watch and believe

I savour nothing more than 
the Lord's words spoken to me 
in the early morning hours
priceless life to me

I use everything from the greatest to the smallest
I transform tears into glory
did I not turn blood into salvation?
How much more can I transform all things?

Only watch and believe
be strong in the waiting
have I not already commanded you
strong and courageous

I Am in the stillness
when you think I Am not moving

Know and believe

Moses told the people, Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest.
Exodus 14:13-14

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.


 

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.