God's Story, Your Story by Max Lucado

God's Story, Your Story
Be inspired to see how your day-to-day story intersects with God’s grand, overarching epic of everlasting redemption. Your journey of faith will come alive as you explore the divine narrative through New Testament and contemporary characters, and discover how the Bible reveals God’s plan for you today.

Description: 
Carpools and car crashes, job switches and joint custody, moves and motionlessness. Is there a cohesive storyline to the chaos, confusion, and clutter of your daily life?

According to well-loved author Max Lucado, the answer is a resounding yes!

So what is the text of your life?

With his unequaled warmth and honesty, Lucado plumbs the depths of your storyline and comes up smiling.

“Your story indwells God’s,” writes Lucado. “This is the great promise of the Bible and the hope of this book … Above and around us God directs a grander saga, written by his hand, orchestrated by his will, unveiled according to his calendar. And you are a part of it …”

Join Max for an unforgettable journey woven with New Testament stories and contemporary examples of God’s beautiful story-making skills. The beginning of the narrative is legendary, the middle unfolds with surprises still in store, and the ending of your final earthly chapter ushers in a reunion that almost defies description.

It’s time to see what your life looks like when God’s story becomes your story.

My review:
He writes in a way that I can understand and apply to my life. I am never disappointed. I love the way Max Lucado writes. I feel like I'm sitting down and having a conversation with him. His messages are relevant and easy to understand. I highly recommend any of his books. If you're looking for a book to help give you direction in your Christian walk, then Max Lucado is the author you want to pick.

For more information about how to purchase this book or information about Max Lucado, click on this link.

Thank you, Zondervan, for providing me with a free review copy, which did not sway my review. 

Outlive Your Life You Were Made to Make a Difference by Max Lucado

Outlive Your Life You Were Made to Make a Difference

By Max Lucado 

These are difficult days in our world's history. 1.75 billion people are desperately poor, natural disasters are gouging entire nations, and economic uncertainty still reigns across the globe. But you and I have been given an opportunity to make a big difference. What if we did? What if we rocked the world with hope? Infiltrated all corners with God's love and life? We are created by a great God to do great works. He invites us to outlive our lives, not just in heaven, but here on earth. Let's live our lives in such a way that the world will be glad we did.

Authors:

Max Lucado is a minister who writes and a writer who preaches. He and his wife, Denalyn, serve the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. They have three grown daughters, Jenna, Andrea, and Sara; one son-in-law, Brett; and one sweet but lazy golden retriever, Molly.

Visit the official Max Lucado web site

My thoughts:

I always enjoy reading books written by Max Lucado. He has an easy to read and understand writing style. In this book, he writes about how we were each made to make a difference locally and globally. It helped open my eyes to different options I had not considered.  and the steps we can take. The profits are donated to WorldVision.

You can purchase this book (and the one for teens) at Amazon or from Max Lucado's site.

Thank you Thomas Nelson for providing me with a complimentary copy of Outlive Your Life to review.

Come Thirsty

Prayer of the Thirsty
Lord, I come thirsty. I come to drink, to receive.
To receive Your work on the cross and in Your resurrections.
My sins are pardoned and my death if defeated.
I receive Your energy.
Empowered by Your Holy Spirit,
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
I receive Your Lordship. I belong to You.
Nothing comes to me that hasn't passed through You.
And I receive Your love. Nothing can separate me from your love.
Amen.

From the book: Come Thirsty, Receive what Your Soul Longs for
Max Lucado

For the Tough Times, by Max Lucado

For The Tough Times, Reaching Toward Heaven for Hope by Max Lucado

When we feel that life is out of control, He is in control. When tragedy strikes, people desperately search for answers. Believers and unbelievers alike find themselves turning to God. Best-selling author and pastor Max Lucado points to the only real answer to tragedy and crisis: Prayer. In For the Tough Times, Lucado helps us understand how to pray despite our doubt and fear.

My review:

This is a gem of a book. It's the kind of book that you can either skim through or devour. When you read the book, you are constantly reminded how much God loves you and how He is in control. Max Lucado gives examples of prayers we can say, even when we our circumstances leave us speechless.

For example: "Lord, the one you love is tired, sad, hungry, lonely, fearful, depressed." The words of the prayers may vary but His response never changes. He hears the prayer. He silences heaven so he won't miss a word. (pp. 67-68, emphasis and paraphrasing mine.)

If you or someone you know is going through a tough time, buy this book. They won't feel overwhelmed by the size (79 pages) and the book can be read as circumstances allow. The pages are filled with treasures and words of wisdom.

(P.S. This is my very first book review for Thomas Nelson: book review blogger. Please let me know your honest thoughts of the review. Thank you!)

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

Let's bathe them in prayer...

I'm not a politician, nor do I have staunch political views. On this day, however, I want to be obedient to prayer for our incoming leadership. 1 Timothy 2:2 says: "Pray for rulers and for all who have authority so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives full of worship and respect for God."

Max Lucado has a prayer guide for people on his website. I encourage you to go there, if you aren't sure how to pray for our leaders, and follow the guide. (That's what I've done!) Remember, good things happen when people pray :-).

