DD 241-245.999 (Tony) Traveling Light by Max Lucado (242LUC)

Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Intended to Bear

My wife keeps saying when I get to the arts and crafts and the cooking, that I need to do some of the activities written in the book to get the full experience of what the Dewey Decimal System has to offer. At this point of my Dewey project, I came upon a chance to read a Christian Devotional book.
What a perfect example to put to practice what my wife challenges me about.
So, with open heart and mind, I decided to set aside my current devotional and pick up a new one. (Note: I have every intention to resume the book I stopped once completing the book I am now reviewing).
Now, the question came what to choose. I attend a modern church which using secular works such as movies, TV and music to appeal to unchurched people. So, I was concerned that I would choose a book that was a polar opposite of my church and actually hamper any progress I may have made in reading devotions in the past year. Note that I am not saying I am sinless or perfect. I just don't want to cease any progress I have currently made.
My final decision was "Traveling Light". I had original heard a demo CD of songs written as a companion to the book. When I found out that Joel Hanson, former front man for the awesome 90's Christian band PFR wrote and sings one of the songs on that CD, I listened to the CD until it either was lost or crumpled into ash from overuse. Thus, when I found out that this book was available to read at the library. I remembered that greats song and thought I was in for a treat.
And what a threat. Max Lucado is a brilliant writer. He concise, compelling and hilarious. I started thinking he's like a Christian Dave Barry- which is funny, because he quotes Barry a couple of times near the end. And he culls from both the Christian and the secular forms of media, like my church does. But, aside from being a great read- it was also a necessary medicine to my sick soul.
I currently own a hot sauce store. I say currently, because within a few days of writing this review, I'm to participate in a meeting that will decide it's fate. Before reading this book, I was afraid to fail, afraid to try, impatient, and just plain worried how I was going to pay bills. I am still concerned about how I am going to pay bills, but I'm no longer afraid that if I do close this business, that I failed.
A blotched 700 billion bail out plan is waaaayyyy beyond my control. The purchase of Wachovia by Citibank to help cover that institutions $400 billion plus debts wasn't caused by my $28k loan. And the fact that 9 banks wouldn't loan my a paper clip out of fear I couldn't repay them said clip, plus a rubber band in interest, doesn't mean that my hot sauce store wasn't a brilliant idea. It just means sometimes are always the best times.
Thanks to Max Lucado (and Joel), I now feel ready to tackle whatever hurdles may come with this economy. The home I am/was afraid of losing is just a temporary shelter to begin with. God's currently blessed me with 2 great part time jobs. Sure, I've had to cut back the number of hours the store is opened in order to work at them. But, the money I am bringing in is at those jobs least "promised" by an employer, when I do the work assigned. At my store, there's no guarantee that the hours I put into the business are going to result in a pay check. Bills have got to be paid somehow.
But, the amazing thing is how easy it was to get those jobs by my faith. I'm not kidding. Once I decided to go out there in faith and try to find part-time work and not sit at the store and fear, God rewarded that faith. I was expecting to attempt to land one job that Monday. I didn't expect to be employed at two great places by the time the clock hit midnight. I'm not going go off on more of tangent on this. If you want the complete story, post a comment to this article and I'll fill you in.
It's just that God gave us the 23rd Psalm as a prayer and promise to help us through of times of trouble. (Psalm 23 in this "Ye, though I walk through the Valley of Death" passage most folks know from TV and Movies- usually Sci-Fi and Horror".) In this present economy, it's definitely a time of trouble. But, it doesn't have to be. If you don't know where your next pay check is coming from- read this book. If you don't know if you'll get to keep your house at the end of the month- red this book! If war, poverty, gas shortages, health and any other subject is causing you stress- READ THIS BOOK! It will change your life and help ease your fears!
Thanks be to God for the Psalm. But, to me, more importantly, bigger thanks to God for creating Joel Hanson. Without his music, I never would have read "Traveling Light" and that thought is just way to scary.

DD 236-240.999 (Tony) What on Earth is Going on? by Mark Hitchcock (236 HIT)

The end of the world- it's a scary thing. Even for someone like myself who is saved by the blood of Jesus, just thinking about the end times scares me. I fear for those family and friends not saved. I fear for those who will die. Those who won't have a second chance.
I could've picked a much bigger book than this. It's only 110 pages. But, I'll tell you a secret- dispite my salvation, the whole book of the Revelations of John really freaks me out.
This all really stems from my anxiety and panic dis-orders. So, I try very hard to not think about the end times. I look forward to being taken in the rapture. I look forward to that every day. It's the fear satan brings trying to make me doubt, that I could do without.
Being from a Charismatic Christian background, I'm very knowledgable about the end times. I've seen the videos, heard the sermons, and out of compromise, watched the Left Behind movies. (I just wasn't in the mood to read the books) So, on reading this book, not much was new or shocking. But, there were a few items that peaked my interest, particularly about the Anti-Christ.
The author made an allusion to the effect that satan has a "guy" lined up to be the polar opposite of Jesus in every era of humanity. This actually makes perfect sense. See, the Bible states that noone knows the date, time or hour of Jesus' return, only God. Not even Jesus himself knows when his time will come. It's like being asked to star in a play, being told what to say and do, but never being told when your cue is to come on stage. So, obviously, satan doesn't know when Christ will return either. Thus, the devil must have someone waiting in the wings to become the anti-christ.
This theory actually gives a little credence ( I really like that word) to Nostrodamus and his predictions of multiple anti-christs. This theory also answers the skeptics theory toward the book of Revelations being about Rome's persecution of Christians. These conspiracy theorists believe that the apostle John was writing about Nero as the anti-christ. Well, if Hitchcock's theory is correct, Nero was an anti-christ, just not THE anti-christ.
I know alot of this seems really deep, but it made perfect sense to me. And these new takes on the end times help alleviate some of my fears. I see the world on a different scope. I even enjoyed this book- it a respectful way. It even did something for me that few books in my Dewey Project readings do; I really want to read other books in this series.
Tony D. wanting to read about end times prophecy. That thought is a little scary.