Spiritual Fiction Books - A Review of "Crow Lake"

Crow Lake" by Mary Lawson is a #1 National Bestseller in Canada, and is also popular in seventeen other countries. I love it when someone recommends a book to me and it turns out to be somewhat spiritual and very enjoyable and easy to read. Although most wouldn't term this book as spiritual, there is an important lesson to be learned in that life doesn't always turn out the way that you plan. Tragedies and unforeseen twists ALWAYS present themselves in our lives. Mary Lawson tells the story of a family that originates in a remote Northern Ontario town, however it could have taken place in virtually any remote town anywhere.

When the main character, Kate Morrison, is only 7 years old, her parents are killed in a car accident. This leaves her, her 1 1/2 year old younger sister Bo, and her two older brothers, Luke who is 19 and Matt who is 17, on their own. Initially plans are made to allow Luke to attend university as planned prior to their parents' death, Matt to be sent to a relative in Eastern Canada and Kate and Bo to another relative. Although this isn't the ideal situation, with financial constraints and none of their relatives able to care for all four of them, this appears to be their only alternative.

As with any decision affecting an entire family, and especially one that is being forced on them fairly quickly, Matt and Luke decide that they will raise Kate and Bo. Luke forgoes his education to find whatever work that he can, and Matt works after school and weekends to provide as much income as possible. On top of their work responsibilities they also manage to look after Kate and Bo as best they can. Needless to say this situation is less than ideal, and the subsequent choices that they have to make and the events that follow provide a very real, believable tale that could happen to any family.

As the story unfolds, several things happen that manage to make the young Morrisons' lives interesting to say the least. Every time they seem to get things worked out, life jumps in and forces them to adjust and move on. Their lives are by no means easy, and as Kate grows older, she eventually moves away from Crow Lake to the "big city", leaving her siblings behind. Ms. Lawson uses this perspective of Kate's in the present day, telling the story of her life while dealing with the reality of a planned trip back to Crow Lake as an adult. Some of the plot twists are predictable, but no more so than if this had been a true story, and it certainly could be.

The family tensions, disagreements, conflicts and dynamics are presented very truthfully and are easily identifiable to anyone who has had a family member and experienced a crisis of any sort. There is an incredible sense of community portrayed, and the small town aspect of life is showcased through the incredible amount of support that the Morrison children receive. Although technically left on their own, their neighbours are constantly looking out for them, and help always seems to show up when they need it. Their initial plans come no where near to how they thought they would turn out, but that happens to most of us if we are really honest about it.

I really enjoyed this book. It is a little different than the spiritual fiction books I normally read, however I would recommend it to anyone who likes to read a book just for the sake of a good story. You can immerse yourself in the circumstances, choices and lessons that are to be learned, yet you can also read it simply to enjoy a good book. I chose to look at it from both perspectives and I was not disappointed. Although the author currently lives in England, she was born and raised in Canada and has done a great job with this novel. I hope that you will enjoy it as well.

Laughter and love,
Rick Fess

"Crow Lake" Mary Lawson
Vintage Canada/Random House of Canada http://www.NewFaceofFiction.com

And if you would like to know more about me and my upcoming book "Is There More?", please visit http://www.spiritualfictionbooks.com/ to access my weekly blog. I regularly review books on spirituality and self-improvement, particularly spiritual fiction books. You can also contact me through the website if you have any questions or comments. Thank you for your interest.

Laughter and love,
Rick Fess

http://EzineArticles.com/6413740

Do You Believe That Heaven Is for Real? - A Spiritual Book Review

Is Heaven For Real? The title of this book is a statement. The first sentence of my review is a question, and I will explain why. I try to focus on spiritual fiction books, however I seem to be drawn to books that give definitive answers on religious and heavenly subjects that are almost impossible to prove. I understand and accept that people are entitled to their opinion and to tell their story. The difficulty arises when there seem to be so many stories and opinions holding themselves out as the truth. "Heaven is for Real" is quite similar to the books "The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven" and "My Time In Heaven". I would ask that you read and decide for yourself.

