Randy’s April 2009 Update
Book Recommendations:
This month, I’m adding to my book recommendations list (for those of you who are reading along).
If I could only pick four books (outside of the Bible) for people to read, currently these would be the four I’d recommend:
The Gift of Being Yourself – David Benner
This book is a great way to begin on a deeper journey of discovering God and yourself in more experiential and transformational ways. It will introduce you to concepts like your False Self and True Self, and truly knowing God experientially (from the heart) as opposed to simply knowing about God (in your head). Currently, this is the first book I usually recommend and go through with the young leaders I mentor.
Changes That Heal – Dr. Henry Cloud
I’m called to love God, love others, and love myself in healthy ways. I’ve found this book to be a useful tool in helping me become more aware of, and deal with, some of the issues that keep me from giving and receiving love.
In this book, Henry Cloud looks at four topics:
- Bonding with others to form healthy relationships (how to do that and what happens when I don’t)
- developing healthy Boundaries
- understanding the G0od and Bad in myself and others, and
- growing emotionally and spiritually toward Adulthood.
This is one of those books where I often see myself described in the author’s examples. Sometimes I wonder if Henry has been spying on me! As I honestly take a look at the issues he describes, and then invite God and his love into the issues that I deal with, I notice that I take another step in my journey of transformation and redemption.
The Emotionally Healthy Church
A Strategy for Discipleship that Actually Changes Lives – Peter Scazzero
The thesis of this book is that emotional health and spiritual health are inseparable. It is not possible for a Christian to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature.
It is often our emotional immaturity and unhealthiness that causes problems and prevents us from growing spiritually and living out our spirituality in loving ways.
This book is a great overview of areas that we may need to continually mature in:
- how to get beneath the surface of the things that are holding us back
- how to break the power of the past
- how to live in brokenness and vulnerability, rather than in pride-fullness and defensiveness
- how to live within our human limits
- how to grieve our losses
- how to live a life of love, including how to actively listen in ways that bring about transformation
FYI: Peter has some interesting videos on YouTube.com. Just type “Peter Scazzero” in the search box.
Surrender To Love – David Benner
God wants us to move beyond responding to him out of fear and obedience to intimately relating with him out of true surrender to his Perfect Love. When we surrender to love, we may then be transformed by love and become love.
As I become more self-aware and God-aware, Surrender to Love continually means something deeper and richer to me.
As I walk with people on this journey, I like to save this book until we do some digging into their barriers to giving and receiving love, which may be uncovered from the previous three books mentioned. I find this book is more life-changing after a person has looked at some of the deeper things in need of surrender and on-going redemption.
Enjoy your reading!
YouTube recommendations:
Just for fun, here are a couple YouTube videos that were memorable or somehow inspired me. (They have nothing to do with this ministry. Or do they?)
Beautifully imperfect:
Discovering Someone’s Hidden Beauty:
Susan Boyle reveals the beauty she has inside
Beautifully Imperfect People Around the World:
I hope those filled you with some love, laughs, and tenderness toward this beautifully imperfect world in which we live.
Prayer requests:
I’m going on a mission trip to Prague in May. Please pray for our team as we attempt to let God’s love flow through us to the unloved gypsy children in that city. I’ll let you know how it went in next month’s update.
Thanks for your prayers, your love, and your support.
Lovingly,
Randy
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