Thursday, December 27, 2012

Book Review: 7


7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think everyone ought to read this book. It challenged everything I have ever thought about living the Christian life in America today, and revealed exactly how attached I am to my stuff. Reading "7" has inspired me to try my own 7-fast and begin to learn to live with less. I am so excited for what I know God will do through it. I'm looking forward to finally learning to store up treasure on heaven instead of on earth.


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Thursday, December 20, 2012

Book Review: Competent Christian Counseling


Competent Christian Counseling, Volume One: Foundations and Practice of Compassionate Soul CareCompetent Christian Counseling, Volume One: Foundations and Practice of Compassionate Soul Care by Timothy Clinton


Very comprehensive and well-written. I think every Christian counselor needs to read this book.


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Book Review: Theirs is the Kingdom


Theirs Is the Kingdom: Celebrating the Gospel in Urban AmericaTheirs Is the Kingdom: Celebrating the Gospel in Urban America by Robert D. Lupton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was short, but powerful. It was perfect for someone like me who struggles with replacing people with type A personality programs, processes, and organizations. It confronted head-on my ideas about the Kingdom of God and how I'm really living out my life as a Christian. It was very realistic, but also hopeful. No matter you level of interest in the subject of the title, I would highly recommend this book.


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Book Review: A Heart for the City


A Heart for the City: Effective Ministries to the Urban CommunityA Heart for the City: Effective Ministries to the Urban Community by John Fuder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Phenomenal.


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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Dr. Tse Quote of the Day!

We were discussing counselors being attracted to their clients. When trying to illustrate this point Dr. Tse said the following:

"What do you do if you find you're attracted to your client? You know, that woman's sweet aroma, or that guy busting out of his shirt?" 





Thursday, December 13, 2012

Dr. Mills Quotes of the Day!

"That's exactly what we want: use what you've learned here to terrorize your other professors!"

*  *  *

"Gather around, children. It's metaphysical story time!"

*  *  *

Dr. Mills writes the word Kalaam on the board and then looks at it ponderingly and says:

"Kalaam...I think it has an accent in there somewhere."

Then writes it again: `Kálàâm

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Dr. Mills Quotes of the Day!

Dr. Mills: "How much power does God have? He's the source of power! And you could apply that to any part of God."

David (who sits next to me): "How many teeth does God have? He's the source of teeth!"

Dr. Mills: "Well, you know what they say...all tooth is God's tooth!"


*  *  *

"Hypercalvinism? Oh, that's when you give Calvinists a lot of sugar and red food coloring."

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Dr. Becknell Quote of the Day!

Context:
First, this was sang to the Tune of "The B-I-B-L-E, yes that's the book for me..."
Second, DLPFT stands for Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex, which is a region of the brain. Hypofrontality refers to damage to this region.

"The D-L-P-F-T, hypofrontality, the negative symptoms of Schizophrenia, the D-L-P-F-T!"

And yes, he made us sing it...



"My family was very poor. Do you know how poor we were? We were so poor, we couldn't pay attention."

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Dr. Becknell Quote of the Day!

"Always have your guns loaded when you go back to get your drugs from a rival gang. That should help relieve your stress."

Friday, October 26, 2012

Dr. Becknell Quote of the Day!

(forgive me if this is a little crass, but it was so funny I couldn't pass it up)

"Lance Armstrong is still with us today, but with only one testicle, mind you."

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Update #3 on Dad

Hello Friends, 

As of right now, Daddy is still in the hospital and not on solid foods yet. Unfortunately, his stomach is distended and his bowel isn't working so he is unable to eat solid foods. 

You can be praying that his bowel will  heal properly and that it will begin to work soon so he can go home. I have a suspicion that he's a little grumpy about being there longer than he wanted to. :) 

Once again, thank you for your prayers and support!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Update #2 on My Dad

Hello Friends! 

Here's the second update on my Dad. He is still in the hospital and in a significant amount of pain. However, Mom says that medically, he is doing well. They were able to remove the catheter and he will be moving to solid foods today. His Dr.s hope that Dad will be able to go home Thursday or Friday. God has been very good, and there appear to be no complications thus far. 

You can continue to pray for his spiritual state and that he will transition well to solid foods. Also, for my mom as she endures some of stresses of trying help my Dad and take care of my brother and the house. I think she is beginning to feel the stress of the situation.

Thank you for your prayer and support! 

Dr. Pauley Quote of the Day!

"Two cells emerge from the cleavage furrow. Giggle now, [not in cell bio]."

