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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Castaway Kid: one man's search for hope and home




By R. B. Mitchell


Besides owning a bookstore and carrying meaningful books, we want to know what our family ministry should be. Where does God want to use us as a family? We have a heart for the fatherless for sure. It probably stems from the fact that God has built our family through adoption. We have had each of our children from the newborn stage, but a compassion and burden has been growing in our hearts for those older kids who may never have a family of their own. We don't know where He is leading us specifically. Is there an American orphanage where we can touch these lives somehow as a family and/or is He calling us to adopt once again. We don't know, but He always has a way of directing our steps if we allow Him.

All this detail to introduce an autobiography that I just read called Castaway Kid. This is a true story of a boy who had to grow up in a children's home, always wishing for a family to call his own. You will need some tissue as you read this book, but He does find the Lord through his heart wrenching young life. I am recommending this book for you if you want to gain a greater understanding for those children who have hurts and wounds from such tremendous rejection of living without a mother or father to call their own. Maybe God has put these children on your heart to serve them in some way or maybe He is leading you to adopt.

We hope to gain more wonderful books on adoption. If you know of any to recommend, please let us know so we can preview them. This issue is obviously close to our hearts. We hope to write a book someday sharing our stories of adoption with our 3 brown-eyed girls. If ever we doubt that there is a God all we have to do is remember and look at our children and stand in awe at God's handiwork in bringing them to us to be their mom and dad.

(Here is the Reading Guide for Castaway Kid if you want further discussion with each chapter.)

Another review of Castaway Kid..


"Mitchell's life story is written in a way that draws you in and makes you want to go ahead and read the next chapter each time you finish one. Yet
it does not feel as if it is embroidered one bit. He simply tells you the
plain truth of what happened in his life in a very direct way. We are allowed time to linger with the feelings he experienced, the good and the bad, but mostly the mixed and confused. We feel the bewilderment that he
felt as he tried to understand things that just did not make sense. The story is unbelievable at times, although we don't doubt for a second that it indeed happened just as written. Many who have felt pain in their formative years will relate very well to this story, even if it was not the same kind of pain. Mitchell then takes us through his spiritual evolution, once again, in a very straightforward way. There is nothing sappy about it. He finds the only kind of faith that will help a troubled
adolescent. The real kind. In a few very short and simple episodes he asks the biggest questions that can be asked, and finds the kind of answers that an angry kid, (or angry adult), can sink his teeth into.
Ultimately the author finds reconciliation and peace, and the reader will too."
-by Alan M.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Evy's Endorsments...Books Worth Reading

Thoughts For Young Men by JC Ryle

Young man-call yourself to a higher standard with Thoughts For Young Men.
Parents-call your sons to a higher standard with Thoughts For Young Men.

The Bible speaks specifically to young men (Titus 2:6) and the words of friendly exhortation in this booklet pack a powerful punch, helping the student of Truth fix his eyes on Jesus. Author Ryle points out that young men have the ruinous inequality of strength, disproportionate to their wisdom as he proceeds to address: reasons for exhorting young men, dangers of young men, general counsels to young men, special rules for young men and encouraging conclusions for young men. Thoughts For Young Men, a must read book for young men, can be read and re-read!

Happy Reading!

~evy

Don't Waste Your Life

There is no mystery to the topic of John Piper’s Don’t Waste Your Life. From his childhood training, significant writers of his education and Scripture he builds a thorough definition of what a wasted life is and is not. The reader will not be able to dismiss this as a vague, “over my head” book.

There were spots that seemed slow, but abruptly therein was a nugget, so thereafter I read with greater caution. His theme reminded me of Paul E. Billheimer’s Don’t Waste Your Sorrows, as both writers passionately plead with the Christian to understand there are great purposes in the every believer’s life, quite beyond their own story. Other Christian writers have sounded a similar call such as Max Lucado and John Eldridge

Below are a few samples from Don’t Waste Your Life I have added to my journal for more reflection:
*Begin to treasure Christ and here gain an aptitude for Joy in Him
*I am Your Treasure and Your Great Reward—embrace all His Promises; more pleasure in His Presence; gladness in the present taste of glory. . .
*Quiet peace along the path He chooses for us with its pain, being satisfied that nothing comes to us in vain
*”I am hungry above all to pass this present test of faith and to have a deep restfulness in the goodness and power of Christ. I am hungry to enjoy His name being esteemed as others see my demeanor, my integrity and give Christ glory. That is a wonder not a wasted life” (p. 149)

Pastor Piper writes of his regularly assessing his own life- thus assuring the reader this is not a new topic for him, and he heeds his own word, a sober subject aligned clearly with the Word. In my view he succeeds in sharpening the vision, and bracing the reader to change course if need be to avoid wasting his life.

(A review by Jane a.k.a. Mom and Grandma)

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Evy's Endorsements...Books Worth Reading!

A Father’s Stew by Stephen Beck

No dinner clean up needed for this meal! While not a crock-pot recipe for tonight’s dinner, A Father’s Stew cooks up a great challenge-will you take it? Stephen Beck explains both the importance of Biblically integrating family, work and ministry as well as how to blend them together to be a sweet savor to God. The time spent reading this short, straight to the point, scripturally sound book will reward you hundred-fold with a clear understanding of how the life ingredients of family, work and ministry create A Father’s Stew.

This book is GREAT for dads, super for young men preparing for marriage and family and also a worthwhile read for those discipling young men in life issues (including moms of sons!). This is on the "to read in a few years" list for my son :)

Happy reading!

~evy