TAKING ACTION: A Book Review

If there was ever a book I would recommend to an earnest seeker of God, a long time Christian, a questioning, bitter skeptic, or a passionate follower of God, this is the book I would recommend, without qualms, without reservation.

I can't remember the last time I endorsed a book so heartily.

This book, TAKING ACTION by Reinhard Bonnke, is full of wisdom, sound thinking, keen spiritual insight, doctrinal integrity.

-Do you have questions about how the Holy Spirit operates?
-Are you looking for guidance and wondering if you're hearing God correctly?
-Have you ever had a bad experience with the supernatural gifts?
-Do you wonder why there are so many problems when people try to operate in the spiritual gifts?
-Is there such a thing as God's power, in action, in our lives?
Can we be sane and sober minded and yet powerful people of God?

If you have ever asked any of of these questions, or all of of them, then you'll want to read this book.

My copy is completely marked up with notes and exclamation points and underlining unlimited! Reinhard Bonnke writes with authority, confidence, and conviction, yes; but it's balanced with humility and an understated ego. You'll find some practical advice in here and good sound counsel. There's a light humorous touch, at times, and that is so welcome when you're reading through weighty matters.I can't tell you the last time I respected a Christian author so highly!

I particularly loved the chapter on FAITH, and Bonnke is right: "there is no subject that calls for explanation from the Scriptures more than faith and the gift of faith. We particularly want to bring help on this matter." Have you ever had questions about how, exactly, you're supposed to "move mountains" with faith? Bonnke is tackling the outrageous claims of Christ, and he doesn't shy away from a single one! He will warn you, though, about what we have already seen happen with these explosive subjects: "Now, about doing the impossible- awful mistakes have been made."You see? The man is not afraid to deal with reality even when discussing the supernatural.

Bonnke is traversing difficult waters but still centering in on the soundness and reliability of God's Word and God's love. He writes about miracles and powerful things that can take place when we walk with God, but "the object is not to pull off a few sensational wonders, like stage tricks, but the redemption of the world."

This author visibly preaches God, as evidenced by his worldwide ministry; but he preaches our responsibility in partnering with God as well: obedience is a key word throughout the book. You won't find snake handlers and magicians and crooked, corrupt Personalities proclaiming that word, first. Bonnke writes, "Note carefully that anointing is not a kind of emotional pleasure, but it comes into activity when we serve."(Italics mine)

But along with service and obedience and discipline, you can expect anointing and power to live this life! And Bonnke will carefully explain how this occurs, how the Gifts operate, how to wisely use them, and what, exactly, they are. Expect to learn some Greek and Hebrew, expect to understand the context of Scriptural passages- in fact, expect to realize you need to study the Bible more, not just skim it!

I eagerly present to you this book for your consideration; this author, who I personally endorse "as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (2Tim 2:15)

I'm not sure the world will note the wisdom in this book. But if you read this, you will find a world of life changing possibilities waiting to be explored, if you seriously consider whether or not there's truth in not only what he says, but in what God says is possible.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I receive books free from the publisher.I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Talk to the Father- (A Book Review of Father Hunger)

 I have to give this book a special recognition that I call "the book anointing." I've blogged about this before, that sometimes certain books seem to leap off the shelves and call for me to read them. And sometimes certain books resonate with me so deeply, and speak to me "where I'm at" that it's like the book was anointed and appointed for me.

Well, this book, Father Hunger by Douglas Wilson, gets the Book Anointing designation. No sooner had I received it in the mail, than 24 hours later I wound up miraculously having a heart to heart conversation with my own earthly father.

"For some reason, I felt like I should stop over," my Dad said to me, sitting down on a stool at my kitchen counter. We sipped tea and had a real honest talk about our relationship, about what fatherhood is all about, about our family history and our hurts.We needed to have this talk. It cleared the air. It opened the doors of understanding.

That's what will happen when you read this book.(I'm not saying you'll have an unexpected talk with your own Dad, but you may just wind up having a good long talk with your Heavenly Father.)

Now Douglas Wilson get get a little pedantic and a little too moralistic, but I think the reader can handle a little passionate exposition of truth. Some statements you might not agree with. Some statements are boldly proclaimed and you wonder if you have to swallow the conjectured point completely, like "Simply put, masculinity is the glad assumption of sacrificial responsibility." Hmmmm, I'll have to contemplate that.

Expect to cover a very broad array of topics underneath the concept of what Fatherhood is and deals with: gender roles, the role of the state, Atheism, Education (if you went to boarding school you'll want to read his opinion on that!), the Church,etc. You might sometimes think he's going off track.

But there are some poignant and powerful points he makes that might rock you off your feet. "Fathers are speaking about God the Father constantly" he says, even if what they are saying indirectly leads to an awful depiction of what God the Father is. Hopefully you had a loving human father. Chances are, though, he was a very human father, and therefore you've got some "issues" to deal with.

Chapters 11 and 12 are not for the faint of heart, but boy are they eye opening! There's some very frank discussion of sexuality and gender roles.

At the end of each chapter, he has some great study questions called "Questions to Consider." This book could be a great resource for study groups and it would certainly prompt some vigorous discussion!

I hope you consider reading this book, if for no other reason than that you need to know God as your Father in a better way. We all do. Since earthly fathers are human and botch things up, and human fathers are an indirect representation of the Heavenly Father, this book could shed some light on some "issues" you might have in your theology of the Father.

