Glorious Mess

Glorious Mess by Mike Howerton is one of the funniest non-fiction books I have ever read. In fact, I have never laughed so hard while reading a book about grace.

Wait, let me try this again.

According to the description from Baker Books, Glorious Mess clearly reveals God's perfect love for imperfect people. The book shows you how to hear God's voice, how to embrace God's calling, how to make the most of your messes, and how to see God working through them. The book includes insightful discussion questions for group or personal use.

Mike Howerton weaves the story of Jonah throughout the book and he uses both Biblical and personal stories of God's amazing grace. Each chapter ends by Mining the Mess, making each chapter personal.

I found the book to be quite good. Mike Howerton accomplished what he set out to do, to show God's love for imperfect people. I found the book held my attention to the very end. His frequent use of humor had me laughing out loud. As much as I loved the humor though, and I did, I found that near the end of the book it was just a bit too much. Most of his humor worked and there was nothing offensive. However, in the end I felt like he could have cut it back just a bit and still made the book an enjoyable read.

How's that for criticism...the book was too funny at times.

On a serious note, I found myself re-reading Jonah and coming away with a fresh understanding of the grace of God. I would recommend this book to anyone who has struggled with accepting the fact that God loves us just as we are.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group"

3-Way Calling

I have been thinking about calls lately.

Not the telephone kind.

No, I was thinking about what happens when the Lord calls us. The call might be into (or out of) ministry, to move or not to move, etc. It might be a call to move in a radical direction or a call to pull back and spend some quiet time with Him.

Whatever the call, its the response to that call that I was chewing on this week.

I did some digging and found 3 ways people responded to the call of God in the Bible.

1. Confusion
2. Eagerness
3. Flight

First up is Samuel. In 1 Samuel 3 we read of the Lord calling young Samuel in the night. Three times Samuel gets up and goes to see Eli, the Priest he was working with. Each time he asked if Eli was calling him. It was the third time around (1 Samuel 3:8) when Eli finally understood it was the Lord calling Samuel and told him how to respond. Sin led Eli to be confused and Samuel was not trained in hearing the voice of God.

In Isaiah 6:8 we see the prophet's response to the call of the Lord. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Isaiah was ready to go where God was calling Him.

Then we have Jonah. Yeah, the guy who ran... the opposite direction.

(He did repent and answer the call later.)

Obviously we need wisdom when the call of the Lord comes. James 1:25 tells us to ask for it.

I don't always seek the Lord when I feel He is nudging me to do the uncomfortable. Sometimes, like Jonah, I run.

My desire is to know Him more, to seek His face and the wisdom only He can provide. I want to move with God in eager anticipation. The next time the Lord calls, I want to answer like Isaiah.

Where Am I?

No, I am not playing the Rick version of Where's Waldo.

I am just in a different place right now.

It started with the word I felt the Lord gave me for 2012. Prayer.

I started talking to the Father a bit more and the more I prayed, the more relaxed I felt. 2011 was a year of stress but 2012 has definitely been a year of refreshing. In fact I have had people stop me and tell me that I look more relaxed and at peace.

I've also had people ask what was wrong with me...because I have been a bit more quiet and contemplative as well. I am a talker and when a talker doesn't talk, people get uncomfortable and ask if the talker is ok.

Mark 6:30-32 says, "The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place."

I have felt the call to come away to a solitary place and get some rest. I couldn't leave my job but I have pulled back and just spent timer mentally refreshing with the Lord.

As Psalm 23 puts it: He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul;

I have to say, it has been nice.

Part of my refreshing meant I was also away from my blog even more than last year. Besides the occasional book review, compassion post or interview I have been largely silent. (no loss I know)

I expect I will post a bit more now.

When was the last time you felt refreshed?

Just A Minute - A Book Review

I know I have mentioned this book a few times already but if you haven't picked it up yet, you are truly missing out.


Just A Minute, by Wess Stafford (with Dean Merrill), is filled with amazing stories of people whose lives were impacted by a few minutes given by another adult. Many of the stories are hopeful, joyful and heart tugging. Think Chicken Soup for the Soul for Christians and you get the jest of many of these stories.

It's the sad, awful and downright horrible moments that are shared that really impacted me though. Did you know Alfred Hitchcock's dad had him locked up in a jail at the age of 5 as a scared straight moment? Or how about a communist dictator (Yugoslavia's Tito) kicked out of church for dropping the wine in a church service?

The book also shares the stories of kids whose whole life was altered by the sometimes casual and insensitive remarks of the adults in their lives.

This book is a good reminder to guard our tongues and to look for ways to bless the children we come in contact with. I found myself wiping away tears one moment and laughing out loud the next.

Why not check out the website for Just a Minute and pick up a copy of the book while you are at it. Wess Stafford has asked that all of the author proceeds be given to Compassion International.

Being honest, I received a copy of this book free as it contains one of my "just a minute" stories. It doesn't change the review, the book truly is good.

Waiting for Love

Imagine you are a child for just a moment.

You are impoverished, in need of medicine, schooling and good nutrition.

One day someone offers you a bit of hope.

A church nearby your home announces that they have partnered with Compassion and because of this partnership, if you are registered in the program, you will receive benefits that were never before available to you.

• educational opportunities
• health care and health-related instruction
• nutrition
• life-skills training

And opportunities to hear about and respond to the gospel.

It's all very exciting so your parents take you and register you at the local church. The church volunteers gather information about you and your family and take your picture. You're officially registered!

You now have all the financial benefits of this program but there's more! You are going to be connected to one sponsor. You just have to wait for someone to sponsor you.

There are people out there who love kids, care for them and want to help.

They want to help you.

This is the ministry of Compassion. They find the children in need and bring them to the attention of potential sponsors around the world. Day in and day out the process works wonders.

Unfortunately, some kids have to wait....and wait.....and wait to find a potential sponsor. Some children have to wait 6 months or more!

That's a long time to wait when every day can mean the difference between life or death. A long time to wait for someone to reach out with the love of God.

The money provided by sponsorship helps....but so do the letters, the prayers. When you connect with a child, lives are changed for all eternity.

Why not stop by Compassion's website today? You'll see pictures of a little boy or girl who have been waiting for a long, long time.

Sponsorship is so easy. You can sponsor a waiting child right now by clicking here!

Still not convinced....I dare you to watch this video:

Sponsor a Waiting Child from Compassion International on Vimeo.

Free Book GIveaway

Compassion International has provided me an extra copy of Wess Stafford's new book, Just A Minute.

Now it can be yours:



Just A Minute by Wess Stafford contains stories of well-recognized and unknown people alike to refute the old adage “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me,” especially for the young minds of children. He gives simple tips and examples of how anyone can positively impact a child in just a moment and how all of us are equipped to do it.

So how do you win? There are 2 ways to win. One: Leave a comment here about how one moment changed or significantly impacted your life. Or Two: If you sponsor a child via Compassion, share what that experience means to you. One winner will be randomly selected on Thursday Feb 16th. You must provide contact info in order for me to let you know you won.

Good Luck

The Police and Prayer

I glanced nervously in my rear-view mirror as the red and blue police lights went off behind me.

Like many people, I get a bit more conscientious of my driving when I see a police car. When the car is right behind me I become VERY attentive. This one had been following me for a mile or two so I was extremely attentive to every function of my vehicle and where I was on the road.

Then the lights came on and I assumed the worst. I began to move my vehicle to the side of the road, only to have the police cruiser move past me and turn its lights off again!

I went from fearing a ticket to righteous indignation that the officer would use his lights just to pass me! However, while he was behind me, I did become a better driver. My prayer life increased as well!

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to pray without ceasing. Another way to say that is "pray all the time!"

Just as my driving improves when a cruiser is behind me, my prayer life improves when I am in the midst of a spiritual, emotional, physical or financial difficulty. I pray more when the crisis is at hand then I do at any other time.

That saddens me.

I should drive well at all times, not just went there are police officers around.

I should pray at all times, not just when the crisis is at hand.

Prayer is the word I felt the Lord gave me for 2012 and this experience reminded me of that. Of course, I look at those catalysts to prayer and I find I pray more due to physical difficulties than anything else.

What causes you to pray more?