Friday’s Fave Five

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Friday's Fave Five

January is one month that I am glad to see speeding by. This has been a frigid week: you know it’s been cold when 30 degrees seems like warming up. Today, I’m looking for blessings with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story.

1. Light! This is the first week it was still light outside when we left for Bible study! I know we get more daylight each day after the winter solstice, but this is the first I’ve seen actual evidence of it. On top of that, the sunset was gorgeous that day, and we got to view it on our drive.

2. An impromptu visit with the kids. Jason, Mittu, and Timothy popped in for a while one afternoon this week. Timothy made some brownies from a recipe in the Minecraft cookbook he had received for Christmas, and he wanted to share some with us.

3. A field trip and dinner out. I don’t know why I think an excursion to Home Depot is a field trip, but I do. 🙂 Jim and I had gone together to look at several things for the house. We got done right at dinner time, and he suggested we go out to the same Mexican food restaurant we had taken the kids to over the holidays. We hadn’t eaten out in a while–we usually get take-out to bring home. And though the restaurant was a bit noisy, it was enjoyable.

4. Nights off from the kitchen. When Jim was painting in the kitchen/dining area, he suggested getting takeout since everything was in disarray. He went out and got Panda Express for us. The next night we ate leftovers from that meal. Then we had the dinner outing mentioned above.

5. Another area painted. This week, Jim worked on painting another bathroom and hallway. This hallway has six doors–one to the bathroom, one to the garage, and four closet doors. We’re blessed with a lot of storage space in this house, but the doors do take longer to paint than the walls.

How was your week?

Review: Miramar Bay

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Miramar Bay by Davis Bunn

When I started listening to The Christmas Hummingbird by Davis Bunn, I didn’t realize that it was the eighth novel in a series. The first few books in the series were free for Audible subscribers, so I decided to try them out.

In the first novel, Miramar Bay, Connor Larkin is an actor known for his “bad boy” good looks and for dying onscreen (97 times so far). His current gig is a fake “reality” show featuring his relationship with a Hollywood starlet. But now the studio has written an on-air wedding into the script, and Connor bolts. He had visited Miramar, on California’s central coastline, some years before, and it seemed a quiet place to hide out and think.

Connor steps into a Miramar restaurant playing Sinatra music and is drawn in. He had originally wanted to be a musician playing this type of music, but his early acting roles led him another direction. He finds himself applying for a waiter’s job at the restaurant.

Sylvie Cassick had put all her money and hopes into the restaurant and named it Castaways. Her father had been an artist, a kind man but an impractical dreamer. When her mother left them, Sylvie took on the role of trying to keep things in order and the bills paid. She had not heard from her mother in years, and her father passed away, so she’s on her own. Her staff has become dear friends. But everything hangs by a thread: one major problem or repair could cost her everything.

And then the unthinkable happens when illegal drugs are found in her fish order.

As Conner and Sylvie get to know each other, they bond over music. But when Sylvie learns who Connor really is, she can’t get over the fact that he lied to her.

Miramar is known as a place of second chances. Will Connor and Sylvie find theirs as they each face their separate crises?

Some of the characters in the later book were here, too: the sheriff, the head waitress, and a few others.

I looked online to see if Miramar is a real place, and it is: you can read more here.

I loved the small-town, close-knit community Bunn created. The characters seemed real and relatable. The plot kept me invested and interested.

As with the Christmas book, there’s not much mention of anything of a spiritual nature in this book, though everything else I’ve read from Bunn has been Christian fiction. One character visits a chapel a couple of times and prays for help. Perhaps Bunn meant this as a crossover into the general market, which would then draw readers back to his many other books. This is a good, clean read, but it was a little sad to me that the author, who knows real peace can only be found in Christ, had Connor find his peace in a community.

The only other thing some readers might find objectionable is a fair amount of alcohol consumption. One example: Sylvie’s friends “make” her drink brandy to brace herself before sharing bad news. I know this is an area where good people can differ, but to me alcohol seemed to be mentioned a lot.

I listened to the audiobook nicely read by Graham Winton. If you’re familiar with the Adventures in Odyssey radio program by Focus on the Family, Graham’s voice sounds a lot like the actor who portrays character Jason Whitaker there–so much so, that I had to look up that actor. But that actor’s name is Townsend Coleman.

