tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78304265742724296192024-03-13T00:16:59.605-05:00BrightlySalted.comYou are the light of the world and the salt of the earth.BrightlySaltedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954062663133160680noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7830426574272429619.post-3301453879560932682017-03-28T20:47:00.003-05:002017-04-03T15:34:18.989-05:00Lies We Believe About God - Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIpJxobUyvBupi0NNSYfR78fKfUiVGc1vuaWpu7HhqzoWB1WtrSbSjc0n1V7uG_uWctIo9AZCZHP5R0UTJ4jsp6MJHRnbJZRi34NZOEJD_UgoP3lfAOYKD2jjs5-nD0Lf-e60eYbb-Qao/s1600/LiesWeBelieveAboutGod.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIpJxobUyvBupi0NNSYfR78fKfUiVGc1vuaWpu7HhqzoWB1WtrSbSjc0n1V7uG_uWctIo9AZCZHP5R0UTJ4jsp6MJHRnbJZRi34NZOEJD_UgoP3lfAOYKD2jjs5-nD0Lf-e60eYbb-Qao/s400/LiesWeBelieveAboutGod.png" width="283" height="400" /></a></div>
<p><i>Lies We Believe About God</i>
<p><b>By:</b> William Paul Young
<p><b>Publication:</b> March 7th 2017 by Howard Books
<p>272 pages
<p><b>Genre:</b> Non-fiction, Christian, Spirituality
<p><b>Source:</b> Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)
<p>( <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27276338-lies-we-believe-about-god">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/2jk5ozL">Amazon</a>
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<p><blockquote>Goodreads description--<b>From the author of the twenty million plus copy bestselling novel <i>The Shack</i> and the <i>New York Times</i> bestsellers <i>Cross Roads</i> and <i>Eve</i> comes a compelling, conversational exploration of the wrong-headed ideas we sometimes have and share about God.
<p>Wm. Paul Young has been called a heretic for the ways he vividly portrays God’s love through his novels. Here he shares thirty-three commonly uttered and sometimes seemingly innocuous things we say about God. Paul exposes these as lies that keep us from having a full, loving relationship with our Creator.
<p>With personal anecdotes and sharing the compassion readers felt from the “Papa” portrayed in The Shack—soon to be a major film starring Sam Worthington and Octavia Spencer—Paul encourages readers to think anew about important issues including sin, religion, hell, politics, identity, creation, human rights, and helping us discover God’s deep and abiding love.</b></blockquote>
<p>I didn't love <a href="http://sandyfarmer.blogspot.com/2012/03/shack-review.html">The Shack</a> by William Paul Young. I <i>liked</i> that it challenged me to think more deeply, but I fundamentally disagreed with a lot of the theological aspects about God as described by it. Truly the only way I made it through reading <i>The Shack</i> was to remind myself that it was a work of fiction. I wish I'd re-read my review of <i>The Shack</i> before deciding to request <i>Lies We Believe About God</i>, but I didn't. What I did was remember that while I didn't agree with everything William Paul Young said...it did cause me to think. And since I've been overwhelmed with a feeling of how much and how often so many people believe things about God that just flat aren't true, I was intrigued by this book. I was hoping that it would be a great reference to be able to refer people to when they misunderstand God's nature. Yet again...I was WRONG. Instead what I found was that William Paul Young himself believes quite a few lies about God.
<p>You guys...there was SO SO SO much wrong with this book. I truly wish I could break down every single lie within this book...every single misrepresentation and present you with a rebuttal. I wish that I could, but it isn't the purpose of my blog to do so. My purpose is to review the book and what I thought about it. So I'll do my best to do so.
<p>If you choose to believe in God there has to be a standard or a place where you receive your information about Him. You can't just make it up...although many people have. So...where do you go? Where do you find the information needed to find out who God is and what His character is like? HIS WORD. He has revealed Himself to us through His Word--The Bible. God revealed Himself and divinely inspired over 40 different authors from all manners of vocations over a period of 1500ish years using 3 different languages. For this book to be cohesive and non-contradictory is impossible without Him. Yet it is <u>because of Him</u>. So what I expected to find when reading <i>Lies We Believe About God</i> was a bunch of Scripture to back up these "lies". Instead what I found was William Paul Young quoting his own works of fiction. There are 32 references to/quotes from <i>The Shack</i> in <i>Lies We Believe About God</i>. This is not including any references to William Paul Young's other books (<i>Eve</i> and <i>Cross Roads</i>). In a 272 page book, that's roughly every 8.5 pages that he references his own book, his own thoughts as a source of information about who God is. In comparison there were roughly 14 references to New Testament Scripture within the main chapters of this book. That's roughly every 19.5 pages. So William Paul Young references his own books more than 2 times the frequency of Biblical text. (Granted, I didn't search for Old Testament Scripture references, but I also didn't cite his references to his other two books either.) He does have a chapter at the end of book that has an additional 33 references from The Bible. This means that overall the Bible is only used within <i>Lies We Believe About God</i> 15 more times than his own books. You guys...this is unacceptable. If you want to learn about God, you don't go to a human's work of <u>fiction</u>. That's no better than making things up yourself. You go to the Source. God's own Word about Himself.
<p>There were many times when I felt like William Paul Young was arguing over semantics. Yes, I'm a firm believer that our words mean something and it is important to choose to right words in our conversation and speech so that we convey the message we mean to convey. Let's take one chapter titled "God is disappointed in me." He argues that there is a difference between disappointment and grief. "<i>Disappointment</i> largely revolves around expectations and imagination. I expect you to act a certain way, or I expect a specific outcome..." "This is precisely why God is never disappointed in you. God has no such imaginations or illusions. God knows you, completely, fully, and with unrelenting affection. You don't surprise God. God delights in you, as you delight in your own children; God also grieves for and with you when you act inside your lies and darkness--<i>but not because God expected more of you.</i>" This is semantics. Whether we "disappoint" or "grieve" God because of our behavior, the outcome is the same. He is not pleased. Yes, He can and does still love us despite our actions, but William Paul Young is giving off the impression that it doesn't matter what you do...how you act...and I don't see how anyone who has read the Bible can come to that conclusion. In fact, if you've read the Bible, you don't get 3 chapters in (on page 3 in my own personal Bible) before man's actions make a huge impact and "grieve" God. Semantics. And this isn't the only time this happens. It happens frequently throughout this book.
<p>In connection with my point about William Paul Young quoting and referencing himself and his own published books more frequently throughout the main body of <i>Lies We Believe About God</i>, I felt often times that he was just "making things up because they sounded good." There were often times when his thoughts were poetic. And that's hard because I believe that God is a poet. His Word is beautiful. His thoughts are beautiful. The magnitude of His knowledge and planning and working is beautiful. He is so multi-layered. Everything about Him from the way that He thinks and acts to His very character. He can be 100% Love while also being 100% Justice at the same time. And so there were times when the poetry of what William Paul Young suggested about God sounded good to my human ear, but when bounced against the Scripture it just didn't add up. I don't claim to know all there is to know about God. I don't claim to be perfect or to have a perfect understanding of Him, but having read The Bible cover to cover each year for the last 5 years and I'm working on my 6th straight read-through I feel pretty confident in being able to spot false teaching about God like this.
<p>I don't want to judge his person...his heart. That's not my job or my duty or my desire. God is the judge. However, I felt like pride and arrogance were pouring from the pages of this book. Nearly every chapter felt full of both. I even read his acknowledgements where he says "I am surrounded by people who love me, but aren't impressed. Thank you!" Even though this was an attempt to appear humble, it didn't read so to me. It read falsely. Or at the very least "thank you all for not being impressed by me because I'm so impressed with myself." It's funny because I told Husband that this felt so starkly contrasted against <a href="http://sandyfarmer.blogspot.com/2016/12/shaken-discovering-your-true-identity.html">Shaken</a> by Tim Tebow where humility truly poured off every page. I felt like Tim Tebow is a truly humble person from his book and where he might struggle with pride, the effort to crush it was palpable. And this is <u>not</u> the same vibe that I got from William Paul Young.
