Understanding the Times

Understanding the Times by Ken Ham

For what it is, I thought this was really good. He emphasizes that we must accept the entire Bible as truth, and use it as the guiding force in our lives. That is the only way we will be able to stand in the face of the predominant culture and its worldview.  I think all Christians should read this. It is very short and easy and to the point.

Here are a few quotes I highlighted:

• "But excuse me, is it not all the Word of God?  This is key:  when you succumb to this Genesis 3 attack, that Genesis 1-11 does not need to be believed as literal history and true, then do not be surprised when the next generation gives up the rest of the Bible also, which is what is happening across the Western world today."

• "You know what is wrong with us?  It is this:  We would rather listen to the fallible words of men than the infallible Word of our God!  That is what is wrong with us!"

• "Here is the answer to why we are losing our children:  the problem is our Christian education!  The research found that we are not teaching the Bible as a book of history and that we are not teaching our children before they leave home how to defend the Word.  We have not taught them to answer the skeptical questions of this age.  We have not taught them apologetics.  We have taught devotion, spirituality, morality, which is what you hear a lot of times from the pulpits--relationships, spirituality, morality.  But we have not taught the Bible as actual history, and we have not taught how to defend the faith against all manner of skeptics in this modern age."

• "Do you know how to change the culture back?  To see hearts and minds changed in regard to the Word of God.  That is what changes the culture.  And it has got to start in our homes and in our churches.  But we have let generations of children from the Church have their hearts and minds changed by the system, by the world.  That is what fundamentally has changed the culture.  And we helped, as the church, when we accommodated the world's teaching."

• "Yes, the Philistines have stopped up the wells!  They have taken generations of our children away from the Church, away from the authority of the Word of God and have given them instead a different foundation and a different worldview."

• "It's time for Christians everywhere to come right out and say that we are all about the Bible:  its authority, its reliability from cover to cover, and its wonderful proclamation of salvation for lost men through Jesus Christ our Lord."

As a side note, I have heard him speak both in person and in recording, and it was amusing to me how clearly his voice came through in this book. I could hear his voice and even his accent while reading. :)

The Rosie Project

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

I enjoyed this book very much. I found it funny and easy to read, but also appreciated the characterization.  The main character, Don Tillman, is a genetics professor who is aware that he is different from many people, but seems unaware that his brain works on the autism spectrum (even as he gives a lecture about Asperger's syndrome).  I found him very endearing and especially enjoyed his vocabulary and manner of speaking and his very literal interpretation of words and events.  I wish I could express why I liked him so much, but I can't quite put my finger on it.  Perhaps it's his level of both innocence and honesty that so endeared him to me.

The plot revolves around his efforts to find a suitable wife, a quest he begins by designing a survey and dubbing it "The Wife Project."  As one might expect, he finds himself consistently drawn to a woman who is not, according to his survey, in any way suitable.   I thought there was some depth to the story as he realized  “And it dawned on me that I had not designed the questionnaire to find a woman I could accept, but to find someone who might accept me.”

I will insert a disclaimer that there are some inappropriate parts, particularly some language I didn't appreciate.  There is also a cavalier attitude toward a gay bar and a promiscuous adulterer who begins to realize the error of his ways, but there are no detailed scenes--this is just a warning to keep my review from being a blanket endorsement.

Overall, I really liked it, I would read it again, and I am looking forward to reading the sequel, The Rosie Effect, scheduled to be released in September.

I think this quote from the book (Tillman's lecture) summarizes the message Simsion was illustrating throughout the story:  “Asperger's isn't a fault. It's a variant. It's potentially a major advantage.”  As a "neurotypical", I wonder if/hope that the characterization isn't insulting or offensively stereotypical of an autistic person.  I have to admit I wish I could be as scheduled, as disciplined as he is--although without being bound to it, of course.  chuckle  And were it not for the fact I would be bored out of my mind by the same foods week after week, I would absolutely adopt his "Standardized Meal System"--pure genius!

A Launching

Briana has completed her formal high school education.

I am very excited for her.  She has been a joy to teach--to learn with.  She has retained her love for learning, nurtured her curiosity, and exercised her self-teaching muscles. I am confident she will continue to explore, to learn, and to grow as she enters this stage of adulthood.

We had a wonderful time celebrating with family and friends.  She wanted a personal and intimate celebration at home, so we put together a ceremony honoring her by reflecting on who she is and reviewing some of her academic and extracurricular accomplishments. It was fun, but a little bittersweet, to see her quickly grow up through the shots she compiled into a slideshow.  She chose especially poignant music to accompany the pictures including "Beautiful, Beautiful" by Francesca Battistelli, "Who Am I?" by Casting Crowns, "Help Me Find It" by Sidewalk Prophets, and "Story of Your Life" by Matthew West.  (I've linked to the songs with lyrics because I found it interesting to see exactly what was said in the songs she chose.)

 Then we presented her with her diploma and shared our wishes and a blessing for her future.  Her blessing included the following, based on Ephesians 1:18:

We thank God for you,

and will be in prayer for you,

asking God,

the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding,

so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.

We will pray that your heart will be flooded with light

so that you can understand

the wonderful future God has promised to those who follow him;

the glorious inheritance that is waiting for you;

and the incredible power that is at work in your life.

We were so blessed by the family and friends who came out to celebrate with her.  We counted about 140 people who joined us for the ceremony, to share a meal, and to spend time in fellowship.  Supper consisted of sloppy joes, hot dogs, pasta salad, fruit salad, kale salad, and chips.  For dessert we had several varieties of specialty bakery treats (as they are Briana's employer), rice krispy bars, chocolate chip bars, and the fixings for S'mores.  We had a bonfire, volleyball, and ladder ball set up as well as sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and a bean bag throw for the younger kids, but people also just had a good time visiting and watching the many children run around.

She said it was exactly the celebration she wanted, and I have to agree with her--it was a wonderful evening celebrating the delightful young woman she is.  I have been blessed by her in many, many ways and look forward to seeing what the Lord does in her and through her.

Belle Cora

Belle Cora by Phillip Margulies

I have mixed feelings about this book.

Things I liked about it:  it was easy to read and well-written enough that I wanted to find out what happened to the characters next (so I kept reading, even into the wee hours of the morning knowing my baby would awaken me shortly after).  I think the "historical fiction" aspect was particularly well done.

Things I didn't like:  The ending was very abrupt.  I think the author suddenly realized "Wow, this is getting pretty long!" so he killed her off before she could tell the rest of her life story.  Many of the other characters were also tidily wrapped up without explanation or in ways that were inconsistent with their character (ex:  her brothers and her son). 

I also didn't like the main character.  Now, one could argue that not liking the main character can indicate good characterization (GWTW anyone???), but I found her weak and selfish and manipulative and she never grew out of it.  There was indication in the beginning that people were scared of her, that she was intimidating, but I never found justification of those traits throughout the rest of the book. 

One last thing that frustrated me throughout the book was the depiction of christianity.  The author's worldview made it clear that he finds christians to be at least one if not a combination of the following:  gullible idiots, hypocrites, unloving and judgmental. 

The Kitchen House

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

My sister recommended this one and I could hardly put it down.  Even with a new baby, I stayed up until 12:30 to finish it (dumb, dumb, dumb--especially when she got up at 2:30 to eat--yawn).

As much as I hate reading about the horrors of slavery, I think it's good for us every once in a while to be reminded of what it was like.  This particular book paralleled the life of an Irish indentured servant girl with the lives of the African slaves on a plantation. 

I think what struck me most was the helplessness of the characters.  As much as I might think I would do this or that, there were situations about which these people had no choice--no choice!  No choice, other than how they were going to handle it.

It was a captivating read, but I have to admit I was glad to finish it and return to this life in which I have freedom.