Review/Giveaway: Finding Inner Peace

A WINNING READINGS GIVEAWAY!

Title: Finding Inner Peace During Troubled Times
Author: William Moss
Genre: Christian nonfiction personal growth
How to enter: Leave a comment on THIS post right here! If you're a subscriber or a follower, leave a second comment for a second entry.
Entry deadline: March 25, 2010
Restrictions: Open internationally!

That's right, enter right here for this giveaway.

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Peace is a good thing, I think we all agree.  But in the hustle and bustle of daily living, it's easy to lose sight of it unless we are intentional in pursuing it.  That's what this book is about.

Finding Inner Peace During Troubled Times, by William Moss, is published by The Barnabas Agency.  This short 64-page book includes lots of room to write your throughts and prayers as you meditate on the subject of peace.  List price is $5.99.

Here's a description of the book: 

In his new book, Finding Inner Peace During Troubled Times, author William Moss shows readers that inner peace is indeed attainable in the person and presence of Jesus. As a high-powered businessman and a key political decision-maker, Moss has faced his share of daily distractions. For over a decade, he has studied and practiced the lost art of Christian meditation. “I believe God wants us to find peace and will show us the way, if we are willing to accept it. But for many, the peace of God is elusive. They are not sure how to accept it or where to begin in their pursuit of it,” says Moss. “There are many difficulties, distractions, and hardships that stand in the way of our inner peace. Sometimes these are due to our circumstances. Other times it is our sin or the attitudes of our hearts that stand between us and the inner peace we crave. Through prayer and meditation we can transcend all the distractions and difficulties of our days if we live by the Spirit and put God’s love and presence first.”

Many believers are wary of any form of meditation because of its association with Eastern religions. These Christians might be surprised to learn that meditation was regarded as a key spiritual discipline throughout church history. Eastern meditation focuses on emptying the mind completely. Christians find inner peace by filling their minds—with scripture and with the presence of the Holy Spirit. Another fundamental difference is the motivation behind the meditation. Peace, like life, is a gift from God that is for His glory—and it is meant to be shared. For those who are in Christ, meditation is not about practicing the kind of self-focus that precludes people from being involved in the solutions of the many problems that confront them. It is communion with God through the Holy Spirit. It is letting go of anger, worry, and fear and taking on the loving, serving character of Christ instead.

Finding Inner Peace During Troubled Times uses key scriptures to demonstrate God’s gift of peace to every believer. This slender book encourages readers to be intentional about pursuing that peace, even including a simple, step-by-step example of Christian meditation. This is a perfect book to take anywhere you go, put in your purse, backpack or briefcase and refer to throughout the day.

This book is simple and straightforward.  You can easily read it in one sitting, but its purpose would be best-served with quiet contemplation on each page, which in many cases consists of just a short passage of Scripture.

The basic premise and benefit I got from the book is that our peace needn't be determined by our circumstances.  I can be in the middle of two-year-old chaos and feel peace.  God has blessed us with that ability, that gift, if we choose to accept it.

I did see a red flag in this section:  "Can we find inner peace here on earth?  Will we be able to refuse all temptation?...I believe we can if we clear our minds of everything except God's love and peace during prayer and Christian meditation..."

I believe that it is part of our inherent being, our nature, that we are unable to find perfect peace on earth.  For a moment, perhaps, but the moment we think WE'VE got it, it disappears.  Even at our best, we unintentially hurt people and cause all kinds of conflict.  Quite frankly, until Christ changes our nature upon His return, we will not completely reflect His likeness, and I don't think that should be our goal.  The goal is a relationship with Him, who covers all our imperfections if we allow.

That being said, I found this book to be a refreshing break in my busy day.  Striving to be constantly aware of God's love and presence is something we all could do more of.  I'd love to share that refreshment with you

For more information, visit the author's website:  http://www.williammoss.org/. Or listen to an interview with William Moss at www.ureadbooks.com/moss. You can also see his blog at http://www.findingchristpeace.blogspot.com/.

Thanks to The B&B Media Group, Inc. for the review and giveaway copies of this book!