Our Imperfect Christmas

Words for Wednesdays

I just blogged over on our church's website about our Imperfect Christmas. If your advent season has been less-than-ideal, come check it out.

Books of 2012

Words for Wednesdays

Do you have a line item for books in your budget?

At the beginning of this year, I decided I was going to read more than just our school books, and I did! (Not a very hard resolution to keep.)

I was asked in another forum to give my favorite 3 books that I read in 2012, so here they are: 

How to Overcome Evil by Jay Adams
Adams explains from Romans 12 what weapons God has given us to win the battle with evil. He encourages, "The Great General never commands His troops to do anything that they cannot do." Practical and applicable to everyone, I say it should be on every Christian's Bookshelf.

Harvest of Rubies by Tessa Afshar
This historical fiction novel positions the main character as the cousin of Nehemiah. Rarely have I ever wanted to read a novel with a highlighter in hand, but I did so with this book, not wanting to forget the lessons woven within the pages. An imperfect heroine makes the story that much more refreshing.

Putting Your Past in Its Place by Stephen Viars
A Biblical guide to dealing with our pasts. He helps us look at them through the lens of scripture. I appreciate his gentle yet firm approach, as well as the systematic way he moves through the book.

And I included this as a 4th...

And the Word Came with Power by Joanne Shetler.
The life of missionary Joanne Shetler as written in this book fills you with awe about our amazing God and His Word. While working with Wycliffe ministering to the Balangao people in the Philippines, she witnessed events that inspire us even now. Good for the whole family.

Here were more from the year, in no particular order:

Seeking Him Bible Study by Nancy Leigh DeMoss was life changing, literally.

A Gospel Primer for Christians by Milton Vincent helps me preach the gospel to myself daily.

Same Kind of Different as Me gave me eyes to see people, rather than look past them.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett caused me to wish I had a maid! LOL I'm looking forward to finally watching the movie. (Wanted to read the book first.)

Will Medicine Stop the Pain  by Dr. Laura Hendrickson and Elyse M. Fitzpatrick was extremely helpful.

Amy Inspired by Bethany Pierce was a sweet novel about a writer trying to make-it.

Thirteen Months by Don Brobst was a sad but tender book about a man's memories of the last months with his wife while she had cancer. I couldn't finish it. Too heart-wrenching.

Licensed to Kill by Brian Hedges gives practical Biblical hope in our battle with win.

Marta's Legacy by Francine Rivers reminded me that we all have stories, and we should overflow with grace.


So what was on your list this year?

Slowing Down for Christmas

Words for Wednesdays

Ever feel like the clock ticks faster between Halloween and New Years?

I'd like to live differently this year. I just ordered the e-book, "Celebrating and Savoring a Simple Christmas" that I plan on reading this weekend. The author, Crystal Paine, is the creator of Money Saving Moms, a website that I visit at least weekly. I'm looking forward to hearing her words of wisdom.

What about you? What are you doing to enjoy the season, rather than just "get through it?"

Tirzah: A Book Review

Words for Wednesdays

Sometime Bible characters get stuck in the Bible and all lumped together. When we imagine the Israelites in the wilderness, we smash them into one person, as though with a single voice they cried out, "We want meat!"

We forget that they were people, just like us, with individual minds and choices and lives and actions.

That's probably why I loved the book Tirzah so much.

I read it to my children as a part of our history of Ancient Times, and through it, we were able to step into the shoes of a young Israelite girl as her people were freed from slavery in Egypt and began their hike to the Promised Land. We experienced the excitement of the Passover and the crossing of the Red Sea.  We felt the immense disappointment when they learned that they would not enter the land... yet.

We were all inspired by God's great love in spite of our own failures. It also reminded us that Bible characters were people with daily lives, like us.

This is an excellent read-aloud for younger children or a read-alone for upper elementary and above. I highly recommend it!

Remembering Thankfulness

Words for Wednesdays

154. Faces with smiles
155. Candy Milk Straws
156. Leftovers
157. Drawers full of clean clothes

That is where I left off on my thankful list, many months ago. If you haven't read Ann Voskamp's book 1000 Gifts, make it a goal to pick it up before the end of the year. It will change how you see your life.

While reading her blog today, I was reminded so clearly about the need for thankfulness in our daily routine.While dialoging about bucket lists, she reminds us, "Because the way to really live is not to try to fill your life up — but to spill your life out."

and...

