Bonhoeffer Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas - Nelson Books

Bonhoeffer Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas - Nelson Books


you can get it here: https://amzn.to/36C34MU

I love heroes. I just love to get into their brains. I love their thinking and their courage. Most of all I love people who act like heroes without knowing they will be famous because of their actions. It would be easy to act with courage, wisdom, and justice if you would know your life is being recorded and you have a contract because they will write a biography about you. That would not impress me. What I love about people in the past is that they act as they must, with selfishness and with sacrificially loving, even if nobody knows it or no one claps around. This is the case, I think that is why I like books like this so much. There where no cellphones and selfies around, no paparazzi involved. It is impossible to read about Dietrich Bonhoeffer without having a deep sense of what is truly important, about integrity, truth, courage, and the present and unavoidable fact that you will need to die and sacrifice in order to serve others. This biography is a treasure I want to involve my children in. You will walk to each chapter thankful for Bonhoeffer, but also for Eric Metaxas, who took the time and effort to leave this legacy into pages so we could cherish, a hero for me too. If you love justice, pastors, history, martyrs, prophets, deep thoughts, and challenges this book is for you. My prayer for this generation is to have more people of character with kindness and strong convictions, and the conviction to be faithful to God and love others to the end. Seriously get this book, and start reading now. It has been 10 years since the 1st one came out and it is still here, going strong (you will find some new things added to this edition). It is long, but it is worth it. 


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Hoping for Happiness Turning Life's Most Elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality by Barnabas Piper - The Good Book Company

Hoping for Happiness Turning Life's Most Elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality by Barnabas Piper - The Good Book Company

                                                       

                                      you can get it here: https://amzn.to/34Gvliv

I just had the opportunity to read/listen the new book by Barnabas Piper about happiness, (as you all may know, this is not a very common topic for me to read about). I enjoyed the clarity and simplicity Barnabas had to share his ideas, and that he point you to the fountain of life: Jesus. I enjoy audiobooks most when the audio is recorded by the author, everything changes when they add their own tone and style (you can find it in ONE Audiobooks). It is very uplifting to listen an author, their process and vulnerability while writing.

I would like to say to Barnabas is this, and leave it here on my blog so I can remember:
Thank you, Barnabas. Something happened while I was reading. I´m going through several processes in my life and for some reason, I wanted to read your book. I had several "aha" moments deep thoughts around your ideas, and I´m thankful for it because you ignited those, it was very helpful. I really like it when someone shares his voice even when they come from a family with other authors and that may be intimidating. I can relate in many things. I´m amazed how you were able to overcome all the trash people throws after a divorce, or comparison, (even when they don´t know you or know how hard it is to start again). You have keep going and I admire that, it is a great example to me in several other areas. I had never ever read about "Evangeliguilt", but it was kind of fun to read about it and also helpful to know how to "call" it (I´m not sure if you created or not the word). As I read/heard your content I was encouraged to keep my eyes on Jesus, leave behind all the burdens, to carry on with the best attitude and thankfulness no matter what, keep going even if I fall, not to think everything is said and done, and to remember the Word and Love of God is forever. Holiness and happiness coexist. We must show it.








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Everyone wants to be happy, and we all pursue happiness in different ways. Some people are thrill-seekers; others are homebodies. Some people are loners; others love big families or communities. Some people express things creatively; others consume what is created. Some sing; others listen to music. Whatever we find happiness in, we are united by our desire for work that matters and relationships that fulfil.

As Christians, we often fall into the trap of basing our hopes on earthly things, even when we know they only make us happy for a short time. But how are we to experience happiness in this life? How do we avoid expecting too much of earthly things and being disappointed, or expecting too little and becoming cynics?

In this book, recovering cynic Barnabas Piper helps us to throw off both the unrealistic expectations that end in disappointment and the guilty sense that Christians are not meant to have fun. He shows how having a clear view of the reality of the fall and the promise of redemption frees us to live a life that's grounded, hopeful, and genuinely happy.

Foreword by Randy Alcorn, best-selling author of many books, including Happiness and The Treasure Principle, and the director of Eternal Perspective Ministries.

