Book Review--Chronological Guide to the Bible

The Chronological Guide to the Bible is a handy little reference tool that attempts to provide an historical arrangement to the Biblical text. It's designed to help one "follow the flow of events in the Scriptures and see where sacred history and secular history converge into one story of salvation." To do that, the authors have simply rearranged the canonical order "according to nine epochs of time and providing a chronological Bible reading list within each of those epochs."

One does not need a chronological Bible to find this book useful. It's filled with colorful maps and timelines and reading guides and boxes that provide clarification on historical culture and customs no matter what version you use.

For instance, have you ever wondered how tall Goliath really was? Or what the deal was with concubines? Or how the prophets overlapped each other? Or who was in power where and when? Or why the Ephesians were especially upset with Paul for preaching against the goddess Artemis (Diana)?

I was reminded that clothing was handmade, and so tearing it as an expression of grief reinforced a depth of sorrow, especially if the item was a special possession, a robe of many colors. I also appreciated references to how clothing was symbolic of one's inner being and the symbolism of Jonathan's transfer of his robe to David.

The authors note that they tried to present a balanced view of debatable issues. I can't say I agree with everything, but I do find this book helpful as I explore the Bible in context.

This book can help provide some answers and give some food for thought. It's a bit pricey at a suggested price of $24.99 for 217 pages, but I do expect to turn to it again and again, and if I not received it to review, I would definitely have considered adding it to my reference shelf.

Copyright © 2010 by Sandra Heska King

NOTE: Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com  book review bloggers program. 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Need to Build a Plot?

"There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before." ~Willa Cather

I can't tell you how to build a plot, but these authors can and do.

I've got so much to learn!

Seems like everyone knows about Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell and Writing the Breakout Novel (and corresponding workbook) by Donald Maas.

I heart them.

But I also found 20 Master Plots (And How to Build Them) by Ronald B. Tobias buried on my shelf. And it makes more sense to me now than it did when I bought it over 20 years ago.

He states, "The best place to start a discussion about plots is to trace their bloodlines to the beginning . . . the two basic plots from which all other plots flow (that) are still the foundation of all literature. If you understand the essence of your plot, you will understand better how to go about writing it."

He goes on, "In Dante's Inferno there are only two basic sins in all the levels of hell. One is called forza, crimes of violence and force. The other basic sin is called forda, which is Italian for fraud."

Force or fraud

"Dante understood human character. These two sins come from two basic functions of human beings. Force is power, strength, physicality. Fraud comes from wit, cleverness, mentality. The Body and The Mind"

Body or mind.

When we have a story idea, we need to decide if it can be told more in terms of action or more in terms of the inner workings of character and human nature.

Doing or being.

The action plot is a puzzle plot where some kind of mystery needs to be solved. The mind plot is an idea plot where the characters almost always search for some kind of meaning.

Mystery or meaning.

If the story is plot driven, the mechanism is more important than the specific characters. The characters make the plot happen.

If the story is character driven, the mechanism is less important than the specific characters. The plot helps the characters find meaning.

Character driven or plot driven.

You decide the focus. Then you find some balance.

Tobias describes 20 basic plots (you can see them in the Amazon book preview.) He provides checklists at the end of each chapter.

He also provides a final checklist at the end of the book, questions you can ask yourself as you develop your plot.

"If you can answer all of them, you have a grasp of what your story is about. But if you can't answer any of them, you still don't know what your story is and what you want to do with it."

I'm so glad for good teachers.

I'm heading out to my porch now with a big glass of iced herb tea to rock and read.

Copyright © 2010 by Sandra Heska King

Book Review: Plan B by Pete Wilson

Been there. Done that. Plenty of Plan B's in my life. Some as light as dandelion fluff. Some as heavy as a bloated hippo.

Plans fizzled. Dreams shattered. Expectations failed. People let me down. Life smacked me upside the head. Life slammed me to the ground.

You've been there, too, in some form. And will again.

Enter this book written by Pete Wilson, lead pastor of Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee.

He asks, "What do you do when God doesn't show up for you in the way you thought God was going to show up?"

Pete's weathered his own Plan B's. And held others through theirs--a family whose pregnant teen delivered a stillborn, a marriage battered by pornography and an affair, a missionary couple who turned to Plan B and Plan C with an unexpected pregnancy and ensuing complications.

Pete made me laugh and cry. He writes with an engaging style and makes scripture stories sparkle. I saw things I didn't before.

I lingered over this statement, "The greatest of all illusions is the illusion of control."

In fact, I lingered over many statements.

Pete talks about the importance of community when traveling through the dark and the importance of authenticity. "We'll never know what might have happened if people had been able to open their lives up enough to hear--and to say--'me too.'" So many of us huddle in shame or fear of judgment instead of sharing hurts to receive healing.

Been there. Done that.

