Book Review: 40 Days Without Food

I have a friend who has done a 40 day fast.  I also have a friend who has done a 39 day fast.  The former accepted a call to prayer and fasting Bill Bright gave years ago.  The latter prayed for her son who wasn't a Christian at the time. 

So, when I saw the book "40 Days Without Food", I was intrigued.  I knew it wasn't a guide to fasting but while I enjoyed the book, it still wasn't quite what I expected.  I expected more nitty-gritty details than the book seemed to give.  I wanted to know more how it felt to be tempted by the aroma of delicious food.  How did this change his outlook?  What did he learn from this?  What were the postivies?  I learned more that he was extremely tired, slept a lot, didn't feel up to having sex, more like his life became blah.  I'm not really sure that I learned what the positives were.

Yet, for some reason this book highly entertained me.  It was well written, the people he introduced us to seemed like people we would love to know.  (I think I may have had that same Sunday School teacher years back as he described.  I know that's an impossibility, but he sure does sound like one who taught me when I was younger.)  And Mac?  I'd love to read a book Mac wrote, but I figure he's too busy reading classics in a Super 8 to bother writing a book!  (But Mac, if you see this, PLEASE think of writing a book!) 

If you're looking for a fun, enjoyable read, this is it, which is NOT what I expected from a book about fasting.

Five Minute Friday: "Relevant"

Relevant.  What is relevant?  "Is THIS relevant?" is a question I always asked myself in college when I was writing a paper and needing to add extra information to get the word count high enough for the requirements.

Now that I'm no longer in college the word "Relevant" is often used in church.  We want to be relevant to the world.  Be in the world but not of it, be relevant and not cheesy.  I'm sure everyone remembers some of the 1970s Christian movies and TV shows that are just laughable.  The church tried to be hip, but in the end got laughed at.

Do we really need to model the world to draw people to Christ?  I don't think so.  The love of Christ is relevant to all generations, and we don't need to make it popular because it's just not going to be.  Who is going to think that sacrificing your life for the will of God is going to be the cool thing to do?  The Bible says many are called but few are chosen, so I'm not sure that trying to make the Gospel cool, popular, and the 'latest thing' is really honest because when we strip away all the fun, what is left is still the Gospel truth that whoever wants to find his life will lose it.

Being relevant is all about showing love and compassion, not about being cute-sy or fun.

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This is part of "Five Minute Friday" where we write for five minutes on a topic.  It is unscripted and unedited.  Then we link back to http://thegypsymama.com/2011/10/five-minute-friday-relevant/ to encourage others to join in with the writing fun!

Book Review: {W}hole

This is a book with more than just a cute title making a play on the words whole and hole, it is a book about giving God your pain to fill.

The author, Lisa Whittle, writes from experience.  She grew up in the role of a pastor's daughter.  She found comfort in this role and knew how to work it so she would be admired.  That is, until someone saw through her facade at church camp and called her on it.  She was upset, but realized that man was right, she wasn't what she appeared to be.  Later, her father lost his church because he transported a deer head across state lines without a $2 licence.  Sounds harmless enough but the fish and game commission and later the IRS investigated him, and he could have landed in prison.  No church wants a pastor who may be facing a prison sentence, so he resigned, and the role of pastor's daughter -- the role that defined her -- was left gaping.  And the people at church she had grown to love?  The people who swarmed around her popular father?  They were no where to be seen.  Her role became a hole.  What now?  She still adored her father, but life was so changed.  Later when she was in seminary, a speaker at chapel didn't know she was a student and used the story of her father as a sermon illustration, and didn't even have all facts correct. 

Everyone has pain.  Everyone has issues.  No two lives are identical, but Lisa Whittle tells her story while weaving together a plan on how we can rid ourselves of our pain by allowing God to make our holes into wholes. 

I would expect a book with this cute-sy of a theme to be fluff, but this is not.  It's a deep book.  This is not easy reading, it will challenge you in many ways.  After all, are you living for your role or are you living for all that God has destined you to be?

I highly recommend this book, and I am looking forward to reading more from this author!  Also be sure and chck out her website as there is a free ebook guide on sharing your story with others! 

You can watch the book traier  here

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. The opinions are my own.

