Thursday, November 27, 2008

Just a note to say...

Happy Thanksgiving!!
Hope you all have a wonderful day and remember to thank the Lord for his many blessings!

Psalm 136
Thanksgiving to God for His Enduring Mercy


1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
2 Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!
For His mercy endures forever.
3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
For His mercy endures forever:

4 To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;
5 To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
For His mercy endures forever;
6 To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
For His mercy endures forever;
7 To Him who made great lights,
For His mercy endures forever—
8 The sun to rule by day,
For His mercy endures forever;
9 The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His mercy endures forever.

10 To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn,
For His mercy endures forever;
11 And brought out Israel from among them,
For His mercy endures forever;
12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm,
For His mercy endures forever;
13 To Him who divided the Red Sea in two,
For His mercy endures forever;
14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it,
For His mercy endures forever;
15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
For His mercy endures forever;
16 To Him who led His people through the wilderness,
For His mercy endures forever;
17 To Him who struck down great kings,
For His mercy endures forever;
18 And slew famous kings,
For His mercy endures forever—
19 Sihon king of the Amorites,
For His mercy endures forever;
20 And Og king of Bashan,
For His mercy endures forever—
21 And gave their land as a heritage,
For His mercy endures forever;
22 A heritage to Israel His servant,
For His mercy endures forever.

23 Who remembered us in our lowly state,
For His mercy endures forever;
24 And rescued us from our enemies,
For His mercy endures forever;
25 Who gives food to all flesh,
For His mercy endures forever.
26 Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!
For His mercy endures forever.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Prince Caspian--C.S. Lewis Part 1

Hello all! I am finally getting to a book review! I'm only going to cover chapters 1-5 today. Be sure to read the other Narnia posts, if you haven't done so already!

Title: Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia
Author: C.S. Lewis
Published: Originally published in 1951, it has been re-printed many times over the years. The particular copies I am reviewing are the same ones Dad read to us over the years, they are pretty old and falling apart! :-) (My brother Andrew has a newer copy with all the books in one collected version, however, I am still reading the old ones. :-)) Anyway, this particular copy is printed from Collier Books sometime in the 1970s.
Background Information: See other posts on C.S. Lewis and Narnia. Also, overall I like Prince Caspian, but it probably isn't my favorite in the series. Still has lots of humor though! :-)
Prince Caspian...
Here is how the first couple of pages start...

"Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, and it as been told in another book called The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe how they had a remarkable adventure. They had opened the door of a magic wardrobe and found themselves in a quite different world from ours, and in that different world they had become Kings and Queens in a country called Narnia. While they were in Narnia they seemed to reign for years and years; but when they came back through the door and found themselves in England again, it all seemed to have taken no time at all. At any rate, no one noticed that they had ever been away, and they never told anyone except one very wise grown-up. That had all happened a year ago, and now all four of them were sitting on a seat at a railway station with trunks and playboxes piled up round them. They were, in fact, on their way back to school. They had travelled together as far as this station, which was a junction; and here, in a few minutes, one train would arrive and take the girls away to one school, and in about half an hour another train would arrive and the boys would go off to another school. The first part of the journey, when they were all together always seemed to be part of the holidays; but now when they would be saying good-bye and going different ways so soon, everyone felt that the holidays were really over and everyone felt their term-time feelings beginning again, and they were all rather gloomy and no-one could think of anything to say. Lucy was going to boarding school for the first time." (p. 1-2)

After this, we learn that the railway station where they are is basically empty except for the kids. Lucy suddenly cries out (the book describes it as "like someone who has been stung by a wasp" (p 2)). Soon all of the children are crying out and feel as if they are being "pulled" Edmund says that it must be magic, and all the children hold hands and suddenly the railway station disappears and they are in a "woody place." Lucy wonders if they are in Narnia! After some difficulty they get out of the wooded area and find themselves on an island. They are delighted and begin wading in the water. After a bit, Susan points out that they need to "make some plans." A lengthy discussion ensues about what food they have and how they will find food, the four of them then do some exploring and they find a stream and some apple trees. They determine that the island must have been inhabited at one time. Soon they find some ancient ruins of a house and begin exploring, and they all have the feeling that somehow this place is familiar. They realize that it reminds them of their old castle at Cair Paravel!

They realize it is getting late and begin making preparations for the night, building a fire and eating the apples. Susan goes to get a drink from the well and comes back with a chess piece, and they recognize it as one of their old pieces from when they used to reign in Narnia. Peter says: "Now, it's about time we four started using our brains." (p. 16) Peter tells them that they are at the ruins of Cair Paravel! They discuss this at length and Edmund points out that they've only been gone a year though.

They remember that there should be a door, if they are at the right place, after some exploring and tearing down some ivy, they create an opening and with Edmund's new "electric torch" (flashlight) they go in! After going down some stairs, they find themselves in the treasure chamber. They recognize things and realize that that they really are at Cair Paravel! Remembering that they don't want to waste the battery, they gather up their gifts, Peter's sword/shield, Susan's arrows, and Lucy's bottle. Lucy notices that Susan's special horn is not there though. Susan says: "Oh bother, bother bother, I remember now. I took it with me the last day of all, the day we went hunting the White Stag. It must have got lost when we blundered back into that other place--England, I mean." (p. 24) (I love how she says "blundered back into that other place--England I mean" :-) ) They feel disappointed by this, as they are sure the horn would've come in handy for them. Peter wonders if Susan's bow strings still work, and Susan tests them, and they do! Peter looks at his sword, and remembers how he killed the wolf with it, then they all remember again about the battery and go back up the stairs. They all get settled on the ground for the night.

Chapter 3 begins:

"The worst of sleeping out of doors is that you wake up so dreadfully early. And when you wake you have to get up because the ground is so hard that you are uncomfortable. And it make matters worse if there is nothing but apples for breakfast and you have had nothing but apples for supper the night before. When Lucy had said--truly enough--that it was a glorious morning, there did not seem to be anything else nice to be said. Edmund said what everyone was feeling. "We've simply got to get off this island."" (p.26)

They begin discussing how to leave the island, swimming is suggested, however Lucy and Edmund can't swim well. Lucy wonders if since they were able to swim in Narnia last time if they would remember how to now. The rest are doubtful though, since they were grownups back then. Something occurs to Edmund and begins talking about how that it's only been a year since they left, but it looks like it has been hundreds of years since anyone lived at Cair Paravel, and when they got back home the last time, hardly any time had passed. He concludes by saying: "And that means, that once you're out of Narnia, you have no idea how Narnian time is going. Why shouldn't hundred of years have gone past in Narnia while only one year has passed for us in England?" (p.28)

The others are excited about this idea and agree with it. They are interrupted when they see a boat with two soldiers inside and someone tied up. The children hide and watch what happens. The soldiers are about the throw the tied up person (a Dwarf) overboard, when Susan shoots an arrow. Both soldiers are so frightened that they leave the Dwarf in the boat and swim away!
Peter and Susan rush into the water to bring the boat to shore and Edmund cuts the Dwarf loose. When the Dwarf is free he says: "Well, whatever they say, you don't feel like ghosts." (p. 30) He also tells them that he is "obliged" to them. Lucy wonders why they would be ghosts. The Dwarf then tells them that there has been rumors of ghosts on this island for years, which is why the soldiers left as fast as they did. :-)

The children ask why they were going to drown the dwarf, and he tells them that it is a long story and asks about having some breakfast. They inform him that all they is apples, and the Dwarf suggests fish. Peter is somewhat disgusted with himself for not thinking of that before. So, they all go in the boat, and catch some fish, and then have a somewhat messy breakfast of fish and apples. :-) The children also take the time to show/tell him about the castle ruins. Finally breakfast is finished and the children asks him for his story. He tells them that he is a messenger of King Caspian, the children want to know who he is, and says "Caspian the Tenth, King of Narnia, and long may he reign!" (p. 35) Then the Dwarf says "That is to say, he ought to be King of Narnia and we hope he will be. At present he is only King of us Old Narnians----" (p. 35) The children interrupt and the Dwarf tries to explain. The Dwarf finally realizes that he is not explaining it well, and starts at the beginning. Chapters 4-7 then change gears and we begin learning about Caspian.

