Spiritual Wisdom for Your Waistline

After the goose has been gobbled and the cookies consumed, Americans' thoughts turn toward their ever-expanding waistlines. 'Tis the season for diet books, especially in the Christian market. Thomas Nelson, capitalizing on the What Would Jesus Do? phenomenon, presents What Would Jesus Eat?: The Ultimate Program for Eating Well, Feeling Great, and Living Longer. Author Don Colbert, a family physician, urges readers to examine and emulate Jesus' simple diet. The nutritional information, overall, is quite sound: Colbert encourages the consumption of fish, the use of olive oil in cooking and an exercise regimen of daily walking. He discusses the "hidden dangers" of pork, condemns refined white flour and warns against the excessive consumption of red meat. This "all-natural diet from biblical times" promises readers fitness and longevity. Although it should be recalled that longevity was not exactly a hallmark of many biblical characters after the early chapters of Genesis, this is a solid addition to the Christian diet shelves. ($22.99 256p ISBN 0-7852-6567-8; Mar.)

With all of the fads, trends and here-today-gone-tomorrow crazes of the diet industry, it's refreshing and reassuring to encounter a tried-and-true method. Carol Showalter's 1975 book, 3D: Diet, Discipline & Discipleship, which has already sold half a million copies and served as a manual for 3D church groups across the country, is being re-launched this month from Paraclete Press. Showalter's book is distinctive in that it is not just a diet book, with the usual recipes, testimonials and sample menus. It is first and foremost a candid spiritual autobiography, chronicling the author's religious journey and her struggles to overcome judgmentalism and lack of self-esteem. Showalter's forthright honesty about the ups—and the downs—of dieting, family life and her church community will resonate with many readers. ($25 304p ISBN 1-55725-294-7; Jan.)

An Attitude of Gratitude

Okay, so it's not great literature, but there's something tremendously appealing about Laura Jensen Walker's Ferris Wheels, Daffodils, & Hot Fudge Sundaes: A Journal of Gratitude. Walker, who narrated her battle with breast cancer in Thanks for the Mammogram!, closed that book with a simple chapter listing a number of the things she felt most thankful for. Reader responses to that chapter were so strong that Walker now offers an entire book listing the things that make her grateful, from "Anne Lamott taking it bird by bird" to cobblestone streets and getting paid to do what she loves. The book includes space for readers to make their own lists. (Revell, $12.99 112p ISBN 0-8007-1797-X; Feb.)

Family Ties

Religious books on parenting and family relationships continue to occupy a dominant position on many publishers' lists. Christian musician, speaker and writer Sheila Walsh offers A Love So Big: Anchoring Your Child to the Heart of God, arguing that it is "a parent's greatest privilege" to give children a strong sense of God's love. Little of the content is new, but Walsh writes with her characteristic humor and theological depth, drawing illustrations from her own role as mother to her young son Christian. (WaterBrook, $19.95 240p ISBN 1-57856-332-1; Feb.)

We've had The Power of a Praying Wife and The Power of a Praying Parent. But what about the power of a praying grandmother? In Grandma, I Need Your Prayers: Blessing Your Grandchildren Through the Power of Prayer, Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock (who have 10 grandchildren between them) instruct fellow grandmas in the art of praying for their grandkids' spiritual growth, family life, education, health, etc. The best parts of the book are the stories about special intergenerational relationships, deepened by prayer and time spent together. (Zondervan, $12.99 paper 224p ISBN 0-310-24026-3; Jan.)

Many families struggle to establish strong spiritual foundations when their children are young. In Growing a Spiritually Strong Family, Dennis and Barbara Rainey try to help busy families pray together, read the Bible and teach Christian values. The content is hackneyed and, at 96 pages, the book is too short to do more than skim the surface, but parents who are seeking quick advice in a gift book format could do worse. (Multnomah, $9.99 96p ISBN 1-57673-778-0; Feb.)

Correction:The author of Awakening of a Jehovah's Witness (Forecasts, Dec. 17) is Diane Wilson.