2 comments about Simone Weil: A Brief Introduction.

1. Stephen Plant does a service to this interesting, yet frequently overlooked Christian thinker of the 20th century. Plant covers the life and thought of Simone Weil in this brief introduction. He writes in a lucid manner that is accessible to both the theological veteran and novice alike. If you have any interest in Simone Weil, but do not know where to start, this book may be your answer.



2. Philosopher, mystic, activist - all terms discussing one Simone Weil. "Simone Weil: A Brief Introduction" is a look at this remarkable woman who, despite never being a member of the church, is widely considered one of the most interesting religious figures of the past one hundred years. Interestingly, the author views Weil's life from both a subjective and objective viewpoint. Finely composed and compiled, "Simone Weil: A Brief Introduction" is highly recommended for community library biography collections.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

3 comments about Mommy Paints the Sky: A Love Story.

1. It is a very encouraging book and it proves that true love does exist! It highlights the need for GOD to be first in any healthy relationship. I love it!



2. A beautifully written book about how God's faithfullness works in our lives. An easy read that's both inspiring and enlightening.



3. It seems that behind every sad song is a sad story. Behind an inspiring song is an inspiring story. Behind the song "Mommy Paints the Sky," there is both. With thanksgiving but sadness in his heart, Danny Oertli wrote a song for his daughter. "As the sun lays down to sleep / You ask me why she's gone / I don't know where to start / As the sunset lights your face / I see God knows how to heal little hearts."
   
   "Gracie, Jack and I were driving down the road in my really fast Honda minivan. As we pulled into a parking space at Wal-Mart an incredible sunset began to form over the mountains. The car's interior was bathed in amber light and deep strokes of yellow criss-crossed the sky, as if drawn by an unseen hand.
   
   "'Daddy,' came Gracie's little voice from the back seat, 'Did God let mommy paint the sky tonight?'
   
   "Looking in the rearview mirror I saw her leaning into Jack to catch a better view. As the light from the sunset settled on their faces, I silently praised God for the healing and hope He had brought into our lives.
   
   "For months I had been assuring Gracie and Jack that God had not forgotten us and that He loved us more than we could imagine. I had used big words like "sovereign" and "eternity," concepts even I didn't understand."
   
   But somehow, on that night, God gave Gracie a glimpse of something that touched her little heart. He began to heal her. On a warm, November night, God used the magnificence of His creation to teach a lonely little girl a lesson her father could not - that mommy had gone to be with Jesus. God began to heal a little heart that was hurting for its mommy.
   
   Mommy Paints the Sky is a love story: a story written by Danny Oertli, a singer, songwriter and now an author, to share the story of his life with Cyndi. He fell in love with Cyndi in high school, dated her through college and married her shortly after. But within six months of marriage they were devastated to learn that she had cancer. God saw fit to heal her and in the years that followed to bring two children to their family. But after eight years marked with both struggle and triumph, God very suddenly called Cyndi to Himself, leaving a man struggling to find hope and meaning through the pain and leaving two children wondering when mommy would come home.
   
   This is a beautiful story and one that touched me deeply, perhaps because I have been married for a similar amount of time and have a similar family, or perhaps because the lessons Oertli learned were ones I need to learn as well. As we read about Cyndi's illness and her death, we can see Danny's growth in his understanding of those terms he claims to know so little about - sovereignty and eternity. He comes to see that God is sovereign and can do His will within His creation. He comes to see that suffering is not meaningless, but that somehow it serves a purpose. Oertli writes, in his reflection on a special passage of Scripture, that "God was teaching me to take my eyes off myself and focus on others. It would be a hard-fought battle, as everything in me wanted to pull back from people and wallow in suffering" (page 133). At the same time he learned about eternity, that it is only one short sleep past (to borrow a phrase from John Donne). God exists outside of time, so while His timing may not be ours, we have to trust that He knows best.
   
   Oertli expresses his understanding of these great truths in "Worship You With Tears," the first song he wrote after Cyndi's death. "You know when I rise / You know when I sleep / You know I need you desperately / I pour out my soul, oh Lord / I worship you with tears / I am broken / I have nothing to give / I fall at your feet / And worship you with tears." He shows that he can worship God with tears, trusting not in knowing why God allowed this to happen, but in God's goodness, faithfulness and sovereignty. That spirit of trust pervades the book.
   
   I'll admit that I had a few small concerns with the author's theology, primarily with several uses of the "God spoke to me" language that is all too common today. Some may say that I've allowed emotion to distract me from this seriousness of this problem (and this is an emotional book), but I feel that it did not detract seriously from the book, and to focus undue attention on it would be to miss the beauty of the story. While God may not have spoken to Gracie through the sunset, He somehow used it to touch her heart and to help her understand that mommy had gone to be with Him. I cannot argue with that.
   
