5 comments about Washed by Blood: Lessons from My Time with Korn and My Journey to Christ.

1. This is pretty much the same book as "Save me from Myself" with points to ponder at the end of each chapter added. My own fault for not checking into it beforehand. His story is awesome nonethelesss and is inspiration to those that are bound to a lifestyle where there seems to be no way out. Jesus is the answer. A lot of people can relate to this testimomy, I did in many ways.



2. This is the same book as "Save Me From Myself" with a different title! I was expecting this one to pick up where the last one left off. This is pretty shady...especially since the back says "You think you're heard the story, but you haven't" or something along those lines. What a rip off.
   
   I loved the original book though.



3. I have to agree with the other reviews on this page. I was a huge fan of the first book, and pre-ordered this one thinking it was "new." It IS the same book, but in "teaching" form. I wish these reviews were up before I pre-ordered, and the publishers of this book should have made it clear that this was the same book. For any Christians "hungry" for more after reading "Save Me..." I suggest "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller.



4. To the people saying it's the same as his first book... this was well documented and announced well in advance:
   
   "Also on June 24, 2008, Harper Collins Publishers will simultaneously release the young adult version of Save Me From Myself, entitled "Washed By Blood". "
   
   It's basically the same book but re-written for younger adults. Still worth reading.



5. It is so encouraging to read about the miraculous change that Jesus Christ made in Head Welch's life. I recommend this for any non-believer you know... especially teens and young adults who struggle with belief and/or with drugs and alcohol. Its an amazing story and I know God used this book to change my life and will use Brian greatly for the Kingdom! This book is REAL....

5 comments about Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life.

1. Note that this review is for the Blackstone audio book narrated by Geoffrey Howard. I really enjoyed listening to this book, which is told in the first person. The narrator sounded just like I imagined CS Lewis to be. Initially his tone sounded to me like a stern professor, but it grew on me and ended up being perfect for this book.
   
   I have always been fascinated with CS Lewis; initially as a child I read the Screwtape Letters and much later read the Chronicles of Narnia and then some of his Christian apologetic work. I love his style and I've always thought he had a brilliant mind. I wanted to learn more about his conversion to Christianity and bought this book to find out.
   
   The story is sort of an autobiography, but focuses on his intellectual development as it relates to his becoming an atheist, then a theist, and finally a Christian. This all took place during his childhood through young adulthood. He lost his mother when he was young and never had a good relationship with his father. He didn't develop any true friends until later in his youth, so it was a difficult childhood. He would be termed a geek today; he hated sports and was a bookworm. His recounting of boarding school sounded horrifying. In fact, he describes fighting in World War I as less stressful.
   
   The one thing that I found most interesting was his describing the affect various authors had on him and he found to his disappointment that the authors that impacted him the most were Christian; and that the atheistic authors didn't seem to have the same depth. The book is full of other remarkable insights and is worth reading. I highly recommend this book in either the audio or written format.



2. Surprised by Joy is a prerequisite if one is to experience the maximum benefit of C.S. Lewis' apologetic works. That is, while one might not actually, and perhaps should not, read Surprised by Joy before some of his other titles it will certainly provide the reader with a new appreciation of Lewis' perspective. Throughout his life, as it is evident in his writing, Lewis returns time and again to face his own struggles, those questions born of his own thoughts, to explain and defend Christianity. As it might be imagined, some of the toughest questions that he ever presented were first shaped into a fit argument while he was confident that Christianity could not possibly be reality. Within this work, Lewis brings these difficulties to light, as well as his experiences which justified his thoughts at any given time and the thoughts which accompanied these experiences.
   
   The education, thoughts, and experiences of Lewis' early life are valuable enough in themselves with regard to an understanding of his adult conviction. However, it is also seen, after reading this work, that it was not only the Christian conviction which became finely tuned in his adulthood. Those difficulties which, at one time, prevented Lewis from accepting Christianity also matured over time into well developed arguments, positioning themselves contrary to his Christian faith. This, some believe, is what makes Lewis such a valuable asset; not only in terms of his ability to make converts out of secular society, but as an educator of Christians seeking clarification. He did not convert and completely forget his previous beliefs, rather his beliefs from any time grew in their ability to persuade and he continuously applied that which he understood to be greater truth to effectively demonstrate why, even the most persuasive and articulate, counter arguments and philosophical alternatives simply fell short of Truth itself. It is for this reason; the fact that much of Lewis' reoccurring subject material stems from difficulties made aware to him in his youth, that Surprised by Joy will provide the reader with a greater appreciation for C.S. Lewis' life's work.
   
   By the title alone, one might be led to believe that this is an autobiography portraying the time before Lewis embraced Christianity, and his path to conversion. It is true that this work is a revealing look into Lewis' early life and, what appear to be, most private thoughts. It is less about Lewis, however, than it is about the human struggle to achieve or even possess joy. Lewis seems to feel that any detail of his life, regardless of what the reader might want to know about him as a person, is willingly sacrificed if it does not somehow tie into his pursuit of joy. What might surprise the reader even more is that Lewis actually ends this work at a period of his life prior to his conversion to Christianity. Nevertheless, Lewis conveys the most trying obstacles in his journey, leading him to theism, while presenting the reader with enough information to bridge some of the, albeit few, personal gaps found in his presentations elsewhere. For a student of C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy is a must.



