T4T A Discipleship Re-Revolution

T4T A Discipleship Re-Revolution
by Steve Smith with Ying Kai
pages: 349; paperback
2011


Steve Smith has done a great job searching the scriptures concerning church planting, compiling a training guide based on Biblical principles, and giving several examples in various contexts of how these can be lived out in today's changing world.  T4T A Discipleship Rerevolution is a well-tested tool that can help many as they desire to live life as a"follower of Jesus and fisher of men" (a phrase Steve uses frequently in both his written training and in his verbal teaching).  Each chapter builds on the previous chapter in going step by step into the concepts of what Steve calls a process that coupled with the Holy Spirit's moving can lead to a church planting movement. Examples from his own ministry as well as many excerpts from the life of Ying Kai provide deep insights and rich dimensions to the training material.  Steve is a good communicator; he knows that both repetition and practice are necessary for new ideas to take hold and new habits to be formed. The book T4T A Discipleship ReRevolution gives a solid foundation and additional information can be gained from his website.
The  book's continual references to Biblical precedent and promise along with a thorough index of terms and scripture make this an essential resource for those pursuing church planting movements.   Pages 185-186 touch on a key reminders of how each believer is to both grow up in Christlikeness and walk in good works that fulfill God's mission.  May God's Kingdom continue to extend throughout the world so more and more people can trust that Jesus is indeed the way, truth, and life and through him to live life abundantly.  Thank you Steve, for sharing what God has shown you and thank you for the book!  I  recommend that this book is studied with a partner so concepts can be discussed and implemented in ways for God's goodness to be known and lived.                   

Finding God's Will

Finding God's Will
Seek Him, Know Him, Take the Next Step
author: Gregg Matte
256 pages, hardback
2010

We were introduced to Pastor Gregg and his wife Kellie after a brief missions meeting at Houston's First and in conversation I commented about the book he had recently written. Pastor Gregg stepped across the hall into the church's bookstore, grabbed a copy and signed it for Russ and I.  I asked his wife if she had read it and if was any good, and she said yes to both, so in early December 2011 I opened it up.  Life is filled with seasons of unknowns, and at the time I began Finding God's Will, these were a few of the unknowns before me:

• The news of an abnormal mammogram came just before Thanksgiving.
•  It had been 6 months since leaving Asia and we still do not know what is next.
• I thought 14 years of nearly monthly 3-day migraines were over after lots of testings and taking thyroid medicine for the past 8 weeks, but I just had another migraine.

Life is uncertain but I know God is faithful and it is good to be refreshed with the truth of this book as I go forward with seeking the God of God's will.   Pastor Gregg does a very good job of parallel-ing the journey of Moses (from burning bush to God's protection and provision through the Red Sea) with modern day examples of several biblical principles of knowing God and knowing His will. After each brief chapter he lists a few questions to ponder and it is in these questions that ownership of the seeking journey takes place.
In chapter 5 (called: Three Oranges: God's Will for Everyone) he writes how God's will is in some sense very general; it is His will for all to have relationship with Him, to grow in that relationship and then out of that growth to have an impact for good in the world around them.  It reminded me again that life is a process that is not to be rushed but to be lived in closeness to God who knows all things and desires good for me.   A later chapter dealing with exchanging the known for the unknown helped bring about clarity for me in this empty nest season.   At the very end of the book, there are 40 verses from the Bible highlighting various aspects of God's will which are a big encouragement providing strength, hope and purpose.  It took me nearly a month to prayerfully read through this book, seeking to apply the things I felt God was/is teaching me, and what has risen to the top is the choice to live life bravely.
There will always be forks in the road where seeking then knowing God's will makes all the difference in the journey, and I believe it is wise to remember God's past care as we sojourner on.  Here are some things I know now that I did not know when I began the book:

• The second mammogram, led to lots of reflection, a painful biopsy, then a phone call just before Christmas with the good news of no cancer.
• Russ and I believe that our 15 years of serving with the IMB may be completed and with gratitude for the past we have excitement to move forward to the unknowns... for now that seems to be somewhere in Texas where we will seek to live life meaningfully in a local community.
• A new medicine has been added to the synthroid I'm taking in hopes of alleviating my migraines...more blood work coming up.

God is God of the on-going and you do not find God's will once and are done, but finding His will is an on-going discovery.  This book can help give framework and inspiration with the process allowing faith to replace fear.

Shades of Blue

Shades of Blue

Karen Kingsbury
333 pages paperback
2009

Because I had not yet read a novel by Karen Kingsbury, when I asked for assistance at the library at Houston’s First, I was shown the shelf of her many novels.  I chose Shades of Blue because of the subtitle, “sometimes hope lies somewhere in the…shades of blue”.  The story does offer hope and allows readers to really feel the situation of life lived without hope of a young teacher who ten years earlier made a decision where the consequences left deep scars and daily pain and a sense of unworthiness.  The story basically takes place over a three-day weekend at a North Carolina beach in present day.  And if you tried, you can picture the blues of where the water and the sky meet.  Restoring hope is offered.  Will it be accepted?  Will there be the kind of forgiveness and redemption that allows for full life to go forward?  If so, what does that look like for this teacher and her returning high school boyfriend (who at this time is engaged to another woman)? 

