Daily Prayer

For the last four months I've started using Daily Prayer from the Church of England as a way to start out my mornings.  You might ask, "What is someone who grew up in an Evangelical church doing using Liturgical prayer?"  This is a question I've asked myself at times, but the beauty and enjoyment it has brought to my faith has practically erased the question. I will share with you the pieces from my journey that have led into Liturgical Prayer.

A couple years ago, I read Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas.  The book was profound for me on so many levels.  The one thing that Dietrich Bonhoeffer had integrated into his life was Daily Prayer, three times a day: morning, noon and night.  He also said that he daily prayed the Psalms.  After reading his book, I started praying through the Psalms and it really did open new doors in my faith.

Then last year, I read Our Favorite Sins by Todd Hunter and he would end each chapter with a prayer from Daily Prayers.  The prayers started to intrigue me and it got me interested in exploring Daily Prayer.  I would return to his book periodically and grab one of the prayers he wrote to use it as a springboard for prayer.  Then one night I typed "Daily Prayer" into Google and I came across Daily Prayer from the Church of England and I've been doing it ever since.

Finally, I read Monk Habits for Everyday People by Dennis Okholm and it solidified the purpose and the reasoning's behind the rhythm of Daily Prayers.  As he discussed his faith journey, he infused the beauty of how participating in Daily Prayer affected his spiritual walk.

So why do I love Daily Prayer?

1. The connection to the larger body of Christ: It amazes me that people all over the world are reading the exact same prayers and Scriptures on the same day, during the same time slots.  I find it encouraging to be reminded that there are other Christians out there being encouraged and strengthened by the exact same Scriptures as I am.  It helps me to tangibly feel a part of the body of Christ.

2. It connects me to the history of the Church: The Church of England celebrates the saints and the history that their individual lives have given to the Church.  I have learned so much about Church History since I've started doing Daily Prayer.  At the beginning of each day, they list the saint or the holiday being celebrated.  If and when I have time, I look up the saints on Wikipedia (I almost always find the time when it is a woman).  I have been utterly amazed at the women of the church and the movements that they have started, which have literally changed their cultures.  Starting my day with the thoughts and inspirations that these saints bring once again, reminds me that today really does matter.  It may seem like I am making, small insignificant choices but the Lord truly does move through our everydayness and it does impact history in tangible ways.

3. Praying through the Psalms:  Daily prayer always includes Psalms.  The thing that stood out to me from what Dietrich Bonhoeffer said about praying the Psalms was that Jesus himself used the Psalms as prayers.  That thought reminds me of the humanity that Jesus carried along with His divinity that He used His physical mouth and His physical mind to celebrate and praise God.  To have the privilege and opportunity to do the same, daily is a huge blessing.  Also, using Scripture as a platform for prayer instead of just filling my mind with information has helped me to interact with Scripture differently.

4. The connection of Scripture:  The majority of Daily Prayer, is straight Scripture.  In the morning, there is always a Psalm, an Old Testament Passage and a New Testament passage.  As I read through all three of these at the same time, I continue to be amazed at the continuity of Scripture and the themes that seem to jump out at me even more clearly through Daily Prayer. 

5. The repetition:  There are a few Scriptures that are a) either repeated daily or b) repeated on a weekly basis.  These Scriptures contain the foundational truths of God's daily love for us and His plan of salvation.  Having them before me daily helps keep me oriented to the truth of God.  John Eldredge discussed in one of his books - our amnesia of God.  How easy it can be to lose sight of the reality of God when we get bogged down in life.  For me, Daily Prayer, has kept God and his purposes at the forefront of my mind.

6. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.  

Throughout Daily Prayer, these words are repeated several times.  I am still reading through Practice Resurrection by Eugene Peterson and now he is covering the Trinity.  Being confronted with these words multiple times on a daily basis keeps me keenly aware of the Trinity and how I can allow the Trinity to shape my life this day.

7. It gives order, purpose and direction to my prayer: After reading and praying through all the Scriptures there comes a point towards the end which states, "Pause and pray for : the day and its tasks,  the world and its needs, the Church and her life."  The reason I love this is because by this point in time, my troubles, worries and fears have been greatly minimized from when I first entered my time of prayer.  The glory of God and what He is up to has reshaped my mind and helped bring perspective to my day.  It also helps me to take time to look outwards to the people in my life that might need prayer, and to have concern for the greater issues that may be affecting our world, at this moment.

So these are the things that I love about Daily Prayer.  Growing up, I always thought liturgical prayer was so boring, so restrictive and so unnecessary but I had never delved into it because I allowed my preconceived biases to block my path.  However, now that I've experienced it, I've discovered that rather than constricting my faith it has helped to direct it, strengthen it and encourage it. 

Daily Prayer does have a morning, noon and night prayer - all different Scriptures, directions and focuses.  I have yet to fully venture into doing all three prayers on a daily basis, but I love that it is there and I love that when I need a middle of the day refocus, or a night-ending wrap up, Daily Prayer provides that for me.

In Christ,



All thoughts in this post are from me and have come from my personal interaction with Daily Prayer from the Church of England.

