Living the Questions: Making Sense of the Mess and Mystery of Life

Rating:
Summary: An Awesome Read!
Review: Anyone who has ever listened to Carolyn's music knows that she has a depth to her Christian faith and an introspection which would be remarkable for someone twice her age. Even knowing that, I was surprised by how well this book was written and how obvious it is that Carolyn has given her heart and soul to this book. She discusses her childhood, her life growing into an adult, and her career as a singer and relates them to how her faith has progressed through the time. If you're even a casual C.A. fan, read this! It will make you think, and you'll realize just how much depth there is to this remarkable woman!

Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended!
Review: As a fan of Carolyn Arends' folk/pop music for the last 4-5 years, I've always appreciated her gift for turning a clever phrase and crafting intelligent lyrics that plunge far deeper than most in Christian music. Of course, that's no guarantee that she could pull off a good book, but Carolyn has done just that -- and more. "Living the Questions" is one of the better books I've read in a long time, and I recommend it without hesitation. Written in a style reminiscent of Philip Yancey ("What's So Amazing About Grace?", "The Jesus I Never Knew"), Carolyn's publishing debut is a terrific read. You won't stop turning the pages as you walk the journey of faith with Carolyn -- a journey that's not always pretty but is, in this case, always gut-wrenchingly honest and vulnerable. Carolyn shares her highest highs and her lowest lows, including her doubts -- doubts that most of us share if we're honest with ourselves -- about God, His mysterious ways, and even His apparent absence when we wallow, like Job, in the muck of grief, despair and loneliness. The lure of Carolyn's book is that it doesn't neatly resolve life's toughest issues with pat answers, but despite -- and even because of -- these unresolved mysteries, her faith grows that much stronger. As a result, so did mine -- as will anyone's who reads this book. A must for your library, and a great gift for anyone serious about their Christian faith.

Rating:
Summary: Life is a mystery
Review: Carolyn definitely has a gift. She is able to share her life with us and its relation to God. It doesn't provide all the answers, but great insite from someone who has lived her life. Life is a mystery. Just asking the questions, leave us with a feeling that there are answers and faith in God can reveal them. I recommend it to anyone to help them understand their life and relationship with God.

Rating:
Summary: Mysteriously Powerful
Review: Carolyn is a writer, a terrific writer. God has gifted this woman with a remarkable ability to illustrate ideas that very few writers can illustrate. I do not listen to a great deal of Christian music and so I am not familiar with her albums, but this book left me thinking that this woman is ruggedly tender and understanding. If you are looking for a self-help book, look elsewhere, if you are looking for a friend to take a journey with, this book makes pleasant company.

Rating:
Summary: Anne Lamott Meets Phillip Yancey
Review: Carolyn's music has always asked the questions and done so eloquently. Oh me, of little faith...I still figured she must've had a collaborator on this project.

A few days ago, my wife and I saw Carolyn perform some of her music and read portions from this new book. She was poignant and humble, funny and quick-witted, and she answered questions from the audience with the same honesty and vocabulary of the book.

This book's for real. And that's the point...

Carolyn lets her questions and struggles rise to the surface, lets us see her fears and failures and the way she's dealt with God in regards to such things. Through humorous and heart-touching chapters, she peels back the facade so many feel pressured to live behind, and shows us that God can handle our doubts. No, the answers may not always come easily, but the lines of communication are not disconnected by our struggles.

I've read Anne Lamott--who, due to her harsher upbringing, may be more than a little shockingly honest for most Christians--and have enjoyed Phillip Yancey's writing, too. Carolyn Arends finds a happy medium by delivering road-tested wisdom in an always reverent manner.

"Living the Questions" is a rare gem in a world of syrupy feel-goods and fakey Pharisee smiles. Here, the real Answer shines through.

Rating:
Summary: a great book
Review: I love this book. I laughed out loud many times, and also shed a few tears. It is challenging and comforting. I have bought several extra copies, I want all my friends to read it!!

Rating:
Summary: A Christian recording artist's take on life
Review: Singer/songwriter Carolyn Arends shows her versatility by authoring this book, and a fine first effort it is. Similar ground has been covered before by others (Philip Yancey, John Fischer, etc.) but Carolyn writes from the perspective of her own life experiences. Questions and doubts are part of any honest Christian's life, and Arends shares honestly about the uncertainties and fears in her own life, as an artist, wife, and mother. She shows much promise as an author, and it will be interesting to see her growth in this area over the years (although I'm afraid I'll have to pass on her next book, since it is geared toward pregnant women!!)

Rating:
Summary: An Awesome Read!
Review: There are times when you finish reading a book not because you want to, but more out of a feeling that you "have to." Then there are those books that you don't want to end. Each page keeps getting better and better, leaving you wanting more.

"Living the Questions: Making Sense of the Mess and Mystery of Life," is such a book. Carolyn Arends' writing is poignant, tender and funny. She is an incredible story teller and has a way of making her story, her journey, seem very much like your own. Each story will leave you saying, "Wow," or "Incredible," under your breath. I don't think "gifted writer" is a fitting description of Carolyn's talents. Somehow even those words don't live up to the depth and breadth of Carolyn's abilities.

I finished this book in two days and promptly got copies for several friends and relatives. This is a book that you immediately want to buy for someone else. Once you read it, you'll understand what I mean. And when you finish it you'll be telling others...

"It's an awesome read!"

Rating:
Summary: You'll find yourself in these pages
Review: This book was the right message at the right time in my life. If you've ever experienced the "mess and mystery of life" and asked "Where is God in this?!" or if you're like me, "Okay, God, what in the world was I supposed to learn from that?!"... you'll find a kindred spirit in these pages.

The tone of the book is so far from 10 ways to fix your life, or why aren't you more spiritual... More like - here's some of the mess and mystery I've encountered, and these are the questions I'm asking. Let me share what I'm learning through all of this - surprise! There's beauty to be found amidst the chaos! She expresses herself so beautifully, I agree with the other reviewer, I wanted to read more.

Rating:
Summary: You'll find yourself in these pages
Review: This book was the right message at the right time in my life. If you've ever experienced the "mess and mystery of life" and asked "Where is God in this?!" or if you're like me, "Okay, God, what in the world was I supposed to learn from that?!"... you'll find a kindred spirit in these pages.

The tone of the book is so far from 10 ways to fix your life, or why aren't you more spiritual... More like - here's some of the mess and mystery I've encountered, and these are the questions I'm asking. Let me share what I'm learning through all of this - surprise! There's beauty to be found amidst the chaos! She expresses herself so beautifully, I agree with the other reviewer, I wanted to read more.