book review: Ascent From Darkness by Michael Leehan

“One Saturday afternoon as I sat on my red corduroy couch my heart filled with anger toward a God who seemed distant, even cruel. My tiny snatches of knowledge about this God of the Bible had built the picture of a tyrant in my mind’s eye…. Hadn’t God created a fear-based system with the threat of hell that forced people to bend their knees to Him, not out of love, but out of self-preservation? ….

Finally, I said, ‘God, I will not serve You. I will not serve a God of fear and punishment, who forces His victims into submission. I will serve the dark side.’ And I blurted out, ‘Satan, come into my life. You are now my god. Use me, have me, and control me for your purposes.” (Michael Leehan, Ascent From Darkness, Kindle Location 478)

Michael Leehan describes the incident, above, in his book Ascent from Darkness: How Satan’s Soldier Became God’s Warrior. His decision to serve Satan that Saturday was the culmination of years of disappointment and turmoil. His painful, undisciplined childhood was followed by a youth dominated by pain-killers and alcohol. His marriage began happily but ended in divorce after nine years leaving him hurt, lonely, and missing his three young kids. It was shortly after the divorce that he decided to give his life to Satan.

Most of Ascent From Darkness is a description of the next 20 years of Leehan’s life, spent in satanic servitude. It is a disturbing account of occultic entanglement, showing a dedication on his part that would put many Christians to shame. He did things like buy and carry copies of the Satanic Bible to put in church sanctuaries and Sunday School room, and infiltrate Bible studies and home groups to sow theological confusion and seduce women. At one point he observed a long fast to gain spiritual power. His arms were scarred from the numerous cuts he inflicted on himself while absorbed in spirit communication. His deepening involvement led to daytime blackouts when he channeled spirits and nights disturbed by spooky phenomena, fear, and torment. He obsessed over how to carry out his assignment to kill his girlfriend’s pastor and then commit suicide himself.

He eventually broke free in a miraculous encounter with God—an ending that made this dark book worth reading. Though some have criticized it because it deals almost exclusively with the dark years of Leehan’s life, I found the book a worthwhile read for other reasons as well:

• It disclosed the fearful price that Satan exacts in loyalty, obedience and servitude.

• It showed how Satan's promises are lies.

• It illustrated, by contrast, the light, life, freedom, and joy we have in Christ—things it's easy for us to take for granted, until we've experienced (vicariously, through reading about it was experience enough for me) what life on the dark side is like.

• It gave insight into what may be behind many of our society's bizarre and self-destructive behaviours (like the prevalence of cutting, the spirit of lust that has not only taken down lay-Christians but many pastors too, and rampant suicide) and gave clues as to how to minister to demonically oppressed people.

• Mike's spiritual zeal for and commitment to the dark side puts me to shame as I compare it to my zeal and commitment to Jesus.

Mike Leehan’s own words about why he wrote the book are powerful and instructive for those curious about the occult and those wanting to warn loved ones about the dangers of getting involved in it or help them break free from it:

"I have learned the only thing that evil can take over is darkness. Darkness invades our lives when we shut out the light of God's love. But where there is light, there cannot be darkness. Light pierces darkness and illuminates the truth.

We must realize that we are in a world that is spiritually intertwined. There is more to our existence than the obvious. We must open our eyes to see the spiritual realm, which is very real and very powerful. And we must learn the weapons of our adversary, not only to avoid becoming ensnared by darkness but to be able to reach into that darkness to rescue others, like me, with the light. We are instruments of change. We are powerful vessels carrying an eternal cargo of either life or death.

The reason for sharing my story in this book is to demonstrate the power of God over Satan and to show how merciful a God we have in heaven. To give Him the glory and praise, and to demonstrate the power of love over fear, to show the love our Father has for us, to let God's light expose the darkness—but mainly to facilitate the hope that by reading this story, people might turn to the King of Kings!" - Mike Leehan, Ascent from Darkness, Kindle Location 3462.

Title: Ascent From Darkness: How Satan’s Soldier Became Christ’s Warrior

Author: Michael Leehan

Publisher: Thomas Nelson, October 4, 2011, Paperback, 272 pages (Kindle version 441 KB).

·  ISBN-10: 0849947030

·  ISBN-13: 978-0849947032

I received this book as a gift from the publisher for the purpose of writing a review.

Linked to Semicolon Blog - Saturday Review of Books: July 21.

book review: Simple Secrets to a Happy Life by Luci Swindoll

Title: Simple Secrets to a Happy Life
Author: Luci Swindoll

Excerpts from the Amazon product description of Simple Secrets to a Happy Life

"Is it possible to stay full of life, laughter, love, and the Lord through eight decades in this crazy world? Is that even realistic? Yes! There is hope, and Luci Swindoll is living proof.

 With heart and humor, this best-selling author and beloved speaker lays out the truths that can help us all become a little more creative, organized, healthy, and happy. This is not a complex prescription for how to become superwoman. These are simple secrets, the wisdom produced by years of walking with God and living well....

Luci has spent eight decades accumulating the stories, memories, verses, and practical tips that make up Simple Secrets to a Happy Life. Whether traveling the world or building life-long friendships, singing in the opera or working for Mobil Oil, every step has taught her a little more about how to love God, love her neighbor, and love herself."

 My review:

The title of Luci Swindoll’s latest book, Simple Secrets to a Happy Life, does a good job of describing this inspiring and practical volume. In it the almost-octogenarian author shares fifty of those secrets under the broad headings of The Basics, Developing Your Style, Achieving Balance, Living a Good Life, and Staying Connected.

In addition to topics one would expect to see in this type of book (like “Let people know you care,” “Write down the important things,” and “Look for ways to help”) are surprises like, “Know for sure you’re insured,” “Cook something special for yourself,” and “Draw a picture to understand” (where she suggests sketching and drawing as activities to help us understand what we see in the world around us).

Swindoll’s writing style is warm, friendly, and encouraging. The stories she tells on herself make the book relatable to life, interesting, and authoritative. Sometimes they add humor. But more often than not they have an “ouch” quality that makes it easy to see why they have stuck with her and underline the important life-lesson they illustrate. For example, there was the time she got an invitation for breakfast from a co-worker, said she’d attend, but come Saturday morning simply stayed away, rationalizing that it wasn't all that important. Later she discovered that her friend had anticipated her visit all week, prepared for it at length, and was deeply hurt by her no-show — told in Chapter Two: “Be On Time for Everything.”)

Themes that flow through her “Secrets” are contentment, gratitude, generosity, faith, openness to adventure, common sense, self-awareness, independence, hospitality, and graciousness. It is inspirational cover-to-cover with an uplifting and positive take-away for whatever life-stage you’re in.

Simple Secrets to a Happy Life would be good to read any time, but would be an especially great choice for when you are at a life crossroads like graduation, starting a new career, marriage, retirement, or simply as preparation for making the next set of New Year’s Resolutions. Rereading it annually probably wouldn’t be a bad idea either! Now, where did I put my sketch book and pencils?

(I received a digital copy of this book as a gift from the publisher for the purpose of writing a review.)

Book facts: (Hardcover edition)
Title: Simple Secrets to a Happy Life
Author: Luci Swindoll
Publisher: Thomas Nelson, March 13, 2012, 224 pages.

• ISBN-10: 1400203538
• ISBN-13: 978-1400203536

book review: Journey on the Hard Side of Miracles by Steven Stiles

I have, in the last year since getting my Kindle e-reader, read many books that I never got around to reviewing. In way that's a shame (for me) because I find I gain a whole lot by going through the review process. It certainly helps me recall books in a way that simply reading them never does.

So I have decided in the next little while, to write mini-reviews of at least some of these books. I will start with cover copy, and follow it up with a few of my own impressions.

Today's book is one I have just finished:

Title: Journey on the Hard Side of Miracles
Author: Steven Stiles

Cover copy:

"We had been WARNED, but we had only wanted to serve God. The truth was that not one person had a clue what would actually happen when we first boarded that tired old bus. With two hundred easy miles to our destination, there was little cause for concern. Yet somehow, despite every effort, our humble band of Jesus People never got there—and we never really found our way home.


Wandering for years, and struggling deep on the hard side of miracles, we knew we must not turn back, for every mountain climbed, every desert crossed, every dark valley and peaceful place of rest revealed an unseen Traveler, the One to whom the journey belonged.


There is a reason to listen to the Shepherd. There is a reason to stay close."

My impressions:

This was an interesting account of a group of Santa Cruz Jesus People who had their beginnings in the Hippie movement of the early '70s. They performed concerts for youth groups and did street ministry around the U.S. using a couple of re-purposed school buses as transportation. Later they set up a church and ministry centre which focused on helping people in crisis from addiction, mental health, and family issues. New Life Centre in Santa Cruz, California continues to this day.

The miraculous happenings that accompanied their travels (and which often involved those school buses) were truly remarkable. But more than the focus on unusual events, I appreciated author Steven Stiles' approach to such miracles. Over and over he emphasized the fact that God performs miracles not for our convenience or comfort, but for His purposes—which often remain inexplicable. In his own words:

"I have come to believe that those special miracles that shake our preconceived realities, and even those quiet miracles we may see day by day, are not for entertainment purposes. They are memories to be cherished, lessons to be learned, and counsel to receive.


They cause our knees to bend and our hearts to yield. They are a privilege to see, and they tell us, sometimes when we need to hear it most, that nothing can or ever will happen in our lives unless it is allowed by the Good Shepherd" - Steven Stiles, Journey on the Hard Side of Miracles, p. 10.

I downloaded this as a Kindle book when it was free. I see it is now $.99. What a bargain for such a faith-building read! (It is also available in paperback and in other e-book formats at Smashwords)

book review: Behind the Veils of Yemen by Audra Grace Shelby

If you’ve wondered what life is like for the veiled women of the Middle East, this book is a revelation. Author Audra Grace Shelby, along with her husband Kevin, were Baptist missionaries to Yemen for nine years. In Behind the Veils of Yemen, Shelby tells the story of that time. She describes in detail the friendship with her language tutor Fatima. She also tells about incidents that stretched her faith like the sickness of her husband and her daughter, and the birth of her fourth child.

I love Shelby’s creative non-fiction style. A skilled storyteller, she helps us experience Yemen and her Yemeni friends, their homes, celebrations, and customs through color, touch, sound, and smell. Using specific detail she recreates incidents in settings as varied as a hospital room, a beach-side vacation cottage, and the home of Fatima. Here we see a Yemeni market:

“We arrived at the suq, an open-air Yemeni market. On one side of the entrance women sat on the ground with round stacks of pancake-like bread. They wrapped them in newspapers and waved as we approached.


On the other side of the entrance four men displayed aluminum trolleys with mounds of glossy dates, pressed together in sticky cubes. They flicked swarming flies with rags tied to sticks and called to us to sample a date.” – p. 75.

Her recall of events and details is quite amazing (she must have kept detailed journals), as is her ability to analyze people and situations. Of Fatima she says:

“She had a manner that was both transparent and secretive, faltering and arrogant, all at the same time” – p. 50.

When she attends a women’s wedding celebration and is coaxed to dance with the women, she reluctantly complies. After she makes her clumsy way across the floor, the reaction of the onlookers surprises her:

“Applause thundered from the crowd of women around me …. They were beaming at me. I realized they were pleased more by my willingness to dance with them than they were by my skills in dancing.” – p. 68.

I enjoyed the book for a variety of reasons.

I loved the glimpse Shelby gave me into the world of veiled women. Never had I imagined that under their black burqas may be vivid caftans, bejeweled silk scarves, even the odd mini-skirt. She introduced me to a vibrant and cohesive female community which is devoutly religious and has its own colorful wedding and funeral rituals.

Despite the exotic setting, Shelby’s story showed me that mothers everywhere struggle with the same things. I ached for Fatima as she tried to find reasons why her almost year-old baby was still not holding up his head or sitting unsupported. One of Shelby’s own mothering crises resolved when she faced the question: “Do you trust Me (God) without having to know why?” It is a question Christian mothers are bound to face wherever they live.

Finally, I found Shelby herself inspirational. I admired the way she parented her kids, stifling her own anxieties in order to keep them feeling safe and distracting them with made-up stories instead of sweeping them into the vortex of her own tensions. Her sensitivity to her women friends’ customs and feelings along with her generosity, kindness, and passion to introduce them to Jesus were beautiful to witness.

I have one little beef with the book. It has no table of contents; thus it’s hard to locate passages one has read without using a bookmark or dog-earing the pages.

The end-matter alerts us to the fact that the name of the author and her family members have been changed to protect friends whose work goes on in the Middle East. You can find out more about the book, the author’s experiences in the Middle East, and her current speaking schedule from her website and Facebook page.

(I received this book as a gift for the purpose of writing a review.)

Title: Behind the Veils of Yemen
Author: Audra Grace Shelby
Publisher: Chosen - reprinted edition September 1, 2011, paperback, 238 pages.
ISBN-10: 0800795180
ISBN-13: 978-0800795184

are we really that scary (book review: The Armageddon Factor by Marci McDonald)

At the end of this month my husband is going to visit the National House of Prayer in Ottawa with other members of a prayer group from our church. As a preparation for that trip, one of the organizers suggested members of the group read Marci McDonald's The Armageddon Factor: The Rise of Christian Nationalism In Canada. Hubby borrowed it from the library and that's how the book happens to be in our house (a book I intentionally avoided reading when it first came out last year, suspecting it would be a downer).

