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Come Into The Deep End... with ImHisServant (2)

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LivingLifeHisWay

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rosiecotton said:
How's Your Love Life?, Part 3​
Series: How's Your Love Life?​
Click to expand...

Rosie, this topic knocked my socks off! I loved it!

It really made me think. Sometimes I do things out of obligation rather then genuine love, that must change. The root of everything I do must be love...thanks for the reminder.

I also liked the part speaking of husbands. I'm at fault with this one BIG TIME. I whine when my hubby isn't taking the spiritual leader role and I probably sound arrogant instead of encouraging. It's a fine line which I cross too often. I need to smile and nod more.
 
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LivingLifeHisWay

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In what ways have I gained HOPE?

I'm no longer alone. Even if I have no one physically present with me God is there; guiding and loving me.

When I die I will be welcomed into paradise and live eternally with God. I no longer fear death.

I still struggle, fall and make mistakes but God has provided me with the tools to overcome them and become stronger. I now know that all the hard times have been leading me to God so I can depend fully on Him and not my own strength.

I often feel lonely (even if the house is full), unlikeable, stupid and wierd. No one on earth can possibly make me feel better except God. Before I would wallow in it. Beat myself up. Now, God fills me, embraces me - makes me whole and restores my soul.
 
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cristianna

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Great posts ladies!

I have gained hope by learning to lean, praise and trust in Him. He is the only one who truly knows me inside and out. And yet society, family and friends find fault He loves me with those faults. He helps me with my faults.

This is so cheesy and corny, and quite possibly an offensive comparison to some... but my hope and inspiration is the love He holds for all of us. The love, which like your family's dog, is loyal, everlasting, unconditional and always readily there for you.

What am I holding back? Really not many things, but the really, really important one: ME. Last night when praying I was this close --> <---- to saying... That's it. I'm Yours. Have Your way... do Your will. But each and every time I go to say that the anxiety builds up and I just cannot bring myself to say it.

I'm fearful of what will be expected of me. I'm worried I won't be able to bear it. I envision myself seeing the light and running in the other direction, etc. The bottom line is I don't think I'm equipped for it just yet.

 
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krys4ever

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thanks soo much for sharing your testimony. This gives me great encouragement and even more hope. All that u went through is for the making of u and not to destroy u. I also have asked God to take or remove certain "things" away from me, but that is soo true that if we dont experience sad times, hard times, difficult times, and mistakes, how can we know what God can do for us in the midst of all things? I know that I have to trust in God for, in and through all things, believing I have already overcome and I can experience His Love and presence even more.
 
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Maharg

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Amen! Yes. That was a great post.

It is only God who is keeping me going at the moment in the face of adversity and it is amazing what His hope can do. I have been close to giving up so many times but somehow He is keeping me going.

When I was a child I always used to work really hard on being someone who would not give up. I was really good at sticking at things: rules I had made for myself, really. As I grew older, my resolve grew less and less and I felt as though I had very little willpower. Until fairly recently, I used to pray and pray to God to help me have more willpower until eventually I understood that God does not want us to have willpower. Willpower is to do with the self - to do with meeting goals that we set for ourselves. No, he wants us to have His power, and his power comes through faith, hope and love.
 
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Hisbygrace

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He didn't give up on me...


I was raised up in a Baptist church and my whole family attended. Those were wonderful days, but then my parents fell out of church and darkness settled upon our home. My mother became an alcoholic and my father became an abuser. From the time I was eight years old until I left home at 16 I was molested by the man I always believed would be my protector. For years afterwards the horror, hate and distrust ruled my life. I was intimadated by all men and angry at my mother for not knowing what was going on.
I tried throughout the years to get back into church, but I could find no peace in any of them. I was struggling in the storm thinking I had no where to go. I guess I was also angry at God, because I couldn't understand why He was letting this all happen. The pain and anger ate at me like an uncontroled cancer and I was in and out of mental hospitals for much of my life.
When my father died in 1977 I frlt sadness and relief. I believed that I was finally free of him, but this was not so. He continued to haunt me until 1995, when the trust about Jesus moved from my head into my heart.
Because of my mental state I hardly slept and it was during the wee hours of the morning that God began to work on my heart. I was incomplete and so lonely even though I was surrounded by family that loved and cared for me. Watching TV one late night I was switching the channels when I came upon an evangeliacel program and I began to watch it. Night after night I was drawn back to the show, but a great war began to insue in my heart. God was calling me back to Him and Satan didn't want to let me go. I spent a horrible year in this situation, then one day my grandchildren started asking me to go to church with them. I told them no at first, but they were persistent so I went with them. Sitting in the church I got a strong sense of being home. After several Sundays I decided to recommit my life to the Lord, but the war within me didn't suside. One Sunday after church I talked to the Pastor of this particular church and told him I felt the need to be re-baptized, but he scuffed at me and told me that I was commiting sin by not believing that I had been saved.
I went home that day and started praying that God would lead me to a church where I would learn about Him and grow in Him. Around this time my daughter's father in law died and they had a memorial service for him at a local church. The warmth and love that came from these people drew me close and I had a strong desire to attend their church. About a month later I was sitting in my kitchen and the Spirit and Satan were again battling within me. I felt as though I was going to die. I called the Pastor of the new church and tried to briefly explain to him what I was feeling. He told me to come on into the office and talk with him. I couldn't get there fast enough. That day I laid out my heart to the Pastor about all my past and the struggle that was going on within me. He never said a word just sat there and listened. When I was through he asked me very gently if I would like to say the sinner's prayer and I responded yes. I cannot describe to you the feeling of complete peace I felt as I ended that prayer. It was a if a lifetime of heartache rose from my feet and out through my head. I was baptized the very next Sunday. All the anger, pain and guilt that I had felt through the years were gone wiped away in a second. Today I am assured that I am saved and if I died in the next moment I know that I will be with my Lord. I no longer fear the unknown for I know my God knows all.
 
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LivingLifeHisWay

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Topic: Monday March 12th


Book Reviews

I know we have many avid readers in this group so I thought it would be really neat if we could all just share some books we have read. There are so many great Christian books out there that have helped me and my walk. They make me think and they push me farther then I would push myself at times.

You can share any type of Christian book: spiritual growth, bible study, novel, topical etc...

Please include the name of the book, author, a description of its content, why you liked it, why you would recommend it and what you learned from it.

I look forward to reading all your responses!

Have a great day my friends!!! ​
 
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rosiecotton

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I love to read and have read so many good books!!
I'll start with two of my current favorites:

Velvet Elvis, by Rob Bell.
It's kind of hard to describe the book, so here's a review from online:
We know there's something more. We sense it, we feel it, and we want it. But how do we find it---a spirituality that stands up to the questions of an honest, searching mind?
"This book is for those who need a fresh take on Jesus and what it means for us to live the kind of life he teaches us to live," writes Rob Bell. "This pursuit of Jesus is leading us backward as much as forward ... I am learning that what seems brand new is often just the discovery of something that has been there all along---it just got lost somewhere and it needs to be picked up, dusted off, and reclaimed." Velvet Elvis offers original and refreshingly personal perspectives on what Christianity is really about.
(I have read this book twice, and will definitely read it again. He really makes you think about Christianity and how Jesus meant for us to really live)


The Gutter, by Craig Gross
He is one of the guys who started xxxchurch.com. I am reading this book through for the 2nd time. It's an awesome book about getting out in the world, the gutter, and reaching others for Jesus. Not just the 'safe' places, but places where prostitutes, drug dealers, etc are. As I said, it's an awesome book!
This is a review of it from online:
Why did an all-knowing, all-powerful God send the perfection of His kingdom - His only Son - to the earth through the gutter? Why did Jesus spend so much time, reaching out to people in their own secret, dark places? Why do His followers so often turn away from those very same situations? The Gutter chronicles the author's journey to the gutter, telling the stories and sharing the insights he gained while spending time with the people who dwell there.
The Gutter serves as a manifesto for all different types of people in the Church: those who yearn to impact the culture around them, those who have reassessed their discovery of Christ and want to make their story known, and those who are seeking out new, fresh ways of exhibiting Christ's love to the poor in spirit.

I"ll add others as I think about them.
 
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Smileyill

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I may well read the Gutter. It really irritates me that churches rake in so much money, yet spend so little on social services. Instead the gov. handles most of it when the Church really has that duty. My parents' church (mine till I moved to school) brings in ~15-20 mil./yr, enough to handle most of the needed (abuse does occur) services in its city. And the city has ~40 other churches. It really hurts The Church's credibility.
 
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cristianna

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I'm not one who willingly sits down to read a book for the pure enjoyment of it. In order for me to seek out a book, the title must be captivating, I would need to hear from quite a few sources how good it is, etc.

The One Year Bible: An excellently laid out bible for those who do not like to read or feel too overwhelmed trying to read the bible from front to back.

A Table In the Presence by Lt. Carey Cash, chaplain to 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. I, yes me, read this book in a few hours-- there was no way to put it down. This book/memoir is brilliantly titled with Psalm 23:5 "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies" more or less as it's subtitle. I would be more descriptive with this book, but I'm not sure it's appropriate. Please click on the title to read more.

Sea of Glory by Ken Wales and Daivd Poling.

Here's a copy and paste of Publisher Weekly's review: From Publishers Weekly
Does factual history make for good fiction? Well, yes and no in this military novel with strong spiritual themes. Father John Washington, Rev. Clark Poling, Pastor George Fox and Rabbi Alex Goode are thrown together on the doomed army transport ship Dorchester in February 1943. As Nazi U-boats lurk just beneath the surface of the western Atlantic, waiting to intercept and destroy ships that pass within torpedo range, spiritual battles take place on board the Dorchester.

Not, however, among the clergy. Despite their diverse religious traditions Catholic, Jewish, Methodist and Reformed Protestant the four chaplains find a consistent unity of purpose in boosting the spirits of the military men under their care. Indeed, the spiritual unity is unbelievably idyllic: some disagreement or tension among the four might have made their relationship more convincing.

However, the final sacrifice they make based on true accounts is undisputedly inspiring. The novel's strength lies in its detailed depiction of a heavily researched historical event; this is also a weakness, as the reader often feels more like a history pupil than a participant in the adventure.

This story might have been better presented as nonfiction. Still, history buffs who prefer a Christian theme in their novels will be happy to find a new offering in the limited pool of titles available to them, and WWII fans will enjoy this retelling of the sinking of the Dorchester.

They are very right. This book is good, but I still haven't finished it. The front and back cover clearly state it's a "Historical Fiction" based on the true WWII story of the four chaplains and the USAT Dorchester.
 
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Smileyill

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Currenlty, I'm reading the NIV Chronological Bible. I find it very enlightening. Last semester I simply read the NASB straight through. I find the chronological twist very helpful in understanding OT history (I'm still in ~2 Sam.). I enjoy it because it ties in passages that occurred simultaneously, like the Psalms David wrote at certain time periods and accounts of the same events from different books. Of course, they do preface it because they guessed the order to a certain extent.
 
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powerofprayer

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Right now I'm reading Messy Spirituality by Michael Yaconelli but it's too soon to give a review!
However...a MUST read is When God Winks at You by Squire Rushnell. It's a collection of neat stories about how nothing in our lives is coincidental. Some of the stories come from Tim Conway, Diane Lane, Oprah Winfrey. It's a "God is SOOO cool" book!!! Two Thumbs Up
 
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LivingLifeHisWay

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My husband LOVES to read. He reads at least 1 book a week. I'm not kidding...he really does. He started to read 4 years ago when he became a Christian. Before then he rarely picked up a book unless it was a magazine with a lot of pictures. Now he can't get enough.

My husband (his name is Al) introduced me to novels written by Christian authors that have a deep Christian story line to them. I am now hooked and there are about 8 books waiting for me to read on my dresser as we speak.

Here are some of my faves:








Deadline by Randy Alcorn


Review: Jake is involved in a deadly accident with his 2 best friends. One (a Christian) who dies and goes to heaven and the other who ends up in hell. The story has many twists and turns....Jake searches for the truth.

I can't say anymore without ruining the story line.

Randy Alcorn is an expert of Heaven. He pulls scripture into this book and has written many other non-fiction books on the subject. He gives a clear explanation on what Heaven will be like.

I walked away with a firm grasp on what to except on the other side. Two 's up!!!!








Dominion by Randy Alcorn

This is the sequel to Deadline. Just as captivating and amazing!

