A Life Beyond Amazing by Dr. David Jeremiah

A Life Beyond Amazing by Dr. David Jeremiah This very refreshing book focuses on the nine fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22,23 and how a decision to pursue each will change your life into one "beyond amazing". The nine qualities are love, joy, peace, endurance, compassion, generosity, integrity, humility and self-discipline. Dr. David Jeremiah describes each, both in terms of what they are and what they are not. He challenges the reader, in very practical ways, to cultivate each. I found each chapter to be personal and easy to understand, as the author uses memorable real-life illustrations of each quality. Jeremiah also has what I thought were some original thoughts. Of particular benefit to me was one on page 54: "There are four main highways upon which the peace of God travels: the Spirit of God, the Son of God, the Word of God, and prayer." In the chapter on self-discipline, the author writes: "Ïf we're not unhappy and dissatisfied with how much and what kind of love, joy, and peace we have in our lives, nothing will change. If we're not convicted that we fall short in generosity and compassion, we'll stay the same. And if we think we're humble and resilient when we're not, we fool ourselves and a life beyond amazing for us will just be a nice title to a new book. "So embrace your dissatisfaction with your life. Don't let it depress or discourage you. Remind yourself that the more you want a better life, the more power and fuel you have to achieve it!" This is a common tone in this book; after laying out the chapter's quality, Jeremiah talks to you like a wise friend, zeroing in on your responsibility to God and yourself. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program.

You Are the Beloved by Henri J. M. Nouwen

This collection of 365 meditations by a Catholic priest who died in 1996 has something for everyone. Nouwen’s perspective, heavily influenced by time spent contemplatively in solitude, makes for unique insights. I am not Catholic and so do not share Nouwen’s views on saints and relationships with those who have died, but there was much here to like. Nouwen encourages the reader to embrace experiences usually thought of as “negative”, such as loneliness, pain, and death. Here are a couple of my favorite selections: From February 25, “There is a false form of honesty that suggests that nothing should remain hidden and that everything should be said, expressed, and communicated. This honesty can be very harmful, and if it does not harm, it at least makes the relationship flat, superficial, empty, and often very boring. When we try to shake off our loneliness by creating a milieu without limiting boundaries, we may become entangled in a stagnating closeness. It is our vocation to prevent the harmful exposure of our inner sanctuary, not only for our own protection but also as a service to our fellow human beings with whom we want to enter in a creative communion. Just as words lose their power when they are not born out of silence, so openness loses its meaning when there is no ability to be closed.” From October 9: “You have been wounded in many ways. The more you open yourself to being healed, the more you will discover how deep your wounds are. . . . The great challenge is living your wounds through instead of thinking them through. It is better to cry than to worry, better to feel your wounds deeply than to understand them, better to let them enter into your silence than to talk about them. The choice you face constantly is whether you are taking your hurts to your head or to your heart. In your head you can analyze them, find their causes and consequences, and coin words to speak and write about them. But no final healing is likely come from that source. you need to let your wounds go down to your heart. Then you can live through them and discover that they will not destroy you. Your heart is greater than your wounds.” I highly recommend this book, as it will help you think about the way you think. I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.