Book Review: Diary of a Jackwagon by Tim Hawkins

My kids and I love watching his Youtube videos; his brand of humor is right up our alley. So when I saw that Tim Hawkins had a new comedy book available, I had to read it. In Diary of a Jackwagon, Hawkins gives the reader access to parts of his comedy journals collected over the past 20 years.

The only hesitation I had was that his comedy delivery style wouldn’t translate to the written page. In some cases that held true a bit, but for the most part, this was a really funny book. I think the parts that I had already seen videos of were a little less funny than they would have otherwise been, but for the most part this book was pretty funny! It was a quick read that was easy to pick up and read a chapter or two and then come back later to read some more.

Without giving anything away, some of the material in this book had me laughing out loud – in front of other people. I had to stop and re-read parts for them. (The section on the “hedge of protection” was so funny that I literally have to try not to laugh when I hear people praying that now!)

This was such a fun book that takes good-natured pokes at the Christian life... with the occasional jab at homeschoolers... :)

Insomnia... or "Reflections on Fear"

I don't generally suffer from insomnia. I can sleep pretty much anywhere, pretty much any time. I love to sleep. But not tonight. Tonight I can't get my mind to stop going and going and going. So rather than fight it, here I am trying to, best as I can, gather my thoughts to get my head to let me sleep!

It's about 12:30 AM. Four hours ago I attended a meeting at my church to discuss a decision that was made regarding the elimination of our current Sunday Youth programming. Basically - no more Sunday School if you are in 6th grade or higher. The thought/reasoning behind this was that it would be more beneficial to everyone in the congregation if we were all one body on a Sunday morning - teens included. The big problem here was that it was never really discussed with anyone before the announcement was made. (When I say anyone, I mean there was not a meeting called with the whole congregation available to give their input on said topic. Having said that, I don't particularly agree with giving the whole congregation the ability to give their input. Not everything has to be done via committee. Just my humble opinion.)

My insomnia doesn't stem from any kind of internal conflict over whether Sunday School stays or goes. I, personally, don't really care if it stays or goes. I have one teenager who refuses to go (she is super sensitive to hypocrisy, and sees it an alarming amount in that room) and an elementary-aged child that will probably never be interested in Sunday School once they stop playing games and winning candy prizes.

My insomnia does come from the myriad feelings that this meeting brought up in me. Like I said, I really won't be affected whether Youth programming stays, goes, or takes a hiatus to come back as something altogether different. That's not my issue. I guess my real problem is seeing people for what they are. And if the tone of tonight's discussion is any indication, they are afraid.

[Side note: My friend is the one who ultimately made the decision, and in so doing, riled up the natives. A good number of which seemed intent on letting him know how unhappy they were with his decision making process and ability. I, and several others, trust that his decision was not made in a vacuum, but was discussed with other members of the staff and was made after a great deal of devoted prayer. (Hebrews 13:17)]

That is why I, more than 4 hours later, can not fall asleep.

Please understand that not everyone gave off the fear vibe, some shared completely legitimate concerns and suggestions. But a good number really did seem to speak from a place of fear of one sort or another. There was worry about not being included in decisions; there was fear of change; there was fear of not connecting with one's peers anymore; there was fear of losing the programming that was put in place by the former Youth Pastor who passed away last year; there was fear of not being able to handle the task of raising children without the assistance of Sunday School teachers; and so on.

Just to be clear, I am not putting anyone down. I can totally empathize with those fears and worries. But it really struck a nerve for me - are we missing something in our faith? Are we really trusting God in everything that comes our way? That's an easy thing to say when everything that comes our way is just how we want it to be. But when push comes to shove, it seems more natural to respond from a place of fear. But will we miss out on something greater because we are afraid to let go of what's here? Do we really believe all the Sunday morning worship songs that are sung with hands raised to God? Or does all that go out the window when we face the unknown?  The uncomfortable? The different?

What are we so afraid of? What if we started taking God at his word and started really living in the truth and trust that he's there and he cares for us. More than that, he lives in us. Can you imagine that? Any time at all, we have unfettered access to the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE! Surely we can think of something better to do with that knowledge than become angry and fearful of the unknown.

I am not a theologian in any sense, I am just a person who needs to work out feelings in print. I realize I haven't answered any of the questions I posed, but I needed to get them out of my head so I can get some sleep finally. Maybe tomorrow I'll start working on the answers.

