by Timothy Keller with Katherine Leary Alsdorf
Scott County Library hardcover 253 pages
genre: non-fiction Biblical living
published: 2012
This book was incredible. I've always liked Keller's stuff, but I think this is the first book of his I've read. I was surprised at how many life lessons and Scriptural applications it contained. I'm nowhere near being a pastor, yet Sunday sermon topics kept jumping out at me!
Having quit my full time job over two years ago, I still feel as though I'm trying to find God's purpose for my life. I struggle with wants vs. needs and spending less money since I now earn so little money. What are my gifts and talents and how does God want me to use them for His glory?
This book really helped me see that "work" isn't just how I make money. It's about why I work. What's the purpose? If it's ever just for a paycheck, then I'm not doing it the right way. Whether I teach full time or ring up people's purchases at McDonald's, there is so much more to the concept of work.
I love how this book is structured! I would definitely re-read it. I recommend it for anyone looking for their direction in terms of work. I recommend it to pastors for a wealth of sermon ideas with lots of great Scripture references!
Toward the end, he recommends two books that I may or may not get: The Call by Os Guinness and Creation Regained by Al Wolters.
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 03, 2019
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
The Woman at the Well
by Dale Evans Rogers
Hennepin County Library hardcover 191 pages
(copyright 1970!)
genre: autobiography, Christian witness
I don't remember why I requested this book . . . a conversation with someone or a reference in something else I read. I vaguely knew who Dale Evans and Roy Rogers were, but am always curious to learn more. Born in 1912, Frances Octavia Smith eloped at age 14 and got divorced when she was just 16 (and her firstborn was six months old)!
She condenses much of her early life into the first few chapters so that she can focus on her life as a Christian. At times, I loved this book. At other times, I cringed. (Like when she referred to her daughter Robin as a "Mongoloid" . . . even if that's the terminology of the time, I actually had to search it online to ascertain that it referred to Down Syndrome.)
She was an entertainer all her life, and this paragraph on page 48 really caught my eye!
"I worked harder than hard, and things seemed to be OK until I turned down the invitation of a top executive . . . I never meant to insult him, but he took it as a personal affront . . . I had too much pride in accomplishment to buy my way. I did not want to become obligated to anyone, in any way, to further my career. I had promised myself that I would never get trapped in such an involvement. I have always been infuriated with men who used their high position to acquire the scalps of hapless and heedless women. This was one area where I stuck to my guns, and I have never regretted it."
Good for her! What a tough cookie!
I also loved this on page 84: "I am Baptist, Episcopalian, Methodist, Disciples of Christ, Presbyterian! I don't think of the Church as a building or as a denomination; it is a body of believers in Christ - in His birth and Person and ministry, in His Atonement, His Resurrection, His Coming Again to receive us unto Himself. Denominations are fellowships. The Church is His body, and it has many members - not all of which function in exactly the same way. Who is to say that one denomination (or function) is 100 percent right and another 100 percent wrong? God is the judge of all that."
I am so glad that God judges and knows our hearts!
Page 113 horrified me . . . I understand that some people lack the idea of boundaries and compassion with celebrities . . . but to have a carload of fans and autograph seekers show up at her dad's FUNERAL to ask for autographs!?!? That is just horrifying.
That said, I love that she included some photos. They really added to the book. It would have been nice to see even more! (Thanks to Google, I got to see more pictures.)
Page 136-146 was a bit too much for me. I liked an early statement: "It was God who made the races, not man. And nowhere do we hear God saying that He prefers any one race to another." She talks about pride (as in thinking you're better than someone with a different skin color) as a sin and a stench in God's nostrils.
But then she basically says that she's against "intermarriage" of people of different races. As she's going on and on about race and animals and interbreeding, it just gets messy and unpleasant. "Basically I am opposed to such intermarriage, because I know that it seldom works, and that it can have a terrible effect upon the children of such a marriage. And basically I believe that each race has its own beauty and its particular value in God's creation. Would we like our pretty bouquets of many-colored flowers, if they were all red roses, or all yellow, or all white roses?"
She does explain that love is the key component for dealing with differences and conflict, but this chapter went on way too long and was too jarring (especially considering her pride in having adopted two children who were clearly of different ancestry . . . who according to her, should only be allowed to marry men of similar skin color to them?)
There were many places throughout the book where I silently cheered her for sharing her faith and trust in Jesus so boldly! (She died in 2001 at age 88.) There were many great lessons in her life story about relying on the Lord and boldly sharing his love.
