Gravel Road Musings

This is a good book. It's small, it doesn't take long to read and it gave me a different perspective to the sayings of Jesus on the cross. Erwin takes the seven sayings of Jesus and calls them: A Cry for Pardon A Cry of Assurance A Cry of Compassion A Cry of Anguish A Cry of Suffering A Cry of Victory A Cry of Submission In a sense, we were there at the cross, because it was for my sins and your sins that Jesus had to die, that He had to take on the anguish of suffering so we could live forever with Him, so we could be forgiven. A lot of times when I read books like this, I have a few quotes that I give on my review. I don't have that today. Erwin's writing is simple and easy to understand, yet it holds some good truths that are meant to be held on to. He also quotes from songs that were familiar to me, which I really liked. One of them was the song, "And Can it Be?" Think about these words as it relates to Jesus' sayings on the cross, of hi...

An Unexpected Path to True Freedom Starting a church, rapid-fire decisions, stretched too thin. This describes Bo Mitchell before 1992. A 10 minute discussion and decision with a "trusted banker" to do a loan for two friends who had helped out with the church plant landed Bo on the FBI list and earned him a prison sentence.The loan seemed innocent enough, he did it, paid it back and moved on. It took seven years for the law to catch up and when it did, Bo was honest and forthright. He made the initial contact with the FBI, he showed integrity in his dealings and he landed in prison. Bo took full responsibility for his actions, even though he had been entirely innocent in the whole scandal. And, I believe, by taking responsibility for his actions and assuming the blame and bearing the guilt and the hurt to his family, is what changed Bo's life. He determined to use his prison experience to his benefit. He used that time to seek God, to pray, to change his life. Now h...

Cimarron Creek Trilogy Aww!!  This was one of those novels, mostly romance with a bit of mystery tossed in to keep you wondering. Lydia shows up in Cimarron Creek only to find out her fiancee has disappeared and left behind a pregnant wife. Other mysterious things keep happening and she and her friend, the sheriff brainstorm about it. Eventually, of course, they fall in love and solve the mysteries. That's the short version There were a couple of life lessons that I thought of when I finished the book. I'm not sure if I can remember both of them now, but the main was this thing of jealousy. As it turns out, the sheriff's first cousin and good friend was behind all the mysterious crimes that kept happening, the worst resulting in the death of their aunt. Why? Because he was jealous. All his life, his older brother was praised as the best around and he didn't feel he got his deserved credit. Then his cousin becomes sheriff when he wanted to be and so he goes out to ...

This has got to rank as one of the better fiction books I've read in awhile. I know I say that a lot, but this one was a bit different from the norm. It was fiction, yes, but the theme of the story has some basis in truth, probably more truth than you or I want to even recognize. It's the fictional story behind how our clothes are made, the crowded conditions that can and do result in factories burning and people dying inside from fire or outside from jumping out of windows, the forced labor that some workers endure, and also the rape that can happen as well. While Presto, the main corporation in the story, is purely fictional, the question is raised, do you know where our clothes, our toys, our electronics, etc. come from? Are you okay with having your things made by people who are forced to work in crowded environments for little pay and who can suffer abuse at the hands of supervisors and managers? This was a thought-provoking book that makes me stop and consider free ...

Ruth's Story I often shy away from Biblical fiction. I'm not sure why, except I think I often wonder if it really happened like that. To make a story, so much has to be added to the Biblical account and I think I can start questioning if there is any element of truth in it. I guess, like I said, I'm not sure why I steer away from it. However, I read Jill's story of Ruth and I loved her writing. She is a very interesting author and has a very good way of bringing the story alive and, at the same time, making sure the parts that are in the Bible are true to account. She brought out things about Ruth that I had never thought of. With Ruth being so willing and determined to go with Naomi back to Bethlehem, could there have been a piece of Ruth that was dissatisfied with the gods of Moab, with what would have waited for her back there? Was Orpah more willing to go embrace the culture and the gods and accept whatever awaited her. Jill brings Boaz out as a recent wid...

Illustrated by David Catrow This is a children's book, for ages 3 to 8. It's a nice hardcover medium-sized book I would say that talks about being special to God. How he planned your culture, your head shape, your toes and your nose. It talks about how you were made in God's image and God loves to see you being you. It talks about God dreaming about you, which I find a little unusual. I have never really thought of God dreaming, but the book is written in rhyme, so sometimes you have to ad lib a bit to make it work, I guess? For the most part, I would say the writing is playful and charming as the book's description says. Like I said, I'm not sure about God dreaming part, which is mentioned a couple times, but overall I think the moral of the story is that God made you exactly as you are, so go out and live like that. The illustrations are described as vivid and fantastical. I guess that is one way to put it. I try not to be critical of books, especially ill...