1. Lost Moon by Jeffrey Klugar & James Lovell
2. Power Failure: The Inside Story of the Collapse of Enron by Mimi Swartz with Sherron Watkins
3. The Promise: President Obama, Year One by Jonathan Alter
4. Moonwar by Ben Bova (fiction)
5. Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief by James M. McPherson
6. A Long Time Coming: The Inspiring, Combative 2008 Campaign and the Historic Election of Barack Obama by Staff of Newsweek
7. The Preacher and the Presidents: Billy Graham in the White House by Nancy Gibbs & Michael Duffy
8. The Irregulars: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington by Jennet Conant (currently reading)
9. The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 by David McCullough (Sarah & I reading together)

I never used to have much use for non-fiction but the last three years or so I have developed a real hunger for non-fiction reading.  In fact, the only fiction book that I read this summer (Moonwar) was also my least favorite.    I am still a big fan of fiction, but the writing in Moonwar wasn't that strong.

"Lost Moon" was a really fun read stylistically as well as in subject matter.  I enjoy the movie "Apollo 13" and really enjoyed going deeper with the book.

While I enjoyed all of these books (that I have read so far) my two favorite were "Tried By War" and "The Preacher & the Presidents".  Both of those were exceptionally interesting and very well written.  I learned a lot from both.  The Billy Graham book was very inspirational in several areas.  The book on Lincoln was not only interesting, but extremely well written.  This is the second book by James McPherson I have read and I enjoy his work.

I am just starting "The Irregulars" and look forward to what looks like a very exciting story.   As for the Panama Canal book that Sarah and I are reading; we are both really enjoying it so far and learning a lot.  I really enjoy David McCullough and I have read several of his works in the past couple of years (1776, John Adams, The Johnstown Flood).  At some point in the not-to-distant future I hope to read his book on President Truman.

Most of these books were borrowed from the Jay-Niles public library which is a wonderful place with a great staff.  I did almost spend a night there this summer when I lost track of closing time and was so quiet browsing in the stacks that they didn't know I was still there until they shut off the lights and I came hustling out!     It made for a fun story to tell this summer.

One of my personal goals for this fall is to continue to read more and just keep the TV turned off most of the time.  I really enjoy reading and it is much much better for me.  If you see me, feel free to keep me accountable on this one.  

What is your relationship with God?  Is it a one-sided relationship.

There are people I know who claim a friendship with Jesus.  They are planning on going to heaven and living with Him forever.  They just aren't at all interested in living with Him now.  The lifestyle choices they make have absolutely nothing in common with a friendship with Jesus.  They don't witness.  Spend time with them among their friends and you would never know that they claim a friendship with Jesus.  They are still eager to get the benefits of a relationship with Jesus-heaven, but are not looking to contribute anything to the relationship.

That is a challenge to all of us.  There are days when I can get busy and not pay that relationship as much attention as it should.  Even when I am doing things for God's kingdom, I need to make sure that I am not merely "being good" but that I am being connected by talking to Him in real and meaningful ways and stopping long enough to truly listen to Him, both through prayer and through reading His Word.  Like any relationship, I need to be intentional in building the relationship.

Do you take more than you give in your relationship with God?  Do you have a strong, healthy, two-way relationship with Jesus?  What will that look like in the way you live your life today?

Here is an article about how Colby college here in Maine is banning hard liquor on campus because it is usually the culprit when someone is hospitalized with alcohol poisoning.  The college is trying to protect students (and no doubt its reputation) by putting this ban in place, hopefully making it harder for students to become dangerously drunk.  The article notes that close to 20 students were hospitalized after one event a couple of years ago.  The article ends with a quote from a 19 year old student complaining that the college is trying to babysit the students.

Babysitters are needed for children who aren't old enough/mature enough to safely take care of themselves.  I can understand why a 19 year old would protest any action they might perceive as being "babysat".

BUT.

If students are drinking to the point of needing to be hospitalized, they are not safely taking care of themselves.

I want to say that I am not in favor of the so called "nanny-state" form of government where the government makes rules and laws to try to stop all stupid behavior.  That being said, there are a lot of people, not just college students, who are still acting like children.  When God gave the law in the old testament, He gave it as a baby-sitter.  Something to keep us safe until we grew up.   Unfortunately, a lot of us have never grown up.  People do things that they should not do, which are not good for themselves or others.  They are ruled, not by what is best, but by what they want.  I have three kids, and that is their natural state, to pursue what they want, whether it is right or safe or wise or not.  Sarah's and my job as parents is to teach them good judgement and self control so that they will discipline themselves and no longer need our external discipline or "babysitting."

