'Fearless' by Max Lucado: Book review

"Fearless: Imagine your life without fear"

Wow, what a book! This couldn't have come at a better time for me. This book is a reminder to Christians everywhere that God is still in control and His plan is working to His divine specifications! We are never promised not to have trials. No, we are warned they will come! As Max so eloquently states, 'Fear not' (and it's variants) is the most common Christ-issued imperative!

I have 2 favorite chapters in this book. The first one is the first chapter called 'Why are we afraid?' It certainly helps to gain an understanding of where fear comes from. One of the statistics he gave was that 'ordinary children today are more fearful than psychiatric patients were in the 1950's.' (The Report Newsmagazine Jan, 22, 2001)

He then goes on, discussing letting faith be your default reaction to threats instead of fear. Take the story of the great storm that rose up when Jesus and the disciples were all in the boat out on the Galilean sea...he says, "...this story sends the not-so-subtle and not-too-popular reminder: getting on board with Christ can mean getting soaked with Christ! ... Christ-followers contract malaria, bury children, and battle addictions, and as a result, face fears. It's not the absence of storms that sets us apart. It's whom we discover in the storm: an unstirred Christ."

He also explains that fears cause us to raise doubts about Jesus' character. "Fear corrodes our confidence in God's goodness. 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? Fear unleashes a swarm of doubts, anger-stirring doubts. And it turns us into control freaks. Fear at it's center is a perceived loss of control." "Fear drains us dry of contentment." "When fear shapes our lives, safety becomes our god. When safety becomes our god, we worship the risk-free life. The fear filled cannot love deeply, it's too risky!"

Time after time, Jesus called us to courage. Matt. 10:31, Matt. 6:25, John 14:1-3, Luke 24:38. These are just a few examples. Matt. 8:26-27 "He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?' Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, 'What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!'"

My second favorite book hits pretty close to home. I must admit having some issues with disheartening direction things seem to be going lately. It is called 'What if things get worse? Fear of global calamity' Jesus has equipped us with "...far-sighted courage. He listed the typhoons of life and then pointed them to the end. Trust in ultimate victory gives ultimate courage!" This book is just filled with encouragement for believers and biblical reminders that we will face storms and it's likely to get worse instead of better. But don't be fearful because it's all part of His divine and providential plan, even the ugly and painful persecution which seems to be on the rise! Max says, "Nature is a pregnant creation, third-trimester heavy. The universe is passing through the final hours before delivery. Painful contractions are in the forecast." Matt. 24:6-8

I highly recommend this book. Max Lucado is an extremely talented writer and I feel blessed to have this book in my library to give me strength and encouragement..not just for me but for those around me too! We all need to be reminded of what God's Word says about this life and the next. Order Fearless today and let me know what you think about it's message to you! "Imagine your life without fear!"

Review: The Word of Promise Next Generation New Testament MP3 Set

This is good, you're gonna love this! Imagine if you could just sit back, close your eyes and listen in while the stories of the Bible came to life in your mind. Now, what if I told you it would come to life with the voices of an all star cast? Well, you don't have to imagine anymore!

The Word of Promise Next Generation New Testament is a set of 3 CD's in MP3 format is over 23 hours of just that! Each book of the New Testament is introduced and explained by either Max or Jenna Lucado setting up the book in an easy to understand format. Sean Astin is the main narrator, you younger generation may remember him from the Lord of the Rings series.

The best part about listening to the CD's for me is the care and hard work that went into the background ambiance and how not only was there great musical accompaniment but also when the stories take you to different places, you can hear the movement. When someone runs from the truth, you hear their footsteps! For instance, when Jesus' parents came back to find him in the temple, you can hear the bustling of the market and town in the background! And in Revelation 4, when John is describing heaven and the thrones and the lamps, you can hear a roaring fire crackling.

This set would be great on a long road trip, I wish I would have had them when A and I drove from Maryland to St. Louis this past December. These CD's would make great gifts for people of all ages, really. I suggest, if you are thinking about giving someone an MP3 player, it would make an even better gift if you loaded it with the Word of God! I plan to enjoy mine for many years to come.

Reflections of God's Holy Land: a book review

Reflections of God's Holy Land: a personal journey through Israel was very much a treat to receive & review.

The cover sleeve on this book is vividly colored with intriguing photos and it’s a nice size, comparable to that of a coffee table style book. The inside is filled with glossy pages; you immediately desire to flip through wildly, your eyes wandering from every photo to its caption. This book takes you on a journey through God’s Holy land and there is much to see and experience. You soon discover the background of the two writers and what perspective they contribute to the project.

Miriam Feinberg Vamosh is a Jew who shares her vast knowledge of Israel’s landscape, history and archaeology along the way as the tour guide and interpreter. Her “Did you know?” sections offer a wonderful physical and historical impression of each sacred destination along the way.

Eva Marie Everson, a Christian, is a Bible scholar, novelist and teacher who had always yearned to see the Holy Land. She shares her own personal “Reflections” on the emotional and spiritual aspects that are invoked along the journey as she soon begins to experience how the bible stories she has studied and taught are now dimensional and tangible. She sees for herself, the impressions the events of the Bible have had on the region.

Each of the biblical sites are paired with corresponding scriptures and fantastic photographs that allow us to glean a greater sense of their experiences first hand.

Of all the stops along their way, one of them in particular spoke to me the more than the others. The Jordan River. I’ve always been a country girl at heart, growing up in Missouri which has no shortage of rivers for hot summer days’ delight. I was taught to swim in the cold and swift spring fed waters of the Current River by my grandmother who also taught me about Jesus. She would tell me stories of how they used to have ‘dinner on the ground’ services on very hot (or sometimes very cold) Sunday afternoons where new believers would be baptized in the river and they would sing songs of praise and glory! Yes, I have always been drawn to the waters of rivers and the Jordan River is no exception.

Biblically speaking, baptism is a public profession of an inward decision, a symbol of how God washes the old sins away and cleanses believers with His spirit. Miriam gives us much information about the Jordan River, from where it begins as snowmelt from Mount Hermon to its final destination 100 miles away spilling its waters into the Dead Sea. Eva on the other hand tells of being ‘drawn to the water of forgiveness’, how the murky and dark waters the Jordan River offer a symbolic view of the dirty sins that are washed away inside our hearts. Her writing is eloquent and I really enjoyed reading her words of enlightenment and spiritual revelations. This book was a very nice addition to my library and I will enjoy it over and over again as I will most likely not be able to travel the Holy Land myself any time soon.