a book review

buy it here

Last week, I needed some reading material for my travels. A co-worker had recommended this book, and I am forever grateful that she did. It seriously took me one and a quarter days to read. Words cannot do it justice.

I had heard of Corrie Ten Boom, loved some of her quotes, but never read any of her work.

Corrie was a Dutch watchmaker, a lover of Jesus, who became part of the underground movement during WW II to help Jews escape the Nazis. She and her family were eventually sent to concentration camps as well - and she was the lone survivor.

After her release from prison, she lived on to have an amazing ministry - writing books and speaking all over the world about the transforming power of God's love.

Her story moved me greatly (joy, sadness, amazing faith, God's power and love), and I had to fight back my urge to weep openly, as I was on a plane for the majority of my reading.

This book is filled with such timeless wisdom and it pointed me back to the cross over and over. Her walk with the Lord was so deep, so rich . . . It strengthened my own faith and once again showed me the treasure and supreme beauty of Christ. I strongly recommend it.

I will now leave you with some of my favorite quotes from the book.

"I know that the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do." 

"Our wise Father in heaven knows when we're going to need things, too. Don't run ahead of Him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need -- just in time." 

"The truth . . . is that God's viewpoint is sometimes different than ours - so different that we could not even guess at it unless He had given us a Book which tells us such things. In the Bible I learned that God values us not for our strength or our brains but simply because He has made us." 

"There are no 'if's' in God's kingdom. His timing is perfect. His will is our hiding place." 

“No pit is so deep that God is not deeper still”

“When He tells us to love our enemies He gives, along with the command, the love itself.” 

"My job was to simply follow His leading one step at a time, holding every decision up to him in prayer.”

“In darkness God's truth shines most clear.” 

tuesday thoughts

 "How would your life change if you knew that the God of the universe was totally at peace with you and was working all things together for your good?"
- J.D. Greear


“When God promises to bless you, he is saying, ‘I’m going to make you into everything I’ve ever meant for you to be. It means that God is taking every day and every single thing that happens in it—good or bad—to make you stronger, to mend whatever is broken inside, to change you into the person you were always meant to be.” 
- Sally Lloyd-Jones

let's hear it for a comeback?

This blog may or may not be coming back to life. Thanks to Lacey and Sarah who encouraged me to write today . . . let's see how long this run goes :) 
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I was reading a devotional this morning before spin class (don't ask how early it was) and this passage really spoke to me:

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
 - Titus 3:4-7

Because it's not by my efforts, my works, anything of my own doing or merit that can get me close to God. 

Because I mess up daily, and my soul needs to rest in the promise that Christ has taken my place and lived perfectly in my place . . . that it's His righteousness and His grace that cover me.

“The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.” 

- Tim Keller

like whoa

"We cannot judge effectiveness from immediate results."
-Beth Moore

". . . the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things  and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
- John 14:26 


Thanks, Beth Moore. I needed that.

nothing stays the same

If I had my way, things would never change. I hate change.

I think that's normal though. I really, honestly felt that earlier this year, things were perfect . . . and then things started to change around me - mostly friends moving away and relationships changing.

Things have been evolving since then . . . and even more so in the months surrounding the Nicaragua trip. I think I'm realizing that earlier this year, I was so comfortable and things seemed so calm . . . maybe that's why I felt that things were perfect.

But unless God uproots me from time to time, how can I ever grow? Unless He calls me out of my comfort zone and places new challenges in my life, how can I change?

I always pray that God will stretch me, grow me, and bring me closer to Him . . . but insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

When things started shifting, I tried desperately to hold onto them. Maybe if I tried hard enough, clung onto things, I could keep it all together. It's easy for me to be in denial about things changing . . .

(like baby, baby, ohhh, like baby, baby, noooooooo, I don't want to change!!)

During seasons like this, what I want to do is hold onto people and circumstances. But God calls me to something greater - to hold onto Him, the only sure foundation and solid rock. Life is going to constantly change, so I might as well accept that, right? Nothing ever stays the same . . . so why try to hold onto the temporary and fleeting things?

Change is a good thing, even though it is very painful. Through change, God draws us closer to Himself, grows us, and teaches us (oh yeah, that whole "trusting God" thing).

On another note, I am changing the way I see my finances. For the first time (maybe ever), I'm going to take it seriously . . . so chickpeas are about to become my main food group, yeeeah! I always thought I needed to spend a ton of money in order to buy healthy food so that I could, well, be healthy and look good in my jeans. But there are a few good resources out there - it's like a social experiment, this whole "budgeting" thing. Here are a few blogs that are helpful if you want to eat healthy and cheap too :)
http://www.cheaprecipeblog.com/
http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/

“It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But, it is absolutely vital to grasp that he didn’t call you there so you could settle in and live your life in comfort and superficial peace.”

-Francis Chan

“In friendship…we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years’ difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another…the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting–any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking no chances. A secret master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,” can truly say to every group of Christian friends, “Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another.” The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.”

- C.S. Lewis

“Friendship isn’t about whom you have known the longest …It’s about who came, and never left your side.” – Unknown

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

- Proverbs 27:17

 “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

oh blurg.

Just a few random thoughts today . . .

In this country, most of us walk around without realizing our need for God. Think about it - how many resources do you have at your fingertips? I don't have to struggle or fight to have food on my table, or to pay my bills. I have a roof over my head, air conditioning, my own car, access to just about everything via networking and the internet, if I drive 5 minutes down the street I can buy anything I want at the grocery store. And even if I don't have the money, I do have a credit card - so I can still buy things.

How often do I depend on God to get me through the day? It's easier to focus on the small inconveniences and frustrations or "first world problems" that we have . . . the barista at Starbucks taking too long to make our latte, the lines at the grocery store, rush hour traffic. Rarely do I realize how desperately I need my Father and how He, the Creator and sustainer, is the one who provides every single thing - and without Him I have nothing.

So often we as Americans not only walk around as if we don't need God, but when we do realize we need God, we warp that into believing that He is not enough. Sure, God provided us a way out of hell and He gave us the gift of life, but it's not enough . . . we "need" that relationship, we need people to like us, we need a certain salary, we need to look hot in our jeans, we need to be comfortable.

 This trip to Nicaragua has impacted me more deeply and on more levels than I could have anticipated. I get emotional looking at all of the blessings He has provided me, and also at how they are not truly needed for joy or life. The second day back in the country, I cried at how clean this city is, how it smells good here, how I have a car to drive and nice clothes to wear.

More than ever, I realize that everything we are given is sheer grace. I did not do anything to deserve the loving family I was raised in, the job I have, the friends He has placed in my life, the amazing people who speak truth into my life on the regular, my health and safety . . . I could go on and on. I am so grateful for all of these things, but I realize more how much God is all we truly need. The people in Nicaragua are in such dire circumstances, and words cannot describe the struggles that they face every day. Yet, God is working over there - they have such a deep relationship with Him, and I think that they experience deeper joy than we do over here.

"In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich."
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer