Author Archive
Radical…thoughts on Christ
My kids know the story, as do so many children across the US–Christ died on the cross and rose again to save us from our sins. We are taught that as He was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, He begged God to provide another way. I have always been taught that He didn’t want to go through the horror of being crucified. But reading Chapter 2 in David Platt’s Radical has radically altered my perception. As Platt points out, many Christians since then have gone to their torturous deaths SINGING–deaths as bad or worse than Christ’s.
“One Christian in India, while being skinned alive, looked at his persecutors and said, ‘I thank you for this. Tear off my old garment, for I will soon put on Christ’s garment of righteousness.’” (p35–emphasis added)
Another, Christopher Love, wrote this to his wife, “‘Today they will sever me from my physical head, but they cannot sever me from my spiritual head, Christ.’ As he walked to his death, his wife applauded while he sang of glory.” (35 emphasis added)
In my American life of relative ease and bliss, I cannot even imaging facing such an awful fate. Which is why, to me, it made sense that Christ would be terrified of being crucified. Yet, if other believers willingly went to their deaths for Christ, with Paul even saying that “To die is gain” and other Christians in history valiantly facing death, how could it be that Christ would not have the courage to face a similar fate? There must be another reason for the blood that he sweat before facing his captors. As Platt so aptly states, “Did these men and women in Christian history have more courage than Christ himself? Why was he trembling in that garden, weeping and full of anguish? We can rest assured that he was not a coward about to face Roman soldiers. Instead, he was a Savior about to endure divine wrath.” (35)
Why was it that I never thought of the wrath of God being the reason that Christ begged for another way? Perhaps because, as Platt posits, in our American culture we focus only on one aspect of God’s character–His loving fatherhood. And we forget about the part where he is also a God of divine judgment, a God who is so holy that He cannot even bear to look upon sin. In fact, if we just LOOKED at God, we would die. Can you imagine? No? Well, Jesus didn’t have to imagine–He KNEW.
Our sins are not forgiven simply because Christ died for us–they are forgiven because He took God’s wrath at our sins upon Himself. I love the illustration that Platt shares: “One preacher described it as if you and I were standing a short hundred yards away from a dam of water ten thousand miles high and ten thousand miles wide. All of a sudden that dam was breached, and a torrential flood of water came crashing toward us. Right before it reached our feet, the ground in front of us opened up and swallowed it all. At the Cross, Christ drank the full cup of the wrath of God, and when he had downed the last drop, he turned the cup over and cried out, ‘It is finished.’” (36) Now the words Christ spoke about being forsaken by God make sense, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” It wasn’t just because God looked away–it was because God’s wrath was poured out on Christ.
How could we think that the cross in and of itself would be just punishment for all the sins of the world? That it would be enough? No–it was taking the wrath of God upon himself by giving himself up to be that sacrifice that enables us to walk in freedom. And yet, when we think of it this way…doesn’t it require more than just praying every now and then, giving some money to the church, and making an appearance? Doesn’t it require a more radical approach to living a Christian life? Doesn’t it make the consequences of NOT accepting His gift more grave?
That’s just chapter 2! I’m not sure that I have the courage to be radical…but I’m going to keep reading. I hope that you’ll pick up a copy of this book, too.
Karen
One Moment in Time…
“As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord stands forever.”
We are all given just a moment in time. How we live that moment–how we contribute to the world–is up to us. Whitney Houston was given a gift from God–a gift that wowed the world. And yet she died young, with a tumultuous end.
For most of us not blessed with the kind of gift Whitney Houston possessed, I think it’s difficult to understand how someone who had all her dreams come true could give them up for a life of drugs and alcohol. And yet, that is the end for so many celebrities who seem to have it all. Whitney Houston did do great things for others in her life. She contributed to many charities and helped a lot of people. But I wonder…did she feel that she had found her purpose?
Her riches–all the royalties from her songs–and her fame stay here on earth. She didn’t get to take them with her. I wonder, in her last moments, did she wish she had done more, been more?
Whitney Houston’s life and death are, to me, a reminder that I must find purpose in my life–a purpose that goes beyond this world. As Matthew Barnett reminds us in The Cause Within You, we are always happiest when we use our gifts to help others. Instead of looking to fame and fortune for our happiness, we need to look outwards to how we can help others. When the focus is on others, it’s harder to think about the lack in our own lives.
The loss of Whitney Houston makes me sad, not only because a great woman with amazing talent has died too soon, but because she seemed to have given up on her “one moment in time.” I don’t have a gift like Whitney Houston, but I pray that I use the gifts I have been given to serve others & never give up on the hope that I can become all that I was created to be. I pray that Houston will be remembered for the good that she brought into the world, but that her untimely death will be a wake up call for us all. God Bless!
