Darrin Yeager writes to today’s church about troubled times. Not just any time in history, but the church at work in today’s news. The format takes the book of First Corinthians, verse by verse, and fleshes it out for the reader using illustrations from current political events.
At times, the tone is from a mentor who seeks to guide the way. His message is palatable because he doesn’t come across as a “know it all” but one who knows the Savior. At other times, Mr. Yeager assumes a more authoritarian stance, calling other works “doctrine blowing in the wind.” He will offend some readers, yet enlighten others with his commentary on Paul’s letter to the believers in
Mr. Yeager’s real passion shows up in chapter 16 when he delves more deeply into the role of government and how we interact with it. Truly, that may be the shining glory of any Christian’s life, to refute the evils of society.
His encouragement to the church? “This is not the time to be afraid. Be prepared!”
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Money is tight. What will you do?
Have you ever traded services with another? When my daughter was a preschooler, I traded childcare one day a week with a friend. It released me to head to the library and gave my daughter a friend to play with. Together they will graduate from high school this year!
Dennis Hensley says a favorite pastime can provide “the fun part of making money.” What are you drawn to? Could that become more than a hobby? I have a friend who resells her finds on ebay. And there are countless job search vehicles. Yesterday I found another one called Jibe.
Coupon clipping is back in vogue. 
Maybe your way to earn money will come in the form of cutbacks? Less meals out? More home entertainment?
Don’t lose heart. Stay persistent in the quest to stretch your dollars. Your hard work will pay off in the end and you’ll be able to say, “Well done!”
Money that is gathered little by little will grow. Proverbs 13:11
Sally
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“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.” –Paul, Colossians 4:2-4
My Grandprincess loves doors. She loves to pull and push doors. She loves to knock on them. She loves to play peek-a-boo behind them. She loves to stand on her tippy toes and stretch her tiny fingers toward the doorknob, just out of reach. Until last week.
Last week she discovered the miniature door that stands sentinel to our closet under the stairs. Oh, how her face lit up with the wonder of something touchable! Emma had found a door, just her size.
Something clicked inside of me at her discovery. Hadn’t I been knocking on doors that just wouldn’t open for me? Hadn’t I worried that God didn’t know the one that was right for me?
God is the craftsman who knows which door is just my size. He won’t push me through one that is too small or one that is gigantic.
Paul talks in First Corinthians about the gift distribution system. The Lord equipped each of us in a way to contribute to all and to bring glory to God. There’s room for what each one has to offer.
What about you? Have you been knocking on doors too?
Sally
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Set in run down neighborhoods of
Unexpected Dismounts, by Nancy Rue, tackles unusual plot themes of bikers, prostitutes, adoption, and Nudges from God. Wrap those themes up in street lingo and biker slang, and you’ve got an education coming that puts you right in the middle of a different world. Although a work of fiction, Rue’s characters were so consistent, they took on a life of their own. The point of view came from Allison’s own questions about people and their motives. And the emotions of doubt, fear and mistrust toward people and God were real-life snippets of our own tug-of-war with faith. I came away from the book feeling a kinship to people for whom I had not previously been able to relate. And it was refreshing to watch someone stretch in her understanding of God and His desire for her place in the world.
If you pick up this book in the middle of the trilogy, like I did, you may have difficulty following the characters at the beginning. But hang on; it doesn’t take long to rev up the action to a great read!
Sally
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Dr. Labib Mikhail says, absolutely not! His book, The Virgin Mary in the Light of the Word of God, clarifies the issues that have grown around the life that housed the Babe, born into the world to save us from our sins.
Of additional interest, a Lexicon is also added to the book, explaining common religious terms. While able to refute Muslim misconceptions of The Trinity, this book is an important tool to help all Christians understand the role of Scripture to validate Truth. I have some friends with a Catholic upbringing, who will be pleased to find such clear words used to shed light on human traditions.
Dr Mikhail and his collaborator, Dr. Nasser S. Farag, bring theology into easy-to-comprehend discussion. Yet, there are profound statements to mull over, as in the contrast between John the Baptist and Jesus. “One was filled with God’s Spirit. One was God Himself.” (p. 13)
Great effort is made to present all manner of heresies that have sprung up within the Church, always reminding the reader to put our trust in God alone (Jeremiah 17:5-8) instead of elevating Mary, nor any apostle, to equal Jesus.
The authors warn, “It is a dangerous thing to passively depend on human knowledge and choose to remain ignorant of God’s truth in His Word.” (p. 122)
True to the Mary we meet in Scripture, our final admonition is “as she tells the servants at the wedding in
I entered into this book of a mindset that it would be complex reading. It was a pleasant surprise to find it explained in layman’s terms, with a takeaway value: I want to do whatever Jesus tells me!
Sally
Disclosure of Material: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookCrash.com book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR Title 16, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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Anita C. Lee tackles that question in her book, The Authentic You. She challenges us gals to become “the woman you were created to be.” Anita says, “We can never be fully at peace with ourselves if we don’t come to terms with who we are and who God has created us to be.” (p. xv) Then she goes on to lay out examples and action steps to lead the journey of self-examination to find that authenticity tucked deep inside.
