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ADULT NONFICTION Leroy Hommerding, Director, Fort Myers Beach P.L. District, Fort Myers, Florida The Cleavers don’t live here anymore : bringing hope and radical forgiveness to the bewilderment, betrayal, and bitterness of real family life, by Laurie Sharlene Hall. LCCN 99088896. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Vine Books, Servant Publications, 2000. ISBN 1569551316, PAP, $10.99. 248.4. Married persons--Religious life; Marriage-- Religious aspects--Christianity. 218 p. Adult. This is Laurie Hall’s second book. Her first, Affair of the Mind, discussed her ordeal with her husband’s addiction to pornography. She references that book in her new book taking the reader to the next level when there has been a betrayal in the marriage—forgiveness. Her book is written as if one is sitting across from her drinking coffee in the kitchen. Her honest discussions of her sadness and experiences will connect with those hurting. Most importantly, her appropriate use of humor make this book one to read and turn to in the hard times. She presents, in the opening chapters, an overview of our hurting society. She spends much of her time reporting statistics of the situation in the church and in the world. Throughout her book Hall doesn’t mince words or gloss over the situation of a hurting man or woman where trust has been destroyed. She simply states that there is a specific process that has brought her and her husband peace. She presents her ideas regarding how marriage is not understood well in three units entitled, dealing with the outward realities, dealing with the inward realities, and dealing with the ongoing realities. Each chapter begins with a quote of an individual and scripture. She then proceeds to rip any pretense for the reader to remain unforgiving in their present situation. Each chapter ends with questions that force the reader to examine himself/herself rather than the other person. The book is a quality paperback. Hall discusses depression, pornography and its effects, abuse, as well as other topics candidly. Appendix A is a table indicating how one can discern abusive leadership. Appendix B is a listing of recommended reading ordered by topicality. She qualifies this reading list by stating that she doesn’t endorse every book; she just found it generally helpful in her understanding of forgiveness. Her notes section is worth reading on its own. Bianca Elliott, Teacher, Linwood, Kansas Visioneering, by Andy Stanley. LCCN 99015763. Sisters, Ore.: Multnomah, 1999. ISBN 1576735389, HBB, $18.99. 248.4. Nehemiah (Governor of Juday); Success-- Religious aspects--Christianity. 272 p. Adult. Using the Book of Nehemiah as a running illustration, Visioneering describes the process of recognizing, developing, implementing, and maintaining a vision. The book constantly reminds the reader that visions begin, end, and have their purpose in glorifying God and expanding His Kingdom. The text introduces two new words into the lexicon: “visioneering,” the process of developing and maintaining vision; and “visioncasting,” the sharing of a vision with others. Visioneering’s eighteen chapters thoroughly cover a number of topics: vision birth, prayer, faith, moral authority, and godly purpose. The book also addresses vital topics such as planning, public relations, organizational behavior, and team development. Visioneering covers the secular and religious aspects of vision in a natural, smooth manner. Appropriately, the book ends with a challenge: “Pay the price. Embrace the vision.” Visioneering is well written, well researched and well organized. Author Andy Stanley marches through the Book of Nehemiah in an orderly, thorough way. Despite that order and structure, the book is an engaging read. Additionally, Pastor Stanley goes out of his way to tie everything, at every opportunity, back to our Lord and the building of His Kingdom. Anyone who reads the text should develop a complete understanding of vision. The entire subject is made accessible and understandable. While remaining true to a scriptural and biblical basis, Visioneering does not become sanctimonious or dogmatic. It’s easy to imagine any secular businessman picking up this book and being enriched by its content. Visioneering will, by its nature, be most valuable to the leaders and managers of organizations and institutions. Any parent, pastor, teacher or leader should find something of value within these pages. Happily, even those who seek to simply manage themselves with benefit from reading this book. This book is a valuable and important resource for anyone who wants to get something done. Kirk Hunt, Instructor, Pima County Community College, Business & Industry Division, Tucson, Arizona Husbands and fathers : rediscover the Creator’s purpose for men, by Derek Prince; foreword by Edwin Louis Cole. LCCN 99038439. Grand Rapids: Chosen Books, Baker Book House, 2000. ISBN 0800792742, PAP, $9.99. 