Today I am thankful for a free evening…
You know what? I sat here so long thinking about how nice a free evening was going to be that I forgot what I was doing. Then I clicked over to the websites for our church and my son’s school to make sure I really did have a free evening.
So. A free evening. I’m thankful.
Sleep.
Books.
Did I mention sleep?
I am very thankful.
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In case you haven’t heard, we got lots of free books at Together for the Gospel this year. Free books are my love language, but this is overwhelming (especially since I haven’t yet read all the books Todd brought home from T4G 2008.)
Above is an poor-quality photo of a my rather untidy pile, complete with Nerf bullets for accent (nothing but the best for my dear readers). The Nerf bullets are kind of a bonus home decor tip. Feel free to share that on your Pinterest page.
First, the books we got from the conference itself:
These are the books that were handed out at Band of Bloggers:
As you can see, I have plenty to keep me busy.
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I’ve been working through The World-Tilting Gospel by Dan Phillips lately. My slow progress has nothing to do with the book, but simply the fact that I got the Kindle version. For me, nonfiction and Kindle aren’t a good mix. I plan to buy a hard copy (or two) soon.
This quote has been on my mind. This is Dan, in his unmistakable style, writing about Adam and Eve’s sin in the garden:
Just one negative test. And they fail it, bang!–right out of the gate. Perfect Parent, perfect environment, perfect upbringing, perfect genes, flawless psyches, happy marriage, perfect society (except for the Serpent), and still they take one step and do an epic face-plant.
Now, Dan has a bigger fish to fry in this chapter than the whole homeschooling/first-time obedience/let’s put the child in a monastery until he turns 18 debate, but this is something all parents need to remember–Our kids aren’t sinners because of their environment, they’re sinners because they’re born that way.
Now, we do have a responsibility. Tossing your child in the deep-end of the muck of the world on the pretext that they “have to learn to live in the world anyway” is not discipleship.
But, over and over (and I’m talking to myself here, too), I see the attitude that if I do A, B, and C correctly (whether it be forbidding television, not allowing contact with the less-holy kids at church, etc.), my kids will remain unstained and therefore always walk in righteousness.
What’s worse is if we see another family struggling with their children, and we turn to our spouse with a smug “Aha! If they would have parented OUR way, this wouldn’t be happening to them,” rather than whispering “There but for the grace of God go I,” and mourning with those who mourn. (Romans 12:15)
No Christian parent wants to see their kid reject the faith, and nobody wants to watch their kid struggle with the consequences of bad choices (i.e., sin). But smug self-righteousness is just as sinister, and just as damning.
We all need Jesus.
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One day in high school, a teacher was discussing the Holocaust. She pointed out that many people knew what was happening at the time, but chose to remain silent. Then she squared her shoulders. “I like to think that if I had been in that situation, I would have spoken up.”
I was probably sixteen at the time. I was not wise nor sophisticated by any standards (let alone sixteen-year-old girl standards), but I thought at the time she was full of beans. I grew up in a one-stoplight town, where the biggest threat to public safety was the excessive starling population. It’s one thing to declare yourself brave when all is well, it’s quite another to be brave when the Gestapo is dragging off your neighbors in the dead of the night.
Sure, I would like to think I would do differently. I can hope and pray that if I’m ever put to the test, I would stand up and do what’s right. But if the only thing that’s keeping my babies from harm is keeping my mouth shut? Well, I just can’t say for sure. Because for every Oskar Schindler, there are hundreds (thousands) of people who wish they could have a do-over.
That’s why I’ve been intrigued by criticisms of The Hunger Games. Some recent reviews have criticized what they see as the moral ambiguity of the books, likening it to explaining away the actions of Nazi war criminals who went along because they felt they had no choice.
Personally? I didn’t see it that way. One thing I think negative reviews of The Hunger Games continually fail to capture is not only inner conflict Katniss feels, but also the dissonance between outcomes she is promised and the true results of her decisions.
Over and over again, Katniss is put in an impossible situation. Each time, we get the sense that she hopes that if she just plays along for a little longer, everything will be fixed and she’ll be free to go on and live her life. And each time, she finds herself in a bigger mess than she was before.
I don’t think, like some do, that the message of The Hunger Games trilogy is that survival is the ultimate good. The real take-away message is that survival and compromise often come at a huge price. None of the survivors emerge unscathed.
