Book Review - Glaen

Glaen - by Fred R. Lybrand

I’ve always been skeptical of books that claim to be novels but are actually nothing more than sermons in (lame) disguise.

Glaen was not one of those books.

The subtitle says it right off - A novel message on romance, love, and relating. No tricks. The message is the main point of the book. But once you know that, you can relax and dive into a compelling story woven through with relationship principles that we learn along with the main character, Annie.

Glaen reminded me a little of Peter Kreeft’s books in which Socrates travels to different places in time to have lively discussions with everyone from Marx to modern college professors. But more plot happens in Glaen, so it’s a bit more readable.

Enough about the style. What, you might ask, is the book actually about?

A Girl, a Professor, and an Assignment about... Relationships?

The Socrates-like character, the mysterious professor Glaen, helps Annie, a college student, with an assignment about how relationships work. She makes observations, notices lies and countering truths, and discovers the “secrets” of great relationships that are almost too simple to believe (but rarely practiced). Her observations come in the midst of interaction with her parents and friends.

This is not another dating vs. courtship book. I guarantee that the core principles in Glaen are applicable to you, whatever the state of your relationships – single, dating, or married. 

Personally Challenging

This book came out at a perfect time in my life! Not that I have fully begun to live out all the truths, by any means, but I have been given unmistakable opportunities to practice them.

I can’t give away the plot, or tell you everything Annie discovers – you’ll have to read the book yourself to find out! But I will share one truth (for now) and how it has challenged my thinking and actions.

Lie – If you follow the right process, you will be guaranteed a good marriage.

Countering Truth – No process can guarantee a good relationship, because there are no future guarantees in relationships. Relationships happen in the present.

A while back I adopted the notion that if I just do things carefully and right, God would give me a permanent (and reasonably perfect) marriage some day. To this end, I began reading about and clinging to the concept of courtship instead of dating. It seemed such a great plan, I thought.

But as various conversations in conjunction with this book have been teaching me, even the best plan cannot guarantee the future. Cling to good principles, yes, but then leave the future to God and focus on being honest, putting others first, speaking the truth in love, and relating without strings or requirements.

Here’s a quote to that effect that I copied and stuck on my desk:

When someone accepts the fact that she cannot know the future, then a new kind of power or opportunity comes into her life. She can quit trying to force and manipulate the future. She can quit trying to control her relationships. In fact, she should finally be able to start enjoying the relationship once she gives up on trying to guarantee its future.

Glaen, page 77

This principles in this book are tough, but in the end also incredibly freeing. If you’re hungry for truth that will help you start relating in a way that works, go with Annie and meet the strange character, Glaen.

Posted in the March of Books on YLCF

short-and-fast posting attempt

Can I write and post an entry in  7 minutes?  Let's see!  How about a cool picture? 

Yikes - took me 5 minutes to decide on a random one!  This is from my trip several years ago to Iowa to visit my older brother, Sam.  I think we're at Panera Bread.  Don't I have a fine brother?  He's not only handsome - more importantly, he's a man of character and deep thought.

Wow, there went my 7 minutes of blogging! Things to do today, places to go, people to see... farewell!

A random ramble - West Texas Wind

Note - I wrote the following "ramble" probably two-and-a-half  years ago, when I was living with my Abilene family out in the country.  Sometimes little things stir memories which simply must be recorded, and this was one of those times.  Reminds me of where I've been, of days past, of God's whispers and gifts from my childhood.  He's the same God today, and no less full of wonder and beautiful mystery.     

Today I smelled the wind. He was lusty and strong, and brought smells of watered grass. Not sure why, since it was only a warm winter day, with more ice to come. Maybe it was just the grass’s growing pangs, like the souring scent of a bowl of bubbling yeast dough. But it said, “Remember me, old friend? I know you, girl from the West Texas middle-o-nowhere town.”