"Heaven is for Real" is the #1 New York Times Bestseller telling the story of Colton Burpo, a young boy who suffered a burst appendix which was undiagnosed for several days. Once he was diagnosed, he was rushed into emergency surgery and fortunately was operated on successfully. It was while under anesthesia that Colton experienced many miraculous incidences and saw several things that would ultimately convince him, his parents and others that "Heaven is for Real".

A few months after his surgery, Colton reveals to his parents out of the blue that while he was in the hospital having his surgery "That's where the angels sang to me". They had not coached him or asked him any specific questions about the surgery itself, they had simply asked him if he remembered the hospital. To their credit, they do not push the issue, and let it go for the time being until they can discuss it without Colton present.

Without trying to pressure Colton to reveal too much from their questions, his parents Todd and Sonja broach the subject of Colton's experiences slowly. They have first-hand knowledge of what Colton has been taught about The Bible, and the things that he tells them are amazingly similar to what is in The Bible. As they progress, he tells them about sitting in the lap of Jesus, notices the "markers" (nail marks) on his hands, seeing angels, meeting John the Baptist and describing how each were clothed. Towards the end of the book, he also indicates what Jesus looks like from a drawing that was done by another girl who had had a similar experience. This girl was older and an excellent artist - she was able to draw an amazing portrait which Colton pointed out as a picture of the Jesus he met.

I am compelled to inform you that Colton's father is a pastor with extensive knowledge of The Bible. He can (and does) relate every experience told to him by Colton to a passage in The Bible. These are quoted throughout the book, yet he is adamant that there is no way Colton could have known how to describe these things. There are other things Colton explains that happened in the hospital away from where he was having surgery while he was under anesthetic. Unless these were related to him after the fact, there was no way he could have known of these things. One involving his father was intensely personal and private, and I can't imagine that his father had told anyone else. The details are related to you in the book, with no other explanation other than that "Heaven is for Real".

I would recommend that you read "Heaven is for Real" and I would particularly recommend that you compare it to the two other books mentioned above or to others that are similar. I don't profess to have ever met anyone personally who has been to heaven and back, however there seem to be quite a few books being written about the experience. Whether or not Colton Burpo's experience was real or not is probably known only for certain to him and those he met in Heaven. In my opinion, something happened that made a small boy survive under circumstances where his chances were very slim. I wish Colton all the best, and hope that the next time he meets Jesus, "Heaven IS for Real".

"Heaven is for Real"
Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent

Thomas Nelson
http://www.thomasnelson.com

And if you would like to know more about me and my upcoming book "Is There More?", please visit http://www.spiritualfictionbooks.com/ to access my weekly blog. I regularly review books on spirituality and self-improvement, particularly spiritual fiction books. You can also contact me through the website if you have any questions or comments. Thank you for your interest.

Laughter and love,
Rick Fess

http://EzineArticles.com/6396258

"The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" - Spiritual Fiction

Since I mentioned Robin Sharma and "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" in my latest video, people have asked me about his book. It was one of the first books that I read and recognized as spiritual fiction. The subtitle of this book is "a fable about fulfilling your dreams and reaching your destiny," and it truly is a fable and totally fictional. Initially when I read it I thought it was a true story until some of the things that happened to the lawyer Julian just seemed impossible to believe. I was really in the infancy of my spirituality at the time, however this story did get me hooked.

This fable is about a very successful lawyer named Julian Mantle who is stricken by a massive heart attack in the middle of a packed courtroom. One of his proteges, John, is there to witness the big man crumple to the ground, and the story progresses from there. The author provides you with a detailed background of the circumstances leading up to Julian's heart attack, and you are then fast-forwarded to Julian's return after several years of being away from the rat race.

Not only does Julian survive the heart attack, he quits the law firm, sells all of his possessions (including his red Ferrarai) and travels to India on an "expedition" to become a monk. This explains the title of the book. When he returns he visits John and meets with him several times to explain his "transformation" and to explain the lessons that he has learned.

