Reader Thoughts Archive
Reader Thoughts--September 2009
Aaron is reading
Recording Studio Design
by Philip Newell
This book is about acoustic design for professional-grade recording/ mixing studio environments. It covers not only the refraction, diffusion, and absorption of sound, but also studio layout to optimize acoustics and aesthetics (for a relaxed feel). I've read several books like this over the last few months because I'm hoping one day to build and operate my own studio.
Aaron Kendall, Senior
Christian Ministry
Reader Thoughts--Summer 2009
Summer plans to read
The Scarlet Thread
by Francine Rivers
over summer break
The overarching theme of The Scarlet Thread is about the sovereignty of God in the midst of difficult circumstances. The protagonist, Sierra, finds out that her husband took a job across country and is uprooting the family, and as she struggles to accept this new situation, she begins to read an old diary belonging to one of her ancestors. The diary details the trials of the pioneer woman moving across the country and how she allowed God to work in her life, and its parallel situation becomes instrumental in changing Sierra's heart. It's really good so far!
Summer Nielsen, Senior
Communication Studies
Reader Thoughts—April 2009
Eric is reading
Kitchen
by Banana Yoshimoto
I recently read an article on Japan which recommended sampling various films, books, and music to get an inside look at Japanese culture. This is how I found out about Kitchen. It's an award-winning novel about a young woman in modern Tokyo who deals with death, beauty, and relationships. (Sounds like such a chick novel!) It's really about finding meaning in the ordinary. I liked that perspective. The author picks out normal, everyday things to think about. One of the wise voices in the novel talks about how we need to cultivate things--gardens, cooking, relationships--because the world is not out to make us happy. In cultivating, we create our own pockets of happiness. It's very existential and contains a lot of symbolism. The thinking is very Japanese, which makes it intriguing. I find the Japanese culture in the novel fascinating.
Eric McEachron, Senior
Communication Studies
Reader Thoughts—March 2009
Rhea is reading
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus
by Dr. John Gray
This book is about the fundamental differences between men and women. The metaphor used throughout the book is the idea that two beings from different planets ended up on a third planet, decided to love and marry, and have had to learn that how the other person acts is a character trait of his or her home planet; the differences aren't bad, they're just different. I've gained understanding not only about how guys act but how I as a woman act--why I do the things I do. "We mistakenly assume that if our partners love us they will react and behave in certain ways--the ways we react and behave when we love someone." The book encourages us to see how the other person can feel loved and appreciated. Just because he's not like you doesn't mean he's less perfect.
Rhea Brown, Senior
Biology Major
Reader Thoughts--March 2009
Ben is reading
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
by Michael Lewis
This book is about the Oakland A's, a Major League Baseball team, and about Billy Beane, the atypical owner of the A's. In contrast with many team owners, Beane (who used to be a big prospect himself) runs the show, even going so far as to control what the manager does during games. He also controls the composition of the team: Moneyball details how Beane hired players with exceptional abilities in traditionally undervalued skills--such as on-base percentage and slugging percentage--and built a comptetive team around those players. As a huge baseball fan, and a pitcher on the Bryan baseball team, I think it's interesting to see how Beane's unorthodox approach to creating a team enabled the small-budget A's to compete with big-budget teams like the New York Yankees.
Ben Young, Junior
Secondary Education/ Mathematics
Reader Thoughts--February 2009
Michelle is reading
The Five People You Meet in Heaven
by Mitch Albom
This book is about a man named Eddie who spent his life as a maintenance man for a seaside amusement park believing the only significant aspects about his life were the disappointment and pain. He thought God had forgotten him. The story begins at the end of his life and takes the reader through Eddie's transition into heaven. Eddie meets five people in heaven, five people who are given the opportunity to share the meaning of Eddie’s life with him. Each person takes Eddie back to a significant time in his life. They explain how their lives were intertwined with his and the lesson that was to be learned. After Eddie meets with the last of the five, he is completely healed and made whole and then hears God call him home.