<p>I mentioned earlier the chapter at the end of <i>Lies We Believe About God</i>. He titles it "A Catena" which means "a connected series or chain". And ironically, because I've read The Bible from cover to cover it felt so obvious to me that these verses used to convey a specific message were pulled so completely out of context. You can use Scripture to prove just about any point sadly. The Bible even says "There is no God" (Psalm 14:1). But that's pulled out of context because the verse says "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" I think we've all witnessed how words and phrases taken out of context can give a completely unintended and false meaning. Watch any court TV show where a witness's words are twisted by a stealthy lawyer. You'll see it happen. I told Husband that reading those series of verses, Words from God's mouth, strung together out of context made my stomach hurt. Seeing God's Word twisted to mean something that it doesn't...it made those words ugly. And the sad part is that someone who might not know better could be misled by them. Context is so important. I myself have used a verse here and there to prove a point, and I don't know that doing so is wrong if you're not using those verses to make a point outside of what Scripture as a whole harmonizes to say. Yet the person unfamiliar with the Bible and what the context should be would never know. This is why reading it (the Bible) for yourself is so important. It is crucial. Not just taking the word of a preacher or family member. Definitely not taking the opinion of an unbeliever who might have "thoughts" about God and who He is and how He thinks. And not even taking the word of someone who appears to know much about God. You have to search and read the Bible for yourself.
<p>I feel certain that there was much more that I wanted to say about William Paul Young and <i>Lies We Believe About God</i>, but what it truly boils down to is "this man does not know God." Don't read this book to learn about God. Read The Bible. William Paul Young references his own (FICTION) books more frequently throughout the meat of <i>Lies We Believe About God</i> than he does any other source--especially The Bible. This is not the book, nor the man, to go to if you want to know God. And I personally won't be reading any more of his work myself. <i>Lies We Believe About God</i> gets 1 Star. Have you read <i>Lies We Believe About God</i>? What did you think? Let me know!
<p>This review was first published on <a href="http://sandyfarmer.blogspot.com">Somewhere Only We Know</a>.Somewhere Only We Knowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13301973028870770126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7830426574272429619.post-30338313384460465482015-08-17T20:28:00.000-05:002016-07-11T10:35:09.225-05:00For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards - Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vkA8T2NWN6xQewqLJxCUs0sL9b1QrxP0vJqt4gnGAsxxI6uFDzDnaBd_915T9YTusirpB_vVDTVxJO9euJOzRcoOSY1km0tiQX13AuEwu08xU8r-hNfv9-VWo1dHcqDDs2kdMh1RFKI/s1600/FortheLove.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vkA8T2NWN6xQewqLJxCUs0sL9b1QrxP0vJqt4gnGAsxxI6uFDzDnaBd_915T9YTusirpB_vVDTVxJO9euJOzRcoOSY1km0tiQX13AuEwu08xU8r-hNfv9-VWo1dHcqDDs2kdMh1RFKI/s640/FortheLove.png" /></a></div>
<p><i>For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards</i>
<p><b>By:</b> Jen Hatmaker
<p><b>Expected Publication:</b> August 18, 2015 by Nelson Books
<p>224 pages
<p><b>Genre:</b> Religious, Spiritual, Christian, Inspirational
<p><b>Source:</b> Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)
<p>( <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23647129-for-the-love?from_search=true">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0718031822/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0718031822&linkCode=as2&tag=somonlwekno01-20&linkId=WFRD4M3SVU6ECCLU">Amazon</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=somonlwekno01-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0718031822" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
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<p><blockquote>NetGalley description--<b>The popular writer, blogger, and television personality reveals with humor and style how Jesus' extravagant grace is the key to dealing with life's biggest challenge: people.
<p>The majority of our joys, struggles, thrills, and heartbreaks relate to people, beginning first with ourselves and then the people we came from, married, birthed, live by, live for, go to church with, don't like, don't understand, fear, struggle with, compare ourselves to, and judge. People are the best and worst thing about the human life.
<p>Jen Hatmaker knows this all too well, and so she reveals how to practice kindness, grace, truthfulness, vision, and love to ourselves and those around us. By doing this, For the Love leads our generation to reimagine Jesus' grace as a way of life, and it does it in a funny yet profound manner that Christian readers will love. Along the way, Hatmaker shows readers how to reclaim their prophetic voices and become Good News again to a hurting, polarized world.</b></blockquote>
<p>You guys, I’m not even sure what to say about <i>For the Love</i>. I <strike>read</strike> listened to <a href="http://sandyfarmer.blogspot.com/2015/05/7-experimental-mutiny-against-excess.html">7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess</a> several months ago and loved it. Everything from the message to the voice to the audio narrator was inviting. When I saw that Jen Hatmaker had a new book coming out, I jumped on it. I hesitate when requesting religious books for review because while I do read these type of books regularly, I don’t read them frequently enough or fast enough to really feel good about being able to review them by the release date. However, <i>For the Love</i>’s release date was so far in advance from when I requested it and the book so short (only right at 200 pages) that I thought I could make it work. Little did I know that I would read this one just as quickly as a fiction book. That just doesn’t happen to me very often. After reading several books recently that either felt irreverent as a whole or at least partially irreverent I felt like I needed a good dose of some reaffirming religious content. Jen Hatmaker seemed like a good bet.
<p>The first twenty to thirty percent of <i>For the Love</i> had me highlighting large sections of text a time, emailing them to my friend Kay (the one who suggested I read <i>7</i> to begin with), and generally laughing out loud. This lady is hilarious. And on point. Only Jen Hatmaker could write an entire chapter dedicated to “Leggings are not pants” and “Tights are not leggings.” But there were serious subjects too, about the pressure we put on ourselves to be not a jack of all trades but a master of all trades—especially in the mom category. Even being an expected mother, I can totally see myself already placing these burdensome standards on myself that she discusses. Plus the first section of “thank you notes” in the style of Jimmy Fallon were also hilarious. I found myself nodding my head and “amening” throughout almost all of the first half of this book.
<p>And then we get to the second half of the book. I won’t say the book took on a more serious tone as there were some rather serious topics discussed in the first half of the book, but I guess the humor was dialed back a notch with this second half. Perhaps that’s because this section was about how to deal with yourself. The remaining sections of the book were about dealing with people who live in your house, friends, neighbors, strangers, enemies, church, church people, not-church people, and God. It’s easy to laugh at ourselves I guess, but throw other people into the mix and waters can get muddy. <i>For the Love</i> still had plenty toward the second half of the book that had me nodding my head and amening. It gave me some good ideas on things I’d like to try when dealing with others and some things to think about. But I also found myself annoyed and confused about a few things.
<p>There were a few references to the gay community which is a huge topic in our culture today, but mostly I came away from that subject unsure about Jen Hatmaker’s thoughts or convictions on the subject. I feel like she addressed this in the way that she did on purpose. It wasn’t the purpose of this book to discuss this subject in detail, but I wasn’t sure what the message was that she was trying to relay about this either. I was also unclear about her thoughts/definition of the church. This feels like semantics because there’s the biblical definition of the word “church”, what it means, and what all is entailed in it, and then there’s the 21st century American definition of the word. Why the difference matters isn’t always clear to everyone, but it does. And in the end, I wasn’t sure whether Jen Hatmaker was using the word in the biblical way or in the American 21st century way. Sometimes I felt one way and then others times I felt the opposite. One last complaint is that while it’s apparent that Jen Hatmaker is familiar with the Bible and what it says, <i>For the Love</i> was a little full of shoulds and shouldn’ts with very little actual Scripture used. Let me clarify, I don’t think this book was meant to be some big instructional manual (which I actually liked). It ended up feeling like a bunch of thoughts and realizations that Jen Hatmaker has had throughout her life. Conclusions that she’s come to. Etc.
<p>At times, the overall message of <i>For the Love</i> felt like it was missing and some of the chapters felt disconnected. When I got finished I had to stop and really think back over the book to see if I could even recognize a common theme. It wasn’t really until I went back to the table of contents while writing this review that some of it made sense. I don’t know if that’s one of those “pregnancy brain” things that I’ve struggled with or if the lack of cohesion was an actual issue in execution.
<p>Favorite quotes:
<br><blockquote>-Folks who thrive in God’s grace give grace easily, but the self-critical person becomes others-critical.</blockquote>
<p><blockquote>-We need to quit trying to be awesome and instead be wise.</blockquote>
<p><blockquote>-There’s a difference between humility and insecurity, and self-effacement does no one any favors.</blockquote>
<p><blockquote>-How many trot out that tired cliché—“I’m waiting for God to open a door”—and He’s all, “I love you, but get going, Pumpkin,” because usually chasing the dream in your heart looks surprisingly like work.</blockquote>
<p><blockquote>-A good parent prepares the child for the path, not the path for the child.</blockquote>
<p><blockquote>-I worry we consider “success” to be a product of the parent’s diligence more than the child’s.</blockquote>
<p><blockquote>-Lean honestly into every hard place, each tender spot, because truthfulness hurts for a minute, but silence is the kill shot.</blockquote>
<p><blockquote>-Married tongues should be shredded with the amount of ugly words bitten back.</blockquote>
<p><blockquote>-Loneliness can be a prison, but we have keys. You needn’t wait for someone to open the bars.</blockquote>
<p><blockquote>-You can’t pour antidote into poison forever and expect it to transform into something safe, something healthy.</blockquote>
<p>In the end, <i>For the Love</i> is definitely a book that I enjoyed and got something out of. I enjoyed the first section the most. And while I find myself wanting to recommend this book to others, I also want to advise caution. I always direct readers to the Bible itself for any “how tos” or “should/shouldn’ts”. If there’s anything you read in <i>For the Love</i> that you just aren’t sure about, the best thing is to bounce what it says against what the Bible says. The Bible always win. The parts that had me laughing out loud made me want to give this book 4 Stars, but the parts that left me confused or concerned knocked that rating down to 3.5 Stars. Have you read <i>For the Love</i>? What did you think? Let me know!