When Julian returns, he is virtually unrecognizable to John. He is lean, tanned and calm. In fact the only evidence left of the man that he once was is a scar on his chest from the surgery he had as a result of his heart attack. Over the course of several meetings, Julian explains how he was transformed by a meeting with the "Sages of Sivanna". These "Sages" teach Julian many things and show him that life is much more than material wealth and possessions.

This is a spiritual fiction book and I have found it very easy to read and to keep interested in (I have read it four times). One of the things that I found unique (for it's time) was that it also includes an "Action Summary" and "Julian's Wisdom In a Nutshell" at the end of every chapter that has provided you with one of the "7 Timeless Virtues of Enlightened Living". Many books today include a reader's study guide or group discussion outlines, however this was one of the first books I had encountered that did this in a fiction book.

Written in 1997, this book is just as relevant today as it was then. With all the hype about "The Secret" and the fiction book "The Shack", Mr. Sharma brought all of the lessons that they have been teaching into his book at least ten years before they became popular. I would recommend that you read this book, particularly if you have read similar books and you will see that learning life lessons can be enjoyable when combined with an interesting story. I also recommend "Life Lessons From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" and I deem it essential to own and KEEP "Who Will Cry When You Die", both by Robin Sharma. His latest book "The Leader Who Had No title" has a good message, however I was put off by the poor editing.

Please contact me if you have any questions or comments - I would love to hear from you.

Laughter and love,
Rick Fess

"The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" Robin S. Sharma

Harper Collins and HarperSanFrancisco http://www.harpercollins.com/

And if you would like to know more about me and my upcoming book "Is There More?", please visit http://www.spiritualfictionbooks.com/ to access my weekly blog. I regularly review books on spirituality and self-improvement, particularly spiritual fiction books. You can also contact me through the website if you have any questions or comments. Thank you for your interest.

Laughter and love,
Rick Fess

http://EzineArticles.com/6468986

The World of Natural and Spiritual Fruits

"The Holy Bible" is a binding of 66 small booklets in it. They are not like a stitched clothe, in which 66 pieces of cloth are stitched together to form clothe. Bible is like a knitted clothe without joint patches in it. 66 booklets are written by many authors, in different places, in different periods, yet Biblical words and verses are amazingly inter-linked to each other, to explain the details of all subjects, uniformity of God's plans and purposes, secretes and truths of times and many more things!

I think, therefore, Jesus always wore knitted Gown to indicate symbolically, the words of true living God of creation called "The Bible" (While crucifying, Jesus' gown was given by lots). Therefore "The Holy Bible" is amazingly unique book.

Only reading Bible is like a boat trip in a sea. You can enjoy only surface views around that sea, no doubt! Areal view over the same sea will show few more, additional details. General Bible survey is like that. But if you want to see the unseen views of the same sea, then you dive deep in that sea and enjoy hidden views in the bottom of the sea as well. It is harder, but can be beneficial; you may find a pearl, hidden in some shell there! Pearls are not found on the surface or in the air. They are always in depths. Bible study with reference Bible is like a deep diving, where the pearls of Biblical truths are hidden.

Human life is full of joys and sorrows. We become happy when things go right for us and become sad if they go wrong. If we compare moments of joys against sorrows, then we find the moments of sorrows are many more than the moments of joys; in every individual's life. Sorrows can be in, big, bigger and biggest extents. It is only disaster, which make many people's lives sorrowful, at a time. Disasters strike in great, greater and greatest extents, every now and then and make human lives miserable on this planet. There are:- (A) Man made Disasters (B) Natural Calamities (C) Supernatural / from God / Biblical Judgments. Which is the greatest disaster in human history, occurred on the earth, so far? May occur in the future?

(A) Man made Disasters: - Arms and ammunition? 1st & 2nd world wars together? World war 3rd? Star wars?

(B) Natural Calamities: - Hurricanes? Worst Tsunami? Biggest earth quakes? Volcano eruptions? A fall of huge asteroid on earth? A fall of some planet or a fall of some star on the earth?

