"All Aboard" for EASTER!

 Since it's the week before Easter, I thought  you might enjoy reading my Easter article published in Arise Daily, an online devotional. Here's the link:

Arise Daily

When the page pops up, just scroll down and click on devotionals. 

Book Review: Friendship

 

Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond

by Lydia Denworth

The book opens with Denworth’s visit to the island of Cayo Santiago off the east coast of Puerto Rico to observe the social lives of Cayo’s monkeys, a social group of animals that show distinctive characteristics of friendship. According to Denworth, animals and humans share connective characteristics.

I appreciated the various approaches Denworth took to cover the topic of friendship from a baby’s need for interaction in order to thrive to the development of the teenage brain. Then there’s the friendship of spouses and the need for the elderly to stay connected.

In a chapter on digital friendship, she tells the story of Tanja Hollander, who visited homes of 424 Facebook friends and documented her travels with thousands of photos. Denworth notes digital friendships expand our network but can interfere with personal interaction.

While the relationship between genes and social behavior needs further study, you’ll come away from reading this book with a better understanding of your own tendencies and the need others have to stay connected to you because good relationships pay off in increased health and happiness.

The book motivated me to consider my own connectedness to others and to guard against isolation, which has become a way of life during the shutdown. Published by W. W. Norton & Company in 2020, it’s a worthwhile read.

 

 

 

 

Three Steps to Survive Life's Surprises

 

            The difference between what you expect and what you get can be surprising. We once took a three-day April vacation in the Pocono Mountains expecting to see a show, take leisurely boat rides and relax by a lakeside. Instead, we faced chill winds and attractions still closed from winter. We spent a few minutes by a lakeside—when swarming May flies allowed.

            But the biggest problem came from workmen doing renovations. Buzz saws and heavy equipment clogged the pathway to our car. Truck drivers had to back up so we could drive out for breakfast.

            When we checked out, I asked if someone could transport our luggage to our car on a golf cart, since we had to park a distance from our room. I also mentioned that our stay had been challenging.

            Then came the surprise: They tore up our bill.

            I certainly had no such intent when I complained. I certainly had a right to mention the inconveniences we suffered. But—surprise! They tore up our bill!

            Life in general is full of surprises. Some good. We inherit money from a long-lost relative (I wish). We win a trip to the Bahamas on “Wheel of Fortune” (I wish).

            But some bad. Who expects accidents? Or deaths? Who expects COVID-19 to keep us penned in our homes for months? We DON’T wish for such things.

            We have no problem handling the good, but how do we survive the bad surprises--the lightning strikes, the disappointments, the rejections?

Keep Trusting:

            Joshua and Caleb brought back a good report when sent to spy out the Promised Land. Ten other spies brought back bad reports, scared off by giants that lived in the land. Because they didn’t trust God they were doomed to wander in the wilderness for 40 years and die there. Joshua and Caleb wandered with them—for 40 years. But you never read that the two grumbled. They simply kept trusting God, and eventually they entered the Promised Land (Numbers 14).

I’ve clung to scripture when I’ve faced a wilderness: “’I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord. ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV). I pasted that scripture to the front of my computer, and eventually God brought me through. He will bring you through too.

            And there are always nice surprises along the way. For instance, COVID has sent us into a wilderness and forced us to relate to our families in different ways. But we have appreciated each other more and learned to care for one another in different ways. Surprise!

Keep Talking (to God):

            Jesus told the parable of a widow who kept pleading with a judge to grant her justice, and the judge finally gave in simply because she kept pestering him (Luke 18:1-8). Have you ever given up on something you’ve prayed for? I have. But God wants us to keep dialoguing with Him about our needs. Let’s revive some old prayer requests and watch for a surprise.

Keep Trying:

            God directed the prophet Elijah to go to a widow at Zarephath for food. He found her gathering sticks to make a last meal for herself and her son. Yet Elijah asked her to first make him a small loaf of bread. So she did. She then found she had enough flour and oil to feed herself and her son until a drought ended (1 Kings 17). The widow did what she could, and God did the rest. Much in life requires trying. And trying. And trying. Whether it’s at a job (like writing) or relationships (like raising kids) or just getting through an illness, it requires effort on our part. And God blesses our efforts. He will see us through. And watch for the surprises!

Wrap Up:

            Life challenges us. But we need never give up. God makes a way for us to get to the finish line, even if we have to crawl. He is faithful. And always full of surprises.

           

Book Review - Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts

 

According to author Jennie Allen, who references an article in Psychology Today, 70 percent of our thoughts are negative. But we have a choice to make when it comes to what we think about.

The origin of toxic, negative thoughts stems from lies we believe about ourselves, and the three lies that most impact us are that we are helpless, worthless or unlovable. Actually, such thoughts are anchored in what we believe about God.

How we think molds our lives, so pray to see things as they really are. According to the author, we need the support of others and we need to be unafraid of life’s circumstances. The enemy may taunt us with “what if’s,” but we can defeat that thought by reminding ourselves God loves us and is for us. The key is to think more on God and less on ourselves.

The author advises that rather than distract yourself with busyness when thinking negatively, be still and concentrate on what you know about God. When you have cynical thoughts, delight in God and His world.

According to Allen, every thought changes our minds. As we choose positive thinking over negative, we gain victory and strength so that negative thinking has less of a hold on us.

This book offers helpful suggestions on how to see the glass as half full rather than half empty. Jennie Allen is founder of IF:Gathering, an organization that fosters discipleship. Her book was published by Waterbrook in 2020.

 

Book Review: The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible

The author tells the story of a blue parakeet landing amidst a flock of sparrows. The sparrows scatter, frightened by the new bird on the street. But eventually they get used to him and ignore him. Throughout the book, McKnight likens this to our relationship with God’s Word. Many passages puzzle us. but we then get used to them and ignore them. Instead, we should dive in and look for the bigger picture. We must understand how biblical concepts apply—or don’t apply—to life today.

McKnight suggests viewing the Bible as three chapters of a story—theocracy, where God heads the nation, monarchy, where kings lead, and Christocracy, Christ’s kingdom, which is not of this world. He writes: “The unity of the Bible is the King and His Kingdom Story that brings redemption. It is this Story that puts the Bible together.”

As an example of that unity, McKnight offers Acts 15, where the council at Jerusalem discussed whether or not to demand Gentiles undergo circumcision. Their meeting offers a pattern of discernment: Listen to the old, understand the present and discern how to live that old way in a new day.

The last chapters of the book take an in depth look at women of the Bible and how principles of leadership should be recognized today. McKnight also addresses race and slavery, Genesis and science issues. Appendices offer a closer look at other issues along with a discernment quiz so you can check how biased you may be.

I appreciated how this book helps you recognize that you may interpret the Bible with some inconsistencies. McKnight makes you think more deeply about what you read. Any Bible student would benefit by reading this book published by Zondervan.