I've Seen the End of You: A Neurosurgeon's Look at Faith, Doubt, and the Things We Think We Know by W. Lee Warren, MD

I've Seen the End of You is a fascinating look into the life and faith of a neurosurgeon, US Army veteran, writer, husband and father.  Obviously he is a brilliant man, but like most of us ordinary folk, has had struggles and trials in both his work and his personal life. This book tells not only his story, but the stories of several of his patients, all diagnosed with brain cancer or other brain trauma.

In the Prologue, Dr. Warren summarizes the book so well: "I used to look at my patients' brain scans, see the glioblastoma [a fatal form of cancer] I knew would ravage their minds and destroy their lives in the coming months, and say to myself, I've seen the end of you. But in the aftermath of war, divorce, rebuilding, and then unimaginable loss in my personal life, I realized I was standing at the deathbed of my shattered faith.

I'd seen the end of me too.

So I faced the greatest surgical challenge of my life: stitching together fatal cancers, dying children, and Christian cliches to heal the faith I'd lost and hoped to resurrect in some unforeseen new form.

What happens when our messy lives mess with what we think we believe?"

What happens when our messy lives mess with what we think we believe is that we have a choice to make.  We can either turn away from God or turn toward him.  Dr. Warren chooses the latter and finds a renewed faith.  As he says near the end of the book, "Faith, my friend, is being able to look for hope even when it seems impossible to find.  Faith is hope waiting for tomorrow."  Because God already knows what tomorrow holds and he will be there to hold us in the midst of whatever it brings.
If you too struggle with your faith.  If you too are living with trials or have been through a war of any sort.  If you have experienced loss or brokenness, you will find hope for your own tomorrow in I've Seen the End of You. 

Free to Believe: The Battle over Religious Liberty in America by Luke Goodrich

I was not at all certain that I would like this book, but I must say I really did!  Honestly, Luke Goodrich had me already engrossed in the Introduction.  He began by telling a story and it is my favorite kind of story, a true story.  It is the story of a small Christian school in Michigan (which is my home state so of course that made it even more interesting to me).  The school had a fourth grade teacher who became ill so the school had to hire a replacement for her.  The teacher got better  but the school felt it wasn't right to fire the replacement and asked give the first teacher her job back. She demanded they hire her and threatened to sue.  The school was upset at the teacher's behavior and after failed reconciliation, they fired her.  The teacher did ultimately sue the school and the case ended up going all the way to the Supreme Court. The case stands as crucial standard in religious freedom cases.  Riveting stuff and Free to Believe is full of stories like it.

Author Luke Goodrich is an attorney with the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and has tried may Supreme Court cases.  He is a frequent guest on TV shows and in newspapers and magazines where he discusses religious freedom.  Although he is obviously highly educated and intelligent, he is able to make the law relevant and interesting to a casual reader.  He gives many examples of real cases and explains the repercussions of each case.

But more than just telling stories about legal cases, Goodrich details why religious freedom is so important in the United States and why Christians should care about it.  He has great ideas on how Christians can respond to threats to their religious rights and presents solid Biblical arguments for those responses.

If you are interested in the current battles going on in the US over gay rights, abortion rights, Muslim law, or religious discrimination, then you'll certainly be fascinated by this book, as I was.  

Becoming Us: Using the Enneagram to Create a Gospel-Centered Marriage by Beth McCord and Jeff McCord

If you're curious about the Enneagram, are looking for new material on the Enneagram, or have never heard of the Enneagram and just want to help grow your marriage, Becoming Us is just the book you're looking for!  Enneagram coach Beth McCord and her husband Pastor Jeff McCord have put together a wonderful, easy to use resource for anyone who wants practical steps and tools to better understand themselves, their spouse, or really anyone they have a relationship with (friends, parents, children, co-workers, etc).

The book is in two sections.  The first section details Beth and Jeff's own story and how the Enneagram helped their marriage.  They also share examples from friends whose lives and marriages have grown through learning about the Enneagram. The second section is what the authors call "an Enneagram Roadmap". It is a detailed guide of each Enneagram type (there are 9 total) that teaches the reader how to better understand him or herself and also how to better understand his or her spouse.

The first section gives a summary of the nine Enneagram types and what the core fear, desire, weakness, and longing of each is.   It describes each type in detail, working from the core belief that each type equally reflects God's glory and creativity when it is emotionally and spiritually healthy and living in alignment with the Gospel.  This section also discusses the layers of the Enneagram, including triads and wings.  Don't worry about all these terms, they are thoroughly explained in the book.

The second section, the Enneagram Roadmap,  is divided into two parts: Understanding Me and Understanding Them.  It teaches how to understand your spouse (or other person you are in relationship with) better, how to recognize their behavior tendencies, their core motivations, and their communication and conflict styles.  The main focus of this section is how you can best understand and love each other.

Beth and Jeff''s desire is for every marriage and every relationship to be thriving and Gospel-centered.  Their mission is "for people to see themselves with astonishing clarity so they can break free from self-condemnation, fear and shame by knowing and experiencing the unconditional love, forgiveness, and freedom in Christ."

I am most impressed with the McCords and the work they put into this highly researched, well laid out book and I highly recommend it!

Jesus in Me: Experiencing the Holy Spirit as a Constant Companion by Anne Graham Lotz

Jesus in Me is a rich, full read.  I found that I needed time to read it and space to process it.  It is deep and profound, a true treasure for any Christian who wants to learn more about how to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit.

