Book Review - The Echo Within by Robert Benson

This is my first read of a Robert Benson book, though he has written extensively on spiritual formation matters. Though the book will not likely appear on my "recommended" list, the writing is engaging and stimulating. If you would like to buy it, you can always visit Amazon.ca

Initially, I think Benson gives too much trust to the soul/spirit in discerning the voice of God accurately, not seeming to consider the deceptiveness of the human heart. This is best summarized in the quote, "We can trust that Voice when it is calling to us, and we can trust that Voice when it speaks for us." (p. 18). Later in the book, the idea that a person needs to know who s/he is when sensing their call/vocation, explains this "trust your inner voice" a bit more clearly, though ability for self-deception still seems minimized.

By the same token, Benson presents a solid chapter reflecting on the way God uses other people to speak into our lives... and most of the time these are in average, everyday moments of life. Benson notes that when we share with the person later (years later?) the impact their sentence had on our life, they don't even remember saying it. My journey has included many of those moments that show God using His people to speak into one another's life. "Sometimes people hesitate to give God any credit for being able to work through the ordinary of our lives, through the very sentences we hear and say." (p. 56)

As someone who has works/ed with high/school college students looking to "know God's will" for future decisions (eg. spouse, career, further education, etc), I think I would personally agree with Benson's overall view of how God directs a person, illustrated in the quote "The plan is for you to become the person God intended. However, the details are up to you." (p. 42) Even as Benson has used his literary talents to write poetry, advertisements, edit technical pieces and now write in relation to spiritual formation, I would agree that God has given him a gift for written communication.

Free eBook on Leadership

Although I've really only looked at Pastor Mark Batterson's blog, his link to this free eBook which compiles various blog postings from different Christian leadership personnel into a pdf file seems to be a potentially very stimulating work.

Family Day Weekend

In Alberta, the third Monday in February is a provincial holiday, "Family Day." Yesterday, Sarah and I and Caleb had a wonderful family day. Mom & Dad Ibbotson and Amanda and great-grandpa Carter came over for lunch. Then in the afternoon, Caleb and Sarah went to the local swimming pool and had fun with gramma Dorothy and grampa Marlowe (and Amanda). Here is a picture!
We also had a great time last night with Sarah's sister, Lois, aka "Teta Lois." We are so blessed to have our supportive and loving families so close!

Oh yeah, grampa Marlowe and Caleb also had some fun with a sled a few days ago!

Book Review - The Love as a Way of Life Devotional

In his book, Love as a Way of Life, Gary Chapman identified seven characteristics of a loving person: kindness, patience, forgiveness, courtesy, humility, generosity, and honesty. This devotional book of the same title, provides approximately 11 daily devotionals on each of the seven topics, along with some introductory and concluding devotionals on love as a way of life.

Each devotional includes a Scripture verse at the beginning, a challenge regarding some aspect of the quality being discussed, and then a closing “thought” or “prayer.” Overall, the devotionals are easy to read, concise, and stimulating. There is not much “fluff” and the theology is solid… not always a common combination in a devotional book, especially on this topic. Some readings include a short illustration/story, and generally these are well-chosen.

Overall a solid devotional book for any adult. As part of the blog tour, I was sent two copies of the book. Simply post a comment on this page and I will be glad to send one copy of the book to you... yes, that means you'll need to include either a mailing address for me to send the book too or an email address so I can contact you and make arrangements.