How's your Advent?

During the last week I have had an enormous amount of traffic to a post I wrote in 2009 - the one about how you can use the Jesus Storybook Bible as an Advent calendar.  Over 2000 visitors to that one post.  In a week.  (Hello visitors!)  That is quite a lot more than the usual ten dear ones (hello you guys) who drop by occasionally.

Anyway, in case you missed it...if you go HERE you will find all the hard work for getting the Jesus Storybook Bible up and running as an Advent calendar done and ready to print off for free.  It's probably too late for this year but go and print off a copy ready for another year - or to give away.  This is an amazing resource.

In other news, I have just about finished all the Christmas shopping I am going to do this year.  Good news.   However the Christmas letter writing muse seems to have upped and left the house.  And given it's 5th December...that's bad news. 

Summer update

Giving up: on monthly status reports.  I read a few of them all at once a while ago and you know, they are a bit repetitive.   So I'm having a go at the quarterly approach at the beginning of each new season instead.

Reading: the last month of my Bible reading plan for the year and also Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus edited by Nancy Guthrie.  I read Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus in 2010 and LOVED it.  I didn't read much of it in 2011 because I kept giving my copy away to someone, buying a new one and giving that one away and so on, all the way to Christmas.  I'm not sure what happened in 2012, but I didn't read it.  This year is the year.

Recently discovered:  that I like beetroot dip.  And carrot cake.  Not together though.

Eating: carrot cake.

Have had: the perfect diary to keep track of life for the last two years.

Panicked: when the place that sets up each November to sell calendars and diaries for the year ahead didn't have the perfect diary.  There was one there but it has an intolerable cover and intolerable pictures scattered through it.  Couldn't overlook the artwork for the sake of a perfect system.  It does after all have to be my constant companion for a whole year.

Went to: extraordinary lengths  to get a perfect diary for next year.  That is, after a quick a look around at a few shops, ordered one off the Internet.  What is the perfect diary, you ask?  It is an A5 diary with a week to the page on the left and a lined page on the right for notes and the weekly TO DO list.  Perfection.  And the one I chose is cornflower blue.  Very happy.

Bought: a new CD last month.  Third Day's Christmas Offerings.  I couldn't get enough of their rendition of O Holy Night last Christmas.  Loving it. 

Resources for Advent:  Besides the above mentioned...

For smalls, The Jesus Storybook Bible which acts like an Advent calendar.

For adults and for bigger kids who can manage a grown up version of the Bible, there are a great set of Jesse tree readings (bit like an Advent calendar in tree form) in the appendix of Disciplines of a Godly Family by Kent and Barbara Hughes.  I've seen a few versions of Jesse tree readings and some of them have REALLY LONG readings.  The Hughes' set is very short-concentration-span friendly.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss is a fun reminder against greed.  I borrow it from the library most years.  I've never got around to buying one.  Maybe that though is part of the message of the book.

If you are looking for an excellent Christmas tract, the Christmas WordWatch published by Matthias Media is the one for you.  Say the good people at Matthias Media,
"In this 'mini-dictionary', word guru Kel Richards puts us straight on the origin and meaning of some common Christmas words and traditions, and tells us things about Christmas we may never have known. As he does so, Kel cleverly communicates important Gospel truths in a gentle way." 
I'm giving a copy of this to each of my upper primary Scripture kids at the end of the school year.

Making a big effort: to be joyful.  Last year as the notes kept coming home from school with more and more things to do to mark the end of the year, I found myself rolling my eyes a bit.  I later remembered that a) I don't let my kids roll their eyes at me and b) I don't ever recall my parents rolling their eyes at all the things they had to take us to at the end of the year...or any other part of the year for that matter.  So practicing joy and enthusiasm...and it does have a flow on effect. We are all having a happier time of it this year. 

Inspired: by Deb's Christmas tree to finish this update with a Christmas tree quiz.  Please join in by answering in the comments section.

1. When do you put up your Christmas tree?
2.  Colour co-ordinated or mix-and-match?
3.  If you have kids, do you decorate the tree yourself, let the kids decorate it or let the kids decorate it and then fix it up when they go to bed?
4.  When do the presents go under the tree?  As they are wrapped/received or not until Christmas Eve?

Done

Hooray!

 

And it was delicious.