   This book encouraged me, even as one who has never experienced so painful and significant a loss. I have little doubt it will be used to touch and to heal many hurting hearts and to prepare others for the pain that is always so nearby in this fallen world. To echo the words of Jerry Bridges in his endorsement, "Mommy Paints the Sky will draw you closer to God." It will also move you to tears. A beautiful story, this is one I highly recommend. I would also recommend purchasing Danny Oertli's album Everything Inbetween as a companion, as it has recordings of many of the songs he writes about in this book. The book grows better when you can hear the songs, and the songs have more meaning once you have read the story.

No comments about The Living Thoughts of the Prophet Muhammad.

1 comments about People my Teachers: Around the World in Eighty Years.

1. This is a delightful and colorful (though brief) book in which Christian statesman John RW Stott shares memories of his world travels (along with beautiful photos) and highlights 17 people whose lives have influenced his own. Some are people Stott met, others are persons whose lives touched his in some way. Among those featured are Richard Wurmbrand, Mohandas Gandhi, Hudson Taylor, Ernest Shackleton, and D.L Moody, along with others. Stott's own engaging personality shines through the pages.
   
   Michael Duduit, Editor, Preaching magazine
   www.preaching.com

5 comments about Holy Unexpected: How I Became an Unorthodox Jew.

1. Nobody plans to stumble across God in an unexpected place, least of all someone who doesn't believe in God at all.
   
   But when writer Robin Chotzinoff realized 40 years into her life that she simply wasn't a very convincing atheist, there were no thunderclaps, just a warm winter rain, no cyclone but a soft Chinook wind. God was inside her, where she least expected to find him.
   
   Chotzinoff's "Holy Unexpected: My New Life as a Jew" is one woman's religious journey, but without the proselytizing or solemn moralizing. In fact, it's just about what you might expect from the daughter of a Catholic mother and a Jewish father who didn't put much stock in God: Not irreverent, but certainly not somber. It's a story about a journey as much as a destination.
   
   Chotzinoff's mid-life spiritual awakening is alternately tender and surprisingly funny. A gifted writer, reporter and dreamer with two previous nonfiction books and numerous articles, she gracefully draws meaning from simple moments. A childhood debate over the relative importance of being Hercules vs. Jesus. The propriety of praying while snowboarding. How to observe the Sabbath on Saturday but still go to Wal-Mart for duct tape. Resting her head on her dead father's arm moments after his last breath. You needn't speak Yiddish to understand exactly what's in her heart.
   
   "Holy Unexpected" is also populated with unique characters from the author's life who illustrate the kaleidoscopic spectrum of religious exploration, from faithless to faithful. It's a memoir, but there's little arrogance or ego on display. The sensitivity of this memoir is in its cast as much as its poetic rendering of an ancient faith, race, culture or whatever you believe Judaism to be.
   
   And at a time when Jewishness lies deep in the heart of the heart of a great conflict that's not-so-casually been labeled World War III, "Holy Unexpected" slices through the frustrating dialectics, obscure and misinterpreted ideologies, the wailing walls of prejudice, and fanatic manifestos fired like Katyushas from an increasingly radicalized Middle East. Chotzinoff's personal story is a different kind of exodus, a journey from rootlessness to belonging that many of us - Jewish, Christian or Muslim - make in our lives.



2. This is a book that, at times, was of some interest, but, overall, I found it to be a tad tedious. The author, who is half Jewish, as her father was Jewish while her mother was Christian, had a mid-life crisis that manifested itself in the desire to find her Jewish roots and lead a life with a religious bent. What she seemed to have done was simply substitute religion for the place that drugs used to have in her life, as religion seems to provide for her the panacea that makes her life worth living.
   
   It is, however, the cultural aspects of Judaism that seem more of interest to her, rather than the actual religious ones. She forged ahead to discover her religious roots, and along her journey she carved out a niche for herself and her family, as they embraced Judaism. It strikes a note of irony that her teenage daughter, whom the author has inculcated in Judaism, seems interested in leading an othodox lifestyle. Yet, by the truly orthodox, she would not even be considered Jewish, as such a legacy is matrilineal, and the author's mother was not Jewish.
   
   Some of the book is humorous, and the family member who is the most interesting is the author's father, as he was was quite a character. Those portions of the book in which he appears lack the tedium that occasionally plagues the author's writing. While the author writes reasonably well, her story is not a particularly compelling one. Consequently, the book tends to flatline a bit, leaving one to surmise that this book is much ado about nothing.



