A family. A farm. A heart. All in need of repair.

Suzanne Woods Fisher’s book The Keeper tells the story of a young Amish girl struggling to keep her family’s farm going after her father develops heart problems. Dreaming of her wedding to her fiancé Paul, she is devastated and angry when he calls off the wedding – for the second time. And she’s sure she knows whose fault it is that Paul has got cold feet.

I loved this book. It’s full of interesting (and sometimes infuriating!) characters, who are all really well evolved people. This isn’t a book which has a few central roles, with the rest of the ‘cast’ merely cameos. It tells an involving and entertaining story with energy and a good side dose of fun. I especially liked the character of Fern, and enjoyed wondering about the significance of ‘the man with the panama hat’. M.K. and Menno were both super characters too. By this you can see that the book is more than simply ‘Julia’s love story’, and for me this makes it a much more interesting read.

I read a lot of books, but not all that many of them keep me reading far too late into the night. This one did.

Highly recommended – I’m looking forward to the next already.

Price: £8.99
UK Publication Date: February 2012
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New from Alister McGrath

"Apologetics is not to be seen as a defensive and hostile reaction against the world, but as a welcome opportunity to exhibit, celebrate, and display the treasure chest of the Christian faith."

So says Alister McGrath in the introduction to his new work on apologetics.  He goes on to say:

I have tried to make this book accessible, interesting, and useful, while giving pointers to more advanced resources that will allow you, the reader, to take things further in your own time.  It is not comprehensive... nor is it committed to any particular school of apologetics.  Rather than limiting itself to any one specific school or approach to apologetics, this work draws on their collective riches.  It aims to help you get an idea of what the issues are and how Christians can respond to them.

All the material used in this book has been tested on student audiences and in public addresses over a period of six years, primarily in a foundational lecture course I teach at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics entitled "An Introduction to Christian Apologetics." 

This has been supplemented by material developed for summer schools in Oxford and at Regent College, Vancouver, dealing with the central themes of apologetics and how they enable the church to engage positively and powerfully with the questions our culture is asking.

Price: £8.99

UK Publication Date: February 2012

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Less Than Six Weeks Until Lent!

Are you one of the thousands who gives up chocolate or alcohol for Lent?

I don't know about you, but I have been thinking quite a lot lately about the things which I have, and the general drive for consumption which affects most of us. It's easy and convenient to generalise, and talk about 'our society' but in fact 'our society' includes me and if I'm honest I can easily get swept along with the urge for a 'retail splurge' on things which I don't actually need, and I definitely can over-do the eating..! (As a result of which I then have to over-do the gym, which is a whole other issue.)

So to go back to my opening question - do you give something up for Lent? If so, are you really finding yourself bored with doing the 'same old thing' every year?

Or are you one of those who doesn't really think much of 'giving stuff up for Lent', dismissing the whole idea as pointless, so ignores it.

What about doing something different this year?

A Place at the Table is a challenge to do just that. It's not simply about giving up chocolate or whatever, but about connecting in a far more fundamental way with those who have less than we do. And that's a lot of people. Even for those of us who don't consider ourselves rich.

So I will be taking up the 40 day A Place at the Table challenge through Lent 2012. And as well as eating and drinking differently, I plan to adjust my 'aquisition focus' - meaning that I plan to reduce my consumption in general, especially during Lent, and take the chance to value what I already have and be thankful for it.

The idea of starting is quite scary actually. I'm already afraid that I'll mess it up at some stage. But I'm going to start out anyway, and see where the journey takes me. Lysa Terkeurst (author of Made to Crave) says of the challenge that it is "a place to stop the rut of constant inhale. Taking in, taking in, taking in. It clogs the soul. So for 40 days, let us learn to exhale with great thanksgiving... For pondering what God might bring close... For this place where our souls breathe and dream once again." That sounds good to me. I'll let you know how I get on.

By the way, I am hoping that lots of people will be joining in with the 'A Place at the Table' challenge, and would love to hear from anyone taking part, via the comments on this blog, or via twitter or our soon to be launched Facebook page.