Also, you are given an opportunity to add your own prayer at the Living Proof Ministries blog.

I know today is a huge day in our Nation's history. I am not sure why I feel so compelled to pray for our leadership but I am and I want to share these feelings with others. Sometimes, I think we forget to pray for the ones who lead and guide us, and I just want to help spread the word.

Today, I pray for our incoming president the following:

Our fight is not against people on earth, President Elect Obama, but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly word. President Elect Obama, Prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Remember that God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him night and day, and he will not be slow to answer them.

I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing you need so you do what He wants. Father, Keep them safe from the evil one.

Jesus precious name I pray, Amen.

(Eph. 6:12, Eph. 6:19, Luke 18:7, Hebrews 13:20 ~ NCV)

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

Are You Prepared?

This time of year causes folks to reflect on what they would like to see happen in the new year or to make resolutions. I found out many years ago that I can't seem to keep any New Year resolution I make, no matter how simple it is. When I fail, I feel guilty and all sorts of other emotions that I have no business feeling. So, I decided many years ago that I would not make anymore New Year Resolutions!

However, this year, I found this post about being prepared for the new year. I wanted to share it and then make it my own. Below is my personalized preparedness...but please go to the original post and read it in its entirety. I believe you'll be blessed by it.

For 2009, these are the areas I intend to focus on:

Me. What adjustments do I need to make in my life in the areas of ministry, Bible study, service, prayer and obedience to what God is calling me to do? As a small group leader, I strive to be the example God would have me be for Him. I want to have His word hidden in my heart.

My husband. Besides my prayers for his salvation, I ask God specifically for ways I can and should be praying for my husband throughout the new year. I pray for God to show me how to be more loving towards him today than I was yesterday. I also pray to be the wife God honoring wife I am designed to be.

My children. My constant prayer is for their protection and a deepening faith, but I also want to be sensitive to what God is doing in their lives. Along with my own concerns, I ask God to show what areas I need to cover in prayer for the upcoming year. How can I be a God honoring mom to them?

Extended family. Who in your family needs special prayers for the coming year? This is a good time to make a list (not too long or you’ll be overwhelmed) of those who don’t believe, are struggling in their lives, or are ill.

Friends. How can I be praying and uplifting the special people in my life? Praying for them keeps me closer to them as well.

Missionary. Do you have a cause or missionary you support? Put it down and make a commitment to pray for them. (Include my pastor here too!)

World. Is there an area God is calling you to pray for on a larger scope? I’m committed to praying for President Elect Obama. (side note: 1/20/09 is the day set aside to cover our President in prayer.)

Finally, write it all down. (#8 & #9 haven't been changed from the original writer's words.) Assign a day of the week to each area (Monday for my immediate family, Tuesdays for extended family, etc.) Give each day a page and list who and what you’re praying for. Then leave space to write in updates during the year. This will help you reassess the following year as well.

Also jot down any promises God gives you in these areas so that you can go back and read them when you find yourself discouraged or off track. You’ll be amazed how much strength you can draw from these reminders that God is personally involved in every aspect of our lives.

I want to give Dineen a big shout out for sharing how she will start the new year. It was exactly what I needed to help me jump start my year!

Share with me your goals and/or dreams and/or commitments for the new year!

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

An Unearthly Love

Praise God for His unearthly love towards us.

An Unearthly Love by Max Lucado
Your goodness can’t win God’s love. Nor can your badness lose it. But you can resist it. We tend to do so honestly. Having been rejected so often, we fear God may reject us as well. Rejections have left us skittish and jumpy. Like my dog Salty. He sleeps next to me on the couch as I write. He’s a cranky cuss, but I like him. We’ve aged together over the last fifteen years, and he seems worse for the wear. He’s a wiry canine by nature; shave his salt-and-pepper mop, and he’d pass for a bulimic Chihuahua. He didn’t have much to start with; now the seasons have taken his energy, teeth, hearing, and all but eighteen inches’ worth of eyesight.

Toss him a dog treat, and he just stares at the floor through cloudy cataracts. (Or, in his case, dogaracts?) He’s nervous and edgy, quick to growl and slow to trust. As I reach out to pet him, he yanks back. Still, I pet the old coot. I know he can’t see, and I can only wonder how dark his world has become.

We are a lot like Salty. I have a feeling that most people who defy and deny God do so more out of fear than conviction. For all our chest pumping and braggadocio, we are anxious folk—can’t see a step into the future, can’t hear the one who owns us. No wonder we try to gum the hand that feeds us.

But God reaches and touches. He speaks through the immensity of the Russian plain and the density of the Amazon rain forest. Through a physician’s touch in Africa, a bowl of rice in India. Through a Japanese bow or a South American abraço. He’s even been known to touch people through paragraphs like the ones you are reading. If he is touching you, let him.

Mark it down: God loves you with an unearthly love. You can’t win it by being winsome. You can’t lose it by being a loser. But you can be blind enough to resist it.

Don’t. For heaven’s sake, don’t. For your sake, don’t.

“Take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:18–19 MSG).

From 3:16, The Numbers of Hope Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2007) Max Lucado