Lord's Day Devotion - A Prayer

 Lord, come speak to me.  Let's have honest conversation.  I know You alone are The Truth, so I can rest in that, knowing you won't lie to me, ever.  Here I kneel before You, teach me Your ways, and to walk in the fear of You, my Lord and my God.  Let Your truth set me free of anything false.

I'm sorry Lord for the many ways I do not walk with You.  May all bitterness evaporate, bringing me the sweetness of Christ, through Your Holy Spirit's work in me.

The year end is coming, people begin to think of New Year resolutions.  I want Your sweetness, honesty and to be ever conscious of Your presence in my life.

You came from Heaven to Earth so that I can be by Your side forever.  Thank You Jesus Christ for Your birth into this world, that You may die, earning my pardon on the cross. 

In Your name I give You thanks as I partake of the bread of remembrance and drink of that cup symbolizing Your blood shed for me and the millions of other 'whosoever's' for whom You died and rose again.  Together, we remember You this Lord's Day.  Amen.

                                                ~ ERC  December 2024 ~

Based on John 8:32.

Sing, Wonderful Words of Life, along with Islington Baptist Church.

Good Book - The Third Culture Kid Experience - By David C. Pollock & Ruth E. Van Reken

 

This offering has mammoth potential to be a great boon to Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and Adult Third Culture Kids (ATCKs).  It is so informative with its whys and wherefores and understanding of the life and emotions of the lives of unheaval they have lived, most often since childhood up into adolescence and beyond.

Having read through from cover to cover I felt heard, listened to and empathized with.  As one reminisces the happy memories and then negative ones that surface, I was enabled to process some of both ends of the emotions' spectrum of gladness that often had been overridden with anger, loss, pain of loss, and even guilt for having had those negative emotions in the midst of ones parents doing good.

The sum of all the moves, friendships, loss of friendships, learning new cultures and currencies and more all take a toll.  David C. Pollack and Ruth E. Van Reken do a great job at exploring and explaining with very constructive helps,  how a TCK and an ATCK can navigate through the life time of experiences and feelings they have had and that seek to overwhelm them and the often suppressed and repressed grief of so many losses that perhaps they haven't even begun to realize and/or name in the ATCK's "highly paradoxical experiences" (book's phrase).

There's a helpful survey at book's end as well as writings by two different ATCKs.  A reader will also find Resources listed from ATCK associations in various countries; Global Nomad Resources being one of these.  There's a list of practical books on ATCK issues, auto and bio-graphical, for both adults and children.

All-in-all, I believe this to be a very helpful read and that so many ATCKs could benefit from this true cultural group grouping.

You are not alone.

                                              ~ ERC  August 2024 ~

See also:

Good Book - Letters Never Sent by Ruth E. Van Reken.

Good Book - Letters Never Sent - By Ruth E. Van Reken

 Some may know them as missionary kids (MK's) or preachers' kids (PK's) or even children of military or diplomatic families.  Whichever, they can be termed TCK's, that is, Third Culture Kids.  

Life's not easy for these sons and daughters as there's often a series of separation between offspring and parents.  On top of that, many TCKs have grown up in cultures not of their own parents' and therefore, have stronger identity with the culture of the particular country of mission field/military base/embassy where the parents work or have worked causing them to not know their own culture.  This has created the culture of Third Culture Kids.  Find out about it in this book and how it can affect them when they become ATCK's (Adult Third Culture Kids).

Constant upheaveal exacerbating mental and emotional rollercoasters can ensue.  Often the TCK masks his or her true feelings so we learn from this book, which can wreak havoc on any given individual.

This is a very open and honest look at one TCK's journey from her first separations onward and how she coped, or didn't.  This author's experiences could reflect any other such TCK's.  I believe Ruth E. Van Rekin's letters could be very helpful to anyone who has found themselves in just such circumstances.  Perhaps, you could then find that you are not alone.

May God bless each TCK and may they find healing and freedom as they work their way through this book.

                                                   

                                                      ~ ERC  August 2024 ~

Shocking Revelations

Things I've learned from Harold J. Sala in his counseling book.* 

When friends tell us of problems they have in their lives or even shocking revelations of sin in their lives, or even in a hindsight look at yourself, it is important to specifically identify the root problem.

If the person sincerely wants to confess and you feel you are that empathetic, listening friend who could help, finding that root cause is needful.  Otherwise, how can the person be helped?  It would be like only treating the symptoms of an illness and not the cause.

