Welcome 2008!

There are a few lingering days of 2007 to enjoy, but I'm taking this opportunity to wish all my readers a happy new year! Thanks for reading and commenting in 2007, which has been a remarkable year for so many reasons. There are many exciting things happening in 2008 as well, and these are some of the things I look forward to, God willing:

1. Marrying Henry sometime during the summer and getting a new last name. Stay tuned for an actual date. Who knew that finding one would be so complicated?

2. Establishing a new home with Henry.

3. Going on vacation--with Henry!

4. Beginning the college search process with Katie as she enters her senior year (small tear).

5. Eighth grade graduation for Jonathan and then high school (small shudder).

6. Continuing in my work at Discovery House and learning more and more about editing and book publishing from my editing hero, J.

7. Finding out which two candidates get their party's nomination and hopefully seeing a true Republican become president.

8. Standing next to Jonathan, looking in the mirror, and seeing that he is taller than I am.

9. Stepping on the scale in a few months and seeing that I weigh significantly less than I do now. (There--I put it on my blog. Now everyone must hold me to it.)

10. Significantly reducing the clutter that fills way too much space in my current home.

And, of course, continuing to publish riveting accounts of my personal life here on Head and Heart and looking back at this post next year on December 31 and realizing, yet again, how very much I have to be thankful for.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust" (Psalm 90:1).

May you enjoy God's richest blessings of life, love, and happiness as you celebrate this coming new year!

Happy Birthday, Henry!

Unbelievable--the new man in my life not only has one of those dreaded, close-to-Christmas birthdays, it is the day after my dad's. And I will spend the rest of my life making sure that it isn't forgotten in the Christmas rush. Henry's birthday is definitely a day of celebration. And so here it is--my first birthday tribute to my fiance. (I really love typing that!)

1. His passion for God. One of the first things I knew was true of Henry was his love for God and his faithfulness to Him. We've had great theology conversations, and we've also had very down-to-earth talks about what it has meant for us to live out our faith in our lives. I'm still lobbying to come to his men's- only Bible study on Romans, but I don't think he's going to cave on that one.

2. He's a gentleman. Move over, Mr. Darcy! I have Henry, who, in all of our time together so far, has never failed to open a door for me, who brings me flowers (usually roses) every week, and helps me with my coat. He has always treated me like a lady, which makes me want to always behave like one (a good thing).

3. His musical ability. Early on when Henry and I were dating, a mutual friend told me that Henry had a great tenor voice, and while I knew from our conversations that he loved singing, I never really had an opportunity to hear him sing until last spring when we attended a conference together. I heard this amazing tenor voice during the congregational singing, and I kept turning my head to see if I could figure out where it was coming from. And then I realized--it was coming from Henry, right next to me. And I look forward to a future of singing with him at home, in church, and in choirs. I love it that we share this.

4. His love for simple pleasures. Going for a walk, looking at the moon, sitting by the lake watching ducks, and insects--Henry finds all of God's creation genuinely exciting and fascinating, which makes it exciting and fascinating to be with him.

5. His sense of romance. You'll just have to take my word on this one.

6. His love for Katie and Jonathan. He talks art with Katie, and I think he's using The Dangerous Book for Boys as an outline to bring Jonathan up to speed in "guy activities." He really understands and enjoys kids, and my two have learned this and know that he's a special person.

7. His kindness. Earlier in our relationship, I invited Henry over one Sunday evening. He couldn't come because he was having tea with an older lady in his church. And a couple of weeks ago when church was cancelled on a Sunday morning, he had quite a time helping an elderly lady get a prescription she needed. He can frequently be found visiting his sick friends from church, and he calls to check on them. He changes my light bulbs, shovels my walks, and is probably the nicest person I have ever known.

8. His great sense of humor and his appreciation of sarcasm. It's an essential at our house--sarcasm is just part of the fabric of our home. And here Henry fits right in. And it makes me feel good to know I've said something he finds funny and he laughs. It's a great laugh.

9. His integrity. Every word and action is carefully thought through, so that every word and action is meaningful and can be trusted.

10. He loves me and has asked me to marry him and has given me the most gorgeous engagement ring in the world (see December 24 post).

I am so blessed to have this wonderful man in my life! Happy birthday!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

My dad's birthday comes at what, unfortunately, is a time when it can easily slide through the cracks: December 22. We did actually celebrate his birthday on his birthday this year with dinner at LongHorn Restaurant, but with a poinsettia decorating his birthday cake, it was impossible not to think of that other big day that would soon be coming up. And so, here it is, December 26, and I just now have the opportunity to write his birthday blog posting. So here it is--the things I love most about my dad.

1. His love for and faithfulness to God. In word and deed, my dad has taught his children and grandchildren the importance of obedience to God. He taught us that it is important to understand what the Bible teaches and what we believe. It was from my dad that I first learned the doctrines of TULIP, setting me on the path of a Calvinistic faith from an early age.

2. His love for music. My dad loves to sing, so when his children showed an interest in music as well, he did all he could to support us. He taught me to be a good accompanist on the piano, and he made sure that I had excellent piano instruction all through high school. He would come home from working all day, pick me up, and then drive me to Bowling Green, Ohio, about a 45-minute drive one way, so that I could take lessons from instructors in Bowling Green State University's School of Music. And I still love playing the piano and singing today.

3. His thoughtfulness and kind treatment of others. My dad lives out his faith. He is always available to help someone in need, whether it's a struggling family member, a friend from church, or my kids and me. He may be replacing my furnace filter, driving an ill friend to an appointment, or making a color-coded schedule of Jonathan's classes for him to tape into his notebook. If there is something he can do, he will.

4. His good sense of humor and the way he makes us laugh (and takes it well). He teases Katie, spills food on his shirt at dinner, or plays his Taco Bell Taco Maker game, always making us laugh.

5. His strength. In a time of difficulty, there is something reassuring about having my dad around. In the brief time of my little sister's consciousness after her car accident, she was confused, in pain, and agitated at times. That was when we would call my dad in to calm her down, and it always worked.
He can also calm Jonathan like no one else. It's comforting to have someone with his strength around.

6. His sense of honesty and integrity. He has always set a great example of being truthful and fair with others.

7. His dedication and commitment to his family. After God, family comes next with my dad. He and my mom moved from the town where he had always lived in Ohio to Grand Rapids to be a support system for me, Katie, and Jonathan. And he's stepped up to be dad and grandpa at times for my kids. I love the special bond he and Jonathan, especially, share. And I love it that when Katie wants someone to teach her to drive, she turns to grandpa. He's definitely NOT the same man who taught me to drive.

8. He makes the best homemade ice cream in the world. Ice cream parties used to be a more common occurrence when I was a child, but I have many fond memories of family get-togethers where my dad supplied the big treat: homemade vanilla ice cream.

9. His emphasis on excellence. I'll never forget a conversation I had with my dad back in high school, on one of those long trips back from piano lessons. We were talking about my future, and at the time I was thinking of majoring in music. He told me that Christians truly had something to make music about, and that they should be the best that they could be in their service to God. It's stuck with me all these years.

10. He can fix anything. Or if he can't, he at least knows what is wrong and what to do about it.

Happy birthday to my excellent dad!

Favorites of 2007-continued

This beautiful ring has quickly become one of my favorite things of 2007. It lives on my left hand. Henry put it there, and there it shall always stay.

The Quotable J

I may just have to come up with a new blog category: quotables. I seem to be surrounded by wordsmiths, people quick to come up with a clever quip in just the right situation. Perhaps one day if I start my own publishing company, my specialty will be "quotable" books.

At any rate, it happened again today. My two "J" co-workers were marvelling at one of those strange letters submitted by a person who has entirely too much time on his hands. He was writing in response to one of our books, published years ago, that is just this side of going out of print. His criticisms included the CRC, RCA, PCA, Reformed in general, Baptists, Roman Catholics (particularly monks, which he used colorful language to describe), Freud, Machen, Bultmann--and that was just in the first two pages of his document.

At any rate, it gave us all several minutes of merriment (especially the comments about the monks), but we all agreed the document would best be filed in the circular, and it probably wouldn't do much good to respond to the author of the letter. He seemed to be fairly set in his theological opinions.

And that's when J offered up the first entry in what no doubt will one day be an enjoyable volume, an expression offered up in the spirit of "the lights are on but no one's home" observation: "He's a couple volumes short of a complete commentary."

There's nothing quite like good publishing house humor!

2007 Favorites

As 2007 dwindles down to mere days, I find myself reflecting on what has been, for me, quite an eventful year, personally and career-wise. I love those end-of-the-year top ten lists, so here is my own top ten list of favorite events, people, and moments of 2007, in no particular order.

