Category Archives: christianity
My Birthday Prayer
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You are probably wondering why I’m posting this photo on my birthday? Well, that’s a very good question…
In 1995, I had the pleasure of hearing Heidi Baker speak at my church, Times Square Church. She was a visiting missionary and spoke about her experiences on the mission field in Mozambique.
I was a baby Christian at the time. I remember my heart swelling with longing and tears streaming down my face. I also remember falling on my knees at the altar and telling God I would go.
Umm, it’s now seventeen years later and I haven’t gone. I mean, I’ve gone on a short term mission trip to Guatemala and other adventures, but I didn’t give it all up for God like I prayed that day at the altar.
Lately, I have been bombarded by the same theme.
It started out while reading Mary DeMuth’s book, Everything. Then Jeff Goins’ book, Wrecked to Kingdom Journeys by Seth Barnes.
It doesn’t stop there.
Last week, I watched Half the Sky and thought my heart would explode.
Last, but not least, I began reading a book last night for a blog tour on October 22nd called Tears Water The Seeds of Hope by Kim Lews. Yet again, the same theme.
This coming Friday starts the 25th Anniversary and Missions Conference at Times Square Church. I am looking forward to catching up with all my missionary friends who are serving overseas. I was suppose to be one of them. But chose a different course.
God isn’t over with me yet. I believe He is directing me somewhere. I’m not a hundred percent clear on what it is yet. But, I have been so convicted and burdened lately. The more I read, the more I see, the more I want to help.
Today is my birthday. I am grateful to God for another birthday. He has been amazing and wonderful to me. He has blessed me and my family in tremendous ways. I am truly thankful.
But, somehow the words of Nicholas Kristof echos in my mind and heart…
“Talent is universal, opportunity is not.”
This statement haunts me because it is true.
Again, this same theme/concept jumps off the pages of Tears Water The Seeds of Hope, which is… What are we going to do with what God has given and blessed us with? Are we going to just sit on it, use it for ourselves or give back and help?
I yearn to make a difference in this world. I don’t enjoy seeing starving children, nor girls stuck selling themselves in the Red Light District.
It hurts that poverty is rampant and children are dying from starvation or from diarrhea because parents are so poor to afford antibiotics.
It is despairing that here are multitudes of people around the world who don’t have access to clean water.
I repent of ever complaining, especially when there are so many living in sordid conditions around the world.
So the question remains, what am I going to do about it? I can’t simply talk about it, but I must DO something about it.
I’m realizing if the Christian community chips in, we can make an enormous impact and difference in this world. Yes, the need is great, but if we each did our part, imagine the ripple effect it can have?
In my humble opinion, Christianity is more than going to church on Sunday, reading your bible and paying your tithes.
Christianity is this, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” James 1:27
The verse the Lord keeps reminding me of again and again.
Today, my birthday prayer is to give and make a difference to those less fortunate than myself. I want to help the poor, needy and hungry. Those who have nothing, who need food, medicine and clean water.
I am not sure what this is going to look like, but this is my real ‘dream’. Yes, I want to write and use my gifts to the glory of God and bless others. However, my biggest desire is to make a difference, not for myself, but for the children around the world.
Does this resonate with you? Do you have a burden for the poor? Do you want to use your gifts to make a difference in other people’s lives? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.
Holy Surrender
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Daniel Smith Photography
God woke me up at 6:00am this morning. I don’t know what is happening lately, but I feel as if my heart is about to explode. Since reading books like Mary DeMuth’s Everything and Seth Barnes Kingdom Journeys, something is changing in me. I can’t quite put my finger on it or explain it, but it’s all good.
I woke up to this song on my mind, “A Broken Spirit and a Contrite Heart”. Interesting that I would wake up to this song in my head. It’s not like I’ve been thinking about Psalm 51 which is David’s prayer of repentance to God after committing adultery.
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise. ~ Psalm 51:16-17
I meditated on the above verses this morning and just wept. I have no idea why I was weeping or why my heart felt like it was going to come out of my chest. But I didn’t move, I just stayed with it and worshiped God.
I have this great love for God, but if I try to explain how or why, I am at a loss for words. How does one explain the enormity of God’s love? Words get in the way or become small and limiting. He is so big and vast. He is beyond beauty and grace. He’s perfect and wonderful.