(Sharing with Bookish Bliss Quarterly Link-Up)

Lesser Lights

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Lesser lights

Before the invention of electricity, it was rare to see a whole city lit up. One could see candlelight or lanterns in windows. Gaslights helped illuminate sidewalks. But if the whole city seemed alight, that meant something unusual was going on.

These days, though, cities seem to dwell in perpetual light.

G. K. Chesterton commented on this in The Illustrated London News in 1927:

In every civilised age and country, it has been a natural thing to talk of some great festival on which “the town was illuminated.” There is no meaning nowadays in saying that the town was illuminated. There is no point or purpose in having it illuminated for any normal and noble enthusiasm, such as the winning of a victory or the granting of a charter. The whole town is illuminated already, but not for noble things. It is illuminated solely to insist on the immense importance of trivial and material things, blazoned from motives entirely mercenary. . . .

It is no good to send up a golden and purple rocket for the glory of the King and Country, or to light a red and raging bonfire on the day of St. George, when everybody is used to seeing the same fiery alphabet proclaiming the importance of Tibble’s Tooth Paste or Giggle’s Chewing Gum. The new illumination has not, indeed, made Tibble and Giggle so important as St. George and King George; because nothing could. But it has made people weary of the way of proclaiming great things, by perpetually using it to proclaim small things. It has not destroyed the difference between light and darkness, but it has allowed the lesser light to put out the greater (quoted in Winter Fire: Christmas with G. K. Chesterton by Ryan Whitaker Smith, pp. 107-108).

Light is one of my favorite symbols of Christmas and one of the things I miss most when we take decorations down.

But light is not just a symbol of Christmas. It’s a symbol of God, a thread running through the whole Bible.

From the Old Testament: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).

To the New: “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life'” (John 8:12).

From prediction: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” (Isaiah 9:2).

To fulfillment: “And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: ‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned'” (Matthew 4:13-16).

From the Father: “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5b).

To the Son: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. . . . The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” (John 1:4-5, 9).

My husband loves astronomy and will take his telescope out when some phenomenon is happening in the sky. He often says that to really see the stars best, one needs to get away from the lights of cities, towns, or neighborhoods.

It’s not that lesser lights put out the light of the stars, but they obscure and distract from them.

The lesser lights in our lives do the same. They may be harmless in themselves, but their number and seeming urgency take our attention. They can’t put out the Light. But they make it harder to see Him.

Some day, there will be no lesser lights: “And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:5).

Until then, may our hearts cry out with the psalmist, “There are many who say, ‘Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!’” (Psalm 4:6).

Psalm 36:9

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

Laudable Linkage

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Laudable Linkage

Some of the good blogging found this week:

Nearness Is Enough, HT to Challies. “For years, I thought the nearness of God would mean that everything would be okay or, at the very least, feel okay. I hoped that his nearness would mean some sort of tangible presence, some sort of relief from pain. I hoped that it would act as a shield and protection around me, that it would stop the fiery arrows of the enemy from penetrating my heart. But that was not the nearness of God.”

Trump, Trudeau, and the 51st State. The situation in Canada, from one who lives there.

Narcissus in Public, HT to Challies. “I took my family to downtown DC, ending the day with what we had envisioned as an idyllic skate at the ice rink in the National Gallery’s Sculpture Garden. Although it was lovely, as ice skating always is, the experience was marred by the presence, for most of our one-hour skate, of a cluster of young women for whom the rink’s only value was as background scenery for Instagram glamour shots.”

The Prosperity Gospel We Sometimes All Believe In. “There is a version of the prosperity gospel that we can all believe in and it goes something like this: ‘God, I gave my life to you, and in exchange I expect you to make my life easy. I may not need riches or opulence, perfect health or abundant wealth, but I would like ease. And if you take that ease from me, I may just assume that your feelings for me have altered or your love for me has waned. I may even regret following you. Please, just keep my life easy.’”

Please Don’t Sing “Imagine” at Funerals, HT to Challies. Or any time, really.

