Intimacy with the Almighty

A friend (whom I learn a lot from) gave me this book and said it was one of the best she had read. Since it's short, I decided to give it a try.  She was right!  Mike and I have both read it over and over and have been passing it out to our kids and others. I encourage you to give it a try.

"Noise and words and frenzied, hectic schedules dull our senses, closing our ears to His still, small voice and making us numb to His touch."

It's focus on four decisions and  challenges, help us to cultivate more intimacy with God.  They are: Simplicty, Silence, Solitude, and Surrender.

Read it- I think you'll like it, too.  I'm continually reminding myself that "Nothing under His control can ever be out of control"

'Present Over Perfect' in Chiang Dao

Mike and I went on a little 24 hour getaway last week after the New Year. This was our humble abode. Our intent was to reflect on 2016 and look ahead to 2017.  We did get a little of that done, but decided that 24 hours was not enough time. What were we thinking?

While there, I finished the book "Present Over Perfect".  I enjoyed it a lot. It gave me some encouragement  about some areas that I need to work on in my life.  It's about "Leaving behind frantic for a simpler more soulful way of living." "This book wants to pull us out from the constant pressure to perform faster, push harder, and produce more.  Instead stop, rest, play, create, connect. cultivate silence- simply being present in the middle of the mess and ordinariness of life. "

The problem for me is that our life style is nothing but a routine.  We have times of super busyness, where it seems impossible to not be tired, feel like you do when running laps, and feel the demands from our work.  But then a few weeks later, life can slow down, and we have space in our schedules to rest, play, love, breathe deep, and simply enjoy our life. We can only balance this out by walking with God each day, wherever He leads us.

Mike and I always enjoy just getting out of town and Chiang Dao was a very peaceful laid back place to visit. We will never be 'big city' people.

It is a mountainous area and we enjoyed a little bit of hiking, inspite of it raining most of the time we were there.  The bamboo trees were huge and abundant all around us.

Temples are usually built on the top of the mountains here, so they provide the best overlook and view.  We don't really like having to climb up to the temples to get the view, but we walked with a monk along these stairs and had a good discussion with him.  He told us that he had everything in life, but was now trying to see if monk hood gave him what he was searching for.  His English was great and we asked him to consider the claims of Jesus in his time of searching.

Don't laugh!  I know this picture is on the nerdy side, but we are very proud of our "Licensed Iowa Sportswear" that we found at a factory outlet here for $8. We needed them to keep warm when we woke up, as it was chilly in the mountains. Proud Hawkeyes here!

We cannot tell you how much we are enjoying this month of cool season in Thailand.  Foggy mornings, cool air, and sleeping with no AC or fans will soon be replaced with the blazing, scorching, sultry tropical heat that we have still never adapted to.  We are loving every day of our 70's this month!

The Papa Prayer

Awhile back, I felt like I wanted a boost in my prayer life.  Don't we all go through cycles, where we have specific areas that we want to see changes? One of my daughters recommended this book with the subtitle 'The prayer you've never prayed.' It left an imprint with me that I think will change the way I talk to God for the rest of my life.

The PAPA prayer is a way to pray that brings us into union with Him and a way to know Him so well that the deepest desire of His heart actually become the deepest desire of our heart.

My prayers have usually been about my health, my family's health, my marriage, my ministry, my bank account, even whether my children are walking with God,- but I'm learning that they are all second in comparison to the first thing of knowing God, of enjoying Him and trusting Him and serving Him and becoming more like Him.

Bottom line.... this is teaching me to make prayer more about relating to God than "asking things from God".  It's hard-- but so much more rewarding.

Ravi Zacharias says' "Prayer is not the means of bringing our will to pass but the means by which He brings our will into line to gladly receive His will."

Getting God is worth infinitely more than getting the things we want from God.  I think you must be getting the point by now, eh?  If you are confused about prayer or know that it's a weak area of your life,  I recommend reading and processing through this book. He is teaching me that getting close to Him is better than any blessing this world can provide.

some good reads to share....

