For every teenage boy trapped in a Richie Cunningham body there is the dream that something will unleash their inner Arthur Fonzarelli. Watching Happy Days as a youngster I carefully studied The Fonz to see where his coolness emanated from. It expressed itself in his raised thumb and his snapping fingers; it was vocalized in his "Whoa", and "Aaay!" complete sentences. But the source wasn’t his motorcycle or his hair; it wasn’t his white t-shirts or even his gleaming smile. Fonzie’s coolness—what separated him from the Ralph Malphs and Potsie Weber’s of the world—came from one thing- his black, leather jacket.
I know that one of The Fonz’s original jackets is locked up in the Smithsonian for safe keeping; I’m sure that Henry Winkler has one of them stashed away in a closet (though by the looks of his career he hasn’t worn it for a long, long time); but somehow a close cousin to that jacket, including its magnetism, made its way into my life when I was in high school.
When I wore the jacket my Richie Cunningham insecurities sat on the bench. I dared to do things that would have been impossible without the added courage. I was wearing the jacket when I approached Mrs. Jenkins about taking her daughter to the Amy Grant concert even though she and Mr. Jenkins had implemented a strict no dating policy. She caved. Angie asked me later what I had said to work this magic with her mom. I just straightened the collar of my jacket and said, “Aaay!”
I wore the jacket to school, to church, on Bible Quiz trips, and on dates. I wore the jacket out. Literally. The lining inside the jacket was worn to threads. But even then the magic worked. I took the jacket with me into a fabric store having met a brunette with a breathtaking smile who was employed there. She couldn’t tell if I was there to see her or to get help mending the jacket. She hung around for a long time trying to figure it out.
Once I was married the jacket was lovingly retired. It pained me to know that it still needed repair, but every time I had someone look at it, they’d shake their head sadly and tell me that it was near impossible to replace the lining. Everyone suggested I just buy another coat. They didn’t understand.
In desperation I took the jacket to a high school friend who is a fabulous seamstress. She grimaced when I showed her the lining. It appeared that the damage was beyond her skills as well, but I left it with her anyways, hoping for a miracle.
Michelle called me up a few months later. “Come pick up your jacket,” she said. “It’s fixed.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep,” she laughed, “Come see it!”
I went straight over. She held up the jacket, showing me its shiny, new, satin lining that looked durable enough for another generation or two.
“This was a labor of love.” She punctuated each word as she handed me the jacket. “I would never take on a project like this again.”
“Then why did you do it?”
She paused and smiled “It’s because I remember the jacket.”
See, Michelle is a believer too.
The jacket has spent the past five years in the closet waiting patiently for the right day to make its grand reappearance.
Today is my son Stephen’s 15th birthday. He has shot up in size this year and his voice is changing. He loves God, good music, has a great set of friends, a fantastic sense of humor, and has learned to think for himself. All indications suggest that he doesn’t need a black leather jacket to help him overcome any insecurity, but it is still his nonetheless. Who knows, there may be a Mrs. Jenkins out there who needs a little bit of convincing someday.
You’ve been fairly warned, parents. The jacket is back in play.
Happy Birthday, Stephen!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Lock up your Daughters!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Best Christian books of 2009
I read a lot of Christian books this year. Here were my twelve favorites, in no particular order. The links go to my reviews, if available.
- The Naked Gospel: The Truth You May Never Hear in Church by Andrew Farley
Incredible real and touching journey of Donald's life. I related to his story and loved his writing. Is your life a story that is worth telling?
Amazing book on the beauty that can come out of pain and suffering. My book is being passed around to so many friends.
Ah... so that is what is behind this phenomenon. Very thoughtful book about being connected and being community.
- How (Not) to Speak of God - Marks of the Emerging Church by Peter Rollins
- The Orthodox Heretic: And Other Impossible Tales by Peter Rollins
Fantastic book written about consumeristic Christianity- all told with the backdrop of Vincent van Gough's life and work.
Wondering what God's eternal purposes for his creation were before we messed them all up? Viola paints a beautiful picture of what was, what should be, and what is to come.
- Angry Conversations with God: A Snarky but Authentic Spiritual Memoir by Susan E. Isaacs
Kevin takes a semester at a fundamental university with surprising results. Important and timely read.
