Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace by: Scott Hahn

Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace:
My Spiritual Journey in Opus Dei
Scott Hahn
Doubleday
ISBN 0385519249

This extraordinary little book is unlike anything else out there about Opus Dei. There are books that both vilify and support or endorse Opus Dei, but this book is about personal journey, the positive, transformative, life-changing effects that being involved with the work has had upon one man's life. Unlike the fictional Da Vinci Code, which portrays Opus Dei as the ultimate evil, or even the supposedly non-fiction books Their Kingdom Come by Robert Hutchinson or Michael Walsh's Opus Dei: An Investigation into the Powerful, Secretive Society Within the Catholic Church, this book is based upon a true story and personal experience.

In this book, Hahn has an openness and transparency about his personal life seldom seen in authors writing about spiritual matters. Hahn opens up areas of his life for us to see; he shares mistakes he has made and how through the guidance of others he has learnt and grown with the help of the spirituality of Opus Dei.

Dr. Hahn opens up the world of Opus Dei, through his coming into contact with a few men who were devout Catholics - men of faith and of the Word that influenced his spiritual growth in many ways. Hahn reveals the spirit/core/intent of Opus Dei in the order that he came to understand it.

In this compact 155-page book, Hahn provides lively and easily- accessible explanations of key aspects of Opus Dei, such as: "divine filiation", the idea that we are sons and daughters of God, the foundation of Opus Dei's spirituality. Also he explains how ordinary work is a way of imitating Jesus and a way to share in God's creation and the redemption of the world. He also explains Opus Dei as a "personal prelature", and how that works, as well as the role of Opus Dei in the Catholic Church. Dr. Hahn also shows the important role of genuine friendship in spreading Christ's message, and how some of those key friendships helped draw him into the Catholic Church, and Opus Dei.

Dr Hahn states: "Opus Dei was someplace where I could feel at home. What were those reasons?

• First and foremost was its members' apparent devotion to the Bible.
• Second was its warm ecumenism. Opus Dei was the first Catholic institution to welcome non-Catholics to cooperate in its apostolic labors.
• Third was how upright the lives of members were.
• Fourth was how ordinary their lives were. They were not theologians - they were dentists, engineers, journalists - but they were talking and living a theology I found attractive.
• Fifth, they espoused a holy ambition - a devout work ethic.
• Sixth, they practiced hospitality and gave their attention generously to my many questions.
• And seventh, they prayed. They made time for intimate prayer every day - true conversation with God. This gave them a serenity I had rarely encountered." p.4, 5

Those were the reasons that Dr. Hahn was attracted to Opus Dei in the beginning.

Dr. Hahn also gives a number of different definitions of what Opus Dei is throughout the book. He states that one of his favorite definitions of what Opus Dei is, came from a prayer card in the 1980's. He states: "Opus Dei is 'a way of sanctification in the daily work and in the fulfillment of the Christian's ordinary duties.' It's not just a method or prayer, or an institution in the Church, or a theological school. It's 'a way' and that way is wide enough to accommodate everyone whose days are filled with honest work - at home with the kids, in a factory or an office, in the mines, or on the farm, or on the battlefield." p.5 One of the latter definitions we are give by Hahn is: "The spiritual life of Opus Dei is rich in devotional customs. I've heard its spirituality described as 'Trinitarian,' 'eucharistic,' 'christocentric,' and ' Marian.' It is all of those things - with a healthy dose of angelology thrown in - and it can be all those things because it boils down to divine filiation, a life of childhood. 'This unity of life built on the presence of God our Father, can and ought to be a daily reality,' in the words of the founder." p.110 Basically he says we are called to be children of God, and if we live that first and foremost the other things will fall into place.

Dr. Hahn states that he did not write this book to hold himself up as a model or to explain the specifics of Opus Dei. What he did was want to share how he has journeyed, and his journey overlaps with so many other believers. In that goal he did an excellent job.

Dr. Scott Hahn is a professor of theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio. He is also an internationally renowned Catholic lecturer and apologist, and author. He has published numerous books including The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth and Lord Have Mercy: The Healing Power of Confession, Understanding Our Father and Letter & Spirit. You may be familiar with many myths and legends surrounding the movement of Opus Dei; this book will give you firsthand insight into how much good the organization can help produce in a person's life.

Even if you do not agree with Dr. Hahn's conclusions, this book will give you fresh insight and true and deeper understanding of a growing movement within the Roman Catholic Church. The book's firsthand perspective, filled with personal stories, is warm, charming and hard to put down once you begin.

