Christmas by Accident, by Camron Wright, is a sweet holiday tale full of typical tropes. Enter a girl who loves Christmas and a guy who hates Christmas. They meet and fall in love. An obstacle develops. Yes, an accident happens (two actually). By virtue of these accidents, their lives are transformed.
I've been contemplating what kind of articles I could write about Christmas from a new angle. It is an incredibly difficult task. So much has already been expressed about the holiday. Indeed, it feels like there is "nothing new under the sun." This book even pokes fun at itself while it contemplates the overabundance of Christmas books. Thankfully, the easy access on Hoopla made my treadmill time go by more quickly. (Despite my fall and the narrowness of the walking pad, I continue to carefully seek out daily exercise with audio book accompaniment).
I was unfamiliar with this author. However, after writing up this book review, I came across his name again. He has written a book getting great buzz, called The Rent Collector. He is a Mormon author from Salt Lake City, Utah. I'm glad I stumbled upon this Christmas book because researching the author led me to a podcast interview that I highly recommend. Camron remarks on the process of "Finding God's Plan for Your Life," on the All In podcast. Click here to find this half-hour interview with author Camron Wright.
My respect for Alisa Childers continues to grow. First, I read Another Gospel. Recently, I highly recommended her book, The Deconstruction of Christianity. I hope to listen to Live Your Truthon Hoopla sometime soon. In the meantime, I've been listening to several of her podcast episodes and want to mention these here.
I believe Alisa is a solid, Bible-following, Christian. What's more, she is a mouthpiece to the masses. Many see and hear her apologetics for the faith. May they think deeply about what she has to say and may they trust the solid foundation of God's Word. The Bible is our map for navigating this life. Moreover, this life continues to ratchet up in intensity toward the end times. Evil multiplies. Division threatens. The time is ripe for an Antichrist to appear, convincing many that he is going to save them from the plight of our world.
While I'm probably more skeptical than Alisa about the whole Charlie Kirk assassination, I value her insights and her take on what she experienced. I fear the young man accused of this crime will supposedly commit suicide, because the powers that be do not want him to take the stand and come to trial. There is a depth of deception going on and many people swallow lies with relish. This was a far more orchestrated event than the media wants us to believe. I have my own opinions about who is responsible. I fear some reactions are mere performances. Yet, again, I appreciate Alisa's thoughts and views.
The first podcast I will mention is one titled "Revival is Here... Thoughts About the Charlie Kirk Memorial."
She clearly articulates the clash of worldviews in our society. Those with the pervasive ideology of the oppressed versus the oppressors seek revolution and call words "violence," to the end that "violence" appears justified. We need to be discerning. We need to arm ourselves with the inerrant Word of God. As Alisa points out, "When the church is silent, darkness has a free pass." Like Alisa, I'm convicted by my timidity and cowardice.
I appreciated her 5 undeniable facts about the memorial service. She cites, 1) the gospel was preached with boldness and clarity, 2) God is doing significant things in hearts, 3) the crowd was diverse, including some with false motives and unchristian perspectives, 4) some bad theology was spoken, and 5) some good theology was spoken. I loved her point that true revival comes with true repentance. Moreover, I want to be one who welcomes new believers, even if the externals still reek of their past ways.
I also watched a very convicting episode on 3rd Wayism versus NAR: Errors Threatening the Church. I had never heard of 3rd Wayism, but I fear I've been guilty. In my book club, I tend to stay silent because I don't want to ruffle feathers. I don't want to turn others off before I even get a chance to share the gospel. My typical excuse is, "I don't do politics. I'm the most a-political person ever." Now, that's true. I'm very a-political. I don't side with either party. Nor do I believe that politics will ever solve the world's problems because our problem is not a government problem, but rather a heart problem. We need our hearts of stone to be replaced with hearts of flesh. We need full submission to God, not to government. How tempting to withdraw from that arena altogether and sit back in silence! No one likes to disturb the status quo or buck the current.
Alisa's argument emphasizes the importance of razer-sharp discernment that calls out false gospels. Our politics stem from our Biblical theology. In my goal to obey His Word alone, I don't want to shy away from proclaiming the light amid the darkness. How I pray God might give me the courage and boldness to stand firm on His principles! My goal should be to drive every argument into submission under the Word of God. Uncomfortable though it makes me, silence can be complicity.
Finally, I watched another convicting episode, from 2 years ago, featuring an interview with Tim Challies. Challies is a Canadian Reformed Baptist theologian, pastor, blogger, and author. The episode outlines 4 heretical books to remove from your church library. Since I read extensively and write book reviews, this subject is essential. Oh, how I need discernment in my reading! I try to read a wide variety of books, and will not pass by a book simply because it doesn't fit my ideology. Yet, I want to review books as held up to the Bible, with the Bible informing my reaction to the book.
So, what were the 4 books to avoid? I've read all but the first. Most of the problems with these books come from the tendency to re-create God in our own image. It reminds me of a quote I saw in a Brennan Manning book recently. Blaise Pascal said, "God made man in his own image and man returned the compliment." 1) Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young. She claims Jesus came and gave her the words directly, yet when held against Christ in the Bible, these words read more like those of a young woman much like the author. 2) The Shack, by William P. Young, is a book I read and reviewed without discerning the errors until much later. Young's fictional re-creation of the holy trinity does not reflect the way they are painted in God's Word. While it was a feel-good book, and a book I could relate to, it departs from the good book. 3) The Purpose Driven Church, by Rick Warren. I think our Bible study in Illinois read and worked through this book. Challies argues that the book encourages pragmatism. Change your church to be what the people want, rather than change the people to be what God wants.
The fourth is a category of books, rather than a single book. Challies calls them "journey to heaven books." I have read several of these and may have to go back to re-read my reviews. Perhaps I read without the level of discernment I should have had. These would include Don Piper's 90 Minutes in Heaven and Todd Burpo's Heaven is for Real. I think what appealed to me most from Burpo's book was the conception, which is probably true, of reuniting with our deceased children. Since I lost a baby to miscarriage, I felt great comfort in reading that book.
In all of this, the primary call is for discernment in this current climate of our world. We are called to stand firm on God's Word. God wants us to shine a light on the works of darkness. Even in my own family relations, I am called by God to identify and confront false gospels. May we be faithful! May we lean into the Holy Spirit for wisdom in discernment! He alone is our guide and our savior in this fallen world.
In the beginning of May, our lives took an unexpected and difficult turn, ramping up the daily stress levels significantly. I cannot discuss those details, but will instead shift my focus to my youngest son, Sean. On May 3rd, he and his girlfriend Claire attended their senior prom. He was decked out in a black tux with an emerald green vest. He purchased matching emerald loafers specifically for the occasion. We were thrilled to learn that Sean and Claire were voted Prom King and Queen for the evening.
On May 4th, they took a trip to King's Island for a post-prom activity with other friends. We had been praying for their safety for this trip. Praise God, they were indeed kept safe! While approaching the entrance, a driver in a jeep in front of them slammed on his brakes. Even though they were only going 10 mph, they slammed into the jeep. While the jeep was unaffected, Sean's car hood was bent. There was also a large hole where the jeep's hitch punctured Sean's bumper. We were very concerned that some internal damage may have made the vehicle unsafe for driving home. Thankfully, they drove home safely and Sean was able to continue using his car until we took it in to a body shop for repairs last week.
This is very difficult for us now, because it renders us down to one car for the whole household and I become chief chauffer. Just before his car went into the shop, my husband detected a grinding noise coming from my vehicle. So, there was uncertainty that my car would remain viable, as well. I had hit a very large pothole on the way home from my trip to Patti Callahan Henry's author talk in Franklin, IN, last month. That resulted in replacement of the struts. Perhaps the grinding sound is related to that. We will not find out until after Memorial Day weekend and Sean's H. S. graduation.
On May 12th, the school held a Scholarship Night. Both Sean and Claire earned scholarships.
Sean has been accepted into the engineering school at Purdue University. While we are thrilled to see him follow in his brother's footsteps there, some of the requirements gave a great concern. Sean has always exhibited allergic reactions to immunizations. Although the doctor's office would like to label these as "localized allergic reactions," in my opinion, they are widespread. He runs significant levels of fever, exhibits pain (from the kindergarten shots, to the point of being unable to walk), and the shot site often swells up to the size of a grapefruit and is hot to the touch. Once again, as before, we were not allowed to make the decision of what is in the best interest of our son. The university health office denied our requests, with doctor verification, for a medical exemption. If something devastating had happened as a result, I can assure you, we would have pursued legal representation. We prayed God's covering over him and are extremely grateful that his reaction this time was limited to discomfort, mild swelling, and a touch of fever for several days.
We are also grateful for God's protection and care during recent events with our home. On Friday evening, during a touch of bad weather, I heard a loud boom and saw through the kitchen window that a huge limb from one of our trees had come down. It could have done so much more damage than it did. Thankfully, it fell between the kitchen and garage portion of the back of the house. It did pull down the power line, but the line didn't snap (praise God!) and crews were able to come out later in the night to free the line from the tree and rehang it. It took out John's bird feeding sanctuary area. It hit the corner of the porch roof and the corner of the kitchen roof and the corner of the garage roof. It bend down the gutters. Here are the indoor photos I snapped (again, I apologize for being a horrid photographer):
If you are a praying person, please remember us in your prayers as we navigate the rest of this month and upcoming summer. I can honestly say that it is only through His grace that we are enduring the path we have been called to walk. You may also wish to join Judy Douglass for Worldwide Prodigal Prayer Day on June 2nd, 2025. Judy is the author of When You Love a Prodigal and the host of the When You Love a Prodigal podcast.
One of the members of the group, Michael J. Tinker, is a songwriter with a new album called, "When There Are No Words." I was drawn to this title, since it expresses the same sentiment as my tag line for my book, Watching the Wayward: Psalms for Parents of Prodigals. Apparently, he is starting a podcast by the same name. The podcast offers interviews with artists exploring grief and hope in their work. I listened to the first episode, an interview with Andrew Peterson, and deemed it worth the hour spent! There are already three more interviews available, as well: Sara Groves, Douglas McKelvey, and Jamin Still. I'm so happy I happened upon the Chinwag group and this new podcast in particular. Check it out!
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Having struggled for years with chronic depression, this is a topic near to my heart. Since I have had 3 major depressive episodes, I have a 99 percent chance of relapse should I ever decide to go off medication. While I loath my dependence on medication, I am truly grateful that it helps even me out. What's more, it enables me to be myself. Without the meds, I become a person I don't recognize.
I'm sure I'm not alone in my struggles. Given the way the world is spinning, more join the ranks daily. Many complexities assault our young people: information overload, insidious comparisons, and harmful opportunities. As a result, fear grips them in its vise. Several individuals on my Facebook prayer list have requested prayer for anxiety management. Immobilizing anxiety is a beast within and often difficult to fight.
I recently learned of the Fearless Unite website and a book by Christy Boulware, called Nervous Breakthrough. I joined the Fearless Unite newsletter. When a recent link to a podcast came up, I intended to only listen for a few minutes. Forty minutes later, I was so glad I stuck around and I immediately forwarded the information to individuals I know who face this battle. The podcast highlights an interview with a 19-year-old, Faith McDonald. She struggles with paralyzing (emotionally chained to the bathroom floor) anxiety. I loved how it suggested important ways to support an anxiety-laden friend or family member. If you, or a loved one, need encouragement and hope amid panic attacks and life-altering anxiety, I highly recommend listening to this podcast.
Click here to sign up for weekly anxiety tips and a free bonus chapter of Christy Boulware's book.
In February, shortly after returning from my FL/TX trip, I embarked on an interview about my poetry book, Watching the Wayward: Psalms for Parents of Prodigals. Heather Hanton, Women's Ministries Specialist of The Central Territory of The Salvation Army, interviewed me for their Prepare Podcast. We discuss the experiences that prompted me to write my first book of poetry. We also discuss the mental health component of addiction.
If you or a family member struggle with mental health or if you'd like an in-depth view of what prompted my book, follow this link to that podcast interview. I love how Heather pulled all of our conversation topics together to emphasize that, no matter what your journey, God is the source of our strength. He walks through every hill and valley with us. May all glory go to God, in and through this podcast interview.
