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.

Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynn Truss

Finally!  I finally finished reading the book!  I can't believe it took me so long... glad I finally finished and now I can surely say, it was interesting, and it was funny, but obviously not funny or interesting enough to keep me from sleeping instead of reading. 

I enjoyed it when I did read it, I just kept falling asleep.  The moral of that story is the answer to the question of the ages:  how exciting can punctuation REALLY be?

Well, Lynn Truss knows.  Actually, after reading this book about punctuation, I can honestly say that the world of punctuation is more interesting that I ever dreamed, but to know this one must first be willing to enter into the world of punctuation, which is what this book is about.

The thing that spurred me on to finishing this book was that I ended up listening to the book on tape, which I found for sale as a discarded book at the local library.   I have to say, Eats, Shoots, and Leaves was actually even more interesting this way, as it was colored with segments of audio interviews and reports by various people highlighted in the book.  It was like listening to a radio program rather than reading a book, and all the while one could be getting through the same material; besides, I could drive the car while I listened.  I think this particular book on tape really brought the book to life.

Reading this book... audio or not, is a lot like going on an adventure into the jungle of words and punctuation.... punctuation is thew wild things within the words.  This is because there really is so much more to puctuation than meets the eye, you have to get in and explored the punctuation realm to really understand.  There was so much more to the world of punctuation than I knew before.

When Lynn talks about a ZERO tolerance approach, she is referring to the idea that people really do not understand punctuation... and make mistakes using it all the time, and these mistakes should be corrected.... but on the other hand, one learns reading this book that the punctuation we use is not only wild, (a.k.a... totally arbitrary and roaming free, even though we learn various punctuation rules and use them all the time... if we want to....and if we want to communicate well in the communications we write.  Punctuation is like traffic signals... but then in the world of face paces comunication at the speed of light, no one punctuates any more.... or so  THEY say.

 It seems that perhaps punctuating is becoming more unpopular as we text via cell phone in these more modern times.  This because some people find it unnecessary or time consuming.  But when interviewed many people said they did punctuate in texting... for various reasons... like passing good punctuation skills down to their kids.   And then there is the newest form of puctuation... the emoticons.

: -)

and there was a discussion of orther anatomial-icons being passed around as well....

Anyhow...  Let it suffice now to say thatafrer reading this book, I saw commas, full stops, dashes colons semi colons and exclaimation points in ways that I ever thought about before.  I brushed up a little on this very important part of writing, and learned also not to take it all so seriously.  I do think it is a very important book, that makes a very important point...  On a simple scale, consider the importance of a comma.... Commas change things. 

For example, take a look at the differencee here when commoas are inserted or removed in the title of the book.:

The Panda eats bamboo shoots and leaves.
The Panda eats bamboo shoots, and leaves.
The Panda eats bamboo, shoots, and leaves. 

Or another example:
One can say,
"Let's eat Grandpa."
meaning to say,
"Let's eat, Grandpa."

I loved the special touch Lynn added to the book of sticker apostrophes and  commas so signs can be corrected.  SHe obviously not only takes this stuff seriously... but is seriously funny about it all.


Probably the most important and uselessly useful piece of information I learned was how to use an interbang, or rather, that there was even such a thing.  I had never heard of an Interrobang before so now I am endebted to Lynn Truss for bringing this interesting piece of punctuation to my attention.

Do you know what an interbang is?  (Hint: It conveys in print an attitude of curiosity and wonder.)

I definitely  recommend the information given in this book.  Its good for re caging you mind on the whole punctuation issue....and giving you some insight about whether you know how to punctuate properly or not.  If you are anything like me, you will enjoy the way these punctuation experts see punctuation and find this book an the information within it will make you sharper in your use of it, or at least think more about "why" you use it at all,  or if you want to use it, and when; that is of course, if after reading the book, you decide punctuation is necessary at all.

Sunflower Houses by Sharon Lovejoy

My favorite thing to so, since 2001 is to  plant sunflowers, growing them into a Sunflower house; something I learned about long ago.



Sunflower Houses, Garden Discoveries for Chrldren of All Ages, by Sharon Lovejoy, is a fabulous find.  I bought it at the Library book sale.. the one in the bookcase in North Spokane.  Fifty cents is all it cost me for a very cool book indeed!  It is fun to read and a delight to the heart, as I read through it considering all the marvels of growing things and the magic they do spark in a child's heart and mind.

After reading this book, I am now inspired to try new and interesting things, like a butterfly garden... (shaped like a butterfly of course...) or a clock garden, where the plants in the garden open and close at various, predictable times of the day.  My most favorite idea from this book, the most practical for me, may be to plant a rainbow garden. 

That looks a little like this:Off I go to pull some weeds right now!


Too-da-loo...