<p>This review was first published at <a href="http://sandyfarmer.blogspot.com">Somewhere Only We Know</a>.Somewhere Only We Knowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13301973028870770126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7830426574272429619.post-32038068202057879872015-05-19T20:19:00.000-05:002015-05-21T15:12:13.235-05:007: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess - Book Review<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeGNVfQhD6217jWd5Tx_Aedqr-BVqcCXaGlsO0wyOIbtVUxEj6xkyUd8iiFjD5Me57Yn3PB5gGUw4GG8qxXwnCnwLB5PYCAmVCFibI8Ufm-6zV9v0yDwTOzxnsYpMxX5KD7q4NRQNQs0/s1600/7Book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeGNVfQhD6217jWd5Tx_Aedqr-BVqcCXaGlsO0wyOIbtVUxEj6xkyUd8iiFjD5Me57Yn3PB5gGUw4GG8qxXwnCnwLB5PYCAmVCFibI8Ufm-6zV9v0yDwTOzxnsYpMxX5KD7q4NRQNQs0/s400/7Book.jpg" /></a></div>
<p><i>7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess</i>
<p><b>By:</b> Jen Hatmaker
<p><b>Published:</b> January 1st 2012 by B&H Books (first published December 19th 2011)
<p>228 pages
<p><b>Genre:</b> Nonfiction, Spiritual, Christian, Religious
<p><b>Source:</b> Borrowed from the library
<p>( <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12171769-7">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433672960/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1433672960&linkCode=as2&tag=somonlwekno01-20&linkId=GGNKWGAJ6LYN25E2">Amazon</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=somonlwekno01-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1433672960" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
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<p><blockquote>Goodreads description--<b>American life can be excessive, to say the least. That’s what Jen Hatmaker had to admit after taking in hurricane victims who commented on the extravagance of her family’s upper middle class home. She once considered herself unmotivated by the lure of prosperity, but upon being called “rich” by an undeniably poor child, evidence to the contrary mounted, and a social experiment turned spiritual was born.
<p>7 is the true story of how Jen (along with her husband and her children to varying degrees) took seven months, identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day diseases of greed, materialism, and overindulgence.
<p>Food. Clothes. Spending. Media. Possessions. Waste. Stress. They would spend thirty days on each topic, boiling it down to the number seven. Only eat seven foods, wear seven articles of clothing, and spend money in seven places. Eliminate use of seven media types, give away seven things each day for one month, adopt seven green habits, and observe “seven sacred pauses.” So, what’s the payoff from living a deeply reduced life? It’s the discovery of a greatly increased God—a call toward Christ-like simplicity and generosity that transcends social experiment to become a radically better existence.</b></blockquote>
<p>My friend, Kay, recommended <i>7</i> to me a while back. Her Bible class group went through it and she really enjoyed it. I’ve had it on my TBR list for at least a year if not more. I finally saw that the e-library had it available on audiobook and so I jumped on it.
<p>Some background information though might be important. My husband and I live in a 1800ish square foot house built in the 1960s. Even before we married, 6 years ago, we’ve been working to renovate the house. It’s a slow process—even slower because we actually live in the house. We’ve painted. We’ve replaced. We’ve pulled out. We’ve thrown away. Oh and we’ve painted some more. One thing that was not a priority in the 1960s apparently was storage. Our closets are tiny. The kitchen is small (though not tiny), but the kitchen cabinets <i>are</i> tiny. A regular size box of cereal or bag of chips will not fit in one of our cabinets. We can stack one regular sized canned product on top of another. That’s about as tall as most of our cabinets are. The shelves are not adjustable. But it’s just the two of us, right? (For now.) And all things are relative. While I sit here and complain about the storage space available in our house, <b>the real problem is that we have too much stuff with nowhere to put it.</b> After my dad visited the Philippines on a mission trip where most people he encountered live in bamboo houses, and we heard through the grapevine about a family in Africa who was trying to get enough money together to build a mud house I started re-evaluating how blessed I am over the lack of storage space I have. All of this has had me thinking about my own personal excess in life. Enter <i>7</i>.
<p>The title and description pretty much sum this book up perfectly. The author, Jen Hatmaker, had a poor child temporarily staying in her house comment on how rich she and her family was. This really stuck with her. With some direction/motivation from something a friend of hers was doing, the idea of 7 was born. As the description says, she identified 7 areas of excess in her life: food, clothes, spending, media, possessions, waste, and stress. Each area was designated a month—30 days—of focus on reducing the excess. Again…repeating the description above, but 1) Food – Only eat 7 foods; 2) Clothing – Only wear 7 articles of clothing; 3) Possessions – Give away 7 things each day; 4) Media – Eliminate the use of 7 media sources; 5) Waste – Adopt 7 green-living habits; 6) Spending – Only spend money in 7 places; 7) Rest – Observe “7 sacred pauses” each day.
<p>One thing that I like about <i>7</i> is that Jen Hatmaker isn’t trying to project this experiment on any and every one. She simply saw 7 areas in her life that she could cut back on and set out on her own personal experiment that she just so happened to write a book about, documenting her experiences. Sure she learned some very valuable lessons each month, and sure she would recommend those lessons to anyone, but she’s not saying throughout this book “you need to try this”. Of course, friends and family and strangers who have heard about her experiment have decided to try it for themselves, but this isn’t something that she’s projecting onto other people.
<p>I loved the lessons that Jen Hatmaker learned, and I really do want to implement some of these ideas into my own life. There are so many <i>things</i> lying around my house that aren’t being used by me that someone else might be able to benefit from. I have clothes upon clothes upon clothes that I don’t wear. Let’s face it, a large portion of those clothes currently don’t even fit. I’m thankful that my life isn’t as busy as some. But yet I often find myself feeling overwhelmed, overworked, and exhausted mentally if not physically. Implementing practices that will lead to a more “rest”-filled life sounds like heaven. Point being…there are definitely areas I want to make some changes in my life to cut back on excess as well.
<p>During the time she was writing this book, Jen Hatmaker (I keep wanting to call her “Jen” like we’re friends) and her husband, Brandon, were in the process of adopting two Ethiopian children. All of the sections in this book related to her adoption were particularly moving to me. When she discusses being completely disgusted with her natural born children throwing out almost a pound of chicken fingers simply because they did not have ketchup to go with them when her soon to be adoptive children likely went to bed with hungry bellies was particularly emotional. And even more than that, during the last month—the Rest month—when Jen (I’m rolling with it) and Brandon were both struck with a strong desire and need to pray for their adoptive children (not even knowing who these children would be exactly), and then she finds out that the exact day they were pressed with this need is the exact day the 5 year old little girl they ended up adopting was being abandoned at the orphanage. Now that…that got me for sure. Moments like this were sprinkled throughout the book, and I’m thankful for getting to experience this book and see God work in the lives of people I don’t know and have never met. It warms my heart and builds my faith.
<p>Ultimately I think of all the blessings that I’ve been given stewardship over in my own life, and I have to ask myself whether I’m being a good steward or not. And that’s one thing that <i>7</i> helped me to do—to realize how much work I have left to do. I highly recommend <i>7</i> to anyone who is feeling overwhelmed in their lives. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Cut back. Give away. Donate. Repurpose. <i>7</i> gets 4.5 Stars from me. Have you read <i>7</i>? What did you think? Let me know!
