ONE WEEK 365 // Week 41, Book 26

I love reading books on creation care....

Gardening Eden: How Creation Care Will Change Your Faith, Your Life, and Our World
By Michael Abbate
Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook Press, 2009

This book is comprehensive. It's a great combination of theology of creation, research on the environment, and practical ways to "garden" our planet today.

I really enjoyed it from start to finish, but I'm also a nerd for anything that has to do with creation care. That's why I'm a strict vegetarian, recycle, buy local as much as possible, use as little energy and water as possible.

If you're just starting out in educating yourself about creation theology and creation care, I would recommend this one.

ONE WEEK 365 // Week 39, Book 25

I'm part of a book club of sorts, for work. A few of us read a book about unreached people groups and get together to discuss it over lunch once a month. In September we read this one....

Bruchko
By Bruce Olson

This is the story of a 19-year-old American, Bruce Olson, who feels the call to work among the unreached Motilone Indians in South America. So he packs up and goes. Without a missions board, without raising support, without knowing anyone who even lives anywhere near South America.

It's a crazy, inspiring story how he finds this unreached people group in the mountains in South America and comes to live among them and see them reached with the gospel.

The writing is vivid and graphic in places (like the foot-long parasite that he pulls from his mouth) but the narrative of his story is so good that I survived the gross parts.

I highly recommend if you're looking based-on-a-true-story story.

ONE WEEK 365 // Week 34, Book 24

I read Anne Lamott's Traveling Mercies a few years ago and I found this copy of Plan B at a used bookstore in Pentwater, MI last summer. Finally getting around to reading it....

Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith
By Anne Lamott
New York: Penguin, 2005

I might not always agree with Anne's stance on certain things but I do agree with her honesty. Oh, that more people would be this honest. I guess that's what I like so much about her -- there might be differences between her views on life and mine but I still feel like we're working towards the same goal.

Also, there were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. I do like books that can both make me laugh and make me think.

ONE WORD 365 // Week 33, Book 23

I bought this book from the Amazon app on my smart phone in May 2011 on the spot when Jason Gray recommended it me while at a radio retreat. One of the best recommendations I have ever received...

The Pacific and Other Stories

By Mark Helprin

Penguin Books, 2005

This might be of my favorite books I've ever read. From the very first paragraph of the first story, I was hooked.

The stories are so well crafted, it scares me to call myself a writer. They are beautiful. The characters, places and events in the stories have such diversity and depth. 

I don't remember Jason's recommendation having many words other than, "Read it." And that's the  one I give you: "Read it."

ONE WORD 365 // Week 29, Book 22

I need to start reading some shorter books or I need to start reading faster if I want to catch up.... This week's book was more for work.

A Muslim's Mind
By Edward J. Hoskins, MD, PhD
Colorado Springs, CO: Dawson Media

I heard about this book through Missio Nexus. As a member of the network, I get weekly book reviews from them.

A few weeks ago this title was the weekly review. And what with my current work, the title appealed to me so I ordered it. Then my boss emailed everyone in the office and said, "You all should check this out." I emailed back: "Already ordered it." How's that for making a good impression on the new job?

This book contains a review of Islamic traditions in the following topics: Muhammed, women, heaven and hell, Jews and Christians, Shariah law, and Jihad. Hoskins spent years researching and living among these traditions, and he has clearly organized them in this book for Christians to learn more about the context of these issues in Muslim culture.

This book read quickly. It's not long and the chapters are in quick, readable sections. Which I think is the point. Hoskins created a book that could be used as an easy reference for understanding Islamic traditions. Anyone can quickly look at the appropriate chapter and find the references to certain issues of Islamic traditions.

He also offers a guide at the end for preparing one's own faith story to share with a Muslim audience -- this being the final step to not being afraid of Islam and Muslims but being ready to build a rapport with Muslims to share the hope of Christ.

ONE WORD 365 // Week 27, Book 21

This week I picked up the bio on Lilias Trotter, my new hero...

A Passion for the Impossible: The Life of Lilias Trotter
By Miriam Huffman Rockness
Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers, 1999

This biography tells the story of a young lady that left her London home and comfortable life for the more modest life in Algeria among the unreached.

The art critic and social revolutionary John Ruskin believed that Trotter had the potential to be one of the best artists of the nineteenth century. But she gave that up to follow a call to reach the unreached, the Muslims of North Africa, and her  love of literature and her talent in art gave way to new ways to share about the work happening on the mission field.

To get there she had to go through a "crisis of her soul." She had to decide between a future in the art world and a call to ministry. The story of her work in Algeria is inspiring and challenging, but it was this tension she felt between art and missions that resounded the most with me at this time.

My current struggle is slightly different than Lilias'. I am in process of transitioning from music industry to missions -- and doing so gladly -- but while she took her love and arts into her new life, I am changing fields and careers entirely. I am looking forward to continue doing some freelance writing/editing but I am currently working on letting go of a job that I've had for the past six years. I have been debating how and when to make the break or if I even should (I mean, won't the extra money be helpful?). But as I read Lilias' story, I felt more convinced that I needed to make the break, and until I do so, I won't fully be trusting God to provide for the needs that I have (fundraising!).