The author states that this book reveals one possibility of what heaven is like. I don’t know that I am of the same mind due to my understanding of Scripture, but Five People is a fascinating way to depict one’s life review in a loving manner. I was slightly confused by the conflicting world views in the ending and epilogue. The author closes with God calling Eddie home but in the epilogue states “the world is full of stories and the stories are all one.” Unless the author is implying everything is of God, I cannot connect the two. Still, this story reminded me that there is no moment in time in any life that is not significant to God and His purposes, that we should aspire to sacrifice, just as my Lord did, in every of area of life, and that God continually redeems us….not only in life but also in the process of death.
Michelle Hubbs, Group 77 (East Ridge)
Aspire Program
Reader Thoughts--January 2009
Drew is reading
Theaetetus
by Plato
Theaetetus is the founding document for the study of epistemology: what knowledge is and how we know what we know. In the book, Socrates asks the title character, Theaetetus, to define knowledge. Theaetetus offers a series of definitions (e.g., "knowledge is perception" or "knowledge is true judgment"), all of which are systematically, logically disproven by Socrates, and the (depressing, in my opinion) ending is that they realize they haven't come to a conclusion on what knowledge is, but at least they can be humble and not say that they know things they do not know.
Plato's work is a good all-around read. The dialogue is witty, sharp; I find that it keeps my attention and I enjoy what they're talking about, even though they deal with the abstract. The characters struggle with the same philosophical questions we struggle with today. Solomon said "there is nothing new under the sun," and if you study the ancients, you find that to be true.
Drew Abercrombie, Sophomore
English Literature
Reader Thoughts--Christmas Break 2008
Anna is reading
Don Quixote
by Miguel de Cervantes
over Christmas Break
I read excerpts of Don Quixote in Spanish last semester when I was in Spain. My ultimate goal is to read the whole novel in Spanish, but I plan to read it in English first. We talked about it in Spanish Lit class as a pioneering work; it's the first modern novel in the world. I hear it is quite funny and satirizes the lost art of nobility. The writing of Don Quixote happened closer to the cultural and political peak of Spain than when I was there. I'm wondering if my experience in Spain will affect how I understand the customs and attitudes of the times represented in the story.
Anna Downer, Senior
Spanish Studies
Reader Thoughts--December 2008
David is reading
The Trinity Hymnal
My family used to sing one hymn each morning and evening from The Trinity Hymnal, so I've probably sung straight through it 8 or 9 times. The hymnal is fun to sit down and read; hymns give so much theological depth you don't find in most praise songs. One song I like is Hymn 554, "From Depths of Woe I Raise to Thee," by Martin Luther. The whole hymn is about God's forgiveness of our sins. Here's my favorite verse (verse 5) from that hymn:
"Though great our sins and sore our woes
His grace much more aboundeth;
His helping love no limit knows,
Our utmost need it soundeth.
Our Shepherd good and true is He,
Who will at last His Israel free
From all their sin and sorrow"
David Beisner, Senior
Politics & Government Major
Reader Thoughts--November 2008
Sharon is reading
Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice is the story of an English family with five daughters--each one very different from the next--and how they find whom they're going to marry. I love the way Jane Austen writes. She is all about personalities, detailing people's faults and virtues. She does such a good job of characterization that its easy to see how her heroine's lives could really have happened just as she portrayed them. I always learn something new about people when I read her books.
Sharon Smythe, Sophomore
Biology
Student Thoughts--October 2008
Mark is reading
Christina Rossetti: The Complete Poems
This book is one of the selected texts for a class I'm currently taking (on Gerard Manley Hopkins and Christina Rossetti), and we're just now beginning to delve into Rossetti's works and life. There are two things that impress me about her: first, in character she is steadfast (she once broke off an engagement because of her religious convictions); second, her poetry reads well, and, while deep, it's understandable. She combines scriptural truth with good poetry. One poem that stood out to me recently is "Alas my Lord," which profiles five or six biblical characters and how they related to God (for example, Jacob wrestled with God, and Elijah prayed to God for rain). Rossetti's poetry is really grounded in Scripture. She doesn't shy away from wrestling with hard truths about God and His Word, and yet she writes her poetry in a way that we can relate to it.
