Lost world of the flood by Tremper Longman III & John H. Walton

Book description: "The flood continued forty days on the earth; and the waters increased, and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth . . . and the ark floated on the face of the waters" (Gen 6:17-18 NRSV).   In our modern age the Genesis flood account has been probed and analyzed for answers to scientific, apologetic, and historical questions. It is a text that has called forth flood geology, fueled searches for remnants of the ark on Mount Ararat, and inspired a full-size replica of Noah's ark in a biblical theme park. Some claim that the very veracity of Scripture hinges on a particular reading of the flood narrative. But do we understand what we are reading? Longman and Walton urge us to hit the pause button and ask, what might the biblical author have been saying to his ancient audience? The answer to our quest to rediscover the biblical flood requires that we set aside our own cultural and interpretive assumptions and visit the distant world of the ancient Near East. Responsible interpretation calls for the patient examination of the text within its ancient context of language, literature, and thought structures. And as we return from that lost world to our own, we will need to ask whether geological science supports the notion of flood geology. The story of Noah and the flood will continue to invite questions and explorations. But to read Longman and Walton is put our feet on firmer interpretive ground. Without attempting to answer all of our questions, they lift the fog of modernity and allow the sunlight to reveal the true contours of the text. As with other books in the Lost World series, The Lost World of the Flood is an informative and enlightening journey toward a more responsible reading of a timeless biblical narrative.

My thoughts: I read this book with great anticipation for gleaning numerous insights on the culture of the ANE (Ancient Near East) in general and the ancient Israelites in particular. I did gain a few insights, but overall, the book was astonishingly repetitive, which means that there isn't nearly as much in it as I had hoped. The authors could've shortened it by at least 50% and probably more, had they removed the repetitions.

As to the flood itself, they believe a large flood happened, which was written about in numerous ANE sources, including the Bible.

They do not believe the flood covered the entire earth. They believe the Biblical authors were using hyperbole to describe this big flood. That the flood did not cover the earth is not the point of the Biblical narrative, they argue. So even if it did not cover the world, that doesn't make the story less true.

The important point is the inspired reaction to the flood by the author of the book of Genesis, which helped to shape the ancient Israelites' view of God, a view that was much different from other ANE cultures. For example, whereas other ANE cultures were polytheistic, the ancient Israelites believed in one God.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mirror for the soul by Alice Fryling

Mirror for the soul: a Christian guide to the Enneagram by Alice Fryling

Print Length: 179 pages

• Publisher: IVP Books (August 7, 2017)
• Publication Date: August 15, 2017

Book description: The Enneagram is like a mirror, reflecting dimensions of ourselves that are sometimes hard to see. In this helpful guide, spiritual director and Enneagram teacher Alice Fryling offers an introduction to each number of the Enneagram and the respective triads into which they're organized. More than just helping us discern our number, Fryling shows how knowing it can lead to transformation by revealing to us both our false and our true selves. She writes:

"Knowledge of the Enneagram has led me to the grace of God. I discovered through the Enneagram that I am not just my gifts, I am not just my failures. . . . I am a person created by God, loved by God, and uniquely gifted to love others with God's merciful and gracious love. Through the Enneagram God has taught me that I am not exactly who I think I am. . . . The Enneagram itself does not make me a different person. But knowledge of the Enneagram does help me see who I truly am and offers me words to describe how I would like to be transformed by God's grace."

With questions for reflection and personal meditations aimed at leading you into deeper self-awareness, Mirror for the Soul will give you new perspective on yourself and reveal how you can experience God’s love more abundantly.


My thoughts: 
As an avid reader of Enneagram books, I was excited to read the third book released that claims to view the Enneagram through a Christian lens. The other books are The Road back to You by Ian Morgan Chron and Suzanne Stabile, and Self to Lose, Self to Find: a Biblical Approach to the 9 Enneagram Types by Marilyn Vancil. Each of these books places its emphasis in different areas. IVP Press published both The Road back to You and, about a year later, Mirror for the Soul. 

First off, if you are new to the Enneagram, read almost any other Enneagram book first. 

Mrs. Fryling does not spend much time describing the types or in helping you to figure out your own type. That's okay, there are plenty of Enneagram books that do. 

She also does a drive-by through the triads, the wings and the growth/disintegration points. I suspect the brief treatment of each aspect is more confusing than helpful to Enneagram newbies. So look for another book to explain these things in more depth. 

Then, as if she hadn't already tried to cram too much (albeit abbreviated) information into too few pages, she added a chapter on spiritual direction for each type. 

Thank goodness she didn't try to discuss the entire ball of wax, which means she would've included the 27 instinctual subtypes, in this very short, 179-page book. 

Around 60% of the way through, she gets into the meat I'd been waiting for, which was her attempt to attach the ideas and possible uses of the Enneagram to some Biblical truths about human nature. Though what she said has merit in a psychological/spiritual sense, I personally found it rather repelling, sorry to say. 

When I read the Bible, I want God's words to radiate from it. I don't want to think about how Enneagram psychology can be shoehorned into it. 

Maybe you need to be a counselor, coach, or spiritual director to fully appreciate Mrs. Fryling's book. 

If you're one of the above, go ahead, read it. 

If you just want an introduction to the Enneagram, please red my all-time favorite, by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson, entitled, The Wisdom of the Enneagram: The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types. 

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Recapturing the Wonder by Mike Cosper

• Print Length: 169 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (August 14, 2017)
• Publication Date: August 22, 2017
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• Book description: 

• When we're young, it's easy to believe in the supernatural, the mysterious, the enchanted. But as we grow older, we learn to be more "rational" and more confident that reality is merely what we can see. Even as Christians who believe in the resurrection, we live as if miracles and magic have been drained from the world.

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• As Mike Cosper wrestled with his own disillusionment, he found writers, thinkers, and artists like Hannah Arendt, Charles Taylor, James K. A. Smith, and David Foster Wallace whose words and ideas reassured him that he was not alone. And he discovered ancient and modern disciplines that shape a Christian way of life and awaken the possibility of living again in an enchanted world. 

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• Exquisitely written with thoughtful practices woven throughout, this book will feed your soul and help you recapture the wonder of your Christian walk.

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• My thoughts: 
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• I LOVED THIS BOOK!
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• It's a book about the spiritual disciplines, and there are many really good books on that subject, such as the following: 
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  1. Renovation of the Heart and its companion volume: Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice
  2. A Year with God: Living out the Spiritual Disciplines
  3. Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices that Transform Us
  4. Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life
  5. Building Y0ur Spiritual Core: 101 Creative Ways to Connect with God 
  6. Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth
  
  
• But in Cosper's book, it's the additional information surrounding his explanation of each discipline that I found so appealing. 
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• He says that "The world we live in conditions us for doubt.... Spiritual Disciplines are an anchor for faith, hope, and love in the midst of a life that feels like it's crumbling.... The disciplines open the opportunity to live in another world.... There is more to the world than what we can experience through our senses.... We need an appreciation toward scripture that runs deeper than doctrines and head knowledge."  
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• Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
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• "We need to preserve the Bible's character as personal speech exchanged between the Lover and the Beloved. The voice that rings from the Bible is the voice of the one we long to hear from, long to know, long to find rest in."
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• "The presence of mystery in the world is an invitation to wonder, and a world without mystery is a world of despair."    
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• "Once we find ourselves hungering for God, we will seek a whole new way of being in the world."
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• "Living in another world begins when the Spirit whispers life to a dead soul. Once awakened, the soul knows a hunger that nothing else will satisfy." (Jesus's parable of the hidden treasure in the field tells it all.)
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• "A life oriented around the spiritual disciplines is the pathway to experiencing the joy of God that is already ours in Jesus. The disciplines reshape our awareness and perception." There is no fast track to growth, but it is only through growth that we experience the Kingdom of God. 
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• He advocates setting up a "Rule of Life"--a set of commitments to frame our days, marking them with habits and practices that orient us to God's Kingdom. 
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• More quotes: 
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• "God is already delighted with you, even before you get your act together. So what do you sense the Lord is inviting you to do as you reflect on creating your personal Rule of Life in the days ahead?"
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• To sum up: We enter a better world when we enter God's Kingdom. It's a world that offers deeper comfort to the soul and makes more sense of how the world is. It's not easy to live a Kingdom life, but the rewards far, far outweigh the emptiness of living in the material world.  
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• I was given a copy of this book to read through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest opinion. 
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Dare You To by Katie McGarry

• Print Length: 470 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin Teen; Reprint edition (October 1, 2017)
• Publication Date: October 16, 2017

Book description:

"I dare you…" 

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs—until the day her uncle swoops in, and Beth finds herself starting over at a school where no one understands her. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does. 

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock—with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him. 

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image is risking everything for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all….

