Let's Hear From Some Experts

The Change That Changes Everything, Part 7

Throughout this experience (of both the week-long water fast and the new way of eating), I have read several books and watched several documentary films that I have found helpful. I have also read and watched lots of anecdotal accounts on social media, which for many is the epitome of shoddy "research." Nevertheless, I found many of them helpful and encouraging, so I will share some of those links, too.

I must warn you that both this investigative journey and the practical experience of fasting and whole food, plant-based eating—should you decide to embark on it—will involve several paradigm shifts in your thinking. You may find yourself doubtful, confused, angry, perplexed, shocked, indignant, frustrated, cynical, and any other number of unpleasant emotions before it's all over with.

In the words of my own father, who is slowly dipping his toes into this way of eating—and who says he is planning to give it a real try after the holidays—"It's pretty compelling stuff."

So here it is, some of the "pretty compelling stuff"... for those who want to read about it.

NOTE: All of these experts support some version of whole food, plant-based eating. They each differ slightly in the other things they advocate for (and against) in the diet, so it has been freeing (if not also confusing) to read the differing perspectives on the same basic diet plan. Don't be confused or bothered by that, but rather encouraged. There's more than one way to skin an orange!

* Fasting and Eating for Health: A Medical Doctor's Program for Conquering Disease 

by Joel Fuhrman, MD

* Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure

by Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., MD

* How Not to Die and How Not to Diet (and the helpful cookbooks of the same names) 

by Michael Gregor, MD, founder of NutritionFacts.org

* The End of Diabetes: The Eat to Live Plan to Prevent and Reverse Diabetes

by Joel Fuhrman, MD, which I've not read but my friend Carole did. (You remember, the book she initially said was "kooky" and written by a "quack"!)

We also watched several helpful and encouraging documentaries, including:

* Forks Over Knives (as of this writing, available on Amazon Prime)

* The Game Changers (as of this writing, available on Netflix)

NOTE: A quick internet search will find you lots of articles "debunking" the premises of these books and films, I'm sure. If you don't want to give this a try, don't! If you don't want to eat this way, don't! I'm not trying to convince you of anything.

However, in my experience, I find that "anecdotal evidence" is only dismissed as insufficient and invalid when you aren't the one looking at an end to two decades of IBS diarrhea (like my friends Pete and Carole); or over a decade of incurable, chronic, debilitating pain (like me); or a dozen years of needing insulin (like Carole's husband), wiped out in two days. Then, the anecdotal evidence will do quite well, thank you very much!

So there are some sources, for whatever they're worth in your eyes. Hope you find it helpful!

Read Part 8, Yes, I Really Did a Week-Long Water Fast (Twice!)

NOTE: The information provided on the site is for educational purposes only, and does not substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you’re seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not a medical professional or healthcare provider, and I have no professional medical, nutritional, or dietary credentials. You yourself are responsible for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon any information or advice appearing on this site. 

Start the story at the beginning with Part 1.

The Extraordinary Ordinary

This kind of beauty takes my breath away. I can't believe it's just growing in my front yard!



The title of this blog post is from the title of the inspiring book I'm reading, The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of Mark Rodriguez. From the preface by his mother, who put the book together from his journal writings: "Like Mark, we can have that same intimate and loving relationship with God. When we ask, He makes the ordinary extraordinary. May the words of Mark, a seventeen-year-old ordinary kid, help you to experience this extraordinary ordinary life with God."

Mark's life was ended by a seemingly random act of violence when he was just 17 years old. The words he left behind in these journals have been an incredible gift, not only to his family but to all of us who knew him and thousands who didn't. I have grown in my relationship with God through the words of this extraordinary, ordinary young man.

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*Entry 8, August - The 12 Months of 2015 Blog Challenge 
The title is from the book mentioned above.

A Complete Classical Christian School Reading List (Grades 1-8)

Here is a great book list that I might want to reference later. Like Justin Taylor, publisher at Crossway, "I'm a sucker for good reading lists." Here's what he has to say about this one:

"There are hundreds of thousands of books written for children. The challenge is discerning what is best for them to read, given so many options. I’m a sucker for good reading lists, so I’m grateful for the folks at Calvary Classical School—a classical Christian school in Hampton, Virgina—who have given me permission to reproduce this list. For outside reading, the books are divided into three levels. Books with a “+” denote that any title in that series would be acceptable. I’ve done my best to link to the paperback or cheapest version at Amazon. I hope this proves helpful for a lot of parents and teachers!"

The Weary World Rejoices

Well, I must confess that it feels a little absurd to lift that line out of context and compare the rejoicing of the whole world regarding the incarnation of their Savior with the inane subject of Sunday afternoon R&R, but the "rules" of the Christmas Blog Challenge allow for such liftings without exposition of the original glorious meaning of the lyrics or acknowledgement of the banality of their new application.  So please bear with me.  I mean no disrespect!

I love Sunday afternoon R&R.  The original meaning of the phrase--rest and relaxation, I believe--has been expanded in this case to include any number of other r-activities: rest, relax, read, reflect, renew, refresh.  Ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

The practice of "quiet play time" was begun when my children were very young, as soon as they were old enough to give up taking two naps a day and went to only one.  The time of the morning nap was continued, but with "quiet play time" taking its place.  Mommy still got two times during the day away from the constancy of toddler-mothering--and at least one time away from everyone, once younger siblings came along and the children's naps were on different schedules.  This was good for everyone involved, and so was continued even once all napping ceased for a particular child, somewhere around the age of five.  "Quiet play time" was part of our kids' homeschool afternoons throughout many years of childhood, until the school load became intense enough that they could no longer spare the time.

This school year, however--when all of our school days are packed from morning gathering at 6:30 AM until bedtime whenever schoolwork is completed--it occurred to us that we will all always convince ourselves that we simply "cannot spare the time."  I remember my first introduction to the idea of the "tyranny of the urgent" in college, via Charles Hummel's book of the same name.  How frequently the urgent thing beats out the important thing in our schedules!  The thing-with-the-pressing-deadline or the thing-with-the-fixed-start-time will always win out if we let it, and that which is pressing in the short term will crowd out that which is pressing in the long term.  How subtly we begin to forgo that which will nourish our souls, without even realizing we're doing it.

So this year, after reading the wonderful book Sleep: It Does A Family Good, we began putting R&R time on the weekly schedule and fiercely guarding it.  Sunday afternoon opportunities are weighed carefully, and are only rarely allowed to break into the sacred Sunday-from-two-to-five time slot.

