101 Cups of Water: Relief and Refreshment for the Tired, Thirsty Soul

Excellent collection of brief, one page devotionals with a photo on the opposite page. Good for couples' devotions. The interesting photos carry along the water theme of the book. The common theme is that the grace of God extends to believers through all of their lives: We are saved by grace and live by grace as well, not by law-keeping or our own performance. We are accepted by the Father because of Christ's finished work, we can rest from our own. The author gently shows us the many ways we lapse back into justifying ourselves needlessly. Well worth the read.

I really, really loved this book. So many times I've run ahead of God, taken things into my own hands, forgot to ask Him what I should do. Too many times, He's had to pick me up, dust me off, and dry my tears. I found myself in most of these devotionals. Each one spoke to my heart. C. David Baker points out a valuable truth; it's our failures that lead us closer to God. Each time we fall, each time we fail, and come seeking mercy and forgiveness, He not only gives us what we need, our dependence on His grace and mercy strengthens the bond between us. He starts out by asking if we're the prisoner of good intentions, and I think, truthfully, most of us are. But sometimes good intentions can run ahead of good judgment, and that's when we need to sip from one of these cups. The first cup is a Cup of Grace, followed by a Cup of Signifiance, a Cup of Abundnce, a Cup of Dependence, and more and more refreshing cups, each touching me in some way. This book should have a place on every Christian's bookshelf. Strongly recommended.

Baker opens his heart and lets us in on a secret: he's a failure at living the Christian life... but he shows us that failures look to Jesus and in our weakness we become strong in his strength. So many Christian books intending to inspire just feed the empty promise of self-effort but Baker challenges us to give up and dare to believe in God's grace through Jesus Christ based on what he objectively accomplished on our behalf 2000 years ago on the cross! Each of the 101 cups is a sip of applied truth of a believer's sonship. We should hand these out like carrot sticks to our friends hung up on self-absorbed law keeping (especially the worst legalists I know: me, myself and I)...

101 Cups of Water: Relief and Refreshment for the Tired, Thirsty Soul by C.D. Baker is an absolutely charming book. It's a small hardcover filled with simple black and white photos that compliment essays by Baker about faith and the human spirit. Each essay fills only one page, and with titles like A Cup of Healing and A Cup of Strength, it's easy to find one to suit the needs of your spirit whatever the circumstance. The essays are written in first person, so it's easy to relate and learn along with the writer. I really enjoyed reading a few essays each night. I'd flip through the book looking for a title or picture that caught my eye, and then the essay would capture my heart. This book would make a terrific gift for yourself or someone else.

I'm using this book as a devotional. Each topic or reflection has its own page accompanied with a beautiful black and white photo. Just staring at the photos for awhile has a calming, centering effect. Reading 101 Cups of Water is a great way to begin and direct my quiet devotional time in the mornings.