"I have also learned that Satan loves nothing better than a chance to split every Christian fellowship on the face of the earth; he loves to divide and conquer, and we should think twice before helping him do that."
Amen! Unity, love, and faith. The threads of her story are strongly woven.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 191 pages
(copyright 1970!)
genre: autobiography, Christian witness
I don't remember why I requested this book . . . a conversation with someone or a reference in something else I read. I vaguely knew who Dale Evans and Roy Rogers were, but am always curious to learn more. Born in 1912, Frances Octavia Smith eloped at age 14 and got divorced when she was just 16 (and her firstborn was six months old)!
She condenses much of her early life into the first few chapters so that she can focus on her life as a Christian. At times, I loved this book. At other times, I cringed. (Like when she referred to her daughter Robin as a "Mongoloid" . . . even if that's the terminology of the time, I actually had to search it online to ascertain that it referred to Down Syndrome.)
She was an entertainer all her life, and this paragraph on page 48 really caught my eye!
"I worked harder than hard, and things seemed to be OK until I turned down the invitation of a top executive . . . I never meant to insult him, but he took it as a personal affront . . . I had too much pride in accomplishment to buy my way. I did not want to become obligated to anyone, in any way, to further my career. I had promised myself that I would never get trapped in such an involvement. I have always been infuriated with men who used their high position to acquire the scalps of hapless and heedless women. This was one area where I stuck to my guns, and I have never regretted it."
Good for her! What a tough cookie!
I also loved this on page 84: "I am Baptist, Episcopalian, Methodist, Disciples of Christ, Presbyterian! I don't think of the Church as a building or as a denomination; it is a body of believers in Christ - in His birth and Person and ministry, in His Atonement, His Resurrection, His Coming Again to receive us unto Himself. Denominations are fellowships. The Church is His body, and it has many members - not all of which function in exactly the same way. Who is to say that one denomination (or function) is 100 percent right and another 100 percent wrong? God is the judge of all that."
I am so glad that God judges and knows our hearts!
Page 113 horrified me . . . I understand that some people lack the idea of boundaries and compassion with celebrities . . . but to have a carload of fans and autograph seekers show up at her dad's FUNERAL to ask for autographs!?!? That is just horrifying.
That said, I love that she included some photos. They really added to the book. It would have been nice to see even more! (Thanks to Google, I got to see more pictures.)
Page 136-146 was a bit too much for me. I liked an early statement: "It was God who made the races, not man. And nowhere do we hear God saying that He prefers any one race to another." She talks about pride (as in thinking you're better than someone with a different skin color) as a sin and a stench in God's nostrils.
But then she basically says that she's against "intermarriage" of people of different races. As she's going on and on about race and animals and interbreeding, it just gets messy and unpleasant. "Basically I am opposed to such intermarriage, because I know that it seldom works, and that it can have a terrible effect upon the children of such a marriage. And basically I believe that each race has its own beauty and its particular value in God's creation. Would we like our pretty bouquets of many-colored flowers, if they were all red roses, or all yellow, or all white roses?"
She does explain that love is the key component for dealing with differences and conflict, but this chapter went on way too long and was too jarring (especially considering her pride in having adopted two children who were clearly of different ancestry . . . who according to her, should only be allowed to marry men of similar skin color to them?)
There were many places throughout the book where I silently cheered her for sharing her faith and trust in Jesus so boldly! (She died in 2001 at age 88.) There were many great lessons in her life story about relying on the Lord and boldly sharing his love.
"I have also learned that Satan loves nothing better than a chance to split every Christian fellowship on the face of the earth; he loves to divide and conquer, and we should think twice before helping him do that."
Amen! Unity, love, and faith. The threads of her story are strongly woven.
Friday, February 02, 2018
Face to Face with God: The Ultimate Quest to Experience His Presence
by Bill Johnson
Loaned by Kelly from NewDay paperback 220 pages
genre: non-fiction Christian faith
Again, I struggled with reading this . . . am I too weak in my faith? Is it simply not the "right book at the right time" for me? There are lots of pages that I put post-its on, but I don't feel as though I really know how to better draw near to God and experience His presence. (What a contrast with the Experiencing God book!) Johnson's faith and depth of knowledge of God's Word is strong, though, and I want to be stronger in my own faith.
