So, I thought I would try something different right now. Lot's of people are starting to get resoultions ready, and looking back on their year. I thought I would look back on my year too...but I'm going to focus on the books that I read in the past 12 months during the year of 2010. I will give my review of the book, and a score out of 10 for that particular book.
Chances are, I am going to forget a book or two that I read, and there is also a good chance that one or two of the books I mention here will have actually been read by me at the end of 2009...but oh well. These are in no particular order:
1) Son of Hamas (Mosab Hassan Yousef)- This book was, simply, AMAZING! It's a story about the son of one of the people that started the terrorist organization Hamas. Incredible events, well written, and really gives a fresh new, REAL perspective on the conflict between Israel and Palestine. This guy went from Hamas, to working as a collaborater for Israel to becoming a Christian. He is now in hiding in the U.S. I bought this book on Thursday, and it was finished by Friday night. The deduction is because sometimes the names got confusing (not his fault as it's his true, life story...but made it kind of hard to fully grasp everything sometimes). 9.5/10
2) Gone, Baby, Gone (Dennis Lehane)- A real page-turner. It's the story of 2 detectives, who are reluctant to take on the case of a missing infant, but when they do the stakes get high and more and more questions are raised, with less answers being given. Lehane is the author of Shutter Island and Mystic River (both to be reviewed later). While this one is better than Mystic River, it falls short of Shutter Island. Overall tho, a great read. 9/10
3) The Town (originally published as Prince of Thieves, Chuck Hogan)- As I read this book, I couldn't get Eminem's song "I'm Not Afraid" out of my head...as it is the theme song of the movie trailer (which apparantly isn't in the actual movie). An incredible story of bank robbers in Charlestown, one of which falls in love with one of the people that they robbed. It has romance, action, some humour, a bit of mystery...it was a great read and was definately better than the movie (although the movie was pretty freakin awesome too!). 9/10
4) Jesus Want to Save Christians (Rob Bell)- I am a big Rob Bell fan, and this book does not disappoint. He writes in his classic style of short, often incomplete sentences...and it reads like his NOOMA videos. He raises excellent questions about the church, while going through the story of Israel. 8.5/10
5) The Rainmaker (John Grisham)- A typical Grisham novel...about a lawyer. This one is all about insurance fraud. If I were to tell you that a book about lawyers and Insurance Fraud would be good, you probably wouldn't believe me...but you should. It's not the best Grisham, but it is good enough to read quite quickly. 8.5/10
6) The Broker (John Grisham)- I was really excited to read this one, about a notorious broker who gets pardoned by the president, in a plot to get him assasinated. It sounded like it would be action packed...but in typical Grisham fashion, the real action doesn't start until three-quaters of the way through the book. It had it's moments, but it was far less then I expected. 6/10
7) The Guinea Pig Diaries (A.J. Jacobs)- This was another book I was really excited to read, and once again minor disappointment ensued. I say minor, because each chapter in this book is a different 'experiment' that Jacobs puts himself through, such as being 100% honest all the time, outsourcing his life, and doing only 1 thing at a time. Some chapters were great, others were ok and a few weren't as good as they could have been. After hearing reviews about his other books, especially "The Year of Living Biblically", I was really excited for this one. Too bad it wasn't as good as it had the potential to be. 6.5/10
8) Boneman's Daughters (Ted Dekker)- For being a Christian Novel, this one was really good (Did that sound cynical?). It kind of had a "Kiss the Girls" type feel (the movie with Morgan Freeman..check it out, it's a good one), and was a good page-turning thriller. I like that Dekker doesn't use this novel to preach at us, as other Christian novelists often attempt to do (even he does in some other books...more on that later as well). A decent 8/10
9) Plan B (Pete Wilson)- I read this book when I was going through a phase about what Faith is. This book was exactly what I needed to read. He talks about when life throws us unforseeable curveballs. When our Plan A becomes a Plan B or C. He uses real life stories, and has some great points. A good book to read for anyone going through a Plan B in life, or who knows someone who is. 9/10
10) The Summons (John Grisham)- 2 brothers, a father's will, and a big secret. This one isn't as much of a legal thriller as other Grisham novels, which is a nice change. It still has lawyer-esque elements to it, but it stays out of the coutroom. Surprisingly good story, typically well-written, and nice shocking moments throughout. 8/10
11) Blessed Child (Ted Dekker)- One of Dekker's first, and not one of his best. It's about a child who has a special connection with God. It has the cheesy Christian novel feel to it, almost to the point of frustration. A few action packed moments wasn't enough to save this one. Sorry Dekker fans, this one is a 5/10
