Tag Archives: Christian living

Book Review: Becoming Mrs. Lewis

08 Saturday Dec 2018

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I received a copy of Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan through BookLook Bloggers.

 

After hearing some ladies in Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club discussing Becoming Mrs. Lewis, I knew I would enjoy it. A new friend of mine and I decided to read it, so I eagerly selected it as my first choice after joining BookLook. This historical fiction novel broadened my knowledge of C.S. Lewis, introduced me to his wife Joy and did not disappoint.

As Joy points out everything starts with words and acknowledges even the bible shares this truth, and her deep friendship with C.S. Lewis, who goes by Jack, begins no differently. She seeks his advice as a new Christian convert, and their letter writing turns into a regular correspondence and later a personal friendship. As a Christian unsure of how to trust God amidst difficult circumstances at home, Joy captures a feeling many have experienced to some extent. She feels lost and unsure how to move forward while still honoring God’s expectations for her. Of course she also desires to feel loved and understood. Both Joy and Jack find a depth to their friendship than broadens their understanding of theology, themselves and life. This grounds their work together as well as the family they ultimately bond.

This story delivers all I anticipated for a good novel about a historical figure who I wanted to know more. The inclusions of letters throughout the narrative gives it a personal feel, and that matches the closeness Jack and Joy feel to each other as they become best friends and work partners on books. Joy’s backstory gives a good understanding of her life and allows me to empathize with her plights. She makes a relatable character, and I find myself dreaming of going to England for some healing and writing inspiration myself. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to live in England during that time, as Lewis regularly meets with Tolkien (Tollers to his friends) and other notable writers and periodically meets with Sayers, not to mention share his literature knowledge at Oxford and Cambridge. I would love to spend a day amongst such great minds! This book gives me a glimpse into two very neat lives and makes me appreciate their writing contributions.

 

I recommend this book to anyone interested in C.S. Lewis. The writing might not hold the same level as Lewis’s, but the story does have depth that can add to your knowledge bank on such a neat figure. This isn’t my first read revolving around Lewis’s work, and it certainly won’t be the last.

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Book Review: Shaken

05 Wednesday Dec 2018

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I recently read Tim Tebow’s Shaken, 2017’s Christian Book of the Year, with my friend Stacie.

After initially hesitating to read this book, I find myself glad for Stacie’s suggestion and interest in Tim Tebow. His stories may come across simple at times, but he shares a lot of his personal struggles along with his triumphs. I hear strong doubt in my head every day and that occurs mostly privately, so I can only imagine what it feels like to have your life broadcast and know the general public doubts your abilities. Yet Tebow stays focused on his mission and pushes forward. He sets a good example for making good choices.

In addition to generally modeling high ethics and the importance of prioritizing your values, Tebow demonstrates how seemingly small actions can reach a lot further than we imagine. So we can all follow his lead to listen to God telling us to take an extra step to show God’s love and truth even when it seems unlikely to help, unimportant in that situation or unpopular to the scrutinizing crowd. That gives me a nudge to follow through on sharing my gifts despite any doubt I face.

 

What can you do to share love and truth with someone this week?

Monday Motivation: Specifics

29 Monday Oct 2018

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After reading Max Lucado’s Anxious for Nothing (review here), I have contemplated a bigger picture lesson of his insight to request help and to specific clear requests. Numerous people have offered their help when they’ve noticed I’m struggling, but neither I nor them end up making specific requests or offers in most cases. As numerous articles about how to help someone fighting depression point out, sufferers tend to not ask for help. So while the person offering to help does so with good intentions, those might not land anywhere without specifics from either party. This also happens in recovery of mental illness and substance abuse if issues remain vague rather than specific.

Much like with relational communication, when it comes to anxiety and depression, vague and unclear assessments make it difficult to move forward. Unfortunately, these symptoms create a cloud that makes clarity difficult. As we can recognize the symptoms and go further to acknowledge the roots, we can make it possible to specify causes, needs and goals. We can recognize anger, acknowledge it and then specify the cause. That makes it possible to deal with it and move on rather than bury it and let it grow roots of bitterness. It also allows us to communicate specifically in prayer. A named person and sin lifted in prayer gives us an opportunity to see grace at work as we forgive and experience peace. We can even learn to specify what triggers anger, anxiety, depression, etc. to face each one with detailed goals rather than a vague hope for improvement. Once we know what ails us, we can work with managing the details.

Anxiety, depression or any other mental health issue has a complicated and difficult journey for healing and management. Yet as we seek more understanding and can see details, we can make specific adjustments and requests. Acknowledging a need for help makes it possible to request it, and recognizing each issue makes it possible to manage it. An experience, feeling or thought noticed, specified and managed rather than buried makes it possible to diminish it rather than grow its own roots and negative fruit rather than let us stay grounded in truth. We have access specific insights into the truth. Therefore, we can conquer specific issues and meet specific goals.