Page 37 - "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD" (Proverbs 18:22) "The implications of this promise go far beyond simply getting married. Many have done that without any increase of God's favor. This promise is given to those who correctly steward the blessing of marriage." I think this caught my eye because I love marriage and I am concerned for loved ones who need this Scriptural wisdom . . .
Page 55 - After relating the story of the woman who poured expensive perfume on Jesus' feet . . . "What others thought to be excessive and extreme, God considered reasonable. The only true worship is extreme worship, and only extreme worship brings extreme results - transformation." I love this idea of extreme worship! I don't spend nearly enough of my time (even my devotions / prayer time) simply worshiping God. Perhaps that's part of the reason my faith is weaker than I'd like.
Page 61 - "Relationships are built on trust, communication, common interests, honesty, and time together. It is no different with knowing God. And it is from that place of knowing God that we find our greatest purpose in life." This is so true, and so vital for me to practice!
Page 98 - I think I tagged this because I wanted to find a way to better understand / search Scripture. He basically says that Elizabeth stayed home for five months when she got pregnant with John . . . so that she could protect herself from people's negative comments. How could he know this? Or is he surmising it? Do I care enough to dig deeper?
Page 145 - I loved the entire section on saints! Reading about other believers' lives and work really impacts me. The section on Charles Finney is one that I specifically tagged . . . I love reading about people's personal experiences with the Lord and how transformative those experiences are!
Page 156 - In the story about Smith Wigglesworth (what a name!), I loved this sentence: "Remember that this remarkable experience happened to a most unlikely vessel, and let it encourage you to qualify to receive more of God's Spirit because of your unrestrained hunger for Him." I should make it a sign / reminder for my desk!
Page 157 - "Wigglesworth's ministry was based on four principles: First, read the Word of God. Second, consume the Word of God until it consumes you. Third, believe the Word of God. Fourth, act on the Word of God."
Page 165 - A section on Heidi Baker! Since I had just read her book about Love, I found this very interesting. One fact in particular caught my eye. "Whereas it took them seventeen years to plant four churches before Heidi's encounter with God's face, they have planted over six thousand churches in the eight years since." Powerful!
Page 171-2 - "Much of the present Christian culture has unintentionally fostered ways of life and thought patterns that allow for people to be heavily burdened and discouraged as the norm. That habit often takes us into the stronghold of unbelief. In this mode we are much better at applauding tears over laughter, poverty over wealth, and the endurance of affliction over receiving quick answers and getting breakthroughs." This section is one that I should re-read . . . and discuss with other believers.
Page 188 - "I have heard teaching on the subject of giving to the poor and needy that emphasizes our stewardship instead of compassion. It basically means that you don't want to give to someone who will not use what was given properly." Ooh! I am sometimes guilty of this . . . and I do *not* want to be judgmental or self-righteous! This is where seeking God and spending time with Him helps me to make right decisions with a right attitude! I need You, Jesus!
Loaned by Kelly from NewDay paperback 220 pages
genre: non-fiction Christian faith
Again, I struggled with reading this . . . am I too weak in my faith? Is it simply not the "right book at the right time" for me? There are lots of pages that I put post-its on, but I don't feel as though I really know how to better draw near to God and experience His presence. (What a contrast with the Experiencing God book!) Johnson's faith and depth of knowledge of God's Word is strong, though, and I want to be stronger in my own faith.
Page 37 - "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD" (Proverbs 18:22) "The implications of this promise go far beyond simply getting married. Many have done that without any increase of God's favor. This promise is given to those who correctly steward the blessing of marriage." I think this caught my eye because I love marriage and I am concerned for loved ones who need this Scriptural wisdom . . .
Page 55 - After relating the story of the woman who poured expensive perfume on Jesus' feet . . . "What others thought to be excessive and extreme, God considered reasonable. The only true worship is extreme worship, and only extreme worship brings extreme results - transformation." I love this idea of extreme worship! I don't spend nearly enough of my time (even my devotions / prayer time) simply worshiping God. Perhaps that's part of the reason my faith is weaker than I'd like.
Page 61 - "Relationships are built on trust, communication, common interests, honesty, and time together. It is no different with knowing God. And it is from that place of knowing God that we find our greatest purpose in life." This is so true, and so vital for me to practice!
Page 98 - I think I tagged this because I wanted to find a way to better understand / search Scripture. He basically says that Elizabeth stayed home for five months when she got pregnant with John . . . so that she could protect herself from people's negative comments. How could he know this? Or is he surmising it? Do I care enough to dig deeper?
