Categories
Books

Dead Sea Rising by Jerry Jenkins

This post was #sponsoredbyfaithwords. I was not required to give a positive review, so my review is my honest take on the book Dead Sea Rising by Jerry B. Jenkins.

I’m so thankful for the opportunity from Faithwords to read this book for free! I’ve enjoyed the other books that they’ve recommended to me as well, such as Pull it Off by Julianna Zobrist, Get Weird by CJ Casciotta, You Are Enough by Mandy Hale, and Beyond Blessed: God’s Perfect Plan for No Financial Stress by Robert Morris.

Most of us who read Christian fiction know about Jerry Jenkins through the Left Behind series. But did you know that he has also written hundred of novels, most of them bestsellers? Knowing this, when I heard about this book, I had to read it. It was a thriller, and since I’m writing Christian dystopian fiction, I was interested in how Jenkins would keep up the suspense of the novel.

His book Dead Sea Rising, the first of the Dead Sea Chronicles series, is a time slip novel that has received praise from many well-known authors. One of the authors that endorsed his book was James Scott Bell, the writer of Plot & Structure. I actually read Bell’s book for direction with my own writing, so I knew that if he said this book was good, it had to be good!

As a warning to any reader, if you set your expectations too high, you will get disappointed! That is the downfall of every great writer: he/she is expected to put out a perfectly captivating novel each and every time. To be honest, it took everything in me not to compare this book to the Left Behind series, and to what I have learned from Christian writing mentors. That is also the downfall of every great writer: he/she becomes a very critical reader. And so begins my honest review of this book.

Dead Sea Rising is a time slip novel that ties together the story of Nicole Berman, an archaeologist, and the story of Abraham. Berman is an archaeologist who is on the brink of discovering something that could change history. However, after her mother was supposedly attacked in her own home, it becomes evident that someone doesn’t want Nicole making this historic find. Meanwhile, we follow Abraham’s parents as they wrestle with faith and attempt to protect their son from King Nimrod, who has discovered that Abraham will become more powerful than him.

Truly, it was a captivating story. Time slips are difficult to accomplish, and I believe Jenkins ties all of the stories together well. He uses short chapters and quick dialogue tags to jump from character to character, keeping the quick pace of the plot throughout the entirety of the book. I also understand that he is setting up the book for a series, so he did not intend to tie the book up in a neat package. However, he does provide relief to most of the questions in the book while still leaving room for a sequel. The characters were dynamic and interesting, which, again, is difficult to accomplish. Each of their back stories was unique and captivating, and I enjoyed getting to know them!

Now, my one complaint (which was a BIG complaint) was that I felt that Jenkins left the reader hanging for too long. The synopsis included above (the part about Nicole being on the verge of discovering an important piece of information about the story of Abraham, but someone is trying to stop her) wasn’t fully recognized until page 275 of 310. The beginning of the book is pure suspense, a carrot on a stick. And while I believe that suspense has its place, I think it runs the risk of losing the reader’s interest. Basically, I think the synopsis was a little misleading.

Overall, if you like thrillers and Biblical time slips, I believe you will like it. Hopefully the second book, Dead Sea Conundrum, provides more of an exposition. More information about purchasing Dead Sea Rising is found here.

Categories
anxiety Encouragement

My Word for 2019

Although I have focused on a word each year since I graduated from college, I haven’t started documenting my words until last year. My word for 2019 is commit, based on Psalm 37:5

“Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.”

I was going to explain to you what the word “commit” means in the original Hebrew, but it has a pretty obscure meaning. I’ll commit to doing more research on it, and I will get back to you!

First and foremost, I want to commit this year to God. Whenever I put Him first, He provides, guides, and blesses. I want Him with me in 2019!

When praying about this year, I realized that I mentally put my life on hold. In particular, my husband and I have been saving for a house. In 2018, we made incredible progress, but I spent a lot of time wishing that we had a house so that we could have parties or have more space. We have also pushed off going on vacation and other fancy adventures because we are saving every penny. For the majority of the year, I believed that my life wouldn’t start until we had a house.