3. I disagree with the "tad tedious" review. I just finished this book and felt uplifted by Robin's honesty about her transitions through life. The book is well-written -- her ability to intertwine her struggle with her own identity and religous hunger with her dad's illness is amazing. I hope to read more books by her.



4. Religious awakening as the basis of a memoir presents certain difficulties, particularly in our New Age world corrupted by trendy enlightenment and celebrity seers. But Robin Chotzinoff avoids any touchy-feely riffs in this witty, engaging account of how she, the product of a quirky and privileged yet ultimately dysfunctional upbringing in New York, embraced the spirituality underpinning her Jewish heritage. Her journey, punctuated by forays into sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll (not to mention binging on Oreos and the occasional obsessive romance), brings her to a synagogue in a Colorado mountain town, where first her daughter and then she adopt Judaism at their respective bat mitzvahs. Guided in her training by fellow author and congregant Joanne Greenberg ("I Never Promised You a Rose Garden"), whose practical wisdom is neatly juxtaposed with the wisecracks of Chotzinoff's ailing father (a onetime journalist and lifelong atheist and bon vivant), Chotzinoff delivers her tale of conversion in a funny, self-deprecating, yet thoroughly self-aware manner that takes faith off a pedestal and puts it -- where else? -- on the Sabbath table, in the conjugal bed, and, finally and triumphantly, in the author's weary yet resilient heart.



5. If you have not yet read any of Chotzinoff's books, you should. She tells a serious story (religious transformation) with wit and makes any reader comfortable to read it. My father, like Robin's, is a 'devout atheist." I connected with this book. She writes about tracing her Jewish ancestry, watching her daughters and husband become Jewish, and watching her father die, all the while letting us in on her inner thoughts of why she is converting. She's humble about this journey and doesn't make the reader feel like they have to conform. But, by the end of it, you'll be leaning more towards Judaism than you were before.
   Great book and smooth read.

5 comments about My Glimpse of Eternity.

1. The greatest gift of the Lord is love. Betty shares her faith journey with us and how to overcome our selfish desires and let God be God in and through us. The Lord is the best teacher that we can follow and He so wants to love us into being. "Do not be afraid, I am with you always". Jesus.



2. I truly enjoyed this book, the story of one women and her walk through life's journey...until! I liked her openness about herself, her life style and her beliefs before her encounter with the hereafter and I enjoyed the wonderful transformation in her afterwards. I smiled at the faith of her Dad and the goodness of God to prepare her own husband for his soon crossing. God is so good! All in all I felt this book was very tender, showing the love God has for his children and His great, great mercy!



3. One day in 1995 I died, and had a NDE. Ever since then, I've been reading everything I can on the subject. According to most stories I've read, I had an unusual one, not going down a tunnel, but experiencing many interesting phenomena all the same. It seems to me that there are some NDE books and magazine articles that are just hype, and published just to give recognition. I have found, through my many years and multitudes of books on the subject, that there is an underlining truth and spirit that pervades the true experiences. So, I have compiled a list of my best reads for NDE books - ones that I consider genuine and adding validating light to the personal NDE experience. I have left out compilations, these are personal narratives. I hope you enjoy them too.
   Embraced by the Light ------by Betty J. Eadie
   Psychic Gifts ---------by Tiffany Snow
   Saved by the Light --------by Dannion Brinkley
   4 Days in Eternity ---------by Wayne F.A. Marentette
   After the Light -------------by Kimberly Clark Sharp



4. I first read this book in 1980. I will never forget how I felt as I read page after page of this woman's phoenominal experience. My father died in 1961 when I was only 11 years old and for the years that followed, my heart was filled with questions about the place he went to. As I read, I wept and laughed and felt that I was living her life.
   The information of how to treat on who is close to transitioning from this world to the next is irreplacable. Because both my husband and I have been pastors and counsellors for many years, there have been times her testimony has been
   very helpful in walking with those who are in the process of grief or are dealing with life and death matters.
   This book is a hidden treasure. When the reader reads the story, they will be hesitant to give the book away, because, this is a book that can be read over and over again. Spritual truths and eternal principals can only be grasped as those who enquire are ready to understand and receive.
   Even though this was written years ago, the story is fresh and applicable to any who desire to know what is beyond for those who prepare themselves.



5. Like many other reviews here, I have read many books lately on NDE's. Some books have touched me so deeply in my spirit that I couldn't get over it and just had to share the book. As a christian, the real testimony for me has been the powerful presence and truth of the Holy Spirit as I read the book. I felt the truth of this book, but if you're looking for alot of information about Heaven or life after death, you won't find it here. Don't put off reading it though. It's powerful. Great for a person who is losing a loved one to sickness or has just lost a loved one.

