34. The Hiding Place A Graphic Novel

The Hiding Place A Graphic Novel. Corrie ten Boom. With Elizabeth and John Sherrill. Adapted by Mario DeMatteo. Illustrated by Ismael Castro. 2024. 240 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: It was 1937, just three years before Hitler and his Nazis invaded Holland. It was the 100th birthday party of ten Boom Watches--our little watch shop in Old Haarlem. Although the party was for the shop, the affection of a city was for father. Casper Ten Boom. They called him Haarlem's Grand Old Man.

This book adapts Corrie ten Boom's autobiography The Hiding Place into a graphic novel of the same name. 

Is The Hiding Place memoir worth reading? Yes. Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes.

Is The Hiding Place movie adaptation worth watching? YES. Definitely.

Is The Hiding Place graphic novel memoir worth reading? Definitely. Especially, especially if it helps readers envision the times and events. Some readers respond more to graphic novels, find them easier to read, to digest. It may be "easier" to "hand-sell" (think Reading Rainbow) a graphic novel than a traditional book, a nonfiction memoir at that. 

Does the graphic novel do a good job adapting the original? While I haven't read them close together in time to compare perfectly, as I was reading the graphic novel, I was reminded of scenes from the memoir. I don't recall any memorable, significant scenes from the memoir being left out OR being changed or altered. All the highlights, if you will, of the original can be found in the graphic novel adaptation. Memories not being perfect, however, I haven't examined the two close enough to say with absolute certainty that the two are essentially telling the exact same story. 

I do recommend reading the original OR reading the graphic novel--or both. I do recommend watching the movie. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

64. Counting the Cost

Counting the Cost: A Memoir. Jill Duggar, Derick Dillard, Craig Borlase. 2023. [September] 287 pages. [Source: Library] [biography, memoir, nonfiction]

First sentence (from the prologue): Technically, there was no problem with Derick and I being outside together that way. We weren't on a date or anything, so we didn't need a formal chaperone. Plus, there were easily a half dozen little Duggars running around out there with us, playing in the snow. We were safe. We were following all the courtship rules that my parents had encouraged us to write down--no holding hands, no in-person, one-on-one conversations without another adult or mature chaperone present, no putting ourselves in a position where we could fall into temptation. All the same, I knew that people would be watching us. It was to be expected.

First sentence (from chapter one): Click. My parents didn't believe in magic. They didn't believe in dancing, either. But they understood the power of music. And like all magicians, they knew exactly when to wield it. Just the sound of Mom loading a cassette into the tape player was enough to call us all to order. 

Jill Duggar Dillard has written a memoir. (Squeal!) She writes truthfully, respectfully about her upbringing. She praises where praise is due. She's grateful for any and all benefits and blessings. She criticizes where criticism is due. Or if not out and out criticism, she calls for questioning. 

Unfortunately, she grew up in a household that was 110% committed to the Institute in Basic Life Principles. And merely questioning or doubting is enough to be viewed as a degenerate rebel. Jill didn't spend much time questioning anything--blindly, willingly, openly following her parents--particularly her father. But as an adult, a married woman, a woman with children of her own, she did begin to question. Not without nerves, anxiety, hesitation. Jill was clueless about confrontation and boundaries. But slowly and surely, with the full and total support of her husband, she did begin to have those difficult conversations. She began to ask honest questions. 

If Jill is to be taken at face value, then she did so in a way that was not inherently hateful or mean-spirited. Perception is tricky. Certainly her father took even the slightest hesitation to 'yes, sir' as out-and-out rebellion and a great sin. That is one problem with the IBLP. Calling things sin that the Bible doesn't necessarily call sin. Adding to Scripture. Misinterpreting Scripture. 

Unlike her sister's book--also published this year, I believe--this one doesn't so much go through her journey of disentangling her faith. It is a more traditional memoir. This is an actual biography that chronicles her life. She has questions, thousands of questions. Like WHY did her father not protect her and her sisters? WHY is Joshua--a convicted criminal--seen as a such a wonderful son, an angel, and she is seen as dangerous, rebellious, sinful? Why didn't she--as a person--matter more than the television show? I won't list every single question Jill poses. 

