Well we did it! We have read our first book! Or at least some of us have….! But that's okay!
Our last chapter is about how we will dwell in the house of our LORD forever. Truly this is the greatest part of the 23rd Psalm. Homesickness for our heavenly home is one bag our God doesn’t mind if we carry around. We have a great reminder that this home here on earth is NOT eternal but only temporary. So release those bags and as one of my favorite Mandisa songs say, “It’s only the world we’re living in.” Remember that as you wake up in the mornings and go about your days carrying around your baggage; all your problems are only the world we’re living in now, not what out true home is about. In the conclusion of the book, I love the way Max sums up the Psalm on page 163, make a copy of it and put it on your fridge. Let it remind you that God gives us everything we need to get through this life to the next and He is there with us following us along. I have to say though that my absolute favorite part of this book is the last paragraph of Chapter 18 on page 157 when Max writes about our homecoming into Heaven.
“By that moment only one bag will remain. Not guilt. It was dropped at Calvary. Not the fear of death. It was left at the grave. The only lingering luggage will be this God-given longing for home. And when you see Him, you’ll set it down. Just as a returning soldier drops his duffel when he sees his wife, you’ll drop your longing when you see your Father. Those you love will shout. Those you know will applaud. But all the noise will cease when He cups your chin and says, “Welcome Home.” And with scarred hand He’ll wipe every tear from your eye. And you will dwell in the house of your LORD – forever.”
If you haven’t read this book because you can't find the time or you have problems getting through self-help books, ignore those thoughts and excuses. I am pleading with you to READ it. It’s an easy read, the chapters are short and it is one you could even put in the bathroom! haha! Yes, self-help books are hard to get through but this is not your normal self help book. Every chapter has its own unique story and message. And this book’s message is something we ALL need to be reminded of at some time in our lives. If you are keeping a copy of this book for yourself I urge you to keep it handy and refer back to it whenever you feel yourself heavy burdened. Then pick up your Bible and look up all the great verses it mentions. Many thanks to Max Lucado for writing such a great book.
I look forward to our very 1st meeting tomorrow. I hope you are as excited as I am and I am equally excited already about our February book. I know you will love it.
Please comment on this post to let people know if you did or didn't like the book and if you would recommend it to others. Thank you to those that are reading the blog and you who have made comments!
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Friday, January 30, 2009
No doubt
The story about Eric and Debbie in Chapter 17 paints such a realistic picture for Christ’s pursuit of us. He follows us wherever life takes us and He is there with us always. We sometimes doubt He was there when this or that happened or that He still is; but many passages in the Bible remind us that He follows us everywhere we go. Max makes a good point that even if we are faithless, God is still faithful and he still follows. He mentions several passages that are examples of when God has been following others in the Bible. It feels good to be reminded by Max that our feelings have no impact on God’s presence. Even if you are angry at Him, He is still there just following you along waiting for you to recognize His presence. Look up the examples he gives in this chapter about Christ following us all of our days. Release your burden of doubts. Just as David did, we should have no doubt of Christ’s goodness and mercy and that it will follow us all the days of our lives.
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Thursday, January 29, 2009
My table is wet.
Jealousy. Envy. Both can come into our heart through our thoughts and cause us to rot inside. The more we concentrate on what others have; anger starts to come into our heart. We feel sorry for ourselves because of the stuff we don’t have. We are mad because someone’s husband did this for them and ours didn’t. Or someone’s child accomplished this and mine didn’t. Or someone got the bonus and I really needed it. Can you hear yourself thinking the familiar words? “I wish _______ was more like this.” Or “I wish I had that like _________.” Instead of focusing all that attention on the negative; think about the positive in your life. As Max states in chapter 16, our cup is overflowing with blessings and our tables are wet from it. Just look in the Bible and you will see your cup is overflowing with abounding grace and hope among many other things. I love the story Max gives about the Father and Son with the dirt. “One thing is certain. When the final storm comes and you are safe in your Father’s house, you won’t regret what he didn’t give. You’ll be stunned at what he did.” Take Max’s advice from the back in the study guide and make a list of some things you envy in others and then make a list of what God has given you in abundance. How does your list add up?
