God's Smuggler

God's Smuggler
by Brother Andrew

This book is a must read! It was a wonderful testament to the faithfulness of our God for those that trust and obey. It is convicting, encouraging and a non-stop adventure, which is how much of life is in itself.

It is the story of a poor dutch boy named Andrew and how God used him to smuggle bibles behind the iron curtain and then begin Open Doors. His story is one, like many bible stories that shows how God uses the least of these to do very important kingdom work. All he needs is a willing soul.

It definitely made me want to go to China and bring a few bibles with me to see if they would allow me a few personal bibles that I could manage to leave behind. An interesting thought for sure. This book also challenged my thinking about God's provision. Here was a man that had nothing. And yet God provided for his and his ministries every need every time in every way. I want to trust as much as he did.

I think for the first time I truly grasped what Jesus meant when he said that it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.  Not that I want to be poor but I think it is easier to trust God when you have nothing. You have to trust Him when there is no alternative. But in our country of abundance it's harder for Him to be the first you think of to provide. I mean, I trust God, but I am the one working and paying for food and necessities. We trust ourselves alot more than God. I have to check my heart on that and truly learn what it means to be dependent on God. I know He does not call all of us to a life of missions but He does call us all to be faithful with what He has given us and to trust Him for our provision, however that comes.

This book will definitely help you catch God's vision for world missions and how Jesus and His word are life-changing. I would encourage you to check out the Open Doors website as well. They are doing some great work around the world. I pray that our faith would be increased as we read another story of a hero of the faith!

Percy Jackson & The Olympians Grand Finale

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Titans Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth and The Last Olympian
by Rick Riordian
I finished off the last 3 books in this series one after another. I was so captivated by the story that I couldn't wait to see how it would all unfold. Would Percy be the demi-god in the great prophecy? So many unknowns!


Each story was unique in the challenges that were faced and the decisions that had to be made. All the while you are always pulling for Percy who does have a good head on his shoulders and wants to do right by his family and friends. 


I don't want to give the end away but it does keep you guessing right to the very end. Overall I was very satisfied with this series. Though as I mentioned before it does make me very happy to have a God who does not need advice from kids to make good decisions.

The Invsible Man

The Invisible Man

H.G. Wells

This was a nice short read and surprisingly not all that difficult to understand. I had never heard much about this short novel before but I know it is somewhat of a classic so I thought I would give it a shot. It was intriguing and basically seemed to boil down to a science experiment not so thoroughly worked out before executed.

We’ve all thought that it would be kind of neat to be invisible at one time or another. But much like the man in the story I think we attribute other factors along with our invisibility as we imagine it. We also don’t think we will be able to be heard, which in fact you can be if invisibility is your only superpower. It’s quite interesting his experiment in becoming invisible and he takes a much more scientific look at the idea than a fantastical magic cape sort of deal.

One thing that I did not quite understand was the invisible man’s temper. I can see his frustration at times but he has an awful temper which ultimately I think is his demise. He might have had quite a nice unusual, but semi-normal existence if he had not been power-hungry, selfish and completely mad.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians

Percy Jackson & The Olympians (Books 1 & 2)
The Lightning Thief & The Sea of Monsters
by Rick Riordan

I feel the need for a disclaimer. These are works of fiction. I do not believe in greek gods any more than I believe there is a land called Narnia or that Harry Potter's world exists. These are fiction books telling a fascinating story.  That being said I think that parents should again discuss these things with their kids. I found it pretty cool actually to be thankful that our God is not like the greek gods which are way too much like humans for my liking. We have a God who never leaves us, who loves us. He's not a God confined to the sea or sky. He is God of everything and controls all. He is not limited in any way. We have an awesome God!


Ok, so back to the books. I devoured the first book. I really enjoyed the epic story that Riordan unfolds. Percy Jackson is a "normal" kid who has trouble in school. He is dyslexic and has ADHD and that makes it hard for him. But all that changes when he finds out he is a half-blood. His dad is a greek god apparently. This knowledge puts him in incredible danger. He ends up on a quest with another half blood and satyr to find Zeus' missing lighting bolt and spare the world of the war that will ensue if he fails. 


It was a fun read because some of the characters they run into are ones I remember learning about in greek mythology growing up. It's a great tool to use for teaching that class. There were monsters and creatures and gods and lots of action around every corner. And at the end of the book you close it knowing that it's only the beginning and wanting to find out how the rest of the story will play out.  Which is why I had to read book 2 right away.


