Monday, November 29, 2010

The Life Book by Carl Blunt

LifeBook_Standing.jpg 
What is The Life Book?
Part 1: Is God's story before Jesus shows up on the scene.l It's a quick re-telling of the first part of the Bible before Jesus arrives. It explains how things were great, then went bad and why Jesus has to come make things right.
Part 2: Is strait  from the Bible. It's the story of Jesus while He was on Earth. He does some amazing stuff.
What about you? :  This part is about what God's story means for your life. What does Jesus have to do with you? 
Help! : This part gives some help and answers for things you or your friends might be struggling with. The Bible is full of good answers and guidance for tough stuff in life. It's God's advice, so it has to be pretty good.

This was a fun and quick book that I read in one sitting. This book was fun in the fact that it summarized Bible stories/lesson with easy to understand wording but not in way that you felt like the Author was talking down to you. Then it gives you teacher and student notes along with it. The book is jam packed with stories from The Word, advice, help and new ways of seeing things.
The only thing I would add to the book is telling the reader where they can find the scripture(s) in the Bible to look it up for themselves.  But in the end it is a fun good and informative book that I am happy to endorse.
Yes I would (and already have) recommend this book.

                                                              I received my copy of this book from The B&B Media Group. 

Saturday, November 27, 2010

The Christmas Chronicles: The Legend of Santa Claus a novel by Tim Slover

The magic begins in 1343, when the child Klaus is orphaned and adopted by a craftsmen's guild. The boy will grow to become a master woodworker with an infectious laugh and an unparalleled gift for making toys. His talent and generosity uniquely equip him to bestow hundreds of gifts on children at Christmas- and to court the delightful Anna, who enters his life on a sleigh driven by the reindeer Dasher and becomes his beloved wife. Still, all is not snowfall and presents. Klaus will be shadowed by the envious Rolf Eckhof,  who will stop at nothing to  subvert him. By the end,  Santa's magic is last unleashed, flying reindeer come to his aid, and an epic battle between good and evil is waged in the frosty Christmas skies. 

I enjoyed reading most of this book. I mostly enjoyed the moral behind this book though. But all in all, it wasn't my cup of tea. I really wanted to like this book. I am disappointed that I didn't. 
The characters were well written and well developed but at times it was too corny and too sugary sweet for me. A couple of times Tim Slover shocked me with the turns of events but that is also a good thing. Keeps us on our toes. One of the morals in this story reminded me of the book I read for review Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado: are you willing to do a good deed just to do a good deed while remaining anonymous? The other lesson learned in this book is good always overcomes evil.
All in all, if you are looking for traditional Christmas story with a few tweaks and surprises, this is for you.
The title is fitting and so is the cover.
I would recommend this to some but not all.


                                                            I received my copy of this book from Pump Up Your Books. Thank you Cheryl for letting me be part of this blog tour.


 

Friday, November 26, 2010

Everything I Never Wanted To Be a memoir by Dina Kucera REVIEW


A Memoir of alcoholism and addiction, faith and family, hope and humor.
Her grandparents were alcoholics. Her parents were alcoholics. She is an alcoholic and pill addict. Her oldest daughters struggle with alcohol and drug addiction, and her youngest daughter started using heroin at age fourteen.
Everything I Never Wanted To Be is the true story of a family's battle with alcoholism and drug addiction. Dina Kucera's household also includes her husband and his unemployed identical twin, a mother who has Parkinson's Disease, and a grandson who has cerebral palsy. On top of all that, Dina is trying to make it as a stand-up comic and author so that she can quit her job as a grocery store clerk.
This book lives up to its title and more. Dina kept the book refreshing with her wit and humor and her personality. I loved how she would tell a difficult past time or tell about a bad day she had had and add her little hints of humor and end it with her sarcasm and humor
I learned while reading this book that Dina has an amazing amount of strength to have been able to handle and deal with her daughters, their boyfriends, family and co-workers/boss. The fact that this whole mess was going on in her life and she would still go to work every day and put up with crap from people then go home and deal with the mess at home is astounding. I don't know if I would be able to do that. I tip my hat to this amazing woman.
At times this book hit home for me because I have a 21 year old niece; she was using and stealing for about a year. Then while stealing at some high end store one day she was caught, arrested and spent  two and a half months in jail. This forced her get clean and sober the hard way. But while in there she found out she is 21 weeks pregnant. That gave her reason outside of herself to be and stay clean and think of the future. As well as think of someone else besides herself.  She is now out of jail and a little over 100 days clean. She and her boyfriend (who is also clean, Thank God) of five years now live with her mother ( my oldest sister) .
I am so glad I got the opportunity to read this book. This is a book that is impossible to forget. Even though it was sad( and yet funny throughout, I loved that she didn’t lose her humor; instead used her humor as a way to deal with all that was going on in her life i.e. her daughters, husband, work, in-laws, etc) and pulled at the heart strings, there are lessons to learn in this book. You would and/or could be the best parent in the world giving your child(s) all you got; and this could still happen to you It isn’t necessarily you as the parent; we do all that we can to better our children, teach them right from wrong…but at some point they fly out of the nest and fly (or at least try to) on their own. We can do all that we know to help and hope they accept and better themselves, but at some point they must do it on their own. I love that Dina made it clear not to lose your faith and humor during times like these (or anytime) because that is one of the only things that will get you through it.
I will be talking about this book for a long time. I am so glad I got the opportunity to read this memoir. 
So of course I recommend this memoir! I highly recommend this book.

