I'm Thinking Our Family is Going to Sit These Movies Out

There is always so much buzz when a movie that seems positive to the Christian worldview comes along. There are several out or coming out recently that I wish I could have supported, but I've come to the conclusion that as for me and my house, we're going to pass on them. I'm really not trying to make anyone angry or to be a jerk, but I find myself perplexed, and at the risk of being thought a curmudgeon or worse, I'm sharing this post. I always feel like I'm so out of step with pretty much, well, everyone, and I almost didn't even post this, but here are three movies that I'm hearing from lots of people that they are just awesome and we just have to see them but that I am not planning to see or take my kids to see. I'm not dictating to anyone else what you should or shouldn't do regarding watching these, so see them and like them or not if you wish, but please at least be discerning about them and understand what some concerns with them are, and at least understand why I can't join you and why I'm not joining in with the celebration of them on Facebook and elsewhere. The first two fall into the category of I wish they had been something I could have supported but I just really can't and don't, the third falls into the category of I thought the book was concerning and disturbing, so I sure am not going to support the movie.

1. Son of God….based on the miniseries that I also couldn't, in good conscience, watch. Putting aside for a moment that I am squeamish about Passion Plays and movies like this anyway ever since many years ago I had to start sitting out of certain choir Easter productions because for months afterward I would see the actor who portrayed Jesus in my head when I prayed and that just was not something I wanted and because there were always things I found problematic in our portrayals which is probably something for another post and beyond what I want to delve into here, there are even graver reasons I don't want to watch this one. I'm linking to some reviews, and they spell out why I don't want to see this thing. Please, why is God's Word not enough for us? Why do we feel we need a movie? Why are we not satisfied that God gave us the information He wanted us to have in the way He wanted us to have it through His word? I felt the same way about The Passion of the Christ, and I chose not to see that one, either. Even though at the time we were being told we'd never really understand the crucifixion if we didn't. Really? And I sure don't want to fill my head with an anemic portrayal of Jesus that misses the mark of the gospel, so I sat this one out.

Answers in Genesis' review
"Writing Checks to Mel Gibson"
"Son of God Will Show Crucifixion, Not the Cross"
Movie Review: 'Son of God' Is Most Certainly Not The Son of God

2. God's Not Dead…..When I saw the trailer months ago, I so much hoped this would be one I could support, though I have to confess that even then I didn't hold my breath and didn't join the band wagon of linking to the trailer, since I couldn't endorse something like this without knowing more about it. Now that I've read some reviews, I'm glad I waited. I'm not saying it's wrong to go see it if you want to, but I am saying I think we will pass and just sit it out, and the more reviews I read, the stronger I am in that decision. I don't think I will be taking my kids to it right away. I guess with this one, I might not put my foot down and say they can't see it, but I don't believe we'll go out of our way to, either, and we'd have to have some discussions about what they see. Wish they had done better. I really, really do.

God's Not Dead Review: A 'feel-good' movie that sadly did not make us feel good at all!
God's Not Dead Movie Review (Answers in Genesis)
God's Not Dead…But Christian Films are on Life Support - Movie Review
God's Not Dead but Christian Screen Writing Is

3. Heaven is For Real…..No. Just no. Not going to this one and really do not understand why this book is all over our Christian bookstore in various formats. I'm sharing reviews of the book, which should be enough reason to know why we will not even attempt the movie. (And for good measure I'm also sharing a review of a similar journey to Heaven book that I did read and was very concerned at how popular it had become also).

Heaven is For Real - Book review by Tim Challies
90 Minutes in Heaven - Book review by Tim Challies
Heaven Tourism
Books I recommend: Heaven Tourism - Tim Challies

This blog is, obviously, me sharing my opinions. I'm not looking for an argument or a fight, but I'm just sharing what I honestly think here. I really do think that movies like these can actually be more detrimental to the sharing and understanding of our faith than others that are more obviously not biblical, like, say, the awful Noah movie that is coming out soon. We aren't going to that one, either, emphatically not, but at least the director is honest enough to say it's not even meant to be biblical in its portrayal. I'm more concerned, however, with movies that intend to be 'Christian' but which do not present the gospel correctly. In my opinion, that is more damaging than watching a secular movie that we don't expect to get spiritual things right. So, that's why I shared this. Like it or not, this is where I've come to in my thinking on these movies. It's not that I want to be hyper critical. I really don't. I would love to like and support movies that are done well from a Christian perspective. Really, I would. Problem is, I just can't with these. It's the same problem I have with a lot, not all, but a lot of Christian fiction I've come across. It's often hard to do Christian fiction well. I understand that. But I have qualms about these movies and that's just how it is. Do with them whatever you will.

A Helpful Cleaning Tip

We have shiny black appliances in our kitchen, and one of my frustrations with them is that no matter how often and well I wipe them down, they always have streaks, which drives me a little batty because no matter how clean the kitchen is, it doesn’t LOOK clean if it’s all streaky. I have found something that does a very nice job of cleaning and taking care of the streaks, and it’s not a store-bought cleaner.

A few years ago a friend spoke at our MOPS group and shared some homemade cleaners she uses that are not as harsh as store bought cleaners can be. In the long run, it’s cheaper, too. Now, before I go further, I’m not weird about essential oils and homeopathic stuff or anything. There’s nothing spiritual or mystical or redemptive about essential oils and so-called natural cleaners, etc.  But I do like to look for cheaper ways to clean, and I have found that vinegar and lavender have antiseptic and antibacterial properties, plus I like the way lavender smells, so I think this cleaner is a safe way to go if you’re interested in saving a little money and making your own cleaner. Anyway, to take care of my kitchen counters and appliances I use the all-purpose cleaner she taught us to make, and if done properly, it leaves my kitchen clean, fresh, and shiny. I just spray some of this cleaner on the appliances and counters, scrub with a clean sponge ( you do know to clean your sponges or they become little germ spreaders, right?), then go over it once more with rinsed sponge, then use a clean dry towel to wipe away any excess cleaner. When you use the towel, make sure to put a little elbow grease into your wiping and when it dries, the appliances are clean and shiny, no more streaks. If you see a streak or two, just go back over with dry towel and it takes care of it. I love it. 

Also, if you spray it in your stainless steel sink and use a scrubby sponge, it easily takes care of coffee and tea stains, leaving you with a nice, shiny sink, too.

And it works really well in the bathroom, as well. Fresh, clean bathroom without the harsh smells of store bought cleaners.

Now, I said it’s cheaper, but when you first buy your ingredients it may seem expensive, but when you figure how many bottles of cleaning solution these ingredients will produce in the long run, I think I do end up saving some money. I need to say a word of caution about buying some of the ‘natural’ ingredients, but I’ll save that for the end.

Here’s the recipe for the homemade all-purpose cleaner I’ve been using:

2 Tbsp white vinegar

1 tsp Borax

10 drops lavender essential oil

2 cups hot, filtered water

1/4 cup liquid Castile soap

Mix vinegar with borax in a 32 oz clean spray bottle. Fill with hot, filtered water and shake until all the Borax has dissolved. Add the liquid Castile soap, followed by the essential oil and shake well.

