The Line Between Frugal and Cheap

As we walked the aisles of our local grocery store yesterday, my 3-year-old happily chirped “Buy one, get one free.”   It appears I’ve passed my spending habits on to my sons.  

I like to think of myself as frugal.  I combine BOGO deals with coupons.  I squeeze every last drop out of a toothpaste tube.  When a local department store went out of business, I bought so much discounted shampoo and conditioner that I didn’t have to purchase any more for a year.

But I struggle with cheap.  There’s a fine line between frugal and cheap.

Sometimes my husband or children will want something, and it’s a reasonable request.  My first reaction is “No.”  No reason. Just no, I don’t want to spend money.  I can really be a party pooper.

I did a little research: What is the difference between frugal and cheap?

According to my online dictionary frugal means “economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful”   

I like that.

Cheap means “costing very little; relatively low in price; inexpensive”  That sounded good until I read a little farther:  “of little account; of small value; mean; shoddy:  stingy; miserly”

So the Cratchits are frugal; Scrooge is cheap.  Got it.

It appears that the difference between frugal and cheap comes down to a matter of the heart.  Frugal people care about others while saving money and resources. Cheap people care only about money, even at the expense of others.

We’re cautioned against loving money: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Tim. 6:10 NIV)  We’re counseled toward generosity: “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD,  and he will reward him for what he has done.” (Prov. 19:17)

I’ll never give up my penny pinching ways, but I hope that I’ll have enough sense to save generously.

Shalom y’all.

For more “frugal vs. cheap”:

"Crossing the Line: When Does Frugal Become Cheap" at BeingFrugal.net
"Frugal vs. Cheap" at Bluntmoney.com
"What is Frugality and Are We Frugal?" at GatherLittleByLittle.com

A Pretty Sorry Lot

“If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we're a pretty sorry lot.”  1 Cor. 14:19 The Message

What do you do when you’re a pastor who no longer believes in God?  Tufts University’s Center for Cognitive Studies confidentially interviewed five ministers who no longer believe in God.  An article, featuring the results of two interviews, appeared in our local newspaper last Sunday.

When I read the first interview, I thought, “Mister, you need to resign. Quit posing and quit the pulpit.”

I sought out researcher Daniel C. Dennett’s website and read the rest of the study.  Each interviewee was able to perform great feats of mental gymnastics that allow him to feel that he is a “believer,” although he doesn’t believe in anything but himself.

I’m not shocked, just saddened, and outraged.  Years ago, while attending a conference, I encountered this sort comfortable pluralism in a pastor my age.  I was surprised at how quickly he abandoned the truth of the gospel once a minor celebrity at the conference scoffed at the notion of a God who will, one day, pronounce judgement. [Yep, Jesus was pretty clear in Matthew 25]  I saw, that day, the infant “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.” (Eph. 4:14)

I was stunned then.  I’m not stunned anymore.

But I’m still outraged. As I read through the study I was ready to reach for some sackcloth and ashes.  “Repent,” I thought, heartbroken for their souls,  “Or at least have the integrity to resign and do something else.”

Do they themselves have doubts about continuing in ministry. Yes, but why abandon the paycheck?  And why give up that good feeling you get when you’re helping others.

But helping others to what?

At least one man questioned his own motives early on, but quickly found his conscience soothed when he asked, “Am I posing? Am I being less than authentic; less than honest?”

Yes, you are posing.  You are not “caught in a trap, cunningly designed” as the study declared.  And you’re not “brave” as the study proclaimed you to be.  You're lost. Terribly lost.

Yet, there is still hope for the lost. I know.  I was once lost too.

Bye Bye Birdy?

The bird has flown.

For sometime now, I've had a bright, chirpy bird at the banner head of this blog.  I'd looked at several free template sites, but never found anything to convince me to update.   Every time I found an image I liked, the color contrast between text and background were poor.  That goes against everything I ever learned about web design.   Text must be readable.  No matter where I looked for templates, I never found anything I liked as well as my "bird".