The Dwarf begins his tale, he starts out when Caspian is little, and we learn that Prince Caspian lives in a castle with Uncle King Miraz and his Aunt Queen Prunasprismia. (how would you like a name like that girls?? :-)) His parents are dead and the book says "the person whom Caspian loved best was his nurse" (p. 37) We also learn that Caspian does not care much for his Aunt and Uncle. He takes walks with his uncle about twice a week, and during one of these walks, his Uncle tells him that soon they must teach him to "ride and use a sword" (p. 38) When his Uncle asks how he would like that, Caspian, isn't sure. and tells his Uncle that he wishes he "could have lived in the Old Days" (p. 38). His Uncle is surprised by this, and questions him further, and Caspian says,
"When everything was quite different. When all the animals could talk, and there were nice people who lived in the streams and the trees. Naiads and dryads they were called. And there were dwarfs. And there were lovely little Fauns in all the woods. They had feet like goat.
And--" (p. 38-39) The King interrupts and tells him that's all nonsense, and stuff for babies. He tells him that "At your age you ought to be thinking of battles and adventures, not fairy tales." (p. 39) Caspian disagrees, and begins going on some more about Aslan, the White Witch, the Kings and Queens (Peter, Susan Edmund, and Lucy) his Uncle interrupts him again, and wants to know who has been telling him "all this nonsense." Caspian doesn't want to tell, but is forced to admit that it is his Nurse. The next day, Caspian learns that his Nurse was sent away and now he is to have a "Tutor."
We learn about how Caspian is very upset about his Nurse being sent away, and is convinced he won't like this Tutor. However, he surprised to learn that he does! The book describes the tutor as: "the sort of person it is almost impossible not to like. He was the smallest, and also the fattest, man Caspian had ever seen. He had a long, silvery, pointed beard which came down to his waist, and his face, which was brown and covered with wrinkles, looked very wise, very ugly, and very kind. His voice was grave and his eyes were merry so that, until you got to know him really well, it was hard to know when he was joking and when he was serious. His name was Doctor Cornelius." (p. 41)
We also learn that Caspian liked his History lessons the best from Doctor Cornelius. We learn more about Caspian's ancestors, and that they aren't native Narnians, but are Telmarines. Caspian begins asking many questions and Caspian gets the idea that the "Old Narnia" stories about talking animals are true, but Doctor Cornelius doesn't admit this, because it is too dangerous, the lessons turns from History to Grammar. Caspian is excited and thinks that Cornelius will tell him more another time.
A few days later, Cornelius takes Caspian out at night to give him an Astronomy lesson. For a couple of pages the book goes on about the Astronomy thing Cornelius took Caspian to see, and then Cornelius tells him that there was another reason he brought him up there. Before he begins talking thought, he tells Caspian that they can never discuss what he is about to say anywhere but at this place, "the very top of the Great Tower." (p. 46) Doctor Cornelius then tells Caspian that everything he has heard about the old Narnia is true! But the Telmarines have now silenced the talking beasts and "are now trying to cover up even the memory of them." (p. 47) Cornelius makes a comment at one point, and after some discussion, Caspian is shocked to realize that his Tutor is actually...a dwarf! Caspian is delighted and Cornelius tells him that he is "not a pure Dwarf. I have human blood in me too." (p. 48)
Cornelius then tells Caspian why he told him these things. One reason is because he has wanted to tell someone for a long time and second reason is "that when you become King you may help us, for I know that you also, Telmarine though you are love the Old Things." (p. 49) Caspian then learns some more things, and we also learn that the Telmarines are afraid of the sea because "they can never quite forget that in all stories Aslan comes from over the sea. They don't want to go near it and they don't want anyone else to go near it So they have let great woods grow up to cut their people off from the coast. But because they have quarrelled with the trees they are afraid of the woods. And because they are afraid of the woods they imagine that they are full of ghosts." (p. 50-51) Cornelius talks some more, and then tells Caspian that they must to back to bed. Caspian is disappointed, but complies.
In chapter 5 we learn more about how Caspian and Cornelius have more secret conversations, and how Caspian begins learning sword-fighting, riding, etc. in addition to his lessons with Cornelius. Caspian also begin observing things about how his Uncle is reigning Narnia, and that the people seem unhappy. One night, Cornelius wakes Caspian up and tells Caspian to leave. Caspian is confused, and Cornelius explains that his Aunt, the Queen, has just given birth to a son and his Uncle will be wanting to kill Caspian! Caspian is very confused, and Cornelius explains how Miraz is a usurper and that Caspian should be the true King. Cornelius goes into some detail how Mirax accomplished getting rid of "all the great lords who had known your father." (p. 55) The only part I'll quote, since it comes up later, is when Cornelius says: "And finally he persuaded the seven noble lords, who along among all the Telmarines did not fear the sea, to sail away and look for new lands beyond the Eastern Ocean, and as he intended, they never came back." (p. 56)
Some more discussion occurs, and Caspian learns that Miraz also killed his father. Caspian has to go on his own, since it would be too dangerous for Cornelius to come too. Cornelius gives him several things, one of which is a horn. Cornelius tells him that it was Queen Susan's and tells him: "It is said that whoever blows it shall have strange help--no one can say how strange. It may have power to call Queen Lucy and King Edmund, and Queen Susan and the High King Peter back from the past and they will set all to rights. It may be that it will call up Aslan himself." (p. 58) Caspian is further instructed to use it in his greatest need.
Caspian heads off and for the next couple of pages it goes into some detail about his ride, a storm, etc. Caspian eventually Caspian rides into a tree, hits his head, and becomes unconscious.
When Caspian eventually wakes up, he hears voices talking about his and how they should kill him. Caspian asks that they be kind to his horse, and he is informed that his horse rode away before they found him. Caspian soon realizes that he is in a cave and there is a (talking) Badger name Trufflehunter, who is the nicest, a Dwarf named Nikabrik, who wants to kills Caspian, and another Dwarf named Trumpkin. A good deal of talking goes on for several pages, and Caspian eventually explains that he wants to stay and that the King wants to kill him. Nikabrik gets upset when he learns that Miraz is Caspian's Uncle and is about to kill him when Trumpkin tells him to behave, or Trufflehunter and himself will "sit on his head" :-) (p. 65)
More discussion happens, and after some arguing, it is decided to let Caspian stay.
I will try to get to some more of the book later this week, but no guarantees! Hope you have a great week!

Saturday, November 22, 2008

We Gather Together--Hymn Review :-)

Hello all! Well, I thought I should try to post something today. I really am going to try to get a book review done soon! I've had someone want to know when I'm going to get back to Narnia, so I am little more motivated to try to do that. :-) Hopefully this coming week I will get to some of Prince Caspian to review! I just finished re-reading "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" yesterday, but that probably won't get reviewed until January. :-)

Anyway, I thought that since Thanksgiving is just a few days away, it might be fun to have a post on a Thanksgiving Day hymn. :-)

We Gather Together
We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!

