Here’s a song to encourage your heart: Josh Blakesley’s “Jesus, I Trust in You”

**this is sponsored post**

Friends, I have the most lovely and encouraging song to share with you today. FrontGate Media provided Josh Blakesley’s new song for me and I have to tell you, today was the PERFECT moment for me to listen to it. It is going to go on my phone and into my regular worship song rotation. Let me tell you more!

About Josh Blakesley

Josh Blakesley believes he has a calling to make music that moves people into prayer and action. As a Christian songwriter, the question that provokes him is, “How do I create a song that will honor traditions yet speak to the modern Church and lead them to worship?”

In 2003, Josh released his first solo album, Immersed, which included “The Lord Is My Shepherd” and the popular anthem “Our God Is Good.” Immersed was followed by Waiting then FreeYou Are the Light was released to iTunes in March of 2012, debuting at #16 on the Christian and Gospel charts. Josh and his band’s latest album, Even in This, features songs co-written by Michael Farren, Mia Fieldes, Marc Byrd and Sarah Hart.

Most recently, Josh collaborated with guitar player Grae McCullough to write a new Mass setting paying homage to the hymns of the past and the culture of modern worship. This long-awaited project called Mass of Restoration is now available anywhere music can be downloaded.

Josh also recently launched a new, on-demand video worship series, The Way with speaker and author Paul George. The Way is a unique series of 10 worship night-style videos promoting introspection, thoughtful prayer and a strong relationship with Jesus Christ.

Here’s what Josh says about “Jesus, I Trust in You”

“When we say ‘Jesus, I Trust In You,’ we’re not only expressing our faith in God, we’re making ourselves vessels open to all that God has for us. The divine mercy of Jesus pours out of his heart and cleanses us from our deepest sorrows. In suffering, it can be difficult to see, and even more difficult to accept, but when we trust in Him, we are made witnesses to his compassion—his deep and unconditional love for us. ‘Jesus, I Trust In You’ is a song about God’s mercy flowing out to his people offering peace and healing for all.”

–Josh Blakesley

My thoughts

I was so moved as I watched the “Jesus, I Trust in You” music video. Josh and his fellow musicians and singers in the video create are completely in the moment as they perform; there’s no awareness of the fact that they’re being filmed. Perhaps that adds to the incredibly worshipful atmosphere of the song. They make it all about Jesus, and not about themselves.

For me, this was THE message I needed to hear in this moment in time. There is suffering all around us in this world at this moment. I’ve seen it in my own life, in the lives of those I deeply love, and in the world as a whole. I may *try* to carry the burden of suffering on my own. But God never asks me to do that! Instead, He is present. And I can put my trust in Him even when I don’t have all (or sometimes, any!) of the answers.

He loves us so dearly. And we can trust Him. What a beautiful and timely reminder.

Where you can stream “Jesus, I Trust in You”

Just click on the link below. That will take you to links for Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, YouTube, and others, where you can stream this lovely song.

Stream “Jesus, I Trust in You” here

And–here it is for you, on YouTube!

Enjoy! –Wren

Disclosure: This post is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own honest ones.

“Say All the Unspoken Things” ~ a book review

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It has been a long time since I’ve had the opportunity to read a book of actual letters. FrontGate Media provided one for me, with John Sowers’ new book, Say All the Unspoken Things: A Book of Letters. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Here are my thoughts on it!

About Say All the Unspoken Things

How often do we share the innermost parts of our hearts with those we love? Probably for most of us, not that often. John Sowers must have noticed the same thing, because one year after he lost his mom, the “Nana” of his three daughters, he began to write this book. As he says in the author’s note:

“Death has implications. There is urgency to it. When the end is near, either our own or that of a loved one, we may feel a rush of urgency. Have we done all we need to do? Have we forgiven? Have we thanked them? Have we told them we love them? Have we poured out our full, beating hearts to them?”

John Sowers, Say All the Unspoken Things, p. ix

Sowers hadn’t just lost his mom and his daughters’ Nana, though. He had lost his dearly loved grandmother, who helped raise him and his brother while his mom worked to support them, when he was in graduate school. These experiences helped him think about what he would want his girls to know; how he could give his heart to them, again, via letters he’d written to (and sometimes, about) them. The result of these thoughts is an outpouring of wisdom, faith, guidance, and life experience in a beautifully-readable form.

The author has written 33 “letters” categorized in 8 different divisions:

  • Part 1: You Are Created
  • Part 2: Identity and Purpose
  • Part 3: Growing Young
  • Part 4: Becoming
  • Part 5: Developing Character
  • Part 6: Friends and Relationships
  • Part 7: Finding and Being In Love
  • Part 8: Dreams and Legacy

Within each of these are 3-5 letters. They are gentle, beautiful letters that talk about everything from how his daughters were joyfully imagined in the mind of God and then created with love; to the practices that will build character in his girls as they grow; to the things that they should look for in the friends and future spouses who will seek to woo them. He talks to his girls about faith, community, being “famous,” and the different kinds of love. As well as boundaries; what they are and how to build them.

The book lovingly closes with the kinds of things a loving mentor would say to his protégé. How to have dreams and callings, and how to pursue them. And to understand what time is, and how it really does fly.

In addition, there are both personal letters to each of his three daughters, as well as instructions readers can follow to create their own letters.

What I enjoyed about the book

Really–I can’t think about anything I didn’t enjoy! John Sowers’ book is so clearly an exercise of love to his enormously-cherished daughters. His instruction is gentle and kind, yet also truthful and based on his own life of faith in Christ. It’s very interesting. And, I can say, it is something that most readers could benefit from. Who wouldn’t want to hear kind instruction on what is important in life; what you should watch out for; and what to do as you’re hearing God’s invitations and calls?

I loved it. And I think so many people would. There are SO MANY areas of life we experience as we grow up; as children, to teens, to young adults, and so on. Maybe all of us don’t have know-how or excellence in all of these. But we can truly benefit from Sowers’ own experiences, as well as everything he observed not only from his mom and grandmother, but also from the perfect Parent, God.

