The Louder Song by Aubrey Sampson

Lament helps us hear God’s louder song.

When you’re in the midst of suffering, you want answers for the unanswerable, resolutions to the unresolvable. You want to tie up pain in a pretty little package and hide it under the bed, taking it out only when you feel strong enough to face it. But grief won’t be contained. Grief disobeys. Grief explodes. In one breath, you may be able to say that God’s got this and all will be well. In the next, you might descend into fatalism. No pretending. Here, you are raw before God, an open wound.

There is a pathway through this suffering. It’s not easy, but God will use it to lead you toward healing. This path is called lament. Lament leads us between the Already and the Not Yet. Lament minds the gap between current hopelessness and coming hope. Lament anticipates new creation but also acknowledges the painful reality of now. Lament recognizes the existence of evil and suffering—without any sugarcoating—while simultaneously declaring that suffering will not have the final say.

In the midst of your darkest times, you will discover that lament leads you back to a place of hope—not because lamenting does anything magical, but because God sings a louder song than suffering ever could, a song of renewal and restoration. 

We all go through periods of suffering, whether physical, emotional, spiritual, or psychological. In The Louder Song: Listening for Hope in the Midst of Lament, author Aubrey Sampson addresses the various forms of grief through her own personal pain and stories of others.

The message that spoke to me was about ignoring our pain by covering it with distractions to deflect attention from our suffering. Many rush past the examples of lament in the Bible, preferring the times of joy. Yet, the lament is the times that bring us nearer to God... trusting Him more as we go through the valley of despair and shadows. These songs and prayers of lament and sorrow are outpourings to God that then allow Him to give us HOPE as He guides us through them. Sampson's journaling that expresses her own pain and grief has led her to a deeper trust in God. 

Her vulnerability and authenticity remind me that it's easy to withdraw into myself as I deal with grief, pain, and anxiety. The verses she lists toward the back of the book, along with the Study Guide, are very useful tools for focusing on renewal and restoration in spite of everything and that God's song to us is, indeed, louder when we listen to Him.

I received this book as part of the Tyndale Blog Network at no cost to myself in exchange for a fair review. All opinions are my own.

The Crescent Stone - Matt Mikalatos

A girl with a deadly lung disease . . .
A boy with a tragic past . . .
A land where the sun never sets but darkness still creeps in . . .

Madeline Oliver has never wanted for anything, but now she would give anything just to breathe. Jason Wu skates through life on jokes, but when a tragedy leaves him guilt-stricken, he promises to tell only the truth, no matter the price. When a mysterious stranger name Hanali appears to Madeline and offers to heal her in exchange for one year of service to his people, Madeline and Jason are swept into a strange land where they don’t know the rules and where their decisions carry consequences that reach farther than they could ever guess.

MY REVIEW: YA Fantasy Fiction has never been a particular favorite of mine, but I have loved other books by Matt Mikalatos so I wanted to give this a chance. I admit it did drag a bit for me at times, but that's not the fault of Mikalatos. In fact, although it took me longer than usual to read "The Crescent Stone," I did want to know how the story was going to turn out. It definitely points in his favor that I had enough interest to keep going forward.

And there were quite a few twists and turns on the journey. Things and people were not always what you thought and there were a few surprises along the way. Most of the characters were very intriguing. I was disappointed not to see some further developed and a few did not interest me as much so I would get a bit bored.

Sometimes there was a touch too much of social justice warrior type conversation, yet I did thoroughly appreciate historical background that is not shared as frequently as when I was in school. More important for me was that the reader is made to realize that things aren't always what they appear and that there may be another side, or even sides, to a story.  Of course, I am several decades beyond the intended audience age... and have less interest in this type of fantasy, so I am not the intended audience. I definitely recommend it for others to try.

 I received a copy of this book for review purposes from Tyndale House Publishers.