(First Published in Imprint 2007-14-23 as 'Personal account shines a positive light on the Opus Dei'.)

Books by Scott Hahn:
A Father Who Keeps His Promises
A Pocket Guide to Saint Paul
A Pocket Guide to the Bible
Angels and Saints: A Biblical Friendship with God's Holy Ones
Answering the New Atheism: Dismantling Dawkins's Case Against God
Catholic for a Reason
Consuming the Word: The New Testament and The Eucharist in the Early Church
Covenant and Communion
Evangelizing Catholics: A Mission Manual for the New Evangelization
First Comes Love: Finding Your Family in the Church and the Trinity
Hail, Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God

Holy Is His Name
Hope for Hard Times
Joy to the World: How Christ's Coming Changed Everything and Still Does
Kinship by Covenant: A Canonical Approach to the Fulfillment of God's Saving Promises
Letter and Spirit : From Written Text to Living Word in the Liturgy
Living the Mysteries - A Guide for Unfinished Christians
Lord Have Mercy: The Healing Power of Confession
Many Are Called: Rediscovering the Glory of the Priesthood
Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace
Politicizing the Bible: The Roots of Historical Criticism and the Secularization of Scripture 1300-1700
Reasons to Believe: How to Understand, Explain, and Defend the Catholic Faith
Rome Sweet Home
Scripture Matters
Signs of Life: 40 Catholic Customs and Their Biblical Roots
Swear to God : The Promise and Power of the Sacraments
The Creed: Professing the Faith Through the Ages
The Fourth Cup
The First Society
The Kingdom of God As Liturgical Empire
The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth
Understanding "Our Father"

Mary Mother of All

Breaking the Bread: A Biblical Devotional for Catholics Year B

Breaking the Bread: A Biblical Devotional for Catholics Year C

Breaking the Bread: A Biblical Devotional for Catholics Year A

...

Other Reviews of Hahn's Books.

Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace: My Spiritual Journey in Opus Dei
Letter and Spirit (Version 1)
Letter and Spirit (Version 2)
Understanding “OUR FATHER”: Biblical Reflections on the Lord’s Prayer

Lent Preparation 2007

As I prepare for lent to begin next week I am reflection back on the last year. Though there were many setbacks physically with my injury, over all it was a very great year. We were blessed with a healthy baby girl. I read over 200 books and reviewed a good number of them. I published in a few new publications. And other than my shoulder I am in excellent health for someone in their mid 30's.

Last year at the beginning of lent I wrote an article about Lenten Readings and during lent I wrote two articles on the devotion of the Way of the Cross or the Stations of the Cross here Way of the cross Part 1 and here Way of the Cross Part 2 I am also making a silent retreat this year during lent and am looking forward to the time away for reflection, meditation and reading.
My reading plan for this lent in no particular order is:

Time for God:
A Guide to Prayer
Jacques Philippe
Pauline Books & Media
ISBN 0819874132

Mary's Way of the Cross:
Walking with the Mother of Jesus
Irma Pfeifer
Translated M. Jean Frisk
Pauline Book & Media
ISBN 0819848387

In the School of the Holy Spirit
Jacques Philippe
Scepter
ISBN 9781594170539

A Way of the Cross for Mother
J. Katherine Reilly
Paulist Press
ISBN 9780809152230
Interior Freedom
Jacques Philippe
Scepter
ISBN 9781594170522

Journey To Easter
Spiritual Reflections for the Lenten Season
Pope Benedict XVI
Crossroad
ISBN 0824523822

I will also be using the different 'Way's of the Cross' that I used last year. One of the reasons I use so many versions of the Way of the Cross is that I find as I read books over and over that they become too familiar and I loose focus, by switching it up I keep the devotion and focus more clearly.

If you know of any other good versions of this devotion post a comment here I would like to know what tools you use to help in your journey to Easter.

Catholic Blog Awards 2007 Winners & Runner-Up's

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees! You can check out the complete list here with vote totals.