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Redeeming Love Pre-Order
Kathy, our church secretary, will be placing an online order from Amazon.com on Monday 2/2/09. The book's are $10.19 each (free shipping; not sure if there will be tax on that). It is paperback with a study guide in the back similar to the one we are reading now. If you would like Kathy to order you one, She will need money on Saturday at the January meeting. She hopes you will be able to pick them up at the church by Sun, 2/8/09.
Books are also available at Books-a-million, Just Books and at the local libraries. If you have any questions or need anything please let me know or contact Kathy! Thanks!
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Books are also available at Books-a-million, Just Books and at the local libraries. If you have any questions or need anything please let me know or contact Kathy! Thanks!
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Wednesday, January 28, 2009
You anoint my head with oil.
I hear that part of the verse and after having read these chapters it’s like a burden lifted off my heart. I am combining chapters 14 & 15 because I feel like the two go pretty well together, the burden of shame and disappointment. We do something we should not and feel shame which leads to disappointment in ourselves. Before reading this book I had no clue whatsoever about what that part of the Psalm meant. I just assumed it was something about blessing us. No doubt it is a blessing to have the LORD anoint our head with oil but I just did not make the connection with the sheep. Again I am in awe over how similar we are to the sheep. We need our Shepherd to take care of us.
None of us are perfect beings. We all slip up and have our moments when we feel shame. It’s so easy to fall in old habits and our shame can eat away at our heart. It will make us feel like we are not good enough for anything and it’s easy to start believing it. Well you’re not hiding anything from God, He knows your heart and He knows your shame. He wants you to bring what you are struggling over and lay it down before Him. Confess your shame over what you have done and He will lift your heart as you ask for forgiveness. And don’t’ forget to forgive yourself. Don’t carry around the emotional baggage. Go to the table the LORD has prepared and He will restore you.
Disappointments. We have them everyday. Sometimes big ones and sometimes lots of little ones. We are disappointed because someone didn’t take the trash out like we asked. We are disappointed because this is not where we saw ourselves in this stage of our lives. We are disappointed because we didn’t get the promotion. We are disappointed because we didn’t get in and out of the grocery store as quick as we thought we should. The list of thing we get disappointed on can go on forever. What have you been disappointed about today or recently? Where does it fall in scale to the big picture God has created for you?
It should come as such a relief the way the Shepherd takes care of His sheep; He also takes care of us. The sheep have to bow their heads to have the oil anointed on their head. Don’t you feel maybe you should bow your head in prayer letting go of your burdens to be anointed with the oil? Just because things don’t always go the way WE plan does not mean that they aren’t in God’s plans. You can ask “why” all you want now but it’s not for you to question his will. We have to trust him. I like the way Max Lucado wraps up the end of this chapter.
“The sheep doesn’t understand why the oil repels the flies. The sheep doesn’t understand how the oil heals the wounds. In fact, all the sheep knows is that something happens in the presence of the shepherd. And that’s all we need to know as well. “Lord, I give myself to you; my God, I trust you” (Ps.25:12). Go. Bow. Trust. Worth a try, don’t you think?” (Page 130 of Traveling Light)
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None of us are perfect beings. We all slip up and have our moments when we feel shame. It’s so easy to fall in old habits and our shame can eat away at our heart. It will make us feel like we are not good enough for anything and it’s easy to start believing it. Well you’re not hiding anything from God, He knows your heart and He knows your shame. He wants you to bring what you are struggling over and lay it down before Him. Confess your shame over what you have done and He will lift your heart as you ask for forgiveness. And don’t’ forget to forgive yourself. Don’t carry around the emotional baggage. Go to the table the LORD has prepared and He will restore you.
Disappointments. We have them everyday. Sometimes big ones and sometimes lots of little ones. We are disappointed because someone didn’t take the trash out like we asked. We are disappointed because this is not where we saw ourselves in this stage of our lives. We are disappointed because we didn’t get the promotion. We are disappointed because we didn’t get in and out of the grocery store as quick as we thought we should. The list of thing we get disappointed on can go on forever. What have you been disappointed about today or recently? Where does it fall in scale to the big picture God has created for you?