Can I Just Hide in Bed 'til Jesus Comes Back

Depression, fear, a sense of unworthiness, and unfulfilled dreams can make women retreat to their beds—figuratively and literally—and refuse to face life. Yet most of the time, hiding in bed makes matters worse. Who needs emotional bedsores? Authors Martha Bolton and Christin Ditchfield gently show women how to climb out from under their emotional bedcovers, face their fears and doubts, and step into the lives God has planned for them. (publisher)

Can I Just Hide in Bed 'til Jesus Comes Back? Facing Life with Courage, Not Comforters takes a look at many things that women (and men) struggle with that puts a roadblock on their relationship with Jesus and fulfilling the plan God has for them. Just like with "The Parable of the Talents" (Matthew 25:14-30), God expects you to do something with the gifts/talents He has equipped you with instead of hiding in fear. It is easy to curl up under the covers, but Life is to be experienced and shared with others.

Both Bolton & Ditchfield have had times of wanting to stay in bed and avoid Life, and have had several struggles that were sometimes overwhelming, yet both have learned practical ways to get up and get moving forward. A good sense of humor is the best way to start and these women know how to laugh at themselves and bring joy to others. In fact, Martha Bolton has written comedy for such cherished humorists at Bob Hope and Chonda Pierce, as well as writing or co-writiing over 7 dozen books of humor and inspiration. Ditchfield, an author, speaker, and host of "Take it to Heart!" loves to inspire women to have a deeper relationship with the Lord and a life of passion and purpose.

This is not a book aimed for people who are in need of professional help. The intent of the book is to encourage women to get up and get living a full life. Sometimes all you need is a giggle or a smile to reignite your passion for life. This is perfect for you or a friend who simply needs a chuckle of encouragement. The chapters are small, so read one for a quick "pick-me-up" or if a small bit of encouragement is all you can handle right now. Sometimes we all have a tendency to want to wallow in our misery for a bit. I know I have to hit rock bottom at times before the need to laugh hits me. Or, you may be in bed for a legitmate cause, and need to know there is hope. Bottom line is that I enjoyed the book and appreciated their candor and laughter.

I received a copy of this book from the Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are strictly my own. 

Befriend by Scott Sauls

Befriend: Create Belonging in an Age of Judgment, Isolation,and Fear by Scott Sauls is a timely book for today's world that is becoming increasingly intolerant of others having different beliefs and viewpoints. At one time we could simply agree to disagree, but we are devolving to a culture of name calling and stereotyping anyone who does not fully embrace our own thoughts. Not quite there yet, but this is a perfect time for a book like this to help us see that we can be friends with people who view thing differently...and perhaps even learn from them.

Befriend was written in answer to the question, Is real friendship too risky?" With the increased use of social media, many of us have "friendships" on various social media platforms that may include many people we have never met. Or, we have friends from church, school, work, sports, etc. that we may actually spend physical time with, but, no matter whether in person or via the internet, we do tend to stick with people who are similar to us in thoughts and deeds. Honesty is rare, and we seldom take the time to cultivate a relationship with anyone outside of our comfort zone.

Sauls demonstrates the "Jesus model" of friendship through 21 meditations meant to inspire actively pursuing God’s love through expanding your circle of friends. Jesus had friends that included a wide variety of people, and many did not just fit into His personal belief system. Scott Sauls, teacher and pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, uses each chapter to highlight a segment of people we encounter and examines how a true friendship can be grown.

My thoughts? There were some chapters, I was mentally applauding and yelling, "Preach it!" and then there were a few that stepped on my toes a bit. Would I be his friend in spite of not agreeing with a few of his views? Most likely, yes. I am willing to consider another's point of view, but have a few unshakeable opinions myself. There was one Scripture that we interpreted differently, and one parable that omitted part of the story, but nothing shattering; he merely demonstrated a point with what he used. I am as guilty as anyone else for sometimes gleaning a portion, and no harm was meant by it. Bottom line: in a time and place where we are growing angrier and less willing to compromise, Befriend is a great reminder that we are called to model Christ---not called to get everyone to agree with us or be banned from our presence.  

I received a copy of "Befriend" from BuzzPlant at no cost to myself in order to write a review. I was only asked to give my fair and honest opinion.

BuzzPlant is also offering a copy of "Befriend" to one of my readers. Leave a comment to be entered into the random drawing. Entries must be in no later than Tuesday, October 4th, 2016.