The truth is: life is too short to wait to live. God gives us waiting seasons, but He doesn’t call us to stop living until we’re done waiting. Waiting in the Bible is active. People who waited prayed, worshiped, met with other believers, and kept living their lives. And that is what I intend to do in 2019.

The last couple of years have been crazy. I’ve been asking since 2014 for a chill year. You all know about my instant push into adulthood, from getting a full-time job to getting married and moving into two apartments in two years. This year may finally be my chill year! During this year, we can focus on living our lives to the fullest while sticking to our financial and spiritual goals.

In 2018, I decluttered all the stuff that wasn’t producing fruit in my life. In 2019, I am now holding onto what is producing fruit and making room for those ministries, relationships, and habits in my daily life. Yesterday, I wrote a list of what I wanted to commit to this year. I won’t be sharing that list in public, but now I have a vision for the rest of 2019. What I will share is what has inspired me to commit:

  • We are losing our connection with our friends and family through our busy schedules and our addiction to social media.
  • We are losing our ability to discipline ourselves and practice self-control due to the instant gratification offered by technology and quick commercial services.
  • We are losing our need for commitment because we have so many options. You don’t like your spouse? Get a divorce. You don’t like your family? Disown them. You don’t like your friends? Ghost them. According to the world, you can have a hundred superficial friendships in order to replace the few meaningful relationships.

I fully admit that I have fallen victim to each of these points I’ve mentioned:

  • Due to my busy schedule, I find it hard to make time for my friends and family. This year, I have committed to do a better job of keeping in touch with them, and even inviting them to our apartment. I don’t have to wait to get a house in order to see my friends.
  • Due to the difficulty of eating healthy and fitting a workout plan into my schedule, I have been very bad at sticking to my fitness goals. This year, I have committed to a workout plan, and I intend to keep that commitment until the end of the year.
  • Due to the pain of conflict and emotional abuse from others, it is difficult for me to keep lasting relationships with others. It is much easier for me to cut them out of my life than for me to deal with conflict or to go deep with them. This year, I have committed to be intentional about attending church, being present at my small group, and participating in the community where God has placed me. Although I have been committed to my husband, I have committed to dig deeper into our marriage and grow even closer together.

I am reminded of Jesus’ teaching about abiding in the vine. This past year, God has pruned the areas of my life that have not produced fruit. This new year, God is making space for me to produce more fruit and to flourish where He has planted me. I cannot wait to see what 2019 holds for me and my husband. We’re ready to commit!

What word has God placed on your heart for 2019?

Photo by Oscar Ivan Esquivel Arteaga on Unsplash

Categories
Encouragement

Best of 2018

I took this template from last year’s post to compare my progress from this year. I’m so thankful for what God has done through this blog and how I’ve grown as a writer. Thank you for all your support!

This year, people from fifty-five different countries have viewed my blog.  I’ve always said that I wanted to be a world traveler, and it seems that my writing is doing that for me!  Glory to God!  Here are the top ten countries that have viewed my blog in 2018:

  1. United States
  2. India
  3. Canada
  4. United Kingdom
  5. Thailand
  6. Ireland
  7. Australia
  8. South Africa
  9. Philippines
  10. Italy

If you are from those countries or are residing in any of those countries, thank you reading!  I pray that my blog has been able to help you overcome anxiety, put God first in your marriage, or dig deeper into His Word.

In terms of views, here are the top ten blog posts of 2018:

  1. Divorce (In Friendships) is Not an Option
    In my marriage, divorce is not an option. We don’t even joke about it. What would it look like for us to fight for our friendships instead of cutting them off?
  2. Struggles in Marriage
    Marriage is hard, but it’s not impossible. What do you do when you’re going through a difficult season with your spouse?
  3. Dealing with Your Feelings
    If you don’t control your feelings, your feelings will control you. Instead of ignoring your feelings, learn to deal with them.
  4. Your Spouse’s Spiritual Journey
    The Bible says not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Does that mean I should always be on the same level spiritually as my spouse?
  5. The Rings
    What do our wedding rings symbolize?
  6. What IS the True Meaning of Christmas?
    The true meaning of Christmas can get lost in the mix of everything. It’s really cool that this blog post was among my top read for the year, considering I just wrote it a couple of weeks ago!
  7. Travel is the Best Marriage Therapy In this post, I share an honest account of what happens when I travel with my husband!
  8. Decluttering and Anxiety (tie for 8th)
    My word that I focused on this year was “declutter,” and in this post, I share why.
  9. Do it Scared (tie for 8th)
    I read a book by Christy Wright that encouraged me to start my business even when I was scared. What is fear keeping you from doing?
  10. 1 Corinthians 13: Living up to the Vows
    We read this chapter of the Bible at our wedding. But what does it actually mean to live out these verses in our marriage each day?

