God transforms. God heals. God restores. God does so in my life and can do so in yours.

Max Lucado wrote, let grace, let God, “so seep into the crusty cracks of your life that everything softens. Then let it, let him, bubble to the surface, like a spring in the Sahara, in words of kindness and deeds of generosity.”

God will change you, my friend.

“Jesus’ death is the means to new life for others…suffering is an avenue for God’s life to transform situations.” 1

Sometimes it’s a challenging to feel safe enough to share our true feelings with others.

We fear the rejection, the judgment of others.

Sharing our feelings helps us.

When we share positive feelings we increase our positive self-regard. When we share our heavy feelings we often decrease the emotional weight we had been carrying alone. Sharing our feelings also helps us to build deeper relationships with people you care about and people who care about you.

In my experience connecting with God has been transformative.

As 2013 unfolds there are many uncertainties.

Some of the future prompts unrest like the concerns and fears surrounding congressional tax hikes, budget cuts and a “fiscal cliff.”

Some of the future prompts hope; after all, as a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan hope despite the past is burned into my DNA.

Some of the future prompts joy; like the joy felt by my friends Ben and Kristin Kindred who married Monday.

The future may be uncertain, but there are future dates scheduled:

You freely admit it. You’re a social guy. It doesn’t matter where the action is—you want to be in on it. Who wouldn’t want to hang out with his best buddies on a Saturday night?

On this particular Saturday night, however, there’s a problem. Your parents are out of town for the night, and you promised you’d stay home. Alone. As in you, yourself, and the family goldfish.

But then Drew calls. The movie’s over, and the guys are looking for a place to chill. Nothing wild, just to hang out, play some Xbox, unwind. You know you should say no. You gave your word. But Drew can be persuasive, and he knows your parents are gone. Before you know it, you’ve invited five guys over.

Jesus Christ’s journey meant that he spent time at parties, dinners, friends’ houses, and enemies’ houses. 

He learned.
He listened.
He told jokes.
He gave hugs.
He laughed.

Jesus explained to the the people, “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.“

“The Pharisees objected, ‘All we have is your word on this. We need more than this to go on.‘” 1

I couldn’t agree more.
Not with Jesus.
With the Pharisees.

For months my son Josh would invite me to join him at the gym he works out at.  Sometimes I went, sometimes I didn’t.

More often than not I had an excuse not to; I was too tired or busy (or lazy).

When I was young and fit, fitness seemed to take so much less work.

Energy-Shaped Life

When I was “little” I was full of energy.  I’d play all day only stopping when I had to go back home.

I’d annoy my parents by getting up too early.

The text of Wild Grace was adapted from Max Lucado’s book Grace. Gray boxes behind the text indicate places where new words and stories were added by James Lund specifically for our teen readers. 

If you read my review of Grace you know I enjoyed it.  I was interested in finding out how Lund adapted Lucado’s book for teens.

I Liked

Lund expands on Lucado adding, “One dictionary definition of “grace” is “unmerited divine assistance.” Sounds simple enough— God giving us something we don’t deserve. But do we really get grace? And even if we do, does it have anything to do with our lives?”

I follow Max Lucado on Twitter. 

When I read tweets like these I began to be excited to read his most recent book Grace.

“To discover grace is to discover God’s utter devotion to you, his stubborn resolve to give you a cleansing, healing love”

“Your identity is not in possessions, talents or accomplishments. Nor are you defined by divorce, debt or dumb choices.”

“Mercy pardons us. Grace empowers us.”

I love what I read in the tweets.
I assumed that they were quotes.
I assumed wrong.

Despite that, I love the book.

What God Did To Win Your Heart.

It’s a captivating subtitle: What God Did To Win Your Heart.

Lucado’s challenge is to personalize the life and death of Christ.  
Lucado explains that Jesus’ proclamation “I did it just for you.” is his resounding, enduring and personalized message.

Lucado makes the case that the trial, judgment, and execution was not happenstance.  “Knowing his last deeds would be forever pondered, don’t you think he chose them carefully? Deliberately? Of course he did. There were no accidents that day.”

Proclaiming to the end, “I did it for you. I did it all for you.”