This is not a book written primarily for gossiping or shock value. I was amazed by Jill's respectful restraint. The way she's been treated, you might think she'd be justified in expressing out and out outrage. If she wanted to rant, rave, rage against those that have hurt her, who could blame her??? But, she is grateful, kind, and HONEST. She cannot be a doormat. But she doesn't have to add fuel to the fire. She goes above and beyond to see the good, to praise the good, to be thankful for the good. She does not come across--at all--as vindictive or a drama queen. She doesn't come across as toxic. Wanting healthy boundaries is not toxic. Wanting to be respected as an adult is not toxic. 

Did I find out new things? YES. Was everything 'shocking' or 'appalling'? No, not really. Again, I don't think the book--despite some people wanting ALL the tea, every ounce of tea, every single little detail (not a one to which they are entitled to)--was written to be scandalous or gossipy. 

One thing the book does bring to light is that the Megyn Kelly interview was conducted with JOSHUA in the room. Which puts yet another spin on it. It would have been 'tainted' enough perhaps by the presence of her parents. (No doubt, the parents were pressuring them to stick to a certain story, to play their roles in the PR campaign). 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

59. Being Elisabeth Elliot

Being Elisabeth Elliot: The Authorized Biography: Elisabeth's Later Years. Ellen Vaughn. 2023. [September] 304 pages. [Source: Review copy] [biography]

First sentence: "I feel perfectly certain that I shall never marry again," Elisabeth Elliot declared early in 1956. It had been nine days since her muscular young husband and his four fellow missionaries had been speared to death by members of a remote tribal people in the Amazon jungle.

This is the second volume of Ellen Vaughn's biography of Elisabeth Elliot. It is an authorized biography. Both volumes are authorized. She was granted access to materials that other biographers haven't been able to access--exclusive access. While other biographers have had access to some of her letters and published excerpts from her journals, Ellen Vaughn was granted access to LOTS of her journals. 

There is no "one" Elisabeth Elliot--her spiritual and theological growth was ever-changing and ever-evolving. And the Elisabeth Elliot of later years--particularly the last two or three decades of her life--radically differs from earlier decades. She was something of a radical in the 1960s and 1970s. Not anti-establishment necessarily, but anti-evangelical establishment. What some refer to today as "big Eva." It wasn't so much that she questioned God, just how the evangelical church liked to box him in and speak for him.

This volume focuses on Elliot's "later years" focusing primarily on the years 1956-1978 (or 1979?). Essentially the biography begins to wind things up when she marries her third husband. A little is said of this time. It was very productive in creating the Elisabeth Elliot legacy--many of her most iconic works were published at this time. (Though not the most iconic, perhaps). But her third marriage...was....well, it came at great sacrifice. For example, if someone tells you I want to FENCE YOU IN ON ALL SIDES AND PROTECT YOU, you should probably give serious thought to what exactly they mean. Because it might not be as swoon-worthy and romantic as you might think.

The writing style worked so well. This was a QUICK read. The chapters were manageable (unlike that other Elliot biography I reviewed this year.) Each chapter seemed to have a purpose, a point. 

Some of the content did surprise me. I didn't necessarily want to read the lusty, sensual side of Elisabeth Elliot. But it is a way of making sense of her later years and the decisions she made. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

5. Rembrandt is In the Wind

Rembrandt Is In the Wind: Learning to Love Art Through the Eyes of Faith. Russ Ramsey. 2022. 272 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Henri Nouwen wrote in The Return of the Prodigal Son, "Our brokenness has no other beauty but the beauty that comes from the compassion that surrounds it." Our wounds are not beautiful in themselves; the story behind their healing is. But how can we tell the story of our healing if we hide the wounds that need it? This book is about beauty. To get at it, the book is filled with stories of brokenness. 

Art history through a Christian perspective--that's how I'd sum up Rembrandt is in the Wind. Ramsey looks at art through the lens of goodness, truth, and beauty. He argues that beauty is the glue that holds the three together. And those three are communal (universal)--not only shared by all humans everywhere, but also shared by God. (For these three are attributes of God). 

Ramsey writes, "The pursuit of goodness, the pursuit of truth, and the pursuit of beauty are, in fact, foundational to the health of any community." He argues that beauty is essential and should actively be sought. 

He has selected a handful of artists--around nine or ten--and is sharing their stories through their works. (Not all their works, mind you, but selected works. He is choosing artists and stories (and works) to make his argument. I am sure these stories are just the tip of the iceberg. That there would be even more stories, more lessons, more wisdom if the book was longer.

