Unreasonable Hope

UNREASONABLE HOPE

Written By: Chad Veach

Book Overview:

"Where was God when___? How could God allow ___?  Why?

These are the questions that flood our hearts and minds when the unimaginable happens. When things go horribly wrong and the world seems to be unraveling, how do you believe in God's goodness? How do you cling to hope?

Chad Veach directs readers away from cliched Sunday school answers that fail to offer real comfort or provide faith-building insights.  Instead, he draws from God's promises in the Bible and from the story of his own daughter's diagnosis of a devastating and debilitating disease to reveal simple, purposeful steps for dealing with pain.  Resting in God's love, remembering his past faithfulness, and realizing the distinction between having faith and clinging to hope are just some of the steps.  Veach reminds us that because we know who God is, we know there is hope."

"Find faith in a God who can bring purpose to your pain." Chad Veach

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed reading this book.  I wasn't sure what to expect from it.  I think I thought it would be more like a how to guide for tough times.  In some ways it does outline what we can do to get through painful, tough times, but at no point does it feel like you are merely reading a list.  I thought it would be filled with the quotes I have heard before about holding on and keep praying because you never know when your blessing is right around the corner.  While I think those quotes are inspiring, I also don't think that is our 'go to' thought when we are in the middle of the storm.  Those around us can look in and offer encouragement but sometimes we sit back and think 'they don't have a clue.'  I enjoyed reading this book because it was a very real account of what this father, this family lives through.  There thoughts at times were no different than mine, in retelling their story - they kept it real.  In opening up and being vulnerable it made me see the beauty in being real....that's not to say that what we are going/growing through is pretty....but there is beauty in vulnerability that allows for connections that help us push through. I think that is what is at the basis of hope....that sense that you are not alone and others are 'on your team' so to speak, they are routing you on or picking you up or encouraging you.  Great read, highly recommend this book.  Very encouraging. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

PARENTING

PARENTING

14 Gospel Principles That can Radically Change Your Family

Written By: Paul David Tripp

Book Overview:

Sometimes parents wish there was a guaranteed formula for raising good kids--a certain list of rules to follow to ensure they'd have obedient children. But if moms and dads view their role through the lens of God's grace, they will see that the gospel must first shape how they parent before they can effectively shape their children. In this book, Paul David Tripp unfolds a more biblical perspective on parenting than merely adhering to a list of rules. He lays out fourteen gospel-centered principles that will radically change the way parents think about what it means to raise up a child, informing everything they do as a parent.

My Thoughts:

I had a difficult time getting into this book.  I read pretty much any chance that I get, and I also believe in sticking with the things that I start. It was difficult to get started but it was good reading through the 14 principles that can change a family.  I like the way the book wasn't really about parenting, but about fundamental truths that provide a foundation.  If we want our family to radically change, then, as with many other life situations - the change must start with us. It isn't about how we can 'parent' our children as much as its about the way our Heavenly Father 'parents' us as He entrusts us with the most important job, that of a mother or father.  Some of the principles covered include: Grace, Identity, Character, Control, Rest and Mercy....you will have to pick up the book to find out what the other 8 principles are! Each chapter has a heading and then is outlined by a brief description of the principle and followed up with a more lengthy, sometimes hard to get into, detailed explanation. For example - Chapter 2 Grace Principle: God never calls you to a task without giving you what you need to do it. He never sends you without going with you. My husband and I read this book together, we have two boys.  It was nice to read with somebody else and see what stood out to them and also look at how we each want to apply what we have learned.  Overall, I think it was a good book, just takes a bit of patience and determination to get through it.

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one of the products mentioned above for free in hope that i would mention it on my blog, thanks to FlyBy Promotions. Regardless, i only recommend products or services that I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 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."

Chase The Lion

Chase The Lion

Written By Mark Batterson

Book Overview:

Run TO the Roar!

