Make a Difference

Recently, Booksneeze.com provided me the opportunity to read Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado in advance if I would offer my opinion on it. So, here it goes.

It seems like lately the trend in Christian writing has been on the theme about making a difference, not settling for good enough, etc. This book is no exception. It calls us to be authentic; to live what we believe. Although, the concept may be similiar to other books I have read, its delivery is not. What I loved about Lucado's recent book is I could hand it to anyone, regardless of age or spiritual maturity, and they could walk away with something. Lucado gives a profound thought delivered in a simple way.

He uses the book of Acts as his launching point and central theme. He uses it to challenge us with chapters, such as, Let God Unshell You and Open Your Door; Open Your Heart. He begins by reminding us that the early church was started by people who were little more than average. Before Jesus, they were ordinary people doing ordinary things. He reminds us, "truth be told, they had nothing more than this: a fire in the belly to change the world."

That is what his book is about. It is a call to get past ourselves, our fears, inadequacies, selfishness and begin to change the world.

Everyone Matters

I have just finished reading The Butterfly Effect: How Your Life Matters by Andy Andrews which I was provided by Book Sneeze to review. It is a short inspirational book that deals with the question we all ask at some point in our life, " do I really matter." Normally, I wouldn't have picked up a gift book, but this one effected me in ways I didn't expect.

Honestly, I'm not sure I would have appreciated this book had I not read it at this specific time in my life. Lately, I have been contemplating how much impact one person can make and if my choices are really important. This book hits that topic head on, starting out with explaining the butterfly effect. Basically, the idea is the flap of a butterfly's wings on one side of the world can start a chain reaction leading to a hurricane on the other side of the world. One small action can lead to a world changing reaction.

He then goes on the tell the story of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. A former professor, now turned Colonel in the Union Army did something made a choice that established a course of history that may have been very different had he chosen differently. In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Chamberlain had to choose between retreat or facing the enemy head on. His man had held on through many attacks. The logical reaction would have been to retreat, instead Chamberlain chose what to some may have looked like a suicidal charge. Without that choice, our nation may have looked very differently today.

When I received this book in the mail, I never would have expected the outcome. The ideas in this small gift book have kept me up at night. I think about the choices I'm making and what the outcome of those choices might be. I am beginning to see that every life matters.

The Sweet By and By

The Sweet By and By was like looking in a mirror and seeing the lives of my friends and families. Its a story about needing forgiveness and giving it. The characters are real and relatable. They are people we see everyday in our lives, hiding pain and secrets, while on the surface they seem sucessful and happy.

Jade is just like us all, hanging on to the past while at the same time trying to let it go. She's rebelling against her family, but still longing for their acceptance. Her story is filled with emotion and intensity, yet practicality and strength.

The story, although anti-climatic at times, ends with redemption and reconciliation and leaves a desire for the reader to find the same kind of grace in their own lives.