I can see myself in her, honestly. I’m not very surprised I’m getting letters like these and I can feel these won’t be the last ones. (Do I hear an uh-oh?)

Mia and I got these wonderful books for Christmas from Ate Ida (who works at OMF Lit, a wonderful bookstore) and Khay. Yey!

We actually haven’t gotten around to doing the recipes in the cookbook, but that’s on our list for when non-working holidays roll around, along with bringing the new bike to the park.

Finally, we bought a pink bike with training wheels, thanks to generous ninangs/ninongs, titos/titas, and lolos/lolas. Another yey!

We welcomed the new year on the beach with family as always. So many things to be thankful for. So little time. So I will let this song say it all for me for now.

“I remember how You found me, in the very same place. All my failings surely would have drowned me. Still You made a way. You are my freedom. Jesus You are the reason I’m kneeling again at Your throne. Where would I be without You, here in my life?“

I bought this book at a National Bookstore sale and because it says it’s a national best seller I’m immediately a sucker. For good measure though, I think this is an interesting fictional read. More emphasis on the fictional please.

Watered down theology

15 pages into the book I was in tears. The Shack by W. Paul Young is a story about a family whose youngest daughter was abducted and murdered by a serial killer. I’m a mom so it’s as heart-wrenching as it gets for me.

What got me thinking after those pages was the portrayal of God in human form. Mack, the main character was forced to confront his fears by going back to the same place where police found evidence of the murder of his daughter Missy. The place was called The Shack, a representation of the dark and horrible place of Mack’s Great Sadness.

This guy was depressed for years and was hung over in his loss. He had a devoted wife who never gave up on him and 2 other children. On another reality plane, the author actually experienced the same tragedy (not the murder, but his adultery) in his life that pushed him to retreat to his Shack (read more about the author here).

So to make the long story short, Mack (or Young) found God in the Shack — all of the Divine Trinity — in human form.

Don’t we all like to paint beautiful pictures of what we like to see?

This book is exactly that. Though I would not discount some of the concepts of faith and trust that Mack realized, I can still see some inconsistencies with what I’ve learned about God and the Bible over the years. I will not claim to be an expert, but only speak out of conviction.

I say it’s watered down theology. I asked my dad who is an ordained pastor, theology student, and long-time church worker, about The Shack’s concept of God. I told him the gist and haven’t even gone to the meat of the story when he interrupted and said,

“That’s impossible. Only once in the Bible did it say that all Three (God the Father, the Holy Spirit and the Son) was actually (or at one time) present in one place (that is tangible to humans)”

^21-22After all the people were baptized, Jesus was baptized. As he was praying, the sky opened up and the Holy Spirit, like a dove descending, came down on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: “You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.” Luke 3:21-22 (The Message)

“And, all the people in the Bible whom God chose to appear were overwhelmed by His presence. Nobody could stand His holy presence.” True, that.

God continued, “But you may not see my face. No one can see me and live.” -Exodus 33:20, The Message

The prophet Isaiah bemoaned his condition after being allowed to see the glory of God. It was so overwhelming that he condemned himself for being a sinner and standing in the midst of the Holy God. This principle is only true because of the state that man is in. No one soul is found righteous, being the product of the Original Sin.

Watered down Word

“God’s voice had been reduced to paper, and even that paper had to be moderated and deciphered by the proper authorities and intellects” (65-66, Th Shack)

I found this disturbing because it is in direct conflict with what the Bible said about the Word.

 ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. -John 1:1-4, NIV

God was, is, the Word simply put. So to say that the Bible, which contains Him, is merely paper is such watered down theology. As for it needing moderation and deciphering from authorities and intellects,

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” -2 Timothy 3:16, NIV

I think God can easily do without any human being’s ‘moderation’ and ‘intellect’. This is a God who created the world with its simplicities and complexities anyway.

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The Shack, a work of genius fiction, is a good read if only to pique your interest in the divine concept of God. But take it with a grain of salt. Or rather, take it with a whole lot of Scripture. See how it compares, hmm?

It’s as important as my hand spray alcohol or wet wipes that they have earned their rightful places in my (ever-increasing-in-size) bag. You never know when you’ll get stuck waiting in line or in traffic so it’s good to have one with you always. Yes, I’ve read books in traffic. Hindi pa naman ako nababangga.