My thoughts: 

I had been feeling bad that I hadn't gotten around to reading this, McGarry's debut novel, or any of her other ones. Since Dare You To was first published in March, 2013, McGarry's published about NINE more books. Busy, busy author! 

But she has a similar formula for many of them, so I suppose it doesn't matter that I'm not reviewing her latest book (which has the same formula) but her first.  

So what is her formula? Frequently, she writes about a golden boy or girl who falls for forbidden fruit--a girl or boy from the wrong side of the tracks and whose parents and sometimes friends object to the match. 

Had I not been required to read Dare you To to fulfill an obligation to NetGalley, I would not have read past the first few pages. 

She is a good writer, and popular with teens. I do not object to McGarry's formula, but I do find her gritty writing style not my cup of tea. Prostitution ... drug dealing ... alcoholism ... physical abuse ... criminal behavior ... this book has it all. 

I am happy that McGarry redeemed Beth Risk, a parentified child, from her atrocious home life in the end, and that her mother and her mother's boyfriend were safely locked away in prison for years to come. 

It did seem a stretch that someone with Beth's background would make as many strides as she did in three short months' time, once she started living with her uncle and met (and fell in love with) golden boy Ryan Stone. 

In reality, I suspect Beth Risk would remain deeply damaged for many years instead. 

But it's a novel, and if you like gritty stories, you will probably love Dare You To and the rest of the books in the series. 

All things new by John Eldredge

All things new: heaven, earth, and the restoration of everything you love

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• Print Length: 240 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (September 26, 2017)
• Publication Date: September 26, 2017
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• Book description: 

New York Times bestselling author John Eldredge offers readers a breathtaking look into God’s promise for a new heaven and a new earth. This revolutionary book about our future is based on the simple idea that, according to the Bible, heaven is not our eternal home--the New Earth is. As Jesus says in the gospel of Matthew, the next chapter of our story begins with "the renewal of all things," by which he means the earth we love in all its beauty, our own selves, and the things that make for a rich life: music, art, food, laughter and all that we hold dear. Everything shall be renewed "when the world is made new."

More than anything else, how you envision your future shapes your current experience. If you knew that God was going to restore your life and everything you love any day; if you believed a great and glorious goodness was coming to you--not in a vague heaven but right here on this earth--you would have a hope to see you through anything, an anchor for your soul, "an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God" (Hebrews 6:19).

Most Christians (most people for that matter) fail to look forward to their future because their view of heaven is vague, religious, and frankly boring. Hope begins when we understand that for the believer nothing is lost. Heaven is not a life in the clouds; it is not endless harp-strumming or worship-singing. Rather, the life we long for, the paradise Adam and Eve knew, is precisely the life that is coming to us. And that life is coming soon.

My thoughts: 

It seems that this slice of escatology isn't written about or preached about frequently these days, which makes this book feel somewhat fresh and new. However the idea of The Restoration of All Things is a foundational doctrine for my husband's church, which has embraced this doctrine since the mid-1800's. In my own church, I haven't run across anyone being aware of the idea.

The idea of the Restoration of All Things, of course, comes straight out of the Bible.

Eldredge opens the book just after any questions might be raised as to who, exactly, gets to live on earth eternally. By doing so, he handily skirts the need to deal with inevitable controversy over the judgment day and hell.

I assume that Eldredge is a Universalist, meaning that he believes all people will be saved and live eternally on earth. There are scriptures to support that. I wish he would've cited them.

The scriptures he cites about the Restoration of All Things include but are not limited to the following:

Isa 51: 11
Isa 60: 5, 17-20
Isa 65: 17-19
Rev 21: 1-5
Rom: 8:19-23
II Pet 3: 5-7
I Cor 3: 13-15
Acts 3: 19-21
Mark 3: 1-6

He supports his thesis with quotes from N. T. Wright, Dallas Willard, Henri Nouwen and others. 

Not far into the book, he gets long-winded and boring. Frankly, my imagination is strong enough to imagine for myself what a restored earth might be like. I didn't need to read that all of the pets I've owned will be restored and reunited with me and, of course, all of my loved ones. 

For people who lack the imagination (if there are any), he's speculated in great detail about how things will (or might) be ... not sure when ... after Christ's millennial reign? 

I don't believe he answered that question, either. He makes no claims to being a Biblical scholar or a theologian, so maybe that's simply asking too much. 

