Book Review: Into the Whirlwind

   Into the Whirlwind by Elizabeth Camden is one of those book you are eager to read on, whenever you can, but it it is not without its flaws.

                                             

    The story is set in 19th Century Chicago, taking place just before and after The Great Chicago Fire of 1871.  The author describes this  fire with gripping detail right from the get go, and the reader is drawn immediately into the story, and characters. The heroine, Molly Knox, is the owner of  the 57th Illinois Watch Company,  left to her by her deceased father. It employs a rag tag crew of disabled veterans, assembled together by her late father, who fought alongside them during the Civil War. Molly sees this shop she invested  heart into, go up in flames, while alongside Zack Kazmarek, the lawyer of  Hartman's,  the 57's  biggest inventory buyer. Yet she  is a determined woman and her journey to rebuild her father's company is complicated by a budding romance with Zack.

   Zack and Molly are an amusing pair. He seems steely in business, and sometimes outright ruthless. But in his personal life, and especially in his interactions with Molly, he is a funny, hotheaded, young man. On the other hand Molly is a strange mix of order and passion. She wears her hair in tight braids and she has the meticulous mind required to assemble tiny machinations of a pocket watch tick. However, she is also fiercly concerned in making sure the company and it employees, survive.  Zack is both puzzled by her and grealty attracted to her. He likes her unruly hair wild and free. Molly isn't always sure what to do with him. They are brought closer  by experiencing the fire together, but their differing  personalities threaten to keep them a part. Their romance is challenged by dishonstey, stubbornness, persumption, miscommunication, and even a more stable suitor. However, I found myself rooting for their relationship to make it.

    Camden wonderfully develops Molly's character. One gets a keen sense of who she is, consistently. However, Zack is a bit one dimensional. The reader could have benefited from more scenes featuring him  learning who he is, and seeing more than just his impetuosity and brisk, business like manner. Also, it seems the rash, hoted  head macho- man is a common trope, particularly in this genre. I would have prefered to see a more nuanced and  unique character.

   Finally, the biggest flaw of the novel was the "absence" of God. He took a loooong back seat in most of the characters lives. Aside from the characters saying a few prayers here and there, one does not find the depth of relationship with Christ in any character's life. There are Christian themes present, such as faith,
 but  the novel would have been even better if the character's relationship with God had  been explored in greater detail. We're in need of more  books that present a dynamic and vivid presentation of the Lord with his people.

Note: I recieved a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Lifestyle of a Prophet

    One thing to know about me is that I love the Prophetic---or all things related to the inspiration, manifestations, and workings of the the Holy Spirit. So naturally, books written about the prophetic greatly attract me. My most recent reading is a book by  respected prophet and spiritual leader, James Goll, and is titled “The Lifestyle of a Prophet: A 21 Day Journey To Embracing Your Calling”.

The book is organized as a 21 day devotional and is divided into three sections: a lifestyle of intimacy, a lifestyle of wisdom and a lifestyle of revelation. Each section contains 7 chapters, so in theory you should read a chapter a day until you finish the book. Moreover, since each chapter also contains 4 questions at the end, the organization of the book makes it easier to apply the principles contained. It also helps to cultivate discipline, and thus "reinforces" or points to the most important discipline of the Christian life: daily picking up your cross and intentionally following Christ.
 
   In addition to the above, each section features a person from the Scriptures who models the characteristic Goll teaches and wishes to impart to the reader. The first, a lifestyle of intimacy, draws upon the life of John the Beloved. In this section Goll  names intimacy as the foundation of a prophetic lifestyle.  He has a few nice and fresh insights in this section. I especially liked his teaching on how John’s grew from being a “ Son of Thunder” ready to call down God's wrath,  to one who leaned on the chest of the Lord, and was ultimately chosen to write about the love of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ ( the book of Revelation). Its often more common to hear of Peter’s growth, but this teaching on John is rare and just as thought provoking.

   The last part of this section contained one of the best insights of the book. In it Goll describes “the character to carry the gift” , speaking of how one matures as a Christian in general, and in using the prophetic. I personally struggled with some of the issues he presented such as times of spiritual dryness, and a “drying up“ of the spiritual gifts, so it was great to hear how one successfully copes with these difficulties.

