YOUNG AND IN LOVE, Challenging the Unnecessary Delay of Marriage by Ted Cunningham

Young and in Love is a book that encourages young people who fall in love to examine themselves and each other, but not delay marriage. If they believe they’re right for each other, go ahead and marry rather than delay marriage for years. This book encourages teamwork in marriage, avoiding promiscuity and avoiding living together outside of marriage. It validates fidelity to one’s spouse and encourages couples to commit to, and support one another.

The book is filled with questions for young couples to consider, and offers ideas on what to watch out for. Journal entries lead a couple to examine themselves and their potential spouse. The book helps young people commit to a lasting, successful relationship via marriage, while not allowing others to discourage them.  

Pastor Ted Cunningham uses Biblical validations throughout the book. He is a young father, with teenagers yet to come. The one place I disagreed with him was how he expects to speak to the young men his daughter will date. Those teen years will teach him much.  Parenting a teen is very different from going through teen years yourself.

Other than that, however, most of Mr. Cunningham’s premises are sound, and I’d like my grandchildren to read this book. I hope they will avoid the political correctness that could rob them of the joy provided through a large, supportive family.  By beginning married lives young, our odds of enjoying grandchildren and great grandchildren increase exponentially.

As a grandparent, I look back on my life and realize in my youth I bought into the political thinking about marriage and children.  I no longer agree with any of it.  I married later and limited myself to two children. It saddens me that my children are having their children later, and are also limiting their number. The greatest gift in life is family. Yet, the last three generations were encouraged not to marry young and not to have more than two children. Why? Possibly greed. Children are expensive. But, what is a car, a monstrous house, or an exotic vacation worth next to a child? Objects and trips don’t bring us love and joy. Loved ones do.

Mr. Cunningham’s arguments are clear, concise and accurate. I strongly recommend Young and In Love, Challenging the Unnecessary Delay of Marriage to all young people, and to parents who still buy into the myth that marrying late carries some advantage. 

Our gratitude to Audra Jennings at B&B Media for providing us with a review copy.

—Gail Lewis

Paperback: 222 pages

Publisher: David C. Cook

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0781404479
ISBN-13: 978-0781404471

TOMBSTONES AND BANANA TREES, A True Story of Revolutionary Forgiveness by Medad Birungi and Craig Borlase

This is a true story that promotes forgiveness and reconciliation. However, it’s not that message that makes this book such a captivating read. The unbelievable cruelty and poverty that Birungi experienced as a child in Uganda is chilling.

Birungi is his father’s first son by the first of his several wives. The man is violent toward them, and eventually he abandons Birungi’s mother and all her children when Birungi is only six years old. He leaves them with nothing. Their home is gone, as are all of their possessions. One might expect other relatives or neighbors to help, but assistance rarely comes.

Was Birungi bitter about it? Of course. Does he remain an angry, bitter person? No. Follow the life of a little boy whose pain and struggle will amaze you. Watch him survive, find redemption, and learn to forgive.  Through his own forgiveness of others, he has a positive impact on the lives of many people, including his father.

The back cover of the book says that Medad Birungi is now “a Bible teacher, lecturer, pastor and the founder of World Shine Ministries,” an organization in Uganda that “evangelizes, disciples, and intercedes in prayer in Uganda and around the world. Medad and his wife have five children and live in Uganda.”

 To learn more about this charitable, Christian organization, visit here:  WORLD SHINE FOUNDATION

We are grateful to Audra Jennings of B&B Media for providing us with an advance reading copy. —Gail Lewis

40 DAYS TO BETTER LIVING - OPTIMAL HEALTH

Over the next few months we’ll be doing a series of Reviews on a group of books released by the Church Health Center of Memphis, TN. Today we’re looking at the first one of the group 40 Days to Better Living, Optimal Health.

Forty days is, of course, a Biblical number and I’m sure that was among the reasons they chose it. Following a regimen of exercise, prayer and contemplation for more than a month gets a person off to good start on a life-changing adventure.

Dr. Scott Morris founded the Church Health Center in 1987. Today, they handle 36,000 patient visits, have 120,000 wellness visits, and have a staff of 250. They are unique in that they provide all of this care without Government funds. The Center is Christian-based and espouses treating the whole person — mind, body and spirit.

The book is set up in daily increments. Each of them begins with a short Morning Reflection. Their message is generally low-key and not strongly denominational. They do, however, acknowledge the role of God in our lives and well-being. Prayerful living is definitely encouraged. They also encourage each person to keep a journal of their goals and progress. As a matter of fact, they provide space right in the book for it. Each day ends with an Evening Reflection. Regardless of where an individual might be in their spiritual journey, following this simple routine is bound to increase a person’s awareness of God working in their life.