Lilias said, "I see clear as daylight now, I cannot give myself to painting in the way he [Ruskin] means and continue still to 'seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness'" (84). As things stand right now, my time is divided. I have more than enough work to keep me busy at my new job, while the workload from my music job hasn't let up -- in fact, it's gotten busier. It's possible that I could do both jobs but I don't feel like I can fully focus on the new job and do the work that God brought me here to do. 

The biographer notes that Lilias felt the same way about her art and ministry. "But Lily, whole-souled as she was, knew that she could not continue to do both and give either what it would require of her. The rudder of her will had already been set toward God's purposes, whatever they might be (84.)" 

"For all people, however, as for herself, Lilias believed that the fundamental issue in life remained the same: a need for total abandonment to God's purposes. The ultimate test, if not the specific path, would require the willingness to renounce anything--person, place, possession, plan--anything that would stand in the way of God's design" (85). 

There are other quotes from Lilias that relate to this matter: "It is loss to keep when God says 'give'" (86). "The one thing is to keep obedient in spirit; to do otherwise would be to cramp and ruin your soul" (88). And her long-form essay Parables of the Cross address this, too.

She's a hero because she gave up the comforts of her life and went to serve the unreached. She went to a difficult place to reach difficult people. She make the decision to be "whole-souled" and not let herself be divided by various passions. She gave it all up to God and he worked them all together for his purpose. It's amazing story -- I highly recommend it.

ONE WORD 365 // Week 25, Book 20

I bought this book on one of my bookstore tours of NYC. I brought it with me on vacation, hoping that I could finally read it. I did -- in two sittings.

Night

By Elie Wiesel

I found this book at Housing Bookworks in NYC. I heard about it in days past but never picked it up, until now. It took me over a year to get around to reading it, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. I finished it in two sittings -- it's not too long and it's such a compelling story that you want to finish it.

Elie Wiesel tells his story of experience, enduring and surviving Holocaust. He was a teenager when his family was taken from their home and sent to Auschwitz; he was then sent to Buchenwald, a labor camp.

This story was horrifying and terrifying. A firsthand account of someone living through the Holocaust, there is nothing easy about that. Even though I knew the storyteller survived it, learning about the price he paid physically, emotionally and spiritually was overwhelmingly sad. It was eye-opening. How Wiesel conveyed the loss of innocence and despair was palpable; I felt like I was there. 

It's one of those books that marks a horrible part of human history but is important to read. I highly recommend it; I'd even share my copy.

ONE WORD 365 // Week 24, Book 19

This is the other essay by Lilias Trotter...

Parables of the Christ-Life
By I. Lilias Trotter

Don't be fooled by the size or length of this book. There is much to be discovered here, just like in Parables of the Cross.

She writes about lessons of Christianity from a study of nature. And as I write about this book, and being 2/3 through her biography now, I know that I need to read this one and Cross again and again and again.

Trotter just offered so many straightforward and basic insights into Christian living, I think anyone, even non-missions-type people will be inspired by her.

ONE WORD 365 // Week 23, Book 18

I have a new hero, Lilias Trotter....

Parables of the Cross
By I. Lilias Trotter

I've been helping my brother-in-law edit his tutorials for his PhD. His last paper included the stories of missionaries to Egypt and Sudan, of which Lilias Trotter was one. (My sister and brother-in-law also recommended her biography, A Passion for the Impossible: The Life of Lilias Trotter. After reading about her in Dick's paper and this book, I ordered it straightaway.)

This book (or long essay), and another called Parables of the Christ-Life, were both free for Kindle on Amazon. This one read quickly but it is also a book that will take time and multiple reads to fully digest. I intend to re-read it, take notes, share it, quote it, etc.

The gist of the book explains the process of dying to your old ways so that God can bring about the new life of the believer. The seed has to die in order for the new plant to grow. It's all very Live Dead.

ONE WORD 365 // Week 22, Book 17

So I missed weeks 20 and 21, but now I'm getting back into the swing of things (and catching up on my blog).....

Axe to Grind: Double Barrel Vol. 1
By Grey West

Was this free for Kindle on Amazon? That's the only way I can explain my reason for downloading it. That and it was about zombies and parallel timelines.

And since it was there, I had to read it.

I actually enjoyed it. A fast read, generally decent story with good pacing. And since it's the first volume, it had the cliffhanger ending. Which led me to promptly look up the next issue on Amazon to see how much it cost. I haven't bought it yet, but I can get the full six volumes for $2.99 or something like that. I gotta find out how it ends....

ONE WORD 365 // Week 19, Book 16

I started this last year but only got through the first two months....

The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun
By Gretchen Rubin
New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2009

This time I finished the book. And really enjoyed it.

There is some practical stuff in here, and a few chapters/principles that I really want to implement.

The biggest one that I want to work on now comes from Chapter 6 or June: "Make Time for Friends: Friendship."

Being in a new city and starting over means making new friends and keeping in touch with old ones. Thankfully, I've been practicing my cards and treats by mail for the past couple years, so staying in touch with old friends already has a good start. And now my friends in Nashville will benefit from this more since I moved. Now, I need to bribe some new friends with treats and cards.....

Rubin makes five points in the chapter on friendship: remember birthdays, be generous, show up, don't gossip, and make three new friends.

Remember birthdays. Facebook and the birthdays app on the iPad have helped here. I need to get in a better routine of actually planning ahead, so it's not the actual day before I jump on Facebook to write on someone's wall real quick. I want to be more intentional and better prepared to wish a friend a happy birthday. And I've grown tired of just wishing people happy birthday via Facebook. I've decided that if I can't get a card in the mail on time, I'm going to email or text or maybe even call (gasp!) my friend on their birthday.

