Category Archives: Reviews

Jesus: Author of relationships

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Posted by Mel on December 31, 2010 – 11:28 am
Filed under @stickyJesus, Books, Reviews

@stickyJesus

file 03

I came to show you how.

Chapter 3 leads me to shaky ground. The one thing I fear the most and crave the most all at the same time. RELATIONSHIPS! What a crazy idea…or so I used to think!

I have very clear memories of my childhood and being “afraid” of people. I think most of my family would say I was “shy”. I viewed the world from the back of my mom’s pant leg for a lot of years. It was my haven from all those people and situations that I didn’t feel comfortable with. It was something I would tell you I overcome as a teenager! I was free from shyness! Actually, people who meet me as an adult would never use the word shy to describe me. Strong willed, with definite opinions, who’s not afraid to state the obvious-that might be some things said about me now. Yet my heart and the most personal part of my soul remained “fearful” well into my adult life. People can wound you, people will wound you. That played on a loop in the back of my head for a long time. That fear makes for a crummy friend. I was able to start building relationships but when that fear would start to build then I would bail! I couldn’t afford another broken heart.

That was until I met Jesus! It wasn’t an immediate change. It’s actually been a 10 year struggle as I’ve taken back control of my life over and over again. The world according to me and my earthly desires. It wasn’t until I realized that the hole I had in my heart could only be filled with God and his love for me. That’s when I stopped looking to everything else in my life to fulfill me. That’s when God cut my heart in a way that would forever change me. That’s when God opened my eyes to a whole world of lost and dying people. That’s when “me, me, me” didn’t seem quite as important. I occasionally look at the Melissa from before as a reminder but I don’t let myself dwell in those times for very long because that is no longer the Melissa that writes these words.

I’ve realized over the last few years as I’ve built a relationship with Jesus (or maybe better-He continues to build one with me!) that the fear starts to disappear. I feel it being replaced with a peace I don’t really understand and won’t pretend to understand! I’ve learned a couple of things….like~ you are going to be hurt by people AND this whole life-it’s not all about me anymore. I suddenly find myself looking first to my relationship with God in everything I do and I have learned that when I do that no matter what hurt comes my way~I feel it differently than I used to. I don’t ever carry it alone. Does that make any sense? I hope so!

As I read this chapter I realized that if I never truly open my heart to all that God has for me then I will never truly live in the full blessings He has planned for me. (And I’m not referring to the shiny things of this world. Refer back to Chapter 1!)

Chapter 3 reminds me that we are called to relationships. That is ultimately what Jesus has shown me with His life and also called me to do with my life….build relationships. What a glorious calling~to live in authentic community with others. Enduring all things and sharing what little we may have. I realize that sharing of life may be in face to face moments or in moments here on a blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

I’m thankful this moment that Jesus did “come to show me how”.

You can read more thoughts here…..

@stickyJesus read along.

Jesus: the stickiest story ever told

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Posted by Mel on December 31, 2010 – 10:15 am
Filed under @stickyJesus, Books, Reviews

As I’ve been reading the book @stickyJesus I realize that things happen at certain times because it’s exactly what you need in that moment. I have been “online” for many years. I’m not sure what I’ve learned in that amount of time. Sometimes it’s just been a blur with not much progress, I’m afraid. This book was something I needed. I was at the end of knowing what else to do or in what direction to go from here. Was it time to stop? Then this book and these people showed up in my life. It has become a new beginning. It’s renewed my passion for writing and given me a lot to think about.

In Chapter 2 I realized my world has changed so much since becoming a member of the online community. I love the interaction of people from different places and cultures. I love meeting people I would maybe never known. “Even a word as simple as friends has been amended from people you might invite to your wedding to people you wouldn’t recognize if you ended up shipwrecked together.” That statement is very true of the world I find myself in today.

I also realize more than ever I have something to share. A story about a Savior that took someone like me and forever changed me. It’s a very big story and very important to me. I have people in my life that need to hear that story and I need friends in my life to help empower me to tell it. I appreciate the opportunity to be apart of a community that right now, in this moment, is looking for the same things I am.

