UNDAUNTED ...

"Undaunted ...
Daring to do what God calls you to do"  by Christine Caine

Bible Study of the Week at Faith Gateway [see more below]

"Undaunted" - to be undaunted What does this mean to you?

[when I picked up this book to begin reading, I had to start with this, knowing exactly what the word "undaunted" means,  so I would not miss *Anything as I read]
Christine Caine is "Undaunted ... " and "dares to do what God calls her to do" along with her husband, Nick, and as author of this book, speaker and evangelist, among many other hats she wears like mum, pastor, co-founder of A21 Campaign as well as Equip and Empower Ministry, has written this to encourage and motivate us to do the same. What an excellent book choice to accompany "Anything" by Jennie Allen, to further challenge us to dare to move, by the power of the Holy Spirit, into what God has called each of us to do to truly BE the hands, arms, heart, feet and eyes of Jesus in a world so hurt, broken, deceived, confused and in such a need of our Savior to rescue, redeem, restore and reach beyond our comfort zone to change this world and make a difference ...
"God is able to use ANY one, to do ANYthing, in ANY place, and at ANY time in order to overcome ANY barrier."
As the last part of Christine Caine's chapter closes with, "The Challenge" that beckons and implores us as the Great Commission in Matthew 28 "to walk into the gap where He's (Jesus) thrown down the cross, to walk like Him (Jesus), to walk with Him" ... "because we know what it is to be lost and then found, hurting and then healed" and the clincher ... "unwilling to stay asleep, unafraid of the dark, unflinching in the face of disappointment, unstoppable in the face of difficulty, undaunted." That's what we are called to be! Commissioned to DO! 
Each chapter better prepares us as Christine uses her own dramatic life stories, insights and experiences to show how God rescued her from a life in which she was "unnamed, unwanted and unqualified" so that we might be encouraged to the challenge of BEing the LOVE, HOPE and the CHANGE by reaching out and rescuing others. By living out our faith in Christ completely without reservation just like the Good Samaritan but in the 21st century shining into the dark places in this world, and going beyond. 
This book could not have spoken any more clearly or convincingly to me directly from God as a confirmation and a conviction of His plan and purpose as Christine inspires us with her keen insights and steps to move ahead in our life journey, mission and destiny. There are so many facets offered to help us in the 4 different parts of this book leading up to finally "The Challenge" from "God Knows My Name" to "God Knows My Pain" to "God Knows My Fear" to "God Knows My Destiny".
Christine Caine shows us how she overcame her past to dare to do what God called her to do and so can we! We can overcome our painful experiences and circumstances to use in helping others further along in God's Kingdom. 
"Undaunted" shows the way to redemption and justice that is found when faith becomes action, when passion becomes pursuit of going beyond your self and your plight so that you become part of His purposeful plan to make a difference for someone else ... ANY ONE ...like ANYTHING. No one can do everything, but we each can be someone that does something.
I believe that God led me to Christine's book at the perfect time, combined with Jennie Allen's "ANYTHING..." with Good Morning Girls, for such a time as this. The Parable of the Good Samaritan has taken on a more powerful and meaningful influence in my own life and mission to refresh and renew my commitment and service to Him. 
This book was provided to me by Booksneeze.com in exchange for my review.

Disclosure of material connection: I received this book free from the publisher Thomas P. Nelson through the BookSneeze.com book review blogger's program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

  *"Anything" by Jennie Allen (the prayer that unlocked my God and my soul) is/was the Summer Online Bible/ Book Study with Good Morning Girls (GMG) and WOW - what a fabulous meaningful choice! I followed along with an Audible copy and really found this to challenge me and further my praying anything ... the perfect companion of "Undaunted" or vice versa. I shared about "Anything" back here and added as we progressed. BEYOND this BOOK REVIEW
Because I was so strongly blessed by this book and I wanted to go further, and because I so strongly believe in the cause that Christine and Nick furthered by "daring to do what God called them to do" ... I highly recommend this for a church or individual study! 