And I can’t complete my impressions on Say All the Unspoken Things without sharing with you a few of my favorite passages! Such as:

  • “We were not created to die. It was not this way in the beginning. This is why death feels so wrong and confusing. Death was not part of the original plan; it was not in the blueprint. We were created for life. Death is here now, but it won’t be forever. One day, there will be no more funerals or tears or goodbyes. This is all temporary.”
  • “If you live complaining and speaking of your losses, ruminating on bitterness, hurts, and negativity, you will become these things. But if you live grateful and speak life, if you meditate in your hearts on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy,” you become these things. Be mindful of the stories you tell yourselves and the stories you tell others about yourselves.”
  • “The worst part of that season was feeling abandoned by God….He is there. And he is inviting us to get honest, even if all we can do is show up. He whispers and reminds us that we are not alone….So open your ears. Open your hearts. Whispers are not usually audible, but they feel like peace.”
  • “Guard your hearts. Be careful what and who you allow into them. Be mindful of the conversations you have, the things you see with your eyes and listen to with your ears. Be careful of asking people for validation, giving them power over you. Your hearts are precious, and it is your life.”

If you could only see how many colored flags I placed on these pages! I only share a few of my favorites. But these are, I think, enough to give you a flavor of this wonderful book.

Where you can purchase Say All the Unspoken Things

You can purchase Say All the Unspoken Things via the link below, from a variety of booksellers (like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, Target, Walmart, and others). In addition, after you purchase, this link has a form you can fill out to receive some freebies which include a 5-day devotional and a 30-day guided journaling experience, both based on the book.

Purchase here

About the author

John Sowers Headshot

John Sowers is an author and speaker. His work and writings have been featured by Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, ESPN, Mariah Shriver, Oprah Radio, the Oregonian, the Oklahoman, and others. John received the President’s Champion of Change award at the White House from President Obama.

John led a homeless shelter and has worked with youth and in prisons. He co-founded The Mentoring Project with Donald Miller and was multi-language director for the Billy Graham Association–working with twenty-six language groups in Los Angeles and New York.

He received his master’s of divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and his doctorate from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. He is the author of Fatherless Generation: Redeeming the Story and Heroic Path: In Search of the Masculine Heart. John has written for the White House, Relevant magazine, Wilderness, and other publications. But his favorite accomplishment is being a dad to his three daughters, Rosie, Dass, and Eva. John lives in a cabin in the woods near Ozark, Missouri.

Enjoy! –Wren

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from FrontGate Media. All opinions are honest and my own.

Beautiful picture book: “Good Morning, Little One” ~ a review

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FrontGate Media sent me the most beautiful picture book, just in time for Easter! Artist Amy Kavelaris painted and wrote Good Morning, Little One to share God’s delight and love for children. It is absolutely gorgeous, and you will definitely want to get a copy of this for your family (or others that you love!). Let me show you some of this wonderful book.

About Good Morning, Little One

In Good Morning, Little One, Amy Kavelaris pairs her beautiful painted animals with Scripture and words to remind children (and adults!) that God is always watching over them, rejoicing over them, and loving them. Subtitled “New Mercies and Prayers to Carry You Through the Day,” this is the perfect book to help establish your child’s faith early on! The endpapers and paste-down of this hardback are a lovely green and have promises from Scripture written in flowing font, with flower around the edges. There’s also a spot for the giver of the book to inscribe it to the child.

The characters in this book are lambs, puppies and bunny rabbits. They’re embraced by their animal parents, who are greeting them with God’s blessings in the new day, and the parents’ trust and belief that God will carry their precious child all day long. There are gorgeous illustrations with those main characters, plus some birds and mice tucked around the corners. Promises of God’s incredible care and love are written on each pair of pages. And, there are some surprises on the pages as well; Amy Kavelaris has tucked the Bible verses that contain the promises in tiny font, so families can do a treasure hunt for them as well as look them up in their own Bibles.

The prose flows gently and pairs perfectly with the pages. On these pages, children are reminded that God protects them, picks them up when they get tired, and will always seek them and find them when they are lost.

On the facing page to the promise that God carries us, children are treated to a visual illustration of what that can look like, where a puppy is carried in a comfy basket (with a plaid cloth) by its fluffy dog parent. (Maybe they are golden retrievers!)

Again and again in this lovely book, readers are treated to the beauty of God’s care for us in its Bible verses and the darling animals which are so beautifully painted by Kavelaris. Children are also encouraged to dance and worship God, to call out to God in prayers, and to remember that God crafted every single part of them. I just loved the pages that remind readers that even if dark moments come, God’s love will still shine brightly on them. This is a message not only that children need to hear, but that parents and grandparents will be comforted by as they share them together.

This book is just such a joy! I love its charming animals and beautiful verses. (The author even included my most favorite flower, peonies!) Its message, that the God who made us loves us, cares for us each day, and is thrilled when we reach out for Him, is the perfect way parents can start each day with their children. This book would be the perfect addition to an Easter basket, or a gift for a new baby; really, it’s the perfect addition to any child’s library. Don’t miss it!

Where you can purchase Good Morning, Little One

You can purchase Good Morning, Little One by clicking on this link from Amazon, Walmart, Christianbook, Barnes & Noble and other booksellers. You can also download a charming, *free* Activity Guide to go with the book.

Enjoy! –Wren

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author. All opinions are my own.

New kids’ devotional: “Roar Like a Lion” (CLOSED)

*Congratulations to Kelly W., the winner of the book!*

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Hi everyone! I have a fantastic kids’ devotional giveaway for you today: Levi Lusko’s Roar Like a Lion. I received a copy of this book from Momentum Influencer Network; and they’re going to give away a copy to one reader as well!

About Roar Like a Lion

This devotional is written for kids aged 6-10 from a Christian perspective. Co-written by pastor Levi Lusko and Tama Fortner, it encourages kids to embrace courage, remain hopeful, build their own faith, and, as the book says so beautifully on the back cover, “Understand how you are a part of God’s great story.” There are 90 devotional readings contained in a 192-page hardcover book, sized just right for kid hands (6 1/2″ x 8 1/4″). It’s illustrated by Catherine Pearson.

