Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns
New video by Sandra McCracken for her song “Can’t Help Myself.” Watching the video was the first time I’d heard the song, and I love it. I’m in a season where the challenges ahead are too big for me to help myself. I need Someone a whole lot bigger. What a beautiful reminder in this song.
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/43371580 w=400&h=300]
Three things about this book:
1. I expected it to be good because Liz Curtis Higgs wrote it. I mean, she could scrawl her name across a grocery list and I’d put my name on a waiting list to read it.
2. I didn’t think I needed its message.
3. I was right. And I was wrong.
Higgs is a masterful storyteller, and in The Girl’s Still Got It, she takes us verse by verse through the biblical book of Ruth. Don’t let that scare you, though. It’s a Bible study, but it’s unlike any other Bible study I’ve read. Higgs has a way of taking her readers on a journey without ever leaving their homes. She artfully paints the scene of the story so the reader sees, hears and feels. She faithfully researches the time period so she can fill in the blanks with accurate details of the character’s lives.
The book of Ruth is only four chapters long and Higgs takes 12 chapters to teach us about Ruth, a Moabite (i.e. nonbeliever), and her mother-in-law, Naomi, an Israelite. The women are widowed and childless, in need of a change. Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem to the family she left years before with her husband and sons. Ruth determines to go with her, voicing her commitment as a binding covenant:
“Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”
It’s a remarkable story of a daughter-in-law’s care and service to her mother-in-law — a humbling and convicting lesson for all of us daughters-in-law — and an encouragement that no matter what circumstances may be saying to the contrary, God isn’t finished with us yet.
On the first page of the book, it was this message that surprised me. Higgs writes:
“Resist the urge to say you’re too old, too young, too busy, too scared, too worn out, too washed up, too anything to be useful to God.”
Have you been there? I’m there now. Where I once had hope that I could be used by God, I’ve now begun to doubt that He has any use for me at all.
This, friends, is where the message of Ruth meets the messes of life.
Even though Naomi is the older character in the book, I connect more with her. She’s been dealt a rotten hand in life, so it seems, and she doesn’t sugarcoat how she feels about that. Her name, which can mean “pleasant,” is of no comfort to her and when she returns to her hometown, she tells her friends to call her Mara, which means “bitter,” instead.
Naomi speaks honestly about her feelings that God has dealt harshly with her and left her empty. And God responds through the actions of Ruth and the male lead, Boaz to remind Naomi that He has not forgotten her and in fact has good plans for her life.
But don’t let me tell you the whole story. Read it for yourself. Here’s a sample of the first chapter. Or watch the trailer below.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCvlWg_xSAI]
FAVORITES: Higgs uses honest examples from her life. And each chapter concludes with a real-life example of the principles found in Ruth. The book reminds each of us that we’re not alone in our struggles.
FAULTS: The book of Ruth already reads like a novel. Higgs breaks out verses (and partial verses) to study, so it’s hard to get a flow for the action as found in the Bible. But a quick read of the four chapters beforehand to familiarize yourself with the story should take care of that. Then let Higgs add to your understanding with her research and insights.
IN A WORD: Delightful. Ruth and Naomi feel like long-lost girlfriends after reading this, and Higgs’ storytelling abilities are the reason. Far from dry, this book is pure joy.
————————-
FINE PRINT: The book goes on sale next month. In exchange for this review, I received an advance reading copy from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group.
FUN STUFF: Liz raps the story of Ruth. Check out the Righteous Ruth Rap here.
FREE STUFF: If you want a chance to win your own copy, click the link below and give my review a rating (1-5 stars). All you have to give in return is your e-mail address. One click and you’re automatically entered to win a copy of the book.
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/reviews/ranking/18546
Sometimes, I wonder what God is up to. And why I can’t see it.
Last month, Phil and I took a few days apart from the world, in the woods of Cowans Gap State Park, to celebrate a bunch of milestones for our family. We drove up to this overlook, expecting a scenic view. Instead, we got fog.
Lots of fog. And the view we had hoped for was hidden from us.
We sat for a bit because we really had nowhere else to be. And as we waited, something happened.
Gradually, we could see green. The rolling mountains I’ve come to love in our region of the world.
We caught a glimpse of what the fog was hiding.
The longer we waited, the more we could see. We pointed to hills as they peeked through the clouds. We identified farms and roads and houses. And although we never saw the whole view clearly, without the cloud covering, we could imagine what we were missing. We saw evidence of what we could not fully see.
So it is when we live by faith. Phil and I are still clueless about where this journey is taking us. We climbed this metaphorical mountain hoping to see something extraordinary only to find the view cloudier than ever. Having an obstructed view of the future can be frustrating. Maddening, really. I have found myself mad at all sorts of people and institutions and God, Himself, for the current state of things in our life. Like Naomi, in the Bible’s book of Ruth, who returns to her homeland a widow and childless with little hope for the future, I want my name to be “bitter” not “pleasant.”