Now, a word about buying liquid Castile soap and essential oils. Unfortunately there is a whole fad market out there that is just plain weird about essential oils and ‘natural’ things that tends to make all kinds of unfounded, and dangerous spiritually, ‘wellness’ claims. Stay away from companies like that. Unfortunately sometimes when you go to buy these things you might end up having to go to new-agey kind of places to find them, so be careful. Especially with the liquid Castile soap. I had to stop making my cleaner for a while because the only liquid Castile soap I could find was the Dr. Bonner’s brand, and I bought it once without looking at what all those words on the bottle were saying. When I got it home and read the strange religious philosophies the company puts all over their bottle, I felt kind of sick. I don’t want my money going to something so overtly new age and just plain spiritually wacky as that, so I had to not buy it. In such cases, I've used other kinds of mild liquid soaps with success. I finally found another brand, and our Walgreens here carries it. It’s even lavender scented. Now, this company may be weird too, I don’t know, but at least they don’t have stuff all over their bottle that I don’t want my kids reading. Yes, it is that important to me. 

This is what I found at Walgreens, and I've been happy with it: 

And that’s my little cleaning tip for the day. Enjoy!

When a Good Book Ends

Do you ever finish a book and find that you just aren't ready to move on to a new book yet? I am a constant reader. My favorite thing to do when I have a moment of down time is pick up a book and read. In fact, I can't imagine not reading. I must read. So usually when I finish a book I immediately move on to the next one.

However, every once in a while, a book comes along that so involves me emotionally that when I finish it I feel almost bereft, and the thought occurs, "What am I ever going to read now?" I've read two books like that so far this year, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, and the one I just finished, The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson. Some books just leave you needing a little breathing room space before you can jump into another book because the story so grips you you're not ready for it to leave just yet when you turn that last page. You need a little time to think it through and process it, and it feels kind of lonely if you try to go wander the library stacks too soon after in search of something else to read.

How to describe my listless wandering at the library today? Well, suffice to say I left empty handed. It would have helped if our library had had the specific book I went there looking for to replace my latest read, but, alas, they did not. I may have to break down and buy it for my Kindle.

About The Orphan Master's Son. I don't know how accurate the portrayal of North Korea is, but I suspect it probably is fairly accurate. That's not a part of the world we read much about, and this was a powerful story of the harshness and fragility of life under that oppressive regime, but more than that it was a powerful look at people, and love, and sacrifice. To say I like the book seems strange for such an emotionally heart breaking book. I did like it. Very much. Though it wasn't a happy, happy, happy story. But it was satisfying, and in the end, that's what makes a book good to me. Excellent writing with a story that gripped me and will stick with me for a long time.

But sometimes when you finish that kind of book, it's like saying good-bye to people you're not quite ready to leave. And you don't want to settle for something less than that with the next book, if that makes any sense. Or maybe I'm the only one who ever feels this way.

So, what good books are you reading?

Learning to Dance

I had a few deep thoughts occur to me this weekend as I took my little girl to her first school dance at her elementary school on Friday. Before I go any further, let me say from the start that this is in no way a criticism of the dance itself. The people who organized it did an outstanding job and it was well done, good, clean fun with lots of security measures in place and I appreciate all the hard work that went into it, and I know people had a great time. So don’t read this as a criticism of the event at all. It is not. This is more an insider’s look at the life of an introvert. Now on with the blog post, which I warn you is a long one.

One thing about my little 7-year-old girl is that in some ways she reminds me a bit of the beloved Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables. She builds things up in her mind and gets so very excited about them that, as Marilla tells Anne at one point after a broken hearted experience, 

“You set your heart too much on things, Anne, “ said Marilla, with a sigh. “I’m afraid there’ll be a great many disappointments in store for you through life.” 

Though I do love Anne’s response, 

“Oh, Marilla, looking forward to things is half the pleasure of them,” exclaimed Anne. “You mayn’t get the things themselves, but nothing can prevent you from having the fun of looking forward to them.”

I think there is some wisdom in both quotes, but I think I also share Marilla’s caution when I watch my little girl.

Boo was terribly excited when the announcement came home about this school dance, and she pleaded with me to take her. She chattered about it all week and planned what to wear, and come Friday she was so ready to go she was practically floating.

And then we arrived. 

The school gym was filled with kids and their parent chaperones and loud music. My poor girl froze and looked at me in terror. “It’s not at all what I thought it would be like. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do." We attempted to stay, but we ended up leaving early because she felt so out of place since none of her good friends had come and what she calls the ‘girly-girls’ who never seem to click with her were the only ones she could find there. Then all my old insecurities from my youth came crashing in around me and I realized my poor little apple hasn’t fallen far from her mommy’s tree, and it broke my heart because I truly do not know how to help her. 

My girl loves to dress up all pink and sparkly, and she’s not a tomboy, but she’s not what she calls a ‘girly-girl.’ She’s not into shopping and the coolest fads or clothes or name brands or squealing and talking in that ‘girly-girl’ way. I’ve tried to figure out what it is that makes her girly, but not a ‘girly-girl,’ and I realized it’s that some girls seem like little mini teenagers and are already concerned with fads and pop culture things that my girl just isn’t interested in yet. She doesn’t know or even like the popular music - just ask her how much she despises “What Does the Fox Say?” or One Direction. And I am SO okay with that. I don’t want her running her life by the peer pressure to be just like everyone else or giving up her own personality to be part of the in-crowd, or trying to grow up too fast. I like that she doesn’t feel the need to be someone she’s not to fit in and is perfectly willing to like what she likes because it’s her thing. I don’t want her growing up too fast. I like that she’s not ‘seven-going-on-fifteen.’ 

But. Watching her at that dance, seeing how out of place and uptight she felt with the crowd and the noise and the ‘girly-girls,’ I thought about what a torture I’ve always - still today - found dances and parties to be. No matter how much I wish I could let out my playful side, no matter how much I may be dancing and easy-going and fun-loving on the inside, no matter that in a small group or at home I can ‘let go’ and sing and dance and be, put me in a crowd and I just can’t.  It isn’t that I don’t want to. But for some reason I find crowds leave me feeling unsure, awkward and alone. I am so much more alone in a crowd of ‘girly-girls’ and extroverts - those fortunate ones who are able to let loose and have a naturally bubbly personality - than I am in a smaller group. Parties, even Sunday School parties, are hard for me, though truth be told I’m always glad I went when all is said and done. 

All my life I’ve felt a bit like I’m on the outside looking in, wanting to be a part, but never quite feeling like I fit in, never quite peppy or ‘fun’ enough. As much as I wish I could let loose, I just can’t. I’m reserved and quiet by nature, and when I try not to be, it often comes off as false and not who I am, trying too hard to be something I’m not. As much as I’d like a crowded party to be something I enjoy, as soon as I walk in my brain shuts down and it’s all I can do not to run away. But I have learned not to run away, and most of the time I’m really glad I stayed.

