Book Review: "Finding Our Way Again. The Return of the Ancient Practices" by Brian Mclaren

This is the first book in The Ancient Practices Series and I was super excited to read it.  I've really enjoyed the two other books I've read in the series.  I thought, surely, that this beginning would be just as good or better since it was setting us up to read the rest of the books.  Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.

The book did have some good pieces of information, just not the information I was expecting.  I felt like the book spent most of it's time talking about the shared heritage of the three major world religions, Judaism, Christianity, & Islam.  The author stressed the point that perhaps if we all got in touch with our heritage we would all get along and peace would reign.   This isn't a bad hope/wish, just not what I thought the book was going to focus on.

One of the things that he wrote about that I enjoyed was that faith should be a way of life not a belief system.  That in the bible, it is often referred to as "the way," which infers that it is a progression not something static.  Faith is a road we travel.   The metaphor of the road is taken further by explaining that the roads in ancient days were rocky, twisted, & dangerous.  That one needed careful attention and commitment to travel the road.  If we follow Jesus and imitate his behavior, it is like following someone who has been down the road before us.  It makes traveling much easier, not easy, but easier.

He also points out that by practicing the ancient ways we are exercising our beliefs.  They are a way of building up our faith  reserves for times when we have nothing.  I find this point to be comforting.  It was also pointed out in one of the other books about the ancient ways, Common Prayer, I believe.  I like knowing that when I'm to upset, tired, despondent, or confused to come up with my own thoughts, my brain can draw on the words from the centuries and I can find comfort and sense in them.

To sum up what the author says are the points behind practicing the ancient ways; They are to 1) help us build character, 2)help us to be fully awake and alive to God, and 3) help us more fully experience God.

Now the big question, would I recommend this book?  To tell the truth, I'm not really sure.  It isn't bad, just seeming off topic and a bit rambely for my tastes.  If you do choose to read it, read several snippets or reviews so you know what the book is really about.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

OUCH!! The Disney Bug bit me!

I've been bitten by the bug to go back to Walt Disney World.  I'm not sure if it is the thoughts of the above picture that has made me ready to go back.  It encompasses the idea of a fantasy world where everything is happy and bright.

Maybe, it's this scene that is pulling me back, with the thoughts of carefree strolls and time to enjoy the scenery.  The idea that I can step away from my activities and they will be waiting, patiently, for me to return.

Or, the excitement of visiting exotic locals, all within easy walking distance from one another.  The attention to detail.  The authenticity of each setting.  Visiting with the people from each country and finding out about their lives before and during their American experience.

Goodness, maybe it is something like this little guy that has bitten me! (Yes, this is a picture from WDW.)








After thinking and weighing all the options, I'm pretty sure I know what it is that keeps calling me back to the World.  It's this...

and this...

and this...

and this...

and this...

To sum it up in words, it is the time we spend together and the memories that linger, that make me want to return again and again!!

Church and Malcom Gladwell: Strange bedfellows

  We have a favorite study from Malcolm Gladwell's book "Blink".  It tells us how one group of students was asked to visualize being a professor for 5 minutes before a test, and another group was asked to visualize being a fanatic soccer fan.  European study, I guess.  Anyway, the group that thought like a professor scored noticeably better than the soccer fan thinkers.  The study showed that just this small amount of thinking would effect our physical reaction in the world.

  You now are wondering how I came up with the title of this post.  Right?  Well, both Steve and I have had this study come to mind during church.  Last week, Pastor James said that he knew a preacher that asked his congregation to say to themselves "I am a minister."  I'm sure this thought would create the same type of showing as the study students.  No, not better grades, but a measurable difference in how the people approached their daily tasks.

  This morning, during Sunday school, the statement was said that we should think of ourselves not as "sinners saved by grace" but "saints saved by grace."  The idea being that we would behave, in our daily lives, as saints who sometimes sin and not as sinners who sometimes get it right.  Again, the idea behind the study at work. 

  I wonder if saying prayers multiple times a day gets the same results?  It seems to me that it would put your mind into the same visualization mode.  Goodness, even seeing those ubiquitous WWJD bracelets might effect how you think and thus act.

  Let's do an informal study for the next week.  Let's visualize ourselves like Jesus, a minister, or a saint and see if we behave differently. 

Preconceived Notions

     Steve and I were talking the other day about some of the silly, preconceived ideas that pop into our head when we see or hear certain things.  We know that we subscribe to some unconventional ideas and know that makes us look different than most others in society.  Therefore we were wondering at some of the things, that we do, outside the norm that we think are odd at first glance when we see others doing them.

