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Title: I Choose God: Stories from Young Catholics
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Manufacturer: Servant Books
List Price: $10.99
Our Price: $5.95
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| Customer Reviews: |
| I Choose God: Stories from Young Catholics by Servant Books speaking one teen to another | | Wonderful conversion stories from the heart of teens and how being Catholic has fulfilled their life. Short, readable, strong stories. | | I Choose God: Stories from Young Catholics by Servant Books From the desk of a Youth Minister | After ordering "I Choose God", I was so impressed with the quick and easy reading style, the diversity of conversion experiences found in the book, and the consistent message found in every story, I knew my teens would be hooked. I ordered over a hundred to distribute freely to all my teens.
Each story only takes about five minutes to read and if you but open to the first page, you may not put it down for hours. This book, in one way or another, resonates with every Catholic teen, regardless if they have yet to, are in the midst of, or have long ago embraced their Catholic faith.
I strongly recommend this book for anyone and everyone looking to ignite, (or return to), zeal for their Catholic faith.
| | I Choose God: Stories from Young Catholics by Servant Books Young adults discover the fullness of truth in the Catholic Church | As the mother of three teenagers and a Catholic youth group leader in my parish, I loved the powerful message of Chris Cuddy's and Peter Ericksen's book! Since reading it myself, I have highly recommended this book to many parents of teenagers and to teens themselves. Growing up in a religious household or not, there comes a time in each person's life where they have to decide to follow Jesus or not. They have to choose for themselves. For this reason, the stories contained in this book are like a valuable treasure that I love to share with others, just as the authors so effectively have done.
The twenty one stories (each on a different chapter in the book), show the universal search for truth and meaning in life that each one of us undergoes. The problems experienced by these young people are things that we can identify with that have happened to us or people that we know.
Although this book has been written for people aged 18 to 34 years of age, as a parent I was shocked to read the last chapter and learn of the dangers of pornography when the author admitted to being exposed to it at age eleven and hooked on it by age fourteen. It taught me that we can never begin too young to speak to our children about the love of God and the dangerous lies of the world.
Thankfully, the young adults here have all come to a deeper faith in Jesus Christ and have discovered on their journey the beauty of faith and the fullness of truth lived out in and through the Catholic Church. At the conclusion of each story, each person's love for God and their joy is evident and is something that we are happy to share with them! The book is an eye-opening experience for all of us whether you are someone who was baptized a Catholic, or not. God calls each one us to holiness. We need only to put some thought and effort into examining who we truly believe Jesus Christ is and how this knowledge can effect our lives. As Andy Swafford in chapter twenty of the book says after spending time in prayer and reading all four of the gospels over Christmas break from college, "The Holy Spirit poured a fervor into me that burned deep within my bones. Finally, for the first time in my life, I had found something that was truly worth living for-indeed, something even worth dying for." You can't ask for anything more honest than that!
| | I Choose God: Stories from Young Catholics by Servant Books Vibrant Faith of Today's Catholic Youth | The common theme in most of these stories led me to the term "hybrid Catholics." As hybrid cars are powered by gasoline and electricity, these individuals are powered by two different and equally important sources: evangelical Christian roots and traditional Catholic teaching. The authors' stories are typical. Ericksen was a cradle Catholic who began questioning his faith in elementary school when his best friend had an accident that left him comatose. Like many of the others represented here, Erickson found his way to a Protestant summer camp leading to six years as "a fired-up, nondenominational, evangelical Christian." He continued his involvement in Protestant youth organizations on the campus of his Catholic college, but came to rethink his "biblical position" during a theology course. Co-author Chris Cuddy started out as a "Catholic-hating evangelical Protestant." During college, he turned to the Catholicism after a crisis of faith during which he met Scott Hahn, Ph.D., a former Protestant minister who is now a Catholic theologian.
The remaining 19 stories often include conversion experiences involving death of someone close or personal crisis such as abortion, addiction, and questions of sexual identity. Christian camps and youth groups figure heavily in many stories, as does influence from Catholic friends. All of the writers express their conversion and commitment to Jesus with evangelical zeal, and many tell of dedication to spreading the word and serving others. As Dr. Hahn says in his foreword, these young people and others like them "give us a personal glimpse into the vibrant faith, hope and love of today's Catholic youth."
| | I Choose God: Stories from Young Catholics by Servant Books Why choose God? | | This quick read provides a touching peek into the personal space of Catholic Christians with real lives and real problems who still chose God. Not a deep theological discussion, but a collection of personal testimonies and glimpses into the variety of ways we can respond when God chooses us--when he "loves on us" in ways that help us see Him. Inspiring and uplifting, this books is great for young converts or those still considering the Catholic Church. |
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