The Naked Gospel by Andrew Farley

Okay, you know my quirkiness....first the title grabbed me and the cover is actually transparent except for the leaf. If you look close, you can see the table of contents. That got me, I just had to read this author.

Andrew Farley writes about 10 Christian principles taught today, and asks if they are True or False. His answer will definitely surprise you. To see what they are check here. I won't tell you, it'll be a surprise. But I warn you, you'll need to read the book to understand.


I wanted to whip right through the book, but I found I couldn't. I kept stopping to rethink my beliefs and what I knew. Some of his ideas I totally agreed with, others I kept "chewing on" until I understood.


You gotta' check out this book. I'm going to leave you with a few quotes.

"Christ living through you is not a feeling." pg-194
"The term rewards does not appear anywhere in the New Testament." pg-168
"We don't initiate forgiveness, because we cannot." pg-136
"Any system that doesn't factor in once-for-all forgiveness is intrinsically flawed." pg-155
"The flesh is not the old self." pg-114

Are you shaking your head and saying no way, yet? I dare you to read it. Then, lets talk.

Oh, the post below was inspired while reading this book. Great liberating truths.






Andrew Farley is lead teaching pastor of Ecclesia (http://www.ecclesiaonline.com/). He served as a professor of linguistics at University of Notre Dame for five years and is now a tenured professor at Texas Tech University. Andrew enjoys helping others discover the liberating truths that are the birthright of every child of God. He lives in Lubbock, Texas with his wife Katharine and their son Gavin. (Copied from his website.)

I received this book from The Blog Tour Spot free for reviewing. Check out other reviews here. The book is sold on Amazon.

Work for Treats

Major, my dog, gets treats for doing "work," or a training session. Oh, all right, and sometimes for nothing at all. (See the treat sitting on the edge of the chair?) Here, the trick is to "wait." He does real good, and if you look closely, a bit of drool is beginning to form, in anticipation.

Yummy food is a great motivator. Hey, I know that personally, too. But let's not go there.

Major learned this behavior by repetition. At first he would see the treat and be eager to do anything to get it. After a while he did commands without the treat. Conditioning. Receiving praise and attention from those he loves is enough, but treats are always appreciated.

"Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." John 6:28-29

God requires no tricks to please Him. So why do I think I "must" do things to get His treats? When once I realize I only need to believe and trust in His Son, then all the treats in heaven become mine, too. My works happen out of love for Him. No drool necessary.

I'm glad God never runs out of treats.

Photo: karenevans

Clean, Cool and Composed

We went to Busch Gardens while my family was in town. My daughter-in-love took these wonderful pictures of a tiger. He's beautiful, right?



He's clean, tended, fed and has everything but his freedom. How do you all feel about zoos and places like this?


My feelings are mixed. For the big animals, I'm kind'a sad. They can't run and fulfill their role in the wild. But for the little animals, or endangered ones, it might be a good thing.


"I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free." Psalm 119:32


As a follower of Christ, do I sit in my cool, clean tended house built by my mind and selfishness? Am I beautiful to me, but not fulfilling my purpose to others in the world? Do I watch the world pass me by, knowing I'm taken care of, but not caring for them? If so, my heart is not free, and I'm not following His path.


May I not be afraid to get sweaty, dirty and lean.


Photos: Melissa Evans

Keep On Rolling

See my new tire? Yes, we had to get two new tires on my '95 van last month. They're all nice and shiny and even my postman asked if I got "new shoes" on the car.

Is it just me, or am I the only one who notices that tiny red dot on the wheel? The other one has a dot too. I don't think hubbie noticed them, either.

What is it there for? Is it like the tags on pillows that say, "do not remove under penalty of law?" Will my tires deflate if I pull it off? Why do I notice the red dot more than my wonderful new tires? It doesn't affect how they roll, or their function on the car, but it still bugs me.

"Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart." Psalm 44:21

How many times do I see a small fault about someone who is doing their job well, but something just bugs me about him/her? And why do I want everyone else to see that "dot" on them? Then God reveals my dotted heart and soul, and with His grace and mercy, He forgives.

Do you ever have this problem?

Roll on, my soul and let God take care of the dots.

Photo: karenevans

Can You See?

My hubbie and I went shopping the other weekend. We walked to the front of the store and I realized I still had my sunglasses on instead of my regular glasses. Hubbie rolled his eyes and gave me the car keys.

I looked in the console area where I usually put them. Nope. I looked in my purse. Nope. I looked on the seat and floor. Yep, you guessed it, nope.

I walked back to hubbie and remembered I did have them on when I got in the car. My hubbie felt in his front pocket and pulled out sunglasses, not mine. He checked his other pocket--yes, this is a fishing shirt with many pockets--and he pulled out his regular glasses.

I burst out laughing as I saw my glasses with a sparkly gem on each side sitting proudly on his head. He wondered why his eyes got bad so quickly.

Did I say he was embarrassed and told me not to write about this. I didn't? Then that's okay.

"The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes." Psalm 19:8

When my life seems fuzzy, the lines blurred, and I'm not sure what's going on, I know the eyes of my soul are not in focus. Why this takes me awhile to figure out is crazy. God's way is always clear.

Make sure your soul-eyes are in focus.

Here's looking at ya!

Photos: karenevans and Melissa Evans

Blessings Continue

Mom and Dad and Hubbie. I think the guys were stuffing their mouths, even when I said smile. :)

My daughter and son-in-love and daughter-in-love. My son-in-love always cuts up whenever I'm taking pictures. So here ya go-dear one. :)

Daughter-in-Love and grandson, Caden at Busch Gardens. We went yesterday.

Grandchildren, Katriel and Caden. He didn't like it much being inside a hippo's mouth, but his sister seemed not not mind. :)

Hubbie and Caden

My two kids.

Father and son, starting music early.

Hope you are having as much fun as I am. Will be back to regular post on Wed. For my verse, just check the post below.

My cup runneth over.

Photos: all mine

Are Your Quivers Full?

"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." Psalms 127:3-5

Well, I don't have a quiver, but my house is full with my grandchildren this week for spring break. Oh, and they brought their mom and dad. I am blessed to have them and my daughter and son-in-love and my Mom and Dad, all here.

Forgive me my bloggie friends, if I don't visit as much this week. I'll be busy until Sunday, when they leave. BUT, I might...just maybe.....post other pictures for my Saturday post. teehee....

Ahh, the many gifts of the Lord.

Blessings**

~~~Oh, check out a contest for a boxed set of Day Spring cards at my group blog, Kindred Heart Writers, for the Monday 5th blog. ~~~

The Sun Has Risen

Sunrise invigorates me--as long as I'm not too sleepy. Seeing the world become visible and light, jump starts my mind. (Along with my dog demanding to go out for his business.)

Why is the sky is most beautiful at sunrise and sunset? Colors strewn in the sky by God's hand, just for us.

And why is it that after the dead of winter, God declares new life to sprout.

(See the dead leaves and the new sprouts on my bougainvillea? I thought for sure it had bit the dust this cold winter.)

Could these be a foreshadow of the time when heaven and earth collided, suspended over a crude cross, waiting an eternity for the sunrise on the third day?

"At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in.

But once inside, they couldn't find the body of the Master Jesus....Then out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there...said, 'Why are you looking the the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?'

Then they remembered." Luke 24:1-8

They remembered, especially Mary, Zachariah's prophecy before Jesus birth.

"Through the heartfelt mercies of our God, God's Sunrise will break in upon us, shining on those in the darkness, those sitting in the shadow of death, then showing us the way, one foot at a time, down the path of peace." Luke 1:78-79

May God's Sunrise shine in you all the way down to your soul.

Happy Easter.

Photos: karenevans