After hubby finished it and we discussed it, I decided to read it for myself. I was right to avoid it in the first place. It is probably the most disheartening, yet heartening, book I've ever read.

In it McDonald seeks to show how the Christian religious right (she calls them "theo-cons") is making inroads into public life in practically every department. She depicts this as a sinister thing, especially where it appears they are following in the vanguard of the religious right in the US (as in Moral Majority, Focus on the Family, activist Washington lobbyists etc.). The motivation behind this new activism, she explains, is based on Bible prophecy with Christians attempting to establish a type of theocracy in Canada and thus hasten the second coming of Christ and the Battle of Armageddon.

She discusses the gamut:
Ch. 1: The history of the Conservative Party, their coming to power, and courtship of theocons (Stephen Harper, Stockwell Day)

Ch. 2: The rallying of Christians across the country in organizations such as the EFC, CFAC, IMFC and others (Brian Stiller, Charles McVety, Brian Rushfeldt etc.)

Ch. 3: The Manning Centre and its role in training conservatives for political life (Preston Manning).

Ch. 4: The National House of Prayer and its roots in the early 1970s revival in St. Margaret's Church, Vancouver (David Demian, Rob & Fran Parker etc.).

Ch. 5: The young hip movers and shakers who have gained influence in Ottawa (Ron Luce, Faytene Kryskow etc.)

Ch. 6: Creationism and Intelligent Design, Drumheller's Tyrell Museum vs. the Big Valley Creation Science Museum (Harry Nibourg, Denyse O'Leary etc.)

Ch. 7: Battles in education, especially parents versus homosexual-advancing curriculum, homeschooling, TWU, The Laurentian Leadership Centre (Heather Stilwell and the Surrey banned books controversy and much more).

Ch. 8: The media, the CRTC, 100 Huntley Street, The Miracle Channel (David Mainse, Dick Dewert, Willard Thiessen).

Ch. 9: The legal profession and human rights commissions (Ezra Levant).

Ch. 10: Foreign policy—McDonald is highly critical of the PMs support of Israel.

This is not an objective book. McDonald does't credit Christians with making any positive contributions to Canadian society (with the exception, of course, of socialist heroes like Tommy Douglas, who was also a minister). Rather, she's a conspiracy bloodhound, detecting power-seeking motives in everything Christians do. Here, for example is her account of a meeting with Dave Quist, at the Institute of Marriage and Family Centre (IMFC), an initiative of Focus on the Family, Canada:

"What was unexpected, during my quick tour of the institute's Ottawa offices, was a telling omission in its decor: no photos of the avuncular Dobson stared down from its walls and his countless books and publications were nowhere in sight. So eager is the IMFC to distance itself from Dobson's controversial political role in the U.S. that, shortly after its opening, Quist made a point of telling me that he had never met the Focus founder nor had he visited his Colorado Springs lair where nearly a thousand employees dispense Dobson's wares..." p. 86.

Of course if Quist's office had been decorated with Focus stuff, no doubt she would have seen something equally sinister in that.

The entire book is dyed with a similar sarcastic, disparaging tone. McDonald seems to especially rejoice in making jibes, through her choice of language, at the people involved (people who gave her interviews in good faith, it would seem....one wonders how she represented her project to them).

Describing a pastor's interest in creation science: "Creationism, it turns out, is Pastor Mike's shtick" - p. 190.

Dr. Margaret Helder, head of the Creation Science Association of Alberta is described as: "...an Edmonton grandmother with a Ph.D. in biology" - p. 191.

Author Denyse O'Leary is "...a birdlike wordsmith known for her omnipresent hats and prolific output" - p. 198.

MP Vic Toews "...spent years railing against 'these radical liberal judges...'" - p. 282.

Ezra Lavant is "...a relentless noise machine..." p. 300.

Of course sky-is-falling alarmism is never far from the surface and comes out full-force in the final chapter. Here is her incendiary salvo of warning:

"Waving their bright flags on the lawns of the Parliament Buildings, extolling the country's Christian roots to a compelling soft-rock beat, they might seem to offer a refreshing recipe for morality and national pride, but their agenda—while outwardly inclusive and multi-racial—is ultimately exclusionary. In their idealized Christian nation, non-believers—and those in violation of biblical law, notably homosexuals and adulterers, would merit severe punishment and the sort of shunning that once characterized a society where suspected witches were burned. Theirs is a dark and dangerous vision, one that brooks no dissent and requires the dismantling of key democratic institutions. A preview is on display south of the border, where decades of religious-right triumphs have left a nation bitterly splintered along lines of faith and ideology, trapped in the hysteria of overcharged rhetoric and resentment" - p. 359,360.

We want to burn witches and shun homosexuals and adulterers? I've never heard of such a thing! Thankfully McDonald restrained herself from sic 'eming the white-masked, pointy-headed lynch mobs on us. As I said, this book is disheartening in that it is negative and hate-filled.

But it's also heartening in that Christians in Canada are making a difference. Who knew that the evangelical church was awake and active on so many fronts in our nation?

Reading this book has made me see again that this is a spiritual battle. It will be won with spiritual weapons. One of them is prayer.

People in the many organizations working on the political front need our prayers: the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers, organizations like the EFC, CFAC, IMFC, educators and parents, Christian media outlets and personalities, lawyers, judges and the list could goes on. Let's join them in the trenches—on our knees.

Regent College professor and historian John Stackhouse provides more insights on the book's reliability and the issues it discusses. His three-part review is here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

For more book reviews, visit Semicolon's Saturday Review of Books (where this review is linked, along with dozens of others)

book review: Transforming Prayer: How Everything Changes When You Seek God's Face by Daniel Henderson

In his book Transforming Prayer: How Everything Changes When You Seek God’s Face, author Daniel Henderson says it’s time we stop coming to God with our shopping lists of needs. A better way to pray, he suggests, is to “seek the face of God before the hand of God” p. 27.

Henderson starts out in Part One by poking fun of the prayer meetings his parents insisted he attend as a child. These consisted of a lot of visiting and discussing peoples’ needs (mostly physical health problems). He quips that people spent many more hours praying for God to keep His ill saints from glory than to save sinners from hell.

Having planted lots of discontent with the old prayer-list-focused type of prayer meeting, Henderson lays the groundwork for a different kind of prayer. In chapters that the explore topics of seeking God’s face and doing everything for His glory, he holds up people like Moses for readers to emulate.

