Category: faith

faith

Questions Abound in Monkey Town

zoo parking

To make a long story short, I decided to read Rachel Held Evans’ book Evolving in Monkey Town after reading her blog a few weeks ago. See this post for more.

Evans’ 2010 book is a memoir of her faith crisis. She was raised in a Christian home in the Bible belt. She’s lived much of her life in Dayton, Tennessee, a town famous for the Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925. Hence her book’s title.

Evans began questioning her faith during her college years. The spark of the crisis seemed to come when she watched a Muslim woman being murdered by the Taliban in the 2001 documentary by Saira Shah entitled Behind the Veil.

This Gen-Xer won’t hold it against Evans for being a Millennial. I like Millennials. They understand Twitter which confounds me more often than not.

I won’t even hold it against Evans that I disagree with some of her reasoning and find parts of her book troubling.

What I like about her is that she boldly questions in the first place. And she will accept “I don’t know” as an answer.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far way, I sat in a church Bible study circle when a newcomer asked a difficult question. Something to do with personal tragedy resulting in doctrinal confusion.

Fresh from my own angry rounds of questioning God after my mom died, I believed there wasn’t a definitive answer to the newcomer’s question. So I spoke up and said, “We don’t know why that happened.”

Then I sat quietly. It would have been wise to add, “We have to go by what we do know. What the Bible tells us that we can understand.”

I didn’t get the chance. The study leader panicked, fumbling to answer the woman’s question. To him, an insufficient or unsatisfactory answer was better than admitting, “I don’t know.”

I can’t fault that leader. Questioning makes me nervous, too. Throughout Evans’ story, I found myself wanting to say exactly what her theologian father said. “Rachel,” he said gently, “be careful what you say (p. 100).”

There are strong passages of assurance in Scripture. And there are instances where God doesn’t explain to our liking or understanding. Much as we need to know, some answers remain hidden.

The thing is, no matter how harrowing the questions may be to us, God can take it. He knows what we’re thinking anyway. With honest hearts, open to hearing Him, let the questions fly. Pursue Him and His Word, and the places of “I don’t know” might just lead to a deeper faith.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 NIV1984

Gravity by Shawn McDonald.

last day to enter

Today is the Last Day to Enter the Book Giveaway!

Go to Action Attraction to enter the drawing for The Action Bible. It will be shipped to the winner in time for Easter.

Posted on by Aimee 6

Action Attraction: The Action Bible Book Giveaway

ready to roar

“Take care of your backpack, please,” I said to my son.

“Okay, Mom,” he said. “But first can I read my Bible?”

Never expected to hear that in a million years. And read he does. Independently. And learn. Without prompting.

Enter The Action Bible. We gave him the book this past Christmas.

“Mom, did you know Jerusalem was conquered by a series of empires?” he said. “Babylon conquered Jerusalem, Persia conquered Babylon, Greece conquered Persia, and Rome conquered Greece.”

Oh, dear. Mom needs a refresher course. This isn’t kid’s stuff.

Brilliantly illustrated by Sergio Cariello, The Action Bible brings to life more than 200 Bible stories in the exciting style of the graphic novel. The result is riveting.

Here’s a sampling from a familiar story on pages 280 and 281:

Copyright 2010 Sergio Cariello. The Action Bible published by David C Cook. Publisher permission required to reproduce. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2010 Sergio Cariello. The Action Bible published by David C Cook. Publisher permission required to reproduce. All rights reserved.

The thrilling narrative and bright colors capture my son’s attention. And they remind me God is not some namby-pamby, sissy deity.

I’m as guilty as any kumbayah Christian of embracing God’s tenderness and mercy—the essence of His character, to the neglect of the ferocity of His determinant power. God is love, yes. God is also holy, strong, and just.

The struggles in the Bible and in our time are life and death battles. Humanity hangs in the balance. There’s violence and vengeance, plagues and murder. Fire ripping from the sky. Blood dripping from a splintered, wooden cross.

Want to brush up on your Bible stories? Never learned them in the first place? Here’s your chance.

Maybe you love the Bible. Want the kids (or adults) in your life to love it too, without your nagging? The Action Bible is a fantastic place to begin.

As milk helps us to develop a hunger for meat, The Action Bible whets the appetite for Scripture in those who would dare to read it.

So will the Words that come out of My mouth
not come back empty-handed.
They’ll do the work I sent them to do,
They’ll complete the assignment I gave them. Isaiah 55:11 The Message

God’s Not Dead. He’s surely alive. Newsboys.

We’re Giving Away a Copy of The Action Bible!

Here’s how to enter:

  • To enter the drawing for The Action Bible, simply comment on this post.
  • You have until midnight, Tuesday, April 3rd, to comment to enter.
  • Only one comment per reader please.
  • A winner will be randomly drawn and contacted Wednesday, April 4th.
  • I will personally pay to ship the book to an address of the winner’s choosing within the contiguous U.S. in time for Easter. International shipping cannot be guaranteed in time for Easter.
The Action Bible New Testament

Disclaimer

I’m not being compensated to promote this book.

I was so impressed with The Action Bible that I contacted the publisher David C. Cook myself. They were kind enough to honor my requests for permission to show the illustrations in this post and for a book to give away.

They also surprised my son with something I did not request, their new book The Action Bible New Testament. I am thankful for their graciousness.

Suggested Links to Like

Comment by midnight, Tuesday, April 3rd,
to enter the drawing for The Action Bible!

Posted on by Aimee 38

The Truth About 150

Yesterday my first grader explained to me a squabble he was having in school.

school bus

“George (not his real name) says one hundred AND fifty,” he said. “I told him it’s one hundred fifty.”

“Yes,” I said. “It’s one hundred fifty.”

“Yeah, but then everyone said, ‘Nu-uh! It’s one hundred AND fifty,'” he said.

I grabbed a piece of paper to illustrate.

“You write it like this: 150,” I said. “Not like this: 100 AND 50. See?”

“Yeah,” he said.

“So you say it that way, too,” I said. “One hundred fifty.”

“Well, George says it’s one hundred AND fifty,” he said. “I’m going to tell him again he’s wrong.”

“Honey,” I said. Deep breath. “You can tell him, but he may not believe you.”

“Yeah,” he said. “He probably needs to hear it from his parents.”

“Unless his parents also think it’s one hundred AND fifty,” I said. “It doesn’t matter. You know what’s right and you told him. Even if the whole class disagrees, it’s still one hundred fifty.”

My son was quiet.

“I’m going to tell them it’s one hundred fifty,” he said. “And then when they say, ‘Nu-uh! No, it’s not!…'”

Pause.

“I’ll just say, ‘Oh, forget it.'”

He has a point.

Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Matthew 7:6 NIV

Forget About It by Alison Krauss and Union Station. What unforgettable talent. Enjoy the weekend!

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Church Search

I’ve gone to church all my life, except for The Wander Years between 18 and 24.

visitor parking

During that time, I was guilty of all sorts of unspeakable atrocities, including voting for Bill Clinton in 1992.

I jest. Sort of. My super smart PoliSci roommate was right about him all along.

Those years are replete with fascinating stories. Alas, that’s another post. Or maybe a book.

This post is about church.

Since relocating, we’ve been visiting churches. We’re weighing several factors: the doctrinal soundness of the teaching, the content of worship, the children’s ministries, how naturally we could fit it and participate.

Finding a church is a little like finding a doctor or hair stylist. There are a lot of good ones out there, but only a few you’d be comfortable seeing regularly.

Having been in church so long, I’ve experienced some vibrant, healthy, edifying communities. And I’ve seen my share of scandals, splits, legalism, and hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy. With trepidation I list it. The trespass all of us commit because none of us is perfect. That’s an important lesson I began to come to terms with to emerge from The Wander Years and give church another try.

first time guest parking
first time guest parking

People will fail you. It will happen.

One pastor I know said people often ask him if they will be hurt by becoming part of a church.

“Yes,” he said. “If you stick around long enough, yes.”

So why go? Well, that’s part of the lesson too. People will fail you; God will not. I go to church because it’s an integral part of following after Him.

My individual walk, my personal prayers, my Bible study are imperative, but incomplete if I’m not relating with other imperfect people who are also following after God.

As surely as some of those people will fail me, I will fail some of them.

More often on this trajectory though, glimmers of Christ-likeness shine through. We support one another. Pray with and for one another. Learn together. Stand together as a smaller community and as part of The Church, the greater congregation of believers across the ages.

Looking for a church is not easy. Some weeks I get discouraged. But I’ve been around this block before. I know the search is worth it.

If you’re looking for a church community, take heart. Don’t give up. Keep visiting. Pray for wisdom. Trust God to provide. Follow after Him.

If you’re in a good church, by all means go. With thanksgiving and gratitude, go. Be a participant, not an observer.

And if you’re in a church where you’ve prayerfully done all you can and it’s still not working for whatever reason, it may be time to move on. Quietly, without making a fuss, leave in order to find a healthier situation.

white cross on blue ground

Being part of a good church is too important not to pursue.

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT

Don’t give up. Let the Waters Rise by Mikeschair.

Posted on by Aimee 26

Thunderstorm

the day after the storm

It’s been a week since we experienced our first Kansas thunderstorm. Think Dorothy in a giant, echoing dishwasher.

