Relevant Questions and Answers and Great Words on Writing!

Review of: Max on Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions by Max Lucado

            I'm naturally leery of any person who claims to have all the answers. And sometimes I steer clear of the “big Christian authors” simply because they're “big Christian authors” – I know, I'm repenting for being prejudiced and judgmental. But I also “pride” myself on being open-minded and open-hearted and hearing God's Truth from wherever and whomever it comes. That said I enjoyed this book more than I expected I would.

            As I read, where I expected pat “theologically sound” answers, the author pointed the questioner back to the Bible again and again, giving scriptural answers without dogma. He's not afraid to say things like: “our suffering can be a small assignment when compared with the reward.” (p. 39)

            The questions feel like real questions asked by real people, not questions the author or editors came up with because they were the ones they wanted to answer. Questions like, “Why pray if God is in control?” (p. 77) and “Why did God heal my friend from cancer but not me?” (p. 81) This book addresses some very personal questions, like: How to forgive someone who has abused you sexually (p. 50); How to deal with anger issues (p. 45); How to treat an employee as a Christian and correct bad behavior but still be loving (p. 52). The questions and answers are divided into seven topics: Hope, Hurt, Help, Him/Her, Home, Haves/Have-Nots, and Hereafter.

Believers at all stages of their walk will find relevant questions and answers. Lucado’s answers are full of godly wisdom and practical, biblically-based advice with examples and stories to make it all understandable and relatable. I love that he doesn't make excuses for God but admits that sometimes we just don't know why. God can see the big picture, we can't.

            Max on Life would be a beneficial addition to anyone's library – parents, pastors, small group leaders, and teachers – all seekers of Truth.

            But all that aside, I would highly recommend this book just for the gem of an afterthought, the Addendum, “The Write Stuff.” In just four-and-a-half pages, Lucado gives us some of the most encouraging, practical, challenging words on writing I've ever read.   He talks about the power of well-written words, “Words go where we never go.” But he also encourages us to hit the delete key when needed: “Make every word earn its place on the page. Not just once or twice, but many times. Sentences can be like just-caught fish – spunky today and stinky tomorrow.”

Max on Life could easily be retitled, Max on Life and Writing.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: The Sacred Journey by Charles Foster

First, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed Foster's writing style. I am pleased to have discovered him and will read more of his books. Second, it is evident that he is passionate about and experienced with the subject matter of this book – Pilgrimage.

Foster says that we are built to wander. I'm not completely convinced that's true for all humans. However, I can definitely see the appeal and feel the urge for pilgrimage myself and I can agree that sometimes “settling” or “sitting still” is very detrimental to mankind. I just can't quite imagine what a world full of nomads would look like. And at times, it seems like that's what Foster is purporting, that the “ideal” way to live would be as a nomad. He says that God is a mover. “He can't keep still. And he has an alarmingly clear preference for people who can't keep still.” So of course, the scripture that immediately came to my mind was, “Be still and know that I am God,” from the 46^th psalm (which isn't the only place in scripture we are commanded to “be still.”) Then shortly after reading this, I came across this quote by Lao Tsu, “Stillness in stillness is not real stillness. Stillness in activity – that is real stillness.” Selah.

I think, and Foster alludes to the possibility, that we can live our lives with an attitude of wandering, especially when an actual, physical pilgrimage just isn't possible for a variety of reasons. After all, we are called to be in the world, but not of it. We are travelers here. (Anyone else remember the old Petra song, “Not of This World”?) We can experience the benefits – the adventure, the hardship, the suffering, the joy, the camaraderie – of pilgrimage without ever leaving home.

If an actual pilgrimage is possible – go for it! But if not, don't feel limited or lesser than in your faith. God is in control. He holds your life in His hands. If He feels you need to “hit the road,” then He will make a way. Not necessarily an “easy” way, but a way nonetheless.

Foster has lived it. He has taken the journeys and it's very apparent from his writing. I have to admit, reading this book temporarily created some discontent in me. I longed for the opportunity to experience pilgrimage the way he describes. It's just not in the cards for me at this point in my life. And that's okay. I gleaned some of the benefits of a pilgrimage just from reading the book. I especially enjoyed the chapter on “Thin Places.” He says, “The early Christian Celts spoke about 'thin places' – places where worlds (I would prefer to say dimensions') were particular close to each other. Places where, if you were quiet enough, you could hear the murmurings of God.” And he goes on to talk about some specific places like Jerusalem, a chamber in France, Santiago, etc. I've never been to any of those places, but I have been to “thin places.” Maybe those “thin places” are different for each of us. Being outside in nature is almost always a thin place for me, and especially in Telluride, Colorado where I visit my brother and his family. (Yes, you could also say that it's a “thin place” because it's over 8,000 ft. in elevation!)

In Chapter 2, he talks about some of the “junk” that the Church needs to throw out. He quotes Phyllis Tickle (who happens to be the editor for this series and wrote the forward) who, “...noted that every few centuries the church needs to hold a rummage sale to clear out the accumulated rubbish...” One of the things he says we should “chuck out” is the name “Christian.” He says, “'Christian' has to go. We've wrecked the word.” I couldn't agree more.

If you're just curious about pilgrimage, or believe, as some do, that it's just not a necessary part of the Christian life in our day The Sacred Journey is a great read. If you are hungry for something different, something real, something gritty you will love this book. It's not just a philosophical or theological discussion of pilgrimage, (although Foster is well-qualified to write something dry and boring, fortunately, that's just not his style) it also contains practical advice and cautionary anecdotes from stories of pilgrimages, both Foster's and others.

I think the final sentence of the book sums it up perfectly. He says, “Jesus said some other things, too, but as a summary of the four Gospels, 'Let's go for a walk together' is not bad.”

I enthusiastically agree.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

The moment I finished reading this book, I was composing a review in my head -- 200, 300, 400 words...so much to say!

By the time I made it to the keyboard to type this, my review was boiled down to two words:

It. Is.

Now...off to find a copy of You Shall Know Our Velocity! or How We Are Hungry: Stories or The Wild Things or Zeitoun....whatever I can get my hands on!

Book Review: The Gospel According to Jesus by Chris Seay

Chapter One begins with one of my favorite quotes by Gandhi,

"I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

I often say I'm not ashamed of Christ, but I am sometimes hesitant to label myself as "Christian" because people can have such a negative reaction to that word. The Gospel According to Jesus does a great job of pointing out why that is the case -- Why so many Christians misunderstand and misapply the Gospel.

In the book of Romans, Paul writes:

"I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. ¹⁵ Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me ¹⁶ to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit." -- Romans 15:14-16 NIV

Throughout Paul's epistles, he reminds the churches over and over again of the most important points of the Gospel. I loved Chris' explanations of righteousness and sin and what it really means that we're created in the image of God so much that I'm going through the book a chapter at a time with the youth group of my house church. These are basic foundational truths of our faith that shape everything we do and say in the world.

I have to admit, I thought that reading a book that "takes a in-depth look at" a research study would be a bit boring. I was wrong. I found it a thought-provoking, deep, but easy-to-read primer on the most essential aspects of our salvation and redemption, such as righteousness, sin, and shalom.

At the end of each chapter, Chris includes a sample of dinner table discussion with his friends. Those conversations alone are worth the price of the book. And I love how that demonstrates our need for relationship. You can't live the Christian life in a solitary bubble. We were created to live in relationship with others. It's through those relationships that we get a clearer and clearer picture of who God is.

I highly recommend this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Thoughts on Snowpocalypse 2011

I started to just post this as a facebook status and realized it may just be too long a thought for that.

I love the snow. It's beautiful. It's refreshing. It makes the starkness of winter soft again. It reminds me of Isaiah 1:18, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow." It's a beautiful reminder of our redemption.

That said, I know this unusual winter storm has shut down most of Oklahoma and is causing difficulties for a lot of people. For some people, not leaving home means no work and no work means no money. Believe me, I know. My husband is a self-employed faux painter...nobody wants to have their kitchen redone while they're stuck at home! :) BUT...maybe while they're stuck at home they're noticing some things they'll want to change!

I'm sitting here watching the snow fall again and it just makes me grateful. It's so beautiful. And here's what I know, God is faithful. When we put our trust in Him, His grace is sufficient for whatever we're struggling with in this season. All it takes is a shift in perspective. In 1 Corinthians 10:13, Paul tells us that,

"No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it" (The Message)

So whatever you may be faced with during this "Snowpocalypse," remember God is faithful, He will give you the grace to deal with whatever it may be -- financial difficulties, illness, loss, "too much" family time, and even cabin fever! Your loving Father God will show you a way of escape (even if you can't leave the house)! 

So enjoy the snow. Watching it fall is quieting and meditative. 

And a P.S. to those who live in the mountains or in the north and deal with this kind of snow all winter and are making fun of us: You deal with this kind of snow all winter! We rarely have to deal with this much snow here, so yes, it IS a big deal to us!!!:)

Perspective

I think sometimes it's good to take a step back from the people we know and love the most, the people with whom we spend the bulk of our time, and see them in a different light. It's so easy to take these relationships for granted and because we "know" these people so well, it is so easy to judge them. Subconsciously we think we've earned the "right" to judge them. In fact, a great deal of our interactions with these people are tainted by our assumptions about them--how they will react to what we're saying, how they'll catch the drift of what we're not saying, etc.

In reading this morning about caring for the poor and the broken in my community it occurred to me how much easier it is for me to "excuse" the brokenness of people "out there" in the community. I can say to myself, "I don't know that person's story. I don't know where they came from or what kinds of struggles they've faced in their lives." So in the end, that is a "tool" I suppose, to temporarily keep me from judgment, but is it truly a fix for my struggle with judgment?

Not really. What is the fix for my struggle with judgment? Love. "Love never fails." (1Corinthians 13:8 NIV) In 1 Corinthians Paul gives us a primer on love, all of the things love is and isn't, does and doesn't.

So honestly, what started out as a post about another "tool" for my struggle with judgment--taking a step back from those I'm closest to and looking at them as I would a stranger--became yet another reminder to me that God's love is always the answer. God is love. Love never fails. If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels but don't have love, I'm nothing.

Working Out the Bends

I think one of the "resistances" that keeps me from writing is that I wonder if people really care what I have to say. Do they really want to hear me?

And as I ponder that thought, I realize that its insecurity and insecurity is ultimately rooted in selfishness. And all selfishness is sin. I'm reading a book by Chris Seay called The Gospel According to Jesus. In one chapter he describes sin very simply. We often hear it defined as "missing the mark," which is accurate, but what mark? What's our target? Our target is relationship with God and people. Remember Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God and the second is to love your neighbor. (Matthew 22:37-40.) All sin is relational. It limits or breaks or destroys our relationships.

I'd have to say one of my biggest struggles with sin is with judgment. It is SO EASY to fall into judgment before we even realize it. Well, before I even realize it, I should say.


So I know that I'm judging people (and myself) by thinking no one will care what I have to say. Because if even one person gets something out of it, then that's all that matters. God gave me a desire to write. To share words. I. Love. Words. My Creator made me that way.

In the Fall, the internal mirror that was designed to reflect my Divine Creator to the world was bent at odd angles that cause me to reflect back in on myself, but Jesus redeemed me from that and as my mind is renewed and I work out my salvation (Phil. 2:12), those bent places begin to be straightened out and I'm able to better reflect my Savior to those around me.

(Thank you to Chris Seay and The Gospel According to Jesus for inspiring this post.)