Best Books RE-READ in 2017

I re-read 18 books last year. Here are the two best books RE-READ in 2017. I first read ALL IN in 2013 and JESUS CONTINUED in 2014. I appreciated them more the second time!

All In: You are One Decision Away from a Totally Different Life

By Mark Batterson

Mark Batterson makes a case for the fact that Christians often say they are following Jesus when they really are inviting Jesus to follow them. Many of us have "bought in" to Christianity but we haven’t "sold out." Missionaries a century ago bought a one way ticket on board a ship when going to the mission field. And they each packed all their belongings in a coffin. They didn’t expect to return.

Batterson says: “Jesus didn’t die to keep us safe. He died to make us dangerous.” All In is a challenging book with many stories and biblical examples of those who did go “All In”; totally committed and giving their all to Christ. As I read this book two songs came to mind – “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no holding back” and “Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord to thee…” 

This book will teach and inspire us to consecrate ourselves to Him and do everything for His glory.

Jesus Continued: Why the Spirit inside you is better than Jesus beside you

By J. D. Greear

This is an excellent book about the Holy Spirit. The book is divided into three sections: The Missing Spirit, Experiencing the Holy Spirit and Seeking the Holy Spirit. Throughout the book Greear weaves Bible stories or references and the words of well known scholars, as well as sharing his own experiences and stories. For example, a touching story to illustrate God’s adoption of us brings this concept to life as he tells of he and his wife adopting four siblings at once. 

Are there times when you can’t feel God’s presence? Greear says “If you are a believer the feeling of being alone is always an illusion.” The section on seeking the Holy Spirit is challenging. We long for revival and for Holy Spirit power. “Revival is the intensification of the normal operations of the Holy Spirit.” Greear outlines steps to revival. These are not easy steps – think humility and repentance. “The Holy Spirit… is power for those who know they are powerless.”

This is a life changing book.

Blessings, Dottie

Valuing Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is on March first this year. This is a special day celebrated in many Christian churches. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the beginning of the 40 weekdays before Easter. Lent is observed in many Christian churches as a period of prayer, confession, repentance, fasting, and self-denial. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting and overcoming temptation in the wilderness. It also assists Christians in focusing on Jesus resolute journey leading to his crucifixion and resurrection. We learn to identify with his unwavering obedience. We recognize the price he paid for us.

Our faith journey, described in Changing Churches, began in a United Methodist Church – a church that observes Ash Wednesday. Throughout our years there, Ash Wednesday marked the beginning of a solemn and holy time of reflection. While searching for a church in 2008 we attended an Ash Wednesday service at another Methodist Church. I noted in my journal:

         

We sang six verses of “Just As I Am” and  “There is a Fountain Filled with Blood.”  The hymns, responsive readings, confession, and pastor’s message, touched and filled us. We received ashes in the shape of the cross on our foreheads and took Communion—opening and recommitting ourselves to Him. What a sacred event!

Prayer Journaling

In 2004 the teacher of my ladies Bible class mentioned journaling Psalm 51 about David’s sin, one phrase at a time, for the forty days of Lent. This proved to be a sobering but valuable exercise. In order to build up the church, Christians must change and grow. We must face our own sin and repent.

Understanding the Church Calendar

For those not in a liturgical church, Mark Galli’s explanation from his book Beyond Smells and Bells, may help you appreciate the emphasis on the church calendar. He writes:

The church calendar aims at nothing less than to change the way we experience time and perceive reality. . . . Advent signals the new year. For the church, the annual rhythm is not winter, spring, summer and fall, but Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter and Pentecost. . . . The church calendar is not about the cycle of life – school or sports or harvest time – but about the movement of history toward a glorious goal. We celebrate the past events of history not merely to remember them but note how they infuse the present with meaning and power, and point us to our future hope.

Let this be a Holy season for all Christians to ponder and pray and deepen our faith.

Blessings, Dottie

Journaling Psalm 51 Part 6

Psalm 51 is David’s repentance for his many sins including adultery and murder. He was a man after God’s own heart yet a sinner – saved by grace.

Psalm 51:16-17

You would not be pleased with sacrifices or I would bring them.

If I brought you a burnt offering you would not accept it.

The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit.

A broken and repentant heart you will not despise

Father,

You would not be pleased with sacrifices or I would bring them. If I brought you a burnt offering you would not accept it. I’m not sure why David wrote this since the Jewish people still did atone for sin by bringing you sacrifices. I know you don’t want empty rituals without genuine repentance. I know, too, that Jesus paid the price for me, redeemed me with his sacrifice. I give you my all. I’m not holding back – at least right now. I want to do so consistently. Yet I fail at times and take back control. I’m learning to listen to you for guidance and obey. Whenever I recognize you wanting me to give or give up something - doing so results in gain for me – rather than loss. 

