One Thousand Gifts

 

What if I opened the clenched hands wide to receive all that is? A life that receives all of God in this moment? How do you do that when terror tears up your throat and you wear the burn scars of a razed past?

Chapter 8: How will he not also?

     As Brittany will share with you, the cover of this book is not the only thing that makes it so attractive. But the cover does call to me, in a way. Which, naturally, means that I know I'm going to end up reading it one of these days. That is, once I get through all of those other books whose covers drew me to them. They say to never judge a book by its cover, but don't we do it anyways? An aesthetically pleasing cover could be the tipping point between intrigue and desire.

     And now, to Brittany:

     I recently stumbled across "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. From first glance the cover intrigued me, and as I began to flip through the first chapter, I couldn't put it down. I wanted to take in as much as I possibly could. At the same time I longed to digest it slowly, savouring each word. As I read, I stepped into her world and my heart was quieted. Words of gentle grace and a profound understanding of the gifts of God permeated each page. Ann guides her readers through her journey of discovering gratitude, and the power of truly giving thanks to God. She spoke openly of her struggles and pain, and I gained respect for her quiet wisdom. She challenges her readers to lay aside their pride, and embrace surrender to the Lord who lives and loves, who gives good gifts and hears the anguished whispers of broken hearts. Life can be hard, and souls can feel broken, but "One Thousand Gifts" guides you into the deepest truths of God's love, where his goodness overflows, and thanks is the only response your heart can make.

~Brittany Beacham

     Ann's writing style is engaging and gripping, even in the few pages that I have read. Once you start, it will be hard to stop. And if you're anything like me, that's probably exactly what you want to hear.

~Elise

For more information on Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts, visit our website here: http://www.houseofjames.com/store/details/9780310321910

Fearless

     For someone who is far from fearless, this should prove to be an interesting introduction of sorts for me. My name is Elise, and I will be looking after this dear blog for a little while, hopefully conveying my love for blogging, books, and words, through the vast and wavering realm of the web.

     Today we're featuring the book Fearless, by Eric Blehm, reviewed by one of our own. As our latest hire, Michael is still getting a feel for things, but his love for reading is a definite asset, and he's put it to good use with his review of this biography:

Fearless is Adam Brown's story. Starting with the tales of an adventurous three year old jumping from the second story window of his home, a dare devil teenager who jumped from a speeding cars and faced down deathly situations with out breaking a sweat; Adam was a Navy SEAL before he even won his trident. This is an incredible story about redemption, resilience, and family. Witness the unbelievable true story of Adam Brown as he conquerors personal tragedy, drug addiction, and injury. This is an inspirational true story of a man who knows:
"God gave me a gift. I don't feel fear."

-- Michael Peters

For any additional information, you can see the book here on our website:
http://www.houseofjames.com/store/details/9780307730695

     And just for the record, you need have no fear about coming in to see us at our store on Emerson St. Honestly, how intimidating could a bunch of booksellers and book lovers possibly be?

~Elise

Sensible Shoes

Recently, on a rainy Saturday, I decided it was time to glean my shelf and find a good book to curl up with. What I found was a gem that had been forgotten. I remember buying it because the title intrigued me, “Sensible Shoes: A Story about the Spiritual Journey”...if there are two things I love it is books and shoes :) So with coffee in hand I sat down and entered a journey I had not anticipated.

Sensible Shoes is the story of four women who find themselves drawn together as they join a class at a local spiritual retreat center. Meg, Hannah, Charissa and Mara come from very different walks of life. Each has struggled with everyday issues such as letting go, control, trusting God, people pleasing, perfectionism, hiding behind busyness, fear regret, guilt and shame. They soon find connection as they share a journey of freedom, healing and transformation.

 Each introduction begins with a narrative of an event from the women’s past moving then into their present. I was instantly drawn into their stories and as I got to know each one better, found myself being able to relate to their experiences. It was great to watch as these women found connection with one another, building friendships that were honest and supportive. 

Author Sharon Brown shares many of the spiritual disciplines that can impact our lives: prayerfully reading the Word of God, journaling, learning to sit in stillness and silence. She helps others find a sacred space in which to encounter the living God!  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the second one, Two Steps Forward: A Story of Persevering in Hope, which is due to be released in October 2015.

Jesus says, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30, MSG)

So grab a coffee (or tea), put on a pair of comfy shoes and take a walk on the sacred journey.