Until today.

Blogger announced a new series of template designs and I just had to take a look. When I looked at the first design under "picture window", I fell in love. Here are all the elements I was looking for: a picture indicating travel,  excellent contrast between type and background, a nice font.  Well, I guess you can see all that for yourself.

So here I am, updated.  I hope you like it.

It's Spring. Time to Rake the Leaves

It happened last Saturday around 1:30 p.m.: the vernal equinox (or March equinox, if you will), the day when the Sun crosses directly over Earth's equator.  It's finally Spring.

My northern friends are beginning to wax poetic about snow melting and trees budding, daffodils blooming and birds chirping.

How do we know it's Spring in Florida?  The leaves finally fall off the trees.  No kidding.

I helped a neighbor rake a few leaves this past weekend.  I'm not that skilled in botany, but I'm assuming that our oaks have to shake off the rest of their dead leaves so that they can spout a full head of pollen. It's literally dripping from the trees right now, bringing on allergies and car washes.

Florida doesn't have seasonal changes in the same way that our northern neighbors do, but we sure know our own signs of Spring.  As the leaves fall gently into our yards and swimming pools, we look for these other heralds of the season:

• Spring break: participants recognizable by their bright red skin
• Northern migration: observe the mass of multicolored license plates and RVs in northbound lanes of I-75 and I-95
• Lawn watering restrictions and talk of "the drought"
• Hurricane season preparation guides and maps begin appearing 
• Two words: Spring training
• Festival time: Strawberry Festival, Mainsail Arts Festival, Springtime Tallahassee, school carnivals, parades, and outdoor concerts galore

Spring is here. Rake up the leaves and enjoy!

Did Jonah Have a Six-Pack?

I was browsing the children's department at my local Christian bookstore when I saw something that took me by surprise. It was Jonah, clearly visible through the plastic shield of a boxed set, which included both a big fish and a tiny boat.  But it wasn't Jonah that surprised me, it was the size of his bulging biceps.


That's not all.  I found Noah, looking all buff and very young.  David appeared clad in a purple jumpsuit that showed off his bulging muscles.  Moses sported an Egyptian headdress, sword and shield. Samson, with his mane of blond hair, looked like Thor, the Norse God of Thunder.  


"What's going on here?" I wondered.


Turns out, the "Almighty Heroes" are the brainchild of Don Levine, the creator of G. I. Joe.  He developed them a few years ago with the hope that children would develop an interest in the characters and message of scripture.  


I'm all for that.  It's admirable that this toy making legend would put so much work into a toy that brings scripture to life.  And little boys do like to play heroes. However, I'm bothered by the visual message that the muscles make the man.  Didn't our heroes, of all ages and (I assume) body types, draw their strength from the Lord?


Sure gives new meaning to Deuteronomy 6:5:  
Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.


Shalom y'all.

God Among the Dishes

Martha and Mary.  Mary listens; Martha is busy in the kitchen.  When Martha complains to him, Jesus tells her that Mary has chosen the better portion. [Luke 10:38-42]

My busy-mom mind plays a coda to this story.  

Martha settles down to listen to Jesus. She has completely forgotten about her preparations.  Sometime later, the disciples wander into the dining room, exclaiming, “Dinner’s not ready?”  Martha looks at Jesus and says, “See. I told you so.”

The Lenten season is a busy time in our household, but this season has been unusually hectic.  Take one round-the clock mom job, add the pleasures of potty training, mix in some soccer coaching, and a dash of part-time teaching and you have a recipe for chaos.  Lent is supposed to be a time for reflection and devotion, a time of meditation and listening to the Holy Spirit. Oh, that I could retreat to a quiet place and just sit at Jesus’ feet all day.

But who’s going to fix dinner?

A few years ago our women’s Bible study read The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. This 17th century Carmelite lay brother was in charge of the monastery kitchen, working full time so that the monks would be free to study, pray, teach, and copy manuscripts. He spent his days endlessly cooking and cleaning. At first he detested his menial job. Who wouldn’t? Then he had a breakthrough.