Will You Pass the Test of Praise? HT to Challies. “Generally, testing feels like something we want to avoid. But Scripture mentions a surprising test which looks, at first glance, like an exam we all want and could easily ace.”

The End of My Words. “‘The words of Job are ended.’ Have you ever come to the end of your words? I have. More than once, in my sanctification process, I’ve cried and wailed, and a time or two, I’ve even screamed my case before God until nothing was left. Dry bones. And at the end of my words, something miraculous took place.”

Hosting a Missionary Family. Tips and insights for churches and families hosting a visiting missionary.

Charles Spurgeon quote

I wish, my brothers and sisters, that during this year you may live nearer to Christ than you have ever done before. Depend upon it, it is when we think much of Christ that we think little of ourselves, little of our troubles, and little of the doubts and fears that surround us.
— Charles Spurgeon

Friday’s Fave Five

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Friday's Fave Five

We did get our predicted snow last Friday–3-4 inches at our house. Thankfully the power stayed on. We stayed home Saturday and then ventured out to church Sunday with no problem. It’s been cold enough that some snow is still around. The roads and parking lots are mostly clear, but there’s enough ice to require watchfulness. We’re supposed to get more snow Sunday.

Meanwhile, we’re counting blessings with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story.

1. A long overdue haircut and a coupon. I had a coupon for a $7.95 haircut at a new place near us. I hadn’t had a cut since September, so it felt really good for the shaggy ends to be cleaned up.

2. An outing. Jason and Mittu invited us to Timothy’s favorite pizza place to celebrate his reaching his reading goals. It was good to get together again–somehow we hadn’t seen each other in a couple of weeks except in passing at church. Plus I enjoyed getting out to do something fun.

3. A dentist’s visit over with. Seeing the dentist is not my favorite thing to do, even as nice as she is. This time, I was concerned about a couple of bumps on the side of my tongue. When one sees bumps where there are not supposed to be any, one’s mind jumps to the worst case scenario (at least this one does). She didn’t think they were anything serious, but took pictures to research further and perhaps consult with an oral surgeon. We talked so much about my tongue that nothing was said about my teeth, but I assume they are all okay.

4. More rooms painted. We have front room that’s smaller than a living room which we have called the sitting room, reading nook, and various other designations. Jim painted that this week and is now on the kitchen/dining area. Along the way, he’s replacing old yellowish light bulbs with brighter white ones. I am so pleased with how everything is looking!

5. Spring cleaning as we go. While Jim had the curtains off the front room window, I thought to myself that I should wash the window while he went out for more paint. That window is hard to get to normally. Then he mentioned that he already had washed it. I washed and ironed the curtains while he took care of the blinds. I mentioned that I’d like to dust the top of some of the pictures before he put them back on the wall, because I had trouble reaching them while dusting. He said he had been dusting all the pictures and plaques before hanging them back up. Isn’t he thoughtful? I helped do some of that after he finished painting the front room. I’ve been astonished at how much dust was still on things that I regularly dust!

While the furniture has been moved out of the way, he’s swept and vacuumed normally hard-to-reach areas.

Probably no one will notice that the curtains have been washed or the farthest corners under the couch swept or the backs of plaques dusted. But it feels good to have them done. It hadn’t occurred to me that we’d be doing this cleaning while painting room by room, but it makes sense to do it while the furniture is out of the way and everything is off the walls. Doing a room at a time is easier than doing all the spring cleaning at once. And, to be honest, I don’t think I have ever spring cleaned this thoroughly.

How is your January going so far?

Review: Set the Stars Alight

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Set the Stars Alight

In Amanda Dykes’ novel, Set the Stars Alight, Lucy Claremont is the daughter of an English watchmaker whose family invites a young “lost boy” into their circle. Dash grew up in America until both parents died. He lived with a distant aunt who wasn’t home much and seemed not very interested in him.

Lucy’s father loved to tell stories and riddles to the children. Many of his stories centered on a legend about a man who lived 200 years before, Frederick Handford. Handford was a seaman who, accused of treason, stole a boat called the Jubilee and was never heard from again. Many had searched for any sign of Handford or the Jubilee, to no avail. Many stories had been told about what might have happened.

