Monthly Archives: January 2010
Read with Me: January Milestones
Twenty-nine days ago we kicked off a challenge: read the entire Bible in 2010. It started with a link and soon grew to three friends. Before we knew it we have more than 35 people participating from all around the country! GOD IS GOOD. Now, we’re at the end of the first month. Let’s check our milestones.
If you’re using the Piper recommended Discipleship Journal reading schedule, you could have finished January’s assignments early this week! If, like me, you’ve used your grace days, you may have a little more to go. And if you’re using a different schedule, you could be anywhere!
So, HOWYA DOIN? Is everyone still with us?
Today I would love to have some real discussion about our journeys so far. What are you learning? What characters or segments of Scripture have fascinated, surprised or convicted you? If you have a blog, please post over there then link up here. If you don’t, take over the comments section below.
Penny was so excited to weigh-in, she commented on last week’s post before I could get on here this morning! Way to go, Penny!! Here is what she said:
“I have really enjoyed this week. I am actually ahead with both Genesis and Psalms and current in Mathew and Acts. What struck me most this week was how when Jacob was blessing his sons before he died, Genesis 49 said,”this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him. I have two daughters, one of whom struggles greatly with “fairness”. I need to remember that “What is appropriate” to each of them is often better than fair or equal.”
Personally, I’ve had a lot of thoughts about genealogies and favoritism. Last summer I taught a class that included the life of Tamar. I love Tamar. I named my laptop after her. I think this reading through, however, has tied a lot of loose strings between the significance of Tamar, Dinah, Bilhah and other women often overlooked with the prominent stories of Joseph, Jacob, Rueben, Judah and even, by extension, Christ. The seemingly insignificant details are not useless. Rather, they hold vast implications when considered equally with the whole.
More to come on these thoughts. They’re still brewing. 
In the meantime, I want to say I’ve really enjoyed this. I’ve had my bad days and I am still behind. I’m still trying to find a consistent reading groove that works with this schedule. But I have completely finished Genesis and am nearly finished with my January readings in Matthew and Psalms. (I’m pretty behind in Acts. I’ve had trouble reading that the same time as Matthew since it involves some of the same people and not the same timeline.) I am determined to be all caught up before February begins.
Your turn!
Trouble right here in River City
I’m told that’s called an “ear wig.” You know, when you start a song that promptly embeds itself in the brains of everyone who hears (or reads) it. I’ve never been to River City and I say “IoWA” instead of “IoWAY,” but I have had trouble and that starts with ‘T’ and that rhymes with ‘C’ and that stands for COMPUTER!
‘T’ also rhymes with ‘V’ and that stands for VISION.
Both my corneas are infected — which means lots of headaches, blurred vision and very painful steroid/antibiotic eye drops (four times a day!) — and my computer is giving me trouble — which means scattered internet, a slow processor and silence on my blog.
While I get all this straightened out, feel free to drop by my Bookshelf (both HERE and HERE). I didn’t quite meet my goal of 50 books in 2009 (probably because I started twice as many books as I finished), but the list is there along with a new list for 2010. You may also want to check out CCBR. We always have new reviews there. We also did a special feature last week on cookbooks for kids.
Living with Less Contest
Here’s a fun opportunity for you.
To celebrate the release of Hearts at Home’s newest book: Living With Less So Your Family Has More, by Jill and Mark Savage, the Hearts at Home blog is launching the Living with Less Contest.
Email Hearts at Home a story or money-saving tip that gives a peek into your daily experiences representing the humor, richness, or spiritual aspects of what it’s like to live with less.
Many of the money-saving entries — possibly yours! — will be posted on the Heart’s blog throughout the month of February. The top five entries will also receive a free book; one winner will receive a basket filled with goodies from the Hearts at Home shop!
For contest details go here!
Surviving Week 3 (Read with Me)
I warned you at the beginning of this journey that there would be weeks I would need your encouragement. This is one of those weeks.
I just don’t feel like reading. Let me clarify: I don’t feel like reading my Bible. I want to read, but … not that. And I feel TERRIBLE admitting this because there is absolutely no reason for it! When I have time to read, I simply grab something else. I even keep my Bible on top to make sure I grab it first, but this week I’ve performed impressive acrobatics to get around it.
