The Resolution for Men by S. & A. Kendrick

The third and last book I read related to the movie Courageous is The Resolution for Men by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Randy Alcorn.

This is indeed a book by men, for men and about men, but because I love my husband and want the very best in life for him I felt I could glean important information within the covers of this book.  I was not disappointed.

The first page, even before the introduction, begins with the following words:

Weak men will not be able to handle the contents of this book.

Wow!  I pray that statement challenges men to dive in, for there is much to be digested here.

Each chapter concerns a different resolution, written with direct and specific approaches to confronting sin.  I cannot imagine anyone being able to read without feeling the power of God stirring in their spirit.

There is also a great wealth of information in the nine appendices, from finding peace with God, to forming accountability groups and avoiding pornography.  There are also discussion questions that can be used alone or with a group.

My husband read through this quickly and with great hunger and said he wants to begin again, working through it slowly this time. allowing God to work changes through the pages.

If you are a man, you need to read this book.  If you are a woman, this will help you understand God's plans for the men in your life.

Book has been provided courtesy of David C Cook and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from B&H Publishing Group.

The opinions I have expressed are my own.


 

Words for 2012 Courage-Focus-Trust

It has become a habit as a new year begins to seek the Lord for a word or scripture to centre my spirit upon.  Not sure if what I was sensing was indeed from Him, I sat down and spent some quiet moments in His presence, journal open, pen in hand.

Lord, this calendar year is drawing quickly to an end - is there something You want to share?  I sense the word You are giving me for 2012 is three in one -courage, focus, trust.  Have I heard You or my own thoughts?

We have grown so close this year, little one, that often your thoughts are My thoughts.

Yes - believe that, even if it makes you pause.  The desire for oneness comes as you abide.

It will take more courage than you have before exercised to stand strong in what you believe in the days ahead.  The enemy of your soul will try to convince you there is too much on the line, but if you are with Me, I Am with you, so none can truly be against you, no matter what it looks like.

I will hone your focus.  What seems like scattered flames will be drawn together into a raging fire of purpose and passion.  Continue to look through My eyes.  pay heed to what you see and worry not about what you don't see.  You will not need to search for things to spend your time and efforts on; I shall set in clear sight those things I require of you.  Like Moses' bush, they shall blaze too brightly to ignore.

And trust, little one, always that I Am here, around you, within you.  You are not stepping out alone.  You are correct to place no trust in your flesh, but -- you can trust the Me in you.

You have some far.  There is yet far to go.

Jamming with Bonnie about our words for 2012


and relishing His touch with Jennifer

 

The Resolution for Women by Priscilla Shirer

My next plunge into books related to the film Courageous was The Resolution for Women by Priscilla Shirer.  The three sections of the book ask you to explore and understand the following:

This is who I am.
This is what I have.
This is what matters to me.

There is something here for every woman, married or single; childless or raising many.  As Priscilla explains, God had a special reason for creating each one of us.

We were each created by God to do our part.  And if we fail to do it because we don't think it's valuable enough, great loss will be suffered.  Someone, somewhere needs you - in all your uniqueness - to step up to the plate of your calling.

Your creation was supernaturally superintended by Almighty God.  You are extraordinarily significant.

We need to know and understand the person God created us to be and learn to accept her.

Many of us spend so much of our lives wishing or pretending we were somebody different from who we are, we never get to experience the sheer freedom of just being ourselves.

But rediscovering and celebrating the you that God originally created is paramount for any woman who desires to live out her primary purpose.

Priscilla's words helped me move ahead in my journey to be the person God desires me to be, not necessarily who the world asks me to be, not even who I might have chosen for myself to become.

If you want to live with integrity, with purpose and with grace leaving a Godly legacy for others to follow, then this book will surely help you as you move toward those goals.

Book has been provided courtesy of David C Cook and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from B&H Publishing Group.

The opinions I have expressed are my own.

 

Courageous Living by Michael Catt

I watched and was greatly moved by the film Courageous, and when I was offered the opportunity to review books related to the film I gladly accepted.