And make three new friends. This is a good one for me right now. Rubin talks about making three new friends in whatever new situation she found herself in. The tips that she gives freak me, the introvert, out a little bit (smile more frequently, open a conversation, try to look accessible and warm) but she admits to being a bit calculating about the process and pushing herself to do something different. I think I just need to keep this mind as I start to find a new community in my new hometown.

So, yes, I would recommend this book. It's very practical and encourages you to make your own list of principles and ideas to pursue in a happiness project. I like the one month chunks of time to focus on a new idea. It's enough time to form a habit before moving on to the next one. Pick it up -- or ask to borrow my copy. I'd loan it to you.

ONE WORD 365 // Weeks 15-18, Book 15

I got this book free on Amazon, and I was finally inspired to read it. In honor of Season 2 of "Sherlock" on PBS. Love me some Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock....

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

It's a classic. And a fun read of short stories. There's not much more than that to say. Each chapter is another mystery and they aren't necessarily chronological.

I can recommend this book for those weeks when you're packing a house and moving, because it's the book that entertained me during the month of April as I was preparing to sell my house and move.

ONE WORD 365 // Week 14, Book 14

OK, life became crazy. The month of April might not see as many books read as the other 11 months but I am in the midst of closing on my house and moving all my belongings out! Still, I finished this book in week 14 and LOVED it!

Just Kids
By Patti Smith
New York: Ecco, 2010

I bought this book at Strand Bookstore in NYC while on a visit last year. It was one that I kept wanting to read and wanting to read but was never in the reading mood. Then I took on this book-per-week challenge and knew this would be near the top, especially after hearing Smith's interview on NPR.

Once I picked it up and started, I couldn't put it down! I loved this book. I loved that it was part art history, part prose, all enchantment. Patti Smith's storytelling was so good that I was sucked into her life, into her relationships, into the sites and people of NYC in the 60s and 70s, etc.

I found this New York Times review and pretty much felt the same way as Tom Carson. If you love music, photography, New York City, or just really good storytelling, pick up this book. I'll be walking by the Chelsea Hotel when I visit NYC in a couple weeks, just to pay homage to the story.

ONE WORD 365 // Week 13, Book 13

My book for this past week was written and just recently released by my friend Dan Portnoy. I met Dan while living in Pasadena, thanks to a mutual friend having a birthday party.

The Non-Profit Narrative: How Telling Stories Can Change the World
By Dan Portnoy
PMG Press, 2012

Not only did I want to purchase and read this book in support of my friend, but I thought it could be helpful for my some upcoming contract work that I have (tax deduction!).

Dan gives easy-to-read and easy-to-understand thoughts on developing your non-profit (or even personal) story, finding your audience and telling your story via the appropriate channels (website, social media, blogs).

I'm actually really glad I read this last week so that I can use the "take aways" and "next steps" that Dan lists at the end of each chapter as I dive into some new projects for a missions organization. I have a clean slate to start this project, and this book will be a great handbook for this from-the-ground-up website.

ONE WORD 365 // Week 12, Book 12

This was a re-read. It's been a couple years and I need to brush up on my study of Christianity in American culture today, especially as it pertains to the differences between generations. Plus, I want to read The Next Christians but I wanted a refresher on the research that David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons published earlier.

Unchristian
By David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons
Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007

This book is just handy if you have any inkling to study or work with church and culture in America. Granted, after a couple years any research becomes dated but this book is foundational to understanding faith and culture in America today. It's a first glimpse into how "Busters" and "Mosaics" think.

The Barna Group conducted the research. It's thorough, eye-opening and thrilling, in my opinion. The comprehensiveness of the research will give any reader a good starting point in understanding what Busters and Mosaics think about Christianity and Christians. Some will be surprised. I wasn't so much but I'm a Buster and I have friends that would be considered what the books calls "outsiders" and those "inside" the church that think/believe like outsiders.

Man, I love this book. But I'm kind of junkie for this type of talk. I find it so fascinating and I love the research that goes with it. I hope in the future to work more closely with church and culture study -- to help churches understanding their own personal culture and how they can research the cultures found in their community.

Also, I found a recent article (links to research included) from The Barna Group that goes along the information and purpose of this book: Top Trends of 2011: Millennials Rethink Christianity.

ONE WORD 365 // Week 11, Book 11

I still have a smile on my face from last week's book...

Bossypants

By Tina Fey

New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2011

I'm sure you heard me cackling late last Monday when I started this book. I could barely get through a sentence. 

And the tears! I was weeping from laughter. 

As I continued, there were less tears, though the humor was still there.

It's difficult to write funny, to write comedy and get laughs, but Tina succeeds. Maybe it's because I'm such a fan of her and of "30 Rock" and her character Liz Lemon. Maybe the book reads super funny to me because I can envision her saying it or reading it aloud. I should try the audio version sometime, perhaps, just to see if it makes me laugh more.

The book tells Tina's story: her days growing up and working the local summer theater to joining Second City in Chicago and then her work in NYC as a writer for "SNL" and becoming the mastermind behind "30 Rock." She isn't afraid to admit embarrassing moments or moments in which she maybe fell short. 

