First Book Review: The Grace of God

Book Review:  The Grace of God by Andy Stanley

For those of you who know me know that I am not a reader.  But like most things in my life, I desire to read books endlessly.  Kind of ironic to me.

Anyways, along with the recent bookclub I have joined, I have become a part of a book review team (stop the laughing) and I am loving it. I had the enjoyable pleasure of reading “The Grace of God” by Andy Stanley.  I was for introduce to Andy at Catalyst 2009 (wow time has flown) and I have been intrigued ever since. 

This book was a very natural choice simply because it covered the one subject that my mind cannot fully comprehend, the grace of God.  Who doesn’t want a greater understanding of God’s grace? Andy Stanley does a fabulous job of gently guiding us and opening our eyes wide to see God’s grace in the lives of people before us, and the grace that is still available. For me it was a paradigm shift on some of my personal views towards God.  As any good Pastor, Andy Stanley, invites us on this journey of exploring the grace of God and I really didnt realize this until the end of the book.  He seamlessly opened my eyes to see how God's grace is manifesting in my own life.

As I read I often felt the deep of my gut wrench because I found myself identifying with the selfishness of humanity instead of facilitating God’s grace to others. “He wanted justice. God insisted on mercy. He wanted judgment. God opted for compassion. Jonah’s theology was impeccable, but his application was completely one-sided.”  Wow.  I could quote after quote noting how Andy captures the grace of God so intimately and personally, but you should just read it yourself.  

For me The Grace of God is a must read for all! I am actually encouraging students who attend Luma to grab it, borrow it (must give it back because I’ll read it again), and read it.  

I will leave you with this…..we have all been Chosen, Surprised, Redeemed, Ruled, Rescued, Sustained, PUZZLED, Accepted, Reborn, Filled, Saved and Commissioned by Grace.  

Me

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishing &  BookSneeze® for providing me with a free copy of The Grace of God

In your heart….with God.

As year 30 was quickly approaching I found that doubt was coming even quicker.  Mostly, what the heck have I accomplished within these last 10 years? Am I am where I thought I would be? Who have I become? What do I really know?

So I decided to search out for some wisdom.  I figured that a subjective opinion was needed; so who else would have a gauge on these last few years, than my 3 ½ year old.  I had one simple question: how could I be a better mommy?  Samantha paused looked a little confused and simply shrugged her very cute shoulders. 

Within a moments time she utter the following five words with no understanding of the impact it would have, “In your heart (pause) with God,” and she continued on her way.  Profound, at least for me.  You see the last few months I have analyzed many choices I have made and am currently making.  I speak then within seconds wonder when I allowed cynicism to creep in.  I realize I have somehow taken on the perspective of being half empty rather than being half full. Somewhere in the process of these last 30 years I have made it about me.  Caught up in all that I haven’t done or how my success matches up next to the rest, the rest who are 30, the rest who have a family, the rest of the Jones’ (not the actual Jones’ I know and love, but you get me.)

Yet, all this is really wrapped up in one place, my heart.  The things that have taken up space in my heart have been the wrong things.  I’ve allowed what others are thinking of me, what others are doing in their own lives, and how that compares to mine, take up precious space in my heart.  I have been consumed by the stuff that really doesn’t matter.  

 Now I have found the natural instinct is to “try harder” and start doing stuff to fix the problem.  At least for me, my list of things to become a better mommy has begun.  Actually it’s more like the revolving list of things that will make me a better person that runs through my head every day, yet never is actually done.  Which in turn just makes me feel like a bigger failure compared to the rest::do you see this cycle I operate in my head? 

But she was right, it’s really that simple::it begins in my heart between me & my Creator.  Nothing more!  

Something

Many times I have gotten on Jay for not professing his love for me publicly but publicly I mean through social media.  One of the many downsides of technology and social media (or electronics as one close to me would call it)is they create this false sense that grass is really greener on the other side.  Not to say what people or even myself are portraying isn’t truth, but its truth wrapped up in 140 characters or less. 

