A Young Woman's Call to Prayer by Elizabeth George

This is the book the girls in my Sunday School class have chosen for their next study. They arrived last Sunday and I can never leave a new book alone, so I brought a copy home to preview. This will be the fourth book we travel through together...and the one that, by far, intimidates me the most.

Early in the book Elizabeth (I know it is proper form to refer to authors by their last name, but by the time you finish a devotional you typically feel as though you know the author on a more personal level, and it just seems awkward.) includes the quote, "He who has learned how to pray has learned the greatest secret of a holy and happy life." As a teacher professionally, I always feel as if I need to "be the expert" in my content before presenting it to my students (not that I always, if ever, succeed). How intimidating is it to think I have to explain this "secret" of a life of holiness and happiness?

I was able to find reassurance in the statement that "no one prays enough...no one prays as passionately as she would like to pray or should pray...no one prays for as many people as need to be prayed for." So, maybe, I am not alone in my feelings of inadequacy when it comes to prayer...and, maybe, like one of my students said this week, in the act of education sometimes the students can teach the teacher.

I do know I can't wait to get started because I happen to have the most amazing class of girls. I know we will all leave this study purposing to answer God's call to us to pray, purposing to to hide away with Him in prayer, and with changed lives.

Courage and Consequence by Karl Rove

I love politics and political theory. I love history and the stories of our national past. It is always a unique experience, though, to read about the events of your lifetime from those who were there. I know Karl Rove is a controversial character, I know I am more conservative in my politics than many (perhaps even more so than Mr. Rove himself), but I would encourage even his staunchest critics to take the time to read his book.

Reading about the events that made Karl Rove from his own perspective rather than that of a news commentator adds a depth to his character and personality that is normally missing.

One of my favorite parts of reading Rove's account of so many political events of the past ten years was to find archived video and watch what he was discussing. It brought many forgotten moments from the past to life.

Longitude by Dava Sobel

I have had this book on my classroom bookshelf for the past four years. I have wanted to read it, I have even started to read it (a couple of times), but I never managed to make it very far. A day or so after reading In the Heart of the Sea, we had MAP testing and I needed something to keep myself busy while the kids were testing, so I grabbed this off the shelf.

A strange but wonderfully enjoyable mix of astronomy and history, politics and science. Reading about the struggle to accurately determine the earth's longitude helped clarify parts of Philbrick's book that I didn't even realize I hadn't understood.

In the Heart of the Sea

I finished this book about two weeks ago but have been struggling with what to write about. It isn't that I disliked the book, I actually found it fascinating. I just haven't been sure how to portray the horror that these men experienced.

The story begins by explaining the draw felt by the men of Nantucket to the sea. By the time the crew sets sail, the reader is ready to jump on board to take on the adventure of a lifetime. This excitement quickly fades a few days later when they run into a storm. It is this unexpected, and poorly handled, storm that sets the tone for the rest of the crazy, chaotic voyage.

It is hard for the modern mind to comprehend the unknown quality of the world at the time of the nineteenth century. The sheer size of the oceans, the lack of technology, the unpredictability of the prey, all led to the sinking of the Essex and the following months of uncertainty, starvation, isolation and cannibalism.

Martha Washington: An American Life by Patricia Brady

"The worthy partner of the worthiest of men..." After reading about our last First Lady, I was finally spurred to read the biography of the first First Lady that I've had on a shelf for several years. The quote is from a local newspaper's obituary at the time of Martha Washington's death.

Martha Dandridge Custis Washington has been a bit of an enigma in American history. Despite her marriage to the most revered man in our nation's history, we really have very little by which to judge her life. One of the reasons for this is her purposeful destruction of family letters and documents that she considered private matters. Because of the lack of first hand information, historians have had to rely on secondary accounts and stories, sometimes even interpreting the silence into something of significance.

Patricia Brady has done a good job of taking the bits of scattered information and weaving them into a story that makes George Washington's beloved wife come alive in a way I have never experienced. (It is important to keep in mind as reading, though, that much of what she says is her interpretation and not always proven fact.) I especially appreciated the effort made at establishing the family history of both Martha and George before their marriage and the way their families became interwoven as time progressed. I had always pictured Martha Washington with the same frail psyche that I attribute to Mary Todd Lincoln, but Brady shows the strength of her character and constitution. The way she deals with the death of parents, a spouse, all four of her children, grandchildren, extended family, close friends, and eventually George Washington, proves she had a strength that not many possess today. Brady shows us no evidence of bitterness or anger at her circumstances, just a quiet determination to do what needs to be done and an unlimited love for those in her life.

