Life's a Beach . . . With a Major Oil Spill and a Few Great Whites and a Lot of Pirhanas.

I am not being cynical or pessimistic. I have recently become aware of a myriad of sinful lifestyles in my own family. Unlike the author of the book I reviewed Tuesday, I don't come from a long line of exemplary marriages or Godly relations. I cannot pity myself, for I know God is sovereign and He put me in my family for a specific purpose, nor can I congratulate myself, for it is only by His grace, through His salvation, that I am saved and living a life that is holy unto Him. I must say that I am disappointed by the things I have learned, but those things only serve to highlight God's faithfulness to me, and to show me just what He's saved me from. At one time, I, too, was foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. I lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating others. But when the kindness and love of God my savior appeared, He saved me, not because of the righteous things I had done, but because of His mercy. (Titus 3:3-5.)