The Hour That Matters Most (book review)

October 14, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I’ve been a big fan of the relationship-strengthening books from Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott for quite awhile. In The Hour That Matters Most they combine together two of my favorite topics: family and food.

I have always appreciated family meal times. Especially as my kids have gotten older—and busier—the dinner hour seems to be the one oasis during the day when we can all reconnect. This is exactly the point that the Parrotts, and co-authors Stephanie Allen and Tina Kuna, are trying to make. And they do an excellent job making their point using statistics, research, tips, stories, and even recipe ideas.

First the statistics. Research has shown that families that eat together:

  • Get along with each other better.
  • Handle stress better.
  • Have lower rates of drug abuse, alcoholism, premarital sex, depression, eating disorders, and suicide.
  • Have students who perform better in school academically and socially.

Then there are the conversation-starters. The authors give ample suggestions of how to draw everyone into a conversation around the dinner table, to gain insight into what is happening in each family member’s day.

And finally, but certainly not insignificantly, there are the recipe. Some mmm, mmm good recipes! Sprinkled throughout the book—and in full color in the middle of the book—are some easy-to-make, hard-to-resist recipes. After all, it’s hard to have a family meal without the meal!

Whether you want to enhance your family dinner times, or you are ready to (re)establish a time for your family to connect over a meal, The Hour That Matters Most is an excellent read.

I am a Tyndale book reviewer.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »

Thunder Dog (book review)

August 26, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I love the fact that my children enjoy reading almost as much as me! Here is a review from our resident pet lover.

[Guest book review by Samantha Owens]

Thunder Dog is the courageous story of Michael Hingson and his guide dog Roselle during their escape from the twin towers on 9/11. This book written by Michael offers his unique perspective of the events of that frightful day. He also explores the challenges and triumphs of growing up blind.

Nonfiction is usually not my first choice when picking a book. But I would recommend this book to anyone! I always felt a part of the story while I read, and often lost track of time. I also enjoyed learning more about the things that blind people learn to do, and the technology that helps them. I loved the fact that Michael’s parents never treated him like he was blind; he was encouraged to try new things and to learn and grow like any other kid.

I also liked how Michael’s love for God and his faith in Him had a major part in this book. Throughout, he prays to God and trusts Him to lead them in the correct path. Michael has such an assurance in God, and I think that made the story so much more powerful.

I would recommend this book to anyone, but not for younger children, due to its challenging words and graphic topic. I think that Michael does a good job not making this book graphic, but you are still very aware of what’s going on. There is no inappropriate content. The only foul language is a comment of “it’s a living hell.” In all, I would read this book again and again, and I hope that you all read it as well.

I am a Thomas Nelson book reviewer.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , . Leave a Comment »

Leadership Prayers (book review)

August 24, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

There are few things that will lead someone to prayer more than being placed in a leadership position! To help leaders pray, Richard Kriegbaum offers some powerful prayers in his book (appropriately titled) Leadership Prayers.

One of the best ways to learn how to pray is to stop talking about prayer and simply start praying. This is one of the things I appreciated about this book. You won’t find sections on why leaders should pray, or even how they should prayer. You will simply find prayers.

Each chapter in Leadership Prayers is devoted to a particular leadership challenge. From leading change in the organization, to dealing with a board of directors, to casting vision, to handling disappointment. Each chapter presents a short verse of Scripture, and then dives right into a prayer. Finally, each chapter is concluded with Mr. Kriegbaum’s reflection on how he learned to pray that particular prayer.

Short. Sweet. Practical. Helpful.

I liked this book a lot!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , . Leave a Comment »

Say It With Love (book review)

August 23, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

There is a verse in the Bible that tells us to speak the truth in love. And that’s exactly what Howard Hendricks lives by in Say It With Love: The art and joy of telling the Good News.

For Professor Hendricks, the good news about Jesus Christ is not something that is just shared by a pastor on Sundays, but it’s something all Christians should be sharing all the time. And not just with words either, but with our very lives.

Dr. Hendricks challenges us to know why we are sharing the message of God’s love; to put ourselves in a position to share that message effectively; and then to live that message out in all of the roles of our life. This third section was the most impactful for me. Dr. Hendricks talks persuasively about living the message…

  • …with God
  • …with your mate
  • …with your children
  • …in your church
  • …in your neighborhood
  • …in your daily contacts

This is both a hopeful book and a convicting book. It’s an easy read with lots of Dr. Hendricks’ personal stories sprinkled in as examples. If you want to do a better job communicating the message of the gospel, you should check out this book.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

God Is The Gospel (book review)

August 18, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

John Piper is always a challenging read for me. He stretches my horizons, challenges my paradigms, and forces me to dig deeper into Scripture. In God Is The Gospel, I felt like he was writing to me specifically in my role as a pastor of a growing church.

The gospel is good news, right? But good news about what? Or more importantly: Who? Here’s how Pastor John himself describes why he wrote this book:

“The point of this book is that the Christian gospel is not merely that Jesus died and rose again; and not merely that these events appease God’s wrath, forgive sin, and justify sinners; and not merely that this redemption gets us out o Hell and into Heaven; but that they bring us to the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ as our supreme, all-satisfying, and everlasting treasure. ‘Christ… suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God’ (1 Peter 3:18).”

Too many times as a pastor I’m guilty of pointing people to the gifts of salvation, and not to the Giver of salvation. The gifts are wonderful, but the Giver of the gifts is supremely important!

This is a book about glorifying God. This is a book about worshiping God for Who He is, and not for what He gives.

