Fight: Winning our Battles

I’ve read a lot of books for men.  How to be the spiritual leader of the home, how to be the man of the family, how to be a better father, etc.  In his book, Fight: Winning the Battles that Matter Most, Craig Groeschel has written a book about how men were called to be warriors.  He’s pretty clear that this is a book for men, and not for women.  He even encourages women to put the book down.  I didn’t appreciate that, because if this book really applies to me, then it would be great for my wife to read this book.

In essence, Groeschel explains men are designed to by God to be holy warriors.  I don’t really disagree with that thesis, because most men do want to be the warrior and show their mate how they will fight for her.  They (we) want to be the knight in shining armor to rescue our damsel, who’s in distress.

I was surprised Groeschel chose to be base the book on the life of Samson.  While there are many positives we can take from Samson’s life, I find as many negatives and things I should not be doing.  The purpose of choosing Samson is to teach what was right and what was wrong.  Groeschel was able to help me learn more through his study, but I still felt Samson could have been one part of the picture, and he could have used other biblical characters to help bring home the point about what men should be like.

Groeschel pointed out how men usually show emotion by demonstrating anger as opposed to the many other emotions which are within us.  He concludes or surmises that possibly that anger is really self-directed, or directed toward God, and others.  Anger usually is what will drive a man to action.  He also speaks about other issues such as greed, envy, and lust.

This is a pretty short and easy read.  I think most men will see themselves at various points in the book.  Groeschel’s goal is for men to take over the spiritual leadership in their families and to move closer to holiness through self-discipline.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com http://BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

God UN-Distorted

I was not certain I wanted to read this book.  I had some ambivalence towards it, but I am glad I read the book, God Distorted, by John Bishop.  In short, Bishop seeks to help those who have had less than ideal fathers by discussing a number of perceptions and realities we've experienced with our earthly fathers and how they shape our view of God.

He writes about ~

1. The father who was absent.
2. The passive father.
3. The demanding father.
4. The enabling father.
5. The controlling father.
6. The abusive father.
7. The accusing father.

After writing about this, he then contrasts these father images with positive images of God, writing about God the Father who is always with you, who is in perfect control, the God who is safe, and etc.

Finally, in the third section, Bishop attempts to get more practical and helps the reader put things together to better understand what they can do to cultivate a better relationship with God, even though their earthly father has helped skew their view of the true God.

Overall, this is a very good book and one which is helpful to read.  Bishop didn't have the idyllic life either.  His father died in a drunk driving accident when he was four years old.  As he wrote the book, his own son was in jail.  So, there is an authenticity behind much of what Bishop wrote.

At times, admittedly, it seemed a little slow, especially when reading areas which didn't necessarily apply to me, yet, I would recommend this book, as it can be a source of healing.

I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review from Waterbrook Multnomah books from bloggingforbooks.org

Fearless and Courageous

I wasn’t sure I wanted to read this book.  I’m not fully certain why, maybe partly because I knew how it would end, I knew where the book was headed.  Yet, Fearless is an excellent book.  It’s not just a military book, it’s the story of a man, a hero, a man who was fearless with his life, willing to sacrifice for others. 

Sadly, most of the press we receive about the wars we are engaged in are negative.  While there is sadness in this book, we see Adam Brown as a valiant man who placed God first, even though he had to endure consequences from his sins and mistakes.  Brown's life was changed when he met Jesus in a grimy Arkansas jail cell.  His problems didn't go away, but his life dramatically changed.  He became a changed and different man.  He was devoted to his wife, family and his Navy SEALs team.

The author did his work.  He spoke to family and friends of Adam Brown.  We learn about the dedication Adam had in overcoming many injuries to become a SEAL.  We gain insight into the generosity Adam displayed to people wherever he went.  He even helped organize a drive in his church to send shoes to Afghan children when he learned they had to wear open sandals during the cold and brutal mountain winters.  He tried to make the world a better place by making a difference in the lives of others.

His loyalty to his team was shown in their loyalty to him.  When he was shot multiple times and badly wounded his team made heroic efforts to save him and get him to a hospital.  This was a powerful book to read.  It pulled my emotions in many directions.  I would highly recommend this book to others.

I received this free book from Blogging for Books, from Multnomah Press.  My opinions are based on my reading of this book and I was not compelled to give a positive review.

Be Intentional and read Intentional Walk

Intentional Walk; An Inside Look at the Faith That Drives the St. Louis Cardinals by Rob Rains is a powerful collection of stories about a number of players on the St. Louis Cardinals players and coaches. 

Admittedly, I’m not a Cardinals fan, but I grew in appreciation for the players on the Cardinals.  This is not just a baseball book, telling funny anecdotes, but it’s a mini biography on many players.  As they share stories about triumphs, mistakes and the many ways they overcame their struggles. 

This is a book about the faith of these players.  They aren’t afraid or embarrassed to talk about their faith and share how they’ve overcome and succeeded as they sought God, whether early in their career, or near the end.  There was also a section about the 2012 playoffs in which the Cardinals lost to the Giants.

I was sold on this book in the Introduction.  Mike Matheny wrote a letter to parents when coaching his son’s little league team, and while it was a long letter, he wrote this, “I always said that the only team I would coach would be a team of orphans, and now here we are.   The reason for me saying this is that I have found the biggest problem with youth sports has been the parents.  I think the concept I am asking all of you to grab is that this experience is ALL about the boys.”  I’ve always wanted to say something like that.  Great statement by Matheny.  He also makes no apologies about being a follower of Jesus in that letter.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book.

I received a copy of this book from free from www.booksneeze.com to read and review. The opinions above are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Humble Orthodoxy? Yup!