That is the way of Christ as well.  We are to "grow up" in Christ (Eph 4:15) until we are all mature adults (Eph 4:13).   Paul says that "When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things." (1 Cor. 13:11).  We ought to act like adults who don't need to be babysat because we do what is right, not just whatever we want.  We won't drive in ways that endanger ourselves or others.  We won't abuse our bodies so as to remove ourselves from our loved ones prematurely.  We won't divorce our spouse and put our children through hell just because we're thinking of an easier way for us to be happy.  There are a lot of things that we just won't do if we are mature.  We won't need a babysitter or laws to tell us to do it.

The context of Paul's statement about putting away childish things is 1 Cor. 13, which is known as the love chapter.  Paul says, "Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).  This "law of love" is what controls adults (2 Cor. 5:14).  If all the people 16 and over were to apply the self discipline of love mentioned in verses 4-7 above, our country would be a much much better place with the need for fewer laws, less police, less insurance, fewer handguns, locks, and jails.  The court system would be smaller because there would be so little need for it.

I guess we still really need a babysitter.  Maybe instead of complaining about having a babysitter we should learn to live is such a way that we don't need one.

All this today got me thinking about freedom and peace.  As I watch the lives of people, especially as they reveal themselves on Facebook, I see so many people whose lives are not characterized by much peace or a sense of freedom.  This is too bad, especially when those people are Christians.  I think there are a couple of major reasons why we don't experience peace and freedom.  First, we don't understand what they really are in Biblical terms.

Freedom in the Bible is the absence of negative bondage.  The Bible tells us that Christians are free from death, free from sin.  We no longer have to live controlled by those things.  Peace is the security of mind and heart that comes from trust in Christ.

Too often we think of freedom as the absence of any restraint and peace as the absence of any trouble.  This is not the case.  Often God's people have been imprisoned, even tortured.  They have suffered hardship and persecution.  Christians can suffer from disease, accident, or any of the other things that plague our world today.  Jesus said in John 16:33  "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."    This verse was really driven home to me this summer.   Notice what Jesus says, we will have tribulation or trouble but He gives us  peace.  Peace and the freedom of Christ comes no matter what we are going through.  We can have terrible times that are hard and hurt, but we can still have peace.  Peace and freedom come when we are focused on Christ, His work in us, and our standing with Him.

I may find myself facing hard times, difficult and even painful situations.  How well I cling to Christ and allow Him to live in me and I in Him will be evident by the amount of peace you see me reflect.

For the record, I think BCBC does a good job of taking care of its pastors.  I am looking forward to vacation in August with my family.  It is always very refreshing and renewing.  I am thankful that the deacons not only support this but encourage me to take the time to get recharged.  I am working to make sure that Nate takes the time he needs as well to take good care of his family ahead of the church.    Too many pastors put the church ahead of family.

She has declared that she is leaving Christianity.  The reasons she gives is that she "refuses to be “anti-gay,” “anti-feminist," “anti-science” and “anti-Democrat."   So I have to disagree with her on all these three points at least to a point.  While there are Christians who are "anti-gay" in an inappropriate way, the point is simply to follow Christ in all areas which includes the Bible's teaching on sexuality.  This goes with "anti-feminist" as well.  There are some churches or Christians who have distorted the Bible's teaching on the gender roles, but that does not change that in Christ there is no male or female.  All are equal before God but equal does not mean identical roles.  "Anti-science" drives me crazy.  I am very pro-science, just anti-bad science.  So much of what passes for science is an ideology trying to be proved, not true science.  Finally, "anti-Democrat."  I find that interesting since there are Democrats that go to our church.

So I disagree with her on her need to leave Christianity.  Here is what she said that I agree with.   "But following Christ does not mean following His followers. Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been or might become.”  I can agree with that.  There are "followers of Christ" who I would not follow because I feel they don't truly represent Him.  Christ is important.

Again, though, I must say that I feel Anne Rice has missed the point of Christ.  Some create Christ in their own image instead of seeing the god/man.  Jesus was a man of love and acceptance, but not without repentance and dealing with sin.  He was not always tolerant in the way our world thinks of it today.  We must fall in love with Christ as He is, not as we would make Him be.