Movie Musing: Seven Pounds

I recently saw the Will Smith's new movie Seven Pounds. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who has not yet seen the movie, so I will limit my comments at this time to a general observation. This movie is a profoundly sad description of life apart God, from grace and from forgiveness. And a poignant reminder that those who refuse to live in the Kingdom where there is kindness for the undeserving, must needs live in the kingdom where only the deserving are blessed. And for the record, the latter kingdom is a place where I could not survive even for a moment. As a metaphor for God's Kingdom the movie fails miserably. But as a foil for the Kingdom of Heaven it succeeds marvelously. Since seeing Seven Pounds I have been wonderfully provoked to thankfulness for God's "amazing grace" not by what the movie gave me, but rather by what it could not possibly give me.

Modern Worship and Madison Avenue

Almost a year ago I attended a pastors's conference where it was asserted that the problem with modern worship music was neither it's newness nor the instruments used to accompany the singing of God's people. Rather, it was asserted, the primary problem with modern worship music was it's striking similarity to the jingles produced by the advertisement gurus on Madison Avenue. After watching the video below, I realized that Tim Hawkins most likely reached the same conclusion, not theologically or philosophically, but rather, just musically. Enjoy/Weep.

Christmas Romp Up Dry Gulch

Click here to view a slideshow of our Christmas romp up Dry Gulch (formerly Canon Gold Mine area) just west of Wenatchee. Enjoy.

Christmas Acapella Fun and Artistry

These guys (Straight No Chaser) are amazing! Merry Christmas.

Josiah's MBA Graduation!!!

Our eldest, Josiah, just graduated from Boise State University with his Masters of Business Administration (MBA.) Click here to view some pictures of that joyous occasion.

Very Creative, Very Funny

Not all will get the nod to "The Six Million Dollar Man" but it's still quite funny. Enjoy.

Saddle Rock Boogie

If the weather is anywhere near decent, this is my twice-week-hike in the hills just west of Wenatchee. It's a 40 minute hike up and down, but you can view it in less than seven minutes. Enjoy.

Of Pumas and Cravasses

Clan Helsel, collectively, has a very strange sense of humor. Watching this video gave me some insight into some of our familial weirdness. Enjoy.

Bonhoeffer on Advent

Celebrating Advent means learning how to wait. Waiting is an art which our impatient age has forgotten. We want to pluck the fruit before it has had time to ripen. Greedy eyes are soon disappointed when what they saw as luscious fruit is sour to the taste. In disappointment and disgust they throw it away. The fruit, full of promise rots on the ground. It is rejected without thanks by disappointed hands.

The blessedness of waiting is lost on those who cannot wait, and the fulfillment of promise is never theirs. They want quick answers to the deepest questions of life and miss the value of those times of anxious waiting, seeking with patient uncertainties until the answers come. They lose the moment when the answers are revealed in dazzling clarity…

Not all can wait – certainly not those who are satisfied, contented, and feel that they live in the best of all possible worlds! Those who learn to wait are uneasy about their way of life, but yet have seen a vision of greatness in the world of the future and are patiently expecting its fulfillment. The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come. For these, it is enough to wait in humble fear until the Holy One himself comes down to us, God in the child in the manger. God comes. The Lord Jesus comes. Christmas comes. Christians rejoice!

In a few weeks we shall hear that cry of triumph. But already we can hear in the distance the sound of the angels' song praising God and promising peace on earth. But, not so quick! It is still in the distance. It calls us to learn to wait and to wait aright.

(Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Barcelona, First Sunday in Advent, 1928)

Mountain Bike Madness

Wow. check this out. When the biker says "Take two..." at the beginning of the video, it causes one to wonder what happened on "Take one."

Father Knows Best?

This is an amazing little video from our "cousins across the pond" displaying both the folly of government controlled education and the usefulness of sarcasm/satire. Enjoy. HT: Jeff Myers/Mark Horne

How to "Man Hug"

And now for something completely different...

Philosophers' Soccer

Pardon me, but your worldview is showing...

