From Glory to Glory ~ Bob Santos

"Yes, this book will walk you through some uncomfortable and potentially painful issues, but we will not pitch a tent and set up camp there."  (Intro p.13)

This book covered it all.  From the pride cycle to rejection, from glory to shame, no subject was off limits.  

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"I propose that we are all spiritual creatures, created in God's image and "wired" for glory. I refer not to a vain quest for the short-lived applause of human approval, but to the firm and lasting substance of significance that flows only from heaven's throne." (p 20)

"Our Lord's grace is as abundant as the water in the ocean, and it comes to His children in wave after refreshing wave.  Furthermore, God's amazing grace not only washes away our sins and gives us favor in His eyes, it also empowers us to become something greater than we could ever be on our own.  He is the King of Glory who longs to restore our lost glory through a meaningful and endless connection to His presence!"  (p48)

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Day 9 talks about Possum Glory.  "Ironically, adult possums are ugly, inglorious creatures." (p.50)










And although I understand the point that Mr. Santos is trying to make in this passage, I have to stop and disagree with him.  Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.  And I happen to like possums, both the way they look, and the function that they serve.






























" Wealth, status, power, and lofty titles might sound grand and appealing, but when selfishly attained at the expense of others, they amount to nothing more than possum glory". (p52)

Now, you may very well have to read this book to understand the connection made there, but it's spot on.  Things we think we want, (or need), they are nothing compared to the glory that comes from God.  And obtaining them in unscrupulous methods is extremely ugly!

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(P. 56)  "Devoid of true glory, we then expend our life's energy in pursuit of junk-store substitutes.  By the grace of the Almighty, we can do better."

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(P.97) "From a New Testament perspective, not all personal judgments are bad (John 7:24). Only when we judge in order to assign worth to people do the real problems begin. Thus, we can make a clear distinction between making righteous judgments and living with a judgmental heart." 

Y'all, that means you can stop feeling bad about every little thing you might think about someone.  Judging a person's need so that you can help them is a good thing.  Judging a person's intentions if they are out to hurt you, is a good thing.  Judging the potential of an encounter based on someone's skin color, NOT such a good thing.  In the end, it's about motive, intention, and what's in your heart.  

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"How we define our individual identities begins with how we perceive our heavenly Father." (P116)

And I'll go on to say, if you have a poor self identity or you have a bad view of our heavenly Father, you need to get your nose in the Bible, and on your knees in prayer.  Let Him speak to you who He is, let Him wash His love over you.  If you'll get over yourself, and let Him, He will show you just who He is and you will truly never be the same. 

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"What we tend to despise is a real God who refuses to bow to our will or conform to our standards." (P119)

Now, isn't that the truth! We can't make Him into something He isn't.  We can't twist His words to suit our purposes.  He is what He is, and that's all He is! And cherry picking out of His words to make it say what you want it to, and ignoring the rest, NAW, that's just wrong!

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Now, before I take all the glory out of the book, and make you think you don't have to read it for yourselves, I'm going to hit you with a few "cherry picked" items of greatness, to quench your appetite to buy this one, you will want this one!

"The heavenly Father loves you perfectly, and none of your shortcomings, failures, or problems can make Him love you - a child of the King - any less." (p120)

"Jesus then came to show us that the essence of life is to know God intimately.  The presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts means that the Lord will be ever near, and I cannot think of anything more meaningful." (p136)

"The world despises those who marc to the beat of a heavenly Drummer, who refuse to conform to social pressures." (P140)  Oh, despise me world, despise me!

"Never forget that our first ministry is to God and our second is to humanity - in that necessary order.  Keeping our priorities straight is vital for at least two reasons."  (p.155)  Read the book for those reasons, or PM me personally.  

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"The Bible also tells us that God has already given us a down payment on our eternal inheritance: the Holy Spirit!" (P.167)  

Oh, YES, HE has!

Alright, on that note, I'm going to stop there.  That one just says it all!!!  

I have marked up this book, more than any other book I've read (besides the Bible).  Truth be told, I could share most of it with you here, cause it's just that good.  It's deep.  Yes, it's painful.  Yes, it's worth it!  If you want fluff, this one is not for you.  If you want sugar coating, this one is not for you. 

If you want to get real with yourself and dig, this one is certainly for you!

Bob has shared stories from his life, is transparent and honest.  His observations are shared with scripture backing.  The book is divided into devotions, 40 days.  Small bite-sized portions, with enough substance to chew on for a while, intended to digest slowly.  Perfect for those on the run with only 15 or so minutes required daily.  

I will be revisiting this one over and over.