(C) Biblical Judgments: - Destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah? Noah's flood? Murder of Son of God, Jesus Christ, on the cross by human beings? All end time disasters put together? First think over all above questions again. Then prepare your own answer. Then only read an answer bellow Answer: - I think, none of the "YES" answers given, for any question above is correct! Are you surprised? From my Biblical point of view, a very simple act of eating forbidden fruit by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is "The only greatest disaster, ever occurred in the history of mankind". I believe it is the only root cause of every sin/sorrow/calamity which struck/strike earth in any period - past / present / future. If I add together all above disasters, calculate their total impact, yet the same root cause pops up; at its base. In my personal Bible study, I found word "Fruit" is one of the most important Bible words in human lives. In my last article "Purpose of Human Creation on Earth" I have written following extra ordinary purposes of natural fruits in the Garden of Eden, when humans were created in imperishable earthen bodies by God.

(1) The only human food. Adam & Eve were nourished on varieties of fruits. In The Garden of Eden. Their main work was - They were gardeners in Eden. "Fruits" gave them job and food too!

(2) The fruits of the knowledge of good and evil, were never created for humans (Gen.2:17, 3:3) they were created only for Satan and his fallen angels. The fruits were like arms for humans in the war with Satan and his angels, while protecting earth from Satanic attacks.

(3) The fruits of life were for well beings of humans (Gen 2: 9, 16, Ezk. 47:12, Rev. 2:7, 22:2). Even during the wars with satanic forces, the fruits were like shields or medical cover for humans. After eating forbidden fruit human bodies became weak and perishable by death. God drove them out of Eden Garden and guarded the tree of fruits of life God did not want weak and perishable human's bodies to eat those fruits and live in that form for ever. Now God wanted them to die, dissolve in clay (Gen.3:22 - 24). A strange story is written in (Gen. 6:14). How come sons of God i.e. angels could marry; fallen human's daughters; on earth, without God's permission? But fallen angels under Lucifer's advice can certainly do so. (Fallen angels were sons of God too! example - The prodigal son, even after his fall is also called son only).

After deceiving humans, Satan acquired partial possession of earth. Due to God given blessings, fast increasing human population became the hindrance for Satan in taking full possession of earth. Though solution above looked clever; on the hindrance, but the main problem was even greater, read (Matt.22: 23-30), verse 30 clearly tells angels cannot marry. There is no record of sex, of heavenly beings, in the Bible.

Celestial bodies of heavenly beings are imperishable and without sexes, they are only creations they do not reproduce like creatures on earth. Even God in heaven has son Jesus, without any Goddess being in heaven. Bible explains God himself gave birth to his son Jesus (Psm.2:7, John 3:16, Heb.5:5). How come? Read (John 1:1), Jesus was God's word. The word was inside God. God spoke my mouth. Jesus came out. Thus Jesus was born in heaven. By some amazing ways; similar to this; God's power worked wonders, in the creations of heavenly beings. Even on earth, cubs of lions (and all cat families) are born through mouths only!

But when same Jesus had to take birth on earth in human form, God chose righteous virgin Marry for Jesus' birth. Marry conceived Jesus directly in her womb by the power of Holy Spirit. There was no any sexual union of Joseph and Marry till Jesus' birth. Joseph and Marry gave birth to their other children by usual human sexual union, excluding Jesus. Why? Jesus was the son of God,God; who is Holy of holy. Therefore, only Jesus was sent on earth from heaven to save sinful mankind. In Jesus' humanly life-time every aspect of holiness to fulfill was mandatory, for the sinful humans' salvation.

Bible describes Jesus as a bridegroom and the church as his bride. After the rapture, their marriage is to take place in heaven and honeymoon too (spiritual union), description of Church resurrected in imperishable body (Eve) for the spiritual unity with Jesus (Adam 2nd). Not for any sexual relationship. Read better proof in (Matt.22:23to30), Jesus personally answered in verse 30; no sexual relationships are there in heaven.

So Lucifer, under his authority must have chosen; some of his fallen angels; for his above mission. He made them to change their imperishable celestial bodies into perishable celestial bodies by eating the fruits of forbidden tree. Remember, only three of fruits of life were guarded in The Garden of Eden. But the tree of forbidden fruits was kept free, open and without guards. Only after such major change, selected fallen angels were able to marry fallen human's daughters to reproduce Children who became like giants, like super humans, due to the blood combination of perishable earthly bodies now with perishable celestial bodies. This was against God's plan for his foot stool i.e. EARTH.

God wanted only humans, though in perishable earthen bodies; to rule the earth, not giants! No; any human hybrids with angels or earthly creatures. Lucifer must have tried the same and similar experiments on many creatures on earth. Therefore, at last, God had to destroy the whole world by flood.

Only God fearing Noah family's blood remained pure and safe from above contamination. Therefore, God saved them and also pure pairs of all creatures. Noah's flood was also a first purification of the world. It is called symbolic Baptism of water (1 Pet.3:20-21) - made for the Second or New creation on the earth.

By above story (explanation) I proved again that, eating of forbidden fruits became the root cause of whole world's destruction in the Bible, once upon a time! Some extra ordinary natural fruits, outside The Garden of Eden.

(4) Mandrake Fruits: - * A story of Mandrake fruits is enclosed in it (Gen.30: 14 to 24). (It is given in the form of a table at the end of this article for your quick reference) (5) Biblical Fruits means Children too!-

(a) In some Bible translations children are also termed as "fruits of womb" (Gen.1:22, 9:1, 30:2, 35:11, Ex.1:7). They come out of their mothers' wombs, like fruits emerge from trees. As per this aspect Jesus was born of God, so God was a mother of Jesus but Jesus always called God "The father" why? We have seen that there are no sexes in heaven therefore while identifying heavenly beings like God, Jesus, Angels, 24 elders in heaven etc. God used only a single masculine gender in the Biblical grammar. No use of feminine gender at all. But same Jesus was born on earth as a male child to replace fallen Adam therefore, he is called second Adam. On earth Jesus became physically "fruit of woman's womb" (with respect to God created laws for earth).On earth Jesus was physically with his earthly parents but spiritually Jesus was connected only to his heavenly father for most of the time. In (Mark 3: 33-35) Jesus indicated it clearly. These verses also show Jesus' spiritual relationships with human individuals (in terms of their earthly sex status). But group of righteous people in church is termed as the spiritual bride of Jesus (who is second Adam). Jesus is coming back soon to rule on earth for one thousand year. Then every person will be like a part of one body called "The Church", its relationship with Jesus as his spiritual wife.

(b) But only after, Day of Judgment, in the heavenly kingdom; on the New Earth, only saved people who were resurrected in imperishable and glorious bodies will be like angels (sexless). Only on The New Earth Jesus will be calling them as his "brothers" (Heb. 2:11). There won't be any spiritual sister or spiritual mother for Jesus, from the old earth. Even whole saved church will not be termed as Jesus' spiritual wife there. Mankind's brotherly relations will be there with Jesus, with one another and also with other heavenly beings in the actual sense. Therefore, "sisterhood" or "motherhood" is not highlighted so much in the Bible.

(c) Some gentiles in Canaan used to offer their children to their Gods / Goddesses. God the creator did put Abraham in such test but stopped him just before sacrificing his son Isaac. But God allowed the holy sacrifice of his own son Jesus on the cross for the salvation of mankind. Is it not strange?

(5) No doubt, Children are as sweet as fruits. Biblical comparison too agrees. But they are certainly not eatables like fruits. Jesus, offered himself just like an eatable fruit for his saved ones. By the mandatory ritual of "Lord's Supper". In the actual ritual, bread = symbol of Jesus' flesh and wine (grape fruit Juice!) = symbol of his blood, are served. Mainly two consumable parts are there, in most of fruits i.e. the pulp (flesh of the fruit) and the juice in the fruit (blood of the fruit) that is how the "fruit of Mary's womb" i.e. Jesus, who became a fruit of life, why? For the restoration for human bodies and for the restoration of human relationship with God. Since, the tree of fruits of life, in the Garden of Eden is banned for mankind. I think, Just before Noah's flood, the tree of fruits of life was removed from earth and was planted in paradise (Rev.2:7). It will be replanted, only on The New Earth, in the city of New Jerusalem which will descend from heaven (Rev.22:2). Therefore, till then Jesus himself became Mandatory replacement for fruit of life. How important are these fruits for human survivals! God warned Adam and Eve, "Don't eat the (forbidden) fruit, you will die". Now Jesus is warning his people, "If you don't eat mandatory fruit of Mary's womb (me), you will die" Strange warnings

