Book Review: Mary's Christmas Story

Mary's Christmas Story. Teresa Olive. Illustrated by Nancy Munger. 1996. Concordia. 16 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: Young Mary lived in Nazareth, a town in Galilee. She was a girl who tried to serve the Lord most faithfully.

Premise/plot: Retells the story of Jesus' birth from Luke 1:26-56 and Luke 2:1-20 in rhyme for children.

My thoughts: I remember loving the ARCH BOOKS from my childhood. This one was not from my childhood years. So I was unfamiliar with it. I think I might have liked it better if the author had worried less about rhyming. That being said, it's not like every single poetic line was poorly done. It's just that while rhyming in and of itself isn't horribly difficult, writing rhyme with great rhythm is difficult. Rhymes should not distract readers from the story.

Mary did not understand. She asked, "How can this be?
I am still a virgin. I'm not married yet, you see."
Gabriel said, "God himself will cause you to conceive.
Nothing is impossible with God--you may believe!
Your relative, Elizabeth, who is old and worn,
Is finally a mother--her child will soon be born"

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: The Time of Christmas

The Time of Christmas. Suzanne Richterkessing. 1999/2002. Concordia. 32 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: The cold fall wind sent the leaves skittering across the sidewalk.

Premise/plot: Smidge and Smudge are two mice who seek refuge in a big, warm-looking building that turns out to be the church. It isn't long before the two are listening to a voice explain a lot about the church and three seasons of the church: advent, Christmas, and epiphany.

My thoughts: It is just as instructional as I thought it might be. Readers learn along with mice--presumably--about advent wreathes, candles, chrismons, etc. The text is packed with information; it can get a little text-heavy at times. But it's a nice enough read.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: Blessed

Blessed: God's Gift of Love. Mary J. Moerbe and Christopher Mitchell. 2016. Concordia. 144 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I was interested in reading Mary J. Moerbe's Blessed because this word has always fascinated me. If you read the Bible, you'll see it popping up everywhere. It's in the Old Testament and the New. It's something that both God does and that we do as well. I had a general, fuzzy-and-vague notion of what it meant to bless and to be blessed, but, I wanted to know more. (I do think it's one of the words that is easier to use than it is to define!)

What should you know about the book? It is more scholarly than devotional. The book examines all the different uses of the Hebrew word(s) that are translated as blessed. (To be precise, the Hebrew root brk). The book also considers all the different contexts that the word is used. The book traces the word--the concept--throughout redemptive history. So the book isn't necessarily a warm-and-fuzzy book of Bible promises to feed and nurture your soul as it is a meaty book for you to engage with and digest. At times it does become technical.

Favorite quotes:

Blessings are not about us; rather, blessings are about God who gives them.

There is a temptation to believe that blessings are always accompanied by strength, happiness, courage, or wealth. Really, one can be blessed and struggle. One can be blessed and weak, afraid, or persecuted. One can be blessed during calamities and death.

God does not rely on us: we rely on Him, and the power of Christ does not need our strength, courage, or anything else. In Christ, we are highly favored, which means blessed, by our heavenly Father.

When our heavenly Father saw the fall into sin, He did not first address our emotions, self-esteem, or other needs humanly perceived. He entered the battle for our souls.

A name from God marks the entrance into a relationship with God.

God both blesses to deliver and delivers to bless. He offers peace and rescue.

It takes God's Word to reveal God's blessings. And, as a sign of His favor, no earthly blessing is intended to be a distraction from God's greatest gift: His Son.

He blesses before we praise, even as He gives us life before we seek it.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: Ladylike: Living Biblically

Ladylike: Living Biblically. Rebekah Curtis and Rose Adle. 2015. Concordia. 224 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Ladylike: Living Biblically is certainly a thought-provoking read. It is a collection of essays--essays addressing women and how they should live--why they should live--biblically.

It might be tempting to call these chapters "devotional" but that wouldn't be the truth, not the exact truth. Yes, one could read this book in place of a devotional book, and, perhaps maybe even get more out of it than the typical devotional.

But these essays--these chapters--are food for thought. Even when written in a humorous style, they're meant to be taken seriously. One of the things I most appreciated about this one is the variety of narrative styles used throughout. Each chapter almost does stand alone. Each one speaks for itself.

It doesn't matter if you're young or old, or somewhere in between. It doesn't matter if you're single, married, or widowed--if you've had kids or not. The authors are talking to YOU. (One of the most frustrating things for me is when  books "for women, by women" assume that all women are naturally married and have at least a couple of kids. This book makes no assumptions.)

I also appreciated how straight-forward and unafraid these women are to speak the truth as they see it, even knowing that speaking "the truth" could lead to disagreement or controversy. If the Bible says it's true--it's true. Don't look to modern-day feminists who may or may not claim to be Christ-followers for the answer you're looking for--hoping for--turn to the Word of God.

But what we're offering here are thoughts aimed to ground our functions, identities, and lives in Christ our Lord as He reveals Himself to us in His Word. 

I enjoyed the whole book, but, several chapters stand out as MUST-READ. "The Pie Eating Contest" comes to mind.

This is how it begins:

A little girl walked into a kitchen and saw a delicious pie on the table. The little girl squealed with delight, "I want to eat it all." "You can't eat it all," her mother replied. "It wouldn't be good for you." End of discussion. Many years later, another kitchen and another pie. This time, there's a different response. It smells so good! It looks so good! The girl, now a grown woman, squeals, "I want to eat it all!" And everyone cheers. Yes, to the pie! Yes to the eating of it all! Go you! She starts in on the pie and life is sweet. After a few large slices, she's a little bit surprised that having it all is not as easy or as enjoyable as she had anticipated.

Other favorite quotes:

The people of God always appear to be on some wrong side of history from a human perspective. Running afoul of human "wisdom" can be awkward or even dangerous. But the believer knows it is far more dangerous to be on the wrong side of the God of history. It can never be wise to live counter to the wisdom of the world's maker. 

The children of God cannot lead holy lives when the Word of God is not taught in truth and purity. 

Avoiding topics that might not be well received is refusing to treat someone like a reasonable adult.

The human animal wants cupcakes, oversleeping, and sex, all without consequences. 

But Jesus died for the celibate person as much as He did for the beloved spouse (not to mention the unbeloved spouse). "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints" (Psalm 116:15), no matter how many people show up for a particular saint's funeral. Every person ever born is a testimony to the love and power of the Creator, and His love for any one of us is greater than the love all of humanity combined could offer.

What Jesus wants from us is repentance, every day of our lives. He would rather have us be holy than self-actualized. It is better for us to die daily to sin than to open that cookie shop or write that novel or finish that degree.

The true Church does not ordain women; neither will women of the true Church permit themselves to be ordained or submit to anyone who teaches contrary to Scripture.

Most unbelievers are not kept from faith because they do not believe there is a God. What they do not believe in is their own sin. They think they're pretty good. They don't believe there is anything so wrong with them that they need forgiveness in any significant way, certainly not an eternal one. If there is a hell, it was only invented for Hitler, and what makes it so hellish is that he's there all alone. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible