eat, sleep, and save the world. Superheros wear many different capes

The successes of the Marvel and DC universes show that the world loves a superhero. You know what I mean, those people who seem so ordinary, until a crisis hits, and then out comes the cape, and they set out to save the world—or at least render the bad guy a lot less powerful than he seems at first glance. Maybe they don’t have the superpowers needed to save the world, but parents of special needs kids fall into the category of super-hero. At least in my book.

                In her latest book, Eat, Sleep, Save the World: Words of Encouragement for the Special Needs Parent (B&H Publishing, 2020), Jamie Sumner shares the world that she was charged with saving: that of her son Charlie, born with cerebral palsy and several other interesting ‘bad guys’.  This is a heart-warming story of how plans go awry, but how we can depend on God to help us through the toughest of crises, whether it’s a one-time thing, or it’s ongoing, and lasts for a long time.

                Sumner allows herself to be vulnerable—both as ordinary human and superhero—and shares her thoughts on the super powers that on a daily basis allow her to get through the crises involved in raising a special needs child.  The 6 super powers, and yes, they are available to all of us are simply as follows (because we all can’t fly or turn invisible): determination, hope, resilience, patience, laughter, and thankfulness.

                She devotes a couple of chapters to each super power, and in each chapter there is another person mentioned. Of course, we hear about Ant-Man, but the main person she mentions as an example comes directly from the pages of the Bible.  For thousands of years people have faced trials, and managed to overcome. Things didn’t always go as they planned, but somehow, they got through the bad times. Even when our human frailties are most evident, God’s grace and power are made manifest.

                I can only imagine what a blessing this book will be to the parents of special needs children who can find the time to read it, but beyond that, it seems that anyone else who reads it will benefit too. It just might help us to walk the proverbial mile in someone else’s shoes.

                As a member of the publisher’s bloggers’ program, I received a copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review, but it is definitely a joy to be able to do to.

                5/5

Don't Overthink It by Anne Bogel

I’ve been there. I spend so much time thinking about something, trying to decide what to day, which way to turn, that by the time I’ve made up my mind, it’s too late. I’ve missed the opportunity. And then the next day I waste time beating myself up for not making the decision sooner.  You might resemble that remark too. With that in mind, Anne Bogel’s book Don’t Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop-Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life, (Baker Books, 2020) seemed to be just the book that I needed to read, especially during this time when I have way more time on my hands than usual.

                So what does overthinking look like? It depends. It’s different for everyone. It can result in paralyzing fear, an inability to make a decision, a fear of making the wrong decision, even a fear of making a right decision( and then have no excuse for not doing what you know needs to be done).  Maybe it’s spending so much time researching the proper course of action, that you don’t have time to do what needs to be done in a timely manner, and then it costs more in time , money or effort.

                Bogel draws on her own experiences and offers a lot of suggestions for different ways that our brain keeps our body from doing the things it needs to do.  Among her suggestions, are keeping a list of “to pack” things and use it for every trip. This avoids leaving needed things behind, and in many cases helps avoid overpacking.  Or how about making a decision once, and following it multiple times in the future.  Or designate a place in a room to start the cleaning/sorting/decluttering process, get that done—then move left to right.  Or how about this one—realize that some of your friends are really good at (and like doing) some of the things that keep you busy without accomplishing anything, and invite them to help you with that task.

                Simple suggestions that we might all have thought of eventually if we weren’t so busy thinking about what if? 

                Bogel writes with a very engaging style, and this book is full of practical tips, at least one of which will apply to almost everyone.

                I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.  There was no requirement to post positive comments.

                5/5

dreams disasters and the faith to move mountains

Jesus once told His disciples that with faith the size of a mustard seed that they could move mountains (Matt 17:20). And Kristen Welch in her book Made to Move Mountains: How God Uses Our Disasters to Accomplish the Impossible ( Baker Books, 2020) shows us what this looks like in her world.  Welch is the Founder of Mercy House Global, a non-profit that has 3 maternity centers for pregnant girls in Kenya.  This book is the story of some of the mountains that she has seen God move since starting the ministry.

This is a time of uncertainty—the economic markets are dropping so fast and so far that we are entering recession or depression territory, COVID19 has claimed the first life in the county where I live, and statewide the number of people affected is growing exponentially. Top that off with an earthquake last week that ruined one of the buildings that shelters homeless people and also houses an addiction recovery program, and we’re looking at enough disasters to ensure that God has plenty of opportunities to accomplish the impossible.

But, as Welch reminds us, God uses people: people with dreams. And people who couple their dreams with faith can still move mountains.

