Sacred Motherhood: An Inspirational Guide and Journal for Mindfully Mothering Children of All Ages
I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate
links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.
Anni Daulter is the founder of the Sacred Living Movement and the author of several books including Sacred Pregnancy: A Loving Guide and Journal for Expectant Moms. She also hosts holistic, life altering retreats and workshops. She is viewed as the Martha Stewart of the birth world, making the whole pregnancy and birth experience extra special for mama and baby. Anni is mother to 4 children, Zoe, Lotus Sunshine, Bodhi Ocean, & River Love and she is happily married to her soul mate, Tim Daulter.
In one of her recent books, Sacred Motherhood: An Inspirational Guide and Journal for Mindfully Mothering Children of All Ages, she and author Niki Dewart to reconnect with yourself when mothering gets stressful. Part journal and part guide, this book takes a little bit out of the day to day rush of life around us to read, reflect, and write. The thoughtful prompts and beneficial reminders help mothers unwind and reestablish inner peace before going back to their important endeavors of motherhood.
Gorgeous photography in Sacred Motherhood.
This book is an exquisite creation of gorgeous photographs and uplifting words. It takes one on a beautiful journey of self-meditation and contemplation. The pictures mostly show empowered women in Goddess looking attire and adornment and adorable children and babies. Anni Daulter and Niki Dewart have combined their infinite wisdom of pregnancy, birthing, parenting, and living consciously in this lovely book. Their inspiration and celebration of motherhood echoes deeply in the pages of this text. Whether you are having a maiden voyage or are a seasoned traveler of motherhood, the journey that Sacred Motherhood takes you is both nurturing and healing to body, mind, and spirit. Even though the lessons and photography lean towards Eastern Philosophy and The Divine Feminine, this book can also be personalized to whatever spiritual or religious practice you follow.
A journal page in Sacred Motherhood.
I love how each part of this book correlates with the rhythm of the seasons starting with spring and ending with winter. The book is divided out into 52 weeks with each of the four parts having 13 chapters. Each illuminating chapter as seven sections: You, Your Soul, Your Child, Reflections, Sacred Motherhood Practice, Ideas, and Pairings. After these there are a few journal pages to write thoughts. I love the ideas that the authors give to help celebrate the momentous events of motherhood: from ceremonial baths to art creations to gardening with your children to having a spa day; these help the bonds of motherhood become stronger. The pairings are so much fun too. These span: herbal allies, music, books, movies, flower essences, crystals, colors, classes, trainings, and retreats. Sacred Motherhood also has some recipes for: oils, sprays, teas, etc. Every offering is one of love and passion to inspire you to be mindful while on your motherhood journey.
This book is a treasure. It now has a permanent place by my bedside so that I can refer to it often. I recommend this to mothers everywhere! This book would be a perfect baby shower gift.
BUY IT
DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my
family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not
receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links
may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.
I received this book free from Shadow Mountain and Ensign Peak to facilitate this review. Affiliate
links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.
Maybe Today by David Butler and Emily Belle Freeman is a lovely hardback book that has pages full of inspiring quotes, thoughts, and messages for uplifting your day. This small 120 page book is perfect for gifting. Its short, but ever so sweet words help motivate anyone who reads them to live a more meaningful, fulfilling life.
Maybe Today consists of five holy patterns described within that, when lived daily, will lead to a soul-satisfying life closer to Christ.
Tilt Your Soul (prayer)
Let Down Your Bucket (living water)
Seek a Compassionate Detour (service)
Take Off Your Shoes (gratitude)
Be All In (commitment)
These 5 principles are key to having a life of contentment. Each holy pattern has things to ponder, scriptures to read, quotes from wise famous people. I also love that it has beautiful color photography to go with the messages.
These encouraging messages stay with you after reading them. If you apply them to your life you will become blessed greatly. Read this little book. It will change you for the better. At the end of the book it features an invitation to share the book and pass it on to a friend or family member that needs some uplifting too so that you also "multiply goodness".
