This book has been on my “Books to Read” list for a long time. I have been familiar with Corrie’s story from the film adaptation of her book, but I was reintroduced to it through an episode of the kids cartoon series “Torchlighters: Heroes of the Faith” a few years ago. Through the corresponding documentary that came with this episode, I was drawn into the story of Corrie’s life and knew that I wanted to eventually read her book. In fact, I listened to two different audiobook versions in less than a month’s time. I have now come to admire Corrie and her family more than I already had and believe anyone that reads her story will too ~ Bethel In her book The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom tells the story of her life and how it led her to becoming part of the underground resistance to the Nazis in Holland in World War II, which eventually led to imprisonment at a concentration camp. She shares many stories that helped shape her life, including helping to care for her elderly aunts who lived her family, how she fell in love with a young man only to have her heart broken when he showed up with her fiancée, and even being Holland’s first licensed female watchmaker. All of this set the stage for when the Nazis invaded Holland and their family felt compelled to do something to help people who were in need. Corrie eventually turned their house/watch shop into the center of a ring for the underground resistance and a hiding place for Jews that had nowhere else to go. They even build a secret room into Corrie’s own bedroom. Corrie, her sister Bestie, and their father Casper continued their work until they, along with many members of their underground ring, were arrested. While many of the members were eventually released Corrie ultimately lost her father and her sister Bestie through their imprisonment and Corrie herself would endure one prison and two concentration camps over the span of 10 months. She served others even while she was in prison herself and quickly started to serve and help others not long after her release, helping many find healing and restoration. Through everything that Corrie went through, she was not afraid or ashamed of the God she loved so dearly, knowing that remaining in His will was the only true “hiding place.” This book is compelling and inspiring, as you will be moved the lives of Corrie, Bestie, Casper, and other members of their family. If you like the original film, enjoy World War II stories, or appreciate inspiring autobiographies, this is definitely a book worth reading. Get your copy today. Teen Rating. This book is great story, but does contain a lot on intense content, especially at it relates to Corrie’s experiences in prison and the concentration camps. If you are concerned about your teen reading it, you should either read it yourself first or consider giving them the Young Reader’s Edition of the book. Interested in purchasing this title? If you purchase it from Amazon using the link below, Abiding Grace Ministries will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.
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When I saw an Operation Christmas Child display at a youth conference a few years ago, I was reminded of the time when I packed a shoebox with a Sunday School class as a kid. However, I hadn’t thought about the ministry in many years. The presentation at this conference peeked my interest, so I decided to look into their ministry more. This led to my journey of being a project leader and processing center volunteer. Even in the short time I’ve been involved in the work of this ministry, I have blessed by the ability to serve children around the world and provide them with an opportunity to hear the gospel, as well as the people that I have gotten to meet and work with through the work of Operation Christmas Child and Samaritan’s Purse. I even discovered while reading this book that there was a student who attended Ozark Christian College at the same time I did who was a shoebox recipient. I am so grateful to be a part of this ministry and for the opportunity to learn more about it through this book ~ Bethel In his book Operation Christmas Child, Franklin Graham shares the story about how a simple idea of packing gifts into shoeboxes became a ministry that has given 100 million children a chance to hear the gospel in 20 years*. Through a collection of short stories, you learn more about the project’s humble beginnings, when Graham offered to help assemble shoebox gifts for children in the war-torn country of Bosnia for Christmas 1993. Forgetting until right before Thanksgiving, Graham and others scrambled to get some shoebox gifts together and through God’s help were able to get 12,000 shoeboxes in about two weeks with only two contributing churches. Those who had the opportunity to go distribute the boxes saw God’s hand of which child received which gifts and had many children and their families come to know Christ through these efforts. With the success of the first collection, Samaritan’s Purse formed Operation Christmas Child as a project under their ministry and started figuring out how collect more boxes. As Graham shares the stories of shoebox packers and shoebox recipients, employees and volunteers, distribution trips and adoptions, you will gain a glimpse into part of what God has done through this ministry and will probably be inspired to get involved if you aren’t already. This book is a must read for anyone who is involved with Operation Christmas Child or wants to learn more about the ministry. Get your copy today!** Learn more about the work of Operation Christmas Child by visiting: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child Personal Rating. The small sections of the book make it an easy read. I highly recommend reading it. But note that some of the stories and the final section about getting involved have outdated information, especially regarding donation pricing. Make sure to check out the OCC section of the Samaritan’s Purse website that is linked above to get all the current information on donation pricing, gift recommendations, and ways to get involved. * As of 2013, when this book was published. At the end of its thirtieth anniversary celebration in 2023, Operation Christmas Child had packed over 209 million shoeboxes. ** This book is currently out of print but is available on Kindle and online resellers. Interested in purchasing this title? If you purchase it from Amazon using the link below, Abiding Grace Ministries will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.