This book is deep, weighty, controversial, and not at all a light read. But it's impacting and illuminating as well. 

Because everyone is hungry for more of the Father's love, even if they don't realize they are.


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

Book Review: Opening the Gates of Heaven

(I'm pleased to now be doing Book Reviews for Charisma House. So here is the first review!)

I so wanted to immediately LOVE this book, but I got bogged down with tedious, although Scriptural, multiple details within the first couple pages. So much information! The author, Perry Stone, writes on an important topic but supports almost every statement with some Biblical reference to the geography of Israel, the specifics of tabernacle sacrifices, geology specifics--and that's all in the first chapter!

Perry, Perry! I want to exclaim. Help us out here! This is the reason why many people are frustrated in their prayer lives: they can't figure out what they're doing right from wrong because it all seems so hard, so much, so confusing.

But there are many nuggets of gold in this book-- you just have to expect to do the hard work of a miner and dig for them. I wouldn't try to read this book in one sitting, that's for sure! A page a day and you could have plenty to chew on and think about.

And one minor detail: for some reason, there are so many references to what God did back then, back in 1982, "many years ago," sometime back in..., I recall when.... , that it seemed like answers to prayer happened, for him, long ago. It's just how it came across to me, initially; but as you read you discover, of course, that God is working NOW as well as then in his life, and God will give you history with Him as well as a future. It was just a reminder to me, though, that we need to tell a current story of God's favor and deliverance and help.

My favorite chapter was Chapter 13: it's motivating, encouraging, and specific. There are some concrete truths that he puts words to that are helpful, such as "Grace is unearned and is a free gift from God, but favor may be deserved or gained." Hmmm, tell me more, I think. He addresses questions such as "Why some (people) seem more 'highly favored' (than others)?"

The last chapter is powerful: "Important Principles for Opening Heaven's Gates." And that's when you discover that, like getting through this book, walking in "the favor of answered prayer and blessing" is not walking, or tiptoeing, through the tulips. You want favor with God? You want your prayers to be answered? Don't give up after saying one prayer, after reading one chapter of a book on prayer. Persevere. Study God's Word.

Make the pursuit of God your aim, and the answered prayers will follow.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Charisma House, a Strang Company, as part of their Book Review Blogger Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Skipping a Beat

Speaking of timing, here's a book that explores what happens when someone suddenly wakes up to the truth of how fleeting this life's journey is. As we empathize with the Japanese people in the aftermath of catastrophe, we certainly have a higher sense of the brevity of life, the preciousness of time with loved ones, and the question of what really matters in this life.

Sarah Pekkanen explores some of these questions in her latest novel, Skipping a Beat. I eagerly began reading the book and was hooked right from the beginning. The story centers in a prosperous thirty-smething aged couple who has it all--after having had little as children-- and what happens when the main character, Julia Dunhill, finds that after a cardiac arrest, her husband, Michael has come back to life, but not exactly in the same frame of mind as before.

This is a beautiful story. I probably related more to Michael than to Julia at times, throughout the story, but there was ample backstory and exploration of character nuances to get anybody tied in to the unfolding of the story and the ultimate outcome. Some reviewers have discussed the ending as surprising, but I wasn't surprised by the resolution of the story. The only thing I couldn't relate to at all had to do with what you call the theology of Michael's experience and his viewpoint of the afterlife.

But this novel certainly explores some of the more impacting experiences of life. It's no picnic in a fairytale world, but a thoughtful look at a marriage in trouble, a man with a new outlook on life, and a woman who has never forgotten her past. Sarah Pekkanen's SKIPPING A BEAT is aptly named. More than that, it's a moving story; a treasure chest of reality and hope.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I receive books free from publishers. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

DEVOTION by Dani Shapiro

Oh, what a searingly honest memoir! This is not just one woman's story of her search for truth and for permanence in a transitory, troubled world, but it's every mother's experience with fear and protectiveness, every daughter's questioning look at her relationship with her parents. In a way, this is my story--even though it's not my faith journey.

I am a lot like author Dani Shapiro, in that I have a questioning mind--no, actually, it's almost obsessively virulent in its grasping for answers. I read her story and I'm nodding my head over and over, even though I have never tried Buddhist practises or meditative rituals. But I've searched, I've questioned. I've stood in massive cathedrals, the year I lived in Spain, and felt a stab of yearning for what the Catholics knew that I, an evangelical Christian, didn't. Things like the sense of kneeling in pews and reciting certain novenas that reduced you to smallness while God loomed majestically before you. As Dani writes, "It was a lesson I needed to learn over and over again: to stop and simply be. To recognize these moments and enter them--with reverence and an unprotected heart--as if walking into a cathedral."

And the year we lived up in the mountains of New Hampshire in a Jewish populated community-- oh, what a glorious time that was and I absorbed and questioned and made friends with the conservative, the orthodox, those of reform faith. There was Seymour and Ethel, and Mort and Adele, my Jewish neighbors who were dear friends. And of course our Catholic and slightly ballistic neighbor, Mr. Kaminski, who thought the world of my husband and me but chafed at the questionable boundary line between himself and his neighbors, Mort and Adele.

Religious discourse, or talking about what we believe, seems to bring up boundary lines--seen or unseen. Fear arises when people ask questions that a tightly compacted faith cannot answer. But Dani Shapiro, while honestly conveying the anxiety she battles, isn't afraid to go there. Neither is her son. "Jacob piped up from the back seat:'How do we know we're not dreaming right now?' The idea that we might be dreaming frightened him. He wanted to know what was real." And so do I.

