My first book review for Bethany House Publishers:
The Karma of Jesus: Do We Really Reap What We Sow? by Mark Herringshaw
Coming from a fairly conservative upbringing, I grew up shying away from anything to do with "Eastern religion" and am most definitely not one to debate with others when it comes to doctrine and theology. My faith and belief in Jesus Christ are personal to me and while I enjoying sharing with others what God has done in my life, it is difficult for me to discuss anything that might cause conflict with another person.
That being said, the whole subject of Karma was foreign to me. The only thing I knew about Karma before reading this book is that there is a belief that there is good Karma and bad Karma. I had a very elementary understanding of Karma, and as a conservative Christian, I consider it a topic that I cannot put much effort or thought into understanding because it is NOT at the root of my belief system.
This author has taken the concept farther. The book is a result of conversations the author has had with people about Karma. The book is well-researched, well-written, and easy to read. The author's use of examples from modern media and classic literature is intriguing. The author also shares from his personal experience about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God the Father which, as a believer myself I find very encouraging and helpful in culmination of all of the author's research. He writes out of personal desire to share his belief and prompt others to come to the point in their lives where they, too, will see their need for Someone to save them from the eternal consequences of their wrong-doings (sin).
Ultimately, I'm a confused reader. I do feel that this book provides a good basis of research to learn about the history of the concept of Karma. I also feel that this book provides the reader with the Truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the basis of our Christian faith. I cannot, however, say that I am yet convinced that meshing the concept of Karma with the Christian concept of sin and "reaping what we sow" is clear to me. I admit that this could be a result of the teachings that are so engrained in my mind regarding the idea that we, as fundamental, Bible-believing Christians, should not give heed to other religious teachings because there is ONE way to God and that is through Jesus Christ. The author's attempt is to use the correlation he makes between Karma and those who hold to its concepts and the Christian concept of sin to shed light on the Truth of Jesus Christ in a "Karma-followers" life. I may be missing the point altogether, but I kept reading throughout the book thinking that I would get to a point where it would "click" for me, where I would understand where the conversation was actually headed. I never reached that point except to say that I did appreciate the fact that the author made the Truth of Christ clear to the reader, the Truth that we need Christ and life is different with Christ.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is seeking meaning in their life beyond Karma. If you believe Karma is all there is, please read this book and consider how Jesus loves you and wants to be in your life.
This is the review that I posted on Amazon.com today. The review can be found there at Reviews
I would also like to follow up (since this is my personal blog) with a comment that I would NOT have chosen this book to read if I were just out shopping for a book. I have never given a second-thought to the concept of Karma, never believed that anything in my life happened because of Karma, etc. I believe that everything in my life is a part of the bigger picture and that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and in control of it all. Yes, bad things happen, but so do good things. As a fundamental, Bible-believing, conservative (not ultra-conservative) Christian, this subject has never been approached in my entire education and life experience. So, for what it's worth, I felt a little incapable of really wrapping my mind around the concepts in the book. Ultimately, it did present the Gospel and it did so in a way that someone who DOES really grasp the concept of Karma and believe in it might actually begin to see that they need Jesus. I pray that it will serve that purpose and for that, I pray that Mark Herringshaw will be blessed for his efforts to reach these people.
On to the next book!!!
God bless your day!
Missy
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Link to a fun site for Crafters!!
This blogger is hosting a giveaway and wants us to spread the word about her site. If you're interested in crafting, knitting, crochet, etc., please take a chance to visit the following link!
http://vickiehowell.theopenskyproject.com/
Thanks for stopping by!
--Missy--
http://vickiehowell.theopenskyproject.com/
Thanks for stopping by!
--Missy--
Monday, November 30, 2009
Full
How many times do we hear this word over Thanksgiving weekend? :) As in "I'm so full" because we ate too much of that delicious holiday food. We've heard it quite a lot around here after having 3 different Thanksgiving dinners (Thanksgiving Day, Saturday with my side of the family, and yesterday with our older kids).