Thrift shopping! $17 of treasures

I love vintage Christmas items.  I was thrilled to find they were out at one of my favorite thrift shops today.  I got this egg nog set for $3.

I also bought the following:

brand new skirt with a $60 retail price tag on it
FIFTY FIVE hotel bottles of shampoo of my favorite shampoo ever that has been discontinued
2 packages of several sheets of vintage gift wrap
Trivial Pursuit Book Lover's Edition
What Is the Gospel? book
The Broken Image: Restoring Personal Wholeness Through Healing Prayer
The Complete Tightwad Gazette
Creative Glass Techniques: Fusing, Painting, Lampwork
Origami Holidays
Floorcloth Magic: How to Paint Canvas Rugs for Decorative Home Use
Betty Crocker's Cookbook (5-Ring Binder)
Christmas ornament craft kit
Ziploc bag full of stickers from the 1980s
current magazine a friend has an article in it

Blog Tour: Zombie Church

Zombie Church by Tyler Edwards Blog Tour

Welcome to the blog tour for Pastor Tyler Edwards, Zombie Church (Kregel Publications, October 2011)! Believing there is a way to breathe life back into the church, Tyler Edwards highlights and challenges the problematic attitude of today's believers. Written for the discouraged, disenfranchised, and anyone unsatisfied with their same-old church routine, Zombie Church is an accessible, humorous book that challenges readers to turn away from Spirit-draining (or life-draining) habits that stop them from achieving a full, fulfilling life in Christ.

For all of us who have ever attended First Church of the Frigidaire, Edwards' book will be warmly welcomed. It is a fair-minded and tenderhearted critique. . . . This novel lens of zombies allows the reader to see afresh the desperate need for awakening in the church.
-Mark Moore, PhD, Professor of New Testament, Ozark Christian College

Kregel Publications is sponsoring a $50 Amazon.com giveaway!

To enter all you have to do is send a tweet (using @litfuse) about Zombie Church or share about it on Facebook, your blog, GoodReads, etc...!

If you tweet we'll capture your entry when you use @litfuse. If you share it on Facebook or your blog, just email us and let us know (info@litfusegroup.com). Easy.

Not sure what to tweet/post? Here's an idea:

TWEET THIS: Zombie Church by Tyler Edwards - a fair-minded & tenderhearted critique of the church http://ow.ly/6Nv05 @litfuse RT for $50 to @amazon

FACEBOOK THIS: Don’t miss Edwards - a fair-minded and tenderhearted critique of the church. http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13424384 Written for the discouraged, disenfranchised, and anyone unsatisfied with their same-old church routine, Zombie Church challenges readers to turn away from hollow religious practices, which characterize “zombie Christianity,” and turn toward a radical relationship with Jesus. Share this for a chance at $50 to Amazon.com

My review: 

Zombie Church is a strange name for a book.  However, this book is not strange, it's fantastic.   Ever been in a church where you can't wait until the final "amen" so you can get lunch somewhere?  You're not alone.  This book is written for the person who is in a lifeless church, but it would also be ideal for ANY pastor or anyone who doesn't want their church to become something out a "living dead" horror movie.

This book is filled with great quotations such as "Would the community around you notice if the church stopped meeting?"  and "Bombs have kill radiuses, churches should have love radiuses where anyone living within twenty miles of a church should know it."  Unfortunatately this is the case for many churches.  It's become more of a social event or country club and not what it was meant to be.

I rarely recommend books to friends who are pastors and missionaries, but this is one I certainly will. 

I expect this to be one book that will be talked about in Christian circles for some time.  After all, as a quote in the book says "Faith without heart is what scares people away from organized religion".  And I believe that's true because how many people in the United States say they are born again and how many of them actually go to church?  What is the main reason for that?  Many times it's people who have been cruel to them instead of loving them as Jesus called His followers to do. 

This book is a wake-up call to the half-alive churches, and a warning to those who are alive to stay that way!  It's an excellent book, and I highly recommend it.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review of it.  The opinions are my own.

About the book:

A creative, entertaining approach to resurrecting the undead church. There is something missing in the church today. Stuck in a rut of routines and rituals, the church is caught up in doing what it is “supposed to do” but is lacking the true essence of what it is supposed to provide: life. Real faith--and a real relationship with Jesus--is not about playing by the rules, attending services, and praying before meals. Real faith is more than religion.