Karen Kingsbury does a good job with character development and through these characters she is able to bring about awareness of looking at circumstances from several viewpoints. This was a very fast read for me because in a way I felt drawn into these circumstances and I wanted to see how life would unfold for these new friends of mine.
After reading the book, I wondered if Karen Kingsbury was aiming at a particular audience.  Was she preaching to the choir so to speak, or trying to persuade young people to be careful in their choices or seeking to admonish older people how wise council and compassion is needed to help others?  I wonder, do most authors have particular readers in mind when they write?  I was surprised that at the end of the book, the author writes a letter to her readers sharing personal information that spurred her on in the writing of the novel.  I am unsure of whom to recommend this novel to, although I was thankful that I read it. I was even teary-eyed in a few places and yet at the same time glad that there was not a sequel, for the conclusion left a strong enough sense of closure.

You! God's Brand-New Idea

You! God’s Brand-New Idea

Made to be Amazing

Max Lucado

189 pages hardback

Published: 2007

When I joined my friend Criss Norris to worship God at her new church, visitors were blessed with a gift, a little book by Max Lucado. So as Russ and I traveled I would read through the short chapters of the book that is compiled from 16 books that he has written through the years. As the title suggests, the book is about the readers’ uniqueness and then out of that uniqueness God has special ways in which each are to contribute so that He is pleased with the life we are living.  It is a book filled with encouragement and really does not need to be read in any order as each little section is a snip-it that contains a nugget of truth independent of the bit before or after it. 

Max has supporting scripture for each of the 8 sections and although none of it is really new information to me, it is good to reread again that I was made unique by God, for his purpose…to know that purpose.  we can dream knowing that it is for God’s glory, that I can fit into his plan, and ultimately I’m made to love and be loved.  I like that towards the end he says that worship is the cure to the common life…I believe that because when I love God in worship some many of the questions of how am I to live fade into gratitude to God for life and my desire to please him, talk with him, honor him increases.

The Minor Prophets

The Minor Prophets (minor not in their message content, but in the length of their message.)

Prophets of God were and still are people that God uses to remind his people the things they have forgotten so that they will once again turn back to God and stop their foolish, harmful ways and renew their relationship with the righteous King that is both just and merciful.

Hosea                   13 chapters         One Reminder: “I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion, I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the LORD.” (Hosea 2:19-20)

Joel                        4 chapters           One Reminder: ... everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.  (Joel 2:32)

Amos                    9 chapters           One Reminder: “I hate all your show and pretense—the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.  Away with your noisy hymns of praise!  I will not listen to the music of your harps.  Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.” (Amos 5:21.23,24)

Obadiah               1 chapter             One Reminder: “The day is near when I, the LORD, will judge the godless nations! As you have done… so it will be done to you.  All your evil deeds will fall back on your own heads.” (Obadiah 1:15)

Jonah                    4 chapters           One Reminder: Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” (Jonah 3:2)

Micah                   7 chapters           One Reminder: “…oh people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with you God.” (Micah 6:8)

Nahum                 3 chapters           One Reminder: “The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes.  He is close to those who trust in him.” (Nahum 1:17)

Habakkuk            3 chapters    One Reminder:  “yet I will rejoice in the LORD!  I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign LORD is my strength!” (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Zephaniah          3 chapters           One Reminder:  “For the LORD your God is living among you.  He is a mighty savior.  He will take delight in you with gladness.  With his love, he will calm all your fears.  He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”  (Zephaniah 3:17)

Haggai                  2 chapters           One Reminder: “I am with you says the LORD!” (Haggai 1:13b)

Zechariah            14 chapters         One Reminder: “This is what the LORD Almighty says: Judge fairly and honestly, and show mercy and kindness to one another.  Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and poor people. And do not make evil plans to harm each other.”  (Zechariah 7:9-10)

Malachi                4 chapters           One Reminder: “But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings…”  (Malachi 4:2)

Power Suit

This book gets better with each chapter.  When we moved to Houston a ladies group that prays for missionaries by name on their birthdays invited me to join them on Tuesdays and they were studying the armor of God from Ephesians 6 via the book Power Suit.  I'm so happy I joined them!  The author of Power Suit is also a speaker and I picture she speaks just like she writes, with lots of zip and illustrations.  The book covers all 6 parts of the armor (belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit) and as essential these are to wear each day, we also learn what needs to come off before this armor will fit properly as it should.  Each section also has "extras" and these are challenges that will lead to thinking differently and helpful steps are offered to make change possible. It is a book designed not only to be read but to be studied so in the very back the author includes a useful study guide to be used in a group or on your own to aid the formation of healthy and Biblical disciplines. I'm also thankful for the scripture that come to life in the context of why any of this is relevant to living a meaningful and effective life. Thank you Houston's First Women on Missions group for including me in this time of growth.


Power Suit
the Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame
by Sharon Norris Elliott
187 pages, paperback
2011

His First Bible

His First Bible
by Karla Minick
132 pages paperback
2006


The goal of this book is four-fold; firstly, I wrote it to bring about awareness to our prayer partners, and other readers, of the need for the Shan Dai to have a Bible in their language. Secondly, the concept was to take a theme or principle from the Bible and then (thirdly) couple it with an aspect of Dai life so that with this insight an opportunity to pray for the various situations Dai people face is provided (the forth objective of the book).  So I began with the blessings of God from Genesis, and then searched out the treasurers of the following 65 books of the Bible, concluding in Revelation with the promise that one day all will be worshiping God around his throne for he is worthy.
Although this book went to print the end of 2006 it continues to be written as prayer after prayer can be recorded on the journal's pages.
God, I pray still for the completion of your word to be translated for the Shan Dai (presently Luke has been completed and is in the hands of Dai believers and Acts is nearing completion and Titus has just gone through more correction).  I ask for your wisdom to be continually provided to the translators.  I also pray for the Shan Dai to value your word and in reading and studying have a better idea of you, your love and how life can be lived with joy and purpose.
An added bonus to me has been to reread the prayers I have written on these journal pages over the years rejoicing in God's faithfulness.

