Crash the Chatterbox by Steven Furtick

"The voice you believe will determine the future you experience"
 - Steven Furtick

In my opinion, Crash the Chatterbox is Steven Furtick's best book to date.  Why?  It's very transparent and something everyone can relate to.  The four main issues discussed are insecurity, fear, condemnation, and discouragement.  I think we all struggle with these issues from time to time, if not daily.  Pastor Steven courageously shares his struggles with these issues and the mindsets and strategies he has found useful in overcoming them. 

As someone who faithfully tunes in to listen to Pastor Steven's sermons, I would compare this book to a Greatest Hits album.  I have marked up this book, underlining ideas that I have heard in past sermons and have put into practice.  What's more - they really do make a difference!  It encourages me to hear that I'm not alone in the battles I face inside my head every day.  I like having a resource that I can go back to and re-read whenever I need to gain a better perspective and remember what's true. 

Pastor Steven admits that reading this book and putting these strategies into practice "doesn't mean the chatter will end.  It just means that we'll have something stronger - and louder - to override it every time it starts."  We live in the middle of a spiritual battle and there is no way to escape getting involved.  In fact, "the more you grow in Christ and the closer you get to fulfilling the things He put you on the earth to do, the more intense the battle with your chatter becomes."  Haven't you found this to be true?  If there's gonna be chatter, I want to be as prepared as possible to handle it.

I highly recommend reading this book.  But don't forget to grab a pen or highlighter when you sit down to read ...you will find truths and encouragement that you'll want to remember in the days ahead! 

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for an honest review.

My Latest Download

I recently heard the song "I Will Look Up" by Elevation Worship.  I fell in love with the chorus because it is so visual.  As I envision myself standing and looking in all directions, the lyrics remind me how to set my focus.

I WILL LOOK UP, for there is none above you.

He alone is God.  Looking up makes me aware that there is more to this life than what I can see or understand.  It reminds me to thank God for who He is. 

I WILL BOW DOWN, to tell you that I need you.

Bowing down is an act of submission.  Admitting to God that I can't do it alone, but that I believe His grace will be sufficient for me.

I WILL LOOK BACK, and see that you are faithful.

We're told not to look back in the same way Lot's wife did - yearning for our former way of life.  But we do need to look back to remember God's faithfulness.  He has brought me thus far, and therefore I can trust him with my future.

I LOOK AHEAD, believing you are able.

Walking forward, head held high, confidently believing that God is able to use me to accomplish something great. (easier said than done!) Looking ahead makes me more aware of other people and recognize opportunities I have to bless them.

The only other direction I would add is to LOOK BESIDE.  Standing beside me are my friends and family - the ones who support and encourage me on this journey. 

So now that I've given you a peek at the song, why not listen to it for yourself?

Tribute to Bella

A few summers ago, my husband found this little stray kitten in our neighborhood.  Normally not being fond of cats, I was surprised when he asked if we should take her in.  Of course once my boys laid eyes on her the decision was made... Bella became ours.

She was covered in fleas, yet too young for flea meds.  The first few weeks were very interesting trying to keep a kitten isolated to the kitchen (she was a great climber) and brushing fleas out of her fur multiple times a day.  But we managed and Bella was soon given freedom to explore her new home.

As she grew, it became clear that Bella was not a lap cat.  She liked to be in the room, but usually stayed at a distance.  The main exception was with our oldest son, Jacob.  She would sleep in his room and every morning would jump on his chest and purr when he pet her.  She also liked to lick our legs when we got out of the shower (weird, I know).

Bella's favorite toys were the plastic rings that come off of milk jugs.  She would bat those around until they got lost under a door or under our appliances. (I'm sure there is quite the collection under our stove!) She would chase balls like a dog in the backyard, but of course could never return them.  When our boys would lay on the ground and make "snow angels" on the carpet, she would pounce on their arms and legs, making them squeal with delight (and sometimes pain!)