So that’s why it broke my heart when I saw that familiar deer-in-the-headlights freeze up in my daughter, and all I could think was, “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.” Seeing my sweet, sensitive little sweetheart, who I know has oodles of personality in just her little thumb be ignored and pushed past by the acquaintances who have naturally bubbly personalities that allows them to be in the moment and let go and feed off the energy of a room that only serves to paralyze a more introverted personality, was hard. 

She had looked so forward to this event, and her hopes were crushed when she got there and didn’t have anyone to connect with. It is not that anyone was unkind to her. Not at all. It’s just that she seems to have inherited some (though not all) of my reticence and inability to function in such an environment. I don’t know if I’ve somehow projected this onto her, though I’ve tried so hard not to, or if people are just wired this way. She is sensitive and wants to be a friend, but she seems to have a hard time connecting to the ‘girly-girl’ world. 

I hate it for her because I know how hard it is to feel like you don’t really fit in. She wants real friendship, and she does have some good girl friends, just not at that dance. That would have made all the difference in her case, I know. Had any of her good friends come, she would have been able to shut out the rest and let loose with her friends.

I told my husband how hard it was to see her just like I always was, uptight in the crowd. I told him about the giggly ‘girly-girls’ and how they just seem to be able to have fun and let go. And you know what he said to me? He said, “I’d rather have Boo’s personality than the girly-girl personality any day.”

And that’s when I realized something huge. He wasn’t just saying that about Boo. He was saying it about me, too. We have been together a long time. I know, and have known, that he loves me, I’ve never had any reason to doubt that. He demonstrates it in so many ways. But I did not realize until he made that comment that somewhere deep inside me I’ve harbored this unconscious lie of a suspicion that though he really does love me, maybe he really wishes I were different, maybe he wishes I weren’t so introverted and more like the extroverts who have those bubbly personalities. But the truth is he doesn’t wish that. He loves me. He chose me. He didn’t choose an extrovert. He chose introverted me. And he loves me for me, not for someone he wishes I were, but me. And that undid me. 

My husband showed me something in that comment as he demonstrated to me his real love. He pointed me to Jesus and how He loves the Church. That’s what that pointed me to, when my husband made that innocuous comment that he had no idea would prove so profound to me. Jesus created me. He knows my insecurities and introvertedness and sinfulness and He loves me even still. He died to save me. There is room in the Kingdom for the introverts and the extroverts. He made both types of people, He saves both types of people, and He has things for both types of people to do in His Kingdom. More important than being an extrovert or a 'beautiful person' I need to focus on being a woman who loves the Lord and let that make me useful and beautiful in the ways that really matter. And that's what I want for my girl, too, to learn to be a woman who fears the Lord more than she wants to 'fit in' or idealize worldly charms. May it be so.

And I found that to be a very comforting reminder indeed, and maybe, just maybe, it could give me the courage to dance a little, and to help my little girl do the same. 

Hoping for Spring

So, I was driving down the road a few days ago, and a flock of robins flew right in front of my car as I hurtled down the road at 45 MPH. Only the last robin wasn't as fast as the rest of the group and smacked into my windshield and landed on the road, dead I am sure. That was a bit traumatic for me, and my heart sped up and I thought, "Wow, usually the first robin you see means spring is on the way. That wasn't nice at all." 

And then, not many days later the groundhog saw his shadow, unhelpful, there, Phil, and winterpocalypse seems to have descended upon my part of the country. We've had a full week of snow/ice days with kids out of school, and the trees are beautiful diamond ice sculptures, a winter wonderland that is breathtakingly pretty but COLD, and more predicted snow on the horizon. Aside, I don't think I've ever seen anything quite as coldly beautiful as the sun shining on those icy trees with the rainbow colors sparking through the ice prisms on their branches. Didn't so much enjoy the 1/2 inch coating of ice that froze my car doors shut, though. 

All that to say, I think I killed spring. 

Book Recommendation

It is freezing outside. This Florida girl is having a hard time staying warm. I'm talking, 10˚ and Antarctica-cold windchill freezing. I had to get gas in my car today, and it was SO cold waiting for the tank to fill my hands are still red and icy cold. I had to break open some Hot Hands yesterday even though I was doing all indoor activities, that's how hard a time I have warming up my cold fingers. Cold hands = warm heart, right? We've had several snow and cold days, and while that's a tad miserable for people like me who have a hard time staying warm, it does mean I've had more time for reading.

I often will have a fiction book and a nonfiction book that I read at the same time. Typically I'll read a chapter a day from the nonfiction book and considerably more of the fiction book. This time, however, I got so involved in the nonfiction book, I had to put the fiction book down for a day and half until I finished reading the nonfiction one.

The nonfiction book I'm talking about is Resisting Gossip: Winning the War of the Wagging Tongue by Matthew C. Mitchell. I must recommend this book highly. I had bought it a few weeks ago for my Kindle and have put off starting it for a while because I was reading some other things, but I knew I needed (and kind of dreaded) to read this book. Gossip is such an insidious thing, and I really do want to put it to death in my life, and I was so interested when I saw Tim Challies' review of this book, that I bought it right away.

This is a book I need to pull out and read again several times a year. Very convicting, but full of hope and gospel-saturated truth. It got up under my skin and I found myself having to put it down often to examine my heart and cry and repent over what I found there. Quite challenging, but written in a pastoral and loving style that offers hope and encouragement in the best way. I found the section discussing sinful judging versus right judging very helpful and convicting and difficult. How deceitful my heart is! Sometimes it's just so easy to justify a sinfully judgmental heart attitude and gossipy speech, but when you think, really think, about the fact that God hates gossip, it is very important to think and act biblically about this topic. As the author points out, all speech is heart speech, meaning that out of the heart our mouths speak.

I've been thinking quite a bit today about how gossip doesn't just start when we're tempted to share something we shouldn't. It starts way back with what we allow our hearts and minds to dwell on and think about long before the temptation to gossip presents itself. It's a heart issue.

I am glad I read this book. I knew I needed to, but I didn't realize just how much. I prayed before reading it that I would honestly listen and look at my life and habits as I read it. Like I said, I think this is a book I will ponder for a long time and would do well to read more than once as time goes on.

Highly recommended.

And When You Walk By the Way

Ephesians 6:4

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 6:5-7

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

Obviously, reading in context, the command in Deuteronomy 6 was specifically given to Israel. That is clear. But in light of the New Testament, it is also clearly a principle to be followed by all of God’s people, including those of us on this side of the Cross in the New Covenant today - to train up our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. As Christian parents, we have a high calling, obligation, and privilege to teach the faith to our children. We must instruct them about who God is, and tell them of His Holy Law, and tell them that they have broken that Law and are sinners, as are we all, and tell them over and over and over about the great Good News that God sent His Son to redeem a people to Himself, that for those who repent and trust in Jesus, there is salvation, and in Jesus alone there is salvation. As parents, we are to make sure that our children know God’s Word and know that Jesus is precious, and that He alone can save and that He is mighty to save and that in Him there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who understand that they deserve God’s wrath, but who repent and place their trust in Jesus who is the great Passover Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. And we are to teach our children what it is to live in that Light.