Nearly every page has colorful illustrations and there are half a dozen “stories” scattered through the pages. Each one features an individual who came to the Center with a specific health issue and the progress they made due to the program. Rather than being a get-rich-quick scheme like so many books on Health, these books are part of a larger ministerial outreach and this is reflected in their modest price. The list price on Optimal Health is a thrifty $7.99 and I expect the others will be as affordable.

If I sound like I’m impressed, it’s because I am. Rather than tell you how great the book is, I’d rather share a personal story. I suffer from degenerative arthritis of the spine that has impacted the nerves in one of my legs. Lifting, bending and walking have become increasingly difficult. After reading the story of Eddie, a man who faced possible amputation of his legs due to an auto accident, I was motivated to do more. I decided if he could do it, maybe I could too. This past week I went for a walk. I wasn’t fast and I relied upon my cane, but I covered almost a mile. That may not sound like much, but it’s the greatest distance I’ve walked in months and I'm looking forward to making additional progress.

We thank Audra Jennings at B&B Media for providing us with a copy for an honest review.
—E G Lewis

Product Details
List Price: $7.99
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Barbour Books
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-1616262648

GOD GAVE US YOU by Lisa Tawn Bergren

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Lisa Tawn Bergren

and the book:

God Gave Us You (Board Book)

WaterBrook Press; 1st edition (September 19, 2000

***Special thanks to Laura Tucker, WaterBrook Multnomah Publicity, for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Tawn Bergren is the best-selling author of eight novels, three novellas, and two gift books, with more than a half-million books in print. God Gave Us You is her first children’s book. As an editor during the week and a writer on weekends, she makes her very-messy-but-cozy home in Colorado with her husband, Tim, and their daughters, Olivia and Emma.

Visit the author's website.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:

Laura J. Bryant attended the Maryland Institute of Art, where she received a strong foundation in drawing, painting, and print-making. Illustrating children’s books has provided her with both a rewarding and creative career. Laura’s clients have included Simon & Schuster, McGraw Hill, and Stech-Vaughn publishers, among others. She currently lives among the tidal rivers on the eastern shore of Maryland with her loving husband and curiously cantankerous cat!

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Filled with playful, winsome illustrations by an artist who specializes in polar bear images, this four-color, read-to-me picture book will build children’s self-esteem through the tale of a mama bear who reassuringly explains where her cub came from and affirms Mama and Papa’s great love for her.

And now, Our Review:
God Gave Us You is the first of a series of books that all begin God Gave Us… Designed to answer those first “Where did I come from” questions, this illustrated story for pre-schoolers lets a child know that they not only have a heavenly father, but that they are loved and wanted by their earthly parents. Set in an easy to understand question and answer format, Mama Bear patiently answers each question. Grandparents take note, the book makes a wonderful baby shower gift or a birthday present for a three-year-old. It’s a story youngster never tire of hearing. Strongly recommended.
—E G Lewis

Anyone interested in Seeing smaple pages from the book can go here.

Product Details:

List Price: $10.99
Reading level: Baby-Preschool
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press; 1st edition (September 19, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1578563232
ASIN: B002PJ4LHM

THE LAND OF PAINTED CAVES by Jean M. Auel

With the exception of her first novel, The Clan of the Cave Bear, I bought all of Jean Auel’s novels as soon as they were released. Her series, Earth’s Children, is my favorite group of books and quite possibly always will be.  I do think she deserves nicer looking book covers, however. I don’t believe any of the artwork was detailed and exacting enough, or up to the quality of her writing.

If you’ve read her earlier novels, you will enjoy following the most recent exploits of Ayla and Jondalar in Jean Auel’s sixth novel, The Land of Painted Caves. If you haven’t read the others, don’t start with this one. Below this review are reviews for each of her other novels in this series.  The Clan of the Cave Bear is the first.

Here they are in order of their publication:

1. The Clan of the Cave Bear
2. The Valley of Horses
3. The Mammoth Hunters
4. The Plains of Passage
5. The Shelters of Stone
6. The Land of Painted Caves

Reviews for these books work their way forward, beginning from the bottom up. I was careful not to place any other book reviews between them.

Jean Auel visited many caves in France filled with ancient paintings, and does an excellent job of describing them in this novel. Have to admit though, that after a while reading about them isn’t the same as being there would be. Much of the book is a Cro-Magnon travelogue, but that’s not a bad thing.

