I recently read It’s All About Him: Finding the Love of My Life by Denise Jackson, wife of country singer Alan Jackson, with Ellen Vaughn. I have not been a huge Alan Jackson fan, but there were certain songs I really liked by him, including one video that was filmed locally. When I heard about the book, I knew that it was written about how the Jackson family survived an affair, so I was really interested. When I realized the “Him” in the book title was about my Lord Jesus Christ, and after I had read an excerpt, I knew I really had to read the book!

Denise opens the book discussing how she met Alan and what their marriage was like before the affair. She and Alan grew up in Southern Baptist homes and accepted Christ as their Saviour as children, but both got away from Him as they grew up. She tells of how Alan got his career off the ground and how all the trappings of success took them farther and farther from the Lord. Denise is painfully honest at how needy she was as a wife, trying always to please Alan to the point that she was not her own woman. (I believe that a woman and man should always try to please each other, but she went too far with it. She could not even function without him in the basic of ways.) Although she is not taking the blame for Alan’s affair, she acknowledges that it was one of the major reasons she almost lost her marriage.

I knew nothing about the affair until a week before I got the book, so I went into reading the book with an unbiased view. Denise is very careful to be extremely respectful when discussing the affair. As a matter of fact, she goes into few details. She leaves you feeling the dignity of Alan, even though he made a serious mistake. I love how she treats him and makes the reader feel compassion for the man who repented of his sin.

What totally surprised me about the book was the complete love and passion that Denise has for the Lord and His Word. She is not ashamed of Him, and He is enveloped in every area of her life and seen on every page of the book. It is not fluffy, pretty words, but a rock solid grounding on her life in God. Denise shares how her separation from Alan drove her to her knees, and she realized that her life’s focus should be on Jesus, not solely on Alan. I think her mistake is what many women make, along with thinking that a man can meet every need she has. Even the very best men in the world cannot meet our every need. By falling in love with the Lord, she became the woman that Alan could love more deeply and respect, along with being the mother, friend, etc. that she should be. Denise also gives the plan of salvation at the end of the book. I’m sure that those reading the book looking for dirty laundry will get quite the surprise!

I wanted to leave a few quotes that I loved:

“When everything is going well, we often can’t hear God, because the music all around us is turned up too loud. But when the party stops– in those moments of crashing pain, sorrow, and sudden silence– we begin to hear His voice. I’ve learned that if I listen and lean on His strength, He can help me climb out of the wreckage. As I do, I have new perspectives about what is precious and what is truly important.” (p. 191)

“I’ve found that the more I dig into the Bible as His love letter to me, the more I develop a passion for it, and for Him. When my heart is cold and unwilling, I ask Him to change it, and incredibly, He does. As my days unfold, I make sure to schedule uninterrupted time to read God’s Word and pray. It’s a discipline to do so… but when I do it, it fulfills my deepest desires. (p. 203)

“But I’m learning that I don’t have to be afraid or anxious when the crises come. God is with me. He will give me whatever I need to get through life’s challenges. He can do miracles in me, right in the midst of troubled times.” (p. 221)

“But that’s where I find real life in my relationship with Jesus so absolutely freeing. I don’t have to be perfect. I can’t be perfect. But I know that He is with me, forgiving me when I fail and picking me up when I fall. And because of His presence and power with me, I can begin to be the wife, mother, daughter, and friend that I was truly designed to be. When it’s all about Him, then our stories not only have an unbelievably happy ultimate ending, but every chapter- happy or sad– is somehow sweeter than the one before.” (p. 220)

Whether you are a country music fan or not, I believe you will be greatly blessed by reading It’s All About Him and be challenged to love Him so much more. You’ll also realize as Denise and Alan did that nothing but the Lord can give you true happiness.

Disclaimer

Please note that I realize that some Christians feel that a Christian should not listen to music that is not expressly Christian. While I respect and understand that conviction completely, I personally believe that music, books, movies, etc., should all be taken on a case by case basis, without throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I may listen to one song, while turning off another, even Christian ones. I may watch one movie, while never viewing another. Does the song, book, or movie you are listening to/reading please or dishonor Christ? This question will certainly leave certain genres of music out of the question, at least for me, while others must be determined individually.

Posted under Book Reviews, Christianity, Encouraging Quotes, Music, Recommended Reading
[6] Comments 

I have not been able to post lately because life has again gotten busy and even hectic. I have been out of town and my Dad had a terrible heart attack. He is doing simply great and was able to attend church this morning. If the Lord lays it on your heart, please pray for him, my Mom, and the rest of the family. It has been hard on us all, but we rejoice at what God has done! We have much to be thankful for!

Posted under Life at Hidden Pines
[3] Comments 

I am a news junkie, but being we don’t have cable or satellite, I listen to programs through my computer. There are lots of talk radio programs that I love to listen to — like Dennis Miller, Glenn Beck, and Dr. Laura — but we are normally having our homeschooling during the times they are on. We also do not get a clear signal from local stations at our home. I cannot afford to pay the fees to be a member of the talk shows’ websites and have access to the streaming when I want. I have found Streaming Radio Guide, which lists all the times you can hear your favorite shows played online. While you will not be able to find archives of the shows, you can find a station to hear your show at a time that works for you. The website lists all sorts of categories for listening if you don’t care for news talk. This is great if you want to hear a show that your local radio does not carry; for instance, our local Christian stations do not air Dr. Albert Mohler, that I know of. Now, I can listen to my favorite programs while I work around the house after schooling is done for the day. The only problem now is having enough time to listen to the ones I want. I have to miss most of my shows being many are 3 hours long, but I’m thrilled to get to hear some!

