Favorite Reads of 2013, and How I Make Time to Read

1) The Presbyterian Doctrine of Children in the Covenant by Lewis Bevens Schenck: I wish I had read this when my Mountain Man and I were studying paedobaptism. It would have answered so many questions. I remember reading this book early in 2013 and thinking to myself, "I've been duped! We've all been duped! We don't even know our own history, and would so many of us love John Calvin if we really knew what he thought about children and the covenant?" I also declared it my most favorite read of 2013, even before I had read other books. If you're paedobaptist, this is a must read. If you're considering paedobaptism, this is a must read. And if you want to understand your paedobaptist friends, this is a must read.

2) Charity and Its Fruits by Jonathan Edwards: R.C. Sproul counts this among his top ten favorite books, and I understand why. The Holy Spirit used Edwards' exposition of Scripture to expose my own sin of not loving some in my life according to His Word. This book will humble and challenge you and encourage you to examine what 1 Corinthians 13 looks like lived out. It's not an easy read, but go for it anyway. It will give your brain and soul a hearty workout!

3) Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands by Paul David Tripp: This book is heavily marked up, and I have sticky notes throughout. This is a parenting book. This is a marriage book. This is an everything book. To think that we are instruments in our Redeemer's hands to offer grace and encourage change in others' lives is astounding. "Receiving grace means becoming a conduit of grace to others."

4) The Road by Cormac McCarthy: I have to push myself to read fiction outside of what I read with my children, but I'm getting better. Ink has been after me for a long time to read The Road. I finally did and wondered why I waited so long. My son can convince you to add this to your list with much more eloquence than I can--3 Reasons You Should Read The Road.

5) With Love, Edith by Edith Schaeffer: Reading this collection of letters by Edith Schaeffer was like sitting at a table with her and having her share her life and years of wisdom from walking with the Lord. It took me 4 months to finish this first volume, and I was left encouraged by her faith and trust in the Lord to provide for all of their needs. It was also sobering to read of her son, Franky, and what I perceived as a diluted diligence in parenting him, knowing that he has left the faith. I'm currently reading her second collection, Dear Family, and enjoying it every bit as much.

6) The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer: I LOVE this book! Such encouragement to care for our homes and our family to the glory of God. I disagreed with Edith (she's the kind of person you want to call by her first name) on a few points, but appreciated the rich life she sets forth for the homemaker. Read this one and love your family well in the details of ordinary life, life made beautiful by the many ways He gives us to use our talents for His glory.

7) Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot: In our days of androgyny and egalitarianism, this book is a must read. Let us not lose sight of the truth that God made man and woman, and we are different. An important book to read with your daughters.

8) When People are Big and God is Small by Ed Welch: I read this last year at a time when I was struggling with some issues involving social media. My fear of man loomed large, and this book was extremely helpful in exposing that sin and encouraging me to fix my eyes on Christ and fear God alone. One of my favorite quotes from Welch is, "The fear of the Lord simplifies life."

Finally, I'm sometimes asked how I find time to read. The truth is that I don't "find" time. When I look at my daily schedule, I don't see an open slot for sitting down with a good book. There is always something else to do that calls me away from reading, so I have to make time, and it's challenging. Did I mention that it's challenging? As a homeschooling mom, I'm reading a lot with my children, which means I have to work extra hard to set aside time to read things on my own, especially with the amazing blessing of little people running about the house. But my daily goal, which I often don't reach, is this: 15 minutes in the morning after my Bible reading, 15 minutes in the afternoon, and 30 minutes before going to bed. That provides an hour a day of reading. 

If most of us counted the minutes we use watching television or reading blogs or visiting Facebook or Twitter, I'm pretty sure we'd come up with at least an extra 30 minutes a day to read a good book. The availability of shallow reading via our phones or iPads, etc. deceives us into thinking we just don't have time. The truth is, we have to be willing to give up the easier things in order to reap the benefits of intentional living. We have to purge our days of excuses and make reading a habit.

Much love,
Trisha


**My encouragement to read is nestled in the assumption that you are already spending time daily in the Word. If not, of course that should be the priority over any other thing you might read. :) And obviously, there are always EXTREME cases of life that would prevent one from having any time to pick up a book. I'm not addressing those exceptions.