Karen
Indelible
Typically, my favorite books are those that combine an intense plot with a focus on God and a little bit of romance thrown in. Some of my favorite authors, predictably, are Ted Dekker, Frank Peretti, Dee Henderson, and Terri Blackstock. I have read a few of Kristin Heitzman’s novels previously, and I was drawn by the plot summary of her latest work, Indelible.
“Rescuing a toddler from the jaws of a mountain lion, Trevor MacDaniel, a high-country outfitter, sets in motion events he can’t foresee. His act of bravery entwines his life with gifted sculptor Natalie Reeve — and attracts a grim admirer.
Trevor’s need to guard and protect is born of tragedy, prompting his decision to become a search and rescue volunteer. Natalie’s gift of sculpting comes from an unusual disability that seeks release through her creative hands. In each other they see strength and courage as they face an incomprehensible foe.
When a troubled soul views Trevor as archangel and adversary, Redford’s peaceful mountain community is threatened. Together with Police Chief Jonah Westfall, Trevor presses his limits to combat the menace who targets the most helpless and innocent.”
The title itself is intriguing. Indelible–unable to be erased, like the images that are burned into Natalie’s eidetic memory. Natalie has a disability–or a gift–that causes her to retain emotional images in her mind that illuminate not only a person’s external characteristics, but also a bit of their souls. Her sculptures allow her to release those images into clay, and, with the help of her brother, she has moved to the mountains of Redford, Colorado, to open an art studio where she can create and sell her art.
Next door to Natalie is the outdoor adventure shop of Trevor MacDaniel, a man who rescues Natalie’s 2 year old nephew from the jaws of a mountain lion. Trevor’s past has made its own indelible marks–being abandoned by his father, losing his youngest brother, and facing an injury that halted his Olympic skiing career–marks that have created a need to rescue others.
Natalie and Trevor find that they understand each other and grow to love each other as they face an unknown enemy–one who sees Trevor as an avenging Angel and himself as his nemesis. We learn about this enemy through passages he quotes from Paradise Lost and brief accounts of his bizarre actions–actions meant to draw out Trevor and cause him to fail in his role as rescuer. Along the way, we find that even this ‘enemy,’ a man whose very image bears the marks of his past, is not who he seems to be, in part through Natalie’s gift.
Throughout the book, we meet other characters, like Jonas, the chief of police, who also have ‘marks’ on their lives, whether of abuse or alcoholism. And we see how those marks are covered by grace and used for good. Ultimately, this is a story of redemption and grace, as the reader finds him/herself drawn to Natalie’s way of viewing the world, to the heart of a person–the way that God sees him/her.
There are some things in our lives that are indelible, like images on the main character’s mind. They leave marks on us, whether good or bad, that influence the rest of our lives–and the people that we are in contact with. As we see in this story, though, God can give us beauty for ashes. He can help us to use those indelible marks for good–if we choose to let Him, to trust Him.
Ultimately, this is a great story. One caution for readers is that this appears to be a sequel to the novel Indivisible (trailer here), which tells much of the back story that is hinted at in the book. It didn’t keep me from enjoying the story, but I do wish I had read Indivisible first. The only other disappointment for me was that the ending left me hanging. I wanted to know more about what happened to the mysterious ‘enemy.’ Perhaps there will be another book that adds to this series, but the reader is left with an impression that, like many of the other characters, this one, too, will find grace and redemption.
Intrigued? Read the first chapter of Indelible here.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from WaterBrookMultnomah in exchange for my honest review.
Homeschool Curriculum
I’ve been asked by several different people lately what I use for homeschool curriculum. As a mom with a business and a full-time job, here are some of the criteria I’m looking for in a homeschool curriculum.
1. It must be easy to use.
2. It must be a challenging & effective.
3. My kids have to like it.
4. It has to be easy to integrate with all three kids.
5. The lessons have to be manageable in my available time–not only during the day, but also within the school year.
With these criteria, here are some of my favorite curriculum choices.
1. All About Spelling. Great curriculum for phonics and reading. AAS is hands-on and provides a variety of learning experiences, from tactile to visual to auditory. Students learn the phonics sounds first and build on their knowledge to both learn how to spell AND how to read. All of my kids were reading within a few weeks of using this program. I love that AAS also has readers that go right along with the lessons–no words that they can’t read! Also, there is a great opportunity for handwriting practice with extra words and sentences for kids to practice. Three subjects in one! We do one lesson (step) a week and can finish a book a year, but the curriculum is designed to go at the learner’s pace.
2. Horizons Math. Horizons and Singapore math are the top two math programs as far as challenging curriculum. Saxon is about a grade level behind. Horizons and Singapore are a bit above grade level. Horizons is colorful, Christian based, and it teaches the concepts, not just drill. I do like to do flashcard practice along with the textbook, though, as knowing the facts makes doing the math a little easier. Doing 5 lessons a week, this curriculum will take a little longer than 26 weeks. Last summer I just had the kids finish up the last lessons at their own pace through the summer.
