Lisa notes

“Psalms for Little Hearts” – Book Review

By LisaNotes April 13, 2019 Book reviews 2 Comments

Author Dandi Daley Mackall has rewritten 25 selected Psalms specifically for children: Psalms for Little Hearts. She writes about situations that young people can relate to (playing baseball, going to the zoo, being picked on at school). They all rhyme and are short stanzas. At the end of each Psalm, a portion of the original Psalm is included if you also want to read that.

The illustrations by Cee Biscoe are ample and appealing to little eyes. They add a young feel to the book.

But while the book is sweet and colorful, I’m not sure it would keep the attention of its target audience of 4-7 year olds. The concepts are lofty. I would recommend it only be read with an adult companion who could explain the meanings and who could help retain the child’s attention, and even then, only in small doses.

Here’s an excerpt from Psalm 8.

Even your enemies have to admit
You made the heavens and earth, bit by bit.
Wow! Your creation’s a super smash hit!
Everything shows us your glory.

Here’s what I wonder—to me, it’s unclear:
Why do you bother with people down here?
How can you care for us year after year?
Everything shows us your glory.

Lord, you have made us a part of your story,
Given us honor and crowned us with glory,
Told us to keep your world all hunky-dory.
Everything shows us your glory.

Older children could comprehend it easier, but they may also have outgrown some of the content choices, such as this from Psalm 4:

Pouncing puppy licks my nose.
Muddy puddles, muddy toes.
See that robin? There it goes!
I know you are smiling at me.

Hip, hooray, the city zoo!
Who made zebras? I know who!
Good things always come from you.
Lord you are smiling at me.

Silly monkeys, tall giraffes,
Hoot owl hoots, hyena laughs–
Taking funny photographs.
That’s you still smiling at me.

The lyrics are cute and clever. I appreciate them as an adult. But before you purchase this book, I’d recommend you carefully consider the maturity level of the child you want to share this book with.

It might be easier to just read the Psalms straight from the Bible.

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My thanks to Tyndale House Publishers
for the review copy of this book

After Death, More Life

By LisaNotes April 10, 2019 Hope, My stories 27 Comments

As if on cue, the mother died, too.

Exactly two weeks after her son.

We lost our friend Stan on March 15. He first went to the hospital for a surgery early January. After a short stay in rehab, he went home. But days later, a serious infection set in. He returned to the hospital. While in the hospital, his elderly mother took a fall.

Like Stan, she, too, recovered from her initial surgery and left the hospital.

And also like Stan, she returned to the hospital again. Never to walk out.

I visited her on the Tuesday before she died. She looked peaceful, and with my imagination, looked like I had remembered her from years ago, even though she had greatly aged.

But early Friday morning, I dreamed about her. In my dream, she had been released from the hospital and I was shocked to see her up so quickly. She looked younger than ever, more healthy than ever. She had walked over to get a cup of water. We chatted about how good she felt.

And I woke up.

Later Friday night, I got word that she had passed on.

And again I woke up.

After death doesn’t come destruction. Yes, our physical bones decay and our earthly body returns to earth. But in reality, we’re more alive than ever. Stan’s mom is indeed now younger than ever, more healthy than ever. She is full and whole and happy.

She is again with her son Stan. Both rejuvenated. Both recovered. Both very much alive.

Both together.

* * *

And this is the hope we have.

Have you lost anyone you love lately? Lose any two people close in time? Please share in the comments.

Related:

Here’s to the Healers

“The Time Is Now” – Book Review

By LisaNotes April 8, 2019 Book reviews 5 Comments

“Our world waits for you and me, for spiritual people everywhere—to refuse to be pawns in the destruction of a global world for the sake of national self-centeredness.”

And so it begins. This book is heavy, The Time Is Now. Sister Joan Chittister speaks with a challenging voice that she wants us to echo.

“We are here to seed the present with godliness so that others may someday reap the best of what we sowed.”

Chittister challenges us to do something. As followers of Jesus, she says we “must each do something to redeem our battered, beaten world from the greed, the egregious elitism, that smothers it.”

She’s not shy in naming the problems: nuclearism, sexism, homelessness, harassment, poverty, immigration, and more.

And she’s not bashful in naming who needs to do the helping:

“It is now our task, as individuals, as intentional groups, wherever we are on the social spectrum, to shine a light on their lives and to insist that others see it, too. It is the task of each of us to be their voice until they can be heard themselves.”

