"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.

"You are Not Alone" (Jennie Allen)

TITLE: You Are Not Alone: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxious Thoughts and Believing What's True
AUTHOR: Jennie Allen
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Waterbrook Multnomah, 2024, (192 pages).

Mental health is a big topic nowadays. Ever since the Covid pandemic, we continue to hear news reports and various mainstream articles talking about the need for proper mental healthcare. One of the best ways to cultivate good mental health is toward the young. Many problems arise out of a poor or traumatic upbringing. As the younger population becomes more exposed to the Internet, it is increasingly important to take steps to foster wisdom and tact when dealing with so much information, especially via social media. That is not the only concern. Children needs guidance in almost all areas of life. From discerning Truth from fiction to dealing with thoughts and all kinds of feelings, author Jennie Allen gives us tools and tips to guide the younger ones among us. It is easy to feel helpless with the continuing onslaught of information and mass misinformation out there. Thankfully, this resource helps us put things in perspective. Calling it a "Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxious Thoughts and Believing What's True," this book anchors readers on the foundation of all stability: The Bible. Written in three parts, Allen guides us with clear instruction and biblical wisdom on how to deal with life, and especially our spiritual upbringing.

"The Sacredness of Secular Work" (Jordan Raynor)

TITLE: The Sacredness of Secular Work: 4 Ways Your Job Matters for Eternity (Even When You're Not Sharing the Gospel)
AUTHOR: Jordan Raynor
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook & Multnomah, 2024, (224 pages).
 

One of the most popular resources for Christians is to find meaning in everyday work. The interest revolves around questions about practicing one's faith in the world. What does faith in the marketplace mean? How do we live the spiritual life in an increasingly secular world? What does it mean to be a Christian in the workplace? What should we do if our workplaces forbid us from practicing our faith? Does our work really matter? What does gospel living look like? In this book, author Jordan Raynor asserts that our work not only has "instrumental value" on earth, it also has "eternal intrinsic value" to God. "By "instrumental value," it means our work matters because it can be an opportunity to explicitly share the gospel with people we work with. "Intrinsic value" refers to how our work matters even when we are not explicitly sharing the gospel. The Great Commission should not be the "only" commission in life as it might give us a flawed sense of living as a Christian in an unChristian world. The primary reason is that though He lived with the gospel in mind, Jesus never turned everything into a "Great Commission" act. Many of his simple acts are that of care, compassion, care, and common living. One observation that the author makes is how the focus on the Great Commission Only is only a recent phenomenon. The Early Church did not have that distinction between sacred and secular lives. In fact, the words "Great Commission" did not even show up until the 1800s. In other words, the reason why so many today are asking how our work matters to God, is due to the mental separation of sacred and secular worlds. After listing the five ways we have misapplied the Great Commission, Raynor also enlarges the understanding of work beyond mere paid careers. This forms the major part of the book that looks at how we can live out the gospel in 99% of the time when we are not explicitly "sharing the gospel."

"Does Christianity Still Make Sense?" (Bobby Conway)

TITLE: Does Christianity Still Make Sense?: A Former Skeptic Responds to Today’s Toughest Objections to Christianity
AUTHOR: Bobby Conway
PUBLISHER: Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2024, (224 pages).
 

Why should anyone believe in God? Why are there so many scandals in the Church? Aren't Christians a bunch of hypocrites? How can Jesus be the only way to God when so many people have not heard of him? Did Jesus really rise from the dead? These and many more are covered in this insightful book of answers to 20 of the most difficult questions about Christianity. Calling himself a "chronic doubter," author Bobby Conway takes us on an honest journey through these difficult questions to show us that Christianity not only makes sense, it gives us hope. He gives us answers that are down to earth and explains his reasons in an open conversational way. He writes this book for the following reasons. First, the present cultural climate is increasingly secular and anti-Christian. Second, the Church has a credibility problem. Third, Christians are perceived to be intolerant. Fourth, many Christians do not know how to deal with many basic objections. Apart from these, people regularly ask about the age-old problem of evil, pain, and suffering. 

"Lights a Lovely Mile" (Eugene Peterson)

TITLE: Lights a Lovely Mile: Collected Sermons of the Church Year
AUTHOR: Eugene Peterson
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Waterbrook & Multnomah, 2023, (320 pages).
 