You can follow @stickyJesus’ blog here and I think you’ll be glad you did.

(I found myself a week behind with this post but I didn’t want to go on to wk 3 without posting this! Thanks for understanding…as this holiday season has been a little hectic.)

Here We Go!!!!

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Posted by Mel on December 17, 2010 – 12:44 am
Filed under Books, Journey, Women

I’m reading a new book and I’ll be sharing a little about it each week. (If you’re interested in reading along I’ve included the  link to the website just click on the title below.)

@stickyJesus: How to live out your faith online.

Is that even possible? How do I make that a true statement in my life? I do spend time online, I write a blog, I “tweet” occasionally, I cultivate friendships and stay in touch with all manner of people…online. Do I effectively share my faith online? At the end of this book I hope to be able to answer that question.

I’ve seen so much change in this life over the last 41, okay, almost 42 years. I was born into the era of rotary dial telephones, 3 snowy TV channels, and black & white baby pictures! I’ve watched the world evolve and become smaller and more intimate. Far away places like Africa and Haiti don’t seem so far away when I can stay connected via the internet. I can find an answer to every question, research anything I’m not very knowledgeable about, and know the things going on in this world as they are happening! Who would have ever dreamed in 40 years so much would change. Sometimes I feel like things are stuck on fast forward. There’s always something new right around the corner….the iPod, iPad, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Blogging.  We’re connected all the time and rarely out of reach of our family and friends. No matter where we go! Where do I fit in all this? Why do I have this overwhelming desire to write? Who’s reading? What’s my responsibility in all this? I love Jesus but how do I translate this to people who may not know him or even believe in him?

This week I’ve started reading the book I referred to at the beginning of this post. @stickyJesus is going to be one of those books that will probably change my ideas on some things. That can be a very good and important thing to have happen. If you’ve been around here for any length of time you’ll often hear me say that I need to “keep moving forward” because sometimes I can get distracted by life, by painful moments, by “shiny things”.   I could say that it was a very bizarre string of “coincidences” that brought me to this time and this place but I stopped believing in coincidences the day I started a relationship with Jesus. The very amazing part of reading this book is reading it with a group of women from all over the nation. This will be a new experience for me and I can’t wait to see where it leads. I look forward to their thoughts and observations. I’ve read through today’s posts and realize we are all so different but one thing is constant and that is our love for Jesus and our passion to share him with a dark and dying world.

This week was  Chapter 1: you: born for such a time as this. The chapter starts with the sentence, “Welcome to the Land of Shiny Things”. Oh, how I know this land of shiny things. Our  lives today are full of shiny distractions, aren’t they?! My thoughts sometimes get tangled in these shiny things and I lose sight of what’s most important. I’ll admit right now that I very much enjoy the connection I have to the world via Twitter, Facebook, and my Blog. But! It is my greatest desire to use these platforms to share Jesus with everyone I know. Time moves so fast and I know my life here is only a vapor, a mist. What impact will my moment here have on others? Will they know how much I love Jesus? An even bigger question…will they know how much I hope and pray that they meet Jesus and love Him? Although the world changes and evolves and technology goes at high speed~the message remains the same. Paul was writing letters to the church and traveling miles and miles to share the message of Jesus with the world a very long time ago. Letter writing or internet blogging….we’re all born for such a time as this. Paul in his time and place. Us….today……. now…. in our time and place.

Tami and Toni who are the authors of this book have this desire to equip all of us to shine our light into the darkness of this world. They want to help us navigate this internet world we live in.  I’m glad I’ve made it here, I’m glad I know who they are. After reading Ch. 1 I realized I was so ready for this journey! I desire to glorify God in everything I do in this life. I’m probably not very good at that sometimes. I’m learning that it’s important to be in community with other believers. I didn’t really understand that before but I do now.  I have a lot of questions. You may have noticed that one on your own!

Did I mention I’m ready for what comes next?