And that, in a nutshell, is Shapiro's quest: it's not just for a life of devotion, but for the depth of a a true faith, a solid foundation of awe and yet security that perhaps we all long for. This is a beautifully written book for those who grapple and grasp for truth. I opened the pages of this book and heard her heart, saw her anxious questioning mind and her courage. "I've set myself on a course that doesn't allow me to be a coward" she writes; and yet she has no problem almost boldly telling you of the panic attacks and problems that plague her.

This is a memoir, not a didactic guide book for those used to going directly from A to B. This is an ongoing conversation and a journey. I explored with her--and I'm still asking my questions without pulling back.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I receive books free from publishers. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Same Life, New Story by Jan Silvious

Same Life New Story is more than a ten-week Bible Study for Women. It's a handbook for those looking to create a powerful life that's been kept on hold, a life that involves having a new perspective, a new hope, and new patterns of behavior.


Oh, beware the fickle mood! One minute you see no value, but the next minute the proverbial light bulb goes on. Or in my case it took a week or so.

When I first got the book Same Life, New Story: Change Your Perspective to Change Your Life, I flipped through the pages and thought darkly, "Another boring devotional." (Just keeping it real here, folks). I put it aside and went on to other books.

Then a couple sleepless nights occurred. Last night especially--I woke up at 3:30am and could not go back to sleep. Harry saw me tiptoe into the office and wanted to be let out but I hissed at him, "Go back to sleep!" because one of us should have been snoring away. (I don't snore--just for the record).

I opened up Jan Silvious's book and found out that she was talking straight to me, in my language, addressing my deepest concerns. "Have you ever been stuck because you had to prove a point?" she writes. Uh, now that you mention it, Jan, yes. And I've been thinking about this very thing, lately. (You'll have to read chapter 1 to see what she means by this).

Every chapter begins with a pithy saying--straight to the point. And then it only goes deeper as she delves into subjects dealing with self-sabotage, and victim mentality and all those other topics that we really, really should be done with in our life, don't you think??

She's an excellent writer, a professional life coach, and if you take your time with this book, she'll become like a friend--the very best kind, the kind who wants the best for you even when you've forgotten what that is. She wants us to learn that "changing your perspective can truly change your life." God's been dealing with me about this: how I see things, how HE sees things.

I want to get a mountain top viewpoint. And for me, I began the climb upward when I got out of bed, sleepless and weary, but oh so ready to see things in a whole new way.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I receive books free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Two Words: Jane Austen

Another quazi-blizzard is here. This is a good day to go to England--not that the weather is any better there, and even in the summer time, I hear its iffy about getting any sunny days with blue skies and no rain in sight. But its England--land of teatime and Jane Austen. What more could you ask for??

And if you open the pages of Cindy Jones' debut novel, MY JANE AUSTEN SUMMER: A Season in Mansfield Park, you'll get to travel to England, participate in a literary festival's reenactment of Mansfield Park, and meet an enigmatic and intriguing potential love interest that you wouldn't expect.

The main character, Lily is no silly bird, and this story is not a lilting romp through superficial relationships. Slightly darker and deeper in nature, MY JANE AUSTEN SUMMER is a thoughtful reflective look at one woman's physical journey as well as her inward progress in coming to terms with the nature of true happiness.

As it snows outside, I'll just stay curled up in a chair and read through the book again-- if I can get past just staring at the beautiful cover! I was the lucky recipient of this book because of a blog giveaway, but it'll be on sale late March.

So, any Jane Austen lovers out there?

Storyland

I'll be reading this book next, among several others. Why? One reason:

The title alone says it all.

Books, Books, and more Books

Books....from the library, in big piles. I carry them to the car with a greedy smile. No one realizes I almost, literally, feast on words--and that some words are precious to the soul, fortifying. Undergirding-- which is a word you seldom hear.

I reflected on Psalm 37 all day. Beautiful words. And more than that, you feel God upholding you as you read; telling you, "Now, see? This is the way to look at your situation. Trust in me. Don't fret. Let Me handle it." Now those are words to take you through the day.

Books... that I'm writing; a second one in the works. The first one, a novel, that I marvel at still-- it rushed out of me in four and half months. I've had one Agent offer of representation, and though we almost matched in our goals, I declined. I look crazy, I know- but I didn't have peace about the contract, you see. And without peace, I'll stumble. I'll draw back, freeze up. So I'm still searching for the right agent. Trying to stay patient.

Books....that I'm reading. Getting ready to review. Jane Austen lovers- get ready! Those looking for some devotional depth, I've got a very interesting book coming my way and it'll get reviewed here. Books of all kinds, stories, words that will evoke a spark in us. And we need a bit of fire now that we're in the dead of winter.

Make a fire. Brew some tea. Draw close...and read.

An Amish Love- Book Review

An Amish Love is a beautiful book of three novellas by authors Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, and Kelly Long. This is a great gift book, perfect for Christmas or even for Valentine's Day. The stories are about old fashioned courtship and close-knit communities, and the book is full of Pennsylvania Deitsch expressions. Ach, you have to read the book to see what I mean!

Healing Hearts by Beth Wiseman is the story of a couple reunited but facing trust issues. A Marriage of the Heart, by Kelly long, is my favorite of the three stories because it's about marriage first, then the experience of falling in love! What the Heart Sees by Kathleen Fuller is a lovely story of triumph over tragedy.

