Everyone's in such a hurry!

I have been reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court on my lunch break lately. One thing I noticed about the story is that the protagonist is living in the 6th century for years, and doesn't seem to think anything of it. He never gives a thought about returning to his own time, but makes plans as if he expects to live there for the rest of his life, so he might as well make the most of it. In a way this reminds me of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, where Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy remain in Narnia as kings as queens for many years before returning to their own world.

I think in the past people had the mindset that, if you were to have any sort of an adventure, it would have to take a long time. People just don't think that way anymore. For one thing, everyone expects things to happen immediately, and we do everything in our power to make them happen as quickly as possible. Also, if you find yourself in the predicament of being somewhere you did not choose to be, the only thing on your mind is to get back to where you came from (e.g. Back to the Future). What happened to the attitude of : "Well, here you are; you might as well enjoy it"?

"I'm a Good Man, But..."

I'm a Good Man, But... is a devotional published by Regal Books in 1969 and edited by Fritz Ridenour. Each chapter focuses on a different life issue with biblical references from the Living Bible, illustrations from various sources, and open-ended scenarios to give the reader opportunity to think about it. Included in the illustrations are Peanuts comics used by permission.

Even though it is an older work, the content is quite applicable for today. (A reference to IBM cards reminds the reader how old it is.)

I would recommend this book, especially for young adults.

LC 75-96702
SBN 8307-0049-8

Review by David Dunkerton

The Oath by Frank Peretti

The Oath by Frank Peretti is a great story on its own, and it also has an excellent spiritual application. There is a dragon that is real in the story, but which is also a metaphor for the sin nature. The suspenseful writing makes it a thrill to read--quite a few characters do get eaten by the dragon, and that's always fun! The main character is not a Christian throughout most of the book, so he is not initially convicted for his sin, but the story shows the consequences of sin. True, most people who commit adultery are not eaten by a dragon, but remember that the dragon--while it is real in the book--is a metaphor for us.

Steve learns that not everything can be explained scientifically, but that does not make the intangible any less real. I would recommend this book to anyone. It's a great read whether you learn anything from it or not--but you just might learn something!

Review by David Dunkerton

"Weird Al" Yankovic - White & Nerdy

Someone else's perspective

As a Christian, and especially as a summer missionary with Child Evangelism Fellowship, I have always thought a lot about the unsaved person praying to receive Jesus Christ as his/her personal Savior. We usually call it a "profession of faith" because the prayer itself doesn't save you--you must first understand that you are a sinner and the Jesus died to take the punishment for your sin, and that He came alive again. Personally, my mom led me in the "sinner's prayer" when I was almost 5 years old, but I don't actually remember that day. Does that mean I wasn't really saved then or that it wasn't meaningful to me? No! It means most little boys don't remember what happened when they were 4 when they are 10 or older. I know I am saved and going to Heaven because of what Jesus did for me, and I accept it. I know the Holy Spirit is within me because I see how He works in my life.

I have been reading Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist 1 by Michael J. Fox. It is a very interesting read, and I feel that I have much more understanding and respect for stem cell research. Part Three of the book is titled "Faith," and I was very interested in what the actor who played Marty McFly had to say about his personal views. He is a faithful husband and loving father who seems to be generally moral, and he believes in a higher power who is looking out for him, but he apparently never saw the need to accept Jesus as his Savior from sin. Growing up he had a friend named Russ who came from a Christian family. Here is an excerpt from the book:

"He reminded me that during a New Year's party, 1972 into 1973, in our friend Rusty's basement, I had accepted Christ as my personal savior. Myself, I was a little fuzzy on those details. I remembered that I had a deep and spiritual interest in Rusty's rapidly developing big sister Karen, a born-again herself and a major player in the crusade to win eighth-grade souls for Christ. Anyway, it seemed to have had more of on impression on Russ over the years than it did on me."

It made me kind of sad to read that, but everyone has to make a personal decision. Maybe Michael will come around, but being a relatively good person doesn't cut it--salvation comes through Christ alone!

1 Fox, Michael J. Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist. New York: Hyperion, 2009.

Chosen

Green Lantern is different from other superheroes because he wasn't born with superpowers or aspired to become a hero--he was chosen.

Kal-El (a.k.a. Clark Kent, Superman) was born on the planet Krypton shortly before it was to explode, so his parents Jor-El and Lara sent him to Earth where they knew he would have special abilities because of the yellow sun, Sol. They wanted him to be a hero on Earth and carry on their legacy. Because of his powers he knew what he was meant to do. He could be compared to Moses or Elisha, or even as a type of Christ.

Bruce Wayne (a.k.a. Batman) saw his parents killed right before his eyes when he was a young boy, so he devoted himself to bringing justice to Gotham City. He worked hard to make himself a superhero, and he might be compared to a scribe or Pharisee.

Hal Jordan was a test pilot, which was a pretty cool job, but he had no aspirations to be like those "capes." It was the Green Lantern ring that chose him and gave him the power to be a superhero. Now this is just an analogy, so don't take it too seriously, but those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior were also chosen in God's eternal plan and foreknowledge to live for Him, and we have the Holy Spirit to empower us to carry out God's will for us.

"They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:8b-9 NLT)

Guess what! Season 10 is the last season of Smallville!

Apparently Tom Welling spilled to some people that season 10 is going to be the last season of Smallville, and I guess he's been given a hard time about it, but it's not like it's any secret. Smallville has already been going longer than anyone expected it to, and it can't go any longer because it's time for Clark to be Superman! I suppose Clark could go a few more years without being called Superman, but he was supposed to be able to fly when he was 18, and he's already 23 and still not flying. When they made the "No Flights, No Tights" rule when the show started in 2001, I don't think they expected it to still be running 10 years later. They probably didn't anticipate including other members of the Justice League, either, but that was a great decision. Superman without other superheroes is kind of boring, but he's a great leader for the others because he is the conservative one who brings balance to the team.

I am a loyal fan of Smallville, and I've been watching it ever since I saw "Bo Duke" was playing Jonathan Kent. I think it would be great if the show continued with Clark as Superman working with the rest of the JLA, but it can't be Smallville any longer than another season, because Metropolis is his city. Smallville is just where he grew up, and he's all grown up now!