What are your dreams in the midst of whatever disaster you may be facing? Maybe it’s personal, maybe it’s local, or maybe it’s a something happening thousands of miles away.  Rest assured that God, coupled with your faith, even as small as a mustard seed, is waiting to move your mountain.

I received a copy of this book as a member of the publisher’s bloggers program. 

With All Your Heart Christine Hoover

What’s keeping you from being all-in when it comes to following King Jesus?  If I had to pick one thing, it would be difficult, because there are for me, and I imagine most of us, several things that get in the way of total obedience. Christine Hoover in With All Your Heart: Living Joyfully through Allegiance to King Jesus (BakerBooks, 2020) runs us through some of the issues that she faces in her own life. They include things like anxiety. Image, control and escape, along with a few others. 

                People like to think they have it together; many churches are full of people who assume that they’re good Christians—that they follow Jesus whole-heartedly. But then something happens and they begin to doubt themselves and their intentions.  Sometimes that doubt is a good thing because it forces us to reassess where we really are in relationship to Jesus.

                And then we can look at those things that stand between us and Jesus. But there’s hope. Hoover includes a part III: An Unshakeable Kingdom. And as she wraps up the book, she reminds us that the Kingdom doesn’t rely on us: Jesus has already got it covered.

                There is some good information here, and in many ways the various chapters covering the ‘false kings’ hit on things that I might cover with people struggling with substance abuse issues.

                Having said that, I wasn’t overly impressed with the writing style. I kept trying to find the ‘living joyfully’ included in the sub-title, and for me, it just wasn’t there.

                As a member of the publisher’s blogger’s program I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion about the book.

3/5

Handle with Care

For many years I’ve heard about studies suggesting that when touch is missing, that infants fail to thrive. Lore Ferguson Wilbert, in her book Handle with Care: How Jesus Redeems the Power of Touch in Life and Ministry (B&H Publishing, 2020) suggests that adults need human touch also.

                That’s scary for so many people because of abuse, or allegations of abuse, but touch was an important tool that Jesus used frequently.  Ministry often calls for touch, anointing with oil, a hand on the shoulder during prayer, even a hug. Of course before charging into a hug, it’s a good idea to get permission—not everyone is comfortable with that level of intimacy: we don’t all speak the same ‘love language’

                Wilbert talks about the taboos of touch—some of which were probably started out a misguided sense of propriety. As she does so, she debunks some of the myths, myths which get in the way of ministry, and meeting basic human needs.  What are the appropriate boundaries when dealing with singles? Is all touch sexual?  She also talks about the benefits of touch—appropriate touch—in keeping people connected with humanity, and by extension, with God.

                I was impressed with Wilbert’s sensitivity when it comes to people who have been abused, especially helpful is the ‘afterward’: A Letter to Those Who Have Been Abused.  In the letter she acknowledges their pain, encourages healing, and apologizes for anything in the book that may have caused pain.

                This book is a helpful tool for people involved in ministry, and huggers and non-huggers alike could benefit from some of Wilbert’s insights.

                I received a copy of this book from the published in exchange for my honest opinion about the book. I was not required to write a positive review.

4/5

the Basic Bible Atlas

A lot of people I talk with have trouble following the biblical narrative. And I have to include myself in that number. The maps that we use today have different names than those that were used in the thousands of years leading up to the time of Jesus. And by the time of Jesus, and then when Paul was making his missionary journeys, many of the names had changed again. 

                John A. Beck has put together the facts that we need to know to be able to follow God’s story.  He calls it a ‘basic’ tool; I think it’s much more than that. The Basic Bible Atlas: A Fascinating Guide to the Land of the Bible (Baker Books, 2020) is more than just a book of maps. Beck starts out by introducing the Atlas, and also the Biblical World.

Using geography as the basis for his explanation, Beck starts with the Creation and the Fall, and then walks the reader through the Exodus story, and into the Promised Land. Many of us have read the Bible, but get confused as to distances, and to the geographic areas that are being discussed. It doesn’t seem to matter if we’re talking about the Garden of Eden, the time in Egypt, Israel’s time in the Promised Land, the divided Kingdom, Israel’s time in Exile, Jesus’ travels, or the later journeys of Paul, and even the 7 churches of the Revelation.   

This book, with its chronological divisions is an easy to follow guide. For people who are visual learners, this is an invaluable tool.  Granted there is not as much information in this book as might be found in others, but for other than serious students ( think post-graduate level) of the bible, I think this is more than enough information, and it’s helpful that it is presented in an easy to read format, rather than an academic style which for most people would be just as confusing as if they were trying to piece things together for themselves based on the biblical text.

I give this a solid A.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for posting my own opinion on my blog. I was not required to write a positive review.