Notes From the Reading Chair-Courtship and Biblical Dating

I recently finished reading Doug Wilson's book on courtship (or biblical dating if you prefer), Her Hand in Marriage. It is a most beautifully balanced book, so balanced that I'm amazed it's not more widely read.

Wilson begins with this much needed caution about the distinction between principles and methods:

"Because our contemporary practice of recreational dating has failed so miserably, many Christians are hungry for alternative methods. 'Just tell us what to do!' In this arena, as elsewhere, the Christian life is approached as though it were a paint-by-numbers kit. But nowhere is this kind of 'connect the dots' thinking better calculated to bring disaster than in the realm of courtship. We are men and women with sons and daughters, not social engineers playing with interchangeable, interconnecting tinker toys. This simplistic but destructive mentality is revealed in questions like, 'How man times must a young man come over before the young girl's father should allow him to sit next next to her at the dinner table?' The author of this small book frankly confesses that the answer is none of his business, and that he doesn't really care. Seek to understand principle, and appropriate methods will follow." (emphasis mine)

I learned much from Wilson's chapter on the authority of parents as he addresses issues such as whether couples are really married just because they've acted like they're married and whether or not sexual immorality was a capital crime in Israel.

He goes on to address preparing sons and preparing daughters for courtship as well as the culmination and details of courtship. This is good stuff. Stuff you want to be reading now when your Littles are Littles. (But if you wait until you have a Little that's turned into an 18 year old Big, like I did, that's good, too. Just read it, and praise God for the grace that does cover those areas that you wish you had done differently.)

If you refuse to read it because it's written by Doug Wilson, then calmly remove the chip off your shoulder so you don't miss the gem of a book among many courtship duds. If you've passed by this book because you think it's just another compendium of rules, then read the above quote again and know that Wilson stays true to that assertion throughout the book.

"So the time a person spends when he is single should be time spent in preparation for marriage. This is important even if he never gets married. This is because biblical preparation for marriage is nothing more than learning to follow Jesus Christ and to love one's neighbor. In other words, preparation for Christian marriage is basically the same as preparation for Christian living. Christians are to prepare for marriage by learning self-denial, subduing their pride, and putting their neighbor first. Once they learn to love God and love their neighbor, they are prepared to enter into the covenant of marriage with one of their neighbors."
~Doug Wilson

With love,
Trisha

On Saying Merry Christmas

We must come to realize the importance of "insignificant" faithfulness.

~Doug Wilson

What's the big deal about saying merry Christmas? Yes, I'm the shopper who heartily and cheerfully replies, "Merry Christmas," when wished a happy holiday. There are many who think this is something insignificant, but it's never rested well with me to surrender the celebration of the Incarnation to the world by calling it something generic that removes Christ from the center of it all. (Because we know their "happy holiday" doesn't mean "happy holy day." It means, "Happy generic celebration of something, as long as it isn't Jesus.)

But even this isn't agreed upon by Christians, and it's common to be told that we need not assume the culture is at war with Christmas. I find it interesting that we'll dismiss those who insist on merry Christmas as overreacting and missing the point while assuming that advertisers and stores have no evil motives and are simply playing a marketing game when when they remove Him from the celebration and the conversation.

It's all so innocent, we say.

But it's not.

Doug Wilson observes:

The message of Christmas is politically incendiary, when you think about it, and it is not for nothing that secularists are trying to get us to forget Jesus with their C.E. (Common Era) and B.C.E. (Before Common Era), and seasonal conifers instead of Christmas trees. Nice try, but we aren’t buying any.

He later describes saying merry Christmas as an act of insurrection.

And the Anti-Christian Liberties Union (ACLU) knows that getting Christmas trees off public property is well worth fighting for. This is why we as Christians have to learn that saying "merry Christmas" is an act of insurrection. How do we define our lives? More than this, how do we define our lives as a people? Far from retreating into a minimalist celebration, or no celebration at all, we as Christians must take far greater advantage of the opportunity we have in all of this. Now the Lord Jesus is on His throne. And His government will continue to increase. But He works through instruments, and one of His central instruments for establishing His kingdom on earth is the faith of His people. Why is it that Christians shopping at WalMart are being reminded over the loudspeakers that "He comes to make His blessings flow, far as the curse is found." Why are they telling us this? It's our religion. Why don't we believe it? But if you believe it, then say merry Christmas to somebody.

Merry Christmas!

With love,
Trisha


***If you don't agree that Christians should even celebrate Christmas, this isn't the place to debate. 

Notes From the Reading Chair~Book Briefs

I think I lost my reading momentum back in June. I've gotten sidetracked with life's circumstances and have been reading books not even on my book list. Lately, I've been camped out in the Psalms for my Bible reading, and I've been devouring books about grief and affliction.

But, here are some thoughts on a few of the books I have managed to finish so far this year. Please remember that a recommendation doesn't mean I agree with EVERYTHING an author says nor everyone the author quotes, but that I do think a read is worthy of your time and effort.

A Place of Quiet Rest by Nancy Leigh DeMoss: Reading Nancy's books is like having tea and conversation with a true friend. She speaks the truth in love and does it well. This book focuses on cultivating a regular time with the Lord in the Word and in prayer.

I'll tell you now that I diverge from the many wise women and Moms who insist there's no need for a quiet time. I'll defend the necessity of this discipline, this habit, whatever you choose to call it, until I die, and this book is a great teacher for beginners as well as for Christians who have cherished their daily time alone with the LORD for years.

Facing Grief by John Flavel: Flavel was a Puritan writer. I bought this soon after my Dad died, and I found it most encouraging, and I highly recommend it with a couple of cautions. This is not the book to give to a mother who has just lost her baby. Flavel, though speaking the truth and knowing well the pain of losing a child, approaches the subject with some rough edges that I think might be discouraging for the newly grieving Mama.

I also don't recommend passing this book along to a weaker Christian who just lost a loved one. But, for the well grounded, mature Christian, Flavel's words will be convicting and comforting at the same time.

For the Love of God Vol. 1 by Don Carson: I love this book, even though I've gotten off track with it since my Dad died. Carson offers the "big picture" of God's Word in this devotional that is a great companion to your daily Bible reading. It covers the Bible in a year, and Carson offers a second volume as well. Highly recommended.

Death in Holy Orders by P.D. James: I read Children of Men by James several years ago, but I honestly couldn't remember enough about it to know if I should try another one of her books. Needing a break from the heaviness of some of my non-fiction reads, I decided to try this book. James is a captivating writer who knows how to tell a tale, keeping you in suspense at every turn of the page. However, there was too much sensuality in this story (and I'm thinking Children of Men was the same) for my comfort. I recommend Dorothy Sayers instead. Her Nine Tailors was an excellent, suspenseful read without the unsavory relationships and details.

Humility by C.J. Mahaney: This is probably my favorite read thus far this year. Highly recommended. We enjoyed this as a read aloud and found Mahaney to be practical, funny, and encouraging. If your family struggles with conflict or lack of unity or you find yourself struggling to find evidences of grace in those around you, read this book.

Making it All Work by David Allen: No, Allen is not a Christian, but when it comes to organizing and scheduling, he's spot on. His Getting Things Done method clicks with me, and I've found his books to be very beneficial, even though I'm a homemaker. I think his system is brilliant! Again, Allen is not a Christian and this is obvious in his writings, so proceed with caution if this might be a stumbling block for you.

The Power of Words and The Wonder of God by John Piper and Justin Taylor, editors: I was greatly encouraged and convicted by this book ,which is a collection of essays addressing the power of the tongue. I found it ironic that Mark Driscoll was a contributing writer, and I was offended by some of his potshots at homeschoolers, but found his essay, overall, surprisingly edifying. Even with Driscoll as a contributor, I recommend this book.

Treasury of David by Spurgeon: This is a collection of Spurgeon's writings on the Psalms, and it is wonderful! Highly recommended. I even sought out a used set because the current publications of this are abridged. I've been feasting on the Psalms for several months now and have found these books to be great companions.

Contentment: A Godly Woman's Adornment by Lydia Brownback: Wonderful book that gets to the heart of our murmurings and disputings. I found her essays so encouraging, I quickly finished this one. Makes a great gift.

The Real Scandal of the Evangelical Mind by Carl Trueman: "What is an evangelical....and has he lost his mind?" Great read worth your time. Be prepared to read it a couple of times. Trueman is brilliant.

Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman: Even if you don't have a large family, you'll find this book helpful. Brenneman deals with the practical and with the heart. Encouraging and brief chapters that cover everything from scheduling to pregnancy to feast nights to homeschooling. A great reference to have on hand and go back to again and again.

Read on!

With love,

Notes from the Reading Chair~A Bibliophile's Nightmare

I finished up Beyond Stateliest Marble by Douglas Wilson over a week ago.....at least I thought I did.

First of all, this is one of my favorite reads thus far this year.  I really enjoyed this book, and it was the one I would choose first over the others in my current pile.  I was fascinated by what I didn't know about the Puritans, and I found Anne Bradstreet to be so interesting that I've added the other biographies mentioned by the author to my wish-list.

The objections to this book in some of the reviews on Amazon were related to Pastor Wilson's commentary woven throughout the text.  He was not looking at the Puritans and Anne Bradstreet through the lens of polictical correctness or feminism.  This frustrated some of the reviewers. 

Pastor Wilson even comments on such error....

"...these politically correct days, we are not only embarrassed by what the Bible teaches, we want to shut down any testimony that comes from those ages when this was not the case.  But history happened the way it did and not some other way.  One of the most irritating characteristics of many modern writers is their inability to keep their currect ideological crusades out of their reading (and rewriting) of history."

"We see a Puritan woman gladly honoring her husband, and we want her to get some therapy for her theological repressions."

After finishing the book and searching the back for the bibliography, I was quite frustrated.  I wanted to know where these great references came from.  I wanted to read these books!

Then, I did what I should have done before I ever started this book.  I read the table of contents only to find that my book was missing the last three chapters as well as the notes and the bibliography!  Horror of horrors.....that's one of the worst crimes a publisher can commit against it's readers.

So, my review is based on most of the book, and I'll be waiting for the UPS man to bring me a complete copy of this treasure. 

But what I can say is this..read this book.  Be inspired by learning something completely new about an often maligned group of the people...the Puritans.  Be inspired by a woman who has been mischaracterized by feminist ideology, but who was such a gracious example of Godly womanhood, delighting foremost in her roles as a wife and mother. 

And most importantly, check your book out before you read and make sure you've got the real thing!

Happy Reading!

Notes from the Reading Chair

Somebody stop him!  Mountain Man is off at breakneck speed (especially for a man with his schedule) in conquering his reading list.  He finished up three books this week, St. George for England by G.A. Henty, The Search for God and Guinness by Stephen Mansfield, and Is Christianity Good for the World? by Douglas Wilson (in a debate with Christopher Hitchens).  He's on to Perelandra by C.S. Lewis (that's on audio) and Witch Wood by John Buchan.

Can you believe it?  I even managed to get him to give me some thoughts on some of his reading. 

Speaking of Is Christianity Good for the World?.

"Of course it is...there's really not much suspense here, but this is a good opportunity to see Satan at work in this world through the mind of a (apparently) well-respected academic.  Although I would certainly never refer to Mr. Hitchens (the atheist whom Pastor Wilson is debating) as a Christian...no fruit, no salvation, etc.....as Pastor Wilson does, this is nonetheless a good, short read."

Mountain Man summarizes the "Guinness Way" from Searching for God and Guinness...

1) "Discern God's will for life and business."  Do not assume that these are two separate things.

2) "Master the facts before you act."  Do not give in to impatience; prayerfully consider all before taking       action.

3) "Always think in terms of generations to come."  Keep your focus on the future of those who will come after you.

4) "Whatever else you do, do one thing well."  Know what you do.  Do what you know.

5) "Invest in those you would have invest in you."  Look for opportunities to serve those around you.

Little Big Man offers these quotes from How to be a Man by Harvey Newcomb.

"Young folks think old folks are fools; but old folks know young folks are fools." (actually an old quote from that time period...the author wasn't implying his readers are fools but stressing the importance of thinking of the consequences of our behavior.)

"The original root, from which the word education is derived, means to lead out, to conduct, to form, to fashion, to beat out, to forge.  It was used with reference to the forging of an instrument out of a piece of metal, or the chiseling of a statue out of a block of marble.  This furnishes a good illustration of my ideas of education.  It is a process by which a character ir formed out of rude or unwrought materials.  It is not confined to mere school learning.  A person may be very learned, and yet not half educated."

