Carlos Penavega

Full disclosure before I start—I had never heard of Big Time Rush (as a show or a band) before reading this book and have seen the first Spy Kids movie once; it didn't make a major impression, but I was basically an adult when it came out, so not really the target audience. The PenaVegas have a following on social media as well, though I'm not part of that sphere either. I was simply interested in hearing what they had to say about Living for Jesus in a Self-Consumed World (the subtitle of the book).

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I anticipated fluff, but there really wasn't much of that. While they don't exactly go into the nitty gritty of sin, sacrifice, and redemption, it may not have been their intention to present the Gospel. On the other hand, they do seem to be addressing unbelievers, at least in part, and I'm not sure what is presented here is enough to really explain what one must to do have eternal life. This is the main reason I did not give the book 5 stars. As a memoir, though, it is pretty honest and vulnerable. Considering the fame that both of these two have had in their lives, it is no small feat to not be completely caught up in it, to see that there must be more to life than the emptiness that the world provides. I appreciated the way that Alexa, especially, pointed out the ways that she can look back and see God working in her life before she'd given it over to Him. It's touching to me that she even admits that her first marriage might have been saved with a more full reliance on God, because even in the Christian culture today, many will justify their divorce as something that just couldn't be avoided.

Carlos, on the other hand, is a really good example of someone who might be saved in the sense that they "said the words," but the real relationship with God took years to develop to a point where he could trust Him more. These two have very different ways of responding to God, and I like how they view their marriage as complementary. My husband and I are much the same way, though in different ways. Though there will always be difficult times, a commitment to follow wherever God may be leading is important in a marriage, as well as in individual lives. That is one of the strongest messages that comes through in this book.

If you're looking for a presentation of the Gospel message, you won't really find it here. But you will find an open discussion of what it looks like to follow God and what it looks like to ignore Him. Though I'm sure single people can still get some insight from this book, it's pretty heavy on wisdom for people who are married or in an otherwise serious relationship. Whether you're a fan of one or both of the PenaVegas or have never heard of either, if the topic interests you, I recommend giving it a try.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me a copy of this book to review.… (mais)

“Being loved by God is the point...Sharing God's love with others is the point.”

It’s very hard to rate memoirs because this is someone’s life, y’know. The most you can do is rate by execution. Some of the passages come off preachy as in a waxing poetic way. It really feels like a Sunday school message. I think the book's content may have been spread a little thin, so things that seem very small get whole chapters dedicated to them. But things that are small to us are big to God.

Carlos and Alexa have seen God work in their life concerning real estate and home ownership a lot. Be prepared to see constant mentions of that. Water pipes burst, oh my!

They didn’t delve too much into their actual backgrounds instead focusing on their spiritual journeys. I'm glad they've reached contentment with the very real struggles they faced (substance abuse, body image/body dysphoria, eating disorders, fertility issues, unhealthy coping mechanisms, instability of Hollywood, etc).

This will really only appeal to those who are fans of Carlos and Alexa, those who wonder if you can be Christian in the entertainment industry, and people who like lighthearted spiritual content, otherwise, you will find it boring.… (mais)