True Faith and Allegiance

In light of the impending presidential election, I thought it would be insightful to read Alberto R. Gonzalez' new autobiography, True Faith and Allegiance.

Wow! What a well-written, concise story of his life - being raised in a poor Spanish family and making it to Attorney General under President George W. Bush.

Not only was this book a heart-warming story of succeeding in life, but it was so informative on how the government works in Washington D.C., or rather, how it used to work. Mr. Gonzalez does a great job on giving many details to each story, many of which include very intimate details about his friendship with the President of the United States. These are real men. Men who backed up their beliefs with actions, not caring if anyone was behind them or not. Their consciences spoke very loudly. Albert Gonzalez' time in service in the White House was from 2000-2007. He endured the junk of politics and explained what really happened before his resignation.

Most importantly, he relates how his faith endured through it all. His faith in God and trusting in the Lord were integral parts of this story. And that is always the most encouraging part of reading books like these.

Three words that come to mind when describing Gonzalez and Bush: trustworthy, genuine, and strong.

As a part of the Booklook blogger's network, I received a free copy of this book.

A Story About LIFE!

I love a good book....(as if you couldn't tell..)

Better yet, I love true stories that inspire courage, choosing joy and unconditional love. 

Bella's gift, written by Rick and Karen Santorum, along with their daughter, Elizabeth, tells of this family's journey as Karen gives birth to Bella, their 8th child. But, profoundly, their story starts a few months before this, when they are given the devastating news that something might be wrong with their "surprise" baby. And, in turn, doctors giving their "two-cents" about what is best. 

Their faith is tested, their marriage is tried, 

but they come out the other side with stronger faith and a stronger family. 

In a time, when there is little trust in the realm of politics, it is beautiful to see a politician's family being a real family. A husband putting his marriage and wife first. (That's why he dropped out of the presidential race...I vaguely remember this.) A father putting his family first. Rick and Karen's love for each other is concretely seen in how they work through the birth and life of their precious Bella. Most children born with her condition pass away within the first year. They have loved her through to 7 years. But ultimately, we know God is the giver of life and taker of breath. They know this too.

Each day is a new day to be blessed with their daughter and they do an amazing job of chronicling all the struggles and blessings. 

As a personal comment, their faith is rooted deeply in the Catholic religion. Although I will not discredit their confession of faith in Jesus, I do get concerned when the lines are blurred as thickly as they are in this book. Salvation is by faith alone, through grace alone on the only Jesus Christ.

P.S. As a part of the blogging network through Thomas Nelson, I received a free copy of this book.

Book Review - Fyodor Dostoevsky

I was intrigued as I prepared to read Fyodor Dostoevsky by Peter Leithart. This book is another in the series, Christian Encounters.

As I delved into this little book, I realized I don't know much about Russian history or culture. Peter Leithart wrote this book in a dialogue style, which helped to make it a good read. Very interesting.

I had never heard of Dostoevsky before reading this book. He was a giant in the reformation of political Russia. He lived in the 1800's and his life was full of adventure, trial and death. After writing a book to typify the political situation of Russia, he was arrested and found himself in front of a firing squad. While third in line to face death, a decision was made to send the prisoners to exile in Siberia instead. During his stay, the New Testament was allowed to be read. This was his very breath and life during these years. Unfortunately, he suffered from epilepsy, but also was involved in extramarital affairs. This disappointed me as a reader.

Fyodor Dostoevsky has been hailed as having a deep Christian Faith, but I am not sure how deep those roots went. The many references to Christ in the book had to do with the state of Russia as a whole. In this read, Dostoevsky never talks about his personal relationship to Christ and what Christ's work on the cross did for him.

I learned many things reading this, but would have loved to read more about his faith, and less about his works.

As part of the Booksneeze blogging network, I received a complementary copy of this book.

.

William F. Buckley

I am not an avid reader on political issues, nor on politicians, themselves.

I was born in the early '70's, so I had never heard of William F. Buckley.

Since both of the above statements are true, I decided I would read a small biography to educate myself on a figure from that time period and venue.

William F. Buckley, written by Jeremy Lott, is a great, yet brief history on the life of this man, who claimed to have faith in God, and spoke strongly about things that he deeply believed in, whether spiritually or politically.

After reading a small bit each day, it is a decided fact that I still don't enjoy reading about politics. Although, as a book, it is very well written, I am disappointed in how shallow Buckley's faith was. I do not consider Catholicism, true faith in Christ's atoning work.

He seemed the "typical" politician. Suave, well-spoken, and yet brash at the same time. He did stand strong on certain views, but also wavered on others.

Jeremy Lott did well to include the complete span of Buckley's life; from birth to death. Though I was not particularly interested in this man's life, I did learn many things; the most interesting being his work at Yale. He attempted to keep "faith" (I use that term loosely) part of the curriculum at Yale.

A good read for someone interested in the political realm as well as history of conservatism. I didn't consider it a "Christian" biography.