Immanuel's Veins

Immanuel's Veins
by Ted Dekker

All you Twilight lover’s out there, read this book. Not only is it a book about creatures of the night and a love story but it actually has redeeming qualities and is a book that you can learn a little more of God’s character by reading. You can’t really say that about the Twilight series though to be fair, that was never the intent. 

I love reading Dekker because once you start reading you never want to put the book down. This story follows two male characters of the Russian military sent to protect two daughters of a high class dwelling. They find themselves in some awkward situations from the get go when a “family” from nearby attend a party at the girls residence. There are some strange things going on with the Vlad clan (the man in charge is named Vlad). As one daughter gets caught up in the revelry going on at the mysterious other house we are left trying to figure out what is truly going on. The other daughter holds out for a while but certain events draw her in as well. Will anyone be able to resist and face the evil at hand? 

I definitely recommend this read, especially if you were a fan of the Twilight series or if you just like stories that are a little creepy in general.

Perelandra

Perelandra 

by C.S. Lewis

Book number 2 in the Sci-Fi trilogy by Lewis was one that took me a little more push for me to get through. At times it was very wordy but it did bring up some great thinking points. 

In this book Ransom is whisked away to Venus or Perelandra. He sent for an unknown mission. After much exploration he comes face to face with evil and must do what he can to protect the innocence of this new planet and it’s inhabitants. It was almost like reading the creation story and the fall of man story again only with an interesting twist. How much simpler things could be if we could get back to that state of innocence we had before the fall. One day we will have that clean slate. I await that day. 

Below are some quotes I found myself dwelling on as I read: 

In the beginning as Ransom is explaining his upcoming mission to a friend he says,  “Don’t imagine I’ve been selected to go to Perelandra because I’m anyone in particular. One never can see, or not til long afterwards, why any one was selected for any job. And when one does, it is usually some reason that leaves no room for vanity. Certainly, it is never for what the man himself would have regarded as his chief qualifications.” 

I thought this was an excellent quote in regards to how God deals with us. How many times God uses us in unexpected ways so He gets all the glory! He certainly did it in the bible and still does today. It’s not because of who we are that He uses us, but because of who He is. As the Lord says to Paul and to all of us in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “ My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

“There are jobs, you know, where it is essential that one should not know too much beforehand...things one might have to say which one couldn’t say effectively if one had prepared them.”

This was a great reminder as to why its probably better that we don’t know all of God’s plans ahead of time. It helps us depend on him and trust him more, and isn’t that probably the idea anyway. Sometimes, that’s a hard one to swallow. I would like to be the more prepared type. 

This next quote is a conversation between ransom and the Queen of the Island. Remember that it is an island untouched by evil at this point. 

“What you have made me see”, answered the lady, “is as plain as the sky, but I never saw it before. Yet it has happened every day. One goes into the forest to pick food and already the thought of one fruit rather than another has grown up in one’s mind. Then, it may be, one finds a different fruit and not the fruit one thought of. One joy was expected and another is give. But this I had never noticed before - that the very moment of the finding there is in the mind a kind of thrusting back, or setting aside. The picture of the fruit you have not found is still, for a moment before you. And if you wished - if it were possible to wish - you could keep it there. You could send your soul after the good you had expected, instead of turning it to the good you had got. You could refuse the real good; you could make the real fruit taste insipid by thinking of the other.” 

How completely profound is that! God is good. Even though our world is evil and bad things happen we can trust that God is in control and will never leave us for a moment. So really isn’t everything that comes our way good? Or at least, will turn out for good as God promises. So instead of wishing for the “good” we desire. We should be thankful for the “good” we receive. What a great definition of contentment or rather discontentment. We can make what we have seem less by dwelling on what we don’t have. I like it. 

So 2 books down, 1 to go. Like I said earlier, it was a little harder to get through this book but I think it was worth the trek for the gems of wisdom and understanding that I was able to explore. Onward....

