CFBA - The Familiar Stranger

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Familiar Stranger
Moody Publishers (September 1, 2009)
by
Christina Berry


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Single mother and foster parent, Christina Berry carves time to write from her busy schedule because she must tell the stories that haunt her every waking moment. (Such is the overly dramatic description of an author's life!) She holds a BA in Literature, yet loves a good Calculus problem, as well. All that confusion must have influenced her decision to be team captain of a winning team on Family Feud.

Her debut novel, The Familiar Stranger, released from Moody in September and deals with lies, secrets, and themes of forgiveness in a troubled marriage. A moving speaker and dynamic teacher, Christina strives to Live Transparently--Forgive Extravagantly!

Her work has also appeared in The Secret Place, The Oregonian, and Daily Devotions for Writers.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Craig Littleton's decision to end his marriage would shock his wife, Denise . . . if she knew what he was up to. When an accident lands Craig in the ICU, with fuzzy memories of his own life and plans, Denise rushes to his side, ready to care for him.

They embark on a quest to help Craig remember who he is and, in the process, they discover dark secrets. An affair? An emptied bank account? A hidden identity? An illegitimate child?

But what will she do when she realizes he's not the man she thought he was? Is this trauma a blessing in disguise, a chance for a fresh start? Or will his secrets destroy the life they built together?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Familiar Stranger, go HERE

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Booked for the Holidays Winners - Updated

UPDATED Monday, 12/14 at 7:00 am:

Due to lack of response from the previous winners, new winners have been chosen for Healing Sands.

True Random Number Generator
Result: 8, 3
Congratulations to A Stone Gatherer and colettakay! Ladies, please email me with your address by 8:00 am Wednesday (12/16) so I can get these books to you!

The Random Number Generator has spoken and we have two winners of Healing Sands! Congrats to Andrea and Kim (Just a Southern Girl). Send me your addresses ladies, (Kim, send me your daughter's address so she can take it to you) no later than midnight CST Sunday (12/13) to receive these books!

Be sure to check back Monday for a Booked for the Holidays blow-out finale!

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The Christmas Lamp

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Christmas Lamp
Zondervan (October 1, 2009)
by
Lori Copeland


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lori Copeland has been writing for twenty-five years and has over three million copies of her books in print. She began her writing career in 1982, writing for the secular book market. In 1995, after many years of writing, Lori sensed that God was calling her to use her gift of writing to honor Him. It was at that time that she began writing for the Christian book market.

To date, she has more than 95 books published, including Now and Always, Simple Gifts, Unwrapping Christmas, and Monday Morning Faith, which was a finalist for the 2007 Christy Awards. Lori was inducted into the Springfield Writers Hall of Fame in 2000.

Lori lives in the beautiful Ozarks with her husband Lance. They have three sons, two daughter-in-laws, and five wonderful grandchildren. Lori and Lance are very involved in their church, and active in supporting mission work in Mali, West Africa.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Christmas trees, twinkling lights, skating in the park, and holiday displays are the hallmark elements for celebrating Jesus birth for the sentimental residents of Nativity, Missouri. Will fiscal responsibility replace Christmas their traditions when times are tough? Though their priorities and methods clash, Roni Elliot and Jake Brisco want the same thing, for the town to prosper. As the two get to know each other better, each begins to gain a new perspective on what the real wealth of Nativity and the season might be.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Christmas Lamp, go HERE

MY THOUGHTS:
This is another great Christmas novella. Times are hard in Nativity, Missouri. But does that mean all their lovely Christmas traditions have to go? Is Jake really the miserly Scrooge he appears to be? Will Roni get her traditional Christmas? You'll laugh when you realize which Christmas lamp Roni actually longs to put in her front window!

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Random Dozen

1. Which physical trait do you now accept--maybe not love, but accept--and no longer feel extremely self-conscious about?

My height (which--unfortunately--is actually shrinking, due to that lovely osteoporosis) and my teeth (blessed to be straightened by braces, but they aren't particularly even in size and shape).

2. This week Meredith Baxter Birney, best known as the mom on the favorite 80s sitcom "Family Ties" came out of the closet, which led me to formulate this question: Who do you think is/was the best TV mom?

I loved Clair Huxtable. And Caroline Ingalls. And Olivia Walton. And Carol Brady.

3. Do you speak any foreign languages? Are there any you'd like to learn?

Un poquito Espanol. (A little Spanish.) I really wish I had taken more of it. It was relatively easy for me, and it sure would be handy.

4. Who is your personal hero?

I really try not to have heroes - those pedestals are so slippery. Right now I'd probably say my MIL after watching her care for my FIL so gracefully and lovingly.

5. What is one holiday food that you find extremely difficult to resist over- indulging in?

Anything with nuts. Or the chocolate-peppermint combo. (Have you had those Mint Fudge Covered Oreos?! Yum!)



6. Tell me about a Christmas decoration that has special meaning or sentimental value.

My kids' ornaments from every year and my Nativity scenes.

7. How do you feel about snow?

How do I feel about it?! Not do I feel for it?! (Sorry, Lid - couldn't resist that one!) I would hate to live up north where it is frigid and snow is a constant hassle and reality. However, I think it is beautiful and would like to see it more often than a few flurries every 5 or 10 years. I've actually never seen more than 2 inches at a time (and that's only been about 3 times!) and that's not enough to even completely cover the grass.