Thanks again for helping make 2018 a great year!  I also want to say a special thank you to my ninety-two new followers. For those who have been following, please let me know in the comments how this blog has impacted you this year, or if you have any feedback about how I could improve my blog in 2019.

Honestly, my blog is where I want it to be now. I’ve got a pretty good schedule going, and my topics seem to be attracting people. My writing goals will most definitely involve my Christian dystopian novel, as well as promoting my business. In terms of my personal goals, my word for 2018 was “declutter,” and I cannot tell you how much cleaning I have done to answer this word! Not only have I donated and got rid of a bunch of stuff, but I’ve also decluttered my time, my diet, and my attitude. My apartment feels clean, and I’m at peace mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I’ll be sharing on Wednesday about my word for 2019!

Happy New Year, everyone!  May God bless you abundantly in 2019.

Categories
anxiety

No Holiday Blues Here!

I pray that you all had a lovely Christmas season!

This past week, I posted a lot about the holiday blues. I’m happy to report that I didn’t have the holiday blues this year! Remembering that the holiday season is about Christ and His redemptive work in our lives, remembering to include my husband in everything I do, and remembering that my family isn’t perfect, made everything better. Did people say the wrong thing (including myself)? Of course! Was everything perfect? Of course not! But God was glorified as I did whatever I could to honor Him, and we laughed at all the imperfect moments.

I’m keeping this post short today. My word for this year was declutter, and I have definitely made some extra progress this week. So, unfortunately, writing is taking a back seat while I clean up and get rid of the filth that has crept into our apartment in the couple of months we’ve been here!

Feel free to comment below of anything you want to read in the next couple of weeks.

Have a happy new year!

Photo by Jewel Mitchell on Unsplash

Categories
anxiety

The Worst Kept Secret: Depression

I guest posted on Crystal Twaddell’s Made to Brave blog this week about depression during the holidays. Unfortunately, it is a sad reality that more people are depressed/suicidal/anxious during this time of the year than any other time. As I’ve said before, depression and anxiety go hand in hand. Anxiety is high energy fear of the future, while depression is low energy fear of the past.

It seems that it’s more socially acceptable to be anxious. After all, if you have a busy schedule to be anxious about, doesn’t that make you important or popular? But if you’re depressed, it means (supposedly) that you’re ungrateful for everything in your life, and no one wants to invite you to parties because you drag the mood down. I’m not downplaying the severity of anxiety, but I do believe we as a society talk about anxiety more than we talk about depression. It’s time to continue the conversation by discussing what happens when your anxiety disappears: it is often replaced with depression.

Anxiety is a large part of us. For some of us, it’s who we are. If you struggle with anxiety, can you even think of a time in your life when you weren’t anxious? Although we want to be set free from it, when we finally get better, we sometimes get worse. The hole that anxiety leaves in our lives is big and loud and aggravating. If we’re not anxious, then who are we?

That’s when depression kicks in. When we don’t have something to worry about, we get depressed. When our schedule isn’t filled to the brim, we get depressed. When we don’t have our usual five o’clock panic attack, we get depressed. Not because we miss our anxiety, but because we don’t know how to move forward. I know, because I’ve experienced this big time over the last couple of years.

During the holidays, we expect that Santa Claus and the smell of pine and gingerbread cookies and all the sugar will make of our problems go away. But they don’t. As a matter of fact, the holidays often make things worse for us. Some of us have to see family members we don’t like. Why do we have to sit across the dinner table from the people we haven’t spoken to in twenty years because of a fight that happened over a shovel? Some of us put our hope in gifts only to be sorely disappointed when we unwrap all the presents just to find our hearts as empty as ever. Did you really think that a new computer would make you feel more fulfilled?