David Butler by day is a high school religious educator sharing his love for the scriptures and his belief that there is a power for good innate in every human soul. By night he is a fort builder, waffle maker, sports coach, and storyteller for his six favorite little people, also known as his children. Somewhere in between he is a motivational speaker and writer. He also teams with Emily in coauthoring the blog: www.multiplygoodness.com.
Emily Belle Freeman is a mother of four, a coach’s wife, author of the bestselling A Christ-Centered Christmas, and an adored inspirational speaker. She finds great joy in studying the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. For a few minutes every day Emily forgets about the laundry, leaves the dishes in the sink, and writes. She coauthors a blog that is a stopping place for hearts seeking all that is good: www.multiplygoodness.com.
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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Shadow Mountain and Ensign Peak for sending me this book for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.
Renewable: One Woman's Search for Simplicity, Faithfulness, and Hope Book
As part of the Mom Blogger's for Social Good (a
global coalition of over 3,000 mom bloggers), I have received an
advance copy of this book for review. My thoughts are mine and my
family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. Affiliate
links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.
It is so true that living a simpler life and having people around that nurture your lifestyle and be there when you need them plays a big part in having happiness. I love the Tswana proverb that Mrs. Flanagan quotes in this book, "A person is a person because of other people." Having friends that you can trust to help you out in a pinch is a wonderful thing, as is friends that can lend an ear because they know what you are going through. Good friends are gold and simpler living makes for a less stressful life.
This book had me reflecting upon my own life and how I could change some
of my ways to live more happily. Of course I am doing a small amount of
living a simpler life on a farm in a small home, away from all the
hustle and bustle of the city. But after reading this book I was
contemplating about how I could make my life even simpler. I still
believe I have too much stuff and could be much happier with less. I don't have to keep up with the Joneses of the world to be happy.
Mrs. Flanagan's book also sings to the activist in all of us. It makes it clear that listening to your heart to try to make the world a better place is what all of us should do in our own way. Whether our promptings take us to far away lands or in our own backyard, it is up to us to listen to them and respond positively. Everyone can make a difference, just listen to your heart!
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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: As part of the Mom Blogger's for Social Good (a
global coalition of over 3,000 mom bloggers), I have received an
advance copy of the inspiring new book by Eileen Flanagan called “Renewable: One Woman's Search for Simplicity, Faithfulness, and Hope”, for review.
My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been
altered by anyone else. This post
contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you
click a link and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!
100 Under $100: One Hundred Tools for Empowering Global Women Book
As part of the Mom Blogger's for Social Good (a
global coalition of over 3,000 mom bloggers), I have received an
advance copy of this book for review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. Affiliate
links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.
100 Under $100: One Hundred Tools for Empowering Global Women by Betsy Teutsch is a book that offers effective and low cost solutions which will help women and girls in developing countries live better and more enriching lives. This book is very comprehensive and easy to read. It shows you exactly how to go out and execute the solution simply. The humanitarian projects in this book are proven to work, if they are executed properly, to greatly enhance the lives of these women and girls.
This fantastic resource guide is packed with a wide array of solutions for many different topics and the layout is well organized. This book covers eleven different sectors: general health, girls' and women's health, lights - cell phone charging - energy, water and sanitation hygiene, domestic technology, subsistence farming, construction, transportation, information and communication technology, financial inclusion, and legal tools. Within each of these sectors are solutions to these problems. An overview page for each sector describes the problem in more detail, briefly highlighting the solutions that are going to be talked about more on subsequent pages. At the top of each is the solution title, brief synopsis, sidebar icons that help signify different things about the solution, and links to websites that go into more information. The middle goes into more detail about the solution. At the bottom of each is a YOU icon that symbolizes and describes what you can do easily to support each of these solutions. There are also EDU icons which give you ways to educate yourself more through courses, training, tours, volunteering, etc. The pages have beautiful black and white pictures that help give background to the words. These photographs show how the tools and devices suggested within this book have helped change the lives of these strong and resilient women and girls.
