The Influence

I just finished this book last night, and if I had the chance to just sit and read uninterrupted, I could have finished this book in a hurry!  It was a fantastic read!

It is a story about a man named Mark and his wife, Kathy, both of whom are unbelievers.  Grieving over the unexpected death of their son, Mark, sitting in his garden, is "persuaded" by a demon to commit suicide.  But Sotare, an angel, intervenes and saves Mark.  Sotare, with permission from God, is allowed to appear physically to Mark, and the two share dialogue about God, life, death, evil, demons, and the spiritual world.  Mark is even allowed to see into the spiritual world, despite not being "one of ours" as Sotare describes him.

Throughout the story, we are watching Mark and Kathy interact with other characters/each other and at the same time, we are seeing what is happening in the spiritual world, although our main characters are oblivious to the demons trying to harm and manipulate them. I love how this fiction book was able to portray christian theology, in particular, spiritual warfare and salvation.  In the final chapters, I was crying my eyeballs out, and not because of sadness, but because of Christ's grace for us.

I was certain after reading the Hunger Games that it would take time to find another book that was a page turner.  But within the first few pages of reading this, I was hooked and didn't want to stop!

Hinds Feet on High Places

My goal this year is to read as many books (of all varieties) as I can. I love to read.  I love self help books, christian fiction, secular fiction (Harry Potter series happens to be my favorite series of ALL time)...I'm pretty much open to anything, as long as I am in the mood for it. 

While I was in nursing school, the only time I had to read was spent reading textbooks (and really, how fun is that?)

So 2012 is the year of reading for this gal and as I read, I will share a brief summary and my  thoughts on each book here.

 This was my first book of 2012 and it was SOOO good.

This is the the story of a young girl named Much-Afraid and as you read, you follow her on her journey to the High Places.  The story is based on the bible verse from Habbakkuk 3:19:

The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.

The story follows Much-Afraid as she travels with her friends Sorrow and Suffering as the Good Shepard leads them to the high places.  It is her journey of transformation and although it is told as a story about this young girl, it is full of symbolism (and I happen to fancy that kind of writing!)  She is faced with many trials on her journey, as she travels away from her home, the Valley of Humiliation, all the way to the high places.  The Good Shepard plants in her heart "the flower of love" but she cannot reach the high places until that flower blooms.   And the Good Shepard teaches her how to make that flower bloom.  And although the trials may seem unbearable, Much-Afraid cries out to the Good Shepard and He is instantly at her side to aid her in her journey to the high places.  This story symbolizes the transformation of a non-believer to a new believer to a mature believer. 

I really loved this book.  It was a short read and I enjoyed the way it was written.  I loved the story as I could actually pull things from the story and apply it to my own life.  I definately give this a 5 out of 5 stars.  It has been added to my "favorite books" list!