Best Apologetic Blog: Jimmy Akin
Runner-Up: The Cafeteria is Closed

Best Blog by Clergy/Religious/Seminarian: What Does Prayer Really Say?
Runner-Up: Pontifications

Best Designed Catholic Blog: The New Liturgical Movement
Runner-Up: Open Book

Best Group Blog: The Shrine of the Holy Whapping
Runner-Up: The New Liturgical Movement

Best Individual Blog: Open Book
Runner-Up: The Cafeteria is Closed

Best Insider News Catholic Blog: Whispers in the Loggia
Runner-Up: Open Book

Best New Catholic Blog: Rorate Caeli
Runner-Up: Cardinal Sean's Blog

Best Overall Catholic Blog: Open Book
Runner-Up: Jimmy Akin

Best Political/Social Commentary: The Anchoress
Runner-Up: Catholic and Enjoying It

Best Written Catholic Blog: Open Book
Runner-Up: Daily Danielle

Funniest Catholic Blog: The Curt Jester
Runner-Up: Daily Danielle

Most Spiritual Blog: Pontifications
Runner-Up: The New Liturgical Movement

Smartest Catholic Blog: Jimmy Akin
Runner-Up: Pontifications

This is a follow up to this post.

Hat tip to "Some Have Hats", I scammed the list from her rather than recreating it myself.

The Fulfillment of all Desire by: Ralph Martin

The Fulfillment of all Desire:
A Guidebook for the Journey
to God Based on the Wisdom
of the Saints
Ralph Martin
ISBN 1931018367
Emmaus Road Publishing

The subtitle of this book is A Guidebook for the Journey to God Based on the Wisdom of the Saints. Ralph Martin, a leader within the renewal movement, has taught on this subject in many different settings and in many different ways. In this book he examines seven of the 33 Doctors of the church and how their writings contribute to the understanding of a spiritual journey. These studies are done through the three stages of spiritual growth.

Those three stages are: the purgative way, the illuminative way, and the unitive way. These are also the three major sections in this book. Yet throughout, he draws heavily upon our seven Doctors: Catherine of Siena, Bernard of Clairvaux, Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Augustine, St. Francis De Sales, and St. Therese of Lisieux. This book is at least a third quotations, which takes us back to the source documents and draws out the spirituality of these saints to help us grow in our own lives.

The strength of this work is its accessible language; it is well written and opens up topics and authors that are not always approachable. Martin takes us on a journey through the saints and through our own spiritual lives. This book can be a roadmap that you use for spiritual growth, renewal, and to enrich your life - and through that the lives of those around you. Martin states: "What really holds us back from a wholehearted response to the call of Jesus, of Vatican II, of the repeated urgings of the Spirit, is not really the external circumstances of our lives, but the interior sluggishness of our hearts. We need to be clear that there will never be a better time or a better set of circumstances than now to respond wholeheartedly to the call to holiness. Who knows how much longer we'll be alive on this earth? We don't know how long we'll live or what the future holds. Now is the acceptable time. The very things we think are obstacles are the very means God is giving us to draw us to depend more deeply on Him." p.7 This book is designed to help overcome that internal sluggishness.

Martin then uses the three stages to examine the spiritual journey deeper into God. "Various attempts to classify the stages of spiritual growth have been made over the centuries. The predominant classification, used by a number of the Doctors we are drawing from and many other writers as well, is the three-stage division of purgative, illuminative, and unitive." p.11 Martin outlines how each stage has a number of characteristics and how the saints can help us move through each stage as we grow closer to God.

The drawback of this book is that if you have struggled with the original writings of these saints, there are so many quotes you will feel like you are reading them again. The strength is that Martin brings years of experience teaching and trying to learn from the saints and live out what he has learned. He will open them up to you in new and exciting ways.

This book will be a great pick for many reasons - first if you want to grow deeper in your spiritual life, second if you want to understand some of the Doctors of the church more, and finally if you have struggled with some of the mystics, this book will help you understand them more. This book will be a great addition to any Catholic library.

A differrent review of this book was published in The National Catholic Register January 14th 2007 as 'The Doctors Will See You'.

Blegging for Help

I could use some help. I have been off work for over a year and a half with an injury, I had surgery this October and things are progressing well. I should be able to return to work sometime after May 14th when I see the surgeon next The most I can currently lift is 5lbs at work and no work at shoulder height or above. I make some extra money doing website for non-for profits http://wyd2008.ca/ or http://cedarcrestretreats.ca/ or http://tctf.ca/ It helps out a lot especially with a 5 month old baby. My 7 year old laptop is dieing and we have no money to replace it. An author I know posted this 'HELP! Catholic blogger needs new laptop' 2 weeks ago and I posted this response 'Thank You' my computer is the only way to earn income currently. I have published Catholic book reviews in the National Catholic Register and St. Anthony's Messenger, and other book reviews for my local paper and the university paper. I desperately need a new computer and need your help to make it happen. As someone with dyslexia I never dreamed of writing let alone getting paid for it, and now with the possibility of not having the tools to do it, I can not imagine not writing. With the dyslexia the computer helps so much with the writing and editing process.