                                                          I received my copy of this book from Pump Up Your Books. Thank you Dorothy for letting me be part of this blog tour.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

My Apologies

I feel so bad! I was supposed to have my review up on the 23rd of this month. I thought that was next week. I thought I had a week to get this read and review posted. I looked at my calendar last night and said "Oh crap!" I'm late! Why I thought I had another week I don't know. But I will have my review posted by tomorrow night. 
A sneak peak of what's to come:
The title is very true. This book is very sad; I think you will read it a bit differently if you are a mother/father. The book has very funny parts in it. I have laughed a loud many times while reading this and have been teary eyed a few times as well.
This books is also hitting home for me as an aunt. 
More to come later! 

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Teaser Tuesday

 Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
 Ok so I got myself a little crazy today. Not purposefully. I am crazy enough naturally with out adding to it. I completely forgot about a book review I was supposed to have done forever ago and just tonight I got an email saying it needs to be up by the 30.....oookay. I can do that.
This is supposed to explain why I have an extra teaser this week...lol :)

( I don't think I have a picture of the first one, sorry)
The Life Book by Carl Blunt
"Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me."
Page 64 
 The 19th Element by John L. Betcher

"I gave Beth a quick kiss. Then steered my dark gray Honda Pilot down the vacant, early-morning streets if Red Wing to Becker Law Office, arriving at the door a few minutes after six o'clock."
Page 18






 Everything I Never Wanted To Be by Dina Kucera
"By the time I got home from the field trip, I was in complete panic. I ran to my mother, grabbed her shirt, and said, "I swallowed some lemon seeds!"
She continued doing whatever she was doing.
I got more desperate. "Mom! I swallowed some lemon seeds! A girl said I am going to grow a lemon tree in my belly!"
Page 47 

Want Chocolate? You Got A Deal! by Chantel Hobbs

Want Chocolate?  You’ve Got a Deal!
Fitness expert Chantel Hobbs inspires readers
to lose weight, get fit, and taste life at its very best
 
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51iG104vPXL._SS500_.jpgYou don’t have to hide it.  You can love food right out in the open—and lose weight at the same time.  With the latest release from Chantel Hobbs, Love Food and Live Well, you’ll know when to have carrot cake and when it’s time to just have a carrot. 
 
Let life coach and fitness expert Chantel Hobbs show you how to lose pounds to reach the weight that is right for you and then maintain it while enjoying healthy, delicious food.  Built into this amazing plan is knowing that you can count on the occasional splurge with absolutely no guilt. 
 
Using personal inventories, original recipes, and simple eating plans, plus new exercises for strength training and aerobic fitness, Hobbs will inspire you to live well in every area of life.  Her positive and highly motivating approach is changing the way dieters look at food and will inspire you to pursue a life of lasting health in body, mind, and spirit.
 
Hobbs isn’t like other fitness and nutritional experts.  She doesn’t just have the knowledge of what to eat.  She’s experienced the heartache of feeling unworthy.  In her book she says, “We’ll look at the deal the world has been selling us all of our lives—the message that we’re not good enough, not pretty enough, not thin enough, and just basically that we’re not enough.”  Hobbs doesn’t just offer expert advice.  She offers hope. 
 
She exposes the lies that trap dieters in self-defeating habits and shows them how to break free from destructive attitudes toward food.  You will no longer need to hate food or be limited to eating boring, bland, unsatisfying meals.  You can learn to live with freedom.
 