~Denise

If you are interested in using this for a book club you can find a companion guide to download here.

Making a Difference in our Grandkids' lives

We are going to be having an event next week and wanted to share it with you. Ann Griffiths is a local author and speaker who will be in our store to launch an expanded version of her book....here is what she has to say....

Making a Difference in our Grandkids’ Lives
by Ann Griffiths

I can’t imagine what my life would be like today if it were not for my grandma who pretty well raised me. Despite all the heartache and challenges she faced, her sacrifices gave me deep roots from which to grow. And now that I’m a grandma, I want to give my grandchildren what they need from me.

We each come into this world with generations of family history attached to our names. And we each go out of this world having added a chapter or two to our family’s legacy.  Our lives influence our grandchildren and others around us – whether we realize it or not. How will our chapter read? 

  
 
Key pillars to our relationship with our grandchildren

1.       Exercise Grace. Give them freedom to be different, provide love and security even when they make mistakes, and offer space where they can be heard and grow without judgment.

2.       Demonstrate Hope. Ask, “When I’m in a difficult situation or circumstances are overwhelming, what am I showing them through my attitudes and actions?”

3.       Be Light. Be a light that penetrates the darkness, walks with compassion, and leads them to The Light.

4.       Live Faith. Inspire them to be courageous, teach them to focus on Sovereign God rather than the storms around them, and never give up – especially on them.

When I wrote Grandma’s Fingerprint it was to pay tribute to my grandma, tell the story of our walk through life together, and encourage grandparents and grandparents-to-be about the vital role they play – whether living far or near to their grandchildren.

Please join us for Grandparents in the House where we’ll launch the expanded version of my book, Grandma’s Fingerprint you will meet a panel of grandparents whose journeys are all different.

Grandparents in the House – Monday, Feb. 23 at House of James (starts at 7:00). Hope you can make it :)

4/5 House of James Staff Recommend....

As a bookstore, it's our job to tell you know about the best books....today, that is exactly what we plan to do. I (Denise) fell in love these books (as did Esther and Lynn) but when I read Lauryssa's review, I knew I could not put it any better...

The Staff and Sword Trilogy by Patrick Carr

With the first page, Patrick W. Carr throws you into a world and story with the epic promise of Tolkien's Middle Earth or the myths of Camelot. Errol Stone is a nobody, the village drunk in a quiet little town in Illustra. And he likes it that way. But when he signs up to deliver an urgent message from the church to the local hermit priest for coin, that cherished simple life is thrown out with the bathwater. Errol finds himself being attacked and compelled out of Callowford on a dangerous mission that seems to hold no viable connection to him. With each turn the world around him becomes darker and he is forced to face his past with its demons to overcome the oddsThis tale should be held on the same level as the great stories such as Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia. Brilliantly told and well cast, the book captivates the mind. The story is woven into a vivid and tangible world without the distraction of extensive vocabulary to slow you down. Its intricacies are astounding and well-developed, with unique characteristics to each race, town, kingdom, and class. Throughout the story, Carr only ever reveals as much info as is needed, keeping you on your toes til the very end. It truly is a masterpiece, and a must read for all fantasy lovers! ~Lauryssa Toews 

A Recommendation from Lando

As a bookseller I've been saying for years that we need more fiction books that tell parts of the "Mennonite Story". As many Mennonites in North America embrace modern culture the remarkable stories of the past are lost. Thankfully Danny Unrau has given us a fascinating and well written account beginning in 1876 and coming into current times. I loved how he connected various family members by going forwards and backwards in time. Some of the twists and turns of events were very surprising and kept me turning pages. Maybe I wasn't listening earlier but I had never heard of the Jewish and Mennonite connections in Russia. So interesting to me to see two people groups really in search of freedom of religion and a life of peace yet experiencing much persecution and hardship. And how not all Mennonites kept subscribing to "pacifism"; some leaving that element of their faith behind.
I appreciated how Unrau developed some of the main characters and paid a lot of attention to their passions, feelings and longings, not just their occupation, marital status or life calling.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a finely articulated story and who wants to learn more about this group of Mennonites that eventually came to Canada. ~Lando

Guest Blog Post by Bryan Davis

 This week the newest Bryan Davis book arrived....Exodus Rising is the third book in the Tales of Starlight Series!! We love it when Bryan comes to visit us here in Canada so I thought I would ask if he would be willing to write us a post for us and was thrilled when he agreed. I think you will enjoy what he has to say about  encouraging young readers to think deeply. 