Book Review: Anxious for Nothing

26 Friday Oct 2018

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Max Lucado’s recent book Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World offers a biblical starting point for understanding and handling anxiety. Though he doesn’t delve into the science or psychology angle much, he does provide scriptural evidence for how we can handle it, and most importantly recognizes that it exists.

At times I found the book too simple, but it does at least acknowledge that anxiety does not have a simple solution. Lucado describes, “This business of anxiety management is like pulling stumps out of the ground. Some of your worries have deep root systems. Extracting them is hard work. In fact, it may be the toughest challenge of all. But you don’t have to do it alone” (76). Most of the book seems to better apply to worry, a much more common affliction and one with a simpler solution. Yet this reminds readers that anxiety goes deeper and involves hard work to conquer old roots and then develop new ones. Lucado also reminds us that we need not face worry or anxiety alone.

With a loving community providing extra support, it makes it possible to conquer anxiety. As we navigate the roots on this journey, we can learn how to communicate specifics about our concerns as we pray, whether related to anxiety, worry or any other topic. When we can acknowledge our request or difficulty, we can start to put an accurate description on it. Then we can seek help from God as we voice it as well as communicate our needs to others. In turn, we can all support each other in the details of our everyday lives as we pursue the bigger picture of our purpose. Peace can replace this anxiety as we acknowledge concerns, voice specific requests and focus on the truth.

I recommend this book as a starting point for acknowledging worry and anxiety and starting to confront those thoughts. Anyone can benefit from double checking what occupies their mind. We can all use a little more peace, and we all have access to it and the ability to adjust and develop our roots.

Listen, Follow, Speak

20 Saturday Oct 2018

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When I watched The King’s Speech last Sunday while my nails dried, I couldn’t help but see a parallel between King George VI’s journey to king and Moses’s to leader of the Israelites. Then this weekend I read the story of God speaking to Moses through the burning bush during my prayer time. Again, the experience seemed familiar. Both these notable speakers knew they did not possess the greatest skill for their calling. Yet following the responsibility laid before them, they far exceeded anyone’s expectations, including their own. This reminded me of the doubt I regularly fight when it comes to following through on my purpose. Leaders and common folk alike struggle with insecurities.

Neither King George VI nor Moses started with the skills needed to fulfill their duty. Yet they willingly followed the instructions given them. Moses reluctantly followed God’s request to go to Pharaoh, and King George VI met with his speech therapist regularly to progressively overcome his stammer. Though neither one completely diminishes his weakness, they each use their developed skill to serve their people. They also both find success.

Doubt creeps into all our minds at some point and with varying strengths. Between my negative thoughts and my obsession with approval, I find myself not even trying to use, let alone continue developing, some of my skills and gifts. However, no matter how they compare to the greatest in that particular field, I still can contribute encouragement to the world no matter how small. I simply must follow my direction faithfully. It poses more challenge than it seems, but the possibility exists with a continual renewing of the mind and focus on truthful, good and noble thoughts and deeds.

People still remember King George VI as a great speaker who used his speeches to restore hope in England’s monarchy and country during a time of conflict. Moses has mistakes on his record (he even died before entering the Promised Land as a result), but he still reigns as one of the greatest biblical leaders. We can hold hope that we need not reach perfection in our efforts. We can follow our path faithfully, including making efforts to develop our skills so we can serve as best we can.

Book Review: Laugh it Up!

15 Monday Oct 2018

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Though I hadn’t watched the viral Facebook live video starring Chewbacca Mom, I ended up reading Candace Payne’s Laugh It Up! for and online bible study. I didn’t expect her backstory, not only in terms of actual experience but in vulnerability either, but I appreciated her openness. Like everyone else, she experienced tough circumstances. Though hers differed from mine, I could relate to a childhood of worrying about needs children shouldn’t have to contemplate. Her testimony and angle of overcoming and maintaining joy share a message of hope. She kept her focus on her purpose, and God delivered her and her family. It reminded me that I too can overcome my obstacles past, present and future and fulfill my God-given purpose as I maintain joy and hope.

Fill Your Cup, Share the Fruit

06 Saturday Oct 2018

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This morning I read Genesis 40 during my prayer time, and I remembered not only that I read it during another morning’s devotion about a week ago but that Joseph’s story in Egypt offered examples beyond his character we can apply to our lives now.

I have read Genesis 40 during my prayer time twice in the last two weeks. This story of the cupbearer and baker in prison with Joseph, who finds himself imprisoned innocently due to Pharoah’s wife not succeeding with her sexual interest in Joseph, reminds me that not only does Joseph’s character serve as a model for our lives today but so do the people he meets. The cupbearer and baker each share their dreams with Joseph, and Joseph interprets them through God. Joseph tells the cupbearer of the fortune that will soon come to him and implores him to remember Joseph.