Here's a sample of the accompanying Bible Study to go with this book for
Undaunted Small Group Bible Study by Christine Caine (Video session 1)

...and over at Faith Gateway, there are Bible Study Questions for this section of "Undaunted"
THE CALL
The DVD and Study guide are sold separately and available online
ChristianBook.com - http://zndr.vn/MT7Cdw
Amazon.com - http://zndr.vn/MT7ISz
BN.com - http://zndr.vn/MT7GKi

"Undaunted Small Group Bible Study" by Christine Caine. In the Undaunted Small Group Bible Study, Christine Caine uses her own dramatic life story to show how God rescued her from a life where she was unnamed, unwanted, and unqualified and rescued her into a God-filled and faith-fueled life.  In five sessions that correspond with the Undaunted video, you will be challenged to wake up to the needs of those around you and inspired to go into a dark and troubled world, to bring hope, create change, and and live completely for Christ. This compelling five-session video-based Bible study offers life-transforming insights about how not only to overcome the challenges and often painful circumstances we all experience, but to actually grow from those experiences and be equipped and empowered to help others. So what are you waiting for? Be THE LOVE. Be THE HOPE. Be THE CHANGE that this world needs.  Session titles include: 1. The CALL  2. Be the LOVE 3. Be the HOPE 4. Be the CHANGE 5. The CHALLENGE Christine Caine is no stranger to suffering. Overcoming childhood abuse and later in her thirties finding out she was adopted, Christine has embraced God's love to find hope and healing. She is director of Equip & Empower Ministries and founder of the anti-human trafficking organization The A21 Campaign. Christine and her husband, Nick, live in Sydney, Australia.

[source:information that was included with the YouTube video from Zondervan]

* my apologies that this is probably the worst review I've written so far and so long, even though it';s favorable and I recommend it with 5 stars, but the book is so wonderful and spoke so many truths and insights to me, I could not focus on what struck me the most or how much it personally impacted and influences me at this point in my life and my spiritual journey.

For some reviews I read when choosing this book, that were not so favorable, I decided that those reviewers were not in a place in their own life to receive or understand the depths of the author and her book as she conveyed with hopes on equipping and empowering us to follow God's call and leading. I do not feel as some wrote that Christine Caine focused too much on herself or enough on the real trafficking stories (she did not just throw them in) they are what motivate her to DO something! I felt she used them, and tied this all together very well in difference to other reviewers. Because this means so much to me, I had a difficult time being concise and conveying all that "Undaunted" brings to light in the midst of the darkened world of trafficking or even Christine's personal trials and experiences shared. Christ's light is the real light that shines through "undaunted"!!!

ORGANICALLY CHANGED

with
"The Organic God" by Margaret Feinberg
As this video starts out with the pure beauty of God in a scene, this is how Margaret Feinberg describes and illuminates Him as she draws and compares to beautiful places in the wonder of God to the nature all around us but mostly from her own life experiences in Alaska from the waters to the mountains to the glaciers. It's ...

"Natural. Pure. Essential. Margaret Feinberg - popular speaker, author, and one of the “Thirty Emerging Voices” of Christian leadership - asks you to imagine what it would look like to have an organic relationship with God. One that is stripped of all pollutants and additives of this world. The Organic God helps remove the unhealthy fillers and purifies your relationship with the God of the Scriptures. Through personal stories and scriptural insights, Margaret Feinberg shares glimpses of God’s character - big-hearted, kind, beautiful, mysterious - that point to an authentic and naturally spiritual relationship with Him, allowing you to truly discover God in a healthy, refreshing new way, and fall in love all over again."

I have waited, what seems like forever, since I met this "wonderstruck" author via her Lent Challenge (I shared here on my blog) to be able to read any one of the books, or studies written by Margaret Feinberg, so I was more than excited when Booksneeze announced that "The Organic God" would be one of the available choices this past month. [the reason I hurried to post my review of "Nearing Home..." by Billy Graham and now sharing this so I can quickly make my next selection for another book that's been on my 'wish list' since it came out.]

