Book Review - God's Smuggler

Recently resolved to read more non-fiction, particularly biographies, and extra especially autobiographies, I finally took a reputed classic called God's Smuggler from my shelf and resigned myself to a "real life" story of facts and dull chapters.


But upon cracking the cover, I was sucked into a grand adventure.

From the time I first put on wooden shoes - klompen we called them in Holland - I dreamed of derring-do.  I was a spy behind enemy lines, I was a lone scout in enemy territory, I crept beneath barbed wire while tracer bullets scorched the air about me.

Andrew was a Dutch boy growing up durring World War II. He was actually very clever and ornery as a child.  As a young adult, after trying unsuccessfully to satisfy his longing for adventure and fulfillment, he became a Christian, and began an adventure greater than he ever dreamed.

He was struck with the hunger for God's Word in the Eastern European countries; churches in Russia, Hungary, Albania, etc, oppressed by the stifling darkness of Communism, were desperate for encouragement, and for Bibles.

And thus began Andrew's mission - to smuggle as many Bibles and as much fellowship, discipleship, and hope as possible to the Church behind the Iron Curtain.

As biographies go, this was a very exciting one! Coming from a novel-lover, that's saying a lot.  ;-) Funny in parts, moving, challenging.

I don't know quite what to think about his almost reckless way of daring God to provide (for instance, sometimes he would deliberately put a Bible in plain view on his car's seat, so if a border guard saw it and let him through anyway, Andrew could be certain of giving God all the glory).  But then, I have never done such risky things for Christ, so I don't know if my faith is small, or if God just calls different folks to trust Him in different ways.

"That's the excitement of obedience," he said. "Finding out later what God had in mind."

Highly recommended! Not only an exciting, hopeful, true story with a passion for God's might word and a heart for His church, but a look at the man who started Open Doors, and whose work is being passed on today. Soon after I read God's Smuggler, I learned of the connection to BEE World, a ministry my church is involved with, and it was thrilling to know... the story goes on.

March is here!

Happy March!  

Redbud trees are blossoming, seeds are sprouting, projects are rushing along, and babies are growing. Look at this little guy, born around Thanksgiving last year! See his manly eyebrows, his strong grip, and that fierce intimidating stare! 

  

My little friend Isaac and me.  (Isn't he a cute little man?)

Upcoming Book Reviews: 

God's Smuggler - Brother Andrew

Dragons in the Valley - Donita K. Paul

Jane Austen - Peter Leithart

Little Weekend Gifts

Today is my mom's birthday, but we did some celebrating yesterday.  Part of that included the necessary visit to Barnes and Noble.  We were going to get dessert, but neither of us were that hungry.  So we enjoyed refreshing Izze drinks.

I found this book I've been eager to read, by one of my favorite bloggers. 

The lovely Mother was looking at a book of cute little stuffed critters.  Fun fun!

~

This morning, I read this excellent book. It told me, "Give thanks to the Lord, for..."

For what? Why should we be thankful?  What could pull us out of our self-focused sad little worlds, and look to God? 

"Come here," the pages whispered, "and let me tell you the best-kept secret, the one you usually forget, or ignore, or think too stupendous to believe."


He is good.  

Good.

Really and fully good.

The laughter at the back of the world. 

Here is Bella our cat watching one of her favorite shows on her wide screen.  She's fascinated with it, though I don't always understand the plot.  Some of the major characters are birds.

 Clean sheets - ah.  Nice.

May your weekend be full of seeing, of noticing the little things God gives. 

(If you haven't noticed, I have been trying to take more pictures and blog with them.  At the moment I'm borrowing a brother's camera.  I know basically nothing about photography, but I want to get my feet good and wet first before I take a class.  Thanks for being patient through these rather rambly picture posts. :-) Hopefully I will also get into a more consistent blogging habit, and post more meaty stuff as well.)