8. On average, how many hours of sleep do you get each night? Not that I'm jealous of any number over three or anything.

I've always said the problem with getting married when I was older and having kids in my 30's is: by the time they slept through the night, I didn't! I'm usually in bed between 7 and 8 hours. Depending on my man's apnea machine's quirks and various other reasons, I might sleep anywhere from 4-6. Probably average 6.

9. Tell me about your first crush.

Orange! Actually, it was 35 years ago, I was 13 (typical crush age!), and a reporter on the local NBC station in Houston was a member of a church on the other side of town. My family went to hear an evangelist over there and he sat in front of us and welcomed us. I had never met someone who was actually on TV before. After that, whenever he was on the news I got all flustered and excited. Our family crossed paths with him a few more times while he was in Houston, and I was always tongue-tied. He is a nationally known conservative Christian columnist and commentator. And that's all I will say about that.

And I can't believe I just put that on the internet.

10. You're stuck in a room for 2 hours with only a chalkboard and chalk. What will you write/draw?

Well, right now I'm drawing a blank!

11. Do you dress for the current temp or for the day's forecast?

Yes.

12. Favorite Christmas movie is?

Another favorite question?! White Christmas, Patrick Stewart's A Christmas Carol, and of course, A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Go visit Lidna at 2nd Cup of Coffee to see some more Christmas randomizers!

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A Lemon-Fresh Blog Tour!

Publisher: XarisCom
ISBN: 978-0-578-01006-9
Retail: $12.96
Paperback
http://www.jameswatkins.com/squeezing.htm

Sour circumstances left you feeling down? Unemployment, foreclosures, divorce, bankruptcy and cancer don't even begin to peel the skin off all the bad news in our world today. At a time in history when the evening news contains more bad than good, people wonder if sweeter days will ever come. In steps James (Jim) Watkins. With a fresh perspective on life, love and the pursuit of happiness, Watkins serves readers a refreshing cup of encouragement and hope.

Written from his own experiences with cancer, unemployment and other life-puckering crises, Jim prompts readers to look at the cup of suffering with eyes focused on the true thirst quencher--Jesus Christ. Readers will be pleasantly surprised at the balance of readability and deep wisdom offered within the pages of Squeezing Good Out Of Bad. With scripture references, humor-filled lists, and a creative manuscript, Watkins brings the bitterness of hard times and blends it with the sweetness of God's presence. He's been there. His transparency is as refreshing as, you guessed it, a tall, cool glass of lemonade.

NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of Squeezing Good Out Of Bad via Kathy Carlton Willis Communications, gifted to all participants in this blog tour.

Blog Tour Interview:

1. You've been in the literary world for a while, give us a quick recap of how you got started to where you are today.

By second grade, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I felt the suspension of disbelief was stretched too thin when the real-live puppet Pinocchio became a real live boy. So I rewrote the ending having the wooden puppet die a painful, prolonged death of Dutch elm disease. (At that point, I'm sure my parents and teachers weren't sure if I'd become a writer or a life-long patient at a psychiatric hospital.) I later went on to become the editor of my high school paper, worked at a Christian publishing house as an editor during college, and then dabbled in writing while holding down a real job. Since 1988 I've been writing and speaking full-time.

2. In Squeezing Good Out Of Bad you give many insightful tips on how to turn around sour circumstances. Share a practical way we can be encouraged during tough times.

My "top ten list" of chapter titles 10-4 provide practical steps for dealing with lemons, but the real secrets are found in chapters 3-1. (Yes, like a true top ten list, the chapters are numbered backward.) Romans 8:28 promises that that God is working all things out for our good to accomplish His purpose in our lives. But we have to read on to verse 29 to find that purpose: "to be conformed to the image of His Son."

3. No life is perfect. Can you give us an example of how you got through a challenging situation and were able to use these principles to see the good in it?

I think it's so important that we take our faith seriously, but I certainly don't want to take my situation or myself too seriously. So I create a mental "top ten" list of what good can come about in this situation. For instance, last year I had radiation for cancer and it totally depleted me physically and mentally. My family dubbed it "radiation retardation." Because of that, I was fired from a wonderful part-time job because I just couldn't do it. So, "Top Ten Great Things about Losing My Job": 10. I'll be paying less taxes next year. 9. I've got twenty hours a week of free time. 8. . . .

Our family is going through something right now that is far worse than cancer, and I can't see a single good thing that can come out of it. So, at those times, you just keep hanging on--with white knuckles--to the fact that God loves you and the Romans 8:28 is still in effect.

4. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Spare time? What's that? I'm a firm believer in "redeeming the time" so I try to keep busy doing things that matter for the Kingdom. But after my little brain is worn out--usually around 7 pm--nothing beats a session of "Freecell."

5. What's the last book you read and why?

Strength to Love by Martin Luther King, Jr. Unfortunately, the only real reading for pleasure is on airline flights. The King book is research for a book I'm proposing as we approach the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act.