Last Thursday night, we were nestled all snug in our beds when out of nowhere came the strong wind. Bellowing thunder. Rain whipping against the windows. Four paws pouncing on my back.

The paws belonged to my dog. Her least favorite thing in the world is a thunderstorm. (Her most favorite thing in the world is rotisserie chicken.)

Our bed was damaged in our recent move to Kansas, so my husband and I are sleeping on our mattress and box springs on the floor. Kind of like camping.

This arrangement gives our small dog access to our bed. When the thunderstorm hit, our terrified terrier was glued to my side, trying to burrow under the covers.

It’s not easy to sleep that way, unless you’re like my husband who can sleep through anything.

forward march

Not me. I laid awake in bed, holding my dog, listening to the sky rattle and hum and shake and scream.

As I shared in Moon Walk, where we live in Kansas is flat and mostly devoid of trees. Nothing but God and ground and sky. Thunder echoes and booms like tympani in a large, empty room.

Nothing to buffer the wind. No gusts either. No chance to clear the hair from your face or adjust your vision. Kansas wind is sustained, constant, relentless.

Rain flies horizontally across the prairie. It attacks the house. A smattering of bullets against the siding.

“Jeff, do you hear that?” I whispered. “Should we go to the basement?”

The sounds reverberated, bouncing to the earth and back to the sky then down again. Angry and loud.

In my mind, I knew this was just a thunderstorm. It was not tornadic. It could not hurt me inside my house.

Even if it was tornadic and plowed my house to the ground—even if it killed me, it could not destroy me. Easier to write those words now than to remember them in the storm.

drying out

Storms are like this. They seem to erupt out of nowhere. They are no respecter of persons. None of us is immune.

Storms may devastate, frighten, hurt, and kill. They can last minutes or decades. Afterward, it may take years to rebuild.

But in Christ there is a place storms cannot touch. A place sealed and safe.

And there is a Person present in the storm. He stands beside us in the suffering and terror, even in death.

God, help me remember this because I know I will forget.

Next time the sky tears open and rages against me, next time I tremble, remind me You are with me. There is nothing to fear.

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” from Isaiah 43:1-3 NIV

Never Let Go by The David Crowder Band.

Posted on by Aimee 19

Cats and Dogs

Didn’t plan to post today. Heard this in church and had to share. The difference between cats and dogs, from the pulpit:

dog pillow as seen at Traditions in Wichita, traditionsathome.com

A dog thinks, “My master feeds me, gives me a place to rest, takes care of me, and shows me love. He must be God!”

cat pillow as seen at Traditions in Wichita, traditionsathome.com

A cat thinks, “My master feeds me, gives me a place to rest, takes care of me, and shows me love. I must be God!”

There you have it. Cats and dogs.

Which are you?

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” from Psalm 14:1 NIV

Monday morning on Broadway with Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats.

For the Record

one dog at rest

This post is not a moral judgement on cats and dogs. It isn’t about cats and dogs at all. If you think it is, read it again.

We currently have one dog. I’d like to add a cat, but my husband claims not to be a cat person. Strange because cats are drawn to him like magnets.

Maybe they think he’s God.

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Posted on by Aimee 18

Nothing Good Gets Away

My mother once remarked on the differences between two of her children. While one said, “I’ll do it tomorrow,” the other said, “There is no tomorrow.”

self check-out

Guess which one you’re reading.

Brace yourself. This may come as a surprise.

I’m a little high-strung.

The only gray in my life is on my head when I miss my salon appointment. I’m black and white—and read all over. Considered by some to be entertaining as well.

Although I may look super cool, my nature is type A. Prone to burnout, breakdowns and digestive issues.

Last post you read about how I drive with intention. You may have detected an urgency in other posts too, and you probably will again.

Live now. We’re not getting any younger. Get those ducks in a row. Just do it. Today, please.

When taken to extremes, our strengths look a lot like weaknesses. So I’m learning with age, motherhood, circumstances, my husband’s encouragement, and God’s gentle prodding to cool it. Take my foot off the gas pedal once in a while. Give myself and the rest of the world a break.

As much as I hate it, things spin out of my control.

Okay. Things were never in my control in the first place.

Pacing doesn’t come easy. But with practice and God’s grace, it’s possible to slow down. To actively wait and rest. As I heard the pastor say in yesterday’s sermon, “The invitation is to trust.”

One of my favorite quotes is from writer John Steinbeck. “Don’t worry about losing,” he said. “If it is right, it happens. The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.”

God has a good plan for you and me. He’s the driver. Nothing we do or don’t do stands in His way. God’s plan will be accomplished in spite of us.

tick-tock

Time to rest on that.

