Be The Mom - An Encouraging Shot in the Arm

As a mother who stays at home with her kids, I must admit, I have had these awkward moments when asked what I do for a living.  After answering “Oh, I’m a stay-at-home mom," I see the slight frown and the look of pity and then accept the abrupt shift in the conversation to the weather.

I also admit that in response to that question I have downplayed my motherhood and replied with  “I’m a writer”.  (So cool and bohemian sounding.)  Or, “I’m a youth group leader”. (Never mentioning that I’m a volunteer.)

 To be honest my full-time vocation is a mother to my children. But looking around at our culture, it’s not easy to find anyone who will affirm the importance of motherhood, a voice that will state, without apology, that being a mom is the grandest career a woman could have.

That’s why I so appreciate Tracey Lanter Eyster’s book, Be The Mom.  Overflowing with good-natured advice and encouragement, Eyster clearly communicates her love of motherhood.  Seriously, this book bubbles over with the kind of   “Hey-I- know-what-you’re-going-through-and-I’m-in-your corner” inspiration that will make you want to run out into the street and shout OH YEAH, I’M THE MOM!  Well, okay, I’m exaggerating somewhat.  But if you are a mom struggling with your momhood, this book is a shot in the arm.

Not that Be the Mom is a cover-to-cover pep talk.  Far from it.  Eyster, chapter by chapter, points out the traps that moms can fall into that can damage their relationships with their family and take the wind out of their self-confidence.  From the “Just a Mom” Trap to the “Supermom” Trap, Eyster analyzes those perceptions of motherhood that can tie moms up in knots and cause anxiety-induced thoughts of self-doubt at three in the morning.

Be The Mom is a book that could have easily become a study in maternal shortcomings - the kind of book that makes you not want to a get out of bed in the morning.  But Eyster has the gift of encouragement with a coaching-not-criticizing approach.

Sure she points out the pitfalls of the “Martyr Mom” Trap, but she makes you feel like she’s right in there with you, urging moms on to see the big picture – to see what a gift from God motherhood really is.

Although Be the Mom is primarily a book that encourages the stay-at-home mom, Eyster certainly does not overlook the mom working full-time out of the home.  She admits some moms do have to work, but being the mom should always be of primary importance.

Speaking from experience, being the mom has come with some life adjustments for Eyster, who shunned the corporate ladder in favor of Chutes and Ladders, but she makes it clear, even through the most frustrating and difficult times, it is worth it.

 Advanced reader copy from Focus publishing through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

The Reason - Deeply Moving and Thought Provoking

In a small Michigan town an enigmatic stranger appears.   Kind, compassionate, and way too insightful…he can look inside a person’s heart, see the history of hurt and, speaking a few words, hold out hope of something better.  Oh, and did I mention the miracles?  Oh yeah, he does those too.

Now before you roll your eyes and determine this is yet another modern-day, stonewashed jean-clad-hipster-Jesus novel, please hold your judgment.   The Reason, by William Sirls is much more than that.  Sure, it doesn’t take reading more than a few pages to realize who the drifter is, but he’s not the center of this story.  Faith is, or more specifically, what it means to “Believe”.

Pastor Jim and his wife Shirley love God, although they are a bit weary keeping a church going that has seen better days.  Their joy is evident even though Jim is blind and they are taking care of their mentally challenged adult son.  But they love the Lord, trust Him and proclaim his faithfulness even under the most dire of circumstances.

 Under Pastor’s care are Brooke and her five-year-old son Alex. Brooke moved in with Jim and Shirley a few years earlier when she was going through a difficult time in her life.  A fairly new believer, she is finally piecing her life, and her faith, back together only to discover that her son has cancer.

Doctors Macey Lewis and Zach Harmon are determined to see Alex through, but they are facing some spiritual issues of their own that the mysterious stranger is going to make each of them confront, even if it means digging up a past that is too painful to bear.

Sirls has populated his novel with authentic characters – solid believers who press on, followers who are struggling with what to believe, and those who think this whole God thing is a crock – all wrestling with belief at one stage or another

Alex’s cancer is the impetus for a lot of soul searching and not just within the characters.  Sirls forces readers to ask themselves “What does it really mean when God asks us to only believe?”.

The Reason is a complex novel holding up the subjects of faith and God’s love and looking at them from various angles.