6. What do you hope readers will gain by reading your book?

I wrote the first draft nine years ago, and even though I have a great agent, we just couldn't find a publisher. That was before cancer, family crisis, unemployment. . . . So it's a much more comforting, honest book. And it forced me to not be so flippant and casual about the serious issues people are dealing with. Henri Nouwen talks about "wounded healers." I think, because of the lemons that have piled up in my life, I can more compassionately offer comfort to those buried under a pile of lemons.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
James N. Watkins is the author of sixteen books and over two thousand articles. He is the acquisition editor for Wesleyan Publishing House, an editorial advisor for ACW Press, instructor at Taylor University and a sought-after conference speaker. He’s won Campus Life’s Book of the Year award and various other awards for writing and editing. He’s married to Lois. They have two children and four grandchildren. His family is the lemonade in his life.


GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
The blog host with the most comments will have the opportunity to send in one commentor's name for the grand prize giveaway. Here's what they'll win:

First prize: Jim will stop by your house with fresh-baked lemon cake and hot lemon tea. (Disclaimer: Offer available only to residents of Corn Borer, Indiana. Alternate prize includes a copy of Sqeezing Good Out Of Bad, mixes for lemon tea, lemon cake, lemonade and assorted lemon candies. Not available where taxed or licensed. Winner responsible for safe and proper use of products.)

If Jim's disclaimer isn't enough humor for you, read on:

When life gives you lemons . . .

10. Don't confuse them with hand grenades (Identify the problem)

9. Check the delivery slip (Determine if it's your problem)

8. Sell them on eBay (Profit from the problem)

7. Paint smiley faces on them (Laugh at the problem)

6. Join a citrus support group (Share your problem)

5. Use as an all-natural, organic astringent (Grow from the problem)

4. Don't shoot the delivery driver (Forgive the problem-maker)

3. Graft to a lime tree for a refreshing, low-calorie soft drink (Take the problem to a higher level)

2. Grow your own orchard (Live a fruitful life despite—or because of—the problem)

1. Give off a refreshing fragrance (Live a lemon-fresh life)

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Good Thing I Wasn't a Scammer!

As Care Ministry Coordinator at our church, I have had the privilege these past few weeks of organizing a benevolence effort for some families in our congregation who have been especially impacted by extended unemployment. After identifying and talking to the families, soliciting and counting the donations, and determining the distribution, it was time to purchase the gift cards.

Suffice it to say I have never been so thwarted in my efforts! I had the money. I had the authorization to spend the money. I began to wonder if anyone was going to let me spend the money in their stores! One place required the church to fax an authorization for me to use the church's credit card. I had church checks for other stores, but those are apparently incompatible with retail computerized check-acceptance systems. I finally gave up and decided to use my own credit card and get reimbursed - but then my credit card company got a little worried when I charged such a large amount at a couple of places, even though I had notified them ahead of time.

But the funniest - and to be honest, most worrisome - experience was at a certain store in the mall you can buy the Works for your Bath & Body! To make a long story short, I used the church credit card which had the church's name and the secretary's name on it; the cashier asked for my ID, which of course was my driver license. She looked at my license and never blinked an eye at the fact that the names didn't match. After "checking" my ID, she had me sign the credit card machine and I was on my way. So if your security gets breached, check for unauthorized purchases of lotion and shower gel. Apparently they aren't too concerned about an identity theft ring around the bathtub!

In spite of the aggravation and exasperation associated with the shopping, I can't even begin to describe what a tremendous blessing it has been to be a part of this. It literally sent chills down my legs as one couple approached me at separate times last night to express how overwhelmed they were by the church's loving generosity and by God's faithfulness. They had not even gotten out any of their Christmas decorations because their inability to get gifts for their girls had taken the excitement out of the season. After they received the gift cards for groceries and department stores and supercenters yesterday, they sat at their table and prayed, thanking God, and then the mom said, "Let's do Christmas!"

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Booked for the Holidays - Better Late Than Never!

I have been eagerly awaiting the release of the third and final book in the Healing Fiction series by Nancy Rue and Stephen Arterburn. It definitely lived up to exceeded my expecations!


BOOK DESCRIPTION:
In the struggle for healing, when do you fight and when do you surrender?

Ryan Alexander-Coe is a talented photojournalist who has been on assignment all over the world. But when her two sons choose to live with their father after her divorce, Ryan must give her career up for a small-town newspaper job in order to be near them.

Life spirals out of control when her fifteen-year-old son is arrested. Desperation--both over the fact that she cannot believe her son commited this crime and that he refuses to talk to her--sends her anger level soaring . . . and eventually sends her storming into Dr. Sullivan Crisp's office in search of ways to cope with her anger. Sully is in town assisting at one of his clinics and continuing his search for Belinda Cox, the woman whose guilt-inducing counseling caused the death of his wife and daughter. When Sully's search ends in disaster, both he and Ryan will have to fully rely on God--rather than themselves--to survive these storms.

MY THOUGHTS:
Like its first two predecessors, Healing Stones and Healing Waters, Healing Sands is an incredible book. Ryan's pain and anger are palpable. And her response to therapy is spot-on for so many of us: fix the problem, but don't dig down for any root issues that might have caused it! Her interactions with the other Christian soccer moms are classic and will resonate with any woman who has been part of a group filled with tensions and unofficial, yet unconsciously assigned, roles. Sully's own quest for justice - or is it revenge? - adds an additional dimension to this story. A Reading Group Guide in the back of the book makes this an ideal choice for small groups or book clubs. This is truly Healing Fiction - dealing with real issues that folks face and pointing them to Truth.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson publishers for providing a copy for review.