12) The Street Lawyer (John Grisham)- Not very action packed, but packed with heart. Grisham takes on the homeless situation, and he does it in a profound, almost tear-jerking way (yes...I think I teared up a little in this one). This book inspires me to want to get out and DO something...which is rare for a novel. 9/10
13) The Pelican Brief (John Grisham)- Let's get my last Grisham novel of the year out of the way. This one was good. Excitement, explosions, intrigue. Not much to say, other then Classic Grisham. 8.5/10
14) Deadline (Randy Alcorn)- I did a whole blog on this book (and not in a good way) a while ago. This one takes Christian Fiction cheesiness to a while other level. This book comes in 3 parts, the main story about a murder (which was good), a characters experience in heaven (unnecessary and complete b.s.), and Alcorn's stance on abortion. To say that I felt preached at would be a huge understatement. 3/10
15) Shutter Island (Dennis Lehane)- Words can't express how much I loved this book. Just hands down, one of the best works of fiction I have ever read. Chilling, exciting, very well written. Just an amazing novel from beginning to end. The only reason I am giving it the score I am is because I somewhat predicted the ending. I fit could have actually surprised me in the end, it would be a full on 10. 9.5/10
16) Adam (Ted Dekker)- This book started well...with a serial killer. Then it turned into a weird "kill me so i can get a near death experience" book (The main character dies about 3 times in this one). And then, if that wasn't enough, it turns into an Exorcist type book...which wasn't what I expected when I read the last few chapters while in bed ready to go to sleep. Definately not Dekker's best. 4/10
17) The Lost Symbol (Dan Brown)- Any book that I use as a discussion starter for my status on Facebook has to be good. Brown delivers another winner. I read this one fast, just like his other ones. Raises great questions about the mind...and the power of prayer. Whether you agree with his stance or not doesn't take away from the exciting story and his amazing writing ability. This one actually did surprise me...so for that, I give it the much awaited and highly anticipated 10/10.
18) O Me of Little Faith (Jason Boyett)- Moving from a Dan Brown novel, to a non-fiction book about doubt. This book was incredible. Had sort of a Donald Miller, Pete Wilson, Rob Bell feel...and was just what I needed to read. It didn't challenge me, as I already agreed with everything in the book...but it did encourage me that I am not alone. A great read for all those who doubt. 10/10
19) Crime and Punishmen (Fyodor Dostoevsky)- My critique with Son of Hamas was that the names were tough at times...that would be an understatement for this one. Not only are the names Russian (such as Raskolnikov)...but Dostoevsky gives each character about 3 or 4 different names throughout the book. The story itself is interesting, and raises ethical questions, but the name issue, and the fact that the book had many slow moving, too-much-detail moments turned this classic into a bore for me. (In fact, this book took me so long to read that Kristi said it was very painful watching me slowly get through it). 3/10
20) Lord of the Flies (William Golding)- I never got the chance to read this one in High School, which disappointed me. I had low expectations for this one, as everyone seemed to hate it that I talked to. But I actually enjoyed it. I mean, it wasn't spectacular...but it was a good read. It took on some very interesting issues, and really brought into question the raw nature of mankind. Plus...who can hate a book with a nerdy kid with "athsmar" named Piggy. 6/10
21) Mystic River (Dennis Lehane)- As I mentioned in the Gone Baby Gone review, this book wasn't as good as his others...which isn't to say that it's not great. It's about 3 boys, one of whom gets kidnapped by perverts. After he returns home, he is different (not Tobey Maguire in "Brothers" different...but different). The story mainly focuses on their adult years...and ties them all into a murder investigation. If you want the best Lehane book, read "Shutter Island", but this one is still great. 8.5/10 (I couldn't give it the same score as a book I said it wasn't as good as).
22) Evil and the Justice of God (N.T. Wright)- No book review would be complete without N.T. Wright to end it off. This was a book I 'read' while at Bethany...but I literally skimmed through it so fast that I didn't remember anything from it. To be honest, I expected a bit more, but at the same time Wright is such an intelligent thinker and writer, that the book was exactly what it should be. Why is there evil in the world? Will it ever end? Great questions, and he does a great job of attempting to give a satisfactory answer to those, and other, questions. 8.5/10
Well...that's my review of the 22 books that I read over the past 12 months. That averages to almost 2 books a month, which I guess is a pretty decent number if I do say so myself. So what do you think? Do you agree with some of my reviews? Was I too harsh on some, too lenient on others? Did I inspire you to read some of these books? What have you read over the past 12 months, and what books should I read in 2011? Let me know. Merry Christmas...and hope you enjoyed this review...and if not, then that's ok too. Blessings everyone, and Happy New year (perhaps a bit early for that...but it's close enough).
