Up in Flames

In case you haven't seen this, below is a video that has gotten tons of attention in the Christian arena. Rick Warren tweeted about it, Michael Hyatt (CEO of Thomas Nelson publishers) blogged about it, and people everywhere are talking about it.

Essentially, a tiny church (14 members) is having a book burning on Halloween, burning books and music they call "Satanic." This includes all Bibles that are not the King James Version, as well as works by the likes of Billy Graham and Mother Teresa, referred to in this clip as "heretics."

To make it worse, this church is in my little hometown.



Do I think this church has problems with its belief system? Absolutely. There's obvious issues. I don't condone this behavior at all.

I also don't like the way the media has, yet again, painted Christians as crazy, and the way this video infers that the people of that town (MY HOMETOWN, mind you) are dumb hillbillies. I'm sorry if you don't wear overalls in the city, but out here in the mountains, some of us do. Consider it a "country uniform."

But what really bothers me most is the reaction of "Christians" to this spectacle. This is all over the blogs I frequently visit, and I'm distressed by all the condescending and snarky comments. There are many referring to the preacher's "bib overalls" (hello, judgement!), lack of church membership (what about the state of those 14 souls?), and cracks about food being served at the burning (well, they've got us there - baptists are known for eating!).

Here's my problem with the situation: is this how Jesus would respond to this preacher and his tiny congregation? Would he make fun of their clothes, and their accent, and the size of their church?

There's a word for us - mockers. Christians participating in this kind of behavior is what gives Christianity a bad name, moreso than pastors of teeny churches. Instead of making fun of them, we need to be hitting our knees and asking God to open the eyes and hearts of this congregation, revealing the falsehoods they now believe, and use this situation for His glory.

Who's up for a prayer?

Lord, first of all, forgive us for once again falling short. Forgive us for laughing at some of your children, calling them names, and judging them all based on one video clip. Purify us, Lord, burning away the dross and making us purer in thought and action than we have been. I pray now, God that You would open the eyes and hearts of this congregation, and reveal your real truth - not this twisted version they believe. Father, take what is meant for evil, and use it for Your glory! In Your precious and holy name, Amen!

Procrastinator Party!!

OK. I'll admit it. Sometimes I'm a bit of a procrastinator. And Melissa at The Inspired Room is having a party for people like ME!

So here's the deal. This post is my proclamation, a source of accountability. I will FINALLY tackle that upstairs closet that desperately needs to be cleaned out, and I will finish it before October 20th.

Y'all are my witnesses, OK? Clean closet, coming up. No excuses. (Except that I'll be out of town for half of this challenge. But it's alright - I can take the heat!!)

So, would any of you procrastinators like to join me? Got a project you've been putting off? Come back here and leave me a comment. Maybe we can encourage each other!!!

(And don't say that you'll do it later.)

OK, now for the embarassing photos. Here's what my closet looks like now, and will NOT look like in 2 weeks! This is the upstairs closet that has all the boys' games and loads of linens that I frankly never use and thus, do not need.






I think Goodwill is about to get a load from my house!!

The Simple Woman's Daybook: October 5th

Join in at The Simple Woman's Daybook



FOR TODAY...October 5th

Outside my window... cool, rainy morning

I am thinking... how I would like to just relax and read instead of clean the house

I am thankful for... having a day off (FINALLY!) to clean my house

I am wearing... old clothes for cleaning

I am remembering... an update I need to make for a client today

I am going... to a conference this weekend with my husband

I am reading... everything I can get my hands on! (Pen on Fire, Blue Like Jazz, magazines, blogs, tweets...)

I am hoping... to knock some things off my to-do list today

On my mind... how lately God has been softening my heart in ways that, frankly, are a bit scary!

From the learning rooms... trying to write a story that will be appropriate for a few things, and learning new things at work

Noticing that... time is flying by

Pondering these words... "God, help me to love you like you love me" from our sermon yesterday

From the kitchen... just discovered several yummy recipes to try!

