What's So Amazing About Grace? - Philip Yancey

A friend and I were talking a while back (each of us having read The Shack), and I made the comment that, personally, I struggled with the concept of grace more than any other spiritual concept. He graciously (no pun intended) suggested I re-read Galatians (I highly recommend Chapters 2 and 3), and gave me this book. I'm not even to the end yet, but it's already been a huge help to me.

I"m not going to explain this book to you. It's no secret I'm of the Christian faith, but I don't want to use this blog as a platform to preach. What I will say is that, if you're like me and struggle with the concept of law vs. grace, this is the book to read. I'll leave you with this thought:

"There is nothing we can do to make God love us more.
There is nothing we can do to make God love us less."

The Chosen One - Carol Lynch Williams

The Chosen One is the story of Kyra, a teenage girl growing up in a Polygamist sect in Utah. She has one father, three mothers, and give or take 20 siblings. Each mother lives in her own trailer with her own children, and her father travels amongst them.

One day, the Prophet calls upon her family for a visit. This is no small thing. In fact, it requires all the wives and children to be present, dressed in their Sunday best. While most of the family wonders if Father has finally been chosen to serve as an Apostle, Kyra fears that her sins have been discovered by the God Squad and her family is about to be punished severely.

As it turns out, neither is true. Rather, Kyra has been chosen. The Prophet announces that God has revealed to him that Kyra shall become the seventh wife of her 60-year old uncle. At the tender age of 13, this girl is expected to wed her own father's older brother. Kyra is devastated, and her thoughts turn to freedom from the sect.

This book is so well written that I had to remind myself time and again that it was fiction. The author is from Utah, but the book cover says nothing of a Mormon or Polygamist background. Certainly, it appears Ms. Williams has either a vivid imagination or a chilling insight into that lifestyle. I finished this book in a couple of sittings, and found myself cheering for this girl-character with each and every page. Check it out today!