"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair."~from ISAIAH 61 Bible verse for this Blog

APOLOGY to READERS who followed a SEARCH to HERE & didn't find it

On July 18, 2017, I drafted almost 3000 blog posts that I had published since 2008 when I began blogging, rather than edit each one. So if you clicked here from somewhere else and ended up with the post unavailable or error, I am sorry but this is why. It'd be too much work for me to go back and fix them. There's an explanation on 7/19/17 as I'm still learning.

Friday, December 30, 2016

"Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely"

9781400205875
by
Lysa TerKeurst


Back in August, Lysa TerKeurst released and launched her newest book "Uninvited..." and Proverbs 31 Ministry announced that this was going to be their fall Online Bible Study, so more than anything I wanted to be a part of this and read yet another one of one of my favorite author's amazing books, knowing full well "Uninvited" would be another best selling book of hers. I chose this book based on how Lysa, the author, seems to speak personally to me and touches me deeply in every one of her books that I've read, because she writes so honestly and her vulnerability tends to help me glean from her life experiences, struggles and ways she finds answers in God's Word that will point me in the right direction, giving me tools to grow. This book does not fail. In fact, that is part of the reason it has taken me this long to write my review, added to my transition of returning to home after 20 yrs. in Mexico and all the situations I've encountered since choosing to read this book. 

From the title, "Uninvited..", I did not think this book would be one for me, although "...living loved..." and the rest, seemed more like it might interest me. I really did not understand why "uninvited" was her title until I caught that this was dealing with the roots of rejection. Her personal stories, as always, shows how Lysa deals or dealt with this in her own life or others close to her and overcame, giving me a reason to pay closer attention and look more deeply into my own life. 

It could not have come at a better time for me, but also an inopportune time for me to have time to read. {not an excuse, just the truth} So I was unable to read right away as I normally do and participate along with the Online Bible Study. I was less than half way when I made the move home from Mexico and finally I have been able to sit down and read the Kindle version. I certainly have dealt with my share of rejection, being a people pleaser. 

Book Description:
"The enemy wants us to feel rejected . . . left out, lonely, and less than. When we allow him to speak lies through our rejection, he pickpockets our purpose. Cripples our courage. Dismantles our dreams. And blinds us to the beauty of Christ’s powerful love.

In Uninvited, Lysa shares her own deeply personal experiences with rejection—from the incredibly painful childhood abandonment by her father to the perceived judgment of the perfectly toned woman one elliptical over.
With biblical depth, gut-honest vulnerability, and refreshing wit, Lysa helps readers:
  • Release the desire to fall apart or control the actions of others by embracing God-honoring ways to process their hurt.
  • Know exactly what to pray for the next ten days to steady their soul and restore their confidence.
  • Overcome the two core fears that feed our insecurities by understanding the secret of belonging.
  • Stop feeling left out and start believing that "set apart" does not mean "set aside."
  • End the cycle of perceived rejection by refusing to turn a small incident into a full blown issue.

I could not have been more wrong about this book not being for me. Each chapter became my new favorite. Each one of the 16 Chapters spoke louder and louder to my heart and my spiritual condition. And the Bonus chapter "What's It Like to do Life with Me" assessment along with "Corrective Experience Chart" as well as the rest of the last portion of this book, go far beyond in speaking to the reader like no other book of hers has with me. I appreciate her personal "Note" to us but each chapter is like a personal note or time spent with a dear soul friend working through our "stuff" together. No, it's not meant to replace a professional counselor, yet this self-help book digs deep into God's Word and helps us apply much to our own life and situations. One of the biggest bonuses for me was seeing how to change our experiences in our life and our past, whether it's rejection or something else that hurt us, that damaged us, that left us "feeling" left out, less than and lonely"; which can inflict more on our relationships today if left unresolved, so we can come to fully grasp what it looks like to "Live Loved" - turning our rejection into redemption; our messes into His miracle in the Masterpiece He is refining us to be. Lysa has gone a step beyond in this book for me! So much so, I am doing her DVDs of this book, which are so beautifully done in the Holy Land and I love this added touch and also I purchased for Christmas her Study Guide to do this entire book all over again with these added resources. I have felt, as Lysa even writes, that indeed she has come along side me, "taken my hand as a trusted friend" to help me "enter a place of powerful healing and a new perspective."