Yes, the definition of faith is on the line here between the pages of this book.  Can it be that if we have enough faith that the tide can turn in our favor?  Or are we placing our faith in the wrong thing?  Should our faith be in the gift or the Giver, the miracle or the Miracle Maker? 

And is it possible to hear from God and yet totally misinterpret His message?  When bad things happen to good people, is it a sign of weak faith or an opportunity to trust in someone bigger than the situation?  

And when life falls apart, does God really love us?

Sirls’ The Reason is encouraging, inspiring, and challenging – and it’s a good read. And when choosing a book, who needs a better reason than that?

The Romanov Conspiracy- Taut And Complex, Though Morally Questionable

The Russian Revolution was certainly a bloody affair.  Fear and chaos abounded.  It turned an entire nation upside down. And in the center of it all was the brutal assignation of the Tsar and his family.  A murder surrounded in a mystery, which became legendary.  Did the daughter of the Russian royal family survive?

Glenn Meades’ latest novel, The Romanov Conspiracy hits the ground running with a gritty and harrowing account of an attempted rescue of the Tsar and his family during the final days of the Russian revolution.

In the center of the story are Uri Andrev and Leonid Yakov.  Friends since childhood, they find themselves on opposite sides of the revolution.  Bitterness and anger rooted in betrayal and fueled by events spinning wildly out of control cause both men to seek to undo the other.  But even war can’t totally unravel the cords of deep friendship Uri and Leonid had woven over a lifetime.

Paramount to the plot is the Romanov family – the Tsar, his wife and children – including the willful Anastasia, held captive by Lenin’s men and soon to be murdered.  But help is coming in the form of a headstrong Irish gunner runner, Lydia Ryan, and Joe Boyle, a man of mystery who has been on more than one death defying mission.  Together with Uri Andrev they infiltrate Russia, making their way through the chaotic blood-soaked countryside, hoping to free the imprisoned Tsar and his family before it’s too late.

Meades' novel is taut, historically rich, and replete with complex characters.  It will quickly draw you into the horrifying upheaval that was the Russian Revolution and leave you breathless.

However, as an author known well to the Christian market, Meade does promote, albeit subtlety, the worldview that in the midst of heartache and turmoil it’s okay to “love the one you’re with”.  In The Romanov Conspiracy two of the characters find solace in the arms of someone other than their spouse.  The underlying feeling being that God understands.  That, for me, made a stellar novel less great.

A courtesy copy of The Romanov Conspiracy received from Howard Books in exchange for an honest review.

The Stars Shine Bright - Quick Paced, Smart and Savvy Mystery

The Stars Shine Bright, fifth novel in Sibella Giorello’s Raleigh Harmon series, is quick paced and quick witted, with special agent Harmon going undercover to discover who might be fixing races at a local thoroughbred horse track.

After almost losing her life in a locked stall when a fire breaks out and seeing horses come down with mysterious symptoms that are leading to their deaths, Harmon realizes there’s a lot more at stake here than someone lining their pockets.

Matching wits with the bad guys, her “aunt” (a Tennessee Williams quoting stable owner), and FBI agent Jack Stephanson keeps her on the top of her game and keeps the reader chomping at the bit for more.

Although it may be the fifth book in the series, it is the first Raleigh Harmon book I have read, and after tapping the last page on my kindle I asked myself how in the world I could have missed this fantastic crime novel series.  Raleigh Harmon has certainly risen to the top of my “favorite crime fighters” list.

Harmon is at her best with a case on her mind and a Glock in her hand, even as she struggles with affairs of the heart.   She’s smart, savvy, and sassy – all the while remaining sensitive to God’s leading.  She’s the complete package, not only a special agent but also a forensic geologist, which satisfies my geeky side. (Is that a bent toward creation science I sense, Ms. Harmon?)  She’s also a caring daughter desiring a mended relationship with her mother, who was admitted into a mental institution after a break with reality.

If you have read the previous Giorello’s books, I’m certain you will enjoy hanging out with Raleigh Harmon again.  As a newbie to the series, I am certain that I will buy the previous novels and get to know special agent Harmon a bit better.

With Kentucky-Derby-high levels of tension and excitement, The Stars Shine Bright bolts out of the gate like Secretariat on a dry track, so hold on tight.  

Courtesy copy of The Stars Shine Bright received from Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review.