My personal favorite chapter was chapter one, "Beautifying Eden: Why Pursuing Goodness, Truth, and Beauty Matters." I found all the chapters interesting to a certain degree. But some chapters were "extra" good for me. Other chapters were perhaps a little less so. 

Table of contents:

Beautifying Eden: Why Pursuing Goodness, Truth, and Beauty Matters

Pursuing Perfection: Michelangelo's David and Our Hunger for Glory

The Sacred and the Profane: Caravaggio and the Paradox of Corruption and Grace

Rembrandt is In the Wind: The Tragedy of Desecration and the Hope of Redemption

Borrowed Light: Johannes Vermeer and the Mystery of Creation

Creating in Community: Jean Frederic Bazille, the Impressionists, and the Importance of Belonging

The Striving Artist: Vincent Van Gogh's The Red Vineyard and the Elusive Nature of Contentment

Beyond Imagination: Henry O Tanner, Race, and the Humble Power of Curiosity

What Remains Unsaid: Edward Hopper, Loneliness and Our Longing for Connection

Measuring a Life: Lilias Trotter and the Joys and Sorrows of Sacrificial Obedience

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

24. The Mayflower Pilgrims

The Mayflower Pilgrims: Sifting Fact from Fable. Derek Wilson. 2019. Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. 256 pages. [Source: Review copy] [nonfiction; adult nonfiction; christian nonfiction]

First sentence: Is there such a thing as a Christian country? If so, what would it look like?

I'll be honest I was shocked when I saw that this one was 256 pages. Why? It felt like it was twice that long! Perhaps because the chapters tended to be on the longer side. (If you need to stop mid-chapter to use the bathroom--there's a clue that the chapter is too long.)

This one is all about putting the Mayflower Pilgrims into context, a specific time and place. The story of the Mayflower Pilgrims does not begin at the dawn of the seventeenth century--far from it. At least the way Derek Wilson tells it. He grounds HIS story into the English Reformation--the split from Roman Catholicism. This alone places us a hundred years back. But even that isn't quite far enough, deep enough. For Martin Luther was not the first nor the only to become disgruntled with the status quo and begin asking questions. Before Luther there was Wycliffe and his Lollards--just to name one. No, this story tells the history of religious (and to some extent religious and political dissent) in England (it only touches on Europe in bits and pieces here and there.)

Primarily it focuses on the years 1520 to 1620. (As I mentioned above, it goes a bit further back here and there as context demands.) It is important for readers to understand from page one that this story ends BEFORE a single pilgrim steps aboard the Mayflower. If you go into the book thinking that it will end with the Pilgrims arriving in America, or dare I say the Pilgrims celebrating the first year or two of survival--celebrating with a feast. You'll be mighty disappointed.

From the introduction, "If we really want to discover, as best we can, who the 1620 pioneers were, we need to probe their past, their heritage and their response to that heritage. And we also need some understanding of their context in the world they grew up in, the convictions they embraced, the assumptions they rejected and the changes with which they attempted–not always successfully–to cope. That is why the following narrative does not begin with the 180-ton Mayflower, after a series of false starts, clearing Plymouth harbour. Rather, it ends there. The huddle of religious separatists on the ship’s deck, watching their past disappear over the eastern horizon, believed they knew what a Christian commonwealth would be like and that, far from the satanic influences of the Old World, they could, under God, create it. We know that they were wrong. The communities they planted replicated the vices and the virtues of the ones they had left. The seeds of corruption lay within themselves. The perfect human society is a chimera. But we would do well to guard against cynical superiority."

This story touches on just about everything--royalty, politics, church politics, war, navigation and exploration, literature, philosophy, science, theology, and BUSINESS. (To name just a few sub-topics).

It explores essentially one question WHY. Why would anyone--man, woman, boy, or girl--set off into the unknown, risking their life??? The voyage across would be dangerous. But after that voyage, then what?!?! Talk about true unknowns and great uncertainty. There is no simple single answer to the WHY question. The answers would be varied and much more complex than we can imagine.

There were a few chapters that I just loved, loved, loved. I found them insightful and interesting. Other chapters I found overwhelming--it seemed the narrative was flying way over my head...and as a result, I found the reading dull. But not every chapter was like that. There were some truly great moments. And I think readers may have to work at staying engaged with the text.