Chantel Hobbs is a life coach, marathon runner, personal trainer, wife, and mother of four.  Her amazing story of losing two hundred pounds and keeping the weight off has been featured on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox & Friends, Life Today with James Robison, The 700 Club, and Focus on the Family Radio—and in People and First magazines.  Hobbs hosts a weekly radio show and is the on-air fitness expert on the WAY-FM radio network.  She is also a regular guest on the KLOVE radio network.  Hobbs is a frequent speaker to women’s groups and makes personal appearances at fitness conventions.  The developer of The One-Day Way Learning System and the author of four books, including Never Say DietThe One-Day Way, Chantel lives with her family in south Florida.

I don't know about you but I love chocolate; especially dark chocolate. I can't go on a "diet"because I love me chocolate. This book so sounds awesomely perfect for me! Would you go on a "diet" if it meant no chocolate? 

New Beginnings Wednesdays

To remind you of the way this works, here’s how to play:
First — post your list of New Years’ Resolutions in a post at your blog (or in the comments here, if you don’t have a blog).
Second — every week, on Wednesday, write a new post about how you’re doing with each of your goals … you’ll have to list them, again, each week, as people won’t remember what you’re working towards, otherwise. Be brief in your updates, as there may be several blogs to visit! ((come give a quick update here at Should Be Reading, if you don’t have a blog)).
Third — after you’ve written your update, come back to Should Be Reading, and share your link so that we –the other New Beginnings participants– can stop by your blog and encourage you!
Important! … It would be absolutely great if you could visit at least ONE other participant’s blog  on Wednesdays and leave a comment on their post to share some encouragement for their efforts! Show your support! That’s what this event is all about — standing by each other to finally reach our goals!
Here is mine:
Read the Bible in a year...
I am still on :)

Lose 10-15 lbs...
I'm going to assume that since I haven't been working out that either my weight is the same or gone up. Plus I made a pork tenderloin roast for dinner and I'm sure that doesn't help. But I did make baby red potatoes (oven roasted) to go with it and I did add garlic, onions, celery and carrots so maybe I did ok...

Tone Up...
I was back and then I fell off. Let's see about getting back on tomorrow. 

Get my family (my hubby and I) completely out of debt...
I am using the tips from Your Money God's Way by Amie Streater along with other advise and we are slowly but surely getting there...:)

Monday, November 22, 2010

Meet Me On Monday

This is a fun meme hosted by Java at Never Growing Old.

Each week she post a fun meme with questions to get to know each other outside of blogging.
Questions:

1. How many pillows do you sleep with?
I have three pillows but one is a body pillow that Hubby I share then I have a flatter pillow and a fluffy pillow I use to sleep with.
2. Where will you eat on Thanksgiving?
My Aunts house and Hubby's sister's house. We have yet to meet my Uncle's new wife and new child and we have yet to meet Hubby's sister's new twins. She now has eight kids including the twins and she is happy that she finally has her girl. But she lost her last boys to SIDS a year and a half ago the day before our wedding.
3. Would you rather go to a party or host a party?
It depends. I love hosting dinner parties but my sister in law is a great party host. She is really sweet, nice and funny, hard working, very creative, awesome at cooking and baking. We love going to her parties:)
4. How many purses (wallets for the guys) do you own?
Of course Hubby would say I own too many but he is a man. He doesn't understand! You need a variety of purses for the outings you go on. A nice date, dinner parties, a casual day of errands etc.... lol. I only own about 5 (and counting...). I think that is a very small number. Now shoes...that's a different story....;)
5. What is your favorite kind of seafood?
When I was a kid I loved tuna fish. Does that count? Now I can't stand any kind of seafood! And boy was the smell of seafood a killer when I was pregnant!   

Friday, November 19, 2010

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

I know I am a bit late, it has been a busy hectic week that has flown by! But here is my teasers for the week!

From Everything I Never Wanted To Be by Dina Kucera:
"Some days I simply don't have that kind of energy or time to be pulling back and poking and stirring.  Food is not something I feel passionate about, so I don't prepare food for my family to enjoy. I am merely trying to keep them alive."
Page 23 

From Recipes for a Beautiful Life by Julie Keye and Madaline Hall:
"Two are better than one; because they have good reward for their labor.  For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is lone when he falls; for he hath not another to help him up. "Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Page 7 

From The 19th Element by John L. Betcher
" I like being a few minutes early. Having extra time at your disposal can help you deal with unanticipated circumstances. I took a seat in a soft chair outside the cafe and watched and waited."
Page 81

WWW Wednesdays

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions... • What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you'll read next?


