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Supplementing Bible Study With Great Books – Purposeful Living

Supplementing Bible Reading with Great Books

 
These posts written by Todd (Amy’s husband) are designed to model a system of purposeful living.  At least once a month, he spends time setting meaningful goals around one of seventeen core priorities.

If you missed it, consider reading the foundation post – Purposeful Living #1.

 

Correct Priority
Priority #1 – Spiritual HealthGoal Setting & Reflection Date
November 2012

Goal
I need to always be reading one life giving book focused on growing in my relationship with God.  Specifically, I need to develop a process for identifying great books to read.  

Goal Status
Completed

Thoughts – UPDATED
I spent a couple weeks after setting this goal looking through my library of books at home, doing some internet searches, and getting book suggestions from others.  

Nothing peaked my interest until I came across a book I read years ago in college – The Pursuit Of Godby A.W. Tozer.  Apart from the Bible this is the most influential book I have ever read.  


the-pursuit-of-god

I was excited because he has written many books of the exact type I am looking for.  I want to grow in my relationship with God.  There are few people write about this topic more passionately and profoundly than Tozer.

After browsing through all of his books I selected Man: The Dwelling Place of God by A. W. Tozer as the next book I will read to supplement my Bible reading.  As an added bonus the Kindle version of this book was only $.99 on Amazon. 


Tozer_Book
 

The first paragraph of the Introduction to this book is fantastic and I want to share it with you below.

The supreme interest in the life of A. W. Tozer was God:  He who spoke and brought the world into being, Who justly rules over men and nations, yet deigns to make man His dwelling place.  He believed that all that really matters is for man to be in right relationship with God, that his first duty-and privilege-is “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”  For this reason he delighted to speak to men of God’s majesty and wonder and grace and he ever sought to instruct and exhort Christians to let this be the purpose of their lives.  He grieved that they should be content with less.

Thoughts – ORIGINAL
I’ve been reading through the entire Bible over the last couple of years which has been a great use of my time.  But I also want to supplement that reading with literature focused on nurturing my personal relationship with Him.  
//

Foundation Post
Build Your To-Do List Around Correct Priorities – Purposeful Living #1

Outline Of All Purposeful Living Posts
Purposeful Living Outline

 
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Spiritual

Peace

John 14:27 – Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Romans 5:1 – Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:


Luke 2:14 – Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

John 16:33 – These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Isaiah 9:6 – For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Spiritual

I Am Ready…Almost.

girl and snowflakes

I lay here the night before our family Christmas celebrations kick off.  6 different celebrations in 4 days.  All equally important and a must. Sweet memories waiting to be created.

 I am ready…almost.

I felt completely ready earlier today, even heart ready.  Somehow I managed to buy and wrap gifts, decorate, bake, organize groceries and dishes to take to all of those celebrations, have a clean home and laundry caught up, all in time to enjoy and focus on the true meaning of Christmas.  Yes, I’ve worked hard, but it was not frenzied or overwhelming. I started early in the month and little by little got it all  done.  I’ve been able to enjoy the process and not get caught up in the perfectionism that I’ve fought in past years.  I felt peace, excitement and an anticipation of celebration. And then…

… disappointments come and my heart feels fragile and all the sudden I am not ready.

I read Ann’s words:

What if I laid down efforts and expectations, perfectionism and performance… and simply waited with arms and heart and eyes wide open?
Christ the Babe comes in Christmas just as Christ the Savior comes on the Cross — seeking only our embrace.

This is so what I want.  What I long for.  Arms, heart and eyes wide open ready to embrace this Christ child. I see much progress and growth in my life, Christ’s faithfulness.  He has widened my eyes and strengthened my heart and taught me to wait through a disease named cancer.  Efforts, perfectionism, performance–these strongholds no longer earn big titles in my life. 

Yet, tonight I struggle with the one called “expectation.” 

