“We are all underway and we are not all in the same place.”- John Eldredge “Until we reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”- Ephesians 4:13 In Chapter 2 (“Third Graders at Normandy”) of Moving […]
“There is nothing more hopeful than the thought that things can be different, we can move mountains, and have some role in bringing that change about.”- John Eldredge “After a long time, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: ‘Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.”- 1 […]
“Let’s go ahead and name the elephant in the room- some prayers work, and some prayers don’t.”- John Eldredge Moving Mountains: Praying with Passion, Confidence, and Authority is the latest book from author John Eldredge. John’s previous books are Wild at Heart, Fathered by God, and Beautiful Outlaw. In Chapter 1 (“Prayer That Works”) of […]
Finding God in the Ruins (David C. Cook, 2016) Finding God in the Ruins: How God Redeems Pain is the first book by Matt Bays. Matt Bays is a writer, speaker, and a musician “with a passion for calling people out of their hiding places.” Pastor Bays believes suffering and doubt are necessary components- even […]
“And with all the traffic raging around you, I pray that you will hear only the quiet hum.”- Matt Bays Chapter 17 (“The Quiet Hum- My Life for the Glory of God”) is the concluding chapter of Finding God in the Ruins. Matt Bays asserts that at times it is appropriate- and even right- to […]
“We need more than answers. We need the love of God, no matter how awkward or fumbly.”- Matt Bays “I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”- Isaiah 43:1 (ESV) In Chapter 16 (“Melody Unchained- Finding Your Faith Again”) of Finding God in the Ruins, Matt Bays observes the hard […]
“On rainbow days God’s presence is hard to miss.”- John Ortberg God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come. I have set my rainbow in the clouds . . .”- Genesis 9:12-13 “And when […]
“In a futile attempt to erase our past, we deprive the community of our healing gift. If we conceal our wounds out of fear and shame, our inner darkness can neither be illuminated nor become a light for others.”- Brennan Manning, Abba’s Child Matt Bays concludes Chapter 13 of Finding God in the Ruins by […]
“And if you doubt what happened, wondering if it really mattered, let the pain be your litmus test. Where pain is present, a wound exists.”- Matt Bays In Chapter 13 (“Someone Else’s Story- Telling Your Story”) of Finding God in the Ruins, Matt Bays asserts that telling the truth is not easy. It’s not because […]
“Often, it’s not about becoming a new person, but becoming the person you were meant to be, and already are, but don’t know how to be.”- Heath L. Buckmaster, Box of Hair “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are- no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of […]
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”- Maya Angelou “I decided to devote my life to telling the story because I felt that having survived I owe something to the dead. . . . And anyone who does not remember betrays them again.”- Elie Wiesel, political activist and concentration camp […]
“I imagine God is pleased when we allow the foolish things of this world to confound our wisdom- when we allow ourselves to be drawn into His love in the most peculiar ways.”- Matt Bays Matt Bays begins Chapter 10 (“Me Encanta- The Love of God”) of Finding God in the Ruins by observing there […]