All the Places to Go . . . How Will You Know?

March 9, 2015
God provides many doors of opportunity, but how do we know which ones to walk through and which to leave shut? Instead of waiting for instructions, the answer might be as simple as choosing a door and walking through, according to Ortberg (The Life You've Always Wanted). The book's title is inspired by career advice gleaned from Dr. Seuss, and Ortberg weaves humor through his presentation. He details how people approach the doors God places in front of them (illustrations depict different styles of doors at the start of each chapter), giving tips on how to recognize them and walk through them or not. Ortberg insightfully challenges myths about what open doors mean and advises readers to be thankful for closed doors. What's behind a closed door might not be good for someone, or might require more personal or spiritual growth. Welcoming God across the threshold of the heart and asking for wisdom in making choices are the master keys to opening the door to life's blessings, Ortberg writes. Agency: Yates & Yates.

March 1, 2015

Ortberg (The Me I Want To Be; Soul Keeping), a senior pastor at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California, has written a new book that offers hope and guidance to embrace change and the unknown. The titles of his previous works are indicative of his approach: catchy, contemporary, in touch with Lewis Carroll and Sesame Street as well as modern counseling modes, yet grounded in narratives from the Old and New Testaments. His principal interest is spiritual formation, which is in some ways an ideal match for Americans today. It is less concerned with dogmatics than with the development of the self. Ortberg is adept in using his pastoral experience and knowledge of scripture to develop his argument, which stresses faith in God's invitations to Christians to move forward, into the unknown. VERDICT A mainstream Christian's approach to trusting God and improving the self; solid for church groups, pastors, and individual Christians.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.