New pals

I have great friends. But my bestest friends have always been books.

I read practically every genre, however, deliberately avoiding romance (because I can't bear it). I don't like romance novels, not because I don't like a good love story, but because I don't have the patience to read unrealistic prose descriptions glorifying each other more than what they're worth. I'd rather read a cryptic romantic poem ;)

My favorite fiction authors are Jefferey Archer (I like his choice of words) and Robin Cook (He helps me delve inside the world of Medicine which is where I once wanted to belong to).

My favorite genre is the Christian one. But then, it's easy to write a Christian book, and very easy to write a bad-bestselling Christian book. Because of this, I am very choosy about the Christian books I pick. In the ocean of the millions of books out there, I have few authors whose books I've picked and never regretted. One of my future posts would be about these authors, and why I like them, and why I like their books.

My favorite authors

1. King David
2. The unknown author of Job
3. Dr.Luke (The one who wrote the Gospel and the Acts)
4. Apostle John
5. Selwyn Hughes
6. CS Lewis
7. Ravi Zacharias
8. A.W Tozer
9. Bill Hybels
10. Carole Mayhall
11. Tommy Tenney
12. J.N Manoharan

While I have many favorite books, I do have a very personal book.

And that's my Bible.

Let me confess, I haven't got up every morning, reading the Bible and always feeling like I had a helping of honey. Sometimes, I dread having to read the Bible, sometimes I sleep when I am reading it, sometimes, I frown; sometimes, I cry; sometimes, I'm enlightened; sometimes I laugh out loud, and sometimes I'm just too amazed for words.

Nevertheless, it is my Bible and it is God's personal message for my life.

I love scribbling on the pages of this Personal book, my deepest thoughts, and penning my insignificant words near the Words breathed by God. You can find smiley faces, angry faces, question marks, exclamations, stars, and so many different remarks in this Personal book of mine. My Bible is unique to me, and my bestest friend.

I've grown only 2 Bibles old until now. The first Bible that I started reading was my parents' gift on my 13th birthday. It was an NIV Teen Study Bible. I've written audacious notes on that Bible such as "Today, God cheated me :( ", "Is God over-reacting here ?"

I started growing up, and my Bible started falling apart, so I wanted something that would give me more insight when I read a verse. So, I asked my daddy to buy me an Amplified Bible. With this Bible, I could never read more than 2 chapters a moment. Simply because, there was so much in the brackets. But this Bible was my closest confidant, especially because; in this phase, my life was racing across different terrains. This Bible helped me see and saw with me the faithfulness of God. There were times when I hit rock bottom unable to talk to anyone. Those days I would curl up in bed hugging my Bible close to my heart. It was also during this time in my life that I was introduced to studying the Bible. And so you would find, many papers stuck on the pages containing exegetic and hermeneutic notes.

I now discerned that I needed to further mature my understanding of God's Word. I so believe that the Master wants me to step into another dimension that I haven't yet explored. I therefore wanted a fresh start, a cleaner Bible :) with more fresh space to scribble. So, almost after a satisfying 6-year journey with my Amplified, I bought a TNIV Bible last week. I actually bought two, a pocket size one and a bigger one with lots and lots of margin space.

I signed my name on my new bibles, thanking God silently for the tremendous sacrifice of the numerous people who labored to bring God's Word to an ordinary person like me. I tucked my older bibles back to the bookshelf, contented that the Master in His grace let me hear His voice. Each of those bibles bring memories of a life now left behind.

I am ready to continue running with my new Pal, my new BIBLE.

Hoping to hear more of the Master's Voice,

Callie

Yokebreaker 2010

After close to a month of tedious praying, planning and preparing, we got yet another chance to have our yokes broken. It was time for Yokebreaker 2010.

Last time, we discussed on Bible Reading, Honoring Parents and Sex. This time, by divine purpose, our folks planned the event along the lines of Decision Making and Disciplined Life. Several young people who are in the cross roads of making crucial decisions, get several yokes fastened on their lives due to wrong choices. Consequently, it retards the speed at which we're heading to achieve God's goal. With time, we rust, stagnate and suffer. Instead of living, we just exist.