My logical mind wants to confine or define Him. But you can’t put God in a box or explain Him. He says, I am that I Am. Simple as that. But we seem to want to complicate Him.
There are times I want to convey Him to others. I want them to see the enormity of His love. But again, I am limited. Limited by my flaws and failures.
My words don’t do Him justice. I can’t really translate what it is I feel for Him. My love for Him goes beyond feeling and emotions. I just know Him.
I hear Him, feel Him, see Him and love Him. He is the air I breathe and my beating heart. He is the light by day and a song by night. He is my inspiration. He is my all and all.
The constant wooing, yearning, craving and longing perpetually drawing me to Him. Sometimes I don’t know whether to throw myself at His feet or scream from the highest mountain. The intensity of His love is too much for my body and heart to contain.
How do you explain love? When you love someone, you know you love them. From hence does it come?
It comes from God. The creator of the universe. He composites love. He embodies love. He creates love. He is love.
By now, you are probably wondering if I’m a flake? Nope. I’m not. I’m just sharing my love affair with you.
My intimacy and relationship with God is a big part of who I am. I am who I am because of Him. He created and formed me. He gives me life, He makes me breath, He motivates and inspires me. He makes my heart sing and speaks to me in the night. He is my constant companion and my loyal friend.
Jesus is my Everything.
So no, I don’t know what exactly is happening, but I want more. I want to experience the fullness of God. The depths and heights of His love, I want to experience it all. I don’t want the rules and regulations. I don’t want the stale bread of religion. I don’t want to live a hum drum existence. I want to live a life of bountiful faith. I want to live fully alive.
I want to live holy surrendered in Him.
In conclusion, I want to share an awesome worship song I listened to this morning. It’s called “Sweetly Broken” by Jeremy Riddle. I love the lyrics.
Kingdom Journeys by Seth Barnes
Paperback: 250 pages
Publisher: Ashland Press
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0985833408
ISBN-13: 978-0985833404
Price: $12.99
Purchase: Amazon
Description
Do you feel like you’ve been missing out on the abundant life? Most people do. If you take a look at the life of Jesus, you see that he called his disciples to follow him – on a physical journey, not just a spiritual one. Hundreds of books talk about our faith walk as a journey. But few delve into the subject of how a physical journey can reinvent and revitalize our spiritual journey with God. Kingdom Journeys is about the journeys we all take, presented in a series of “initiation steps” by disciples who are taking serious the call to leave everything and simply “go.” This book is an exploration of an ancient spiritual discipline we must recover – if we’re going to truly follow Jesus.
Review
I have never been so challenged, provoked and convicted by a book in a long time. I read this book, bit by bit, and thought about it each step of the way.
After having a very intense dream this morning (which is the norm for me), I immediately went to my journal and wrote my dream out. The dream was palatable and I didn’t want to lose the amazing feeling of touching the divine I felt was stirred by reading this book. I felt as if my heart would explode.
Reading Kingdom Journeys sparked the desire for more than a mundane existence. I want to live fully alive and experience what Seth Barnes so eloquently describes on each page; a true faith walk, not religion.I truly believe Kingdom Journeysis a must read for every Christian walking the face of this earth.
Seth Barnes speaks from the heart and tells it like it is. He doesn’t present a “pie in the sky” Christianity. There is no sugar coating or pretense in this book.Kingdom Journeys will shatter religion to the core.
Seth Barnes shares his journey as well as the journeys of others who are stepping out and living by faith.
I promise you, you won’t be the same after reading this book. You won’t be able to remain complacent, comfortable or content in your Christian walk.
Reading Kingdom Journeys changed me. I am now left with an insatiable hunger to experience more of God.
Kingdom Journeys I highly recommend this book. If you purchase the paperback of Kingdom Journeys now, there is a special offer until October 13th. Please take advantage of this promotion, because you won’t want to miss it.
Please visit http://kingdomjourneysbook.com/ for more details and tell your friends about it too!
Seth Barnes is a work in process.The son of a physician and prayer warrior, he embarked on his first mission trip in high school. During that two- month adventure in Guatemala, Seth was exposed to poverty he never knew existed. It changed him.
Before graduating from Wheaton College, Seth joined a mission to Peru and later worked in a Thai refugee camp for Cambodians fleeing the Khmer Rouge.
Soon after graduation, he married Karen, and they left the United States to serve as missionaries in Indonesia and the Dominican Republic. A few years later, he earned his MBA at the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia.
In 1989, Seth began Adventures in Missions in his garage. From that modest beginning, Adventures has equipped and sent over 100,000 missionaries to connect the body of Christ to the needs of a weary world.
Through the process, Seth grew to understand the importance of a relationship — and conversation — with God, which has guided his entire ministry and life.
Seth and his wife, Karen, have raised five children in Gainesville, Georgia. You can find him online at sethbarnes.com.
Oh Religion, How I Hate Thee
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No, no, I haven’t thrown in the towel. I’m still a Christ follower. Jesus has nothing to do with this. He is in a class by Himself, for the obvious reasons. Jesus is Jesus. He died for me, you and the whole world. Someone who would be willing to die for the likes of me, well, let’s just say, they score big time.
I have no problem with beautiful, amazing, lovely, sweet, gentle Jesus Christ. He is a rock star. I love Him, plain and simple.
What I do have a problem with is religion. The Pharisees. The arrogant, stuffy, stuck up, know-it-all, condescending, judgmental, legalistic Christians. You know the ones who have an answer to every problem, and spout a bunch of scripture at you in one breath with saliva and all… yeah, those kinds of Christians.
I don’t have anything against Scripture. I love the Word of God, even when it cuts deep. Like I said, my issue is with those who call themselves Christians, but will be the first to criticize, judge and gossip about you.
Oh religion, how I hate thee… Where is the love?
I have to say, I don’t love others nearly the way Christ wants me to. I realize I don’t have it in me. If Jesus doesn’t love through me, it ain’t gonna happen.
Hollywood portrays their version of love, but that’s not what biblical love is about. Love isn’t about feelings or moods… it isn’t about goose bumps and racing hearts.
Mature love is grounded, steady, selfless and resilient. Real love stands the test of time. [Tweet this]
Religious people don’t know how to love others. All they know is how to preach scriptures, which doesn’t even penetrate… because half the time, they have trouble believing in it themselves.
When the Word really buries deep in your heart, it will manifest in your life. Love will be evidenced by how you live, act, speak and treat others.
Unfortunately, there are tons of people in the pulpit who don’t know how to genuinely express love toward others. They preach something they themselves don’t live or practice from a real and authentic place. There is a total disconnect.
To me, this equals bondage and death. There is no life, only rote and ritual. Where is the passion?
I look to my left and to my right, and I don’t see it evidenced anywhere. I just see a bunch of people filling up the pulpits and pews every Sunday. When they leave, you wouldn’t even know they went to church. And if you watch closely, there is no evidence of Jesus in their life, just a bunch of empty words.
A sad state of affairs indeed, which is why we need revival.
So what’s the answer? Surrender. How do we surrender? We pray and sincerely ask God to change our hearts to reflect His. We do not have the power to change ourselves. But God can and wants to. He is waiting on us to give up our “act” and come humbly to His throne.
God wants us to be real and authentic, not a bunch of actors memorizing lines on His stage called Life. [Tweet this]
I’m reading a very provoking and convicting book right now called Kingdom Journeys by Seth Barnes. This book is helping me understand why religion doesn’t work. It’s a dead end. God has so much more in store for us if we really take Him at His word.
I woke up this morning with this song on my mind, “Love is a Movement” by Switchfoot. The lyrics really speak to me.
Have you been struggling with religion? What are your thoughts on this? Please share in the comment section below.
The Extraordinary Vessel
I do not know about you, but I feel run over. Like a Mack truck hit me going 90 miles an hour. Not physically, but spiritually.
Sometimes, when God is working new things into us, He has to work the old stuff out of us. This process is uncomfortable and often stressful.
You are not alone if you feel this way. As servants, we are vessels to be filled and emptied.
Over and over and over.
No one said this life following Christ would be easy. In fact, Jesus said we would have trouble in this life. The good news, no, the great news is He overcame the world and since we are constantly being changed into His image, we can develop the skills we need to overcome too!
We can go from “glory to glory”.
When you face a struggle or a trial remember this.
- You are not alone. (God will never leave you or forsake you)
- Help is on the way. (He is help in this very present trouble)
- When you have done all you can do, stand. (If you look to your left and right, I bet God has brought someone to stand with you!)