Believing there is a way to breathe life back into the church, Tyler Edwards adopts a contemporary and entertaining metaphor--zombies--to highlight and challenge the problematic attitude of today’s believers.

Written for the discouraged, disenfranchised, and anyone unsatisfied with their same-old church routine, Zombie Church challenges readers to turn away from hollow religious practices, which characterize “zombie Christianity,” and turn toward a radical relationship with Jesus.

While other books have addressed legalism in the church, this is the only book that effectively capitalizes on a popular entertainment genre in order to diagnose and correct the problem. Realizing that even his own church is part of that problem, Edwards has written an accessible and often humorous book that will help believers change the Spirit-draining (or life-draining) habits that stop them from achieving a full, fulfilling life in Christ.

About the author:

Tyler Edwards is the lead pastor at Cornerstone Christian Church in Joplin, Missouri, where he works to help people learn how to live like Jesus, love like Jesus, and look like Jesus—so they carry out the mission of Jesus to the world. He graduated from Ozark Christian College with bachelor’s degrees in both Biblical Literature and Christian Ministry. He has written articles for Lookout Magazine, spoken at various campus ministry events in Missouri, and served overseas in Mbale, Uganda.
 
Tyler loves cheesy horror films. He is particularly fond of movies like Dawn of the Dead, The Signal, and 28 Days Later, where zombies run wild and threaten to infect an entire town  Connect with the author on Facebook.

Want to read more reviews? 

Here is the blog tour schedule http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13424384

Day 24 of being sick

I wanted to let everyone know I haven't abandonded my blog -- it sure feels like it as little as I've been posting lately, but I've been sick with a cold and ear infection for weeks now.  For some reason when I get a cold it lingers and lingers and lingers and really wipes me out more than it does the average person.  I've had an impressive cough with it too.  I was on the phone with friends the other day and they were passing the phone between people and I tried to cough while the phone was being passed only to have my deep cough resonate in someone's ear.  Ooops.

Anyway, I'm starting to feel better after I went on antibiotics Friday so hopefully I'll be back to my chatty self soon!

It's time to get carded -- Christmas carded!

Can you believe it's less than three months until Christmas?  It's time to start thinking about your Christmas cards!  Each year I try to do something a bit unique.  The year I visited Israel I put a picture of myself in Bethlehem on my Christmas card (a picture of me at the Western Wall for my Hanukkah cards for my Jewish friends.)  Over the years, I've enjoyed sending some unique Christmas cards.

I've mentioned on my blog before that I love Tiny Prints.  They have such a great selection of cards for everyone, and they have cards where you can personalize with your photo, or if you don't have a great photo, there are great cards to choose from:  elegant, whimsical, or even a Dora the Explorer card!  I like to send photo cards, so I spent time looking through their cards where you can add your own photos.

Check out this card:

Isn't that just fantastic for the pet lover?  I have three guinea pigs and I could just picture their faces in there.  I'm sure Einstein, Fuzzy, and Baby Crockett would enjoy being on a Christmas card being called "Santa's Little Helpers".

Or check out this "card".  Isn't it absolutely precious?

If I received this, I wouldn't be putting it in the holder where we keep all our cards, but it would actually be hung on the tree year after year! 

I have always loved Christmas cards.  When I was little, my parents owned a business and we received so many cards.  We had a desk/bookcase area in our living room and we taped our cards to the edges of the bookcase.  By Christmas it was so festive in a 1970s sort of way.  I loved the Christmas season because they would save all the Christmas cards for me to open since many had my name on them, too.  I loved the feeling of mail.  Even now many people feel the same way.  I have friends who live in Russia, and they have told me one of the things they miss most about living in Russia is not getting Christmas cards.  I know not as many people send them as they used to, but the bottom line is everyone loves mail.  So this year, I'd encourage everyone to spread some cheer through the mail.

Don't forget, the annual Christmas letter can also be replaced. If a photo speaks a thousand words, then this card is worth 8,000 words. You wouldn't have to say "Johnny graduated from high school, Suzy lost her first tooth, Rover is a new addition to the family, we visited Florida on vacation" -- show it with a collection of photos of the year's highlights!

