My humblest apologies to my faithful readers :-p

Ok, so, I don't exactly keep up with my blog.  I admit it.  I forget it's here sometimes.  I get busy, and this poor thing suffers.  According to Blogger, I have one faithful person who checks my blog almost daily.  I humbly apologize.

I believe I haven't posted an actual, non book review, entry in almost a year.  So there is a lot of catching up to do.  I was blessed with another year of life.  I am still subbing for the school districts around here.  God has shown himself faithful to me everyday.  I've grown closer to Him this year, and I cannot articulate in so few words as a blog post what He has meant to me.

I was privileged once again to travel to the amazing country of Argentina.  God helped our team overcome countless obstacles to share the gospel with the people there.  At first I wondered about our ministry.  We weren't building water purification systems (their water there is just fine). We weren't a construction team fixing up an orphanage.  I wondered about the impact that would be made by our trip.  Then I realized, we were building relationships.  We built earthly friendships with the Argentine people.  I miss my friends there dearly!  More importantly, we were helping to build eternal relationships.  God allowed our team to share the gospel and plant seeds in the hearts of many people.  God allowed us to encourage believers already serving.    We weren't a professional choir by any means, but little is much when God is in it.

There was another impact from our trip that I wasn't quite expecting.  Not because I was opposed to it, but because I thought I had already received my answer last time I traveled that far south.  I firmly believe God's plan for my life includes long term mission work in the field of Central/South America.  I'm so excited to see how He works out some of the details in the future.  There are certain steps God has to present before I can begin taking some on my own, but all of that belongs in a different post.  So, for now I'm trying to patiently wait, while serving my God wherever He puts me. :)

Go. Read this book. Right now.

I read the book The Perfect Love by Ruth Myers.  It was incredible.  It highlights the love of God in a way that does not negate the importance of the holiness of God, which I have found to be a problem in many books about the love of God.  It was written in a way that holds your attention well.  This is a book I was able to pick up night after night and find something that I could learn from it.  This book was not just written about the love of God, it was written by someone who has lived it.  Myers is a woman with wisdom that amazes me.  Reading this book felt like an everyday meeting with a mentor.  This is a book I have already recommended to friends, and I recommend it to anyone who desires an honest look at the love of God. 

I received a copy of this book through the Blogging for Books program.  I was not required to write a positive review.

 Buy it here

First Review in a long time...

More Lost Than Found by Jared Herd.  I picked up this book, not expecting much.  Most people my age are disgruntled with religion.  Even people in my circles don’t embrace their parents’ church or denomination.  We roll our eyes at certain subjects.  That also means there are a good number of books addressing the issue.  Herd challenges the believer to take a step outside what they’re used to and look at religion from a new angle.  It shows that the Christian life does not have to be a stale. 

That being said, the book doesn’t really say anything “new,” and it isn’t really coherent.  It wasn’t really intended for readers under the age of 30.  The author himself dreads turning 30.  As I am in my upper 20’s already, I didn’t really feel the book was geared toward me.

I received the book from the Booksneeze program.  I was not required to write a positive review.

 

First Review in a long time...

More Lost Than Found by Jared Herd.  I picked up this book, not expecting much.  Most people my age are disgruntled with religion.  Even people in my circles don’t embrace their parents’ church or denomination.  We roll our eyes at certain subjects.  That also means there are a good number of books addressing the issue.  Herd challenges the believer to take a step outside what they’re used to and look at religion from a new angle.  It shows that the Christian life does not have to be a stale. 

That being said, the book doesn’t really say anything “new,” and it isn’t really coherent.  It wasn’t really intended for readers under the age of 30.  The author himself dreads turning 30.  As I am in my upper 20’s already, I didn’t really feel the book was geared toward me.

I received the book from the Booksneeze program.  I was not required to write a positive review.

 

God Closes a Door

Yesterday, I faced rejection. I had applied and interviewed for a third grade teaching position in my district. I was nervous, and when I finished the interview, I did not have a happy feeling of accomplishment in my stomach. Yesterday, I got the call that the position had been filled. At first I was upset. I had wanted that position, but I didn't get it. I had prayed hard, but I wasn't going to be teaching third grade next week. Then I started to get excited. I still have my three months of fifth grade this year, and I have no idea what God has for me after that. This is really the first door God has shut because it's the first one I dared to really open. I applied for other teaching jobs last year, but I was terrified to move forward because I don't know what's ahead. Now, I'm confident that I can try doors, and God will shut the ones that aren't for me and let me walk through the ones that He has prepared. So, not only was the interview a good experience for me in the educational portion of my life, but just in life in general. Hmmmmm which door to try next.

Last Great Hope

Life has become busy lately...busy and distracting, but more of that in another post. This post is finally a book review. After posting one or two a week for so long, I can't believe it took me this long to post again. It wasn't the book's fault. I accept full blame.

I just finished Our Last Great Hope by Ronnie Floyd. The book discusses the need for God's people to carry out the Great Commission. It talks about the urgency and the fact that the church has fallen asleep in the face of this great need. I feel like I can sum up the book this way, "what could you be doing that you aren't doing to further the Great Commission and see souls saved in your community and across the world? Question answered? Go do it!" It was convicting and heart breaking to see the things that we have really dropped the ball on, yet Floyd offers hope by encouraging his readers that they can only do what they can do, but if everyone does what they can do, the job will get done. Floyd is a Southern Baptist pastor that worked on a committee to design a plan that could actually accomplish world evangelism. Now his dream is to see that plan executed and world evangelism once again become a reality.

The book was interesting. I can't say the writing gripped me, but the topic did. All that being said i do disagree with one premise of the book. That is that we are the last great hope. I know that this is not what the author intended, but I feel that I mus say it. God can accomplish His will however he wishes, but He has chosen to let us be a part of it.

I received this book as a part of the Booksneeze program. I was not required to write a positive review.

Are you Ready?!?

Today I met the fifth graders that I will be working with for three months this semester. I can't wait! I learned all of their names today...short term memory anyway, and I can't wait until I get to be there everyday. Just like any class they come with their share of difficulties, but I felt as ready as I can be to work with them. God is so good to give me this opportunity. It felt really great to be called Miss Kauffman again (or Mrs. Kauffman depending on the student). I saw all my little third graders from last year...who are now bigger fourth graders. It's craziness I say :) I miss them like crazy, and it was so good to see them all. I was reminded today of how funny kids are. One kid, while making their scientist, sang "im gonna make my hands now" to the tune of "everybody dance now." I just stood there and smiled. I love being in a classroom more than anything else on this planet.