Commenting on three books from this week:

"For the Love" goes first.  I was so looking forward to reading this book.  It seems it is the "craze" right now for a lot of my young Christian friends.  I can't tell you how many IG photo posts that I have seen in the past few months since it came out (most always with an artsy pose of a coffee mug beside the book).  So many people made comments how they did not want the book to end because they enjoyed it so much.  Hmmmm???  I came to the conclusion that maybe Jen, the author's, audience is  for a younger generation than I.  Yes, parts of the book were really funny as Jen has a unique humor. My biggest disappointment is that as a Christian writer, she did not have much scripture in it.  It seemed to be mostly her experiences and opinions and more like blog post writings. I often like to read a bit of a book in the morning after my quiet time, but I did not feel like this book fit into that time of encouragement so much.  It was more like fun reading to do at other times of day. Even though it lacked the scripture backing that I like, Jen still encouraged me through her passion to live for Jesus and I did gleam some quotes and thoughts from it, like:
"I only have one wild and precious life.  It matters!  I want to hear 'well done, good and faithful servant..you were fun to watch'"
"If people don't recognize that God is good by watching Christians, then we have tragically derailed."
and more for you to find....
Overall, it is a very easy and quick read. She is very honest and personal.  It's worth your time if you're a reader.

Moving on to: "Be a Circle Maker".  This is another book recommended by friends.  I usually read most of my books because a friend recommends them.  How else do you know if a book is  good? But I was not sure if I wanted to read this whole book, so I got one of those smaller condensed versions of the book. It was interesting to learn about the circle maker legend that encourages me to pray bold, tenacious prayers.

"The Power of Praying for your Adult Children" is my favorite right now, that I am still plodding through.  I have read her others "The Power of a Praying Wife and "The Power of a Praying Parent" and enjoyed them, so I am motivated to study through this one, too. Parenting never ends.  Our heart and mind will always be with our children the rest of our life. I am enjoying the fresh insight on praying with the power of God's Word over my entire family.

My other read from this week, was one last tub of files that needed to be sorted.  This pile is going to the recycle bin, but mixed in it were some priceless notebooks, journals, and term-papers  from high-school and college.  Some of them were sooo humorous.... parts of my past that I had totally forgotten about and others that triggered some of the best nostalgic memories.  Times have changed so much. This is truly a different world today. We are usually too busy in Iowa  to read and sort stuff like this, but this month has been a change of pace. I'm stashing some away for the next time the doctor orders some 'sit still' time.  They kind of help me to know myself better as I re-learn about my past, and are worth the read to me. Dig out some of your old high-school/college journals-- I think you may enjoy them.

Discipling Women

Today marks one week post surgery.  I have to admit that the first few days were way rougher than I EVER ever expected.  But after three days in the hospital, it was so good to get home and I am now on the road to recovery with each day getting better. Supposedly this is a 4-6 week recovery, which so many people have told me, "Obey your doctor."  I am actually looking forward to some down time after our crazy schedule and the chance to read and do more of those "sit still" kind of projects.

I may have a few more book reviews than usual this next month. I just finished two books that I highly recommend for anyone who wants to invest spiritually in other women. They are both written by Lori Joiner  a fellow staff member of Cru.  Lori has a lot of experience relating to women in discipleship on many different levels.

As you read "Discipling Women", it will just make you want to help other women and disciple them. She makes you realize how simple it can be as you simply make yourself available to be used as His tool.  She also addresses sensitive issues that women face  and how to navigate through them.

Her other book is great study that teaches six  foundational lessons  for growth in Christ and for walking with God for a lifetime. It can be used in a small group or through one to one discipleship.  It covers topics like: God's love for us, Jesus is the way to God, how to pray, the role of the Holy Spirit, trusting the Bible, and our part in the Great Commission.

From time to time, I am asked for a recommendation on discipleship materials or a Bible Study to do with a new Christian.  Well..... here you go folks.  This is a great tool to use as you reach out to a new Christian, a neighbor, or you are just ready to go deeper in your journey with Him. These books will give you the encouragement and lift that you need.

Thanks Lori, for sharing your gifts  and experience with us as a discipleship coach.

Your Legacy

I wanna give a 'shout out' to this book.  We raised our girls off of Dr. Dobson's books. I probably read at least have of his more than fifty books.  Dr. Dobson says, "I have written many books in the past forty years, but  YOUR LEGACY is, I believe, the most significant.  It provides the punctuation for all that has gone before."

The book is about building a meaningful faith in children and passing it along to future generations. In these perilous times, this book encouraged me that we can be victorious in the battle for the hearts, minds, and souls of our precious children and grandchildren.

Verses like Psalm 103:17 "From everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him and his righteousness with his children's children".- make me thankful for our own generations of:
my grandparents
to my parents
to Mike and I
to our daughters
to their kids (our grandchildren)
and to their kids.....
passing on God's works, His mighty acts, His powers and the wonders that He has done.

Remembering that 'Modeling is the best evangelistic tool you have as young mothers and fathers. What you say is important, but what you do is infinitely more powerful.'

This book is a great read for every Christian parent and grandparent who want to leave a legacy behind.  It is the greatest gift we can give. What will you be remembered for?

The Best Yes

If you are a "people pleaser"- than this book is for you! Lysa Terkeurst hit home over and over with me while reading her book. She talks about a universal condition called "the disease to please". The book gives practical tips about making wise decisions in the midst of endless demands in our everyday life.

When I say yes to something, there is less of me for something else, so I need to make sure my yes is worth the less. I felt this relates best to most of us in our family relationships.  Especially parents with small children.  Everything that I add to my life (time, effort, energy,etc.) means that it is taking time away from something else. So when we have to make a difficult decision to tell someone "no", we could visualize our family, and realize that we are actually saying "yes" to them.  Because saying yes all the time won't make me wonder woman, it will only make me a worn out woman.

I have noticed too that different cultures and communities have different views on busyness.  Some attach high values to it and other's place a higher value on balance and rest.  Have you ever been relaxing at your home, but when someone stops by, you feel like  you need to seem more productive? I have.  Some communities can make you feel like the busier you are, the more you will be admired or considered important. The older I get, the less I feel this pressure. I am learning more  that today's choices become tomorrow's circumstances.

I could say more about this book, but I think you get the point.  If you struggle with saying "no" and feel a little overwhelmed, worn out, and have too many commitments, that this book is definitely worth your time.

Another great summary of the book would be:

"STOP THE GLORIFICATION OF BUSY" 

Now I need to go get busy and get something done.  Ha ha! 

From Buddha to Jesus

This book was so helpful to me in many ways.  I recommend that every Christian (Thai and Foreigner) working with Buddhists  read this book.  I wish that I would have read it a long time ago. Steve, the author was a Buddhist and is able to explain so well as an insider  the way he believed and searched in Buddhism which brought him to the truth. I was surprised to realize how much the search in Buddhism is the same as the search for Christianity.  He believes that if we look hard enough, we will find that God has left some truth pointing towards his Son in every culture.  

After 187 years of Protestant missionary activity in Thailand, Christianity that tries to share God's love while turning a blind eye to Buddhism has not worked. He helped me realize that Christianity needs to engage Buddhism and adapt our methods without compromising our message. 

Most of the Thai people that we talk to here are not strict, "religious" Buddhists.  I've heard their faith described as "high identity-low practice". Many of them are deeply enmeshed in various forms of popular devotion that is tied to astrology, spirit devotion, spirit houses, fortune telling, amulets, and merit- making.  We often have preconceived ideas that Buddhist's are closed to the gospel, but they are not. Once we understand Buddhism better, we can start from a place of commonality, instead of a place of  'I'm right, you're wrong', and this teaching releases people. 

I'm grateful for what I learned from the author about the 'Five Golden Rules of Buddha' and the 'Four Noble Truths'. If you want to understand Thai Buddhists better and how to talk with them, I highly recommend this book. 

desperate

This book is really geared to younger mom's, but since I will always have a heart of a mom and burden for mom's who need a God-given hope- I found it interesting. I'd like to pass this book on to the young mom's that I know here in our community.  Here's a short summary from my perspective.....

Mothering is quite different today than it was for me. It's hard! Sometimes, I think it would be easier for me to have kids now, because I grew with the role and learned more with each passing year- but I do not have the physical energy.  I think most grandma's probably feel that way.

I've learned that one of the most important things in life is to listen to God and not the world around you. I think that is so much harder today for mom's with social media.  It is about choosing right in the little things- to get off the computer or phone when the little ones want us to read them a book. Everyone knows that but it is so hard to do.  I feel like every mom honestly intends to engage more. Living out the intentions is not easy- but so rewarding.  I didn't have those struggles as much when ours were little ones- we had no mobile phones,  no iPads, and the computer was really just for work emails.  I don't even remember the option of browsing or looking up anything "on-line". I feel the battle for mom's today that they should not have.

Every families puzzle is different, and we can only please God when we listen to his call on our lives. With all our different personalities, strengths, limitations, passions, etc- God gives us the freedom to exercise wisdom and be the productive family that he wants us to be.

