More Summer Reading Club

Nice summer reading book. I've had the pleasure of meeting Nigel and I enjoy reading his blogs and devotionals. I know that Third Day is blessed to have him on the road with them. It is nice to "step inside" the touring world and see how Third Day stays focused and on track with God's will for their lives. The honesty portrayed by Mac, Mark, David, Tai and Brad is refreshing. It is also cool to read about shows that I have actually been to and see how Third Day feels about what took place that night. My favorite is Tai's story about getting involved in his local church. I loved the reference to the "Third Day Tai" and the "Home Tai". We are all guilty of that split-personality disorder. Adulthood, spiritual maturity and consistency is what Tai said God was calling him to....that would be a call to us all. Stepped on my toes and made me look at myself (the "Sunday-school teacher-VBS director-mission minded Wendy" and the "Home Wendy"). This book helped me see I need someone to help me focus my life on Jesus (just as Nigel helps Third Day to stay focused). Too bad Nigel is busy! ;)




This book took me two months to read (being honest here). Not because I didn't enjoy it but because it has a lot facts that need to be processed and digested. It shows the Christian how the unbelieving world views him and it is not a pretty picture. Somehow we know this but do not want to be confronted with the hard truth. After explaining how the research was conducted David Kinnaman takes six topics and explains how we are miserably failing at reaching the unbelieving world. We have our views and we come across as hypocritical, non-caring, antihomosexual (towards the person not the behavior), sheltered, too political, and judgmental. He pulls no punches and does not sugar coat anything. The one statement that spoke to me the most is this "we have become famous for what we oppose, rather than who we are for.". OUCH. This is an excellent book. It is not a fast read and if you highlight (I do) then buy 2 or 3 because I think I highlighted something on each page. This book could change how you think and act. Unfortunately I did see myself in some of the pages and I didn't like what I saw. Jesus reached people by not being any of the before mentioned adjective. That is how we reach people today also.









As stated in my last blog review...I love Max Lucado and that goes for his children's books too. If you have not been introduced to Punchinello and the Wemmicks let me tell you about them. They are wooden people carved by Eli the woodworker. Punchinello is often trying to please others or himself instead of realizing that Eli loves him just as he is because Eli made him. In "You are Mine" Punchinello tries to compete with everyone. He wants more boxes and balls than anyone because he believes that will make him happy and important. He finally realizes that he is not happy and Eli tells him that because 'you are mine' that makes Punchinello important. In "You are special" the Wemmicks start putting stars and dots on people. Stars are good and dots are not. Punchinello gets alot of dots which of course upsets him. He mets Lucia who has neither. The stars and dots just fall right off of her. When asked why Punchinello is told that every day Lucia goes to see Eli her maker. She tells Punchinello to go see Eli. He does and Eli tells him how special he is and that what others think shouldn't matter. As Punchinello leaves Eli's house he starts to believe and a dot falls off.

These books are very short but make me smile. I have read them to my Sunday School class and to my youth that I mentor. Simple is sometimes the best way to get a message across to a person. I have ordered all the other Wemmick books so I'll let you know about them soon too.

(this is for Mark....I will be at Creation Fest next week so no review will be coming until I get back in town on June 30...just fyi). But I plan to read alot!