A Quiet Knowing by Gigi Graham Tchividjian with Ruth Bell Graham
Words from well-known hymns serve as the chapter titles, setting a wonderful tone for this book. The mother-daughter team shares original poetry along with their thoughts, in substantial segments — not a typical “devotional” format. You could read it straight through, or easily break it up into daily portions for awhile.
From the Introduction: “The Greek word translated ‘peace’ in the New Testament is a much more complex and comprehensive word than the one we use. It does not mean simply absence of trouble, but total well-being.
“It includes everything (all the ingredients, the experiences, and the pieces that God allows into our lives) that makes for our highest good. A quiet knowing is what we experience when we are aware of this fact.
“…it comes through a personal relationship and deep intimacy with God through Jesus Christ. It is the confidence that we have in Him that He is in all and above all, that everything He does and allows in our lives is for our good and for His glory. It is being always and forever conscious of His encircling presence.”
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In the Grip of Grace by Max Lucado
Perhaps this book will give you a renewed perspective on the meaning and purpose of God’s grace in your life. Or maybe it will just deepen your gratitude for this amazing gift.
“God doesn’t condone our sin, nor does He compromise His standard. Rather than dismiss our sin, He assumes our sin and incredibly, sentences Himself. God is still holy. Sin is still sin. And we are redeemed.”
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A Perennial Faith by Patricia Mondore
One hundred devotional segments include some gardening tips, with refreshing reminders and interesting spiritual parallels throughout the book. In one excerpt, she tells of a pink peony planted a few yards away from a white peony in the same yard. Over time, the white flowers began to display pink speckles, then even more pink color during successive seasons, until they finally turned almost entirely pink.
“It never produced pure white flowers again. The plant lost its pure white color by being planted close enough to the pink one that the two plants could cross-pollinate. The darker color eventually won out.
“The slow but permanent change that took place provides a graphic illustration for our lives… when we spend a significant amount of time with those who do not share the same beliefs or values we have, over time the ‘darker’ color can begin affecting our own attitudes.”
Copyright 2010 by Tammi Mossman.
