Love as a Choice - quote by Jan Karon

Father Tim reflects on the long journey it has been to earn the love and trust of a "discarded" boy.

I had to love [Dooley] when he threw his shoe at the wall and  cussed my dog, love him when he called me names I won’t repeat, love him when he refused to eat what I’d cooked after celebrating and preaching at three Sunday services…. You get the idea. I enjoyed the warm feelings, the stuff of the heart, when it was present between us, as it sometimes was, even in the beginning. But when it wasn’t, there was the will to love him, something like a generator kicking in, a backup.

Excerpt from In the Company of Others, p. 261

I love that simile. When the "power's out" (our own human strength), God gives us the resources to keep on giving and loving.

(Photo by Gabriella Clare Marino at Unsplash)

Blessings,

Reading Year in Review 2024

It's always fun to look over the year and pick out my favorite books. The most challenging books still "haunt" me many months later - probably because they demanded so much of my heart and mind when I was reading them. Here's the list:

Favorite Light Reads: The last eight books in Jan Karon's Mitford series (four of which were new to me) and three Agatha Christie mysteries: Sad Cypress, Five Little Pigs, The Secret of Chimneys

Most Challenging: Till We Have Faces (The Lit Life Podcast episodes from 2020 added helpful commentary.)

Favorite Audio: The Iliad (lectures by Elizabeth Vandiver) 

Favorite Non-fiction: When Morning Gilds the Skies (reviewed here)

Favorite Vintage: Set in Silver (reviewed here)

Most Delightful Discovery: The poetry of William Wordsworth

Classic that I Tackled (for the second time): Dante's Inferno. I have physical copies of  Ciardi's translation, but longed for something more beautifully written. Happily, I found Hollander's delightful audioversion on Chirp for 99 cents! Reading along with the 100 Days of Dante group was one of the highlights of my year.

The Book That I Loved In Spite of Myself: The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene. Such a dark story, but so beautifully written. Many important religious themes.

Favorite of the Year: The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling. Brilliant storytelling (reviewed here)

This link  to Goodreads shows all 95 books that I read in 2024.

It was a very good year for building my literary muscles! What about you? Did you read something good that caught you by surprise?

Blessings,

What I Read and Watched in December 2024

I normally have a low tolerance for Hallmark movies (except for the mysteries), but I watch a couple at Christmastime to relax and enjoy the snowy scenes. Imagine my surprise at loving A Biltmore Christmas! It a time-travel story, and, yes, it is extremely silly, but it pays homage to several delightful vintage Christmas flicks. This spoof of classic Hollywood had me chuckling all the way through. I also watched Elf, The Nativity Story (reviewed here), a Christmas western (!) called Three Godfathers, and a 1937 tear-jerker, Make Way for Tomorrow) because it came highly recommended by Anthony Esoloen). Lastly, I watched Since You Went Away, a classic movie (nominated for nine academy awards) which details the homefront sacrifices of one American family during WWII. Claudette Colbert is always fun to watch and the cinematography is phenomenal. 

It's summertime here in Brazil, so I can't actually curl up with a book
next to the fire, but I did the next best thing by reading the following Christmas titles: The Anne of Green Gables Christmas Collection, Winter Fire (advent readings based on G.K. Chesterton's writings), and The Christmas Mouse by Miss Read. Two comforting audiobooks were The Hobbit and Miss Buncle's Book by D.E. Stevenson. 

It was a very good month! Did you read any good Christmas titles?

Blessings,

When Morning Gilds the Skies by Dr. John Oswalt

I have a masters in theology, but this book taught me more about the Old Testament than I ever knew. Did you know that there is no Hebrew word for "presence" so that when the Bible talks about God's presence, the literal translation is "His face"? 

Dr. Oswalt has written commentaries on the books of Isaiah and Exodus so I was not suprised that he had so much to teach me, but this is no dry textbook. Every page is saturated with reminders that God invites us to walk in intimate fellowship with Him. This book could easily be called a primer on sanctification because every question you've ever had about it is answered clearly and winsomely. 

Here's an excerpt from October 27: Do we need the Old Testament? Many people today, including some prominent preachers, say no, but they are wrong. We do need the Old Testament. Why? The answer is pretty simple; we need the Old Testament to understand the New Testament correctly. The two testaments complement each other. Each one is incomplete without the other. For instance, it is very easy to make the God of the New Testament just a kindly grandfather who will let you get away with anything. On the other hand, it is very easy to make the Old Testament God a terrifying ogre who will strike you dead if you cross Him. Neither view is correct.... We need both testaments to get an adequate picture of God. For example, the Cross is the answer, but what is the question? Why did Jesus die? If you only know the New Testament, you may well say that it is, "How can our sins be forgiven so we can go to heaven?" But that is wrong. The question the Cross is answering is the Old Testament one: "How can a holy God take up residence in a sinful person?" Does God want to forgive our sins? of course. But that is the begining of the story of redemption, not the end. (p. 318) 

Dr. John Oswalt makes the Scriptures come alive with his insightful commentary. A really wonderful devotional book!

Blessings,

To Be Where You Are by Jan Karon

Although Karon originally planned to end the Mitford books with book 9, Light from Heaven, she kindly graced us with several follow-up novels. Books 10 and 11 focused on Father Tim (travelling to Mississippi and to Ireland, respectively). Book 12, Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good, took us back to Mitford and re-introduced all her beloved characters. Books 13 and 14 focus on Father Tim’s adopted son’s marriage and career. But most of the Mitford crowd shows up in all their glory and humanity. To Be Where You Are (#14) is the last and longest in the series (450 pages), and does its best to tie up loose ends.

