Book Review of Landmarks by Bill Delvaux

Landmarks: Turning Points on Your Journey Toward God
by Bill Delvaux
ISBN 978-1-4336-7922-3
B & H Publishing Group
Reviewed by Clint Walker

Bill Devaux is a teacher, coach, and minister to men and boys. He is also the founder of Landmark Journey Ministries in Tennessee. As the author of Landmarks: Turning Points on Your Journey Toward God, Delvaux gives us a glimpse of his work, as well as some of the thinking and energy behind it.

The point of Landmarks, as I read it, is that every life has certain crossroads that determine the direction one's life will go. They are "landmarks" as they are places in our journey that anticipate arriving at, and we can also point back to, and know that they made a huge difference in who we have become. Like the little historical markers along the freeway, they are places in our personal and spiritual journey where we can say, "Something important happened here!"

Each of these landmarks are fairly general. They are that way on purpose, because they are crossroads that everyone must come to on their journey of faith. Furthermore, how we navigate these landmarks makes all the difference in the rest of our journey through life.

Most of the items that Delvaux lists as landmarks are not necessarily single moments, but choices made, perhaps even imperceptibly, over a period of time. For instance, one chapter discusses idols, and how we choose what we truly worship, and how we take up other gods besides God, even if we don't know what we are doing. Another chapter discusses how we form bonds, and how we need to be bonded to Christ for a healthy faith. One chapter discusses the importance of a choice of a mate.

As I studies the ministry Delvaux leads, I began to ponder how these principles guide his work with men and boys on manhood,. Does he use these landmarks to guide a certain "rite of passage" journey from childhood to adulthood. This book might work as a guide for discussing such matters.

This is a thoughtful book, and an interesting read from this first time author. I look forward to what he will write and have to say next.