People pleasing versus God pleasing

I have been dealing with this a LOT lately. So I thought I should share this Joyce Meyer devotional that I've been reading...

Our pastor made a comment this last weekend that also stuck with me. Being in God's will doesn't mean that we won't have difficulty. That isn't the way to determine whether or not we are in His will for our lives.

Sometimes, I believe we face MORE adversity when we are in God's will. We do have an enemy that doesn't want us there. An enemy who will do anything, use anything, to discourage us and keep us from walking in God's will for our life.

Treasured

I remember as a little girl being very nosy. (I often wonder now if my parents found it as annoying as I do now with my own 9 year old). I tried to listen in on conversations between the adults in the house, but I especially liked to pick through my grandmother's jewelry box and cedar chest. I loved to find the random item that seemed unusual and out of place. Anytime I started to think Grandma had lost it, she told me the story of why she had kept it. Reasons that were completely valid. There was some significance attached to the item in her memories.

Leigh McLeroy's book, Treasured Knowing God by the Things He Keeps, examines the significance of items mentioned in His Word and what they reveal about His nature. Some of the items examined in the book include a dry waterskin, Abraham's knife, a smooth stone and a scarlet thread. McLeroy applies her own personal experiences and feelings to each examination. She is perfectly transparent and lays her most intimate emotions and experiences out for scrutiny. It is very thought provoking.



The transitions from personal experience to the application to God's Word are fairly abrupt. Looking past that, McLeroy provides interesting material that could serve as a conversation starter. The discussion guide provided would work well for a small bible study or personal reflection.

Leigh McLeroy is the author of The Beautiful Ache and The Sacred Ordinary. An avid collector and recorder of everyday moments, words, and wonders, Leigh’s keen eye for God’s presence in ordinary life infuses her writing and living with a deep, insistent joy. A frequent conference and event speaker, the author makes her home in Houston, Texas, and posts often on www.leighmcleroy.com and www.wednesdaywords.com.

Check Treasured out here.

This book was provided for review by Waterbook Publishers.

God Gave Us...... (Reviews)

This time of year can be meaningful as a time of remembrance of God's love for us. But, the message and the meaning can also get lost in the commercialism and materialism that surrounds the holiday too. I am constantly looking for resources to reinforce the importance of the true meaning of Christmas.

Lisa Tawn Bergren's book, God Gave Us Christmas is an excellent book designed to reinforce the fact that GOD gave us Christmas because of His love for us.


I was at a mom's group yesterday evening where many moms discussed Santa Claus and how their family handled Santa. I loved the quote in this book where mama bear tells her cub, "Santa Claus reminds us about many good things like generosity and care. But it is God and Jesus that we celebrate most come Christmas. We always want to thank God for giving us Christmas."

The illustrations are captivating and beautiful. This book is a treasure that I hope to keep and read as a holiday tradition for a long time!

I also had an opportunity to review God Gave Us Love by the same author.



While this book doesn't mention Christmas specifically, it does teach that love comes from God and God gives us love to give to others, which is certainly appropriate during the holiday season. It also tenderly explains that love is a choice and not always a feeling. The use of a patient Grandpa bear to explain these concepts to the cub is truly endearing.

Lisa Tawn Bergren is the award-winning author of nearly thirty titles, totaling more than 1.5 million books in print. She writes in a broad range of genres, from adult fiction to devotional. God Gave Us Love follows in Lisa’s classic tradition of the best-selling God Gave Us You. She lives in Colorado, with her husband, Tim, and their children, Olivia, Emma, and Jack.

You can check out more info on these books here and here.

These books were provided by Waterbrook/Multnomah Publishers for review.

White Picket Fences Winner!

I'm a little late getting around to this, but the winner of the White Picket Fences giveaway, as determined by Random.org is Laurel! Congratulations! I will email you to get your address! Come back soon for another great giveaway!

White Picket Fences (Review & Giveaway)

Do you ever look at the life of someone else and think, "Wow, they have it all together! Their house is beautiful, they are healthy, they have adorable and well-behaved children. Life for them is so easy!" You know you do! I do. But we also know appearances are deceiving. It is like seeing two pixels of an entire computer screen, or even better, do you know those pictures that are made up of thousands of other smaller pictures? It is like looking at one tiny panel of one of those.

Susan Meissner's White Picket Fences is about a family that appears to have it all. Wonderful careers, great kids, and a perfect life. Amanda Janvier agrees to have her niece, Tally, stay with the family when her father disappears. Tally and Amanda's teenage son, Chase, work together on a school project about the Holocaust. Chase becomes troubled. This project unlocks secrets that have been carefully hidden in his family. But secrets always have a way of coming to the surface. Can this family survive the turmoil and stick together?

Meissner's characters are very developed and believable. About halfway through the book I couldn't put it down. I tend to avoid Holocaust books, because of the heavy subject matter. This book deals with it thoughtfully and tastefully. Facades and secrecy aren't glorified. The importance of relationships and communication come through. A very interesting read!

Susan Meissner cannot remember a time when she wasn’t driven to put her thoughts down on paper. Her novel The Shape of Mercy was a Publishers Weekly pick for best religious fiction of 2008 and a Christian Book Award finalist. Susan and her husband live in Southern California, where he is a pastor and a chaplain in the Air Force Reserves. They are the parents of four grown children.

Buy it here.

This book was provided for review by Waterbrook Press.

Interested in your own copy? Leave a comment by Friday, November 20 on this post (or on facebook post) and I'll give one away!

Dear Santa....

I know it seems a little early, but my kids have been working on their wish lists for some time, so I figure, why not?

I know I should ask for world peace and food for the starving kids in Africa.
I know I should ask for love among my brothers and sisters (and a hammer, probably showing my age there).

But I'm all about keeping it "real" these days.

So,

for Christmas I would like,

A Family Celebration of Christ free from arguments, strife, and guilt.
5 more hours in every day
A housekeeper
A landscaper
A personal chef
A live-in babysitter (well, I do have an 11 year old who is good for short stints).
A dumpster
A weekly date night with hubby
NO MORE TOYS!

If you can't deliver, don't bother stopping at this house.....

My heart today

Caught in the half-light, I'm caught alone
Waking up to the sunrise and the radio
Feels like I'm tied up, what's holding me?
Just praying today will be the day I go free

I want to live like there's no tomorrow
I want to dance like no one's around
I want to sing like nobody's listening
Before I lay my body down
I want to give like I have plenty
I want to love like I'm not afraid
I want to be the man I was meant to be
I want to be the way I was made

Made in Your likeness, made with Your hands
Made to discover who You are and who I am
All I've forgotten help me to find
All that You've promised let it be in my life


How about you?