Everyone will benefit from reading this book. But I would most recommend it to those who are called to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Be A People Person (book review)

August 16, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

John Maxwell’s insights into leading people perpetually astound me. He always finds such simple ways to explain what I know I should already be doing. In one of his earliest books, Be A People Person, I (re)discovered some more great people principles.

Be A People Person perfectly describes this book: It’s all about being a person who is trusted and accepted by other people. This, in turn, puts this people-person in a place to be an effective leader. So Dr. Maxwell talks about confidence, motivation, encouragement, empathy, trustworthiness, mentorship, and so many other people principles.

Because this was one of his earlier books, I see many of the seed thoughts that have become books in their own right later on. But that still didn’t take away from the refreshing insights that I uncovered.

Unless you are a solitary hermit, there is so much to discover in this book to help you grow stronger and more effective relationships with family members, coworkers, and friends.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Whale Done (book review)

August 15, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I love the business and intra-personal insights that Ken Blanchard shares in all of this books. In Whale Done, I learned from Sea World’s Shamu how I can inspire people to better performance.

Following the story of a frustrated business manager, husband, and father, Ken shows us how catching people doing something right is the key to turning around performance. And in the process, we also create more pleasant work and home environments. Ken’s premise is simple:

“The more attention you pay to a behavior, the more it will be repeated. …If you don’t want to encourage poor behavior, don’t spend a lot of time on it.”

Instead of focusing on what someone is doing wrong, we should be looking for opportunities to say to others, “Whale Done!” In other words, put the bulk of our energy into encouraging people to keep doing the right things, by redirecting our energy away from the mistakes.

It’s revolutionary, but it’s also very exciting. As soon as I finished reading Whale Done, I immediately handed it to my wife and said, “You’ve got to read this!” And I would say the same thing to all parents, pastors, teachers, and business leaders.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

The Seed (book review)

August 11, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

Until I won a copy of this book from Michael Hyatt’s blog, I had not heard of Jon Gordon. Now, having read The Seed, I am so disappointed that I didn’t find out about this author sooner!

The Seed is written as a fable, following the story of a young man named Josh, who has lost his passion for his work. Given a 2-week vacation by his boss to determine what happens next, Josh encounters a series of people who help him on his journey.

Josh is first given a seed by a kindly farmer, and told to plant the seed where it will grow best. Then learning from a crop-duster pilot, his parents, a favorite professor, a former employer, a traveling businessman, and even his dog Dharma, Josh learns about the seed that leads to a life full of passion and purpose.

This book was written to so compellingly that I had a hard time putting it down. Right from the opening pages I was drawn into Josh’s life. The lessons from this book are profound, insightful, and ones that all of us can apply.

Don’t miss out on The Seed!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , . Leave a Comment »

Bonhoeffer (book review)

August 10, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I’ve always been an admirer of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s work, but Eric Metaxas’ sweeping biography has given me a whole new appreciation for this influential theologian.

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy takes you behind the scenes that influenced this great man. You will see how his family helped encourage Dietrich to be such a deep thinker. Then you will read how Bonhoeffer’s thinking was sharpened as he challenged the Nazi’s co-opting of the church in Germany, leading him to call pastors back to a biblically-sound foundation.

By perhaps the most compelling storyline is how this pastor could join the band of German citizens who agreed that Adolph Hitler must be assassinated. Although to us now it may seem like an easy decision to make, to those who lived through the events leading up to Word War II, it was an excruciating decision. Eric Metaxas does a masterful job of taking us inside the thinking process that led Dietrich Bonhoeffer to his decision.

And through all of the turmoil swirling around him, Bonhoeffer found time to not only teach young pastors, but to leave behind some timeless teachings in his masterful books.

If you are already familiar with Bonhoeffer’s writings, this biography will give you a whole new appreciation into the man who crafted the books. If you aren’t yet familiar with Bonhoeffer’s books, Bonhoeffer will whet your appetite to know more. Don’t miss out on this one!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , . 2 Comments »

George Washington Carver (book review)

August 9, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I love reading biographies about our most prominent historical figures. A man that looms large at a pivotal time in US history is George Washington Carver, who is wonderfully captured in this biography by John Perry.

This book is a part of a wonderful series from Thomas Nelson called “The Christian Encounters Series.” Carver was a man strong in his Christian faith, and yet he showed it in his gentle lifestyle. As an African American born in the Jim Crow South, Dr. Carver endured his share of discrimination. But he also benefited by his share of helpful folks — both black and white — who treated him with dignity and respect, and opened doors of opportunity for him. Yet whether treated well or treated poorly, he treated everyone the same gracious, gentlemanly way.

Dr. Carver also lived out his Christian faith in his strong work ethic. He was busy learning more about creation and the Creator, and finding ways to show God through his discoveries. Although at times he was offered extraordinarily high salaries to leave Tuskegee Institute, he stayed right where he believed God had placed him.

Dr. Carver never had children of his own, but saw himself has a father to all his students. And those students gladly received his fatherly love and counsel. His Sunday evening Bible studies (which weren’t mandatory) were the best-attended event of the week. Even after graduation, many students maintained a lifelong correspondence with Father Carver.

Dr. Carver was revered as a father, a scientist, and a teacher. His impact on the advancement of science, and his example of hearing God’s whisper in all of His creation, are immeasurable. Regardless of race or age or background, all of us owe a debt of gratitude to this giant of a gentleman scientist.

I am a Thomas Nelson book reviewer.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »
« Older posts
Newer posts »