Saturday, August 27, 2016

Review: Loving My Actual Life: An Experiment in Relishing What's Right in Front of Me

Loving My Actual Life: An Experiment in Relishing What's Right in Front of Me Loving My Actual Life: An Experiment in Relishing What's Right in Front of Me by Alexandra Kuykendall
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book has a unique format, somewhat like a daily journal for one month "experiments" in every chapter. So because she has actually tried to put these ideas into real life practice, the book doesnt come across as the work of a wannabe psychologist-cum-life-coach-author giving her two cents worth. While I do appreciate the practical suggestions and see how they could actually be quite useful when implement in my own life, I do wonder what the references or sources are.

To be honest, after the few few chapters, I found it extremely difficult to read through every single day of the journal entries. I guess if I were Kuykendall's close friend, I'd be sincerely interested. Or perhaps if Ravi Zacharias or D A Carson (or whoever your favourite authors/theologians would be) were to share their day-to-day lives with readers, then it would be a great delight. But for me, I felt that it was a bit too much detail that did not catch my interest.

A caveat though... Although I get the impression that the book seems to be a Christian title, I was hard pressed to find citations of Scripture or perhaps even quotes from other authors from the field of Spiritual Formation/Christian Living. So I guess this book would be an ideal gift to pre-believing or post-Christian friends you think may need find useful a regime to cope with their busy lives a little bit better?

I received this book from the Baker Publishing Group's Blogger Review Program for the purposes of providing an unbiased review. All views are my own.

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Sunday, August 21, 2016

Review: Mommy Needs a Raise

Mommy Needs a Raise Mommy Needs a Raise by Sarah Parshall Perry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First things first, while the title does not specify this, the author's primary target audience is not the mother balancing work and motherhood, but the Stay at Home Mum (SAHM as Sarah terms it). That is not to say that husbands and working mothers would not enjoy the book, because I, a recently married husband without any kids on the way, sure did thoroughly savoured the read. More so than I had expected - for it helped me glimpse into and made me fear and appreciate the awesome task that lies ahead for my beloved bride when the little ones would come along. As soon as I closed the final pages, I was thinking that it would be a waste to simply leave the book on my bookshelf, I had to give it away to a friend who is the midst of wrestling in the ring of SAHM. (Sadly my wife is more of a numbers person and would read hear a verbal summary than plough through the leaves of a book, no matter how good I tell it is!)

Usually when I discover that a book is a sneaky biography (unlike what the title had misled me to believe), the feeling would be discovering that your favourite chocolate milk in your fridge had turned sour - I at least do not appreciate paying $10-20 to read about a person's self-praise and self-glorification etc. BUT not only does Sarah write well, I really enjoy reading about her larger-than-life arty-farty personality and probably connected with her earnest humility of the heights from which she has fallen to be a SAHM. I appreciated she was honest and forthright in declaring this was a book about her journey and her family's right at the get-go.

The reason I did not award a 5 star rating is that many of the references were Amercian (I am a Singaporean and could guess what Patient First and Mr Coffee meant, but other non-Amercians may not). Therefore the book is not really catered to an international audience, as Sarah did not footnote to explain what localised references meant (perhaps in the next revision that could be done)? While the first half of the book was amazingly exciting to read, the second was in comparison not as engaging. Perhaps it is none of Sarah's fault that the working woman's lifestyle seemed so much more exciting than the SAHM.

I received this book from Baker Publishing Group's Revel Reads Blog Tour Program for the purposes of providing an unbiased review. All views are my own.

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Monday, August 8, 2016

Review: The Emotionally Healthy Church: A Strategy for Discipleship that Actually Changes Lives

The Emotionally Healthy Church: A Strategy for Discipleship that Actually Changes Lives The Emotionally Healthy Church: A Strategy for Discipleship that Actually Changes Lives by Peter Scazzero
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I first attempted to read this book in 2015 and now (in 2016) I read it again for the purposes of a school assignment.

While the content is not overly complex, I am quite puzzled as to where Scazzero plants the foundation of his thesis from. My polytechnic diploma in psychology better prepared me to read the book critically and yet I came away quite disappointed. I do understand where he is coming from, basically to embrace the brokenness in you (and your family) and not to work yourself until you have nothing left. I do hope to see some proper citations from the experts in field of psychology to add some credibility to the "emotionally healthy" schema.

The Scripture references were often proof-texts of a point he was trying to make, and after a while I had to force myself to finish the book. Basically if you are looking for a (as the subheading goes) strategy, a work-based step-by-step formula, this is the book for you. But if you are interested in meaty ecclesiology, look up Timothy Keller's Center Church or Edmund Clowney's The Church. See also Carlson and Lueken's Renovation of the Church for an account of how two co-pastors moved away from formulaic style approach to running a church.

To top off my discomfort with this book, Chapter 12 was basically advertisements to Scazzero's other books and programs. I cannot recommend this book because of its questionable psychology, allegorical use of Scripture and outrageous self-publicity.

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Sunday, August 7, 2016

Review: Beloved Mess: God's Perfect Love for Your Imperfect Life

Beloved Mess: God's Perfect Love for Your Imperfect Life Beloved Mess: God's Perfect Love for Your Imperfect Life by Kimm Crandall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Some authors dispense advice from a third person perspective, they have neither lived through similar situations or perhaps even journeyed extensively with multiple people in such trying times. Crandall writes from the pain of her depression and struggles to cope with life. The authenticity is alarming for an asian like me to come to terms with, and yet I appreciate how the book is not just a sob story about how terrible her life is - she makes a continual effort to point us back to the gospel.

The book's brevity makes it an apt choice for the non-bookwormish Christian you may want to gift it to. Depression and hard times in life is no respecter of a person's theological grasp and this would cater to the average sister in Christ going through a rough patch. Crandall's citations of quotation and choice of real-life stories from the people she knows to complement each chapter are spot on in engaging my mind, heart and spirit.

I received this book from the Baker Publishing Group's Blogger Review Program for the purposes of providing an unbiased review. All views are my own.

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Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Putman on how the devil changes God's definitions

As I reflect upon this profound thought, I'm compelled to consider how very tragic it is for us to have deviated so very far from God's ways. Have imposed our own man-made ideals and made what is actually opinion/feelings into "law"? Is the focus on the surrender of our wills to God, or is it just another strategy to get God to answer our prayers and meet our desires?

Perhaps it is easy to blame the dogmatic church leaders that have nurtured a hatred in me for institutionalized religiosity, but that would be ignore the sinful condition of my wretched heart. Oh Lord, help me to see the folly of my seared conscience and deliver me from the temptations that I feel that I cannot bear. Remind me evermore of the finished work of the cross and the resurrected Christ, that bought my freedom to live for You and to die to self. Amen.

From 69-70 of Power of Together

Worship has become about music that creates feelings rather than about surrender and praise to God. Leadership has become about dictatorship or politics or giving people what they want rather than what God says they need. The church has become a building rather than a body of believers. And love has become a feeling.