The cupbearer’s fortune comes to fruition during Pharoah’s birthday celebration, but he forgets Joseph. It seems that because he has no worry anymore he need not remember the support he needs. He forgets to use his good situation to restore the person who helped him get there. All too often we forget the same details. We finally find ourselves meeting a goal, and we neglect the fact we did not arrive at success alone.

God plants a purpose in us when He makes us. We owe it to Him to follow His will; we cannot succeed without taking those steps of our own volition. However, He still marks the path and gives us success for His glory. This happens in community as we “encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13). This encouragement helps us build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11) to stay on the path for with more than one together, they will have someone to pick them up when they fall (Ecclesiastes 4:10). We want to remain steadfast on our path, not forgetting the community of believers God gave us or forgetting to remain on His vine so He may prune and develop us.

On our own, we don’t get anywhere. Let’s not forget that in the good times or the bad. Remain close and trust like Joseph. He continues to follow God’s Law and later finds himself working with Pharaoh to find success for himself, Pharaoh and the whole Egyptian community. We too can fulfill the role God gives us, share that hope with those around us and see fruit available for our community.

Monday Motivation: Little Choices

17 Monday Sep 2018

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In Exodus 16, we find the Moses leading the Israelites to the Promised Land. They have escaped slavery in Egypt and have spent many days and nights moving toward this new place. As they start to tire, they wonder if the trek is worth the cost; they feel uncertain about the unknown future and place ahead. They start to complain that they had it better in their previous situation. Essentially, they find it hard to let go of their bondage.

Part of their difficulty stems from a fear of the unknown. Though they despise their slavery situation, they know what to expect. This journey has brought them through numerous new difficulties, and overcoming those obstacles requires a lot of trust in Moses’ leadership and in God as He guides them. As a lot of us do even today, they have trouble believing God’s promises and that He will fulfill them.

We may not face a physical desert journey as part of God’s plan for us. Yet following God’s will does require trust and difficult steps. Each choice we make can move us forward, no matter how seemingly small. The Israelites have to make a choice daily to continue in the direction of the promised land. As they go, they must trust that God will provide for their basic needs. Sometimes it feels easier to go back to the familiar pain; sometimes we do take a step back after taking one forward. Let’s not let that deter us. After a step back or a mistake, we can still choose to take the next step toward our goal. We can release any bondage we may have from guilt, shame, sin. God continually washes us clean as we seek His grace and follow His path. We can accept freedom and live in His fulfilled promises.

 

If you tell me I have to go on a quest through a vast desert land to get to my better situation, I would definitely have a hard time believing you. I certainly would not follow you out the door in simple trust.

Book Review: Keep It Shut

06 Monday Aug 2018

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Recently, I started buddying reading Christian living books with a fellow Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club member so we could encourage each other to have regular reading time devoted to God. Our first book was Keep It Shut: What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Say Nothing at All by Karen Ehman.

I really enjoyed Keep It Shut as Ehman gave it an authentic, humble voice, practical application and knowledge rooted in scripture. The book flowed smoothly, and every bit of advice and accompanying scripture applies to everyday life. I found myself considering my interactions and how I could adjust the words that left my mouth and the ones that floated in my mind in response to people or situations. Ehman made it a reminder to everyone and even humbly shared her own flaws and experiences. She struggled with this concept herself, and that made her a prime candidate to share what she had learned (and still needed to learn). Her examples resembled ones anyone might have; even though I didn’t have children trying out for sports, I could understand how the other gossipy or pushy parents could trigger frustration. As Ehman described, everyone’s days fill with opportunities to use words.

This book applies to everyone, and I recommend it for everyone. It has a message I will continue to reflect upon. I wrote down her prayer to say daily requesting God to guide out words on a notecard to use as a bookmark while reading this book and continued to use it in the subsequent books we read. We would all do well to reflect upon our words to make sure we use them wisely.

Book Review: Becoming Resilient

10 Tuesday Jul 2018

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I received a copy of Becoming Resilient: How to Move through Suffering and Come Back Stronger by Donna Gibbs from Revell in exchange for a review.

This book covers a lot of necessary content for my life. Walking through numerous topics related to suffering, Gibbs offers explanations, examples and sound biblical advice. The format follows the same flow each chapter, making it easier to know what to anticipate. Various phases of feeling stuck feel less cumbersome when explanations and hope exist. It also makes the sufferer feel less alone to know these problems have persisted since biblical times. Then the chapter endings with their Victory Verses and reflection questions, provide support to the reader as starting points for healing and recovery. Overall, the book offers hope and a platform for transformation.

I have read this book slowly to fully soak up all the information, and I have saved the reflection questions to continue to evaluate my healing process. The background gives me confidence of its biblical foundation, and the information is accessible. Now I just need to adopt one of Gibbs’s Victory Verses as a mantra as  I continue moving forward with this as a tool for transformation.