Humble Orthodoxy by Joshua Harris was an easy and difficult read.  It was easy to read, but difficult to digest.  Difficult because Harris spoke about topics which many Christians struggle with.  This is a very good book to read.  The premise of Humble Orthodoxy is the call for each Christ follower to practice humility and grace, while at the same time never abandoning the call to be orthodox in the doctrines of our faith.

He stated, “Christians need to have a commitment to sound doctrine.  We need to be courageous in our stand for biblical truth.  But we also need to be gracious in our words and interactions with other people.”  The goal is always to be humble, yet never lose the doctrine of God’s Word.

He spells this out in a four chapter book which has chapter titles,

1. Your Attitude matters
2. With a Tear in Our Eye
3. Repentance Starts With Me
4. Living for God’s Approval

All too often Christ followers find it easy to be critical and complain, rather than find ways to encourage and build one another up, to the glory of God.  This is an easy read, but has deep and profound truth throughout the book.  It’s a great reminder that when disagreeing with someone, we don’t need to give in from our position, but how can we speak with love and grace, yet keep our convictions.  Thereby, showing respect and love, while disagreeing.

There is also a very good study guide in the back of the book.  This would be a good small group study book.  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Reclaiming Love ~ An Excellent Read!

So many of the weddings I perform use the scripture from 1 Corinthians 13.  People love to hear the section that “love is patient, love is kind . . .,” but I will not read that scripture without starting at the beginning of the chapter.  It brings the passage to life.

Ajith Fernando, the author of Reclaiming Love: Radical Relationships in a Complex World has masterfully written about the great “love chapter” of the Bible.  His writing is easy to read and understand.  It can be used as a devotional, or as a sermon.  At times he goes in depth to help us better understand what this chapter is about, as particular word meanings are studied.

He used stories and examples from his time in Sri Lanka, which helped bring some of the passages come to life a little more.  Fernando helps us to better understand what it means to love, since love is the cornerstone of faith in Christ.  As we accept His love and then pass His love on to others.  How we love is a sign of our spiritual health.

This was an excellent book and I highly recommend it.  This book was provided by Zondervan through the program called BookSneeze in exchange for an objective review of this book by Ajith Fernando, Reclaiming Love: Radical Relationships in a Complex World.

Dreams turned into Reality

I can imagine the joy and excitement of welcoming your child into the world.  But I can't imagine the pain of hearing that your unborn child cannot survive in this world.

This is what was facing Steve and Nancy Peifer.  As they painted the nursery for their son, they also planned his funeral.  Stephen Wrigley, was born with Trisomy 13, a genetic defect described in the medical literature as "incompatible with life."  This normal family of four welcomed Stephen into the world on March 4, 1998, and said good-bye to him eight days later on March 12.

As the family grieved the loss of Stephen, new life was taking place.  A new way of living would be there forever, yet it was going to bring this family to a place they never thought about.  As  Steve, Nancy, along with sons, JT and Matthew experienced God's healing, they gave themselves to the people of Kenya.  This is the story about a remarkably normal, yet remarkable family going into the world and making an amazing difference.

This is a story about how God led this grieving family to Kenya, and today they feed 20,000 Kenyan schoolchildren -- enabling these children to stay healthy, and get an education.  The Peifers made a one-year commitment to work as dorm parents at Rift Valley Academy, a school for missionary children tucked in the high elevations north and west of Nairobi.

Just prior to returning to the United States, Steve visited a Kenyan school.  He saw schoolchildren, in the classroom, lying on the dirt floor, and didn't understand.  The teacher told Steve, "This is Thursday.  Most of these children haven't eaten since Monday. If they try to stand, or even sit up, they will faint."  WOW!

That broke Steve's heart and after returning to the United States, they realized their hearts were still in Kenya.  So, they returned and have made a tremendous impact on the lives of the Kenyan people. 

I highly recommend reading this book.  I received a free copy of this book and have given an unbiased opinion of this book.

Sent: Trading in the American Dream

What happens when an ordinary family living out the so-called American Dream comes to realize what they thought was their destiny, no longer is reality?  This is what happened to the Alan family.  It's an interesting story about a family's journey and calling to become missionaries.

Sent is told through the eyes of Hilary Alan, the wife and mother; who felt called to give up the ordinary American life, to become missionaries in Southeast Asia.  Hilary writes about the journey as the family had to make many decisions, including the decision to uproot the family, sell their possessions, try to explain 'who, what, why, where, how and when' to their family and friends.  The decision to take on this calling impacted Hilary, her husband, Curt, and their two children.

Not all were excited about this new journey in their lives.  The Alans' believed they were good, obedient Christians, but when God called them to serve in this manner their lives were turned upside down.

What makes this story better than the average story is that it is true and Hilary Alan does not try to give us the impression that her family was perfect.  She talks about the successes and the struggles.  She talks with stories and paints a picture of opposition which occurred along the way as well.

This is an honest story about one family's journey from normal Christianity to a new normal.  Life was good and convenient for these 'good Christians.'  Their new normal created many changes, but many good things resulted. 

This was a very good book, one I would recommend.

I received a free copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah in return for an objective review.

Being an Intentional Parent!

"Intentional Parenting: Autopilot is for Planes" seeks to help parents learn more about themselves as they seek to become the best parents they can be.  

The authors are from the Daystar Counseling in Nashville, Tennessee.  Their goal is to help parents get off of "autopilot" and begin to hold onto the wheel and fly.  As a parent, it is too easy to put life on autopilot and coast.  However, the goal of the authors is to help each parent learn more about themselves and about their children.  

The book addresses issues such as patience, being consistent and connected to your child, balanced, playful, encouraging, spiritual, intentional and even a 'grown-up' parent.

The hope in the end is that life will be less stressful and more enjoyable for parents and children.  That's a great goal to shoot at.  I would recommend this book for parents to read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com

Enticing and Convicting!