This book was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

The Ambassador's Daughter by Pam Jenoff

• Print Length: 331 pages
• Publisher: MIRA (February 1, 2013)
• Publication Date: January 29, 2013

Book description:
Paris, 1919.
The world's leaders have gathered to rebuild from the ashes of the Great War. But for one woman, the City of Light harbors dark secrets and dangerous liaisons, for which many could pay dearly.

Brought to the peace conference by her father, a German diplomat, Margot Rosenthal initially resents being trapped in the congested French capital, where she is still looked upon as the enemy. But as she contemplates returning to Berlin and a life with Stefan, the wounded fiancé she hardly knows anymore, she decides that being in Paris is not so bad after all.

Bored and torn between duty and the desire to be free, Margot strikes up unlikely alliances: with Krysia, an accomplished musician with radical acquaintances and a secret to protect; and with Georg, the handsome, damaged naval officer who gives Margot a job—and also a reason to question everything she thought she knew about where her true loyalties should lie.

Against the backdrop of one of the most significant events of the century, a delicate web of lies obscures the line between the casualties of war and of the heart, making trust a luxury that no one can afford.

My thoughts: 

This book held my attention from beginning to end. I learned quite a bit about the climate in Europe right after WWI, when treaties were being drawn up and the borders of various countries were expanded or shrunk. Apparently, Ms. Jenoff's master's thesis was on World War I, so she knows what she writes about, which is utterly important in historical fiction.

But the history was never intrusive and besides, that wasn't my primary fascination with the book.

I loved the love story between Margot and Georg, and the secrets that virtually everyone in the novel kept from each other. My heart both ached for Margot and grew frustrated with her intense difficulty to choose between loyalty to family (and earlier promises) and the ability to be her own person. A modern woman might not have as difficult a time as she, however we need to remember that this was 1919. Social expectations were different for women then than they are now.

I also love Ms. Jenoff's writing style. She is very thoughtful and wise.

And I was surprised (to the point of it taking my breath away) by nearly every one of the seemingly endless twists. I think there was only one that I had an inkling was coming.

A very enjoyable read.

This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

52 Ways to Grow your Faith by Greg Peter Farah

• 52 Weeks to Grow your Faith
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• Print Length: 240 pages
• Publication Date: September 3, 2012

Book description: 52 Ways to Grow Your Faith will do what it says AND give you freedom. Your spiritual growth strategy does not have to be limited to reading and praying. Try growing spiritually while walking, driving or working out. 52 Ways to Grow Your Faith will jump-start a stalled faith, provide a road map for a new faith, and energize an active faith. Use this resource with friends in a weekly study group or on your own - but get ready to grow and connect with God in a busy, noisy world.

My thoughts: The book is just what the description says it is--quick and easy ways to grow your faith, especially for people who don't have much time for reading and praying. Or especially for people who may not like to read and/or aren't comfortable with spending a lot of time praying. Those traditional ways just don't work for everyone. 

Fortunately, there are other ways. Some of the more obvious ones include appreciating the beauty of this world, sharing your testimony with a friend (or a stranger) and listening to their story. He encourages serious involvement in small groups. 

There are also more methodical ways to grow, such as setting a time (and an alarm) to sit and just be with God, if for only five minutes. 

Mr. Farah also suggests ways to grow through the arts, such as listening to contemporary worship music, attending Christian concerts, and reading through an old church hymnal. 

(So many of the old hymns were deeply meaningful! But many of the new ones are, too.)

All in all, this book was breezy, light reading--maybe written for people who don't like to read (or don't have much time to). The suggestions are probably best for new Christians, youthful Christians, and too-busy Christians who need their faith rekindled. The right reader might love this book.  

But if you seriously want to grow your faith, deep calling to deep, you need to get serious about the spiritual disciplines. I suggest you try any or all of the following books:

1. Renovation of the Heart and its companion volume: Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice
2. A Year with God: Living out the Spiritual Disciplines
3. Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices that Transform Us
4. Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life
5. Building Y0ur Spiritual Core: 101 Creative Ways to Connect with God 
6. Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth
7. Recapturing the Wonder by Mike Cosper

52 Ways to Grow your Faith was given to me via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

52 weeks through the Bible by James Merritt

52 weeks through the Bible: fall in love with the book that changed everything

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Harvest House Publishers; Reprint edition (October 1, 2016)
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Book description: Read and Be Changed

For thousands of years, God's word has penetrated human hearts and transformed lives. So why does the Bible often collect dust on our shelves? Why don't we mine the wisdom filling its pages?

Pastor James Merritt, author of the bestselling 52 Weeks with Jesus, invites you to view Scripture afresh and fall in love with the book that changes everything. These simple weekly readings will help you...

