Tag: Biography

ONE OF THE FEW

On By pastorjonathanIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

one-of-the-fewI had the opportunity to read One of the Few a few weeks ago. It’s a great read and well worth your time. I highly recommend it as a gift book for those who come into your life who are struggling (or should be struggling) with their world view. It’s a fantastic symphony of biography paired with practical application which makes it an easy and compelling read.

Jason Ladd is an authentic and engaging writer. One of the Few reads as his personal story of life as a Marine pilot and his conversion to Christianity. The window he opens into his life is also an invitation for the reader to examine their own life and evaluate their understanding of the world. Jason’s trasparent and intellectual writing style allow the reader to address real life issues in a thought provoking way.

The last part of the book is a great reference on different issues that confront the Christian worldview. Jason provides great answers as well as great references all throughout the book, but especially in these chapters that address varying lifestyle objections to Christianity. This makes the book especially valuable as a gift book to those who serve in our military who are struggling to discover a worldview that will answer life’s basic questions.

I can’t recommend this book enough. I think its a fantastic read for anyone, but can be especially powerful for men and women serving our armed forces that have real questions about Christianity. The Kindle version is on sale right now, but you will want to get a physical copy or two to give away.

BLACK COUNT (A Review of one of the most compelling biographies I have ever read)

On By pastorjonathanIn books, Uncategorized1 Comment

black countHis father was a failed French aristocrat, his mother a stolen plantation slave from Haiti. The real life of Alex Dumas (the father of Alexandre Dumas, the author of the COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO) was full of suspense and action. He grew to his teen years on the island of Haiti. When he was fourteen he witnessed his father sell his mother and siblings into slavery and later witnessed himself being sold into slavery to book his father’s passage back to France. Yet through a miraculous turn of events his father redeems his son and gives him the life of a French aristocrat in Paris. The young Alex Dumas learns the arts of fencing and horseback riding…

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This is the beginning but certainly not the end of the life of a man who lived between the two worlds of being a French nobleman and being a French slave. Throughout his life he would win the honor and respect of other men for his daring deeds on the battle field only to be rejected by others simply because of the color of his skin. He would fight in a revolution that sought equality for all men only to be forgotten by those whom he had helped the most.

This is a great book and well worth the read. It is a balanced biography that not only tells the tale of the man, but of the times in which he lived. I highly recommend it. I get my books from Amazon.com. Amazon has this book on sale right now for less than $19 for a Hardback and less than $12 in Paperback.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Lottie Moon (A Biographical Sketch): Smarter Than the Average Southern Bell

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional, MissionsLeave a comment

ImageA year later Lottie was sent off to a boarding school entitled The Virginia Female Seminary at Botetourt Springs. The next year the school’s title would change to the Hollins Institute. Lottie excelled in language studies at the school and in spite of a few lesser marks in other subjects; she gained a reputation for being a studious intellectual.[1]

Young Lottie Moon also had a lighter side. Late in the evening on March 31, 1955, Lottie snuck into the attic of the dormitory and navigated the rafters to the bell tower.  She packed sheets and towels into the bell that was scheduled to ring out the daily regimen. The next day, April 1, 1955 the bell did not ring as scheduled and Lottie earned a place in school lore as an April fool’s day prankster.[2]

In 1857 the Albemarle Female Institute opened in Charlottesville as a Female counterpart to the University of Virginia. Lottie was one of the first students in attendance and joined the university structure with a request to major in languages. She excelled in learning Greek and Latin and took many courses in more modern languages as well.[3]

Lottie earned a reputation as a prankster and developed a disposition against Christianity. In December of 1858 John A. Broadus, the pastor of the Charlottesville Church, lead a revival directed at the students in the area. She initially showed up to see “what that old fool had to say.”[4] Yet engaged in a conversation with Broadus after the service and returned to her room to pray all night.[5] A group of students from the Albemarle Female Institute met early for prayer and prayed for Lottie’s salvation early in the morning. To everyone’s surprise Lottie showed up to the meeting. [6]

Lottie Moon made a public profession of faith on December 21, 1858 and was baptized the very next day. Lottie shared her testimony and stated that a barking dog had kept her up the night before. While she was lying there awake, her mind turned to considering the condition of her soul and she decided to give Christianity a fair investigation.[7]

Lottie continued to excel in her study of the languages. She became proficient in Greek, Latin, Italian, French and Spanish.[8] She stayed on one year after the required three years and ended up being one of the first women in the South to earn the equivalent of a MA degree. John Broadus noted that Lottie was “the most educated (or cultured) woman in the South.”[9] Lottie completed her degree just a few short weeks before the first shots of the Civil War were fired and life in the South would never be the same.[10]

More Tomorrow.

