Fishing Your Life Back Together

I'm not going to lie, I was more than a little apprehensive when my copy of "The Fourth Fisherman" by Joe Kissack came in. The cover art left a little to be desired and I thought for sure that I was going to be stuck with some sappy christian inspirational read. I'm sooo glad that I didn't judge this book by it's cover. The story follows two different narratives, the first follows the downward spiral of a successful and out of control business man who has used medication and alcohol to drown out his sorrows and childhood abuse. The second narrative follows three Mexican fisherman as they struggle for survival in the open sea. With no oars, food, nets, or supplies they rely on faith to get them through their several months lost at sea. Salvador, Jesus, and Juan never doubt their faith while the business mogul, Joe Kissack must hit rock bottom before he can once again put his faith in God. It's two inspiring stories based on true events that are intricately and divinely intertwined. It is a fast read and I would highly recommend it to everyone.

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”

As My Dad Once Said, "No dating til you're married!"

I'm not going to lie when I received this book I was filled with apprehension. The title, "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris was enough to make me hesitate. Doubts aside I did read it and when I finished I was just as skeptical as when I read the cover. Harris' thesis is that in order to be closer to God and to be true to ourselves and those around us we need to swear off dating until we're really ready to have a committed married relationship with another individual. Essentially, you can't date until you're married. Which for me is a hard concept to stomach. Joshua Harris stated many reasons that dating is corrupt and no good to us. In the text he lists the "7 Habits of Highly Defective Dating" which are as follows:

1. Dating tends to skip the friendship stage of a relationship
2. Dating often makes a physical relationship for love
3. Dating often isolates a couple from other vital relationships
4. Dating can distract young adults from their primary responsibility of preparing for the future
5. Dating can cause discontentment with God's gift of singleness
6. Dating can create an artificial environment for evaluating another person's character
7. Dating often becomes an end in itself

I don't deny that those can be problems in dating, but it is up for people to recognize and avoid those habits. I don't believe that ending dating will solve those problems. This book is interesting, but not something I would base my life on.

"I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review"