Women in Faith

I am not a fan of women's lib, feminism, or any of that stuff. I am for personal development, however, and occasionally find myself reading books I normally wouldn't. I picked this book to review from Waterbrook Multnomah on a whim.

Now, I can't really classify this book as women's lib, but Secrets of the Vine for Women sure is about personal development. Apparently it is a shoot-off of a previous book entitled, Secrets of the Vine, written by the author's husband, Bruce Wilkinson.

Having never read the original book, I have no basis of comparison, but Mrs. Wilkinson sure thinks that you have read the first one. This book is full of references to Mr. Wilkinson's book, which can make it hard to understand if you've never read it. Also, be sure to have your bible handy, as this entire book is based on John 15, but only includes a few verses from this chapter.

I do like how the author includes other bible verses to back up her statements, and the story at the beginning of each chapter helps keep the reader interested. There is a chart at the back of the book that is very helpful, and the Appendix is a good way to judge your relationship with the Father.

Also at the end of the book is a short study guide, with questions that go along with each chapter. I almost got more information out of the study guide than I did the whole book. Overall, I give this book a 3.5 out of 4 stars. It was a quick read, which accounts for the .5 in the score. I really don't know if I would recommend this book to a friend or not...

Billy Graham

So, he was a little before my time, but I've heard a lot of good things about the Reverend Billy Graham, and I have read a couple of his books, and heard a few of his sermons. When I got my newest book from booksneeze.com, the title (Billy Graham in Quotes) gave me an idea of what to expect, and it sure delivered.

This book is literally hundreds of quotes from Billy's books, sermons, and other writings, all compiled by his son, Franklin, and a colleague, Donna Lee Toney. Each quote is divided into topics--including Addiction, Testimony, Encouragement, and Joy, just to name a few. The first thing you read when you turn to a chapter, is a bible verse that correlates with each topic. Then, a list of quotes that have come from Rev. Graham.

Now, this is not the type of book you sit down and read cover to cover. This is the kind of reference book that goes on your shelf, that you pull out when you need inspiration, guidance, and comfort.

The forward was written by Franklin Graham, and the introduction was written by the Reverend himself. The notes at the back of the book tell you where the quote came from, and can satisfy anyone's curiosity.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for inspiration. I'm sure a high schooler looking for  that perfect quote to go with a book report would be able to find something in this book. I'll give it 5 out of 5 stars. 

It's the End of the World As we Know it...

Every couple of years or so, someone comes out with an "end of the world" book or series of books. This time it is The Seraph Seal by Leonard Sweet and Lori Wagner.  Set in 2048, it is the story of the 'chosen eight' and the paths each person chose.

Let me start with the cons. The authors apparently like acronyms. Ever heard the saying "too much of a good thing"? I could not keep track of all of the different organizations and places that the authors labeled with random letters. The book also had a tendency to bounce between people and personal stories. At one point, I stopped trying to remember who each person was. The ending seemed rushed and not well thought out, and was definitely not what I was expecting.

At the end of the book, the authors include an "Alphabet of the Apocalypse". In the beginning of the book, Mr Sweet calls this a type of guide to understanding the realities of Apocalyptic elements. However, it seems as if there is a blurred sense of reality. And what I expected to be a type of glossary turned into a confusing list of words.

Now for the pros. It was a quick read, and I found myself connecting with the main character. The element of suspense was enough to keep me interested.

If someone is interested in end of days type fiction, I would recommend this book to them. If anyone else asked me about this book, I probably would not.

I give it a 2 out of 5 stars.

Big Plans

Although summer break started 2 weeks ago, it finally feels like summertime at the Hudspeth house. We are back from our trip to Phoenix, I have decided to let God take care of my kidney problems, and the kids are at church camp.

There have been some big developments in the White Mountains this past week, the most important one by far being the Wallow fire in Alpine. The smoke is merely annoying at our house, I can only imagine how bad it is in Alpine and the surrounding areas. Poor Mike has to work over in that area today (not really close to the fire, but close enough that the smoke is bothering him).

We may be on break, but I am still waiting for my financial aid status for next semester. I would like to register for fall classes, but cannot until I know my status. I have never been very good at waiting.

For a while, we were contemplating moving the kids to a new school, but have decided to stick with the one we know: the teachers and students and families that they have grown up with.

I've got housework to do, books to read, and crafts to finish. Oh, and work on Tuesdays. But it is definitely worth it all.