Two lives.

I've been plodding along, day in and day out for months now.  Torn between two could-be's.

The first, the dream of a simple country life - planting vegetable gardens, growing flowers, teaching children, outdoor exploring, reading books, drying clothes on the line, watching sunsets over fields and feeling warm summer breezes on a porch swing, hearing sounds of birds and creeks and children, and family picnics and hikes, and swimming and wading and fishing and camping. Enjoying the splendor of God's creation and basking in the love of husband, daughters, and family and friends.

The other, a vision of what might be a more sacrificial life of service to God? Third world countries and starving children and mothers dying and leaving babies alone. Dirt floors and tattered clothing and streets overflowing with garbage and violence and fear and despair.

Can both be lived in honor? Can both bring glory to God? Are some called to the first life and others to the second? Are we free to choose either within the will of God so long as we are serving others, no matter whether the 'others' are our own husband and children or strangers half a world away? Is it selfish of me to spend money on bookshelves and flowers when millions have no money to feed their children? Or is this the season in my life to pour all I have into teaching, nurturing, training, educating, and providing for my own children? Or both?

I am not the first to ask such questions. And I imagine there is no one-size-fits all answer. I'm just waiting for my answer.

Truth

True: 

• I am not an expert at anything. 
• I was not meant to know everything about anything.
• God is and God does.
• Sometimes I can't understand what he is saying. 
• Sometimes I don't listen.
• He loves me.
• I am thankful.

Jesus Calling Devotional Bible (NKJV)

The Jesus Calling Devotional Bible (NKJV), published by Thomas Nelson, was given to me by Booksneeze in exchange for an honest and objective review. This NKJV Bible includes 260 prayers with answers written by Sarah Young (author of Jesus Calling and Jesus Lives) from a first person perspective of Jesus.

I have to admit I was a bit skeptical of anyone writing a first person narrative from Jesus’ perspective. Didn’t Jesus already say everything that was necessary in the Scriptures? I can be a dangerous thing to write using the voice of Jesus because a human cannot know exactly how Jesus would answer another person’s prayers. HOWEVER, I was pleasantly surprised to see that all of Sarah Young’s writings included in this devotional are based on three or more parts of Scripture. Essentially she is just rephrasing what Jesus has already said in a way that relates specifically to our particular time and culture. The truths she bases her ‘answers’ on are biblical.

This book is well made; the cover is very smooth and has a soft feel to it, although it is a hard cover book. The typeface is easy to read and there are highlighted verses that are expanded in lightly colored boxes throughout. There is a helpful topical index as well as a devotional index. I think I will really enjoy using this Bible for years to come.

One Call Away by Brenda Warner

One Call Away: Answering Life’s Challenges with Unshakable Faith by Brenda Warner is a memoir written with great vulnerability. Brenda gives the reader a front row seat to some extremely difficult seasons in her life. She helps us appreciate the fact that although most of the world sees her as the wife of Super Bowl Champion quarterback Kurt Warner, her life has been defined by much more than that. She experienced tragedy in more ways than one as a young woman, and shares how her faith in God has been the sustaining strength through it all. She admits to many mistakes and shares of her triumphs as well. She talks about how her identity has been shaped by all the places life and her own personal choices have taken her.

It took me a few chapters to really get into this book. Once I got involved in the story and could really start to get a feel for who Brenda is and what her life was/is like I could not put the book down.  Although ‘interesting’ isn’t the most colorful adjective, it really does describe the book. For me, this wasn’t a life changing book where I walked away feeling inspired necessarily, but it was extremely interesting to read about all the things that Brenda Warner has been through in her life and how it has all played out.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://booksneeze®.com/> book review bloggers 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"Pujols: More Than the Game" by Scott Lamb & Tim Ellsworth

"Pujols: More Than the Game" teeter-totters between statistical and situational (in-depth) reviews of each of Albert's ten seasons in Major League Baseball and his life and work off the field.  The reader is given a glimpse into his upbringing and his rise to stardom in the baseball/sports sphere in the first 40 pages, but the majority of the book details his life since 1999 when he was drafted in the thirteenth round of the MLB draft. The authors testify to Pujols' belief in Jesus Christ and his recognition that his God-given abilities both allow and require him to defer all praise to God; and Albert is quick to give all credit to God and understands that baseball is merely a platform that enables him to reach millions both here in America and in the Dominican Republic with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I really enjoyed and was pleasantly surprised by Albert's clear vocalization of his faith in Christ and his family's mission to use baseball to share the Gospel and help people in need. The media does not bring much of what he says to light, instead focusing on his comments more directly related to the game itself or the latest contract negotiations. It was refreshing to learn that there are professional athletes who understand that the game is never about THEM, but about taking whatever life God blesses them with and blessing others in return. The main criticism I have of this book is that it was SO heavy on statistics and game-by-game reviews on entire seasons that at times I could hardly wait until that chapter was over. If you are a baseball lover you will appreciate his complete dominance in the game, but if you are not, this book will be hard to finish.