Category Archives: books
Author Interview: Kathi Macias
Deliver Me From Evil is the first book in Kathi Macias’s Freedom series. It seeks to expose the truth behind modern day slavery, specifically sexual exploitation both here in the United States and abroad.
I have to stop here. Those of you who know me or have followed this blog for a while know that my family possesses a history of sexual abuse covering several generations. I praise God every time I look at my daughter that He has enabled us to escape and break this destructive cycle. I mention this here (1) to praise God, but (2) to let you know that I did not want to read this book. Just the cover description made me nervous and nauseous. But I believe in this cause. I believe that too many people are ignorant of what is going in the shadows much closer than most realize. And so I read the book.
If you are worried about gut-wrenching explicit descriptions of despicable acts, relax. This author does a fantastic job of making people aware of the presence and reality of these truths without glorifying them, without forcing those interested in the cause to rub our noses in the filth. I so very much appreciate this. Readers don’t need to know exactly how bad things are too understand that they exceeded bad. They have crossed too many lines and we cannot stand for it any more. Action must be taken.
Okay, sidebar pushed back to the side, today I have the honor of hosting an interview with Kathi Macias, the author of this book. Let’s get started. Read the rest of this entry
Baby, It’s Cold Outside! (a giveaway!)
It’s not really cold here. Yet. But I’ve been feeling all wintery anyway.
With Zach having PT three hours a week and regular orthopedic appoints, with Ellie having piano and the odd necessity for me to arrive at the school an hour before pick-up just so I can get a decent parking spot, well, all of these factors have joined forces to give me lots and lots of waiting time — a.k.a. reading time.
One of the books I recently finished was Susan May Warren’s Baby, It’s Cold Outside. This novel tells of five near-strangers trapped in a storm house during a Christmas blizzard. It may have been seventy degrees outside, but you can bet I, vicariously trapped in the story, grabbed my fuzzy socks, made hot chocolate and asked my husband to start up the fire. (In case you’re wondering, he refused to fuel my fantasies.)
Speaking of fire, have you seen Amazon’s new Fire? Being the ebook convert and Kindle evangelist that I am, I watched the live podcast of its release and, of course, my husband ordered one that same day. So cool! I’m still waiting for it to arrive so I can steal it from Rick’s sweet hands.
As part of this book’s release, the author is hosting a giveaway — including a new Fire! Oh, and of course a free copy of this heart-warming book.
Here are the details:
Warm up to Christmas early this year with Susan May Warren’s Baby, It’s Cold Outside! To celebrate the release of her new Christmas book with Summerside Press, she and the publisher are giving away a Kindle Fire and hosting an early Christmas Party on Facebook!
Read what the reviewers are saying here.
One festive winner will receive:
- A brand new Kindle Fire
- Baby, It’s Cold Outside by Susan May Warren
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. Giveaway ends on 10/26!
But, wait there’s more! Join Susan May Warren on 10/27 for merriment and a few early Christmas presents at her Baby, It’s Cold Outside Christmas party! Grab your Christmas sweaters, socks and pj’s and join Susan and a few friends for a fireside chat about her recent books (Heiress & Baby, It’s Cold Outside), holiday traditions, favorite Christmas recipes, a trivia contest and more! Invite your friends and don’t miss the fun!
RSVP here and we’ll see you on October 27th at 5 PM PST / 8 PM EST!
Family Ties and Tangles (Judges Continued)
This post is part of a series on the book of Judges. You may want to go back to the first, second, and third posts to catch up.
Ancient inheritance tradition allowed for the firstborn to inherit a double-portion. All remaining sons would then equally divide the remains.
According to this tradition, there should have been twelve portions of land, with a double-portion going to Reuben. Reuben, however, lost his inheritance by sleeping with his father’s concubines. Joseph had died, but his two sons assumed both his inheritance and the portion allotted to Rueben, leaving twelve remaining tribes of Israel.
Of the twelve tribes of Israel, two are not mentioned in the account of conquests (Isaachar and Gad). Of the ten that are mentioned, only two are credited any success (Simeon and Judah). None are credited with complete obedience.