 

Contents

  • 1. The American Dream
  • 2. Expecting Too Little, Too Much, and Just Right
  • 3. Hanging Happiness on the Right Hooks
  • 4. We Live Cursed
  • 5. Deal in Reality
  • 6. Every Good and Perfect (and Fun) Gift
  • 7. In This Life There Will Be Trouble
  • 8. Don't Fear the Reaper
  • 9. Pleasures Now and Forevermore
  • 10. Happiness vs Holiness
  • 11. The Pleasure of the Promise
  • 12. Grounded Happiness
  • 13. Finding Happiness



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The 40-Day Social Media FastExchange Your Online Distractions for Real-Life Devotionby Wendy Speake - Baker Books


Pub Date 03 Nov 2020
you can pre order it here https://amzn.to/3hhbquY

She did it again. Wendy Speake encourages me to focus on Jesus just as she did with the sugar fast, now she encourages us to quit sugar (remember? The 40-Day Sugar Fast: Where Physical Detox Meets Spiritual Transformation) for the brain and go for the real thing with God and his Word. 

I have been not around social media since June 2020 to _____ (don´t know yet when I´m coming back, I feel so comfortable and free like this) so I was an ideal reader for this book. I think as I was on this journey this book would be extra support for my life to focus on the important, and sure it was. I love to be in touch and have meaningful connections with people, but I´m a lot like Jesus, needing to go alone with the father, silence and quiet places are a gift for me. For you too if you try. This book is a great company if you decide to have that kind of time.

If you have never ever done something like this I encourage you to do it, it is like a detox for your brain. I have several friends who are always saying goodbye publicly and in some hours they come back, they can´t, it is a huge addiction, I have talked to them but it is very rooted and they don´t really want to change. I hope you don´t have your identity in others or your enjoyment may come from several real places, not just online people. Do not expect something just about quitting your digital habits, but expect to get closer to Jesus, your family, neighbor and get closer to real friends. If you or your family are really into social media, you all may do these devotionals together and get healthier in that area of your life. 

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God Does His Best Work with Empty by Nancy Guthrie - Tyndale House Publishers



Pub date 15-Sep-2020
you can pre-order it here: https://amzn.to/33c4Q3L

Sometimes it is not what is in a book that captures your attention, but what makes you think... sometimes is related to the actual words printed in the book and sometimes it just led you to a way of thoughts and you just can´t stop. This was the case. As weird as you may find my words, this book made me think a lot in motherhood and the meaning of life (and the author was not even talking about this, well... she shares some of her own struggles with motherhood, which I found odd because she lost children, I don´t get it, and probably never will). I´m thankful to Nancy for the reflections she lightens up inside of me and because I was encouraged to remember that even when you feel left out, drained, burned out, and basically empty, it is a good thing because God needs you to be in order to fill you. In this book, if you are a Christian, you will find things that you already know, but I´m sure you need to remember, why? because we tend to forget, and we need to remember. You will find some paragraphs where she quotes from other books she wrote and I have also enjoyed (like Holding on to hope with Tyndale, 2002 and Hearing Jesus speak into your sorrow, also with Tyndale, 2009, and the latest from Even Better than Eden, 9 ways the Bible´s story changes everything about your story) but you won´t find that annoying because those are some short passages that are short and truly related).

I can relate... Here some quotes...
"...we simply can’t expect any human to fill us up completely. No human relationship, no matter how good, can bear the weight of our expectations of complete satisfaction, perfect harmony, and intimacy that only this ultimate and eternal marriage will provide. Instead, our less-than-perfect marriages or our longings to be married can serve to keep us thirsty for this perfect marriage to come. We can expect God to be at work in our emptiness to woo us to himself. Whether we’re married or single, divorced or widowed, our lives are meant to be spent nurturing our longing for this better marriage. And someday that longing will be fulfilled. Don’t stuff down those desires to be loved in this way; direct your desires toward the only one who can love you this way".

"I know the empty place is still there. There’s an empty place in your family photo, an empty place at the table, an empty place in the plans you had for your future. I’m praying that God will continue to do his best work, not in spite of your emptiness, but in it and through it. I’m praying that God will fill your lives with his life and light, beauty and purpose, hope and joy".

"I have often found myself fighting off a sense of emptiness, or perhaps more accurately wallowing in a wave of emptiness. Sometimes I feel as if there is a bottomless pit inside of me that no amount of entertainment, affirmation, or accumulation can fill. I’m ashamed of how envious I can be of what someone else has or does when I have so much and get to do so much. I’ve often wondered how I can feel empty immediately after accomplishing something I’ve worked hard for or while I’m still on the vacation I’ve dreamed of. I’ve wondered how I can feel lonely in a room full of interesting people or in a marriage to a wonderful man. I’ve wondered how it is that I can so quickly descend from thrilling satisfaction into nagging dissatisfaction after an expensive purchase, a successful event, or a sought-after experience. But I do."

