Monday, February 25, 2013

Coming Soon - So Shines the Night by Tracy L. Higley


I'm excited to share that Tracy L. Higley is coming out with a new book! Check out her site for more information.

Be on the look-out for more info about this blog tour and book!
Thursday, February 21, 2013

Crowned by The King

Crowned by The King 
The necklace is a vehicle that carries a powerful message for women. When women wear the “Crowned by the King” necklace it reminds them of their beauty, their value, and their purpose in Christ.  You carry this message by wearing and sharing the “Crowned By The King necklace.” This ministry is easy, and so much fun, seeing the power of God work through women, by simply wearing a “Crowned By The King” necklace. This program is a great ministry opportunity for women who want to change a person’s life forever simply by sharing the love of God.

This exciting ministry began with Judi James, a devoted wife and mother, who humbly stepped out in faith to start this necklace ministry.
Right now, Judi is a stay-at-home mom and part-time Speech-Language Pathologist.  Through her work, she has the opportunity to share the love of Christ with students, teachers, and administrators all over Central Arkansas.  She is an active leader with the couple’s and women’s ministries of New Life Church in Conway, Arkansas.
Her desire is to see women impacted through this ministry and the message of love and hope that Christ provides spread throughout the world.  Her passion is to see women fall more in love with Christ and share His power and love with others. She has developed this fun and exciting women’s ministry around this passion and the “Crowned By The King” necklace.

My thoughts:
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this concept. I cannot tell you how many times I have been wearing a necklace that someone compliments and the small tiny voice tells me - Give it to her in My Name! I sometimes protest a little but then give her the necklace and tell her it's a love gift from Her Father.

I love that this necklace is designed for me to be reminded of my worth but also to give it to someone else so she can know her worth! If you visit the Crowned by the King site, you can order necklaces in groups so you can give out many, or just order a small amount and give out a few. The site is easy to navigate and informative.




Disclosure: As a member of The CWA Review Crew, I received a free copy of this product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. 

Everyday Matters Bible for Women


Today’s Christian Woman is so busy handling the challenges of day-to-day life that spending time in the Word can easily become yet another ‘should’ buried in that growing list of daily ‘musts.’ Created in partnership with Kyria.com,Christianity Today’s women’s magazine, the Everyday Matters Bible for Women is designed to help women develop spiritual practices that will make their lives richer, not harder. It offers practical encouragement and tools to renew, reinvigorate and restore meaning to everyday life.
This Bible features twenty-four disciplines—or practices—that position us to receive power and strength to do those things that we cannot possibly do on our own and make everyday life fuller and deeper. Each discipline is represented by a colorful icon whose illustration is a reminder of its meaning.
The contemporary language of the New Living Translation combines with content from today’s foremost Christian leaders to help readers understand and apply spiritual discipline.


Every discipline is explored in four ways 
• Everyday Matters. Two-page articles introduce major themes and focus on an essential part of understanding and practicing a discipline.
• Everyday Profiles. Profiles of twenty-five Biblical women highlight a particular discipline.
• Everyday Q & A’s. Short articles delve into a difficult aspect of the spiritual practice and offer practical help on incorporating the discipline into your daily life.
• Everyday Reflections. Selections illustrate ways to personalize and apply God’s Word to your own situation.
More than 300 articles and features by more than 140 of today’s most well-known Christian leaders and writers, including: Kay Warren, Priscilla Shirer, Elisa Morgan, Nancy & John Ortberg, Richard Foster, Liz Curtis Higgs, and Lauren Winner.
Special Features include . . . 
• 4-color throughout
• Color-coded icons identify each Spiritual Discipline addressed in contributors’ material
• How to Use This Bible in a Small Group Study
• Index of Spiritual Practices
• Resources for further reading
Everyday Matters on Publisher’s website: http://www.hendrickson.com
Everyday Matters on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EverydayMattersBible
Everyday Matters on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/bibleforwomen

My review:
I love this Bible! I love the features that it includes - but most of all I have enjoyed the Everyday Reflections and the articles by some of my favorite authors. I am enjoying the New Living Translation - I typically only use NIV - so a switch is always good.

If you are looking for a gift for a Mom, teacher, friend, then I recommend picking this bible up for her. Click here to purchase this on Amazon. (As of this writing, it is 47% off - for a price of $23.79!)



Disclosure: As a member of The CWA Review Crew, I received a free copy of this book to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. 



The Moses Quilt by Kathi Macias

The Quilt Series sounds interesting, but what makes it unique or sets it apart from the many other quilt books that are so popular right now?
First, I must confess to NOT being a quilter. I’ve never even considered taking it up! Second, I love quilts and have always been fascinated by the stories behind them. I combined that fascination with my passion for writing issues-related fiction, and I ended up with a three-book series that is, for the most part, contemporary but told against historical backdrops.

