Great Father’s Day Gift!

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Many Lawrencians will remember Dr. David Cook.  He taught sports psychology at KU in the 1980s and 90s and was one of the founders of Grace Evangelical Presbyterian Church.  Now he has a book out titled Golf’s Sacred Journey.  It’s a self-help book written in the style of a novel.  A young tour pro is about to call it quits when he finds an unlikely cowboy mentor on a dusty golf course in tiny Utopia, TX.  Now I’m not a golfer, so I wasn’t expecting much when I read it, frankly.  However, I found it to be a fascinating read with spot-on advice for living life to the fullest.  Every golfer will love it and want extra copies to give away to friends.  At Signs of Life, we stocked up, not only because we know all of David’s personal friends will want a copy, but because we believe this book might be the next big thing.  With endorsements by David’s former clients David Robinson and Stan Utley, as well as Zig Ziglar, Tom Lehman, Max Lucado and others, you know it will generate great interest!

Oh, and another special thing about this one, it has a hole in it - from the front cover clear through the text.  Reminds me of a board book we used to read to the kids.  order here

Here’s the kind of phone conversation you might overhear at Signs of Life:

Hey Mom, it’s me.

Yeah, school’s good.  Everything’s really good.  I mean . . .  I met this girl . . .  Her name’s Nicole and she’s in my Chemistry class.  We’ve been hangin’ out a lot together and it’s been really cool.

(sheepishly) Yes mom, she’s cute.  I think so, anyway.  But she’s really smart too!  She’s got like a 4.0 in premed.

You know, just hangin’ out . . . goin’ to movies and stuff.  And we spend a lot of time at this cool place called Signs of Life.  It’s a cafe and bookstore and art gallery.  In fact I’m there right now waiting for her . . .

Yeah, she goes to church.  In fact, we’ve been going to church together.  I’ve really been getting into it.

I can’t wait for you to meet her Mom.  She’s so cool.  I think you’ll really like her.  I mean, besides being pretty and smart and everything, she’s so easy to talk to.  We talk about literally everything.  And Mom, she does the kindest things for people, you wouldn’t believe it - it’s so cool.  She kinda reminds me of you in that regard.  Mom, are you there?  Oh, you didn’t say anything so I was afraid I lost you.

So anyway, I was hoping Nicole could come visit over the break.  Really?  That’s so cool - thanks Mom.

Mom . . . I think she might be “the one”.  Mom?  Are you there?  I said I think she might be the one.

How long have I known her?  About 6 weeks, I guess.  No, we’re not gonna rush into anything, Mom.  No, we’re taking it easy, just getting to know each other.  It’s OK Mom.  How long did you and Dad know each other before you “knew”?  (sly smile) Uh-huh, I thought so.  And so 30 years later your telling me to slow down?  OK, Mom.

How are Dad and sis?  OK, great.  Oh, here’s Nicole - I gotta go.  See you next week.

Oh and Mom, Happy Mothers Day!  I love you Mom.

‘K.  Bye.

I read a children’s book this weekend. I didn’t really intend to - I thought it was just a Christian fantasy novel. Two paragraphs into it I thought, this seems to be written for young readers. So I checked again. Nope, right there on the back it was categorized as “fiction/fantasy/general”. Back to reading. A couple of pages in and I was sure it was YAL (young adult literature), but I didn’t care. Author Alister McGrath had me hooked. That’s right, I was reading the work of Alister McGrath, professor of theology at King’s College, London and one of today’s leading theologians and Christian thinkers.

What McGrath has done in The Aedyn Chronicles: Chosen Ones is write a very readable, very entertaining knockoff of C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Two siblings find themselves transported to a fantasy land where evil powers must be deposed by the fair strangers of ancient prophesy. No talking animals, or Christ/Lion here, though.   Aedyn is more like our own world than Narnia, though a bit more mystical than Oxford. And the Aedyn Chronicles (at least this first installment) are more explicit in their Christian message. If you have youngsters who enjoyed Narnia, it’s a pretty safe bet they will like the Aedyn Chronicles too!

Purchase here.

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Were you aware that there are always books on sale for half price at Signs of Life? Currently one of our half-price books is Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore.  This New York Times best seller recounts the incredible true story of a modern-day slave and an international art dealer bound together by a dying woman’s faith. Will Ron, the art dealer, be able to embrace Denver, who’s been homeless for almost 20 years? Will Denver learn to trust a white man? There’s pain and laughter, doubt and tears, and in the end a triumphant story.

Sorry, the half price deal is not available on line.  But you can see more in our online store here.

Now serving hot soup!

I liked Paul Johnson’s Churchill before I ever started reading it.  The four cover photos of the great man taken from various phases of his life remind you that this is no ordinary life being documented - world class journalist, soldier, statesman, and artist are all alluded to in the photos.  And of course, just to see the two names “Churchill” and “Paul Johnson” on the same cover should be sufficient enticement to dive in.

This is a slim volume - under 200 pages.  Many have attempted to write exhaustive biographies, but what Johnson offers us is more like a sketch - all the outlines are there, but many of the details are left to the imagination.  I especially appreciated Johnson’s various summaries of aspects of Churchill’s life, e.g. ten reasons to answer in the affirmative the question whether Churchill singlehandedly saved Britain in WWII, or five lessons to learn from the life of Churchill.

Paul Johnson has a well-deserved reputation as a master of historical analysis.  His book credits include Modern Times and A History of the American People.  This volume on Churchill can do nothing but enhance that reputation.  The very next book I want to read is Johnson’s very latest:  Jesus:  A Biography from a Believer.

Order Churchill here.

This winter has been brutal. It’s time for a bit of floral relief! While the first crocuses and daffodils are still weeks away, you’ll be able to see some magnificent botanical images in our newest show.

Starting Friday, March 5th and running through April, Signs of Life will present a botanical show in the South Gallery. This show includes the work of a dozen of our favorite artists, plus a few people new to Signs of Life. We collected some verdant new work and augmented it with florals from our inventory to offer you a beautiful early spring bouquet.

Artists include Justin Augsburg, Mary Clinkenbeard, Jeremiah Colona-Romano, Donna Dennis *, Wayne Forte, Mary Jane Grinter*, Paul Hodvedt, Diane Lawrence*, Krista McClenahan*, Doug Osa, Paul Powis, Mark Weber, Shannon White, Chris Willey, and James Winn. (asterisk denotes artist is new to our gallery).

Visit our gallery site for more info.

Last May we reviewed the first book in Andrew Klavan’s “Homelanders” suspense series for teens, The Last Thing I Remember.  Our main point was, if you have a teen who’s not that into reading, this might be your entree.

The second book in the series, The Long Way Home, has just been released and it doesn’t disappoint.  Charlie West is an 18-year-old fugitive with a one year gap in his memory during which time he is supposed to have murdered his ex-best friend, escaped from prison, then from a domestic terrorist organization, the Homelanders.  In this installment Charlie returns to his hometown to sleuth out what really happened.  He teams up with his old high-school buddies and the cute girl who claims they fell in love during the missing year.  Along the way he grapples with issues of right and wrong, human nature, and what is really real.

Andrew Klavan was an award-winning author of adult crime novels before converting to Christianity.  He brings to his young adult stories a high level of craft not usually seen in this genre.  That is why we are confident that your teenager will read - and enjoy - this series.

Don’t miss the New Show!

Opening reception Friday, Jan 22 from 7 to 10 pm. Click here for a preview.