I am a LOSTIE, a huge fan; but also, a fellow journeyman with the characters as they discover their place in a much bigger story. The author of “The Gospel According to Lost”, Chris Seay, brings the these familiar characters to life, showing the battle between good and evil that rages inside of them; the same battle that rages inside of us.

I fell in love with the television show about two years ago, when I was fighting my own battle against cancer. During the months of chemotherapy, my wife and I watched every episode again and the amazing story helped the awful days pass quicker. There was something in the story that Lost presents, that I related to, and something that compelled me to push forward. Each week, I looked forward to hanging out with my friends to watch the next episode, to see what would happen next. And in my own life, I wondered what was going to happen next.

During my illness, I received a message from the author, Chris Seay. He had heard about my illness and just wanted me to know that he was praying for me. It was an encouragement during a very difficult time in my life. He is a great guy – a pastor, author, and an encourager. Chris Seay continues to encourage me and this time it is through this amazing book that He has written.

A good sign when reading a book is that you want to talk to someone about it. That is my reaction – I want to sit down with a group of people and talk about Hurley and his curse, or should I say “blessing”. Or sit down with someone with a good cup of coffee and discuss wether or not Sayid is “beyond redemption”. With each chapter, the author discusses the faith of another Lostie, helping us see how our stories are similar. Do we control relationships like Benjamin LInus? Do we save people by hurting others like Kate Austen? I highly recommend this book to fans of the greatest show on television. May you find yourself in this story, and have faith that God will bring you through the challenges of life.

As I write this review, my cancer is in remission. I am no longer lost, I have been found. Thank you God.

Peace,
Paul

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Check out this video by Francis Chan about the Holy Spirit and the Church. (Thanks to Chris Bean sharing this).

The Big Red Tractor from Jacob Lewis on Vimeo.

This is an older video – but still a great one

Finished another great crime novel in the “Alex Cross” series by James Patterson. This book, like “I, Alex Cross” was a quick-read, a book to get lost in. I made a mistake though, I started reading this series out of order – so I am learning of prior plots which will probably ruin some of the surprise as I read the older books. So…. the next one will be “Along Came A Spider” – the first book in the series.

Here is a summary of Double Cross

From Publishers Weekly
Bestseller Patterson’s 13th Alex Cross thriller (after 2006’s Cross) pits the legendary profiler, now retired from law enforcement and working as a psychiatrist in private practice, against two serial killers. Kyle Craig, Cross’s former colleague in the FBI (who was revealed to be the Mastermind, a particularly vicious and resourceful murderer, in 2001’s Violets Are Blue), has managed to escape from a Colorado maximum-security prison and is steadily working his way through his list of those he holds responsible for his capture and incarceration. Cross, who heads the list, is drawn back into police work by his love interest, Maryland homicide detective Brianna Stone, who’s been assigned to the task force focusing on the D.C. Audience Killer (or DCAK), who stages high-profile and sadistic murders to get the most public attention possible. Even newcomers will find themselves turning the pages to see how everything turns out, but significant plot holes and implausibilities make this a far cry from the similar, but far more suspenseful, two-front war waged by Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs.

We are on a journey, following our dreams, becoming what we are created to be. As a Christ-Follower, I desire to become more like Jesus in 2010. I hope that I reflect Him in the way that I live my life. To be honest, I am a broken person on a journey to become whole, and I have a long way to go.

About a month ago, I prayed about some “Next Steps” on my Journey of Renewal – things I can do in 2010. Now, about a month late, here are some of those steps.

1. Becoming more like Jesus – developing spiritual practices. Throughout my illness, I lost the routines that I once had. In my recovery, I realize that I have to be intentional if I am going to recover them. They are not coming back to me naturally – things like early morning quiet times, dedicated prayer and fasting, sabbath, etc. I plan to read the Ancient Practices series of books this year and begin to experiment with these practices that my brothers and sisters in Christ have been doing for thousands of years.

2. Strengthening my marriage by intentionally spending time together – making memories. With the craziness of the last few years, Stacy and I have grown closer together. In our new life here in Cincinnati, we are starting it right by being intentional about spending time together. From twice a month date nights, to monday afternoon movies, we are making sure that we spend good times together.

3. Strengthening my relationship with my kids by intentionally spending time together – making memories. When I finished chemo, it was like I “woke up”. As far as my kids are concerned, it feels like I lost a couple of years with them during the illness. I woke up and they were all grown up. We are putting “date nights” with the kids on the calendar so we can be intentional about spending quality time with them and make some memories. In January, Jacob and I spent a Saturday together – doing some shopping and going to see Avatar in 3D – we had a blast. This month, I am taking my daughter Rebecca out for dinner and some shopping. Great stuff. Notice the theme of “intentionality” in these goals?

4. Developing a Health Recovery Plan – I have found some new doctors who are helping me develop a total health plan. We are working through my current health issues and developing a long-term plan to get me back to being a healthy 41 year old. Things like Vitamins and Supplements, exercise, good diet, quality sleep are all part of the plan.