We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!


This is what wikipedia has to say about the hymn:

"We Gather Together is a Christian hymn of Netherlands origin written in 1597 by Adrianus Valerius (pka François Valéry) as Wilt Heden Nu Treden to celebrate the Dutch victory over Spanish forces in the Battle of Turnhout. It was originally set to a Dutch folk tune. In the United States, it is popularly associated with Thanksgiving Day and is often sung at family meals and at religious services on that day.

We gather together to ask our Lord's blessing...

At the time the hymn was written, the Dutch were engaged in a war of national liberation against the Catholic King Philip II of Spain. "Wilt heden nu treden," "We gather together" resonated because under the Spanish King, Dutch Protestants were forbidden to gather for worship. The hymn first appeared in print in a 1626 collection of Dutch patriotic songs, "Nederlandtsch Gedencklanck."

The hymn is customarily performed to a tune known as "Kremser", from Eduard Kremser's 1877 score arrangement and lyric translation of Wilt Heden Nu Treden into Latin and German. The modern English text was written by Theodore Baker in 1894.

According to the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, "We Gather Together's" first appeared in an American hymnal was in 1903. It had retained popularity among the Dutch, and when the when the Dutch Reformed Church in North America decided in 1937 to abandon the policy that they had brought with them to the New World in the 1600's of singing only psalms and add hymns to the church service, "We Gather Together" was chosen as the first hymn in the first hymnal.

The hymn steadily gained popularity, especially in services of Thanksgiving on such occasions as town and college centennial celebrations. According to Carl May, executive director of the Hymn Society, the "big break" came in 1935 when it was included in the national hymnal of the Methodist-Episcopal Church.

According to Michael Hawn, professor of sacred music at Southern Methodist University's Perkins School of Theology, "by World War I, we started to see ourselves in this hymn," and the popularity increased during World War II, when "the wicked oppressing" were understood to include Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.
This hymn is generally sung at American churches the day before Thanksgiving."
(just as a reminder, wikipedia is not always the most reliable source of information, but I usually find what they say to be pretty interesting)

Another website I found that talked about the hymn is this one:
I liked this article, more than wikipedia, but it is copyrighted, so I thought I would just give you the link to it. :-)
My own thoughts on the hymn. First of all I like it. :-) I don't know about you, but I don't always take the time to read and think about hymns, I mean, I've known them all my life, so I sometimes have a tendency to not really think about the words. However, on occasions, (usually in the middle of singing or playing it) I start thinking about the words, and realize how true they can be! It's pretty cool to just take time to think and analyze hymn words, and try to figure out what they are really saying. Anyway, I was just curious if any of you had a favorite verse in the song, I think I like the first verse the best. But sometimes picking just one verse is hard to do, after all the whole song is supposed to be together! :-)

What do you think of the words in verse 3..."Let Thy congregation escape tribulation"? I wonder if that is a good theology/philosophy to have? After all, aren't we supposed to have trials/tribulations? Just some new thoughts of my own that I thought I'd share. :-)

I'd love to hear some of your thoughts on the hymn? Does it have any special memories for you? Favorite verse? Notice anything else in there that stands out to you, good or bad?

Hope you have a great week!


Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Poll Results--11/12/08--11/19/08

Here are the latest poll results! Thanks for your participation! :-)

Favorite Fall Food (of these choices)
Total of 6 votes

Pumpkin Pie.........................................2 votes (33%)
Pumpkin Bread..................................1 vote (16%)
Something with caramel..............1 vote (16%)
Turkey..........................................1 vote (16%)
Apple Pie....................................1 vote (16%)
I can't stand any of these! :-).....0 votes (0%)

Hmmm, I think my favorite would be pumpkin bread or apple pie, although I like them both all year round. :-)

Favorite "Warm" Drink (of these choices)
Total of 6 votes

Regular hot chocolate.......................1 vote (16%)
Flavored hot chocolate.....................3 votes (50%)
Coffee..........................................1 vote (16%)
Flavored coffee............................0 votes (0%)
Tea..........................................0 votes (0%)
Cider..........................................1 vote (16%)
Starbucks..........................................0 votes (0%)
Can't stand any of these! :-).................0 votes (0%)

Hee! Flavored hot chocolate wins! :-) That's probably my favorite of these choices too. :-)

Favorite Fall Activity (of these choices)
Total of 6 votes

Walking and staring at the changing leaves........3 votes (50%)
Raking the leaves:-).................................0 votes (0%)
Watching some sport on tv:................0 votes (0%)
Baking fall deserts/meals/food.........................3 votes (50%)
Watching a special Fall movie.................0 votes (0%)
None of these apply to me! :-).................0 votes (0%)

Interesting, a tie between leaves and baking! I would probably choose one of those too. Probably baking. :-) (walking is work! :-) ) I should have said driving around and staring at the changing leaves! :-)

Anyway, thanks again, and have a great week!



Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Movie Review on "Come What May"

Hello all! Well, I'm not doing a book review, but I wanted to let you know about a new Christian movie that's out right now. :-) I won't be giving away all the details though, don't want to spoil it for you! I did want to give you a general idea about it though. I saw this advertised on another blog a couple of weeks ago, I watched the trailer, and then sent an email to my Dad and said "Can we get this please?" :-) I was surprised that he said yes! Anyway, the dvd came in on Friday, and we watched it Saturday. (Dad and Josh have yet to see it... :-) )

The movie is called "Come What May" it came out this year, and was produced by home schoolers (yay! :-) ) For those of us who are used to high-production/professional Hollywood films, the movie may seem a little different to you. It's fairly low budget, and I can mostly see this by the "backgrounds" in the film. However, I thought the acting was pretty good, and the content/story is great! :-)

It is about a 19 year old young man, named Caleb, who wants to become a lawyer. He wants to transfer to Patrick Henry College, because they turn out some of the best debaters. His mom is an unsaved lawyer and is not thrilled about the idea. His dad is a newly christian science teacher and is more favorable. They visit the school, and his mom agrees to let him go, and they will pay for the first year, and they will also pay for the second year, IF he wins the "moot court debate." (this is like a pretend debate with the Supreme Court)

Okay, a brief little interruption here. Wanted to give you a little more information, if you aren't familiar, Patrick Henry College is a fairly new college, started by Mike Farris. Mike Farris has been prominent in the home school realm, and I believe he was also the one who started HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense) an organization to help defend home schooling rights etc. Mike Farris has 10 kids, I think they are all older now. He also is in the film for a couple of scenes, which is pretty cool. :-) I've heard him speak once, several years ago. Anyway, just in case you aren't familiar with all this "home school trivia" I thought I'd give some background. :-)

Anyway, so Caleb is going to be partnered up with a girl named Rachel for this debate team, however the topic this year is "overturning Roe vs. Wade." Caleb is not thrilled with this, and keeps trying to think of ways to not exactly "overturn" Roe vs. Wade but just make a few changes, and LATER add an exception clause or something. He is convinced he won't be able to win the argument, since it is such a debatable topic. (and as a result he won't be able to attend Patrick Henry the next year) However, the entire team is against this idea, they want to argue to overturn it.

His mom and dad also are having some marital issues that add another dimension to the film. His dad wants to publish a christian biology text book, but is worried he will lose his teaching job if he does. His mom is pretty "feministic" and consumed with work.