Page 145 - I loved the entire section on saints! Reading about other believers' lives and work really impacts me. The section on Charles Finney is one that I specifically tagged . . . I love reading about people's personal experiences with the Lord and how transformative those experiences are!
Page 156 - In the story about Smith Wigglesworth (what a name!), I loved this sentence: "Remember that this remarkable experience happened to a most unlikely vessel, and let it encourage you to qualify to receive more of God's Spirit because of your unrestrained hunger for Him." I should make it a sign / reminder for my desk!
Page 157 - "Wigglesworth's ministry was based on four principles: First, read the Word of God. Second, consume the Word of God until it consumes you. Third, believe the Word of God. Fourth, act on the Word of God."
Page 165 - A section on Heidi Baker! Since I had just read her book about Love, I found this very interesting. One fact in particular caught my eye. "Whereas it took them seventeen years to plant four churches before Heidi's encounter with God's face, they have planted over six thousand churches in the eight years since." Powerful!
Page 171-2 - "Much of the present Christian culture has unintentionally fostered ways of life and thought patterns that allow for people to be heavily burdened and discouraged as the norm. That habit often takes us into the stronghold of unbelief. In this mode we are much better at applauding tears over laughter, poverty over wealth, and the endurance of affliction over receiving quick answers and getting breakthroughs." This section is one that I should re-read . . . and discuss with other believers.
Page 188 - "I have heard teaching on the subject of giving to the poor and needy that emphasizes our stewardship instead of compassion. It basically means that you don't want to give to someone who will not use what was given properly." Ooh! I am sometimes guilty of this . . . and I do *not* want to be judgmental or self-righteous! This is where seeking God and spending time with Him helps me to make right decisions with a right attitude! I need You, Jesus!
Monday, June 19, 2017
The Lucky Few: Finding God's Best in the Most Unlikely Places
by Heather Avis
Hennepin County Library paperback 216 pages
genre: non-fiction, adoption journey
I don't remember where I read a review for this book or heard about it, but I'm so glad I got it from the library! What an honest and powerful look at this family's journey to parenthood. Although I can't relate to their specific experiences of infertility, adoption, or parenting children with Down Syndrome, Avis' writing drew me in and really impacted me. I can think of several people to recommend this book to!
page 71 - "I would soon learn the need I felt to defend our decision and convince people of our daughter's worth came from within myself. In the days that followed our big scary yes, I was the one who needed the most convincing that we'd made the right choice." Kudos to her and her husband for agreeing to adopt a child with Down Syndrome *and* needing open heart surgery! And kudos for her being completely honest about the doubts and fears as well as the joys and rewards!
page 89 - "Every parent I know does everything in their power to keep their kids safe and alive. It's basically a parent's number-one job." Sometimes when I struggle with other people's parenting choices, I have to remind myself that we all (mostly) love our kids and are doing our best for them. I say mostly because there are some truly messed-up humans who hurt their own children instead of caring for them.
page 113 - "But in that moment, I also knew I needed to be careful not to let my own comfort get in the way of others' needs. I was reminded that when I'm uncomfortable, I have the chance to know God more fully." I love this attitude! I need to develop it in my own life.
page 118 - "And maybe my gain would ultimately result in the best kind of loss of all - the loss of my selfish desires." This line really resonated with me! I struggle with my own selfishness, yet I keep returning to it. If I can ever truly LET GO of my selfish desire and seek God's perfect will, I know that I will be so blessed and joyful. Yet I continue to struggle with this.
page 159 - "So many of us have a child who is challenging to enjoy. Friends, I want to tell you that it's okay." This made me think of a time when I shared with someone that when Morgan was a baby, I understood how some people shake their babies. They looked at me in horror! I explained that I would never have done it; I knew enough to put the crying baby in the crib and walk away. They really didn't understand what I was saying . . . and I thought I'd better watch what I say and to whom. Sometimes, we need to acknowledge and talk about the things that we struggle with. It's important that we support one another as parents!
page 182 - "You can't let your feelings get in the way of the truth of God's goodness." I love how Heather and her husband Josh work together. What a godly couple! I love their faith and love!
page 186 - "There is just something spectacular about a human growing another human." Amen! Pregnancy is miraculous! Having experienced it three times, it makes me sad that some women who truly want this experience are unable to . . . and others see it as an inconvenience to be aborted.
page 215 - "Eight years ago, God shined a light into my wilderness, and Josh and I stepped off our path of easy, normal, and nice to go after it. He took our muddied clothes, tired souls, and broken hearts, and from our humble offerings created a crazy masterpiece. He took our meager yes and used it to stir up hearts and change lives. There is absolutely no way to know the ripple effect we create when we say yes to God's seemingly terrifying invitation." Awesome! I want to be obedient to God. I need to pray and listen for His leading in my life!