The first book I read was Courageous Living Dare to Take a Stand by Michael Catt. I think I was expecting this book to be the story that the film dramatized, but by reading the following on the back cover I knew I was in for something more:

Catch a fresh wind of bravery through the bold biblical accounts of Abraham, Joshua, Ruth and many others in Courageous Living by Michael Catt, pastor and executive producer of the unforgettable film Courageous.

Because we are called to take a faithful, fearless stand in all that matters, Catt sheds new light on the stories of people in the Bible who displayed great courage when it would have been easier to play it safe. They challenge and inspire us to keep moving forward, to examine our priorities, and to deal with anything that brings fear to our heart.

The stories on these pages were compelling in their application to our own lives.  I was challenged indeed to examine the way both myself and the corporate church have been living.  Are we walking in faith or fear?

Fear is believing a lie, listening to negative voices, and not taking God at His Word.  Faith is fear that has said its prayers.

Am I, are we, willing to allow God to work through us, strengthen us, make our lives count for the Kingdom, or have we become content with just getting by, living lives that would be called "average"?

We don't have time for average.  Average is climbing halfway up the mountain and stopping.

I don't want to go only halfway and I don't believe God wants His body to stop before reaching the goals He has set for us.

Do you need to have your passion reignited or are you content with the status quo?  I suggest you decide before you pick up this stirring book.

Book has been provided courtesy of David C Cook and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from B&H Publishing Group.

The opinions I have expressed are my own.

In His hands

Rollercoaster ride
dizzying heights
mind numbing lows
fireworks or deep black
another year finds an end tonight.

I could not have predicted the trials
or planned the blessings
learning again and yet again
these things are best surrendered
to His hand.

As you look back
and forward
rest in His promises --

No one's ever seen or heard anything like this,

Never so much as imagined anything quite like it—

What God has arranged for those who love him

1 Corinthians 2:9 The Message

 
 

A year of encouragement

This is the time of year when people look back and post retrospectives on their blog.  Many choose their favourite posts or those that drew the most traffic.  Because God has created me to be different from the crowd I have decided instead to share some of my favourite comments from 2011, one for each month of the year.

January 8th Bonnie Gray who blogs at The FaithBarista left these words on my post Persevere and Expectation:

I love coming by here for my cup of brew. I'm getting used to coming through the door, that you leave ajar for me. :) I feel today you're standing up and letting out a battle cry, as I read the last part of your post. Wonderful words matching persevere & expectation! loved your link.

February 15th Brian Miller of Waystation One commented on Heartstrings:

having heard a string or two break in my day...it is a powerful image...and the restringing bringing the instrument back to life as well... 

March 2nd Jerry of Under the Door Frame noted on Icy Heart:

A heart of ice melted into living water... A heart of stone transformed into a heart of flesh. Thank God for his pursuit...and our often hesitant response. Good. good.

April 27th Nance Marie of various blogs added to Finding light:

grace of the Lord
to cover the sea of bitterness within
the light of the Lord
to shine into my dark soul

May 11th master encourager Glynn of Faith, Fiction, Friends said this on Shouts and whispers:

Beautiful, Karin. Prayer is like an ongoing conversation, "heartbeat to heartbeat," punctuated by those whispers and shouts

June 21st the poet Dustus left this comment on In the blood:

"how the eyes see a laugh so familiar it turns the heads of those who hear" This passage made my head spin. So good and expressed through multiple sense modalities. Great composition.

July 14th Debbie of Heart Choices commented on For each other, by each other:

Very interesting post on faith. If only more believers would be transparent and share their struggles with one another. We can then encourage one another and turn our eyes on Jesus. It helps to know we're not alone

August 8th Linda added these thoughts to Be still:

Oh, my.... That's gripping stuff. I've experienced times like that, too, so my heart goes out to both you and the new pastor. God bless you both as you remain still and rest in the Lord; and wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him. He is good and He is at work, even if you can't see just what He is doing right now

September 30th Beth Werner Lee (link not active) commented about Finding my voice in His:

Thank you, so right you are to ponder on Jesus saying he spoke only what he heard, and was sent to say. Oh, that I could be like him! Only through his Spirit who does the same. Today we were just studying James 1:19,20: quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger...I need to apply this now, daily! Thank you, writing from the fire.

