Mary Jones and Her Bible

Christian Focus prints some extraordinary little books -- some of which may be lost in antiquity never to be printed again, if not kept in print by one of my favorite publishers. One such book is Mary Jones and Her Bible by Mary Ropes. This sweet book is the true story of a young Welsh girl, Mary Jones, who wanted to buy her very own Bible, and worked and saved for six years to buy one. She walked 50 miles, barefoot and alone to find a man who might have a Bible she could buy. At that time (early 1800's) Bibles were no longer being printed in Welsh, and Bibles were terribly scarce. Mary's love for the Word and devotion to Christ are inspirational to read about!

The man responsible for selling Mary her precious Bible began the first Bible society in England, which grew and grew. It is a bit hard for a westerner to appreciate what a blessing these societies were -- working to print the Scriptures in the languages where there was great need for them. We live in places where Bibles are sold in nearly every bookstore in every color, size, translation, with notes for every age and situation in life. If we are informed, we might consider places where the Bible has not yet been translated into the language, and pray that the Word would go forward in those parts. But what about people who live in places where Bibles are scarce? Reading this book opened my heart to consider those people in a fresh light. Bibles Unbound is a ministry of Voice of the Martyrs that enables Christians to send Bibles as gifts to places in the world where they are hard to come by. I highly endorse their program! Why not read this terrific little book, and then sign up to send some Bibles through Bibles Unbound? Sounds like a fitting activity for late summer when our minds tend to start thinking of "back to school", and we can start to get self-focused and materialistic.

Thinking toward 30

Well, it's coming in 2 days. Of course, I've been thinking on it for much longer than that. I found this interesting quote by C.S. Lewis:

"Thirty was so strange for me. I've really had to come to terms with the fact that I am now a walking and talking adult".

Well, that doesn't really sum it up for me so much, but interesting nonetheless. I think I've been feeling like a walking and talking adult for a while now, but there is still something strange about being thirty. Today a very rude man demanded "how old are you?" when I asked him if he'd ever shopped in our store before (a general question I ask often during checkout). I was stunned, and taken aback. Perhaps he meant how long had I worked there? "Excuse me?" I asked, trying to sound cheery. He repeated the question, this time emphasizing the word OLD. "Thirty" I said after a pause. "I was shopping here before you were BORN" he grunted. I guess he must have been pretty young when that happened -- perhaps a teenager? (He wasn't a sweet old man).

Why does it bother us to grow older? I feel no different. I don't really look whole lot different. What makes me esteem youth over age? I once heard John Piper point out the ignorance of that kind of worldly thinking -- Scripture blesses and esteems the gray head, doesn't it? Why then, do I so often build in my mind a little worldly idol of staying pretty and young?

Help me think toward 30, here. These past 3 decades have carried along not only change, age and experience, but also MORE of Christ -- His reality, His beauty, His gospel. God has shaped my heart to love him more, to know him more. Won't the coming years bring the same, by His grace? Why would I hesitate for a second to embrace with open arms all that God will bring in my future -- the mercy of knowing Him more and more.

Jim Elliot looked deep into his soul and asked "Can you bear it -- long life?" He died at 27. Can I bear it -- aging well, or dying young -- to the glory of God? Oh God, in the fire of your glory, make me be fuel to the flame!

Last Chance

Just a quick heads-up and reminder that we're still doing Jesus Storybook Bibles for 50% off through Saturday ($8.50 each). I've still got plenty left if you want to take advantage of this great offer!

Last night a friend from church was telling me how much he loves this children's Bible. He said when he first got it, he read a chapter each day with his devotions and was amazed how much it increased his love for Christ! This guy is in seminary and a military chaplain, and he gives JSB to new believers. I thought his testimonial was outstanding! How often do you hear such high praise for a children's book?