I'm not the biggest fan of these types of love stories, but I know many women who are. In fact, there's a certain someone I'm thinking of who is going through a hard time and this book will be perfect for her to get her mind off her situation and step into a softer world of community and quilts, morning chores out in the barn, pancake breakfasts, and love...invincible love.

An extra sweet bonus is the section of Amish Recipes at the back of the book. I haven't tried baking them yet but they seem to be sehr gut!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Letting Go and Holding On

Okay, this is my last book review here on Faith Fuel- and what could be more appropriate than to review Sheila Walsh's book, Let Go ?

Sheila writes in chapter 9, "One of the scariest things to do on this earth is to voice that we have a problem. Shame tells us to keep the secret, but then who is holding the keys to our prison? When we decide that it is time to tell, we find that the keys have been in our hands all along."

Well, here at Faith Fuel, its always been about sharing what's on my mind, sharing what I think is on God's heart for us, sharing with each other what we're struggling with.

I don't think any of us should ever stop sharing what we're going through. Sheila Walsh is right- that it's time to let go of the burdens and let go of the things that hold us back from experiencing the abundant life.

She is gutsy and in this book, and particularly in chapter17, she shares honestly her personal situation that prompted the writing of this book. That it involves tight finances, unforgiveness, and the flat emotions of depression easily helps any reader identify with the author- no matter how famous a speaker or Christian personality she is.

This is the gift right here in this chapter- the opening up of herself, her struggle to let go of "fixing" everything (I know all about that), to let go of mentally rehearsing what a good plan would be (my mind is exhausted, frequently, because of this very thing).

"When from the depths of our hearts we can tell God, 'I trust you,' heaven celebrates, hell shudders, and we are at peace." She's right. And one way I am expressing my trust in God is to re-examine where I need to march on, and where I need to wind down, close up shop, and be still. Just be still. Just keep my mouth closed and in silence contemplate the wonder of it all.

I'm letting go of baggage, of blunders I've made, of botched up plans. But I'm grabbing on to God's love even tighter. I'm holding on for dear life- but He says its for my own dear life that He is really the One holding on...to me.

Let's Chat about That

Fearless. Just the word itself makes you stand tall and boldly. Read Max Lucado's new book, Fearless, and you'll really get charged up. If he never did anything more than feel the need to address this crushing tidal wave that infiltrates society and our homes and our lives, he did a good thing. But of course Max Lucado did more than contemplate the topic of fear- he went on to write another solid book that many will love and savor and return to, time and again, when the force of fear strikes.

Chapter One was my favorite. I love how he depicts the story of Jesus and the disciples in the boat, and Jesus' "premeditated slumber...In full knowledge of the coming storm, Jesus decided it was siesta time...". Can you grasp that fact without seeing Jesus as heartless? If anything, maybe it was in view of our becoming bold and stout hearted that Jesus slumbers through a storm so our fears will arise and speak out and be known. He does want to know what we are afraid of. He can handle it. And He will handle it- whatever it is that is crushing us with fear.

One of the best lines of the book, and it's in chapter one, is when Lucado voices for us our problem with how fear takes hold of us- sometimes even as we are calling out to God. "We begin to wonder if love lives in heaven."

"If God can sleep in our storms, if his eyes stay shut when our eyes grow wide, if he permits storms after we get on his boat, does he care?" Yes, He cares- and somehow we've got to ask for Him to demonstrate this. He does not get offended when we do this.

For us to know that Love does indeed live in heaven, and that this Love will see us through what we go through on earth, we've got to tell God everything we fear. It's not just your blessings that you should count, it's also your fears- and perhaps its best if we "Name them one by one."

We've been told that what you concentrate on grows bigger. But it's also true that what you hide in the corner of your mind and heart surges in reality. Nothing goes away by pretending it is not there.

So tell God your fears. Talk about them with Him. It just may be that the more you tell God everything on your heart, that you will wind up being the one slumbering blissfully as He handles the raging storm around you.

What You've Possibly Been Searching For

This book is a bit confusing at first (is it a memoir? fiction? a self help book phrased as a parable?), somewhat pedantic and preachy at times, but possibly one of the best books I've ever read- as far as it being A LIFE CHANGING READ. And frankly, that's why I read books.

Yes, there's times when I read for an enjoyable breezy ride that distracts me from my momentary troubles. And then there's times when I read memoirs, in particular, and am engrossed in the pain and the beauty of someone's actual life and thereby moved and provoked to appreciate my own life.

But for the most part I read hungrily, thirstily- like a woman in the desert searching for a spring of water. And what I'm searching for is Truth. Revelation. Wisdom. Something concrete and foundational to stand on- cause I don't like feeling shakey or sketchy in my thinking.

The Noticer, by Motivational Speaker Andy Andrews, is a book for someone like me, then. Perhaps its because the author of the book might have just taken a similar route in life as I have: he's gone through some good and some painful times, has questioned about what it all means, has read voraciously and with intent to learn and glean, and now he wants to share the bounty in his basket.

This book is not sensational or sizzling, or intricate in plot and character development. It might be slow moving at times, or it might be a little too fairy tale like. What's with this character, Jones? Is he an angel? Did this really happen as Andrews writes it? How embellished is the story or how much has it been crafted with poetic license in order to turn it into a living parable? These are the issues I have with the book.

