Easter’s Coming! Time for a worldview check. Posted by Maureen Lang

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Maureen Lang

Of all the holidays, Easter is probably the most important to me. I love Christmas, too, but the older I get the more work and preparation that day demands. Easter, on the other hand, beyond the bunnies and eggs and chocolate, somehow remains the holiest day of the year. Good Friday service often brings tears to my eyes as I’m reminded of how Christ died for me. And Sunday is more than a symbol of spring, a time when the world becomes a picture of God’s hand of renewal. It’s the day that more than any other reminds me how deep God’s love runs for me.

Naturally this is a good time of year to revisit faith and what it means.

My small group is going through a study of worldviews, which is enhancing this Easter season for me. It’s so interesting to re-check all of the things I hold dear, and why—and to compare other worldviews. Basically a worldview is the filter through which we see the world and our place in it. Our worldview sets our boundaries and defines for us what’s right and wrong and true. It’s worth a moment of time to do more than just go though another day with our beliefs comfortably in place, but to revisit and refresh them.

So this study* compares historic Christianity, the view I hold, to several others, including ones like natural secularism – the worldview that assumes only matter and energy exist, that everything apart from fact is just opinion or faith (faith and opinion being something that can’t be proven as either energy or matter). Science plays a huge role in this worldview, but when I’m reminded that the Bible isn’t incompatible with science, and you can still believe in creation and what scientists know about the incredible (yes, miraculous) design involved in this world, my faith is only strengthened.

Many worldviews overlap one another, postmodernism is one of them—a complicated belief system that absolute truth doesn’t exist. It’s the “I’m okay, you’re okay” mentality when one person’s truth is easily doubted by those who prefer to define God for themselves, not trusting the Bible or any of its interpretations (because of its imperfect interpreters).

Eastern religions have influenced many who hold a postmodern worldview as well as those with a new age view, which seems to depend heavily on emotion and personal experience. It always makes me wonder how much self-confidence (or perhaps more precisely, pride) it must take to define God solely through personal experience, trusting only that rather than something bigger that’s outside one’s self. Picking and choosing what suits a person’s emotional need rather than accepting one faith system seems to dilute and disrespect all of them.

This has always been a good time of the year to try understanding the way other people believe what they do. I know even within the Christian community there are many different traditions and beliefs, but the central truths shouldn’t be mixed up: God is the creator, a perfect being who is both loving and just, who wanted us to love Him freely. Because freedom always comes with a price, God paid the cost of our sin by becoming Christ, the Savior, so we can spend eternity with our Creator.

Everything else either supports or detracts from that core belief.

Isn’t Easter a good time of year to look at your core beliefs or worldview, to see what your life says about what you believe?

*Chuck Colson’s Centurions Study and Portals by Glenn Sunshine

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The Verdict’s In On My Kindle and it Ain’t Good by James L. Rubart

Posted on March 19, 2013 by James L. Rubart

I just got a Kindle and I’m not sold on it.

Am I too old? Maybe that’s the problem. But I don’t think so. I love technology.

The other day a friend was selling their Kindle (an older version) very inexpensively. Since I’d been trying to decide between the Kindle and the Nook I figured, “Why not? It’s cheap and I can see if an e-reader is going to work for me.”

Kindle

Yes, it will work. If I’m flying and don’t want to haul any books with me I get the appeal. Anywhere else, forget it. It’s too much work.

Maybe it’s because I’m a visual person. I like to see all my books on my shelf at a glance. I like to be able mark a book up without having to take five minutes to highlight a section. I like to be able to find my books fast and when they’re all sitting in front of me I can do that.

My friend Randy now reads exclusively on his Kindle. Don’t get it.

Do you? Help me and explain what’s wrong with my brain. (For the Kindle! Not the other stuff!)

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Create a New Story Line for Your Life by Sarah Goebel

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Sarah Goebel

Did you know that if you are tired of the story you have been living, you have it within your power to create a new one?  It’s true. You can create a new money story, relationship story, career story, wellness story — one or all of these story lines can continue as before or they can be rewritten differently for your future. The first step in the process of change  is that you must recognize authorship of your story and take ownership of it. Without a recognition that you yourself have responsibility for your life, you will not be able to successfully assess your thoughts, behavior, and the results of your behavior in order to determine what you can change and should change. Go with me, if you will, to take a look at the role our assumptions and motivations play in creating our life stories. fountainpen

In the Bible, God tells us that we can call things that be not as though they are. What is He talking about here? He is saying if you have things in your life that are not in alignment with God’s will for you and you want to change, then begin to use your imagination and envision that change and speak it into being. Do not get me wrong here. This is not a magical formula, but a process involving godly meditation based on the Bible and speaking a godly desire aloud, that must be persevered until the desired result is being experienced in your life. The thing is, as you envision the change and speak it, you will begin to believe it. You are simply going through the process of changing your thoughts to line up with the life God has said He desires for you. As the thoughts you are now meditating on change, so does your behavior begin to change which results in bringing the new belief to pass. Scripture says that what you believe opens or closes possibilities for your life. Your beliefs and assumptions about yourself, others, life and God have a tremendous impact on your behavior, performance, and how you achieve your life or business goals. Ultimately, they construct your story lines, opening or closing the possibilities which influence your performance.

Another Scripture that comes to mind is Mark 11:24: Therefore I say unto you, What things so ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. God is saying whatever you believe you can be, have, or do when you ask Him for it is a possibility for you to experience in your life. Your beliefs and assumptions will manifest themselves in the decisions you make, the things you say and the things you do. On the other hand, whatever you do not believe limits the possibility for that to be a storyline of your life.  In other words, there are empowering beliefs and there are limiting beliefs. Let’s take a look at what an empowering belief might look like.Transformed-by-the-Renewing-of-Your-Mind2

  1.  I will carry through the decisions that I make.
  2. I have the ability and the perseverance to achieve my goals.
  3. I am a positive person and those around me learn to respond positively to me.

A limiting belief would look like this.

  1. No one ever supports me in what I want to do.
  2. I am not good enough to earn that amount of money.
  3. I am unworthy of good things.

Let’s look at the first example above of a limiting belief. Immediately, we recognize these statements are in contradiction with what scripture says about us or command us to think. Philippians 4:8 is a good example: Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. When you believe no one ever supports you, your behavior will become such that it will cause people to be unsupportive towards you. On the other hand, looking at the third example above of an empowering belief, your behavior will line up with the belief and you will have people responding to you in a positive way.

Romans 12:2 tells us that we are to be transformed by renewing our minds. Whatever beliefs you renew your mind to will become the story lines of your future life story.  Your thoughts will transform your behavior and your behavior will transform your life. When you think about it, we are able to know someone’s beliefs and values by looking at their behavior because behavior is a result of what we believe.  butterflyPicture4

So it is important to acknowledge that you have been constructing and are able to construct what you experience. You are the one responsible for your own choices and those choices have created your storyline. If you continue making the same choices you will continue creating the same story lines. If you begin making different choices, choices that are in alignment with God’s Word, you will begin to write a new life story that glorifies God.

God says in Deuteronomy “I set before you life and death.”  Then He goes on and commands us to “Choose life”. We make the choice as to what we are going to believe, feel and do. When we choose empowering beliefs we are choosing beliefs that lead to successful behavior which will result in a successful life and career.

Begin today by assessing your story lines and determine the underlying assumptions and self concepts they were created from. Learn to take your thoughts captive and analyze them as to whether they are thoughts that are empowering or limiting and then discard those that are not going to further the new story you desire to create. It is also important to examine one’s emotions to determine the assumption or thought it is attached to and whether that assumption is relevant to one’s present life.  If not, the assumption can be changed and the feeling can be converted to an intention.

Regardless of the area of your life you want to change, by the grace of God you can take control of your thoughts and feelings and create a new life experience. Ask God to help you apply these principles to your life and you will begin to write a new story line today.TREE

Examples of Scriptures which speak of our belief system – our faith:

Matthew 9:22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.

Matthew 15:28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

Matthew 21:21-22 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

2 Corinthians 4:13-14 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.

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Daniel 11:32b – Those who know their God shall be strong and do mighty exploits

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Sarah Goebel

For many after they become a Christian, they are interested in searching out answers concerning the circumstances of their lives or to find the healing they need due to wounds received along their life journey. For me, my priority was to know MORE about who this God was that loved me so much. This verse was my life verse for a long time as I wanted to know my God so that I would be able to do mighty exploits. I continue on my journey with this same desire. I want to know more about and experience more of God each and every day. Because I have this desire, He continues to reveal more of Himself to me by the Spirit and His written Word.

We also learn more about God as He walks with us through the events of our lives. For example, He has delivered me out of some really traumatic circumstances and when He did, one of the things that happened is my understanding of who God is deepened. Tonight while reading in the book of Exodus, I realized the same thing was true for the Israelites. Think about it. God delivered Israel not when Egypt was at their weakest, but when they were strong and powerful!

The story of their deliverance goes like this. Even after Aaron’s staff became a snake and ate all of the snakes produced by the Pharaoh’s sorcerers, the Pharaoh’s “heart becomes hard…just as the Lord had said” (Exodus 7:13). It is clear that Pharaoh has not yet learned God’s identity. Now God sends a series of plagues to show the Pharaoh that He the Lord must be obeyed. As we read the story about the plagues it is evident that both Israel and Egypt would “learn to know” a little more about God through each plague.

The gnats were the first plague the magicians were not able to copy. The interesting thing is that all of Egypt was afflicted by this plague of flies. They filled the land, that is, everywhere except where the Israelites lived (8:20-24). What has God revealed to Egypt, the Israelites and to us in this event?

Here we see Yahweh, as our sovereign and all powerful God who is in control of everything that happens in our lives. Here we see that the disasters that had taken place were not just quirks of nature.  Then there were the locusts that ate all that was left after the hail and the darkness that covered the land – again except where the Israelites lived.  However, Pharaoh continues to dismiss Moses and his God. After all, He was Pharaoh.

There would be one more horrible plague that would free Israel. The angel of death would take every firstborn male in Egypt while God protected the Israelites giving them the instructions that would spare their children from death.  Finally, Egypt would not just free the Israelites, but they would demand they leave. God has demonstrated His authority in this one night over Pharaoh and all of Egypt’s gods.

God is revealed in the devastations and challenges of life. Without them, how would we know God? These events are a necessary part of life’s journey in order for us to know our God and do mighty exploits as He empowers to do so. These exploits glorify His name. What is holding you captive today? You can know that God has supreme authority over it. I want to encourage you to quit trying to deliver yourself. Quit trying to do exploits in your own strength and authority. Call out to God! He can intervene in your situation today!

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Saying Goodbye to a Beloved Character by Julie Arduini

Posted on March 13, 2013 by juliearduini

I admit it, I watch Dallas. I know it’s a soap opera and is a stark contrast to my Bible Series post last week.

I watch because right or wrong, the show brings back happy family memories. We had our share of adversity in our personal lives back in the day, but come Friday night at 9, the TV was on and we were taking guesses at what “good ole’ JR” had up his sleeve that week. My dad has been gone nearly 9 years and I can still hear his giggle when JR had a smart comeback. It’s nostalgia, but watching the reboot version blending the characters I grew up with and the new, it’s as comfortable as a pair of fuzzy slippers on a winter’s night.

The actor who played JR Ewing, Larry Hagman, passed away last November. Last night his character was laid to rest in a tribute episode. The hour long show impacted me on a few levels, way deeper than I expected a serial drama to.

image: dallastnt.com

image: dallastnt.com

–The nostalgia. Characters from the original show returned, honest about their run-ins with the legend. In a humorous scene, all his ex-wives gathered around the fireplace and remembered their marriages to the same man. Again, some of my happiest memories were watching this show as a family. To see the characters again  brought back my own memories, as well as show reflections.

–Family is family. You don’t have to watch the show to know the Ewings have a lot of enemies, and their own infighting. Last night JR’s nemesis, Cliff Barnes, burst on the scene to “pay his disrespects.” As soon as he opened his mouth, all infighting ceased and the Ewings bonded together. When JR’s only son with his beloved Sue Ellen, John Ross, started to raise a first to defend his deceased daddy, his cousin stepped in and offered to throw the punch for him. This reminds me of my husband’s recollections growing up. He comes from a bigger Italian family and confessed he fought often with his brothers. But if someone went against one of the Arduini brothers, the boys had each other’s backs. Even in the sudsiest of shows, Dallas proves family is family.

-Grief brings a paradigm shift. When my dad passed away, the patriarch was gone. My mom was a widow, and my sister and I were without a dad. Everything changed. Although we returned in time to a normal, it was a new one. Watching Bobby Ewing return from identifying his big brother’s body, you saw the shift take place. He immediately excused himself and went to work behind den doors. He is now the patriarch and all plans to honor his brother were on him. He’s also traditionally known as the “good” brother, and now he’s conflicted. It’s the Ewing way to avenge an Ewing death, and the burden is his to make it happen. Will he remain good, or will his remaining days on South Fork be a blend or total character change? With death, nothing remains the same.

–The Daddy Complex. What made the first Dallas so engaging boiled down was a quest of an older son wanting the love of a harsh, hard pleasing father. That became an obsession for JR’s character because after the first season, Jim Davis, the man who portrayed patriarch Jock  Ewing, passed away and Jock’s character was also gone. JR never got to hear his daddy’s approval, and his mom’s love focused on younger brother Bobby. The rest of the show was JR chasing a dad’s approval he would never get, and keeping a feud alive with a family that started with Jock’s friend turned enemy.  The fight continued between Jock Ewing/Digger Barnes sons, and the Ewing/Barnes feud continues today.

In the reboot, John Ross was constantly motivated by wanting JR’s approval, yet conflicted because his mom suffered so because of his father’s misdeeds. Before JR was killed, he let his son know he not only loved him, but approved of him, calling him a Ewing from “tip to tail.” My writing side was fascinated with the tribute episode because the quest ended, but now the story lines multiply. Why? Because the son, the brother, and those that truly loved JR will avenge his death. And in writing, of course with every action comes a reaction.

Can you think of a character on TV or a book that impacted you when they died? Did any death scene or tribute trigger something about your life?

image: TNT

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Learning From Experience by Hannah Alexander

Posted on March 12, 2013 by alexanderhodde

2011 - Cheryl fb profile

Have you ever made an awkward move and tripped? Most folks do. Have you ever spaced out and found yourself unintentionally running a stop sign or a traffic signal? I have a friend who once glanced down at her cell phone to enter a number and glanced up again, too late to stop herself from ramming into the pick-up that had suddenly stopped in front of her. I have another friend who panicked when a spider lowered itself on a web into her face while she was driving and had a fender bender–which is why I always keep my windows shut tight when I park my car, even in the garage. I would have bent a fender, myself, if that had happened to me.

Another friend was driving with a puppy loose in the car–no, wait, that was me, back when I was young and stupid and didn’t know about pet taxis. I managed to get the puppy out from under the brake pedal before I had to use it. Oh, and then there was the time, when I was a teenager, when I drove along an empty interstate highway to work while applying nail polish. It’s amazing, but the only wreck I ever had was the fault of the other driver. Looking back, I realize I was danger on wheels for a few years. Never be like me.

Life is full of distractions. Driving has become almost a mindless act after decades of experience, and sometimes we don’t realize how vital our behavior is behind the wheel.

I received some stunning news last night that came as a warning to me, and I hope will warn others: Life is precious, so take precautions.

A lovely young woman named Tammy cleaned our clinic yesterday. It’s been her job for three months. She actually works three different jobs–cleaning, refereeing basketball and night shift at Casey’s. I received a call from her roommate last night that Tammy, who always wears a seatbelt in the car, somehow went off the road along that same interstate where I used to polish my nails. She was found thrown from the vehicle and is in critical condition in ICU. It’s likely she had dropped something–a cell phone, for instance–and unbuckled for just a few seconds to retrieve it. That’s all it takes. Now we’re praying she survives.

Have you ever complained because an older person moved too slowly? I understand it can be frustrating to get behind a slow-moving vehicle on a two-lane road with no place to pass, of course, but there are times when those older people have slowed their actions because of lessons learned the hard way. They’ve slipped and fallen one too many times, and now they’re suffering pain because of it. I’m beginning to understand that better. If I’d moved more slowly when I was younger, if I hadn’t been so rash and impulsive and fallen so many times and done injury to my body, I might feel younger than I do.

If you’re smart, you’ll learn from your mistakes. If you’re brilliant, you’ll learn from the mistakes of others and possibly save a bump or two along the way. Please, if you are inclined to, would you pray for our Tammy today?

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Is It Well with Your Soul? by Kathi Macias

Posted on March 11, 2013 by alandkathi66

I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound
(Philippians 4:11-12, NKJV).

Lately I can’t get the words to that wonderful old hymn “It Is Well with My Soul” out of my mind. In fact, I’ve been singing it all morning. After a few choruses I began reflecting on the state of the hymnist who penned those faith-filled words just after losing his entire family. He wrote with a broken heart and, no doubt, had to wipe away many tears in the process, and yet his faith was not damaged or destroyed. He could declare, amidst devastating pain and loss, that he knew his soul was safe in the nail-scarred hands of His Savior.

Now I’m examining my own faith, particularly in light of my own writing. Is it well with my soul—regardless of circumstances? Am I reflecting that in the words I pen, mindful that others will be reading them? I find it easy to trust God and sing His praises when the biggest challenge I face is meeting a writing deadline or planning a special holiday meal. But what about when my “world” caves in—when I lose a loved one or my only source of income dries up or I discover I have a terminal disease? Is everything still “well with my soul” then, or do I find myself questioning God as if I knew more or cared more or planned better than He?

Not only in my writing but in my everyday life, I want to be like the hymn writer who declared that it was well with his soul, even when everything familiar and cherished was stripped away, don’t you? Of course, the only way to get to that point is to immerse ourselves in His presence and love now, while our situations are still relatively positive. I’m recommitting myself to do that, daily and wholeheartedly. Will you join me?

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The Christian Reaction to The Bible Series by Julie Arduini

Posted on March 6, 2013 by juliearduini

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Whether you have an actual water cooler at work or where ever you spend your Monday morning, chances are the topic of conversation was the History Channel’s 10 part series on the Bible. The ratings are in  and over 14 million people watched the first offering, produced by husband and wife team Mark Burnett (producer of Survivor, The Apprentice, and The Voice) and Roma Downey (Touched by an Angel.)

You know what, I’m disappointed. Not in the episode, but in the negativity by Christians who made up part of the viewership.

Here is some of the feedback I read on my Facebook feed:

-Too Hollywood

-Biblically Inaccurate

-How could Focus on the Family promote such heresy?

-Is Roma Downey even saved? Should she even be representing this Holy Book?

-Way too much was missed/ignored

My takeaway, perhaps because I have a writing background, is this is  a production full of  people doing their best to represent God’s Word. They are mere humans, and even with the best of intent, they are not perfect. Because it is a production, there are going to be points we can quibble about. I’m sad that debate outweighs the heart to tell the greatest story of all time.

I read someone was mad because Sarah headed for Moriah during Abraham’s sacrifice.  Since we don’t read about her in Genesis 22 as far as the sacrifice scene, some people felt her presence on screen was too much liberty with His Word. But I think to focus on that is missing the big picture.

People I never expected to talk about God’s Word are conversing and asking good questions. I heard morning show anchors speaking in depth about it. I sat with my teenaged son where he paused for two hours from his friends and hobbies to watch this, talk with me, and look things up in his Bible. That will always impress me.

I wonder if the criticism would be there if Ted Turner were behind this, or Spike Lee? What exactly are Christians looking for? I mean, we all do understand Charlton Heston was not really Moses in his offering of The Ten Commandments, right?

Anyway, I was moved by the first installment. As a wife and mom that had a dying child we had to trust God for, I was more than inspired and moved by Abraham and Issac. What left me unimpressed were the harsh criticisms and arguing amongst Christians. I turned off the TV believing this was an offering to the world showing how personal God is, and wants to be with us. It wasn’t about religion, but relationship. God is real and longs for us to know Him. To see the Red Sea part reminded me how much He is for us.

Here is what I shared on my Facebook page:

We can’t re create what God created and expect perfection, but I applaud everyone behind the project for having the passion to try. It has started conversations between all ages and walks of faith. My teen son and I watched together, talked through the whole thing, and he went to his Bible more than once to check things. That will always impress me. If you walked away unimpressed because of religious matters, I’m sorry, but I think you missed the point. I saw/read their interviews and they were prayerful and wanted to be reverent. Their passion is to show the world the relationship Christianity brings. And if you believe and couldn’t find that aspect, to me, that’s the saddest thing of all.

If interested, I tried to embed a video interview from Roma Downey and Mark Burnett sharing their hearts about this series. The site also has a lot of faith based resources I believe are worth looking at.

I’d love to read what you think. Am I too harsh on the viewers and their criticisms? Did you watch? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear them.

image from bibleseriesresources.com

Disclaimer: These are my thoughts, and don’t represent the other bloggers represented here. They are allowed to disagree with me. 🙂

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It Can’t Be Done? by James L. Rubart

Posted on March 5, 2013 by James L. Rubart

Do you believe in the can’ts? I do. I believed in them before I got published.  I believed the voice that said, “You can’t write.” I believed in the cant’s when I wanted to sing on the worship team at church. So many things I believed I couldn’t do that turned out to be lies.

You can do it, whatever your “it” is. Really. If God is for it, you can. Now there is the necessity of gifting and desire to be in sync. For example, I still have a desire to play in the NFL. But the talent isn’t there. It just ain’t going to happen in this age.  And I have a talent for playing guitar, but I don’t have the desire needed to do anything significant with it.

