Dinner with a Perfect Stranger/A Day with a Perfect Stranger

When I first heard about this blog tour, I was excited because, let's face it, I'd give anything to have dinner with Jesus! I found this summary of Dinner with a Perfect Stranger very intriguing.

The mysterious envelope arrives on Nick Cominsky’s desk amid a stack of credit card applications and business-related junk mail. Although his seventy-hour workweek has already eaten into his limited family time, Nick can’t pass up the opportunity to see what kind of plot his colleagues have hatched.

The normally confident, cynical Nick soon finds himself thrown off-balance, drawn into an intriguing conversation with a baffling man who appears to be more than comfortable discussing everything from world religions to the existence of heaven and hell. And this man who calls himself Jesus also seems to know a disturbing amount about Nick’s personal life.


I was also curious about the sequel, A Day with a Perfect Stranger.

When her husband comes home with a farfetched story about eating dinner with someone he believes to be Jesus, Mattie Cominsky thinks this may signal the end of her shaky marriage. Convinced that Nick is, at best, turning into a religious nut, the self-described agnostic hopes that a quick business trip will give her time to think things through.

On board the plane, Mattie strikes up a conversation with a fellow passenger. When she discovers their shared scorn for religion, she confides her frustration over her husband’s recent conversion. The stranger suggests that perhaps her husband isn’t seeking religion but true spiritual connection, an idea that prompts her to reflect on her own search for fulfillment.

As their conversation turns to issues of spiritual longing and deeper questions about the nature of God, Mattie finds herself increasingly drawn to this insightful stranger. But when the discussion unexpectedly turns personal, touching on things she’s never told anyone, Mattie is startled and disturbed. Who is this man who seems to peer straight into her soul?

Both of David Gregory's novellas are well-written and thought-provoking. More than just stories of encounters with Jesus, Gregory digs into the arguments unbelievers make against Christianity. In Dinner, the dialogue centers around other possible paths to Heaven, whereas Day speaks to the legalism found in organized religion. Both are compelling reads, as well as a good resource for witnessing.

I thoroughly enjoyed these books, and am grateful for the opportunity to read them. If you'd like to learn more, click on each title.

As a Mom...

In response to my open invitation, Jennifer asked:

What do you think you do best as far as housewifely duties? What do you struggle with? And if you want, you could tackle the same questions about marriage and parenting.

In order to have more blogging material fully answer Jennifer's questions, I'm going to focus on them separately. First up, parenting.

We're right smack in the middle of tweendom, which is an emotional roller coaster not just for CJ, but for everyone in our household. In fact, there are times I feel as if I'm walking a tight rope and riding a roller coaster at the same time! Trying to maintain my balance while helping her deal with the ups and downs of hormones isn't for the faint of heart. A few days ago, it was "don't talk to me". This week we've entered the weepy part of the ride, so my job is to coddle and provide extra tender loving care. Anyone with a 10 -12 year old daughter can relate (oh, please! tell me you can relate!). One minute she frustrates me to no end, and the next she melts my heart.

Yet if I'm being perfectly honest, I have to admit that my biggest struggles as a parent are the result of my own sin rather than CJ's...specifically my lack of patience and unrealistic expectations. As I mulled over Jennifer's question, I thought about how many times CJ's told me that I expect things to be perfect. I believe, in her mind, this translates into expecting her to be perfect. I am a perfectionist, but I am far, FAR, F.A.R. from perfect. Still, this is obviously an ongoing struggle for me because I first blogged about it nearly three years ago.

I am mortified that CJ wrestles the perfectionist demon, as I have and still do. It's the trait I least wanted to pass along to her, but she has it in spades. Living with it in myself is tough. Knowing how to parent a child with the same trait is much tougher.

As far as what I do best, I wish I could say it's to show CJ how much I love her daddy and our Jesus, for that's truly my heart's desire. I decided that CJ could give the most accurate answer.

"I get lots of things I want." (Maybe I should list that as my biggest struggle!)

So I asked her if that was seriously the best thing about having me as her mom. She thought about it for a minute and finally said, "You love me and you take good care of me."

Good thing I didn't ask her last week. There's no telling what her answer would've been.

Just Have to Share This

Wow, you all ask some good & thought provoking questions! I'll start answering later in the week. For now, I've got to tell you what God's been up to!

Saturday I received a card from a good blogging buddy with a nice check for my Peru trip! To say I was stunned is an understatement. I immediately started crying and praising the Lord. This gal is funny, beautiful and so very generous. I don't want to share her identity because, it's "FOR JESUS" as the memo on her check said (which, I must admit, was my very favorite part!). I trust she knows that her obedience is a HUGE blessing to me (as is the lady herself), and I pray that God pours out His blessings on her and her family.

I feel as if during these last two months I've just stood idly by and watched God provide for this trip. He has impressed upon my heart not to do any "fund raising", because He wants to do it Himself. So far, we're over halfway there.

If He teaches me as much during this trip as He's done during the preparation for it...I won't be able to stand it, friends. Honestly, I won't.