Being Changed by Contentment

As a homeschooling mother, the last 4 years, there has always been a little voice quietly whispering behind everyday.  That voice, while not from one particular person, has been created from a compilation of the questions people have often asked me. That quiet voice has included thoughts like:

Why are you homeschooling? 

Are you truly doing what is best for your children? 

Are your kids going to grow up and ask, "What were you thinking?"

Are you holding them back from what is best from them? 

Are you homeschooling out of fear?

While those questions are valid and need to be thought through and answered, living under them everyday is not healthy.  Especially, on the days when I am a cranky homeschooling mother, because then the guilt can really pile on to me.  The thing is too, that these questions have been answered, with both my husband and I being in agreement.  And yet, I've allowed myself to live under "this other voice" who never stops asking and is never satisfied.

I've been reading through Monk Habits for Everyday People by Dennis Okholm and I want to share some quotes, which for me, have directly addressed "this voice" and I look forward to a school year freed from living under it.

A comment by Henri Nouwen, "Wherever I am, at home, in a hotel, in a train, plane, airport, I would not feel irritated, restless, and desirous of being somewhere else or doing something else.  I would know that here and now is what counts and is important because it is God himself who wants me in this time and place. (from chapter 8: Staying Put to Get Somewhere)"

If you've read my post, "Taking Back Life" you know that this has been a theme for me this year.  As I walk through this area where God is strengthening me, I get to narrow down and actually apply it to specific areas.  There is such a relief and a freedom in knowing that I can be content right where I am at in what I'm doing.  The only voice I need to be answering to is God's voice.  So, I am learning to be content where I am placed.

But it doesn't stop right there.  God's purposes in where He has placed us aren't arbitrary.  He is shaping us and molding us in Him.  Any situation in life has the potential of affecting you and changing you.  As I stated, one of the times I hear this "other voice" more clearly is when I'm a cranky homeschooling Mom.  It would be much easier to run away and say, "I'm not cut out for this."  However, when I do this I am not giving God the room or place to bring about change in me:

Conversion and growth in character happen when we remain, not when we run (from Chapter 8).

Sister Irene Nowell said, "the daily willingness to turn and be turned together, the willingness to be a good example, to live every day in humility and wisdom and peace, praying all the while that Christ bring us all together to everlasting life.(from Chapter 8)"

These thoughts have brought freedom and excitement to me.  I am excited that God's desire for me is to be content right where I am placed each and everyday.  I am excited that I don't have to run (and one of the ways that I run is by thinking maybe I'm not doing what I am supposed to be doing).  Instead, in my contentment with where I've been placed, I can allow God to work on me, refine me and change me to be who He has created me to be.

Stability means being faithful where we are - really paying attention to those with whom we live and to what is happening in our common life (from Chapter 8).

"Many issues in our lives could be sorted out if we gave up some control of our environment and allowed God to surprise us by using the contexts and communities in which he has placed us.(from Chapter 8)"

In Christ,

My theme verses for this year

In January, I wrote a post called Relentless God in it, I shared some verses that I thought would be a theme for me this year.  Well, it is six months later, and I'm still processing them in and through my life:)!  So here are the verses:

Isaiah 9:1-11

But suddenly there will be no more gloom for the land that suffered. In the past God made the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali hang their heads in shame, but in the future those lands will be made great. They will stretch from the road along the Mediterranean Sea to the land beyond the Jordan River and north to Galilee, the land of people who are not Israelites.

2 Before those people lived in darkness,

but now they have seen a great light.

They lived in a dark land,

but a light has shined on them.

3 God, you have caused the nation to grow

and made the people happy.

And they have shown their happiness to you,

like the joy during harvest time,

like the joy of people

taking what they have won in war.

4 Like the time you defeated Midian,

you have taken away their heavy load

and the heavy pole from their backs

and the rod the enemy used to punish them.

5 Every boot that marched in battle

and every uniform stained with blood

has been thrown into the fire.

6 A child has been born to us;

God has given a son to us.

He will be responsible for leading the people.

His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God,

Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.

7 Power and peace will be in his kingdom

and will continue to grow forever.

He will rule as king on David's throne

and over David's kingdom.

He will make it strong

by ruling with justice and goodness

from now on and forever.

The Lord All-Powerful will do this

because of his strong love for his people.

Below are some additional thoughts that I've had about them since January:

• Verse 2: In the past God made the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali hang their heads in shame, but in the future those lands will be made great.   They will stretch from the road along the Mediterranean Sea to the land beyond the Jordan River and north to Galilee, the land of people who are not Israelites.  2 Before those people lived in darkness, but now they have seen a great light. They lived in a dark land, but a light has shined on them.  Thanks to preparing for the next school year with Sonlight, I ran across these verses again but in the New Testament. Sonlight pointed out that in Mathew 4:12-16 Jesus fulfills this prophecy.  It was a great reminder to me that what we are reading about here has been fulfilled and we can apply these truths to our lives today.  God wants to take people out of the darkness and their shame and make them great!!  The verses that follow show us how He does this.
• Verse 6 God has given a son to us. He will be responsible for leading the people. This very sentence has been foundational to me in the past 9 months.  I've been waking up to the idea that God is our leader and we need to follow Him.  In the past, my prayers have been full of begging God - to move, asking Him if He truly sees, does He understand, why doesn't He move...  But recently, God has been confirming the facts that yes, He does see, yes He does know, and yes He will lead if I am willing to follow.  In the past, I have tried to get God to "move" and my efforts were often rooted in a mistrust of His heart towards me and towards others.  It has truly been freeing and life-giving to realize that He wants to lead me and that He knows how.  It isn't always easy to stop and listen to what He has to say, nor is it easy to admit that I don't always trust God's heart towards me or His ability to lead.  But the verses that follow have truly helped in this process of trust...
• Wonderful Counselor: Attribute 1 reminds us again that we are invited to listen to Him.  He is not just a counselor He is a WONDERFUL one.
• Powerful God: Is this something that I truly believe?  Yes, He is powerful but I'm also learning that His power comes in many different ways, shapes and forms.  Instead of attempting to force God to prove His power to me I'm learning to ask Him to open my eyes to Him and the ways He is currently moving whether big or small.
• Father who lives forever:  Over the last 2 years God has taken me on a journey to love, rest and understand His Father heart towards me.  It was a beautiful season and I love how God sealed theses truths by intertwining Scripture and books with the reality of events happening in my everyday life.  If the Father heart of God means nothing to you or it scares you, I'd highly recommend that you read The Birthright by John Sheasby to learn more.
• Prince of Peace: Isn't peace what we all long for?  At least, I do.  Learning to have peace in the everyday ups and downs of life has only come through following the Prince of Peace.  Knowing that it is on His heart to bring this into the reality of my life has allowed me to continue desiring to listen to what He has to say.
• Verse 7: Power and peace will be in his kingdom and will continue to grow forever.  God's kingdom is growing and the attributes it grows with are power and peace.  Many times it is easy to seek God's kingdom in visible ways but Jesus reminds us in Luke 17:20-21 that "God's kingdom is coming, but not in a way that you will be able to see with your eyes. People will not say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' because God's kingdom is within you."
• The Lord All-Powerful will do this because of his strong love for his people.  Do you see the underlying cause of God's operation? It isn't the "depth of our faith," our efforts or anything that we do rather it is His strong love! 

I would like to finish this post off with The Message's version of Matthew 11:28-30:

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

In Christ,

 

Photo courtesy Melanie Guest Photography

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Book Review: God Forsaken

God Forsaken by Dinesh D'Souza is a book that looks at the question, "With all the pain and suffering in the world can there really be a loving, omnipotent God?"  While this is the question of the ages, this author attempts to answer the question, using modern scientific reasoning, with a resounding yes. 

When I first started to read this book, I struggled with the author's approach that he was on "God's defense team."  I think Scripture makes it very clear, that God doesn't need a defense team and creation itself speaks loud enough on His behalf. I, however, soon came to a different appreciation for the author's gift with the following analogy:  We all know how to spell, but we all do not have the ability to teach spelling.  There are rules behind spelling, but we do not stop and think about them in order to spell every single word, we just  do it.  However, there are brainy people who are able to step back, dissect spelling and show the rules behind it.  So it is with this book.  We all operate in this created world - whether we understand the rules behind it or not.  It is true that a loving, benevolent, omnipotent God created this world. We don't need to understand the "technicalities" of how this is true in order for it to be true.  However, there are people who have the ability to step back and show the rational reasoning behind these truths.  This author has attempted to do this showing through the laws of science, theology and philosophy how there can be a loving, omnipotent God who allows pain and suffering to take place.

As the author states, this book is not an attempt to help people deal with the emotional pain they are experiencing as a result of suffering . Rather it is a rational, logical approach to the subject.  The book is an easy read and he has made it very easy to comprehend his reasoning.  This question is probably the number one question of humankind, so it is something that we should reflect upon. 

As a little background, the author often debates today's well known atheists so he looks at atheistic arguments head on.  The author also believes fully in the Big Bang Theory and discusses how he believes the God of the Bible initiated the Big Bang.  He does believe in literal hell and discusses why.  He only mentioned satan once or twice and in almost off-handed ways.  I personally, think that looking at the issues of pain and suffering two-dimensionally (God and man) without including satan or demons is missing a big piece of the puzzle.


The truths of God are Truths without our ability to comprehend them, however, even through modern science today, He continues to confirm what He has said from the beginning - that man has a free choice and that He loves us.  Pain and suffering exist in our world and if you haven't come to intellectual terms with how those things can be both be true, this book might help you on that road.
 
I didn't necessarily like the book nor dislike it.  It is written in an easy to read fashion.  I struggled with understanding his audience.  It seemed like he was talking to Christians, who already know these things are true and wanted to point out reasons why we don't have to struggle internally with these thoughts.  At the end, though he addressed atheists head on.  I personally didn't feel the way he spoke to his audience made it a book to give to an atheist, especially with the expectation that they would necessarily be moved or convinced to change their philosophy.  Finally, the author implies that he is looking at the question in a whole new way.  However, there wasn't one argument he presented that I hadn't heard bits and pieces of before.  While, it was nice to have it all laid out in one single book I wasn't blown away by anything he presented either.

