#kevin hartman wong

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Ishmael, Kevin, Harold

[yourfaveisfriendshaped]

Kevin Hartman-Wong from Poptropica

Kevin is friend-shaped!

[yourfavispure]

Sandy Hartman-Wong, Kevin Hartman-Wong, and Maria Flores from Poptropica graphic novels are all pure

Requested by an anon

[pawptropica]

Mya’s dad

Kevin Hartman-Wong is a tuxedo Maine Coon!

[kittieshauntedourfantasy]

My deceased Maine Coon cat, Bailey, compared to Kevin Hartman-Wong from the Poptropica graphic novels. Just thought they looked similar, especially since I think Kevin would be a Maine Coon cat :)

[musicgoonmail]

Electronica

In This Edition

In this week's edition, I share 2 free eBooks from some of my favorite publishers, provide some extra resources regarding my book reviews, and highlight some articles related to my Christian and Asian American worldview.

Before we jump in, I want to highlight our work at SOLA Network, where we've tried to provide a Christian Asian American perspective on everything that's happened from COVID-19 to Ravi Zacharias to George Floyd. I hope they encourage you to pursue justice and point to Jesus.

Also, I want to express my gratitude for reading my newsletter and allowing my voice to be heard in your life. You can always reach me by replying directly to this email. Tell me your favorite section of this newsletter, what you want to see more or less of, and feel free to ask me anything.

2 Free eBooks

Book Review: Analog Church by Jay Y. Kim

Book Review: Beautifully Distinct by Trillia Newbell

More Book Reviews

Extended Play

Lightning Links

Playlists

Coming Soon

Weekly Review

2 Free eBooks

I have 2 free eBooks to share with you today. First is Christ and Calamity: Grace and Gratitude in the Darkest Valley by Harold L. Senkbeil. I have not yet read it, but his book, The Care of Souls, was one of my favorites from this year. You can read my review here. Second is Humble Calvinism by J. A. Medders. This was one of my faves from last year, and you can read my review here.

I probably spent too much time online these past few days. Getting sucked into Twitter, the constant barrage of headlines, and the never-ending news cycle is not good for my soul. I'm going to prioritize reading this weekend, and I hope these free eBooks encourage you to do the same. Of course, we also need to be spending time with the Word. Reading through the Gospel of John has been a joy for me this week.

Book Review: Analog Church by Jay Y. Kim

Virtual meetings, pre-recorded sermons, and video worship is leaving me unsatisfied. In Analog Church, Jay Y. Kim helps us understand why we need real people, places, and things in the digital age. The basis of the book is a firm grasp on the importance of ecclesiology. Christ-centered community must be an embodied reality. You can read my full review here.

Pastor Steve Chang interviewed author Jay Y. Kim for our SOLA Network Podcast. They discussed the downsides of the digital world, the importance of community and the local church, as well as what type of service Jay is planning for his church, once they can meet again. You can watch the video on YouTube or read a transcribed excerpt on our website.

Book Review: Beautifully Distinct by Trillia Newbell

This book was written by women with different stories and backgrounds, but they all excel at showing me our Savior. Especially relevant to our times are the chapters on race and loving the immigrant. Practical steps are offered in becoming aware and becoming advocates. To be a better brother, I must listen and learn from my sisters. You can read my full review here.

I highly recommend reading the article Conversations on Race: How We Can Be Beautifully Distinct, an extract by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson as part of her contribution to this book. Here is a compelling quote: "We must look at ourselves and seek the truth about how our lack of knowledge, history, or understanding, and our silence, anger, or apathy prevent the message of Jesus Christ from going forth to all people."

More Book Reviews

For this batch of books, I was allowed to receive them before they released to the public. I wanted to get my reviews out as close to the publish date as possible, so that is why I had so many this week. There's a great variety here, including a children's book focused on Paul in prison, a book of early poems by C. S. Lewis, and a book on the early church’s greatest preacher: John Chrysostom.

The Prisoners, the Earthquake, and the Midnight Song by Bob Hartman

Everyday Faithfulness by Glenna Marshall

Spirits in Bondage by C. S. Lewis

Who God Is by Ben Witherington III

The Bedrock of Christianity by Justin W. Bass

Preaching the Word with John Chrysostom by Gerald Bray

The Cross in Four Words by Kevin DeYoung, Richard Coekin, and Yannick Christos-Wahab

Beautifully Distinct by Trillia Newbell

Analog Church by Jay Y. Kim

Extended Play

The article I want to highlight this week was written by my own Pastor Hanley Liu of FCBC Walnut for 9Marks.org: As the Pastor of an Immigrant Church’s English Ministry, How Should I Relate to the Senior Pastor? It is a part of an ongoing series on immigrant churches. While I know it might not be applicable or relatable to you, I hope it gives you a glimpse into the life of my church and our Asian-American community.

In light of a certain photo I've seen on the Internet, here's a throwback article that might interest you: You Need to Read Your Bible. I'll probably incorporate this into my online Sunday School lesson to our high school students this week.