Lucy grew up with a love for the ocean and a desire to research and find the Jubilee. Dash grew up loving the stars, after hearing about them from Lucy’s father and using his homemade telescope. Their interests and circumstances seemed to take them in opposite directions until their paths crossed again while researching the Jubilee.

The story shifts back and forth from 2020 to the 1800s and what really happened with Frederick Handford. He was the son of a respected admiral who, since his own glory days, fell to drink. Frederick grew up with his father on one end of the house, drinking and raging, and his mother at the other end, playing parts of Handel’s Messiah. When his mother died, he ran away to escape his father’s rage and neglect. He was taken in by a kind local shepherd, but inadvertently brought tragedy to the man and his family. Frederick spent the rest of his life trying to make it up to them, especially the man’s daughter, Juliette.

Amanda writes in her author’s notes that this story felt like a set of nesting dolls, with many layers and stories within stories. That’s an apt description.

Amanda’s stories have a way of deeply touching hearts. Her characters are real and flawed, yet their stories are redemptive.

One of my favorite quotes comes from the book comes from a poem titled “The Old Astronomer to His Pupil” by Sarah Williams:

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;
I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.

A few more quotes that stood out to me:

He is coming, and coming, and coming, and coming after you. In every sunset, in every snatch of birdsong In everything that stirs deep into you and makes you hungry for bigger things, eternal things. That is Him, pursuing you with tenderest grace. In the places so hard they wring your soul. In the places so beautiful they steal your breath. He is there, filling your soul, giving you breath.

Made-up tales that stand through time . . . they are echoes . . . of truth.

I think it’s our duty to keep the stories, to pass them on. It is our duty—and our honor. In a world as dark as ours, we—that is, people—forget how to see the light. So we remind them by telling the truth, fighting the dark, paying attention . . . setting the stars alight. There are things shining brightly all along, if we will notice.

Such freedom, to know our limits. And to know the God who has none.

God had a way of redeeming wounds with the strength of others.

Surprise gave way to curiosity, And curiosity–as it was meant to from the time God breathed life into the great wide world–made way for wonder.”

I listened to the audiobook, which was mostly good except the narrator’s diction wasn’t clear in places. I checked out the e-book from Libby to get the author’s notes and look up some passages.

I thought the modern-day part of the book moved a little slowly at times. But overall, this was a lovely, touching story.

(Sharing with Bookish Bliss Quarterly Link-Up)

Cultivating Awe of God’s Word

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Cultivating awe of God's Word

Are you in awe of God’s Word?

If you’re like me, you’d probably say, “Not as often as I’d like to be.”

There are times when our meeting with God is special, when He gives us just what we need in the moment, we notice something new, or we’re blessed by an old, familiar, but beloved passage.

But other times—we’re sleepy, distracted, hurried, or we’re slogging through a book like Leviticus.

I was struck recently by a quote from G. K. Chesterton in Winter Fire: Christmas with G.K. Chesterton: “The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder.” Though he wasn’t talking about the Bible there, I felt what he said was true of the Bible as well.

Chesterton’s quote reminded me a couple of verses:

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! (Psalm 139:17.

My heart stands in awe of your words. I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil (treasure, plunder) (Psalm 119:161a-162).

So what can we do when we feel less than awed by God’s Word?

Employ practical helps. It’s hard to be awed when we’re sleepy or distracted. Getting enough sleep, choosing a more wakeful time of day, taking a shower or doing a few minutes of exercise first can help us be more alert. Removing distractions as much as possible helps: turning off the phone, choosing a time you can be somewhat alone, etc.

Pray. Psalm 119:18 is an apt prayer: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” When we’re dull in spirit, we can appropriate another of the psalmist’s prayer: “I am greatly afflicted; Renew and revive me [giving me life], O LORD, according to Your word” (Amplified Version).

Remember:

Who is speaking to us. I’m inspired by what George Guthrie says here: “I am still blown away by the idea that the God of the universe wants to communicate with us on a daily basis and that he has chosen to do so in this miraculous book we call the Bible.” As we meditate on who He is and the ways He has worked in our lives, our hearts will warm towards Him and His Word.