She told enough on herself to make her story interesting without doing a "tell-all" book. I don't know that I'd want a "tell all" book anyway. I just enjoyed reading her version of her recent rise to "fame," though I'm not even sure she would call herself famous. She's famous to me because I'm such a fan.

Also, from this moment forward I will be using her phrases "grade A dummy" and "dumdums" as often as possible in conversation.

ONE WORD 365 // Week 10, Book 10

Catching up here....

The Wagon and Other Stories From the City

By Martin Preib

Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010

I think I originally bought this book via Amazon for my Kindle because it was cheap. I heard nothing about it so it was a complete shot in the dark.

In it Martin Preib shares his memoirs through a series of essays: his days as a beat cop in Chicago as he transports dead bodies and trains new officers, and his time as a doorman at a hotel in downtown and organizing workers for a union vote. Overall the book is more about his observation of the city of Chicago, making it a living character to his stories.

I got the feeling that he really loved Chicago; it was a city that drew him in and wouldn't let him go. But at the same time, he was also very clear about the ugliness that runs the city and the cycle of violence that continues on and on. You get this peek behind the curtain to some degree. Reading his stories from his time as a beat cop made me want to go to Chicago, find a cop and give him or her a hug -- and then go kick down the bureaucrats' doors and tell them to use common sense.

It wasn't all just about his beat cop days. The essays from his time of hauling corpses to the morgue were also good but sad and heavy. Fitting, I suppose. Reading his perspective of death and/or watching him sort through findig death's place in the world was interesting, though heady at times. I also like observing his life as a hotel doorman and how he learned the tricks of the trade. That lightened things up. The book even ended on a higher note as he joined the YMCA and started playing basketball games with the men there. You got the sense that while he often felt like one of the forgotten in the city, it was there he found a small place.

I enjoyed the book. Maybe because I got it free or cheap. But also because Prieb was a "writer" who for the longest time didn't actually write. He did other jobs to free up his time to write. Eventually, he did it, and we have this book. That gives the book an overall sense of victory. It's a testament to the good of the city of Chicago, even when so many ugly things also happen there.

ONE WORD 365 // Weeks 8 & 9, Book 9

Confession: I sped read this book. It was 500 pages long and it was due back to the library today -- I had to get through it.

The Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher, From Grocer's Daughter To Prime Minister

By John Campbell

New York: Penguin, 2011

I saw the movie The Iron Lady in January and loved it. A bit sadder than I expected but still quite good. I was 3 when Lady Thatcher became Prime Minister, and though while growing up I remember hearing her name on the news, I never really paid much attention to her story, her politics, her place on the world stage. After reading this book and seeing its movie adaptation, I kind of wish that I had been old enough to understand and to care. She was quite the character.

I like politics and international relations. In this day and age, we should each to some degree care about what happens on the world stage. Globalization has made the world so much smaller. And I left this book with a little sadness and/or remorse that I hadn't know more about her while she was Prime Minister.

A few thoughts from reading the book....

The book was very detailed -- from what I could tell through speed reading. The author included a lot of material. He was not all praise, and he was not all condemnation. He seemed fair-handed in his assessment of Lady Thatcher's time in office.

I found myself reading more closely the parts that included her husband Denis, her daughter Carol and the Queen. I read the sections with Denis or Carol because I had seen the movie, in which both were present. The love story/relationship between Margaret and Denis was a large part of the movie so reading more about the real life story was interesting. The movie included her daughter Carol in a role that her daughter probably would not have in real life. In real life Margaret's daughter is quite scathing about her relationship with her mother. And the section discussing the interaction and relationship between Lady Thatcher and the Queen was very interesting (I thought). It wasn't covered in the movie but how it was covered in the book was fascinating.

The movie showed how quickly Lady Thatcher lost her position as Prime Minister. I don't really remember that from growing up (guess I didn't care so much at 14), so when I saw the movie version, I was curious to find out if it happened that fast. Apparently, it did. The book was very descriptive of those three weeks (it happened fast!).

I really enjoyed the book. I loved getting some depth to what the movie portrayed in a couple hours' worth of time. The movie hit most of the high points, though it didn't touch on Lady Thatcher's relationship with America so much (especially with President Reagan) or her fights with the European community or her jet-setting as a world figure. I think the movie did what it set out to do -- show who Margaret Thatcher was and how she might be dealing with dementia now -- and the book more than filled in any blanks.

It was long but I'm glad I (sped) read it.

ONE WORD 365 // Week 7, Book 8

My third book in one week! From my favorite author....

Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis
By Lauren Winner
San Francisco: HarperOne, 2012

I will re-read this book very soon. I kind of devoured it the first time through and I think I need to go through and slowly take it in and digest it.

I just love her writing and storytelling. And her vulnerability is both refreshing and challenging at the same time.

I will be writing more about this book as I read it again. For now I recommend it to anyone in a middle ground, who feel stuck in between the beginning and the end.

ONE WORD 365 // Week 7, Books 6 & 7

Thanks to my friend Beth, I raced through Catching Fire and Mockingjay, the last two books in The Hunger Games series, via the shared book feature on my Kindle app.

 

Catching Fire and Mockingjay
By Suzanne Collins
New York: Scholastic Post, 2009 and 2010

Now I'm officially caught up on all things Hunger Games. And my life feels about the same.