I want to see the view I was promised!
And God, ever gentle, ever patient, says, “Wait.”
“Don’t give up.”
“Don’t trust in only what you can see.”
“Wait for it. It’s coming.”
So, we’re waiting. Waiting for the clouds to clear. To give us a glimpse of what lies ahead.
Waiting so often feels like inaction to me. I want to DO something. I want to act. To fix. To restore. To rebuild. To forge ahead. (And sometimes run over anyone who stands in my way.) And when that doesn’t work I want to retreat. To withdraw. To escape. To close my eyes and hope that whatever trouble we’re facing will go away on its own without me.
And all the time, God is telling me to “wait.”
Waiting. Can you think of anyone who waits well? I’ve imagined what that looks like. I wrote a poem about it, and our local library picked it as one of the winners in its annual contest. Here it is.
Waiting I showed up on time, so I thought. He’s late. Or is he? Have a seat. Get comfortable. I’m told I’ll have to wait. How long? No answer. I watch the door. When will it open? Time passes slowly as I watch the clock, tap my foot, sigh loudly. How much longer? Again, no answer. Someone else comes along. She’s waiting, too. She doesn’t watch the clock. She crochets. How long do you think it will be? It doesn’t matter. Why? I’ve got crocheting to do. I’m making a blanket. And if he doesn’t come? She shrugs her shoulders. I’ll have made a blanket.Waiting might be sitting on a rock until the sun comes out and the clouds clear. Or it might be doing what you’re doing now until you’re led in a different direction. Wait for it, friends. I’m waiting, too.
Exhausted. Stressed. Overwhelmed. I feel all of these things today.
I have other feelings, yes. These are the ones that are stealing the show today.
I took a page out of Terri Gillespie‘s book and watched a disaster movie. She once revealed at a writer’s conference that disaster movies are how she deals with stress. I have to say, it worked! Even the cheesy dialogue in Volcano didn’t numb the effect. (I couldn’t resist a Tommy Lee Jones flick. And why is it that all the disaster movies available to us on instant Netflix were made in the late 1990s?) I don’t know why this works. Maybe a disaster movie gives my stress a place to focus, even temporarily. I don’t know.
This is what I know: I have reason to smile. Even when feelings fail.
The following conversation clips are courtesy of my kids. Yeah, they are a big part of my life. I can finally say that without feeling ashamed.
Neighbor girl to Isabelle while riding in a wagon being pulled by older neighbor girl: “Izzy, why is the grass so green?”
Izzy: “Well, because God made it that way.”
—————
While watching me make a root beer float pie, Isabelle says, “A beer pie does sound delicious.” Note to self: google “beer pie” and see if anyone has a recipe.
—————
On a walk around the block, while the kids rode their bikes, I greeted a neighbor who was working on his truck/trailer with “Howdy.” Corban stops his bike, looks over at the neighbor and says, “What’s Howdy doin’?”
And here are a couple of photos from our afternoon at the Discovery Center Museum in Rockford.
Trains were a big hit. As were tractors.
And Isabelle is never short on new friends at new places. Here, she’s talking to whoever picked up the other phone.
Even if your smiles are few today, rejoice!
A couple of months ago, our 4-year-old got to watch Mary Poppins for the first time. We decided after our trip to Disney, we needed to give her more opportunities to watch the movies we loved as kids. (No pressure to like them, right? I can’t wait to find out how she likes Pete’s Dragon.) So, her reward for having accident-free weeks potty-wise is her choice of Disney movie for a movie night. (Don’t worry, we’re borrowing them from the library. Our budget doesn’t include a line item for unlimited Disney movies. Wouldn’t that be nice!) One of her first picks was Mary Poppins.
Isabelle got to meet her at Disney.
They talked hats, an appropriate subject among ladies.
I’m pleased to say she loved every minute of the movie.
I, on the other hand, was shocked to discover that Mary Poppins had a life before Walt Disney. The movie is based on books written by P.L. Travers. A book, you say? It was almost all I could think about while we watched the movie. My husband dutifully googled the author and we learned a little bit about her and her dislike for the movie adaptation. (Reportedly, this is the basis for another movie, called Saving Mr. Banks, starring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson. I’m in.)
Making blockbuster movies from bestselling novels is commonplace in the movie industry these days. It’s unusual, at least among the movies I watch, to find a movie written by a team of screenwriters and not “based on the book by …” I guess I didn’t think about this happening in the earlier days of film.
Needless to say, I went to the library soon after we watched the movie and checked out Mary Poppins, the book, by P.L. Travers.
I sort of loved it.
