Compilation - A Baker's Dozen Christmas Books

Across the years of this blog, I have read and reviewed over 30 Christmas-focused books. More than half of them received a lackluster to average billing. I will not draw attention to those, beyond saying that many of those reviews referenced my regret that they were not more like Karen Kingsbury's Red Glove Series (have always been a fan of those). This compilation includes the titles I considered excellent, very good, or good.

Excellent:

The First Miracle by Jeffrey Archer

A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck

A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs

Follow the Star by T. D. Jakes

Very Good:

Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

Maggie's Miracle by Karen Kingsbury (of the Red Glove Series)

Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva

Good:

The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp

A Choice to Cherish by Alan Maki

A Midnight Clear by Katherine Paterson (short stories)

Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans

Marley & Me by John Grogan

Twice Loved by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Book Review: Tactics

I've recently felt conviction about my intentionality in witnessing. We're most comfortable around those who are similar. If I'm only surrounded by like-minded believers, how will I lead anyone else to the truth of the gospel message? Thus, I listened to Gregory Koukl's book, Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions. Like another recent read about listening, I know I need to improve my listening skills. Koukl's tactics draw on the use of questions to guide discussion.

Some of Koukl's suggested questions: "What do you mean by that? How did you come to that conclusion? Why do you think that's how it happened?" By using questions, you can draw the individual out and learn where they are coming from. You need to know what their perspective is if you plan to advance a Christian perspective to them.

I took notes thoroughly from this book. The book is a series of lectures and I went into it as a student. I hope I retained some of the tactics offered (things like the suicide tactic, taking the roof off, and what a friend we have in Jesus tactic). I appreciated that Koukl's goal is to make you an ambassador for Christ, to teach you how to build a bridge to others. Another great take-away was Koukl's reminder we are not all harvesters. Sometimes your role is simply a gardener. Don't assume that your conversation with another will be that one conversation that leads them to salvation. Plant your seed and leave it to the Lord.

Book Review: Like a River

Granger Smith addresses his book, Like a River, to anyone who has experienced loss. That's a wide audience. Personally, this book resonated a bit too much for me. From the start, I could not stop reading. Although much of his story differs from mine, so many things feel the same. Not to mention the date of their trauma in 2019 matches the date of my traumatic event in 2023. I could relate to his struggles with intrusive thoughts and nightmares. I, too, have sought therapy using rapid eye movement. Parts of this book were excruciating to read. His story resonated more than I wanted.

Granger Smith was outside with his three young children (London, age 7, Lincoln, age 5, and River, age 3) when he noticed silence. Any parent of boys knows to suspect that sinister silence. When he identified the dread, he discovered his 3-year-old son lying face down in the water of their gated and locked pool. Despite efforts to revive the boy, River died that horrible day in 2019. Many responded with judgement and condemnation. Why is it so hard for people to tread cautiously when someone is sitting in fresh grief?

Granger's book emphasizes his drive for self-improvement and his efforts to carry the load with his own strength. No surprise! Those efforts failed miserably. My timing in reading this book coincided with sentences in my BSF Bible study that support Granger's message: "We can do nothing to revive ourselves and restore our relationship with Him. No noble act, payment, right thinking, or self-help program will do what only God can do." (Ephesians 2:8-9) When Granger surrendered himself to the river God had placed him on, and placed his total trust in Jesus, he gained the resources needed to thrive in life once again. This heartfelt testimony has a heavy emphasis on the gospel message of salvation. I identified with his struggles and his solution. Perhaps you might as well.

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On this Thanksgiving, I am grateful for the Lord's protection and preservation of my children. It is a gift I do not take for granted and one that blesses me daily. I'm grateful that in our times of lament, the Lord hears our anguish but never feels offended when we struggle with His plan for our lives. He carries us, shelters us, and guides us. He redeems our broken pieces! He makes beauty from ashes! Praise God!

Mid-month Mention #2: Lew Wallace Author Fair

If you live in the West Indianapolis area and love to give books as Christmas gifts, have I got a deal for you! This coming Saturday, you can attend the Lew Wallace Hoosier Author Fair in celebration of Crawfordsville's Small Business Saturday. Here's a brief introduction from the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum:

"When Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ was published in 1880, Indiana wasn't known for its literary culture. In the following forty years, however, Hoosier authors became popular. During this Golden Age of Indiana Literature, more best-selling books came from Indiana than from any other state except New York. Writers like Meredith Nicholson, James Whitcomb Riley, Lew and Susan Wallace, Maurice Thompson, and others put Indiana on the literary map. The General Lew Wallace Study & Museum is proud of that literary legacy Lew helped create. We host the Lew Wallace Hoosier Author Fair to honor that legacy."