     Whenever we see someone walking along the side of the road, even on a sidewalk, we have an immediate thought.  The thought that we have is that the person is poor.  Isn't that crazy!  We walk all around town, yet, when we see others walking, we jump to that idea.  Why?  Has our society brainwashed us so much that we can't imagine choosing to walk?  Why do we think a person is poor?  Shouldn't we jump to the idea that the person walking is health conscious or frugal?

     How about kids playing in the park after school?  Our gut reaction is to think that the child is so poor that he doesn't have anything to play with at home.  When did this shift in thinking occur?  There was a time when people didn't feel the need to put up, say, a basketball goal in the driveway.  Why do that when there were plenty of goals at the park?  I wonder if my generation was so programmed about "stranger danger" that we can't let our own children out of the yard. 

     I am going to make an effort to change my thinking.  I am going to assume that people are making wise choices about their time and money.  I am not going to look at someone spending time outside, in public areas, and think they are poor or shiftless. 

     Next time you see someone doing something outside the norm, don't assume the worst.

My Mother is On Facebook.

OK, my mother isn't really on facebook.  She's up in heaven, laughing at the thought right now.  I'm the "mother" in this sentence.  I find the thought kind of strange.  When did I get to be the old one?  I still feel like the kid in the back seat, telling my parents to "turn it up!"

My son does HAVE to be my "friend" on facebook.  He can't block me or he loses the privilege of being on the Internet.  When I stop and think about the idea of keeping him from the Internet, it doesn't seem like a practical idea.  In this day and age, people almost MUST be connected, at least part of the time.  Anyway, back to the subject at hand.  He is my "friend" but I've found out that he deletes comments I make on his page.  What does this say about him? Or me, for that matter?  At first, it made me mad that he deletes my comments.  It hurt my feelings.  Then I understood that I would have done the same to my parents.  It's one thing to have to hang out at your house and another one to invite your parent to hang out, too.  That is what facebook is anymore, kids hanging out together.  So, I guess I'm the parent listening at the door but not going in to tell them to stop the burping/farting/etc...

Did You Know...

It seems that a lot of bloggers use the list method to create a blog when they don't have much to say.  So, I'd thought I'd give it a try.

Did you know..

1. I drink my coffee with cream and sugar.  I like "tan" coffee.
2. If I had to eat just one food for the rest of my life, I think I'd pick pizza. 
3.  I can't stand awkward silences in a teaching environment.  I must give an answer regardless of my knowledge on the subject.
4. I will never admit to not having knowledge on a subject of which I give an answer. :)
5. I have a strange ability to remember obscure actors names and faces.
6. Steve and I make an awesome Trivial Pursuit team.
7. I don't seem to have a favorite color, which my daughter just can't understand.
8. I would like to live in a house that used to be a church.  They always look so cool.
9. I like reading long books or books in a series because I like to "get to know" the characters.
10. I am NOT a night owl.  Don't call me after 9:00pm if you want me to be pleasant to you.

 I guess that is all for today.  I know it's not of much use, but at least I'm posting on a regular basis.

Simply living.....not so simple to explain.

I was going to write a post on why we, as a family, feel that simply living is the way to go for us.  I wrote about a paragraph and realized that it was pooey.  I guess I just have a hard time putting into words why it makes sense to us.  When I write it down it sounds hokey and preachy.

I know that the choices we make seem strange to others.  They just don't get why we choose to walk to work most days.  They REALLY don't get why we don't spend our money on television.  They think we are mean that we don't often buy our kids soda, especially at restaurants.  They find it odd that we buy 98% of our family clothing at thrift stores.  They look at me with bug-eyes when I tell them we only work two days per week by choice.  They shake their heads when I tell them what my kids get for Christmas.

I think it really comes down to the fact that I want my kids to know that they are important.  I choose them over "NEW" anything.  I want them to know that to show someone love they should spend time with them, not money on them.  I want them to know that experiences don't ever break or fade.  They stay with you forever.  You can have all the gadgets in the world but without the time to make relationships they are worthless.

I think people these days really have lost site of those ideas.  They think that the children/people will know how much they love them if they give them the latest & greatest thing.  They don't see that they have to work, away from the family, to be able to afford these things.  It becomes a vicious cycle.  Work to buy things to make up for not being there or to entertain while you work to buy things.  If people just slowed down and spent time together we would all be so much better off.

Now, please don't think that I have this mastered.  It is a total work in progress.  We have made drastic changes in our lives over the past two years and we can tell a difference.  I know that people still won't get it and that is OK.  It works for us and we'll continue to see what changes we can make to get even more simplified.  If anyone has any questions about what we have done or why we've chosen certain things PLEASE ask us.  We'd love to be able to share more with you.