Heidi's Haven

Loving Your Community: Proven Practices for Community-Based Outreach Ministry  by Stephen Viars acts as a guidebook for churches wondering how to become more involved in their community. Viars says that the greatest way that we as Christians can show love to our community (which is exactly what we are called to do) is to serve them in every way we can. He says, "Always say yes unless you have to say no." He points out that churches have facilities that usually sit vacant for 6 1/2 days a week that can be used to serve the community. He also goes over the importance of asking and listening to your community to discover the needs of the community, and also working alongside other, sometimes secular organizations to make a difference in the community, such as United Way. Finally, these services should be offered to everyone in the community, not just the churchgoers. Viars wants people to connect help with the church. When someone has a problem or a difficulty, he wants the...

Good morning everyone! Today I am coming at you with another book review. This time I will talk about Holy Noticing  by Charles Stone.  This book is all about being present and noticing the things around you in a holy way. The author wants his readers to live with more awareness. This book contains guidance to engage the present moment and notice what is happening in your environment with a holy purpose. Stone says we can use this mindfulness to become more like Christ. Charles Stone seems really down to earth. He often make jokes at his own expense, which I think makes a writer more relatable and enjoyable to read. It's important for the author to show that they are not perfect, in my opinion. Unfortunately, I didn't think this book was very clear or made a ton of sense. I really love the idea of mindfulness, but I think the execution was poor. I gave up after about 125 pages. Once he introduced the idea, I didn't feel like I was getting any more new infor...

"A Christianity that's one-emotional-size-fits-all simply isn't fair." At church, in a worship group, or just in our everyday life, I am sure that we all know someone who seems to be completely in touch with God. This person talks constantly about hearing God speak to them, feeling God close to them, and clear answers to prayer. These are the people who have super emotional experiences during song or worship.  When it comes to spirituality, these people seem to have it all. These are the people we aspire to be like. However, much as we try, most of us don't hear God talking to us everyday, and we don't feel His arm around us throughout our day either.  So are we missing something? Are we doing something wrong? This book is for those Christians who are left yearning, feeling there they are missing something. And, the whole book is here to reassure us that we are not alone. Brant Hanson uses humor alongside Biblical proof to reassure tho...

The purpose of this book, overall, is to pinpoint and examine the purpose and origin of anger. It is with this in mind that a person will then be able to control their anger.  Anger is defined as "a strong passion or emotion of displeasure, and usually antagonism, excited by a sense of injury of insult". This illustrates that anger is a response, fed by feelings of disappointment, hurt, rejection, and embarrassment. It is a response that causes us irritation, frustration, pain, and other displeasure. One common mistake that people make is trying not to be angry at all. We bottle it up, which just causes explosions later. However, Chapman emphasizes that anger comes from the very nature God, as God experiences anger 375 times in the Old Testament alone. Anger comes from our concern for justice and rightness.  Chapman uses examples from his own experiences and from what he has witnessed as a counselor. The main outcome of this book is for the reader to learn ho...

This book is a daily devotional. Each day, there is a Bible verse which is a quote of Jesus, with devotional material on the next page, starting with the book of Matthew. I actually really enjoyed reading through this. The verses that the picked are ones that I know and have read many times, but they really stood out to me and meant much more in this devotion with the lesson they included. I wrote down and journaled for almost every verse, and I recommend that other readers do the same. I also recommend reading just a page or two each day, and going through it slowly.  The physical book itself is gorgeous. It has a soft leathery cover, with engravings along the edges near the spine. The pages are soft and shiny, but sturdy.  The only thing that I didn't like is that is just kind of ends. There is an introduction at the beginning, but no kind of wrap up at the end, which I would have liked. Overall, I gave this 3/5 stars. I'd recommend it to anyone lookin...

Shannan Martin and her family lived in this amazing farm house out in the country. It was idyllic and rustic, and pretty much perfect for that farm girl lifestyle she always wanted. However, after a few pretty big changes in her life, she and her husband felt like God was pushing them out of their rural home and into the city. In this falling from their snug place of security, they found freedom.  Now, they make less money, they have less space, and their lives are extremely hectic, but they are happier than ever. You know how God says to love your neighbor? Well it seems that is made a lot easier when you have lots of neighbors really close by. This book talks so much about generosity, and what it really  means to be truly  generous. It's the difference between caring about and caring for . She reminds us that God's "more" often looks like less. I really loved reading this book. Shannan Martin is absolutely hilarious, first of all. I was honestly laughi...