Treasures and Loaves...

I am so thankful for the opportunities that have come my way as a result of blogging here at Extravagant Grace. One such blessing is the privilege of reviewing books. I'm such a picky person, especially with how I spend my time, that I need a reason to read a book...and reviewing provides just that! I'm also too busy to browse the bookstore, as I'm sure are you, which is why I want to encourage you to considering picking up either or both of these special finds. They will make great gifts, and great reads for the New Year!

Forty Loaves: Breaking Bread with Our Father Each Day and Treasured: Knowing God by the Things He Keeps are rich in Biblical wisdom, practical application, and inspiring words. I particular like the challenge in Treasured to consider ways to record the treasures the Lord has sown into our lives. Forty Loaves captured my attention immediately, as the author, C.D. Baker, gave merit to the questioning process in our spiritual walk,

“A German linguist once made the odd observation that the punctuation marks of our lives say something about us. And he was convinced that the question mark was the most meaningful mark of all. Questions invite authenticity. Questions give us permission to wonder. Questions open the door for wisdom. Asking opens our eyes to ourselves. Asking opens our hearts to the Spirit...However...questions do disturb things. Seeing ourselves more clearly is not always comfortable--but it is always good. Increased self-awareness can refresh our relationships with God and other...and can lead to a healthy self-acceptance.” (Forty Loaves, C.D. Baker, p. xi-xii)

As I've been working on a Christmas Tea message, which I'll be sharing tomorrow night, I've ended up with more questions than answers at times. This timely quote and concept has provided blessed freedom, giving me the confidence to share the questions as an illustration of my spiritual journey. What an encouragement, which I pray will spill over onto others. God wants us to continue to learn and seek Him, and in doing so the questions become glue in our relationship with the Lord, and essential to the process of spiritual growth.

A word from the publisher...
Treasured: Knowing God by the Things He Keeps
Cigar boxes. Refrigerator doors. Scrapbooks and sock drawers and top shelves. These are the places we store our treasures–the keepsakes that tell the story of whom and what we’ve loved, how we’ve lived, and what matters most to us.

God is a collector, too, whose treasures are tucked securely into the pages of his book: a golden bell here, an olive leaf there, a scarlet thread, a blood-stained cloth, a few grains of barley. Each of these saved artifacts reveals a facet of his heart and tells the story of a Father whose most precious possession is…us.

In Treasured, Leigh McLeroy considers tangible reminders of God’s active presence and guides us in discovering evidence in our own lives of his attentive love.

Forty Loaves: Breaking Bread with Our Father Each Day
Are you looking for a thought-provoking devotional book to begin the New Year? Try 40 Loaves: Breaking Bread with Our Father Every Day by C.D. Baker. Spend the first 40 days of 2010 with daily readings that will renew your hungry spirit. Each “loaf” is a big question that stimulates discussion, investigation, and contemplation.

• “Why don’t I have more faith?”
• “Why am I so bored with Jesus?”
• “Why are Christians so hard for me to like?”

There are many questions we’re not supposed to ask when playing by the religious rules. It makes people uncomfortable. So why is it that Jesus invited questions and even asked some of them himself? What is it that you’re afraid to ask God? It’s a risky prospect to begin asking–but far riskier to continue simply trying to get by without knowing. Author C. D. Baker asked himself 40 soul-searching questions which started a conversation in his heart and ultimately showed him more about God than He ever expected.

Can we become more honest with who we really are and find who God says He really is at the same time? Come indulge yourself in daily readings with an honest exploration of your secret fears and thoughts, and know that you will always be welcomed in God’s unconditional love.

Search me, O God … and know my anxious thoughts.
–Psalm 139:23 NIV

I highly recommend both these books! I pray this quick review saves you some shopping and browsing time, while leading you to a treasure. Take the extra minutes to stole away with the Lord!

By His Grace & Mighty Power,

These books were provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.