3. One of the greatest Christian apologists ever, you may know, had been in his youth an atheist. This is the story of his journey from faithful, believing child to (paradoxically) myth-worshipping atheist adolescent, to unabashed Christian. If you have any interest in the man himself, Surprised By Joy is autobiographical and describes a lot of details that really seem secondary to his conversion. Very fun and interesting read.



4. I have been looking for this book for a long time and i am glad it was so painless to get hold if it through amazon. I am most impressed with the whole experience. Perfect and Painless..



5. I love most of what C.S. Lewis writes. I can read the Narnia series over and over, and I adore Till We Have Faces. I find him an incredible philosopher and a brilliant mind and a fantastic writer all 'round.
   
   This book is possibly the dullest thing I have ever forced myself to read.
   
   I wanted to like it; heaven knows it had interesting parts, fascinating things I had never thought of before. I found it valuable for understanding what themes that Lewis meant to convey in all of my favorite books and his conversion was particularly interesting.
   
   Oh, but I could have gone without that long and utterly boring chapter about going to boys' school, being hazed, and interactions with the Bloods; I could barely keep myself in the thing even in the most interesting parts about his childhood. Even his conversion came with little emotional interest. For a second I wanted to say that I was missing something, that I had the problem, but I'm not sure that this is so. It's just... boring. For the person on the brink of accepting Christianity, I'm not sure it's even applicable, for intellectually, Lewis is on another plane entirely. What if the reader has never felt this stab of "joy," or at least, experienced it the way Lewis experienced it? I tried to remember such a feeling and, although I remember it, I do not recall it being such a life-changing event.
   
   In the end, this book is fascinating, but far more valuable for the insight it delivers into Lewis's works of fiction than for the path he took to conversion.

5 comments about Still Growing: An Autobiography.

1. Yes, I was a Growing Pains fan growing up, but that is not why I wanted to read Still Growing. I wanted to find out how a devout atheist (who, in his own words, "pitied" the religious people he knew) became arguably one of the most outspoken celebrity Christians in Hollywood. Something radical had to have happened.
   
   Much to my surprise, not only did I get an answer to my question, but I got a candid look at the funny (see the section on a young Kirk's audition for Growing Pains where after reading he asks "Is this a drama or a comedy?"), scary (see the section where Kirk has to be the bait in a sting operation to catch a child predator who had begun stalking him), romantic (see the section where he flew to New York to surprise his future wife) and amazingly providential (see Kirks meeting with Ray Comfort and the start of Way of The Master).
   
   And while it is obvious that Kirk is a better actor than a writer, I stopped caring after the first few pages because of the engaging and conversational tone Kirk employs throughout the book.
   
   If you were a fan of Growing Pains, this is a no brainer. If, like Kirk, you struggled with the bigger questions in life, read this book. It will give you the only satisfying answer that there is.



2. Kirk Cameron's entertaining and inspirational autobiography is a must read for any young person interested in an acting career or anyone who is curious about what it is like to grow up in front of the camera.
   
   You will find out what it is like to have every kid's dream fulfilled-finding yourself on the cover of dozens of magazines, receiving upwards of 10,000 fan letters per week and the ultimate kid dream-having adults treat you with respect!
   
   Kirk's book exposes the pluses and minuses of fame. From the perks of show business celebrity to finding yourself cooperating with the police to capture a pedophile who uses your fame to hurt others.
   
   You will discover how Kirk's love of God and family has contributed to a happy and fulfilling wonderful life, after child stardom. By the time you finish reading Kirk's autobiography, you will know why he is still growing and still smiling- you'll smile too!



3. I was a fan of Kirk Cameron from the Growing Pain days. Well, the book gives you a great insight on his life and how he accetped the Lord Jesus Christ to be his savior. It also shows his erros and how he wished as a new Christian he would have done things differently yet, shows that being a christian doesn't mean your perfect... shows you are work in progress and you too see it in his life!!! Awesome book.



4. My favorite quote was, "You don't find God - He's not lost. You are, and He finds you."
   
   Kirk found the two most important things in life - peace and joy.



5. I wasn't a huge Kirk Cameron fan but I did occassionally watch "Growing Pains" and was shocked when Kirk decided to take a hiatus from showbusiness at the height of his career. This book is very well written and insightful. It gives a lot of behind-the-scenes details of Kirk's life growing up both in front of and behind the camera. He's one of the few celebrities that write in a funny, nonjudgmental and yet introspective/honest way about their lives/faith and that really made this book a pleasure to read. I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting!
   
   *PS - His mom Barbara Cameron's book "A Full House Of Growing Pains" was a great read too. Both she and Kirk seemed very honest about the ups and downs of their lives.

5 comments about Rees Howells: Intercessor.