Ironically, his mom has a chance to go before the REAL supreme court to help the abortion issue (having a girl not have to let her parents know that she is getting an abortion). So while Caleb is defending abortion in his moot court hearing, his mom is doing the opposite in the "real" Supreme Court! This in my opinion, is the climax of the movie, watching Caleb convince his "moot court" to overturn Roe vs. Wade and his mom arguing for abortion.

Also, I love the fact that in the movie they sort of talk about "courtship." Caleb wants to go out with his partner Rachel, but she informs him that "the man she gives her heart to, is the man she marries." Anyway, this adds an interesting twist to the movie, and I love the fact that the movie emphasizes something other than the usual dating methods.

So there is the gist of the movie, I hope I've pricked you're curiosity! I've purposely left out a lot and how the movie ends. :-) If you want to learn more abut the movie, see the trailer, etc. Go to this website:

http://www.adventfilmgroup.com/

I'd encourage to consider purchasing the film. (or maybe borrow it from me to see if you like it, THEN buy it :-) ) Although it will be different from the films you usually see, I think it's good to sometimes buy Christian film productions and help to encourage the producers etc!

Hope you enjoyed the summary! Have a great day!

Also, if you've seen the movie, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it! Did you have a favorite part, or quote? What do you wish they had done differently?

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Resources for supporting the persecuted church

Hello all! I am closing out the week of remembering the persecuted church with the following suggestions to encourage you to remember the church year round. :-) Again, like the devotionals, the following information was not created by me, but by another family in our church. There are some excellent ideas in here! I'd encourage you to do a couple. (and maybe one of these days I will get to read and review some of the books they suggest :-) )
Hope you enjoyed the week off from book reviews! I hope to get at least one done this week.
Have a great day!
RESOURCES FOR SUPPORTING THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

There are prayer guides available from many ministries. Or you can just get out the map and a copy of “Operation World.” This book’s goal is to get you to pray by listing specific and detailed information about every country and region in the world. It is available from www.OperationWorld.org.

Here are some additional ways you can support the persecuted church. Please prayerfully consider what you and your family can do today.

1. Log on to these ministry websites to take advantage of free newsletters and magazines:

Voice of the Martyrs – www.Persecution.com
Open Doors – www.OpenDoorsUSA.org
Christian Freedom International – www.ChristianFreedom.org

2. Christmas is coming. Consider purchasing a handcrafted product (from handbags to home décor) made by persecuted Christians in Burma, Bangladesh, Laos, Vietnam and Indonesia. The money goes to support their families. Receive a catalog from www.ChristianFreedom.org.

3. Smuggle a Bible into a restricted country by donating to the Bible League. Contact them at www.BibleLeague.org for more information and a collection box for your children – in the shape of a Bible!

4. Display a prayer map in your home with the persecuted countries highlighted. Accompanying country summaries can be used to lead your children in a brief devotional about a specific country, including the religion, governmental leaders and state of Christianity there. This will help you pray more effectively and intelligently and teach your children to do likewise. You can get these items free from Voice of the Martyrs at www.Perscution.com.

5. Send a letter to a Christian prisoner! You can log on to www.PrisonerAlert.com and read biographies to learn more about our brothers and sisters in chains. The site allows you to write a letter in English and it will be translated into the prisoner’s native tongue, you can print it out and mail it to him/her. Every year, Christian prisoners testify to improved treatment and reduced sentences due largely to the fact that they receive letters from around the world from caring Christians.

6. Send an action pack to Christians suffering in Pakistan, Afghanistan or Iraq. For $5.00, you will receive a preprinted vacuum bag and instructions on what you can include (clothing, toys, sheets, etc.) to donate to our family in these countries. Once full, you can mail it back to Voice of the Martyrs and they will hand deliver it for you. Including your family picture is an added bonus! www.Persecution.com/ActionPacks

7. Sponsor a Burmese child who has become orphaned due to the military junta killing his/her parents. These children have escaped through the jungles into neighboring Thailand and are living in refugee camps on the Burmese/Thai border. Our family is sponsoring our third child now. Your $25.00 per month will go far in changing a life. You can find out more at www.ChristianFreedom.org.

8. Another Bible option – join Bibles Unbound (www.BiblesUnbound.com). Each month, you will receive the names and addresses of five Christians in countries such as Egypt, North Korea, Colombia and China. You will also receive Bibles in their languages. You will personally package and mail the Bibles to these Christians. This program has been hugely successful because mailed items are individually addressed and are not large suspicious-looking boxes. As of today, over 730,000 Bibles have been sent and more than 64,000 Christians are still waiting. Perhaps your family could send a Bible.

9. Select a country for your family to focus on in the upcoming year or month. Make it a unit study if you homeschool, or even if you don’t. Pray for that country. Get to know its leaders and how the church is being persecuted. Consider visiting or going on a mission trip. Consider supporting a Christian cause within your selected country. Find out all you can. For instance, how many Christians are dying there each day? Each hour? Each minute? For instance, in China, a Christian is martyred every 15 seconds. Praise God, a new Christian joins God’s family in China every three seconds! These are the kinds of things we should speak to our children.

10. If you enjoy sewing, obtain a parachute pattern from Voice of the Martyrs
(www.Persecution.com). These patterns come with complete instructions and parachutes made by you will be used to drop Bibles and radios from airplanes into the jungles of Colombia to the FARC guerillas there.

11. Wear a bracelet. Many are available including ones that remind us of countries or individuals or the global persecuted church.

12. Do you enjoy watching film? Watch a movie or documentary about the persecuted church, a specific country or a specific person together as a family and discuss it afterwards. Each year, the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival (www.IndependentChristianFilms.com) awards many film-makers in several categories. Last year’s winner was “A Cry from Iran” about martyr Brother Haik (www.ACryFromIran.com). We collect these films for our family. Other ministries that produce movies and documentaries that are quite excellent include Open Doors (www.OpenDoorsUSA.org) and Voice of the Martyrs (www.Persecution.com).

13. Choose to read a book – fiction or non-fiction – about the persecuted church each year. Perhaps you will choose to read one aloud to your family. Several great books will be on display to give you some ideas of what we have read as a family. Although we know there are many others, this may be a good starting point for you. Some are devotional readings that take less than five minutes a day.

Here are some recommendations from our personal library:

The Battle for the Chinese Bible – Nora Lam
any book by Watchman Nee
any book by Richard Wurmbrand, including Tortured for Christ
Foxe’s Book of Martyrs – John Foxe
Extreme Devotion – devotional book
Jesus Freaks – devotional book by D.C. Talk
Christians in the Shadow of the Kremlin – Anita Deyneka
any book by Corrie Ten Boom
Hidden Sorrow, Lasting Joy – Anneke Companjen
Sister Freaks – devotional book by Rebecca St. James
The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History – Kenneth Curtis
The Pilgrim’s Progress – John Bunyan
Bold as a Lamb – Ken Anderson
Safely Home – Randy Alcorn
Called To Die – Steve Estes
God’s Smuggler – Brother Andrew

Devotional for the Persecuted Church--day 7

Here is the last day of the devotional. I will be putting some more information on the Persecuted Church later today. Have a great day!

Day 7 – Nigeria battles greed and corruption. Islam has been given preferential treatment over Christianity in the past. Shariah law was implemented in 12 of Northern Nigeria’s predominately Muslim states. Christians fear the recent election of a Muslim president may lead to more violence against Christians.

Christian – 52.6%,
Muslim – 41%
Islam, President Umaru Musa Yar’adua

Radical Muslims continue to attack Christians in Northern Nigeria. In April, a mob dragged teacher Christianah Oluwasesin out of her classroom, beat her to death and burned her body. They were incited by the rumor that the teacher touched a Koran, which was among other books she took from a student during an exam. In other cases, young women are kidnapped, forced to convert to Islam and forcibly married to Muslim men. Churches, Christian schools, homes and businesses were burned and destroyed by angry rioters during 2007.