1. Beginning my blog: What started on a cold January morning as an experiment in just how blogging works has developed into a full-blown blog. And there have been times during the year when I've loved it, and other times when I've simply endured it. And yet here I am, in December, still blogging away. I get to write, and once in a while, someone actually reads!

2. Going to Chicago on the train and seeing the musical Wicked with Katie and Jonathan. It all started out as a compromise: We would ride the train to Chicago like Jonathan always wanted, and he would come see a musical like Katie and I wanted. Everybody ended up a winner, and I ended up with a new favorite musical.

3. Going to NYC to the Book Expo with co-workers Melissa and Kevin. I truly felt like Tess in Working Girl as I was handed designer bottled water and fancy chocolates while we checked into our room at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. We saw a Broadway show and traipsed all over the city, shopping like crazy women (not Kevin--Melissa and I). Oh yeah--we attended sessions on the cutting-edge trends in book publishing as well and learned a lot.

4. Summer Sunday evenings on the patio with Henry, Katie, and Jonathan. These were the best, filled with fireflies, star and moon gazing, and mosquito bites. Ahhhhh. . .

5. Meeting Julia at Panera, talking away and drinking coffee, and realizing that a blizzard had developed while we visited. And I kind of wish we'd stayed there so the story would have been even better. What more could we need? Comfy chairs, indoor plumbing, lots of food--even a fireplace. Maybe we should revisit that this winter, Julia.

6. Attending the Philadelphia Conference with Henry. It was such a great experience to spend an evening and a day listening to some truly dynamic speakers talking about the power of God's Word. And I ran into some old friends from the Cedarville days, making the weekend complete.

7. Compiling and writing Better Than Life. It was such a great and sobering experience to research the contemporary persecuted church and to share these Christians' stories with other readers.

8. Going canoeing with Henry, Katie, and Jonathan on Labor Day. It was quite an adventure on the Thornapple River. Henry paddled, I helped a little, and Katie and Jonathan screamed at each other for several miles as we spent a late summer afternoon on the water.

9. Getting our first live Christmas tree this year. Henry and I went to the lot, picked it out, and then let it sit outside in the rain for a day so the gas fumes from the chainsaw that spilled on the tree could dissipate. After another day in the garage, our anti-Charlie Brown Christmas tree made its December home in our living room. And still every time we pull up in the driveway, someone comments that we have the best Christmas tree in the neighborhood.

10. I've saved the best for last: Henry. While we met in 2006, I think he'd agree that we discovered the treasure we had together this past year. He's my dearest friend in all the world, and watching the summer sky, walking around the neighborhood on a Sunday evening, going to the symphony, singing in the Zeeland Civic Chorus's production of Handel's Messiah--life in general--is just that much sweeter when shared with him.

May "the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands" (Psalm 90:17).

An Unexpected Journey

It has almost become a new genre in Christian biography--"telling my story." Young writers like Lauren Winner (Girl Meets God) and Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz) have made huge entries in the Christian book market (Miller especially) with their sometimes interesting, somewhat stream-of-consciousness, reflections and personal insights on becoming a Christian and their own experiences living the Christian life. The reader comes away with a pretty good understanding of who Lauren Winner and Donald Miller are.

In the last couple of months, I've had an opportunity to read two books that would land in the Christian biography category that have conveyed personal experience in a profound, insightful way that directs the reader back to God. One of those books was Things We Couldn't Say by Diet Eman, a woman who worked in the Dutch Resistance during World War II and spent time in prison for her efforts. It's an amazing story of courage and love, and I would encourage young women, especially, to read it and find another great heroine.

But another book that has left a wonderful impression is by W. Robert Godfrey, president of Westminster Seminary in Escondido, California. The book, An Unexpected Journey: Discovering Reformed Christianity, is a warm, personal look at his experience of embracing Calvinism and the Reformed faith. As a person who grew up in the Baptist church, finding the Reformed faith in my twenties, I connected immediately with the author's experience. It also helped that I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Godfrey this fall at Reformed Fellowship's annual meeting and heard him lecture about his passion, John Calvin. I was struck by Dr. Godfrey's genuineness, and while it is immediately clear that he is incredibly learned and intelligent, it doesn't prevent him from communicating on a very down-to-earth, personable level.

It is an interesting experience, coming from the "outside" to the Reformed faith, especially the Reformed faith of the Dutch variety. Dr. Godfrey grew up in California, and his parents were Methodists who only occasionally attended church. As a junior in high school, Dr. Godfrey met his "first Calvinist," a co-member of the high school swim team whose family were members of the local Christian Reformed Church. Reflecting on his preliminary reading, the author explains: "I believe that one particular part of Calvin's message appealed to me. It was the teaching of a great and sovereign God who was truly in charge of all things." God used these early encounters with a Reformed family and a Reformed church to form Dr. Godfrey into a man who now is a great scholar, educator, and minister in the United Reformed Churches.

And yet this book is not a high-minded, intellectual exposition on Calvinism. Godfrey sets out to give a personal account of what it is to be Reformed: "For too many, Calvinism has seemed either an intellectual exercise in theology or an inherited and often unexamined religious commitment. But as I have experienced it, Reformed Christianity is not simply an inherited tradition or an expression of intellectual theology. I believe that Reformed Christianity is the best, fullest form of biblical religion." This introductory claim is developed throughout the rest of the book as Godfrey explores different aspects of the historic Reformed faith, such as congregational life, Christian disciplines, and worship.

It would seem that the intended audience for this book would be those who want to understand what the Reformed faith is and what it means to be a Calvinist. But I thought as I read how helpful and encouraging it was to be a committed, Reformed Christian reading this book, being reminded of just how precious that faith is.

Michael Horton's endorsement on the back cover of the book sums it up well: "Although written in autobiographical form, this book is really about God. Regardless of one's theological background, any believer can read with great edification this hymn to God's grace in Christ."

And that is the significant difference in this contribution to Christian biography: Dr. Godfrey drives the reader back to God, His Word, and His truth and how blessed we are to live in the comfort of that truth. What a great gift to the church both Dr. Godfrey and this book are.

The Quotable Henry

At work, I've been helping edit a new book we'll release early in 2008: The Quotable Chambers. It's a huge book and a huge task, so I've taken a section of the manuscript to work on to help out my managing editor. Chambers, author of My Utmost for His Highest, definitely had a most quotable style, whether you like his theology or not. And his wife, Biddy, devoted herself to transcribing nearly every word the man uttered in his brief 43 years, so there's a lot of material to work with.

And yet my favorite person to quote these days is . . . Henry. While I haven't compiled enough to produce a book yet, it may be coming someday. But in the meantime, I'll have to share his witty, insightful one-liners as he allows me here on this little blog.

Some context: I was commenting on the irony that even though the "children of the sixties" see themselves as nonconformists and take a little pride in that, they usually, in the end, fall right into line. They support women's rights, hate any kind of rules, and like to see themselves as social activists, for example.I'll let you, dear reader, ponder that.

Henry's response: Sixties nonconformity, like teenage fashions, has woodenly predictable patterns.

Stay tuned for the Henry perpetual calendar and desk planner . . .

The Messiah

This week I will get to initiate what I hope will become an annual tradition for Henry and me. Since mid-October, he and I have been driving over to Zeeland on Sunday afternoons to rehearse Handel's Messiah with the Zeeland Civic Chorus. This all-volunteer group of over a hundred members has been performing this great piece of music for sixty-eight years. Thanks to a friend of Henry's, he was invited to join the group this year, and then he invited me. While initially I was a little leery of giving up my Sunday afternoon naps, it has proven to be a rewarding experience.

The last time I performed this music, I was a student at Cedarville College, back in--a long, long time ago. I was also singing the alto part--I'm not sure why. So I do have to remind myself, especially on "And the Glory" for some reason, that I'm singing soprano now. I'm so glad that I've participated in this. It's been wonderful to stretch myself and use my singing abilities to perform this beautiful piece of music.

I love how Handel has composed the movement of the music to reflect the words. In "All We Like Sheep," all four parts go astray in their own,seemingly mindless, way until the end of the piece where the music takes a sudden somber tone, until the four parts suddenly come together to sing, "And the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." In "And with His Stripes," the music seems to be indicating the slashing sounds of the whip on Jesus' back. And then there's the beautiful grandeur of "Worthy Is the Lamb" that nearly brings me to tears, especially when I had the thought the last time I was singing it that I couldn't begin to imagine music to honor the Lord more beautiful than this--and yet heaven's music will be even more glorious.

We have dress rehearsals tomorrow night and next Monday night for our two performances: Thursday, December 6, at First Zeeland CRC, 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday, December 11, at Central CRC in Holland, 7:30 p.m. I can think of no better way to celebrate Christmas than with this music. Come sing with me!

A Prayer

An author whose unpublished manuscript I'm currently reviewing for publication quotes this beautiful prayer by Martin Luther in his book:

Lord Jesus, You are my righteousness, I am your sin. You took on you what was mine; you set on me what was yours. You became what you were not, that I might become what I was not.

Copying Jewels (or, My Celebrity Look-Alikes)

Inspired by dear blogging friend, Julia, I've visited MyHeritage to determine my celebrity look-alikes. It's a little surprising . . .

Cool Free Stuff!

I just wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't let my reader-friends know about some very cool free stuff my own Discovery House Publishers is offering. Every week between now and Christmas, on the DHP Web site (www.dhp.org), you can have a free Christmas song download.

The other really great thing is tied into a book that has just released: A Blossom in the Desert. The book would make a great Christmas present for the art lover in your circle of friends and family. It's a beautiful hardcover coffee table gift book, and I'm not just saying it's beautiful because it's a DHP book. The artist, Lilias Trotter, lived during the Victorian era and studied under English artist John Ruskin. Although she showed great promise and probably could have become quite famous, Lilias instead left her comfortable, plush English life and became a missionary to the Arabs of Algeria. During the years she served as a missionary, Lilias kept art journals, filled with exquisite, delicate watercolors of the people, animals, landscape, and flowers that she observed. She also recorded her thoughts, and her writings are as poetic and as lovely as her paintings. Lilias is a fascinating woman, and her biography, A Passion for the Impossible, is also available from DHP. What a role model for young women! Anyway, you can learn more about Lilias and choose from several of her pieces of art to download as wallpaper at www.dhp.org/passion And if you should happen to want the book as a Christmas gift, and you live somewhere near me, I would be happy to pick the book up for you so you can avoid shipping charges. You can also purchase it at the RBC bookstore at RBC Ministries. Have fun checking out Lilias's site!

Speaking Christianese

I've had a lot of time to think about the issues raised at Publishing University but very little time to write until now. As an editor, obviously I'm interested in how we use language to communicate effectively, and as an editor in a Christian publishing company, I'm especially interested in how we can communicate the truths of God's Word with clarity and integrity. It's not surprising that one of the recurrent issues that comes up for editors at Publishing University is how to communicate in such a way that we reach audiences that are typically difficult to reach. Three audiences tend to be the focus: Generation X, the emergent church, and those outside of the church.

I find in all of this conversation some trends that concern me, some underlying assumptions that would tend to drive us away from the source of truth, Scripture, as we devise "fresh, new ways" of communicating the gospel to each of these groups.

Assumption 1: We should avoid using the language of Scripture (disparagingly called Christianese) because it does not reach people in their context.

I'm currently editing a book about the benedictions of the Bible by Dr. Warren Wiersbe, longtime pastor and Bible teacher. He makes an interesting point about what is termed Christianese: "Paul wrote this letter [1 Thessalonians] to young Christian believers and dared to use a theological word like 'sanctify.' It disturbs me when I'm confronted with teachers, preachers, and writers who try to 'dumb down' the Christian vocabulary and turn the Bible into a first-grade primer. If students of chemistry and physics can learn scientific vocabularies and if young children can understand the instructions for using computers and other electronic devices, why can't people learn the inspired Christian vocabulary that tells them how to live godly lives?"

At Publishing U, we editors were discouraged from using jargon like "baptism," "grace," and "redemption," concepts and terms frequently occurring in Scripture, because we can't assume that readers will understand. And yet as Dr. Wiersbe points out, we would expect those studying to be doctors to learn the language of medicine, those who want to become IT professionals should learn the language of IT, and a carpenter would certainly be expected to learn the language of the trade. Certainly we should expect no less of those who would be Christians, followers of Christ and His Word.

Assumption #2: The language of Scripture is no longer contemporary, relevant, or authentic. We need to use fresh new metaphors to attract people to the gospel.

There are so many things wrong with this sort of thinking that it is difficult to know where to begin. First, if we believe that the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God, then we believe that God has created all things, including people. And since the point of His giving us His Word is that we can come to know Him, then it would seem that He would be the best determiner of how to convey His truth to us. When we start to talk about making Scripture relevant and fresher and more authentic, we forget that God Himself defines what is relevant. He does not need our help with fresh metaphors and authentic language (whatever that is). There is nothing more relevant or authentic than what He communicates to us in Scripture, and while I do believe that obviously we need to reach out to the lost with His Word in a way in a way that is understandable, I don't think we need to create new metaphors, such as comparing our spiritual life to the mating habits of penguins. Such an approach trivializes God's Word. God is out of touch with what we twenty-first-century people want to hear, so let's help Him out. And twenty-first-century humans are a different breed from the humans of the previous twenty centuries and require special means of communicating truth. God's truths are eternal, and they are just as relevant, authentic, and understandable to us today as they were to the recipients of the apostles' letters in the early years of the church.

Assumption #3: The gospel communicated as it is in Scripture is off-putting. We need to find a way to make it more appealing so that people will be drawn to it.

The first part of assumption #3 is actually true. To those who are disobedient, Peter tells us, Christ is "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense" (1 Peter 2:8). Some of the initial things we need to understand about the gospel are not pretty--Paul begins the book of Romans by discussing God's wrath against sinners, His righteous judgment, and the fact that no one is righteous before he finally reaches the good news of 3:21: "But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law." And if we believe that Paul's approach was inspired by the Holy Spirit, we really can't criticize him for his harshness, for not taking a fresher, more seeker-sensitive approach. Paul tells God's truth in the way that God wants us to hear it. If we present something kinder and gentler, we present another gospel, one that is untrue. And so we sigh and think, "Alas, but no one wants to hear such a hard gospel, one that offends and accuses." And of course, no one does. But the good news for those of us whose task it is to communicate the gospel is that the Word is living and powerful, and it isn't up to us who will receive it and believe. We don't need to strategize, be more creative, and do market studies on how to make the gospel reach people. As our pastor pointed out so well in his morning sermon last Sunday, God's grace is irresistible, and the truth of the gospel will reach and convict those He has called, not because we have presented it in a clever, appealing way, but because the gospel is "the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16).

Effective, clear, and carefully crafted writing that explains the truths of Scripture should always be the goal. But we must never forget that the Author of truth has defined relevancy and has certain expectations for how we ought to understand His truth. To suggest that we can somehow improve upon His method is to become our own source of truth, which really is neither a fresh or new approach.

Come, Ye Thankful People

I love Thanksgiving. As our chapel speaker, Bill Crowder, pointed out today, Thanksgiving, unlike Christmas and Easter, is one of those holidays that secularists just can't mess up for us. Tomorrow, our family will go to church in the morning, and then come home and make some final food preparations before going to my parents' house for dinner. This year should be a special celebration, with my brother Tim and his family, my cousin Joy and her husband and two-year-old twin boys (adorable!), and my parents all gathering together. We'll eat the traditional favorites, like broccoli and cheese casserole, pecan pie, and the Selden stuffing.

And somewhere along the line, probably during dinner, we'll go around the table and name the things for which we are thankful. In a school newsletter this week, Jonathan's principal, Mr. Netz, suggested that everyone name five things for which they are thankful. So to honor family tradition and Mr. Netz, here are five things for which I am full of gratitude (not in any real order here).

1. The catechism writers said it best, and I am thankful for the heritage of words full of truth and beauty that they have left us: That I am not my own, but belong--body and soul, in life and in death--to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all of my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me whole-heartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

2. My family: Katie and Jonathan are my blessings from the Lord. It is a joy to see Him working in their hearts and lives, to hear them laughing, to see them studying, to watch them with their friends, to talk with them, pray with them, correct them at times, and to enjoy their love. My parents are a priceless treasure, a godly example of love in action. What a blessing they are to Katie, Jonathan, and me.

3. A new person in my life to love: Yet another demonstration of God's generosity to me, and an example of how He surprises us sometimes when we aren't expecting it with His greatest gifts. This is another example of how God is able to give "more abundantly than all that we ask or think." What an amazing thing for God to place a person in my life who is so special that I wouldn't have even known to ask for someone with his excellent qualities.

4. My church and pastor: Again, what a great blessing to be a living member of a community chosen for eternal life and united in true faith. It is a happy thing each week to go to church with the expectation that I will hear preaching about Christ and Him crucified, and to have that expectation met. Our pastor faithfully opens the Word of God to the congregation, and we know that Word has been delivered in wisdom and boldness. And this evening I was reminded of our pastor's care for the flock when I walked into the church to pick Katie up from catechism and saw her and another young man having a great conversation with their pastor about some important issues. He gave his time happily to discuss important matters with these two teens.

5. My job and my co-worker friends: What a rare thing to have a job where I have the opportunity to do the things I love and use the talents I have been blessed with. And I couldn't ask for a better group of people to work with; they are far more than co-workers. We are truly a team, and we all are friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, who work together. The special people I work with everyday have become such an important part of my life, and now I find it hard to imagine what life would be like without them.

6. (I know, I said five!) My friends, some of whom read this blog. You are all treasures, and I so value your encouragement, the time you give to me to talk and laugh and share, and the prayers you offer up on my behalf. You are among His "countless gifts of love."

Publishing U

The second major event of November--but not as important as Jonathan's birthday, of course--was the ECPA Publishing University, held in Lombard (Chicago), Illinois, from November 4-6. This was the third Publishing University, offered by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, that I have had the opportunity of attending. Various tracks for the different aspects of publishing are led by leaders in the industry, and it's always a good time for professional development.

It's interesting to be in the same hallways and elevators with industry leaders like Mike Hyatt of Thomas Nelson and Dwight Baker of Baker Publishing Group, but attendees were given a special look at one of the giants of publishing with keynote speaker Jane Friedman, CEO of HarperCollins, owner of Zondervan.

The next two days were filled with sessions devoted to the different areas of book publishing. I primarily attended the sessions for editors, but I did attend one marketing session and one publicity session. Two of the editorial sessions had to do with working relationships between editors and authors and editors and literary agents. The authors want us editors to have a relationship with them, and honestly, even though I'm kind of new to this, I never imagined not being friends with my authors. So I was happy to learn that I have been taking the right approach.

One session had to do with editing books for readers beyond the church. The presenter explained to us that writing that reaches readers beyond the church must depict a Christ-saturated worldview, be authentic (I've never heard that before [sarcasm here]), and maintain that Christ is a mystery (i.e., we don't have all the answers). It shouldn't be bogged down with "Christianese," should offer up fresh metaphors (one example was a passage from Donald Miller comparing his spiritual journey to penguin mating habits, and I still don't quite get it), and have conversational diction peppered with four-letter words (if we REALLY want to reach the unchurched).

Having just celebrated Reformation Day by sharing an article on Luther's understanding of the power of the Word in team devotions, this session was less than inspirational to me. I'm a believer in presenting the gospel as the Scriptures present it, and I get a little nervous when people start talking about "making it relevant" so that it will be appealing to nonbelievers. The truth is that the gospel will always be an offense to those who don't believe; we are called to tell the truth, and then we need to trust the Holy Spirit to do His work. And this is the exciting potential for those working in Christian publishing: offering gospel truth in an understandable, yet uncompromising, way and watching to see how God, in His providence, will use it. His Word will not return void, and we must be faithful in presenting it, even if it means using Christianese.

ECPA Publishing University is an important tool and worthwhile experience. There is much to be gained by sharing in the knowledge and accomplishments of others in the Christian publishing industry. It's always exciting to hear about the trends and issues facing Christian book publishers, hopefully making us all more effective in our jobs.

Happy 14, Jonathan!

November has been a whirlwind, with concerts, conferences, finishing up my editing project, and taking kids where they need to be. But the most important date in November for us was back at the beginning of the month--November 3--when we celebrated Jonathan's birthday. It's hard to believe that fourteen years ago he was snuggling on my shoulder, the happiest little guy imaginable. In keeping with my blog tradition, here are ten things I love about my Jonathan.

1. His nose--Jonathan has always had the cutest little button nose. (I'm sure he'll love that one!)

2. His loyalty--Whether it's for his longtime Nascar hero, Jeff Gordon; his friend since fourth grade, Steven; his favorite restaurant, Taco Bell; or for his family, nothing can shake Jonathan's undying loyalty to the people and things he loves.

3. His interest in history--Interestingly, Jonathan was only 2 years old when his father died and really has no memories of his time with him. But he seems to have inherited his father's love for the study of history.

4. His compassion--Jonathan is not too cool to love babies and animals. And he wrote one of the sweetest e-mails I've ever read to a cousin who was going through a hard time. He genuinely cares.

5. His memory--Jonathan can memorize like few people I've ever known. This serves him well in lengthy Scripture memory assignments, studying for tests, and in recalling promises made in the distant past--particularly involving bribes of some sort from me. If only he could remember his homework assignments that well . . .

6. His growth--Unfortunately for him, I'm not talking about physical growth just yet. But I'm sure that it's coming. I'm talking about the little things that I see happening in his life every week that show me that he's becoming a responsible young man--and give me hope that one day he will be a responsible adult man. He's opening doors for his sister and me, getting better and better about remembering his homework, and getting fewer and fewer discipline cards at school for lack of organization. He's taking care of responsibilities without being asked more often. Step by step, Jonathan is growing up.

7. His seriousness about spiritual things--Jonathan understands the importance of knowing God and His Word, and I've been told by his catechism teacher that he listens well and asks very good questions in catechism class.

8. His ability to deal with the fact that he's the only male in a household of females. That's been a tough one for Jonathan, and a reality that has often broken my heart for him. I try to put myself in his place and imagine what it would be like to be an adolescent female in a household of males. It's unimaginable. But Jonathan has a grandpa who has been the man for him, so there has been a bright side to it all.

9. His nonconformity--Jonathan can only be himself, and he really doesn't seem to care "if everybody else is doing it, wearing it, listening to it, or watching it." He knows what he likes and how he wants to live, and as long as it's not immoral and within reason, it's okay with me.

10. His devotion to his mom. How could I not love that? A recent story: Jonathan found himself in math class taking a test and realized he had forgotten his calculator. Here was his dilemma: He realized that if he asked to get his calculator, he would get a discipline card, which would mean he was up to three, which would mean a noon hour detention, which means grounding for a week from the computer at home. He really didn't care that much if he did well on the test, but he realized that he wouldn't do well without his calculator. And yet he asked the teacher if he could get it and suffered all of the disciplinary consequences. Why? Jonathan told me that he knew I'd be unhappy if he did poorly on the test. And he'd rather have me happy and suffer personal consequences. "I sacrificed for you, Mom," he told me. He only got grounded for three days. What can I say?

And that's my Jonathan. While the blog posting is a little late, the love is always on time.

California Fire Update

As things seem to be more under control with the California fires, I am thankful to report that Pastor Hyde and his family and the families in his congregation made it through without loss, as did Westminster Seminary. However, among the many Californians who lost their homes were two URC families, one in Escondido and one in Santee. Also, one of the brave fire fighters who served well is a member of the Oceanside URC congregation. For more detailed and accurate information about these families, click on the Oceanside URC blog at the right and go to Dr. Scott Clark's Heidelblog. He even includes information for those who would like to provide financial assistance for the two families, who have lost all of their possessions.

California Fire

For the third time since I began this blog, I'm writing about dear friends who are being threatened by fire. Earlier this spring, I wrote about the devastating fire that destroyed my hometown's lovely old buildings. On July 4, a fire destroyed the company (Trussway) that my dear Henry worked for. And today I received an e-mail from my friend, Reverend Danny Hyde, pastor of Oceanside United Reformed Church in Oceanside, California, telling me that the out-of-control fires there are threatening the homes of his parishioners and Westminster Seminary in Escondido.

This evening Pastor Hyde sent me an update: He now has two evacuated families staying in his home, and Westminster Seminary has been closed for the week. In fact, fires are burning only a few miles from the campus.

Pray for Reverend Hyde and his congregation and for Westminster Seminary, its faculty and students. While these fires rage, seemingly out of control, it is comforting to know that we have a God who never loses control. "Thy Keeper slumbereth not, nor shall He cause thy foot to fail, when danger doth assail. Lo, He that keepeth Israel doth neither sleep nor slumber, naught shall thy soul encumber" (Psalter Hymnal, Psalm 121).

Calvin at 500

Aside from editing a few notes pages, I have completed my work on With Heart and Mouth, Reverend Daniel Hyde's commentary on the Belgic Confession, a publication of Reformed Fellowship. Now that I won't be spending my "at home" evenings copyediting my heart out, I may have a little more time for blogging. I'm back!

And speaking of Reformed Fellowship, that excellent organization had its annual meeting last Friday, October 12, which featured a lecture by Dr. Robert Godfrey, president of Westminster Seminary, California. Dr. Godfrey specializes in Reformation history (one of the books he has written--now on my "to read" list--is Reformation Sketches), and in anticipation of Calvin's 500th birthday in 2009, Dr. Godfrey spoke on the topic of Calvin at 500: Was He a Success?

Dr. Godfrey talked about Calvin's contributions in three areas: government, the church, and his legacy of spreading the gospel. Dr. Godfrey talked about all of Calvin's great contributions, that he was probably one of the most influential people of the millenium, and the fact that even today we are interested in our political candidates' religious beliefs--probably because of Calvin's influence. If there were an area in which Calvin was not a success, however, according to Godfrey, it was in government. But, of course, Calvin's contributions to the church and to a rich gospel legacy were a profound success.

Some interesting insights Dr. Godfrey shared were his observation that Calvin, and Calvinists, are usually perceived today as solemn and joyless. He shared an anecdote in which he met a young man who was from an area of the Netherlands particularly known for its rich Reformed heritage (at least at one time). Dr. Godfrey asked the young man if he was a member of the Reformed church there (which would have been Calvinistic), and the young man responded that those were the people who had no TVs. Dr. Godfrey noted how sad Calvin would be to find that those who followed him would be identified in these ways rather than for their love for the gospel and its spread.

One other interesting insight that has stuck with me was Calvin's favorite verse--and it isn't in Romans. His favorite verse (reflecting his love for the gospel) is John 17:3: "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

It was a great evening, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to meet Dr. Godfrey and hear him speak about his passion, John Calvin. I expect that eventually his address will be posted on Reformed Fellowship's Web site (see the link, above right).

Better Than Life Update

October is here--suddenly, warmly, and surprisingly! While most of you are thinking about getting out those sweaters, raking leaves, drinking apple cider, and that most important of October holidays (Reformation Day, of course), at our offices we are thinking about the exciting release of the Better Than Life CD and book and all of the events surrounding them.

The CD actually made its way to our offices last week, and it was greeted with great excitement. The first five hundred copies of the book should arrive in our offices next week (October 17), and while I'm sure everyone eagerly anticipates it, I'm especially excited to see this one come back home.

The Better Than Life project was created to celebrate the International Day of Prayer in November, which focuses on remembering Christians around the world who are persecuted for their faith. The songs on the CD, written and performed by Shannon Wexelberg, Scott Krippayne, and Charles Billingsley, all deal with the themes of persecution and suffering, and several of them are based on actual stories of persecuted Christians. The book is its younger sibling, and it tells the stories, in words, of persecuted Christians.

We do have an excellent Web site (www.dhp.org/btl--click on the link under "Other Interesting Sites") that includes sample stories from the book, song samples, and interviews with the artists who wrote and performed the songs. Check it out! The artists are also taking the songs out on the road with a seven-city tour, and the opening night is here in Grand Rapids at Sunshine Community Church on Thursday, November 1. It should be an exciting evening. Ticket information is on the site, as well as information about how to get your own copy of the book and CD.

Dear readers out there who bump into me from time to time: I would be happy to pick up both the book and CD for you at our Discovery House bookstore and deliver them to you in person. I do understand that Parable bookstores will be carrying a (very) limited number of the books and CDs. They will also be available at the concert, of course.

We Americans who go to church each Sunday, sitting in our comfortable sanctuaries with plentiful Bibles surrounding us--air conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter--tend to forget that not everyone in the world enjoys these privileges. It's difficult for me to put into words what I've learned from working on this project about the price some of God's servants in other parts of the world pay for a life of faith. And yet they happily "count it all joy" because of what Christ has done for them. Everyone who has been involved in the creation of this project hopes that we have captured a little sense of what our brothers and sisters endure for the sake of Christ, and that as listeners and readers learn of their plight through story and song, they will be encouraged to pray, to rejoice in God's perfect providence, and to never take the freedom we enjoy in America for granted.

The War

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven . . . A time for war, and a time for peace.

Last night Jonathan and I watched the final episode of Ken Burns's new series for PBS, entitled The War. As a nearly fourteen-year-old male, Jonathan finds the subject of warfare, guns, trenches, and bombs fascinating, and his interest in history made this great television for him. As usual, Burns took an intriguing approach, telling the story of World War II through the eyes of the everyday, ordinary person who was there, with a few well-known personalities adding their commentary as well.

While I didn't watch as faithfully or as attentively as Jonathan, I couldn't help but make some interesting observations, especially given the fact that our own nation is embroiled in a controversial war.

While none of the men Burns featured who fought in the war relished the fact that they were required to kill--there was no glamorization in this piece--they all believed that what they did was necessary, that the world faced a tremendous threat that had to be addressed. One woman from Alabama, whose brother and other friends fought in the war, commented about the end of the war that no one would ever convince any member of her generation that the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were a bad thing. They brought an end to the war, an end to bloodshed, and finally all of the boys could come home.

All of the men in particular that Burns interviewed throughout the hours of footage had been profoundly affected by the war. Some still broke down in tears as they discussed memories that several of them confessed they really didn't like to talk about. One man said that he had returned from the war, gotten married, had a family--had had a good life. And yet there was still the war. But it was a worthy cause--something that had to be done.

It seems like in hindsight, the threat was obvious. This was a cause worth fighting for, and freedom was definitely at stake. But there were many at the time who just wanted it all to end, wanted the boys to come home, and if it had been up to them, the war would have ended when Germany surrendered--never mind the Japanese. A co-worker and I were talking about all of this today, and she wondered if this generation has the stamina, the strength, the sense of commitment that it took to fight--and triumph--back then. It's a good question.

One of the profound statistics revealed last night was that two out of three European Jews were killed during World War II. Would even a third have survived if Hitler and the Nazis had not been stopped? Probably not.

So what if, fifty or sixty years from now, we look back on our current war and recognize that Islam was, in fact, a real threat. That it was a threat that we underestimated at one time. That some farsighted people acknowledged the threat at the time and tried to do something about it, but that those farsighted people were ridiculed, slandered, and their actions undermined and eventually overturned because more people didn't think there was a real threat. That we should have listened. What kind of a world will the world of fifty or sixty years from now be like?

A Cover Story

"You can't tell a book by its cover"--or can you? Book publishers certainly believe a book's cover is an important piece in the book-selling puzzle. Marketers want the cover to attract buyers, make them pick the book up, and hopefully buy the book. Editorial, of course, wants the same thing, but we also want the cover to artfully, attractively reflect the contents, the author's message.

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA), along with Dickinson Press, is offering awards for book cover design this fall. Discovery House submitted two of our favorite covers from the past year, and the one pictured above has made it to the finals in its category. We will find out whether it wins the award in November at the ECPA conference in Chicago. But it was pretty exciting to arrive at work on a dark, rainy Monday morning and receive the notification that our book was a finalist. It took a lot of hard work to get here from there.

Our book covers are usually designed before the book is even edited. For marketing and publicity purposes, we need the cover design long before we actually start working on the inside of the book. As with all of our books, our managing editor contacted a designer and gave him minimal information about the book (so he or she is free to come up with a concept without undue influence). The intended audience for the book is teenage to 20-something women, and the designer was aware of that. It deals with issues like modesty, self-image, and beauty from a biblical perspective. Several of us had settled on what we were convinced was a beautiful cover (and it was), but as it turned out, not the best cover for the book itself.

The first objection came from the author, who had an entirely different vision for the cover. Usually authors must live with their publishers choices, but we do try to take their preferences under advisement, and the author in this instance so disliked what we had chosen that she had a designer-friend create a cover herself. Of course this cover was unacceptable to us, so we took the author's concept back to the designer. Another interesting development was that the men on our marketing team who saw the cover that we were in love with, absolutely hated it.

But we were sure we were right. So the designer came up with some new designs for us to look at, including the one posted above. Most of us hated this cover, and the author wasn't extremely excited about it, but our managing editor, who found it not to her taste, believed that it would be a strong cover that would attract positive attention for the book. (And she reminded us of that today.)

Finally, one of our marketing people suggested that we have a small focus group that included about twelve young women who are on the RBC staff. What an interesting thing to observe! And the young women, hands down, chose this cover over what was apparently an "old lady" cover. It seems that they knew what they were talking about, because look what a long way this little cover has come.

And people think working for a publishing company must be boring! Stay posted for the results in November. . .

A Dying Blog?

Today my co-worker J. sent me an article from Christianity Today that re-enforced all of the feelings I've had about this blogging experiment recently. The article, entitled "The Death of Blogs," sums up so well the blog burnout I've been experiencing of late. Apparently blog burnout is a widespread problem, and one tech researcher reports that blogging has probably peaked.

When this little blog experiment began for me back in January, it was just that: a Saturday morning experiment. There is a lot of discussion in my industry about the usefulness of blogs: for promoting the publisher itself (and several major Christian publishers have started staff blogs in the last year), for promoting books, and for promoting authors. Curious about how this "blog thing" worked, I sat down on that quiet winter morning and decided I would find out just how hard it was to have a blog. And it was pretty easy--and fun. All at once, I was the writer, editor, and publisher of my own little media empire. And at first, it seemed like I had so many things to say.

And now, nine months later, there are days I feel like I have given birth to a monster. Sometimes it's easy to write, but more often than not, lately, it's a chore. Life has become busier since that first blog entry: I've accepted a major editing assignment for Reformed Fellowship that may never end, school and fall activities have started after a busy summer of activity, I'm trying to exercise, and I get my writing fix at work. And there are the technical difficulties of an Internet that never seems to work quite how you want it to when you want it to.

