Outlive your life

What can you do with your life? Max Lucado, puts forth a challenge, that prompts you to look into the book of Acts, at the ordinary lives of disciples, who were empowered by God, to do the extrordinary. We are no exceptions.

It starts, with exploring, to discover who we are, as God 'unshells' you. The way God has designed you to feel compassion, and longing for people. Is it the homeless, sick or the elderly? Find it out.

Then team up with people, look for avenues where God can use you. As simple as opening homes for dinner and being hospitable. Seeing people, the way Jesus saw. Into their eyes, and giving the touch that people need(Peter healing crippled beggar.)

Preparing for persecution ahead, saturating in His presence to be strong( Peter before priests). Being careful not to be a hypocrite and doing good with no one seeing you( Ananias & Sapphira).

The book focuses on Jesus target audience. The poor, the blind, broken hearted, captives and the opressed. Do we have them in this century? Don't we all around us?

It also reminds you not to forget the bread of heaven. Jesus. And not to forget who is holding you life. But to move ahead, and identify the walls we have boxed ourselves in. ( Philip ministering to Ethiopian Eunuch).

Not to write-off people like Saul! (Ananias and Paul.) How to treat discarded people.( Peter & Gentiles). Treat them right! Prayer, the praying first and most (Peter in the jail.)

Max closes with Jesus on the Judgement day separating the sheep and the goats. The question asked was not salvation.But consequence of salvation - Compassion. Did/Do we feed the hungry and the thirsty? clothe the needy? care for the sick? invite a stranger? visit a prisoner?

It is a challenge to listen to the inner voice and be obedient to take one little step at a time. It throws open a whole wide view of opportunity that is all around us. Are we ready to obey?

I am thankful for booksneeze to send me this free copy of Outlive your life. I am really overjoyed, and humbled to be 'considered' a blogger! I have greatly been blessed by this book.

Plastic smile

I guess this is my third blog on smile. And I wonder if I will ever stop. A person with a beautiful smiling face inspired me to write this. The problem is, it always has 'fake' written all over it.Always! How does he do that? yickes. I hate it.

Thinking of which, do I fake a smile? Obviously yes. Sometimes. Many a times. When I am sad, angry, frustrated, someone comes with a hi, hello, howdoudo? A wry forced smile. Can you spot it. Oh yes, you can easily spot a plastic smile.

Plastic smile is no good. For the giver nor the taker. A smile from the heart, enriches, encourages, and strengthens. A plastic smile, dries you up and who would want a fake smile!

How do we smile from the heart? At any, and every situation? Knowing that Jesus has the whole universe spinning under his control, and that I am his apple of His eye, and that he has drawn me in his palm of his hands, gives me the trust and strength to face, come what may. As I learn to throw my burdens as quickly as I get, onto him, I can. Don't I now, have a reason to smile? To smile from the heart?

Love at last sight!

Yes, you read it right. Love at LAST sight. Not the head over heels, butterfly effect and pretty rainbows. Way past that, till death do us part. Through thick and thin. Through awkwardness, differences, silence, frustration, discouragement, arguments, disappointments. A love with all your heart, mind and soul.

In their book, Love at Last sight, Kerry and Chris Shook share the Word of God about relationship, in a down to earth practical way. Walking through the relationship puzzle with all its complexities, twists, turns, failure and challenge. Relationship is hard work. Intentional than convenient. Commitment rather than feelings. Action Adventure. Risking awkwardness, to move to the danger zone from a complacent comfort zone, giving up control and giving over to God. Pleasing God and not men. Accepting and not expecting. Learning to ask, listen and not assume. Accepting change as growth. Serving with humility and not selfishness. Treating people as priceless and not as perfect. Appreciating and not discouraging. Taking conscious effort to work togethar.

We hardly ever think seriously about it. Things that we take granted for, gets the special limelight on this book, as we learn to pause(STOP), challenge ourself into growing the kind of person God wants us to be. Nothing else matters. The insights on 'relationship lessons' from Jesus when he walked on earth, is amazing. I never realised there were so many.

"The next time you're face to face with someone you love, ask yourself, If this were the last time we were togethar on earth, what would I say, what would I do? " check out www.lastsightchallenge.com, you can read the first sample chapter under Books.