Hope Heals: A True Story of Overwhelming Loss and an Overcoming Life
Katherine and Jay Wolf. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016. 250 pp. (Hardback)
I don’t think this world will work for me … it won’t work.” These are the words of Katherine Wolf as she described her thoughts following a brain stem stroke at just 26. A part of her brain had been removed, the muscles in her face didn’t work and she was unable to care for herself or her 6-month-old baby. The future looked difficult at best.
Katherine and Jay have a strong Alabama connection. They both graduated from Samford University in Birmingham, and Jay’s dad — also Jay Wolf — is senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Montgomery. Many of you have heard the story of Katherine’s stroke and her valiant fight to survive, but this book — this book — what a story of faith, love and determination.
Faced with the worst possible odds and years of recovery, Katherine and Jay discovered the amazing truth that hope does indeed heal. Their story is an example of God’s grace. You will be blessed by reading it. But make sure you have tissues handy. You’ll need them.
The White Shirt: Find Your Peaceful & Life-Giving Career at Any Stage of Life
Michael Alan Tate. New York, NY: Morgan James Publishing, 2019. 142 pp. (Paperback).
Until I picked up this book, I had never heard the term “career parable,” but I quickly understood what that meant once I began reading. The book is built around Cyrus, a young man who, 2,500 years ago, faced the same dilemma young (and not-so-young) people face today: what career to pursue.
Author Michael Tate says most people of all ages don’t know what career they want, but they are pretty sure they don’t have it. Something like 80 percent of people are not happy with their current jobs and would like to change.
Tate, a long-time career counselor, has done a masterful job of weaving timeless truths into a story set in the distant past. In the first part of the book Cyrus musters the courage to reject the career chosen for him, then goes on a journey of discovery as he seeks the right path for his life. The second part of the book focuses on the reader, presenting a step-by-step guide for mapping out a career strategy in as little as one week.
This would probably be a great book for any of the 80 percent of the population who are not thrilled with their present occupations, but if I had a child or grandchild about to embark on the quest of finding a career, I would see to it that they got a copy of this book.
Living Fit: Make Your Life Count by Pursuing a Healthy You
Ronnie W. Floyd. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2018. 193 pp. (Paperback).
Before you skip over this review thinking you are not interested in another exercise book, stop for a minute. You might be interested in this book after all — it relates fitness to several aspects of life and physical fitness is only one of them. The other areas of living fit are spiritually, relationally, financially and emotionally.
In “Living Fit,” pastor and author Ronnie Floyd issues a challenge to the reader: “While the length of your life is out of your hands, the quality is not. God has given you the responsibility, in large part, to make your life count by pursuing a healthier you.”
I love the way this book is organized and written. It’s a near-perfect blend of wisdom, quotable lines, illustrations, Scripture and challenge. It’s a keeper — or a pass-along to a friend.
Top 8 best-selling Christian books
1. Everybody, Always
By Bob Goff (Thomas Nelson)
2. The 5 Love Languages
By Gary Chapman (Moody)
3. Girl, Wash Your Face
By Rachel Hollis (Thomas Nelson)
4. Jesus Calling — Hardcover
By Sarah Young (Thomas Nelson)
5. There is More
By Brian Houston (Waterbrook)
6. Embraced
By Lysa Terkeurst (Thomas Nelson)
7. The Rock, The Road, and The Rabbi
By Kathie Lee Gifford (Thomas Nelson)
8. Total Money Makeover — Classic Edition
By Dave Ramsey (Thomas Nelson)
EDITOR’S NOTE — Martine Bates Fairbanks, Ed.D., reviews books and movies for The Alabama Baptist. She is a university professor and retired principal. She is a member of Central Baptist Church, Decatur.
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