But the blessings in this book make me say- who cares about all of that? Does a drowning man care about the saving person's background and style? No, he only cares about the rope being tossed. And this is what Andy Andrews throws out to the reader: his own wealth of experience and his accumulation of insight and PERSPECTIVE from having read thousands of books, biographies, historical accounts of people in crisis and what these people learned. Andrews then presents to the reader a simple story that has a prophetic undercurrent.

If you know how to put your ear to the ground, so to speak, and listen for the rumbling of God's voice or feel the presence of God through someone's words, then you will love this book. I say that firmly and I say that prophetically. If you're hungering for the beautiful peace and hope that come from getting a new look at life, at yourself, you will feast your way through this book.

I went through this book with a pen and marked the statements that spoke to my heart. I marked up the book a lot. I felt certain statements and insights were directed at me specifically. For example, when I read "I say to you that, as you lay your head down tonight, you are sleeping on fertile ground" -I felt as if I had received a blessing and a proclamation. It was true. It is true. I suddenly saw it and believed it in a way I couldn't have agreed with before.

People who struggle with worry, and fear, regret over old age, questions about making right choices- you'll read this book and think it is a gift from God that you did. At least that's what I think you would feel. And if you didn't feel blessed and surprised by this book's influence on your life, maybe it would be because you had discovered some of these truths and powerful principles already. Maybe you are filled with a lot of wisdom already.

If so, please write a book and share with us all this bounty of blessed insight and perspective. 'Cause that's what Andy Andrews did- he prepared and set out for the reader to enjoy all that had brewed within him, all that he had learned from having been burdened and then blessed to have been relieved of. He shared his life and he shared all that he has read over the years, through the words of a character named Jones.

And more than that, he shared a key. Take it if you want. Use it to open the door. The door to what, you ask? Well, only you could know that.

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*I am a member of Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger Program. Check it out: Thomas Nelson

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Survival and Elegance

I think it was Maya Angelou who said "Surviving is important, but thriving is elegant". I'm not sure how elegant I look (or feel) lately, but I do prefer thriving when given the choice between the two. It's just Winter seems bent on taking that elegance from our life.

Take shoes, for example. I generally wear a rather ugly wool covered pair of Merrells with rubber bottoms- not so that I'll look elegant, but so that I don't fall when I'm walking through slush and ice and snow. Now that the snow has melted some, and there's just a bit of that gray salt-crusted mess lingering on the curbs, I may not have to wear my trusted all weather shoes anymore. But I doubt I'll go straight to colorful high heels. I'll need something to get me from survival-in-winter to elegance-in-Spring.

I'm also trying to get through a book (I normally have no trouble reading through something quickly) not because the book isn't well written but because its painful, profoundly moving, troubled and filled with tension. If you want to read a book that will stir your soul and provoke you, take a look at Mary DeMuth's latest release, Daisy Chain.

There is nothing elegant and breezy about the book. Instead, you might say its about survival and secrets, about what we do to survive, about not wanting to survive when life is too dark and troubled to bear. It's agonizing. And it's a beautiful book in spite of all that agony.

Right now I'm just trying to not always deal with agonizing things, though. There is a time to wrestle through dark and difficult subjects. There's definitely a time to face the fury and the ugliness of certain truths in our past. But there's also a time to dance and sing.

I'm not at that latter point of dancing and singing all the time, yet, but I'd like to be. I'd like to be picking flowers and frolicking in an open field- and looking elegant and feeling as elegant as a woman does when a new day has dawned.

Real Bodies, Real Saints

I started reading a book about the life of Mother Theresa, switched to reading Robin McGraw's latest book, What's Age Got to Do with it?, finished it, and am now back to reading about Mother Theresa. Some might think I am in two different worlds with these two books.

Both are famous women. One woman was viewed as a dear saint, a Rescuer to many dying on the streets of Calcutta, a woman who had taken a vow of poverty, who had given her life to serve Jesus and see Jesus in everyone. Then there's Robin McGraw, wife of Dr. Phil, living a fairly opulent lifestyle in California, famous not for serving the dying but the living, writing not about the secret, internal life but about the physical life, and how to care for the body.

Do these two women have anything at all in common? Can you even compare the two? Dare you compare the two?

I do. I do dare. I found it rather refreshing reading both books simultaneously. I've always loved Mother Theresa and had a special regard for her, as does the world- but more so because of a talk I heard her give once (televised), right at the time when I was hospitalized with a potential miscarriage. She spoke about life, about saving life- and I was fighting for my baby's life. (Abby survived and is here today to remind me of God's miraculous, intervening hand).

But I've never revered Mother Theresa to the point that I thought this woman had the corner on the market on spirituality and piety and righteousness. She had a calling to the poor. She had a mission she was on. She had her days of light and her nights of darkness.

Robin McGraw has a a calling too- and while her calling (as the wife of a celebrity and famous Advice Giver) may seem less... less noble- it's the One who calls us to something that decidedly ennobles our work. Robin is using her platform to speak out on issues she cares about, and this one issue of taking care of your self is especially close to her heart.

I wasn't particularly interested in the development of subject of the book- but that's because I don't have many questions in the area of what anti-aging cream to use, what hair color helps me look younger (anything but gray is my answer!), how to redefine the arch of my eyebrows, etc. (Look at the almost non-existent arch of my eyebrows and you'll see I don't care!).

I was hoping, based on the title of the book, that the book would dig deeper into issues we face when we age: fear over the future, diminished self-respect for our aging, wrinkled bodies, confusion about our role or our place in loved one's lives. The book didn't go there. When it was listed under the subject heading of "Practical Living", they meant practical- as in physical and "hands on".