But, as the article points out, where it breaks down for us serious bloggers, is that balance between quality and quantity. We want to write well, things of substance, but this takes thought and time. But there are the pressures to post frequently as well. (I'm not sure from whom since this certainly isn't a paying proposition and there really is no blog supervisor to whom we report.) Just this week several people have pointed out that I haven't been posting as frequently. (I think this is some kind of psychological "blog weaning," because the article points out that people have a hard time letting their blogs go.) This is obvious if you check the number of postings for each month since I've begun. I'm no mathematician, but if you were to graph it, there would be a high place on the left in February with a steady, consistent decline with some slight variances to the right for the month of September.

All of this is to say that my blog is not dead yet, but it's definitely terminal. I'm hoping that it can last a year (that's my goal--I don't know why), because as sure as I shut it down, life will start getting interesting again; Katie will finally get that elusive license and start taking herself places, freeing up my time; and I won't get to write at work as much, so I'll need a blog for my writing fix.

All of this does raise some interesting questions about the psychology of blogging, and if there are any psychology PhD candidates looking for a thesis topic, here are some things to consider:

*Why do some bloggers, myself included, feel guilty for not posting more frequently?
*Why do we feel compelled to set deadlines for ourselves (like I'm going to do this for a year)?
*Why can't we just quit?
*Why do we ever start to begin with?
*Why do we care whether our postings are informative, creative, witty, and interesting--especially if we're just writing for ourselves?
*Why are we surprised when someone mentions that they've read our blog? After all, we're putting this information where it can be accessed 24/7 by anyone in the world. (Maybe this one is unique to me.)
*This one is for the audience: Why do we return, time and again, to the same blogs? Are they really that interesting? And why do we feel annoyed when there is no new posting, as if the blogger owes us something.

That should give someone a pretty good start on a doctoral thesis. And maybe, if that person needs more material, he or she could start a support group for burned-out bloggers. Or maybe, we could tie up our time starting a Google discussion group for bloggers, except that it would take away from our blog time, making us feel guilty for not blogging, and frustrating our audiences who have such high expectations...

Things We Couldn't Say

While frequent commenter to this blog, Jewels, may be enjoying the Netherlands in person this week, we "traveled" there this weekend courtesy of Master Arts Theatre and its production of Things We Couldn't Say by Diet Eman.

The play is an adaptation of Ms. Eman's book of the same title, which is on my list of "must reads" in the near future. I'm thankful that director Pris McDonald and the actors and actresses have brought this story of true heroism, sacrificial love, and godly faith to the stage to a culture that has lost sight of what true heroism is.

Diet was 20 years old and engaged to the love of her life when Hitler's troops invaded the Netherlands in 1940. One of Diet's co-workers, a Jew, received notice that he and his family were to report with a small suitcase to a designated place. Diet's awareness of his predicament forced her and her fiance into action. Hein, her fiance, told her, "If we don't do anything, when this is all over, we won't be able to look each other in the eye."

They both became involved in the Dutch Resistance, and eventually both were arrested and sent to prison camps. In the play, an older Diet is recalling her experiences for her biographer. As she recounts her story, the younger Diet of World War II and her fiance, Hein, step on stage to let us "see" the story unfold.

It is a love story--love for God, the love Diet and Hein shared, and love of country. It is also a sad story of pain, suffering, and loss. But it is a timely story for those of us living in the twenty-first century, where the threat is no longer a German madman but those who worship Allah and would have the rest of the world do so as well.

We are reminded, through Diet's story, of the cost of freedom and the selflessness of those who are willing to give themselves to protect and defend it. In the audience with us were many who lived in the Netherlands during that terrible war and many World War II veterans who had experienced the terror firsthand. It made the experience all the more poignant to know that we were observing this story with those who had actually lived it. While Jonathan, at nearly 14, looked to be the youngest person in the audience, it is a story that more children should see, so that they can learn and remember that there is a struggle between good and evil, and it is a war that must be fought.

The play will be performed the next two weekends at Master Arts Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings with Saturday afternoon matinees both weekends. It's a moving and valuable experience, and I highly recommend it.

Light and Darkness

We will shine like stars in the universe,
Holding out Your truth in the darkest place.
We´ll be living for Your glory,
Jesus we´ll be living for Your glory.
We will burn so bright with Your praise O God,
And declare Your light to this broken world.
We´ll be living for Your glory,
Jesus we´ll be living for Your glory.

~Matt Redmond, Shine

In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness did not comprehend it.

~John 1:5

And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil.

~John 3:19

And there shall no longer be any night; and they shall not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall illumine them; and they shall reign forever and ever.

~Revelation 22:5

Have I mentioned in any recent posts that I love my job? I was reminded again this week what an opportunity God has blessed me with when one of our DHP authors, Susan Lenzkes, visited us. For someone like me who loves interacting with words and ideas (and even gets paid to do it!), there are fewer delights than getting to spend time with another person who loves interacting with words and ideas.

Susan has written several books for DHP, including Life Is Like Licking Honey Off a Thorn, When Life Takes What Matters, and Everybody's Breaking Pieces Off of Me. She led our Monday morning devotion time and then met with the RBC Our Daily Bread writers and the DHP editors. Susan is a warm person, and God's love radiates from her as she speaks. She led us in a discussion of the analogies God uses to help us understand His truths, and, of course, I shared one of my favorites: darkness and light. In fact I shared with her my recent realization (based on one of my pastor's sermons) that the reason those of us who are in Christ need not fear coming into the light is because we have nothing to hide; we are clothed in Christ's righteousness, so when God looks on us, that is what He sees.

Interestingly, Susan had been considering a couple of subjects to speak about at the RBC chapel on Tuesday. One of them was (by coincidence?) darkness and light. My bringing up the subject made her decide that darkness and light was the way to go. She shared a great insight: She explained that when we go through troubles, we are broken and cracked, and then God can use these "cracks" to allow the light to shine through us. A lovely image.

She read a brief devotional from one of her books entitled "When Christmas Isn't Welcome," about how difficult it can be to celebrate the holiday when we've had a year of losses. Susan writes: "And yet God sent the Light of the World into such darkness. All around there was oppression, sickness, and suffering. Christmas wasn't welcomed then either. It was shunted into the dark corner of a dank stable. Yet the animals, along with the weary and wondering new mother and her husband, found they were not blinded by the light of His glory. He left the brilliance of heaven behind and came with a soft cry into the night. Only a lantern lit the face of God . . . When we can't say, 'Merry Christmas,' perhaps we can whisper, 'Welcome, Light of the World.'

Jesus is the light, His Word lights our way, and we are to be light in the darkness. What beautiful ways God gives us to understand His truth.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

It's unbelievable that something that began as an experiment on a quiet Saturday morning (this blog) could now have reached 100 status. And yet this is post 100, and I can think of no better topic for this post than one-half of the team making the writer of this blog possible--my mom.

This Sunday we celebrated mom's birthday (I won't say how many, but more than she looks), and, as has become tradition now on this blog, here are ten reasons I love my mom and am so thankful that God gave me such an amazing parent.

1. My mom loves God and has set a great example of faithfulness and obedience to Him for her children and grandchildren. This is the goal of any parent who loves God and understands her obligation before Him. My mom has achieved this goal.

2. I don't think I have ever known another person with more of a servant's heart than my mom. Whether it's her family, friends, neighbors, or even sometimes people she barely even knows, my mom is always there to give whatever is needed. A few examples: She (and my dad, of course--but more on his birthday) gave up her job and home in Ohio to move here to help me raise Katie and Jonathan. This took her even three hours farther away from her family in West Virginia. She often provides a listening ear to people who are going through difficult times in their lives. (In fact, she spent several hours this past Saturday listening to someone who was hurting badly.) She welcomes the neighbor kids into her home, bandages their scrapes at times, and gives them snacks. I could write a chapter book on this quality of my mom's.

3. She has a great sense of humor which has shaped her very down-to-earth mothering style. This is a mom who often bit her lip while she was spanking my brother, in particular, because while what he did required punishment, it was definitely funny and pretty hard not to laugh. She would threaten us with phrases like, "I'm going to beat the snot out of you," but we knew she wouldn't really. And I'd like to think my penchant for sarcasm has been inherited from her.

4. She has overcome great obstacles and challenges with absolutely no sign of bitterness. She grew up in poverty in West Virginia and was made fun of because of her raggedy clothes. Her dad died when she was only in her early twenties. Her daughter Kristi died at the age of twenty in 1990, and then her son-in-law (my husband) died in 1996. She lives with these thorns with a grace and dignity and has made it a point to comfort others with the comfort she has received.