[1] Allen. The New Lottie Moon Story, 23.

[2] Lawrence. 38.

[3] Ibid., 42-43.

[4] Sullivan, Chapter 1, Location 532. Kindle Electronic Edition.

[5] Lawrence. 45.

[6] Allen. The New Lottie Moon Story, 35.

[7] Allen. The New Lottie Moon Story, 35

[8] Ibid. 38-39.

[9] Ibid. 39.

[10] Sullivan, Chapter 1, Location 538. Kindle Electronic Edition.

A Review of “Defiant Joy” by Kevin Belmonte

On By pastorjonathanIn books1 Comment

Defiant Joy: The Remarkable Life & Impact of G.K. Chesterton by Kevin Belmonte is something like a biography of G. K. Chesterton.  Though, it is like a biography, it is not a biography, it is more like a source book with lots of little paragraphs that bring the larger block quotes together.  In essence, this book is a tribute to all of those who have written about G. K. Chesterton and so it is a tribute to Chesterton, but it is not a significant biography in and of itself.

The promise of this book is the study of a great man, the downfall is that the author neither adds anything substantial to the conversation nor seems fit to even craft his own sentence about the man.  In short.  I’m not a fan.  I’m sure there are dozens of books about Chesterton that are worth reading.  Though this one quotes many of those, there is nothing of interest in Defiant Joy other than the topic it so miserably pursues.

That one should attempt to write about such a large literary figure with so little literary diligence is an egregious crime against the man about whom it was written.  The book seemed rushed with many of the same block quotes being used just pages apart. Reading this book made it seem more like a rough draft of a paper lengthened to meet a page quota than an actual print worthy book.

The retail price is $16.99 (paperback), and is available around the web in places like Amazon.com for $11.55.  I gave it two stars.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson as part of the BookSneeze program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

John Bunyan (Christian Encounter Series) – Book Review

On By pastorjonathanIn books1 Comment

John Bunyan (Christian Encounters Series) is a great introduction to the life and times of John Bunyan the famous author of Pilgrims Progress.  The book is quite brief, but serves as a great background study on a man who lived through an incredible time in history.  As an avid Bunyan fan I am always looking for more material to put into the hands of others to help them understand the literary genius of this ‘simple’ man who wrote one of the most widely read classics in English literature.

The book is not heavy with details, but rather takes a simple, yet scholarly approach to the life of Bunyan.  It would be a great biography for energetic middle school students to read.  I can see it as a handy companion to read along side of Pilgrim’s Progress which is Bunyan’s most famous work.

If you are looking for a complete biography of John Bunyan, this isn’t it.  But if you are looking for an introduction to the life of Bunyan, that isn’t daunting or too challenging, this is it.  I see this as being a handy reference book on the life of Bunyan.  Speaking as one who has read a few Bunyan biographies and host to a Christian Heritage Conference that centered on the life of Bunyan I wasn’t disappointed to read this book, I was excited that a biography was written on this level to introduce more young minds to the life of a great man.

John Bunyan (Christian Encounters Series) is a great introduction to the life and times of John Bunyan, I highly recommend it.  The retail price is $12.00 (paperback), and is available at places like Amazon.com for $8.65.  I gave it four stars.

Disclaimer: As a blogger I received a complimentary review copy from the Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger program  (http://brb.thomasnelson.com/ ).  There was no requirement to give it a positive review, just for the reviewer to call it like they see it.

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7 Leadership Lessons from the Life of Alfred the Great

On By pastorjonathanIn leadershipLeave a comment

Okay So I read this amazing book about the life of Alfred the Great this weekend an wrote a short review that you can find here.  Then it came time for me to find a spot on my shelf and I started trying to figure out which section of my shelves it needed to be stored under and three categories came to mind.  Obviously historical biography because that is the genera in which it is written, but Alfred also demonstrated unwavering Christian Character and sought to evangelize viking leaders who were tearing into his territory and then there are the amazing leadership principles I gleaned from reading the book.  In the end I put it in the leadership category due to the amazing leadership characteristics that I saw displayed in Alfred throughout the book.

