Finding Purpose Beyond Our Pain - Paul Meier and David Henderson

Pain. We've all been there. Physical, emotional, or spiritual...we live in a fallen world and thus experience pain. It's almost universally regarded as a negative thing. Pain = Bad, we say. But is it really? Is there a purpose to pain? And if so, what is it? In this book, Drs. Paul Meier and David Henderson explore the concept of pain and discover God's purpose for it.

Meier and Henderson begin with the seven universal struggles of life. Injustice. Rejection. Loneliness. Loss. Discipline. Failure. Death. They're all things we go through, they note, they're absolutely inevitable. How are we supposed to deal with these situations when they arise? And more importantly, why would a GOOD God allow BAD things to happen to GOOD people?

Throughout the book, the two doctors turn on end what we think of when we think of pain. Have you suffered injustice? Well, look at the injustice that Joseph suffered in Gen. 37-50. Sold into slavery by his brothers. Builds himself up to an important position. Loses it all through an unjust attack on his character. Spends years in prison. Builds himself up to an important position. And all of that, so that he could save Egypt - and his family, which would become the nation of Israel - from famine. Joseph would conclude that what man meant for evil, God meant for good.

This is only one example of the Biblical approach these two authors take to discovering the purpose behind pain. Each chapter ends with practical tips on how to find that purpose, even when it is not easy to find. Their conclusion rings true. Pain is our temporary ally who molds and shapes our character, leads us away from danger, and pushes us to the next level of growth. This book provides practical advice on not only how to survive pain but how to grow through pain.

This is an important book that every Christian who has even struggled with the problem of pain should read. In fact, I find it so important, that I have inserted a preview of the book below:

Note: This review is based on a review copy that I was given through Thomas Nelson's book reviewing program.

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Finding Purpose Beyond Our Pain - Paul Meier and David Henderson

Fiction Addict

Most of my readers probably already know this through either my Twitter or Facebook feeds, but I have recently become a reviewer for a big reviewing website called Fiction Addict. I am very excited to be a part of such a great and well-known organization.

However, just because I am moving on to bigger things, as it were, does not mean that the Christian Critic will be abandoned. This may mean that you will not see quite as many posts here, but of course I'll be more than making up for that with reviews for Fiction Addict. Also, since Fiction Addict only reviews fiction (duh) and I also have a non-fiction addiction, you'll still be able to catch my reviews on non-fiction books here, as well as any fiction I read outside of Fiction Addict.


Never heard of Fiction Addict? Well then, you've been missing out on a lot. In their own words:

FictionAddict.com was created for one simple reason: to help you find your next fiction fix. We’re not here to help you kick your fiction addiction, in fact, we’re here to help you embrace it. Call us enablers. Our mission is to provide a quality fiction review site that covers a wide variety of authors and genres. We’re not just book reviewers, we’re writers. We know fiction.
Our team of writers is here to help you find your next read through reviews, author interviews, and coverage of the latest happenings in the publishing world. We recognize your next novel will consume eight hours of your life. We want to help make sure those hours are fiction bliss.
We hope you’ll travel with us on this journey to celebrate the love of stories and the storytellers who wondrously pen them.

Whether it's reviews, contests, interviews, or whatever in the realm of fiction you're addicted to, Fiction Addict is your place to satisfy that craving. 

Fiction Addict

The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book - (The Official) Chuck Norris

You've all heard them. Chuck Norris can kill two stones with one bird. When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isn't pushing himself up, he's pushing the earth down. Jesus can walk on water, but Chuck Norris can swim on land. Chuck Norris' tears can cure cancer - too bad he's never cried. Ok, Ok...enough already. I could go on forever. But what you may not know is that behind the legendary Chuck Norris jokes, is Chuck Norris the actor.

Movies like Missing in Action, The Delta Force, and their respective sequels. For his movies, I remember him most through The President's Man, where he played Joshua McCord. He also did television, most notably Walker, Texas Ranger which ran for an amazing 8 seasons. I (literally) grew up tuning in each week to see how Ranger Cordell Walker dispatched the bad guys. But before his acting career, he was Chuck Norris the martial arts expert.

