{"id":10614,"date":"2017-02-01T06:39:47","date_gmt":"2017-02-01T11:39:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/?p=10614"},"modified":"2017-02-01T06:39:47","modified_gmt":"2017-02-01T11:39:47","slug":"book-review-hows-your-soul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/?p=10614","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: How’s Your Soul?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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“It is imperative that we understand we do not have to live up to who people say we are or perceive us to be. \u00a0By the grace of God, Jesus enables us to live from who we really are.”<\/em> \u00a0p. 113 How’s Your Soul<\/em> by Judah Smith<\/p>\n

How are you? \u00a0FINE. \u00a0How are you? \u00a0BUSY. \u00a0How are you? \u00a0GREAT. \u00a0How’s your soul? \u00a0Wow…what a great and necessary question. \u00a0When’s the last time someone asked you how you are where it really matters…in your soul, the control center of everything else. \u00a0How’s Your Soul<\/em><\/a> by Pastor Judah Smith asks the hard question in an effort to get to what really matters. \u00a0One of his main points is simply that the outside you really doesn’t matter if the inside you is a chaotic mess. \u00a0Are you willing to be transparent enough to say that you are weary? \u00a0that you are empty? \u00a0that you are searching? \u00a0Who are the people in your life that can handle that information and love you well by pointing you straight to the truth of God’s word in those moments? \u00a0This is such a theme of so many conversations that I find myself in these days…who is tending your soul? \u00a0Are you making that a priority?<\/p>\n

I highlighted several things while reading and have posted those notes below…<\/p>\n

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  • Vulnerability is scary. \u00a0It feels safer to be superficial. \u00a0p. xi<\/li>\n
  • The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? \u00a0Jeremiah 17:9 p. xiii<\/li>\n
  • I the Lord search the heart and test the mind. \u00a0Jeremiah 17:10 p. xiii<\/li>\n
  • 3 John references the health of our souls. \u00a0p. 5<\/li>\n
  • Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Psalm 103:1 p. 12<\/li>\n
  • Even when our outside environments aren\u2019t particularly healthy or stable, if we are healthy on the inside, we will conquer adversity. \u00a0p. 21<\/li>\n
  • Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. \u00a0Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. \u00a0Matthew 11:28-29 p. 27<\/li>\n
  • He gives to his beloved sheep. \u00a0Psalm 127:2 p. 27<\/li>\n
  • Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might. \u00a0Ecclesiastes 9:10 p. 29<\/li>\n
  • Restriction and restraint are necessary for a healthy soul. \u00a0p. 31<\/li>\n
  • A healthy spirit conquers adversity, but what can you do when the spirit is crushed? \u00a0Proverbs 18:14 The Message p. 36<\/li>\n
  • It\u2019s the paradox of leadership and influence. \u00a0Just because you lead people and help people doesn\u2019t mean you are always going to be healthy on the inside. \u00a0If anything, the pressure of public influence increases the unhealthy tendencies of our souls. \u00a0If we aren\u2019t careful, it can make us defensives and isolated. \u00a0Instead of looking for help when we need it, we pretend to have it all together. \u00a0p. 51<\/li>\n
  • If we want to be healthy on the inside, we have to question our insides. \u00a0We have to question our souls. \u00a0We have to question our feelings. \u00a0p. 53<\/li>\n
  • The anchor is an agent of stability. \u00a0It is an agent of security. \u00a0It is an agent of steadiness. \u00a0You tether yourself to it, and no matter how unpredictable or challenging the elements become, you remain stable. \u00a0p. 68<\/li>\n
  • We want out. \u00a0We want an escape. \u00a0We want someone to remove us from the storm, but Jesus wants to be our strength and stability in the storm. \u00a0p. 73<\/li>\n
  • Before you get too hard on yourself for not trusting God at times, consider this. \u00a0The physical, tangible, visible Jesus was right in front of Peter, and Peter still had trouble keeping his eyes on Jesus because the waves were so big. \u00a0p. 76<\/li>\n
  • Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. \u00a0Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. \u00a0In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. \u00a01 John 4:7-9 p. 82<\/li>\n
  • Where does the desire to defend ourselves and justify ourselves and protect ourselves come from? \u00a0In reality, it\u2019s a lack of God-awareness. \u00a0Is God God or not? \u00a0Do we trust him to take care of us or not? \u00a0p. 91<\/li>\n
  • What does it mean that love always hopes? \u00a0It means that love holds on to eventual development. \u00a0Love recognizes that where we are is not where we will always be. \u00a0We are on a journey. \u00a0We are works in progress. \u00a0p. 93<\/li>\n
  • Grace has no gaps and love knows no limits. \u00a0Love endures all things. \u00a0p. 96<\/li>\n
  • I want to know this God of love so well and walk with him so closely that his love becomes part of the fabric of my soul. \u00a0p. 98<\/li>\n
  • I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. \u00a0Psalm 131:1 p. 108<\/li>\n
  • It is imperative that we understand we do not have to live up to who people say we are or perceive us to be. \u00a0By the grace of God, Jesus enables us to live from who we really are. \u00a0p. 113<\/li>\n
  • Worship reminds us of who God is and who we are. \u00a0p. 113<\/li>\n
  • Our souls have a God-given need for purpose and significance. \u00a0p. 123<\/li>\n
  • He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. \u00a0In all that he does, he prospers. \u00a0Psalm 1:3\u00a0 p. 124<\/li>\n
  • Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgement. \u00a0Proverbs 18:1 p. 132<\/li>\n
  • Our stance and positions as delivers is defined by the phrase in Jesus<\/i>. (Ephesians 1:3-4)\u00a0p. 141<\/li>\n
  • This great God is on our side. (Ephesians 1:20-21) p. 144<\/li>\n
  • But God<\/i>. \u00a0That is the foundation of the gospel. \u00a0It is the greatest revelation we ever need of God\u2019s love and care and concern for us. \u00a0God found us and he saved us. \u00a0He took the initiative and he provided the solution. \u00a0p. 148<\/li>\n
  • I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. \u00a0Philippians 1:6 p. 161<\/li>\n
  • Eternity is calling your soul. \u00a0It inspires you to awaken, to dream again, and to take risks. \u00a0It asks you to pursue visions that are shaped not by fear or selfish desires or manipulated emotions, but by the glory of God and the reality of heaven. \u00a0p. 186<\/li>\n
  • \u201cThis infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.\u201d \u00a0Blaise Pascal p. 186<\/li>\n
  • God has made everything beautiful in its time. \u00a0He has also set eternity in this human heart. \u00a0Ecclesiastes 3:11 p. 186<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      “It is imperative that we understand we do not have to live up to who people say we are or perceive us to be. \u00a0By the grace of God, Jesus enables us to live from who we really are.” \u00a0p. 113 How’s Your Soul by Judah Smith How are you? \u00a0FINE. \u00a0How are you? […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,14,35,25,16,23,28,17,32,34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible-study","category-book-review","category-creative","category-education","category-family","category-generosity","category-integrity","category-leadership","category-marriage","category-truth"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10614\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}