Christmas was Bella's favorite season.  That first year she liked to pretend she was an ornament on the tree.  The next year she just decided to see how many ornaments she could knock off!

Our time with Bella was cut short due to her swallowing a string and having complications.  She did not live long after the surgery, which was what we had been told to expect.


Yesterday I had to tell my boys that their kitty was not coming home. That to me is the worst part of losing a pet...watching my boys grieve.  I had put together a slideshow of the pictures we had with Bella, and we watched home videos and talked about the good memories we had made. 

In many ways I am glad not to have a cat anymore.  No more litter box, scratched up doorposts, or fur to clean up.  Yet she was a part of our family, and her presence will be missed.

 

(And yes, I know that the formatting is off, but Blogger has frustrated me enough for the day...I give up trying to fix it!)

It's a God Thing by Don Jacobson and K-Love

This book is exactly what it proclaims to be...a collection of stories from everyday people sharing how they have seen God work in their lives.  There is no teaching concerning what the Bible has to say about miracles, or reference to biblical stories.  It is simply people sharing their personal experience....witnessing to the fact that miracles still happen today.

Some of the miracles in this book are small.  They are events that some may look at and say "oh, that's just a coincidence".  It could be a coincidence that when someone goes to pull a gun from a safe with the intent of suicide that the safe gets jammed.  It could be a coincidence that a check shows up in the mail at just the right time or that someone gets the urge to pray for a friend who is in danger at that exact moment.  However, when you think about all these occurrences one after the other, it becomes easier to believe that maybe "it's a god thing."

Other miracles in this book are not so easy to deny.  When a baby is given a 1 to 2 percent chance of survival, and 4 years later is thriving.  When a woman scheduled for a D&C is suddenly found to have a healthy baby growing inside her womb.  When a blood clot in a baby's brain suddenly disappears.  These miracles have medical documentation to back them up! 

The beauty of this book is its simplicity.  If we can all share ways that we have seen God moving in our lives, then it becomes easier to see how God is still actively at work in our world...sometimes through big miracles and sometimes in the small details.  Reading these stories may open a person's eyes to recognize the ways in which God still works.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Calling Me Higher

Recently I was asked to be on team for the upcoming Emmaus Walk this spring.  I had my usual initial reaction to being asked to spend a weekend away from my family..."Lord, please give me a good reason to say No."  Well, that's what was in my head anyway. But I pleasantly agreed to pray about it.  I checked the calendar for conflicts on meeting dates or the retreat weekend....none.  No kids sporting events.  No reason my husband could not be home to watch them.  No easy out. 

It's not that I dislike Emmaus, quite the opposite in fact.  The ministry that happens on these weekends is amazing.  I just prefer that someone else do it!  I'm not that great at connecting with women and I don't like getting up in front of a group to speak (which would be required in my role). The easy road then is to not go.  But as I prayed, I realized that while I may not feel like making the commitment, I would be forfeiting an opportunity for God to use me.

Soon after I accepted, I came across this song that confirmed I had made the right decision.  It describes how it's easier and safer to stay where we are, but how God calls us higher.  He has something greater waiting ahead.



The past few days I've been working on my talk. There is a basic outline to follow, but I get to fill it out and add in my insight and experiences.  I love this part...creating something relevant and personal.  Now that I'm this far, I can start to see that maybe I do have something worth sharing.  Maybe my words can make a difference for one of the women there.  My earlier dread is being replaced with excitement.  I'm so glad I said "yes".

Reclaiming Your Heart by Denise Hildreth Jones

Reclaiming Your Heart is one of those books that, had I picked it up from the library, I probably would have returned it after Chapter 1 because it didn't seem to fit my situation.  Sure, I have my struggles...but I couldn't relate to being so shut down that I didn't even know who I was.   But since I had agreed to review the book, I pushed through and read to the end.  I was pleasantly surprised that from Chapter 3 on the insights shared can be beneficial for all women - so I'm glad I kept reading!

