So Many Books, So Little Time

The editors of the New York Times book review have named their picks for the top ten books of 2008:

FICTION

DANGEROUS LAUGHTER Thirteen Stories
By Steven Millhauser. Excerpt

A MERCY
By Toni Morrison. First Chapter

NETHERLAND
By Joseph O’Neill. First Chapter

2666
By Roberto Bolaño. Translated by Natasha Wimmer. Excerpt

UNACCUSTOMED EARTH
By Jhumpa Lahiri. Excerpt

NONFICTION

THE DARK SIDE The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals
By Jane Mayer.

THE FOREVER WAR
By Dexter Filkins.
First Chapter

NOTHING TO BE FRIGHTENED OF
By Julian Barnes. First Chapter

THIS REPUBLIC OF SUFFERING Death and the American Civil War
By Drew Gilpin Faust. First Chapter

THE WORLD IS WHAT IT IS The Authorized Biography of V. S. Naipaul
By Patrick French. First Chapter

What's the best book you read in 2008?

My pick? Three Cups of Tea.

Post Thanksgiving

During the twenty-four hours from Wednesday evening to Thursday evening this week, my husband had a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day.

See, back when I was in Jordan, someone smashed into the back of our car. So we had it in the shop this week to get it fixed. And the insurance company kindly gave us a loan car--a brand new one. A nice one. But very wide and tank-like. And Wednesday night when my man went to pick up a friend's kid to take him to youth group, we had a little misunderstanding about where said kid was to be picked up. So Gary drove around a dark parking lot looking for this guy. Then Gary stopped the car and called me for more info. After he hung up, he accelerated again...and ran right into a pole, destroying the front end of this new car. (The pole was invisible because the part of the car where metal meets windshield blocked the view.)

Then last night the toilet in our bathroom (upstairs) overflowed. Not only did the water spill, but the part of the commode that's supposed to shut off the water got stuck in the open position, so water flowed and flowed and flowed until Gman could open the back off the toilet and tinker w/ the defunct mechanism.

I was on an important business call, so I was no help at all.

He ran down to the laundry room to grab beach towels so he could sop up the mess before it destroyed the first-floor ceiling, and in the process, he knocked over a new, full box of Fab. Yup. The entirety of its contents--boom--dumped onto the floor.

He's thinking of moving to Australia.

Gift Miles

My husband, Gary, a stateside missionary with East-West Ministries, plans to return to Kenya in January to make a field visit. And American Airlines has just announced that with their shareAAmiles ® program, when people transfer miles to another member's account, they'll earn 20% bonus miles. If you plan to donate, now may be the best time. We appreciate any miles you might want to share. Also, in case you missed the link to our East-West account (some have asked), here it is.

All the Children of Abraham

One of the DTS graduates I interviewed while in Jordan recommended a book by another grad. It's Arabs in the Shadow Israel, in which the author considers what the Old Testament has to say about Ishmael's line. It's a brilliant piece of work that's forcing me to reconsider some long-held ideas about Abraham's other son.

When Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian maid, fled toward Egypt after Sarah abused her, God appeared and spoke words of comfort. And Hagar named him El-roi, the God who sees. The oracle God gives about her son, Ishmael, (the oracle that prompts Hagar's assessment of God) includes the prediction that Ishmael will be a wild donkey of a man.

I've always taken that as a judgment, an insult. But that's because I live in America in 2008, and to be called a donkey is totally a slam! Yet rewinding to Moses's mindset when he wrote the story helps me see the words as solace to an abused woman. Whereas God sends her back to submit herself to Sarah in slavery, He promises that her son's descendants will be numerous and free. The word "wild" has the idea of being free, not unruly. Free, as in not under bondage. And a wild donkey at that time was a prized animal. We see some of the sons of Isaac blessed with animal likenesses in places where blessings are pronounced upon them, as well.

This is just one of the many observations the author makes in laying out a case for both of Abraham's sons being children of blessing.

Wordless Wednesday

World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day. Are you doing anything to help? Take a quiz here to test your AIDS IQ.

Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving. My parents came from Oregon, and my husband's mom left the side of her hospital-bound husband for long enough to join us for dinner. My sister's family and Fidel, my niece's boyfriend, were here, as well. I love to cook the turkey and dressing and cranberry salad and pumpkin pies. My sister's side brought the killer sweet potato dishes, mashed potatoes, a pecan pie, and a seriously artery-clogging Paula Dean frozen chocolate pie. Oh. My. Gosh.

The day began in jammies in front of the TV watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Then I spent a few hours in the kitchen--though I did set the table on Wednesday night, which helped.

My oven malfunctioned, so we started eating about the time the Cowboys kicked off. My brother-in-law, Mark, read a T-giving meditation he had written that morning inspired by the magnets and photos on his refrigerator door full of blessings. Then we prayed and dug in. After the feast, my husband shoo-ed me to the living room to catch the football game while he and my sis did the dishes. (I, not he, am the football fan in this household.)

My nieces brought Charlie Brown's two Christmas shows, so we watched them (I love them!), followed by three of us watching "Miracle on 34th Street" upstairs while A&M fans watched the aggies get stomped downstairs on the large-screen livingroom TV. Simultaneous to all this was the 1,000-piece Snoopy puzzle going on in the breakfast nook. And a niece napping on a couch here and there. And everyone snacking on leftovers. And another slice of pie. Or two.

Friday morning my mom, sis, two nieces, daughter and I went out for coffee (or rather, hot beverages) for some girl-time to celebrate Devin's birthday. That night Dad took us all out for a big dinner at Texas Road House. Then we came back here and our friends the Wagoners joined us for leftover pie. (Are you picking up on the food theme, here?)

Yesterday, my sis and I drove my parents to Waco, where we met up with my brother, who plans to spend a few days with them and then bring them back here on Monday. He treated us to lunch at Pei Wei. I had never heard of it but loved eating some good, tasty healthful stuff. I enjoyed the hours driving with my beloved sis, too. We don't get a lot of time together, even though we live only seven blocks apart.

I love hosting the dinner, having loved ones sleep on my couch, hanging in front of the TV, working a puzzle, drinking wassail and snacking. I love the holiday crowd of loved ones. I love the noise. The laughter. The teasing. I love it all because I believe the people in my life are my greatest sources of wealth. Congress can't destroy that. Nor can a lousy economy. I may not have a lot in the bank. Nevertheless, I am exceedingly, lavishly, decadently, abundantly rich, rich, rich, rich, rich. And I had nothing to do with it. So I am thankful, thankful, thankful, thankful, thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

For what are you thankful? I'll start...freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Wordless Wednesday

Rethinking Tourism

Now that I've stood where Moses gazed and caught what must have been his view of the Promised Land, I'm reading his story with a clearer view of what it means. Now that I've seen what Ruth must have viewed when she looked up from the Jordan to her homeland, Moab, I can appreciate how far she walked for food. Now that I've seen the Dead Sea, I read with new appreciation Jesus' words about salt that loses its flavor.

And there's more... Now that I've seen Jesus's baptismal site and the wilderness where he fasted forty days, I can appreciate more of what incarnation's sacrifices involved. Now that I've batted flies in a place that uses all natural fertilizer, I can better appreciate what it meant to be wrapped in grave clothes and laid in an animal's feeding trough.

It has been said that every Christ-follower should seek to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land at least once in his or her life. Now I see why. Our God is a fantastic storyteller. What a setting!

There's also the consideration that traveling to developing countries helps struggling economies. (Granted, our own economy right now needs help, but our unemployment rate--bad as it is--is still around 6%. Jordan's is closer to 16%.) Jordan in particular is striving to be the big brother in a troubled region--a hospitable place for many Iraqi refugees, a moderate voice amidst radicalism, and a peacemaker between warring nations. That's worth positively reinforcing with tourist bucks.

But we don't usually choose vacation locations for spirituality or justice, do we? We go for beauty and mystique and fun. And Jordan has that, too. The spot that gets my vote is the Mövenpick Resort and Dead Sea Spa. Oh. My. Gosh. Check out this shot of the Dead Sea at sunset from the hot tub, taken by a friend. Sadly, when I was there, it was totally "Rotic"--that is, romantic without the man. Places this breathfaking were meant to be shared!

Having been raised in the PNW, I've often wondered what makes a desert in the Middle East great enough to qualify as the Promised Land. It's not green, it has no waterfalls, and farmers struggle to grow crops. The country is vast. And it requires dependence to live. Yet that's part of its magic. A cloud by day in the desert keeps people from frying; a fire by night in the desert keeps them warm. A place without water requires a leader to speak to a rock for provision. Or manna to come from on high. Or quail to fall from the sky.

What an eduvacation!

Sometimes a place takes on its own character in the story. And this is just such a place. As a novelist, I'm thinking a setting just doesn't get much better than that.

SoulPer Christmas

Add some art and contemplation to your Holy season.

The three artsy people at SPS have a ChristmasPerSuit lined up. Check it out.

"How Beautiful the Feet..."

While in the Middle East, I interviewed a couple who told of a Muslim friend who believed in Jesus Christ after having a dream about old religious leaders weeping and asking her "Do you know what they did to Jesus?" When this woman realized she didn't know, she asked this couple, who told her...

It is illegal to evangelize there, and because the civil law can't contradict Shar'ia law, people who convert can get hurt, and I don't just mean emotionally.

We journalists pressed this question with the religion experts with whom we spoke. In the end neither can yield and be true to the distinctives of one's faith. A Christian must have the freedom to share the good news of Christ's love, and a Muslim must obey Shar'ia law.

