Desiring God- The DVD study

"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." This is the main of point of Desiring God by John Piper and is the purpose statement that has directed his ministry over many years. I had already read the book (which I highly recommend that all Christians read), but was excited to receive the DVD set and study guide to view. The DVD set is broken down into 10 short clips of around 30 minutes each and the study guide is arranged to be used as a 12 week group study.

Piper teaches that the pursuit of pleasure for Christians is not optional, but essential. This pleasure is not a worldly pleasure where we seek to satisfy all of our fleshly cravings, but a pleasure where all desires are satiated in enjoying God. It is joy in God that we pursue and it is joy we are to fight for. Piper unpacks many scriptural texts and you will find precious jewels uncovered in the crevices of familiar passages. I had moments when I asked myself, "How did I miss that?" Piper's method of reading and understanding the Bible, through underling phrases and words and connecting them with lines and arrows, helped me to see the truths he was teaching. He teaches on finding joy in suffering, sanctification, worship, the ministry, evangelism and more.

After watching, I had an increased desire within me to enjoy God more than anything else and to pursue Him relentlessly. That will be my on-going prayer, for God to strengthen that desire and to help me be most satisfied in Him, so He will get the Glory. These DVDs are well worth the time spent watching.

I received this book free from Multnomah Blogging for Books program in exchange for a review.

Male and Female?

Kathy Witterick and David Stocker appear to be your typical parents. They have three children: Jazz, Kio and their youngest, Storm. But these parents are anything but typical. Unfortunately, they may be what could become typical. What makes them different is the fact that they have chosen to raise their children "genderless." (the two older children know they are boys)You may be asking the same question I asked which is "How can you raise a genderless child?" To this couple, this means that they will not tell anyone the sex of Storm, nor will they contribute to any gender social norms (blues and pinks for clothing, hairstyles, etc.) for any of their children. Nor will they use "he" or "she" when referring to Storm. To quote them, this is "a tribute to freedom and choice in place of limitation." David says, "If you really want to get to know someone, you don't ask what's between their legs."

I must admit that when I first read this, I was hoping these people were kidding. I knew they were not. I happen to have a schoolteacher friend that has a similar situation with a student, where the parent lets her daughter be a boy. I agree that you don't ask what's between someone's legs in order to really get to know them. His comparison of what they are doing as parents to knowing someone is a giant leap of logic and reason, even silly and ignorant. In fact, for the seriousness of the issue at hand, his response was lighthearted to the point of being irresponsible and, to me , quite unsettling. Gender is not something you get to choose. Saying someone is not a girl or boy (or even surgically changing genitalia) doesn't change the fact that they are a girl or a boy. God is very clear on human creation from the very beginning in Genesis 1:27 where we read:

So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

Kathy and David have bought into the cultural lie that gender doesn't matter and is limiting in some way. God created male and female for the obvious reason of procreation, but also for having two defining genders to complement each other and join together as they image God on the earth. The marriage relationship, male and female, models God's relationship to man and Christ's relationship to the church. When these images are perverted and confused (which this situation and the whole realm of other gender perversions we see on a daily basis does), the very image of God is also confused and perverted. God is glorified and honored when men and women embrace their natural gender for the proclamation and fame of His name. When a human attempts to, or even claims the right to, appoint or assign gender, he has removed the lordship of Jesus Christ and placed himself on the throne as a false creator and this is a path to destruction.

I am saddened that these children are being stripped and robbed of truly knowing who they are, as created by God. This abuse in the name of freedom needs to be stopped. How will this gender denial play out in the future relationships and possible marriages of their children and future generations? Are Kathy and David even asking questions like this or is this a way for them to play out their own confusion vicariously through their children? Witterick writes, "In fact, in not telling the gender of my precious baby, I am saying to the world, 'Please can you just let storm discover for him/herself what (s)he wants to be?!'"

Sorry, Kathy, it has already been decided and it is my prayer that you will let God mold Storm and your other children (and you) in this decision that He has made in His divine will and surrender your will to His.

