The Goodness of God

The Goodness of God- By Randy Alcorn

Randy Alcorn offers something solid to hold onto in the midst of trial and tribulation. When the world brings you down or when you're suffering or sad or in pain He speaks truth into your life via his book The Goodness of God which is a condensed and more focused version of his other book, If God is Good. Randy offers many bold statements in his books and these are just a few:

"any faith that leaves us unprepared for suffering is a false faith that deserves to be abandoned." (pg.5)

"Worry is momentary atheism, crying out for correction by trust in a good and sovereign God." (pg.110)

Randy doesn't provide superficial words of hope and his book definitely isn't one of those feel good books. It is meant to get you out of the mind set of suffering and to realize God's truths and God's love and to provide you with that knowledge base so that the next time you are down or suffering you can easily hold onto God's promises.

This book is definitely a great one for all Christians to read and even those who want to explore and learn more about God.

I received this book for free for review from Waterbrook Multnomah.

I'm not sure what to title this...

I used to think that I was a great actress. That by being in some various amounts of plays and musicals made me great, and that I could easily take on any role that ever came to me. And if I ever had to do something challenging or something that I personally didn't know if I could do, or maybe even something that I didn't want to do or seemed "out of character" for me, that I could just develop a brand new character and take on her role. I decided a long time ago that living as someone else was easier and more exciting. I decided to buy into many lies about myself and realized that I was too boring and too plain and not a valuable character in this story of life. I decided to create a new me with the different characteristics that I thought people might like. I was able to blend in with many different groups of people. Old people loved me, children adored me, and all that mattered was that I was well-liked. Well, I am a terrible actress. Looking back, all I know is how different emotions feel. Ergo, i'm a pretty emotional person.

I used to think that I was a great singer. When I was really young I would sing a lot of Disney songs. I used to pretend that I was Belle from Beauty and the Beast and I would re-create the scene where Belle and the Beast were dancing in the ballroom. One time my uncle found me singing and wanted to put me into voice lessons. He thought I could have been this great singer, but unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) there was nothing for me in Pine City at the time. I have sung in a choir since I was in first grade. I would sing along to karaoke machines in bars and a bunch of drunk people would cheer me on. And somehow all of that and years of people telling me that I was good gave me a big ego. But, I am really not a great singer either. (I realized this when I had a hard time singing Silent Night at a Christmas Eve service at church.)

I used to think that I was a great person. I would go to church every sunday and be involved with as many things as I can. When I lived at home I would work part time, go to school full time, take care of my brothers and cook and clean and do my homework and still have time for some sort of a social life. I got involved with youth groups, bible studies, women's nights. I was a camp counselor, Jr. High youth leader. Now I'm on leadership with Campus Crusade for Christ and attend a college-women's bible study.

I came home from college a few days ago. And since then, a bunch of people from my church in Pine City have told me how proud they are of me and how great I am and all sorts of stuff. But, i'm really not that great of a person either. I lie A LOT and I curse like a sailor. I am not a very good friend. I don't read my Bible. I only pray when I need something. I contemplate giving up my faith altogether. I sometimes want to throw my life away. I want to give into many different temptations, but don't ever go through with it for fear of what people would think.

A friend asked me a few days ago a very simple question. "What makes you happy?"

I wish I had a "favorite things" song to just list off all these things that makes me happy. But I don't. Nor could I have at that point made some crap up that makes me happy. My list was pretty short. I'm pretty sure I just told her that being with friends and singing and reading and listening to music makes me happy. And while all of that is true, I feel like there should be more. That I should have this joy all the bloody time. But I don't. The truth is, it takes a lot to make me happy right now.

The truth is. I'm incredibly messed up. Maybe it's because of the years of pretending I was someone that I was not that messed me up. Because now, I don't even know who I am or how to even act like me. I don't know how to adapt myself into the place that i've created for me when my old character fails. I don't know how I got to where I am today, and I don't know what to do.

To my very good friend who let me cry that night and who has lived with me and endured me this past semester no matter how crazy I was/am. Who tells me i'm beautiful and loved every day, even though I never believe her: I'm working on my "happy" list, and on myself.

Radical

Radical- By David Platt Taking back your faith from the American Dream.

You and I can choose to continue with business as usual in the Christian life and in the church as a whole, enjoying success based on the standards defined by the culture around us. Or we can take an honest look at the Jesus of the Bible and dare to ask what the consequences might be if we really believed him and really obeyed him.

If Jesus is who he said he is, and if his promises are as rewarding as the Bible claims they are, then we may discover that satisfaction in our lives and success in the church are not found in what our culture deems most important, but in radical abandonment to Jesus.

-David Platt in his book called Radical.

This book challenges you to think about your life in a deeper way. So many people who call themselves Christians are not walking the way Jesus has called them to walk. (Myself included.) This book takes a look at the heart of the people who live their life radically for God. People who live below their means, sell everything they have to follow God, give and devote their entire lives to glorify His name. Jesus said to his followers to pick up their cross and to follow Him, but how many of us actually do that? This book will challenge you in how you think and may change your life.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Under the Overpass

Under the Overpass-by Mike Yankoski

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Have you ever put your faith to the test? Jesus calls us to live our lives radically for Him. He calls us to take up our cross and to follow Him, leaving everything behind you. Leaving the comfort of home, the comradeship of friends, money, possessions, everything. Do we have that kind of faith to willingly give up everything we have and seek Him out? Mike Yankoski was an upper-class college student who one day heard a pastor talk about living your life radically for God and having that kind of faith. He began to question himself and realized that he wanted to find out if he left everything behind him and lived on the streets if his faith would get him through it. Mike and Sam spent five months living on the streets of four different U.S cities where street life is prominent and rough: Denver, Portland, Washington D.C and Phoenix. They panhandled for money. Ate in dumpsters and slept outside on the ground.
This book will challenge your faith. It is not meant to guilt you in anyway into leaving everything behind you to live your life out on the street as Mike and Sam did. This book is meant to get you thinking about whether or not your faith in God is really at the level it should be at.
Mike and Sam's life post-street life was radically changed and to this day they speak at various seminars and rally's sharing what they had learned and inspire people daily with their story.
I think that this book is very good. It definitely has been challenging me to think about my own faith. I know that I could not live my life out on the streets and I know that my faith is not at the level it should be at. I definitely think this is a book that people should read, it is a very fast and easy read book. The stories Mike and Sam told throughout it were captivating.

Then Sings My Soul

Book review- Then Sings My Soul (Special Edition) by Robert J. Morgan

I recently received this book in the mail from Booksneeze.com, which is a book/blogger program where I can review books for free! (Pretty exciting, eh?) This book stood out on the list of books available to review on the page because this is a book about hymns. I thoroughly enjoy hymns! I grew up in a church were hymns were the only thing sung. In this book, each hymn gets a two page spread. The sheet music for each song gets a page and then on the following page there is a bible verse in reference to the hymn and also a short story on how and why the hymn came to be. There are a lot of very interesting stories in this book. For instance, no one knows who wrote "The First Noel" Handel composed "Hallelujah Chorus" (one of my favorite songs) in just twenty three days, and, "Be Thou My Vision" (another one of my favorites) is an Irish folk melody. There are also a lot of hymns that I have never heard of before mixed amongst familiar old tunes and favorites. The hymns are arranged in alphabetical order with a special section in the front for Christmas Songs. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Hymns and would like to know the meaning and background and overall story of the hymns they love the most. Or to my friend who collects hymnals. :)
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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”