Changing Yourself to Change the World

The description for the new book, Practicing: Changing Yourself to Change the World by Kathy Escobar, caught my attention right away. In particular the tag lines that Christians want to "live a life of love, mercy, and justice," but "it's easy to feel overwhelmed" was a siren song that enticed me to pick up the book. Escobar details a variety of practices that are a blend of spiritual disciplines and actions in ten chapters. The practices include a variety of items that also focus focus on bringing people together across differences and divides in order to promote healing, reconciliation, and change the world by empowering those who have been denied or stripped of power due to sex, color, economic status, or gender.

Each chapter contains numerous stories and examples of how Escobar has lived out these practices in her own life and through the church she co-pastors. Escobar draws upon other writers for several spiritual traditions to demonstrate the practices. Many suggestions are provided which give hands-on, specific ways to incorporate the practices described. Each chapter also includes questions for personal reflection, group discussion, practice, and suggested readings titled "Dig Deeper" which include a variety of titles from both a faith-based and secular point of view.

I found Escobar's writing thought-provoking. Several practices, particularly statements about "with" rather than "to" or "for" regarding the practice of including, really resonated with me. Some other statements I'm still chewing on and I'm not quite sure I agree with. Regardless whether you agree with the entire book, anyone will come away from reading Practicing with new ideas and new practices to consider and will be stretched in their thinking. The discussion questions and other additional resources make this a perfect book to read and discuss with others.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Practicing from Westminster John Knox via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Daughter of Rome

Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tessa Afshar has written numerous works of Bible-based fiction so when I saw Daughter of Rome, I knew I wanted to read it. What I didn't realize until I started reading is that it is the story of Priscilla and Aquila. While our information on Priscilla and Aquila from the Bible is limited, Afshar does a marvelous job of doing extensive Biblical and extra-biblical research to have the fictional story be as historically accurate and real as possible and includes numerous other characters from the Bible and history that they did or might have crossed paths with. Beyond historical accuracy, one of the aspects I really enjoyed about Daughter of Rome is that Afshar's characters model Christian character and show the changes that occur in their lives due to knowing Christ.

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys well-written, historically accurate Christian fiction!

I received an ARC of this book from Tyndale House via NetGalley.

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The Tea Chest

The Tea Chest by Heidi Chiavaroli
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Tea Chest is a split-time novel set in present-day and Revolutionary War-era Boston, Massachusetts. As the title suggests, a tea chest plays an important role in the story and serves as the main connecting point between the modern and historical characters. The modern day character, Hayley, comes from a dysfunctional family and has tried to find herself through a Navy career and attempting to become a Navy Seal. The home life of Revolutionary War character Emma isn't much better and she struggles to decide if loyalty or liberty is a greater virtue. The story centers around Emma and her involvement in the war effort. Hayley learns of Emma's story while researching the tea chest and discovers Emma's story is more important personally than she first anticipated.

The Tea Chest is a well-done historical novel that uses the split-time technique effectively to introduce the story and to provide a backdrop which sets the stage for each new development in addition to a interesting sub-plot. While published by Tyndale House, a Christian publisher, the story is not overly Christian or religious beyond the characters praying and a few references to Jesus and heaven which don't stand out much as they are fit into the historical time period. If I was not aware that I was reading a book from a Christian publishing house, I would not have realized it is supposed to fall into the "religious/Christian fiction" category.

I received an ARC of this book from Tyndale House via NetGalley.

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Where Goodness Still Grows

If you grew up in the evangelical subculture during the 1990s or even the 2000s like author Amy Peterson did or if you worked with youth during this time period like I did, there are certain virtues and values that were an important part of life. This was the era of purity culture where modesty and good character was emphasized, learning to logically defend your faith was encouraged, and The Book of Virtues was bedtime reading. As this generation is in the midst of parenting their own children and fully embracing adulthood, contemporary culture is causing many to question these virtues and values particularly at a time when some church leaders seem to have done an about face in regard to these same values particularly in the political sphere. In Where Goodness Still Grows: Reclaiming Virtue in an Age of Hypocrisy, Amy Peterson shares personally regarding her own journey and experiences and digs into research regarding each virtue being examined through nine thought provoking chapters.

Beyond the engaging exploration of her own faith journey and experiences, Peterson does a marvelous job of digging into each of the virtues presented and what they mean. She explores the history and meaning of different words, pulls in biblical research for the basis of each virtue, and shows how the meaning or practice of a particular virtue has changed over time. For example, her exploration of the meaning of the word "kind" which we often throw way as a generic "nice person" showed the root of the word and turns your understanding around. For other terms, Peterson demonstrates that the version of "purity" or "modesty" frequently taught in evangelical sub-culture is a subverted view of the true biblical meaning. Some readers will be surprised when seeing "lament" as the first chapter as it is not a virtue frequently discussed. However, Peterson uses this chapter to set the stage for why she wrote this book and encourages us that lament needs to be a virtue we embrace more fully.