In Part Two he further explains his thesis of prayer in chapters on what it means to abide in Christ and pray in Jesus’ name. He discusses how the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life and God's revelation of Himself in the Bible affect how people pray and what they pray for.

He goes from the theory of prayer (Parts One and Two) to its practice in Part Three. There he shows how the Lord’s prayer can become one’s prayer template. As well he gives advice on how to implement the ideas he has developed. Four key questions (“Who is God? [reverence]; How should I respond? [response]; What do I pray about? [requests]; Where do I go from here? [readiness]” – p. 174) help readers bring focus to prayer and stimulate specific prayers. There is also a chapter that explains how his method would work in an actual prayer session.

Though some of his humor is corny (“I had a serious ‘drug problem.’ My parents drug me to the old-fashioned Wednesday night prayer meeting almost every week” – p. 24), and one or two chapter titles are flip (e.g. Ch. 5: “Glowin’ Moses and a Transformed You”), there is much to like and learn from this book.

Henderson’s teaching on seeking the glory of God and the resultant prayer that is molded by God’s revelation of Himself and His will for us rather than our desires for ourselves is scripturally defensible from every angle. His chapters on praying in Jesus’ name and how our abiding in Him guides what we request are full of depth and insight. My review copy is now full of underlined passages that articulate wisdom about prayer that I am hoping to apply in my own life – passages like:

“Worship is the response of all we are to the revelation of all God is….worship-based prayer seeks the face of God before the hand of God. God’s face is the essence of who He is. God’s hand is the blessing of what He does. God’s face represents His person and presence. God’s hand expresses His provision… if all we ever do is seek God’s hand, we may miss His face; but if we seek His face, He will be glad to open His hand and satisfy the deepest desires of our hearts” p. 27.

and

“The real joy and assurance in prayer comes from the primary focus of seeking Christ’s person and presence prior to His provision. Out of that intimacy of seeking His face, we discover again the wonder of His characters, His heart, His purpose, and His will” – p. 133.

Besides solid teaching about prayer the book has other features that give it value. Inspirational stories of people whose lives have been impacted by using Henderson’s method of prayer are scattered throughout the text. Several relevant quotes of others begin each chapter and Henderson quotes many great theologians and Christian thinkers throughout.

There are also five appendices which discuss prayer-related topics like “Face-to-Face Encounters with God,” “How Jesus Prayed” and others. A chapter-by chapter section of questions and discussion topics at the back of the book make it a great choice for group study.

If you’re dissatisfied with your personal prayer life or looking for a resource to broaden and deepen the prayers of your small group or church, Transforming Prayer is definitely worth checking out.

Read a sample online

Title: Transforming Prayer: How Everything Changes When You Seek God's Face
Author: Daniel Henderson
Publisher: Bethany House, January 2011, 236 pages, paperback

• ISBN-10: 0764208519
• ISBN-13: 978-0764208515

(I received this book as a gift from the publisher for the purpose of writing a review.
Article first published as Book Review: Transforming Prayer: How Everything Changes When You Seek God's Face by Daniel Henderson on Blogcritics.)

book review: One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp

“They say memory jolts awake with trauma’s electricity. That would be the year I turned four. The year when blood pooled and my sister died and I, all of us, snapped shut to grace.


Standing at the side porch window, watching my parents’ stunned bending, I wonder if my mother had held me in those natal moments of naming like she held my sister in death” (Kindle Location 45).

In those paragraphs from the opening chapter of One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, Ann Voskamp word-sketches the incident which defined much of her life. Then with deft strokes she moves us forward to her adult self as the wife of an Ontario farmer, mother of six, and fearful, unhappy woman on a quest for joy.

Combining personal story and teaching she takes us on a journey that begins with the discovery of “eucharisteo” – a Greek word that embodies the concepts of ‘giving thanks,’ ‘grace’ and ‘joy.’ At about the time she is contemplating that word, a friend challenges her to name and list one thousand things for which she is thankful. So begins her practice of keeping a gratitude journal where she records her appreciation of everyday life:

“Rays reflecting hues off translucent globes


Sound of spruce cones thumping buckets with spring


Cackle of crows high in the limbs, iridescence on wings


I am a hunter of beauty and I move slow and I keep the eyes wide, every fiber of every muscle sensing all wonder and this is the thrill of the hunt and I could be an expert on the life full, the beauty meat that lurks in every moment.


I hunger to taste life.


God.” (Kindle location 944)

The book is an album of sorts – a series of narrative snapshots from Voskamp’s day-to-day through which she weaves explanations of what she learns about God and time, fear, trust, beauty, humility, service and more. Of course it’s all framed by the practice of seeing, noticing, appreciating and listing – eucharisteo.

She is a masterful story teller with the ability to perceive and communicate the meaningful subtleties of a situation. Her honesty and vulnerability moved me often. It will be a rare mother who will be able to stay dry-eyed through this book.

Her prose is poetic and in a style that reads like a combination of ancient mystic and modern contemplative. She buttresses her points with quotes from sources as varied as often-quoted C. S. Lewis to obscure Alexander Schmemann, ancient Saint Augustine to contemporary John Piper. The result is a rich, stimulating text that begs to be read slowly and savoured.

Thousands read her blog A Holy Experience where she regularly posts writings in a similar vein to One Thousand Gifts. From it has grown the Gratitude Community whose members likewise list, on blogs or in journals, items for which they are thankful to share in a weekly meme.

I have personally joined the Gratitude Community and so the book impacted me on a practical level. As Ann took me to the source of this practice, as I journeyed with her down its twisting course exploring its many tributaries, I came to see in new ways how living with a thankful heart has the potential to nourish all the land that is my life.

One Thousand Gifts is a powerful and convincing apologetic for thankfulness. It illustrates how gratitude to God expressed in attention to His daily blessings can morph from a mere game of accumulating 1000 items on a list to a joyful lifestyle.

Author: Ann Voskamp
Title: One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are
Publisher: Zondervan, 240 pages, Hardcover, releases January 18, 2011. Available as a Kindle download now. 
ISBN-10: 0310321913 
ISBN-13: 978-0310321910


(Article first published as Book Review: One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp on Blogcritics.)

book review: Make Love, Make War by Brian Doerksen

Churches have been singing Brian Doerksen’s worship music for several decades now. In his book Make Love, Make War: NOW is the Time to Worship, released in 2009, Doerksen explains his philosophy of and passion for worship, tells the stories behind some of his songs, and gives songwriters artistic encouragement and technical tips.

