56. This Promised Land and more...

56. This Promised Land. Cathy Gohlke. 2025. 358 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, christian fiction, general fiction, family]

First sentence: It was late in the season.

Premise/plot: Ginny Pickering Boyden is returning to her family home after almost five decades. Her family home is a Christmas tree farm, Wetherill Pickering's Christmas Tree Farm. She didn't leave under the best of circumstances--family drama, you see--and she never expected to come back again. Her plans are to be quick about it. Little does she know that this homecoming is a forever homecoming. 

Why did she return? Her brother Harold's death. Turns out he's been lying to her for decades as well as lying to other family members. The tree farm is now hers....but what can she do with it? 

Harold's two sons--Mark and Luke--are under the impression that they will inherit the Christmas tree farm. Luke and his wife, Bethany, do not have children. Mark has three children. Can they come together as a family to save the tree farm and be each other's true FAMILY? 

This family saga has a handful of flashbacks to the 1940s but is primarily set in 1992. The main character, Ginny, is older (probably mid to late sixties). There's some romance, but, it's not the primary focus exactly. 

This one is all about the healing of dyfunctional families, complex relationships, and forgiveness.

My thoughts: This Promised Land was a wonderful read. I loved getting to know the characters. I loved the flaws--in the characters, in the situation, the realness of the family dynamics. I loved how everyone came together and grew together. I love that it wasn't an easy process, that it was a journey, a struggle, that it required commitment and effort and time. 

   

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55. From Me To You, Love God. Claire Freedman. Illustrated by Emily Boughton. 2025. 26 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, 3 stars]

First sentence: If God sent you a letter, 

He'd say, "I love you so!

You're very precious to me,

and I want you to know."

God made you,

and He knows your name,

and so it's no surprise,

that the one and only,

uniquely YOU,

is perfect in His eyes!

From Me to You, Love God is a children's book, a picture book, published by Kregel. 

It is written in rhyme. It is definitely of the precious-precious-super-sweet narrative style. 

While God is mentioned on nearly every single spread of this one, the depth and substance as to who God is vague and generalized. Though we do get one 'Heavenly Father.' 

There is no mention of Jesus at all. Not even once. I think a choice was made. Perhaps I'm wrong. What is mentioned about God is certainly happy-happy-cozy-cozy and not at all controversial or offensive. 

There is not a great depth to the spiritual truths in this one. But one does get a sense that God is all-knowing, all-seeing, kind, good, and loving. There is more focus on God watching over YOU the one and only unique, supremely precious perfect YOU than anything else. (You get the impression that the message is God is so lucky, fortunate, blessed that there is a you in his life). The focus is definitely on God's love and loving YOU and loving everyone. But God is definitely a tame, gentle God in this one. 

Does a picture book *need* to present the gospel? Maybe. Maybe not. Does this book in anyway indicate that there is a gospel? No. Not really. The book doesn't really go there at all. For better or worse. I mean a book certainly doesn't have to present our need for the Savior, who the Savior is, how we're saved, what we're saved from, what our salvation means, the hope to which we cling, etc. 

The book begins with the premise *if* God sent you a letter....and then proceeds. The truth is we do have God's revelation. We do have his written word. While it may not be a letter written for us specifically as individuals. We have access to the very words of God. We know WHO he is because he has revealed himself to us. (Read Psalm 19 or 119 among dozens of other places that speak of the Word of God). We do not have to guess about who God is, what God has done, what God has promised, what God has said. Perhaps there was a missed opportunity to point little ones to the Word of God.

One of the book's premises is that little ones can look for EIGHTY letters in the illustrations. A seek and find if you will. The back copy reads, "they will find encouraged" when they spot these illustrated letters in the book because "God is always with them on life's journey." I certainly don't have issues with illustrators providing details for little ones to find. But it does seem odd to me at least that this is the highlight of the back copy. Like that is the most important thing about the book? 

