Melissa Pena – Beautiful Bricklayers

Tag: Melissa Pena

27
Sep
2013

September Book Review: Every Body Matters (part 2)

categories: Partnership, Prayer, Preparation, Purpose

There were so many excellent quotations from the book, we wanted to post them here for you to get a taste of the content of this month’s recommended book, Every Body Matters, by Gary Thomas. We’ve also included an interview with him below.

“In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:21-22

“How we treat our bodies is a question of stewardship even before it is a question of health, comfort, enjoyment, or pleasure. If we’re truly going to be made holy, useful to the Master, and prepared to do any good work, being more energetic and even being healthier can be essential elements of effectiveness. Many issues of disability and illness are beyond our control; they fall under the providence of God and the genes he has given us. But many issues- how often we exercise, the amount and the quality of the calories we take in- are entirely a matter of choice, and these are what we are held accountable for.” pg.47

“A Christian fully alive is active in every sense of the word, as much as she or he is able to be so under the Providence and care of God.” pg.103

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94OdAEkpAGU&w=560&h=315]

“The reason spiritual neglect and apathy are so devastating is that the act of pursuing God makes life so much sweeter. When I am seeking and growing in God, my marriage and parenting, my eating and drinking, my laughing and playing and work, take on and holy hue. The delight I have in God seeps into everything I do, and if there is anything that blocks this delight, I lose my taste for it.” pg.108

“Here’s the difference: trying aspects of life will happen whether we use them or not. Spiritual laziness leads to resentment; spiritual diligence spawns insight and transformation from the exact same events.” pg. 111

“We should be asking ourselves how we can become places of outreach that love, affirm, and build up the sick, the lonely, the recovering addicts, and the weak, while affirming the call to become strong, fit, and active servants.” pg. 129

“but as God’s representatives, we are called to encourage others to turn from sin and to testify to God’s will, however imperfectly we live it out ourselves, because a life of holiness is the most wonderful, meaningful, joy-filled, abundant life there is.” pg. 141 0220001737a
“Such a commitment will require radical spiritual strength, and I believe that addressing the physical issues of laziness and overeating can have a significant impact on the church’s readiness.” pg. 195

26
Sep
2013

September Book Review: Every Body Matters (part 1)

categories: Commissioning, Partnership, Prayer, Preparation, Purpose

This month, Melissa Pena, recommends Gary Thomas’ Every Body Matters to help us dive deeper into the health theme. She shares more of a summary below so you can be further inspired to worship God with your whole being… including your body.

Every Body Matters Book Review

While the world around pushes for us to lose weight and look our best in healthy and unhealthy ways, the church often opts out of conversations about physical health and well being altogether. Gary Thomas addresses this trend and dives right into the discussion in his book, Every Body Matters. Here, Thomas explores from a Biblical perspective the benefits of physical fitness and how it can profoundly impact our lives as Christ followers. He shares how becoming physically fit can lead to being more sensitive to God’s voice, having more zest for life, and having a fresh attitude of service and love for others.

In addition to discussing the spiritual and emotional benefits of physical fitness, Gary Thomas also shares the true motivation behind all of it. The goal behind getting healthy as a Christian is not that we might look and feel great but that we might be “instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work” (2 Timothy 2:21). By being disciplined in what we eat and the activities we choose, we train ourselves so that we might be ready (now both physically, mentally, and spiritually) for any good work- for Christ and His kingdom.

I am so grateful to have read this book and very highly recommend it. Every chapter is infused with convicting truth, motivating perspective, and refreshing candor. Every time I put the book down, I felt this deep urge to go for a brisk walk or do some sort of exercise. This book has given me a deeper motivation for being healthy. It’s not about me just getting thinner and more agile but it’s about walking with my God and serving Him with all my heart. For me, that’s just about the best motivation I could ever ask for. I hope you find this book as refreshing and motivating as I did. Press on, sisters!

“Soft people who frequently complain about the smallest annoyances, who give in to laziness and excess, who expect others to work so they can rest, who collapse into passive entertainment instead of active exercise- these are souls custom-made to become all but irrelevant in kingdom warfare. They are no threat to anyone- least of all to Satan.” pg. 127

19
Aug
2013

August Book Review: Embracing the Love of God

categories: Partnership, Prayer, Purpose

Every month we would like to give you a glimpse of a book recommended by a fellow Bricklayer. Melissa Pena shares below about how this book helps us understand more about friendship with God and how that translates into our relationships with others.

In the book Embracing the Love of God, author James Bryan Smith explores the gentle heart of God for His people; His tender heart for us and those around us. Smith gives a fresh take on familiar Christian themes of acceptance, forgiveness, and care through the use of anecdotes, scripture, and moving insights. In each page, Smith guides the reader through how deeply knowing God’s love for us impacts all of our relationships- with God, ourselves, and others.

My first read through of this book was a very timely one as I read it during a time when I found it very difficult to accept myself and extremely challenging to forgive someone in my life. I was convicted, transformed, and healed through the words found in this book. While initially the themes sounded so commonplace to me, Smith provides such profound insight that I found myself truly learning about God’s great love all over again. I highly recommend this book & hope you enjoy!

Some stand out quotations from the book:

“For too long, I was impressed with my ‘commitment’ to Christ; now I am only impressed with Christ commitment to me.” 19

“Real, genuine acceptance begins at the point of weakness.” 51

“Accepting God’s offer of forgiveness humbled me because I could do nothing to earn it. All I could do was stand in awe, which, incidentally is a good place to stand.” 70

“It is not our offender’s desire to be forgiven that has prompted us to forgive, it is our desire to be free.” 104