It should come as such a relief the way the Shepherd takes care of His sheep; He also takes care of us. The sheep have to bow their heads to have the oil anointed on their head. Don’t you feel maybe you should bow your head in prayer letting go of your burdens to be anointed with the oil? Just because things don’t always go the way WE plan does not mean that they aren’t in God’s plans. You can ask “why” all you want now but it’s not for you to question his will. We have to trust him. I like the way Max Lucado wraps up the end of this chapter.
“The sheep doesn’t understand why the oil repels the flies. The sheep doesn’t understand how the oil heals the wounds. In fact, all the sheep knows is that something happens in the presence of the shepherd. And that’s all we need to know as well. “Lord, I give myself to you; my God, I trust you” (Ps.25:12). Go. Bow. Trust. Worth a try, don’t you think?” (Page 130 of Traveling Light)
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February Book Club Selection
The February Selection for our book club will be a fiction novel based on the book of Hosea in the Bible. The book we will be reading is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.
California's gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep. Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside. Then she meets Michael Hosea. A man who seeks his Father's heart in everything, Michael Hosea obeys God's call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel's every bitter expectation until, despite her resistance, her frozen heart begins to thaw. But with her unexpected softening come overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband's pursuing love, terrified of the truth she no longer can deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael Hosea does... the One who will never let her go. A powerful retelling of the book of Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life changing story of God's unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love. (The above is from the back of the book cover.)
The publisher has a warning in the front of the book that the content of the book is PG-13 material. There are two book covers available that I have posted here.
The local libraries have copies of the book available. I will post more information if a group order is placed. We will be raffling off a copy of this book at our January Meeting. Entry to the raffle is $1.00.
This book has been at the top of my reading list for a LONG time. SO many people have recommended it and for some reason in December I just felt called to read it. I did and I could not put the book down. I had to stay up till 2:00 one night finishing it and crying through the ending. It truly is a powerful story of God's redeeming love he has for us and how we will only be fulfilled with his love. After reading it I just knew it had to be our February selection.
I enjoy getting feedback on the blog and hearing that people are reading it. Sometimes I wonder if I am just writing for myself! hahaha! Please comment on the book and post any questions you have, we may be able to use them during our meeting. Happy Reading!
-Amber
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California's gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep. Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside. Then she meets Michael Hosea. A man who seeks his Father's heart in everything, Michael Hosea obeys God's call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel's every bitter expectation until, despite her resistance, her frozen heart begins to thaw. But with her unexpected softening come overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband's pursuing love, terrified of the truth she no longer can deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael Hosea does... the One who will never let her go. A powerful retelling of the book of Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life changing story of God's unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love. (The above is from the back of the book cover.)
The publisher has a warning in the front of the book that the content of the book is PG-13 material. There are two book covers available that I have posted here.
The local libraries have copies of the book available. I will post more information if a group order is placed. We will be raffling off a copy of this book at our January Meeting. Entry to the raffle is $1.00.
This book has been at the top of my reading list for a LONG time. SO many people have recommended it and for some reason in December I just felt called to read it. I did and I could not put the book down. I had to stay up till 2:00 one night finishing it and crying through the ending. It truly is a powerful story of God's redeeming love he has for us and how we will only be fulfilled with his love. After reading it I just knew it had to be our February selection.
I enjoy getting feedback on the blog and hearing that people are reading it. Sometimes I wonder if I am just writing for myself! hahaha! Please comment on the book and post any questions you have, we may be able to use them during our meeting. Happy Reading!
-Amber
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Wednesday, January 21, 2009
God is with us.
In chapter 13, I learned a perspective on loneliness I hadn’t thought of before. Max helps us to see that loneliness can really be a gift from God. God may be just trying to get our attention so that we are drawn closer to Him. Our priorities may not be in the right place and it may be God’s way of bringing us back to Him. Max states, “When you know God loves you, you won’t be desperate for the love of others.” When we let God fill our void of loneliness, the other voids of our lives will begin to fall into place and we won’t feel so alone.
“He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17;27 NIV)
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“He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17;27 NIV)
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Light at the end of the tunnel
There are so many things to be afraid of in the world today. If you actually sat and thought about all the things that could go wrong or could happen in your day it can be scary. As Max reminds us with his golfing example; you can’t focus on the problem, you have to focus past the problem. Jesus is your solution. He has been there and He can help you forget about your fears. I am reminded of a great song by the band, Third Day, “Light at the end of the tunnel.” Jesus is our light at the end of this life. Focus on him, not the problem of the moment and you will get through it. I want to end this post with a quote from page 102 which is my favorite part of chapter 12.