Book Review: The Printer and the Preacher by Randy Petersen

I love learning about early American history, specifically Colonial-era history. I love the different personalities and the interactions between them that worked to shape this country. Benjamin Franklin is one of the personalities that has always interested me. So when I saw this book, The Printer and the Preacher: Ben Franklin, George Whitefield, and the Surprising Friendship that Invented America by Randy Petersen, I thought it could be a very interesting read.

While I'm not entirely sure that the author proved his point of their friendship "inventing America," I really enjoyed the book nonetheless.

Petersen spent a good deal of the book describing the backgrounds of each of the two men. He described how the upbringing of the two played into the personalities of the men they would grow up to be. To me, it was fascinating and probably my favorite part of the book.

Another interesting thing for me was the description of the Great Awakening. Living in New England, it made me laugh a little reading the descriptions of the spiritual state of this area even in the 1720s and 30s. When the Great Awakening happened (before George Whitefield came to America) there was a "fear that people would become overemotional, seeking some passionate experience that had little grounding in good theology." Lots of thinkers, wary of passionate feelings. The more things change, the more they stay the same, I guess.

The friendship between Ben Franklin and George Whitefield was almost secondary to the book, in my mind. The individual men were both so interesting to me. What starts out as a business relationship that was mutually beneficial to both of them goes through various phases over the course of their lives and the two became good friends. Whitefield tried to convince Franklin that he really needed to put his trust in Jesus Christ. Franklin appreciated the effect that religious conversion had on people, ultimately making them better citizens - and good citizenship is what Franklin worked for throughout his life.

This was truly an interesting book and I feel like I have a new insight into the history of our nation that I had never had before. I like that.

Book Review: Devotions from the Garden - Finding Peace and Rest from Your Hurried Life by Miriam Drennan

I love this little book. It is just so sweet. The reason I originally chose to read Devotions from the Gardedn: Finding Peace and Rest from Your Hurried Life by Miriam Drennan was my love of gardening. Honestly I'm not much for devotionals. I don't know why, they're just not my cup of tea. But I was drawn to this book for it's garden photography.

What I found - aside from the beautiful photographs - was a devotional that I actually love to read. The author uses 90 widely varied topics, familiar to people who garden, and then draws parallels to how life with God is similar to that particular topic.

Each devotion is about 5 to 6 paragraphs in length and is followed up with a lovely, grace-filled prayer. For instance, the one devo that strikes a chord with me currently is called "Root Systems," and begins with a description of the unseen job that various root types perform for plants. She talks about what roots need in order to keep plants healthy and thriving. Then she poses questions to the reader as a way to help gauge how well you are (or are not) tending your own spiritual root system.

I know I'm not doing any justice to just how much I love this book. It's a small book, and the pages are nice and heavy because of all the photos. But it's just so much more than that. Her analogy to Christians as honeybees is a great reminder on being willing to do what needs to be done, no matter how menial the task may seem.

This is clearly written by someone who knows the joy found in gardening and the joy found in following God and beautifully intertwines the two. This would be a beautiful addition to the library of any gardener.

Book Review: Spiritually Strong by Kristen Feola

I have been becoming more and more interested in the spiritual disciplines/spiritual practices as of late. I have been reading a lot about the various disciplines and trying out a few to see how they fit me. When I came across Spiritually Strong: The Ultimate 6-Week Guide to Building Your Body and Soul by Kristen Feola, I figured it was worth a try.

The book is separated into three main parts: The Core, The Exercises, and The Plan. The gist of the book is that your spiritual core is just as important to exercise as your physical core. In the first 2 parts, Feola describes both the physical and spiritual "muscles" as well as how to go about getting and keeping them fit.

The third part of the book is a 6-week plan implementing the information presented in the previous parts with the goal of transforming your body and soul for the better.

While Feola definitely has some solid information in here, I'm not entirely sure what I thought about the delivery. At times it came across a little heavy handed and left me feeling like there was no way I'd EVER be able to get my spiritual act together. The laundry list of things I do wrong, or don't do enough of, was a little overwhelming.

All in all, I'm glad I have this book, but not necessarily for its intended purpose. Rather than use it as a 6-week program, I intend to use it as a reference in my on-going study of the spiritual disciplines.

...in God's likeness...

"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness... Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?" ~ James 3: 9,12

One of my favorite books in the Bible is the book of James. I am a very practical, common-sense kind of person. I don't do well with abstract thoughts and I often miss symbolism. But James is about as practical and easy to understand as it gets. Here is a man writing to Christians who, presumably, have put true faith in Christ. His letter is a "how to" guide for Christian living. It is a "how to" guide, that in my humble opinion, needs to be taken out, dusted off, and re-read by some of my modern day Christian brethren. 