I know I've said a lot.  If you have further questions about the book, let me know.


In Christ,



I received this book free of charge for the purposes of review from Tyndale House Publishing.  All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

Book Review: Princess Stories

Our family recently reviewed Princess Stories: Real Bible Stories of God's Princesses by Carolyn Larsen.  I selected this book because my daughter is age 6 and shows a strong interest in princesses. I thought this book would be a good way for her to learn about women in the Bible through a means with which she was already interested.


This book is very well done and has far exceeded my expectations.  Each story is only 3 pages long and is written as a first-person narrative. Although each story is relatively short, it manages to remain accurate in  giving the background of the characters and their biblical story.  Each character starts out with "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who was the most (fill in the blank) princess of all."  The blank is filled in with that princess' defining characteristic.  My daughter was curious at first on how all these women in the Bible could be princesses.  Her question gave me the opportunity to share with her how we are all daughters of the King of kings, which allows us all to be princesses.


I personally enjoyed the book because it reveals how many women there actually are in the Bible.  We all know the big names like Esther, Ruth, Mary but this book includes even more women like Huldah, the widow of Zaraphath and the daughters of Zelophehad (Did you recognize them all without cheating?).  This book has given me a greater appreciation of the role of women in the Bible.


Each section ends with a Bible verse and 3 short questions which allows for age appropriate review of what they learned and application of the principles to their own lives.  We have added this book to our home school Bible time and everyone is enjoying it - including my 8 year old son.


This book is very well done and I would highly recommend it to be added to any little girl's library.


In Christ,

I received this book free of charge from the publisher Tyndale House Publishing.  I was not paid for my review and all thoughts are mine and mine alone.

Book Review: Healing is a Choice

I decided to review the book Healing is a Choice by Stephen Arterburn after attending the incredible Women of Faith Conference.  At the conference, they emphasized being healthy spiritually and that we do have choices in how we feel and act each day.  They said if you were having trouble in this area to seek help.  I thought this book would be a perfect follow up to the conference.


Eight years ago, I read Waking the Dead by John Eldredge and then proceeded to read the rest of his works.  Going through his books helped me to sort through a lot of stuff and find a lot of freedom in different areas.  The last couple of years though I haven't really focused on "healing" per se and I began to see the residual effects in my life.  Issues began creeping up slowly, that were just annoying at first but started turning into bad habits.  I've learned that when things continue and I'm not able to stop them, through prayer alone that there is usually something else going on.  I've learned that it is worth finding out what the roots are and attacking them.  After attending the conference, I decided to attack these things head on.  So onto the book review:

Healing is a Choice is slightly intimidating when you receive it because it is 454 pages long!  Why is it so long?  Because it is the book and a full workbook combined.  The book discusses 10 decisions that will transform your life and 10 lies that can prevent you from making them.  The book is actually a fairly quick and easy read.  It is the workbook part that is full and intense.

The author is divorced after a 20 plus year marriage.  He uses much of the book to discuss the process of healing he went through after his divorce.  I personally struggled with how he chose to talk about his ex-wife and his former marriage.  His examples ended up being a hurdle I had to overcome to get to the truths of the book.  However, what I really found beneficial was the workbook portion of the book.  It is excellent and it is filled with Scripture and lots of good questions to ask.  It provided a good quiet time for me to talk to the Lord about some things!  I personally found the workbook  portion to be helpful and healing and it did provide what I was looking for, a format to deal with some of these issues.

Here are a couple of other thoughts about the book.  He mentions the possibility of using the book in small groups.  After leading small groups for the last 7 years, I would say this would not be a good idea.  The book is pretty intense, and depending on people's pasts could bring up some very deep issues.  When I lead a group SAFETY is my number one concern and it takes time to establish that. The group would have to be safe and the leader would have to equipped to handle the issues brought up.  Finally, if you can't afford counseling with a professional, the workbook portion might be a cost-effective way for you to get help.

Walking healed and whole is a choice.  Often times Christians walk around broken inside but "happy" on the outside.  After years of being around Christianity, I've watched these "happy" Christians crumble.  I've determined in my heart that this is not going to be my story.  What I've learned is that God just doesn't want us to look "good on the outside" but He truly cares about our hearts.  He wants to bring healing to our hearts and sometimes that involves looking at the past and letting God bring truth to the pains of the past.  Don't be afraid to grab God's hand and walk into the past with Him.

In Christ,



PS I received this book free of charge from Booksneeze.  All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

Love: The Greatest Thing in the World

This morning I opened my Google reader and enjoyed a post by Carolyn Weber entitled Christmas Gifting: Commercialism or Commission? The Giving of Grace.  Reading that post lead me on the adventure of starting to read a book called The Greatest Thing in the World.  That book is available online for free.  All I can say is that for me it is a timely blessing of God's truth.  I have been enjoying sitting and reading about 1 Corinthians description of Love and letting the Truth of it seep and soak in and through my life.  If you have a few moments follow my links by starting at Carolyn's website and moving from there to the free e-book.  You will be blessed.