“It is our task to give them hope, to give them possibility, to help the outcasts to fit in.”

Prophets nows are called to the same mission as prophets of long ago: to look at life as it is and expand it. “We must not fear the darkness; we must simply resolve to carry light into wherever we are.”

Chittister doesn’t say it will be easy. Speaking out disturbs a society that likes its comfort. But if we are to be spiritually mature, we have to think about something greater than ourselves.

“The silence is deafening as the world waits for those on the edge of the crowd to speak up, to speak out.”

Chittister is indeed a prophet in our times. We’d be wise to listen to her in this moral moment.

“What does a prophet do? A prophet cries out, cries out, cries out. Without fear. Without care for cost. Without end. Dear Prophet, for the sake of the children, for the sake of the world, for the sake of the gospel, Cry out.”

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My thanks to Net Galley
for the review copy of this book

Where’s the Grace in Accounting?

By LisaNotes April 3, 2019 Guest posts 2 Comments

Once upon a time I was an accountant. I enjoyed keeping track of numbers. I still do.

Doesn’t God like numbers, too? Was God the original accountant? And if so, how does he factor in grace?

Looking at three stories of Jesus in our readings for Lent, we see God in the numbers. And God in the grace.

Read it all here: Is There Grace in Accounting?

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I’m writing today at Do Not Depart. Will you join me there: “Is There Grace in Accounting?”

5 Links, Books, and Things I Love – April 2019

By LisaNotes April 2, 2019 Life updates, Links I like 38 Comments

Every month I share my list of Favorite 5’s.

5 interesting things online
5 articles about books or podcasts
5 pictures of things I love (and yes, at least one will be my granddaughter)
5 blog posts from the month

What is bringing you joy in April?

1 Second Everyday

[If you can’t see the 1 Second Everyday video, click here]

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5 Things Around the Web

1. Why Do We Ask God for What He’s Already Given?
by Brad Jersak

God has already forgiven us, given us mercy, blessed us with his constant presence. So why do we keep asking him for those things again? Jersak responds.

2. Win a Free Ticket to This Online Conference
at DoNotDepart.com

Here are 4 ways to win a free ticket to the Enjoy God’s Word online conference taking place April 23-25 from your own home, hosted by Katie Orr. Deadline to enter the giveaway is Thursday, April 4.

3. Teach Kids What to Do Instead of Only Saying “Sorry”
by Michelle Woo

We want our children to say “I’m sorry” when they hurt someone. But what else?

4. When a Player Goes Down

“Our guys said — as soon as he went down — they said, ‘Let’s pray.’

“I think in those moments, you begin to see what these guys are made of, both teams, the fabric,” Coach Bruce Pearl said. “We started to pray. We asked God to watch over our brother. And Carolina did it, and our guys did it.”

Auburn’s Chuma Okeke, our star player, tore his ACL in the middle of our Sweet 16 appearance. (Watch Coach Bruce Pearl’s emotional response after the game.)

#DoItForChuma quickly popped up as a Twitter hashtag. And Auburn won the next game, too! Now Auburn is going to the Final Four! It’s a big deal for a football school to make it this far in the basketball tournament. We’re very excited.

5. 100 Things to Throw Away Now

Things like: window bill envelopes, expired batteries, dried-up nail polish, etc. Just seeing this list helped me throw away quite a few things.

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5 Things with Books

1. 6 New Nonfiction Books Perfect for Spring Reading

Here are 6 new books picked by some of my favorite authors (Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Daniel Pink). The Next Big Idea Club sounds like an interesting book group.

2. How to Declutter Some of the Hardest Things of All: Books
by Jennifer Geddes

Ugh. I know I have too many books, but it’s hard to get rid of any of my friends.

3. Why Many Introverts Are Drawn To Writing (And Are Really Good At It)
by Jenn Granneman

Not all writers are introverts, but many are, including J.K. Rowling, John Green, Agatha Christie, Charlotte Brontë, Edgar Allan Poe, William Shakespeare, Homer, Jane Austen, C.S. Lewis, George R.R. Martin, Ayn Rand. Why does writing appeal to a certain type of person?

4. Recommend Reading 2019
by Farnam Street

This is a good recommended reading list that also includes older books. I also like looking at their past lists. (The “new” books on the old lists are more available at the library by now.) See Recommended Reading for 2018 and Recommended Reading for 2017.

