Fire Road by Kim Phuc Phan Thi

Fire Road by Kim Phuc Phan Thi ISBN-13: 9781496424303 Trade Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Tyndale Momentum Released: Oct. 3, 2017

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description from Goodreads:
"Get out! Run! We must leave this place! They are going to destroy this whole place! Go, children, run first! Go now!" These were the final shouts nine year-old Kim Phuc heard before her world dissolved into flames—before napalm bombs fell from the sky, burning away her clothing and searing deep into her skin. It’s a moment forever captured, an iconic image that has come to define the horror and violence of the Vietnam War. Kim was left for dead in a morgue; no one expected her to survive the attack. Napalm meant fire, and fire meant death.

Against all odds, Kim lived—but her journey toward healing was only beginning. When the napalm bombs dropped, everything Kim knew and relied on exploded along with them: her home, her country’s freedom, her childhood innocence and happiness. The coming years would be marked by excruciating treatments for her burns and unrelenting physical pain throughout her body, which were constant reminders of that terrible day. Kim survived the pain of her body ablaze, but how could she possibly survive the pain of her devastated soul?

Fire Road is the true story of how she found the answer in a God who suffered Himself; a Savior who truly understood and cared about the depths of her pain. Fire Road is a story of horror and hope, a harrowing tale of a life changed in an instant—and the power and resilience that can only be found in the power of God’s mercy and love.


My Review:
Fire Road is a memoir that describes how Kim Phuc found peace for her soul. She told her life story, which includes descriptions of the bad things that happened (the napalm burns, how political officials prevented her from pursuing her dream and used her as a propaganda tool) and how these events affected her emotionally and physically. However, she didn't dwell on the bad things so it's a sad but not depressing story during these worst parts. She initially followed her family's religion with great devotion, but the gods didn't help her. When a Christian pastor came into her orbit and answered her questions, she realized that Jesus also bore scars and endured pain.

As she told the story of her life, she also told the story of her spiritual growth and how God provided for her. She described how, as a new Christian, she fought depression and a desire to commit suicide by memorizing Scripture and praying the Psalms back to God. She talked about how she slowly came to forgive those who abused and wronged her by praying for them (as Jesus instructed us to do). And she talked about how she deals with the physical pain by singing praises to God (among many other things).

I'd never heard of Kim Phuc before, partly because I was born several years after she was burned. I found her story interesting and touching. People who do know her story will likely enjoy knowing some of the things that have happened in more recent years. As Kim acknowledges, everyone carries their own scars and pains, though not all are as obvious as her scars. I'd recommend this story to anyone, but especially to those who want to know how she found peace despite the pain and scars she still carries.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

31 Proverbs to Light Your Path by Liz Curtis Higgs

31 Proverbs to Light Your Path by Liz Curtis Higgs ISBN-13: 9781601428936 Hardcover: 206 pages Publisher: Waterbrook Press Released: Oct. 3, 2017

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
With her signature ability to blend ancient truth with real-life takeaway, best-selling author and Bible teacher Liz Curtis Higgs examines thirty-one verses from the book of Proverbs, and then offers a unique "One Minute, One Step" challenge at the end of each chapter, suggesting a do-it-now task that requires one minute or less. Readers will quickly discover how practical and applicable the book of Proverbs is, and how the Lord can use even the smallest steps to lead us in the right direction.


My Review:
31 Proverbs to Light Your Path is a devotional study that focused on 31 verses from proverbs. Each chapter started with the verse from proverbs. The author then pulled out each major thought in the proverb and discussed it. She used phrases from different translations to help bring out the full meaning of the proverb.

I appreciate that she kept the focus on what God has done (rather than making the reader feel like they need to work harder to measure up). Each chapter ended with a quick activity that you can do to help apply or remember what you've learned. Overall, I'd recommend this book.

From page 6: "As to our being righteous, that is entirely the Lord's work. Righteousness isn't about our goodness; it's about God's goodness. We can't become "right-living people" (MSG) on our own. Our walk with Him is upright only because He bent down to carry a cross.