One of my favorite chapters was on the first Bible translations in English. It was fascinating.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

23. Suffer Strong

Suffer Strong. Katherine and Jay Wolf. 2020. Zondervan. 224 pages. [Source: Library] [Biography; Christian Nonfiction; Christian Living]

First sentence: Our stories are glorious. They’re also painful, unfair, scary, and almost always quite different from what we thought they would be. Yet it seems that those parts might be the very means through which the glory is most revealed.

Katherine and Jay Wolf continue to share their story, journey, experiences, lessons learned, encouragement with readers. This is the second book together for this husband and wife.

The theme of the book is redefining perspectives, outlooks, and world views. The chapters are alternating narrators.

Redefining limitations
Redefining the past
Redefining celebration
Redefining trauma
Redefining loss
Redefining failure
Redefining beauty
Redefining commitment
Redefining community
Redefining healing
Redefining hope

Pollyanna is often misunderstood and misapplied by our culture and society. This book isn’t about pasting on a happy face and grinning your way through tough times. The joy, hope, and ultimate strength come from faith in the God of the Bible. This isn’t about finding your inner strength and powering through tough situations by speaking what you want into the universe. The book is grounded in Scripture. We may be weak, but He is strong. We may not have the answers, but we can trust in the One who does. We can rest in the sovereignty of God and rest securely in his love knowing that he is working all things for our ultimate good. Not our comfort in the here and now, mind you. Not according to what we think is our ultimate good. Not according to our desires of the moment. Not according to our time of when we want it. But trusting in God, his wisdom, his goodness, his faithfulness, his grace and mercy.

Quotes:
Knowing you can’t do everything is a harsh reality, but it’s also a sweet gift. You couldn’t do it all on your own anyway, and you don’t have to. (25)

It seems that God does give us more than we can handle—sometimes much more. And yet He does this so He can handle it for us and so we can handle it together. (33)

Every story starts with a memory.... I’m convinced that what happens to us in life actually matters far less than how we remember it. Sometimes our memories—and more specifically, the way we remember them—can draw us to a uniquely inspiring way of looking toward our future. Through this lens, we get to tell a whole new kind of story and remember a new kind of future. (37)

Just because your pain might not be the worst-case scenario doesn’t mean it’s not still pain. None of us need to apologize to anyone, ourselves included, for the stories we’ve been given. There will always be harder stories than ours, and there will always be easier ones. For some reason, we’ve been given the one we’ve been given, and it’s up to us to figure out why and, more importantly, what we are going to do with it. In the big scheme of things, our worst stuff falls under a great umbrella of all the worst stuff. That collective worst stuff was bad enough that God himself died to make it all not so one day. Our personal trauma matters to God, because all the traumas ever felt matter to God. (70)

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: Exactly As You Are

Exactly As You Are. The Life and Faith of Mister Rogers. Shea Tuttle. 2019. 211 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Weekday afternoons when I was a child often found me curled up on the brown, plaid couch in our basement family room, draped in a homely, single-yarn brown afghan, my fingers poking through its open knit.

Premise/plot: Exactly As You Are is a spiritualized biography of Fred Rogers, aka Mister Rogers. After a few chapters about his early life, college years, and first job experiences, the book settles down into exploring Mister Rogers and his neighborhood. From here the book becomes almost topical and each topic is a spiritual one. That is what sets this one apart. I have read several biographies of Fred Rogers. Largely each one has the same exact quotes and uses the same sources. Tuttle seeks a spiritual meaning, moral, lesson, observation in each and every aspect of his life, his relationships, his career.

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved some chapters. I did. Other chapters were more speculative and seemed agenda-driven. My favorite section was the middle one, “Broadcasting Grace.” My least favorite section was the last one that speculated about Mr. Rogers’ sexuality, his views on sexuality and gender identity, his view on heaven.

I would not change one thing about the television show. I would not make it more “Christian” or more specifically Christian. I would not add explicit theological teachings that would be more appropriate coming from the pulpit than a puppet. Can you imagine what it would be like to see Daniel Tiger asking Lady A if she thinks Lady Elaine is going to go to hell because she's so mean?! That would NOT be good. No, I would not change anything about the show.

But I also would not draw conclusions about the complexity or lack thereof of his belief system based on the scripts of the show or his interviews with the media. Neither outlet would be a good one for presenting a systematic theology.

