Anne LeGare

This book was a joy to read! It was like reading an “Idiots Guide to the Brain.” My mother has a rare brain disease, and now I understand which parts of the brain are controlling (or not controlling in her case) different parts of her.

I loved how Henslin incorporated the spiritual with the physical, without excuse, and with great enthusiasm. He has a way of making the hard-to-understand simple, yet not simplistic.

I can now read my mom’s MRIs and understand what I’m seeing, and I feel I can help her with some dietary changes and my own new awareness of how she “ticks.”

Henslin’s writing style is not condescending, and comes across as friendly and helpful. I have never read a book like this from cover to cover and understood what I’ve read. Now I have.

Here is a somewhat true, mostly allegorical novel, in which author Andy Andrews describes how his life got a rough start: both parents were dead by the time he was 23, and he found himself living in a roughed-out sand cave under a pier. He was barely surviving until he had a strange, almost supernatural encounter with an old man named “Jones.” Jones told him to get a new perspective on life, and introduced him to biographies of famous people. As Andrews absorbed the biographies, his life started to change.

Through a series of similar “chance” encounters with people in a small beach town, Jones introduces how gaining a new perspective on life and using different communication principles can change someone from the inside out.

The author effectively uses Jones to show how one person can make a difference in the lives of others. One story in the book, however, was the internet tale of a man being buried with his fork – awaiting the “dessert” of heaven – which somehow became attributed to Jones. The inclusion of an urban legend in the book made it a bit smarmy.

Another tale involved Jones giving a married couple a lesson on effective communication. The five “dialects” he laid out were strikingly similar to Dr. Gary Chapman’s “Five Love Languages.” Nothing new here.

Who is Jones? He’s a shape-shifter, and the author said it happened right before his eyes. Is he an angel? The reader is left pondering that question, as the townspeople and Andrews sort it out.

I applaud Andrews’s desire and exhortation to bless each other and pursue lives of good character with honorable perspective. But this book was produced by a major Christian publishing house. I expect a stronger Christian message. If our “perspective” isn’t on Jesus first, we will quickly lose focus. What saves us from our sinful minds and deceptive motives is a changed life through faith in Jesus Christ. Transforming truth and hope can be found in Him alone.

Andrews’s focus was the man/angel, Jones – and our own righteousness. Our focus should be on Christ, his life, death, and resurrection. Without Him, we have no righteousness of our own. When we trust Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit to help give us a heavenly perspective – the only one that can sustain lasting change.

John 12:12-13 On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.”

On Palm Sunday, our pastor conducted a mini-sermon for the children about this event. He told the children that when people laid out the palm branches for Jesus, it was like rolling out the red carpet to the man they wanted to crown king.

But we know what happened the rest of that week. The people quickly rolled up the red carpet when Jesus didn’t meet their expectations. Toward the end of the week, associating with Jesus was something even his closest friends found difficult.

Jesus knew all this, and still chose the pain, the suffering, and the cross. We were difficult, yet He didn’t forsake us, and will never forsake us. His sacrifice demands our attention and vigilance, however. The book of Hebrews has much to say about our responsibility to grip tightly to our salvation.

Hebrews 4:14-16 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 13:12-16 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Heb 12:2 …fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

In case we didn’t get the message, Hebrews reminds us over and over who Jesus is and what He did for us. When He died on the cross, Jesus rolled out the red carpet for us, so that we could be joint heirs with Him. We are now His chosen people, a royal priesthood of believers.

I’m reflecting on His passion for me this week. Let’s celebrate Easter with hearts ready to roll out the red carpet to Him, full of worship for the One who died and rose again so we could live!

After a drive to Houston last weekend, our family van was covered in bug guts. So after picking up all three children from school, we headed over to our local gas station to buy slushy drinks and a car wash.

This is our favorite car wash, as it’s “touchless,” and does a great job, even on the tires. I punched my purchase code into the machine, but had to wait for a truck in front of me before I could proceed. While we watched the truck being washed, we were laughing, because every time the strong water jets made a pass around the truck, everything in the bed of the truck would fly into the air, (to include a large box and styrofoam inserts) and then settle back into the bed or around the car wash bay.

When the wash portion of the cycle was finished, a very sheepish soldier stepped out of the truck and started picking up all the things that were strewn about the bay. He tossed them back into the bed of his truck and drove toward the powerful dryer, which was already working. Once the dryer hit the bed of the truck, all the stuff flew out again. The soldier drove off, oblivious to everything he’d left behind.

The green light went on for me to “Drive Forward,” but I was afraid the big box left in the middle of the bay would get hung up under my van. So I told my 13-year-old son, Daniel, to hop out and go move the box for me. Daniel willingly complied, and ran into the bay.

Whoops! As soon as he entered the bay, the tire wash sensors triggered, and powerful jets of water hit Daniel from both sides, knocking off his hat and giving him a thorough soaking!

The look on Daniel’s face was priceless! He must have jumped three feet in the air when those jets hit him. The girls and I laughed so hard we couldn’t catch our breath. Daniel got back into the car, soaking wet, with teeth chattering from the cold water.

Now I understand what a “touchless” car wash is! No car required.

Where are the video cameras when we need them? That would have made it onto America’s Funniest Home Videos for sure!