Life's Complexity

So sometimes life gets tricky. Or at least interesting. The last few weeks have been a bit trying for me. I have been struggling with getting sick very frequently and having a hard time just functioning. When I went to the doctor, they didn't find anything wrong except my thyroid levels being low again. I'm guessing I got some virus and my body didn't have the strength to fight it off very well.

Just as I was getting to feeling better physically, my car decided it was its turn to be sick. Thursday morning it wouldn't start and we had to jumpstart it. Ever since a few years ago, when someone backed into my car in a parking lot, the hood of my car is damaged and doesn't close very easily. We spent several minutes after getting my car started trying to get the hood to close again. It would close but not properly and finally, I drove it to the mechanic's as they have a trick to getting it to stay closed. That was quite the tense and nerve-wracking drive. Whenever I would start to get over 35 mph, the hood would start bouncing like it was going to fly up on me. Hitting a large bump made me hold my breath thinking it would come open. Finally I got to the mechanic's and they got it closed for me. Thinking that the reason it wouldn't start was due to a light being left on and draining the battery, I went ahead to work thinking all was now well.

You know where this story is going, don't you? :-) When I went out for lunch, my car was dead again. Deciding since I already pay for AAA, I would have them tow it to the mechanic's rather than trying to jumpstart it and then not be able to get the hood closed again. We figured the car needs a new battery, so we needed to get it fixed anyway. I was able to get a ride home with a coworker and Jono was off on Friday so I could use his car. We were going to pick it up this morning, but the mechanic's was closed (usually they are open on Saturday), so we will have to pick it up Monday morning on my way to work.

In all these things, it is a reminder that we cannot control everything. We can't make our life go the way we want it to. We make plans, but sometimes things happen that change our plans and throw our schedules out of whack. Learning to roll with these setbacks, rather than getting angry, will make for a much more pleasant existence. Someday, these minor inconveniences and annoyances will be no more. "We'll see Jesus face to face. But until that day, I'll hold on to You always." (There Will Be a Day by Jeremy Camp)

(Song by Jeremy Camp - There Will Be a Day)
Lyrics from this site: Only Lyrics

I try to hold on to this world with everything I have
But I feel the weight of what it brings, and the hurt that trys to grab
The many trials that seem to never end, His word declares this truth,
that we will enter in this rest with wonders anew

But I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings
That there will be a place with no more suffering

(Chorus)
There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more, we'll see Jesus face to face
But until that day, we'll hold on to you always

I know the journey seems so long
You feel you’re walking on your own
But there has never been a step
Where you’ve walked out all alone

(Chorus)

Troubled soul don’t lose your heart
Cause joy and peace he brings
And the beauty that’s in store
Outweighs the hurt of life’s sting

I can’t wait until that day where the very one I’ve lived for always will wipe away the sorrow that I’ve faced
To touch the scars that rescued me from a life of shame and misery this is why this is why I sing

Non-Fiction Five Challenge

To sign up - go here.

The Rules (unchanged from previous years)

1. Read 5 non-fiction books during the months of May - September, 2010 (please link your reviews on Mister Linky each month; Mister Linky can be found at the beginning of each month on this blog)

2. Read at least one non-fiction book that is different from your other choices (i.e.: 4 memoirs and 1 self-help)

3. If interested, please sign up below with the link to your NFF Challenge post (all choices do not need to be posted and may change at any time)

Here are my potential choices (subject to change):
1. The Case for Life by Scott Klusendorf (Apologetics)/Changed to: Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites...And Other Lies You've Been Told by Bradley Wright (Statistics/Sociology) - Finished August
2. Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman (Popular Culture) - Finished July
3. Healing Is a Choice by Stephen Arterburn (Self-Help) - Finished May
4. Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges (Christian Living) - Finished May
5. Heaven by Randy Alcorn (Christian Living/Inspiration) - Finished August

What Bothers Me Most About Christianity by Ed Gungor

What Bothers Me Most about Christianity: Honest Reflections from an Open-Minded Christ Follower by Ed Gungor


My rating: 4 of 5 stars




“But today, relatively few think of Christianity as a call to enter a new kind of living – a life jacked up with adventure, mission, and divine destiny. Faith for many is nothing more than fire insurance from hell – an acquiescence to rule keeping (it’s the least we can do) and a safety net of forgiveness when we break the rules… On this view the human experience of faith isn’t much more than a life of stumbling and bumbling around, holding on to faith the best we can till Christ sees fit to bring us home.
“But what if the Christian life is supposed to be more than that? What if it is a calling for us to step into something larger than ourselves? What if God is inviting us into something more than hell avoidance? What if he is inviting us to participate in some kind of divine quest?”

This was a pretty good book looking at some of the issues that many people struggle with when thinking about the Christian faith. Questions such as "If God is good, why does He allow evil and suffering?", "Why is the God of the Old Testament seen as so harsh when the Jesus of the New Testament is compassionate and loving?" and so forth. Ultimately it leads back to faith and that we cannot understand everything this side of eternity. We will wrestle with doubts and uncertainty. But God is trustworthy and worthy of our faith in Him.

Other March Reads

Also finished in March:

The Summer of Cotton Candy by Debbie Viguie - cute, fun book of a teenager who is more or less forced by her father to get a summer job in order to have spending money. She gets a job at the local amusement park where she learns several lessons about life and being an adult.

Shadows of Lancaster County by Mindy Starns Clark - one of my favorite Christian fiction authors - loved her Million Dollar mystery series. This is a stand-alone book about a young woman who is brought back to face her past when her brother goes missing. She has to face old scars and is able to find healing while also solving a mystery and finding out the truth about what really happened in her past.

Ripple Effect by Paul McCusker - really liked this book! I think I read it in about 2 days or so - very quick read, page-turning to find out what would happen. The idea is there are alternative time realities where some of us have "time twins" - when a traumatic event happens these time twins end up switching places. Very cool concept and loved the story!