Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World

by Kathi Macias

Book Overview

In Beyond Me, readers will have ten chapters of thought-provoking text that helps them see clearly the distinction between their ever-increasing clash of cultures--the clash between life and death or, in other words, you and me. Written in a warm, personal, and easy-to-read-and-understand style, Beyond Me is an invitation to pursue true discipleship. In poignant, humorous, but always vulnerable and meaningful examples, readers will find...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1596692200
• ISBN13: 9781596692206
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: New Hope Publishers (AL)
• Length: 202 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Kindle Your Heart

Kathi Macias slices right through the "Me-First" sickness plaguing our culture. The tip of that knife exposed my own tendency to lethargy and pitfall of "good things". What does God have in mind for me? Can I find the New Testament Jesus in today's trappings? Macias calls from personal examples and meaty scripture," Search!" Search hard for a relationship with God that is more than just a glance through a dusty rearview mirror. Let the principles of "Beyond Me" kindle the coals in your soul that cry for fire. Two hundred pages, places to scribble, and sidebars that hook you. I'll be hanging on to this book for a long time. But I'll share.

Beyond Me Living

I admit that after scanning the table of contents when I picked up my friend Kathi Macias' book, "Beyond Me. Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World," I went directly to the appendix! I adored my father and no way could I wait until after I'd read the entire book to see what Kathi had written about her dad. Unusual as it might be, the appendix, with Kathi's story of her dad, became my launch pad into the balance of her wonderfully created guide to living life more fully. In each chapter, she gently lifted me, shaking the pretense out of me, skillfully opening Scripture time and time again with examples of how to live for others within a world that so much of the time is utterly "me first." As I read Kathi's words, she walked me through those familiar scriptures with new eyes. I filled in blanks with my personal experiences and was uplifted in the promise that with Jesus, I really can live more fully beyond myself. If you, like me, tend to skim quickly across the surface of busy days, you will be taught and mentored well in using Beyond Me in your daily meditation and worship. Keep it close, drink it in, and allow it to help stretch and strengthen your spiritual walk with the Lord. Sally Chambers, Author of Contemporary Inspirational Fiction

Moving More Beyond Me

In her book, Kathi Macias reminds us that our greatest enemy is a hard heart. Because of our pride plus our American independent attitude of..."I can do it myself," we are prone to wander from our Heavenly Father and from each other. Instead of being proud of our works, God calls us to a humble recognition that all is the result of His grace. God established human relationships and we need each other. We are called to have a spirit of reconciliation, restoration, and servanthood, but how can we do this? Kathi uses warm real life experiences to show us and applies Scripture effectively to convict, inform, and challenge. Kathi's conclusions can become a life-changing experience for those who get the message. I was deeply touched by Kathi's book, and I highly recommend it!

Beyone Me: You-First Living in a Me-First World

I had the great privilege and honor of reading Kathi's book, BEYOND ME: LIVING A YOU-FIRST LIFE IN A ME-FIRST WORLD, when it was still in the manuscript stages. To say I was deeply moved is an understatement. Kathi writes with the unique combination of a writer's heart for truth and a pastor's heart of love. Her book, written, in my opinion, "for such a time as this", addresses the spirit of compromise that has infiltrated the Body of Christ and provides solutions to overcoming that spirit. Sharing examples from her own life, Kathi simultaneously admonishes and encourages as she shares hard truths that may be uncomfortable for us to hear and to face but must, nevertheless, be addressed if we are to become faithful followers of Jesus Christ. If you are hungry to move to a deeper level in Christ, and if you are ready to shed your Christian complacency, read BEYOND ME. But don't just read it; apply it in your life. Its message will take you to a new dimension of relationship both with God and with your fellow man. If you're serious about following Jesus Christ, this book is a must-read.

Beyond Me, Me, Me

Who wants to admit, "Life is really all about me. I'm the center of my own universe. In fact, let me teach you my personal theme song--`Me me me me me me me.'" Confession: I've had to do exactly that on a few occasions: admit to myself and God that, despite my humble appearances, I was totally self-absorbed at times. As a professional writer, occasional speaker, and member of my church worship team I received a lot of pats on the back from friends and family. At the same time I entered adulthood with a lot of hidden insecurities that triggered the need for validation and constant reminders that I was loved. I never set out to put myself first. I'm known for being generous, kind, and compassionate. But a series of circumstances revealed that my need to be the best, the most loved friend, and on and on often caused even my ministries and acts of kindness to be about me. Ouch! When I found out about Kathi Macias' new book Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First world I knew I needed to read it. I got sucked in immediately, as she told the story of when God told her, "Somebody needs to set up the chairs." Could I ever relate? She went on to share her testimony of how she came to Christ and learned to truly live for Him, challenging the reader to examine what it really means to live for Christ. I wouldn't say that this is an easy book to read. It's convicting and sobering. Yet, Kathi writes in such a warm, relatable, vulnerable style that I never felt hammered or condemned. Instead I wanted to let God use her words to continue changing me. Each chapter includes examples from her own life and how she learned about sacrifice, serving, Christ-like love, and pursuing God's heart. Her reflective questions and space for recording thought provide opportunities to record what He is doing. It's no exaggeration when I say that every Christian should read this book. No matter how closely we guard our exposure to media we are constantly bombarded with "Self first" messages. Beyond Me is a beautiful reminder of Who really comes first (or should come first) in our lives. I could go on and on about how much I loved this book. Instead, I suggest you experience it for yourself.