5. 3 Books I Recommend

Here are 3 non-fiction books I recommend from my own readings last month.

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5 Pictures of Things I Love

1. Tornado Cleanup

Although I don’t use a chainsaw like Jeff, I’m still glad I get to participate in tornado cleanup with our PAR group. They always need helping hands to drag limbs to the road, etc. On this trip we worked through Samaritan’s Purse.

I got to meet Monica on our trip to Columbus, Georgia. Her front yard was covered in broken trees after the tornado came through. She had quite an amazing story and is an incredible woman.

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2. Stan’s AU Funeral

If you picked up on it above (we’re going to the Final 4!), we are big Auburn fans around here (and okay, we have quite a few Alabama fans here also). Nobody has been a bigger Auburn fan his whole life than my friend Stan. For his funeral, his daughter suggested orange and blue clothes for those who had it. Stan would have loved seeing that (and hopefully he did see it). There were also Auburn stickers available for everyone to wear.

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3. And for his birthday . . .

The day after Stan died, he would have turned 60 years old. So the Four Corners (including Kathy, Stan’s wife) went to Outback and celebrated his life. He is leaving a huge vacuum. We all have our own special and funny memories with him.

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4. Took My Grandbaby to the Zoo for the 1st Time!

Jenna and I met Morgan and Riley at the zoo. We had a wonderful trip introducing her to the animals she had only seen in books. Hopefully it’s the first trip of many to come.

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5. Just for fun – 636 Months Old

We’ve all seen the pictures from new moms of their babies at 1 month, 2 months, 10 months, etc. So this meme made me laugh out loud.

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5 Things on the Blog

1. Make a Spiritual Growth Notebook + More

Do you keep up with your spiritual history? Learn how to make a spiritual growth notebook. Coming soon at Enjoy God’s Word 2019 Conference.

2. What Are Your Two Fish?

God is still writing His story. Bring your two fish. How God started House of the Harvest. Review of Adam Walker’s book,Two Fish.

3. Here’s to the Healers

Here’s to the nurses, doctors, caregivers. Thank you for what you do with your hands. But also for what you do with your hearts. We need the healers.

4. 3 Things to Do with Your Stuff

Do you have too much stuff? What are you supposed to do with it all? See how these parables relate to our stuff.

5. When God’s Plan Isn’t Our Plan

Do you find it easy or hard to release your own plans when God surprises you with a different plan? He is still trustworthy.

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What was a highlight from your March? What do you have planned for April? Please share in the comments.

previous Links and Books

On the Blog – March 2019

By LisaNotes March 31, 2019 Archives No Comments

Here are brief summaries and links to blog posts from March 2019.

You’re My Little Sweet Pea – Children’s Book Review (3/30)
You’re My Little Sweet Pea is a beautiful children’s book to share how much your child is loved.
Make a Spiritual Growth Notebook + More – Coming Soon (3/29)
Do you keep up with your spiritual history? Learn how to make a spiritual growth notebook. Coming soon: Enjoy God’s Word 2019 Conference.
3 Books I Recommend + Video Review – March 2019 (3/26)
Here are 3 books I recommend from what I finished reading in March.
What Are Your Two Fish? (3/25)
God is still writing His story. Bring your two fish. How God started House of the Harvest. Review of Adam Walker’s book,Two Fish.
Eternity Is Now in Session – Book Review (3/20)
“Eternal life isn’t just about the future. We can have it now. It’s not just about there. We can have it here.” – John Ortberg from Eternity Is Now in Session.
Here’s to the Healers (3/18)
Here’s to the nurses, doctors, caregivers. Thank you for what you do with your hands. But also for what you do with your hearts. We need the healers.
3 Things to Do with Your Stuff (3/13)
Do you have too much stuff? What are you supposed to do with it all? See how these parables relate to our stuff.
When God’s Plan Isn’t Our Plan (3/11)
Do you find it easy or hard to release your own plans when God surprises you with a different plan? He is still trustworthy.
5 Links, Books, and Things I Love – March 2019 (3/06)
Links and pictures of articles, books, and things I love – March 2019
Let the Conference Come to You {Enjoy God’s Word Online Conference} (3/04)
If you can’t get to the conference, let the conference come to you. Sign up now for Enjoy God’s Word Online Bible Conference, coming April 23-25, 2019.