I recently received a letter from Planned Parenthood (read Planned Not-Parenthood) requesting funds for their tireless efforts to disconnect sexual activity from conceiving children and unwanted children from their mother's womb. Although the support letter abounds with irony, the opening line was a real howler. It asked the question, "What kind of America will our daughters grow up in?" Imagine that, PP concerned about our daughters! But not the ones in the womb, or even the ones half way out of the womb. Just the ones magically transformed from "fetal tissue" into "daughters" by their passage through the birth canal. Puh-leeze!

Pray for the Church in Russia

We now have three sister CREC churches in Russia. Please watch this video, and remember to pray for our brethren there.

If I Ever...

If I ever start to do this, you have my permission (in the spirit of Christian love) to "whack me upside the head."

Travelogue VII

On Thursday we drove our little Renault (Pachito) up to Todos Santos (All Saints.) This sleepy little town was a wonderful change from the hustle and bustle of touristy Los Cabos. Near the center of Todos Santos is the church called "Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Todos Santos." I stood in the front of the sanctuary and facing the rear of the church sang the "Apostles' Creed." I counted twice and determined that the room had a five second decay/reverb. In other words you could still hear my voice a full 5 seconds after I stopped singing. Enthralling, actually. Maybe we can arrange to have a Trinity Church psalm-sing there somtime.

Travelogue V

Wednesday: We rode horses along the beach near San Jose del Cabo. Our wrangler (whose name I could neither discern nor pronounce) was from Poland of all places. We had a nice little chat about Polish towns, mature versus immature cultures and European architecture. But the really amazing thing about the horsie-ride was that I did not have any near-death experiences. Not even close. Sore knees and buttocks, but no “Wow, that horse has never, ever done that before!” Gracias Dios.

In the evening we went on a dinner cruise that took us around the Cabo San Lucas bay and out towards the Pacific Ocean. At dinner, we shared a table with a nice couple from Regina, SK, Canada. It was fascinating to hear their takes on the current presidential campaign, the oil boom in Saskatchewan, as well as the pluses and minuses of the Canadian health-care system.

Mexico Travelogue IV

Here is a picture of our rental car. We had a Ford Exhale (Expectorate, Exhume, Examine, Exfoliate???….whatever) booked, but they gave us this instead. I haven’t driven a European car for awhile, so it’s been kinda fun. It’s small inside, but it gets pretty good gas mileage.





No, silly. It’s not the yellow Porsche in the foreground, it’s the little copper colored Renault in the background. Did you really think?...Fugitaboudit!!!

Travelogue III

Los Cabos Pics: From our balcony, around Misiones (our condo), and at the beach in Cabo San Lucas. To view, click any picture once and then click the arrow.

Travelogue II

Friday: We (Ellen and I) flew non-stop from SeaTac to San Jose Del Cabo, BCS. As we were leaving the airport we were accosted by a gentleman (Luis) who (according to him) was there to help us find our rented car. It turned out Luis worked for a large resort and gave us a great deal on a car-rental ($85 for the week) in exchange for listening to a time-share sales presentation (at the close of which we said, "Thank you, but no.")

Saturday: The Pueblo Bonita resort was breathtakingly beautiful, the presentation very interesting and the sales pressure very high. But we politely said “no thank you”, grabbed our vouchers and vamoosed.

Sunday: We worshipped at an English-speaking church recommended to us by our salesman at Pueblo Bonita. As always it was great to be with the LORD’s people on the LORD’s Day. The communion meditation, given by a layman, was a brief but poignant summary of the life of Christ and brought us both to tears. The sermon almost brought us to tears for an entirely different reason. As Dave Barry likes to say, “I am not making this up.” Instead of a Bible the pastors used, what he even termed “props”: beach-balls, golf clubs, umbrellas, fishing poles, etc. The message was, “Remember folks, church attendance is optional. We’re under grace, not law. So, this summer when you’re out golfing or fishing on Sunday morning, just remember to take Jesus with you.” We met and greeted several of the brethren during and after the service and are truly thankful to have done so. It’s so wonderful to have family wherever you travel! But we left the storefront sanctuary aching and praying for the starving sheep of this fold, and trembling for what that pastor will have to explain when he is called to give an account for the souls in his care (Hebrews 13:7ff.)

Monday: Toured around town. In addition to the globally ubiquitous “McDonalds” and “Subway” stores, Cabo San Lucas also has a “Costco”, “Sam’s Club”, “Office Max”, “Radio Shack” and yes, even a “Wal-Mart.” It’s getting harder and harder to leave the US when you leave the US.