What has me thinking today, as it has often, is the part of the verse that says, ‘and when you walk by the way.’ As important as times of formal teaching are, and they are vitally important, because it is by hearing the word that faith comes. How are they to know if we do not tell them? But as important as formal teaching time is, I think equally important for our children is that they see us believing and living and talking about the faith day in and day out as we walk along the way of life. They need to know that this faith we teach them matters. And it matters deeply and profoundly in how we think and live and move and act. Our children learn by watching us every bit as much as they learn by hearing us. When we sin, and we will sin, do our children hear us confess and repent of sin? Do they hear us preaching the gospel to ourselves and to them as we go about living life? If someone were to ask our children what matters most to their mom or dad, would ‘Jesus’ be the answer? Do they see that in our daily lives? I’m not saying this as a guilt thing, heaping up laws to follow. I’m looking deeper. Does the gospel so matter to me that it is the warp and woof of my life, that other things, while important and a part of life, just aren’t as important in comparison? Do I talk about Jesus? Do I love Him so much that obeying Him is what I want to do out of gratitude, not legalism? Is the fruit of my lips gospel talk, not just on Sunday, not just during conscious Bible-teaching times, but as the overflow of life?

I had a glimpse of grace the other day. I brought home the music for Sunday so I could pull out the keyboard and try to plunk out the alto part in an attempt to be ready for Sunday morning. One of the songs I was working on was “There is a Fountain,” one of my very favorite hymns. As I was plodding through the alto line, my 12-year-old son, my middle child, looked up and said something along the lines of, “I really like that one. It’s one of my favorites.” I smiled, and immediately remembered why that song might be special for him, whether he knows it or not.

I was taken right back to the days of new motherhood, hours and hours and hours of rocking a crying, sleepless baby, desperate for sleep myself, crying out to God for the grace and patience to get through the sleepless nights with a baby who just did not want to sleep, and the song that I sang, through tears sometimes, but over and over and over, because sometimes it was just the only song that would come to my sleep-deprived mind, was “There is a Fountain.” I sang that thing to our oldest, our middle, and finally our youngest, wearing out the rocking chair, turning sleep deprivation and sometimes despair to praise and worship in the quiet of the nightlit nursery room to the strains of that cherished hymn, which often was the only prayer I knew to whisper when a colicky baby needed comfort. 

So it’s no surprise to me that my boy, now 12, no longer a baby, would look up and recognize and love that song. It’s been a part of the warp and woof of his life as long as he can remember. And I am so thankful to God for the grace that allowed my mind to turn to Jesus in the midst of those oh-so-short-in-hindsight sleepless nights. That is a gift that He supplied to turn my heart to Him. And I also pray that as these children are older now, that I would be faithful in teaching them the gospel, both formally and informally as we walk along the way. May they know that Jesus is precious and that I believe what I’m teaching them with all that I am, these are not just words to me, they are life. When I fail, and I do fail, I do sin so often, please, Lord guard their hearts and their minds and help them to see that Your Word is true, and that You will never fail, and help them to learn the power of the gospel to forgive our sin. Help them to know that we are accepted in Christ, not on the basis of anything we could ever do, but solely for the sake of Christ, on the basis of what He has done on the Cross and the Resurrection. Jesus is the Light of the world. He is the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. By His blood, we lose our guilty stains and rejoice to have our sins washed away. He is Lord. He is worthy. Please, Lord, let me live a life and use the words that tell that to not only my children, but please let the overflow of Your grace tune my heart to sing Your praise and to tell others about You, about their need for the Savior. Help me to share it first to my children, yes, but outside the walls of our home as well. Loose my tongue, and let us be gospel people who are quick to share it.

I think this is a small part of the ‘as you walk along the way’ that we live. Turning our eyes to Jesus, and sharing Him with the people in our lives, making the music of our home be the gospel, most of all. 

There is a Fountain

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins; 

And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;

And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;

And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.

Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;

And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power

Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more

Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more.

Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.

E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,

Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;

Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save,

When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.

Lies silent in the grave, lies silent in the grave;

When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.

I Read, Therefore I Share

I don't always write a post about every book I read, though I do keep up with them in the book list up top, as I've said before. However, the first several books I've read this year have all been very good or thought-provoking for me in various ways, so I thought maybe a blog post was worth sharing. Maybe I'm finding my new bent in this blog to be more bookish these days, who knows?

Anyway, I found these books interesting, and I'll give a bit of why here. I suppose you could just read what I have on my book list page since I basically copied this from it, but I've enjoyed these books so much I thought I'd make a post here, too.

1.) 11/22/63 - Stephen King (F).

I enjoyed this story. Time travel stories are fascinating to me, and King address the 'Butterfly Effect throughout this interesting story, and I just find that interesting and mind-bending. It did get me thinking about the time travel genre in general, in terms of worldview implications. In general, time travel stories that I've read tend to have underlying assumptions that are either evolutionary or that we are guided by and impersonal, distant, unfeeling, uncaring force, universe, or fate. However, this is totally against what I believe as a Christian, knowing that God is not impersonal, distant, unfeeling or uncaring, and that He is absolutely sovereign over everything, and all creation and even time. He rules time, He is not bound by it, and nothing is outside His control. So, for that reason, though time travel may 'work' in fictional worlds, I read or watch those stories with care to remember it is only a fictional concept. I believe we are created to be in time, and we will never be able to travel through time the way people in some of the science fiction stories I enjoy (Dr. Who, for example, has a very evolutionary presuppositional base, and though my boys and I enjoy watching it, we often discuss the worldview underlying it). I can enjoy it with those caveats in place when we watch with our discernment on. Time happens just as God intends, and we would never be able to 'change' the past, but it does make for interesting reading to see how secular people wrestle through the implications of changing the past or even thinking about whether the past could be changed if we had the choice, and I find it fascinating that in every instance of time travel books/shows/movies I've experienced, most authors show severe consequences when people mess around with the past, and this book was no exception to that. The only time travel stories I've read where the author seems to present a belief in God and wrestle with it in light of what's happening in the books to any extent are the Margaret Peterson Haddix Missing books that I enjoy reading with caution and discussion with my boys, and they have led to good discussions. The key to reading time travel books is to totally understand you are reading fiction. I say all that because, as you'll see in a moment, the second book on this list has really got me thinking about worldview implications as I watch/read/engage with popular cultural texts, and think carefully as I do so.

Overall, I liked this book and would recommend it more highly except that in good conscience I have to note some language concerns and some subject matter concerns. I haven't read any other Stephen King novels because I am wary of the horror genre in general. I'm prone to pretty vivid nightmares, so I try to steer clear of things that feed that. However, as I read reviews on this, it seemed that it didn't fit the type of novel I've assumed he often writes in that respect, and that was correct. I didn't find this book scary in the horror sense or nightmare inducing. And the language and such and violence, for me, were not a major stumbling block as it wasn't as in-your-face as some books I've not been able to finish for those reasons. I don't tend to automatically dismiss a book for those things, but I am careful about them. Know your temptation weaknesses and limitations when choosing books/shows/movies/etc.

