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“a martha heart” is almost here!
It’s almost time for A Martha Heart to launch! It will happen this coming Wednesday ~ September 1, 2010.
Here’s a new sneak peek! http://www.amarthaheart.com/ .
More to come soon…..
the berenstain bears (f.i.r.s.t.)
Attison LOVES this book. We read it about 5 times a day. I think you’ll like it, too! 
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
and the book:
The Berenstain Bears and A Job Well Done
Zonderkidz (April 9, 2010)
***Special thanks to Krista Ocier of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***
Stan and Jan Berenstain introduced the first Berenstain Bear books in 1962. 
Mike Berenstain grew up watching his parents work together to write about and draw these lovable bears. Eventually he started drawing and writing about them too. Mike is married to Andrea, and they have three children. They live in Pennsylvania, in an area that looks a lot like Bear Country.
Visit the authors’ website.
Product Details:
List Price: $3.99
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Zonderkidz (April 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310712548
ISBN-13: 978-0310712541
AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:
a little more info
**This is a sticky post and will remain at the top of my blog for a while. Scroll down to see the newest post.**
The launch of my new venture is getting closer and closer! The new site (what I’ve been calling my new venture) will be called A Martha Heart.
I wrote a brief explanation of the name of the new site (see quote below) in this post:
God had been using Martha (sister to Mary and Lazarus, not that other Martha) as an example to me. She was organized, she was prepared, she felt overwhelmed at times, and yet she was the one who, after her brother died, went out to the road to meet Jesus. It is Martha who opened her home to Jesus and His disciples when they came through town. It is Martha who is recorded for all time as the one who said to Jesus, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” (John 11:27) And wouldn’t you know, God found another way to emphasize the heart change Martha experienced after her previous encounter with Jesus in her home (see Luke 10:38-42).
Holly and I have been working diligently on A Martha Heart, getting it all set up to go live September 1st. We have some really fantastic lady authors/contributors to introduce to you (some you may already know!). I’m really looking forward to this launch ~ I think you’re going to love A Martha Heart!
something’s coming!
6 week countdown
There are only 6 weeks left until my new venture will be launched and revealed! I’m going to give you a few more bits to savor for now ~ I can’t just flat out tell you what the new venture is because that would ruin the surprise (and because it’s still in the design phase)!
What I can tell you is that this venture actually started about 3 years ago. My friend Holly started a cooking blog, What Would Martha Cook?, just about the same time that God was laying on my heart a new direction He wanted me to take. He reminded me of some promises I made when I was a young wife. At that time I begged Him to bring some mentors into my life. I needed other women who had some experience and wisdom to share with me on what I was supposed to be doing in my new role as a wife. I had no idea how to do even the mere basics of what most stay-at-home wives do. Poor Roger really went through some interesting kitchen experiments (aka meals) during the first couple years of our marriage. When we got married, I had no idea how to cook or clean or manage a household. No one had ever taught me those things. And so, as I realized how deficient I was in the areas of taking care of a family and a home, I promised God that when I became an “older woman” I would strive to pass along the knowledge I learned from my mentors.
Three years ago God reminded me of that promise along with a few others I have made. He told me it was time to head that direction. Now, I can’t honestly say I was thrilled at 39 years of age that God was telling me I was entering “older woman” territory. And of course I complained to Him about it. Do you know what He did with all of my complaining? He taught me with it ~ that’s usually what He does. And trust me, there was no shortage of complaining at that point. But as the weeks went by, and I finally let go of my self-ish-ness (read: all about myself) and pride regarding my age, He began to reveal to me something that was bigger than anything I would have ever imagined when I made that original promise to pass along what I learned from my mentors.
When I saw Holly’s cooking site, I just knew I had to contact her about it. You see, God had been using Martha (sister to Mary and Lazarus, not that other Martha) as an example to me. She was organized, she was prepared, she felt overwhelmed at times, and yet she was the one who, after her brother died, went out to the road to meet Jesus. It is Martha who opened her home to Jesus and His disciples when they came through town. It is Martha who is recorded for all time as the one who said to Jesus, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” (John 11:27) And wouldn’t you know, God found another way to emphasize the heart change Martha experienced after her previous encounter with Jesus in her home (see Luke 10:38-42). There was Holly’s cooking site ~ and Holly had used the Martha of the Bible as her example.
Over the past 3 years, Holly and I have been discussing and praying over this idea He planted in us. Some of it He gave to Holly, and some of it He gave to me. We’ve talked, emailed, and bounced ideas around and off of each other so many times now I’m not even sure which parts He gave to me and which He gave to Holly. It doesn’t really matter. After 3 years of waiting, praying, learning, growing, changing, and maturing, Holly and I are finally going to be able to put into action those ideas God gave us.