 

When the image of a man-eating beast travels through the optic nerve and into the visual cortex, the brain sends the body a simple but urgent message: run away! That’s what normal people do, but not lion chasers. Rather than seeing a five hundred pound problem, they see an opportunity for God to show up and show His power..

 

Chase the Lion is more than a catch phrase; it’s a radically different approach to life. It’s only when we stop fearing failure that we can fully seize opportunity by the mane. With grit and gusto, New York Times bestselling author Mark Batterson delivers a bold message to everyone with a big dream.

 

Quit playing it safe and start running towards the roar!

 

This is a wake-up call to stop living as if the purpose was to simply arrive safely at death. Our dreams should scare us. They should be so big that without God they are impossible to achieve. Quit running away from what you’re afraid of. 

 

Chase the lion! 

Change the world!

What is Your Five Hundred Pound Dream?

In this highly anticipated sequel to his best-selling In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Mark Batterson invites lion chasers everywhere to chase dreams so impossible that victory demands we face our fears, defy the odds, and hold tight to God. 

 

These are the kind of dreams that will make you a bigger person and the world a better place.

 

Based upon II Samuel 23, Chase the Lion tells the true story of an ancient warrior named Benaiah who chased a lion into a pit on a snowy day—and then killed it. For most people, that situation wouldn’t just be a problem…it would be the last problem they ever faced. For Benaiah, it was an opportunity to step into his destiny. After defeating the lion, he landed his dream job as King David’s bodyguard and eventually became Commander-in-Chief of Israel’s army under King Solomon.

 

Written in a way that both challenges and encourages, this revolutionary book will help unleash the faith and courage you need to identify, chase, and catch the five hundred pound dreams in your life.

My Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.  I enjoyed it so much that I have already started re reading it and gaining even more than I did the first read through. I may be a little partial as this is one of my favorite authors and I have read his other books.  This one definitely did not let me down.  There are many times I wonder if what I am doing is making a difference or leaving any lasting impact. I was encouraged by one of the steady themes through out the book in that sometimes what we do today we are doing for the third and fourth generation and it might not be something we see anytime soon. He also talked about sometimes the only way we fulfill our dream is by helping others fulfill theirs. Being somebody who struggles with staying connecting, it was interesting how much this book talked about the importance of being connected to others. My favorite message was about the fact that if your dream isn't bigger than you then it isn't big enough.  There is so much about this book that sunk in and touched a deeper part of my soul.  I highly recommend this book.  

To purchase a copy of this book you can do so by clicking here.

I received this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for this review.

Hard lesson

Tonight was open house for my Seth. He was excited to see his friend and they ran off and started talking and playing.  Once open house started, they both listened attentively to the entire presentation.  A lot of information was presented. We learned about the curriculum they are using, the grading procedure, resources they have, their daily schedule, etc. When the principal hangs out in the classroom and an extra teacher is present, you start to wonder what's going on and get a funny feeling its nothing good. Tonight we were informed that Seth's teacher is being surplussed.  Seth and I are definitely people that pick up on the feelings of others and we feel things so deeply. We are kind and caring but we have big hearts that are easily broken. 

As open house came to a close I went and thanked her for giving Seth a good start to fourth grade. She told us how great he was and that he would be in good hands with the new teacher.  We exited the classroom, made our way down the hall and out the doors.  I noticed Seth was looking away.  I noticed his breathing changed.  I could feel his hurt.  I asked him how he felt after hearing that Mrs. Simpson wouldn't be there....it took some time but he eventually got out that he was sad, she was a good teacher and he didn't want her to go anywhere.  We told him it was ok to feel sad, we gave him a hug and we did the only thing we could think of - we bought him a milkshake and fries.  Dennis started telling him jokes on the way home and Seth started laughing.  Ivan piped in with, 'keep doing it daddy, you are making Seth stop crying.'  Ivan didn't like to see 'water' (tears) coming out of his eyes. We made our way home and got ready for bed.  