5. She taught me everything I know about being a girly girl, especially in the areas of hair, clothes, and make-up. Our little family joke: How do you know when Helen/Annette is really sick? She has no make-up on. Thanks to Mom, it's a rare situation when you find me outside of my house with my hair not in place and no make-up.

6. Her vegetable soup, chop suey, and chipped beef gravy on toast.

7. Her mastery of the fine balance between being a doting grandparent and a strict taskmaster, when necessary. Probably each of her four grandchildren would tell you that he or she is the favorite because she makes them feel so special. But look out if you need a "talking to"--because she'll give you one that will give much food for thought.

8. Her story-telling skills, which she inherited from her own mother. You may have heard the same story a thousand times, but each time there's a bit of a different twist. And somehow, in her stories, her children and grandchildren are always the funniest, smartest, bravest, and best.

9. The role model she set for me as a working mom. Her job was important to her, and she enjoyed it (she was a purchasing agent for many of my growing-up years, when women purchasing agents were few and far between), but her family's needs always came first, and we knew it.

10. Mom is a walking medical dictionary. When the doctors don't know, or you'd just rather have an opinion that you know is probably right, just check with my mom.

My mom "opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness" (Proverbs 31:26-27). Happy birthday, dear Mom!

Labor Day 2007

Internet issues, children now using the computer to complete homework assignments, and just plain busyness are detracting from blog time. But there are no shortages of adventures to share on Head and Heart.

Labor Day 2007 found the Seldens and Henry seeking for a meaningful and entertaining way to close out this "last day" of the summer. And it was a beautiful day, so our requirements were twofold: something outside, and something involving water. I proposed canoeing, one of those things I had never done but always thought would be fun to try, and Henry quickly agreed that this would be a fun activity.

Henry reserved two canoes for us at the Indian Valley Campground on the Thornapple River in Middleville. Immediately Jonathan suggested that "the boys should go together and the girls should go together." Little did he know, however, that that was not the plan. Henry--the only one of us with canoe experience--asserted another strategy: he and I in one, and Katie and Jonathan in the other.

While I really liked this scheme (it's so nice having another grown-up and not being outnumbered by the children), I was a little nervous about it. Katie and Jonathan are not known for their outdoor skills or their ability to work together, so I packed a couple of beach towels thinking that the best case scenario would be that only the two of them might need them.

We arrived at the campground and were transported by van to the launch on the Thornapple River in Middleville. Among our company was a man who seemed to know everything there is to know about canoeing, fishing, and just life in general. And he happily shared his wisdom during the entire van ride. We learned that he was looking forward to fishing for salmon later this fall when water levels hopefully would rise (more on him later).

We took our place at the end of the line and waited our turn for our canoes to be launched. I think that Jonathan must have said at least thirty-seven times, "I think an adult should be in each canoe," even though this adult would not have been much help. Eventually I threatened him with punishment if he said it one more time . . .

What a lovely time! With my experienced, gentleman canoe chaffeur, Henry, taking over the steering at the back of the canoe, I have nothing but enthusiasm for my first canoe experience. The whole trip back to the campground took about two and a half hours, and I can't think of a more pleasant way to spend a beautiful Labor Day afternoon,floating down the river and enjoying wildlife and scenery.

While Katie and Jonathan got off to a bit of a rough start, spending a great deal of time on either one bank or the other, they quickly learned how to maneuver the canoe off of sandbars, tree branches, and whatever other stuff was in the river to catch them up. Even though Henry and I quickly floated ahead of them, we knew they were okay because we could hear them screaming at each other for most of the first part of the trip. At one point we came upon Mr. Outdoors Salmon Expert wading with his companion in the shallows. Henry (jokingly) asked, "Find any salmon?" Not only does Mr. Outdoors Salmon know everything, he has absolutely no sense of humor, responding, in all seriousness, "There aren't any salmon in this river!" We were thankful to be enlightened.

Toward the end of our journey, we came upon some beautiful homes along the river. We noted the decks, the screened-in porches, and the outdoor swings and commented that it would be so lovely to be able to live along the peaceful river and enjoy the quietness and serenity of it all. This was followed by further screaming from Katie and Jonathan, Katie because there was a "gigantic" spider in the canoe, Jonathan insisting that it was not at all harmful and refusing to kill one of God's creatures and telling Katie that she needed to paddle and steer the canoe, and Katie insisting she would not paddle unless Jonathan killed the spider. It was a good time.

And it was a good time, creating some fun memories. Katie feels that she channeled her inner Pocahontas, and Jonathan had something interesting to share at school on Tuesday about what he did on Labor Day. And I got to enjoy the ride in the company of one of my favorite people, who also had a good time. We may have found a new Labor Day tradition.

The Belmont Foundation

I made an interesting--and encouraging--discovery today. I was reading an article on-line about author Donald Miller (bestseller Blue Like Jazz) and found out that he has started a foundation to provide mentoring programs for fatherless sons.

Miller, who grew up without a father, has written a book about his experiences and reflections: To Own a Dragon. I haven't read anything that Miller has written. He's one of those 30-something popular writers who writes in that Christian stream-of-consciousness "let me share my story" style. I don't know how good his stuff his (it's usually a personal principle of mine not to read anything that tops the bestseller charts), but I am a fan of what he's seeking to accomplish through the Belmont Foundation.

Miller grew up in Houston, and his church there began a mentoring program for the fatherless. Miller says this influence in his life kept him "from a life that would have caused pain to many."

As Miller worked on To Own a Dragon, he began to think about the possibility of an organization that would offer formal mentoring programs to churches. The Belmont Foundation was begun to help churches develop long-term mentoring programs to effect lifelong change in the lives of fatherless children.

The Foundation's research has compiled some compelling statistics about the effect mentoring can have. Visit the Foundation's Web site at www.belmontfoundation.org for more information about Miller's vision. It's exciting to see that someone "who has been there" sees the church as the place where the fatherless should be able to find the help and support they need and is actively doing something about it.

Suffer for Christ:Revelation 2:8-11

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you in prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

The persecuted church today often cites these verses from Revelation, the text for last Sunday's sermon on persecution and suffering. The message to this second of the seven churches comes to a body that is accused of no wrongdoing. It raises the question: Are times of persecution of the church times of purification as well? The message that comes to this church comes from One who knows what it is to be persecuted.

Verse 9 tells us that Christ knows this church. He knows that it stands faithfully for the truth. He also knows of its affliction and poverty. The reference here most likely is to physical poverty, as persecution is often economic in nature, in ancient and modern times. Christ also knows those who are slandering the church, another type of persecution that occurs today. This happens when, for example, the media misconstrues the church's beliefs on issues like homosexuality. We also learn from this verse that the persecutors of the church at Smyrna were Jews, the physical descendants of Abraham. John calls them here a "synagogue of Satan." These Jews are not really Jews at all because they will not acknowledge the Messiah.

Christ tells these afflicted believers in Smyrna not to fear suffering, the devil, and the duration of their suffering. Suffering is a natural part of the life of the church of Jesus Christ. And clearly Satan is behind these attacks; this is a spiritual warfare. The "ten days" is an expression of the fullness of persecution, but the duration of persecution is always limited.

The church at Smyrna is reminded to be faithful to the point of death. We have been called to endure, and we can endure persecution. We are reminded that those who are faithful will be given the crown of life; no one can take eternal life from us (cf. John 11:25). Those who hear this word of the Spirit can be comforted with the promise that those who overcome will not be hurt by the second death, which is eternal death in hell (cf. Revelation 21:8). The second death cannot touch the child of God.

It is interesting that this sermon comes as I finish up my book project on the persecuted church. For those who follow the news on those who are persecuted, there were some interesting events this week. First, great news from Afghanistan: The remaining 19 South Korean hostages are in the process of being freed. They were captured by the Taliban six weeks ago. Two were killed, and two were freed earlier. South Korea has agreed to pull out its troops by the end of the year (which it had already planned to do), and it has said that it will not allow missionaries from its country to come to Afghanistan.

And in Turkey, where three Christian men were brutally murdered by Islamic radicals in April, a devoted Muslim has been chosen to head the government. This cannot be good news for the church in Turkey. Turkey wants to be admitted to the EU and wants to be viewed as a modern nation, so the new head of the government has said that he will keep his religion separate from his politics. Many in Turkey were hoping for a more secular leader, because it is nearly impossible for a Muslim to separate faith and politics. We can pray for the poor, struggling church in Turkey that this Muslim politician will be an exception.

Best City for a Single?

A special report on Forbes.com ranks the best U.S. cities for singles, and surprisingly, Grand Rapids does not make the top forty (yes--I'm being sarcastic). Some truly surprising statistics are included in the article, though. Singles in America make up 41 percent of adults age 18 and over. Also surprising: according to the report, most Americans can expect to spend fully half their lives unmarried.