The Gospel According to Mark

Russell and I are now empty-nesters... actually, when Isaiah graduated high school, not only were all three kiddos off to new nests of their own, but Russ and I flew from our recent home as well. So since mid-July 2011 we have been on the move quite a bit. I started thinking about how Jesus spent his last three years on the move and so this most recent time to read through Mark's account of the life of Jesus, I paid attention to just where did Jesus go? Jesus lived a life of full obedience and filled with compassion he healed, fed, taught, prayed, removed demons and many other things. So where did he go to do these things?

Chapter one:
Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan
then the Spirit sent Jesus out to the dessert for 40 days
next onto Galilee
and He walked beside the Sea of Galilee
after he chose some followers they went to Capernaum
the morning after much healing in the house of Peter's mother-in-law, Jesus went to pray in a solitary place then they traveled throughout Galilee to many near-by villages
Chapter 2
Jesus again entered Capernaum
Once again Jesus went out beside the lake
walked through the grain fields on a Sabbath
Chapter 3
Jesus spent time in the synagogue
Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake
Jesus went up on a mountainside
Chapter 4
Jesus again began to teach by the lake
Jesus told his disciples, "let us go over to the other side"
Chapter 5
they crossed the lake to the region of the Gerasenes
then they recrossed the lake to the other side
they went to a home of a synagogue leader
Chapter 6
Jesus went to his hometown
Jesus went around teaching from village to village
Jesus went with the apostles (after their first solo mission trip) to get some rest by boat to a solitary place. more ministry took place and Jesus sent the apostles to Bethsaida and he went up on a mountain-side to pray.
Jesus walked out on the lake to the apostles in the boat
they anchored at Gennesaret
and wherever they went--into villages, towns or countryside--Jesus healed the sick
Chapter 7
Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre
after Tyre they went through Sidon, down the sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis
Chapter 8
Jesus got in a boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha
then again by boat went to the other side.
next stop: Bethsaida
then on to villages around Caesarea Philippi
Chapter 9
up a high mountain with Peter, James and John (the tranfiguration)
they left that place and passed through Galilee
then on to Capernaum
Chapter 10
Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan.
with Jesus leading the way they went up to Jerusalem
on the way they stopped in the city of Jericho
Chapter 11
they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives
Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple
but as it was late they stayed the night in Bethany and in the morning went again to Jerusalem
Jesus cleansed the temple and taught and when evening came they went out of the city
the next day back in Jerusalem
Chapter 12
all in Jerusalem
Chapter 13
Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple
chapter 14
Back in Bethany
to the city again for the Feast of Unleaven Bread
after the Last Supper they went out to the Mount of Olives
then on to Gethsemane where Jesus separated himself for a time of prayer
Jesus was taken to the high priest
Chapter 15
they bound Jesus and led him away to Pilate
the soldiers then led Jesus away into the palace (that is the Praetorium)
Then they led him out to crucify him.
They brought Jesus to the place called Golgtha (which means The Place of the Skull)
Joseph took down the body of Jesus and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock.
Chapter 16
if Jesus was just a man, the story would sadly end right here. But He is God. Mary, Mary and Salome entered that tomb and saw a young man dressed in a white robe who said, " He has risen! He is not here." He will go ahead of you into Galilee.
Jesus appeared to two walking in the country
then he appeared to the 11 as they were eating
Jesus is alive and shared with his Eleven that they were to go. "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."
Jesus was taken up into heaven.
Jesus sat at the right hand of God.


The Gospel According to Mark
by Mark
16 Chapters
written about A.D. 65

Philippians

Philippians was a letter, a short one at that, penned by Paul to a church that he loved and cared about. When I read it this time my focus was on the "Joy" bits and in just 4 chapters, "joy" and "rejoice" is used 14 times, the word "glad" is used 3 times and "cheered" is used once.

chapter 1:3-6 is a great opening, "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

The first point my study Bible offered for me to consider was: Think of Christian friends separated from you by miles. Praise God for them and for what he is dong in their lives.

Presently nearly all of my friends are separated from me by miles and lately I have been pretty sad about it, but today I was encouraged to thank God for them, and so i did and enjoyed taking the time to let them know so too. I believe that rejoicing can lead to more rejoicing and when I am thankful a heart of gladness can pump joy in healthy ways.


Philippians
by: Paul
4.5 pages in large leather Bible
written about A.D. 62 from prison

