"A Higher Calling" (Harold Earls IV & Rachel Earls)

TITLE: A Higher Calling: Pursuing Love, Faith, and Mount Everest for a Greater Purpose
AUTHOR: Harold Earls IV & Rachel Earls
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook, 2020, (224 pages)
 

This book is a beautiful love story about an army officer and a social media sensation.  Written like journal entries, the book details the lives of Harold Earls IV and Rachel Earls from courtship to marriage, and how their relationship survives and thrives through their various adventures. There is romance, spiritual lessons, adventures, travel, sports, mountain-climbing, missions, childbearing, and many enthralling stories to captivate the reader's attention. One of the most gripping parts of the book is about Harold's dangerous expedition up and down the treacherous Mount Everest. Apart from the magnificent scenes described, he tells us how the highest mountain in the world had become a deadly burial ground for many climbers. Harold prefaces each chapter with a journal entry from his Mount Everest climbing experience. 

The two authors alternate their thoughts throughout the book. They share about how they met, their common faith in God, their growing love for each other, and the dreams they want to achieve. After a period of long-distance relationship, they eventually married, only to be separated again because of the Mount Everest project. They share their marital challenges of being apart, the need for regular communication, and the crucial role of prayer in their relationship. Harold writes about his love for baseball, his endurance through army life,, especially his Ranger School stint, his mountaineering experience, and his constant expression of love for his wife. Not to be outdone, Rachel too has her own unique stories. She describes her days of vlogging, how she maintains a social media presence, her travels, and her roles as a supporting wife to Harold. 

This extraordinary couple gives us an intimate view of marriage and intimacy, faith and hope, life with purpose, and the constant dependence on God for all things. They do not claim to be superheroes of faith. Rather, they are ordinary people seeking to live beyond themselves, to reach out and make a difference whenever they can, wherever they are, and whomever they can touch. 

I leave with two words to describe this book: Exciting and Heartwarming. 

Captain Harold Earls IV is an active-duty Army officer currently serving as the Commander of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Harold is a graduate of West Point. He is a recipient of the Major General Smythe Leadership Award and is US Army Airborne/Ranger qualified.

Rachel Earls is a beloved vlogger, business owner, Army wife, and mother, and she is the founder of Earls Family Foundation. Rachel graduated cum laude from Florida State University, where she was heavily involved in service projects for organizations including the FSU Wesley Foundation and the Chi Omega sorority. 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of WaterBrook via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Love Never Fails" (Hilda St Clair)

TITLE: Love Never Fails: A Journal to be Inspired by the Power of Love
AUTHOR: Hilda St Clair
PUBLISHER: Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 2017, (128 pages).

There are books that gives out information and there are books that inspire. What about books that not only inspires but invites us to journal along, even as a co-author of this special book about the power of love. Each love thought comes with a quote from a famous spiritual writer or a Holy Scripture, followed by an invitation to reflect and to contribute our thoughts on the following page. It makes readers think, ponder, and wonder about love by interacting with the wisdom sayings. Some books append a discussion guide or series of questions at the end of the book or at the end of each chapter. This book does the same at every turning of the page! This is essentially a journal that features words and verses from the Bible, Bernard of Clairvaux, Julian of Norwich, Augustine of Hippo, and with other love quotes from non-Christians as well. There are also meditations on words from CS Lewis, Elie Wiesel, Paulo Coelho, Helen Keller, and more. With full colour and illustrations, this journal certainly takes the best of the visual and literary words to inspire us to do the same.

Readers (and journal-writers), can interact with the love thoughts and add in their own responses. I call this a spiritual journal that uses love as a starting thought and urges the reader to spread the love beginning with self. The way to really benefit from this book is to take time to read the passage, to reflect on the meaning and our own contexts, and then follow through on the questions and exercises that follow. You can check out a sample here.

 Hilda St Clair is a member of the Community of Jesus. She has previously written a similar journal that is based on Julian of Norwich's famous words, "All Shall Be Well."

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Paraclete Press without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"From the Editor's Desk" (John M. Buchanan)

TITLE: From the Editor's Desk
AUTHOR: John M. Buchanan
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2016, (208 pages).