“Don’t measure the size of the mountain; talk to the One who can move it. Instead of carrying the world on your shoulders, talk to the One who holds the universe on his. Hope is a look away.”
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“Don’t measure the size of the mountain; talk to the One who can move it. Instead of carrying the world on your shoulders, talk to the One who holds the universe on his. Hope is a look away.”
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Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Our God is a good God.
The burden of grief is something that is hard to grasp until it happens to you. When a loved one passes away it can feel like the wind has been knocked out of you. I have had very close relatives pass away before but this chapter hit home for me pretty recently. Many of you reading this probably already know but if you don’t I lost my mom June 1, 2008. She had been sick but it was somewhat unexpected timing for us. God knew when it would be all along though. We may not always like it or understand but it’s not for us to decide. On page 92 in chapter 10, Max goes over the question many face, “What if _________ wasn’t a believer?” I have the hope that Max describes that we don’t know someone’s inner thoughts. Our God is a good God and he wants all his children to come home. I am posting a portion of the speech I gave at my mom’s service which seems to be the right words to describe how I find comfort in my grief.
“Jesus says in Matthew that “blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”. A great source of my comfort through this trying time has been my faith. 2 Corinthians states, “My grace is sufficient for you and my power is made perfect in your weakness” I have had several people make the comments to my sister and I that we seem to be staying so strong through this time. And I want everyone to know that it is not us that are the strong ones but we rely on His strength. I couldn’t imagine this time without Him, the promise of His return, and His victory over death. I am comforted in the knowledge that one day when I go to be with my Savior I will have the chance to be with my mom again. In such a time of grief and pain there is still much to be thankful to God for and I am comforted by the truth that all is in His control.”
If you have lost someone recently or years ago I just want to say that I’m sorry for your loss. I’m sorry for what you’re going through. I know no magical word anyone can say will make us feel better but we must remember; Our God is a good God and He will help you through your grief.
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“Jesus says in Matthew that “blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”. A great source of my comfort through this trying time has been my faith. 2 Corinthians states, “My grace is sufficient for you and my power is made perfect in your weakness” I have had several people make the comments to my sister and I that we seem to be staying so strong through this time. And I want everyone to know that it is not us that are the strong ones but we rely on His strength. I couldn’t imagine this time without Him, the promise of His return, and His victory over death. I am comforted in the knowledge that one day when I go to be with my Savior I will have the chance to be with my mom again. In such a time of grief and pain there is still much to be thankful to God for and I am comforted by the truth that all is in His control.”
If you have lost someone recently or years ago I just want to say that I’m sorry for your loss. I’m sorry for what you’re going through. I know no magical word anyone can say will make us feel better but we must remember; Our God is a good God and He will help you through your grief.
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Monday, January 19, 2009
God will lead us home
In Chapter 10 of Traveling Light, Max touches on the part of the Psalm most remembered in funeral services. This is a part we would like to go the whole book without talking about but he reminds us that it’s not something you can get away from. We all will die some day. Only God can guide us home. He reminds us, “Don’t deal with death without facing God. Don’t even speak of death without speaking to God.” Max describes the way a Shepherd guides his sheep through the valley of the shadow of death. It is amazing how similar the comparison is for when our good Shepherd will guide us home. And it will be our Shepherd, no one else, he comes himself to guide and comfort us. There is much peace to know that he is with us and always will be. And there is peace in the knowledge that he was with our loved ones that have gone before us, guiding them home. Taken from Max’s words in the study guide; I hope you are reminded of the hope believers can have despite the reminder of death.
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Get over yourself
“For His name’s sake…” NOT for our name’s sake. This is the 1st of the two main points in this chapter, we are here to be His tools in His work. In chapter 9 of Traveling Light, Max Lucado has made many good references to remind us we are only the tools and that the tools are not who deserve the praise. God knows we are human and we can’t handle the praise so he takes it for us. I think the 2nd important point in this chapter is to remember the ways Max gives us to cultivate humility and kill ungodly pride:
Assess yourself honestly
Don’t take success too seriously
Celebrate the significance of others
Don’t demand your own parking space
Never announce your success before it occurs
Speak Humbly
Live at the foot of the cross.