Deadline

When we lived in China we took a train to Beijing from Kunming and back again.  At the time, Randy Alcorn's novel Safely Home (about Chinese Christians) added great food for thought as we covered many miles of Chinese terrain and I would highly recommend it. So, when I was ready for a novel to read Alcorn's name stood out on the library shelf and I choose Deadline.  Instead of having a write-up of the story line on the back cover, the space was used to say how good the book is (and how good his next book is too.)  That should have tipped me off, but I chose it anyway. For a first novel, it was not bad, I just did not connect well with the characters or their life choices and when the last page was read, I felt more like, "glad that is done" rather than "oh, I'm going to miss them all".  But, if you would like to read about a selfish 50-year old Vietnam Vet who is now a columnist, whose two best friends (one a radical Christian, the other a radical pagan) die in a car accident that was not an accident, than this book might be just for you. It is a detective story and does well to give all the pieces to solve the puzzles, bit by bit. As life is complex, so are the issues covered in this story and it did try to cover quite a few.  In my opinion, the main character, Jake, begins to have some healthy self-awareness on pages 282-283 and I will write what was written to give you an idea about the "hero".  Jake had never thought about Rory's family.  Rory was a one-dimensional fixture in his world like the holodeck images on Star Trek:The Next Generation, as when Jake left Lou's Diner, Rory didn't have a life.  He existed just to round out one little corner of Jake's world.  Open-minded as he liked to think of himself, Jake was beginning to realize he seldom saw any place or anything from someone else's point of view.  He was always the main character. The rest of the world had a supporting role or no role at all.  It struck him as a strange and selfish way to live.   But he goes on living that way for nearly 100 more pages.
The other dynamic to the story is the spiritual dimension that the dead (now fully alive) Christian friend brings interspersed throughout the chapters.  I found it ironic though that readers need to wait until the end of chapter 28 to get a glimpse of the life-after for the pagan friend.
Published in 1994, the story was written in present-day style. It consistently depicts awareness of life as it was lived and offers hope for a society in need.  According to pages of reader's responds to Deadline, many really loved this book, for me it fell a bit flat.

Deadline
by Randy Alcorn
426 pages, paperback
1994

Zamba

With a creative beginning and a heart-tugging concussion, Ralph Helfer brings readers along on an incredible 18 year journey of his life with an African lion named Zamba.

This true story though tells more than the adventures they share together.  It is a story of a childhood dream of living with animals (from a boy in inner-city Chicago) and how that dream was lived out event after event.

Early on Ralph knew that love, not fear, was the way to effectively communicate with animals and he developed what he called "affection training".  He daily practiced affection training as he  raised up his little cub. Through the years over 1500 animals were also influenced by him and his effective training method.

In chapter 7 Ralph lays out the philosophy behind the training with the key elements which are:
LOVE: a total commitment to each other
PATIENCE: an infinite amount.
UNDERSTANDING: so we know each other's strenghts and weaknesses.
RESPECT: so we don't take advantage of each other.

The book is chronologically layed out and Ralph shares many insights to life as he saw it.  Through various events, triumphs and set-backs of life lived together, Zamba and Ralph grow and depend upon each other.  At times, if you tried, you could almost feel the splender of Zamba's great mane as you read.  Many thanks to Melanie and Sophie for recommending this story to me and I would recommend it to others that love animals the way that they do.

Zamba
Ralph Helfer
256 pages, hardback
2006

Beloved

In 1988 Toni Morrison's novel Beloved won the Pulitzer Prise for Fiction and is on Hannah's book list for an American Literature class at Baylor.  So when we saw the paperback for sale in a book barn after picking blueberries in Michigan, I paid the 4 dollars then in need of a story to captivate me during a migraine I began to read it, from the beginning, not looking at the back cover for hints of what I was in store for.  


After the first chapter I did not want to go forward nor did I want to put the story down.  Its poetic writing and convincing language took me in even as the pictures it painted were on a canvas of something I did not wanted to see.  The story was the story of a woman, and those in her family, both one generation older than her and one generation younger and it moved abruptly from past to present (post Civil War) and back again with most of the pages anchored in Cincinnati,  Ohio. There is not a whole lot of romance in this love story but the love is thick.


I have to agree with those that praised the extraordinary talent expressed in this novel. It took you right back to where you could taste, see and feel what was going on, to places i did not want to be, nor did i want anyone to have to experience, but to know that many did have lives like those in this story gives me much to think about.   Near the end of the book, a minor character makes on observation that I feel does a good job at summing up the story.  "The future was sunset; the past something to leave behind.  And if it did not stay behind, well, you might have to stomp it out.  Slave life; free life-everyday was a test and a trial."

this novel was indeed a trial for me to read.


Beloved
Toni Morrison
275 pages paperback
1988

The Story Teller ~ Promises

Promises was recommended to me by my friend Raffia who received it from our friend Kellie and although it has taken me forever to read (first started it on a plane to Burma, then took it on into China and finished it up in Thailand) I'm so glad that I read it on  through, enjoying several chapters as I hula-hooped.

The man with a hundred wrinkles tells the history of Israel in an ongoing camp-fire chat with small gathering of freinds from the People of Promise. He begins with king Jeroboam II all the way through to the birth of the One who "shall be a great king of the royal line of Shepherd. He shall conqueer every kingdom and heal every hurt and bring peace to the Blue Planet."

This book comes complete with a glossary for important names and places and the reading of the story then is fresh and intriguing.  Promises is one book of four in the Story Tellers Series.


Promises
by Steve Stevens
paperback 204 pages
2000

Ginger Pye

One day while at the Grace school library to pick up a book I had on hold, I saw a book that Beth Lewis had on hold (and she was not due back until after summer) and thought, I bet if Beth wants to read this it would be a good book and with Sophie (our dog lover) visiting, it seemed to be a good choice. However, life got really busy with our move and related things to end well in Chiang Mai and I did not get to finish this charming book...but maybe by posting it, I will not forget it and get to enjoy it again at a later time.

Written in 1951, we get a glimspe into the days of the Pye family as they bring a puppy named Ginger into their lives in Cranbury.
I have a feeling it would be a great great read- aloud to kiddos.
Jerry and Rachel are clever siblings and it looks like Ginger is a very clever addition to their family.  Even though I did not get to read it through, it was an interesting book and I like how they have an uncle younger than they are and one day all three kiddos worked to clean the church...how else were they able to get the money needed to buy the cute puppy?


Ginger Pye
by Eleanor Estes (author of Pinky Pye and The Moffats)
306 pages paperback
The book was originally published in 1951 and it won the Newberry Medal for excellence in 1952.