I mean, it’s different. Mary Poppins the character isn’t as likable in the book as she is in the movie, but the stories, especially the ones that didn’t make the movie, are entertaining and enjoyable. Maybe what I liked best about the book is that the things that make Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins so great — like Uncle Albert’s laughing fit or Mary Poppins arriving on an East Wind — were Travers’ idea first. I thought Walt Disney was the creative genius. And he was, in a sense, making it come to life on film. But as a writer, I appreciate the writer behind the on-screen creativity.
So, that made me wonder what other treasures I’d find in the books that became movies we love. Come back on Fridays this month (June) for the series “There’s a book for that.” Next week, The Princess Bride.
FROM ONE MARY TO ANOTHER: Last week, as the finale to Free Book Fridays in May, I offered Unveiling Mary Magdalene by Liz Curtis Higgs. And the winner is: Ladette Kerr! Ladette is a two-time winner for Free Book Fridays. Congratulations! I’ll have your books in the mail in the next couple of days.
The poor will not always be with us.
We can end extreme poverty in this generation.
Crazy talk, right?
Wrong.
I have to admit that I was a little bit — okay maybe a lot — skeptical about Scott Todd’s book 58: Fast Living: How the church will end extreme poverty. End poverty? At least he dreams big.
But something happened as I read — I believed it was possible.
Todd issues a challenge to Christ’s church on earth based on Isaiah 58, calling American believers, in particular, to live and give on behalf of the extremely poor. Yes, he talks about money and giving, quoting shameful numbers regarding tithing in America which should make every one of us who call ourselves “Christian” examine our spending. But he doesn’t leave it at that. He challenges American consumers to shop smarter and support products and companies who promote a cause along with their business (like TOMS shoes), bear the fair-trade label (like Ten Thousand Villages) or offer fair wages to workers (like this company).
When we think about lifting people out of extreme poverty, “made in China” isn’t the first thing to come to mind, but Todd offers that our throwaway made-in-China products DO offer people a chance to make a living and take care of their families. (He doesn’t condone poor working conditions but reminds readers that countries like England and the U.S. have deplorable working conditions in their industry history. He encourages we work toward reform.)
If ending extreme poverty truly concerns us and becomes the cause we champion, then Todd says we need to let people know, including politicians. They need to know we care about extreme poverty.
FAVORITES: Todd doesn’t just tell you what you need to know. He offers real, practical solutions. I mean, when you title a chapter “How Mom Can End Extreme Poverty,” you’d better offer me something I can do between diaper changes and during nap time. To join the movement and get more ideas, visit Live58.org.
FAULTS: This book made me uncomfortable. And that’s a good thing! I’m not comfortable with my level of giving to the poor, my shopping habits or even my belief that poverty might actually be history some day.
IN A WORD: Persuasive. I am moved to do something about poverty after reading this book.
—————————
BOOK WINNER: I didn’t forget! Thanks to all of you who entered to win a copy of Teasi Cannon’s My Big Bottom Blessing. Sadly, only one of you could win. Random.org picked Leigh Ingram! Congratulations, Leigh! I think I literally just tossed out a post-it that had your address on it, so e-mail me at lmbartelt[at]gmail[dot]com and I’ll send it your way!
STILL TIME TO WIN: And there’s still time to enter to win Unveiling Mary Magdalene by Liz Curtis Higgs. Comment on the blog for a chance to win!
Saturday marked our five-year anniversary. Not a major milestone as far as milestones are concerned but certainly something to celebrate.
I won’t tell you it’s been easy or perfect or blissful. It’s had its moments of those. It has also been hard, imperfect and disappointing.
And worth it.
It’s a huge act of grace that no one tells you the WHOLE truth about marriage before you get married. I fear no one ever would take the vow if they knew the truth. (Similarly, I’m thankful I never saw a birth video before I was pregnant and enrolled in childbirth classes.) Had I known how ugly, exhausting and challenging marriage could be, maybe I wouldn’t have wanted to walk down the aisle. Or maybe I would have been too naive and lovestruck to believe it. (Note to self: I was too naive and lovestruck to believe it.)
Three days after Phil and I wed, we hiked a mountain.
Here we are on day 4 of married life, ready for a hearty breakfast before the descent.
When Phil first suggested this part of the trip — a daylong hike up a mountain to spend the night in a primitive cabin at the top — I didn’t hesitate to say, “Let’s do it.” Bear in mind that we are not now, nor were we then, in peak physical condition. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Looking back, our honeymoon prepared us for the next years of marriage in ways I would have never imagined.
We hiked a physical mountain …
… unaware of the mountains we would face in our marriage in the years to come.
We pledged to love each other, whether poor …
(our primitive cabin on the mountaintop)
… or rich
(we visited the Biltmore two days after we’d slept in the woods).
A lesson in contrast not easily forgotten.
We’ve had days when marriage feels like this …
And ones where it feels more like this …
We’ve learned that marriage requires sacrifice …
… sometimes even death (of self, of dreams, of expectations).
