This is going to sound like another shameless plug for a popular musicians' book, but I promise you it's not. While I do love Toby Mac and Michael Tait's music, their newest book, Living Under God,  stands on its own.

     I recently received this book and didn't really expect much out of it. One I read the first page, however, my mind was changed for the extreme better. This book is a Christian historians dream come true! I konw because I've been looking for a book like this! They recount all throughout history, different events but from a Christian perspective! I think since I've been so deprived of learning about God behind the history, I see this book as a light at the end of my dark and dreary tunnel. That might sound like an over the top analogy, but it's true! I was taught through the public school system so all I knew about history was that it was divided between "black" and "white" basically. What the "white" people did and what the "black" people did. This book is so refreshing because it tells the tale you know from history but with the twist of God's hand in it. It's like they interviewed the people involved and got their testimonies on what happened and how God brought them through. It's a great supplement to any history class!

     The book is ordered by date starting with the Pilgrims on the Mayflower and ending with stories from people who are still alive to this day. There is only a short retelling of the history from a godly point of view then there is another sectoni immediately following that parallels their struggle with a Bible figure. The reaction and decisions of the person from history are compared to that of the Bible figure and the godly principles those people held are brought to the forefront. After that section is a prayer guide that leads you to self-examination, repentance and prayer. I love that layout. It's so important for us as Christians to not forget our Christian borthers and sister who were here before us and held their beliefs so strongly. We need to gain wisdom from them and strength.

     This book is right on time for me as it goes hand in hand with what I've been learning about the principle approach (PA). This book seems to be written from a PA standpoint. It's like they do a character study on each person they talk about and compare that character to the character Jesus wants us to have and then make you apply it to your life. That's really the main point of PA and this book! It is truly a Godsend! (thank you, Stacy!)

     All of the stories are thought-provoking and eye-opening, but there was this one story that shocked me. When I first read it I thought it sounded like a Christian being persecuted for their faith in Jesus. When I got to the end I found out it was a racist attack on a black man that’s still alive today. What they did to him was repulsive. What struck me was that it happened in the USA, not some foreign country. It wasn’t a Muslim attacking a Christian, it was just some hateful people acting under the influence of Satan to try to make this man pay for being from a different culture. I never thought I’d get racism and persecution mixed up, but I guess they are similar. The attackers are both listening to the Devil so it doesn’t really matter who the victim is. That story just shook me. I was speechless.

     This book is one of the most important books you could have. If you’re looking for material for your high school teen to read, this is it. If you’re looking for something for you to read to teach you about your American Christian heritage, then this is it. I am so glad this book crossed my path. I highly recommend it to any parent and child over 13 (some of the stories in the book are graphic like the story that shocked me, but most of them can be read to a young child by a parent).

~ I received Living Under God from Mind and Media. I receive no income for posting this review ~

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Blessings, Violet

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