Every Wednesday at Spirit Club Rachel or I tell the children a hero story.  I think I have gotten more out of these stories than the kids! I see what a difference faith makes in the life of an ordinary, imperfect person.  Here are some of the best ones if you are looking for some juicy spiritual role models:

George Washington Carver – George Washington Carver (God inspires former slave to help his people through science) 

Elias Chacour – Blood Brothers (God leads Palestinian who lost his home to start interfaith school)

 Gandhi – The Story of My Experiments with Truth (God leads Gandhi to reform himself and his country)

 Helen Keller – The Story of My Life (deaf-blind woman discovers faith as a young adult)

 Esther Kim – If I Perish (Korean refuses to bow before WWII Shinto shrine)

 Martin Luther King – I Have a Dream (God helps civil right leader apply gospel)

 Deborah Moore – Same Kind of Different as Me (God leads wife to connect her wealthy Texan husband to a homeless man)

 John Newton – Once Blind or John Newton (God saves a misguided slave trader)

 John Rucyahana – Bishop of Rwanda (God calls Anglican Bishop to reconcile Hutus and Tutsis)

 St Francis – Little Flowers or The Life of St Francis of Assisi (young soldier gives up life of privilege to be a traveling preacher / faith community leader)

 St Patrick – St Patrick of Ireland (British man gives up home to tell Irish about Jesus)

 Joni Erickson Tada – Joni (young teen learns to accept being paralyzed)

 Corrie Ten Boon – The Hiding Place (Dutch Christian goes to Nazi concentration camp)

 Mother Teresa – Mother Teresa (nun called to serve poor and dying of Calcutta)

 Harriet Tubman – Harriett Tubman (conductor on the underground railroad)

 William Wilberforce – Amazing Grace (campaigns to end slavery in England)

 Brother Yun – Heavenly Man (persecuted pastor of illegal house churches in China)

I have read many books that entertained or educated or confirmed what I already thought, but these are the ones that changed me.

Infidel, by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
I read this book a couple years ago and still think about it.  I used to have a typical American liberal pluralistic view of cultures: “all cultures are valuable and their differences should be respected and protected.”  No more.  Infidel clearly illustrates superior and inferior cultures, comparing Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and the Netherlands.  Sure, every culture contains good and bad, but now I see that some have more bad and some have more good.

 
The Wright Brothers, by Quentin Reynolds
This is a children’s book I skimmed for Spirit Club. Wilbur and Orv had the coolest Mom ever. Susan Wright was skilled in Math (in the 1800s!) and taught her boys to “Dream it. Draw it. Make it.” from the age of five. Great parental role model and life motto.

Personal Bible Study Methods, by Rick Warren
Rick wrote this way before he got famous. I have enjoyed many delightful times of learning at the feet of God through these methods.

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, by W. Phillip Keller
This old classic taught me how much God loves me and how he cares for us.

The Heavenly Man, by Brother Yun
Sounds like the book of Acts, but in our own time.  Strengthened my faith in the power of the Spirit.

Ben and Jerry’s: The Inside Scoop, by Fred Lager
When at first you don’t succeed . . . try, try, try again.  Also, made me laugh.

The Purpose Driven Church, by Rick Warren
Have a big vision . . . we serve a big God.

How to Make Big Money in Your Own Small Business, by Jeffrey Fox
Obviously, I’m not trying to make big money – I don’t even receive a salary.  I picked this up at a recent library book sale since I like business books.  Oops, I’m spending too much time on administration and too little time “selling” our church.

The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom and If I Perish, by Esther Kim
I don’t have to be afraid of anything because God will get me through it.  Faith requires bold action and often leads to suffering.

Stranger at the Gate, by Mel White
Published in 1994, the first time I realized what it was like to be gay; also that this is the civil rights issue of our generation.

Do What You Are, by Tiegers and What Could He Be Thinking, by Michael Gurian
Despite some overgeneralizations, unlocked the mystery of why people are so different. Helps me love all of them!

Blood Brothers, by Elias Chacour and Bishop of Rwanda, by John Rucyahana
How to respond to injustice without violence or revenge. Beauty of forgiveness.

Quest, by Denise Linn and The Seat of the Soul, by Gary Zukav
Once you filter out some of the incompatible theology, Quest methods led me to great spiritual breakthroughs and wonderful times with God.  Zukav has best list of behaviors and attitudes that lead to “bad karma” – good for personal reflection and soul cleansing.

Content in All Church-planting Circumstances

I love the Apostle Paul even though he said nonsensical and sexist things like “women will be saved through childbirth.”  I love Paul because he’s a regular guy who was actually transformed by Christ.   Like Paul, I find church planting to be a good way to transform an attitude of want into an attitude of contentment.  Paul said,

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. (Philippians 4: 11b-12)

Plenty of volunteers and visitors at our first service!

