giveaway

Book Review: Dear Sister, Letters of Hope and Encouragement

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When we think of missionaries, we may sometimes glamorize it and somehow believe that people who are involved in overseas ministry are spiritual giants and not susceptible do discouragement or doubts. However, that is just not the case. Missionaries and their spouses need encouragement just as much, if not more that people in ministry in our own country.

Dear Sister is a collection of letters Gisela Yohannan, who serves as the international director of Gospel for Asia, to both the women in ministry throughout Asia, as well as the wives of ministers. This collection of letters spans from 1999 to 2005 and are actual letters that went out to the women over those years. She really encourages the women with scripture and calls out the women to really step up and step out for Christ. At the end of every letter there are very specific prayer requests that allow the reader to see what Gospel for Asia is doing throughout those years.

In the area where I live, there are a lot of refugees from many of the areas mentioned in the book. It is so neat to see how this ministry may have served the very people who would have been parents of some of the kids I may have taught over the years. It makes the plight of the people in Asia more tangible.

I hope you will check out Dear Sister. If you would like to get your own free downloadable copy of this book here

Giveaway Time!

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During the last financial crisis, in 2009, I was laid off from my job. It was a scary time for me and my husband. It’s hard to explain the emotions you go through.

Now we are in a whole new era with a different kind of crisis. So many have once again been laid off or furloughed from their jobs. There is a lot of uncertainty. Because of that, I want to give away 5 copies of the book I wrote born out of my own time of crisis, Finding God in the Wilderness: Learning to Trust God During Times of Uncertainty.

Entering is easy, simply comment on this post for yourself or tell me about a friend who you would like to enter (you can definitely do both). Please share this post on your social media as well!.

I will pick 5 winners on my wedding anniversary, April 28th.

If you just can’t wait until then, you can order a copy here.

 

Book Review: The Marriage Ark

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If you have been married for more than a day, it is pretty certain that you have encountered conflict in one form or another. It is inevitable for two people to live in a close relationship day in and day out without rubbing each other the wrong way from time to time. Regardless of whether you have been married in the past to someone else, have lived together, or have been dating for a long time, when you get married you enter a new level of relationship. This new relationship is one you enter with all the best intentions to make last, yet around 41% of 1st marriages end in divorce. I have yet to attend a wedding where the bride, or groom didn’t have all sorts of dreams about the future, none of which included divorce.

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In The Marriage Ark: Securing Your Marriage in a Sea of Uncertainty, author Margaret Phillips walks through how to build a strong marriage from 30+ years of experience as a licensed marriage and family therapist. She uses the story of Noah and the uncertainties he faced as an analogy for marriage. She really focuses on first the foundation of the marriage. She talks about how vital it is to look at things realistically, not in the technicolor glasses that so many people enter marriage with.

Throughout this short book, the author give some great advice about how to avoid major conflict before they start, especially for those who are not yet married. She also addresses how important it is to have the flexibility to withstand the natural twists and turns that you will encounter as a married couple. So many of us, myself included, enter marriage with the 20 year plan of how life is going to look. News flash: that twenty year plan rarely turns out exactly like you have it planned out. I know that from experience! 13 years into this marriage thing and my life looks much different than that wedding day plan. Different is not always bad though.

This is such a great book to add to your collection, whether you have been married 30 years, are engaged, or maybe just hope to get married someday. The author has so many practical tips to guide readers on how to deal with conflict, loss, and change. I really hope you will check this book out. If you would like a chance to win your own copy, please check out my Facebook page here.

Book Review: Resilient

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As a mom, one of my biggest struggles is how exactly to “train up a child in the way they should go” (see Proverbs 22:6). This world is a scary place. As a public school teacher to primarily freshmen, I see this firsthand every single day. Everything from peer pressure, to phone addictions, to bullying, to drugs and alcohol use go on every single day. Not to mention, especially with all three of my children being girls, the temptations they will face with boys. It can be overwhelming at times. I also don’t want to raise my girls to be fake in their Christianity. I want them to be all in, not just on a Sunday morning. I want them to be excited about their beliefs, but I want them to be just that: THEIR beliefs. I want them to discover faith for themselves.