So as the would-be counselor listens, he or she may need to probe for the source.  From there it is good to lead the friend to recognize his or her options and their consequences, and then to move on to do nothing or to do different positive actions of healiing and restitution, as painful as they may be.  It 's best not to pinpoint these for the friend, Sala says, but rather to let them realize them for themself.  

Why?  

It's recommended that these come from a willing heart of self-revelation despite being guided to those conclusions.

For example, when you review King David's failure.  That is, the adultery with Bathsheba.  We do not read of Bathsheba being being raked over the coals for her indescretions but of David being confronted by Nathan.

Nathan didn't hone in and tell David right off the bat that it was him nor of what to do about it.  NO.  He told David an allegory story and David at first didn't recognize himself in the story but he was angry at it and pronounced judgement upon the perpetrator.

That's when Nathan pinpointed, "You are that man!"  Speaking truth in love, Nathan was able to effectively say so.

David immediately did 'get it' and was very repentant.  Irreversible damage had been done, but David did realize his sin and made his confession to God.  He still had to suffer consequences (see 2 Samuel 12:10-24:25).

Other examples from Scripture are Peter and John Mark.  Peter had denied he knew Jesus.  Oh, he was adamant about it!  I think he was scared and lacked the courage to own up.  Jesus eventually restored him and he was used mightily to preach the gospel of Jesus thereafter.  Thousands came to Christ through him (see Acts 4;14-42 & 10:44-48).

John Mark hadn't had what it took to stick it out on a mission trip with Paul and Barnabus.  He hightailed it home mid-mission.  Yet, later on, Paul's remark was that John Mark was 'useful' to the ministry.  John Mark had learned some lessons (see 2 Timothy 4:11).

These instances are not so bad as the adultery-cum-murder that David instigated but many in this day and age live similar sexually immoral lives, and/or with other types of lives such as of dishonesty and living double lives.  Are we to the point of being contrite, wanting to confess and be helped out of it?  We must make sure we recognize our own sin, the options and  the consequences of continuing on the wrong path vs repentance and restitution.

Don't rush to it if you are the  friend wanting to help your friend in need.  Allow time and space for your friend to come to terms of what he or she needs to do for themself.  Give your support and encouragement, going along beside them.  This is the path of greater, truer healing.

Another huge aspect of this is when the offender confesses their sin to the offended, seeking forgiveness.  May the offended find the grace to be able to forgive.  This is tough but it is important to extend this forgiveness.

(No doubt it could take time thereafter to build up trust in the offender especially in cases of  adultery and incest, but it is a help towards one's own healing as well as in the offenders'.)

Harold J. Sala who wrote Counseling Friends in Need and on which this blog piece is based, said, quoting a Frank Pittman,

"Infidelity is the primary disrupter of families, the most dreaded and devastating experience in a marriage, and the most universally accepted justification for divorce."

Sala notes, 

"...but unfaithfulness doesn't have to end in divorce". 

 I think this is a profound statement.

Sala continues ...

"When people forgive each other, seek God's healing power, and rebuild the bridges of communication, a broken marriage can be helped."

In the example of a couple Sala used in his book, the husband and wife did seek that forgiveness and it was granted.  Their marriage was saved.  It was not an easy fix, mind you.  They had had to have time to travel their road to that positive outcome.  These things can be very challenging but not impossible.

It can, by God's grace, be possible for you too.

May our heavenly Father grant it to be so in your life as you surrender your lives to Him.  

So be it.

                                           ~ERC  August 2024 ~

*NOTE:  Please note that the above message is very much based on the book Counseling Friends in Need, Chapter 4.  Author Harold J. Sala.

Sing, A Beautiful Life (Breakthrough).

Good Book - SABAH (North Borneo) Under the Rising Sun Government - By: Stephen R. Evans

 It is always of interest to me to try to understand what local citizens have suffered during various time periods.  This book describes such a scenario during WWII in Sabah under the Japanese occupation.  As you can imagine it is one of atrocities and terror but I was satisfied to discover there had been a resistance force, which did accomplish something.  The locals did try to stand up for themselves, although backlash was fierce.

This book details the run up to, during and after shots of the Japanese time spent in Sabah.  It also incorporates some explanation of the British rule before and after the Japanese occupation.  There are some eyewitness accounts from prominent citizens of the time, who endured much suffering under the Japanese.  