I mentioned yesterday that Caleb may not have been considered a true Israelite. He was a distant descendant of Judah and did receive a large portion of Judah’s land, but there are some interesting details to his story. His name is first listed as Chelubai (1 Chron. 2:9), an Arab derivative. A few verses later it’s changed to Caleb. The first name may indicate that his family left the Hebrew faith in favor of his great-grandmother’s (Tamar’s) Canaanite heritage. The name change to Caleb may have happened when he re-aligned his family with the Israelites during the Exodus from Egypt. Interestingly, “Caleb” means “dog” in Hebrew, and dogs lived on the outskirts of the community.
Regardless of what he was called, Caleb was one of the spies who trusted in God when Israel first approach the Promised Land (Joshua 14:6—15). Because of his faithfulness, he was guaranteed by Joshua and God to receive the land of Hebron. Caleb waited forty-five years for the fulfillment of that promise!
Read more about Caleb in Numbers 13-14, Joshua 14-18, and, of course, Judges. See his genealogy in 1 Chronicles 2.
Another major Bible character lived at the same time as the judges is Ruth. She has interesting ties to Jacob’s family as well.
Ruth was a Moabitess, that is a descendant of Moab who was the fruit of Lot’s incestuous relationship with his daughter.
You may remember that after God saved Lot and his family from destruction in Sodom, Lot’s daughters became distressed that they would never marry and therefore never have children. It’s another typical case of rapid human forgetfulness. Hadn’t God just rescued them? Couldn’t He provide a future for them as well? Anyway, the girls’ great plan was to get their father drunk and sleep with him. Well, it worked. Kind of. The two sisters had two children named Ben-Ammi (which means “son of my father”) and Moab. Those boys grew to become the fathers of the Ammonites and the Moabites, people so hated by the Hebrews that they were forbidden to enter the assembly of the Lord to the tenth generations! Ruth was one of those.
When there was a famine in Bethlehem (a name which ironically means “house of bread”), one particular Israelite family – Elimelech, Naomi and their two sons Mahlon and Kilion – moved to Moab. There the boys married Ruth and Orpah and then all three of the men died. You know the story: Ruth pledges her life and devotion to her mother-in-law and eventually everyone lives happily ever after back in Bethlehem with Boaz as Ruth’s new husband.
Now let’s back up and look at Boaz.
Boaz was the son of Rahab, the prostitute who lived in the wall of Jericho and hid the Israelite spies. She made a deal with them and they rescued her family. She later married Salmon, a man believed to be one of those spies.
And who was the other spy? We don’t know. It could have been Caleb. Scripture doesn’t mention the names of either of the two men. We do know, however, that Caleb and Salmon were contemporaries. By the time of Judges, Caleb was already eighty-five years old.
Now if this isn’t worthy of your favorite reality show or daytime drama, I don’t know what is.
Want more? Check out these books:
- Premium Roast with Ruth by Sandra Glahn – This is part of the same Bible study series as our current workbook on Judges!
- The Gospel of Ruth by Carolyn Custis James – This book is really about Naomi, but, of course, Ruth is well covered, too.
- Lost Women of the Bible by Carolyn Custis James – Great concise character studies of women like Tamar and others
- Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers – Five short novellas of the five women listed in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary — While these are fictionalized accounts, the author also includes Bible studies at the end of each.
- Sons of Encouragement by Francine Rivers — I mentioned this the other day. It includes a short novella on the life of Caleb.
A New Book and a Giveaway from Susan May Warren
Susan May Warren is one of my very favorite authors. I have read more than ten of her books in the past two years. I love her spunky contemporary characters and am thrilled to see this same strength applied to her latest historical drama, Heiress.
About the book: A richly complex historical romance, Heiress is the first in Susan’s three book Daughters of Fortune series.
The beautiful and wealthy heiress daughters of August Price can buy everything their hearts desire. But what if their desire is to be loved, without an enormous price tag attached? When one sister betrays another for the sake of love, will she find happiness? And what happens when the other sets out across the still untamed frontier to find it—will she discover she’s left it behind in the glamorous world of the New York gilded society? What price will each woman pay for being an heiress?
Set in the opulent world of the Gilded Age, two women discover that being an heiress just might cost them everything they love.