Discipleship of our children should be at the forefront of every Christian’s mind. Especially in the secular world we live in that seems to be running away from Christianity as fast as possible. When given the opportunity to review a book about discipling children, I was very interested.

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Resilient: Child Discipleship and the Fearless Future of the Church is a much needed resource not only for parents, but for the church as a whole. The focus of the book is on the church of 2050. The authors focus on the kids of today that will be leading the church in the future. They take a realistic look at the current state of kid’s ministries (or KidMin, as they refer to it). They point out some of the areas that may be lacking in children’s ministries that may not be giving kids tools to thrive in this secular world. They give some specific strategies to help reach the kids in this current generation.

This book does a great job of looking at the great things of the past, and coming up with ways do disciple the children of the future. It also looks at discipleship from two perspective, that of a parent raising children today, as well as for the church that is trying to disciple children. It is very unique and even gives specific ideas that a church could initiate.

Like I mentioned earlier, discipling my own children is something that I often think about. I see kids today who lack morals, work ethic, and integrity, the last thing in the world I want is for my kids to be one of them. I want my girls to “seek first the kingdom of God” in absolutely everything they do. I don’t want them to feel like they have to follow the whims of the secular world they live in. I want them to have a strong faith foundation that is their own, not just because their parents have a certain set of beliefs. Resilient gives me some great advice on how to do that.

If you would like to get a copy of this book you can find out more and get your own copy here. Better yet, you can also enter to win one here. I hope you will take a look at this book, the future of the church really does depend on how we disciple the children of today.

 

Book Review: Off the Hook

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So many of us have them. That person, or those people who once upon a time did something that hurt us, and we carry that burden with us. Every time we see them the hurt rushes back over us. We can go from having a great day, do a deep pit of despair just with a memory of what they did to us. We can’t seem to let it go. Forgiveness doesn’t seem possible, because after all, they were the ones that did us wrong. We shouldn’t let them off the hook easily, right? The sad thing about that line of thinking though, is that us holding onto the hurt, only really hurts us.

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Off the Hook: How Forgiving You Frees Me, deals with that very topic. You may not even realize that you are holding onto unforgiveness, until you are able to walk the path of forgiveness. Off the Hook uses stories of real life people who had to deal with very difficult forgiveness journeys, but were able to experience freedom that they never thought possible when they did. The authors also use Biblical truths to help the reader know how to truly forgive.

Throughout the book there are sections revealing Lies that we believe, as well as truths that will set us free. The forgiveness in this book is also not limited to that person who hurt you. They also address how to forgive when you have been hurt by the one institution that is supposed to lift you up, the church. This is a book for every single person, even if you don’t think it would apply. We all have areas of unforgiveness in our lives, and it is so freeing to find those areas and learn to truly forgive.

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If you would like to learn more, please visit the Off the Hook webpage or watch this book trailer to see more details. You can also enter to win your own copy here. If you just can’t wait and want to get a copy for yourself, the authors are running a Kindle Countdown sale February 20-27 starting at $0.99 1st day. (Regular price $5.99)! I hope that you will get a copy and get rid of some of the heaviness of unforgiveness in your own life!

Win 1

Bible Review and Giveaway: He Reads Truth

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I am extremely excited to bring you something a little outside my wheelhouse. As a matter of fact, I had to call in the big guns for this one: my husband. I thought that it was only right to get a man’s perspective, since the all new He Reads Truth Bible is written for men.

Let me give you some of the specifics first. The copy I received is a hard cover that also has a storage box. This Christian Standard Bible (CSB) features 66 hand-lettered key verses, 17 full-color timelines, 21 maps, 122 charts (including infographics and lists), and 4 illustrations. There are also reading plans for every book of the Bible, a one-year Bible reading plan, detailed book introductions, a key verse list, two colored ribbon markers, and wide margins for journaling and note taking.

