Harold “Buddy” Hudson Remembered

23 Thursday May 2013

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Buddy Hudson
Image courtesy of OU Athletics Communications

Named an OU Sooner Hoops pioneer for being the first African-American to play basketball for the University of Oklahoma, Harold “Buddy” Hudson will be remembered for that and so much more.

Before his passing on May 14, 2013, his was a legacy of overcoming obstacles. Schools were integrated during his senior year of high school, helping to make him one of the first African-Americans to play basketball for the Purcell High Dragons. Later, when he joined the ranks of the infamous OU Sooners on a books and boarding scholarship, he worked during the summer on a road construction crew in order to pay for his own tuition.

Buddy’s hard work was rewarded during the Sooners’ historic season opener on December 3, 1958. His courage and perseverance, as well as his role in breaking color barriers on a significant scale, will remain part of the OU legacy throughout its existence.

Buddy’s career with the OU Sooner basketball team was a successful one. He lettered in the 1958-59 and 1959-60 seasons. But his achievements didn’t end there. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees and taught school in Oklahoma before moving to Kansas City, MO with his family. There in Kansas City he taught math and history for more than thirty-five years, and finally retired from the Kansas City School District in 2000.

Buddy was a husband, a father, a brother, an uncle, a mentor, a friend…he was remembered by his neighbors as one who lived the command to “love they neighbor as thyself.”

He was also my grandfather. He was dearly loved and he will be sorely missed, and I thank God to have had such a great man in my life.

Week 3 Book 3: A Review of This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti

18 Saturday May 2013

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frank peretti

Something darts past the line of vision with such speed you can’t be sure you ever saw it. What sounds like a whisper is just the faint rustling of curtains swaying in the breeze. A sudden change in emotion is natural fatigue…or is it?

In Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness, nothing is as it seems in the small town of Ashton. Demons have descended on the town in record numbers, harassing its residents and executing a grand plot to take it over. Named for the sin they evoke in or inflict on their victims, Complacency, Lust, Jealousy, Murder, and a host of other evil minions carry out orders to subdue whichever residents they can, and get rid of the ones they cannot.

But they are not unchallenged. Resistance is found in the new young pastor, Hank Busche, whose heart is burdened for the troubled town, and in Marshall Hogan, the gruff reporter whose intuitive nature alerts him that something is not quite right.

Angels are also at the ready. They guard their charges and increase in strength and number as more people are won to the faith and begin praying for Ashton. The town soon becomes the venue for an epic battle between good and evil–both on human grounds and in the heavenly realm.

Peretti’s fictional account of the real topic of spiritual warfare is all at once creative, bold, and thought-provoking. Angels and demons, who are mentioned in Scripture as being very active in the affairs of men, suddenly come to life with individual personalities, histories, and goals. The human condition and the nature of suffering is given a different perspective in light of the unseen forces at work, and the power of prayer is exposed for the grand weapon that it is.

Initially published in 1986, This Present Darkness is a wonderful story, but the writing style suffers from the many flaws allowed during that time period. Point of view is all over the place–switching from character to character on a dime–and gets very distracting and confusing in places.

Also, the book is often setting and character heavy. Though I like detail, many times I’d already conjured up the scene based on the type of place, yet the paragraphs went on to explain chairs and paintings and shrubs. As for characters, between the demons, the angels, the good humans, the bad humans, the new converts, the ousted residents, the old subjects of old cases…it all got very busy at times.

Finally, angels were portrayed as human-like. They were of diverse ethnic backgrounds depending on the region they hailed from, and they were tall, powerful, attractive beings. Demons, however, were taloned and monstrous with stinky breath and yellow eyes. Since demons are fallen angels I would expect them to look the same as their adversaries, so Peretti’s distinction didn’t translate well for me. I also think it would’ve been more powerful for the demons to have attractive features, since the popular association between good and good-looking is incorrect.

All in all, however, Peretti did a great job of using fiction to make the reader reconsider everyday occurrences normally taken for granted. His work inspires one to live with an eternal perspective, and to be alert to schemes of the enemy. More than that, the need for prayer–as well as the sheer work of it–is given its proper platform as the ultimate strength of every believer. So by writing This Present Darkness, Peretti (no doubt intentionally) reminds the saints how they are to fight it. 

That in itself makes it worth the read. I gave it three out of five stars.

Click here for the list of the remaining books: Seven Books in Seven Weeks: The List .

Critters & Estrogen

17 Friday May 2013

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As a child everything was fair game:

Gutting fish I’d caught with my dad, baiting hooks with worms, or catching and hooking large grasshoppers when worms weren’t available. Myth-sized spider? Step on it and keep moving. Wouldn’t even flinch.

