Go and Do, a Review

Go and Do, written by attorney and director of the Global Justice Program Jay Milbrandt, is an ambitious book with a simple goal in mind, to get the Reader to get up, go out, and actually do something to change the world. (Ambitious, see?) Through real life stories Milbrandt himself experienced, written with passion and potency, Go and Do is a challenging and thought-provoking book.

Go and Do is part memoir and part rally call. Milbrandt's sincerity shines on every page, and it's easy to see that his heart lies in helping others. He's very candid about his life and his plans, opening the book with a story from his college years. He reveals how his goals were to basically graduate and get into a high-profile law firm and make the big bucks. Instead, after he found himself overseas and looking into the faces of children of the red light district in a Thai city, his plans took a sudden and unexpected shift.

Jay Milbrandt, to use one of his terms, "came alive." He found that actively participating in helping out those in need was something that he enjoyed. Doing it actually made him feel alive, and he realized that this was what he wanted to be doing with his life. Yes he had a law degree, and that could be used for justice and aid, but what he found even more useful was simply being present. Time and time again he saw that his presence, just playing with kids or listening to their stories, made more of an impact than any gifts.

Soon Jay founded the Global Justice Program at Pepperdine University and set out to get students into a "go and do" lifestyle. This book is largely a collection of how going and doing affect people, both the ones going and the ones being visited. The stories are fascinating and inspiring, but the depravity of the world is also terribly eye opening. It's wonderful to know that there are people--many, many people--that are willing to go and do and help out, whether it's traveling to a faraway land or going to a homeless shelter just down the street.

Milbrandt has a true passion for helping others, and his book instills that mindset in the reader. His heart lies overseas, but he respects that other's may be in their own towns and communities. His main argument is to find whatever makes you come alive, whatever you're passionate about, and get involved. Does human trafficking stir something deep in your soul? Is water quality an issue you're interested in? Do the hungry of Uganda twist your gut a different kind of way? Whatever it is, just get involved in it and live life with a purpose of helping out people. No one is more special than anyone else and everyone is able to help.

Go and Do is an interesting book that I very much enjoyed. It's further solidifying the feeling in my soul to get more active in helping out others. I'm not entirely sure yet where my heart lies, but I do know that I need to be doing so much more. I am incredibly fortunate and blessed beyond my wildest imaginings. I help where and when I can, but I squander a lot, too. Books like Milbrandt's Go and Do and Stearns' Hole in Our Gospel stir my heart and make me want to be a better person. More than that, they make me realize that it's really quite simple to do, to change the world. And what loftier goals can a person have?

""Go and do" is not a zero-sum game. We don't have to hang our lives on one anchor in order to go and do. We certainly need individuals who are willing to make huge sacrifices to serve. I, however, don't find it realistic for the majority of us. It's more realistic to envision a properly tensioned life system." - Pg. 111

"A lifestyle is not a series of random acts, but a strategic, long-term relationship with kindness. It's intentional." - Pg. 50

"...you are meant to change the world by changing yourselves." - Pg. 203

FTC Thingy: I received this book free of cost from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest and open review. I was not required to write a positive review. Also, no cookies were exchanged, if you're wondering.

My First Hands-On Bible, a Review

I reviewed the original Hands-On Bible a while back.  In it, I concluded with this:

Overall, I really liked the Hands-On Bible.  It's sleek design is attractive and fun looking, perfect for kids.  The text is varying, using bold fonts and illustrations/side-boxes, which helps break up the monotonous look most bibles have (i.e. long blocks of unbroken text).  While this bible is not a beginner's bible, it's clearly the next step after, and I think most young readers would enjoy reading through God's Word in this way.  I also think the activities are a great asset to anyone working with kids, and I easily recommend this bible to anyone interested. [*Emphasis added and underlined.]

Basically, My First Hands-On Bible takes everything I loved in the original Hands-On Bible and changes it to the understanding of a preschooler.  Instead of using paraphrasing for stories, actual scripture is used, taken from the NLT.  In essence, this is a heavily abridged bible for preschoolers.

The illustrations are excellent and colorful, sure to attract young eyes looking for vibrant pictures.  The activities throughout the stories are fun and easy, and most of them involve the use of basic items laying around the house.  It's the combination of these two things that I like about My First Hands-On Bible.  I think the idea is right, that actively engaging children in bible stories will help build an early foundation for life.

I also like how at the end of each story there are discussion questions, a prayer guide, an activity, and a Jesus Connection.  The Jesus Connection relates how each story points to Christ, and this is another excellent thing for young minds to learn.

Overall, I'm just as impressed by My First Hands-On Bible as I was with the original.  While my daughter is too young to participate in any of the activities (or really even understand any of the words I'm saying), she's nevertheless looking at captivating pictures and listening to God's Word.  And when she's old enough to understand, I'm sure I'll still be using this very same bible.

 

FTC Thingy:  Tyndale House Publishers gave me this book for free on account of me writing an honest review.  Therefore, this review is honest.  (Why would anyone publish anything but an honest review?)  I received no monetary donations from this review, nor any other goods, like warm, gooey, home-baked cookies.  Now if I were offered these things, I would not hesitate to say sure, go on and send 'em my way.  Would that affect my review of the book?  Nope.   And that's honesty.

iShine NLT Bible (for Girls), a Review

The iShine Bible NLT (for Girls) is a low-frills, basic bible designed for tween girls in a contemporary society.  I was expecting more features from this, but instead there are three supplemental sections aimed at girls to let them know that to God they are a VIP and a smattering of helpful footnotes for reading.