And I am certain that God, Who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6 NLT

Taking My Time, Ashton, Becker & Dente.

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Happy New Year from everyday epistle

image from Vintage Catnip
all systems go

Here’s to 2012. Lord, please bless the adventures to come, the laughter, love, trials, tears. Give us a little bitter and a lot of sweet.

As they say in the Kansas state motto,

Ad Astra per Aspera:
To the Stars with Difficulty.

To the stars. What are we waiting for? Let’s go.

See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19 NIV

Come on, team! Let’s Go by The Cars.

Catnip Studio

I came across the lovely 1922 New Year’s greeting featured in this post on Pinterest and had to share it with you.

The pin lead me to Vintage Catnip of Catnip Studio, a delightful site filled with lots of goodies like free vintage clip art.

Catnip Studio’s creator explains the site “exists as my way to pay it forward.” I, for one, am thankful.

Posted on by Aimee 7

Reader’s Choice 2011: Dead Man Walking

Jeff and T

I love my husband Jeff for many reasons. The latest being his Reader’s Choice pick.

Why did he choose this one as his favorite? I’ll let him explain:

“Because you capture the emotion I feel about Abe and the tenuous state we all are in, holding on to life by the grace of God.”

How could you read that and not love Jeff?

How could you read the post he picked and not love Uncle Abe?

Jeff’s Reader’s Choice is:

Dead Man Walking

click to read Dead Man Walking

Posted on by Aimee

Merry Christmas from everyday epistle

as seen at pottery barn

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV

Posted on by Aimee 4

Reader’s Choice 2011: Bitter Pants

Mike Greene

Two readers made this post their top pick.

Entrepreneur and dear friend Mike Greene found it “refreshing and honest.” Bull’s-eye.

Robin Prakken

And Robin Prakken, one of the kindest, most gracious people I know, loved this post from the get-go. Something about how it reminds her we must simply “take them off!”

Me too, Robin. Me too.

Mike and Robin both chose as their Reader’s Choice post:

Bitter Pants

click to read Bitter Pants

Posted on by Aimee

Soot

down the stairs

Life is not for the fainthearted.

Our past three houses have been old, old, old. Heated with radiators powered by boilers. The landlord for our current house asked us to schedule a boiler check.

Last Wednesday, grouchy service guy was supposed to arrive between 8 a.m. and noon. What time did he show up? Around 12:15 p.m.

It’s routine maintenance, I thought to myself. He’ll be gone in no time flat. Then I can get on with my life.

Three hours later, he’s still in the basement. Should have known I was in trouble when he told me he needed our garden hose.

“But I have all our stuff organized and stored down here for the movers,” I said. “Maybe you can come back and do this after we’re gone.”

“I’ll run the water down through the boiler and into the floor drain,” he said. “Your floor’s got a nice slope.”

the hose

A nice slope. Terrific.

I moved as much stuff as far away from ground zero as I could, retreated upstairs, and shut the door. The hours passed and it was approaching pickup time for my son at school.

“How’s it going down there?” I said from the landing.

“I’m done cleaning the boiler,” he said. Then he stepped into view. He was covered head to foot with grimy soot.

“Now I need to come upstairs and drain the radiators. Are they all clear where I can get to them?”

A mild panic ensued somewhere deep inside me. I think it was in my liver or maybe my spleen.

“Uh, give me a minute,” I said. “I’ll clear the way.”

He did not give me a minute, but came charging up the stairs.

roll with it baby

“Um, I need to get my son soon,” I said. “When will you be finishing up?”

“After I drain the radiators, all that’s left is cleaning up the mess downstairs,” he said. “Tell you what. Rather than me cleaning it, how about I give you a $50 credit and get out of your hair?”

“Okay,” I said cautiously. When he stepped out to his truck, I skedaddled to the basement.

A thin layer of black soot rested silently on every surface.

soot

“I don’t want the credit,” I said when he came back into the house. “Go ahead and clean it up. We’ll pay you the extra.”

That’s when grouchy service guy got sassy. All huffing and puffing, throwing attitude around, like the big bad wolf or a 16-year-old.

As he stomped down the stairs, I made a call. “I think you should come home,” I said to my husband.

Of course when my husband got home, sassy grouchy service guy sang a different song. The menfolk got on the phone with the landlord and worked out a deal. I didn’t care. My day was shot. I was done.

Come to find out, the soot now all over the basement had been a serious fire hazard as carbon inside the boiler. Perhaps we’d escaped flames via sassy grouchy service guy and a garden hose. God works in mysterious ways.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so My ways are higher than your ways
and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT

Strong Enough to Save, Tenth Avenue North.

11th hour bumper sticker

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