Sunday afternoon R&R does not always consist of a nap, though the findings of the sleep scholars that were put forth in the aforementioned sleep book bear repeating.  They have discovered--quite contrary to what we've always been told (which is that "you can neither 'make up' nor 'bank' sleep" and that "lost sleep is lost forever")--that extra daytime sleep, as long as it occurs within about ten days of the "lost" sleep that deprived us of our usual restorative amount, can make up for and correct the ill-effects of that lost sleep.  (It is interesting to me that the "within ten days" caveat discovered by the researchers--who were not Christians and made no reference or even connection to the Judeo-Christian Sabbath--pretty much assures that a regular practice of a weekly "day of rest" will always fall within ten days of whatever lost sleep threatens to lead to sleep deprivation!  How wise and loving our God is in His requirements of us, which are always ultimately for our good!)

That said, I always lie down during Sunday afternoon R&R and attempt to fall asleep.  If my body is tired and needs the extra rest, I can usually fall asleep quite easily.  Sometimes I sleep a short time and awaken refreshed and alert.  Sometimes I crash out into a "sleep like death," as we call it, and awaken after several hours, groggy and still terribly sleepy.  This serves me well, too, though, as it alerts me to the fact that I'm likely skimping too much on my nightly sleep during the week and that  I need to be more careful about re-establishing and guarding a good bedtime and wake time.

My children have varying opinions on naps--whether they like them, and whether they find that they affect that night's sleep for them.  But regardless of our differing opinions regarding the actual Sunday afternoon nap, we've all come to appreciate the forced, scheduled time to do that-which-we-don't-usually-make-time-for-during-the-week (but which we find refreshing, relaxing, and restorative).  The only "rule" is that it must be an "alone" activity--like "quiet play time" was those many years ago. Reading a book for pleasure... putting in some good time writing (a particular favorite for my author son)... catching up on correspondence... knitting... whatever... If you find it relaxing and restful and restorative, there's a time for it carved out each week, for your benefit and blessing.

Today, my R&R time involved a quick nap--I fell asleep with my hand resting on the warm palm of my dear, snoring husband--followed by this time blogging.  This is an activity I deeply enjoy--capturing a swirl of thoughts and feelings and trying to coalesce them into some meaningful communication that makes sense--and rarely take time for amid the hustle and bustle of our daily days and their busy-ness. How thankful I am that R&R time provides a guarantee for weekly refreshment, and that the annual Twelve-Days-of-Christmas Blog Challenge forces my hand to the blogging thing.  If nothing else, I'll try to capture some meaningful "memory moments" for my children to read one day, if they're ever so inclined. In the meantime, it's good for me.  Indeed, the "weary world rejoices" when forced from its franticity into deliberate pursuit of rest. 

"Growing Strong in God's Family"

I'm finally getting around to posting this daily devotional we are doing together.  I have created this plan using a book series called Growing Strong in God's Family by the Navigators ministry.  It is Book 1 (of 3) in the New 2:7 Series.

When Iivo and I were young and newly married, we completed the original 2:7 Series over the course of two years while meeting weekly with a group of folks from our church.  It was life-transforming stuff, and we've always appreciated the solid foundation it gave us for our Christian walks.

This time around, I've broken up the studies--originally designed for use in a small group with weekly "homework assignments" by chapter--into 15-minute chunks for use as a daily devotional.  Our whole family is doing the studies, which are a bit challenging for the ten-year-old, but she's managing.  On Saturdays, we meet together as a family to discuss the previous week's material.

With permission* from the people at NavPress, I am reproducing the study plan I've extracted from the lessons here, in case anyone wants to join us in this adventure.  If you'd like a copy of this document to be emailed to you as a Word attachment, please send a request to ParksidePedagogy@gmail.com.

Daily Devotional Schedule
(15 minutes per day)

Each day you will:

1. Open with prayer. Ask the Lord to bless your time together in His Word.  Ask Him to teach you, to direct you, and to grow your relationship during this time.  Pray spontaneously, differently, each morning.

2. Complete the assigned reading and work for the day.

3. Close with prayer.  Pray about whatever meaningful thing you learned or studied that morning.  Commit your day to the Lord.

4. If time permits, practice your Scripture memory verses.  Review 1-2 old verses then spend some time working on the new verse you are currently memorizing.


Week 1, Day 1
1. Read over the chart above.
2. Open with prayer.
3. Read “The New 2:7 Series” (bottom p.7-top p.8).
4. Read “How to Mark Your Bible as You Read” (bottom p.8-top p.9).
5. Carefully read over the passage on p.9 from Isaiah 11:1-7. Note the sample ways it was marked, but also pay attention to the content.  This passage is about Jesus.
6. Respond.  In your journal, write something that struck you or that you learned.
7. Close with prayer.

Week 1, Day 2
1. Open with prayer.
2. Look over the chart on p.5, entitled “Completion Record.”  Briefly study the format of this chart, which you will be using as you complete Book 1.
3. Look again over the examples of how to mark your Bible as you read (pp.8-9).
4. Carefully read over the passage on p.9 from Luke 5:15-17.  Note the sample ways it was marked, but also pay attention to the content.
5. Skip over to p.10 and quickly read over the passage from 1 Thess. 1:1-7, noting both the content of the passage and how it was marked.  This passage is from the Amplified Bible, which offers extra explanations in parentheses within the text.  This extra parenthetical information is not part of the scriptures, but is just for clarification.
6. Respond.  In your journal, write something that struck you from one of the two passages you read today.
7. Close with prayer.

Week 1, Day 3
1. Open with prayer.
2. Look again over the examples of how to mark your Bible as you read (pp.8-9).
3. Read the instructions for the “Reading and Marking Exercise” (pp.10-11).
4. Taking your time—and really thinking about the passage as you read—read and mark the passage from Romans 12 (p.11).  Use some of the suggested ideas about how to mark your Bible.
5. Respond.  In your journal, write something that struck you or that you learned.
6. Close with prayer.

Week 1, Day 4
1. Open with prayer.
2. Read “Five Key Scripture Memory Passages” (p.11), “Choose a Translation,” and “Write the Verses on 3x5 Cards” (p.12).
3. Make your first scripture memory card (for “Assurance of Salvation” – I John 5:11-12) using the instructions on p.12.
4. Marking and/or highlighting as you go along, read the first part of the “Beginning with Christ Explanation” (pp. 12-13).  Stop at the bottom of the first column on p.13.
5. Respond.  In your journal, write something that struck you or that you learned.
6. Close with prayer.
7. Work on your Scripture memory, if time permits.

Week 1, Day 5
1. Open with prayer.
2. Whenever I read an article, I circle all scripture references, underline any important ideas, place a star in the margin of particularly striking or important sentences, etc.  As you read, you should do whatever will help you get the most from your reading and/or help you find key passages or concepts quickly when you look back again over the reading.
3. Go back over what you read yesterday in the “Beginning with Christ Explanation” if you need to mark it better than you did.
4. Continue reading and marking the article.  Stop at the end of Section 2 on p.14, entitled “Assurance of Answered Prayer.”
5. Respond.  Thank God for these truths regarding assurance of salvation and answered prayer.
6. Close with prayer.
7. Work on your Scripture memory, if time permits.


