I just finished the book Unveiling Grace, the story of how we found our way out of the Mormon Church. Completely amazing book for several different reasons. I've read books similar to this before where Mormon's realize the church they love is not the church they think it is. However, this one points straight to biblical Christianity as the result of learning their church is false.
The best part of this book for me was it has spurned on the study of my Bible. I need to know exactly where verses are that point to what I believe. I should be able to get to them easily without stumbling all over myself. The book also gave me a renewed love of the LDS people and a clearer understanding of how desperately they have been deceived. I can't imagine having to live my life 'good enough' so that I might receive salvation. It also gave me some insight into the culture in my little town I didn't have before.
Here is a link to a documentary made of this family telling their story: http://www.unveilinggrace.com/video/unveiling_grace_full.htm
I encourage anyone to read the book. It's a quick read and will encourage you in your faith.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Setback
This Sunday
Trent and I should check our mail more often, but we don't. On Saturday we would have found a letter from our church telling us our pastor had resigned. So this morning we show up for church without a clue and got the announcement at the Sunday morning service. I guess it had been a year in the works--the elder board and the pastor had been mutually praying about it and this week the decision was made. The elder board unanimously voted for the pastor to step down. I feel a little bit like the carpet got pulled out from underneath me. We were getting comfortable in our setting on Sundays and excited about this church but now . . . . . . we pray. We wait and see. And now the elders are searching for someone else.
About the time I think I'm over the hump of literally mourning the loss of my home church, Bethel, something like this happens and now I'm mourning all over again.
Last Sunday
Last week we went to a talk by a missionary from our church to the LDS community. It's called 'Evening in Athens' and he takes some scripture or concept and dissects it and looks at it Biblically and through the eyes of the LDS (book of Mormon). It was good and completely interesting. LDS are invited to come and participate so it's a very respectful discussion of both sides.
It was a good lesson in missionary work. Mike, who is the missionary, has a complete understanding of the Book of Mormon, all their vocabulary that is important to their religion, and can talk their language. A returned missionary was at the meeting and it was apparent by his reaction that he was so impressed with Mike and that he knew so much about his religion. You can tell that people just don't take the time to learn all the lingo and truly understand what they believe by the respect he commanded from the Mormons in attendance. His website is here: http://www.sharetheson.org/
Trent and I should check our mail more often, but we don't. On Saturday we would have found a letter from our church telling us our pastor had resigned. So this morning we show up for church without a clue and got the announcement at the Sunday morning service. I guess it had been a year in the works--the elder board and the pastor had been mutually praying about it and this week the decision was made. The elder board unanimously voted for the pastor to step down. I feel a little bit like the carpet got pulled out from underneath me. We were getting comfortable in our setting on Sundays and excited about this church but now . . . . . . we pray. We wait and see. And now the elders are searching for someone else.
About the time I think I'm over the hump of literally mourning the loss of my home church, Bethel, something like this happens and now I'm mourning all over again.
Last Sunday
Last week we went to a talk by a missionary from our church to the LDS community. It's called 'Evening in Athens' and he takes some scripture or concept and dissects it and looks at it Biblically and through the eyes of the LDS (book of Mormon). It was good and completely interesting. LDS are invited to come and participate so it's a very respectful discussion of both sides.
It was a good lesson in missionary work. Mike, who is the missionary, has a complete understanding of the Book of Mormon, all their vocabulary that is important to their religion, and can talk their language. A returned missionary was at the meeting and it was apparent by his reaction that he was so impressed with Mike and that he knew so much about his religion. You can tell that people just don't take the time to learn all the lingo and truly understand what they believe by the respect he commanded from the Mormons in attendance. His website is here: http://www.sharetheson.org/
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Martha Stewart, Duck Commander, and Missions
As I navigate the waters of a new community I continually think how easy I have it compared to going on missions for say, the rest of my life. Idaho is still in the PNW. They still speak English. I still maintain my lifestyle I did in Washington. I get to send my kids to public school (God willing) as soon as they come of age. It's really not so bad--just an Idaho paradise instead of a Washington paradise.
However, I think a lot if God sent us abroad to reach others how would I cope? Do I have enough faith to hack it? Most days I feel like I hardly have enough faith to deal with the amount of change in the last year just having a baby and moving to Idaho.
I daydream about what I would take overseas to survive. How would I cook for my family? I'm pretty sure they don't sell skinned, deboned chicken breasts in Cambodia or India. They probably sell bread but could I make it for my family if I needed to? So, I've been honing my cooking/baking skills in the name of Missions. One day. I bought whole chickens for the first time and opened my Martha Stewart Cooking School cookbook and started following directions.
We've read Phil Robertson's autobiography and he talks about living off the land quite a bit. It's a foreign idea to most of us in the United States. Actually growing everything you eat and killing all the meat you consume. Then I take it a step further--could I clean a duck? Or chicken? Or turkey? Sheesh--I'm so spoiled.
Trent and I are discussing growing a huge garden and trying to do everything as sustainable as possible (read: without too many commercial chemicals). As much as we are pro-chemical agriculture we've also discussed if we were abroad could we grow a successful garden without all these inputs? How would we do it?
As we speak there is a compost garbage can in my backyard. We are adding all the kitchen scraps we can and trying to create our own soil from our waste. And goat and chicken waste.
We'll keep you updated on this endeavor. Seed starting is beginning soon!!
However, I think a lot if God sent us abroad to reach others how would I cope? Do I have enough faith to hack it? Most days I feel like I hardly have enough faith to deal with the amount of change in the last year just having a baby and moving to Idaho.
I daydream about what I would take overseas to survive. How would I cook for my family? I'm pretty sure they don't sell skinned, deboned chicken breasts in Cambodia or India. They probably sell bread but could I make it for my family if I needed to? So, I've been honing my cooking/baking skills in the name of Missions. One day. I bought whole chickens for the first time and opened my Martha Stewart Cooking School cookbook and started following directions.
We've read Phil Robertson's autobiography and he talks about living off the land quite a bit. It's a foreign idea to most of us in the United States. Actually growing everything you eat and killing all the meat you consume. Then I take it a step further--could I clean a duck? Or chicken? Or turkey? Sheesh--I'm so spoiled.
Trent and I are discussing growing a huge garden and trying to do everything as sustainable as possible (read: without too many commercial chemicals). As much as we are pro-chemical agriculture we've also discussed if we were abroad could we grow a successful garden without all these inputs? How would we do it?
As we speak there is a compost garbage can in my backyard. We are adding all the kitchen scraps we can and trying to create our own soil from our waste. And goat and chicken waste.
We'll keep you updated on this endeavor. Seed starting is beginning soon!!
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