"...everyone that is educated must be active...but, if you are determined to be educated, you will turn everything to some account."

"It has been well observed, that the difference between a wise man and a fool is , that one goes through the world with his eyes wide open, while the other keeps them shut."

I finished up the biography of Anne Bradstreet, but I'll share those thoughts next time since I know I'm pushing the attention spans at this point. :)

Happy Reading!

~Queen Mom

Notes from the Reading Chair

"Look at a biblioholic's living quarters.  If he or she has furniture--not all biblioholics do--one particular item will leap out and grab your attention: the biblioholic's reading chair...the armrests will be worn through.  With the right light, you can comb your hair in the reflection off the cushions.  The springs will be shot.  And sit down in the thing and your fanny will bounce three feet off the floor....it is where communion between biblioholic and book takes place, and any monkeying around with the authenticity of that place is aesthetically unnerving." ~Tom Raabe, Biblioholism

Each week I hope to post some thoughts from our readings as well as offerings for the commonplace books.  What interesting discussions we've had this week as a result of our varied reads!

I'm enjoying Douglas Wilson's biography of Anne Bradstreet, the Puritan poet.  He does a thorough job of not only painting a portrait  of Anne's life but also correcting many misunderstandings about Puritan life in general. 

For instance, did you know that...

~Puritans were not opposed to alcohol but it was in fact a daily part of their lives.
~Puritans were not hostile to Christmas itself but instead to the way Christmas was celebrated at that time.
~Despite characterizations of Puritans as "wannabe ayatollahs and manufacturers of scarlet letters," their criminal laws were based mostly on the Mosaic Code and were actually not as harsh as the laws in England

One of my favorite passages is Mr. Wilson's description of Anne's perspective on her life's purpose.

Her identity was not that of a poet.  She did not adopt poetry as a minor "career."  She was a wife and a mother, and she used her poetic gifts from the vantage point of that identity.  She did not cling to them as a substitute for that identity.  When she later wrote down a prose account of her life for her children, she did not mention her poetry at all.  Our tendency is to remember her life in terms of her poetry.  When she recalled her life, she did so in terms of her God and her family.

Wilson also addresses many of the attempts by feminists to ascribe to Anne characteristics of discontent and theological difficulties that simply aren't reflected in her life and her poetry.

In David Allen's Ready for Anything, I found these words an encouraging jumpstart to tackle some of those less-than-desirable tasks before me.

Completion of open loops, whether they be major projects or boxes of old stuff we've yet to purge and organize, prepares the ground for cleaner, clearer, and more complete energy for whatever shows up.  We're often not sure what's next or what to tackle.  At that point just clean or complete something--something obvious and in front of you, right away.  Soon you'll have the energy and clarity to know what's next, and you'll have cleared the decks for more effective responsiveness on every front.  Process your in-basket, purge your e-mails, or clean your center desk drawer.  You've got to do it sometime anyway.

Little Big Man finished Gary DeMar's Memory Mechanics and summed up his opinion on the book in these simple terms, "The tricks suggested for memorizing things are much more complicated than just memorizing what you have to memorize."  He's half-way through G.A. Henty's The Dash for Khartoum and recommends it, saying it's his favorite Henty book thus far.

Mountain Man finished up Whatever Happened to Justice and was more than a bit surprised by what he read.  It was all new information and definitely not what he was taught in his public school government classes.  Recommended!

He's now into The Search for God and Guinness by Stephen Mansfield and is finding it very enjoyable.  Can you imagine these benefits of a Guinness worker during the 1920's:

~full medical and dental care
~massage services
~reading rooms
~subsidized meals
~a company-funded pension
~subsidies for funeral expenses
~education benefits
~sports facilities
~free concerts, lectures and entertainment
~2 pints of Guinness beer a day

Arthur and Olivia Guinness had 10 children, four girls and six boys.   "What this happy list of deeply loved children does not betray is there were actually twenty-one pregnancies but Olivia miscarried eleven times.  She must have been a sturdy, courageous woman.  Despite her losses, she kept having children until 1781, when she was in her late forties."  And no, the Guinnesses weren't Catholic or Mormon, and I'm sure they knew what caused "that." :)

Happy Reading!
~Queen Mom