I love all of page 216, but I'll just grab a few lines:
"The truth is, I'm average at best. But I serve a grand God, and I've been lucky enough to answer when He calls. He does the rest."
"I believe that at some point in our lives each of us has the opportunity to leave our comfortable path and head into the wilderness."
"I think about how lucky all of us are when we finally allow God to gently push us toward the places where he's waiting to be discovered."
This book was such a blessing! Even in the acknowledgments, I love what she says to her husband and to Jesus . . . just cool!
Hennepin County Library paperback 216 pages
genre: non-fiction, adoption journey
I don't remember where I read a review for this book or heard about it, but I'm so glad I got it from the library! What an honest and powerful look at this family's journey to parenthood. Although I can't relate to their specific experiences of infertility, adoption, or parenting children with Down Syndrome, Avis' writing drew me in and really impacted me. I can think of several people to recommend this book to!
page 71 - "I would soon learn the need I felt to defend our decision and convince people of our daughter's worth came from within myself. In the days that followed our big scary yes, I was the one who needed the most convincing that we'd made the right choice." Kudos to her and her husband for agreeing to adopt a child with Down Syndrome *and* needing open heart surgery! And kudos for her being completely honest about the doubts and fears as well as the joys and rewards!
page 89 - "Every parent I know does everything in their power to keep their kids safe and alive. It's basically a parent's number-one job." Sometimes when I struggle with other people's parenting choices, I have to remind myself that we all (mostly) love our kids and are doing our best for them. I say mostly because there are some truly messed-up humans who hurt their own children instead of caring for them.
page 113 - "But in that moment, I also knew I needed to be careful not to let my own comfort get in the way of others' needs. I was reminded that when I'm uncomfortable, I have the chance to know God more fully." I love this attitude! I need to develop it in my own life.
page 118 - "And maybe my gain would ultimately result in the best kind of loss of all - the loss of my selfish desires." This line really resonated with me! I struggle with my own selfishness, yet I keep returning to it. If I can ever truly LET GO of my selfish desire and seek God's perfect will, I know that I will be so blessed and joyful. Yet I continue to struggle with this.
page 159 - "So many of us have a child who is challenging to enjoy. Friends, I want to tell you that it's okay." This made me think of a time when I shared with someone that when Morgan was a baby, I understood how some people shake their babies. They looked at me in horror! I explained that I would never have done it; I knew enough to put the crying baby in the crib and walk away. They really didn't understand what I was saying . . . and I thought I'd better watch what I say and to whom. Sometimes, we need to acknowledge and talk about the things that we struggle with. It's important that we support one another as parents!
page 182 - "You can't let your feelings get in the way of the truth of God's goodness." I love how Heather and her husband Josh work together. What a godly couple! I love their faith and love!
page 186 - "There is just something spectacular about a human growing another human." Amen! Pregnancy is miraculous! Having experienced it three times, it makes me sad that some women who truly want this experience are unable to . . . and others see it as an inconvenience to be aborted.
page 215 - "Eight years ago, God shined a light into my wilderness, and Josh and I stepped off our path of easy, normal, and nice to go after it. He took our muddied clothes, tired souls, and broken hearts, and from our humble offerings created a crazy masterpiece. He took our meager yes and used it to stir up hearts and change lives. There is absolutely no way to know the ripple effect we create when we say yes to God's seemingly terrifying invitation." Awesome! I want to be obedient to God. I need to pray and listen for His leading in my life!
I love all of page 216, but I'll just grab a few lines:
"The truth is, I'm average at best. But I serve a grand God, and I've been lucky enough to answer when He calls. He does the rest."
"I believe that at some point in our lives each of us has the opportunity to leave our comfortable path and head into the wilderness."
"I think about how lucky all of us are when we finally allow God to gently push us toward the places where he's waiting to be discovered."
This book was such a blessing! Even in the acknowledgments, I love what she says to her husband and to Jesus . . . just cool!
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