I am a huge fan of the CSB version, it is so easy to read and understand. So the big question is, what did my husband think? There are several things that he really liked about this Bible. The first thing he noted was the reading plans with check boxes. He is a huge list guy, this would be a great way for him to have a structured way to read through either a book of the Bible, or the entire Bible. He also really liked the outline, history, and introductions for each book of the Bible. As a history major and former social studies teacher, that is a huge plus. He also said that it has good reading passages and explanations throughout the different books of the Bible. One example he gave was a passage about God’s covenant with us. The final thing he mentioned was that he liked the key verses section at the end of the Bible. After he spent some time reading and looking it through, he told me that it would probably become his new go-to Bible. I would say it has his stamp of approval!

If you want to see more check out this video

I hope that you will check out this Bible and consider getting one for the man (or men) in your life. One way to do that is by entering the giveaway here. Or, if you would rather buy one you can go to lifeway.com and use the coupon code HEREADS50 to receive 50% off your order!!! (code is valid through 4/1/20).

Bible Review and Giveaway: Fresh Start Bible

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If you are like practically every other person on the face of the planet, there have likely been times that you were in need of a fresh start. Maybe you messed something up so badly that that you can’t even bear to think about it without hanging your head in shame. Or perhaps you have been a “pretty good person” your whole life, and you are just feeling in a rut. Regardless of where you have been, we can all use a fresh start.

The start of a new year is always a great time to start fresh.  One great way to do that is by recommitting to read your Bible. Whether it is a formal plan or simply committing to a chapter or two every or maybe even just choosing a verse a week to focus on, I think it is important to find a fresh new way to ignite your faith.

I am so excited to share with you an amazing resource to do just that. Gateway Publishing has released the Fresh Start Bible (yes, they are associated with Gateway Church, Pastor Robert Morris is one of the contributors). This is an awesome resource for both brand new Christians, as well as those who really just need a fresh start. There are so many great articles about everything from the foundation of the faith, through some of the more controversial topics of our faith. There are also great introductions to each book of the Bible, in depth devotional content (and plans to follow for those),  and small articles to help give background all throughout the Bible. There are also so many great contributors to this Bible, along with Robert Morris, another widely recognizable one would be Jimmy Evans.

I love the resources that come along with this Bible. Check out this video to learn more.

 

I am so excited to give a way 2 copies of this new Bible. To enter to win please visit this page between 12/4/2020 and 12/12/2020. You can also enter to win through my Facebook page here.

Game Review: The Rank Game

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I absolutely love to play games. Now that I am an adult, I don’t play them as much as I use to, but when I do I always have a good time. I was super excited when the opportunity to review a game came across my email feed. When I received it in the mail, even the wrapping was fun, with a sticker set up just like the game cards.

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I was pretty excited so I roped my husband to play it with me that night. The way the game works is pretty simple. Each card has a prompt and 4 options that one player will rank in order of their own preference. The other player, or players, try to guess the correct order. There is a point system so that after 10 rounds there will be a winner. It was a lot of fun to play. There are several categories of questions, and even options for expansion kits. I played a prototype game, so I had a small sampling of questions from each category. However, the actual game will include 150 different cards from all the different categories.

We had a lot of fun trying to figure out how each other would rank the cards. On one particular card, about swimwear, my husband wanted to make sure that it wasn’t going to get him in trouble. We had some good laughs over some of the cards, and actually learned a few things about each other that after 12 years of marriage, had never come up in conversation. Sadly, I lost by two points, but we did have a good time playing.

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I think that this would be a great game for a date night, family game night, or a group of friends. It worked for my husband and I to play with just the two of us, but there are also variations that you can play in a group.

To learn more about the game you can check it out at http://www.therankgame.com. You can also find out more about them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter by searching for @therankgame. If you are interested in backing this grassroots game, go to their Kickstarter page here. If you would like to enter to win your own copy of the full game, you can enter here.

