Alchemy by Mike Wood

I've been reading Alchemy by Mike Wood on my Kindle (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0038M2HC6/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title ), and it's nothing like I was expecting it to be. The truth is, if I had known what it was about I probably would not have chosen to read it, but I think it was good for me to read. It is not a Sci-Fi book like I thought, but it is about relationships.

Al's father left when Al was young without any explanation, so the son imagined all kinds of possible reasons. It turns out the father was gay, & when Al ran into him accidentally one day he learned that his father was dying of AIDS.

There is something that draws certain people to a homosexual lifestyle, and without Christ it is impossible for them to overcome it. That doesn't mean it isn't sin, but everyone without Christ is a slave to sin. This is one sin that not everyone struggles with, but those who do often cannot get away from it, even if they try. Christ has to change them first.

"I'm a Good Man, But..."

I'm a Good Man, But... is a devotional published by Regal Books in 1969 and edited by Fritz Ridenour. Each chapter focuses on a different life issue with biblical references from the Living Bible, illustrations from various sources, and open-ended scenarios to give the reader opportunity to think about it. Included in the illustrations are Peanuts comics used by permission.

Even though it is an older work, the content is quite applicable for today. (A reference to IBM cards reminds the reader how old it is.)

I would recommend this book, especially for young adults.

LC 75-96702
SBN 8307-0049-8

Review by David Dunkerton

The Oath by Frank Peretti

The Oath by Frank Peretti is a great story on its own, and it also has an excellent spiritual application. There is a dragon that is real in the story, but which is also a metaphor for the sin nature. The suspenseful writing makes it a thrill to read--quite a few characters do get eaten by the dragon, and that's always fun! The main character is not a Christian throughout most of the book, so he is not initially convicted for his sin, but the story shows the consequences of sin. True, most people who commit adultery are not eaten by a dragon, but remember that the dragon--while it is real in the book--is a metaphor for us.

Steve learns that not everything can be explained scientifically, but that does not make the intangible any less real. I would recommend this book to anyone. It's a great read whether you learn anything from it or not--but you just might learn something!

Review by David Dunkerton

Someone else's perspective

As a Christian, and especially as a summer missionary with Child Evangelism Fellowship, I have always thought a lot about the unsaved person praying to receive Jesus Christ as his/her personal Savior. We usually call it a "profession of faith" because the prayer itself doesn't save you--you must first understand that you are a sinner and the Jesus died to take the punishment for your sin, and that He came alive again. Personally, my mom led me in the "sinner's prayer" when I was almost 5 years old, but I don't actually remember that day. Does that mean I wasn't really saved then or that it wasn't meaningful to me? No! It means most little boys don't remember what happened when they were 4 when they are 10 or older. I know I am saved and going to Heaven because of what Jesus did for me, and I accept it. I know the Holy Spirit is within me because I see how He works in my life.

I have been reading Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist 1 by Michael J. Fox. It is a very interesting read, and I feel that I have much more understanding and respect for stem cell research. Part Three of the book is titled "Faith," and I was very interested in what the actor who played Marty McFly had to say about his personal views. He is a faithful husband and loving father who seems to be generally moral, and he believes in a higher power who is looking out for him, but he apparently never saw the need to accept Jesus as his Savior from sin. Growing up he had a friend named Russ who came from a Christian family. Here is an excerpt from the book:

"He reminded me that during a New Year's party, 1972 into 1973, in our friend Rusty's basement, I had accepted Christ as my personal savior. Myself, I was a little fuzzy on those details. I remembered that I had a deep and spiritual interest in Rusty's rapidly developing big sister Karen, a born-again herself and a major player in the crusade to win eighth-grade souls for Christ. Anyway, it seemed to have had more of on impression on Russ over the years than it did on me."

It made me kind of sad to read that, but everyone has to make a personal decision. Maybe Michael will come around, but being a relatively good person doesn't cut it--salvation comes through Christ alone!

1 Fox, Michael J. Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist. New York: Hyperion, 2009.

I just read Batman: R.I.P., & it was a really good book (graphic novel). I had read comments online about Bruce Wayne dying in the comics, but either the people posting are trying to confuse people, they never actually read the whole thing, or they were confused by it themselves. It's a really complicated story because the bad guys are toying with Batman's mind in an effort to clone him, & the end it's hard to tell what actually happened & what were implanted memories. From what I can tell, though, Batman is not dead at the end, Thomas Wayne was not a sinister villain, & Bruce Wayne is still Batman.

In addition to keeping you glued to the page, it gives a great summary of all the important parts of the Batman storyline, including Richard Grayson becoming Robin & then Nightwing, Jason Todd becoming Robin & being killed by the Joker, Barbara Gordon being shot & paralyzed, and Tim Drake becoming Robin.