October 4th Sandra Heska King left words on Season of seasons:

I love the contrasts.
Moving too fast while stuck in place.
Softened and hardened.
Decay and hope.
And the spices and scent and aroma and fragrance.
Oh, and that photo. Clever girl.

November 7th Nancy of Out of My Alleged Mind shared her thoughts on Believe?:

I'm really good at trusting God theoretically. Not so much when I can't connect the dots to see how the plan is taking shape. I keep trying to remind myself to look back toward his faithfulness in the past and asking him to increase my faith, even only enough to take the next step.

December 24th Doug Spurling commented on Christmas Tears:

Amen. You are opening the greatest of Christmas presents with your tears, your heart meshing with His to seek and save that which is lost ~ His Presence.

Though I write in obedience to my Lord, not for hits or applause, words of true encouragement help greatly along the way. Please take a moment when you can to visit the blogs of those who so richly blessed me.

I also thank each and every one of you who has wandered about inside these words, even those who never leave a trace of themselves before they leave.  You are truly a gift to me.  May the coming year bring with it the richness of His love.


 

Back to work / wings

Courage. Focus. Trust.

Three words stacked, shuffled, played again and again in my spirit.

November was a frenzy of word output in the midst of the chaos of life and when I had met the goal to reach 50,000 words I set my novel aside and granted myself sabbath, the month of December to be still through advent and rejoice in Christmas.  Now December draws to a swift end.

As the new year begins I must begin again, with courage, focus, trust and with perseverance.

Here's another little bite of what I've been cooking:

Jessie opened her Bible again to read:

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

“I like sparrows” she thought “they’re small like me, at least I feel small. But this keeps telling me not to worry, just like the calm voice tells me.” She closed the book, resting her chin on her hand, thinking about small birds and wings and wondering if God counts feathers too.
Johnny interrupted her thoughts, placing a steaming dinner plate in front of her, saying “Wings for my Angel with wings.”

“What??” she chirped, astonished.

“You said surprise you, what’s the matter. You don’t like wings?”

“How do you do that?” she asked him, starting to laugh, shaking her head.

“Do what? What did I do now?” Johnny looked confused.

“Well, God must like to talk through you or something. When I dreamed about fruit you offered me fresh fruit. Now this.”

“What? What? I still don’t get it.”

“I was just reading where God takes care of me and loves me more than sparrows, and I was sitting here thinking of feathers and wings…”

Johnny slapped his hand down hard on the table and released a loud roar of laughter. “And here I come with a big plate of wings. That is strange. Kind of scary if you ask me.”

“I think God just wants us to know He’s paying attention” Jessie answered. “And by the way, I do like wings, and these smell wonderful.”

"Weird, that’s what I say” Johnny pointed his thumb toward Bobbie. “We’ve gotta tell Roberta and see what she says about all this. Weird.”

Jessie didn’t answer for a moment. Her mouth was too full, savouring the taste of lemon, garlic and oregano on the wings. “Why should I be surprised that you’d make Greek wings?” she laughed.

“Hey Johnny” Bobbie called from the table where she had seated the couple with the wet umbrellas. “These nice folks said whatever it is you just brought out that smells so good, that’s what they want too.”

“Wings” Johnny said. “Greek wings. Anyone else want some?”
Hands went up around the room.

“Alright then, you got ‘em. Wings all around” he said, disappearing back into his kitchen.

As Jessie ate she let her mind wander, seeing wings and feathers and heads covered with hairstyles of all shapes and colours. The anxiety of the afternoon drained away.

“I’m not sure why I feel so peaceful all of a sudden” she spoke silently “but thank You.”

That’s My peace, and thank you for realizing it was Me.” The voice was strong, kind and clear. It almost felt like she could wrap it around her shoulders.