Book reviews are back! Part I

Kids, it's time to get those critical juices flowing and give you a little feedback on some books I have read within the past 6 or 7 months.  Here we go...

1. Life is Harder Than We Thought by Bill Isaacs

I wanted to read this book because I know the author and his family.  I know the  outward, public story of Bill's wife's journey with cancer and I attended her viewing.  I grew up with his sons and I knew this book would become personal to me.

Although it's a heart-wrenching story of Kathy's passing due to colon cancer, I still enjoyed Bill's take on things and his overall positive, Jesus focused attitude.  A few quotes that stuck with me:

"Knowing "why" is not like to change anything you are presently going through."  

"In fact, waiting is a form of worship unto God-a surrender of my impulsive "have it my way" attitude to His larger "I know what I am going to do in you" ability.  

"Grief is real and it hurts but it is not who I am-rather it is what I'm going through.  There is a difference... there is a vast difference between the two.  In the former, my pain identifies me and in my latter, my identity remains but my circumstances are changed."

This last quote has stuck with me the most.  We can not let "unidentifiable" things actually become our identity.  Our identity is in Christ.  We make mistakes, we suffer, we do certain things... but may we always be aware to claim our identity in Him AND.... do the same for others.  He is what makes us whole and fills the cracks of our lives in pain, wrong-going and suffering.  

2.  Humanitarian Jesus by Christian Buckley and Ryan Dobson

Interesting book.  The majority of this book is filled with interviews of people who have started and are running powerful humanitarian organizations.  Of course, working now for an NGO, I really was curious to hear these thoughts.  It really opened my eyes to many different viewpoints.  I appreciate how the authors just asked the questions and took any and all answers for the book.  There are some conservatives and liberals alike interviewed in this book.  A few of my favorite quotes:

"Evangelism is allowing Christ to so live in and through us that who we are, what we do, and what we say become the very expression of who He is, what He did, and what He said."  

"Love is carving off bits of yourself and handing them to someone who has no power to repay.  Love is having no ledgers, no sense of self, no desire for glory.  Love is taking one step more than you think you can, because the person you are serving can't take steps toward you."  

"One becomes a Christian and will be accepted into the kingdom in terms of his or her relationships with Jesus Christ.  But once you fall in love with God, you will fall in love with your neighbor.  If you're not in love with your neighbor, that's an evidence that you're not in love with God."

"You can't minister to dead people.  You can't do health care to dead people.  You can't educate dead people.  You've got to have them alive first."  The first thing is to bring physical life.  It is true that if you just bring the water without the message, you just extend their physical life.  It's not a matter of either-or with us.  It's both-and in every case.  It's not a choice."

These are quotes from different interviewees but wow!  Whew!  These few words make me want to get up and shout!  This book will challenge your thought process for sure.

3. Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Somehow, this book did hold my attention even though the kid is stuck on a raft most of the time.  Pi Patel's ship is wrecked and he ends up on a life raft with a few animals-most interesting a very large Bengal tiger.  The story is nicely detailed and the inner conversation Pi has with himself is entertaining and at times terribly sad.  The ending does throw you for a loop and leaves you partially wondering what is the real truth, but nevertheless, I enjoyed the book.

As usual, I preferred the book over the movie.





4. Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren Winner

Wow!  This book was surprisingly fascinating.  Ms Winner is a Jew turned Christian and she gracefully tells of the Jewish practices she once did.  But, in return, she shares about their importance and at times how she believes Christianity could use some of these practices.

I learned a lot because I was rather clueless on Jewish traditions and she explains them all so well.  A few of my favorite quotes:

"Practicing the spiritual disciplines does not make us Christians.  Instead, the practicing teaches us what it means to live as Christians.  (There is an etymological clue here-discipline is related to the word disciple.)  The ancient disciplines form us to respond to God, over and over always, in gratitude, in obedience, and in faith."  

"Fasting is not meant to drag us down, but to still us.  It is not meant to distract us from the really real, but rather to silence us so that we can hear things as they most truly are."  

5.  In The Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner

This is a newly released piece of history written by Vaddey Ratner, a woman who survived the Khmer Rouge war in Cambodia as a little girl.  After the war, she fled to the USA where she has lived most of her life and is now able to share her story of this gruesome time.

I read this book slowly, mainly because any book about the Khmer Rouge is difficult for me to read, especially since I live in this country now.  I loved that when she spoke of certain cities I have been to that I could smell and hear the details she shared and understand the accents and imagine the orange, Buddhist monks.

Although the story itself is not full of gory details, the book can feel dark as you somewhat experience the oppression as you read through this.  For you history buffs or those who love different cultures, here's your read.

Part II Coming soon!