Thankful?

Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High.  Then call on  me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.

                 ~Psalm 50:14-15

Am I really thankful? Am I truly living a life of gratitude? 

I read this verse in a devotional during the first hour of November (being the night owl that I am).  And it occurred to me that it was quite appropriate...especially given my normal attitude about Thanksgiving.

Honestly, I'm unsure what to think about you, Thanksgiving.  

You guilt-trip me, reminding me of every-American-thing I have that I don't deserve.

You remind that I only have one month to finish Christmas shopping.

You feel awkward, when my family sits and eats and tries to follow the Turkey day norms.

You make me roll my eyes as I read yet another blog post about you.

But what does Thankful truly mean?

Does it mean begrudging love, law-required obedience, doing good works because I should try to show that I am thankful for the cross?

Or...is it the greatest sacrifice?  

Sacrifice is the purest ritual, a cleansing of the heart.

Sacrifice requires the whitest lamb...

Sacrifice that God prefers is thankfulness.

A heart that clings so close.

A heart that knows no one else.

A heart that will not leave the promises in the pew.

A heart that knows one cry--"Rescue me!"

A heart that brings Him glory.

Scripture, right here, is saying something INCREDIBLE.

Just look at this! Thankfulness is not about us.

Thankfulness is what we give to Him, through living for Him, through trusting Him, through calling out to Him, through bringing Him glory.

Where I am in that?

I have faded into the shadows, where I belong.

Because the me that I want to show isn't me at all.

It's my thankfulness sacrifice, my promise, my plea, and His glory. 

~Elissa~

“In living we die, in dying we live.” 
--Ted Dekker

If you've ever felt like you're not enough...

Empty me
Of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition
And the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me
So I can be
Filled with you

_____________________________________________________

Ok, honestly?

I'm not okay, and I'm not alright. I feel...like I'm NOT ENOUGH.

I believe, 100%, that I should love other people, in my actions, words, and thoughts towards them.  But I'm not going to lie to you and say that doing so is easy. Or that I always do it.

Because people hurt people.

I know--people hurt you.

I know, because people hurt me.

This lie (I'm NOT ENOUGH) has been permeating my being for the past few months.  I can't really remember the first time a minuscule, nagging voice whispered it to me.  But I can remember many times I heard it.  When someone gave me a second hand compliment: "They would never have said that if you hadn't been standing there when they said that to her," said the coercive nagger.

When I walked into a room and felt alone among a mass. "See...no one wants to talk to you...you must be annoying and mean,"  slipped into my mind, before I could stop it.

When attention I craved didn't come to me: "Obviously, you are ugly. If you looked like that, it would be different."

When pressure rose and stress rose and hopes fell and grades fell...I was weighed down and the ever-present influence remarked, "If you were just SMARTER..."

When fired-up changed to burnt-out changed to luke-warm: "You're evidently the worst, most fake Christian ever."

People don't mean to hurt us, really. I know that I've hurt PLENTY of people. I feel broken because I realize I can't stop being hurtful--hurtful is human.  But now I'm moving on to what I CAN do.

I can accept this TRUTH. I'm going to reject those lies ^^. I'm going to forget them.

Because--and this is amazing--Jesus doesn't see those things in me. 

Jesus came and...died.  For me.

God created us in His image. IN HIS IMAGE!

Let that sink in.  He didn't just make us to worship Him--although that is part of it.  He made us TO BE LIKE HIM.

And what that means for me is that I don't have to be broken and jaded and crushed in my sin and lies and pain and pride.

And neither do you.


Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing to you. (Luke 23:34)


Love them, well.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud  or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (NLT)

Raw conviction hits me when I read those verses.  Love doesn't demand its own way.  It keeps no record of being wronged.  It never gives up.

Don't give up. You're loved. You are MORE than enough.

He made you enough. He died because you were enough.

_______________________________________________________

You are good, You are goodWhen there's nothing good in meYou are love, You are loveYou are light, You are lightWhen the darkness closes inYou are hope, You are hopeYou have covered all my sin

You are peace, You are peaceWhen my fear is cripplingYou are true, You are trueEven in my wanderingYou are joy, You are joyYou're the reason that I singYou are life, You are life,In You death has lost its sting

Oh, I'm running to Your arms,I'm running to Your armsThe riches of Your loveWill always be enoughNothing compares to Your embraceLight of the world forever reign

You are more, You are moreThan my words will ever sayYou are Lord, You are LordAll creation will proclaimYou are here, You are hereIn Your presence I'm made wholeYou are God, You are GodOf all else I'm letting go

Oh, I'm running to Your armsI'm running to Your armsThe riches of Your loveWill always be enoughNothing compares to Your embraceLight of the world forever reign

My heart will singno other NameJesus, Jesus

Review: Children of Angels

--About the Book--

Jeremy is an average 7th grader. He deals with common issues, including cruel bullies that break his new iPod and the fact that his family has little money and is separated.  However, Jeremy's life is about to get much better--or worse--depending on his perspective.  How would you react if you realized one day that you could fly? Imagine that you suddenly have several unusual powers.  And to top it off, Jeremy will begin to realize the very real dangers of evil--and the very real power of God's love.

 --My thoughts--

Children of Angels is a fun, fast-paced, encouraging read.  Most intriguing were the spiritual parallels, particularly the way in which Kathryn Dahlstrom integrated the Christmas story into the end of her tale about angels (and half-angels).  The Christmas setting backing the whole of the plot gave the book a serious undertone, emphasizing the reality of God's love that Christmas and angels truly hold--below the greeting-card-obvious surface. 

I couldn't help comparing this book to the Dragons in Our Midst series by Bryan Davis, which also places Nephilim as major characters.  Children of Angels did not give as much Biblical background, but the fictional-historical mesh of background for the characters' existence was extremely fascinating, and one of my favorite components of the book.

The only issues I had with the book were fast, no-background information needed pace (which is probably not something that the target audience of this book would be bothered by); the slight thread of romance underlying Jeremy's encounters with another character (again, I am rather picky about such things, and it's merely my opinion) that, although purely innocent, seemed more grown-up than the age group needed; and finally, the general treatment of adults (slightly less than complete respect was shown in a few instances [e.g. trying to run away from home]). 

Aside from the above, I found the story to be entirely appropriate for the juvenile fiction audience.  Though the story is light-hearted, it has serious spiritual emphasis to inspire, intrigue and provoke deeper thought. I would recommend it to pre-teens and above looking for a supernatural fantasy novel to capture and cultivate imagination.

I received this book for free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my unbiased review.


Click this link to read more about Kathryn Dahlstrom and this Litfuse blog tour!

Review: Live to Give

"God doesn't need your help. But He definitely wants it."

--About the Book--

We all were born with gifts. But will we let them sit and rot, waste them while chasing pointless things, or will we be brave enough to find out what exactly our gifts are and put them to the test?  When we use our talents by giving them to God, He will in turn use them for miracles.  Just because God can use anything does't mean He won't want to use you.  

In Live to Give, you will learn about what your gift is, how to keep pressing on when things are tough, and how your life can be changed by giving. 

"To truly live...we give" 

--My thoughts--

~One thing I found particularly helpful about Live to Give was that every chapter ended with a set of pertinent "Study Questions." These help the reader to review what the chapter taught them, and apply it to their own lives. I'm looking forward to reading this book more slowly and journaling my answers to these questions! The questions are also so interactive and discussion based that I could see this book being used as a Bible study or small group for pre-teens or teens.

~I completely enjoyed Austin Gutwein's voice throughout the book.  His witty, attention catchy phrasing makes every chapter interesting and attention holding.  Really entertaining personal stories are found in every part of the book, like in chapter 5, when he talks about the time he gave into an infomercial scam.  This humor is used to get his point across, while keeping (especially younger) readers' attentions. More importantly, he aptly presents Bible stories that Christians have heard over and over again in a new light, helping the reader to better understand God's word and how it applies to their lives. 

~Another aspect of Live to Give that makes it interactive and fun is the great list of possible gifts and talents found in chapter 6 (seen in the picture above).  This list is a great start to get you thinking about what specific gifts God has given you!

~Something that really stuck with me was the chapter that talked about getting "fueled up" to go out and serve God.  Gutwein emphasized that prayer and Bible reader are like our bread and water.  The way he explained the connection between these and being able to give our gifts to God for serving others gave new depth to these "everyday exercises" that sometimes, as a Christian, I forget are so very important. 

It inspired me to see someone as young as Austin standing up and sharing his story by publishing a novel! I was extremely impressed by Live to Give, which left me eager to discover, develop, and dedicate my own gifts. 

I received this book for free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my unbiased review.

***

Austin's new book Live to Give is about "Letting God Turn Your Talents into Miracles"! Celebrate with him by entering his "Get and Give" Campaign - you could win a Kindle Fire for yourself AND Litfuse will donate $250 to the charity of your choice!

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My identity = the end of me.

It's okay, this is just the end
Don't be afraid, this is where it begins, oh
'Cause everything here had to fall apart
But in the ruins of a broken heart

I found peace like a river to attend my soul
Hope running over when I let go
I found joy that was hidden for all these years
And love overflowing to wash over everything
Here at the end of me

If you are like me, you will probably agree with this statement:

"I am really concerned with making sure people know who I am--leaving an impression of my identity."

Even if we don't admit it, even if we are "shy" we have this underlying desire for people to know who we are and to respect us.

But, if you are like me, you find yourself struggling with defining this very idea: "what is my identity?"

This point in my life is a definite in-between stage. I'm going into my senior year of high school, I'm trying to decide what college to go to, and I'm trying to trust God with my future.

And it really feels like I'm being blown in the wind, because they are so many different voices trying to tell me who I am.

-Commercials that target teenage girls tell me I have to dress to impress, and have all the latest styles in clothing, hair products, mobile devices, makeup, and perfume.

-My family tells me I need to make the right decisions about my future and yet still find time to spend with them before I move out (scary thought).

-The media tells me (as they have for the past, like, 5 years) that I'm crazy to not have a boyfriend and that I need to hurry up and "start living" or "be normal."

And I'm left in a puddle of self-pity and stress, wondering why I ever wanted to "grow up and be like the big kids." Because, now that I see it all up close, it's not as glamourous as I had expected.

Now, this is the point where I'd like to have all the answers. But since this is about where I am right now, the answers aren't going to be so super clear.  I'd like to have a perfect verse or a snazzy quote...but I don't.

Because this is where my struggle ends, and my hope begins.

This is where I trust Him, and His forgiveness, and His love.

This is where I start again.

Review - Giants in the Land: The Way of Things

"There must always be giants in the land..."

-- About the Book --

What would you do if one morning you woke up and the one thing you had relied on your entire life had disappeared? How would you react if everyone around you was falling into hopeless fear? Would you be able to take a stand and believe even when there was nothing visible to trust?

These questions are what Thomas has to answer when he awakens to discover that the giants are gone. The giants have helped his village for generations--farming, building, and clearing.  They have also protected their land and caused the people to live in perfect peace.  

Now, the village is in pandemonium. Who will step up to seek the giants and bring them back? Thomas volunteers, not because he is the bravest person in the village, but simply because he knows it is the right thing. His journey begins an adventure that will teach him the true meaning of courage, faith, and hope.

-- My Thoughts --

~I wasn't sure what to expect from Giants in the Land: The Way of Things by Clark Rich Burbidge. It is classified as juvenile fiction, but I definitely found it to be an interesting, thought provoking read. The symbolism the book drew between the giants and the people in our lives that are our leaders was really interesting and deeper than I was anticipating.  I couldn't help but compare this book to a Ted Dekker novel, and while it did not go into quite as much backstory or spiritual metaphor, I definitely would say it is a meaningful, action-genre book (especially for pre-teens).

