A Great New Board Book!

The Biggest Story ABC Board book by Kevin DeYoung Illustrated by Don Clark

I knew this book would be good even before I saw it.  Kevin DeYoung is the author of the excellent children’s book The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden and several adult books.

From the publisher: “From Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden to Zion and the new creation world, the Bible is telling one big story—the story of God's promise to deliver his people. Kevin DeYoung, best-selling author of 'The Biggest Story,' has written a new, 32-page board book to help kids ages 1 to 3 make connections from Genesis to Revelation and from A to Z”

Two Wonderful Examples of How To Ask For Forgiveness

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

I enjoyed watching the Netflix TV series Anne With An E so much I just had to read the book on which it is based. I loved the way irrepressibly optimistic Anne, a bright 11-year-old orphan girl, used her wit and imagination to cope with the difficulties of her childhood. From the very beginning of this story, Anne captured my heart as she navigates her way through what promises to be a turnaround in her life.  

Perhaps of interest to those who attended Pastor Jims evening series on forgiveness, the story also just happens to have to two wonderful examples that illustrate so well what makes a good apology (express regret, accept responsibility, make restitution, genuine repentance, request forgiveness). The first is when Anne has to ask a neighbor to forgive her for being rude. The second is when Marrila, the girl's ward, has to ask Anne for forgiveness.

A friend of mine says he read this book 41 times when he was growing up. The storyline, the writing and the character development make this a very worthwhile and enjoyable read even as an adult.

A Great Conversion Story

Surprised by Oxford: A Memoir by Carolyn Weber 

Once in a while, I like to read a book that stretches me and a book I would not ordinarily read. When the Kindle version of this book recently went on sale I purchased it and was rewarded with a well-written look into the life and mind of a Canadian women who won a full scholarship to study literature at Oxford.

Arriving in London as an agnostic, the memoir describes her conversion to Christianity in the midst of liberalism. The stretch in this book for me was understanding the quotes from Byron, Lewis, Milton and other romantic period writers.

What I liked about the book was the story of God’s pursuit to capture this women’s heart and the skill of the author in showing how faith is compatible with intellectual pursuits. In this regard, it reminded me of Rosario Butterfield’s The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert.

This book is not for everyone, but if you are looking for a gift idea for someone who likes memoirs, conversion stories or well-written literature, this one is a good bet.