Six weeks from now ~ Wednesday, September 1, 2010 ~ our ideas will be put into action. The ideas God has given us that we have labored with, prayed over, and discussed ad nauseam will be available for the entire world to access. I’m a little nervous about it, but more than that I’m excited to finally be approaching our launch date. And I can’t wait to share it with you!
pray big
Pray Big * by Will Davis Jr. is a not-so-big book about prayer that could have huge impact on your life. Within its 201 pages, Davis encourages readers to use “pinpoint prayers.” Pinpoint prayers are specific, biblical prayers that are modeled after the Lord’s Prayer. Regarding the Lord’s Prayer, Davis writes
There’s no fluff, no fat, no extra words or theologically heavy terms. There’s just simple, spot-on, pinpoint accuracy from Jesus. With a mere fifty-eight Greek words, Jesus acknowledged the character and sovereignty of God, surrendered to the Father’s will, and sought provision, protection, and guidance from God. That’s pinpoint prayer.
If you long to pray confidently and accurately, using God’s Word as your only guide while praying His Word back to Him, Pray Big will show you how. No matter where you are in your walk with the Lord ~ whether you’re a newer Christian still learning about God, the Bible and prayer or a long-time, mature Christian ~ Pray Big was written for you.
*A review copy of Pray Big was provided to me by The B&B Media Group. I received no other compensation. My review, as always, expresses my true and honest opinion and thoughts.
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Praying with Boldness and Confidence
Author Will Davis Jr. helps readers pinpoint their needs and pray with passionate faith
Have you ever encountered a “Big Hairy Audacious Prayer”? Author Will Davis Jr. is a man who not only knows about asking big things from God, but he believes that all Christ-followers are equipped with the faith to make “Big Asks” from God! Beginning with the Lord’s Prayer as a biblical example, Davis teaches believers that God honors requests of His children that are specifically and biblically asked. Once believers learn to view God’s word as a prayer guide, the entire Bible becomes a treasure chest of promises and foundational prayers that enable Christ-followers to storm heaven’s gates with pinpoint accuracy!
Prayers should be so God-sized, so humanly impossible, and yet so utterly appealing that they totally consume you and drive you to your knees. Davis is not talking about a genie-in-a-lamp approach to prayer, but a prayer life that is founded upon God’s Word and one that gives new meaning to the biblical exhortation to come boldly before God’s throne. Davis, pastor of Austin Christian Fellowship in Austin, Texas, has written four books that offer a biblical foundation for making “Big Asks” of God and expecting miraculous results.
Pray Big: The Power of Pinpoint Prayers introduces the concept of Big Hairy Audacious Prayers (or BHAP’s) and reveals how vital our prayer lives are in the process of learning to submit to God and trusting Him with every detail of our lives. Whether you are begging for the salvation of a spouse, the removal of a cancerous tumor, or the resolution of a difficult financial situation, it is exciting to bring your requests before God when you are standing on biblical ground. Davis encourages believers to use Scripture intermingled with prayer so that requests can be made specifically and accurately. The practice of searching the Bible for God’s promises and direction will establish a solid foundation for making requests from your Heavenly Father. Examples of these requests might sound like this:
- “Father, help my children delight in your law and meditate on your word day and night.” (Psalm 3:3)
- “Mighty God, be a shield about me. Shine your glory on me and be a lifter of my head.” (Psalm 6:9)
- “Father, I pray you will hear [my loved one’s] cry for mercy and accept his prayer.” (Psalm 6:9)
Every believer is equipped with the mustard-seed of faith that makes prayer possible. So quit holding your breath, believer, and start breathing your heart to God in prayer! You will live differently, love differently, and begin to learn what it means to pray without ceasing.
Pray Big: The Power of Pinpoint Prayers by Will Davis Jr.
Revell/ISBN: 978-0-8007-3204-2/201 pages/softcover/$12.99
Become a fan of Will Davis on Facebook ~ Follow Will on Twitter ~ Watch Will on You Tube
nightmare by robin parrish
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Bethany House (July 1, 2010)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Robin Parrish is a journalist who’s written about the intersection of faith and pop culture for more than a decade. Currently he serves as Senior Editor at XZOOSIA.com, a community portal that fuses social networking with magazine-style features about entertainment and culture.
He had two great ambitions in his life: to have a family, and to be a published novelist. In March of 2005, he proposed to his future wife the same week he signed his first book contract with Bethany House Publishers. They contracted him for the rights to The Dominion Trilogy: Relentless (2006), Fearless (2007), and Merciless (2008). His science fiction thriller, Offworld came out in 2009. This summer debuts Nightmare, and he’s working on another for 2011. Robin and his wife and children live in North Carolina.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The Nightmare is Coming…
Ghost Town is the hottest amusement park in the country, offering state-of-the-art chills and thrills involving the paranormal. The park’s main ride is a haunted house that promises an encounter with a real ghost.
When Maia Peters visits during her senior year of college, she’s not expecting to be impressed. Maia grew up as the only child of a pair of world-renowned “ghost hunters,” so the paranormal is nothing new and to her most of the park is just Hollywood special effects. In fact, the ride feels pretty boring until the very end. There, a face appears from the mist. The face of Jordin Cole, a girl Maia knows who disappeared from campus a few months ago.
Convinced what she saw wasn’t a hoax and desperate to find answers to Jordin’s disappearance, Maia launches into a quest for answers. Joined by Jordin’s boyfriend–a pastor’s kid with very different ideas about paranormal and the spirit realm–Maia finds herself in a struggle against dangerous forces she never expected to confront on the edge of the spirit realm that try to keep the truth from emerging.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Nightmare, go HERE.
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Trish’s Take
I liked this book.* Plain and simple. I like Robin Parrish’s books ~ the guy has some big time imagination. Nightmare is pretty creepy, and if you’re sensitive to paranormal stuff, you might want to read this during the day. I had to put it down and walk away several times in the beginning, and I definitely kept my reading time to daylight hours. By the time I was halfway through the book, I had come up with about 10 ways the book could end. None of my endings were correct. And of course Robin’s ending was different than anything I could have come up with. You’ll just have to read Nightmare yourself to find out what happens!
*A copy of this book was provided to me for review by BethanyHouse through CFBA. I received no other compensation, and my review expresses my true and honest opinion.
kroger gift card winner
Congratulations to Lawanna, the winner of the Kroger Gift Card Giveaway! She won a $30 gift card good at any of the Kroger Family of Stores; even better, her pledge at pfpchallenge.com contributed to Feeding America’s efforts to feed the hungry in America.
mr. right experience
I’ve used Pantene’s Curly Hair: Dry to Moisturized** twice now. And I will be completely honest with you. While my hair is less frizzy and feels pretty soft, I’m a little concerned about what I’m putting on my scalp and hair.
Yesterday morning after I had applied the conditioner to my hair and rinsed off my hands, I noticed my hands were a little bit sticky. They were also a little bit slick. That’s an odd combination, isn’t it?
It makes me nervous to think about what’s actually in this shampoo and conditioner. I have an appointment with my master hair stylist soon. I’ll ask him what he thinks about these shampoos and conditioners.
**One sample size bottle each of Pantene’s Curly Hair Dry to Moisturized shampoo and conditioner were provided at no cost to me by VocalPoint.
pound for pound challenge
Right now you can do something to help feed the hungry in America, and help yourself in the process. I’m talking about the Pound for Pound Challenge ~ through June 30, 2010, for every pound of excess weight you pledge to lose, the Pound For Pound Challenge will donate 14¢ to Feeding America® — enough to deliver one pound of groceries to a local food bank.
MyBlogSpark is helping people be a part of the Pound for Pound Challenge, too. Through MyBlogSpark, the Kroger Family of Stores is offering readers of my blog the opportunity to win a $30 gift card, good at any of the Kroger Family of Stores across America.** The Kroger Family of Stores includes Kroger, Fred Meyer, Ralph’s, King Soopers, City Market, Dillon’s, Smith’s, Fry’s, QFC, Baker’s, Owen’s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander, Gerbes, Food4Less, Pay Less Super Markets and Scott’s Food & Pharmacy.
To participate in the Pound for Pound Challenge ~ and enter to win the $30 gift card ~ go to www.pfpchallenge.com and make your pledge. Then simply send me an email (trish at joyfulheartblog dot com) letting me know you joined me in the challenge!
As the official supplier of the Biggest Loser Ranch and partner of the Pound for Pound Challenge, the Kroger Family of Stores wants to help you achieve your goals. If you’re a fan of the Biggest Loser, you may have seen several great General Mills products featured on the show. These products, including Yoplait Greek yogurt, Total, and Multigrain Cheerios, are available at your local Kroger Family of Stores and can help you stick to your weight management plan.
So don’t wait (because there’s only one week left to make your pledge!). Hop on over to www.pfpchallenge.com and make your pledge. You’ll also find information there about the challenge, Feeding America, The Biggest Loser, and who’s participating in the Pound for Pound Challenge to help feed the hungry in America.
Don’t forget to send me an email (trish at joyfulheartblog dot com) to enter the drawing for a $30 gift card from the Kroger Family of Stores! The winner of the giveaway will be announced on my blog Thursday, July 1, 2010. The winner will need to supply me with their full name and mailing address. In order for the gift card to be sent out, I will need to give the name and address of the winner to MyBlogSpark. Don’t worry though! Your information will not be used for any other purpose than to send you the $30 gift card.
**The Kroger Family of Stores and General Mills provided me with a $30 gift card to use myself, as well as the information provided here, and the $30 gift card for the giveaway through MyBlogSpark. The