As I have worked so hard to start this new church for Christ, I have known need and plenty too.  First the plenty:

-                     God guiding me

-                     members, staff, donors, and volunteers who share the vision for a new kind of church

-                     a generous husband

-                     an assistant who compensates for my weaknesses and is fun to work with

-                     really good actors who make me smile and laugh

-                     a humble artistic director with talent and taste

-                     AV guys who come an hour early

-                     kind and supportive landlords

-                     wise and supportive pastors and denomination workers

-                     loving Doodles

I could go on and on!!!

Dirty trailer with someone else’s logo is one of many marketing needs

Now the want:

            -           dirty trailer with someone else’s logo

            -           Spirit Club teachers (nearly impossible to find)

            -           only two family groups at first volunteer meeting

            -           new software and MACs than won’t communicate with PCs

            -           TIME!

            -           marketing dollars

            -           lost income from financial crisis

            I could go on and on!!!

I think I know the same secret Paul does: God loves me and provides just what I need, just when I need it.  He wants me to keep on asking and keep on working, but at the end of the day trust He knows just when to dispense which blessings and which challenges. The Lord really is my Shepherd. I do not want – I enjoy the adventure!

I have a great movie-watching system.  I go to screenit.com to find movies rated “6” or higher by a random 1000 viewers (critics are too picky).  If the movie is highly rated and interests me, I add it to my Netflix queue.  If I see the movie in the theatre, I delete it from Netflix.  If not, it is a nice surprise in the mail months later.

Here are all the movies I have seen recently and liked:

Iron Man – one of the few movies both Greg and I enjoyed (all the rest of the movies listed here I couldn’t get him to watch with me!).  I liked the development of Tony Stark’s character. I liked the heavy metal music.  The portrayal of “terrorists” was stupid.  But, I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end . . . twice.

Son of Rambow – I loved the wise insights into the various stereotypes: the “bad boy” who was simply neglected; the “over-religioned boy” who decided to risk hell for real life; their unexpected friendship; the “pious Mom”, the “mean big brother.” Warm and happy ending.

The Straight Story – this movie is so slow I almost shut it off.  It’s about an old man driving across the Midwest in a lawnmower. Once I re-programmed myself into slo-mo, I realized this is what it’s like to be older and slower and weaker in a fast-paced world – portrayed by the trucks whizzing past the lawnmower.  The main character’s  WWII experiences still alive in his mind reminded me of many patients I came to know in the hospital. So many parts of this lovely journey rang true to human experience.

Charlie Bartlett – more good psychology and humor.  About a teen who became the school shrink, dispensing drugs and advice in the bathroom.

Juno – I love that girl.  I contrast her character to Page O’Toole in Jodi Picoult’s Harvesting the Heart.  O’Toole’s baby has low-risk surgery and she’s passed out on the sidewalk hallucinating – in fact, everything with her is an emotional overreaction.  But  Juno’s Ellen Page gets pregnant in high school and handles the whole thing with compassion and reason.  Funny too.

August Rush – if you love music, you’ll get this movie.  Corny but it worked on me.

Since it’s our mission to help people connect to God, I thought I would share a practice that has put passion and excitement into my relationship with God.  I try to have a little prayer time every day right when I wake up (yes, it’s a constant struggle to make the time).  I spend on few minutes on each element of the Lord’s Prayer:

• think about His “name” or character; I have a list of names for God; or sometimes I watch nature out my window really carefully
• read Bible and reflect on how I can do His will
• write down a couple prayer requests on index cards (daily bread)
• I post big (and not too private) answers to prayer on this bulletin board at home.  Before I did this, I would ask God for something and then not even notice when He did something.  Now, I see His hand much more frequently.  It reminds me of that Bible verse that says God loves to give His children gifts, just like a regular Dad does.
• reflect on previous day and ask forgiveness for where I fell short
• forgive anybody who hurt my feelings
• think about my upcoming day and how I can live it faithfully

Now that I am an empty nester commuting from Glastonbury to Farmington, I am eating out in new places.  Here are my favorites:

http://www.agavehartford.com Best Mexican food ever.  My expensive non-profit lawyer took me there. They make the guacamole right in front of you at the table and the Haberno (or something like that) pork taco is heavenly. Sangria is fun too if I’m not driving.  Near Civic Center.  

http://www.burtonsgrill.com/ Love to eat outside.  Have not had a bad dish yet.  All the fish is great; amazing burger and fries. I miss their lobster salad in fresh potato chips appetizer.  Evergreen Walk in Manchester.

BARCA: http://www.barcahartford.com/home.html I love the tapas – I can try a little of everything.  Hartford Seminary friends took us here.  My favorites were shrimp empanadas (it’s under “cold tapas” but it’s actually warm); Morrocan chicken lollipop (just the word lollipop makes me happy); and gazpacho. They also make a mean glass of ice tea. In the Design Center in Parkville neighborhood of Hartford.  My interior designer has her office in the same building – she is the best:  http://www.interioredge.com

Truffles: http://www.trufflesbakery.com  Across the street from our new office.  Like Panera only homemade: chicken salad wrap, chile, salads, naughty giant homemade chocolate chip cookies, and my favorite: warm cinnamon rolls.  (Rita, don’t read this.) By the way Diminishing Dimensions really works: www.diminishingdimensions.com/