The writing is always good. It is amazing how Karon gives each character his or her own way of speaking – not just their accent, but also their vocabulary. Then there are the literary nuggets “hidden” throughout the novel that make lit lovers’ hearts sing. I chortled on page 44 when Father Tim ruminated on a past experience: “He had been there, done that, and upon arriving home, caked with mud, half-starved and exhausted, he had agreed with his wife in what the raven had so judiciously quoted.” (a sly reference to Edgar Allen Poe’s famous poem). Later as the police chief instructs Coot Hendricks on how to act like Santa for the Christmas parade, he tells him to touch the side of his nose, which fans of “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” will understand perfectly. Finally, she definitely had my number when she mentions the drool-worthy Library of America editions of favorite authors on page 343. (Have you ever seen those????? They are gorgeous hard covers with ribbon markers that fit perfectly in the palm of your hand. A book lover's dream.)

I know I say this in every review, but Jan Karon is one of the few authors of light fiction who capably adds heft to her work by showing both the joy and suffering of human existence. She also succeeds in weaving faith into her stories without giving easy, pat answers. The fact that the story ends at Christmas makes it especially poignant, and it also brings wonderful closure. As Father Tim and Cynthia read their Christmas cards to each other, we hear bits and pieces about the friends we met in the novels that took place outside of Mitford (Whitecap Island, Holly Springs, The Blue Ridge Mountains, and Ireland).

This was the perfect ending to the Mitford series.

Blessings,

In the Company of Others by Jan Karon

From what I’ve picked up from other people’s reviews, Jan Karon originally planned to stop writing the Mitford books with book nine, Light from Heaven. Her next project was the Father Tim novels of which there are two, Home to Holly Springs and In the Company of Others.

I was forewarned that these latter books were not as cozy as the original Mitford books so I was not shocked when some dark family secrets were revealed in Home to Holly Springs, a book with tells the backstory of Father Tim’s childhood. In the Company of Others was not nearly as somber. Yes, there is plenty of heartache, but, as always, Karon skillfully interweaves hope throughout the narrative. In this second Father Tim novel, he and Cynthia finally go on a long-awaited trip to Ireland. Because Cynthia injures her ankle, they cannot do all the touring they had planned and, hence, the story takes place almost completely in the inn where they are staying.

The writing is excellent as usual. Cynthia sat reading amid a wave of books washed onto the shore of the duvet. He was stashed in the wing chair, imbibing his own pleasures. And there are nods to many favorite authors. At one point, Father Tim remembers that Dorothy Sayers said, Where Christ is, cheerfulness will keep breaking in. [This was] a description, in toto, of the woman who shared his bed.

More than any other book this one is a tribute to Cynthia: her tender heart toward those who are suffering, her upbeat look at life’s challenges, and her giftedness as an artist.

The following paragraph shows a glimpse of their delightful banter. 

“You love me,” she said, amazed and certain. It was like her to say such things, completely out of the blue.

“I’ve always loved you,” he said, “From the time I was born.”

“How did you manage that?”

“I think I came into the world seeking something not absolutely tied to this earthly realm. Your open mind, your curiosity, your reverence promised that and drew me in.” He put is arm around her, felt the cool of her flesh against his.

“My mother had it, you have it,” he said. “She took the red dirt and made gardens that people came from miles around to see. No earthmoving equipment, just a wheelbarrow and shovel. No money, just hard work, ingenuity, and passion. All the time, everywhere you go, you know how to make something out of what most people see as nothing. You’ve made something out of me.”

“No, sweetheart, you were quite the finished product.”

“Never. I was an overworked, underfeeling man growing old alone. I thank you for teaching me not to fear intimacy; for making me do this thing we call marriage.”

“I made you do it?”

“I quit, but you didn’t. Of course I was praying you wouldn’t, but I fully expected you to.” He put his hand under her chin and lifted her face to his and kissed her. "Happy birthday, glimmering girl. Sorry it’s been such a hassle.”

“It isn’t such a hassle, really. It’s just life – quirky and scary and lovely and immense.”

I’ve been re-reading all the Mitford novels this year, but this was one I’d missed before. So glad to have found it.

Blessings,

Best-read vs. Well-Read - Quote from Dennis Kinlaw

Five years ago I posted a quote from one of my favorite pastors and thinkers, Dr. Dennis Kinlaw, on the importance of deep reading. This week I was listening to one of his sermons, and was delighted to hear more of his literary journey. He shares about a time as a young pastor when he was acting as chauffeur for visiting speaker, A. W. Tozer:

Tozer had an 11th grade education. I had my Masters of Divinity degree and had studied a couple of years at Princeton. We talked books, and he told me about books I never knew existed. He was the best-read man I had ever talked with. Maybe not the most widely read, but the best-read. As we talked about books, he suddenly looked at me and said, "Kinlaw, don't ever read a good book!" I blinked and said, "I beg your pardon?" He said, "You'll never have time to read all the best ones, for goodness sake don't waste your time on a good one." 

That was a moment of liberation for me because I had a lot of friends. When we pastors would meet together, one of them would say, "Have you read...?" and I wanted to be able to say, "Oh, yes, I've read.... But have you read...?" And we played one-upmanship with each other. And the prize went to the one who'd read the most, not the one who'd read the best. 

After that moment, I found myself re-reading some things. You know you don't get any credit for a second and third time through. But it will make a radical change in the inner dialogue of your inner being. So I've always given thanks to A.W. Tozer [for deepening my reading life.]

I don't think this means that we only have to read theology books. But I do know that once I trained my literary taste buds to enjoy deeper books, it became very hard to read fluff. In between Christian classics, I also enjoy WWII memoirs, children's lit and vintage detective fiction. Plus, now that I'm 63, I definitely don't have to time to read mediocre books!

Blessings,