The upcoming 2011 Manila International Book Fair on September 14-18 is heaven for book nerds like me. Yes, there, I’m out and proud of it. People who don’t like to read is seriously missing half of their lives.

Anyway. Here’s a shameless plug. If you’re going to enrich yourself, might as well pick up something worthwhile. Sorry, but I really don’t think romance novels count.

OMF Lit at the MIBF! Visit them at Aisle D (Click for larger picture)

The OMF booth has a lot of things in store for visitors too!

Discounts on books, Bibles, and more! (Click for larger photo)

So once again, once more, with feelings!

Inspiration. Instruction. Insight. Turn the pages that can turn your life around. (Click for larger photo)

See you there, then?

Or a scrawling word that looks like a spreadsheet of a rock band’s album.

Short to say that I enjoyed it.

Being a very visual person, I also like looking at pictures that tell a story. The Dopple Ganger Chronicles is one such illustra-novela (as described by the author GP Taylor), a literary piece that combines illustrated art and text.

Look who's trying to read an illustra-novela?

What I love about this book is not that it’s just illustrated like a cartoon, but the art is also like pages ripped from a Sandman book. It’s edgy, a lot black, and descriptive. If words can define, then the way they’re drawn brings it to life.

The pages are littered with “doodles” — artistic ones, though — so I enjoyed turning the pages. Even more, the Dopple Ganger Chronicles is filled with moral lessons and, well, ‘real life’ lessons.

“What she knew about robbers was that they loved the night. To them it was a velvet glove that concealed their wickedness.”

If you have plans to let your kids read the Twilight series (oh gosh please no), then you might want to let them read something of more substance. Books that teach kids to be adventurous but still morally upright is something that no parent would refuse right?

“You don’t have to see something to know it’s there. We can’t see the wind, but we can feel the breeze on our faces and see the trees blowing back and forth. It is the same with the Companion.” -Madame Raphael

Now if that’s not an allegory of sorts, then I think you need to read more.

It’s the perfect way to introduce the concept of God to young kids. Don’t get me wrong though. At this age I still got the heebie jeebies reading through the book in the dark. Call me weak but hey, I dare you to read it with only a night light. Haha.

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Get The Dopple Ganger Chronicles: The First Escape at OMF Lit now! The 2nd installment is set to come out this July 2011.

An officemate, who did not really subscribe to an idea of a personal God, actually gave me this book. She said that even if she didn’t really like Christian books, this helped her a lot in discovering much about herself, during a phase in her life.

Ok, so I wasn’t really hell bent on finding Mr. Right because well, I believed that it’s going to happen whenever He wants to. And now just wasn’t the right time.

I was actually mistaken to think that being Juan Tamad, waiting for that fruit to fall on my open arms was all I had to do. Just smile with arms wide open. Yeah, sure.

I had no idea I had to willingly and fully accept forgiveness first, believe with all my heart that there’s a perfect plan for me, and ready myself for that perfect plan. It’s worth that much.

And I don’t only mean matters of the heart, but in all things happening to me right now. It hit home so hard that now I realize there’s much to be done.

It’s a work in progress, I’m a work in progress.

“Know that God is concerned with character readiness when it comes to His plan for us. Most of the time, when He asks us to wait before He reveals our destiny, it’s because He wants us to grow and develop into people who can withstand adversity. If you have been seeking Him, yet still don’t have a clue about your destiny, perhaps it’s because you haven’t acted on the things He’s already revealed to you. maybe He’s asked you to work on a character weakness or to stop putting your desire for a spouse above your desire for Him. Perhaps He has nudged you to get an accountability partner, or to read a certain book on relationships, to get involved in a ministry or service project through your church, or do something that seems totally unrelated to your destiny (such as reconciling with that sister you haven’t talked to in years). Don’t brush these things off as insignificant — do them.”

- His Rules, God’s Practical Road Map for Becoming and Attracting Mr. or Mrs. Right

Try and get the book or read an excerpt and tell me what you think.

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Edit, Sept. 13, 2011: This book will soon be available at all OMF Lit bookshops!