Like Laura Bush's autobiography, this retelling is not so much concerned with political happenings as with how those events impacted Martha and her family. Brady describes her as fiercely loyal and protective of her husband, taking an extreme dislike to anyone who attempted to paint him in a bad light. As a fan of political history, one of my favorite passages in the book is Brady's description of Hamilton and Jefferson, neither of whom Martha cared for because of their opposition (in very different ways) to Washington's plans for the government. "Alexander Hamilton was a brilliant man but a terrible politician. Neurotic impulses often ruled his behavior, and he suffered from the fatal delusion that he was a master manipulator, causing needless distrust and dislike. Thomas Jefferson actually was a master manipulator, especially in combination with the detail-oriented James Madison."

I wish I had taken the time to read this sooner, so I could have corrected my misconceptions, but I am not sure I would have appreciated it without the comparison between the first and last First Ladies.

Spoken from the Heart by Laura Bush

Spoken from the Heart is the perfect title for Mrs. Bush's memoir. As you are reading you feel like you are sitting at her table, listening to a lifetime's worth of stories over a cup of coffee or tea.

She interweaves her roles as daughter, granddaughter, teacher, librarian, wife and mother with her more public roles as first lady of both Texas and the United States. Treating each season of her life with a quiet respect, never placing more importance on one over another. Taking each experience and showing how it prepared her to face those yet to come.

My favorite page takes place early in the book, describing her first teaching job. "The realities of an elementary school [or any school] classroom are far from the Hollywood romances of tweedy academics or wisecracking professors. The movies can condense an entire school career into a little over two hours. That doesn't take most teachers even through the morning. Teaching is, even for those who love it, at times isolating. It happens behind closed doors, one adult navigating the needs and complexities of twenty or more children, twenty or more entirely different personalities. We are not, in truth, so far removed from the days of the one-room schoolhouse. As much as teachers may talk to other faculty members, they don't go out to lunch or briefly laze by coffeepots or watercoolers. Elementary school teachers must calculate when their classrooms are subdued enough for them even to escape to the bathroom."

She introduced her students to her own love of books. The love that inspired her to become a librarian. The love that caused her to recognize the impact of authors both in Austin and Washington. The love that she took on her journeys throughout the world.

One of the things I appreciated most about her writing is the fact that while the book is about political people, it is not a political book. Mrs. Bush deals with the happenings of politics only as it impacts their family, without commentary, without judgment. She speaks of her husband as any loving wife would, she does not seek to hide his faults or to attack his detractors. She is honest about the struggles they faced and reports on them from her perspective, which is honestly all we can expect of her.

As events from the past decade or so were recounted, I couldn't help but realize how much I, personally, and we, as a nation, have let slip from our memories....The terror after 9-11 that just slowly faded away. The anthrax scares. The shoe bomber. The London explosion. The Rwanda genocide.

Mrs. Bush, to my best memory, wasn't constantly in the spotlight, seeking to be noticed and applauded for her actions, but was able to accomplish a remarkable number of very important initiatives during her eight years as First Lady.

I very much appreciated this glimpse into the lives of this family, that whether you support or abhor, had an undeniable impact on the past decade and in some ways on our future.

Take Three by Karen Kingsbury

I am so glad I was able to find Take Three so soon after finishing Take Two. It would have been a test of patience to wait very long to see what was in store next for the characters.

In the author's note at the end of the book, Kingsbury says that the characters moved themselves in ways she hadn't envisioned. I can't imagine things happening any other way.

Thankfully, a lot of lessons seemed to be learned from the trials experienced in Take Two. All except for Andi, that it. She continues to struggle throughout the course of the novel, trying to come to terms with past mistakes and the opportunity for forgiveness. (Can't say anymore without spoiling the ending.)

Chase and Kelly play a much smaller role in this book because he realizes the sacrifices his family has been making for his career and how much it is costing their family. "Her smile fell away and she looked truly sad. Scared even. 'Sometimes...I forget what Daddy looks like.'" Hearing the truth from his daughters opens Chase's eyes to see what he had been blinded to.