I liked Book 1 and can't wait to see how it comes out in the movie. Book 2 was my favorite. Suzanne Collins built on Book 1 really well in my opinion and gave it enough twists and turns to keep things interesting.

Book 3 was my least favorite. I felt like she rushed to the ending. Like she realized, "Oh shoot! I only have 50 pages left! I need to wrap this up." I was just unsatisfied with how it sped along to wrap things up. And I didn't like that Peeta didn't play as large of a role.

All that said, I still bought Book 1 for my nephews and they raced through them in a couple days. I'll get the two books for them as well because I think it's a fun read overall.

ONE WORD 365 // Weeks 5 & 6, Book 5

OK, so it took me almost two weeks to finish my Week 5 book. It's finished and ready to be returned to the library. And I still have two days to cram in a book for Week 6.

Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City
By Greg Grandin
New York: Metropolitan Books, 2009

I found this title while looking through the list of award winners on Amazon. Rather than buy it, I found it through my local library.

Two things drew me to this book: 1) History connected to Henry Ford and Dearborn, Mich., and 2) the idea of depositing an ideal American society into the Amazon jungle.

What a fascinating read. It gives the history to the hows and whys Henry Ford sought to build a city along the Amazon and gives the details of how it started and ultimately failed. It was interesting to read how Ford changed his tune as his quest for growing rubber failed. The reason for being in the Amazon suddenly became a "civilizing mission," to transplant American society to the people of the Amazon.

The overall story is kind of sad. Henry Ford had big dreams but it seems he also suffered from tunnel vision. He wanted to simply recreate the operation that worked in Michigan. Except that it was an entirely different culture of people and ecosystem, and no adjustments or concessions were made for those. The whole project might have worked if Ford were more flexible and engaged more with the land, the ecosystem and the people. But he just sent teams down to set up shop and create a little American town in the Amazon jungle without planning for what might happen.

That said, if you have time, read it.

There is a solid book review from the NY Times here: "Dearborn-on-Amazon"

On finishing I started "googling" Fordlandia. Seeing this place in person is now on my bucket list and I wanted to see if there were any recent pictures, to see if any others travelers have since been to Fordlandia and sister city Belterra (Ford's second attempt and perhaps more successful venture). I found one guy who added it to his Amazon visit also after reading the book. His travel blog is here. He has a link to a Facebook page with a bunch of photos from his stop there, including some from the Ford water tower in Fordlandia. They are worth a look, especially if you've read the book: Fordlandia and Belterra on Facebook.

ONE WORD 365 // Week 4, Book 4

I went with something "lighter" this week....

Hunger Games
By Suzanne Collins
New York: Scholastic Press, 2008

"Welcome, and Happy Hunger Games!"

I had planned on reading this but the wait list for a copy through the public library was forever long. And then I saw the trailer for the movie. That's it. I bought the Kindle edition.

And once I started, it was easy to get through. Loved it. Now I need the next two...

I don't have much of a review here. It's a great story and if you don't mind being caught reading teen science fiction/fantasy, then you should pick it up.

I'll leave you with this:

ONE WORD 365 // Week 3, Book 3

Let's catch up here...

While You Were Micro-Sleeping: Fresh Insights on the Changing Face of North American Missions
By Steve Moore
Stone Mountain, GA: The Mission Exchange, 2009

This book was required reading for the team at Global Initiative, the missions organization that I will be joining this year.

Each chapter is a transcript from video blogs (vlogs) that The Mission Exchange hosted starting in 2008, called Learning @ the Speed of Life. The point of the blogs (and the book) is to remind people that to stop learning, even for a short time, brings the risk of irrelevance.

I read the book with my upcoming work with the Global Initiative team and audience in mind.

The book read quickly; the chapters were not long. And since the subject matter was interesting, it didn't take much effort to read. And it will be easy to flip back and re-read particular chapters for reminders.

The one that stuck with me the most after the first reading was chapter 3, "Where's Your Green Line?" A "green line" is "the line of activity or behavior that if someone crosses it [you] perceive them to be 'out of bounds' as it relates to [your] conviction about being a good steward of creation" (11).

Ever since seminary and moving back from L.A. I have become more of a "tree hugger." I did some focused study on creation care and our job (as humanity and as Christians) to care for the earth in grad school. I started recycling as much as possible, using less energy in the house and became a strict vegetarian, all in an effort to make my "carbon footprint" smaller. I seek to consume less and reuse more. I cook and bake more from scratch; I shop local and organic as often as possible. I use the Better World Shopper when making my purchases.

So where is my green line? I encourage others to do the same but not in a militant way. If they want to eat meat or consume diary, I encourage them to source it locally and for goodness sake, don't eat at McDonalds, etc. I suggest that maybe they could layer clothes and turn the heat down some in winter (saves energy and money).

This chapter goes on to encourage leaders to consider where their green line is and if it can be moved to reach a younger generation of people that are concerned about the environment. I love these words:

Please understand these people have not been brainwashed by environmental "whackos." Their beliefs about creation care have been shaped by a journey of spiritual formation as an extension of biblical discipleship. They can't conceive of an authentic and growing relationship with Jesus that doesn't somehow express itself with a concern for the environment....an increasing number of them won't want to work for your organization or give to your ministry or volunteer for your projects if your green line is too far way from theirs. (12)

This is me. I never thought this would be me; but it's me. And I wonder how the Global Initiative office has responded to it. I guess I'll find out soon enough.

There is a difference between a method and a value. If moving your green line is a method to attract a new group of people to your organization instead of a value that is being expressed in your organizational culture, your lack of authenticity will be obvious and you maybe going backward instead of forward as it relates to building trust with the very people you want to attract. (12)

I hope to be pleasantly surprised at the green line at Global Initiative, but if things don't meet my green line, I hope I can help out.

ONE WORD 365 // Book 2, Week 2

The second book in my quest to read one book per week in 2012 was...

Erasing Hell: What God said about eternity, and the things we made up
By Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle
Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2011

Confession: I downloaded Rob Bell's Love Wins the day that it came out and started reading it while sitting in missionary associate orientation. I don't remember how it took me to read. Not long. I finished it rather quickly. Now it's been a while since I've read it so any reflection I type here will be rather vague.

I remember agreeing with Bell about seeing the kingdom of heaven here and now. But things feel apart for me after that -- that hell is here now as well (don't quiz me on his exact position; I'd need to go back and read through it again).

I liked what Chan had to say in Erasing Hell and tracked with him through his process. I think I understood the overall gist of Bell in Love Wins and agreed with some. I also really liked the footnotes in Chan's book; they dug in a little deeper.

I marked a few things (via the Kindle app*) as I read along:

1) "Don't get so lost in deciphering that you forget to tremble." (Page 87)

Creator God invented justice and knows what everyone deserves. And he didn't leave it to me or you or any human to figure out. "He has only asked us to embrace His Word and bow the knee, to tremble at His Word..." (Pages 86-87) This reminds me that we can have these conversations and we can talk about these questions but don't lose sight of God or stop trembling before the One who knows.

2) "Could it be that his [Paul's] drive to reach the lost was directly related to his willingness to ponder their fate if he didn't reach them at all? It sure appears so." (Page 98)

Chan here is talking about Paul's efforts to reach unbelievers and wonders, "Would Paul be so motivated if he didn't also believe that there would be punishment for those who didn't believe?" This sounds like a "if it's good enough for Paul, it should be good for me" theory.

3) "Maybe we don't want to admit that we believe in a God who is so free to do whatever He wants." (Page 128)

And then...

4) "...The more important question is not whether or not you want to, but could you believe these things, if in fact God says they are true?" (Page 130)

These two books (Chan & Bell) cover (or uncover as the case may be) some unpopular and/or difficult-to-swallow topics. But I like where Chan takes this discussion. Ultimately, can we know the answer? I don't think we can be fully certain, though we might have a glimpse of the answer. One phrase I took from seminary is "don't paint yourself in a corner." Don't cling so tightly to your theory that you don't leave room for any other option or God. Chan's point here is: Will you leave room for the idea that God just might show his wrath and judgment in a way that seems unfair to us? Can you still believe in a God like that?

My answer was, "Yes. I could believe in a God like that."And then I continue with: "Now let's work for God's kingdom to come here on earth now."

Have you read both Chan's and Bell's book? One or the other? Thoughts?

*Page numbers above from the Kindle app

ONE WORD 365 // Week 1, Book 1

Ok, I'm finally getting around to writing down my thoughts about the first book in my quest to read one book per week in 2012.

Parade of Faiths: Immigration and American Religion
by Jenna Weissman Joselit
New York: Oxford University Press, 2001

I found this book at Brattle Book Shop while in Boston for New Year's. It was too cold to scour through all the books outside -- and too close to closing time. I'll need a return visit for that.

It was a quick read; I started and finished it on the plane rides home to Nashville.

The book has a simple outline and premise -- how immigrants and their faiths arrived and planted themselves in America. It devotes full chapters to Protestant, Catholic and Jewish immigration and lumps all remaining religions in one chapter. The first three chapters were good and gave good insight into the Judeo-Christian background of much of America. I was most interested in the more recent immigration experiences of the Chinese and Japanese, the Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims, but all of that information was crammed into the last chapter.

This book is a basic starting point for anyone researching faith and immigration in America. The stories are interesting, though pretty basic and taken from other historic accounts. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in studying faith in America and immigration as a starting point. It won't take long to read and I'll loan you my copy if you're interested.

LIFE IN TENNESSEE // Hospitality

Last week I had the honor of teaching the ladies of The Church At Indian Lake during the Wednesday night service. I thought I would post my musings here for those who didn't hear it, including the men who had a separate teaching.

*****

I had been thinking about hospitality and what it means to show hospitality. I was inspired by a friend's entry in the Live Dead Journal. Here's an excerpt from Day 23, "Hospitality: Our Faith in Action":

There is a knock at my door and my heart sinks. I anticipate who stands on other side. It is a neighbor who knows that I am home. She loves to spend time together, although the language barrier is so great we can barely communicate. I feel like a prisoner in my own home! She knows I am home, so choosing not to answer my door is to risk offending her.

I go to the door. Suspicions are confirmed and I invite her inside. I smile outwardly and grumble inwardly. At this point I am new on the field and a young mom with two toddlers. I enjoy spending time with this neighbor, but she always seems to knock at the most inconvenient moment--and this day is no exception. I offer her a seat in my living room as I go to the kitchen to prepare something to drink. Alone in my kitchen, I throw my hands in the air and "scream" in a whisper, "I don't even want you to be here!"

