Warning–not for the weak

I am just going to go ahead and warn you. If you don’t have a ton of courage, don’t read this post! It is a challenge to everyone and it will stretch anyone who reads it. If you are not ready for a challenge and feel weak, don’t read it! Okay, there, I have appropriately warned you!

I always like to talk about God having a sense of humor, and on the Back 9, I think I make Him laugh a lot! Seriously, I know, that I know, that God has a “scalpel out” when it comes to carving things out of my life. He knows I want to change and He also knows that we all are blind at times to what needs to change. God uses things and circumstances in great and authentic ways to teach us, especially if we seek it. AND even if we are not seeking it, because He loves us so much, He will teach us anyway. If we are seeking, it seems to just happen faster and sometimes without as much pain!! For me, it is so personal that it makes me smile because when I see Him directing me I think, “OK. Here we go, another change?” I sometimes even think……..”Really, something else?” “Can’t you just give me a little breather?” That is when God smiles and chuckles……because I have come to realize, HE has to give us things we can’t handle in our own strength because it is then that we see HIS STRONG ARMS, AND WE KNOW IT IS GOD!!!

One of my favorite Bible teachers of all times is Andy Stanley. I watch him online and I visit his church with our daughter Collins whenever I can! God really uses Andy to bring challenges and take you to places that God designed for you, but somehow you just aren’t there! Because Andy is as good of a writer as he is a speaker, I love to read his books. His latest is entitled, “How TO BE RICH.” If you have ever listened to Andy at all, you know automatically, at least think you know, what his definition of “Rich” is! So, the first book I have read in 2014 is “How To Be Rich!” I knew before I ever started this book that it was going to be about money, not acquiring it, but giving it!!!!

Okay, if you are still reading…….another warning for the weak……..this post doesn’t get more comfortable…….It is going to challenge you…….I am not going to attempt to rewrite this brilliant piece of literature………but I am going to pose a serious challenge………If you think……..you have a heart for God, for others and the things of God…….read this book. It will change your thinking!! Seriously, it is not for those who are not looking to change and be better. A great quote from the book is at the start of Chapter 5, “What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself.”—-Abraham Maslow

This book is about money and how we view it and use it. It is the clearest and easiest book I have ever read about how God intends for us to handle money! I grew up in an era where my parents didn’t talk about money. Our kids are growing up in a drastically different environment and I find myself somewhere in between. The subject of money…..is a very sensitive subject. It is very personal and if you think God doesn’t know what you have or don’t have, you are INCREDIBLY WRONG! The Bible is very clear about money. Andy takes that fact and couples it with some fantastic analogies that will MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE. IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU HAVE A BIG BANK ACCOUNT OR NOT. Seriously, you can be in major debt and this book is for you!!!

I leave you with this challenge…….Do you love God?? Do you really love God??? What is your definition of rich? After reading this book…..my definition has drastically changed and I thought I pretty much knew what Andy was going to say but LOL!! I did not! I have always thought of myself as generous…..that is where I know that God is lying on the ground laughing hysterically ……….Needless to say, my definition of rich and generous have dramatically changed….it will be a process……change always is……. and if you are looking for real change for the BETTER, to have your life become more significant, THEN GO GET THIS BOOK and READ IT!!!

In Matthew 19:24 it states, “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

You see, MOST of us read this scripture and think we are not this guy (the rich guy) because our definition of rich is very WRONG……It all starts with knowing the meaning of what the word “rich” means biblically, not what the world tells you it means!! Do not read this book if you don’t have COURAGE…..BUT IF YOU LOVE GOD AND DESIRE TO HONOR AND OBEY……..RUN, NO, SPRINT AND GO GET IT! God’s intent is for everyone to TRULY BE RICH!

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  • Sherry, you’re blog site is awesome! I was just thinking, what a blessing to have known you and your family over the years. We have absolutely no idea how God will use any of our lives to touch others, but I’m certain, that you have touched many! It is truly amazing how many people came from our little hometown, that have impacted this world, yourself included! OK, I have 2 books to purchase…yours, and Andy Stanley’s! Keep up the good work….Blessings!