Literary Happenings

You know how tons of wonderful events tend to fall all with in the same 48 hour time slot, while the rest of your life plods on uneventfully? Perhaps this doesn't happen to you, but it certainly did for me last weekend. All within 24 hours, I attended the following:

• Farmer's Market featuring the sweet sounds of our friend Matt Shirley (performing at the market with his folk group)
  
• Book club brunch -- Great Expectations
• Jane Austen Festival with my friend Annie
  
• 25 cent ice cream day at the Pie and Ice Cream Kitchen
• Cook-out and sing-along at Blue Gables (named for the Cuthbert-like feel to the place as well as the "Shirley" that dwells therein.

Here are some pictures of the events:

Annie and I with Austen-type characters.

Getting a book signed by the keynote speaker who also wrote this book! Her talk was excellent, titled "Jane Austen for Smarties"

Showing the price of our yummy cones!

Hooray for Bastille day! Freedom and Fireworks for all!

Singing with my friend and talented musician, Rachel Amunrud

The Sale is Back!

Last Year I promoted a sale on my favorite storybook Bible, The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones here on my blog, and your response was outstanding. Well, I have great news! The sale is back! Yes, my friends, July 19th-26th (one might think it's in honor of my birthday) we are offering 50% off this great Bible (making the price $8.49). I know I gave away all the copies I bought last year, so I'm glad to stock up again this year!

I don't want to just rewrite my review of the book, but if this book is new to you, please read my post from last year. I don't know of any other storybook Bible that does such an excellent job of pointing to Christ through all the stories. It truly is Christ-centered.

“This is heady theology, often missed in adult preaching and teaching, but full realized in an age appropriate and attractive form that will delight children and often (at least for me) leave the grown up reader in tears... " (from Timothy Keller's review)

I can't think of a better way to spend $8.50. This would make a terrific baby gift for new parents, Christmas gifts for all your nieces and nephews, or even a great read for yourself (Tim Keller says every Christian from pew-warmer to Seminary Student should read it).

You can call me at work if you'd like to place an order -- we have tons on hand for the big sale -- (5o2 897 forty-fiveo6), or leave me a comment on this blog, or send me an e-mail. For the friends I know personally, (or sisters through the blogosphere) I'm happy to send them Media mail nice and cheaply. Our store usually does UPS in order guarantee fast delivery, but I'll handle your shipping whichever way you like.

The sale only lasts for that one week, so get me your order ASAP. I can't start shipping until the 21st, but I can put them aside for you before then. Hope to hear from you soon!

Book Plates

Do you use bookplates? I am an ardent fan. I have a lovely little collection of vintage-y bookplates, but recently I've been bookplate shopping for more, or a company that I can set up as a vendor for our bookstore. I was blown away by all the adorable paper companies out there. So far I haven't been successful in finding what quite fits our academic store, but I am personally a huge fan of the following.

Soooooo. . . tell me what you think! And if you know any booklovers who are turning the big 3-0 in a couple of weeks, this is just the sort of gift that would keep her feeling youthful! (I like "Home Sweet Home," and "Hello Deer" from Paper Princess best, hint hint.) :)


Here's Paper Princess -- all their stuff is cute!
http://www.thepaperprincess.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=6&zenid=cab23a38e7587615f2339d0fdc5d0c19

Felix Doolittle has more serious ones, check out the book prints
http://www.felixdoolittle.com/web/product_bp.aspx

Bookplate Ink has the plates I have and a fun interactive tool that shows how the fonts look on the plates.http://www.bookplateink.com/bw_bookplates.htm

This Etsy store has the most original ones of all
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12324877

A Delightful Visit

I've written before about my job here at the bookstore on SBTS campus, and how I'm frequently surprised when authors come to visit and buy books from us while they visit the school. In this way, I've been able to meet quite a few of my favorite grown-up authors (or their husbands).

