Book Review: Ruthless Trust

Ruthless Trust: The Ragamuffin's Path to God is the second Brennan Manning book I own. I took copious notes from this book during my devotional time each morning. I guess it hit me right where I needed it. Manning talks about how difficult it is to trust when you don't see how God could have allowed the tragedy you are enduring. Such ruthless trust only comes through walking the path of trial. Manning writes, "Anyone God uses significantly is deeply wounded."

We must look to God to even nurture such trust within us. We cannot fabricate it ourselves. He writes, "In the midst of the ruins - in the premature death of a loved one, in the hell on earth we call a crack house, in the ache of heartbreak... the presence of God abides. The trusting disciple, often through clenched teeth, says, in effect, God is still trustworthy, but not because of unrestricted power to intervene on my behalf; he is trustworthy because of a promise given and sustained." And I loved this quote, "I want neither a terrorist spirituality that keeps me in a perpetual state of fright about being in right relationship with my Heavenly Father nor a sappy spirituality that portrays God as such a benign teddy bear that there is no aberrant behavior or desire of mine that he will not condone."

Pain and suffering can, and will, blow our lives apart. Often we can only hear our own heartache. Courage abandons us in the dark. Self-pity is inevitable. But that is precisely where ruthless trust grows, with the help of our Savior. Manning says, "I used to believe that trusting God's goodness meant I would not be hurt. But having been hurt quite a bit, I know God's goodness goes deeper than all pleasure and pain - it embraces them both." If you need to bolster your ruthless trust in God, this book reminds you where to find the source of your strength.

"To be grateful for an unanswered prayer,

to give thanks in a state of interior desolation,

to trust in the love of God in the face of

the marvels, cruel circumstances,

obscenities and commonplaces of life

is to whisper a doxology in darkness."

- Brennan Manning

Book Review: He Should Have Told the Bees

My first Amanda Cox book was The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery, a 2022 Christy Award winner. I sought another one to fill my treadmill time and landed on He Should Have Told the Bees. The what-if premise is clear: What if your anxiety, stemming from abandonment issues, explodes when another person holds claim to your safe haven? The topics addressed in this book will hit home with someone in this day and age. Anxiety is rampant. The future feels uncertain. Substances often beckon with peaceful illusions.

Beckett Walsh's life with her father is stable, considering her mother abandoned them when Beckett was quite young. As long as she stays on the farm, helping her father tend their bees, she manages fine. But chaos descends after his death. Beckett learns that her father's will names another individual, Callie Peterson, as a co-owner of the only haven she knows. Who is this woman? Why is she named in the will?

Callie has no clue why George Walsh left her anything. He was a customer at her natural candle and lotion booth. But could this solve her financial problems? Can she keep her dream of owning a store and still provide for the needs of her addicted mother in rehab? Will she ignore the niggle of guilt because she knows this is Beckett's only safe space?

Two separate lives torn apart by trauma. Two separate needs pitted against each other. This book showcases the power of friendship, the gift of grace, and the promise of restoration. Once again, delving into the trauma response of addiction, I'm full of questions about what traumas may have induced my son's addictions. I'm praying for God's power, gifts, and promises in my son's life.  

Midmonth Mention: Four Unique Literary Stories

1) I was mesmerized by the lilt in Scottish poet Len Pennie's voice as she read her poem, "The Vow." You can watch it here on You Tube (a short 2 minute recitation). I plan to recommend it to my nephew, Jack, who is getting married. How amazing, she's offering it for free! I'd love to purchase her book of poems, just on the basis of this one poem.

2) I'm hoping others are fascinated to learn what people read (hence, my blog). What a great story to learn about Dan Pelzer, who took the time to record every book he read. He died on July 1, 2025, and his family made public his 109 page list, which includes over 3500 books. Though I haven't taken time to do more than skim the website yet, it sounds like fascinating reading.

3) This next story made me take note because it takes place in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, where my cousin, Karin, grew up. A book, 47 years overdue, was returned to the Lake Elmo Library along with an apology and $200 to offset what fines may have accrued. Amazing!

4) I recently watched a memorial service for the step-father of my CBLI friend, Laura. Although I never knew him, it was a great blessing to get to know him through the father-to-daughter letters shared at the service. He was a delightful correspondent! Thus, when I came across "The Dad Letter Project," I thought I'd mention it here. You can view a brief video about the project here. Kind-hearted dads volunteer to write letters to people who could use encouragement. I love ideas like this. It makes me think, why didn't I think of this?