Nancy Rue is on my "short list" of must-purchase authors. But beyond her phenomenal writing, I have had the amazing blessing of getting to know her and call her a friend. She is an absolute delight. When I was at the Expo, we had breakfast together and she spoke extensively about her writing.

You have written a series of books with Stephen Arterburn that you call Healing Fiction, beginning with Healing Stones, then Healing Waters, and now Healing Sands, which just released. Tell me about how the fiction works with the purpose.

We had our purpose first. We knew we wanted to tell stories of people who were really on the tough journeys, who were facing the hard things for which there just doesn’t seem to be an “I can look at the Scripture, claim this verse, live it, and I’m going to be fine.” There are many, many situations where you have to get to the root of what’s going on there, and that’s still very difficult. How many times did someone ask Jesus a question and He didn’t answer that question: He addressed what really needed to be addressed. So that was our focus at first. And that was Steve’s idea, to write that fiction, except he [is a non-fiction writer] and needed someone to flesh that out.

We had worked together on the Lily series. Lily was his idea. That’s part of the Young Women of Faith library. So we brainstormed for some things that people really do face. And we came up with the first one being infidelity. There have been a lot of books written about people whose spouses have been unfaithful to them, but we couldn’t find any where it was about the person who had committed adultery, and immediately it came to us that, well, that’s about forgiveness. What if you are completely remorseful and repentant for what you’ve done. You know that God forgives you, but no one else will, and these are Christian people, and that is their job to do that rather than to judge you and allow that to define you for the rest of your life. . . .

The story is in a sense the retelling of the woman brought to Jesus [when she was found] in the act of adultery. The people who brought her to Jesus really didn’t care what happened to her. We have no idea what happened to the guy she was committing adultery with – he just sorta disappears. It was more about trapping Jesus – “let’s see what He’s gonna do here.” So that’s how Healing Stones begins, which is someone using that to get to the president of the Christian college because they are Pharasaic and he is a grace-filled person, and they think he is soft on sin. I spent a lot of time studying that story and commentaries.

So we came up with the outline and then he leaves me alone and I write for several months, and when I have about ten chapters, I send them to Steve and he reads them and we talk and he makes suggestions. In the very beginning, when we were planning the series, it was just going to be separate books, and he said, “I just feel like we need something to tie them together. What if it’s a therapist?”

But we agreed that he should not be the man with all the answers – he has issues of his own – and that his approach to therapy needed to be somewhat quirky and sorta zany. Steve came up with the game show theology and then I came up with the buzzes and the ding-ding-dings. And it worked and Sully became his own person and developed so wonderfully well.

When it was time to start talking about the second book, Steve said “I want to write about a woman who has a weight problem” because his Lose it for Life seminars are so successful; he’s written extensively about weight and what the issues are. There were a couple of people who said “Nobody’s going to want to read a book about a fat lady!” And we said, “Then all the more reason for us to write one.”

And I never could figure out – and I know you purposely did this – just how fat she was. From her perspective, she sounds humongous, but from everybody else’s it sounds like she’s just barely plump.

Yes, and I’m going to always leave that up to the reader because it is about self-image. You know, Wesley gets her into a bathing suit, and yet you know that she’s not svelte. She has some bad eating habits; she binges, and that is really the sickness. So I went to a LIFL conference.

I learned so much from them about all of the deep hurts. I would say six out of the eight of us had been sexually abused as young women. And everyone was very open about what it is that they were burying, because that is Steve’s main philosophy about people who really struggle with major weight issues: is that we bury things – emotional issues – but we bury them alive and we have to feed them. So we need to get them out there where we can look at them. . . and say “but I’m not going to feed you any more.” So they were wonderful, and I would send them chapters and they would comment and say “No, she would never eat in front of people.” And that’s for people who wonder “How is she so fat when she doesn’t eat anything?” They were just amazing.

And the other piece of the book is the toxic faith. And both Steve and I are very much against the “Name it and Claim It” and you can have whatever you want, because what that implies is, if things are bad in your life, then you did something wrong! God doesn’t love you as much as He loves everybody else. Sonia typifies that when she loses everything and people start falling away from her.

In our third book, Sully goes in search of the therapist whom he feels is responsible for his wife’s suicide, lo those many years ago. So he takes us to New Mexico, and the research for that was incredibly wonderful! That’s Healing Sands, referring to the White Sands of New Mexico. I spent a lot of time in Las Cruces and Mesilla and learning about that whole culture and learning about anger, because that’s the deep-seated issue, and racial issues. And we’re dealing with a murder in that book. And Sully really hits absolute rock bottom. But we see him emerge in the end having really fought his demons and really come to an understanding of what forgiveness is and surrender and suffering, and in this book righteousness is really the theme: when do you seek justice and when do you surrender to “God is going to take care of this one.”

So the third book is all about him? He’s not helping someone?

Oh, yes! Yes, he is. And this girl is a pistol. She has anger issues. She’s a photojournalist. She’s the most resistant of the three women to therapy. She just wants him to tell her how to get control of her anger and she’s going to move on. And of course, he says, “It doesn’t work that way.” And she quits! She goes off. But then she comes back and says, “Okay, I’m ready.”

