Roadtrip to redemption

 This book wasn't exactly what I expected, but it was good nonetheless.  It was much more a parenting book, than a memoir.  I was thinking it would be more of a memoir of this epic family trip to heal the family.  While it was that more or less toward the end, it wasn't all about that.  Since I'm not a parent at times it wasn't relevant to me.  But I still gathered some great thoughts.  For instance, "earned faith."  He states we don't like the ultimate grace concept because it excludes us from having anything to contribute. We "need" to have a role - any role - in the great story of our lives.  As hardworking religious folks it doesn't seem fair that we don't get credit for our efforts.  Yet when we lean on grace plus our efforts, we end up having guilt, shame and failure.  Another one - When facing a storm, which we'll all have, we have 2 choices.  Stay where we are out of fear of the dangerous unknown, or take a risk and fight through the fear to push us on.  Staying put often feels safe, but it's a choice not to grow, a choice to hold on to our fears.  While our goal is to keep things from getting worse, God's purpose is to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. One last, is one I've heard and/or experienced so many times.  We keep asking for God to show up, to answer our prayers, and we end up frustrated when our heart cries go unanswered.  But God does answer.  We miss His response because we expect Him to show up the way we planned it.  I'll quote him directly. "When we feel like our prayers have been deemed unimportant in God's eyes, we have to learn to quiet ourselves and remember what he has told us.  Then we wait patiently in prayer, keeping our spiritual eyes open to the unexpected yet wonderful ways God will show up."  Reminds me of one of my favorite verses.  "Be still and know that He is God!"