Day #9 of the Not So Normal Christmas...

Go to NoiseTrade.com and download Zack Williams "Storytime" for free. Do it. Then thank me for sharing this gem with you. It's not Christmas music. It's better. (No offense Jesus.)

Book #10...

Somehow I forgot to post this review. Oops!

Hear No Evil
Matthew Paul Turner

Another snarky (that's a word, right?) book much along the same lines as his previous one called "Churched" (review here) that seems to make fun of his fundamentalist upbringing and his experience within the world of Christian music.

I found the occasional piece of humor within a few of the stories and I was particularly drawn into the story of how his former boss tried to get him to write a dirt article on Amy Grant (short version here), but those moments seemed to be few and far between for my liking.

This book almost felt a little rushed and came across as a little disjointed and random.

If you aren't familiar with Turner I would probably liken him to a writer version of Derek Webb. He like to stir things up and cause the occasional ruckus. And I know that many people would probably stop reading his stuff, but I find that while he occasionally annoys me...I actually enjoy it.


So, I've got an extra copy to give away. Would you like it? Leave a comment with some sort of music story and I'll randomly pick someone by Thursday and throw it in the mail for you.


*This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

Honest reflections...

I struggle with how I view myself. I find that I regularly battle the thoughts racing through my head that I'm not good enough. And it's not just the little things like I don't think I'm a good enough guitar player, it's the big ones. The ideas that I'm not a good enough husband, father, pastor.

So, I think it was very fitting that I picked up a copy of Jud Wilhite's "Eyes Wide Open" (book #31 of the year if you're keeping track).

When I got the book I was thinking I would just fly right through it, because it's not very long. But as I started reading I knew I had to spend some time processing because it was hitting close to home. I needed to not just read it....I needed to READ it.

Who am I?

What does God see in me?

How do I fully embrace who he created me to be?

How do I live that out on a daily basis?

I'll admit that I'm usually the first one to try and be something I'm not. I have a tendency to put on the masks so others don't see the real me. I tend to keep people at a distance for some reason.

I'm still trying to figure this all out. I'm not sure where I'll end up some days, but I'm thankful for a patient and loving group of family and friends that surround me.

I've got an extra copy of Jud's book on my shelf that I'd be happy to give away. Leave a comment that has something to do with how you view yourself (good, bad or ugly). I'll pick a random comment next Tuesday afternoon and send you the book.

Free music...

If you would like some free live Coldplay music, go here.

Better late than never...

10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe
Larry Osborne

This is the review that I mentioned was due while I was in California. Sure, I'm well aware that I've been back from California for well over a week, but I suffer from a mild case of "not-doing-things_itis".

As far as life changing books go, this is not one of them (at least for me). But it's not a horrible book either, by any means. In fact, I love the concept of trying to break down some of those "spiritual urban legends". There's just too many of them floating around.

The big ones that Larry focuses in on are:

• Faith can fix everything
• Forgiving means forgetting
• A Godly home guarantees Godly kids
• God has a blueprint for my life
• Christians shouldn't judge
• Everything happens for a reason
• Let your conscience be your guide
• God brings good luck
• A valley means a wrong turn
• Dead people go to a better place

I'd have to say that I wasn't completely enthralled with the depth of content, but I do believe that many of these topics would be great launching points for a small group study. I could see this starting some great conversations with people who have grown up in the church, as well as people who had no connection with the church. The thing is that in both groups you will likely find a pile of people who believe these previously stated "spiritual urban legends".

I've got 2 free copies to give away.

Let's go with the first two of you who can share a "spiritual urban legend" that you have had to unlearn. Leave an email address so I can contact you.

Book #15...

10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe
Larry Osborne

I'm participating in a blog tour for this book next week, so I'll save my thoughts for then. I'll also be giving away a couple free copies of the book in case you don't want to buy your own, so you might want to stay tuned if you like free stuff.

Churched review...

Ever wonder what it would have been like to grow up in a fundamentalist church? Well, now you can...without all the baggage. But I'm grateful Matthew Paul Turner has agreed to carry that baggage around for the rest of us.

OK, maybe he hasn't agreed, but at least he's willing to entertain the rest of us with his baggage. (Thanks, by the way!)

I didn't grow up in a fundamentalist church but I still found myself reading some of the stories in the book and flashing back to my school days when we would hear the horror stories about that "other" Christian school who would enforce the "6 inch rule" and made sure the guys never had hair that touched their collars or their ears.

And what Sunday School kid hasn't participated in some contest to bring the most unsaved friends to a church event?

Churched is Turner's comical (yet often uncomfortable) look into his upbringing. It's funny and sad all at the same time. Funny because you almost can't make this stuff up. Sad because many of us who have grown up in the church have seen one or more of these stories lived out in the flesh.

It's a quick read that I blazed through this weekend while at the NYWC in Sacramento. I'm sure you'll get a kick out of it. If not, then you can blame me if it makes you feel better. If you didn't get you copy yet, head over here and pick yourself up a copy.

Are you too cheap and want a free copy?

Then try this:

1. Post a comment to this review.
2. Include your favorite "church story" that happened to you in middle school or high school. (Hey, I'm a youth pastor! What did you expect?)
3. Leave some way that I can contact you.
   
4. The deadline is this Friday (October 17th). I'll choose and post the winner (and their story) sometime on the weekend and mail you a book next week.

Sound like a plan?

Comment now.

Want to help...

I've been poking around online about some of these "free" offer things that you've probably seen from time to time. The basic principle is that you sign up, you order some stuff, you recruit some friends, they order some stuff, and then your "free" item shows up in the mail. I've heard from a number of legitimate sources (one of which is a youth pastor who has scored some sweet stuff for his student ministry) that this actually works. While my wife is a little skeptical (she's the one that keeps us grounded, in case you didn't know), I'm more than a little curious. So, I'm wondering if anyone out there might be interested in experimenting on this with me. The prizes vary from Macbooks to iPhones to cash and is based on the number of referrals. My plan? I'll see how many of you might be willing to give this a go and then I'll sign up and see what happens. So, would you be willing to give it a go? Leave me a comment or fire me an email and we'll get this party started.

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