But if you have the gifting and the desire … look out. The only thing that can stop you is the can’ts you allow to stay in your mind and heart.

And now for little inspiration from a young man doing something I have neither the skill or desire to do … but WOW! He’s shown me something I thought couldn’t be done certainly can be.

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A Sense of Wonder by Kristen Heitzmann

Posted on March 1, 2013 by kristenheitzmann

After faith in God, I think the most important thing we can impart to our children–and maintain ourselves–is a sense of wonder. I was talking to my daughter yesterday who took her husband and tots to see the Steamboat Colorado Ice Castles.

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They spent hours in what could have been a five minute pass-through, talking with the creators about how it was formed, looking into every nook and cranny, thinking what this part and that part looked like and thoroughly enjoying the spectacle, while another family–sadly–hustled through and said we paid all that for this?

It made me realize how big a part wonder plays in my life. You all know I’m enamored with the mountains, and what a blow our recent fire was and is. But even in the burn I’ve experienced fascination (okay obsession.)

Last weekend my brother and I took my mom to his place in Carlsbad CA. The ocean is another source of delight for me, though one I don’t experience often. I drank in the coastal view, the sunsets we took in each day we were there, the midday sparkle and crystalline splendor of the water’s surface.

I could have been content, but more than enjoying the view, I wanted to investigate. I went down to the low tide pools and touched the sticky anemone studded with tiny shells that curled in from the brush of my finger.

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Observed the sea star posing:

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And on the last day in La Jolla:Image

I am so amazed by God’s creation, but even more by the delight he created in our spirits to revel in the smallest details. Centuries ago Marcus Aurelius put it this way:

“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Oh what a gift to dwell on the beauty of life. Or even more, to dwell in it. My prayer for today and every day is that all our moments will be wondrous.

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Do the books you read pass the test? by Maureen Lang

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Maureen Lang
Image from Bing Free Images

Image from Bing Free Images

I recently tuned in to a radio debate on the merits of reading commercial vs literary or classic novels. The focus was supposed to be on the romance genre, but both guests—two Phd’s from different universities—seemed to be talking as much about Christian fiction in general as about romance.

One professor was a great defender of genre fiction, having talked to a variety of voracious readers of Christian fiction. The other professor was a staunch champion of classic literature, convinced that once a reader develops a taste for the best writing they’d never choose to settle for the dreck that is today’s commercial Christian fiction. One thing I didn’t expect was the literature-minded professor’s surprise to hear of many avid Christian fiction readers who also read classics. Count me in that group, so I thought it was common practice.
Anyone who’s been around book lovers—or just people in general—should know there’s no accounting for taste. That phrase is a cliche for a reason! It’s universal; one person’s junk is another person’s treasure, so taste in books should be no exception. But it was sad to hear the old argument against Christian fiction as being potentially unhealthy for people by stirring up dissatisfaction with real life by idealizing what life could be via fiction. I’m not sure it’s fiction so much that does that (aren’t we smart enough to decipher reality from fiction?) but rather that people are fully capable of becoming dissatisfied with life with or without books. In fact, it’s my belief that a satisfying, entertaining story can enhance life!

Another argument was to call Christian fiction “one note” (vs. the symphony found in deeper, classic literature) and that Christian authors take themselves too seriously. Other than finding that a bit condescending, I wondered why she felt this way. If our goal in Christian fiction is to remind readers of the spiritual dimension in life, something secular fiction avoids, then isn’t that a worthy aspiration? The classics professor maintained throughout the debate that today’s Christian fiction doesn’t demand the reader to process the content thoughtfully, that to read such shallow work can in fact be done thoughtlessly.

This made me wonder if the professor devoted to the classics had read much current Christian fiction, because she insisted they rarely address life’s real complexities. She did say she’d read a number of Christian fiction books that were nominated for a Christy, represented as the best of the best, but I didn’t catch how long ago that might have been. I can name a number of current authors who regularly address real issues, starting with authors right here at Christians Read.

Another aspect brought up was the emotional impact. One caller said she had to wean herself off of Christian romance because it aroused emotions in her she didn’t want to feel. I do admit there are seasons in life when certain types of reading might not be beneficial. For example, when I was single but wanting to be married, I didn’t even read the Song of Solomon because it only reminded me of what I didn’t have. I avoided romance reading in general in those days, so I understand if someone else feels that way. But there are plenty of other entertaining Christian genres that offer just that—entertainment that honors God.