There is much to learn within the pages of the 100 Under $100 book. My favorite chapters within are about domestic technology, subsistence farming, and construction. These chapters are hit home with me because of my nutrition, homemaking, farming, agriculture, and permaculture background. This inspiring, eye opening book succeeds in raising the awareness of the general public about these important issues, giving them the tools to be able to accomplish incredible things for women and girls in these impoverished places all across the globe. Not only can we learn about these problems, but we can do something about them! Get this book and start making a world of difference!
DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: As part of the Mom Blogger's for Social Good (a
global coalition of over 3,000 mom bloggers), I have received an
advance copy of the inspiring new book by Betsy Teutsch called “100
Under $100: One Hundred Tools for Empowering Global Women”, for review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. This post
contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you
click a link and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!
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!
***Special thanks to Ashley Boyer, Senior Publicist at Random House for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Nick Vujicic is the founder of the international non-profit organization Life Without Limbs. Nick recently made the move from Australia to California, his new home base as he travels the world speaking to a range of different groups such as students, teachers, youth, businessmen and women, entrepreneurs, and church congregations of all sizes. He has told his story and been interviewed on various televised programs worldwide, including “20/20,” “60 Minutes,” and “The 700 Club.”
What Would Your Life be Like if Anything Were Possible?
Born without arms or legs, Nick Vujicic overcame his disabilities to live an independent, rich, fulfilling, and “ridiculously good” life while serving as a role model for anyone seeking true happiness. Now an internationally successful motivational speaker, Nick eagerly spreads his central message: the most important goal is to find your life’s purpose and to never give up, despite whatever difficulties or seemingly impossible odds stand in your way.
Nick tells the story of his physical disabilities and the emotional battle he endured while learning to deal with them as a child, teen, and young adult. “For the longest, loneliest time, I wondered if there was anyone on earth like me, and whether there was any purpose to my life other than pain and humiliation.” Nick shares how his faith in God has been his major source of strength, and he explains that once he found a sense of purpose—inspiring others to better their lives and the world around them--he found the confidence to build a rewarding and productive life without limits. Let Nick inspire you to start living your own life without limits.
Includes a Life Without Limits Personal Action Plan to help anyone determine their unique path to a successful life.
O ne of my most popular videos on YouTube shows footage of me skateboarding, surfing, playing music, hitting a golf ball, falling down, getting up, speaking to audiences, and best of all, receiving hugs from all sorts of great people.
All in all, those are pretty ordinary activities that just about anybody can do, right? So why do you think that video has been viewed millions of times? My theory is that people are drawn to watch it because despite my physical limitations, I’m living as though I have no limits.
People often expect someone with a severe disability to be inactive, maybe even angry and withdrawn. I like to surprise them by showing that I lead a very adventurous and fulfilling existence.
Among the hundreds of comments on that video, here’s one typical remark: “Seeing a guy like this being happy makes me wonder why the hell I feel sorry for myself sometimes . . . or feel that I’m not attractive enough, or funny enough, or WHATEVER. How can I even think thoughts like that when this guy is living without limbs and still being HAPPY!?”
I’m often asked that very question: “Nick, how can you be so happy?” You may be dealing with your own challenges, so I’ll give you the quick answer up front:
I found happiness when I realized that as imperfect as I may be, I am the perfect Nick Vujicic. I am God’s creation, designed according to His plan for me. That’s not to say that there isn’t room for improvement. I’m always trying to be better so I can better serve Him and the world!
I do believe my life has no limits. I want you to feel the same way about your life, no matter what your challenges may be. As we begin our journey together, please take a moment to think about any limitations you’ve placed on your life or that you’ve allowed others to place on it. Now think about what it would be like to be free of those limitations. What would your life be if anything were possible?
I’m officially disabled, but I’m truly enabled because of my lack of limbs. My unique challenges have opened up unique opportunities to reach so many in need. Just imagine what is possible for you!
Too often we tell ourselves we aren’t smart enough or attractive enough or talented enough to pursue our dreams. We buy into what others say about us, or we put restrictions on ourselves. What’s worse is that when you consider yourself unworthy, you are putting limits on how God can work through you!
When you give up on your dreams, you put God in a box. After all, you are His creation. He made you for a purpose. Therefore your life cannot be limited any more than God’s love can be contained.