Out of the Silent Planet

Out of the Silent Planet

by C. S. Lewis

I love C.S. Lewis. Ever since I read the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe in 6th grade I have been fascinated with the wide imagination and extremely intellectual mind of this author. In college I had taken a British literature class and had to read one of the books in his sci-fi trilogy. Ever since then I have wanted to read the others but never got around to it, until now.

Out of the Silent planet is book one in this 3 book series of interplanetary adventures. I am not normally one for much science fiction though I will admit the imaginary planets are quite fascinating. This book introduces us to Ransom and how his adventures all began.

It takes you to another world where earth, the silent planet, is not the center of the universe. It helps you see man in a new light, more objectively. It certainly showcases the evil that lurks in our world and in our hearts. It reminds us of an unseen world around us that we often forget about.

I look forward to reading the next two books to see what adventures await.

Choosing To See

Choosing to See

by Mary Beth Chapman

Why does God allow suffering and pain? Why does he allow terrible things to happen? Aren’t these questions we all struggle with? This side of eternity we may never have answers as to why God allowed certain things to happen in our lives and the lives of others. But “Choosing to See” portrays a view of looking past circumstances to “see” glimpses of eternity.

Mary Beth gives a very honest look at what it means to be a Christian and yet struggle with doubts. She tells her story in a transparent and heart warming way. You will laugh and cry with her as she gives you an inside look to the drama of her life as God unfolded it step by step.

If you have dealt with pain the past or are currently dealing with it this is not a cure all book for you. However, it does point to the One who can heal and comfort you despite the pain. It points to the One who can turn beauty into ashes and who promises that all things will work together for good.

I really enjoyed reading this book despite my tears. It challenged me to be a more authentic person, it gave me great insight into the world of adoption, introduced me to an amazing ministry and allowed me to grasp onto the hope that God is sovereign despite everything.

Check out the link below for more on the adoption / ministry organization they started.

showhope.org

Unlocked

Unlocked

by Karen Kingsbury

I received this book for Christmas from my in-laws and was excited to start reading it since I forgot to bring a book with me for our Christmas vacation. I have heard of Karen Kingsbury and know she is quite a popular author, though I had never read any books by her before. After reading this I am eager to check out more she has written because this was a most excellent book.

I don’t want to give everything away because I would encourage you to read it for yourself, but I can give a brief synopsis. The story is about a family with a boy with autism and a school with kids like most schools today. The boy is definitely higher functioning but as a girl from his past befriends him he starts to show signs of progress. It’s a really beautiful story of how we all need to look beyond the surface and love people the way that God sees and loves them.

Random Musings from my Reading:

Bullying is horrific and really needs to stop! I wish there was a cure all but I know that bullying is as old as time and not something that can be controlled completely. However, I wish there were more consequences or more adults willing to get involved. It’s really sad. Especially with the rate of teen suicide as high as it is today. When will it end? I know that teens don’t necessarily think things through completely and that’s part of the problem, but the bigger part is us not doing our part to love like we should.

Along with that problem of bullying is, I think, an undeserved and ridiculous emphasis on sports in our society. I don’t think it’s fair to say that all athletes are bullies. But I do think that sports figures in society and even at the school level if they are good enough get “special” treatment. Don’t get me wrong, I like sports. I played sports throughout my schooling. I just think that our society as a whole has some things very backwards. You see it in the pros especially with athletes making exorbant amounts of money. It’s such a huge business now! But you know what, odds are not many of us are going pro and we need those math, science geeks in our society to contribute. We need those muscians to bring us soothing tunes to help us get through the day. We need those ordinary people like myself to work and do ordinary jobs so the world keeps turning. We need to appreciate each gift and talent and cultivate it and not just focus on one thing. Ok, I’ve said my piece on that.

My last thought is on autism. This book especially struck a cord with me since my husband works with kids with autism. I don’t spend any time around them but I get to hear all his stories. This book was really eye opening to me on just how diverse a disorder autism really is. It was also a struggle to read what the families with these children go through. We know that God works together all things for good, but I have to admit it would be a real struggle if it was me and my child in that situation. One of the cool things though that I have heard about and read again in this book is that autistic kids really do comprehend and understand more about the world around them then I think we realize. And there are sometimes “keys” if you will, that can unlock the world of communication to them.

