Fasting by Scot McKnight

Fasting is a disappearing discipline in the lives of the modern American church.  Many today think that fasting has gone by the wayside or is only for the super spiritual.  Scot McKnight sheds new light on this old discipline and breathes new life and purpose in it for the modern believer.  Having studied other works by Dallas Willard and Richard Foster on spiritual disciplines, I was intrigued to review this book specifically on fasting.  The approach the McKnight took was unique.  I think overall, the book nails the reason to fast.  In a nutshell, McKnight suggests and biblically supports that fasting is a response to God's activity.  I had never thought about fasting in this way.  I had always taken the "traditional" approach to fasting that says you fast in order to hear from or become more focused on God.  McKnight spends considerable time discussing the different aspects of fasting as well.  I think this is a great book to get exposed to the practice and discipline of fasting.  He goes to great lengths to discuss the practice of biblical fasting as well.  In this discussion he talks about duration and frequency.  That alone is worth the read.  I highly recommend this book to those who are looking to go deeper in their walk with God.

I received this book for free to review from Book Sneeze.

Pujols: More than a Gamy by Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth

Even if you are not a baseball fan, this book is a good read.  For the baseball fan, it is filled with facts, figures and stats on probably the greatest baseball player of the modern era.  If you are not a baseball fan, you will be captivated by the story of Albert Pujols and his meteoric rise to the big leagues.  From the sandlot fields of the Dominican Republic to the confines of Busch Stadium in St. Louis to hoisting the MVP and World Series trophies, Lamb and Ellsworth spin the tale of the consummate Christian athlete.  This book offers you the opportunity to peer behind the curtain into the life a major leaguer.  What you find will surprise you.  Albert Pujols is a man, gifted by God, to play the game of baseball.  Even amidst all of the stardom and celebrity, you find a humble man who is rooted in his faith in Jesus Christ.  While many big league players spend their off seasons in luxury, Pujols is found bettering himself and making a better place for the people of his homeland, the Dominican Republic.  While the stats get a little wearisome at times, the action that is captured in these pages makes it worth the read.  It is good to read about a man who loves Jesus and has a big stage to make Him known.  Pujols sees baseball as a platform to make Jesus known to the nations.  If you're not a fan of baseball or even the Cardinals, you will be a fan of Pujols by the end of this book.

**Disclaimer:  I received this book for free review from Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Facing Fear

I did something today that I have not done for about four months. I went out and rode my motorcycle. This was a pretty big thing for me since the the last time I rode this bike, I wrecked it. The saying goes that there are two kinds of riders out there, those that have been down and those that are going down. I can say that I am the former. Today was the day that I had to face my fears. Even though the bike has been fixed for two months, it's taken me until today to climb on and take it out for a ride. Why? One simple word, fear. There has always been that little voice in the back of my head that wondered, quite often I might add, if I could actually do it. Why today? I'm not sure. I just knew that it was time. If it wasn't today, then it might be never. I will openly admit that I was scared. I rode more timidly today than I have since the first time I rode a motorcycle. I was stiff and uncomfortable at first, but by the end of my short ride I was gaining confidence and comfort. I had to face my fear. I had to prove to myself that I could do it. I refused to continue to be gripped by the fear and wonder if I could or would ride again. As I sit here tonight, I am proud of myself. But I also reflect on something deeper. All of us have fear. We have two choices. We can be gripped and crippled by them or we can overcome and conquer them. For many of us, we have great spiritual fears. We are afraid of what God may call us to. We are afraid that we will miss the opportunity that God has laid before us. We are afraid to speak up and share the message of the gospel with those who are around us. We are afraid of being rejected and ridiculed because of our faith. We cannot allow these fears to grip and cripple us. We must overcome. We must face those fears, stare them in the face and beat them. It is a mental battle. It is battle that is won in the mind. You see, a life that is lived in fear is a life that is deprived of faith. We have been created as people of faith. It is our faith that keeps us alive. Jesus says that He gives life abundantly. Our faith in Him brings us life abundantly. It is the kind of life that is like that of Christ, fearless. For you, it's time to climb on your motorcycle, to face your fear and ride into the sunset. Fearless.

What's in a name?

Some of you may be wondering about the name of this blog, "Crashing into Life." Really the name was inspired by Erwin McManus' book The Barbarian Way. In the final chapter he talks about the rhino. I have seen rhinos up-close in Africa. They are beautiful, powerful and potentially dangerous animals. Erwin points out that the rhino can run at a top speed of 30 mph. Who knew? But the catch is that a rhino can also only see about 30 feet in front of them. Does that stop the rhino from running full steam ahead? Absolutely not. That is why the name of a group of rhinos is a crash. Interesting. They are called a crash because of their potential, the potential to crash into anything at any given time. This is how God designed us to live our lives. We are designed to crash into life. Not wreaking havoc or wrecking things, but with an abandon toward the things of faith. We have been hard wired to live life on the edge. We have been conditioned to "live safe." I think it is time for those of us who call ourselves Christians or believers to assume the role of the rhino. That is, to run full blast into each day and know that when we run into something that it is an opportunity for encounter, whether it be an encounter with God or an encounter with people or both. Crashing into life is to live life in the fullness of faith. The writer of Hebrews tells us that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. It is living life with a confidence of collision. That our lives are going to collide with God and people everyday. The question is: What kind of impact are we going to leave? Crashing into life means living each day with the assurance of a collision because we cannot see all the things that the day holds. Just like the rhino, we can only see a short distance into our future. We must not let that fear of what lies beyond our sight hinder us from charging ahead. Charge ahead! Crash into life!