Sadly, they took a call from a pastor who insisted Christian romance is for woman what pornography is for a man. This was thoroughly debated on a blog a few years ago, and from the many comments it appeared to be a hot topic then. But I’m glad to say both professors refused to take Christian romance that far. Christian fiction should wear the “Christian” label for a reason, not simply because it’s a story without bad language or graphic sex, but because there is more than just a man-woman relationship going on in its pages. Rather than listening to their own hearts, as the debunkers of Christian romance say, the best Christian fiction portrays characters who are trying to get their relationship with God right first. The spiritual conflict can play a part in keeping the couple apart, but real commitment to each other usually comes only after both the man and the woman acknowledge their most important relationship is with God.

Bottom line? The classics professor challenged readers everywhere to put what they’re reading to the Philippians 4:8 test:
“…Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

That much, I agree! We just disagree about the limits of excellence. I love the classics, but in a day when we have so many more choices to fill our leisure time, I believe it’s okay to read a book that may not have the same kind of depth. If a story offers a wholesome spirit and winsome characters it can engage me just as well.

Posted in Maureen Lang, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Help! My Brain’s Exploding! by Hannah Alexander

Posted on February 26, 2013 by alexanderhodde
Too smart for his own good

Too smart for his own good

Not long ago, I was, as usual, struggling with chronic pain, trying to come up with a new subject for a blog, and decided to ask Mel for input about pain. He’s a very intelligent man who has about double the brain capacity and vocabulary that I have. He also tends to get on a roll about his work, and it’s difficult to stop his momentum. I should have known better, of course, since the first six medical novels we wrote together had given me an inkling of what to expect. When he has a patient in his clinic, he is wonderful about explaining, thorough in his approach, and has a terrific bedside manner, but I’m not a patient, I’m his wife, and I think he thinks I somehow automatically picked up his vocabulary by osmosis when we got married–also that I can type a thousand words a minute. Didn’t happen. You can tell this by the following exchange:

“I’d love to help, sweetheart,” he said.”Make it simple for me, okay?” I asked.

“Okay, simply put, pain is usually a reflex arc,” he said. “Every part of a pain response is in two-parts. There is the afferent and there is efferent. Afferent is affect, and efferent is effect and–”

“Wait! Honey? What was it you just said?”

“The classic is you put your hand on a hot stove. Pain is the afferent response, as in, it affects you. As a result of the brain feeling pain, it triggers you to pull your hand back, therefore it’s efferent–or the effect. It’s what the muscles do in response. So a reflex arc doesn’t require a higher brain function.”

“Um, honey? Simple words, please. Honey! Wait, I can’t keep up. I can’t type that fast–“”–so treating pain is a process of cause and effect. You just have to remove what’s causing the pain. It isn’t usually as simple as taking a hand off the hot stove.”

“I’m talking about other kinds of pain.”
“Getting to that, sweetheart. The cause of most pain is not nearly as obvious. The best thing is to figure out what’s causing the pain.”
“That’s the catch, isn’t it?”
“If you take away the cause, you take away the pain. While you’re trying ot figure it out, you give pain blockers, which are narcotics–not something the doctor will willingly give you since so many people abuse them. Ultram is a newer pain med that works pretty well–“”Mel? Mel! Slow down! I’m tying as fast as I can–”