Alone in my kitchen? I might as well have spoken those words in front of an audience of thousands. More sobering is that I had just spoken those words in front of Jesus Christ himself. Just months earlier I had stood before churches that sent me overseas for opportunities like this very one--and yet here I was in my kitchen, resentful of the "imposition." God forbid that I ever see a human soul as an imposition..." (Live Dead Journal 2011, 122).

The entry goes on to talk about how hospitality is faith in action, how hospitality is us extending Jesus' heart to others and looking for God's plan in the midst of seemingly inconvenient moments.

I've been doing some reminiscing recently as I prepare to leave my home of 14 years. And thinking about the good times, the difficult times, what I would do the same, what I would do differently. And I've been thinking more about my house and my neighborhood as I sit and wait for a buyer. Putting those two things together, I think, "How have I shown hospitality to those around me?" Answer: Uh, not very well--at least not to my literal neighbors.

But hospitality is about more than just opening my house to my neighbors, though it is that, too. This is about a different attitude and change of heart towards people. It is about fellowship and sharing a meal, but it is also about the relationships made.

One of my classes in grad school looked at hospitality. We used the book Making Room by Christine Pohl. As I read the above entry, I revisited the topic and the book and put some of these thoughts together.

The tradition of hospitality was once the practice of welcoming strangers into one's home with the offer of food, shelter and protection. It covered physical, social and spiritual aspects of life. But more than just meeting needs of a person, hospitality was about recognizing people's worth and our common humanity. It was (and is!) about seeing others in the image of Christ. "Hospitality is central to the meaning of the gospel...a lens through which we can read and understand the gospel, and a practice by which we can welcome Jesus himself" (Pohl 1999, 6). We welcome others as Christ welcomed us.

In the early days of the Church, hospitality was a means for the spread of the gospel; it went above any ethnic or national distinctions in the Church; and it was for the care of the sick, the strangers and the pilgrims. Hospitality was meant to build relationships with family and friends, but also to include those on the outside, to bring them into relationship as well.

Pohl talks about the definition of hospitality, using the Greek word philoxenia. That Greek word combines the general word for love or affection (philo) and the word for strangers (xenos) (31). It literally means "love for strangers" or "stranger love" if you will. So, by definition showing hospitality is showing love to strangers. But aren't all believers considered aliens here on earth and citizens of heaven? We're all strangers here. Showing hospitality is about caring for physical and social needs of family and friends and strangers, and about developing the spiritual dimensions of those relationships, too.

That said, how do we reclaim the art and the practice of hospitality?

There certainly are opportunities for offering hospitality; I don't think anyone would disagree with that. Pohl even thinks that our situation today is much like the situation of the early church:

"We, like the early church, find ourselves in a fragmented and multicultural society that yearns for relationships, identity and meaning. Our mobile and self-oriented society is characterized by disturbing levels of loneliness, alienation and estrangement. In a culture that appears at times to be overtly hostile to life itself, those who reject violence and embrace life bear powerful witness" (33).

This thought by Pohl still makes sense, even 12 years after publishing. People are hungry for relationships and to be known. Maybe they feel connected through social media (Facebook, Twitter), but are people really connected in those virtual worlds?

I can feel like I know complete strangers based on our interaction on Twitter--but I don't really know them. And then there are the widows and orphans, the homeless and destitute among us. How do we reach out and connect to them? It will require doing more and opening ourselves up more.

It was probably easier in the "olden days"--when the community took on all the physical, social and spiritual needs of the family, acquaintances, strangers and foreigners within it. Consider Israel of the Old Testament or the early Church of the New Testament--meeting the needs of those who lived among the community. Nowadays we have others to do that for us. We have hospitals for the sick, orphanages for the orphans, shelters for the homeless, retirement communities for the elderly and so on (57). It doesn't take much for us to show hospitality as we deliver canned goods to the food bank, coats to the shelters, make dinners for the sick, etc. We have specialists to do the day-to-day with those people. Giving to those institutions is good, but something more is required for true hospitality.

We also have to overcome our own American mindset. We like our privacy; we like to retreat into our homes after a long day at work or at school or just being out in the community. "A man's home is his castle." But oftentimes I think we make those castles into fortresses; we shut the outside world out. "No one's getting in here right now. I need to my space." [Raising my hand] I'm guilty of this. I could easily be a hermit; just shut myself up in my house for days at a time. This is not the best behavior for showing hospitality.

Where do we start? I think of my friend above. What needed to happen in her? I think of my hermit self. What must happen in me? It's about a change of heart, a new perspective on people.

Pohl notes that hospitality begins in worship. Hospitality is about God's grace and generosity, and not about my duty or responsibility. This is a response of love and gratitude for God's love for me (172). "Our hospitality both reflects and participates in God's hospitality. It depends on a disposition of love because, fundamentally, hospitality is simply love in action. It has much more to do with the resources of a generous heart than with sufficiency of food or space."

This is about giving our full attention to people--to all the strangers in our lives. Whether they come over to your house at your invitation or just show up at your door unannounced. How do you welcome them? How much interest do you show them? What kind of time do you give them? All of this communicates how much they are valued (179).

Do we show hospitality at home--to our family? In our neighborhood? At work? At church? At school? At the grocery store? Where is hospitality happening? And what is our response when we encounter those moments in which we should show hospitality?

