Author Archives: Seth

Kiss Me Like You Mean It: Solomon’s Crazy in Love How-To Manual

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Kiss Me Like You Mean It: Solomon’s Crazy in Love How-To Manual
Product Details
Kindle: 240 pages
Publisher: Revell
Date Published: 2009

Point: The Song of Songs gives good advice for love inside and outside the bedroom.
Path: The author deals with ignorance and selfishness in marriage through humor and imaginary therapy sessions.
Sources: 25 years of marriage and professional psychology.
Agreement: The Song of Songs is valuable when it comes to understanding love.
Disagreement: One question I have for the author, “Who is to blame if someone picks up this book and obeys it exactly, but sees no difference in their marriage? And what should they do?” The reason I ask is because this book is primarily behavior modification. If what you are teaching is correct, than the answer would be 1. the reading spouse – because they didn’t do it properly, and they need to try harder. 2. the non-reading spouse – they are a dud and the reading spouse needs to find someone who will fulfill their needs.
The gospel is relegated to a final appendix where it is included in the plan of salvation. 
The author states “We must forgive others, and the only way to do that is first to tell them directly the pain they have caused us” (p 174). He then suggests that the hurting spouse unload everything that the other spouse has ever done that has hurt them. He is intent on fulfilling the “needs” of the other spouse. While it is important to love the other as commanded by Christ, a married individual whose spouse refuses to do so can still lead a God honoring life. Even if his/her “needs” are not filled they can still be complete because Christ is sufficient.
Personal App: I cringe at the psychological dangers being proposed in this book.
Stars: 1 out of 5
It would not be worth another read and I would not recommend it.

From Pearl Harbor To Calvary

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From Pearl Harbor To Calvary
by Mitsuo Fuchida
Product Details
Audiobook
Publisher: Christianaudio.com
Point: God’s grace can change anyone.
Path: This short book follows the path of Mitsuo Fuchida from the commander of the air attack on Pearl Harbor to his conversion and ministry for Christ.
Sources: The testimony of Mitsuo Fuchida, Jacob DeShazer, and others
Agreement: This compilation of written testimonies, audio interviews, and historical information shows the great work Christ has done.
Disagreement: There is much emphasis on the change that can happen through Christ, but nearly no talk of sin. They talk more about hate to peace than forgiveness in Christ.
Personal App: I cannot consider anyone out of the reach of God’s grace.
Stars: 2 out of 5

Stop Teaching Our Kids To Kill

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Stop Teaching Our Kids To Kill: A Call to Action against TV, Movie & Video Game Violence
by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman and Gloria Degaetano
Product Details
Paperback: 181 pages
Publisher: Crown Publishers
Date Published: 1999

Point: Media violence is contributing to a growing disconnect between violence and its consequences. 
Path: Grossman, an expert on military training and former Army Ranger, and Degaetano, an educator, explain statistics, backgrounds, and studies concerning the effect of media violence on children. The demonstrate that media violence contributes to increasing aggression, desensitization, and increased fear. The last third of the book is dedicated to resources and action plans for concerned people.
Sources: Much of what these two present is based on statistics following major slayings in Jonesboro, Paducah, Pearl, Stamps, Conyers, and Littleton. Through a phycological grid they evaluate and explain why they believe these acts were possible.
Agreement: The information is frightening and distressing. The reality is that we are being dessensitized to the reality of violence through what we willing allow in our homes.
Disagreement: One of their foundational beliefs is that children are basically good, and the environment makes them bad (10). I would not employ many of their parenting techniques. They encourage parents to help their children “feel powerful” without falling to a pseudo-power offered through the media. Children don’t “need” to feel powerful.
Personal App: This was a frightening, but valuable look at some of the evidence around media violence. It has only gotten much worse in the past 12 years since the book was published. I must be careful about what I allow into my mind. Whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable. If there is any excellence, anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Favorite Quote:
Stars: 3.5 out of 5
I would look for a newer volume, and one without as many psychological underpinnings.

Man-A-Thon XII s part 2

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 We woke up on lake time early Tuesday morning. Lake time means sunrise = breakfast, sunset = sleep.

We prepared the bacon and pancakes and then packed up and headed north. We paddled through South Cone lake, Mid Cone lake and North Cone lake.

We were able to evade the first three portages because the water was so high, but we had a pretty long one to Cliff lake. After we made through we settled in for a gourmet lunch of a chunk of sausage from Menards. It was a hit!