3. Apologia Science. Fantastic Christian science curriculum. We’ve been doing astronomy this year. You can easily finish the entire book by reading the lesson one week and then doing an experiment the next. This can be done with all three kids, even though they are at different levels. There is a great workbook available, too, for older kids to do additional activities.
4. History–Next year, we’re going to try Apologia History. It’s arranged by continent, so students learn geography and history at the same time–love that! I can’t wait to try it out. I’m hoping that this will be a one lesson a week curriculum, too. It’s definitely one that we can all do together.
5. Grammar–I’ve been using Shurley English. It’s a little intensive if you follow the teacher’s manual. However, I love that my second grader can identify prepositions and possessive pronouns! I recommend getting the workbook. I don’t really even look at the teacher’s manuals. The kids label their sentences each day and sometimes do additional practice. It’s a great foundation.
6. Other:
My kids love Explode the Code for phonics practice. (They do this on their own)
Megan’s new favorite is Daily Paragraph Editing. (She is doing this instead of Explode the Code–she can even check her own answers!)
For art, we’ve been doing the Creatively Fit Painting Marathon this year. We paint a painting a week!
For Bible, we work on the kids’ Awanas verses.
In case you’re wondering…we usually do school from 8:30/9:00 to noon.
Beauty for Ashes
One of my favorite promises from God is that “all things work together for good for those who love God.” This verse gives me hope when life doesn’t make sense…and when I’m not sure that I’m making the right decisions. I know that as long as I’m putting my trust in Him and doing my best, all things will work together for good–maybe not in the way I want them to, but for His good.
Beauty for Ashes tells Carrie Daly’s story. Carrie is an orphan and a widow who lives with her only brother. Unfortunately, her brother is marrying a woman with undisciplined children–a woman who demands that Carrie serve her and her children and even give up her own room. In response, Carrie leaves, not even returning upon her brother’s request to help his now-pregnant wife as he leaves town in search of a job.
In the meantime, Carrie falls in love with Griff, a man who is in town only briefly to train a horse for a race intended to breathe life back into their dying town. Both Carrie and Griff are running away from their families, following their own way instead of listening to what God wants for them.
In doing so, Carrie misses a chance to say good-bye to her brother before he dies, and Griff misses the opportunity to have a relationship with his father. In the end, though, both find that God can bring beauty, even from the ashes of our bad decisions and selfishness.
This was an interesting read, though at times the story seems a bit implausible.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Heart of Gold
Escaping from Virginia in the middle of the Civil War wasn’t Shannon Adair’s idea, but she has reluctantly followed her minister father to the frontier of Idaho. Though she’s left behind all she’s ever known, including the luxuries of home, Shannon learns to trust her heart and God’s wisdom in the latest from Robin Lee Hatcher, Heart of Gold.
As she takes care of his dying sister, Shannon learns to love the Wells Fargo driver, Matthew Dubois. In the process, she learns to lay down her own pride and preconceptions of people and trust God in all things–even in matters of the heart. Readers (and Shannon) also see God’s providence and provision in taking Shannon and her father from Virginia, as they discover that their friends are out of food and the south is in disarray.
I enjoyed this book, as I have enjoyed most of Hatcher’s work. There’s a touch of romance, a touch of adventure, and a lot of God. :)
Disclaimer–I received a free copy of this book digitally from Book Sneeze in return for my fair and honest review.
TJ & the Time Stumblers
Looking for a fun book that will engage your kids and teach them something? TJ & the Time Stumblers, by Bill Myers, might be just what you’re looking for. TJ is a girl living in the present day. Aside from the fact that she is being visited by two boys from the future, Tuna & Herby, TJ is an ordinary Jr. High student with an extraordinary future, or so she’s been told! As the boys learn about TJ for their report, crazy situations ensue (think Bill & Ted’s excellent adventure) as their devices from the future create chaos in TJ’s life.
In Switched, book 5 of the series, the boys use a device that switches people’s bodies. TJ ends up in the body of her famous (and mean) classmate, Hesper Breakaheart. As TJ works to get her own body back, her friends from the future are looking for fuel (of course found on a nuclear submarine!) to get them back to the future.
While there is perhaps a little too much talk about ‘boyfriend/girlfriend’ relationships for a book about jr. high students, Switched is funny and, more importantly, it teaches an important lesson about forgiveness and the power of believing in yourself.
As part of a homeschool curriculum, I could see this book being a fun addition to a Bible unit on forgiveness. It could be fun to have students read the book and then do a little creative writing about what people from the future might think about them. The book would also make a great addition to a list of books to read for the year. I have my kids do a book report bingo. They read books (chosen by me), write book reports, and fill out a bingo card for prizes. This would be a fun book to add to the mix.