I am currently reading:

  


Everything I Never Wanted To Be: a memoir of alcoholism & addiction, faith & family, hope & humor by Dina Kucera ( for review, blog tour on the 23rd of this month)






 The 19th Element by John L. Betcher (for review, blog tour on the 13th of December)









 I recently finished reading:
The Christmas Chronicles by Tim Slover ( for review, blog tour on the 26th of this month)

 Recipes for a Beautiful Life by Julie Keye and Madaline Hall (review up in a few days hopefully)





What I Will be Reading Next:

Life Choices by Judi Moreo (and friends)
~for review, blog tour on the 9th of December~






Besides that I don't know...we will see...:)

New Beginnings Wednesdays

((For the main post about this new WEEKLY EVENT, click here)).

To remind you of the way this works, here’s how to play:
First — post your list of New Years’ Resolutions in a post at your blog (or in the comments here, if you don’t have a blog).
Second — every week, on Wednesday, write a new post about how you’re doing with each of your goals … you’ll have to list them, again, each week, as people won’t remember what you’re working towards, otherwise. Be brief in your updates, as there may be several blogs to visit! ((come give a quick update here at Should Be Reading, if you don’t have a blog)).
Third — after you’ve written your update, come back to Should Be Reading, and share your link so that we –the other New Beginnings participants– can stop by your blog and encourage you!
Important! … It would be absolutely great if you could visit at least ONE other participant’s blog  on Wednesdays and leave a comment on their post to share some encouragement for their efforts! Show your support! That’s what this event is all about — standing by each other to finally reach our goals!

Here is mine:
Read the Bible in a year...
I am back to reading my regular devotional with my Bible.

Lose 10-15 lbs...
I haven't been able to keep an eye out because the scale broke but I am being very mindful of what and how much I eat because of the holidays coming up.

Tone Up...
I have been doing them at night before going to bed, after Hubby and Daughter go to bed. I've been calling it "me time".  Then I go to bed feeling good about myself:)

Get my family (my hubby and I) completely out of debt...
I am using the tips from Your Money God's Way by Amie Streater along with other advise and we are slowly but surely getting there...:)

Monday, November 15, 2010

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.
I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! It's also a lot of fun to to go other participating bloggers, go visit as many as you can!

This past week I finished The Christmas Chronicles and the review coming up on the 26th of this month. (for review and blog tour)

That's all I did this past week...pretty meek. 

This Next week I am going to be reading Everything I Never Wanted To Be by Dina Kucera (for review and blog tour on the 23rd of this month.)

The 19th Element by John L. Betcher ( for review and blog tour on the 13th of December.)

That's it. It's light for me this week:) I can't wait to make my rounds and check everyone out this week! Anybody got snow yet? Being that it is a change in weather and with the holidays, does that put you in the mood to read certain books?

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Book Blogger Hop

The blog hop is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books

This week's question comes from Christina who blogs at All About YA Books:

"If you find a book that looks interesting but is part of a series, do you always start with the first title?"

 
My answer:
 
I strongly prefer it.  You understand the characters a lot better, you know their history and inside jokes. It makes it a lot easier to start from the beginning otherwise you end up confused and with a lot of questions.
But I also wish that the books that are series were marked better as series. For example, The Left Behind series I read (and was totally awesome, such a good book series!) They weren't marked in order but it did have the list in order inside the book. A good example of books being clearly marked would be the The Women's Murder Club by James Patterson. I read my first one a few years back, I started with the fourth one, and I didn't understand when they referred to past times or past crimes. I later read the first one and through-out the book lights were coming on in my head and clearing up questions I had. I also knew better because that series IS clearly marked.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

It’s Your Call: What Are You Doing Here? by Gary Barkalow

Few spiritual concepts have fascinated and confused people more than understanding God’s calling. Is it a job or a role? Is it only reserved for those who work in professional ministry? The truth is amazingly profound: what we are supposed to do is what we most want to do.
 
In this guide for discovering God’s design and destiny for your life, Gary Barkalow shares how you can:
 
·         Live alert and oriented to the voice and choreography of God.
·         Discover and interpret the voice of your own story.
·         Discern the strategic assault against your calling.
·         Recognize God’s intentional training in your life’s journey.
 
Most of all, you’ll be inspired to let the glory of your life touch the world around you.
 
 
Everybody’s Question
 
©2010 Cook Communications Ministries. It’s Your Call by Gary Barkalow. Used with permission. May not be further reproduced. All rights reserved.
 
551 Barkalow bk cover hi resSeveral years ago I ran across an article in USA Today in which adults were surveyed as to what they “would ask a god or supreme being if they could get a direct and immediate answer.” The largest percentage (34 percent) of adults said they would ask, “What is my purpose in life?” Second (19 percent) and third (16 percent) to that question were, “Will I have life after death?” and “Why do bad things happen?”4
 
That most commonly asked question is very telling. It demonstrates that we were created for a specific purpose. As C. S. Lewis said, “If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe, and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know that it was dark. Dark would be a word without meaning.”5 So the question we are all asking—“Is there a specific purpose or calling for my life?”—is self-answering: YES!
 
The Barna Research Group concluded a nationwide survey with these words: “One of the most stunning outcomes was that born again Christians and non-Christians were equally likely to be seeking meaning and purpose in life.”6 Barna was also amazed that so many born-again Christians were puzzled as to their purpose in life: “One of the primary values of the Christian faith is to settle the issue of meaning and purpose in life. The Bible endorses people’s individual uniqueness but also provides a clear understanding of the meaning of life—that being to know, love and serve God with all of your heart, mind and strength.”7
 
The question of purpose, meaning, and place is universal to every human heart. The answer that your life does have purpose or meaning is not enough. Instead the answer begs another question, “What specific, irreplaceable purpose does my life play?” Coming to faith does not settle the issue of meaning and purpose in life. As Pulitzer Prize winner Russell Baker said,
 
There is a hunger in us…for assurance that our lives have not been merely successful, but valuable—that
we have accomplished something grander than just another well-heeled [well-off], loudly publicized
journey from the diaper to the shroud. In short, that our lives have been consequential.8
 
The truth is that we are here to do something, a contribution that only each one of us can make. There is an outcome that hinges on us and therefore a fear that we might miss it—our moment, our part, our potential, our purpose, and our life. This is not some peculiar fear experienced only by a certain generation or culture or religion. I believe it is a fear born out of a desire written on every human heart, a desire for meaning, to know that my existence matters to someone and something. In short, that I’m good for something.
 
The hunger or desire to find and live the life that we have been given, to live a life that is consequential, is good and noble. Scripture says, “[God] will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality  that God offers. But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness” (Rom. 2:7–8 NLT). There is a life of glory, honor, and immortality that God offers and that we are meant to seek. But it will take God’s help for us to find and live the life we were created to live.

Doesn't this sound like a book you would want to read?  :):)
 

A Million Ways to Die: The Only Way to Live by Rick James

A Million Ways to Die: The Only Way to Live by Rick James
 
As Christians we talk often about resurrection, but what about our death and the many daily “deaths” that must come first? Through stories and biblical insights, Rick James reminds us that when Jesus tells us to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him, He is describing a path of death, not a path to death.
 
As we learn to embrace the deaths of everyday existence, we lose our taste for lifeless religiosity. Our appetite for a thriving, vibrant life in Christ grows—and our own experience motivates others to live out their extraordinary missions on earth. As James so vividly illustrates, death is not an ending—it’s an invitation to more abundant life.
 
 
DEATH: OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME
©2010 Cook Communications Ministries. A Million Ways to Die by Rick James. Used with permission. May not be further reproduced. All rights reserved.
 
545 James bk coverWhile neither God nor Scripture ignores or downplays the pain of our suffering and trials, they are unwavering in presenting it to us as an opportunity to be embraced, not a threat from which to hide. A thoughtful examination of a passage in 2 Corinthians explains why: “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you” (2 Cor. 4:10–12).
 
Let me rephrase this passage with explanation, expansion, and commentary so you can see the concepts in another way:
 
I endure many hardships. But I think of my trials like “little deaths” because I see how God resurrects, or brings life out of, them. You, Corinthians, are the ones who benefit from this, so I don’t mind if God uses my life and faith as an engine to convert those deaths into life. In fact, once you realize that trials are fuel, or firewood, to be burned and transformed into life, you no longer run from them; you embrace them. This is why I rejoice in the severity of my trials, persevere in them, and embrace them by faith. I never think, “Oh, no … another trial.” I actually think, “Bring it on; it’s just more logs for the fire.”
 