The scariest and yet most encouraging part of parenting to me is that "children learn most through watching and imitating".  They absorb our lifestyle as parents. If we expect our children to be patient, content, self-controlled in heart attitudes- we need to grow in this and they will model what they see. Scary, isn't it?

And about those teen years.... don't be afraid when they question their faith.  I feel like most teens need to go through a time when they have to question life and what they have been taught in order to grow strong in their own convictions.  Then it's their own faith.

Even though, so much has changed in my days of having little ones to now, I'm thankful for the same goal of each day no matter what phase of life I am in- "To walk each day in faith, keeping my eyes on Jesus, and my heart inclined to his word."

For you mom's who need some hope, if you can find time in between breaths, I recommend, "Desperate"!

Fun picture of the girls from last month's bamboo raft rides,  that I haven't posted yet. Yep, these are the girls that gave me some days of feeling desperate from motherhood, and yet so thankful for all that I learned through raising them.

A Mother's Heart

Parenting should not be that hard. The family was God's first plan for people in relating to each other.  To me, a mother and father's love for their child is so natural, but it has gotten very complicated over time and many families do not operate today as God intended.

When we raised our daughters in Asia, I did not have access to extended family, seminars, and other parenting tools.  Books were my best resource.  With no Internet and social media in those days, I spent a lot of my free time reading. I really  miss those days a lot.  Social media has robbed me of reading time. The books I read were varied a lot, with different opinions.   I would pick and choose the philosophies, that I  resonated with the most.

Without a doubt, this book was one of my all time favorites.  It is so basic!  I believe it has the essence of mothering the way God intended it to be.  It reminds me of what a privilege mothering is and takes me back to the basics- so that parenting is not such a complicated thing.

With two more grand babies entering the world in the next few months, I've been thinking about parenting more.  I am concerned about the world's influences that all my grand kids will grow up with.  I enjoyed re-reading this book once again.

I just heard a  special news report that really bothered me.  It was full of statistics of how many mom's work today.  The parents are  not the primary influence in most kids lives anymore.  Its another care taker.  I am sort of stepping out on a limb here, and I know that some people think that I am just old fashioned.  Sometimes old fashioned is good though.  The family units use to be so much stronger when the mother's focused on her family and not time away from her family.  I am thankful for my upbringing and a mother who taught me a style of mothering that I hope will pass down through generations.

There are enough people out there sharing an opposite opinion of the value of motherhood, so I want my chance to say that not everyone believes in women's rights, equality, women deserving higher wages than men, etc. etc.

If you're a young mom, I recommend this book as a huge encouragement to you.  Like I said, it's nothing mind shattering- but basic!  I believe it's what a mom needs.   Jennifer and Bethany- I am getting the book ordered for you as soon as I finish this post.  My prayer is that God will use it to turn your hearts and other mothers to their children.

One Thousand Gifts

After about a year and a half, I have finished my list of one thousand gifts in my life.  When I finished  reading  the book One Thousand Gifts, I decided to take on the challenge of listing the everyday blessings in my life and chronicling God's gifts to me.

It was a good experience for me to document so many blessings in my life that I take for granted.  Some days, I could not write fast enough about all the gifts that God brought to mind.  Other days, I had to pause and remind myself  about  what I had to be thankful for. So many times, it's the little things in my life... the ordinary and everyday things that I simply forget to have an attitude of gratefulness for and yet I truly am thankful for them.  That is when this exercise was most rewarding. The author Ann Voskamp was a bit too flowery and poetic for my style and I felt she repeated the message; making me a bit weary about halfway through the book.  However, overall I recommend  the exercise of  remembering our gifts, blessings and things to be thankful for. I am more grateful as a result!

Forgotten God

I like Francis Chan.  I like his books.  Crazy Love was one of my favorite reads.  He spoke at our Cru staff conference summer of 2011 and he communicates just as good in person as he does in his books.  Decided he was worth another read for me so I just finished another one of his books. 