Go check out this book and be prepared for a journey into your own heart.....

The Joy of Fearing God

The Joy of Fearing God

by Jerry Bridges

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.” - Psalm 111:10

We heard a sermon a while back on the fear of the Lord, but I came away still unsure exactly what this “fear” looked like in a practical sense. I borrowed this book from a friend and I have to say I think it definitely shed some light on the issue.

So this fear we are to have is not an afraid kind of fear but is described as “filial fear” - an indescribable mixture of reverence, fear, pleasure, joy and awe which fills our hearts when we realize who God is and what He has done for us. This kind of fear is what gives us proper perspective in life and helps us keep our priorities strait. Our main goal in life should be glorifying the God whom we fear because of who He is and what He has done for us.

Some of the ways we fear God is by dwelling on his nature. This is one of my favorites and it was neat to know that it pleases God. Just thinking about the grandeur of God is incredible. Seeing the natural world and wonders of the intricacies of life always brings my thoughts to God. I will never understand how any can say there is no Creator. And then I look up in the sky and see a billion + stars (at least in North Carolina). Wow, God, Wow! He is so big. He also rules the nations and holds everything in his hand. We can never truly understand His ways.

One of the ways I still need to grow in this area of fearing God is trusting that He is sovereign despite circumstances. I know that things often go a way different to what I hope or plan for. I have a choice to make. I can get upset or as the book says, I can “bow before God, whose infinite wisdom and sovereign power somehow, in ways we don’t understand cause all these events to work together for His glory and our good.” I definitely could stand to dwell on that more.

This next quote from the book made me cringe because I know that I’m not there yet. “Occasionally we hear that some public event has been ‘canceled to circumstances beyond our control.’ The fact is, however, that all circumstances are beyond our control. We are absolutely dependent on God for the carrying out of our plans. The person who fears God not only acknowledges this, but delights to do so. He or she finds great joy in realizing our dependance on the moment-by-moment care of our loving, sovereign, heavenly Father.” Do I delight in my dependence on God. I probably find myself complaining more than delighting. I will be working on that his year for sure!

We also glorify God by enjoying Him which is another cool thought. God wants us to enjoy Him and His gifts. He is our provider and protector. He guides us and shows us great love and compassion. I need to enjoy God and what He is doing and continues to do in my life. He is so good.

I’ll leave you with a few other quotes from the book that really stood out to me. They are actually quotes from JI Packer but they were in this book and they are really good. Dwell on these thoughts and they will lead you to dwell on the one who enables us to think and fear Him.

“Living becomes an awesome business when you realize that you spend every moment of your life in the sight and company of an omniscient, omnipresent Creator.” -Packer, Knowing God

“The prayer of a Christian is not an attempt to force God’s hand, but a humble acknowledgement of helplessness and dependence. When we are on our knees, we know that it is not we who control the world; it is not in our power, therefore, to supply our needs by our own independent efforts; every good thing that we desire our ourselves and for others must be sought from God, and will come, if it comes at all, as a gift from His hands.” - Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God

Listen

Listen
by Rene Gutteridge

What would happen if conversations you had in the privacy of your home went public? Would your words bring life or death? This is the question explored in this book.

Like it or not, our words have power. The written word as well as the spoken word have the power to cripple or uplift. How we use our words is so important. We can use our words to harm others or to encourage them.

The small town in this book is turned upside down when private conversations begin to show up on a website for all to see. Who is behind this and what are they trying to get at? In the mean time allegations and judgements are passed as everyone tries to decipher who said what about who.

An interesting experiment and in some regards what keeps us glued to reality tv. (the drama) What we say comes from who we are. Granted we all say things in anger or frustration, but we still need to be careful what we say, which means we need to be careful what we think, which is why God says to take every thought captive.

After this read I will definitely pause to think about what I am saying and if it is something edifying or not.