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Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life

Karina Lumbert Fabian (Goodreads Author),

Steven Lumbert

4.26 · Rating details · 23 ratings · 10 reviews

Many times one sees Roman Catholicism explained using either closely reasoned theology or an appeal to ancient writers of the Church. While both are legitimate approaches, the average reader looking to explore the faith is often left cold. In their collaboration, Why God Matters, Deacon Steven Lumbert and his daughter, Karina Lumbert Fabian, delineate the Catholic Faith as ...more

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Hardcover, 114 pages

Published May 3rd 2010 by Tribute Books

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Oct 24, 2010 Fred Warren rated it really liked it

I know Karina Fabian best from her speculative fiction–tales of dragon detectives, spacefaring nuns, superhero misfits, and zombie cookery, filled with engaging characters, sly puns, and wry observations on human nature. While her faith informs all her writing (her tagline is “Fiction, Faith, and Fun”), that faith is front-and-center in this very non-fiction collaboration with her father, Steven Lumbert, a Catholic deacon.

There’s still plenty of fun. Why God Matters is primarily a devotional gui I know Karina Fabian best from her speculative fiction–tales of dragon detectives, spacefaring nuns, superhero misfits, and zombie cookery, filled with engaging characters, sly puns, and wry observations on human nature. While her faith informs all her writing (her tagline is “Fiction, Faith, and Fun”), that faith is front-and-center in this very non-fiction collaboration with her father, Steven Lumbert, a Catholic deacon.

There’s still plenty of fun. Why God Matters is primarily a devotional guide, in the spirit of Brother Lawrence’s The Practice of the Presence of God, but it’s also a personal memoir and meditation on the joys and challenges of life, shared by a father and daughter who love each other very much.

The book provides a series of topical meditations, “life lessons,” each with a scripture passage, an excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a pertinent quotation that summarizes the chapter’s main idea, and a vignette from Karina or Steven.

The vignettes are what really bring this book to life. Karina and Steven share some very personal moments when they’ve recognized God’s presence and intervention in their lives. Sometimes it happens in something as simple as a shared family meal or the give-and-take of a relationship with a friend. Sometimes it’s a life-changing incident, a momentous decision, or a miraculous answer to prayer. These are situations we all encounter, and it’s encouraging to read these accounts of how God met Steven and Karina there and strengthened their faith in the process.

As they note in the introduction, "The stories you’ll find here are ordinary, because quite often, we find our faith in the day-to-day living. After all, what could be more ordinary than taking a step—or a breath? Yet, as St. Patrick said, 'Christ’s breath in mine.'"

This book is written from a Catholic viewpoint with a Catholic audience in mind. I think, though, that any Christian reader would enjoy and benefit from the insights it offers, which transcend sectarian borders. Protestant Evangelical Fred certainly gained a renewed appreciation of how important it is to be aware that God is working in my life every day, and of my corresponding need to respond to that work and cooperate with Him in my spiritual development, becoming more like Him, and participating in the divine nature. That’s what being a Christian, a disciple of Jesus Christ, is all about.

It’s not complicated, but it takes commitment, and you’ve got to keep your head in the game. In its glimpses of one family’s faith journey, Why God Matters illustrates many practical ways to cultivate a daily walk with God. It’s helpful, it’s inspiring, and it’s heartwarming. A great combination, and well worth reading. ...more

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Sep 30, 2010 Ruth Hill rated it it was amazing

I was not sure what I would think about this book when I began reading it. I am a Christian but not a Catholic. In fact, I know virtually nothing about Catholicism. I was not sure how much this book would relate to me.

I was so happy to discover just how much I enjoyed this book. Each chapter was written like a mini-devotional, and it hit me right where I was living. Advice was practical, heartfelt, and Biblically sound. It gave me hope for the desperate situations in which I find myself lately. ...more

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Sep 14, 2010 Christina Weigand rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

There are so many wonderful things in this book I’m not sure where to begin. So I guess I’ll start at the beginning. I’m one of those cradle Catholics. For a long time I mistakenly believed I knew all there was to know about being a Christian. A few years ago, through some life-changing events, I learned that was not the case. In fact I discovered how little I did know. Ms. Fabian and her father, Deacon Lumbert’s book “Why God Matters” reinforced this message and will serve to guide me on my jou There are so many wonderful things in this book I’m not sure where to begin. So I guess I’ll start at the beginning. I’m one of those cradle Catholics. For a long time I mistakenly believed I knew all there was to know about being a Christian. A few years ago, through some life-changing events, I learned that was not the case. In fact I discovered how little I did know. Ms. Fabian and her father, Deacon Lumbert’s book “Why God Matters” reinforced this message and will serve to guide me on my journey to God.