Book Review: The Ragamuffin Gospel

Here's another book that articulates my understanding of the gospel as a free GIFT of God, not something dependent upon what we DO (aligning our will to God's will consistently). If we must do something to earn it, it is not a gift. Grace is a gift! It is not of works, lest any man should boast. Brennan Manning, in The Ragamuffin Gospel, asserts that those who believe their behavior is key to their salvation trust in themselves and turn God into a bookkeeper tallying how often we bend to His will, or a customs officer rifling through our moral suitcase. 

I loved this quote from Donald McCullough:

"Grace means that in the middle of our struggle the referee blows the whistle and announces the end of the game. We are declared winners and sent to the showers. It’s over for all huffing, puffing piety to earn God’s favor; it’s finished for all sweat-soaked straining to get ahead of others in the game. Grace means that God is on our side and thus we are victors regardless of how well we have played the game. We might as well head for the showers and the champagne celebration…. We can’t save ourselves. What Jesus did was sufficient."

Manning emphasizes the importance of honesty. "How difficult it is to be honest, to accept that I am unacceptable, to renounce self-justification, to give up the pretense that my prayers, spiritual insight, tithing, and successes in ministry have made me pleasing to God! No antecedent beauty enamors me in His eyes. I am loveable only because He loves me." His prayer reflects this understanding that we can do nothing to secure or maintain our salvation: "Lord Jesus, we are silly sheep who have dared to stand before You and tried to bribe You with our preposterous portfolios.... We must choose either Christ or the law as author of salvation."

This book hit me between the eyes, too. Manning speaks of our fear of failure. He declares God expects our failure (just as He expected Peter's denial). We are the unfaithful, through whom God continues to work. He says our fear of failure causes us to offer thousands of excuses for doing nothing. (Ouch!) "We put things off, waste the energies of life and love that are within us." (Guilty!)

I pray with Nikos Kazantzakis: “I am a bow in your hands, Lord. Draw me, lest I rot. Do not overdraw me, Lord, I shall break. Overdraw me, Lord, and who cares if I break?” I want to be an authentic disciple. Manning says that authentic disciples "may have stumbled and frequently fallen, endured lapses and relapses, gotten handcuffed to the fleshpots and wandered into a far country. Yet, they kept coming back to Jesus.”

Manning has many critics who view his assertions of the freedom God gives as mere licentiousness. Trusting in God for salvation does not lead a believer to throw mud in God's face and see His atonement as license for running wild. Instead, God's grace blows us away and causes us to bow in humble adoration for His undeserved gift. Manning sums it up well: “Ragamuffins are simple, direct, and honest…. They are slow to claim, ‘God told me….'”

My copy of this book includes bonus material at the end. I wish I had realized this while reading daily during my devotions. The "Guide for Reflection and Prayer" leads you to reflect on each chapter (either in group discussion or individual use). It offers prayers, scriptures, and questions to challenge you to live by the gospel of grace. 

In a final section, written ten years after its publication, Manning quotes a prayer of St. Augustine, who prayed, "Lord Jesus, don't let me lie when I say that I love you... and protect me, for today I could betray you." For ragamuffins, darkness drives us to the heart of God. Without His mercy, we might be tempted to despair. With it, we acknowledge our internal poverty and praise Him for His sufficiency on our behalf.

Book Review: The Magician's Nephew

After completing a re-read of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I headed to the library hoping to find the second book in the series. The librarian (with obvious pride in knowing these details) explained that the order actually (although "actually" is a subjective word here) starts with The Magician's Nephew. I think I had heard this whole dilemma before, but had forgotten. In my humble opinion, I'm glad I read LWW first. It was a more striking entrance into the idea of Narnia. I preferred that book to this prequel. I may not even continue with re-reading the series.

In The Magician's Nephew, we meet Digory and Polly, two bored children in London. The kids, with the help of Uncle Andrew's magic rings, go on adventures to other worlds. By the end, they land in Narnia and meet Aslan. This book holds the clue to how the evil witch entered Narnia. It bears some similarity to Biblical stories of the first sin. While it was entertaining, I don't feel compelled to stick with this. I need something that grabs my attention with more force. Besides, I had already reviewed the entire series when I read a few of them with my younger sons (and then completed the series on my own) back in 2011. 

I would be interested, however, in seeing the upcoming movie of The Magician's Nephew, slated for the end of 2026. It will star Carey Mulligan as Digory's ailing mother. It is due to be released in IMAX theaters on November 26, 2026. If you want to know more, here's a You Tube video about the movie.

Book Review: The Atlas of Untold Stories

Sara Brunsvold was a new-to-me author when I happened upon her author talk at a local church. Her books are easy to devour. The pacing is great, and the characters are realistic and relatable. My favorite book is still The Divine Proverb of Streusel (because I relate to so many aspects of the story), but I enjoyed this third novel, The Atlas of Untold Stories. Each Brunsvold book is full of Midwestern charm!