Brother Lawrence discovered that he was spending too much time worrying about himself, that he needed to get back to loving God.  He found that he could do this just as well in the kitchen as in the chapel.  He began to seek--to practice--the presence of God in each of his duties.  He used his time in the kitchen to focus his thoughts on God. After all, somebody had to get dinner on the table.

The most excellent method of going to God is that of doing our common business without any view of pleasing people but purely for the love of God.  (Brother Lawrence)

We ought not to grow tired of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.  (Brother Lawrence)

Jesus didn’t chide Martha for preparing dinner or tell her to forgo her responsibilities.  Luke 10 is not a denunciation of housework any more than Mark 7 advises against hand washing.  Jesus reminded Martha (and us) not to get so worked up about what needs to be done, but to seek and listen to Him, not the worries of a distracted mind. 

Perhaps Martha looked back at her kitchen, thinking a cold buffet supper would be just fine and sat down to listen.  After all, Jesus was an expert at feeding crowds without much fuss and preparation.  Later, as she washed the dishes, she reflected on his words.  I’m guessing that no meal at her house was ever the same.

Lent is our time to practice the presence of God in order to carry on that practice throughout the year. I am challenged to do this. There’s a time to sit and listen, but the dishes won’t wash themselves.  God is everywhere. And when I seek Him, I will find Him, even among the dishes.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Col 3:23-24)

Bibleman: Combating the Commandant of Confusion [Review]

When I first saw Bibleman, I wasn’t sure what to make of a purple and yellow superhero battling evil with a lightsaber. That was before I had boys.  My 5-year-old watched one of his friend’s videos and was hooked.  

We’re briefly introduced to Bibleman as young Josh Carpenter. After giving his life to Jesus and studying scripture Josh grew in Biblical knowledge and strength until he became Bibleman.  Accompanied by Biblegirl, Cypher, and Melody, Bibleman battles the evil forces that attack us.  (forces, not people, we're reminded) Their chief weapon? The word of God.

This video captures a live Bibleman show where our heroes battle the Commandant of Confusion and sidekick, Chaos who attempt to steal, and detonate, “the most powerful weapon known to man.”  The audience participates as members of the Bible Adventure Training Academy. By the end of the adventure we’ve learned that God is not a god of confusion, but of peace.

The production is a bit campy and the live action show format, with its entrances and exits offstage, was a little confusing for my son (“When is it going to start?”).  But it has all the Bibleman essentials: action, scripture cited with chapter and verse, prayer, and God as source of strength for our heroes to combat evil. Bonus features include a song about putting on the full armor of God and an explanation of some of the sword fighting techniques the actors use in the production.

So many Christian children’s books cast Biblical heroes in soft, rounded, even feminine forms.  Bibleman shows us that muscular guys can serve God too.

Appropriate for ages 5-10.  My 3-year-old found some of the swordplay a “little scary”.

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

Palm Tree Epiphany

The palm tree is like an epiphany...

I wish I could remember where I first saw this analogy, wish I had noted the author, the text, anything.  Google search?  Nothing. Nada. Zip. But I like this analogy.

The palm tree is like an epiphany.  Its bare, brown trunk rises toward the sky, fairly plain of texture and pattern. Then, suddenly, it erupts with a flourish at the top.  A-ha!

I love palm trees.  They’re the predominant tree in our Florida yard.  The streets I drive to school and church are lined with palms of different sorts.  Each type seems to have its own personality.  Queens have long, languid fronds that wave elegantly.  Chinese fan palms look like dancers.  On a windy day, oaks and maples wave their branches at different levels, while palms are confined to waving their arms above their heads, so to speak.

Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,"Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" Mark 11:9 NIV

I first saw today’s verse right before I went to exercise at the Y.  As I warmed up on the treadmill I looked at the trees planted outside the fitness center: palms waving briskly in the morning breeze.  They’re trimmed so neatly that their rigid fronds seem to be shouting, “Hey! Look over here!”  I imagined long avenues of palms welcoming Jesus as he rode triumphantly into Jerusalem, their trunks and fronds aimed toward heaven.  I imagined the crowds cutting and gathering stately palm fronds to line the road leading into Jerusalem, while shouting “Hosanna!”

In a few weeks we’ll be celebrating Palm Sunday, when the people proclaimed Jesus as Messiah, shouting words that one was only supposed to use when announcing the Messiah:

 "Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

 "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" 

  "Hosanna in the highest!"

But that’s not the only mention of palms in scripture.  Psalm 92 proclaims that “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree” (92:12).  Like the palm, the righteous grow strong and take root in the courts of God, proclaiming the goodness of the Lord.

As we approach Palm Sunday and Easter, be like a palm tree. Stand tall and upright, looking toward heaven, bearing witness to the righteousness of our Lord, our Rock, and our Redeemer.

Shalom y’all. 

Book Review: The Vertical Self by Mark Sayers

Mark Sayers has written an engaging study of the way modern people struggle with the question of identity. And when I say “engaging, I mean I couldn’t put it down.  We live in the age of the “horizontal self”, pressured to create public personas based on the images around us.  We brand ourselves in order to become socially acceptable and relevant. We compartmentalize our lives to fit in with different groups. Our horizontal selves worry about what others think, about status, about achievement, about today.

Whether we realize it or not, we’ve lost our “vertical selves.” The vertical self is concerned with character, holiness, contribution, eternity.  Even believers and churches fall prey to the trap of the horizontal self: we want to be Christian and cool too. We’ve chosen self over soul.

What is the answer? Discipleship and accountability. We must rediscover what it means to be holy.

I found the history of how we arrived here fascinating: when did it become cool to be cool, how the definition of “sexy” has changed, how we’ve traded spiritual holiness for secular holiness.  I will never look at another advertisement, movie, or staged political event the same way.  I highly recommend this book for everyone, Christian or not, because Western society is playing us for fools. And we’re playing along.

Giving Up

“What are you giving up for Lent?” 

I haven’t heard that question as much this year as in years past.  The practice of giving something up, of fasting, is what most people associate with Lent.  It’s a practice that I grapple with each year.  Should I fast from something?  What would it mean spiritually?  Would I fast alone--since it’s not a communal practice in any of the churches I’ve attended?

I never want to fast for the sake of fasting.  To do that would put fasting into the same category as New Year’s resolutions: easily made, easily broken. I don’t want a fast to become just a Lenten diet--abstaining from sweets and hoping to lose a pound or two.  I don’t have a good background in the spiritual discipline of fasting, so I’m unsure of how to fast so that it helps me grow closer to God.

So I did a little research.

Fasting is grounded in the scriptures that are read during Lent.  In liturgical churches, the verses read on the first Sunday of Lent are all from the story of Christ’s temptation.  After his baptism, Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights. (Matt 4:2) Jesus experienced deprivation, hunger, and temptation.  We identify with Christ’s suffering through fasting.

Food fasts are the most common type.  My Catholic friends don’t eat meat on Fridays and some parishes hold a “fish fry” fellowship on Friday nights.  Believers who fast from food--sweets, snacks, or entire meals--often donate the money they would have spent to charity.  

A second type of fast is to abstain from something that is done purely for pleasure, such as watching TV or clothes shopping.  Unlike food fasts there’s no physical reminder of the fast, which practitioners use to help them grow spiritually.  Therefore the choice of fast needs to have meaning.  Would I fast from TV to see if I could do it--to develop self-discipline?  Or would I just record the shows on my DVR to watch after Easter?  What’s tricky here is that Lent shouldn’t be something that causes Jesus to become the spoilsport or believers to grumble like a kid on 40-day restriction. The idea behind this type of fast is to eliminate some of the clutter from the schedule--to allow more space for the Sprit to move.