I wonder why I enjoy reading Andy Stanley books? He pushes me, challenges me, convicts me and leads me to think about leadership and church in ways I had not considered.  Sometimes, I think I just don't like him!  

But I really do like Andy.  His writing is clear, it is not filled with technical terms, it's down to earth writing which helps me process his points.  In this book, which is not new, it was originally published in 2006, Andy discusses the 5 C's of leadership.

Andy spends 3 chapters on each topic and addresses leadership qualities such as ~  
Competency 
Courage
Clarity
Coaching
Character

Andy helps each person ~ 
-Discover and play to their strengths 
-Harness your fears 
-Leverage uncertainty 
-Enlist a leadership coach 
-Maintain moral authority

Overall, this is an excellent book.  Easy to read, but it will be difficult to put into practice.  Lots to chew on!

DISCLOSURE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are completely my own.

Moving Journey through Cancer

In Stumbling on Open Ground: Love, God, Cancer and Rock 'n Roll, Ken Mansfield and his wife Connie, wrote an open, honest and very moving book about his and their battle with multiple cancers.  Ken was the American producer for the Beatles, under the label of Apple Records.

Ken and Connie detail their journey through two different occurrences of cancer.  They write with honesty about their spiritual, emotional, intellectual and physical battle with cancer.  Ken and Connie do not sugar coat the difficulties nor the sickness, the wavering faith, nor do the minimize the joys and faith surprises which occur along the way.

This is a very moving book.  Each chapter begins with a short one page summary about Connie's thoughts, feelings and perceptions.  It was nice to be able to gain insight as to what she was feeling and dealing with.

Even during the time when Ken was battling cancer, he and Connie would speak at various churches and seminars sharing God's work in their lives.  I highly recommend this book.

I received this complimentary book from Booksneeze in exchange for my unbiased review.

God is Good

This book should come with a warning label - which tells the reader this is a small book which packs a large punch.  Now, this book doesn't knock you fully down, it's just that Randy Alcorn tackles the question most people would like to ask God, "Why is there so much pain and suffering in this world?"

We all struggle with pain and suffering and Alcorn's desire is to help us, as best as he can, to better understand God's role in the midst of our suffering and pain.  It's a daunting task, which as a pastor, I cannot explain away, and neither can Alcorn.  He doesn't state he has the answers either. 

What he attempts to do is help the reader grasp the gravity of the question as he seeks to bring comfort as we all move through seasons of pain and suffering. 


The book is challenging.  You cannot just read it quickly, you must take your time and gain understanding as to what Alcorn is getting at.  Now, this is a condensed version of another of his books, "If God is Good."  That is a much longer and theological book.

Alcorn is not afraid to tackle the tough issues regarding ~

Evil and suffering.
Poor choices
God's control vs. Our freedom
We're the problem
The role of Christ in suffering and evil
The redemptive power of God;
Why God allows suffering and how it is used for His purposes:
and more

There were a number of excellent quotes.  You definitely need a pen or marker as you read this short but powerful book.

I highly recommend this book.

Live Second!!

Live Second:365 Ways to Make Jesus First is an excellent devotional if you are wanting to be challenged in your relationship with Jesus; or if you are wanting to ask questions as you seek to understand who God is calling you to be.

The book is broken down into 12 sections, (one per month) containing either 4 or 5 weeks, totaling 52 weeks in the year.  Within each section are 7 days worth of one page devotions.  Each section begins with someone's story, found on video.  All of the videos are easily accessible through a QR Reader which makes it simple for smartphone users.  If you don't have a QR Reader, the website link to the video is provided.

Each day then has a scripture reading pertaining to certain aspects of the Christian life.  The book will challenge Christian and non-Christian.  Anyone can start reading this book and find it helpful and useful.  You can start anytime since there are no dates in the book.

Everyday the reader is asked questions, such as,
How will you live more second today?
How will you share what you have learned?

This is not a study which simply gives you all of the answers, this is more about self discovery and group discovery.

We are working through I am Second at our church on Sunday evenings and have found the videos and website to be fantastic.  I highly recommend this book as you start the new year to help you draw closer to Christ.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are completely my own.

GRACE - Defintely More than we Deserve

What a wonderful book by Lucado.  Grace: More than we deserve / Greater than we Imagine is an easy to read book which packs a powerful punch.

We use the word grace to describe so much of life, we throw the word around like we really know what it means, but Lucado poignantly helps us gain a greater understanding of God's gift of grace.

He explains ~ "Grace is everything Jesus. Grace lives because he does, works because he works, and matters because he matters. He placed a term limit on sin and danced a victory jig in a graveyard. To be saved by grace is to be saved by him - not by an idea, doctrine, creed, or church membership, but by Jesus himself, who will sweep into heaven anyone who so much as gives him the nod.

Not in response to a finger snap, religious chant, or a secret handshake. Grace won't be stage-managed. I have no tips on how to get grace. Truth is, we don't get grace. But it sure can get us. Grace hugged the stink out of the prodigal and scared the hate out of Paul and pledges to do the same in us."

Lucado weaves stories about real people, from real life, along with stories from the Bible to help us realize our need for grace.  I used this book as a cornerstone for an 8 week series of sermons about grace.  This is an excellent book, which I highly recommend.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Gospel of Yes

The basic premise of "The Gospel of Yes" is that we were meant to live a fruitful and abundant life.  Too many non-Christians know Christians according to what they don't believe in.  In other words, they hear about what we are against, not what we are for.

Author, Mike Glenn, seeks to help Christians look at the YES of God, as opposed to His divine NO.

