Book Review ~ Smack Dab in the Middle of God's Love by: Brennan Manning & John Blase

Smack Dab in the Middle of God's Love

By: Brennan Manning and John Blase

Smack Dab in the Middle of God's Love is a sweet little book with lots of possibilities. I loved the rich, deep textures of the illustrations and the sweet simplicity of the story. The characters are Willie Juan and Ana and they live in a little Mexican village. The characters are kind, warm, gentle and daily open their heart and home to the kids in the neighborhood. I love that part of their story and love that they are given an opportunity to share God's love with the kids in the neighborhood.  

This book is a quick, easy read and as much as I would like for it to go a little further about how great God's love is, I think that overall that this is a great conversation starter. His love for us is so great & mighty, and to be able to plant that seed of His love into the hearts of kids is one of the things that I am most passionate about. Smack Dab in the Middle of God's Love will make a great addition to your library...at home or at church.

In Smack Dab in the Middle of God’s Love, Manning and Blase discuss Abba, or God, and his love for the children. This book tells a story of the familiar character from Manning’s other writings named Willie Juan, who ask the children of his village “Little friends, what is one thing you think Abba will ask you someday when you are in Heaven?” The children talk about their fears, their hopes and finally come to understand that God’s love is not dependent upon what they do, God’s love is always there and they are smack dab in the middle of it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Godly Gals ~ God Speaks by Antoinette Sands

God Speaks

By: Antoinette Sands

Hello beautiful ladies! Today, some of you may be celebrating a fantastic victory, some may simply be plodding along, some may be at a crossroad, and some may have mentally or emotionally stopped on the roadside, not willing to go on anymore.

My friend, I don’t know where you are in your life right now, but, let me encourage you that you God desires to speak to you. And you NEED God to speak. He wrote the manuscript for our lives before we were born. The moment He speaks, everything changes. His words provide direction and healing comfort.  

We, as Christians, have a guarantee that the Spirit of God in us will teach us truth. (I John 2:27)  He also promises to work in us to will and to act out His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). He also promises to guide us carefully with his eye (Psalm 32:8).

With all these amazing promises, we could wonder “Why then is it so difficult to hear sometimes?” or even harder, “Why is God sometimes quiet?”

This is where I hope to encourage you...

Let me guarantee you first, friend. God will speak. He loves you so completely-more than a lover, BFF, or close family. He loves us enough to let us go through times of pain and . . . silence.

My husband and I found ourselves in a desperate situation like that over six years ago. Having been in the ministry over a decade, our world around us completely unraveled. Many friends & family abandoned us, and everything we had given our lives to was desecrated, smashed, and ruined. 

For a while, I could not pray. I had known all the “right things” to do, and had given counsel to so many in the past. But this was my pain, and the waves of hurt just kept washing over us relentlessly for several years. It was very difficult to find God in the mess. I remember showing up at a church and just standing there. I couldn’t sing, couldn’t pray, but my presence there that day said to God, “I’m here. I’m showing up.” As the people around me were worshipping, I heard a voice speak so clearly in my heart. 

Unexpectedly, unprovoked He said,
“I acknowledge your pain.”

I began to weep! You know, the embarrassing, uncontrollable kind. But the God of the universe had stopped all His “universe running” to acknowledge me and that’s all I needed. A part of me was healed right then and there.

You see, God will speak.

Hagar was Sara’s maid who bore Abraham a son. On two separate occasions, we find her in a wilderness, utterly rejected. (Genesis 16:6-13 and 21:14-19) Each time, God initiated a conversation with her and gave her hope. She even named God “The One who lives and sees me.”

Don’t take silence or wilderness experiences as abandonment. 

Count on Him. 

Wait for Him. 

Let Him lead. 

He WILL be faithful to speak!

Antoinette Sands has been married for 14 years to her childhood crush. She and her husband, Doug, live in southern Delaware and enjoy life near the ocean with three beautiful children. She currently is the worship leader at Bayshore Community Church and has a passion to write music, lead others into God's presence with worship, and encourage women on their journey in life. You can follow her on twitter at: @antoinettesands or friend her on facebook "Antoinette Sands" for her latest music recordings and life updates.

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Wow, thank you so much Antoinette for sharing that beautiful word with us this morning! There was so much of it that I could relate to that I just sat on the edge of my seat waiting to go on this journey with you. Thank you for taking the time to be obedient to the message He asked you to share! You are such a dear sweet soul and I am so thankful that our paths have crossed on this amazing adventure.

I'm gearing up for a new ministry season right now and I am looking for more ladies that want to be a part of this Godly Gals journey with me. 

If you've ever thought about sending something in for the series, then I'd just like to encourage you to send it on in. 

I'm working on the calendar for the rest of the year and I would love to have something from you for this series...Real Women, Real Life, Real Faith...that's what Godly Gals is all about.

If you would like a copy of the submission guidelines, then send me an email at melsworldministry {at} gmail {dot} com and I'll be more than happy to answer any questions you might have about this series.

I am looking forward to hearing from YOU! 

 Have a great day!

~ Melissa