There aren't a tremendous amount of Christian picture books published each year. I'd say there is a small number published each year. I always like to review them when I can because I know the need is there. I've read better. I've read worse. 

   

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54. The Anxious Generation Goes to Church: What the Research Says About What Younger Generations Need and Want From Your Church. Thom S. Rainer. 2025. [August] 192. [Source: Review copy] [4 stars, nonfiction, christian nonfiction]

First sentence: I was well on my way to completing the research on a different book when I hit a wall.

The book I thought I was 'getting' was not the book I got. That's on me, mostly. I didn't see or pay enough attention to the subtitle. Perhaps. I have thoughts. I do. I'll try to share them when appropriate. 

So what IS the book about? The book addresses from a statistical, sociological, analytical, research-oriented viewpoint how the two youngest generations--Gen Z and Gen Alpha--could benefit from the structure of the church and the church community. Gen Z refers to those born between 1997 and 2012. Gen Alpha refers to those born between 2013 and the present. 

His inspiration for writing is DIRECTLY connected to his reading a secular book called The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. Much of his book is spent summarizing and analyzing Haidt's book and spinning or tilting it perhaps to see it from a Christian perspective. The concerns are roughly the same, I believe, but Rainer focuses on a possible solution to the 'problem.'

Rainer defines and describes each generation from The Silent Generation on through Gen Alpha. Each generation is defined in GENERALIZED terms--very wide brush strokes, if you will. It starts from a place that these sociological terms and generalizations are essentially true. He does not question these foundational blocks. [I'm not saying that is in and of itself a bad thing. It's just that almost all of the building blocks in this book, the foundation, the walls, the supports, etc., are all sociological and not in any way drawing from Scripture.] All people from a generation are lumped together despite unique, personal, individual differences. A very one-size-fits-all cookie-cutter approach to viewing humanity.

The Anxious Generations--Gen Z and Gen Alpha--are being shaped, rewired essentially by "the big four" : high speed internet, smartphones, social media, and polarization. Rainer spends time explaining the evils of the big four. Though high-speed internet, smartphones, social media, and polarization are so closely connected and intertwined, so knotted and tangled together that I'm not sure it makes sense to separate them from each other. You can probably guess what makes the big four evil without further explanation. Polarization is the only one that might perhaps need a little help. Essentially the polarization of society on every subject--mostly online but in person as well perhaps. (For example, how EVERYTHING is one baby step away from being a political issue.) 

He spends the most time on describing, defining, illustrating, etc., the 'special' problems facing the Anxious Generation. He then begins with a big picture, distant approach to how the church may be able to help. Again, his technique is more on statistics, research, polls, surveys, etc. He spends a chapter introducing readers to a series of atheists--yes, atheists--sharing quotes from them that allegedly show how even atheists admit that church can be stabilizing and morally good for society. How they may reject all religions and religious doctrines, etc, but they like the structures of the community--in theory at least. 

When he speaks of the church most often it is in a distant sociological research way. There's little to no theology in this one. 

The book isn't so much THE ANXIOUS GENERATIONS NEED JESUS AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR because they are sinners in need of a Savior, as Gen Z and Gen Alpha need the structure of weekly fellowship, in-person friendships, socialization and camaraderie. They need youth groups, discipleship, mentorship, to be a part of a family. It will benefit their mental health if they attend church. It doesn't really go into spiritual needs and spiritual solutions. 

He encourages the church to actively invite and welcome younger people in the church. That means, most notably, bringing someone to church--literally. Not just inviting casually. But making plans, going with them, sitting with them, sharing a meal, etc. He points out time and time again, that most are not willing to go to a church alone, but if they had someone to go with them, they'd go. He also emphasizes that "the unchurched" of all ages are not hostile to the faith, to church, to Christians, they just are waiting for us to go to them and actively care about them. (I'm not sure *where* he is getting this not hostile thing. I'm not sure which polarized view is right.) 

   

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KJV

NASB 95

NASB 2020

NKJV

ESV

Psalms 1-29

Luke 7-24

John 1-5

   

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