 I have been reading this book, CS Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, for time enough now that I am starting to see some themes repeating across the letters, in a clarifying and prioritizing kind of way. The pattern or reiteration I’m seeing currently is that of the importance of our living in the present. Not the past. Not the future. Our minds should only be set upon the ‘right now’ -- and on eternity. Screwtape says “For the present is the point in which time touches eternity”. Love this! Why not the past – Reflecting on the past has limited value. Yes, we can learn from what we’ve experienced and been through, and wonderful memories are stored in our past. Gratitude is past-generated. But, we can get into spiritual trouble when we ‘get stuck’ in the bad things of the past. Not only does this make us miserable and steals our current joy, but – as Screwtape acknowledges – focusing on the past takes our mind away from present and eternal thinking. He states the past is “frozen and no longer flows”. And, who wants to live there? Why not the future - If you have been reading along with The Screwtape Letters, you have probably noticed that our anxiety is frequently a point of intrigue for the demons. Anxiety is a uniquely human condition and one in which the enemy capitalizes upon for our destruction at every available chance. Now, we know (although we don’t always remember) that all the worrying in the world has no impact whatsoever on what will or won’t happen in the future. So, worry, from a practical standpoint, is a major waste of our precious time. Spiritually, worrying and being anxious is our telling God, essentially, that we don’t think He can handle the situation - like we’re His equivalent, His backup. It gets really interesting in this Letter when Screwtape says that “thought about the future inflames fear and hope”. Hang on a minute. What? I get the fear part, but what is wrong with having hope? Well, my interpretation here is that human hope – hope in humanity, hope in my own abilities and strengths, hope as a ‘wish list’ for what I want, hope as any expectation constructed by me – is foolish, at best, and just plain incompatible with faith and trust in God. One clarification regarding the pitfalls of future thinking: Planning is OK, it is a Godly practice, a “present” activity. Planning is a “duty of today” in preparation for tomorrow’s work (God’s will in motion). But, in the present – When we’re in the present, we get to focus on God, on an eternal union with Him. As Screwtape says, in the now, we can find ourselves “obeying the present voice of conscience, bearing the present cross, receiving the present grace, (and) giving thanks for the present (Godly) pleasure”. There is freedom in the present, as we unplug from both the past and from the future. Screwtape talks about the grace and peace found when, at the end of the day (literally), we can “wash our mind of the whole subject (whatever the day brought), commit the issue to heaven, and return at once to the patience or gratitude demanded by the moment that is passing over”. What a great daily goal! Now, this Letter does get a bit ‘uncomfortable’ toward the end. Screwtape refers to the ambiguity of “living in the present” when we can only do it because “our health is good and we are enjoying our work”. Anybody – Believer or not – can float along in a comfy, present-oriented existence when everything is going good and we’ve convinced ourselves that the future is going to be just as “agreeable” as the present. But, what about when it’s not? How do we find (and hold on to) peace in the present when we know full well that the future is not looking good? It is in these times that we should be praying for the Godly “virtues”, those that will sustain us through any pain, any storm. We should continue to concern ourselves only with the present “because there, and there alone, all duty, all grace, all knowledge, and all pleasure dwell”. I just gotta say it, “The present is a gift”. One of my favorite scriptures: “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.” John 14:27 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14:27&version=HCSB P.S. Our pastor said the other day in a sermon that “eternal life starts now”. We tend to think it starts when we die and go to heaven, but it really does start right now, from the minute we accept Jesus as our Savior. How cool is that?! Mercy. It's a thing. Tee Shirt, Small
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5/12/2019 1 Comment Happy Warrior's Day! I started a Word Wall today for people to post one word that describes their mom, and I chose “Warrior” for my mom. My mom’s life was not always what she wanted it to be. In fact, at times, I think it sucked. But, I never heard my mom say a single bad word about anybody or anything. She never complained, never griped or moaned. Never became bitter. My mom also stuck to her guns on things she believed in, mostly in Jesus. She dug in quietly, silently, steadfastly. She was so stubborn sometimes it drove me nuts. I hated it when she was right, and she always was. I could go into how my mom died a God-awful death from Alzheimer’s, but I’m not going to go there. At least not today. I just want to say that my mom was, indeed, a Warrior. And to quote Pat Benatar (not scriptural, I know), I hope she’s up in heaven singing “I am a Warrior and Victory is mine”. Rock on, mom.  Shop VestigeWear. Christian tees designed and made by Abby. 5/4/2019 2 Comments Mended: Book Review & Giveaway
Book Review and Giveaway – Mended: Restoring the Hearts of Mothers and Daughters by Blythe Daniel and Helen McIntosh, 2019. SHARE or COMMENT on this post for a chance to win a free copy, given away on Weds., May 8, 2019. I just finished reading this book as a Reviewer. I have to admit that I wasn’t sure how relevant the topic of mom-daughter relationship ‘mending’ would be for me. I am a daughter, but my mom passed away 15 years ago. And, even while she was still here, I don’t recall any big, relationship-crushing fallouts between us. I am now a mom, but I have only sons, so I was not sure how I could use this book geared toward mothers and daughters. Yet, I know many, many adult daughters who do have ‘unfinished business’ with their mom – and many moms that have things left undone with their daughter – and for them that’s a big deal (and it should be). So, this book must be highly relevant for a lot of people, including my blog readers. Besides, any book with potential for bringing healing in a family through the application of biblical truths is definitely worth a look. This book is co-written by a mother (grandmother, therapist) and her adult daughter, sharing their own story of refining and strengthening themselves, as individuals and as a mother-daughter dyad, through thoughtful and intentional application of the Word. Not only scripturally sound, the writers’ insights and suggestions are real, understandable, and do-able. They even provide models and scripts for key steps, like how to start an awkward conversation, or how to move forward from a ‘discussion’ gone horribly wrong (e.g., screaming, crying, stalemate). Check out the book’s free resource, “Seven Ways to Start a Conversation”, at www.ourmendedhearts.com There are also a number of inspiring anecdotals included in the book, told by friends and faith sisters of the authors who have refined their relationships with their own mom/daughter. The specific scenarios shared for illustration were not always directly relatable for me, as I think the authors and I come from quite different backgrounds. Yet, I found the underlying parent-child dynamics (and struggles) to be pretty universal. With that said, I would suggest this book would be valuable for anyone in any type of family relationship (spouse, parent-son, sibling) that could use a tune-up, whether it’s to just improve communication or to herd out the proverbial elephant in the room. As a disclaimer: I am not paid to review or recommend this book. I was given a copy to read and one extra copy of the book by the publisher for the giveaway. If you decide to order the book through my Amazon link, I do receive a commission that helps to support my blog.
I have just finished reading Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament, a brand new book by Mark Vroegop. And let’s just say, I have had my proverbial cage rattled. Nope, this book is not fun to read, and that’s the beauty of it.
The author is a church pastor, husband, parent, and father of a daughter stillborn. His nearly unspeakable grief in the loss of a child thrust him into an up-close and personal relationship with lament. Out of that came this book. I think we all get a bit rattled at the mention of lament. The word itself represents pain and suffering – what we spend our lives trying to avoid. Let’s be honest, lament sounds dark and scary. It’s about bad things happening in life. Not to mention, lament falls under being angry with God, doesn’t it? And isn’t that a sin or something? So, as I first began reading Vroegop’s story, I thought, “(Thankfully) none of this applies to me” because I have never experienced anything as horrible as the loss of a child. Whew! So, I’m off the hook for dealing with this messy lament stuff! I thought. But, as Vroegop teaches - and his writing style is very much that of a teacher - biblical lament is meant for all of us, no matter the ‘size’ of the hurt, loss, or disappointment. Lament gives a voice to any trouble in life, whether the dark clouds come as a passing shower or a hurricane. Lament is a spiritual discipline critical to our well-being as believers, Vroegop contends. It opens the door to grace, mercy, and peace. The author calls upon readers to identify the hurts in our own lives, those pieces in need of lament, and then encourages us to ‘go