Each day you will:

1. Open with prayer. Ask the Lord to bless your time together in His Word.  Ask Him to teach you, to direct you, and to grow your relationship during this time.  Pray spontaneously, differently, each morning.

2. Complete the assigned reading and work for the day.

3. Close with prayer.  Pray about whatever meaningful thing you learned or studied that morning.  Commit your day to the Lord.

4. If time permits, practice your Scripture memory verses.  Review 1-2 old verses then spend some time working on the new verse you are currently memorizing.


Week 2, Day 1
1. Open with prayer.
2. Briefly skim over the sections from the “Beginning with Christ Explanation” which you read last week (assurance of salvation and answered prayer, p.14).
3. Go on to read and mark sections 2-5 on the other “assurances”—victory, forgiveness, and guidance (pp.14-15).
4. Respond.  Thank God for each of these truths regarding salvation, answered prayer, victory, forgiveness, and guidance.
5. Close with prayer.
6. Work on your Scripture memory, if time permits.

Week 2, Day 2
1. Open with prayer.
2. Read “Introduction to Bible Study” (pp.17-18).
3. Begin the “Beginning with Christ Bible Study” on p.18.  Use your NIV Study Bible for this study.  Complete questions 1-2 (p.18).
4. Respond.  In your journal, write something that struck you or that you learned.
5. Read “How to Memorize a Verse Effectively” (pp.15-16).  Spend some time working on your Scripture memory verse.
6. Close with prayer.

Week 2, Day 3
1. Open with prayer.
2. Continue with the “Beginning with Christ Bible Study.”  Complete questions 3-9 (p.19).
3. Respond.  In your journal, write something that struck you or that you learned.
4. Close with prayer.
5. Work on your Scripture memory, if time permits.

Week 2, Day 4
1. Open with prayer.
2. Continue with the “Beginning with Christ Bible Study.”  Complete questions 10-13 (pp.19-20).
3. Respond.  In your journal, write something that struck you or that you learned.
4. Close with prayer.
5. Work on your Scripture memory, if time permits.

Week 2, Day 5
1. Open with prayer.
2. Continue with the “Beginning with Christ Bible Study.”  Complete questions 14-17 (pp.20-21).
3. Respond.  Thank God for these promises and assurances in your life.  In your journal, write something that struck you or that you learned.
4. Close with prayer.
5. Work on your Scripture memory, if time permits.


Each day you will:

1. Open with prayer. Ask the Lord to bless your time together in His Word.  Ask Him to teach you, to direct you, and to grow your relationship during this time.  Pray spontaneously, differently, each morning.

2. Complete the assigned reading and work for the day.

3. Close with prayer.  Pray about whatever meaningful thing you learned or studied that morning.  Commit your day to the Lord.

4. If time permits, practice your Scripture memory verses.  Review 1-2 old verses then spend some time working on the new verse you are currently memorizing.


Week 3, Day 1
1. Open with prayer.
2. Read over the section “How to Review Memory Verses Together” (pp.22-23).  It is a good idea to practice with each other daily.  You will be reciting your memory verses aloud, word perfect, when we have our group gathering.
3. Make your second Scripture memory card (for “Assurance of Answered Prayer” – John 16:24) using the instructions on p.12.
4. Consider how you feel about the idea of prayer in general, and this verse in particular.  What do you think it means to “ask in His name”?
5. Do you believe that God hears you when you pray, and that He will always answer you?
6. Write down some of these thoughts in your journal.  Spend some time praying to God about the idea of prayer.  Ask Him to help you to understand prayer better and to learn to practice prayer more as you move through this study.
7. Work on your Scripture memory, if time permits.

Week 3, Day 2
1. Open with prayer.
2. Begin reading (and marking) the article “Tyranny of the Urgent,” stopping before the section entitled Wait for Instructions… (p.24).
3. Respond.  Think of some specific ways you sometimes let the “urgent” crowd out the “important” in your life.  In your journal, mention these to the Lord, asking Him to direct you and lead you to the “important” in life.
4. Close with prayer.
5. Do your Scripture memory if time permits.

Week 3, Day 3
1. Open with prayer.
2. Continue reading and marking the article “Tyranny of the Urgent,” stopping before the section entitled Evaluate… (p.26).
3. Respond.  In your journal, write something that struck you or that you learned.
4. Close with prayer.
5. Do your Scripture memory if time permits.

Week 3, Day 4
1. Open with prayer.
2. Finish reading and marking the article “Tyranny of the Urgent” (p.26).
3. Answer the questions at the bottom of p.27 (1-3).
4. Respond.  In your journal, write something that struck you or that you learned.
5. Close with prayer.
6. Do your Scripture memory if time permits.

Week 3, Day 5
1. Open with prayer.
2. Read the introduction to the “Christ the Center Bible study” (p.28). Take time to think about the question in the box on p.28.
3. Complete questions 1-2 (pp.28-29).
4. Respond.  Do you think that Christ holds the same place in your heart that He holds in the universe?
5. In your journal, write something that struck you or that you learned today.
6. Close with prayer.
7. Do your Scripture memory if time permits.


Each day you will:

1. Open with prayer. Ask the Lord to bless your time together in His Word.  Ask Him to teach you, to direct you, and to grow your relationship during this time.  Pray spontaneously, differently, each morning.

2. Complete the assigned reading and work for the day.

3. Close with prayer.  Pray about whatever meaningful thing you learned or studied that morning.  Commit your day to the Lord.

4. If time permits, practice your Scripture memory verses.  Review 1-2 old verses then spend some time working on the new verse you are currently memorizing.


Week 4, Day 1
1. Open with prayer.
2. Complete questions 3-4 in the “Christ the Center Bible Study” on pp.29-30.
3. Consider the statement in the box on p.30.  Define the three words present, prominent, and preeminent as used in this quotation.  (You may use a dictionary if you do not understand the meanings contextually.)
4. Spend some time considering which of the three types of Christian you think you currently are.  Which would you like to be?
5. Respond.  In your journal, write something that struck you or that you learned.
6. Close with prayer.
7. Do your Scripture memory if time permits.

Week 4, Day 2
1. Open with prayer.
2. Complete questions 5-7 in the “Acknowledge His Lordship Bible study” on pp.30-31.
3. Briefly look over the chart at the bottom of p.31.  You will spend more time with this chart tomorrow.  Today just look over it.
4. Respond.  In your journal, write something that struck you or that you learned.
5. Close with prayer.
6. Do your Scripture memory if time permits.

Week 4, Day 3
1. Open with prayer.
2. Vocation is defined as, “a particular occupation, business, or profession.”  What is your vocation right now in life?
3. Take the entire time today considering the chart on p.31.  In your book, jot down a few ideas about how you’re doing in terms of practicing the lordship of Christ in each particular area.  List specific ways in which you’re doing well and specific ways in which you’re doing poorly—at least three for each area.
4. Spend some time in prayer.  Talk with the Lord about the things He’s shown you today.
5. Do your Scripture memory if time permits.