1. I find it interesting that the few reviewers' low rating of this book because of Howells theological understanding of intercession. As though we can't find fault with his life, we must fault his theology. Notice this man, like many in the Bible, does not talk to God, or merely listen to Him--he talks WITH Him. That's the greatness of this man. After reading this book, by His grace, I will be on my knees more often. Perphas one day, I will talk less to Him, listen more from Him, and in between talk more WITH Him. Another thought: as exemplfied in this book. Prayer and faith are inseparable. The deeper the prayer, the greater the faith. And in turn, that faith reinforces even a greater need for prayer and dependence upon the Lord.



2. I read this book for the 1st time more than 25 years ago and have re-read it many times over the years. It is easy to read and understand and yet, with each reading, it so inspires you to move closer to God, be willing to surrender and do all that He asks, and to seek a deeper relationship of service. The tests may be difficult, as with Mr. Howells, but that makes the reward even sweeter!!
   
   If you seek an inspiring book, with the power of the Holy Spirit, read this book and let the Lord use it to give you passion for His work.



3. Rees Howells: Intercessor book is very good. I am in the middle of reading it now. I find it hard to put it down. He really shows what surrendering your whole life over to the Lord is all about. I am learning so much from his book and see in my own life how I must get closer to the Lord. I thought I was doing OK until I started reading this. Excellent book for new believers and well seasoned believers. You will want to buy a few to give out to your friends and family!



4. Those familiar with the lives of George Muller of Bristol, or J. Hudson Taylor will appreciate the story of Rees Howell's life. Here is another giant of the faith who's life, more than anything else, is a testimony to the security found in totally trusting God for all our needs. This book is also an excellent primer on what it means to be, and how to live out the life of, an intercessory prayer warrior.



5. This book is without question the top of my list of favorites. I have given it as gifts, and treasure my copy. I found it to be faith-building and life-changing!

5 comments about Through Painted Deserts: Light, God, and Beauty on the Open Road.

1. I've recently finished reading this book and found it to be absolutely wonderful. Rather than simply entertaining me, the reader, it allowed and encouraged me to question the way of things, the Why? of life. It told me that struggling was understandable and necessary. It let me realize what I already know and hoped, and I took breaks while reading to reminisce about difficult times, which led me to remember also the truth, beauty and humor in them.
   
   If you are having trials in your life, or are questioning your own Whys?, I recommend this book to you.
   
   I remind myself that sometimes the answer in front of me is "No", so that later the answers can be "Yes".



2. I loved "Blue Like Jazz" it was a awesome book. I followed it up by reading this book which didn't catch my attention at all! It was about a road experience that wasn't even interesting. Save your time and money!



3. This is a good book. The humor between Donald and Paul reminds me of Bill Bryson's in A Walk in the Woods. No super deep spiritual findings here but some familiar questions for anyone who's been a Christian for any length of time. It's good to read honesty written without reservations. I'm currently reading Blue Like Jazz and TPD reads more like a narrative than BLJ. My guess is if you like the thought process of BLJ you will like this book. Great book about a road trip to read on a road trip. Recommended.



4. This book is by the popular author Donald Miller. I read his book "Blue Like Jazz" and enjoyed it. I was going to stop with that book, but a fellow blogger noted that this was his favorite of the Miller books. I am not sure I share the same sentiments, but I certainly did enjoy the book. As Donald travels and reflects on his life with God, I seem to join him in reflecting on my own life. I guess there is a part of all of us that desires to travel with the Lord. This is why it seems that people enjoy taking mission trips to various parts of the world and nation. There is an excitement that follows as one journeys with the Lord. I guess I can relate because I traveled a lot with the Lord. Also, I would have enjoyed this book more if I read it in college while I was single. The open road is not the same with two small children crying in the back seat. Nevertheless, the book was good, not so much for the spiritual insight, but for the adventure, the friendships, and the trip. As you travel with Donald, you cannot help but travel through your own life too.



5. I bought this audio CD because I love Donald Miller's "Blue Like Jazz" and think he's got some profound things to say. It's so centered on a young man's quest/non-quest/quest to find out whether there's anything to quest for that it didn't speak to this 40ish woman the way his other books have. However, I still got something out of it and recommend it highly. I think it would speak loudest to kids in their late teens. Good stuff.

5 comments about Letter and Papers from Prison.

1. I read this book several years ago at the behest of my Pastor when I was still a man of faith. And although I've essentially fallen out of that faith in the last few years, I still consider this one of the most inspiring true stories I have ever read. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German minister who openly spoke out against the Nazis-and allegedly even participated in the plot to kill Hitler-was imprisoned in 1943 and eventually hanged by the German government shortly before the end of the war. This is a collection of his correspondence with his family and friends during his two years of incarceration.
   