Glenn states, "We are called to live for Christ, not against the world.  Yes, following Christ often will place us in conflict with the world. But such conflict is not something we originate; it is a natural consequence of following Jesus. The biblical directive for all Christians is to follow Christ, not just to oppose the world."  As we seek to demonstrate our faith to the world, at the same time, we should be seeking to hear the cosmic YES of God, not waiting for the cosmic NO and anger / wrath of God.

At times the book seemed to be more of a self help book of "how to" which can lead us to seek more self-fulfillment than to serve God.  At times I felt Glenn stretched some of the points he tried to make with scripture. 

Overall, I believe this is a good book to read, a great reminder for those who might be stuck on the thou shalt nots, as opposed to the thou shalts!

I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher but the opinions are mine, nor was a positive review required.


You can watch a video of author, Mike Glenn here

A promotional video of Mike Glenn talking about the book can be found here

Gold Toe Socks

Aren't these great!!  Gold Toe socks!  If you need to make a fashion statement, these are the socks!  They are really comfortable, fit great and look even better!

They are available at most department stores.  There is an especially large section, with good sales at Kohl's.

These would make a great Christmas present!!

Try them, I know you'll love them!



I'm a Bzzagent!

WIsdom Meets Passion

I read this book, Wisdom Meets Passion, by Dan Miller and his son, Jared Angaza with a lot of interest and hope for what it would teach me.  I believe we are in a great cultural shift which has been occurring, but one in which we really seek to avoid acknowledging and dealing with, at all cost.  The subtitle is ~ “When Generations Collide and Collaborate.” 

The part that drew me in was the phrase ‘. . . collaborate.’  What does it mean for two generations, who have very different views of the world to work together in order to make a difference in the world?  I was hoping to get a clearer idea from this reading.

I enjoyed and appreciated the stories, the dramatic out of the box faith of Jared, his willingness to risk everything for what he believed God was calling him and his family to do.  His father, Dan’s, willingness to let his son go.  You see, Jared didn’t want the entrapments of our world, ‘houses, cars, material possessions, etc.’ so he and his wife adopted a son and moved to Africa, which is his passion.

I like what the back cover says – Yesterday the world ran on formulas -- on all things black and white with tried-and-true wisdom. Today things run on dreams and are covered in gray and fueled by passion. But as it turns out, formulas don't work well without feeling, and dreams don't come true without dedication. Enter Wisdom Meets Passion, offering proof that when generations – and their beliefs – come together, something incredible can happen.

I believe that to be very true.  Too often we give up on what we are passionate about and grab what pays the bills.  That’s more of what I got from this book.  It’s an interesting read to see the thought process of how father and son reconcile their different approaches to life.

I received this book from Booksneeze.com for the purpose of giving an unbiased review.

Breaking Free from Fear

As a Pastor who leads Bible Studies, I am always on the lookout for new material and thoughts about different ways to engage those who attend.  With that in mind, I thought this would be a great opportunity to read through Kay Arthur’s study, Breaking Free from Fear.  This study comes from her Precept Ministries.  It is designed to be a 40 minute Bible study, accomplished with no homework.  I’m not sure I like that idea, but I understand her purpose is to help the busy person to engage in Bible study as opposed to saying I don’t have the time, so I can’t do it.

Kay’s style is to have the reader mark their book with different symbols, such as putting circles, squiggly lines, triangles, crosses, underlines, etc. around certain words or phrases.  That seems to take away from my flow of reading.  But that can always be adapted to the readers style and preferences. 

Overall, as I read through this book on helping each person break free from fear, I found it helpful as she used a great deal of scripture to help the reader gain a better understanding of Jesus’ place in their life.  This is an open ended book, with thoughtful questions, related to the passages, as she hopes to move the reader beyond being a slave to fear.  Her conclusion is our way to resolve our fears is to have a healthy fear of the Lord.  She begins each chapter with a short thought and ends with a Wrap Up section.

I believe this would be an excellent resource to help people move through life with a healthy fear of the Lord and reduced fear of the world.

I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah for the purpose of this review.  All opinions are my own.

Unstoppable

There's a new book coming out by Nick Vujicic which should be great.  Watch this 1 minute video to learn more . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii4JNtDPSaA&feature=player_embedded

If you would like to read an excerpt from the first chapter, click on this link . . .

http://www.scribd.com/doc/98561664/Unstoppable-by-Nick-Vujicic-Chapter-1-Excerpt

 I hope this blesses you!

Pastor Michael

Max Lucado on Life

I was looking forward to reading this book by Max Lucado.   Max On Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions was an easy to read book, which frankly was frustrating.  Don’t get me wrong, he has a lot of great things to say, and his viewpoints about life are great, but I wanted something which would take me a little deeper theologically.

Basically, Max is operating like a “Dear Abby” character, answering questions which people have sent in over time.  He breaks the chapters down as follows ~

1) Hope: God, Grace, and "Why am I here?”
2) Hurt: Conflicts, Calamities, and "Why me?"
3) Help: Prayer, Scripture, and "Why church?"
4) Him/Her: Sex, Romance, and "Any chance of a second chance?"
5) Home: Diapers, Disagreements, and "Any hope for prodigals?"
6) Haves/Have-Nots: Work, Money, and "Where's the lifeline?"
7) Hereafter: Cemeteries, Heaven, Hell, and "Who goes where?"

He covers most every basic topic we have in life.  I had no problem agreeing with Max’s basic theology.  Again, my issue was wanting something deeper, which would challenge me a little more.  For the casual reader who is not wanting deep theology, this is a great book to read to help answer life’s questions and gain perspective from a man I believe is one of the greatest Christian writers of our time.

Disclosure:
I received this book free from the publisher through the [BookSneeze®.com] 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."]

