Monthly Archives: February 2011
Giveaway Reminder!
Tomorrow I will draw the winner for the free copy of The Life Ready Woman. If you want to enter, be sure to leave a comment on that post (Click Here) TODAY.
You have until Wednesday to leave a comment for The Me Project (Click Here) and the Starbucks Deluxe Gift Basket! I will choose one random name from the comments left on that post to submit to the author’s website for the grand drawing next week.
A special “Thank You!” to Litfuse Publicity Group and Kathy Carlton Willis Communications, FamilyLife Ministries, MomLife, the authors and publishers for making these giveaways possible!
Read with Me: Choosing a Bible
It’s been a while since we’ve checked in with one another! Are you all still with me? Who’s reading? Who’s wishing they were?
I’m happy with how I’ve done this week. Since I’m on the two-year plan, it’s difficult to say if I’m “on track” or not. More important than the plan or the track, however, is the fact that I am reading on a pretty regular basis. I’ve restarted the habit of reading before I get out of bed. This helps me to (1) not forget to do it and (2) center my focus before the day begins.
Oh, and Ellie is still with us! She is reading through the Psalms this year in her own Bible, a pink NIrV that she prizes.
Do you know about the NIrV? The New International Reader’s Version is distributed by ZonderKidz (a division of Zondervan Publishers) and targets emerging readers, ages 6-10. The language is very similar to the traditional NIV (which I am sorry to say got a new revision in 2010), but the sentence structure is slightly more simplistic. She still comes across a number of words she doesn’t know or can’t sound out, but for the most part it is perfect for her. As with most Bible versions, you can find this in a number of covers. Hers is pink leather with a bright green dragonfly. Zach’s is a two-tone blue with an icthus. But you can also find it in paperback or hardback, with adventure devotionals, super hero illustrations or in a read-to-me format.
Last year we talked a little bit about Bible versions. Because of the nature of this challenge, many of us who were raised in the church chose to read The Message. It’s less familiar and flows very naturally. But at some point in the year, I stopped reading that. I found a few too many discrepancies between that and other versions of the Bible. I still read it from time to time, but I grew tired of feeling like I always needed to check another source to see if what I had read was right.
This reminds me of a very interesting conversation I had with a taxi driver in London. It was more than ago, but it still sticks with me. While on our way to the airport, I asked the driver what he believes about God. He was very excited to talk and shared his testimony of how he was raised Muslim and then became a Christian, but converted back to Islam for his wife. He tried to convince me that Islam and Christianity are exactly the same — exactly the same except that the Bible frequently changes and the Koran never does.
I ran into this same argument against Christianity while witnessing to Muslims in Bosnia. That was more than twelve years ago.
This frustrates me because, while I know the Bible is the unchanging Word of God, I understand what they mean!
Go into any bookstore and look at the section on Bibles. You’ll find hundreds of different kinds! True: many of the differences include specific devotionals or formats. But forgiving those, there are still dozens of different versions of the Bible. How does anyone new to Christianity know where to start? Or which one is right? Which one is best?
Maybe you’re wondering the same questions.
Here are a few things to consider when choosing a Bible.
- Is it a translation or a paraphrase? The Message is a paraphrase. So is the NIV and the NIrV and most versions used in children’s Bibles. Paraphrases word the truths of the Bible into common, contemporary language. They re-state it in a way similar to how people normally talk in a certain time or culture. These are wonderful if you’re doing a challenge like Read with Me in which you just want to see the big picture. They can, however, reflect personal commentary or interpretation by those who wrote the paraphrase.
A translation is exactly that: a translation from the original languages of Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic into English or whatever language chosen. Good examples of this include the New American Standard Bible (NASB) and the NET Bible.
- What will you use it for? We are very blessed to have many Bibles available and affordable to us in this nation. You may want to have different Bibles for different reasons. If you want do an in-depth study, you need a translation. If you’re doing a reading challenge or preparing something for younger audiences, paraphrases are usually best.
- Does it make sense to you? The reason we have so many different versions is because we have such an extensive vocabulary within English. We have a vast range of educations which leads to many different reference, inferences and understood meanings within our language. Find a version that makes sense to you, one that engages you and makes you WANT to read more.
