Stuff That Matters In Life

Spoiler alert!

Read another Hamish Macbeth mystery – a mindless diversion.

The build up in these books are always good, but the resolution is disappointing. The murderer killed 3 people leaving no trail and for months the police had no leads. Then all of a sudden, she stabs someone in the lobby of a hotel and gives herself away.  I think the author just wanted to end it.

I pretty much give the same review of every Hamish Macbeth book. But it’s easy to read, and I like light-hearted mysteries with no blood and gore.

Read this on Family Life that I think is insightful:

As Easter approaches, don’t you often wonder why Christmas gets all the good press, while Easter is treated more like a very distant second cousin? After all, it’s a commemoration of the greatest news ever proclaimed in history: Christ is alive and we are forgiven! Easter arrives with so little fanfare, we almost forget it’s coming.

I think there are three main reasons why even Christians neglect the importance of Easter:

1. It’s not interesting to the secular community. While the entire culture is focused on gift-giving and food-filled festivities at Christmas, Easter doesn’t fit as well into our society’s love affair with materialism.
2. It’s not connected with many family traditions. Outside of going to church and having a nice Sunday dinner, few families have Easter memories that pass down from generation to generation. Chances are you don’t have a special box containing your Easter reminders. (At FamilyLife we’ve been pleased to see our Resurrection Eggs®help to fill this gap for Christian families. It’s simply one idea among many you could try to make your Easter celebration more intentional and meaningful.)
3. Though we like Advent, we shy away from Lent. Perhaps many Protestants have the perception that Catholics have the corner on this particular celebration, since it is common during Lent for many Catholics to give up something desirable to commemorate Christ’s sacrifice. In some cases, this may be practiced in an overly legalistic way that misses the point altogether, but I think we’ve recoiled from a great idea — preparing our hearts to celebrate the most precious event of our lives. I think we need to revive this time-honored tradition.

Easter is the crowning point of the Christian’s life — the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. It’s the sole reason for our hope and joy. Make plans now to really celebrate it this year.

For the past couple of years, I’ve observed something like Lent during the Lent season – 40 days before the passion week of Christ. The idea is to prepare your heart to truly celebrate what Jesus did for us at Easter. By committing yourself to abstain from something or to do something positive, something that requires some effort that you wouldn’t normally make, it reminds you of how Jesus suffered.

I am a week behind this year, but I am observing Lent by committing to praying everyday for certain matters. It is challenging me to not just “say a prayer” but to pray deeply, to ask God continually, to unveil my motives and what I really truly am asking God to do. And then to look for answers.

It’s not too late for you to observe Lent. Give up something, or do something positive, for Jesus. It’s our reasonable act of worship (Romans 12).

Thanks for the guest post by Jo Levy

What would we do without the internet? It just amazes me the way you can get information these days. By the click of a button you can look at anything in the world. You can find out the answer to any question that you could possibly think of. It is almost like magic. I remember when I was young, we had a set of encyclopedias in our house that we had to use for all our school projects. My dad told me one time he would give me one hundred dollars if I would read the whole set. At that time that was a lot of money. I always intended to read the set, but I am pretty sure I never got through the first book. Now it looks like we won’t even have the U. S. Mail service much longer. Everything is handled through email. I was just looking through my inbox. You can get a letter by way of email so much faster than something that you have mailed. It is almost instantaneous. My son who is always worried about me just sent me and email with a link to Security Choice. He wants me to get a security system for my house. He said he would even pay for it. Isn’t it funny how your kids grow up and end up taking care of you? To make him feel better, I emailed him back and told him I would think about it.

I saw this book at the library with one of Thomas Kindade’s pictures on the cover with Thomas Kinkade as the author. Kinkade writes too?

