What Book(besides the Bible) has changed your life?

I read that question several days ago and have been left pondering about the answer.  There is no way I can come up with ONE book to answer that!  Even as I am typing I am wanting to get up and grab a couple more books!  

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It might seem strange that I would have a novel as one of my books but reading the story of this child who walked so close to his Heavenly Father really touched me.  It was sad to see the things that came into his life that started to distort the perfect relationship he had with God.  It helped me realize why I had an easier time than my peers in recognizing who God is.  I grew up with no TV(well, Dad did rent one when the US first landed on the moon and when President Kennedy got shot) and with a family who faithfully had family devotions on a daily basis.  In my early teens we went to church every day but Saturdays and Mondays(Mom and Dad needed Saturday to prepare for Sunday's services and Monday is the Sabbath for pastors)  The book served the purpose of reminding me to keep my mind pure.

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This book woke me up to what a life of prayer can be like!  It changed my prayer life!

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I knew about spiritual warfare before reading this book but my spiritual walk changed after reading this book.  I am so glad I found my Jesus early in life!  

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Though I walked confidently in my identity in Christ prior to reading this book, it gave me words and understanding of my identity.  It seemed that I became more thrilled in Kingdom Business after gaining these understandings.

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Oh wow!  Such strong truth in this book!  Offense!  It truly is the bait of Satan!  How much of it do we see right in the church?!?!?

I will catch myself feeling offended by someone but then smile and say, "Oh no, you are not getting me on this one!"   It is much easier to release the offense and not resent the one who offended me!

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It has been awhile since I read these books!  I think I need to read each one of these again!

Mom's LINKS

Florida District NMI Susan Day and Wes Eby, co-presidents Death of Dr. Eunice Bryant It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of one of our beloved LINKS missionaries, Dr. Eunice Bryant, 96, on January 27. Dr. Bryant with daughter, Joyce Collins     Though small in stature, Eunice was a giant in the kingdom of God. She and her late husband, Larry Bryant, served as Nazarene missionaries in Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvadore, and Peru for 29 years. For several years they taught at the Spanish Bible school in San Antonio. But her ministry did not cease with retirement. She earned a doctorate from Nazarene Theological Seminary after the age of 70. She continued teaching short-term classes in our colleges and Bible schools in global mission areas. She had a passion for training young people to preach the message of holiness.    She is survived by her children: Joyce Collins, Marilyn Baker, Mark, David, and Kenneth, as well as many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.      May God bless her memory to the thousands of people who lives have been influenced by this saint with a beautiful and contagious spirit. Messages of condolence to the family may be sent in care of  Marilyn Baker  207 S. Kings Hwy.  Noel, MO 64854-9216 dmbaker67@yahoo.com

This is My Story...for now

Several years ago I was in a car accident.  Because of the accident I made my first visit ever to a chiropractor.  After the twelve visits the insurance paid for he offered to continue caring for me for health care purposes rather than for injury.  I signed up!

After doing a urine analysis, he discovered I am carbohydrate intolerant!  GULP!  Folks, do you know what all we eat that is full of carbs?!?!?!?   I chose to follow the diet to improve my health.   I did pretty well on it with a few exceptions.  Coffee was on the no list...I continued to drink coffee, but did cut back on it.  Drinking my coffee also meant I would break the no dairy rule as well.  I used my 1/2 and 1/2!   Having moved to California, I also ate fruit.  Hey, they have all the tropical fruits I grew up with in Latin America!  I could not give those up!

After a few days of severe pain I changed the date of my appointment.  When he adjusted me he asked, "have you broken your diet this week?"  Startled by his question I asked why.  He explained that once your body is back on a perfect diet it gains back its capacity to tell you when you have eaten something you should not eat.  That is why babies cry so much.  Their bodies are perfected to tell when something has been ingested that should not be.  The more we keep giving our bodies the wrong food the more likely the warning signs just give up and quit telling us.(He worded that better, but I cannot remember his exact explanation!)  I had to confess that I had indeed broken my diet!  My mom was living with us and a dear, dear friend from Mexico had brought over her home made tamales.  Now how could I not eat those!!!  The next day our pastor's wife brought over her delicious sticky buns she is so famous for.  Yep, you guessed it!  I did add those to my diet.

A few weeks later, I had flown home after being gone two weeks.  Gary stayed in California~I was living in California/Missouri two weeks a month in each place.  The weather was bad so I chose not to go grocery shopping until the next morning.  All I had in the house were Brazil nuts.  Since I had not eaten all day, I ate a lot of Brazil nuts.  The next day, while grocery shopping, I had a severe and painful attack in my upper left lung.  I literally could not pull in my air without extreme pain.  I went to the car and called the chiropractor.  I went straight to his office.  As he adjusted me he said, "Did you eat a lot of fat yesterday? "    Goodness!  There was no hiding anything from this man!!!!  

I have to tell you, I actually got angry at this.  If I am good on my diet, but have an occasion to indulge in a goody...I pay heavily for it!  I rebelled!  I told him I could not live like that!  That meant I could not enjoy an occasional treat while on a get-away with my husband!  I could not indulge in the yummies my girlfriends have when we have our yearly, week long trips!  I would no longer enjoy the marvelous treats of the holidays!  Yikes!

I chose to not follow the diet so well!

The doctor warned me that in five years I would be quite unhealthy if I continued eating the carbs.  I decided I could handle it in a moderate way.    I started out well, but little by little it became easy to eat the beans and rice at a Mexican restaurant, it became easier to join my husband with desserts...and maybe even order my own dessert if he didn't!  I enjoy eating all the fruit growing in my yard(figs, dates, guavas, orange, bananas, limes, lemons)  

So, five years later I am facing the challenge of going on The 21 Day Sugar Detox.  Upon reading the book I have discovered it is basically the same diet I was following five years ago.  Why am I going to do this?  It is not for weight loss like everyone else might be doing now at the beginning of 2015.  I am doing it because, yes, five years later I seem to be bothered by most anything I eat.  I seem to be tired most of the time.    I am not totally recognizing me!  The man was right!!!

So, for 21 days, I plan to follow the plan and hope that it improves my health.  After that I am going to have to be so much more careful than I have been!