Simple Obsession

by Jamie West Zumwalt

When you are in the zone, everything peripheral blurs and fades, leaving only the object of your attention. You might be an athlete in your finest moment, a gunfighter on an old Tucson street, a virtuoso exulting in the music, an artist absorbed in the next stroke... a follower of Jesus, brilliantly consumed by the beauty of the One. There is a vast difference between knowing about God and knowing God. We can spend hours in church- attending worship services, participating in outreach ministries, teaching Sunday School, hosting small group meetings- spending ourselves in service to the Lord. Yet in the midst of all the activity, it is possible for us to remain void of relationship and intimacy with Him. The more we strive, the more God seems to be an impersonal, mystical, distant being. Many of us sense that something is missing and woefully inadequate in our spiritual pilgrimages. We see others leaving the church and the faith, as their excitement and passion for Jesus wanes all too often because we have perpetuated the lie of church-ianity, seeking relationship through ritual. We have lost our simple obsession, the grand, wholehearted, unifying pursuit that becomes our center of life. Speaking from her own experiences as a fellow journeyer, Jesus-follower and missionary trainer, Jamie paints an honest picture of her own search for a meaningful, passionate, transformative relationship with God. Her insight into God's desires to be our closest friend, our compassionate father and our tender lover will soften and restore any heart. For all who are struggling or simply going through the motions, these pages will launch you into an exciting new level of reality with Jesus. This guide will show you the way out of unfruitful religious wastelands and into abundant life with your simple obsession.

264 pages, Paperback

Reviews

[Abbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet, compelling, honest book by a sweet, compelling, honest girl! (If you've ever seen Jamie you'll understand why I think of her as a girl even though she has 5 kids.) I think it will make you excited about risks and genuine-ness and committing to compassion wholeheartedly.

[James R · Rating 1 out of 5]

Obsession is the perfect way to title and describe this book. Here’s the thing obsessive behavior is not necessarily healthy behavior. Want to know how to hear Jesus talk to you? This book is for you. I am absolutely convinced the author believes everything she has written in this deeply disturbing book. The one positive thing I can say is that the author seems to have re-channeled her obsession into a socially useful purpose in Oklahoma City. And for that I genuinely say good for her, but on the merits of this book alone proceed with extreme caution. Much of what she describes as ministering reads to me like the typical emotional manipulation of evangelicalism. The book was written a few years ago and there’s a chance some of her extreme save-the-world missionary zeal may have been redirected and calmed down. In person she now projects herself to be a sweet loving socially conscious person who now just wants to create a safe healthy place where some of her city’s most marginal and marginalized people live and can safely come and hang out, have some coffee, get some food, some clean clothes and be referred for needed services. But, again, taking the book at face value when her goals were much different, I’d advise giving her and her book a wide cautious berth.

[Kacy Lou Leyba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down one of the best books I have ever read!!! Jamie speaks directly to the heart of women all around the world and especially women who have experienced trauma on a large or small scale.

I highly recommend this book!

[Britni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book! Plus I know the Author!

[Christi Flagg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great autobiography/prayer manual. I was reading this along with the new biography of Detrich Bonhoeffer and was encouraged to spend more time reading the Bible and listening to God.