I have a choice. You have a choice. We can choose to dwell on disappointments and shortcomings. We can choose to be bitter, angry, or sad. Or when faced with hard times and hurtful people, we can choose to learn from the experience and move forward, taking responsibility for our own happiness.
As God’s child, you are beautiful and precious, worth more than all the diamonds in the world. You and I are perfectly suited to be who we were meant to be! Even still, it should always be our goal to become an even better person and stretch our boundaries by dreaming big. Adjustments are necessary along the way because life isn’t always rosy, but it is always worth living. I’m here to tell you that no matter what your circumstances may be, as long as you are breathing, you have a contribution to make.
I can’t put a hand on your shoulder to reassure you, but I can speak from the heart. However desperate your life may seem, there is hope. As bad as circumstances appear, there are better days ahead. No matter how dire your circumstances may appear, you can rise above them. To wish for change will change nothing. To make the decision to take action right now will change everything!
All events come together for the good. I’m certain of that because it’s been true in my life. What good is a life without limbs? Just by looking at me, people know that I faced and overcame many obstacles and hardships. That makes them willing to listen to me as a source of inspiration. They allow me to share my faith, to tell them they are loved, and to give them hope.
That is my contribution. It’s important to recognize your own value. Know that you also have something to contribute. If you feel frustrated right now, that’s okay. Your sense of frustration means you want more for your life than you have right now. That’s all good. Often it’s the challenges in life that show us who we are truly meant to be.
A Life of Value
It took me a long time to see the benefits of the circumstances I was born into. My mum was twenty-five years old when she became pregnant with me, her first child. She’d been a midwife and worked as a pediatric nurse in charge in the delivery room where she provided care for hundreds of mothers and their babies. She knew what she had to do while she was pregnant, watching her diet, being cautious about medications, and not consuming alcohol, aspirin, or any other pain-killers. She went to the best doctors and they assured her everything was proceeding smoothly.
Even still, her apprehension persisted. As her due date approached, my mum shared her concerns with my father several times, saying, “I hope that everything’s okay with the baby.”
When two ultrasounds were performed during her pregnancy, the doctors detected nothing unusual. They told my parents that the baby was a boy but not a word about missing limbs! At my delivery on December 4, 1982, my mother could not see me at first, and the first question she asked the doctor was “Is the baby all right?” There was silence. As the seconds ticked by and they were still not bringing the baby for her to see, she sensed even more that something was wrong. Instead of giving me to my mother to hold, they summoned a pediatrician and moved off to the opposite corner, examining me and conferring with each other. When my mum heard a big healthy baby scream, she was relieved. But my dad, who had noticed I was missing an arm during the delivery, felt queasy and was escorted out of the room.
Shocked at the sight of me, the nurses and doctors quickly wrapped me up.
My mother, who’d participated in hundreds of deliveries as a nurse, wasn’t fooled. She read the distress on the faces of her medical team, and she knew something was very wrong.
“What is it? What’s wrong with my baby?” she demanded.
Her doctor would not answer at first, but when she insisted on a response, he could offer my mother only a specialized medical term.
“Phocamelia,” he said.
Because of her nursing background, my mother recognized the term as the condition babies have when they are born with malformed or missing limbs. She simply couldn’t accept that this was true.
In the meantime, my stunned dad was outside, wondering whether he had seen what he thought he saw. When the pediatrician came out to speak to him, he cried out, “My son, he has no arm!”
“Actually,” the pediatrician said as sensitively as possible, “your son has neither arms nor legs.”
My father went weak with shock and anguish.
He sat stunned, momentarily unable to speak before his protective instincts kicked in. He rushed in to tell my mother before she saw me, but to his dismay he found her lying in bed, crying. The staff had already told her the news. They had offered to bring me to her but she refused to hold me and told them to take me away.
The nurses were crying. The midwife was crying. And of course, I was crying! Finally they put me next to her, still covered, and my mum just couldn’t bear what she was seeing: her child without limbs.
“Take him away,” she said. “I don’t want to touch him or see him.”