It is no doubt human nature to avoid pain; it’s definitely my nature. I dare you to spring out of bed every morning like it were Christmas Day, anticipating what new deaths lie ahead and how God will transform them into life. It’s not a normal way of looking at life, but then again neither is returning from a torture session “rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name” (Acts 5:41).
 
If Mr. Thomas Kuhn were still alive, I believe he would call this a paradigm shift, a fundamentally different way of viewing life. In fact, when a perspective is so mind-altering and counterintuitive, we do not call it insight, but insanity. It’s not just a different way of thinking, it’s too different—odd different. Apart from faith, James’ sentiment, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds” (James 1:2), would have to be seen as gibberish, as would the affections expressed by Dietrich Bonhoeffer when he said, “Can you sense that I have now a terrible longing for my own suffering?”
 
However, when you begin to view death as an opportunity for more and greater life, here and now, as well as in the age to come, it changes everything. It reorients us entirely.
 
In the past year I’ve had the opportunity to share the gospel with something like ten thousand college students, with several hundred of those coming to Christ. This outreach to universities was launched from a book I wrote titled Jesus Without Religion. I can’t prove this, but I don’t think the fruitfulness of the book is necessarily tied to the book itself.
 
The book took me six months to write, and the very day after completing it, my computer crashed. As it turned out, the “heads” on the hard drive were cracked, and nothing was salvageable. This, at least, is what the repairman told me; I know nothing of the heads, hands, or feet of a hard drive, nothing of basic hard drive anatomy at all. This would have been the perfect time to pull out the backup copy that I’d saved—if there had been a backup copy. But I had nothing; the book was gone, dead and buried, its remains sprinkled throughout the cyber universe—from pixels it came and to pixels it returned.
 
Yet this perspective of death presented in Scripture ultimately led me to a sense of anticipation. Here, in the teaching of Jesus and the disciples, death (the death of a hope, dream, goal, or six months worth of work) doesn’t mean dead—it means the opportunity for resurrection.
 
To give thanks and praise in such circumstances is one way in which death is transformed into life. The blackened logs of death consumed by faith’s flame are transformed into wisps of praise drift­ing upward. Death is a consumable fuel for life, and any experience of death can yield spiritual life if it is embraced by faith. Giving thanks and praise is simply one method of transference.
 
I do not remember if I gave thanks. I might have sworn. But after regaining my spiritual equilibrium, I did start on page one, with word one, and with considerable anticipation that God would use the resurrected rewrite like Lazarus, drawing many to Himself.
 
I can’t prove the connection in this particular case, but I know it’s there. I know it’s God’s resurrection power working through a corpse. (Though in my enthusiasm for the metaphor, I have just called my book a corpse, which can’t be good for future sales).
 
It certainly makes sense to me why an unbeliever would run from death. But for a believer, to run from death is, in reality, to run from life. This is why we embrace death and consider it pure joy in whatever form we encounter it. Death is no longer a dead end or detour to life; it’s a fuel stop. Death, like gasoline, is combusted and converted into mileage, enabling us to get to our destination—the light and life of the great city glowing over the horizon.

I received this in my email, thought you'd all like to read it :) 
 

New Beginnings Wednesday

To remind you of the way this works, here’s how to play:
First — post your list of New Years’ Resolutions in a post at your blog (or in the comments here, if you don’t have a blog).
Second — every week, on Wednesday, write a new post about how you’re doing with each of your goals … you’ll have to list them, again, each week, as people won’t remember what you’re working towards, otherwise. Be brief in your updates, as there may be several blogs to visit! ((come give a quick update here at Should Be Reading, if you don’t have a blog)).
Third — after you’ve written your update, come back to Should Be Reading, and share your link so that we –the other New Beginnings participants– can stop by your blog and encourage you!
Important! … It would be absolutely great if you could visit at least ONE other participant’s blog  on Wednesdays and leave a comment on their post to share some encouragement for their efforts! Show your support! That’s what this event is all about — standing by each other to finally reach our goals!
Here is mine:
Read the Bible in a year...
I am back to reading my regular devotional with my Bible.

Lose 10-15 lbs...
I have almost no idea where my weight is at right now. My scale broke. Literally. We had a glass one and Hubby picked it up to dry it off after shower and dropped it!

Tone Up...
I missed three days but I am back.

Get my family (my hubby and I) completely out of debt...
I am using the tips from Your Money God's Way by Amie Streater along with other advise and we are slowly but surely getting there...:)

I took the college bit off here. No point on it being here. It'll be a while.

