#FarFromHome | finchnwren

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Far From Home JustRead Blog Tour Welcome to the Blog Tour for Far From Home by Mabel Ninan, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Far From Home Author: Mabel Ninan Publisher: Iron Stream Release Date: July 12, 2022 Genre: Christian / Non-Fiction / Spiritual Growth

Explore the intersection between culture, identity, and faith in this new release from an earthly immigrant who gained a spiritual perspective.

What is my purpose? Why do I exist? A sense of self and belonging are two questions many of us struggle to answer. And what if you are a foreigner in another land? How does one adjust to a new culture? Discover their place in a new society? For Mabel Ninan, born and raised in India and an immigrant in America shortly after marriage, the search for those answers sent her on a journey that led to an unexpected and exciting discovery. God revealed she was not only an earthly immigrant but also a spiritual one, created with a unique calling to impact His kingdom. Mabel’s renewed perspective imbued her with joy and hope, urging her to share the message with others. Drawing from her personal experiences and by examining the lives of biblical heroes, Mabel sheds light on what it means to live as a citizen of Heaven on earth. Far from Home will inspire you to: • Embrace your identity as a foreigner on earth. • Make your home with God. • Find community and common purpose with fellow sojourners.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born and raised in the minority Christian community in India, Mabel Ninan moved to the US in 2008 shortly after getting married. In nearly thirteen years of her marriage, her family has called ten different places across two continents and seven cities home. The challenges Mabel faced as an immigrant on the move led to a spiritual crisis that drew her nearer to God’s side where she learned valuable lessons about how to live as a citizen of heaven. Her mission is to inspire believers to embrace their pilgrim journey on earth and boldly pursue their heavenly calling. A contributor to Guideposts’ All God’s Creatures: Daily Devotions for Animal Lovers 2022, Mabel’s writings have appeared in The Upper Room, CBN.com, Leading Hearts Magazine, and (in)courage.me. She hosts a YouTube podcast called Immigrant Faith Stories where she shares testimonies of immigrants, refugees, missionaries, and cross-cultural ministry leaders. She has been serving in various roles in women’s ministry for almost a decade. Mabel enjoys reading, traveling, and dancing, but nothing gives her more joy than having conversations about the Bible. Mabel is pursuing M.A. in Theological Studies from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She lives with her husband, son, and Maltese pup in Northern California.

CONNECT WITH MABEL: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a paperback copy of Far from Home, a customized notepad and bookmark (eco-friendly products made by rural artisans in India help sustain endangered art forms and secure livelihoods), access to digital resources (including a recipe booklet, teaching videos, and audio prayers), and a $30 Amazon gift card.

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight July 11, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on July 18, 2022. 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.gleamjs.io/e.js

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

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

My thoughts about Far From Home

Although Mabel Ninan and I grew up in different cultures and nations, we have ever so much more in common as followers of Christ and, as the Bible says, women whose “citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). Mabel herself was raised in India and then, as a new wife, moved with her husband to America. As anyone who has moved to a new culture or country can attest, one experiences both culture shock and bewilderment over how to operate in a new place. What Mabel did with those experiences, over a period of 13 years, brings readers an incredible book on our identities, our homes, and our place in community. I loved the entire book! But the section on our own identities is the one that spoke to me in an incredible, powerful way.

As a knitter, I appreciated the way the author uses a skein of yarn to illustrate our identities. A length of yarn is comprised of strings twisted together to make a thicker strand, that one then uses for knitting or crocheting. In Mabel’s metaphor, all the parts of our lives (professions, health, family, gifts and calling, even appearance) make up that strand. But when one thread is broken or weakened (or like the Bible’s Job, when ALL of them are), it can and often does impact the entire strand. And even if, in our own lives, just a few or even one strand is altered, it can threaten to change everything about how we perceive ourselves; our lives, our purposes, or even our worth.

How comforting it was to read Mabel’s thoughts about how we can meet those threats to our identity: to hold on to God. When we experience tribulation, we are often shocked. (Or I am!) I forget Peter’s words to first century believers in 1 Peter 4:12: “Dear friends, don’t be bewildered or surprised when you go through the fiery trials ahead, for this is no strange, unusual thing that is going to happen to you.” I am often both bewildered AND surprised! And in fact, some of the severe tribulations that I’ve experienced have rocked both my faith and my own understanding of who I was. I have been, over recent years, rebuilding my own understanding of who I am. How I loved the author’s words here, about how we can do this:

Putting our faith in Him means we rely on Him rather than our own abilities or other people during tough circumstances. When Jesus becomes the center of our attention and affections, the foundation of our identity holds and does not collapse under pressure.
Mabel Ninan, Far From Home: Discovering Your Identity as Foreigners on Earth, p. 18

It is perhaps common, even as followers of Christ, to place our confidence in our own abilities or gifting. We get used to what we can do ourselves. Maybe that’s a human trait! But Jesus invites us to build the foundations of our lives on Him, the solid rock (Luke 6:47-48). Suffering or struggles can blow those illusions of self-reliance, of being enough on our own, away. But God doesn’t permit those hardships in our lives capriciously, or to be unkind, or uncaring. And even though I always want to find THE ONE PARTICULAR REASON why this or that hard thing occurred, we may not know the answers this side of heaven. But we can turn our eyes to God; to His presence and His promises. He is our sure foundation; He promises to never ever leave or forsake us; we are His.

I love how Mabel talks about making Jesus the center of our attention and our affections. So often those are centered around ourselves. But His sweet faithfulness, presence, love, and strength are present; and offered to us instead. So beautiful. And so what I need, always, to be reminded of.

Enjoy! –Wren

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