Book Review: Take The Day Off

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I am extremely excited to share this book with you today. God works in mysterious ways, this book is proof of that. Over the last several months, I have really felt like I need to be better about observing a Sabbath day each week. One weekend in particular about a month ago, it was a bit chaotic. We were gone on Saturday, then Sunday rolled around and I ended up having to catch up on everything I missed doing earlier in the weekend; cleaning, dishes, washing a mountain range of laundry. The end of the weekend came and rather than being refreshed and ready for my week, I was frustrated and exhausted. The thought of the next day being Monday and back to the grind, was daunting. My attitude was not the best that week.

Then enter this book.

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The timing of getting this book in the mail could not have been more perfect. Two days after that insane weekend, this showed up in my mailbox (mind you, I didn’t know this one was coming, somehow missed that email). This book has changed my perspective the last couple of weeks.

I am a big Robert Morris fan. Our church just got done doing his teaching on The Blessed Life and I also listen to a podcast of his church (Gateway Church) on an almost weekly basis. I love the way he makes the truths of the Bible extremely practical and applicable. Take The Day Off is no exception to that. This book walks through the need for us to take a day off, not in a vacation sense, although those are good too, but in a Sabbath rest sense. Morris starts by walking through the commandment that we are given by God to take a Sabbath rest (see the 4th commandment in Exodus 20).

I want to encourage every single person who is reading this post to check this book out. This has been an amazing perspective shifting book for me. I have had a pretty stressful school year this year for some reason. It may be the combination of teaching more students that I have ever taught before, more of those students being English Language learners, or possible changes in testing that are causing me stress. Or it could be the fact that my girls are older now and have homework and more things going on at their school that has been wearing me out. It may be a little of all the above, but I know that my Sabbath rest has been out of whack this year. Reading this book has been a game changer for me. I am learning how to get myself more organized to be able to rest. I have learned that in order to truly take a day off, it must be a priority. I have also learned that with God, we can do more in 6 days than we can do without Him in 7.

If you want to pick up your own copy you can enter to win a copy here. If you can’t wait for the results of the giveaway, you order them here. You can also save 25% by entering the code TAKEOFF.

If you ever wondered about all of these book, video, and game reviews that I have done and wanted to possibly do some of your own, now is your chance. One of the companies that I work with is looking for more people to do reviews. You can find out more about the FaithWords Book Club here and join for free.

Book Review: How Great Is Our God

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If you have read much at all of my blog posts, you will know that I have 3 little girls. At the current moment my oldest is 7 1/2, middle is 5, and youngest is 3 1/2. Now that 2 out of the 3 are in school (and number 3 will start preschool next fall!!!), I feel like there have been a lot of changes as far as my role as mom. Fortunately, my girls typically all sleep through the night, say for a bad dream or tummy ache every now and then. We are also not in diapers any longer (praise the Lord!!!). We sure are full of questions though. My 2nd grader is a very smart girl and always wanting to know about the world. My younger two also follow suit. I even had to try my hardest to help my 3 year old understand what caused the electricity to go out so that her lamp wouldn’t work the other day when it was particularly windy, that was a challenge.

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That’s why I am particularly excited to introduce you to this new kids book by Louie Giglio called How Great is our God. This book is such an amazing resource for those questioning minds! There are 100 short devotions that all teach scientific information from a Biblical viewpoint. There are devotionals about nature, such as why is the sky blue and how do seeds work. There are some about the human body like how do you smell a rose and why do we hiccup. There seems to be a devotional about just about everything a young mind could come up with including space, time, Earth, weather, animals, plants, and the human body (just to name a few). img_20191112_073915_8

The best thing for us parents is that if we aren’t sure, there is even an index to look up the information we need.

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I really hope that if you have young kids, or even grandkids with curious minds, that you will check out this book. If you would like to enter to win a copy go here.

Please also take a look at this video:

How Great is our God