Max gives us a good description under each of these in this chapter. Take some time and pray over these in your life. Pride is a trap of the devils, may we all learn not to be caught in it. But every now and then we all need to hear someone say, "Get over yourself."
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Assess yourself honestly
Don’t take success too seriously
Celebrate the significance of others
Don’t demand your own parking space
Never announce your success before it occurs
Speak Humbly
Live at the foot of the cross.
Max gives us a good description under each of these in this chapter. Take some time and pray over these in your life. Pride is a trap of the devils, may we all learn not to be caught in it. But every now and then we all need to hear someone say, "Get over yourself."
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Friday, January 16, 2009
Forgiveness
Reading through chapter 8 of Traveling Light for the second time, the word that keeps coming to mind is forgiveness. We all need it. We all want it. None of us deserve it. But still it is ours to take. It was paid for by Jesus on the cross because none of us are righteous. So many people in the world carry around guilt about past deeds and wrongdoings. They don’t feel they deserve forgiveness so they hang on to that bag of guilt. I know for me the first time I really understood what it meant about forgiveness was when I read one of my now favorite verses, “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10 NKJV). I was under the illusion for SO many years that there are “good” people and “bad” people. God opened up my eyes to see that this perception is so wrong. NONE of us, not one deserves to be called a “good” person. We have all fallen short. We all need the forgiveness of our heavenly Father.
But as you have your forgiveness from your Savior you also need to forgive yourself and others. Don’t carry around guilt because of something you maybe never got a chance to apologize for and it’s too late. Forgive yourself. But if it’s not to late ask that person’s forgiveness and forgive yourself. If you can tell someone that you forgive them for something, do it. A huge burden can be lifted by a few words. Jesus will give you the strength, the Bible promises us that.
I love the way Max Lucado ends this chapter, “I told them I was present by virtue of someone else’s work. My only contribution was my own confession. We’ll be saying the same for eternity.” We will be in God’s righteous presence and all we have to contribute is our confession. Praise God.
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But as you have your forgiveness from your Savior you also need to forgive yourself and others. Don’t carry around guilt because of something you maybe never got a chance to apologize for and it’s too late. Forgive yourself. But if it’s not to late ask that person’s forgiveness and forgive yourself. If you can tell someone that you forgive them for something, do it. A huge burden can be lifted by a few words. Jesus will give you the strength, the Bible promises us that.
I love the way Max Lucado ends this chapter, “I told them I was present by virtue of someone else’s work. My only contribution was my own confession. We’ll be saying the same for eternity.” We will be in God’s righteous presence and all we have to contribute is our confession. Praise God.
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Thursday, January 15, 2009
The jungle is still the jungle.
In chapter 7 we are examining the part of the Psalm that states, “He restores my Soul.” Max Lucado gives us a scenario in a jungle to draw out hopelessness and feeling lost. Whether our jungle is the literal one that Max speaks of or the one that is around us all the time, we need someone to help us through it all. On page 57 he states, “Our Shepard majors in restoring hope to the soul.” He reminds us that because we have our Shepherd we have fellowship, vision and direction to deal with our jungles of life. Our surroundings may not have changed but we will when our Shepard is with us.
To go over what Max states again, you may not need this message today or maybe you do. But what is certain is that you will need it in the future. We don’t know what tomorrow holds for us. It’s nice to have the reminder of who to turn to when those difficult times come and the Jungle seems to be caving in on us. The jungle is still the jungle, but who is guiding you through it? All you have to do is ask for your Shepard and he is already there.
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To go over what Max states again, you may not need this message today or maybe you do. But what is certain is that you will need it in the future. We don’t know what tomorrow holds for us. It’s nice to have the reminder of who to turn to when those difficult times come and the Jungle seems to be caving in on us. The jungle is still the jungle, but who is guiding you through it? All you have to do is ask for your Shepard and he is already there.
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Meeting Location Announcement!!!!!