For evangelicals, the flagship magazine is "Christianity Today." Pentecostals would be familiar with "Charisma." For Roman Catholics, popular magazines include "Catholic Herald," "National Catholic Register," and "First Things." For many mainline Protestants, it is the "Christian Century." Originally formed as a "Disciples of Christ" journal, it was renamed "Christian Century" among various attempts to revitalize the floundering publication. Whatever public opinion may be, former publisher John Buchanan prefer to see this magazine as an advocate for "thinking critically and living faithfully." It aims to be open to the world and generous to the Church. The magazine was founded in 1884 as "The Christian Oracle" and has featured contributions from past well-known personalities like Gerald Ford, Karl Barth, Martin Luther King Jr, Paul Tillich, Reinhold Niebuhr, Karl Menninger as well as more modern writers such as Thomas Long, Barbara Brown Taylor, Eugene Peterson, Marcus Borg, and so on. A key mission of the periodical is to analyze and advocate for issues of the age according to the conscience of the church. For instance, it takes a pacifist position as international conflicts mount. It fights against human rights violations. It focuses on civil rights for all, being the first periodical to publish in full Dr Martin Luther King Jr's "A Letter from the Birmingham Jail." Looking at the title of the periodical can be embarrassing as one remembers how the century has been tainted by the Holocaust, Hiroshima, and 9/11. Reflecting as a grandfather, author John Buchanan sees a new wave of hot button issues on the horizon.

"Go Tell It" (Jim Killam and Lincoln Brunner)

TITLE: Go Tell It: How--and Why--to Report God's Stories in Words, Photos, and Videos
AUTHOR: Jim Killam and Lincoln Brunner
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014, (176 pages).

You have a great story to tell. You have spent years serving faithfully. You have also witnessed many beautiful moments of how God has worked mightily. Unfortunately, your story is untold. Your witness is hidden somewhere. Maybe, you want to tell it but you lack the know-how. What if there is a way to tell it, that more people can be blessed? What if there is a way to spread the good news so that God's Name and Work can be shared more broadly?

Enters this very helpful book about Christian journalism. Just like the gospel writer, Luke who aims to record down meticulously the works of Christ, we too can learn to exercise the Great Commission through faithful and accurate story telling and gospel reporting. We can learn to report what God has been doing, what he had done, and what is he up to. We learn about how details can be very important in the telling of any story. We learn to choose the most significant parts in order to strengthen our focus. We need to hone in on the central question, and to report the truth. Yet, this truth reporting has to be done sensitively especially in places where mission work can be risky, even dangerous. The authors provide some guidelines such as:

• Understanding the contexts of the mission
• Publish wisely, with guidance from the people from the field
• Adopt the Three Strands Rule: Name, Location, Ministry

At the same time, we are reminded that our world is filled with journalism that is more selling rather than telling. Understand the ethical implications. Learn to observe without obstructing; reporting without falsifying; and crediting God for what God has done. Know that freedoms differ from place to place. The clue is that Christian reporting is less about telling people what to think or do, but more about showing people the way far enough so that they can find the truth and act on the truth themselves.

There are tips on how to report bad news or "monsters," conflicts, and then search for universal themes. The main elements of any story include the central character, the conflict, the resolution, the biblical themes, and the story of grace and redemption. Other kinds of reporting include interviewing where one seeks accuracy on the one hand, and maintaining a cordial relationship on the other. Stories also need scenes in which the story plots are fleshed out. Photography and audio-visual aids are discussed too. A nice camera is not sufficient. One also needs some technical skills of a photographer and an eye for the relevant details. Movies must tell a story.

Christian journalism is vital. Good journalistic skills by Christians are essential if the truth is to be shared and spread throughout the world. This book is a primer for any budding journalist who wants to capture stories of the world from a Christian perspective. I am not a fan of using "Christian" as a prefix to things or activities. Personally, I prefer to distinguish between good vs bad journalism rather than Christian vs non-Christian journalism. For some of the best news reporting are not necessarily Christian. Some of the worst reporting can be done by Christians. The aim is to enable everyone everywhere to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. While there are instances where stories need bridges and links to move from one point to another, we need to maintain a truthful stance, to use whatever we have truthfully to communicate the truth accurately and faithfully. For Christians, the motivation toward journalism is a noble one. It is precisely because the gospel comes to us through the Word, we need to learn to use words, and every possible reporting tools to witness the hand of God working in this world. It is a calling.

I was hoping to read more about reporting in social media, blogging, and the new media opportunities but was disappointed that the book stopped short on that. Hopefully, in future editions, the author will incorporate more of these new technologies and their implications on modern reporting and journalism. That said, this book has refreshed my own zeal on the importance of journalism. Good journalism that is.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me courtesy of Moody Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.