That God chose these specific words for us. Psalm 139:17-18 says God’s thoughts are vast, more than the sand. One of our former pastors used to say that the Bible is divinely brief. Out of the multitudes of things God could have said, He inspired and preserved in the Bible what He wants us to know. So each sentence has a purpose.

The cost and privilege of having a Bible in our own hands. Most people didn’t until after the printing press was invented in 1440 AD. Even when it became widely used, books were too expensive for many people to have. When books became more widespread, brave men like William Tyndale labored and gave their lives to have it translated into English that everyday people could read.

Past experiences with the Bible. Remembering some of those special times in the Bible that I mentioned at the beginning can reawaken our desire for it to speak to us again.

Our enemies: the world, which tries to turn our heads; our flesh, prone to wander, to laziness, to self-indulgence; and the devil, who wants to deceive and distract us. It’s no wonder we often have to fight for time and attention while reading the Bible. But the struggle is worth it.

Slow down. Sometimes we rush through our time in the Bible just to get it done or to get to other tasks. Reading a smaller amount and taking time to reflect on it is better than zipping through several chapters without retaining anything.

Ask why this passage is in the Bible. If God inspired all of Scripture, each passage is there for a purpose. What does it tell us about God?

Begin with hymns or praise. I’ve often been encouraged by missionary and writer Elisabeth Elliot’s confession in On Asking God Why: “When I stumble out of bed in the morning, put on a robe, and go into my study, words do not spring spontaneously to my lips–other than words like, ‘Lord, here I am again to talk to you. It’s cold. I’m not feeling terribly spiritual. . . .'” She found help by reading through hymns or psalms.

Get help from a good study Bible, commentary, or study group. All three have helped me by giving some background or explanation of the passage or pointing out things I overlooked in my own reading.

Keep reading in spite of feelings, or the lack of them. Another former pastor said that one of his best times of prayer began with his confession that he didn’t feel like praying. It often happens that way with Bible reading, too. We might not feel awe-inspired as we begin. But the Bible says it is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). As we read, God speaks to us and enlivens us. Even if we don’t feel any differently after reading, God has fed us.

Thank God for what we read. We often divide our quiet time with the Lord into prayer and Bible reading. But we can integrate those activities. When we read of God’s love, we can thank Him for sharing His love with us. When we read an example of His love, power, or wisdom, we praise Him for them right as we read. We can turn some of the verses into prayer and praise. Awe of God’s Word is not an end in itself, but leads us to awe of our God.

In the Everyday Gospel Christmas Devotional, Paul David Tripp says:

The beginning of Matthew presents us with a majestic one-time moment in history that you shouldn’t run past in your desire to complete your daily Bible reading. God has recorded and preserved it for you because he wants it to leave you in gratitude and awe. And that awe is meant to capture your heart with such force that it changes the way you think about who you are and how you live your life. (December 16 reading).

Awe in our Bible reading doesn’t just help us enjoy it more. As Tripp says, awe captures our hearts in order to change us. Awe is part of beholding Him: “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

“The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder,” Chesterton said. There is much to inspire awe and wonder in the Bible. May God give us eyes to see and hearts to understand.

awe of God's words

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

Laudable Linkage

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Laudable Linkage

I hope you are warm and snug this cold winter morning (if you’re in the northern hemisphere–if it’s summer where you are, stay cool!) Here are some good reads found this week:

Reading the Bible to Meet God, HT to Challies. “In my book Help My Unbelief: Why Doubt is Not the Enemy of Faith I wrote about how important it is to read the Bible to meet God, to read it relationally and as sustenance for the soul. Often we simply read it for information, to follow a rule, or as an academic pursuit. Reading to meet God sounds like a great idea and the ideal for a Christian, but how do we actually do it”

Life Beyond the Spiritual Shallows. “There is a depth to God’s character that cannot be assessed with quick glances and fleeting thoughts. We will never become the kind of women who face the lion’s den without a deep understanding of God’s character. We will never know that depth if we cannot find ways to circumnavigate our brain’s wiring and study God’s Word for longer than eight second bursts.”

