Christmas Stories by Max Lucado

I know Christmas was almost a week ago, and really who can believe that?? Not me, certainly.  I love a good Christmas story. And I love a good Max Lucado book, so what could be better than a Christmas story written by Max Lucado?

My thoughts exactly. I’m not sure there is much better than that.  I can think of better things, like coffee, Jesus, heaven, and friends, but if we’re talking Christmas stories and Max Lucado, not much is better.

Christmas Stories, the title of Max’s new book, is just that. A collection of short Christmas stories.  It starts with the story of the candle maker. 

What’s that? You don’t know the story? Oh well. I’m sorry. You’ll have to get the book to read it.

The next story is the story of The Christmas Child. Oh you say, you know this story. I hate to be rude, but really, unless you’ve read the book, you haven’t heard this story.  A man estranged from his wife travels to Clearwater, Texas because someone sent his father the picture of a church in Clearwater. Neither one knows why.

And neither will you until you read the book.

The most disappointing thing in the book was some of “stories” were taken from some of his other books.  I wish the larger portion of the book was new stories but don’t let that stop you from getting the book.

I loved that the stories were good…no, great stories. I also loved that they weren’t the typical “feel-good-everything-is-great” stories. The story I reference above, The Christmas Child, definitely had a surprising ending. Very surprising.

I plan on trying to remember to read one story/chapter a day next December as part of my preparation for Christmas. It’s a great addition to your Christmas library.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

Grace, Grace

Grace.

A girl’s name. A book’s title. An attribute of God. A character trait we all need. Something we extend to others because God has extended it to us.

Max Lucado has written, and Thomas Nelson has published, a book entitled simply, Grace. It’s subtitle is: More than we deserve. Greater than we imagine.  You have to believe me when I say this book is phenomenal and a must read for everyone who names the name of Jesus. Those who need need grace and those who revel in it’s power in their life.

This book revolutionized my life and my thoughts on grace. I’ve heard about grace, I’ve sung songs about grace, but I’m not sure I spend much time contemplating what grace really means. I know I haven’t given near enough thought on how I can use grace in the lives of other people.

I learned things like:

• When grace happens, Christ enters.
• Grace is everything Jesus.
• Grace is a God who stoops.
• The fruit of grace: saved by God, raised by God, seated with God.
• Jesus Christ is what God does, and the cross is where God did it. (Frederick Buechner)
• Sin is not a regrettable lapse or an occasional stumble.
• Sin tells God to get out, get lost, and not come back. Sin is insurrection of the highest order, and you are the insurrectionist.
• Grace is not blind.
• Grace is simply another word for God’s tumbling, rumbling reservoir of strength and protection.
• When grace happens, generosity happens.
• Trust God’s hold on you more than your hold on God.
• Grace fosters obedience.

Eleven chapters. One conclusion. Profound thoughts. Simple thoughts. Amazing grace.

I loved this book because while the concept is complex, the words are simple. Max Lucado put grace in words we can all relate to and understand. He peppered each chapter with personal stories and anecdotes these increased my understanding of grace.

There is a study guide at the back of the book that would be very helpful whether you are doing the study alone or with a group.

My prayer for me is that I will allow the truths of this book and THE Book to infiltrate my heart and become such a part of who I am that when others see me, they really see the God who gives grace.

To read more of my thoughts on this book, click here.

(I received a free copy of this book from Thomas Nelson publishers for the purpose of review.)

Books fall Open…

Yeah right…it’s more like books are slammed, thrown, yanked open and I fall in. Who can resist a book?

Who can resist a book by Max Lucado? Or who can resist a book about grace? That single element, character trait we all desire in others and yes, if we’re honest, we want in ourselves as well.  We’re often saying, “there but for the grace of God, go I”, which has always struck me as a nice way of saying “that person is an idiot” or if not an idiot, they are obviously a much bigger sinner than I am.  I am not sure the statement is even true. I don’t think God‘s grace can anymore keep us from sinning than we can walk to the moon. If God’s grace could keep us from sinning, why do we sin at all? Does His grace only keep us from the big sins? Do we not commit adultery because of God’s grace? Do we not murder because of grace?

My heart beats the heart beat of a sinner. T’is true. As much as I’d like to pretend otherwise, I sin. I have grace, but that grace is not a license to sin more. The Apostle Paul addresses this very thought, “Shall we go on sinning that grace might increase? May it NEVER BE!” (Romans 6:1-2 emphasis mine) I can’t expect to gain  more and more grace by committing more and more sin.  Not in the least! I have all the grace from God I could ever need. I can’t get more from Him because I don’t need more from Him. His grace, through Jesus atonement, bought my redemption.

Wow. I need no more grace.

Except from others. I do need others to extend grace because I still mess up and my mess ups affect others. Just tonight I had to apologize to two friends because I messed up.  They were both very gracious to me.

In case you’re wondering what all this has to do with Max Lucado and books called Grace. Mr. Lucado has written a wonderful book called simply, Grace.  I can say it’s wonderful because, although I’ve only read the first chapter, I’ve read other books by him and the first chapter was exceptional!

One phrase caught my attention, “The Christian is a person in whom Christ is happening.”  Happening…that is in the present tense. Christ didn’t happen to us…He is happening.  I know we’ve all heard the cliches about God being a God of the present and He is. I think though we still tend to leave Him in the past.  I don’t want God to be a God of my past and I don’t want Him to just be a God of my future. I want Him to be God of my Present.

Grace brings God to the present. He didn’t happen to us at some point in historical time. He IS happening to us and in us.

He hasn’t lived–He IS living
He hasn’t walked–He IS walking
He hasn’t taught–He IS teaching
He hasn’t saved–He IS saving
He didn’t intercede–He IS interceding
He hasn’t loved–He IS Loving (and is, in fact, Love)
He hasn’t come–He IS coming.

There are a million or more things God IS doing that we tacked on -ed to instead of bringing it to the present with an -ing.

I want to bring God to my -ing. I want to realize anew and a fresh that He is not only IN my present but He IS my present.  I want to walk and live like this in an ingrained reality. I want to revel in His presence in my present.  I want to know His grace, to experience it with all of my senses so I can in turn be a conduit of His grace to others, so I can bring Him and His presence into their present as well.

Imagine what would happen if we as believers did this? Staggering and more than a little mind-blowing.

Wow!

Pearl Girls Post 4

Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother’s Day blog series – a week long
celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a new post by some of
today’s best writer’s (Tricia Goyer, Sheila Walsh, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Bonnie St.John, and more). I hope you’ll join us each day for another unique perspective on
Mother’s Day.

AND … do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful hand crafted
pearl necklace. To enter, just {CLICK
THIS LINK} and fill out the short form. Contest runs 5/6-5/13 and the
winner will on 5/14. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we’re all about. In
short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in
the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering
Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT
Mother’s Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

And to all you MOMS out there, Happy Mother’s Day!

What I
Am Not by Tricia Goyer

Becoming a mother is a complicated thing. Not only am I trying to negotiate a
relationship with my child, I am trying to negotiate a relationship with myself as
I attempt to determine how I mother, how I feel about mothering, how I want to
mother and how I wish I was mothered.

— Andrea J. Buchanan, in Mother Shock3

Sometimes the easiest way to discover who we are is to know who we are not.

• We are not our children. We all know mothers who go overboard trying
to make themselves look good by making their children look great. I saw one woman
on the Oprah television show who had bought her preschool daughter more than
twelve pairs of black shoes just so the girl could have different styles to go with her
numerous outfits! Just as we -don’t get report cards for mothering, we also -don’t get
graded on our child’s looks or accomplishments. While you want your children to
do their best and succeed in life, your self-esteem -shouldn’t be wrapped up in your
child.

Life as I See It:

My individuality will never end. There will be no one exactly like me, not even
my child. She will be like me in some ways, but not at all in others. I -wouldn’t have
it any other way.

— Desiree, Texas

• We are not our mothers. I remember the first time I heard my mother’s
voice coming out of my mouth. The words “because I told you so .  .  .” escaped before
I had a chance to squelch them.

It’s not until we have kids that we truly understand our mothers — all their frets,
their nagging, and their worries.

It’s also then that we truly understand their love.

Since you are now a mother, it’s good to think back on how you were raised. If there
were traditions or habits that now seem wise and useful, incorporate them into your
parenting. You also have permission to sift out things you now know -weren’t good.
Just because you’re a product of your mother, that -doesn’t mean you have to turn
out just like her. Repeat after me, “I am not my mother.”

• We are not like any other mother out there. Sometimes you may feel
like the world’s worst mother. After all, your friend never yells at her son —
and sometimes you do. Then again, your friend may feel bad because you have
a wonderful bedtime routine that includes stories and songs. In many cases, the
moms you feel inferior to only look like they have it together. All moms feel they -
don’t “measure up.” Instead of feeling unworthy, we should realize that everyone
has strengths and weaknesses. The key is where we place our focus.

The Bible says, “Let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without .
.  . comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we -aren’t”
(Romans 12:5 – 6, MESSAGE).

The problem with comparison is, we always measure our weaknesses
against the strengths of others.

Instead, we need to thank God for our strengths. We can also ask God to help us
overcome our weaknesses — not because we want to compare ourselves, or look
good in someone else’s eyes, but because we want to be the best mom out there.

###

Tricia Goyer is a CBA best-selling author and the winner of two American
Christian Fiction Writers’ Book of the Year Awards (Night Song and Dawn of
a Thousand Nights). She co-wrote 3:16 Teen Edition with Max Lucado and
contributed to the Women of Faith Study Bible. Also a noted marriage and parenting
writer, she lives with her husband and children in Arkansas. You can find her
online at www.triciagoyer.com or at her weekly radio show, Living Inspired.

Exciting News – the latest Pearl Girls book, Mother of Pearl: Luminous Legacies
and Iridescent Faith will be released this month! Please visit the Pearl Girls Facebook
Page (and LIKE us!) for more information! Thanks so much for your support!

Remember G.O.D.

Who doesn’t like Max Lucado? Honestly I don’t think I’ve met anyone who doesn’t enjoy his books. He is makes you laugh while leading you to deeper thinking. I don’t know about you for sure, but for this lady I can use all the deeper thinking I can get.

In Max Lucado’s devotional book for high school and college-age, “Make Every Day Count” we are encouraged and prodded to making every single day we are given count for eternity. The days when we’re grateful, the days we’re joyous, peaceful and inspired. We are encouraged and given the tools to make even the days we’re stressed, feel guilty, are sour, drained and feel like we lack purpose a good day.

In chapter 1 we are told to:

• Saturate your day in His grace (Luke 23:43)
• Entrust your day to His oversight. (Luke 11:3)
• Accept His direction.(Luke 9:23)

Even if that is all we did, if we just saturated our day in grace, if we entrusted everything to Him who judges justly and if we could just accept His direction instead of feeling the great, insatiable need to give directions to Him,  wouldn’t that make every day a good day?

He closes chapter 1 with this,

Remember GOD
Grace. Oversight. Direction

At the end of each chapter is a short thought called, “Day-Lifter”. It is a short synopsis of the chapter. The “Day Lifter” for chapter 1 (which, by the way, is titled “Make Every Day Count”) says:

Yesterday…Forgiven
Tomorrow…Surrendered
Today…Clarified.

I especially enjoyed his chapter, Passion For Purposeless Days. He used Mark 8:34. In this verse Jesus is talking to the disciples and says, “…If anyone wants to be My follower, he much deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” Mr. Lucado further explains what is meant by “his cross”. I have long thought the cross was an instrument of torture, anguish and death. I’ve thought various things were “my cross” to bear.

But Mr. Lucado explained the cross of Jesus is an instrument of grace and forgiveness. Through the cross we are redeemed, we have eternal life. We have complete access to God through grace. So our cross isn’t torturous at all. Our cross is our calling. (And if you have a few hours I highly recommend getting a good exhaustive concordance (or going to Blue Letter Bible) and reading every verse that mentions call, called, calling etc.)

“To take up cross, then, is to take up Christ‘s burden for the people of the world.” (page 96)

I give this book 5 turning pages and I can not recommend it high enough. Get one for every graduate you know this year, next year and for years to come, but get one for yourself too. You will not be disappointed and you won’t miss the bad days at all. You will find that your days count. You will remember G.O.D. Grace. Oversight. Direction. Your todays will be clarified, your tomorrows, surrendered and your yesterdays are forgiven.

(I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of review.)

12 Pearls of Christmas

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas!

Enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from some of today’s most beloved writer’s (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.

AND just for fun … there’s also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 – 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we’re all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

***

Family Traditions: A Glimpse into Christmas Future

by Tricia Goyer

Have you ever thought about family traditions? As I helped my 1-year-old place ornaments on the Christmas tree this year I imagined her doing the same thing with her children—and maybe even grandchildren—one day. Traditions are beliefs and customs handed down through generations. By sharing meaningful moments with your kids you’re sending yourself into the future. How amazing is that?

Sharing family traditions cause us to slow down from the busy, adult world for a while. We ignore the laundry to set out the nativity set with our kids. We set aside time in our schedules to drive around and look at Christmas lights.

Holiday traditions aren’t only fun, they also help strength family bonds. Through traditions kids trust in the security of family unit. They think, “This is our family and this is what I do.” Of course, the most important thing to share isn’t just what we do … but why. Why do we put out a nativity? To remind us the real meaning of the season—Jesus coming to earth. What do the Christmas lights represent displayed on homes and on trees? They represent the Light of the World, Jesus.

Using traditions to bond our families and share our faith isn’t new. I love these two Scriptures that talk about that very thing.

Exodus 12:25 says, “When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony.”

Psalm 78:4 says, “We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.”

What are you’re traditions? Here are a few of ours:

Baking a Birthday cake for Jesus

Buying a new ornament every year for each child

Acting out the Christmas story (with props!)

Praying together before opening presents

What are your traditions? Write a list and appreciate them in a new way this year. Then ask, “If I could add one new tradition this holiday season, what would it be?” I’d love to hear what you choose! It also makes me smile to think of your children’s grandchildren doing the same.

***

Tricia Goyer is a CBA best-selling author and the winner of two American Christian Fiction Writers’ Book of the Year Awards (Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights). She co-wrote 3:16 Teen Edition with Max Lucado and contributed to the Women of Faith Study Bible. Also a noted marriage and parenting writer, she lives with her husband and children in Arkansas. www.triciagoyer.com