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 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 // 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 // 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

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 // One Word 2011

Through my friend Grant [website] and the power of Twitter, I heard about a concept for the New Year: to pick one word to challenge and inspire you, one word to focus on. As a wordsmith and lover of things lexical, I thought I would take the challenge.

My one word: See

I've been thinking about this for a few days now because "see" seemed too simple, not deep enough or fancy enough for a writer. But I really couldn't get away from it.

I just recently finished grad school. I spent three years working and studying full-time, longs hours at my computer and in the books. Now that I'm done, I have a lot of free time and I've been trying to figure out how to fill it. With missions work in my future and a master's in cross-cultural studies hanging on my wall, I feel led to SEE what is out there in my community, to find a place to serve people from other cultures, to apply what I spent $32K in studying. I feel led to SEE who is living in Nashville now and how I can get involved until the time comes that I move on from this fair city.

I also find myself living in a virtual world.  I could easily be a hermit. I SEE much of the world through my laptop, Droid and now an iPad. It's easy to talk to friends and family without actually using my vocal cords or having actual physical contact. But I'm feeling convicted about that. Last year I started sending out more cards, notes and treats so that communication in my life wouldn't solely be in a virtual world. But now that I'm armed with knowledge and more defined call to missions, I need to SEE the world and its people around me. I need to reach out to them, talk to them and engage them.

So, SEE, that's my one word for 2011. To look outside my magic boxes of technology. To look outside the four walls of my house. And SEE what is going on in the world and how I can use my God-given gifts to his glory.