I think I'd recommend this book with caution, remembering that by recommending it doesn't mean I agree with everything in it, but I did enjoy it for the most part. Recommending fiction can be tricky sometimes because not everyone has the same tastes or sensitivites in fiction.

2.) Popologetics: Popular Culture in Christian Perspective - Ted Turnau (NF).

Here's mostly what I said about this book on my Facebook page the day I finished it: I just finished a book that I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated. My brother and sister-in-law gave it to me for Christmas, and I have to say it's one of the few nonfiction books I've read that I had as hard a time putting down as I would a fiction book while reading it. I LOVE this book and highly recommend it. I resonated with it because his approach is very much how I already look at popular culture and it helped me further to think through and deepen my understanding of how to engage with books I read, movies I watch, Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of popular culture with an intentional, thoughtful, gospel-centered, biblical mindset, thinking it through biblically, and with an eye for witnessing and sharing Christianity with friends and neighbors by recognizing the grace and idolatry within the popular culture texts that we are steeped in, especially as we recognize idols and try to knock them down by recognizing how the gospel applies in all situations.

I really appreciated the fact that he sees popular culture choices as more complex than simply pulling out and avoiding everything or counting numbers of cuss words or violent instances, but he's more interested in context. He uses a very thoughtful and gospel-honoring approach to how to think through the popular culture we live in, rather than mindlessly floating along with it on one hand, or knee-jerk rejecting all of it on the other. In fact, now that my boys are old enough to watch 'older' types of movies and books, this type of approach has been very helpful as we discuss themes and ideas woven throughout the books and movies, etc. that they encounter and even in navigating things they hear from friends and teachers and people in the world around them. We've had some great discussions, and this book is a wonderful tool for helping to hone that approach even more as we think through worldview implications in the pop culture with which we interact, with an eye for recognizing what may be good, but being discerning toward what is not good and learning to recognize hidden idolatries and deceptions in the underlying world views.

I very much appreciated his discussions in part 2 about unhelpful approaches to how to interact with our culture and especially his discussion of postmodernism in that section.

3.) "Another Jesus" Calling - Warren B. Smith (NF). The subtitle of this book tells you what it's about: "How False Christs Are Entering the Church Through Contemplative Prayer." I bought this book for my Kindle because I had heard the author discussing it on the Janet Mefferd show, and I've been concerned about the book "Jesus Calling by Sarah Young for a long time now. So many people quote from that book uncritically and it is ALL over the Christian bookstores and catalogues in various forms, and I find it disturbing that something so questionable is just accepted and embraced so strongly as ok just because it's marketed heavily by the Christian bookstores. This author raises serious and thoughtful concerns about the book that I very much recommend at least hearing and making yourself aware of and thinking about them.

One thing that bothers me is how defensive people get if you even mention that caution might be wise about this (and other) popular books or teachers that are so prominently marketed just about everywhere. Why do we cling so hard to 'devotional' books that maybe do mention the Bible or use Christian sounding language or may use a Bible verse taken out of context to make us unquestioningly accept what is said in the devotional for the day as biblical, but we seem so unsatisfied with the actual Bible? Do you not realize what a treasure we have in our hands with the Bible? And I don't understand why so many people don't seem to care when serious concerns are raised, to not even at least think about why those concerns are being raised and why some of us think they are such a big deal.

These days I am extremely wary of 'devotional books.' In fact, truth be told, I'm wary of the Christian bookstore and pop-Christian culture and Christian books (ESPECIALLY 'Christian' fiction) in general. I hope that doesn't sound cynical. I really don't mean it that way. That's not to say ALL books in those genres are bad, but I'm just saying I'm very, very wary. Pretty much, if it's popular, I'm immediately wary and sense the need to check it out carefully. I think things that are 'Christian' but full of bad or questionable or murky, unclear, sentimentalized theology are actually more dangerous than secular books/movies/etc. that we know aren't written from a supposed 'Christian' perspective.  I think this because, with secular things we KNOW they won't be getting theology right, so we know to have our discernment meters on, and we don't expect to be taught Christian thinking from them (at least, I hope that's the case), but when it's 'Christian' we tend to seem to let our guard down and accept whatever it says as good - "It's all good!" seems to be the attitude. But bad theology baptized as 'good' is WAY more dangerous to my way of thinking.

We have been given the Word of God in the Bible - why are we not as defensive about steeping our thinking in it and guarding our hearts in knowing the truth from error as we are about defending our favorite devotional book or 'Bible teacher'? Why do we run to this author or that book to tell us what they think about the Bible faster than we run to the Bible to study the actual Bible for ourselves? Why are we not much more careful to transform our minds by actually reading the Bible rather than some person's supposed extra biblical words? EVERYTHING we read or experience, whether it claims to be a 'Christian' book or not, needs to be examined and tested through the lens of the Bible. THAT is the word God gave us. THAT is the book we must defend above all the others.

So, yes, I recommend this critique of what is a widely popular devotional book today. One thing it did for me was to open my eyes to certain words and phrases that are popping up all over the place that used to be hallmarks of the New Age movement, and if you know what New Agers mean by them it makes you more aware of them and a little more cautious when you hear them being used in the Christian subculture. We need to be careful and watchful and praying for wisdom against deception. The Bible is full of warnings about this. Please read it and at least consider the concerns he raises if you are someone who has read, is being encouraged to read, or know someone who likes the book "Jesus Calling."

4.) Cutting for Stone - Abraham Verghese (F). I am only about 50 pages into this one, but I'm already hooked. My mom gave it to me for Christmas, saying she found it very good, and I'm wanting to read it so we can talk about it together once I've finished. It's very well-written and I'm already extremely interested in the story. I'm always thankful for the book suggestions my parents give me - I've read some good ones that way!

A Couple of Things I've Realized This Winter:

1.) After a few days of arctic temperatures (I’m talking about 0˚ and -20˚ windchill type of cold), It is amazing to me how much warmer 28˚ can feel on this side of that kind of arctic cold. I mean, when I walked my dog yesterday, I could still feel my legs and my face didn’t feel like it had frozen off after the first 5 minutes. That was a definite improvement from those arcticly cold days that kept us all indoors and out of school earlier this week. It’s all about perspective.