Find out what the reviewers are saying here.
About the author: Susan May Warren is an award-winning, best-selling author of over twenty-five novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and have been Christy finalists. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia, Susan and her husband returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where their family is active in their local church. She’s also busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!) Read the rest of this entry
A Kindle Giveaway and a Great New Book
My husband tells me I’ve become a Kindle evangelist. It’s not that Kindles are the bees knees, necessarily. I mean, it’s not the device that I adore. It’s the ease with which I can enjoy what I truly adore: reading. I love my Kindle, but only because I really, really love books.
Debora Coty’s release party delights me. She’s giving away a Kindle AND a great book! Details for the giveaway are below. Let me tell you about the book first.
Too Blessed to Be Stressed
You want Debora Coty’s book because:
- It’s cute!
Okay, so “cute” isn’t a #1 reason to buy a book, but it does make a difference. The small size and colorful pages make me want to pick it up and fill my mind and heart with the great insights held within. - It’s packed with biblically-sound advice, loads of Scripture and fun quotes from all sorts of people.
- Short, manageable chapters.
Always less than five pages. You can read a chapter while cooking dinner or waiting in line at the store. Back to the “cute” point, this book fits nicely in any purse.
- Practical tips from someone who knows.
Think your life is nuts? Check out this author’s bio: speaker, author, piano teacher, orthopedic occupational therapist, writing instructor, tennis enthusiast, wife, mother and pet owner. Yup. She understands stress. Better: she shares in this book how we can deal with it in healthy, God-honoring ways. - It’s very, very funny.
Funny doesn’t seem to wrap it up. Witty seems too lofty.
Just read it. I loved it.
Read what other reviewers are saying here.
Too Blessed to be Stressed is a fun-filled read overflowing with insights and practical tips. Perfectly delicious for living happily ever after!
-Rhonda Rhea, best-selling author of Whatsoever Things Are Lovely
Debora has created a “Too Blessed” prize package worth over $150! One grand prize winner will receive:
* A brand new Latest Generation KINDLE with Wi-Fi and Pearl Screen
* Too Blessed to Be Stressed by Debora Coty (for KINDLE)
To enter just click one of the icons below. Hurry! The giveaway ends August 25th. Winner will be announced on the evening of the 18th during Debora’s De-Stress Facebook Party! Debora will be hosting a “life-preserver” chat (it’s okay if you haven’t read the book – who knows, you might WIN a copy!), testing trivia skills, swapping funny stories, handing out some decom-stress tips, and giving away tons of great stuff! (Chocolate, books, and more!) Hope to see you there. Bring your friends and join the fun on August 25th at 5:00 PM PST (6 PM MDT, 7 PM CDT, & 8 PM EDT).
Also – be sure to check out Debora’s series of Stress-Buster videos at her website: www.deboracoty.com. She’s also hosting a photo caption contest on her blog for a chance to win a copy of Too Blessed to Be Stressed.
Like this:
My Foolish Heart (Book Tour)
If you have not yet read a book by Susan May Warren, get thee to a bookstore. Remedy the situation as quickly as humanly possible.
I was first introduced to this author when her publicists sent me Nothing But Trouble, the first in the PJ Sugar series, in 2009. I loved the book, but, of course, had to wait months for the next volume to come out and by that time had filled my shelves with a ton of other books demanding to be read first.
Last summer the third PJ Sugar book came out. Now that I had the whole trilogy, I could read without any need for patience. After three solid hits, my addiction solidified. That series led to the Noble Legacy series which led to the Deep Haven series … I believe I’ve read 11 of her books in less than ten months.
Today I’m hosting a blog tour for her newest title, the fourth book in the Deep Haven series. Read the rest of this entry
Live Event with Liz Curtis Higgs
Liz Curtis Higgs came to our church last year for our spring women’s conference. (Some of you may remember the urinals.) She is HYSTERICAL. I loved it! Huge contrast to her deeply emotional, dramatic novels — which I also love. Her historical novels typically spring from a book of the Bible, but plop the characters in 18th century Scotland. Her last book, Here Burns My Candle, gave fresh perspective to the book of Ruth.