Read the whole story here:

Parents keep child's gender secret - Parentcentral.ca

How to Write a Book Proposal by Michael Larsen

For years I have talked about writing, both fiction and non fiction. This blog and my previous one, Thin Places, were birthed out of this desire. If it has crossed your mind to put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard) to create a non-fiction book, then How to Write a Book Proposal by Michael Larsen is a must read. Larsen has been a literary agent since the early 1970's and brings his vast knowledge and experience to this book. He reveals everything an aspiring writer needs to know to write and sell his or her non fiction book idea. This is not a book about writing style, though there are some helpful tools in that matter. This book is about how to outline and put everything together to get published. Larsen writes early on that "this requires a fundamental shift in your thinking from being an artist to being a merchant, from being a writer with something to say to being an author with something to sell."
Publishing is a business and Larsen provides a must-have resource for anyone with that dream or gnawing book idea that needs to get out. I plan to keep this book close by as I try to get my ideas into a marketable form. We all read enough non-fiction, don't you think it's time we write something of our own?
Get to writing and get this book.

This book was provided at no charge from www.Booksneeze.com in exchange for this review.

The Next Story by Tim Challies

If you are reading this, you are engaged in the use of technology. You may be reading this on your computer or even your phone. If you have set yourself up as a follower of my blog, then you may have heard a BEEP! as you received an email on your phone, alerting you to the fact that I had posted something. It is difficult- I would say impossible- to live in this digital age and not be "connected" with some sort of digital device.

This digital age we find ourselves in has not always existed. In fact, I remember the day of rotary phones, 8-track players, and television with a very limited number of channels (I was fortunate enough to grow up in the Atlanta area when Ted Turner was getting his conglomerate started, so we had a few extras. If you don't know who Ted Turner is, then Google his name and you will see what I mean). I am what Tim Challies, in his new book The Next Story, would call a digital immigrant...I remember the pre-digital world. My children, however, are digital natives...they were born into it.They move from one device to the next effortlessly and , unfortunately, with little thought or reflection to how they are being affected by it.

In The Next Story, Challies provides us with an excellent resource broken into two main sections: the first helping us to understand technology and the history of the digital that has brought us to where we are today; the second part helps us to understand the implications of this digital world we live in and how to be discerning, as a Christian, in our use of it.

Because I think everyone should read this, Christians and non-Christians alike, I am not going to go over all the details of the book, but will highlight the points that I found most helpful. In Chapter 5 of The Next Story, Challies discusses "media" or "mediated information", basically meaning there is a medium ( a device of some sort) that stand between the sender and the receiver of information. He points to the introduction, and the eventual dominance, of "the screen" into our lives. This began with the movie screen, that people went to another location to view, and has become controlling in our lives where we may be monitoring multiple screens at the same time (i.e. looking at our laptop while watching television and keeping tabs on our cell phone simultaneously). Until reading the statistics Challies provides on the average time spent looking at "the screen", I was oblivious to it....it was just a typical day for me. Is this good or bad? The answer depends on if the things that God says are important are being sacrificed on the altar of technology. It could be face-to-face time in real relationships or the false intimacy of Facebook "friends", neglected responsibilities, or disintegrating ability to think deeply about the things that matter, primarily the things of God and his purposes and will. When I seriously looked at it, I was convicted by what I saw in myself and my use of technology.

Another aspect that I found so intriguing about this book was the discussion of truth and relevance and the subtle way these can be undermined with our use of technology. Challies educates his readers about how Google and Wikipedia function and how they try to determine for us what is relevant and true about any particular topic. For instance, if you do a Google search on any topic, it will be determine the most "relevant" link for you to go to find your information, with Wikipedia usually being either the first or second choice. Interestingly, many people will blindly accept as truth what Wikipedia says, not understanding the fact that anyone can write or edit a Wikipedia article, without any regard for accuracy or truthfulness, or of the writer being an authority on the subject. I am sure you can see the implications of all this. Basically, the consensus determines truth and relevance in this digital age, which is why Christians must be discerning. We know that God is Truth, so we must hold to God's Word as the Truth source.

I highly recommend this book and hope you will read it. It will help you in traversing the digital landscape as we live in The Next Story.

