© 2024 The Imperfect Blog

I joined the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers and the first book I requested to read and review was The Great Eight by Scott Hamilton. I have a love/hate relationship with celebrity self-help books and with lists of great ways to transform your life. I opted for this book because it promised to share more about Scott Hamilton’s life and the world of skating. I must admit, every 4 years I become a huge fan of ice skating. I also love to see what works for other people and wonder how they take the mess that is real life and get it to fit into a nice little round number like 8.

In the introduction, as he is describing his brain cancer diagnosis and treatment, he describes the lesson he quickly learned this way: “Facing death yet again, I realized I was no longer living to win. Rather, I was living to not lose.” (p xix) The rest of the book is this same practical and honest voice. He presents good advice, with good examples of how he learned the lesson and why each is an important step in being happy. He doesn’t mean a sappy, gooey happy. He aims for a real contentment and joy in life. His Christian message is present and incorporated in a very meaningful way. This is not a gospel tract, but a real story about real life and what has been important in his journey.

I enjoyed this book. It was great way to learn more about the man and his world view. It was also a good Christian book discussing some practical points for working on ourselves to be happy, while not ignoring the fact that a faith in God is a requirement.

Over the past 3 weeks I have listened to the audio-book of a biography of Oswald Chambers. It was the free resource available at Christian Audio last month. Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God: The Life Story of the Author of My Utmost for His Highest by David McCasland is an inspiring book and the reader was great. A slight British accent for the narration and a slight Scottish burr when quoting Oswald Chambers.

I find audio-books difficult, I lose focus and forget to pay attention. This book was a great audio-book, and it kept my attention. My argument this time is that I heard things I wanted to write down and meditate on but couldn’t given where I was and that the recording just kept going.

The book covers his birth, early years in Scotland, his time in London where he accepted Christ as his savior. Then the years when he struggled to understand what God would have him do. Oswald was 27 before he had a real purpose, but he was used by God even before that. I find this reassuring in a world where we should know what we want when we enter college at 18 and then do it well starting in our early 20’s. Oswald studied and worked but he spent much of his time and energy growing in his walk with God, seeking His will, and patiently waiting for guidance.

Here are some of the main points I did capture. One of Oswald’s sayings was that he wanted to spend and be spent only for God. His work wasn’t just a job, it was his life and God was present in everything he did. Related to this was his belief that he should give to whoever asks. He knew that people would take advantage of him, but that was God’s to handle. If Oswald gave when he was asked, then God would provide for Oswald. And this is how it worked every single time.

After he married (into his 30’s) he and his wife often had no definite plan for the future, but they trusted that God would provide if they only followed His will. He preached around England and Scotland, then they opened a Bible College in London, and God always provided.

I learned quite a bit about his life, including his trips to the US and his time spent in Japan. Then when WWI broke out, he went to Egypt working with the YMCA providing places for the soldiers to eat, socialize, and (at Oswald’s camp at least) to pray and hear the Word spoken and preached.

One way he comforted coworkers and friends, especially while in Egypt during the war, was to not worry so about understanding God’s ways. To know that God is love, get deep in that love, and trust God. He felt is was important to know the character of God and work from there.

After Oswald’s death, the book continues with a very good description of the work his wife undertook to publish his talks and sermons from the Bible College, his traveling preaching time, and the time in Egypt. They were quite a couple and she continued his legacy even after he was gone.

I like a biography that covers the facts, the thoughts, the development of the person’s worldview, and how they lived out that worldview. This was a very satisfying biography about an inspiring man.

I had started this personal challenge over the Christmas holidays, but I found the blog today and I’m excited about it. One of the features is a weekly question about our Bible reading or related topics.

I will do a little catch up here.

Question 1: Are you a goal setter? Do you set goals for yourself? How often? Yearly? Monthly? Weekly? Daily? If you don’t meet your goals, do you beat yourself up about it? How do you stay motivated and on task? Do you have goals about your Bible reading? Why or why not?

I am a definite goal setter. I have learned to be flexible and evaluate how I react when I don’t meet a goal. I try to avoid being too flexible, though, and rendering the goal useless. I like lists and the usually work as a motivator for some goals, if I keep them visible.

My goal for my Bible reading this year is to do something every day, no matter how small. I prefer to read an entire book at a time, so I read a group of chapters at a time when possible and do that each day until I am finished.

Question 2: Last week it was all about goals. This week is slightly related to that. It’s about plans–Bible reading plans to be exact. Do you need a plan to stay on track? Do you find reading plans helpful? Or are they more of a hindrance to you? Do you have a plan B? In other words, do you have it worked out what you’re going to do when you fall behind, forget, get frustrated, get bored, etc.? (There are a dozen excuses why it might happen.) Do you see this as an all or nothing proposition?

I believe Bible Reading plan is a good thing and I encourage their use. I usually advise people not to use one to do the entire Bible in a year, maybe 2 or 3 or even 4 years. Personally, I lose interest in the typical Bible reading plan and that doesn’t end well. I have learned that I do better to read one book in its entirety and then move on. This year, we are studying the Old Testament in our Wednesday night services so I will read those books along with the church.

Question 3: Which Bible character do you identify with most? Is there one that you can really relate to and understand? What is it about the story or character that gets to you?

It’s funny, as I read this question, Hannah came to mind. Then I read Becky’s answer and she started with Hannah. I love Hannah’s song and that usually leads me to Mary’s song – the implicit trust and faith is something I admire and strive for.

Question 4: Do you prefer reading Bibles in paperback, hardback, or leather? Do you prefer red letter or black letter? Do you have a favorite translation of the Bible? Why? What is it that you love? Do you prefer reading text-only Bibles? Or do you prefer reading study Bibles? Do you have a favorite study Bible?

I have used all of the above and I think they all have a good purpose and a time and a place. Currently I am reading a hardback ESV Reformation Study Bible. I have gotten better at ignoring the notes when I need to or want to just read the Bible. But the notes are there if something comes up. I am very comfortable with the NIV. I turn to the NASB and the Amplified at times because I like hearing the different ways things are put. The 23rd Psalm is memorized in KJV.

I have one red-letter but I tend not to read it often. I agree with Becky, that the red text can pull my eyes away from the other text. Sometimes I think that is a good way to approach the words, to realize that the whole Bible is inspired, but these are the Words of The Word.

Happy Reading!

Here’s one more challenge that fits within all the others. This one has to be finished by April 30.

I’ll list some I’ve already done, some I’m currently reading, and the ones I plan to read by end of April.

• Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God by David McCasland – currently listening to in the mornings
• George Muller of Bristol: His Life of Prayer and Faith by A. T. Pierson – on the Kindle waiting for free time
• The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton – on the desk right now, will start it this week
• Mere Christianity – just finished it this week
• The 7 Hardest Things God Asks a Woman To Do by Kathie Reimer & Lisa Whittle – started, need to get back to it

I March we are going to the Ligonier National Conference and I expect to come back with a stack of books by Sproul, Lawson, Carson and others.

With the 999 Challenge and the Chunkster Challenge, this one fits right in as a sure thing.

I’ll list 4 just to have them on here:

• To Kill a Mockingbird (because I don’t remember anything except Boo behind the door from when I read it and watched it in junior high)
• Jane Eyre (because again, I can’t remember what I read years ago)
• Heart of Darkness (I just finished this last week, but certainly a classic)
• The Trial by Franz Kafka