Now Mr. Norris finds himself doing something else. Writing. Now this isn't Norris' first book. His biography Against All Odds is right over there in my shelf of biographies. But here, for the first time, Norris gives us some insights into his life and career, and he does so by tying them to his favorite Chuck Norris Facts.

This book is basically a collection of small essays either telling a story about Chuck, or him speaking on different issues he is passionate about (the economy, martial arts, etc.). Through it all, we see what role Chuck's Christian faith plays in his life. The book concludes with his official testimony:

As the chaplain leaned back and fully immersed me in the water, I thought about all I had been through in my life amd all I still wanted my life to be. I felt renewed, refreshed, and cleansed with the waters that are a symbol of Christ's forgiving blood...I prayed..."For your glory, Lord. For your glory!"

So whether you're a fan of Chuck Norris for Walker or for his movies or for his acting or for his martial arts or for his political activism or even for his endorsement of the Total Gym - or even if you're not a fan of Chuck Norris - you should click HERE now and buy this book. Partially because it's a great read, but mostly because Chuck Norris wants you to... and he's standing right behind you.

NOTE: This book was received free of charge through the Tyndale Blogging Program.

The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book - (The Official) Chuck Norris

Find Me and Die - Frank Redman

Life has found me on a journey recently, and in the last week I've stepped up to the challenge of facing that journey. I've had a story idea for about a year now, had sketched out a basic outline, written the first chapter, then tucked it away in the corner of Computerland. Well, last week I resurrected that bit of electronic data and am trying oh so desperately to mold it into some sort of coherent story.

Along the way, I've discovered a few people just a bit farther along on their writing journey than I am. Take Jeremy McNabb, from the post below. He's writing his second novel while attempting to find a publisher for his first.

Next on this journey of discovery is Frank Redman. Frank's an IT manager by day, but at night he morphs himself into author of thriller novels. He also reviews books for one of my favorite reviewing sites (you can see them over on the left there), a website called Fiction Addict. Hmm...works by day, writes at night, reviews books...who does that remind me of?

Anyway, after reading the first four chapters of his book Find Me and Die, I'm jumping on the bandwagon. He's got me hooked, and if he doesn't get this thing published I might never find out what happens. So if you want to jump in at the ground level, go to his website FrankRedman.com, and read the first four chapters of Find Me and Die. Then, show your support by becoming a Redman Reader on Facebook. Just click this link here, and then the FOLLOW button. Let's work on getting the word out. (Plus I need my readers here experienced in this sort of thing when/if my own project is completed...)

Find Me and Die - Frank Redman

Joy and Carnage - Jeremy McNabb

I first mentioned this book in an October 6th post, noting with some glee that I was able to get my hands on what the author describes as a "bootleg copy." A product of Staples, Joy and Carnage is simply bound and printed on 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper. If you read the previous post, you know the the author, Jeremy McNabb, is hard at work finding a publisher for what would be his debut novel.

Joy and Carnage introduces us to a world we are all familiar with. School bullying. School violence. Following a car crash in which Mercedes Payne is disfigured and her friend Becca is killed, Mercedes finds herself ostracized and bullied. Ostracized because she is blamed for Becca's death. Bullied because of the large scar that now runs down her face.

She finds solace and acceptance in only Eli and Damien - the social outcasts, those that Mercedes prior to the accident had given the name Suicide Kids. She finds compassion in a group to whom she had given none. But Eli and Damien aren't interesting in compassion for all. They are driven by a desire for vengeance against those who'd made their high school a living hell. Together, the three devise a plan to pay them all back. To kill them. To kill them all. And had Eli not betrayed them, they might have succeeded.