When was the last time you heard a good sermon? What is the purpose of the sermon? How do you preach through the Church year? In a title that tells us the way Eugene Peterson's sermons had done, we learn from the late master preacher, beloved pastor, and spiritual pilgrim, about how sermons can light a lovely mile for us. Culling from some of the best sermons preached at Christ Our King Presbyterian Church from his 29 years of service there, editor Paul Pastor has given us some collected sermons of the church year. Starting with Advent, which is also the start of a new Church Year, Peterson reminds us about the need to love our neighbour in the present even as we anticipate the second coming of Christ. Advent also symbolizes attentiveness and awareness of the presence of Christ in creation. At Christmas, we celebrate the "conclusion" which is the fulfillment of divine prophecy about the first coming. During the season of Epiphany, the focus shifts to being shaped in Christlikeness, in conjunction with the meditation on Jesus' ministry on earth. He urges us to trust in God's promise to make us new. Based on a growing relationship with Jesus, he urges us to be patient for sometimes the work of God is "slow, intricate, complex" but is also "sure." He also shows us how worship, love, and God's time shape life. He also gives a startling observation of how church-goers can sometimes prove to be careless stumbling blocks when they are petty or easily offended. Calling us to be runners who never stop believing in the goodness of God, he encourages us to help one another be more resilient in getting along well with one another. The Season of Lent prepares our hearts to crave holiness like a child wanting pure spiritual milk. Easter celebrates the resurrection of Christ. Pentecost celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit and focuses on the birth and growth of the Church. Key to the growth and sustenance of any Church community is the need for love. Finally, the long season of "Ordinary Time" continues with the meditations on the Christian life, covering diverse issues from Church to righteous living, warnings about idolatry, and exhortations to be the Christlike believers that we are called to be. 

"Beautiful Union" (Joshua Ryan Butler)

TITLE: Beautiful Union: How God's Vision for Sex Points Us to the Good, Unlocks the True, and (Sort of) Explains Everything
AUTHOR: Joshua Ryan Butler
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Multnomah Press, 2023, (288 pages).
 

Sex is beautiful. It is also sacred. When God created the human race, he was highly pleased. When sin entered the world, all hell broke loose. Whatever God had created became corrupted or tainted with sin. Sex is one of them. Just like how Adam and Eve allowed sin to turn their innocence into shame, more often than not, sex had negative connotations. What God had created as good and beautiful, descended into something people are generally ashamed of. So, they hide. They say that sex talk equals promiscuity. They presume that any thoughts of sexuality or sexual act are "dirty" until proven otherwise. We need a healthy correction to this beautiful gift of God. This book is an attempt to do just that. It studies the intent of God's gift, the beauty, the mystery, and the vision God has for us. In other words, sex is a beautiful thing from God and we need to recover this beauty culturally, mentally, and theologically. Butler first looks at the way modern culture has corrupted the original meaning and intent of sex. He compares the biblical and cultural use of language to describe sex. One of the distinctions is how the Bible does not shy away from the description, unlike the way modern culture treats the subject. Perhaps, this has something to do with the way sin has triggered the human tendency to hide things that they perceive as inherently shameful. Butler then makes his case by boldly pushing back against the cultural norms with two words: Generosity and Hospitality. Taking on biblical boldness, he tries to connect sex with the nature of grace. Using complementary language, one party receives while the other gives. Butler makes a theological stretch (albeit a stretch too far), to cement the roles of each gender into the giving and receiving metaphor. He spends some time describing what union is and why it is beautiful. Going back to the umbrella of God's creation, sex is indeed a beautiful gift from God. Freedom and grace accompany this beautiful gift. Using God's identity as the Triune God, he shows us how we are made to belong to one another. He then goes on to describe and also redeem words deemed taboo, like "orgasm," "making love," "semen," "vagina," etc. He also covers topics with regard to abortion, adultery, birth control, diversity, divorce, singleness, gay-sex, "the leave and cleave gospel," and the dangers of "cheap sex," the "sexual prosperity gospel," the latter being the comparison between purity keeping and legalism. In that aspect, I think Butler has given us lots of food for thought on how to think about such issues from a biblical standpoint.

"The Word Before Work" (Jordan Raynor)

TITLE: The Word Before Work: A Monday-Through-Friday Devotional to Help You Find Eternal Purpose in Your Daily Work
AUTHOR: Jordan Raynor
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Waterbrook, 2022, (304 pages).
 

