Entitled?

Today I started a new Beth Moore Bible study on the book of James.  Last summer our pastor taught on James.  Man...it hit home!  And I said one night at flock "I think God may have me camp in James for awhile."  Over the past few months I've read in James quite a bit.  And when the opportunity came to do this study, and it fell on a Tuesday (my only full-day for Clara), I knew I really needed to do it. 

So today was the introduction.  And Beth is introducing James and a little history.  And of course, she dives right in.  One thing she said really struck a cord with me.  She said (not an exact quote), "Jesus didn't come bringing entitlement.  He came bringing mercy and grace."  Ouch!  So, the Son of God didn't bring an air of entitlement.  The One and Only who deservedly is entitled brought grace and mercy?  So, our Savior didn't come feeling He was entitled.  He freely gave grace and mercy.  He met with those who needed Him.  He didn't feel he should be driven around in a certain model of donkey?  He didn't fuss if he didn't have 800 thread count sheets on his pallet on the hard floor?  He didn't have a pity party if he didn't get into the school he wanted?  Or get to be in the teacher's class he wanted?  Or be in the small group with his friends at Bible study?  So, does this mean he wasn't offended if someone cut in front of him?  What about if he did some awesome miracle but the story got bumped from the news because of a Charlie Sheen story?

Beth reminded us that Christ didn't come to be a public figure.  He came to be a personal savior.  He did miracles because someone needed a miracle.  Not so he could be noticed or become more famous.  So...if we are representing Christ, don't we need to imitate him?  Shouldn't we approach everyone with grace and mercy...not a sense of entitlement?  Should we give freely and generously, as Christ has given to us?  Even if they aren't "deserving"?  Since I'm certainly not deserving of anything God has done for me.  Beth Moore made a profound statement, "I don't just want to be what I've been delivered from.  I want to be who I am delivered to!"  Amen!  We need to be delivered TO someone, not just FROM something! 

At dinner tonight we discussed a little about entitlement.  We live such an entitled lifestyle.  Think, really think, about what we take for granted that we are entitled to.  Why do my kids get to go to school, but millions of kids around the world don't?  Why do I sleep in a warm bed with a full tummy?  But millions go to bed (and I use that term lightly) hungry everyday.  Those are some of the obvious things.  If you really think about it, what else do you really feel entitled to?  I was humbled and ashamed as I thought about it.  I'm overwhelmed by God's grace and mercy that He has generously poured on me!  Lord, please help me to be mindful, each day, of your grace and mercy in my life.  And please, help me each day to give more and more and more grace and mercy to others.  Don't let this lesson be something I forget in a few days or a few weeks. 

A Year in BOOK Review

You know I love to read.  And I've revealed that I'm a nerd and keep a book journal.  I keep track of all the books I've read, write a little review, and rank them all on a 0-5 scale.  And I admit that now, I make a note if I borrowed the book from someone so that I don't drive myself insane trying to locate it if someone asks me for it.  So, here are the books from 2011 and their ratings. 

1 - "Spoken From the Heart" by Laura Bush  3.75
2 - "Love Walked In" by Marisa DeLos Santos  4.5
3 - "Lipstick in Afghanistan" by Roberta Gateley  4.5
4 - "Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God" by Noel Piper  3.0
5 - "Death in a Prairie House" by William R. Drennan  3.75
6 - "Your Boy" by Vicki Courtney  4.5 (have read this one before...needed a review)
7 - "Extraordinary Ordinary People" by Condoleeza Rice  4.5
8 - "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" by Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman) 4.0
9 - "Baby We Were Meant for Each Other" by Scott Simon  4.0
10 - "The Personal History of Rachel Dupree" by Ann Weisgarber  4.75
11 - "Saving Levi" by Lisa Misraje Bentley  3.5
12 - "Heaven Is Real" by Todd Burpo  4.25
13 - "We Were the Mulvaneys" by Joyce Carol Oates  (Read more than half but never finished...too slow)
14 - "Decision Points" by George W. Bush  4.25
15 - "Radical" by David Platt  5.0 
16 - "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett  5.0  (I've read this before and was just as wonderful the 2nd time)
17 - "Angel Falls" by Kristin Hannah  3.75
18 - "Water For Elephants" by Sara Gruen  4.25
19 - "Walking Across Egypt" by Clyde Edgerton  4.0
20 - "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter & Sweet" by Jamie Ford  5.0
21 - "The Winds of War" by Herman Wouk  (I've read 500 pages and will finish sometime, it is VERY tedious with details...but the history is great)
22 - "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak  4.75
23 - "For Time and Eternity" by Allison Pittman  3.5
24 - "The Kitchen House" by Kathleen Grisson  4.5
25 - "Sarah's Key" by Tatiana De Rosnay  5.0
26 - "The Wednesday Letters" by Jason F. Wright  4.0
27 - "Shadow of Ashland" by Terence M. Green  3.75
28 - "I Still Dream About You" by Fannie Flagg  3.75
29 - "Secret Daughter" by Shilpi Somaya Gowda  4.50
30 - "A Lancaster County Christmas" by Suzanne Woods Fisher  3.75
31 - "Kisses from Katie" by Katie David  4.75
32 - "A Stolen Life" by Jaycee Dugard  4.25

My favorite funny line from a book this year was in "Love Walked In"...."If you've ever considered having a conversation about your sex life in a South Philadelphia cheese shop, stop that thought in its tracks right now and wring it's scrawny little neck."

Two of my favorite quotes from "Radical" give me much to think about....."What would happen if together we stopped giving our scraps to the poor and started giving surplus?   What if we started giving not just what we are able to give but beyond what we are able to give?  What if, like the widow in Luke 21 who gave all she had, we began to give what it hurt us to give?  What if we gave like this, not just because of the critical need around us, but because this kind of giving is actually what the heart of Christ in us both demands and desires?'   AND...."Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names.  They are easier to ignore before you see their faces.  It is easier to pretend they're not real before you hold them in your arms.  But once you do, everything changes."

So many books, so little time!