PRAYER: Pray the Holy Spirit will bring understanding, conviction and salvation to persecutors. (2Cor 4:3-6)

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Devotional for the Persecuted Church--day 6

Here's day 6, one more day to go!

Day 6 – Indonesia is a collection of 18,306 islands; 6,000 are inhabited. The government forces people to carry an identification card that includes their religious status. The government promotes a belief called “Pancasila,” which means all may freely choose to follow Christianity, Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism, but in reality, Muslims receive preferential treatment.

Muslim – 80%,
Christian – 16%
Islam, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

Forty-one Indonesian believers were recently imprisoned. They were charged under Indonesia’s religion abuse laws. Fundamentalist Muslims obtained a video of a prayer meeting where these believers held a copy of the Koran and prayed for Muslims. The Muslims perceived it as blasphemous. All 41 Christians received five-year prison sentences. During the last 40 years, evangelicals have grown from 1.3 million to 11.5 million. The increase of Christian persecution has brought about a greater unity among the Body of Christ, the growth of a national prayer movement and a commitment to outreach in Indonesia and beyond.

PRAYER: Pray for the release of pastors and other believers who have been falsely accused and imprisoned (Luke 6:27-28)

Friday, November 14, 2008

Devotional for the Persecuted Church--day 5

Here's day five! Have a great day!

Day 5 – Burma (Myanmar) is well acquainted with struggle. Officially, Buddhism is no longer the state religion, but it is actively promoted by the military regime. All those who advocate improved human rights are harassed or imprisoned.

Buddhist – 82.9%,
Christian – 8.7%
Buddhism/Military dictatorship, Sr. Gen. Than Shwe

The government of Burma continues to discourage, harass and use other, more severe, forms of persecution on any group or belief they consider harmful to the state. Christianity is high on their list for eradication: all the while the government claims freedom of religion. A secret memo entitled “Program to destroy the Christian religion in Burma” details point by point instruction s on how to drive Christians out of the state. It calls for anyone caught evangelizing to be imprisoned. Churches are being burned. There are forcible conversions of Christians to Buddhism and Christian children barred from schools. Ethnic Christians, in particular are singled out for repression because of the government’s goal to create a uniform society of one language, one ethnicity and one religion.

PRAYER: Pray for boldness and courage for believers in the face of fear (Isa 40:29-31)

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Devotional for the Persecuted Church--day 4

Here is day four of the devotional, have a great day!

Day 4 – Sudan is Africa’s largest country. Since 1983, there have been approximately two million deaths and four million people displaced due to war genocide. A separate conflict broke out in 2003 in Darfur, where peacekeeping troops struggle for stability. The conflict is spreading throughout the region to neighboring countries. A 2005 peace agreement appears to be falling apart between the Muslim government and the southern Christian faction.

Muslim – 65%,
Christian – 23.2%
Islam, President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir

In spite of, or perhaps because of, the persecution in the last 20 years, the church in Sudan has continued to grow. Life continues to be difficult as the country struggles for stability.

PRAYER: Pray that those who are persecuted will have opportunities to share Christ with their persecutors (Colossians 4:3)

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

My official blog post on blogging during the Holidays :-)

Hello all! I've had several "Notes on Blogging" where I mentioned my status on blogging for the holidays. However, I wanted to give an official Blog post to this, that way I can delete all my "Notes." :-)

For the months of November and December I will be pretty busy getting ready for Christmas, lots of church activities, working, and who knows what else. :-) I still hope to do polls, quotes, Scripture of the day etc. However, I won't be posting as many book reviews. (you probably have already noticed this :-) ) If I can get at least one book review up a week, I will have considered that a success! :-) I'd like to get 2-3 up a week, but I just don't think I'll be able to. :-) So, in the meantime, feel free to look at the archives, vote on polls, browse the blog, or check out some of the blogs/websites/links that are at the sidebar!

The books I hope to do "soon" (as in November and December) are:

Voice of the Martyrs book
Prince Caspian
(maybe the rest of the Narnia series)
Finish Spiritual Disciplines
Maybe Pleasing People, by Lou Priolo
Maybe a Christmas Book

That's a pretty long list, and I don't think I'll get to them all, but we will see! If you have any preferences on what I do first, or the order I go in, let me know! The Voice of the Martyrs book is on my top priority list, I just can't figure out the best way to review it! :-)

Thanks to all of my readers, friends, and family who look at the blog! Hope you have a wonderful day!

Devotional for the Persecuted Church--day 3

Here's day three! Be sure to check out the previous posts for this devotional. Have a good day!

Day 3 – Iran’s state religion is Shi’a Islam, and the followers of all other faiths are treated severely. The government has specifically taken an increasing anti-Western and anti-Christian stand. Iran has been called the world’s number one producer of terrorism.

Muslim – 99%,
Christian – 0.3%
Islam, Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-Khamenei

In 2007, the government organized a highly-coordinated crackdown that included the arrest and interrogation of Christians, along with the confiscation of thousands of Bibles. Pastors are forbidden to preach in Farsi (the official language) and can only use the Armenian language. Mission organizations are not allowed to enter Iran. Open witnessing to Muslims is banned, and the government sends spies to monitor Christian groups. Believers are discriminated against in education, employment and property ownership. Muslims who leave Islam can receive the death penalty. After decades of existing under government oppression, Iranians are hungry for spiritual meaning, as well as freedom from their oppressive government. Christian programs, broadcast by satellite, have received very positive responses. Hundreds of callers ask for more information about Christianity or pray with a counselor to receive Christ. House church leaders are nearly overwhelmed caring for these new believers. Careful attention is being given to training Christians into mature believers and integrating them into a fellowship.

PRAYER: Pray for God’s grace and strength for persecuted believers to forgive their persecutors (Rom 8:11)

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Devotional for the Persecuted Church--day 2

Hello all! Here is the day two devotional for the persecuted church. Be sure to read the previous posts on the subject to get more of a "background" of why I'm doing this. :-) Have a good day!

Day 2 – China was declared the People’s Republic of China in 1949 by Chairman Mao Zedong, who quickly sought to purge society of anything that would point to religion. In recent years, living standards have improved in urban areas while little has changed in the countryside, promoting discontent. Political controls remain tight. Rural areas have not seen any economic prosperity; a lot remains unchanged, promoting discontent. The human rights record in China is one of the worst in the world. Its system of “re-education through labor” detains hundreds of thousands each year in work camps without even a court hearing.

Non-Religious/Other – 49.6%,
Chinese – 28.5%,
Christian 7.3%
Communism, President Hu Jintao

The year 2007 marked the 200th year of Protestant mission work in China. Again in 2007, church property and Bibles were confiscated. Christians were harassed, questioned, arrested and imprisoned. More Christians are in prison or under detention in China than in any other country. The house church movement (unregistered churches), which comprises approximately 90 percent of China’s Christians, endures unimaginable persecution, yet stands on its commitment to preach the gospel, no matter the cost. A major crackdown against unregistered church groups continued in 2007. Beijing house church activist Hua Huiqi was released after serving six months imprisonment, while many other house church leaders remain in detention. Christians in prison are routinely beaten and abused.