Do yourself a favor and go get it now!  I was given an advance copy, (thank you Bob for sharing it with me).  I wish I had gotten this review done before release date.  It's done, it's published, it's here now! Go get this book!

Deeper Waters ~ Denise J. Hughes

Deeper Waters by Denise J. Hughes

Denise has created an excellent work!  She has taken the time to be transparent, and has lots of personal testimony to bring to the table.  The instruction on going deeper is priceless, and something I will treasure and utilize for a long time to come.  

At times, though, I felt the testimony overpowered the instruction.  She does have many episodes of testimony and tended at times to bounce from one experience to another like a rapid fire machine gun.  A few times I was left going, "what on earth was the direction or point". 

As a personal journey, I can relate to her path, as mine is just as chaotic.  

All in all, an excellent resource!  And the things I intend to remember are listed below.

                                                                                                                                                                       

Page 41

"Jesus's mother, Mary; His disciple, John; and all the Pharisees and other Hebrews standing near the cross knew their Scriptures. When they heard Jesus quote Psalm 22:1, (My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?) they would have recognized the etire theme of that psalm. It's as if Jesus was telling everyone, "You know how Psalm 22 ends. That's how this is going to end too.""

"People not yet born will be told: 'The LORD saved his people'" (Psalm 22:31 GNT).

                                                                                                                                                                       

The Telescope Approach (P.65-66)

1.  To read from Genesis to Revelation.  

2.  Read the Bible in chronological order.  

"The Telescope Approach gives us the breadth we need and the Microscope Approach gives us the depth we need."  (P. 78)  "For greater depth, there are four basic kinds of Bible studies:  character studies, topical studies, word studies, and book studies."

                                                                                                                                                                       

Writing by Hand Helps Us... (P89-90)

1.  Slow our pace.  We've trained our eyes to skim quickly over text, to look for key points and pictures.  When we write by hand, we're forcing our eyes to slow down. 

2.  Dive deeper into the text.  By slowing our pace we're able to dive deeper into the text supporting those key points, which is usually made up of examples or statistics or quotes, providing more ideas to associate with the key points, which in turn help us remember the key points better. 

3.  Focus better with fewer distractions.  Our eyes know how to go through the motion of reading without comprehending.  But when we're writing the text, we notice when our hands have stopped moving across the page. 

4.  Connect a mental activity with a physical one.  The learning areas of our brains light up when we tie a mental exercise to a physical one.  Like the kind of kinetic movement that happens when our fine-motor skills, such as writing with a pen, coincides with the mental process of reading. 

5.  Process information in more manageable portions.  Reading is processing.  All those strung-together words create intended meaning, and when we write the words, we're able to process their meaning in smaller, more manageable portions. 

6.  Become better observers.  Not every key word gets its own featured text box in the margin.  So the ability to notice the key words within the actual text deepens our understanindg.  Writing leads to noticing. 

7.  Stitch the parts together.  Many Bibles include subtitles over the passages, which have been added to the original biblical text and create artificial breaks.  Writing the Word stitches together the original flow by leaving out the inserted subtitles. 

8.  Internalize the text.  We can read the text with our eyes and hear it with our ears, but when we write the text with our hands we're adding another dimension of learning through repetition.  Such repetition is crucial for internalizing a text. 

9.  Memorize the text.  When we write a passage and then speak it out loud, over and over, we create neural pathways in our brains that reinforce what we're memorizing. 

10.  Quiet our hearts and minds.  Something about the discipline of putting pen to paper quiets the soul the way David's harp soothed Saul.  Writing the Word is a deliberate act to refuse the tyranny of hurry.  It's a way of saying the words of Scripture are worth savoring - each and every one.

                                                                                                                                                                       


On page 119 - 120, Denise talks about being in an anti-abortion rally.  The group she was in was parked on a corner at a busy intersection.  One car pulled up to the red light, and the occupant stared forward blankly, no expression, trying to avoid looking at the "mob".

"A deep conviction overwhelms me.... WWJD...We don't have to speculate.  The Gospel of John tells us.
                    Jesus said, "neither do I. (Condemn you).  Go and sin no more (john 8:11 NLT)

His first words are full of grace.  Neither do I condemn you.

His next words are full of truth.  From now on sin no more.

What would Jesus do if He were standing on this curb with me? I can't imagine Him casting red-lettered stones at random.  He'd point out that we're all sinners in desperate need of grace.  That's the message I want to share.  I don't want to pick on one particular sin and herald it as somehow worse than my own.  We're all sinners.  And I want to reach the woman in pain - the one who's caught in what feels like an impossible situation - as much as I want to protect the life she carries inside her.  But calling her a murderer? That won't reach her.  Why would she ever want to step foot inside a church full of people who choose to spend an afternoon calling people names because of their sin?