   
   
   The strength of this book is that Bonhoeffer was not only a truly courageous man who refused to abandon his principles, but as a Christian, he actually practiced what he preached. This seems to be rare these days and I think the reason that so many people resent Christians and Christianity is that they see so many of them as hypocrites. They constantly talk about God and peace, and righteousness, yet they are so quick to drop a bomb or condemn those that disagree with them. Bonhoeffer represents a pure Christianity of love and justice. This is my take at least and others might disagree with my assessment. With that said, this was a man who truly believed in his God and accepted with dignity whatever fate that God had in store for him. His courage and joy in the face of such a harsh fate is evident in his writings. So, even though I don't share Bonhoeffer's religious beliefs or some of his "ethics," I don't hesitate to recommend this truly inspiring book to believers and non-believers alike. My only warning is that there is a lot of theological discussion and those with little or no knowledge of the religion might find these parts a bit over their head.



2. I bought the book looking to know more about Bonhoeffer's theology..and ended up learning more about my own. Though at times I didn't agree with his thoughts, I found myself agreeing with the man. These letters mix profound questions with small daily details of life. It is authentic and transparent in a way that typical straightforward "theology" books can't be. There is honest, articulate, and earnest faith in these unselfconscious and private thoughts.



3. Dietrich Bonhoeffer's "Letters and Papers from Prison" is the account of an extremely intelligent German theologian and pastor who was thrown into prison during WWII. The correspondence Bonhoeffer shared with his family members during the time he spent in prision (over a year and a half)reveals his character in a remarkably honest way. The love and concern he has for his family and his selflessness, even while sitting in prison, are a great testament to the Christian faith regardless of your theological position.



4. Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Letters & Papers from Prison was a most edifying read, primarily because it stripped away the mystery and mythical aura that surrounded him, before and after his murder by the Nazis in 1945. The fact that his reputation is so universally well known is greatly due in part to his brother-in-law, the late Eberhard Bethge.
   
   Having been raised in a very German household myself, I would hear occasional stories from my own father, who grew up in Germany at that time, about the German pastor who was a part of the plot to kill Hitler, the one who was the moral conscience who aided the conspirators while they tried to rid Germany of the diabolical dictator and his vile atrocities that were sweeping throughout the land, for nothing was sacrosanct.
   
   Bonhoeffer, known throughout the Christian world for his books, The Cost of Discipleship and Ethics, among other treaties, pamphlets and sermons, was a great example in respects to how a man or woman can truly live an independent Christian life while working in the world and that heroism does not necessarily come from preaching the Gospel, but rather, living it or trying to. It also comes from incorporating nuances of those truths, big or small, into the daily activities of ones life and sharing that Christian goodness (in a healthy and practical manner) with people from all walks of life, irrelevant of class structure, education, ethnic background, et cetera.
   
   In this book, Bonhoeffer's theological musings move from the act of suffering to the meaning of love, whether human, religious or even material, and the insights that he shares with some of his correspondents, especially Eberhard Bethge, is sometimes profoundly compelling, and one can endlessly cite the abundant source material to back that up. But while he was accepting his cross of suffering, knowing in a way that it was a gift, he had an agony for those whom he was separated from, specificially his fiance, Maria von Wedemeyer-Weller.
   
   The overall profile of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, as presented in this work, showcases an all too human man, sometimes short-tempered and impatient yet very religious, contemplative, moral, ethical and surprisingly creative. For an example of that, read his short fiction piece entitled: "Lance-Corporal Berg: A narrative" which is almost similarly reminiscent, style-wise, to that of the writer and author Erich Maria Remarque. His poems, however, were not that great, but it made him only more real.
   
   Though I am Catholic and my interpretation of Scripture is slightly different, much of what Bonhoeffer wrote spoke volumes to me, especially in tackling the day-to-day challenges and experiences that life has to offer. I think he speaks to many people, and that is good, for what he has to say, by his life, writings, choices, down to his martyrdom can cross all ecumenical boundaries. And that is indeed a remarkable witness.



5. Reading his words, we are saddened in knowing he is soon to die a martyr at the young age of 39 by the Nazis. Bonhoeffer fought for biblical truth, and against appeasement. He writes his thoughts (at times very deep and philosophical) from prison, when he entered in 1943 until extradition to another prison over two years later, just before the Allies' liberation in 1945. In his letters to his parents amazingly he is not bitter, but thankful and in good spirits. He was always hopeful. He finds joy in even the smallest of things. Some of the letters we will discover are slightly coded to get through the "checkers". The preface sums it up better than I can: "page by page, these letters show us a picture of life in a prison cell, as it was experienced in all its aspects, with the intimate details of an individual life fused into a striking unity with the disastrous events that were going on in the world outside, a unity produced by an outstanding mind and a sensitive heart."
   
   Much of Bonhoefffer's letters were written to his dear friend Eberhard Bethge. Bonhoeffer expounded with difficult theological questions for Bethge........I would like to hear his answers. Bethge as editor writes the foreword and preface, along with what Bonhoeffer experienced during his final days. The preface is a short biography and explains how the papers came to be.
   
   The two years Bonhoeffer spent in his dreary jail cell he consumed an immense amount of literature; he discusses his favorites. He also gives us a hint of what jail life was like: the solitude, the allied bombings (air-raids), the cell attendants, and his fellow prisoners, whom he does not justify their pathetic cowardly actions; he believed prison was no excuse for poor behavior. Other subjects he touches on is liberalism within the church, and a world that is increasingly existing without God. He believed his thoughts were somewhat odd and his poems needed work, but they were far from it.
   