Yay! We are ready to announce where we will have the first book club meeting. The meeting will be held on Saturday, January 31st at 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM. Remember the book to read before the meeting is Traveling Light by Max Lucado. Beacon of Life Ministries located at 1331 S. Commercial Drive, Suite 3 in Foley, will provide our meeting space. It is located near Gelato Joe's. I have placed a link to Beacon of Life Ministries on the right hand side of the blog or you can click this link to go to their website, http://www.beaconoflifeministries.com/. If you need help with directions please let me know! Coffee and refreshments will be available for a small donation. We would love to have you join us and bring a friend! Even if you are unable to finish the book by the meeting time, please join us for fellowship!
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Whaddiffs and Howells
As I read the title chapter for this one I can hear in my mind how the voice sounds when it asks of Whaddifs and Howells. Fill in your own blank and I'm sure you can hear yourself saying similar things, "Whaddiff _______ happens?" and "Howell is ________ going to get done?" Max Lucado helps remind us what it means in this part of the Psalm when David writes, "He leads me beside the still waters." He reminds us that God is leading us, not telling us to go ahead without him. It is a comforting thought to know that he has been there already and is ready to give us what we need when the time comes. On page 50 Max states the following, "Meet today's problems with today's strength. Don't start tackling tomorrow's problems until tomorrow. You do not have tomorrow's strength yet. You simply have enough for today." I think that is a worthy statement worth repeating when you feel yourself getting bogged down under the bag of worry.
In the back of the book in the study guide, Max asks a couple questions worth note, “How many of the things you have worried about actually come to pass?” and “What issues that should be dealt with today are you avoiding by trying to tackle tomorrow’s problems?” One of my favorite bible verses is mentioned in this chapter about worry. Look up Matthew 6:34 and try to remember what Jesus said as you find yourself ‘Whaddifing and Howelling’.
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In the back of the book in the study guide, Max asks a couple questions worth note, “How many of the things you have worried about actually come to pass?” and “What issues that should be dealt with today are you avoiding by trying to tackle tomorrow’s problems?” One of my favorite bible verses is mentioned in this chapter about worry. Look up Matthew 6:34 and try to remember what Jesus said as you find yourself ‘Whaddifing and Howelling’.
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Friday, January 9, 2009
Easier said than done.
Are you tired today? Do you feel weary at times from lack of rest? Do you feel like you are constantly going and never stopping? In Chapter 5 Max gives us some interesting statistics about sleep and our problem with actually resting. Interestingly enough we are brought back to our similarity with the sheep. As Max states, for sheep to sleep everything has to be just so and who makes it like that for the sheep? The Shepard, without him they can’t rest. “He makes me lie down in green pastures” The Shepard is the one in control, making us lie down in green pastures. We wonder how things will get done if we stop. I love the way Max states God’s response to our busy lives, “If creation didn’t crash when I rested, it won’t crash when you do.” Let’s all take a minute for Max’s advice and repeat, “It is not my job to run the world.” When you have a chance, go back to page 41 where Max has printed the commandment concerning the Sabbath day. Why do you think God used more words in explaining this commandment than he did the others? Do you think he was already anticipating our excuses?
I know I tend to tote a shoulder bag of busy along with the weary one. Gotta do this... Gotta get that done... I am still working on setting it down completely, it seems to be caught on my elbow or something.... but progress is being made. I pray you are able to make progress too. :-)
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I know I tend to tote a shoulder bag of busy along with the weary one. Gotta do this... Gotta get that done... I am still working on setting it down completely, it seems to be caught on my elbow or something.... but progress is being made. I pray you are able to make progress too. :-)
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Want in one hand.....
Chapter 4 in Traveling Light is jam packed with information on how to be content. We are talking about the part of the Psalm, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." Max has many examples to open our eyes to how much we find ourselves not content. I like the way he tells us that, “Your stuff isn’t yours and it’s not you.” Contentment will not come if we define ourselves by our stuff. Max gives several helpful bible verses to look up for reminders that God looks at our heart. The funeral director story makes a good point that we will take nothing with us but what is in our heart.
And another good Max quote, “What I have in God is greater than what I don’t have in life.” Take a moment and ponder Max’s fill in the blank question, “I will be happy when ____________.” To go a little further fill in your own words, fill in the blank and see if it rings a bell, “We will be okay when _________.”, “Everything will be fine when ____________” and “If this _________ could just come through for us.” I like Max’s response to these statements “If you have the Shepherd, you have grace for every sin, direction for every turn, a candle for every corner, and an anchor for every storm. You have everything you need.”
As I read through this chapter the second time, an old crude saying came to mind. “Want in one hand and poop in the other and see which fills up faster.” So I challenge you to change that saying a little, “Want in one hand and place your blessings in the other and see which fills up faster.” Make a list of all your wants and a list of all your blessings and ponder a moment. Which one is longer? Do your wants even compare to the blessings you have already received? I know my blessings far exceed the wants. Now I just need to remember that list more often as I feel the familiar stressful thoughts come about, “If I could just….”
There is so much to think about in this chapter alone. I will end with a question from after my favorite story in this chapter by Russ Blowers, a preacher, who explains his profession at a convention. Go back and read his description again on page 33 and think about the question Max gives us right after it, “If you can say the same, don’t you have reason to be content?”
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And another good Max quote, “What I have in God is greater than what I don’t have in life.” Take a moment and ponder Max’s fill in the blank question, “I will be happy when ____________.” To go a little further fill in your own words, fill in the blank and see if it rings a bell, “We will be okay when _________.”, “Everything will be fine when ____________” and “If this _________ could just come through for us.” I like Max’s response to these statements “If you have the Shepherd, you have grace for every sin, direction for every turn, a candle for every corner, and an anchor for every storm. You have everything you need.”
As I read through this chapter the second time, an old crude saying came to mind. “Want in one hand and poop in the other and see which fills up faster.” So I challenge you to change that saying a little, “Want in one hand and place your blessings in the other and see which fills up faster.” Make a list of all your wants and a list of all your blessings and ponder a moment. Which one is longer? Do your wants even compare to the blessings you have already received? I know my blessings far exceed the wants. Now I just need to remember that list more often as I feel the familiar stressful thoughts come about, “If I could just….”
There is so much to think about in this chapter alone. I will end with a question from after my favorite story in this chapter by Russ Blowers, a preacher, who explains his profession at a convention. Go back and read his description again on page 33 and think about the question Max gives us right after it, “If you can say the same, don’t you have reason to be content?”
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Wednesday, January 7, 2009
The LORD is my Shepard and I his sheep
“You don’t need to carry the burden of a lesser god… a god on a shelf, a god in a box, or a god in a bottle.” Chapter 2 in Traveling light talks about how much we need our God as who he is and not who we want him to be. Max makes good descriptions talking about how we try to make God like a genie in a bottle or put him in a nice little box. I have heard other scenarios that have the same way of describing how we try to make God into what meets our specific needs of the moment such as a waiter or prostitute. We get what we need then dismiss God. As we begin the Psalm we need the reminder that he is LORD, no less, and we shouldn't want less. Pulling from the Study guide in the back of the book: “Unchanging. Uncaused. Ungoverned. These are only a fraction of God’s qualities, but aren’t they enough to give you a glimpse of your Father? Don’t we need this kind of Shepherd? Don’t we need an unchanging Shepard? How do you answer Max’s questions?” This is exactly the kind of Shepherd we need especially when we are as dumb as sheep.
In chapter 3 Max talks about the burden of self-reliance. He mentions how often we rely on ourselves when really we can’t. He completely opened my eyes to the relationship of the Shepard and his sheep. I always knew that the Shepard took care of the sheep. I guess I just didn’t know enough about sheep to realize how dumb they are and how little they can do for themselves. A light bulb goes off and its’ like “Wow. No wonder David used sheep to describe us!” Max does an awesome job of helping people relate to how much we as sheep need our Shepard. Be honest with yourself and take his simple quiz about self-reliance in chapter 3 and see how you do. I know I did not pass all 4. Throughout the rest of the book Max will mention more of our similarities with the sheep. Another book if you have time to read is, “A Shepherd looks at Psalm 23” by Phillip Keller. After I first read Traveling Light I told Jody Beth how awesome it was and how enlightened I was by our similarities with the sheep. She immediately recommended the Keller book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned even more. I hope you are enjoying your reading thus far.