<p>Also, side note...the narrator, Rebecca Gallagher, of the audiobook did such a good job that I just KNEW it had to be Jen Hatmaker reading the book herself. Yet when I went to double check that fact, I realized it was someone else entirely which means I was highly impressed.Somewhere Only We Knowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13301973028870770126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7830426574272429619.post-10359902681348886462014-03-16T09:41:00.000-05:002014-03-29T17:05:57.153-05:00Book Review: The Power of a Praying Wife<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0ndFMZBXiEn_DCi2t9r7OTxZwKceGzR0MW06UEAHtqQPqb1ZZ8Z8NmVqNAeO3k0UhUq6NRPzFB7nPg9CZ7cFl18mwJwnQ9llLpxNXxiSaXGqAl1-corbkAk_668Vua7ZDYnVDWj1UcA/s1600/ThePowerofaPrayingWife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0ndFMZBXiEn_DCi2t9r7OTxZwKceGzR0MW06UEAHtqQPqb1ZZ8Z8NmVqNAeO3k0UhUq6NRPzFB7nPg9CZ7cFl18mwJwnQ9llLpxNXxiSaXGqAl1-corbkAk_668Vua7ZDYnVDWj1UcA/s640/ThePowerofaPrayingWife.jpg" /></a></div>
<p><i>The Power of a Praying Wife</i>
<p><b>By:</b> Stormie Omartian
<p><b>Expected Publication:</b> April 1st 2014 by Harvest House Publishers (first published January 1st 1997)
<p>208 pages
<p><b>Genre:</b> Religious, Christian, Spirituality, Self-Help
<p><b>Source:</b> Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!!), I also own an earlier edition
<p>( <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18054700-the-power-of-a-praying-wife-deluxe-edition">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0736919244/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0736919244&linkCode=as2&tag=somonlwekno01-20">Amazon</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=somonlwekno01-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0736919244" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Power-Praying-Wife-Stormie-Omartian/9780736919890?a_aid=somonlwekno01-20">Book Depository</a> | <a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-7080721-32499?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booksamillion.com%2Fp%2FPower-Praying-Wife%2FStormie-Omartian%2F9780736919241" target="_top">Booksamillion.com</a><img src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-7080721-32499" width="1" height="1" border="0"/> )
<p><i>*Note: The above links to Amazon, Book Depository, Booksamillion.com are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.</i>
<p><blockquote>Goodreads description--<b>Stormie Omartian's bestselling The Power of a Praying series (more than 23 million copies sold) is rereleased with fresh new covers and new material to reach a still-growing market of readers eager to discover the power of prayer for their lives.
The Power of a Praying Wife has sold more than 3.5 million copies and has encouraged countless women to trust God for their marriages. In this beautiful new padded hardcover edition, Stormie shares how God has strengthened her own marriage since she began to pray for her husband concerning key areas in his life, including his spiritual walk emotions role as father and leader security in work and finances health faith and future.
<p>If you desire a closer relationship with your husband, you will appreciate this refreshing look at the power of prayer in marriage.</b></blockquote>
<p>You guys, Stormie Omartian has taught me so much about prayer. I know you guys might be tired of seeing me review these books, but I just can’t help myself. <i>The Power of a Praying Wife</i> was the first of these books I ever read. I grew up being taught that prayer was important and we prayed before meal times and bedtimes, and I was told to pray throughout my life, for the sick, thanksgiving for our blessings, etc. But I had not made prayer a real part of my life. After reading a fiction book where the main character had a better prayer life with her fictitious god than I had with the One True God, I realized that I really needed to make this a priority in my life. And where better to start than to pray for my husband—I was newly married at the time. So I picked up this book for the first time.
<p>I remember what immediately impressed me upon my first reading was how Mrs. Omartian dedicates an entire chapter on praying for “His Wife.” In most cases, the person reading <i>The Power of a Praying Wife</i> is going to be the wife. And so Mrs. Omartian starts off the book with a chapter about praying for yourself because change always has to start with yourself. While you can pray for your spouse and while God will work because of that, this book is not designed to be about changing your husband. God is not a genie in a bottle that you rub when you pray and He pops out and asks you all of the many things you wish you could change about your husband, snaps His fingers and all of those things are now to your wishes and specifications. That’s not how this thing works. Truthfully the only person I can work on changing is myself. And so I was really impressed with her choice to start this book off about me instead of about my husband.
<p>Obviously, <i>The Power of a Praying Wife</i> does not address every possible thing that your husband needs prayer over. That’s just not possible. So someone looking for this book to cover every aspect that your husband will ever need prayed about in his life is going to be disappointed. What this book does is teach you how to focus your prayers on a specific area of your husband’s life and spend some dedicated time covering that topic, characteristic, aspect--whatever--in prayer. This can really apply to any aspect of your life and any relationship you have, not just your spouse. As a matter of fact while reading <i>The Power of a Praying Wife</i> this time, I thought of several chapter topics that some of my friends were struggling with and could use prayer in that area even more than my husband. The principle is the same. So obviously, this book isn’t going to have a prayer for every obstacle you might come up against as a wife praying for your husband. It doesn’t cover every prayer need your husband will have in his life. But it is a guide—and a really good one at that—designed to teach you how to focus your prayers for your husband to better yourself, to better him, and to better your marriage.
<p>The first time I read through this book, I took one chapter at a time. I would read that chapter and focus my prayer throughout the week in this area for my husband. And it worked really well for me then. This time I was aware of how short each chapter was and I just wanted to keep reading, to keep devouring this book, and to keep covering my husband with these prayers in the moment. Also, through this reading of <i>The Power of a Praying Wife</i>, I typed the prayers at the end of chapter and emailed them to my husband. Even though I did read multiple chapters in a day, I would only send him one prayer each day so as to not overwhelm him. I think there is something really special in sharing with that person the actual words You lift up in prayer on their behalf. It does a lot more for the soul than just saying “I’m praying for you.” I will add though that if you decide to share the prayers with your husband, you might want to preface that by telling him that you're about to share some prayers with him from this book and that it doesn't necessarily mean that you think he (or your marriage) is necessarily struggling in each of these areas, but these prayers can be used as preventative measures just as much as addressing an actual issue.
<p><i>The Power of a Praying Wife</i> is a must read for any married woman of faith. I’d even recommend it to any and all people everywhere, but specifically for married women who want to cover their husbands in prayer. <i>The Power of a Praying Wife</i> gets 4.5 Stars from me. Have you read <i>The Power of a Praying Wife</i>? What did you think? Let me know!
<p>This review was originally posted at <a href="http://sandyfarmer.blogspot.com">Somewhere Only We Know</a>.Somewhere Only We Knowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13301973028870770126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7830426574272429619.post-23090633934457100322013-12-28T11:50:00.000-06:002014-01-21T14:05:30.094-06:00Book Review: Erasing Hell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4H2QDc-XjNN6TWsIfsZLHqEekoJaDU03nIPwXgH9umrNgFxOeCeiL1f3vg_ryQSK88rH3oHI_K94BWH-zHYDUO8jEZPomYD_zNyLoeaRt_petxyktmLRQ6Uz8Sotx5hBhtI1FRrKIRb8/s1600/Erasing+Hell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4H2QDc-XjNN6TWsIfsZLHqEekoJaDU03nIPwXgH9umrNgFxOeCeiL1f3vg_ryQSK88rH3oHI_K94BWH-zHYDUO8jEZPomYD_zNyLoeaRt_petxyktmLRQ6Uz8Sotx5hBhtI1FRrKIRb8/s400/Erasing+Hell.jpg" /></a></div>
<p><i>Erasing Hell: What God Said About Eternity, and the Things We've Made Up</i>
<p><b>By:</b> Francis Chan & Preston Sprinkle
<p><b>Published:</b> July 5th 2011 by David C. Cook
<p>208 pages
<p><b>Genre:</b> Christian, Religion, Non-Fiction, Spirituality
<p><b>Source:</b> Personal Kindle Library
<p>( <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11414907-erasing-hell">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0781407257/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0781407257&linkCode=as2&tag=somonlwekno01-20">Amazon</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=somonlwekno01-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0781407257" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Erasing-Hell-Francis-Chan/9780781407250?a_aid=somonlwekno01-20">Book Depository</a> | <a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-7080721-32499?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booksamillion.com%2Fp%2FErasing-Hell%2FFrancis-Chan%2F9780781407250" target="_top">Booksamillion.com</a><img src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-7080721-32499" width="1" height="1" border="0"/> )
<p><i>*Note: The above links to Amazon, Book Depository, and Booksamillion.com are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.</i>
<p><blockquote>Goodreads description--<b>How could a loving God send people to hell? Will people have a chance after they die to believe in Jesus and go to heaven?
<p>With a humble respect for God's Word, Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle address the deepest questions you have about eternal destiny. They've asked the same questions. Like you, sometimes they just don't want to believe in hell. But as they write, "We cannot afford to be wrong on this issue."
<p>This is not a book about who is saying what. It's a book about what God says. It's not a book about impersonal theological issues. It's a book about people who God loves. It's not a book about arguments, doctrine, or being right. It's a book about the character of God.