Today I had the pleasure of meeting Bill and Carine MacKenzie -- visiting Kentucky from Inverness, Scotland. Bill is the founder of Christian Focus Publishing, and his wife Carine writes children's books -- a LOT of them! She has sold over 3 million children's books worldwide! Her books are great. They are so solid, and so clever. The MacKenzie's sat down with me and showed me the upcoming children's titles for CF4K (children's branch of Christian Focus), and highlighted some of the thought put into these books. "That book is about the gospel" Bill told me when I had Carine sign a copy of My 1st Book of Memory Verses. "It's not in the title, so not to be off-putting, but when children memorize these verses, it takes them through the gospel so they've memorized it." Carine told me about the interactive aspects of an upcoming book she has for preschoolers about the life of Jesus, Little Hands Life of Jesus. "How do you think of all these things?" I asked. Carine humbly nodded toward her husband, which was precious. I can tell they are such intentional people. They don't just produce children's books to make cute children's books and sell cute children's books. They are considering every aspect of what they publish. They want significant doctrines to be instilled into the little ones that read them. They want to equip parents to teach important doctrines to their children.

I appreciate Christian Focus' no-nonsense attitude. Perhaps it stands out a bit to me, being an American, but even CF's catalog descriptions of materials reveal a measure of dry wit and clear outlook on what a larger part of the publishing world is about. Take, for instance, this catalog blurb before their list of VBS curriculum: "Do you have a Holiday Bible Club (VBS) coming up but don't want to go down the whole Hollywood ballyhoo that so many expensive programmes involve? Here are some alternatives." Hmm. I can think of some VBS programs that fit the "Hollywood ballyhoo" bill.

What a providential encounter! I'm so glad to work where I do on days like these. If Christian Focus is new to you, please check out some of their outstanding titles!

Pastor Daddy

I have on my desk a darling new book published by a terrific church here in Louisville: Sojourn Community Church.
I'm excited because I've been asked to review the book on my blog, as well as consider carrying it in the children's department at our bookstore!

The children's ministry at Sojourn is outstanding. Their children's pastors have given me some of the resources they put together for their families, including book recommendations & family worship guides. The ministry's aim and focus is on the home as the primary source for instilling Christian values, beliefs and practices. It is in this vein that they have published this great little book, Pastor Daddy by Lindsey Blair and Bobby Gilles (members of Sojourn).

Pastor Daddy shows children how both their churches and their homes engage and instruct them in Christian worship: praising, praying, reading Scripture, etc., by showing them side by side on pages facing one another. For instance:

"A church the pastor reads to us -- the Bible in his hands/ We learn about God's love for us and all of his commands"

then opposite

"My daddy reads the Bible, too. I listen to obey. I'm learning how to walk with God and follow in his ways."

The book is written in an appealing rhythmic rhyme, which makes this profound theological concept seem simple and child-appropriate (which it is!). The text is accompanied by a simlilarly simple illustrations -- mostly of children at church and at home. The pictures are simple and childish without trying to be overly cute. I appreciate the simplicity. Many Christian artists seem to think that complex, ornate artwork is the only fitting way to represent big Christian truths, but Tessa Janes (Pastor Daddy illustrator) shows that this is not so. The book reads easily, which is the biggest test (in my opinion) for read aloud.

What a great book for preschoolers! You can pre-order this book from Sojourn, or here. Hey, maybe before too long, you can stop by and see me at the campus bookstore and get a copy there!

The Mystery of Christ and His Church

Yesterday was Josh's littlest sister's wedding. It was fun, of course, and precious to be a part of. All day, I reflected on the beautiful mystery of marriage -- this amazing institution that God designed to be a picture to us of Christ and His church.

Laura was a beautiful bride. She spent a good deal of time making herself and everything at the wedding beautiful. She wanted to be beautiful as she presented herself to her groom. That is a natural desire, of course. However, my mind was overwhelmed with the idea that Christ presents his bride to himself. He chooses her. He purifies and washes her. She does not make herself acceptable to Him, He makes her so.

Jake is a great guy -- and I'm thrilled to have him for a new brother-in-law. He loves Laura, of course. He wants to lead her and care for her. He wants to do her all the kindnesses he is capable of in his finite being. He is just a shadow, a glimpse of the Great Bridegroom who leads and cares for His bride, buying her with a high price, giving himself for her.