"Uninvited is the beautiful reminder you need to believe you are destined for a love that can never be diminished, tarnished, shaken or taken - a love that does not reject or uninvite. With Jesus you are always invited in."

I held off writing this review because, honestly, I was not sure how I could express the impact of this book in the way that it changed me and will change me still. "Uninvited..." is a challenging book filled with scriptural and personal wisdom. I thought when I arrived at Chapter 10 "Ten Things You Must Remember When Rejected" --- which alone makes the book worth getting, that it couldn't get any better, but as I've written each one spoke more and more to me like these: "The Enemy's Plan Against You", "Miracles in the Mess", "I Want to Run Away" (as I have done so often) to "Moving through the Desperate In-Between" and the final chapter (you think) 16 "What I Thought Would Fix Me Didn't" ... and then after the book supposedly has ended all the extras at the end, especially a summation of the Scriptures and "All the Things I Don't Want You to Forget" (which you know is all the highlights and notes you've made or needed)! Excellent!!! 

I cannot recommend this book enough.
(even if you don't think "rejection" is your problem)

"Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely"
provokes much thought and reflection
- not at all a light read -
challenges, encourages, uplifts
and above all
draws you into digging deep
into God's Word
and your life.

<><><>

Thank you Lysa TerKeurst
for being brave and bold enough
to write this book and help others once again
in truth, love, honesty, wit and understanding with gentle words
inviting us
to be like the
"Olive Tree"
(what a beautiful analogy)
Image result for olive tree in gethsemane
[image credit: Bible Places]

May we grow through each season we walk through
as you have and share.
Bless you Lysa!
{and sorry to you, your publisher, and BookLook Bloggers for my late review}


So there you have one of my two reviews  
(working on my other one)



I received this book through the BookLookBloggers Program

Disclosure: I received this book free from Book Look Blogger's Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Saturday, August 13, 2016

"UNashamed ...

"Unashamed ...
Drop the Baggage, Pick up Your Freedom, Fulfill Your Destiny"

Book Description
{I don't share book descriptions often but this one captures many points}

"Shame can take on many forms. It hides in the shadows of the most successful, confident and high-achieving woman who struggles with balancing her work and children, as well as in the heart of the broken, abused and downtrodden woman who has been told that she will never amount to anything. Shame hides in plain sight and can hold us back in ways we do not realize. But Christine Caine wants readers to know something: we can all be free.

“I know. I’ve been there,” writes Christine. “I was schooled in shame. It has been my constant companion from my very earliest memories. I see shame everywhere I look in the world, including in the church. It creeps from heart to heart, growing in shadowy places, feeding on itself so that those struggling with it are too shamed to seek help from shame itself.”
In Unashamed, Christine reveals the often-hidden consequences of shame—in her own life and the lives of so many Christian women—and invites you to join her in moving from a shame-filled to a shame-free life.
In her passionate and candid style, Christine leads you into God’s Word where you will see for yourself how to believe that God is bigger than your mistakes, your inadequacies, your past, and your limitations. He is not only more powerful than anything you’ve done but also stronger than anything ever done to you. You can deal with your yesterday today, so that you can move on to what God has in store for you tomorrow—a powerful purpose and destiny he wants you to fulfill.
Join the journey. Lay ahold of the power of Jesus Christ today and step into the future—his future for you—a beautiful, full, life-giving future, where you can even become a shame-lifter to others. Live unashamed! "