Maybe I’m bored. Maybe I’m more ADD this week than usual. Maybe some dark forces are working overtime to keep me from knowing God better.
Or maybe I’m just rebellious.
My grace days are gone. Tell me I can do this. Tell me I must do this.
So, how are YOU doing?
Special Note: Next week will be our last “Howya-doin” for January. It will mark us finished 1/12 of our objective. Woo-hoo! If you have a blog, please post something that day about what you’ve been learning. Write about a truth revealed in new light or a character you had previous overlooked, but now find fascinating. Write about the discipline of following a schedule or why you like the schedule you’re using. Write anything that relates to our journey and link up here. We can rejoice together over our progress!
Dug Down Deep
Do you remember the first time you saw a 3-D movie?
I think I was eight. Our family went to Orlando for a week. We sat in this giant theater at one of the parks. Somebody gave us the flimsy little red and blue glasses with the big white frames. I refused to put them on. My older brother (he was sixteen) kept telling me “Just do it. Just do it! Put ‘em on!”
I didn’t want to. I insisted I already knew how to watch a movie, and sliding these weird-looking things over my already goofy eyeglasses was not part of the deal.
When the movie started, I could see the screen, but it wasn’t right. Bright colors vibrated around familiar shapes, but instead of being entertaining, it was annoying, blurry and visually too loud.
Finally I slunk down in my seat, made sure my bossy brother wasn’t watching me, then slid on the glasses. WOW. It was like nothing I’d ever experienced! Instead of being a bystander, I became part of the movie. It swirled toward and around me, inviting me further and further into the life the filmmakers created for me.
That experience — the moment seeing-but-not-seeing turns into something unbelievably tangible and beautiful and right — that’s what Joshua Harris’s newest book is like. Dug Down Deep takes the seemingly abstract subject of doctrine and reveals it in it’s full form. Instead of blurry images of old men arguing irrelevant details, it becomes clearly seen as the absolute foundation to living a Christian life. Instead of boasting intellectualism void of action, it becomes evident as the catalyst toward compassionate evangelism and social responsibility.
He writes: “It matters not because we want to impress people, but because what we know about God shapes the way we think and live. Theology matters because if we get it wrong then our whole life will be wrong.“
If you’re already a student of theology, much of this book may be review for you. However, the personal narrative, the ease of application, and the simple flow of this book make it a great read for any Christian, regardless of where they are in their spiritual training.
In the over two hundred pages, one part struck me more than the rest. Toward the beginning of the book Harris talks about the wise and foolish builders. I’ve read that story hundreds of times; I’ve even taught about it, but his perspective has haunted me ever since that first reading. The “rock” in the story isn’t Jesus; it’s solid theology. You may already know that Jesus told this parable believers about believers. The story doesn’t contrast Christians with non-Christians; it contrasts those who follow Jesus’ instructions with those who don’t. But the wise man who dug down deep to find the rock, dug to make sure his life was founded on solid, accurate teachings. Both worked to build a life that would honor Christ. Only one made sure he started with the right foundation.
Do we live this Christian life because it’s what we’ve always known? Because it makes us happy? Because we like the culture or the people in it?
That’s why I like this book. It urges believers to (as the subtitle suggests) unearth what we believe. It reminds us why what we believe is so very important to our everyday life.
About the Author:
Joshua Harris is senior pastor of Covenant Life in Gaithersburg, Maryland, which belongs to the Sovereign Grace network of local churches. A passionate speaker with a gift for making theological truth easy to understand, Joshua is perhaps best known for his runaway bestseller, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, which he wrote at the age of twenty-one. His later books include Boy Meets Girl, Sex Is Not the Problem (Lust Is), and Stop Dating the Church. The founder of the NEXT conferences for young adults, Joshua is committed to seeing the gospel transferred to a new generation of Christians. He and his wife, Shannon, have three children.