Sometime along the journey, however, I traded in my tomboy toughness for a generous helping of girlie-girl jitters. Now critters make me jumpy. So when I discovered yesterday that my mint plant had been destroyed overnight by a horde of caterpillars, instead of:

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I was all like:

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Removing the greedy little beasts was a job for braver souls: my kids.

I blame it on the estrogen.

First image courtesy of marin/FreeDigitalPhotos.net, Second image courtesy of anankkml/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Week 2 Book 2: A Review of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman

11 Saturday May 2013

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not a fan

Got your church T-shirt? Your “Jesus is my co-pilot” bumper sticker? What about your WWJD bracelet?

Bible? Check! Some verses memorized? Check! Personalized tithe envelopes? You know this maaan!

Okay, okay. Now what about Jesus? You’ve got all the paraphernalia–the outward stuff that clothes you with the Christian image–but do you really have Jesus? Are you a fan, or are you a follower?

Uhhhhhhh……………..what you talkin’ bout Willis?

Willis isn’t here. But if you want to know what I’m talking about, pick up Kyle Idleman’s Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus. Idleman uses an in-your-face and step-on-your-toes approach to distinguish between professors of Christ who are merely fans, and followers of Christ who are all in.

Kyle addresses several indicators of fandom. In short, they know about Jesus but don’t know Him, they praise Him with their mouths but their hearts are vacationing in self-ville, or in Kyle’s words, “They want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires anything from them.” Followers, however, don’t just put Jesus first. He is it. He is all. There is no competition.

Because the book is non-fiction and the theme very specific, it’s difficult for me to review it in-depth without giving away too much. What I can say is that it will challenge readers to do a great deal of self-reflection. It is written in such a way that, fan or follower, you cannot walk away from it without digging deep inside to see where your loyalties lie, whether they are divided, or even if somewhere along the way they’ve shifted.

Most of the time Idleman addresses the reader as if he/she is already a fan. Some might sit a little straighter at such presumption, but calm down. Following Christ is a daily calling, not a one time deal. And every opportunity to search the heart and “see if there is any wicked way” in it (Psalm 139:24) is time well spent. Remember: followers of Christ welcome a righteous rebuke, we don’t refuse it (Psalm 141:5).

If you’re a fan and you’re happy right where you are, my guess is Kyle’s message will seriously offend you. If you’re a fan but no longer want to be, it’ll challenge you to bolt out of the stands, suit up, and get to the business of living like a true follower of Jesus. If you’re already a follower you’ll identify if and when you tend to have seasons of fandom, or whether there are compartmentalized areas of your life where your spiritual weapon of choice is a set of frilly pom poms.

Where this book is concerned, I have to say I would qualify as a fan of the book. I am “an enthusiastic admirer” of the message and the style of writing. I laughed (hard), I cried (loud), and when I put it down I started calculating how much it was going to cost me to get one in the hands of way too many people. I found the personal testimonies particularly powerful. I gave it five out of five stars.

When it comes to Jesus, however, I am not a fan.

Click here for the list of the remaining books: Seven Books in Seven Weeks: The List .

What Happens Next?

08 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by in Short Stories, Songs, and Poetry, Writing and Pursuing Publication

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My mind is always churning. I comfort myself with the notion that I’m a writer and, as such, my thoughts should walk a creative distance outside the box of normal thinking folks. Honestly, though, sometimes I suspect I’m a blurted comment away from being professionally observed.

As for those thoughts I think, they tend to come in scenes with the promise of a story somewhere. Absurd or dull ones get shot down as quickly as they come, lingering ones may turn into a short story (or at least get the nod of an honorable intention to make a short story), and great ones get scribbled down and chewed on with the promise of a full book someday.

Then there are the write-a-paragraph-and-never-touch-again scenes. There’s a story, typically something of redemptive or moral value, but I don’t know what it is. It could be anything, so why limit it to one thing? But if I don’t limit it to one thing, how will it ever become anything? And there I go again, off on my mental tangent…

Now here’s where you come in! Written below is a very short scene. The characters are there (at least the initial two), and the stage is set for something…

That “something” is up to you.

Throw me ideas for conflict, questions, promises, future hopes, past regrets, titles…whatever comes to your mind after you read the paragraph.* If your mind embraces the scene and takes off with it…feel free to write it out and add to the story instead of just offering your idea.*

Here goes…

The bed was hard and stiff, as if it had been soaked through then dried in a harsh summer sun. Jenise perched on the edge with one leg crossed over the other and fingered the cheap dove necklace sticking to her skin. The window facing her was lifted just high enough for a small bird to fit through, as high as it could go, and despite several holes in the screen, no air seemed to come in.