Mexico Travelogue I

!Hola from Los Cabos! First, a little geography lesson: Baja California is the thousand mile peninsula that extends south below San Diego, CA. The Baja Peninsula separates the Pacific Ocean (to the west) from the Sea of Cortez (to the east.) The lower 500 miles of the peninsula is the Mexican state of Baja California Sur (a.k.a. BCS) whose capital is the city of La Paz.

At the southernmost tip of Los Cabos (the cape) is the bustling tourist town of Cabo San Lucas (the Cape of St. Luke.) Los Cabos receives about three inches of rain per year, so the water for the city is desalinized sea water, done so via a process called “reverse osmosis.” This means the water in this part of Mexico is very safe to drink and makes it near impossible to contract the dreaded “Montezuma’s Revenge.”

Workers for the thriving tourist industry are imported from all over Mexico and, for the most part, are well-treated and well-paid, keeping crime to a minimum. One resort we visited, gives imported workers free housing for two years and after that helps their employees to purchase their own homes.

Greetings from Los Cabos

!Holah! Ellen and I arrived safely here in Cabo San Lucas last Friday evening. We have a nice little studio condo over-looking Monument Bay (one of the prime surfing beaches in the area.) The weather is great (low 90's) during the day and cooling off at night. We are here to celebrate our 25th anniversary and have had a marvellous time recounting God's blessings upon our union. So far we're up to about 1988.

No pictures just yet (I forgot the camera/USB cord at home!)

!Adios!

Little Will

"The amazing thing is, he knotted the tie himself!" said the grandfather exaggerating for effect.

My Oh My!

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

Four of a Thousand

God's promises are so vast and amazing that the only way to embrace them is by faith. Neither reason nor Kierkegaard's "leap into the void" will do. Only resting in what God has declared in His most holy Word.

One of the promises "too glad to be true" is God's covenant to bless His people "unto a thousand generations." Pictured below are four of such. Little Will is the only and firstborn son of Josiah, the eldest and firstborn son of Gene, the eldest and firstborn son of Verle, the eldest and firstborn son of Harold (not pictured) who was himself the eldest and firstborn son of John (not pictured.)

Looking at this picture I am near moved to tears as I am reminded of the blessings that I enjoy both up and downstream. And this is but 4/1000ths of what God has promised to those who believe what He has revealed about His extravagant love for the world.

Immortal Until the Day Appointed

After a particularly fierce battle, General "Stonewall" Jackson was asked by a subordinate how he could remain so calm in the presence of so much danger. He replied, "Captain, my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me." He added, after a pause, looking the soldier full in the face: "That is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave."

I wonder if the people in this video lived "equally brave"?

In Deed and In Truth

First the creative fiction, and then the cold, hard facts:

Creative Fiction (as displayed upon the bumpers of liberals): “Better a Bleeding Heart Than None at All,” “The Moral High Ground is Built Upon Compassion,” “Arms Are For Hugging,” “Jesus is a Liberal,” “God Wants Spiritual Fruits, Not Religious Nuts,” “The Road to Hell is Paved With Republicans,” “Republicans Are People Too – Mean, Selfish, Greedy People” and so on. You get the idea.

Now, for the cold, hard facts about conservatives (as noted in “Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism”, by Arthur C. Brooks):

* Although liberal family incomes average 6% higher than those of conservative families, conservative headed households give, on average, 30% more to charity than the average liberal headed household.

* Conservatives also donate more time and give more blood.

* Residents of the states that voted for John Kerry in 2004 gave smaller percentages of their incomes to charity than did residents of states that voted for George Bush.

* Bush carried 24 of the 25 states where charitable giving was above average.

* People who reject the idea that “government has a responsibility to reduce income inequality” give an average of four times more than people who accept that proposition.

* In 2000, Vice President Al Gore gave 0.2% of his family income (one seventh of the average of donating households) while remaining steadfastly committed to giving our money (via taxes) to collectively support those he declined to support personally.

As always, it’s much better to actually do good than to merely talk about it. As St. John put it, “My little children, let us not love in word (or bumper-stickers for that matter), neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

For you, little Will...