I guess, if I had to chose a theme for this book, I would choose redemption (even though Kingsbury has a whole series with that title). Not a "salvation" redemption, but a returning to what is right and true, a looking beyond the faults and failures of the past to what is ahead and how to accomplish it according to God's plan and timing. Allowing Him to take our past mistakes and do something great with them. ...I can't wait to see what is store in Take Four!

Take Two by Karen Kingsbury

Take One left the characters of Kingsbury's "Above the Line" series at the top of a spiritual high. God had accomplished amazing things and it was difficult to imagine them seeing any future trial as impossible to overcome. But nearly all mountain-top experiences are followed by new valley through which to journey. This is the setting for Take Two.

While the movie production has ended well, the editing and marketing process has just begun, bringing with it a fresh set of troubles, and for one of the producers a fresh set of temptations. While seeking to please God, his time has become consumed with the development of their two films, giving him many opportunities to spend with his business partners but not with his wife, Kelly. Being away from home so much has been difficult on her and she has struggles of her own to work through. At one point Kelly has to admit to herself that "...she was beyond discouraged and and relying on all the wrong sources to survive."

Finishing the last book, it was easy to hope that Andi had learned to be more cautious in her behavior, even if her heart had not changed. Sadly, this was not true. She is still seeking that elusive "something" that will fulfill all the needs of her heart. She thinks she has found this in a film student who wants to make her a star. Instead, she ends the book more lost and needy than when it began.

Baily and Cody are still trying to figure out how they are supposed to fit into each others' lives. Each sure that they can never be together and yet not wanting to live life apart.

Overall, Take Two left me feeling very sad. Not because it wasn't a good story, but because the pain and discouragement of the characters was so real you were experiencing it with them. I frequently found myself wanting to tell Chase to go home to his hurting wife, or let Andi know how big a mistake she was about to make. Because of where this book falls in the series, not everything was wrapped up at the end and things felt a little unresolved. But, like many times in our lives when we feel down and like there is no way out, we have to remember that there is another (or in this case, two more) book to be written.

Take One by Karen Kingsbury

Karen Kingsbury is one of my favorite novelists. She has the ability to examine the reality of life without getting lost in its ugliness. Take One, is the first in a series that is actually a continuation of two other series written by Kingsbury. The characters in those series became so real to readers that no one was ready to say good bye when the last book was written. Take One doesn't begin where the others left off, those characters are more  like the extras for a new set of actors. 


Take One follows the struggle of two former missionaries as they seek to break into the movie industry, producing films that would uplift and encourage. They are met with trouble at every step in the process, but they refuse to give in to defeat. "A couple of willing guys looking to change the world...God's used less than that in the past. A stuttering recluse to change the mind of the Pharoah [their misspelling, not mine] of Egypt...a scrawny kid with a stone and a slingshot to bring down the Philistine army... A group of fishermen to bring the message of hope to an entire world."


The side story throughout the novel is that of Andi, the daughter of one of the producers. She is beginning her freshman year at Indiana University, the location shoot of her father's movie. Andi's struggle is that of many as they start out on their own, she spends most of the novel trying to sort out what she really believes. Early in the book she finds herself thinking about the apparent inconsistency of a loving God and an unfair world. "She hated when her thoughts went this way. Her stomach hurt and her heart beat faster than usual. Every breath felt tighter than the one before it. Because this was her very deep, dark secret - the thing that no one knew about her. Andi Ellison had doubts now. Her perfect faith in God was riddled with subtle cracks and shifts." Andi spends the rest of the book dealing with the after effects of allowing these cracks and shifts to grow and dealing with them when they first appeared. 


I don't want to give away too much else about the plot line, but it is a great start to what I anticipate will be a great series. 

Wrestling Prayer by Eric and Leslie Ludy

I honestly don't know what to write about this book. Not because I didn't like it, but because I am still trying to comprehend it's implications for my life. Overwhelming, challenging, mind-boggling, life-changing are all suitable but also insufficient attempts at description.

"We are to be the fearless ones, the courageous ones, the ones who stand when every other man sits, the ones who storm the gates when every other man turns and hightails, the ones who say, 'I will fight 'em!' when every other man sinks in despair." I am afraid that more often I am sinking in despair than prepared to storm the gates, but Eric and Leslie have an answer for that. "There is absolutely  no excuse to stay where you are at right now. If you are weak, He can make you strong. If you are timid, He can make you brave. If you are a pervert, He can make you pure. If you are selfish, He can make you selfless. If you are a shepherd, He can make you a king. If you are mediocre, He can make you a Mighty One of valor."

