The Wind in the Willows

So I pulled this book from the shelf for the first time in many years. In it I found my son Aldens homemade bookmark with a drawing of him, Zander, and I. Across the top was an open book with FROG written across it. That was 16 years ago. Well the truth is, Alden has become toad.
I decided to read it again front to back! What a fun book this is to read. Every chapter has some classic stuff in it. And toad actually becomes reformed into a more humble and slow toad in the end. Such a wonderful classic book! Jill

To Fly Again, Surviving the Tailspins of Life by Gracia Burnham

Gracia Burnham and her husband we kidnapped by terrorists on May 27, 2001, while celebrating their eighteenth wedding anniversary on the island of Palawan,.  They were taken hostage by the Abu Sayyaf, a militant Muslim group... a notorious al Qaeda-linked guerrilla group.

 I remember when I first heard her horrendous story, and how she and her husband were taken at gunpoint from a hotel ,  how they spent their time with their  captors traveling through the jungle for almost a year.  The news media of the day apparently gave it coverage, but I don’t remember ever hearing about it on the news myself.  I only heard of her story when I read her book called, In The Presence of My Enemies.

Back then, I thought it was a riveting story, and an encouraging story from a Christian perspective.  It is as remarkable to me today when Gracia was a guest speaker recently at my church and seeing her in person I am sure that she is a real person.  It was just as fascinating to hear her tell the tell of it again. And to impart wisdom from above that she and Martin used in their situation.  

I will have to say in all honesty that there are some things about the book that make me raise an eyebrow  First, as a representative of New Tribes Missions, she was not just there to visit us and encourage the believers,( though she did,)  she was obviously on a speaking circuit to various churches, (had been at conference held at our church that weekend) and was no doubt raising money and consciousness for the New Tribes mission cause, (not a bad thing to be doing.) This was  probably not the sole reason she was there doing what she did, but I do not know; I only know I was disappointed to learn that she has a very well rehearsed program that is given  to every audience , no matter where she is at.  I am disappointed too when money appears to be the main motivator behind a cause.  At this point is just doesn’t seem like a very personable message.  It becomes more like a commercial for her organization and for selling books.  (I bought one.)

I also wonder about the Moslem connection… the love your enemies’ message. (Which is a good message…) but since 2001 all we ever hear about is treating Moslems nicely.    I find it interesting to have this “love to Moslems” message be on circuit in the church.  Jesus said to love your enemies and certainly that means all, not just ONE SPECIFIC group.

Also, there is a “dream” theme  DREAM.. fulfillinf YOUR  Dream.  Seems as if  people in speaking positions everywhere, (for example, Rick Warren,” he is on the "dream theme" too.,) are jumping on a  “dream” theme in their talks. It sounds a little bit like the, ”God wants to give you,  your best dream now,” sort of thing.  The book jacket here reads, “God longs to pour his grace into people with broken dreams and fill their lives with new meaning and joy.”

Nice. 

 But is that the gospel? 

Answer: "NO."

 And, really, is God grieved, longing to pour his grace out because I have “broken dreams.”?  NO.  This is not what the scriptures have to say.. not what the apostles wrote about, so it raises my eyebrow.

My eyebrow cannot help but tell my brain to think hard and long about this.  Just the same, the book is easy to read and fascinating, especially if you wonder how Gracia Burnham has come out on the other side of this major tailspin in her life.  The books is also filled with encouraging words to get you holding fast to scripture in your heart and points the reader following the teachings of Jesus in their own life…, especially that part about loving those you might consider to be your enemies.  

It’s a good read and an encouraging word, for sure.  I bought the book and before I even read it loaned it to a friend, who loaned it to a friend and then returned it and I read it.  

One more oddity is that at the end of the book is an offer for download of a  “Free discussion guide.”  The FREE book guide can be found at www.christianbookguides.com.  

The other eyebrow raises.....
It makes me wonder why it was not just included in the book.  Perhaps so  it can be charted who read the guide... data collection from the company, kind of thing.  Perhaps it is so the material is not scrutinized?  IT's hard to know for sure.  But  lots of books have discussion guides these days, but, my other eyebrow went up just the same.   I read through the discussion questions and it was disappointing, as it seemsed like an introduction to the world of dialectics….   See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialectic and http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/04/3-purpose.htm  

 I am not against discussion of books, or book discussion groups… but I don’t like making all books into a bible study.

Consider the nature of the questions:.

Examples of the study questions:

Chapter 20: It’s Only Halftime

• If your life were compared to a basketball game, how far along are you currently? How has the game gone so far?

• Who’s going to be more honored in heaven: Jim Elliot or Bert Elliot? Or do you think they’ll be honored equally?