When I started writing this post, I was also thinking of what a "full weekend" we had, busy with all the plans and preparations for making Thanksgiving memorable for everyone. Sometimes I think we make our lives so "full" that we neglect the things that are important. Like, I'm a little bummed that in all of the chaos, we didn't take time to do our Thanksgiving tradition around here. Every year since 2000 or 2001, we have taken time to stop and write out what we are thankful for (on paper leaves), and each year I make a scrapbook of that year's leaves. It's a great record of what we've been thankful for over all these years. And somehow, this year, we just didn't get to it. Everything was so "full" and busy that we just didn't stop and take the time to do it.
I've also thought about this "full" concept from another perspective. Early on in our marriage and our journey into adoption and parenthood, I remember studying the book of Ruth. Ruth chose to leave her homeland, lost her husband and everything she knew to be familiar and followed her mother-in-law to a foreign place. She must have felt so empty. Then, as God would have it, He managed to replace things in her life, giving her a new husband and wealth and well-being, making her life "full" again.
Rather than having full stomachs or a full schedule, I'm trying to focus my heart and my life on having the fullness that God wants us to have. Where we could sit back and look at all the emptiness, the prodigal kids, the infertility we have faced, the failed adoption, the loss of a loved one, etc., we should focus on all the blessings that God has poured into our lives. He loves us. That, in itself, should fill us to overflowing with awe and joy. He provides for us. He shelters us, not FROM the storm, but IN the storms of life. He desires the best for our lives. He protects us. He heals us. He's planned an eternal home for us. He is our strength and joy in time of need. He "supplies all our needs according to His glorious riches." He is a Rock and a Refuge, a sure and steady foundation for our lives. In Him, we are "more than conquerors" and "adopted" and beloved children. He cares about every detail of our lives. He promised "never to leave or forsake us" and that he would be the "same yesterday, today, and forever." How full would our hearts and our lives be if we would remember to focus on all of THESE details rather than all of the emptiness or loss? It's amazing how just the thought of these characteristics and attributes of God, as well as His promises in our lives, just begin to change a person's heart, to change our expression and our reaction to life's ups and downs.
So, as we enter the month of December and the time of celebrating Christ's birth, I'm trying to remember how blessed I truly am for having a faith in a God that is able to FILL up my life to the FULLEST. I can hardly believe it's already December and already time to think about Christmas! This is my favorite time of the year, always has been. So, my hope is this year to live it to the FULL.
God bless your day!
When I started writing this post, I was also thinking of what a "full weekend" we had, busy with all the plans and preparations for making Thanksgiving memorable for everyone. Sometimes I think we make our lives so "full" that we neglect the things that are important. Like, I'm a little bummed that in all of the chaos, we didn't take time to do our Thanksgiving tradition around here. Every year since 2000 or 2001, we have taken time to stop and write out what we are thankful for (on paper leaves), and each year I make a scrapbook of that year's leaves. It's a great record of what we've been thankful for over all these years. And somehow, this year, we just didn't get to it. Everything was so "full" and busy that we just didn't stop and take the time to do it.
I've also thought about this "full" concept from another perspective. Early on in our marriage and our journey into adoption and parenthood, I remember studying the book of Ruth. Ruth chose to leave her homeland, lost her husband and everything she knew to be familiar and followed her mother-in-law to a foreign place. She must have felt so empty. Then, as God would have it, He managed to replace things in her life, giving her a new husband and wealth and well-being, making her life "full" again.