I found out he can’t. I’m sorry, but I quit a third of the way into the book because it was so boring. I know it’s suppose to be a small town family type of book, but the writing and dialogue just put me to sleep. Here’s a sample of the kind of dialogue throughout the book: “Hello, Professor Ferguson. How are you today?” “I’m fine. Please, call me Jacob. Max and I are going to grab some lunch before he hits the books today. Would you like to join us? “Thanks, I’d like that. Would you like to walk in to town? This weather is a real treat after all the cold and snow.” “Fine with me. I like to walk whenever I’m able – ” “It’s better for your health and for the planet”….and it goes on and on….I really don’t need to hear your daily conversation that contributes little or no significant value to the plot or character of the story.

The cover said New York Times Bestselling Authors. Really? While I’m glad that people like clean fiction about a pastor of a church, but this level of writing is not what I would consider bestselling material.

I will continue to enjoy Thomas Kinkade paintings, but not his books.

Lately I’ve been hearing of hospitalizations and health problems of elderly parents. Just today a friend’s mother passed away. Another friend’s mother is in a coma.

When I hear such news, I get tired. Tired of the burdens of life, tired of the difficulties. And I have not even experienced even half of what some others go through, particularly those in other countries with much less than what I have. Even with what is considered a privileged life, it is apparent that this world offers little hope.

For me to live is Christ, to die is gain…indeed it is gain!

I read an interesting article in the California Southern Baptists periodical  – Can Sunday School be saved?

With declining attendance in Sunday School based on a LifeWay survey, the article discusses what can be done.

Ken Meyers, minister of Christian formation and education at Knollwood Baptist Church in Winston – Salem, NC, said the question is larger than the program of Sunday school.

“To make Christian education and spiritual formation offerings viable, we must understand our culture,” Meyers said. Past approaches were based on a  “propositional” methodology, where new members were expected to regurgitate church propositions before entry into the congregation, he added.

Today’s approach to faith formation, Meyers said, must be founded on a “connectional” methodology that invites people “into conversations that connect their diverse stories with the common quest toward finding purposeful lives.”…

The culture of society is quite different than when the Sunday school reached its apex in the 1960s, Meyers said, but the churches continue to use approaches that no longer are effective.  The result is plateaued and declining churches.

“Our church culture assumes that people will come to us, that the church is central to society, and that our faith formation is about propositions,” Meyers wrote in the church newsletter introducing [his new education plan.]

The new approach would better position the congregation to be in conversation with the community at large, Meyers asserted.

It’s hard for a traditional church to adopt new approaches, and I suppose that’s why there needs to be continued efforts in church planting. On the other hand, if a church is no longer being effective, its resources can be better used to support new churches.

I was talking to a friend who is helping a declining church with 5 people left. He is encouraging them to focus on church planting rather than reviving the current structure.

I was in the ladies bathroom at church today and politely asked the elderly woman there the perfunctory, “How are you?”

She replied, “I’m good, praise the Lord.”

I like that. Praise God indeed. Even if we are not well, we know God is sovereign. Praise the Lord.

Warning: Spoiler Alert

With a stack of church ministry books to read, I decided to take a break and read my favorite genre. A whodunnit mystery is one of my favorite ways to relax.

In this Hamish Macbeth mystery, a lot of people die. Anyone who comes in contact with the murderer dies. And it seems to me that when the author doesn’t know how to wrap it up, an unlucky break kills one of the bad guys: gets eaten by a shark, seriously. I do enjoy the characters though, I like Hamish.

The story is entertaining though the writing style is plain. Beaton is a good story teller, not a stylish writer, in my opinion.

We can function and live a decent life, even active in the church, “serving God”, and even do a good job in vocational ministry, yet have no real fellowship with God.

But I find that if I go weeks without focused prayer (merely surviving on quick prayers and public prayers that are usually impersonal), holes begin to show.

I act out of my own view of what is best, rather than seeking God’s best. I go with the pragmatic rather than what glorifies God. I choose ministries based on personal satisfaction rather than for the sake of the gospel. I lack true compassion and don’t see people as God sees them.

It really helps me when I see other people genuine in their faith and radiating a life of intimacy with God. I don’t know how to explain it, but some people are “spiritual” without sounding spiritual. They exude a life of faith without being forced somehow.

I don’t know how I appear to other people, I hope I inspire others. But often I find myself short, because I am lacking in my intimate times with God. And once again I go to the Cross, and ask to be filled with the mind of Christ.