Struggles in life will come. Some may be physical, some financial, lots of them spiritual, but in every struggle there is a promise.
He has you in His hands, and nothing: not height, not depth, not any creature, no man, no woman, no boss, no debt collector, no doctor, no death, NOTHING can separate you from His Love.
The work of growing, of pressing through until you have victory may be hard, but it will be worth it.
Here is a story to drive it home:
A young woman, who was afraid of her garage because she did not like spiders and hated the smell of dust, avoided her garage as much as possible and often put off washing her laundry because the washer and dryer were in there.
One day a man came by and said “If you clean out your garage and get it ready, I will fill it with your dream car.”
She doubted at first, but she saw he was going to her neighbors and offering the same deal to them. Soon she saw Bentleys and Porches lining her street.
So she began the work.
It was hard. It got hot. She was itchy. Spiders crawled on her. She shook with revulsion, but she pushed through.
She found things in there that she wanted to hang onto, but knew she needed to trash. Soon, everything that was garbage was on the curb. The inside was clean and organized.
Sure enough, the man showed up with a brand new car. It was full of all the bells, and whistles. If there were a better car for her, it had not been made yet. This man had fulfilled his promise.
Now, you are the girl, the garage is your heart and the “man” is God. He is waiting to give you your dream. You just need to press through and get on with obeying Him. He has a reward far greater than you can ask or even think.
The struggles you face may not be from the enemy. They may be God trying to turn the ordinary vessel into an extraordinary vessel!
Join the discussion:
Do you have a favorite scripture that helps you face difficult times? Share it below.
A Balancing Act
Ever feel like you are doing this in your life?
Courtesy of Creative Commons
Lately, I’ve been feeling like this Orangutan.
I’ve been on walking the tight rope of life and it’s turning out to be a balancing act.
This past weekend I had to take a step back and reassess my life. I knew if I didn’t, I was slowly going to crash and burn.
I started thinking about how I wound up here. Why had I taken on so much? What motivated me?
I realized it all came down to fear. I was afraid to say ‘no’ and letting people down. I am the type who loves to help, encourage and support others.
This time I went too far in the people pleasing department.
I reevaluated what I was doing and why I was doing it. Granted, what I am doing is good and harmless.
However, is it what God wants and is He in it?
Am I really asking Him what He wants me to do? Or am I going about my business doing what I think is right in my own eyes? (Proverbs 21:2)
The truth is I haven’t been asking Him. I got swept up in the fervor of helping others.
Before I knew it, I found myself in a cyclone, being thrown every which way.
All because I didn’t want to disappoint anyone.
So, guess what happened?
I started feeling worn down, worn out, exhausted and thus, unhappy. I realized I started to lose the proper spirit or attitude in my giving.
I was doing everything out of a sense of obligation, therefore, begrudgingly.
However, God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
The fault is mine and mine alone. Noone forced me or made me do anything. I made the choice.
However, when I had my meltdown this weekend, I realized something had to change. I couldn’t keep going the way I was.
I also started to feel convicted about what I was doing and reached some conclusions:
- God doesn’t want us building kingdoms for ourselves on earth.
- God doesn’t want us pleasing others more than Him.
- God doesn’t want us to manipulate or scheme to get ahead or succeed.
- God wants us to trust Him with the results.
Something was getting lost along the way with social media, (i.e., promoting and marketing strategies).
I know the Lord has been trying to get my attention because lately, the whole social media/marketing/promotion thing hasn’t been feeling right to me.
Life is short to be trying to build our little kingdoms here on earth.
My husband made a valid point when he reminded me of what the Lord did to the Tower of Babel.
Christians are not suppose to take their lead from the world. We are suppose to take our lead from God.
Does this seem narrow to you? Do you find it legalistic?
I am far from being a legalist, but I will say this, if whatever you’re pursuing doesn’t line up with the Word of God, then you are building on sand.
It’s like those sand castles we build on the beach, they eventually get washed away by the waves. They simply don’t last.
Such is our dreams and pursuits, if they are not Christ centered, then they won’t last.
I don’t know about you, but I’d rather art be inspired, blessed and prospered by God, than by man’s scheming, marketing and promotion any day.
Personally, I’d rather just trust God with the success of anything I pursue, whether it be art, writing, singing, cooking, etc… You can’t go wrong.
Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)
Do you agree? I would be interested in reading your thoughts on this.
The Hope of “Yes”
I am participating in Blogging Through the Book: The Gospel of Yes by Pastor Mike Glenn. This series was birthed by Dana Pittman, who is an amazing writer and speaker. I am honored to be partnering with her and her amazing team of writers. Every Wednesday we will be blogging our thoughts and insights from this book.
“As the Living Christ infuses every crevice and hidden place of believers’ lives with his life,
everything dark and broken is pushed out.” ~ Mike Glenn
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I enjoyed reading Chapter 6, “The ‘Yes’ of the Resurrection.” What especially stood out for me was the story of pediatric surgeon Ben Carson.
Pastor Mike Glenn explains Ben Carson had a serious anger problem. One incident was so extreme it forced him to really look at himself.
“He retreated to the bathroom in his home and read his Bible and prayed that God would remove this terrible temper. He wrote, “Lord, despite what all the experts tell me, You can change me. You can free me forever from this destructive personality trait.” After spending almost all day in the bathroom, praying, reading Scriptures, crying, and begging God to help him, Carson finally found the peace he was searching for.”
I don’t know about you, but this encouraged me. We all have struggles as Christians, we haven’t arrived. I’m sure there are times you think to yourself if you will ever overcome a particular issue. Whether is it cursing, losing your temper, unforgiveness, pride, etc…
We do have hope.
Our hope comes from our risen Lord Jesus Christ. He died and resurrected for all the messes in our lives. He died just for you.
If you were the only person in the world, He would have still died on the Cross for you. I know this may be hard for you to believe or wrap your mind around.
We can’t fathom the enormity of God’s love for us.
I mean think about it a minute, can you fathom or even understand God’s love? I know I can’t. But, the Scriptures point to His love.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son…” (italic mine, John 3:16).
We hear it time and time again, He gave His only Son. He died for us in our less than perfect state, more like messy state.
God loves us despite our sins and even despite ourselves.
We can’t change ourselves, we can try and make a valiant effort, but we will fail. The only person who has the power to change us from the inside out is Jesus Christ.
I meditated on this truth. The fact is all of our striving is for naught. All we need to do is come as we are, messed up and broken… “Here am I, Lord.”
He is longing and waiting for us to reach the end of ourselves.
He is waiting for us to surrender. Surrendering will look differently for each of us. But, it is in the going to Him that we will know what He is specifically asking from each of us.
We do this by getting in the Word of God, having our minds renewed and by much prayer.
He is our Hope and our Divine Yes.
We have a hope and it is found in Jesus Christ alone. When we say ‘yes’ to His Word and His ways things begin to change in our lives.
He is more than able to heal all those messy places in our hearts and lives. We just have to be willing to let Him do it.
Have you said ‘yes’ to Jesus? Do you believe He can heal and change you?
Blogging Through the Book is a group of bloggers who literally blog while reading the book. It’s different than merely reading a book and posting a review. We have a chance to read and share our thoughts in community. To learn more visit www.danapittman.com.
Guest Post: On The Tablet of My Heart
Today I have the pleasure of guest posting on my friend and awesome writer Sundi Jo. If you don’t know who she is, I encourage you to follow her blog, she is an inspiration.
I’m new to this whole guest posting scene, but I made a commitment to God that I would write, despite the fears, doubts and insecurity. You can read more about it here.
Will You Say “Yes”?
I am participating in Blogging Through the Book: The Gospel of Yes by Pastor Mike Glenn. This series was birthed by Dana Pittman, who is an amazing writer and speaker. I am honored to be partnering with her and her amazing team of writers. Every Wednesday we will be blogging our thoughts and insights from this book.
“All of us are broken. And accepting God’s mercy in Christ does not magically repair the shattered pieces of life.” ~ Mike Glenn
This quote is taken from the chapter entitled, “The ‘Yes’ of the Cross.”
To be honest, I had difficulty reading this chapter. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great and meaty chapter. However, truth has a way of barging into places you’d rather keep shut.
Truth has a way of breaking us.
In John 14:6, Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. When the truth pierces the darkness, lies are exposed.
Your soul is left naked.
I guess that’s how Adam and Eve felt after they ate the forbidden fruit. Eve fell for the lie and brought Adam down with her. Next thing you know, they are running for cover.