Relationships Matter

This book is a reprint of a 2004 book, entitled "Out of the Question . . . Into the Mystery," and is subtitled, "How we got the point but Missed the Person."  This is a very powerful book by Sweet and is very challenging.  The premise for Sweet is that we've lost our first love.  Jesus should be our first love, we should have a dynamic faith, yet we have allowed belief to trump faith

 

Of course we need both, but Sweet believes we've bought into rules over faith.  We talk about belief, but not about the relationship which should come from our belief in Jesus.  We don't exhibit the transformed life Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Sweet believes we are missing the point and relationships should be the cornerstone of our faith.  Without relationship, relationship with Jesus; then relationship with one another, we cannot demonstrate love.  

Some quotes from Sweet include ~ 

• "We are more in love with our principles of peace, than we are with the Prince of Peace."
• "We don't follow Jesus because we understand Him or because we know the truth about Him.  We follow Jesus because He is the Truth, and He leads us into truth through our relationship with Him."
• Faith in God is a relationship involving all of who you are and all that is around you.  Faith is a lived encounter, a relationship of truth with the divine."

There are great study questions at the end of the book.  As this would be great for a book study, albeit a very deep one.  Overall, this is another excellent book from Leonard Sweet.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Awakening!

This book is a 21 day plan to help us move into a meaningful and lasting relationship with God.  The plan is to engage in a planned fast, so that we can draw closer to God.  At the end of the first section of the book, Weems outlines the 21 day plan where we are to engage in prayer and seek to listen to God’s voice.

We need this because we live in a world where there is so much going on that we struggle relating to God and even experiencing His presence.  There is so much noise, twitter, facebook, television, video games, music, and we don't take time out until we drop into bed exhausted . . . and then we sleep, if we can.  We really don't really take time to listen, let alone talk to God.

Weems wants us to understand that we have an assignment from God.  That’s our mission, but are we really fulfilling and following what God wants for us?  It becomes a control issue, and Weems wants us to let go of our control and give God control over our lives.  The only way to really accomplish this is to listen to God.

This process is accomplished by doing the least preferred Spiritual Discipline — fasting.  His point is that we should not be legalistic, but look for what is good, seeing God’s goodness and grace as we worship Him.

I found the book inspiring, easy to read and hope I can attempt to put this into motion sometime in the near future.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Is Chick-Fil-A BAD?!

I read an article, click her for the article from the Baptist Press, about how some college campuses are against Chick-Fil-A because of their Christian beliefs and support of certain organizations.

Even some colleges have made a decision not to pursue a relationship with this restaurant because of their concern that a minority, like at Northeastern University, where 1.5% of the students protested the coming of a Chick-Fil-A, so the school stopped negotiations for this restaurant.

If you don't believe the beligerence the world has towards Christians, you are sorely mistaken. This article, even though it's about one simple restaurant is indicative. Yet, if Christians were to do the same to a Planned Parenthood facility or supported restaurant, the Christians would be bashed as intolerant.

So, there you go!! The sad thing, and this is really bad, we will sit around and take it, then wonder what happened to our safe world!

Is Chick-Fil-A bad? No way!! Good food, good causes, but that's not what some are saying!

Here's another link to the article from the Baptist Press.

MEN! For MEN!

We Men

I read this in another blog called Serving Strong. I thought is was excellent, so here it is.

Warning: This post is for the men only. Ladies, feel free to read it, but there’s some potty talk. Fair warning.

Tough As Nails

We men are supposed to be tough. We don’t cry. If we do cry, we get a mark on our man-card. Four marks and we will lose our card until we can prove we’ve watched 40 hours of Chuck Norris films, used one roll of duct tape for stuff around the house, and logged at least 75 times where we either broke wind (SBD’s not included) or burped out loud.

We men are the strong species. We are the go-to guys. We have the answers. We have the solutions. We drive F-650 quad-cabs with hemi’s, ride wild horses and wear light brown, steel-toed cowboy boots. We’ve read all the John Eldredge books out there. We pick our nose when we want. We smack other guys’ butts when they make a good play on the field, and we spit where and when we decide. We wear cowboy hats and star in Viagra commercials pulling our horse trailers.

Achilles Heel

But when we men suffer from depression, we have no time for bravado. We can’t “MacGyver” our way through it. Depression is bigger than we are. We can’t always figure our way out of it. We need help. Depression is our Achilles Heel. Like grabbing both feet of any running back in the NFL, no matter how great they are or how much money they make, they will go down every time.

If you’re a man reading this post and you think you may be suffering from depression, there’s only one option:

GET.HELP.

(you won’t lose your man-card)

Positive Psychology

Remember to watch the video, click the title, Positive Psychology.

No, I'm not talking positive psychology, someone else is. Watch the video below, it's 12:30, but it's humorous, and there's a great point about how we live our lives.

I'm not sure if the speaker, Shawn Achor is a Christian, but his principles about happiness are on target. He does not refer to experiencing inner joy, which we gain through the Holy Spirit, but most of us base our happiness on externals, which we can often control. So, take a look and let me know what you think . . .

Scripture Memorization - Week 6

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. -- 1 John 1:9.

This is a wonderfully powerful passage reminding us of the big "IF". If we confess our sins to God, He not only is faithful and just, but He will also forgive us of our sins, and then He will cleanse us, purify us from all of our unrighteousness (sin)!

Thanks be to God!!

Amen!

THE CHURCH

As I've been thinking about the church lately, who we are, what we are about, what we are not supposed to be about, I came up with a short list . . .

What do you think? What would you add or subtract from my list?

If Jesus was living in me and in His church what type of fruit should I bear?

1. I should have a greater desire for Him.

2. I should have a greater love of people, all people.

3. I should hate sin . . . (yes, I know and love the sinner).

4. I should be humble, thinking others are better than me (aka humility).

5. I should be practicing the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness and self-control).

6. I should be generous (financially, with time and resources).

7. I should be taking care of my body.

8. I should be drawing closer to Him.

9. I should be obedient to Him, not because I have to, but because I want to.

If Jesus was living in the church, what should the church produce?

