Lysa TerKeurst

The stir...: "Happy Tuesday Bloggy Friends...

There are a couple of things I've been meaning to mention for a while now but have been a little distracted by small things like mice invasions and my car only wanting to drive in reverse.

Small things.

Anyhow,I wanted to create some things you could pass along to a friend in need of some encouragement that would make it easier to connect her with the message of 'Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl.' I have been so excited by the stir this message is creating.

This past weekend in Massachusetts I gave this message to 390 women from Westfield Evangelical Free Church where we saw 38 women make decisions to follow Jesus. Y'all, I love to watch Jesus move hearts in such a mighty way!

Maybe you have a friend you've been praying for who is either resistant to Jesus or who seems stuck in checklist Christianity. I wrote this book so you could easily pass it along to her and say, 'Look, even if you're skeptical you'll at least like this woman's stories. Just skip the Bible stuff if you want to, but be sure to read about the day she found a mattress floating in her pond.'

And then trust that Jesus will stir her heart into reading the Bible stuff too.

Chances are this friend has been hurt by life. I know what she feels like. I lived there and I'm gut honest in the book about what that feels like. Anyhow, if you need something to pave the way for her to get the book, there's two things you might start with giving her.

The first is a free printable sheet called 'When God Hurts Your Feelings.' Do you see that button off to the right side of my blog? Just click on it and you'll see how to change 'why questions into 'what now questions.'

For those of you who read this post via email, you'll want to hop over to my actual blog by going to www.LysaTerKeurst.com and you'll see what I'm referring to.

Also, I realized I'd never shown you the book trailer video Zondervan made for Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl. This would be another easy thing to pass along to your friends.

Thank you so much for helping spread the word about this message. Will you join me in praying God will use it to continue to stir hearts, change lives, and encourage Jesus girls to become more than good Bible study girls? Love to you friends...

To get your copy of Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl... click here for the book, here for the DVD teaching series and here for the workbook."

Wild Olive Tees - Get Your Verse On!

shine. coming soon.: "

We’re excited to announce our newest design: shine.

Don’t hide your light under a basket!

Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all.

In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see,

so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Matthew 5:15-16

Expected to arrive on or before April 3rd."

Max Lucado Daily

Such Love: "

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34, NIV

How Jesus, with a body wracked with pain, eyes blinded by his own blood, and lungs yearning for air, could speak on behalf of some heartless thugs is beyond my comprehension. Never, never have I seen such love. If ever a person deserved a shot at revenge, Jesus did. But he didn’t take it. Instead he died for them. How could he do it? I don’t know. But I do know that all of a sudden my wounds seem very painless. My grudges and hard feelings are suddenly childish."

Reading Rockets: Teaching Reading

Homework blues: "

Do your kids ever feel this way? This was written by a 7 year old, a student facing many years of homework.

Homework has been around a long time, and has had its supporters and critics since the very beginning. Critics say homework cuts into quality family time and leaves students with no down time or time to pursue non-school interests. Proponents believe that homework teaches responsibility and provides important time to reinforce what is taught during the day.

The research on homework has produced mixed results, and it's clear that additional, carefully designed research is needed. The little research that has been done suggests this: homework doesn't help students who don't do it, but very likely does help students who actually complete their assignments. Not too surprising.

An article from Today's Parent suggests that the real homework issue is the quality of the homework, not the quantity (although many parents and students take issue with quantity too!)

I think the quality vs. quantity issue is it for me. It's the every day, yearlong slog 'read and record the title' type of reading log and the 'write 5 sentences a day' writing journal that really get to me. On both, there's little feedback from the teacher and little to no individualization of the assignment. Once assigned in September, the same assignment and expectations exist in May. I think homework like this causes kids to form negative attitudes about reading and writing that don't serve them well as learners.

I don't think homework should be abolished all together (as some do) but I do think it needs to be more carefully considered and planned. What do you think?"

Take Root & Write

Are You a Hypocrite?: "

Dear Child,

I don't even like asking you this question: "Are You a Hypocrite?" It seems so ugly, and hurtful. The truth is I know already if you are, but I want you to examine your own heart. Do you know what else is true? The people closest to you, especially those you live and work with know the answer to this question also.

The Pharisees are a clear picture of a hypocrite. They practiced a lifestyle filled with holy rituals. They thought it was enough to do well. I look on the inside. Is your inner life holy? Are you compelled to do what I impress on your heart or do you follow a list of "do's" and "don't"? Have you ever been taught that I seek a relationship, not rituals and sacrifices?

The Pharisees were very good at religion, masters of religious studies, but still they did not know Me. There is a difference in knowing about Me, and knowing Me. Think about a person that you know some information about like your neighbor or another parent at a ball field or school. You may know where they live, what kind of car they drive, how many children they have, even if they go to church or not . . .but are you related to them. Do you know them as you know your own parents, husband or child?

When you know Me, you are adopted by Me. I am your Father God, you are my child. We are related. The more time we spend together - the better you get to know Me. We have a permanent relationship: Father and daughter. Having a relationship with Me is the beginning.

If you say one thing or act a certain way when "people" are looking and listening, but are frankly different when no one is observing, you really need to take a very honest look at yourself. This is not a surface issue, dealing how you dress, what you eat, and were you go. No, you are going to have to be still and dive into the creases of your heart. The little folds and corners that you don't want light shined into.

Is your heart truly the same on the inside as it appears on the outside?

Lindy Abbott 2010"

The Gospel.com Blog

Today’s Devotional: You Are On God’s Team: "

Humans want to belong; we yearn to be considered a valuable part of something bigger than ourselves. We go to great lengths to find acceptance—sometimes even changing who we are in order to fit in. And even when we’ve been accepted, we still nurse doubts about whether others really want us around. Might they just be tolerating us?

This devotional from Lifetime Guarantee Ministries talks about how Paul—the self-proclaimed worst of sinners—was chosen for Christ’s team. Because of the forgiveness offered to him and everyone in Christ, he found acceptance in a community that once feared him:

Being a member of a winning football team can become so important that anything it takes, ignoring my family, cutting back on my scholastic achievements, getting up early and staying up late building my body through blood, sweat, and tears, that’s okay. I want so desperately to be a part of the team!

Then there’s Paul. Paul knew who he was in Christ; he knew he was totally forgiven; he knew that he was now a righteous, holy, blameless person, all of those beautiful things bestowed on all of us as Believers, but he could never quite get over the incredible fact that God had allowed him to become a part of “His team.” Not that being a part of His team guaranteed status, comfort, plenty, or safety. It was important to Paul because he admired the Master so much and wanted to have his name on the list of apostles.

Because of his violent persecution of the Believers, Paul felt unworthy in his position as an apostle and apparently felt the necessity to defend his position.

For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God (1 Corinthians 15:9). [...]

Paul’s dream came true . . . to be on God’s team and his final words tell us that he accomplished his dream: The glorious fight God gave me, I have fought. The course I was set I have finished, and I have kept the faith (II Timothy 4:7 PHILLIPS).

We’re on His team. He has chosen us. How wonderful! How incredible! And He has assigned us as His apostles to do certain things. Do we consider this awesome tribute the way Paul did?

Read the rest of the devotional at lifetime.org.

Do you consider yourself part of God’s team?"

thesavalots.com

Printable Coupon for 40% Off at JoAnn Fabrics!!: "

CLICK HERE for a JoAnn Fabrics Printable Coupon for 40% off one regularly priced item!

This coupon expires April 3, 2010!

"

Internet Cafe Devotions

Filtering Through the Word: "

I enjoy drinking coffee, but what I don’t enjoy is cleaning out the coffee filter after the grounds have had a chance to really be soaked and packed into the smallest parts of the coffee filter.

After the hot water slowly filters through the ground up coffee beans and releases the delicious flavor of the coffee, it leaves behind the “garbage.” Those grinds that if they find their way into our coffee or into our bodies are just plain disgusting.

Just imagine what our “spiritual bodies” must look like when we don’t use His Word to provide us with discernment in what we read, think, say or do.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

(Philippians 4:6-9, NKJV)

Philippians 4:6-9 is a deep reminder that we make that decision everyday in what we allow to filter into our lives.

When I gave my life to Christ, the first thing I did was go through my purse, my house, and every area of my life throwing away and vowing to stop participating in anything that did not edify the Heavenly Father. I filtered my life just as a coffee filter, filter the water through the grounds of the coffee.

The filter is a barrier between the cup and the coffee beans.

As the hot water (our lives) pour through the coffee beans (the world), the filter (the Bible), separates out all the yucky stuff and keeps those ground up beans (t.v., books, music, culture, magazines, everyday life) from mixing in with the coffee that pours into the cup (us).

Without the filter, can you imagine what that coffee would taste like?

YUCK, a waste of coffee!

As a coffee lover, I shudder at the thought!

I know how to live for Him. I know that I have to have discernment in what I read and watch. I’m not perfect and there are times when something isn’t filtered and slips into my life. It’s those pieces of coffee grounds in my coffee. The bitter grounds that leave me smacking my lips. Certainly NOT the perfect brew; not the life He wants me to live.

I find that when I get pure coffee (His word), free of unwanted grounds, my life and my coffee sure taste good.

Our Father is our heavenly Barista. Serving up a perfectly filtered blend each and every time we arrive.

The best coffee is the coffee that has been filtered properly. The best life is the one that has been filtered with The Word. What’s in your filter?

Heavenly Father, Thank You, always, for the love and the salvation that You freely offer to all of us. I pray that in and through searching Your Word, and seeking to grow in You, that You would filter my life, my words and my heart so that I could better serve You. In Your Name I pray, Amen."

Here's My Cup Lord

Let the Redeemed Return!: "

We have been having a wonderful study of the book of Lamentations with Victoria of Let the Son Shine. During our time together, she has really opened up this passage of scripture with much needed revelation. For me it has been a simple read and reflection of those areas in my own life needing change, as I seek to follow Him and return to the path He has before me. With that, I am reminded of those who have sown so deeply into my life, how those seeds have brought forth much fruit in the time of need, and how their words speak through me as I prepare this message today.

I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. So I say, “My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the LORD.” I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him. Let him bury his face in the dust—there may yet be hope. Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace. For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men. Lam. 3:17-33 NIV

Sound familiar? Does, all to well, to this sinful heart. One redeemed and so set free… to sin again. Great is His mercy and loving kindness as I fall short. When I am deprived of peace, He is there. When I worry over my finances, He provides. When I count myself worthy, through some unseen label, He calls me “redeemed“. When I remember my sin, He brings me hope. When I fall, yet again, He lifts me up in the morning sun. When I wait in silence, I hear His voice. When I am cast off, He shows me compassion.

Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come? Why should any living man complain when punished for his sins? Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD. Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, and say: “We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven. Lam. 3:37-42 NIV

When I listen, I learn. When I repent, I am forgiven. When I lift my heart, I lift my hands. When I lift my hands, He reaches me.

They tried to end my life in a pit and threw stones at me; the waters closed over my head, and I thought I was about to be cut off. I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.” You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.” O Lord, you took up my case; you redeemed my life. Lam. 3:53-58

When thoughts and fear overshadow me, I put on faith. When I cry out to God, He hears me. When He hears me, He calls me “redeemed”.

Joy is gone from our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning. Lam. 5:15 NIV

When I lose joy, I find His strength. When I find His strength, I RETURN!

Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. Is. 51:11 KJV

"

Heart of the Matter Online

The Art of Conversation: "

People who haven’t known my family for very long might assume that my son is quiet around strangers because he is an isolated, unsocialized homeschooler.

You know that isn’t the case.

I have found that homeschooling has actually taught my boy the art of conversation in some very unexpected ways.

By way of background, this is the same child who sat on my lap and sobbed while the rest of his preschool class presented their Christmas program on stage and who burst into tears when, in kindergarten, the school nurse wanted to perform a cursory (and required) eye exam.

Interacting with strangers is not his cup of tea.

However, since we brought him home, that same boy can converse with adults as we wait in line at the bank, play guitar on stage with his co-op classmates and rush to get the door for an elderly lady at the post office. He is still quiet but the difference is astounding.

I know that much of this newfound change comes from maturity. He is older and the world isn’t as scary to him as it once was. But I also know that his confidence has grown as he has tried new things and succeeded at classroom and real world challenges. He has time to pursue his passions and stretch his limits beyond what he thought was possible. The safety of his daily environment inspires him to step out into the unknown, to risk failure and to surprise himself. That might be the biggest benefit of homeschooling at our house.

Just ask him. He’ll be glad to tell you about it.

Chris Worthy is mom to Caroline (15) and Nolan (10) and will soon celebrate 20 years of marriage to her favorite person, John. Chris practiced law before becoming a writer and stay-at-home mother more than 10 years ago. She enjoys cooking, crafting, spoiling dogs, green living and rummaging though old books. Follow along at http://www.chrisworthy.com/

Share and Enjoy:

Tags: benefits of homeschooling, confidence, homeschool socialization, Parenting, the quiet child

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2. Sing Me to Sleep Finding rest in the midst of mothering The LORD your God is with you, he...


3. The Getaway Plan By the time you read this, I’ll be back, but right now my family is...

"

Health News

A Deadly Addiction: Junk Food: "

While you might not think that cheesecake, ice cream, or candy bars can be lethal, the cumulative effect of a regular diet of junk food can cause chronic health problems that contribute to death, particularly those high in fat and calories.

read more

"

Heading Home

The Friend of the Bridegroom: " Photo by Groomsadvice.com
In the ancient, betrothal tradition, Hebrew fathers thought it their duty to provide a bride for their sons in imitation of God, as Father, Who provided a wife for Adam. When a son came of age to marry, the father, or sometimes the father and mother, chose a bride for their son from their own clan.

A betrothal usually lasted about one year, as the bridegroom left to prepare a place for his bride, usually within his father’s compound. There was to be no contact between the espoused couple during this time.

Therefore, all communications were made through an intermediary, or as we might think of him, a “best man.” He was the one who interceded, relaying messages of love from the groom to the bride and from the bride back to the groom.

As the assistant who also helped plan the marriage, this man was called the “friend of the bridegroom.” This was how John the Baptist referred to himself in John 3:29, saying, “The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.” (NKJV)

When Christ went ahead to prepare a place for His Bride within His Father’s compound, He sent the Holy Spirit as the Friend of the Bridegroom to be the communicator for Him.

Now, the Holy Spirit, as the intermediary, comes to woo the heart of Christ’s intended, to passionately whisper in Her ear and delicately relay the Bridegroom’s messages of love to Her heart.

If you do not take time to listen, you will not hear those precious whispers of love.

Are you listening?

“If ever you were willing to listen, listen now!” (Matt. 11:15 TLB)

"

Faith Imagined

FORSAKEN: "I've seen movies and heard descriptions of Jesus' crucifixion. The physical torture that Jesus experienced is explained in detail, and we see each lash ripping His flesh, the excruciating walk to Golgotha, and the nails hammered into His hands and feet. Many times the pain is our sole focus, and we assume that the fear of this pain explains why Jesus petitioned God at Gethsemane to 'take this cup from me.' However, the physical sacrifice is only one aspect of Jesus' death on the cross. There is so much more that we many times forget to focus and meditate on.

The crucifix is made up of three components, and physical pain is only one of them. Yes, Jesus is human, so the pain was a big part of why He said, 'My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death' (Mark 14.34 NIV). But I do not believe that it was fear of pain that made Jesus sweat drops of blood (Luke 22.44 NIV). I know that Jesus loves me more than I can comprehend, and He would boldly confront physical persecution for my sake. I think He had a greater reason to feel anguish -- a reason that our culture has trouble even understanding.

The second aspect of the crucifixion that would cause Jesus to be overwhelmed with sorrow is that He became sin for us: 'God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God' (2 Corinthians 5.21 NIV). Please note that Jesus became sin. He was sin for us. What is sin? Sin is the absence of God. Sin is the absence of light, love, beauty, glory, etc. The best way I can illustrate this concept is to take the innocence of a newborn baby and force that innocence to experience every disgusting, revolting, hideous sin you can think of. Try to imagine the innocence of those you love (especially your own children) and your mind will shut down. Your heart can not process the anguish.

The third aspect of the crucifixion ties directly into the second. This was the 'more' that I was looking for. It took a while for me to comprehend, which demonstrates just how much I do not know about love. Several months ago, I was reading through the New Testament, and I was struck by the relationship between God and Jesus. They are so deeply rooted together, and I wanted to know how it felt. I prayed and asked God, 'Show me how much Jesus loves You.'

After I prayed that prayer, I read about Jesus praying to God in Gethsemane. His soul was in anguish, and God sent Jesus an angel to comfort Him. As I read about Jesus just minutes before He would be betrayed, I remembered how I had always been dissatisfied with explanations of the crucifixion. Yes, the physical pain Jesus endured was incomprehensible, but I know that there was another pain that I wasn't understanding. Finally, it hit me. If Jesus became sin, and God can have no part of sin, then God would have to disconnect from Jesus for a time.

Jesus loved God so much, and His entire existence was solely dependent on God; therefore, Jesus' biggest fear was to be forsaken by God. I believe Jesus feared this more than the physical pain and more than becoming sin. When Jesus cried out on the cross with His only complaint, He did not cry out, 'My God, My God, this pain hurts so bad' or 'My God, My God this sin is so revolting.' No, Jesus cried out, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?' (Mark 15.34 NIV).

Nothing else mattered more to Jesus than the presence of God. That is how much Jesus loved God, and this showed me how much I do not. As I meditated on this, I became overwhelmed with anguish. God has been a sidenote, a ball I juggle in my busy schedule. Yes, He has also been a Father, a Friend, a Savior, a Healer, a Teacher, a Guide, an Encourager, yet He has never been my core. How do I know this? Because I constantly struggle with forsaking Him.

I forsake God for sleep, for my own desires, for my spouse, for my children, for my career, for the opinions of others, for security, for money, for prestige, for acclaim, for comfort, for pleasures, etc. I daily struggle with forsaking God, and I have no fear of it. Yes, I feel guilty and I repent when I know I've purposely walked away from His will, but do I fear? No.

I know that God loves me no matter what, and I'm happy to say that I have forgiveness of my sins through Jesus. However, I want God to be my core. I want Him to be my everything. I think that is why Jesus says, 'If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple' (Luke 14.26 NIV).

Jesus does not actually want us hating people or ourselves. Research the Scriptures, and you'll see that Jesus tells us over and over again to love others. However, our love for God should be so immense and so deep that our love for anything else should be comparatively weak. Would we be willing to give up all that we have for God? Jesus did.

When Jesus asked God to 'take this cup from me,' I do not believe He was talking about the physical pain or even becoming sin. Jesus' prayer before His crucifixion is the only time I see that Jesus took a step of obedience that He did not willingly want to take. God asked Jesus to give up the one thing that Jesus loved the most so that humankind could have everlasting life with Him: Jesus gave up God. Jesus became sin, and God can not have any part of sin. If this weren't true, then our sins are not really forgiven. If Jesus did not take our sins upon Himself, they are still on us. If they are still on us, God can not allow us into His glory.

If I could just understand Jesus' step of obedience, His sacrifice for me, I think I could have a glimpse of how much Jesus loved God. I love Jesus so much because He took this step of faith for God, even if He didn't want to. I love God so much because He 'so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life' (John 3.16 NIV). That God chose to weave me into this Divine Romance between Father and Son boggles my mind. I want to love them both back with a love deserving of their love for me. I know that my love will pale in comparison, but God beautifully makes up the difference with His grace!

Jesus is my hero because of His complete obedience to God. Many times God asks me to do things that I don't want to do, but I do them out of obedience. However, I can trust that God will never ask me to do it alone -- God will never forsake me (Hebrews 13.5) and Jesus is always praying on my behalf (Romans 8.34). The words that Jesus whispered before becoming my Living Sacrifice have become my new life's prayer: 'yet not my will, but yours be done' (Luke 22.42 NIV).

'For a brief moment I forsook you,
But with great compassion I will gather you' (Isaiah 54.7 NASB)."

Drbud.org

Is Your Brain B12 Deficient?: "

Lost your edge? Battling brain fog? Forgetting names lately?

Don’t write those off to just “getting older”; it could be something simple and curable, such as being deficient in Vitamin B12.

Vitamin B12 was once thought as only a challenge for the elderly or vegetarians; but a recent study shows that almost 40% of Americans (of all ages, whether vegetarians or not) have vitamin B12 deficiencies…which means almost everyone is at risk.

Why do we need it? Vitamin B12 is usually known as the “energy vitamin”, and is essential of course, for energy production. However, it is also necessary for DNA synthesis and blood formation, and is needed to form myelin, the protective insulation which surrounds nerve endings and helps nerves “talk” to each other. Without vitamin B12, myelin can break down and cause symptoms which mimic multiple sclerosis, depression or dementia.

Other Common Symptoms of Deficiency:

* poor memory and mental fogginess

* loss of motivation and apathy

* mood swings

* low energy

* fatigue

* Muscle weakness

* soreness or redness of the tongue

* lack of coordination

* hair loss

* tingling, numbness or crawling sensations in the arms, legs or feet

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms above, contact your healthcare provider for a B12 blood check.