Thanks to Tim Challies and Zodervan for providing me this book to read and review. I highly recommend Tim Challies'blog at http://www.challies.com/

Slave by John Macarthur

"Slave of Christ Jesus." If you are in Christ, then this is your new identity, according to the latest book by John MacArthur, Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ. But why would MacArthur say this is a hidden truth? It comes down to one word: doulos. Doulos is the Greek word for slave and it appears 124 times in the New Testament and is the most common word that the writers of the New Testament use when denoting their identity and relationship to Christ. Surprised or confused,wondering why you never noticed it before? The answer, as identified by MacArthur, is that the word has been translated as servant in most cases. So what? you may ask. Servant, Slave, same thing isn't it? The problem is that the Greek language has a dozen or so words that can mean servant and doulos is not one of them. Doulos only refers to a slave or an attitude or status of a slave. This is very important and has dramatically altered my view of my identity in Christ.
Here is why it makes a difference in what word is used: Servants are hired; Slaves are owned.
Jesus used numerous illustrations where he used slave imagery to explain the relationship between himself and his disciples, including the well know statement "Well done, good and faithful servant" (literally good and faithful slave [doulos]) (Matthew 25:21)
Paul understood this slave relationship when he said, "You are not your own for you have been bought with a price." (1 Cor. 6:19-20) The New Testament writers commonly referred to themselves as "servants [doulos] of Christ Jesus" ( Romans 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; Jude 1:1; Revelation 1:1)

MacArthur carries the reader through scripture as he describes slavery and shows the connection and importance of slaves being joyfully loyal to their Master. The slave is given the privileged status of adoption as part of the family. What could be greater than to be a slave to a gracious and merciful Master that will provide for all your needs and give you a seat at His family's table?

In summary, there are only two kinds of people: slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness (which can only come through Christ)
Which are you?

Knock 'em Dead:The Ultimate Job Search Guide 2011

When I saw the opportunity to review this book, I asked myself if I really wanted to look at another job search guide, especially one that claimed to be the "ultimate" guide. Having worked for years helping welfare recipients find employment and end their dependence on the government, I have read plenty of books telling me how to construct a resume and interview well. Why would this one be any different? I am not sure what makes a guide the ultimate guide, but this one is actually one of the better ones I have seen. Martin Yate has written a book that will help the job seeker get an edge in the search process which, in today's broken economy with record unemployed, is crucial. This book will also help those who are wanting to change careers or get a better job in the same industry. Yate begins the book by stressing the point of defining the product of what he calls MeInc. and branding the product. I thought he did a very good job in helping the reader identify transferable skills that are needed and desired by most employers. These are used to help differentiate you, the job searcher, from your competitors. Once you know who you are and what you are offering, then you can construct a resume. What stood out to me in this book is the comprehensive way he handles interview questions. Yate dedicates four chapters to a detailed look at difficult interview questions and how to prepare for them and answer with confidence. The book is worth the money for these sections alone. Other sections include negotiating salaries and where the jobs are today. If you know someone struggling in their job search or someone wanting a career change, this book would make a great gift for them. I received this book free from the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze Program in exchange for an honest review.

The Corruptible by Mark Mynheir

Ray Quinn, ex-homicide detective now private investigator, has just been hired by Mayer Holdings to recover some stolen "merchandise" in the form of a brown satchel and a hard drive containing important information. The value of this information is evidenced by the obscene amount of the check Ray is holding to take the job. Being of sound mind, at least when he is not drunk from spending time with his closest friend Jim Beam, and being broke, he takes the case. When the person suspected of taking the merchandise is found in a shady motel with a skull-handled knife protruding from his chest, the investigation spirals into complexity. Ray and his assistant Crevis find themselves neck-deep in trouble as they tackle the obstacles of the case. Add the personal struggles of Ray's alcoholism and his disability from his days as a cop and Crevis' studying to pass the police exam, tempers and stress are at a high.

This is the plot of Mark Mynheir's latest novel, The Corruptible, the second installment in the Ray Quinn Mystery series. As in the first book, The Night Watchman, Mynheir brings his knowledge as a real-life detective to play in an action packed, fun-to-read book. He has created characters that are realistic, that the reader will actually care about. I enjoy the senses of humor that Ray Quinn is able to maintain in the midst of crazy situations he volunteers himself into.This is the third book I have read by Mynheir and I would recommend him to anyone that likes crime drama. I have recommended his books on numerous occasions. I read novels for entertainment and this one, along with the other Mynheir books I've read, will deliver. Enjoy.

This book was provided free of charge by the Multnomah Blogging for Books Program in exchange for an honest review.