I have had an opportunity to buy a new computer for about 1/2 of what it is worth. But I have to make a commitment by Monday. Please be help. I need to come up with the money ASAP. I am blegging to your help. I have decided to go with a desktop, I no longer need the portability I once did with a laptop, and you get so much more computing power from a desktop than a laptop. Also a desktop when a component fails you can replace the component, not the whole thing. So if you can please drop a few coins in the internet tip jar, my paypal donate button is on the sidebar.

"The only reason for being a professional writer is that you can't help it."

- Leo Rosten

Surprised at Nominations

Well, I can only say I am completely surprised by my nomination for a CBA (Catholic Blog Award) For one my two blogs are nearly mirrors of each other. Everything on McEvoy's Musings (MM) also appears on Book Reviews and More (BRAM), BRAM just has more content as it has my general fictions, news articles, features stories and more). Yes I was asked by some readers to separate them out, as they were only interested in the Catholic and Christian content. So I obliged last year and created what I considered a sub-blog(being that it was only part of the content of the parent blog, and I chose to keep it image free, I put all cover art with reviews on BRAM.) Yet here I am nominated in 5 Catagories for MM and 2 for BRAM and one of them overlaps.

Book Reviews and More
http://bookreviewsandmore.ca/
Smartest Catholic Blog | Best Written Catholic Blog

McEvoy's Musings
http://mcevoysmusings.blogspot.com/
Most Spiritual Blog | Best Written Catholic Blog | Best New Catholic Blog | Best Individual Catholic Blog

I really do not think I qualify in some of the categories, but I appreciate the reader's vote of confidence. So all I can say is a Big Thank You!

I went and voted today and I encourage you to do so also. (One of the best things about voting is you are exposed to some many great blogs, many of them I had not come across before.)

(This post is in part a follow up to this post.)

Catholic Blog Awards: My Nominations

This is a followup to this post.

This was no easy task. It was really hard to find some for some catagories, and for others it was really hard to pick just one. Yet these are the one's I nominated my favorite blogs in the following categories:

1. Best Overall Catholic Blog - Michael Dubruiel
2. Best Designed Catholic Blog - Catholicism Holiness and Spirituality
3. Best Written Catholic Blog - Video meliora, proboque; Deteriora sequor
4. Best New Catholic Blog - Thursday Night Gumbo
5. Best Individual Catholic Blog - Some Have Hats
6. Best Group Blog - Amateur Catholic - The B-Team
7. Best Blog by Clergy/Religious/Seminarian - Cardinal Sean's Blog
8. Funniest Catholic Blog - The Shrine of the Holy Whapping
9. Smartest Catholic Blog - Irish Catholic and Dangerous
10. Most Informative & Insightful Catholic Blog - Open Book
11. Best Apologetic Blog - Godzdogz - The English Dominican Studentate
12. Best Political/Social Commentary Catholic Blog - Relapsed Catholic
13. Best Insider News Catholic Blog - Open Book
14. Most Spiritual Blog - Real Life Rosary

Then there are finalists, and winners....

You could start now, and the nominating process is completed by Feb 9th, Noon CST. This award contest is sponsored and carried out by CyberCatholics.com.

There are lots of talented writers out there; why don't you poke around the blogrolls, do some reading, and give some a nomination? This seems like a nice way to give them some appreciation.

It was really hard picking.

(Hat tip to Ironic Catholic and half of St. Blogs Parish.)

Booked by 3 Meme

From Shelly's Book Shelf

1. Have you read (up to 3) authors recently you want to read more by?

• Federico Suarez
• Tim Drake
• Tom Holt
• Christopher Moore
• Ron Hansen
• Francis Fernandez

2. Have you read authors (up to 3) recently that if you never see another book by them, it will be too soon?

• Robert Hutchison
• K.A. Bedford
• Joe Haldeman

3. Are there any authors (up to 3) you wish would write more books? (I am breaking this into 2 catagories, those dead and alive, the dead one's it's not likely we will get anymore from, but I wish.)

Dead

• C.S. Lewis
• J.F. Powers
• Robert A. Heinlien
• Alfred Bester

Living

• Kathy Shaidle
• Steven Brust
• Scott Hahn
• Lois Lowry
• Madeleine L'Engle
• James Bryon Huggins
• Noah benShea

Play if you want to join the booked by 3 Meme.

