The Mrs. & the Minister

A.L. Kennedy's The Drosten's Curse is not a Doctor Who novel I expected to enjoy.  I came to Doctor Who through the more recent regenerations, so returning to one of the classic Doctors -- in this case, the Fourth -- wasn't something I expected to enjoy.  But A.L. Kennedy has really captured the Doctor at his best. The Doctor is always whimsical , but the Fourth Doctor, especially at the tip of Kennedy's pen, is even more so.  The Time Lord that I've come to love is eccentric and sometimes even disjointed in the most charming of ways -- and Kennedy has given us all that and more in The Drosten's Curse . The story, as my husband informs me, is an expansion of an older short story written by Kennedy, about an ancient alien being that's causing all manner of disturbances on a golf course/spa hotel in Arbroath.  It's stirring up enough of a ruckus to attract the attention of the TARDIS and the Doctor, and he recruits an employee of the spa/hotel -...

Caleb Kaltenbach's Messy Grace:  How a Pastor with Gay Parents Learned to Love Others without Sacrificing Conviction is an important book in the struggling conversation about homosexuality in the Church.  Caleb Kaltenbach's parents divorced when he was but a toddler, both of them identifying with the LGBT movement.  In this semi-autobiographical book Caleb tells the unexpected story of how he went from a decision never to become a Christian to not just becoming a Christian , but a pastor . The first few chapters of Messy Grace offer a window into a real life -- Kaltenbach's life -- a life that began in the heart of the LGBT community (where clubs, parties, marches and the like were the norm).  A life that knows first-hand how graceless Christians can be toward that community.  A life that has lived the harsh truth:  Christians are often less loving toward their LGBT neighbors, in a way that diminishes the Gospel of Grace. So, make no doubt about it...

What Josh McDougall's Jesus Was an Airborne Ranger:  Find Your Purpose Following the Warrior Christ claims to do is offer Christians a 21st century account of what Gustaf Aulen calls the "Christus Victor" theology in his 1931 book .  So I was excited to give the book a read. What I found, however, was a picture of Christ more akin to the 9th century's The Heliand .  McDougall makes interesting claims about parallels between the life of Christ and the training and service of Airborne Rangers, since he is one he is definitely qualified to write this unique story. He promises you a warrior Christ and he certainly delivers magnificently. McDougall's book has the tone of that of a military man -- clipped, concise, upbeat and certainly confrontational.  The author has no problem getting to his point quickly in each chapter.  There are some super funny lines including describing the "feminized Christ" that we've all grown up with as a "...

Joanna Weaver's Lazarus Awakening  Finding Your Place in the Heart of God continues the deep biblical study that began in her Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World:  Finding Intimacy with God .  This time, she turns her attention to the relationship between Jesus and Lazarus and examines all the ways in which our lives are stifled -- even dead -- in large and small ways.  As she peels apart the layers of the story of the friendship of Jesus and Lazarus, she reveals the biblical message at the heart of that friendship:  "Only Christ can perform the spiritual CPR we so desperately need".  Jesus calls us out of the deaths of our lives -- just as he called Lazarus. The book -- and the accompanying study guide and DVD -- defines what that friendship between Jesus and his disciples, like Lazarus, looks like.  Weaver constantly asks of us, "What kind of friend am I?" and offers tools for evaluating the nature of our friendship with Jesus.  And those v...

How to Tie a Tie:  A Gentleman's Guide to Getting Dressed is a wonderful little book.  It has so many alternatives to learning to tie a tie -- including bow ties -- that would lend variety to any gentleman's tie repertorie.  The images are particularly helpful.  My favorite is by far the Trinity knot.  While my husband insists it's probably the most difficult in the book, I think it lends such a sophistication to a tie.   How to Tie a Tie also includes advice about dress shoes (and lacing), shirt collars, and jackets.  All that wisdom in such a small book. The cover is durable and adds to the sophistication (it feels like the texture of a tie itself). This book would make an ideal Father's Day present. I received a free copy of this book as part of the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review here.

Weisinger and Pawliw-Fry's Performing Under Pressure:  The Science of Doing Your Best When It Matters Most answers an age-old question:  "How can I do my best when it matters most?"  Stress, of course, depletes our ability to do well.  And when the stresses become overwhelming, it's not new news that we perform well below our ability.  It's also not new news that our culture is under considerable (and increasing?) stresses.  So Weisinger and Pawliw-Fry wrote this book in order to share what they have learned about how almost anyone can do their best when it matters most. As we know from experience, stress can come from anywhere.  Some of it is good, others of it is bad. And it's significant to judge what stresses are important and what ones are unimportant.  But once you've made those distinctions, Weisinger and Pawliw-Fry provide a strong scientific basis on which to build strong performances under pressure.  The first section explo...

Stress isn't my problem.  My response to stress is my problem. That's the message of meQuilibrium:  14 Days to Cooler, Calmer, and Happier by Jan Bruce, Andrew Shatte, and Adam Perlman.  There's no way to get rid of stress.  To even try is simply to create more stress.  But meQuilibrium shows us how to handle the stresses we have with peace -- and how to do it peacefully without radically altering our lives in the process. And there's plenty of research to back up their claims, too.  This book brings the benefits of positive psychology to bear, while integrating medicine and healthy treatment of the whole person.  So it's not a book to miss.  Nor is it a book to fly through. Take your time.  While I had hoped for more substance early on, I'm glad I took the time to read meQuilibrium at a pace that allowed me to process what it was advising.  There's great advice here.  From self-reflection, emotional management, sleep...