Jake's love for Laura is understandable, to a great degree. She is lovable. She is lovely. For the most part, she makes it easy for him to love her. Not so with Christ and His bride. This Kinsman-Redeemer chose a bride for Himself that did not love Him, did not seek Him and was an enemy, deserving the wrath of the Father. Christ showed His selfless love for the church by laying His life down and dying a gruesome death.

What a glorious picture! How marvelous that God has given us this earthly picture of the heavenly mystery. How could Christ love the Church? That the glory of his love might be made manifest. Meditate on these things, dear church. Think of your bridegroom, and recall how you do not deserve the love he gives.

ESV Illustrated Family Bible looks to be a classic

Crossway has hit another home run with the ESV Illustrated Family Bible, illustrated by Zbigniew Freus. I was immediately taken with the idea of this niche Bible -- to provide families a Bible to share with their non-reading, or early-reading children. I love some of the great story Bibles out there, but obviously, they are Bible stories, not Scripture. How to jump your toddler from storybook Bible to full-length Bible? Most publishers have focused on the attractiveness of the Bible to the child, formatting them to resemble a fairy-princess purse, a treasure chest or a toy of some sort, rather than focusing on how to make the Scripture itself most accessible to young readers. Crossway has come up with a way to do just that.

The Illustrated Family Bible contains 270 carefully-selected passages of Scripture -- from Genesis to Revelation, focusing heavily on the life and death of Christ. The passages are presented in a stunning format with full-page color illustrations, which excellently accent the given passage. I love the prophetic praise song of Hannah of I Samuel 1-2 illustrated with a beautiful young Hannah and her young child. About half of the book is the New Testament, largely depicting the life of Jesus. Freus does a masterful job depicting the Christ. The passion account is woven together from all 4 gospels, one right after the other, in one seamless storyline. It's outstanding. As an adult who has read these passages many times, I was gripped by both the text and pictures, compelled to read on.

The book concludes with John 20 "Now Jesus did many other signs. . . which are not written in this book", which seems to me a most fitting conclusion for a Bible of this sort. Our hope in reading Bible stories, and selected passages to our children is that a hunger will be created in them for more of Christ! I highly recommend this outstanding Bible to all Christians -- reading it will build your love for the Word.

American Girl Movie

Any little girl age 4-14 knows that I love American Girl stuff: reading and discussing the books, taking trips to the store, fixing the dolls' hair, etc. I've also enjoyed the American Girl movies, which so far have been made only for television, but were excellent at capturing the heart of what I love about American Girls. The Samantha and Felicity movies never cease to be tearjerkers for me, though the Molly movie, done by Disney Channel, left quite a bit to be desired, at least for true fans who know the stories well (but I digress). At any rate, I have high hopes for the upcoming Kit movie, which is the first AG film to debut in theatres!

World Magazine got in on the AG action by offering a review of the Kit movie in an article titled "Beauty in Hardship" by Megan Basham, and I was encouraged to read what this conservative Christian magazine had to say about the movie I have high hopes for. The link I put here won't let you read the entire article, but what stood out to me was the emphasis the film puts on hardship in life (Kit lives during the Great Depression). Basham contrasts the glittering wealth-focused world of "Hannah Montana" (a popular Disney Channel show about a rich young rock star) with the make-do mentality of Kit's world, and points out how helpful that mentality will be for girls living today. Isn't it true that so much of what we see on television and in the movies makes us discontent and prone to greed? I'm thrilled to hear that the American Girl movie will be doing what it can to help our girls (and us) fight that sin!

That said, who wants to make a movie trip on July 2nd?

George MacDonald

After a bit of an absence, I'm ready to write again -- about books! I've been meaning to post a review for a while now, about a book recommended to me by a girl in our youth group, Beth Bloom. The book, The Marquis' Secret, is the sequel to The Fisherman's Lady, so I found both of these out of print books on Book Mooch, and took Beth up on her recommendation.