The Princess

If you are looking for a light, make-believe, modern-day fairy tale (but without the fairy, well other then Fairy Cakes, a white cake and frosting confection), then The Princess might be just the read for you. Hannah loaned to me her paperback copy saying I would like it.  Author Lori Wick never kept me from sleeping but the story was a great one to pick up and set down again, reading a page here, a chapter there until the happily ever after ending 294 pages later.  It all begins in the kingdom of Pendaran with a king and queen and a prince in need of a wife.
 
Interspersed throughout the the story is prayer for and from just about all of the major characters, who, by the way, are quite likable.

Without giving away too much, here is a little summary of a speech that Princess Shelby gave to the August Garden Club, for one of her new responsibilities is to be involved with kingdom events.  She begins with sharing how she grew up with memories of her parents enjoying their flower gardens each spring and how the sound of the honey bees would send her mother running for fear of being stung, but her father, who was deaf from birth did not flee the noise of the bees.  Shelby then goes on to say, "I found myself asking, 'What do I listen to that causes me to fear?  It might seem like a small thing to you, but over the years the sight of flowers or trees has often helped me remember to whom I should listen when it comes to the subject of fear..." You can read more of her garden talk on pages 84-85, and the response she receives from Prince Nikolai, who is still acutely mourning the death of his first wife as he is getting to know his second wife from an arranged marriage.

The Princess
Lori Wick
294 pages, paperback
1999 (republished in 2006)

Blue Shoes and Happiness

Blue Shoes and Happiness is the latest in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series.

It does not take any time at all and you step right into Africa, smelling the aroma of pumpkin cooking, see the wide open sky, and feel the warmth of the sun make your skin brown.

It is another great read featuring Mma Ramotswe with her traditional build and little white van.  She insightfully solves the mysteries of day to day events in the lives of other Botswanians as she also relates to those who make her life meaningful. 

Here is a little exchange that gives you a taste of what you get with Blue Shoes and Happpiness: ...

On the way she remarked to Mma Makutsi that she was not wearing her new blue shoes that day.  "Was she giving them a rest? One should rotate one’s shoes, said Mma Ramatswe, that is well known."

Mma Makusi smiled, she was embarrassed, but in the warm intimacy of the truck, at such a moment, after the emotionally cathartic showdown they had all just witnessed, she felt that she could speak freely of shoes,’ ’they are a bit small for me Maa, she confessed.  I think you were right, but I felt great happiness when I wore them, and I shall always remember that.  They are such beautiful shoes.”

Maa Ramotswe laughed. “”Well, that is the important thing, isn’t it Mma? To feel happiness and then to remember it.” 

Blue Shoes and Happiness

author: Alexander McCall Smith

227 pg hard back
2006

The Gospel According to John

The Gospel of John has many fascinating themes running through it. This time I was not sure just what topic I would focus on but as I began to read it through it in the NIV 1984 translation, “truth” kept popping out at me. John starts off his account of the life and ministry of Jesus by saying, “the Word become flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. Then John records over 2 dozen specific accounts of Jesus saying “I tell you the truth…” In reflecting on the truth that Jesus is proclaiming, I feel one can get a better understanding of the important things Jesus told those around him. And now through John’s writing all who read throughout the generations are able to glimpse with a little more clarity into those key things as well. I will list the “I tell you the truth…” of Jesus as I discovered them from chapter 1 on through to chapter 21.

#1 John 1:51 He then added, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
#2 John 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. ”

#3 John 3:5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
#4 John 3:11 I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.

#5 John 5:19 Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

#6 John 5:24 “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
#7 John 5:2 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.

#8 John 6:26 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.

#9 John 6:32 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.
#10 John 6:47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.

#11 John 6:53 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

#12 John 8:34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
#13 John 8:51 I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”

#14 John 10:1 “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.
#15 John 10:7 Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.

#16 John 12:24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

#17 John 13:16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
#18 John 13:19 I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”

#19 John 13:21After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.”
# 20 John 13:38 Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!

#21 John 14:12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

#22 John 16:7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
#23 John 16:20 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.

#24 John 16:23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

#25 John 21:18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”

The Gospel According to John
Author: John
46 pages printed out in large font

Rich Mullins; An Arrow Pointing to Heaven

A very interestingly written book of the life and beliefs of Rich Mullins complied of many quotes by Rich and friends and wise people that have followed after God throughout history.  The 10 chapter book uses each chapter to give a different aspect of Rich's life from childhood to death and chooses one of his songs as the key focal point of the chapter. So, if you are familiar and enjoy Rich Mullin's music, the book is all the more meaningful. I really liked the last chapter the best as Rich lived life with a very real view of death.
this quote, "Live like you'll die tomorrow, Die knowing you'll live forever" sums his thoughts up wonderfully.  It is great to get to read a book that comes highly recommended and that is how this book came into my hands... from a friend and colleague working in Burma who loves to sing the songs of Rich Mullins and desires to also be an arrow pointing to heaven for his family and those he serves in a land that is much need.  

Rich Mullins; an Arrow Pointing to Heaven
author: James Bryan Smith
223 pages; hardback (with study guide and cd)
2002

Why are You Angry?

Such a sweet story of one pig's insightful ways of helping his farmyard friends... and in the end they all help out little Fatty too...i won't give it away :)

My friend Bap is author and she wrote the book in Thai and asked me to help her with the English...what a fun project. A great read for young and old alike!