Here are a few teasers from the book in case you need a little motivation:

I shall pass through this world but once.  Any good thing, therefore,

that I can do, or any kindness that I can show

to any human being, let me do it now.  Let me not defer it or neglect it,

for I shall not pass this way again.

Souls are made sweet not by taking the acid fluids out, but by

putting something in -- a great Love, a new Spirit, the Spirit of Christ.

Christ, the Spirit of Christ, interpenetrating ours, sweetens, purifies,

transforms all.  This only can eradicate what is wrong, work a chemical change,

renovate and regenerate, and rehabilitate the inner man.  Will-power does not change men. 

Time does not change men.

Christ does.

Goethe's words: "Talent develops itself in solitude - the talent of prayer,

of faith, of meditation, of seeing the unseen; character grows in the

stream of world's life.  That chiefly is where men are to learn love.

So I have not made my way to the end, but I was enjoying myself so much along the way that I had to share.  I pray you have a few moments to jump into these readings and will be blessed.

In Christ,

Book Review: In Visible Fellowship

If you've been around my blog for a while you know that I admire the life and writing of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  Last year, I had the opportunity to do a book review of Costly Grace: A Contemporary view of The Cost of Discipleship by Jon Walker.  Jon Walker has now done another modern re-write of Bonhoeffer's book Life Together called In Visible Fellowship.



In Visible Fellowship is a very light but beautiful read.  Each chapter is only 2-3 pages long.  The format includes a quote by Bonhoeffer, some thoughts to ponder, Scripture verses and a few follow up questions.  The main theme discusses how we should live together as the body of Christ in fellowship (which you know is one of my favorite things to think about these days). 

I believe this book is a valuable resource and would be a great book for a fellowship group to dive into together.  It is a simple and short read, but the thoughts and concepts presented have an important conversational depth to them.

Another reason why I especially like this book is that it allows us to think about Christianity outside of our contemporary biases.  God's truth expands cultures and time periods and Bonhoeffer lived in a different culture and in a different time period.  I believe it is important to grasp a hold of Christianity with a fuller and deeper understanding by considering thoughts and aspects from those who came and lived before us.  This book provides a wonderful opportunity for that to happen.

In Christ,


I received a complimentary edition of this book from Leafwood Publishers.  I was not paid for my opinion and all thoughts expressed are mine and mine alone.

Book Review: Ascent from Darkness

I recently finished the book  Ascent from Darkness: How Satan's Soldier Became God's Warrior by Michael Leehan.  The back of the book states:

A life of difficulty and disappointment set 33-year old Michael Leehan up for the worst decision of his life—to make a deal with the Devil to follow and serve him. Practicing the dark arts that include ritualistic cuttings and blood sacrifices, while fine tuning his manipulation and control skills, Michael launched into a twenty year downward spiral that included job loss and detachment from loved ones, and even jail time.


But God had another plan that included a group of Christian men to love him and pray for him—even when it became evident his assignment from Satan was to kill their pastor, Craig Groeschel.

The life Michael Leehan lives today is an incredible testimony of the transforming power of God's mercy and grace, but is also a wakeup call to the church to be fully aware of the spiritual war that is going on all around them, and to the ultimate battle for their souls.

"I am sending you to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me." Acts 26:18

_____________________________________

This autobiography was pretty incredible and at times almost unbelievable.  Once again, I was amazed how many times throughout his life story God placed believers in Mike's life.  Some were small encounters, others were bigger but in the scope of his life I think each person played a role and had a contributing significance to his eventual salvation.  The sin in his life was paramount and it just goes to show once again that Christ's love has no bounds and can take even the "worst of sinners" and turn their lives around.  God was on a relentless pursuit of Mike throughout his life, and Mike's life almost ended in death several times.  The book was written in such a suspenseful way that even though I knew he was going to live and be saved I was on the edge of my seat as to who was going to win and when.

As I stated, there were times that it seemed almost unbelievable.  I appreciated the fact that the book ended with testimonies from people who knew Mike before he was saved and after.  They vouched for the validity of his story and they vouched for the incredibly on fire, changed life that Mike now leads.  I even looked up the pastor of his church, whom Mike spent one year planning how he was going to murder him, he is a real, well-known, published pastor. 

If you are one of those who don't really believe that satan and demons are real, then you just might want to peek at this story.  If you want to appreciate the need for spiritual warfare, and to realize that the enemy is very real and intent on bringing destruction to the church, you might want to peek at this book.  If you want to be amazed once again at how deep God's love can reach then this story is a great place to start. 

In Christ,

PS I received this book free of charge via Booksneeze.  All opinions are mine and mine alone.

Book Review: Surprised by Oxford

Right now all I can say is, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh." And it is a sigh of beauty, joy and contentment.  I absolutely LOVED Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber.  Reading this book was like going away on a long weekend with a beloved friend and getting to hear her God story.  The book description is:

A girl-meets-God style memoir of an agnostic who, through her surprising opportunity to study at Oxford, comes to a dynamic personal faith in God.