WWW Wednesday

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions...
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you'll read next?

My answers:

I am currently reading
1. The Christmas Chronicles by Tim Slover (for review/blog tour on the 26th)
2. Everything I Never Wanted To Be by Dina Kucera (for review/blog tour on the 23rd)

I recently finished reading:

1. A Year With God ( a devotional) by R. P. Netllehorst

What I am going to read next:

1. The 19th Element by John L. Betcher
2. Life Choices by Judi Moreo (& friends) 

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Tapestry Productions and Christmas

Are you looking for a special gift to give this Christmas?
 
There is no gift more special and meaningful than the gift of the Gospel. Tapestry Productions Inc. (TPI) realizes this, and each work of art from the artists they represent is created for the sole purpose of communicating the Gospel message and the love and forgiveness of God with unapologetic boldness to a visual and greatly hurting world.
 
What would it have been like to hold the infant Jesus, the incarnation of God, for the very first time? Would you be forever changed to have been present at the Crucifixion? The stunning and heart-transforming artwork of award-winning artist Ron DiCianni (Tapestry Productions’ featured artist) is bringing these very images to life before the eyes of viewers across the globe and the life-changing impact is undeniable.
 
In the WildernessSpiritual WarfareThe Cross
 
Through fine art reproductions, Christian artwork, biblical prints, calendars, and books of the highest quality, TPI is ministering to families, individuals, and churches with the Gospel of Jesus Christ—a message that Christ lived, died that we may know redemption, and will return, and that this truth impacts our lives every day—all in visual form. Each work is of the highest artistic quality and skill but is intended for purposes far beyond decoration. Rather, every piece of exquisite art uses arguably the most powerful medium of communication—the visual—to tell the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world, transcending cultures, languages, backgrounds, and denominations like no other form of media can.
 
TPI artist Ron DiCianni has focused his career for the past twenty years on the Gospel message. While some may not immediately recognize the name, they do recognize his art. Others see his awe-inspiring pieces and are surprised that they have not encountered them before. The powerful images evoke so great an emotion that those who view DiCianni’s pieces do not simply want a reproduction; they suddenly recognize that they need it in order to share with others. Tapestry believes that a print sold is a life touched and their goal is to create an awareness of their art so that more lives can be touched by the Gospel message.
 
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Description of Simeon’s Moment:
 
To hold the Son of God in your arms has to be an awesome experience! For Simeon it was indeed the moment of a lifetime as it showed the fulfillment of God’s promise to him and to the world. Simeon’s Moment speaks to the joy and elation that Simeon must have felt at seeing that prophecy fulfilled. As the Michael Card song so beautifully describes in words and this painting so powerfully displays, this is the moment that Simeon had lived his life for. Luke 2:21-35
 

I received this in an email, I thought you guys would like to read about it and go to their website:)

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

City of Tranquil Light by Bo Caldwell


586 Caldwell coverBo Caldwell’s City of Tranquil Light (Henry Holt and Company), is a searing love story of a man and a woman, their God, and the country they jointly loved and a deeply researched and page-turning portrait of a country in utter turmoil. The story is based on the lives of her maternal grandparents who were missionaries in China in the early 1900s. For years her mother had urged her to write about them and when she dove into the research, she found their lives full of conflict, danger, and heartbreak, as well as joy and fulfillment.
 
At the center of the novel are Will and Katherine, two Mennonite missionaries from the heartland who have come to China because they feel called by God to serve the poor and spread the Good News. But this is more than a missionary story; it is really the portrait of a marriage set against the backdrop of a radically shifting nation that is plunging into revolution.
 
City of Tranquil Light by Bo Caldwell is a wonderful novel set in China in the early years of the 20th century.
Funny, exciting, and heartbreakingly sad, it showcases the power of the gospel.” ~ World Magazine
 
In Conversation with Bo Caldwell,
Author of City of Tranquil Light
 
It’s been nearly ten years since your first novel, The Distant Land of My Father, was published. What took you so long?
 
That’s a question I’ve asked myself. Part of the answer is that life intervened. I started the novel in 2002 and wrote perhaps 80 pages, and although I didn’t like them much, I’ve come to accept that mediocre first drafts are often part of my process. In 2004 I was diagnosed with stage-one breast cancer (I’m now healthy and cancer-free), so that fall and the first half of 2005 were given to chemo and radiation. It took another year for my head to clear enough to write fiction, and I returned to the novel in 2006 and finished it two years later. The other part of the answer is easy: I’m a slow writer, something I’ve made peace with.
 