(6) Other spiritual aspects of word Fruit in "The Bible". In the Garden of Eden; human life depended on fruits; to great extent. Likewise, for teaching spiritual things by comparisons, word fruit is used mostly in the Bible. Examples - Fruits of the spirits are demanded in the Christian life. Fruits of spirit are Christian love, gentleness, forgiveness, kindness, humbleness, peace, grace, joy etc. Fruits of evil spirit are opposite. Fruitfulness - Presence of fruits in the spiritual life and fruitlessness is their absence. Names of some natural fruits are found in the examples and parables of the Bible. Names of many natural fruits are written in the Bible.

(7) Fruits in Holy Covenant Box and Lord's Supper In The Most Holy Box of Covenant three things were kept Manna, Tablets of The Ten Commandments and The Staff of Aaron. God blessed Staff of Aaron and performed mighty miracles in Egypt by the staff. In (Nub.17: 1 to 8) Aaron's staff sprouted, budded and produced almonds (Fruits!). Thus fruits were present even in The Covenant Box!! In The Holiest sacrament of Lord's Supper wine is served. Wine is a mildly fermented juice of grapes and grapes are Fruits! Thus fruits are present even in Lord's Supper!

Fruits have their unique importance in every look and corner of human natural and spiritual life. In The Holy Bible "Fruits" are found everywhere.

God gave importance to fruits to such an extent!... Surprising!!... Isn't it?

(The Bible Used - "THOMPSON CHAIN-REFERENCE BIBLE - XI" --- "New International Version - vii " )

Author - Mr. Anil Pacharne

anilsletterbox@gmail.com

Author's Name: - Anil Pacharne.
anilsletterbox@gmail.com

Religion:- Christian.

Interests: - Bible Study. Bible investinations. Sharing God's word in churches.

http://EzineArticles.com/6098167

A Spiritual Growth Class Will Jump Out at You When You Have Nowhere to Turn

If you are like me, you have begun your search for inner peace with a spiritual growth class. My first one was at the Gita School of Yoga in Melbourne in 1963. It was called a yoga philosophy class and seemed pretty way out back then. I was 21 and looking for some answers, finding my purpose and path in life, other than as a young married with a baby. We studied Fourteen Lessons in Yogi Philosophy and Oriental Occultism for a long time and it seemed very foreign to me at the time.

Since then I have been seeking and learning, much of it was leaning towards eastern traditions of yoga, always keeping an open mind and particularly towards alternative teachings.

I believe we all are unique and each one's path is equally unique, as we are drawn towards new experiences, ever leading us upwards and onwards towards our oftentimes, unconscious goal. Can you relate to that? Feeling your goal so far away yet being led somehow towards new experiences, often in a test of faith and with each step revealing a new light on your path. The light is enough, sometimes barely enough, to give you heart to keep going.

If you are feeling stressed out and your life lost its purpose and direction, it could be time for you to follow your instinct and learn something. Anything. It could be that you have stopped moving forward and need to pick yourself up and gain momentum. Then things, your life, will become clearer, as you trust in yourself, your own heart's knowing.

Nowhere to turn? It could be time for you to belong in a safe group environment, in which case you could attend a class where you will learn to meditate and share with like minded souls.

A spiritual growth class will jump out at you getting your attention when you need to attend it. This can work for anything in our life, when we have a need, we draw that thing towards ourself, we magnetise it. We create our own reality and the clearer we are, the more awareness that we hold, we create and manifest things towards ourself more quickly. Look at goals and anything of our choosing. Goals can be very slow to come to fruition because we do not hold enough focus and our mind wanders.