This author fair takes place Saturday, November 25th, 2023, from 5-8 p.m., on the 3rd floor of the Fusion 54 Coworking Space (101 W. Main Street, Crawfordsville). It is free and open to the public. I attended for the first time last year, selling and signing my book, Watching the Wayward: Psalms for Parents of Prodigals. (Also available from Amazon) Two authors seated to my right, Josh Brewer and Tony Brewer, offered a fascinating, unique opportunity called Poetry on Demand. For a small fee, they composed a poem for you, on the spot. How cool is that! You'll find a variety of genres available from nearly twenty local Indiana authors. Since I'm still in the stages of getting word out about my book, I'll be raffling off a free copy that night.

While in Crawfordsville, why not visit a historic home decorated for a Victorian Christmas?

Maybe you're more into fashion. Attend the Lew Wallace Holiday Tea & Fashion Show:

This December 1st fundraiser event is hosted at the Elston Homestead at 400 East Pike Street, Crawfordsville, Indiana.

Enjoy any of these three opportunities to jump-start the holiday spirit! If you cannot attend any of these, I direct you to a video or two of the lights in London. It always boosts my holiday mood! I often hook my laptop up to fully immerse myself by watching on my television screen. Welcome to the holiday season!

Mid-month Mention: Adoption Option - Both Hands

 

November is National Adoption Month. Ambassador International (a publisher I queried for my poetry book) sends me their newsletter. They provided the following statistic to accompany their publicity for a few adoption-centered books:

"According to All For One, a non-profit in Georgia, 'In 2023, over 153 million children are orphaned globally, with 433,000 in the U.S. foster care system.'"

Those numbers are staggering. As Ambassador International pointed out in their newsletter, God's Word commands us to care for the orphan. James 1:27 says, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." (ESV) Matthew 25:40 says, "And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'" (ESV)

This month, for my Mid-month Mention, I'd like to highlight an organization my niece and her husband worked with to adopt their son, Shepherd. I had never heard of Both Hands prior to my niece, Kari, and her husband, Clayton, working with them. Both Hands ministers to orphans and widows while helping families afford adoption. 

I'll try to summarize how it works or you can click here to hear a three-minute explanation. Kari and Clayton gathered a team willing to support their project. They selected a widow to serve. They raised joint funding for the service to the widow and their newborn son's adoption. On project day, they served the widow. Many of their family members live nearby (sadly we don't) and they joined them for a day of cleaning, painting, and repairing. You can watch a video of their project day at the bottom of this post. 

Both Hands works with private donors to meet their operating expenses. Thus, all Kari and Clayton's fundraising went to meet those joint projects (widow's need, orphan's adoption process). Both Hands recently sent out a letter celebrating an achievement. They have served over 1,500 orphans and vulnerable children. You can follow Both Hands on Facebook and Instagram for updates on their program.

Cox Family Both Hands Project July 8 2023 from Clayton & Kari Cox on Vimeo.

Proud of Accomplishments

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Last week's regional game versus Gibson Southern started off strong and promising. First, our quarterback, Malachi, scored an 83-yard touchdown run. After a quick set of downs by Gibson Southern, we scored again, bringing it to 14-0. But, Gibson Southern is a tough opponent. By half-time, the score was 14-10. In the 3rd and 4th quarters they dominated. As the announcers were mentioning how cold it was, I was surprised to see a handful of Gibson Southern fans running shirtless across the walkway of their bleachers (photographic evidence in the Indy Star article).

You can read an excellent recap article from the Indy Star or watch this one-minute highlights video that shows our valiant efforts scoring two touchdowns in the first few minutes of the game.

Despite this loss, I feel quite proud of our team. Monday evening, at the school awards program, they read off Malachi's impressive stats for the season. You can view footage and see stats on this MaxPreps page. He is ranked 120th in the nation (with 3441 total yards), 7th in Indiana, and 1st in Division 3A and Sagamore Conference. He received an award for Most Valuable Player. Sean received a varsity letter and an academic excellence certificate. I thought he should have won the award for the highest GPA (his 4.064 is higher than the recipient's), but Sean said they select a senior. I guess there's next year. And we're looking forward to next year's season, as well.

Here are a few photos I snagged from the Tri-West Quarterback Club (including the one above, all taken by Holly Catt):

Book Review: The Sacrificial Lamb

In September, my library ran a Fall into Reading reading challenge. I have complained before about requirements specifying WHAT to read. Pardon me, but I want to read what I want to read, not some dictated category. However, this time around, they toned it down. Many of the bingo squares allowed you to clock 60 minutes of reading (something regular for me). Some were generic, like: "Read a book with a brown or orange cover." I went back and forth on whether The Fountains of Silence had a cover that was brown/tan or more yellow-hued. I didn't count it in the end and it didn't matter because I didn't win any prizes.

