Sunday, May 6, 2012

God Took A Day Off Why Can't I? by Andrea Moore

Tour Date: May 9th 

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It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!



Today's Wild Card author is:


and the book:

Miller-Moore Publishing (January 1, 2012)

***Special thanks to  Milcah Lewis  for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Andrea Moore is a life coach, author and speaker who is passionate about equipping and inspiring leaders within the community and church to be their best. After receiving a degree in Communications from The University of Alabama, where she co-captained their Division I volleyball team, she immediately entered the radio & television industry. Andrea quickly realized that she was more interested in making news than reporting it, so she has spent the last 16 years crafting a Biblically-based message in her counseling, coaching and writing. She resides in Austin, Texas with her husband, Eric, and their three young men.


Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:


God created the world in six days, and then He did something very unexpected for the omniscient, all-powerful designer of every living thing – He took a day off.

This book is a guide to rejuvenation and increased productivity through a Sabbath rest. It’s for anyone who has ever wondered why God would take a break, and for everyone who feels like they could use one too.

In this book, we will discuss:

           ·          What is a Sabbath?

           ·          Why we need one?

           ·          How to have one?





Product Details:

List Price: $15.00
Paperback: 107 pages
Publisher: Miller-Moore Publishing (January 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0984007415
ISBN-13: 978-0984007417



AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:


Good is not always
God




Two lumberjacks set out, as they did every morning, twork in the forest. The younger lumberjack challenged the older man to a con- test to see which of them could bring down the most trees that day. As soon as the whistle blew, the youth began chopping furiously and built an early lead while his opponent stopped regularlto take a break.
  Puzzled by his opponent’s unusual strategy, the young lumber- jack pressed forward. As the dawore on, he continued chopping as fast as ever, but his lead wasn’t what it once had been. It seemed that whatever work he did while the other man rested, was equaled as soon as he got back twork.
When the whistle blew, the challengerexhausted and in pain from pushing himself all day, turned with astonishment to offer his congratulations to the older lumberjack. Approaching the veteran he said, “I don’t get it. I worked all day long without a break, yet in spite of taking several breaks, you still won. What’s your secret?”
The veteran, still in good spirits and readto head home to his familyglanced at the enormous pile of trees he had felled. He replied with a grin, “Son, I wasn’t just sitting. I was sharpening my ax.
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God Took a Day Off, Why Can’t I?


Mixing wisdom with effort

“If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength;
But wisdom brings success.
ecclesiastes 10:10 (nKJV)



Too often wfeel ineffective and unsure of what we should be doing. When I was single, I would feel guilty for resting while my married friends weroverwhelmed with all they had to do. I loved to serve others and help meet their needs, but I would often findmyself offering to assist out of a false sense of obligation.

For ye havthe poor always wityou
Matthew 26:11a (KJV)


The word poor is the Greek word ptochos meaning: one who lacks something.


There will always be pressing needs surrounding us, but this does not mean that God wants us to meet all those needs. Instead, we arto stay closely connected to Him at all times so that we arready, willing and able to be led by Him, to be used as He sees fit – directly or indirectly.
Over the last couple of years, I have been an advocatfor a wonderful foster/adoption agencyFamily Link. My husband, eric, and I havawaywanted to adopt, but have not felt it is our time just yet. Instead, God has allowed me the privilege of serving orphans in an- other way, as an advocate. I’ve been able to impact more orphans than I ever imagined by sharing with others about the great opportunities
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Good is not always God


available to help nurture these precious children.

We must not ignore needs. Instead, we can be willing to allow God to use us in the manner that He chooses; whether it’s meeting the needs directly, or prayerfully looking for those who can.


The proper pace


  Within the first six years of our marriage, Eric and I had three beautiful and energetic little boywhile serving in the ministry togeth- er. And as if that weren’t enough, I continued to try to fulfill every need I got wind of. I enjoyed serving within the local church and communi- ty because of my passion for teaching and mentoring. Yettoo often I’d race througmy Bible, gathering material for ministry purposes and squeeze in just enough time for my appointments. Allowing God treplenish me was not on the schedule. I merely coasted along in cruise control, heading towards empty.
Thankfully I continued texperience the Lord’s goodness through the encouragement of the people He placed in my life. But even that was not enougfor me to escape the fact that I would not be able to continue the roller-coaster life I was living.
During this season, I remembered a conversation I had with

one of my instructors  at Fuller Theological Seminary. After witnessing several of my attempts to fill every need I became aware of, he pulled me aside and said, Andrea, this is a marathon, not a 40 yard dash.
I still remember the concern on his face as he spoke those words to me. That’s the moment I began my journeto achieve better
balance in my life.



9

God Took a Day Off, Why Can’t I?


Good can be the enemy of the best

false balance is abomination tthe LORD: but a just weight is his delight.
Proverbs 11:1 (KJV)


The word abomination in Hebrew is made impure. 
tow ‘ebah meaning disgusting thing, thing

Did this mean that the good things I was running around doing for the Lorwere seen by Him as an abomination because they shifted my life out of balance?
As a natural do-er, I am more inclined to tackle an activity than

sit quietly with the Lord. even in writing this book on the Sabbath
rest, I had to discipline myself to first seek the Lord before doing other things. In order for any of us to discern what is bestwe must spend regular time meditating on His word, with His people and in His pres- ence.
Many of us feel a responsibility to livby the motto: “See the need and take the lead.” Over the last sixteen years, serving in the church and community, I‘ve seen the endless sea of needs and wants. They never end – kind of like the laundry at my house.
I believe God looks at our hearts and is honored by the desire that we havto serve Him. Yet I wonder whwkeep racing toward each finish line as though it is the last, barely stopping trefuel beforwe start the next race.
  We must allow God to fill us first. In this waywe givto others from our overflowrather than from the grace that is meant to sustain us through the day.
  As a life coach, I feel it is beneficial for you to take a few min-

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Good is not always God

utes and identify wheryou are right now and wheryou need and want to go:
How satisfied aryou with the time and energy that you invest in each of the areas listed on the chart below?

Use a pencil trate each area of your life on a scale from 1-7, with 7 be- ing the highest.



Draw a line connecting your ‘score’ in each section to the next one, working your way through all eight areas. This will reveal your current state of balance. (Please feel free to change the headings if there are others more applicable tyou.)
You can return to this exercise later and modify your wheel as you begin to implement a Sabbath.


As you experiencregular rest in the Lord, expect your results tchange.

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God Took a Day Off, Why Can’t I?




As take a regular Sabbath, areas of my life argoing through a transforma- tion, and I’m not seeing the kinds of problems I feared in taking a regular day off.

BONUS: There are two additional wheels in the back of the book as a gift tyou. You can chart yourself, either now or later; include wheryou wish you were or even hoyour time is being invested once you incorporate a regular Sabbath.

4 comments:

tweezle said...

Scheduled to post w/review at 4am EST

GREAT book!!!

http://tweezlereads.blogspot.com

Linda @ Linda's Lunacy said...

Scheduled to post.

Unknown said...

schedule to post 5-9 life as mom ceo

Vic said...

Though I am not part of this tour I posted anyway. Great book!