"From Eternity to Here" by Frank Viola

Have you ever listened to a story being told and as you are listening…it is as though you are no longer in reality but caught away in the world of the words being spoken? I have…and as I read “From Eternity to Here” by Frank Viola I found myself continuously being taken away…but the best part about being taken away in to the world of these words is that it’s real! It’s not stepping away from reality but stepping into reality.

Hey guys…I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted but I figured what better way than to share with you about a great book that I have the blessing to be able to read and review. I was approached by the publishing company that put out one of my absolute FAVORITE books “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan to read and review a follow up book that they are releasing.

I really didn’t know what to expect but as my dead line to write this review crept closer and closer…I found it harder and harder to find time to read it. Having three kids, homeschooling and helping out at a daycare part time has left me with little to no time. Most of the past week I’ve been thinking – “What have I got myself into…I have to keep my word…what are they going to do if I don’t write the review…come bang on my door and rip the book from my hands??”

I honestly started today out and had only read 1 chapter…but as I read that first chapter I was totally over taken by the goodness of what I was reading. It’s so raw and so real and so sincere that as you read this book it is as though you are reading your own love story…and that’s because you are.

This book is set up in a way that it paints our love story with God from Genesis to Revelation. This book contains three volumes: the Bride of Christ, the House of God, and the Family of God the Body of Christ. When I first read the titles of the sections I was kind of detached and wasn’t really encouraged to read much but as I dove in I realized that what Frank Viola has done…is given the body of Christ a beautiful gift…A gift that opens the eyes of those who can’t quite see the whole picture of what it means to be the Bride of Christ.

He weaves together the story of all stories…in a digestible (if not uncomfortable at times) way. While I did really enjoy the first and middle part of the book the part that struck me the MOST was the end. After reading the end I felt as though I had been standing underneath a waterfall of truth. My heart was encouraged and spurred on with passion for my God…and in awe that someone was saying exactly what my spirit is screaming out but without words to express it effectively.

In the next to last chapter Frank Viola once again pulls out his pen/paintbrush to help us see what it looks like when the body of Christ is walking in truth…

“In this chapter, I would briefly like to explore the practical question of what it looks like when a local assembly fulfills what God is after and His eternal purpose moves from eternity to here. “

He summarizes this chapter toward the end…and I will leave you with that summary because I believe it will cause you to want to know what he has to say about each of these things that are vital for the church to live out “the ageless purpose of God”…

“So how does a local church carry out the ageless purpose of God? Very simply: by loving the Lord Jesus as His bride and learning to live by His indwelling life. By edifying its members through displaying the Lord Jesus as functioning priests in God’s house and as participating members of Christ’s body. By living a shared life as the family of God, visibly demonstrating what the kingdom of God is like to a broken world. And by expressing God’s image and exercising His authority in the earth – the very things that the first Adam was charged to do in the garden.”

Frank Viola’s book “From Eternity to Here” is a true find…and I am very blessed by his book – I know I will be rereading this book throughout the rest of my life to enable myself never to lose sight of the whole masterpiece that is my love story with God…

I will leave you with one more fantastic quote:

“Every love story that the minds of mortal men and women construct, every love story that has made its appearance in the pages of human history – whether fiction or nonfiction – is but a reflection , a pale image, a faint portrait, a scrambled version of the sacred romance of the ages.”

Thank you Frank Viola and David C Cook publishers!
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The following bloggers are posting a review or Q & A with Frank Viola on his bestselling book FROM ETERNITY TO HERE today, Tuesday, July 21st. You may order the book at a discount at http://www.frometernitytohere.org/ – it’s also on audio book. Free discussion guide, sample chapters, interviews, and a free audio of the first chapter are available on that site also. Here are the bloggers who are participating:

Jay Becker - http://www.jaybecker.org/

Mark D - http://deadmanstravelog.blogspot.com/

Igniting Hearts - Kimber Britner - http://www.ignitinghearts.blogspot.com/

Karyn - http://tiger-kar.blogspot.com/

Barefoot Preacher - http://thebarefootpreacher.blogspot.com/

Every Day Angels - http://www.weareeverydayangels.com/

FaithEngineer - http://www.faithengineer.com/

Kristen Schiffman - http://dancinginthemargins.typepad.com/

CrossPointe: The Church at Bevo - http://churchatbevo.blogspot.com/

Crazy Love for God - crazyloveforgod.blogspot.com

Amazima Ministries - oatsvallteam.blogspot.com

Down to Write Honest - http://downwritehonest.com/

A Beautiful Mess - http://blnorth1105.blogspot.com/

The Blakes on a Mission - http://www.theblakesthailand.blogspot.com/

Words by Jud Kossum - http://judkossum.blogspot.com/

Eric Jaffe - http://www.ericjaffe.org/

Reconnect with God – http://www.reconnectwithgod.org/

2nd Cup of Coffee - http://www.2nd-cup-of-coffee.blogspot.com/

Nolan Bobbitt Website - http://www.nolanbobbitt.com/

Klappyanne - www.xanga.com/klappyanne

Daveingland - http://www.daveingland.com/

Randi Jo Rooks - http://seedsinmyheart.blogspot.com/

Ephesians Five – http://ephesiansonefive.blogspot.com/

Michael Bayne - http://www.michaelbayne.net/

Encounter Church Helena Blog - encounterhelena.org

Thoughts B4 Conviction N2 Action - tsharrison.blogspot.com

Edevotion - http://www.e-devotion.blogspot.com/

Seeking After - http://seekingafter.blogspot.com/

Eric Powell - http://www.encounterhelena.org/

Borrowed Light - http://fbcnewlondon.blogspot.com/

Anxious for nothing...

Wow...it's the fourth of July! Today I woke up with tension in my neck...you know when you don't sleep well apparently and your neck feels like you were clenched up all night long? As I sat there feeding Jossalyn this morning I realized that I was still tensed up!! I even was tensing up my feet as I sat there!

I just let out a quiet prayer of helplessness "God...What is it? Why am I so tense? Give me your peace...help me to relax..." As I started working on being conscious of how I was sitting and if each muscle was tensed up...letting them loosen and so on....I realized that I am anxious.

Usually physical symptoms such as these, with me, are a sign of something going on inside. If my mind and heart are busy with something then my physical body reflects it...of course. So while I was trying to loosen up and the thought of getting more sleep and exercising more crossed my mind...those are only surface fixes.

The truth is...I'm anxious! Anxious about what? Well...that's a good question...so as I seek the Lord this morning...as to not be anxious for anything and to trust Him with every situation...I pray that you too are anxious for nothing and trust Him with everything...

Loving where you are!

Hello all of you who still check back here every once in a while! Bless you! I know I've been a horrible blogger since returning to the states...and at this point...I can't say that that is going to change. Things have been so busy and I've been filling in at a daycare when they need me and I have been unable to make the time.

I love blogging and so my attempts will not cease!!! I am fixing to write two book reviews that I signed up for...hahaha!!! I don't know when I am going to READ those book but I am...so be patient with me as I sort out the demands of our current situation and trust God to continue to move in us and work through us....

Here is what I was blessed with this morning! PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING - no matter where you are...do you have it? Get some from the source...it's like the fountain of happiness and youth! :)

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May God Give Us Success in All We Do
by Rick Warren

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands" (Psalm 90:17 NIV).

God establishes the work of our hands by giving us gifts that will make a difference in the lives of others. That's what success is—being what God meant for you to be. Jesus said, "My purpose is to give [you] a rich and satisfying life" (John 10:10 NLT).

You may be thinking, "Well, Rick, what about work that needs to be done but doesn't express my gifts; it just has to be done?" Any homemaker knows exactly what I'm talking about. I would say to you that every job, even the one you are suited for, has mundane parts. Every job has some parts to it that you won't like, but you can still worship God through those parts of the job.

And I would suggest you adopt this attitude: "Maybe this job that I'm in right now is a phase of my life and I'm not going to be here the rest of my life. But this is where I am for now; therefore, I will worship God right now."

The apostle Paul says, "Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering" (Romans 12:1 MSG)."Lord our God, may your blessings be with us. Give us success in all we do!" (Psalm 90:17 TEV).