Friday, April 16, 2021

About the Book

Book: Who Put the Vinegar in the Salt

Author: Linda Wood Rondeau

Genre: Nonfiction/Christian living/Bible study

Release date: December 31, 2020

The world offers much beneficial self-help advice. Shouldn’t the Christian seek to be the best possible version of themselves? Aren’t we supposed to be good people?

Why not look to the world to solve life’s problems?

Because God has called us to be salt.

While there is much good to be found, like vinegar, the world’s best advice falls short of God’s recipe to live a victorious Christian life.

In a down-home, friendly manner, the author provides analogies, inspirational stories, anecdotes, a wealth of Scripture, and optional study guides for both individuals and groups, inviting the believer to discover God’s desires for his salt.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

By the author of I Prayed for Patience, God Gave Me Children.

A veteran social worker, Linda Wood Rondeau’s varied church experience and professional career affords a unique perspective into the Christian life. When not writing or speaking, she enjoys the occasional round of golf, visiting museums, and taking walks with her best friend in life, her husband of over forty years. The couple resides in Hagerstown, Maryland where both are active in their local church. Readers may learn more about the author, read her blog, or sign up for her newsletter by visiting www.lindarondeau.com.

More from Linda

Empty Nets

Part of my job as a point-of-sales associate at a Jacksonville department store was to solicit store credit. Right or wrong, my employee evaluation was based upon how well I convinced customers that a credit account is just what they needed. Every store had its quota, and management kept close tabs on credit totals. Most days, I met my expectations and maintained a top-ten score.

But not that day.

Due to special sales promotions, the store was hopping with customers. Associates were sounding their successes all around me. Congratulations went over the com system to everyone, it seemed, but me. I felt worthless. I’d done all I knew how to do and my nets were empty. To make matters worse, a supervisor came to my register. “Let me show you how to get credit.”

I wanted to quit … to close out my drawer and go home.

Then a little girl came by the register. She looked at me and smiled. The joy I felt through interacting with her reminded me of the many blessings my job offered … a chance to minister, to lighten a load with a smile, and a promise to pray. God reminded me that my worth in his eyes had nothing to do with quantity, but rather availability. My spirits soared with the thought. Had I not been down, I would not have known the joy of being lifted up.

God reminded me about the apostle Peter’s bad fishing day. I imagine Peter was a fisherman among fishermen … noted for his big hauls. Not this day. In Luke’s account of Peter’s call, Jesus saw the two boats. Perhaps other fishermen made fun of Peter’s empty nets.

Then Jesus came and a large crowd followed him. He asked the fishermen to put the boats out a little from shore where He preached to the throng. Then he asked them to go to deeper waters and cast their nets. I suppose Peter thought the request was absurd. “We’ve been fishing all day and have caught nothing.”

But, because it was Jesus who asked, Peter reluctantly set a course as directed. Imagine his surprise when he caught so many, the boat nearly sunk from the weight of his haul. Then Jesus said something even more amazing. “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Peter realized his worth to God did not equal the number of fish in his net. God had a more important role for Peter. And he dropped his nets and followed Jesus.

The thought occurred to me, that if it had not been for empty nets, Peter would not have known how wonderfully God can fill them.

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV).

MY REVIEW

I found the book to be quite interesting and gave me much to think about. I never really thought about being salt until I read this book. The author clearly defines what it means. I loved her illustration when the salt and vinegar mixed together. Now it was contaminated and the only way we can be free from sin is to be restored. This is where we ask Jesus into our heart if we have not done it before. To be restored we need to ask Him to forgive us. God “sees only the perfection he intends for us.”

As I was reading this book I thought how cool it would be to illustrate salt mixing with vinegar to show in a Sunday school class. Kids are visual these days and to see what happens when vinegar mixes with salt would be a perfect example of how sin tries to mix with our pure hearts. Oh my what a sermon this could be for everyone. We have allowed bitterness, jealousy, gossip, and so many other things to taint us, that we are not the salt of the earth as God wanted. So how do we fix this problem?

The book is filled with scriptures and illustrations from the Bible that direct us to turn away from our wicked ways and follow Jesus. I love how the author has provided questions, and scriptures at the end of chapters to further dig into the topic you just read. It definitely could be used as a Bible Study and would interesting to discuss with others. I really liked the chapter about spiritual hunger. We sometimes let pride get in the way of admitting our sins and slowly slip into our old ways. Vinegar starts mixing in and before we know it, we have stepped away from our faith. God wants us to pursue Him. The scripture found in Psalm 42:1 says, “As the deer pant for water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.” What a beautiful way to express how much we want to be in His presence and hunger for His Word.

I really enjoyed this book and it gave me more hunger for His Word. The book is easy to understand and guides readers to a relationship with God. It is time for us to be His hands and feet and go out and be disciples. Show love to all and continue to grow in His Word.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.