Garden Day at the Ranch

Yesterday afternoon I visited my friend Sarah at the Triple L Ranch.  The weather was perfect for enjoying the outdoors, so Sarah and I set to work preparing her garden beds, newly framed by her hardworking husband David.

We watered the dirt to help break down the huge dirt clods, then started breaking up the soil with rakes and pulling out rocks, throwing them in orange buckets.


(Not that anyone could possibly remove all the rocks around here, mind you.  But at least we were getting the big ones.)

Fearless Rebekah went on an adventure with Gal the dog.

Then, of course, Rebekah wanted to play in the dirt too. ;-)  

Silly bug.

Never a dull moment with this one around!  She's so fun.  Today she was proclaiming loudly, "I love you, Mommy!"

Little Isaac woke up, and that was all of garden work for the day.  Inside we reviewed some verses we're memorizing together (we're about 3/4 through Isaiah 53), got dinner ready and the table set (with the help of Rebekah and a little neighbor friend), and then as I was leaving David arrived.  He was kind enough to snap this picture for me. Even Gal managed to jump in just for the picture.

"No, look at Daddy, Rebekah!"

Home again home again!

Always love the drive back, and it was a beautiful time of day.

Declaring His glory pretty well, don't you think? :-)

Paid for with Blood

My brother Zach, at Marine Basic Training Graduation, is second from the back.

Someone has paid for me with blood.  How the knowledge lifts my sights beyond the moment's hot desires!

~Elizabeth Elliot~

Just as we should not scorn our soldiers' sacrifices, neither should we forget the death Christ died for our sins.  If I remembered, I would be less likely to rush into selfishness.

Book Review - Coming Day

Coming Day - by Rachel Starr Thomson

The Final Battle

Treachery and division are tearing apart the Seventh World.  Evil factions right and left are seeking to capture the Gifted and steal their powers, wipe out those dear to them, and destroy all freedom and hope and mention of the long-absent King.  

The evil Morning Star is coming, bringing all the hordes of Blackness with him. 

The last straggling bands of Gypsies and the few brave farmer rebels of Pravik prepare for the final battle. But only the King can save them.  So Virginia the blind seer sets out on a fool's errand to find him.

What follows is a race to find the King and unite the Gifted to usher in his coming.  And that coming is something they never could have expected.  

"...all ends here are only beginnings."

Last night I stayed up till about 4 a.m. to finish reading Coming Day.  Sobbing.  Laughing.  Closing the book, turning out the light, and seeing from my pillow the clouds sail past black branches and a lone bright planet in the sky.  

Crying with joy in the dark.  

It was so good, I hardly dare write about it, for fear I'll get it wrong.  Yet I must - for myself, for Rachel, for my blog readers, for anyone else who might enjoy this epic tale of good against evil. 

As far as the plot goes, I confess it went by in a bit of a blur.  Captures followed by wild escapes, battles, wounds,  friends dying.  Walking in darkness to find a fabled King, when instinct says to run and help imperiled friends.  Seeing the world ending... and then beginning afresh.  

I don't think I've been this spiritually encouraged by a book in a long time.  I felt that I turned a corner in the last few chapters, and found that the story which began in a strange land, a land vaguely similar to my own but the stuff of legend, had ended up all the way in my own room at 4 p.m.

It was not a startling jolt from a world of wonder back into my own dull life.  Rather, it was like waking from a glorious dream to find that the best parts have been true all along.  The King tapped me on the shoulder, and his eyes are laughing still.

I closed the book with a thrilling, aching joy.  And the prayer of Rehtse, "both prophecy and petition," echoes through me:

Your kingdom come, we pray.

Come soon.

~

Book 1 - Worlds Unseen  | Book 2 - Burning Light

What I did with my Friday

Today I got to stay at home mostly - yay!  I confess, I was a bit lazy.  Here's some of what I did: 

• reading
• blogging about my book
• cleaning kitchen
• more reading, reading, reading...
• making dough for challah and cinnamon rolls
• having a splendid time seeing Tangled with my lovely mother
• coming home to bake my breads
• eating cinnamon roll
• next up - more reading!