With that logic, it’s no wonder that so many people kill themselves or die of natural causes during this time of year. Depression hangs in the air like the frost that comes out of our mouths when we’re whispering in the cold.

But depression is not the final word.

I encourage you this Christmas season to start by being honest. If you’re depressed, please get help. Reach out to a friend. Go to church. Even comment on this post. Be honest about how you feel and why you feel that way. Our emotions are not the truth, but they are an indication that something in your life needs to be fixed. It is essential for you to get the help and answers that you need in order to move on with your life and to enjoy the many blessings of the Christmas season.

This year, I feel like more than ever we’re trying to get back to the true meaning of Christmas, Jesus coming to Earth to bring us peace with God, with others, and with ourselves. If you focus on the other stuff, I cannot guarantee that you will feel peace at the end of the day. However, I am a living testimony that Jesus is the giver of life, not just eternal life when we die, but abundant life while we are still breathing. There have been times where I’ve wondered what the point of life is, and I’ve felt God’s peace saying that He has a purpose for me here. The same is true for you. You may feel depressed, hopeless, even meaningless, but God has a different story for you. The hope of Christmas is that you’re not alone, and that your life is worth living.

Photo by Jilbert Ebrahimi on Unsplash

Categories
Marriage

How to Help Your Spouse Overcome the Holiday Blues

I had the privilege of guest blogging for Crystal Twaddell’s blog Made for Brave. I discussed the reality of the holiday blues and how we can focus on the true meaning of Christmas to combat these unmet expectations. Check it out this link when you have the chance!

A grieving process happens during the holidays, where traditions you had even last year don’t happen anymore. Loved ones pass away. Divorce separates us from those who are still alive but have chosen not to be part of the family. It is normal to have feelings of disappointment during the holidays.

In light of this topic, I wanted to discuss the value of communication. Lenny and I have carried traditions from both of our sides of the family that have clashed. We’ve been able to work through them every year because we’ve been able to communicate. Now that we are one, we have the opportunity to create new memories and new traditions with our new family (meaning the two of us). The question is: Which traditions from our childhood do we carry with us to our future traditions? Communication will help us find out answer.

However, as I mention in my guest post, there’s an expectation for everyone to be perfect and for there to be no negativity and no conflict. If anyone speaks his/her mind, Christmas is ruined! To be honest, I’ve probably “ruined” a couple of Christmases over the years. When you get married, you definitely step on the toes of your in-laws when it comes to the holidays. Both your side of the family and your spouse’s side of the family are trying to squeeze in time to see you, when you honestly just want to sit on your comfy couch, drink hot cocoa, and watch It’s a Wonderful Life. Talking to your spouse about your expectations can help you communicate your expectations to each side of the family. They won’t understand if you won’t teach them, and you can’t understand unless you process how you feel yourself.

The reality is, if you’re married, you and your spouse are a team. If you’re dreading the holidays, you are not alone. First of all, a lot of people experience stress, anxiety, and depression during this time of the year. In addition to that, your spouse can be a source of comfort for you.

Focusing on the true meaning of Christmas helps put things in perspective. We celebrate the fact that God is literally with us. He’s not in some distant land, wishing us the best. He’s right there in the trenches, fighting for us and giving us the strength to overcome. When we have that lens, everything else falls into place. New traditions are made. Family drama suddenly doesn’t matter anymore. And the depression is slowly, but surely, replaced by the good news of great joy that was proclaimed on that first Christmas day.

Photo by https://unsplash.com/@kadh

Categories
Books

A Review of the Dystopian Novels in My Bookshelf

The novel I’m writing has taken an interesting turn. I went to ReNEW again this year, and I met with a literary agent, who read the first six pages of my book and gave me feedback. My takeaway from meeting with him was that my writing style is great, but that my book lacked direction. He asked me what genre it was, and honestly, I had no idea. It was sort of contemporary fiction, but there was a king involved, so was it fantasy?

