leafing through the pages

Sacred Singleness

Van Gwyneth — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 09:42:21 +0000

Written by: Leslie Ludy
Date: 31 August 2011
Lessons: (1) Purity comes at a high price. Sometimes the sacrifice makes little sense to others, but when offered to Him it is always accepted. (2) Contentment is not correlated with any other relationship besides my relationship with Jesus Christ. i ought to be most content when i see the fruits of the Kingdom of God around me.
Thoughts: Thank God for moving Carmen to lend me this book so full of timely reminders and fresh perspectives from the Lord at this point of my life. May the Lord help me to willingly and gladly embrace a life of undistracted service to Christ’s kingdom, instead of wasting this beautiful season of singleness away. O Lord, give me Your heart and Your vision for the beauty of true surrender!

Passion and Purity

Van Gwyneth — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 09:04:51 +0000

Written by: Elisabeth Elliot
Completed on: 2 March 2011
Comments: The 2nd time i’m reading it after at least 10 years, and i’m glad i did for it brought fresh perspectives and lessons. Elisabeth Elliot recounts her friendship and romance with the missionary Jim Elliot. She uses anecdotes from her courtship with Jim Elliot to discuss issues like dealing with loneliness, impatience, purity, putting God’s desires above ours, the role of men and women etc. The book, “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” by Joshua Harris was much inspired by Elisabeth Elliot’s book and both books have been responsible for the term “courtship” in place of “dating”. Very candidly written and not hiding the flaws of her courtship with Jim Elliot but instead using them to discuss what should be avoided, Elisabeth Elliot’s book on purity in relationships is encouraging, but definitely challenging and thought-provoking. Warning: Be prepared to be labelled by today’s society as “Old-fashioned”!

Mary Slessor: Servant to the Slave

Van Gwyneth — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 14:54:10 +0000

Written by: Catherine Mackenzie
Completed on: 26 Feb 2011
Comments: A very quick and easy read on the life of Mary Slessor who grew up n the slums of Dundee with an alcoholic father – all in God’s plan to prepare her for the tribes of Calabar, where she’d live among extreme superstitions, alcoholism and violence of the people she came to reach with the Gospel of Christ. Truly, where God sends, He’d prepare and equip. No matter how small or weak His child may be, He is able to use to bring about changes that He alone can.

Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary

Van Gwyneth — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:25:04 +0000

Written by: Lee Strobel
Completed on: 23 Feb 2011
Comments: A book worth reading and re-reading if your heart’s for the many people around you who are unchurched believers or non-believers. Fresh perspectives, new insights on what the people we try to reach might be really thinking about – most of the time contrary to what we believe. Written from the perspective of a former ‘aethist’ who came to know Jesus through his own thorough investigations of Christianity, i think this is a useful material for those in outreach ministries, and of course, for those of us who sincerely want to understand truly how our unchurched friends and loved ones think about God and church! (:

Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul

Van Gwyneth — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 15:17:51 +0000

Written by: John & Stasi Eldredge
Date completed: 17 February 2011
Comments: Well-written from the perspectives of both genders, it shows readers the glorious design of women before the fall and describes how the feminine heart can be restored, and how the beauty of a woman can be released to be all she was meant to be. It reveals the core desires that every woman share: (i) to be romanced, (ii) to play an irreplaceable role in a grand adventure and of course, (iii) to unveil beauty…and invites women to recover their feminine hearts. A female-version of “Wild At Heart”, this book also encourages men to discover the secret of a woman’s soul and to delight in the beauty and strength women were created to offer. A good book that shows how the beauty of a woman and the strength of a man complement each other (:

Chinese Whispers: The Gladys Aylward Story

Van Gwyneth — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 16:00:46 +0000

Author: Carol Purves
Date Completed: 8 December 2010
Comments: Decided to read this book after watching a cartoon by Torchlighters and was encouraged by God’s sustaining power in this woman, against all the odds and controversies that surrounded her life and work for God. An honest and detailed retelling of her life, the author doesn’t try to hide Gladys Aylward’s weaknesses of the flesh – good reminder that while many of us think of missionaries as very extraordinary, they’re actually people who go through the same struggles and at times respond the way as we do, too (:

The Pilgrim’s Progress

Van Gwyneth — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 15:04:41 +0000

Written By: John Bunyan
Date completed: 20 November 2010

The Autobiography of George Muller

Van Gwyneth — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 10:54:56 +0000

Publisher: Whitaker House
Written by: George Muller
Date completed: 7 November 2010
Comments: I was greatly encouraged by the big faith of this man, and even more encouraged that every child of God who obeys the Lord can have such big faith too. The reminder to trust in the Lord rather than to put confidence in man (Psalm 118:8-9) was timely. Truly, our God is faithful and will keep His promise to supply all our need according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19).

Stepping Heavenward

Van Gwyneth — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 18:45:10 +0000

Author: Elizabeth Prentiss
Date Completed: 20 October 2010
Comments: Though fictional, this book is an intimate account of a young woman’s journey through life as a teen to adulthood. Full of godly wisdom told with candor – i like! (: Really expresses how many of us feel about our heart’s desire to know God amidst warfare with the flesh…and also a reminder of how, if we give ourselves to Him, God through the Holy Spirit is able to change and make us more like Christ – no matter how terribly wretched we are (: Ladies AND GENTLEMEN – here’s an awesome book you must read!!! (: (: (:

Four Views on Moving Beyond the Bible to Theology

Van Gwyneth — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 18:23:23 +0000

General Editor: Gary T. Meadors
Date Completed: Sept 2010
Comments: A presentation and discussion/debate among four contributors on the four main views on how to consider and evaluate the various ways Christians apply Biblical texts to contemporary questions/issues. A guide for theological students and pastors. This book offers presentations by four scholars on their preferred interpretive models in point-counterpoint style, as well as the reflections of three additional authors on their perspectives on questions of moving from the Bible to theology. Discusses issues like euthanasia, abortion, slavery, role of women in ministry/church etc.