248.8’421. Christian men--Religious life; Husbands-- Religious life; Fathers--Religious life. 160 p. Adult. Husbands and Fathers is a thought-provoking, discussion-starting, quick-reading, experiencebased book written by Pentecostal preacherteacher Derek Prince. Prince draws on his own experience as the father of nine daughters and the husband of two wives to provide practical advice. Much of what he shares has the grandfatherly feel that readers might expect from an eighty year old evangelist who remains active in Christian ministry despite the very recent homegoing of his second wife. Herein lies a problem. Much of his solid, practical, experiential advice Prince labels as biblical advice. While the principles he shares with readers may transcend many cultural walls, this does not make them biblical. Examples include this bold statement: “If the wife does not submit willingly to her husband’s headship, there is only one way he can take that position—by self-assertive domination.” While this is a debatable claim even within the most conservative of evangelical circles, Prince couches it in a section addressing “what the Bible has to say” about wives. Readers should be prepared for several casual, but not too frequent, references to speaking in tongues and the filling of the Holy Spirit. Additionally, Prince’s treatment of the historic meaning and nature of “covenant” relationships is interesting. Unfortunately, his observations seem to be that of an amateur theologian rather than a biblical scholar. The greatest reward awaits the reader who completes his study of this book. Prince’s advice and insight regarding spiritual fatherhood is gratifying and affirming. Detailing the life and teaching of Paul, Prince provides creative and original perspectives for fathers, single men, and childless husbands. These later portions of the book were a wonderful surprise and will, unfortunately, miss their target audience because of the book’s misdirected title. Maturing Christian men and the women who care about them will benefit from discussion based on Husbands and Fathers. Daniel S. Brown, Professor of Communication, Indiana Wesleyan University, Indianapolis, Indiana ★ When couples pray together, by Jan Stoop and David Stoop. LCCN 99059126. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Vine Books, Servant Publications, 2000. ISBN 1569551081, PAP, $10.99. 248.8’44. Spouses--Religious life; Marriage-- Religious aspects--Christianity; Prayer--Christianity. 180 p. Adult. Authors David and Jan Stoop struggled to pray together during their early years of marriage. Jan yearned for spiritual intimacy with Dave, but he resisted when she suggested they join in prayer. Problems like theirs are not uncommon. Informal statistics reveal only four percent of Christian couples actually pray together on a regular basis. Whether marriage partners already pray together or want to start, When Couples Pray Together has much to offer. It brims with stories of praying couples, answered prayers, and practical guidance. Written in a friendly tone, it covers why couples should pray together, why they don’t, and how to begin. The Stoops, now grandparents, have prayed with each other daily for almost thirty years and list marital stability as an important benefit. While divorce statistics soar even among Christians, one marriage ministry reported: If S P R I N G 2 0 0 1 7 4 C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L
ADULT NONFICTION couples pray together regularly, only one in 1,500 gets divorced. Couples in this book testified that their prayer times enhanced spiritual intimacy with God and each other. When couples unite in prayer, God releases his incredible power. Jesus promised, “If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done” (Matthew 18:19 NIV). This book cites exciting answers as husbands and wives agreed in prayer. But even when prayers weren’t answered as hoped, praying together sustained them during dark times. Since numerous benefits result from praying together, why don’t more Christian couples do so? One hindrance is our natural resistance to change. Other barriers include busyness, personality differences, fear, laziness, marital conflicts, plus evil, unseen forces. But the authors don’t leave readers stuck with these difficulties. They offer suggestions to overcome resistance and barriers, then challenge married partners to begin praying. Discussion questions and sample prayers are included to help couples start. I highly recommend this motivating, quick read. Lydia E. Harris, Freelance Writer & Educator, Seattle, Washington ★ Chronic kids, constant hope : help and encouragement for parents of children with chronic conditions, by Elizabeth Hoekstra and Mary Bradford. LCCN 00009201. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, Good News Publishers, 2000. ISBN 1581341849, PAP, $12.99. 248.845. Parents of chronically ill children--Religious life; Chronic diseases in children--Religious aspects-- Christianity. 206 p. Adult. One-third of American families are estimated to have children with life-altering diseases. Authors Elizabeth Hoekstra and Mary Bradford, both sisters and nurses, are mothers of such children. In Chronic Kids, Constant Hope, they share struggles and triumphs and offer help and encouragement to parents with chronically ill children. Written with compassion and sensitivity, the book brims with Scripture, hope, and practical advice. The authors understand the hurt, disappointment, and grief parents feel and cover pertinent topics. They aren’t afraid to tackle difficult questions and provide honest answers. Subjects include anger towards God, prayers for healing, medical care, how to respond when others are insensitive, educating yourself about disease, bonding as a family unit, how chronic disease affects siblings, schooling for the ill child, and much more. The authors discuss ways to cope emotionally, physically, and spiritually, and encourage readers to hope in God, who will not disappoint them. They suggest parents write stories of their children’s illnesses so they can testify about God’s faithfulness, provision, and protection when asked about their children. Parents of chronic kids will be comforted to know they aren’t alone in coping with their situations and will value this supportive resource. It offers tremendous help to raise well-adjusted children who know God has a purpose for their illness and lives. Also included are useful Scripture verses and an appendix with resources. I strongly recommend this resource for families with chronic kids and others who deal with them. Lydia E. Harris, Freelance Writer & Educator, Seattle, Washington Real family values : leading your family into the 21st century with clarity and conviction, by Robert Lewis. LCCN 99050892. Sisters, Ore.: Multnomah Publishers, 2000. ISBN 1576736679, PAP, $12.99. 