The book is one person’s understanding of Rogers’ faith.

That being said, I found a few things troubling about his theology. Perhaps the things that make him a great neighbor make him a less ideal evangelist. As the book presents it, Mr. Rogers did not believe in the doctrine of sin. Mr. Rogers believed in man’s innate goodness. He believed in a God that loves us exactly, precisely as we are—whether we are in Christ or out of or apart from Christ. When dying friends allegedly asked Fred if they would go to heaven, he’d say yes, of course, God loves you exactly as you are. Now assuming the person is in Christ, that’s a fine answer, but supposing he or she isn’t that’s a terrible answer and a missed opportunity. One example has Fred saying something like, just think of all the people you’ve made happy with your music. Of course you’ll go to heaven. That logic is absurd!

If Tuttle’s assessment and speculation is correct, then Rogers seems to have some faulty foundations to his theology. Perhaps Tuttle is right. But maybe not. Maybe Fred was just uncomfortable broadcasting the necessity and exclusivity of Christ.

Imagine that one foot is the doctrine that humanity was created in the image of God and that God saw his creation as good, very good. The other foot is the doctrine of sin, the original sin, the fall of mankind, and man’s being enslaved to sin, dead in sin, unable to please God, unable to stand in front of a holy God. You need to stand on both feet if you want to stand. One supports human dignity, human rights, the value of life, a reason for treating others with respect, kindness, and love. The other shows the absolute and total necessity for the gospel, for preaching Christ and only Christ, for the urgency of evangelism. Apart from Christ, we stand forever condemned, separated, enslaved, hell-bound. In Christ we stand forever forgiven, accepted, loved, set free. The Bible clearly teaches both. We are created in God’s image. Even after the fall, human life is valuable, of worth, has meaning. But Genesis 3 happened. We are not sinless, innocent, perfect, sweet and lovable. Sin is real and rotten. It rots us from the inside out, spreads like a cancer, is fatal. There is only one cure, one hope, one Savior. There is eternal life in no other. To stand clothed in Christ’s righteousness is our only hope for judgement day. In Christ is security. To cling to our independence, our own righteousness, our own worth is destruction. One sin condemns. Let alone the totality of all our sin. But God is a great God, a loving and forgiving God. No matter how dark, how many, how monstrous our sins he forgives and forgives completely and forever those who confess Jesus as Lord and Savior. To be in Christ is to have life.

To stand on one foot and just one foot is foolish. The bad news of sin leads to the amazing, miraculous news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. To exclude the doctrine of sin from our thinking, teaching, preaching, is short-sighted “love.” Truth must not ever be divorced from love, genuine love. But the genuine purity of our love cannot be divorced from truth or it loses its purity and genuineness. We must love wholeheartedly, but cling to truth as well. It is not loving to keep the truth to ourselves. If hell is real, if God does in fact hate sin, we should care and care deeply enough to share the gospel, to live out the gospel.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: The Joy of Missing Out

The Joy Of Missing Out: Live More by Doing Less. Tonya Dalton. 2019. Thomas Nelson. 240 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence from the introduction: OVERWHELMED. It was a beautiful spring morning, but I was too busy to notice the trees beginning to bud or the clear blue sky.

First sentence from chapter one: Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe. OPRAH WINFREY

Premise/plot: Dalton hopes to connect with her readers who feel overwhelmed and stressed in her new book, The Joy of Missing Out. What does she mean by the phrase 'joy of missing out'?

Noun 1. The emotionally intelligent antidote to busy; intentionally choosing to live in the present moment by embracing open spaces of unrushed time 2. An intense feeling of delight and happiness caused by centering your life on what is truly important and letting go of the “shoulds” and “have to’s” in life. SYNONYMS: unhurried purpose, intentional, priority-centered ANTONYMS: busy, hustle, frazzled, knock stuff out, having a full plate

The book falls into the 'self-help' genre though it is published by a Christian publisher. It's a book about productivity, effectiveness, goal-setting, and priorities. It's a super-practical book packed with cultural wisdom. It guides readers step by step on discovering their own unique 'North Star' and discovering their own core values that will help shape their vision.

Productivity is not about doing more—it’s doing what’s most important. We need to stop trying to get more done and instead reset our focus on our own priorities. When we do that, our ideal life can become our real, everyday life.