there’ in a structured and intentional way. It is clear that Vroegop knows his stuff when it comes to scripture. The book is very well-supported biblically, as the author applies verses directly from the Book of Psalms in creating a framework and formula for practicing lamentation. I like that this book is neither an invitation to a pity party (Vroegop is very clear about not getting stuck in ‘complaint’ mode), nor is it a quick-fix, come-out-on-the-other-side handbook on grief. What it is, is an honest, intelligent, soul-felt guide on why and how the Christian should lament, articulated with realness, compassion, and hope. Vroegop’s approach is practical and user-friendly, and even includes worksheets and sample scripts for the novice lamenter to use when we have no clue where to start or what to say to God. I found myself thinking on the ideas in this book on my drive to work, at times during the day, and before I fell asleep at night. It has made me ‘uncomfortable’ and a bit distracted. I consider these signs of not only a good book, but one that I needed to read. Having just finished, I can’t say I have completely moved out of my “fear and avoid” mindset on lament – the roots of that are life-long deep. I get in my heart what Vroegop is saying about lament. Now I just need to do the work to wrap it around my head. This book’s publisher, Crossway, provided me a complimentary copy of the book through the Blog Review Program. I am not paid for reviewing, advertising, or endorsing this book. If you decide to purchase this book, you can find it online and in bookstores. If you order it through the Amazon link below, know that I will receive a small commission per book that helps support the Faith By Dummy Blog. Thanks.
3/26/2019 0 Comments Senses of Sorrow Sorrow has been a topic of study for me lately. I just finished reading a book on the grace found in biblical lamentation by Vroegop (Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy, 2019). The book really opened my eyes to the inevitability and spiritual necessity, really, of lamenting and fully experiencing sorrow. I just wanted to talk about that for a minute. You can see here I have included the poem “Sorrow”, written and illustrated by an 11-year-old girl named Olivia who lives in New Zealand and happens to be my cousin. Her mom shared this poem with me recently, and I am struck by a couple of things about it. One is that this is written by a child who clearly understands the experience of sorrow, even at a young age. We all experience sorrow. It’s part of being human and part of God’s plan working in our life (that last part is not popular to say). We can expect sorrow. All of us. At every age. Secondly, I'm struck by the fact that sorrow – grief, loss, whatever you want to call it – is not only an emotional experience. It’s physical. It is experienced by all 5 of the senses. I remember when a dear friend lost her son, she told me that her heart literally, physically hurt, like it was going to crack her chest wide open. As I see it, sorrow is about loss. Any loss. The loss of a person, a relationship. Loss of a job, income, home, lifestyle. Loss of health, status, reputation. Loss of a dream, of hope. Loss of peace. Loss of joy. All of us can find something to relate to here. Maybe you’re in a time of sorrow right now. I just wish I could wrap this post up in a nice little package, in some witty, pithy comment, or a shiny, happy bow. Tell you to “just do this” and you’ll feel better in your sorrow. But, I can’t. Because that’s not how it works. But, here’s what I do have: Jesus gets it. He gets sorrow. So much so He is often referred to as the “Man of Sorrows”. Isaiah 53:3 says Jesus was: “familiar with pain” (NIV) “acquainted with deepest grief” (NLT) “intimately familiar with suffering” (ISV) Jesus “knew what sickness was” (CSB) His life was “filled with sorrow and terrible suffering” (CEV) Jesus is our partner in sorrow, taking in every sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound that we are. We were never meant to do sorrow alone. Mercy. It's a thing. Tee Shirt, XL
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The Rugged Cross is handmade, distressed, frayed, from recycled fabrics. Shirt is brand new. Unisex Size Small. Cotton or Polyester/Cotton blend. Prewashed. Recommend machine wash inside/out. The shirt will continue to fray over time (after each wash) and get better (more ‘rugged’) over time. Note: Sizes Small & Medium tend to run a bit small. This Letter is about Christian virtue, specifically, the virtue of humility. It seems the patient, the young man in the story, is in a dance with humility as he continues to get his spiritual legs under him. There are a bunch of moving parts in this Letter. Let's see if we can pull it all together. Part 1: For the Christian to have a humble heart is pretty standard, Christianity 101 stuff. The Bible talks about our being humble a whole lot, so it must be a pretty big deal to God. "Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child—this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven". Matthew 18:4 (HCSB) "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted". Matthew 23:12 (HCSB) Arguably, I think most of us get that we're to be humble. Truly humble - honorable, compassionate, respectful, temperate, gracious. Nothin' wrong with any of that, right? But, Screwtape is suggesting here that humility gets to be a problem (in a good way, for the demons) when we become proud of it. "Proud of our humility". Wait a minute. What? Pride. It's clear from the scriptures that pride - self pride - is not Godly. It's destructive. It causes us to fall. It's a disgrace. "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall". Proverbs 16:18 (NIV) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+16%3A18&version=NIV "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom". Proverbs 11:2 (NIV) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+11:2&version=NIV So, how could it happen? How could good humility go bad? Well, according to Screwtape, humility becomes pride when..... Our focus leans inward and away from God We become impressed with our ability to be humble Let that sink in a minute. Now, Part 2: I'll kick it off with a question: Since we're supposed to be humble and pride-less, then that means we are to think very little of ourselves, right? Answer: Not exactly. First of all, to think too little of ourselves would be an opinion. And frankly, we are not entitled to an opinion on our worth. Only God is qualified for that. Secondly, a low self-worth can morph into self-contempt and, as Screwtape says, "self-contempt can be made the starting-point for contempt of other selves". Who knew that hating yourself hurts other people? Bottom line: Because God loves us so incredibly, unbelievably much - even Screwtape acknowledges this - we are Significant. Prized. A hot property, A big deal. We should think highly of ourselves, because we are cherished by the Most High. However..... I'm not a bigger deal than you. You're not a bigger deal than me. Our MSRP's are exactly the same. Pretty much everybody is familiar with the scripture: “....Love your neighbor as yourself.[a] There is no other command greater than these.” Mark 12:31 (HCSB) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark+12%3A31&version=HCSB Absolutely. And, thanks to this new insight from Screwtape, I would also suggest we love ourselves (the same) as our neighbor. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
3/3/2019 0 Comments Hymns and HerI love music. All kinds of music. Country, rock, R & B, classical... if it's good, I like it. But, here's the deal. I think we all need to spend some of our listening time - when the world is screaming at us from all directions - listening to Christian (gospel, contemporary Christian, hymns, praise & worship, whatever you want to call it) music. For Believers, a Christian song can affirm our faith, lift us up, bring peace to our heart, hammer home a scripture, reveal a truth - pretty much whatever we need in that moment. Look, I love me some Eric Church, but not as much as Jesus does. And Bon Jovi may be livin' on a prayer, but that doesn't cover me, you know what I’m sayin’? I NEED to take in some Christian music every single day. That’s not to mention, it's just plain fun to get my personal worship jam on in the car, in the shower, on the exercise bike. Major stress reliever. (True story: Good thing I was on a stationary bike this morning, instead of a real one, when I closed my eyes and threw up my hands listening to Casting Crowns' "Voice of Truth", or there could've been a serious accident.) So, OK. This post is an encouragement to you to work some Christian music into your daily routine, if you’re not doing that already. It can rock your world, I’m tellin’ ya. I also wanted to share with you my current Spotify playlist of Christian songs. Some are old, some are new. These are some of my favorites – some because I just like the song, and others I have found the message incredibly powerful during certain times in life. Maybe one of them will really resonate with you, too. And, if you would, feel free to share (Reply) here – with me and other Faith by Dummy Blog readers, some of your personal, go-to Christian songs. I’m always looking to add more to my playlist. Link to my Spotify “Christian” Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/…/sinymxnb8mojl1kpsvgt97srh/playli… Oh, and one more thing…… While you’re in Spotify, I would love it if you would check out my Faith by Dummy Podcast. Let me know what you think! Thanks! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.😁 Rugged Cross Distressed Recycled Tee Plaid Green Denim Large
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The Rugged Cross Tee is handmade, distressed, frayed, from recycled fabrics. Shirt is brand new. Unisex Size Youth Medium. 100% Cotton or Cotton/Polyester Blend. Recommend machine wash inside/out. The crosswill continue to fray over time (after each wash) and get better (more ‘rugged’) over time. Rugged Cross KIDS Distressed Recycled Tee Vintage Red Youth XL
$19.00
The Rugged Cross Tee is handmade, distressed, frayed, from recycled fabrics. Shirt is brand new. Unisex Size Youth XL. 100% Cotton or Cotton/Polyester Blend. Recommend machine wash inside/out. The crosswill continue to fray over time (after each wash) and get better (more ‘rugged’) over time. In the last few Letters, the young man had been starting to slip a bit, getting more lax and relaxed in his daily walk, particularly in comparison to his fervency at the time of initial conversion. And the demons were loving it. Well, in this Letter (13) there seems to have been somewhat of a spiritual renewal, and it’s making the demons crazy. Screwtape is really giving it to Wormwood for letting this happen. Apparently, the guy has experienced “repentance, renewal and grace” which, as Screwtape says, constitutes a “second conversion” that is probably “on a deeper level than even the first”. To me, this characterizes the complexity and depth of our spiritual growth over time, through life experiences, crises, ups, downs – all the things that, perhaps ironically, make us more receptive to (and more serious about getting ahold of) God’s care and grace. (Screwtape talked about this in an earlier Letter, in how we are closest to God when we are in a spiritual ‘pit’, yet none of us ever pray to be in a pit). The dude in the story, it seems, has spent some time lately in commune with God - whether intentionally or inadvertently is not made clear. But, through this actual ‘quiet time' in reflecting and soul-searching, he has reached a point of spiritual renewal and re-focus. And – this is the best part – his assigned demon could do absolutely nothing to stop this from playing out because the Holy Spirit was present with the guy. Booyah! I love this! Now, I should say this is my interpretation of what happened. You see, Screwtape describes this “asphyxiating cloud” that prevented Wormwood from “attacking” the patient during this quiet and thoughtful time. This cloud, according to Screwtape, is well-known to the demons as God’s “most barbarous weapon” that appears when He (God) is “directly present” with a human. I'm saying this has got to be the Holy Spirit. And this “certain mode not yet fully classified”, as the demons call it, is driving them nuts! They hate it. They don’t completely get it, but they absolutely know that they have no strength, no power, in the presence of the Holy Spirit (I'm picturing the spirit world equivalent of kryptonite). Screwtape laments, “Some humans are permanently surrounded by it (the Holy Spirit) and thereby inaccessible to us”. Too bad, demons. You lose. So, going back to why Wormwood is in trouble with Screwtape..... The ‘patient’ has been able to experience this quiet spiritual renewal because Wormwood has allowed (hasn't been able to stop) him to indulge in some real and “positive” pleasures. Godly pleasures. Not sensual pleasures, but those things that feed the soul. Like reading for enjoyment instead of because you need to be "well read". Or like spending some quiet time – alone, literally – in the middle of nowhere because you love it. The demons’ agenda for us is the exact opposite - to keep us busy, vain, in pursuit of “the best” things, detached from ourselves (existentially) and from God. But now, the patient has what we might call “re-found” himself and who he is in God, and Wormwood was supposed to prevent that from ever happening. Whoops. I like when Screwtape laments that once this happens - once we become “wholly” God’s - we are “more of (our)selves than ever”. This tells me that the things of this world are more than distractions – they are barriers to being what God made us to be. What we can be. What we are. Screwtape ends this Letter by telling Wormwood that the only thing to do at this point is keep the young man from acting on his newfound ‘repentance’. “Let him think about it all he wants”, Screwtape tells Wormwood, as long as he doesn’t "convert it into action". My prayer: Lord, help me to find and then lose those distractions in my life that are barriers to being who you made me to be. Amen. Oh, and P.S. Thank you, God, for sending us the Holy Spirit, the ultimate super hero. Rugged Cross Distressed Recycled Tee Lime Polka Dot Large
$25.00
The Rugged Cross is handmade, distressed, frayed, from recycled fabrics. Shirt is brand new. Unisex Size Large. Cotton or Polyester/Cotton blend. Prewashed. Recommend machine wash inside/out. The shirt will continue to fray over time (after each wash) and get better (more ‘rugged’) over time. Note: Sizes Small & Medium tend to run a bit small. |
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