Expanding the View

This is a review of The Five Love Languages , as written in 1992 & 1995 by Gary Chapman and released by Northfield Publishing. This book looks to help readers to improve at how they express heartfelt commitment to their relationship partner, and it briefly explores the way these five love languages are also connected to the development of children. This is the second time I read through this book, and over the years I have become very familiar with the work of Gary Chapman and his thoughts on these love languages. Throughout this book, Author Gary Chapman explores what he calls the five love languages. These five love languages, though they have many dialects, are the five ways in which Chapman has found that couples often express, experience, and demonstrate their love for each other. After twenty years of marriage counseling, it was Chapman’s conclusion that “there are basically five emotional love languages - five ways that people speak and understand emotional love.”[1] Those f

This is a review of Amazing Love by Corrie Ten Boom. The edition of this book was printed in 1985, and was published by Christian Literature Crusade in Fort Washington, PA. This is one of the shortest and most unique reads from Corrie Ten Boom. At just a little over 111 pages, this short read from Corrie is made up of chapter after chapter of short stories. Each chapter is roughly two pages long, and equates to about 27 short stories or chapters. This read, unlike The Hiding Place and Tramp for the Lord , does not tell a story where one chapter connects to the other. Rather, this short read follows short reflective challenges and encouragements from the life, ministry, and experiences of Corrie Ten Boom. I think there is some great stories and reflections in Amazing Love , but it is certainly my least favorite read from Corrie Ten Boom. Her other books have shown off her story and the theological, missional, and experiential depth that stemmed as a result of her journey. This book, A

This is a book review of Advent Conspiracy , released in 2009, by Zondervan. Though organized like a book, more than an engaging read, Advent Conspiracy is a resource for leading small groups, sermon series and discussions as part of the Advent Conspiracy Movement. This book was written by Rick McKinley, Chris Seay, and Greg Holder. The Advent Conspiracy, as a movement, was started when the authors realized how much we – as followers of Jesus - miss it (or God’s heart and example) every year at Christmas. They share that the story of Christmas has now become “consumption and consumerism.”[1] As a result, the world is missing out on “the prophetic mystery of Jesus’ birth,” a birth that “means missing God-with-us, God beside us- God becoming one of us.”[2] As the authors began to lament and discuss the way they, as pastors, felt like the Christmas story was being undermined and missed, they launched an experiment to try and invite their churches (and other churches) into the nativity

This is a review of The Board and the CEO , a book published in 2017 by Peter Greer and David Weekley. In this book, Greer and Weekley look at seven practices to protect your organization’s most important relationship - the relationship with the board and the CEO. This short read, just over 100 pages, stems from extensive research and experience in the nonprofit world from these authors. This book, and its findings, emerged after an experience that Peter Greer had in a learning experience with other faith-based nonprofit leaders. As these leaders talked about the greatest challenges facing their organizations, Peter admits that “one after another, leaders shared that their greatest difficulty [was] related to some aspect of their relationship with the board.”[1] Those leaders, and the authors of this book,  quickly identified that this Board and CEO relationship was exceptionally challenging - and perhaps more than anything else in the organization - was “a proverbial minefield, with t