- Bo's Café: A Novel by John Lynch, Bill Thrall, and Bruce McNicol
- The Misunderstood God: The Lies Religion Tells About God by Darin Hufford
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Estes Newsletter - 2009
It’s that time of year that our mailbox is full of newsletters and pictures from friends and family that live both far away and next door too. I love going to the mailbox during December from the arrival of the Bledsoe’s envelope (which always kicks off the season) to those that drift in towards New Years. We stopped mailing our own newsletters a few years ago, trying to take advantage of electronic delivery and more connections with our friends on Facebook. If you miss having this letter in the mail, please feel free to print it out and stick it in your mailbox overnight. Then you can cut out our pictures and tape them to your fridge, like I do with all family pictures sent to us.
It has been a while since we have given any sort of an update so I’m going to make this a traditional newsletter complete with updates on the kids, our vacation, and some plans for 2010.
Kona
What an amazing year for our oldest. Kona is a Jr in high school and will have her Certified Nursing Assistant license (CNA) in May. This year she has worked as a server in an assisted living residency near our home. Last summer she went to three Mediterranean countries as part of a student ambassador program. It was the third year in a row that she has traveled to another country for at least a couple of weeks. Kona is creative and fun and brings joy to many people’s lives.
Stephen
The day Stephen turned 14 he got a job at Chateau de Boise as a server (Kona followed him there later in the year). He had plans for lots of snowboarding this winter and saved up his money for his pass and all his equipment. He even bought his sister all her boarding gear at the local ski swap. Stephen makes friends with all sorts of cliques at school. He is in as many advanced classes as he can take, plays lacrosse, plans the school dances, and walks girls home from school. He lives to be with his friends and he has picked some very nice ones to hang out with.
Bonnie J
Our youngest daughter has made the most of her transition to public school. Her sixth grade year includes her second year of serving as a crossing guard, playing on the basketball team, and being in student council. She is very active, generous, and fun. If you make friends with Bonnie you have won the lottery- she is so loyal and loving. Bonnie is looking forward to starting basketball again in a couple of weeks with the YMCA. She also has become a huge football fan, knowing more about the rules and procedures than most players.
Renton
Though he may be our youngest child, this kid truly has the world by its tail. He is smart, athletic (nearly outran his older brother in the Capital Classic Race in Boise this year), and stubborn (which is think comes from being the youngest). Renton always brings new friends home, pulls the family together for activities, and sleeps the closest he can to our black lab, Hooter. 
Raising families isn’t easy and our interactions also include squabbling, sibling rivalry, and the occasional food fight, but overall this family is full of love and tenderness towards each other, and we like that a lot!
Jamie
It’s been a few years since Jamie has been in the nursing field so she has been studying this past year towards renewing her license. Not sure what job she wants to pursue yet, but we like that she will have some options and it should expand some opportunities for our family as well. Jamie is as ever, if not more so, passionate about relationships and truth. I admire and respect her greatly.
Chad
The shift coming out of full-time ministry for me hasn’t been easy at times, but one amazing blessing has been the job I have. I get to work with some talented writers, designers and programmers. I am proud of our work and our team. I get the right mix of challenges, opportunity for creativity, and freedom. I’m grateful!
I read over sixty books this last year, writing reviews on many of them. It was a good challenge and has opened up a lot of fun doors and new friendships. I’ll be more selective this year and focus more on writing myself – at least here on the blog. (You can subscribe to the blog for email delivery in the right column.)
As far as ministry—it happens, quite naturally really—the phone rings, an email arrives, people respond to something I’ve blogged, people show up on the doorstep. Papa’s presence really does show up in the middle of relationships. I end the year with a full heart, having participated in some very meaningful relationships for me.
Vacation
Our family joined our close friends, the Mansfields and the Hearons, to a great Intervarsity camp on Catalina Island called Campus by the Sea. Our week of family camp and the following few days in Disneyland was the best vacation we have ever taken together. We are planning on a return trip this year. We would love to have more of our friends join us. Send me an email if you’d like to know more. We will be making our reservations on February 1st.
Blessings
We look forward to more love, more relationships and more freedom this coming year. We hope that includes interacting more with you!
In Love,
The Estes Family
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Human Trafficking in the United States.
When Liam Neeson’s movie “Taken” came out in 2008 many people were shocked. The film portrayed how easily it was for unassuming girls to get pulled into the slave trade. As the setting was Paris, I had several friends question my sanity in sending my teenage daughter on a student ambassador program which included a week in France. The movie and my daughter’s trip both had a good ending, but for many girls the horrors of the slave trade are an awful reality. 
