Day 253

 Finished book #4 for September! I think I shall reward my make-up efforts with a latte today. Seriously though, the book I finished was When Life Is Hard by James MacDonald. Please check out http://whenlifeishard.com/. I've been listening to Dr. James for a long time now on Moody radio from Walk In the Word. I was actually able to attend one of his services from the bus tour he was on last year in Tampa, Florida. For me, Dr. James is a no-nonsense preacher. He doesn't give lame messages or make you feel good about being a christian. He preaches the Word of God. He digs into the facts of his own life and experience and puts it all out there - he doesn't hold back. Because of his real life and real Truth style, I've come to trust him and I am so thankful for this written copy of When Life Is Hard because it's actually the written form of some sermons he preached not too long ago while in California undergoing cancer treatments. In this book, he gives real life (his life) examples of trials, thorns, and hard circumstances. He uses four different passages of Scripture that deal with hard life purposes. He has written a "Prayer of Commitment" at the end of each chapter and a "Glimpse of Gold" at the beginning. There are "Mining for Gold" at the end too - questions or statements that dig deeper into the personal application. 
I needed this book for many reasons. I'm sure everyone has hard life stuff that we never bring to light or deal with. I found that even the hard life stuff in my life that I knew about paled in comparison to the thorn I recognized. I pray that I will continue to submit to God and His work in my life and that I will always trust His promises.