Growing up in church, prayer is often talked about, preached about, and tried about....but the prayer described in this book (as taken from examples from the Bible) is really not something I have ever seen in practice. "If you want to get serious about prayer, you have to make a conscious decision to ignore all of those brilliant-sounding excuses. You have to choose to make prayer the highest priority of your life - no matter how your flesh screams in protest."

Perhaps one of the passages that most pierced my heart was the one asking why more people aren't willing to devote their lives to this kind of prayer. "We hesitate because we instinctively know that life will forever change if we seize this opportunity. We know that we will never be able to go back to our days of selfish and fleshly ignorance. We are aware of the fact that we are not just gaining something great, but we are losing something in this transaction. ...We are losing the controls of our life. And, to be quite frank, we like being in control. ...We are giving up the confidence in our self, our abilities, our intellect, our wisdom, and our might. ...We are giving up all the excuses that we have concocted over the years for living a mediocre and marginal existence."

Mountaineer Dreams & Cajun Hearts

I don't know that this is the best reason to choose books, but I have a strange affection for books from Barbour Publishing. It isn't their award-winning authors  or fascinating story-lines (both statements made tongue-in-cheek). Instead it is the fact that Barbour Publishing is located in Uhrichsville, Ohio. If you have ever been to Uhrichsville you can understand my frequent amazement that it would be home to a publishing company. Located in a tiny town in the middle of rural Ohio, Barbour has been making a name for itself in the Christian publishing circle, not necessarily for producing great literary works but more for reproducing inexpensive editions of Christian classics from time gone by.

Barbour's novels provide an afternoon's distraction, a quick break from the routine of life and, most importantly to me, a connection to home.

Beguiled by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand

After the last book I read by Deeanne Gist, I wasn't too anxious to begin this one...until I realized that it was set in Charleston. I may not be a South Carolina native, but I truly enjoy any glimpse I can get into my new home. Unlike the last novel, which was set in the past and focused on the romance of the story, this novel is set in modern Charleston and focuses on a series of unexplained burglaries.

Rylee is a woman trying to hold her life together, the victim of a tragic past. A past that tortures her present as she is tied to a string of thefts throughout the city. As all evidence begins to point to her guilt in the crimes, the feelings of guilt and abandonment that plagued her childhood begin to resurface. Her feelings of abandonment intensify once she is thrown in jail. Thinking back on her grandmother's promise to protect her "An impossible vow. A vow no one could keep. Unless they were God. God. She scoffed. Even He was gone. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt His presence. Not here. Not anywhere."

Sitting in the jail she realizes that it isn't God who has abandoned her, but she who has abandoned God. "She might go to church and read her Bible, but she was just going through the motions. On the inside, she'd quit. Quit spending time with Him. Quit telling Him her secrets. Quit saying her prayers." While I enjoyed the suspense of the storyline, this was the part of the novel that most impacted me. I couldn't help but wonder how many times and in how many ways I have quit on God only to later feel like He had abandoned me.

Rylee later discovers the truth behind the robberies, she discovers the truth behind her childhood abandonment by her parents, she discovers the security of a love that will never abandon her, but is the discovery that she will never be abandoned by God that gives her future more hope than her past.

Solitude and Leadership by William Deresiewicz

Solitude is something with which I am very familiar, or at least I thought I was, so when someone posted the link to Deresiewicz's address to class of West Point cadets on Twitter ( http://www.theamericanscholar.org/solitude-and-leadership/ )I was intrigued. While solitude may seem like such a normal part of my daily existence, the thought of solitude influencing leadership was not.

I found Deresiewicz's lecture to be challenging on many levels, the first and foremost being the way I view solitude. When you spend large amounts of time on your own you begin to see yourself as an expert at it. You are able to find all kinds of ways to fill your time, to stay busy, to distract yourself from the aloneness. In Deresiewicz's view, solitude should instead be embraced as the opportunity to think away from the multitude of distractions that life has to offer. "Thinking means concentrating on one thing long enough to develop an idea about it. Not learning other people's ideas, or memorizing a body of information...I need time to think about it [his first thought on a subject], too, to make mistakes and recognize them, to make false starts and correct them, to outlast my impulses, to defeat my desire to declare the job done and move on to the next thing," This kind of thinking, concentrating, devoting your focus to one idea, is difficult, but I think the difficulty is imperative because we never fully recognize the value of things that come too easily.

