Books
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8 Ways to Add to Your Library Without Breaking the Bank
I know this is shocking, but I love books! I love challenging myself by reading books, and I have a goal to read 50 this year. (I’m a little behind the “pace” needed, but I’m trying.) Buying books, though, is expensive. And, if you are like me, and love to build a real library, the amount of money you could spend could be overwhelming. Also, without a little self-control, we bibliophiles can harm our family’s budget by just buying and buying and buying some more. I want to share some ways you can add books to your library without crippling your financial future to do so. (And, by the way,…
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Get Ready for Reviews
Here are quick reviews of 5 books I’ve recently finished in a word-for-word fashion. ———————————– The Grace of Giving Stephen Olford Baker Book House, 1972 (124 pages) Olford’s book is a series of seven short sermons presented on the subject of giving. Olford, a Baptist “pastor,” shares many verses in each sermon. While I disagree with Olford on the concept of the tithe, I found the rest of the book to basically be very well done. If you are planning a series of lessons or classes on giving, this would be an excellent little book to have as one of your resources. In each lesson, there are very helpful sermon…
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Great Reminder of Masculinity
Wild at Heart by John Eldredge was updated this year after its original release in 2001. I read this book after hearing several people talk about it, and after seeing it often on “recommended reading” lists for men. The book’s premise is very easy to discern. Eldredge puts forward the idea that most men have forgotten what it means to really be masculine. He is of the belief that men need adventure in their life, and that danger is a real part of what men are about. While he doesn’t “press” the point about danger, he does continually come back to the idea of adventure. Men need to know they…
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Ask the Readers: Tips to Read More
It’s been awhile since we had an “ask the readers” column. That’s true for two reasons: 1. I haven’t thought to do it in some time. 2. When we have one, there are very few responses. If you want to respond to any column, all you have to do is leave a comment. If you aren’t sure how to do that, contact me and I’ll let you know. ———————————————— I have always been amazed at guys who can read tons of books, and have the mental ability to remember what they read. I was recently reading Charles Hodge’s monthly column in the most recent Gospel Advocate and he stated that…
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Reviews and More Reviews
It has been some time since I reviewed books. I have finished six in that time, so get ready for quick reviews of these volumes. ——————————— Come On, People Bill Cosby & Alvin F. Poussaint Thomas Nelson, 2007 (265 pages) This was a very odd book for me to read, but I love Cosby. I picked this book up from a sale rack for just $5 and, while the message of the volume may not be directed to me, I found several good things in it. Come On, People is a book that comes from Cosby and Poussaint’s travels around America, in which they interview African-American leaders and citizens in…
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7 Ways to Promote the Church Library
Last Wednesday, we looked at a few good reasons to continue to have a church library. [You can read that list here.] As I thought about that list, I also thought it might be good to think of some ways to promote our church libraries. Many of our members know we have one (thought some may not), but they do not know what is really there. Here are 7 simple things we can do to promote the knowledge and use of our church libraries. 1. Bulletin articles. Many congregations list when new volumes are added to the church library, especially if they are added in memory of someone who has…
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A Pile of Books to Review
It’s been some time since we did a Monday book review. We did review two books individually a few weeks ago. You can see my reviews of Essentials for Life and Letters to Darcy by following the links. Here are my thoughts on the other books I’ve finished since our last reviews. ————————- The Case for Civility Os Guinness Harper One, 2008 (214 pages) Guinness takes a hard look at how uncivil our society has become. Subtitled “And Why Our Future Depends on It,” The Case for Civility shares some thoughts on how we can better communicate in the marketplace of ideas. The volume is a call not just for…
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5 Good Reasons to Still Have a Church Library
Several congregations has stopped having a library in the church. Others stopped adding books to the library some time ago, and the room is used mainly for other purposes. Some argue that, in our technological age, the same materials can be found online as can be found in a church library. Others just use the excuse, “No one uses it, so it’s not worth the effort or money.” While the “look” of a church library might be changing, there are still many good reasons to have one. Here are 5. Having a good church library… 1. Is an investment in the Bible school. Many of your most dedicated teachers simply…
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Book Review: “Letters to Darcy”
Originally a series of blog posts, Tracy Ramos’ book is a journal of notes she wrote online to her baby, Darcy, who had a rare prenatal disease. Letters to Darcycontains the full transcript of these posts in chronological order, and that is all it contains. It is very much as if you are reading some one’s diary, and your heart goes the full range of emotions, from joy to extreme sorrow. It is rare that I read a book in one sitting, but I did with this one. I couldn’t stop as I read the heart-wrentching words of Tracy, as she so desired to have Darcy, but knew that, upon her…
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Book Review: “Essentials for Life”
Marcia Ford’s devotional book was a great and helpful read. Essentials for Life is a collection of short chapters–each about four pages–on a variety of subjects that Ford considers spiritual “essentials.” Subtitled Your Back-to-Basics Guide to What Matters Most, the book is intended to be a book that helps the reader find and begin to study an area that needs to be addressed. One of the best parts about the book is that it is filled with helpful quotes, lists, and, of course, Scriptures relating to each topic. If you like quotes, you will find a wealth of them in this volume. Each chapter also ends with a list of 2…