Purchase Operation Christmas Child: https://amzn.to/3ZSG8nP When I chose to write a research paper on the life and works of C.S. Lewis, I sought out the best resources that were available to learn about his life and his works. Through that research, I discovered that Lewis’ stepson had written a biography of his stepfather. While many biographies have been written about Lewis over the years, I knew that one written by someone who knew him personally would be one worth reading. Even now, this is one of my biographies of Lewis to reference. This is definitely one worth checking out. ~ Bethel In his book Jack’s Life, Douglas Gresham shares the story of the life of C.S. Lewis, his stepfather and mentor. You start with the story of a boy with an active imagination who would lost his faith after losing his mother at a young age. Then he grew up, fought in a war, took in a late friend’s mother, and eventually rediscovered his faith, going on to become one of the most renowned authors and theologians of his time. Gresham reveals this through the lens of his admiration for a man who endured similar struggles in his younger life and loved him through his own difficulties. His grasp of Lewis’ writings and how his life experiences influenced them is profound, as he does a great job of summarizing some of Lewis’s concepts through the book. Including a DVD with an interview with Gresham, this book is a must have resource for anyone wanting to learn more about the life of C.S. Lewis. Interested in purchasing this title? If you purchase it from Amazon using the link below, Abiding Grace Ministries will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you. Purchase Jack's Life: https://amzn.to/3BovITq I’ve been a fan of C.S. Lewis since I read The Chronicles of Narnia when I was in junior high. But I was surprised when an older friend from my church gave me a copy of Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and Lenten Lands by Douglas Gresham. Prior to receiving this book, all I knew about Gresham was that he was C.S. Lewis’ stepson and that he was the executive producer of Narnia films by Walden Media. When I can to write a paper on C.S. Lewis my senior year, I drove into Gresham’s story and was intrigued. So grateful to have received a copy of this book. Whether you are familiar with the life and works of Lewis or not, you will enjoy this autobiography ~ Bethel In his autobiography, Douglas Gresham recounts the story of his childhood and how he eventually became the stepson of beloved author, C.S. Lewis. Facing anything but a carefree childhood, you follow his story from New York to Australia to England. It will draw you into the story of his life, even before it intersected with Lewis. But once they came to England, his life became extraordinary for him and his brother. You see an honest side to the difficult parts of his past. Between having a renowned stepfather, his mother dying from cancer, and eventually his stepfather pass away. Through it all, you not only discover the story of young man (at least the time he wrote the book) who learned how to overcome the difficulties he faced, but you also get an up close and personal look at C.S. Lewis, especially at the joys of his marriage and his struggles after his wife’s death as he faced the challenge of caring for two orphaned boys. If you are interested in learning more about the life of C.S. Lewis, this is definitely a book worth checking out. Teen Rating. There are some dark elements of the story that might be intense for some teens. By the time he’s eighteen years old, Gresham had lost his parents and his stepfather. Comments made the negative nature of his father’s death might be difficult for some younger or sensitive readers to handle. However, I personal believe all of these elements are handled tastefully. If you have concerns, review it before your teen reads it. To read my review of Gresham's biography of his stepfather C.S. Lewis, click here Interested in purchasing this title? If you purchase it from Amazon using the link below, Abiding Grace Ministries will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you. Purchase Lenten Lands: https://amzn.to/4gdbB9M I have been a casual fan of Duck Dynasty since the first few years of the show. I’ve even had to chance to hear three different members of the Robertson family speak at a few different events (Alan, Missy, and Sadie). Since that time, I have been interested in reading some of the books that have been written by the Robertson family and admittedly own a few of them that I haven’t read. But when I learned that they were going to be releasing a biopic movie about Phil Robertson’s godless years called The Blind, I knew that I wanted to read Phil’s personal story first. When I found this book in Goodwill last week (two weeks before the movie was to be released), I knew it was a sign that it was time to read this book. In the end, I was not disappointed. I found Phil’s writing to be honest, witty, and gospel-oriented. I’ve