Our family listened to the audio of The Hunger Games on our road trip to Arizona over Christmas holiday. We were so engrossed with the story that we looked forward to getting back into the car whenever we can!

When we came home, we read, on our own, the two sequels, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. The writing style is not great, but the story is exciting and well told. As is usually the case (maybe with the exception of Harry Potter), the sequels are not as good as the first one. I wish a little more development of new characters and explanations were given in Mockingjay. The wrap up was a little thin. I felt the  author was trying too hard to delve deeper into the emotions of the heroine which sometimes was too drawn out. Ok, I get it that she got crazy and psychologically messed up in a war. But the other characters were able to move on while her emotions kept holding her back. The author just didn’t describe her in a way that stirred me. I had much more sympathy for the other characters.

I recommend the books, but don’t know if I want to see the movie. Movies from books usually disappoint.

“Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance. The smallest good act today is the capture of a strategic point from which, a few months later, you may be able to go on to victories you never dreamed of.” ~ C. S. Lewis

Think about losing weight. A decision to turn down a brownie does not seem to make much difference on the scale, but that that small victory gives you confidence to continue to say no to all the other foods you need to cut out. Slowly, all the brownies and cookies you didn’t eat will show up as one smaller pant size.

Those small decisions do matter.

When my children first started to be independent and have plans of their own, I felt a sense of  sadness whenever two and especially when all three would be out, leaving no kids at home. It’s not that I have nothing to do, I have lots to do, but there was a sense of loss, the passing of a season of life.

Then when my son left to live in another country, and my older daughter was in college, I got used to having a single child.

This weekend my single child is gone on a 4-day retreat with church. I miss her noise and conversation, but I didn’t feel the same sadness.

I suppose if I live to be 969 as Methuselah did in the Bible, I would still have to go through the emotions of a changing life stage. I am getting used to the “circle of life.”

God has called me to leave a church that I didn’t want to leave, to take on a job that I never imagined I would do, and begin a new phase of my life that I wasn’t expecting.

Two years ago, I started praying about what I would do when my youngest child goes off to college. Intrigued by my son’s way of life of travel while working online, I thought that would be fun too and wanted to explore that possibility. To be honest, I didn’t put much effort to trying to make money online, but the adventurous idea of traveling seemed good. I wanted my life to be free to do whatever I wanted. No ties, no particular responsibilities, I can go anywhere to serve God. I romanticized the idea of living overseas for a time and serve God in a new adventure.

But that is not to be, not now at least.

I can’t explain all the reasons but I (meaning my husband and I and our kids) felt led to leave our church of 20+years. We shed tears of regret, yet we knew it was somehow “right”.

Immediately after that, I was asked to apply for a staff position as Children Director at a nearby church. This church was the last church on my list of churches I wanted to attend, not because it isn’t a good church, but because I thought my personality and philosophy of ministry wouldn’t be a good fit.

The end of that story is on January 1, I began the job of Children Director at this church. It was truly a God calling because it certainly wasn’t something I was seeking. I had so many reasons for not wanting this. I had always said no church can pay me enough to add pressure to do what I would do voluntarily. I don’t need the money, I don’t want the stress, I am too old to start a new job, I want to help plant a church instead of being in a big church, I want to go overseas…many good reasons, yet…here I am.

God is so very gracious to me. When I don’t know what is best, he leads me to what he knows to be the best. Where else would I find a church that would pay me for doing something I love doing? How else would I be offered a position even though at the interview I honestly said I am not sure I want this job? How else would it be possible that at just the right time of the empty nest that I be given the opportunity to do what I went to school for 30 years ago?

My challenge this year, 2012 is to let God lead. I need to look to him for direction for the children ministry, look to him to show me who I can bring alongside as helpers and disciplees, look to him to give me wisdom in tough decisions, strength when I am stressed, peace when I am anxious.

As always, when we are placed to serve others, God grows us first on the inside to enable us to serve others outside. That’s what I am anticipating in 2012.