...I shake my head and  silently pray: Father, forgive us, for we know not what we do.  I turn around and walk to my car."

                                                                                                                                                                       

"I didn't want to admit it, but I was hiding again, choosing to be invisible in my own community."

"The leafy, visible portion of the tree is our online life and the root system is our local life."

P. 176-177

                                                                                                                                                                      

"That's how ministry begins.  With one person.  Then a few.  Then a few more. 

Ministry in deeper waters might not make sense at first.  It might even seem foolish to the outside world.  It will definitely require trust and total reliance on God."  (p. 192)

                                                                                                                                                                       

Jeremiah 17:14 (HCSB)

Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for You are my praise.

Wisdom Whispers by Sarah Koontz

Wisdom Whispers by Sarah Koontz

Life is full of noise, distraction, and stress.  One of Satan's most effective strategies is to pack our days with such emotional chaos that we have no room for quiet reflection or Bible study.  If you long to hear the whispers of wisdom in your daily life, join us for this 31-day study of the life and writings of King Solomon.











King Solomon was a wise man who didn't always make wise choices.  As we contrast Solomon's teachings with his life, we will discover great wisdom without humble obedience is for naught.  This study was crafted with busy women in mind and can easily be completed on your mobile device or computer.

Here are 6 quick facts about the Wisdom Whispers Study:

• It's a FREE email-based online Bible study. 
• It takes just 10 - 15 minutes per day to complete. 
• It follows a five days on, two days off format. 
• It includes several free dgital gifts from Sarah's Creative Partners. 
• It launched April 2, 2018.  You can still get involved. 
• Register today at Living By Design

• Sarah has also added an audio version to the daily email, so that you can listen in your car, or on your walk, or in your quiet time.  

Make room for silence in your life; turn off the noise of the world and tune into the wisdom of your Creator.  Register for the Wisdom Whispers study today!

I have immersed myself into this study, and am enjoying learning about Solomon.  How he had so much, and how he was still led astray.  Come join us, and learn how you, too, can apply Solomon's lesson to your own life. 

Follow this link:  Wisdom Whispers to join us for all the fun!

Week 2 Freebie

Week 1 Freebie

Book Review Spring of 2018

I can't begin to tell you guys how much I've really missed you.

The break was really nice, and I've obtained some perspective, and am really going to do some things differently now that I'm back.

First off, this is "exerpts" from my journey, not my whole journey. So going forth, you won't be seeing everything. 

Secondly, some of the stuff I read is just crap.  I really don't want to paint anything in a negative light, because someone may be in a different place than me, and need what that item is putting out.

So, you won't be seeing everything that I read either.

I will however, have a book reveiw, ever so often.  And highlight the items that I really want to share.

Testimonials and Self-Help

Three Weeks to Forgiveness ~ Kimberly Dewberry

I have been very blessed to be a part of this book launch.  I do not, myself, suffer from addiction.  I was married to an alcoholic, an explosive and violent alcoholic.  I have children with this man, that are still suffering the shame, the neglect, the feeling inadequate, that comes when an alcoholic parent is no longer in the picture.

I was given an advanced copy to read.  This book comes out in April and I plan to purchase this book for all of my kids.  It's an eye-opener, and one I think will help my children overcome some of their insecurities.

I realize that only God can help them truly.  But maybe, just maybe, he will help them through Dewberry's words, seeing they are not alone in the world.

Bible Studies

Proverbs 31 did this study the first months of 2018.  And walking with Wendy through 1 John was an amazing journey.  I would not have thought that you could spend six weeks in the itty bitty book of 1 John.  But truly at the end, was thinking "as amazing as it was, I want more".  If, ever, there is a possibility that you do not feel God's love for you today, GO get this study and go through it.  It will truly change the way that you look at yourself!

Christian Fiction

I don't normally read Christian Fiction.  I read this one only because I was thinking I'd go to the LifeWay book club that meets once a month.  I normally, intentionally take my time reading books.  If I don't, then I am wasting my time, and won't retain much of what I read.  This book, though, I absorbed like a sponge.  And, it's ok, because I'm ready to read it again.  This will be one of those that I read often.  It's just a great book.  And knowing it's fiction, but could still have been, just an amazing ride through Scripture.

Okay, so, yes, I am back.  I have missed this outlet. No, it's not going to be so organized as before.  And, yes, I have lots more to share!