PRAYER: Pray their faithfulness, even in suffering, will be the magnet that draws others to Christ (Ps.91)

Monday, November 10, 2008

Devotional for the Persecuted Church--day 1

Hello again! Our church is having families/individuals do a seven day devotional for persecuted Christians. I am including them here on my blog for you too. I did not create these at all, the information was created/provided by another family in our church. I hope you enjoy them! In addition to the daily devotional, I will be including other information later this week.

Day 1 – North Korea is one of the most repressive and isolated regimes in the world and denies every kind of human right to its citizens. The country’s previous leader, Kim Il Sung, founded an ideology called “Juche,” which is enforced in every aspect of the culture. Government-organized religious activities exist solely to provide the illusion of religious freedom.

Non-Religious – 64.3%,
Traditional ethnic – 16.0%,
Chondogyo – 13.5%,
Christian – 1.7%
One-man dictatorship / Communism. Chairman Kim Jong I

North Korea is the worst perpetrator of persecution against Christians in the world. Despite harsh conditions, Christians are quietly adding to their numbers daily. Hearts are longing for truth and for a loving relationship with their Creator. Local Christians continue to stand strong under this relentless persecution. The exact number of Christians is unknown. The government considers Christians to be a stability threat, so they are hunted all over the country. Christians must practice their faith in deep secrecy and are in constant danger. Many North Koreans, including Christians, have fled to China. Some Christians have returned to North Korea to share the gospel. Any North Korean refugee sent back to North Korea faces torture, imprisonment and often death. Underground Christian Son Jong Nam has been in prison for more than two years, awaiting public execution.

PRAYER: Pray for faithful disciples, people who will be faithful, no matter what the cost (1 Cor 4:9-14, 16)

First Day of Work

Hello all! I know a few of you are curious about my first day of work. (mostly for the benefit of my family and friends. I figure the average reader who doesn't know me, is probably wondering why I'm doing this post... :-)) So, I thought I'd give you a little update. :-)

First of all, I survived! I am also very tired right now. :-) So if this sounds scattered or strange, you are warned! :-)

I worked from 9-4 and I work that same shift tomorrow, I don't know about the rest of the week yet. Mondays the "truck" comes in, so after I filled out paperwork and watched some videos for two hours, I helped open boxes and stock shelves. Mostly in the framing department.

I met a few of my co-workers but not many. I did not have to learn the register yet, which I think I'm glad about. It was a little awkward for me to have customers ask me questions, and I had to explain that I was new. :-) They seemed very understanding though, one gentleman thought it was funny that he got "the rookie" and informed his wife about how he always asks questions to the new workers. :-) She didn't seem as amused. :-) I was able to find other workers to help customers though.

Oh yes, some of you know that I have to wear a dress code for the job. This means khaki pants and black shirts. I haven't worn pants in a little over 10 years, so this is something of an adjustment for me. :-) I did survive in them, and it would be pretty impractical to wear a skirt, I was bending/squatting/on the floor so much it would have been awkward. I did learn that you can wear khaki skirts, something they didn't tell me at first. However, I think I will just stick with pants. :-)

Anyway, I think those are the highlights! Hopefully you enjoyed it! I'd appreciate your prayers as I continue to learn the job! Especially tomorrow, it is a holiday and I'm expecting it to be a little crazy. Have a great day!

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Poll Results--11/01/08--11/08/08

Hello all! Here are the latest poll results! Thanks again for your input as I continue to evaluate the blog!

In the last month, have the book posts:
Total of 4 votes

Improved.......................................1 vote (25%)
Gotten Worse.............................0 votes (0%)
Stayed the Same........................1 vote (25%)
No opinion..................................2 votes (50%)

Thanks for the input! :-)

What has been your favorite fiction book blog review post(s)?
Total of 3 votes

Magician's Nephew..................................1 vote (33%)
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe............1 vote (33%)
Stepping Heavenward..................................0 votes (0%)
Oliver Optic posts..................................0 votes (0%)
Lamplighter, White Dove..................................0 votes (0%)
Lamplighter, 3 Weavers..................................1 vote (33%)
Lamplighter, Hedge of Thorns..................................0 votes (0%)
Children's Reading Material..................................0 votes (0%)

Hee! After reading the few responses I got on the three sets of book questions, it confirms my suspicions that the average reader doesn't read many of the book reviews, and I should shorten them. :-) Now, if I could just figure out how.... :-)

What has been your favorite non-fiction book review blog post(s)?
Total of 3 votes

Spiritual Disciplines..................................2 votes (66%)
John Piper book..................................1 vote (33%)
Al Mohler book..................................0 votes (0%)
C.S. Lewis Biography..................................0 votes (0%)
William Tyndale Biography..................................0 votes (0%)
Sarah Mally book..................................0 votes (0%)

I'm enjoying the Spiritual Disciplines series as well! :-)

What has been your favorite "miscellaneous" post?
Total of 3 votes

Poll Results..................................1 vote (33%)
Discussion Questions..................................0 votes (0%)
Family stuff (birthday posts, 21 years ago)......................0 votes (0%)
Spurgeon Quotes..................................1 vote (33%)
Why Narnia is special to me..................................0 votes (0%)
Narnia Movie vs. Book review..................................1 vote (33%)
History of the blog..................................0 votes (0%)
How to leave a comment :-)..................................0 votes (0%)

Would you like to see?
Total of 5 votes

More pictures..................................2 votes (40%)
More quotes..................................3 votes (60%)
More in my profile..................................1 vote (20%)
More blogs/websites:-)..................................0 votes (0%)
Something else..................................1 vote (20%)
Everything is fine how it is :-)..................................0 votes (0%)

You all seem to like quotes! :-) Will have to think of some more creative ones soon. Hmm, maybe some on animals? hehe :-) Oh yeah, I wonder what the "something else" is??

Do you enjoy seeing the previous weeks poll results for an extra week?
Total of 5 votes

Yes..................................1 vote (20%)
No..................................2 votes (40%)
I don't scroll down & I never see them...............1 vote (20%)
Just keep the results up for a day or two instead of seven days.......0 votes (0%)
Don't care..................................1 vote (20%)

Thanks for the input here! I figured if I got tired of seeing previous polls, you were too! :-) I still may keep them up for a day or two longer, ironically, no one voted for that, but it seems like a good option to me. :-)

Would you mind if the current polls were moved down further on the screen?
Total of 6 votes

No I wouldn't mind............................... 0 votes (0%)
Yes! Keep the polls where they are!..................2 votes (33%)
I'm confused!..................................0 votes (0%)
Don't care. :-)..................................4 votes (66%)

Hee! Interesting, I think I will end up moving the polls down a little bit, not much, but some. I sort of want some of the "more important" items up at the top, and since most of you don't care, I will probably switch it. :-)

How often do you like to see the background changed?
Total of 3 votes

Once a week..................................1 vote (33%)
Twice a month..................................0 votes (0%)
Once a month..................................1 vote (33%)
Never..................................0 votes (0%)
What's a background? :-)..................................1 vote (33%)

Well, I know two of these voters were siblings, sorry Andrew, but changing a background once a week is too much in my opinion! Even though you do like it! Maybe at Christmas time I will do that. :-) My personal favorite is to change the background twice a month. :-) I shall ignore Sarah who voted on the answer, "what's a background?" :-) Once a month is a good choice too, although, I still like a little more variety personally. :-)

Should the music?:
Total of 5 votes

Stay the same..................................0 votes (0%)
Keep the same, but add new songs..................................0 votes (0%)
Change all the songs..................................2 votes (40%)
Get rid of the music all together..................................0 votes (0%)
Don't care..................................1 vote (20%)
What music? :-)..................................2 votes (40%)

Well, if you, ahem, noticed, I did change all the songs. :-) I will probably change them once a month. I can't wait until Christmas! Woo! Think of all the fun classical Christmas songs, very fun! :-)

Have a great week all! More polls will show up soon, if I can think of some questions! :-)

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Hello all! Today is International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. I hope to write more about it later. But in the meantime, my fellow blogger/church friend, beat me to it. :-) Be sure to check it out!

http://thereformeddoug.blogspot.com/2008/11/international-day-of-prayer-for.html

We had our Sunday School hour in church today dedicated to remembering and learning more about persecution, etc. I hope to include more about it later. This would also be a great week for me to review that Voice of the Martyrs book, if I have time. :-)

In the meantime, please remember our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, in prayer today, and throughout the year!