I love a good analogy that takes everyday experiences and weaves spiritual insight into them.  Chapter 3 was by far my favorite because Denise relates our lives to the game of golf.  She writes "Imagine that life is a golf game.  We each have one course to play.  In the process of playing that course, we will encounter all kinds of situations, positive and negative.  Sometimes we'll find ourselves on velvety greens...and sometimes we'll find ourselves wildly off course...Life is happening to us, and we've got to respond one way or the other."   Just as you respond on the golf course by choosing which club to use, we respond to life's situations by choosing how we react.  And just as a golfer depends on a caddy to give helpful advice, we choose to either listen to the Holy Spirit or fall for the lies of the enemy.

The remaining chapters focus on different responses (or "clubs") we sometimes use that are damaging to ourselves and those around us.  Denise teaches what each of these responses looks like, what lie is at the root of it, and how we can overcome and reclaim our hearts.  The heart issues discussed are performance, disappointment, control, criticism, shame, anger, fear, and weariness.  It would have been nice to have some discussion questions to go along with these chapters (for small group use), but none were given.

One example that stood out to me concerned the disappointed heart and how we miss many of God's blessings.  "It is the enemy of our souls who still gets in our heads and hearts and convinces us that if life isn't working out the way we pictured it, that means God doesn't care about us. What a sneaky lie.  First he convinces us that we are entitled to something, that our life is supposed to go a certain way.  Then, when it doesn't happen, we are left with a disappointed heart."  I don't know about you, but that's a lie I've fallen for.

Overall this is a relevant book with good insight in how to overcome some of our struggles.  I do think that some women will relate to it better than others, depending on where they are on life's journey. However, there is something in it for everyone.

*I received a complimentary copy of the book from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Comparison Kills Contentment



My son, Jacob, turned 11 years old this week.  He proudly proclaims to others that he is a sports nut.  So it was no surprise when he decided that he wanted tickets to a Cleveland Cavaliers game for his birthday.  Using this as a learning opportunity, we explained to him what an expensive gift this is.  It's more than just buying him a ticket.  First of all, it requires buying two tickets since someone needs to go with him.  Then there are handling fees, money for gas, parking, food, etc...  When we announced that we would make it happen anyway (provided he chip in a small amount of his birthday money), he was overjoyed.  He didn't care if we got the cheapest tickets that were up in the nosebleed section...he just wanted to go!

Then he got on the internet and started looking at the arena and seating options.  He began to think of how cool it would be to sit closer up.  He found a website that showed you a camera view of what it would be like to view the game from different seats.  All of a sudden he was no longer satisfied with simply being at the game...he wanted better seats.  He began to negotiate.  Could he use more of his birthday money to buy a better seat?  When we put a limit on it, he actually got upset!  He only sees the here and now.

Are we any better as adults? Valentines Day is tomorrow.  I don't really like this holiday because comparison is so hard to avoid.  Sometimes women ask "So what did your husband do for you on Valentines Day?".  I am usually quite content with whatever gesture he makes, but I hate this question.  Why?  Because someone always has a better story.  On Facebook you will see pictures of someone who got a bigger bouquet of flowers or a more creative display of affection.  Or for some women it is just a reminder that no one is pursuing them in that way.  We compare, we envy, and we can become discontent.

It would be good for us to remember then that all things come with a cost.  If you want better seats or a bigger bouquet - you will also end up with a bigger credit card bill.  You may want a more romantic husband - but I'm willing to bet that those husbands have other weaknesses their wives have to live with on a daily basis that we don't see.  If you are single, you may be so focused on what you don't have that you miss out on the ways God is trying to show you His love. 

How do we get rid of comparison?  With thankfulness.  May we focus on what we have and rejoice in that.  May we turn our eyes away from ourselves and think about ways that we can bless others, celebrating their joys without becoming envious.  Scripture tells us love does not envy, it does not boast, and it is not self-seeking.  Seems to me that a holiday celebrating love has missed the mark.