Originally, these books were published under the titles Malcolm and The Marquis of Lossie, but have since been reissued and edited by Michael Phillips, who updated the Scottish-speak that might be difficult to maneuver through for the modern American reader. I've heard that the originals are quite worth it, but someone who has read them will have to speak up on that point, because I've only read these modernized versions. The books have not lost their classic Gothic feel through all the editing. You may still shiver at the wicked Barbara Catanach, who is the local midwife (or is she a witch?), thoroughly endear yourself to Duncan MacPhail, the blind piper who wakes the village each morning by the clock he keeps in his head with the loud wail of his bagpipes, and become smitten with Malcolm, the main character of both books.

Malcolm is really the wonderful part of these books. MacDonald makes his hero so honest, so true, so steadfast, that he is not really real, but better than real -- ideal. I have often said that I love a book where at least one character is set forth as truly good and noble, because our hearts long for true goodness just as we long for Christ, and his true goodness. Malcolm is truly good -- not that MacDonald is writing an analogy with Malcolm as the Christ character -- but a worthy hero nonetheless.

I do not know what MacDonald believed about Reformed theology, but in a couple accounts, it seems to indicate that he saw the old "Calvanists" to be narrow-minded and unloving (perhaps that can be true too often!). Malcolm has a dear friend, Alexander Graham, who is an ex-preacher, and now teaches school. It is not entirely clear why Graham has been forced to quit his parish, but it seems to be because he had theological differences with the strict parishioners. Graham is Malcolm's truest companion and guiding force, and seems to speak for the author in matters of faith.

C.S. Lewis says "I never wrote a book in which I did not quote George MacDonald." Try out these old Gothic romances and see for yourself why Lewis loved him so! Great recommendations, Beth!

VBS Time!

So this week, I'm anticipating being rather absent from the blogosphere. We have VBS at church this week, and I'm the co-director. Josh is leading a tribe, so preparing lessons and so forth. I am running the opening and closing gatherings, helping with songs, etc. We are pretty much just going to work and then living, eating, breathing and sleeping VBS. I'm so stoked! This was one of the best weeks of my summer last year. We've sort of gone with a "Build your own" VBS. Here's what we're doing:

Theme: Group's Galilee by the Sea (okay, yes, we bought last year's curriculum off e-bay to save money!)
Lessons: Our gifted members at Clifton wrote lessons to use that are gospel-centered and Jesus-focused. We are focusing on the life and ministry of Jesus (hence, Galilee -- last year was Bethlehem and next year will be Jerusalem).
Music: Getty music's "Songs Jesus Said". These kid songs are upbeat and fun, but all written based on a passage of Scripture. Lots of fun.
Outreach: We send a van to a nearby low-income neighborhood that we've heavily advertised in, and shuttle kiddos by the dozens down to the church. We're anticipating 100-120 kids total.

So, that's what we're doing. Maybe at some point this week, I'll have a spare moment to post some photos, but until then, let me know what you're doing for VBS this summer at your church! What is your theme, your role in the program? Do you do week-long VBS or stretch it all summer on Wednesday nights? How does your church focus on reaching the community with VBS? Has your church found they can work with what is out there, or do you "build your own" as well?

Let's talk VBS on Gret-Reads-247 this week!

***Edit: The Lord gave us 128 kids on our opening night! WOW! What a blessing!

*** Edit #2: I think we've topped out at 148 kids, I can't really imagine where else we could put more. We've been so blessed with faithful volunteers who show up night after night to love those kids for Jesus' sake! I've only got 1 picture so far, but these 2 girls were so adorable. We've been packing them in on the vans, so we had to overhaul the "van plan" if you will. We now have 6 pick up vehicles, 12 leaders, 250 color coded wristbands and a lot of energy by a lot of kind people. Praise the Lord!

Reading Roundabout

I came across this splendid idea of a "Reading Roundabout" on Elaine's MummyMac blog. This North Ireland woman loves books and reading, and puts that love to work by encouraging the women in her church in a practical way. A reading roundabout is a new twist on a book club, and I can see how it works better with books that spur on our growth in Christ. Elaine chooses only theological works, solid devotional books or Christian biographies for the ladies in the roundabout to read. She is very intentional about her choices.