As he laid down he started crying again, I asked him what was wrong, he just said 'what we talked about earlier.' My heart breaks for him.  I checked on him every ten minutes until he was asleep. I am still crying. It is a tough lesson to learn, that sometimes good people come into our life and don't stay as long as we would like them to. What an impact she has made on my Seth in such a short amount of time.  He is finally asleep, but tonight he gained some wisdom that I wish nobody ever had to, the kind that comes with tough experiences and heart ache. 

My sweet boy, we cried together tonight. 

Of course I am sure there will be good things to come with the new teacher....for tonight we are just embracing the sad feelings, learning a tough life lesson, cherishing the people who have left an impact on our life, and dusting ourselves off to begin tomorrow anew. 

Baby, Baby!

Baby, Baby!

Written By: Diane Stortz

Illustrated By: Ailie Busby

Book Overview:

A yawn, a giggle, a sweet little kiss - each moment of a baby's life is full of discovery and wonder. This short rhyming poem is a celebration of just that, ending with a gentle reminder that Baby is always loved by God.

My Thoughts:

 I enjoyed reading through this book. It made me think about when my boys were younger.  They would have loved the mirror at the end of the story.  This would be a great addition to a Sunday school class of one and two year old's. This book would be perfect for their attention span. This book would make a great baby shower gift. I love the message, its a good one at any age, "I have loved you with an everlasting love." Jeremiah 31:3b 

To learn more about the author and purchase a copy of this book, please click here.

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one of the products mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog, thanks to FlyBy Promotions.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 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."

night night, Farm

night night, Farm

Written By: Amy Parker

Illustrated By: Virginia Allyn

Book Overview:

When the sun sinks low down on the farm, the animals are all tuckered out from the day's adventures. Join these adorable farm animals in pajamas as they say night night to the farm, to their mommies and daddies, and to God. Your little ones will sleep until the rooster crows knowing that the God who made them loves them so. 

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed reading this story with my boys. They are a bit older than the target age range for this book but they still enjoy listening to me read to them.  This would be great for a toddler.  The book is full of bright pictures and lots of animals. It would be great for teaching about animals and the sounds they make as well. I love the underlying message of parents taking care of their children, and how we all communicate in a different way, but it doesn't make what we have to say any less.

"Disclosure (In accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255: "guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this product in exchange for this review and post. These opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. "

Another hurdle?

August 27th, well technically August 28th landed us back in the Emergency Room at Mayo Clinic. Just before 2:30 a.m my mom was awoken by her entire bed shaking.  Her first thought was it was my dad rocking himself back and forth to get up and go to the bathroom.  After a series of questions, she determined he was having another seizure.  It has been almost 2 months to the date since his last seizure. 

Around 2:35 a.m I woke up to go to the bathroom. I thought I saw red flashing lights coming through the windows in the living room. Half asleep, I thought maybe I was just dreaming, I went to the bathroom and then went and looked out the front door.  And perhaps the one thing you never want to see is the ambulance and fire truck parked outside your parents house. I woke Dennis up and told him the ambulance was at my parents house and I would be back. When I walked out the front door I saw somebody on the stretcher and they were pushing him through the front door. By the time they reached the end of the ramp and loaded him into the back of the ambulance, I was walking in the front door.  The paramedics might have thought I was a lunatic or something, running down the sidewalk and then peering into the back of the ambulance to see if it was mom or dad.  I walked in, they filled me in, my brother and mom went in one vehicle and my sister and I went in another, and like old times, we f-l-e-w to Mayo Hospital.  We arrived before he did.  

I started pacing outside the hospital waiting to see when the ambulance arrived.

They said that mom could go back and see him.  She was back there for what felt like a really long time.  The Emergency Room at Mayo Clinic was pretty empty at 3 a.m. on a Sunday morning. We couldn't people watch. We couldn't imagine what others were there for. Thank God for my brother and sister and our ability to keep each other distracted while we waited for those automatic doors to open and some update on my dad.