come to admire Phil before that I had before for all he overcame, his heart for the gospel, and his determination to live a simple life. Reading this book has made me look forward to watching The Blind and reading some of the other books by the Robertson clan in the future ~ Bethel In his first book, Happy, Happy, Happy, Phil Robertson of the popular reality show Duck Dynasty shares the good, the bad, and the ugly of the journey that led him to become known as the Duck Commander. He describes his humble beginnings living in a log cabin house, where he learned to work hard and live simply off of the land. He eventually met Kay Carroway and fell in love, getting married when he was 16 and she was 15, having their first son before she graduated high school. Not long after, even as their family was growing, Phil fell into a period of living wild and recklessly, struggling with drinking, drugs, and lawlessness that was common in the cultural revolution of the 60s. It was a difficult, dark, and uncertain time for their whole family, especially his wife and their three sons. It wasn’t until he ran all of them out of the house that he realized that needed help and was finally open to hearing the gospel. He was baptized shortly after and his life and family were never the same. He eventually went on to revolutionize the hunting industry with his duck calls and founded Duck Commander, which eventually became a multi-million dollar company. However, he never forgot his roots and chose to do his best to live simply while also growing in his faith and loving his family. All of this story is shared in the context of a lot of practical wisdom, honest opinions, and solid gospel truth. You will hopefully be moved, inspired, and a little amused by Phil’s story. Get a copy or plan to go see the movie The Blind, in theaters on September 28, 2023 (check out the movie trailer below). Teen Rating. While there are some difficult elements of Phil’s story (especially a portion told from Miss Kay’s perspective), they are told in a tasteful and appropriate way. As long as they are emotionally mature, I wouldn’t have a problem recommending this to a teenager if they were interested. I would recommend it for those 15 and older. Interested in purchasing this title? If you purchase it from Amazon using the link below, Abiding Grace Ministries will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you. Purchase Happy, Happy, Happy: https://amzn.to/4fhmDK7 Celebrating My 100th Book ReviewThis review is special because it happens to be the 100th book I’ve reviewed on this blog (There have been a few unofficial reviews I did of supplemental material to other books that would put me over 100 earlier this year, but I am counting mostly full reviews that explore the content and give my recommendation of a book). It’s hard to me to believe that I have reached this milestone. When I started this blog in late 2014, I didn’t really have much direction for it until I was accepted onto a social media book team for the first time and eventually started reviewing books. Within a few years, that became the exclusive focus of this blog. This blog has been a fascinating journey, leading me to meet many great people on their pages (and in some cases real life), learn so many valuable life lessons, and support some great authors in the process. I also had no idea when I started how writing these reviews would become training ground for my eventual work as a self-published author, teaching me about the publishing industry, review site systems, and book marketing strategies. I am so grateful for this continuing journey and everyone who had supported it along the way, especially the authors who have inspired me. |
Lion's Eyes Reviews is a blog dedicated to reviews of Christian books, most of which are non-fiction, but may also occasionally review movies and musicals. It will also feature the work Bethel does to help launch and promote the works of Christian authors.
The name is derived from one of Bethel's favorite books, Through the Eyes of a Lion by Levi Lusko. Through these reviews, Bethel hope to give Christians the tools they need to look at the world "through the eyes of a lion" so they can find the courage to "run toward the roar". To find the detailed archives of these reviews, you can check them out here: Books In Review Movies in Review Broadway In Review Quick Reviews To understand the rating used in these reviews, click here Categories
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Bethel Grove is a Christian young woman who loves to read and write, eat Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzards, and disciple teen girls as a youth leader. What started as a hobby of writing book reviews and doing deep biblical studies eventually led her down the path of self-publishing and supporting other Christian authors and ministry volunteers. She hopes to someday be a vocational youth minister and well-known author.
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