Megan is 9, so perhaps a little young for this book, but she enjoyed it, too. Here’s her take on the book:
TJ & the Time Stumblers: Switched, by Bill Myers, is set in the present day. The main characters are TJ, the new girl; Tuna, a guy from the 23rd century; Herby, a guy from the 23rd century; Doug, a kid with allergies; Chad, a very handsome kid; and Hesper, a famous girl. This book is about a girl named TJ and her goofy friends from the 23rd century. They have traveled back in time to meet “the famous TJ.” TJ sadly is not very good at singing when she is trying out for a solo that Mr. Hatemijob said she should try out for. Tuna and Herby need to travel back to their century, but they have a problem: they don’t have their plutonium pack. But at the end they get what they need and the time travel pod is fixed. This book made me feel silly, like all the time! There was a huge lesson everyone should learn, which is forgive others, no matter what! I recommend this book for people from 9 and up.
***Disclaimer–we received a free copy of this book in exchange for our honest review.***
Pina-Colada “Poke” Cake…
One of my favorite cakes is a lemon “poke” cake my Mom taught me to make. What is a poke cake? Well, to make a poke cake, bake a regular 8×13″ cake, and then poke holes with a toothpick in the top (hence the “poke”). Then prepare jello and pour over the cake–it will fill the holes. As the cake cools, the jello permeates it, making it really moist. Finally, top the cold cake with prepared pudding and then Cool Whip. My mom’s cake was lemon with lemon jello and lemon pudding. Very yummy!
The other day I ran across a recipe for a “Coke” cake. Essentially, you buy a cake mix and stir in a can of coke instead of the eggs and shortening. It turns out great! Anyway, I thought, “hey, if Coke works, I wonder if a can of sparkling water would, too?”
I had a chance to try it out when I went to Handy Andy with Tristan and noticed the baking mixes on sale. :) Ryan is not a big fan of the lemon cake (or anything lemon except lemons), so I bought a white cake mix. Tristan thought the pineapple jello sounded great. And then I saw the coconut pudding. Hey–I love pina colada (disclaimer–I’ve never had a “real” pina colada, but love the flavor in just about everything! lol), so I thought this would be worth a try.
I’ve stopped using Cool Whip, though, so as I was figuring out what to use as a replacement, I remembered my sister-in-laws pin on pinterest about making whipped cream out of canned coconut milk. Just put a can of coconut milk in the fridge for several hours, scoop out the hardened milk at the top & whip with some vanilla. I added a little powdered sugar, too, just for fun. ;)
So…mixed the cake mix with a can of sparkling water and baked…
It turned out great! Next, I poked a bunch of holes in the top (I did this step while the cake was still hot; you could also wait until it cooled–I think it might stay moister that way???)…
The next step was to make the pineapple Jell0–just follow the directions on the box and pour over the top right after you mix in the cold water. Put the cake in the fridge to let the Jello set.
Once the Jello has set, mix the coconut pudding according to the box instructions. Pour over the top of the cake before it sets and spread. Stick back in the fridge to let it sit, then top with the coconut milk whipped cream. One can was enough to frost the top of the cake, but it was really thick.
I think the lemon version is still my favorite (I’ve had strawberry, too–that wasn’t bad, either), but the pina colada is pretty yummy!
Beyond Molasses Creek
Beyond Molasses Creek, by Nicole Seitz, was captivating, yet very sad. Written from the perspectives of three strikingly different, yet interconnected, people, the book tells the story of a woman’s search for meaning after a devastating loss. When the book begins, we meet Ally Green, the main character. Now an “older” woman, Ally returns home after her father dies. Ally has been wandering for most of her life, seeking fulfillment in the world, hoping to find peace and rest.
As the story unfolds, we meet Ally’s best friend, Vesey Washington. Ally & Vesey met as children, and they carried on an unconventional and often secret friendship, as Ally is white and Vesey black in the south growing up in the 50s. Even after decades apart, Ally and Vesey find that they still share a deep bond with each other, understanding each other and caring for each other. While on Vesey’s part this is expressed as a friendship, Ally claims that Vesey is the only man she’s ever loved.
And, on the other side of the world, we meet the character of a young woman who has lived in slavery her whole life in the lowest caste in India. Carving images in stone is her duty, until the man who holds her and her family captive dies and she is able to recover a journal that reveals that she does not belong here, after all.
In fact, this woman is Ally’s daughter, who was stolen from her while she visited India. Through a series of events, the women are reunited and both find peace and fulfillment in God’s love and in their newfound identities as mother and daughter.
It’s worth a read, as shows how sometimes we wait a long time to figure out God’s plan for us, and I suppose the ending is happy…but at the same time the fact that both women waited for almost 40 years to find each other is just overwhelmingly sad.
Focus…making a schedule!
