BOOK REVIEW: The Women of Christmas

The Women of Christmas: Experience the Season Afresh with Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna, by beloved author Liz Curtis Higgs, is a beautiful addition to any Christmas preparation in your home. Taking the verses in Luke apart a few at a time, Higgs leads us through close up looks at these three women so instrumental in the life of our Savior as He made His earthly appearance in Israel. We look at Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, and the beautiful grace visited upon a barren older woman. We look at Mary and her simple faith that defied the social stigma she surely faced. And we look at Anna, an intensely devoted elderly woman who was spiritually ravenous for a glimpse of her promised Messiah.

I particularly like the conversational tone Higgs takes through the book. A group of us could be gathered for a home Bible study around her as she reads a few verses and then expounds on them, bringing forth our thoughts on the things she brings up. Most of all, I like how she weaves many different translations into her descriptions of the scenes, making them part of her commentary. I personally like to look at different translations of the Bible in my reading, so this was a special treat.

My favorite character as described by Higgs is Anna, a woman "always in a praying frame" and with a "strangely expectant faith." She's basically who I want to be when I grow up!

I would recommend this book be kept on the coffee table during Christmas season for devotional use, or that you purpose to read it through fresh each year. Liz Curtis Higgs' website is here, and if you'd like to read the first chapter of the book you can do so here. While you are visiting her site, take a look at the many other books she has written: nonfiction, contemporary and historical fiction, and even childrens' books. I was blessed to receive a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing.

Lunch with the "greatest generation"

Yesterday I got to go to lunch with the "greatest generation."

Wikipedia defines the greatest generation as "a term coined by journalist Tom Brokaw to describe the generation who grew up in the United States during the deprivation of the Great Depression, and then went on to fight in World War II, as well as those whose productivity within the war's home front made a decisive material contribution to the war effort, for which the generation is also termed the G.I. Generation."

The "greatest generation" is simply characterized by Americans who just epitomize so much of what is good about our country: common sense, faith, perseverance. It's my parents' generation.

Every year my mother in law invites me to the Christmas luncheon for retirees from the company she worked for for so many years. A defense contractor, this company backed the war effort...and then the space effort. My MIL helped put together some of the Apollo spacecraft (we sometimes joke that she's the reason Apollo 13 had such a bad couple of days....). That's her on the right. She's so cute.

The room was filled with over 300 men and women from one of our country's strongest times, laughing and talking, clearly glad to catch up with each other once again. I just sat and listened to the conversations at my table and those adjacent. My MIL was busy catching up herself. She was so animated as she pointed out people to me and told me how long each had worked for the company. 

No one consulted cell phones while talking to others at their tables. No one was distracted by tweeting or status updating. (That's not to say no one in the room has Facebooks; they just knew the proper etiquette for personal conversations). People all around the room were reminiscing; they wanted real connection with old friends, not status updates. Some were ballroom dancing as the band played instrumental classics. My MIL pointed out to me a couple on the dance floor that has been married 60 years. Precious. 

As lunch was served, the company choir came out to sing. This was the best part of the day. For fully 45 minutes, these people sang Christmas carols so beautiful, they reflected months of practice. The first half were all JESUS Christmas carols, and guess what? No one was offended! No one stood up and walked out! I looked around the room and felt REAL CHRISTMAS. I saw it on the faces of people in the room whose lives were founded in a time when there was no such thing as politically correct. Even if you didn't believe in God in the 1950s, you understood that most people did, and that Christianity was the plumb line for the country. It brought back so many good memories of my own childhood Christmases. I had to take a picture of them. 

Although I didn't know more than a few people at this event, it left a mark on me for the rest of the day. I felt like I had taken a step back to a better time...one which I am so afraid is almost gone from this country. My MIL kept saying, "So much less people this year. So many have died." What's going to happen when this generation is gone? Well, I guess it's up to us who have the echo of this greatest generation in our hearts, to stand up and be the next remnant of common sense, faith, perseverance. Lord, help us to keep these things alive. They matter. 

"Thus says the Lord:

“Stand in the ways and see,
And ask for the old paths, where the good way is,
And walk in it;
Then you will find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16, NKJV

BOOK REVIEW: Prototype

Prototype, by Jonathan Martin, is a book you want to read if you are feeling kinda beat up and burned out in your walk as a Christian. Starting with a description of when he first really had a sense of just being alone and comfortable with God--as a boy on his bike--Martin moves through how life's tug of war on our hearts and souls can leave us overwhelmed and fried. We forget that we are beloved of God, but by looking at Jesus, who was told by the Father that He was His "beloved" Son, we can see that we, like Jesus, are so loved. We are called. Like Jesus, we get wounds. We come to places in our spiritual lives that look like resurrection. We learn how to celebrate the sacraments--not rituals, but real connections--as well as how to be in an honest, transparent community of other called and wounded people. And we learn how to show Jesus to other people the way He Himself did.

I am in a point in my walk of faith where I want to just get back to simplicity in my life and my faith. I want to hear God, and quit letting His voice be drowned out by lesser things, so Prototype is one of a few books I've read in the last few months that really resonate with me. We can be really "busy for the Lord" and yet be simply doing stuff out of an empty heart. Probably my two favorite parts of this book were remembering my "girl on the trampoline" experience as a child, where God and I just hung out; and hearing the echo in my soul when Martin writes that we need to get out in the wilderness to be able to hear God again. Because relationship with Jesus is really that simple. For me...and for you.

The book has an epilogue called "Letter to a Ravaged Bride" that speaks the heart of God to a beat up, scruffed up church. It also has a discussion guide which could be used as a four week small group study. Accompanying my free copy of this book from Tyndale Publishers for review purposes was a DVD-driven 8 week study. Each week reviews a chapter in the book and encourages participants to reflect and discuss key concepts.

If I am ever in North Carolina, I'm making a beeline for Martin's church, Renovatus. I like his blog. And if you would like to check out more information on the book itself, go here.

How do YOU pray?

Do you pray like the overwhelmed, woebegone father in Mark 9 who said to Jesus, "...if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us” ?

Or do you pray like the apostles in Acts 4, "grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus"?

