A Passion for Purpose 365 Daily Devotions for Missional Living
by
Kimberly Sowell ~ Edna Ellison ~ Joy Brown ~ Tricia Scribner ~ Marie Alston
(Review by Cindy Jones)
I met Edna Ellison in Yvonne Lehman’s class at the Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference in North Carolina. We chatted about the books she had written. A Passion for Purpose was one of the books she suggested as a good read. A few months later, Edna spoke at the Southern Christian Writers Conference in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I was provoked to tears by her life story as were many others in the audience. I left that conference with A Passion for Purpose in tow.
I asked Edna why she suggested this book over the many others on her resource table. “This is the book I initiated with women I mentored in their speaking and writing,” Edna told me. Again I was touched by her selflessness in promoting others before herself. Edna impressed me as someone who seeks to bless others before serving herself.
A Passion for Purpose didn’t disappoint. As an avid reader, I usually speed through books, but not this one. I was drawn in by the carefully orchestrated rhythm of words that lifted off each page and carried my weary soul to refreshment. After reading A Passion for Purpose, I felt as though I had four new friends as dear as Edna.
Favorite Passage: An Inconvenient Jesus, page 145. “Have you noticed when God gives an opportunity to witness, it’s usually at an inconvenient time? …. Jesus… isn’t on our timed schedule. He appears at unusual moments – usually when we least expect it. We should listen expectantly on those overly-busy days, knowing… (God) may insert a parenthesis in our day.”
Take Away Value: The easy-to-read devotions provided daily insight and inspiration. The writers challenged me to increase my obedience and trust in God.
Beware: This book should come with a yield sign. Passages will cause you to pull over and let the busyness of the day go by while you absorb the truths that can transform your life. If yielding to transformation isn’t in your schedule, speed by this book.
Thank you, Cindy Jones, for posting this review.
I love the other women-authors whom I have mentored over the years. If you have someone on your Christmas list who is “hard to buy for,” this is definitely the book for them. It's designed for Christians who have a passion for His purpose in their lives.
52 leadership devotions, 52 scripture study, 52 spirituality, 52 communication, 52 relationships, 52 ministry, 52 worldview