In celebration of the release of her newest book, the sequel to Here Burns My Candle, Liz is doing a live web simulcast tomorrow. Here’s a preview and all the info for you to get in on the fun.
Join Us for Laughter and Encouragement!
| Date: | Tuesday, April 5 |
| Time: | 2:00 PM ET |
| Place: | WaterBrook Multnomah Livestream Channel |
| Add to Calendar: | Outlook / iCal | Google Calendar (Instructions: Outlook & iCal – Click and Select ‘Save’, then open file to add to calendar) |
For the Love of a Good Book
Sometimes I disappear from the blog due to personal or family dramas. Sometimes it’s because of an internal struggle I’m having with God or myself. Sometimes, though, it’s just because a good book has taken over my life. Such is the case this week.
Believe it or not, I actually created a whole schedule for upcoming posts. I wanted to write about a recent parenting dilemma (Yes, I have them frequently.), about my daughter’s birthday (She turned seven yesterday. Can you believe it?!), about some cool insights gathered from our pastor, about our recent trip to Disney (It was awesome!), and a few other things, but … well, I chucked it all for the love of a good book. Okay, maybe “chuck” is a strong word. I’ll get back to my schedule. Eventually. It’s just that I feel like I’ve discovered a new friend!
Everyone loves a good how-did-you-meet story, so let me tell you ours. (She doesn’t know we’ve met yet, or that we’re destined to be best friends, so I guess it’s not “our” story. This is all beside the point.)
This past weekend for our once-a-month date, my friend Lauralin and I got our nails done then headed to a new independent bookstore not too far from here. She had been nudging me for months to check it out. I walked in and it was love at first sight. Fresh coffee and tea, cozy leather armchairs, serene lighting and an entire room filled with books and quiet. *Cue the collective sigh.*
After three hours of talking books and authors and “have you read this?” and “I can’t believe you’ve never heard of her!” and “Oh, you can borrow this one, but you absolutely must buy that one” — After three-plus hours of delight, I realized that I had completely forgotten about my family at home whom I had abandoned without dinner plans (and who were obviously starving, evidenced by the phone call I received shortly thereafter inquiring about sustenance) and dutifully bee-lined it to the register with my final selections. The owners, clearly identifying us as bibliophiles, directed us toward a few shelves we had not yet noticed. They were filled with ARCs — Advanced Reader Copies.
I love ARCs. As uncorrected proofs, they consistently contain errors, but I would much rather find errors with disclaimers, than errors in something I know has gone through several editors’ hands, for which I paid full price, and that possesses no hope of being rectified any time soon. BONUS: ARCs are free, typically offered in exchange for reviews. In this case, for a positive shelf-talker.
And there it was: Dolci di Love by Sarah-Kate Lynch. Okay, actually Lauralin grabbed it first and I grabbed something else, but we quickly decided we had the wrong ones and swapped, to the delight of us both. I expected a heart-wrenching family drama, but received a wondrous story of beauty, mistakes, love and forgiveness, all dappled with an amusing group of meddling Italian widows. If you’re a movie-watcher, imagine touches of IQ and Under the Tuscan Sun but with a more intricate plot; deeper, far more endearing characters; and much better actors. Okay, so maybe it’s not like those movies at all, but parts of the book made me think of those movies. And all of the book made me want to visit Italy.
While I treasure the safety of beloved authors who consistently satisfy, there is nothing quite as exciting as finding a new-to-me author. It’s a thrill coupled with the hope of a fresh new well. I finished Dolci di Love this morning, promptly jumped on the author’s website and wrote her an email. Imagine my wonder to discover she has several other books! I can’t wait to start reading them all. It’s just … well, joyful! Once I get my bookshelf back in order, I’ll post a full review for you all. This, her newest novel, is already available in New Zealand. The US version (which I read) releases March 29th.
If you’re new to me or this site, you may assume that, because I am a Christian, I only read Christian or faith-based books. This would be a false assumption. Yes, I do read many books distributed by Christian publishers, but this is not one of them.
Read with Me: Girls, it is Friday, so it’s time to check-in. I’m still reading. Are you?
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.
