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Book Works -- Bold Love

Have you struggled to understand what it means to love your enemies or to forgive as God has forgiven you? If so, Dan Allender's book, "Bold Love" may be what you need.

But first, let me give you a warning: Allender's book will not give you a formula for forgiveness...no 1-2-3 quick fix here. Allender will however challenge you to think very seriously about what God requires of His children in the way of love and forgiveness down to the minutest levels of our thinking and behavior. Allender will challenge your spiritual self perception, your ability to love and your willingness to examine your heart more deeply perhaps than you ever have before.

If you are ready for it, let this book take you to the cross...the place where forgiveness was purchased, amazing love was demonstrated and grace was poured out.

Quotes and Contemplations -- Wisdom for your soul

“Bold love is courageously setting aside our personal agenda to move humbly into the world of others with their well-being in view, willing to risk further pain in our souls, in order to be an aroma of life to some and the aroma of death to others.”

"If in fact, sin is not only a failure to hit the mark of God's perfection, but also a deep insidious energy that desires to eradicate from our existence an affronting God who demands perfection, then forgiveness becomes breathtaking, incredible, and wonderfully insulting."

Dan Allender

Win a Book...

Do you know what your love language is? Everybody has a love language and learning to speak your loved one's love language is a sure path to improving any relationship. To win a copy of "Bold Love" this month be the first to answer the love language quiz based on the article Do You Speak Love Language?

Here's the quiz...

What are the five love languages?

What was I doing in France?

What other books did Gary Chapman write on the topic of love languages?

What's your love language?

Email me your answers and don't forget your name and address so I can mail your book to you if you are the winner!

Great Web Resources -- MarriageBuilders.com

You may be familiar with Willard Harley's books "His Needs, Her Needs" and "Love Busters" but have you been to His web site yet? Harley's site is brimming over with thousands of pages of great content on how to build a great marriage.

Harley specializes in helping couples to restore romantic love to their marriages. If you believe there is no hope for your marriage because you have lost feelings of romantic love...fear not, there is HOPE and it may not be as difficult to restore as you think....feel free to contact me if I can help.

Dressed for Success: Clothed in Christ's Righteousness

I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10

Let me take a moment and ask you to think about “What do you delight in? What does your soul rejoice in?”

Remember Narcissus, son of the river god Cephissus, who after seeing his reflection in a fountain became so enamored with himself that he wasted away. All he could do all day long was gaze at his own image in the reflection.

We, like Narcissus, are encouraged at every turn in our culture to become enamored with our own image. Image is everything we are told! The message we hear is that the outer appearance of a man matters the most. American women spend $8 million on cosmetic procedures per year. Cosmetics and toiletries are a $30 billion dollar industry. Weight loss is a $33 billion industry…

(As Christians we are being "made over" into the image of Christ. But)...All that Christ did for us has little impact if we continue to set our eyes on the idol of self-image. All (Christ did at the cross) is for naught, if we continue to let the world define our worth...if we continue to gaze upon the things of the world, instead of the beauty of Christ.

Just as visible as one another’s garments are to you and me, the Lord sees us clothed in Christ’s garments of salvation and arrayed in His robe of righteousness. Because of Jesus, now when the father looks at us He no longer sees the pollution of our soul, He sees the righteousness of his Son wrapped securely about us. He no longer smells the stench of death about us, for to God we are the aroma of Christ (2 Cor 2:15).

(Excerpts from "Dressed for Success:Clothed in the Righteousness of Christ" talk Jean delivered at the Covenant Presbyterian Church women's retreat in May. You may request a complete transcript by emailing her.)

In Closing...

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Until next time, I'm praying for God's richest blessings on your life and relationships,