Ephesians 3:20-21 says "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

In Ephesians 1:19, 20 Paul tells us that the power within those of us who are believers is "according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead." In other words, the power that is within us is the SAME power of God that raised Jesus from the dead.

Friends, if this is the power within us, why do we so often pray, "IF You can do anything..."? Why do we pray half-believing, mealy mouthed prayers like this, when we can instead ask for boldness, signs and wonders?

Well, it's because we're human. Hezekiah led one of the greatest revivals in Israel's history, yet when the enemy king threatened him, he was shaking like a leaf. Gideon and his 300 men ended up routing 135,000 Midianites--but before that, he was hiding in a winepress and needed three proofs from God that He really was going to do what He said He would do through him. We're flesh, we're frail, we're fallen.

And God knows that. And Jesus loves to show Himself strong on behalf of those of us who say, "I believe, help my unbelief!" like the man in Mark 9. Jesus told him all things were possible for him who believes (even imperfectly, thank goodness), and healed his son. I've definitely been this man many times in my prayers, and God has been so gracious with me.

We're ordinary people who have the power of an extraordinary God within us: 
"The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit." James 5:16-18

See, it's not about who we are. It's about the power that works within us. God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works within us. So we pray...expecting that Someone far greater than us has the power to effect answers through our prayers. 

The result of praying Acts 4:29-30 kinds of prayers? Why, verse 31 of course:
"And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness."

And "...to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

So today, pray like you mean it and expect God to show up.

No loose ends

"So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12

I have a friend whose 17 year old son has been very, very sick for 4 years. He is the only person in the United States to have three particularly serious medical conditions simultaneously. At this moment, he has been in the hospital for nearly three months and is gravely ill. They are having to talk about the worst even as they pray fervently for a miracle. 

I am praying with them. Prayer moms are praying with them. Our youth group and youth leaders and youth pastor are praying with them. 

About three weeks ago, the first TSA agent to be killed in the line of duty was shot repeatedly by a disturbed man. He was a loving family man who left behind a wife and two kids. I kiss my husband goodbye each day now with a new seriousness, a new heaviness that this man could have been him. 

And I am six months away from a big birthday. I won't tell you which one. I'll just say it's a big one. 

I feel myself not as strong or as mobile as I used to be. I creak a bit in the mornings when I get out of bed. By the end of the day I am often weary. I value being at home and quiet, while in younger years I was so ready to be on the go. 

I find myself shutting my mouth a lot more these days, choosing fewer battles. My adult sons don't want to hear what mom has to say, any more than I wanted to hear what my parents had to say when I was their age. I trust God a lot more often to handle things with them. He'll perfect the things that concern them way better than I can. 

Life is somehow just a bit more precious to me lately. I really thank God for my bed, for sunrises and sunsets, for simple things in my days that are simple blessings. I thank Him for quiet mornings and the smell of my almost-10 year old who probably won't let me hug and smell him for a whole lot longer. I notice things like the smiles of little children I pass on my walk. 

I'm not old :-)  but I am, for the first time in my life, feeling like I am headed that way. I'm not sad about it, but I do think about regrets of my younger years. Sometimes I wish I still had the energy to dance a ballet or play vigorously in the park with my young kids. Oh wait, I don't have toddlers or little ones anymore....

Teach me to number my days, Lord. Teach me to live wisely and well (as the Message puts that verse). Teach me to really make every day count. I think it's at this stage of life that we begin to realize, as Moses did when he wrote Psalm 90, that every day is a gift and we can't take it for granted. It's at this age that we realize, perhaps, that we have a limited number of days left. Teach me how to finish my race well, whether it goes one year more or 30 years more. Make me mindful of the legacy I can leave behind if I do this wisely. 

At the funeral for the TSA officer, his family member said something that really struck me: that he had lived life so much in love with his wife and his kids that he died with "no loose ends." That's how I want to end my days here on this earth, before I see my Savior face to face and live with Him for all eternity. 

No loose ends. 

The correct answer is b

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy." John 10:10a

My mom was not expecting, that day she went into the doctor's office, to hear what she heard. She thought she just had a persistent flu. After all, she and my dad had been married an awfully long time, my sister was 18, and they had given up on having any more children. Yet the doctor told her that day that no, she didn't have the flu--she was pregnant! Good news!

Not exactly. At the age of 38, in 1963, that was actually not so good news. Medical science in that day felt that this was a dangerous age to have a baby, so the doctor then advised my mom to terminate the pregnancy because there was a good chance, he said, that she could birth "an idiot."

"...You covered me in my mother’s womb." Psalm 139:13

But my mom, who usually was so obedient to doctor's orders, stood her ground. She refused, and asked for a new doctor. 

See, we have an enemy. He is real, and his purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy, according to Jesus. He would have won an easy battle if he had destroyed me before I had ever been born. But my mom knew to choose life, and let God handle the results of her pregnancy. Thanks, Mom...thanks, God. 

But the enemy had another straight up shot at me when I was about 17, 18 years old--and this time I cooperated with him. Out doing things I shouldn't have been doing, with people I shouldn't have been with, I was right in his targets. I should have been dead many times over, but yet here I am. 

During these times, my mom would bow her head as her wayward daughter went out into the night and say, "God, I don't know where she's going, but You do. Keep her safe." This daughter she had refused to destroy was now seemingly on the way to destruction. In fact, she showed me one night what followed me right to the front door every night when I returned from my wanderings...a demon. It stood at the front door, unable to enter because my dad had built a godly household and my mom prayed. I don't remember what it looked like, but it was there, and I screamed. 

"...your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8

I got myself together decently and went on to earn a Master's Degree in counseling psychology--take that, 1963 doctor. However, though dramatic danger and disobedience was over, my heart was till up for grabs. 

Yet, in 1996 I bowed my head, humbled my heart, confessed I was a wretch, and gave my life to Jesus. My husband and I have four handsome sons who know Jesus. My mind is permeated with the Word. And now I pray for kids who are in their own battles, because as for me, God "has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me.." Psalm 55:18a.


"...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10b

Yes and Amen, to the glory of God. 

BOOK REVIEW: The Global War on Christians

You will not want to read this book...but I dare you to.