Lord…I pray that everything we do on this journey glorifies you. I pray for understanding and patience for each one of us. It is my hope and desire that we all make it to the end together and Lord I ask that you guide us through. I lift up all the women who are part of this moment. I ask you to empower each and every one of them as they find their voice and their platform.  Thank you for loving us and thank you for grace, but most of all thank you for Jesus. Amen.

Plan B by Pete Wilson

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Posted by Mel on September 18, 2010 – 6:00 am
Filed under Books, Community, Reviews

I found Pete Wilson quite by accident two years ago when I was going through a very tough time in my own life. A “plan B” that was quite unexpected and so very painful. It was one of those times when a lot of things weren’t making sense and I was questioning everything in my life including my relationship with God. Little did I know then that Pete would write this fantastic book, “Plan B”, about those times in your life that just don’t make any sense. Those times that we want reconciled, we need a reason, or a conclusion, or a better scenario….but we often don’t get it.

It was one of those weird coincidences that my husband won a copy of Pete’s book on someone’s blog! I had been reading about the book coming out and watching the video on Pete’s blog and suddenly the book shows up in the mail. My husband read it first and passed it on to me. He made the statement that the last two chapters of the book were very powerful. He also shared that what Pete wrote in the book were a lot of the thoughts and feelings we were having about some of the circumstances in our own life. Little did I know!

I’m going to warn you right now that I’m not the type of reviewer that pulls out quotes from the book and dissects it down for you. I figure you can just read the book for yourself! I will tell you two things~ if the book impacted me and whether I recommend it.

I started reading Pete’s book and realized right away that Pete and I were going to agree on a lot of things. I had a lot of the same feelings and thoughts that came about from my previous experiences in life. The stories he share in the book are amazing and heartbreaking and there would be moments I would have to put the book down, cry some tears, compose myself and begin again. Did the book impact me? Beyond description! (I’m not going to try and explain it, those feelings can’t be described with words.) I will tell you that it was like being wrapped in comfort and it made me realize that we do not travel through this life alone. That we can’t travel alone.

Pete is a good writer, it’s not too wordy and it’s not written over anyone’s head. It is very humble and there’s a lot of kindness and comfort in this book….which I would expect reflects the kind of guy Pete is. It couldn’t have been an easy book to write, there are no answers for some of the questions we have about this life!

Pete was kind enough to send me an email two years ago when we were going through our plan B. For awhile I read that email almost every day because it seemed to be the only comfort I had to encourage me to move forward. I’m thankful Pete listens to God and allows God to work through his life. It was a beginning for our family, a different path on this journey. Looking back now I understand why everything happens for a reason. See, if that hadn’t happened then I wouldn’t be here now~feeling the way I do and loving Jesus the way I do.

I don’t exactly know where I’m headed but that’s okay too, but I do know I’m moving forward again! I’ve also experienced several more plan B’s since that pivotal time and will probably experience many more….but I’m not doing it alone!

So, here’s what I think:

If you are experiencing a “plan b” in your life….you…really…need….to….read….this…..book!

(You can also catch up with Pete on his blog. He shares about his relationship with God, his family, his church. Good words! http://withoutwax.tv/ )

Choosing Forgiveness…..

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Posted by Mel on June 6, 2010 – 7:26 am
Filed under Books, Freedom, Journey

May was a month of storms! I talked about them a lot here, they came up a lot at church as we looked into the life of Naomi and Ruth, & we  experienced a couple of crazy spring storms..one that Michael and I rode out in our vehicle!! Storms will always be around! What I think God has been teaching me lately is…that no matter the storm-He is with me!! I believe that, I always have but I didn’t always recognize it. Like a little child sometimes it was easier to go through the rough stuff with anger and bitterness in my heart. Throwing a temper tantrum because my life wasn’t going as I had planned it!! I’m truly thankful that God continues to love me even in the middle of that big attitude! Michael wanted me to remind you how awesome God has been to me through the storms I’ve experienced. So I wanted to end this time of storms with a look back at the changes!!