The most important component to fasting, and one that can be overlooked, is to find out what has power and authority in our lives, what causes us to sin.  A mom and local blogger has declared a fast from yelling at her kids.  Some bishops have advocated giving up texting, social networks, and online gaming--getting out of the virtual world and reconnecting with the self, with God, and with those physically present in our lives.  The concept here is to identify, confess, and root out sin in our lives so that the Lenten fast will continue past Easter and become part of our Christ-filled lives.

So what am I giving up for Lent?   I’m taking aim at one of my gluttonous habits.  I’m a habitual evening snacker, eating for no reason other than the pleasure of eating.  So I’m giving up my post-dinner handfuls of whatever I can root out of the pantry.  When I get the urge to chew I’m reminded to be thankful for ways that God has blessed me and conscious of those who have little to eat. I read my Bible.  I even write about fasting.  And hopefully, I won’t give up giving up when Lent is over.  The next step in this process is to decide how to turn my fast into a blessing for someone else, perhaps a donation to our local food pantry or Salvation Army.

So how about you? Are you ready to give up?

Ash Wednesday Reflections

When I was single, my friends and I would attend Ash Wednesday services at church, then go out for something to eat.  [Clearly, I did not belong to a church that emphasized fasting.]  As we sat around the table at Village Inn, we’d remark that perhaps we shouldn’t be sitting here, with our ash-marked foreheads, eating pie. Ash Wednesday seemed to call for something more somber. But there we were, marked for Christ, yet celebrating.

But that is what Ash Wednesday is all about.

Ash Wednesday services are sobering.  The ashes remind us of both our mortality and our sin. Play time is over. It’s time to sit up and pay attention. We’re taken back to the Garden of Eden--to man’s fall.  “From dust you are and to dust you will return,” Genesis 3:19 reminds us. With bluntness, scripture tells us that our earthly life is finite. 

Ash Wednesday services are honest.  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” cried John the Baptist in the wilderness of Judea. (Matt 3:2)  Jesus preached this very same message throughout his earthly ministry. (Matt 4:17)  The ashes we wear are an echo of the sackcloth and ashes worn in repentance. (Job 42:6, Matt 11:21) Ash Wednesday causes us to be honest with ourselves, to face our sinful nature and admit our need for a Savior.  With the imposition of ashes on our foreheads, we publicly proclaim this fact.

Ash Wednesday services are hopeful. In her book The Liturgical Year, Joan Chittister writes, “Clearly, the voice of Lent is not a dour one. It is a call to remember who we are and where we have come from and why.  The voice of Lent is the cry to become new again, to live on newly no matter what our life has been like until now and to live fully.”  While we have sinned, we are not without hope. As believers we are saved through Jesus, who forgives our sins and redeems us through his death and resurrection.  At the end of the service, everyone in the sanctuary bears the mark of hope, the ashen cross on our brows.  

Ash Wednesday services are joyful.  Because of Christ’s death on the cross, we have new life in Him. Scripture remind us that God remembers His people, that he will forgive our wickedness and remember our sins no more. (Heb 8:12)  Ash Wednesday causes us to confess, to turn away from sin.  We hear the good news. We wear the cross. Easter is coming.

We silently exit the sanctuary, foreheads cross-marked for Christ, hearts sweet with celebration.

Lent: Spring Training for the Soul

Lent--the very name conjures up images of self-denial, of giving up chocolate or television.  Perhaps it evokes memories of fish sticks served in the school cafeteria on Friday.  Perhaps it means nothing at all. 

What is Lent?  Who celebrates? Where did it originate?  And does it hold any relevance at all for Protestant Evangelicals?

Lent--the 40-weekday period preceding Easter--begins on Ash Wednesday. Catholics traditionally celebrate Lent as a time of penance and fasting, a time of self-examination and recommitment.  Protestants, on the other hand, are mixed in their observance of Lent. Some attend Ash Wednesday services and observe Maundy Thursday with communion.  For others, it’s merely a passing reference to the days before Easter.