Rather than having full stomachs or a full schedule, I'm trying to focus my heart and my life on having the fullness that God wants us to have. Where we could sit back and look at all the emptiness, the prodigal kids, the infertility we have faced, the failed adoption, the loss of a loved one, etc., we should focus on all the blessings that God has poured into our lives. He loves us. That, in itself, should fill us to overflowing with awe and joy. He provides for us. He shelters us, not FROM the storm, but IN the storms of life. He desires the best for our lives. He protects us. He heals us. He's planned an eternal home for us. He is our strength and joy in time of need. He "supplies all our needs according to His glorious riches." He is a Rock and a Refuge, a sure and steady foundation for our lives. In Him, we are "more than conquerors" and "adopted" and beloved children. He cares about every detail of our lives. He promised "never to leave or forsake us" and that he would be the "same yesterday, today, and forever." How full would our hearts and our lives be if we would remember to focus on all of THESE details rather than all of the emptiness or loss? It's amazing how just the thought of these characteristics and attributes of God, as well as His promises in our lives, just begin to change a person's heart, to change our expression and our reaction to life's ups and downs.
So, as we enter the month of December and the time of celebrating Christ's birth, I'm trying to remember how blessed I truly am for having a faith in a God that is able to FILL up my life to the FULLEST. I can hardly believe it's already December and already time to think about Christmas! This is my favorite time of the year, always has been. So, my hope is this year to live it to the FULL.
God bless your day!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
More Thanksgiving Ponderings
Sitting down to write an entry here today, I'm still pondering the Thanksgiving Holiday. I believe that the heart of thanksgiving should be our year-round goal, not just one day a year. However, it is really the act of celebrating the Thanksgiving Holiday that brings it all to the top of our minds.
As I wrote in my last post, I'm so very thankful for my husband and the relationship that God has given us. Today, I turn my thoughts to other things I'm thankful for. One very hard lesson to learn...and one that I haven't actually learned well yet in my life but I'm working on...is to give thanks for the difficulties in life because they push us onward and upward in life toward more of God. Or, at least, they should! We've experienced quite a year of trials in 2009, and quite frankly, I'm looking forward to 2010 just to see if it's a better year than 2009!
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not thankful that I lost my dad this year. I'm not thankful that I lost two babies this year with the failed adoption of the twins. I'm not thankful that our older adopted kids all have so many struggles. I'm not thankful for financial strain (who ISN'T facing that right now?). BUT what I'm learning is that I do need to be thankful for what these things have done in my life...and in my life they have pushed me to seek God more. I struggle with discipline and consistency in "quiet times" or "devotions" but as an overall theme in my life, I have sought God more on a moment-by-moment basis as a result of the hard things we have gone through this year.
One passage of Scripture that shouts this message is James 1:2 (and following verses-NIV): "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds..." Now, no one really wants to be joyful in trials, and I'm definitely not someone who has been a living example of that this year. Reading some of the entries in this blog over the last few months can definitely prove that. But the passage goes on to explain in verse 3 that "...the testing of your faith develops perseverance" and in verse 4 that "perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
It is for a purpose. We may not ever be thankful for the hard times, but we can be thankful for that final purpose, the end result in our lives. I think it's reasonable to say that we will face some things in life that will never have a foreseeable or explainable purpose until we reach Heaven. It is then, when we are standing face-to-face with our Heavenly Father, that we will be complete, truly complete and not lacking anything as it said in James 1:4. It's definitely something I'm looking forward to.
In the meantime, as I remember all that I have to be thankful for, I will add these thoughts. I will remember that God is doing a work in my life through the difficulties, too. And the Word promises us that we can be "...confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6 NIV)
May you have a blessed Thanksgiving!
As I wrote in my last post, I'm so very thankful for my husband and the relationship that God has given us. Today, I turn my thoughts to other things I'm thankful for. One very hard lesson to learn...and one that I haven't actually learned well yet in my life but I'm working on...is to give thanks for the difficulties in life because they push us onward and upward in life toward more of God. Or, at least, they should! We've experienced quite a year of trials in 2009, and quite frankly, I'm looking forward to 2010 just to see if it's a better year than 2009!