<p>Erasing Hell will immerse you in the truth of Scripture as, together with the authors, you find not only the truth but the courage to live it out.</b></blockquote>
<p>I've had <i>Erasing Hell</i> in my possession for quite some time, but considering the topic I've put off reading it. Who wants to read about hell? I really didn't. But Husband and I have been talking about how there is a general lack of the fear of the Lord in our country lately it seems, and how it would do us both good to spend some time dwelling on this subject. What better subject to instill some Godly fear than hell? And so thus I decided it was time to pick this one up.
<p>Francis Chan...wow. He certainly has a way with words. In all of the books I've read by him, I'm always impressed with his ability to be honest with himself, honest with his readers, and honest with God. He's not afraid to put himself and his short-comings out there on display in order to learn something about himself and in order to use that as an example to teach others. It's really impressive.
<p>Francis Chan & Preston Sprinkle admit upfront that truthfully they do not want to believe in hell as a real place. They don't want to think about people that they know and love possibly ending up there after this life is over. But they don't stop at what they wants to believe. No, they move into the Scripture and search it for what God says about hell and about eternity.
<p>What was really impressed upon me while reading <i>Erasing Hell</i> was how much this subject is dependent upon a proper understanding of God. The authors do a great job of showcasing God's character and nature throughout this scary and unpopular topic. While the first several chapters truly focus on the Scripture surrounding the topic of hell, the last two chapters had the most impact upon me. These chapters focused on some difficult questions concerning God and how we interpret God with our limited human minds. These chapters forced me to be honest with myself about how I think I have a right to determine what is right, and just, and loving.
<p><i>Erasing Hell</i> really does dwell on some tough subjects, but as the authors say and is listed in the description above, "We cannot afford to be wrong on this issue." I highly recommend this book to anyone who is undecided on this topic, to anyone who needs a look at the deeper nature and character of God, to anyone who needs a good dose of the fear of the LORD. To well...anyone.
<p>Please note that of the other books by Francis Chan that I've read, <i>Erasing Hell</i> seems to be the most academic in nature. The authors obviously put a lot of research into this topic, but truthfully, you need to be willing to do some research on your own, specifically from the Bible, to form your own beliefs from God's Word.
<p><i>Erasing Hell</i> gets a good 4.5 stars from me. Have you read <i>Erasing Hell</i>? If so, what did you think? Let me know!
<p>This review was first posted on <a href="http://sandyfarmer.blogspot.com">Somewhere Only We Know</a>.Somewhere Only We Knowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13301973028870770126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7830426574272429619.post-91437452284785385942013-12-27T09:02:00.000-06:002013-12-28T11:49:28.213-06:00Book Review: Love & Respect in the Family<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQeCjyHcRqrz1mXp1Cjdby6FHZ2zTQ_SwNvgB8Lzu20RjFrqhwiwu3Izol47VF5lgz8APe8rHy7DX9ZxaaGQd7BohFwxLbp7j8vMkn-iu22Rf_d3YCqKWZZn0M5UhfndSw_dHgL2889ag/s1600/Love&RespectintheFamily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQeCjyHcRqrz1mXp1Cjdby6FHZ2zTQ_SwNvgB8Lzu20RjFrqhwiwu3Izol47VF5lgz8APe8rHy7DX9ZxaaGQd7BohFwxLbp7j8vMkn-iu22Rf_d3YCqKWZZn0M5UhfndSw_dHgL2889ag/s400/Love&RespectintheFamily.jpg" /></a></div>
<p><i>Love & Respect in the Family: The Transforming Power of Love and Respect Between Parent and Child</i>
<p><b>By:</b> Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
<p><b>Published:</b> November 5th 2013 by Thomas Nelson Publishers
208 pages
<p><b>Genre:</b> Self-Help
<p><b>Source:</b> Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)
<p>( <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17657147-love-respect-in-the-family">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0849948207/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0849948207&linkCode=as2&tag=somonlwekno01-20">Amazon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=somonlwekno01-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0849948207" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Love-%26-Respect-Family-Dr-Emerson-Eggerichs/9781480545724?a_aid=somonlwekno01-20">Book Depository</a> | <a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-7080721-32499?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booksamillion.com%2Fp%2FLove-Respect-Family%2FEmerson-Eggerichs%2F9780849948206" target="_top">Booksamillion.com</a><img border="0" height="1" src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-7080721-32499" width="1" /> )
<p><i>*Note: The above links to Amazon, Book Depository, and Booksamillionc.com are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.</i>
<p><blockquote>Goodreads description--<b>Children need love. Parents need respect.
</b><p><b>It is as simple and complex as that!
</b><p><b>When frustrated with an unresponsive child, a parent doesn't declare, "You don't love me." Instead the parent asserts, "You are being disrespectful right now." A parent needs to feel respected, especially during conflicts. When upset a child does not whine, "You don't respect me." Instead, a child pouts, "You don't love me." A child needs to feel loved, especially during disputes.
</b><p><b>But here's the rub: An unloved child (or teen) negatively reacts in a way that feels disrespectful to a parent. A disrespected parent negatively reacts in a way that feels unloving to the child. This dynamic gives birth to the FAMILY CRAZY CYCLE.
</b><p><b>So how is one to break out of this cycle? Best-selling author Emerson Eggerichs has studied the family dynamic for more than 30 years, having his Ph.D. in Child and Family Ecology. As a senior pastor for nearly two decades, Eggerichs builds on a foundation of strong biblical principles, walking the reader through an entirely new way to approach the family dynamic. For instance, God reveals ways to defuse the craziness with our children from preschooler to teen, plus how to motivate them to obey and how to deal with them when they don't. In the Bible, God has spoken specifically to parents on how to parent. This book is about that revelation.</b>
</blockquote>
<p>I’m not a parent yet, so I might have a skewed perception of this book. Husband and I do plan to try to expand our family in the near future, so that combined with how much I enjoyed <a href="http://sandyfarmer.blogspot.com/2013/05/love-respect-review.html">Love & Respect</a> (about the husband and wife relationship) made <i>Love & Respect in the Family</i> a perfect choice for me. As with <i>Love & Respect</i>, some of these principles discussed in this book are obvious, but the way Dr. Eggerich spells it out makes so much sense and clarifies a lot.
<p>Dr. Eggerich points out that when a parent and child get into it you never hear a child say, “you don’t respect me,” and you usually don’t hear a parent say, “you don’t love me.” No. The child says, “you don’t love me,” while the parent replies, “you’re being disrespectful.” This was such a revelation for me--and SO true! Dr. Eggerich even follows it up with another obvious point—it is the parent’s job to be the mature one in these "Family Crazy Cycle" situations. The parent is the one who has years of experience on the child. The parent is the one who should be mature enough not to lower themselves to the antics of children. This makes so much sense to me as to why parents and children have the strained relationships that they sometimes have—the parents never grew up. They never matured. They are still selfish and self-centered creatures who haven’t learned that they have to take the high road in order to avoid the "Family Crazy Cycle" that Dr. Eggerich discusses.
<p>Truthfully I should have written this review the day I completely the book. I feel like I’ve forgotten so much of the wonderful text already, which indicates to me that this is a book that I will need to read more than once. Dr. Eggerich does a good job showing you how to exit the "Family Crazy Cycle" and some great parenting advice that is indeed extremely applicable. And he does it in a way that both shows his own parenting successes and failures. He’s the first to admit that he and his wife did not parent perfectly—as no one can. He’s not arrogant with his advice and forceful in saying “this is what you must do in order to be a good parent.” Yet his advice is both Biblically based and common sense.
<p><i>Love & Respect in the Family</i> is another book that I think every person ought to read. If you are a parent, if you had a parent, if you ever plan to be a parent. <i>Love & Respect in the Family</i> is broken down into easy to understand concepts that will make a big impact on your family if put into practice. Not being a parent myself, there were a couple of things that I wonder about, but time will tell for me. I’m giving <i>Love & Respect in the Family</i> an easy 4 stars. My only negative was that I thought the book felt complete at about the 75% mark. While the remaining portion still held valuable information, I felt it was time to wrap things up. Have you read <i>Love & Respect in the Family</i>? What did you think? Let me know!