In her book, The Slave Across the Street, Theresa Flores brings the human trafficking story home to the United States, to a wealthy suburb of Detroit, sharing what really happened in her own life. Not the victim we tend to imagine in these crimes—white, upper class, stable family—Theresa was taken advantage of, repeatedly, and was in a cycle of abuse that was so cruel she was lucky to have escaped with her life.
Flores now shares about these teen years as part of her own healing, uncovering what had lain secret for years, but needed to be brought into the light of truth not only for her but also for current victims and potential ones.
Although the subject matter of the book is adult by nature Flores' descriptions of her life are not graphic in detail. I have read similar themed books that emphasize the horror of the lifestyle with only a chapter of redemption at the end. They make for a titillating read, but are hardly helpful in the fight against human trafficking. This book is bare of the glamorization of such tragedies and only provides enough story to understand the enslavement issue.
The book also includes several chapters regarding the facts about human trafficking, how to seek help for victims, indentify red flags on the slave trade, and provides important pointers for parents and professionals. Anything this book may lack in its presentation and prose is made up in its substance.
You can also learn more about human trafficking at Flores' website: http://www.traffickfree.com
Stay tuned for a book giveaway from the book's publisher, Ampelon!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Seeing Jesus at Christmas
I saw Jesus this season, in many different places. Here are a few:
- In the welcoming hand motion of the lady ushering me into traffic as I left Starbucks.
- In the sound of the fiddle strings from the three siblings offering Jamie and I an impromptu concert on the sidewalk.
- In each breath of the friend whose lungs are healing from what easily could have been an H1N1 deathbed.
- On the finger of a bride who dropped in to show us her new rock that twinkled like a star.
- In Matthew West’s song, “Give This Christmas Away”
- In the retelling of the Christmas story in John Blasé’s new book, “Touching Wonder.”
- On the knee and in the voice of the homeless man who knelt down to worship with Carlos Whittaker in a park.
- At the dinner table with the family who acknowledged the pain of knowing the son/brother they lost this year wouldn’t be celebrating the holiday season with him on this side of eternity again.
- In the incredible generosity and joy of my children.
- In the verse that directly precedes the famous verse foretelling Jesus’ birth in Isaiah 9:6 (For unto us a child is born…) which says, “Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.”
Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Agents of Grace: Carlos Whittaker
I’ve been following Carlos journey via the social media for this past year. By his own words he is an artist, pastor, thinker, experience architect, and Web 2.0 junkie. On his blog he says that he lives to “ignite a movement of authenticity among all generations of Christians that morphs the face of the evangelical church into a place of being real with yourself, others, and God.
This week Carlos was shooting some media to go along with his new album. As he was singing the song “God of second chances” a homeless man named Danny walked up, knelt down, raised his hands and joined the worship. I’m not sure who benefited the most from their sharing, but I know I’m in that circle. After watching it, I bet you will be too.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The Primal Essence of Christianity
On a trip to Rome, Pastor Mark Batterson descended a flight of stairs in a church into the catacombs that were used by the second-century Christians to secretly congregate when persecution for their faith was the norm of the day. While in that setting he began to process his own faith and that of the community back home. Instead of people living out their faith with passion he felt much of society viewed their Christianity as inconvenient—if not by words, than at least by the way they were living.
“I couldn’t help but wonder if we have diluted the truths of Christianity and settled for superficialities. I couldn’t help but wonder if we have accepted a form of Christianity that is more educated but less powerful, more civilized but less compassionate, more acceptable but less authentic than that which our spiritual ancestors practiced.
Over the last two thousand years, Christianity has evolved in lots of ways. We’ve come out of the catacombs and built majestic cathedrals with all the bells and steeples. Theologians have given us creeds and cannons. Churches have added pews and pulpits, hymnals and organs, committees and liturgies, And the IRS has given us 501(c)(3) status. And there is nothing inherently wrong with any of those things. But none of those things is primal. And I wonder, almost like the Roman effect of building things on top of things, if the accumulated layers of Christian traditions and institutions have unintentionally obscured what lies beneath.”
His book, Primal, then asks the question, “When all of the superficialities are stripped away, what is the primal essence of Christianity.”In four sections Batterson covers the Great Commandment, engaging his reader’s intellect and emotions as he discusses what it means to “Love God with your Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength.” In examining at the spiritual condition of today he reaches back to rediscover and leans forward to reimagination. The four major points of action that he determines fit within the Great Commandment are compassion, wonder, curiosity and power. Batterson gives a good sampling of all four in the book, most of them very thought provoking and moving. However, I found his chapter on giving and his chapter on hearing from God too restrictive, too programmatic, and still very defined by what has been built over the years instead of what is actually primal. I think he could have used his own methods of rediscovery and reimagination to greater affect in these areas.