   Although the first  few chapters in this section were good, I found the rest a bit unnecessary.  Since I came to this book eager to learn about how to prophesy, I expected to find this information very early in the book and in more depth. However, Goll spent a little too much time speaking of intimacy. I understand his intention was to emphasize the importance of  a close relationship with the Lord above all else, but this could have been expressed in fewer words, and chapters.  I would have preferred Goll to have simply pointed the reader to other books on the topic of intimacy, and to have delved more into teaching about prophecy.

   Still, the rest of the book was strong all around. Section two, called "a lifestyle of wisdom",  discusses more of prophecy  and  examines Joseph’s journey to wisdom. Goll shows and entreats the reader on how he too can develop wisdom and understand the prophetic. In the last section, a lifestyle of revelation, Goll features Ezekiel “the prophet of visionary revelation” as he so describes him.  Another highlight of the book comes in this section, which I believe to be the best section of all. Goll gets to the heart of the matter, giving practical tips for prophesying in every chapter of this section, and even describing his own triumphs and sufferings in the prophetic.  He also gives a thought provoking analysis of Ezekiel and the valley of the dry bones.

  Overall this was a good book. It starts of a bit slowly, picks up in the middle and finishes strongly in the last section. Throughout the book I appreciated how Goll encourages the readers to answer the question and apply the principles he has listed. I have decided to apply several of the tools in my daily walk with God from now on. So, if you are looking for an interesting discussion of prophesy from the perspective of  a seasoned prophet, then you will enjoy and benefit from this book. Goll has been prophesying for many years, and has  much experience and wisdom. This book would have been even stronger if he had shared more of his experiences and practical insights.


***I recieved a free copy of this book from Chosen Books in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Secrets of Biblical Wisdom

     Wisdom 101




     I was not  motivated to pursue wisdom before reading the book, "The Secrets of Biblical Wisdom", by Kyle Searcy. Often, I would hear my church and christain friends casually speak of wisdom. Other people have even said I have wisdom. But I never quite understood what anyone meant. Even when I saw wisdom referenced in the bible, I couldn't fully grasp it. I use to think of it as the "pratical" aspect of knowledge; wisdom is using my knowledge to live in a smart or superior way. However, Searcy's book helped to expand my definition of wisdom by pointing out things such as the neccesity of revelation with wisdom and concepts such as "understanding" and "insight".

     The book itself is divided into ten chapters. Each chapter is interspersed with "decrees" and prayers. At the end of each chapter are questions for meditation and pratical tips. Not only does Searcy offer examples from his own life but also, he provides tips on how to incorporate the wisdom he learned from his experiences to the reader's life. Although I have not gotten the chance to do all of the questions yet, I have benefited from the sections I have completed. The chapter dealing with wisdom's definiton and revelation were especially helpful. The most interesting and helpful section was chapters 2-5. It offered great insight into the nature of wisdom, the importance of wisdom and revelation together and, an interesting perspective on how Solomon was able "to hear" God's wisdom.

    In accordance with one of Searcy's tips, I've begun a study of proverbs. Proverbs exhorts us to seek wisdom as if it were "a hidden treasure", more precious than rubies. While I'm not completely burning for wisdom yet, I understand that it is valuable.  I am no longer just a passive absorber of it. I want to have more of it and the only way this can happen is if I intentionally pursue it. In addtion to asking God for more of it, I will also surround myself with wisdom; I'll read more wisdom literature and will begin to apply some of the pratical tips Searcy offers in the book.

    One of the purposes for this book is to increase the reader's desire for wisdom and it suceeds in this purpose. My only criticism is I wish there were more examples, particularly in the section concerning discerning the wrong or demonic kind of wisdom. There could also be a little more content about the productiveness of wisdom and tips on time management.  Nonetheless, if you need an introduction to wisdom, advice on how to apply wisdom to your life, or if you simply need motivation to pursue it, I recommend this book.

*** I recieved a free copy of this book, courtesy of Chosen Books, in exchange for my honest review. ***