When we treat everything as equal, it means nothing is a priority. It all gets jumbled together and we begin to lose sight of what really matters.

You have more time left in your life right now in this very minute than you will have an hour from now. There is not another point in your lifetime when you’ll have the luxury of the amount of time you have right this very second. If there’s something you really want to do, today is the day to start. It’s possible for your future to look brighter, for you to focus on the things that are important to you. But to do that, your priorities have to take priority.

While we may not be sailors, we still need a constant in our life to help guide us through the darkness. Here’s the hard fact: we don’t just find ourselves on a fulfilling, deeply satisfying path—we create it for ourselves. The clarity comes from within us.

My thoughts: If The Joy of Missing Out was NOT published by a Christian publisher, would I be surprised--even shocked--by its contents? Probably not. In fact, I know I wouldn't. This is exactly what I'd expect to find in any self-help section.

But the fact that it is in fact published by a Christian publisher, well, it shook me a bit. Why? Because the word "God" only appears once. The word "Bible" only appears once. I believe the words "church" and "Sunday School" appear once in the same story. And prayer might accidentally be mentioned two or three times even. Perhaps. But there is not one Scripture verse quoted or even alluded to. The book (the Bible) that is supposed to be the one and only authority in our lives is completely and totally missing. (As is all mention of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.) Oprah is mentioned more than God. Think about that. Think. About. That.

Priorities, goals, mission statements, core values, visions...all without any reference at all to God the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit...without any reference to God's will...to His sovereignty...to the Bible...to eternity. There is nothing remotely Christian about this one.

There are plenty of quotes to be found in this one. All contemporary. All cultural. But not one of them is from a Christian theologian, author, or preacher.

“It is our choices . . . that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” J. K. ROWLING

“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” LOUISA MAY ALCOTT

Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door. COCO CHANEL

As Zig Ziglar said, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” 

Perfectionism is just fear in fancy shoes and a mink coat. ELIZABETH GILBERT 

Instead of saying “I don’t have time” try saying “it’s not a priority,” and see how that feels. LAURA VANDERKAM

What I do every day matters more than what I do once in a while. GRETCHEN RUBIN

The decisions you make determine the schedule you keep. The schedule you keep determines the life you live. And how you live your life determines how you spend your soul. LYSA TERKEURST

Sometimes it helps me to wake up in the morning and tell myself, “Today, I’m going to believe that showing up is enough.” BRENÉ BROWN

The world will see you the way you see you, and treat you the way you treat yourself. BEYONCÉ

As Zen priest and Buddhist teacher Joan Halifax shared, “There is the in-breath and there is the out-breath, and it’s easy to believe that we must exhale all the time without ever inhaling. But the inhale is absolutely essential if you want to continue to exhale.”

Do your thing and don’t care if they like it. TINA FEY

You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. MAYA ANGELOU

I am conflicted in some ways. On the one hand, I think she's lacking a solid foundation, and I question her questions. The questions and framework she wants us to work with--start from--are not based on anything solid and lasting. They are build on cultural wisdom and pragmatism. On the other hand, it is very true we don't need all the things. Some of the conclusions she arrives at seem true enough. We do fill our lives with things that just don't matter, with things that we don't really want. Sometimes we do not know how to say NO. I do believe in using your time wisely and valuing minutes. But her process...well...I'm just not sure it's biblical enough to build your own system around.

If you're looking for a book where you are encouraged and pleaded with to put yourself at the center always then this one might be for you.


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: Unbroken

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. Laura Hillenbrand. 2010. Random House. 473 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: IN THE PREDAWN DARKNESS OF AUGUST 26, 1929, IN THE back bedroom of a small house in Torrance, California, a twelve-year-old boy sat up in bed, listenin

I first read this biography of Louis Zamperini in 2014. I've been meaning to reread it for years now. It is the story--for those that don't know--of a rebellious young man whose life was transformed first by running and then by his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is the story of a soldier during the war. He amazingly survives his plane crashing into the ocean; he and another soldier survive for months adrift on a raft; he's "rescued" by the Japanese, imprisoned for years--tortured, starved, diseased. The story does not end with his return to the United States at the end of the war. It does not end with his touring the country sharing his story. The war he faces once he returns home is just as intense and potentially lethal. But he's not alone. He just doesn't know what God has in store for him.