The Law by Frederic Bastiat

The Law was written by Frederic Bastiat in 1850.  Just the same it is as relevant today as it was when it was written.  I highly recommend the reading of this short, easy to read book that will help you understand more about the LAW.

You can read it on-line at : http://bastiat.org/en/the_law.html

Taming the Techno Beast by Todd Wilson

 Taming the Techno Beast  is a book I bought at a recent conference where the author spoke.  It's a small book, and easy to read.  I got it because I am a sort of anti techno person... (She said as she typed on her computer, using the internet....) I mean, I think one should be careful that such things do not suck up your life... and I know how they can easily do that.  Also, I liked hearing what Todd Wilson had to say too, as he talked about issues pertaining to parenting and homeschooling... and knowing he had a heart for the Lord, I was also interested to hear what he had to say about this techno beast.

I found it to be interesting and insightful as he talked about how technology sneaks in and how i consumes you when you least expect it.  IT is funny how you start with your kids playing seemingly  innocent, educational games like Winnie the Pooh or Carmen San Diego and the next thing you know it becomes babysitting sort of time... and then the next thing you know they've  moved on to other games that fulfill the entertainment need and then people are playing games instead of playing with friends.

I think the book was a good reminder to be thoughtful about this technological world that has emerged and how we spend out time, how our kids spend their time.  He says that we cannot kill the beast... because it does exist, it permeates our culture, and we should recognize how it can be used for both good and for evil.  He says though that we need to tame it, bring it under control..and not let it control us or our kids.

The Three Little fish and the Big Bad Shark

by Ken Geist and Julia Gorton


This is a kids book, but it was really funny and I liked it a LOT.  It is basically the Three Little Pigs story told oceanic style.. all the way down to,  "not by the skin of my finny fin fin! "

In the end the big bad shark attempting to get all three little fish at once, bites into the house made of rocks, breaks his teeth and spends the rest of his life eating kelp. 

I love it.

So tell your kids your own oceanic version, (since you do not have the book) and if they know the true tale, watch them have fin with this one.

STUFF, The Secret Lives of Everyday Things

STUFF, The Secret Lives of Everyday Things by John C Ryan and Alan Thein Durning

This book is small, (80 or so page,) easy to read, and is basically an over-sized pamphlet  that is geared towards environmentalism.  It is published by the Northwest Environment Watch.The point of the book is to get people to consider the impact that their personal consumerism has on the planet.

Now, I am no environmentalist...I mean, I believe in being responsible a steward... thinking and acting in such a way as to make good use of things and not be wasteful with water, electricity, ect. I put litter in it's place,I turn off the water between the moments of brushing my teeth and rinsing my brush, but I am not religious about it to the point that I worship earth, know what I mean? I did however enjoy learning more about where stuff comes from and what goes into it's production.

Coffee, newspaper, t-shirt, shoes, Bike and shoes, computers, hamburgers, fries and coke a cola... didn't you always want to know how consumption of these products affects the environment?  Didn't you want to know how many beans you used in the morning for your coffee?  These guys go through a typical day and address some of the products that might touch your or my life and examine where the come from, and what kinds of things need to happen for the millions of people who use such things  to go about an "ordinary day."  The point is that consuming too much stuff can be bad for us.

For example, did you know that (this book was published in 1997) Americans drink more soda than water?  This book says that the world drinks 70 million gallons of soda everyday.  They point out that it takes a factory to carbonate the water....and then of course the main ingredient is usually high fructose corn syrup.. the second largest use for corn, after feeding cattle.  They say the caffiene in the drink is a by-product of extracting the caffeine from coffee. (YUK)

Then there's the can.. which has to be mined...processed with all kind of chemicals, some very caustic and dangerous...smelted and all the electricity that Bonniville power had to use to run the smelting plant.  It is made in to an ingot, more power is used to process the ingot and turn it into a high tech can and then once the drink is consumed the can may or may not get recycled... 40 billion are thrown into landfills and 60% are recycled.

In addition to recycling you cans, they recommend that people use refillable bottles instead of the aluminum can, citing that recycling uses only five percent of the energy it takes to mine new materials for a can.  More importantly, they recommend drinking water instead of sugar laden soda.  Good advice if you think about it, and this book will make you think about it everything from what you wear to what you buy and eat, even what you drive.

They even say, "friends don't let friends drive sport utility vehicles."

Really?  

There is a lot of politics going on within the pages of this book, but I still thought it was interesting to delve into the details of how we get what we get and what goes into it' production.  No doubt things could be written in another light besides help save the world... just the same, I wonder what the world would be like if more people drank water instead of soda.

I am into recycling, so if you want to read this book, I can pass it on to you... just let me know before it goes of to the resale shop.  If you are just slightly interested, you can read an excerpt on the internet at their web page.  I thought it was interesting.

Escaping the Endless Adolescence ...