The second challenge (in order of importance to me, not as found in the reading) is that of friendship. Deresiewicz links the ideas of solitude and introspection with friendship in a way that most of us probably overlook. He feels that friendship is a crucial component to developing this kind of deep and meaningful thought life. He is very careful to make clear the distinction between what he calls "the deep friendship of intimate conversation" and the "968 'friends' that we never actually talk to; instead we just bounce one-line messages off them a hundred times a day." He places so much importance on friendship because it is though these realtionships that we "feel safe enough ... to acknowledge things - to acknowledge things to yourself - that you otherwise can't. Doubts, you aren't supposed to have, questions you aren't supposed to ask. Feeling or opinions that would get you laughed at by the group or reprimanded by the authorities." This was a challenge to me because while I stuggle with developing these kind of friendships, I very much sense their importance in our lives.

The final challenge I found in the lecture was in how I, as a teacher, and education, as a system, are seeking to prepare students for the world. Deresiewicz is delivering this address at West Point and spent ten years as a professor at Yale, so he has seen some of the best and brightest that our nation has to offer, and while he doesn't doubt their ability to become successful, he also isn't too terribly impressed. He claims that what we are producing, as an educational system, is a bunch of "great kids who have been trained to be world-class hoop jumpers. Any goal you set them, they could achieve. Any test you gave them, they could pass with flying colors." While as a middle school teacher, who often wishes her students could meet more of her goals and pass more of her tests, there is some appeal in this image he paints. The problem, according to Deresiewicz, is that "We have a crisis of leadership in America because our overwhelming power and wealth, earned by earlier generations of leaders, made us complacent, and for too long we have have been training leaders who only know how to keep the routine going. Who can answer questions, but don't know how to ask them. Who can fulfill goals, but don't know how to set them in the first place. ...What we don'e have are leaders. What we don't have, in other words, are thinkers." What am I asking of my students, to become the next generation of leaders and thinkers, or the next generation of "technocrats"? Can I ask something of my students that I'm not sure I'm all that successful of doing myself?

Staying True by Jenny Sanford

I have to admit, I was curious. The curiosity started that summer day back in Ohio when I first heard the news about South Carolina's seemingly straight-as-an-arrow governor. Moving to South Carolina from Ohio, where corruption and scandal have impacted more than one state level political office, I admired the tenacity of Mark Sanford to take a stand for his beliefs. 


That admiration has now shifted to Jenny Sanford. Her commitment to her personal ideals began in their early dating relationship when she realized that while that she wanted "a steady, solid love" similar to that experienced by her parents and grandparents. One of the most touching passages of the book is her description of this love she desired... 


"I hadn't yet found the man who had inspired that kind of devotion, the kind of man worthy of the kind of love I knew I was capable of giving. Honestly, I hadn't been looking too hard. Although I hadn't experienced it yet myself, I expected that the platitudes about true love were absolutely true. I imagined that it would involve understanding, patience, sacrifice, selflessness, and commitment. If I was going to commit, I would give it my all. I wanted to pledge loyalty to another person, to a set of values, goals, and dreams, and to a family. I realize to some that this might seem the opposite of romantic. But I saw from watching and talking to my parents that passions and romance come and go through the seasons of life; what sustains you are shared values and common goals. I found that incredibly romantic."


While long, I find this quote to be important because it encapsulates Jenny's entire approach (at least as reported) to their marital successes and ultimate trials. Her desire for reconciliation and then choosing to forgive, despite the growing list of indiscretions, illustrate a depth of love and loyalty that showed an unworthiness on the part of her husband. 


This is what makes this a meaningful memoir and not simply a scandal-driven story. Instead of leaving the reader with the feelings of frustration and irritation at this man who had so little concern for his wife and family, Jenny Sanford leaves us with a lesson on what true forgiveness is all about. "Saying 'I forgive you' is not the same as saying 'what you have done is okay.' ... Forgiveness really is a gift for each of us. It gave [gives] us the freedom to move forward happily, free from our unfortunate situation." 


While I would hope and pray that I would never find myself in the same situation as Jenny Sanford, I would like to think I would handle any difficult circumstance in which I found myself with the same degree of faith, grace, and unswerving devotion to those things which truly matter.