Please use the comments to play or leave a link to your blog if you play there. And the "up to 3" is to keep to the Booked by 3 name theme. If you have more, then list 'em.

Thank You.

Greetings Friend:

I have been overwhelmed by an author's kindness. last year when I reviewed one of her books and wrote an Author profile of her we started emailing. She knows I have been off work for 18 months with a torn rotator cuff, and that has given me so much extra time for reading and writing. She recently asked how tings were progressing. I told her that things had become very tight and that recently the surgeon last week gave me 4 more months off work, but that drastically reduces our income. I also shared that my laptop had crashed 3 times this week and with it's age was soon going to die. I shared this with her and this is what she posted on her blog http://relapsedcatholic.com I am sitting here in awe and overwhelmed. She made the first donation and some others have come in, and traffic on my sites tripled in the last 24 hours. I want to thank you all.

Andrea and I are sitting here in shock and awe.

My Author Profile of Kathy Shaidle.
My review of God Rides a Yamaha.
Trends: Femal Authors.
Top 3 Book of 2006.

I highly reccommend all of Kathy's books. I have read each of them more than once, and lend them out all the time.

I wish also to thak all the publishers who have picked up my reviews and given a lad with dyslexia a chance. I have published 70 reviews in the last 24 months in 6 different publications.

And for all of you who have gone and voted for my reviews on Amazon thank you once again. I am the #1 Review on Amazon.ca and some where in the 300's on Amazon.com.

For all the notes of encouragement words will nevr be enough, but accept our thanks.

Peace and Strength!
Yours, learning to be
Steven R. McEvoy

http://mcevoysmusings.ca My Homepage
http://bookreviewsandmore.ca My Complete Blog
http://mcevoysmusingsblog.ca The Catholic and Christian Reviews

"The only reason for being a professional writer is that you can't help it."

Leo Rosten

Author Ron Hansen Ordained As Deacon

English professor Ron Hansen ordained as deacon - News

If you haven't heard of him, Ron Hansen is a very overt Catholic novelist. I firest encountered him in his book Mariette In Ecstasy which I had to read for a course with Michael W. Higgins back my first term here in school in Spring of '98. It is an excellent retelling of the life of St. Terese de Lisieux. It is amazing, and unlike most of his other stories is not in some way a wastern. All that I have read of his writings is excellent.

(Hat Tip to Thursday Night Gumbo.)

Catholic Blog Awards

If you're new to the Catholic blogosphere, there are yearly Catholic Blog Awards. To be candid, I'm not sure exactly how this works, since I started the blog in March 2006! But apparently you nominate your favorite blogs in the following categories:

1. Best Overall Catholic Blog
2. Best Designed Catholic Blog
3. Best Written Catholic Blog
4. Best New Catholic Blog
5. Best Individual Catholic Blog
6. Best Group Blog
7. Best Blog by Clergy/Religious/Seminarian
8. Funniest Catholic Blog
9. Smartest Catholic Blog
10. Most Informative & Insightful Catholic Blog
11. Best Apologetic Blog
12. Best Political/Social Commentary Catholic Blog
13. Best Insider News Catholic Blog
14. Most Spiritual Blog

Then there are finalists, and winners....

You could start nominating this Feb 4th, Noon CST, and the nominating process is completed by Feb 9th, Noon CST. This award contest is sponsored and carried out by CyberCatholics.com.

There are lots of talented writers out there; why don't you poke around the blogrolls, do some reading, and give some a nomination? This seems like a nice way to give them some appreciation.

(Hat tip to Ironic Catholic and half of St. Blogs Parish.)

Waking the Dead by: John Eldredge

Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive
John Eldredge
Thomas Nelson
ISBN 0785265538

This book begins with a quote from Saint Irenaeus: "The Glory of God is Man Fully Alive." And that is really the key message of this book. God wants us to be fully alive - to live from our renewed hearts, to live from his plan for our lives. Eldredge always impresses me by the breadth and variety of sources he quotes to support his arguments and prove his points. He draws from the writings of the saints, church fathers, and from much material throughout Christian traditions. These varied sources help make the book appealing to a wider audience. Eldredge draws from such authors as: G.K. Chesterton, A.W. Tozer, William Gurnall, George Herbert, George MacDonald and many more.