Books, Not Bombs

The New York Times has a good video available about how Americans are fighting the Taliban via books, not bombs. The work shown here is quite similar to what we're doing in Kenya. The only difference is that the Kenya work also has church-planting as part of the equation.

Book Launch

Today marks the launch of A Faith and Culture Devotional: Daily Readings in Art, Science and Life, to which I am a contributing author. My piece is a reflection on T. S. Eliot, Lady Julian of Norwich, and hope. Proceeds benefit the Veritas Forum and Compassion International. The Veritas Forum host campus lectures and forums dealing with philosophy and religion. Compassion International is a child sponsorship organization.

Here’s a sampling of the book’s contributors and their topics:

History
Walter Kaiser--Sodom: What Archeology Tells Us
Frederica Matthewes-Green--The Council of Nicaea
James Emery White--The Reniassance and Reformation
Chip MacGregor-The Middle Ages and the Second Great Schism

Philosophy
John Stott--The Mind, Spirit and Power
Nancy Pearcey--The Fact/Value Divide
Lee Strobel (Peter Kreeft)--Theodicy
JP Moreland--The Modern University
Phillip Johnson--The Ultimate Premise
Os Guinness--The Sleep of Death

Bible and Theology
Sarah Sumner--General Revelation
Darrell Bock--The Secret Gospels
RC Sproul--The Fairness and Mercy of God
Randy Alcorn--Heaven: Headed Home
Scot McKnight--the Small and Big Gospel
Darrell Bock--The Secret Gospels

Science
Francis Collins--God and the Human Genome
Hugh Ross--The Big Bang and the Bible
Ray Bohlin--DNA

Literature
Gene Veith--Paradise Lost: Milton’s Epic of Cosmic Betrayal
Philip Yancey--Leo Tolstoy
Bill Edgar--Augustine's City of God
James Scott Bell--Moby Dick: Not Mere Fiction
Joy Jordan Lake--Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Sandra Glahn--TS Eliot and Julian of Norwich

Contemporary Culture
Bruce Herman--Sex, Intimacy and Worship
Archibald D. Hart--The Gospel of Self-Esteem
Mark Joseph--U2
Stephanie Powers--AIDS
Vera Shaw--Tending the Garden Planet
Jody Hassett Sanchez--Today’s Slavery

Art
Michael Card/Francis Schaeffer--Art: A Response to Beauty
Catherin Claire--Vincent Van Gogh and Seeing
Francis Schaeffer--Michaelangelo
Chuck Colson--Real Art Beyond Ground Zero

Christmas is coming. Maybe you'd like to shop and benefit charity in one stop?

Jordan: The Meatier Stuff

As you probably guessed, the reason seventeen journalists went on a press trip to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was not just to enjoy its rich history, pamper ourselves in resorts, and eat olive-based foods (much as we loved these). We also had many discussions and two official meetings, both with high-ranking religion officials. In addition we had private interviews with our own contacts (in my case, two graduates of Dallas Seminary, one in Amman and one in Aqaba).

The first religion official with whom we met was former UN ambassador His Excellency Akel Biltaji with the Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies (RIIS). The RIIS was established fourteen years ago to address interfaith and intercultural issues. They promote dialogue among the monotheistic faiths in particular, focusing on shared values.

Many Americans do not realize that Jordan considers 9/11 a terrible day in their own history. This is a common sentiment throughout much of the Middle East. A member of our team who was in Yemen some years back told us of women wearing American flags pinned to their burqas following our nation’s tragedy.

Then Jordan had their own 9/11 three years ago on 11/9—the anniversary of which was observed while we were there. Suicide bombers attacked three hotels simultaneously, in one case blowing up during a wedding party and killing the fathers of both bride and groom. The extremists were punishing Jordan for their cooperation with us. So Jordan has paid a high price for embracing good international relationships.

The hotel next to ours was hit as was another where I shopped. And all the large hotels I saw had security on par with airports, complete with blocked access to the circular drives and x-ray scanning of all incoming guests and their bags. I even saw a man with a mirror on a stick checking under cars for bombs in the parking lot. (See photo, where he's holding it upside down and leaning on the mirror.) Despite the in-your-face security, or perhaps because of it, I felt quite safe the whole time.

A core value of the institute is that contacts among the three monotheistic religions should be conducted in peace. They also use religion as a tool in politics for promoting peace. These values are of concern to His Royal Highness the king, who is a fascinating character. He attended Deerfield Academy in the U.S. and at the time he lived here, everyone thought his father planned to name someone else as successor to the throne. As a result, the current king has been known to say that he can switch from thinking like a Jordanian to thinking like a Westerner, being quite familiar with both mindsets. (We rented an interesting documentary of him taking tourists around his kingdom in which he said this.)

One of the DTS grads who lives in Aqaba told me he loves Jordan and is grateful for its stability in the region. A professor with the evangelical seminary in Amman with whom I spoke had only good things to say about the king and later described his father as an exceptionally rare man who was committed to truly caring for his subjects and seeking their good.

For centuries Christian and Muslim have coexisted in Jordan in relative peace. But the last half-century has seen great turmoil. As a result, many of the minority Christians (they comprise about 5% of the population), though they have an ancient history there, began to leave in high numbers. This is of particular concern to the king, and the Royal Institute exists in part to address this issue. No one, they believe, should feel their security lies only outside the region. More on all this to come.

Wordless Wednesday

Twelve Reasons to Visit Jordan

1. Jesus’s baptismal site is preserved in its natural state rather than with fortifications that make it feel artificial.
2. Food—it’s good and good for you with tons of olives and olive oil and yummy breads.
3. The people are warm and friendly, and they love Americans.
4. You’ll never read the Bible the same way again.
5. Sites people think are in Israel are actually in Jordan.
6. Non-swimmers can splash in the Dead Sea without ever worrying they'll drown. Even a beached whale could float there.
7. Jordan has fantastic beauty and a rich cultural heritage in addition to an ancient history with many connections to Bible stories.
8. Jordan’s resorts rival any in the U.S.
9. Communication is easy. People in Jordan’s metro areas speak English, and most signs are in Arabic and English.
10. Visiting Jordan as a tourist positively reinforces Jordan’s willingness to embrace the West.
11. Going to Jordan will force you to lose some of your misconceptions about Islam. (Most Christians don’t support bombing abortion clinics, and most Muslims don’t support flying planes into NYC high-rises.)
12. Modesty is a core value. It’s hip to be square.

(Besides, it's not everywhere you can see people riding camels off into the sunset.)

Kindred Spirit Fall Issue Out

The fall issue of Kindred Spirit, the magazine I edit, arrived this week. You can also read key stories on the web:

The Call to Care: Caring for God's Creation
The Earth is the LORD's …
Environmental stewardship lies deeply rooted in our belief system. Stewardship of the planet and its creatures is part of humanity's mandate.

The Call to Care Caring for Earth's People
… And All Who Live in It
God is at work across the planet, raising up worshippers. Read how God is using a variety of people and opportunities to reap a spiritual harvest.

Stranded on Omnipotence When Brian and Heather left Kenya in December, they packed for a ten-day trip. Seven months later Brian (MA[BS], 1998) returned to find the ministry better than he left it. This one will give you the back-story on my hubby's new job handling administration for a Kenya ministry. For more on Brian and Heather's work, you can also view a short video here.

Crisis in D. R. Congo

Following the news in D. R. Congo? I received this message today from an indigenous pastor friend there:

We are so proud here for your prayers for us. That's why we are as we are today. Together with my family are doing well and the Church. Please, first keep praying for God's provision for a place of the Church service. This is one that is disturbing us a lot. The crisis we face here has cause a great damage, many people have been killed, women are treated very badly, many of them are raped, one woman to be raped with more than 7-10 men, women with pregnant have been maltreated very badly in the way that you can't explain. This has brought a great shame, many children have left Orphans. Please, keep praying for all these, also it has caused the price of food to get very high. Please keep us in prayers.

Finally Home!

Our last episode found me in the Amman airport facing long flight delays to New York City. After twelve hours in the air, we finally got there, and my friends picked me up. They took me home with them after first swinging by an authentic pizza place. (How could they know I craved pizza after a week on Middle Eastern food--which was great, just different?) Well, that New York pizza delivered, and I don't mean transportation-wise. And as if that weren't enough, they also ran out for a chicken parmesan sandwich and some kind of Italian soup. They had me happily stuffed within 15 minutes of reaching their house. I love New York!

My friends and I stayed up until after midnight trying to jam in as much talk time as possible before I turned around and got up at 3:45 to catch a 6:05 AM flight. I was using Delta miles and had to go first class (burn a ton of miles) because that was the only way I could get a seat. But I ended up being glad, because my bag weighed 60 pounds, which would have cost me $90 in coach but was nothin' in first class. (Guess I brought back too much sea salt and soap?) I was soo glad for the extra leg room, plus the pillow and blanket.

The first leg of the US trip took me to Cincy, where I saw snow. We got delayed thanks to a technical problem and the need to de-ice on the Cincy-Dallas leg. But finally we took off from Cincy, and I walked off the plane into the eager arms of my family. My girl looked taller and my husband, handsomer.

I arrived to find a clean house and laundry done (bless them!). And after delivering presents and paying the most urgent bills, I did a little happy dance next to my own bed, crawled in, and slept a sleep that would rival Snow White's. Eleven hours later I feel human again.

It was great to have gone--truly the trip of a lifetime. But it's also great to be home.

More on what I learned in the days to come...Stay tuned.