Dear Father,

The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. A broken and repentant heart you will not despise. I give you the sacrifice you want – a broken spirit, a broken and repentant heart. Forgive me for my blindness to my own sins and keep showing them to me. Only you can break my spirit – which I’m inviting you to do. My “bad attitudes” consume me at times - self-pity, hurt, anger, fear and blame of others. Help me change, Lord. Help me have your mind in me. I lay my sins at the cross and all my neediness. I know you forgive me and I accept your forgiveness. Help me learn to abide in you more and more on this Lenten journey.

Blessings, Dottie

Journaling Psalm 51 Part 5

Psalm 51 is David’s repentance for his many sins including adultery and murder. He was a man after God’s own heart yet a sinner – saved by grace. Join me on this solemn and blessed journey of prayer, confession and repentance.

Psalm 51:12- 15

Restore to me again the joy of your salvation,

and make me willing to obey you.

Then I will teach your ways to sinners,

And they will return to you.

Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves.

Then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.

Unseal my lips, O Lord, that I may praise you.

 .

Dear Father,

Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.

You have restored to me the joy of my salvation! Thank you for welcoming me back. I marvel at my return to you and the journey we have been on ever since. And I marvel at M also coming to you. We’ve grown in knowing you and your Word. Thank you for all the dear pastors, leaders and friends you put in our path just when we needed them and their wisdom and friendship. I’ve learned so much about trusting you and obeying your call. I can rely on you and I’m not in control. Teach my heart and soul (the deep unconscious spaces in me) to know this so I will be more and more like you. Keep stretching me and drawing me even closer to you. 

Father,

 “Make me willing to obey you.” Obeying is difficult. It also has been a path that has blessed me. I obeyed about leading a marriage group, and it led me on an adventure that stretched and grew me. More recently I obeyed you in writing Changing Churches which led me to all these internet connections and adventures. Both of these stretched me and forced me to lean on you and trust you more.

Father,

Then I will teach your ways to sinners, and they will return to you. I want to be used by you to teach unbelievers—all those people who are separated from you. You used me to save someone’s life. You showed me years ago that I saved a life by getting a pregnant woman to a doctor. He discovered that her baby was dead and if she hadn’t come in when she did she would have died. To help save someone for Eternal life – even better! I know when I obey you (listen to you) others will see you in me and be drawn to you. Help me remember this and do this. Guide me in what to pray, let your Holy Spirit give me the words. Remind me it’s not about me so I’ll be a channel for you and your power.

Father,

Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves.  I know my sins are responsible for shedding Christ’s blood. I know this in my head, it’s hard to accept it in my heart – it’s so mysterious and upsetting to think I shed my Lord and Savior’s blood and that the same blood now covers all my sins that caused this. Forgive me, Lord. I haven’t literally killed anyone though I have had "murder" (terrible anger) in my heart at times. I hope I haven’t “killed” anyone’s spirit. Forgive me, Lord and teach me what I need to learn about my anger and hurtful words. I know you forgive all these sins and I thank you for this and accept your forgiveness. You are the God who saves.

Dear, Father,

I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. Unseal my lips, O Lord, that I may praise you.

I joyfully sing of your forgiveness. "Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound..." I am amazed at your forgiveness. I thank you for forgiving me daily as I become more aware of current and recurrent sins. I thank you for my new life in Christ and that my heart often burns within me with your love.

I pray you will unseal my lips that I may praise you. When I am abiding in you my lips are unsealed. I want to praise you from the house tops then! Singing your praises draws me to you. I praise you for the ways you’re cleaning my heart and giving me a new heart. I praise you that you make all things new.

Blessings, Dottie

Psalm 51 Part 1 is here.

Psalm 51 Part 2 is here.

Psalm 51 Part 3 is here.

Psalm 51 Part 4 is here.

Journaling Psalm 51 Part 4

Psalm 51 is David’s repentance for his many sins including adultery and murder. He was a man after God’s own heart yet a sinner – saved by grace. Join me on this solemn and blessed journey of prayer, confession and repentance.

Psalm 51:10-11

Create in me a clean heart, O God.

Renew a right Spirit within me.

Do not banish me from your presence,

And don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

.