<p>This review first appeared on <a href="http://sandyfarmer.blogspot.com/2013/12/love-respect-in-family-review.html">Somewhere Only We Know</a>.<br />
Somewhere Only We Knowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13301973028870770126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7830426574272429619.post-23804415975989308012013-09-20T13:58:00.000-05:002013-09-21T13:57:52.541-05:00Book Review - The Power of a Praying Kid<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59TuWVS_0UhBPsYW3VdIRR2IFXyNDb8_IOxDWrmMORWeKP15RKb-TQR1xKwzy_2uba_pHMmjJUc7jTi1ZG-P4R_Pi8T6-UDN3D1VO8W6ztnUzZGlqUBLg3cfVn34UeDlb3NSzM53ehRc/s1600/ThePowerofaPrayingKid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59TuWVS_0UhBPsYW3VdIRR2IFXyNDb8_IOxDWrmMORWeKP15RKb-TQR1xKwzy_2uba_pHMmjJUc7jTi1ZG-P4R_Pi8T6-UDN3D1VO8W6ztnUzZGlqUBLg3cfVn34UeDlb3NSzM53ehRc/s400/ThePowerofaPrayingKid.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></div>
<p><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0736901221/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0736901221&linkCode=as2&tag=somonlwekno01-20">The Power of a Praying Kid</a></i>
<p><b>By:</b> Stormie Omartian
<p><b>Published:</b> July 1st 2005 by Harvest House Publishers
<p>100 pages
<p><b>Genre:</b> Christian
<p><b>Source:</b> Personal Library
<p>( <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/745533.The_Power_of_a_Praying_Kid">Goodreads</a> |
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0736901221/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0736901221&linkCode=as2&tag=somonlwekno01-20">Amazon</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=somonlwekno01-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0736901221" height="1" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Power-Praying-Kid-Stormie-Omartian/9780736901222?somonlwekno01-20">The Book Depository</a> | <a href="http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-7080721-32499?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booksamillion.com%2Fp%2FPower-Praying-Kid%2FStormie-Omartian%2F9780736901222" target="_top">Booksamillion.com</a><img border="0" src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-7080721-32499" height="1" width="1" /> )
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Goodreads description--<b>New from bestselling author Stormie Omartian! A look at prayer through little eyes.
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<p><b>"The Power of a Praying(R) Kid "is a fun and "kid-friendly" approach to prayer for a very- special audience. Written with young hearts in mind, this short, easy-to-read book for 7- to 12-year-olds helps children learn to talk to God in a way that is meaningful and relational.
<p>Interactive call-outs, sample prayers, and places to record their own words to God are sprinkled throughout the pages. Moms and Dads as well as children will love the message of this book for growing-up kids...God wants to hear from them and He listens to their prayers.</b></blockquote>
<p>It's no secret that I love <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0736901221/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0736901221&linkCode=as2&tag=somonlwekno01-20">The Power of a Praying</a>...</b>series. I hasn't really been a goal of mine to read them all necessarily, but I can't help but grab whichever one applies to my current situation. I grabbed <i>The Power of a Praying Kid</i> and <i>The Power of a Praying Teen</i> for my kids' Bible class that I teach on Wednesday nights. So far we've only done the first two chapters but both classes went really well.
<p><i>The Power of a Praying Kid</i> is written in easy to understand words, phrases, and concepts so that even a child below teen years should be able to understand it. I love the simplicity of the messages provided in this book. Stormie Omartian set up this book to act as a sort of prayer journal for young children. I love the idea of starting children out early with focusing on their prayer lives. While this was something that I was told I needed to do as a child, I didn't really grow and cultivate my prayer life until adulthood.
<p><i>The Power of a Praying Kid</i> isn't very long at all, so it shouldn't be too daunting to children. And I think it will serve as the perfect introduction to the next book, <i>The Power of a Praying Teen</i>. Included in the book are short prayers from other children and sections about the answered prayers of various children, as well as common things children of this age group think and pray about. Also in keeping with the other <b>Power of a Praying...</b>books that I've read, Stormie Omartian adds Scripture at the end of each chapter dealing with that specific topic, a short prayer over the topic, and space for the child to add to the provided prayer.
<p>My only complaint is the short section early on in the book where Ms. Omartian discusses "how to become a Christian." I don't agree with her breakdown of the process as Scripture lays it out. As I always say in my reviews of any kind of religious book, we must consult the Source and the Standard (The Bible) for the answers to any questions that we have. Because of this, I highly recommend this be a book that an adult/parent/teacher/etc go through along with the child/children instead of just saying, "Here's a book about prayer. Read it." It needs to be interactive with children of this age.
<p><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0736901221/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0736901221&linkCode=as2&tag=somonlwekno01-20">The Power of a Praying Kid</a></i> gets 4.5 Stars from me. Have you read <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0736901221/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0736901221&linkCode=as2&tag=somonlwekno01-20">The Power of a Praying Kid</a></i>? What did you think? Let me know!
<p>This review was first published on <a href="http://sandyfarmer.blogspot.com/">Somewhere Only We Know</a>.Somewhere Only We Knowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13301973028870770126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7830426574272429619.post-88271816826618446452013-08-02T14:30:00.000-05:002013-11-11T09:43:43.704-06:00Baptism: Going All In<span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong>I</strong></span> want to start this discussion about baptism by putting all my cards on the table and stating there has been way too much debate about this topic from those of us trying to follow Jesus. These debates do nothing but lead to confusion to others who are trying to learn the Truth, and the conversations are muddied with people's opinions and traditions which accomplish nothing except to turn the whole discussion into nonsense. The act of baptism is one of the simplest and most precious gifts from God, and it's time we all get on the same page about how Jesus gave us the example in the New Testament of how it is to be understood. The early Christians in the Bible also understood what baptism means, and we can use their example to make sure we can all agree.<br />
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So, simply enough, let's start with a definition:<br />
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<strong><em>Baptism-</em></strong> Greek origin- <em>baptisma, baptizo- </em>to immerse, to submerge (sinking a boat permanently), to wash one's body (bathe), to make clean<br />
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One of the earliest recorded uses of this word outside of the Bible in its correct form is found in a recipe for making pickles. Nicander, a Greek poet and physician, wrote in 200 B.C. on how to change a cucumber into a pickle--he first describes that you have to <em>bapto </em>("dip"- not the New Testament usage) the vegetable into boiling saltwater, then you have to <em>baptizo</em> ("submerge"- the word used in the New Testament) into a vinegar solution for a longer period of time. Interestingly enough, the first usage- bapto -denotes a temporary cleansing, while baptizo denotes an act that is going to cause a permanent change to the cucumber.<br />
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In the Old Testament, there are plenty of examples of sprinkling and full immersion into the water for purification purposes. If you'll refer to those examples given in Leviticus for the priests, and several examples throughout the Old Testament, you'll quickly see that sprinkling was reserved for purification from leprosy or other various skin lesions, and this was usually done with oil. Immersion had a special purpose though, and it had much more serious meaning. The priests themselves had to fully submerge their bodies and cleanse themselves before they could enter the presence of God to offer sacrifices for their sins and the sins of the people. They would also have to "baptize" themselves if they had defiled themselves by touching a dead body. There were pools that enabled the priests to fully submerge their bodies outside of the Temple, and they would also often have a deep tub dug into their homes in order to fulfill this type of cleansing. <br />
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Now, let's fast forward into the New Testament with the baptisms being performed by John. First, the Greek <em>baptizo</em> is being used, so we know he is actually submering people into the Jordan River. His message is a message of repentance from sins, and not of cleansing from skin ailments, so Hebrew culture would fully understand the implications of being submerged versus being sprinkled. These people wanted a permanent change, and not a temporary cleansing. When Jesus presents himself before John asking to be <em>baptizo, </em>this should be all that we need to know to in order to follow him. Jesus allowed John to fully submerge him into this dirty river water (by our standards), and immediately God sent the Holy Spirit to proclaim how pleased He was with His Son. Something changed that day, and most of us would agree this is where Jesus' ministry truly began. This should be our first real reference on what baptism should mean to someone trying to follow in Jesus' footsteps.<br />
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<strong><u>Matthew 3:13-17</u></strong></div>
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<em>Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23206S" title="See cross-reference S">S</a>)"></sup> <span class="text Matt-3-14" id="en-NIV-23207"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?”</span> </em></div>
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<span class="text Matt-3-15" id="en-NIV-23208"><em><sup class="versenum"> </sup>Jesus replied, <span class="woj">“Let it be so now;<strong> it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.</strong>”</span> Then John consented.</em></span></div>
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<em><span class="text Matt-3-16" id="en-NIV-23209"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23209T" title="See cross-reference T">T</a>)"></sup> and he saw the Spirit of God<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23209U" title="See cross-reference U">U</a>)"></sup> descending like a dove and alighting on him.</span> <span class="text Matt-3-17" id="en-NIV-23210"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>And a voice from heaven<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23210V" title="See cross-reference V">V</a>)"></sup> said, “This is my Son,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23210W" title="See cross-reference W">W</a>)"></sup> whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”</span></em></div>
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<em><span class="text Matt-3-17"><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23210X" title="See cross-reference X">X</a>)"></sup></span></em></div>
Being baptized in this way is one of the first real ways we get to celebrate our new life and share in something that Jesus himself did as well. The early believers understood this, the apostles taught this, and every example of baptism in the New Testament is a person who decided to follow Jesus' teachings because they believed he was who he said he was, and then they wanted to be purified from their past sinful life. Referring back to the Old Testament priests above, baptism was the purification ritual used in order to wash oneself clean of wrongdoings and exposure to dead flesh--in the New Testament we see it become the burial of the dead flesh (your old sinful life), and it remains to be the ritual used for the cleansing of sin so the believer can approach God's throne. Let's take a quick look at how Peter instructed the people of Jerusalem on how to be saved after they became convicted of actually crucifying their long awaited Messiah:<br />