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Merry Xmas, Happy Holidays
Happy Holidays everyone! And a Merry Xmas to you all as well! What? now your upset at me because I am being rude and inconsiderate to Christians? You think I have taken Christ out of Christmas? Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad? Is that better?
I'm sick of people who get up in arms over taking Christ out of Christmas. Give it a rest people. Seriously...let it go. Here is why I have no problem with the Merry Xmas and Happy Holidays.
1) X is NOT exing out Christ from Christmas. That would look like, "Merry ____mas". The X is an ancient symbol FOR Christ. It's greek. It's a shorthand and a symbol...nothing more, nothing less. Do some people use it to take Christ out of Christmas? Maybe, but the X itself is not an insult to Christians and Jesus...so stop taking offense to it.
2) Christians AREN'T the only people who have a holiday in December. We act is if we own the month, when in fact, we don't. To be honest, Jesus wasn't even born in December (or at least it is very unlikely that he was)...so why do we act as if everything in December is holy? It's a freaking month people...and the 25th was a day chosen because it coincided with an ancient pagan festival, and the winter solstice. What about Hanukkah and Kwanza? Plus countless other festivals and religions who have celebrations around that day? Why do we think that we are better then everyone, and deserve exclusive rights to this day and the traditional greetings of that day.
Let's put ourselves in other peoples shoes for a second. Let's assume that Christians are the minority, and the common holiday is Hanukkah. We still celebrate Christmas, but everyone comes up to us and says, "Happy Hanukkah"...and when we reply with, "Merry Christmas", or "Happy Holidays", they get upset and angry, and tell us that we aren't celebrating the TRUE meaning of the season. How would that make us feel? We are celebrating what WE think is the true meaning of the season, and no one seems to respect or acknowledge it. Same can be said for those who have their own celebrations and festivals around the Christmas season. And what about those who DON'T celebrate it, like Jehovah's Witnesses, and atheists...how do they like having others beliefs thrown intho their face? The truth is...we can't really know what others believe. We don't know who is Jewish, who is Christian, who is muslim, hindu, atheist, jehovah's witness...we can't tell by looking (we can assume in many instances...but we all know what happens when we assume). Which is why Happpy Holidays works well for everyone. Everyone is celebrating some sort of holiday, whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or just a holiday from work and school. Is it an attack on the Christian faith to be accepting of ALL faiths, beliefs and religions? In fact, I believe it is MORE Christian to be more aware and accepting of others.
Saying Happy Holidays does not take Christ out of Christmas. Santa Clause, Christmas Trees, Presents, Reindeer...those don't take Christ out of Christmas either...what takes Christ out of Christmas is Christians who claim that they are followers of Christ, and yet they don't serve him. They claim that they love God and Jesus...and yet they neglect the poor, needy and homeless. THAT is what is taking Christ out of Christmas. Who cares what greeting we say to eachother. That's my Christmas rant. What do you think? Agree or disagree?
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Merry Xmas, Happy Hanukkah...and to everyone else who I don't know the proper greeting for your celebration, I hope that your celebration is great!
note: I got the idea for this blog from Stephen Colbert, as well as a friend of mine's (Paul Woodburn) blog. So...credit to them!
I'm sick of people who get up in arms over taking Christ out of Christmas. Give it a rest people. Seriously...let it go. Here is why I have no problem with the Merry Xmas and Happy Holidays.
1) X is NOT exing out Christ from Christmas. That would look like, "Merry ____mas". The X is an ancient symbol FOR Christ. It's greek. It's a shorthand and a symbol...nothing more, nothing less. Do some people use it to take Christ out of Christmas? Maybe, but the X itself is not an insult to Christians and Jesus...so stop taking offense to it.
2) Christians AREN'T the only people who have a holiday in December. We act is if we own the month, when in fact, we don't. To be honest, Jesus wasn't even born in December (or at least it is very unlikely that he was)...so why do we act as if everything in December is holy? It's a freaking month people...and the 25th was a day chosen because it coincided with an ancient pagan festival, and the winter solstice. What about Hanukkah and Kwanza? Plus countless other festivals and religions who have celebrations around that day? Why do we think that we are better then everyone, and deserve exclusive rights to this day and the traditional greetings of that day.