Carolyn Weber arrives for graduate study at Oxford University a feminist from a loving but broken family, suspicious of men and intellectually hostile to all things religious. As she grapples with her God-shaped void alongside the friends, classmates, and professors she meets, she tackles big questions in search of love and a life that matters.

This savvy, beautifully written, credible account of Christian conversion follows the calendar and events of the school year as it entertains, informs, and promises to engage even the most skeptical and unlikely reader.

Carolyn has studied and taught Romantic Literature so this book is not only a beautiful God story, it is also a beautiful display of the use of language, and poetry.  Throughout each chapter she throws in poems and quotes from famous poets, authors of old and U2.  This book has an absolutely beautiful way of sharing the Gospel through a life lived in question.  Throughout her life story, she wrestles with many of the questions Christianity presents unbelievers and she manages to answer those questions in a grace-filled way.

As many of you know, I had the privilege of growing up in Christianity. After you have been around faith for many years, the waters can get murky with religiosity. Carolyn came to Christ, in her adulthood and didn't have any experience with Christianity. It was refreshingly beauitful to see the Gospel come alive through the power of love to someone who has no experience with Christianity. It was also beautiful to see how in hindsight God had been weaving His way into her story through the people and influences around her. This is a modern day life story lived out showing how God is a loving Father who strongly desires for all men to be saved.

I hands down loved this book.  It was not only an enjoyable read, it ministered to my heart in a very healing way and it expanded my love for my Heavenly Father.  He is a good Father, and He loves to author our stories.  I sooooooo hope that you decide to read this beautiful book; it's that good. 

To get a taste of the story, you can download the first chapter for free from the author's website: http://www.pressingsave.com/.


In Christ,


 
P.S. I received this book free of charge from Booksneeze in exchange for a review.  I was not paid for my review or required to give a positive review.  I really just loved the book! I am an Amazon.com affliate so if you purchase the book through one of my links, they may store up some pennies for me.

Book Giveaway: The Birthright

My Women's Group just finished a wonderful book called: The Birthright: Out of the Servant's Quarters into the Father's House by John Sheasby.  Going through this book in a group, was a beautiful season and the fruit of change in many of the women's lives was profound.

This book expounds on the story of the Prodigal Son to bring light to the heart of the Heavenly Father for His children.  One of the individuals this book specifically focuses upon is the older brother.  I believe this book is very powerful, especially for second generation Christians.  As a second generation Christian, I have read through the story of the Prodigal Son and I could often relate to the frustration and jealousy of the older brother.  How come God rejoices over him and not me? I've always stayed in the bounds, I've never rebelled, I do not have an incredible testimony but all the attention goes to those with the radical story.  The Birthright, looks at this attitude and much more and reveals the Father heart of God for all of His children.  This book boldly blasts open the religious spirit that often clouds over our hearts and invites us to walk in the freedom and confidence of our inheritance as children of God.

Because I think this book is so powerful and life-giving, I am giving 5 copies of it away!  All you have to do is e-mail me at forhisgloryalone@ymail.com and say, I want a copy.  Please include your mailing address in the e-mail.  The first 5 people to e-mail will receive a free copy of the book. 


 In Christ,


PS I stumbled upon this book through a friend.  I loved it and am giving it away at my own free accord.

The Ministry of Jesus

The events in China due to the One-Child Policy are heart-breaking and at times it is possible to get discouraged and lose hope.  But when we stop to consider the heart and mission of God we can press forward.  Hebrews 12:1 states:

 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

One of the “witnesses” to encourage us can be found in the life of Gladys Aylward.

In case you don't know anything about Gladys here is a little information.  Gladys was a missionary to China.  She went to China out of obedience to a call from the Lord without support from anyone.  She went through extreme hardships and trials to get herself to China.  One trial was walking through Siberia in the middle of winter by herself for 3 days straight.  Needless to say, she almost died.

I wanted to share one story from her life that captured my heart and totally confirmed and revealed to me the power of the ministry of Jesus:

Isaiah 61: 1-3 &; Luke 4:18

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,

because the LORD has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,

2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of joy

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.

Gladys had come to China without the ability to speak Chinese and without a backing from a missionary organization.  The missionary she had been working with died and so she found herself all alone in China.  She owed money to the Madarian, which was like the governor of the land, and she didn't have any money to pay him.  One day  he came to see her, and her Chinese companion fled because he thought Gladys was going to be arrested for not paying her taxes.  What happened next, was absolutely astounding.  The Mandarian came to her asking her to do a job for him.   This was amazing first of all because it provided the money she needed and secondly because of the job she ended up doing.  He was commanding her to go throughout the land and enforce a new law that had come from the head government.  It was commanded that all girls under the age of 12 could NO LONGER have their feet bound.  It was her job to make sure every village in her area was following this rule.  She informed the Mandarian that she would be preaching the gospel while she performed her task.  He said it was fine.  He gave her second in command status for that area and her word was to be followed.  She had the government's permission and support to travel throughout the land preaching the gospel and unbinding little girls feet breaking a horrific tradition that had gone on for generations!