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not thankful that I lost my dad this year. I'm not thankful that I lost two babies this year with the failed adoption of the twins. I'm not thankful that our older adopted kids all have so many struggles. I'm not thankful for financial strain (who ISN'T facing that right now?). BUT what I'm learning is that I do need to be thankful for what these things have done in my life...and in my life they have pushed me to seek God more. I struggle with discipline and consistency in "quiet times" or "devotions" but as an overall theme in my life, I have sought God more on a moment-by-moment basis as a result of the hard things we have gone through this year.
One passage of Scripture that shouts this message is James 1:2 (and following verses-NIV): "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds..." Now, no one really wants to be joyful in trials, and I'm definitely not someone who has been a living example of that this year. Reading some of the entries in this blog over the last few months can definitely prove that. But the passage goes on to explain in verse 3 that "...the testing of your faith develops perseverance" and in verse 4 that "perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
It is for a purpose. We may not ever be thankful for the hard times, but we can be thankful for that final purpose, the end result in our lives. I think it's reasonable to say that we will face some things in life that will never have a foreseeable or explainable purpose until we reach Heaven. It is then, when we are standing face-to-face with our Heavenly Father, that we will be complete, truly complete and not lacking anything as it said in James 1:4. It's definitely something I'm looking forward to.
In the meantime, as I remember all that I have to be thankful for, I will add these thoughts. I will remember that God is doing a work in my life through the difficulties, too. And the Word promises us that we can be "...confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6 NIV)
May you have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Thanksgiving
The holiday season is upon us. I can't even believe that THIS Thursday is Thanksgiving. Just so hard to comprehend how quickly this year has gone. I thought I was going to have a really hard time getting into the holiday spirit this year. I'm starting to feel that old familiar longing for peaceful days with the Christmas decorations up and snow falling outside our big picture window. I'm longing to smell those pies in the oven and the roasting turkey and ham. The chaos of having everyone in our house is a bit overwhelming, but the joy of knowing that we are together as one family is priceless.
Today I just have this overwhelming sense of thankfulness for one thing in particular, one part of my life that is a huge blessing to me. I'm just so very thankful for my husband today. He's a strong man. He's a sensitive and loving and compassionate man. He's a funny man. He's an affectionate man. He's a man of God. He's a hard-working man. He's a loyal man. He's a trustworthy and honorable man. He's a committed man. He's SOOOOOOOOOOOO much more of a man than I ever dreamed I would be able to spend the rest of my life with. We are about to celebrate our 13th anniversary. THIRTEEN years! Wow. I'm just in awe.
It's a great feeling to be more in love with this man than ever. I still have those "mushy, gushy love-y" feelings for him. It's amazing! But even more than that, it's a God-ordained, God-centered relationship that connects us spiritually at such a deep level that we truly are one. There are hard days in any relationship, in any family. We have most definitely had those hard days, but we are still going strong.
So, while I have many, many things I could list that I am thankful for, I am just so overwhelmingly thankful for my husband today that he is all I can think about right now. That, and the fact that I serve an AMAZING GOD who has given this man to me as my husband.
Even if other things are still a struggle for us right now, still working through our grief, still unsure of where some situations in our lives are headed...I have one strong foundation of a faith in a God who has incredible plans for my life...and one strong foundation of a marriage to a man who is everything I ever dreamed and MUCH, MUCH MORE.
God bless your Thanksgiving Week!
Today I just have this overwhelming sense of thankfulness for one thing in particular, one part of my life that is a huge blessing to me. I'm just so very thankful for my husband today. He's a strong man. He's a sensitive and loving and compassionate man. He's a funny man. He's an affectionate man. He's a man of God. He's a hard-working man. He's a loyal man. He's a trustworthy and honorable man. He's a committed man. He's SOOOOOOOOOOOO much more of a man than I ever dreamed I would be able to spend the rest of my life with. We are about to celebrate our 13th anniversary. THIRTEEN years! Wow. I'm just in awe.