Hidden In Dreams - A Psychological Thriller With An End-Times Slant

Dr. Elena Burroughs, professor of psychology and author of a controversial book on dream analysis, is trying to get her chaotic life back in order.  The last thing she needs are nightmares – dreams of imminent world-wide financial anarchy.  Visions so disturbing that upon waking she has the overwhelming desire to warn anyone who will listen. But what is even more disquieting is that she is not the only one having these same visions.  Several other people around the globe are waking up in terror, driven by the insatiable need to warn the world.

Indeed the dreams are proving prophetic.   As banks close and economic upheaval ensues, Elena finds herself the spokesperson for the dreamers.  But as a believer in Christ and a believer in dreams that can be prophetic, the question foremost in her mind is - are these dreams divine in origin or from a more carnal source, a source with eyes on a global power grab?

Davis Bunn’s latest offering Hidden In Dreams is a psychological thriller with an end-times slant.  The plot places itself in diverse arenas such as the pharmaceutical industries, economic institutes, and the field of psychology.  Although the pacing is tense throughout, it is not action driven by car chases or gunplay.  It is cerebral in nature – a cat and mouse  (or dreamer and deceiver) game played out on an international stage.

The heroine and her love interest are both devoted Christians, and through them, Bunn brings to the fore the necessity of trusting scripture over signs and wonders.  A valid point well executed.

Hidden In Dreams is an intriguing novel that doesn’t seem too far removed from today’s headlines.  It is an intellectually gripping yarn that will not leave you yawning. 

Courtesy copy of Hidden In Dreams received through Howard Books in exchange for an honest review.

Coming Home - Inspiring Finale to the Baxter Series

After the brouhaha over Karen Kingsbury’s last book, I was almost afraid to read Coming Home, but because of her overall track record, I gave it a go and was inspired.

Over the years, Kingsbury has built a Baxter dynasty, a family so authentic that readers have to remind themselves not to pray for the characters because they are not real.  Unfortunately, because so many readers are invested in these fictional lives, emotions flare when the novels don’t deliver. (Case in point: Loving).

But I will plead to those disappointed Karen fans not to abandon the Kingsbury ship.  She has more than redeemed herself with Coming Home.

John Baxter, patriarch of the clan, is turning 70, and the Baxter family is returning to the homestead for a surprise birthday party.  Each sibling is writing a letter to their father to be read at the party, reminiscing about the role he played in their lives.  But due to tragic circumstances, the celebration doesn’t happen as planned, and the Baxters are swept into yet another emotional maelstrom where each of them seek the One who calms the seas.

I will not give away the main plot line.  Just have your tissues ready.

Karen Kingsbury has written yet another poignant novel centering on the lives of everyday people who put their trust in Christ.  As the Baxters struggle with tragedy, we, through them, experience God’s faithfulness all over again. 

Coming Home is a moving, bittersweet, beautifully written finale to the Baxter series.  Having the Baxters together one last time was wonderful.  You won’t want to miss out on the reunion.

Sproul's The Work of Christ - Great Overview

R.C. Sproul’s latest contribution to Biblical studies, The Work of Christ, is a solid, no nonsense overview of the life of Christ from birth to His second coming.   Sproul’s goal was to examine the pinnacles of Jesus’s sojourn on earth in relationship to his redemptive work that He completed through the cross. But most importantly Sproul wants us to be able to understand exactly what it is that Christ did for us through his life.  Sproul, through this book, reminds us that Christ’s entire life was all part of the redemptive work and needs to be looked at and understood at a more profound level.

The Work of Christ would be an excellent study for a new believer or a great refresher for a seasoned saint.  Each chapter examines a pivotal moment in Christ’s life and the works He accomplished during that time.  From Bethlehem to His return, Sproul breaks it down so we can see the importance of every aspect of Christ’s works.

To be honest, The Work of Christ provided no new insights for me – it was an excellent overview – but nothing that made me stop and go “Wow”.  But that’s okay because what I loved about this book is that, after each chapter, there is a thorough outline of the important points that you needed to understand about that section. Even better there is a series of study questions that point you to more scriptures, allowing you to expand your study, if that’s what you desire.  If the reader takes advantage of these end-of-chapter studies, he will get even more from this book.

The Work of Christ will benefit anyone wanting a deeper understanding of what Christ did for us.  A great addition to the bookshelf of any believer.