I could go into a whole story of how God brought my family through some storms, but that might be better left for a book someday!! Too many words!! I do want you to know that out of the storms of my life God is transforming my entire person…my beliefs, my attitude, my proud spirit! One of the things I’ve found recently is God’s loving teaching on forgiveness. I’m really bad about holding a multitude of sins against sinners, including myself! I realize the anger and bitterness I sometimes hold onto during  a storm comes from a very strong desire to protect a very broken heart. (and obviously not trusting God to heal my broken heart!) We’ve all been broken-hearted in some way or another, either by choices we’ve made or by circumstances completely out of our control. Sometimes, I want to blame God, because that seems easy and then I don’t have to take any responsibility for my own actions. But if I remember correctly the Word tells me God doesn’t have any plans to harm me….but to prosper me! Blame can be a dangerous game to be engaged in, sometimes when we’re busy pointing the finger somewhere else we ignore the thumb that’s pointing back at us!!

I learned a lot about bitterness as we studied in Ruth this past month. Remember Naomi?  Call me Mara…which means bitterness! How many times have I found myself in that very same circumstance! Call me Mara! As you continue in Ruth’s story, and what a great story it is, you realize it’s about redemption and God’s grace in our lives! A lot like some of the chapters of my own story! I don’t want to live my story clouded with bitterness and anger anymore! When I gave up control of those situations I began to see God’s amazing work on my heart!

Above you might have noticed a picture of a book…Choosing Forgiveness. I just finished this book and I can’t tell you how it’s impacted my ideas on forgiveness! I thought I’d share the title with you, as maybe your in need of some talk about forgiveness. There have been some people in my life I’ve had to go to and ask their forgiveness, which is never easy! There have also been people I’ve needed to forgive, which for me is even harder! And sometimes it’s me that I need to let off the hook and forgive! Surprising, huh? Whatever circumstances you find yourself in Ms. DeMoss’s book will certainly challenge you to take a good look at where you are! She shares some great scripture through out the book and I plan on keeping those close to my heart!

I pray this morning that if you find yourself trapped in anger and bitterness that you find love and forgiveness in whatever situation is holding you captive. Because, dear one, that’s where you are- trapped, held captive in unforgiveness…….that is all anger and bitterness will bring you. It doesn’t heal your heart, it just holds you prisoner.

It must always come back to this picture for me-a perfect God in the form of an earthly man, shouldering my sins and hanging on a cross-to die a brutal death-FOR ME, FOR MY SINS….so I could have forgiveness! The truth is I did nothing and continue to do nothing to deserve any of it!  It defies human understanding. But I have learned this-if I never translate that to my own life and extend forgiveness to others then I am just selfish and foolish and I really don’t get it! You can’t talk about grace or love or joy or any of those other words we like to throw around without living a life of forgiveness…extended to one another. It makes Christ’s sacrifice on the cross seem unimportant….when it is the ultimate sacrifice that only a most Holy God could provide. It must be the center of my life…it is a story of forgiveness, grace, love, sacrifice….and ultimately joy in His resurrection.  See…He’s not in that grave anymore and there are a lot of us that say we love him that live like He’s still there. Not me, not anymore and hopefully not you! There is a mighty power in going through life’s storms. I hope you find yourself running to them and not resisting them because I can tell you in the storms of my life I’ve found Him! Not a glossy pictured  “happy” Jesus…but the Jesus that would hang naked on a cross, mighty to save…even a sinner like me!