Really, Tiny Prints has so many more great cards than the ones I just showed.  Take look for yourself  http://www.tinyprints.com/shop/picture-christmas-cards.htm  You're sure to find the perfect card for your family for 2011! 

FTC disclosure:  I received 50 Christmas cards from Tiny Prints for writing this post.  The opinions expressed are my own and in no way influenced my review.

What is He Thinking? Review and Giveaway

Rebecca St. James has been a recording artist for years.  You can check out some of her videos here:  http://www.youtube.com/rsjchannel  She's also published a few books, and her latest is What Is He Thinking??: What Guys Want Us to Know About Dating, Love, and Marriage .   This book is 155 pages consisting of answers she gleaned by talking to different men, most in the 20-35 age group, although she did interview men who had been married for a long time to see what they had to say about dating.  This was a great book that covered many questions I had about men (and boys) when I was younger!

She covers things such as flirting, turn-offs, physical boundaries (she was very outspoken before marriage that she was saving herself for her husband), spiritual connection, and more.

This book was a quick (and interesting) read.  It was fun to see how different men had different ideas, especially how that related to their age -- as well as where their opinions were the same.  As a single thirty-something, I'm not sure it really taught me anything I didn't already seem to know, but it was still an enjoyable read.  This would be a great book for a Christian teen girl.

The strengths of this book were the interviews, of course, since that's what the book is based on.  I also liked that she included her survey questions in the back of the book.  (That's the sociology geek coming out in me!)  Additionally, I enjoyed the style of the writing -- it felt like a letter from her, or possibly sitting down and having a cup of tea with this fascinating lady.

The only thing I disliked was so many comments from her Facebook page because some of the questions and comments raised were great, and she didn't address some of them.  Even so, this is a great book, and I would highly recommend it for any single female Christian. 

You can read the first 10% of the book by clicking here:  http://goo.gl/BWgEs

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About "What Is He Thinking??"

In WHAT IS HE THINKING??, Rebecca interviews a range of men from high-profile types to the guys next door, men that every woman can relate to. Although the interviews focus on single guys ages 20-35, Rebecca also includes words of wisdom from older mentors she respects who have been successfully married for years, people like her dad, life coach, and pastor.

The men share their thoughts on topics like how women can respect themselves and the men in their lives, modesty, purity, taking it slow, friendship, letting guys lead, and more. This book gives them the floor to say what they would really like women to know.

The men respond candidly to questions such as:

What is the most attractive quality to you in a woman?

Is modesty truly attractive?

Is neediness a turn-off?

What do you find beautiful?

How can we be dependent on God for our identity, not on you?

How can we help you with boundaries physically?

Rebecca also discusses her own dating life, speaking openly about the single life, her struggle with loneliness, and her hope for the future. She challenges women to see the men in their lives as brothers in Christ and to trust God with their dating lives.