We can be transformed through tragedy.

Pete doesn't have all the answers, but he offers an anchor.

Have you lived a Plan B? Are you living a Plan B? If not, a Plan B looms.

Someone you know struggling with a Plan B? If not, you will.

You need this book.


PlanB Promo from Cross Point Church on Vimeo.

Plan B Website
Amazon

Copyright © 2010 by Sandra Heska King

NOTE: Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com  book review bloggers program. 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Writers in the Spirit

Writers in the Spirit: Inspiration for Christian Writers
by Carol J. Rottman, Ph.D.
FaithWalk Publishing 2004

I brought this book home from the local library. But my left arm had to hold my right arm down to keep from writing in it.

So I  bought my own copy.

Eleven chapters burst with inspiration in the form of essays, meditations, scripture references, quotes, tips, writing challenges and prayers. Designed to provide motivation and encouragement.

Some quotes from Carol:

"'Incarnate' is a better word for what artists do than 'create.' They make something out of other somethings; they are the great recyclers of this world."

"Two things help me get unstuck when the writing stalls: Taking a power nap (putting my head on my folded arms at the desk until they tingle) or taking a walk . . . Two things don't help: eating and fretting."

Note: That's the only way I can nap. Else I'm done for. And I guess I need to take the M&M's off the desk.

"More of us are writing, but most are not writing very well."

"Dear God, I praise you for putting desire in my heart to try what seems impossible. When I am weary and faint--inspire me again. Amen."

"The task of a writer is to soak up dibs and dabs of this and that, swish them around in the mind, and slowly release words or marks in a thin stream across a page."

"The breakthrough came when I finally moved aside and asked God to break into every part of my life and work."

"There are days when I seriously wonder if I should be a writer."

"I will starve if reading, writing, and prayer are not everyday meals."

"Really, Lindsey Jo, I'm sixty years old and have just begun to express myself through writing."

"Throw yourself into writing about something you love, or fear, or loathe--and feel the fervor."

"As with blood delivered right into the vein, words can fix a system gone awry. Words beget thoughts like plasma generates new blood cells."

"Merely thinking about writing will not produce a single word. Endless speculation may actually block writing instead of promoting."

"Perhaps a great, great grandchild will, someday, find my words and know me."

"Recently I was reminded that St. Paul would never have written the letters to the churches if he had not bee incarcerated and unable to preach."

" . . . circle all words that pad or puff up your writing and delete them."

"A writer must work out of what is--not from ideal circumstances."

Some quotes from others:

" . . . I suspect that maybe God speaks to us most clearly through his silence, his absence, so that we know him best through our missing him." ~Frederick Buechner

"You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads." ~Ray Bradbury

"This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words." 1 Corinthians 2:13

Yep. Some good stuff in here.

Copyright © 2010 by Sandra Heska King 

Book Review - Crave by Chris Tomlinson

I know a little about craving. 

Chocolate. Chips. Chocolate chips. Chocolate-covered chips.

But Crave is about another kind of craving. More satisfying. A craving that consumes.

Chris writes, "This longing, this deep-seated craving for more and more of God, is slowly consuming my life."

Chris is funny, deep, and writes with unsettling honesty. He says what some of us think but don't dare allow ourselves to believe we think let alone say out loud.

He writes about flossing teeth and picking up trash and not liking people much. He writes about Twin Draft Guards and rulers with no rules. He writes about smiling shoeless kids and talks about trading the "God of the universe for a god of green sticky notes." He reminds us that none of us are empty, that we all fill our cups with something, and that sometimes might be food, like chocolate, because we believe that "a bad day melts away with a bit of chocolate." Ouch. He talks about the Israelites craving the meat of comfort as opposed to following the God who delivered them.

The story of Brother Yun continues to haunt me, and I wonder if my fasting spirit sometimes looks like his shriveled body after a 70-day physical fast.

This is an easy read and a hard read. Chris prods, and he pokes. He's intensified my craving for the bread of life instead of those things that don't last.

I'll pick this book up again and again.

You can catch up with Chris here:
Crave Something More
Twitter
Facebook

Crave: Wanting So Much More of God (First 3 Chapters)

NOTE: Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Harvest House Publishers. 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Copyright © 2010 by Sandra Heska King

Book Review - Thin Places by Mary DeMuth

I wanted to scoop up the 5-year-old Mary and cradle her in my arms, along with every other young innocent. I wanted to throttle those who stole her innocence. I clutched the book to my heart.

I wept.

And yet redemption and grace and beauty shine through the pain. And forgiveness in spite of the pain.

From Amazing Grave to Amazing Life, Mary courageously bares her life and her heart as she recounts the thin places in her life. Snatches of time where she caught gossamer glimpses of God at work in every circumstance. Even though she wasn't able to see Him at the time.