Living in Freedom,

Mel

Unbreakable

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Posted by Mel on January 24, 2010 – 10:43 pm
Filed under Journey, Music, Opinions

Where are the people that accused me?
The ones who beat me down and bruised me
They hide just out of sight, can’t face me in the light
They’ll return but I’ll be stronger

Those are the opening words to Fireflight’s song Unbreakable. I had the pleasure of seeing Fireflight in concert Friday evening with Winter Jam 2010. Love this song and it’s message. Ever had those people in your life? We all have. What I’ve finally realized about people who accuse me or cause me pain and hurt me….the only thing I’m called to do….is love them. Weird. Yep, it’s just weird. We don’t get to punch them or scream at them or even justify ourselves or our reputation by talking badly about them. We are just called to love them. For me it’s been the ultimate test of whether I take this Christian life seriously. Is it possible to return stronger after a painful experience or to  just fall back into my old ways? ….of not trusting, of guarding my heart, of withdrawing. I stand before you and I say….wait, I scream- Yes!!! It is absolutely possible and I am living proof that God can redeem any experience. I am proof that you can learn and you can have joy through all things and you can dream again.


God I want to dream again, take me where I’ve never been
I wanna go there, this time I’m not scared
Now I am unbreakable, it’s unmistakable
No one can touch me, nothing can stop me

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cried out to God that I want to dream again! I’m so ready for whatever is coming next! God’s filled my heart with His Word and pointed me in the direction He has for me. He’s shown me that He doesn’t leave me and He’s refining me and He’s preparing me. Painful times will come and what will I choose to do? Will I want to take back control, will I fear? Faith is moving without knowing…I love that line. That’s exactly what I plan on doing. I’m just going to keep moving. I’m moving through life now without all the baggage and the fear. When you hear the words God can change anyone from the inside out…I hope I come to your mind. I hope I’m able to show with my actions and not my words that I am indeed forever changed.

Sometimes it’s hard to just keep going
But faith is moving without knowing
Can I trust what I can’t see to reach my destiny?
I want to take control but I know better

I’ve used fear as an excuse…a crutch. But it is no longer my goal to arrive safely at the end of my life. It is my goal to live life boldly, without reservations, risking it all. Sometimes my biggest fear is just simply of failing. As I’ve gotten to know me better and definitely as I’ve leaned into God and His plans I’ve realized how silly that seems. If I never fail- how will I ever know if I’m headed in the right direction, how will I ever learn what He needs me to know? The time for worrying about what other people think , or fitting comfortably into what is acceptable to the masses-it’s over. It’s so over! I’m living for the acceptance and judgment of One. That really is all that matters.

Forget the fear it’s just a crutch
That tries to hold you back
And turn your dreams to dust
All you need to do is just trust

It’s getting late and I need to go spend some time with someone who shares my dreams. My question for you….where are your dreams, not dust I hope, and what could you accomplish if fear was erased from your life? Could you step out of the group and dare to be different, dare to be free, dare to live your dreams….dare to do that one thing…..live that one secret dream that swirls round and round in your thoughts? Crazy talk , right? Are you sure? Maybe it makes more sense than what you would let yourself believe……

Avatar The Movie: A Female Perspective

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Posted by Mel on December 28, 2009 – 8:49 pm
Filed under Movies, Women

Had the opportunity to see Avatar with the family this weekend. It was sold out for the two early shows by the time we’d goofed around and got over there to buy tickets. That left us with the option of  seeing it at 9:50,that’s p.m.,  which resulted in a little grumpiness from….everybody! Could we do it and then drive all the way home afterward. It is a looooong movie after all!! We had heard such rave reviews so we decided to give it the old college try.

Took the plunge and got our tickets. Showed up the required 30 minutes early so we could get seats together and still ended up sitting in the 5th row! This actually ended up being the best seats in the house as the 3d experience actually immersed us in the world of Pandora!  Sitting that close… everything else seemed to melt away.  I’m not going into great detail about the storyline. It was solid and had all the right elements for a good story-romance, conflict, resolve. Okay, maybe the romance part doesn’t appeal to everybody!

Hands down…the most fascinating part of the movie was Pandora and the experience of a new culture. I love travel and this movie certainly spoke to that love. Learning about a new culture, exploring the “countryside”, and meeting the people is so interesting. (I could have done without some of the scary creatures!) You will fall in love with the people of Pandora and when things get bad….you will cry with them. My dear husband thought it was a little “tree-hugging” and it was, truly. It made a great point that we, humans, aren’t very good about protecting our own planet’s natural resources. We prove that point very well in this movie.