Around the house... leaves, leaves and more leaves! Need to do a bit of fall decorating

One of my favorite things... the smell of warm apple cider

From my picture journal...

Book Review: Find Your Strongest Life

The latest book I read as part of the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers program is "Find Your Strongest Life" by Marcus Buckingham. I have just taken on a new position at work, and the subtitle "What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently" instantly intrigued me.

The first thing I noticed when I got my copy is the blue dot on the cover inviting me to take the Strong Life Test. (Click here to take it yourself.)

So I took it. I was pleasantly surprised when the lead role it identified for me seemed to be pretty accurate (I'm an Advisor, if you're curious!) I had high hopes for the book then, because at that point I hadn't even opened it yet!

The basic idea of this book is to identify the things in life that bring you joy and good feelings, and avoid the things that don't. There are a couple of "exercises" he tells you to try to help you figure them out, and gives a good "what to take away from this chapter" summation at the end of each chapter.

The part that I enjoyed the most is the final section, called "Strong Life Tactics." It reads like an FAQ, and covers tactics for a stronger career, relationships, kids, and future. Frankly, the first two sections were slow reading for me, and seemed to be redundant. Maybe he was just trying to drive home his idea!

Overall, his ideas have merit, and I could see them really helping women improve their lives. I just think maybe he could have done it in fewer pages.

How about a Friday Fill-in, because that's all I have time for :-)

1. I have a history of not finishing things I start.

2. How to speak Italian is something I wish I knew.

3. I'm eating (or recently ate) Lay's potato chips.

4. I feel like I am always on the road.

5. So that's it, that's the last time I drink a soda that's not Dr. Pepper.

6. Something is better than nothing! (Unless it's a soda that is NOT Dr. Pepper!)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting home before 8:30, tomorrow my plans include working and Sunday, I want to relax but I'm working then, too!

To get your Friday Fill-in, go here!

How to Shock People

My husband and I did a little shopping last weekend, and when we were discussing how much we spent (because we're back on a budget), we realized that our receipt was wrong. We had walked out of the store with two pillows that we were not charged for.

Call me crazy, but I feel guilty when something like that happens because I know I obtained those items in error. They were not sold at a discount. They were not a gift from the store. They were simply overlooked. And so, a few days later, I returned to the store with the plastic cover one of the pillows had been in and went to a checkout counter so I could pay for them.

I explained the store's error to the clerk, who acted completely disinterested. As soon as he called the manager, I judged him and thought, "He doesn't have a clue what to do."

The manager reached us, and my clerk says, "Tell her what you're here to do. Just tell her!" He went from being apathetic to excited in just a few seconds! So I told my story again, and the manager was surprised. Shocked, actually! She was so shocked, in fact, that as a token of thanks she gave me 20% off my total bill.

Suddenly, my clerk was a chatterbox and told me about a time when a similar thing happened to him. And he happily remembered that he, too, did the right thing. As I was leaving, with a wink he told me to have a blessed day. Have a blessed day!

And I had judged him! To be fair, maybe he was just having a bad day, and seeing a little good in the world cheered him up. I don't know. I, however, have NO excuse for judging him...

Funny thing is, only two days later the same thing happened to my husband. Only instead of $20, it was a difference of several hundred dollars on construction supplies. He admits that he struggled a bit because of the significant savings, but in the end he made the right decision and went back to the store, too.

Guess what?

His clerk was shocked.

I guess the point of all this is not to say, "Look at us and how righteous we are" or anything pious like that. The point is that I am dismayed that the world we live in is shocked when someone is HONEST! I would hope that honesty and integrity would be the rule. Instead, it appears to be the exception...

"You shall follow what is altogether just, that you may live and inherit the land which the LORD your God is giving you." -Deuteronomy 16:20 (NKJV)

This is a GREAT idea - Check it Out!!!

The good folks at SonGear came up with this idea to have a million Christians proclaimimg their faith on the same day by wearing a Christian T-shirt. Already have one? Easy then. Need one? SonGear can hook you up. Check out their website - cool stuff!!!