Reflecting Him {Book Review}

    I was sent the book "Reflecting Him, Living for Jesus and Loving it" by Carla McDougal months ago for purposes of reviewing. This summer and fall I just didn't manage to get book reviews done and so here I am finally doing that.

   This book is a study guide. It has 10 sections for 10 weeks with daily lessons in each of those weeks. She touches on various topics such as "Created for God, by God: Like clay in the hands of the Potter", The Power Source: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit" and "Fit for Jesus: Get Up! Get Out! Get Going!". In each section she writes some information, reflections and thoughts, she also has scriptures for you to look up and then questions with lots of room for writing your answers in the book.

   Okay, I will make a confession- Bible study books are not my style. I like to read inspirational books and I love to read the Bible and study it and I enjoy writing my own notes on what I have learned but I don't care to answer questions that other people have come up with in a Bible study book. That was true with this one too. So I didn't do that part- I simply enjoyed reading through what she had written and enjoying what I got out of it that way.

   Here are a couple of quotes that I enjoyed:

 "God's gentle way of dealing with Jeremiah is similar to the way the potter works with his of her clay. The potter has to knead or wedge the clay gently to remove all of the air bubbles so that the vessel will be solid and without flaws. Any potter knows that the air bubbles or pockets of emptiness left in a pot will cause it to be brittle and easily broken when it is placed in the kiln. God wanted Jeremiah to stay focused on Him rather than the people.

  God works in the same way today. Are you feeling frustration because, although you are serving the Lord, you aren't seeing any visible results: Maybe you're a young mom, and day after day you discipline your child without seeing any changes in his or her behavior. You may become discouraged and think you might as well give up. Stop right there! Run to God, and ask Him to be your encouraged. Look for ways He spurs you forward in motherhood. Let Him guide every step of your life. God designed your life before conception. Believe it!"

"God has a purpose for your life, designed by Him for Him. Why do we strive for perfection when God is all the while calling imperfect people to be His vessels" Do you find yourself looking horizontally at others and coveting their exceptional qualities? Instead, focus upward to the Lord in gratitude for the gifts (and imperfections) He has given you.    .....  You are one of a kind and designed exactly in God's image."

 This was definitely an encouraging book to read. There was a place or two that I didn't agree with her interpretation of scripture but overall I thought it was a good book.

Carla McDougal is founder of an author/speaker for Reflective Life Ministries.