Stuff That Matters in Life

Katy’s Weblog

You can’t help but be impressed by Daniel, as in Daniel and the Lion’s Den.

His enemies could not find a fault to accuse him. He did everything with integrity and followed the law exactly.

But what should impress us more is the God who enabled him. It’s God who granted him favor, who gave him intelligence, who gave him extraordinary abilities to interpret dreams, who gave him success to rise to the top.

I always ask God to smooth the path before me, because I know if not for him doing everything “behind the scenes”, I can’t do anything.

Thank you God, for putting wonderful people in my life, for partners in the gospel, for making things easy for me so that it makes me look good. But I know it’s not me, it’s You.

Ray Ortlund on Sabbath. I like the last 3 sentences.

“If we did set apart one day each week for rejuvenation in God, we would immediately add to every year over seven weeks of vacation.  And not for doing nothing but for worship, for friends, for mercy, for an afternoon nap, for reading and thinking, for lingering around the dinner table and sharing good jokes and tender words and personal prayers.

How else can we find quietness of heart in today’s world?  . . .

I wonder if the very concept of “the weekend” is biblical.  It seems to me that “the weekend” turns Sunday into a second Saturday.  Home Depot may gain, but we lose.  It turns Sunday into a day to catch up on what we didn’t do Saturday or a day to ramp up for what’s ahead on Monday.  It hollows out our whole week, because it marginalizes God and church and sermons and all the other vital things that happen in our lives only when we make the vital things also the central things.  If we accept the concept of “the weekend,” we risk “fitting God in” rather than centering our every week around him.  We risk living soul-exhausted lives, and wondering why God isn’t more real to us, why we’re grumpy.

If we want to find our way back into quietness of heart and reality with God, the first step might be simple.  Bold, but simple.”

This book is very popular, but I have to say, I didn’t love it. It’s probably because I am not the intended audience for this book. The focus is on being more sold out to Christ in response to His love for us. While that is always a good reminder, it’s not where I am in my life where I need to hear that.

There is one thing I didn’t like about the book. Chan says, “My fear in writing the previous chapter [Serving leftovers to a holy God]  is that it only evokes in you fear and guilt.” (pg 101) No matter how much he says that we should act out of love, not guilt, the fact is, when he points out all the things we should do and are not doing, of course the reaction is guilt. I wish he wrote more about God’s love and genuine salvation.

I borrow this book from my pastor. This book is given to new church members – a good basic book, not real exciting, but not boring. The first 1/2 is pretty good. After that it was dragging a bit. It’s a good book to read and use for discipling others. The book gives a good understanding of what the gospel is, not just at the point of “accepting Christ” but the what you should do after “accepting Christ.” It also gives a proper perspective of “church” and what it means to be a member of a church.

I recommend it. It ‘s a small book, but think about it as you read it. Don’t skim it too quickly.

Why is it that all flashbacks to childhood are negative?

It may not be true of everyone but majority of people I know remember the embarrassing moments, the failures, the rejections, the worst of times. Those memories, even back to 3rd grade, still haunt me. This is 40+ years later and I still get a knot inside as I remember how I was made fun of, how I said something stupid in class, and how I came in last place in a race.

Read more of “Memories”

Another E.L. Konigsbury lend to me by my friend E. And now I see why Konigsbury is one of E’s favorite authors.

Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver is something of a historical fiction. I don’t know how accurate it is, but since I don’t know much about the Middle Ages, it doesn’t matter to me. At least it gave me a bit of insight into the aristocracy in those days. Very good reading, I couldn’t put it down.

I just noticed the author also illustrated the book. I’d be happy with just one of the talents.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsbury is a very fun book to read. I love children books like this. It’s simple yet there is something deep about it. The author understands the heart of a child, and speaks to both adults and children with action, humor, relationship and character developments. The innocence of a child’s perspective towards life is nicely portrayed, and that is something we can all learn from. I like the little twist in the ending.