I love, love, love Zamperini's testimony. His story--his testimony--is amazing. I think everyone should read this one.

Quotes:

It is a testament to the content of Louie’s childhood that his stories about it usually ended with “… and then I ran like mad.”

In a childhood of artful dodging, Louie made more than just mischief. He shaped who he would be in manhood.

Confident that he was clever, resourceful, and bold enough to escape any predicament, he was almost incapable of discouragement. When history carried him into war, this resilient optimism would define him.

Louie was never more than an inch from juvenile hall or jail, and as a serial troublemaker, a failing student, and a suspect Italian, he was just the sort of rogue that eugenicists wanted to cull. 

Once his hometown’s resident archvillain, Louie was now a superstar, and Torrance forgave him everything.

Without dignity, identity is erased. In its absence, men are defined not by themselves, but by their captors and the circumstances in which they are forced to live. Dignity is as essential to human life as water, food, and oxygen. The stubborn retention of it, even in the face of extreme physical hardship, can hold a man’s soul in his body long past the point at which the body should have surrendered it. The loss of it can carry a man off as surely as thirst, hunger, exposure, and asphyxiation, and with greater cruelty.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: Made for the Journey

Made for the Journey: One Missionary's First Year in the Jungles of Ecuador. 1998. Revell. 176 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: It is unsettling to me now to know that people who are making a tour of South America can take a short, easy side trip and see the Colorados.

This one was originally published as THESE STRANGE ASHES.

Made For the Journey is a memoir written by Elisabeth Elliot. In the book she recounts her first year as a missionary. This was before her marriage to Jim Elliot. Elisabeth worked with several other single women--some trained to be doctors/nurses--in a small jungle in Ecuador. Elisabeth's mission was to learn the language of the Colorados and translate the New Testament.

In the jungle, you might say, Elisabeth Elliot learned to wait. Things certainly weren't working according to her own time table.

In the book she shares the many lessons she learned--often the hard way--in the jungle during her first year.

The book brought to mind one section of Scripture.

As the rain and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10,11

I wish I'd read this book before reading her fiction novel, No Graven Image. If you do read Made for the Journey, it would be worth your time to seek out the other as well. The books complement one another well.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: Five English Reformers

Five English Reformers. J.C. Ryle. 1890. 150 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: THERE are certain facts in history which the world tries hard to forget and ignore. These facts get in the way of some of the world’s favourite theories, and are highly inconvenient.

Premise/plot: Five English Reformers is a collection of six sketches or essays. The first essay is "Why Were Our Reformers Burned." It gives an overview of this period of history focusing not just on the who, the where, the when, the how--but THE WHY. (It highlights nine martyrs).

The collection also includes five sketches of individual reformers: John Hooper, Rowland Taylor, Hugh Latimer, John Bradford, and Nicholas Ridley. These sketches could be read independently of one another. Each does stand on its own. The book gathers together likeminded writings on the English Reformers.

Many sections of the sketches (Hooper, Taylor, Latimer, Bradford, Ridley) are just excerpts from Foxe's Book of Martyrs with some light commentary by Ryle. He also includes a few quotes--as he sees fit--from the English Reformers themselves.

My thoughts: If you enjoy reading history and biographies, this one may be a good fit for you. The first essay is, in my opinion, the best because it tackles the why. I think so often we forget about the why when we're reading history. This is set during the Tudor period. Henry VIII has died, his heir Edward has died still a boy without an heir of his own, the question is which sister will reign next...and what religion will the country be.

Ryle argues in this one that the main reason the Reformers burned was the conflict--the disagreement--over communion or mass. Ryle writes, "The doctrine in question was the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the consecrated elements of bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper." He examines this point of debate in terms of past and present. Was it worth dying for then? Also is it worth standing up for and defending now? Should protestants remain firm on this issue. Or is there a lot of wiggle room. Is this a major issue or a minor one.