One valid reason for taking yourself to a regular spiritual growth class would be because you want to make friends with your mind. To stop it's incessant thinking, worrying, round and round, until your energy levels drop and you are constantly stressed.

I believe that most such classes would use various tools with which to help to tame and calm the mind. They would generally teach meditation and yogic breathing exercises. The body is tough and at the same time can be extremely sensitive. The reason that I say this is that everything flows together and is effected by each other. Breathing affects the emotions, the mind, the spirit. We could say, introduce here that it is a 4-body system. The physical body, the mental body, the emotional body and the spiritual body. This is the most elementary way of explaining that to live a joyful, peaceful life, we need to be balanced, have self discipline and have union within all aspects of our body. If we are not right with ourself, we cannot be right with others. Not in our relationships, nor our work or play.

I encourage you to be kind to yourself and live harmoniously with yourself and the universe. Blessings to you.

Lynette Mitchell is a Master of Laughter & Spiritual Mentoring. Lynette is a mentor, life coach, holistic living counsellor and facilitates laughter yoga and personal and spiritual growth classes and workshops. She founded the free community Ferntree Gully Laughter Club and facilitates laughter yoga therapy sessions for groups and businesses. She is a mentor for and member of the Insight Foundation, http://www.insightfoundation.org.au/ and Lynette's website is http://www.lynettemitchell.com.au/. Go to Lynette's website for information relating to life coaching, laughter yoga, counselling and other interesting subjects. This article may be reproduced and forwarded if left intact with author's links. Enjoy!

http://EzineArticles.com/6500705

Spiritual Speeders

Earlier this month I spent two days on the road with my two oldest children driving down the East Coast to take them back to college. Our car was packed full of everything they would need for the next few months. We had a great time talking and laughing about old times as we drove. The weather was great and somehow we managed to avoid all the road construction and rush hour traffic. We had no delays on the trip, with one exception. As we neared Charlotte, North Carolina, we came up on a long line of traffic due to a tractor trailer that had slid off the road. There was a fire truck and a rescue vehicle and a state trooper on the scene. The line of traffic had all shifted to the far lane to give the emergency vehicles room to work. As we approached the actual scene of the incident, a SUV came flying down the road in the empty lane, passing the line of traffic, narrowly avoiding the emergency vehicles, and just kept going. Apparently the driver was unconcerned about anything other than where he was headed in such a hurry.

Since I have had lots of quiet time behind the wheel since then to think about the incident, it occurred to me that many Christians are just like that SUV driver. People all around us have slid off the road of life and become mired in difficulty and trouble. Though some Christians have responded and have pulled over from their busy lives to help, many just go flying by. Far too many Christians are hurrying along at neck break speed doing their own thing. In the rush to do everything, we often pass by those who need help the most. Such spiritual speeders narrowly miss hurting concerned Christians who are responding to needs around them. Spiritual speeders cruise past other Christians who are at the very least slowing down to pray as they see needs around them.

I know I have been guilty of spiritual speeding far too often in my life. I suspect we all have been at certain points in our lives. But perhaps we need to learn to slow down and spend more time praying. Perhaps we need to pull over and spent time helping others. Perhaps we need to encourage ministers and lay leaders who are helping instead of putting them in greater danger through our reckless attitudes. Perhaps it is time to actually live out our Christianity instead of just talk about it. Maybe instead of just reading the story of the Good Samaritan in the Bible, maybe we should act it out in real life. We may find our own lives enriched when we slow down enough to pray about the needs we see around us and then put feet to those prayers by offering a helping hand to those around us.

Dr. Terry W. Dorsett holds a Masters in Religious Education and a Doctorate in Administration. He oversees the work of the Baptist denomination in Vermont. He is widely sought after as a speaker in area churches. His innovative and fresh approach makes him an effective communicator with young adults. He is the author of two books and a frequent contributor to Baptist Press. His blog may be found at http://www.terrydorsett.com/

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