Bo CaldwellCity of Tranquil Light is based on the lives of your grandparents who were missionaries in China and Taiwan. Where did you draw the line between their experiences and the fictional characters of Will and Katherine?
 
The biggest difference is that, unlike my characters, my grandparents had five children. I chose not to deal with fictional children because they would complicate what felt like an already complex story. Also, my grandparents lived in five different cities in China and worked in Taiwan after the communist takeover of China. I had my characters settle in one place so that I wouldn’t have to keep rebuilding cities, and I chose to have my characters stay in the U.S. once they returned because I wanted to focus on what leaving China meant for them, on aging, and on their marriage. Finally, while my grandparents’ lives were certainly the primary inspiration for the book, I was also inspired by the lives of other missionaries, and I incorporated parts of their stories as well as my grandparents’. The line between what really happened to any of these people and what I made up or exaggerated is already blurry, and, in my experience, will become more so as time passes.
 
China has played a large role in both of your novels. What does the country mean to you?
 
China represents a connection to my childhood and to my family. It’s where my grandparents lived most of their lives and where my mom and her siblings grew up. Family dinners with my grandparents were always Chinese food, and I used to help my mom make chiaotza—steamed dumplings—when I was little. All my aunts and uncles knew how to make them. Everyone in my mom’s family had at least a couple of pieces of Chinese furniture in their homes, and my grandparents had many Chinese items. So in a weird way, there’s also a connection for me between China and home, although I’ve never been there.
 
In the book, you create a richly detailed vision of China in the early 20th century. Can you tell us about your historical research into this period of Chinese history?
 
I’m not a fast researcher, but I’m thorough, and I learned much more than what appears in the novel. I started with historical books about China, mostly from the library and used bookstores, then read biographies and autobiographies of missionaries who’d served in China, many of whom my grandparents had known. These books presented history through a narrower lens. I saw how historical events had affected specific individuals and places, which made those events more real and immediate.
 
How did you decide to tell the story from two different points in time?
 
Trial and error. The first draft was entirely in Will’s voice, and early readers said the story needed more of Katherine, for which I am very grateful. Someone also mentioned the word journal. At first I thought her journal might appear all in one section, but once I started writing it I began interspersing it and enjoyed the dialogue that began to take shape. And I learned that rather than echoing or contradicting what Will said, Katherine could enlarge upon it and expand it, which appealed to me.
 
Will and Katherine’s faith brings them together and gives their lives both challenges and purpose. Did writing about their love and faith have any impact on your own marriage and/or faith?
 
Writing about Katherine’s decline made me value the present with my husband. We’re both healthy and (relatively) young, and I hope we have lots of years ahead of us. But writing about Will watching Katherine’s decline caused me to be more grateful for what we have now. And yes, the novel affected my faith strongly. When I started it in 2002, I tried to imagine my grandfather’s faith and to portray it accurately, but when I returned to the novel in 2006, after chemo and radiation, I no longer wanted that distance. I came to believe that although it was riskier to write about my own faith and what was in my heart—instead of hiding behind my grandfather—it was also more worthwhile.
 
City of Tranquil Light tells the story of two extraordinary lives filled with hardship and joy. What did you learn in writing about those lives?
 
I learned about the cost of marriage, which I first saw with my parents. My mom and dad were married for 56 years, and when my dad passed away in 2000, I watched my mom lose him then begin her life without him. She was very brave, and although the way in which she did that was remarkable, it still broke my heart. When I read biographies of missionaries, I saw one spouse or the other go through the same thing: this devastating separation after decades of companionship. But I also saw them survive it, as has my mom, and go on to live good lives. If you marry and are fortunate enough to grow old together, one of you will lose the other. But people survive that, and they even thrive, despite that great loss. That inspires and encourages me.
 
Do you think you could endure the hardships your grandparents endured?
 
My gut response is no—I love the comforts of home—but we endure what we have to endure, don’t we? I’m also not sure I could have stayed as long as they did, and remained so faithful to a calling. But I don’t think my grandparents knew they could do those things, and although I haven’t endured anything like they did, I’ve surprised myself by the ways I’ve gotten through some challenges in my life, and that’s something that excites me. We don’t know how we’ll be in a crisis. We often respond in ways we never dreamed we would, or could, which is a fact that gives me hope.


After I read this email I thought, "Holy Cow. They had strength. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually...

What do you think?