Why not put together a roundabout for your church, or a group of your friends? Elaine advises buying one book per member of the roundabout, (12 ladies, 12 books, 12 months is the simplest, obviously, but any would do) and mixing the books up so you won't get 2 of the same genre 2 months in a row. Elaine says "We don't put any pressure on the ladies to show that they have read all the books. Not every lady reads every book but they do receive one each month and generally all are read. The Roundabout is a tool to help others not only to read, but to read a wider range of books than they may choose to read themselves. We discuss the book during private conversation and also informally during our ladies nights at church."

Include in each book a list of guidelines, such as: pass the book on at the end of the month, even if you have not completed it, use the roundabout as a tool for edifying conversation with the other women, give the books back to the leader at the end so she can donate them to the church library. I really liked the idea that you are to use what you are reading as a source for edifying conversation with the women in your group. This could truly become a source of growth and Christian encouragement for you! Consider putting together a reading roundabout using some of the books I recommend here, or something from the suggestions Elaine has accumulated over on her blog.

Don't you love her clever idea?

Chrissy's Reading List

Another one of my dear Junior highers asked for a summer reading list. Chrissy tells me that she mostly enjoys reading stories, so I gave her a variety of fiction and biography. Sorry it took me so long, Chrissy! I know you're getting ready to go on vacation, so I hope this helps you, little sister. We'll miss you during VBS, but take some books along on your trip.



1. The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald (this is on my summer reading list, too!)



2. The Princess and Curdy by George MacDonald (the sequel)



3. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom (if you haven't already read it)



4. Tramp for the Lord by Corrie Ten Boom (such an inspiring sequel)



5. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall (I gave this one to Caitlin, too!)



6. Each Little Bird that Sings by Deborah Wiles (I promise you will CRY, but you will LOVE it! -- this is one of the best summer reading books ever, in my opinion)

7. The Cross-Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney (this book has changed my life, and it's really short, so it's the only non-STORY I gave you!)

The Titus 2 Need

I have been getting quite a bit of feedback from young women who are saying how much they wish they could have a Titus 2 relationship with an older woman in their life. Perhaps they are discouraged because the older women in their church gossip instead of teach, and or some candidates cannot be trusted. Others have admitted that they are selfishly hesitant to accept input from the older women they know, perhaps because they feel like they don't have anything to teach them, or that perhaps hearing what they will say is too hard to hear.

We need to work through this mindset. It may very well be true that godly, theologically informed older women are few and far between. Gretchen Wrights don't grow on trees. But we certainly don't all have to have the wife of a seminary professor to guide us in our walk with Christ (as nice as that would be!). Allow me to make some suggestions that might help us, as younger women, to do what we can to fill that Titus 2 need.


1. Initiate. Open your eyes and look around and prayerfully consider the older women in your local church. How well do you know them? Have you ever initiated a friendship with them? Have you invited them to tea, or dropped by with hands to help and an ear to listen? Consider how the Lord would use you to bless another woman's life and then ask Him to guide you to a special woman who you can glean wisdom from. And don't be discouraged or give up if those plans don't seem to come to fruition. It's certainly not a mistake to bless others even if they don't respond in kind. Perhaps you may sort of mentor them, in some ways, by encouraging their walk with Christ, and their growing in grace through your conversations. You might certainly learn practical wisdom that comes with years lived out, and trials endured. I heard a speaker remark that in her church there were so many godly young women who had sort of co-mentoring relationships with the older women they knew. The younger women had the theological training and the passion to give, and the older women had experience and wisdom to pass on. You may very well unearth a gold mine. Who can tell?

2. Band together. What friends spur you on the most? Plan time with them! Is there a younger woman in your church that seems to desire to walk with Christ? Seek her out, and engage her in conversation. A younger friend, or someone close to your age can serve as a sort of mentor, walking together with you. You may not have all the answers for one another, but you can listen, and pray. You may not have the life experience to advise the best plan of action, but you can search the Scriptures together. Such friends can be God's tools for your sanctification no matter what their age.