The story recollected the first time she entered a home to unbind feet.  She sat down on the ground and took a little girls foot and began to unwind the cloth that had her feet bound so tightly in half.  The foot was completely white.  She began to massage the feet of the little girl and the blood began to flow again.  As she came into people's home with the authority of the government she also had the opportunity to share about the God who loved them so much that He sent His one and only Son so that they could be free.

Do you remember the ministry of Jesus, to set the captives free?  For generations Chinese women were in captivity and extreme pain because of this horrible tradition.  How beautifully appropriate that a daughter of the King of Kings would be called out to break this terrible curse in such a beautiful and personal way.  I don't know why generations of Chinese women had to endure the pain and why freedom didn't come earlier.  I just know and can see that WHEN the ministry of Jesus is given the chance to come it is done in a most glorious and beautiful way.

What I've learned from reading Gladys' story is that it is WORTH pushing through the pain and the hardships that try to stop us from going where God has asked us to do.  It is WORTH being a willing vessel and that Jesus will use us to bring His freedom to the captives.

The ministry of Jesus is still in effect today and His ministry flows out of His people.

Let it flow.

In Christ,



Book Review: Which None Can Shut

I recently had the opportunity to do a book review for the book:Which None Can Shut: Remarkable True Stories of God's Miraculous Work in the Muslim World by "Reema Goode."  Imagine a place where becoming a Christian is a punishable crime—and your own family exacts the punishment. Where those who spread the gospel among locals are deported if discovered. Where converts to Christianity face persecution, isolation, or even death as the price for their faith. “Reema Goode” and her family are Christians working in a closed Middle Eastern country where all of these things are true. Yet they are also firsthand witnesses of a whole new trend that is taking shape in missions to Muslims. Despite all obstacles, God is opening miraculous doors in the Islamic world, where an unprecedented number of Muslims are becoming followers of Jesus. In this powerful collection of personal stories, Reema takes us deep inside her Arab neighborhood to show how God is opening doors in just one of many Islamic communities. As she walks us through everyday life in a Muslim town, she reveals the diverse, creative, unexpected, and thrilling ways God is reaching her neighbors with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. “See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it.”—Revelation 3:8

I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone.  All I can say is, that it is an incredible story of the power of God working in the Muslim world.  This book provides a wonderful testimony of God moving through relational evangelism to share His love with others.  Reema tells her story in an easy to read way.  There is much to glean in this story about how to walk with God and share His love with others in any country or culture.  It is an incredibly encouraging and inspiring book.

In Christ,

I received this book for free from Tyndale Blog Network.  All opinions are mine and mine alone.

Recommended Book: Journey of Desire

Twice a month, I co-lead a Women's Group in my home.  This summer we had the privilege of going through the book Journey of Desire by John Eldredge.  It was an amazing time and I think I can fairly say that all of us ladies received a lot from it and are still reveling in the beauty of the truths.

Journey of Desire was written by John the year after his best friend Brent tragically died in a rock climbing accident.  Beautifully interwoven throughout the book is the journey that John went through in his thought processes during that year.  The book discusses how God has given us desires and how to keep desire alive in the process of life and all the hardships life throws our way.  It acknowledges that sometimes it is way easier to curl up and stop caring.  But it also tenderly speaks to the truth of who God is and what He desires for our lives and while acknowledging the pain it challenges us to keep going.  Unlike the book I read earlier this year Why is God Ignoring Me?, I truly believe this book acknowledges and is comfortable with the depth of pain that people can be in and tenderly calls us forth to life again.

I believe this book is a tool of the ministry of Jesus described in Matthew 12:20:

A bruised reed he will not break,

and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,

till he leads justice to victory.

Finally, I believe this book is a great book to do with a friend or a group.  There is so much in it, that I believe for you to receive the fullness of it, you should be discussing it with others as you go through.

In Christ,

Book Review: The secret Holocaust Diaries

This weekend I finished the book the Secret Holocaust Diaries: The untold story of Nonna Bannister by Nonna Bannister with Denise George and Carolyn Tomlin.  Nonna was a young Russian girl who was born right before World War II and spent a good portion of her youth in Germany's labor camps.  Her story is very unique and full of tragedy.  She came from an aristocratic childhood and about the age of 5 life began to change in Russia.  She proceeded to lose literally everyone in her family from the age of 7 until 16.  Most of the story comes from her direct diary entries.  Nonna hid her diaries for her entire adult life and a couple of years before she died she allowed her husband to read them.  She told her family that after her death, they could share her story with the world; hence this book.

Because Nonna passed before the book was published and the editors never spoke to her in person there are a lot of gaps in the story.  In addition, Nonna had written the original diary in 4 different languages and then throughout her adult life she translated the diary into English.  Because of the unique way this diary was brought into being there isn't a smooth flow in the book.  You get a lot of bits and pieces throughout the book but by the end you understand the whole picture. 

Nonna experienced a lot of tragedy and honestly there were two parts in the book that I couldn't handle reading and I literally closed my eyes and turned the page.  Nonna quoted the philosopher Santayana in the book, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it! (pg. 255)"  It is absolutely heartbreaking to read the depth of evil that humanity can reach and the absolute disregard for the value of human life.  But it is also amazing that the power of love can carry one through an extremely difficult time.