Mark Baker, Senior
Biblical Studies Major
Student Thoughts - October 2008
Faith is currently reading:
The Kind of Man Every Man Should Be:
Taking a Stand for True Masculinity
by Kevin McCullough
I first met Kevin McCullough during my summer internship at the Family Research Council (he was my supervisor) and picked up a copy of The Kind of Man Every Man Should Be, his second book, as soon as it was published this September. His book describes how modern feminism has destroyed our definition of masculinity, and explores, biblically, some of the attributes and characteristics men should have. Two things stuck out to me: first, that feminism has failed us by pressuring us to believe that, as equals, men and women should be able to fulfill the same, gender-neutral roles. Second, McCullough demonstrates, based on scientific research, that the most successful way to alleviate many of society's ills (teenage pregnancy, delinquency, etc.) is simply to provide kids with a normal, two-parent home in which to grow up, yet our government continually undermines the basic family unit with many of its policies (welfare, homosexual unions, etc.).
Faith Ammen, Senior
Political Communications
Student Thoughts - September 2008
Seth is reading
Mansfield Park
by Jane Austen
Mansfield Park is a coming of age story about a young girl who grudgingly leaves her poor family to grow up under the patronage of her rich relations. Initially she is shy and isolated, but with the mentorship and friendship of her cousin, her intellect and tastes develop and she becomes more attractive. I love the way Jane Austen writes. It's beautiful, very deep--not anything you hear today. She wrote about what she knew; one can almost believe she based her characters on people she'd met in real life. In some ways, I compare this story with my coming to Bryan: I'm hoping to become more confident in myself, meet new friends, and expand my horizons.
Seth Crocker, Junior
Psychology Major
Student Thoughts - Summer 2008
This summer, Allison plans to read
Through the Looking Glass
by Lewis Carroll
Through the Looking Glass is the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. One day when Alice is looking into a mirror, she imagines what it would be like to fall right through it. She ends up in a world where everything is backwards, or a mirror-image of what it should be, like a strange dream that half makes sense. The story is a really enjoyable set of adventures strung lightly together. It's full of witticisms, jokes, and plays on words. My younger brother and I have decided to read this book together over the summer. We want to see if there's any deeper meaning to it.
Allison McLean, Junior
English Literature
Student Thoughts - May 2008
Tim is reading
Spirit of the Rainforest
by Mark Andrew Ritchie
Spirit of the Rainforest is probably the most real thing I've ever read about jungle tribes--how brutal and violent and lost they are. This is the fascinating story of how a tribe in the Peruvian jungle came to know Jesus. Based on interviews with the tribe's shaman (witch doctor), the book gives a vivid picture of how real the supernatural/ spiritual world is. Shaman, who talk with spirits, are typically the first in a tribe to come to know Jesus because they recognize a power greater than they've ever known.
Tim Harris, Junior
Mathematics
Student Thoughts - April 2008
Drew is reading
Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament
by Christopher J. H. Wright
Wright's book is an in-depth look at how Jesus interpreted Old Testament passages and how they affected his life and ministry. It tells the story of Israel, highlighting the cultural context of Jesus' life on earth and the Jewish mindset with which he approached Scripture. I feel like I know Jesus better because of this book.
Andrew Zimmerman, Freshman
Mathematics
Student Thoughts - March 2008
Aaron is reading
A Farewell to Arms
by Ernest Hemingway
A Farewell to Arms is the story of a young ambulance driver who is injured on the Italian front in World War 1. The heart of the narrative is the romance between the young man and his nurse, whom he meets in a hospital on the front and then again at a hospital in Milan. When asked what he thinks about the book so far, Aaron responded, "It's Hemingway, and I like Hemingway. He is a minimalist writer; he writes a simple story with very few frills. His descriptions leave much to the imagination."
Aaron Mowery, Senior
Communication Studies and
Politics & Government
Student Thoughts - February 2008
Stef is reading
Arthur
by Stephen R. Lawhead
Arthur is the third of six works in the Pendragon Cycle, a historical-fiction/ fantasy series based on Arthurian Legend. This volume chronicles Arthur's life from the moment he pulled the sword from the stone (thus becoming king of Britain) until his death. Lawhead writes with a decidedly religious slant; pagan myths are treated as Christianized historical facts (for example, the druids of old are instead drawn as godly priests and advisors to the King, and Arthur is characterized as desiring to cultivate a good, solid Christian nation). When asked how well she likes it, Stef responded:"I'm a firm Once and Future King (T.H. White) advocate, so anything else isn't as good."
