Tag: good reads

A Tale for October 31st

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The Haunted Room. As we look ahead to October 31st, a night when much of the world wants to think of goblins, ghosts and other ghoulish notions, what better title for those seeking extra intrigue? (Read by flashlight or dancing fire flame for added effect!)

Yes, this story presents its fair share (or more!) of mystery, but even before you get into the action there is something engaging about this book. 

Right after the “Contents”, you’ll find a letter from the author, A.L.O.E. – A Lady of England as she was known when her suspenseful tale first hit the presses in 1889. Here is a snippet:

“It is under peculiar circumstances that A.L.O.E. sends forth this little volume. As it is passing through the press its author is preparing to enter on a new field of labour in the East, as an honorary member of the Zenana Mission in India…”

Ah, the Zenana Mission brings to mind another lady of England. Amy Carmichael went to India with the Zenana Mission in 1895 and stayed there until her death in 1951. Amidst her efforts to rescue girls and boys sold into such horrors as temple prostitution, Amy was also a writer though not of fiction (to my knowledge) like A.L.O.E. and a reader. Did A.L.O.E. and Amy ever read each other’s books? Did they ever meet, either in the British Isles or in India?

Such speculations aside, it seems safe to say that Amy would have approved of The Haunted Room if she had read it.

Shed some light on the subject and see (or listen!) for yourself as we move toward October 31st. 

Journey to Trust

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If Christy ever thought all the uncertainties of life would vanish after her wedding day, she finds out plenty soon that isn’t reality. 

In the second installment of Christy & Todd: The Married Years, Christy finds herself facing challenges as big (or bigger!) than those she faced during her growing up and dating years. Not only do she and Todd still need permanent work, they need a permanent home. Christy longs for the security of home. Then, just before they are supposed to leave for two very important weddings, Christy’s mom faces major health problems. In a leap of faith, Christy and Todd act to keep long-ago promises…and Christy forgets something very important for her best friend Katie’s wedding!

So it is that Christy finds herself on a journey. A journey that takes her halfway around the world. 

Yes, she stops in the Canary Islands and eventually arrives at a Kenyan retreat center, but that’s not her journey’s end. While she might wish she were on a journey to answers, that’s not the real destination either. 

No, Christy Spencer is on a different journey. A journey to trust.

Have you ever been on a journey like that? Yes? Me, too. 

As Christy wonders where in the world she and Todd will call home, she sees God provide for her friend Katie. Katie is the girl who didn’t know where to go after she graduated from college and prayed and prayed until God moved. Now as she looks forward to her wedding day, her parents are disinterested. But Christy sees that God has provided for Katie in beautiful ways with a new family who love her and a sweet spot to call home (even if cockroaches are included!)

This and many other experiences bring Christy to the point where she realizes,

“If God can give a garden cottage to Katie…I’m open to wherever He leads us. Here or Newport or someplace we haven’t even thought of yet.” [1]

Have you come to that place? 

Maybe yes, maybe no. Maybe you were there once and are back on the journey. I think in some ways it’s the trip of a lifetime with rest stops and lookout points along the way. 

I think that’s how it’s going to be for Christy, too. Time (and the next book) will tell.

Until then, we can all benefit from Christy’s journey with a few helpful tips for us real-life livers.

  1. If you think your dating-and-waiting days demand strength and trust, just wait until your married days!
  2. Watching God working in others lives bolsters our own faith. What if our stories are meant to be the ones others can “read” and find encouraging? How are we doing in this? 
  3. Sometimes it takes a long time for God to give us answers to the longing of our hearts. Sometimes He gives us answers that look different from what we expect. For Christy, God eventually does provide a roof to shelter her and Todd (very unexpectedly!), but Christy first learns to practice Proverbs 3:5-6 and discovers a couple of powerful truths about where her home is.  

May we travel this journey well with Proverbs 3:5-6 as our motto. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (ESV)

[1] Robin Jones Gunn, Home of Our Hearts, Christy & Todd: The Married Years, no. 2 (Kahului, HI: Robin’s Nest Production’s, Inc., 2014), 209. 

What is Womanhood? A Conversation with Caddie Woodlawn

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Lived by a grandmother and passed down over the years, it’s a story that beats with real life. It’s the story of a redheaded, spirited girl growing up in 1860s Wisconsin where she and her family work and play together and learn what is important to them. It’s the story of Caddie Woodlawn. 

This story came to life for me via the television screen and later through the pages of the Newbery-Award-winning book by Carol Ryrie Brink. The two are different in some big ways. Overall, I have to say that although the film captured my imagination and I absolutely loved the costumes, the book is, by and large, better, both worldview-wise and for learning about life in 1860s Wisconsin. But, of course, you could check out both versions for yourself! 

Main Characters (in the book):

Caddie – A red-headed explorer who loves spending time with her brothers and learns many lessons.

Tom – Caddie’s older brother, a kind heart

Warren – Caddie’s younger brother, a jolly soul

Hetty – one of Caddie’s sisters, a chatterbox reporter

Mr. Woodlawn – Caddie’s father, a hard-working Brit who loves America

Mrs. Woodlawn – Caddie’s mother, a Bostonian lady who occasionally misses city life but loves her husband more

Annabelle Gray – the Woodlawns’ Bostonian cousin

While the book is full of exciting escapades like a prairie fire and Caddie’s race to protect the Native Americans, one quiet scene stood out to me. It seeks to answer a question every girl (or parent of a girl) faces at some point: What is womanhood all about and is it something a young girl could be excited to claim?

After a particularly miserable experience, Caddie and her father talk. Within that conversation, Mr. Woodlawn shares with his daughter what he thinks womanhood is:

“It takes nerve and courage and patience, but good women have those things. They have them just as much as the men who build bridges…A woman’s work is something fine and noble to grow up to, and it is just as important as a man’s. But no man could ever do it so well…I want you to be a woman with a wise and understanding heart, healthy in body and honest in mind. Do you think you would like to be growing into that woman now?” (pg. 244-245) 1

How does Caddie answer? How would you answer? Whether we are girls or we are raising girls, I think we could agree that being “a woman with a wise and understanding heart, healthy in body and honest in mind” who also has “nerve and courage and patience” is a worthy goal. 

After you’ve read the book and/or watched the movie, perhaps you’ll be a fan of Caddie Woodlawn and her conviction-driven spunk. Do you know you can still visit her home in Wisconsin? Check out the Dunn County Historical Society website. All you will find in the park  now is the log cabin and the small white house (pictured above), but, as another redheaded heroine of children’s literature says, there’s plenty of “scope for the imagination” in that. 

[1] Carol Ryrie Brink, Caddie Woodlawn (New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1990), 244-245. 

Perfect Timing

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As we say “adios” to 2015, I’ve been thinking about timing. Did you get to do everything you wanted to do this year? Did things happen according to your schedule? If your year went anything like mine, not much happened in your timeframe. You still might be waiting for an event or wishing some things hadn’t gone by so fast. Perhaps you are actually scurrying to keep up with a whirlwind of new direction. On the other hand, the timing of other things might have been as sweet as the best Christmas surprise.

As much as we try, there are simply many things about our lives that we cannot control. The passage of time and the timing of so much are not subject to our wishes. However, time is subject to the King of Kings.

Life happens in God’s timing. And I think His timing is mysterious.

That’s how it was with the first Christmas. God’s people waited for generations – for thousands of years – for the prophecies to be fulfilled about the expected Savior. When it happened, all the pieces came together in a flurry. Now as God’s people look back to that day, generations are again waiting for Jesus – in a new way but with the same level of unknowns.

Why did the Lord choose that time in history to unfold such a pivotal scene in His story? Why not sooner or later? What was it like for the generations waiting? Was it anything like us waiting for God to give us the answers, direction or things that we’d like?

If you are in the middle of being at the mercy of God’s timing or if you’ve been there done that a time or two, you can relate to Christy and Todd in Forever with You the first installment in the series “Christy & Todd: The Married Years” by Robin Jones Gunn.

Like many young couples, especially those in ministry, these two are surfing their life-wave when the ocean gets messy. As breaker after breaker rolls over them, they can’t help wondering what in the world God is doing as they wait, wait, wait for Him to bring some solutions to their very-present problems.

Yeah, I’ve been there, too. The waiting is not so fun.

Happily for Christy and Todd (and any readers), they figure out how to keep trusting God amidst their stormy seas. Then they get to watch God bring all the elements together at just the right time…like He did on the first Christmas. As in real life, not all of their problems get tied up with a bow – besides it is the first book in a series – but the ending is sufficiently wrapped up with these words from Todd:

“To the King and His kingdom! We praise you, Father, for Your mysterious ways and Your perfect timing.” (pg. 265)

Yes, someday the mystery will be gone, and we’ll be able to see God’s timing as perfect.

May we be able to face 2016 with the same spirit even with the waiting, “whirlwind-ing”, and wondering. And if you’re looking for a little encouragement along the way, you might want to pick up a copy of Forever with You.

When Cousin Agatha Comes Calling: Tips for Dealing with Difficult Relatives over the Holidays

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When Cousin Agatha practically invites herself to the O’Dell family’s Thanksgiving, most of them welcome her. What could possibly be bad about letting a solitary old woman into your home, right?

The holidays are known for surprises. In the O’Dells case, the surprise of Cousin Agatha isn’t so sweet. 

By the end of Thanksgiving dinner, Mabel O’Dell and her family are worn out by Cousin Agatha’s demanding ways. Then she announces that she thinks she’ll stay until Christmas!

As Mabel confides in her friend Sarah Jane, she’s pretty sure that if Cousin Agatha stays, she herself will “just die,” [1] rather than live that long with this woman who wants to see everyone else working but won’t lift a finger herself.

Have you ever been in Mabel’s shoes? For all the wonderful wonders of the Christmas season, it is also sometimes a wonder that many of us have to face our most challenging relatives during this season that is heralded as a time of joy and peace.

How do you handle them without losing your mind? 

I think the story of “Cousin Agatha” by Arleta Richardson offers some helpful tips.

  1. Take one day at a time. For Mabel O’Dell, looking ahead to a whole month of Cousin Agatha is unbearable. Her mother offers some sound advice. “The Lord only sends us one day at a time…Don’t worry about more than that. When the other days arrive, you’ll probably find out you worried about all the wrong things.” She has a good point, right? If you don’t think you can stand a week with Uncle Arnold, just make it through day by day. Something else I’ve learned is that the middle of any stretch of time is almost always the hardest, whether it’s five days or a month. Once you make it through the middle, you can usually make it to the end.
  2. Don’t feel compelled to cater to their every whim or want. When Cousin Agatha complains about poor old Pep the dog coming into the house to escape the winter chill, Ma doesn’t flap her apron and make him trot out the door. She calmly explains the situation and lets Cousin Agatha grumble to herself. The tricky part is to continue both keeping your cool and standing your ground. It’s good to remember that one of the most loving two-letter words you can say to someone might very well be “no” if it’s said in a loving way.
  3. Speaking of love, why not love your unpleasant relations “to death”? While Mabel’s friend Sarah Jane suggests that she herself might consider giving Cousin Agatha a little encouragement to leave, Mabel remembers her dad’s view that “Christian love is the best solution.” Sarah Jane’s response? “All right, then…Love her to death.” Okay, so that may sound a little paradoxical, but I think it illuminates an interesting fact: Sometimes we can love people to the point that their crabby, Scrooge-ish ways just lay down and die. Of course, that’s a lot easier said than done.
  4. One thing that might help is to try to understand where they’re coming from. Of course, some people are just creepy, but othen times there are reasons beneath the ice. Maybe that grandparent who acts like an unchanged Grinch isn’t a Christian? Well, don’t expect him to act like one! What if your mother-in-law had a terrible childhood? Acknowledging in your own head how hard that could be might give you an extra ounce of compassion. Is your brother super-stressed over his job (or lack thereof)? imagine if you were in his shoes. In Mabel’s case, she thankfully gets a little help from a snowstorm.

When Cousin Agatha has to face the fact that something – the snow  that’s snowing them in – is outside of her control, it rocks her world. Mabel is then able to see a little glimmer of the inside Cousin Agatha – a lonely, insecure old woman.

Then a remarkable thing happens.

Mabel gives this female Scrooge a hug and a peck on the cheek.

What is really remarkable is Cousin Agatha’s response, “That’s the first time anyone has hugged me since I can remember. Do you really like me, Mabel?”

Ah, now we see. Cousin Agatha may not be a very nice person, but it’s not all without reason. Imagine not being able to remember the last time you got a hug! Having lived in a Latin American culture where we give hugs (and kisses on the cheek!) all the time, I think not being able to remember your last hug would be sad indeed. 

It’s a good reminder, isn’t it? Perhaps lathering on the kindness and concern – like a little kid putting frosting on a gingerbread man – could very well change the whole person into a new creation. (Frosting certainly can do astounding things to gingerbread men!)

In Cousin Agatha’s case, we aren’t given the rest of the story. That is, we don’t know whether Cousin Agatha really does change or whether she sinks back into her self-centered gloom. We don’t get to see how the O’Dells’ Christmas turns out.

That might be just as well. After all, Christians aren’t called to change people. That’s God’s business! (Insert sigh of relief, right?) We’re “just” responsible for loving them. (John 15:12)

I’m a little nervous writing this post because it seems that whenever we mere mortals try to encourage others to “do well”, God gives us opportunities to practice it ourselves. What if next week a crotchety old aunt whom I’ve never met appears on my doorstep and wants to stay until Easter? Gulp! Maybe you should pray for me extra…

Personal concerns aside, I hope these tips give you a little boost with your holiday season. And if you like the snippets of “Cousin Agatha” by Arleta Richardson, you may want to check out all the short stories collected in Treasures from Grandma’s Attic.

 

1 Unless otherwise noted, all quotes are taken from Arleta Richardson’s Treasures from Grandma (Colorado Springs: Chariot Victor Publishing, a division of Cook Communications, 1984).

Ivan – Stories of the Persecuted Church

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In the dark, I followed the person in front of me. We even crawled through a tunnel on our hands and knees. The whole group was quiet. Then we arrived in a room lit only by a single flashlight. By that light, the leader read to us…

That was my most memorable church experience. I believe I was three years old at the time, and I still remember it all these years later. 

We were learning about the persecuted church, specifically in Russia (USSR) as I recall. That evening gave me a taste – be it ever so small – of the challenges Christians in many parts of the world have to face in order to learn more about God. It brought the real-ness of it to me, gave me a connection and settled into a special place in my heart.

Years later, I discovered a set of books written for children – I like to check out books for my younger friends, as if you haven’t noticed – that take place during the final years of the USSR. Of course, I had to read them. 

Ivan and the Moscow Circus is Book #1 in the series. There are 6 titles in all.

Ivan and the Moscow Circus is Book #1 in the series. There are 6 titles in all.

Within the Ivan series, Myrna Grant shares the escapades of Ivan, his sister Katya and the struggles they face growing up as Christians in the USSR. Whether at the circus, in school and even in America, Ivan is faced with choices of whether to do things God’s way and invite persecution or to take the easy way out. Each book is packed with suspense, including interrogations by the police and smuggling God’s Word. While the action is gripping, the realities of life for Christians in the USSR are dealt with in a way suitable for most children (I would say ages 9+). Beyond that, I think many children today will be able to empathize with Ivan and will gain a greater understanding and compassion for the persecuted church.

I wished I had read these books before my college class on the “Rise & Fall of the Soviet Union”. Frankly, stories seem so much more memorable than mere facts! Besides that, I would have had interesting pegs to hang my new knowledge on and heightened interest in the skeletal matter of Soviet history.

From both the stories and the class, I came away with a deeper understanding of Russia’s history and sociology – why it is the way it is today – but the biggest take-away for me was gratitude. Gratitude for a freedom-filled history, gratitude for family, gratitude for the opportunity to work hard to benefit myself and those I love, gratitude for the ability to speak my mind, gratitude for liberty to worship God. 

Yes, the name USSSR no longer scrawls across the continent of Asia, but persecution of the global church is still very real. Since Sunday, November 8 is an international day of prayer for the persecuted church, let’s come before Christ our Advocate (I John 2:1, ESV) on behalf of our brothers and sisters around the world. Along with our petitions, let’s also thank Him for three things:

  1. Those who have gone before us in faithfully walking through trials whether in the USSR or elsewhere around the world.
  2. The liberties we enjoy – however great or small they are.
  3. His faithfulness (Psalm 117:2, ESV).

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” ~Colossians 4:2, ESV 

Of Mistakes, Adoptions & “Faith-Brellas”

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“No boy! But there must have been a boy,” insisted Marilla. “We sent word to Mrs. Spencer to bring a boy.”

“Well, she didn’t. She brought her. I asked the stationmaster. And I had to bring her home. She couldn’t be left there, no matter where the mistake had come in.”

“Well, this is a pretty piece of business!” ejaculated Marilla. [1]

 From Prince Edward Island at the turn of twentieth the century, let’s move ahead multiple decades in “book time” and listen in on the Hunter family from near Blossom Hill Lane, USA.

[Abby] stood stone still. “Something’s crazy wrong,” she whispered. 

Carly came closer. “What is?” 

“Can’t you see? Miss Lin is with two boys.”

The girls stared.

“Let’s find our sisters,” Abby said.

…The Hunter family huddled in the hallway. 

“There’s been a mistake,” Mr. Hunter explained.

“But I…uh…we don’t want brothers,” Abby said. [2]

Have you ever been the subject of a mistake that threatened your picture of the future? Both of the above scenes come from stories about mixed-up adoptions. In the one case Anne Shirley arrives in Avonlea instead of a boy and in the second Sung Jin and Choon Koo, two Korean brothers, arrive in America instead of two expected girls. Talk about surprises!

While it’s hard to imagine two boys being sent halfway around the world instead of two girls in this day and age, we all know that “mistakes” happen plenty often. Even more frequently, our realities deviate from what we picture in our heads. At least mine do.

It’s no fun being the subject of a change that shakes up the pieces of our life-puzzles. Sometimes it makes us mad like Marilla at the beginning of Anne of Green Gables. Sometimes it brings hard work or dismantles work. In The Double Dabble Surprise  Abby and Carly Hunter are horrified when the room they carefully gave all sorts of girly touches is boy-i-fied by their unexpected brothers. Sometimes surprising situations mean we have to surrender old dreams like Abby and Carly give up the bride bears they were going to give the new girls. 

Of course, not all mistakes have to be lived with. Sometimes they are opportunities to practice problem solving. Other times they’re just momentary rain showers to give us practice at putting up our umbrellas of faith (or our “faith-brellas” as I like to call them) before the sun comes out and everything’s fine.

But there are those times, like in these two stories, when “mistakes” inspire us to make big changes and take us through a downpour that requires not only a faith-brella, but also a rain jacket and wellies! (“Wellies” is British for galoshes or rain boots, so I’m told. Isn’t English fun?)

We can put up our faith-brella to shield us from drops of doubt, despair and discouragement because we know that God is in control of all things. Sometimes the reason for the “mistakes” may be foggy our whole lives. Other times it comes clear as a rainbow in the sky. After all, God knows the big picture, so He sends us the elements we need. Just listen to Matthew Cuthbert…

“She’s been a real blessing to us, and there never was a luckier mistake than what Mrs. Spencer made – if it was luck. I don’t believe it was any such thing. It was Providence, because the Almighty knew we needed her, I reckon.” [3]

And how does it work out for the Hunters? Well, I suppose you can guess, but if you have a young reader in your home, you might just have to let them find out. Why not make it a great way to celebrate National Adoption Month (November)? Perhaps you’ll even enjoy Beverly Lewis’s entire Cul-De-Sac Kids series together!

 

[1] L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1995), 36 An Everyman’s Library children’s classic edition.

[2] Beverly Lewis, The Double Dabble Surprise, The Cul-De-Sac Kids, 1 (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1995.), 16-18.

[3] L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1995), 356. An Everyman’s Library children’s classic edition.