Fighting Paralyzation
So much swirls around me. I ache to do something, yet I don’t know where to start. A friend is living through, almost literally, the first four chapters of Job. Another watches her mother deteriorate from Alzheimer’s, that bitter and heartless thief of a disease. One works countless hours and still can’t seem to make ends meet. Another watches helplessly as a beloved child suffers from seizures seemingly without cause or end in sight. Divorce. Cancer. Rebellion. And then there’s Haiti, not to mention the innumerable other tragedies around the globe. What can I do? Where do I start?
I am overwhelmed. This gnawing hole in my heart longs to fix something. Anything. Yet I know I am utterly incapable. That is, without Him.
He is the Creator, the Sustainer, the Lord of all who live. He is GOD. I don’t claim to understand Him. I don’t even claim that all happens for a reason. I only know that HE IS GOOD. And He loves all of His children, even those who do not yet acknowledge Him. HE IS SOVEREIGN. He will make Himself known.
Now, what steps can I take toward that end? When I look at the swirling mess around me, I feel paralysis taking root. I shudder and quake, not knowing what to do or where to turn. But when I look at HIM, then I can see small steps. An encouraging note sent here. An unexpected visit there. A hug. A coffee. A heap of prayers.
It may not sound like much, but the God who fed five thousand from a couple fish and a few loaves can do anything. This is my offering. Lord God, multiply it!
“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”
– Ephesians 3:20-21 (NASB)
As a final note, if you have not yet donated to the relief efforts in Haiti, please consider how you can help. There are several organizations right there, primed and ready: Compassion, World Vision and Samaritan’s Purse are just a few. If you cannot give monetary help, consider what else you may give. Hope for Haiti is a site that allows people to auction off what they can — services, crafts, products and more. All proceeds go to The Red Cross and Compassion. Can you give ad space on your blog? List something you’ve made? Offer photography lessons? Check it out.
Mama Loves: having a girl
I won’t lie. Some days my precious Ellie drives me nuts. But most days I simply delight in her. I look into her sweet, almost six-year-old face, blonde corkscrews framing her bright blue eyes and contagious smile, and I see the years laid out before us. I see her in her wedding gown. I see her as a gracious mother and a loving wife. I see her doing great things for God. I know that we’ll have our ups and downs, but I love that we’re friends, that we treasure our time together.
This weekend we went through a bunch of pictures. (Rick is converting them to be the screensavers on his new Kindle. He thinks it would be funny if the “sleep” screen always showed a different picture of our kids sleeping. ) I came across these. I had planned to blog about them back in November, but never got around to it. So, here you go: Ellie’s first sewing adventure.
She couldn’t reach the floor from my high sewing chair, so we used the insides of some of the book purses I’ve made.
And the finished project: a fully-lined blanket for her babies. She was so proud!
Mama loves having a girl.
In the Land of Giants (and other tales not long enough to warrant a full post)
I lost fifteen pounds between September and Thanksgiving. (I gained five over Christmas.) This has led to shopping (and subsequent squeezing into the new skinny clothes), one of my least favorite things to do (both the shopping and the squeezing).
I used to love shopping, but since moving to New Jersey, an unofficial mall paradise, I am less enamored with the sport. Yes, it is technically a sport here. Parking alone requires great perseverance and strategy. Once inside the mall, you’ve got to have lots of endurance and strength. If there are sales — good sales — you may find yourself involved in a full-contact fight for survival.
Back to the point. I think all sizes have changed since the last time I had to shop for jeans. First off, my favorite cut no longer exists. Secondly, I now have to shop in the petite section. I am 5’7″! That’s not exactly short. A pair of regular Gap jeans stretches from my bosom to my ankles. No joke. What is going on here?! Have I teleported to the land of giants? I don’t understand.
If anyone has tips on where to buy normal jeans for curvy chicks, preferably ones that won’t require deductions from our 401K, please share.
*****
In other news, one of my very best friends from college got married this weekend. I’m SO EXCITED for her!! Her dress was stunning and the cake was delicious, of course, but her smile was the best part of the whole day. So, a big congratulations to Claudia and Darryl! May God draw you closer to each other as you grow closer to Him. I love you and am so thrilled to witness what God will do in and through you in the years to come.