When I got home from the retreat, I thought more about the direction of my novel. Experts suggest that to improve your writing, you should read. I acquired a free trial of Kindle Unlimited and decided to read whatever Amazon suggested to me.

The #1 book on my Kindle Unlimited suggestion list was A Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. After reading it, I wondered why Amazon thought I was twisted enough to enjoy this story! Professors and the like have advertised this book to me as a Christian society gone wrong. However, it was not a Christian book at all. Atwood’s society uses the Bible to manipulate people, but I do not believe the government is Christian. They are so far removed from God that Offred doesn’t even know how to pray! Although it was not my favorite story, this tale encouraged me to explore the idea of what it would be like for God to actually be in this story. In a dystopian society, God is often removed, so is it possible for a dystopian society to exist if God is in control and He is going to redeem us before all of that happens?

While on Goodreads, I searched “Christian dystopian” to find an answer to my question. There’s not much of it out there, but after doing some research and asking my bookworm friends, there definitely is a hunger for it. One book from that genre was Counted Worthy by Leah E. Good. I was able to see the opposite of what I struggled with: The story was captivating in and of itself, but she does silly things like explain her jokes and include a preachy character (preachy characters are the ultimate downfall of Christian fiction). Reading this book confirmed that this genre would be a challenge, but it would be fun and appropriate for me to write.

After reading A Handmaid’s Tale and Counted Worthy, I realized that the only book that I enjoyed reading in high school was 1984 by George Orwell. I still had my copy from when I had read it in high school. Through this book, I thought again about what would happen if Winston was a Christian. I’m actually exploring the scene in Room 101 for my main character, who is a Christian and has just been charged by God to stand up for the truth no matter what. Would she still stand if they tortured her with her worst fear or her deepest grief? 1984 also taught me that a dystopia looks different for every generation. For the people who would have read 1984, which was written during World War II, a dystopian society looked a lot like socialism. For the people who would have read A Handmaid’s Tale, which was written in the 1980s, a dystopian society looked like women losing the rights they just fought for in the Feminist movement of the 1960s. What type of dystopian society would scare the masses today?

An obvious dystopian fiction series that I would read next was The Hunger Games. I learned a lot from this series about the structure that I’m supposed to use in the dystopian fiction genre, and how to craft a society that is purely evil but thinks everything is okay. I love how The Hunger Games ends, but the rest of the books sort of fall apart. Even though I didn’t enjoy the other two books in the series, I learned not to cut corners when writing dystopian fiction. You have to have a strong plot, and you have to carry it through until the end. You have to write what makes sense given the situation. Spoiler alert: They do not need to have a happy ending, and as a matter of fact, most of the time, they don’t.

I’m currently reading a novel that I consider Christian dystopian but is actually more SciFi because it involves human cyborgs and nanotechnology. I cannot wait to write about it next week! But until then, please send me recommendations so that I can continue to improve my craft. On my “to-read” list is the Divergent series, Brave New World, Animal Farm, and the Left Behind series.

Do you enjoy dystopian fiction? Why or why not? What is your favorite dystopian novel and why?

Photo by Jez Timms on Unsplash

Categories
anxiety

My Song for the Season: “Here Comes Heaven”

Every year, I focus on a different aspect of Christmas. I’ll usually hear a song on the radio that sticks out to me and reminds me to be conscious of whatever God is teaching me. Listening to actual Christmas music about the birth of Christ and not about drinking hot cocoa and waiting for Santa Claus is so refreshing for my soul!

The last couple of years, God has put it on my heart to pay attention to the fact that Jesus came to us. Before the Christmas season even started, I listened to Elevation Worship’s new CD Hallelujah Here Below on Spotify. On my phone, if I’m listening to a particular CD, sometimes Spotify will throw in songs from the artist that are on a different album. When the song “Here Comes Heaven” came on, I thought it was from a Christmas album. But that’s the beauty of Christian music: when we have Christ in our hearts, it is Christmas every day. This song brought tears to my eyes when I first listened to it. I knew this is what God wanted to teach me this year.

Before Christ came to Earth, the people of God did not hear a prophecy or any word from the Lord for 400 years. For centuries, people waited for salvation and peace with God. They performed their rituals in hopes that they were pleasing God, waiting to hear from Him. Little did they know that He was preparing the way for Heaven to come to Earth.