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<strong><u>Acts 2:37-41</u></strong></div>
<span class="text Acts-2-37" id="en-NIV-26987"><em>When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26987AW" title="See cross-reference AW">AW</a>)"></sup></em></span><br />
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<em><span class="text Acts-2-38" id="en-NIV-26988"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26988AX" title="See cross-reference AX">AX</a>)"></sup> every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26988AY" title="See cross-reference AY">AY</a>)"></sup> And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26988AZ" title="See cross-reference AZ">AZ</a>)"></sup></span> <span class="text Acts-2-39" id="en-NIV-26989">The promise is for you and your children<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26989BA" title="See cross-reference BA">BA</a>)"></sup> and for all who are far off<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26989BB" title="See cross-reference BB">BB</a>)"></sup>—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”</span></em><br />
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<em><span class="text Acts-2-40" id="en-NIV-26990">With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26990BC" title="See cross-reference BC">BC</a>)"></sup></span> <span class="text Acts-2-41" id="en-NIV-26991"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26991BD" title="See cross-reference BD">BD</a>)"></sup> that day.</span></em><br />
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There is no question here on whether baptism should be done or not; Peter specifically instructs them to repent (turn away from their sins) and be immersed for the forgiveness of their sins. There are several people who state that baptism is only a symbol--I know, I used to be one of them--and it is a symbol for sure. It's a ritual started by God in the Old Testament for purifying priests, and given to us by Jesus as a means for cleansing us from our old life. So sure...it's a symbol, but it's not ONLY a symbol. It must be done as part of the contract God has offered us. </div>
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Did you ever think of God as giving you a contract to sign? He operated in contracts--the Bible calls them <em>covenants</em>. He had one with Adam, he had one with Abraham...Moses....David...Solomon....all the kings and prophets actually. This relationship He forms based on "you do <em>this</em> for me, and I'll do <em>something</em> for you" is a very real principle seen throughout the Bible. The current standing contract that He has for us was given to us through Jesus: repent, be baptized, you will be saved.<br />
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We definitely don't want to understate the importance of Jesus' death here....without a doubt, his crucification provided the way to eternal life for every person. There is no contract at all without his death, and his blood is what provided the covering of our sins; there was truly nothing we could do to be saved without this pinnacle point in history. No action on your part would ever get you closer to God unless Jesus died on that cross--you were alone and separated from God until you reached the belief that Jesus died for you--to save you. So once you reached that conclusion, and you prayed to tell God you believe....what did God tell you to do? How did Peter explain it above?<br />
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Let's look at what Jesus says about it all. John 3:16 is used by most people who hold the conviction that all you have to do is BELIEVE in Jesus, and you will be saved. <br />
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<em>"For God so loved<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26137V" title="See cross-reference V">V</a>)"></sup> the world that he gave<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26137W" title="See cross-reference W">W</a>)"></sup> his one and only Son,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26137X" title="See cross-reference X">X</a>)"></sup> that whoever believes<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26137Y" title="See cross-reference Y">Y</a>)"></sup> in him shall not perish but have eternal life."</em><br />
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Did you ever wonder what it really means to believe in Jesus? Is it just believing that he existed? From the book of James, in the second chapter, it's apparent that the believers he is addressing are being lazy in their faith because they are stating they believe in one God, and that is enough to save them. James tells them that even the demons believe in God and fear him, but that isn't enough to save them. He continues with saying faith without good works is a dead faith--that means, it was once alive, but now it's nonexistent. Believing isn't enough, and it's not all God asks of us. <br />
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Now look back at John 3:16--whoever believes in God's son will have eternal life. Is it possible that "believing" in Jesus means not just believing he exists, but that we are to believe in what he says as well? John 3:16 has been used as a defense, a weapon even, to prove that believing is the ONLY thing that can save you, but I want to take it a step further and say that believing in Jesus and doing what he says is where your salvation comes from ultimately--believing in him enough to obey him fully. The problem with people using John 3:16 as a defense is that they apparently aren't reading the entire third chapter of John, and they are only picking a single verse to prove their opinions. The entire first part of John 3 is where Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus how to be born again through water and the Spirit. He is speaking very vaguely at this point, but he will clarify this to the disciples later when he asks them to go into the world and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What did we see the disciples go out and do after this? They were submerging people in water after those people came to the realization of who Jesus really is--not just telling people they could be baptized if they wanted to be as a cool add-on option. Once a person believed, it was taught they must be baptized to clease them of their sin. Not that this is some magic water ritual, but it was what Jesus asked them to do in order to be saved--the key is obedience. <br />
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Believing in Jesus enough to obey him is where true salvation has been provided for us by God in today's world. Saying you believe Jesus is real isn't enough, and you won't be fulfilling the roles he has asked you to fill. The result of that kind of life is exactly what we are seeing in America today, where people are claiming to be Christians, but you can see no proof of that in the life they live. This type of person is actually doing more harm than good to the name we are supposed to bear. Jesus said he would know who truly belongs to him by seeing which of us bear fruit...those who obey and do the job he asks us to do.<br />
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If you've ever been told that baptism isn't important--or not necessary to be a Christian--I really want you to search the scriptures to find where that is stated. The more you search, the more you will find just how important it is. You'll find more proof on why it should be done, and you won't see any place at all in the Bible where it is described as optional. This is something I want you to investigate and apply to your own life. This isn't a cause for debate; it's about doing the things God has asked you to do to be saved. We'll examine this more later, but the most important point I want you to take away from this is if you're a person that states "Jesus never said to be baptized" or if you're confusing people by telling them baptism is just a choice and isn't necessary, then you've set yourself against God's word and you're misleading people. If you have people in your life preaching or teaching that it's optional, then they haven't read God's word enough to understand it, and you should flee from that setting or have a serious discussion with those who are misleading others. The seminaries or organizations that teach this base their teachings off traditions that were formed centuries long after the Bible was completed, and they will often even try to quote people from the AD1600-1800's trying to prove their case. To be a true follower of Jesus, you have to get used to not listening to opinions and really researching what the Bible says on the topic. Don't fall into the trap of hearing someone say, "Jesus didn't really mean what he said there...but some monk in the year 1713 cleared that up for us."<br />
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You'll never make a pickle by sprinkling a cucumber. There is a real change that takes place once you decide to be submerged in the water that Jesus has asked you to step into and follow him. The water itself hasn't changed you, but obeying your Lord has made the real change. Examine your life, and if needed...step into the water today.<br />
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Now I want to hear from you! What are some of your favorite scriptures pertaining to baptism? Were you told it was optional? Why do you think there are so many options other than real submersion when the word itself means to go under? <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04943303426619746195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7830426574272429619.post-88063776064563633432013-05-31T23:34:00.001-05:002013-08-08T11:25:43.045-05:00How to Believe In Jesus<span style="font-size: large;">W</span>e've all seen the pamphlets or read the tracts that explain how to become a Christian--how to be saved--but for the majority of people, it wasn't a publication that led someone to their salvation...this blog included.<br />
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For most of us, we were led by another person. Think back in your life--was it a family member, a friend, a preacher or teacher, or even indirectly by hearing another person's testimony? The first lesson I want you to remember is how hugely important it is for you to communicate with people. Don't depend on tools and presentations. You are the light in this world. With this calling also comes the responsibility of making sure the people you talk to about your faith are properly educated. This is where the second lesson comes in.<br />
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Building on the ideas in the last entry <a href="http://www.brightlysalted.com/2013/05/forget-everything-youve-ever-known.html" target="_blank">here</a>, I've requested that you forget everything you were ever taught from some other source about your faith other than the Bible. This is a vital first step for none other than the fact that you've most likely already learned in your life that secondhand and thirdhand information is quite often incorrect. There are a ton of issues that have divided the followers of Jesus today--and we'll touch on many of these issues in the future--but once you realize these divisions have been born out of interpretations of certain people defending their own beliefs or agendas, you'll also realize why so many people today want nothing to do with anything that wears the label of "Christianity." I already know this article can also be accused of being just another interpretation, but I promise I will only present the Scripture here, and if we ever come to an issue that has questionable interpretations, I will plainly state that "I'm not sure," and we'll openly discuss these issues together. <br />