Where Goodness Still Grows is a book that demands a slow, thoughtful reading. It is not a book to sit down and read quickly but should be savored and discussed with others. In fact my only suggestion for improving this book would be the addition of questions to facilitate discussion in a book group setting. A discussion guide is available at https://www.amypeterson.net which will be a wonderful resource for a book discussion group. If you feel a disconnect between the virtues and values you were taught while growing up, particularly if you grew up or worked with youth in the 1990s, and the current seeming disdain for those same virtues, you need to read this book. If you don't feel there is a disconnect but wonder why people feel that way, read this book with an open heart and mind.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Where Goodness Grows from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

WW II set in London

The Whispers of War by Julia Kelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When thinking about World War II, many people think of the internment camps where many Americans of Japanese and German descent were sent. Not being as familiar with British history, we often don't think about the trials that Germans living in Britain faced during this time period. The Whispers of War brings this aspect to the forefront. Author Julia Kelly sets the stage by having Samantha, the Canadian granddaughter of one of the characters, come to London to visit her grandmother's best friend and fulfill her grandmother's dying wish. Here for the first time she learns of her grandmother's story.

Three young women of very different backgrounds and social status became inseparable friends while attending boarding school in Great Britain. Their friendship continued as they participate in the work force at the outbreak of World War II. They instantly find themselves in the midst of trying circumstances as one of the three is of German descent and thus under suspicion, one works for the homeland department, and other other is a paid matchmaker. Throughout the book, they experience numerous trials that forge and even tighter bond between the women. All in all a delightful story that depicts a different aspect of World War II and demonstrates the tight bonds of friendship.

I received an ARC via NetGalley.

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All the Ways We Said Goodbye

All the Ways We Said Goodbye by Beatriz Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

All the Ways We Said Goodbye is a three-way split-time novel written by three different authors Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White. This particular book ties the stories of three women who lived during World War I, World War II, and the 1960s. The three women are connected to each other through a variety of ways but I can't tell you more as that would ruin the story. The authors do a marvelous job of connecting the three stories so that the overall story continuously unfolds providing more information about the connections between the characters and so that it is one over-arching story. The book also provides a wonderful glimpse at the horrors of war for those who lived through it and for those who help others pick up the pieces afterwards.

I received an ARC via NetGalley and was not required to provide a positive review.

New Insights on ADHD

Flipping ADHD on Its Head: How to Turn Your Child's Disability into Their Greatest Strength by Dr. Jim Poole needs to be required reading for parents, doctors, teachers, and school administrators—in short anyone who works with kids and particularly with kids who have ADHD. Readers will notice right away that Dr. Poole emphasizes focusing on the positives of ADHD instead of considering it a negative liability or disability. Specifically, Dr. Poole wants people to rethink the impulsivity, distractibility, and hyperactivity common to ADHD as creativity, curiosity, and energy. He has coined the term Fastbraiin (yes the “i” appears twice) to describe the philosophy and approach to treating ADHD used in his South Carolina clinics and now available in his book.

Dr. Poole emphasizes two main things in his book. The first is that positivity is so important in working with children with ADHD. Dr. Poole provides evidence that individuals with ADHD receive so many more negative messages which pull them down and make them feel defeated. Anyone who is in a classroom or works with kids will be familiar with the refrain of “Johnny, pay attention! Johnny, look at me! Johnny, sit on your bottom!” over and over. Dr. Poole provides information on how to rephrase items as a positive message that doesn’t squelch excitement and energy but helps to harness it. After setting up the positives of ADHD and why positivity is so important in our interactions, Dr. Poole moves on to a series of chapters on “Flipping” all aspects of life including parenting, education, exercise, rest, nutrition, and medication. He emphasizes that children with ADHD need to be taught how to study and utilize their unique strengths. Dr. Poole has pretty much distilled his “Fastbraiin” formula into the pages of the book.

Reading Dr. Poole’s recommendations, my thoughts were this makes sense and this will require a lot of time and energy to implement. Following this formula would not be an easy process but implementing even a portion will have huge dividends. My only reservation was the emphasis on using the specific supplements available through his clinic. Although geared specifically towards people with ADHD, anyone would benefit from incorporating these suggestions. So, if you or someone you love has ADHD—read this book! If that doesn’t describe you, read the book anyway to help your brain and body work even better!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Flipping ADHD on Its Head via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.