For you, little Will, Jesus Christ has come, he has fought, he has suffered.

For you he entered the shadow of Gethsemane and the horror of Calvary.

For you he uttered the cry, "It is finished!"

For you he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven and there he intercedes — for you, little child, even though you do not know it.

But in this way the word of the Gospel becomes true. "We love him, because he first loved us." (HT: Derek Hale)

More Wiliam J Pics

To view, click any picture twice and then click the arrow button.

Not Only Offered, But Really Exhibited and Conferred...

William Josiah Helsel was solemnly and joyfully received into the household of faith on February 24, 2008.

Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible Church; but also to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, of his ingrafting into Christ of regeneration of remission of sins and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in the newness of life Which sacrament is, by Christ's own appointment, to be continued in His Church until the end of the world.

The outward element to be used in this sacrament is water, wherewith the party is to be baptized, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, by a minister of the Gospel, lawfully called thereunto.

Dipping of the person into the water is not necessary; but Baptism is rightly administered by pouring, or sprinkling water upon the person.

Not only those that do actually profess faith in and obedience unto Christ but also the infants of one, or both, believing parents, are to be baptized.

Although it is a great sin to contemn or neglect this ordinance yet grace and salvation are not so inseparably annexed unto it, as that no person can be regenerated, or saved, without it or, that all that are baptized are undoubtedly regenerated.

The efficacy of Baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered yet, notwithstanding, by the right use of this ordinance, the grace promised is not only offered, but really exhibited, and conferred, by the Holy Ghost, to such (whether of age or infants) as that grace belongs unto, according to the counsel of God's own will, in His appointed time.

The sacrament of Baptism is but once to be administered unto any person. (WCF XXVIII, emphasis mine)

The Origin of Sadie Hawkins Day

On this day in 1288, the Parliament of Scotland enacted a law allowing women to ask men to marry them, but only on this day, February 29th. If the men refused, by law they had to pay a hefty fine. Methinks this is quite possibly the origin of the manly man's three-day fishing trip as well.

Now What!!!???

Global Warming Inc. II

This morning a feature article in the Seattle Times asks us, "Should Toll Roads Help Fight Global Warming?" Notice that the Times article assumes that our globe is, well...warming. However, this morning I asked Strauss-the-weather-dog what he thought about recent temperature trends, and he barked twice, indicating "definitely colder." And, lest you are tempted to dismiss this doggy-data as frivolous and unscientific, Strauss's opinion does indeed comport with the latest temperature information (see below.)

So in answer to the Seattle Times' question. Here are three quick jabs at the fear mongers at Global Warming Inc.

"Has it ever occurred to you how astonishing the culture of Western society really is? Industrialized nations provide their citizens with unprecedented safety, health and comfort. Average life spans increased 50 percent in the last century. Yet modern people live in abject fear. They are afraid of strangers, disease, of crime, of the environment. They are afraid of the homes they live in, the food they eat, the technology that surrounds them. They are in a particular panic over things they can't even see - germs, chemicals, additives, pollutants. They are timid, nervous, fretful and depressed. And even more amazingly, they are convinced that the environment of the entire planet is being destroyed around them. Remarkable! Like the belief in witchcraft, it's an extraordinary delusion - a global fantasy worthy of the Middle Ages. Everything is going to hell, and we must all live in fear." (A fictionalized academic in Michael Crichton's novel, State of Fear)

According to at least four different sources, our supposedly over-heating planet cooled significantly last year. You can view the data yourself here. (Yikes, talk about an inconvenient truth...)

"Lest you doubt the left's pieties are now a religion, try this experiment: go to an environmental activist and say, 'Hey, how about that ozone hole closing up?' or 'Wow! The global warming peaked in 1998 and it's been getting cooler for almost a decade. Isn't that great?' and then look at the faces. As with all Millenarian doomsday cults, good news is a bummer." (Mark Steyn)

The Great Divorce

These days I am listening to about as many books as I read. I just finished listening to C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce on my iPod. Wow. I love reading, but sometimes the audio version surpasses the mysterious glory of "shadows on paper." Reader Robert Whitefield's accents are spot-on, most noteably his George MacDonald Scots-brogue. This master exposé of modern idols has long been one of my favorite reads (I've read it at least once a year for several years running), but I will probably swap reading for listening, at least for a few trips around the sun. You can download the audio version at Audible.com or purchase a CD here.