"Sometimes your sense of emptiness haunts you as an undefined yet relentless ache. At other times it overwhelms you as an undeniable agony."

"When all you can see are the empty places, put your confident hope in what you can’t see. Put your hope in a God who is for you. God has not raised his fist against you; instead, God’s hand is at work in your life. See that even the hardest providences of life come to us through our Redeemer’s nail-scarred hands. He’s allowing this emptiness in your life, seeking to draw you back to the place where he intends to bless you beyond what you can imagine . You just can’t see it at this point in your story. Trust him to the end. He is guiding the story of your life toward restoration, toward redemption, toward resurrection."

"Whatever it is that has carved out a huge cistern in your soul, God wants to fill your emptiness with his grace and kindness. Your Redeemer longs to take you under his wing and cover you with his robe, to protect you and provide for you. He has done what is necessary under the law to redeem you from your desperate situation and has paid the price required with his own blood. He will take you into his home. He will satisfy your hunger with himself because he is the Bread of Life. He will heal your heart, which has been broken by the sorrows and losses inflicted on it by life in this world. He will be kind to you. He will love you. He will share with you his own inheritance in the heavenly land. He will fill your future with all of the royal privileges of being in the family of Jesus Christ, the son of David."


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Caring for the souls of children, a biblical counselor´s manual by editor Amy Baker - New Growth Press

 Caring for the souls of children by editor Amy Baker - New Growth Press



you can get it here: https://amzn.to/3i7yywd

This is a book I´d love to have when I was studying counseling. And is a book I will recommend to all my classmates from now on. Edward T. Welch, and Joni Eareckson Tadda are authors that I have enjoyed through the years, so when I saw they were contributors and I had Rob Green as professor years ago, so I wanted to read the whole book. I have taken some courses that focus on children counseling before, the common drawings and figures you show to children, as usual interpretation is very subjective with some methods, in some courses I have taken I didn´t find the ideas/methods very legit or scientific to get to a children´s heart, they just consider behavior or were truly boring (treating children, pre-teens and teens as very immature creatures). Don´t get me wrong, children are indeed immature, but we don´t have to underestimate them, we can communicate and deal with hard issues with good communication, just as we do with grownups it is what Amy also explains. The wisdom and practical ideas this book have to approach a children´s heart, their attention, and what I loved the most: how to help their own parents to help them and involve in the healing/improvement process, I totally agree with that approach (obviously when the parents have mental health and are not toxic. I found that a very valuable approach in this book. 

"For children, the struggles, desires, and hopes are no different than for those of us who are adults. Therefore, the counsel we provide for them should lead them to the same place—the good news of Jesus Christ".

I absolutely recommend this material and can´t way to see how these practices are going to improve future counseling sessions. I´m grateful for all the serious and devoted authors of these chapters. It is a good idea to keep this manual handy.


This is the table of contents

Encouragement and Wisdom
for Counseling Children
New manual equips counselors, parents, and pastors to boldly trust in the sufficiency of Scripture for counseling.


Some counselors are intimidated at the thought of counseling children. If the counselor primarily works with adults, he or she may feel out of their league because they don’t know where to start with relating and providing counsel on a level the child can understand. In Caring for the Souls of Children: A Biblical Counselor’s Manual (New Growth Press/August 31, 2020), editor Amy Baker along with many experienced counselors, authors and pastors help readers prepare to work with children and offer guidance on using the Word of God to help the child face specific struggles.
 
“The core thesis of this book is that the struggles, the desires, and the source of hope for children is no different than the struggles, desires, and source of hope for adults,” writes Baker. “While we often think that children need a different approach to counseling—and we certainly want to tailor our teaching and interaction to the understanding of the child—it’s our observation that children struggle with the same desires adults struggle with, they are lured by the same lies that adults fall prey to, and they find hope in the same source adults find hope—in our Lord and Savior.  The contributors and I want to encourage counselors and parents to boldly trust in the sufficiency of God and his word to help struggling children.”
 