- Is there anything else that would help you get into your Bible more often? Some people are naturals at independent Bible study. Others need a devotional or a journal. Some want commentary notes, while others prefer historical details and archeological supports. Some require cross-references while other people find those distracting. There is something available for just about everyone and every purpose. Find one that works for you.
Enough from me.
YOUR TURN: Are you still with us? How do you choose a Bible for yourself or others?
The Life Ready Woman: Thriving in a Do-It-All World
When asked what was God’s purpose for your life and how you were pursuing it, many of you responded with roles of wife and mother, but just as many of you expressed frustration at having to or wanting to work and not knowing how to balance it all. The book I introduced earlier this week inspires women to identify their God-given dreams and take active steps toward pursuing those dreams. The book I introduce today is more about balancing those dreams.
Before I give you my thoughts, let me introduce the book with words straight from the publisher.
Are you a ‘Doing it all’ or ‘Do what matters’ woman?
Whether a stay at home; or working mom, an airplane-hopping executive, an empty-nester caring for multiple generations or a single juggling high demands of career and personal life, today’s fast-paced modern world leaves women gasping for balance. We as modern Christian women want to look to the Bible for guidance on how to manage our lives — but because the world of women looks so different today than it did when the Bible was written, it is hard to find chapter and verse that seems to apply to our situation today.
Thankfully, God has given us exactly that timeless, unchanging guidance for how to find peace, clarity, and God’s best for our lives once we know where to look! The Life Ready Woman: Thriving in a Do-It-All World, reveals a profound biblical roadmap for how each of us can find the abundant life we are longing for, rather than the stressful, torn, how-do-I-balance-it-all life we often feel like we are trying to keep up with today. Actually being a LifeReady Woman means that you are clear about your life, bold in your faith, and able to find God’s best for you, and the end result will be that you not only survive but thrive in our do-it-all world.
God has given every wonderfully unique woman different skills and abilities, different desires, and different temperaments — and every woman around the planet and through the ages is certainly living in different circumstances. But no matter what a woman’s life looks like, the Bible says that God has an individual mission and plan that He’s carefully designed for each of us. And He wants us to find it. Starting January 2011, The Life Ready Woman and the Life Ready Woman Video Series will help every wonderfully unique woman to thrive as she identifies and courageously pursues God’s unique design and callings for her.
There is the book (which I have — and which I am giving away one copy to one of you!), but there is also the video series with accompanying workbooks that could be used by community groups or churches. This is all being distributed by FamilyLife, a wonderful ministry that promotes families first. They have some of the best Christian marriage conferences in the nation. (Oh, and that’s part of the giveaway too! Details below.)
B&H Books
ISBN-10: 1433671123
Release Date: January 1, 2011
Paperback: 272 pages, Retail: $14.99
Buy it now at Christianbook.com for $11.99!
About the Author: Shaunti Feldhahn is a former Wall Street analyst, best-selling author of the book For Women Only, national speaker, and regular commentator in the media. She has been featured on The Today Show, PBS, TNT and Fox News- to name a few. You can learn more about her many activities by visiting her website Shaunti.com or get some great mom advice from her at MomLifeToday.com.
About MomLife Today: At MomLife Today you will enjoy community with real moms experiencing every age and every stage of MomLife—right alongside you.
Moms need friends we can walk through life with, but more importantly we need friends who will encourage us and equip us in our role as moms in an honest and transparent way … and that’s just what you’ll find by becoming part of our MomLife Today community! We believe that every MOMent counts! We admit it, being a mom 24/7 is not easy. Rather than lament the role of motherhood, however, we choose to embrace that role and learn from each other how to make it through each day with the right attitude. Come share the joys, sorrows, insanity, and special moments of motherhood with us as we live it and candidly write about it…we’ll have lots of fun along the way!