There’s no scriptural command to observe Lent.  It developed from three traditions. Early Christians observed a brief fast in the days before Easter, a fast that lengthened over time to 40 days.  The second tradition included a period of intense preparation that new converts underwent before baptism on Easter Sunday.  The third tradition involved welcoming back penitent sinners who had fallen away and wished to rededicate themselves to Christ. Lent, therefore, became a time of dedication, of self-scrutiny,  and of bringing oneself under the Lordship of Jesus Christ once again.

Evangelicals are mixed in our feelings toward Lent.  Scripture tells us that we don’t need to observe special days or seasons. (Gal. 4:10)  Yet Paul allows that some may consider one day more sacred and regard that day as special to the Lord, while another considers each day alike, but still gives thanks to God. (Rom 14:5-7) There is room for the work of the Holy Spirit in each heart.

So why should we care about Lent?

Perhaps the best analogy I’ve heard this year is that Lent is a Christian’s “Spring Training.”    Each spring professional baseball players come together to practice as a team, to work out the problems of last season, and get themselves into shape. Everybody’s supposed to report-- eager, young rookies, seasoned players, out-of-shape nobodies and sleek superstars. Everyone needs to prepare for the regular season.

Likewise we can use Lent to get ourselves into spiritual shape.  We come together as a community of faith--from the weakest sinner to the prayer warrior. We examine ourselves and strengthen our souls through Bible study, prayer, and worship. We pray for the Holy Sprit’s guidance. We renew our commitment to Christ.

Lent commences on February 17, 2010 with Ash Wednesday.  Interestingly enough, this year it’s the same day that pitchers and catchers begin reporting for Spring Training.  

Are you ready to report?

Book Review: Mom's Bible--God's Wisdom for Mothers

Just in time for Mother’s Day, Thomas Nelson has released the Mom’s Bible: God’s Wisdom for Mothers. The Biblical text is the New Century Version (NCV), a more sophisticated revision of the International Children’s Bible.  Although adults might balk at a Bible with a 5th grade reading level, the NCV is a solid translation based on Hebrew and Greek manuscripts, assembled by an experienced team of scholars.  What this translation loses in the poetry of the 23rd Psalm and other beloved verses, it makes up for with direct language which makes more obscure verses a bit clearer.

Notes by Bobbie Wolgemuth and others set this Bible apart specifically for moms.  You’ll find what you’d expect here--profiles of Biblical moms and lessons on Godly character.  A section entitled, “Answers to Questions Kids Ask” is worth the read. The topical index is really just an index to the various groups of notes: "Our God is . . .", "Walking In . . .", etc.

There’s nothing particularly new in the notes that I read. However, in the center of the cyclone that is motherhood, it helps to be reminded of what’s true and encouraged in my walk. And the Mom’s Bible does just that.  I found that, while I enjoyed the notes, the real appeal was the translation. The smoothness of its natural language appeals to the storyteller in me.

If you’re going to buy mom a Bible this year, why not make it one that she can read with her children?

Bible translations and reading level: a quick comparison

Pig Wig and the Pleasure of Reading

My 5-year-old is learning to read.  We're still a long way from War and Peace, but as a parent, teacher, and librarian, I'm thrilled to watch this process unfold. I studied reading methodology in college: learning the language, memorizing books, the "a-ha" moment when the brain decodes a word in an unfamiliar context.  It's much more fascinating in person.


I remember when he'd sit down with a book and "read" it to himself, using the same inflection that I used on each page.  I wish I could have recorded some of these moments, but he would have stopped if he knew I was watching.


Last summer we discovered a series of books by Yukiko Kido and Harriet Ziefert.  He's read Pig Wig and Stop Pop. They're simple--3 sections of word families, 1 word on a page, and short sentences at the end of each section.  Today I found Snow Bow at the downtown library.  It was waiting in his car seat when I picked him up from school.  I love hearing him sound out the letters and puzzle through the complexities of consonant blends.  Each word read is a little victory;  a sentence like "Feet meet on the street," a triumph.