Father,

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right Spirit within me. I do desire a new heart (soft, loving and pliable in your hands) and a clean heart (pure and washed free of all the sins that separate me from you). Thank you for the revelation you gave me this morning from Oswald Chambers – lust is “I must have it at once.” I haven’t out grown my childhood self-centeredness. I was aware of this when  M and I filled out a necessary form together. I complained throughout about how much I hate paper work. Grumble, grumble, grumble. Thinking back to last week when I got so upset I suspect that was due to “wanting what I wanted when I wanted it.” I felt pressure about all the tasks ahead – rather than taking one day at a time and trusting you. Forgive me for all these sins.

Only you can change me – but I know you can and have already done this. I accept your forgiveness and need your help in turning away from these sins that are so ingrained in me. I accidentally wrote new heart above (instead of clean). This led me to Ezekiel 36:26-27. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. I claim this promise, Lord.

Father,

Renew a right spirit within me. You have done this in amazing ways. My spiritual birthday is this month – the day we returned to church 23 years ago. The turn around in my life, heart, mind and spirit is amazing. You have said you make all things new. You have made me a new creation. Not that I have arrived. Help me walk in your Light and in your Spirit consistently. Erase my edginess, irritation, self-will and frustration. Help me see the positive and focus only on that and center my life on you.

Father,

Do not banish me from your presence, And don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

I wonder if you ever do banish us from your presence. I think you withhold our awareness of your presence to increase our faith or for our own good. Also, we are unable to pray or connect with you when we are angry, rebellious or self-centered. I believe you are always with us as Jesus said. I thank you for this assurance and for all I’m learning through your Word. Help me remain and abide in you and walk in your Light. Show me when I stray even one step away.

I can’t imagine you taking your Holy Spirit from me. I guess David felt you had done this. Due to his sins he must have felt separated from the closeness to you he’d known. Though I ignored you for so many, many years (and your Holy Spirit and your Son) – I know now you were with me and in me – keeping me from straying too far, wooing me back. If you hadn’t been – I don’t think I would have choked up singing “Fairest Lord Jesus” – that first Sunday back in church. Help me continue to abide in you. Help me to sense your Holy Spirit abiding in me and filling me.

Blessings, Dottie

Psalm 51 Part 1 is here.

Psalm 51 Part 2 is here.

Psalm 51 Part 3 is here.

Journaling Psalm 51 Part 3

Psalm 51 is David’s repentance for his many sins including adultery and murder. He was a man after God’s own heart yet a sinner – saved by grace. Join me on this solemn and blessed journey of prayer, confession and repentance.

Psalm 51:7-9 NLT

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;

wash me and I will be whiter than snow.

Oh, give me back my joy again;

you have broken me – now let me rejoice.

Don’t keep looking at my sins.

Remove the stain of my guilt.

Dear Father,

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.

You washed the disciples’ feet to show us we are to serve others and be humble, not puffed up. I’ve also been washed by baptism and with tears of repentance. But only you can wash me whiter than snow and cover all my black spots and you did this with your blood. I thank you and praise you for this. What an awesome God you are. 

Father,

Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me – now let me rejoice.

You “broke” me as I surrendered to your call and went out on a limb – or jumped off a cliff to do what seemed to be your will for me. You have given me back my joy at a number of crisis or change points over the years. The change in my attitudes is amazing. I’m calmer, more at peace, more confident (in you), kinder and I see my sins quickly and repent and make amends. (I hope this is true, I’m a work in progress, I know.) Now I am rejoicing. Hold me close in your love, your joy and your peace.

Father, 

Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt.

I am tired of looking at my sins but I know it helps me grow closer to you and that you are gently showing me my sins. Last night was very difficult as I got angry and hurt when M was quiet, distant and didn’t hear me. I struggled and prayed and didn’t want to sin in my anger. I couldn’t let it go so I asked to talk with M. This helped some but we talked again later and I spoke the truth in love to M. Forgive the irrational anger that I did express. I know I need to work out all this inner pain. I give it all to you and know you will help both M and I through this struggle. M in fact, felt we had a break through last night. Another sin I realized yesterday helped me be a kinder person. I was going to eat all the left over popcorn before M got back with the mail – until I realized how self-centered this was and I fixed him a bowl. So I guess I’ll ask you to keep showing me my sins I’m not aware of and help me change. Show me how to walk in your light, even when raw from inner pain.

Blessings, Dottie

Part 1 is here.

Part 2 is here. 

Journaling Psalm 51 Part 2

Psalm 51 is David’s repentance for his many sins including adultery and murder. He was a man after God’s own heart yet a sinner – saved by grace. Join me for part 2 of this solemn and blessed journey of prayer, confession and repentance. 

Psalm 51:3-6 NLT

For I recognize my shameful deeds –

 they haunt me day and night.

Against you and you alone, have I sinned.

I have done what is evil in your sight.

You will be proved right in what you say,

and your judgment against me is just.

For I was born a sinner—

yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.

But you desire honesty from the heart,

so you can teach me to be wise in my inmost being.

Father,

I recognize my shameful deeds – they haunt me day and night. I recognize my shameful deeds - leaving you for decades and as a result, not raising my children to know and love you, not raising them in church. These sins haunt me day and night. I’m learning that sleepless nights often point to other shameful deeds I’ve denied. Lord, reveal my shameful deeds to me. Guard my mouth especially so I can be angry but not sin and so I will discern gossip before I say it or hear it. Help me see my distorted, self-centered and prideful motives. I thank you that you forgive my sins.

Against you, and you alone, have I sinned. I have done what is evil in your sight.

Against you I have sinned over and over. I have sinned by drifting away from you for decades and forgetting your love and your Word and your church. Even now that I’m back I forget you or drift away without realizing it. Some times I want to sit on the throne. I’d rather “practice the presence of self.” I become angry and rebellious. Some times I don’t understand what has broken my strong connection with you. Help me learn to abide in you always. I’m thankful you always run to meet me when I’m heading toward you. I know when I hurt M (or others) it hurts you also. I don’t like to think about this.

After more than 20 years of allowing you to change me I’m still like an immature child – wanting my way, wanting what I want when I want it. I’m so full of pride. Lord, change me. I know I’m made in your image and that you live in me. Without you, I will continue to mess up. I ask your forgiveness for all these sins: self-centeredness, impatience and pride. I want to turn away from these and become a new creation in Christ. I accept your forgiveness and pray you will fill me with your Holy Spirit today and every day.

Father God, You will be proved right in what you say and your judgment against me is just. For I was born a sinner – yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. You have been more than just with me. I repeatedly drift away from spending time with you. Reading Romans 8 yesterday and your offer to adopt me as your child, to be mother and father to me, made me cry. Help me keep you on the throne of my heart today and help me practice your presence.

Father, You desire honesty from the heart, so you can teach me to be wise in my inmost being. I know you desire honesty from the heart and I don't always give this to you. Forgive me. I know I escape much struggle and pain if I let you search my heart, if I listen to you and face/confess my sin daily. Thank you for the road you’ve led me on recently – a road that required surrender and honesty yet leads to a closer walk with you, and will bring you glory. Forgive my self-consciousness and nervousness in being transparent with others. I know this will become easier and you know it stretches me right now. 

Teach me to be wise in my inmost being - my unconscious? My spirit? My soul? – all of these! I know this will only happen as I let you lead me and as I am honest and open with you and with myself. Help me in this Lord, I’m willing – yet I know I resist and stray from you. Help me see myself as you do. Help me stand naked before you. 

Psalm 51 Part 1 is here.

Journaling Psalm 51

Psalm 51 is David’s Psalm of repentance for his many sins including adultery and murder. He was a man after God’s own heart yet a sinner – saved by grace. Lent is a call to prayer, confession and repentance. I plan to journal on Psalm 51, dividing the Psalm into six sections which will be posted once a week through Lent. Join me on this solemn and blessed journey.

Psalm 51:1-2 NLT

Have mercy on me, O God,

because of your unfailing love.

Because of your great compassion,

blot out the stain of my sins.

Wash me clean from my guilt.

Purify me from my sin.

Father,

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. You have shown me so much mercy. You have forgiven all my sins – even my rebellion — willfully turning away from you. I ignored you for decades and you took me back. I continue to sin and you always forgive me. Yesterday I spurted anger at M about a minor issue. You forgave me when I asked (and so did he). Your mercy never ends. Your love is unfailing, beyond comprehension. You love without conditions. Forgive me for not living as though I believed this. This is obvious in my need to control things rather than trust you. Help me trust you.

Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Your compassion has no bounds and we who receive it do not merit it. It is unmerited favor – truly Amazing Grace from the God of the universe. Your compassion is so huge you gave your Son to suffer and die for me. Your compassion is so unending that it is with me every moment of every day if I will just see it. Open the eyes of my heart and remove the spiritual cataracts from them. Blot out the stain of my sins. I want to be one with you yet my sin keeps me from you. I continue to put myself on the throne. I flare with anger and irritation. I gossip. I entertain worry thoughts. I’m fearful. I’m critical of others. I confess again these sins and ask your forgiveness.

Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. You blot out the stain of my sins. You accept me as I am and call me to listen to you, lean on you, and follow you. Purify my heart in the consuming fire of your love. You have washed me clean of my guilt – with your blood. “What can take away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus” sings in my soul. These words are true. Thank you for the hope I have in you. 

Blessings, Dottie