Each devotional starts with a title. Then, the Bible verse is listed. Next, the authors share how the verse could apply to kid life (in situations with siblings, parents, peers, friends, the world at large, or in their own choices). The devotional ends with simple prayers. Also, there are sidebars on the right which tell an anecdote or story, or summarize events from the Bible which relate to what kids have just read. These are entitled “Get Ready to Roar!” or “Did You Know?”

What you’ll read inside

You’ll find thoughtful, gently and kindly-written words that are just right for kids to read to themselves. (Of course, this could also be read by kids and parents together, in the morning or just before bed.) The authors know what it’s like to be kids, and to face issues that they face, because (of course) they were kids once themselves! Levi Lusko also is the parent of several children. So armed with day-to-day life experience, years of pastoring, and the Bible, they offer clear explanations of Bible verses and how they really do apply to kids’ daily experiences.

The writing is warm and clearly written in a caring manner, so that kids and readers know the authors understand what it’s like to face a world and situations that are beyond kids’ experiences; and that the Bible have loving and helpful words to apply. Verses that kids will remember or can memorize.

And, I have to mention the artwork! As you saw above, the cover art is breathtaking. I thought of stained-glass windows, while my son thought of origami-type paper art. (I think we’re both right!) Inside the book, under each title, you’ll find art that illustrates each particular devotional. Those echo again the collage/paper feeling of the cover art. They’re cheerful and wonderful. I even was reminded of one of my own favorite illustrators of children’s books and her work, Lois Lenski. Kids and parents will love the art, which takes each topic and brings it to life vividly.

So what are some kid life challenges that readers will discover here? Here are some of the topics:

  • Even kids can be leaders
  • God loves us and speaks to us
  • School days that are tough
  • What to do when you don’t know how to proceed
  • Fears
  • How God sees us
  • And one of my own cherished phrases: “But God…”
  • and more!

I particularly loved how Lusko wove the story of Jesus and Jairus and the woman who touched Jesus’s robe so she could be healed, into an illustration of how we might feel when we are interrupted…and how Jesus dealt with the same thing. Or about our habits, and Jesus’s habits! Or, how seemingly impossible situations were worked out by our “But God…” God. Over and over, devotionals are presented that will help kids know that God loves them and holds them close, and is so ready to lead and guide them always.

I had many favorite passages in this book. But I wanted to show you one of my top faves:

God never will leave us. And He will NEVER break His promises.

That’s an exceptional word for all of us, whether we’re kids or adults!

And…some Roar Like a Lion freebies from the publisher!

This devotional is so wonderful. But sometimes, we as parents might not know how to approach spiritual discussions with our kiddos. Here are some free resources for you from the publisher; a “Parent Discussion Guide,” and a guide to “Four Rhythms to Setting the Pace in Your Home.” Both of these are free downloads that you can save and print from the links below.

1. Parent Discussion Guide

Teaching kids about the Bible can be hard. Taking concepts like heaven, and hope, and loss, and faith, and boiling them down into digestible bite sizes for kids is challenging!

This guide is built as a tool to accompany the book, and to help your family discuss Roar Like a Lion together. Each day you’ll find a few questions that will help you dig deeper into what your child is discovering.

My prayer is that Roar Like a Lion will ignite your child’s heart and imagination to know and love Jesus! And that is my prayer for you, too.

Download Parent Discussion Guide

2. Four Rhythms to Setting The Pace of Your Home.

Your calendar is chaotic, your days loud, and your seasons busy. I see you. I feel that.

Maybe you feel like the madness of life is clouding the calling on your home. Like you just can’t pinpoint the priorities. Maybe you’ve found yourself wondering…

  • Is “balance” even possible?
  • Is parenting ever not chaotic?
  • Will I always feel overbooked, under-rested, and too busy?

The truth is, there is a God-ordained rhythm that He wants us to set out our lives to. There is a built-in beat. There is a cadence. There is an ebb and flow to how He wants our lives to go.

Find the encouragement you need to set a sustainable pace in this free download.

Where to purchase Roar Like a Lion

Just click on the Buy Link below!

Buy Links

Best of all, I have a copy of Roar Like a Lion to give away!

One FINCHNWREN reader will receive a copy of Roar Like a Lion! To enter, simply click on the pink “Enter here!” link below. That will take you to a Giveaway Tools page where you’ll be able to enter in a variety of ways. US only. Giveaway closes on 9/29/21. Best wishes!

Enter here!

Enjoy! –Wren

Disclosure: Many thanks to Thomas Nelson for providing this product/product information for review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive the product in exchange for this review and post.

Sally Clarkson’s new book, “Help, I’m Drowning” ~ A JustRead Blog Tour & Giveaway (ends 9/20/21)

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Help, I'm Drowning JustRead Blog Tour Welcome to the Blog Tour for Help, I’m Drowning by Sally Clarkson, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Help Im DrowningTitle: Help, I’m Drowning Author: Sally Clarkson Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Release Date: September 14, 2021 Genre: Christian Women’s Spiritual Growth

Life is filled with unexpected storms that take you by surprise.

In these storms of life, it’s easy to feel helpless, exhausted, afraid . . . and alone. We can feel like victims to circumstances out of our control. Beloved author Sally Clarkson understands deeply. Through almost seven decades of life, she has found herself tossed about in overwhelming life storms through many different seasons. In Help, I’m Drowning, Sally identifies the challenges that took her by surprise and then leads you to the wisdom she gathered from her experiences. Finding grace to walk through the darkness and hope to make it through will give you the comfort and encouragement you need in knowing you are not alone. Though there are no easy, formulaic answers that apply to every situation, Sally leads us to the One who is with us and will see us through. Sally found the anchors that held her steady in the midst of every storm, and she wants to help you find your anchors too. She invites you into her own personal story of anchoring well, and then–with honesty, grit, and her trademark wisdom–she will help you heal and move forward with courage and strength.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound | Christianbook | BookBub

ALSO AVAILABLE


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sally Clarkson

Photo Credit: © Steve Hixon

Sally Clarkson is the beloved author of many bestselling books, including Awaking Wonder, Own Your Life, The Lifegiving Home with her daughter Sarah, Desperate with Sarah Mae, and Different with her son Nathan. As a mother of four, she has inspired thousands of women through Whole Heart Ministries. She advocates relentlessly for the power of motherhood, the foundational importance of family, and the influence of home through her Mom Heart conferences, speaking to audiences on several continents. Mentoring women to understand how to love God in a more personal way and how to live a satisfying Christian life are threaded through her messages. Sally’s podcast, At Home with Sally Clarkson and Friends, has more than 14 million downloads.

CONNECT WITH SALLY: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a four-book prize including Awaking Wonder by Sally Clarkson, The Happy Crab by Layla & Kevin Palmer, Make Their Day by Karen Ehman, and Prevail by Susie Larson!

Help, I'm Drowning JustRead Giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight September 13, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 20, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

My thoughts

Oh, I have so many! (Thoughts, I mean.) Help, I’m Drowning: Weathering the Storms of Life with Grace and Hope was yet another book that I didn’t know I *needed* but which poured out comfort, wisdom, strength, and important points to reflect upon as I: remember my past, walk through my present, and also look toward my future; all those years as a woman, a wife, and a mom. I have to admit that there were a few moments in which I wished this book had been written about 10 years ago, as there were storms my family and I were buffeted by then, and I was completely unprepared for the difficulties I was about to walk through. (You know! As if I had that time machine that I could use to take a copy of this book back to 2011 me!)

Part of my own struggles was the pair of rose-colored glasses I was wearing (I was comforted to read that Sally had begun her marriage with a similar pair). Apparently when I read the Bible’s verses on suffering, I studied them but then was SHOCKED when the pains of life showed up on my doorstep. (I know! Also as Sally says about herself and us, I was totally a toddler myself in some ways!) As we all do, I muddled through. But reading Help, I’m Drowning today provides a different pair of glasses for me to view my life with; one that says that storms will come, but I have the hand of my loving Father God who will walk me through them; and that I can begin to trust Him even more with those storms as well as life’s joys and blessings. So as we know, if we live in the world today, there are all sorts of difficulties that life can bring. Sally chooses some to speak about here that I know have affected me and many of my friends and family. She speaks, not in a “one-size-fits-all” manner, but as a loving older mentor sharing what she has learned that might help others. Here are some of the ideas that meant most to me:

  • Does God not care about me as I am going through this suffering?
  • Fear desires to intimidate and even stop us in our tracks
  • It really is okay to feel sadness
  • Some of our storms are created by difficult people
  • We can be tender and gentle with ourselves (!)
  • We really can grow and mature as we walk through the storms

There is a lot there, right? More really, than I can unpack for you here in one post. I can say, overall, that Sally’s book was a breath of not only fresh air, but of loving and kind support and encouragement. Sally’s words and the way she shared her own life experiences told me that what I had lived and struggled with was normal for this life, and this world that we live in. That the Bible even left us examples of similar struggles faced by the early church (or, of course, by the Hebrews and Israelites in the Old Testament). The author’s personal, honest stories meant so much to me as a Christian and as a mom myself.

Perhaps even more helpful to me than the “Yes, this is what life can contain and you’re not a weirdo for going through this,” were the insights Sally included about how we can walk through these troubles (as Jane Bennet calls them in Pride and Prejudice). We can know, as we live through our days, that we are not unnoticed by the God who loves us; that He promises to work things out for our good; that He is not embarrassed or ashamed of us when we struggle. All of those things that, in my deepest valley of suffering, I forgot as if I’d never learned them in the first place! We can have a disconnect when trouble comes; but both Sally and Scripture remind us of the truth of the God who’s standing with us in all things.

This is such a beautiful, instructive, and helpful book for women and for moms. I believe I’m going to be garnering riches from it for a long time.

Enjoy! –Wren

DISCLAIMER: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Enjoy! –Wren

DISCLAIMER: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

A Moving, Powerful Book on Leadership: Jimmy Evans’ “I Am David” (Review & Giveaway; ends 6/16/20)

**Congrats to Kemi Q, who won the giveaway!**

 

#sponsored, #partner

 

Recently, I received the most remarkable book on leadership to read and review (and give away!) from The BlogAbout Blogger Network. I can easily say that I Am David is unlike any book for leaders that I have ever read. I’m excited to share with you about Jimmy Evans’ new book. Keep reading for my thoughts on this book…and a way for one reader to win a copy!

 

 

 

 

I imagine that most of us have heard the story of David and Goliath, the Bible’s account of the shepherd boy who slew the giant and enabled Israel to rout the army that was threatening to defeat them. However, not everyone may know that this same David grew up to be the king of the nation of Israel. He is mentioned in a number of books of the Bible: 1st and 2nd Samuel; Matthew 1; 1st Kings; 1st Chronicles (plus a tiny mention in 2nd Chronicles as well). David also authored many of the Psalms. From the Bible, we learn that David was:

  • A brave shepherd boy who fought and killed the wild animals that tried to eat from the family’s flock of sheep
  • Again, the same boy who slew Goliath
  • The youngest son of his family who was anointed to be the future king of his nation
  • A singer and worshiper of God, who soothed King Saul’s mental anguish (who was also jealous of David and tried to hunt him down and kill him)
  • A leader of men
  • A lover of women
  • A warrior
  • A husband and a father

His life covered a lot of ground, didn’t it? And in the Bible, we find that David’s life contained great successes, tribulations and sorrows, joys…and also terrible failures that affected his family and his nation. But, there are remarkable lessons we can learn about leadership from David the king, the warrior, and the worshipper. As well as things we can learn about the way his past impacted his choices, decisions, and leadership.

 

 

About I Am David

In this wonderful book, Jimmy Evans introduces the reader to the most unusual lessons on leadership that I’ve ever been exposed to. Instead of looking at leadership as a list of tasks or behaviors, Evans believes that leadership flows out of a healed and healthy person whose relationship with God is also healed and healthy. In fact, the book begins with the reminder that we are all in a battle every day. But how do we fight that battle?