Stefanie Shields, Freshman
English Literature
Reader Thoughts - January 2008
David Gehring is currently reading
1984 by George Orwell.jpg)
This is one of those tragically depressing yet really good books. Orwell wrote it in 1949, detailing an England he foresaw as a distinct possibility for the year 1984. It's a world where the government is controlling private citizens' lives through brainwashing and invasions of privacy. The eerie "Big Brother" concept is fleshed out with a series of paradoxes: the Ministry of Love tortures "thought criminals;" the Ministry of Truth modifies past news items to be consistent with the current government message. It's scary to think about!
David Gehring, Senior
Communication Studies
Reader Thoughts - December 2007
Cassie-Marie is attempting to finish
the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling over break
The best-selling series chronicles the life of a boy who finds out that he's a wizard. The books take Harry through seven years of increasingly hair-raising adventures as he and his Hogwarts school chums, Ron and Hermione, attempt to out-smart and out-maneuver his arch-nemesis, Voldemort, who seeks Harry's life. The seventh book brings a decisive end to the series (but don't tell Cassie how it ends!)
When asked what she likes about Harry Potter, Cassie-Marie said: "I get sucked into the story. If I tried to stop reading them now, I don't think I could."
Cassie-Marie Bundy, Junior
Film Studies
Reader Thoughts - December 2007
Jason is currently reading:
What About Those Who Have Never Heard? by Gabriel Fackre, Ronald Nash, and John Sanders
Fackre et. al write from three different viewpoints on the question of what happens to people who are unevangelized: restrictivism, inclusivism, and divine perserverance. I like that they dedicate a chapter to each view and that at the end of each chapter the other two authors critique that viewpoint. I think this book will be useful for ministry and just talking with people throughout life.
Jason Cox, Senior
Biblical Studies
Reader Thoughts - November 2007
Regina is currently reading:
My Old True Love by Sheila Kay Adams
Adams is an Appalachian storyteller, and My Old True Love is the tale of a boy orphaned at birth but raised in a large extended family in Appalachia right before the Civil War. Songs brought over from Scotland by his ancestors are woven throughout the storyline. So far I'm really enjoying it. It's written in the traditional vernacular, so you get the rhythm of their speech. It sounds like you're listening to them tell the story.
Regina Van Gorkom, Senior
Psychology
Reader Thoughts - November 2007
Bryce is currently reading:
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway 
"All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know," Hemingway says about beginning the process of creating a work of fiction in A Moveable Feast. The book is one of Hemingway's non-fiction works, and in addition to expounding his theories on the writing process, it chronicles his life in Paris post-World War I. It's interesting because he casually name-drops throughout the narrative such well-knowns as James Joyce, Henry James, and Gertrude Stein, the expatriates he lived among and who became known as the "Lost Generation."
Bryce McGuire, Freshman
English Literature
Reader Thoughts - October 2007
Will is currently reading:
Power, Faith and Fantasy by Michael B. Oren 
Power, Faith, and Fantasy is a history of United States involvement in the Middle East from 1776 to the present. Every U.S. President from George Washington to Harry Truman desired to have a Jewish state in Israel (accomplished during Truman's tenure). Less well known is that the U.S., in its infancy, was forced to construct a policy stance toward the Middle East due to the Barbary pirates raiding Christian and other non-Islamic ships primarily along the North African coast, greatly affecting American trade routes. How we dealt with such issues then largely influences Middle Eastern sentiment toward the United States today. The book is great!
Will Wade, Senior
Mathematics
Reader Thoughts - September 2007
Allie is currently reading:
My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok.jpg)
My Name is Asher Lev paints an intimate portrait of a Jewish boy with a gift and passion for art. The story gives a detailed portrayal of Jewish life and the traditions that Asher struggles against in order to pursue his dream. It captures the agony of his genius and his growth as an artist in stunning literary brushstrokes that captured my imagination. Having read The Chosen and The Promise, I was interested in revisiting Potok’s writing. By opening up a new world to his readers, Potok draws them into this compelling story of an artist struggling to deal with his identity, and he challenges them to understand a different perspective.