A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist

I seem to be getting a string of mediocre novels lately and A Bride in the Bargain is no exception. This is not the first of Gist's novels that I have read, it is, however, the most disappointing. I have always enjoyed the development of her characters and story lines. Her her heroines always seem to possess a strength that surprises even themselves.

Perhaps the most disappointing factor of this book was its (to borrow my mother's term) provocativeness, while a far cry from a Harlequin novel, it was surprising for an inspirational romance. The emphasis on the physical very much detracted from the few moments of spiritual focus. While I appreciated the message that there will always be situations out of our control and we should not blame ourselves for them, I did not close the book with the same hunger to draw closer to Christ that I always feel at the end of a Lori Wick or Karen Kingsbury novel.

I think the best way to sum up my reaction would be 1 Corinthians 10:23 (NASB), "All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify." A Bride in the Bargain is not a "bad" book, but there are many better things to spend your time reading...including other books by Deeanne Gist.

Introverts in the Church by Adam S. McHugh

Every so often I'll read something and be completely blown away by how much the author seems to "get me." Introverts in the Church is one of those books. While I don't agree with everything mentioned in the book, it was refreshing to read something I could so clearly identify with.

At the end of last school year I was voted (a tie actually) as the quietest member of our school's faculty. I frequently will sit in gatherings, of people I like, and not say a single word for hours and still have a wonderful time. I often need to share things in conversation but when I am sorting out what I how to say it I'll lose my chance to speak and never get the opportunity to express my thoughts.

I am not shy. I am not self-centered. I am not a rude person. I am not stand-offish. I am not anti-social. I am not disinterested. ... I am an introvert.

While McHugh offers many thoughts for the introvert in today's church, the most helpful parts of the book for me are the clear insights into what it means to be an introvert. "People who enjoy reflection and solitude, and listen more than they speak..." McHugh gives three key components of an introverted personality. The first, "Introverts are energized by solitude. We are recharged from the inside out, from the forces of our internal world of ideas and feelings," is perhaps the one that makes us most misunderstood by the extroverts in our lives.

As much as the need for solitude is true in my life, the trait that resonates most clearly with me is the tendency for internal processing. "Introverts process internally, in the workings of our own minds. We integrate and think silently. Ideally, we like to be removed from external stimuli and people in order to process. Our thinking precedes our speaking, which means we will often pause as we reflect and carefully choose our words." I have been told repeatedly over the past few years that it is impossible to know what I am thinking, or that nothing ever seems to bother me. This is not true, and sometimes a cause for frustration because no one ever seems to know when I am upset, but McHugh says this is common for introverts. "Though we may appear composed on the outside, our minds are in a state of constant activity. When important or difficult information comes our way, ideas swirl in our heads in a hurricane of mental activity while our faces show no ripples."

McHugh's final trait of the introvert is the desire for depth over breadth. "Introverts are rarely content with surface-level relationships and do not generally consider our acquaintances to be friends. We may find small talk to be disagreeable and tiring. Because we often prefer to spend time in one-on-one interactions, rather than group socializing, our relationships can run deeper." While this is true those relationships are often very difficult to develop, especially with extroverts who don't understand the effort it takes for an introvert to reveal   their true selves. "While extroverts commonly feel loneliness when others are absent, introverts can feel most lonely when others are present, because ours is the aching loneliness of not being known or understood." At one point in the book, McHugh illustrates introverts as an onion being revealed by peeling back one layer at a time. Finding others with the patience and willingness to work through that process with you is difficult. So, introverts will often just withdraw from others, but in doing so we miss out on the importance of Christian community.

After the honest exploration of what it is to be an introvert, what I most appreciate is that McHugh does not use introversion as something to hide behind. "We must always be open to the sovereign God who can shake us to our cores, who gives us the strength to transcend the limitations of our humanness and to do things we never thought possible.

One passage of the book that hit so closely to home that I actually laughed despite its serious nature described the outlet of modern technology. "There is a degree of distance in communication via e-mail, and this distance frees us to be more vulnerable then we might normally be. In a similar way, there is an anonymity to online relationships; for example, blogs and networking websites enable us to express our inner thoughts to others from the privacy of our own homes, again using the written word, which is usually our preferred method of communication. ...Technology can become for us a hiding place..." It is so much easier for me to have a conversation online, whether by email, chat, or status updates, than to talk with anyone face-to-face. The process of typing, seeing what I am about say, and having the opportunity to refine my thought before actually submitting it, frees me from the constant analysis going on in my mind. Electronic transmission also allows for layered conversations, making it easier to return to earlier comments after my mind has had the chance to process. Unfortunately, it is too easy to hide behind the computer screen and it becomes just one more piece of the wall blocking me off from true connection with others.