One of the most telling lines in the movie was uttered by one of the careers before he died. (I’m not sure if it appeared in the book, although the sentiment was there.) “Go ahead and kill me,” he says. “I’m already dead. I’ve been dead for years, I just didn’t realize it.”
That’s the thing. In order to survive, Katniss is continually trying to reason with herself. She’s trying to tamp down her own misgivings. She’s trying to believe it when everyone else tells her it will all be over soon if she just plays along one more time. But the people who are advising her can’t see what only she and the other tributes can see: It’s never really over. The winners of the games (and later the rebels) might be alive with plenty of food to eat, but true inner peace eludes them. All of them are damaged in a huge way by the compromises they made.
Are teenagers going to see all these themes without help? Probably not. But I think that the kind of stories that are resonating with kids today are quite telling. Teens in these stories are living in worlds where the “powers that be” insist that everything will be okay if everyone just does as they’re told, and the kids are left to face the evils that the adults won’t acknowledge. This isn’t a happy world, but it reflects the world we’re leaving behind to our children.
God have mercy on us all.
Two other posts on The Hunger Games I’ve appreciated lately are this one by Wendy Alsup and this one by Wes Bredenhof
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Amy Gallagher feels stuck. She dreams of being a writer, but is working as a college instructor at a liberal arts university in a small Ohio town. She’s just been dumped by a guy she doesn’t really like that much anyway, and she doesn’t see anyone new on the horizon. When things do start to liven up, they don’t exactly improve. She’s intrigued by Eli, but thinks he’s out of reach. She’s happy for her roommate’s writing success, but struggles with jealousy and feelings of betrayal.
Such is the plot of Amy Inspired
I enjoyed this novel. It’s a fun read without being insipid, and it avoids the triteness found in a lot (not all, mind you) of Christian fiction.
I want to see more like this from Christian publishers. Without straying into a discussion about whether Christian fiction should exist as a separate category, I like that this is a story where the main conflict is not necessarily some major crisis of faith, but Amy and Eli trying to decide if they really belong together. Sure, Amy occasionally sorts through how certain situations apply to what she believes, but the answer is never the simplistic “just give it to God” that some Christian novels resort to.
But the negative reviews of this novel are telling. While a few seemed to offer valid critiques of the writing or plot (I liked it, but taste in fiction is subjective), most disliked it because some of the characters made different choices than they would. Yes, some of the characters have tattoos, others drink, and some push the boundaries of wise behavior between friends of the opposite sex. Whether I agree with how the characters handled every situation is beside the point. I enjoyed the story, I found it entertaining and well written, and the plot was believable.
I’ll stop before this turns into a diatribe about the state of Christian fiction. I enjoyed this book. And personally, I’d like to see more books like it.
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I’ve been thinking and talking about my grandma all week. Today would have been her 100th birthday, and it’s been on my mind. Then, typical to me, I hadn’t thought about it at all this morning until my sister mentioned it. But this isn’t about me, it’s about her.
I have spent a good amount of time trying to locate a picture to share. I wanted a picture that really captures who she was, but every one I found was somehow lacking.
You see, she was so much more than a photograph could ever show. A photograph can’t capture her voice and her gestures, how she could be always moving, always doing, and at the same time so gentle. How her eyes could light up when you entered the room and make you feel that seeing you was the most important thing happening to her that day. How she could smile and nod and be so polite, but not suffer fools gladly. How she was always a lady, but never, ever fawning or weak.
I am thankful for all the women God has placed in my life as an example, but today I am especially thankful for her. I am thankful she was on this earth for nearly 98 years, and that I got to have her in my life until I was almost 38. I am thankful for the promise of Heaven, and for Christ’s sacrifice that makes it possible.
Here is the picture I settled on. She’s not looking at the camera, but out of all my choices, I think she would have been most happy with this one.
Happy Birthday, Grandma.
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I didn’t know Elisabeth Elliot wrote a book of fiction (or if I did know, I had forgotten), but as soon as I saw this review by Magistra Mater, I knew I wanted to read it. Finding it in my church library brought me great joy.