Sounds interesting! Can you tell us a bit about each of the three books in the series?
Sure! Book one, The Moses Quilt, involves an interracial romance, where the couple works through their concerns and apprehensions as they learn the story of Harriet Tubman’s faith and courage as told through the patches of the Moses quilt that represents her life. Book two, The Doctor’s Christmas Quilt, deals with the topic of abortion told against the backdrop of the life of America’s first woman doctor, Elizabeth Blackwell, who was strongly pro-life. Book three, The Singing Quilt, deals with a young woman overcoming a physical disability; the background for that story is based on the “Queen of Gospel,” Fannie Crosby.

Was it difficult to do the research on these women, particularly Harriet Tubman? What did you learn about her in the process?
I knew more about Harriet Tubman than I did about Elizabeth Blackwell or Fannie Crosby, but I expanded my knowledge of each as I did the research. Harriet Tubman’s amazing faith and courage is what stood out most to me about her life. Here was a woman born a slave, penniless for the majority of her life, and illiterate except for the scripture verses she had memorized (even if she couldn’t read them). Her prayer life was powerful, even as a child. After she escaped to the North and began making forays back into the South to help bring others out of slavery, friends would caution her against it. “Harriet, there’s a reward on your head—dead or alive. Aren’t you afraid?” She brushed off their fear and explained that she believed God had called her to help rescue her people; therefore, He would protect her. When her job was done, He would take her home to heaven, so what was there to fear? Wow, what a dynamic woman of God! I also learned that her achievements went far beyond rescuing slaves,though that’s what she’s best known for. She also served as a spy for the Union Army, worked as a nurse, and opened a home for indigent elderly former slaves. She died there herself in her mid-nineties, and the entire town flew their flags at half-mast in her honor.

Tell us a little more about the contemporary story in The Moses Quilt. 
The majority of the contemporary story is set just outside San Francisco. Mazie is white and deeply in love with Edward, an African-American lawyer who adores her and wants to marry her but tries to be respectful of her hesitation to make a commitment. What he doesn’t know is that Mazie is disturbed by what she considers secrets in her family’s past, secrets that begin to be unraveled as her great-grandmother, Mimi, tells her and Edward the story behind her Moses quilt, which she bought years earlier in Gee’s Bend, Alabama, a little town famous for its quilts. Edward thought he knew everything there was to know about Harriet Tubman, who had always been somewhat of a hero to him, but Mimi’s story opens up new avenues of discovery for both the young people in this relationship—and takes them straight back to the quilt’s origin in Gee’s Bend.

This sounds like more than just a “feel-good” story. Can it be used as a study book in some way? Absolutely! As with nearly all my books we have free downloadable discussion questions at www.newhopedigital.com that will enable The Moses Quilt to be read as a study book for individuals or used as a discussion/study book for groups.

___


About the Author: Kathi Macias
Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 40 books and ghostwritten several others. A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative and business writing in various venues and has been a guest on many radio and television programs. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences. She won the prestigious 2008 member of the year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) at the annual Golden Scrolls award banquet. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al.











For more opportunities for free copies of THE MOSES QUILT by Kathi Macias, please follow this book tour on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/CSSVBT.KathiMacias. This blog host was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview and/or book review on this blog. CSS Virtual Book Tours are managed by Christian Speakers Services (http://ChristianSpeakersServices.com).
Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Constantly Craving by Marilyn Meberg

Constantly Craving

By Marilyn Meberg
Published by Thomas Nelson

Book Description

Our cravings are written into our DNA. They’re influenced by our childhood experiences. They’re driving the choices we make as adults. And often, they’re keeping us hungry. Never satisfied. Ever searching.

What do they mean? What are we to do with them? Should we feel guilty? Are there solutions?
Counselor and author Marilyn Meberg knows all about cravings. She also knows the One who knit us together, desires and all. With wit and compassion, Marilyn helps us understand our appetites, offers advice for managing them here on earth, and encourages us to eagerly await the day when we will find total satisfaction in heaven.

In the meantime, Constantly Craving is an excellent reminder that our desires for more can lead us to the One we really need, the only One who will quench our thirst forever. Really? Really!


I picked this book to review because I have heard Marilyn Meberg speak at a Women of Faith conference and I have enjoyed reading other material written by her. She is funny, yet insightful. I am always craving more - more of what? Time? Food? Alone time? Together time?  I'm constantly craving more of Jesus - not the empty fillers that I think I need. Let Marilyn Meberg talk to you about cravings, people in the bible who had cravings and how those cravings were filled. 

I think my decision to review the book was a good one :).Click on the name of the book to be taken to amazon.com to purchase the book or click on Marilyn's name to go to her blog. You'll be glad you did.


[I downloaded this e-book free from BookSneeze in exchange for an honest review.]