The second half of the book deals with the issue of introverted leadership and worship in the church. Modern Christianity has become so wrapped up in "performance" that introverts are frequently seen as incapable leaders or not as spiritually committed. While many of the points on which I disagreed with McHugh take place in this portion of the book, there are still many things that bear examination. Charisma does not always make the best leader but often introverts are overlooked for leadership roles despite their deliberative and analytical approach to situations.

The modern worship service is also discussed. The constant activity and appeal to outward expressions of devotion rarely satisfy the introvert, who prefers time for quiet reflection and the opportunity for serious soul-searching. However, McHugh does not stress creating a completely introvert-friendly worship environment. He recognizes that the church is made up of both introverts and extroverts and as such should provide elements of worship that allow both groups to worship freely, but also should to some degree make both groups uncomfortable because sometimes worship is about pushing us out of our comfort zone.

This was definitely a book that made me think. About myself. About others. About how I relate to others. About how I relate to myself. About how I relate to God. I can conclude the review with no better statement than McHugh's own... "As we make this movement into community, we will find that it's not merely about us finding a place for ourselves, but it's about God showing us where we belong and the gifts we are to others."

The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter

The perfect life, the perfect job, the perfect man, the perfect wedding... this is what so many women dream about. Kate Lawrence was no different and she thought she had achieved it.  "I'll always care about you." Not the words a prospective bride wants to hear from her groom-to-be, less than five hours before the ceremony. With these words, Kate realizes her perfect world is falling apart. 

"'Kate, tell me what I can do...I want to help fix things.' She wanted to tell him there was no fixing this. There was no fixing her heart or the impending collision of her life and her career." Kate is no typical bride, Kate is an up-and-coming marriage counselor whose wedding is the publicity launch for her new book. However, Kate doesn't count on her own personal Mr. Fix-It, Lucas Wright. 

Upon hearing Kate's dilemma Lucas offers to to stand-in as a new Mr. Wright (eh, Right). Lucas has been fascinated with Kate from the moment she walked into his workshop, seeking to rent the upstairs office space. The rest of the book explores Lucas's attempts to save Kate from pain and embarrassment while showing her the extent of his love, and Kate's attempts to reconcile these new feelings with her preconceived definitions of a perfect life mate. In the end, they both have to look closely at what it truly means to love someone. 

Not the best book I've ever read, but many redeeming qualities. A good read for those times when you just need something to distract the mind. 

Imposter by Davis Bunn

A lazy Sunday afternoon stuck in bed with a cold is the perfect time for murder and political intrigue. Especially when written by one of your favorites - and Davis Bunn, or T. Davis Bunn as I was first introduced to him, is definitely one of my favorites!

Bunn is a master at taking the stories of those seeking intellectual answers and interweaving their search for spiritual answers.

In this novel, Matt Kelly is seeking to find his mother's murderer and in the process begins unraveling four decades of powerful personal and political family secrets. If that were the only focus of the novel it would still be enough to keep the reader riveted for an entire afternoon of reading, but there is so much more.

The biggest secret Kelly must unravel is that of himself. He has created an enigmatic persona that blocks off his true self from even those closest to him. In the opening scenes of the book we are given a glimpse into a mother's concern for her son. "Matt could melt into any setting and become unseen. Which did not bode well for a society that rewarded the brash and the bold. Women were attracted to Matt's looks and his calm manner. And repelled by his ability to deflect."

His mother had been the only person to see him for who he truly was, so her death shakes his world in a way few are ever prepared for. When asked to describe his mother his response takes the questioner by surprise. "Joy, she looked at a person and only saw the best." Losing the one person who always believed the best of him leaves Matt having to prove himself to everyone...and himself.

The lesson that Matt ultimately had to learn, that so many of us have to learn, came from his partner. "The stronger the guy, the harder it is to be weak. But everybody is. Everybody. Forget death and taxes. The one rule you can take to the bank is this: Everybody is weak at one point or another. And when one weakness is revealed, out come the others."

...Sometimes we have to first become weak before we can become strong.