As Magistra Mater says, J.I. Packer’s introduction makes No Graven Image
But all that is fodder for another post. No Graven Image is the story of Margaret Sparkhawk, a young, single missionary establishing a ministry among the Quichua people of Ecuador. Throughout the novel Margaret is confronted with not only the external difficulties of missionary work–establishing relationships and adjusting to life with a lack of modern comforts, but internal struggles as well. Margaret is lonely and she fights disillusionment and discouragement. She is faced with the sinfulness in her own heart as well as those she partners with, and she struggles against a system where success is measured in numbers rather than faithfulness. It’s a biting commentary on the church and our simplistic view of what it means to live out the Great Commission.
A lot of Christian fiction (not all, but a lot), is more concerned with establishing good PR for Jesus than showing us life as it really is. Some authors go to such strenuous lengths to show us that Christianity works! it really does! it’ll fix all your problems! that they fail to tell an honest story. Such stories not only insult the reader, they give a false, sickly sweet view of the world that fails to edify. No Graven Image avoids that trap. It’s more than just an entertaining story, it’s also a realistic story. And in the long run, it ends up being more helpful than the most strident moral tale.
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Only one booth in the restaurant comfortably seats my family, and it was taken. The two women were sprawled out in a booth meant for six, trays pushed aside, sipping their coffee and chatting. Empty tables for two surrounded them.
I gave them my best “look,” but they were oblivious. (I’m not much for confrontation, but if you need pointed glares and impatient sighs, I’m your girl.) As one of the workers helped us rearrange tables and drag in extra chairs, I hoped they realized how inconsiderate they were being and were embarrassed.
Then I remembered the Sunday school lesson I was to teach the next day– John 13:1-20. Jesus washing the disciples feet. Selfless service. Christian humility.
Sometimes I’m a slow learner.
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Crowd at 2012 T4G
Two years in a row, Todd and I have attended two great Christian conferences: the 2011 Gospel Coalition Conference, and the 2012 Together for the Gospel Conference. Both were great times of spiritual refreshment. Both had far more men in attendance than women.
It is understandable. These two conferences in particular are geared toward pastors, which in a complementarian context would be men. But I (along with any other woman I have spoken to that attended) came away from the conference immensely blessed, and I wish more women would consider attending.
This is one post where I first need to clarify what I’m not saying. There’s nothing wrong with spending a vacation lying on the beach. I’m definitely not saying you should sacrifice a family vacation with your children in order to attend a conference. And I understand that there are often financial/childcare/work situations that make it difficult or impossible for some women to consider it. But I also suspect that there are women who could attend but look at the schedule jam-packed with preaching and are intimidated. If you fall into that category, you might want to reconsider.
Another things to consider if you’re married:
With all this talk about women and conferences, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention The Gospel Coalition Women’s Conference this summer. I won’t be attending (sob), but it looks fabulous.
Just to be clear, I have no connection with either The Gospel Coalition or Together for the Gospel. This post is my own opinion. I would just like to encourage women who would like to attend but worry that they wouldn’t enjoy themselves. You might be surprised.
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Crowd at 2012 T4G
Once again, the chance to see and visit people who live far away was a highlight. On Day 2 I got to meet Dan Phillips, pastor, author of World-Tilting Gospel, God’s Wisdom in Proverbs, and blogger at Pyromaniacs and Biblical Christianity. (He’s pretty busy.) More time with Kim Shay (we had a lot of talking to do). Great sermons. Great singing.
The audio and video of all the sermons can be found here. Also, Aaron Armstrong did a fantastic job of posting notes on his blog.
I recommend all the talks, but David Platt’s sermon on global missions received a standing ovation. I think it was a great complement to his book, Radical, and would serve as a good clarification for anyone who felt the book didn’t properly acknowledge the importance of the US-based churches and ministries.
I think the sermon I found most encouraging was the first one from C.J. Mahaney, “The Sustaining Power of the Gospel.” Although it was aimed at pastors who may be losing heart or feeling discouraged, discouragement is, unfortunately, a universal experience.
I am thankful to be home with my kids, but I’m glad I got to go. I was blessed to attend.
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My name is Staci Eastin. I am a Christian, a wife, a mother, a homeschooler, and a writer. I am the author of The Organized Heart: A Woman's Guide to Conquering Chaos (Cruciform Press, 2011)
The Organized Heart: A Woman's Guide to Conquering Chaos is available from Cruciform Press, Westminster Bookstore, Amazon