Week 4, Day 4
1. Open with prayer.
2. Look over your notes from yesterday.  In light of those things you listed yesterday, thoughtfully answer questions 8a and 8b on p.32.
3. Read the paragraph that follows question 8 on p.32.
4. Respond.  In your journal, write down the things that struck you today.
5. Close by writing a prayer to the Lord in your journal.
6. Do your Scripture memory if time permits.

Week 4, Day 5
1. Open with prayer.
2. Continue the “Acknowledge His Lordship Bible study” by completing questions 9-11 (pp.32-33).
3. Read the “Summary” on p.33.  Do you believe that last statement?  Do you believe that following Christ’s ways leads to your welfare and joy?
4. In your journal, write a brief prayer to the Lord, committing to Him any areas of your life which you know are not currently fully subject to His control.
5. Close with prayer.
6. Do your Scripture memory if time permits.


Each day you will:

1. Open with prayer. Ask the Lord to bless your time together in His Word.  Ask Him to teach you, to direct you, and to grow your relationship during this time.  Pray spontaneously, differently, each morning.

2. Complete the assigned reading and work for the day.

3. Close with prayer.  Pray about whatever meaningful thing you learned or studied that morning.  Commit your day to the Lord.

4. If time permits, practice your Scripture memory verses.  Review 1-2 old verses then spend some time working on the new verse you are currently memorizing.


Week 5, Day 1
1. Open with prayer.
2. Read “Where to Read in Your Bible” (p.10).
3. Read and look over “How to Use Your Personal Reading Record” (pp.33-35).
4. Commit to reading one chapter (Old or New Testament) each evening as part of your bedtime routine.  Decide now which book you’ll begin with, using their suggestions on p.10.
5. Make a new memory verse card for 1 Corinthians 10:13, “Assurance of Victory,” and add it to your Scripture memory work.
6. Close with prayer.
7. Do your Scripture memory if time permits.

Week 5, Day 2
1. Open with prayer.
2. Read the quotation from Leith Samuel in the box on p.36.
3. How would you define “communion” as used in this paragraph?  Do you think you have enough time in your life for fellowship with God?  Why or why not?
4. Read and answer question 1 (a-d) on pp.36-37.
5. Respond.  In your journal, write something that struck you or that you learned.
6. Close with prayer.
7. Do your Scripture memory if time permits.

Week 5, Day 3
1. Open with prayer.
2. Consider the example of poor communication with God which is illustrated in question 2 (pp.37-38).  Do you ever find yourself handling your devotional or prayer time with God in this way?
3. Go on to read and study the illustration regarding effective communication with God (questions 3-4, pp.38-39).
4. Respond.  Consider whether you have ever practiced this kind of communication with God, with time for both listening and speaking.  Write any thoughts in your journal.
5. Spend some time interacting with God in prayer.
6. Do your Scripture memory if time permits.

Week 5, Day 4
1. Open with prayer.
2. Complete question #5 (p.39), looking up and reading each of the verses listed there.
3. You’ve seen that all three persons of the godhead are involved in prayer. Who do you usually think of praying to when you are praying? Remember that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all present when you pray.
4. Confess any things you’ve become aware of regarding your fellowship with God over the course of this week’s study.  Ask God to help you have good fellowship with Him.
5. Do your Scripture memory if time permits.

Week 5, Day 5
1. Open with prayer.
2. Begin reading about obedience on p.40.  Think about the question in the box.  Does having a heart for obedience mean having to be perfect?  Does it ever feel like it means this?  Do you ever feel like you can’t live up to others’ expectations?
3. Read “The Foundations of Obedience” and answer questions 1-2 (pp.40-41).
4. Respond.  Talk honestly with the Lord about what His desire is for your life, according to these verses.
5. Do your Scripture memory if time permits.


Each day you will:

1. Open with prayer. Ask the Lord to bless your time together in His Word.  Ask Him to teach you, to direct you, and to grow your relationship during this time.  Pray spontaneously, differently, each morning.

2. Complete the assigned reading and work for the day.

3. Close with prayer.  Pray about whatever meaningful thing you learned or studied that morning.  Commit your day to the Lord.

4. If time permits, practice your Scripture memory verses.  Review 1-2 old verses then spend some time working on the new verse you are currently memorizing.


Week 6, Day 1
1. Open with prayer.
2. Read “The Practice of Obedient Living” (p.41).
3. Answer question 3 (p.41).
4. Take some time to consider the difference between temptation and sin.
5. Respond.  In your journal, take some time to write out some sources of temptation in your life.  Ask God to help keep you from sinning in these areas.
6. Close with prayer.
7. Do your Scripture memory if time permits.

Week 6, Day 2
1. Open with prayer.
2. Reread “The Practice of Obedient Living” (p.41).
3. Answer question 4 (p.41).
4. Read the paragraph at the bottom of p.41.  Do you have any known but unconfessed sin in your life that may be hindering your fellowship with God?  Take time to confess it right now, and ask God to deliver you from its power.
5. Consider if you have any broken fellowship with other people as a result of your sin.  In your journal, write a plan to confess and restore relationship with each of those people God brings to mind.
6. Close with prayer.
7. Do your Scripture memory if time permits.

Week 6, Day 3
1. Open with prayer.
2. Study the illustration on p.42 regarding fellowship with God.  Consider both how it is maintained and how it is restored if broken.
3. Read Psalm 32.  Consider David’s words regarding confessed and unconfessed sin.
4. Answer question 5, rewriting Psalm 32:5 into your own words.
5. Respond. Ask God again to show you any areas of unconfessed sin in your life.
6. Spend some time interacting with God in prayer.
7. Do your Scripture memory if time permits.

Week 6, Day 4
1. Open with prayer.
2. Complete question #5 (p.39), looking up and reading each of the verses listed there.
3. You’ve seen that all three persons of the godhead are involved in prayer. Who do you usually think of praying to when you are praying? Remember that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all present when you pray.
4. Confess any things you’ve become aware of regarding your fellowship with God over the course of this week’s study.  Ask God to help you have good fellowship with Him.
5. Do your Scripture memory if time permits.

Week 6, Day 5
1. Open with prayer.
2. Begin reading about obedience on p.40.  Think about the question in the box.  Does having a heart for obedience mean having to be perfect?  Does it ever feel like it means this?  Do you ever feel like you can’t live up to others’ expectations?
3. Read “The Foundations of Obedience” and answer questions 1-2 (pp.40-41).
4. Respond.  Talk honestly with the Lord about what His desire is for your life, according to these verses.
5. Do your Scripture memory if time permits.


Each day you will:

1. Open with prayer. Ask the Lord to bless your time together in His Word.  Ask Him to teach you, to direct you, and to grow your relationship during this time.  Pray spontaneously, differently, each morning.

