Good books

Do you ever pick up a book not thinking anything about it and get into it and it rocks your world? I have now had three of those in a row. I am so thankful for each one cause I have been convicted on many levels over the last months and I love when God challenges us, molds us, and makes us more like Him. Although it doesn't always feel great at the time. The first two were Sacred Marriage and Authentic Faith both by Gary Thomas. Right now I am in the middle of a book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I am actually going through it with my college girls while reading it and challenging doesn't even discribe it. It really demands a lot from us as Christians and I truly believe it is based solely on biblical principles but man it sure does cause me to stop and think and really pray about my walk with the Lord. This week we have read a chapter titled "serving leftovers to a holy God". What a title. I have always been drawn to the book of Malachi which also focuses on this same topic. There are many passages in this book that challenged me that I am going to share.. now you are free to skip right over this but it is just something that is on my heart...

"Lets face is. We're willing to make changes in our lives only if we think it affects our salvation. This is why I have so many people asking me questions like, Can I divorce my wife and still go to heaven? Do I have to be baptized to be saved? Am I a Christian even though I 'm having sex with my girlfriend? If I commit suicide, can I still go to heaven? If I am ashamed to talk about Christ, is He really going to deny knowing me? To me these questions are tragic because they reveal much about the state of our hearts. The demonstrate that our concern is more about going to heaven than loving the King. Jesus said "If you love me you will obey what I command" (John 14:15) And our question quickly becomes even more unthinkable: Can I go to heaven without truly and faithfully loving Jesus? I don't see anywhere in scripture how the answer to that question could be yes. James 2:19 says "You believe there is one God. good! Even the demons believe that and shudder." God doesn't just want us to have good theology; He wants us to know and love him. 1John 2:3-4 tells us "We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The mand who says, 'I know Him' but does not do what he commands is a liar and the truth is not in him. Call me crazy buyt I think those verses mean that the person who claims to know God but doesn't obey His commands is a liar and the truth really isn't in him."

Another passage that was very challenging was on a passage that many people know and read through very quickly.. one that is read at most weddings but the author challenged me to do something with it that was very eye opening..

"I was challenged to do a little excercise with these verses, on that was profoundly convicting. Take the Phrase Love is patient and subsitute your name for the word love. Do it for every phrase in the passage. By the end don't you feel like a liar?: If I am meant to represent what love it, then I often fail to love people well.

1 cor 13:4-8, 13

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends... faith hope and love abide, these three; the the greatest of these is love.

Well this is what I have been reading and going on in my walk and journey. I am constantly brought to my knees realizing I can't do anything on my own and reminded that really there are no excuses to walking with God, eventhough I try to throw them out often. Nothing is worth my relationship with God, the only one that grants true peace, unconditional love, and wisdom. And to really look at how I am loving those around me. If my life is truly defined by Gods love. Cause I do think, unfortunately, christians are no longer seen by their love.

ON another note.. big things in this house. I am entering into my 8th month of pregnancy! only 8 weeks to go! and we are very excited. Allie maybe the most :) she asks me constantly when the baby is going to come out of my belly. This is the belly shot at 31 weeks... getting big! Its funny cause I always am refering to it as 'the beast' which is funny cause if its a girl she may come out with a complex :)

The latest Allie update is that she is now sleeping in her 'big girl bed'. We were having the HARDEST time getting her to go poopy in the potty. Potty training allie to go pee in the potty was so easy little did I know the other would be so difficult! So we set up her bunk beds and bought her new blankets (sheets are still on order) and told her when she went in the potty she could sleep in her big girl bed and she went yesterday in the potty so last night was her first night! She did great! I told her that she couldn't get out of bed till mommy came and got her in the morning and was a shocked when that worked! I walked in at 8:45 and there she was laying on her bed and she says "Allie no get out of bed!" she was so proud of herself :) as was mommy and daddy :) So she is now napping soundly on her bed and I am so happy it wasn't a struggle. So we'll see how the rest of this potty training goes!

Such a sweet girl. We are so looking foward to the interaction between her and the new baby. She is so sweet around everyones baby.. Although I know their may be jealousy I do think allie is going to be madly in love and want to be a mommy to him/her!

Happy New Years!