2.) I’ve also realized that I’ve become a bona fide germaphobe. I was always partially there, but over the Christmas break my husband inflicted the movie Contagion upon me, and I do not think I will ever recover from it. Don’t get me wrong, it was fascinating to watch and think about how the various organizations go about defining and investigating and handling a disease epidemic. But for suggestible types like me, the discussion about how often people touch their faces with their hands and then touch other things, for instance, gave me the heebie jeebies and I will never get over it. It was a true study in how germs are spread, and let me just say, I am scarred, I tell you. I had to go to the post office today, and as I approached that door, the thought crossed my mind that no-telling how many people, and what unknown percentage of those might, just might, have been flu-or-worse infected at that, had touched that door, or worse, had wiped their nose and then touched that door. So, I did what any right-thinking germaphobe might and I pulled my jacket sleeve over my hand and pushed the door with my arm, carefully not putting my hand on the door. Then I promptly forgot as I walked back out and as soon as my hand hit that door, the thought came, “How many flu people might have touched that and now your hand has touched it. Infected! Ah, and now you touched your keys with that hand. AHHHHHHH!” So, the less crazy part of me was not worrying, while the part of me that will never, and I mean never, forget that stupid movie, remembered the Wet Wipes in the car, and proceeded to wipe down my hands and my keys and even the steering wheel for good measure. The rational side of my brain was sarcastically saying, “Won’t be long before you’re like Monk and yelling, ‘Wipe! Wipe!’ every time you feel that germy feeling,” while the crazier side of my brain was saying, “At least I had wipes to deal with this emergency!”

Clearly I have a problem.

Reading in the New Year

Here we are almost two weeks into the new year and I’m finally getting around to attempting a blog post. I remember when I first started blogging how addicting I found it and how I posted often and read a lot of other blogs and searched out blog forums and such. Fast forward to today, and I seldom write a blog post anymore and now that my Google Reader is gone, I find that I don’t read many blogs anymore, either. In fact, as I sit here typing this, I’m wondering how in the world I found the time and energy to interact with blogs as much as I did back then. I truly don’t have that kind of time right now, and certainly not the energy. I blame Facebook. Then again, for all two of you who may pity this poor blog and come back to read once in a while anymore, you already know about my love-hate relationship with Facebook, I guess. It’s an even bigger time waster and addiction than blogging was in the beginning for me. Though with this turn of the calendar page to 2014 (!!!) I find some of my attraction for it finally waning. Finally. 

Reading/Blogging Thoughts: I’ve been doing some thinking today about why I even write blog posts or post on Facebook, and I don’t think I’m liking what I’ve been pondering today. Back up and let me tell you that I am in the midst of reading a fascinating book. It’s called Popologetics : Popular Culture in Christian Perspective by Ted Turnau, and my brother and sister-in-law gave it to me for Christmas. It is the rare nonfiction book that captivates my attention and imagination well enough for me to find it hard to put it down, and usually I have a nonfiction and fiction book I will be reading at the same time for that reason. I tend to read nonfiction differently than I do fiction, and I need the escape for a few moments that fiction gives my brain. But this book is so interesting I find myself wanting to keep reading and reading and reading. I’m only about halfway through, so I don’t want to actually review the book here, but I will say that this author seems to be speaking my language about worldview as he first defines worldview and examines how popular culture influences our worldview and presuppositions (whether we recognize it or not) and how we interact with popular culture. It’s really something I am quite interested in, and I’m finding it a very thoughtful book. I’m also finding it a tad disturbing in that what I’m coming away truly pondering is how we Christians should be the kind of people who don’t just float along in the stream of the culture, but actively think about our presuppositions and what’s informing them and making sure we think biblically about how we interact with the culture and our neighbors around us, not knee-jerk pulling out, but thoughtfully interacting and engaging with the culture. 

And as I’m thinking through this, it got me to thinking (again) about how and why I use social media, and, as I said, I’m not sure I like some of the things I’m realizing. I wonder how many bloggers are like me, kind of introverted, but much better about expressing ourselves in written word than in person, and wanting to be known, but kind of shy face-to-face? So, do I blog and Facebook because it helps me to crawl out of my shell, or is it more of a narcissistic, please-someone-notice-me impulse? Food for thought, and not all that comfortable thought, either. I mean, as I think about what I typically write here, when I do write, which isn’t nearly so often anymore, is it anything that would actually benefit someone else, or is it just an avenue for me to vent pent up thoughts. And if that’s all it is, an outlet for pent up thoughts, is that a bad thing? I don’t know. I’m working through that right now. I suppose it depends on what I want from this blog. Do I just want a place to let out those thoughts I need to work out, or do I want to write for people to read? 

More Reading Thoughts: One of the things I really liked about those early days of blogging and the now days of Facebook was getting reading ideas from what other bloggers wrote about books they were reading. For that reason, and also because it’s an easy way for me to remember what I’ve read, I started keeping a list of books I’m reading here at the blog. I’ve updated that list today - I moved the 2013 list to the archive tab and started a 2014 list, if anyone is interested. As I note on that page, just because a book is listed doesn’t necessarily mean I recommend it. It just means I read it. I usually try to note cautions I have with certain books or note books I especially liked,  though. 

A friend of ours that we met when we lived in St. Louis is hosting a reading group on FB challenging us to read 25 books this year. I’ve joined in, and at first that number seemed a bit daunting until I realized it’s really only about 2 books a month, and when I looked back at my yearly book lists here, even last year which was one of my slowest book reading years in a long time, including the three months I took to finish Les Miserables, I still managed to read a solid 32 books. So maybe not as difficult as it might seem at first.

Here’s a look at some of what is on my stack of in process or to be read in the near future, pushing me toward that 25 goal: 

My mom and dad gave me several books for Christmas and I’m itching to dig into each of them. Of course, I’ve got my Bible there, that’s the most necessary and daily of all my reading. All other reading needs to be filtered through a biblical lens and it is the ultimate and final arbiter of what is true and right and good and holy. On top of the list is my Kindle, and it occurs to me that pictures like this one are going to become rarer as more and more of our reading is done on e-readers. Some of the books I have in the wings on my Kindle are: 

Another Jesus Calling: How False Christs Are Entering the Church Through Contemplative Prayer (NF), by Warren B. Smith

Unintended Consequences (F), by Marti Green

Resisting Gossip: Winning the War of the Wagging Tongue (NF), by Matthew C. Mitchell

Name Above All Names (NF), by Alistair Begg and Sinclair Ferguson

Ender’s Game (F), by Orson Scott Card

Just to name a few. 

I had more I wanted to say, but it will better suit another post, so I’ll end this for now.

Feel free to share what you’re reading these days! I’m always looking for good reading material.

What I've Been Reading This Year

When I first began blogging some years ago, one of the things that I liked about it was finding good books as I read what other bloggers I followed read. I was always glad to see when a favorite blogger would either post a list of books they were reading or had enjoyed or when they would write about books along the way.  In that spirit, I started keeping a list on my blog of books I read during the year, plus it's fun for me to look back over the year and remember what I've read, too. So, even though I have a dedicated page for my reading list, I thought I'd do a post here as the year is winding down and share what I've been reading. I did not add the Bible in my reading list, but I could have, since it's a convinced habit of mine to read it daily, so I didn't add it in my list of 'other' books, but of course it would be the one I recommend most highly of all. Read it first, then any other book, especially in the theological/devotional category. When someone asks how to discern what's good or not in the multitude of books out there in the Christian bookstores, my advice is, "Read the Bible first! Know it well and by it discern all the other stuff. The better you know the Bible, the better you'll be able to discern if any other theological or devotional book is biblical or not."Speaking of reading the Bible, before I move on to my list, I read this post just today about daily Bible reading, and the part where he discusses things that can sidetrack our actual reading of the Bible was excellent.

