The Hard Way

My four-year-old daughter wanted to watch a movie tonight and she asked me to go turn one on for her. When she didn’t get the answer she wanted, she climbed up on my lap, put a hand on each side of my face, and tried to make my head nod. I shook it simultaneously, resulting in my head going around in circles. She backed away from me and said, “Are we gonna have to do this the hard way?” She climbed onto my back and began repeatedly pushing my head forward so it would nod. Then she climbed down, stood in front of me and said, “You said yes, Mommy, so go do it!”

Taste and See

“Sometimes we have to work to find delight in God’s Word. Jeremiah said that when he ate God’s words, they became a joy. They don’t become a joy sitting on a shelf. We have to taste to receive them.…” Dug Down Deep, by Joshua Harris, p. 71.

If you’ve ever given up sugar (assuming, of course, that you’re in the majority and include sugar as a dietary staple), you might have noticed that your body went through stages of withdrawal. Stage 1 – Craving. You want sugar all the time in nearly any form. For me, this lasts about 10 days. Stage 2 – Contentment. The cravings stop and you’re satisfied with your new, healthier way of eating. Stage 3 – The Aha Moment. You realize that these healthy foods actually do have flavor. The really good, I-could-actually-live-on-this sort of flavor. Foods you didn’t care for are delicious. Foods that you liked, you love. And those sugary foods don’t hold much appeal for you anymore. When you do decide to indulge in something decadent and sugary, the anticipation far outweighs the actual flavor. Stage 4 – Wisdom. What’s best for you tastes really yummy and you know it.

Isn’t our spiritual diet like this? We devour (at least I do) much reading material, but sometimes don’t have much appetite for our health food. Scripture doesn’t tempt me. Like salad at an all-you-can-eat buffet, I often read my obligatory chapter before moving on to the “good stuff.”

Only if we persevere, if we cut out the sugary “foods” (and this can be good, Christian material like fiction, blogs, e-mails, etc.), and eat primarily the healthy stuff, our cravings for the sugary stuff decreases and our cravings for the Word of God increases. And if we persevere, we will reach the point where we get it. Not only is Scripture the best food for us, but it tastes better than anything else.

So let me encourage you today to taste from God’s Word.

Your words were found and I ate them, and your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O LORD, God of hosts. --Jeremiah 15:16 (NASB)

The Least Among You (DVD) - Lionsgate

Based on a true story, this was an interesting look at a young man's journey to faith. He was raised by a mom of faith and a mostly absent dad in a neighborhood fraught with drugs and violence, blaming God for many things. Through a series of circumstances - the Watts Riots, a probationary year at an all-white seminary, and the friendship of the groundskeeper, Richard Kelly encounters God. He becomes a man of faith, of conviction. A man who knows that strength comes from surrender. A man who knows that with God, all things are possible, even for a young black man unwillingly studying in an all-white seminary.

This film looks at racism in the church in the 60s. It looks at watered down Bible teachings that are so prevalent today in the American church. And it looks at the impact that one man can have on another.

Extremely disappointed that the film earned it's PG-13 rating with a completely unnecessary use of the "f" word. While some unsavory things were depicted that were relevant to the story, showing the lifestyle Richard came out of, the language - the only language besides the a-- word - added absolutely nothing to the story. Having watched the movie with my kids, it was doubly disappointing to try to explain why a Christian film would have added something so vulgar, especially when it in no way enhanced the story. In fact, I believe it detracted from the story.

With that exception, it was a moving story about faith transcending circumstance.

A complimentary review copy of this DVD was provided with no expectation of a positive review.

Tub Texts

So, we were at the cell phone store today because our contract has run out and it's time to get new phones. The salesperson was showing us our options and mentioned the military phone. It's nearly indestructible and completely waterproof. It's also pretty pricey! Anyway, I can see how this could be helpful for some people, but the salesperson said it's especially popular among teens. Why? So they can text in the shower! What a sad commentary on the world today.

Judgment Day by Wanda L. Dyson

Missing teens. Sensationalist journalism. False Accusations. Murder. Mystery. Motive. Suzanne Kidwell and her stretch-the-truth reporting land right in the middle of all of it. She is forced to turn to a private investigator, her ex-fiancé, and his wealthy female partner for help.

A fast-paced story of suspense, Judgment Day is full of twists and turns, well-developed characters, and layers of mystery. While the "whodunnit" seemed evident fairly early on, there were enough rabbit trails to make the reader doubt his or her conclusions.

This was a good mystery and I enjoyed some of the unique characterization of Marcus, Alex, and Razz, the private investigators and their tech guy. Stand-alone sequels using the same team of investigators would be well received.

Love's First Bloom by Delia Parr

To protect her, a minister accused of murder sends his daughter, Ruth, into hiding with a false identity. As she tries to survive the blemish on her father's name, the lies weigh heavily upon her. Comforted by the love and acceptance of the young girl placed in her charge and the family who took her in, Ruth manages to hold onto a thread of hope and faith. When tragedy strikes and Ruth realizes that she may never be able to return home, she doesn't know who she can trust. With reporters trying to locate her, she lives with constant fear of discovery. One of those reporters, Jake, is trying to redeem himself and hides behind a false identity as well. As he gets to know Ruth, he faces a difficult choice.

More entertaining than challenging, this historical romance was an enjoyable read. Navigating the many complications surrounding the main characters kept the story fresh and intriguing. The characters were well-developed and likeable. Though I did keep waiting for the "truth will set you free" message, Jake and Ruth eventually knew the truth about each other. A little romance, a little mystery, and enough minor character revelations to lend itself to a stand-alone sequel, I would recommend this book.

In Every Heartbeat by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Three college students, friends from the orphanage they grew up in, seek to find their place in a world on the brink of World War I. Libby, desiring to be taken seriously as a journalist, finds that proving herself as a writer in a man's world can be challenging. Pete, called to be a minister, struggles with a disability and bitterness toward the parents who gave him up. And Bennett battles jealousy in his desire to belong. As these three friends try to find their way, they begin to discover who they are and what they believe about God, each other, and themselves.

I enjoyed watching these characters grow and develop in their love, confidence, and faith. The first two or three chapters moved a bit slowly, but the story was compelling enough to encourage this reader to continue. Sawyer presented the struggles of faith, friendship, ambition, family, and belonging in ways that may speak to many of us as we battle within ourselves - old man versus new.

It is a story primed for a sequel, as not all was resolved. This reader will certainly be reading it when it becomes available.