved the experience. A friend said that reading on a reader makes you faster. I might have to agree with that.

“Lincoln’s Dreams” by Connie Willis was not a hard sell for me. She is one of my favourite authors. A disclaimer for the book, though. I don’t believe in this stuff; I just enjoy reading science fiction. That said - the book was fascinating. If the dead could dream, what would they dream about? Could their dreams affect the living? Direct the living? Can the living direct the dreams of the dead?

What I like most about Willis’s books is all the history you absorb alongside a riveting story. In “Lincoln’s Dreams” Jeff, a researcher looking into small details about the Civil War, meets Annie, who is tormented by bad dreams. Her psychiatrist is convinced that she is having one medical problem after another, but as the story unfolds it becomes clearer to Jeff and Annie that the dreams tell a tale closer to real life, albeit, past life. Interesting facts about the civil war, General Lee and Abraham Lincoln wove their way through this science fiction/love story. Apparently this was Connie Willis’s first book – I’m glad she wrote it and so glad she kept on writing.

Why Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow

My head is reeling from the information contained in “Why
Men Hate Going to Church”. How could I be so wrong when I thought I was so right? So many things that I thought made church “right”, it seems, turn men off from going. They appeal to me as a woman, but men are from a different planet in some ways and aren’t attracted to the same things I am. Murrow presents the case, point by point, that many aspects of church as we know it today has been feminized and the very things that draw women in, turn men away. After speaking to the whys and wherefores of his argument, he goes into concrete ways that a congregation can make small or large changes that will bring a healthy balance back to their gender numbers. He talks about decor, music, preaching, children’s ministry, youth ministry, programs – there’s something in here for everyone. This is a book that should be read and taken to heart by anyone who loves God and wants all men to love him and find a church home where they can worship Him without feeling like they are in a foreign country. I highly recommend this book.

In Defense of Flogging by Peter Moskos

Picture this scene. You are standing in front of the judge, having been found guilty of fraud. The standard sentence is 6 months in jail. In a surprising turn of events, the judge offers you the possibility of 5 lashes or canings in lieu of prison time. Do you take the flogging and short-term pain, but walk out a free person? Or do you choose instead the conventional prison term and subsequent loss of freedom?

Peter Moskos, the author of “In Defense of Flogging”, holds to the belief that our prison system is flawed - inefficient, ineffective, and expensive. Instead of rehabilitating prisoners, prison is psychologically destructive and damaging to family and society. Moskos believes that flogging is a healthier form of justice.

I have to admit that I began this book as a sceptic. Even as he put forth his arguments a part of me said “yeah, but....does a civilized society hit? Parents aren’t even allowed to spank for heaven’s sake!” However, by the end of the book he had me convinced. His arguments are well researched and logical. The tone makes for an easy-to-read book that not only sets forth Moskos’s theories but also provides a blueprint for implementing the system.

Definitely not politically correct, but challenging and thought-provoking.

So Long Insecurity (leaders guide) by Beth Moore

"So Long, Insecurity - Group Experience" is a leaders guide to the book "So Long, Insecurity" by Beth Moore. There are 10 weeks of study and an introduction included. The introduction has suggestions for leaders as per time frame, getting through the material, tone of the group and dealing with problems. Each weeks lesson includes a warm-up, word from Beth, digging in (which has questions), in the light of the Word, wrap-up and on-your-own activities for participants to do. In the sidebar there are "before you meet" assignments as to the chapters to read for the following session and a few thought-provoking questions to think about while reading.

I haven't read the book this quide is based on , but am intrigued to search it out. As a linear person this guide was very comfortable to navigate. I could see myself using it in either a group situation or even on my own, although a group would definitely be more advantageous as more points of view would be raised. I would recommend this study to any women's bible study group or several friends who want to get to know one another better and help each other grow.

I received a complimentary copy of the book for review purposes from Tyndale House.