The Return

Review: Praying with Eyes Wide Open: A Life-Changing Way to Talk with God Sherry Harney 2017 Baker Books   Praying with eyes wide open?   For some, I guess, that idea borders on scandalous.   But fear not, this book has lots more than that in it.   It might have been the day I read the first few chapters of this book, but they just did not speak to me.   Nothing.   I was ready to put it down.   But, instead I picked it up again.    Sections 2, 3, and 4 of this book sang to me like the first section didn’t.   I am glad now that I came back to it.   So, what’s the deal with the first few chapters?   I suspect since I have read so many books on prayer, that it was too familiar.   Or maybe it was the weather or something.   The rest touched on several areas from a fresh perspective and I found that very helpful, a joy to read.   Uncle Seamus skipping by the lake which she borrowed from Brennan Ma...

Review: The IBS Elimination Diet and Cookbook: The Proven Low-FODMAP Plan for Eating Well and Feeling Great Patsy Catsos, MS, RDN, LD Harmony Books 2017 Eating well and feeling great captured my attention in this rather formidable title.   Both of those outcomes are high on my agenda.   IBS or Irritable bowel syndrome isn’t something that I find folks discussing openly in group settings, but if it afflicts you or someone you know this is a book to have.   Don’t let that big title put you off.   Catsos’ plan may be able to help.    That said, this will require some serious reading and planning to implement.   IBS is uncomfortable, inconvenient, embarrassing, and bunch of other descriptions of that ilk.   To have a means to leave that life and rejoin the “normals” might be worth it.    This book explains the current thinking on the causes of IBS, its symptoms, and how to plan and implement a diet that can ease the distr...

Review: The Imperfect Disciple: Grace for People Who Can’t Get Their Act Together Jared Wilson Baker Books 2017 I had to read this one just because of the audacity of its title.   A disciple that couldn’t get their act together?   The other disciple type books I’d picked up didn’t put it quite that way at all.   In fact, I really can’t remember this addressed directly.   Wilson pretty much filled that empty space in my reading with this book.    This is not a discipleship book in the usual sense of the word.   In fact, he says, “The essential message of Christianity isn’t ‘ do’ but ‘ done’.   The gospel is news , not instruction, and it announces to us not ‘get to work’ but ‘it is finished.’”.   (67)    He arrived at that conclusion after a time of beholding, i.e. looking intensely, really seeing, Jesus Christ, not just taking a quick look on the way to supporting a point.   Now he’s ready to talk about the r...