What I've Read in 2017

Photo Credit: Goodreads

Saint John Paul the Great: His Five Loves -Jason Evert ♥
Closer: Pray Your Way to Intimacy with God - Fr. Bob McConaghy ♥
Live Loved - Max Lucado ♥
I'm Not Being Fed - Jeff Cavins

The Shack -WM. Paul Young
Fearless - Max Lucado
When God Whispers Your Name - Max Lucado
The Old Path of Loving Relationships - Bo Sanchez

Confessions of a Happy Christian - Zig Ziglar
The Little Prince -  Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The Valkyries - Paulo Coelho ♥
The Moon Smiled at Me - Ems Sy Chan

How to Find Your Soulmate Without Losing Your Soul - Crystalina Evert & Jason Evert ♥
Pure Womanhood - Crystalina Evert
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus - John Gray
Why Men Love Bitches - Sherry Argov

Excerpts: Miracle at the Higher Grounds Cafe by Max Lucado

Chelsea scanned the crowd for some glimmer of light, but all she saw was darkness.  Then out of the black came a fearsome cry that silenced the clamoring crowd.

"My God, my God, why have you abondoned me?"

His language was foreign to chelsea, but Manny had given her access to his eyes and ears,  so she understood the words.

Chelsea watched in horror as Christ's head fell limp for several moments. Then he pressed himself up on the nails and cried out, pausing between each word: "It is finished!"

Bitter tears stung Chelsea's eyes. She couldn't bear another moment of the cruel struggle. "Why did you bring me here, Manny?"

"This is the loneliest point in history. The last moment of true abandonment. From here on,  abandonment is nothing more than a myth. And loneliness? A choice."

As Manny spoke, their bleak surroundings melted away. Dark, heavy clouds shifted in the sky,

revealing a brilliant morning sun that chased away the shadows. The hard rocky ground bloomed and flourished beneath her feet. Chelsea now stood in a bright garden. Vines worked their way up a stony wall. Flowers were lifting in the morning sun. The sky was brilliantly blue. On thee other side of the garden, a large rock sealed on the entrance to a tomb.

"There is no separation. There is no chasm between you and the heavens. There is no divider,  no veil between you and God's love."

That's when Chelsea saw him. Jesus. Fully alive. His robe was as ray of sunshine, each thread radiant. His face shone like a full moon, the perfect reflection of his Father in heaven. The very sight of Jesus brought passersby to their knees. But for Chelsea, that moment when she caught a glimpse of his eyes, like blazing stars. The same light that was present in her darkest hours was shining back at her. 

"You wanted to know how you'll make it on your own?" Manny asked as the sights and sounds of the lush of Jerusalem garden gave way to the sterile hospital chapel. "You'll never know. Because you never will be."

Moving Forward

en.wikipedia.org

Excerpted from Manual of the Warrior of Light by Paulo Coelho


The warrior of the light does not always have faith. There are times when he does not believe in anything at all.

And he asks his heart: “Will all the effort be worthwhile?”

But the heart remains silent. And the warrior must decide for himself.

So he seeks an example. And he remembers that Jesus endured something similar – in order to live the human condition in all its fullness.

“Take this cup away from me,” said Jesus. He too lost heart and his courage, but he did not stop.

The warrior of the light remains faithless.

But he moves forward nevertheless, and his faith will return.

Excerpts: Live Loved by Max Lucado

So make friends with whatever's next. Embrace it. Accept it. Don't resist it. Change is not only a part of life; change is necessary part of God's strategy. To use us to change the world, he alters our assignments. Gideon: from farmer to general; Mary: from peasant girl to the mother of Christ; Paul: from local rabbi to world evangelist. God transitioned Joseph from a baby brother to an Egyptian prince. He changed David from shepherd to a king. Peter wanted to fish the Sea of Galilee. God called him to lead the first church. God makes reassignments. But He wants you to know: you'll never face the future without His help. 

~Fearless

Excerpts: Saint John Paul the Great: His Five Loves by Jason Evert

"...love is ignited within us, love is renewed within us. Therefore, these are not

hours spent in idleness, when we isolate ourselves from our work, but these are moments,

hours, when we undertake something that constitutes the deepest meaning of all of our work.

For no matter how numerous our activities, our ministries, however numerous our concerns, our

exertions —if there is no love, everything becomes meaningless. 

When we devote our time to ponder the mystery of love, to allow it to radiate in our 

hearts, we are preparing ourselves in the best possible way for any kind of service, 

for any activity, for any charitable work."

-Pope John Paul II