As to the list now, feel free to share any books you've read that you've enjoyed recently, too! I'm always looking for good books.

January 2013:

• Les Miserables (F) - Victor Hugo. I'm obviously reading a translation of this book since I don't know French, and I'm reading it on my Nook (actually started in December, but I'm so early in the book, I'll count it with January's reading). Really liking it so far. I've heard such good things about this being a great story about law vs. grace and about redemption, that I'm greatly looking forward to reading this. Drew and I went to see the movie and really liked it. It IS a great story about redemption and law vs. grace. Now I want to see the musical live sometime. I have a feeling I won't be updating this list for a while. It's a LONG book. 

Februrary 2013:

• Still reading Les Miserables. 
• The Gospel According to Jesus (NF) - John MacArthur. 
• Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart: How to Know for Sure You are Saved (NF) - J.D. Greear. Highly recommended!

March 2013:

• Still reading Les Miserables, about 75% finished as March begins.

April 2013:

• The Inner Circle (F) - Brad Melzer
• Kinsey and Me Stories (F) - Sue Grafton
• Crucifying Morality (NF) - RW Glenn. Recommended!
• The Forgotten (F) - David Baldacci. One of my favorite authors, did not disappoint.

May 2013:

• The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel (F) - Diane Setterfield. I really enjoyed this. It's reminiscent of the Jane Eyre type of gothic novel.
• The Gospel is For Christians (NF) - Mitchell Chase. RECOMMENDED

June 2013

• The Woman in White (F) - Wilkie Collins. I discovered this as a free book on Kindle and it's the first I've read by this 19th century author. It won't be the last - I enjoyed it.
• The Misremembered Man (F) - Christina McKenna. I discovered this through the Kindle Daily Deal one day, and I very much enjoyed the book. It's one of those that had a perfect ending and it left me crying and satisfied at the end, a story that I'll remember.
• What Does it Mean to Be Born Again? (NF) - RC Sproul. From the Critical Questions series. 

July 2013

• What is Faith? (NF) -  RC Sproul. From the Critical Questions series.
• The Moonstone (F) - Wilkie Collins

August 2013

• All of Grace (NF) - Charles Spurgeon. Highly recommend!
• A is for Alibi (F) - Sue Grafton.

September 2013

• Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit (NF) - Francis Chan
• The Testament (F) - John Grisham. I loved this book. 
• When You Reach Me (F) - Rebecca Stead. I really liked this one, too. 

October 2013

• B is for Burglar (F) - Sue Grafton.
• The Giver (F) - Lois Lowry.  My son had to read this for school, and I decided to read it, too, to know what they were discussing. It lead to good discussions at home, and we enjoyed it. We also discovered the other three books in the series and I devoured them all.
• Gathering Blue (F) - Lois Lowry.
• Messenger (F) - Lois Lowry.
• Son (F) - Lois Lowry.
• Tower of Babel (NF) - Bodie Hodge. This was very interesting, though at times a bit technical, overall, I found it fascinating.

November 2013

• Face of Betrayal (A Triple Threat Novel) (F) - Lis Wiehl with April Henry. I enjoyed this one, and will probably look for more in the series.
• In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel Centered Life (NF) - Sinclair Ferguson. Recommended. This was not a fast read, because I read nonfiction differently than I do fiction. I am very much appreciating authors and preachers who are helping me to think through and apply a gospel-centered understanding of life. So encouraging.
• Risked (The Missing series) (F) - Margaret Peterson Haddix. This is a series my 7th grade son and I are both enjoying reading, and we are anxiously awaiting the next installment, which hasn't been published yet.

December 2013

• The Gravity of Birds (F) - Tracy Guzeman. I really liked this book. One of the side benefits from my Kindle is the daily and monthly deals. I've found several books I've enjoyed that I never would have stumbled across had I not clicked on the deals once in a while. This was one, and I very much enjoyed not only the story but the writing as well. It's a gift to be able to write a story well. A good story coupled with good writing is a treasure to read. 
• Strange Fire (NF) - John MacArthur. Necessary discussion that is causing quite a stir, but I'm thankful for it.
• Crucifying Morality (NF) - RW Glenn. This was a reread, since a small group of friends met together with me to read and discuss this book over about 2 months or so. I recommend reading this and really thinking about the premise that Jesus IS the Beatitudes. Best read not as rules for living, but rather a picture of what a life that has understood the gospel of grace will increasingly look like as you are conformed to the image of Christ. I cannot tell you how freeing it is to finally begin to understand grace and grace-centered, gospel-centered living and thinking, and this author (in this book as well as the sermons I'm listening to as I've subscribed to his Sunday sermons from the church where he pastors) has been instrumental in helping me learn to think biblically about the gospel-centered life.
• The Darkest Path (F) - Jeff Hirsch. I just started this one, but I'm adding it to the list for 2013 because most likely I'll finish it before December is out. I'm reading this because my 7th grade son read it and wants to discuss it with me, so he begged me to read it. 
• 11/22/63 (F) - Stephen King. I am not a Stephen King reader, normally. In fact, I don't know that I've ever read any of his books. I tend to stay away from things that I know would encourage nightmares, since I am very prone to them, and his brand of thriller is something I think would probably be that for me. But I found this through the Kindle daily deals and the premise looked so interesting and from what I read it seems different from the scarier books, so I'm giving it a try. It's another one I've only just started but will probably finish, so I've added it to the 2013 list, too. 

Dwell on Christ

James 1:2-8

“2) Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials, 3) for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4)And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5) If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6) But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7)For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8) he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

There is a hashtag trending on Twitter recently that says “ConfessYourUnpopularOpinion”. If you are unfamiliar with Twitter, the best I’ve been able to tell about what hashtag trends are is that it’s a little like the old blog meme - you type your update and put the hashtag on it and it lets you join in the ‘fun’. I don’t do much with hashtags on Twitter, I don’t do much at all with Twitter beyond an occasional tweet, truth be told, but I was tempted to use this one. I had one all composed, then I decided that to post it without any commentary might not be wise. 

Here’s what I was thinking about posting as my unpopular opinion: “For a Christian, unhappiness often has less to do w/circumstances than w/refusal to let thoughts dwell on Christ.”

But, I’m too long-winded for Twitter, and I thought maybe I want to flesh out that thought before posting it, instead of just throwing it out there as a zinger, so here’s a little devotional thought for today based on James 1:2-8, and incorporating my unpopular opinion, if you will. If you would like a good resource on this topic, I’ve been listening to a very helpful two-part podcast from Alistair Begg that is part of a larger series he’s doing called, “My Times Are in His Hands.” Part 1 is here if you’re interested.