Friday, November 7, 2008

Praise & Prayer Request!!

Hello all! Some of you know that I have been job searching for awhile now, and today I found out that I will be working part-time seasonal work at a local craft store! I am very thankful for this opportunity! I'd appreciate your prayers as I learn the new job and continue to search for full-time employment. I start Monday morning and I will be searching for the "dress code" work clothes this weekend. (that could also be considered a prayer request too, that I can find the items I need!)

Thank you to all those who have been praying, and please keep doing so!

A very excited, and thankful blogger,

Amanda :-)

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life--Donald Whitney Part 3

Hello all! Here is chapter 3 and part 3 in "Spiritual Disciplines."

Title: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life
Author: Donald S. Whitney
Published: 1991 by NavPress
Background Information: Donald Whitney is the associate professor of spiritual formation at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminar in Kansas City Missouri. He is the best-selling author of Simplify Your Spiritual Life, Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, and How Can I be Sure I'm a Christian? (all that was taken from the back the book)

Since 2005, Don Whitney has been Associate Professor of Biblical Spirituality at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he also serves as Senior Associate Dean. Before that, he held a similar position (the first such position in the six Southern Baptist seminaries) at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri, for ten years. He is the founder and president of The Center for Biblical Spirituality. (all of that was taken from the website mentioned below)
You can learn more about Donald Whitney and his resources at: http://biblicalspirituality.org/

Spiritual Disciplines, Chapter 3, entitled "Bible Intake (Part 2)...For the Purpose of Godliness"

Bold emphasis is my own. Also, I mostly included the heading of each section in the book, if you want more detail, email me, and I will give some more.

Chapter 3 starts out with an illustration of two brothers walking on their father's "extensive, wooded acreage when they cam upon a young tree heavy with fruit." (p. 41) Both of the brothers enjoyed as much fruit as they wanted. On the way back, one brother gathered up as much fruit as he could and took it with him, the second brother, took the entire tree and planted it on his own land. This tree grew and this brother was able to have fruit whenever he wanted, unlike his brother.

Don Whitney writes: "The Bible is like the fruit-bearing tree in this story. Merely hearing the Word of God is to be like the first brother. You may gather much fruit from the encounter and even bring home enough to feed on for a few days, but in the long run it doesn't compare with having your own tree. Through the Disciplines of reading and studying, we make the tree our own and enjoy its fruit. Among the Spiritual Disciplines we also find the tools of memorization, meditation, and application, which bountifully increase our harvest of fruit from the tree." (p. 41)

He then begins writing on the importance of memorizing God's Word.
He begins by writing about how many Christians today think of "memorizing God's Word as something tantamount to modern-day martyrdom" (p. 41) He suggests some reasons why people think this way is possibly because they associate it with school, and memorizing in school was work and it "was uninteresting and of limited value" (p. 42) Another excuse is having a bad memory. He points out that if he offered you one thousand dollars for every verse you could memorize in the next seven days, your ability toward memorizing Scripture would probably change. :-)

He then lists several sub-points/arguments/reasons for memorizing, and goes into about a paragraph explaining each. I will just give you the headings, not the explanation.

Memorization Supplies Spiritual Power
Memorization Strengthens Your Faith
Memorization and Witnessing and Counseling
A Means of God's Guidance
Memorization Stimulates Meditation

You Can Memorize Scripture (in this paragraph he gives an illustration of a truck driver who would memorize a verse a day, after three years, he memorized a thousand verses! Whitney challenges us to: "If he could memorize over three hundred verses a year while driving, surely we can find ways to memorize a few." (p. 45) )

Next he gives some practical help in getting started in memorizing. He suggests:

Have a Plan
Write Out the Verses
Draw Picture Reminders
Memorize the Verses Word-Perfectly
Find a Method of Accountability
Review and Meditate Every Day


His second topic deals with meditating on God's Word.

He writes: "The kind of meditation encouraged in the Bible differs from other kinds of meditation in several ways. While some advocate a kind of meditation in which you do your best to empty your mind, Christian meditation involves filling your mind with God and truth." (p. 47)

He goes on to define meditation as "deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities revealed in Scripture for the purposes of understanding, application, and prayer. Meditation goes beyond hearing, reading, studying, and even memorization as a means of taking in God's Word." (p. 48)

He then gives an analogy of tea. "Hearing God's Word is like one dip of the tea bag into the cup. Some of the tea's flavor is absorbed by the water, but not as much as would occur with a more through soaking of the bag. In this analogy, reading, studying, and memorizing God's Word are represented by additional plunges of the tea bag into the cup. The more frequently the tea enters the water, the more effect it has. Meditation, however, is like immersing the bag completely and letting it steep until all the rich tea flavor has been extracted and the hot water is thoroughly tinctured reddish brown." (p. 48)

He uses Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:1-3 to write some more on meditation. He also quotes the Puritan pastor, Thomas Watson: "The reason we come away so cold from reading the word is, because we do not warm ourselves at the fire of meditation." (p. 49) He then continues to write at length on the importance of meditation in our day. After that, he gives some practical suggestions on meditation, they are:

Select an Appropriate Passage
Repeat It in Different ways,
example:

"I am the resurrection and the life."
"I am the resurrection and the life."
"I am the resurrection and the life."
"I am the resurrection and the life."
"I am the resurrection and the life."
"I am the resurrection and the life."
"I am the resurrection and the life."

He says, "Of course, the point is not simply to repeat vainly each word of the verse until they've all been emphasized. The purpose is to think deeply upon the light (truth) that flashes into your mind each time the verse is turned. It's simple but effective." (p. 53)

Rewrite It in Your Own Words
Look for Applications of the Text
Pray Through the Text
Don't Rush--Take Time!


He writes: "Read less (if necessary) in order to meditate more. Although many Christians need to find the time to increase their Bible reading, there may be some who are spending all the time they can or should reading the Bible. If you could not possibly add more time to your devotional schedule for meditating on your Scripture reading, read less in order to have some unhurried time for meditation." (p. 55)

His third topic deals with applying God's Word.


