When God Weeps - Joni Eareckson Tada, Steven Estes

This was a hard book to read, especially in the beginning. I personally liked Joni's section better.

In this book, the authors explored the most difficult question everyone asks when suffering hits... WHY? When I suffer, I often asked why. If I don't ask why, I'm too beaten up or too bitter to ask.

I have finally arrived into 2016 where I am experiencing Mountain Top with God. Not the highest but it's one. I am on a break! For the past 5-6 years, our family has actually been going through a lot. My blogs have not really been tended to. I have lost track of time. I have learned how to suffer well, how to deal with emotions, how to let go of bitterness, how idolatrous I can easily become, how much I don't actually know, how much more of the vastness of grace and trust I do not have, and how much I really need Jesus. I am not a content person, nor a joyful person. I am in nature pessimistic and depressive. I have a lazy bone and I like to blame and make excuses. I am disorganized and I like to knock myself down... haha like I just did. But I have also learned how God is faithful and will never give up on me. Not in a cliche "superficial, I'm just saying" way. I am saying it because I am seeing strong evidence of it in my own life and my family's lives.

When I first became saved by Jesus's grace, I went through quick overview lessons on how to live like Christ. For two solid years, one lesson a week, I would learn a character of God or a theological truth in the bible. After that, lessons became longer and longer. Well, it required long suffering. The training has been tough, hard to get through. But in the midst and afterward, it becomes so evident I need to trust Him and continue on. Then I can see light in the tunnel. I know I will be rescued. I know He is here to teach me important things. So I can find my identity with Him, to identify with Christ. This is essential for every believer. Many times, we identify so much more with culture, the world and its teachings. That's how we are deceived and led astray. When we suffer and not blame God for our suffering, but rather sin, death, and evil, we then stand on God's side and know He is on our side.

p202 Suffering keeps swelling our feet so that earth's shoes won't fit.

Thank You Lord Jesus for not allowing us to go astray and try to fit in the world and its sad state.

January - Missionaries

As a family, we borrowed two books from the missions library at church. Both of them were published by Christian Focus Publications and both were written by Irene Howat. Age target is 7-12.

Book 1. Ten Girls who changed the World 

Book 2: Ten Boys who made a Difference

My 5 and 7 year old children loved them so I read them too ;-) These books are written to be easily understood. The stories are true events, captivating and inspiring. At the end of each little story, the author sneaked in 2 "thinking pages". Pages with a fact, important things to remember, a "God question", and a prayer for missionaries.

In the girls book, I honestly only recognized Corrie Ten Boom and Amy Carmichael. In the boys book, I recognized a few more. Augustine, Luther, Tyndale, Calvin, and Knox. At the end of each book, the author had a quiz to challenge the readers to remember what they have read.

If you have children ages 5-14, I earnestly recommend these books for you to read aloud or let them read independently according to their interests and abilities. Irene Howat has also written more of these books, Ten Boys who didn't give in, Ten boys who made history, Ten girls who used their talents, and more!

Here's a site that sells these books as complete sets!

Complete BOY set

Complete GIRL set

For February, I will be tackling a couple of books. A friend recommended Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend, and my husband has highly recommended How we love our Kids by Yerkovich. READ UP! :-)

October - Becoming a Woman of Influence

Carol Kent. Do you know her?

One of her newest books, is, When I lay my Isaac Down.

I have a son named Isaac. I have shuddered at the thought of putting myself into her shoes with such a great ministry and powerful testimony about her son.

The book I read this past few weeks, is a book she wrote in 1999, years before her only son, Jason, was incarcerated. She has a great ministry to women. She was a leader at Bible Study Fellowship, a youth leader, a worship leader, now a writer, a speaker, a grandma.... she is a woman of great influence!

It is not easy to pick this book, Becoming a Woman of Influence, apart when all the chapters just flowed together into one big idea. Kent is a woman who has a heart for many women. Not just women around her, but women around women who are around the women who are around other women. In other words, she is interested in all women. She wants us all who are capable physically, mentally, and spiritually, to find friendships to invest in.

My husband is a preacher. I have often wondered, what does a preacher's wife do? What is her role? What should she be doing? Now, there are many ideas about that. Mostly contingent upon the denomination, the theological beliefs on submission, history of an individual church, personal opinion, etc. My experiences have taught me though that there is no one shoe to fit in. God made me special and I cannot be like what others want me to be like. But I can do, have done, and will do one thing, which is biblical (Titus 2), which is to invest my time, my compassion, my love, my prayers into believing and unbelieving women around me, including my own daughters.

This quick read gives 7 principles for us to ponder about.

1. Principle of time alone with God
2. Principle of walking and talking
3. Principle of storytelling
4. Principle of asking questions
5. Principle of compassion
6. Principle of unconditional love
7. Principle of casting vision

Kent dives in each chapter to give evidence as to why these principles are biblical and essential. Then, she gives examples of how she has applied these principles before.

In chapter 4, the Principle of walking and talking, she pointed out how Jesus turned interruptions into significant appointments (p.54). She gave the biblical account in Luke 8:41-56 where Jairus begged for Jesus to go with him to his home to heal his 12 yr old daughter. While Jesus, his disciples, and Jairus were pushing through the crowds, a woman who had hemorrhages for 12 years decided to touch Jesus robe out of faith. Jesus knew who it was. He stopped and asked, "Who touched me?" Two different times in verse 45 and 46. Kent penned,

Jesus used this 'interruption' to demonstrate faith heals. This impact moment also taught the disciples that no person is more important to Jesus than another. The daughter of a synagogue leader was dying, but Jesus took the time to heal a woman in the crowd.

That right there reminded me of one particular morning in the end of Februray 2010, when I was mentoring a young lady who has blossomed into one of my great friends. Here we were, discussing what she needed and praying, when two older ladies from the local Kingdom Hall knocked on my door. At first, this young lady was shocked that I invited these Jehovah's Witnesses in. And second, to agree upon their invitation to meeting with them once a week. We examined the scriptures and she prayed about it. This was an interruption that turned into one of the most valuable lessons and made two precious friends for both of us. If you had been following my blog posts, you would know these JW meetings had just ended after a year and a half. (By the way, if you have questions about how to talk to JW's or friends and relatives who are JW's, please contact me.)

My favorite chapter, is chapter 6, the Principle of asking questions. It is true what Robert and Pamela Crosby wrote, "Good questions create interest; great ones inspire a response. Good questions open conversations; great ones open souls. Good questions raise issues; great ones evoke dreams and visions. Good questions elicit ideas; great questions uncover needs." Without great questions, great inventors, authors, doctors, theologians, pioneers, explorers would never have existed! Let me list out the subheadings in this chapter:

1. Jesus used questions to expose falsehood and reveal truth

2. Jesus' questions exposed people's deepest longings

3. Jesus' questions triggered growth in faith

4. The most important question Jesus asked - "Who do you say that I am?"

I have always known to ask questions when I invest time in other women, but... I haven't looked into this topic as Kent had discussed it in this book. I have learned a great deal in this chapter and will continue to refine this art of asking great questions. 

This book was well written and was an easy read. It is great for those who want to start discipling, mentoring, or even just developing meaningful friendships. Every Christian woman should have older women to prod and younger women to challenge. This book will help give you some confidence if you feel unprepared or unworthy, and will give you more ideas if you need some growth in this area. 

Next month, I will be reviewing Paul Coughlin's No More Jellyfish, Chickens, or Wimps. Hope you enjoyed my review of Carol Kent's book!

September - Grace Based Parenting by Kimmel

My parents do not know grace and therefore could not have given what they never had. The first time I encountered grace, was in 2003, when I finally realized how much God loved me. Even in my past, present, and future sins, He already had atoned for me because He wanted to spend eternity with me. It did not matter if I felt like I was worth it, it did not matter if I rejected it, it did not matter if I wanted it, God did it all to demonstrate His love for me. (Romans 5:8) However, I was in my early 20's and had no idea I was ever going to have to apply it to parenting! Ha!

Now, I have heard of this so-called "grace based parenting." I am even on a forum on Facebook that pushes it. That's the problem, I was hearing things like no rules, no discipline, no punishment. My husband and I whole-heartedly believe the words penned in Proverbs 13:24. We believe grace need to be an end goal but.... no rules? I could not believe it. I prayed for months. We knew grace is an essential element in a Christ centered home, but discipline also needs to be! 

One day, while the kids and I were at the public library, this book was laying on a cart, I grabbed it wondering if it was one of those books about no rules. Boy, was I in for a treat! My Father knew this book would pin point all my doubts and questions. He put it in my path just for my family for He is the One molding it! 

Grace Based Parenting: Set your Family Free by Dr. Tim Kimmel starts off by pointing out 7 different parenting maps that give our children a "Christian parallel universe," a life where nothing that reminds us of the ungodly is allowed in the family, no matter what. (11) Kimmel summed it up best on page 16, that "all the parenting styles listed above...are the result of a parent's theology." By that, he was saying the way we parent comes from how we view God as a Father, and how we think He views us as children. Personally, I have read books that sort of talked about these things, but what came after was affirming to me. In my mind, I kept saying, YES! YES! YES!

In chapter 2, Dr. Kimmel identified the nature of grace and truth, and made a point that cheap grace is imitation grace. He was teaching through two church going men's examples, that grace and truth need to hand in hand work together. 

Grace does not lower the standards in our homes; it raises them. 

It doesn't push people away from holiness; it pushes them toward it. 

It doesn't cause them to despise truth; it propels them to embrace truth all the more.

It encourages people to aim higher in their relationship with God and helps them dream bigger dreams. 

Cheap grace, on the other hand, holds people down and sets them up for heartache. (40)

I slowly digested through this book. The best part, the one I was hoping this book would have, was in chapter 6: A Delivery system for Grace. He gave us a "fourfold delivery system [that] makes it a lot easier to show [our] children how to find love, purpose, and hope in Jesus Christ." (134)

1. The freedom to be different

2. The freedom to be vulnerable

3. The freedom to be candid

4. The freedom to make mistakes

From chapter 7 till the end, Kimmel gave the readers countless examples, funny anecdotes, and ways to help our families be filled with homegrown grace that only Holy Spirit filled parents can grow. 

I am so glad I randomly saw and picked up this book to read from the library. God is so good to me and my family. Thank You LORD for teaching me and growing me so evidently and patiently. Get this book and read it, you will not regret it! This is a book I definitely would like to add to our family library.

In Christ,

Joanna