Evans would say that a healthy leader is going to:

  • Admit and be responsible for their own mistakes
  • Will not let the pain of the past determine their leading (AND he discusses how this pain can be healed!)
  • Be willing to pursue God and relationship with Him
  • Learn to keep a healthy mindset and believe God’s truth above circumstances
  • Admit their own weaknesses and be accountable
  • and more!

These ideas aren’t just bullet-pointed and thrown at the reader. Evans carefully introduces readers to these lessons then shows, step by step, exactly how healing, growth, and development of healthy leadership and life habits can occur.

It is truly wonderful. And I believe it is incredibly effective.

 

My thoughts about I Am David

I can say that I have never, ever read a book on leadership that was as concerned with my own personal healing and growth as it was in helping me be an “effective” leader.

Have you?

Usually, I’ve just found that authors have a list of duties, habits, and tasks I need to fulfill on the daily (or even the hourly) to be successful. Which honestly, can feel like an anvil I have to lug around. Those books never started with who I was as a person. They just told me what to do.

But in I Am David I found a beautiful, encouraging, uplifting manual on healing and becoming all that God has for me to be. It’s not a book about what I have to make myself be. It’s a book that helps me walk with God, learn to discern His leading, heal my pains and my past, and enable me to be the woman, and the leader, He always intended for me to be.

 

 

 

As I read this book I even had a HUGE epiphany on how a particular set of wounds from my past led me to believe lies about God and about myself. Those lies discouraged me and impeded my walk with God. But Evans speaks specifically on how we can put those pains in the past and instead believe and know the truth.

Wow.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. If you are looking for a book on leadership that will impact you, heal you, transform you (instead of giving you a heavy to-do list)…please get a copy of I Am David by Jimmy Evans.

You will be blessed.

 

And, I have a copy to give to one reader!

To enter to for a chance to win a copy of I Am David, just click on the “Enter here!” link below. That will take you to a Giveaway Tools entry form where you’ll be able to enter to win in a variety of ways. Giveaway closes 6/16/20, and one FINCHNWREN reader will be selected to win a copy of I Am David. Best wishes!

Enter here!

 

 

Enjoy! –Wren

 

DISCLOSURE: From time to time, FINCHNWREN may receive a free product or service in exchange for our honest opinions expressed in our blog. We are not required to write a positive or glowing review, nor are we additionally compensated for these reviews. We share our own opinions, and our family’s opinion, of these products. We’re disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.

The Beautiful ESV “Illuminated Bible (Art Journaling Edition)” ~ Review & Giveaway

Have you ever marveled at the illuminated Bibles or Books of Hours lettered and painted by monks during the Middle Ages or the Renaissance?  These gorgeous works of art use vivid paints and gold leaf to bring letters and Biblical scenes to life.  We can see these today in museums, books or online…but how would you like to own your own copy of today’s version of an Illuminated Bible?

 

 

Today, I’d like to share with you about the ESV Illuminated Bible.  FlyBy/Propeller Promotions sent me my very own copy (free!) to use and review, and they’re also going to be giving a copy away to one of my readers in a giveaway!  Keep reading to learn more and to enter to win!

 

What is the ESV Illuminated Bible?

First and foremost, it’s the complete Bible (from Genesis to Revelation) in the English Standard Version (ESV).  Housed in a slipcase, this hardback Bible is navy cloth over board.  Inside, its smooth, cream-colored pages contain the Scriptures in clear, readable font.  Each page has wide margins.

But then, there’s enormous visual beauty on many of the pages.  The ESV Illuminated Bible is illustrated and lettered by artist Dana Tanamatchi.  The illustrations include:  beautifully hand-lettered Bible verses (over 250 of them in page margins), 50 full-page verse illustrations; 64 full-sized book opener illustrations; and over 100 additional illustrations.  All of these are lettered and designed in gold.

But this Bible is not only designed to bring beauty to the reader’s eyes and Scriptures to the mind and heart.  The wide page margins provide space for the reader to journal and take notes…but also to create art!  Tanamatchi’s verse and book illustrations can be left as-is or the reader can color them in.

One additional bonus that I discovered as I was turning the pages of the ESV Illuminated Bible was that the illustrator, Dana Tanamatchi, included an illustration key for the book opener illustrations.  I personally love to study art and to discover artists’ motivations for their artwork.  Tanamatchi’s musings on her artwork made the lovely artwork even more meaningful to me, as I discovered that she’d illustrated Revelation with a door (reminding us of Revelation 3:20); 2 Peter with lanterns (for the prophetic word “as lamps shining in a dark place), Psalms with a deer (as the deer pants for the water), and so many more wonderful “Word” pictures.

 

How I used the ESV Illuminated Bible

I love Bible journaling; the practice of thoughtfully illustrating Scripture verses.  I find that the process is peaceful and restful for me, plus there’s the additional bonus of the Scripture coming alive even more as I color and illustrate it.

For Bible journaling, I’ve used tempera paint sticks, colored pencils, and art pencils.  With this Bible, I found that coloring pencils worked the best.  The pages are on the thin side so the pencils don’t bleed through very much.  I appreciated that because I still want to be able to read the Scriptures on the back sides of the illustrations!

I used three different types of coloring pencils; art pencils, Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils, and Crayola Twistables.  Of the three, the art pencils and the Twistables were most effective.  For some reason my erasable pencils didn’t lay the color down as well.  The beautiful cream-colored pages might have been just a little slick to take the erasable ones.  But the art pencils (think Primsacolor-type pencils) and the Twistables created beautiful effects.   The colors did mostly turn out on the light side when they were applied to the paper.

So what could you do with the ESV Illuminated Bible?

  • Well, Christmas is coming–and this would make a delightful gift for someone!  (You could even include a set of colored pencils with the Bible!)
  • You could display it on an easel, with the pages opened to one of the gorgeous Scripture illustrations
  • You could use it in your devotional reading time
  • You could do Bible journaling in it!
  • You could even use it during family worship; give everyone some colored pencils and work on it together!
  • And if you’re a person who’s not completely confident in your own artistic ability, the ESV Illuminated Bible will enable you to make beautiful art anyway!

 

You can enter to win!