The only thing holding me back from one bingo angle was a cozy mystery. I searched for a Christian cozy mystery and settled on this novella, The Sacrificial Lamb, by S. E. Biglow. Reading about supposed murders of adult characters is far easier to swallow than young characters. This book felt more morbid than "cozy" because it dealt with the murders of several young boys.

I laugh at its billing as "Christian." Taking the theme of "the sacrificial lamb" and the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac, it spun a tale of a murderer who believes God told him to sacrifice a young boy. The main character, and sleuth, is a minister. She comments that her God is only a God of love. Hmm. This reminds me of my last read, The Unsaved Christian. Isn't that what the world wants now, a God of only love and not holiness? A God of only grace and not truth. Many embrace the idea of God, as long as not complicated by Christ, the true sacrificial lamb who takes away the sin of the world. While the book provided a clean read, I still wish I could get my two hours back!

Book Review: The Unsaved Christian

That title sounds like a misnomer, doesn't it? The unsaved Christian? Isn't a Christian, by name, a saved individual, a follower of Christ? But, Dean Inserra points out, though a person may call themselves a Christian, they may ignore who Christ is or the critical role he plays in salvation. They may think they're on the right track. After all, they attend church, live by a moral code, sing the hymns with gusto, may even know Bible verses. Yet, deep down, Christ isn't key. He's perhaps a good person to follow or emulate. 

For some, the Bible, God's holy Word, is just a book of stories meant to illustrate the ideas of God's love. They don't see themselves as "unsaved" or "lost." Their belief that God exists and wants us to be happy should be sufficient, right? Yet, the Bible says God will deny some entrance to heaven because, although they consider themselves followers of Christ, they do not trust in Christ's atoning work. Christ's death on the cross is the only path to cancel out the debt of sin and bring reconciliation with God. As Inserra states, many will say, "Didn't WE...?" instead of "Didn't HE?" If your trust is in what you're doing, you are trusting in self not Christ's sufficient work.

I loved a teaching principle Inserra learned in seminary: "Never preach a sermon that would still be true if Jesus hadn't died and risen from the grave." Cultural Christians can stand in church singing, "Up from the grave He arose," yet still live with no impact from that statement. Cultural Christians want Christianity without Christ, "a belief system in which God's love and acceptance are assumed." Many wrongly suppose everyone will get to heaven because God loves all of us. This negates the truth of the gospel. There is only one way to get to heaven. You must believe in and accept the gift of Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross to pay your debt of sin that estranged you from the Father. Without recognizing sin and turning to Christ to cover that sin, you can say you're a Christian and still be far from entering the kingdom of God.

First, Inserra identifies many of today's false beliefs and false gospels. Then, he walks the reader through ways to approach these deceptions. His goal is to point the lost to the narrow way that leads to life. The Bible says few find it. Many follow the wide way. "God is love. He loves everyone. He wants us to love everyone, too." This wishy-washy, touchy-feely view of Christianity isn't Christian at all. God is holy. He cannot abide sin. To do so would be unloving. 

Another significant statement Inserra makes is, "There's no bench for true followers of Christ." Convicting! What am I doing to reach those who don't even consider themselves outside the kingdom? Am I articulating the true gospel? If nothing else, this book makes me want to reach out to those around me. Time is slipping away. The gospel is "good news." I, for one, don't want to hold it in.

2023 Football Sectional Champs

I've said before, I'm not a typical football mom. I'm not in the stands shouting my lungs out. Fear of injury plagues my ability to enjoy football games. However, recently I've become a stealth supporter. Thanks to live-streaming, I can view the games from the comfort of my home, enjoy closer coverage and instant replays, and listen to (mostly informative) commentary. The live-streaming also allows me to enjoy the action simultaneously with my oldest son, Bryce. My husband laughs at how vocal I get while viewing privately at home. "Go, Malachi, go! Run, run, keep going!"

Last Friday's sectional championship game was thrilling (apart from one annoying commentator I could have done without). With a minute left in the first half, we were down 21-20. One commentator (the annoying one) kept saying if he was the coach, he'd have them go for the 3 points, saying "points is points." Thankfully, he wasn't the coach, and our coach had full faith in our powerful quarterback. With only seconds to go, we scored a touchdown and 2 additional points. Here's the highlight article that originally ran in the Indy Star. The score held through the second half, securing our status as 2023 Class 3A sectional champs.

Indy Star photographer Doug McSchooler captured some excellent images of Sean (#55) protecting QB Malachi (#7):

Malachi is a powerhouse. Time after time, he plows through a host of tacklers, remaining on his feet and launching into the end-zone. The commentator said, "You told me he was impressive, but you have to see him in action to fully grasp how good he is."

