After spending my whole life in Texas, I am still getting use to Arkansas.  One of the most difficult things to learn is the roads and highways.  If you veer off the interstate and have to go somewhere in the “sticks” beware, you may have a tough time finding it.

Today was our minister’s meeting in Morrow and I got lost.  There were few actual street signs that told where I was supposed to turn.  My directions said, "turn at Hale Mtn Road”.  Easy enough, right?  Easy enough unless there is not a sign that says Hale Mtn Road.  I was lost in the back woods, but the beauty of the area made up for it.

In fact, I found me a great fishing hole and got a couple of good pics of some creeks (pronounced cricks in Arkansas).

Often getting lost is frustrating but sometimes it can lead to something quite beautiful.  I have been out of God’s will in my life before.  I took the wrong turn and went my own way.  God had intended something else for me, but I chose a different route.  It was a very difficult time in my life because I was miserable out of God’s will.  In the midst of that trying season, though, I built relationships with wonderful people that truly blessed my life.  I still value their friendships and know that even though I might have made a wrong turn, God still allowed the beauty to come out.

Many times, we take the wrong path and feel that we will never get back to the main road.  I encourage you though, to look at the surroundings, learn the lessons God teaches you in those seasons and cherish the beauty in the midst of your lost direction.

Summary:

Flip-Flop Your Concept of Giving!
Bestselling author Randy Alcorn introduced readers to a revolution in material freedom and radical generosity with the release of the original The Treasure Principle in 2001. Now the revision to the compact, perennial bestseller includes a provocative new concluding chapter depicting God asking a believer questions about his stewardship over material resources. Readers are moved from the realms of thoughtful Bible exposition into the highly personal arena of everyday life. Because when Jesus told His followers to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,” He intended that they discover an astounding secret: how joyful giving brings God maximum glory and His children maximum pleasure. Discover a joy more precious than gold!

Story Behind the Book
After years of writing and teaching on the theme “God owns everything,” in 1990 Randy Alcorn was sued by an abortion clinic (for peaceful, nonviolent intervention for the unborn). Suddenly he had to resign as a pastor and was restricted to making minimum wage. Legally unable to own anything, Randy gave all his book royalties to missions work and need-meeting ministries. He and his family have experienced the reality of The Treasure Principle—that God really does own everything, takes care of us, and graciously puts assets into our hands that we might have the joy and privilege of investing in what will last for eternity.

Author Bio:

Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM). Prior to 1990, when he started EPM, he served as a pastor for fourteen years. He has spoken around the world and has taught on the adjunct faculties of Multnomah Bible College and Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Randy is the best-selling author of twenty-seven books (over three million in print), including the novels Deadline, Dominion, and Deception as well as Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, the Gold Medallion winner Safely Home, and Wait Until Then.

You can find The Treasure Principle at your local Christian bookstore or at www.christianbook.com.

Summary:

Serve God as never before

The first Christians “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6) shaking the gates of hell even in the face of severe persecution. The result: People all around “were filled with wonder and amazement” (Acts 3:10).What can give Christians today the same impact?

God’s Holy Spirit is ready to answer that for us in an awesome way, as Henry Blackaby and his son Mel Blackaby make clear in Experiencing the Spirit. You’ll see how the proof of the Spirit’s presence is our awareness of God’s personal assignments for us, plus our supernatural enablement to carry out those assignments. You’ll find essential clarification on the difference between natural talents and spiritual gifts. You’ll explore the dynamics of being filled with the Spirit through intimate relationship with Him, committed obedience, and radical departure from sin.

Instead of considering what you can do for God with your abilities and talents, you’ll be encouraged here to seek what God wants to do through you supernaturally by His Spirit, empowering you beyond your personal competence and capacities. Release the Holy Spirit’s work at the very core of your experience of the Christian life.

Author Bios:

Dr. Henry Blackaby has devoted his life to the ministry. A multi-faceted talent, he has served as a music director, senior pastor, college president, missionary, and later as an executive in Southern Baptist Convention. Blackaby is the author of more than a dozen books with more than one million copies sold, including the best-selling Experiencing God. As the President of Blackaby Ministries, he is a vibrant speaker and the father of Dr. Melvin Blackaby. Melvin serves as the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Jonesboro in Georgia, where he lives with his wife, Gina, and their three children.

You can get a copy of Experiencing the Spirit at your local Christian Bookstore or at www.christianbook.com.