FlyBy/Propeller Promotions has provided one copy of the ESV Illuminated Bible for one of you to win!  Simply click on the pink “Enter Here” link below.  That will take you to a Giveaway Tools entry form.  Just follow the directions to enter!  Giveaway closes on December 2, 2017.  One winner will be selected from all entries.  Best wishes!

Enter here!

You can also check out the ESV Illuminated Bible on social media

IlluminatedBible.org

Video: https://vimeo.com/237851665

The ESV Illuminated Bible on Amazon

 

Enjoy!  –Wren

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

“Hope Prevails” ~ A Review & Giveaway (Ends 7/16/17)

Have you ever gone through challenging times and found it difficult to hang onto your hope?  Or, have you even struggled with depression?  Have you wondered why your faith wasn’t enabling you to kick that depression in the teeth?  Or, have you ever found it difficult to believe what God says about you?  If so, you’re going to love Hope Prevails by Dr. Michelle Bengtson.  The BlogAbout Blogger Network sent me a copy of this amazing book to review and a copy to bless one of our readers with….as well as a gorgeous & incredible gift box from the author!  (I’ll be sharing some goodies with my giveaway winner from that as well!)

 

I have read a lot of good books over the past year.  However, I must say that in all my reading, I don’t know that I’ve seen an author open the door on her own struggles and then describe them in such a way that I felt that she was talking about my own.  I endured a season of depression myself following a couple of serious surgeries and family difficulties several years ago.  While I would say that depression doesn’t describe my emotional state at this moment, I am in a place where Dr. Bengtson’s words are still of enormous value and assistance.  Readers of the finchnwren blog know that after having abdominal pain that just wouldn’t go away, I required surgery to remove a cyst in early May.  That cyst turned out to be cancerous, to my utter shock and disbelief!  The surgeon felt optimistic about having gotten all of it out, but he still recommended chemotherapy.  So I’ve completed the first third of the chemo journey (having had 2 of 6 sessions) but I am discovering that for me, the battlefield of the mind is almost as important as the battle being waged in my body.  How do I endure the physical challenges while hanging onto my hope, my faith, my belief in  God and that He is FOR me?  What a perfect book Hope Prevails is for my journey!

What will you find in Hope Prevails?

Author and neuropsychologist Dr. Michelle Bengtson found, after treating patients for years in her own practice, that she required treatment for depression herself.  And she discovered that there was a crucial ingredient missing in common treatment options for depression; the spiritual aspect.  In Hope Prevails, you’ll find out what depression can look like, what it can do to you spiritually, and how you can integrate care of yourself spiritually to work alongside traditional treatment.  And receive true healing!

Each chapter begins with identification and description of depression plus the key elements of YOU, yourself, that can be tended on your walk toward healing.  Next, Dr. Bengtson gives the reader an Rx (prescription) to follow, that includes anything from Scriptures to read and review, brief research, prayers, and more.  She writes the most meaningful prayers for the reader/sufferer of depression, and concludes each chapter with a Recommended Playlist of praise and worship songs that are keyed to each chapter.  (You can find them by searching YouTube or iTunes.  Worth a listen!)

And Dr. Bengtson shares her own life, transparently, and how to address the spiritual component of the healing of depression in the following chapters (and others):

  • This Thing Called Depression
  • You Are Not Alone
  • The Underlying Causes of Depression
  • Recognize You Have An Enemy

These first chapters define depression in all its lack of glory, and remind us that there is an enemy of our souls who seeks to do us in, as Jesus instructs us in John 10:10:  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…”

But then Jesus goes on to encourage us and remind us of the truth:  “…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  Life!  Not just painful existence.  The remainder of the chapters in Hope Prevails tell us about this full or abundant life, and how we can apprehend it:

  • Recover Your Joy
  • Reclaim Your Peace
  • Reestablish Your Identity
  • Know Your Worth
  • Remember  Your Secure Destiny
  • Be Confident That Nothing Separates You from God’s Love
  • God Uses Your Pain
  • The Way to Hope

Each of these chapters is so rich; each one speaks to a component of our spiritual identities (you know, the invisible part that makes each of us uniquely us), how each is affected by depression and its spiritual battles, and how we can regain strength and joy in them.

 

 

How Hope Prevails affected me

So…I’ve mentioned a bit to you about my own current physical, mental, and spiritual journey.  How I am walking through chemotherapy: one day–6 hours, actually–getting the IV infusions and then 20 more days of letting that medication do battle in my own body.  Then starting the whole process over again.

I can tell you (see my Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator for confirmation) that I am a great beginner.  I love starting new things, new classes, new projects.  But there is that spot, sometimes, in the middle of the journey where the fun isn’t as obvious, the grind has become the grind, and the newness has worn off.  Now nobody is really going to call chemotherapy a fun journey.  But there has been that newness of it: the not knowing what’s coming next, the unforeseen challenges.  All those kept me on my toes, really depending on God for what was around the next corner because we just had no clue.  But now I’m kind of noticing that we’re in that middle part; the routine.  Not that there won’t be unexpected surprises or challenges; but now I’m thinking that suddenly the circumstances (the pain, the medications/their effects, the trips to the doctor) aren’t my fight, I (my choices, my relationship with God, my mental battle) am my fight.  Or rather, my reacting to each day; knowing I might not be feeling my best or feeling well at all, but choosing to ENGAGE.  Engage with God; believe His truths; attempt to walk out my best in my life and with my family.  Sigh.  The middle.

What a powerful tool, what a valued companion Dr. Michelle Bengston has provided for me in my fight.  In each chapter, she defines what I am needing, whether it’s hope, joy, peace, identity, etc., and kindly and lovingly explains how I can grasp or attain it.  She provides truth to counter the enemy’s lies.  She includes Scripture that I’ve written in my journal or on cards for my vision board, so that I can remember what is real and true about my journey and about me.

How could Hope Prevails help you?

Now…most of you (and maybe even none of you!) are NOT undergoing my particular journey.  But perhaps you have experienced depression.  Maybe someone you love has.  Or it could be that you just desperately need to learn, remember, and know the truths the enemy would love for us to forget, but that God has given us in His Word.  Or, what if you’d just like to learn how you can grow in your own relationship with God?  If so, this book is for you!  (And keep reading because I have one copy to bless a reader with…that just might be you!)