Preparing for the Storm, HT to Challies. “We don’t acknowledge the likelihood of impending trials, so we don’t prepare for them. It’s only after the trial has passed, when we’re left trying to pick up the shards of hope and put our lives back together, that we realize we need to stockpile emergency supplies for the next time Sorrow comes knocking at our door. Having lived through one storm, we realize we’ll need a reservoir for the next one.”

Why Pray for Protection When Suffering Keeps Coming? John Piper answers a difficult question from a listener about praying for protection when it seems pointless, when God let bad things happen in the past.

Are You Your Spouse’s Biggest Cheerleader? HT to Challies. “It works both ways. Wives need their husbands to encourage and affirm and cheer for them as well. In healthy, thriving marriages, husbands and wives are cheerleaders for one another. Smart husbands and smart wives know that the Bible is right on target when it says, ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue’ (Proverbs 18:21). Spoken words can destroy or empower.”

Little People with Big Emotions: 5 Strategies for Emotionally Healthy Kids. This is excellent, something I wish I’d had when mine were young. “I wish I had been better equipped to help my kids when they experienced big emotions. How can we help our children manage their feelings without stuffing them down, prettying them up, or feeling like there’s no room for them?”

Four Reasons Acts 2:38-39 Does Not Imply Infant Baptism. “Though this passage mentions both children and baptism, Acts 2:38–39 leaves no room for infant baptism. Here are four reasons why.”

Sin and repentance

Sin brings brief pleasures and lasting sorrow.
Repentance brings brief pain and eternal joy.
Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

Friday’s Fave Five

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Friday's Fave Five

This image is apt for today, as we’re predicted to get 3-6 inches of snow. That is a really big deal in our area. I’m hoping we get less than that and that the power stays on. But Jim went to the store yesterday, and we’re ready to hunker down and see what happens.

Meanwhile, I’m dwelling on things to be thankful for from the last week with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story.

1. A steak and egg biscuit. I had to go in for some fasting lab work last Friday, and rewarded myself afterward with a steak and egg biscuit from Bojangles. I don’t care for the rest of their food, but I like their biscuits. This one was so good. It’s a little too heavy to eat very often, but it hit the spot that day. Plus I got Bo-Berry (blueberry) Biscuits to split with Jim.

2. Good lab results. These days, physicals seem to consist primarily of talking about blood chemistry. I’m thankful all my numbers were good–even my overall cholesterol as well as the good and bad kinds were within normal range.

3. Help taking down Christmas decorations. Jesse came over last Saturday to help us take down Christmas stuff, which was greatly appreciated. Plus, I’ve wanted for a long time to sort through ornaments and pull out the ones that needed repair or that we don’t really use any more. Usually there’s not time in the rush of putting up or taking down decorations. But I wanted to do that even if it meant leaving that one box out for a while. I was able to get that done (which wasn’t as involved as I thought it would be) plus reorganize some of the boxes so things fit better.

4. Sorting, organizing, and purging. I don’t know what it is about January that inspires those activities, but I was glad I was able to scratch that itch a bit. 🙂

5. Painting. Jim has been painting the hallway this week, and it looks so much brighter than the Basic Builder’s Beige that was on the walls. We were going for a very light grey, but the paint looks white, which is fine. The hallway walls didn’t take long, but it was a little tedious to take down all the family pictures and put them back up. Plus, between three bedrooms, a bathroom, two closets, and a small room housing the furnace and hot water heater, he had seven doors to paint. Those were not as fun. But they look great.

It’s hard to believe we are a third of the way through January already. How was your week?

Stay warm, friends!

Winter Fire: Christmas with G. K. Chesterton

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Winter Fire: Christmas with G. K. Chesterton

I’ve not read G. K. Chesterton except for one novel, The Man Who Was Thursday, and a few pithy quotes. The quotes were enough to entice me to read more. So I was excited to see Winter Fire: Christmas with G. K. Chesterton by Ryan Whitaker Smith.

When I looked at the sample of the book at Amazon, however, I was disappointed that the book seemed to be less of Chesterton and more on Smith commenting on Chesterton. I eventually decided to get the book anyway, and I am glad I did.