In The Global War on Christians, by John L. Allen Jr., the author exposes an absolutely horrifying epidemic in the world today: the persecution of Christians worldwide. In the American church, we know that this happens. Every once in a while we remember to pray for the persecuted church. But we have no idea of the enormity of this movement around the world, to our shame and to the hurt of the unity of the body of Christ.

The author informs us that since the beginning of the 20th century, there have been more martyrs for the faith than in the entirety of history: "There have been 70 million martyrs since the time of Christ. Of that total, fully half or forty-five million, went to their deaths in the twentieth century." In just the last 13 years, since the beginning of this new century, 1.3 million Christians who have died for their faith.

The first part of the book, exhaustingly documented with statistics, tells the story of opposition to Christianity throughout the world, country by country. Allen combines statistical overviews of each country's opposition to Christianity with stories of those who were opposed, imprisoned, harassed, attacked, and killed because of their devotion to Christ. The second part of the book examines the response of many to these accounts of persecution, exposing as myth the opinions that "It's all about Islam", "No one saw it coming", "It's only persecution if the motives are religious" and more. The last section of the book takes it forward, theorizing the effect on the Church as this information emerges into our understanding and we begin to react.

This was a difficult book to read, because it constantly confronted me with my ignorance. Born, raised, and having always lived in the United States, I realized how small my world of faith is. I know that I will not be alone in this experience as a reader of this book. It makes me ask myself what can I do? Well, I can pray--for those who are persecuted and for those who persecute them. I can support organizations that minister to the persecuted church. I can talk actively about this issue with others in my life. The most important thing I can do is to "Remember the prisoners as if chained with them--those who are mistreated--since you yourselves are in the body also." Hebrews 13:3

You can find out more about the author here.

I received a copy of this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers for review purposes.

BOOK REVIEW: Epic Grace

I like this guy. I like him a lot.

Kurt Bubna calls himself a "recovering idiot." He also calls himself a "professional repenter".  Why do I like that? Because I feel like that almost every day. Kurt's book, Epic Grace: Chronicles of a Recovering Idiot, conversationally details his walk through life and how he's learned that God's grace truly is, like the famous song tells us, "greater than all our sin".

Through transparent accounts of the ways he's blown it in his life, he shares with us the ways that God has been greater than his mess-ups and has worked through them to accomplish what He wanted to do anyway. He covers issues like comparison, expectations, the importance of community, and even lessons he learned on a scooter. He shares the lessons he's learned about how deeply God loves us and how there's nothing we can do to change His mind. This book should give hope and comfort to all the "idiots" out there--I know it has to me.

My favorite chapter is probably the second one, "Driven by Destiny". It is the story of how God overcame Kurt's reluctance to be a pastor, gently and persuasively calling him to surrender to what God's purpose was for him rather than what Kurt wanted for Kurt. God told him, "You can do anything you want to do and I will bless and use you, but you were meant to serve me as a pastor." I just felt so encouraged to see how God spoke to him and shaped his life; it didn't take anyone's nagging or confrontation, just God's firm but gentle involvement in his circumstances. As an intercessor for our church's youth ministry, I pray often for the God-purposes in our young people's lives. It's good to know God's pretty much got it all figured out and can be trusted to call them to who He wants them to be (grin).

Read this book and take a deep sigh of relief. Read it again every once in a while just to remind yourself that God is way bigger than our messes.

Super thankful to have received a copy of this book for free from Tyndale Publishers for review purposes...but with this title, it would have found its way onto my bookshelf anyway!

Intercessory calling

Apparently (grin), God has called me to be an intercessor.

When I was a little girl, I remember being awake for long stretches during the night. I don't know why. I had some tough situations at school, and I was probably fearful or anxious. I do know that I talked to Jesus. For hours. And felt Him comfort me.

When I was a teenager, not walking with Jesus and knowing really very little about His Word, I interceded for probably a year for my husband. I knew the life he was leading when we were seniors in high school was dangerous, so I would stay awake at night and pray...the rosary. I was not living a right life myself and had no idea, really, what I was doing. I just knew the situation needed God's help. I knew even less about spiritual warfare, so when major depression hit me and my entire life went dark gray I never suspected that it was the enemy, hitting back hard.

Flash forward through most of my testimony, which really doesn't matter to this blog entry. Just know that when I finally gave my heart to Jesus at the age of 31, I was already prepped more than I knew for the calling God had on my life. Flash forward through several more years as I got to know the Word and become sensitive to God's voice. In April 2004 when He called me to start an intercessory prayer team for our youth ministry, I thought I was ready.....yet really, I had just been accepted to basic training. I smile with some seasoning and wisdom now, 9 1/2 years later.

This morning I read some of my favorite chapters, 1 Kings 17-19. Elijah's story always gives me chills in about a hundred ways, but what jumped out at me this morning was this section immediately after the crazy fire scene on the top of Mt Carmel:

    Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.”

So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”

     Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’”

     Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. I Kings 18:41-45

I thought about how intercession is a lonely thing, really, I have the most amazing team of women to pray with, and we are all very closely knit together. However, most of the time an intercessor prays alone. And most of the time, an intercessor prays a long time before the answer comes. She prays in the middle of the night, lying awake while her household sleeps deeply. She prays early in the morning in the quiet. She prays in the backyard in the evening while the kids watch TV (oh, wait, maybe that's just me trying to get some peace LOL). Elijah assumed a birthing position up there on the mountain and prayed long and alone while Ahab, the wicked king, was feasting. Elijah's job wasn't finished after the fire fell, and this part of the work had to be done alone. He knew that God was going to send the rain, but he had a critical part in bringing the promise to fruition. 

I think intercession by nature also is given to people with very sensitive hearts--hearts that weep easily. I have situations in my life that hurt me deeply, even though there are many people in the world have much more difficult circumstances. Paul said that he dealt daily with "my deep concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?" 2 Cor 11:29. I know that when I read over prayer requests from our youth, some of them make me weep. God asks me, can I break your heart over what these kids go through? Because if you give me permission to, I will show you a little of how My heart breaks, and we will do this together. 

So, intercession. It's lonely, sometimes (part 2 of this blog might be the next chapter in 1 Kings--when Elijah runs to the Cave of Depression). It takes a long determined obedience to stay at your post when others are feasting. And it hurts your heart. 