Why are You Angry?
author: Bap
22 pages; paperback
2010

The Magical Beans

a colorful little story about valuing the treasure that comes your way.  Bap does a great job in using repetition to help teach without loosing the reader's interest in the story. This little story is told in both Thai and English and has a happy ending.  





The Magical Beans
author: Bap
23 pages; paperback
2010

No Wonder They Call Him the Savior

I was at our monthly dinner/discussion group and the article we were reviewing focused on what in Norway is called "Jesus Meditation", basically a type of imaginative reading of the Bible where you put yourself in the scene and try to picture it with all of your senses. You seek to see the scene with your inner eye while praying to and worshiping Jesus as if you were one of those involved.  When we were leaving, I asked the group if there is an author that is good at writing in this way, and Max Lucado was recommended.      


Max Lucado, author of several books, writes No Wonder They Call Him The Savior and then for 164 pages he gives 33 short, creative examples of how the Savior is who he is and what that means to a world that is in need of such a Savior. He divides the book in thirds with parts called the cross:its words, the cross:its witnesses, the cross:its wisdom.

  

My favorite bit was called: God’s Testimony. Max Lucado brings the reader along on a trip to the out woods of Rio de Janeiro for a day in God’s creation away from the bustling city. He talked with a 70-plus year old farmer and suggests getting out of the libraries, lay down our pens and step into creation to experience a fresh miracles that happen all around us.  He wrote that the time with the farmer reminds us, “there is a certain understanding of God on the cross that comes only with witnessing his daily testimony.”  The last vignette was also very meaningful. The night that Jesus returns to the locked upper room is imaginatively described and what I liked best was the outcome of that incredible encounter with the risen Lord Jesus. (This one was called The Roar).    

As the short stories do not build on one another and each has their own theme, I suggest reading them one at a time to savor the meaning, maybe over the course of a month.  The book was written in 1986 and some stories and use of language is dated to that time period, but most show forth timeless truths that inspire. 

No Wonder They Call Him the Savior
by Max Lucado
164 pages; paperback
2009

the gospel according to Luke

Luke, one of the authors of the Gospel accounts of Jesus, wrote his testimony primarily to a non-Jewish audience so that they could further understand the life of Jesus, who he was and what he taught. Luke wrote this in about A.D. 70.

There are two areas of interest for me this time that I read through the Gospel of Luke…one is the issue of fear/afraid and the other is the personal ways in which Luke includes names in his account. So I will take it from the beginning and introduce us to each person for the first time that they appear in action (I will not list here names of those from the past or names of people who are off-stage but the main actors.) Then I’ll list the passages where fear comes into play. Here we go…

Theophilus (this is who Luke wrote the book for)
Zechariah- a priest
Elizabeth- wife of Zechariah
Gabriel- angel of the Lord
Mary- virgin pledge to be married to Joseph
The Holy Spirit- he over-shadowed Mary so she conceived a son
John- the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth
Joseph- pledged to be married to Mary, hometown Bethlehem
Jesus- Christ the Lord
Simeon- righteous and devout man in the temple
Anna- prophetess in the temple
Herod- locked up John in prison
God- in a voice from heaven said to Jesus at his baptism, you are my Son whom I love…
the devil, later in the book called Satan- tempting Jesus in the desert
Simon- also called Simon-Peter, a fisherman …Jesus went to his house and healed Simon’s mother-in-law
James and John- the son’s of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Levi- tax collector who followed Jesus
Jesus’ 12 apostles (some have been listed already):
Simon
Andrew- Simon’s brother
James
John
Philip
Bartholomew
Matthew
Thomas
James-the son of Alphaeus
Simon the Zealot
Judas the son of James
Judas Iscariot-became a traitor
Simon- a Pharisee that invited Jesus to dinner the night expensive perfume was poured on Jesus’ feet
3 women who helped to support Jesus:
Mary- called Magdalene had 7 demons come out of her
Joanna-the wife of Cruz, the manager of Herod’s household
Susanna
Legion- the name of a powerful demon that Jesus cast into a herd of pigs
Jairus- ruler of the synagogue whose 12 year old girl was dying
Moses and Elijah- met up with Jesus to talk about his departure
Martha- she opened her home to Jesus
Mary- Martha’s sister (she chose what was better)
Zacchaeus—a rich tax collector that now has salvation
Pilate- finally gave Jesus to the people for crucifixion, even tho he tried 3 times not to
Barabbas- a criminal that was released rather than Jesus
Joseph of Arimathea- a member of the Council that was waiting for the King of God and he wrapped Jesus’ body and lay him in a tomb.
Mary the mother of James-she was wth the other women at the empty tomb of Jesus.
Cleopas—one on the road to Emmaus and Jesus met with him


Fear and afraid in Luke
1:12-13 Zechariah was gripped with fear but the angel said, “do not be afraid”…
1:30 the angel said, “do not be afraid Mary, you have found favor with God.”
2:10 angel said to the shepherds “do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy…
5:10 Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.”
8:25 when the boat was about to go down and Jesus speaks to the storm and it is calm the disciples “in fear and amazement ask each other, “who is this?”
8:50 someone came from the house of Jairus saying his daughter had died. Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”
9:44-45 Jesus was telling his 12 about his betrayal …and they were afraid to ask him about it.
19:21 “I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man.” Part of a parable that Jesus told of a king and some minas.
20:19 “The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.” After Jesus told the parable of the vineyard and the owner sending his son who he loved and the tenants killed him.
21:9 Jesus told his disciples “when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened.
21:11… there will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
21:26 …Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
22:2..it was Passover time “and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.
23:40…but the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God, “ he said…
24:5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “ why do you look for the living among the dead?
24:37… the disciples were in a room talking together saying Jesus had risen when he stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” They were started and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.

