Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Up 'n' Autumn

I can't believe that it is the last day of September! The O'Shields family has been very busy living life! Mickey and Mackaylan have been such troopers as I try to find the perfect balance between work, graduate school, church, friends and family. I am so blessed!

Please continue to check back often for updates. I am sure pictures will be posted soon of all my fall decorating, an upcoming visit to the pumpkin patch, our annual pumpkin carving party with the Greene's, Mickey's birthday and 4-wheeling adventures, and much more.

Happy Fall!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Fearless

Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me..... I will come to you, so that you will always be with me where I am. John 14:1,3 (NLT

Upon entering the world of Twitter, I was connected with Michael Hyatt who is the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers. A month or so ago I started receiving tweets about obtaining a free copy of Max Lucado's new book, Fearless. Interested in learning more, I visited the link and was so happy to discover that I could become a book review blogger. All I had to do was choose a free book, read it and post a review right here. Since I love to read, need to be more diligently about blogging, and love free stuff, I thought "Why not?"


Fearless by Max Lucado was a very practical, easy read with a very challenging message. Each chapter examined various fears from the fear of disappointing God to the fear of violence to the fear of life's final moments. Throughout the book I was reminded that in the midst of fears my default should be to choose faith. Walking with Christ is not a guarantee that life is going to be easy. Trials are going to come. However, Lucado explains that "It is not the absence of storms that sets us apart. It's whom we discover in the storm: an unstirred Christ. " What a powerful and amazing thought!


Many times my worries turn into fears if I let them take root in my heart. Lucado lays out an 8-step plan for remaining PEACEFUL in a time of worry/fear:

1- Pray, first. Enough said.
2- Easy, now. We need to be reminded of Ps. 37:7- "Wait patiently on the Lord."
3- Act on it. Be a doer, not a stewer.
4- Compile a worry list. Write down all the things that are troubling you.
5- Evaluate your worry categories. Then pray specifically about them.
6- Focus on today.
7- Unleash a worry army. Share your worries with others. Ask them to pray with and for you.
8- Let God be enough.


I could go on and on about all of the "golden nuggets" that I have taken away from the reading of this book. However, I feel like the purpose of this post is to wet your appetite so you will go out and read it for yourself. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.