To this day my father regrets that the medical staff did not give him time to prepare my mother properly. Later, as she slept, he visited me in the nursery. He came back and told Mum, “He looks beautiful.” He asked her if she wanted to see me at that point, but she declined, still too shaken. He understood and respected her feelings.
Instead of celebrating my birth, my parents and their whole church mourned. “If God is a God of love,” they wondered, “why would He let something like this happen?”
My Mum’s Grief
I was my parents’ firstborn child. While this would be a major cause for rejoicing in any family, no one sent flowers to my mum when I was born. This hurt her and only deepened her despair.
Sad and teary-eyed, she asked my dad, “Don’t I deserve flowers?”
“I’m sorry,” Dad said. “Of course you deserve them.” He went to the hospital flower shop and returned shortly to present her with a bouquet.
I was aware of none of this until the age of thirteen or so, when I began to question my parents about my birth and their initial reaction to my lack of limbs. I’d had a bad day at school, and when I told my mum, she cried with me. I told her I was sick of having no arms and legs. She shared my tears and said that she and my dad had come to understand that God had a plan for me and one day He would reveal it. My questions continued over time, sometimes with one parent, sometimes with both. Part of my search for answers was natural curiosity and part of it was in response to the persistent questions I’d been fielding from curious classmates.
At first, I was a little scared of what my parents might tell me, and, since some of this was difficult for them to delve into, I didn’t want to put them on the spot. In our initial discussions my mum and dad were very careful and protective ...
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!
***Special thanks to Sarah Reck, Web Publicist | FaithWords & Center Street | Hachette Book Group, for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Joyce Meyer is one of the world's leading practical Bible teachers. A #1 New York Times bestselling author, she has written more than eighty inspirational books, including The Secret to True Happiness, 100 Ways to Simplify Your Life, the entire Battlefield of the Mind family of books, her first venture into fiction with The Penny, and many others. She has also released thousands of audio teachings, as well as a complete video library. Joyce’s Enjoying Everyday Life radio and television programs are broadcast around the world, and she travels extensively conducting conferences. Joyce and her husband, Dave, are the parents of four grown children and make their home in St. Louis, Missouri.
Jesus said, "You must love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." - Luke10:27
If one had to choose a single verse in the Bible that is a formula for successful living, this would be the one to live by, says Joyce Meyer: love God, yourself and others - in that order.
Many Christians get mixed up about love. They know they should love God and others, but many do not understand that loving oneself is one-third of God's equation. They mistakenly think of it as selfishness or self-aggrandizement.
Joyce Meyer believes that this misconception is one of the greatest pitfalls in the Christian journey. Loving oneself in a balanced, healthy manner is essential in order to have healthy relationships with God, ourselves and others.
Drawing upon her previous work and teaching series as well as original devotions, the author of Power Thoughts examines the three loves that we've been commanded to exhibit.
Product Details:
List Price: $16.99
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: FaithWords (November 2, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446538477
ISBN-13: 978-0446538473
AND NOW...Press the Browse Button to Read THE FIRST CHAPTER:
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!
***Special thanks to Karri | Marketing Assistant, Harvest House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR and PHOTOGRAPHERS:
Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer, Senior Pastor of The Moody Church since 1980, is an award-winning author of more than 20 books including Walking with God. He’s a celebrated international conference speaker and the featured speaker on three radio programs that are heard around the world. He and his wife, Rebecca, have been married for 35 years. They live in the Chicago area and are the parents of three married children.
John and Debora Scanlan are partners in life and in creating Scanlan Windows to the World™ Fine Art Photography. They are internationally renowned for capturing the beauty, intrigue, and romance of the world while presenting the essence of every scene. Their work is featured in galleries, special exhibitions and juried art shows, on numerous products including cards and calendars, and in their breathtaking fine art photography book Windows to the World.
Inspiring meditations from the heart of popular pastor and author Dr. Erwin Lutzer join breathtaking photographs of winding country paths and cobblestone streets and invite readers to take time to walk with God. The joy-filled promises of faith await those who treasure an enriched journey with the Creator.
