So, this novel was offered to me and I could smell an upcoming Christmas break with no reading homework and thought a sweet novel would be good medicine. Also – and this is the most embarrassing part – when I saw the author was Sara Evans (the country music star) my brain saw Sarah Groves (the contemporary Christian artist). Yeah, there is a pretty big difference. And, by the way, Sara Groves, if you are reading this, I would totally read a novel if you wrote one!

Needless to say, once I figured out my mistake, I went into this one with slightly low expectations. Here is a video interview with Sara Evans, the country music star turned novelist (with co-writer Rachel Hauck – not pictured):

And the truth is, despite my low expectations (or because of them?), I actually really enjoyed reading this novel. Apparently its the first in a series and I can’t be sure that I’ll read the next installments – despite Evans’ claims that the next one is even better. Still, I stayed up too late reading more than one night and even sacrificed blessed vacation nap times to see where the story was going next.

I liked the way the authors allowed God to be a character in the book and not just an invisible idea. The main character, Jade, has a real experience with Jesus that changes her. Also, sensitive material was handled well; there is not explicit content, even though sex is obviously implied. The abortion scene is heartbreaking but tastefully done.

On the other hand, I occasionally felt like the authors didn’t give me enough credit as a reader, too often telling me what I had already discerned from the provided context. I’m also hesitant to see Sara Evans as a true novelist (this is definitely the writer snob in me) and for some reason this damped my enthusiasm for the novel itself. I think Rachel Hauck does a great job bringing Evans’ story to life. Parts of THE SWEET BY AND BY were quite well done, believable and descriptive, but other sections verged on stiff.

In general, if you enjoy fiction, especially in the chick lit or woman’s interest vein, you are going to enjoy this book. I enjoyed living in Tennesee for a few days – owning a vintage shop and wrestling with a troubled past. And that’s when fiction is doing its job, when it takes you somewhere new and makes you at least think about staying for awhile.

(Seren – this one is coming your way!)

It has a pop-happy sound that my kids love, too. Most of the songs are arrangements of traditional Christmas songs but the originals from Yancy are really great. Our favorite is “Merry Christmas, Happy Christmas” – the first song in this sample:

If you are looking for some fun new Christmas music (and who isn’t?), Yancy is a great option. There is also a DVD designed to use as a sing-a-long. Yancy has other worship products for preschoolers through teenagers, so have a look at her stuff. She’s an independent artist with LOTS to offer!

There are some new FTC rules about blogging. I’m not very good with stuff like that, but I can promise you that whenever I review something here on my blog I am giving you my honest opinion. Keep in mind, however, that I am a very nice person and would never insult someone in front of the rest of the world (which is technically the way I think of any blog post). It is quite a balance. A lot of the books I review here are books I receive for free either through the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers program or through individual author/artist sites. No matter how FREE these items may be, I would never lie and tell you I liked something that was really no good. And, most of the time, I only request/accept products that I have a pretty good idea will fit with the spirit and content of the Rare Rocks blog.

It was truly an example of the gospel at work. This girl was one of the guests that day:

I just recieved word that this season Brazil has experienced the worst flooding of 20 years, and our beloved ministry was not immune to the country’s troubles. Classroom ceilings have collapsed and others are under water. The teachers and students have tried to carry on, but the damage is extensive.

The University for Life program at CBC provides an important service of hope to the poorest of Brazil’s children. Since the public school only holds classes for half a day (due to over-crowding and teacher shortages), the University for Life program enrolls students for the other half of their day for fine arts classes, computer classes, and tutoring. It is a fantastic program.

And they could use our help. Check out their website. If you have anything to offer, it would be put to good use by good people for great kids. Thanks!

This song from the CompassionArt project rings in my head ALL THE TIME. In light of this post, I thought I’d share with you all!

As a literature major I am learning so much about the functionality of the elements of a poem, a story, or a novel. All of that information translates beautifully to Biblical literature. Consider Psalm 1, the classic Hebrew poem about the blessings of a godly person. The fact that this Psalm is poetry matters. (The Literary Study Bible is great for highlighting the importance of reading the Bible in its true literary context.)

¹Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
²but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

³He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers. ⁴The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

⁵Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
⁶for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

The literary style of Psalm 1 uses contrast and imagery to point toward a desireable quality. Hebrews 11 is the famous Hall of Faith in this style. Psalm 1 contrasts the godly person and the wicked person through the imagery of a tree. (I love this rendering of a tree in my neighborhood. It was created by my cousin Caleb.)