There are things we’d rather keep hidden.
If you’ve walked on this earth long enough, there will be situations you’ll want to forget and wish never happened.
We all wish we had the ability to go back in time and do things differently. However, this is impossible.
Shame and guilt hound us and we continue to run.
Jesus doesn’t want us to run or hide in shame anymore. He wants to expose every broken place in our lives.
He wants to heal us.
But, He isn’t going to force it on us. He is a gentlemen.
Once we receive Him into our hearts and lives, we are His. We are no longer our own. We were bought with a price.
He doesn’t want us remaining as we are. He doesn’t want us trapped in bondage. He doesn’t want us believing the lies.
He doesn’t want us living shattered lives.
Jesus is the redeemer of our souls. He wants to reach down into those dark crevices of our hearts and heal us. Those ugly places we want to hide and pretend don’t exist.
“But from start, healing work occurs on the inside. In time, seeds planted in secret by God’s Spirit will blossom into the harvest of a radically changed life. Right now, however, at least on the surface, nothing will seem to have changed. Even with Christ in us and with us, the hard circumstances of life are still there, staring us in the eyes. That’s because Jesus isn’t changing the situation but the person.” (Chapter 5, Pages 68-69)
God wants to do spiritual surgery. He wants to set us free. He longs to make us whole.
Will you say “yes” to the Cross?
Blogging Through the Book is a group of bloggers who literally blog while reading the book. It’s different than merely reading a book and posting a review. We have a chance to read and share our thoughts in community. To learn more visit www.danapittman.com.
Ordinary Servant: Extraordinary Gift
I am pleased to introduce Dayna Renee Hackett Bickham who is guest posting today. I met Dayna through the Michael Hyatt Platform Book Launch Team. I have been following her blog, A Year in the Spiritual Life for some time now. Dayna is a great writer and a spirit-filled, godly woman who I am blessed to know. Please follow her blog or on Twitter and Facebook.
“We are all pencils in the Hand of God.” – Mother Teresa
I have always loved writing in all its forms. When I was a child a pencil and paper were two of my favorite things. I would look at a blank page as a challenge and my mind would kick into overdrive to come up with a creative way to fill it up.
I am made in my Father’s image. He “page” is the tablet of men’s (and women’s) hearts. I am His pencil.
So are you.
You are designed.
Each of us is designed by God with a purpose in mind. Our everyday, walking around, take the kids to the mall, change that diaper on the fly, make dinner and look fabulous while you do, lives are not our own to live.
We are made to live for our Father: to show His love to others. We were made to write on the tablets of people’s hearts the love of Christ and awaken in them the desire to love God in return.
God is a Master Maker. He made the universe, all the galaxies, and you and me. Like the psalmist David, I have looked at the stars and asked “who am I, that you are mindful of me”?
You are made for a reason.
You are an ordinary servant with an extraordinary gift to give the world. God made you for a reason.
I cannot reach inner city kids, but one of you can. You are that pencil. I cannot minister to men in prison, but one of you can. YOU are that pencil. I cannot preach on distant shores, but one of you can. YOU are THAT pencil.
There are diverse gifts and callings. Not all of us can do everything. When you find that thing God made you for, then you will know just how extraordinary His plan is for you.
Are you ready?
You are an ordinary servant with an extraordinary gift. You are a pencil in the Hand of God. Are you allowing Him to use you? Are you sharp and up for the task? Are you willing to own your mistakes before people and bask in God’s grace when He erases your sin?
You are a pencil in the Hand of a Master Maker, what better way to create a beautiful work of art in this world than to be used by God?
What is one way you can write on someone’s heart today?
Book Review: Wrecked by Jeff Goins
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Moody Publishers (August 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0802404928
ISBN-13: 978-0802404923
Price: $11.99
Purchase: Amazon | BN | CBD
Description
Wrecked is about the life we are afraid to live. It’s about radical sacrifice and selfless service–how we find purpose in the midst of pain. It’s a look at how we discover fulfillment in the least likely of places. It’s about living like we mean it. It’s a guide to growing up and giving your life away, helping you live in the tension between the next adventure and the daily mundane.
This book is for us–a generation intent on pursuing our life’s work in a way that leaves us without regrets.