It's also the most wonderful privilege ever, and I would never trade it. I love the closeness with my Lord that intercession forces. I love the quiet mornings (although the middle of the night stuff is debatable--grin). Even though my heart hurts for my own circumstances and for those of others, it's a hurt that turns me to heaven---and a hurt that I know someday You promise to wipe away. Thank you Lord for calling me to be an intercessor. 

BOOK REVIEW: Living the Quaker Way

I have to admit that curiosity was what brought me to read this book, Living the Quaker Way by Philip Gulley. I realized that I knew little about the Quakers (in my misinformed mind they were sort of like the Amish), but that the words on the back cover about the simplicity of the Quaker lifestyle resonated in me and I wanted to know more.

Gulley, a Quaker pastor, starts the book by handling some of the usual questions people have about the Quakers--questions similar to mine--about their beliefs and practices. The first chapter, "What is a Quaker?" is devoted to this. I learned that a Quaker congregation is called a meeting, and that a meeting may or may not have a pastor. However, at the end of the chapter I did not know much more than when I began it; essentially, it seems, a Quaker can be pretty much anyone who believes pretty much anything, There appears to be no doctrinal foundation that defines a Quaker. Rather, they seek to live by five principles: simplicity, peace, integrity, community, and equality (SPICE being the acronym). The rest of the book is spent expounding on these principles.

My evaluation of this book is divergent: on one hand, there is the issue of whether Gulley did what is promised in the title, which is to explain how Quakers live and to describe how their principles appeal to our electronically cluttered, money-grabbing, isolationist world. He did do this. I do believe that anyone who is seeking to embrace the Quaker way has a lot of information here. Gulley is engaging, gentle, and his stories are warmhearted. I am sure that Quakers live lives that are good, compassionate, and engaging in the needs of the world around them.

However, as an evangelical Christian I was disappointed to find little mention of Jesus in this book and very little Scripture. The very name for this people came from George Fox's admonition to a judge to "tremble before the word of the Lord"; the judge then ridiculed him, calling him a "quaker". I would have a hard time recommending a book to others that does not present the Bible as absolute truth. Quakers do not apparently believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation, and in fact it appears to me in the reading of this book that salvation is not even defined as important.

I know that because of Gulley's emphasis on integrity, he would give me the thumbs up for being honest about my feelings towards Quakerism, while being respectful of his right to practice it. I hope that comes across in this review.

Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers for review purposes.

wretched below...blessed above

From the time the people of Israel leave Egypt, we see them at their wretched worst. They quarrel. They complain. They challenge authority. They rebel. God deals with their sin over and over in discipline--the ground opens up and swallows one group of rebels and fire devours another. Yet He keeps instructing them in how to worship Him. Sets up His sanctuary in the middle of the camp and hovers there as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. The view from below is of a wretched people whom God is shaping, through discipline and instruction, to be His.

The view from above, however, is quite different. When the Israelites come to the border of Moab, the king of that country gets scared. He calls for a famous (or infamous, really) diviner to come and curse the Israelites for him. Balaam comes, but God tells him he can only speak what He tells him to say. He looks over the camp and sees the formation God told them to set up each time they reached a new destination: the shape of a cross with the tabernacle in the middle. Hmmmm. He is not allowed to curse them, in fact he says, at God's command:

“He has not observed iniquity in Jacob,
Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.
The Lord his God is with him,
And the shout of a King is among them....

“For there is no sorcery against Jacob,
Nor any divination against Israel.
It now must be said of Jacob
And of Israel, ‘Oh, what God has done!’" Numbers 23:21, 23 NKJV

From above, God does not see sin in His people. He doesn't see wickedness. He sees Himself in the midst and He tells the enemy that there is nothing he can do to harm His people. They cannot be cursed, b/c God Himself has blessed them. Instead, all people must look at Israel and see miracles that He does for and through them. He is shaping them, through discipline and instruction, to be a holy people--but He doesn't discuss that with the enemy. That's between Him and His kids. 

Are you a Christian? If so, despite the wretchedness of our flesh that we live in the midst of, despite the quarreling and complaining and rebellion we deal with in our flesh all the time (I don't know about you, but sometimes I am just miserable with myself, all by myself...no one else even knows!)---God looks down from above, through His Son Jesus, and sees us clean from sin. He sees Himself in the midst of us, in the tabernacle of our heart. He is shaping us, through discipline and instruction, to be holy; but that's between each of us and Him. He will not put us on blast to the enemy. There is nothing the enemy can do to change our standing. We cannot be cursed, b/c God has blessed us. Everyone around us must look at us and see miracles God has done for and through us. 

Glory to God. Thank You Jesus. 

BOOK REVIEW: Appointments with Heaven

Heaven is closer than we think.

The book Appointments with Heaven, by Dr. Reggie Anderson, is a beautiful, simple collection of stories about the life of the author and the people he has watched go to heaven as their attending doctor. Born and raised in the simple country of the south, Dr Anderson is honest with us about the struggles of faith he had in his late teens and early 20s after a trauma in the family. When he returned to his faith, it is clear that God gave him an unusual ability to experience the spiritual realm in a way few of us do.

Dr. Anderson, in conversational and easy language, tells us of his experience with Jesus that transformed his life. He shares the special knowledge God has given him to know when someone is about to go to heaven and what it is like to sit with someone as they go. Although many in the world are afraid of death, Dr. Anderson's stories make it clear that, for those who belong to Jesus, there is no fear but only peace and joy. He says over and over through the book that heaven is closer than we think, and he tells about person after person for whom he saw Jesus "part the veil" to come and receive unto Himself.

The other side must be told as well, and so we do hear about an unrepentant man who refused the gospel to the end--and how Dr. Anderson was there in the room for the experience of his death, one very different than those for whom Jesus came. It is a reminder that just as heaven is real, so is hell.

This book is gentle and sweet. It is quietly persuasive. It would be a wonderful book to share with someone who needs extra reassurance of what awaits him at the end of life--or with someone who does not believe anything awaits him. The close relationships between Dr. Anderson's family and that of well known Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman's family lend authenticity to his accounts, for those who may need that. The Chapman family has not been excluded from the grief of losing someone, and as their story is tenderly retold in this book it confirms all the rest of Dr. Anderson's experiences.