He gives some more reasons/applications for this:

The Value of Applying God's Word, he writes:
"But if we do not apply the truth as we meet it, we delude ourselves by thinking we have gained practical value, regardless of how wonderful the experience of discovering the truth has been. The one who "will be blessed in what he does" is the one who does what Scripture says." (p. 57)

Expect to Discover an Application, he quotes Thomas Watson again:

"Take every word as spoken to yourselves. When the word thunders against sin, think thus: "God means my sins;" when it presseth any duty, "God intends me in this." Many put off Scripture from themselves, as if it only concerned those who lived in the time when it was written; but if you intend to profit by the word, bring it home to yourselves: a medicine will do no good, unless it be applied." (p. 57)

Understand the Text, he make several points on the importance of this, a few are:

"A misunderstanding about the meaning of a verse leads to misguided applications of it." (p. 58)

"We must understand how a passage applied when it was first given before we can understand how it applies now." (p. 58) He also writes: "I still maintain that much of Scripture is plain and straightforward in its meaning. Our problem continues to be more of a lack of action that comprehension. The words of Scripture must be understood to be applied, but until we apply them, we don't really understand them." (p. 59)

Meditate to Discern Application, he writes:

"The way to determine how any scripture applies to the concrete situation of life is to meditate on that scripture" (p. 60)

Ask Application-Oriented Questions of the Text

He writes that doing this is one of the best ways to meditate, here are the examples he gives of questions:

Does this text reveal something I should believe about God?
Does this text reveal something I should praise or thank or trust God for?
Does this text reveal something I should pray about for myself or others?
Does this text reveal something I should have a new attitude about?
Does this text reveal something I should make a decision about?
Does this text reveal something I should believe about God?
Does this text reveal something I should do for the sake of Christ, others or myself? (p. 60)

Respond Specifically, he writes:

"An encounter with God through His Word should result in at least one specific response. In other words, after you have concluded your time of Bible intake, you should be able to name at least one definite response you have made or will make to what you have encountered." (p. 60)
He concludes this section on application by writing:

"If we will begin to discipline ourselves to determine at least one specific response to the text before walking away from it, we will much more rapidly grow in grace. Without this kind of application we aren't doers of God's Word." (p. 61)

He then ends his chapter by asking us three questions:

"Will you begin a plan of memorizing God's Word?"

"Will you cultivate the Discipline of meditating on God's Word?"

"Will you prove yourself an "applier" of the Word?"


He quotes J.I. Packer:

"If I were the devil, one of my first aims would be to stop folk from digging into the Bible. Knowing that it is the Word of God, teaching men to know and love and serve the God of the Word, I should do all I could to surround it with the spiritual equivalent of pits, thorn hedges, and man traps, to frighten people off...At all costs I should want to keep them from using their minds in a disciplined way to get the measure of its message." (p. 63)

Whitney closes by saying: "Despite the difficulty and spiritual opposition, are you willing, at all costs, to begin using your mind "in a discipline way" to feed on the Word of God "for the purpose of godliness"?" (p. 63)

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Poll Results--10/25/08--11/01/08

Hello! Here are the latest poll results! Thanks for participating!

Are you tired of Narnia polls?
Total of 7 votes

Yes.........3 votes (42%)
No.........4 votes (57%)

Hee! I mentioned before in a "Note on Blogging," that I am also tired of Narnia polls. Thanks to those who aren't though! I should have some more Narnia polls again when I review the rest of the Narnia series. Enjoy the break though! :-)

Who is your favorite human character in, "The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe?
Total of 6 votes

Peter...............1 vote (16%)
Susan.............0 votes (0%)
Edmund........0 votes (0%)
Lucy...............1 vote (16%)
The Professor...........4 votes (66%)
Mrs. Macready...........0 votes (0%)

Wow! The Professor wins! I like the professor a lot too! I would have a hard time deciding between the Professor and Lucy though. :-) I like the Professor better in the books though, he's a little "blah" in the movie. :-)

Who is your favorite Narnia Character?
Total of 6 votes

Aslan.........................3 votes (50%)
Mr. Tumnus............1 vote (16%)
The Beavers............2 votes (33%)
The White Witch.........................0 votes (0%)
Father Christmas.........................0 votes (0%)
One of the Witch's "evil helpers".........................0 votes (0%)
Another Narnia animal/character.........................0 votes (0%)
Someone else.........................0 votes

Again, I would have trouble voting on these myself...the three that were chosen would be the ones I would decide on though. :-) Probably it would be between Aslan and the Beavers. :-)

What is your favorite part in the 2005 movie production?
Total of 6 votes

The beginning.........................0 votes (0%)
Lucy discovering Narnia............1 vote (16%)
Edmund and the Witch............0 votes (0%)
The four children getting into Narnia...............0 votes (0%)
The beavers.........................2 votes (33%)
The intense chase or battle scenes.........................1 vote (16%)
Aslan's death and coming back to life...............1 vote (16%)
The ending..................0 votes (0%)
Some other part.........................1 vote (16%)

Favorite parts, let's see, well, I know Sarah voted for Lucy discovering Narnia, but she said her real favorite part is when the four kids are friends and their interaction with Aslan. Andrew voted for some other part, and his favorite part is when Edmund is rescued and turned good. :-) Now, what would be my favorite part, hmm, I don't know. :-) Watching Aslan's death and coming back to life was very powerful to me the first time we watched it in theatres, so maybe that. But I love it when Lucy first gets into Narnia and sees all the snow! Very cool! :-) And you all probably know by now that the battle scenes etc. were not my favorite part! :-)

What should the next post be about?
Total of 7 votes

Prince Caspian...............3 votes (42%)
Second part in "Spiritual Disciplines"...............2 votes (28%)
Voice of the Martyrs book, about 8 different women...............2 votes (28%)
Something about me......................................0 votes (0%)
Something else (email with a suggestion)..................0 votes (0%)

You voters like to be really close to tied! I wanted to do the Voice of the Martyrs book next, but I am still trying to figure out the best way to summarize that. It's a little challenging. Hopefully this week. I might get to Prince Caspian this week too, not sure yet. I needed a break from Narnia last week though. :-) If I don't get to either Prince Caspian or the Voice of the Martyrs book this week, I will be doing another section in Spiritual Disciplines. :-)

Thanks again for voting! It's a lot of fun for me to see what you like! Have a great week!

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Quotes of the Week for October

Here are the quotes of the week for the month of October. :-)

Week 1
The love of books is a love which requires neither justification, apology, or defence.
~ J. A. Langford, The Praise of Books (1880)

Week 2
No man can be called friendless who has God and the companionship of good books.
~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Week 3
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. ~Francis Bacon

Week 4
The smallest bookstore still contains more ideas of worth than have been presented in the entire history of television.
~Andrew Ross

How to Leave a Comment

Hello all! I thought I'd do a "how to" post today. :-) I realize that many of you out there know how to leave comments, but I know a few people who are somewhat confused on how to do it, or if they've tried, they've been unsuccessful. (it is kind of confusing if you've never done it.)
So hopefully this will help a little!

First--Go to the end of the blog post you want to comment on and look for something like "0 comments." Click on that link. After clicking the link, you will see a white box that says: "Leave your comment"

Second--Type in your comment. (easy enough :-) ) The next part is where it gets a little tricky...

Third--You will see a section where it says "choose your identity." There are several options.

Googgle/Blogger--if you have a gmail or a blog account, I recommend you use this one.

Open ID--This one is a little confusing to me, so basically, unless you know what you're doing, I wouldn't choose this one. :-)

Name/URL--This is probably the easiest option, if you don't have a gmail account. Just type in your first name, and you are good to go! You don't need to fill in the URL if you don't want to.

Anonymous--You can choose this if you prefer to not have your name online.

Fourth--Once you've chosen one of the above mentioned items, you will be asked to type in some letters for security purposes. After that, you're done! Your comment won't appear right away, since I can moderate comments, so after I read your comment, (and make sure you aren't saying anything bad) I agree to publish your comment and it appears! :-)

Overall, it's pretty easy! Let me know if you have problems, not that I'll know what to do...but you never know! :-)

(Oh, and in case you noticed recently that a comment was deleted from the Spiritual Disciplines post, that was me practicing, so I could figure out the best way to explain this to you. :-) However, I didn't mean to actually post my own comment! So I deleted it. :-) )

Have a great day!