Book Review: Double Minds

Book Review: Double Minds
Written by Terri Blackstock
Reviewed by Nike Chillemi –

In Double Minds, there’s a lot of deceit going on in the Nashville Christian recording community — even murder. Here’s a novel in which author Terri Blackstock doesn’t shy away from presenting Christian characters with all their warts.

Songwriter/singer Parker James, who’s day job is a receptionist position at Colgate Studios is stunned when a young college intern turns up murdered at her desk. Parker wonders if she was the intended victim, but can’t figure why that would be. As it turns out Parker’s brother Gibson is one of the detectives in charge of the murder investigation.

Gibson who moonlights as a studio musician is getting it from both ends. The chief of police wants to remove him from the investigation because the murder happened at his sister’s place of employment. Most annoying to Gibson, his little sister Parker keeps sticking her nose into the investigation.

I enjoyed the character of Parker James as crafted by the author. Her internal conflicts come across as authentic. Parker, totally sold out to the Lord, struggles with desires all Christians face. She’d like to make something of herself, yet she’s been asked to water down some of her Christian lyrics. Since the Christian singing sensation asking her to change the title song into a romantic love story is her best friend, Parker complies. The Lord moves in mysterious ways. The change in lyrics helps to pinpoint the exact time the murder victim broke into Parker’s laptop and stole the previous, Christian version of the song. Who says God’s not in charge?

In Double Minds the reader is introduced to the not-so-lovely side of the Christian recording industry. There is theft of intellectual property (Parker’s songs), a singer starving herself to present the sleek image her manager and producer want her to have, inventive ways to get around the laws against payola, rumor mongering, and murder. Of course, there are wonderful Christian characters walking with the Lord throughout this novel as well.

The character of Serene, the Christian contemporary music star is less than sympathetic. We’re given a glimpse of her abusive upbringing, but that never compensated for her narcissism and manipulative behavior. Perhaps the reader could have used a more in depth look at Serene’s early relationship with her abusive father in order to have more compassion for this character. At any rate, I was happy that after being the victim of a shooting near the end of the novel, this character decides she wants to live and not kill herself slowly via anorexia.

Perhaps the brightest aspect of this novel is the portrayal of the Parker family. With all of its flaws (the alcoholism of the father being one), led by a godly mother, the family members demonstrate powerful love for each other. They pray together, stick together, and have each other’s backs; even the hard drinking patriarch, as much as he can. I appreciated the very real portrayal of Christians and the impact they have on the lives of others in this novel.

Hair Peace

By Rhonda Rhea –

Have you ever gone to a lot of trouble to get the perfect hair look? You gel, tease, mousse, iron, spray—everything just short of taking it to the kiln at the ceramic shop for a good firing. You finally get the exact hair look you’re going for, then you take your hand mirror and back up to the bathroom mirror only to find a frightening hair disturbance in your blind spot. Some call it a hurricane; it’s a giant swirly with a large eye. As a mother of five, I’ve often let my kids wonder if I had eyes in the back of my head, but I honestly never wanted any evidence.

The other day I found a major meteorological occurrence in the hand mirror. It started in the northernmost hair regions and moved slowly but steadily to the south, wreaking hair destruction and devastation all along the path of the storm. No doubt a category five. Maybe we would call that a “hair-icane.” Okay, maybe not. But how in the world can I keep my head when my hair is gusting at break-neck speed? Time to board it up and put the whole mess in a ponytail?

It happens in life, too. Everything is going fine. Clear with only scattered challenges. Then suddenly a storm sneaks up on you from behind. It’s one of those high pressure systems that develops without much warning. Before you know it, blast the storm sirens, you’re in the middle of a giant swirly.

Those kinds of disturbances happen to everyone at some time or another. Thankfully, we have a Savior who gives us peace in the midst of the storm. As we trust Him, He can speak the words “Peace, be still” into every life and into every situation. It may not necessarily evade the hair instabilities, and it won’t necessarily make the storms go away, but it can certainly help us weather out the struggle. Every struggle. His peace is all we need to make it through.

So don’t be surprised when a swirly struggle hits. No need to have blind spots, spiritually speaking. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you” (NIV). You can keep your head if your mind is fixed on Jesus and your heart is fully relying on and trusting in Him.

Let His peace rule and your day will feel so much sunnier. In every atmospheric condition.

And in every shampoo and condition too.

Rhonda Rhea is a radio personality, conference speaker, humor columnist and author of seven books, including High Heels in High Places and her newest book, Whatsoever Things Are Lovely: Must-Have Accessories for God’s Perfect Peace. You can find out more at www.RhondaRhea.org.

How Beautiful

By Kathy Carlton Willis –

When praise songs sing of Christ’s beauty, the words draw me in to imagine just how beautiful Jesus must have been while on this earth, and how beautiful He is to me today. And when I am drawn to a beautiful Christian, it is their radiant glow (which must be reflecting the beauty of Christ) that attracts me. Physical features fade in comparison. I want to be with a person who cherishes the Lord in a personal way!

I think this is what also draws me to Jesus. He is the one who can bring me to the Father. While on this Earth, He was completely focused on what the will of the Father was for His life. He knew what His purpose was—His special design. I gravitate toward believers who know what God wants for their lives; those willing to sacrifice everything else in pursuit of godly direction.

How beautiful is the sweet glow of mercy on the face of Jesus. How special are the arms held open wide, to welcome me to His side. How piercing are His eyes, penetrating me with His love and understanding. The mouth of Jesus shares both laughter and smiles of contentment. His Words beckon me.

I desire to worship Jesus in all of His beauty. We often forget how to truly worship. May we make our adoration known to Him. We must not hold back for fear of intimacy! Only when we are drawn to Him can we know Him. When we are drawn to new friends in Christ, we must drop our walls of inhibition to really know and be known of them. Equally so, when we seek Jesus, we must throw aside any weight that hinders our journey, and run to Him.

I can scarcely fathom what it will be like when I see my Savior face to face. How overjoyed will I be, yet how humbled! I am determined not to wait for my heavenly graduation to worship Jesus.

QUOTE: “Oh, come let us adore Him!” —Songwriter, John Wade c. 1743

“Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord,” (Psalm 89:15 NLT).

Today’s devotion is by Kathy Carlton Willis, worshipper, wife to Russ, editor, publicist, certified CLASSeminars speaker and faculty member. Kathy Carlton Willis Communications encompasses her many passions. Kathy’s tagline wraps it all up—Light & Lively: His Reflection/Her Laughter. Schedule Kathy for a speaking event or contact her firm for promotional assistance. KCWC gets jazzed shining the light on God’s writers and speakers.

Rooted in Christ

By Carin LeRoy –

For years I grew African Violets, collecting them in every color—pink, violet, lavender and purple. I loved seeing their tiny delicate flowers bloom. Because African Violets are fussy plants, it took time for me to learn how to encourage good growth. They need constant care. Too much water rots their roots, while too little makes them wither and die. Bump them, and you break their brittle stems. The right amount of filtered light helps them flourish, and they like a constant temperature range—not too hot or cold. The right amount of fertilizer encourages dark leaves while too much burns them.

One day I wondered what caused the difference between two of my plants. I found that the plant that had copious blooms was root-bound. The one without many blossoms wasn’t. Plenty of dirt and the plant became comfortable. Without a strong root system it didn’t have the ability to provide generous flowers. But when the roots were squeezed tightly in the pot, the result was a bountiful, colorful display.

That reminds me of our lives as Christians. When life is easy, we tend to coast through life. Others might not see much growth in our spiritual walk. When life is hard, we have a need to rely on God to get us through. When we feel squeezed with the pressure of hard times, God has the ability to teach and prune us. He begins to develop strong roots of faith in our life as we learn to trust Him. When those lessons are learned, we bloom. Others begin to see the beauty of change in our lives.

I believe God allows hard times because we may not learn the lessons He has for us any other way. It is during those difficulties that we become pliable and willing to learn and change. Just as I cared for my African Violets to encourage their flowers, God lovingly cares for us. He desires us to bloom and become a sweet fragrance for Christ. He wants us to bear fruit for Him. If you are facing a difficulty, let it be a time when God can grow strong roots of faith in your heart. Trust Him. Soon you will see beautiful blooms of growth in your life.

PRAYER: Lord, give me strong roots of faith in my heart as I learn to trust You through hard times. Keep me mindful that You are working in my life to help me grow and bear fruit for You.

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love, you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and thus know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3: 17-19 NET).

Today’s devotional is by Carin LeRoy, wife to Dale and mother of three grown children and one almost-grown teenager. She has been a missionary with Pioneers since 1982. Her passions are family, missions, piano, and writing to challenge others to live faithful lives for God.

Final Note

By Caro Jackson –

Our trip is over but one of the best ways to end it was spending a night at Palo Dura Canyon in the Panhandle near Canyon, Texas. We left a day early and were sad because we weren’t able to spend a couple of days with the major portion of Front Street. We set out for the first time in two cars as I was following Don home for a change and not riding in the passenger seat. We left at 6:30 a.m., just as the eastern sky was getting light, and headed south toward Alamosa with only one small pass to cross. May I just say that any pass in total fog makes me feel as though I am driving off the edge of the world. La Veta Pass was shrouded in a fog that I can only compare with an old Sherlock Holmes movie and I had no idea whether I was following anyone. Breaking out into the light of day was a gift from above.

The remainder of the day was spent with a book on tape where I almost resented Don calling to check in with me! But I did insist that we take the slight detour and head to Palo Dura for our stop that night. We were practically the only campers there, so we got an awesome spot in one of the areas. Now,  a slight cold front had come through and the air was very chilly—unusually so for August—but we were happy to have it. Along with the cool front came the clouds, which, of course, meant that the sunset would be a nonissue on the bright orange and red cliffs surrounding us. This was almost a slap in the face of my artistic endeavors! We made the drive around the park catching some of the vistas with the camera, and lo and behold the sun came out and the colors of the cliffs and the shadows strengthened, and my final day was rewarded with eye popping oranges and reds contrasted with bright greens, a result of recent rains. We relished the last rays of the day reminiscing about the last two months but looking forward to returning home and family. We arose early before the sunrise and departed with the first rays of the morning coming up behind us. I should have stayed for that part of the day, but the pull of home was strong, and besides, I had to finish this book before I got home or I would have to sit in the car until I did!

Having finally unpacked the trailer and mowed the head high grass in Doss and having traded in one car and a truck for a new truck, I headed to Fort Worth to help with Caroline (such a sacrifice) as she was under the weather. Wade had just finished a 60+ race in Wichita Falls, Blair was out of town and coming home sick as well, and Ann had been on grandmother duty overtime. Caroline will be one year old tomorrow and has totally stolen my heart, because she is a “people” now and we have rolled on the floor, read the same page on one book over and over, been to the zoo, and shared squashed banana together. What more could I ask for? Roaming the countryside is a gift for the eye, but holding my granddaughter and seeing her smile is a gift to the heart. We are blessed with great friends and great families. God is indeed good!

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