Terry Esau

NCLA Review -Daily, for 30 days, Terry Esau prayed, “Surprise me, Lord.” He published the results in a book of that name. It then occurred to him that receiving was only half the process, so he prayed to “be the surprise.” The tales of what ensued, of how God used him in often astonishing ways, make this a very uplifting book. Esau used to write jingles for commercials—which may explain his zany approach to life. At first I thought this was just a lightweight casual read. But in insights that impacted him along the way I discovered wisdom that enriches me as well. Few people have Esau’s charisma and boldness, nor his particular calling. But this book teaches us to be more aware of the people we encounter, and to assume that God is at work in their life. If we are willing, we may be used as a tool in God’s projects--and could end up with astonishing tales of our own. A good addition but not a “must have” for libraries. Rating: 3 —DKW Navpress 2008, 169p, paper, 9781600061967, $12.99 [248.4]… (meer)

What a fun book this is...and so contrary to the mass philosophy of "the one with the most toys wins." I found this book very refreshing in that it takes just the opposite tack from popular culture - giving vs. receiving. The REAL surprise for those who practice "being the surprise" is that in the end you often obtain greater joy in giving than the person does who receives what you give. How cool is that. There is much wisdom here...and sneakily conveyed in a most enjoyable manner. Well done! I'm going to be giving this one as gifts.… (meer)