I knew of the author, Anne Graham Lotz, Billy Graham's daughter, but had not read much of her writing previously.  She is indeed a talented author.  Anne herself admits that she is not highly educated, but God has certainly bestowed her with a gift to communicate Biblical teaching effectively.  Her theology is deep, yet it is easily understood.  Mrs. Lotz simply shares what she herself has learned through intensive study of Scripture and the revelation of God in her own life about the person, character and work of the Holy Spirit.  And she does it very well.

My favorite part of Jesus in Me is all the personal stories Anne tells to illustrate how the Holy Spirit has worked and is working in her own life.  She is not afraid or ashamed to share her own struggles and trials and how the Spirit helped her through them. Anne Graham Lotz writes of the death of her beloved parents and husband.  The pain of infertility and her battle with breast cancer. I love an author who is authentic and transparent, and Graham Lotz is both.

I have been a believer for many years, yet I found much new and relevant content within this book.  Whether you too have followed Jesus for a long time or whether you are a brand new Christian, Anne will open your eyes to all that the Holy Spirit is and does.  As she writes in the book's introduction: "He is Jesus without skin.  Just as Jesus is the exact representation of God the Father, the Spirit is the exact representation of Jesus' mind, will, and emotions.  He is the invisible Jesus.  The Holy Spirit is...Jesus in me!"

I received an uncorrected proof of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Dear Grandchild, This is Me: A Gift of Stories, Wisdom, and Off-the-Record Tales

Dear Grandchild, This is Me is beautiful in every way.  First off it is a gorgeous hard cover book with a textured, almost linen-like feel that will surely stand up to many readings by young children.  The inside pages are just as lovely, even the fly leaf is a pretty print. It's a true delight to flip through them and imagine my (future) grandchildren listening to my story being read to them or discovering it for themselves when they know how to read.

The book starts off with instructions and inspiration for the grandparent.  It suggests what kinds of stories your grandchildren might be interested in, prompts ideas on what to share and even gives permission to skip any parts that you feel don't pertain to you.  Then the very first page of this invaluable gift is space for a letter to your grandchild introducing yourself (great for a long distance grandparent) or stating what prompted you to write this book for them.

After the introduction are sections about your birth, childhood, family memories and school days.  Interspersed in the pages are inspirational quotes and Scriptures passages.  Some of my favorite questions/prompts from this section are: Why was your name chosen? How would you describe your mom and dad? What is the first major world event that you remember?  For me that would be the first moon landing!  At the end of each section are spaces for photographs and an envelope for your grandchild to open when they reach a special milestone in their own life.

The sections that follow include what path you followed after school--college or career?  Military service?  Marriage? Your wedding and honeymoon, stories of when you started your family. I love the section that is a map of both the United States and the world for you to color the places you've visited.

I could go on and on, but truly this is a book you must see for yourself!  It is filled with surprises and thoughtful ways to share your own memories and wisdom with your grandchildren.  I only wish I had such a treasure from my own grandparents.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. 

Something Needs to Change: A Call to Make Your Life Count in a World of Urgent Need by David Platt

Pastor David Platt saw firsthand the need for change when he went on a week-long trek in the Himalayan Mountains. Change in his own heart and mind, change in his family, change in his church and in the Church.  In those rugged, remote mountains he encountered desperate need.  This was heart-rending need like he had never seen before: tremendous physical need, yes, but even more importantly, overwhelming spiritual need.

As you might imagine, that kind of need raised many questions for Platt.  He found himself wrestling with God over them, struggling to sense God's presence in the face of extreme poverty, suffering, and spiritual darkness. By the end of the week, he was turned inside out and he knew, without a doubt, that he had been forever changed.

Journey along with David Platt to remote villages along treacherous mountain paths.  Experience extreme cold, magnificent scenery, and new food (butter tea with yak milk anyone?).  Meet villagers who welcomed Platt and those who spat on him.  Talk with Buddhists, Christians, Tribal militants and Devil worshipers.  Hear the stories of the blind, the diseased, the abused, the trafficked. See the desperate, the yearning, the hungry. But be warned, once you hear and see, you too may be forever changed.  You too may hear God's call to use your life to bring his hope to the hopeless.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

May It Be So: Forty Days with the Lord's Prayer by Justin McRoberts & Scott Erickson

I love the concept of May It Be So, but I am not so sure about the execution.  May it be so is the meaning of the word Amen and I think that's a cool title for a book about the Lord's Prayer.  This book is a prayer guide to the Lord's Prayer from Luke 11. 

When Jesus taught his disciples (and us) to pray by giving them the Lord's Prayer, he said, "This is HOW (emphasis mine) to pray."  He didn't say this is WHAT to pray.  So, he didn't mean we must pray those exact words but use the ideas/concepts in it to pray.  May It Be So guides the reader through the phrases in the Lord's Prayer day by day.  It is intended to help him or her slow down and focus on what Jesus is intending, to really ponder and think through the prayer--very helpful in our often frantic and fast-paced world.  The guided prayers are short, just one sentence, so they are easily remembered as you go through your day. 

The book also features a longer meditation for each phrase of the prayer, designed to help the reader dig a little deeper into its meaning.  Each meditation ends with some Pause and Reflect questions, ways to apply the prayer to yourself.  For example, in the section on the phrase, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors", author Justin McRoberts poses these questions: "What does forgiveness look like?"  "Have you offered it?" "What would need to happen in order for you to do so?"  Good stuff there.

The part of the book that I didn't care as much for is the contemplative imagery by Scott Erickson.  Now, there is nothing wrong with his art.  It's very good, a million times better than anything I could do.  It's not offensive or theologically erroneous.  I'm sure it will speak to many, but not much to me.  I just don't really get it.  I'm not very artistic, I guess. 

If you're looking to dive deeper into the Lord's Prayer and especially if imagery moves you, this is the perfect devotional for you.    I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.