I was super blessed to receive a copy of this book for free from Tyndale House Publishers.

Here is a wonderful youtube video of Dr Anderson talking about the amazing opportunities God has given him to sense heaven close at hand.

No whatevs--krateo!

"krateo"--Greek word meaning "have power, be powerful, get possession of, take hold of, keep carefully and faithfully, hold in check"

"whatevs"--American slang meaning "indifference." 

So...the apostle John. Called by Jesus from his fishing nets, he immediately set off on a complete life change. Walked with Jesus three years. Watched Him make the blind see, the lame walk, the dead live. There on the mountain when Jesus transfigured into glory. At the foot of the cross when He died. In the tomb right after He rose. In the upper room when He was suddenly there. On the shore when Jesus told Peter that if He wanted John to live until He came again, that was up to Him. He is known as "the disciple Jesus loved".

John went on to become pastor of the church in Ephesus. Wrote the gospel that bears his name as well as 1, 2 and 3 John. Imprisoned and tortured, he was once boiled in a large vat of boiling oil under the command of the Roman emperor....and didn't die. He was eventually exiled to Patmos, a lonely island in the Mediterranean. It was on this island that he received "the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants--things which must shortly take place." The book of Revelation is an adventure story like none other, complete with bizarre creatures, cataclysmic disasters, and the triumphant end to all things here only to have them continue forever in heaven...or in hell. John was the only apostle not martyred for his faith.

John could teach us some stuff.

"I, John, with you all the way in the trial and the Kingdom and the passion of patience in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of God's Word, the witness of Jesus. It was Sunday and I was in the Spirit, praying." Revelation 1:9-10, The Message

See, John held on despite all kinds of troubles because he knew Who mattered. Yes, he was exiled...hard things happen when you are a follower of Jesus. It was scary. It was painful. But he kept on. He was doing what he always did on Sunday..praying, deep in conversation with his Lord. He was a "krateo" guy.

We are a "whatevs" people these days. When things get hard, scary, or painful, we stop. Shrug our shoulders. Give up. Tell ourselves and each other that it's no big deal anyway. If we don't achieve something the first time, we don't care to keep after it. So what.

But to be "whatevs" is dangerous, because it is completely opposite of what Jesus called us to be. To the "whatevs" in Laodicea, one of the churches he had John write to in Revelation, He said:

"I know you inside and out, and find little to My liking. You're not cold, you're not hot--far better to be either cold or hot! You're stale. You're stagnant. You make Me want to vomit. You brag, "I'm rich, I've got it made. I need nothing from anyone"...Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God!...Conquerors will sit alongside Me...Are your ears awake? Listen." Revelation 3: 15-17, 19, 21-22, The Message. 

"Be zealous and repent" is the way the New King James version puts verse 19.

Jesus, who dictated this book to John, uses the word "krateo" 8 times in describing what we as His followers are supposed to do down here. He uses a similar word, "teleo" (which means "attend to carefully, take care of, guard") 10 times. He's clear: to be found standing with Him when everything here is done, we have to hang on tight like it matters. Because it does. "Whatevs" is not a characteristic of those who make it to the end. "Whatevs" people are not conquerors who will sit alongside Him. "Krateos" and "teleos" will.

I'm gonna krateo. I won't do it perfectly. I'll whatevs sometimes. I'll be fearful. I'll give up, for a minute. But I'll get up the next day and krateo again. Can we do it together? Cause I need help.

The cool thing is that the Bible is written for our instruction. Through it, He urges us to turn around, then cheers when we do. He WANTS us to win. He WANTS us beside Him. He died so that we could be! He loves us like crazy and wants us all there when it's all over here. He's on our side :-) and He wants us to win.

It's easy to "whatevs". It's hard to "krateo". But it's worth it. Oh, so worth it. Let's do it.

Imperfect heroes

This summer I've really been thinking a lot about heroes. I did the Priscilla Shirer study on Gideon with my neighbor, and our youth summer camp (which we call "Summer of Camp" because we stretch it over 6 weeks) theme was "Heroes", based on Judges 6:19: "Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!". I've prayed and thought and prayed some more, and really what God's shown me is that He uses pretty imperfect people to be heroes. I like that.

This morning, this: "And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." Hebrews 11: 32-34 NKJV. 

Gideon was a fearful guy who ended up pretty prideful, setting the stage for the people to return to the very idolatry from which he'd delivered them. Barak refused to fight unless someone (a woman) came with him. Samson rage quit pretty much every situation and spent way too many nights with prostitutes. Jephthah made a foolish vow that cost his daughter her life. David murdered and committed adultery. Samuel was a lousy dad. Yet God used every one of them to accomplish heroic things, and every one of them is praised here near the end of the New Testament. God looks back at their lives and sees, not the imperfections, but the Impossibles they did in partnership with Him.

I figure if that's the way God does stuff, I've got a chance :-)  Guess what? So do you.

Jesus' death and resurrection "was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people." Hebrews 10:14, The Message. 

Rather than staying stuck in all your imperfections, believe that God loves you like crazy, that Jesus made you perfect, and that the Holy Spirit is working out all the details. God wants to write a hero story with YOU.

BOOK REVIEW: When We Were on Fire

This is probably one of the most profound books I've read since I started doing reviews on this blog, because it hit closest to home. Raised in church as a poster child for evangelical youth, Addie Zierman loved Jesus with a passion and lived for Him with a burning purpose. She earnestly desired to please Him and stay within the boundary lines the church had taught her were the biblical pathways to blessing. She even had a poster-child-for-missionaries boyfriend who stayed inside the boundary lines with her. But when he broke up with her, telling her she was a stumbling block to the "call of God" on his life, she was left awash in the foam of Christian cliches she'd surrounded herself with all her teenage life. 

Floundering a bit through Christian college, she married young, to a great Christian guy, and they went to China to teach English. While there, Addie realized she no longer fit into the boundary lines. As she began to realize she had nothing in common with the biblically cliche people in the small church they attended, depression began to set in. Who was she in Christ if she didn't fit into the church anymore? Over the next couple of years she struggled mightily to find answers in the church...any church..but couldn't connect. She wanted God answers, but she wasn't getting them through His people. Deep depression and rebellion took hold, until finally God's grace brought her back. 