He already knows the pleasure of listening to a good story being read or told.  Someday he'll have the pleasure of getting lost in a really good book.  His journey is just beginning.

What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do

What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do: 8 Principles for Finding God’s Way

by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend

Every once in awhile I come across a book that I purchase just to give away.  This is just such a book. 

Feeling lost? Battling addiction or depression?  Experiencing a difficult relationship or medical condition?  Overwhelmed by the condition of the world or the condition of your soul?

In this brief volume, Drs. Cloud and Townsend provide a guidebook for finding your way back onto the path of spiritual and emotional wholeness.  Begin your journey with faith and trust in God. Then take steps to seek supportive relationships and wisdom, forgive, take responsibility, accept that problems can help you grow, and learn to love God.  Three final chapters specifically address depression, addiction, and problems with sex and intimacy.

This book is a deceptively quick read, only 134 pages, but it’s loaded with practical advice gleaned from years of experience as clinical psychologists. Cloud and Townsend emphasize God’s grace, but insist that the journey is a two-step process involving ‘a step of faith in God” followed by “a step of action.”  I like the authors’ conversational tone and the hopeful message.  You are not alone. God will make a way. 

I’m giving my review copy to my pastor, for use in counseling or in Celebrate Recovery.  Then I’m buying another copy--to give away.

Frozen Floridians

Cold. Colder. Coldest.  That about describes January so far in the Sunshine State.  Here in the Bay Area we've set new records for longest number of days below 60 degrees and coldest overnight temperatures.  I've found frozen lizards in our backyard and ice on the kids' picnic table.

Baby, it's cold outside.

We've finally reached the end of this two week cold snap and our daytime highs should return to the normal range of upper 60's to low 70's.  Finally, a proper Florida winter.

I had to pull out my heavy blue jacket, the one from Land's End with the Polartec lining.  I only get it once or twice a year, but it became my constant companion for a few days, even serving as a blanket over my legs while sitting in church last Sunday.

It's the jacket I bought several years ago for an early spring trip to Greece and Turkey.

We were following in the footsteps of Paul, traveling to Athens, Corinth, Thessoloniki, and Ephesus.  That area of the Mediterranean is cold in March, enough so that we needed heavy jackets, hats, scarves, and gloves.  I'd read about the hardships that Paul suffered on his journeys: shipwreck, illness, prison.  But I wasn't prepared for bitter cold.  No wonder Paul asks Timothy to bring him his cloak and to hurry before winter sets in. (Rome must have been similarly cold.)

I don't think I would have made it through that trip without my windproof, lined, winter jacket.  How much more do I appreciate Paul and the early missionaries for braving the cold to bring the warmth of the gospel to the world.

Shalom y'all

Review of The Liturgical Year by Joan Chittister

Joan Chittister’s book is her love letter to the liturgical year.  The first few chapters engage the reader in the beauty of spiritual development, guiding us toward a more meaningful relationship with God.  Subsequent chapters outline the various seasons of the liturgical year: Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time, Lent, and Easter.  She finishes with an overview of why saints days and Marian feasts are observed.

I’m a bit lukewarm on this selection.  The first 30 pages, explaining the role of the liturgical year, seem repetitive.  I wanted her to come to the point and get on with observing the seasons.

The book appears to be searching for an audience.  The author, a Benedictine nun, is careful to make the book less Roman Catholic centered and more inclusive of Protestant and Orthodox traditions, but ends up being somewhat vague and apologetic.

I did find some gems and kept my highlighter handy as I read. I found myself quoting her chapters on Advent and Christmas and I’m sure I’ll reread the sections on Lent and Easter next spring.

I’d recommend this as a supplemental academic work, but not as an introduction for someone not already familiar with the liturgical year.

I am a member of Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger program.