Work is very much a way of life. God ordained it thus making work a gift for mankind. Unfortunately, due to the entry of sin into the world, work has become corrupted in many dimensions, so much so that for some people, work is best described as some kind of a necessary evil. You hate it but you cannot live without it. In a stressful highly charged work environment, I have also heard working people tell me that their jobs suck. Yet, they needed the job to pay their mortgages, bills, and other essential expenses. The popular phrase, "Thank God it's Friday" describes how society views the notion of work. People look forward to the weekend as a way to escape the mundane toil of work. The question remains: Is work really a bad thing? What can we do to make work more bearable? Can work be more than mere survival? How can we redeem work? The simple answer from this book is this: Let the Word of God guide us before we commence each workday. Written like a devotional over a period of 52 work weeks, author Jordan Raynor gives us a daily reflection on Scripture followed by a short exhortation to help us embrace the day with faith and hope. The first four weeks comprise foundational material to anchor readers on the biblical narrative and purpose of work. Mondays and Thursdays contain reflections on Old Testament passages. Tuesdays and Fridays are reserved for New Testament passages. Wednesdays are filled with mid-point interjections with Wisdom Literature. The book is inspired by positive feedback from the author's popular weekly devotional "The Word Before Work." This book extends the project to cover a whole year's workweek. Each week contains devotionals from Monday to Friday. Weekends are excluded. The premise behind this book is to let our faith shine as we venture into the world of work. Not just one day per week but every day of a typical five-day workweek. 

"Beautiful Resistance" (Jon Tyson)

TITLE: Beautiful Resistance: The Joy of Conviction in a Culture of Compromise
AUTHOR: Jon Tyson
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah, 2020, (256 pages).
 

Before Jesus left this earth, he prayed for all disciples that though they are not of the world, they are still in the world. Why? That they may be the salt and light of the earth. They are not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed through the renewing of the mind. In a compromised and worldly culture, Christians are called to stand for the truth. How do they do that in an aggressively anti-Christian culture? Learning to be firm in our convictions but gently persuasive in our interactions. Resist the world but do it in a way that honours Christ. How could we make such a resistance "beautiful?" Author Jon Tyson shows us the way. He points to how a small ragtag group of resistance led by Dietrich Bonhoeffer during WWII, and describes how their legacy inspires us today. Reflecting on the WWII martyr, Tyson offers us two key premises for a beautiful resistance:

• "Discipleship must be stronger than Cultural Formation"
• "Loyalty must be stronger than compromise"

Almost immediately, the author goes on to apply these to basic Christian Living. In relating to Church, he is aware of the broken images that the Church has been going through. Yet, the Church is still the Bride of Christ, the Temple of God, and God's main channel of resistance. That is why it must begin there. 

"Find Your People" (Jennie Allen)

TITLE: Find Your People: Building Deep Community in a Lonely World
AUTHOR: Jennie Allen
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Waterbrook Multnomah, 2022, (256 pages).

There seems to be an ache for our human bodies. We have heard about backaches, headaches, toothaches, tummy-aches, even something internally like heartaches. What about loneliness-ache? In what is considered a problem that is larger than any kind of ache, loneliness has become a major health matter around the world. As society becomes more individualistic and self-centered, we are losing connections and community living. The downsides of loneliness are all visible out there. Depression rates are rising while mental health deteriorating. We feel secure when in our own rooms and inner sanctuary, yet there is an underlying sense of discontentment exhibited via various stages of sadness. Worse, we are subconsciously accepting our lonely lives as the defacto normal way of life. Unless of course, we learn to fight the lies such as:

• Not needing people
• No need for friends
• No need for community
• No need to rely on others
• No need to connect with others
• That we can survive on our own
• ...

"On Living Well" (Eugene H. Peterson)

TITLE: On Living Well: Brief Reflections on Wisdom for Walking in the Way of Jesus
AUTHOR: Eugene H. Peterson
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Waterbrook Multnomah, 2021, (240 pages).