Author Jeff Goins shares his own experience of struggling as a missionary and 20-something who understands the call to live radically while dealing with the everyday responsibilities of life. Wrecked is a manifesto for a generation dissatisfied with the status quo and wanting to make a difference.
Review
“Life is not about you.” ~ Jeff Goins
I have been following Jeff Goins’ blog for some time now. I read everything he writes. He is one of those remarkable people you meet in life. Everything this man writes is gold. He is wise beyond his years. He continually blesses me with his blog posts and now he completely Wrecked me.
I don’t even know where to start. How do I put into words my experience reading this book? Every single page of this book is phenomenal, truly.
Wrecked will make you see the world differently. Wrecked will convict you. Wrecked will not make you feel comfortable. Wrecked will challenge your complacency. Wrecked will propel you into action.
When we think of the word “missionary”, we envision countries like Africa, India or Guatemala. However, these countries aren’t the only places that need our help.
Wrecked discusses serving and making a difference where you live. We do not need to travel thousands of miles away to serve others in need. We can choose to serve right in our own communities.
I admit, I was one of those people who thought I needed to go to some far off land to make a difference. There was a lot of romanticism connected in being a missionary overseas. Yet, the Lord wasn’t asking me to go anywhere.
I had it in my head that this is what He wanted me to do. I figured if I sacrificed going to another country like Africa and serve as a missionary, I would finally arrive in becoming this great Christian. Nothing could be further from the truth.
There was a part in the book which especially spoke to my situation. I had this “dream” of becoming a missionary in Africa. The whole idea became bigger than life to me.
God had other plans for me though. I met my husband, got married and had two boys. I remember when I had my first son, he was diagnosed with all sorts of health issues. I realized then my dream of becoming a great missionary in Africa was over.
I really was struggling in my new role as wife and mother. I had a difficult time understanding why my son was born with all sorts of health problems. I didn’t understand what the Lord was doing and questioned Him a lot. I wasn’t a happy camper.
This is why these excerpts spoke to me:
“When I felt the call to be a missionary, I thought I would end up traveling the world for the rest of my life. You know, pack my coffin, move to Africa, and have the natives bury me–that sort of thing. But that’s not what happened. In fact, that may never happen. After a lot of struggle, I’m okay with that. I’m finally embracing this is not my life; it doesn’t belong to me. I’m not the master of my own destiny. I’ve started to find what I was made to do, and it has little to do with going or staying and a lot more to do with obedience.”
“When you are thirty-five, doing the uncomfortable thing may mean cleaning the house or paying the bills. It may look like making sure the kids aren’t late for school or that you don’t miss a soccer game. It’s less glamorous, but the less is the same: your life is not about you.”
Well, that pretty much sums it up. I came to realize this after the Lord broke me of my idol. Funny thing is, I was exactly where God wanted me to be all along.
I highly recommend Wrecked to everyone. This book will change your life.
If you order the book through August 4th, Jeff Goins will send you six exclusive gifts valued at over $158. Please check out what you will get here.
In conclusion, I want to personally thank Jeff Goins and Moody Publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book. I am sincerely grateful.
Photo by Ashley Goins
Jeff Goins is a blogger, speaker and author. He works for Adventures in Missions, a nonprofit, where he serves as the Communications Director. In his free time, he writes books and shares ideas worth spreading.
Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Jeff graduated from Illinois College with a double major in Spanish and Religion. There, he spent a semester in Spain, an experience that opened his eyes to the needs of the world.
After he graduated, he spent the next nine months on tour with a band and the following three months training other musicians. Then, after a year of traveling around North America, he moved to Tennessee to “see about a girl.” In 2008, he married her.
Since 2006, Jeff has worked out of his home, overseeing marketing, communications, and innovation teams from afar. He is passionate about not only telling great stories, but living them, as well.
His blog, GoinsWriter.com, is one of the fastest-growing blogs on the web and is a well-respected resource for writers and difference-makers. In 2011, it won the Top 10 Blogs for Writers award on WritetoDone.com. Each month, he receives over 80,000 visitors to his website.
Jeff’s work has been published online and offline in a variety of publications, including RELEVANT Magazine (with a circulation of more than 150,000 readers) and ZenHabits.net (one of Time Magazine’s Top 50 Websites for threes years in a row).
Jeff and his wife, Ashley, live just outside of Nashville, TN with their son and dog.
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