“If you can’t adequately block the pain, then you distract. Take a tens unit, for instance. TENS comes from the term trans cutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. It substitutes one pain for another, but the electrical stimulation distracts them from the old pain.”
“Hold it. Wait. Trans cute-what?”
 “Lidocaine, on the other hand, kills pain as an anesthetic. It doesn’t block nerve endings, but it numbs them. It doesn’t last long, so it doesn’t work well for long-standing pain, although Marcaine with steroids in an injection can last longer.”
“Okay, lidocaine. Is that spelled with an e at the end, or–“
“General anesthesia puts the brain to sleep–another way of killing pain for surgery, though of course you can’t use that for chronic pain. Epidurals are versions of lidocaine, going for bigger nerves to anesthetize, so it’s a regional anesthesia.”
“There! That’s the word I want. Chronic pain. I need to know how to treat chronic pa–“
“For chronic pain, if you have a TENS unit and use it daily, that could help distract from the pain. Capzacin has a distracting agent in it that burns the skin, but the burn tends to go away if you can stand it long enough.”
“All right! Now we’re on a roll!”
“Benzocaine is a topical lidocaine, so that’s used for sunburns or toothache. Ambesol and Orajel are toothache benzocaines.”
“How can that help with chronic pain?”
“A classic example for fixing pain is to liken it to a broken bone–not to gross anyone out– that’s out of place, when you reset it, lining the bone up is probably as good at pain control as blasting the patient with pain medi–“
“No, honey, please go back to the chronic pain treat–“
“It’s the same with dislocations. It hurts when something is dislocated, and it hurts getting it back into place, but the body wants you to know about the problem with a lot of pain. You fix it, you’re better. Like a thorn in the foot. You don’t take pain meds for the thorn in the foot, you remove the thorn.”
“Okay, honey.” Sigh. “Got it. Remove whatever’s causing the chronic pain. Thanks for helping. See you soon! Remember, I have an appointment for you to adjust my back today.”
“Oh. Okay, sweetheart. Is that all you needed?”
“Yeah, once I get it sorted out.”
I no longer write the fast-paced medical novels set in emergency departments, because my brain can’t handle that much information and my fingers can’t type that quickly. I think from now on I’m going to email Mel my interview questions.
Posted in Hannah Alexander, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Reviews You Can Use by Julie Arduini

Posted on February 20, 2013 by juliearduini

Aside from buying books,the best thing readers can do for an author is take the time to write a positive review after finishing. It’s an important part of the industry, but hard for authors to market as it sounds self-serving.

I’ll admit, I don’t know if it’s true for product reviews, but I sense it would be the same. Afterall, a great buzz generates more interest. I remember a couple decades or so ago I remember my mom coming home with a Thighmaster simply because she heard all the comments and was curious enough to purchase it. Word-of-mouth works, and in our cyber society, reviews are an important tool.

Did you know reviews could brighten your day as a reader? I didn’t. I was having trouble settling my mind one night and decided to stroll read  stalk through Facebook. One of my friends offered a link and encouraged everyone to read, saying the reviews were funny, hysterical, and a mood lifter.

What was it for?
The Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer.

I’m not kidding.

There are over 3,000 reviews for this banana slicer, giving smiles to readers.

There are over 3,000 reviews for this banana slicer, giving smiles to readers.

As I type, there are over 3,000 reviews. Yep, for a banana slicer.

I’m not going to spoil the fun. You have to go there yourself.

Do you need a banana slicer? Maybe. Maybe not.

But on this winter’s day, I think we all could use a smile.

When finished, do something uplifting for an author and write a positive review for a book you enjoyed.

Let’s making smiling contagious!

Amazon image

Posted in Julie Arduini, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

This Cracked Me Up by James L. Rubart

Posted on February 19, 2013 by James L. Rubart

For CRI love this guy. Why? I get this. I think he’s saying, “Why would I read a book on my Kindle if I can hold it in my hands?” Me too.

I”m not down on e-readers. I have Kindle and Nook on my iPhone. I have ’em on my laptop and desktop and I’m just about to buy a dedicated e-reader. I flew to San Jose and back the earlier part of this month and it would have been great to have 1,000 books at my finger tips.

But if I have a choice I’m still picking up a physical book every time.

You?

Posted in Honored Alumni, James L. Rubart, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Loving Those Who Hurt Us by Sarah Goebel

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Sarah Goebel

I was just thinking about some experiences from my past. You know, as we journey through life it is inevitable that we will be hurt from time to time. When someone hurts us, whether they did so intentionally or not, our first impulse is to lash out at them. We want revenge. But Jesus says in Matthew 5:39, “Do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”

Let’s face it, we all know this is not natural and in our own strength, it is impossible. But as children of our Father who is in heaven, we are enabled by His life that lives in and through us to respond to others in this supernatural way.

We find a way to do this in Matthew 5:44. Jesus said, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. How do we forgive
thprayingose who hurt us? How do we love them? We simply pray for them, and as we do, Christ’s love is released through us.

Is there someone in your life today, who has hurt you? Someone who needs to experience the mercy of God through your life?
When you get on your knees for that person, you are releasing the love of God into their life, just as God released His love to you,
even when you were at enmity with Him. Go ahead and do it now. As you pray, you will not only release that person to God’s care,
you will set yourself free from the misery that results from being held captive to unforgiveness.

God is so good to us. He is love and He has poured out His love on us and in us that we can love Him and one another!

For Christ’s Glory,

Sarah Goebel

Posted in Sarah Goebel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments