Tried With Fire

My review of Not Forsaken is at Out of the Ordinary today. " Not Forsaken by Jennifer Michelle Greenberg began as series of letters to her husband to try to explain the trauma and emotional, mental, and physical aftermath of her child abuse. She also wrote those letters for her own understanding of herself and to try to make sense in the scriptures of what she endured. Those letters became this book, and I am so glad she wrote it for the rest of us..." Read the review here .

I've written a review of  Broken Pieces and the God Who Mends Them: Schizophrenia Through a Mother's Eyes by   Simonetta Carr. It's a powerful book that the church needs because Christians can have serious mental illness, too. Read the review here .

I am posting at Out of the Ordinary today: I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. These are the last two lines from the poem,  Invictus , by William Ernest Henley. It's been quoted by many people throughout history as an expression of the tenacity and triumph of the human spirit. It also invokes the idea that no matter the odds, we have the ability to control our own destinies. While some may find this inspiring, this is terrifying to me. During a past trial, I was faced with the grim possibility that the outcome of my future was solely up to me. There was no one nearby who could give me the help I needed. The loneliness and being at a complete loss felt worse than the situation itself. What if I made a wrong decision? Not only could I ruin my life but also the lives of others. I was a believer, and my concept of God was better than the absent deity in  Invictus , but not by much. He was just one of many players in the drama with slightly ...

My review of All That's Good by Hannah Anderson is up at Out of the Ordinary , and we're giving away a copy of the book too. Head on over to read the review here . I wanted to focus on Hannah's book and not bring in another one because I didn't want to compare books or authors, but I will mention this. I read "How to Think" by Alan Jacobs last year, one of my favorites of the year. When I completed it, I wished that there was a similar book but more in depth specifically for Christians. All That's Good  is THAT book! And one more note - even though the author is a woman, this book is for all believers.

I'm posting at Out of the Ordinary today: When you have loved ones who are aging and declining, it's hard to avoid facing death, and it is sobering. For some reason, the phrase "Death is the great equalizer" came to mind the other night, so I googled it. References to Shakespeare came up, but the Bible describes this far better than any literature could. "The wages of sin is death"  This statement certainly encompasses us all no matter our station in life, bank account, or IQ score. In Adam all die, and none of us are exempt. But the verse doesn't end there, thank God. Read the rest here .

I'm sharing a post at Out of the Ordinary today, a modified version of one I wrote earlier this month on this blog. When I was looking for a picture to add to the post, I found the one above at Wikimedia Commons. The photographer named it "The door that opens when you get older." That seemed very fitting. Life becomes harder and more complicated when you grow old. I'm not all the way there yet, but my parents are. We moved my mom into memory care a couple months ago, and I will be heading back in a few weeks to move my dad into assisted living. The packing and physical move were the easy part. The hard part is the emotional and mental adjustment to living in a new place, which is difficult for anyone let alone for someone with Alzheimer's or frail health. I'm thankful for my parents and how God has kept them, but I also want to use this situation to learn  now  before it becomes harder to do so. On the drive home, I shared with my daughter some lessons I ...

I'm reviewing Why Can't We Be Friends? at Out of the Ordinary today: There has been a lot of discussion about Why Can't We Be Friends? even before its release. There have been concerns that Aimee is advocating antinomianism (disregarding the moral law) in the area of friendship. I don't think this is the case at all. I believe she steers a theologically straight course between license and legalism, which is why I strongly recommend this book. She is not advocating permissiveness in our friendships. Neither does she give a list of cast iron dos and donts. Rather she raises the bar by encouraging her readers to look to Christ and what he has done on our behalf. It is through our union with him that the family of God can be family in holiness and purity. He sets the standard for friendship, not the culture. Read the entire review here.

I'm posting at Out of the Ordinary today. It's funny how my pastor's recent sermons have provided the exact encouragement I needed from the Word at exactly the right time. Being reminded of who God is in His Word is a lifeline in the middle of a trial, so God's timing is pretty amazing. I just got off the phone with my dad. Today was a rough day for him and my mom. He never knows what the dementia may bring, but the stress ramps up when my mom won't comply with the care that is necessary and good for her. Because of the disease, she will question and argue, and because of the disease, trying to reason with her is futile. This is hard for my dad when all he wants to do is help his wife whom he loves. I encouraged him as best as I could, and we prayed together on the phone. When I hung up, then I could release the tears I had been holding inside. It's no wonder the Heidelberg Catechism refers to this life as a vale of tears. Read the rest of the post here ...

I'm posting at Out of the Ordinary today. "This was also the first time I said goodbye to my parents wondering how many more times I would be able to see them in this life., and it hit me hard. As we were driving home, I grieved for my parents. Dementia is so cruel because it robs a person from the inside out, and it inflicts such loss, not just on the sufferer but on the surrounding family too. But as I was praying, I asked myself - is this life and its eventual deterioration all my parents have to look forward to? And as I asked the Lord to comfort us, the first question of the Heidelberg Catechism came to mind: What is your only comfort in life and in death?" Read the rest here .

In February, I  wrote about a ten-year anniversary - the day my husband moved out of the house on Valentine's Day and out of our marriage. But at the end of 2007, another event took place. The last Sunday of 2007 was the first day I walked through the door of Grace Baptist Chapel and found a church home. I'm sharing that story at Out of the Ordinary today. You can read the post here . Photo credit: By LudwigSebastianMicheler (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

In light of the sola fide debate, I'm posting at Out of the Ordinary on the doctrine of imputation. This is a rewrite of an old post. However, when we stumble and fall and assurance waivers, it never hurts to be reminded again that our righteousness is outside of ourselves. Jesus Christ is our righteousness. For decades as a Christian, I was taught and believed that Jesus got me in the door, but the rest was up to me. This was terrifying. I remember crying as a child wondering if I would have the courage to be a martyr for Christ, and wondering if I would lose my salvation if I failed. I remember hearing about the movie, A Thief in the Night, and wondering what would happen if I wasn't ready. I lived with so much uncertainty that current events would strike fear in my heart because I doubted I would be good enough when Christ returned. Finally one day, I was raking leaves and listening to R.C. Sproul's lectures on What is Reformed Theology? . When he discussed the...

I'm posting at Out of the Ordinary today: The ease and speed of communication are wonderful things. When my daughter went on a trip this summer, I could track her flights in real time and expect an email on her arrival. There was no waiting for weeks on end for a letter assuring me she had safely crossed the ocean. Just a few clicks was all it took. But this ease and speed of communication have a downside. There are times when it seems as though all the bad news in the world comes scrolling across my screen. Tragedies both natural and instigated by man seem to pile on top of one another until it is overwhelming. When a particular story or issue strikes a chord, my heart aches, and I want to do something about it. But situations are too big and attitudes too entrenched for one woman to make that much of difference, which can lead to discouragement and even cynicism... Read the rest of the post here .

I've posted a review of Finding Grace in the Face of Dementia at Out of the Ordinary today. We are also giving away a copy of the book. You can read the review and enter the giveaway here .

I'm post at Out of the Ordinary today: One of my favorite Christian books is  Pilgrim's Progress  by  John Bunyan . I first read an abridged version when I was young, and I was enthralled by Christian's journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. It was an exciting adventure complete with hair-raising escapes and evil villains. But it wasn't until I was an adult that I began to appreciate how much Bunyan drew from the Scriptures as he laid out the believer's journey from the moment of conversion to the final destination of heaven. I was naturally drawn to the main  characters  of Christian, Faithful who dies a martyr's death in Vanity Fair, and Hopeful who became Christian's new companion. These are heroic figures who persevere through affliction until they cross the river and are welcomed by the King of the city. But lately I've been encouraged by several of the minor pilgrims in  Part II : Mr. Ready-to-Halt, Mr. Feeble-Mind, Mr...

I'm posting at Out of the Ordinary today: The coming of Christ has been on my mind of late. Part of it is because my pastor has just finished preaching a series on Revelation. The other part is the lingering sorrow that has been weighing on my heart. I am not a melancholy person by nature, but I can't seem to shake this undercurrent of sadness. Don't get me wrong, there are many moments of joy and laughter. There are many times of encouragement in God's Word and with his people, but there is lament mixed with praise. What is going on? Am I getting inundated with too much news? Has the optimism of youth been replaced with the pessimism of middle-age? Am I feeling helpless in the face of so much suffering that is not just out there but close to home? Christ's second coming is looking better and better, and yet his return isn't meant to be just an escape hatch from this broken and sin-cursed world. In my weariness, I turned to the passage that everyone ...

There was a time when the book of Revelation was my least favorite book of the Bible. I thought its main message was to foretell all the horrible things that would happen before Jesus comes back, and those horrors would be my fate unless I achieved a certain level of spirituality whereby God would deem me mature enough to escape them. Cold comfort, indeed! At least, Revelation was at the end of the Bible so I could avoid reading it as long as possible. But what a terrible state to be in. I had no assurance as to my salvation. God and His gospel seemed weak and ineffectual, and I was afraid to read part of the Bible. But I couldn't be more wrong. The gospel isn't the power of God to just get me in the door and then the rest is up to me. What Christ has accomplished covers the beginning, middle, and end of my Christian life. I am not living in a dualistic Star-Wars-like universe where good and evil battle one another on a level playing field. Who in his right mind would cont...

I have very strong opinions about books for Christian women. I am tired of the bad theology, and I'm tired of the promotion of cultural norms as being more godly. But I am also very hopeful. I am thankful for women like Hannah Anderson, Aimee Byrd, and Wendy Alsup, whose latest book I have just reviewed. Their books have raised the bar and taken us beyond the pink passages and the pink ghetto of Titus 2-onlyism. Is the Bible Good for Women? tackles Dinah's rape and other passages that would cause many to question the goodness of the Word and ultimately God Himself. How many books for Christian women would dare do that without writing off the very real concerns of women who have suffered abuse and trauma? We need less fluff and more substance. We need sound theology but also its application to real life, not the Christian fairytale. Is the Bible God for Women? does that. Read the review here .

It's my turn at Out of the Ordinary today, and I'm finally posting my review of No Little Women : When it comes to women's discipleship, there is no shortage of ideas. Most people have an opinion about what it is, what should be taught, and even whether it is necessary or not. There is also no shortage of material that is marketed for this purpose. Some is good but much is not very good at all. What is the average Christian woman to do? Thankfully,  Aimee Byrd  has tackled this often sensitive topic in her latest book,  No Little Women: Equipping All Women in the Household of God .  If you are looking for tips on how to do women's ministry "right," there is helpful and practical advice to be gleaned, but this book is much more than that. Read the rest of the review here ...

I am posting at Out of the Ordinary today: "It is no good telling the bereaved mother that Christ still loves and cares for her if she has only been taught to think of Christ in terms of how he works on her own feelings and in her own experiences. She needs to be able to see that God is much greater than her experience of him; she needs to know that, whatever her current feelings of anguish and despair, God is trustworthy and loving; and she needs to know that assurance is not necessarily about emotional highs but about knowing that God is faithful even though the whole world appears to be falling apart around her..."   Carl Trueman She needs to be able to see that God is much greater than her experience of him... This passage by Carl Trueman hits close to home. I was not a bereaved mother but a heartbroken wife wondering where God was when my husband walked out the door. I would never have owned it at the time, but God was pretty much the God of my experience...

Theology for Girls ran a series of posts in 2013 on women in scripture, which we are reposting at Out of the Ordinary.  My post on Lydia is up today. Her story is a perfect example of the doctrine of effectual calling because "God opened her heart" just like He opened the hearts of all who believe. Read the post here .