Review: This book deals more with inner-city gangs and slavery. Spiritual warfare is present but not always seen to the naked eye, in this book the battle is clear.

I was really ignorant about slavery before reading this book and now I have more of an understanding about what happened during that time and how Christians helped slaves escape. This book reminded me that even though we cannot always physically see spiritual warfare - it's there and it's real. It made me more aware of that. I cried a lot when reading this book, the brutality of that time really hurt me.

Once again... 2 's up!










3 book series: Black, Red & White
by: Ted Dekker


For some reason I couldn't copy and paste all the book covers but this is a 3 book collection. You must read them in order.....Black, Red and then White.

Review: The main character is Thomas Hunter and he is stuck between 2 realities. He doesn't know which one is real and which one is a dream...or are they both real?
In one reality good and evil are hidden but in the other they are clearly seen.

I can't say too much....

This book made me realize just how intense God's love really is for us. It showed me God's heart. I fell in love with God all over again.

I cried and laughed throughout this book....and I really miss the characters.

One more....

I can't seem to copy and paste this book's cover either....


BLINK by Ted Dekker:

Review: A Saudi Arabian princess must run for her life and an American student who seems to be able to see multiple futures and is able to pick which one will come into existence comes to her aide.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book. I JUST finished reading it. Towards the end I got to a point of no return and ended up reading for 3 hours straight. I went to bed at midnight which is WAYYYYYY past my bedtime.

This book outlines the differences between Muslim and Christianity. It also gives us a sneak peek into the Arabic world.




I HIGHLY recommend all these books....let me know if you end up snatching one or more.

Have a great day!
 
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jenrenee

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I LOVE reading!! I usually read about 4-5 books a month. My problem is not being able to put it down once I start reading it! One of my favorites books of all times is "The Shepherd of the Hills" by Harold Bell Wright. It was published in 1907 and became the fourth most widely read book in publishing history. It is centered in the Ozark Hills in Missouri and was based on real people. They also made it into a movie starring John Wayne. My family took a vacation there a few years back - you can tour the homesteads and they also put on a play of the story in their outdoor theater. It's great! I loved the story so much that I bought the book and my husband and I are going back there for our vacation this May.

This is the summary they give:

In "The Shepherd of the Hills," Wright spins a tale of universal truths across the years to the modern-day reader. His Eden in the Ozarks has a bountiful share of life's enchantments, but is not without its serpents. While Wright rejoices in the triumphs, grace, and dignity of his characters, he has not naively created a pastoral fantasyland where the pure at heart are spared life's struggles and pains. Refusing to yield to the oft-indulged temptation of painting for the reader the simple life of country innocents, Wright forthrightly shows the passions and the life-and-death struggles that go on even in the fairest of environments that man invades. The shepherd, an elderly, mysterious, learned man, escapes the buzzing restlessness of the city to live in the backwoods neighborhood of Mutton Hollow in the Ozark hills. There he encounters Jim Lane, Grant Matthews, Sammy, Young Matt, and other residents of the village, and gradually learns to find a peace about the losses he has borne and has yet to bear. Through the shepherd and those around him, Wright assembles here a gentle and utterly masterful commentary on strength and weakness, failure and success, tranquility and turmoil, and punishment and absolution.
 
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rosiecotton

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Some of my favorite fiction books are:

Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers
Sold into prostitution in childhood, Angel is a bitter young woman who trusts no man. But when God tells Michael Hosea to marry her, she learns to love and hope---until fear overwhelms her and she returns to her former life. Can she be redeemed? A skillful retelling of the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea, set amid the California gold rush.

Three, Ted Dekker
Imagine answering your cell phone to hear a mysterious voice issuing a chilling threat: You have three minutes to confess your sin, or he'll blow your car to smithereens. You pull over and escape just in time---but the threats keep coming. What "sin" is he talking about? How will you escape? A high-speed psychological thriller!

House, Frank Peretti & Ted Dekker (coming to theaters in October!!!!!!) One of my most favorite books!
Best-selling authors Peretti and Dekker join forces for an adrenaline-laced thriller! Two Alabama couples flee from a homicidal maniac---seeking refuge in a house that isn't quite as abandoned as it looks. Soon they realize their "hiding place" is really a trap. Can they escape their pursuer and the spiritual evil that threatens their very souls?
 
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