We portaged and paddled through Wanahigan lake and then portaged into Winchell lake. The guys kept going and once we found a site they were down for the count. Andrew appreciated what he called the “comfy rock.”

Apparently, after a long day of paddling the guys decided they needed to take a swim.

 By the time supper came around you can guess that everyone was pretty eager to get at whatever Steve S. had prepared. There were never any leftovers!

The Odyssey

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The Odyssey
by Homer (Translated by Alexander Pope)
Product Details
Kindle ebook

Point: All the perils, deception, and monsters in the ancient world could not keep the hero Ulysses from returning to his home after the destruction of Troy.
Path: Homer takes the reader on an epic adventure through the Greek world of ships, storms, gods, and battle. Set in poetic verse, this ancient rhyme rings of man’s life in the shadow of the gods. At times they smile upon the finite man, and at others they seek to crush his frail existence.
Agreement: This was an exciting story, told with great descriptions and flowing words. The arrangement of story told and retold added to the suspense of the adventure.
Disagreement: The dated english mixed with the various names of greek gods made it difficult to follow all the conversations. The format of this kindle book also made it harder since the poetry was reduced to rhyming paragraphs.
Favorite Quotes: “Beauty unchaste is beauty in disgrace.” “Be thy soul at rest; and know, whatever heaven ordains is best.” “Of all the ills unhappy mortals know, a life of wanderings is the greatest woe.”
Stars: 4 out of 5
It would be worth another read and I would recommend it.

Man-A-Thon XII s

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The Man-A-Thon for the summer of 2012 was a trip to the Boundary Waters. Nine men took off for Brule lake on Sunday evening after church. Our theme for this man-a-thon was “True Men Accept Responsibility.”
Because the limit is nine people for each permit, and no more than 4 canoes to each group, we filled it to capacity. The tricky part was figuring out how to get all the canoes, gear, and guys up there in one piece! I googled “four canoes on a van” but had no relevant hits. I suppose we were heading into uncharted waters. Here is option A.
Steve S., our guide, did all the hard work with figuring out how to get us up there and to the right destination. We eventually settled on option C for the canoes.
We were graciously allowed to use the cabin of a friend up in Lutsen to spend the night, so we didn’t have to throw down our sleeping bags in a parking lot somewhere. We spent the night in Lutsen, and then got to the Tofte station by 8 for orientation and permits.
Caribou trail took us first to Eagle Mountain, the highest peak in Minnesota. On the way there we saw a black bear, but he was too quick to get a picture.

Eagle Mountain is not much of a mountain, but at 2301 feet above sea level, it is the 39th highest state point in the USA (beating out Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa).
Everyone made it up and down, ending a little lighter thanks to the thirsty mosquitoes on the trail.
We got into Brule lake around one at began our paddle to the north west portion of the lake. We were able to make it into camp just before the rain hit, thankfully. It was a little questionable with the zipper technique for paddling of a few of the guys – back and forth, back and forth.

The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith

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The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
by Timothy Keller
Product Details
Hardcover: 139 pages
Publisher: Dutton
Date Published: 2008

Point: In the story of the two sons in Luke 15, God is the prodigal who spends in a recklessly extravagant way to win back two lost sons.
Path:  Keller walks through the familiar story with profound insights and convicting applications. In this short book the truths of Scripture cut deeply.
Sources: Following the story of Jesus, Keller references Edmund Clowney, Elisabeth Eliot, C.S. Lewis, John Newton, Jonathan Edwards, and others.
Agreement: Keller’s presentation of this often sentimentalized parable was well done. Bringing the older brother to see his own lostness can hardly ever be done through rebuke or mental arguments. It needs a story. For this reason Jesus told the story, and for this reason Keller followed it.
Personal App: Am I living as the older brother in my pride and self-righteousness?
Favorite Quote:
Do you realize, then, what Jesus is teaching? Neither son loved the father for himself. They both were using the father for their own self-centered ends rather than loving, enjoying, and serving him for his own sake. This means that you can rebel against God and be alienated from him either by breaking his rules or by keeping all of them diligently. (36-37)
“If, like the elder brother, you believe that God ought to bless you and help you because you have worked so hard to obey him and be a good person, then Jesus may be your helper, your example, even your inspiration, but he is not your Savior. You are serving as your own Savior.” (38)
Stars: 5 out of 5
It would be worth another read and I would recommend it. It would be valuable to give to both a younger and older brother – both need the Father’s extravagant grace.