• gain a big-picture view of God's message to you
• apply practical life lessons from the Bible's stories and teachings
• discover more about your destiny—on earth and in eternity

As you explore the lives of Israel's wisest kings, God's powerful prophets, and your amazing Savior, you'll see how every subject and story in Scripture paints a picture of God's plan for humanity—including the story God wants to write with you.

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My thoughts: 

I really, really enjoyed Dr. Merritt's heart for God. I wouldn't subtitle the book "Fall in love with the book that changed everything," but "fall in love with the Author of the book that changed everything." Slightly different, but of course, that's what this book is really about: learning about God's plan for this world and the people in it, both of which he loves so much. 

Dr. Merritt's God-loving heart shines through on every page as he highlights 52 of the most important scripture passages and themes of the Bible. 

If you're already familiar with the Bible, you probably won't find much new here. There wasn't a passage he highlighted that I hadn't read many times before. But the order in which he combined them was very effective, as well as what he had to say about each theme. 

If you're a newer Christian, this is a MUST READ. 

This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe

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• Print Length: 354 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (April 2, 2013)
• Publication Date: April 2, 2013
• Sold by: Random House LLC

Book description:

For fans of Lauren Kate and Libba Bray, The Sweetest Dark is filled with thrilling romance, exciting adventure, and ancient magic. Shana Abé brilliantly captures the drama of post-Victorian England, while unfolding a passionate love story that defies time. “With every fiber of my being, I yearned to be normal. To glide through my days at Iverson without incident. But I’d have to face the fact that my life was about to unfold in a very, very different way than I’d ever envisioned. Normal would become forever out of reach.”  Lora Jones has always known that she’s different. On the outside, she appears to be an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl. Yet Lora’s been keeping a heartful of secrets: She hears songs that no one else can hear, dreams vividly of smoke and flight, and lives with a mysterious voice inside her that insists she’s far more than what she seems.  

England, 1915. Raised in an orphanage in a rough corner of London, Lora quickly learns to hide her unique abilities and avoid attention. Then, much to her surprise, she is selected as the new charity student at Iverson, an elite boarding school on England’s southern coast. Iverson’s eerie, gothic castle is like nothing Lora has ever seen. And the two boys she meets there will open her eyes and forever change her destiny. Jesse is the school’s groundskeeper—a beautiful boy who recognizes Lora for who and what she truly is. Armand is a darkly handsome and arrogant aristocrat who harbors a few closely guarded secrets of his own. Both hold the answers to her past. One is the key to her future. And both will aim to win her heart. 

As danger descends upon Iverson, Lora must harness the powers she’s only just begun to understand, or else lose everything she dearly loves. Filled with lush atmosphere, thrilling romance, and ancient magic, The Sweetest Dark brilliantly captures a rich historical era while unfolding an enchanting love story that defies time.

My thoughts:

As it turns out, this is BOOK ONE of a trilogy. Had I known that when I ordered it from NetGalley, I might've passed on it. It's not that it wasn't good--it was excellent. But now I need to add two more books to my topplingTBR pile.

The book takes place in England during World War I, however due to the Gothic castle and the island seclusion of the setting, I had to keep reminding myself of it. It was only near the end, when the war intruded, and Lora had to use her newfound powers to defeat the enemy, that the time period felt real to me. Added to that were plenty of timeless, fantasy elements.

The Amazon description pretty much sums up what the book is about, and far better than I'd be able to do. I will say, though, that the book moved along at a very leisurely pace, with relatively little tension, which surprised me. The slow pace thoroughly grafted me into the story. But I was also surprised at how little happened in 354 pages. I guess when you're writing a trilogy, and if the quality of your prose is incredible (as Ms. Abe's is) you can take ten pages to say what someone else might've said in four.

This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Did you read this book? Did you read the entire trilogy? What did you think of it?

Hope for All Seasons: Encouragement from Our Daily Bread by Julie Ackerman Link

Print Length: 288 pages

• Publisher: Discovery House (April 20, 2017)
• Publication Date: April 20, 2017

Book description: Although God promised to be ever-present and faithful, some situations in life can be so overwhelming that they get in the way of our faith. Combining Scripture passages with brief meditations, Hope for All Seasons helps us with fresh point of view on reasons to put our trust in God, no matter what. Each selection reminds us that God will never fail—He will follow through on His Word, and He will not allow us to be consumed by the everyday challenges of life.