Monday, October 22, 2012

Update on Dad

Hello Friends, 

First off, thank you for all your prayers! 

As many of you know, my Dad was recently diagnosed with colon cancer. He had surgery to remove part of his colon this morning at 9. Here is an update on his condition. 

Dad's surgery is over and the news looks pretty good. The tumor had not perforated the wall of the Colon, which hopefully means this surgery will be curative (aka. it he won't need chemo). I haven't seen him yet, so I'm not sure how he's actually doing/feeling, but I'll post another update later. 

Thank you again for your prayers! Please pray continually for God to work powerfully in my Dad's heart and for him to get saved as result of this experience. 

Thank you so much for your guys' love and support! 

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Friday, August 17, 2012

Glitter on my Keyboard

As I sit here writing this blog post, I am literally covered in glitter. Glitter from 7 tiny hands making seven tiny craft hearts. There were more than a few deviously smiling 4-year-olds who thought their teacher might like some of their spare sparkles showered on her today. I love my children at Mountview Christian Preschool, but I am also a human. More than once, I found myself complaining over the fact that we decided to use glitter during crafts. Cleaning up their little "gifts" took more than the usual amount of paper towels, cleaner, and hard work.

But, much like my preschoolers, God has showered me with blessings this week. These circumstances taught me an important lesson and caused me to rejoice gladly to the Creator of everything blessed.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

The Cost of Comfortable

"But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,"
Philippians 3:7-8
I have read these verses a thousand times, always with a certain apathetic regard for the passage. For a moment my heart exults in the knowledge that this is the way I was made to live, but this fleeting thought succumbs the fact that I am too comfortable to truly endure the "loss of all things." 


But this summer, the time came when God would allow my lazy heart to sleep no longer. My mother checked out a book-on-tape called Kisses from Katie. The passion and joy this book excited in my heart brought those verses to life. Katie, the author, is a 22 year old missionary to Uganda and she wrote this book about how her ministry came to be (she's been there since she was 19). I don't personally feel called to the mission field, but this book cut sharply through my contented passivity. You see, my ideal lifestyle has always been this: a calm, easy existence. To be successful was to have enough. But Katie truly discovered the heart of God. As I read her words heavy with compassion, love, and burdened care for the least of these, God exposed my ideal existence for what it really was: fearful selfishness. 

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Lynley's (potential) Big Break

                  







I say that Progressive should hire me as their back up!


Friday, June 22, 2012

The Power of the Church Rests in Christ Alone

The quote below is an excerpt from a sermon by John Piper on the issue of same-sex marriage. Please understand that (in context) he is not speaking about if you ought to vote on the issue, nor is he saying we should, as Christians, vote for (or against) legalized homosexual marriage. To hear his theological stance on this issue, you can listen to his sermon here. I would highly encourage you to do so.

Below merely summarizes my own thoughts on the church and political activism. I think Piper hits the nail right on the head regarding the power of the Church and its place in the political arena.
* * * * *
"Don't press the organization of the Church or her pastors into political activism. Pray that the Church and her ministers would feed the flock with the Word of God centered on the gospel of Christ crucified and risen. Expect from your shepherds not that they would rally you behind political candidates or legislative initiatives, but that they would point you over and over and over to God and to His Word and to the Cross.


Now, please try to understand this concluding point. When I warn you against politicizing me or politicizing the institution called Bethlehem [Church], or the Church in general, I do so not to diminish the Churches power but to increase it. The impact of the Church for the glory of Christ and for the good of the world does not increase when she shifts her focus from worship of God, winning of souls, and maturing and nurturing of faith, and raising up of a new generation. It doesn't! It feels in the moment like it does, "Hah, Look how many people showed up for the rally!" or, "Look at how many signatures they got in that church," or, "Look at how that committee is functioning..." it feels powerful! [But just] give it a generation, and little by little that vaunted power bleeds away the very nature of the Church and it's power.  

Thursday, June 21, 2012

The Best Love Story to Remember


Last month, I posted a video and a few words entitled "A Love Story You'll Never Forget"- it was a truly moving story. One reader, my writing-major-roommate-to-be, was so touched by the young couple that she wrote a beautiful reflection on what she had just witnessed. Tabitha is a gifted writer and was good enough to share this reflection with me and in turn allow me to share it with you.

*   *   *   *   *

Once Upon a Time...

Two very special people decided to love each other,
And when they decided to love each other,
Together with Christ, they were able to write this beautiful story.