A cart rumbled up to the door and paused, then rumbled away again accompanied by the faint tunes of a radio with poor reception. Jenise took a long drag of her cigarette and blew the smoke over the sleeping form of her new husband. Only his fingers moved in response, the rough tips finding the back of her polyester slip and sticking like velcro.

“David,” Jenise called in a soft, shaky voice, half hoping he didn’t hear…

Now it’s your turn! Tell me what happens next. Where are they? Why are they there? What’s keeping her awake while he’s sleeping? What’s she thinking about? I can’t wait to see the ideas that come pouring in.

And that’s not all…the most creative, workable idea or add-on will receive a new copy of James Scott Bell’s Plot & Structure, a must-have for every writer or writer-to-be. Be creative and have fun!

*Please do not submit using profanity, gratuitous sexual content, or malicious violence.

Week 1 Book 1: A Review of The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

04 Saturday May 2013

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Cover.-Language-of-Flowers-pbk Throughout history flowers have been known for their beauty and fragrant scents. While commonly given as expressions of love and well wishes, their meanings became even more specific during the Victorian era. Dictionaries of the flower-to-emotion relationships were penned with care, but over time the language created for romantic expression faded to obscurity.

In Vanessa Diffenbaugh’s The Language of Flowers, the elegant art of floral communication resurfaces through the most unlikely of sources: eighteen-year-old Victoria Jones. The San Franciscan has just aged out of the foster care system and heads into the world with a chip on her shoulder and thorns in her heart.

She has no plans or ambitious dreams about her future, only a love for flowers and knowledge of their language that comes from a past failed adoption which haunts her. The details of that event remain hidden until the end of the book but one thing is clear: Victoria is so afraid of love and relationships, and so certain of her own lack of worth, she is determined to live as much of a life of isolation as possible.

But the need to survive forces her as far out of her shell as she believes herself willing to go, and she soon begins to use her connection with flowers to help others. She is given a fresh start at life in the company of people who want to make her part of theirs; but her past is like a jealous weed determined to prevent her from blossoming out of its muddy clutches.

A story of second chances, The Language of Flowers is beautifully written and emotionally draining. Victoria makes enough bad choices to tempt even the reader to give up on her; yet there is something about her personality shown through her first-person narration of the story that keeps one rooting for her.

I was torn between my compassion for her past and exasperation over how her current choices were negatively impacting her future. Sometimes I wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her, other times I wanted to cry for her. In the end, however, I couldn’t help but like her.

When a girl does things like snatch a few extra donuts out of the box because her date is eating them too fast, you can’t help but like her.

Sometimes the story slowed down a bit, and on more than one occasion I had to flip back through it to find the meaning of a flower previously mentioned. I discovered halfway through the book that there’s a flower dictionary at the end. It would’ve been helpful to put it after the table of contents or at least mention it somewhere in the beginning.

Overall, Diffenbaugh did a wonderful job with her debut The Language of Flowers. It is a heart-wrenching and realistic portrayal of the struggles of a broken human heart trying to push its way through the weighted soil of a hard life, and open its petals to the hope and promise of the future.

I gave it four out of five stars. This book will be included in the book giveaway at the end of the Seven Books in Seven Weeks series.

Click here for the list of the remaining books: Seven Books in Seven Weeks: The List .

Marriage Part III: The Wife’s Role

03 Friday May 2013

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Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the Word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives. (1 Peter 3:1)

Such a teaching is so unpopular these days that to abide by it seems to warrant a guilty-like confession of some antiquated wrongdoing: 

Hi. My name is Tanara McCauley. And I submit to my husband.

I haven’t always done so, and I certainly don’t always do it well. In fact, sometimes my behavior is such that my husband deserves an early morning disclaimer, “You may as well head on up to the rooftop because it’s gonna be one of those days.” (Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop than in a house shared with a contentious woman. Proverbs 21:9)

Over the years, however, I’ve learned some crucial and sometimes hard lessons about what it takes to make my marriage persevere, to make it joyful, fulfilling, and something beautiful. And part of that is abiding in the role that God ordained for me as a wife–not one that He reduced to me to, but one that He made specifically for me to thrive in with the gifts and qualities He imparted to me.