It's a great feeling to be more in love with this man than ever. I still have those "mushy, gushy love-y" feelings for him. It's amazing! But even more than that, it's a God-ordained, God-centered relationship that connects us spiritually at such a deep level that we truly are one. There are hard days in any relationship, in any family. We have most definitely had those hard days, but we are still going strong.
So, while I have many, many things I could list that I am thankful for, I am just so overwhelmingly thankful for my husband today that he is all I can think about right now. That, and the fact that I serve an AMAZING GOD who has given this man to me as my husband.
Even if other things are still a struggle for us right now, still working through our grief, still unsure of where some situations in our lives are headed...I have one strong foundation of a faith in a God who has incredible plans for my life...and one strong foundation of a marriage to a man who is everything I ever dreamed and MUCH, MUCH MORE.
God bless your Thanksgiving Week!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
MORE books to review!
I'll just list these here and then get busy reading!!! :) I'm so excited about the chance to be a book reviewer for Bethany House Publishers. For anyone else who might be interested in receiving free books to read and post reviews on, go HERE.
I received FOUR more books in the mail today, all Christian inspirational fiction. Here they are:
The Silent Gift by Michael Landon Jr. and Cindy Kelley
Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin
A Measure of Mercy (book 1 of the "Home to Blessing" Series) by Lauraine Snelling
The Rose Legacy (book 1 of the "Diamond of the Rockies" series) by Kristen Heitzmann
Looking forward to ALL of these! Now I'd better get some reading done!
I received FOUR more books in the mail today, all Christian inspirational fiction. Here they are:
The Silent Gift by Michael Landon Jr. and Cindy Kelley
Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin
A Measure of Mercy (book 1 of the "Home to Blessing" Series) by Lauraine Snelling
The Rose Legacy (book 1 of the "Diamond of the Rockies" series) by Kristen Heitzmann
Looking forward to ALL of these! Now I'd better get some reading done!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Discipline in my life?
I have no idea why this is such a struggle for me. I want to be disciplined in my life. I want to have a regular time set aside for "devotions or quiet time with God." I want to have a routine for exercise. I want to keep up with my housework and my kids' schoolwork in a more structured and disciplined manner. You would think after being married for nearly 13 years, I would have SOME kind of structure in my life. But, honestly, most days are far from disciplined or structure. I have five kids at home with varying levels of attention difficulties and other issues. I have a large household and family to manage and run on a strict budget. I NEED to put more effort into planning and living a more "purpose-full" life. :)
This is definitely something that falls to the wayside as we walk through times of grief or stress. We call it our "survival mode" or our "crisis mode." Around here, we do well to keep up with the day to day things like dishes, laundry, and meals. Schooling is not the first priority when we're functioning in this mode, and I am always worried that my kids are getting the "short end of the stick" because of my lack of planning and teaching. Housework (other than the very basic necessities) gets delayed. Exercise and pampering ourselves does NOT happen while in this mode. Daily time with the Lord (time set aside to truly be alone with God) does not happen on a regular basis as it should either. Sure, our hearts are focused on living for God and we make decisions and base our actions upon what we believe God would want in our lives...but taking time daily to purposefully come to a quiet place with God and focus our attention on Him, it's just not happening!
I have often wondered why I feel this struggle. I know it's a common one. I believe that I was taught the importance of these things as a child but I didn't necessarily SEE them lived out on a daily basis. Above all, I think it is just a struggle of the flesh. When we are tired, distracted, discouraged and so on, we tend to put off the things that we know we need to do and just try to "check out" of life by finding the things that will appease for the moment. I tend to run to my computer, the TV, food, a friend or even my crafts...all to find "comfort" when really, I should find my comfort and peace in time with the Lord and living my life in the way that He would have me to live, with my priorities in order.