My Thoughts: I have to admit: when I started this book, I didn’t like it. The first few pages smelled of feminine empowerment and sexual superiority. While I believe in sexual equality, I do not believe in sexual sameness. Men and women were created differently on purpose and it is to our greatest advantage to invest and rejoice in those differing strengths. So, I was nervous. “Here comes another feminist who wants me to roar and run over my man.” But I am familiar with FamilyLife and I knew they were promoting this book, so I kept reading. As I got past the first few pages, I was delighted to discover this author seeks to uphold God’s truths while affirming the wonderful position women have in our culture and time in history. Even better: She seeks to view our position in this post-modern world through the lens of God’s unchanging Word. We have unrecognizable freedom when compared with our foremothers and oppressed sisters in other countries. It is our priviledge to seize that freedom and use it for God’s glory.
But how do we balance that freedom with the call to be wives, mothers, and more? How do we juggle housekeeping with jobs and soccer schedules and piano lessons and personal ambitions? Not to mention marriages and in-laws and neighbors and ministry and a healthy, growing relationship with God? That’s what this book is about.
Sure, we can do it all, but will we do it all well? What sacrifices are made when we spread ourselves so thin? And are those sacrifices worth it? The Life Ready Woman equips readers to be deliberate with our choices so that we can live the fulfilling lives God intended for us without guilt or regret. The further I got into this book, the more valuable I found it. In fact I plan to enthusiastically recommend it and the accompanying video series for an upcoming study through our church.
GIVEAWAY #1 (through me): A copy of this book! Leave a comment on this post and you’ll be entered in the drawing. A name will be selected randomly and announced on Monday.
GIVEAWAY #2 (through MomLife): In celebration of Shaunti Feldhahn’s Life Ready Woman
Not only, is MomLife Today helping promote Life Ready Woman, but they are thrilled to announce that Shaunti will be joining MomLife Today as a regular contributor!
Weekend To Remember Get-Aways offer marriage-changing principles that you can take home and apply to your daily lives to strengthen your marriage. Whether you are newly engaged or have been married for 50 years, you will find value in the tools provided at the getaway.
Don’t miss this opportunity to receive a conference registration for you and your spouse … and more! MomLife Today will be randomly selecting NINE lucky recipients to receive one of these great gifts:
- 2 Weekend To Remember Get Away conference registrations for two. $259 value each pair (Two couples will receive this.)
- 2 Life Ready Woman DVD packs. $149 value each (Two different people will receive this gift.)
- 5 The Life Ready Woman books. (Book will go to 5 people.)
To enter click one of the icons below then tell your friends. Winner will be announced on March 2nd on the MomLife Today website.
My disclosure in the right sidebar explains that I often receive free books for review. This is one of them. Please note that I am under no obligation to write a positive review and I receive no compensation from the author or publisher for my participation in this blog tour.
The ME Project (and a giveaway!)
Deluxe Starbucks Coffee Gift Basket
- Three 2.5-oz. bags of Starbucks coffee
(Sumatra, House Blend, and French Roast) - Tazo black tea
- Starbucks marshmallow cocoa
- Almond roca
- Almond roca buttercrunch toffee cookies
- White chocolate and raspberry cookies
- 2 Starbucks mugs
- Keepsake black bamboo basket
Have I got your attention? This coveted basket is grand prize for the book launch of Kathi Lipp’s The Me Project. You may know Kathi from The Husband Project or The Marriage Project. While both of those titles focused on relationships, this one focuses on personal accomplishment. Here’s the question: are you living the life you’ve always wanted? If not, why not? And don’t say you just need more coffee.
Earlier this week I lamented how daily demands and mundane responsibilities hijack my greater ambitions. Maybe you feel the same way. We all struggle with how to balance who we are as wife, mother, sister, and individual. We feel pulled in many directions and, unfortunately, the things that are most often neglected are the pieces that offer us the greatest fulfillment. But if God gave us those desires, those talents, those dreams, shouldn’t we prioritize them, too? How might our lives look different if we took a few minutes a day to put our dreams on “project status?”
This book offers a 21-day challenge toward that end. Through fun, creative, daily steps, the author encourages readers to:
- discover (or rediscover) the unique plan God has for you
- bring purpose back into your life
- change your attitudes toward your roles in life and how you approach your goals
- gain confidence to accomplish your dreams in the midst of an already busy schedule
- connect with like-minded women to make goals a priority
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
ISBN-10: 0736929665, ISBN-13: 978-0736929660
Release Date: February 1, 2011
Paperback: 224 pages, Retail: $12.99
Sound too easy? It really kind of is! The author has graciously given us a sneak peak to show you just how “doable” these action steps are.
Three Super-Simple Kick Starts to Living Your Dreams
– in the next 15 minutes
by Kathi Lipp
Is there a dream that God has given you, but you are waiting until the kids are grown and you have money in the bank before you get started?
You may not be able to enroll in a month long pastry making class or take a week off of work to get started on your novel, but today you can take three little baby steps to making your dream a day-to-day reality.
1. Go Public with It
It’s a little scary to tell the world what you want to do when you grow up—but this is one little step could get you closer to living your dream than almost any other. Plus—it takes very little time and you don’t have to raid your kid’s college fund to make it happen.
When you gather up all your courage and tell your best friend, “I want to learn how to paint,” suddenly she remembers an old art book she has laying around she would love to give you, or her friend from church who teaches art classes. The people you know and love want to be a resource. Give them the privilege of being a part of making your dream happen.
2. Join an Online Group
This is one of the simplest—and cheapest—ways to start exploring your passion. Find out who else is talking about restoring antiques and listen to their conversation. Start by Googling your interest along with the term “online groups.” You will be amazed with the number of people who want to talk about the proper way to care for 1950’s lunchboxes as much as you do.
3. Don’t be Afraid to Pray
I remember the first time I put an offer in on a house—I wanted it more than I had wanted almost anything else in my life. While I knew that I had dozens of other people praying on my behalf, I was too scared to pray.
I didn’t want God to tell me no. I was afraid to pray until my co-worker Kim asked me (in a loving, kind way), why I didn’t believe that God wanted His best for me. Don’t be afraid to pray—as with anything amazing in my life, the path is never what I expected, but it has always been obvious that God’s hand has been on it the whole way.
Kathi Lipp is a busy conference and retreat speaker, currently speaking each year to thousands of women throughout the United States. She is the author of The Husband Project and The Marriage Project, serves as food writer for Nickelodeon, and has had articles published in several magazines, including Today’s Christian Woman and Discipleship Journal. Kathi and her husband, Roger, live in California and are the parents of four teenagers and young adults. For more information visit her website: www.kathilipp.com
Did I forget about the giveaway? Never! To enter, simply leave a comment on this blog. I want to know about your dreams. What is it the purpose you feel God has for your life and how are you pursuing it? One name will be randomly chosen for the giveaway; the winner will be announced on Kathi’s website on March 7th.
The Return of Books and Giveaways!
Last year I stopped doing book tours, posting reviews and offering giveaways. I had hoped it would help me focus more on my Bible reading. It didn’t. It just made blog posts more sparse and me a little edgy. So, in an effort to quiet the crickets who have taken up residence around here, and to instill a little more serenity for me personally, I joyfully announce the return of books. I’m reading again (YAY!) and I can’t wait to share some of it with you!
Stay tuned as this week I’m hosting two different blog tours, both with giveaways! 
Over the next couple weeks I’ll be re-vamping my very dusty Bookshelf as well. I’ll let you know when that has been properly updated.
In the meantime, I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading. Any favorite titles or authors you simply must share?
Seeking Consistency
A while back Dori shared her testimony about our Read with Me Challenge. One thing that resonated with me, and I know some of you, was her desire for consistency. She didn’t want to just get the job done, but to maintain an even, faithful pace.
Such is the prayer of my life.
Somehow in my rebellion against routine, I’ve acquired an absence of consistency. One day I’m passionate about something and the next week I’m bored with the pursuit. One moment I can get enough and the next I can’t get far enough away.
Perhaps I’m exaggerating. I hope I am. I’d like to believe I’m slightly less eratic, emotional, unstable and a little more … well, the opposite of all those things.
I have lofty plans, but struggle to follow through. I desire to be more studious, more aware, more compassionate, more active. But then I spend another evening pouring over cookbooks, making grocery lists and listening for the delightful tune of a laundry load finished. The necessities of life swallow my ambitions. Or perhaps fear encourages me to hide in the mundane details, convincing me it’s safer there, that I belong there.
