Do you want to make a difference in this world? Do you care about the sick, the poor, the orphans? Chances are you do, but question whether you can make any significant contribution. In SDWSC (She Did What She Could), Elisa Morgan points to the woman in Mark 14 who anointed Jesus' feet as an example of someone who did what she could. Discover how you can realistically respond to the needs of those around you, even in the midst of family and work demands. Hardcover.

Most of us care. We really do. We care about poverty and injustice, about orphans and the sick. And yet, weighed down by the everyday load of bringing home a paycheck, putting food on the table, and taking care of our family demands, we question our ability to make a difference. Bombarded by one celebrity help-the-world-athon after another, we shrug our shoulders in futility and do absolutely nothing. Enter SDWSC. Based on the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume in Mark 14, SDWSC provides overwhelmed, yet service-seeking, significance-starved readers a realistic response to the seemingly unmeetable needs around us.

If you are looking for a short nonfiction book that will make you think, look no further than Elisa Morgan’s SDWSC (She Did What She Could): Five letters that will change your life. Morgan takes a Bible story many of us are familiar with, Mary of Bethany anointing Jesus with expensive perfume to the dismay of those around her, and applies it to us. We are taken from the impact of Mary’s selfless act to asking ourselves what impact it might have if each of us did what we could, and, finally, what impact it might have if we as a group did what we could. Modern day examples of what it looks like to do what we can are given throughout the book, and will be very helpful in figuring out for ourselves what we can do. Morgan gives a lot of help and some deep ideas to think about for such a short book.

This book, however, is not without its flaws. Morgan can be quite redundant, retelling Mary of Bethany’s story regularly, repeating the “she did what she could” mantra consistently, and asking, “What if we did what we could?” at every turn. It’s clearly done for emphasis, but strikes me as overdone and might strike you the same way. She is easily distracted, as seen in her tangent about what she feels is a popular misconception—that Mary of Bethany’s story is the same as that found in Luke 7 (which is actually about the sinful woman)—and makes a jarring transition back into focus. Finally, she isn’t consistent with her delivery of modern examples—sometimes they appear at the end of a chapter, sometimes they don’t, and (toward the end) sometimes they appear in multiples in the middle of chapters—with no clear reason as to why.

The premise of the book, the deep thinking it will force you to do, and the author’s ultimate point, make this a worthwhile text, but go into it prepared to fight through the repetition, inconsistencies, and confusion. If you are up to the challenge and are looking for a brief nonfiction book to read, and want learn what you can do to make a difference in this world, I strongly recommend it. – Shannon Potelicki, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com

http://www.christianbook.com/could-words-jesus-change-your-life/elisa-morgan/9781414333786/pd/333786

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product_review

__USERID__

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/ask_and_answer

Author: Elisa Morgan
Located in: Centennial, Colorado
Submitted: October 29, 2009

    Tell us a little about yourself.  I'm a regular woman whom God has used in spite of all my very real flaws! I've been married to Evan for over 30 years. I'm a mother of two grown children and a grandmother now too. I served as President of MOPS International for 20 years and now as President Emerita. I'm the publisher of a FREE digital magazine for women of all ages and stages: FullFill. I'm still learning and growing and changing as God works his way in me!

    What was your motivation behind this project?  I was spending time in what I call the "Girl Stories" in the gospels and truly - I just got stuck in this passage! It was during a season when I was questioning just what difference I could truly make on this planet. I knew I couldn't do EVERYTHING but God freed me with Jesus' words of Mary, "She did what she could." (Mark 14:8)

    What do you hope folks will gain from this project?  I pray that people will be incredibly FREED to do what they could in the moment. You don't have to do something BIG to make a difference. I pray this message mobilizes those who haven't yet said yes to service and refresh those who may be "weary in well-doing." When I do what I could and you do what you could and we do what we could - we can change the world with the love of Jesus!

    How were you personally impacted by working on this project?  SDWSC - these five letters representing five words of Jesus: She Did What She Could - have changed my life. I think about them every day. How powerful it is when we live out our faith in action in the minutes and needs right under our nose! A relationship with Jesus results in a response. When we know we are loved, we can live loved!

    Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists?  I've been deeply influenced by the MOPS moms who are acting out their faith in action in the lives of moms around them - even with a baby on their knee!

    Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know:  Check out the book's web site! You can read stories of how God is mobilizing his people through this message. And you can share your story there too!

• Books >> Christian Living >> Spirituality >> Spiritual Growth >> Christian Character & Purpose
• Books >> Christian Living >> Spirituality >> Spiritual Growth >> Lessons from Scripture
• Books >> Personal Growth >> Inspirational >> Inspiring Stories
• Christian Living >> Spirituality >> Spiritual Growth >> Christian Character & Purpose
• Christian Living >> Spirituality >> Spiritual Growth >> Lessons from Scripture
• Start A New Christianbook.com Search