  1. Lesson 1: It’s not a competition~
    Marriage does require give and take, but it shouldn’t be executed with a tit-for-tat sort of justice. Often the scales are unbalanced. A wise woman recognizes that the shift is sometimes in her favor, so that she can be gracious during the times when it is not. A wise woman builds up her husband instead of using his mistakes as an opportunity to usurp his role at the expense of his dignity.
  2. Lesson 2: It’s a oneness~
    This is a complex and mysterious concept, but its acceptance is vital in a healthy marriage. Whatever benefits my husband benefits me, whatever harms him harms me. We are individual people, but we are not separate. And our individual roles serve to magnify the greater bond that exists between us, making us one.
  3. Lesson 3: A submissive wife is precious~
    There is an “incorruptible beauty” which is “very precious in the sight of God” that exists in the “gentle and quiet spirit” of a submissive wife (1 Peter 3:4-5). She is not pitiful, she does not have low self-esteem. To the contrary, her God adores her and watches very carefully how the man who leads her is treating her.
  4. Lesson 4: Role confusion can rob you~
    We recently faced a major life decision that we couldn’t make heads or tails of. At one point we were ready to leap before we had true assurance of God’s will. We knew God wasn’t going to punish us if we didn’t get it right. Yet, before we acted in haste we came to the realization: What if option A is like being on the lake, while option B is meant to be the beach? (My husband’s dream is to live near the beach someday). Swapping roles in marriage kind of works the same way. It can function, but it’s a much lesser version of the grand plan God designed for it. The fireworks dim to a candle’s flicker, the masterpiece painting is replaced with a copy.
  5. Lesson 5: The end goal is eternal life~
    I’ll admit I have a wonderful husband; and I know this is not something every woman can say. Submitting to someone who’s not only less than perfect, but even less than our idea of barely competent seems like more of a burden than anyone should be asked to bear. But consider this: Christ, perfect and worthy in every way, submitted Himself to a humiliating death on the cross for an ungrateful, unloving, and unworthy world. Whether my husband is at his best, or, God help him, about-faces and walks contrary to the Word of God, what is my life, my happiness, my rights, compared to the salvation of the one whom my soul loves (Song of Solomon 3:4)? If for this reason alone, I accept my role gladly, submitting to my husband as unto the Lord, to the glory of Him who called me to do so.

Your turn: What are your thoughts on marriage roles? How have they worked in your marriage?

Guest Blog Opportunity: If you are a man who would like to guest blog on the Christian husband’s role, with some examples of how the principles work in your own marriage please send an email to tanara@tanaramccauley.com.

Click here for Marriage Part I: The Model, Click here for Marriage Part II: The Choice

Seven Books in Seven Weeks: The List

24 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by in Book Reviews, Writing and Pursuing Publication

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I’ve finally compiled a list for my Seven Books in Seven Weeks marathon. Thanks to everyone who posted or emailed your suggestions. It took a while to filter through and decide which seven books would occupy hours of my time over the next seven weeks, but now that the list is done I’m ready to hit the ground reading! Or…something like that.

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And now without further ado (for the record I initially wrote that as adieu (don’t ask me why I did it, nor why I’m telling you)), in the order in which I’ll be reading them, here are my Seven Books in Seven Weeks:

  1. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
  2. Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman
  3. This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti
  4. Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg
  5. Take a Chance on Me by Susan May Warren
  6. Taliesin by Stephen Lawhead
  7. Truth Stained Lies by Terri Blackstock

Week one officially begins this Friday (4/26). I will post reviews of each book the Saturday after they’ve been read, so my first review of The Language of Flowers will be available Saturday (5/4).

If you’ve never read any of these books or, Lord willing, you’ve read them and believe them good enough to read again, join me! I’ll be posting my progress on my Goodreads profile and we can chat throughout the week.

In addition, at the end of this marathon I’ll be giving away a few of the books in the list. Anyone who participates through shares, retweets, comments, and reading along will be eligible to win. (Make sure to note in the comments if/when you share on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest so I can enter you in the drawing).

Thanks again to everyone for your recommendations and participation. Now let’s get reading!

Compassionate Hearts on Compassion Sunday

21 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by in Relationships and Other Topics

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Compassion Sunday is a nationwide event during which churches reach out to fellow Christians and encourage them to sponsor children who live in extreme poverty all over the world.

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These sponsorships, which provide education in a loving environment, meals, medical care and more, give children opportunities in life and in their communities that they may not have been given otherwise.

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Most importantly, children learn that they are loved and cherished by their sponsors who write and send pictures, and by Jesus who works in the hearts of others to provide for these children and confirm that they are valuable.

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I have witnessed the three children my family sponsors through Compassion blossom and thrive. Since our sponsorship, one learned to read and write at the age of ten, another’s family was able to buy a cow through a family gift, and still another found purpose and self-worth through the youth activities offered at the center. Each of them have become loved and treasured members of our extended family; and recipients of the love, grace, and salvation of Jesus Christ.

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It gives me great joy to announce that this Compassion Sunday nine more children were paired with sponsors through my small town local church! I am excited both for the sponsors and the children who will benefit from their love and generosity. And while grateful for such a response, I am bold enough to ask for still more sponsorships. If you have never before sponsored a child, or if you currently sponsor a child but have room for more, visit the Compassion website and sponsor a child today.

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