Doerksen is no stranger to the Christian evangelical worship scene. Since he published his first song in 1989 (he tells that story in Chapter 3) songs have continued to flow from his heart, to his guitar, to his pen. His choruses, contemporary worship songs and laments have been sung in church services, home groups, gatherings, rallies and conferences around the world. He has been part of dozens of recording projects and he continues to write music with his web site abuzz with offerings of new CDs and DVDs.

Make Love, Make War consists of twelve chapters in which he tells the story of twelve songs. Each chapter begins with the song lyrics. Within the chapter he weaves together the story of how the song came to be written with what was happening in his life (including family, church, personal, and spiritual life) at the time. He devotes large parts of many of the chapters to the theology that grounds the song, quoting lots of scripture.

The chapters end with a section called “Songwriting Tips” where he offers suggestions to songwriters on a variety of topics, like where to find ideas, ways to make the songs musically interesting and integrated with the lyrics, and how to write effective, memorable lyrics. (I was struck by how similar his description of writing song lyrics is to my experience of writing poetry.)

His writing style is warm, conversational, and often casual – the smooth prose you’d expect, with here and there a phrase, sentence or paragraph that gives the reader a sense of his personality. Here, for example, is his little tangent about the expression “rose-colored glasses”:

“It seems to me like someone slipped us some rose-colored glasses so that we don’t see things as they truly are. Let me say something about that expression. I wonder if the first person who used the phrase “rose colored glasses” ever came anywhere near actually growing roses. If you grow roses, as I do, you know this is not an easy task—it’s a battle. Roses are full of thorns, and so the beautiful blooms and fragrance from a rose come at a great price – often the blood and sweat of the gardener! and what color do you see when you look through those glasses? I am guessing they are inferring a pale shade of red…but roses come in every color (except black!).” p. 113.

He explains the scriptural basis of his songs using strong, customary Christian words, not with the studied avoidance of “christianese” seen so often these days.

What sticks with me most about this book is the heart of the man – a heart that is consistent with the kind of person who would write the songs he has written. He is a man who studies, knows and loves his Bible, his family, his church and, most of all, his God. His family situation as the parent of two special needs children has, it seems to me, kept him grounded and, in turn, contributed to the spiritual depth, honesty, and relatability of his lyrics.

His book is full of good advice, not only for songwriters, but for Christians in general. My favorite quote from the book is a songwriting tip from Chapter 3:

“Let God bring you forward – don’t promote yourself and your own songs. This is a really challenging area. You could move through seasons when it is time to be bold and share what God has given you. But don’t start there. Start in a place of hiddenness and service. God knows what you have written, and He is fully able to call it forward at the right time and in the right place.” p. 83.

If anything this book has made me appreciate the songs on the many Doerksen albums we own, more than ever. Make Love, Make War would be a great gift for song writers, worship leaders, and indeed any people that know, sing, and love Doerksen’s songs – and that’s a lot of people these days!

Book Details:

Title: Make Love, Make War: NOW is the Time to Worship
Author: Brian Doerksen
Publisher: David C. Cook; New edition, (August 1, 2009) paperback, 224 pages, (August 1, 2009)
ISBN: 1434766829

book review: The Reluctant Entertainer by Sandy Coughlin

In The Reluctant Entertainer, a book that grew out of the blog by the same name, Sandy Coughlin encourages women of all ages to extend simple, gracious hospitality. And she does more: she shows them how.

Coughlin begins by naming and exploring excuses many women give for not inviting people into their homes: busyness, can't cook, house not big or fancy enough, don't know how to keep a conversation going etc. She encourages readers to leave these excuses behind in the nine chapters that follow. She covers subjects like how to overcome perfectionism, how to simplify hosting meals and parties, how to create an appealing ambience using the five senses, and how to deepen the level of interaction by asking stimulating questions, encouraging authentic conversations, and looking for ways to show hospitality that go beyond having people over for dinner.

Recipes are interspersed throughout the text with an appendix of more recipes at the back.  As well there is  a section on the pantry — what to stock in it and how to organize it.

The book is a thing of physical beauty — a cross between a coffee table and durable recipe book. It is bound in hardcover, not in plain vanilla under a dustjacket but sporting its own colourful front and back. It is printed on heavy, glossy paper with at last one colour photo illustration per two-page spread. Most of the photos are courtesy Coughlin's husband Paul. Included are some family pictures that cross the generations, giving the book a homey feel.

Coughlin's writing style reminds me of the warm, chatty tone of a blog. Although there were places where I thought the writing could have been more varied (in one section "perfectionism"  and its variants were used repeatedly and close together) and clearer ("Finally she decided to rid herself of those lies that were bogging her down: fanciness; perfection; material stuff like her home, yard and dishes..." p.18 So how exactly are fanciness, perfection etc. lies?), altogether the book was a pleasure to read.

Some things I liked about it:

• Coughlin's ideas of how to include children in the mix, from ways to accommodate the toddler crowd to strategies for getting older kids to mingle with the adults and make them feel like part of the action.

• The way the author stresses the importance of genuinely caring for people. This comes out especially in the chapters on making conversation and establishing deep connections, where she talks of showing hospitality in non-dinner-party ways (like delivering meals to sick people, taking old or disabled neighbours shopping, and inviting the people others ignore into one's home). As she says:

"When I think of hospitality, it goes far beyond the standard dinner party. Hospitality happens in our homes, in our churches, and in our neighbourhoods. It's the spark of friendships, of soul-satisfying experiences with others, eventually taking us to deeper connections as we learn how to reach out." p. 103.

• The  recipes. They look scrumptious and doable. However, the glossy paper means that if you want to jot notes beside them, you'll need to do it in pen.

• Several usable lists, e.g. The Ten Commandments of Hospitality (p. 27), ideas for types of parties (p. 67), yard sale tips (p. 74-75), and questions to use as conversation starters (p. 94). 

• Coughlin's experience. Because she has such a hospitable bent herself she knows whereof she speaks and gives useful pointers, pitfalls to avoid, and encouragement when things don't go as planned. She has weathered the storms of food not turning out, hijacked conversations, and awkward silences and, she assures us, so will we.

This book would make a beautiful gift for a new bride. But don't rule it out for the more established hostess. I've been entertaining (sometimes reluctantly too) for almost 30 years and it encouraged and inspired me!

Title: The Reluctant Entertainer: Every Woman's Guide to Simple and Gracious Hospitality
Author: Sandy Coughlin
Publisher: Bethany House, Hardcover, 160 pages, August 2010
ISBN-10: 0764207504 
ISBN-13: 978-0764207501


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I received this book as a gift from the publisher for the purpose of writing a review.