It’s very sad to see the series come to an end. But Sully is at a good place in his journey. And Steve and I are working on a new series.

The next series is called The Reluctant Prophet and it’s about a woman who one day in church God just speaks to her and says “I want you to buy a Harley.” So she does and the story takes off from there. She realizes she has this prophetic gift, meaning “I know what God wants us to do” and she starts working with prostitutes and turns her home into a home for prostitutes in the middle of historic district of St. Augustine Florida. So she’s riding around on her Harley – it’s going to be very very different! But the theme is – it’s very hard for people to say “I’m going to give it all to God, I’m going to surrender.” We can say “Let go and let God” and then in 10 minutes take it all back. So why not take it one step at a time and simply comply. It’s about compliance rather than total surrender – step by step. What you’re really surrendering if the need to know what’s going to happen all the way through – what’s the next step and the next step and the next step. And I have learned that in my own life. That’s the only way I’ve kept my sanity, is by asking “Is this the next step?” rather than saying “I’ve got the whole vision, the whole plan.” I don’t need to know the next twenty years. We’re really excited about this new series.

There will be sort of a mentoring character, a rather unlikely mentor, unlike Sully who you know is this famous Christian writer and does the podcasts and the TV shows and is someone you know you can trust. This is someone who is a very unlikely but very wise person and a very strong male character. I have learned from Steve that we need that. I think too much women’s fiction is “gung ho, women are the best” – we all have our part, and where would we be without men? I love men!

Working with Steve has just been a treat. And he is very generous – because he is a celebrity – in sharing. . .he’s not a lightmonger. He’s not seeking the glory for himself. So sharing this project, he’s the one who insisted that my name be first on the book. Those are the kind of things; he’s a very humble person, but wacko! And that’s what makes it fun and what brought such life to the books.

These books are not fun to write. But they are deeply satisfying. With Healing Stones I opened a vein. It was extremely hard to let people suffer that way. But the response has been incredible; that’s the most rewarding thing. People send us emails and say “This changed my life.” And people say, “I’ve learned not to be so judgmental.”

This is already rather lengthy and it's just the tip of the iceberg! She's also one of my girl's favorite authors. Be sure to check out her blogs for women, for mini-women (tweens) and for teens. What a treat to spend some time with Nancy!

I have TWO copies of Healing Sands to give away. Please leave a comment on this post by 8:00 PM Thursday (12/10) and I will choose 2 winners. If you do not have a blog, please be sure to include a mailing address so I can contact you. Winners will have 72 hours to respond (until 9:00 PM CST Sunday, 12/13); if no response I will pick new winners. US Residents only, please.

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Booked for the Holidays

Booked for the Holidays has been slightly overtaken by Pooped for the Holidays. This was a Weekend. Actually, the last 5 days or so have pretty much been non-stop activity. There have been some sweet blessings in the midst of the craziness, but I sure could use a foot massage!

And if Mary Poppins would show up and snap her fingers to decorate our tree, it would be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Please check this post for an update on the new winners of Mary Lu Tyndall's The Red Siren and Erynn Mangum's Miss Match!

I'll be back a bit later today with the giveaway. Right now my brain is fried and I have to go to bed!

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TSMSS - Mary and Jesus

I'll never forget when I first heard this song a number of years ago. I can't even begin to explain how it spoke to my heart. Discovering that Mark Lowry wrote it was such a fun surprise. Because he is so well-known for his comedy, folks who haven't listened to him much might dismiss him as superficial, but wow! He has such incredible depth. Even in the midst of the hilarity, he shares some fantastic spiritual insights. Although it will take a few minutes, I urge you to watch this first video as he talks about Mary and Jesus, and then immediately watch the second video where he sings the song. (The second video picks up where the first one ends.) Although this song is beautiful any time, juxtaposed with Mark's thoughts, it really comes alive. He's joined by David Phelps and Guy Penrod and accompanied by the phenomenal late Anthony Burger, which make this rendition even better! Some songs please my ears; this one stirs my soul!

(Being a Texas gal, his comments about "Woman," made me laugh out loud!)

(And then the comments about Mary at the cross. . . .Wow.)

MARY, DID YOU KNOW?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb.

Mary, did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I AM.

Lyrics by Mark Lowry
Music by Buddy Greene

Go see Amy to hear some more great songs!

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Booked for the Holidays - Children's Books Winner

True Random Number Generator
Result: 8

Congrats to bp! Please email me your address by Monday (12/7) at 8:00 p.m. CST and the books will be sent to you!

Another giveaway begins Monday!

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Snow Beautiful but Waaay Too Short!

The rumors are true: it snowed in Central Texas today! It lasted maybe half an hour and then the sun immediately started burning those clouds away. Nothing stuck, but it was oh-so-pretty swirling around in the air. It actually came down fairly hard -- more than just a dusting of flurries -- and there were some pretty big flakes. I just wish it had lasted long enough for me to get home and take a couple of pictures. Even Houston is getting more snow than we did!

It sure was pretty while it lasted!