So, looking at verse 2, notice it doesn’t say to “FEEL it all happiness” when we encounter trials. No, it says to COUNT it all joy. This means it’s a choice of where to focus our thinking. I recently was struggling through a bout of the blues, and as I listened to that podcast this morning, I began thinking this through. Let me share with you two ways we can respond when a bout of the blues hits seemingly out of nowhere, at least, this is how it often goes for me, so see if you can relate. I find myself feeling that pit gaping, the blues threatening, feeling low, and honestly having little control over those very low feelings, so I start to think, “Now, what is making me feel this way?” And I begin to diagnose it, find a cause, think about some usually valid thing in my life that could be behind my blues, start dwelling my thinking on that thing that I have decided must be causing the blues, and then the spiral begins. OR when the blues hit, though I may recognize some potential cause, I choose to run to Jesus, rather than spin and spiral and mope and DWELL in the blues. My prayer may go something like this: “Lord, I can’t shake these blues. They are real, there’s this THING, You know what it is, Lord, I can’t do it, please help me to look to You and not to the thing that’s weighing me down. Turn my eyes to Your word, guard my heart from deception, and help me to see You in the midst of this thing, please grant me the wisdom to know You and to love You and to understand Your word and turn away from my sinful bent toward wallowing.” And I’ve learned when these things come that it is wise to cut out things, if possible, that lend themselves to my dwelling on the blues and take time to immerse myself in reading the Bible and praying through it. Daily Bible reading has been a huge blessing and means of grace in my life. 

Does that mean the blues lift automatically? Not usually. Sometimes it’s a drawn out and difficult and hard-won fight for joy. But what it does do is it helps me to stop wallowing and start focusing my thinking better, focus on Jesus and what He has done to save me from sin and from sinfully allowing my circumstances to take larger precedence than they ought. That’s why I say ‘often’ in that hashtag statement. Many times our unhappiness really isn’t rooted in the circumstances, but in how we are thinking about and handling and facing those circumstances. Do we believe that God is in control - of all things? Then when we wallow and complain about where He has us today, what does that say about our trust in His good plan? Is this easy to do? Not at all. But it is worth it, to find our joy in Christ in the midst of our THING, whatever that trial is.

I’m not trying to oversimplify real suffering, not at all. I am not a word-faith/mind-over matter kind of teacher. Life is hard. It’s hard for ALL of us. I am not saying there is no room or place for grieving and tears, either. We all have some THING that we have to face in our lives. But how we face those things, how desperately we cling to Christ or choose to wallow determines much of what we are able to learn from those things and how we choose to glorify God or not in the midst of our things. Are we going to blow it up to large proportion and wallow in a woe-is-me, THIS is why I suffer attitude, or are we going to recognize the lie that our circumstances define us and cling all the more desperately to Jesus? I say all this because I have been there. I’ve wallowed. And it isn’t pretty when I do. But, oh, how much better when I learn to arrest those thoughts before they embitter me and learn to trust HIM.

One more thought, and this is the unpopular thought that will probably make people mad at me: Another thing I’m learning is that, as I mentioned last time, I’m not sure Facebook is good for us. It makes it WAY too easy to vent out every stray thought before we reign it in and share it with everyone out there in Facebook land. It makes it all too easy to wallow when we feel justified in venting every frustration with our circumstances for everyone to see. And, can I just be blunt? When we do that, vent our every frustration, it makes it really, really hard for our friends to not take offense or fall into the same trap. I know, I’ve been a venter. I NEVER feel good about it later, either. That is not to say we shouldn’t be honest or put on happy, happy, happy masks and only post rainbows and sunshine, either. That is problematic also. But how we go about being honest is important, and something else to consider is that it impacts our witness for Christ. Sharing our struggles privately with friends and asking for prayer or help is wise, venting everything publicly isn't always as wise.

Anyway, that’s what I’ve been thinking about today, and thought I’d share it, for whatever it’s worth. May we seek holiness more than happiness, and may we find our greatest joy in knowing Christ. May the love of the Father, the peace of Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be our joy. 

Philippians 4:4-8

“4) Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5) Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6) do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7) And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8)Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Status Update - December 2013

Seeing as I've let the blog lapse somewhat this year, I think I'll do a little status update in bullet points here on this first day of December:

 - Sitting in the apartment, which we have affectionately named "The Cave" due to the fact that it is on the ground floor of the building kind of built into a hill with a wall behind us leading up to the sunny land, and though it has lots of windows, it is not very sunny inside. The apartment really isn't all that bad, and I'm EXTREMELY thankful our house sold quickly, more quickly than we expected, which is why we're in The Cave, so I'm not really complaining, but of the things I miss about our house, I miss the sunny windows and back deck most…..

 - Our church family got to witness a baptism this morning. I never, never get tired of that. Rejoice with those who rejoice. I'm thankful for Sundays and for salvation and for my church family.

 - Planning to drink some decaf coffee with peppermint mocha creamer once I get the youngest child to bed, and oldest kids can help me catch up on some shows we have on DVR.

- Decorated the house for Christmas this afternoon after church, probably the earliest we've EVER decorated for Christmas, but it was good to do it while my husband was home to help me get the decorations out of storage. Now that the Nativity set is up and our little Charlie Brown tree is decorated, I'm ready to play Christmas music.

- Speaking of Christmas music, I let my 15-year-old run the iPod in the car this evening on the way home from the airport, and we got to listen to about an hour's worth of Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas music REALLY loud in the car, which is probably the best way to properly appreciate the genius that is Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas music (well, the instrumental pieces, at least; not so much the ones with lyrics).

- Since we've mentioned the airport, I have to say that for a military family, airports are pretty much the happiest places on earth or the saddest, depending on if your Army guy is coming or going. Mine was going back to school today, so…..sad.

 - But not sad for too long this time. We get to be together at Christmas, and for that I'm thankful. Yet one more reason to play that Christmas music.

- Speaking of Christmas music, my daughter gets to be in a children's Christmas musical next Sunday. She is so excited. We will be listening to her music this week, for sure.

 - And since we're discussing Christmas music, I have two band concerts to look forward to in the next few weeks as well. Band mom!

 - Not to mention the adult choir Christmas presentation I get to sing with, too! Music!!

 - As to what I'm reading these days, though I haven't been blogging much, I have tried to keep up with my list of books read, if you're interested. Currently I'm reading "Strange Fire" by John MacArthur, and finding it weighty and important, and I really, really, really wish all those critics I've seen saying those of us who are concerned and seriously so should look at a more 'balanced' view of the Strange Fire Conference would actually listen to the talks and read the book and see what is being said there and see how serious this is instead of lecturing us on what they think was said or what they've only heard about was said from the blogs they've read. I'm also reading a fiction book I found through Amazon's Kindle deals called "The Gravity of Birds" byTracy Guzeman, which I am really liking. It's one of those I have a hard time putting down and am wanting to see how it will end. I have very much enjoyed my Kindle, and I've found several books through the daily/monthly deals that I've enjoyed but probably would not have found and read otherwise.

 - As I'm getting ready to read Isaiah 40:1-5 with my kids before bed in a few minutes for the first day of Advent, I can't help but hear Handel's Messiah in my head as I read it. "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God."

Happy December, everyone!