1. People that love one another.

2. People who are passionate about Jesus.

3. People who are open to receiving all people (since all people are sinners).

4. People who work together for His good, not ours.

5. People who seek to serve, rather than be serve.

6. People who are focused on bring others to a transforming relationship with Jesus.

7. People who are willing to put aside their 'rights' so that others can experience redemption
and acceptance through Christ.

8. People who are filled with His hope and love, power, strength and courage!

9. People who are filled with joy and passion, in the midst of sorrow.

On the flip side of that, Jesus Does Not Produce:

1. A critical spirit

2. Racism

3. Fighting within the church (aka - selfishness)

4. Bitterness / unforgiveness

5. Dead and self serving worship

6. Boring preaching

7. Gossip

8. Passionless followers

9. Fear

What else can you think of? I'd really be interested in your thoughts!!

Scripture Memorization - Week 3

Here is this week's Scripture Memorization ~

It comes from Joshua 1:9 ~ God is speaking to Joshua . . .

"Have I not commanded you: Be strong and courageous, but not afraid nor dismayed, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you may go."

Joshua is about to lead the people of Israel into the Promised Land. Moses is dead and he is the new leader! Imagine the fear and anxiety, but 3 times in the first verses, God says to Joshua, "be strong and courageous!"

I love this verse!! It's the reason we named Joshua, Joshua! Wherever you go, you can be strong and courageous, wherever you go, you don't have to be afraid or dismayed, all for the same reason . . . (drum roll please) The Lord your God will be with you wherever you may go!! How comforting, how reassuring to know that the God of all creation will be with us . . . ALWAYS!!!!!!!!

Scripture Memorization - Week 2

Here is week 2's Scripture memorization . . .

(Jesus said,) "The thief only comes to steal and to kill and to destroy; I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly." - John 10:10

Jesus gives us the great offer of living the super abundant life. Are you? Or have you accepted the life satan, the thief offers you, one in which he seeks to steal and kill and destroy your heart, soul and life?

The choice is always ours!!

Tebowing

Here is a great article about the heart of Tim Tebow. Whether you think he has football skill or not, he has an amazing heart and passion for people. Read the article by Rick Reilly from ESPN.

http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/7455943/believing-tim-tebow


Here is a snippet from Rick Reilly . . .

I've come to believe in Tim Tebow, but not for what he does on a football field, which is still three parts Dr. Jekyll and two parts Mr. Hyde.

No, I've come to believe in Tim Tebow for what he does off a football field, which is represent the best parts of us, the parts I want to be and so rarely am.

Who among us is this selfless?

Every week, Tebow picks out someone who is suffering, or who is dying, or who is injured. He flies these people and their families to the Broncos game, rents them a car, puts them up in a nice hotel, buys them dinner (usually at a Dave & Buster's), gets them and their families pregame passes, visits with them just before kickoff (!), gets them 30-yard-line tickets down low, visits with them after the game (sometimes for an hour), has them walk him to his car, and sends them off with a basket of gifts.

Home or road, win or lose, hero or goat.

Remember last week, when the world was pulling its hair out in the hour after Tebow had stunned the Pittsburgh Steelers with an 80-yard OT touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas in the playoffs? And Twitter was exploding with 9,420 tweets about Tebow per second? When an ESPN poll was naming him the most popular athlete in America?

Tebow was spending that hour talking to 16-year-old Bailey Knaub about her 73 surgeries so far and what TV shows she likes.

"Here he'd just played the game of his life," recalls Bailey's mother, Kathy, of Loveland, Colo., "and the first thing he does after his press conference is come find Bailey and ask, 'Did you get anything to eat?' He acted like what he'd just done wasn't anything, like it was all about Bailey."

Imagine if more people / athletes were like Tebow.

PRIVATE SELECTION!!

Went to a party prior to Christmas and thought we'd use our Private Selection coupons to purchase our food. We bought Southwest Style chicken trumpets; Pepperoni and roasted garlic pizza; and Vanilla Cream Puffs (30 of them). We supplemented our selection with the Petite Quiche and Fire Roasted Veggie Pizza.

We wanted to see the reaction people had regarding the food we brought for the party. Needless to say, they were impressed with the food selection and the quality. When we told people it was all store bought from the frozen section, they were surprised.

The food didn't last very long, the verdicts ~

• SW Style Chicken Trumpets ~ were a top choice. They were meaty and cheesy and excellent!!
  
• The Pepperoni and Roasted Garlic Pizza ~ was another hit. Although, it was not my favorite, as I really prefer deep dish or stuffed pizza, but to use this pizza as an appetizer would be great. It's too small to feed a family on one of these.
• The Vanilla Cream Puffs were excellent. We drizzled some chocolate syrup on some and left some without. They were all excellent. They were not totally thawed through, but people quickly ate them and raved about them anyway.

Overall verdict of the test items was very positive. The coupons were all handed out and many said they would purchase Private Selection in the future. Some didn't know what Private Selection was, but said they would look for them at the store next time they were at Kroger.

I told people I was a BzzAgent, which also got some interest.

The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

The Final Summit, by Andy Andrews, is the second in a series of books, the first being called, The Traveler. I have not read the first book. But you can still jump right into The Final Summit and not feel like you've been left behind.

My attention was captured pretty quickly, as I was not sure what to expect from this book. There were times, though where it was difficult for me to keep my interest, even though I liked the story line.