• Why do you think some people fade out and accomplish little in the “second half” of their life?

Chapter 21: God’s Best Is Yet to Come

• What did you think of Reverend Hartman’s little “Saturday night sermon” for Gracia?

• This chapter gives some unique definitions—or at least illustrations—of the word grace. Which ones stood out to you?

• Can you honestly accept Gracia’s statement that “God’s best is yet to come”? If you struggle with this, let the group know. Pray together about your individual futures.

They are weird sort of questions, if you ask me.  I kinda think reading and studying the bible is better and wonder about those unique definitions...  but overall,it is an interesting read.

Scripture warns us of perilous times, and Gracia, and Martin her husband, faced some of those up close and personal.  Jesus got them both through in one way or another.  Gracia points that out and points out to her readers that this world is not our home.   In the meantime, while we are here, looking for that glorious day, we can always be assured that though times are dismal, God is good and he best is yet to come!

(Even if publishing companies and big business or aberrant thinking about ourselves tries to cloud our way.

Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham Jr.

Book Review:    FAMILY DRIVEN FAITH by Voddie Baucham Jr.

A book targeted at Christian readers, Family Driven Faith  is written to promote the concept of Family Integrated Churches,  (FIC)  and homeschooling kids instead of sending them to public school.   Another concept it promotes is that of parents instilling a "biblical worldview" in their children.  I have to say, while I would support both of these principles, this is not a book I would recommend reading.  It is filled with a lot of legalistic ideas, but most importantly, despite its good  intentions, the book misses or avoids the gospel message of Christ completely,  making it a questionable read if you want to get a solid Christian perspective of God’s grace and what it means to live out your Christian faith in the church or in a family.    .

But this is just my opinion… and yet, I say, let’s examine how Baucham promotes these ideas of FIC, as well as his advice on parenting and how to get a Christian worldview.  Keep in mind that the book is intended to be read by Christians, and as Christians  we must not be so quick to embrace a gospel other than the one we have already accepted.(Galatians 1:8)  Hopefully Christian readers are 
“Christian readers” because they have accepted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that they know him, personally, so that when someone else comes along to lead them into bondage they will test what that person has to say.

Voddie Baucham tells his reader, "if we want to change the world, we must first change the church." (pg. 203)

It is statements like this that are woven  throughout the book that prompt me to question the "Christian" perspective of this pro -family, pro-homeschooling book.  The church, after all, is something that is not only indestructible, but it is built by God.  The church, you might say, is His workmanship...  we are created in Christ Jesus...(EPh 2:10) The church stands firmly, it is built by Him upon the Rock he has firmly established, the cornerstone..(Ephesians 2:20)..  Jesus Christ.

When you, dear Christian,  think of the church, do you think of how it is that EVEN the " gates of hell" cannot prevail against the church?  It makes sense then, from a Christian perspective, to question this "change the church" comment,.  What does Baucham mean when he tells Christians, " if they want to change the world, then  they need to "change the church".  This is works based thinking at best.
Aside from the paradigm shift from faith in the work of Jesus Christ to our works to help change the world and make it a better place, Baucham wants his Christian readers to embrace the biblical concept of parents training up their children in the Lord.  Unfortunately, he does this via legalism, teaching that you only get one chance at it, so you better do it right.  He is a vociferous homeschool advocate to the core and as such Bucham believes that “Christian” parents, homeschool.

With the idea that parents "must" be the ones to instruct and thereby discipline their children, (not public schools or anyone else,) Baucham goes to great lengths explaining how the Old Testament has many instructions on this kind of parenting.  He even goes so far as to criticize most pastors, most churches and many Christians for their wrong thinking on this matter, noting that they have youth groups and Sunday school programs, even Christian schools, which take children from their parents.    He frowns on parents who put their kids in these group situations and while he tries to have a sympathetic heart to single parents, he encourages pastors and leaders to change their view on the matter, this... based upon various "scriptural" instructions.  

Baucham believes, and teaches his parent readers, that every act of disobedience from a child deserves immediate and swift punishment.  There is no "counting to three"... a parent should not have to repeat themselves and a child should obey immediately and without question.  To help the reader understand how this works in his own family, Baucham reports that he told his child, "...the Bible says that if you honor me you will live long.  That means that if you don't do what I say, I will take you out."(pg. 118)  

Sometimes such things are said sort of in “jest,"-  but  as to what, exactly,  "take you out" means is anybody's guess.  It's open to interpretation.... so can these words mean anything we want them to?  Is that how we are to read what he just said?  