My favorite thing about this bible is the opening section.  There are several pages of common questions people ask in life, such as "Is it okay to ...?" or "Why does ...?"  This Q&A section is simplistic and useful for a questioning tween, and all answers give scriptural references for consultation or further reading.  Also, as mentioned above, the bible makes use of footnotes, and some of these are helpful for the reader.

The bible itself is fine, and the language of the NLT is great for this age group.  However, the text may be too small or too close together for some to optimally use.  The big disappointment was the lack of flair.  Only three sections, a scant 30 pages or so, exist to make this bible targeted for tween girls.  These sections are standouts, as they're highly glossy and colorized, filled with images of today's teens.  Personally, if I were in this age group I think I would be looking for something more interactive, more personal, more engaging, not something that is shiny to look at.

That said, the bible is commendable for its pink cover and its compact size.  If a girl is wanting a pink, girly bible that's easy to read, the iShine Bible NLT (for girls) is perfect.  But if they're wanting something more in-depth, this is not the one for them.

Note: There is also a version of this bible available for boys in the same age group, and I imagine it is the exact same but for color and the three VIP sections.

FTC Thing: I received this book freely from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

The One Year Choose Your Own Ending Devotions, a Review

The One Year Choose Your Own Ending Devotions is designed to go hand-in-hand with the Hands-On Bible NLT (reviewed here).  I was intrigued at the possibility of a "Choose Your Own Ending" situation, so I requested a review copy, and soon the book arrived at my house.  While the target audience for this devotional is kindergarten age or around, I thought this would be a great tool to use for church activities and for whenever we have kids.

The layout of the devotional is simple.  For every day of the year there is a daily devotional.  Each one presents a short scenario, usually told in two or three paragraphs.  Then some Scripture is read and the reader is asked to think about how an ending should go in relation to the bible verses.  There's also some follow up questions or points to drive home the meaning.  In addition, many of the days have activities or ideas to do to really help make the illustration clear.  Each day has the following format.

• Story (An unfinished story awaiting a conclusion)
• Read (What scripture to read)
• Think (Things to think about)
• Do (Activities to make the point clearer)
• Pray (How/What to pray about related to the story)
• Memorize (A daily verse taken from the passage read)
• What's the Point?  (Drives home the point)

At the back of the book is a "suggested" ending for each devotional.  I found it fun to make up my own ending and then see how closely it resembled the "suggested" ending.  There's also an index for daily memory verses and daily passages read.  

Overall, The One Year Choose Your Own Ending Devotions is a sleek book that's perfect for family devotions, especially with children.  I really enjoyed the devotions I did.  The stories will capture the kid's attention, force them to think, and learn to understand the bible.  I think this is a devotional I'll be using with my own children, and I think anyone interested in a family devotional should consider this one.

**The One Year Choose Your Own Ending Devotions was given to me by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest and fair review on my blog.

Hands-On Bible (Updated Edition) NLT, a Review

The revised edition of Tyndale Press' Hands-On Bible (NLT) was shipped to me a few weeks ago for review.  I requested the bible for two reasons:  I've never read from the New Living Translation and was curious to try it, and it looked like a must-have tool for anyone ever thinking about doing any bible-related activities with kids.  As an often church volunteer and a one-day-to-be father, I thought this would be a nice addition to the plethora of other bibles lying around.  As it turns out, I was correct.

The NLT is certainly much more approachable than the KJV, but I don't feel it has the same mmph to it my ESV has.  (That's not to say that I didn't like the translation, but I feel like it's something I would need to invest more time in than what I have for this review.  The ESV has been my translation of choice since college, and all the years prior to that was KJV.)  Some of the verses that I'm familiar with just sounded off while reading, but I enjoyed getting a new perspective on them.  However, I definitely feel like the NLT is simpler than the ESV or NIV and that this translation would be perfect for children.

Activities galore cover the contents of the bible.  Many of them are simple and require only common things found around the house.  Some may take a little preparation, but none of them are very time consuming.  These activities also really help draw real-world comparisons from text that was read, driving home the point and offering a way to help children remember a passage.  The only qualm I have about these is that some are too short, but that can easily be remedied by expounding more on the passage through words or customizing the activity.

Overall, I really liked the Hands-On Bible.  It's sleek design is attractive and fun looking, perfect for kids.  The text is varying, using bold fonts and illustrations/side-boxes, which helps break up the monotonous look most bibles have (i.e. long blocks of unbroken text).  While this bible is not a beginner's bible, it's clearly the next step after, and I think most young readers would enjoy reading through God's Word in this way.  I also think the activities are a great asset to anyone working with kids, and I easily recommend this bible to anyone interested.

Tyndale has included one voucher for a free copy of the Hands-On Bible to anyone interested.  If interested, please leave your email address in the comments.  This giveaway will go until Friday, September 10.  Open only to US addresses, and only one entry, please.  Winners will be selected by dark magic and bone casting.

**The Hands-On Bible was given to me by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest and fair review on my blog.