First Freedoms - a book review

First Freedoms: Drawing Near to God by Cultivating a Wholehearted Prayer Life by Jennifer Barnett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What weeds need removing from your life?
How does God mean for you to flourish and reflect His glory better?

In this book, Barnett covers the basics of the Christian life simply, with great illustrations.
The author is a friend of a friend, and this book was a treat to discover.

Sometimes I noticed she’s probably more charismatic than me, but that didn’t intrude overmuch.

Each chapter ended with questions for reflection and prayer, and questions for group discussion.

Having read mostly more theological writings in the last 20 years, I’ve found shifting gears to more spiritual edification like this to be very helpful. I highly recommend this book, especially if you are struggling with your relationship to God or your sanctification.

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Hamlet - a Review

Hamlet by William Shakespeare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 out of 5 stars!

I just read Hamlet again, this glorious print edition we gave to one of my children recently.

Hamlet was a good guy. He wasn’t sure if he should take vengeance for his father’s death, but he did. (Very few are in his situation to do so, as son of the king, though.) He had almost rather died. Thus his “to be or not to be” soliloquy. He stood up as a man, and took cunning, well-reasoned action. All while acting like David, crazy before the Philistines (1 Samuel 21:13). He got the job done, though it cost him his own life.

When you read it, get a good edition with explanatory notes. About ¼ of the lines need explaining! But it is worth it.

Please read Hamlet.

Good quotes:

“Words without thoughts never to heaven go” – Act 3. Scene 3. Line 98
“I must be cruel only to be kind” – 3.4.178
“There’s a divinity that shapes our ends, rough hew them how we will” – 5.2.11
“The readiness is all” – 5.2.194
“I am justly killed with mine own treachery” – 5.2.284


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