Article first published as Book Review: The Reluctant Entertainer: Every Woman's Guide to Simple and Gracious Hospitality by Sandy Coughlin on Blogcritics.

book review: Homosexuality and the Christian by Mark A. Yarhouse, PsyD

Title: Homosexuality and the Christian: A Guide for Parents, Pastors, and Friends
Author: Mark A. Yarhouse, PsyD
Publisher: Bethany House

ISBN-10: 0764207318 
ISBN-13: 978-0764207310

These days homosexual activists and a large segment of the evangelical church are on a collision course. Homosexuality and the Christian: A Guide for Parents, Pastors, and Friends seeks to stave off the damage – perhaps even prevent the crash.

From the outset author/researcher/Professor of Psychology Mark A. Yarhouse lets us know that he favors the church’s traditional stance. He is by no means what he calls an “assertive advocate” – someone who is trying to get the church to change its position on homosexuality. But he does advocate for changes.

With clear logical writing he lays the groundwork for his thesis in the first section of chapters (“The Big Picture”). In the two following sections (“Honest Answers to Questions Facing Families” and “Questions for the Church”) he fleshes out the details, making the case for:

1. The evangelical community to start looking at same-sex attracted individuals as “our people” instead of giving them the message: “God hates you; you need to change” (p. 164).

2. Christian parents, pastors, teachers, and counselors to offer same-sex-attracted individuals an alternate to the “gay script” (which basically says, a same-sex attraction tells you who you really are and you need to explore this identity to be fulfilled as a person, p. 49 ). One way of counteracting this script, Yarhouse suggests, is by thinking about the topic in a new way, carefully separating “same-sex attraction” from a “gay identity.”

3. The evangelical community to shift their focus from trying to figure out why people are gay and how to get them to change, and concentrate instead on what is. Yarhouse says:

“…by focusing so much energy and attention on these two issues, the church has actually provided little by way of instruction or guidance or pastoral care to those Christians who are sexual minorities….

“If our only message is that through enough effort and faith they will become heterosexual, we are misleading them. We mislead them by setting the wrong standard for what counts as success.


Heterosexuality is not the measure of success for the Christian sexual minority. What matters is Christlikeness regardless of whether sexual attractions change significantly” (pages 164, 165).

Yarhouse’s hope, in the end, is that individual Christians and the church in general will move from debating issues for which there are no definitive answers and focus instead on issues of identity, sanctification, and stewardship.

I appreciated Yarhouse’s tempered tone and careful consideration of the various points of view within the church and the psychology community. His logical presentation made sense and was easy to follow. His bulleted list of “Take-home Points” at the end of each chapter helped me consolidate what I had just read. He was even able to explain tests and research projects in easy-to-understand language.

From this book I learned that dealing with homosexuality is not as simple as I had always thought. Yarhouse talks about the discovery of same-sex-attractions in different age groups and life situations in three chapters that speak specifically to parents of children and teens, parents of adult children, and adults whose spouses announce a gay identity. This breakdown helped me understand the complexities, challenges, and possible ways of handling the various scenarios (like the mother of a five-year-old, worried her son will be gay because of his interest in feminine things, or a wife, finding her husband’s same-sex pornography on the computer).

This thoughtful and thought-provoking book makes many excellent points. I think evangelical pastors, counselors, and teachers of any denomination will benefit from reading it. Additionally it will be of interest and help to parents, partners, friends, and siblings of same-sex-attracted youth and adults.

I received this book from the publisher for the purpose of writing a review. Article first published as Book review: Homosexuality and the Christian: A Guide for Parents, Pastors, and Friends by Mark A. Yarhouse, PsyD on Blogcritics.

book review: Flight to Heaven: A Pilot's True Story by Captain Dale Black

Title: Flight to Heaven
Author: Captain Dale Black, with Ken Gire
Publisher: Bethany House, May 2010 
ISBN-10: 0764207946 
ISBN-13: 978-0764207945



The title and book blurb attracted me to this true story by Captain Dale Black. In it he tells of the airplane accident that almost took his life at age 19.

At first his memory of the accident and its aftermath were almost nonexistent. But as his battered body healed, so did his head and brain. With that healing, recall of the terrifying moments just before impact were soon joined by the memory of an out-of-body experience.

Though he had no actual recall of that experience until much later, when he woke from a three-day coma, he did know he was changed in a deep way. This is how he tells it:

"The nurse looked at me, studying the reactions in my good eye. "Hello, Dale," she said. "How do you feel? Can you hear me?"

This is hard to explain, but I felt an immediate and overwhelming love for this woman. It wasn't romantic. Nothing like that. It was deeper than that, purer. I wanted to talk with her, to thank her for helping me, but I couldn't. Most of all, I wanted to encourage her by telling her just how much God loved her...

That's how I was seeing this nurse. I had never met her, didn't even know her name. It was not a human love, I was sure of that. It was God's love. I felt as if I were a vessel through which His love was flowing. Does she know Jesus?..." p. 38

What sets Black's heavenly encounter story apart from many others is the fact that he decided (after telling his grandfather and on his grandfather's advice) to never speak of it until he felt sure God wanted him to.  Thus he lived for years telling no one, not even his wife, what he had seen.

However, when he did finally know that the time was right to go public, his wife of almost forty years was not that shocked. In many ways it explained why he was the way he was.  She says in a chapter near the end of the book:

"Dale's values and priorities completely changed after the airplane crash... He is sensitive toward and strongly drawn to relationships where there is unity and love at the core.... He studies the Bible from his heart rather than his head and knows it intimately.... He has a quest to understand order in science, but only to understand more about God. He is fascinated with light and the properties of light as well as space and astronomy....Without question Dale has been profoundly and permanently affected by his visit to heaven." p. 184.

Black begins the book with a tense incident from his adult life but then goes back in time and tells the story chronologically. I was struck by this young man's determination to achieve his dream, and his faith that he would recover physically in all the ways necessary for him to become a pilot.  A few black and white photos anchor the narrative in time and give faces to the characters.

Black's account of heaven is uncannily similar to biblical accounts. The way his encounter with the divine impacted his life even before he could recall it and continues to exert its influence, testifies to its authenticity.

I found the book  a quick and compelling read. Black says in the introduction that it took years to write and went through many drafts and edits. Perhaps that's why it slips down so effortlessly — because it's been combed and re-combed until every tangle and snag has been smoothed out.

Black's story made me aware of how much I live in a world of superficialities, and wonder how I would change if I experienced what Black did. I took from it not only the sense that Dale Black is an incredible man but that God is good, faithful, loving, and about His business. In Black's case that involved a preview of eternity. I'm so glad he felt at liberty to tell us about it.