Anita’s thorough research of self-esteem, growth and circumstances inspired me to take another look at my daily priorities and how they affect my long-range goals. She says when we take on jobs that are not the right ones for our creative energy, “that puts at least two people in the wrong place-me and the person who really should be in that position.” (p. 35) It was a good punch in the arm for me; I tend to jump into everything instead of focusing on a few things.
A surprise addition to the book, was the inclusion of a chapter on forgiveness. Yet it makes perfect sense that a woman who is masked by bitterness cannot be real in her relationships.
I don’t recommend this book to people who are content with their lives. However, if you have been feeling restless about where you are headed, Anita gives important tips to making decisions, facing the fear of change, and learning to dream God-sized dreams. We can all learn from Anita’s call to authenticity!
Sally
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Sally
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“Can you identify with the poor?”
The question posed last Sunday in church got real personal. The clarion call came from Micah 6:8: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.”
What does justice and mercy have to do with God’s will? Apparently a lot. And it was time to find out how it applied to us. In the Old Testament, righteousness and justice are paired together in Psalm 33:5, Psalm 97:2, Psalm 103:6 and Amos 5:24. But the New Testament uses the Greek word dikaiosyne, which means righteousness and justice, as in Matthew 6:33, 2 Corinthians 5:21 and 1 Peter 2:24.
I’m all for justice and mercy, just-as-soon as I can fit it into my schedule. And that was the point of this sermon. If we really identified with the poor, their needs would move to top priority. We would move heaven and earth to help people overcome the obstacles that hold them back. And we would move our own needs aside to help others.
The 5 Day Challenge was issued to help us identify with poverty:
Breakfast - a packet of oatmeal
Lunch - 1 cup of rice and 1 cup of beans
Supper - 1 cup of rice, 1 cup of beans and a smattering of vegetables
Day 2: I’m not starving, but I had to choke down my pinto beans at supper. I’ve been tempted to grab some hot sauce, Worcestershire or spices to doctor up the beans and rice. But, I’m trying to identify with people who don’t have those options available to them. So, the fare remains plain. The hardest part of this experiment is in finding out how spoiled I am. I have access to food at any time, day or night, and any variety imaginable. But I gripe when my favorite juice is all gone, or when the meat isn’t cooked to my liking. Shame on me. Know what I just realized? When I came through the line at the grocery store tonight, I opted not to give to the food drive at the register. Guess I haven’t learned enough from the Poverty Diet yet!
“Give justice to the poor and the orphan;
uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.
Rescue the poor and helpless;
deliver them from the grasp of evil people.” Psalm 82:3-4
Sally
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Have you read any spellbinders lately? Yesterday, I finally picked up a loaner from a friend that had been sitting on a pile of books for several months. You know how things get pushed aside when you’ve got other things more pressing to do? I finished it tonight; couldn’t put it down, really. Yes, it was that good.
In this month’s Christian Communicator, Drew Neuenschwander interviews Christy Award winner Steven James to find out the basic ingredients of a good story. “James defines a story as having ‘a character who wants something but can’t get it. A good story doesn’t make promises without keeping them. That is, evil people don’t make empty threats.’” (September 2011, p. 6)
That just happened! The main character’s husband told her she had gone too far in disappointing him, and he kicked her out!! And that’s the end of this book. No warning. No hints. The End. Here’s the email I just sent to my friend:
Subject: URGENT!!
DeeAnn,
I’m in crisis!! I just came to the end of the last chapter of the Yada Yada book, and she’s leaving me hanging!!!!! How could she do that?!
I finally picked the book up, read it in two days, and she leaves me hanging? Oh the crime of it all. The crisis. The horror of all horrors!
Ugh. I’m spent. I’m going to bed. The drama of it all. Ugh.
Sally
P.S. Do you have the sequel? I would drive to
Luv u!
I guess I should mention that it is 2 am. I will still be chewing on the story and twiddling my thumbs in bed for a long time, because I CAN’T sleep when something’s brewing on my mind. I will have to wait until morning to CALL DeeAnn and see if she has the next book. Oh my.
Have you read any cliffhangers recently?
Sally
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Are you looking for ways to develop friendships? Hobbies make a good entryway for developing community with others. If it’s hard to meet other people, a hobby can take the focus off of self and onto the craft.
As my friends got together to scrapbook last Saturday, I was reminded of the importance of visually preserving family memories. I can remember things way back in my childhood pretty well. But bring out a picture, and that memory explodes into a whole story of the event.
What happens when girlfriends scrapbook together? We connect over our pictures. We share stories of the special moments in our lives. And we praise each other’s creativity. That’s the power of community.
In what way do you promote connection with others in your circle? Leave some ideas in the comments section for us to try!
Need some tips for planning activities? Find a whole slew of ideas in my ebook, How to Plan a Women’s Retreat!
Make a connection today!
Sally
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