2. Complete the assigned reading and work for the day.

3. Close with prayer.  Pray about whatever meaningful thing you learned or studied that morning.  Commit your day to the Lord.

4. If time permits, practice your Scripture memory verses.  Review 1-2 old verses then spend some time working on the new verse you are currently memorizing.

The next weeks are forthcoming...

* Adapted from Growing Strong in God’s Family, Book 1 of the New 2:7 Series, © 1999 by The Navigators. Used by permission of The Navigators Church Discipleship Ministry, Colorado Springs, CO (www.navigators.org/cdm). All rights reserved.

...the reflection of His face...

Deeply moved by Amy Carmichael's words this morning...

...The picture of the Refiner is straight from Eastern life. The Eastern goldsmith sits on the floor by his crucible. For me, at least, it is not hard to know why the heavenly Refiner has to sit so long. The heart knows its own dross.

"How do you know how long to sit and wait? How do you know when it is purified?" we asked our village blacksmith.

"When I can see my face in it," he replied.

Blessed be the love the never wearies, never gives up hope that, even in such poor metal, our Father may at last see the reflection of His face.

- Amy Carmichael, I Come Quietly to Meet You, ed. David Hazard (Minnesota: Bethany House, 2005) 31-32. See it.

Crazy Love

Hats off to the Rebelution Blog for making me aware of this free audiobook download of Francis Chan’s book Crazy Love. It is available free from ChristianAudio.com during the month of July.

Mondays

"How could he have considered taking Monday off? Monday was the diving board poised over the rest of the week. One walked out on the board, reviewed the situation, planned one's strategy, bounced a few times to get the feel of things, and then made a clean dive. Without Monday, one simply bombed into the water, belly first, and hoped for the best."*

I'm finding it especially challenging to make a clean dive into this week; it is difficult to land nicely when you hit the ground running!

Althought I'm still musing about the "too busy" question I contemplated last week, I think I'll wait until we are unpacked and the laundry is caught up and there is some food in the house before I settle into an any major conclusions...

I have also begun reading an important book: The Overload Syndrome: Learning to Live Within Your Limits, by Richard A. Swenson, M.D.

I'm not going to let these next weeks go by without a prayerful analysis of my life and what activities are in it, and which should be, and which shouldn't...

* Karon, Jan. At Home in Mitford. (New York, Penguin Books USA Inc., 1994).

Let me remember this, too...

"Remember that the world is full of youngsters who have some sort of handicap that they must overcome. You apparently have a speech defect. I am sure you will overcome it, in time.

There may even be some slight advantage, at your age, in not being able to say anything. It compels you to be a good listener. The world is full of talkers, but it is rare to find anyone who listens."

- wise observations from E. B. White, The Trumpet of the Swan
(New York: Harper Collins, 1970).

Little Bells and Morning Pillows

I am increasingly becoming aware of what probably should have been a self-evident fact long before I reached 42 years of age, and that is this: that whatever I just listened to, or experienced, or dwelt on before I go to bed for the evening, will remain on my mind, making its mark - for good or ill - even as I drift off to sleep.

"Sleep is a time when the brain rehearses recently-learned material," says James D. Walsh, Ph.D., director of St. Luke's Hospital's Sleep Medicine and Research Center.*

So, with that in mind, we are going to try to listen to and review our Scripture memory verses and catechism memory songs just before going to sleep at night. I recently read somewhere (though I can't remember where) that your brain will repeat/rehearse the last thing it heard before going to sleep something like 3-5 times, even after you have actually fallen asleep. Imagine!

In that same vein, I also just became aware of some free, non-copyrighted, public domain children's devotional books available online. They are materials written by hymn-writer Frances Ridley Havergal. She was a 19th century English religious poet and hymn writer.

Little Pillows, or Good-night Thoughts for the Little Ones, is a classic collection of one-month's worth of brief bedtime devotions for children. Author Carol Brandt tells us that, "In Little Pillows Frances' intent was to give children biblical truth to think about as they went to sleep. Each truth was to be like a little pillow - something comforting and supportive to rest upon during the night. She teaches through vivid word pictures that bring everyday images to a child's mind, thus linking the spiritual to the child's world. This is child evangelism as it should be: plain, simple, truthful, without manipulation or deceit."

There is a companion volume of morning devotions called Morning Bells. At the beginning of this second book, also written "with Aunt Fanny's love" for her nieces Sybil and Helena, Frances herself wrote: "But in the morning we want something to arouse us, and to help us to go brightly and bravely through the day. So here are "Morning Bells" to waken up your little hearts, and to remind them that we must not only rest in Jesus, but walk in Him. If the motto of Little Pillows might be 'Come to Jesus,' the motto of Morning Bells might be 'Follow Jesus.'"

You are free to copy them, print them, or share them in any ways you like as long as you do not do so for any profit or material gain. Should you prefer it, they are also available for purchase through many online distributors, including this one.

* See complete article about sleep's improving memory and learning.

Let me remember this...

"It's a funny thing about mothers and fathers. Even when their own child is the most disgusting little blister you could ever imagine, they still think that he or she is wonderful.

Some parents go further. They become so blinded by adoration that they manage to convince themselves their child has qualities of genius.

Well, there is nothing very wrong with all this. It's the way of the world. It is only when the parents begin telling us about the brilliance of their own revolting offspring, that we start shouting, 'Bring us a basin! We're going to be sick!'"

- wise observations from Roald Dahl, Matilda (New York: Penguin Books, 1988).

Thoughts Regarding Movies-from-books...

... or perhaps they would better be dubbed Books-made-into-movies, to highlight their proper origin.

I'm not sure what I want to say, exactly, but I do have lots of thoughts milling about in my brain regarding this particular genre of movie.

First (and this goes without saying), you can't capture everything great about a book in a movie. You just can't. This is understood, and so there is an attempt to capture the heart and essence of a story - and somehow present it to the world - in this other form called a movie.

The problem is that, once you've seen the movie, the original "pictures" formed in your brain when your first read or heard the book are replaced. This has happened to me over the past few years with Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series, Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, Rowling's Harry Potter Series, and even the Series of Unfortunate Events. Never again will Lucy (or Hermione or Aragorn or Violet or so many others) look like they did when they came to life off the page in my mind.

And now, the list is expanded to include Despereaux Tilling. You see, my daughter EL received a "reward" of movie gift cards from the orthodontist for finally kicking the thumb sucking habit*, and with it we went to see the movie The Tale of Despereaux.

Let me first tell you that this book was one of the books-on-tape we listened to recently on a trip as a family. Let me also tell you that, on New Year's Eve, a friend of mine asked my daughter EL - who was running through the room at the time - if she had "seen Despereaux yet." She replied "yes" and was gone. I turned to my friend and said, "No, we haven't seen it, but we did recently listen to the book on tape." I smiled inside to realize that my eight-year-old daughter had, in fact, "seen Despereaux" as she formed images of him in her mind while listening.

And today I am a little sad to know that yesterday, as she watched the screen, those images were replaced. Her images were likely different from those formed in the minds of each of her siblings, but like the images formed in my mind as I had listened, they were all wiped away in one fell swoop. Now Miggory Sow looks like that. The queen. The king. Roscuro.

The movie is very little like the book. Characters are changed... eliminated... re-crafted. The story is significantly altered. Much was lost in the translation, I must acknowledge, and I miss the guys from the real story. But alas, they are gone. I can't find "my" images of them in my brain even if I try.

So, sure, it is a cute movie. It isn't, however, the real Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread. And now that millions of American kids are seeing the movie, they may never really get to know the real story. And even if they do eventually hear the real story, they will read it with someone's else's images in their minds from the beginning.

Some part of me finds that just a little bit sad.

I remember reading aloud one night - years ago - to my own children and some visiting friends who were staying with us while their parents were out of town. One of the girls, probably five or six at the time, was listening intently when one of her younger siblings got up and absent-mindedly walked through her field of vision and stopped.

"Hey, get out of the way! I can't see the story!" she cried. She wasn't quite sure how the "movie in her brain" was forming, but it had to be linked somehow to those words coming from my mouth...

Here's to the glorious experience of "movies in the brain" when we read a really good book. May some of them, at least, remain unspoiled by the big screen!

A NOTE ABOUT THUMB-SUCKING:
* The breaking of EL's thumb-sucking habit is due entirely to the orthodontist's discovery of an amazing and wonderful product called Mavala Stop. If you have a similar problem plaguing one of your little ones, I highly recommend that you try using it, and at the earliest possible age.

Dolphins, not Jellyfish

In an email message from Desiring God ministries that I read this morning, John Piper continues to boldly state that which many in the contemporary church are backing away from. Grabbing one paragraph from the middle:

"I encourage you to be like a dolphin in the sea of our egalitarian, gender-leveling culture. Don’t be like a jellyfish. The ocean of secularism that we swim in (including much of the church) drifts toward minimizing serious differences between manhood and womanhood. The culture swings back and forth as to whether women are mainly sex objects or senior vice presidents. But rarely does it ponder the biblical vision that men are called to humbly lead and protect and provide, and women are called to come in alongside with their unique gifts and strengths and help the men carry through the vision."

I know that this message will infuriate many of my friends, even those in the church. I am often viewed as "backward" because I have chosen to be a stay-at-home mother to my children. The homes of most of my friends are fractured into three segments... his, hers, and the children's. The children have spent the majority of their waking hours with someone other than a parent since they were a month old, because Mom is pursuing her own professional interests, and Dad is pursuing his. The idea of a woman who gives her life supporting her husband and training their children is looked at with disdain and pity. "What is this, 1950?" has become the usual mantra leveled as us "backward" types.

Consider this:
"But then she asked me if there wasn’t a way to make the book less sexist. I was surprised at this. It had never occurred to me that the adventures of a defiant little milkmaid would be considered anti-feminist.

But my friend said, 'You keep calling Lucy a girl and Wynston a boy. Why do you have to lock them into rigid boxes like that? It’s so conventional.'

I considered this ridiculous, over-the-top feminism. Boys are boys and girls are girls; I ignored her.

But then, when I was revising my second book, my editor had the same kind of comments. 'Why does the dad work and the mom stay home?' she asked me. 'What is this, 1950?'"
- Laurel Snyder, contemporary author of children's books

Or this one:
Paul S. says: "a skirt? what is this, 1950?"
- from a chat board post pondering "What to wear to the Capital Grille"


And this:
"These old, white men are fondly remembering June Cleaver, in the kitchen, in pearls and high heels, whose only purpose was to please her man and her family.

We are NOT going to step back into the shadows! We are NOT going to become submissive and obey (as the Fundies expect of their women) and we are NOT going to return to stressed out 'please don’t let me get pregnant this time' sex and back-alley abortions!

American rights have been devistated (sic) over the last eight years, and no one in this country is being targeted more than our women! It is time to defeat this attempt to 'enslave' us to our men, and we will NOT sit back and allow it to happen!

There should be no woman in our country willing to vote for McStain. What is this, 1950?"
- one woman's post from the anti-Republican "Think Progress" website


So, in a world of women filled with anger and rage, resentful and trying in every way to become like men, I am filled with contentment and joy as I embrace being a woman.

John Piper's words are encouraging to me:

"Not asking the question about the essence of male and female personhood confuses everyone—especially the children.

And this confusion hurts people. It is not a small thing. Its effects are vast. I agree with Dobson when he says, “Feminist resistance to making manhood and womanhood significant in behavior and role determination is partner to some of the most painful social and spiritual issues of our day.”(2)

When manhood and womanhood are confused at home, the consequences are deeper than may show up in a generation. There are dynamics in the home that direct the sexual preferences of the children and shape their concept of manhood and womanhood. Especially crucial in the matter of sexual preference is a father’s firm and loving affirmation of a son’s masculinity and a daughter’s femininity.(3) The father must be a man. But how can this kind of manly affirmation be cultivated in an atmosphere where role differences between masculinity and femininity are constantly denied or diminished for the sake of gender-leveling and sex-blindness?

What we all need is solid teaching from the Bible about the differences God intends between men and women.(4) But we also need stories. Great stories. We need to see manhood and womanhood in action - in real life and fiction and history."

* Original footnotes in John Piper's mailing:
(2) Focus on the Family, May, 1993, vol. 17, No. 5, p. 7.
(3) Gerald P. Regier, “The Not-So-Disposable Family,” Pastoral Renewal, Vol. 13, No. 1, July-August, 1988, p. 20.
(4) I have tried to think this through in a small way in What’s the Difference? Manhood and Womanhood Defined According to the Bible (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1990). See also, John Piper and Wayne Grudem, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1991), and Wayne Grudem, Evangelical Feminism and Biblical Truth (Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Press, 2004). See also www.cbmw.org.

Love and Respect

So many thoughts...

The weekend away was wonderful. We stayed in a delightful Bed & Breakfast together while the kids stayed with our old neighbors who have moved away to the NOVA area.

We need time away together every so often! It isn't that we need to get away from our children, per se, but that we all need opportunities (them included) to get away from the pressures and stresses of the daily routine.

Don't get me wrong, either! I love my life, busy and crazy as it is. And I even love the relational crucible that is involved with homeschooling. But when my husband and I get away to a restful, peaceful, relationally-conducive spot, just the two of us, we find ourselves connected in ways that don't always happen in the daily grind of this season of life.

One of the things involved in this weekend away was attendance at a Love and Respect video marriage conference. I know, I know... you don't need to write and tell me that no man wants to go to a marriage conference for his birthday. (Several have already done so, both before and after we went...) I can only say that, if you did, you'd be wrong. This marriage conference does tout itself as "the marriage conference men want to attend," but that isn't why I chose this as part of our birthday weekend experience.