Tangled was fun.  Aside from a possible jab at stay-at-home daughters, or rather, "horrid over-protective mothers who repress them and keep them from following their dreams"... sigh.  Poor girls like Rapunzel don't get to do anything but clean kitchens and make cinnamon rolls and read and blog...

;-)

Yes. Anyways.  I don't want to make a huge deal of that, since the repressive "mother" was a actually a witch, and not Rapunzel's mother at all.  And real stay-at-home daughters are rarely locked inside their houses!  Home is base of operations, not a pretty prison like poor Rapunzel had. But Rapunzel thought she was running away from home, from her mother, and even though she clearly felt wrong about it some of the time, it might need more discussion with little kids. 

Otherwise I liked it very much.  Aside from the above possible problematic interpretation, it's a classic story of a girl who longs to see the beautiful, wonderful things in the world, has adventures, falls in love, and eventually discovers she's a princess and has a family much better than her vain, fake, lying kidnapper.

I suppose it's a bit like we Christians, when we find we're royalty and children of God.  How can we go on living the same way once that's clear, and continue to submit to our old tyrants of safety and comfort and sin?  And perhaps even non-Christians suspect there's more to life than meets the eye, that greater powers are at work "outside the tower," beyond what they can see and touch.

If only we could get out and see the flying lanterns!  They can't be just stars.  We have a feeling they mean something.

Alright, enough rambling.  Good review here.  Have a lovely Saturday!

P.S. The horse was tremendous.  

P.P.S. I really shouldn't do two posts in one day, especially when I have such trouble doing even semi-weekly posts.  This is not a regular thing.  End of public service announcement. 

Seeking the King

I am getting very drawn into this story, particularly what will happen with the Highland Seer Virginia, and the Darkworld priestess Rehtse.

Imminent danger is suddenly and surprisingly gone, and the two girls just climbed up a hill after tumbling down a rocky slope.  In what felt like one of Tolkien's little eucatastrophies, the unexpected escape was followed by laughter.

The world is silent but for the wind and trees, alive and sleepy and peaceful.  The next stage of their journey to find the King beckons.

They have no map.  One is blind, the other has lived below ground all her life. 

~

Virginia cleared her throat. "Rehtse?  Are we lost?"

"Shh," Rehtse said. "I am waiting."

A moment later, Rehtse lowered her hands, gathered her skirts in one hand, and tucked her other hand into Virginia's elbow. "Come," she said.

"Do you know where we are?" Virginia asked.

"No," Rehtse answered. 

"Did the King answer you?" Virginia asked.

Rehtse hesitated. "Not - that I could hear."

"Then where are we going?" Virginia asked.

Rehtse smiled. "All paths in this world belong to the King.  If he can use the Blackness to deliver us from wicked men, then he can turn even wrong steps into right ones.  We are seeking him, so we will trust the road to lead us to him.  But he cannot guide us if we don't move."

Coming Day

by Rachel Starr Thomson

~

Find the book at Amazon here, or visit the series website, WorldsUnseen.com. No, Rachel's not paying me to talk about her book. I just think it's that amazing.

Thankful Thursday 201-220

Today I am starting to I do my "Thankful Thursday" posts regularly again!  (my variation of Multitude Monday) 


201. Yesterday I was sitting inside with my Bible and morning coffee when I heard a cry of joy from outside.  It was my mom.  Looking at me through the window, she held up to view our chickens' very first egg! It was a little thing, but exciting.  The chickens got a nice breakfast of leftovers. :-)  We found a second egg this morning, huzzah!

202. Being able to comfort others with the comfort with which we have been comforted

203. Anticipation of a trip to visit my friends at the Triple L Ranch

204. Late night coffee and chocolate

205. Coming Day, the third and final book of Rachel Starr Thomas' Seventh World Trilogy.  I look forward to the pleasure of reviewing it on my blog soon.