Let's put ourselves in other peoples shoes for a second. Let's assume that Christians are the minority, and the common holiday is Hanukkah. We still celebrate Christmas, but everyone comes up to us and says, "Happy Hanukkah"...and when we reply with, "Merry Christmas", or "Happy Holidays", they get upset and angry, and tell us that we aren't celebrating the TRUE meaning of the season. How would that make us feel? We are celebrating what WE think is the true meaning of the season, and no one seems to respect or acknowledge it. Same can be said for those who have their own celebrations and festivals around the Christmas season. And what about those who DON'T celebrate it, like Jehovah's Witnesses, and atheists...how do they like having others beliefs thrown intho their face? The truth is...we can't really know what others believe. We don't know who is Jewish, who is Christian, who is muslim, hindu, atheist, jehovah's witness...we can't tell by looking (we can assume in many instances...but we all know what happens when we assume). Which is why Happpy Holidays works well for everyone. Everyone is celebrating some sort of holiday, whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or just a holiday from work and school. Is it an attack on the Christian faith to be accepting of ALL faiths, beliefs and religions? In fact, I believe it is MORE Christian to be more aware and accepting of others.
Saying Happy Holidays does not take Christ out of Christmas. Santa Clause, Christmas Trees, Presents, Reindeer...those don't take Christ out of Christmas either...what takes Christ out of Christmas is Christians who claim that they are followers of Christ, and yet they don't serve him. They claim that they love God and Jesus...and yet they neglect the poor, needy and homeless. THAT is what is taking Christ out of Christmas. Who cares what greeting we say to eachother. That's my Christmas rant. What do you think? Agree or disagree?
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Merry Xmas, Happy Hanukkah...and to everyone else who I don't know the proper greeting for your celebration, I hope that your celebration is great!
note: I got the idea for this blog from Stephen Colbert, as well as a friend of mine's (Paul Woodburn) blog. So...credit to them!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
O Me Of Little Faith
Many of you may not know this, but 2 weeks ago I got a job at the Christian Bookstore in Abbotsford. It's been an amazing experience so far, although I am right now hoping that it won't only be a seasonal job but will instead become a full time thing. Anyway, that's not really the point of this blog...just an update. While on my break at House of James, I have been reading a book that was kept in the staff room called "O Me of Little Faith" by an author named Jason Boyett. I can honestly say that I have never read a book like this. It is refreshing, it is honest and it is funny. Like, laugh out loud funny (and I don't mean that in the lame 'lol' texting/facebook way). But the main thing that is getting me about the book...is how I can relate to almost everything in it. Usually when I read a book, there are a few things that I love, many things that I like and one or two things that I hate and despise...so far, this book has been exactly what I needed to hear (now, I'm not done the book yet, so there may be something coming up that I won't like...but we'll have to see about that). Anyway, so far, here are a 3 of the main points that Boyett makes, that I think are excellent (even though they do push against the Christian norm).
1) People give God too much credit. Now before you rebel against me, and burn every copy of Boyett's books, note that those words are my words and not his. Secondly...let me explain. Boyett talks about people who thank God for a parking space, for sound and video equipment working, for finding a job, for weather...you know the type of thing I'm talking about. What he says is that, he's a logical person. If the sound and video equipment works...it's because the people who made the equipment did a good job. Did God have a hand in it? possibly...but does he deserve ALL the credit for that instance? likely not. Now, this isn't to say that we should never say "Thank God", or pray a prayer of blessing before we eat, or recognize the hand of God in everyday occurances...but I think it's safe to say that God doesn't need to be recognized for everything. First of all, because many things are just natural occurances, or coincidences, and secondly...even if he is involved in all the mundane details of our life, he is big enough and mature enough to not need the credit for everything. He's not that much of an egotist that everything has to be credited to him.
2) Arguing doesn't convert people. I knw there have been many times in my life when I get into a heated argument with someone who believes something different than me, and when the argument is over we are both just frustrated and don't believe anything new. Why do we have this incessant need to always be right? Why do we always have to speak up when something is said that we slightly disagree with? And more importantly, even if what we believe IS right and everyone else is wrong, we still have to treat them with love and respect. The moment we argue with others, we draw a line that says "you are over there, and I am over here. I am right, you are wrong. You have to agree with me". Do you ever notice that when the pharisees wanted to make Jesus look bad, they tried to get into an argument with him? Jesus never went for the bait. Instead, he showed love, respect and had very creative responses to their difficult questions and traps. From what I gather from the Bible, Jesus didn't get into arguments (at least not in an attempt to convert someone). Arguing is ok..there is nothing wrong with a heated argument every once in a while...but arguing doesn't make people believe in God.