Regrettably, wonderful, handsome Jondalar disappoints in this novel. His shining image is tarnished beyond repair. Although Ayla forgives him, I wouldn’t have. In fact, I wouldn’t have written it that way … I want my hero’s and heroine’s to remain upright in all regards. So, for that reason, this wasn’t my favorite book of the series. It ranks sixth on my list. As I mentioned in an earlier review, my favorite is The Valley of Horses, next is Plains of Passage, then Clan of the Cave Bear, Mammoth Hunters, Shelters of Stone and this one last. But, it is still worth reading just to see Ayla become a Zelandoni and witness Jonayla’s childhood. The Land of Painted Caves divides into three parts.  Sweet Jonayla grows a little older in each one.

Much of the conflict in this novel occurs because of Jondalar’s infidelity. There is another sad aspect to this book, but I won’t give it away.

Ayla continues to educate her new community, including the fact that babies can only begin if a man and a woman share “pleasures” together.  Ayla’s training to become a Zelandoni is enjoyable and fascinating. It takes tragedy for her to actually become a Zelandoni, however.

If you love the characters, Ayla and Jondalar, you should read this book. Although I enjoyed some of the others more, you might feel differently, and I did enjoy it. It is highly recommended after reading the others first.

—Gail Lewis

Product Details:
Hardcover: 757 pages
Language: English
Publisher: Crown Publishers, Inc.
ISBN-10: 0517580519
ISBN-13: 978-0517580516

THE SHELTERS OF STONE by Jean M. Auel

This is Jean Auel’s fifth book in her Earth’s Children series. It’s also my fifth favorite in the series. 

A year after leaving the mammoth hunting Mamutoi’s, Ayla and Jondalar arrive at his home. These Cro-Magnon groups shelter and make their dwellings in caves, some extremely large. Jondalar’s mother, sister and extended family members welcome his return, and we meet many of his extended family. Ayla faces embarrassment at the hands of a former girlfriend of Jondalar’s, and actually turns it to her advantage. As usual, she wins over most of his people and once again makes a place for herself as a valued member of their society.

Ayla educates them about the Neanderthals they call Flatheads, introduces firestones and much more. Jondalar brings his skills as a flint knapper and introduces them to the spear-thrower he invented. As hoped for, Ayla gives birth to their daughter, Jonayla, and everything concludes with a happy ending.

Ayla and Jondalar’s introduction to his family is fascinating, as are the customs of his people. However, hinted at potential conflicts never transpired. I expected more excitement, and was left wanting. This book lacks the action and intrigue of the previous four. That said, it was still fun to read about the ongoing lives of my favorite characters.

Jean Auel is also an accomplished poet as evidenced by The Mother’s Song, an epic poem the Zelandoni of all the cave communities use to explain their Creation belief and who that divine being is to them. Well worth reading after reading the first four books in the series.
—Gail Lewis

Product Details:
Hardcover: 753 pages
Language: English
Publisher: Crown Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 0-609-61059-7
ASIN: B001LMZ035

THE PLAINS OF PASSAGE by Jean M. Auel

Jean Auel’s The Plains of Passage is one of my favorite books. It is her fourth novel, and my favorite … second only to The Valley of Horses.  Shortly after its publication, I had the pleasure of attending a writing seminar where Jean Auel spoke. She was inspiring and likeable. I had the good fortune to sit beside her at lunch, a very memorable event for me. Although I had a copy of all her novels with me, I only asked her to sign her latest one, The Plains of Passage. 

For excitement and suspense, this one can’t be beat. Ayla and Jondalar continue their travels toward his home, and the risk of death is often close at hand.  There are a number of very sexy love scenes between the couple too.  They make up for the last book when, to my dissatisfaction, they didn’t spend enough time together. In this one, they do.

By now, Jondalar also rides a horse. Whinny had a foal that Jondalar named Racer. The young stallion becomes his. The horses are also put at risk in this novel, and you won’t be able to quit reading until it’s resolved.  

Together Ayla and Jondalar amaze whoever they encounter. Not only do they ride horses, but they are accompanied by a wolf. The wolf cub that Ayla rescued in the previous novel is now her adoring, loyal companion. She nearly loses Wolf and risks her life to rescue him. Later, Wolf saves her life too after they encounter an evil community of women. True to the heroic characters they are, Jondalar and Ayla survive and transform that community into a healthier one.

The culmination of the book is that Ayla meets Jondalar’s father and his family before continuing on to the Ninth Cave of the Zelandoni, the home Ayla has dreamed of … literally. Don’t miss this novel. It is excellent!

—Gail Lewis

Product Details:

Hardcover: 760 pages
Language: English
Publisher: Crown Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 0-517-58049-7
ASIN: B001HEC468