5 comments about The Inspired Heart: An Artist's Journey of Transformation.

1. Autobiographically written by Jerry Wennstrom, The Inspired Heart: An Artist's Journey Of Transformation is the story of an artist's journey in search of truth. In 1979, New York artist Jerry Wennstrom destroyed his own paintings, gave away his money and possessions, and sought to purge his personal identity, and in the process, open himself to wonder. This remarkable artist's memoir is enhanced with black-and-white photographs and a 16-page inset section of full-color plates showcasing a series of magnificent interactive box art. The Inspired Heart is a unique and quite remarkable contribution to 20th Century Art History reading lists.



2. Artist Jerry Wennstrom shocked the New York art community in 1979 when he destroyed his paintings at the pinnacle of his illustrious career. Guided by an inner passion to connect directly to divine consciousness, Wennstrom gave away his possessions and began a journey based on complete surrender to life experience. THE INSPIRED HEART shares Wennstrom's personal journal of how he lived for years in a state of grace and faith, discovering divine intelligence and inspiration in a wide breadth of experiences. Wennstrom at various times fasted, experienced the sublime joys of sharing special moments with neighborhood children, and faced potential muggers with loving kindness... to receive loving kindness in return. THE INSPIRED HEART shows us how, "Enlightenment is not a grand finale that leaves us blissfully risen, Buddha-like, above the suffering of the world. It is a deep and unconditional surrender to what already exists and total trust in the larger inherent intelligence, which is willing to lead the way."

   I love the color pictures of Wennstrom's art in the middle of this book, and the way Wennstrom's autobiographical short stories weave themselves in dreamy fashion through the places and times of his fascinating life. THE INSPIRED HEART shares the raw and simple beauty of one man's pure heart as it shows us how miraculous, magnificent and rich our lives can be when we let go of everything and allow ourselves to be fully present in this moment, now.

   -- Cynthia Sue Larson
   author of "AURA ADVANTAGE: How the Colors in Your Aura Can Help You Attain What You Desire and Attract Success"




3. "The Inspired Heart; An Artist's Journey of Transformation" by Jerry Wennstrom is an unexpected gift and complete experience to read. There are many books written about the artist's spiritual/creative/intellectual journey. This book IS the journey! Selene



4. "Few of us have emptied our cup as completely as Jerry Wennstrom did when he destroyed his art in 1979, and therefore few have experienced as deep a reawakening to the subtle stirrings of the divine in everyday life. It's hard for me to convey how deeply I respect what Jerry shares with us in his book /,The Inspired Heart, /in his art, and above all in his person. Here is a completely genuine voice of creative spirit." Chris Bache, author of "Dark Night, Early Dawn."



5. The Inspired Heart and In the Hands of Alchemy:The Art and Life of Jerry Wennstrom
   
   "One of the most magnificent things about Jerry is his profound and courageous innocence. He has created a friendship with a part of himself which is in love with the world, and his art displays that. Jerry is one of the few people I know who, in a very quiet way, has actually claimed his happiness in existence." - David Whyte author- The Heart Aroused and Crossing the Unknown Sea
   
   "In the Hands of Alchemy is a delightful film, an alchemical mixture in itself of inspiration, spirituality, art and the story of a remarkable human being." David Spangler, author of Blessings; Parent as Mystic, Mystic as Parent and Everyday Miracles.
   
   "When Jerry Wennstrom destroyed his art in 1979, he threw himself into the great unknown searching for a more authentic life. Walking the road of radical emptiness, the result was the emergence of a completely genuine voice, gentle, sensitive to the stirrings of the divine in everyday life, and creative beyond reasonable bounds. Wedding compassion and creativity, In the Hands of Alchemy is a rare celebration of life and the joy of spiritual surrender." Chris Bache, author, Dark Night, Early Dawn
   Jerry Wennstrom is one of a kind - and his point is that any of us can be that. We can, like him, walk straight into the heart of mystery and emerge more ourselves than we could ever imagine. His tells his story of being called to destroy his art, of struggling to hear any message but that one, of surrendering his will and allowing the soft something beyond will to guide him. It's all a fabulous tale worth hearing again and again like a great myth, and it's a deep, simple instruction for how to find ourselves in the middle of a life that seems real, but is often missing the central character. Jerry's amazing recent artwork, and his extraordinarily beautiful and talented wife Marilyn swirl around this story of a courageous soul, making it even more compelling. Best would be to know Jerry as I am privileged to do, second best is watching this film. -Vicki Robin - Co-author, Your Money or Your Life

1 comments about Let Me Create A Paradise, God Said To Himself: A Journey Of Conscience From Johannesburg To Jerusalem.

