Grace by Max Lucado - Book Review

Grace is another in a long line of great books by Max Lucado that provide spiritual insight.  The focus of this one is on grace, as per the name.  It is a simple concept - God provides us grace and all we have to do is ask forgiveness and accept it.  In theory, however, it can be a tough concept to grasp.  Lucado does a good job of explaining grace in its many forms and providing multiple illustrations from both the Bible and real life to support his ideas.  This book is a quick and easy read; Lucado does a nice job simplifying spiritual truths in his writing style. 

My two favorite quotes from the book:
1.  God's grace has a drenching about it. A wildness about it. A white-water, riptide, turn-you-upside-downness about it.  Grace comes after you.
2.  In the Chinese language the word for righteousness is a combination of two characters, the figure of a lamb and a person.  The lamb is on top, covering the person.  Whenever God looks down at you, this is what he sees: the perfect Lamb of God covering you.

In addition to the text, the book also contains a Reader's Guide, which is pretty thorough.  Therefore, the book can also be used for Bible Studies and Small Group studies.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the concept of grace, or anyone in need of grace.

I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

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Switchfoot Concert Footage

This first video is the song "Stars".  I love the first verse.

The second video is "Hello Hurricane".

This last video is "Mess of Me".

Fall Break, Week 1

So we pretty much hung out at home for the first week of our new and improved Fall Break.  It provided much needed rest.  The kids even let Trisha and I sleep in a little.  There has been a lot of reading, watching, and trampoline jumping.  Last night, Trisha and I attended the Switchfoot concert with Dianna and David.  It was awesome.  Best of all, after the show, we were given special passes that allowed us to "meet and greet" the band.  They were very kind and gracious, even putting up with my rambling.  The coolest part was when Jon Foreman (lead singer) saw my Red Sox shirt and mentioned he was a fan.  We chatted for a few minutes as Trisha and I were leaving. 

Seasons' Ends

So, this past week, Lexi's team finished their season, so cheering is done.  Griffin's team lost in the 2nd round, so his and Cami's seasons are done.  Last night, we ventured to Eastern Hancock for Youth League Recognition Night.  The kids and I braved the rain so they could hear their name called and run out during halftime of the varsity game.  It was cold and wet, but fun.

Today marked the beginning of our two week fall break, and we celebrated by attending the Riley Festival and watching the parade with Dianna, David, and his sister's family.  The kids went nuts anytime anyone with candy came by.  We also saw some really cool crafts.

Now its time to settle down for some tv and reading time.

Post-Season Update

Griffin's team won their first playoff game with a some late scoring and timely defense.  Griffin nearly pulled a flag a couple of times.  Afterwards, I mentioned how close he came, and he responded, "It's not like they're zombies coming to eat you."  I never thought of it that way.  He plays round two on Wednesday.

Lexi finished up her 8 game fall softball season 6-2.  She got another double and scored a run.  She also played a variety of positions, including catcher and pitcher's helper.  This season was a great one for her.  I could see her confidence growing with every game and practice.