I won't poo-pooh her advice, though, or the context from which she wrote this book. Her mission statement seems to be about the grace and the power we authorize our self with when we are taking care of our physical body. It could be that this is the flip side of Mother Theresa's focal point- where the eye is completely on the need of the person before you, their plight, their physical needs.

Taking care of the body (your health and habits) is as crucial as taking care of your soul- but for different reasons. For me, manicures, facials, and eyebrow waxes still don't come high on my list- nor will they ever, I'm guessing. (Although I have a strong viewpoint that massages are more essential to peace and harmonious well being and everyone should try to get at least one massage in their lifetime!)

But I really should take some vitamins, and I do need to build strength and keep my bones strong. I need to be a role model for my daughter on how to live and love and serve others, yet not neglect taking care of myself as well. So I did get a bit of something out of the book.

But more than that, it was good to read two different kinds of books at the same time and remember that as saintly as we want to be, we are still human and we can't forget that, musn't forget that. We can have a deep inner spiritual life- but we have a physical life too. That's simple, plain truth for real people on a spiritual quest.

Clear Skies Ahead

Since I didn't formally write or create any New Years Resolutions of my own this year, I also didn't do a formal review of my strengths and weaknesses, of my mistakes and my breakthroughs for the year. It's probably good that I didn't do this, although if you did do this kind of life assessment, that's fine too. This is a judgment call we have to make. For me, I don't trust my judgment, lately; and I'm not sure that's a bad thing.

I've been too wrong about what's been happening in my life, and here's why. These last couple years our route through ministry, jobs, relationships, and challenges has been quite a winding one. Nothing has been from point A directly to point B. And I'm not even sure what the points are anymore. It's like when you get into a conversation with someone and you wind up talking about some things that surprise you, things you hadn't been consciously thinking about, and someone says to you, "Get to the point, will you?!"

Well, I would get to the point if I was clear about the facts and the conclusions and the whole picture. But right now, at the beginning of 2009, I see my life as a rather big gray cloud. Nothing is very clear or straight or obvious to me. And a recent new friend helped me deal with this supposedly negative state I'm in, and he doesn't even know that he is a friend of mine.

Dave Schmelzer pastors a church in the Boston area, and has had an interesting background of different jobs and ministry positions, successes and failures, and he even has a temperament that may be somewhat similar to mine, from what I gather. He also has recently written a book called Not the Religious type- Confessions of a Turncoat Atheist. I picked this book up from the library, several days before New Year's Eve, not knowing that it was significantly an answer to my prayers. I only knew that it was a type of memoir (and I had been into the memoir-reading stage, if you recall).

I read the book, but really, it seemed more like I was in the pages of the book, wandering through his experiences with him as he recounted them, nodding my head in agreement and echoing, "Yup, been there too. I know just what you mean."

The book is probably meant to "minister" more to the hearts of atheists and to people who have noticed the real weaknesses, insecurities and biases of Christians and therefore have not wanted to join in with our "group". Schmelzer refers the reader to M. Scott Peck's writings, and to some interesting ways we can look at how Christian sub cultures form and why many spurn the journey to knowing God if it means you have to be ignorant, or a rigid rule follower, or whatever weak area you noticed in a Christian's life or thinking.

It's not his story of how he became a Christian that I understand and can identify with. It's what happened to him after he said yes to God, after he said yes to ministry, yes to taking risks for God, and yes to the Seek ye first the Kingdom of God. What he shares, as you get to the middle of the book, is the weird, meandering route God seems to take us on, and the disappointments and misunderstandings that can occur when you set out to follow God, thinking Of course God will bless this. This is a good thing I'm trying to do for Him- and then God doesn't show up.

When we attempt "good" things for God and we don't see His blessing, it can do more than surprise us. It can set us back aways; set us back in our desire to trust Him and our desire to take a risk again. Oh, we'll keep following Him- those of us who are Followers of Christ with a capital F. But we may not want to be gutsy for God anymore- not if gutsy now seems to mean foolish and naive. Sometimes this is where we look at what we think were mistakes, because it didn't turn out successfully, and we say, "Well I'm not going to make that mistake again."

My husband Bill and I have rather mixed feelings about our past of ten years of pastoral (renewal) ministry in New England, and our ten years of house remodeling as a means to make a living, and our different volunteer ministry positions we've recently held. I have mixed feelings about what I focused on these last couple years- the writing and the speaking and the emphasis on ministering to women particularly in the areas of fear, anxiety, depression and worry (These seem to be the doozys, don't they?).

I feel conflicted about my history because I know I set out to do something good, after responding to what I thought was God's prodding, and I don't know how much good occurred. Oh, I know there were bits here and some breakthroughs there and testimonies from people over there who said it helped. But really, I look back and I don't see it all in such a bright light.

But when I read this book, (I also went to his church's website and clicked on some of his latest sermons), I found myself seeing my journey in a whole new light. Schmelzer also set out to do great things for God. Some things worked. Many didn't. He took risks for God. He wanted to serve full time in ministry but money wasn't always released to the situation. He had friends who also set out in ministry and they failed, or the money wasn't enough, or they had to go back and regroup.

What's the truth about our progress- if we can call it progress? Scmelzer is not after the kind of Truth "that treats capital-T Truth as something we can master, get outside of, hold in our hands, and survey from all angles until it's both tame and uninteresting". No, he's joined in at a stage of understanding that embraces knowing God without having to know all the answers.