This book reached out and spoke to me in so many ways. I’m not sure I could pick a chapter that didn’t address some part of my life that needed attention. I like the way the chapters tell a very real life story and then show the lesson learned. With Biblical references and quotes from Catechism of the Catholic Church the lessons are driven solidly home. They resonate for cradle Catholics as well as those new to the faith. They encourage us to continue in a life-long pursuit of God and what He can teach us. Like Ms. Fabian says in Chapter 12, entitled My Non-Personal Relationship with God: “I want a relationship with God. I just don’t want it to be “personal.” I want a relationship that encompasses all of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One where he is all-powerful as he is all loving, where he listens to my trivial concerns with benevolence and maybe amusement–yet one where I can rage and share all and come crawling to him when I’m weak and confess my wrongdoings, knowing that no matter how small and wretched I am, he will be there for me, because after all, he is God.”

The book includes fourteen chapters. The chapters are short and to the point and can be easily read in an afternoon, not that I would recommend that. My recommendation is read it through once and then go back and read one chapter a day, or a week or a month. Digest the chapter, figure out how it applies to your life, to your spiritual journey. Embrace the message, make it part of your life. This isn’t rocket science, there may be no bolts of lightning, no burning bushes. Instead just simple life examples that can forever change your life. I truly love the fact, that it is in the simple moments in our lives where we find God. Ms. Fabian and Deacon Lumbert gently and wonderfully remind us of that with their book Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life. I for one am going to start looking and highly recommend this book to any Christian looking to do the same.

Like Ms. Fabian and Deacon Lumbert, I believe St. Vincent De Paul defines this books message best: “The affairs of God are accomplished little by little and almost imperceptibly. The Spirit of God is neither violent nor hasty.”

Check out the website www.whygodmatters.com for more from the authors or have a story to share about your journey.

God Bless,

Christina Weigand
http://www.weigandchris.com ...more

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May 01, 2012 Steven R. McEvoy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2011-best-of, read-2011

This was an amazing little book. The physical book is almost 120 pages. The eBook comes in around 40 pages. But while reading the book, I went back and forth and reread many sections. I probably read the book about 4 times through. I read this as an eBook. The nice thing about it was having it with me all the time, on my iPhone, on my iPad, on my MacBook Pro, on my Desktop or on my Kobo eReader. What made it nice to always have it with me was that often I went back and reread sections a few time ...more

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Jun 26, 2010 Cheryl Malandrinos rated it it was amazing

In this short book, authors Fabian and Lumbert invite readers along on a journey to discover through their experiences how God can be seen in our daily lives. From Deacon Steve's story of being a reluctant convert to Fabian's story of how she stopped being a martyr for the trivial, each chapter brings the reader that much closer to seeing how God impacts our lives, as seen through the eyes of two devoted Catholics.

Books such as these are of interest to me because I'm always searching for that nu ...more

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Sep 27, 2010 CatholicBibliophagist rated it liked it · review of another edition

God may whap a few of us upside the head with a spiritual two by four, but the vast majority of us will only come to a radical conversion of mind, heart, and spirit through the small, everyday choices we make in classroom, kitchen, or cubicle.

This idea is the major thrust of Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life. This is not a book about figuring out what to believe -- though both authors had to do that at different points in their lives. (Deacon Steven Lumbert is a convert; Karina ...more

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Sep 13, 2010 Lenore Webb rated it liked it

You see, I deeply believe that God does work in our lives in little ways that make big differences. You can see how he has done this for others in the book, Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life by Kariana Lumbert Fabian and her father Deacon Steven Lumbert. This has the Seal of Approval from the Catholic Writers Guild. Another lil thing for Dear Hubby and I. You see he is Catholic and I am Baptist, yet we do not have any discourse in our religious beliefs. We come together in all ...more

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Jun 05, 2010 Melissa rated it it was amazing

I truly enjoyed this book. There are 14 chapters in total (told back and forth from Karina and Deacon Lumbert). Each chapter is a very quick read that holds a huge lesson: how with love and faith, you can lead and help spread a wealthy, healthy life. I was a bit concerned this book would be preachy like what I see from TV preachers, but this book has taken a different approach. The authors tell personal stories. REAL stories. The kind of stories that we can all relate to and begin using in our o ...more

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Sep 30, 2010 Mystee rated it really liked it

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Jan 03, 2011 Jeff rated it really liked it

To see my review of this book, go to my blog. ...more

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About Karina Lumbert Fabian

Karina Lumbert Fabian

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Karina Fabian is a science fiction and fantasy writers, author of 16 novels, three anthologies, a devotional and many stories and articles. Her latest science fiction novel, Discovery, features religious sisters in space, and she’s working on rebooting her DragonEye series, which stars a snarky dragon working under the direction of the Church. She teaches writing and is an active member of the Cat ...more