Hospitality can happen anywhere. We need to make sure our hearts are ready to give it. We need to make a place for hospitality, not just in our homes but in our lives and in our hearts.

In Matthew 25 Jesus gives an illustration of the judgment. In addition to offering food, drink, clothing and visits, he says, "I was a stranger and you welcomed me" (v. 35). This could very well be about welcoming Jesus into a physical place, but could it not also mean welcoming Jesus into a relationship? That's what we are talking about here. Hospitality is about sharing meals and offering a roof to sleep under. But it's also about relationships, about welcoming people into our lives, not just into our homes. And if Jesus said, "As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me," then are we welcoming people into our lives?

Hospitality is about relationships. It's not about entertainment. Though if you want to invite me over for a game of Apples To Apples, I will gladly come. It's not just about hosting a dinner. Though if you want to have me over for dinner, it needs to be vegan (a meatless chili will do just fine). Hospitality is about putting primary attention on the person. Hospitality is about welcoming people INTO your life. Hospitality is about relationships. Hospitality is about loving others with the love that God has shown us. God has shown us great love and generosity; we should do the same.

LIFE IN TENNESSEE // One Word for 2012

I participated in One Word for 2011 last year. My one word was: SEE. Still processing how I did with that one.

But I am ready with my One Word for 2012: READ.

I took 2011 off from reading. After over three years in grad school with much required reading and research, I found it hard to crack many books last year. I think I've come around now and I'm ready to dive back into books. Plus, I bought a bunch of books last year that I just couldn't bring myself to read so I have to catch up.

Alongside that, I want to process my thoughts on the books I read here on the ol' Learning blog. I'm gonna dust off some books and dust off the blog and go for it.

The general goal is to do one book per week. Though once my house sells and I get ready to move, things might get hectic and I'm already prepared to be behind. Still, I shall give it my best to do one book per week and at least one blog entry per book. The blog entry might be a general review of the book or it might something more personal about what I'm reading. Depends on the book, I think. Because this is a hodgepodge list of books: some classics, some work-oriented, some pop fiction, etc.

Here are the books on my list so far. Some are new to me; some I have started and never finished so I'm going to start them over and try again. Some are real books with paper covers and pages; some are e-books on my Kindle and iBooks apps.

In no particular order....

*1) Parade of Faiths: Immigration and American Faiths by Jenna Weissman Joselit -- Week 1 DONE
*2) Just Kids by Patti Smith -- Week 14 DONE
*3) The Pacific and Other Stories by Mark Helprin -- Week 33 DONE
*4) The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin -- Week 19 DONE
*5) Night by Elie Wiesel -- Week 25 DONE
6) In Allah They Trust by Kamran Karimi
7) The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel
8) Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott -- Week 34 DONE
9) The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
*10) Erasing Hell by Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle -- Week 2 DONE
11) From the Roots Up by Joann Butrin
*12) Unchristian by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons -- Week 12 DONE
*13) The Wagon and Other Stories from the City by Martin Preib -- Week 10 DONE
14) Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
*15) The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -- WEEK 22 DONE
16) After the Leaves Fall by Nicole Baart
*17) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins -- Week 4 DONE
*18) Bossypants by Tina Fey -- Week 11 DONE
19) Love in a Headscarf by Shelina Zahra Janmohamed
*20) While You Were Micro-Sleeping by Steve Moore -- Week 3 DONE
*21) Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis by Lauren Winner -- Week 7 DONE
22) Steering by Starlight by Martha Beck
*23) Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City by Greg Grandin -- Weeks 5 & 6 DONE
*24) The Iron Lady by John Campbell -- Weeks 8 & 9 DONE
25) The Sojourn by Andrew Krivak
26) Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen
27) Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
28) World War Z by Max Brooks
29) Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
*30) Chasing Fire by Suzanne Collins -- Week 7 DONE
*31) Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins -- Week 7 DONE
32) A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
*33) Parables of the Cross by Lilias Trotter -- Week 23 DONE
*34) Parables of the Christ-Life by Lilias Trotter -- Week 24 DONE
*35) A Passion for the Impossible by Miriam Huffman Rockness -- Week 27 DONE
*36) Axe to Grind by Grey West -- Week 22 DONE
*37) The Non-Profit Narrative by Dan Portnoy -- Week 13 DONE
38) 1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp
*39) A Muslim's Mind by Edward J. Hoskins -- Week 29 DONE
*40) Gardening Eden by Michael Abbate -- Week 41 DONE
*41) Bruchko by Bruce Olson -- Week 39 DONE
42) The Next Christian by Gabe Lyons
*43) Eternity in Their Hearts by Don Richardson -- Week 42 READING NOW

And that's the start. I'll add to this list as I go along.

There will also be numerous cookbooks or food writing books consulted throughout the year including:

1) Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson
2) The Happy Herbivore by Lindsay Nixon
3) Skinny Bitch in the Kitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
4) Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero
5) The Conscious Kitchen by Alexandra Zissu

Check out other's One Words here: One Word 365.

LIFE IN TENNESSEE // Hello, Blog! How've You Been?

OK, it has been almost a year since I last posted here. How sad. I guess I've been busy elsewhere online. But I'm back.

My New Year's resolution and/or 2012 goal, whatever you want to call it, will be tied to this blog so I know that I will need to check in and write here. It'll be good for me. And hopeful fun and/or insightful to for you.

Here we go...