See here for complete listing of Bryan Davis  books

Stretching Young Readers by Bryan Davis

When I began writing Raising Dragons, I pondered the "depth" concept. Can I write a deep story that's geared toward young readers? Most of the Christian books I had read for young people were pretty superficial, in fact, boring. They seemed intentionally dumbed down, and I thought most readers in the target age group must be yawning or even insulted.
I decided to write a straightforward story that contained hidden depth. Any astute reader would be able to gather the hidden treasures, while the youngest readers would just have fun with the story. Still, I held back a bit. I wanted to write more complexity and more puzzles, but I thought I would start with something that would stretch my readers just a little. I didn't want to risk any readers thinking, "Huh? I don't get it."
With The Candlestone, I took a step forward in complexity. My hope was that readers of Raising Dragons might be ready to dig a little more. I added new characters, a bit of familial pathos, and a dash of science fiction. I also took the step of killing two characters. One was the object of the redemption theme, Bonnie's father, and one was a villain.
It's not unheard of to kill off a "good guy" in youth literature, so that wasn't a huge step, but it is more unusual, from what I've read, to kill off someone who is a big part of the story and is redeemed at the end.
The bigger step, I think, was to use my protagonist (Billy) to kill a villain (Palin) in a way that wasn't exactly courageous. In fact, he did directly the opposite of what he had been told to do. As readers know, this killing, even in its improper manner, is absolutely essential to the story and the development of Billy. Readers have debated his actions on my message board, so I know it was a seminal moment. It made them think about inward sin, rationalization, and God's work on the inner man. Most important, it helped them to consider another face of redemption.
When I wrote Circles of Seven, I took the gloves off. I decided to make it as complex and deep as my heart desired. Were my readers ready for such a leap? I thought so. If they could handle the depth of The Candlestone, maybe they were ready for another stretching exercise.
It would take too long to comment on the story themes and their many symbols in this book—godliness, redemption, sacrifice, sanctification, contentment, longsuffering, and more. I think I could write a book on this book, and it might be longer than the original. There are quite a few hidden treasures that no reader has ever commented on, so I wonder if they have all been found. Even so, I poured my heart into it, and it brought great satisfaction, so I am content to hope that each little point in the story may find a life-changing place in some reader's heart.
With Tears of a Dragon, I took sort of a sideways step. I went back to the simplicity of storytelling that I used in Raising Dragons while trying to keep a good deal of the depth that is in Circles of Seven. I used more pure action, but I worked on infusing that action with the tying up of story loose ends that would make readers think. The symbol of a dragon messiah, fully dragon and fully human, dying for hopelessly lost souls brought my series-long redemption story to its climactic moment. Still, I wanted to personalize the redemption issue, so the heart of the redemption story was realized in a single soul, Jared/Clefspeare, and his return to Billy through his repudiation of pride. This worked as the peak of my thematic mountain.
Still, I wanted to take one last step. As most of my readers are young, I knew they identified more with Billy and Bonnie than with Jared/Clefspeare. I wanted to search their souls. Billy was my messiah character, but he was an imperfect symbol, needing so much redemption himself. He had to empty himself of everything in his past.
But what about Bonnie? She was my symbol of the faithful Christian. While still growing in wisdom, grace, and knowledge, she bowed before her savior in obedience at every turn. She had to learn to be content with her "grotesque" feature, and she learned the value of using her weaknesses for God's glory, but did she need to empty herself as well? Was she really content with what she had no matter what? My desire was for readers to examine their own hearts. This is the final stretching moment that I hoped to achieve, self-examination.
So, as you might have gleaned by now, I believe in stretching young readers. They can take it. In fact, they crave it. When they get to the end of the exercise, they feel its value and the rush of spiritual adrenaline. They don't want to be insulted by the finger-wagging of simplistic stories that tell them what to do or not to do. They want to feel the inner passion of heart-felt conflict and see how it works out in lives that they care about, even if they are fictional.
But that's what good stories do. They stretch us beyond what we normally think we can achieve, and we need to remember that young people are often far more flexible than we might realize. We just have to be sure to help them stretch in the right direction.
~Bryan Davis