Thanks,



I received this book as a complimentary book from Tyndale Publishing.  The opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.  In other words, I was not paid for it:)

Book Review: Bonhoeffer

As my regular readers know, I have been reading Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas for a book review on behalf of Thomas Nelson Publishing. When I first received this 548 page book my husband laughed at me and said, "this book will be the end of your book reviews." I knew he was going to be either very right or very wrong; I would either love this book or it would become a great paperweight. I LOVED the book and I was riveted on page one and honestly loved every single page of it.

Eric Metaxas did an excellent job weaving a seamless story of Dietrich's life. This book gives you an in depth look not only of the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer but also an in depth view of the worldwide church at this time in history, an inside view of Nazism and its horrors, and how the church at large really sat on its hands at a critical time. Dietrich's early life was fascinating and theologically informative and I would have enjoyed reading just about this. The events from 1930 until his death in the 1940's showed a man who had not only "theories" about God but a man who was willing to walk out what he believed even to his death.

Two thing I wished I had done while reading:

1. I wish I had my journal with me, so I could have taken notes while reading. I was often completely absorbed and couldn't set it down. So I plan on going through the book again more studiously.
2. I realized when I finished the the book that there was an index containing everyones' name and the pages they were found on. There were so many people mentioned in a book, I would often have a hard time remembering who was who and it would take awhile to figure it out. The index would have proved helpful to me while I was reading.

I highly recommend this book. As a current homeschooling mom, it has made my children's senior reading list:) In fact, they will be reading it whether or not I am still homeschooling at that point.


Hebrews 11:13-16 is a perfect description of the life of Bonhoeffer:

All these great people died in faith.

They did not get the things that God promised his people,

but they saw them coming far in the future and were glad.

They said they were like visitors and strangers on earth.

When people say such things, they show they are looking for a country

that will be their own. If they had been thinking about the country

they had left, they could have gone back.

But they were waiting for a better country—a heavenly country.

So God is not ashamed to be called their God,

because he has prepared a city for them.

In Christ,

For more thoughts on and quotes by Dietrich Bonhoeffer click on this link.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Truth of God

I currently am reading Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas for a book review. I haven't finished the book yet (since it is 542 pages long) but I'm having a hard time being quiet about it until I reach the end of the book!

It is an excellent book full of beautiful nuggets for our Christian faith. I read the following quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer last night and I had to share it today:

Do not try to make the Bible relevant.

Its relevance is axiomatic (self-evident)....

Do not defend God's word, but testify to it...

Trust to the Word. (pg 261)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Be reminded this day of the foundational strength of God's Word. Our society has tried to shame us for being Christians and make us out to be fools for our beliefs. We do not need to cower or hold our heads down in embarrassment for what we believe. Testify to the Word, Jesus Christ:

He is the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn over all creation.

For by him all things were created:

things in heaven and on earth,

visible and invisible,

whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;

all things were created by him and for him.

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

And he is the head of the body, the church;

he is the beginning and the firstborn

from among the dead, so that in everything

he might have the supremacy.

(Colossians 1:15-18)

Can anything good come from dust?

Sunset Over the Hill by lucianvenutian

My kids and I went to the library last week. Our library experiences aren't organized or intentional by any means, instead this is how we do the library: we walk in, the kids grab a few books randomly off the shelf, they give them to me and then they go off and play with the toys. This method never allows us to know what we are coming home with much less knowing whether the books will be excellent, okay or just plain strange. During our last trip, they managed to pick a good book, Stars Beneath Your Bed: The Surprising Story of Dust by April Pulley Sayre. The story talks about what dust is, where it comes from and what it does. The end of the book has 2 pages discussing dust in further details for the adults and in those pages it says, "When the sun is low in the sky, its rays hit dust particles at an angle. The more dust, the more colorful the sunsets and sunrises. When volcanoes erupt or forest fires burn, they send a lot of ash and soot into the air. This ash makes sunsets particularly colorful for weeks and even months, until the dust settles."

Who doesn't love a beautiful sunset? Who knew that something we find as useless and annoying as dust is the palette, which God uses to create His artistic masterpieces? God wastes nothing, not even something as small as 1/16th of a millimeter of ash. We all appreciate God's handiwork in the physical realm and as we appreciate these displays of His splendor it should remind us of what He also promises to do for us in the spiritual realm:

Isaiah 62:2-3

to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes, the oil of gladness

instead of mourning, and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.

The God who uses dust and ash in the physical realm promises to one up it for us in the spiritual realm; He promises to replace our ashes with a crown of beauty. In the Old Testament, times of mourning and repentance often included the presence of ashes. As I look over the past year, there have many days of mourning in my life and the lives of those around me. While I am not surrounded by the presence of physical ashes there are many dreams and desires that currently are ashes in my minds' eye. Sometimes it has been hard for me to look up and not settle into a place of sadness and despair. This book along with the verses in Isaiah have reminded me that even the ashes in our lives will be redeemed by Him. If a sunset is a demonstration of what He can do just by shining on ashes I can't wait to see what He will do when He replaces them.