I chose this because my husband was reading the book, and really finding it good, important stuff. But I chose it mostly because I have read the book, too, and I know that I have much to learn about being a respectful wife.

One of the basic tenets of the book, among other things, is that many wives have failed to respect their husbands unconditionally, even as many husbands have failed to love their wives.

The term "unconditional respect" may strike you as strange. Our society doesn't accept this idea at all. Unconditional love is understood... we're all supposed to "love each other unconditionally" in marriage, regardless of how unlovely we may sometimes be. That's understood. The problem with that is that that command is given to men only. They are to unconditionally love their wives, even to the point of laying down their lives for them. Wives, however, are commanded to unconditionally respect their husbands.

Respect, in our society, has become viewed as something that must be earned and deserved before it should be given. Love is "allowed" to be "unconditional," but one is expected to be "worthy" of respect before it is given. But wives are commanded to give respect to their husbands unconditionally. It is a radical idea. It is a marriage-transforming concept.

I, myself, have been very enlightened and challenged in my own marriage by attending this conference. It is really good. It is very respectful of husbands and men (most marriage books and conferences are focused on "women-type" love issues and never touch on "men-type" respect issues for fear or being branded sexist). It is also very respectful of unbelievers. He acknowledges their likely presence, and addresses them respectfully in a way that is very appealing and disarming.

At any rate, I am feeling convicted but encouraged regarding much of the teaching I heard. I'm recognizing that I've not been a very respectful wife. Faithful, definitely. Loving, mostly. Submissive, yes, at least somewhat, in practice. But unconditionally respectful? Not so much. I'm sure this is no news to those of you who have observed me over the years, but it has been eye-opening to me.

Times away like this are so good for us. The fact that the kids were taken care of and we were alone at a Bed and Breakfast for two nights was a rare and wonderful thing for us. These times tend to involve deep conversation and great sex and some stuff we rarely do any other time (like eating out or sleeping in). We feel like two totally different people. An old Amy Grant song has lyrics that say, "Stay with me... make it ever new... so time does not undo... as the years go by, how I need to see... that's still me."

It also tends to be a real re-connection and "remember how much we love each other" time. Having the teaching (conference) as the backdrop just assured that we got deep and relevant and spiritual with our time. The fun and silly comes pretty naturally. We have to work to ensure that the other happens.

I am hopeful to move forward now in my roles as wife and mother and teacher with increased perspective and enlightened understanding.

"Taking Slackers to Task"

An interview in Christianity Today with Alex and Brett Harris...

For a much-needed break from posts about nothing but politics!

Hearing God

Last night my husband and I attended a meeting in which a friend shared - vulnerably and honestly - his frustration with feeling like "relationship with God" (a term contemporary Christians throw around easily) doesn't work at all like relationship with any other person. Specifically, he meant that he feels no give-and-take, conversational, hearing-back-from-Him dimension to his "relationship" with God.

I'm often amazed at how similar the things he wrestles with spiritually are to the things I wrestle with spiritually. And so this morning I composed an email, offering him excerpts from the preface and first chapter of a book I'm currently reading which is helping me very much in this arena. It is Hearing God by Dallas Willard. We don't get much helpful teaching of this sort in our particular denominational affiliation, as a general rule. But without practical doctrine concerning this issue, we certainly flounder and find ourselves frustrated and confused.

And so, here are a few selected quotes to get you thinking. I highly recommend reading the book itself. You will undoubtedly take issue with some of the things in it, as I do; nevertheless, I have found it extremely helpful in guiding my thinking on this topic. If you will open you mind to the idea that, "the same Spirit who delivered the Scriptures to holy men of old speaks today in the hearts of those who gather around the written Word to minister and be ministered to (p.17)," I believe He will show you new and wonderful dimensions of what it means to relate to Him.

Chapter One - A Paradox about Hearing God

"There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God. Those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it; yet I do not advise you to do it from that motive. It is not pleasure which we ought to seek in this exercise; but let us do it from a principle of love, and because God would have us." - Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

Sunday dinner was finished, but we lingered round the table savoring the good food and reflecting on the morning's service at church. The congregation - where I then served as a very young (and very green) assistant pastor - was excited about its plans for a new sanctuary to replace its old building, which was much loved but long overused and outgrown.

The morning message had focused on the plans for the new building. Our pastor spoke of his vision for the church's increased ministry. He indicated how strongly he felt God's guidance in the way the congregation was going, and he testified that God had spoken to him about things that should be done.

My wife's grandmother, Mrs. Lucy Latimer ("Mema" to us all), seemed deep in thought as we continued to chatter along. Finally she said quietly, "I wonder why God never speaks to me like that."

This simple comment, which came like a bolt out of the blue from the heart of this woman of unshakable faith and complete devotion, forever changed my attitude toward glib talk about God's speaking to us or about divine guidance. Through her words - in a way I came to understand only later - God spoke to me.

I was given a vivid realization, which has never left me, of the extent to which such talk places many sincere Christians on the outside, looking in. It is not necessarily that their experience is lacking, but they do not understand the language or how their experience works.(...)

Mema, in fact, had a richly interactive life with God, as we all knew. But for whatever reasons, she had not been able to relate her experience of God's presence in her life - of which she was completely certain - to the idea of God's speaking with her. This left her at a loss for how to deal with the conversational side of her friendship with God.

Up to that point in my own experience I had rashly assumed that if you were really a Christian, then God spoke to you as a matter of course and you knew it. I was sure that he spoke individually and specifically about what he wanted each believer to do and that he also taught and made real on an individual basis the general truths all must believe in order to enter into life with him.

The Moving of God

Later I came to realize that this confidence was not based on genuine understanding. It came from my experiences of a series of revival meetings in which I was immersed as a young man. During those meetings I became accustomed to interacting with a characteristic type of thought and impulse, which was to me the moving of God upon my mind and heart. It was an experience clearly marked out for me and one that guided my actions, though I held no theory or doctrine about it.(...) Caught up in my own experiences of the workings of God's voice, I really did not understand it at all. I only knew its reality, and I thoughtlessly assumed it was a functioning, intelligible fact in every believer's life. Obviously I had a lot to learn.

So for a long while I was unable to appreciate the huge problems that the very idea of God's speaking to us created for some of the most faithful adherents of the church.(...)

Preface

Hearing God? A daring idea, some would say - presumptuous and even dangerous. But what if we are made for it? What if the human system simply will not function properly without it? There are good reasons to think it will not. The fine texture as well as the grand movements of life show the need. Is it not, in fact, more presumptuous and dangerous to undertake human existence without hearing God?