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You Are Treasured

As women, and especially those of us who are moms, we often keep treasures that remind us of ones we love. A love letter, a lock of baby's hair, a painted handprint, a first awkwardly printed Mother's Day card. When children discover the cherished cache that their mother has hidden away, they often recognize a depth of her love which they have not previously grasped. In her book Treasured, Leigh McLeroy explores the types of mementos that God has tucked into the Bible as reminders to us that we are greatly loved beyond anything we can imagine. These treasures also tell us much about God Himself. A fig leaf speaks of A God Who Covers Me. Abraham's knife represents A God Who Provides. A head of barley reminds us that we have A God Who Gleans Joy From Sorrow. In a dozen chapters, you will see beauty in the simplest of objects as they speak of God's love and care for you. The author then shares her own personal "Ebenezer stones", and in a final chapter for reflection or discussion, you will have an opportunity to reflect on your walk with Christ and the keepsakes that mark the steps along the way. This is a beautiful book, ideal for reflection as the year comes to a close!

BOOK SUMMARY:
In Treasured, Leigh McLeroy considers tangible reminders of God’s active presence and guides readers in discovering evidence in their own lives of his attentive love.

“The idea for the book came from a cigar box filled with odds and ends of my grandfather’s life that arrived a few months after his death. Sifting through the objects in the box, I experienced him in a fresh new way. This made me wonder what treasures might be tucked away in Scripture that could frame God for me in an equally intimate, tangible way. This process also helped me uncover my own “treasures” of my walk with the Lord: objects that remind me of my history with him and his faithfulness to me,” says McLeroy.

Drawn from the pages of Scripture, the author considers twelve such treasures and personalizes their meaning for readers, such as a green olive branch that offers proof of God’s “new every morning” mercy and a scarlet cord that demonstrates his willingness to adopt “strays” of every sort.

Weaving these treasures together with scenes from her personal history, Leigh McLeroy invites readers to discover God’s heart for them and embrace their unique role in his redemptive story. Treasured offers readers a guided experience of God’s love and character and invites them to consider their own treasures that point to their part in God’s ongoing story.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Leigh McLeroy is the author of The Beautiful Ache and The Sacred Ordinary. An avid collector and recorder of everyday moments, words, and wonders, Leigh’s keen eye for God’s presence in ordinary life infuses her writing and living with a deep, insistent joy. A frequent conference and event speaker, the author makes her home in Houston, Texas, and posts often on www.leighmcleroy.com and www.wednesdaywords.com.

You can learn more or purchase this book here.


This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

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Booked for the Holidays Winners & Last Call! Update!

UPDATE: 12/6/09 at 9:40 PM: Due to lack of response from the previously announced winners, Random Number Generator has chosen the following new winners for the previous giveaways:

The Red Siren by Mary Lu Tyndall - congrats to Quilly and to Jessie at BlogSchmog!
Miss Match by Erynn Mangum - congrats to Sara!

Ladies, please email me your addresses by Wednesday (12/9) at 9:00 PM! Thanks!

* * * * * * *

I know it's a busy time of year, but I'm going to have to put a 72-hour limit on folks responding if I post that they won a Booked for the Holidays giveaway. I just can't repeatedly email folks and keep up with whose responded from week to week.

For Monday's giveaway, the Random Number Generator chose #18 to win the book Miss Match! Congrats to Abbie. Abbie, please email within 72 hours (by Sunday 12/6 at 9:00 PM CST with your address in order to claim your book.

Since I'm just now implementing this 72-hour deadline, I am extending a final call to two of last week's giveaway winners that have not emailed me their addresses. Skoots1Mom and Little Lady, if I don't hear from you by Sunday (12/6) at 9:00 PM CST, I will choose new winners.

Thanks for your understanding.

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Finding Christmas

This year is producing a bumper crop of Christmas books. I have not yet received Finding Christmas, but a perusal of the Foreword and the initial chapter below whets my appetite. Read it all the way to the end of the excerpt and tell me if you can manage to walk away untouched!

Christmas is everywhere . . . even where you least expect it.

Join award-winning author and storyteller James Calvin Schaap as he uncovers the grace, joy, and love of the season through seven heartwarming tales of miracle moments in a messy world. This beautiful and inspiring collection of contemporary Christmas stories will remind you what grace looks like--and where to find it.

Finding Christmas

James Calvin Schaap, a professor of English at Dordt College and president of the Chrysostom Society, is the award-winning author of twenty-two books. He lives in Sioux Center, Iowa.

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The Unfinished Gift

Some books grab your heart and won't let go. Such is the case of The Unfinished Gift by Dan Walsh. It's five days before Christmas in 1943, when Children's Services deposits seven-year-old Patrick on his grandfather's doorstep after his mother is killed in a car wreck. His father is dropping bombs on the bad guys in Germany, but Patrick just wants him to come home. His grandfather doesn't seem to want him and gets really angry a lot, especially when Patrick discovers a wondrous half-carved wooden soldier in the attic. The government lady promised Patrick that his father would be home right away, but things seem to be getting worse instead of better. Will things ever be made right? This is a beautiful, heart-warming story - grab a copy today!

BOOK SUMMARY:
Ian Collins is an old man without his son. Patrick Collins is a young boy without his father. On his Christmas list are only three items. He wants the army to find his father. He wants to leave his grandfather's house. And he wants the dusty wooden soldier in Grandfather's attic--the one he is forbidden to touch.

Set at Christmastime in 1943, The Unfinished Gift is the engaging story of a family in need of forgiveness. With simple grace, it reminds us of the small things that affect powerful change in our hearts--a young boy's prayers, a shoe box of love letters, and even a half-carved soldier, long forgotten. This nostalgic story of reconciliation will touch your heart.

Read the first chapter!

The Unfinished Gift Dan Walsh is the senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Daytona Beach, Florida, a church he helped found 23 years ago. He is the author of The Unfinished Gift and lives with his family in the Daytona Beach area. A copy of this book for review was provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

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CFBA - The Christmas Glass

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Christmas Glass
GuidepostsBooks (October 1, 2009)
by
Marci Alborghetti


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Marci Alborghetti has been writing only slightly longer than she's been reading. In seventh grade she received her first writing prize for a zany Halloween story. The prize? A five dollar gift certificate to a local bookstore. She was hooked. The Christmas Glass is her fourteenth book, and she is currently at work on a sequel as well as a non-fiction book about service. Some of her other books include: Prayer Power: How to Pray When You Think You Can’t, A Season in the South and Twelve Strong Women of God.

She and her husband, Charlie Duffy, live in New London, Connecticut and the San Francisco Bay area. While in New London she facilitates the Saint James Literary Club.

ABOUT THE BOOK
In the tradition of The Christmas Shoes and A Christmas on Jane Street, the heartwarming story of The Christmas Glass shows how, today as always, the Christmas miracle works its wonders in the human heart.

In the early days of World War II in Italy, Anna, a young widow who runs a small orphanage, carefully wraps her most cherished possessions -- a dozen hand-blown, German-made, Christmas ornaments, handed down by her mother -- and sends them to a cousin she hasn't seen in years.

Anna is distressed to part with her only tangible reminder of her mother, but she worries that the ornaments will be lost or destroyed in the war, especially now that her orphanage has begun to secretly shelter Jewish children. Anna's young cousin Filomena is married with two-year-old twins when she receives the box of precious Christmas glass.

After the war, Filomena emigrates to America, where the precious ornaments are passed down through the generations. After more than forty years, twelve people come to possess a piece of Christmas glass, some intimately connected by family bonds, some connected only through the history of the ornaments.

As Christmas Day approaches, readers join each character in a journey of laughter and tears, fractures and healings, as Filomena, now an eighty-four-year-old great-grandmother, brings them all to what will be either a wondrous reunion or a disaster that may shatter them all like the precious glass they cherish.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Christmas Glass, go HERE


MY THOUGHTS:
I really enjoy Christmas novellas. This special season is a prime opportunity to present a message of hope and new beginnings, and many folks who might not otherwise pick up a book labeled as "Christian" might be drawn to one with a Christmas theme. Enchanted by the summary and charmed by the cover of The Christmas Glass, I opened it with anticipation. But to be honest, I was disappointed. Because the glass ornaments have been dispersed over time, there are a large number of characters in this book to follow and learn how they fit into the larger picture. In fact, at the beginning of the book, a page identifies almost 50 individuals spread out over eight locations! My head was spinning trying to keep it all straight. With the addition of the dysfunctional family drama (and drama is a mild word for this stereotypical Italian clan!), reading it was rather exhausting. And once they all came together for the Christmas reunion meal, it was rather anticlimactic. Many folks use the word "blessed" without acknowledging God as the Source of those blessings, and that's how this came across to me. It appeared to me to be just a holiday meal rather than a Christmas dinner, all orchestrated by a controlling matriarch who never did seem to grasp the importance and freedom of relinquishing that control to the Lord. Just because the family managed to have a meal in the same room without exploding into fisticuffs, I saw no indication that hearts were really changed. For that is the message of Christmas!

While some of the other CFBA reviewers had similar opinions to mine, others enjoyed and recommend this book. I invite you to take a look at some of the reviewers linked in the comments at the CFBA blog and read their reviews as well.

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Random Dozen

Welcome to this week's Random Dozen, in which I set a personal record for the most questions answered succinctly and with a form of a two-letter answer!

1. Which Wizard of Oz character are you most like?

Dorothy. Because there's no place like home. (And I'm waaaaay too tall to be a Munchkin!)

2. When you're deciding what you're going to wear each morning, which item do you select first? Why?

The top. Because that determines the color and the degree of warmth. The bottom half of the outfit is generally neutral.

3. What kind of animal do you think the world could live without?

Any of them that are in the same vicinity that I am! (Unless they are cooked and on my plate.)

4. How many Christmas trees are in your home?

Today? None. We get a real one. That will happen this weekend.

5. Would you prefer to be emotionless if it mean you didn't have to feel a heartbreak?

Nope. Spock misses out on a lot.

6. Do you ever experience holiday let-down or depression?

Occasionally. Surprisingly, I've had it a little bit on the front end this year, for a variety of reasons.

7. Do you like Michael Jackson's music?

Not even a little bit.

8. Why is it that we never judge people who have their teeth fixed for cosmetic reasons, but every other cosmetic procedure has a stigma?

Because a smile is how we show our inner beauty. But I'm still not big on the whole perfect caps and whitening route.

9. Enjoy horseback riding?

Not so much.

10. Shoes--practical or stylish?

Sadly, more and more practical. But NOT old-lady practical. But I will not sacrifice comfort for cute. Plantar fasciitis has cured me of that.