3. Read. Honestly, dear friends, we are shutting ourselves away from wonderful godly wisdom, truth and encouragement if we do not read good books by faithful women. Choose a woman whose writings have influenced you, or that you have enjoyed the most, and read everything she has written. I am reading everything by Elisabeth Elliot, Helen Roseveare, Corrie Ten Boom and Carolyn Mahaney. How much their words have guided me through the years, I cannot begin to say! Be discerning about your reading choices. Of course I support reading just for pleasure, but be sure to consider authors who can be spiritual mothers to you. What a blessing those women can be!

Finally, older sisters: I know you're out there. You are serving in your church, your families, your ministries or your work. Perhaps you may feel the pull from every direction, and it seems there simply is no time left to invest in your younger sisters. Perhaps you humbly feel there is nothing you are equipped to teach, so you have avoided those sort of relationships. Can I encourage you to seek the Lord in prayer and ask Him to guide you to young women with whom you can share your life? Often just spending time together, life upon life, is the best teaching tool there is! Do you have a free afternoon? Ask a younger girl to come over for coffee. I promise she won't mind the laundry sitting in the basket -- maybe she'll even help you fold it!

7 Years!

This is a few days late, but better late than never!

Grow old with me!

The best is yet to be
The last of life, for which the first was made.
Our times are in his hand.

~Robert Browning

Failing for the Glory of God

I just polished off the second of Dr. Helen Roseveare's autobiographical books, and the message in He Gave Us a Valley hit my heart like a ton of bricks. Let me explain.

Dr. Roseveare worked for 20 tumultuous years in the Congo, through the frightening time of independence and the Simba uprising. Beside the violence and near death experience of that time, she sacrificially used her doctoring to not only minister to the poverty stricken people of the jungle, but also to train young men and women to do medical work and become midwives, traveling far and wide with the gospel. For 20 years, she sought for the government to recognize their medical college, pouring her own funds into the day to day expenses and doggedly filing paperwork, visiting dignitaries, and preparing the school and students for inspection. At long last, the government recognized the school, gave their stamp of approval on the diplomas, and arranged for subsidizing scholarships for 2nd and 3rd year students. At this moment of triumph, when Dr. Roseveare prepared to retire from jungle living and humbly hand her ministry over to younger doctors, she met with total rejection and humiliation.

Her students turned against her. Those she loved as sons, championed for, and poured her life and resources into refused to sign for the pocket money they were being given out of the scholarship money. It was not enough, they insisted. They accused her of stealing from the ministry for months. She was put on trial, and had to bear to hear those sons accuse her spitefully, and knowing her own innocence was not balm enough for a soul enduring such wounds. She resigned from the school so that others might work out the strike (the students refused to do their volunteer work in the wards) and come to an agreement. She ended her time serving in Christ's name in the Congo, wondering if it was worthwhile.

Only after she turned away, like Jonah tossed from the storm-driven ship, was she able to consider what the Lord was saying to her. "'These are not your sufferings: they are Mine. All I ask of you is the loan of your body. . . You went home and told everyone that I was sufficient. Isn't that true now, in today's circumstances?'

"I tried to say: 'But of course, Lord. You know it's true.'

"'No' He quietly rebuked me. 'No. You no longer want Jesus only, but Jesus plus. . . plus respect, popularity, public opinion, success and pride. You wanted to go out with all the trumpets blaring. . . You wanted to feel needed and respected. You wanted the other missionaries to be worried about how ever they'll carry on after you've gone. You'd like letters when you got home to tell you how much they realize they owe to you, how much they miss you. All this and more. Jesus plus . . No, you can't have it. Either it must be 'Jesus Only' or you'll find you've no Jesus. You'll substitute Helen Roseveare.'"