206. The deliciousness of a warm building that only biting, bitter cold makes you appreciate

207.  Old verses I learned in Sparks that still come back to me.

208.  Candlelight

209.  Chris Rice

210.  Friends who are passionate about good theology

211.  Cozy wool sweaters

212.  The scent of lavender

213.  Getting to see my little brother play basketball. (They have lots of out-of-town games, so this doesn't happen too often.)

214.  A friend's excitement about her fabric design that's making her money here.

215.  The AWANA council time message, given by one of the elders, about little things that make a huge difference.  A seed.  A word.  A cup of water.

216.  Fountain pens with nice, flowey blue ink

217.  A pretty blue-and-brown journal, a Christmas gift from a dear friend

218.  Opportunity to share about journaling

219.  A friend who  just announced she's pregnant!  :-D

220.  Another dear friend and her husband who have wanted children for a while.  It's hard to be in that place, waiting for something so good, while trusting God's perfect timing.

"And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

~Matthew 10:42~

Books Read in 2010

I haven't posted anything on my poor blog in ages, and it's time I put out something to anyone who might still want to read it. 

I've been slowing down lately, in the quiet of the new year, and today I thought to myself, "Self, what did you read this year?" One of my few well-kept habits is to record books I read.  Here they are. Some were re-reads of favorites, some were ho-hum, some were wonderful surprises, and some I even got around to reviewing. 

2010 -  Books Read by Rael 

Worlds Unseen - Rachel Starr Thomson
Burning Light  - Rachel Starr Thomson
Humility -  Andrew Murray
Passion and Purity - Elizabeth Elliot
Flatland - Edwin A. Abbitt
Till We Have Faces -  C. S. Lewis
Glaen - Fred Lybrand
The Last Thing I Remember - Andrew Klavan
The Long Way Home - Andrew Klavan
The Great Divorce -  C. S. Lewis
The Heavenly Man - Brother Yun with Paul Hattaway
The Final Quest - Rick Joyner
Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones
Dug Down Deep -  Joshua Harris
The Vanishing Sculptor - Donita K. Paul
Safely Home - Randy Alcorn
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness - Andrew Peterson
The Four Loves - C. S. Lewis
Calm My Anxious Heart - Linda Dillow
The Little Lame Prince - Dinah Maria Mulock Craik
North! Or Be Eaten -  Andrew Peterson
Dombey and Son - Charles Dickens
The Ordinary Princess - M. M. Kaye
The Truth of the Matter - Andrew Klavan

Hopefully more soon!  I really have missed blogging.  What sort of posts would you like to see here in the future?  (And what really good book should I read this year?)

"The Realest Thing About Me"

As a believer I have the blessed opportunity to gaze into my own heart and see Jesus Christ. To find the mad paradox of His beauty and light and goodness and truth breaking irresistibly through the many chinks and cracks of this very flawed human vessel. To call myself a saint, of all things, and to laugh at the gorgeous joke of it and to know that it’s the realest thing about me.

~ Lanier Ivester, The Two Trees ~

I just read a marvelous post by a one of my favorite online kindred spirits.  I first "met" Lanier through reading her vivid posts on the YLCF, but she has now also joined the writers of the Rabbit Room.  Do read the post here, and be encouraged.

Oh, and the poem she quotes was surprisingly familiar to me, as parts of it make up this song from my favorite Celtic singer:

Had to share that.  Now I'd better go write and get my characters out of trouble. ;-)

Currently Busy...

... with NaNoWriMo!

If I know you somewhat (i.e. if I think you're a real person who won't steal my story ideas, hehe!), you're welcome to read the story on my *whispers* super-secret blog.  Just comment with your email, or send me a note at rael{dot}henson{at}gmail{dot}com, and I'll send you an invite. 

I'll be back eventually. :-)  Bye for now! *dives back into novel-writing* 

Scribbled Thanks

171. Sweaters

172. The crisp, neat smoothness of clothes freshly ironed

173. Honey from friends' bees

174. An ever-patient, ever-loving, bearing-all-things mother

175. A second letter from Zach

176. The throbbing purr of Bella-cat when she flops down beside me cozily.

177. Conversation about communication

178. Enough cinnamon rolls to share

179. A safe weekend trip

180. Cool stories from my dad about Belize - especially the Indiana Jones cave, and the spot where they shot a scene from Star Wars

181. Brothers to pray for and help me grow

182. Cool night air drifting in through the open windows

183. Delighted squeals from a 3-year-old girl, feeding our chickens from her hand.

184. The invention of Playaways - so handy and enjoyable on trips and while puttering around the house!

185. A slivered new moon

186. The growing friendliness of the chickens (even if it is because they know who feeds them)

187. A surprise visit from old friends on their way through Texas

188. The bravery of such friends to adopt.

189. An evening watching TV shows with Whit and the Mother

190. Seeing a lady in the store console a little lost girl and help her find her parents.

191. The West Texas friendliness of smiling at complete strangers

192. Hearing someone who just moved here say it was better than California, and more like their hometown. :-) I don't hear that too often!

193. A sign for the "Open A Bar" Ranch. Hehe.

194. Madeline L'Engles's marvelous, thoughtful little book, A Circle of Quiet

195. Raspberry ginger ale

196. Lavender Blueberry Dark Chocolate 

197. Limited funds, to better enjoy the above by making it rare. ;-)

198. A reminder that Light Isn't Boring

199. Clean sheets

200. Home sweet home, and crickets singing softly into the night.

The Back of the World

"Shall I tell you the secret of the whole world? It is that we have only known the back of the world ... If we could only get round in front!" 

~ The Man Who Was Thursday, by G. K. Chesterton ~

I listened to The Man Who Was Thursday over at Librivox just recently. It's one of the strangest surreal books you may read, but at the bottom (or the back) is that deep, wise, childlike humor Chesterton was given that make his works a delight.


This idea that we only see the back of things intrigues me. It is a theme of the Great Story, and it shows up again and again.

Slavery ending in songs of joy beside the sea.

A smelly little shepherd who is actually a warrior poet, chosen as king.

Wandering strangers who eat your food - divine messengers.

And then, the main character shows up unexpected and in disguise. People hoping for rescue were disappointed, He claimed to be God, visiting as a lowly man the ones he made, bringing life to their sick and hope to prisoners... But all he said was so preposterously good, it could not be true.

He didn't even look like God! How were we to know?

He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Isaiah

Perhaps you disagree, but I think we have a gloomy propensity to believe the worst is happening rather than the best in disguise.

We expect the Lion to eat us, not invite us to a feast.

Like Syme, it seems the world is turned upside down, and anarchist will rule the world. Who is a friend? Is anyone real and substantial? How can we escape the never-tiring, enigmatic man called Sunday? Or how can we catch him and find who he is?

Like Orual in Till We Have Face, I go through most of life complaining, martyr-like, overwhelmed with the sorrows and horrors of the world and my own ugliness, seeking answers and the face of the Lover who eludes me in a dance of mystery.

Like Sam's moment of horror in The Return of the King, when Frodo declares the Ring is his, and Gollum wrestles him in the cracks of Mount Doom - Everything has gone wrong, and The End of All Things has come.

But then like Sam, suddenly we we wake up in surprise, and find everything sad has come untrue.

 ~

Autumn Has Come!

Hey, good people! I've neglected this poor blog lately, so here is an update sort of post. I have been working part-time at the non-profit organization which shall remain anonymous, and enjoying that.  I've also been busy with AWANA, youth group, and Bible Study.  And still, thankfully, I have some time to spend with some friends and my dear family.  Though we're all getting so busy, I may need to fight for family meals and make sure they happen.

The fall weather is here!  Cooler air brings lovely reprieve from West Texas summer heat.  People were decked out in sweaters at church yesterday, and hot chocolate, snickerdoodles, and fall decorations are making appearances.