And I remember the little league fields, my brothers playing, I on the cold stands or in the dirt with toy animals, whipped about by the unchecked gusts. Or stepping outside to dibble in my garden, to carry trash to the huge dumpster and hope I wouldn’t have to chase any old napkins across our acres, or running out on adventures through the back lot of mesquites and tall grass and threat of rattlers and lure of forts.

Sometimes it could be such a cold through-your skin chilly wind. Or in summer it was hot and parching, like a giant trying to melt the ice that actually wasn’t on you. Spring and fall, though, were nice. Then it was gentler, with the excitement of change. Growth and coziness. The two beautiful calls, one outdoors, one in. The heath and hearth both beautiful, both hinted and hummed and heavily hearkened by my friend, the gusty wind.

"Even though You take him..."

I'm still thinking about my last post.  Here's a song by Andrew Peterson about Abraham and Isaac that exemplifies the faith I want.    I'm not even a parent yet - I need help imagining this!

Holy is the Lord

Like I said, I'm not a parent yet, but the time to practice this faith is always now.

What am I still clinging to tightly, which God may be asking to hold?  Long-held convictions which (though I hate to admit it) may not be true?  Old ruts which I thought were right for so long, but which may need to be filled so I can live a more Christlike life, moment-to-moment, choice by choice?  Little moments of self-gratification?  Assumptions which keep me "safe," but which could be hindering truth from coming out, and real relating from happening?

Big things?  Little thing?

Some things He asks us to give are sinful.  Others are good.

It is all of me He wants, not just the parts I think need changing.  Am I willing to give all?  Do I trust my God? 

Holy is the Lord, Holy is the Lord

And the Lord I will obey

Lord, help me, I don't know the way

Mine

And all the time the joke is that the word "mine" in its fully possessive sense cannot be uttered by a human being about anything.   ~ The Screwtape Letters (Chapter 21), by C. S. Lewis~

One must be careful of the awful smallness and selfish possessiveness that can creep in with that small word "mine."

In Till We Hace Faces, it was one of Orual's deepest flaws, hidden from herself until near the end.  She thought she loved her sister Psyche.  But her "love" was a possessive hunger that wanted Psyche all to herself.  Better for her to die and still be Orual's, than for the God of the Mountain to love, woo, and steal her away.   

When I was over at the my friends' house last week, Sarah was trying to break her little girl Rebekah of the habit of saying "mine" of almost everything.  "It's not nice to say 'mine,'" she would say.  She wasn't concerned with Rebekah using it in a purely true and factual sense.  But it is clearly an inborn tendency to call things "mine" which are not ours at all (like Sarah's drink from Sonic which Rebekah tried to claim - even Sarah's jacket!).

Even when things are "ours" in some sense, they should never be clutched and clung to, but rather held with an open hand.  Even when I'm married, and I say "my husband"  - even then he will not be mine so much as Christ's.

He alone makes, redeems, and truely owns anything.  He has purchased us with His blood!  How can I claim any rights or ownership of anything?

Because God really owns all, He sometimes takes away what is "ours" (friends, family, posessions, health) to work on them, or us, or both.  He cares for His own better than we know.   

Lord, please help me learn to not say "mine" the wrong way.   Instead, help me hold out everything in my hands, look to You, and say, "Yours."

When the King calls, will you give what you cherish the most to Him?

Psyche's Longing

"What is it?" said I, looking down at her lap where our four hands were joined.

"This," she said, "I have always - at least, ever since I can remember - had a kind of longing for death."

"Ah, Psyche," I said, "have I made you so little happy as that?"

"No, no, no," she said.  "You don't understand... It was when I was happiest that I longed most.  It was on happy days when we were up there on the hills, the three of us, with the wind and the  sunshine... where you couldn't see Glome or the palace.  Do you remember?  The colour and the smell, and looking across at the Grey Mountain in the distance?  And because it was so beautiful, it set me longing, always longing.  Somewhere else there must be more of it.  Everything seemed to be saying, Psyche come!  But I couldn't (not yet) come and I didn't know where I was to come to. It almost hurt me.  I felt like a bird in a cage when the other birds of its kind are flying home."