This manual helps counselors share Christ—the way, the truth, and the life—while tailoring interactions and teachings to the understanding of children. The chapters are written by a wide range of contributors who have worked with children for many years including Baker, Julie Lowe, Marty Machowski, Jessica Thompson, Jonathan Holmes, Michael R. Emlet, Garrett Higbee, Edward T. Welch, Kevin Carson, Harvest USA, Charles Hodges, Joni and Friends, Bob Kellemen, and Pam Bauer.
 
Caring for the Souls of Children equips counselors, parents, pastors, and others who work children to boldly trust in the sufficiency of Scripture for counseling. This in-depth resource begins with an overview of foundational principles for counseling children and addresses a different counseling topic in each subsequent chapter. Topics addressed include a wide variety of general and specific issues that children face including anxiety, anger, abuse, suicidal thoughts and actions, self-harm, shame, grief, disability, disease, sexual identity, and many others.
 
Joni Eareckson Tada, founder and CEO of Joni and Friends International Disability Center shares, “In Caring for the Souls of Children, you will find a rich resource of wise insights, seasoned advice, and solid biblical guidance to help children view their limitations from God’s point of view.”
 
“Some books overpromise, but not this one. On all the most pressing issues in counseling (and parenting!) children, Caring for the Souls of Children delivers with grace and wisdom,” CCEF Executive Director Alasdair Groves adds.

Caring for the Souls of Children: A Biblical Counselor’s Manual
Edited by Amy Baker
August 31, 2020 / Retail Price: $29.99
Print ISBN 978-1-645070-63-4
Religion/Christian Ministry/Children


Coming alongside struggling children can feel like an uphill battle. Yet children struggle with the same desires adults struggle with, are lured by the same lies adults fall prey to, and can find hope in the same source adults can find hope--in Jesus. This manual helps counselors share Christ--the way, the truth, and the life--while tailoring interactions and teachings to the understanding of children.

Caring for the Souls of Children equips counselors, parents, pastors, and other helpers who want to love children to boldly trust in the sufficiency of Scripture. Edited by counselor and author Amy Baker, this in-depth resource begins with an overview of foundational principles for counseling children and addresses a different counseling topic in each subsequent chapter. Topics addressed include a wide variety of general and specific issues that children face including anxiety, anger, abuse, suicidal thoughts and actions, self-harm, shame, grief, disability, disease, sexual identity, and many others. Articles are written by a wide range of biblical counselors, authors, and pastors who have worked with children for many years including Amy Baker, Julie Lowe, Marty Machowski, Jessica Thompson, Jonathan Holmes, Michael R. Emlet, Garrett Higbee, Edward T. Welch, Kevin Carson, Harvest USA, Charles Hodges, Joni and Friends, Bob Kellemen, and Pam Bauer.



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Beautiful and Terrible Things A Christian Struggle with Suffering, Grief, and Hope by Christian M. M. Brady - Westminster John Knox Press

Beautiful and Terrible Things A Christian Struggle with Suffering, Grief, and Hope by Christian M. M. Brady - Westminster John Knox Press


You can pre order here https://amzn.to/2CnMFPp
pub date: 1-sep-2020

Anyone who has suffered is going to have something to say that just touches your soul. I can´t even imagine the pain this author went through. Last year and this year I have been reading about pain, lament, and suffering. It is very interesting to me to see how a lot of "Christians" seem to have all the answers and advice when you are talking about a disease, sickness, a loss, and everything, but they lack mercy, empathy, and compassion. I don´t want to be lick that (probably that is why I like to read about this topic this much. 

"If Jesus can challenge God, if Jesus can weep and grieve and ask God to spare him the pain and hardship, then so can we. So should we" pk 135

"Our response to hardship and grief does not need to be pious silence, but outrage and anger are acceptable! God is big enough and can handle our frustration and bitterness. God wants our honesty so that we can be honest with ourselves. God wants us to share all of our selves, including our pain, and God wants to be present with us in our suffering, through our suffering". pk 194

😭 Read this:
"This book is my lament. It is my complaint to God that our son was taken from this life. It is not right, and it cannot be justified. This is also my declaration of thanksgiving as I remember God’s presence throughout our lives, the grace and joy of Mack’s birth, the mutual love of Mack and his sister, and the brilliant vibrancy of his life. It is a recounting of God’s faithfulness to all creation and a confession of my faith in Christ. In lamenting the loss of Mack and affirming the grace of God present with us in the midst of our grief, I also call upon God to hear our prayers, the prayers of all who grieve and mourn, and to grant us the deep and abiding assurance of the hope of the resurrection: Be present and grant us your peace!" 




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