David Ponder is a Traveler, one who goes through time and meets some of the famous people from the past. In this book they all meet in Heaven where they are given a chance to save humanity. They are given five chances to answer a question from Gabriel. His question is this, and it's a great question ~ “What does humanity need to do, individually and collectively, to restore itself to the pathway toward successful civilization?” We hear from a few people from history, as they attempt to answer this question.

I wondered how some of the people from history were included, but that adds a little to the book and really shouldn't take away from what Andrews is trying to accomplish. There are some great conversations and decisions which are made during the course of the book. It is also a politically correct book. You can appreciate the research into history and the personalities which Andrews put into this book.

http://www.christianbook.com/the-final-summit-andy-andrews/9780785231202/pd/231201?item_code=WW&netp_id=833723&event=ESRCG&view=details

The Final Hour

The Final Hour is the fourth and last in a series of Christian fiction called the Homelanders series. The main character, Charlie West, is a teen who has decided to take a stand by agreeing to go undercover in a homegrown terrorist group in order to catch them and stop their plans to terrorize America. The series is action packed and moves us from adventure after adventure as we learn how Charlie deals with this new life. He is alone and has to face his fears and anxieties as he runs from the police and the terrorist group he has joined. Charlie has to believe that most everyone is out to get him, or at the minimum, they are not his friends. There are a few exceptions to this.

In this last book of the series, The Final Hour brings all of the adventures to a close. We finally learn whether or not Charlie will be successful and how he will live his life after this drama has ended. Will he be victorious, or will he become a villain? The Christian aspect comes in as we learn that Charlie and his sensei, Mike, are Christians. Because of his Christian faith we are given a minimal access into the decision making skills used by Charlie and Mike. Sometimes we need to assume we know Christian values. I would have liked it more if their faith in Christ was brought out a little more. Maybe that would hurt sales, but it would have been interesting to have a better blend in the story.

At times it seemed his values came more from karate than his Christian faith. There were a number of great issues brought up which cause the reader to look at, for example, issues of faith, politics, patriotism, personal risk. Overall, it was a fun and engrossing series to read. I would highly recommend the books and will see if my children would read these as well. There are discussion questions in the back of the book which helps if you are trying to do a study or a group study.

You can purchase this book from http://www.christianbook.com/the-final-hour-homelanders/andrew-klavan/9781595547156/pd/547156?item_code=WW&netp_id=872806&event=ESRCG&view=details

or

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1595547150/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.

Private Selection

What a great cookie I ate!! You've got to try the all new Private Selection Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are much bigger than other packaged cookies and taste homemade.

Next time you go to Kroger (Pay-Less) you need to go to the cookie aisle and pick up a pack or two!! Happy dessert eating!!

Romans 9

In Romans 9, Paul wrote these words,

1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

Can you imagine willing to be accursed, sent to hell, so that others you don't even know could know the love and grace of Jesus? That's a powerful statement about Paul. How do you feel about those who do not yet know Christ?

PRAYER

This morning on K-Love I heard this prayer . . . it's a powerful prayer if you slowly read it and meditate on the words.

For the next 11 days, I plan on sending out a daily post. I know it's been awhile but from
11-1-11 to 11-11-11 I want to send out something inspirational . . .


"Lord Undo Me" via K-LOVE Radio

I don’t really worship these days
I don’t really stand up to praise you with songs
Or prayers or actions
or with anything
I am full of all the right moves
I am full of all the right words
I am full of all the right religion
But it is all just illusion
I am really
Lonely
Lost
Calloused
Jaded
Cynical
Too religious
Too realistic
and well really just to lazy
to worship you anymore
I have lost my first love
I have lost the joy of your presence
But most of all I have lost the fear of your glory

Father I need to see you again
Like Isaiah I want to stand in awe of your glory
To fall down at your feet
To come face to face with your
Perfection,
Radiance,
Goodness,
Holiness,
Awesomeness
I want to stand before you and see you for who you are
and me for who I am
I want to be undone

I want to know me for who I really am
I want to see the depths of my heart
And know that you are the only way
You are the only truth
You are the only life
I want to see me and understand
What it really must have taken for you to
Love me
Care for me
See me
Speak to me
Want me
Communicate with me
Die for me
Die for me
Die for me

Lord, I want to stand in that place where all I can see is your glory
And my sin
Because in that place I can’t help but worship you.
Lord let me come undone
Undo my heart
Lord, undo my heart
break down these walls that I love so much
No, wait don’t,
I’m scared I don’t know if I can handle this
don’t
But I can’t live this way anymore
I can’t stand here in this half-life
this going through the motions life
this not really alive life
Father, I need you so come in and do what you must
Cut out the tumor on my heart
Break down the walls that I love
Lord let me come undone
Undo my heart
let me worship you again

*Blake Williams

Lincoln's words to slaves

In the last days of the Civil War, the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia, fell to the Union army. Abraham Lincoln insisted on visiting the city. Even though no one knew he was coming, slaves recognized him immediately and thronged around him. He had liberated them by the Emancipation Proclamation, and now Lincoln's army had set them free. According to Admiral David Porter, an eyewitness, Lincoln spoke to the throng around him:

"My poor friends, you are free—free as air. You can cast off the name of slave and trample upon it …. Liberty is your birthright."

But Lincoln also warned them not to abuse their freedom, saying, "Let the world see that you merit your freedom. Don't let your joy carry you into excesses. Learn the laws and obey them."

That is very much like the message Jesus gives to those whom He has liberated by His death and resurrection. Jesus gives us our true birthright—spiritual freedom. But that freedom isn't an excuse for disobedience; it forms the basis for learning and obeying God's laws. Which ultimately is found in His grace, for the law no longer holds us and constrains us, if, and it's a big if, if we live according to His grace!

Happy 4th of July!

LAST POST?!

Will this be my last post ever? It will be according to a recent prediction. It’s been the buzz all week, so perhaps you heard it.