Overall I really enjoyed processing the message of this book. I agree with Batterson that, “For a season, we love having a god that we can measure and manage with our mind. But there will come a point when sensory things and rational things won’t satisfy your holy curiosity… The next reformation will be led by millions of reformers living compassionately, creatively, and courageously for the cause of Christ. It will be marked by broken hearts and sanctified imaginations. And the driving force will be the love of God. A love that is full of compassion, wonder, curiosity, and energy.
If you are looking for the Lost Soul of Christianity, this will be a good book for you.
A Novel Idea – Help for Christian-fiction Authors
Tyndale has recently published a great reference book for those inclined to write Christian fiction. If you’ve perused the sections in a Christian bookstore you will find many shelves devoted to this writing. If you venture into a mainstream bookstore you even will find many of the same books in stock. Unfortunately, if you’ve picked them up you may have been disappointed with the story telling. Just because someone has added God content to their pages doesn’t mean that the book is worth reading. Honestly, some of the worst books I’ve ever read fit into this genre. It seems too easy to give an author an easy pass on their writing just because their characters go to church, make good decisions, and don’t have premarital relations or affairs. Maybe Tyndale published this book hoping to get a better quality of writing into the field. If so, good for them!
A Novel Idea is a collection of advice from “Top Selling, Inspirational Authors” including Francine Rivers, Karen Kingsbury, Randy Alcorn, Terri Blackstock, Robin Jones Gunn and Angela Hunt. (They also list Jerry Jenkins at the top of this author list, but I gnash my teeth as I read his advice. He may have sold a lot of books, but that doesn’t make him a great fiction writer. I find very little of value in the content or literary style of the Left Behind series.) There are other Christian fiction writers that I wish had been included in this book based on their quality of writing, but I digress.
Part one of the book covers the “Fundamentals of Fiction” with chapters on plot, characters, dialogue, point of view, pacing, setting, and descriptions.
Part two covers, “Developing Your Craft” with chapters on preparation, the discipline of writing, finding your voice, writing with expression, and handling rejection.
The third section specifically covers the areas of discerning your calling and the distinctives of Christian fiction.
The last section covers networking and marketing with chapters on breaking into publishing and specific areas of marketing like blogging and promotion through social networks.
This book was extremely valuable to read through and instead of going to my “have read” book shelves, this resource will stay within arms reach for its insight into these areas of writing. If you are interested in writing, or you are a mediocre, Christian-fiction author, please read this book.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Weather or Not: A book review on The Blue Umbrella
Mike Mason had a good recipe for his new children’s novel, The Blue Umbrella:
- One, desperate, 10 year old little boy, who just lost his mother
- A Lemony Snicket styled tragedy, where everything that can go wrong for the little boy, does
- An other-worldly setting, called Five Corners, that supposedly is a part of the real world
- Evil aunts and a more evil granddad
- Mute friends and midgets
- Sci-fi subplot having to do with the creation of the weather
- Redemptive characters that represent the Trinity
All in all this book had the potential to be a very good novel, but in the mixing together of the ingredients it fell a bit short of its goal. The book always stayed interesting, but was never captivating. My 11 year old daughter, 9 year old son and I started reading it together but he lasted 1/3 of the way through the book and her affection for it waned a little over half way through. I finished the book alone—too many other bright lights to capture the kids’ attention in this fast-paced world.I would suggest that parents read this story alongside or with their children as the darker themes are good discussion points regarding some of the difficult realities in our world, including death, abuse, and suffering. The book has a very redemptive theme and does not leave these issues without some form of healing and closure.
The writing itself is picturesque with Mason often using words that may be over the heads of his younger readers. He does this on purpose, providing several pages of glossary at the end of the book in the hopes that his young readers will expand their literary vocabulary. As a parent I appreciated this.
The Blue Umbrella is Mason’s first attempt at a novel (being an accomplished author in nonfiction). I’ve read that this book is the beginning of a series and that the author will now go into the background of other characters in the story. As with any recipe sometimes the first time through is a learning experience. I’ll gladly read Mason’s next book in the series, expecting him to grow in this genre. I hope others will read this book so they will be prepared for the future treats to come.