   This is a book of hope for all who will believe. If Christ is a lie, think of the millions who then threw their lives away in martyr for Him.
   
   Wish you well
   Scott

5 comments about No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith.

1. An outstanding and at times exhaustive history of Joseph Smith, founder of The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints, the Mormons...Very detailed and excellently researched, but it is obvious--too obvious at times--that the author, Fawn Brodie, has a very low opinion, perhaps even detests, the man she is writing about and the the church he established.
   One wonders if she, like Scott McClellan's book on the Bush administration, is not getting her "pound of (vindictive) flesh," though there may be some truth is what is said.
   
   There is a feeling, a strong feeling, that balance and objectivity may be missing from this work, but even so, it is a good, worthwhile read.
   
   This much is certain: The church Joseph Smith established could never have grown and become it the church it is today until he passed from the scene. It then no longer had to defend him and his wilding gyrating ideas and visions.
   
   It makes one wonder if the Mormon Church has become the church it is today--has found its way--in spite of Joesph Smith rather than because of him.



2. No Man Knows My History was a direct attack on critical Mormon beliefs about Joseph Smith. In 1946, The Improvement Era, the official periodical of the Church, said that many of the book's citations arose from doubtful sources and that the biography was "of no interest to Latter-day Saints who have correct knowledge of the history of Joseph Smith." The "Church News" section of the Deseret News provided a lengthy critique that acknowledged the biography's "fine literary style" and then denounced it as "a composite of all anti-Mormon books that have gone before."
   
   BYU professor and LDS historian and apologist Hugh Nibley challenged Brodie in another booklet, No, Ma'am, That's Not History, asserting that Brodie had cited sources supportive only of her conclusions while conveniently ignoring others. Brodie herself thought the Deseret News pamphlet "a well-written, clever piece of Mormon propaganda", but she dismissed the ultimately more popular No, Ma'am, That's Not History as "a flippant and shallow piece."
   
   Brodie's controversial depiction of Joseph Smith is in the same vein as her other Psychoanalysis works of fiction. I say fiction because the psychoanalytical babbling of the insane is just that - psychoanalytical babbling without substance or fact. Brodie incorporates in her work Freudian psychology. Psychoanalysis is a work of the devil for sure, based on dreams and unprovable and unsupported assumptions. Her psycho biography of Thomas Jefferson became a best-seller base on the same psychoanalytical babbling And most important, Brodie's study of the early Richard Nixon, completed while she was dying of cancer, demonstrated the hazards of psycho biography in the hands of an author who loathed her subject. Brodie grew up disliking the LDS religion with full support from her mother. Brodie had access to church historical records because of her family connections to the church. She deviously betrayed the trust of church historians by misusing and misrepresenting the material.
   
   Psychoanalysis is a body of knowledge developed by Sigmund Freud and his followers, devoted to the study of human psychological functioning and behavior. Freudian psychoanalysis refers to a specific type of treatment in which the patient verbalizes thoughts, including free associations, fantasies, and dreams, from which the analyst formulates the unconscious conflicts causing the patient's symptoms and character problems, and interprets them for the patient to create insight for resolution of the problems.
   
   Both Fawn Brodie and her husband subjected themselves to psychoanalysis, he for insomnia and she for chronic mild depression and sexual problems. (Bernard's employer, the RAND Corporation, paid most of the bills.) If the problems of everyday life had been insufficient to maintain Brodie's interest in psychology, there was the case of her mother, who during this period attempted suicide three times, the second by cutting herself with a Catholic crucifix and the third (which succeeded) by setting herself on fire.
   
   One should be careful what they read and adopt as gospel truth. The infamous Mark Hofmann read Brodie's No Man Knows My History before he bombed and kill two prominent Salt Lake City residents in 1985. Hofmann set out to destroy the LDS church. Hofmann's favorite text to discredit the Mormon church was Fawn's Brodie's No Man Knows My History. In my opinion Brodie's book is a work of the devil for sure, based on the psychoanalytical babbling of the insane.



3. The so-called facts in this book have been debunked by Hugh Nibley's book, "No Ma'am, That Ain't History."



4. 159 Amazon reviewers have come before me to say what they think about this book by Fawn Brodie, No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith.
   
   Before I read this book, I knew nothing about Joseph Smith and only a little more about Fawn Brodie, as I was once a graduate student studying American history.
   
   After reading this book, I am sure of one thing: Joseph Smith was a truly American prophet who created an exceptionally American religion.
   
   Joseph Smith was a con-man, a prophet with an exceptional vision of God and an even more amazing liturgical, ceremonial and organizational implementation, and - let's not forget - a martyr. He also loved life. He loved women. He was not a conventional prophet.
   
   Brody's book will take you through all this. I believe the journey was as long for her as for Smith. Read the Epilogue. This sums up her understanding of the man and his fantasy - how the fantasy evolved and how it was absorbed into his life and became a reality.
   