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However this topic--Becoming a Christian--is the most basic and the firmest foundation of everything we believe, and if we can't agree on how to become a child of God, then we really aren't fit to be His children at all. He has plainly told us, and if we can't obey Him and do it His way, then we can't be called His followers. While we're on the topic of <b><u>obedience</u></b>, keep that word on the tip of your brain...but as I said before...<a href="http://www.brightlysalted.com/2013/05/forget-everything-youve-ever-known.html" target="_blank">forget everything else you've ever known</a>. Drop the labels you've put on yourself, stop associating yourself with something that Jesus would see as a division, and let's dive into the Scripture together:<br />
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<b><u>HOW TO BECOME A FOLLOWER OF JESUS</u></b></div>
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<b>1. Believe He is the Son of God that was sent to save the people of this world.</b><br />
<b>2. Follow His command and be <a href="http://www.brightlysalted.com/2013/05/baptism-going-all-in.html">baptized</a> to bury your old life and cleanse the new one.</b><br />
<b>3. Pray without ceasing in order to form a real relationship with Him.</b><br />
<b>4. Study the Bible in order to understand what YOU are and what your responsibilities are.</b><br />
<b>5. Do what He asks you to do and don't look back.</b><br />
<b>6. When you sin, confess the sin to Him and turn away from it.</b><br />
<b>7. Love and serve others every chance you get.</b><br />
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There are several different beliefs out there on "how to make it into Heaven", but using the outline above I will update the site over the next few weeks to explain each example with Scripture to follow. We have to first agree that Jesus was telling the truth during His time on earth, and once that's established, it's all about following the commands He gave us on how to follow in His footsteps. These topics will be open to discussion, but it is vitally important we only focus on the Scripture to support this journey. Until the next update, think about each of the points above and compare them to what you currently believe. <br />
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Love you buddies,</div>
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Russ</div>
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<b><br /></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04943303426619746195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7830426574272429619.post-83563121939306450332013-05-13T15:24:00.000-05:002013-05-30T12:35:01.028-05:00Forget Everything You've Ever Known...<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">F</span>rom this moment on, I want you to forget everything you've ever learned about your faith from someone else. Just remember that moment you felt called...the moment your heart nearly exploded out of your chest...the moment you knew the rocks would cry out if you didn't respond to the Spirit urging you to follow Jesus. Now, think about what you did next. You felt God speak to you directly and invite you to follow Him, so you took the first step in knowing Him by doing what? For the majority of us, we probably went to listen to someone else to see what they had to say about it--and usually we just got a lesson about the walls falling at Jericho, or Adam and Eve eating a piece of fruit, or if you're lucky, maybe you heard a lesson about Jesus and why he was here in the first place...maybe...if you were lucky.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To the point now, you experienced a moment in your lifetime when the Creator of the entire universe took an interest in your life, asked you to be a part of His family to which you said 'yes', then you felt it was necessary to go find out from other sources what had just happened to you. Sound familiar?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Right now is the time for you to take the responsibility of focusing your prayer life on God's will and immersing yourself into His Word to see exactly what He wants you to learn from Him. I know it seems like a huge responsibility at times, but it is your job; and I will add it's a job you are going to be overly pleased with some day...but for now, don't be caught sleeping. You have responsibilities--it is up to you to work out your own salvation--and lucky enough, you know exactly who provided that salvation for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><u><b>2Peter 1:3-11</b>:</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span class="text 2Pet-1-3">His divine power<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30483G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)"></sup> has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30483H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)"></sup> who called us<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30483I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)"></sup> by his own glory and goodness.</span> <span class="text 2Pet-1-4" id="en-NIV-30484">Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30484J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)"></sup> so that through them you may participate in the divine nature,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30484K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)"></sup> having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30484L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)"></sup></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span class="text 2Pet-1-5" id="en-NIV-30485"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30485M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)"></sup></span> <span class="text 2Pet-1-6" id="en-NIV-30486"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>and to knowledge, self-control;<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30486N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)"></sup> and to self-control, perseverance;<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30486O" title="See cross-reference O">O</a>)"></sup> and to perseverance, godliness;<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30486P" title="See cross-reference P">P</a>)"></sup></span> <span class="text 2Pet-1-7" id="en-NIV-30487"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30487Q" title="See cross-reference Q">Q</a>)"></sup></span> <span class="text 2Pet-1-8" id="en-NIV-30488"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30488R" title="See cross-reference R">R</a>)"></sup> in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30488S" title="See cross-reference S">S</a>)"></sup></span> <span class="text 2Pet-1-9" id="en-NIV-30489"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30489T" title="See cross-reference T">T</a>)"></sup> forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30489U" title="See cross-reference U">U</a>)"></sup></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span class="text 2Pet-1-10" id="en-NIV-30490"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>Therefore, my brothers and sisters,<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>make every effort to confirm your calling<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30490V" title="See cross-reference V">V</a>)"></sup> and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30490W" title="See cross-reference W">W</a>)"></sup></span> </i></span><span class="text 2Pet-1-11" id="en-NIV-30491"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><sup class="versenum"> </sup>and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30491X" title="See cross-reference X">X</a>)"></sup> of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.</i></span></span></div>
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BrightlySaltedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954062663133160680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7830426574272429619.post-30061686036962083182013-05-01T13:27:00.000-05:002013-07-12T14:39:55.419-05:00What is BrightlySalted.com?<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span class="text Matt-5-14" id="en-NIV-23249">“You are the light of the world.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23249R" title="See cross-reference R">R</a>)"></sup> A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.</span> <span class="text Matt-5-15" id="en-NIV-23250"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23250S" title="See cross-reference S">S</a>)"></sup></span> </i><span class="text Matt-5-16" id="en-NIV-23251"><i><sup class="versenum"> </sup>In the same way, let your light shine before others,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23251T" title="See cross-reference T">T</a>)"></sup> that they may see your good deeds<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23251U" title="See cross-reference U">U</a>)"></sup> and glorify<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23251V" title="See cross-reference V">V</a>)"></sup> your Father in heaven."</i> <b>-Matthew 5:13-16</b></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Official Logo For BrightlySalted.com (April2013)</b><br />
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<span class="text Matt-5-16"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span> lot of time has passed since Jesus spoke these words, and since that time a lot of people have added and taken away from his words in an attempt to make his teachings fit every person. In my younger days, I saw the church as a building with a preacher, a choir, pretty windows, brass offering plates, and nice people. Now that I'm older and have the understanding that the church isn't a building at all--rather the collection of Jesus' followers--I've had to examine a lot of the views I learned as a child and compare them to the Word of God, the Bible. I am ashamed to say a lot of the things I heard as a child or even concluded for myself at various times didn't measure up to the teachings of Jesus. I'm positive there have even been times in my past when I was in the role of a teacher, and I have taught the meaning of the Scripture incorrectly. This is partly why this site has been created--to clarify my errors, to right my wrongs, and more importantly, to examine the Word of our God completely. </span></span><br />
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<span class="text Matt-5-16"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></span><span class="text Matt-5-16"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I intend to publish my assembly lessons and sermons here as well as my thoughts on world events, but more than anything, I want to use this site to connect with old friends so we can discuss our faith. I want us all to be able to investigate our questions together, and find the answers God has for us through His Holy Word. Hopefully we'll make some new friends along the way too. </span></span><br />
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<span class="text Matt-5-16"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></span><span class="text Matt-5-16"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At this time, I only plan to publish here a couple times per month, but there may be occasions where a weekly update is warranted...either way, don't worry about me filling your inbox up with constant emails. This site is just as much for you as it is for me. Feel free to send me your prayer requests, and I highly encourage you to send me questions on areas where guidance may be needed. We'll ask God together to lead us.</span></span><br />
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<span class="text Matt-5-16"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></span><span class="text Matt-5-16"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For now, I'm just asking you to fill in the subscribe box to the right, hit the "Like" button, and feel free to send any study topics you want to research with me. We'll get to see this site grow together as I add features in the coming days.</span></span><br />
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<span class="text Matt-5-16"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Just a pilgrim here,</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Matt-5-16"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></span>BrightlySaltedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954062663133160680noreply@blogger.com4