Advent Adventures: Seek Him

“If you seek this

baby Jesus,

seek the Lord 

with all your might,

you will find him

as the shepherds did

as they searched for him

one starry night.”

--Luke Gambill “One Starry Night”

I have a confession to make: I’m a bit of a Christmas crier.  Every time the people of Bedford Falls unite to help George Bailey at the end of It’s a Wonderful Life, I reach for the tissues.  When Linus cues the lights and recites Luke 2:8-14 to the Peanuts gang, hand me a Kleenex.  The Grinch realizes that Christmas isn’t about presents and feasting?    White Christmas’s Wallace and Davis surprise General Waverly with his old unit singing “We’ll Follow the Old Man”?  Start the waterworks.

A couple of weeks ago I subbed in one of the pre-Kindergarden classes while the children rehearsed their song for the musical One Starry Night.  I sat behind the class as those cherubic voices sang about seeking and finding Jesus.  I was in big trouble.  It was either pull myself together or use the only absorbent surface available, my sleeve.

These simple, yet profound lyrics sum up what we’ve been doing this Advent season, seeking Jesus with all our might.  Our search is not in vain, as scripture reminds us:

But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29)

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  (Jeremiah 29:13)

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  (Matthew 7:7)

I’m astounded at the simplicity of this message.  God does not demand that we pass a test, or pay a fee, or make ourselves worthy before entering into a relationship with Him.   There’s no fine print, no levels we must reach first.  He assures us that He will be found if we seek Him with our heart and soul...with all our might.

Have you found Him this Christmas?  He’s not hidden away--but ever present. When the shepherds heard the angels’ proclamation they went to Bethlehem as fast as they could to see for themselves what God had revealed to them.  Seek Him this week, as the shepherds did and see for yourself.  

“For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”  (Matthew 7:8)


Shalom y'all

Advent Adventures: Joy

Poor little pink candle.  Every Advent season she stands alone among the purple candles, ready for this particular Sunday, in which we celebrate the joy of Christ’s coming.  We should be joyful all season--but especially on this day, the third Sunday of Advent.  The candle waits, but every year she’s passed over.

Evangelical churches, in my experience, don’t know what to make of the pink candle.  For many years running I’ve watched believers approach the church’s Advent wreath with hesitation. They light the first two purple candles--but nobody wants to touch the pink one.  Better to keep doing what we’ve been doing so far--lighting purple candles. So a third purple candle is lit and the pink one is left for last, not by design but by default.

It’s not the fault of the candle lighters.  Contemporary worship tends to shun tradition--and the lighting of the pink candle on the third Sunday is an old tradition.  We simply don’t understand and miss out on an important symbol of the season. It’s too bad.  With our emphasis on praise and worship and the Advent Conspiracy movement, this is a tradition Evangelicals could really embrace.

The third Sunday of Advent is about joy.  Not the “joy of toys” or the “big joy” of “lower prices” that the sales circular promised today.  No, this is the time in Advent in which we celebrate our Lord’s coming and our redemption. This Sunday is Gaudete Sunday--gaudete being Latin for “rejoice”.  It takes its name from the first word of the traditional worship introit, which is taken from Philippians 4:4-6:

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice; let your forbearance be known to all, for the Lord is near at hand; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.

Have no anxiety?  Pray with thanksgiving?  Throw off the shackles of holiday materialism and let others witness your joy in the real Hope of Christmas?  Sign me up!  What a wonderful kick in the pants as deadlines loom and chores pile high.  We need the bright pink candle to remind us, once again, that Christmas is all about the birth of our Savior.

Just as it’s easy to pass over the pink candle on this third Sunday, it’s easy to miss the joy of Advent by doing what we’ve been doing so far.  No matter the deadlines, no matter your circumstances, stop what you're doing and just rejoice:

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  (Psalm 118:24)

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. (Psalm 51:12)

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds (James 1:2)

Rejoice in the Lord always; I will say it again : Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)


Shalom y'all