And it definitely takes patience, acceptance and love. I mean, those sound like no-brainers. They are easy to agree to. Much harder to live out day to day. Especially with a husband like this.
Truly, he makes the journey fun. (When I let him. I’m way more serious than I need to be.)
Five years of marriage feels a little like the morning we woke up on a mountain.
We were tired and achy from the previous day, but we’d seen some amazing views, breathtaking, really. We’d made some new friends. And it was time to move on. To head back down the mountain, continue our honeymoon and get on with our married life.
After five years of marriage, we know tired. And exhausted. And weary. We know beauty. And take-your-breath-away moments. We’re beat from the battles of two individual lives coming together to make one life yet we’re somehow stronger than we were when we started. We’ve reached a peak. And it’s time to move on.
To celebrate, Phil took me back to the woods for a combined anniversary/birthday/graduation/Mother’s Day present. (Wood is the traditional five-year anniversary gift. Isn’t he clever?)
We hiked again. 
Because we’re gluttons for punishment. And because we can’t help ourselves. I connect best with God in nature and solitude. My husband granted me both as a gift.
We found another mountain, different from the one from our honeymoon but not without its challenges.
The sign told us what to expect. “Very steep” is an accurate description.
We went ahead with it anyway. We could have backtracked and taken an easier path. “We’re not in a backtracking phase of life,” my husband reminded me, and up the mountain we went.
I sense another metaphor for our life and marriage.
I’d like to think that in the last five years, we’ve had all the trouble we’re going to have as a couple and a family. That we packed a lifetime’s worth of trials and tears into a short period so we could enjoy the rest of our married days without the hard stuff.
I’m not as naive as I once was. And I hope that doesn’t sound cynical.
We have a steep road ahead. More than one I’d imagine.
We’re going to sweat. And suffer bruises. (I got one on my hand on our latest hike. I have others on my heart.)
We will ache and hurt and moan and complain. (And NOT take anymore pictures of ourselves while hiking. Egad!)
And we will smile at the memories, even the times of not knowing how or when the hard time would end.
Because in the end, we will have seen something beautiful.
The pain will fade. The hurts will heal, if we let them.
And we will sigh in satisfaction, knowing we did something hard and survived.
In lieu of the usual Saturday smiles post, I’m asking you to pray for this family.
My uncle Lewie was critically injured in a motorcycle accident on Thursday. His body is fighting to recover. His family is waiting for news. In the meantime, their youngest daughter, Abby (the one in the middle) is on dialysis and waiting for a kidney.
Hold them in prayer.
Updates are here.
Here we are, the last Friday in May already. I have to admit, I’m kind of sad. Free Book Fridays have been fun! Maybe I’ll do it again sometime.
Without further delay, the winner of Kathi Macias’ People of the Book is Ladette Collins Kerr. Congratulations, Ladette! E-mail me at lmbartelt[at]gmail.com with your address so I can send the book your way!
Kathi has two more books coming out this year, and I’ve signed up to review them both. So stay tuned for those!
Now, on to the final book I’m giving away.
The first time I read a book by Liz Curtis Higgs, I knew I’d found a friend. Higgs is a captivating and creative storyteller who can take familiar Bible stories and transform them into modern tales that teach valuable lessons. Whether it’s fiction like this or children’s books or Bible studies, Higgs is a delight to read and learn from.
Years ago when Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code was popular, Mary Magdalene became a hot topic. Higgs’ book Unveiling Mary Magdalene sets the record straight about who Mary was (a woman freed from demons) and who she was not (Jesus’ romantic interest). In typical Higgs fashion, the book is part novel — telling the story of tortured soul Mary Margaret Delaney and her deliverance — and part study, taking Biblical accounts of Mary Magdalene and applying what we can learn from her life as a passionate, delivered, transformed follower of Jesus to our lives as we seek to know Him more.
This book is a treasure! And it can be yours! (FYI, the cover of mine is different than what’s pictured here.)
HERE’S HOW: Leave a comment on this blog about how you feel when you’re judged or how you’ve felt when you’ve judged someone wrongly. That’s ONE entry. For EXTRA chances to win: follow me on Twitter (ONE EXTRA CHANCE); retweet this giveaway (ONE EXTRA CHANCE); share this giveaway on Facebook (ONE EXTRA CHANCE); and/or subscribe to this blog via e-mail (ONE EXTRA CHANCE). Each time you earn an extra chance, leave another comment on the blog so I can enter you to win! I’ll pick a winner next Thursday, May 31 and announce the winner on Friday, June 1, when I start a new series of book reviews for the month of June.
Spread the word and the book love, my friends!
I heard this song at McDonald’s last night. It’s not new, but I felt like I was hearing it for the first time. There’s a lot of truth in it. And a lot of what I’m feeling right now.
Looking over the lyrics encouraged me. Maybe the song will encourage you, too.