Water For Elephants

As my first finished up summer read I enjoyed Water for Elephants. It was an intriguing story of one man's journey of remembrance, forgiveness and redemption.

Jacob, the main character pulls you in from the beginning. The book follows him as he reflects on the journey his life has brought him through. It is a story of circumstance and love. And, if you ever wonder how someone may end up working in a circus, this is a pretty good adventure in that way to.

I am never one to give away plot and I am sure you can find a bazillion summaries of the story. But, as an avid reader and someone always looking to connect with the main character, even if it means being disappointed or frustrated with them, I will say this book hit the mark.

It is an enjoyable, quick read and I would highly recommend it.

The Vertical Self

How do you define yourself? Do you wait for the world to tell you who you are? Do you look to the one that created you to show you who He created you to be?

The Vertical Self: How biblical faith can help us discover who we are in an age of self obsession by Mark Sayers is one of my most recent reads.

I would have to say that this book is definitely geared towards a specific audience. I think the intent was to meet a more broad need of those in the Christian world in search for a definition to their identity. I felt, it more directly would help or give insight to those in church leadership, searching for more tools to help in their ministries.

I enjoyed the book. I felt it was insightful and heartfelt. At times I felt Sayers repeated points as someone who is very passionate about something and tries to tell you the same thing in ten different ways. Not a bad thing but made it more difficult in holding my interest for long periods of time.

I do feel this is a valuable resource. In my current role in women's ministry, this book helps define some of the hurdles that come with counseling women beyond the definitions of today's culture and having them see themselves as God sees them.

I will leave you with a quote:

"We all desperately want to move toward our true selves, but our desires, egos, and impulses derail our attempts. Our culture doesn't have answers for the conflicts we feel over our desires. God, however, views our desires as his workshop. He doesn't remove them; instead, he encourages us to redeem them, to use them as fuel to move toward our true self." pg 119

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”