On a more somber note - Lately I have been finally learning who I am.  I long knew I held certain core values, like homeschooling and openness to many children - not as law for others, but as things I see supported by Scripture, things I believe passionately to be good and beautiful blessings.   But it took a painful experience to help me realize, not just in theory but in fact, just how important these things are to me.  When it comes to relationships, I cannot ignore or quiet that part of who I am or think I can easily change it.  And I think if God gave those dreams to me, He did so for a reason, and He will show me what that is in His good time. 
 
So I'm praying boldly to the God who invented Romance to lead me where He will, and to bring good wives to all my dear brothers in Christ, wives who will perfectly complement them and follow them anywhere.  I know we still have choices, but He is also totally sovereign.  Oh the beautiful frustrating mystery of it!

And while I pray, I'm running into the Strong Tower, which is always serene and safe in the midst of battle.      

In summary: God is good, relationships are hard and wonderful... and fall is here!  Three nice categories for my list of blessings, which I have not been counting for several weeks. 

~ Fall ~

141. Sunday nap under a quilt - restful and cozy!
142. Fellowship with sweet friends in a coffee shop after church
143. Brighter stars (I think cold air makes them sharper, don't you?
144. A plaid wool skirt and shawl - heather grey, lovely, warm, and Scottish.
145. Spiced Chai
146. Cassette tapes of The Hobbit in the car- wonderfully dramatized, but with the most horrid Renaissance musical interludes. ;-)
147. Simmering homemade chicken and vegetable stock on the stove
148. Fall flowers from the garden - a sweet bouquet in a white pitcher
149. Chickens the size of doves (they're growing fast!)
150. October - the Birthday Month in our family!

~ People ~

151. Two-year-old people.  I kept a little girl this weekend so her mommy and daddy could go on a date.  I forget how disturbing it can be to have a stranger show up for the day instead of your parent.  I don't blame her for crying, and ordering me from her room, and sobbing "No Tankyou!" when I begged her to come eat dinner.  Sometimes I just need to crawl back in bed and take a nap, too.  Sometimes I don't want to be around anyone.  And sometimes I forget what patience mothers must have, and God infinitely more!
152. My dear co-worker, T.  She makes me laugh so much.  Not many people will break out in musical numbers with you while editing documents, or discuss the pointless aspects of Facebook, or commiserate over the lack of commas in AP style.  And she has the coolest hair, which she cuts herself.

one of my glorious occupations ;-)

153. Absolutely superfluous screaming during silly games.  Not that I do it.  But when others do, I'm learning to laugh instead of get annoyed.
154. Gentlemen who make sure ladies find their way to cars in the dark
155. Grandparents and Rosa's Cafe for Sunday lunch
156. Exuberant hugs from M.
157. The cellist and guitarist, lovingly lending their talent during Communion to remind us of Christ's beautiful sacrifice.
158. Hearing a mom complain about the infant-hood of her child, how exhausting it was, glad she was older now.  I was sad, because I've never had even one child, but I have heard other moms treasure those fleeting months.  I hope if I am ever blessed with one or more children that I can enjoy every moment of that beautiful sacrifice.  I'm thankful for the reminder that it will not be easy, but sad to hear complaints about motherhood.  And I think  - What am I complaining about that someone else longs for?  Am I enjoying my freedom to serve as an unmarried lady as God's current gift, fleeting as it may be too?
159. Compassion and forgiveness when I am weak, fearful, and unintentionally hurt others.
160. Abundant opportunities to minister to my little sisters in Christ, and grow myself from spending time with them!

~ God ~

161. Strong Tower
162. Everlasting Love
163. Shield
164. The Tender One who tends my soul
165. Love better than mine
166. Ancient of days
167. Fighter of Guilt Monsters
168. Coming King
169. The Prairie Maker

170. The Dream Giver

Happy Monday to you!  I still owe you a post on letter-writing. Hopefully that will come soon. Anything else particularly you'd like me to blog on?