"Forgotten God - Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit"   was a great reminder to me of the importance and role of the Holy Spirit in my life.  God gave us his spirit so that we can be known for our power.  Many Christians today have forgotten about the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Holy Spirit is tragically neglected and forgotten.  God sent the Holy Spirit for me to be more powerful and effective and my desire is to pursue that spirit-filled life that God desires for me. If anything, the book was full of great reminders for me.

same song, second verse

Thank you for the calls and inquiries concerning my 2nd surgery.  I guess it's not as big of deal the second time around, which is probably why  I haven't done as much updating.  I had my one week post surgery check up this week, and the x-rays showed that all the bones are aligned as they are suppose to be so I just have to be patient and wait now for those broken bones to heal together again.  I will say I am not as cautious, because I know better what I can do and not do.  The nurse compared it to having children.  The first one you are much more cautious and unsure.  With later ones, you know what to expect and relax more. So, if you just came on my band wagon recently, you can read all about what surgery I had done, why I waited so long, and what to expect in recovery from all my posts on the right column or click here on Bunion surgery #1.

Even though I have plenty to work on here at the little cabin, I get antsy and Mike  takes me out now and then.  It doesn't take long though for my foot to start hurting and it telling me that I'd rather be home with it iced and elevated. 

During this time of recovery I have been doing a Beth Moore Bible Study on the book of James with a group of ladies from Grace Brethren Church.  Anyone who has ever done one knows that they are very time consuming, but the timing was perfect for me to enjoy this in depth study.  I spend almost an  hour on it each day and have enjoyed the book of James like never before. It has been full of both  encouragement and conviction for me.

Missing these fun grand kids already and just saw them a few weeks ago. The girls in Arkansas are asking why I'm just sitting up here in Iowa alone, when I could be sitting down there with them.  We are trying to figure out the best dates to go down and visit them again.  Arkansas is sure a lot closer to Iowa than Thailand- so hoping we can make use of this time and see them soon.

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality

Just finished this book! It was good! It's basic message is that you cannot be spiritually mature while you remain emotionally immature.

God has a different path for each of us.  I want to be faithful to the one He has chosen for me.  Too often we try to live someone elses life, which is a tragedy. I have my own identity from God that is distinct and unique. True freedom comes when we no longer need to be somebody special in other peoples eyes because we know we are lovable and good enough. I do not want to be trapped in living a pretend life out of an unhealthy concern for "what other people will think."

In God's family, success is defined as being faithful to His purpose and plan for your life.  We are called to seek first His kingdom and righteousness. Matt. 6:33  This book helped me understand just a bit more the power of an authentic life in Christ.

one thousand gifts

I just finished this book.  It's all about being thankful.  Ann Voskamp, the author discovered that in giving thanks for the life she already had, she found the life she'd always wanted. Ann helped me see that all throughout scripture, giving thanks  in everything is the key to salvation, joy, and living a life of faith and grace.   At about the time she is contemplating the word "Eucharisteo", a friend challenges her to name and list one thousand things for which she is thankful. So begins her practice of keeping a gratitude journal where she records her appreciation of everyday life.

I have a personal tradition of making a list of things I am thankful for each Thanksgiving.  This year I'm taking on this challenge that she gives to her readers.  I have started my list of one thousand gifts.  I'm in no hurry to hit the 1000 mark, just going to enjoy recording God's gifts to me in everyday life no matter how long it takes.   It has made me more aware of simple gifts all around me.  I'm wondering if Ann stayed home more than me and kept her notebook in one room.  I think of my gifts in all rooms of the house and all areas of the city, and record just the ones I can remember when I'm back  near my gratitude journal.

As these gifts come to my mind, It's good for me to  thank God for his goodness.  The ones anyone can conceive, anywhere in the midst of anything.  I'll let you know when I hit one thousand !

Daughters By Design

It is not very often, that I read a book straight through-- but this was one of them.  I could not put it down.  I was certainly more interested because the book was personal to me and written by a friend of ours about the story of them adopting two Cambodian orphans.  When Paul and Paula Jarot moved to Chaing Mai, we worked with them in the beginning days of starting Grace International School in 1998.  At that time they were empty nester's and had just put all of their boys in colleges in the USA.  They were both teachers then at GIS and we enjoyed watching just the two of them  enjoy the benefits of empty nesting during those years.  Then God led them down a different road and life change that they never expected. Their normal life was over and the next four years they walked in obedience to God as he revealed a new plan for their lives. They initially were just going to help care for these girls.  I clearly remember when Sophia first came to Thailand and was in one of my PE classes with adjustments to a whole new world.  Government offices told them over and over it was impossible to adopt the girls, but they saw God work miracle after miracle as they trusted him each step of the way.

