The Return

Review: Daily Painting: Paint Small and Often to Become a More Creative, Productive, and Successful Artist Carol Marine Watson-Guptill Publications 2014 Just what I needed!   There’s all sorts of good information here.   Some I knew already, and had filed away somewhere, but then I found the idea of “island and ocean”.   There’s much more in this book too, but that example was one of my favorite “aha” moments.   Yes, I’m an amateur looking to improve.   So why not read what a pro has to say? The author gives her readers a short course in drawing and painting in this book.   A peek at the table of contents gives you the outline, but the content is what sets this one apart from the others I’ve read.   It’s much more personable, relaxed, and helpful.   The illustrations show precisely what the narrative explains, little numbers and circles and all.   It’s not hugely technical and assumes some experience.   The exercises...

Review: A Fellowship of Differents: Showing the World God's Design for Life Together Scot McKnight Zondervan 2014 “Everything I learned about Christian life I learned from my church.”   Most of us can agree with McKnight on this quote, but is what we learned the way the church was supposed to be?   And for that matter bringing down to the personal level, the way Christian life was supposed to be?   McKnight looks at those questions in this book.   As the title hints at his answers call for some adjustments in church as usual. McKnight has taught for a number of years and I think that is what makes this book so readable. It’s deeper thought-wise than several I’ve read lately, but not pedantic.   It has some fun asides and anecdotes mixed into the text at appropriate moments that help make the point without bludgeoning the reader.   Basically, he thinks that the days of the rugged individual Christian and the assemblies of people that resem...