Smith says that reading Chesterton is an “acquired taste,” and I agree. I would not have gotten nearly so much out of Chesterton’s quotes here without Smith drawing out the meaning.

If you’re not familiar with Chesterton, Wikipedia says he “wrote around 80 books, several hundred poems, some 200 short stories, 4,000 essays (mostly newspaper columns), and several plays. He was a literary and social critic, historian, playwright, novelist, and Catholic theologian and apologist, debater, and mystery writer.” He was a columnist for several newspapers and even wrote some Encyclopedia Britannica entries (including the one for Charles Dickens). He might be known best for his Father Brown stories about a priest who also does detective work.

He was baptized into the Church of England as a child, dabbled in the occult, then came back to the Anglican church as an adult, and later converted to Catholicism. I am curious how and why he embraced Catholicism but haven’t read enough to know his thinking. But “Christian themes and symbolism appear in much of his writing.”

Smith says Chesterton wrote prolifically about Christmas, much more than could be included in this book.

Winter Fire contains thirty days of readings, with Smith expanding on, explaining, and giving the cultural background to quotes about Christmas from some of Chesterton’s essays. After each reading is a Bible verse and questions for thought.

Then there are a variety of Chesterton’s other writings: several poems, a few essays, and a couple of short stories. Finally, Smith included recipes and games prevalent at the time Chesterton lived (1874-1936). The weirdest game, called Snapdragon, involved raisins doused in brandy, then set on fire. Then children tried to reach into the fire quickly and grab a raisin.

One of the readings here inspired a blog post, A Christmas Boomerang, and I have another post or two in mind based on thoughts read here.

Smith says the title of this book “is taken from a quote featured in the reading for Day 13: ‘Christ is not merely a summer sun of the prosperous but a winter fire for the unfortunate.’ The image of a fire burning amid the frosts of winter seemed a fitting image to draw from for a book that not only celebrates the comfort, joy, and revelry of Christmas, but the mercy of God who has called us to His everlasting feast” (p. 12). He writes that “The purpose of our journey is not so much to dwell in ‘the place from which Christmas came,’ but to allow that place to dwell in us, to return to our own country with christened eyes, to look upon our everyday surroundings with a baptized imagination” (p. 17).

I have scores of quotes marked, but I’ll try to share just a few:

In the majestic march of Progress, we have first vulgarised Christmas and then denounced it as vulgar. Christmas has become too commercial; so many of these thinkers would destroy the Christmas that has been spoiled, and preserve the commercialism that has spoiled it” (Chesterton, p. 32).

I have never understood what people mean by domesticity being tame; it seems to me one of the wildest of adventures (Chesterton, p. 45).

Omnipotence and impotence, or divinity and infancy, do definitely make a sort of epigram which a million repetitions cannot turn into a platitude. It is not unreasonable to call it unique. Bethlehem is emphatically a place where extremes meet. (Chesterton, p. 84).

Christmas did not merely borrow certain traditions from paganism; it survived paganism. It was a stronger thing than all the pagan world could offer. It was fiercer than its creeds, more potent than its rituals (Smith, p. 116).

The land endures the harshness of winter in order to be reborn in the vigor of spring. Everywhere we look, nature is rehearsing resurrection, preparing for the day when all things will be made new, when measurable time gives way to immeasurable eternity (Smith, p. 128).

These are a couple of stanzas from Chesterton’s poem “The House of Christmas”:

A Child in a foul stable,
Where the beasts feed and foam;
Only where He was homeless
Are you and I at home;
We have hands that fashion and heads that know
But our hearts we lost—how long ago!
In a place no chart nor ship can show
Under the sky’s dome.

To an open house in the evening
Home shall men come,
To an older place than Eden
And a taller town than Rome.
To the end of the way of the wandering star,
To the things that cannot be and that are,
To the place where God was homeless
And all men are at home.

The book cover, texture, and illustrations have a lovely old-fashioned feel to them.

Chesterton uses a lot of irony, and often. as Smith says, is “saying several things at once” (p. 11). I have question marks at a couple of places in the book. But I was inspired, taught, and encouraged by much that I read, and I am sure I’ll read this again in future Advent seasons.

(Sharing with Bookish Bliss Quarterly Link-Up)