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In chapter 3 Max talks about the burden of self-reliance. He mentions how often we rely on ourselves when really we can’t. He completely opened my eyes to the relationship of the Shepard and his sheep. I always knew that the Shepard took care of the sheep. I guess I just didn’t know enough about sheep to realize how dumb they are and how little they can do for themselves. A light bulb goes off and its’ like “Wow. No wonder David used sheep to describe us!” Max does an awesome job of helping people relate to how much we as sheep need our Shepard. Be honest with yourself and take his simple quiz about self-reliance in chapter 3 and see how you do. I know I did not pass all 4. Throughout the rest of the book Max will mention more of our similarities with the sheep. Another book if you have time to read is, “A Shepherd looks at Psalm 23” by Phillip Keller. After I first read Traveling Light I told Jody Beth how awesome it was and how enlightened I was by our similarities with the sheep. She immediately recommended the Keller book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned even more. I hope you are enjoying your reading thus far.
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Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Luggage in Life
If you have read through chapter one I think you get Max’s point about the amount of “luggage” we all tend to tote around. I had heard the saying, “carrying around baggage”, but until I read this I never realized how often we let ourselves do it without even realizing it. We may think that just because it’s not one of the “really big awful heavy ones”, we’re okay, but we’re not. If we are honest with ourselves we all probably put on at least one bag each morning. Regardless of the size of the bag, God wants us to turn it over to him and trust in him. I enjoy the stories Max gives to put things into perspective: about the bride and groom and the jogger. But my favorite is the way he puts the little boy at the baggage claim with the father saying, “Set it down, child. I’ll carry that one.”
I read this book for the first time this past summer and reading it again now I get to re-evaluate myself and think about what I have set down and what I may still need to put down. I hope you take a moment to look in the back of your book at the study guide for each chapter and ponder a moment over the questions in prayer. Max states that Traveling light means trusting God with the burdens you were never intended to bear. As we read through the Book and go through the 23rd Psalm I hope we are all able to take something away from it with us.
I will close this post with this question from Max in the back of the book: Are you taking advantage of Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28-30? If you want to comment or ask a question for discussion please do so!
To comment on this post click on "comments" Type in your comment then where it has the drop down box click on "Name/URL" Type in your name, you do not have to have a URL. Then you can preview and post your comment.
I read this book for the first time this past summer and reading it again now I get to re-evaluate myself and think about what I have set down and what I may still need to put down. I hope you take a moment to look in the back of your book at the study guide for each chapter and ponder a moment over the questions in prayer. Max states that Traveling light means trusting God with the burdens you were never intended to bear. As we read through the Book and go through the 23rd Psalm I hope we are all able to take something away from it with us.
I will close this post with this question from Max in the back of the book: Are you taking advantage of Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28-30? If you want to comment or ask a question for discussion please do so!
To comment on this post click on "comments" Type in your comment then where it has the drop down box click on "Name/URL" Type in your name, you do not have to have a URL. Then you can preview and post your comment.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Happy New Year 2009!
Hooray for a new year! What a more fitting book to read at the beginning of this year at a time when so many are making new year's resolutions. We are reading how to travel light so that hopefully what we've learned can help us throughout the year. Traveling Light by Max Lucado has approximately 220 pages. It has 18 chapters, a conclusion, notes and a study guide. Depending on how fast or slow you read, if you would like to pace yourself to the blogging you will need to read the following:
Week 1 =Chapters 1-5
Week 2=Chapters 6-10
Week 3=Chapters 11-15
Week 4=Chapters 16-18+conclusion.
I will be commenting and posting questions from the Study Guide for discussion as we read through chapters. If you want to comment or have questions you would like to discuss, PLEASE do so! If you think of any questions you would possibly like discussed at the meeting please let me know, I would love to have your ideas! I look forward to reading & meeting with you! Happy New Year to you and yours!
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Week 1 =Chapters 1-5
Week 2=Chapters 6-10
Week 3=Chapters 11-15
Week 4=Chapters 16-18+conclusion.
I will be commenting and posting questions from the Study Guide for discussion as we read through chapters. If you want to comment or have questions you would like to discuss, PLEASE do so! If you think of any questions you would possibly like discussed at the meeting please let me know, I would love to have your ideas! I look forward to reading & meeting with you! Happy New Year to you and yours!
To comment on this post click on "comments" Type in your comment then where it has the drop down box click on "Name/URL" Type in your name, you do not have to have a URL. Then you can preview and post your comment.
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