Reading, Writing & Pondering

In this new dystopian world, everyone gets a mark on their 13th birthday. It is a sign of coming of age and brings all the benefits of citizenship in the American Union. Only those with the mark can get jobs, buy food, and everything else it takes to survive in society. But for Logan, who will soon turn 13, getting the mark is a scary proposition. When his sister went to get the mark 5 years ago, she  never came back. Since that time, his family has never been the same. Logan has struggled with getting the mark ever since and he can't shake the feeling that he is being followed. My 10 year old son has been enjoying the Left Behind series and  thought this sounded like a good book. It is very different from that series in the writing style even though the topic is similar. We read through Swipe together, out loud. It took  a little longer to read it that way but it was enjoyable to share this book that is written from a 12-year old boy's viewpoint. My son seemed to rel...

Pete Wilson's book, Empty Promises, had me right at the beginning. We live in a world that is constantly advertising how we can make more money, get bigger and better stuff, be the best, or be more beautiful. . .and those are just a few of the aspirations for many Americans. Our society says these things give us worth--and we buy into it. At least I know I have. Wilson says these things can easily become idols in our lives. I know I have never worshipped a golden statue but I'm pretty sure that I have put the god of approval first in my life as I tried to please way too many people for the wrong reasons. As I read through this book, I was challenged to see the idols in my life, which is how I recognized that first one. As Wilson says, "The real question is not, 'Do you have idols?" We've already determined that the heart is an idol factory. The real question for any of us is this: Which idol is God's biggest rival in your life?" Pete  Wilson help...