So Close to Amazing by KariAnne Wood With a humorous bent and an infectiously creative attitude, DIY expert and writer KariAnne Wood comes to her new book, So Close to Amazing , with a keen sense of purpose. The great thing about the book is KariAnne doesn't have it all figured out and yet she is able to laugh at her foibles and mess-ups, with the grace to keep moving on toward another goal. Early on in the book she writes, "I'm the one who brings slice and bake cookies to a potluck. Not baked, of course. Only sliced....That's me - following a dream without much of a plan." Something extraordinary happens in the midst of the ordinary, at least for the Wood family. We find in the book a vision of taking over a small town pharmacy, moving from Texas all the way to small town Kentucky with her children. The picturesque house turns into a swirling place to raise a family, and to engage in DIY projects while seeking to run a business. Remod...
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A Force So Swift: Mao, Truman, and the Birth of Modern China, 1949 by Kevin Peraino The rise of modern China is due to many factors, not least of which was a tumult going on in the country itself, with respect to its leaders. Warring factions, two powerful leaders, and the threat of war were all factors that led to the China we see today. Kevin Peraino in his new book, A Force So Swift, draws on the history of China with a sharp focus on Mao and his rise, Truman and his coming to serve as President and the harrowing decisions he had to make in the face of great danger. One of the more fascinating parts of the book for me was the focus on Madame Chiang Kai-Shek. As the wife of Kai-Shek, she was relentless is pursuing the United States as an ally to help the people of China and her husband. Brazen, not afraid of political wrangling and pulling up a seat at the table of men. Kevin writes, "She told Chiang that she had been busily lobbying Americans from "a...
Gospel Fluency Handbook by Jeff Vanderstelt and Ben Connelly Two pastors get together to write a book about a much needed topic, and what happens is a stunning display of God's grace for all to view. Pastors Jeff Vanderstelt and Ben Connelly, part of the Soma Family of churches have put together a resource to guide people from unbelief to belief by resting on the central concept of the gospel. Yet, this book although packing a punch theologically is very practical in all the ways someone new to the church would have so many questions that need good answers. We all at times have an unwilling heart that wants to believe God's word at times and at others to go the road of the religion of me. There are aspects of everyone's life that we don't believe God. The authors writes, "There are spaces where we don't trust his word and don't believe that what he accomplished in Jesus Christ is enough to deal with our past or what we are facing in this mom...