As I walk through this "comeback" of sorts, one of the hardest things for me has been just a lack of ability to focus. Not only focus on what is going on in the moment, but to focus on goals, to focus on priorities, and to ultimately focus on the Lord with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind. So, naturally, I'm going to have a hard time being "disciplined" in my life when I feel that I can't focus on anything.
The question now is: what will I do in order to change this? What can I do to help myself focus? Funny, how this is all so interconnected. If I DO the things I need to do to be disciplined in my life (i.e. time with God, time management, planning for my household, etc.), I am more focused. I believe that it starts with my time with God. He longs to spend time with me. He desires more and more of my time and focus. It's selfish and sinful of me to NOT give Him time. Oh, sure, a quick prayer here or a quick praise song there...that's all great. It's just not enough. That's really what this struggle is about. It's not about having all the discipline in the world and running a perfectly "tight ship" at home or in the family. It's about starting with the right priority in the first place! :)
Please pray with me that this will become a true time of rejuvenation, refreshment and healing in my life. We're slowly coming out of a fog, and while there are continuous issues in our family, we're feeling more "calm." We can begin to switch out of "crisis/survival mode" now. Pray that our family would be able to find the "new normal" and not feel that we have to keep up with this mode. We're praising God that He is faithful. Time and time again, we have seen His hand in our lives. This is yet another step along the way.
Thanks for reading and God bless you!
This is definitely something that falls to the wayside as we walk through times of grief or stress. We call it our "survival mode" or our "crisis mode." Around here, we do well to keep up with the day to day things like dishes, laundry, and meals. Schooling is not the first priority when we're functioning in this mode, and I am always worried that my kids are getting the "short end of the stick" because of my lack of planning and teaching. Housework (other than the very basic necessities) gets delayed. Exercise and pampering ourselves does NOT happen while in this mode. Daily time with the Lord (time set aside to truly be alone with God) does not happen on a regular basis as it should either. Sure, our hearts are focused on living for God and we make decisions and base our actions upon what we believe God would want in our lives...but taking time daily to purposefully come to a quiet place with God and focus our attention on Him, it's just not happening!
I have often wondered why I feel this struggle. I know it's a common one. I believe that I was taught the importance of these things as a child but I didn't necessarily SEE them lived out on a daily basis. Above all, I think it is just a struggle of the flesh. When we are tired, distracted, discouraged and so on, we tend to put off the things that we know we need to do and just try to "check out" of life by finding the things that will appease for the moment. I tend to run to my computer, the TV, food, a friend or even my crafts...all to find "comfort" when really, I should find my comfort and peace in time with the Lord and living my life in the way that He would have me to live, with my priorities in order.
As I walk through this "comeback" of sorts, one of the hardest things for me has been just a lack of ability to focus. Not only focus on what is going on in the moment, but to focus on goals, to focus on priorities, and to ultimately focus on the Lord with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind. So, naturally, I'm going to have a hard time being "disciplined" in my life when I feel that I can't focus on anything.
The question now is: what will I do in order to change this? What can I do to help myself focus? Funny, how this is all so interconnected. If I DO the things I need to do to be disciplined in my life (i.e. time with God, time management, planning for my household, etc.), I am more focused. I believe that it starts with my time with God. He longs to spend time with me. He desires more and more of my time and focus. It's selfish and sinful of me to NOT give Him time. Oh, sure, a quick prayer here or a quick praise song there...that's all great. It's just not enough. That's really what this struggle is about. It's not about having all the discipline in the world and running a perfectly "tight ship" at home or in the family. It's about starting with the right priority in the first place! :)
Please pray with me that this will become a true time of rejuvenation, refreshment and healing in my life. We're slowly coming out of a fog, and while there are continuous issues in our family, we're feeling more "calm." We can begin to switch out of "crisis/survival mode" now. Pray that our family would be able to find the "new normal" and not feel that we have to keep up with this mode. We're praising God that He is faithful. Time and time again, we have seen His hand in our lives. This is yet another step along the way.
Thanks for reading and God bless you!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