"When your cup’s already full of the blessings of God, you don’t need a bucket list.
You’re ready to pour your bucket right out."

So true!

Read the blog, then read the book. You'll be thankful you did. The background music alone is worth the trip to her blog. :)

So now I dust off my journal and add--

158. Ann Voskamp
159. Two arms to carry both a bike and scooter home on our long walk/ride.
160. The scent of pumpkin bread in the oven my daughter made.
161. Food for the week.
162. A basket full of fresh produce.

Lamplighter Ebook Sale

Words for Wednesdays

Books that change your life are hard to find. Especially when they were written a hundred or more years ago, and have since gone out of print!

If you have spoken to me for 5 minutes about books, I'm sure you've heard me rave about Lamplighter Publishing. They take out of print should-be classics and reprint them with beautiful leather covers. I love my little collection!

The books are life-changers. Right now, the e-book versions are 50% off! ($4.99) I could hardly wait to add a few to my virtual shelf. Although I adore the look and feel of the real books, I can't pass up a good deal, and in the end, reading it on my computer with Kindle for PC or holding it in my hands - I'm still getting a chance to read it!

If you buy only one family-aged Lamplighter book, I recommend Teddy's Button. Our entire family fell in love with the little boy and his adventures to fight his giant. It goes so well with our church's current sermon series about Killing Sin that I'm going to make it our bedtime reading.

I had to do some jumping around to have these .mobi files appear in my Kindle Cloud, but it worked using these instructions:

Moving .mobi docs to the cloud.

Have you been hooked on Lamplighter books yet? What's your favorite?

And the Word Came with Power

Words for Wednesdays

A shy girl stranded all alone amidst a tribe of headhunters in the Philippines.

Action movie? No. Amazing biography.

The story of Joanne Shetler's life as written in And the Word Came with Power fills you with awe about our amazing God and His Word. As a missionary with Wycliffe to the Balangao people in the Philippines, she witnessed events that inspire us even now.

According to the Wycliffe website, about 350 million people today still do not have any Scripture in their language. How many Bibles do I have on my shelves, not to mention on my kids' shelves? Then add in my iphone with its ever-ready translations and commentaries - we are so rich!


I read this book out loud to my kids, and they begged me to keep reading. "Just one more chapter, mom. Please!"


I'd recommend putting it on your "must read" list. This isn't a dry biography. It's a challenging adventure we were privileged to step into.


"And beside, I've never quite figured out just how to bring God glory. But I have learned to surrender my dreams to him. And he has made the reality of living according to his plan even better than my greatest dreams." -- Joanne Shetler, page 164

Overcoming Evil

Words for Wednesdays

Evil is everywhere. Dark alleys. Terrorist countries. Movie Theaters.

And though these places seem daunting, evil is also found at the dining room table, the school bus, and the conference table. 

We are surrounded by evil, but God tells us not to be overcome by it. Instead, we are to overcome - we are to win! 

In his booklet How to Overcome Evil, Jay Adams explains from Romans 12 what weapons God has given us to win the battle. Adams encourages, "The Great General never commands His troops to do anything that they cannot do." In short, we are to overcome this evil with good.

Does it seem unrealistic?  Do you find that you're overcoming evil and winning the battle, or are you withdrawing to a peace-fire on the sidelines?

Some of us live in fear. We hear the news, and we cower. Jay Adams says, "When Christians fear evil and evil doers, they do so only because they are unsure or unskilled in the use of their own weapons."

And too often, we fight with the evil weapons of the world. A harsh word. A deceitful tactic. A strategic but sinful plan. Malicious slander. A critical ungracious eye of judgement.

"You simply cannot overcome evil by spreading about more of the same!" Adams says.

I believe this booklet should be on every Christian's must-read list. The principles that Adams sets out from his careful study of Romans 12 will change your life. They’re changing mine. Adams is matter-of-fact and does not pull any punches. At times, he's really in your face. It’s a short read, but there is not a single sentence wasted. 

I recommend it for those who are being unjustly treated. On the flip side, it’s also great for those who find themselves often judging others or trying to control their environment and can’t seem to change. 

  

 

A Favorite Part:

Near the end of the book, Adams relates a story of when he was speaking to a group of students, encouraging them to press on. A professor objected to his speech, accusing him of flattery. Adams did not know what to say, as he had never been charged with flattery before, and later he came up with his response should he ever find himself being judged for his motives - matters of the heart - again.