Allie Jones, Junior
English Literature
Reader Thoughts - March 2007
Caleb's currently reading:
Black by Ted Dekker.jpg)
I started reading Dekker over the last summer break, and I have not been able to get enough of his writing. The first book of his that I read was Thr3e, which is basically like a psychological thrill ride from start to finish. Since I finished that book, I have been reading him every chance I get. I just started Black, which is book one in his Circle Trilogy, and I already love it to death. I love how he writes such amazing twists and turns and keeps me guessing the entire time. I don’t think I have ever been able to guess how one of his books will end or which of his characters will live through the entire story. He truly has found a way to incorporate his faith with his cliff-hanging writing style. He doesn’t write Christian stories specifically but, like Lewis and Tolkien, his stories are filled with themes that characterize the Christian life--things like sacrifice, faith, and love. If any of you enjoys suspense stories half as much as I do, then I would definitely suggest trying a Ted Dekker book. His writing style and character development leave you turning pages until way too late at night.
Caleb Fendrich, Junior
Communication Studies
Reader Thoughts - March 2007
Whitney's currently reading:
The Small Rain by Madeleine L’Engle.jpg)
This novel follows the life of Katherine Forrester from a young teen into her twenties. This book was intriguing to me because it is about a piano player and includes a lot of technical things that come with playing the piano. Madeleine L’Engle seems to capture the feeling, thoughts, and actions that accrue during the time when a young girl is becoming a woman. Also, after reading this book, I had to rethink and reevaluate where my relationships with the Lord, family, and friends stood, because of the compelling way the L’Engle writes the struggles and conflicts that her main character goes through. This novel would be fun and light reading for anyone who has the time.
Whitney Nelson, Sophomore
English Literature
Reader Thoughts - February 2007
David's currently reading:
That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis.jpg)
I loved to read when I was a kid, and unfortunately I haven’t made much time for fun reading since I’ve been at Bryan. I started reading Lewis’s space trilogy when I was in junior high. Out of the Silent Planet had plenty of action, and kept my short teen-ager attention span. Perelandra seemed really boring to me, until I realized how brilliant Lewis was, and how he was creating a creation story which didn’t include the fall.This left me with That Hideous Strength, double the length of either of the other two books. I tried starting it a few times, but just couldn’t get interested in the story, as it takes a very long time to develop. Then I went home this past summer, and saw That Hideous Strength sitting on my shelf. I didn’t have a steady job, so I had the time to get far enough into the story to get hooked. And now, eight years later, I finally have made time to finish the series. The entire series is very witty and intellectual, but is written in a style that is simple enough for anyone to read. And the series feels like it’s “worth” reading, compared to so much of the shallow fiction out there today. On top of that, it just sounds good to be able to say, “Yeah, I’ve read Lewis’s space trilogy.”
David Sutton, Senior
Communication Studies
Reader Thoughts - February 2007
Andrew's currently reading:
My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok.jpg)
I've been reading My Name is Asher Lev. It's about a Jewish boy who grows up to be a painter. He doesn't want to upset his family or his Jewish community but in order to reach his full potential as an artist, disturbances are inevitable. The book climaxes when Asher, the boy, holds his first major exhibition. His parents arrive to see a crucifix as the final masterpiece. At this point I wasn't sure what Chaim Potok was trying to say in his novel. Why would a Jewish painter present a crucifix as his masterpiece? I think we see Christ, or try to see Him, in everything. In a sense Christ is inevitable. Christ is the creator, and Asher acknowledges God as the creator repeatedly, but He's missing Christ. Asher suffers for his paintings, but he doesn't seem to have this God who suffers with Him, he doesn't have Christ. He suffers and causes others to suffer. Here at Bryan I think we learn about how to deal with literature like this. We see Asher's need for comfort and where the world has no answer we see that Christ is truly the God who suffers with us.