Among our loneliest moments, no doubt, is the time of decision. There the weight of our future life clamps down upon our hearts. Whatever comes from our choice will be our responsibility, our fault. Good things we have set our hearts on become real only as we choose them. But those things, or those as yet undreamed of, may also be irretrievably lost if our choices are misguided. We may find ourselves stuck with failures and dreadful consequences that must be endured for a lifetime.

Then quickly there follows the time of second thoughts - and third, and fourth: Did I do the good and wise thing? Is it what God wanted? Is it even what I wanted? Can I live with the consequences? Will others think I am a fool? Is God still with me? Will he be with me even if it becomes clear that I made the wrong choice?

While we were young, desire, impulse, and personal associations may blithely carry us through choices that would paralyze us ten years later. In the bloom of youth we just do what we have to do or whatever turns us on. How simple it is! Often we are not even conscious of having chosen. After collecting a few disasters, however, and learning that actions are forever, that opportunities seldom return and that consequences are relentless, we hungrily cry, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven!" More than reflecting a mere general concern for world affairs to conform to his will, our prayer expresses the burning need for God to be a constant guiding presence in our individual lives.

God has created us for intimate friendship with himself - both now and forever. This is the Christian viewpoint. It is made clear throughout the Bible, especially in such passages as Exodus 29:43-46 and 33:11, Psalm 23, Isaiah 41:8, John 15:14, and Hebrews 13:5-6. As with all close personal relationships, we can surely count on God to speak to each of us when and as it is appropriate. But what does this really mean? And how does it work in practice? I hope in the following pages to give a clear and workable answer to these questions.

There is no avoiding the fact that we live at the mercy of our ideas. This is never more true that with our ideas about God. Meaning well is not enough. Those who operate on the wrong information are likely never to know the reality of God's presence in the decisions which shape their lives and will miss the constant divine companionship for which their souls were made.(...)

Today there is a desperate need for large numbers of people throughout our various social groupings who are competent and confident in their own practice of life in Christ and in hearing his voice. Such people would have the effect of concretely redefining Christian spirituality for our times. They would show us an individual and corporate human existence freely and intelligently lived from a hand-in-hand, conversational walk with God. That is the biblical ideal for human life.

In the pages that follow, therefore, I deal with hearing God as it bears upon a whole life in the will of God - upon the question of who God wants us to be as well as (where appropriate) of what he wants us to do. What he wants us to do is very important, of course, and we must be careful to learn how to know it and do it, but it is never enough by itself to allow us to understand and enter the radiant life before the shining face of God that is offered to us in the grace of the gospel - a life pleasing to him, in view of which he can say, "This is my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased."

Chapter one clarifies the tension in which Christians live, believing that hearing God is very important to our walk with him but at the same time lacking a confident understanding of how it works for the individual in practice. Chapter two removes some common misunderstandings about God's communications with us. Chapter three explains the various ways in which he is with us. Chapter four examines some objections to the very idea of God's communicating with individuals. Chapter five deals with the various ways in which he communicates and explains and defends the centrality of the "still small voice." Chapters six and seven discuss the centrality of God's speaking - God's Word - to his creation and to the process of redemption. The Word of God is not foreign to routine reality; it is at the very heart of it. Chapter eight clarifies how we can be sure that we are hearing God. Finally, chapter nine deals with what to do on those occasions, sure to come, when God is not speaking - or at least when we are not hearing him.

To deal effectively with hearing God as part of a life within his will, it is necessary to consider many deeper issues about his intentions for us and about the nature of the world in which he has placed us. From time to time difficult subjects must be discussed. But my hope is to leave you with a clear sense of how to live confidently in a personal walk that is complemented by an ongoing conversational relationship with God.

For a presentation of the larger picture of life with Jesus Christ in the kingdom of God, of which hearing God is only one part, I would refer readers to my books The Spirit of the Disciplines and The Divine Conspiracy.

*Quotations from Hearing God. Willard, Dallas. Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1999, pps. 9-17.

I hope those words may give you a glimpse into the book, and that the Lord will use this book in your life as He is in mine to deepen your relationship (yes, relationship) with Him.

"Required Summer Reading"

As a homeschooling mother, I always want to try to find that delicate balance among the "stuff I know they should read" and "stuff I think they shouldn't read (at least for now)" and knowledge of "what everyone else it reading" (both for fun and for school), so that in the end my children will be well-rounded, well-prepared, well-educated students.

Consequently, every summer I go to Barnes & Noble to peruse the "Required Summer Reading Lists" of all the local public and private schools - both collegiate and Christian. This alone is quite an eye-opener for anyone interested in seeing the varying standards and expectations that exist... first, between the regular and honors programs in the local public schools; second, among the different public schools in the area; third, in public versus private schooling; and fourth, among the distinctly collegiate, distinctly Christian, and Classical-model private schools. It is enough to make your head spin and your brain hurt.

Anyway, one of the books that has appeared on several of the middle and high school level honors lists for a couple of years now, even across the wide array of schooling options, is The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Being touted (and studied) as a "modern classic," it is the story of a young white girl who has lost her mother, run away from her father, and taken up residence in the home of three unmarried black sisters in 1964 South Carolina, where one just didn't do such things. Sure, there's the distinctly feminist bent that is unavoidable in much contemporary fiction, but overall, the book is beautifully written and the story magnificently orchestrated. I loved it.

A relatively profound moment (and there are many):

"There is one thing I don't get," I said.

"What's that?"

"How come if your favorite color is blue, you painted your house so pink?"

She laughed. "That was May's doing. She was with me the day I went to the paint store to pick out the color. I had a nice tan color in mind, but May latched on to this sample called Caribbean Pink. She said it made her feel like dancing a Spanish flamenco. I thought, 'Well, this is the tackiest color I've ever seen, and we'll have half the town talking about us, but if it can lift May's heart like that, I guess she ought to live inside it.'"

"All this time I just figured you liked pink," I said.

She laughed again. "You know, some things don't matter that much, Lily. Like the color of a house. How big is that in the overall scheme of life? But lifting a person's heart - now, that matters. The whole problem with people is --- "

"They don't know what matters and what doesn't," I said, filling in her sentence and feeling proud of myself for doing so.

"I was gonna say, The problem is they know what matters, but they don't choose it. You know how hard that is, Lily? I love May, but it was still so hard to choose Caribbean Pink. The hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters."

And isn't that the truth?!

Books, Books, Books

What day is it, even? They all blend together this week in a blur of surf and sand and food and sun and swimming and books...

Oh, so many books! I didn't even bring enough, at the rate I'm ripping through them. And they're substantial books, too. Life-changing books. I love them. I never have enough time in regular life to read as much as I'd like, and here I've been able to finish, and start, and finish, and start, and finish, and start again some really great stuff!

This week's main non-fiction fare? The Christian Homeschool by Gregg Harris, Do Hard Things by his sons Alex and Brett, Don't Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Plowman, and The Pressure's Off by Larry Crabb. Good stuff!