Sunday, September 20, 2015

Book Review: Four Souls

"Four Souls: A Search for Epic Life" is so encouraging!

Overview: Four young men with bright futures step off the path of graduate school and careers in search of something more--something epic. Desiring more from life than well-paying jobs and large bank accounts, they embark on a worldwide expedition, forging into the Guatemalan highlands, Russia's far north, the mountains of South Africa, villages in Bangladesh, Nepal's Himalayas, rural Vietnam and other rarely traveled lands. Through journal entries and first person accounts, Four Souls weaves together the tales of their journey, including near-death escapes and bribe-seeking officials, prison camps and race riots, hurricanes and illegal smuggling. More than just a collection of gripping stories, Four Souls chronicles the dawning realization that came through the adventure: that the life they were seeking is in the reach of all who are willing to grasp it. 

What I Liked: I loved the adventure of these for young Christians as they set out to travel the world, share the Gospel, serve people, and follow Jesus. This is such an encouraging book; by offering themselves to communities in Guatemala, Russia, Vietnam, South Africa, and Bangladesh, they were open to God working and to gaining a world view on people and need, it encourages me to life life to the fullest. They didn't want a hum drum sort of life. They wanted the abundant life that Jesus calls us all to. 

I admire their trust in God to provide for their trip and for his care of them on the trip. Throughout the book they share journal entries of what they were experiencing and learning about themselves and God. Truly a remarkable book, as told by all four of them! You feel like you went alone on the trip. This book will help you understand what Christians are going through in these countries and the need for help and prayer for them. Thank you, Mike, Matt, Jedd, and Trey for sharing your adventure. May you have many more: a lifetime of them!

Ever take a trip like this or a mission trip? Share one experience or thought about it.



Saturday, September 5, 2015

Open the Heavens


“Open the heavens. Come Living Water. All my fountains are in You.” 
– lyrics from "All My Fountains" by Chris Tomlin

I was singing this as the buckets caught the drips in our bedroom from the 2-4 inches of rainfall last Sunday evening. My Spirit wasn’t worried over the leaky roof, as it would have been in the past. No, instead, the rain made me sing “All My Fountains”. Even the song from church that morning was “Open Up the Heavens” by Meredith Andrews about floodgates and mighty rivers. I went to sleep to the sweet sound of drip, drip, drip – a message from My Heavenly Father. I will praise You in this storm.

Soak me, Father in Your Living Water. Flood me with You and let You flow out and over and down in a Holy Flood of Your Glory!

Do you have something in your life that should worry you, but instead you are praising God?