Andrew Davis, Freshman
English Literature
Reader Thoughts - January 2007
Michael's currently reading:
The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.jpg)
The word “grace” is thrown around a lot in Christian circles, especially at a place like Bryan, but how many times do we stop and consider what grace is essentially? Do we realize that the grace given to us by Christ came at an unfathomable cost? Moreover, if we are to truly follow Christ and fully receive His grace, we must be prepared to lay down everything that this world could ever give us.
In his book, The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer brings the word “grace” to life and reminds the reader that Christ has not called us into a lukewarm relationship with Him. Rather, Christ has called us to be devoted to Him in every aspect of our lives, even if it means forfeiting them. And who better to say so than Bonhoeffer, the man who, after escaping to America from Nazi Germany, returned to his native land in order to suffer for the name of his Savior. After returning to Germany, Bonhoeffer took part in planning the assassination of Hitler. The attempt ultimately failed, and Bonhoeffer and his comrades were arrested by the Gestapo, and shortly before the war ended, he met the end of his earthly life at the gallows. His is a testimony of true discipleship and acceptance of grace. In this book, he has imparted some of the driving forces behind his love for Christ.
“Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship
Michael Reneau, Sophomore
Communications Studies
Reader Thoughts - November 2006
Molly's currently reading:
The Journals of Jim Elliot edited by Elisabeth Elliot.jpg)
For my personal quiet time with the Lord, I am reading through The Journals of Jim Elliot. This book gives an intimate look into the spiritual life of one of Christianity’s most beloved martyrs. The journals span from Jim’s junior year at Wheaton College in 1948 to a week before his death at the hands of the Auca Indians in 1956. Most of the entries begin with a passage of Scripture. In my quiet time, I read through the Scripture, journal my own thoughts, and then read Jim’s entry. I am astounded time and again by his profound insights into the Scriptures, particularly the lessons he draws from Old Testament stories. I also appreciate seeing his struggles and the way he deals with them, running to his Heavenly Father. I highly recommend this book to those who are searching for encouragement in the faith or for deeper meaning of the Scriptures. “God, I pray, light these idle sticks of my life and may I burn up for Thee. Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life but a full one like Yours, Lord Jesus… To that soul which has tasted of Christ, the jaunty laugh, the taunting music of mingled voices, and the haunting appeal of smiling eyes—all these lack flavor—and I would drink deeply of Him. Fill me, O Spirit of Christ, with all the fullness of God.” –Jim Elliot, January 29, 1948 journal entry
Molly Gehring, Freshman
Music
Reader Thoughts - October 2006
Sherry's currently reading:
Chainfire by Terry Goodkind-82910-162-225.imageCache.jpg)
As an English literature major, it has been implied on more than one occasion that my love for the fantasy genre is, perhaps, in poor taste. Nonetheless, I find myself constantly drawn back to the imaginative and illustrious world of myth and magic. The fictional land I traverse at present is that of the ninth book in Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series, Chainfire.
The book begins amidst chaos and confusion, and as the action continues you realize that the confusion is to be expected. The main character, Richard Rahl, has been mortally wounded, and the only way that his companions can save him is by using a certain kind of magic commonly attributed to the underworld – and that’s never a good thing. After he is healed and fully conscious, he soon discovers that he is the only one who seems to remember his wife, Kahlan, a woman once highly respected and deeply loved by those who suddenly believe she never existed. Meanwhile, a gifted prophet named Nathan makes a discovery of his own--books containing prophecies about Richard have blank spaces where words should be, and it seems that no one can remember the missing text.
Goodkind’s insights into human nature and philosophy, along with the magical world he constantly weaves into being, have kept me reading even when I would normally forsake my pleasure-reading time.
Sherry Graham, Senior
English Literature
Reader Thoughts - October 2006
David's currently reading:
Time Flies by Bill Cosby-62542-235-183.imageCache.jpg)
“The poet T. S. Elliot said:
April is the cruelest month…
Mixing memory and desire.
Well, what I desire is my old
memory, and not just in April…”
While looking through the main stacks of the library one day, I discovered a small book by the good doctor William H. Cosby Jr., Ed.D.—otherwise known as Bill Cosby. Now, as a college student, I rarely have much free time. But when I saw this book I knew that I could make a little free time for the Cos. His book, Time Flies, looked too good to pass up.
