Someone bought me a book recently called “The youth worker’s guide to helping teenagers in crisis.” FANTASTIC book by the way. There was a quote in the book that really caught my eye and caused me to read it over a few times: “Madeleine L’Engle put it nicely: In a very real sense, not one of us is qualified but it seems that God continually chooses the most unqualified to do His work, to bear His glory. If we are qualified, we tend to think we have done the job ourselves. If we are focused to accept our evident lack of qualification, then there’s no danger that we will confuse God’s work with our own or God’s glory with our own.”

In conclusion, let me say this. I’m so grateful that I get to be used by God!

As you go on doing what you do everyday, ask yourself, Whose approval am I seeking to gain?

Proverbs 27:21(NLT) Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised.

Soul Cravings, in a nut shell, is an awesome book if you are searching for truth, if you are seeking for where or who to put your faith in or if you are simply trying to figure out why we are here on earth and would like to understand your purpose in life. Erwin Will take you on a journey that will definitely open your eyes to certain things that you have never thought about before. Even if you have been saved for a long time, this book will definitely open your eyes regarding more then just what our physical eyes can see.

This was one of those books i could barely put down, though i do not like to read, i couldn’t wait to get home and to start reading it again. Erwin will bring up subjects and talk about things that will make you think and ask yourself “What IS the true meaning of life, what AM I here for?” Some of you may think that I’m saying that in a way that it will make you doubt God, but “Au contraire” (this means, “quite the opposite” for you who don’t know french), it will in fact bring you closer to God and make you understand that there is more to life then what most of us think.

I loved how I was SO easily able to relate and to get captivated by his words and his approach towards Christianity and Jesus Christ. Erwin Definitly will take your brain and thoughts towards Religion, Christianity, God, Faith, Purpose, Dreams, Life and Destiny, he will shred them, shake them up a little bit and so beautifly put them back together as they should be. I give this book a big 9.5 because personally I think that He left me hanging a little bit in the end. I believe that there could of been more to it but other then that it was AWESOME and I 100% recommend everyone to read it!

Peace out everyone!

First of all i want to start to say this. I have had the chance to speak to Dave Early personally about 2 years ago as we had Him up for our Apex Leaders Retreat at Jackson’s Point. When Dave came back to our church that Sunday He actually preached from this very book. What i find actually truly interesting regarding Dave is that the way He writes is the exact same way he speaks. Me, on the other hand, sound a lot smarter in writing then in person… (Thank God for spell check Ha Ha.)

In His book, Dave takes you through 21 different prayers that were prayed by different people in the Bible for different reasons but yet, were all answered. This book really spoke to me because just about every single one of those 21 prayers had to do with either something, I’ve gone through or am going through. One thing i really liked about reading this book is that the second i was done a chapter i was ready and able to already apply what i just read in my life. From “Lord, save me”, to “Lord, Send Me”, i was able to use it right away in my life. He makes it really easy for us, simple people, to relate to such great prayers.

Out of 10 i would definitely give this book a 8. Personally I had a hard time to stay focused while reading it but then again that might just be my A.D.D. Ha Ha. I would definitely recommend this book as a great tool to help you either get started to pray or if you need ideas on how to pray or what to pray for. Sometimes you are faced with certain challenges in your life and just have no clue how to tackle it, well this is the tool for you!

i know this is not much of a review, but these are my thoughts

I am currently reading the first part of the book, (It is divided in three parts, Intimacy, Destiny and Meaning and each part has like 20 ish chapters) and i feel like i need to just share a bit about this part of the book i came a cross. Erwin wrote this, and 

I quote 

“Strange as it seems, in the midst of our most painful memories, we find our most treasured ones. This is powerfully portrayed in the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.Jim Carey and Kate Winslet come together to explore the question, Is a mind free of pain of love filled with eternal sunshine? If you had the chance to erase all the memories of your greatest love to be free of the pain of losing it, would you? I wouldn’t. I don’t think many of us would.
We are addicted to love, and it’s out of our control.
We would give anything and everything to find it.
Here is where I begin to hold a conspiracy theory.
There is more going on here then meets the eye.
It’s as if we’ve been purposefully designed with a factory defect that keeps us searching for…love.
It seems humiliating to say it, but we need to be loved. I need to be loved. I feel like i just walked into a twelve-step program. “Hi, I’m Erwin. I’m a Loveaholic.”
If you try to ignore it, if you think that you can live your life without love, you’re in even worse shape than the person who’s desperate to find it.

To give up on love is to chose a life that is less than human.
To give up on love is to give up on life.”

End of quote.

What i super interesting is the importance that He puts on love. I mean i knew and always did knew that love what important. Even when asked, Jesus answered that the 2 greatest commandments are to love God with everything we’ve got to the best of our ability and to love People as our selves! But He talks about love like this for about a hundred pages or so putting such an importance on being loved and on loving. Like you just read, he goes as far to say that we are addicts because even though being in love is the most dangerous place to be in the world because we are making our selves vulnerable to that other person, giving them the opportunity to ruin us but yet we are still willing to risk it.

After reading up to where i currently am in the book, it really made me think. God’s love truly is the only one that will never fail.

Ever been hurt by someone else? family member, boyfriend, girlfriend, best friend. etc… Is that pain and hurt keeping you from surrendering your heart to Jesus? We all need love, we all need to be loved. Jesus will NEVER fail you! Even if you’ve been a Christian, maybe you started a relationship with Christ but not an intimate one. This is your chance! Do not let past experiences with love ruin your relationship with Christ!