The back of the book cover states: "Do you feel like: I don't pray enough, I don't read my Bible enough, I don't share my faith enough, I don't love God enough, I'm not committed enough, I'm not spiritual enough. Then this book is for you." And indeed is is! Yaconelli gets right to the point of setting straight those of us who feel like less than worthy Christians on a daily basis.

Anyone feeling disconnected from other worshipers in the Christian Faith.

The four Nonprinciples of Spiritual Growth (emphasis added).
Nonprinciple one: "Spiritual Growth Encompasses a Lifetime of Decisions" seems to me like the difference between my husband and my definitions of a clean house. I want clean and lived-in is OK. My husband wants clean, spotless and barrren. I always tell him it is unnatural; that no one can live in a spotless home.
Nonprinciple two: "Spiritual Growth Looks Different on Each of Us" reminds me that if every Christian were in the valley at the same time, who would be the "bridge over troubled waters" or the hand reaching down to pull us up to lean.
Nonprinciple three: "Give God 60 Percent" is explained best by Yaconelli, "Sometimes a 70 percent commitment is 100 percent of all we have to give...God will show up in whatever percentage we give him..." .
The last nonprinciple speaks for itself, "Reluctant Growth is Still Growth."

And did, flag parts that will be quite appropriate for sermons or guidance in essays of my own.

At ease with my own faith. There are several people in my church and personal life that would have me live down to their expectations of me. This book showed me I am not living down but doing the best that I can with my God-given gifts.

Michael Yaconelli had me chuckling so much in some places, I think my husband was ready to read the book.

It is an easy and comfortable read.

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Created Oct 01, 2005 at 11:20pm • Submit your own review...