Counter Culture, Blogging, and a Comfort Read ( August Reads 2015)

I am finding that reading a chapter of my book right before I go to sleep is a perfect way to end my day.  The only trouble is that sometimes I end up reading more than one chapter and staying up too late.  Still it has been a great way for me to unwind each evening as we have been traveling, and our days have been full of people and activities.  Now I get to read on a new kindle that my husband bought for me as an early birthday present.  I wasn’t sure if I would like the upgrade since everything is touch screen.  I love its size and how easy it is to use.  My old kindle was over three years old and had been to Central Asia, Europe, China and back to the states with me.  It is still going strong but has needed a few extra reboots the last few months.  My husband who knows what helps keeps me sane insisted we go ahead and upgrade since we would not be able to get a new one quickly if my old one gave out.  He is even letting me have it before my birthday which is fun.  (Of course, we have to make sure it works.)  

Once a month, I share what I have been reading and link up with Anne at the Modern Ms. Darcy and others on what they have read this month.  Here are the short reviews of three books I am or have read this month.

1. Counter Culture by David Platt

 Every summer a friend and I read a book together and discuss it.  This was our choice for the summer.  David Platt did a great job of biblically talking about the issues of our day.  Each chapter covers a different issue and then has ideas at the end on how we can be more involved in making a difference.  One thing I appreciated is how David doesn’t point fingers but gets to the heart of each issue.  I would say this quote sets the tone of the book.

Instead, the most offensive claim in Christianity is that God is the Creator, Owner, and Judge of every person on the planet.  Every one of us stands before him guilty of sin, and the only way to be reconciled to him is through faith in Jesus, the crucified Savior and the risen King.  

I have also been having my teen son read it as part of his summer reading list. It has made for some good discussions on our long car rides.


2. Delicious Blogging by Debi Stangeland

Debi’s book is full of advice on how to make your blog better.  Each chapter deals with a different aspect or area of your blog and how to make it better.  She likes to use baking analogies to help get her point across.  Her action steps are practical, and she provides extra links to help you have more resources at your disposal.  I am only a third of the way through the book and have used most of her ideas.  If you have been to my blog before, hopefully,you have noticed a few of the changes that I have made.  (Hint: I now have a profile picture even if it is just a caricature.)   

3. Taken by Dee Henderson

Dee Henderson books are always a comfort read for me.  She has talent for bringing in characters from some of her other books to complement a new edition of characters.  This particular book is about a former cop who helps a young woman who had been kidnapped 11 years ago and just escaped.  It is a book about who did it, healing after trauma, and answering  the question is God still good when things like this happen.   Here is a quote from one of the conversations between the cop and young woman.

Then let’s not be abstract.  God didn’t stop men from hurting me.  Does that fact make God not good?  I concluded that God was suffering as I was, but He didn’t want to end free will or bring the world to judgement yet, so He permitted what happened.  People hurt me, not God.  He didn’t divinely rescue me from the world I live in, even though that was in His power.  He simply walked each hour and day of it with me, and promised me that justice was coming.

What books have you read this month or are planning to read this fall? 
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