Honestly A Million Miles In A Thousand Years was one of the most entertaining & captivating books I’ve ever read. Normally, being a married father of two in full time ministry I’m a guy that consumes a book in about 2-3 weeks. A Million Miles was a 3 setting book, I just couldn’t put it down. Donald Miller has a way of keeping an intriguing story line brewing with his disjointed style of writing. You as the reader find yourselves getting lost in not only the story written, but also in the idea of making sure you’re writing a good story with your own life. As Donald Miller himself puts it:

“…The book is really about a couple of guys who introduce themselves to me. They were film makers and they wanted to make a movie about a book I’d written called “Blue Like Jazz” which is a memoir. But in the process of creating that screenplay, they had to edit and change so much of my actual life, basically they had to make a bunch of stuff up to make my life more meaningful and exciting for the screen. So i studied the principles of stories that screenwriters use to make a story more meaningful and i began to apply those actual principles to my real life to make my real life more meaningful… I talk about those principles, i talk about the adventures i went on as i began to apply them to my life and what it takes to make a story beautiful when the credits roll at the end of it you feel fulfilled. And that can happen in our lives to not just in movies…”

For me once again one of the best parts of this book is the author’s ability to keep you as the reader completely captivated in the story. Tugging on all of your emotions from laughing to holding back tears as you join him in his pursuit of living a meaningful life. You then find yourself wondering what your life will look like as the curtains close and the credits roll.

“…the stories we often tell ourselves are very different than the stories we tell the world…”

“…The truth is, if what we choose to do with our lives won’t make a story meaningful, it won’t make a life meaningful either.” – Donald Miller, A Million Miles In A Thousand Years

I actually was kind of sad when I closed the book. I was so caught up in the pursuit that I didn’t want it to be over. And then I realized now I get to better write my own.

If you had the chance to change your life for the better, would you? All it takes is a decision.

Trapped by harmful habits, behaviors, and attitudes, we struggle to become the person God has created and called us to be. Saddleback Church teaching pastor Doug Fields says it’s never too late to get a fresh start. With personal stories and youthful writing, Doug challenges readers to recognize that they may say they want God in their lives, but they really don’t want to change. They are stuck. He says, “It’s not about trying harder, it’s about plugging into God’s transforming power and submitting your entire life to Christ. Age doesn’t matter; fresh starts are for everyone.” Topics include:

• Dealing with pride
• Defining success
• Living with guilt
• Struggling with conflicts
• Finding true friendships
• Overcoming discouragement
• Facing rejection
• Attacking Anger

Unlike Doug Fields other works, I did find “Fresh Start” a little difficult to dive into. Although the book provides some pretty good content, I found myself wanting to skip ahead to different areas of the book that might prove to be more beneficial. I do believe this book would be beneficial for newer believers while also working as a great group guide for these people. The author has a way of just scratching the surface of some of very difficult issues that  people find themselves dealing with but would definitely lead to some healthier discussions and conversations in a group setting.

(This book was provided for free by Thomas Nelson)

Our generation needs a reformation.
But a single person won’t lead it.
A single event won’t define it.
Our reformation will be a movement of reformers living creatively, compassionately, courageously for the cause of Christ.

This reformation will not be born of a new discovery.  It will be the rediscovery of something old, something ancient.

Something primal.

What would your Christianity look like if it was stripped down to the simplest, rawest, purest faith possible? You would have more, not less. You would have the beginning of a new reformation—in your generation, your church, your own soul. You would have primal Christianity.

This book is an invitation to become part of a reformation movement. It is an invitation to rediscover the compassion, wonder, curiosity, and energy that turned the world upside down two thousand years ago. It is an invitation to be astonished again.

—Mark Batterson, Primal

Already being a fan of Mark Batterson’s previous Books In a pit with a lion on a snowy day & Wild Goose Chase, I was excited to receive an advanced copy of Primal – A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity to review. That excitement only continued with each page as I was led back to a primal place in my own life. Just as Mark described in the opening pages with his journey down the catacombs of an ancient church building in Rome, you to are taken back to the ancient places of loving God in your own heart. Although not completely lost, I found myself accepting his invitation to find again that primal faith and love that once had me.

Broken down into four sections “The Heart of Christianity”, “The Sould of Christianity”, “The Mind of Christianity” and “The Strength of Christianity” you as the reader find yourself not just flipping pages, but digging deeper into your own heart and life with God by experiencing something that a lot of books fail to bring. This book isn’t just full of information and an author’s opinion but rather instruction and a challenge to resurrect what was intended from the beginning, to live fully for the great commandment.

In concluding the book, Batterson poses an invitation. An invitation to “…Be apart of something that is bigger than you, more important than you, and longer lasting than you.”. Go get the book and accept the invitation, I did!

So I was able to pick up a new toy this last week. I bought a new lens for the camera and got to play with it a little. So here are a couple of pics from this weekend. I’ll be posting more soon…

I just had to post this video after watching it over at Rick Smith’s Blog & I think you’ll understand why after seeing it.

I’ve placed the transcript below which is also available here on the original post from John Piper at the Desiring God Blog.

It’s a magnificent thing: The only newly-originating life in the universe that comes in the image of God is Man. The only newly-originating life in the universe that lasts forever is Man.

This is an awesome thing.

And, as everyone knows, that reverence is not shared by our new President, over whom we have rejoiced.

He is trapped and blind in a culture of deceit. On the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, he released this statement,

We are reminded that this decision not only protects women’s health and reproductive freedom, but stands for a broader principle: that government should not intrude on our most private family matters.

To which I say:

* No, Mr. President, you are not protecting women; you are authorizing the destruction of 500,000 little women every year.
* No, Mr. President, you are not protecting reproductive freedom; you are authorizing the destruction of freedom for one million little human beings every year.
* No, Mr. President, killing our children is killing our children no matter how many times you call it a private family matter. You may say it is a private family matter over and over and over, and still they are dead. And we killed them. And you, would have it remain legal.

Mr. President, some of us wept for joy at your inauguration. And we pledge that we will pray for you.

We have hope in our sovereign God.

(From the sermon: “The Baby in My Womb Leaped for Joy.”)