Throwback: You Need to Read Your Bible

Movie: Asian Americans

TV: Community

Article: As the Pastor of an Immigrant Church’s English Ministry, How Should I Relate to the Senior Pastor?

Book: The Character of the Christian by Tim Challies

Music: Electronica by Earth to Jupiter

Lightning Links

These quick hits are exclusive to my newsletter readers. Some struck immediately before writing this newsletter. I don’t necessarily endorse the positions or lives of these authors. Some may contain adult language.

Marques Brownlee: ‘Reflecting on the Color of My Skin’

What Did Bach Sound Like to Bach?

Iron Man vs. Captain America — The Complete Character Arcs

Peter Jackson’s LOTR Was an Improbable Miracle, and We’re Lucky to Have It

'Family Is Just Not Replaceable': How COVID-19 Ravaged One Family in LA's Koreatown

Hopes for a quick recovery fade in NYC's Chinatown

I play Anna May Wong in ‘Hollywood.’ Her invisibility as an Asian American actress mirrors my own.

Lucky Grandma Is a Love Letter to Chinatown, Its Matriarchs, and Their Rule-Breaking Style 

Playlists

MUSICGOON: 7 songs I enjoyed this week.

SVRGNLA: Jess and I love these songs.

ETJ: Music that inspires my band.

DIDD: A crowd-sourced worship playlist.

TGIF: SOLA Network friends and faves.

This is FCBC Walnut: The songs we sing at church.

Coming Soon

SOLA Network is running a giveaway for Jay Y. Kim's book, Analog Church on Instagram. We don’t have that many followers, so maybe there's a greater chance that you can win out on this one. I have several book reviews ready for next week on the blog, most from my friends at Intervarsity Press.

I've been meaning to get to this, but I want to watch the 5-part PBS documentary on Asian Americans this weekend. It explores the impact of Asian Americans, the fastest-growing population in the United States, on the country’s past, present and future, told through individual lives and personal histories. It appears that the first two episodes have been removed due to an error, so I'll be picking it up on Episode 3: Good Americans.

Weekly Review

SOLA: As the Pastor of an Immigrant Church’s English Ministry, How Should I Relate to the Senior Pastor? / George Floyd Left a Gospel Legacy in Houston / Canceled: How the Eastern Honor-Shame Mentality Traveled West.

Thank God it’s Friday: Lecrae: My Thoughts on the Murder of George Floyd / The Gospel Coalition: Evangelism in the Arts

Book Review: The Prisoners, the Earthquake, and the Midnight Song by Bob Hartman

Book Review: Everyday Faithfulness by Glenna Marshall

Book Review: Spirits in Bondage by C. S. Lewis

Book Review: Who God Is by Ben Witherington III

Book Review: The Bedrock of Christianity by Justin W. Bass

Book Review: Preaching the Word with John Chrysostom by Gerald Bray

Book Review: The Cross in Four Words by Kevin DeYoung, Richard Coekin, and Yannick Christos-Wahab

Book Review: Beautifully Distinct by Trillia Newbell

Book Review: Analog Church by Jay Y. Kim

Recommended Reading: Asian American Complicity in Racism / Seeing Foster Parents as Local Missionaries / Should I Watch This? 5 Questions for the Discerning Viewer / Canceled: How the Eastern Honor-Shame Mentality Traveled West.

[lookslikethatsallthetimewehave]

That's not the Easter Bunny...

But, then again, Kevin might be onto something... we've never seen Dr. Hare and the Easter Bunny in the same room before...

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The parents were young once too!

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Oliver still has some mild trauma from his dad leaving, so whenever Kevin goes out, he suffocates his leg. Kevin does not hold this against him.

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Oliver meets Kevin for the first time redraw

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kevin is so cute

But who can resist a man in bunny slippers?

And in a Joker outfit?

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Completely forgot about this XD

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Hey, Dad wasn't wrong.

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Cursed images. Aka I drew the Terrible Trio's parents in the game style.

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Tell Kevin That People Find Him Attractive ( Do The Same With Octavian And Jonas - w - )

Interesting responses

[lookslikethatsallthetimewehave]

The novels have a nice representation of a blended family too. Even though they didn't show how Mya feels about Sandy, they clearly show that Oliver loves Kevin as his dad, and Kevin loves Oliver as his son 🥰🥰🥰 Very nice!

Yes, that's right! Thank you Poptropica :)

The only positive examples I can think of (off the top of my head anyway) that I grew up with are from Phineas and Ferb and Drake and Josh (the siblings mess with each other for comedy, but they genuinely love each other).

Mya and Oliver had a really rough relationship in the beginning...

but they were able to work it out!

Oliver and Kevin have a good relationship

Mya and Sandy don't really interact

But keep in mind that Mya was still missing her mom during those flashbacks, so that probably affected their relationship.

Oh, and Jorge is also there too XD