I am one who compares often even to a fault.  There have been a couple of couples who will say on facebook “my husband is the best because” or “I am married to the most amazing woman because…”  and for some reason this has become a new gauge that Jay is compared against—pathetic and pointless I know.  I found that I too was buying into that everyone elses life was waaayyy greener than mine.  Until this past Saturday! I was listening to the good old oldies, and a particular song that I know I have heard before simply because I am a Beatles fan, but the words simply struck a cord that resonated deep within my heart.  “Somewhere in her smile she knows That I don’t need no other lover Something in her style that shows me”

I found myself signing & smiling knowing while I would personally be affirmed by his public profession of his love for me—I knew our relationship isn’t to be defined by these things.  I also smiled knowing he isn’t intimated by my confidence or who I am.  These are the things that count, the moments no one steals, the ones which are kept just between the two of us.  Will I continue to brag on how great my husband is and how he can beat up your husband, Yes! But for the moment I rest in one thing: something.

Voices

I often think I have so much to say. A voice to be heard. Some sort of wisdom to add to this world.  Then I took a break from it all, facebook and Twitter that is—once I returned I realized I had nothing brilliant to say. All the wisdom seemed to have dissipated the moment I deleted the apps from my phone. 

It has been a long three months since.  Still haven’t found my voice. Find that my wittiest moments are in the silence that is rarely found in my home. So what gives? Then I had this “aahh ha” moment as it’s called (or at least I think it is?) There are so many voices in this world—vying for my attention, your attention, and anyone who is willing to listen; pumping information, statics, belief paradigms, and guilt that seems to trickle in from not being the person who seems to have it all together.  In that moment my head seemed to be spinning in circles who will my children truly listen to? Will it be me, the cooler mom next door, or the friends who say I am too old to truly understand…who will be the voices they listen to?

Being a parent is a daunting task—no manual, no experience needed yet it seems more than an entry level position.  So I sit and realize being consumed by the Grace of God is seriously the only thing that will keep me from feeling any more insure of parent, women, wife and all other roles I fill.  Finding my rest and safety in Him will give me the voice I am to have.  Maybe my voice and my wisdom isn’t meant to go beyond my family, maybe it is.  Either way in order to not get consumed by human natures desire to be the “next big thing” I need to humbly find myself surrender to my Saviors’ feet—basking in His grace and unconditional love waiting for Him to speak yet !  Bringing my children to these very moments so that they can grow up realizing it was never about their intelligence, beauty, athletic ability, or their musical giftedness. It is simply about our Savoir and learning His voice—so when He speaks we know it is Him.

More than JUST a reason for this season

I am sitting here listening to “Oh the glory of it all” by the David Crowder Band and I am overwhelmed by the reality of what Christmas means.  It is more than a just a holiday—it’s in fact the greatest gift ever given.  Sounds so cliché because it has been so commercialized, but it’s the truth.  The glory of it all is that a redemptive Savior was born so that we will never be the same.   If we don’t stop to do more than just think of why we celebrate Christmas we miss the point.  

I have been beyond blessed by this song.  I have sung it before, many times actually; but this past Sunday our Youth band did it as a special during our Christmas service.  Since then I haven’t gotten it out of my head….”oh the glory of it all, He came here for the rescue of us all that we may live.”  As I sit I think about God’s redemption plan to save us not just from an eternity in hell but eternal separation from Him.

I encourage you not to lose sight the glory of this season.  It’s truly is a celebration of a new life that was born to be the Savior for us all.  He is not a distant God, but one whose love cannot be wrapped in a box, explained by the simplicity of our minds or ever fully understood.  By the truth is He is the ONLY True Living God—“Oh the glory of it all, everything has changed, we will never be the same” because of the gift of life given for us Jesus Christ.  More than just a reason for this season.

What will it take?

 Have you ever wondered what it was going to take?  What its going to take to make this year “the year”, what it’s going to take to be the ideal weight, what it’s going to take to use what you have, for the purpose you were designed for?  See I have this thing and it’s not the thing I have been looking for.  Its this thing that I don’t have a “thing” which I accelerate at.  I often feel like I’ve yet to identify the thing that makes me me.  If I honestly wrote the words and thoughts that have been crowded my mind at night—some might be mortified.  We have all had those thoughts that you can barely mutter to admit, even to those closest to you.  The intent and purpose of this isn’t to get people to encourage me and speak words simply to “pep me up” 

 

But I wonder what will it take?  When will I discover “my thing”?  As I read others blogs and see how people seemingly have found their “thing” I am left puzzled wondering…maybe my thing is not having a thing.  Huh, hard one to swallow.  What will it take for me to be beyond okay with not having a “thing” and being comfortable in my own skin…the tattered and already worn out skin.