When it comes to poetry, Hebrew poetry is quite different from anything we read in English. This is when Bible translations are really important. I like to read Eugene Peterson’s The Message for poetry because he is a poet who also translates the Bible. It makes a difference. Peterson’s version of Psalm 1 is here.

Culturally, it is also important to note that any mention of a tree in Biblical literature is significant because the bible lands are not a heavily forested area. When a Hebrew reader read the phrase “You will be like a tree planted by streams of water,” the image from Genesis of the Tree of Life was an inevitable connection. God had to hide that tree away from humankind after Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. He couldn’t let us live in our sin forever. He wanted to give us a way out.

That Tree of Life shows up again at the end of the Book. It is a symbol of the health and vitality of a life reborn, a forever in perfection and productivity. Revelation 21 is one of my favorite books of the Bible because it reminds me that I’m living for more than just this life.

In between these fruitful, leafy images is another tree: the one Paul and Peter both refer to as the tree where Jesus died for our sins. The tree that makes it possible for us to get back to the Tree of Life. These are the kinds of thoughts that should go through our minds when we read about the blessings of the person who “delights in the law of the Lord.”

The contrasting image is of chaff – the leftover material after the heavy grains of wheat fall onto the sifting pans. Chaff is the flimsy, puny material that gets burned up in refiner’s fire or blown away in the wind. It is plant material, similar to the material of that tree, but it is useless and weak. Contrast those images: chaff and a tree. That choice is pretty clear, which is the whole point of the poet in the first place.

Sometimes a Rare Find isn’t a person but a ministry or a church. These are the groups who are showing the world what it looks like to be a living stone. They might be fighting for global justice, washing the feet of the saints, or just trying their best to show others the love of Christ.

Today I’m thinking about a BIG group of people for my Rare Find. This could possibly be my favorite kind of person: a Rare Find in an unexpected place. This weekend Dan and I had the chance to travel to a church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to lead worship for their Sunday night service. We knew something of the congregation, mostly that they were small. We knew the pastor, and Dan was quick to tease him about the old choruses he made Dan play on the piano.

The room we entered surprised us. The decor was extremely modern, the location was downtown. Our sound tech offered his assistance in black clothes and the remains of many tattoos across his knuckles, but his spirit was sweet. He served us with excellence.

As the congregation entered the room we began to realize what a contrast there was between the mostly older people (“gray hairs” as our sound friend lovingly referred to them) took their obviously established seats in the room. When a singer/guitar player opened up with a Jesus people song that everyone in the room knew except us, I began to worry that our contemporary choruses weren’t going to go over very well.

But then I saw the sound guy in the back again, closing his eyes and worshipping along with a style of music that was clearly not his preference. Still, he understood that worship is for God, not for us. When we asked if there was anyway to get a little more sound coming out of our monitor he explained that he has to keep the sound levels low for this particular congregation. He was a humble servant, a Rare Find in an unexpected place. I felt like we might have been there just for him, and him for us.

Our sets went fine. The congregation was willing to try new songs and responded well to our pastor’s message that night. As we left the impressive brick building in the downtown area, Dan asked the kind woman driving us to the airport about a particular red truck in the parking lot, one of the last vehicles there. “I’m guessing that truck belongs to Chuck. Is that right, Ma’am?” Yes, indeed. There in the middle of a lot full of Lincoln’s and other sedans sat a hot red pick-up truck on lifts with flames painted up the sides and decals covering the back window.

That’s what I love about the Church!

Diamond cutters say that sometimes a rough diamond has to suffer major cuts for the sake of the best shape. Sometimes more than half of the rough is sacrificed for the ultimate goal of the perfect cut. It is a diamond’s shape that determines the light reflection that makes a stone sparkle. A beautiful diamond is the result of a master diamond cutter at work.

When Shereen first checked herself into the program, I remember thinking, “This is a cut worth making.” Shereen probably could have moved on with her life and been successful. She is smart and beautiful. But she made the decision to focus on her spirit instead. She didn’t settle for just being almost O.K. Instead, she submitted to the cutting of the Master.

Tonight I saw the brilliant work of Jesus alive in Shereen. She said in her remarks tonight, “I found out that God really is everything He says He is.” And that says it all.

So that is me right now: Music Montage mode! Only my clips are of me at my computer, pouring over books and articles, holding a red pen in my hand and wiping my hair out of my face. I will be ABSOLUTELY finished with my semester on Monday at 9 p.m. I wonder, what should my theme song be for the next few days? Any suggestions?