Article first published as Book Review: Flight to Heaven: A Pilot's True Story by Captain Dale Black with Ken Gire on Blogcritics.

book review: Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites ... and Other Lies You've Been Told by Bradley R. E. Wright, PhD

Title: Christians are Hate-Filled Hypocrites...and Other Lies You've Been Told
Author: Bradley R. E. Wright, PhD
Publisher:  Bethany House, July 2010

ISBN-10: 0764207466 
ISBN-13: 978-0764207464


"Many of the statistics currently bandied about regarding the Christian faith in the United States are incomplete, inaccurate and otherwise prone to emphasize the negative," says sociologist Bradley R. E. Wright in the first chapter of his book Christians are Hate-filled Hypocrites... and Other Lies You've Been Told. "Christians are exposed to many inaccurate statistics about our faith," asserts Wright. "To understand why that happens we should look at how these statistics are produced and how they spread through the public." p. 18

Wright proceeds to remedy that situation in the eight chapters that follow. Using what he describes as "the best available data" he examines how Christians are doing in six areas: church growth; what we believe; our participation in church activities; family and sexual issues; how we treat others; and how others see us.

Chapters two to eight each begin with examples of what Wright considers myths. These are grandiose statements about the dire state of the church and Christianity. Some examples: "It is clear that we have all but lost our young people to a godless culture" — Josh McDowell (Chapter 3); "Only 9% of born-again Christians have a biblical worldview" — George Barna (Chapter 5); "I am sorry that so often the biggest obstacle to God has been Christians" — Shane Claiborne, Esquire Magazine (Chapter 8).

Wright delves into the origin of these and other statements, showing how the data on which they are based are faulty. Some common problems he unearths: survey size too small, words and terms not clearly defined, and data misinterpreted when the technical language of the statisticians is not understood by lay people. He explains how such myths gain traction when they get spread around by people who select data that emphasize the severity of the problem in order to underline the urgency of their message.

In chapter nine Wright assigns letter grades to Christianity, especially Evangelicalism, on a variety of issues in report card fashion. He then gives conclusions about his findings. Throughout the book he illustrates his points with graphs. End-matter includes four appendices, end-notes and a list of references.

Wright's prose is readable but dense. It required my close attention, but I admit that reading about statistics and their analysis isn't something of which I do a lot. Although the graphs no doubt clarify issues for the savvy reader, to me they made the text look intimidating and technical.

Wright comes to some interesting conclusions. His analyses shows how a survey can be manipulated to serve a purpose. He makes it clear that not all data are equal and not all surveys, polls etc. carry the same weight. He comes down especially hard on the Barna Group, picking apart their work and conclusions in at least four places (p.104, 126, 181, and 225).

He concludes that the church is doing better than one would expect from the tone of some Christian leaders and researchers. He further encourages readers to go against instincts to view statistics as sacrosanct and instead to question their accuracy and the writers' motives for writing. He assures readers there is nothing wrong with disagreeing when conclusions go against their experience.

Focused as it is on America, I'm not sure how relevant the conclusions of this book are to the evangelical Christian culture of other countries. However, if you want to get some encouragement to think for yourself and a more optimistic picture (than the usual sky-is-falling depiction) of how Evangelical Christianity is doing in the U.S., Bradley Wright's Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites is a book you'll want to check out.

(Read pages 1-28.)

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Article first published as Book Review: Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites ... and Other Lies You've Been Told by Bradley R. E. Wright, PhD on Blogcritics.

book review:Embracing Your Second Calling by Dale Hanson Bourke

Title: Embracing Your Second Calling: Find Passion and Purpose for the Rest of Your Life
Author: Dale Hanson Bourke
Publisher: Thomas Nelson, May 2010, Paperback, 240 pages

ISBN-10: 0849946972 
ISBN-13: 978-0849946974

From the moment I saw this book’s title and read a description of it, I knew it was one I had to read. Now that I have I can, without hesitation, recommend Embracing Your Second Calling: Find Passion and Purpose for the Rest of Your Life by Dale Hanson Bourke to any and every woman in the second half of life.

Bourke begins by identifying the issues aging women face. Among them is the loss of many of the things society values – like looks, power, and ambition. She describes how these are either fading naturally or losing their appeal. She tells her own story and, using the example of Naomi from the Bible, talks about how one can get through this time not only gracefully but in a way that enriches oneself and others. I found the chapters dealing with the past, idols, prayer, and friends especially probing.

Bourke’s writing style is warm, companionable and interesting – sprinkled, as the text is, with lots of anecdotes. Sidebars, in the form of text boxes, supplement the main chapter sections.“Reflect” boxes contain questions for personal reflection, journaling or group discussion (e.g.: "What are you doing today that is an investment in the future?” p. 105).

“Act” sections have suggestions for action (e.g.:“Find a friend who wants to try a prayer adventure with you. Try walking and praying out loud. Or meet together and read a classic book on prayer such as The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence” p. 146).

Quotes are also scattered throughout the text.

Each chapter ends with a personalized prayer that gives the reader another window on how to apply what she has just read.

The book’s end matter has a section of footnotes and a couple of pages of “Recommended Resources” – both books and websites.

The only criticism I have of the book is the way it’s bound. My paperback volume has a plastic film laminated to the paper. The film started to peel away as soon as I began handling it. Resisting the urge to peel more is as hard as not picking at a scab or ripping loose wallpaper. My poor book looks like it needs a face lift of its own.

That little matter aside, I found this an altogether uplifting, encouraging, and affirming read. I am using the “Reflect” sections as journal prompts to help me dig deeper into my own past, current motivations, and future expectations. Bourke has given me lots to think about and this book will be my companion for a while.

Besides personal use, I can see Embracing Your Second Calling being useful as a springboard for group study and discussion. I don’t think the groups would even have to be confined to middle-aged or older women. For the mindset and spiritual outlook Bourke describes in her maturing self are not restricted to women who have reached a certain age, but are available to women of any age open to spiritual renewal and continuing spiritual health and usefulness.

Article first published as Book Review: Embracing Your Second Calling: Find Passion and Purpose for the Rest of Your Life by Dale Hanson Bourke on Blogcritics.

I received a copy of this book as a gift from the publisher for the purpose of writing a review.

Read a Christianity Today interview with Dale Hanson Bourke.

book review: When Heaven Comes Down by Ché Ahn

I rate this book * * * * *


Title: When Heaven Comes Down
Author: Ché Ahn
Publisher: Chosen, November 2009, paperback, 191 pages
ISBN-10: 0800794796
ISBN-13: 978-0800794798

Using easy-to-understand language Ché Anh unpacks one of the most mysterious and hard-to-comprehend qualities of God – His glory. But not only does he help us get a head comprehension of God’s glory; in When Heaven Comes Down he also guides us into how we can experience more of that glory in our lives.

In the first chapter of fourteen, Anh arrives at a working definition of God’s glory. He explains that though God is eternally glorious, i.e. glory makes up His very essence, what we experience is His manifest glory. Using the sun as an illustration, he explains it thus:

“…The eternal glory of God is like the sun itself, far too fiery and brilliant for us to encounter directly or even to look at. But the sun’s light manifests itself to us in a variety of ways. It illuminates darkness, revealing the objects around us. It gives us spectacular light displays in beautiful sunrises and brilliant sunsets. It warms us and even tans our skin. Everywhere the sun goes, the sun’s light goes. But the sun’s light is not the sun itself. Rather, the light we experience from the sun is a manifestation of the sun.

“This distinction is helpful in understanding God’s glory. His eternal glory is like the sun: it is His very essence, beyond our comprehension or ability to encounter. Yet His manifest glory is like the sun’s light: a reflection of Him we can encounter in ways we are able to perceive, whether through physical healing, a peaceful presence in our spirit or an angelic visitation.” p. 26

The chapters that follow are a delving into God’s manifest glory as we experience it in His presence, His nature and character, and His power. The book also has chapters that talk about what people need to do to stay and increase in the flow of God’s glory. It concludes with a section on the purpose of God’s glory, i.e. the transformation of us and our society to ultimately bring about the answer to Jesus’ prayer, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10

Anh’s writing style is warm, encouraging and understandable. His teaching is peppered with scripture, stories from history, and illustrations from his own life. He uses lists and subheadings to break up the text and make it easy to read.

Ché Anh is a well-known minister in Charismatic circles. (His endorsers include Jack W. Hayford, C. Peter Wagner, and Bill Johnson. He is closely associated with Lou Engle and is the pastor of Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, California.) Though he describes what some might think of as unusual and dramatic evidences of God’s glory (angel sightings, miraculous healing, the mysterious appearances of gold or gems in connection with the ministry of some of his colleagues), he doesn’t dwell on these or make them out to be signs that someone has arrived spiritually. Instead he stresses the need for discipline, personal holiness and a commitment to God that lasts for a lifetime.

I appreciate the way he stays away from negativity. In the book he talks about unity among Christians as one of the evidences of God’s glory. Nowhere does he sully that ideal by dwelling on controversy or criticizing other Christians of any stripe.

When Heaven Comes Down is a book that will not only help you understand God better, but motivate you to seek Him more. It would be a worthwhile addition to the library of any twenty-first century disciple.

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More goodies:


Read an excerpt (pdf file)
Table of Contents (pdf file)

(I received this book as a gift from the publisher for the purpose of writing a review.)

book review: How God Makes Babies by Jim Burns

Title: How God Makes Babies
Author: Jim Burns 
Publisher: Bethany House, Hardcover, 48 pages, October, 2009 
ISBN-10: 0764202103
ISBN-13: 978-0764202100

One of the characteristics of six to nine-year-olds is curiosity. If your youngster this age hasn’t asked about sex, you can be sure he or she has questions. How God Makes Babies is a resource designed to help you bring up the topic with your youngster. Author Jim Burns has written this book about the family, sex and how babies develop from conception to birth with six- to nine-year-olds in mind. It is part of the Pure Foundations series of resources that teaches about sex from a Christian perspective.

Burns begins by introducing the idea of pregnancy and the belief that it belongs within marriage. He goes on to detail the differences between boys and girls using anatomically accurate body part names and line drawings. He then tells the story of human development from conception to birth, touching on some of the miraculous things that occur during gestation. He uses understandable comparisons to make the ideas kid-relatable – e.g., “After one month the baby has grown to about the size of a Cheerio.” He concludes by talking about the birth process, and the helplessness and needs of newborn babies.

The physical book is attractive and sturdy with a colorful hard cover and color photo illustrations printed on heavy glossy paper.

Burns’ tone is upbeat, warm, and affirming. Though the vocabulary is simple enough for the capable reader to read God Makes Babies for him- or herself, it would be a shame for parents to miss out on the discussion that could arise out of reading the book with youngsters. As Burns states in his Special Note to Parents, “One of the greatest benefits of teaching them at this age is establishing a healthy trust, demonstrating that you are willing to bring up the issues and that they can come to you for more dialogues.”

I’m impressed with how much information is packed into this slim volume. It certainly covers the basics, and follows nicely on the heels of God Made Your Body, the Pure Foundations book for three to five-year-olds. Burns’ directness about topics that can be touchy to introduce will certainly open the door to all kinds of discussion between you and your youngsters. I wish I’d had this book when my kids were six to nine.

I received this book from Bethany House for the purpose of writing a review. I highly recommend it and will make sure my copy doesn’t molder on the shelf but gets passed along to a family with some curious little people.

Book review: God Made Your Body by Jim Burns

Title: God Made Your Body
Author: Jim Burns
Publisher: Bethany House, October 2009, hardcover, 32 pages 
ISBN-10: 0764202111 
ISBN-13: 978-0764202117


If you’re hoping to preempt what modern media would teach about sex and the role of the family to your youngsters, God Made Your Body – a colorful read-to-me book for the three- to five-year-old crowd – is a good place to start. This first book in the Pure Foundations series by Jim Burns introduces kids to the basics of sex from a Christian point of view.

Kids will learn that God made their bodies, their bodies are full of variety, and boys and girls are different. Burns explains these differences accurately using the anatomically correct names of body parts and line drawings (though in-the-main the book uses full-color photographs of kids and adults). He answers the question of where children come from. He also describes the baby’s growth within the uterus in general terms, and talks about birth and adoption. The book ends with an appropriate biblical passage, Psalm 139.

The book is attractive and sturdy with a colorful hard cover and photo illustrations printed on heavy glossy stock. The concepts are simple and presented clearly with a single idea-per-page spread. The tone of Burns’ writing is positive, warm, supportive and affirming.

In a “Note to Parents” at the front of the book author Burns (who is also a radio host and has founded a ministry to struggling families) states that he wrote the book as a countermeasure to help parents introduce values-centered sex ed to their kids – this in the hope that children will be less likely to become sexually promiscuous and have better views of their bodies and relationships.

l think Burns has done a great job. In a book designed to answer the questions of very young children he has introduced enough detail but not too much. His discussion about sex is direct, open, and respectful. I can see how this book could become the foundation for ongoing dialogue between kids and their caregivers. Reading God Made Your Body could easily lead to discussions that expand on the facts presented, as parents take advantage of teachable moments.

I received this book from Bethany House for the purpose of writing a review. I’m delighted to recommend it to all the young families I know – and will make sure it goes to one of them!