Sometimes God just brings you into a season where things are not connecting easily or effectively. Relationships can be strained. Doors don't open easily, if at all. You can be temped to think the truth is He doesn't love you or like you anymore. But really, the truth might just be that we don't like God very much, at this painfully awkward time in our life. That's okay, don't like me- I think God would say. But keep talking to Me.

So I am still talking to God, only I am not asking Him much about my past anymore. It's all a gray cloud, remember? But I think Dave Schmelzer had those days too. And the interesting thing is that by him sharing about those disappointments, I was encouraged. He wrote about pursuing the relationship with God and how we find that sometimes "God takes us someplace destabilizing", but that "the road to that destabilization is paved with everything we've wanted in life: love, connection, answered prayers, and encouragement that we're in good hands".

Now if we get all of the just mentioned, why would we need Answers about where we went wrong or what we did right? Even if God told me, "Now , Lauren, when you did this, in your past, that was right", I would be tempted to just go out and do it again exactly as done in the past. Because that would be an answer with a capital A, and those answers tend to be safe and predictable. But it wouldn't be hearing and walking and living by faith.

So seeing my past as a rather murky gray cloud is not such a bad thing. I don't have to know what I did right, what exactly I did wrong, where I could have done it better. That's a bit calculating and heartless, now that I think about it- because it shows I'm more interested in the success of my journey with God than in the joy and the relationship I've had knowing God through the pain and the gain.

My appetite has been whetted to go out and "do it again". What is the "it" that I'm going to do once more? I'm not sure. Yet. But I know the Who that I am going to be with when I do it once more. God is by my side. He's in front of me, especially. And He's even covering my past, gray murky cloud that it is. I'd say that I pretty much have it made- even if I don't have it all clear.

Christmas Eve and Beyond

Ah, the bliss. It's Christmas Eve, and all through the house not a creature is stirring; not even Harry and his stuffed mouse. Well, actually Harry doesn't have a stuffed mouse. He has a bunch of toys, such as a stuffed grouse, a pheasant (which was recently eviscerated and now I have to sew it up again), his orange orangutan, and a couple other toys that don't interest him as much. But as you all know from visiting here at Faith Fuel, Harry's chief interest in life is contentment. He finds contentment through lots of naps and by following me around the house. Cause wherever I am, that may he be also- with me. That's his thinking.

Harry doesn't even seem to notice our sparkling Christmas tree, which is leaning precariously to one side. He doesn't notice that today is Christmas Eve and that we're about to celebrate the most life changing event in all of History: that of a babe being born via a virgin birth, a babe who is the Savior of the world. And I love that word, Savior. I love that Savior who is the Word, the living Word. I need a Savior. I don't know about you, but I need Him more than ever. I want Him to save me body, mind, soul, and spirit. And lately, especially have Him save the mind. I want Him to redeem and renew my thinking so I can perceive all of Who He is and How He works in my life. I do not want to be dull and slow to perceive.

The book on Fasting ( by Jentezen Franklin) arrived the other day, ironically. The fridge is loaded ( and taking center stage is the big hunkin' Standing Rib Roast we will have tomorrow, on Christmas Day) and our pantry is thankfully full. What an abundance of food and feasting with friends we will have! I feel happy about this type of rejoicing around the table. There's a time and a place for it- and the time is now.

But I'm hungrily reading the book on Fasting and my spiritual appetite is also fired up. This book is opening my eyes to the bright side of Fasting. Yes, there's a lack of food and natural sustenance when you go on a fast, but there is no lack of fellowship and feasting on God's Word while you abstain from food. And there's all kinds of fasts. To our generation, a fast where you eat only fruits and vegetables and drink only water would be a type of pain and suffering many would tremble at!

It's not avoiding food that is the key ingredient in a Fast. It's the drawing close to God, through Fasting, that stirs me. It's the breakthroughs of various kinds that occur when you break from natural food and cling to the Bread of Life and cry out "feed me till I want no more", as the song goes. As Jentezen Franklin points out, God is hungry. He is hungry for real fellowship with us and not our rituals of church going and half hearted praying.

Some of us are going through some real battles, real trials. Some of us do not have any half hearted apathetic gestures we are employing to get God's attention. No, instead, we are waving our arms furiously, signally to God, "Over here! Help! Please!" and we are hoping God is hearing.

HE is hearing us. He is seeing our prayers as well as listening to them. But we may not be hearing Him as clearly as we could. We may need to get more serious in our drawing near to God. We may have to push aside food, push aside frivolities and distractions and get desperately intent on knowing Him in all His goodness. When I say that, I mean that we will have to get intent on proving that we don't just know- in our head- that He is good, but that in our lives, His goodness and mercy overflows and many see it and are glad. When people see you blessed and spiritually fed and so content that bliss oozes from you, the world will grab you by the arm and say, Please tell me how you found such contentment!".

I am ready to feast and rejoice with my family at the Heralding of Good News of Great Joy- a Savior is born! But I am also ready, as the New Year approaches, to seek Him with all my heart so that all of my heart knows Him, experiences Him, and sees Him for Who He really is. I am ready for A NEW Year of real newness, fresh revelation.