The only consistent part of my life is that it’s always the same.
That sounds entirely like a quote from Yogi Berra. Keep watch: it may end up on a Geiko commercial before you know it.
My point is that changes come slowly and in the meantime inconsistency reigns. If I’m growing, I can’t see it. I feel like stretching, but fear the risk. Or what others might say. And what will I do then?
Lord God, help me to look to you and you alone. Help me to remember that your love and redemption of me are independent of my actions. I am not in danger of losing either, no matter what I do, because you have sealed me in your Book of Life. Your grace is greater than all my inconsistent strivings and all my consistent failures. I love you and long to love you more. Help me to yield entirely to the will you have for me. Help me to trust in your strength and power to make me who you want me to be in your perfect timing. Amen and amen.
Progress Report & Indoctrination Attempts
My girl is back in school!! Woo-hoo. She’s still not 100%, but she’s well enough to return to classes, which is good enough for me. All our preparations are moving along just fine. The refrigerator is clean. (In another word: empty.) All of our laundry is done. (I’ve never in my life experienced this phenomenon. It’s kinda weird.) We still have packing and general house cleaning, but I’m feeling good.
Actually, I’m feeling really ache-y and a little sinus-head thing going on, but I refuse to surrender. It’s mind over matter – right? And what matters today is that I rejoice in all the good things God has done for us. We are flooded by grace and swimming in blessings, so I will not complain. Not one tiny bit.
I want to share with you something else about all our preparations: indoctrination attempts.
We have always been rather conservative about what our kids see and do, in particular with entertainment. (Okay, all my friends who live nearby can stop laughing now!) While I don’t regret sheltering my children from popular culture, we realized this resulted in our kids being rather ignorant (in some cases completely ignorant) of many of the characters and stories they’ll see at Disney World. So we began a condensed indoctrination program. I haven’t had them watching all the movies, but we have talked about characters and stories and things like that. I don’t want them running up to Grumpy and calling him Doc or confusing Mulan with Pocahontas. Sometimes it’s the little things.
And sometimes those little things can be quite amusing.
Here two conversations I’ve enjoyed recently.
Me: “Okay, so that’s the story of Aladdin and Jasmine. Do you guys know who Anastasia is?”
Ellie: “She’s your computer friend’s daughter! From facebook, right? She’s soooo cuuuuute. I love her.”
Me: “Well, that’s true, but I’m talking about a different Anastasia. This Anastasia was a Russian princess.”
Zach: “I know what that means. That means she was in a hurry! Why was she in a hurry, Mom?”
Part of our “conservative discernment” has also included commercials and movie previews. (Again, friends! Stop making fun of me!) The first time our kids saw an actual commercial (and this was about a year ago — yes, my kids are 5 and almost 7), they both started screaming that the TV was broken. I loved it. Recently, though, I’ve let them watch the previews at the beginning of certain movies we own. Such was the case this weekend.
TV Announcer: “Coming to video Fall of 2007!”
Ellie: “I have to wait THAT LONG?!”
Sweet, sweet innocence.
Like this:
Preparing for Disney
We leave for Disney World in 5 days. Of course, if you’re not counting today, we leave in 4 days … This has been on an ongoing debate within our household. How do we count down? I don’t know exactly, but I do know it’s coming soon. As in THIS WEEK. So, we’ve been busy. Here are a few of my recent activities.
READING. You know the crazy chick who makes spreadsheets for every possible eventuality? She goes a little nuts with planning and scheduling, printing maps, creating color-coded charts and routes through parks, tips and tricks. Her senility is magnified with family vacations that tend to cost more money than your typical Forced Family Fun event and could potentially be considered a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience. You know that girl? I am she. I haven’t been to Disney since I was seven. (Let me save you the math: That’s twenty-seven years.) So, I have probably read (and this is a conservative estimate) over 800 pages of information. This, of course, does not include the research I’ve done via videos, interactive websites and one-to-one conversations. This week I’ve noticed my eyes crossing in unnatural and involuntary frequency. I may require intervention.
(In case you’re wondering, this title is my favorite resource so far. Well, that book and our travel agent whom a sweet friend was kind enough to recommend. Thanks, Amy!!)