How We Can Help Our Teenagers Grow Up Before They Grow Old by Joseph Allen, PH.D. and Claudia Worrell Allen, PH.D.

This book is not written from a Christian viewpoint which means it is very humanistic. In spite of that, it gives some practical tips in ways parents can encourage their teenagers. The book discusses ways in which we, as a society, have changed with the times and not necessarily for the better. The fact that in times past, children were expected to work with adults and accept consequences for behaviors and actions as opposed to now, we protect them, limit them, and expect a lot of 'seat' time in order to accomplish their educational goals. They argue a very good point for why we need to go back to letting teenagers accept consequences in mistakes made and learning from those mistakes.

It was irritating to me as a 'purist homeschooler' in that they recommend all the school programs. Yet, I do agree with their ideas in letting teenagers do apprenticeship training, taking risks, accepting the consequences for actions, etc., etc. I also find it scary as a parent- no one wants their child to be hurt or exposed to 'bad people'. So, if you're like me, and need a reminder on why we should let our children take risks, then it might be a good book. However, I fully disagree that your teenager can be all they can be if they do not have the Lord in their lives.

The Universe Next Door (book)

The Universe Next Door by James Sire

I recently did a class with a few people interested in films and the study of "world views," and this books was part of our study, so I had to read it.  The class was a very good way to get me to watch some movies... because I generally have not made time for doing that, especially of late... and I also got to interact with a group of Christian thinking people, four youths and two adults, one of the adults being myself.  We would watched the same movies separately at home, read two chapters in the book and then meet together and discuss them both.

One of the young people in the group was the leader of our meet ups. He is a senior, and as part of his senior project he taught the "class."  He gave us tests on the materials and selected the films for viewing as well as lead the discussions about them.  I got an A + as a grade.. for which I am very pleased.  I am also please to have had the opportunity to sit under the instruction of this young man.  I would give him an A+ also.

Okay, so back to the book... The Universe Next Door; A Basic Worldview Catalog by James Sire:


From the beginning of my reading the book, I thought something was amiss.  It wasn't just me who felt this way, it was the agreement of several members of our group that he said a lot we could not just give blanket agreement to as we read through it.  In my opinion, this is not how one should feel about a text book that is TEACHING you something, and yet often when we would meet it would be part of our discussion that something was amiss in the text.  We decided from the start we would read it anyhow... work through and discuss the book, and that is what we did.


I will say that the book is informative and challenging.  We learned about naturalism, deism, theism, annihilism, Eastern pantheistic monism, postmodernism and existentialism, and I am better at understanding these differing points of viewand suppositions of first cause, purpose of life... ect.  It was ism... after ism... after ism, but it was not Catholicism, Mormonism, Buddhism, Hedonism, Atheism, Shamanism, Pantheism, and Judaism.  No,  this is a book about "philosophy", not "religion."  Some philosophies just happen to believe in God.

It was interesting to delve into  understanding some of these terms... and to consider the influence of films on people's beliefs as we read through te book or identified chacteristics of the beliefs in characters we saw on film.  And to his credit, Sire challenges his readers to consider their own beliefs, or rather, "worldviews.". Used most frequently by Christians to help them understand the world and how other people view the world, .

The concept of a "worldview" seems to be a relatively new idea, one that Sire credits to a man named David Naguel in the forward to this book.  As a new concept, Sire himself has revised his own thinking on the subject as well as his definitions in explaining and understanding what a world view is... as well as revised this book, several times as his own understanding of the word evolved into this forth edition.

Over the years I have found myself encountering this concept of having a Christian "worldview," many times.  It always makes me uncomfortable as I believe is it a Jesus view, (not a worldview) that we Christians are tohave and to hold.  (See: Hebrews 12:2) Colossians 2:8 also comes tomy mind, which says, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."  (KJV) The whole notion of a worldview as well as the selling of the concepts to Christians... seems rather bogus to me.
 
There are several more specific things that I disliked about the book.  One is the Reformed Theology (monergism) of Sire himself, evident in the book; evident also in the fellowship he keeps and from where his worldview teaching originates as well.  Another is the lofty thinking one must adopt, or even convince themselves they have,  in order to understand such an intelligent spectrum of philosophical ideas.  (In other word, you almost have to be a "braniac by worldly standards.)  The thing I dislike is religious beliefs being coopted into  "worldviews," the end result of which is to make every denomination in Christianity, just one of many valid ways (or worldviews) .. the "Christian worldview"... a way in which to view the world. 

Christianity however, is a lot like Jesus' kingdom.... John 18:36..." not of this world".

No Limbs To No Limits (Video Presentation)

Have you heard this one before: "I cried because I had no shoes, and then I met a man who had no feet."  Well, how about a man who has not arms and no legs?