~Lynley Turkelson


I just watched the movie of Ian and Larissa on YouTube - John Piper tweeted it and I’ve seen it
come up a couple other times, and have been wanting to watch it but haven’t until this quiet, overcast Tuesday morning. It brought me almost to tears. The love of Larissa for her husband who no longer looks attractive and can barely speak (certainly not with a clear, handsome voice) is so touching. Gentleness and peace and satisfaction run throughout her words and her demeanor.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Book Review: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made


Fearfully and Wonderfully MadeFearfully and Wonderfully Made by Philip Yancey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was, by far, one of the best books I have EVER read. "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" unites the two topics that I love the most: God and human anatomy and physiology. Yancey writes in such beautiful language and detail that even if you have never found the human body particularly intriguing, you can't help but be drawn into his story. Yancey compares human body structures to those of the body of Christ, and the metaphor work's beautifully. I would go on, except I fear that by talking about the book, I will fail to portray how good it really is. I cannot recommend this book more highly.


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Friday, June 8, 2012

Organizing for the Type C Personality

Do you ever find that (no matter how hard you try) you can't STAY organized? Do you ever fret about how your room can only stay clean a maximum of 2-3 days before it gets dirty again? Are you ever overwhelmed by trying to clean up you things - so much so that often you just don't try?

If you could identify with any of the above statements, then you are reading the right blog post! My room at home is usually horribly messy and I struggle to even make attempts at cleaning it. However, my mom came to the rescue and brought home a book from the library called, Organizing Solutions for People with ADD by Susan Pinsky. Of course, I naturally laughed at the title and immediately thought that the book wouldn't be right for me, but I was proved wrong. This list of 14 rules have become the key to my success in room cleaning. Try a few and let me know how it turns out!

The 14 Rules of Organizing*

  1. Give everything a home
  2. Store things on the wall or on a shelf, NEVER on the floor.
  3. Take advantage of vertical storage space by using tall shelves and bureaus. 
  4. Wherever possible, use hooks instead of hangers. 
  5. Don't increase your storage - reduce your inventory.
  6. Touch it ONLY ONCE (File or toss mail as soon as you open it; don't add it to a pile you'll have to sort again later). 
  7. If you haven't used it in a year, discard it. 
  8. Duplicate when necessary to store things where you use them (toilet bowl brush in every bathroom).
  9. Eliminate items that unnecessarily duplicate functions (hand can opener or electric can opener, not both).
  10. Arrange your possessions within activity ares or zones. 
  11. Don't overcrowd shelving, cabinets, and drawers. 
  12. Make your things easy to access and easy to put away. 
  13. Name your cabinets and shelves (dish cabinet, sock drawer) to remind you that only these specific items are stored therein. 
  14. Make sure the "rough storage" areas in your home are well lit and easily accessible. Guard these areas well - they are more valuable than any other living area. 



*From Organizing Solutions for People with Attention Deficit Disorder by Susan C. Pinsky 
This list can also be found online at www.organizationallyours.com Visit this link find out more about her book and how to organize effectively.



Book Review: The Visitation


The VisitationThe Visitation by Frank Peretti
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was great! Peretti spun this tale with his usual mystery, cunning, and suspense. It's not my favorite novel of his--that will forever belong to his book The Prophet--however, it was still an entertaining and powerful read.


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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Forest by Twenty One Pilots

To preface these lyrics, I will say only that I love this song because it talks about the direness of humanity so truthfully, yet not without acknowledging that we have hope beyond our human condition. I hope you take the time to let the words sink into your mind and stir your heart. 

*   *   *


I don't know why I feed on emotion
There's a stomach inside my brain
I don't want to be heard, I want to be listened to
Does it bother anyone else that someone else has your name?

I scream, you scream, we all scream
'Cause we're terrified of what's around the corner
We stay in place 'cause we don't want to lose our lives
So let's think of something better

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Why Won't the Link Work? Depends on Who You Ask...


I (as a rather whole-hearted religious person) find this very funny. If you don't? Well, I apologize in advance. 



Wednesday, May 16, 2012

2011 Most Popular Baby Names

The The Social Security Administration has released the official rankings of the most popular baby names in American for 2011

RANK
BOYSGIRLS
1 Jacob Sophia
2 Mason Isabella
3 William Emma
4 Jayden Olivia
5 Noah Ava
6 Michael Emily
7 Ethan Abigail
8 Alexander Madison
9 Aiden Mia
10 Daniel Chloe
From the website: http://www.babynamewizard.com/archives/2012/5/the-most-popular-baby-names-in-america-for-2011