My husband asked me after leaving the theatre what I thought…the only word I could use was overwhelmed. I was overwhelmed by the scope of that movie. It was bigger than life! I realized while I was watching this world unfold that as amazing as it was….it still couldn’t hold a candle to heaven. (I may over think things just a little!) I know amazing thought and imagination went into the making of this “virtual” world. I was very much in awe of the beauty but truly overwhelmed when I realized if my imagination wasn’t able to process Pandora’s “make believe” beauty….it certainly leaves heaven out of my realm of understanding!

I encourage you to see this movie. It is fantastic, the technology used is mind boggling, and I don’t think many will come away disappointed. There’s a little bit of everything which should appeal to just about everybody.

Have you seen the movie? Leave me a comment and let me know what you thought….was it a thumbs up or thumbs down experience?

Primal: A Review

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Posted by Mel on December 23, 2009 – 12:00 am
Filed under Books

I had the opportunity to read Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity by Mark Batterson and be a part of the blog tour for this book. First let me say when I got the book I immediately liked the cover artwork, that’s usually a good indicator for what’s inside. I had very high hopes for this book. I read a lot of books…some great, some just okay, and some really bad ones that I never finish. Very soon I found myself unsure of which category this book was going to fall into for me.

When I received the book I immediately started reading but came to a mental roadblock about midway through Part 2:The Soul of Christianity. I put the book down and did not pick it up again. Not good since I was kind of on a timeline for the blog tour. I felt a little put off by the book but I wasn’t exactly sure why. I am very much a reader who “feels” every bit of a book, for some reason I was not feeling any emotion over this particular book. The writing was good, lots of good examples and stories to help make the points interesting and understandable to readers. BUT-There was this little nagging voice in the back of my mind urging me to just leave the book alone.

Last night I was off to my favorite coffee shop to relax and listen to some good music when I decided I better take the book and attempt to finish it! I did have to blog about it after all. I was really struggling with what I was going to write about. I wasn’t even sure I’d have any inspiration to post a review. That’s when page 104, paragraph 1 happened. People who know me know this…it takes a lot to get me to cry. I might shed a tear once in awhile but I rarely ever cry. It’s never a good feeling to be reading in a public place and know you are going to cry…not shed a tear but throw yourself face down on the ground and sob very loudly. That’s the emotion that hit me in the middle of my very crowded coffee shop. Here’s the passage and the emphasis was added by me…to show what really hit me hard.

“You cannot truly love what you do not really know. That is called ignorance. So stop and think about the implications. The less you know God, the less you love Him. And the more you know God, the more you love Him. Why? Because to know Him is to love Him. And if you don’t love Him, it’s because you don’t really know Him.“

I’m sure you’re interested in why I became so emotional-since by itself-that particular passage doesn’t seem quite so earth shattering. It was that paragraph and all the stuff I read leading up to that page. Batterson had built a credible case for reading your bible and all the other spiritual exercises we should all be participating in, throughout the beginning of this book. It was the same “yada yada” I’ve read in just about every “Christian” book I’ve ever picked up. Alright already, I get it I need to read my bible, and pray more, and blah blah blah. (I’m so glad God still loves me even when I’m flippant and a know it all.) I felt really sad and really ashamed-my words and my actions seemed pretty far apart at that moment. I also realized why I didn’t want to read the book….it was going to make me uncomfortable.

I did finish the rest of this book in what seemed like moments. That paragraph was a tipping point for me not just in reading the book but in the realization of where I was in my life. I could go into great detail from here, there is so much I want to share with you about that moment and this book and what it could mean for you and where you might find yourself right now. The most important thing I want to share and the point I need to make…read this book and allow God to speak directly to you while you are reading it. Because He will and maybe you’ve been needing to hear what it is He has to say….needed it for a very long time, like me. If you read any book this coming year…then read this one. In fact, making this your first book of the new year may be exactly what you need to get your year started off right!