This book is a touching testimony of a woman who unknowingly married a high ranking member of the Mafia.

Michael Franzese and Camille Garcia met while she was a dancer in a movie he was producing. Raised by a very devoted Christian mother, Cammy’s faith in God was made real to her through the trials she went through as her husband was imprisoned twice. The book, “This Thing of Ours” gives details of how she raised four children while remaining a loving wife to Michael. Her prayers and influence brought her husband to change and quit his life of crime. She is very honest and candid in talking about her own failings, as well as the troubles with their children that resulted from Michael’s past. She gives very good marriage advice and her emphasis on prayer is very inspirational.

It would probably make more sense to read Cammy’s husband’s testimony first, “Blood Covenant”, to know the background. Without an understanding of Michael’s true mafia involvement, you cannot appreciate what Cammy went through because this book does not give much information about the mafia involvement. Her story seems very tame, but of course, this is her story, not his, and she was spared from the any mafia activity.

Disclosure:  Thomas Nelson provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for this review. Opinions are entirely my own.

I read somewhere, I wish I remember where, that asked a poignant question: When we go to heaven and have all the blessings of what we usually think heaven is – all the food we want, reunion with friends and family, streets of gold, no war, no pain, no tears…and Jesus wasn’t there, would we be happy?

If we were honest about it, we would probably say yes.

We want to be happy more than we want Jesus. We only want what he gives us.

Sigh.

Christmas is about Jesus. But we don’t really appreciate Him.

From Sean McDowell:

Many kids leave the church because they never built healthy relationships with their parents or other Christian adults. If we want to teach the biblical worldview effectively, we must first help kids get emotionally healthy.

This is why I deeply believe in mentoring. Jesus was a mentor. My hope is that mentoring will become as normal in the church in the future as small groups are today. Young people simply cannot survive temptations and intellectual challenges without caring, involved adults coming alongside to guide them.

When I was in seminary, small groups was the panacea. That method did indeed helped the growth of the church.

However, a method is just that, a method. It’s a means to an end, but now in churches, small groups are almost seen as an end. If you join a small group, you’re done. Spiritual growth will happen automatically if you are in a small group. This, of course, is not true. There is a right way and wrong way of running small groups.

Mentoring is also a method. You can say Jesus was a mentor. Or you can also say Jesus was a small group leader. Either way, the focus is on the goal of spiritual growth, not on a method.

For the record, I think both mentoring and small groups are necessary for spiritual growth, when done right.

I just finished reading An Amish Wedding by Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, and Kelly Long.  It was an easy read and an entertaining fiction, good for a heartwarming distraction, especially on a rainy day.

Three short stories set in an Amish community, the book tells the sweet stories of three couples.  Along with the romance and conflict, there were lessons of faith woven throughout.

I like the way how the three stories are different yet the characters all intertwined, giving a common backdrop.  I also liked learning a bit of the Amish culture, and now it makes me want to visit one.

While the stories are a bit simplistic and the endings fairytale-ish, there is nothing wrong with getting away from the high drama, violence and sex themes of what you usually see in media entertainment nowadays. Again the description I would give is sweet: sweet characters, sweet storyline, everything about it is nice and sweet!

Disclosure:  Thomas Nelson provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for this review. Opinions are entirely my own.

There’s a shoe repair shop in our little city of 30,000. How many people would need their shoes repaired?

I went in there to have my $40 pair of shoes repaired. The cost of repairing the sole is $16. It’s hardly worth it for me, and hardly worth it for him. It made me wish my shoes were more expensive to have the repair even make sense. But I decided to have it done any way.

It said on the window of the shop that he can make any shoes you want in leather, custom size, custom style. It’s good to know not everything is made in China, and that this type of artisan is still around.

“Lady, can you spare a quarter?”

I said no and turned away.  Then I felt a pang of guilt -what if she just had some bad luck and need a helping hand?

Not so.  10 min. later the same lady was in line in front of me at the market, paying for a bottle of cheap wine with $2.50 in quarters.

It’s people like her that give honest beggars a bad name.