Correction and obedience are right and good; all sin will be punished at some time, no doubt, just as Baucham also says; but justice is not the end of the story with God....mercy and grace and love are key elements to who God is as they are also to the Christian life. There was no grace in any of this teaching.  Also, there was not mention of Jesus Christ as he talked about the ultimate punishment of sin. Something si glaringly missing, and it’s something than cannot be omitted in the understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is simply not something that should be  omitted from a “Christian” book,  This was dishearten to me, as I thought for sure I was reading a book that was written by a Christian when I picked it up.

 Stressing this point that the children must be trained to obey immediately when told to do something, Baucham says, "the degree to which children properly respond to the authority of their parents is indicative to the degree in which they are filed with the Spirit"  (pg. 109)   Bauchams use of the term "spirit" here, like other things he says, is also ambiguous. 
Now, I might, or you might, assume ,that when he says “Spirit,” he means, "Spirit of God," but he is not implicit.  How do we know that he does not mean, "Spirit of fear?" (You know, the fear children may have that dear old dad might actually "take them out"?)  After all, Baucham tells parents to make sure that their children do what they say the first time they are told, without questioning...without ever contradicting  or ever being disobedient.   He never says how this is enforced or what to do when they do not submit to the authority placed over them, but one thing you do know, Dad is always in complete and total control.... of both his wife and kids. 

 He would never even think of sending them to church school, public school or Sunday school, either, because to Baucham, sending your child to any school (even Sunday school)  anything besides homeschooling is just not an option , this particularly if you want to be in God's will.. doing what the Bible says and keeping the commandments properly, especially the fifth.  

HE is also a proponent of training people in having a "biblical worldview", something I have come to believe comes only through the reading, preaching and teaching of the scriptures.  Again, this idea of how Christians view the world is a good, godly, Ch4ristian idea, but again, the manner and light in which such a thing is presented deserves a closer look. In Bauchams view we get this idea from reading all kinds of Christian books on the subject.

When it is all said and the last page is turned, a lot of things presented in this book come to the reader lacking some very important Christian essentials, and while I say this, let me also say  in Baucham's defense, I am glad that he is outspoken as a "Christian" and as a family man and as a homeschooler.  He is a voice and he makes some very good points, however there is a strong legalistic spirit in his ideals.  He doesn’t really talk about grace, and without grace, this thing he calls "Family Driven Faith", becomes disturbing.  It is for this reason I believe Christians should be VERY discerning when reading this book. You need to remember that grace is something we need to see that no one misses in their Christian walk. (Hebrews 12:15.) 

Baucham also  repeatedly talks about things that are wrong with the church, kinda badmouthing the bride of Christ.    He constantly uses terms like "most Christians" and "many Christians," followed by some negative aspect or negative thing "they" do in order to channel the reading thinking of the reader into his own stream of thought.  Saing bad things about the church and Christians is quite a bold assertion to be making.... unless of course you like being and accuser  of the brethren.   When a man like Mr Baucham bad talks both the "church" and "Christians," aas a point of habit it seems a bit contentious and one either finds agreement in this, or has to wonder, "Why?"

Many people are outspoken like this today.  They like to frame things as he does, with "most Christians" and "many Christians," when they are talking, and like many people who are outspoken in this manner, Baucham suggests that the church is really no different from the world.   He says, for example, (pg. 112) "There is little distinction between our lives and the lives of pagans down the street." 

Really?  (How is this measured?  Outward appearance only?  )    Mpre importantly, is it true?  And what makes a “Christian” Christian anyhow?

Certainly all people are sinners, that is a given....(so maybe we are much the same as pagans  in that respect.  However Christians do not worship trees and creation like pagans do, and they do profess to believe in Jesus, and the Bible too.   Pagans, on the other hand have no use for that stuff, so there are ome differences if one is really what they profess to be.  

So you see, the church is different because it knows Jesus Christ is Lord... and believes the promises of God.  It is made up of people who have repented of sin before the God of the Universe and who now stand forgiven in Christ.  It is made up of people who are "born again"....no longer of the world; people who have become part of the family of God, and who, according to the scripture, are now to be the bride of Christ.   They are definitely different than the pagans down the street because they love the God who first loved them... (1 John 4:19) in return for his love in redeeming them from sin.   They still have their humanity in many ways.... and they still need to eat and sleep and they still bleed just like the "pagans down the street"... but there is, and should be some differences just the same.  They are not perfect people without any fault or blemish like Jesus, but you can definitely see Jesus  and the love of God working in them as they tell you of the promises of God which they believe, but Baucham says there is no difference.  Why is this?

Baucham says, (pg. 23) "A family without a commitment to the God of the Bible has no hope of stemming the tide of cultural onslaught.  If we mix a little Biblical truth, a little secular psychology, a little romance novel ideology and a little eastern mysticism we will get a deadly mixture of lies.  Unfortunately, this is what most Christians do."   