The Gospel According to Luke
Author: Luke (who later wrote Acts)
46 page in large leather Bible

The Secret Life of Bees

I do not know if I would have ever chosen this book by reading the back cover. However, I wanted a novel to take with me on vacation (to Vietnam) and I while visiting my friend Regina, she said this was one her daughter Tanya had wanted her to read because of the love portrayed between mothers and daughters. So on that recommendation, I gave it a go.

The Secret Life of Bees takes you back to the summer of 1964 to the hot days of South Carolina as the Civil Rights Movement heats up. It was easy to get caught up in the smell of Carolina jasmine, the dialect of the locals, feel loss and love and taste the sweetness of honey as the story moves in a non-rushed way allowing you to experience life right along with Lily. Lily, a 14 year old white girl won my affections immediately as each page drew me into her life and her fears. Because I did not read the back of the book, i had no idea that i was about to meet 3 wonderfully eccentric black beekeeping sisters (named August, May and June) and I felt like a part of the sisterhood in their pink house. How was I to know Black Madonna worship would be involved? But I could picture it just as easy as I could May's self created wailing wall. August and her patient wisdom shows throughout the book and here is an example of it with Lily about the color of their house:

"All this time I just figured you liked pink," I (Lily) said. She (August) laughed again. "You know, some things don't matter that much, Lily. Like the color of a house, how big is that in the overall scheme of life? But lifting a person's heart--now that matters. The whole problem with people is--" "They don't know what matters and what doesn't, " I said, filling in her sentence and feeling proud of myself for doing so. "I was gonna say, The problem is they know what matters, but they don't choose it. You know how hard that is, Lily? I love May, but it was still so hard to choose Caribbean Pink. The hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters."

While reading this coming-to-age-story of love, forgiveness, prejudice, pain and healing, I learned a whole lot about bees and honey in the process. I will never eat honey again without thinking of the bees that make it and I have a feeling August and her sisters will come to mind for quite some time too.
Oh, and another delightful thing about the book was the brief interveiw at the end with the author and a short guide for discussion
.
The Secret Life of Bees
author: Sue Monk Kidd
302 pages; paperback
2002

Humility; True Greatness

Humility; True Greatness is a book that I first heard of by reading the 2011 read list of a friend who serves in China. Next to this title she wrote, " read-again and should read it each year".   That caught my interest.  Later i saw this thin black book on another friend's bookshelf and asked to borrow it. Although it is small, there is a lot packed into it and i would suggest reading the last chapter first as it is a wonderful over-view of the previous chapters and even has "how-to" suggestions in list form (and number 12 will probably make you smile like it did me :)).   If growing in humility is a passion, then this book is a great place to start. The author quotes many authors throughout history and sites various sources throughout each chapter to fuel the pursuit of growing in humility. One suggestion is to ask yourself (and your children), whom do you most admire and why. the answers will give good insight into values and understanding of Jesus' teaching of true greatness.
Now here is Lorraine C's recommendation: The book Humility: True Greatness by CJ Mahaney is a small little book that just struck a chord at the right time, and since most of sin is rooted in pride, I gave it a good read. And I just flipped through it again, I remember being struck by his defining of terms: pride: “is when sinful human beings aspire to the status and position of God and refuse to acknowledge their dependence on Him.” ... Then he goes through Jesus' teaching and words about humility, and then practical ways to fight the sin of pride, and how to look for grace in other people’s lives. It is certainly worth a read.

Thanks, Lorraine!

Humility; True Greatness 

author: CJ Mahaney

hardback; 174 pages
2005

The Gospel according to Mark

The gospel according to Mark was written by Mark who was a young companion of Paul, Barnabas and Peter and he wrote it about 65 ad. This is an action-filled writing; the shortest of the four gospel records.   

Each time I read through one of the gospels, I see a different theme or something new about Jesus stands out to me.  This time in Mark’s account I encounter Jesus as the great healer…

 

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”~ Jesus

In the gospel of Mark, Jesus heals:

A man with an evil spirit in the synagogue at Capernaum

Simon’s mother-in-law with a fever

The sick and demon possessed and many who had various diseases of Simon’s town

Throughout Galilee Jesus drove out demons

A man with leprosy in Galilee

A paralytic through a roof in Capernaum

A man with a shriveled hand in the synagogue

Many from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan around Tyre and Sidon came to Jesus to be healed or have their demons cast out

In Gerasenes the strong man who lived among the tombs who was tortured by the demon named Legion was dressed and in his right mind when Jesus cast the demon into a herd of pigs.

The woman in a crowd who Jesus freed from her suffering of 12 years of bleeding

Jairus’ 12 year old daughter raised from the dead …Jesus said, “Talitha kuom!”  Little girl get up!

Jesus extends his healing power when he gives authority to his 12 to anoint many sick people with oil and heal them and to drive out many demons.

In Bethsaida and throughout that region the sick on mats and in the marketplaces; all who touched Jesus…

A little daughter of a Greek woman in Tyre healed of an evil spirit

A deaf-mute man of the Decapolis.

A blind man of Bethsaida

After the transfiguration, Jesus healed a man’s son (robbed of speech) and possessed by a spirit…this kind can come out only by prayer.

Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus), a blind man on the road outside of Jericho

Mary Magdalene- 7 demons driven out

And at the very end of Mark’s gospel, he records Jesus saying, “Go into all the world and preach the good news…and in my name they will be able to drive out demons… and they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”   

The Gospel of Mark
author: Mark
28 pages in large leather-bond Bible

Home

"Home" is the sequel to the award winning book Gilead. Hannah gave the novel to me to give to Dad when I was in TX whilst visiting her. The author made an appearance at her school and is an exquisite story teller.
So, did i like Home? hmmmm... I first started reading it in November 2010 but then it got packed away and I got interested in other books. Then in Jan 2011 Russell and I tried to read it together... but did not get far. Almost every time I picked the book up I fell asleep reading it, but I could not stop picking it up again and again. Actually, there is good insight all the way through the book but the last 1/5 of the story is wonderfully well-crafted. I never laughed nor did I cry as I turned the pages, and I was hoping for more closure than what was offered, but I found myself caring deeply for the three man characters (Jack, Glory and their father-Reverend Boughton) and I wanted the best for each of them. I'm not sure if I have encountered the word "flummoxed" before this book, but I read it a few times within the 300 plus pages.  Here are some of the choice quotes, in my opinion, "How oddly holiness situated itself among the things of the word, how endlessly creation wrenched and strained under the burden of its own significance." Then a little further, "Weary or bitter or bewildered as we many be, God is faithful.  He lets us wander so we will know what it means to come home."  Midway through the story Jack and Glory are getting to know each other as adult siblings and they were talking about kindness.   Glory said, "I know a little bit about that," and he nodded, and the lilacs rustled, and the sun shone, and there was quiet between them, a calm that came with being of one mind.  This is just one example of how you can wonderfully feel the place as you read the words. Then their father, at the end of his life, says some very meaningful things about family on page 261.  Home has no fairy-tale bits to it, but is a slow, real life read as life really happens and all the pondering that goes into guarded reflection of what makes a person who they are.

Home
author: Marilynne Robinson
325 pages; paperback
2009

The Gospel of Matthew

The Gospel of Matthew is the first book listed in the New Testament and was written by one of Jesus' disciples who at one time was a tax collector. As we had been studying the book of Daniel in house church the phrase in son of man (a reference to Jesus) stood out to me... Daniel 7:13-14
13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,[a] coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
i then began to read Matthew looking for other times this title was used for Jesus.  i found over 2 dozen times and each time fills out more of who Jesus is and his love for us.
here are the places in Matthew's gospel where "son of man" are found.
Matthew 8:19-21
Matthew 9:5-7
Matthew 10:22-24
Matthew 11:18-20
Matthew 12:7-9
Matthew 12:31-33
Matthew 12:39-41
Matthew 13:36-38
Matthew 13:40-42
Matthew 16:12-14
Matthew 16:26-28
Matthew 17:8-10
Matthew 19:27-29
Matthew 20:17-19
Matthew 20:27-29
Matthew 24:26-31
Matthew 24:36-38
Matthew 24:38
Matthew 24:43-45
Matt 25:31-31
Matthew 26:23-25
Matthew 26:44-46
Matthew 26:63-65 

The Gospel of Matthew
author: Matthew
46 pages in large leather-bond Bible

The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief is a story of a quest. A quest that spans the east to west coasts of the USA as well as includes a visit to Hades across the River Styx. Percy, a young half-blood, discovers who his dad is along the way. What would it be like to have a god for a dad? Greek mythology mixes with modern-day life and the use of teen-age slang keeps the pages turning...or at least that is what happened to Allie my eighth grade niece. I read on facebook that she was excited about a book she was reading so i decided i would check it out from our school library, not knowing anything about it. Well, my anticipation built as the book was on hold for several students before me! here is what Allie has to say,
"its just like a really good book and its one of those books at least for me that i didn't want to put down.. and it was a story i could like put my self into and like see what was happening its just like an over all really good book :)"
Honestly, I would have never chosen this genre on my own, so thanks Allie for stretching me! My favorite quote from the book took place in a diner in Denver when Percy and his friends first met  very mean and arrogant Ares who had a little side-quest for them to do. Percy asked the question, "why does he need us?" and Annabelle answered, "Maybe it's a problem that requires brains. Ares has strength. That's all he has. Even strength has to bow to wisdom sometimes."  That quote later helps Percy toward the end of his quest. If you liked The Lightning Thief, good news...there are at least 4 more books in the series.

The Lightning Thief
author: Rick Riordan
hardback; 375 pages
2005

Eve's Daughters

Here it was several weeks into January and I still had not read a book this year..i was craving a good read.  I remembered a post on facebook from my friend Donna D (our friendship began in our post-married, pre-baby days of living in Dallas) and her status was something like curled up on these cold days with a good book.  when i questioned what she was reading lately, she replied, she loved the historical fictions by Lynn Austin.  Our school's library had one Lynn Austin book on the shelf, so that made the choice easy :) and without even reading the back cover of the book, i delved into the life of Louise, a newly married woman living in pre-world war one Germany.  
pages turned easy as the story took you forward and backward over an eighty plus year span into the life of 4 generations of woman, all with choices to make. The preface was from Exodus 20:5 ...I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me....so that was a clue that not all these choices were easy or good ones.
Getting involved with the lives of Louise, her daughter Emma, her daughter Grace and her daughter Suzanne (who also had two daughters) continues to cause me to ponder who am i in this chain of generational daughters... daughters that go back to the first woman Eve...how did the choices of the daughters before me effect me and what are the effects of my choices on the daughters that come after me....Needless to say, I enjoyed the book and toward the end found myself reading until after 3:00 am (what was I thinking having coffee before bed?). Thank you, Donna, for helping me to start out new year 2011 with good perspective from a well written story.

Eve's Daughters
author: Lynn Austin
paperback;  428 pages
1999