11. What was the name of your first pet? Feel free to post a pic.

Will there ever be a random dozen without a pet question?!

12. What percentage of your Christmas shopping is done?

Zero. Zilch. Nada.

I'm sure you can find a lot of folks with more "yes" answers than I had over at 2nd Cup of Coffee!

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This Dog's Okay!

Anyone who has read my blog for long, especially on Random Dozen days, knows that I can't stand am not especially fond of animals. Due in part to my best-friend-growing-up's gargantuan German shepherds, which would jump on me when I wasn't much bigger than they were, as well as a few other childhood animal traumas, I will paraphrase a favorite line from Fiddler on the Roof if I am ever asked to bless an animal:

May God bless and keep the animal. . . far away from me!

Betty Kowalski wasn't real thrilled, either, about the dog that showed up in her backyard. Especially since it came through from the rotting fence that divides her yard from her new neighbor, that strange Jack Jones. He can't be up to any good, the way he's tearing up that beautiful old house and piling up the junk in the yard. And he won't take his dog back - in fact, he claims it's not even his! How in the world is she supposed to love her neighbor when she's not even sure she trusts him?! As if she didn't have enough to worry about, her missing granddaughter shows up on her doorstep. She's never considered her a step-granddaughter and loves her deeply, but the family drama that is escalating is trying her patience. Between the dog and the neighbor and the family dilemma, Betty has more worries than she can shake a stick at. Will there ever be peace on her little corner of the earth? This is a charming novella. A perfect gift for the dog lover in your life, The Christmas Dog even worked its way into my heart. (Especially since he stayed tucked in the pages of the book!)

Read the first chapter here:

The Christmas Dog


Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus. She also writes many teen books, including Just Another Girl, Anything but Normal, the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series. Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon. Visit Melody's website to learn more!

Many thanks to Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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Booked for the Holidays - Children's Books!

Just in time for Christmas, I have two precious picture books from WaterBrook Press to share with you. Lisa Tawn Bergren has written several God Gave Us. . . books. (You can see my review of God Gave Us Heaven here). Now she's written two new ones that are perfect ways to focus on the true meaning of Christmas.

God Gave Us Christmas begins with Little Cub asking if Santa invented Christmas. When Mama Bear explains that God did, Little Cub wants to go find God and see how He did it. So he and Mama Bear leave the little ones at home with Papa and set off. As they see evidence of God at work all around them, Little Cub learns about God's love and that Jesus is the best present of all, sent for him! Beautiful pictures and sweet conversations combine to make this a heartwarming book. It makes me wish I still had a little one in footed pajamas to curl up with next to the Christmas tree!

You can purchase God Gave Us Christmas directly from the publisher or at Amazon.

In God Gave Us Love, Little Cub is aggravated when the otters interrupt a fishing trip with Grampa. She acknowledges that she loves the otters but just doesn't like them very much at the moment! And she certainly doesn't love them with "all that kissy and huggy stuff" like Mama and Papa! As Grampa explains about the different kinds of love between friends and family and mamas and papas, Little Cub learns that love comes from God and He loves us more than anyone. And nothing Little Cub, or anyone else, can do can make God stop loving us. This is another beautifully illustrated and tenderly written book. It addresses practical aspects of human love ("God gave us love so we could see goodness in others, even when they make us grumpy.") as well as the reassurance of the constancy of God's love.

You can purchase God Gave Us Love directly from the publisher or Amazon.

Lisa Tawn Bergren is the best-selling author of many novels, including Refuge and Firestorm of the Full Circle series. Book one in the Northern Lights series is The Captain’s Bride and the powerful conclusion is discovered with book three, Midnight Sun. Lisa and her husband Tim reside in Colorado with their children.






Since my kids are in high school, I am giving this set of books away to one of you! Just leave a comment on this post letting me know who you'll be sharing it with (a child, a grandchild, niece or nephew, etc.) no later than Friday (12/4) at 6:00 p.m. CST. US Residents only, please. As always, an additional chance to win for all who post the Booked for the Holidays button on their sidebar!

Many thanks to WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, for providing these books for my review.

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Giving Thanks Challenge Wrap-Up

Another November has come and gone, and thus, it's time to pack away the Giving Thanks Challenge, hosted once again by Leah at South Breeze Farms. I always enjoy this special time of identifying something each day for which I am thankful, be it simple or spiritual, silly or significant! So that I can look back at what caught my heart in November 2009, here's my completed list.

1. Friendship
2. Eyesight
3. Grace
4. Laughter
5. The Bible
6. Our Military
7. Music
8. My MIL
9. Safe Travel
10. My Family
11. My Church
12. Hugs
13. Indoor Plumbing
14. Memories
15. Rest
16. Prayer
17. Warm Clothes
18. Heated House
19. Books
20. Peppermint Mocha
21. His Promises
22. My Laptop
23. Popcorn
24. A Comfy Pillow
25. Medications
26. Sunsets
27. Friendly Rivalries
28. Words
29. Beauty of Creation
30. Home Sweet Home

Hopefully, though, I won't pack up the habit of being thankful! God has provided so many blessings to me and first and foremost is the privilege of calling Him my God!

You are my God, and I will give you thanks;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.
Psalm 118:28

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