Eventually they did. 3:48 a.m to be exact. The message was simple, 'one of you can come back and try to talk to him, we need to get him alert, he is still having seizures.' Vanessa went first, she returned and told me to go try.  I walked in and said, "Hey Dad, what are you doing here? You should be in bed sleeping." His eyes started to open.  The nurse was happy and told us to keep talking to him and keep reminding him to breathe, They were concerned because his heart rate was still rather elevated and his respiration was low. 

"Hey Dad I need to see your eyes.  Show me you are ok."

"Dad I need you to take a deep breath. Please keep breathing for me."

"Breath in. Breath out."

"Dad, you have done more before 5 a.m than some people do all day!" (I got a little smirk)

This is something he used to say on days he would go cut three yards and be to work by 10 in the morning, he would always joke about doing more before noon than some people do all day.

Mom started singing songs with him.  

And just like when I was little, they were singing "You Are My Sunshine"  

The nurse was so grateful that we kept talking to him and that we were able to keep him more alert. His heart rate lowered, the seizures stopped... mom went to get my brother. Finally we could all be with him.  He was alert.  He was answering questions. He was bouncing back a lot faster than he ever has. He bounced back so quick this time, they didn't have to admit him!

A good scare, showed us all that our heart is still working. Brought perspectives back into focus. Today he was singing "You Are My Sunshine" and I must say it sounds a lot better than when he was singing it at 4 in the morning.  Stay tuned for another blog with that video...

We aren't guaranteed anything in this life.

Share pain.

Share joy.

Share love.

Share hope.

Share happiness.

Share a good laugh.

Share time. 

Live. Love. Forgive. Hope. Pray. Encourage. Reach out. Care.

Me Too

Me Too 

Experience the God Who Understands

Written By: Jon Weece

 
 Book Overview:

Your life is filled with pressure and pain and heartache and disappointment. So was His.

If you’ve ever tried to pick up the shattered pieces of your life and put them back together again without help, you know it’s an impossible task. When you lose your job, when divorce divides your family, when a loved one commits suicide, or when cancer claims a friend, it’s easy to lose perspective and abandon hope.

According to Jon Weece, Christianity does not require you to smile through your pain, much less praise God for tormenting you. God doesn’t enjoy your suffering. But he does understand it—and he knows exactly how to fix it.

That’s what Me Too is all about: A God who turned the ugliness of the cross into a spectacle of eternal beauty. An all-powerful Lord who will do the same with the pain of this world. An eternal Father who specializes in wiping away tears and putting you back together again. If you’ll allow him.

My Thoughts:

There are so many words floating around today. In most cases we relate to one another with our words.  I have learned of the significance of two simple words, but when put together have a powerful meaning.  The two words are, me and too.  When somebody connects with us by using those words, sometimes it can feel like they are throwing us a rope, something to hold on to and hope with, a guide so we know where to go.  Other times it can seem those words act as a life preserver, keeping us alive - literally and figuratively as we seek out help. This book was difficult for me to get into, but I stayed the course, and boy am I glad that I did.  He touched on a lot of struggles that we face in this life.  The chapter on suicide stood out the most to me.  I liked how he addressed many different perspectives, ultimately keying in on how many times it comes about because of untreated mental illness and depression. I would like to share a quote from the chapter that stuck with me, "Suicidal thoughts might provide the greatest "me too" opportunity for us to love people where they are and as they are. God wants us to lighten people's emotional loads: "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2) Shared joy is double joy, but shared pain is half pain." There is so much I underlined in this book and quotes that I shared with others. I would recommend this book, it is a relatively easy read in that it can be picked up and read randomly, any chapter, or in order.  There are some deep, thought provoking sections, but some light and humorous spots as well.  It won't go too far from my desk, as some parts of it I would like to revisit soon.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”