I have to tell you that discovering that there had been a cyst in my body that was cancerous, and then going thru six rounds of chemotherapy, was NOT something that I was hoping for in my life!  But God has spoken Romans 8:28 over every one of us that loves and believes in Him…and He has spoken it over me and my life and journey to defeat illness as well.  I know that there will be a day when I can richly and fully say that I can rejoice in having gone through this.  If this also is something you desire to be able to say about your own pains and struggles, then that’s another reason to read this incredible book!

 

The unboxing of encouragement

Before I get to the giveaway, though, I have to share with you the absolutely wonderful gift box that I received from Dr. Michelle Bengtson.  It came to me at just the right moment, when I was home from surgery but still in significant pain from a wound infection.  WHAT an encouragement and blessing this box was!  Just at a moment when I needed something beautiful and wonderful to encourage me.  (Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Dr. Bengtson and The BlogAbout Network!)

 

 

Of course, you know after reading my review that I adored the book.  But at a time when I needed some beauty and love (and isn’t it nice to get that in a physical form from time to time?), I was blessed with that gorgeous scarf and the beautiful pearl bracelet that reads “Hope”!

 

 

I have to tell you that I wear the bracelet every time I go to chemotherapy.  It reminds me of beauty, that God is good, and that I have a hope to look forward to…not only in the life to come but in the here and now!

 

And now…enter to win some Hope Prevails goodies!

One reader will be selected to win a copy of Hope Prevails, a dog tag necklace with Jeremiah 29:11 on it, AND a delicious bar of chocolate from Dr. Michelle Bengtson!  Just click on the pink link below to be taken to the Giveaway Tools entry form.  Giveaway closes on July 16.  Best wishes!

Enter the giveaway here!

 

Don’t forget to visit Dr. Michelle Bengtson on social media, where you’ll find more encouragement and beauty

 

Her website, DrMichelleBengtson
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram

 

Thank you for letting me share this powerful book (and goodies!) with you all.  Blessings!

Enjoy!  –Wren

DISCLOSURE:  From time to time, finchnwren may receive a free product or service in exchange for our honest opinions expressed in our blog. We are not required to write a positive or glowing review, nor are we additionally compensated for these reviews. We share our own opinions, and our family’s opinion, of these products. We’re disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.

 

 

 

 

 

Max Davis’ Unusually Titled Cool New Book ~ My Thoughts & Review & Your Chance To Win

Recently, I had the opportunity to receive a most unusually-titled book:  Max Davis’ When Jesus Was A Green-Eyed Brunette.  Now, isn’t that an intriguing title?  FlyBy/Propeller Promotions not only was kind enough to send me a copy to read and review, they’re providing one for one of my readers!  Stay tuned to the end for your chance to enter.

when-jesus-geb-banner

I am a sucker for a good book.  And if it’s funny…heartwarming…meaningful…and inspirational?  Even better.  There are several things that draw me toward a particular book.  Is it written by a favorite author?  Does it have amazing cover art?  Or, could it be the subject matter?  It may even be the title.  I have to admit, this time, it was a combination of those!

When Jesus Was A Green-Eyed Brunette definitely sounded most unusual.  And it was!

Gifted storyteller Max Davis tells his own story of redemption and the way he came to Christ, after seeing Jesus so vividly in the life of a green-eyed brunette at his high school.  He begins the book with a Bible verse you’re probably familiar with, which defines the stories and experiences he is about to share:

Now thanks be to God who always leads us
in triumph in Christ,
and through us diffuses the fragrance
of His knowledge in every place.”
–I Corinthians 2:14

Max’s life was impacted for eternity when he met a young lady in high school, the green-eyed brunette of the title.  He was living the high life as a popular football player.  But actually, he was garnering Fs in his classes, accumulating speeding tickets, partying.  His grandmother even said he was “going up Fool’s Hill.”  He looked carefree on the outside; but on the inside, he was terrified of what God thought of him, and of hell.

Into his life walked the green-eyed brunette.  She loved God and clearly, He lived in her.  Max was so drawn to her yet flabbergasted by her at the same time (she’d never heard of the group Boston???).  And she lived a beautiful life of holiness without legalism.  Seeing this in her, and experiencing the love and life in her church and family, Max came to Christ.

And this is just a few of the chapters!  Throughout the rest of When Jesus Was a Green-Eyed Brunette, Max tells the stories of men and women who are hugely impacted, and transformed, by the way Jesus is living through others.  Here are a few of them, just to whet your appetite:

  • Max’s call from “The Voice” to become a writer
  • The “Iron Butt” guy–and the cool ways God has moved in others through him
  • How God carried an abused child through terrible danger and to Himself
  • Moments of believers passing from life to death that illustrated that there really is something…and Someone…on the other side
  • A man rescued from a real-life fiery furnace; and another man who was not, yet God was tangibly with them both
  • A Christian imprisoned in the Far East for his faith in the worst of conditions, who saw that he was not left alone by God
  • And more!

This book isn’t just about telling stories–amazing and wonderful though they are (and even documented, so that Max is telling things that really happened, not that somebody just made up).  No, it’s about addressing the questions so many of us have about life and about God.  Will following God steal freedom and joy from me, and make me follow a never-ending list of dos and don’ts?  Do I have to be “religious” to follow God?  Where IS God, anyway, in the midst of suffering?  Why do tragedies happen?  Does God have a plan for me that is good?  And does He really love me?

Many of us (I would venture to say ALL of us, at some time or another during our lives) struggle with those questions.  And clearly, these are questions to which there are no easy answers…or sometimes, no answers at all for us in this life (though I believe from God’s perspective, there ARE answers).  And while Max doesn’t share all the answers in this book (although he does share some), the stories he tells will minister to the hearts that are aching with these questions; the hearts which have suffered loss of some sort; or those even undergoing challenge or trial.