As for me, I’m starting the book over. I’m going to read it this time with my heart open and with a humble attitude AND with the realization that I don’t know everything! I hope you have the opportunity to read it as well. You can go here to find out more about it.


Yep…that’s me!

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Posted by Mel on October 12, 2009 – 7:57 pm
Filed under Books, Community


That would be me….& Donald Miller who wrote Blue Like Jazz! I had the opportunity to read that particular book during a “particularly” difficult period of time in my life.

I think every new Christian goes through a time of discovery. The first part of any new relationship is that “honeymoon” phase. Everything is right in the world, you love everything, no one does any wrong! Then that relationship has to grow to the next level or it dies and doesn’t go anywhere. For months I prayed without ceasing for God to take all I had, which wasn’t much…basically the life he’d given me, and make it His. I had forgotten that growing pains could be excrutiatingly painful!!! I certainly had not imagined where this relationship would go…but I wouldn’t change it for anything.

Last Friday I attended “The Million Mile Tour” and got to “listen” to the stories that had already impacted me through their books. It reminded me that God uses our “story” to inspire and encourage others. It was a good moment. I had the opportunity to meet the authors after the event and they were good people, very down to earth. Susan’s words of encouragement & hug that night were comforting…it was that common ground of understanding painful moments and I’ll be working on my grateful list just as she suggested. Donald talked a lot about our stories and what that looks like…it really made me think about my story and I’m trying to figure out how to put it down on paper.

Donald shared a story about a really dark time in his life and he says that he told God that he would never thank him for that time…yet later on he finds himself thanking God for that tragic moment in his life. He grew through that experience. I identified with that because I’m finding myself in that same moment – thanking God for “growing” pains.

As I continue down this path and I look back over the places I’ve been it makes me realize everything worked in unison to bring me to this exact moment…I have learned so much. I’m grateful for a lot of things…tonight I’m grateful for growing pains!


Angry Conversations……with God?

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Posted by Mel on October 6, 2009 – 7:46 pm
Filed under Books, Reviews, Women

I recently finished the book……..Angry Conversations With God. I noticed this book at B&N one day, picked it up – read the jacket cover – laughed – put it down. On a different visit to a different B&N, there it was again. This time I picked it up – carried it around – purchased it. Some books take me longer to read than others, this one I completed in no time. I found myself laughing out loud at times, other moments I was brought to tears. I think I identified so much with Susan’s writing because I found a little bit of me there.

I think Donald Miller hits it on the head when he says:

“If King David were a woman, and were funny, he’d be Susan Isaacs. And the thing about this book is: it surprises you. There are lines in it you won’t see coming. You’ll be handing this book to somebody else about a month from now, thinking ‘maybe this will help them understand me.’ You’ll do that because it helped you understand yourself first.” — Donald Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz.)

(By the way, if you haven’t read Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller I highly recommend it!!)

That was exactly what I thought…people have to read this….this is exactly how I feel….then maybe I would make sense to people…maybe they would understand me!!! This book is not for the faint of heart. You will be challenged and you will be surprised. You might even be insulted. It’s not sugar coated – it’s very real, very funny….yet very raw and vulnerable. At the end of this book I felt relief, I felt like I peeled back another layer. It’s not an easy task to deal with your issues. Susan deals through hers with humor and some sarcasm, but her points are very clear. I don’t know what God thinks about Susan’s book but I like to think God loves us most when we are honest and we are real and we lean on him for our understanding.

I could continue on in detail but it’s probably best for you to unpack this one yourself. I was excited to see that both Susan & Donald will be speaking in St. Louis this weekend! I’ll let you know how that goes! Right now I plan on going by myself…which I think is really okay. It’s been a very long year and I’ve learned a lot about me and about how I react and relate to other people. I’ve noticed my strengths and weaknesses and I’ve realized that these can sometimes be interchangeable. I’ve learned to walk by faith through a very long, dark night. I’ve learned a lot about obedience and how terrifying and uncomfortable that can be!

Through it all I’ve learned….that I still have a lot to learn!!