"It's His Spirit in us that prompts us to say and do the right things--to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and disciplined. All that delicious fruit of the Spirit is produced when we depend on God, not when we depend on our own strength. What a relief!"


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Unseen by Sara Hagerty

Unseen by Sara Hagerty ISBN-13: 978-0310339977 Hardcover: 240 pages Publisher: Zondervan Released: Aug. 29, 2017

Source: Review copy from the publisher through BookLook.

Book Description, Modified from BookLook:
In a culture that applauds what can be produced and noticed, it’s hard to spend time hidden from others—the long afternoons with a toddler, the fourth-floor cubicle, the laundry room. Aren’t those wasted hours? Wasted gifts? In Unseen, Sara Hagerty suggests that God created every heart to be seen—and it’s the unseen moments that draw hearts closest to the One who sees them best.

Through an eloquent exploration of both personal and biblical story, Hagerty calls readers to offer every unseen, “wasted” minute to God so that they might find new intimacy with Him. She looks in particular at the story of Mary, who wasted perfume at Jesus’s feet. Mary had such love for Jesus that she was able to pour herself out for Him, though no one applauded. In doing so, with nothing tangible to show for her actions, she changed the world.


My Review:
Unseen is part memoir and part Bible study. Her intent is to help draw people into a closer relationship with God. The author looked at how Mary lavishly "wasted" her time (and perfume) on Jesus and was praised for it. Using Mary's story as a jumping off point, she talked about things that happened in her life that illustrated a certain point or that showed how mundane moments drew her closer to God.

As a young adult, she felt that any minute not spent serving God was "wasted," so the overall theme was how God taught her that the ordinary, unseen moments of life also please Him. She talked about how we can deepen our relationship with God and see His greatness in the everyday moments of life, like doing laundry. The author (and her husband) adopted orphans from several foreign countries, so she explained how raising them has given her insights into how we're like these adopted orphans in our relationship with God. Overall, I'd highly recommend this book.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Every Piece of Me by Jerusha Clark

Every Piece of Me by Jerusha Clark ISBN-13: 9780801007644 Paperback: 240 pages Publisher: Baker Books Released: Aug. 1, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Throughout Scripture, God reveals himself as the great I Am. He does not define himself with reference to any thing, person, or trait. He is, and that is enough. Women find themselves in a far different situation. When we introduce ourselves, we typically describe ourselves in terms of our relationships (the wife, mother, daughter, sister, or friend of someone else) or in terms of our accomplishments (our title, position, education, or accolades). When our identity is wrapped up in these external things, we inevitably (and exhaustingly!) strive to prove ourselves worthy of love, attention, or affirmation.

God never meant for us to focus on whether we are "enough," whether we measure up. Jerusha Clark discovered this while exploring Jesus's seven powerful "I am" statements recorded in the Gospel of John. She invites women to join her in embracing the life and truth of these words, relishing the freedom of an identity fixed on Christ alone while leaving behind fear, bitterness, busyness, and toxic thoughts.


My Review:
Every Piece of Me studied several of Jesus's "I Am" statements and linked them to various issues with which women often struggle. The author talked about each "I am" statement, explained the context of what was going on when Jesus said it, then talked about a related issue that women deal with. She also suggested some things you can do to shift your outlook into alignment with how God views you.

For example, she talked about the "I am the bread of life" statement. Talk about eating led to talk about how women view their bodies and appearance. She suggested things like noticing when you think or say self-judgmental words and to take a "fast" on saying them. In the section on the Good Shepherd, she talked about anxiety and worry. When feeling anxious, she suggested thinking of things that you're grateful for since you can't think anxious thoughts at the same time as grateful thoughts.

The book was easy to read and understand. She made good points and offered useful suggestions on how to shift your focus over time. Overall, I'd recommend this book, especially if you feel like your identity is wrapped up in what you do or how you look and that you'll never measure up.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.