50 Shades of God: Reflections on the Nature and Beauty of God (50 Shades of God Series) - Softcover

50 Shades of God is an attempt to show case the Love and wonders of God in the modern era. This book is not a critique of the book or the movie, 50 Shades of Grey. It is my effort to share with you some of the treasures I found in my search for God. I probably cannot make the subject of God more interesting than sex, but I can share with you some of the highlights of His nature. I have been looking for God since the age of 5. I have a very inquisitive nature and I was always questioning my parents and grandparents about God and about the "Why?'s" of life. As I stumbled through my teenage years, God was not a priority. But, even through my wilder days, I would always think about Him. He was always at the back of my mind. When I hit my early twenties, life got more serious and I got more curious. I stumbled across a couple of books about God that changed my entire view of life. As I began to search for clues about God in those 2 books, my mind came alive. I could not believe some of the things that I was reading about God. In fact, I was kind of angry. "Why haven't I seen this before? Why hasn't someone told us these things?" The study of God became a passion. For me, it was right up there with hiking, fishing, and watching college and NFL football. In fact, I dedicated my life to God. But more than that, I was fascinated by the subject of God Himself. He was the most interesting subject I had ever run across. I wanted to learn "the deeper things of God". The first book that my wife and I ever read together was a book by J.I. Packer entitled, Knowing God. That book gave us a great foundation for the future, but it was just the tip of the iceberg. It was just a start. God is so much greater than all of the sum of my greatest thoughts of Him. He is the lover of our souls. But, over the years, there have been great times, and tragic times. There have been ups and downs, there have been miscarriages, suicides, and sudden death. The road has not always been easy, and my thoughts toward God have not always been rosy. In fact, I went through a 5 year period where I was mad at God. I was hurt. Something precious had been taken from us, and I didn't know how to handle it. I wasn't as much mad as I was sad. Sad not only about the pain in the lives of those I loved, but sad about the human condition. However, during those 5 years of distance from God, I never stopped talking to Him. I am no spiritual giant at all, but I still prayed even when it hurt. There is a sense in which I believe God carried me during those years. He knew I was hurting, and His pain over me was greater than my own. I emerged from those years of darkness with a greater faith than I have ever had. My wife and I are not thankful for the losses that caused the pain, but we are thankful for the lessons were learned through the pain and we are grateful that God is so much greater than the pain. This book is not about pain. It is not a critique of 50 Shades of Grey. It is an attempt to show you a greater God, a God who loves us, a God who feels our pain, but also a God who does not share His deepest mysteries with His most distracted children. As Jesus put it so straightforwardly, "God does not cast His pearls before swine." Kind of rough language, I know. But, for those who look for Him with all of their heart, they will find Him. And He is spectacular and beautiful. He is awesome. I am in my mid-fifties now, and I have spent more than 50 years looking for the secrets of God. I have more than 700 notebooks of information on God, science, theology, business, psychology, and so on. I am very selective about the books I read. In this book, I begin to share with you some of the great things I have found. I am nobody special. I am just one beggar telling other beggars where he found some bread. Thank you for taking the time to read this summary of my book, 50 Shades of God. May God begin to give you the desires of your heart.