What could be better than a road trip across the Midwest to explore places associated with Midwestern writers? When I was in college, I created a London-walking-tour for future Wheaton-in-England participants. It traced various sites in London associated with Charles Dickens, my then-favorite writer. I don't know if the professor I created it for ever used the materials, but it was great fun creating that guide. Sara Brunsvold peoples her Midwest road trip with a mother and two daughters, each bearing a secret kept from the others. They explore sites associated with writers like Ernest Hemingway, Langston Hughes, Frank Baum, Joan Lowery Nixon, Willa Cather, and Mark Twain (among others). With my pre-order, I secured a complimentary PDF of a "Bookish Road Trip Through America's Heartland." Although I have no desire to visit every site mentioned, I might enjoy a road trip to a few of them.

Chloe Vance has a secret she needs to share with her mother, Edie. She knows Edie will not appreciate her plans to leave for a missionary teaching stint in Prague for two years. When she cannot get the words out, she invites Edie on a 9-day road trip to visit literary sites. Edie, unsure about the trip, invites her other daughter, Lauren, to join them. As the three spend days cramped together in Chloe's yellow hot-box car, personalities present and conflict. Life is easier in books. But books also open a window of understanding for the conflicts we face.

This is a quick read. It holds equal parts character development and touring information. The reader learns about the authors, but also about the realistic conflicts that drive each woman. Family is so important. While relationships can be fraught with disappointment, they also can soothe and heal deep wounds. This is yet another Brunsvold book that dives into relational friction and the powerful healing touch of faith. 

I wish I had headed out for extensive travel (perhaps for my anniversary). Brunsvold offered a contest for people who took a small paper copy of the yellow car along on trips. Genius! Brunsvold shared on Facebook that the winner took Flat Goldie all the way to New Zealand. What a great marketing idea!

Book Review: Coming Clean - Highly Recommend

Did someone highly recommend Seth Haines' Coming Clean to me? I don't recall. Someone should have! This book, once read, demands passing along to others. It resonated to my core! 

Although it chronicles his first 90 days of sobriety, it is not merely a book for addicts. It is for anyone who has wrestled with the Lord over the pains and trials of this life. Seth paints vivid pictures of the searing despair that drove him to the bottle. Why do we seek our petty pleasures and diversions instead of allowing God to lance our wounds and heal our soul-sickness? It is easier to numb the pain than to bring it to the altar. 

And besides, pain has a way of giving rise to doubts... about God's goodness, will, presence, and purpose. It is much harder to turn to One you worry has betrayed you or abandoned you. Seth's raw honesty hit me between the eyes. It reverberated in my soul! If life has battered you, if you've sought artificial alleviations, or doubted the very One you claim to love, you need to read this book. Even better, try to find it in audio form because Seth's lyrical prose is breathtaking when read by the author.

How did I miss the buzz about this book? Coming Clean: A Story of Faith was published ten years ago and won a Christianity Today Book Award. I'm certain I wasn't ready for this book in 2015. God knew when my soul needed to hear the poetic words this author weaves about faith and forgiveness. Not only am I more familiar now with an addict's journey, but I recognize my own tendencies to wrestle with faith and seek comfort in clumsy coping mechanisms.

When Seth's infant son, Titus, fails to thrive and literally shrinks, faith and prayer feel insufficient while alcohol promises to numb the pain. He writes, "Is God with us? If faith starts as a mustard seed, maybe doubt does too.... Anyone who's felt the sting of unanswered prayer, shares the same searing question. Where did our God go?" This book is a journal of his process toward sobriety, his coming clean. He apologizes for his swirl of memories and metaphors, but that is the exact reason it packs such a powerful punch. That, and its honesty.

Seth seeks to identify the genesis of his pain and doubt. It seems to go back to a faith healer in his youth who promised God's cure for his severe asthma if he had enough faith. When the cure didn't come, his family moved on to a rigid church that shunned the miraculous and opted for personal holiness. Systems became the idol of choice. In the middle of his ruminations on the various theological approaches (and the inevitable pain they inspire), he poses this passionate question: "If you are not a people that believes in healing, what framework is there to reconcile a sick world?" Jesus didn't come for those who have it all together; He came to save sinners like me.

As Seth attempts to avoid relapse, he often relies on The Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." In brutal honesty, he observes, "If he doesn't act in accordance with our felt need, we see him as absentee, capricious, or a predestining God of sorrow." In our desperate groaning for redemption, we must submit our will to the will of God, just as Christ did in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he felt abandoned. We must forgive the kind-hearted people with their burning words, their platitudes of "it's all to bring God glory." Seth outlines his journey, "moving from doubt to belief, from drunk to sober, from prodigal to unified with the Christ of my youth." Who knows, his thoughts while coming clean might just fortify you on your journey.