SEWING. I’m still debating the wisdom of this decision. Rather than spend $50 (or more) on a dress we don’t need and I don’t particularly like, I have spent hours (quite literally) sewing pearls onto a Cinderella dress that is old, but fits my daughter perfectly. Can you see all those tiny pearls?
Here. Let me help.
These little boogers line every stitch of lace on this dress … the neckline, bodice, puffs at the shoulders, even the in-lay of the skirt … to the floor. Oh, *sigh*. I love my daughter. And she looks bea-u-ti-ful in it!
MONITORING WEATHER. Have I talked about our winter? Hmmm … yes. We will be experiencing a drastic change of climates with a minimum amount of luggage space. Of course, while meteorology may be considered a science, it certainly is not precise. This may be a wonderful aid to my latest and greatest diet.
PACKING. This involves doing approximately 172 loads of laundry and consulting at least 46 different lists from experienced friends and family, travel agents, online guides and several books from Barnes and Noble. This step is definitely still in progress. I’ll save you the torture (and myself the embarrassment) of a picture.
CLEANING. There is nothing like arriving home to a messy house after an exhausting vacation. I’m working hard to prevent the inevitable meltdown that will occur if my house is not clean before we leave. This, too, is still in progress.
ADMINISTERING MEDICATIONS. This morning marks the fourth consecutive morning of a fever in our house. Yup. You read that right. We have not been sick all winter! Even with the insane amount of snow and ice that has pummeled our region, we have remained healthy … until this weekend, a scant week before our months-ago-pre-planned vacation. A vacation we have anticipated and of which our children have dreamed for years. So I’m taking temperatures, pushing fluids and running through the drugs. And praying. Oh, baby, I’m praying this gets in and out of our systems quickly.
Your turn! What has kept you busy this week? Tell me I’m not the only one who goes crazy when planning trips like this.
Read with Me: Dori’s Testimony
As we enter our second year of Bible-reading accountability, I’ve asked a few of our champions (those who read all 66 books in 2010) to share their testimonies.
Sometimes we wrongfully believe that if we only had different circumstances, we could be better Christians. We could read our Bible more regularly and pray with more passion. It’s those kids that take up so much of my time and energy! Or maybe it’s my job or my boss or all the blase people around me. The truth, however, is that any type of discipline — including spiritual disciplines like prayer, consistent Bible reading, humility and service — require concerted effort. Sure, some of us have more obstacles to overcome to get to where we are, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy for anyone.
My point is that we all need encouragement once in a while. My hope is that these testimonies shared over the next few weeks will offer just that to those of us still reaching toward the goal of consistent time shared with God and His exceedingly powerful Word.
First up is Dori, a friend of mine from college. Dori and I re-connected a couple years ago via facebook, and I’m so glad we did. She’s such a sweet, sweet person. Here’s what she has to say about our challenge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My journey with Jesus has been going on my whole life. Devotions, however, have been strong and not so strong at different times. In Jr. High, I had an amazing teacher who encouraged us to do devotions, provided us with materials and I’ve got to say, that was the best it ever was. It was the Word of Life devos where you read a passage and answered 2 ?’s. A few years later, I actually won a Read Thru the Bible in a Year Bible and did it! So it was over half my life till I took the challenge again with Tanya.
I needed the challenge and needed the accountability. I LOVED reading through and enjoyed several books. About halfway through the year, I coverted myself to my own schedule and would read through some books quicker and not do so many at a time. This year, I wanted to do more studying. So, I am taking the book of Job, and using my Inductive Study Bible and trying to answer the questions it tells me to think about, underline certain things, etc. I bought a notebook and write some things that “hit” me. Most importantly, I write prayer requests and as I write them I pray for the person and request. There’s some connection with writing that I just can’t explain, but it makes you think for an extra second and chew on it or something.
Some mornings I choose to read a teacher devotional book, or the book that my house church is working on, and I think that’s all good. Flexibilty is important, but I just pray I can stay on track better with consistency. Accomplishing a lot one day, just to (oops..) skip the next 5, is not what I’m trying to do. So pray for me to find that time daily and MAKE that time daily!!!! Thanks!