PS- Oneplace.com has lots of Christian programming, so that you can listen to your favorite programs at your convenience. They do have archives, which are wonderful! Some ministries featured have more archives than others.

Posted under Christianity, Current Events, News
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Nothing surprises God. What puzzles us is permitted by our Lord, for reasons too profound to grasp. It is put together in the counsel of His own will so that it fits perfectly into His plan for His glory and for His purposes.
–Charles Swindoll

Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight.
– Helen Keller

The temple of glory is built on the threshing-floor of affliction.
–Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Troubles are often the tools by which God fashions us for better things.
–Henry Ward Beecher

The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it.
– John Ruskin

Worry says, The outcome depends on me. It is self-worship. Prayer says, The outcome depends on God. It is God-worship.
–Bill Patterson

One of Wellington’s officers, when commanded to go on some perilous duty, lingered a moment as if afraid, and then said, Let me have one clasp of your all-conquering hand before I go; and then I can do it. Seek the clasp of Christ’s hand before every bit of work, every hard task, every battle, every good deed. Bend your head in the dewy freshness of every morning, ere you go forth to meet the day’s duties and perils, and wait for the benediction of Christ, as He lays His hands upon you. They are hands of blessing. Their touch will inspire you for courage and strength and all beautiful and noble living.
–J. R. Miller

God’s care for us is more watchful and more tender than the care of any human father could possibly be.
–Hannah Whitall Smith

Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way, and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever.
– Isak Denison

He will bring me safe to heaven at last, unhurt by the way.
–Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Every work of God can be traced to some kneeling form.
–Dwight L. Moody

Some of you are going through trials right now that have dropped you on your knees. At the same time those trials are pulling you closer to the Lord than you’ve ever been in your life. That ought to bring rejoicing. You’ll be more closely linked to Him. Some of the mysterious themes threaded through His Word will become clearer because you have been leveled by some unexpected affliction or enduring persecution or facing misunderstanding.
–Charles Swindoll

We count on God’s mercy for our past mistakes; we count on God’s love for our present needs; but we count on God’s sovereignty for the future.
–Augustine

When God moves into our lives, no obstacle can stop him.
–Jim Cymbala

Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.
–C.S. Lewis

Faith does not struggle; faith lets God do it all.
–Corrie ten Boom

God has charged Himself with full responsibility for our eternal happiness and stands ready to take over the management of our lives the moment we turn in faith to Him.
–A. W. Tozer

As a mother, my job is to take care of the possible and trust God with the impossible.
–Ruth Bell Graham

He has a shepherd’s heart, beating with pure and generous love that counted not His life-blood too dear a price to pay for our ransom. He has a shepherd’s eye, that takes in the whole flock, and misses not even the poor sheep wandering away on the mountains cold. He has a shepherd’s faithfulness, which will never fail nor forsake, nor leave us comfortless, nor flee when He sees the wolf coming. He has a shepherd’s strength, so that He is well able to deliver us from the jaw of the lion or the paw of the bear. He has a shepherd’s tenderness–no lamb so tiny that He will not carry it; no saint so weak that He will not gently lead; no soul so faint that He will not give it rest. He pities as a father. He comforts as a mother. His gentleness makes great. He covers us with His feathers, soft and warm and downy; and under His wings do we trust.
–F. B. Meyer

God is our refuge, and what comfort that brings! He is your refuge when you awaken in the night filled with fear, and cold sweat breaks out. He is your refuge, your strength, a very present help when events transpire that you cannot understand.
–Charles Swindoll

Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses and disappointments, but let us have patience and we soon shall see them in their proper figures.
– Joseph Addison

Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door.
–Emily Dickinson

God walks with us. . . . He scoops us up in His arms or simply sits with us in silent strength until we cannot avoid the awesome recognition that yes, even now, He is there.
–Gloria Gaither


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Posted under Christianity, Encouraging Quotes
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A lady at our church sang this song recently, and it really blessed my heart. I have certainly found it to be true. You can read the lyrics below and listen to it on The Chapelaires website here.

Even in the Valley



“High upon this mountain, the sun is shining bright
My heart is filled with gladness here above the cares of life
But I’ve just come through the valley of trouble, fear and pain
It was there I came to know my God enough to stand and say,

“Even in the valley, God is good
Even in the valley, He is faithful and true
He carries His children through, like He said He would
Even in the valley, God is good.”

“This road of life has led you through a valley of defeat,
You wonder if the Father has heard your desperate plea.
But there is hope in that rugged place
Where tears of sorrow dwell
Can’t you hear Him gently whispering
‘I am Here and all is well’”

“Even in the valley, God is good
Even in the valley, He is faithful and true
He carries His children through, like He said He would
Even in the valley, God is good.”

“Even in the valley, God is good
Even in the valley, He is faithful and true
He carries His children through, like He said He would
Even in the valley, God is good.”

“Even In The Valley”
Words and Music by Rebecca J. Peck and Amy Unthank
Thomas Peck Music
Lyrics found at Southern Gospel News.

Posted under Christianity, Encouraging Quotes, Music
[2] Comments