GRACE – By Max Lucado

More Than We Deserve – Greater Than We Imagine

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
2 Cor. 12:9 (NIV)

In this book, Max Lucado takes us on a journey to understanding grace.  From its definition, to its impact on our lives, to its application in our lives, we walk alongside Lucado as he paints an unmistakably clear picture of what grace truly means.

A grace that grants us first the power to receive love and then the power to give it. A grace that changes us, shapes us, and leads us to a life that is eternally altered. ~ Max Lucado, Grace

I give this book four stars.  I have always been a fan of Max Lucado’s writing. He has a way of taking such deeply spiritual concepts and making them relatable and understandable. I have a shelf of Lucado books spanning the past 25+ years, and each one has met a unique need at a specific time in my life. This book was no different. After all, grace is a word we hear tossed around in church all the time, we sing about in countless worship songs and hymns, and we cling to as our very hope for eternal salvation. But do we really GET IT? I think not. I agree with Max’s statement that “we’ve settled for a wimpy grace.”

The grace that Lucado writes about transforms and overwhelms you. “God’s grace has a drenching about it. A wildness about it….It rewires you.” Grace is God “swooping down” – I love that imagery – to rescue us from ourselves. Grace is God loving us so much He chose us.

I couldn’t put this book down and found myself finishing it just a few hours after I’d started it. Then I encountered the study guide at the end, and am so excited that I’ll get to go back through that as well, more deeply digesting all the “meat” that’s there to find. It’s a book I’ll return to, time and time again, through the years. This book is a must-read for every Christian, but also for every non-Christian who wants or needs a glimpse into what Christianity is all about. It’s about the loving, sustaining, and life-changing grace that happens not just when we accept God’s salvation, but every day of our lives.

He dispenses his goodness not with an eyedropper but a fire hydrant. Your heart is a Dixie cup, and his grace is the Mediterranea Sea. You simply can’t contain it all. ~Max Lucado, Grace

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Journey Toward Thankfulness (Day 3)

“Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world simply by being there for each other.” ~~Carol Saline

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I’m the baby sister. I have a fantastic big sister who’s 4 1/2 years older than me (of course, I don’t ever mind reminding her of that)!

As little kids, we got along only when we needed to.  We were just far enough apart in ages that our lives were on completely different planes – I wanted to be just like her, and she wanted nothing to do with me.  I don’t blame her … after all, who wants to have a tag-a-long little sister following you around all the time, mimicking you and getting into your stuff?

Our relationship began to change when she went to college, but changed even more once I got into college.  Now that we’re both well into adulthood, my sister is one of my best friends.  Rarely does a week go by that we don’t have a good chat or two on the phone, and I know that if I need her, she is there.

I love getting to watch her now as a mother.  I am so proud of her. We may be adults now, but I still learn from and look up to my big sister – and I always will.

I love you, sister.