   An amazing book about an amazing man. What American in 19th-Century started something that had so great an impact on our country and the world, other than perhaps Lincoln?
   
   That's it. I'm not a Mormon, either.



5. Brodie's, "No Man Knows My History" is a brilliantly researched history of the life of Mormonism's Prophet, the charismatic and gifted Joseph Smith. As a nonbeliever, myself, I approach almost everything from a secular level, as does Brodie, therefore I'm bound to agree with her approach, recognizing, at the same time, that some of her sources are questionable, in that they are derived from people who hated Josph and/or his strange religion.
   
   Brodie seeks to understand the young Joseph growing up in hard-scrabble Vermont and Western New York. We see a talented, ambitious and highly imaginative young dreamer trapped amongst largely uneducated people who were both superstitious and, oftentimes, painfully gullible. Young Joseph, who isn't enamored with farming, is fascinated by Indian mounds and treasure finding. He finds a stone thru which he claims can divine the location of hidden treasure. He is persuasive enough [alternatively, people are so gullible] that he makes a modest living from selling his talents although there is no evidence that he, or anyone else, was ever enriched by them. As a matter of fact, he is successfully sued by one angry man who regards himself as cheated.
   
   Over a period of time, and unlike Mormon preachments, Joseph morphs into something like a religious mystic. He claims he has found a 'Golden Bible' although the circumstances of finding it are initially vague. The Golden Bible has some interesting characteristics. Smith generally keeps it--whatever it is--hidden in a box or under cloth. It seems that few people can visualize it, except himself, although--according to witnesses--it has weight and heft. Also, despite the fact that others can't see it, Joseph reports hiding it from place to place so that it won't be stolen for its golden value.
   
   Using magical implements, including stones, Joseph 'translates' his golden plates into the document later known as the Book of Mormon. Joseph's tale of visions of angels, God and Jesus seem to have, for the most part, post-dated the translation of the gold. The nature of these visions, the number of angels, personages etc. seems to have morphed over time.
   
   Joseph is now well on his way to becoming a prophet and world-shaker. He gains increasing number of adherents. The question is, 'how much of this does Joseph believe, himself?' We'll probably never know but, I suspect that over time and with increasing adulation, that he comes to believe that he is the true instrument of God's Power on earth. Like most powerful men, women flock to him as bees do to honey. He has additional 'revelations' including the desireability of faithful men taking multiple wives. This revelation has the force of a commandment and Joseph, without the apparent consent or even knowledge of his wife, Emma, takes on multiple women as religious wives.
   
   The newly-founded sect finds it persecuted for its communistic and polygamist practices. They are forced to move, almost en masse, from one place to another, until founding the city of Nauvoo, Illinois on the banks of the Mississippi. The city is successful, perhaps too much so. Joseph sets himself up as General of the militia and orders the destruction of a printing press that has criticized him. He is arrested by secular authorities and, while imprisoned in the upper floor of a jailhouse, he and his brother, Hyram, are shot to death by an anti-Mormon mob. Joseph is dead but a martyr is born.
   
   Ron Braithwaite author of novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Spanish Conquest of Mexico

5 comments about I Dared to Call Him Father: The Miraculous Story of a Muslim Woman's Encounter with God.

1. Bilquis' story of her search for God and the way He found her shows the depths of his love for lost sinners and the powerful way he draws men to him. As the story unfolds, you can see how God is working out everything in the background, through dreams, events, chance encounters and situations to orchestrate the salvation of her soul. This is especially revealed in the Afterword written by Synove Mitchell, the missionary that Bilquis' first consulted, the despair that was going on in her spiritual life at the time, and her fervent prayers to God to show her meaning in her ministry.
   
   After her conversion, Bilquis learns to walk with God, to feel for his Presence and to follow his leading. This part is very humbling for me because I have not yet learned to walk as Bilquis has, perhaps because I have too much material, Bible study notes, commentaries, preaching, programs, that I have not learned to lean solely on God, and what he wants me to do. I pray that I can develop the sensitivity that Bilquis has, about moving in his will, staying in his presence and his fellowship and then obey. Even though she was shunned by her family, threatened by the villagers, and almost had her house burned down, Bilquis learned to trust only in God and his timing. She was bold in her witness, she did what God told her to do, and was used by him to bring other villagers to Christ. Bilquis also recounts times when she grieved the Spirit, when she let her old self get in the way, and her immediate sense of being further away from God.
   
   Servants and neighbors observed the changes that God made in Bilquis' life after her salvation. Whereas before, she was imperious, prideful, and hard to please. She became gentle, gracious, and giving. After years of observing her, her Muslim servant received Jesus as Saviour because she too wanted to know God, and asked Jesus to come into her heart. They both "have tasted that the Lord is gracious" (1 Peter 2:3)
   
   So it can be for you too, if you want to taste of the heavenly gift, then just ask God to show Himself to you. While visiting a hospital, she met a doctor who told her "there is only one way to find out why you feel this way. And that is to find out for yourself, strange as that may seem. Why don't you pray to the God you're searching for? Ask Him to show you His way. Talk to Him as if He is your friend.... Talk to Him as if He were your father."



