Book Review: Secrets of the Vine for Women by Darlene Marie Wilkinson

Secrets of the Vine for Women by Darlene Marie Wilkinson is a short book.  Very short.  Not that short is bad, but this book only expounds John 15, the “I am the vine, you are the branches” analogy by Jesus.  I would expect this content to be able to be delivered in a 45 minute sermon.  I think this minimal content in a stand-alone book was disappointing.  To give the author credit, she mentioned a few times how small this book was.  I got the book free as a review copy, so it wasn’t a huge deal for me.  But if I would have paid the full cover price for this, I would have been upset.

My other problem with this book is the title says “for Women”, yet I’m not sure what about this book needed to be specifically for women.  Instead of saying “parent”, she said “mother”.  Her examples were almost exclusively from women, but through the whole book, I thought, “Doesn’t this apply to everyone?”  I felt like the “woman” part of the book was unnecessary.

Though her discussion of producing fruit teeters on the line of “salvation by works”, the rest of the book is theologically sound.  It is just disappointingly shallow.  A deeper exploration would have yielded a more substantial and more satisfying book.  In fact, my initial impression was that the author jumped around topics too much, but the more I think about it, I feel like she keeps revisiting the same information over and over trying to get more and more out of it.  Overall, I have to think there are better books out there, even for new Christians who are just starting their journey.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Book Review: Put Your Dream to the Test by John C. Maxwell

I've read/own several John C. Maxwell books, but Put Your Dream to the Test is by far my favorite.  While most books by Maxwell are aimed primarily at leaders, this book is for dreamers, and specifically, dreamers who really want to see their dreams become reality!  I've read a number of books of this type and by far this is the most practical, helpful and honest book I've seen.  By answering his ten questions, your dream becomes clearer and more tangible to the point of finally just following through and making it happen!

Working through the ten questions in this book is not easy, but it is helpful to have such a clear game plan to follow.  It is also widely applicable, whether you want to start a new business or work toward being a better parent, or in my personal case, laying the foundation for a ministry.  While I have grown tired of reading stories and quotes from other people in Maxwell’s other books, the ones in this book were particularly helpful and time allotted for them was better balanced with his practical advice.  This book is going to become the graduation gift that I give to all graduates, especially the ones with big dreams.  I can’t think of a more useful book to give!

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Where have I been?

I realized that I intentionally or unintentionally took a month off of blogging.  My best explanation...the verse from Ecclesiastes...to everything there is a season.  Apparently, the writer left out...a time to blog and a time to do face to face ministry, a time to learn and a time to teach, a time to dream and pray and a time to see dreams and prayers answered.

Honestly, after two weeks, I began beating myself up for not writing any blogs.  I was feeling bad for not persevering, not forcing myself to do what God has called me to.  I was beating myself up for not making time for my blog, whether God was speaking to me or not.  I mean, what kind of Christian blogger am I if I don't do a single message about Holy Week or Easter?  A message about Mother's Day?  A message about the weekend our church saw nine people give their life to Christ?  God didn't give me anything to say, but why didn't I have the tenacity to knuckle down and work regardless?  Maybe I don't have what it takes to do what God has called me to?  Has the voice of the enemy been right about me all along?

When I seriously asked myself that last question, I realized it was time to step back and re-evaluate.  God didn't call me to necessarily be a "blogger", though I do believe He called me to start one.  God called me to be His servant, to go where He goes, to do as He leads me, to love Him and those around me, to listen for His voice and submit and obey when He speaks.  He didn't call me to write so many blogs a month.  He called me to blog about things He wants me to speak out to the world.  When He speaks, I write.  When He doesn't speak, I don't write.  Simple as that.

Then, taking another step back, I realized that the things I was filling my time with were indeed things He was currently speaking to me about.  I started studying how to be a better speaker.  I started reading books about how to plan my future ministry.  I started researching how best to try to get my book published.

Even moreso, He gave me people to minister to directly.  He gave me eight people to discuss salvation and baptism with, seven of whom went ahead and got baptized.  He gave me hurting people to speak with and love on.  He gave me opportunities to grow as a wife, a mother, a sister and a friend.  He gave me opportunities to speak about God's truths with those who are far from Him.

The verses from Ecclesiastes 3 reads,

There is a time for everything,
   and a season for every activity under the heavens:

    a time to be born and a time to die,
   a time to plant and a time to uproot,
    a time to kill and a time to heal,
   a time to tear down and a time to build,
    a time to weep and a time to laugh,
   a time to mourn and a time to dance,
    a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
   a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
    a time to search and a time to give up,
   a time to keep and a time to throw away,
   a time to tear and a time to mend,
   a time to be silent and a time to speak,
   a time to love and a time to hate,
   a time for war and a time for peace.


As I learned over the past month, and as I suspect I will need to remind myself of often, all I am is God's servant.  He gives me tasks to complete, but my identity is not that task.  I'm not a blogger.  I'm not a musician.  I'm not a youth worker.  I'm a servant of Christ.  That's it.  What He says, I do.  Since there is a season for all activities, I need to find my identity in the one thing that is always in season, Jesus Christ.

So, I may blog tomorrow.  Or I may not.  But the one thing that is for certain...tomorrow, and always, I will do my best to serve the Lord.