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Raves and Reviews |
| LifeKeys |
| Reviewed by Pastor John Bergson |
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LifeKeys: Discovering...Who You Are; Why You're Here; and What You Do Best is written by Jane A.G. Kise, David Stark, and Sandra Krebs Hirsh and published by Bethany House Publishers. "People in all times have wanted to contribute to their world in their own unique ways. But today that wish is a necessity. The marketplace demands we communicate our distinctiveness. Our own search for purpose pushes us to understand our lives. And God invites us to discover how He has uniquely created us. LifeKeys is acomprehesive guide to discovering your talents, spiritual gifts, passions, values, and personality-all that God made you to be. Engaging stories, inventories, self-tests, and other easy-to-use exercises make LifeKeys a one-of-a-kind tool." (Excerpt from back cover.) Overview: Are you aware of your spiritual gifts? Have you ever worked in a job you thought you'd like but found out it wasn't for you? Did you know that God has a purpose for you, and do you know what it is? Have you struggled with life choices wondering who you are and where you are going? Do you ever question your priorities and wonder why you can't seem to do the things you want to? If you said yes to any of the above, then you might want to read LifeKeys . LifeKeys is written in a way to help people understand who they are and why we do many of the things we do. It is not a therapy book. It won't straighten out your life and it does not provide how to tips for living. It won't make choices for you, but it does provide information that is necessary for making informed choices. Are you thinking about changing your job? Are you considering another field? Then perhaps you would benefit from chapters 2 (Life Gifts: Doing What Comes Naturally), 4 (Personality Types: Melodies for Life), 5 (Values: Chords That Touch Your Soul) and 7 (Life Choices: Orchestrating Your Priorities). Are you wondering about a career in the church? Then perhaps you will benefit by reading 2, 3 (Spiritual Gifts: God's Special Instruments), 4, 5, 6 (Passions: What God Puts in Your Heart), 7, and 8 (Service: For Whom Will You Play). Or are you looking at the possiblity of leading a class on Discerning Your Giftedness? This makes an excellent tool for initiating discussions in the group. The appendix has more information on how to lead this as a class, and an outline for leading each chapter. (TIP: If you decide to lead a group, it may be helpful to familiarize yourself with the Myers-Briggs personality typing index. Please Understand Me is one good resource.) You can read through it chapter by chapter or read the ones that appeal to your particular circumstance. The book uses questions, surveys, stories and some theory to help you understand more about what makes you and the person sitting next to you tick. Criticism: LifeKeys can over generalize people's ways a bit much. I personally think that Myers-Briggs is a bit over used and does not live up to everything its believers maintain. LifeKeys integrates the spiritual with the personality and it provides food for thought, at best. One small disappointment was the references to religious beliefs. Though there is a lot of scripture quoted and references to God, I thought the book was a little weak on really connecting all of who we are to our faith in Jesus Christ. For the most part it does this, but there are a few quirks for picky people like me to disagree with. Overall Rating: Overall, I give this book a high 5 for those who want a book that is, at times, too hard to put down. |
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