2. I am currently taking a course on Islam and the anstructor thought that this book would be an interesting read as to how women in that society were treated from their perspective. My wife and I read the book together in ONE DAY, she read it out loud as we drove around running arrands and then as we arrived home we finished that evening. Neither of us wanted to put the book down as it had us captured from page one.
   This book was obviously written by a well educated woman raised in the Muslim faith who started on the journey to Christianity through a carefully thought out spiritual process.
   I would call this book a Must Read for Christians of today as we have lost this simplistic view of our faith that this woman had and our willingness to defend it to the loss of everything.
   The book is yet in a very simplistic writing style that it reads much like one of Kipling's stories that the author quotes and obviously was raised on in Pakistan.



3. This is one of the most amazing books of a biography that I have ever read, on the power of GOD to show his LOVE for His children.



4. I love this book. It has become a friend over the years. It is written in such a way as you are sitting down and talking with a dear friend and she is telling you about her adventure.
   
   What a life changing book it is. Read it.....and pass one along to a friend.



5. I just finished reading this book and highly recommend it.It is an inspiring true and personal testimony of a wealthy traditional Muslim woman who came to the faith through vivid dreams from God. As she journeys from Islam to Christianity, her salvation leads to her to a wonderfully intimate relationship with Christ. She is dedicated and obedient in all details of her life, big and small , and openly shares her struggles with temporal things, a sharp tongue, and pride and how she learns to overcome her flesh and walk in a true relationship with the Lord. It is void of the shallow Christianity that is so prevalent in our society today, and I found that very refreshing . It left me desiring a deeper level of intimacy with God as well as causing me to evaluate my own obedience and faith in Him . The presence of the Lord she experiences is rare, but so is the faith and trust that she has for Him.
   
   Her simplistic faith, untouched and tainted by modern Christianity and its rules and doctrine is a beautiful testament of how the Spirit will teach us all we need to know about Him. As He gives her dreams, leads her into the Scriptures and speaks to her she learns His word and how to obey Him. Her obedience, even as her life is threatened, is encouraging. I love a part in the book where she tells the Lord she doesn't have what it takes to be a martyr, so she asks Him to make her death quick and painless! I laugh because I have often prayed that myself.
   
   
   Being a Muslim living in the middle east, coming to the faith in Christ was worthy of death. She was ostracized by her family and threatened with her life, yet she held steadfast and unwavering to the Lord in spite of it.
   
   This book was originally written in 1978 but has been republished and includes an after word from two missionary friends who were close with her and were used to disciple Bilquis in her walk with the Lord. The author is now with the Lord, but has left behind a shining example of what a true relationship with Christ is for today.
   It is an easy read and one that would make a wonderful family read aloud. I will definitely be adding it to book our pile to read to my children.
   
   Stephanie
   www.ahighandnoblecalling.blogspot.com

5 comments about A Promise Kept.

1. My death and dying stage - the cover compelled me! And in this case, you CAN judge this book by its cover (center: an image of a woman smiling from under a large brimmed straw hat, circa 1940s, with a shadowy image of a solitary man walking away in the lower left corner)

   Robertson McQuilkin was a college professor at a renowned seminary when his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimers Disease. She had always been the love of his life, and he struggled with the choices that come at the end -

   This book is strengthening, uplifting, and encouraging - love is a commitment. This man gives up everything to help his bride, and gains it all back tenfold, through blessings from God. it details the anguish he feels and the deep sad love that carries him through every day.

   I saw my grandfather in this all over the place, married 57+ years to my grandmother, and visiting her every day at the nursing home. He loves her. He wishes he could do and be more, but feels helpless.

   Such a love! It's FAR BETTER THAN THE TITANIC!!

   Wonderful Wedding Gift Material!!




2. For a young single it's easy to fantasize about the joys of having a lifelong love - often at the neglect of counting the true cost of actually having one. This small but powerful book shows that cost, and how one man remained faithful to his wife despite it.

   Robertson, a distinguished man high in Christian academic circles, is shocked when his vivacious wife Muriel is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Gradually, she begins to succumb to its ravages and is forced to abandon her popular radio show and speaking engagements. As the disease takes its toll on Muriel, Robertson devotes more and more time to watching over her. He leaves his work and other pursuits to care for her because without his presence, she becomes fearful and agitated. Only with him near is she happy and content. Eventually she becomes totally dependent upon him, unable to perform rudimentary tasks or even converse.

   But the heart of the story is that he remains with her gratefully, and with a loving attitude. He is not an angry or resentful caretaker. Of course, he is not thrilled to watch his lovely, intelligent wife slide into helpless dementia. But he sees his caretaking as a holy task, one entrusted to him by God. Indeed, she "took care" of him for decades, so he finds it a priviledge to return the favor. However, he is careful to state that his is not the "ideal" way to care for a severely ailing loved one. But I would say that his attitude and actions are examples for anyone, regardless of whatever caretaking path is chosen.