Fast forward ten years to Shadow Valley High's tenth year reunion. Once again, all of those that had destroyed their souls would be together in one place. A second chance for vengeance. Mercedes and Damien have had ten years to plot. And this time they will not be stopped. The only man who stands in their way is Pastor Eli Shepherd, the same Eli who betrayed them ten years ago.

Joy and Carnage is the story of three social outcasts and how they responded to the bullying heaped upon them. Damien, who sold his life and soul at the chance for vengeance; Eli who rose up out of his pain to use his experiences for good as a pastor; then in between, lies the embattled soul of Mercedes Payne. Told in alternating chapters, the story of both attempts at vengeance are told concurrently. Together, the two stories complement and parallel the other converging and climaxing in a single chapter that tells both stories. From this point, the stories diverge showing how each one is settled in a vastly different way, and how Eli plays two different roles when the forces of good and evil play out in Shadow Valley.

I'm not sure I can say enough good things about this book. It's not afraid to look into the darkest recesses of the human soul to see what can be created when that soul is shunned and left alone and desolate. But it's also not afraid to reach down into that darkness and show that even a soul at its lowest can crawl back into the light. It concerns itself with the nature of vengeance and concludes that God has made a better way. All in all, I believe that readers will find it exciting, page-turning, and compelling.

If you haven't already picked up your copy, you can do so now by clicking here. For $17, which includes shipping, you can be a part of the unique opportunity to read this excellent novel. And for those of you that have a Kindle or Kindle app for iPhone/iPod Touch even better! You can order the Kindle version here for only $8.99. In short, don't miss out on this opportunity!

Before I close though I should mention to you this book's one major flaw. It's quite a horrible error really, something I can barely believe was overlooked. I mean, just to look at it and read it, you'd think somebody would have noticed it was missing. I thought it was obvious anyway. The one major flaw with Joy and Carnage? -- It ain't published yet.

Joy and Carnage - Jeremy McNabb

The Lotus and The Cross - Ravi Zacharias

As I journey near the River of Kings, I see a strange sight. A boat meanders slowly down the river, one of many making its way around the city. It is the passengers, not the boat that catches my eye. Can it be? Do my eyes deceive me? No. In this fictional conversation, renowned scholar and evangelist Ravi Zacharias invites us to sit down and dip into his imagination and see a conversation between Gautama, the Buddha, and Jesus Christ.

This book has been out on the market for a while now, and is just one of four in the Great Conversations series. With each installment, it seems that the proponents of whatever religion Ravi is dissecting takes offense to how he describes their religion. This is, of course, to be expected. No religion wants to be on the losing side of a discussion. When it comes to a religion like Buddhism, it is very hard to categorize without offending someone. The wide range of beliefs acceptable under the various forms of Buddhism make it impossible for a book of this size (or barely any book of any size) to be comprehensive.

The book accomplishes what it sets out to do. It contrasts the main differences between Buddhism and Christianity and highlights the  inherent contradictions within Buddhism. Buddha and Jesus' conversation centers around a prostitute named Priyah and how she can be saved. Zacharias concludes:

[Buddhism] argues for impermenence with the force of a permanent injunction. It encourages thought and contemplation, but the final destination in thoughtlessness and oblivion. It is a religion with God, without a final word, and without even a final existence...But the message of Jesus Christ is a very different story."

 Dr. Zacharias makes his point with profundity and clarity. This is a small book filled with big ideas. Anyone interested in how Christianity compares with Buddhism needs to read this book.

The Lotus and The Cross - Ravi Zacharias

Called to Worship - Vernon Whaley

Worship is our response to God's call to fellowship. It is through worship that we express our relationship to the Creator. The Hebrews knew about worship. They used a great number of words to describe what worship was all about. Shachah meant "to kneel or prostrate oneself in reverence"; Shabach means "to shout to the LORD"; Yadah was used to mean "worship with uplifted hands"; Tehillah meant to "sing spontaneous songs of praise." My personal favorite though was the word Halal, which literally meant to "celebrate God foolishly and boast about his attributes." But when we tie all of these diverse meanings together we find the very heart of worship.

Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 

(Deut. 6:5, Matt. 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27)

It is with this premise - that Worship is our outpouring of Love towards the Creator - that Dr. Whaley begins Called to Worship. Written in a very conversational, one might even say Sunday School-esque, style, Whaley's words contain a sense of profundity in their simplicity. He tears down the wall of the modern conception of worship as something we DO before the pastor gives his sermon and reveals to us the City of God that the wall would not let us see. Worship, says Whaley, is not about ritual or routine, but simply about love.

In about 350 pages, Whaley takes us through the 66 chapters of Worship called the Bible, from the privilege of perfect worship that Adam and Eve enjoyed before the fall to the once again perfect worship that all believers will enjoy in eternity. Overall, Called to Worship is a wonderful exposition of how to do what we were created to do - WORSHIP! It emphasizes that worship is something we live, an integral part of who we are as Christians, and not just something that we do at church on Sunday. It engages both the heart and the mind, and leaves the reader desperate to worship his Creator. In this book, worship moves from the mundane and ritual to the moving and vibrant. Whether you are a worship leader or a layperson, if you want to see what Biblical worship is all about, this book is a must.

Called to Worship - Vernon Whaley

Joy and Carnage - Jeremy McNabb

If you're a regular reader around here, you know the procedure by now. I am a reader. I am also a writer. I like to write about what I read. About once or twice a week, I pop in here with my opinions on my latest read. This post is going to be a bit different because I've not actually read this book yet. And well, it's not exactly published either.

But that's something the author, Jeremy McNabb, is working on. But while searching for a publisher, McNabb's hit upon a way to spread the word about his novel as well as providing a unique opportunity for his fans. He's built up a following from his website, exegeek.com, and many of his readers (of which I am one) have been looking forward to his novel for a while now and finally they're getting to. Because even though McNabb's novel has yet to be published, he pressed his easy button and went to Staples. The result is some genuine homemade publishing that McNabb is making available to the general public.

So for McNabb's fans, those that can't wait for Joy and Carnage to hit the bookstores, you don't have to! And if you're not yet a fan, scroll down to the synopsis below and I think you will be by the time you finish reading. I know I was.

Just click here for instructions on how to place your order. Right now the books are selling for $17 and this price INCLUDES shipping. Not to mention they'll be autographed. It's a unique opportunity to support an up and coming author. And at $17, it's cheaper than most novels bought in stores. My copy should be on its way to my house soon. When I get it, you know you can expect a review. But for now, let's see what Joy and Carnage is all about.

---

More than a year before the tragedy at Columbine, there was Shadow Valley. Three teenagers, driven to the extreme by the painful jabs of their peers, conspire to murder their entire school in one day.

Mercedes was one of the most popular girls in school. Attractive. Smart. Loyal to her best friend, Becca. All of that changes one rainy night, when a crazy stunt leaves her disfigured and her best friend, dead. Tossed from her elite circle of friends, she’s adopted by Eli and Damien, a pair of misfits who devise the terrible plan. It takes only one cruel prank, at her expense, for Mercedes to decide to join them. Ultimately, their plan fails because Eli, their mastermind, betrays them.

Ten years pass and the three students receive invitations to the Shadow Valley High School reunion. Damien and Mercedes have been planning for this night for almost a decade. With thousands of dollars at their disposal, and a burning desire for vengeance, the two believe that nothing can stop them. The only person who stands a chance at dissolving the danger is the original ringleader, Pastor Eli Shepherd.

Can a poor, haunted, and troubled man of God, stop two determined monsters? No one will deny understanding the characters’ longing for vengeance, but Joy & Carnage reveals a better way.

---

You can find Jeremy McNabb on any one of the following social networking sites:
Twitter: Jeremy McNabb and Exegeek,
Facebook: Get Jeremy McNabb Published
For updates on Joy and Carnage, check here.

Joy and Carnage - Jeremy McNabb