7 Leadership Lessons from the Life of Alfred the Great

 

1. Never give up on what really matters.

Even when he was betrayed by some of his countrymen and forced to flee to the swamp with his family, Alfred sought out ways to demonstrate that he was still the king and would defend his homeland.  He never completely abandoned hope, gave up, or ran away.  He stood his ground despite dismal circumstances.  He rallied troops to come to his aid and eventually fought back the viking hoards and won victory. Yet even in fighting back the vikings, he demonstrated a noble and Christian character in dealing mercifully with a savage enemy.

2. Don’t Ask People to do What you are Not Willing to do.

Alfred lead his troops to battle time and time again.  This was normal practice for an Anglo-Saxon king.  He demonstrated valor in the midst of battle.  He asked his men only to go so far as he was willing to go himself.  This was true both on and off the battle field.  Even in the sweeping reforms he would make concerning literacy in his nation, he first modeled by taking it upon himself to learn Latin as an Adult.  Furthermore when it came time for his scholars to translate Latin works into Anglo-Saxon, Alfred was the final translator.

3. Learn from your Mistakes.

Alfred made a few mistakes early on.  One was not pursuing the vikings once his men had them on the run.  The vikings soon learned that they were not being pursued, regrouped, came back and attacked Alfred’s celebrating troops and won the victory.  Never again did Alfred allow his troops to celebrate before they had definitively routed the enemy troops.

4. Raise the Level of Leadership around You.

One of the main concerns for Alfred was the enforcing of the law.  He was discouraged to know that many of the men in positions of power under him were illiterate and unable to read the laws of the land.  Alfred insisted that every leader learn to read.  Those who learned well were honored and given gifts.  Those who were not able to learn surrendered their posts.  Alfred also revised the laws and did his best to ensure justice was done.  He placed a great deal of importance on keeping an oath.

5. Pass on Leadership  Lessons to the Next Generation.

Alfred’s sweeping reforms also provided that children would learn to read.  He also provided ample opportunities for his sons and daughter to see his leadership in action.  His son assumed the throne and carry his father’s initiatives forward.  Alfred’s grandson would eventually route the vikings completely and send them all home saving his motherland from their onslaught.  Alfred’s daughter would outlive her husband and benefit the people of her subkingdom by leading them out to battle against the Danes.

6. Seek Expert Help on New Projects, (even if it means going outside the organization).

Alfred sought the help of naval experts outside of his Anglo-Saxon kingdom to build a navy that would eventually patrol his shoreline.  He also sought scholars from beyond the border of his kingdom when he set his heart to learn Latin and to prepare Latin works to be translated into the Anglo-Saxon tongue.  Alfred got the help he needed from the experts rather than trying to start something from the ground up.

7. Meet Challenging Goals with innovation and Invention.

Alfred created a system that allowed a standing army to be ready year-round.  He developed fortified cities with in a days travel of one another.  He developed larger boats for his navy to combat the viking forces before they ever landed on Anglo-Saxon soil.  When he set his heart to trying to raise the piety of the people in his kingdom he realized that Latin would be forgotten within a generation and set out to translate the Latin works into English.

Alfred the great was truly an amazing man and an amazing leader.  I encourage you to get the book.  You can read my brief review here.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Review: “The White Horse King” by Benjamin Merkle

On By pastorjonathanIn books, leadership1 Comment

The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great
by Benjamin Merkle is an amazing book filled with great detail about the awe inspiring life of Alfred the Great.  Alfred was the fifth son of AEthelwulf  king of Wessex (AD 839 – 858) and by all accounts was unlikely to ever assume the throne.  Yet, through a series of unfortunate events aided by the viking raids on the Southern kingdoms of what is now called Britan, Alfred found himself wearing his father’s crown and tasked with finding a way to forge peace and prosperity for his people in the midst of viking rampage.  Alfred was eventually not only successful in repelling the viking onslaught but was able to initiate several military, cultural, and societal reforms that have set the baseline for Western civilization.

Admittedly I did not know much about Alfred the great before I picked up this book, I was just looking for an inspiring and challenging biography.  I found that and so much more in this book.  I was greatly blessed to glean several leadership and life lessons from how this noble Anglo-Saxon and decidedly Christian king handled adverse situations, dealt with his enemies, inspired a literary revolution, and raised the quality of leadership in his kingdom.

This is one of the best and most inspiring historical biographies I have read to date.   The White Horse King is an amazing book. The retail price is $14.99 (Paperback), and is available at places like Amazon.com for $11.24. I gave it five stars (and would have given it more if I could).

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson as part of the BookSneeze program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Here are some other book reviews: