Rob Seabrook

Rob Seabrook

Author of Beneath the Tamarisk Tree

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Category: Christian Poetry

The Songs of a Sinner – Norm Cairns

This is a short collection of poems, mostly written in the form of sonnets, inspired by the author’s faith. Some is based on Biblical…

He Is Faithful in Every Season – Julia Rose

A lovely selection of uplifting poems, with each one encouraging the reader to reach into a deeper relationship with God. Some are like Psalms,…

The Artist’s Page – Debra Rufini

For all creatives, whether artists, writers or performers, it is so encouraging to have others adore our works. It may not be the reason…

Touch The Earth – Drew Jackson

This is a truly powerful collection of poems, thought provoking, poignant and hard hitting. There is an honesty in the writing that cuts through…

Generation Care – Peter Coates

Kindness seems to have been a topic of conversation over recent years, but in my view there is still not enough evidence that the…

Initiate : A Journey Begun – Neil Axtell

It has been a privilege to see a preview manuscript of this collection of poems, whilst it is going through the latter stages of…

Hearing God in Poetry – Richard Harries

It should be no surprise that poetry is an ideal artform through which to worship God. Large parts of the Bible are written in…

Amazing – Simon Ponsonby

I have never been a big fan of poetry. I studied it a long time ago at school but was never very inspired by…

Recent Reads

  • Where the Light Fell – Philip Yancey
  • Understanding Trauma – Dr Steve Midgley
  • Just Benny – Alex Banwell
  • Bound by Blood – Shawn D Brink
  • The Folded Lie – Mary Graf
  • Finding Jesus in the Wilderness – Rachel Yarworth
  • Keep On Keeping On – Mark Rutland
  • Nun’s Drift – Sheila Jacobs
  • The Grace Note – Jaqi Anderson
  • And the Truth Shall Set You Free – Nikki Nhyira

rob_seabrook

Author of Beneath the Tamarisk Tree, a fictional take on the miraculous story of the Penitent Thief. Christian book reviews.

BOOK REVIEW - Where the Light Fell by @philipyance BOOK REVIEW - Where the Light Fell by @philipyanceyofficial 

Philip's book, What's So Amazing About Grace, is one of the first Christian books I read. A classic that opens up truths about the love of God and His immense and abundant grace.

Reading now about Philip's childhood and upbringing, it seems to me to be truly miraculous that he even made it through, let alone being able to write such depths of faith. It makes that book even more poignant and powerful.

The Christian fundamentalism that surrounded his childhood and teenage years I find frightening. The institutionalised racism, misogyny and basic lack of love, on the surface at least, appears abhorrent when judged by our current attitudes and standards. Maybe this is an unfair judgement to make? However, it seemed to lead to disfunction in the family, emotional abuse and a pushing away from faith (sadly faith getting mixed up with religion).

You could argue that the fundamentalism resulted in Philip being intellectually challenged, and without this challenge and working out the truths about God, we may never have gained from his wisdom. To say that God works for good in all circumstances I hope is not cold comfort, because the physical and emotional pain was real and harsh, and should not be belittled.

This book will help us to see through the clutter, falsehoods and religiosity that can work to keep us from God's truths. I pray you read it so that it will also help you to question and seek truths for yourself. And don’t miss Philip’s other great writing too.

Reading this book also makes me question our (society's) attitude to the importance of parenting. So often, psychologists, psychiatrists, councillors and even faith healers will, for the right reasons, dissect someone’s childhood as being the root cause of so many issues. So often people survive life despite their upbringing, rather than because of it...

Read the full review at www.robseabrook.com (link in Bio).

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I had the pleasure of taking part in the recording I had the pleasure of taking part in the recording of a podcast for the lovely team at @ctvc.ltd , discussing the topic of repentance, inspired by the story of St Dismas (The Penitent Thief) who was crucified next to Jesus.

He was the inspiration behind me writing my novel Beneath The Tamarisk Tree - more details on the novel at www.robseabrook.com

We had a lovely discussion about how redemption plays out in our lives and how the thief’s story of repentance can inspire those in search of hope and transformation.

Do have a listen to the podcast at www.thingsunseen.co.uk or search for the Things Unseen podcast on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from.

#christian #biblical @mdpublishing @michaelemmettofficial @dismasministry
BOOK REVIEW - Understanding Trauma by Dr Steve Mid BOOK REVIEW - Understanding Trauma by Dr Steve Midgley

With the particular focus on helping us as churches to understand how trauma can affect individuals, this is a practical resource that will help us to see how we can support sufferers.

It is especially ideal for pastors, elders, leaders and those in ministry, as it will help them to understand what trauma is and how it affects people, including their experience of church, so that we can lovingly support them.

The author, Dr Steve Midgley, trained as a psychiatrist before later being ordained and serving as a vicar, as well as being an experienced Counsellor, allowing him to offer both a professional and a Biblical perspective on the topic.

I often remind myself that everyone has a story, a set of experiences and circumstances that have led to them being the person they are today. The important thing for them to know is that the person they are, warts and all, is known and loved by God. Our role as the church is to reflect that love and wholly accept them, whilst doing all we can to help, heal, nurture and build them up.

The church is in a privileged situation to help people who suffer with trauma. The Church is relational, a community where individuals can rediscover their identity in Christ, know their value and be accepted for who they are. Churches are places of fellowship and community, environments where people can find genuine acceptance without judgement. Or they should be. They need to be.

This book is very much an introduction to the topic, showing how the church can be wholly accepting and able to put in place some practical measures to support those who are experiencing the effects of trauma.

See more reviews of Christian books at www.robseabrook.com

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, but was under no pressure to provide a favourable review.

#bookstagram #bookreview #bookblogger #newbooks #christianbookstagram #instareads #christianbooks #newchristianbooks #christian #biblical #recentreads @thegoodbookcompanyuk @thegoodbookcompanyusa @thegoodbookau
BOOK REVIEW - Just Benny by Alex Banwell Just Ben BOOK REVIEW - Just Benny by Alex Banwell

Just Benny is a story of reconciliation, and how the power of love can break in to repair brokenness, especially in relationships. Initially the characters discover love in their own strength, then later on the main character finds a deeper reconciliation driven by relationship with Jesus.

The story is of a boy called Benny, who suffers from epilepsy. He is endlessly protected by his mother, who stifles him with love. His father is disappointed by him, unable to bring himself to accept him or his illness. His sister is the glue who seems to hold them together, despite the impact he has had on her own childhood. And then at school he is an easy target for the bullies, especially when his seizures offer them so much easy ammunition.

Benny has zero self-esteem, immense insecurities and he and all those around him define him by his illness. He sees himself as being wholly unlovable.

But Benny finds strength to persist, perhaps reflecting the in-built urge to find love that is in us all. He finds a way to repair the relationship with his father who ultimately also digs deep to come to terms with the situation. Benny also finds strength and becomes the catalyst in repairing the relationships between his friends and their families, especially through his friendship with an older teenage girl who despises her own difficult circumstances. His developing love for her and her baby daughter is heart-warming to see, and brings healing to her.

It is also a story of innocent romance, with these two seemingly mis-matched characters becoming close, initially due to them both being rejected by their own families. They find that care for each other is so valuable and it grows into a genuine love.

In the end …

Read the full review at www.robseabrook.com (link in Bio).

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, but was under no pressure to provide a favourable review.

#bookstagram #bookreview #bookblogger #christianbookstagram #instareads #christianbooks #christian #christianbooksstore #christianfiction #recentreads #christianbookclubs @broadplacepublishing
BOOK REVIEW - Bound by Blood, by @shawn.brink2 F BOOK REVIEW - Bound by Blood, by @shawn.brink2 

Firstly, let me address the issue of the genre that this book finds itself in, that of 'Christian horror', as I am not sure it is truly pitching it right. The book tells the story of a demonic cult who pitch themselves against a Christian church in a battle over the town. A brother goes against his twin, and the angels and demons take their sides.

So yes, it has content about the dark side of spirituality, in the same way that the books of Frank Peretti and Wendy Alec do. But in no way does it glorify that dark side, nor does it aim to entertain the reader with gore, haunting or shock. It uses the dark effectively to show the power of the light. To highlight the victory. It has none of the gratuitous content that one may associate with a “horror” story.

It is fast paced, full of suspense, maybe not a relaxing read but certainly entertaining in the same way that riding a roller-coaster is enormous fun. It is a powerful story of spiritual warfare, in the heart of a typical community that harbours both sides of the spiritual divide.

It is tense, scary, adrenalin inducing and the underlying message highlights the pull that the darker side of life can have, and the desperate lies that are presented to make it seem attractive, but despite the lies that our human nature is drawn to, there is a spiritual dimension that is more powerful.

See more reviews of Christian books at www.robseabrook.com (link in Bio),

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, but was under no pressure to provide a favourable review.

#bookstagram #bookreview #bookblogger #newbooks #christianbookstagram #instareads #christianbooks #christian #christianfiction #recentreads #christianbookclubs
BOOK REVIEW - The Folded Lie by Mary Graf Fraud a BOOK REVIEW - The Folded Lie by Mary Graf

Fraud and scams can happen to anyone, whoever we are, whatever our beliefs and however clever or educated we think we are, and it is the victims who are often the ones left with extreme shame and guilt.

Ironically, in this story, it is a media literate teacher, who thinks the influence that mass media spreads through our culture, and the motives and methods employed, make us all victims of a global scam on humanity. But despite her expertise, experience and simple gut-instincts, her husband still falls victim of an elaborate and convincing scam.

It is an interesting read, as it presents both side of this extravagant scam, defrauding a businessman and his family out of his life savings. It shows the sort of lengths a con artist will go to, with high levels of sophistication to cover their tracks, as well as the sort of circumstances that combine to draw people in. I found myself asking if the driving force is the same greed on both sides of the equation?

There is a fairly light touch of faith through the book, although the fraudsters use it at one point as a way of gaining trust, faking shared beliefs to encourage empathy. A strategy that to me echoed Jesus's temptation in the desert, and a deception that believers need to have discernment over.

The story shows the similarity between complicated frauds and video games, how the web of complicated story lines, plot and characters can drag you in to become embroiled, seduced perhaps. But certainly manipulated and deceived.

There is an underlying theme of whether improved education, especially in the area of media literacy, would help people be more informed, more questioning and hence less likely to be caught by scams. Above all I came away knowing that we need discernment more than ever, as scams are increasingly all around us.

See www.robseabrook.com for more reviews of Christian books.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, but was under no pressure to provide a favourable review.

#bookstagram #bookreview #bookblogger #newbooks #christianbookstagram #instareads #christianbooks #newchristianbooks #christian #christianfiction @thefoldedlie
BOOK REVIEW - Finding Jesus in the Wilderness by @ BOOK REVIEW - Finding Jesus in the Wilderness by @rachelyarworthwriter 

For those who find themselves in the midst of a wilderness season, who need a dose of friendly encouragement, some truths spoken over them and some spiritual guidance, then this is a balm.

There are 40 daily reflections that will help the reader to see how being in a wilderness does not exclude you from being close to Jesus. In fact it is a comfort to know that He was there first. Each of the 40 short chapters takes a key Bible verse and unpacks it sensitively, allowing the reader to explore the issues. So the structure will work well as a daily study for the Lent season, but equally it should be a resource to dip into whenever needed.

Rachel is very honest about her own situation, feeling in the midst of a wilderness season when writing this book. Hence why it is written with such deep empathy, care and compassion, full of kindness and gentleness.

Rachel writes this Bible study with skill, taking the passages, telling the story and setting the context, then drawing out relevant learning points for the reader. Points that will resonate and speak into the readers lives. Readers will be blessed by each chapter but will no doubt find at least one or two that speak specifically into their own experiences or current situation, that will bring life and encouragement...

Read the full review at www.robseabrook.com (link in Bio).

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, but was under no pressure to provide a favourable review.

#bookstagram #bookreview #bookblogger #newbooks #christianbookstagram #instareads #christianbooks #newchristianbooks #christian #biblical #christianbooksstore #recentreads
BOOK REVIEW - Keep On Keeping On by Mark Rutland BOOK REVIEW - Keep On Keeping On by Mark Rutland

"This book is not for the young," Mark Rutland declares, jokingly. He is right, kind of. It is for the older generation to read and digest, but it does no harm for us younger folk to prepare ourselves, so that we can carry the right attitude in our latter years, just in case.

This is pitched as a “laugh-out-loud handbook on how to embrace perpetual youth”, fulfilling that promise pretty effectively. It is packed with sound advice on how to correctly align our attitudes and behaviours when in our latter years. Why should we stop following the path of Jesus when we get older?

We probably know, I hope, many great older people in our families, communities and congregations but perhaps we also can think of one or two we have come across who could do with reading this book?

It is seasoned with a plethora of stories from Mark’s experience as a church pastor, told with much humour, highlighting the points well. It is very much the craft of a good preacher. Overall it shares an enormous depth of wisdom, a chance to learn from an wise man and carry this wisdom through life. It may be wisdom that disguises itself as common sense when we read it, without realising how uncommon common sense can often be.

It will be a helpful read for people in their later years, but equally for those of us who are just a little bit off our later years. After all, it is inevitable that most of us will get there, so we may as well face that time of our life equipped by the wisdom of others.

See more reviews of Christian books at www.robseabrook.com (link in Bio).

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, but was under no pressure to provide a favourable review.

#bookstagram #bookreview #bookblogger #newbooks #christianbookstagram #instareads #christianbooks #newchristianbooks #christian #christianbooksstore #recentreads #christianbookclubs @charismahousebooks @drmarkrutland
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