The part of the book that hit me the most was when she took the women from their home church out to lunch, one at a time, hoping desperately that one of them would notice the terrible depression she was in, would ask her, really meaning it, how she was doing--so she could unload, so someone would listen, so someone would let her be real, so someone would help. Not one woman did. They all missed the huge need right in front of them. Because she looked just like one of them, every woman assumed she was "fine". 

Who are we in the church if we don't truly see, truly hear those who are right in front of us struggling? Cliches are nothing when hurting people in front of us need real talk. People can look like great Christians and say all the right Christian things and yet feel unconnected. 

If you are a Christian reading this review, I challenge you to look around you for people who need you to let them be real with you. Who is right in front of you desperately hoping you will ask in a real way how they are doing? Let them talk real, let them be less than the cliches, and love them. If you are reading this and have been somehow disenfranchised by the church...open your Bible, pray, and keep going to churches on Sundays until you find one that lets you be real. God created us for fellowship in the church body, so He will lead you to one that meets you where you are. 

I received this book for free for review purposes from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. 

For more on Addie Zierman, go here and for her blog, go here.

BOOK REVIEW: So Long, Insecurity: Teen Edition

I have devoured Beth Moore Bible studies for years. Seen her many times in person. Her humble, ravenous, singlehearted devotion to the Word of God always leaves me wanting more of it...more of Jesus. She always, despite a high profile speaking and publishing career, steps out of the limelight pointing to the real and only center of attraction, which is our Savior.

I read So Long, Insecurity when it came out a few years ago. When I was offered a complimentary copy of the Teen Edition by Tyndale House Publishers to review, I had to grab it! I do not have any daughters (nope, God gave me four sons!), but I DO have a fantastic group of "daughters" in the youth ministry at my church where I serve on the prayer team for our kids and leaders. One thing we are always praying for is that our youth girls come to solidly know who they are in Christ, and that this will define their relationship choices, their behaviors, their attitudes, and their life direction. So, I asked one of our youth girls, Asia Barrett, to read this book with me and to offer her review. This is her input:

The book So Long Insecurity: Teen Edition by Beth Moore is a very informative and reassuring book about why teenage girls often get insecure, and how to handle it. It not only explains some of the psychological reasons for behavior, it also shows how to identify the reactions young women make, and how to become a godly young lady.

This book helped me see that I'm not the only person who goes through these struggles, and it reminded me that God made me in His image, and that I'm perfect in His eyes. I got a lot of answers and good advice, and overall I recommend the book to other teenage girls. It's a nice light read that can really make you think about where you stand on each topic, and how you can turn to God for answers.

Arranged to look like a magazine, with glossy pages and brief, cut out blurbs of information, this book covers topics such as fashion, popularity, gifts and talents, and boys. My favorite chapter is the one entitled "tough stuff" which takes an honest look at the very real difficulties that face many teen girls today: death, loss, heartache, family financial stress, parents' divorce, and abuse. Every chapter includes several Scripture passages set brightly in cool printing, statistics creatively graphed on the topic, and brief quizzes to see where you land on the range of possible attitudes regarding the issue. The book concludes with a chapter defining "secure girls", pointing to role models in the Bible, and a short description of what it means to begin a relationship with Jesus if you do not yet have one.

This is a fantastic book for teen girls and I will be recommending it to our female youth leaders and all the "daughters" we get to hang out with!

BOOK REVIEW: Clear Winter Nights

"Think back to kindergarten....Until you agree to the basics, like two plus two equals four, you never move on to the multiplication tables. And if you stay endlessly open-minded and never accept the truth that five times five equals twenty five, then you'll never be able to do an advanced math problem....You've got to accept basic truths before you can grow into deeper and richer truths."--Gil

Chris is a twenty-something college student in the midst of a doubting season. He doubts his faith even as he has committed to plant a church, and he doubts his relationships even as he has asked his girlfriend to marry him. Over the period of a few days staying with his grandfather, Gil, who is recovering from a stroke, he airs his doubts to this retired pastor and man of faith. What he gains is clarity and an appreciation of the wisdom that the seasoned saints have to offer the young people of today.

Clear Winter Nights, by Trevin Wax, is a beautifully simple story that honestly takes apart the issues that young people today struggle with as they seek to decide whether to step into their parents' faith...or walk away. Theology, sexual sin, absolute truth, hypocrisy, forgiveness, and the inclusiveness of the gospel are all covered in the easy, casual conversations between Chris and Gil. Gil is humble out of a recognition of the fact he is a sinner saved by grace; Chris is edgy as a result of his youthful immaturity and frustration with his faith struggles. However, Gil is not afraid to confront, and Chris is not too edgy to listen. Together the two of them resolve some issues and agree that others are an ongoing source of prayer and development.

"Failure to evangelize is almost always a worship problem....When you are completely taken with something or someone, you can't help but talk about it...Fix the worship problem, and evangelism starts coming naturally."--Gil

I have two twenty-something sons. I have watched many young people fall away after youth group graduation because their faith has not yet become their own. They give in to the doubts rather than do the hard work of partnering in mentorship with a seasoned saint and hashing them out. This is a particular issue of concern for the church today; we cannot deny it, and we cannot disregard it. We need to, like Gil, find ways to let them be brutally honest about their questions while we humbly give wise counsel from God's Word. As Gil explains, Jesus was gentle, but He wasn't a pushover. He was a friend of sinners, but He also is the one who said, "Go and sin no more."

"The true rebellion is in the heart of the Christian who follows King Jesus by swimming upstream against the current of the world."--Gil 

I loved this book. It will get rereads from me because the truths are so simple yet so timeless. When I grow up I want to be wise, gentle, humble, and bold like Gil!

I did receive a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing.

For more information on the book, go here

Listen up!

Quick blog thought that came out of my morning reading and prayer time today. Isaiah 30:21 says, "And you shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it' whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left." Although this is one of my favorite verses for years now about the Lord's direction on my life, it suddenly struck me today:

Why "behind" me? Why do I hear the word behind me? why not beside me or in front of me?

Then it hit me.

It's because to LISTEN BEHIND me means I am not LOOKING at what is in FRONT of me.

