The Scribe's Portion

"The God-Shaped Heart: How Correctly Understanding God's Love Transforms Us" By Dr. Timothy R. Jennings Dr. Jenning's book, "The God-Shaped Heart" takes on a different perspective of God's love. Drawing from medical experience and scientific metaphors, he unveils God's love for humanity and human misconceptions on love.  Dr. Jennings uses 7 levels of moral decision-making throughout the book to explain the logical mental process humans use in regards to love: reward and punishment, marketplace exchange, social conformity, law and order, love for others, principle-based living, and understanding friend of God.  I found this book to be an interesting read. Though it was written from a more educated, and scholarly point of view, I enjoyed reading about love in a different light, This book sets to show what God's love looks like and how we can come to love the same way.  This is not "Crazy Love" but it is refreshi...

"These Healing Hills" By Ann H. Gabhart Ann Gabhart's "These Healing Hills" is a story of betrayal, love, healing, and following God's plan. Taking place in 1945 in the Kentuckian Appalachians, it tells the story of nurse, Francine Howard. A city girl who moves to the mountains to escape the pain of her past and start anew by enrolling in the Frontier Nursing's midwife training. She befriends the handsome war veteran, Ben Locke. Each seeks to heal from their fresh experiences and the mountains seem to be the best medicine.  While the plot was enjoyable and the character development was perfect, the pace was just too slow for me. I found myself dragging myself through the chapters hoping for the romance to develop. For a romance novel, it could use a bit more of actual romance. Also, Francine seemed to be a bit of a weak heroine. At times, she seems easily swayed by others instead of having a mind of her own. Aside from standing up to her...

"The Holy Land for Christian Travelers: An Illustrated Guide to Israel" By John A. Beck This is an excellent travel guide! It has lots of pictures, diagrams, maps and keys. I like that it gives historical information about the different places as well, as Biblical background information. It contains invaluable information about the climate, sites, how to dress in certain places, how much you can expect to pay for certain entrances, and even which routes to take.  The guide is divided into sections corresponding to the different regions of Israel: Jerusalem, coastal plain, Central mountains south, Central mountains center & central mountains north. It also includes itineraries. It's a good size, not too bulky that you can easily fit inside a bag or backpack. I'm planning on going to Israel in the near future, if the Lord permits, and will definitely take this guide along. If you're planning a trip, I definitely recommend this guide even i...