Generally speaking, Christians are those who have made a commitment to God. (They are not those "without a commitment" as related in the quote above.)  But most importantly, despite what Baucham says, these people do have a hope of "stemming the tide of cultural onslaught," (Whatever that happens to mean...) because the scripture says, " if God is with us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:28)  To help you stand against the “cultural onslaught” Baucham suggests looking at the law and walking in it… but keeping the commandments and being obedient to God and his will to a “t”… by the works of our own flesh, by force or by fear,  is simply not  the Gospel.

So, once you are dutifully keeping the law like a good and moral person should and think this guy really knows what he is talking about… Baucham then talks more about how he wants to "revolutionize" (pg. 191) the way his readers think of the church and of the family.  This, he believes, will come about as we teach our children a "biblical worldview,." and the way to do this, he says, is to fill our houses with lots of Christian books.  He also advocates that these families create "family integrated churches" and says that it will take a ”paradigm shift" (pg. 202) in our thinking to create this revolution, which he says will be a  "complete overhaul of the philosophy that is accepted in our churches, colleges, seminaries, and homes" too.    

Again,  Baucham teaches that churches have things all wrong, and his pet concept of  "Family Integrated Churches" are they way that God intended church to be.   To make matters worse, Baucham suggests lots of Christian books are needed to get a Christian worldview, neglecting to be really clear about what  Christian doctrine is.  Furthermore, it's utterly ironic that Mr. Baucham cautions his readers, to be very careful about what they read, for he says that not all books in the Christian book stores are guaranteed "Christian"!  He is right on that point, in fact, and his book, Family Driven Faith is now on my ever growing list, 

It would be really refreshing to hear the good news of Jesus Christ from this man, but we don't; and as a reader, as a Christian,  I can only wonder “why?” In my curiosity, I checked out his internet website , taking note that there, he doesn't mention Jesus Christ or the gospel either.   His website is really all about himself and his ministry.  And, in a rather self promoting fashion, Baucham  make mention that he ”speaks to ‘outsiders’ (whatever an "outsider" is)  in ways few Bible teachers can," making sure the person reading thinks that his teaching is somehow extraordinary, special and far above ALL the rest.  

Bible teachers, Christian bible teachers do have one thing in common, and it makes them Christian.  Most of them anyhow, know just one thing... the gospel truth... and that is Christ and him crucified for our sin.  ( Corinthians 2:2)

Road of the Tinkling Bell : Paintings, Poems and Essays by Tomihiro Hoshino

I enjoy poetry and have a special appreciation for things Japanese so I found reading this little haiku and short poems quite fun.  I enjoyed sharing a couple of them with family members too.  The paintings were delightful, but I was just reading bits and pieces of the pretty poetry book I found at the resale shop.

It actually took me a while to discover Tomihiro's special ability of painting and writing with a tool in his teeth.  As I read more, I discovered he was paralyzed and not only that, he was a Christian.  No wonder that I found him to write with humility and honestly.  I began to reread some of my favorites and even beginin reading the poetry book from the begining of the book.  I enjoyed the personal insights into Tomihiro's personal and thoughtful world. 

Tomihiro was born in Japan in 1946.  He was an avid gymnast there, even a coach until an accident in 1970 left him paralyzed from the neck down.  He spent nine years hospitalized, relearning how to live and how to use the brush in his mouth to write and paint.


THis is a great book.  It sheds heavenly light on a personal journey, one of perseverance in the darkness of a great difficulty and what could possibly even be despair.   It's a peek into the world of flowers and the thoughts they weave into a tiny eye tha dares to contemplate the world, as it spins it;s own tale of a miracle into all of creation....at least this is my explanation of the experience of reading through this book.

The title of the book comes from the gift of a bell that Hoshino was given... and the lessson he learned.

Someone gave him a small bell and he tied this bell onto his wheelchair where he noticed that he didn;t hear it until he traveled the rough surfaced roads and pathways.  He then related this tinkling bell to the idea that in the journey of life, it is when we go down the uneven roads of hardship and difficulty, the more outback terrain, (much like Tomihiro's wheelchair,) that we hear the important things, see the miraculous and even consider who we are and what life is about.  It's the little things that reveal the miraculous.... something that simply makes a noise and gets your attention.


You will not hear the tinkling bell, when things are perfect and the road is smooth.  It cannot jingle, then, except maybe in the wind.   A bump in the road is an opportunity to hear the little bell that rings to get our attention, to comfort us reminding us, we are not alone.

The sound of a bell, a tinkling bell is beautiful indeed.


and so... off we go, down the road of the tinkling bell.