Expectation is an interesting thing.  It usually involved others, which I find makes it easy to blame those “others” for my own problem of expectation.  The “what should be’s” and other’s shortcomings muffle and confuse.  It is especially confusing when the things that I expect are considered good & right.  The problem is this… I feel this tug in my healed yet diseased heart. I’ve said it before, I am such an emotional being–I feel deeply.  These feelings and emotions cause me to battle & turn inward and which inevitably, in time will cause me to spew my hurt onto the one who is hurting me.  I am finding I take things quite personally.  Defenses go up,  I see things that are that shouldn’t be, I find it unfair & I try to play God.  

I am learning that expectations are quite ugly.  They are selfish and cause me to battle self righteousness and the desire to control another person.  

 A thought that keeps popping up in my brain is “I’ve worked so hard to make Christmas beautiful and what it should be.  I’ve done heart battle and conquered issues I usually would struggle with.  Because of this, I have expectations that it will be precious.” Do you hear the hint of control?   It CAN be precious…as long as I don’t put my expectations on another and allow their behavior to define mine or my experience of Christmas.

But .. the squabbles come, and my heart aches, and my feelings get hurt.  

Ann starts the above questions with “What if we laid down expectations…”

Laid down.  Released.  Let go of.  This is the opposite of control, the opposite of what I’m so ready and eager to do when disappointed by another.  

But, that ‘other’ is God’s. 

God created them.  God loves them. God is trustworthy.  God is in control, not I.  Nothing comes to me that He is not aware of.  


So I whisper to Him in the midst of hurt.  I ask for the Prince of Peace to come.  I think of how Emmanuel is with us, with me.  I keep releasing, not into mid-air, but unto Him.  

I am handing my expectations over and when my heart aches I will take it to the only One who can heal it.  I’m ready to do battle with my emotions and not use them as an excuse to take the fight into my own hands again.  I will open my clenched hands of control so that they may be empty to embrace this Christ child.  I will receive this season however it may come to me. Oh may He give me the grace to do these things that I say I will do, so that I may be ready to celebrate.


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Love/ Spiritual

Prayers Of Peace For Sandy Hook Elementary

Sandy Hook
Tears are words the heart can't say
I can’t seem to find my words, so today I stay quiet, and share these beautiful words of Max Lucado’s:
Dear Jesus,

It’s a good thing you were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately.

These killings, Lord. These children, Lord. Innocence violated. Raw evil demonstrated. 


The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off. We hear threats of chemical weapons and nuclear bombs. Are we one button-push away from annihilation?

Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were nightshift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod’s jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence.

Herod went on a rampage, killing babies. Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt. You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene.

Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won’t you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger.

This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.

Hopefully,
Your Children

(written by Max Lucado in response to the shootings)

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FAMILY/ Kids/Family/ Love/ Parenting/ Spiritual

Parenting Pre-Teens

{Momastery.com}
“Don’t let yourself become so concerned with raising a good kid that you forget you already have one.”
BAM!  
When I saw this graphic on PInterest it hit me right in the head and heart.  Hard.
My girls are now 13, 11 and 9.  They are great girls.
But, we have definitely hit middle school years with my two oldest and as I watch them try to maneuver in the muck of what middle school years can bring, I have felt fear creep in.  
Amy + fear = not a good thing.  
It creeps in on me, one thought will enter.  Another the next day. Before I know it my stomach is in a ball of worries and I feel the world is on my shoulders and it is up to me to save the world.  
What am I afraid of?  Who do I think I am that I can save the world?
It seems to come down to this.  I don’t want my kids to struggle.  I don’t want them to learn life lessons the hard way.  I don’t want them to make bad decisions in these years that will take a lot of years to work through & heal from.  I don’t want them to walk the path I did, a path that started in middle school.
Fear. Fear. Fear.
It is interesting. 
When they were little, their struggles and misbehavior brought out something else in me.  
Pride.  
It is really easy for a fit throwing 3 year old to make Mommy look and feel like a total loser parent.  I cared about how their behavior made ME look.
God and I worked through that one, and honestly, I kinda miss that being the issue, for I’d rather be in pain and have to work through it then see my girls experience pain and them have to work through it.  Bring back the 3 year old fits!
I’d take those any day over watching my girls sort out who they are and seeing them struggle with what we all, especially as females, can struggle with– identity.
Identity is huge in middle school.  What defines me?  My friends? My clothes? The phone in my hand?  The brand of my boots?  The way my hair is curled that day?  

The world and their peers scream YES, these things matter and define you.  You and your peeps need to look and act a certain way for you to be accepted and loved.  This leaves the question constantly on their middle school brains “Am I ok?”  “Do I fit?”

I feel like my words are whispers they cannot hear over their peers screams right now, and honestly that is my fault.

My fear causes my reactions to be in the moment and they take on a lecturing tone. 

Mom lecturing =  blank stares, eyes rolling & a mind and heart that is tuned out. My whispers fall on deaf ears, although my lectures are far from whispers.
Why do I fall into this–the lecture? 

Back to the yuck–I’ve seen one of my girls think that if the other sister dresses and looks what they would define as “dorky” that it somehow defines her or in some way reflects on her and makes her look bad.  What?  Oh that is yucky…so yucky that when I realized that this was an issue last week it was my turn to stare blankly with my mouth hanging open, silenced–but only for a minute before my lecture started.  
But, can’t I relate to that?  I used to let my 3 year olds fits define me as a mom, and I was a grown woman.
I should not have been surprised when the next day, as I was wearing an over sized Nebraska tshirt with jeans and we were expecting family company, my daughter was horrified that I was actually going to wear it. Now there are even opinions on what I wear?  Oh Lord have mercy!  I did look silly and it WAS a shirt I usually wear with pajama pants, but REALLY?  Do you really feel less because your Mom looks a little dweeby?  Does this really effect how you see yourself and feel about yourself?
Why am I so surprised when they struggle?  
My heart felt heavy a few days ago with all these issues on my brain.  I had lunch with a super great girlfriend, whose gentle encouragement pointed out all the wonderful things she sees in my girls.  She put the graphic above into her own words, which I think is why it hit so hard when I saw it today on Pinterest. God has to do that with me you know…work in themes.  Say things in more ways than one. Hit me over the head a few times, lovingly of course.  I love it when He does this, for He knows what is going to work on my heart.
The same day my Mother-In-Law had to drop something off for me, and the timing was perfect, as I was still sorting through my thoughts and emotions when it comes to this parenting thing and they came blurting out the minute she sat down. 
She gave me such practical advice.  She helped me figure out how to stop the lecture and just simply talk to my girls.  She gave me example questions to ask them, to stir their own thinking and their own little hearts.  I felt hopeful right away, stomach unknotting and weight off my shoulders.  
It is working.  I am seeing that my lecturing can be very shaming and guilt producing, and that is so not what I want to do.  Instead, I want to ask them about their hearts, to guide them into thinking about who they really are and who they want to be.  To remind them that God thinks the world of them and loves them fully, and that there is nothing they can or can’t do to make Him love them more or less.  These are the things that bring on true identity. 
I don’t have it all figured out yet, and I definitely want to get my thoughts together more when it comes to revealing to my girls all the amazing things their Creator thinks about them.  Identity is my key word that I will focus on, and I will teach them who God says they are.
I will also choose to look at the good in them.  There is so, so very much.  When I chose to see all the gifts in them, it calms fear and puts it in its place.  It reminds me Who has the them.  It takes the world off my shoulders and puts it where it actually is and where it belongs; in His hands.

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Cancer Journey/ HEALTH/ Love/ Spiritual

She Is Thankful In Cancer

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I have a friend I want you all to meet. I have never met her in person, but consider her a dear friend.  We ‘met’ through her brother, who introduced us via Facebook when I was going through treatment for cancer.  He knew I needed to know his sister.  She is a miracle survivor, living with stage 4 breast cancer. Her cancer metastasized to her bones & brain, but her tumors are staying stable and ‘quiet.’