This is the story of their adoption of two sweet girls.  These girls are now some of the most amazing and appreciative teenagers, I know. The Jarot's  trust in God has taught me so much. At a time in my life when I feel like I'm getting old- it reminds me of all the opportunities and potentialities ahead of me still.   Paul and Paula are both an inspiration to me. I am sure you will enjoy each page of the book, too. If interested you can buy the book at WinePress Books. 

Read through the Bible in a week!

My interest in this book all started from overhearing a conversation between two young mothers in Colorado this summer.  These mother's  were sharing how much they loved this Bible and how  as they read these Bible Stories to their young children, it brought tears to the mother's eyes.  I then found out that Jon and Marisa were reading it to their kids, too and Marisa also said how much she loved it.  I decided anything that good, might be worth the time to pick up and read myself.  I bought my own copy and decided it would be fun to read the whole story of the Bible  in one week, since I'd never done that.  My intent was to read it with the grand kids, too- but that did not work out so well.

The words of the subtitle say it best, "Every story whispers his name." From Adam to Moses to the great King David to that horrible giant --- every story points to Jesus. I loved the way she would show again and again the presence of Christ in all of the Old Testament Scriptures. I had not even recognized Jesus in some of the stories until I read this Bible. It is so easy for children (and adults) to see that all of God's revelations have been about Jesus from the beginning while reading the stories.  I recommend it to read to the little ones in your world-- or just enjoy it yourself!

books and more books

So what do grandparents do when they can not be with their grandkids?  Read books about grandparenting? I had picked up this book awhile back and just finished it.  I will admit, I did some skimming as I did not really relate to every chapter but did enjoy and learn from most of it.  Any of you new grandparents out there who are looking for a good book on granparenting- I do recommend this one.

We have had a few friends tell us that they could never do what we do, because it would just be too hard to live that far away from their grandkids.  Yep, it is hard sometimes, but boy do we ever look forward to the special times we get together. I picked up some great ideas for the next time that we reunite again.

And speaking of reading books.. we certainly have a huge stack in front of us now.  Mike and I will be attending a class this summer (more on that later) and just found out that we have 6 weeks to read 6 books in preparation as required reading.  I am NOT a fast reader, but I do love reading so it will be a challenge to get through them all.  Here are some of the ones we will be working on and we have just ordered the others. So far, I am totally learning, being convicted, and  trying to apply what I absorbing from The Knowledge of the Holy and Ordering Your Private World.   They are both hitting the spot right now.

RADICAL

I just finished reading this book.  It was one of those books that was easy reading but took me awhile to get through because there was allot of thinking to do. I recommend it to every Christian to read.  Some of my thoughts from the book: It will make you revisit the American Dream and consider it's values in contrast to what Jesus said and how we easily manipulate the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. I believe that with the best of our intentions, we have turned away from the gospel and embraced values and ideas common to our culture but not to Jesus. Self advancement, self-esteem, self-sufficiency, individualism, materialism, is not what the Biblical gospel is about. We were created for a purpose, much greater than ourselves.  Ultimately, "I do not want to miss the eternal treasure because I settle for earthly trinkets."

There is one thing that confuses me though about the popularity of this book along with "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. While I was in the USA, I noticed them both as Top sellers in every bookstore, Walmart, etc. These books are talking about a lifestyle that most people dare to live.  It is radical!  So why are so many people even interested to read these books?  Give me some insight to help me understand, and if you have not read it yet- I would consider it a "must read."

Crazy Love

I just finished Francis Chan's 'Crazy Love'.  It was one of those books that I don't want to put on the shelf now that I'm done because I gleamed so much out of it, especially the last chapter.  I want to absorb the message and make it true in my life. I want everyone I know to understand this authentic faith.  It's not about just going to church, but a passionate love relationship with God.  Having faith often means doing what others see as crazy.  Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers.  Francis says, "People who are obsessed with Jesus aren't consumed with their personal safety and comfort above all else.  Obsessed people care more about God's Kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain and distress."  And one more thought.....If all you want is a little Jesus to 'spiritualize' your life, a little extra God to keep you out of hell, you are missing out on the fullness of life you were created for.

I could go on and on- but just want to recommend it to any of you who have not read it yet.  It's not just a 'good read'.  You'll have to put it down sometimes and realize that something is real wrong! Be careful -, it may change your life alot-- but only for the good!