Just One Example.

Local Boy Helps Homeless Kids...

His story goes to show, it takes very little to something "big."

What keeps us from doing anything, sometimes, is that we measure with the wrong "ruler".

If we measure by the standards of "man" what this boy did, really doesn't amount to much.  It was just toys after all, right?

Thankfully, God doesn't measure that way.

We might never know the full impact of what this boy, or we, do.  Because of this fact, we sometimes let it stop us from doing anything; even feel as if what we do is...a waste of time.

It never is.

Everything we do matters and makes a difference...to someone...

You Can Be Everything God Wants You To Be - Max Lucado (Review)

“Perfect Gift For the Graduate.”

So says the circular sticker on the cover Max Lucado’s You Can Be Everything God Wants You To Be. A book to inspire our youth as they enter the “real world.”

What, at first, reads as another trite, sugary, book with pretty and uplifting words grows into an insightful, yes inspiring, and even challenging book that would be a great gift “for all.”

As the titled hints at, this book isn’t about striving and achieving all your hopes and dreams. Rather, it goes one better. Max reminds us that God has “packed us” with a specific set of skills for a “specific purpose.”

While many of us may say that we believe that, so few of us actually put in the time and make the effort to discover what that purpose is. Therein lies the challenge.

Don’t let the size of the book fool you. Unlike other self-help, motivational type books, Max cuts the fat and other fluffy extras and gets to the meat of the matter quickly.

God designed each and every one of us specifically and uniquely - as Max puts it, “You-nique.” We are not mass produced. No one has our complete set of skills, likes, and passions. Those are our and ours alone.

But what to do with these gifts?

Ah, another challenge set forth by God that Max reminds us.

In short: change the world.

How?

By being the best “us” we can be.

By sowing a seed and trusting God.

As Max puts it, “God inhabits the tiny seed, empowers the tiny deed.”

So, no Suzie, no Billy you can’t be ANYTHING you want to be, but you can be EVERYTHING God wants you to be.

Max Lucado reminds us how.
 
 
(as always, I have received a free copy of this book for review through Booksneeze.com.  This review is honest and my own, and was in no way influenced by anyone for any reason)

"Friendship With God" - Final thoughts

Okay, so I have pretty much gone through the book twice...I did skim a bit the second time around, but I got the gist of what Walsch was trying to say, or at least a better idea. Given that, I have a pretty good idea, now, why he gets the flack he does from Christian groups, etc.

The ultimate point of FWG is to bring to light the "New Gospel."

So what is the "New Gospel?"

"...There is no master race. There is no greatest nation. There is no one true religion. There is no inherently perfect philosophy. There is no always right political party, morally supreme economic system, or one and only way to Heaven....Only one truth will save you: WE ARE ALL ONE."

Just before this "God" says, "There are a thousands paths to God, and every one gets you there."

"God" also says, there is no BETTER way, only ANOTHER way.

The New Gospel...yeah, I can see how that got him into some hot water with some folks...

There is a lot of talk about love, in the book. God's love and how we think that it manifests itself.

"You have been taught of a God who is jealous, who has enormous expectations, and who is so needy that if His love for you is unrequited, He'll punish you with everlasting damnation."

Thus this God we have been taught this about, has worked out a deal: "...if you love Me, I'll let you into heaven. If you don't love me, I won't."

That last part, really kind of hits home to me.

Isn't that what we are told? Believe in Jesus, LOVE Jesus, love God, and you will get into heaven.

God loves us soooooo much, that he's willing to make a deal with us.

Now, that may be how WE love each other.

Our love may have expectations - but does love? Do you love someone because of what you can get, expect, and bargain for with them?

As a parent, do you love your child(ren) so much you can't think of anything they could do that would cause them to lose your love?

Walsch's "God" also says, "You imagine that I am a God who has needs - among them, the need to have you love me. (Now, some of your churches have sought to describe this as not having a need for you r love, but merely a desire for it."

Yep, I've heard that...God wants us to love him, trust him, God desires a relationship with him...yet -

(Here's comes the interesting point.)

"Yet is a "desire" not a "need" if I am willing to torture you for all eternity if I don't get it."

And...

"You have been told...I will not accept your love in any way, shape, or form than that in which I demand it."

And finally, (here, not in the book) "God" talks about freedom of loving him or not. I can't find the exact quotes, when I do, I'll put them in.

In essence, God says that true love and GIVING freedom means there is no consequence. Thus, if we do not love him, or accept Jesus, we are condemned to hell, that doesn't make us "free" to choose but only "able" to choose.

Certainly there are some interesting things to ponder.

Do I think God spoke to Walsch?
I don't think he's crazy and I don't think it's satan.
So that leaves: yes or no.
and if it's no: is he lying?
Well, it's at the very least a thought provoking lie.

Yes?

Heck, I did my own "God Chats" and well...

My "Conversation" with God...

In my second time through reading Friendship With God. I wondered if God, too, would have a conversation with me...perhaps that could give me a bit more perspective of Walsch's book.

I decided to give it a shot yesterday. And...

It was an interesting experience. Hard to describe.

What I did was allow myself to be available for God to speak. I did this in silence, as I wanted no disruption and complete attention.

Then I asked questions. (I did this by writing the question down in a notebook, then writing the response I was given)

I will divulge this much: There are still (I'm guessing always will be) hang ups that I have. Mainly these hang-ups come from stuff in the Bible.

The message I was given, was not to worry about them...some things we just won't fully understand (in the Bible) or understand at all. There were more important things to do than to "waste" time pondering these issues.

Someday some might be answered, but most likely many of them won't be - until, you know when.

One more thing.

"Spend time with me," I was told.

I knew what he meant by that, and that was cool.

And he "made" me make a promise with him with something I had to do last night...and yes, I kept it!

Final thought of the experience?

Give it a shot.

Be still and listen...
...and be ready!