Friday, October 7, 2011

Can't Judge a Book by it's Name (not all the time anyway...)









Recently, I started going to a weekly Mom's group. I went for the first time excited to hang out with Christian moms, and glad for my homeschooling kiddos to have friends to play with in the next room while we met. Then I saw the book: Lord, Help Me Grow Spiritually Strong in 28 Days (but we're doing 3 chapters a week--what rebels!). Judging the book by the name, I went into it thinking it was going to be some emotion-driven, sort of watered-down spiritual checklist of a text. (What a terrible pessimist I sound like!) Anyway, I couldn't be happier to have been wrong about the book! 

It is not touchy-feely at all, each day there is a foundational Christian principle discussed, with the Biblical passages all written in the book (Good for mom's who are reading while holding a sleeping baby and can't easily flip between the book and a Bible! Yippee!). There are questions about the passage with space to write your answer, but the authors ask you to answer using words from the text so as not to take the scripture out of context. I honestly felt silly doing this, but it makes you think and reflect and lets truths sink in deeper than usual speed reading allows.

Well, these past few weeks have seriously been super encouraging and challenging for me. I have really appreciated getting to know these women, and have loved this opportunity to pray for them and their families. In reading this book so far, I have realized that I have become someone who tries to survive the day, instead of someone who is focused on glorifying God in my life. Ouch! I hope it keeps hurting, and continues to make any part of my life that is not aligned with God's will uncomfortable, as He molds me bit by bit into someone who loves and lives like Jesus.

1 comment:

Keri Sheckler said...

Very encouraging, Jessica. I need to check into this book. Kay Arthur is always good and Scripture is ALWAYS BETTER.:)