Life in the digital age

I was in a shopping centre recently and needed a map of the place.  I went to the main entrance where, once upon a time, there was a stand with a large map, and there you could collect a brochure with a map to take with you around the shops.  So I got to the big map but there were no small maps to be had.  Just something that looked like this.

Apparently if your smart phone chats with the smart looking design, you get a map on your phone. 

The trouble is, I have one of these.

I wanted a map, not an App.  No map for me that day.

There has been a lot of proverbial ink spilt over the good and the bad of the digital age.  And there was a lot I could have said...about the pros and cons of text messages and Facebook, about how I can see the benefits of eReaders but still prefer a book myself, about my decision to not leave a digital footprint of my children on the Internet (or at least, only leave a very small and hopefully fairly imperceptible one) and wondering in time whether they'll regard that as a good decision or not. 

Instead I decided to make this a lighthearted effort about how, on first spec, our household is really in the digital dinosaur age, despite the fact that I have a blog and organise my life via text message.   

But a funny thing happened on the way to this post.  If there is anything true about life in the digital age, it's that things move quickly.  At the beginning of the week I had started in on a post about what it is like to live in the age of digital dinosaurs - hence my opening gambit with the map anecdote.

In thinking about all of this, I was discussing with my beloved about how at some stage (in the next year or so) we might need to get ourselves an iPad (you know, thrust ourselves into the current century) to find out how they work, to get on top of this whole App thing and generally stay slightly ahead of the game with the kids.

Said conversation took place, as co-incidence would have it, in the same week that the tax return came in.  And behold, it is the end the week and we have an iPad on order, set to arrive any moment now.  So having just rewritten the post for this writing prompt, all I need to do now is get that iPad, find some small child who will tell me how to turn it on, download Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja and I will be set.  How could I have ever imagined I was living with the dinosaurs?

Two books about prayer

I have heard said that if you want to learn about prayer you should read a book about God, rather than a book about prayer.  So true.  Knowing the One to whom we pray is a great encouragement to pray.  But there are times when a specific boost comes in handy.  I've been in need of such a boost so I pulled the two books on prayer that have been waiting quietly in the wings and had a read.

A Praying Life by Paul Miller is good meeting point between a book about God and a book about prayer.  Paul Miller loves God.   And he loves praying.  He prays all the time.  About the big and the small.  He has complete trust that God hears and answers his prayers.  Paul Miller gets "pray without ceasing."

This book is an exhortation to pray.  Like Wendy said, this book makes you want to pray.   And like Jean said, you don't have to wait until you have things all sorted out to come before God because He wants you to come messy.

When Jesus describes the intimacy he wants with us, he talks about joining us for dinner. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20)

A praying life feels like our family mealtimes because prayer is all about relationship.  It's intimate and hints at eternity.  We don't think about communication or words but about whom we are talking with.  Prayer is simply the medium through which we experience and connect to God.

Oddly enough, many people struggle to learn how to pray because they are focusing on praying, not on God.

I didn't agree with absolutely everything he had to say.  And personally I found it a bit too anecdotal - which is funny because used to love books with lots of stories woven into them...  But even so I would have no hesitation in sharing this book with others.  Miller takes the mystery out of prayer (but not the wonder of it) and provides warm encouragement to get on with it, without fear.  If you have stopped praying or never really got started, if you are stuck in a rut or want to up the ante, this book will spur you on. 

The second book I read is called Praying by JI Packer and Carolyn Nystrom.  I've had this one for six years, mostly unread, having had several attempts at starting it.  Others seem to have had that experience with this book as well.    Which I think has much to do with JI Packer's style of writing.  It's deep and dense.  You have to read it slowly.  In fact I read a review of this book that started, "This book is SO good that I had to take six months to read it."

This book is not a quick fix book.  If you need a quick prayer-pick-me-up then this isn't the book for you.  The authors say as much at the beginning - that "non-practitioners" of prayer will be quickly left behind.  But if you want to take deeper look into the subject of prayer - and the One to whom we pray - then this is a great volume.

I didn't get the best out of this book.  I mostly read it late at night and the chapters are long - however the chapters are divided into shorter sections.  A better way to read it, as the reviewer said, would be to take your time.  A bit like Knowing God.  The next time I read it - and I will read it again so I can't say better than that - I will read it not chapter at a time, but smaller section at a time and go through it slowly, slowly over a longer period of time.  There is a great set of study questions at the end of the book as well - and taking it more slowly, I would do the studies as well, which include sections on understanding what has been said, studying the Bible and deep praying - not just a quick prayer tacked on at the end for sake of completeness. 

It's certainly not the easiest book I've read all year, but it's a worthwhile read.  And there are lots of quotes from the puritans and from CS Lewis, so that may spark an interest for at least one fellow blogger.

Status Report: November

Drinking: Chai.  Made from a teabag.  Twinings Chai.  It's not bad actually. 

Eating:  Maltesers.

Feeling: tired.

Reading: Praying: Finding our Way Through Duty to Delight by JI Packer and Carolyn Nystrom.  But you knew that.

Wondering: if anyone nearby has a copy of Heading Home by Naomi Reed that I could borrow.

Suffering: from killer hay fever.  I read in the news a couple of weeks ago that this year's hay fever season has come late and hard in our neck of the woods.  I concur on both counts.  One of my favourite parts of the day currently is when I wake up and get to take my next antihistamine.

Watching: way, way, WAY too much West Wing and wondering if you feel as sad when you get to the end of it all a second time as you do when you finish it the first time.

Thinking: I need to plan to bake one of these this month.  It was one of my things to do this year.  And I am running out of year.  How hard can it be, really?

Anticipating: the next two months, sometimes with joy and sometimes with slight panic.

Praying: for joy, not panic.

Singing: and/or listening to this beautiful song a lot at the moment.  And remembering the special times of singing it with friends on special occasions at church in times past.



Deciding: that this will be my last monthly status report.  I will be back next month (what???) but with a more seasonal approach to status reports.

Longing for Jesus

Heavenly Father,
Please help me to long for heaven -
not for the prospect of being in the new creation where there is no more death or mourning or crying or pain,
not for the prospect of being with all the saints who have died in the Lord for all eternity,
nor for the prospect of resting from my labours.
While these are a beautiful part of the glorious prospect of heaven,
please Lord,
help me to long for heaven
so that I might see Jesus.
Please help me, that this would be my chief longing.
Amen.

It's not rocket science, but I thought it was interesting

So, we have the ten commandments.  The first four are about loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  Then the following six are about loving one another.  God first, and then the people.

Notice then, the Lord's prayer.

This, then, is how you should pray:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Matthew 6:9-13

 

God first, and then the people.
Interesting.

 

And then in terms of the people JI Packer (I'm pretty sure at this particular point it is JI Packer speaking and not Carolyn Nystrom) says,

 

In asking God to meet observed needs, the second half of the Lord's prayer stands as a model.  Here we pray for daily provision ("Give us each day our daily bread" - we need it), for daily pardon ("Forgive our sins" - we need that) and for daily protection ("Deliver us from evil" - we need that too, more than we know.)

 

Provision.

Pardon.

Protection.

Nifty.

 

And the plurals us and our are key words, which show that we are meant to make this prayer for other Christians besides ourselves.

 

Quotes from Praying by JI Packer and Carolyn Nystrom pages 155-156

The blank cheque of prayer

In their book Praying, JI Packer and Carolyn Nystrom quote three passages from John.

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
John 14:13,14

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
John 15:16

In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
John 16:23

Does God really give us a blank cheque? 

What is the message here?  Is Jesus giving his first disciples (and us with them) a blank cheque?  An invitation to write in whatever amount, so to speak, for whatever we want or think we want - and God will make it happen?... The thought from the text is that we should ask God for things that the Lord Jesus will also ask for on our behalf.  We are to make requests to the Father that the Lord Jesus will back.  Jesus will associate himself with us in our requests when our requests match what he wants for us.  That is the meaning of asking hi his name.  Jesus looks forward to his disciples asking for things that can only become a reality with his help and by his power, and that will make for his glory when they do.  That is what it means to ask according to God's will, the will of the Father which the Son knows and does.

From Praying by JI Packer and Carolyn Nystrom p. 154 (The underlining is my emphasis.)

Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to my selfish gain. 

Psalm 119:36

Doing some reading on prayer at the moment

Good praying is at once both duty and delight, but often we must begin where prayer is primarily duty. As we grow in the knowledge of prayer and in the practice of praying, however, God will sanctify our efforts and delight will come upon us.

From Praying by JI Packer and Carolyn Nystrom, page 10.



 

Church History in Plain Language by Bruce L. Shelley

I was speaking to a friend about church history books the other day, having recently finished Church History in Plain Language by Bruce L. Shelley.  She commented that she's never really wanted to read a church history survey because they seem like a litany of bad, sad and sorry situations.  And in a sense she is right.  There is a lot that is grim about church history.  And yet, in every bad and sad situation we find a man or a woman of faith who stands firmly, courageously, faithfully and steadfastly for what is Right.  That is, we see God at work in and through His people.  It is the unfolding of the unstoppable gospel. 

Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.
Acts 5:38, 39

And so the there is a lot that is inspiring in church history.

This particular rendering of church history is a great read.  Shelley is a man who clearly loves God and his writing is very pastoral.  He spends plenty of time explaining the contemporary significance of church history.  This is extraordinarily helpful, making this book so much more than a list of dates, names, places and events.

Being just a single volume, he skips through events reasonably quickly.  The upside is that he doesn't get bogged down, ever.  The downside is that at times, it may be just a little bit sketchy in parts for church history novices.  However his writing is clear.  And in my view he presents the clearest explanation I've read of the last six hundred years, where things do get quite complicated.  I understand the events of these times - and therefore what is happening in our own era of church history - so much better now.  Thank you Dr. Shelley. 

The chapters are short (yay!) and there are good tables, maps and diagrams.  This is a worthwhile read, at so many levels.

Other church history books...
The Story of Christianity by Justo Gonzales
Feminine Threads by Diana Lynn Severance

And here are five good reasons to read a church history book.  Everyone should read at least one in their life time.

Thankful for those who serve us in unbelievably kind ways

My 8 year old went on
this one.  Crazy.

Every year, at about this time, our suburb plays host to an annual show - like a mini-version of the royal show.  There's a side show alley with dodgem cars, laughing clowns and enough rides to keep small and big kids happy, show bags, log chopping, animals on display, all sorts of exhibits, fast food, fairy floss and fireworks at the end of the day.  And it happens a block away from our house - so parking isn't a problem.  (Although sometimes it can be hard to get OUT of our driveway...)

The show committee outsources various roles - set up, pack up, clean up and lots more besides - to community groups, which is great for the community.  For the last four or five years our church has been fortunate enough to score the cleaning gig.  That is, we get to keep the tables clean and the rubbish under control in the food alley and we clean the toilets right around the showgrounds.  (And yes, to put your mind at rest, we do run separate rosters for the tables and the toilets...)

Fortunate?  Yes.

We love to do these jobs, grotty as they are, because doing this sort of work together is a bonding experience.    More so, it gives us an opportunity to serve the community.  We try to do the work joyfully and properly.  It's a great gospel opportunity. 

And I am personally glad to do this work.  Until this year I have been on the table cleaning roster.  Sometimes I've received a warm comment of appreciation.  Most people just ignore us and get on with their eating and having their fun.  Lots of people leave their dead chips, hamburger mess, soggy serviettes and other rubbish on the tables, even though there are rubbish bins just three steps away.  Once someone saw me cleaning the table next door, swept all of their rubbish from the table onto the ground and said to his buddies, "That's OK...she'll pick it up.  It's her job." 

This year I was on the toilet cleaning roster.  We keep on the go.  Each block of toilets is probably cleaned once every half hour or so...so they don't ever get too bad.  But cleaning high use public toilets is never going to be all that much fun. 

I am glad to do these jobs at the show.  I am glad because I only have to do them for a few hours once a year.  But every year it reminds me that there are wonderful people in our community who do awful jobs like this every single day.  They do grotty work and are ignored at best, more often though treated poorly.  This weekend I have been reminded to be grateful, show gratitude whenever the opportunity arises and live considerately.  There are people in our community who serve us in unbelievably kind ways.

Why am I a Christian?

Why am I a Christian?

I realised late in my teenage years that I couldn't put my confidence in the things of this world.  People let us down and work, achievements, wealth, experiences, possessions, even our health won't always meet our needs or be 100% reliable and trustworthy.

If I have learned anything from the Bible it's that my greatest need though, far beyond anything else I have mentioned, is to be in right relationship with God and that I can put my complete trust in Him in all of life's circumstances, now and into the future. 

Do you ever feel let down by the things of this world?