Quotes:

• Truth is truth, however long it may be neglected. Facts are facts, however long they may lie buried.
• It is a broad fact that during the four last years of Queen Mary’s reign no less than 288 persons were burnt at the stake for their adhesion to the Protestant faith.
•  The principal reason why they were burned was because they refused one of the peculiar doctrines of the Romish Church. On that doctrine, in almost every case, hinged their life or death. If they admitted it, they might live; if they refused it, they must die. The doctrine in question was the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the consecrated elements of bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper.
• Whatever men please to think or say, the Romish doctrine of the real presence, if pursued to its legitimate consequences, obscures every leading doctrine of the Gospel, and damages and interferes with the whole system of Christ’s truth.
• You spoil the blessed doctrine of Christ’s finished work when He died on the cross. A sacrifice that needs to be repeated is not a perfect and complete thing.—You spoil the priestly office of Christ. If there are priests that can offer an acceptable sacrifice of God besides Him, the great High Priest is robbed of His glory.—You spoil the Scriptural doctrine of the Christian ministry.
• A right diagnosis of disease is the very first element of successful treatment. The physician who does not see what is the matter is never likely to work any cures.
• Take away the Gospel from a Church and that Church is not worth preserving. A well without water, a scabbard without a sword, a steam-engine without a fire, a ship without compass and rudder, a watch without a mainspring, a stuffed carcase without life,—all these are useless things. But there is nothing so useless as a Church without the Gospel.
• To the Reformation Englishmen owe an English Bible, and liberty for every man to read it.—To the Reformation they owe the knowledge of the way of peace with God, and of the right of every sinner to go straight to Christ by faith, without bishop, priest, or minister standing in his way.—To the Reformation they owe a Scriptural standard of morality and holiness, such as our ancestors never dreamed of.-For ever let us be thankful for these inestimable mercies! For ever let us grasp them firmly, and refuse to let them go! For my part, I hold that he who would rob us of these privileges, and draw us back to Pre-Reformation ignorance, superstition, and unholiness, is an enemy to England, and ought to be firmly opposed.
• Let us read our Bibles, and be armed with Scriptural arguments. A Bible-reading laity is a nation’s surest defence against error.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: Gosnell

Gosnell: The Untold Story of America's Most Prolific Serial Killer. 2017. 347 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: It wasn't a homicide case--until it was. Originally the authorities weren't investigating murder, or even illegal late-term abortions. They were just trying to bust a prescription drug mill. But they wound up discovering something far worse.

Premise/plot: This true-crime nonfiction book focuses on the investigation, trial, and sentencing of Dr. Kermit Gosnell. It also brings to light the absence of the media's coverage throughout. No one it seems wanted to present abortion in a negative light. Or to be perceived as presenting abortion in anything but a glowing, empowering light. Question one abortion provider's practices--ethics, procedures, philosophies--and who knows what might be the result. Better to err on the side of caution and ignore the story.

The facts, I won't lie, are gory and disturbing. For example, Gosnell's collection of severed baby feet. Scores of jars of baby feet he kept in the office. (These were not part of the case, part of his charges.) Essentially there were several things going on: filthy, unsanitary, unsafe facilities; untrained, paid under the table employees that had no business dispensing medicine, or assisting during abortions, or overseeing patients after the abortions; an illegal side business of dealing out prescriptions for drugs; doing a lot of illegal late-term abortions (anything past twenty-four weeks is illegal in the state he was practicing in.) What should be shocking is that he was purposely, intentionally delivering babies alive and then killing them a minute or two afterwards. He was proud and happy that he was doing a service for the community. He was not treating the born-alive babies with dignity, or respecting their personhood. Waste, unwanted waste, to be put down the garbage disposal, or, to be stuffed in a kitty litter container. His motivation on all counts is money, money, more money.

My thoughts: Everyone should read this one. No matter if you're pro-choice or pro-life or some hazy position in between. I think the story is disturbing but worthy of your time. How should patients--white or black; poor or middle-class, young or old--be treated. What are a patient's rights? And who is looking out for patients best interests? Multiple government agencies or authorities knew about some of the violations--perhaps even most--and did nothing. Not their problem, not their neighborhood. Perhaps a generalization but some truth I think. No one wanted to step in and shut down this clinic. The authors point is even if you discount the babies or fetuses, how can you discount the dangers posed to grown or nearly grown women? No twenty-four waiting period, no counseling, no consultations with the doctor, drugs dispensed before, during, and after ineffectively or incompetently. Sometimes too much, sometimes too little. Also the conditions of the facilities: no working bathrooms, dirty blankets and chairs and floors, fleas everywhere because of the cats who had free range throughout, the repeat use of medical supplies that are one use only, the lack of training of the staff. How can you support women's rights and ignore the horrors of this clinic?

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible