I Resolve...

Every year I create a unique to-do list that looks nothing like a typical  New Year’s Resolution list. Instead, it’s a list of things I resolve to do during the year. The items are designed to enrich both my life and others’.  

In 2013, I resolve to…

. Visit a friend who moved away.
. Splash in an ocean.
. Donate my used technology to charity.
. Plant something I can eat and watch it grow. (Last year’s choice: green onions.)  
. Read a book on improving marital communication.
. Write regularly to the child we support through Compassion International.
. Read aloud to a friend.
. Listen to my daughter's favorite CD and memorize the lyrics.
. Choose one book from the best-seller list and read it.  I’m thinking Behind the Beautiful Forevers would be good for 2013.
. Choose one classic and read it. I’m thinking, Notes from the Underground by Dostoevsky (free on Kindle).
. Learn a new skill. This year: uploading footage from my camera to Vimeo.
. Master a complex recipe. My 2013 choice: Crème brûlée in a puff pastry. Yum.
. Write a letter to a public official saying something nice.
. Clean my closets and donate clothes to benefit a homeless shelter.
. Shop at a Farmer's Market. Give the local folks a chance.
. Donate to a library some books I'm no longer using.
. Give old eyeglasses and sunglasses to an organization that will redistribute them to the needy.
. Befriend someone who thinks totally differently from me. Ask lots of questions and really listen. Try hard to understand.
. Allow myself to change my mind on something.
. Read a book (or listen on tape) about the history of something with which I’m unfamiliar.  In the year ahead: Ataturk: The Biography of the founder of Modern Turkey.
. Take a meal to someone in need. Not a close friend—someone who will be truly surprised.
. Switch to greener energy. Research solar power.
. Memorize a poem: “She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron.

What about you? I’d love to hear your ideas. What do you resolve to do?

Merry Christmas

Why "Ebenezer"?

“Here I raise mine Ebenezer;

hither by thy help I'm come;

and I hope, by thy good pleasure,

safely to arrive at home.”

   —RobertRobinson,  “Come, Thou Fount of EveryBlessing”

The Philistines attacked. And Israel cried out, while Samueloffered sacrifices to the Lord. So God threw the Philistines into a panic, and the enemywas routed. The Israelites pursued and defeated the Philistines and the peoplerejoiced. Here’s what happened next:

“Then Samuel tooka stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah, and named it Ebenezer; forhe said, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” So the Philistines were subdued anddid not again enter the territory of Israel; the hand of the Lord was againstthe Philistines all the days of Samuel. The towns that the Philistines hadtaken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israelrecovered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peacealso between Israel and the Amorites. (1 Samuel 7:12–14 NRSV)

“Ebenezer,” means “the stone of help,” a monument remindingall of the divine aid they had received.  

Centuries later Charles Dickens named his main character in A Christmas Carol “Ebenezer Scrooge.” Andwhen Scrooge stands before his own stone, his headstone, he begs for anotherchance.  

This year we watched the George C. Scott version of the story, and the graveyard scene provided a powerful picture of repentance. Ebenezer Scrooge was a changed man. And as Dickens so beautifully wrote, "Manylaughed to see this alteration in [Scrooge], but he let them laugh and littleheeded them, for he knew that no good thing in this world ever happened, atwhich some did not have their fill of laughter. His own heart laughed and thatwas quite enough for him. And it was always said of him that he knew how tokeep Christmas well if any man alive possessed the knowledge."

Let us keep Christmas well, my friends. By the Lord’s divinehand, we have received help in the form of a child in a lowly manger, a king ina stable, a ruler who serves.  Immanuel—God!With us! Merry Christmas!

Quick Reminder

When you shop over the next few days, if you plan to make an Amazon purchase, please access that site using the Amazon search box in the right column of this blog. When you do so, a percentage of your sale comes back to us, and we use it for our work in East Africa. It costs you nothing, and it helps others in need. Thanks!

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

When I was in Jordan in October, one of the most meaningful moments for our group of journalists came when we said goodbye to our Muslim bus driver. A Palestinian who fled Israel as a child, he had not seen his sisters in decades. From the other side of the Dead Sea, he could see the twinkling lights of the land where they live, but he could not get to them.

He did a good job for us. And he became a friend. He listened. He asked questions. He respected us. He told us he believes Jesus is the only way. He was a mix of wonderful surprises. And when we said goodbye to him with, "God bless you! And God bless Jordan!" he said, "And God bless Israel—yes, why not? God bless Israel!"

Grace.

Politically we need to support Israel. The country is a strong ally in the war-torn region.

Theologically we need to support Israel. They are still part of God's program.

But we must never give blind support to Israel, approving their every action, overlooking injustices. Instead, we should call them to be peacemakers. For millennia God has blessed Israel when His people have shown mercy to the "stranger" in their land. And what has been true in the past is still true today. "Love, joy, peace...against such things there is no law."

Thinking about Guns

This came recently from one of my Aussie friends: I am keen to hear your thoughts on last Friday's shooting, especially in regards to Americans rights to bear arms. As Australians we really struggle with this, especially coming from Christians. Maybe you can enlighten us....  If you read any Australian articles about it, we all think it's crazy how accessible guns are to anyone!

My thoughts...

I think our founding fathers, in including the right to bear muskets in the Constitution, would not have envisioned or approved semi-automatic weapons. I support the right to bear arms, but I would draw the line at a much more restrictive limit.

A cliché I hear repeatedly is that "guns don't kill people; people kill people." True. Also, dynamite doesn't kill people; people kill people. Nukes don't kill people; people kill people. But I don't want dynamite or guns readily accessible. Anything that can do large scale damage needs to be restricted in a fallen world.

And my theology says humanity is desperately fallen. So a lot of people will kill other people, and themselves, if they have a way to do so. Yet with more checks, balances and accountability, we can limit the scope of the damage. If the guy in Connecticut had to get permission to check out his mom's guns, and if he had to re-load a few times when he used them, we would have seen a different outcome.

Our family has a rifle. My father and brothers were deer hunters. The piece is not easily accessible, and we store the ammo separately. So I'm not suggesting we outlaw guns. I don't want a society where the only people with guns are those who possess them illegally. And if we make them illegal now, millions already own them. It is complicated. But we have to limit assault weapons, restrict Internet purchase of ammo, and store guns where people have to get a disinterested signature to use them.

I think it is appropriate, and not politicizing, that our president and Congress are talking about gun control in the wake of such a tragedy. They are supposed to propose solutions to problems, and gun deaths in America are a big problem. (We would criticize them if they did nothing.) The Children’s Defense Fund found that 2,800 children and teens die because of guns every year. Take Iraq and Afghanistan and add all the troops we've lost, and we have still had more funerals for kids because of gun deaths. Or add all the officers killed doing their jobs in law enforcement, and that number is still less than the number of preschoolers who die every year due to guns in the USA.

Yes, violence still happens in places where people don't have ready access to guns. The assassin in Norway, which has pretty restrictive laws, killed 77 people. But if we step back and count the total number of lives lost in Norway in one typical year due to gun violence, we count count them on two hands. Let's not use Norway as an excuse to do nothing.

Assault weapons can kill many people at a time. So we need to limit assault weapons. But that's not enough. Most people who die in America due to gun violence get shot with handguns. In fact, having a gun in the home increases the odds that its owner will get shot. We need to re-think the "I can defend myself" logic. It's safer to call 911 than to grab our guns when we hear intruders.

In 1787, the biggest threat on the minds of most Americans was oppressive government. Sadly, today Americans' biggest threat is our fellow citizens. We must find a way to protect ourselves from both.

UPDATE: My Aussie friend send me a link to this interesting article about how Australia tackled the issue successfully.

Les Miserables

Gary and I went to a preview of Les Miserables last night at the invitation of Grace Hill Media.

It was spectacular. An epic movie musical. Everything I wanted it to be and so much more.

We could understand every word of the brilliant lyrics, and the music rarely seemed to pause the action, an especially important detail for my husband, who generally dislikes musicals. The movie version provided perspectives the play could never give us. And the actors proved to be excellent singers. I knew Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!) could belt it. But Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, and Anne Hathaway? Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat)? Indeed.

Les Mis is not a "safe for the whole family" show—part of what makes it so good. No Pollyanna-ing the plot to make it palateable. Nothing cheesy. The evil is truly evil. The poverty and violence and immorality are not pretty. But into this world of true darkness comes great grace. And the end brings a glimpse of heaven. Literally.

Especially in light of the events in Connecticut, the redeeming power of grace comes through, and a demonstration of why we must choose to love, not hate, in the face of great injustice.

Gary didn't go through any tissues. But the guy on the other side of me needed some. I suggest at least having one in your pocket. And if you don't have little kiddos, go the day it opens: Christmas. It will remind you why we celebrate.

Firstborn of All Creation

Dallas Seminary provides a daily devotional for reflection during the Advent season (leading up to Christmas). Today is my day. Go here. 

How to Write Good Lyrics

My guest today is by singer/songwriter, Katherine Long. You can check out her FB fan page and hear her sing by going here.

“I can't get that song out of my head!” A familiar phrase, no? How does a songwriter pen a simple line of words that plays over and over in eager minds and could become legendary in the history of music? If you expect a quick answer or a three-step process, alas, I have neither. The thing about song writing is that the process is a little different for everyone. Some start with a good melody line and fill in lyrics that fit . For others, lyrics must come first. The good news is that after consulting the experts (Songwriting for Dummies by Jim Peterik, et al), I can give you some great tips on writing good lyrics. 

There are a lot of possible starting points, so here are some suggestions: begin with a title, an idea, an experience you’ve had, an imagined storyline, a catchy phrase, or even a melody line that suggests a lyric. Any of these should get you in the “writing” groove. Once you’ve settled on an idea, start with the verses of the song and begin writing. Let the verses express the concept of the song and have the chorus make the main point. As you write, pay attention to the way the words sound together and within the melody. Though rhyming isn’t necessary every time, songs that do not rhyme are definitely the exception. I actually find it easier to write lyrics when I’m trying to come up with a great rhyme. But everyone’s different. 

While I found these tips to be helpful and true, my favorite tip from Songwriting for Dummies was to create “the hook.” The hook is a line of lyrics, a sound effect, a melody that catches the listeners ear. It gives a song that special something that puts it in the “I can’t get that song out of my head” category. One of the best examples of a hook is from Beethoven’s 5th Symphony: Bum Bum Bum Bahhh, Bum Bum Bum Bahhh. Hum that to just about anyone, and he or she will know exactly what you’re talking about. If you can create a memorable hook—whether in words, in melody or in effect—you’ll have a song that people will remember.

Finally, a note for those who want to write songs specifically for worship. I was speaking to a director of a large worship ministry in Texas recently and he said there are two things you have to realize when writing worship songs. One, you have to write the song so that non-singers can sing it. And two, keep it simple. Simple doesn’t mean shallow, he said. It means that your song has one concept—a concept that needs to be remembered by the people singing it so the message will stick with them. If you can’t write the main point or message of your song in one sentence, it’s probably too complicated.

For anyone interested in reading more about songwriting and diving deeper into some great ideas and examples, I do recommend Songwriting for Dummies. Peterik also covers topics such as getting your songs heard and how to market yourself. Check it out from your local library. Happy songwriting!

Autism Linked to Older Fathers

The journal Nature recently linked two contemporary trends: the increasing age of first-time fathers, and the increasing rate of autism.

DeCode Genetics has determined that humans inherit more than three times as many mutations from their fathers as from their mothers, and mutation rates increase with the father's age but not with the mother's.

 This suggests, says Nature, that "By starting families in their thirties, forties and beyond, men could be increasing the chances that their children will develop autism, schizophrenia and diseases often linked to new mutations." Although other factors are sure to be at work, this could help to explain a 78% rise in autism spectrum disorder since 2007 in the US.

 How can this be countered? Encouraging men to marry earlier. Or have young men freeze their sperm in adolescence.

Sometimes People Find the Words...

There will come a time to discuss public policy. This is not that day.

Today I think of Ramah, convulsing over the innocents that Herod ordered killed, and the Word describing the scene: "Like Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted because they were no more."

Refusing to be comforted. Did you catch that? It's the appropriate response of a parent who has lost a child. Why would you want to feel better?

I've read some lousy responses to the tragedy, and I've heard from some people who I wish would just remain silent and weep instead of opening their mouths. But I did read one response I appreciated. Carolyn Custis James brought it to my attention (thanks!). It's by a writer at the New York Times. 

PW's Top Books of 2012

Publishers Weekly, the publication of the publishing industry, recently announced their picks for the top ten books of the year: 

Building Stories

Chris Ware(Pantheon)

Bring Up the Bodies

Hilary Mantel (Holt)

The Round House

Louise Erdrich(Harper)

Happiness Is aChemical in the Brain

Lucia Perillo (Norton)

The Devil in Silver

Victor LaValle(Spiegel & Grau)

Detroit City Is the Place to Be: TheAfterlife of an American Metropolis

Mark Binelli(Metropolitan)

All We Know: ThreeLives

Lisa Cohen (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

People Who EatDarkness: The True Story of a Young Woman Who Vanished from the Streets ofTokyo

Richard Lloyd Parry (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

The Barbarous Years: The Peopling of BritishNorth America: The Conflict of Civilizations, 1600–1675

Bernard Bailyn(Knopf)

Iron Curtain: TheCrushing of Eastern Europe, 1945–1956

Anne Applebaum (Doubleday)

Our Prayers...

Our prayers go to the families who lost loved ones in Connecticut today.

Amazon Editors' Picks 2012

It's that time of year...everybody coming out with their "best of 2012 lists." Here are Amazon editors' favorite books:

Behind the Beautiful Forevers

Gone Girl: A Novel

The Fault in Our Stars

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk: A Novel

The Passage of Power (LBJ)

The Orphan Master's Son: A Novel

Tell the Wolves I'm Home: A Novel

Wild: From Lost to Found on the...

The Age of Miracles: A Novel

Private Empire: Exxon Mobile and American Power

Golden Globe Nominees Announced

Do you agree? Disagree? Going to add some stuff to your "I need to see" list?

And the nominees are...

BEST PICTURE, DRAMA
"Zero Dark Thirty"
"Argo"
"Lincoln"
"Life of Pi"
"Django Unchained" 

BEST PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
"Silver Linings Playbook"
"Les Miserables"
"Best Exotic Marigold Hotel"
"Moonrise Kingdom"
"Salmon Fishing in the Yemen"

BEST ACTOR, DRAMA
Daniel Day-Lewis for "Lincoln"
Richard Gere for "Arbitrage"
John Hawkes for "The Sessions"
Denzel Washington for "Flight"
Joaquin Phoenix for "The Master"

 BEST ACTRESS, DRAMA
Marion Cotillard for "Rust and Bone"
Jessica Chastain for "Zero Dark Thirty"
Naomi Watts for "The Impossible"
 Rachel Weisz for "The Deep Blue Sea"
Helen Mirren for "Hitchcock"

 BEST ACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
 Hugh Jackman for "Les Miserables"
Bradley Cooper for "Silver Linings Playbook"
 Jack Black for "Bernie"
Ewan McGregor for "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen"
Bill Murray for "Hyde Park On Hudson"

BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Jennifer Lawrence for "Silver Linings Playbook"
Meryl Streep for "Hope Springs"
Judi Dench for "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel"
Maggie Smith for "Quartet"
Emily Blunt for "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen"

 BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Tommy Lee Jones for "Lincoln"
Leonardo DiCaprio for "Django Unchained"
Phillip Seymour Hoffman for "The Master"
Christoph Waltz for "Django Unchained"
Alan Arkin for "Argo"

 BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway for "Les Miserables"
Sally Field for "Lincoln"
Helen Hunt for "The Sessions"
Nicole Kidman for "The Paperboy"
Amy Adams for "The Master" 

BEST DIRECTOR
Ang Lee for "Life of Pi"
Kathryn Bigelow for "Zero Dark Thirty"
Quentin Tarantino for "Django Unchained"
Steven Spielberg for "Lincoln"
Ben Affleck for "Argo"

 BEST SCREENPLAY
"Zero Dark Thirty"
"Argo"
"Lincoln"
"Django Unchained"
"Silver Linings Playbook"

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
"Rise of the Guardians"
 "Brave"
 "Frankenweenie"
 "Hotel Transylvania"
"Wreck-It Ralph" 

BEST FOREIGN FILM
"The Intouchables"
"Rust and Bone"
 "Amour"
 "A Royal Affair"
 "Kon-Tiki"

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Adele ("Skyfall" for "Skyfall")
Jon Bon Jovi ("Not Running Anymore" for "Stand Up Guys")
Hugh Jackman ("Suddenly" for "Les Miserables")
"For You" for "Act of Valor"
Taylor Swift ("Safe and Sound" for "Hunger Games")

 BEST SCORE
Mychael Danna for "Life of Pi
Alexandre Desplat for "Argo"
Dario Marianelli for "Anna Karenina"
 John Williams for "Lincoln"
Reinhold Hell and Johnny Kilmek for "Cloud Atlas"

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At Every Turn

My friend Anne Mateer recently released a novel, At Every Turn.

Story: Caught upin a whirlwind of religious fervor when two missionaries speak at her church,Alyce Benson impetuously pledges three thousand dollars to mission work inAfrica. She's certain her wealthy father will hand her the money. Butwhen he refuses, Alyce must either stand in front of the congregation andadmit failure or raise the money herself. 

It's 1916,and the latest advancements in car engines allow some to post speeds upwards ofseventy miles per hour. Alyce has a passion for speed. And she discovers her father's company has sponsored aracing car that will compete in several events—races in which thedriver will be paid and could win as much as five thousand dollars in prizemoney. So she conspires with her father's mechanic, Webster, to secretly train andcompete. But as Alyce comes across needs in her own community, money slipsthrough her fingers faster than she can earn it. And when her friends castaspersions on Webster's past, she wonder whether she trusted the wrong manwith her secret.  

Anne took some time recently to offer a Q-and-A session about her book:

Missionsand auto racing seem like an unlikely combination for a heroine’s interests.How did these come together?

           

Especially in 1916, these are an odd combination. When Ibegan looking for a fresh book idea in 2010, I ran across an article aboutan auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the fall of 1916. I wasfascinated especially by the courage it took to drive thosecars at such speeds with little in the way of safety equipment. As I pondered that aspect of auto racing, I wondered what kind of a woman would both enjoy watching the sport and be willing to take the risk herselfshould the opportunity present itself. Some of the most courageous women Iknow arepassionate about missions, heedless of their own safety in their passion tobring the love of Jesus and truth of the gospel to those who don’t yet know.Thus, it seemed quite natural to have my heroine, Alyce, find energy andpassion for both of those things.

Whatwas your favorite tidbit of research for the book?

           

I loved learningthe history of the speedway outside of Chicago that hosted one of the races in At Every Turn. It opened in 1915, Ibelieve, but closed (as did all the others) with the onset of America’sinvolvement in the Great War (WWI) in 1917. However, when the track owner’s sonwas killed in France, he donated the land where the speedway was located for aveteran’s hospital, which it remains to this day!

Whois your favorite character outside of the main characters?

           

I’m one of thoseweird writers who doesn’t outline much, if at all, so often I havecharacters I didn’t expect pop into my stories. In At Every Turn I had a whole family drop in uninvited. Lucindaand her children appeared, and I fell in love with them. And it turned outthat Alyce needed Lucinda’s friendship.

Howdid this book change you?

The writing ofeach book is about so much more than the story for me. Through the creation of At Every Turn and journeying with itscharacters, I believe I gained a greater understanding of each of our roles inthe kingdom of God. We are not all called overseas, like the McConnells were.Or to be outrageously courageous, like Alyce. Some of us, like Lucinda andGrandmother, have a much smaller, less visible—but no less important—sphere ofinfluence. Writing this story helped settle my own heart with the way the Lordcreated me and the ministry He’s put in my path.

www.annemateer.com

www.facebook.com/authorannemateer

www.twitter.com/annemateer

A Day Made of Glass

Have you seen the future? Fun to think about.

Kindred Spirit: Faith at Work

The new issue of Kindred Spirit is up. The print version will probably drop the week after Christmas. But you can read the articles now. The theme is God at work—living out our faith in the workplace. To view the magazine, go here. 

Books: NY Times Chooses Top 10 in '12

FICTION

BRING UP THE BODIES
By Hilary Mantel

BUILDING STORIES
By Chris Ware.

A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING
By Dave Eggers

NW
By Zadie Smith

THE YELLOW BIRDS
By Kevin Powers

NONFICTION

BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVERS: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity.
By Katherine Boo
[National Book Award winner]

FAR FROM THE TREE: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity.
By Andrew Solomon.

THE PASSAGE OF POWER: The Years of Lyndon Johnson.
By Robert A. Caro

THE PATRIARCH
The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy.
By David Nasaw

WHY DOES THE WORLD EXIST? An Existential Detective Story.
By Jim Holt