92 Car

I enjoyed this book. It was interesting to read about how strong Jimmy Carter’s is and very uplifting.

I enjoyed this book , so encouraging to read about a faithful polititian. That is really living his faith.

It was what I would expect from Jimmy Carter. He took bible verses and related them to different stages in his life.

Religion is all too often viewed in a negative light these days; Jimmy Carter's book Living Faith does a good job of show the positive effects religion can have. Carter reiterates time and time again that "We need God's presence at all times - not just when life is at its most difficult." (Page 33). This is central to all of Carter's ideas; he likes to mention how he has evolved into a better man in every period of his life due to his constant relationship with God. A specific example Carter gives of how religion helped him in a big way is that it saved his marriage. He and his wife had problems but councilors did not seem to help, whereas they "could share our most troubling crises through prayer, often individually - sometimes together." (Page 73). Carter soon found that most of his problems found a way to work themselves out when he let God be involved in them. Less important than his marriage, but perhaps more impressive, is Carter's abilities for forgiveness that he learned over time. After many years of teaching Sunday-school, Carter learned the centrality of forgiveness to a good and happy life and would write "letters to people involved (in conflicts), saying that I hoped we could be reconciled." (Page 86). The world would be a much better place with almost no war if everyone possessed Carter's ability for forgiveness. The book, while it did not have a compelling plot, action or drama, is a worthwhile read because of the positive effects the ideas could have on the world.

Excellent. This book will motivate me to read some his other books.

Bloated with meaning. Written by a hero.

I swear I'm going to finish this.

Update: Some day I will finish this.

Update: I may never finish this.

This was a book given to me from my mother's extensive library. I placed it on my bookshelf and there it sat for a few years. With the passing of President Carter, I finally read this wonderful book. With each page I wished that I had picked it up sooner. As one of my heroes, I already knew he was an amazing man who lived an extraordinary life.
This was published in 1996, beginning as notes from years of teaching Sunday School classes. The book presents practical applications of the Christian faith. Unfortunately, many of his concerns with the way our faith has been misused as a tool of division have come to pass. A few quotes:

“We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.”
Miss Julia Coleman, Jimmy Carter's former teacher.

"Unfortunately, many people of faith today focus more on the quarrels that divide us than on the values that unite us."

“However, both the Amish and the Mennonites offer significant examples of Christian living for me because of their apparently successful attempt to live out, within their close-knit families and communities, the principles of peace, humility, and service above the grasping for modern luxuries.” p 260

"Love God and the person in front of you"
attributed to Ely Cruz by Jimmy Carter

In this book President Carter talks about how his faith and values have shapedhis life. This book is 5 star must read book.

I found a signed copy of this at a Goodwill and it is a treasure for me. It's not brilliant, but it's real.

I give it four stars for his authenticity and for the one joke he includes in it:

A rich man dies and goes to heaven. St. Peter stops him at the gates and asks what he ever did for the poor. He says that during the Great Depression, he gave a beggar on the street fifty cents. And then another time, he gave a migrant family another fifty cents.
St Peter calls out, "Give the man his dollar back and tell him to go to hell."

I love Jimmy.

I thought it was time to read this book as Jimmy Carter goes into hospice care. There were few surprises, (though there were some) as I think this man has led an exemplary life. He did not always make the most popular choices as president, and many regarded him as weak. I think in retrospect we will see that he was a very good president. Even better, we will remember the example he set after leaving office of continuing to work for the benefit of the nation and the world.
I am very well versed in the Southern Baptist Culture and the bible, so I was not surprised by what he says about the foundation for his plan for his life. He is not one who sought to make a lot of money or to receive a lot of fame. In this way, although he is a well known politician and statesman, he lives a quiet life and enjoys his friends and family. This is part of what the title of the book means. Our world will be better for his having lived.