248.8’45. Family--Religious life; Christian ethics. 265 p. Adult. Real Family Values sets out to clarify the values that are part of our cultural milieu and how these values help us understand the real forces at work in the changes we experience in life. It also seeks to offer suggestions and guidance as to how one can remove any moral confusion in the home and one’s family. This book will be resource for anyone interested in issues involved in many topics including nofault divorce, new definitions of what constitutes a family, safe sex, and values-neutral schools are affecting our culture. Lewis is able to bridge discussion and deal with the polarization of those who belong in one camp or another, e.g., pro-choice or pro-life, pro alternative lifestyles or anti homosexuals. His frank discussion and open-heart can enable adults to look farther, and discussion or study groups to probe the issues. Lewis pastors a church in Little Rock, Arkansas, and he and his wife Sherard have four children. He has also helped lead and develop a Men’s Fraternity ministry. A graduate of the University of Arkansas, Western Theological Seminary, and Talbot Theological Seminary, Dr. Lewis has written several books, including Rocking the Roles: Building a Win-Win Marriage (Navpress, 1999). He has appeared on radio and television programs including Family Life Today, Focus on the Family, and The 700 Club. Leroy Hommerding, Director, Fort Myers Beach P.L. District, Fort Myers, Florida The shaping of a Christian family, by Elisabeth Elliot. LCCN 00031082. Grand Rapids: Fleming H. Revell, Baker Book House, 2000. ISBN 080075736X, PAP, $12.99. 248.8’45’0922. Howard family; Family--Religious life; Parenting--Religious aspects--Christianity. 217 p. Adult. For many years, author Elisabeth Elliott has been an example of godly womanhood and faithful Christian service. Widowed in her twenties when husband Jim Elliott and four companions were massacred by Ecuador Indians they were attempting to reach for Christ, she returned to Ecuador with toddler daughter Valerie in tow to live for eleven years, ministering to the very tribe that had killed her husband. She was widowed a second time in later years when husband, Addison Leitch, died of cancer. Despite the tragedies she has endured, Elliott believes fervently in the goodness and mercy of God and, with the help of husband Lars Gren, shares her trust in and love for God with hundreds of thousands of people annually through her books, magazine articles, and radio program Gateway to Joy. But how did she become the woman she is today? What is her secret? Part of the answer to that is in the pages of The Shaping of a Christian Family, as Elliott tells of her childhood and growing up years and the example and training she received from parents Philip and Katherine Howard. In the introduction she says, “Let’s live before our children that they may be able to truly honor us..,” she then goes on to honor her parents and the way they chose to raise their children, using excerpts from her mother’s autobiography, her father’s speeches, her memories, and those of her siblings. She includes eight pages of family photos and a suggested reading list for parents and ends, in the afterword, by saying “[although] the principles [written about in this book] are sound and biblical, I believe, their application will differ in different times and in different homes” and then encouraging readers to ask God for help in building their own homes. Betty Winslow, Librarian, Bowling Green Christian Academy, Bowling Green, Ohio ★ A light in the shadows : emerging from the darkness of depression, by William L. Coleman. LCCN 00023352. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Vine Books, Servant Publications, 2000. ISBN 1569551510, PAP, $10.99. 248.8’525. Depression, Mental--Religious aspects-- Christianity; Depressed persons--Religious life. 192 p. Adult. This book is a must for any Christian who is living with depression personally or who knows anyone who is living with the disease. A Christian counselor who lives with depression discusses the deep pathos and mind-set of a depressed person. His writing resonates with the peace of God and yet the pain of depression. There are five parts with short, one to two page stories that provide the reader with clear vision into the mind of the depressed. There are mini chapters that clearly show the depressed are able to experience joy. Coleman spends precious print space to remind others regarding what to do and not do as well as what to say or not say. These insightful suggestions are offered to help those suffering with depression as well as those who have loved ones experiencing depression. Coleman writes from the heart and his humor and self-analysis are powerful to read. Many of the mini sections end with a scripture verse. Especially helpful is C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L 7 5 S P R I N G 2 0 0 1
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Page 87 and 88: INDEX David Livingstone 41 Davidson
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