Product Details:
List Price: $15.99 Hardcover: 48 pages Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (July 1, 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 0736939369 ISBN-13: 978-0736939362
AND NOW...THE FIRST FEW PAGES (The images were scanned so that you may see what this delightful book looks like, but the words were placed here from these scanned images, so that you may read and be blessed.) Please click on the images to see them larger:
Why Walk with God?
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12
A tour through a cemetery can be beneficial and educational. I like to read epitaphs because they often say something interesting about the person who is finished with this life and has gone on to the next. Maybe epitaphs should be required reading for everyone once a year. They are a reminder that life is short and that eternity is near.
Most epitaphs are serious, some are tragic, and yes, there are at least a few that are funny. I’m told that this poem is found on the tombstone of a lady named Anna Wallace in England:
The children of Israel wanted bread.
The Lord sent them manna.
Old clerk Wallace wanted a wife.
The devil sent him Anna.
Here is a poem I learned in grade school, though I doubt it is on a tombstone—it could be. It contains an important message about automobile safety: Here lies the body of William Jay,
Who died while maintaining his right of way.
He was right, completely right as he sped along,
But he’s just as dead as if he’d been wrong!
My favorite epitaph is found in the Bible, embedded in a long list of genealogies in the fifth chapter of Genesis. To read these verses is like walking though a cemetery. The names are difficult to pronounce and we are left to guess what life was like so many centuries ago. Like the tolling of a bell, every tombstone bears the same message; six times we read the simple phrase “and he died.”
Then unexpectedly we discover that there was a man who did not die! His name was Enoch, and of him we read in verse 24, “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” Twice we are told that Enoch “walked with God.” In fact, He walked with God right into heaven!
This epitaph is perhaps one of the most beautiful phrases in the entire Bible. If it could be said of you and me that we “walked with God,” nothing more need be said. Those few words contain an eternity of meaning.
An Invitation to the Journey
Walking with God is both difficult and simple. Difficult because it takes thought, discipline, and commitment; simple because the same characteristics that apply to walking with a close friend or a loved one apply to walking with God.
Enoch walked with God in the midst of a society filled with temptations and obstacles just like those we face. He is a powerful reminder that we can be faithful to walk with God in our day as well. When we accept the invitation to begin the journey, trials and distractions need not keep us from our time with the Almighty.
Interestingly, Enoch was motivated to begin this journey after his first son Methuselah was born. Maybe he felt a new sense of responsibility as he held the baby boy in his arms. Perhaps as the child reached out to touch the stubble of his father’s beard Enoch said to himself, “I need to reorder my priorities and begin to take God more seriously.” Evidently he realized that the greatest contribution he could make in life was to guide his family on the right path.
Spend some moments reflecting on what motivates your heart to walk with the Lord today. Have you faced a trial and found yourself ready to give your sorrow to God? Do you long to leave a legacy of faith for your children? Maybe you’ve been in fellowship with the Lord for many years and you are ready for refreshment. Together we can explore how to walk with God and embrace the meaningful, remarkable, and abundant life He has planned for you. Let’s take a step forward toward the light of life.
You have declared this day that the LORD is your God
and that you will walk in his ways, that you will keep his decrees,
commands and laws, and that you will obey him.
And the LORD has declared this day that you are his people,
his treasured possession as he promised, and that
you are to keep all his commands.
Deuteronomy 26:17-18
Help for the Journey
I’ve often thought about what others might say of me after I die. I don’t mean the beautiful eulogies often given at funerals. Instead, I wonder what people will really think—what they will really remember about the impact for good or ill I have had in their lives. God of course, will give the final evaluation, but imagine our legacy if it could be said that we “walked with God.”
If an epitaph were written for you today, what would it be? Are you satisfied with that? What do you hope you will be remembered for?
Consider Jesus’ simple invitation to brothers Simon and Andrew referenced below. Think about how wonderful it feels to have Jesus call to you today in the same, simple way. What is your response to Jesus as He waves to you and says, “Come, follow me?”
As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men” (Mark 1:16-17). God provides what you need each step of the way. What worries or weaknesses do you want to give to God—need to give to God—in exchange for His hope and renewing strength?
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:30-31 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