In the ninth chapter of his book, Isaiah prophecies what it would be like for the Messiah to come to Earth:

“the people walking in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
    a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2, NIV).

When I was a kid and would have panic attacks, I would run to my parents and ask them to help me. Instead of addressing it, sometimes they would just tell me to think about something else. If I couldn’t sleep, my dad would tell me to dream of going to Florida on vacation. Just putting my attention on something else brought me such peace.

This Christmas season, I want to focus my attention on Christ. During the most depressing time of year, it is easy to get caught up in buying the right presents, filling our schedules with parties, and forcing ourselves to interact with family members we don’t like. But that’s not what Christmas is about. In fact, it’s not about us at all. Christmas is about Jesus coming to Earth, giving us peace with God, peace with others, and ultimately, peace with ourselves.

“Here Comes Heaven” is about how peace has finally come. We don’t have to strive anymore. We don’t have to wait anymore. While we shop and wait and traffic and wear our ugly Christmas sweaters to different events, we can trust that the work is finished. Jesus already took care of everything that needed to take place.

What is our response to Christ coming to Earth? Worship. Praise. Recognition. It is okay to enjoy different Christmas traditions, but at the end of the day, we need to remember the One who took away our grief, our confusion, and our enmity with God. We can now have all the fruits of the Spirit.

This year, consider what it means for Heaven to come to Earth in your life. While God has a global (universal!) perspective of His creation, He also values you and has a unique and specific plan for you. If Heaven came to you this year, what would that look like? How would your life be different? What fears wouldn’t make sense anymore? What mourning would be lifted from you? What wait will finally be over?

Photo by Sam Schooler on Unsplash

Categories
Marriage

Preparing for Marriage

Preparing for your marriage is vital for success. During engagement, you and your betrothed are laying the foundation for the rest of your marriage. If you get off on the wrong foot, of course, God is still able to help you and heal you. But while you have the tools now, why wait until things get worse to make them better? If you don’t want the house of your marriage to crumble, make sure you have a strong foundation, one that is built on Christ and His teachings.

Here are the ways that we prepared for marriage, and specifically, how they have helped us thus far:

Deciding you are a team. Lenny and I are a team, as we have been since we made our relationship official. Knowing we were a team made it easier to make decisions, and to show respect to one another. Your finances are connected, your boundaries are connected, and you are connected. Marriage connects you to your spouse on a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual level. Get accustomed to practice being a team, even as an engaged couple.

Pre-marital counseling. I struggled with pride big time in the beginning of my relationship with Lenny, so getting a diagnostic test of how well they thought we would do as a couple was both intimidating and eye-opening. It is a counselor’s job to be neutral, but reflective. If you get your pre-marital counseling from a pastor, you will get counsel from a person who loves you and cares about you, but will know how to keep it biblical rather than personal. We also had our pre-marital counseling at an office about forty minutes from where we lived, so we had the opportunity to catch up before our session, and then process on the way home. Most churches require you to have pre-marital counseling in order for you to get married there, but even if you aren’t required, I encourage you to find a local Christian counselor who can start you and your betrothed off on the right foot.

Other married couples. From the moment we got engaged, we were blessed with so much encouragement from more mature couples. A week after our engagement, one of our small group leaders saw me from across the atrium at church and invited us to their group specifically for newlywed and engaged couples. Since that invitation, we have connected with our small group, as well as other young married couples in the church who are just a little bit more mature in their marriage than us. It has been great simply to have people who understand what we’ve gone through, especially in a world that says that marriage is when your life ends. You would not believe how many people told us that we’d have a couple of good years, and then it would get very difficult and we wouldn’t be as close as we are now. Two years later, I’m not saying that marriage is perfect, but it has not been as bad as people had warned. I’m thankful for the people who have spoken life into our marriage rather than declaring our marriage a curse from the beginning. For those who are married, speak life into these newlywed and engaged couples, instead of setting them up for failure. For those who are engaged, find couples who will speak life into you and your betrothed.