I saw on social media recently a call to help support a Christian couple who own a store of some sort that are currently facing a pretty steep fine for their refusal to serve a lesbian who came into their store. This request went so far as to call the owners of this store "persecuted." (I looked up the definition of persecuted to see how accurate that descriptor was. The definition said "to pursue with harassing or oppressive treatment, especially because of religious or political beliefs, ethnic or racial origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation." Hmmmm....)

Anyhow, when I saw this story and some of the comments on it - from PEOPLE OF FAITH - I was pretty angry (but I'm Unoffendable now thanks to Brant Hansen, so it didn't last long) and then I was terribly sad.

My initial anger was at the thought that a fellow follower of Christ, who, by nature of being Christian, is shown unimaginable grace and mercy every day, would be so quick to think refusing to serve a person based on outward appearance is God-honoring. (Do you see the irony in that sentence? A Christian is refusing to serve..... That's our whole raison d'etre!!)

After my anger subsided, my emotion turned to sadness. I have a wonderful relative who happens to be gay. I pictured that person going into a store and being refused whatever it was he wanted to buy because the person who stood on the other side of the counter was passing judgement on him. I imagined how humiliating that would be for him and I wanted to cry. I also wondered why he would ever want to know my God (assuming, of course, that he doesn't - but how do I know? Maybe he knows Him better than I do!) based on the "loving" reception he just received on God's behalf.

This brings me back to my favorite book, James. The wisdom of this book which can so easily be grasped by anyone, is something believers should be striving to live out. One of the most instructive parts of this letter is as follows:

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.  For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. ~James 2: 8-13

Don't miss that line. Mercy triumphs over judgement. Think about what that really means. And that's what we are told to do - be merciful. And just in case we aren't sure why mercy triumphs over judgement, keep reading in James. Chapter 4 verse 12 tells us all we need to know. "There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you - who are you to judge your neighbor?"

I'll tell you - we're nobody.

And yet, we are of infinite worth to God.You know who is also of infinite worth to God? My relative. And you know what? The woman who was refused service in the name of my God? She is loved infinitely more than she will ever know - especially when those of us who do know tell her she isn't. That she's broken. That she's a sinner. If I knew who she was I would have one thing to tell her - "Welcome to the club." We're all broken. We're all sinners. And that's the beautiful thing about God's grace. It's big. Really really big. And his love? Even bigger. (John 3:16) Thank you, God.

One last thought - if you read the gospels and you understand Jesus even a little bit (if you need a little help on this, read Mark 2: 13-17), then ask yourself this question: If Jesus was in the store with the woman being refused service, which side of the counter do you think he'd be standing on?

Book Review: Unoffendable by Brant Hansen

In this easy-to-read, straight forward, and often times very humorous book, Brant Hansen has written a fantastic, thought provoking work based on the idea that, as Christians, we do not have the "right" to be angry. We should be, as he puts it, Unoffendable.

For the past several years my family and I have been huge fans of Hansen.We listened to him faithfully when he was on the radio, and I still listen to him via podcast. So despite my initial skepticism at the thought of giving up my right to being angry, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. (His track record of honesty, humor and biblical knowledge made that easier for me to do!)

And in all honesty, this book was fantastic. Using stories from his own life (some of which made me laugh out loud), as well as illustrations and quotes from other authors, Hansen effectively puts forth his argument.

Using Scripture, from both the Old and New Testaments, we are shown what God has to say about anger, and who has the right to be angry (not us!) as well as how we are supposed to live our lives with gratitude, love and forgiveness, sharing God with those who may not know Him... and being blessed by the choice to live that way.

As an experiment, I decided to try being unoffendable. (By the way, it's amazing how much practice you get when you make a decision like that!) But it has actually been a pretty cool thing. Not that I have a bad temper or anything like that, but I make the choice each time that something that would normally bother me just doesn't have the power to do so. Mostly it's stupid stuff like other drivers on the road or things like that. But the other day my teenage daughter was in a "mood." She was cranky and just generally not nice to be around. Rather than play into it and argue with her (like I normally do) I just walked away and did something else. A couple hours later she came into the living room and sat next to me and apologized to me for being mean before. She knew I was reading this book, so I said to her, "Thanks for the apology, but don't worry about it. I'm unoffendable!" She smiled, put her head down on my shoulder and said,"I'm so glad you're my mom."

Thank you, Brant!