And that makes all the difference. I can see Impossible situations easily. Discouraging circumstances can be smack up in my face. A frustrating checkbook is open, an arm's length away. But God doesn't say that is where I am to concentrate my attention. He tells me to attentively listen behind me, where I CANNOT SEE...and listen to the WORD.

Completely reframes everything! Hope it blesses you too.

BOOK REVIEW: Frame 232

I love historical fiction, so Frame 232, by Wil Mara, was a blast to read. Taking a fresh, completely plausible approach to John F. Kennedy's assassination, Mara weaves together a colliding cast of characters who have personal motivations for either unearthing or keeping hidden the events of that day.

Sheila Baker is a successful gym owner. She inherits the video shot by her mother, who she never knew was the mysterious Babushka lady, when she dies. The video reveals the only existing proof of another assassin that fateful day. Learning of her mother's anguish-stricken years of silence to protect her family from the government's attempts to discover her identity and destroy the video, Sheila enlists the help of Jason Hammond, a young millionaire with anguish of his own and known as an investigator of famous mysteries. Together, they begin to strip away the facades that have kept the truth hidden away in high places; as they do so, dangers threaten their lives. Ultimately, each person involved must face the truth of his past, coming either to repentance or judgment. Through it all, Jason Hammond learns he must face his own past if he wants to gain his own freedom.

Although the plot line is based solely on Mara's imagination, it has such a feel of plausibility that it compelled me to turn many more pages than I usually would at the end of a long day. The action is fast and furious in places, and the events hold together tightly. This is a great read for anyone with even a passing knowledge of the events surrounding November 22, 1963.

I will let Wil Mara answer a few of the most obvious questions about the book himself (from Q and A in Tyndale's media center):

What inspired you to write a novel around the assassination of President John F. 
Kennedy? 

I have always been fascinated by the assassination, which, obviously, was one of the most pivotal and 
enigmatic events in American history. And when I heard about the ‘Babushka Lady’---one of the few 
people in Dealey Plaza that day who remains unidentified---and the possibility that she may have filmed 
the shooting, an idea came to mind that seemed too good to disregard.

How much research did you do for this project? 

An unbelievable amount. I spoke with assassination experts, read literally hundreds and books and 
articles, pored over countless photos...you name it. My goal was to write a fictional story around the 
established facts rather than alter the facts to serve the story. Thus, I had to know pretty much 
everything. I ended up loading my brain with more data than I really needed...but I didn’t mind. 

How has your research informed your own theory of what happened during the JFK 
assassination?

My personal theory, prosaic though it may be, is that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. If you want to be 
convinced, get your hands on a fairly rare book called Lee, which was written by his brother, Robert. 
Once you understand the mind behind the eyes that looked through that rifle scope, you will be convinced.

The best part of this book? It is only the first in a series of forthcoming Jason Hammond novels.

I was given a free copy of this book by Tyndale Publishers for review purposes.

BOOK REVIEW: Fearless

It is said that a hero is an ordinary person who does extraordinary things. Well said, and mostly true. But I think it is possible that some people are just born...extraordinary. And when they go on to use that for good, they are heroes too. Adam Brown was such a man, and his story, Fearless: the Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown,  flawlessly told by Eric Blehm, is breathtaking.

Adam was born to a simple family in Arkansas, but it became quickly apparent he was not simple. A daredevil's daredevil, he raced, jumped, and crashed through his childhood at breakneck speed. All well and good until he graduated high school and that daredevil personality was hooked by the ruthless allure of dangerous drugs. His life spiraled downward until one day, he gave it to Jesus. From that point forward, Romans 8:28 began to find proving ground in Adam: "For we know all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose."

Marrying the love of his life and beginning a family, Adam began to pursue a military career that would take him to the absolute top handful of soldiers in the world--SEAL Team 6. Battling the drug demons that surfaced from time to time trying to reclaim a lost customer, he nevertheless pushed on and ruthlessly pursued perfection in every aspect of his military career. And through it all his passionate love for his God, his wife and his children was an irresolute background.

Killed in action in Afghanistan, Adam died a hero...but he had lived a hero's life for many years already.

This book had me riveted. Eric Blehm's writing style is so personable that I feel like I knew Adam a little bit, and that I know his family. I definitely put down the book feeling changed; it makes me want to live life for my kids as heroically in my own ordinary sphere of influence as Adam did in his extraordinary realm. Although I received a copy of this book for free from Multnomah WaterBrook for review purposes, I would have read this book anyway.

For more information on the book and the author, go here and if you would like to read the first chapter, go here.

Worth-ship

 (note--I'm having a frustrating formatting problem within the post. Try to ignore it.)

Recently I read a blog which asked readers to write a couple sentences about a sermon that dramatically sticks out in their head and why. Over 18 years of attending my church, I can think pretty quickly of hundreds of good messages I remember sitting in, and a handful that I will always remember. But I think because of the fact it was NOT at my home church, I remember one in particular; it really stands out for me. I have wanted to blog on it several times. This morning I woke up with it again in my head and decided it was time to blog it---then my pastor used it as one of his anchoring texts this morning and that was all the confirmation I needed.

Here's the passage: 

And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper,  a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table.  But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?  For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”

But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” Matthew 26:6-13

So the church I was at for this particularly memorable message was Edgewater Christian Fellowship in Grants Pass, Oregon. It's the church we go to when we are visiting my brother and mom, an offshoot of Jon Courson's Applegate Christian Fellowship. Homey, friendly, biblically sound, neat worship. Some of my brother's friends go there. At any rate, it was April 2012. The pastor (the worship pastor, actually, was teaching that day) pointed out something in the story I'd never seen before. 

Here are the 12 apostles, those closest to Jesus, who spend every day with Him, who by now know He is Messiah, the Son of God, who have seen innumerable miracles at His hand--the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the dead raise to life--who look on Mary's lavish expression of worship and snarl, "Why this WASTE?" 

A waste. They were saying--these inner apostles--that Jesus wasn't WORTH THAT.

Yet who knows what Mary had been delivered from? We don't know much about her life before she met Jesus. We see her at His feet while Martha serves...and then in this passage we see her pouring out what represented her dowry, her hopes of finding a husband, in worship over His head. Her worship acknowledged the depth of her salvation and her recognition of His lordship over her life.

