Quotes of Note about God’s Healing, Part 9

Note: The following Quotes of Note are excerpted with permission from Chapter 8 of God’s Healing for Life’s Losses.

“Faith is entrusting myself to God’s larger purposes, good plans, and eternal perspective.”

“Faith is seeing life with spiritual eyes instead of eyeballs only.”

“Through faith, I look at suffering, not with rose colored glasses, but with faith eyes, with Cross-eyes, with 20/20 spiritual vision.”

“Instead of our perspective shrinking, suffering is the exact time when we must listen most closely, when we must lean over to hear the whisper of God.”

“True, God shouts to us in our pain, but His answers, as with Elijah, often come to us in whispered still small voices amid the thunders of the world.”

“God’s eternal, heavenly story doesn’t obliterate my earthly, painful story; it gives it meaning.”

“God heals our wounds as we envision a future even while all seems lost in the present.”

“Grace math teaches us that present suffering plus God’s character equals future glory. The equation we use is the Divine perspective.”

“We erect a platform to respond to suffering as we stand on a Divine faith perspective on life.”

 “How we view life makes all the difference in how we respond to life’s losses. ‘The Holy Spirit knows that a thing only has such value and meaning to a man as he assigns it in his thoughts’ (Martin Luther).”

“The spiritual consolation offered by Scripture is a new vision, the power of faith to see suffering and death from the viewpoint of our crucified and risen Lord.”

“As you respond to your loss, are you struggling to believe that God has a good heart? Look to the Cross. The Cross forever settles all questions about God’s heart for us.”

“The Christ of the Cross is the only One who makes sense of life when suffering bombards us.”

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Join the Conversation

Which quote most impacts you? What other quote brings you comfort during times of suffering?

Quotes of Note about God’s Healing, Part 7

Note: The following Quotes of Note are excerpted with permission from Chapter 6 of God’s Healing for Life’s Losses.

“Spiritual emergencies can produce spiritual emergence.”

“Faith looks back to the past recalling God’s mighty works. Hope looks ahead remembering God’s coming reward.”

“In Christ, loss is never final. Christ’s resurrection is the first-fruit of every resurrection.”

“Biblical hope is so heavenly minded that it is of great practical earthly good.”

“When we wait on God, we cling to God’s rope of hope, even when we can’t see it.”

“Hope waits. Hope is the refusal to demand heaven now.”

“Waiting is trusting God’s future provision without working to provide for myself.”

“Waiting is refusing to take over while refusing to give up. Waiting refuses self-rescue.”

“In biblical waiting, we neither numb our longings nor illegitimately fulfill them.”

“Healing says, “God is good—He’s good all the time.”

“In healing, God rolls the stone away. We celebrate the resurrection. We trust in our God who raises the dead.”

“I choose to embrace Christ’s healing hope. I choose to embrace the biblical truth that ‘it’s possible to hope and supernatural to grow.’”

“In suffering, instead of turning back, look back with eyes of faith to recall how God has rescued you in the past.”

“In suffering, instead of trusting in yourself, trust in God and look ahead with eyes of hope to remember the future God beckons you toward.”

Join the Conversation

Which quote most impacts you? What other quote brings you comfort during times of suffering?

How to Write Fair and Balanced, Helpful and Engaging Book Reviews

I’ve been reviewing books for over a decade now. In addition to published reviews in journals and magazines, I review online for the Gospel Coalition Reviews, Discerning Reader, RPM Ministries, Everyday Christian, Amazon, CBD, Lunch, and a few more I’ve likely forgotten.

Here are a few quick thoughts on writing fair and balanced, helpful and engaging book reviews.

1. If you totally hate it, don’t review it.

I know that’s not everyone’s policy, but it is mine. You know what your Mom told you, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all…” If I think a book is all bad, I’m not going to write a review. I just don’t have the stomach to be that critical.

2. Think of the author—she or he is a person, too.

As someone who has authored five books, I know what it feels like to “birth” a book. It is one’s creation. So, when you do point out weaknesses, do so graciously, fairly. Quote the author in context. Don’t question the author’s motives (who made book reviewers God?).

3. Contact the author before and after the review.

I’ve started doing this, especially for major reviews (in terms of the significance of the book, the length of the review, where it will be posted, etc.). When I first start reading and reviewing a book, I’ll send my thoughts, impressions, and questions to the author. I’ll ask if I’m “getting it right,” and if they have any response or clarification. After the review is published, I’ll send it to the author and encourage them to engage in an ongoing conversation about the book.

4. Follow the SSWE principle.

I’ve created something of a standard book review format: SSWE. By the way, this doesn’t mean you use this like a straight-jacket. And it doesn’t mean you have these “four sections” of your review. Rather, weave these following four aspects into every review in a conversational style.

S: Summarize the Book:

Help the reader know what in the world the book is about. If the book is in a “technical” field, translate the jargon to the everyday language of the common person.

S: Strengths of the Book:

Every book (I review) has some strengths. Give snippet illustrations of those strengths and highlight how they relate to life and ministry.

W: Weaknesses of the Book:

No book is perfect. But again, when sharing weaknesses, do so fairly, graciously, kindly, and gently.

E: Engage the Book:

This is perhaps the missing ingredient in many/most book reviews. Everyone does summaries, strengths, and weaknesses. But this is not a book report for your middle school teacher. This is a book review for real people who want to know if the book is worth reading. Interact with the book. Write as if you are having a conversation with the author—stretch the author, probe, ponder. Ask questions. Wonder out loud.

Join the Conversation

What do you think makes for an excellent book review?

A Conversation about Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity

Recap: Links to Responses to A New Kind of Christianity

Welcome: I’ve been blogging my way through a series of responses to Brian McLaren’s book A New Kind of Christianity. My focus is on pastoral theology or practical theology response. As a pastor, counselor, and professor who equips the church for biblical counseling and spiritual formation, I’m asking: “What difference does our response to each question make for how we care like Christ (biblical counseling) and for how we live like Christ (spiritual formation)?”

Recap

Here are the links thus far in my series.

*Post # 1: Brian McLaren, I Accept Your Invitation

*Post # 2: A Biblical Counseling Response to Brian McLaren  

*Post # 3: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 1: The Narrative Question  

*Post # 4: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 2: The Authority Question—The Bible  

*Post # 5: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 3: The God Question

*Post # 6: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 4: The Jesus Question

*Post # 7: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 5: The Gospel Question

*Post # 8: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 6: The Church Question

Six Views

I’ve also collated other responses and reviews to A New Kind of Christianity.

*Post: 6 Views on Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity

The Rest of the Story

In my next post, I respond to Brian’s answer to the sex question. He asks, “Can we find a way to address human sexuality without fighting about it?” What does biblical counseling have to say about addressing human sexuality?

Join the Conversation

Which question do you think is most important and why?

Soul Care Among the Slaves: A Treasure of African American Testimony

Trevin Wax, over at his excellent site, Kingdom People, posted a very encouraging and insightful review of Beyond the Suffering. You can read his full review here at Soul Care Among the Slaves: A Treasure of African American Testimony.

Here’s an appetizer to whet your appetite.

“Beyond the Suffering combines historical accounts and personal stories. By going back and forth between the history of the period and the specific stories of people caught in slavery, the authors are able to recommend practical modern-day applications for soul care.

The title describes the book well. This book is not just about suffering and sin. It’s about how grace moves us beyond both.

What do we learn from the testimony of these forefathers in the faith? For one, counseling is not merely an individualistic endeavor. We tend to think of care and counseling as one individual helping another. But the African American testimony shows us how families, churches, and communities can corporately provide soul care.

The authors provide a chilling example…”

To continue reading, please visit Trevin’s blog post.

Conversation with the Counselor

For those of you in Indiana, you’re invited to a brownbag lunch with me. Here are the details.

Date: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, Noon

Place: BMH Books, Conference Room, 1104A Kings Highway, Winona Lake, IN (North End of the Same Building as the Tree of Life Bookstore)

 Lunch: Bring your own lunch, or buy soup/sandwich at Tree of Life

 Resource Person: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., LCPC

 Focus # 1: God’s Healing for Life’s Losses: How to Find Hope When You’re Hurting

 Focus # 2: Conversations and questions in the areas of biblical counseling and pastoral ministry.

Dr. Robert W. Kellemen

Robert W. Kellemen, Ph.D., LCPC, served for over a dozen years as Chairman of the Master of Arts in Christian Counseling and Discipleship Department at Capital Bible Seminary. He is now Professor-at-Large in that Department. In his three pastoral ministries, Bob has equipped 100s of lay people as biblical counselors and spiritual friends. In his role as Founder and CEO of RPM Ministries (www.rpmministries.org), Bob is known for his Christ-centered, comprehensive, compassionate, and culturally-informed approach to equipping local churches for biblical counseling and spiritual formation. Bob is the Executive Director of the Association of Biblical Counselors’ Center for Church Equipping. He also serves as the Launch Director for the Biblical Counseling Coalition.

Bob has authored four books for BMH Books: Soul Physicians, Spiritual Friends, Sacred Friendships, and God’s Healing for Life’s Losses. He is also the author of Beyond the Suffering.

During our Conversation with the Counselor, Bob will discuss his forthcoming book, God’s Healing for Life’s Losses: How to Find Hope When You’re Hurting.

You’re tired of quick quips (“Just trust God”) and false hopes (“Time heals all wounds”). You’re ready for real and raw, honest and hopeful conversation about suffering, loss, and grief—from a Christian perspective. You’re longing for real answers, for real people, with real struggles. You’ve come to the right place. When life’s losses invade your world, learn how to face suffering face-to-face with God.

Bob will then be available for questions and general conversation in the areas of biblical counseling, pastoral ministry, and lay spiritual friendship.