*****
I work recess at our school two days a week. When the temps or wind chill go below freezing (32 degrees — this happens often throughout January and February), we have recess inside, either the gym (to run) or the library (to watch a movie). Most recently I had a library crew. Since they had already finished the movie chosen by the principal, I grabbed another. That is when I learned fourth grade boys think they’re too cool for VeggieTales. After a few minutes of listening to them shout alternatives and argue over which flicks were good and which weren’t, I grabbed a DVD and popped it in. They continued yelling because the boys thought it was “too girly” and the girls still wanted VeggieTales. I let them know that a boy actually suggested it. Another boy then threatened to puke all over the table. Off went the lights. I made them sit in silence for a full five minutes. Then I started the real torture: The Secret Garden (1950 version). Those poor kids. I do feel for them. I mean, they were already spending recess inside and I aggravate their suffering by making them watch a movie almost as old as my mother. It wasn’t even the good part! The first twenty minutes (which is all we had time for) is full of moaning and all kinds of people dying of tuberculosis or something like that.
Good news: every child in that class is now praying for warmer weather so they won’t have to sit inside with me again.
I’m praying that too.
*****
A few random, but valuable lessons learned this week:
- We need a bigger water heater before the children start taking showers every morning.
- Allowing a four-year-old to type an email to Grandma will almost always mess up your laptop. Count on it.
- It is wise to stock up on winter clothing before winter actually arrives. Buy multiple sizes for your children, because they grow even when you tell them not to. (As a sidenote, I think all clothing companies must live in southern California. Why else would all the stores near me — still freezing temps, people! — be complete out of long pants and sweaters for five-year-olds? Why are they selling swimsuits in January?! The rivers and lakes are frozen, people. I want some new gloves and firmly believe I should be able to get them without special ordering online. Oh, well. Lesson learned.)
- It is better to pay the Kohl’s bill by mail or online, than to go into the store where cute things are often on sale and begging to be bought. (Like swimsuits that can’t be worn for at least six more months.)
Read with Me: Howya-doin Week 2
Did you hear? We’re officially over 30 members! There are few who are following us, but aren’t on the list, too. I’m excited! God knows I could use all the help I can get.
Hippychick_ shared this with me: One Year Bible Blog. It’s a blog based on the One Year Bible and, while the readings aren’t scheduled the same as the Discipleship Journal program most of us are using, it still has some interesting points. Each post includes reflections on the day’s reading as well as links to the Scriptures online and in audio and podcast format. My favorite part, though, is the integration of art.
I believe complete worship incorporates all our senses. It’s not just about reading and prayer, but about creative expression through art, music and, yes, even food. This blog offers maps, classic art pieces, photographs and music videos — all coordinated with that day’s reading. Give it a visit and see if it enhances your readings this week.
So, howya doing? Leave a comment or a link up below!
Please help me!
Eeyore has moved into my house. He’s a lovable grump on TV, but when he takes over the body of a normally happy four-year-old, he’s really, really … unpleasant. I want my son back! The whine flows freely, but I’m out of cheese. I have no idea how to eliminate this malcontent.
Yesterday was the worst day we’ve had so far. The whine started at sun-up and continued all day long. All day! A trip to our favorite bookstore included several warnings, a threat and a follow-through. We put restocked planned purchases then spent a full ten minutes in the bathroom waiting for Zach to stop screaming.
I know I can be prone to exaggeration. I’m not exaggerating! TEN FULL MINUTES. During that time and the preceding march of shame to the bathroom (also to the soundtrack of a tantrum) I received several mean glares from other customers, one sympathetic glance and one rather concerned inquiry.
Since Ellie behaved beautifully throughout this whole ordeal, I promised to buy her a book on the way out. This, while teaching both kids that good behavior is rewarded and bad behavior is not, spawned a new wave of sobbing and begging which only got louder once we reached the car.
This morning Eeyore met us again, even before the hall light lit.
Please, please help me. I’m open to suggestions! We’ve taken away toys, we’ve given time-outs, we’ve eliminated privileges, we’ve had long heart-to-hearts and memorized applicable Scripture. I don’t know what else to do.
I know whining never really goes away. I mean, we adults have our turns, too! But is there a way to decrease it? What do you do with your kids?
Photo by Lasse Damgaard via redbubble.com.
