Just because I don’t flaunt my spirituality, please don’t let that make you think that I am not spiritual! I am a very spiritual person.  I believe that God created us as spiritual beings and that we can have a real, vital and growing spiritual relationship with our Creator.

I do not go around wearing my spirituality as a religious costume.  I am not bound by rules and regulations.  I am for the most part just like everyone else around me.  Happy to be alive, scared of the uncertainty of life and almost always looking to enjoy the day that I have been given.

I don’t typically dress up in suits, but when I do – look out!  I like blue jeans, t-shirts and a good pair of boots.  I am bored very easily and because of this, tend to be continually changing my style.  I live life and do my best to enjoy almost every moment of it!

I want others to know about my spirituality, but not because “I am all of that and a bag of chips”.  I want others to know, because the relationship has changed my life and made it better.  Because the relationship gives me a future worth believing in!  I am spiritual because that is who God made me to be.  I grow in my spirituality because this is what I choose to do with my life.  I don’t flaunt it, because it’s not me, but God’s gift and blessing!

Not sure why I felt the need to share all of that, but the Spirit stirred it up and pushed it out, so there ya go!

Book Review For Dr. Charles Stanley’s “I Lift Up My Soul: Devotions To Start Your Day With God!”

I have always enjoyed the writing and teaching of Dr. Charles Stanley.  I was honored to have the opportunity to review his latest book “I Lift Up My Soul:  Devotions To Start Your Day With God!”  Dr. Stanley has a way of communicating God’s truth, so that it comes out in simple and applicable thoughts that can challenge and inspire us to live more obedient and surrendered lives.  In this book, he provides us with 365 days worth of God’s truth and offers us the opportunity to apply this truth to our daily living.

This book provides the reader with a Scripture reading, key verse and instructive commentary which are all referenced from Dr. Stanley’s previous published works.  I found it to be a very easy, inspiring and encouraging read.  I think that it would be a great tool for helping a person to start and maintain a daily devotional time.

It begins it’s first entry on January 1st, but you can read it as you would like.  You may choose to read one day at a time, several days selections in one sitting or you may just thumb through it’s pages looking for just the right title that moves you.

This great little devotional is packed full of bite size chunks of wisdom and insight.  Each reading is inspirational, instructive and encouraging.  It is a great way to get focused on what really matters and will motivate you to stay focused in the way that you live your life!

There are not a lot of personal stories in this book, but there is plenty of personal application.  It will help you to take a little time everyday to think about things that you need to think about.  Read daily, it really does have the potential to help you to lift up your soul!

I found this to be a simple, challenging and rewarding book.  I am glad that I took the time to read it and I think you will be glad too!  If you already have a morning devotional plan that you follow, this would also make for a great “right before bed” reading.

I highly recommend this book and challenge people to read it and even think about sharing it with others as a gift.

Disclosure: This book was provided to me by Thomas Nelson Publishing for review purposes only. I was not required to give a positive review or compensated in any fashion.

We have been really working hard at Grace Place this week and I am so excited to share with you a copy of one of our new ads.  This ad will help to tell a little about who we are, what we do and how the whole thing works!

We also have a new brochure that is in its final stages that matches this ad and some exciting new ministry opportunities that are opening up.

Please feel free to share links to this blog or copy this picture and share on you social pages!  Thanks so much for all of your support and especially for your prayers!  Also here is a link to an earlier blog post when we were first getting started – check it out! https://mjharvell.com/2010/11/22/grace-place/