It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
Today's Wild Card author is:
and the book:
Miller-Moore Publishing (January 1, 2012)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Visit the author's website.
SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:
God created the world in six days, and then He did something very unexpected for the omniscient, all-powerful designer of every living thing – He took a day off.This book is a guide to rejuvenation and increased productivity through a Sabbath rest. It’s for anyone who has ever wondered why God would take a break, and for everyone who feels like they could use one too.
In this book, we will discuss:
· What is a Sabbath?
· Why we need one?
· How to have one?
Product Details:
List Price: $15.00
Paperback: 107 pages
Publisher: Miller-Moore Publishing (January 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0984007415
ISBN-13: 978-0984007417
AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Good is not always
God
Two lumberjacks set out, as they did every morning, to work in the forest. The younger lumberjack challenged the older man to a con- test to see which of them could bring down the most trees that day. As soon as the whistle blew, the youth began chopping furiously and built an early lead while his opponent stopped regularly to take a break.
Puzzled by his opponent’s unusual strategy, the young lumber- jack pressed forward. As the day wore on, he continued chopping as fast as ever, but his lead wasn’t what it once had been. It seemed that whatever work he did while the other man rested, was equaled as soon as he got back to work.
When the whistle blew, the challenger, exhausted and in pain from pushing himself all day, turned with astonishment to offer his congratulations to the older lumberjack. Approaching the veteran he said, “I don’t get it. I worked all day long without a break, yet in spite of taking several breaks, you still won. What’s your secret?”
The veteran, still in good spirits and ready to head home to his family, glanced at the enormous pile of trees he had felled. He replied with a grin, “Son, I wasn’t just sitting. I was sharpening my ax.”
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God Took a Day Off, Why Can’t I?
Mixing wisdom with effort
“If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength;
But wisdom brings success.”
ecclesiastes 10:10 (nKJV)
Too often we feel ineffective and unsure of what we should be doing. When I was single, I would feel guilty for resting while my married friends were overwhelmed with all they had to do. I loved to serve others and help meet their needs, but I would often findmyself offering to assist out of a false sense of obligation.
Matthew 26:11a (KJV)
There will always be pressing needs surrounding us, but this does not mean that God wants us to meet all those needs. Instead, we are to stay closely connected to Him at all times so that we are ready, willing and able to be led by Him, to be used as He sees fit – directly or indirectly.
Over the last couple of years, I have been an advocate for a wonderful foster/adoption agency, Family Link. My husband, eric, and I have aways wanted to adopt, but have not felt it is our time just yet. Instead, God has allowed me the privilege of serving orphans in an- other way, as an advocate. I’ve been able to impact more orphans than I ever imagined by sharing with others about the great opportunities
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Good is not always God
available to help nurture these precious children.
We must not ignore needs. Instead, we can be willing to allow God to use us in the manner that He chooses; whether it’s meeting the needs directly, or prayerfully looking for those who can.
The proper pace
Within the first six years of our marriage, Eric and I had three beautiful and energetic little boys while serving in the ministry togeth- er. And as if that weren’t enough, I continued to try to fulfill every need I got wind of. I enjoyed serving within the local church and communi- ty because of my passion for teaching and mentoring. Yet, too often I’d race through my Bible, gathering material for ministry purposes and squeeze in just enough time for my appointments. Allowing God to replenish me was not on the schedule. I merely coasted along in cruise control, heading towards empty.
Thankfully I continued to experience the Lord’s goodness through the encouragement of the people He placed in my life. But even that was not enough for me to escape the fact that I would not be able to continue the roller-coaster life I was living.
During this season, I remembered a conversation I had with
one of my instructors at Fuller Theological Seminary. After witnessing several of my attempts to fill every need I became aware of, he pulled me aside and said, “Andrea, this is a marathon, not a 40 yard dash.”
I still remember the concern on his face as he spoke those words to me. That’s the moment I began my journey to achieve better
balance in my life.
9
God Took a Day Off, Why Can’t I?
Good can be the enemy of the best
Proverbs 11:1 (KJV)
tow ‘ebah meaning disgusting thing, thing
Did this mean that the good things I was running around doing for the Lord were seen by Him as an abomination because they shifted my life out of balance?
As a natural do-er, I am more inclined to tackle an activity than
sit quietly with the Lord. even in writing this book on the Sabbath
rest, I had to discipline myself to first seek the Lord before doing other things. In order for any of us to discern what is best, we must spend regular time meditating on His word, with His people and in His pres- ence.
Many of us feel a responsibility to live by the motto: “See the need and take the lead.” Over the last sixteen years, serving in the church and community, I‘ve seen the endless sea of needs and wants. They never end – kind of like the laundry at my house.
I believe God looks at our hearts and is honored by the desire that we have to serve Him. Yet I wonder why we keep racing toward each finish line as though it is the last, barely stopping to refuel before we start the next race.
We must allow God to fill us first. In this way, we give to others from our overflow, rather than from the grace that is meant to sustain us through the day.
As a life coach, I feel it is beneficial for you to take a few min-
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Good is not always God
utes and identify where you are right now and where you need and want to go:
How satisfied are you with the time and energy that you invest in each of the areas listed on the chart below?
Use a pencil to rate each area of your life on a scale from 1-7, with 7 be- ing the highest.
Draw a line connecting your ‘score’ in each section to the next one, working your way through all eight areas. This will reveal your current state of balance. (Please feel free to change the headings if there are others more applicable to you.)
You can return to this exercise later and modify your wheel as you begin to implement a Sabbath.
As you experience regular rest in the Lord, expect your results to change.
11
God Took a Day Off, Why Can’t I?
As I take a regular Sabbath, areas of my life are going through a transforma- tion, and I’m not seeing the kinds of problems I feared in taking a regular day off.
BONUS: There are two additional wheels in the back of the book as a gift to you. You can chart yourself, either now or later; include where you wish you were or even how your time is being invested once you incorporate a regular Sabbath.
My Thoughts:
I LOVED this book! It really focuses in on why we need to stop and rejuvenate ourselves on so many levels and why. It is written in an easy to read style. I found it not only educational, but honestly an enjoyable read as well.
Each section contains questions at the end to help you hone in on what was discussed. They are designed to make one think about their own situations and are a great addition.
I did love the story of the lumberjacks (see above). It really is a fantastic illustration of what happens when we don't rest, care for and use our tools (the Bible) the way we should. Andrea really nails problems and solutions and backs them up with Scripture - and she does it in a way that doesn't feel like a lecture, but instead comes over extremely helpful.
Highly recommended!
This book uses the following for Scripture references: King James Version, New King James Version, New American Standard, the New International Version and The Message
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