(Sean is at the far left in this Doug McSchooler photo)

Two more jubilant photos taken by the Tri-West Quarterback Club photographer:

Plus, Sean sent me this photo of him with Malachi holding the trophy:

The next game holds great challenge as we lost to Gibson Southern a few years ago, in a similar scenario. But, I'm holding to the hope that Malachi and our strong offensive and defensive players can hold them off to win the regional competition. Our sights are set even higher. Bryce and his fiancée are coming for a Thanksgiving visit. It would be fantastic if our team goes all the way to state level and Bryce gets to watch the game in Lucas Oil Stadium. The last time our team went to a state final and played there, it was the year after Bryce graduated. He missed it by a hair! It would be so cool if Sean gets to live the dream that evaded Bryce.

Book Review: Safe People

I struggle with boundaries. I run from conflict. To be honest, I'd rather pacify you with inauthenticity than confront difficulties I'm experiencing in relationship. This is something I need to work on. Ages ago, I read the Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend book on Boundaries. I have obviously allowed that wisdom to slip from my practice. In Safe People, this duo offers insight into the process of finding and engaging in relationships with safe people.

Safe People is a well-structured and easily followed book. The authors break down the problem. To begin with, they outline 20 traits of "unsafe" people. I must admit, some of those traits I see in the mirror. They discuss why we get into enmeshed relationships with unsafe people. Then, they provide encouragement and steps for establishing safer relationships in life. My opinion? This is all fine and dandy, but implementing, when you struggle with boundaries, is far harder than reading a book with tips and target behaviors. I'd love to find safe people. But, then again, I need to learn how to be a safe person myself first. Perhaps I would do well to seek the study guide for this book, or at least listen to the full-length version (my audio book was abridged).

Anticlimactic Anniversary Celebration

Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

In 2020, we struggled to come up with suitable ways to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. In the midst of a pandemic and tied to home by a prodigal, we created a list of 30 anniversary activities. That was a wash! We still haven't snagged time around the fire pit or held hands on the porch. How easy are those? In 2021, we made a brief daytrip to Indiana's largest waterfall - ha! Last year, we did the best we've done in a while. We took an overnight to a beautifully decorated and cozy cabin nearby. This year, August came and went with no festivities. When I happened upon news that Celtic Thunder would perform in Nashville, Indiana, it sounded like the perfect solution. I love Nashville, Indiana, with its quaint charm and delightful shops. Alas, the concert was anticlimactic, at best.

Last year, I discovered Celtic Thunder's You Tube videos from their PBS performance. Immediately, I fell in love with their songs, their sound, and their theatrics. The Nashville concert left me deflated and unimpressed. Thank goodness Damien McGinty performed, or it might have been a total loss. He exhibited his characteristic enthusiasm and charm. Why was the staging so bland? Not a lick of appeal, but just a plain black stage with no embellishment. Where were all the beloved songs? I had hoped for "Toora Loora Lay":

"Home from the Sea":

or "A Place in the Choir":

Instead, the only two classic hits were "Galway Girl" and "Seven Drunken Nights." Moreover, I find it offensive when secular groups sing songs glorifying drunkenness shortly after crooning "Amazing Grace." (No belief, why sing it?) Why the predominance of political Celtic content? Most Americans love Celtic music for its flavor and lilt, not its political elements. While there were a few upbeat songs, many were somber airs of death. 

They are a fantastic group and I wish them well. I merely hope they continue singing together in the caliber of former performances. For now, I'll stick with watching my You Tube favorites. Although, I may ask for a CD for Christmas so I can listen when I'm in the car. (My CD player near the treadmill has bit the dust, so I suppose I should ask for that, as well.)

Book Review: The Fountains of Silence

The Fountains of Silence is not my first Ruta Sepetys book. I read Out of the Easy back in 2014. For car rides, I still need audio books. This one jumped out at me in the library during a quick trip one day. Sepetys has a way of taking historical settings and fleshing them to life with realistic characters and dilemmas. I would never have sought a book on the Spanish Civil War, but I'm glad I gave this a listen.

Daniel Matheson wants nothing more than a chance to study photo journalism. His father has other plans. But, on a trip to Spain, Daniel brings his camera and captures images that just might win him the award necessary to finance the schooling on his own. He's after the "real Spain." He wants behind-the-scenes glimpses. Perhaps Ana, assigned to attend to his needs at the hotel, holds the key.

I loved how this highlighted a true evil from history and incorporated actual documentation from articles, books, and oral history interviews. Sepetys is quite skilled in bringing history to life for the reader. Countless babies, stripped from their families (often with lies), were adopted out to "more fitting" families. This human trafficking went on for years in Spain. Imagine the heartache, to hold your tiny baby in your arms, then lose him/her when doctors tell you the infant died. I couldn't help but put myself in those shoes and shudder. The love story was sweet (although it stretched belief at the distance they allowed to remain). The author's note at the end of the audio book provides extra insight. I would love to see this one turned into a movie.