Perhaps God chose Mary for such a time as this. To come alongside the way-too many who struggle with the aftereffects of childhood sexual abuse. To come alongside those who feel rejected and neglected, shamed and blamed. Those who live in fear and frustration.Who feel they take up too much room. Who strive to fill their fatherless holes or stretch for perfection or search for approval in all the wrong places and in all the wrong ways. Who need to have control. Who need to find rest.

Mary does not offer easy answers. But she offers hope. She realizes that painful memories can be thin places and that comfort can come from El Roi, the God who sees. She is a "wrestling pilgrim, following painstakingly after Jesus, one who has experienced the "kiss of the King." She wants you to know that Jesus is near even in the most horrific circumstances and that He can bring beauty out of ashes.

I read this book twice in a week. And I found myself pondering my own thin places. And praying that because of my own failings, my children and other loved ones will also catch a glimpse of the holy.

Caution: Do not start this book if you only have time to read for thirty minutes. You will not be able to put it down.

Attention writers: This is a spiritual memoir published by Zondervan. Watch how Mary pulls her story together. Consider her use of tense and verbs. Revel in the music of her prose.



Copyright © 2009 by Sandra Heska King

NOTE: Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free. 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review - The Search for God and Guinness by Stephen Mansfield

I didn't know. Seriously. I bought a sweatshirt at a harp festival. It was oversized and warm and had harps on it. I tried to find out what a Guinness harp was. No luck.

I wore the shirt everywhere. My daughter asked me why I was advertising beer.

And then I heard of this book--The Search for God and Guinness by Stephen Mansfield.

 

God and beer? And harps? Of course, I had to read it, even though I don't much care for beer.

In the mid-1700s Arthur Guinness "walked the streets of Dublin pleading with God to do something about the drunkenness on the streets of Ireland."

He believed he heard God speak, "Make a drink that men will drink that will be good for them."

This is a deeply researched book and far from a fast read, but I learned much--such as the history of beer in general and Guinness stout in particular. I learned about health aspects of beer and that "beer, well respected and rightly consumed, can be a gift of God." The book transported me back into Irish history, including into the middle of the potato famine devastation.

I learned how a company reached out to the working poor, the sick, the helpless, and the hopeless. Employee benefits during the 1920s were unparalleled. Companies of today should take note.

I also discovered a family of deep faith and strong bonds, a family who came together in good times and in bad. I learned that Luther, Calvin, Edwards, and the Wesleys had what some might consider surprising attitudes toward alcohol. And I learned that Henry Grattan Guinness, Arthur's grandson, has been called the Billy Graham of the nineteenth century. And that Hudson Taylor was also a "part of the Guinness story."

If you love beer, Ireland, history, the poor, the sick, you'll love this book. If you love God, you'll love this book. And if you don't, you might after you read it.

And now I'm content that when I wear my sweatshirt, I'm not just advertising beer. I'm also advertising God.

Copyright © 2009 by Sandra Heska King 

NOTE: Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com  book review bloggers program. 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review - Faces in the Fire by T.L. Hines

(Originally posted on Beholding God on 08/17/09)

Faces in the Fire (published by Thomas Nelson) was my introduction to the work of T.L. Hines. The book pulled me in immediately, but it took me a few chapters to realize that they, the chapters, were all mixed up, disjointed, and set within stanzas that served to separate the stories within the story. I also noticed the shadows of handwritten titles and chapter numbers behind the printed ones. That in itself was intriguing, and although this is a fiction suspense thriller, described as “noir bizarre,” I found myself underlining character quotes, phrases, symbols, names, and other bits of information—trying to put pieces of the puzzle together. I finished the book a few days ago, but it continues to haunt me.

“Sometimes as humans, we need to move backwards before we can move forward.”

Faces in the Fire revolves around 4 characters. Kurt is the truck driver/sculptor who can’t remember his past but is haunted by ghosts. Corinne is the e-mail spammer diagnosed with lymphoma who embraces the basement of her past. Grace is the tattoo artist/heroin addict running from her past, and Stan is the hit man who is a prisoner of his past.

In a sense, the book reminded me a little of the concept of 6 degrees of separation. The lives of major and even minor characters are “coincidentally” intertwined through their attempts to find some sense of identity and significance. Threads of numbers, catfish, ghosts, shoes, locked doors, fire, human and supernatural touch and voices run throughout.

This is an easy read and will appeal to anyone who wants to sit on the edge of their seat, continually turn just one more page, and be surprised in the end. It’s a great, yet weird, story with loose ends attached--much like our own lives, often disjointed and frayed at the edges, with shadows of the past that we can choose to embrace or overcome in time.

I saw hope, redemption, and freedom for those facing the fires of life, those who have been burned, and even “bottom feeders” when grace knocks on the door and is invited in. We can find our true face, and old things can indeed become new.

Copyright © 2010 by Sandra Heska King