He is the Way Maker. He is the One Who Makes A Way through the Wilderness. And I know I don't know Him well enough yet. My soul is not content to just be near Him, enough to feel drowsy and content like Harry does when he sleeps nearby at my feet. I want to know God so well that contentment and courage both infuse me, and the courage makes me bold and alive while the contentment keeps me a peace.

There's a journey you have to take if you want to know God. I'm on it. He is the Journey and He is at the end of my journey. Today, it's Christmas Eve. Tomorrow is Christmas Day. And after that, I will still be hungry for more of Him.

Small Packages

Good things can come in small packages- or so they say. I hope my daughter thinks this is true when she looks under the tree on Christmas morning. One of the better gifts, hoped-for and longed for- will be there, under the tree in a small box. The power and value of something is not always in its size.

Likewise, this little book, For These Tough Times by Max Lucado, is a small little package but with a value proportionate to the truths contained within it. Maybe you would call this a Gift book or a little Devotional. I wasn't hit by major blow-your-mind-truths when I read this book, but I did rediscover some gems of wisdom that are always good to remember.

It has eight little chapters, and they get better as you go. When you hit chapter five, you get into the meaty truths that are crucial to remember: how to find peace of mind by letting go of the incessant need for justice, how to know that God is speaking still by being reverently still before Him (chapter 6), and chapter seven a little reminder that "those who pray keep alive the watch fires of faith". I'm all for firing up your faith. A roaring fire keeps cold doubts and gripping fear from chilling you to the bone.

This is a good book. It may even be a powerful book- for someone who needs to hear these simple truths expressed in a clear soothing voice. That's Max Lucado's voice for you- it can be comforting and guiding, even if it isn't a shout in the dark or a trumpet blast from the rooftop. There have been some authors who do just that, to me, when I read their books- they jolt me to action, awaken me from lethargy or fuzzy thinking.

This book, though, is a companion for your softer hours or your lonely times. It may be a small reminder of a big God who loves you or it may be a gift to someone who needs just a little nudge in the right direction.
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What's the best SMALL gift you ever got? I would love to know!

Now That's a Thought!

I'd like to rename this book, Think and Make it Happen by Dr. Augusto Cury, and give it a name that aptly describes what happens when you read this book: clarity and courage infuse your heart and mind, and mental confusion and self-condemnation are on their way to being eradicated. Maybe I would title this book Jesus Thinks too- because many want to depict Him as a completely spiritual being, a Savior with a heart of love, a man humble unto death- but not necessarily as a man in full control of his mental faculties.

Dr. Cury asserts that Jesus is our role model in this crucial area of mental health, though there might be Christians that squirm away from that suggestion. Not because it isn't true, but because it sounds so nonspiritual. But there is nothing holy and spiritual about a broken mind, a depressed person living in the dark, a tormented soul with a neurotic mind- however many verses that tormented mind is reciting. Yes, we need to follow Jesus' example and wash others feet (serve); yes, we need to take up our cross (the cost of discipleship); yes, we need to share the gospel (evangelism)- but what about sharing in the mental health of our Savior as well? He was healthy in mind, sound, clear, cogent.

Ask the secular world how many healthy minded Christians they know and they'll count on one hand. I indict myself here, as well. I was part of the problem, for many years, being sold that deep spirituality often looked crazy, wild, insane. I knew, and still know, many mentally unstable Christians. Is it because we keep getting told that the mind is not as important as the spirit? We keep reading about how to pray, how to serve- but not how to think correctly? How to think clearly? "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" is a verse we pay little attention to.

What about calling this book, Taking Center Stage: The Outrageous New Position of Today's Christian. No, I'm not referring to being a Glutton for Attention. This is not about the Entertainment Stage- but about the stage of your mind. Who rules your mind? Dr. Cury wants to help people think about this concept.

"Empowering your inner leader means making conscious decisions that will benefit you" he writes. But even here, we Christians might squirm because we automatically assert "But Jesus is supposed to be on the throne of my heart." Yes- but will Jesus actually think for you? Will Jesus do the work of sorting, analyzing, questioning, and deliberating? That is our work to do. It's time more of us started working, and working profitably. The return for this kind of labor is a healthy mind, a mind at peace, a mind clear and perceptive.

Nothing sounds better to me right now than that kind of a mind. It's a crazy world. It's an anxiety-ridden world. There's a deep dark pit you can plunge into if you want to dwell on the possible problems of tomorrow.

But there's light on your path for today, and there's light that can shine in your mind. I call it revelation. And whatever you call this book, whatever you title it, it's worth the read. It's a powerhouse of not only information, but actual food for thought- good thought, good thinking. And that may be the thing we are after- more than we know.

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So, what do you think about the power of your mind? I'd like to know!

More reviews here

Digging for Pearls of Wisdom

I love it when a plan comes together. But I also love a good paradox. I'm practically salivating at the thought of what I am going to be reading next: two books which, from the outset, seem almost diametrically opposed in thought, practice and attitude. And these two books come from two different Christian Publishers.

I'm not sure which book will get here first: Fasting: Opening the Door to a Deeper, More Intimate, More Powerful Relationship with God by Jentezen Franklin, or Think and Make it Happen :The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Overcoming Negative Thoughts, and Discovering Your True Potential by Dr. Augusto Cury.

One book seems to be about approaching God on an empty stomach, weak, with a seeking heart; and the other book seems to be about the power of our mind and how it is a gift to us from God- not a curse. But you see, that's what it looks like these books are about. I won't know till I open up the books and dig in. It will be a noble digging, of that I'm sure.

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

Prov.25:2