Meanwhile, I read and viewed all I could about Margaret Feinberg's books on her blog, from her samples to all of her blog posts just to absorb more of her wonderful, enthusiastic love of God and His Word!

Margaret Feinberg flows naturally with an enjoyable, likable, contagious, personable, intelligent approach and her writing style draws me in. Her expressive, descriptive way leaves me wanting more of what she has and I love the way she writes so richly from her heart and her intimate experiences.

"The Organic God" is an easy, enjoyable, quick read, of two days for me, that challenges, refreshes and encourages me to seek God in a new way and deepen my relationship naturally. Although Margaret covers deep questions of our relationship with God, she does so without actually speaking theologically, but weaves all of this through many delightful and beautiful personal life stories. Her knowledge of scripture and the pure beauty of her relationship with God and His Word is so evident and phenomenal in every part she writes, but she does not fill the 10 chapters with actual scripture references, so as not to take away from her flow of the story and God's glory. She does however add footnotes to the scriptures and additional notes in the back as well as some other great extra features: a list of songs to accompany you on your journey through her book (which, of course, I just had to make a You Tube Playlist of her "Organic God soundtrack" and other related videos of her), a section of "rainy day reflections" with an inspiring study guide of questions to personalize your journey along with hers. I know I will return to reread this and reflect with awe the questions and "dig deeper" (a wonderful bonus) and even a 'behind the scenes' section!

My purpose for so wanting to read this is in the subtitle of "The Organic God ... Falling in Love with Him All Over Again" and that is exactly what Margaret helps us to do and enjoy through sharing her life and discovery of a personal God of beauty, simply in love with us, making me want to pursue and be pursued even more deeply. I am ready to fall in love again and again, being refreshed by Him. I was 'Wonderstruck' and that's a totally different book of hers to experience.

I cannot say enough about this book! Every word and section deepens my desire for a relationship with "The Organic God" as Margaret Feinberg makes Him so vivid and alive. I found this to be truly inspiring, as I laughed, cried and enjoyed her nature adventures and life. I have so many highlights in her book to emphasize to me all of God's many splendors, attributes and ways that He intimately calls us His own and invites us to discover more. It's evident that Margaret's Jewish-Christian family has radically rooted and established her with a deep connection to God through His Word and His beautiful interactions with her in her life, which comes vividly alive in the pages of her exchanges with God and her family, especially her dad, which warmly touched my heart and made a deep connection for me to our Heavenly Father's relationship with us. 

Even the cover of the book, makes me want to take the plunge and go deeper being refreshed in a natural, non-pollutant, non-additive relationship with the beauty of Our Creator. I never thought anything "organic" was possible in a relationship nor that I would be so taken in by wanting that with God Himself until Margaret drew me to be interested in the awesome wonder with a much better understanding of the raw beauty and His. Almost makes me want everything "organic" now and view more details in my relationships and nature with a new, fresh perspective.  

Margaret's descriptive beginning with the 'luminescence' and all her beautiful descriptions of nature that she's experienced, to the very end, tying it all together with this 'luminescence', captivates the great moments of God's attributes (which I totally love) as she displays throughout her journey from "His bigheartedness, His amazing wisdom, His outrageous generosity, His abundant kindness, and of course, the deep mystery of how He can use people like you and me to change the world" and that "...there is still so far to go" makes me want to discover more from "The Organic God" allowing me to be aMazed even more as my "hunger for God lives on" with hers and I, too, "see a flicker of light as something stirs in the depths of my soul" beckoning me to seek a more purified relationship with the Holy of holies, the Lord God Almighty, personified in Jesus Christ! This is a 5 star keeper and go deeper!!! Thanks Margaret!

By the way, Margaret has a Summer Bible study on her blog that you may want to check out and be astonished by "the lengths God will go to reveal Jesus" ... from the Gospel of John. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com®  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255