Another audio masterpiece is Lewis' Screwtape Letters read by John Cleese of Monty Python fame. Cleese's accent and delivery make one wonder whether he is reading the book or channeling the demon-spirit of uncle Screwtape.

Will You Have a Nose in Heaven?

Most modern Christians have a conception of heaven that is much more Gnostic than Christian. Aristotle and others taught that salvation was "salvation from the body." But the Scriptures teach that salvation is the "salvation of the body" (and indeed of all things pertaining to our humanity.)

Paul taught that Jesus was the "firstfruits from among the dead", meaning that we would follow Christ after the pattern and in the likeness of his resurrection. John taught that someday we will see Jesus and that "we will be just like him." In other words, we, just like Jesus, will have "noses and toe-ses" in heaven.

Bishop N.T. Wright has some very helpful comments on this doctrine in a recent interview with TIME magazine which you can read here.

Lord of the Nano-seconds...

Yesterday (Sunday morning) I was motoring down to Shiloh (our downtown church office) to pick up some books to take to our Lord's Day assembly. The roads were very snowy so I took my wife's newly aquired Toyota Highlander. I was traveling down Yakima Avenue and about to cross Chelan Street when I noticed a truck coming from my left on Chelan. I had a green light. He had a red light. I couldn't stop because of the snow beneath my tires. He didn't stop because, as he told me a few momeents later, he was talking on his cell-phone. I hit my anti-lock brakes and began a four-wheeled slide through the intersection, yelling through the windshield "What are you doing!!!???" I hit the truck broadside, "T-boning" it on the passenger side. We both walked away from the collision (praise the Lord!) And the other driver, to his credit, immediately took full responsiblity for the early morning "demolition derby" and even told the police officers that he had run the red light whilst talking on his cell-phone! (Wowsers.)

I later calculated that if I had entered the intersection 1/4 of a second sooner, he would have T-boned me on the driver's side and I most likely would have been hospitalized (or worse.) God is indeed the "Lord of the nano-seconds" and we are all extremely grateful for His sovereign superintendence of yesterday's events. Soli deo gloria!

Global Warming Inc.

Have you noticed how Global Warming Inc. is able to take any isolated weather pattern and use it as "proof" of global warming? Here in Wenatchee we had a hot dry spell last summer and that was "proof" of global warming. We are currently having a very moist and cold winter and that too is "proof" of Al Gore's "inconvenient truth." I am assuming that if we have an average sort of Spring that that will be "proof" of global warming as well. Curiouser and curiouser...

Sometimes "more" is "less"......

"A German airline is offering nude flights. What a tremendous idea. How many times have you been on a flight and looked around and said, 'Gee, if only I could see these people naked.'" (David Letterman)

The Baby Has Landed III

The Baby Has Landed II

What a cute little guy! To view the pictures: click twice on any photo, and then click the arrow button. Enjoy.

The Baby Has Landed!

William Josiah Helsel made his entrance today at around 7:00 pm MST. The little guy weighed in at 7 lbs 15 oz. and 20 1/2 inches long. Will is a perfect blend of Shannon and Josiah. Mom and baby are doing just fine. To view the pictures: click twice on any photo, and then click the arrow button. Enjoy.

Boise Bound...

In a few minutes we (Ellen, Bekah and I) will be leaving for Boise, Idaho to meet our new grandson, William Josiah Helsel. Lord willing, the little guy will be taking his first gulp of air sometime today, and a few seconds later will begin excersising the vocal chords with which he will spend the rest of his life returning praise to his Maker and Redeemer. How wonderful.

I'll upload some photos later on today or tomorrow.

Covenant Family Conference

Last weekend we conducted our "Covenant Family" conference. On Friday evening Pastor Shade took us on a delightful two-hour romp through the covenants of the Old Testament. The two lectures were potent reminders of the organic unity of God's Word and the wonderful way that God has been progressively revealing Himself and preparing a bride for His Son.

On Saturday morning Pastor Shade drew out of Genesis 1-3 some very helpful pictures of, and principles for, covenant husbands, wives and children.