1. Rebeccasreads highly recommends LET ME CREATE A PARADISE GOD SAID TO HIMSELF (long title notwithstanding!) as a memoir of an extraordinary journey from one country -- South Africa -- of extreme prejudice to another -- Israel, during the 1960s & onward.
   
   An outstanding read, packed with vibrant memories of youthful bliss, immigrant confusion, war, politics, philosophies & love, offering a unique, mature & articulate inside look into this passionate region.

2 comments about To Hell With Sarah.

1. This one is sure to stretch your mind and theology. But hey that's good thing, the Body of Christ needs to stay flexible. Anyway as a former Denominational Pastor/Evangelist. I didn't understand or believe most things relating to deliverance. However after having an encounter with the Holy Spirit and being delivered myself from spirits that had dogged me since childhood, I am convinced (I should have been from the Bible alone) that many challenges/sins/shortcomings (however you want to package it) are demonically inspired. With that said Jess Parker has blown the lid off the hidden lives and struggles of those who have been the victims of satanic ritual abuse and satanic programming. This book will help educate and equip The Body of Christ, this book will bless and inspire all who are involved in destroying the works of the Devil. Praise our Mighty God for His Mercy and Grace in the life of Sarah and for giving Jess Parker the courage and convictions to share the struggles and victories with us.



2. Praise God for Jess Parker .All i can say is Holy smokes this book is incredible. We are very blessed to have a man stand up for the truth. I am not much of a book reader but when i started in on this book i could not put it down. The bible says and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

5 comments about Sister Wendy's Book of Saints.

1. If the rating had 10 stars, i would have given it 10. Sister wendy provides lucid and clear pictures and text, good book for all ages



2. Sister Wendy's Book of Saints By Sister Wendy Beckett.
   This is a beautiful little book (96 pages), all bright and shiny paper with brilliant colors that almost leap off the page. Sister Wendy, the nun who has made a trade mark out of her running in and out of art museums, has collected the images of saints to support both her love of art and her orthodox views on Catholicism. The book begins with St. Peter (Petrine privilege?) and works its way down to lesser-known saints.
   With each portrait, Sister Wendy points out an interesting tidbit. For example, with the Evangelist, St. Mark, (page 17), Sister Wendy indicates that the artist has portrayed the saint forming a cross with his pen and his sharpening knife. She lightens the mood by describing the lion, in the painting, as resembling "... an imbecilic sheep gazing in wonderment..." at St. Mark. This lightening of the mood is intentional as Sister Wendy repeats it (page 24) when she describes the ox in St. Luke's portrait as "...an almost goofy ox".

   Despite this levity, Sister Wendy comes across as quite serious about both the art depicting the saints and the theology of the saints she has chosen. In summary, I would be very happy to have this book given to me.




3. Sister Wendy Beckett is a gifted story teller and artist. Her delightful paintings and her wonderfully original expressions bring Catholicism to all readers. This delightful book is truly one of a kind. Sister Wendy shares her love for painting and her gift for this medium in this work. Her loving recounting of the accounts of saints' lives will touch, amuse and delight all who are fortunate enough to encounter this wonderful book.

   Sister Wendy shows a light touch, a gentle approach to imparting her faith journey and the information she has gathered over the years. The bright colors emphasize the light, bright, upbeat tone of this wonderful book. I can't recommend it highly enough. This is truly a keeper.

   God bless Sister Wendy!




4. A beautifully constucted book for as far as it goes, but we Sister Wendy lovers are left wanting more! If anything, it seems too small in scale. Like a delicious meal that we're only allowed to take a couple bites of. This is actually a great thumbnail introduction to saints for all us non-Catholics. The usual great paintings with Sister Wendy's wonderful, insightful commentaries. But we wish for bigger visual and literary feast. Everything about the book is small scale. Some of the illustrations should have been blown up to a larger size. We wish Sister Wendy would have gone on longer in her commentaries. At 93 pages, we wish for at least 100 more. She shouldn't have limited her selections to paintings from just one Italian exhibition. For all its brevity, I highly recommend the book. Lasty, don't pass up any chance to snag a copy of the video version of this book which aired on PBS.



5. Sister Wendy has put together a great book on Saints. I really enjoyed that she placed the saint's feast day, attributes, and what the saint is a patron to in the margins. Lovely stories and paintings. It's only fault is that it could have been much longer with more saints included.