Can we get rid of these yokes, by making the right decisions ? If yes, then how do we do it?
The first session by Pr Charles Dawson, helped get to the HEART of decision making.

The second session by Bro Prince, dealt with how a DISCIPLE ought to lead a DISCIPLINED LIFE . We did have some sound Biblical pointers, which when applied, would liberate us from the Satan's yoke of always looking busy, but doing nothing productive.

And we had some really cool team building games. In addition, we had one rib-tickling Bible trivia quiz.

Hosea was the prophet who got to marry the prostitute. But did I forget that Hosea was also the real name of Joshua who gave good report about Canaan to the Hebrews. Man!! it was disheartening to know how much of detail we skipped when we read the Bible, but then the playing was fun. I guess, some of us would have taken some real resolutions to raise their Bible IQ!!

Chicken biryani, and a great deal of snacks. I must say that every detail was carefully planned. Time was perfectly managed.

Our church planned to have the venue out of the church. We had it in a place called Dash n Splash. It's filled with trees and extremely shady. Nature cooperated with us, by restraining the rain, yet keeping the weather absolutely cool and breezy. In our worship sessions, I guess the trees clapped their hands and the winds sang praise too. It was just the perfect place to get ourselves restored and refreshed.

Did I forget to mention that we did get to end this great day with a dash of splash in the water slides, pools and games that were there around in this place ?

Swingin, playin, runnin, jumpin, slidin, dashin, we all had a great time. By 6 pm we left the place, leaving behind our yokes, moving forward in freedom to love Him, know Him, and live for Him.

And that's the only decision we would ever have to make.

Excerpts coming soon.

The shack: Where tragedy confronts eternity

The shack: Where tragedy confronts eternity

Author: Wm. Paul Young

Publisher: Windblown Media, Los Angeles

Year of publication: 2007

Reviewed by: Rev. Dr. J.N. Manokaran jnmanokaran@yahoo.com

http://jnmanokaran.com

Paul Young has written a brilliant Post-modern novel. It is written in contemporary style, with beautiful narratives, creative imagination and that portrays the struggles of people in their day-to-day lives. A reader would find it difficult to keep the book down, unless s/he completes it.

As a good author, he has used his imagination creatively and purposefully. It is amazing to see how he has weaved the biblical truths in cohesive manner. In that, the author reminds us of John Bunyan of Pilgrim’s Progress and also of Sadhu Sundar Singh, a mystic Christian leader from India.

The main character of the novel, Mackenzie Allen Phillips has a difficult childhood and could not relate with his father. Then he leaves home for good and does theological training. He is married to Nan and the couple have five children. The youngest daughter Missy goes missing during a vacation. Great sadness descends in his heart. He felt he failed to protect her and he could not trace her body and bury her also. The whole story is how he tries to wrestle with this irreparable loss.

Mack’s own childhood was not good or great. His father would drink quite often and beat his wife. Mack was guilty as he never stood up for her. Later, he walks out of his home, when his father beats him for sharing the family secret with a church elder. Hence, he was unable to relate to God as ‘Father’. He goes through ‘The Shack’ experience. In that, me meets God as African-American woman (she is addressed as Papa), Son as Middle-Eastern man and Holy Spirit in the form of Asian woman named Sarayu. The God head Trinity without a White personality. A weekend turns to be his memorable experience in which he comes out all his emotional baggage.

As a creative artist, he has taken liberty to relate with the young Post Modern audience. In that, he deviates from or challenges some of the evangelical ideas. The idea of the Trinity having weekend with Mack and related incidents could be hard for some evangelical Christians to understand or digest. It is also a theological treatise packaged in contemporary Postmodern vocabulary appealing to young people. Also, the author has presented the gospel in implicit manner, as much as possible within the context of a novel.

This book could be used to help people who go through emotional turmoil and understand the love of God in their lives. It could be as a Pre-evangelistic tool. Using this book in secular forums could create creative opportunities to present the gospel.