She is truly a miracle, but she knows that her status could change at any time.

She knows pain, both physical and emotional.  While her cancer stayed quiet, she watched her brother-in-law suffer with a reoccurrence of brain cancer, and was there for his family as he battled long & hard, and her faith never wavered.  I wrote a bit about his life here.

Michelle is one of the most courageous people I know. She lives her life in the moment & knows what it means to be thankful.  Her words encouraged me many times during my fight, and they continue to do so.  She updated her Caring Bridge site this week, and what she had to say just blew me away.  I knew I had to share it with you all, as it was such a tangible example of what Thanksgiving is all about.

{The Mellinger Family}
It is an honor to introduce you to my friend, Michelle Mellinger:
THANKSGIVING:
We are celebrating one of my favorite holidays of the whole year on Thursday.  It causes me to be sentimental, family-oriented, and most of all thankful.  I wanted to share why I am THANKFUL FOR CANCER.  Yes, that is hard to say, but so very true when I look back over the last three years.  
Cancer has given me HOPE:  Many people find that hope and cancer don’t go hand in hand.  But without hope cancer is debilitating.  Without hope, you spend your days wallowing in the how and why’s and spend little time enjoying the sights and sounds around you.  Hope does not mean that I am in denial about what is to come, hope is the empowerment to know that whatever is to come I can handle it.
Cancer has given me COMPASSION:  Before my diagnosis, I really didn’t SEE those around me.  Cancer has given me the ability to look into someones eyes and feel their pain.  It is given me empathy and a desire to want to help and encourage people.
Cancer has given me a FUTURE:  most people immediately think that cancer takes away your future.  I used to believe that too.  I used to live in the moment, not worrying about what was ahead for my life.  I didn’t use to dream about my future or what God had in store for me.  Now my future is tomorrow, next week, next month, next year.  I am investing in today so that my future will live on through my children. 
Cancer restored my RELATIONSHIP with my Savior:  I had a hard time BC (before cancer) wanting to spend time with Jesus.  I didn’t have a passion to be in the Word or kneeling in prayer.  I had it under control.  My life was going exactly how I had planned.  I had a great job, awesome husband, and two beautiful children.  But it didn’t go as planned, my life wasn’t unfolding the way I had envisioned.  I have found that God had a new plan.  I don’t always like the new plan, but I am trusting in Him to show me what it is that He wants me to do with my life.
Cancer has shown me that MIRACLES do exist:  I am a miracle!  It is not of my doing.  It is God’s doing.  I used to think miracles only happened in Bible times, but they still happen today.  If you looked at my medical records they would show a woman that had six months to live.  They would cause some doctors to throw their hands up and say there is not much we can do.  My God has allowed the medical treatments at the hands of my doctors and nurses to do amazing things.  They have kept me alive for three years longer that most would have imagined.  I still don’t know why God allows some people to do well and others he takes to his heavenly home way too quickly.  I just know that that there is something more I am to do before he takes me home, maybe it is to remind people that miracles do still exist.
Cancer has given me a THANKFUL heart.  I am so thankful for my family and friends who stand beside me everyday and encourage me to keep on plugging along and not give up.  I am thankful for my children who remind me how important hugs and kisses are and inspire me to be a better mother.  I am thankful for a husband who loves me when I am not lovable and gives me a reason to keep on fighting and living. 
I hope you all find hope, compassion, a future, Godly restoration, miracles, and a thankful heart.  Happy Thanksgiving to you all.                                                   
 Michelle
//
Amazing insight, isn’t it?  It just touched my heart so much to read her words, and made me think of this song I’ve shared below.  She lives this song everyday.  I love how she said. “Hope does not mean that I am in denial about what is to come, hope is the empowerment to know that whatever is to come I can handle it.” I know that she can say this because of her trust in God, and because of this trust, she can and does live out 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give Thanks In Everything.”
To follow Michelle journey, see her Caring Bridge page.

 

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