The pastor went on to talk about how many inside the church sometimes look on those who worship, or serve, or pray, or evangelize, or teach, or whatever, with lavish expression and say--"Ok, now that's over the top. Tone it down a little. You're a little too passionate about this. Why this WASTE of your (time, money, family, etc)?"

What they really are saying is, "He's not WORTH THAT." 

And sadly, I realize I am sometimes guilty of this. Truth is, we all are.

Yet worship? is really WORTH-ship. Whatever your expression of it--whatever ministry you serve Him through, whether it's a recognized church ministry or it's praying for and reaching out to your coworkers or praying for and raising up your kids--however you express your gratitude to Jesus for saving you, that is showing Him how WORTH He is to you. 

Even in actual corporate worship at church, we judge how others express their love for Him. Sure, there are times when my mind wanders a thousand places and I miss genuine connection. And then there are times, particularly during youth worship when the room is dark and I can sit somewhere by myself, curled up in my chair, tears running down my face, that I really WORTH-ship. But how often, for example, do we look at those who (pick something that bugs you) raise their hands, shout, pump their fists in the air, stand while the rest of us sit, whatever, and think--"Ok, now that's over the top. They're embarrassing themselves." Can you hear the whisper beneath that? "He's not WORTH THAT." Maybe someone thinks that of me. Oh well. I know what I've been delivered from. 

Interesting ending here--let's go back to the 12 apostles. What did Judas do? Betray Him, with a kiss. What did they do when Jesus was arrested? Flee. What did Peter do? Deny Him, three times. Yes, Peter was restored and went on to lead the church. And together with Paul, these 11 turned the world upside down with the gospel. Their relationships with Jesus were genuine and full. But only John was there at the cross. 

Oh, and Mary. She was there. Because He was worth it. And because of her relentless, lavish worth-ship her story has been told for 2000 years as a memorial. 

What's He worth to you? 

Insanity

The other day during our homeschool Class Day assembly, our principal, Mary York, discussed some of the current events in the homeschooling community. Two were of primary concern to her, and as I listened I again, weary at the end of another busy school year, felt stirred up with the passion for why we choose to school our kids at home:

1)The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the Obama administration's denial of asylum to the Romeikes, the German family who fled their country after imprisonment and various other persecutions for following their faith and choosing to homeschool their kids in a country that says it is illegal. Illegal! You can read the whole story here, but essentially our government is now setting precedent that we do NOT have a fundamental right to home educate our children. Pay attention, Americans. This particular precedent is dangerous because in a few years the nearly 2 million homeschooled American kids could be forced into public schooling against their parents' religious beliefs. Even if you are not a Christian reading this, stop and think about that. Does that sound like the United States of America to you?

2) Although she had mentioned it last year, I had no idea Assembly Bill 1266 was already progressing through the legislature. This so-called "bathroom bill" just passed the Assembly and is headed to the Senate. Apparently Governor Jerry Brown has said that if it passes, he will sign it. For the details on the bill, go here. Basically if the gender that child expresses is contrary to the gender he/she was born as, the school must treat the child as if he/she was that gender. Bathroom facilities and locker rooms would then be open to boys if they say they identify as girls and vice versa. In addition, what are now gender-specific sports teams would be permeable by those identifying as the opposite sex. What insanity for our young children before many of them have even an understanding of anatomical differences (a Colorado school just had to face this issue a few months ago with a first grade child!). What potential for exploitation and manipulation of the policy that could leading to sexually dangerous situations.

Craziness.

What is going on, America?

I have good friends and family members who work in the California school system. I am not a homeschool militiawoman; I know that good things happen in our public schools. Many good things. Most of the youth kids at my church attend public schools and are able to wade through the craziness. I am not suggesting we throw out the babies with the bathwater. I don't think we need to close all public schools and ALL families should homeschool, because it isn't for everyone. But for those who choose to home educate their kids, let's keep that an option. Let's keep America America. And for those who choose to send their children to public schools, for crying out loud let's keep boys boys and girls girls until they are at least 18 and responsible for adult decisions.

As for me and my house, we are in the final week of our 8th year homeschooling. I've never been more grateful for my right to do so in this still free and great nation, and I am passionate about seeing my students at the front porch picnic table on the first day of the 2013/14 school year in mid-August.

BOOK REVIEW: I'm No Angel

Kylie Bisutti's autobiography, I'm No Angel, offers both a fascinating look into the realities of the modeling world and a frank account of her struggle to own her Christianity in front of that world. When the conflicts between the two sides of her life became too great, she chose to walk away from everything she thought she had wanted in order to honor Christ. Now she serves as a model in a completely new way...a role model to girls who are given antibiblical messages every day about what it means to be a woman.

Born in a small town to a blue-collar family, Kylie grew up loved by and committed to her family. At fourteen, she began modeling in Las Vegas and was quickly swept into a culture that ruthlessly leapt to make her appear older and more worldly than she was comfortable with; however, she quenched whispers of conviction for what she thought was the greater good of fame and money. Finally, after marrying a godly man who prayed for her as she lived with one foot in two worlds, she made a decision that would change the direction of her life forever.

Kylie made a commitment to Christ at a youth group her freshman year in high school, the only place where she felt completely accepted for who she was rather than what she looked like. However, as the book advances, we journey with her on the long road between that beginning commitment and its completion several years later when, after reaching the top of the modeling industry as a Victoria's Secret Angel, she left it all "to become a Proverbs 31 wife."

I read this book in three days, which for a homeschooling mom with a full house of responsibilities is a big deal. Especially because I am involved with youth ministry at my church, I was eager to hear what she had to say to girls who are told they must be thin, underdressed and overly made up to have significance. I enjoyed the Bible verses that began every chapter with a perfect reflection of her transformation. The 30 day devotional at the end of the book offers young women an indepth look into their biblical identity.

I was blessed also by her willingness to be vulnerable with her failings so that the young girls who read this book will know she is "real." I commend her for her honesty and courage despite the blastings she has taken from the world for her decision to stand for Jesus and marriage. I highly recommend this book, and encourage all who read it to pray for Kylie and the work God has planned for her testimony.

To see a short video of  Kylie discussing her story, go here.