3) The Sinner's Prayer is not Biblical. This one will probably cause the most controversy, as it is something we all grew up with. But it's true...where in the Bible does Jesus say, "I am the way, the truth and the life...anyone who wants to see the father must pray a certain prayere with certain words, asking me to come into their hearts and forgive them of all sins". The main problem I have with the sinner's prayer, is that it becomes the end. People pray it, and then move on with their lives...knowing that "Well, I'm good now, God will forgive me and I'm going to heaven. I can do what I want". Perhaps not everyone is like that, but it at least opens that door of possibility. I appreciate that the Sinner's Prayer can be a starting point. A beginning of a journey, it's too bad that it is often portrayed as the destination rather then the starting line. Jesus calls people to be like him, to follow his example, to have faith like a child, to love Him and love others, to put others first, to turn the other cheek, to forgive the unforgivable...he never says that to follow him you must walk down the long aisle to the altar and pray one particular prayer
That are the three main points of the book (as I gather them anyway...there are other great points and comments in the book) so far. Perhaps when I finish the book I will do a final blog summarizing everything. I hope that this blog encourages you to read the book (it's fascinating...really), and more importantly, I hope it helps you to realize that you don't have to believe everything that everyone else does. You can push the envelope a little bit, have a few doubts. Doubts are a good thing. Without Doubts, we don't ask questions. Without Questions, we don't have any answers. Without Answers, we won't learn anything. Blessings guys...and an early Merry Christmas to you all!
1) People give God too much credit. Now before you rebel against me, and burn every copy of Boyett's books, note that those words are my words and not his. Secondly...let me explain. Boyett talks about people who thank God for a parking space, for sound and video equipment working, for finding a job, for weather...you know the type of thing I'm talking about. What he says is that, he's a logical person. If the sound and video equipment works...it's because the people who made the equipment did a good job. Did God have a hand in it? possibly...but does he deserve ALL the credit for that instance? likely not. Now, this isn't to say that we should never say "Thank God", or pray a prayer of blessing before we eat, or recognize the hand of God in everyday occurances...but I think it's safe to say that God doesn't need to be recognized for everything. First of all, because many things are just natural occurances, or coincidences, and secondly...even if he is involved in all the mundane details of our life, he is big enough and mature enough to not need the credit for everything. He's not that much of an egotist that everything has to be credited to him.
2) Arguing doesn't convert people. I knw there have been many times in my life when I get into a heated argument with someone who believes something different than me, and when the argument is over we are both just frustrated and don't believe anything new. Why do we have this incessant need to always be right? Why do we always have to speak up when something is said that we slightly disagree with? And more importantly, even if what we believe IS right and everyone else is wrong, we still have to treat them with love and respect. The moment we argue with others, we draw a line that says "you are over there, and I am over here. I am right, you are wrong. You have to agree with me". Do you ever notice that when the pharisees wanted to make Jesus look bad, they tried to get into an argument with him? Jesus never went for the bait. Instead, he showed love, respect and had very creative responses to their difficult questions and traps. From what I gather from the Bible, Jesus didn't get into arguments (at least not in an attempt to convert someone). Arguing is ok..there is nothing wrong with a heated argument every once in a while...but arguing doesn't make people believe in God.
3) The Sinner's Prayer is not Biblical. This one will probably cause the most controversy, as it is something we all grew up with. But it's true...where in the Bible does Jesus say, "I am the way, the truth and the life...anyone who wants to see the father must pray a certain prayere with certain words, asking me to come into their hearts and forgive them of all sins". The main problem I have with the sinner's prayer, is that it becomes the end. People pray it, and then move on with their lives...knowing that "Well, I'm good now, God will forgive me and I'm going to heaven. I can do what I want". Perhaps not everyone is like that, but it at least opens that door of possibility. I appreciate that the Sinner's Prayer can be a starting point. A beginning of a journey, it's too bad that it is often portrayed as the destination rather then the starting line. Jesus calls people to be like him, to follow his example, to have faith like a child, to love Him and love others, to put others first, to turn the other cheek, to forgive the unforgivable...he never says that to follow him you must walk down the long aisle to the altar and pray one particular prayer
That are the three main points of the book (as I gather them anyway...there are other great points and comments in the book) so far. Perhaps when I finish the book I will do a final blog summarizing everything. I hope that this blog encourages you to read the book (it's fascinating...really), and more importantly, I hope it helps you to realize that you don't have to believe everything that everyone else does. You can push the envelope a little bit, have a few doubts. Doubts are a good thing. Without Doubts, we don't ask questions. Without Questions, we don't have any answers. Without Answers, we won't learn anything. Blessings guys...and an early Merry Christmas to you all!
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