Marriage devotionals. Lenny and I both like to read. In our small group, we’ve done several marriage Bible studies, that have each spoken to us in different ways and have helped us in each season so far. We also do marriage Bible plans on the YouVersion app and pray together as a couple. But we started that when we were engaged, seeking God’s will and blessing for our future marriage. You can search for marriage plans on the YouVersion app, or you can study a topic together from the Bible to increase your faith and grow in God together.

The heart behind Marriage Monday is to show you how to have hope and love in your marriage through the power of God. Lenny and I thank God that we have seen God’s power and blessing in our marriage, because we have chosen to honor Him from the very beginning. We challenge you to make the same decision. Put God first in your marriage, and everything else will fall into place. It may not be perfect, but it will be much easier and more fun with God on your side. I pray that the posts that follow and that I have written about marriage will encourage you in this next step toward your marriage. In this next season, have fun preparing for marriage!

Photo by Daniel McCullough on Unsplash

Categories
Books

Beyond Blessed: Give Your Budget a Heart Check

This post was #sponsoredbyfaithwords. I was not required to give a positive review, so my review is my honest take on the book Beyond Blessed: God’s Perfect Plan for No Financial Stress by Robert Morris.

I’m so thankful for the opportunity from Faithwords to read this book for free! I’ve enjoyed the other books that they’ve recommended to me as well, such as Pull it Off by Julianna Zobrist, Get Weird by CJ Casciotta, and You Are Enough by Mandy Hale.

Out of all the books I could have picked to review, I picked this one because it included a foreword from Dave Ramsey. My husband and I have followed Dave Ramsey’s financial advice since about a month before we got married. Because of his teaching, we’re debt free, and we’re making excellent progress saving for a down payment for our future house. Any book recommended by Dave Ramsey is a book for me!

Since I got the book before it was released, Dave Ramsey’s foreword wasn’t in it. However, I did enjoy reading the introduction from Robert Morris, founding senior pastor of Gateway Church in Dallas-Forth Worth. Beyond Blessed is a follow-up to Pastor Morris’ book The Blessed Life. Honestly, it was so refreshing to read a book from a megachurch pastor who didn’t preach the prosperity gospel. I’ve seen so many pastors pray over their wallets and ask for a donation to make their big church even bigger. Instead, Pastor Morris writes about his journey from humble beginnings to a church of over 39,000 active members.

God certainly has blessed Pastor Morris with an ability to teach us about our finances while also reminding us of our identity in Christ. He starts each chapter off with a word-picture, a parable, to introduce the topic. In each chapter, he debunks the myths of what the world says and what we’ve even been taught in church about money. While we all strive to be rich, he writes, “The rich are more likely to be on antidepressants or antianxiety medications than average working-class folks. Millionaires and billionaires commit suicide with shocking regularity” (15).

Pastor Morris spends the beginning of the book laying down the foundation of what it means to steward God’s money well. God owns everything, but He has entrusted His people with resources to be a part of His Kingdom. “Your little enterprise is an important part of a much larger conglomerate” (79). God has given us all responsibility over the resources, people, time, and energy with which He has blessed us. With this mindset, there is no comparison and no ownership.

While Dave Ramsey talks more about the financial aspect of money than the spiritual (although his teaching is biblical), Pastor Morris’ book truly digs deep into what the Bible says about how we should take care of our money. Using charismatic language that I personally agree with, he even discusses the demonic spirits that try to entice us to worship money rather than God. His teaching opened my eyes to what the Scriptures say about money, and how my perspective on money needs to change.

My favorite quote of the book, and a good summary of the book, is how Pastor Morris explains the gospel: “You see, contrary to what many would have us believe, the gospel is not a poverty gospel. Nor is it, as some preachers and teachers would have us think, a prosperity gospel. No, the good news of life in Jesus Christ is a provision gospel” (63). Praise God that He gives us enough. We don’t have to be rich or poor; we just have to have enough.

I recommend this book to anyone who has even a dollar to his/her name. Although I’ve written notes in it, I’m giving it to my husband so that we can talk about it and do a heart check about our finances. Beyond Blessed will be available on January 8, 2019. You can pre-order the book and also be entered to win a free copy here.