Doesn't that ring a bell in your heart? I was pointedly reminded of the end of my teaching internship when one particular class chanted "Down with Miss B" -- even the wonderful Christian kids that I'd loved -- because I didn't give extra credit for classroom behavior to a student who'd threatened to kill me. I was totally innocent, and right. And it was so painful to have them all turn on me so. I can still feel twinges of that if I call up those memories -- how much I wanted good for those kids, and how much evil they returned me. Why does it hurt so much? My body is just on loan from the Lamb Who was led to the slaughter. Any suffering endured while living in obedience to Christ is for His glory, and part of His good plan.

Consider the lesson Dr. Roseveare learned when she faced what felt like complete failure. What else do you want in addition to Jesus? Are you able to fail in all your strivings -- for the glory of God? Can you say, at a time of rejection, that Christ is sufficient? Perhaps you look back, as I can, to a twinging hurt from the past -- will you take that, as from the Father's hand, a "failure" for your good and His glory?

A Titus 2 Talk

I have this friend at my church who is also named Gretchen, and I really really like and admire her. She is the mom of 5 boys, and has an engaging personality -- friendly, expressive, relaxed and talkative. Tonight I got to hang out with her for a little while over a cup of iced coffee while Josh hung out with her boys (her husband is traveling in central Asia). I feel like this brief evening was an answer to prayer I'd had on my heart and lips for several years now -- for an older friend who would encourage me in the gospel and practically live out Titus 2 (the older women teaching the younger) in my life.

Gretchen encouraged me to love my husband -- to delight in who he is and how God is growing and using him. She encouraged me to be content in my circumstances, serving through Josh's school years as the breadwinner so that down the road I can be at home with children. She shared her own experiences of coming to realize how small she was and how big God was and that He loved her anyway, and how that actually changes your everyday life! We discussed keeping our homes, not over-organizing our husband's closets or pridefully obsessing over a clean house so that we look good in the eyes of our friends. Gretchen said "you have to find the balance between 'how much do I need to be clean and organized to serve my family?' and 'how much is this organizing is just to serve myself?'" I was so refreshed by her honesty and wisdom.

All of this was discussed in perhaps an hour's time. There was no program, no big to-do. It was simply life-on-life relationship, Christ's love our bond.

Friends, I share this to encourage you, as young women, to seek out the wisdom of an older friend! In some churches, these women are more plentiful than the younger women are, and you have a plethora to choose from. In others (like mine), the elder's wives are in high demand, and you need to be considerate and content with the time you can spend together.

Most everyone who reads this knows a younger woman who would benefit from your friendship, if you took some time here and there to just ask her to hang out and share your life with her. This is being the body of Christ together!

Caitlin's Reading List

This is Caitlin. She is my new little sister from the junior high youth group. She's actually the big sister to 5 younger brothers and sisters, so I figure she needs a big sis -- so here I am. She is a HUGE reader. Every time I give her books, she gobbles them up! Her mom and dad told me she is quickly outreading them! Well, I imagine Caitlin will also outread me eventually, but while I can, I'll make her a summer reading list. Here you go:

1. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall. This is a GREAT summer reading story! I think you'll like all the sisters in it, as I did. Batty is so much like Claire, and you are rather Rosalind. It's a fun, sweet story.

2. The Fisherman's Lady by George MacDonald -- Beth Bloom suggested these to me, and they are excellent. Out of print, but I have them, if you'd like to borrow.

3. The Marquis' Secret by George MacDonald -- sequel to #2

4. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Dicamilo (light read, but outstanding story with strong redemptive themes).

5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Your mom and dad can call this one, but I think it's just amazing, and that you'll really like it.

6. The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright. I hope you haven't already read this. I love these stories so much! If you like it, read the rest of the Quartet: The Four-Story Mistake, Then There Were Five, Spiderweb for Two.

7. Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. Again -- maybe your parents already had you read this, but if not, it's such a solid book and an inspiration.

8. Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss. Fiction, but written like a girl's diary as she grows up and shows how she wrestles with her faith, first to believe, then to begin to be sanctified as she becomes a young wife and mother.

Happy reading, Caitlin! Love you, little sis!