Will You Just Sit There? Or Make a Difference?

I have always been a fan of Max Lucado. He definitely has a gift with his writing. God has blessed him with the way he is able to use his words. Sometimes he makes us laugh, sometimes we even cry.
I knew when "Out Live Your Life" hit the shelves it was going to be a book that would do nothing less than challenge me.
He eliminates any excuse the reader might have about whether he/she can make a difference. He uses examples in history as well as from the Bible to prove that we indeed can make a huge impact on this world if we choose to. He shows us that anything is possible with Divine Guidance. Lucado challenges us to get out of our self-absorbed worlds and out into the needy world around us. He tells about enough worthwhile causes/activities that most anyone can find a few they can do. You don't have to be rich or a foreign missionary or even talented to make a lasting difference in this world....and the next (Heaven). "Are you more dinghy than cruise ship?...More blue jeans than blue blood? Congratulations. God changes the world with folks like you." While Lucado may not spell out exactly what you personally should be doing this book should aid you in your reflection.
Max Lucado incorporates each chapter with biblical examples and scripture to help the reader grasp the reality that God can and will do extraordinary things through ordinary people.
You will not be able to sit comfortably by after reading Out Live Your Life if you have allowed any part of this book to soak in. I definitely recommend this book! I received this book from Booksneeze.com in exchange for my review.

You Shine, IShine, We All Shine For Jesus!

I was really excited when I got the opportunity to review this Bible. I knew it was going to be perfect for our daughter. The IShine Bible we received was the pink one with the leather cover with stars and girls joining hand-in-hand on it. The size was perfect to fit in a purse, backpack, ready to take anywhere.
Looking inside we were really impressed with the question and answer section. It dealt with all the issues that tweens deal with today. Self esteem, anger, teachers, peers, even questions about their own faith.
The Bible version itself was the New Living Translation, and it was very easy for a tween to read and understand. I know that for anyone that has a difficult time understanding the Bible and what it is saying, this would make it so much easier. My husband and I really loved the colored sections that emphasized that each tween is a V.I.P. in God's eyes. "V: you have value in God's eyes. I: your identity is found only in Jesus Christ-and wow does that mean a lot! P: because of the V and the I, you have a special purpose in the world."
Our daughter lives in another state with her mom and step-dad, so when the IShine Bible arrived in the mail,I immediately called her up and told her about it. I read to her the back of what V.I.P. meant and a little of the colored pages, she was so excited and said "when are you going to send it to me?"
I know she will love it as much as we did. I would recommend it to all tweens and even older teens who have trouble understanding the Bible.

We're Off To A Great Start!

Our first book of the New Year, "Choosing to See" by Mary Beth Chapman was incredible! It was touching, inspiring, and a book that I will remember for a long time. We are off to a great start with our book choices for 2011. I am excited to read our February book selection "Love Finds you in Bridal Veil, Oregon" by Miralee Ferrell. She was one of our first speaker phone interviews, and quickly became one of our favorite authors. Being that February is the "Month of Love" Lucie and I thought this book would be fun and filled with adventure. I hope everyone enjoys it.
Here is a little about the book:

Love Finds You in Bridal Veil, Oregon
Amidst a backdrop of thievery and murder in historic Bridal Veil, Oregon, a schoolteacher is torn between the memories of a distant love and the man who could be her future. Margaret Garvey had given her heart to Nathaniel, but he left town six years before. Now she’s giving love another chance, but her decision to build a new life with Andrew is shaken when Nathaniel steams back into Bridal Veil on a riverboat to work at the nearby sawmill. When disaster strikes the town and threatens the welfare of its citizens, Margaret will be faced with the most important choice of her life.


I look forward to hopefully welcoming back some of our members that have had to take a break for awhile. Once a member always a member. All you ladies are important and valuable to the group! Just get the book-read it and join back in, it's that simple.
Until we meet again, Happy Reading**
Deborah

What An Inspiration!!

Hello ladies*
Our book of the month selection, "Choosing to See" by Mary Beth Chapman, is nothing less than inspiring. I didn't get past the forward and I was already in tears. I am looking forward to finishing this amazing "gift" that she has given us. By gift I mean, the fact that she opened up her heart and allowed us to see deep into her life, the happiness, the pain, the struggles, the anger-all of it! To be so vunerable and yet so strong at the same time is incredible to me. Something only our AMAZING God can make happen.
All of us has suffered some sort of loss, and we know that life does go on. Sometimes you wonder how, or if it is even fair to allow yourself to feel good again. It is so wonderful to read about the hope that can come out of something so tragic. God is in control of everything, whether people want to believe it or not, even in our deepest pain.
I look forward to discussing this book at our next meeting on Saturday, January 22nd at Starbucks. It is the first non-fiction book we have read and I know it will be very interesting.
Happy Reading**
Deborah