This book is an invitation to live well. Notice life and how people are living it, and learn from it. While ordinary life may seem to be nothing special to most people, learning to notice the meaning in ordinary life can have a special impact. In this never before published collection of reflections and spiritual thoughts from the late Eugene Peterson, we learn of how he manages to draw profound spiritual insights from ordinary life. Just like creation, he manages to focus on the Word as the beginning of all life and laments at how the world treats too casually the dignity of life. Peterson takes us to ponder on the significance of the beginning of the Word without which there is no beginning for any life. He connects birth to our second birth in Christ. Affirming our calling in Christ, we are reminded that spiritual warfare is real and requires believers to be constantly ready to shine for Christ. Yet, he reminds us that Christians are like round holes trying to fit into a square-pegged world. Written like a devotional, the book contains spiritual gems taken from Peterson's two decades of his weekly newsletter he circulated to his Church members at Christ Our King Presbyterian Church. Along with unpublished material from his archives and sermons, the publishers have compiled them into five headings:

"Holy Sexuality and the Gospel" (Christopher Yuan)

TITLE: Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God's Grand Story
AUTHOR: Christopher Yuan
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook & Multnomah, 2018, (256 pages).

One of the biggest issues in our modern world is in the area of human sexuality, in particular, homosexuality. This topic has divided many parts of society. Whether it is between tradition and modern convention; older generation vs younger generation; East vs West; or any distinctive people group, it is a controversy that has torn apart many relationships. For Christians and the Church, it hits home at the heart when members of our Church or even our families confess they are gay. Even the theological community has been split in the interpretations or re-appropriation of the Bible verses that speak about homosexuality. Even love has many different definitions and expectations. For many, it is a theoretical and theological exploration on what God is saying with regard to homosexuality. For others, it is using the Bible to defend what they believe in. However, for those who are trapped in the middle, it could be arduous and tormenting. In 1993, author Christopher Yuan announced to his parents that he is gay. Due to his family's conservative Asian background, it is particularly hard on their relationship. Worse, Yuan after coming out into the open about his sexuality, his new found "freedom" led him to some destructive behaviour including promiscuity, illicit drug use, drug peddling, and unbelief. He was subsequently caught and jailed. This was the moment that forced Yuan to spend more time reading and praying over the Bible's teachings. Right thinking must come before any intentions. Any relevance or pragmatism must never come at the price of Truth. This book is Yuan's personal journey to discover this Truth, believing that "right knowing" comes before any action or behaviour. 

"This Hallelujah Banquet" (Eugene H. Peterson)

TITLE: This Hallelujah Banquet: How the End of What We Were Reveals Who We Can Be
AUTHOR: Eugene H. Peterson
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Waterbrook Press, 2021, (208 pages).
 

Eugene Peterson passed away on October 22nd, 2018. It seemed all so surreal that one of the most creative and eloquent evangelical voices had left us. Most famous for his work on giving us the paraphrase of the Bible, the MESSAGE, he has also written a number of bestsellers for Christians in general. His writings continue to be a powerful but gentle influence, giving us a fresh perspective on understanding the Bible. Taken from his series of sermons preached during Lent 1984 at Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air Maryland, this book is based on the letters to the seven churches in Revelation. Each chapter follows a similar outline: 1) Part of Christ's character; 2) Strengths and weaknesses of the Church; 3) A promise to remember. The title of the book tells us that in spite of the warning messages that spell out judgment and doom, there are reasons for hope leading to the great hallelujah chorus in heaven. A keynote is that while Revelation often excites us about future happenings, we need to take a step back to reflect on the essence of Jesus' words to us. For all the cares and concerns we have about the future, very often the questions we ask are not the ones that truly matter.

"A Burning in My Bones" (Winn Collier)

TITLE: A Burning in My Bones: The Authorized Biography of Eugene Peterson, Translator of The Message
AUTHOR: Winn Collier
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Waterbrook, 2020, (368 pages).

This is a biography of one of evangelicalism's best known authors, Eugene Peterson. For his beloved Church, he will always be their beloved pastor. For Regent College students, he will be remembered as a quiet, patient, and wise teacher. In the literature world, he is respected for his ability to weave words into meaning and nuance the words into spectrum of meanings. For many leaders and professors, he is an authority in spiritual theology. For the rest of the world, he is the translator of the popular paraphrase of the Bible: THE MESSAGE. Before his death in 2018, author Winn Collier was given permission to write an authorized biography about Eugene Peterson. Given free access to Peterson's journals, papers, letters, manuscripts, as well as personal interviews, Collier had unprecedented insight into the personal life of Eugene. Most of all, it was the way that he knew God so personally that we would want to learn about. 