5. Stimulating my brain through reading 50 books this year – As I have said in other posts – my lack of reading during my illness was very difficult for me. I love to read and it feels great to be reading again. 50ish books is the goal – about 1 a week. That may be too aggressive, but I am not forcing myself to reach the goal – it will be more natural. So far, so good – I am on track.

Next, I will post the other 5 “steps” in 2010.

Congratulations Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints for winning the big game yesterday. I believe this is a positive step forward for the City in its restoration – they have something to celebrate.

Below is a video of Drew Brees talking about his purpose in life.

Below is the teaching titled “Freedom” from Franklin Nazarene’s Jubilee series from 2/7/10

Sermon Insert

Tonight is UFC 109, and I am looking forward to hanging out with some friends and watch the fights.

Here are my predictions by confidence points (the higher the points, the more confident I am in my pick).

11. Marquardt def. Sonnen (wrong)
10. Gracie def. Beltran (wrong)
9. Maia def. Miller (correct)
8. Tuchscherer def. Hague (correct)
7. Swick def. Thiago (wrong)
6. Danzig def. Buckholz (correct)
5. Torres def. Guillard (wrong)
4. Davis def. Stann (correct)
3. Coleman def. Couture in an upset (wrong)
2. Serra def. Trigg (correct)
1. Emerson def. Nover (correct)

So there you have it. My overall score will be the total of the confidence points on the picks that I get correct.

Overall, I went 6-5 with a total of 30 / 61 points. Not too good.

The fourth book of 2010 was “Drops Like Stars” by Rob Bell. I read this excellent book about suffering and creativity in about 45 minutes one evening. I love the design of this book – kinda like a coffee-table book, with full page pictures mixed with text. But so much more than the design, I enjoyed the content in which the author takes a look at a topic that many have poorly explained – Suffering. Many times through the book, I related to the topic due to my battle with Cancer. If you have gone through a hard time or are currently struggling with something, give this book a read (and enjoy the beautiful artwork as you read.)

Here is description of the book:

We plot. We plan. We assume things are going to go a certain way. And when they don’t, we find ourselves in a new place—a place we haven’t been before, a place we never would have imagined on our own.

It is the difficult and the unexpected, and maybe even the tragic, that opens us up and frees us to see things in new ways.

Many of the most significant moments in our lives come not because it all went right but because it all fell apart.

Suffering does that. It hurts, but it also creates.

This book is an exploration of the complex relationship between suffering and creativity, driven by the belief that there is art in the agony.

Below is an interview of Rob Bell in which he talks about this book. Check it out:

I really enjoyed this book – just wished it was a little longer

Next up – The Gospel According to Lost by Chris Seay

Book #3 of 2010 is “Sabbath” by Dan Allender. This is part of the “Ancient Practices” series of books put out by Thomas Nelson publishers. Every book in this series looks great: Tithing, Communion, Prayer, etc. I hope to get to several of the books in the series this year.

I enjoyed this book tremendously because the author created a different lens in which to look at Sabbath. For the most part, I always viewed the Sabbath as a day in which you didn’t do things (don’t work, don’t go to restaurant, don’t shop, etc.). But the author paints the picture of what sabbath is for – it is a day of delight; a day to enjoy the blessings of God; a day to celebrate and a day to hope. After reading the book, I have been inspired to practice Sabbath as the day of the week that I look forward to the most, a day that I prepare for to make it awesome and free of clutter. I approach the Sabbath with a smile, because it is a day to delight in God. If you want to be liberated from the legalistic approaches to sabbath, I highly recommend this book.

Here is a quote from another reviewer:

Bestselling author Dan Allender presents an insightful and fascinating look at the origins and purpose of Sabbath. Serving as volume three in The Ancient Practices Series, Sabbath examines the key issues of this oft-misunderstood day of the week.

This “day of delight,” as instituted by God, has become a dirge for millions of believers. For many, it is simply a break from the busyness of the work week. So, what keeps us from properly understanding, sanctifying and celebrating this important day? Allender looks at not only the history of this discipline, going all the way back to ancient Israel, but also at the modern manifestations and misunderstandings of its practice.

Allender bases his premise on the Hebrew word for rest, Menuha, which is best translated as joyous repose, tranquility, or delight. It is through this lens that he resurrects this lost definition of what it really means to rest.

And here is a quote from the book (page 5) that I highlighted and starred when reading:

The Sabbath is not merely a good idea; it is one of the Ten Commandments. Jesus did not abrogate, cancel, or annul the idea of the Sabbath. In the Ten Commandments, the fourth (Sabbath) is the bridge that takes us from the first three, which focus on God, to the final five, which concentrate on our relationships with others.

The Sabbath is a day of delight fro humankind, animals, and the earth; it is not merely a pious day and it is not fundamentally a break, a day of, or a 24 hour vacation.

The Sabbath is a feast day that remembers our leisure in Eden and anticipates our play in the new heavens and earth with family, fiends, and strangers for the sake of the glory of God.

Next up “Drops Like Stars” by Rob Bell