How does one begin a review on a book dealing with "shame" and your personal take away of the impact and effect "Unashamed ..." has on you as God reveals the hidden parts of your life that you have faced or face as God goes deeper personally with you through the words written by Christine Caine, as she unveils through her own life, how she moved from a "shame-filled" to a "shame-free life" inviting God to walk with you through this same process of "dropping the baggage, picking up your freedom, to fulfill your destiny"? It's not all that simple, yet knowing how Christine Caine not only has done this for herself, other women like you and I that read her words, but also because of her living testimony, she has become a powerful advocate, recognized teacher, preacher, author, activist as a founder of "The A21 Campaign", where I'm sure she puts to practice over and over again for those rescued from human trafficking, that desperately need to know God can do this for them too, which certainly lets the rest of us know, that in our own "shame" journey, we too can "live unashamed". 

It's interesting to note that perhaps "shame" may not be an issue for you as such, but as you read through these 11 chapters, you notice that your problem or issue quite possibly relates to "shame"{as Laurie McClure found out and shares as she prepares for the upcoming study at Faith Gateway with the Study Guide of this book and honestly lets us know her revelations 'brick by brick'} even by looking at just the Introduction and examples of "shame", we can see ... 

"...Shame is “the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of acceptance and belonging" . . . Guilt says, ‘You’ve done something bad.’ Shame says: ‘You are bad.’  – Brene Brown" - "Christine summarizes it this way: “Guilt is about my do. Shame is about my who.”

We don't have to live "shackled by shame"!

It's my understanding that the Book (with 11 chapters that I read) and the Study Guide (with 5 sessions that are part of the 5 week Study at Faith Gateway - sign up) pack different lessons and additional ones from Scripture. As I have mentioned often I prefer books that include the study guide in the book, not as separate purchases, but in this case, the study guide implements more of what the book describes. 
Since I have read Christine Caine before and heard her speak, I am better acquainted with her story and like her powerful style. She writes from experience and from her heart with true honesty, and a gift of putting her ideas and feelings in words that inspire and are easily understood. You can identify with her and her journey even if your own is not as intense or if it is as heavy-ladened and find a God-given response. 

The best part for me was about the "power of choice" that even though I cannot change the past, "neither what has happened to me, nor what I have done", I can make decisions that will change the future. The key to becoming shame-free is choosing to change your perspective and not allow the enemy (or anyone else, not even yourself) to convince yourself that you or I, are not victims in any way; telling ourselves "I am not voiceless, powerless, helpless, useless, meaningless, etc.", Jesus Christ came to set me free (which I knew) but now I learned that it is a choice to focus more on what Jesus has done than on what others have done or said, God has given me a good plan and purpose with a destiny, so that I will have faith to stand up, start moving forward and live free from shame or anything else that hinders me from walking in the freedom Jesus won and gives me to live abundantly and un-ashamed, (or whatever) unshackled, unleashed, unwavering, undistracted, uncluttered, unmasked, unmistaken, uncovered, unafraid, undaunted, (another of Christine's books) and on and on (taken from part of the ending of this book) understandable in our choices ... This is the new image that I will take away from reading all Christine shares in how to inspire others like myself to live in the fullness of God's promises, shining brighter, able to "BE ME", and live unashamed.


unashamed study christine caine

Also Christine Caine did this as a Book Club back in May 2016  with the Propel Facebook group. I can't wait for the upcoming study with the videos and chats where I am sure to glean much more. There's even a peek of the first Session "Run, Don't Hidehere so you can find out if this is suited to you and your life better. The 10 day reading plan available through You Version gives a very good glimpse into "Unashamed".

Disclosure: I received this book free from Book Look Blogger's Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255


To my faithful visitors;
all of you who spend your valuable time here with me
I do appreciate you so much!

Thank you for taking your time to visit!

Love, Sweet blessings & Hugs!

DIOS TE BENDIGA
GOD BLESS YOU

always

Peggy