The book is written in three parts. Part One describes the early years of Eugene's Norwegian grandparents, Andre and Juditta Odegard Hoiland moving to America in 1902. Flathead Valley in Montana was where they eventually moved to. It was where Eugene was born to Evelyn and Don. His creativity and imagination were credit to his mother. If Eugene had learned about creativity and contemplation from his mother, he learned about companionship and community from his father. He experienced what it meant to lose a family member at a tender young age when his 2-year old sister Lois died of pneumonia. Knowing the deeper connections to Eugene's family helps us appreciate his background and how it shapes his spirituality. Then there was his time in Seattle Pacific University where he rubbed shoulders with people of different denominational backgrounds. He learned the importance of manageable size from his early experience as President of a student body. Hence, he developed this principle of not pastoring a church larger than 300 people. He refuses to put himself up on a pedestal, but chooses the humble path by identifying himself with the rest of us, that he too like many have lived haphazard lives of discovery rather than a clearly defined path. Sometimes, the discovery has to do with what one does not want to do instead of one wants to do. This was Eugene's posture when he opts for ministry instead of getting involved in the Korean war. He shares about what it meant to be a butcher's son and subsequently a butcher's life. It was not to be as his direction shifts again after much rejection from existing Church denominations. He went to Bible School hoping to do some teaching after that. Gradually, the Bible became less of a book to be studied but an invitation to a conversation with God. He learned ministry from George Buttrick, philosophy from Soren Kierkegaard, prayer from his Pentecostal roots, and theology from Karl Barth. He eventually became ordained in the Presbyterian Church USA. He studied at New York Theological Seminary and continued with a doctoral program at John Hopkins University, focusing on semitic languages. He was blessed to study under the supervision of Bill Albright. However, he did not complete his dissertation as he decided to go into full time pastoral work instead. 

"I've Seen the End of You" (W. Lee Warren)

TITLE: I've Seen the End of You: A Neurosurgeon's Look at Faith, Doubt, and the Things We Think We Know
AUTHOR: W. Lee Warren
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook, 2020, (272 pages).

What do you do with a tumour that has a 100% fatality rate? How do we cope with situations where there is no more hope for survival? Hope is one of the most cherished and necessary virtues for life. With hope, we can still grind through life. Without hope, it is a completely different story. He writes his experiences with patients, family, and loved ones with regard to life, faith, doubt, pain, gratitude, and hope. In a book that reads like a personal memoir, author and neurosurgeon, Dr Lee Warren shows us what he had learned from the experiences of people nearing death and losing hopes for survival. Many things he thought he knew, only to be humbled to realize that there are still many things he did not know. He shares these experiences in this personal revelation of faith, doubt, despair, and hope. The key question throughout the book is the very question the author wrote to Philip Yancey: "How can I pray for my patients when I already know how God is going to answer?" This is with regard to the type of brain cancer called "Glioblastoma Multiforme" (GBM), where from his medical experience has 100% fatality rate. For Warren, it is also a question of faith. "What happens when our messy lives mess with what we think we believe?"

"Didn't See It Coming" (Carey Nieuwhof)

TITLE: Didn't See It Coming: Overcoming the Seven Greatest Challenges That No One Expects and Everyone Experiences
AUTHOR: Carey Nieuwhof
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook, 2018, (224 pages).

We don't like being blindsided. We hate it especially when we miss the signs that appear so clearly, yet we miss it so dearly. Managers miss seeing disgruntled employees. Couples miss the signs of a troubled marriage. Young people miss out on the opportunities for change. Worse, some ignore the warning signs even when they are glaring right at them. When we didn't see it coming, we are left wondering why we miss the proverbial forest for the trees. The key questions in this book are: "Could they have seen it coming? Can you?" According to author and pastor Carey Nieuwhof, we have ample symptoms and warning signs. What we need is attentive listening and discernment. While writing from a Christian perspective, the author makes this book readable from non-Christian perspectives without being "preachy." Thus, all the "seven greatest challenges" are generic and could be appreciated from a human standpoint.  Each challenge has two chapters allotted. The initial chapter tells us why we need to take the challenge seriously. This is followed by a constructive response to show us how to do something about it.