I was so encouraged by this book.  I decided to use it during my morning devotional times and read parts of or entire chapters along with my Bible reading.  That was so encouraging and just perfect for me (although really, you could certainly enjoy this book at any time of the day)!  Max Davis is a fantastic storyteller with a journalist’s eye to accuracy and fact-checking.  He tells these astonishing stories of ways God impacted people’s lives, then shares truths that will bless and encourage the reader.  You must pick up a copy of this book.  It will remind you of the goodness of God, His desire to care for His people, and His great love for us all–and for you–Individually!

And now, you can enter to win your own copy!  (U.S. entries only, please.)  Giveaway closes 12/26.  Best wishes!

Now, you can enter here to win your own copy!

Just click on the pink “Enter here” below!

Enter here!

 

And, if you’re not the winner of this book, you can find it for purchase via this link at Worthy Publishing, at When Jesus Was A Green-Eyed Brunette,  for $15.99.

More on Max Davis:

Max Davis is the author of over 20 published books and has been featured in USA Today and Publishers Weekly and has appeared on The Today Show and The 700 Club. He holds degrees in Journalism and Biblical Studies and is a much sought-after speaker for churches and organizations worldwide. He and his wife, Alanna, live on 50 beautiful acres in Greenwell Springs, Louisiana.

Enjoy!  –Wren

**********************************

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

My Most Meaningful Read of the Week: “The Life We Never Expected” ~ review & giveaway!

My most meaningful read of the week was a book I almost didn’t read.

 

Life We Never banner

Historically, I just haven’t been much of a nonfiction reader.  But for some reason, I have read more of them in the past year than I have since I HAD to read them in college.  I’ve been so fortunate to read these, and for many of them, host a giveaway on finchnwren.com for someone else to be blessed with a copy.  These books have encouraged me, strengthened me in my walk with God, shown me things that I hadn’t yet learned on my own.

Andrew and Rachel Wilson’s honest, moving and intelligently written The Life We Never Expected, has been so powerful for me.  The story of their own family, and their journey, as they received regressive autism diagnoses for both their very young children, is the most incredible account of a couple who refused to give up…on loving and believing God when He promised in His Word that He loved them, and that His purposes for them were good.  In finding a way through suffering, in preserving their own marriage, in hanging on to hope when no hope seemed visible, they’ve held on to Him. Here’s a line from their Introduction:

“This is a book about surviving, and thriving, spiritually when something goes terribly wrong.”

How does a person hang onto his or her faith when unexpected, lengthy, and painful suffering is what they encounter on a daily basis?

The Wilsons have asked that question.  And it’s not that they don’t deeply love their children.  It’s just a life they couldn’t have prepared for; one in which every day requires everything from them; where research for social services, therapies, and possibilities for the things which just might help their children consume their days and their nights.  Where children who have acquired certain abilities lose them due to the nature of regressive autism.  Where each day starts at 4:30 a.m. when their son awakens; where their days’ work is all-consuming and requires all that is in them.  As they walked down the paths before them following first their elder son’s diagnosis, and then their daughter’s, they weren’t just desperate for physical assistance or emotional assistance.  They needed on the very deepest level, words that could come alongside them to keep them anchored in God and the hope He has for each of us.  They didn’t find these words, in book form anyway, anywhere.  So they very humbly and transparently, in The Life We Never Expected, share their own experiences, the conclusions they came to, and the truths that sustained their hope in God and their very lives.

Andrew and Rachel Wilson didn’t just write this book for the parents of precious children who have special needs.  In fact, they say they wrote it for three different groups of people:

  • “Parents who have just been thrown a curveball….and need encouragement” (p. 14) to hang on to God;
  • The friends and families of those parents of special needs children
  • Those who are suffering and need to know how to endure…and that God really is at the end of it all, as well as deeply present every step of the way

My thoughts about The Life We Never Expected

I never really expected to read this book.  Yet, the opportunity arose, and I received a free copy to read, and to share my thoughts about it here on finchnwren.com.

WHAT a blessing.  Andrew and Rachel are so thoroughly real, so transparent.  They graciously and openly share their struggles in parenting, with each other, with God, and with people in general who interact with their family.  While I’ve not experienced the challenges they daily live with, I have been in places of suffering and struggle where I wondered where God was in my experiences, how I could find Him, and how I could get past the barren landscape I felt I was living in.  This book has words of life and encouragement (and even humor!) which can, I believe, really point anyone who’s struggling into a place of hope and into the arms of God.

Here are some of the Wilsons’ words which were very special and meaningful to me:

  • “For those of us who are mothers (and fathers), God wants us to esteem the field he’s given us.  It’s not a tiring distraction from the true mission field we should be tilling; these are our people, for us to reach and for us to be trained and transformed as we do….” (p. 39)
  • “I love my kids most not by loving them the most but by first loving God.”  (p. 43)
  • “Of the one hundred million sentences I have read or heard in my life, the one that has probably impacted me the most is from George Muller’s diary: “The first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day…was to have my soul happy in the Lord.”” (p. 57)
  • “Why? What is the Father doing?  The answer is obvious, and none of us likes it: we don’t know.” (p. 65)
  • “It isn’t because God doesn’t love us.  It isn’t because God doesn’t care….The Lion has tears in his eyes, and although I will never understand all he is doing, I know that he isn’t doing it because he doesn’t love me.”  (p. 81)

I could keep going and going with recounting to you all the underlined passages in this precious and meaningful book.  But I’m going to save some for you to read.  Just know this; this book is probably THE most helpful book on suffering I have read in at least the past 10 years…and maybe longer.  I have finished reading it; and I’m just beginning to read it again for the second time.

The things that Andrew and Rachel have learned as they’ve parented their beloved children are things that have been hard-won, at quite a personal cost.  But they are things that we need to know; and things that they have been willing to share with us in The Life We Never Expected.

Find a copy.  Get it at Amazon, or wherever you buy your books.  It is worth every single penny you’d pay  for it, and then some!

Or…enter my giveaway!  FlyBy/Propeller Promotions have graciously provided one copy of this astounding book for one of my readers.  Enter below in the Giveaway Tools form.  A winner will be selected on July 16, after the giveaway closes on the 15th.  (If you’ve won a FlyBy giveaway in the last 30 days, you won’t be eligible to win this one.)

Enjoy!  –Wren

 

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”