   Elisabeth Elliot once wrote that marriage is the abandonment of self. Robertson lovingly exemplifies that principle in the midst of a heart-breaking situation - all for the glory of God. Highly recommended.




3. Good book for care givers of the ill. Encouragement to keep on loving in the midst of pain.



4. A beautiful story of marital faithfulness and love in an age where there is precious little of the same. Only in Jesus can be found this quality of unconditional love. I also recommend McQuilkin's Life in the Spirit book and workbook. He truly knows how to live a life filled with the fruits of the Holy Spirit -- and can teach us how, too!



5. This is a wonderful testimony to the love and caregiving that the author experienced while administering to his wife.A book that all caregivers can relate to--probably should be a read by the caregiver and not the afflicted. Unfortunately the quality of the binding is not at the same level as it's contents.Both volumes I purchased came apart at the seams and I had to reglue many of the pages.

5 comments about Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife.

1. I have been fascinated with the subject of polygmay and have read everything I can get my hands on, this book it nice because it gives you insite to a group other than the FLDS (specifically books written around the subjects of Warren Jeffs or Colorado City). Irene had such a trying life and her story will keep you hooked from begining to end.



2. This book is not necessarily one you would want to read before going to sleep for a couple of reasons: 1) it is so engaging it is hard to put it down, and 2) it makes you feel angry with the way the author was treated. The author lived in deep proverty. She was torn because of her devotion to her husband and religion, yet experienced extreme angony because of this devotion.



3. This is a wonderful book. I couldn't put it down. Irene is a great example for others. She tried to stay true to her religion and endured many trials. She lived in many horrid conditions that many of us could never handle. She was one of many wives and felt so physically neglected. She finally learns to "deal with" being one of many wives. She couldn't have made it thru many of the trials without them. The Mormon way of life and the rules that they follow are so inriguing. I couldn't put it down because I kept wanting to know what would happen next and how many more trials she would endure before she finally left. I really enjoyed her perspective and her writing style.
   She ultimately becomes a born again Christian and figured out that she didn't have to DO anything to earn God's Love. He offers it Freely to those who believe.
   I was raised Catholic and now I attend a non denominational "Christian Rock Church".



4. This is the fourth book I have recently read by women who have left polygamy behind, and I found it to be the best of the bunch. Although it is frightening to realize that this lifestyle is still endured in the 21st century and in America, I try to read up on the subject so that I can try to gain some understanding. Each book I read just makes me wonder all the more how these women can stand these husbands who ignore them and their children so shamefully. Not just stand them, actually, but yearn for them.
   Irene's book was, in my opinion, the most well-crafted of the books I have read by these women. In some of the others I found the wives to be a little less candid than Irene is, and they seem to try to make more excuses for themselves than Irene does. The most puzzling thing to me, especially after reading another book about the same husband by one of Irene's "sister-wives," is how they all go crazy trying to get their husband's attention and affection when he so clearly only cares about himself and "the Principle." The wives are starved for affection and the children are just plain starving. I understand that they are brought up to believe that this lifestyle is divinely ordained, yet the men involved are such total creeps that you wonder how any woman can yearn for them.
   Irene gives a very vivid and clear portrait of the years she spent in polygamy, and how she finally emerged to enter into a happy marriage with one man who cherished only her. It is heartbreaking to see how she threw away so many good years, but her (13)! children seem to be a blessing to her. I am so happy that she has found peace and joy at last.



5. Shattered Dreams was a story so well written that I couldn't put it down.
   
   Irene was a child who was reared in Pologamy. Her mother left the order when she was a young teen, and begged Irene not to become involved in the order. As a teen, Irene was torn between marrying a young man who professed his dying love for her or agreeing to be a second wife to her cousin's husband, entering the life of pologamy.
   
   Irene felt God telling her to enter the world of Pologamy. Against her mother's wishes, she secretly married, believing she would have a wonderful life.
   
   Irene shares her hearaches without loosing her sensitivity towards her sister-wives. She tells the story of how they were expected to birth a child a year, and share a husband with many wives. There were times they all were thrown into the same house with all of their children, and lived in horrible poverty. For many reasons, the family moved multiple times, and were often left alone for months on end while their husband was off on mission trips or working for the church. When he was around, they each had their assigned night with him, which of course leaving each sister wife feeling horribly lonely at times. The purpose of having so many children was to build up a beginning family that would receive their own Godhead in the here-after.
   
   How she was able to keep her cool as long as she did is beyond me. At one point she was responsible for the 24 hour day to day care of 24 children while two of her sister wives were living in other towns working. After months of caring for the children in a tiny house, she finally told her husband she could no longer continue. She was exhausted beyond belief, but instead of receiving understanding from her husband, was reprimanded for not being stronger.
   
   I was happy that she did not make her husband out to be a demon as other books on the subject have. Rather, she shared many tender moments with him, and it appeared he did everything humanly possible to care for his huge family. Irene's tale took place long before food stamps and public assistance for "single" mothers.
   
   I recommend this book highly to those interested in trying to understand polgamy for it explains in detail why they choose this lifestyle, and helps readers learn the dynamics of this lifestyle while preserving the dignity of the family.