Christian radio host Harold Camping states that the Rapture (the taking up into heaven of God’s elect people) will take place on May 21, 2011 at 6 p.m. local time. The rapture will sweep the globe time zone by time zone) and that the end of the world as we know it will take place five months later on October 21, 2011. Devastating earthquakes will occur throughout the world, worse than the one in Japan, Camping stated.

It’s been the subject of jokes, and teasing, and possibly some concern. What if it were the end?

Lots of people have been impacted by this prediction. People have quit their jobs and tried to go into the world to proclaim it's judgment day. It is important to note that the end times discussions are serious issues. Because for each person, there will come a day when it is our final day.

I’m reminded of the concern of Jesus’ disciples following the resurrection. Consider Jesus’ answer in this passage from Acts 1:6-8:

So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

For the believer, this should never be a time of stress. I’m leery of anyone claiming to know a date, but Jesus said it would be soon and we would know the signs . He also reminded us, however, that we should not be afraid, that we could cast all our burdens on Him, and that He was with us to the ends of the earth. I’m not stressed today, not because I don’t believe Camping, even though I don’t, but because I have a faith in the person of Jesus Christ, who raised from the dead!

Part of my concern is the way so many in the world will look at Christianity. Jesus said in Matthew that nobody, not even the human Jesus knew the date of the end of the world, so don't get freaked out about it. Just be ready when the time comes, because we all know . . . it will. Have your light on, be ready, be prepared. It will be a day of glory for all those who are Christ followers.

If you serve a risen Savior, let me hear a hearty AMEN!

So, it looks like I'll see ya'll tomorrow!!

Blessings,

Pastor Michael

The Past is Dead! Or is it?

Reading today from Josh Linkner ~

Josh wrote . . .

We all face incredible challenges in our lives. Difficult people. Ruthless competition. Time constraints. But so many of us succumb to an imaginary and impotent demon that strangles our potential and restricts our progress. This fictitious monster is called simply ... the past.

While the past can be a great teacher, it can also shackle our imagination and relegate us to thinking small. Imagine carrying around a backpack full of rocks; each piece of stone representing some past injustice or setback. As that weight increases, playing your best and highest game becomes impossible unless you're able to release the burden and liberate yourself.

Regret is the worst human emotion, since there is absolutely nothing we can do to change history. Dwelling on the past can eviscerate your ambition and is a fast path to unachieved dreams.

It reminds me of an ancient fable:

Two Zen monks were on a journey when they came to a river bed. At the edge of the river was an elderly woman who was unable to cross the river by herself. The older monk put her on his shoulders and across the river they all went. On the other side, the monk put her down and she went on her way and the monks their way. Several miles later the older monk noticed that the younger monk was obviously troubled by something and so he asked him about it. The younger monk stated that according to the tenets of their beliefs, they were not permitted to touch women and yet the elder monk had carried the old woman across the river. The younger monk could not let it go and was angry and upset for several hours. To this, the elder monk replied. "I left the woman at the riverside. Why are you still carrying her with you?"

It's time to focus on the present and commit to a brighter future. It's time to stop dwelling in a pit of despair, moaning over squandered time and lost opportunity. It's time to release the burden of the past and seize today's opportunity. It's time to drive change and create your best life.

In the words of the Roman philosopher Seneca, "Don't stumble over something behind you."

Michael's conclusion: So, friends, how are you doing with the past, with the present and with the future? Which one holds you back? Which one excites you? It doesn't matter what your age is. This will tell you more about yourself than you might realize!!

Becoming a Disruptor

This is not a review!

Josh Linkner is the author of this book. It is a creative and stretching book which leads you to think a little differently. Below is today's blog from Josh. I thought it was particularly good.

YOUR NEW JOB: DISRUPTOR

The iPod disrupted the music industry. eBooks disrupted traditional publishing. The internet disrupted just about everything. And more than likely, the disruptors in your company are the ones that are getting promoted and reaching their dreams while the rule-following automatons remain frustrated at their cubes.

In the past, your job was to do what you were told. Follow instructions, keep your head down, don’t make waves. But today things are very different. Today, we live in a world where playing it safe is irresponsibly dangerous.

In today’s hyper-competitive environment, working hard and doing a decent job are no longer enough. Competency, good service, and professionalism are now merely the ante to play. We now live in a world with exponential complexity and dizzying speed. A world where standing out is more important than fitting in.

We are taught to follow the rules, do what the boss says, and that mistakes must be avoided at all costs. Yet this traditional approach is a surefire path to mediocrity. Today, an entirely new set of skills are needed in order to win.

In addition the job title on your business card, you need to add the title of Disruptor.

Disruptors challenge assumptions. They shake the status quo. They are curious and creative. They adapt and improvise. Disruptors push the boundaries and shatter conventional wisdom. They’d rather forge new ground than blindly salute the flag of the past.

Disruptors squirm at phrases such as “we’ve always done it that way”, “that’s just the way things are done here”, and “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. They know that speed and innovation now trump rigidity and conformity. They know that discovering fresh solutions and unleashing new ideas are top priority for both success and sustainability.

Disruptors wonder. They dream, explore, harass, discover, challenge, vex, disturb, rattle, break, upset, imagine, push, shatter, drive, offend, risk, and poke. Disruptors also win, get promoted, earn more, make a bigger impact, reach their dreams and change the world.

In the words of Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, “If the rate of change on the outside is greater than the rate of change on the inside, the end is near.”

The next time you’re at an event and someone asks you what you do, try responding with: “I’m a disruptor.” Besides better conversation, it will empower you to drive change and make a difference. Stop hoping and start pushing. Stop complaining and start doing. Your company and your career depend on it.

Disrupt or be disrupted. Simple as that.