Time Flies is full of short ramblings about getting older. Much like his stand up routines, he’s not telling jokes but just talking about his experience. And he’s funny.
I’ve really enjoyed reading through this book. The pieces in it are short, so when I had a few spare moments between classes, I was able to pick it up and get a few quick laughs before sitting through another lecture.
“'You’re not getting older, you’re getting better,’ says Dr. Joyce Brothers. This, however, is the kind of doctor who inspires a second opinion.”
David Gehring, Junior
Communication Studies
Reader Thoughts - October 2006
Josh is currently reading:
The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul 
‘“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty" (Isaiah 6:5). I rarely have any free time, but each night I set aside a time to read a book, that will, hopefully, help me understand the Lord better. The last book that I read was R.C. Sproul’s The Holiness of God. Dr. Sproul does an amazing job of explaining an easily forgettable, yet extremely important, truth. The whole premise of the book is based on the verse above from Isaiah. It looks at a particular part of God that we rarely desire or attempt to look at, the all powerful, righteous judge of the earth. Sproul vividly reminded me of the fact that my Savior is also a blameless righteous judge. He stressed the fact that the way we act before God is still important. Yes, we have been forgiven a great debt, but we still must remember that God is absolutely perfect and spotless of sin. Therefore, Sproul explains, as a Christian, I should watch out for my pride that so easily controls me and tricks me into believing that I am all that. For my actions are merely filthy rags before God.
Josh McGowan, Freshman
Biblical Studies
Reader Thoughts - October 2006
Joseph's currently reading:
The Imitation of Christ by Thomas Á Kempis
-103806-157-222.imageCache.jpg)
Communication Arts
Reader Thoughts - September 2006
Millie is currently reading:
Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge-39643-171-214.imageCache.jpg)
Captivating is a companion book to Wild at Heart, which jumped bravely into the mystery of man and why he acts and lives the way he does. Captivating unveils the beauty of a woman’s heart and how God designed her to think, feel and be. As God created man to be wild and adventurous: “The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is His name” (Exodus 15:3), He created woman to be beautiful and captivating: “The King is captivated by your beauty” (Psalm 45:11). This book is an amazing eye-opener for both genders to how marvelous God’s design of us is on every level of our being, and how both men and women reflect important and different aspects of the very character of God.
English Literature
Reader Thoughts - August 2006
Danielle is currently reading:
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
-44794-129-200.imageCache.jpg)
Redeeming Love is a captivating retelling of the book of Hosea. Francine Rivers intimately portrays the story of a man in search of God’s will for his life and the broken prostitute that he is called to love. This book has many redeeming qualities and takes a bold leap forward, leaving the murky waters of Christian writing in the faded background. The story gives the reader a timeless glimpse into the tender heart of trust, compassion and mercy. Easy to read in its conception, it continues to draw you closer to the pulse of genuine Christ-centered love.
English Literature
Reader Thoughts - May 2006
Bethany is currently reading:
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
You know those books that tell you everything you need to know when you come to college? I wish someone would have told me three years ago that my life would be consumed with reading textbooks. Starving for fiction, I stumbled upon Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. This Newbery Medal winner uses gripping language and real characters to tell a story–the author’s personal story–of harsh life in the racially-divided deep South during the turn of the last century. While avoiding stereotypes, the book successfully lures the reader in … and the tragic ending left me weeping for those who have suffered injustice. It is a vivid reminder of how unbridled hate can destroy, and how much unconditional love hurts to give.
Bethany Perseghetti, Senior
Elementary Education
Reader Thoughts - April 2006
Susanna’s currently reading:
Empire of Light by Sidney Perkowitz
The thing that impresses me the most about Empire of Light is how it supports the scriptural views of light and how it relates to God's being light. I really enjoy reading physics and science books because they can show us so much about God’s creation. Although this book is written from a secular point of view, Perkowitz acknowledges that light can be spiritual. There is so much we can learn, even from secular sources, that complements what we learn from the Bible about creation.Psychology
Reader Thoughts - April 2006
Beyond Foundationalism by Stanley Grenz and The Fabric of Theology by Richard Lints.
Biblical Studies