Just Courage

I got this as a free audio from http://www.christianaudio.com/. It was wonderful and is a good compliment to The Hole In Our Gospel. If you liked that book, then this is just as good, but only 1/3rd the time to go through. This audio was a little over 3 hrs, while The Hole In Our Gospel was a little over 10 hrs.

This talks about living life out of our comfort zone. It takes courage. He goes through his own process of leaving the corporate/government world to start IJM (International Justice Ministries), which helps the poor with legal assistance.

One story he talks about is the rich young ruler that would not give up all that he has to follow Jesus. He related this story to the common person. The story says that Jesus greatly loved this man and this man loved Jesus, lived a pretty good life with making good decisions. We might deem this person a very good person. But, when Jesus asked him to sell all he had to follow Jesus, the man realizing he had so much said that was too much of a sacrifice and would not do it. He went away sad, missing out the blessings Jesus wanted to give him.

Haugen points out that though we may not be rich or a ruler, just as a person, are we willing to give up all that we have, where we are, our comforts, to do what Jesus tells us to? Will you sell all you have? Give up your job? and the list goes on. Certainly God doesn't call everyone to sell all they have or give up their jobs, but if He did, would you?

What if He asked you to venture into something you are way uncomfortable with? What if all you had was a stick, like Moses, or a little oil like the woman who was about to sell her sons to pay her debts? God doesn't ask us when a host of things happen and we are prepared. When He calls, He calls and do we have the courage to drop all we have to obey right then and there?

I felt very convicted listening to this audio as I think of my own situation, my own pity party, thinking what I have is not enough.

God isn't telling me to obey when my whole financial situation is alright or I have my total character act together. He calls me now in what I have, even if financially it's not very much. Come as you are. With that, there are no excuses.

If you want to be challenged in your thoughts of why you're not obeying, this is a good short audio to listen carefully to. Like Nike says, "Just do it." God would rather we obey than sacrifice. How often we'd rather sacrifice than obey.

The Hole In Our Gospel

This came as a 27 part audio from Christian Audio as a part of their monthly free audio program. I devoured this 10+ hr audio as I did my outdoor walking as well as computer work in a few days as I jointly read "Wild At Heart".

I found this audio to be quite intriguing and causing me to think. This book tells about Stearns' childhood and his rise in the corporate world to him becoming CEO of World Vision. Throughout the book, Stearns talks about the people that World Vision helps, comparing the horrible conditions people in third world countries have over our modern, wealthy world.

It was actually quite depressing to see how we are in the U.S., how privileged compared to others in the world. He talked about the diseases that plagued these nations, some things we take for granted here.

The "holes" Stearns talks about is really being completely sold out to Jesus and how the majority of us aren't. Some are willing to go only so far, but only in our terms, not God's terms. It's basically Consumer Christianity. Are we willing to let God direct?

He sites a lot of examples of how the Gospel has really moved people in other nations where they just really went for it, not fearing because what they had to overcome to get the Gospel was so great, that receiving the Gospel into their lives meant everything, for which they would go to any lengths, including death, for Jesus. For most Americans, Stearns also admits he was among one of these people, we don't want to move outside of our comfort zones to live full out for Christ.

Anyway, this book was really challenging for me, as I have been having a pity party for my own circumstances. Yet, listening to this audio, I realize my conditions are pretty luxurious compared to the people World Vision helps.

This audio could also be a huge advertisement for World Vision, but that's not a bad thing either. He shares numerous stories of his own spiritual battles in better understanding compassion and what God has called Him to do.

I feel the last 2-3 segments of the audio, which is about the last hour were the best parts of this whole book. One person can make a difference regardless of age, education, what you have, talents, where you come from, etc. You have to have a willingless and desire to allow God to be creative & step out of your comfort zone to just go do it. I found this really inspiring.

One of the other things I learned is when we reach out to help someone, we really never know the true impact that it has. That statement may not mean much, but Stearns shares a story of him relunctantly giving to sponser a couple more World Vision children. He and his wife already were sponsoring many kids and he had already been the CEO of World Vision for a number of years. He relunctantly and flippantly sponsored 2 more kids whom were brothers. A couple years later, he met these boys and their grandmother. She shared the impact that those sponsorship made to them, which was life & death. He was greatly humbled.

As we reach out to help others, let's do it with a humble and grateful spirit that we can do so. Even in my time of where I am in great need, even I can still do something to help others. God is good and we just have to be willing to be used of God.

The rawness of Stearns spoke to me, because the feelings he had going through all this process are feelings most of us can relate to. I'm glad he was opened in sharing this with us. I benefitted from his frankness and transparency.

Wild At Heart

I've been wanting to read this book for a few years and now was my opportunity, and I even got the book for free from Thomas-Nelson to do a review on it. Way cool.

This book was insightful for me in better understanding at least one man in my life better. Eldredge's main premise is there is a warrior in each man that must be allowed to come out, rather than the emasculation that our society has put on men, expecting them to feel and somewhat act like women.

Before reading this book, I had an opportunity to read over some of the reviews from Book Sneeze and agree with some, while those with negative reviews, not so much. I lent my on again, off again beau the book to read first as I was finishing another book. For him, he found the book life changing, as he's not been exposed to the godly male influences I have, so many of the things he read, the ideas were new and powerful. This made me more excited to read the book, and see what he highlighted.

Some books I've read has made God out to be a very nice, gentle, loving God. Although He is those things, there is a very harsh part of God that doesn't tolerate sin. A part of this was put into man, meaning the fierceness, the warrior that fights. Our society has looked at so many things as being violent or intolerable, so we force our sons to be pansies, to be wusses and wimps.

Eldredge makes more the case for me as a mommy of a 6-yr old all boy to allow him to be all boy. That doesn't mean he isn't to have good boundaries, but I don't have to coddle him over every single little thing - allow him to toughen up, be the protector he is meant to be eventually, and to really take stands for what is right.

He uses many analogies of movies, books -- some seem appropro, others not so much. Even as a woman, I found many things applicable to me. When God goes deeper into the area of our woundings, it gets pretty painful. He talks about how the enemy will work even more aggressively to bring us down, but, that we are not to back down.

Throughout the book, Eldredge talks about the woman, and how for most men, this becomes a stumbling block in men in their healing from the wounds in their lives. He talks about how the wounds are the lies we've believed, and about bringing God's Truth into those areas. Before a man can truly be the man he was created to be, he needs to heal from those deep woundings and to take time to do that before letting "the woman" into his life into a more intimate relationship -- because you cannot be intimate in the way God designed unless those wounds are healed.

Parts of the book, Eldredge sort of talks about "the woman" in a fairytalelike manner, referring to her as "the beauty". I could see areas where my relationship has been off and how it's better to give my beau time and space he needs to heal from his wounds.

Each person in a relationship needs to know their true identity in Jesus Christ. Without this, the relationship is flimsy at best. This book is about a man's journey to find who he really is in Christ, and some of the major pitfalls along the way.

Though I did not like everything that was said in the book, I can see why he said it and how it would be beneficial to heed his advice. Sometimes in life we need to make tough decisions for the ultimate good.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”