I cannot imagine how defeating such a thing could be...Can you?  What would it be like?
This film reminded me once more that with God all things are possible.... aren't they?  It made me so happy and so blessed to know the man featured in this film is my brother in the Lord.

This is a film I bought this weekend at Amber's store in Spokane and it was in my opinion a fantastic find.  I want to buy copies to give to people I know because I think it is so inspiring.  It is about a man  named Nick Vujici.  He is that man with no arms or legs, however, he does have a part of a foot.

I have seen Nick before on You Tube, but it was only a short segment, so I kinda knew a little about him, and was happy to get the video and learn more about him.  I enjoyed the fact that he tells his audiences truth, about himself about his live and most importantly about God.  All I can tellyou if you do not know who he is is that he is one amazing human being.  He really is quite and inspiration.


 The inspirational message he gives at the beginning of this film appears to have been done at a high school assembly and I thought it was quite powerful.  I can only imgine the impact he has on people as he preaches about JEsus Christ around the world.

I stopped at a friends house on my way home after I bought one of his films at the store and then watched it with my friend.  (I watched it a second time today at home.)  The first time watching this film with my friend was great because she has a handicapped son, who watched part of it with us, and it ministered to all of us in some very special ways.  I highly recommend taking encouragement from this brother in the Lord!

You can watch some of his video presentations ont he Internet.  If you like, start here.

Inkheart (Movie)

Have you read the book?  I have not, and I am a little curious as to if it is like the movie; how it compares.  I have seen the book out for a while and the movie too, but never really knew much about the story except that the characters come to life from story books.  In the world of weird, this seemed to be a bit so, but the concept intrigues me, and I do like creative things.  This seemed pretty creative to me... and Over time, seeing this over and over and over, I finally decided there were a lot of good reason to watch the film, so I did.

My personal "good" reasons to watch it were:
Intriguing concept and storyline
I kinda like science fiction... fantasy at times,
We bought a new TV recently and need to use it...
The movie is geared towards kids and I was wondering why I have not heard oodles of stuff about it.
Lots of kids and teens have seen it and I thought it would be interesting to see what message it has for audiences.

Well that is just a few I guess, but enough for me...
I thought the movie was pretty scary in the the beginning.  The bad guys looked stereotypically bad, like they about to do VERY bad things, and they were not very nice... but because they didn't actually kill anyone they threatened to, they seemed a bit like they were more bark than bite. 

I liked the fact that the goal of the film was to reunit the family that had been split up do to this problem of people popping out of books.  The love element and family element was keen.

I enjoyed the special effects and I thought the whole thing was rather creative.  When thinking about the movie after watching it, the word used to describe it was Interesting.  It was an interesting film.

One of the mmost interesting things is the obvious references to God, and creators...
and destiny being written and changed or altered. 

Interesting.


To get more details for your own viewing you might want to get some second opinions from others people.  One source that you may find helpful in determining if this is or is not for you is the Inkheart review, at Focus on the Family.  I didn't look at this before I watched this film, but I did afterwards, just to see what they had to say.

Don't Eat the Daisies (Movie)

This movie was made in 1960 and starred Doris Day and I had never watched it before.  I thought it was a funny film and enjoyed watching it late at night by myself when no one else was home. It was not a fantastic film or anything like that, but certainly it is cultural and had "family values" protrayed in it, which I appreciated.

See a Clip from this film.

I choose it because a long time ago I had gone to see a play that I really liked and someone told me it was based on this film, I never say this movie and now thirty years later after seeing it,"I a not so sure it was at all like the play I remembered seeing.

Plase dont Eat The Daisy's was about a man and his wife who live in New York and dream of living in the country.  They live in an apartment while he works as a drama critic writing reviews of show.  You see the two portrayed as a loving couple trying to survive life in the trendy Hollywood/Broadway scene.  As a critic he gets a little outspoken becomes a little famous and the next thing you know he wants to stay close to the excitment, meanwhile mom and wife still want to move to the counrty and finds herself moving and trying to hang on to their marriage and family life, and this with a family of 4 very busy boys and big baby dog.  I read somewhere that is was a book before it as a movie. After it made it big as a movie, it was a television series.

Doris Day was really cute and I thought it interesting that she was so popular film star.  She is  in her day.  I really do not know too much about her except that since she was born in 1922 she would be about 88 year old now.  She is still alive and lives in CA.

Having watched a few older movies of late, mostly Fred Astair dancing films, I think it is interesting how the goal of the characters in so many films was being a "star."  Many of the themse are built around show business. I really like the old dancing movies.  One of my favorites is Royal Wedding.

Back tot his movie review, I never really understood the title, though I do know that the line was in the film.   Any insight?


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The next movie on my list of things to view is Fireproof.  And I am almost done reading the Universe Next Door so I hope to review that one soon.  Other reviews of anything would be fun to read if anyone else is interested in keeping this page going.