Finding Purpose Beyond Our Pain

Uncover the Hidden Potential in Life's Most Common Struggles
By Paul Meier M.D. and David Livingstone Henderson M.D.

This book is described as a guide to dealing with life's challenges from a Christian perspective. Readers are encouraged to acknowledge and face difficulties such as injustice, rejection, loneliness, loss, discipline, failure and death with God’s guidance. Life’s challenges can be overcome and those who use emotional and spiritual discipline to do so will find themselves stronger because of them.

I found this book thought-provoking and helpful. It encouraged me to look at things I must face in my life and work through them from a biblical perspective. God does not want us to suffer, but he will not always prevent it. He will, however, provide us with mercy, forgiveness and guidance, if we would only ask. I recommend this book to those who feel trapped in cycles of suffering, or even those only experiencing a temporary setback. The lessons in the book will prove useful in many areas of life during and beyond any current challenges.

Book Review: Simply an Inspired Life

Simply an Inspired Life, by Mary Anne Readmacher and Jonathan Lockwood Huie



I'll make this short and sweet. Yuck! This book would have been better titled Death By Metaphor. It was full of trite references and was one of the worst books I have read recently. Save yourself the time - life is too short to read bad books.

Book Review: Called to Worship

Combining my explorations of Christianity with my love of reading, I have recently become a reviewer for Thomas Nelson Publishers. My first book, Called to Worship, by Vernon M. Whaley, was a powerful and informative exploration and explanation of worship in the scriptures, from Genesis through Revelation. Examples of appropriate and inappropriate (in God’s eyes) principles and practices of worship throughout history are discussed, with guidance on how to apply lessons learned to our own worship experience.

To be honest, I began this book with some trepidation. Was it going to tell me that everything I had been doing in worship was wrong? Would I be bored to tears reading the nuts and bolts of biblical examples of worship? Happily, neither one of these occurred. Whaley begins at the Creation account and shows us how it is God’s call to worship for us. Working through the account the author reveals that through Creation, God established precedent for building relationships with people and showing them how to worship Him (12). Further study of the biblical books delves into worship wars (Satan’s desire to corrupt God and man), worship and promise (God’s lessons on obedience and reward), and other examples of worship as seen throughout the bible.

This book was both informative and thought-provoking. The author’s chapter on Joshua pointed out that obedience is the groundwork for authentic worship. I took that a step forward in my own meditations to debate active obedience vs. apathy. Professing to worship while simply going through the motions doesn’t count! The book provides many other opportunities for legitimate self-questioning.

In conclusion, the author’s statement on page 298 sums up why we should consider worship as more than just going through the motions: “…Jesus Himself made it clear that worship was about more than rites…It was also about charity, integrity, acts of service, attitudes…” Called to Worship is a book worth reading for all Christians who desire background, rationale and guidance for beginning or strengthening their own worship lives.                                                             

The Chaos part of the Family

We have a new family member - Uno the dog.  He joins our sweet Annabelle in being responsible for a good bit of the "chaos" part of the blog name.  He is a shepherd mix, about 3 years old.  So far, so good - they are wrestling, arguing over food and toys, in general behaving like the human kids in the house.

Here's Uno - still getting used to things.

And this is Annabelle - slightly offended about the new guy, but glad to have a running partner for the yard.

Trolls, Truth and The Church - Where is God?

I love books. I will read anytime, anywhere when given the chance. Some recent events have me thinking about how people's approach to God and the Church can change how they see things. An interesting book to read about finding God in different places is Trolls and Truth: 14 Realities About Today's Truth That We Don't Want to See by Jimmy Dorrell. It is a look at what the Church should do and be in today's world. Some people feel it should be a formal place of worship, with no room for those who won't conform to society's norms. Others feel the church is compelled to help others - mission work is good, but keep it outside of the church walls. We'll come to you, then go back to our comfort zone. Others see the church working inside and outside of the church walls and see the two going hand in hand.

I am very involved in a local mission church to the homeless and quite honestly I often feel God's presence there much stronger than I do at my regular church. I attend both - the mission church does not have the children's programs I want for my family. Are there other differences between the two? Sure. At one the people in the pews are just as likely to be drunk or stoned as not. And honestly, they don't smell that great. At the other people are in their "Sunday Best" and the worst smell is the person two pews over who went a little heavy on the perfume or cologne. Most of them are not worried about their next meal or where they will sleep that night.

What about similarities? Both churches have people who are deeply committed to the Lord AND people who are still searching for Him or aren't even sure He is real. Both have people there for reasons that have nothing to do with worship - to see and be seen at the regular church, to get a free meal and stay warm and perhaps to doze in the pews at the mission church. Most important, at both God is waiting, His hand out, to invite us to walk with Him.

Walking with God doesn't guarantee an easy path, but He promises to be there with us. I have learned what an amazing promise that is. I've tried life on my own, believing in God but not walking with Him. Wasn't fun. I hit some of the lowest points of my life then. Is life perfect now that I am working to build my relationship with Him? Of course not. In fact, I have had one of the most difficult years of my life recently. But it wasn't nearly as hard knowing the Lord was with me. How awesome that He finds us no matter where we are and takes our hand no matter who we are!

Second Time's A Charm?

Well, a year ago I had planned on keeping this blog updated regularly, keeping family updated on kids and the rest of the world fascinated by my erudite musings. Didn't happen. But I have been inspired by some friends and other events to try again. What will the focus be? Don't know. I am interested in family, books, cooking, the non-profit world, Christianity, creativity (not necessarily in that order), so who knows what will show up. We'll see....

Hiiii YAH!

R has been asking to take karate and has been dancing around the house doing karate chops for weeks now. We finally tried a lesson and she loved it. It consisted mostly of running and jumping, with a few punches and blocks thrown in, but she announced on the way home: Mommy, I'm so good I'm practically a black tie!