On Sunday morning Pastor Shade finished off the weekend with an exposition of 1 Corinthians 13. As usual, God's Word, faithfully exposited, was both convicting and helpful. Thanks Burke!

A Triple Blessing

We are blessed to live a mere 12 miles from the Mission Ridge Ski/Board Resort. This week I was blessed to be able to share the beauty and perfectly manicured slopes of MR with pastor Burke Shade (blessings are always better when shared with someone else.) And thirdly, the Lord provided us with an unusually calm and clear day up on the ski-hill, making it possible for us to see Mt. Rainier, Mt. Stuart and even Glacier Peak from the top of Chair 2. Spectacular!

FYI: You can enlarge the pictures by double-clicking on them.

Shades of, well...Shades

Pastor Burke Shade and his lovely daughter Joanna are visiting us with us in Wenatchee this week. Burke will be speaking at our "Covenant Family Conference" this weekend, but came early to enjoy some Northwest skiing (they are from the flat-lands of southern Illinois.) The Lord, who loves to give his children "more than we are able to ask or imagine", graced us with 16 inches of fresh-fallen powder from the night before. Cowabunga!

We were joined for the day by Derek Carlson whose idea of a warm-up run was the deep powder located on the near vertical slope of a double-black-diamond run. (Me: Hey Derek, umm, is there another way to go down from here?)

The intolerance of, well...intolerance

Comediean-Activist-Host-Speechwriter Ben Stein has produced a movie about the overt hostility of the scientific community towards anyone within their ranks who dares to challenge Darwinian dogma. If the preview accurately represents the movie's message and ethos (let's face it, we've all been burned on that score), it could be an effective volley against the intolerance of academia. At the very least, the movie looks like it could provide grist for some very interesting, and possibly even fruitful, "water-cooler" conversations.

Auburn Avenue Pastors Conference 2008

One of the perennial dangers of leadership is the sin of egotism (a.k.a. "self-importance" or "thinking too highly of one's self.") However, as Charles de Gaulle once noted, "Cemeteries are full of indispensable men." I am thankful to be surrounded by elders/teachers - locally, nationally and internationally - who take their work very seriously, but who do not take themselves too seriously. And to illustrate my point please click here for some pictures from this year's Auburn Avenue Pastors Conference. The teaching was exceptional, and all of it was delivered with appropriate gravity, levity and sincerity, but...well, just take a peek at our presenters.

Family Camp 1997-98

Here's a little stroll down memory lane. To view the pictures: click twice on any photo, and then click the arrow button. Enjoy.

Kennedy Honors Moment

In Steve Martin's autobiography, Born Standing Up, the comedian-turned-actor gives an insightful account of his dysfunctional relationship with his father, Glenn Martin. The first time Steve ever heard his father say "I love you son" was well past Glenn's eightieth birthday. Shortly before the elder Martin died he told his only son, through tears, that he sorely and deeply regretted not returning the many outpourings of love that he had received over the years.

Steve Martin's account of his father is revealing but respectful, honest but tender. It serves us, the living, with a good reminder to say our "I love yous" now, and to give and receive love today in a way that will leave us without regrets tomorrow. (HT: Derek Hale)

Comin' out his fingertips...

I am a long-time fan of Phil Keaggy. We hosted him for a concert at WSU many years ago and he was the epitome of humility and cheerful service in all of our dealings with him before and after the concert. My friend Doug Wilson likes to remind us that "theology comes out of our fingertips." With that in mind, turn up the volume on your computer a bit, click play below and enjoy a helping of Mr. Keaggy's theology as it comes rushing out of his fingertips. (HT: Derek Hale)

Son of Peace Like a River

Good news Leif Enger fans! The author of Peace Like a River will be releasing his follow-up novel, So Brave, Young and Handsome, pretty soon before very long. If you haven't read Enger's first offering, stop whatever you are doing right now, purchase or borrow the book and read it. No, savor it. No, drink in each chapter, page, sentence, word and syllable of this incredibly well-crafted tale of family, heartache, humor, miracles, redemption and peace. Enger's prose is so thick with metaphor that it reads at times like really fine poetry. And for you iPod devotees, Audible.com has Peace Like a River as a downloadable audiobook. (I just downloaded it this morning.) So whattaya waitin' fer?