So what factors shaped the selection of the forty best cities for singles? Forbes.com looked at the largest urbanized areas in the country and judged them on culture, nightlife, job growth, the cost of living alone, online dating, the number of other singles, and, what Forbes describes as an elusive quality, cool.

Of course the article explains that singles are no longer just those people who are somewhere between adolescence and marriage. Singles in America are a widely diverse group, ranging from those living with members of the opposite sex to those becoming single mothers by choice (and why any woman would choose to become a single mother will forever remain a mystery to this mother who had single motherness thrust upon her).

Once you understand the methodology the researchers used, it becomes obvious why Grand Rapids did not make the top forty. Here's how it worked:

*Coolness: Researchers asked adults from across the U.S., "Among the following U.S. cities, which one do you think is coolest?" NYC comes to mind for me, Chicago--but let's be honest. Grand Rapids and "cool" just don't go together, unless you're talking about the weather in May.

*Cost of Living Alone: This index was determined by the average cost of a metro area's apartment rent, a Pizza Hut pizza, a movie ticket, and a six-pack of Heineken. Entry-level salary data was also factored in. Interesting... If I lived in New York or Chicago, I probably wouldn't eat Pizza Hut pizza because there would be better options. Of course the six-pack of Heineken would be quite appropriate here in Grand Rapids.

*Culture: Determined by the number of museums, pro sports teams, and live theater and concert venues, as well as the university population. This speaks for itself.

*Job Growth: Determined by the projected percentage of job growth over the next five years for each metro.

*Online Dating: Determined by the number of active profiles in each city listed on dating site Yahoo! Personals. Speaking, unfortunately, from very definitely past personal experience, I've never checked Yahoo! Personals, but other sites don't seem to offer many Grand Rapids options.

*Nightlife: Based on the number of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs per capita. Fairly irrelevant category to the single parent with children at home.

*Singles: Based on the percentage of a metro's population above the age of 15 that has never been married.

And the top ten? San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, San Diego, Seattle, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Philadelphia.

In spite of the odds against me, however, this single girl has found Grand Rapids to be a most satisfactory location for singleness, probably because I'm having the most amazing dating experience of my life. And so for me, San Francisco, New York, or Chicago have nothing to offer in comparison to the elusive cool I've found right here in Cutlerville. And, to quote one of my favorite single parents, Forrest Gump, "That's all I'm going to say about that."

Taking a Break

It looks like fall outside, feels like fall outside--but it should all change in time for next Monday when Katie and Jonathan return to school. But summer is winding down, and it has been a busy one, but not without its pleasant moments--sitting on the patio with Henry on a warm summer evening watching Katie and Jonathan chasing fireflies, taking afternoon walks with my girlfriends at work, and just enjoying the beauty of the flowers, birds, and summer clouds.

Today I received the page proofs for Better Than Life, what in June looked like a daunting project--crashing a book, writing/compiling 128 pages by August. I remember at the very beginning, before I'd even begun to write, our publisher told someone that I'd finish "ahead of deadline, like Annette always does." When I heard her say that, I thought, "There's a first time for everything." But she was right-- I did finish ahead of deadline, and instead of 128 pages, it will be 160. And I have to say that I'm satisfied with the results.

Researching and writing about the persecuted church has affected my thinking on so many things: the fellowship of Christ's suffering, loving our enemies, the necessity of standing up for Jesus, and the greatness and creativity of a God who can use even horrible circumstances to accomplish His purposes. I've learned a lot, and if those who read the book come to a better understanding of the plight of our Christian brothers and sisters throughout the world, it will have accomplished its purpose.

So because summer is nearly over, the book is in good shape, and Jonathan went with his grandparents to visit family in West Virginia, Katie and I are headed to the Windy City for a couple of days. We don't have a schedule, and there are no planned activities--except for an obligatory visit to the Cheesecake Factory. We're just going to make some memories before the summer of '07 leaves us forever. One thing I can say for certain--there will be no blogging during the trip. This will be a writing-free week for me.

Exciting Adventures

The Selden family is an adventure waiting to happen, as we realized yet again earlier this week. The cousins, Elizabeth and Garrett, were visiting from Indiana, so to show them a good time, we all headed out to . . . Archbold, Ohio, of course!

"Why Archbold?" you ask. Archbold was the scene of many family outings of the past as it was only about 5 miles west of Wauseon, the town where I grew up. So we went on a pilgrimage. For those of you who are unaware of the amazing tourist opportunities in Ohio, Archbold, Ohio, is the home of the famous Sauder Village, Sauder Heritage Inn, Sauder Barn Restaurant, and the Sauder ready-to-assemble furniture factory and corporate headquarters that at one time employed my mom.

Anyway, the quaint Sauder Village is where we would often take the children for fun when my parents still lived in Ohio and we visited them there. Unfortunately, upon our arrival Monday, we learned that the village is closed on Mondays. Not to worry, though, we had reservations at the lovely Sauder Heritage Inn, so the cousins spent a lot of time in the pool. A good time was had by all.

Your Radiant Lord: Revelation 1:9-20

This passage strives to set before us in words the glory of the indescribable Jesus Christ. John comes closer to experiencing this than we, and his response in v. 17 is to fall down at the feet of Christ as though he were dead. But Jesus lays His right hand on John and tells him not to be afraid, restoring John through His touch.

John sees our radiant Lord among the lampstands (v. 13), and the seven lampstands represent the seven churches mentioned later. But seven is the number of completion, so God is not speaking only to these seven churches, but to the whole church--us as well. No light, even in the twenty-first century, is self-sustaining, and the lamps of old required much tending, with their wick, oil, and stands. This One among the lampstands is tending them, ensuring that they continue to provide light. It is interesting to note here that Jesus is depicted as being among the churches--not individuals. The churches have been created by God the Father and are tended by Jesus, the Son.

And John tells us that this One among the lampstands is like the Son of Man (v. 13). This reference to Jesus is rooted in the Old Testament book of Daniel, chapter 7. The name emphasizes the divinity of Jesus Christ and His power and everlasting dominion over all the nations. The Son of Man appears in His glory, and again there are similarities here between this description of the Son of Man and the Ancient of Days (God the Father) of Daniel 7. We should note that the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man are described in similar terms. The robe the Son of Man wears displays His authority and power in His offices of prophet, priest, and king, all at once. The white hair commands respect, and His eyes of fire are the eyes of judgment. The seven stars in His hand demonstrate the absolute power of Jesus Christ. These are simply pictures that John saw literally, but they are a reflection of the reality behind them.

Again, John's response is to fall before Him with fear, and it would be natural to be terrified. But Christ reaches out to him and says, gently, "Do not be afraid." He declares His power in telling John that "I AM the first and the last," but He also demonstrates His love. We learn of Christ's work because He holds the keys of judgment. We will continue to learn more of this radiant Lord through the message He gives to John--the things which he has seen which are (Jesus in His exalted state) and things which will take place.

Grateful Hearts v. Foolish Hearts

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools (Romans 1:20-22).

I have been impressed again recently with the importance of thankfulness in the Christian life and the disaster that can come when we wallow in our pain and suffering. I know from experience, because wallowing has been my response often in the past, and the result has never been good. While sadness certainly is an appropriate response to pain and suffering, we must never forget God's mercy to us as well, because it is always there, always new every morning.

I find it interesting in my research on the persecuted church that one of the responses of most victims is glorifying God and giving thanks to Him. Those who are thrown into prison often become instruments for spreading the gospel. If they have opportunity to comment on their experience, they often express their thankfulness that even though they have suffered, others have come to know Christ through their suffering. Those who have lost loved ones, like Gracia Burnham and Necati Aydin's widow in Turkey, often express thankfulness for the lives of their spouses, even though those lives may have ended violently and painfully.

It's interesting that Romans tells us that those who reject God and do not glorify Him or give Him thanks experience futile thinking and their foolish hearts become darkened. And this makes sense. We become so focused on our own pain and suffering and how much we don't have and what we've lost, that we lose sight of what we do have. It often seems that our bitterness hurts or even destroys those people and things for which we should be thankful.

Our chapel speaker today talked about Paul's last words in 2 Timothy 4. Paul talks about the fact that he has been betrayed in many ways by people he has trusted and invested himself in. To say that Paul's post-conversion life was a challenge--with arrests, shipwrecks, beatings, illnesses, imprisonments, and frequent betrayals--is an understatement. In spite of all of this, though, Paul gives thanks because "the Lord stood with me and strengthened me . . . And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom."

This is not a Pollyanna approach to life (although I'm starting to wonder if Pollyanna wasn't on to something). When we're reduced to nothing, when we feel like all is lost, whether it's a human relationship, our health, or our money, the Lord stands with us, delivering us and preserving us. And this is a reality for which we can always be thankful.