~ from Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis ~

Drizzly Day

This morning I went up to write at Barnes and Noble.  I indulged in a warm and chocolaty Cafe Mocha (with whipped cream, of course!) and a pizza pretzel, purchased with the help of a gift card.  Thanks, Jonny my dear brother! 

The whole day has been foggy, grey, wet.  A bit chilly.  You'd think it would be perfect to get tons of writing done.  But instead I mostly read about self-publishing (probably the route we're taking with the Hope for Relationships book) and looked at the Forgiveness chapter. I also looked at the Chicago Manual of Style, which I've read is a necessity for serious writers.  In a quick flip-through, though, it seemed huge and confusing to me, and most of it seemed like stuff I'd never need to know.  And it was about fifty bucks.  Maybe I'll get it on sale sometime.  Maybe. 

Then I ran an errand, came home, deboned a chicken, and made soup and stock and a bowl of chicken meat for chicken salad later.  While listening to Adventures in Odyssey and the Boundless Podcast.

After that, I went to visit my friend Sarah C.  She's perky, sensible, cheerful, and wise, and she's excited about so many of the same things I am (like homeschooling, wives staying at home, gardening, frugal meal-planning, raising animals to eat, sewing).    We've been walking together every week lately, but since it was not so nice outside today and her little girl, Rebekah, was still sleeping, we just talked and ran to the post office (Sarah's husband was home - don't worry!).  Sarah is such a blessing, like the older sister I never had.  I'm so thankful the church body is really a family, and I actually do get her as a sister! :-)

Then I came home and wrote a flier for the tea party we're having after AWANA Quizzing. Drove through the drizzle to pick up Bob from basketball practice.  Came home again, ate delicious Chicken Enchilada Soup if I do say so myself... hey, I may have mixed up the ingredients, but God made them, so I think I can be delighted with soup to His glory. :-)  And watched a  Leave It To Beaver  episode on Netflix with Whit (Bob), until he left (again) to watch another MCA team's game.

And here I am, writing this rambly post, listening to the chicken stock on the stove boil down so it will take up less room in the freezer.    Thinking about the book I've been reading - Passion and Purity.  Wondering how best I can trust God and wait patiently for my man to lead at the right time.  (Until we both say "I do," only God knows for sure who he is, anyways!)   I'm thinking about how much I assume I know guys' minds, when I ought to have a quiet spirit and respect them enough to speak or be silent as they choose.  Lord, help me!

Well, I'd better stop blathering on.  Tomorrow is near.  Besides normal book and house work, I need to research the science behind bread, learn what kinds of bread they made in the medieval ages, dig out books on calligraphy and knotwork and illuminated manuscripts, and maybe repair my blue medieval dress.   Three dear and creative kids are coming over for a fun homeschool afternoon in a few days, and I need to be prepared.  What fun - I don't even have my own kids yet, and already I get the joy and excitement of practicing hands-on teaching!

Oh dear, I'm about to fall asleep here.  Have a lovely Tuesday night, and I hope your Wednesday is full of happiness in God! 

Sacrifice before Rebirth

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.    ~ John 12:24 ~

If I hold spiritual blessings or friendship for myself they will corrupt me, no matter how beautiful they are.  I have to pour them out before the Lord, give them to Him in my mind, though it looks as if I am wasting them...  ~Oswald Chambers~

The very longings themselves can be offered to Him who understands perfectly.  The transformation into something He can use for the good of others takes place only when the offering is put into His hands.

What will He do with these offerings?
Never mind. He knows what to do.   

~Elizabeth Elliot~

A good and perfect gift, these natural desires.  

But so much the more necessary that they be 

restrained, controlled, corrected, even crucified, 

that they might be reborn in power and purity for God.

~Elizabeth Elliot~

Humility

Do not look at pride as only an unbecoming temper,
or at humility as only a decent virtue.

The one is death, and the other is life;

the one is all hell, and the other is all heaven.

