Why God Calls Us to Dangerous Places

"Perhaps that’s the greatest reason why He calls us to dangerous places: so that we will know His astonishing, sacrificial, life-restoring love.”

Why God Calls Us to Dangerous Places is about what is lost and what is gained when we follow God at any cost.

Soon after 9/11, Kate McCord left the corporate world and followed God to Afghanistan—sometimes into the reach of death. Alive but not unscathed, she has suffered the loss of many things: comfort, safety, even dear friends and fellow sojourners.

But Kate realizes that those who go are not the only ones who suffer. Those who love those who go also suffer. This book is for them, too.

Weaving together Scripture, her story, and stories of both those who go and those who send, Kate considers why God calls us to dangerous places and what it means for all involved.

It means dependence. It means loss. It means a firmer hold on hope. It can mean death, trauma, and heavy sorrow. But it can also mean joy unimaginable. Through suffering, we come closer to the heart of God.

Written with the weight of glory in the shadow of loss, Why God Calls Us to Dangerous Places will inspire Christians to count the cost—and pay it.


My thoughts: This is a beautiful book that deals with a hard issue in such a wonderful way. I really appreciated all the true stories in this book that shared how people have been called to dangerous places, and yet been blessed through their willingness to serve. It's a tough thing to do, since it means depending on someone other than ourselves. Someone who always has out best interest at heart, even if the road seems rough.
I highly recommend this one!
I received this book from Moody in exchange for my honest review.

Home at Last

Why did their differences matter so much?

Link Whitman has settled into the role of bachelor without ever intending to. Now he’s stuck in a dead-end job and, as the next Whitman wedding fast approaches, he is the last one standing. The pressure from his sisters’ efforts to play matchmaker is getting hard to bear as Link pulls extra shifts at work, and helps his parents at the Chicory Inn.

All her life, Shayla Michaels has felt as if she straddled two worlds. Her mother’s white family labeled her African American father with names Shayla didn’t repeat in polite–well, in any company. Her father’s family disapproved as well, though they eventually embraced Shayla as their own. After the death of her mother, and her brother Jerry’s incarceration, life has left Shayla’s father bitter, her niece, Portia, an orphan, and Shayla responsible for them all. She knows God loves them all, but why couldn’t people accept each other for what was on the inside? For their hearts?

Everything changes one icy morning when a child runs into the street and Link nearly hits her with his pickup. Soon he is falling in love with the little girl’s aunt, Shayla, the beautiful woman who runs Coffee’s On, the bakery in Langhorne. Can Shayla and Link overcome society’s view of their differences and find true love? Is there hope of changing the sometimes-ugly world around them into something better for them all?

My thoughts: It was with a bit of sadness that I started this book, since I knew it would be the last story about the Whitman family and their Chicory Inn. I have to say though, while I enjoyed the previous stories, I think the best two were the last two! (though, that could be due to my having just read them! They are all excellent) I appreciate that, with each story, there are issues tackled and victories won. I like that this one tackled interracial relationships and how events of the past few years have affected them. This is a beautiful story that I highly recommend!
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.

Meals from Mars

A fateful encounter late at night at a gas station in the hood brings together a white man from the suburbs and a young black man from the neighborhood. Stuck with each other for the night, they deal with their core prejudices, the walls that keep them from each other, and the discovery of their God-given humanity in one another.

When talking about race, it helps to have something specific to talk about―a story we can all wrap our heads around. In Meals from Mars, Ben Sciacca provides that story: two men from different worlds forced by circumstance to see and hear and consider one another. It is a novel that demonstrates the social challenges and relational potential for racial reconciliation.

My thoughts: I was thrilled to get this book, since it deals with a sensitive subject that needs to be talked about more. While I really enjoyed parts of the story. like Malik's uncle and his thoughts, as well as the parts about the meals and how to actually help people. I felt like the story has some holes in it and I would of personally liked to see a little more conclusion to the story. I know it would be pat to give it a happy ending, but I finished the book feeling like "Wait, that's it?!". These are just my personal thoughts on the story. I do think that there are a lot of difficult subjects tackled in this book and it's an interesting read.
I received this book from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.

Born to Treason

Joan Pryce is not only a Catholic during the English Reformation but also Welsh, and comes from a family of proud revolutionaries. But when a small act of defiance entangles her in a deadly conspiracy, a single misstep may lead her straight to the gallows. Now, Joan must navigate a twisting path that could cost her life, her freedom, and her chance of finding love.

My thoughts: I'm so glad that I picked up this book! The story is a wonderful, interesting one that brings to life the persecution that the Catholics faced under Queen Elizabeth I. Joan's story is one of intrigue and secrets as she navigates the new world of her hosts, where nothing is quite as it seems. I loved getting to know Joan, especially since there was a lot to her character. The author does a wonderful job of bringing her to life, since it would of been a hard time in history to live, with making choices between how to hold to your faith/religion and yet walk to fine line of not angering the officials.
I like that this story has a lot of subtleties, making it a rich, historical tale. This one is highly recommend!
I received this book from Cedar Fort in exchange for my honest review.

God Made All of Me

“God made every part of you!”

It’s easy to convey the message to children that their bodies—or particular parts of their bodies—are shameful. This misconception fuels confusion, embarrassment, and secrecy, and often prevents children from recognizing or reporting sexual abuse.

God Made All of Me is a simply-told, beautifully-illustrated story to help families talk about these sensitive issues with two- to eight-year-old children. Because the private parts of our bodies are private, the home is the ideal environment where a child should learn about his or her body and how it should be treated by others.

God Made All of Me starts from the fundamental truth that God created everything and applies that truth—the doctrine of creation—to kids and their bodies. It equips parents to talk with both boys and girls about their bodies and to help them understand the difference between the appropriate and inappropriate touch of others. God Made All of Me allows families to build a first line of defense against sexual abuse in the safety of their own homes.

God Made All of Me is the first children’s book written by Rid of My Disgrace authors Justin and Lindsey Holcomb. Parents of young children themselves, the Holcombs regularly counsel victims of sexual abuse and are profoundly aware of the dangers kids face. Their simple and relatable story, designed to help children protect their bodies, will be an important resource for every family with young children.

My thoughts: With a young daughter of my own, I've wondered how to go about teaching her about her body and how to protect it. The conversation is a hard one to think about broaching with little ones, but is unfortunately one that needs to be discussed from a young age. This book does a wonderful job of helping parents talk to their young children about their bodies and how God made them special. I like that it does so in a way that very young children can grasp. I think it is good to open up the lines of communication from a young age, so that children grow up knowing that their bodies are made by God and not something for people to abuse.
I am so thankful for this book and think it is a wonderful resource for families and churches.
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.