"Sir, you have sinned against me; you have judged my motives. God doesn't grant you that right. But I am prepared to forgive you if you repent."

Perhaps you feel like a helpless victim. Or maybe you have been on the other side. Basically, everyone could use this good reminder. 

"He who overcomes,

I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne,

as I also overcame,

and sat down with My Father on His throne."

Revelation 3:21

When Your Past Won't Stay There

Words for Wednesdays

My blog is called "Reaching Ahead" from the passage in Philippians 3:12-14 where we forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. But what if our past won't stay, well... past? What if it affects our present, and as a result, our future?

Putting Your Past in Its Place by Stephen Viars is a Biblical guide to our pasts. He helps us look at them through the lens of scripture. I appreciate his gentle yet firm approach, as well as the systematic way he moves through the book.

His goal isn't to dive into our past to blame others, find our inner child, or anything like that. Instead, he breaks it into four categories, and then he teaches us how to correctly handle each, giving examples from the Bible of people who've been there as well as case studies.

1. When you've been through trials and responded well. (Joseph)
2. When you've been through trials and responded poorly. (Naomi)
3. When you've sinned and responded well. (Peter)
4. When you've sinned and responded poorly. (David)

As one counselee I met with said when she reported on the book:

"I would highly recommend this book to any Christian who is struggling with issues of the past. No matter what the issues, this book (especially with its use of biblical reference) can help steer anyone in the right direction; down a pathway straight to God. It all points back to the Lord who is our ultimate healer and adviser."

I think that just about sums it up!

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14

Getting Rid of My Stickers

Words for Wednesdays

When Madam Blueberry goes to Stuff Mart, the writers must have been thinking of my love for Super Target. So often, children's books and movies seem to apply to me more than my kids. It happened again today.

Keeping 56 first graders calm during check-out after a full day of VBS is quite the challenge! This afternoon, I read book after book, one of them being You Are Special by Max Lucado, a family favorite.

You Are Special is about a town of wooden people who put star stickers on the popular ones and gray dot stickers on those without any special talents. Punchinello is full of dots, and he goes to the Maker to learn how to rid himself of the unwanted spots.

The Maker asks: 

"Who are they to give you stars or dots?

They're Wemmicks, just like you. 

What they think doesn't matter, Punchinello. 

All that matters is what I think. 

And I think you are pretty special."

When Punchinello asks why he's special, the Maker explains:

"Because you're mine. That's why you matter to me." 

  
Pause.



I'll admit it - That was a hug that my grown up thirty-three year old heart needed to feel.

Why am I special? Because I'm His. I am covered in the righteousness of Christ.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, 

a holy nation,  a people belonging to God, 

that you may declare the praises of Him 

who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

1 Peter 2:9

But how do we get rid of those pesky stickers? 

The Maker explains:

"The stickers only stick if you let them. If they matter to you. 

The more you trust in my love, the less you care about their stickers... 

Come and see me every day and I will remind you how much I care."

This is one book that I might need to move off of the children's shelf and onto my own.


What children's books have reached out to your heart?

Same Kind of Different as Me - Review

Words for Wednesdays

A poor homeless man. A rich art dealer. They wouldn’t score high on a friendship compatibility test. But in God’s eyes, they were a perfect match.

A true story, Same Kind of Different as Me inspired me in ways I hardly expected when I casually picked the book off of my brother’s shelf. His family had moved, and as I was helping them unpack a couple of boxes, the title intrigued me. I thought I had heard of it somewhere. When I saw it was a true story, that sparked my interest ever further.

What I found was an inspirational read that gave me eyes to see the world more as God sees it.

 

When Ron Hall, the wealthy businessman, approaches Denver, the poor component of the duo, about becoming friends, Denver makes a speech that I found to be personally soul-searching:

“I heard that when white folks go fishin they do something called ‘catch and release… That really bothers me,” Denver went on. “I just can’t figure it out. ‘Cause when we colored folks go fishin, we really proud of what we catch, and we take it and show it off to everybody that’ll look. Then we eat what we catch… in other words, we use it to sustain us. So it really bothers me that white folks would go to all that trouble to catch a fish then when they done caught it, just throw it back in the water… so Mr. Ron, it occurred to me: If you is fishin for a friend you just gon’ catch and release, then I ain’t got no desire to be your friend.. but if you’re lookin for a real friend, then I’ll be one. Forever.” 

Denver Moore,Same Kind of Different as Me. p107

I don't think there's anything I can add to that statement - it is what it is, and it is so true. Catch and release. Don’t get deep. If the fish gets too wiggly or you get tired of it, release it back in.

~*~*~*~*~

The closest I get to homelessness and poverty on a daily basis is the various man or woman holding a cardboard sign at the corner of a busy intersection. 

Since reading the book, I haven't run down to a shelter or befriended a homeless person off the street. But while grocery shopping this week, there was an older man hovering by the watermelons, and we sparked a conversation. He showed the kids and I how to pick out the best one, knowing just the right way to thump it to listen for juice. We had a little bongo moment as we watched him pretend the watermelon were drums. It only lasted a few minutes, but my heart was definitely softened to those who are usually invisible to me, as I go quickly through my day, checking items off my list. 

~*~*~*~*~

 

The book moves back and forth between the men, speaking in first person from their point of view. The events that happen are what they are. No theological explanation is given, which I appreciate, because some of the events were hard for my mind to comprehend. But that’s so often how life is. Stuff happens, some we can’t explain, and we keep walking by faith until our journey leads us home.

 

“The truth about it is, whether we is rich or poor or something in between, this earth ain’t no final restin place. So in a way, we is all homeless – just workin our way toward home.” 

Denver Moore, Same Kind of Different as Me, p235

It's such a long way home

Words for Wednesdays

Have you heard Steve Curtis Chapman's new song, "Long Way Home?" Although the tune is light and beachy, the words are heavy and deep. So today, enjoy the words like a poem. Knowing all that he has been through, I'm so amazed at the grace of God in his life.

I set out on a great adventure
The day my father started leading me home.
He said there gonna be some mountains to climb
And some valleys we’re gonna go thorough.

But I had no way of knowing
Just how hard this journey could be
Cause the valleys are deeper and the mountains are steeper
Than I ever would of dreamed.

But I know we’re gonna make it
And I know we’re gonna get there soon
And I know some times it feels like we're

going the wrong way,
But it’s just a long way home.

There's some rocks in my shoes, some fears I wish I could lose
They make the mountain so hard to climb,
And my heart gets so heavy
With the weight of the world some times.

And there’s a bag of regrets
'I should have beens' and 'not-yets'
I keep on dragging around,
And I can hardly can wait till the day I could lay them all down.

Well I know that day is coming,
And I know it’s gonna be here soon.
And I know I won’t turn back even if the whole world
Says I’m doing the wrong way,
Cause it’s just a long way home.

And when we can’t take another step
The father will pick us up and carry us in his arms.
And even on the best days
He says to remember we’re not home yet.
So don’t get too comfortable
Cause what you really are is just pilgrims passing through.

Well I know that day is coming,
And I know it’s gonna be here soon.
I’ll keep on singing and believing
What all of my songs say
Cause our God has made a promise,
And I know that everything he says it’s true.

And he promised he would never ever leave us

He’s gonna lead us, He’ll head us home
Every single step of the long way home
So keep on - we’re gonna make it!
We’re just taking the long way home
Keep on we’re gonna make it!
I know we’re gonna make it.
It’s just a long way home.

Harvest of Rubies

Words for Wednesdays

I know better than to start a highly-recommended book at 10 PM, but that's when the house is quiet, and so this month, I cracked open Tessa Afshar's book, Harvest of Rubies, after the kids were fast asleep, and I didn't put it down until I read the last page in the wee morning hours. It was well-written, gripping, and very inspirational.It even brought a few tears.

When Janet Parshall commented on her program that it was a historical fiction novel based on a cousin of Nehemiah, I ordered it right away. I love books like that. :) 

I want to read it again with highlighter in hand. I don’t want to forget anytime soon the lesson of the grapevine. How often do I hold onto the pruned branch, wanting that life back? I might find an image of a grapevine and frame it for my home.

If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, you’ll have to read it for yourself. One element that I really enjoyed was that the heroine wasn’t perfect. She struggles with things common to all of us. I’m sure that if I were to meet her today, she’d have uneven fingernails, a stain on her shirt, and she might have misplaced her glasses… a little like me. A little like all of us.