The author, Stephen R. Evans, adds in several pictures of places and memorials (black & white).  The prose can be a bit dull at times and a reader may have to close an eye to errors of grammar here and there; however, there is much to learn from Evans.  I was glad to have had opportunity to read this history.

                                                       ~ERC  August 2024 ~

Note:

The first print of this book was in 1991 by Tropical Press, Singapore.

Read review on Goodreads. 

Book Review - I Think I Was Murdered - By Colleen Coble & Rick Acker - Publication Date: 12 November 2024

Once again I have enjoyed reading Colleen Coble (& Rick Acker)' s mystery thriller. What's more, learning a little bit about Bitcoin and chatbots was interesting. Katrina, Seb, Magnus, Liv and Dylan along with Agent Hughs, all added further intertwined intricacies to keep me guessing as they raced to find the key to the Satoshi egg. Who would find it first! Besides being tense at times I found the narrative to have some fun elements. I also liked the touches of faith in God factor. I believe the discussion questions at book's end would help a thoughtful reader suss out their conceptions regarding issues brought up in the novel.

Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger
July 2024

Disclaimer:  I received a complimentary copy of this book from Net Galley and the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Read review on Goodreads.

Book Review - Stubborn Life - By Franceska Michalska - Publication Date: 5 November 2024

 What an incredible journey of travesty yet overlaid with the stubborness to survive!  Definitely this has been a memoir of one who was in survival of the fittest mode.

Author Franceska Michalska tells it like it was, no holds barred.  Her story of displacement after displacement with harrowing journeys from Volhynia (Poland Belarus Ukraine), Kazakstan and her native Poland during WWII.  The abuse and cruelty of captors, mainly Russian was exponential.  Enduring starvation, fear, sub-zero temps, hard labor, and more, she lived by her wits and managed an education and a medical degree by snips and snaps.  

This book has been translated from Polish into English by Sean Gasper Bye.  In my opinion it is has been good for me to learn of these things.  It feels like the people in these Eastern Europian regions have had it even worse than those in western zones.  One would definitely not wish to have this happen all over again.  However, this region seems to be so repeatedly hard hit, even now.  This book will certainly give clarity on the situation to those readers who care and wish to understand more.

                                           ~ Eunice C.,  Reviewer/Blogger ~

                                                                June 2024

Disclaimer:  This is my own and honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.

Read review on Goodreads.

Book Review - Another Breath, Another Sunrise - Book 4 Michal's Destiny Series - By Roberta Kagan - Publication Date: 9 November 2024

 The tying up  of the aftermath of WWII horrors for Michal's scattered family and friends created a satisfactory read for me.  However, I felt somewhat disappointed with this fourth book in the Michal's Destiny series.  I believe it's because there was a fair amount of rehashing of the terrors, trauma and situations that occured in the first three books in order to make this a stand alone novel, in and of itself.  Somehow I expected more after the suspense of the ending of the third book.  Therefore, I rate this book with only 4 Stars.

                                                ~ Eunice C.,  Reviewer/Blogger ~

                                                            November 2024

Disclaimer:  This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by Net Galley and the publisher.

Read review on Goodreads.

                                       

Book Review - I Am Wind - By Rachel Poliquin - Publication Date: 5 November 2024

 A big thumb's up for this extra-ordinary, educational children's book!  It is so fascinating and it feels like the author is so in-tune with young readers, knowing just the correct tweak to grab and hold their attention.  The personification of the wind, interspersed with easy-to-read and understand, more formal blurbs, coupled with fantastic illustrations makes this work a definite masterpiece!

I had no idea how many breezes and blasts of winds, and winds of varying names there are.  It is so interesting to learn of the different people groups from earlier times and their names for wind; their stories, legends and beliefs about wind and so on.  The book tells of the different measures of intensity of wind; of harnessing the wind for windmills and other work; of playing with wind, such as making it fly kites and much more.

The most interesting part for me was learning about the "Singing Sands," when wind and sand play together and sing,  for good or not so good results.  The list of key terms related to wind at book's end will help round out the scholastic input.   In my opinion, there's not a single dull page in the book!

A certain 5-STAR rating from me!

                                            ~ Eunice C.,  Reviewer/Blogger ~

                                                               May 2024

Disclaimer:  This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.

Read review on Goodreads.