(Sidenote: forget about the movie. It was so awful I barely made it through. They changed so much of the plot and it was not nearly as good as the book. Too many significant changes)


Book 2 did not let me down. This time Percy learns of a half brother he has. Things at the half-blood camp are getting bad and he, his brother and friend Annabeth find themselves on a another journey to rescue their friend Grover the satyr and find the only hope to rescue the camp. They run into plenty more traps and monsters and close calls with death. 


The story continues to develop though and I continue to be as curious as Percy about the prophecy that may or may not be about him. As evil continues to grow stronger what adventures will these half-bloods encounter next. I can barely stand the suspense. 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Rodrick Rules

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Rodrick Rules
by Jeff Kinney

This is the last review I will do for this series unless something changes. I might finish it out only because I am curious to see if the author makes any positive changes as the story goes on and the boys grow. Plus they read super quick so it might take me all of a few days to finish it. 


I have been extremely disappointed in this series so far. I really do like the concept but it's a shame that what it is teaching middle schoolers is that parents are completely clueless and life is always unfair. It teaches that doing the right thing is over-rated and even when you treat your friends really bad they will still be your friends. 


These characters have no sense of morals though they it does say they go to church. Obviously it's not a faith that makes a difference to them or their parents. Though the mom does take some disciplinary measures in this book the dad is a complete pushover. 


I just don't like the characters. They are mean and always looking out for themselves. I really just don't see anything worthwhile in these books that would make them good reading for young people. If your child is reading them I would suggest you do as well and talk to them about what's going on in the story. 


My verdict is sadly disappointed in a great concept gone wrong.

That Hideous Strength

That Hideous Strength (Space Trilogy Book 3)

by C. S. Lewis

I managed to finish this book in a week, which seemed a monumental task to me considering the weight of the subject matter. Now I had read the book in college but oddly enough I didn't remember very much of it. 

Of the 3 books in the trilogy this was my least favorite which is really a bummer since it's the one I've now read twice as well. Oh well. There was a funny sentence in the book that I will mention later that gave me pause to think. I know I have mentioned before how wordy I think that Lewis can be. This book was no exception. However there was much more science garble in this read which led to me read and re-read sometimes up to 3 times certain paragraphs and still not really grasp what was being said. I think I took away the generally idea and that was ok with me. 

This story actually takes place on Earth. Ransom finds himself with a cast of characters on his team "fighting" the evil that has presented itself in the name of science and the progression of humanity, namely one very evil group that has pretty much taken over a small college town and is on the verge of something much larger. British history comes into play as both sides are anticipating the awakening of Merlin (the wizard of King Arthur's Day). This is where it gets a little cheesy and just goofy to me. By the end of the story I feel let down. Good wins, as always but the story just seems to get a little strange and ends abruptly almost like he ran out of time to write the end. I know that's not the case but I can't say I was a huge fan.

One thing I will take away from this book though is a thought for all of us women to consider. I'm sure our husbands will be very glad if we do. Two women are conversing about their marriages and one, Ivy, a younger woman and newly married is recounting a conversation she had a while back with an older woman married a long time, Mother Dimble.

"I remember one day - it was before you came - Mother Dimble was saying something to the Doctor; and there he was sitting reading something, you know the way he does, with his fingers under some of the pages and a pencil in his hand - not the way you or I'd read - and he just said, 'Yes dear,' and we both of us knew he hadn't been listening. And I said, 'There you are, Mother Dimble,' said I, 'that's how they treat us once they're married. They dont' even listen to what we say,' I said. And do you know what she said? 'Ivy Maggs,' said she, 'did it ever come into your mind to ask whether anyone could listen to all we say?' Those were her very words. 

A good question to ask I'd say!

A Few Short Reads for the Kids

The Tale of Despereaux

by Kate DiCamillo.

What a cute little story. I pretty much read it in one setting. I forgot how fast kids books can go. It’s about a little mouse who was not afraid to be himself and live like knight with chivalry and honor and courage. This does not bode well for him in the mouse community but eventually he manages ok. I dont’ want to give too much away, but there is also a rat, a princess, a king, a chef, a genie and soup involved in this little tale. 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

by Jeff Kinney

I found myself wanting to read this book aloud to my husband, which I actually did for a short time, but he lost interest fast. I was so enjoying being transported back to middle school and contemplating the way kids minds work. All of us can relate to some degree. I found the comics amusing as well. While, overall it was a cute concept and the main charcters did end up friends again in the end I did not like some of the decisions that the main character made. He treated his best friend terribly. I know not all middle schoolers made good decisions all the time, the way I know I don’t make good decisions all the time. I just couldn’t really relate to the kind of relationship he had with his “best” friend. I expect more. Hopefully as he grows and the series continues their relationship will become less one-sided. We’ll see.