"Suprised by Suffering" Givaway Contest!
If you have been with me for awhile, you may remember my book review on R.C. Sprul's Suprised by Suffering. Although it didn't quite fulfill my expectations of being a primer on the Christian view of and response to suffering, I still considered it a good read with sound teaching.
In exchange for my book review, Reformation Trust kindly gave me a free hard copy of "Suprised by Suffering" for me to give to one of you!
So here are the rules:
1) In the comments section (this page only), share a struggle that you have had or are having. How did you/ are you/ do you hope to get through it? (Answers don't have to be Christian or even have "nice" put-together solutions. Just talk about where you were or where you are. I'm not "grading."
2) Comment (on this page only) by Monday, Sept 6 at midnight PST.
3a) Winner will be determined by random number generator corresponding to post order. I'll announce the winner next Monday.
3b) Only one submission per person, but feel free to comment on other people's comments.
3c) Obviously, my own comments won't count.
4) US entries: free shipping
Canadian entries: free shipping, but it's going to be kinda slow
Outside of the US and Canada: Sorry...I'm going to have to limit the contest to the US and Canada; law books aren't cheap. I'm really sorry, but thanks for reading!
PS Please participate! I would feel really bad if I didn't have enough readers/ commenters in order to give away a free book.
Edit: Additions to the original posted rules are bolded above.
Edit: The commenting system is being wonky, so I'm going to keep track of commenters here. If you don't make the list and you were supposed to, let me know. I'm really sorry about this guys. I'll try to look into it.
1) Travis
2) MW
In exchange for my book review, Reformation Trust kindly gave me a free hard copy of "Suprised by Suffering" for me to give to one of you!
So here are the rules:
1) In the comments section (this page only), share a struggle that you have had or are having. How did you/ are you/ do you hope to get through it? (Answers don't have to be Christian or even have "nice" put-together solutions. Just talk about where you were or where you are. I'm not "grading."
2) Comment (on this page only) by Monday, Sept 6 at midnight PST.
3a) Winner will be determined by random number generator corresponding to post order. I'll announce the winner next Monday.
3b) Only one submission per person, but feel free to comment on other people's comments.
3c) Obviously, my own comments won't count.
4) US entries: free shipping
Canadian entries: free shipping, but it's going to be kinda slow
Outside of the US and Canada: Sorry...I'm going to have to limit the contest to the US and Canada; law books aren't cheap. I'm really sorry, but thanks for reading!
PS Please participate! I would feel really bad if I didn't have enough readers/ commenters in order to give away a free book.
Edit: Additions to the original posted rules are bolded above.
Edit: The commenting system is being wonky, so I'm going to keep track of commenters here. If you don't make the list and you were supposed to, let me know. I'm really sorry about this guys. I'll try to look into it.
1) Travis
2) MW
Posts
I think one of the most common struggles in my life revolve around worldliness, and mainly, the worldliness attached with the simple concept of "having fun". Having experienced the type of irresponsible fun most young adults venture through in college, I sometimes miss it. I miss the adventure, the thrill, the entire process of letting go and the accepted fact that I don't have to be as responsible when having fun. I miss the camaraderie of friends who laugh and joke with you when you're one too many drinks in. I miss the music, I miss the dancing, I miss it all.
Mostly, though, I just miss the ability to let go - to let go of everything that's bothering me, and just be. Even if it's just for a second that I lose all sense of responsibility, I attain what I've wished for since I was eighteen, and that is to be innocent of all the rough dealings of the world.
I miss this "ability to let go" the most, when I also put aside God in my life. It seems to come full circle, doesn't it? I let Satan momentarily overwhelm me with these ideas of "fun" when I forget what Christ has done for me, what the Cross means to me, and what grace has made me to be. I forget the strength of my testimony, and what God needed to do to save me. I forget about my relationship with God. I close the door to partake in sin, and only open it again when the realization of sin consequence is overwhelming, and that I never should have strayed.
So, I turn back to God, and because Christ died and rose again, He forgives me.
"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want."
Thanks be to Christ for dying on the cross for me, and thanks be to God for sending the Lamb. Because I, alone, do not have the strength to run in the race, and persevere faithfully to the end. I am of flesh, and of the worst of sinners; thanks be to God for saving me.
(Oh dear, something happened to my commenting system, and it's too late for me to fix it.) For the purposes of the contest, Travis is #1, MW is #2. Looks like I'll just have to keep track of this. Sorry, guys.
Thanks for sharing, MW. It's hard to go from one lifestyle to another, and when you're thrown into a different environment again, old habits die hard. I can see how/ why you would miss that old life of yours and just kick back.
I think it's great that you're continually turning back to God, Christ, the cross, and grace. You're cultivating and re-cultivating that relationship- that's all any of us can do. And he'll be faithful. Who will defeat this body of sin and death? Praise to Jesus Christ who gives us the victory.
At the same time, try not to see it as a dichotomy, as having to choose A: adventure, thrill, and letting go or B: cultivating your relationship with God. I think the more that we can understand the adventure, feel the thrill, and let go of ourselves and our burdens and find ourselves in the embrace of God and cast our cares on Him...the more we can do that, the more joy we'll find in Him. And now I'm unintentionally quoting a book I don't particularly like lol, but a relationship with God is all those things you talked about: adventure, freedom, thrill, joy.
It's not a dichotomy. It's a redemption. Jesus Christ makes all things new.
Too bad my entire post went away. I wonder what happened to it.
I honestly don't know! For some reason this post (and not the other ones) reverted back to the blogger commenting system instead of intensedebate. I'm really sorry about that :( I can send you a copy of what you wrote originally, if you want to repost.