Vitamin B12 is essential to life and good health, and must be consumed in our foods, but nutritional supplements like B12-2000 Lozenges or B12- Folate Plus can help.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is preventable and treatable. Correcting a deficiency may be just what you need to perk up your memory, mood and overall well-being.

Please feel free to contact us at Capture Your Health for access to a functional health check or for any questions you may have concerning a possible vitamin B12 deficiency, and try these online Brain Games to help keep you sharp!

* To learn more about the Health-E Community, go to Capture Your Health.

and…

* If you’re ready to get started, learn about our current promotional offer...check it out today if you’re serious about taking back control of your health.

New here? If you’re not a member yet then you can get your free tips sent straight to your inbox every time a new post is up. All you have to do is put your name and e-mail in the little box below. Presto!"

Desiring God Blog

Auditing Church: "

(Author: Tyler Kenney)

David Livingston—one of our pastors at Bethlehem, not the missionary and explorer gone to glory—wrote a timely article for our church newsletter this week titled "Is Watching a Very Good Sermon on TV or Online the Same As 'Doing Church'?"

Here's the core of what he says:

No doubt there are more than just a few folks who have surfed their way into our services from elsewhere to hear the very good sermons and will stay only as long as the sermons remain very, very good. That's what 'doing church' is for them ... they are 'auditing' church.

And that's not all bad ... in fact, it's way better than staying away. By all means, come and audit! For that matter, staying home to watch a good sermon on TV is also way better than watching virtually everything else on TV. Long ago, the Apostle Paul wrote that he rejoiced at any kind of gospel preaching so long as Christ was proclaimed (Philippians 1:15—18), and so should we.

The rub comes in letting ourselves settle into minimalism. In other words, it's very sad to reduce 'doing church' to listening to a sermon whether it's at home in front of a screen or in a building with others in front of a screen. 'Doing church' is far more and far better than that ... both on Sunday mornings and all through the week. Why? Because church isn't a building to go to or programs and classes to attend; it's a living fellowship of people who have a saving relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ ... and a saving relationship with one another as members of the family of God (consider Hebrews 3:12—13).

Read the whole thing.

"

Crazy-for-Books

In My Mailbox -- March 28, 2010: "

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren where we highlight what books we bought, received, or picked up at the library in the last week.

Marcia of The Printed Page hosts Mailbox Monday, the gathering place for readers to share books that came into our homes last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Here's what I got this week!

FOR REVIEW:

Black Smoke by Robin Leigh Miller

Samantha Wells has lived through more hell in her short life than most. At the age of eight her serene life was turned upside down. Her parents were brutally murdered and Sam barely escaped with her life. But she didn't do it alone - a soft calm voice led her to safety, the voice of her spirit guide. Disguised by a black mask and the handle Black Smoke, with the help of her spirit guide Sam rescues those unfortunate people who find themselves in the hands of humanity's worst. Life is good until Sam is called on to assist a small covert military team in recovering a kidnapped scientist in Afghanistan. Lt. Mark Lowe (Kong) is less than thrilled to be placing his team's lives in the hands of a woman, much less one as beautiful and sexy as Sam. He quickly learns there is more to this woman than meets the eye. She not only infiltrates enemy bases - she's infiltrated his heart. Kong retreats to safer ground, leaving Sam heartbroken. Distant and unwilling to listen to anyone, Sam delves headfirst into a hell that only Kong can pull her from.

Glorious by Bernice L. McFadden

Glorious is set against the backdrops of the Jim Crow South, the Harlem Renaissance, and the civil rights era. Blending the truth of American history with the fruits of Bernice L. McFadden’s rich imagination, this is the story of Easter Venetta Bartlett, a fictional Harlem Renaissance writer whose tumultuous path to success, ruin, and revival offers a candid portrait of the American experience in all its beauty and cruelty.



Glorious is ultimately an audacious exploration into the nature of self-hatred, love, possession, ego, betrayal, and, finally, redemption.

The Language of Secrets by Dianne Dixon

From a fresh and exciting new voice in women's fiction, The Language of Secrets unflinchingly examines the lifelong repercussions of a father's betrayal.

Justin Fisher has a successful career as the manager of a luxury hotel, a lovely wife, and a charming young son. While all signs point to a bright future, Justin can no longer ignore the hole in his life left by his estranged family. When he finally gathers the courage to reconnect with his troubled past, Justin is devastated to learn that his parents have passed away. And a visit to the cemetery brings the greatest shock of all—next to the graves of his father and mother sits a smaller tombstone for a three-year-old boy: a boy named Thomas Justin Fisher.

What follows is an extraordinary journey as Justin struggles with issues of his own identity and pieces together the complex and heartbreaking truth about his family. With great skill and care, Dianne Dixon explores the toll that misunderstandings, blame, and resentment can take on a family. But it is the intimate details of family life—a mother's lullaby for her son, a father's tragic error in judgment—that make this novel so exceptional and an absolute must for reading groups everywhere.

The Language of Secrets is the story of an unspeakable loss born of human frailty and an ultimate redemption born of human courage.

The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry

Zee Finch has come a long way from a motherless childhood spent stealing boats—a talent that earned her the nickname Trouble. She's now a respected psychotherapist working with the world-famous Dr. Liz Mattei. She's also about to marry one of Boston's most eligible bachelors. But the suicide of Zee's patient Lilly Braedon throws Zee into emotional chaos and takes her back to places she though she'd left behind.


What starts as a brief visit home to Salem after Lilly's funeral becomes the beginning of a larger journey for Zee. Her father, Finch, long ago diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, has been hiding how sick he really is. His longtime companion, Melville, has moved out, and it now falls to Zee to help her father through this difficult time. Their relationship, marked by half-truths and the untimely death of her mother, is strained and awkward.

Overwhelmed by her new role, and uncertain about her future, Zee destroys the existing map of her life and begins a new journey, one that will take her not only into her future but into her past as well. Like the sailors of old Salem who navigated by looking at the stars, Zee has to learn to find her way through uncharted waters to the place she will ultimately call home.

FROM PAPERBACKSWAP:


The Year of Ice by Brian Malloy

It is 1978 in the Twin Cities, and Kevin Doyle, a high school senior, is a marginal student in love with keggers, rock and roll, and-unbeknownst to anyone else-a boy in his class with thick eyelashes and a bad attitude. His mother Eileen died two years earlier when her car plunged into the icy waters of the Mississippi River, and since then Kevin's relationship with his father Patrick has become increasingly distant. As lonely women vie for his father's attention, Kevin discovers Patrick's own closely guarded secret: he had planned to abandon his family for another woman. More disturbingly, his mother's death may well have been a suicide, not an accident.

Complicating the family dynamic is the constant meddling of Kevin's outspoken Aunt Nora-who will never forgive Patrick for Eileen's death-along with Patrick's inability to stay single for very long. His loyalties divided between his father and his aunt, between his internal reality and his public persona, Kevin is forced to reevaluate his notions of family and love as painful truths emerge about both.

Crossing Washington Square by Joanne Rendell

A story of two strong-willed and passionate women who are compelled to unite their senses and sensibilities, from the author of The Professors' Wives' Club.

Professor Diana Monroe is a highly respected scholar of Sylvia Plath. Serious and aloof, she steadfastly keeps her mind on track. Professor Rachel Grey is young and impulsive, with a penchant for teaching relevant contemporary women's stories like Bridget Jones' Diary and The Devil Wears Prada, and for wearing her heart on her sleeve.

The two conflicting personalities meet head-to-heart when Carson McEvoy, a handsome and brilliant professor visiting from Harvard, sets his eyes on both women and creates even more tension between them. Now Diana and Rachel are slated to accompany an undergraduate trip to London, where an almost life-threatening experience with a student celebrity will force them to change their minds and heal their hearts...together.

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

Can a woman ever really know herself if she doesn’t know her mother? From the author of the smash-hit bestseller Firefly Lane and True Colors comes a powerful, heartbreaking novel that illuminates the intricate mother-daughter bond and explores the enduring links between the present and the past


Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time—and all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya’s life in war-torn Leningrad, more than five decades ago. Alternating between the past and present, Meredith and Nina will finally hear the singular, harrowing story of their mother’s life, and what they learn is a secret so terrible and terrifying that it will shake the very foundation of their family and change who they believe they are.

Have you read any of these yet? Leave me a link to your review in the comments!"