The Chapters in this volume are:

Part 1: Seeing Our Way Clearly

1. Arm Yourself
2. The Eyes of the Heart
3. The Heart of all Things

Part 2: The Ransomed Heart

4. Ransomed And restored
5. The Glory Hidden in Your Heart

Part 3: The Four Streams

6. Walking with God
7. Receiving God's Intimate Counsel
8. Deep Restoration
9. Spiritual Warfare: Fighting for Your Heart
10. Setting Hearts Free: Integrating the Four Streams

Part 4: The Way of The Heart

11. Fellowships of the Heart
12. Like the Treasures of the Kingdom

I wore out a paperback edition of this book and now have the hard cover. I have read it at least 5 times and every time I read it I get more out of it.

Near the beginning, Eldredge, states: "There are few things more crucial to us than our own lives. And there are few things we are less clear about." p.1, then he goes on to say, "We're not fully convinced that God's offer to us is life. We have forgotten that the heart is central. And we had no idea that we were born into a world at war." p.2 The book only gets better from there.

Eldredge takes us on a tour through our life as it is, and as it could be with Jesus as both our Lord and Savior, with Jesus as our friend. The book will take you through your past to see your heart and how it got the way it is, and how to heal it and move forward and grow in Christ.

This book is an excellent read, and the Guidebook will only help you get more out of it. Eldredge declares: "Friends, we are now in the midst of an epic battle, a brutal and vicious war against an Enemy who knows his time is short. Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not." p.181. After reading this book, I spent months praying a new Jesus Prayer: 'Lord Jesus Christ, bring me fully alive, Lord Jesus Christ, restore me to glory!' It has transformed how I see the world. There are still times when I do not catch on right away that something is spiritual warfare, but I do so quicker and pray more for my family, my friends and myself. This book really deepened and widened my prayer life.

Eldredge ends this book with a sample chapter of his earlier book Journey of Desire, and much like Celtic spirituality, his writings seem to be taking a cyclical nature. Wild at Heart shows us what a Man's heart can be, Waking the Dead shows us how to come fully alive and live in community, and leads back to Journey of Desire. Now that we have learned to live in this battle we need to know what our heart really desires.

Many people do not like Eldredge's writings; he is accused of open theology, and of not being Christian and many other things. Yet from my reading of his writings and knowing many of the sources he draws from, I would disagree, and say, give his words a try. You can find the gem in any book even if you don't agree with it all. And I say there are more gems in Eldredge's writings than chaff.

Review of Waking the Dead
Review of A Guidebook to Waking the Dead

Waking the Dead: Guidebook by: John Eldredge

Waking the Dead: Guidebook
John Eldredge
Thomas Nelson
ISBN 0785263098

This book is co-written with Craig McConnell. It is a good book that will help you take Waking the Dead to a whole new level. It follows the book chapter by chapter and is in a nice easy format to use. Each chapter begins and ends with a check on 'Where is your heart now?' Kind of checking in on where you are. When I worked through this with my buddy Pastor Bob, this was our check in where we were. While working through this, we both went through hard times; I lost a job I loved and his wife was let go and spent a long time off of work, right after they bought a new house. This book helped us process those events and many others in our presents and our pasts.

This workbook has fewer subsections than the Wild At Heart Field Manual, The areas are the:

• Heart Monitor
• A First Reaction
• The Big Ideas

It used pillows/clouds for Big Ideas to outline where the chapter will go and then has sections for each. To Clarify goes deeper than the book on specific points or outlines them in a deeper level.

As a workbook there is lots of space for answers, even going back and writing answers again and again, each time you work through it. Bob liked a new feature and I did not, for some of the tougher questions have examples from members of the Ransomed Heart team. Bob liked those because they gave you more food-for-thought when you were unsure how to answer. I found them annoying because I often took the question a different direction they did, and if I read them first, it often limited how I perceived the questions.

Overall this book is an excellent resource for working with the book Waking the Dead and for growing into a deeper understanding of your life in Christ.


Review of Waking the Dead
Review of A Guidebook to Waking the Dead

How well do you know the Bible Quiz:

(Got this from the Curt Jester)

You know the Bible 100%!


Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

(But to be Honest I had to guess on 1 question with out looking. David's Grandmother was guess I had narrowed it to 2)

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes
Posted By Kathy

(I guess reading the Bible through at least once a year for over a decade now has finally paid off. This photo is some of my bibles and I have read each translation here, I try and switch each year which translation I read so that it does not become too familiar.)