Book Reviews

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve posted an updated from Mexico City on the blog but I trust that the newsletters have been informative.

Recently, I received feedback from an individual Stateside who indicated that one of the most beneficial posts during the previous year regarded a book review. In light of this response I’ve decided to post a handful of mini-reviews on books read during the opening months of 2010. Have you ever wondered what books a good missionary reads? Well, I don't know either but all of the following I recommend without reservation… enjoy.

Uncommon by Tony Dungy is an excellent read. For those of your familiar with his previous work Quiet Strength, Uncommon is a bit different. It’s less autobiographical and more of a discussion of topics pertinent to the life of every man. In more than 30 chapters and under 300 pages Dungy discusses topics ranging from personal courage, to respect for authority, and eternal self-esteem. Here’s a quote from the section entitled Goals and Risks: “… there really is no safe path through life. We make decisions with the best information we have, which often makes it seem like we’re in a fog. What I’ve learned is to gather as much information as possible at the time, pray about things, make a decision, and move on. Certainly, I learn from my decisions and the consequences so I don’t repeat mistakes in the future, but I don’t second-guess choices I’ve already made. It isn’t productive.” Sage advice that I need to hear repeated regularly.

The Search for God and Guinness by Stephen Mansfield is a biography of both the world famous company and family founded by Arthur Guinness. A study of the Guinness family will show that there are three lines of Guinnesses that have excelled in three vocational areas. The most well-known of the family became brewers and produced the product that contributed more to the health and well-being of the 18th century citizens of Dublin than any invention since. The second line became experts in finance and banking and the third developed into some of the most notable pastors and Christian missionaries that have influenced the modern world. A quote from reviewer Jack Cashill: “At first blush it might seem a wee bit sacrilegious to parallel the history of Christianity with the history of beer, but Stephen Mansfield makes us wonder why no one has done it before.” A great exposition on how faith in God affects every aspect of the believer’s life.

True Faced by Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol, and John Lynch poses the question on what is the better motivation in life: one’s determination to please God or to trust him. “The resulting differences from these two starting points could not be more profound. One results in a striving that never feels it has done enough to please him. The other results in a trust that experiences his full pleasure.” This book really impressed upon me in a new way the Biblically accurate attribute of God’s unconditional love for all men and women. Often the message of absolute adoration and affection that God has for all individuals is stressed to the unbeliever or the young Christian while the directives for obedience and surrender are given more prominence to the seasoned Saint. A good read to remind the believer of the wonderful position all believers enjoy in being in a relationship with the living God.

A praying Life by Paul Miller goes back the basics of what prayer is and what it isn’t. “Prayer is so hard that most of us simply do not pray unless an illness or a public setting demands it. Prayerlessness is rooted in a core unbelief that can shape our lives, even as Christians. Because of prayerlessness our lives are often marked by fear, anxiety, joylessness , and spiritual lethargy. If prayerlessness marks your life more often than not, then this book is for you.” This book is filled with personal anecdotes and life stories that give an exciting sense of realism to the material presented here. Additionally this work contains lots of practical tools on how to make prayer fresh again for when we drift into periods of ritual and redundancy.

And finally, Dove by Robin Lee Graham is the autobiographical account of a 16-year-old boy who sailed alone around the world in 1965. This is a true story, adventure story and love story all rolled into one. If you like any of these literary genres the book is good and if you possess a fascination with sailing and/or the sea it’s great. This one almost makes me wish I had dropped out of high school so many years ago and bought a boat :o)

Anyway, that’s most of my reading list for the previous four months and again I recommend all of these works whole-heartedly. If you have read or read any of the above let me know what you think!

Yankee Visitors

Ordinarily the above title would be considered at best a misnomer and more commonly a bona fide insult. Nevertheless, our current vantage point allows us to assign such a term to anyone north of the tropics so, I’m going to continue with the jabs :o)

Names notwithstanding, one would be hard pressed to find to two individuals instilled with a better dose of sage advice and Southern charm then Eddie and Betsy Watkins. Our family was privileged to have them as our guests in Mexico City for four days last week.

Above they’re both feigning cool, confident demeanors (at the time they were confined in the back seat of a taxi hurling through the streets of Mexico) but the warmhearted counsel and sense of family that they carried south was a genuine blessing to our family. When we left the States nearly a year ago we anticipated that one of the things we would miss the most was the physical, emotional support of our friends and family in North Carolina. Eddie and Betsy demonstrated a unique ability of bringing what we treasure most about home to our front door in Mexico. We greatly enjoyed our time together and remain sincerely appreciative of their visit.