About Rebecca

Australian born Rebecca St. James is a Grammy Award winner and a multiple Dove Award recipient, with international success that has driven her record sales into the millions. In January 2008, she was named Favorite Female Artist in Contemporary Christian Music by readers of CCM Magazine for the seventh consecutive year. Rebecca also won Best Female Artist of 2007 from Christianitytoday.com-her fifth consecutive year to be given this honor. She's been involved in several film productions and voiced the character of Hope the Angel in VeggieTales' bestselling DVD production The Easter Carol. You can read more about Rebecca on her official Web site: http://www.rsjames.com/ or on her Facebook page, www.facebook.com/RSJames.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

~~~~~~~~

And now for the giveaway:

I have been given the opportunity to give a DVD away to one of my readers.

The giveaway lasts until October 11 at 11:59 Eastern Time, open only to the USA.

Please leave a separate comment for each way you enter as I use random.org to pick my winners.

Winners have 48 hours after being contacted to respond or I'll pick other winners.

Please leave contact information in your comment if it's not in your blogger profile so I will have a way of contacting you if you win. 

Ways to enter:

• Tell me about a funny (or sweet) dating experience you had. 
• "Like" Rebecca St. James on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/RSJames
• Visit Rebecca St. James' website and tell me something you learned http://rsjames.com/
• Follow Rebecca St. James on twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/RebeccaStJames
• Follow me Google Friend Connect
• Tweet the Following: (Can be done daily for an extra entry)

#Win What Is He Thinking book about single Christian men by Rebecca St James @jenndiggy Ends 10/11 #Giveaway http://bit.ly/njiqsa

Cough, cough, cough

Did you know that some cough drops have "pep talks" on the wrappers? 

"Fire up those engines"
"Impress yourself today"
"Get through it"

I realize I could choose not to read my cough drop, but come on, it's hard not to read those few words on the wrapper when you're desperate for relief, and quite frankly, they are slightly annoying when you're coughing hard!

So, I think you now know where I've been the last couple weeks!  I've been pretty sick with a cold.  For some reason when I get a cold it takes me out for the longest time.  This is day #14 of it, and I had a doctor's appointment today to go over medicines.  He was quite interested in the fact I've been sick as long as I have, and I still have a fever.

Thankfully I'm feeling better, and hope to get back into blogging regularly!

Review and Giveaway: The Shunning DVD

Katie Lapp loves music and playing the guitar.  This shouldn't be a problem, should it?  Well, it's a HUGE problem when you're Amish and that is forbidden.  The movie begins as Katie's brother finds her strumming her guitar in the barn.  She's engaged to marry the bishop, and suddenly she discovers she may not be who she always thought she was.  Who is this woman who has appeared in her community?  By the movie's end, Katie is "shunned" meaning she can't be spoken to by anyone in her Amish community, nor is she allowed to sit and eat with the rest of her family.  This pushes her further towards her questions of who she is.

This is a wonderful family movie.  It's very wholesome in the fact there is no bad language, no questionable situations, and the like.  It brings up questions that could be discussed such as when do we give up on someone vs. when do we continue to love them with the unconditional love that God shows us?  Not only is it a good movie because of content, but the story line is one of the best I've ever seen.  I'd read the book years ago and remembered how fantastic the book was, so when I had the opportunity to review this movie, I was excited.   I never say this, but I do believe the movie was as good as the book!   You will NOT be disappointed with this movie!  Be sure and check it out!

You can watch the trailer here:  http://hallmarkchannel.com/microsites/video.aspx?simscode=OWN_891400000000000&pageid=2607&pn=PN147958&tabIndex=2&pnlist=pn147958%7C

Beverly Lewis' The Shunning - About the Movie
Before she succumbs to cancer, the dying wish of Laura Mayfield-Bennett is to be reunited with the daughter she never knew. Unfortunately, that daughter, Katie Lapp, is a member of the Amish order. Katie is about to be married, but uneasy about the path ahead. Now she discovers the secret her parents have kept from her: she's adopted.

The film is based on the celebrated first novel of the best-selling "The Heritage of Lancaster County" book series from author Beverly Lewis. Stars Danielle Panabaker & Sherry Stringfield.


BEVERLY LEWIS - Author of "The Shunning"

Beverly Lewis, born in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, is The New York Times bestselling author of more than eighty books. Her stories have been published in eleven languages worldwide. A keen interest in her mother's Plain heritage has inspired Lewis to write many Amish-related novels, beginning with "The Shunning," which has sold more than one million copies. In 2007, Lewis' "The Brethren" was honored with a Christy Award.

Lewis has been interviewed by both national and international media, including Time magazine, the Associated Press, and the BBC. Lewis lives with her husband, David, in Colorado.

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services  mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I  only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

You can buy the DVD here:

And for the Giveaway:

I have been given the opportunity to give a DVD away to one of my readers.


The giveaway lasts until October 4 at 11:59 Eastern Time, open only to the USA.

Please leave a separate comment for each way you enter as I use random.org to pick my winners.

Winners have 48 hours after being contacted to respond or I'll pick other winners.

Please leave contact information in your comment if it's not in your blogger profile so I will have a way of contacting you if you win.

Ways to enter:

• Tell me your favorite book that has been made into a movie
• "Like" The Shunning on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TheShunningMovie
• Visit The Shunning Website and tell me something you learned http://hallmarkchannel.com/theshunning
• Follow me Google Friend Connect
• Tweet the Following:  (Can be done daily for an extra entry)

#Win #Giveaway a copy of the DVD The Shunning  from @jenndiggy ends 10/4 http://bit.ly/ofop9B