~Trying not to give too many spoilers, I'd like to share two amazing quotes from the book: 

"While the way if things is the only path worth taking, it is not an easy one. Other paths may seem easier at first, but...they lead to nothing... selfishness, self indulgence, and useless distraction pretend to be freedom at first."

"All people grow up with giants in their lives on whom they depend...this learning environment is important in every society. But if carried to far, people tend to become overly dependent on their giants." Instead, the story encourages us to discover "the power of hope, which leads to the exercise of faith, which becomes knowledge, inner strength, and wisdom."

~You may be wondering where God is in the story.  Like The Chronicles of Narnia (I did think of The Silver Chair reading this book because of the giants), Giants has a parallel to God, named "Worldmaker." The giants serve this God, and have a received a promise from Him that they will live forever to serve mankind and help them serve Worldmaker (who the people call "by another name" sound like Narnia?).  This reminded me of angels in the Bible as well, so I wonder if this is an intended parallel.

~The illustrations in the book were really fun, cartoon styled images that really set the scene for each chapter!

~In the end, this book left me excited for the next installment in the series (the ending was a great cliffhanger!) and I would readily recommend this book to pre-teens, teens, and adults looking for a wonderful, easy read about becoming who you are meant to be.

I received this book for free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my unbiased review.

Review: Tales of the Not Forgotten

--About the Book--

Joel, Seraphina, Ibrahim, and Christiana are average children: they have hopes and dreams. But what makes these children different is not that they live in different countries. It is the fact that they exist in extreme poverty and illness.  Still, this does not define them; instead, their adventures are about incredible faith and willingness to be used by God.  Their stories are collected in Tales of the Not Forgotten, and will most definitely inspire other people, young and old, to ask God to lead them to a mission.

--My thoughts--

~I really liked the way this book was organized: each chapter was a story about a different person, and within the story, the point of view would switch from the main character to the missionaries that were helping them.  This gave a unique view of every aspect of following God as He leads to unknown places and unknown (but very important) people.

~The theme of this book was a beautiful promise: you are not forgotten. In the darkest, dirtiest of circumstances, God proves Himself bigger and stronger than anything that faces you. Also, the book made me want to reach out to others to share that promise, and to tell them that I haven't forgotten them either.

~Something very special about Tales of the Not Forgotten is the fact that, although it is targeted at an audience of ages 8-12 (and I think it is a fantastic book for kids, my 12 year sister found it interesting), there is absolutely no reason why it cannot be convicting to youth and adults.  Beth Guckenberger writes a captivating read, in no way watered down.

~My book also came with the Tales of the Not Forgotten Leader's Guide: Kid's Missions Resource, a DVD containing printable lessons for leaders or Sunday school teachers. I haven't used this resource yet, but it seems like it would be a really helpful way of extending the discussions about missions with kids! The lessons include Bible story scripts, conversation cards, and activities to accompany the teaching lesson.

Overall, this was one of the best pieces of nonfiction  I've read in a long time! I don't want to read this book and forget it. No, I want to begin praying earnestly for God to show me my mission. 

I received this book for free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my unbiased review.

***

Celebrate with Beth by entering her Kindle Fire Giveaway and connecting with her during the Author Chat Party on 7/31!

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One winner will receive: A Kindle Fire with Wi-Fi A Tales of the Not Forgotten small group kit (books and DVD) Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on July 30th. Winner will be announced at the "Not Forgotten" Author Chat Facebook Party on 7/31. Beth will be hosting a book chat, testing your trivia skills (how much do you know children around the world?) and giving away some great prizes!

So grab your copy of Tales of the Not Forgoteen and join Beth on the evening of the July 31st  for a chance to meet Beth and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book - don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 31st!