End of 2016 Reflections

2016 is almost done and it's been a seminal year in some ways. Our student loans are gone and we're excited to head into a very different budget in 2017 - Having spent so many years paying off past debt, it'll be a relief and a joy to start saving for the future. I turned 35 this year and I've started to feel it: sore knee & ankle from a cycling fall and a useless right shoulder after severely aggravating it.

This year marks an important turning point spiritually too. It's the year I started saying no to more church involvement. As a PK (pastor's kid), church has always been my primary social structure and avenue for my effort, time and talent in "bettering the world." But before explaining why I've become less involved in church, it'll be helpful to explore what God has put on my heart the past couple of years & the convictions that have crystallized as I've read, meditated, prayed and discussed these things with close friends. (Thanks in particular to authors Brian Zahnd, Greg Boyd, Shane Claiborne, Brian McLaren & Walter Brueggemann).

• Following Jesus is not convenient. Following Jesus is not easy. Following Jesus requires imagination and not surrendering to the status quo. In fact, it means challenging the status quo, which will inevitably rub the majority of people the wrong way. Following Jesus means going against the grain and making decisions the world probably won't easily comprehend. But following Jesus is beautiful and joyful and truly changes the world. I can think of nothing more important to pass on to our kids.

• One cannot follow Jesus without following the way of Jesus. As Brian Zahnd discusses in his book "Farewell to Mars," a good number of Christians today dismiss many of Jesus' ideas as being unrealistic for today's world. It's easy to "reduce Jesus to being the Savior who guarantees our reservation in heaven" while ignoring his radical, revolutionary ideas about this-world issues: peace, enemy-love, how we arrange ourselves as a society (politics!), etc. We can't divorce Jesus from his ideas. 

• Following Jesus means being in solidarity with those who are suffering, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them and making their struggles our struggles, taking a (costly) stand and seeping into the cracks and crevices of society. 

As Walter Brueggemann states, one of the tasks of the local church "is to nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture around us." I'd contend our churches are only as good as they propel us outward into the Monday through Friday to live out the Gospel. I applaud my church's missional direction and embracement of the importance of racial reconciliation in our community. I love our involvement with RAIHN and the Ugandan Water Project.

But isn't there a limit to what pastors and leadership teams can do? Programs and signup clipboards can only go so far (no fault of church leadership). I'm becoming increasingly convinced that the biggest issues of our time in Rochester, what has been called the unholy trinity of poverty, racism and violence, can't be solved with extracurricular sign-up programs at church. It requires something more costly: taking a stand Monday through Friday. As a parent wanting to see a better Rochester, I am thoroughly convinced that to follow Jesus in our time in our place means to remain in the Rochester City School District (RCSD). I can't stomach the idea of leaving the City and our kids' wonderful classmates so Aidan and Kenzie can attend a vastly white, prosperous school in the suburbs. I know in my gut that's not the Jesus way.

If you haven't seen John Oliver's segment on School Segregation, please watch it.

This issue is the issue of our time in our place. I know it's stark and offensive, but it seems families in Rochester are either an active part of the solution or an indifferent part of the problem. We vote with our feet for the world we want. To follow Jesus, I know we can't in good conscience follow the dominant script. Fortunately we've got a network of friends and neighbors who are committed to remaining in the City and the RCSD.

So instead of serving on more committees at church, I'm content to play the drums & teach the children's class once a month while getting involved in my community outside the walls of the church. This has been the thrust of our movement as a church community anyway; God has been nudging us in this direction for a while now. It's time to "do the stuff," take a stand and act. It's time to acknowledge where we live, where our kids go to school, how racially and economically diverse their classrooms are, how we get around our city, how we interact with our neighbors - all these are spiritual issues.

To make a better City, we're deliberately making relationships with our kids' classmates and their families. Sarah is very involved with the kids' school, meeting with administrators regularly. I'm coaching Little League Baseball and getting involved with the Rochester Cycling Alliance. (This could be another blog by itself. The issues of poverty, transportation, and sustainability are intertwined). I'm becoming increasingly passionate about cycling in regard to social justice as it is empowering, green, and financially-freeing. I want to advocate for better cycling infrastructure so local families won't have to spend a third of their income on car ownership. A better way is possible.

In sum, the older I get, the more I'm fascinated by Jesus and the more I want to follow him into the trenches. I can't in good conscience blend seamlessly into society, ignore the big issues of our time and place, be a nice person and go to church, and occassionally sign up for a shift at a soup kitchen. I feel Jesus calling us to something more challenging, beautiful and impacting. As an idealist, I'm often accused of overshooting as I dream of "changing the world." But I don't dream of changing the world. I think about our wonderful City of Rochester and pray our neighborhoods and connections can be a microcosm of God's Kingdom.

Footnote regarding Trump & the 2016 election: I have been drifting away from the primarily white, suburban, contemporary evangelical church for a while. In my opinion the white evangelical church jumped the shark when 81% of it voted for Trump last month. This only confirmed I don't fit in it. I'm committed to my local church which in so many ways doesn't typify evangelicalism. But I can't help but feel it's only a matter of time before I say goodbye to evangelicalism completely and join the Episcopal Church. Regardless, living against the grain, standing in solidarity with those who are suffering and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the fearful is going to become more important than ever under the Trump administration.

Early Canadian History

As much as I enjoy US history, I think early Canadian history is much more fun. We Americans ignore our neighbors to the north, but any history buff or bookworm willing to dive into Canada's origins will be richly rewarded. Early Canadian history - the story of New France - has a romantic/fantastical feel to it . Certain historical episodes have a Tolkienish or Game of Thrones vibe. Here are a few of my favorite stories.

Marguerite and The Isle of Demons

It wasn't long after Columbus's voyages that European fishermen discovered the Grand Banks off Newfoundland. Rumors soon began circulating among sailors about a haunted island near the Strait of Belle Isle called the Isle of Demons. In 1542, Jean Francois de la Roque, Sieur de Roberval, Lieutenant General of Canada, sailed for the Gulf of St. Lawrence for exploration and settlement. On board was Roberval's niece Marguerite. When Roberval discovered a young lad aboard was in love with his niece, the scandalized Roberval marooned her and her nurse on the Isle of Demons. Marguerite's lover threw himself overboard and swam to shore to join them. The story goes that the three outcasts were beset day and night by demons. They persevered through prayer and Marguerite even bore a child. Eventually, Marguerite's lover, baby and nurse died, leaving Marguerite to battle the demons and shoot the occasional polar bear alone. After 2.5 years, Marguerite was spotted by a fishing vessel and she made her way back to France where her story was preserved.

"A Bitch Named Pilot"

When the island of Montreal (did you know it was an island?) was founded as a mission in 1642, it was the most dangerous place in Canada due to its close proximity to the Iroquois, who were hell-bent on destroying the French and their Native Allies. Montreal colonists took their lives into their hands every time they ventured outside the walls. Iroquois warriors would sometimes lie in wait for days in order to pick off a straggler. But the colonists' danger lessened when they started receiving dogs from France. One dog in particular, "a bitch named Pilot," became a proficient scout. Upon smelling Iroquois intruders, she would bark furiously and run to the fort, giving settlers a chance to get to safety. Pilot had a litter of puppies with whom she would patrol the woods.

Side note: A few years ago, we adopted a pit-bull/lab mix and named her Pilot. Instead of protecting us from Iroquois warriors, our Pilot started biting everything that moved, including our son's friends doing somersaults on our living room carpet. Unfortunately we had to get rid of our Pilot. May she rest in peace.

Jesuit Martyrs

The most inspirational stories from New France are the Jesuit Martyrs. The Jesuits aspired to convert the Native tribes to Christianity. Not having much luck with the wandering tribes of lower Quebec, they eventually decided to live among the stationary tribes of the West. So they established multiple missions in Huronia between Lake Huron and Lake Simcoe. This region is one of my favorite spots on earth. Every couple years I try to make a pilgrimage of sorts to Sainte Marie Among the Hurons near Midland, Ontario. (Anyone up for a 4 hour drive up there this summer?)

Many of the Jesuits died for their faith and love of the Huron. One story will suffice here. Father Isaac Jogues and his companions were waylaid on the St. Lawrence River by a band of Mohawks in 1642. Jogues was taken captive to the Mohawk towns where he was forced to witness the torture of his friends. He himself was tortured in a variety of ways, including having his thumb cut off with a clamshell. Despite expecting a tomahawk to the head everyday, Jogues wandered around, attempting to convert and baptize his persecutors. Eventually, the Dutch at what is now Albany offered to help Jogues escape. His response: "Let me pray about it." Jogues acquiesced, hiding for six weeks in Albany before being smuggled down the Hudson to New York. He made his way back to France. Since priests with deformities were barred from saying Mass, the Pope granted Jogues a dispensation. Jogues went back to Canada where he was chosen to establish a mission among his former captors. The Mohawks killed him in 1646.

Charles La Tour and Madame D'Aunay

One of the strangest stories in New France took place during the 1650s in Acadia, what is now Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. A bitter feud existed between Charles La Tour and Charles D'Aulnay, both of whom had competing claims to the region. La Tour ensconced himself at Saint John, New Brunswick while his adversary settled down across the Bay of Fundy in the beautiful Annapolis Basin. While La Tour was away seeking aid in Boston, D'Aulnay attacked Fort Saint John. La Tour's wife led the admirable defense but succumbed to D'Aulnay's forces. Madame La Tour was forced to watch the execution of her men and she herself was kept a prisoner until she died. Five years later, D'Aulnay drowned when his canoe upset in Annapolis Basin. His desperate widow, Madame D'Aunlay, beset with enemies, ended up marrying Charles La Tour, the foe of her late husband.

Flight from Onondaga

During a brief interlude of peace, the Iroquois asked the French to establish a mission among them. For a site the Jesuits chose a hill overlooking Onondaga Lake in Central New York. The Jesuits weren't there long before they began to hear whispers that their deaths had been decreed in secret councils. So they concocted "one of the most unusual escapes in history." While they made preparations for a quick getaway, the Jesuits invited the Iroquois to a "Medicine Feast." It was customary at these feasts for the guests to stuff themselves until they could eat no more. The Jesuits laid an extravagant spread and soon the Iroquois entered a tryptophan coma. While the Iroquois "sat helpless as a conventicle of gorged turkey-buzzards," the French silently withdrew all the way to Quebec.

Adam Dollard's Last Stand

New France had its own version of Thermopylae in 1660 when word reached Montreal that a united force of Iroquois were making their way down the Ottawa River to lay waste to the French settlements. Figuring the best defense was a good offense, a young officer named Adam Dollard took 17 Frenchmen up the Ottawa to waylay the Iroquois on their descent. Dollard took possession of an abandoned Algonquin stockade beside some rapids and waited for the onslaught. For 5 days, the 17 Frenchmen and 6 Native allies battled 800 Iroquois. When defeat was inevitable, Dollard tossed a handmade grenade out of the fort, only to have it fall back in. The French and Native allies were defeated but their gamble worked: they had held the gap long enough. The Iroquois returned home after their costly victory and Montreal was saved.

LaSalle and Tonti the "Iron Hand"

I am fascinated by the life and tragedies of Robert Cavelier de LaSalle in part because he started his explorations a mile from us at the head of Irondequoit Bay. A man of immense imagination, LaSalle resolved to claim the West for France and find the Northwest Passage to China. He discovered the Ohio River, established a French presence in Illinois, and in 1682, descended the Mississippi to its mouth, claiming Louisiana for France. No character in the history of New France had as many enemies, misfortunes or plain bad luck. At one point to save all his western accomplishments, LaSalle treked 1,000 miles in 65 days to get supplies. Later when he was tasked with colonizing the mouth of the Mississippi, LaSalle accidentally overshot the River by 400 miles, disembarking his colonists in Texas. On his way to the Mississippi, which he knew he had to ascend for succour, LaSalle was assassinated by disgruntled followers.

LaSalle's partner, Henri de Tonti, was a bad-ass Italian soldier whose hand had been blown off by a grenade in the Sicilian Wars. "Knowing that he could not expect medical aid at once, the gallant young officer cut away the jagged flesh with a knife and kept on fighting." The Native tribes of the Illinois held "the Iron Hand" in reverence, deservedly so since Tonti fought to hold the line against Iroquois encroachment in the West. Tonti took part in Denonville's 1687 attack of Seneca towns - again miles from our house.

Madeleine de Vercheres

As the 18th century dawned, the New England colonies became more of a threat to New France than the Iroquois. But in 1692, the French settlements along the St. Lawrence were still very much in danger. When a band of Iroqouis attacked Fort Vercheres, a 14-year old girl named Madeleine took charge of the defense. "To arms!," she cried as she ran for the gate. Once inside the fort, she prevented a miserable coward from blowing up the place. "Let us fight to the death," she told everyone. Instilling courage to the besieged settlers, she ensured the Iroquois outside had the impression a sizeable garrison held the fort. The Iroquois, reluctant to attack a well-fortified place, gave up the siege. When reinforcements from Montreal arrived, Madeleine greeted the lieutenant, "Monsieur, I surrender to you my arms."


Outside of these particular historical episodes, there are two additional reasons I love French Canadian history. One is that this history is so well written. My favorite author and historian, Francis Parkman, made it his life work to chronicle the story of New France. Parkman, growing up in New England, heard as a child the fireside stories of the Old French War - how his ancestors had battled the French and Indians for control of the Continent. Knowing he couldn't write about these rugged wilderness heroes without knowing wilderness life, he took several rough excursions into the wilds as a young man, stretching his frail constitution. Though these trips permanently weakened his body and eyes, they allowed him to describe the terrain vividly in his narratives. As Mason Wade says in his biography of Parkman, "the reader is translated into an an enthralling new world, whose history is a great drama played out by a heroic company." The result is an unparalleled Tolkien-like American epic which is just as readable today as it was in 1892.

The other reason I admire Canadian history is that the French had a fundamentally different relationship with the Native tribes than the US did. From the very beginning of settlement in Nova Scotia and the St. Lawrence Valley, Samuel Champlain and his associates "did not try to conquer the Indians and compel them to work, as in New Spain. They did not abuse them as in Virginia, or drive them away as in New England." Instead, as David Hackett Fischer states, "they formed a mutual respect for each other's vital interests, and built a relationship of trust that endured for many years...Something of its spirit has endured in Canada between Europeans and Indians even to our own time." Even the name Canada uses today to address its Native tribes - First Nations - speaks volumes about their respect for those that were here before us.

Percy Corey

As many friends know, I've gotten quite into genealogy the past couple years. I thought it'd be fun to present some of my findings on occasion. Today I'm taking a look at one of the more interesting characters in my tree: Percival Calumore Corey, my 1st cousin 4x removed. (I'm not directly descended from him but we're both descended from a common ancestor).

Percy was born on June 20, 1874 in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania (outside Pittsburgh) to Joseph and Anna Corey. His father Joseph is a bit of a mystery at this point. I know nothing about Joseph except that he died before 1900. I can't prove it, but I suspect Joseph was wealthy and foreign-born.

Percy grew up in the Mount Jewett/Kane area of McKean County, Pennsylvania. He first made headlines in 1896 by fathering a child out of wedlock.

Percy abandoned Minnie "Lizzie" Bedford and their son Harold B Corey. (Harold B Corey went into the Navy and died in a Long Island seaplane accident in 1919. His son, Harold P Corey, also died in a plane accident, perishing in Italy in WWII).

Percy worked in the oil business, starting out as an oil field tool dresser and quickly rising in the Indio-Burma Petroleum Company, eventually becoming a millionaire superintendent in Burma. In 1911, he married a second time, marrying Mary Miller of Pittsburgh. The newlyweds went to live in India. The following year, Mary and close friend Claire Karnes died aboard the Titanic as they sailed home to visit family. They were two of only 14 second-class women that didn't survive the disaster. Only decades later did it come out that Mary was pregnant and that she was coming back to the States to have her baby.

In 1914, Percy married for a third time, marrying Hazel Cranston. According to newspapers, their wedding in Los Angeles was "a notable social event." After a brief time in London, Percy sent Hazel back to California, promising to follow her. He didn't and Hazel soon charged Percy with desertion. Their divorce was finalized in January 1916.

Four months later, Percy married Florence Agnes Snell of England. After a few more years in the oil business, Percy, Florence, and their two daughters traveled the world, eventually settling down in Los Angeles. Percy became a farmer and received a patent for a tool for fishing out lost pipes from oil wells. Percy died in 1960.

The work continues learning more about his father and getting in touch with any living descendants.

Chronological Tolkien

Back in 2001, I recall being in a movie theater and seeing the Trailer for the upcoming Fellowship of the Ring film and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I had never read anything by JRR Tolkien growing up and had no idea that The Hobbit animated movie I used to watch at my cousins' house had anything to do with LotR. But I was quite taken with the trailer - I have a thing for big, epic movies. Like the rest of the country, I was mesmerized when I saw Fellowship of the Ring that December and ended up seeing it in the theater three times.

Later that month my wife Sarah bought me the massive paperback for Christmas since she knew I wanted to read the books before the next movie came out. That paperback is to this day my favorite gift Sarah has ever given me. I loved reading the trilogy and seeing the rest of the movies come out in 2002 and 2003. It was a neat experience and a special time. Years later in December 2006 I finally took the plunge of watching every behind-the-scenes featurette on the extended edition DVDs. In those DVD "appendices," the screenwriters touched upon the backstory of Lord of the Rings and briefly mentioned The Silmarillion, Tolkien's book where that intriguing backstory comes from.

Before our son Aidan was born in April 2007, I bought a copy of The Silmarillion and read it in a week. To some people, The Silmarillion is too dense and too much history - a bit like reading through the Old Testament or old Greek myths. But I loved it! With subsequent readings over the years, it has easily become my favorite book of Tolkien's. To those who have never read it, The Silmarillion recounts Middle Earth's "creation story" and how Elves, Dwarves, and Men came to be. As you hear Bilbo say in the prologue to Fellowship of the Ring, Lord of the Rings takes place in Middle Earth's Third Age. The bulk of The Silmarillion delves into the first two. There are so many terms and names in the movies that are just mentioned in passing: The Valar, The Eldar, Morgoth, Beren and Luthien, etc. By reading The Silmarillion you get to learn just who these characters are.

In addition to The Silmarillion, Tolkien's son Christopher also published Unfinished Tales, a book of stories that expound on certain plot points and connect certain stories together. Unlike The Silmarillion, I can't recommend reading Unfinished Tales on its own - it's too disjointed. JRR Tolkien had intended for all these stories from his various books to eventually be published in a chronological reading order, he just never got around to it. Thankfully, putting the stories into proper order is doable, and a few websites have made it really easy. The website I use is Chronological Tolkien. If you have Tolkien's books, you simply enter the editions you possess into its calculator, and it arranges your readings for you. The website originally arranged the readings just for those with the physical books. Last year I contributed the Kindle versions' location numbers so folks with the digital books could read along. (My name is in the Credits at the bottom of the page!)

For anyone who enjoys Tolkien, I can't recommend enough giving Chronological Tolkien a try. For my friends here, I'd gladly let you borrow my marked-up books or my Kindle to allow you to do so. And what better time than now, 6 months before the first Hobbit movie comes out in theaters? Peter Jackson has indicated that the movie they are making is not only The Hobbit proper, but the strands of story surrounding it that tie it to Tolkien's larger work.

I can't wait for The Hobbit's release in December though I'll probably be more critical this time around. Whereas I knew nothing of Lord of the Rings when I saw the first movie 11 years ago, I have since become a Tolkien aficionado (I know I'm not alone). But I think working in the other plot points to make The Hobbit a more robust story is the way to go. If you read Chronological Tolkien before the movie comes out (at least the first half - Creation through just before the events of LotR), I guarantee it'll be a much better experience.

Pilot & a short history lesson

As many of you know, we've got a new dog. She's a 2 or 3 year old lab-pit mix we got from a local shelter just after Thanksgiving. Sarah & the kids were kind enough to let me name her "Pilot," a dog name I've wanted to use ever since reading the following story in a couple of my history books years ago.

My primary historical interest remains the New France era of Canadian history. It's chock full of fascinating characters & almost Tolkien-ish stories & battles. When French settlement began in the 1640s on the island of Montreal (yes, Montreal is an island - in the middle of the St. Lawrence), it was with the purpose of creating a mission colony from which the surrounding Native tribes could be evangelized. At the time, this island settlement, Villemarie, was a strategic outpost in the wilderness far away from the primary French settlement of Quebec. Colonists on the island were always in danger from invading Iroquois from the south.

As my favorite author, 19th century historian Francis Parkman puts it:

20th Century Canadian author Thomas B. Costain puts it this way:

Lent Playlist

In the same vein as my Advent playlist posting, here's some tunes I'll be soaking in during Lent which starts on Wednesday. Whereas in Advent, the (oversimplified) general attitude is "This world is fallen and messed up. Come God, and make things right," the attitude in Lent is more internal: "I am not right. My sin is the issue. Come and make me right." It's a time of reflection, simplifying, self-denial, a more intense discipleship, and repentance. My experience has been that Easter is a much more powerful holy day/season when we do these things, especially corporately.

Kyrie Eleison - City on a Hill
Draw Me Nearer - Caedmon's Call
I Repent - Derek Webb
Break Our Hearts - Passion
Oh Lead Me - delirious?
Refine Me - Jennifer Knapp
God Be Merciful To Me - Indelible Grace
Be Merciful To Me - Caedmon's Call
Only You - david crowder band
Lead Me - delirious?
Before You - Vineyard
Worlds Apart - Jars of Clay
You Must Increase - Matt Redman
Lord Have Mercy - Robin Mark
On My Way - Robbie Seay Band
Come Let Us Return - Kevin Prosch
When My Heart Runs Dry - Matt Redman

For those interested, here are the Lectionary passages that churches all over the world will be examining during corporate worship on Sundays. And here are individual daily readings that complement them.

Books I read in 2010

Champlain's Dream: The European Founding of North America I started the year by reading this thorough biography of Samuel Champlain during my last semester at St. John Fisher. The author does an amazing job of unearthing Champlain, one of my favorite historical figures. I'm fascinated with Fischer's assertion that though there's been countless biographies of Champlain written over the years, that "the new scholarship of the early twenty-first century" allows more light than ever to be shone on this character due to today's archaeology, historical ethnography, archival methods, & the ability to correct old errors. One of the best books I've ever read, & it only confirms the fact that I love early Canadian history more than early US history.


George Eastman: A Biography As soon as I landed the job of my dreams at George Eastman House, I started reading this book (One of my profs at St. John Fisher was kind enough to give me his copy as a graduation present - thanks Father Graff!). As my job entails helping researchers & visitors get the info they need on Eastman & Kodak, this book has become my Bible. Brayer did an incredible job putting this book together (she spent ~8 years going through Eastman's correspondence). It was neat to honor her with the title of G.E. Honorary Scholar in October for her efforts.

The White and the Gold and Century of Conflict The White and the Gold came recommended to me by one of my history professors at Fisher, Professor, MacGregor, who knew I was a fan of Francis Parkman. The book takes a look at Canada's early history. It was neat to see another historian's take on the period. I followed the book by reading Century of Conflict, its sequel in the series. It focuses on the French & Indian Wars: my favorite historical topic. Can't wait to continue by reading the next book in the series in the future.

Francis Parkman: Heroic Historian Having such a respect for Francis Parkman's writings, I was eager to read the biography of the author himself. He was a fascinating man, & wrote his epic series 'France & England in North America' virtually blind. The amount of research he did is staggering, and he was the first person to write about the French & Indian Wars in their entirety because he was one of the first to travel to all the historical grounds to actually see in person where the events took place.

Sheperding A Child's Heart Parenting is one of the most natural things in the world, but it also requires a lot of work & reading up. The book focuses on directing our children's hearts, which as the Bible says, is the place from which behavior & actions flow. Yes it advocates spanking, but never in anger. All I know is that when we stick to these principles, it works. Highly recommended.

Celebrating the Church Year With Young Children and Talking With Your Child About the Church Year I love the different seasons of the church, and how they guide our spirituality and unite the global church - Much like the festivals & seasons in the Old Testament allowed God's people to reenact the works of God. Kids love rhythm and the patterns that it entails. These books offer ideas on celebrating the church seasons with kids. The first book is definitely worth reading & full of great ideas.

GI Joe: A Real American Hero As much as I love thick history books & books on theology/ecclesiology, I also enjoy a little dose of GI Joe comics every morning as I drink my coffee. What else can I say but great characters, good storytelling, & fond memories?

Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Horse and His Boy Before the Prince Caspian movie came out a couple years ago, Sarah & I read the book aloud to each other to reacquaint us with the tale from our childhoods. It made the movie version horrible to watch. The same will probably happen this time around. =)

Raising Faith Filled Kids Another great book on parenting. I think Christians from liturgical backgrounds/churches have more help/weight/power (searching for the right word here & not finding it) behind their guiding their kids in the Lord.

The Pioneers I reread James Fenimore Cooper's The Pioneers this fall. The first time I read the Leatherstocking Tales (the books featuring Hawkeye from Last of the Mohicans), I read them in order of the events taking place. This time around as I spread the books out, I'm gonna read them in the order they were written. This one's a neat tale on a frontier town in Upstate New York just after the Revolution.

Advent Conspiracy and The Gospel According to Jesus These books by Chris Seay challenge Christians to join God in his redemptive work instead of just focusing on morality. In the second book, Chris puts forth that Christians very much misunderstand the word 'righteousness.' When Christ admonishes us to seek first his Kingdom & righteousness, Chris interprets it as 'God's restorative justice.' Rather than Christians putting their primary focus on 'the rules,' which only leads us to break them, we are to see the brokenness around us & join God in fixing it. It's books like these that make me leap up inside and say, "If this is what Christianity is, I'm in." Sarah & I (along with our kids and my sister/brother-in-law) are making the decision to sponsor a child through Compassion International. For us & for our kids, we don't want poverty to be some abstract idea on the other side of the world. But helping and establishing a relationship with a child whose basic needs can easily be met for an affordable amount every month is something we can and want to do.