~from Humility, by Andrew Murray~

Tiptoeing through this small-but-weighty book lately, I've been challenged to see not only my acts of obvious pride, but also my inherent spirit of pride. 

Murray reminded me that "the danger of pride is greater and nearer than we think."

Thankfully, "the grace for humility is greater and nearer, too, than we think."  As Murray says, "The humility of Jesus is our salvation."

All praise and glory to the Lamb of God, who humbled Himself even to death on a cross for you and me! 

photo taken by my Mom :-)

Book Review - Burning Light

Yes, it's another book review.  Yes, I am doing other things besides reading these days.  Yes, I'll try to do a life-update sort of post soon.

But first I must tell you about this story!  Burning Light is the second book in the Seventh World Trilogy, the first of which I reviewed in my previous post.  Here is epic, beautiful, well-written fantasy that sings of Christian truth.


The story deepens

The Order of the Spider is moving.  It is snatching Gifted children from their homes, seeking to use them for evil, making them forget their own names.  The Empire is ruthlessly hunting out the Gypsies, killing and taking captives.  The rebels of Pravik cannot remain hidden forever.

The King's return draws nearer.  But so does the darkness seeking to rend the Veil of protection.  And some of that darkness is already devouring men's hearts.

Nicholas Fisher goes on a journey to free a captive.  On the way he will discover who he is.  He will hear many things.   And he will experience the Song of the Burning Light.

While this story is mainly about Nicholas, Maggie does show up again for a bit, as do other folks from the first book.  And there is a wonderful range of new characters.  Michael O'Roarke, the young chieftain searching for answers and safety for his clan.  The young lady named Miracle, one of the Gifted.  The mysterious people from a secret and secluded culture.   The strange white wolf.  The evil Unnamed One, once a man but now consumed by evil, burning with desire to rend the Veil and unleash the darkness into the world.


My assessment 

The middle of a series can be a hard book to read and, I expect, to write.  But Rachel Starr Thomson has done very well here.  This second book in her Seventh World Trilogy is just as exciting, just as full of wonder, and even cranked up a few notches from the first book.  It's much more intense, and dark, and sad.  Characters grow miles deeper.   Wonderful and horrible new places in the Seventh World are explored.  I think even Rachel's storytelling and word-smithing improved, and that's saying a lot!

At times the tale felt just a touch chaotic, with so many characters and plot lines.  But that can happen with any middle part of a tale.  And I never was lost or bored, believe you me!

Another interesting thing.  Perhaps I am dense, or I was reading too fast, but something happened with a certain character that I didn't see coming.  I think Rachel may be unique in her approach to writing characters' relationships - they keep surprising me, and I begin to wonder if that's because they are so life-like.  Real people are never as predictable as average book characters.  ;-)        

I will probably be reading this one again near December, before the third book, Advent, is released.  I await it eagerly.  In the meanwhile, I'll be telling folks about this fabulous series (which you can purchase at her website, Rachel Starr Thomson, or on Amazon) and reading Rachel's thoughtful posts at her Inklings blog.

~

Book 1 - Worlds Unseen  | Book 3 - Coming Day

Book Review - Worlds Unseen

Beyond the everyday existence of men and women lies a realm of ancient beauty and goodness and light. An exiled King calls his people to awake and remember him. But an unspeakable evil is seeking to break into the world of men and rule by misery and cruelty. The Veil that keeps that evil back is wearing thin.

Worlds Unseen follows the stories of several young people who realize that the miserable world of the Empire is not all that exists. Maggie has a song in her heart, just waiting to be drawn out. Nicholas hears what others don’t. Virginia, the blind girl, sees visions.

From the grey city of Londren and the highlands of Anglsie, through the forests of the gypsies, and deep in the ancient tunnels of the Eastern city of Pravik, Maggie and her friends will need all the courage, faith, and love they have to stand against evil. And they will be changed in ways they never dreamed.

Here is what I wrote to Rachel, the author, upon finishing the book the first time:

Oh my goodness. When you put Worlds Unseen on your site as a free download, you certainly knew what you were doing. ;-) I am so hooked. Now I need to decide if my budget can handle hard copies of it and Burning Light. I definitely want these to keep, in tangible papery form!

Thank you for this story! I am in rather a state of shock (the end-of-an-amazing-read sort of shock), and it might be a while before I can write a coherent review for my blog. But for the moment, I mainly wanted to thank you for your well-told story of life and death and tears and growing up, of ashes and newness and the bright, starry thread, of monsters and scoundrels and everyday heroes stepping bravely into battle against evil. Thank you for a picture of worlds unseen, of faith that hopes and believes when the night is dark. Of a King who is coming. Oh, I loved it!

I love your descriptions of all the mysterious, otherworldly characters, like the wind and animal and tree spirits, and Virginia's visions. Ah, beautiful! That is stuff that really encourages me. It reminds me of how little I really see of reality. What all is going on beyond my senses? It's far more than I think, both worse and far better than I can dream.

Now, after reading it for the second time four months later, I found the book just as compelling. The writing is excellent. From the sweeping scale of lands and peoples to the vivid details of small moments, this book shines. The characters are real, each with their own struggles and strengths, and I already love them dearly. Nicholas, the kindhearted Gypsy boy, was probably my favorite character, and I was thrilled to learn that the second book is mainly his story, as the first was Maggie’s.

As far as Christian fantasy goes, I thought it was beautifully done. Magic glinted from these pages, but when it was used selfishly it was always shown to be bad. The source of the good power was always the King, and nothing brought greater joy and comfort and hope than when characters realized He was with them. Nor was there so much direct allegory that it took away from the story, which seems to me to be the other ditch Christian fantasy writers can fall into. Overall, a sense of bittersweet longing pervades the whole book. 

I’m sure I shall be reading this again, as well as recommending it to friends. In the meanwhile, please excuse me while I dive into Book Two – Burning Light.

(You can visit Rachel's website HERE.)

~

Book 2 - Burning Light   | Book 3 - Coming Day

Writing Styles - Personalities

I just realized today that when I find myself begrudging people I know of their talent and skill and knack to write, it's like wishing I could have the same or "as good" of a personality as them.  That's silly.  And quite wrong.  If I would instead rejoice in their wonderful abilities, and try to be the best I can be at my own writing, I can enjoy the delightful range of personality and variation God created.

Father, help me be humble in my writing!

Do Not Fear

Do not fear.

Those three words are at the heart of the good news of Jesus. Before he enters into our wrecked lives we have good reason to fear. Before his grace restores us we are a ruin, a foggy graveyard in the dead of night. We’re too lost even to ask for direction, too feeble to beg for help. We may be wealthy, successful, beautiful, even happy–but we know that our deepest heart is a wasteland, a vast, black emptiness of stone and sorrow. To know that emptiness is to be afraid, and that fear is good. That’s the kind of fear that leads to humility, the kind of helplessness that leads to repentance.

But once we’ve heard the Lion roar, once we’ve felt the earth tremble beneath his feet as he strides through the valley of death to gather us up, when we have looked into his loving eyes and seen the forges of heaven there, when we have finally stopped running, when we have given up and have at last let him heal us where we’re truly broken, everything changes. The wasteland is green. The graveyard is a garden. Our senses sometimes tell us otherwise, and it’s hard to believe, but faith gives us eyes to see his invisible face, ears to hear his silent voice.

~Andrew Peterson~

Read the rest of his post HERE.  I've been struggling against all sorts of fears lately.  This was a great reminder to me that my Hero has come to chase those fears away, if I will let Him.   

Book Review - Green

Since Green is part of a series, I shall try to explain the big story first.


The Circle - Black, Red, and White

Every time he dreams, Thomas Hunter goes back and forth between two worlds, fighting evil.  In our world, terrorists wield a deadly virus which threatens to wipe out all humanity.  In the world of colored forests and pools and deserts, the evil black bat Teeleh plots to turn the people against Elyon (Hebrew for Most High), their Creator and Lover.  In both worlds, Thomas must understand the threat, and do what he can to save those he loves.

I love this stories.  They're fast-paced and modern in style, but the sense of parallels to Biblical truths are amazing.  At the heart of them, they're about the Great Romance, the love story God is writing for His people.  They show our utter fallen nature, our complete repulsive and rebellious nature, and yet how God still woos and calls and comes to rescue us.  They show how He wants our hearts, and how He gives us the freedom to reject Him, but how that can never stop His love.    




Green (short summary)
After three books, the series basically concluded, though there were a few odd loose ends hanging.  But it was satisfying.  So I was surprised to see a fourth book come out now, years later.  What else could Dekker do with the series?

Write a Book Zero, apparently.  A beginning and ending.  What a strange idea!  More on that later.

Green starts up years after the end of White, in the world of forests and sand.  Thomas and the Circle are losing hope.  They have waited for Elyon's return for a long time, and Thomas' son, Samuel, wants to rid the world of the Horde forever with his sword.  But the Circle has been told to love their enemy, and Thomas' wife still has hope for the Horde's redemption.  Thomas seeks hope for the Circle, and in the process creates a doorway between the two worlds once again.

Thomas returns to our world.  And unspeakable Evil enters the other world, seeking to crush the Circle's last breaths of hope.

An apocalyptic chain of events follows, and we rush along to the ending, wondering who will believe in Elyon at the end when everything seems hopeless, and who will reject Him and fall into darkness forever.

The ending is strange.  In an odd way, it connects back to the beginning of the series.  Hence, it is "Book Zero."



Likes

- First, as confusing as it still is, I think it was very clever to connect the beginning and ending like this.  It was definitely a unique idea!    

- Certain characters did get redeemed, which was marvelous.

- Loved how the theme of waiting and longing and wishing to see signs of God's presence were so similar to our time today.  Come, Lord Jesus!  But in the meanwhile, teach us to live by faith and trust You when all else seems hopeless.

- There were evil vampires.  Yes, this actually made me happy.  I could have done without some of the nastiness, but there was no question that the very idea of vampirism is completely opposite of sacrifice.  One takes life, the other gives it.  And I feel there were still some truths in this book regarding blood's significance (a biblical idea) which I may have missed. 

- Again, wonderful contrasts between good and evil. 


Dislikes


- I don't mind seeing some of a story from evil's perspective, but in my opinion this book went overboard. I kept feeling dirty, reading about the sensual evil and blood lust of the bad characters.  The bad guys get way too much page time, as I see it.  Almost felt like more than the good guys.  Maybe that's why I never felt as close or invested in the protagonists of Green as in the other books.  And not being so invested made me just not care as much about the whole book. 

- For the above reason, I would not recommend this book to kids, whereas I might recommend the other three if I thought they were mature enough.  This one was definitely darker and contained more sensual descriptions.  Those spots really bothered me, and I'm 25.      

- Another certain character didn't get redeemed, which was very bothersome.  Necessarily heartbreaking, perhaps.  But not a wonderful way to end the story.
 
- Theologically, I was bothered by the ending.  In fact, the structure of the whole thing bothers me, though as I said it was a nifty idea.  But history as circular, not linear?  Maybe Dekker is playing with the idea that God is outside of time, and that therefore it's not as clear-cut and understandable as we think.  But theoretically, the whole series could be seen as an eternal time loop, wherein one character is never redeemed...  Ahh!  The thought drives me crazy.

- Since writing the original three books of The Circle, Dekker has written The Paradise Novels and The Lost Books, all of which apparently tie in somehow to The Circle.  I have not read those, so there were lots of characters and events referred to in Green which I felt I should know about but didn't.  Dekker fanatics who have read those series may find the ties back to other books fabulous.  But not having read them made me confused.  I think there would have been a better flow between Green and the other books if Dekker had written it right after White, before he got so wrapped up in side plots and characters.


My Verdict

I did not think Green was nearly as good as the original three books (Black, Red, and White).  It had some very good moments, and I wanted it to wrap up nicely, but it left me feeling unsatisfied.  Most of the time it just didn't feel like the same series.

I've been debating about whether I would  recommend this book.  I 'spose if you're a Dekker fanatic, or you really want to see some loose ends tied up, go for it.  Then tell me what you thought.  But if you're expecting another book like the first three, I think you'll be disappointed.

Maybe there's a reason why three is such a perfect number.  I rather wish Dekker had agreed.

For the Sake of My Sisters

(another picture from my mother, taken on the snow day last week) 

I don't have anything monumental to share.  Plenty of little things have kept me busy... 

On second thought, I suppose one of those little things is big enough to post about; I've started hanging it with our youth group at church.

Depending on my reader, the topic of youth group might be controversial.  I might be making everyone shake their head in wonder at my confused and unwise little head, either regarding my past ideas or my current stance (again, depending on my reader).  So if you're getting ready to throw snowballs of disagreement, please throw gently, and don't put rocks in them! ;-)  This is my journey.  Yours may be different.  Let's love each other anyways, shall we?    

Funny, I never thought I'd be helping with a youth group.  Even a year ago I would have protested loudly.  Anything but that!  Some of this had to do with my own feelings of uncoolness (at 25 I can still feel, and unfortunately look, like an awkward 18-year-old).  But that was actually insecurity and pride in disguise.  Also, I thought youth groups were usually more damaging than helpful, since they have potential to splinter family time and lump a buch of immaturity together where it can be even more immature.

Some dear friends (on both sides!) may gasp in shock to hear me say all this, but I think I'm changing my mind: not all youth groups are fundamentally wrong. *gasp! shudder! stagger in shock!* 

Of course I still wish all familes would do everything together.  But until I have a husband to follow who decides how we will do things, and since neither of my parents object, I'm throwing my lot in with my curent church family, full of wise and godly folks.  I was asked to be an adult female presence at youth events, to engage in conversation with girls, to provide that five or ten minutes of attention that let them know they're loved and cared for.

To my own surprise, I was compelled and eager to say yes.  It's already exciting!

I still have my reservations.  (Hope those are allowed!) I still believe youth group can be damaging if it's only a way the younger set isolates itself from the rest of the church family.  And I still believe even the best youth group in the world cannot compare with parents discipling their own kids well.

But I also see a church in which those two concerns are largely answered by parents who really are discipling their kids and showing by example what godly adulthood is.  I see young people who serve each other, who serve the younger kids in nursury and AWANA, who serve their families and the community.  And I see little girls growing in young women, girls I know "of" but want to actually know, who I now have the opportunity to hang out with regularly in the midst of their busy schedule.  

Finally, I remember my short time in a different youth group about 8 years ago, when my world was falling apart, and how a dear youth leader's wife showed me love and attention and got me started journaling my thoughts to the Lord.  I've never been the same since.  If I can encourage even one young lady as much as I was encouraged, I would count my time worthwhile.    

That's not an arguement per se, just some of my rambling thoughts on how God is changing me, teaching me to walk with people in real life (Ephesians 4:1-3).  Sometimes my paradigms shift so wildly, it's embarrassing to tell anyone about the shift - ether they can't believe what I think now, or they can't believe I ever thought what I did.  But I want to record these for my own benefit, and perhaps they will encourage someone else, too.

And MBC youth, you're stuck with me and my funny hats, silly accents, and uncoolness for a while! ;-)

~ ~ ~

Now, on a very different note, here are a few thoughtful posts on Christmas I can across lately.  They were so lovely, from two beauty-loving Christian ladies, that I wanted to share them:

The first is from farmer's wife, homeschooling mom, and poetess, Ann Voskamp:

4 Ways to Celebrate Christ in Christmas

And the second is from a sweet southern lady, Lanier Ivester, a homemaker, literary artist, and shepherdess:

Glad and Golden Hours

A fine weekend to you all!