My thoughts: 

This was a lovely devotional, with the theme of hope in every offering. Ms. Link made use of extended scriptural passages, both from the Old Testament and the New, which I find more enjoyable than devotions that focus on a single verse. They were originally written for Our Daily Bread, but have now been collected in this volume as a spiritual legacy to Ms. Link, who went to be with the Lord in 2015. 

The book is divided into parts that deal with hope and time, life events, the seasons and life's difficult challenges. As someone who loves the changing seasons, I especially enjoyed the devotions that tied seasonal change with reasons to hope. 

For example, in the devotion entitled From Bleak to Hope, Mrs. Link references Job 42:10-17. She compares the coming of spring, and the transformation of what had seemed dead, but is now springing to life--to the second half of Job's life. 

"With God, there is hope, even in the most hopeless situation," she concludes. 

This book was given to me free by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

You are the beloved by Henri Nouwen

You are the Beloved by Henri Nouwen. This book was published in October of 2017 by Convergent Books.

This is a daily devotional written by the much-loved author of numerous spiritual classics such as The Return of the Prodigal Son and The Wounded Healer. It is intended to empower readers to claim the truth that "we are the beloved" and features the best of Nouwen's writing from previously published works.

The Amazon write-up says, "It will appeal to those familiar with Nouwen's work as well as to new readers looking for a devotional to guide them into a deeper awareness of their identity in Jesus."

My thoughts:

I wanted to fall in love with this book or this author. As someone who's encountered Nouwen quotes in countless other books of Christian nonfiction, I was sure I would become a fan and that after tasting the sampling here, I would want to read many of his books.

It didn't happen. Each sampling was taken so far out of context, and nearly always without an accompanying scripture reference, that the daily devotions were nearly meaningless to me.

However, I did leave many, many highlights, which is my custom, so it must've spoken to me to some extent. But it did not speak to me like others I have read that employed the same format.

Maybe it's just a difference in author personalities and voices.

For example, after reading Dear Abba: Morning and Evening Prayer by Brendan Manning, I went on to devour several of Manning's books. How I love this man's thoughts.

Although I did not fall in love with You are the Beloved, I am not giving up on Nouwen, however he has dropped a little lower on the list of Christian authors whose works I intend to read.

I was provided a free copy to read and review by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

The Bible from 30,000 feet by Skip Heitzig

The Bible from 30,000 feet, by Skip Heitzig. This book was published in September, 2017, by Harvest House. 

Book description: An Eye-Opening and Engaging Guide to the BibleEnjoy the magnificent panorama of Scripture like never before! Pastor Skip Heitzig shares a FLIGHT plan for all 66 books of the Bible to help you better understand the context and significance of each. In this one-year overview, you'll discover... 

• Facts—about the author and the date each book was written

• Landmarks—a summary of the highlights of the book

• Itinerary—a specific outline of the book divided by themes

• Gospel—how to see Jesus within the book's pages

• History—a brief glimpse at the cultural setting for the book

• Travel Tips—guidelines for navigating the book's truths

If you have ever found yourself getting lost and wandering from verse to verse in Scripture, put yourself firmly on track with the clear aerial view offered in The Bible from 30,000 Feet.

My thoughts: 

The author created a clever way to explore the Bible using flight as an acronym (see above). For each book of the Bible, he does a thorough job of going through all of the points listed. 

I found a few possible errors, depending on your stance toward modern Bible scholarship. For example, he contends that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. 

This is a common view, however I have read that most modern Bible scholars do not believe the Pentateuch was written by Moses, or not all of it. (See How to read the Bible by Harvey Cox.) 

I am not a Bible scholar, so I will leave that debate to the experts. 

I am, however, someone well-acquainted with flight, as my husband and I travel frequently, both in commercial airlines and in our own small airplane. I would say that the title should be instead: The Bible from 5,000 Feet. 

From 30,000 feet, you don't see much ground detail, whereas from 5,000 feet, you see much more. This book is dense with details. In fact, it weighs in at 642 pages. The Bible itself is only about 350 pages long. 

So, will you learn much about the Bible while reading this book in conjunction? 

Of course. The information goes well beyond the short summaries found frequently at the beginning of each book of the Bible.  

I enjoyed seeing how Jesus figures into each book. I especially liked learning about the cultural setting. That is so important, if we hope to understand what the words might have meant to people in ancient times and how it sometimes dramatically changes what the words could or should mean to us.  

I was provided a free copy to read and review by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.