In Word

I have always believed in purity—physical purity, emotional purity, everything.  I wear a purity ring.  I don’t date.  I dress modestly.  In short, I’ve got it down.  Right?

If you’re anything like me, a book called “When God Writes Your Love Story” might strike you as a) freakishly old-sounding, or b) completely unnecessary, since we all know about purity anyway.  But if you have no intention of reading this review thoroughly, understand one thing: you should read this book.

Eric and Leslie Ludy have done a brilliant job.  Looks-wise (because I’m picky when it comes to things like graphics and fonts), the book is really cool.  Writing-wise (because I have fun criticizing that), the husband and wife team have a fun style that never lets the reader get bogged down.  Content-wise (because that’s what this review is about anyway), they couldn’t have done any better.

I picked up this book wanting affirmation—just a little reminder to keep all my priorities in line.  What I got was a challenge and an inspiration (and a really good read, along the way).

Eric and Leslie don’t presume to tell you how you should manage the relationships in your life.  Because really, the point of this book is that you shouldn’t. As Christians, we seem very willing to give God credit for lots of things…but usually, trusting him with our love story isn’t one of them.  Why is that?  Is romance too much for God?  To answer “yes” would be just plain silly.  But to answer “no” implies a radical approach to relationships that just isn’t very common in today’s world.

What does it mean to let God write your love story?  It means realizing that only after you give your heart to God can you ever really give it to someone else.  It means learning to wait.  It means living in the now for your future spouse, and honoring them in your interaction with the opposite sex.  And in the end, it means being set free from the shallow “love” so prevalent in our culture.  We live for something higher.

Besides…who better to write your love story than the Author of love?

“If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.”

~1 John 4:15-16

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I must say, reading Green made me seriously consider bumping you down a notch on my list of favorite authors.  But just so you know, you’re back up there again.

Skin is pure genius.

I absolutely can’t understand how you do it.  Even reading with the knowledge that there would be one of your signature twists at the end, I couldn’t for the life of me guess what it would be.  And on top of the brilliant plot, riveting story, and fabulous characters, you throw in a deeper theme that makes it all even better.  How many contemporary novels tackle the theme of beauty?

This doesn’t make Green any more acceptable to me.  But know that I spent all day yesterday reading Skin, and all evening ranting about its awesomeness.

Thanks.

~Beth Maisano

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You are a brilliant writer.

Reading Black, Red, and White, I was (and am) astounded at your ability to weave a compelling plot, create a plethora of flesh and blood characters, and bring it all together in such a way that the reader never stops to realize it’s nothing more than words on paper.  You communicate clearly, beautifully, creatively.  That’s amazing, and I love it.

So I read Green.

Maybe I missed the memo.  Because I wasn’t aware that Green would be “Twilight meets the Circle Trilogy.”

I don’t appreciate an excess of blood and gore, when as much could be accomplished via other means.  I don’t appreciate sappy romances between a human and—oh, speaking of which, I also don’t appreciate your efforts to include the descendants of Alucard. I’m not a normal seventeen year old.  I don’t have a crush on Edward Cullen and I don’t want to read about his relatives.

It doesn’t really matter to me if Green is yet another literary masterpiece.  I was disappointed not with the writing, but with the slow closing of the gap between the Circle books and modern fiction junk.  Don’t cater to the Twilight crowd.  I’ve read plenty of good books that manage to get by without the inclusion of a vampire.

Sincerely,

Beth Maisano

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I’m always excited to pull the monthly package from Crossway from the mailbox and see what I’ll be reading next.  But I must say, when I opened What He Must Be, I couldn’t help but feel a just a little disconcerted—this was for parents, right?  Or at least for the guys trying to figure out “what they must be.”

The book, written by popular teacher and speaker Voddie Baucham Jr., is a basic run-down on the Biblical qualities fathers should look for in potential suitors for their daughters.  But it’s more than that—because it’s not only the fathers who need to know.  It’s for the daughters as they seek to become young women of God; for the young men who face the challenge of overcoming our culture’s expectations; for the parents who raise their children to fill the necessary roles.

What He Must Be isn’t anything life-shattering—but it’s a solid, Biblical approach to something that has been severely undervalued and trampled upon in today’s world.  Mr. Baucham calls upon Christian families to return to the principles that some might call “old-fashioned,” but that are in fact the cornerstone of a healthy, functional family.

I don’t have any complaints about this book, except for a minor error in which the author mistakenly cites a scene in a certain movie (no, it wasn’t Lucy who was involved in the ill-fated Caspian romance).  But regardless of his Chronicles of Narnia knowledge, Voddie Baucham Jr. has done a commendable job laying out the basics of What He Must Be.

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This month’s review for Crossway is a bit different than previous ones.  What Does The Bible Say about That?, by Carolyn Larson, is a ‘handbook’ designed for kids ages 8-12.  It deals with more than 300 topics familiar (or not so familiar) to young readers, addressing them with scripture and commentary.

How did I like it?  To be honest, not very well.  The content is biblically sound; as far as I could tell, there was nothing wrong with the book.  Perhaps it was some of the topics that just didn’t sit well with me:

• Boys (with a “for girls only” note)
• Dating
• Drinking
• Drug Abuse
• Sex

In all fairness, none of the above topics are addressed inappropriately.  But the very fact that they’re included makes me wonder if I would really be comfortable handing a copy of this book to my eight-year-old brother for reading.  The answer?  Probably not.

I don’t mean to deny the facts.  But still, the knowledge that something exists doesn’t make it appropriate for all ages.  For myself, I would a thousand times rather discuss these things with my future children instead of giving them a handbook in the name of a fix-all preventative or cure.

In reading What Does The Bible Say About That?, your child won’t be exposed to faulty doctrines or false teachings—on the contrary, the book is quite sound in that respect.  But they may finish reading with a broadened knowledge of things perhaps best left alone for the 8- to 12-year-old mind.

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When I unwrapped this month’s Crossway book for review on this blog, I was very interested and excited to begin the read.  Treasuring God In Our Traditions, by Noel Piper, is a short and simple look at the traditions in our lives—what they are, and why they’re important.

In each of the ten chapters of this book, Mrs. Piper explores common questions about tradition.  What is a tradition?  What makes them important?  How do they teach?  The chapters are supplemented with stories, poems (written by John Piper), an occasional recipe, and scripture verses.

I’ve never spent too much time thinking about tradition, but reading this book sparked a new interest and a desire for something more.  Mrs. Piper approaches tradition in a new way.  It isn’t mindless habit or rote repition; rather, tradition is “laying up God’s words in our own hearts, and passing his words to the next generation.”

In this sense, Mrs. Piper writes mainly to parents, so much of the book wasn’t directly applicable to my life as a young adult—at least, not yet.  But maybe someday.  And it’s probably because of the ‘someday’ that I enjoyed the read.

One of my favorite parts of Treasuring God In Our Traditions was actually rather shallow: the design, inside and out, is fabulous!  It’s simple, beautiful, and unique.  Each page left me eager to see the next.

In the end, Treasuring God In Our Traditions is an easy read that may very well be worth your time.  Parents, you’re bound to come away with a broader understanding of tradition and more of a desire to implement it.   For young people like me…well, don’t be afraid to be inspired for the future!

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