"Max on Life" by Max Lucado

 
This week I had the privilege of reading Max Lucado's latest work, Max on Life.  In over thirty years in ministry, Max has been asked many, many questions.  Max on Life takes 172 of the most common inquiries and answers them with the wit and wisdom and soundness of scripture that is always found in Lucado's works.  Addressing topics such as prayer, grace, conflict, romance, money, and death, this book has something for everyone.   
  Having been a longtime fan of Max Lucado’s books, I had very high hopes for this one.  It did not disappoint.  While not every question in the book pertained to me, a majority of them did.  They were questions I have found myself asking or attempting to answer for someone else.  Lucado’s answers were easy to understand and always backed up with scripture.  I enjoyed the fact that each answer was brief and to the point.  He never got “preachy” or long-winded.  As a parent, I especially liked the chapter on family.  I also found great peace in the section about Heaven, having recently lost my mother.  This is definitely a book I would recommend to others.  Whether you are a new Christian with lots of questions, have walked with the Lord for years, or simply have questions about Christianity, I believe this book has something for you.

I am so confident that you, too, would enjoy this book, I am going to give away my copy.  Yes, this is my first giveaway.  Since this is a first for me, I'll make it easy.  There are just three simple steps to enter ("Special Agent Oso" music is going through my head right now):

1. Sign up to "Follow" this blog. (Ah, the shameless plug to get more followers.)
2. Post a link to this blog on your Facebook or Twitter page (so your friends may enter, too!).
3. Leave a comment letting me know that you have done steps one and two.

Winner will be chosen by http://www.random.org/ based on your comment number on this blog post. You have until May 1st to get your entry in!  Good Luck!

Here's the legal stuff I'm required to post:

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Excitement Building

Okay, I admit it.  I have gotten off to a very slow start at this blogging thing.  But, things are picking up, and here is what you have to look forward to:

• I currently have three books awaiting review.  One of which is Max Lucado's latest book, not yet released in stores!  Wow!  How lucky am I?!
• I have been selected to be a member of the What's in the Bible (WITB) Street Team.  This is Phil Vischer's (Veggietales) latest endeavor.  I can hardly wait to get my packet in and to watch the most recent DVD with the kids!
• And my latest assignment is to review dog food.  Normally, I prefer the human stuff, but this is Rachel Ray dog food, so it has to be good, right?! Kidding, kidding!  My dogs will be sampling the dog food, so watch for a very interesting post once I teach them how to use the computer. 

So, as you can see, my plate is rapidly filling up.  Well, I'm off to get started!

Thanks for reading,
Darby

Francine Rivers Giveaway

Thus far, I have not yet blogged about books that I read just for the joy of reading them (rather than for reviewing them).  However, I will tell you that Francine Rivers is a phenomenal author!  She is one of my absolute faves, and if you haven't read Redeeming Love, go out and get a copy...now...I mean it!!  It will rock your world!  And if you have yet to read anything by this author, here is your chance to read them all.  Check out this giveaway from Tyndale House Publishers:
Francine Rivers Giveaway

In all seriousness, this woman has a gift, and her books are not to be missed.  So, if you love her, too, let me know.  And, if you read something of hers because I recommended it, I'd love to know what you think.  Have a wonderful weekend, and read a great book!!

Darby

Happy Birthday, Baby!

On March 3, 2009, my baby girl entered the world. This is her then:

She arrived 3 days before her due date and 2 days before my scheduled c-section.  Under normal circumstances, this would not have been a big deal.  However, at the time of her birth I was a teacher in the great state of Texas.  I was teaching 3rd grade, which, at the time, was an SSI grade.  That meant my darling students were required to pass the reading TAKS in order to pass third grade, and that test was scheduled for March 3, 2009.  No pressure, though.  From the beginning of the school year, I was painfully aware of how close my due date was to TAKS day, but I was determined to be there for my kids.  I went around and around with my OB when scheduling the date of my c-section.  She thought I was nuts to put it off, but she worked with my anyway.  The game plan was to rest on Monday, give the test on Tuesday, rest on Wednesday, and deliver on Thursday, one day before my official due date.  That Monday my pre-selected longterm sub was there in my stead.  I was home dutifully resting.  I had a check-up that afternoon, and my husband went with me.  Throughout the day I had been having some mild contractions.  My doc assured me they would go away and cleared me to administer the test on Tuesday.  That night we went out for burgers where I ran into one of my students and his parents.  I assured them I would see them the next day and sent him home with orders for a good night's sleep.  I did not get to follow my own orders, though.  My husband got our two-year-old son bathed and into bed at 8:00, and I was not far behind.  The contractions were getting a little stronger and more consistent, and I was hopeful that getting some rest would make them go away.  At midnight, I was still awake.  By 2 a.m. the contractions were so strong, I broke down and woke my husband.  I was mildly hysterical and completely irrational at this point, still insisting that they would go away and I could give the test in 5 hours.  Luke, the picture of stability and calmness, stuck me in a shower, packed his hospital bag, and set about trying to contact the friends who had agreed to watch our son.  By 3 a.m. I had resigned myself to the fact that the little darlings were going to have to manage the TAKS without me.  We dropped off our son and headed to the hospital.  I was already at 4 cm when we arrived, so there was a flurry of activity to get me prepped and get my dr. in there for the c-section (my son was an emergency C, and my dr. was not willing to do a VBAC, thus the need for c-section this time around).  I really didn't want to wake my principal any earlier than I had to, so when they came in to take me to the OR, I panicked and told them they had to wait until I called my boss.  Boy, this will get you a lot of funny looks from the nurses!  They did allow me to make the one quick call.  My principal's response, "Well, we knew this was going to happen."  But she was very sweet and understanding and didn't even seem to mind that I had woken her at 4 something in the morning.  At 5:51 a.m. my beautiful baby girl arrived.  I was in recovery getting to know my daughter before my third graders were even at school.  I could hear one of the recovery nurses on the phone with her children who were about to leave for school.  When I asked about their ages, she was curious about my interest.  My response was, "Well, I am supposed to be giving that test this morning, but this, this is so much better!"  Later that day I listened to a voicemail that had come while I was still in recovery.  It was my team leader wondering if I wanted her to bring me a Starbucks latte (decaf, of course).  About halfway through the message, her voice goes up an octave as realiztion hits, and she says, "You'd better not be in the hospital having that baby right now!  You are, aren't you?!" 

But, all's well that ends well.  Every single one of my students passed the test that day, even without my presence.  I was so proud!  And now my little girl is 2!  This also marks the unofficial anniversary of the start of my life as a stay at home mom.  Wouldn't trade a minute, I tell ya!  Here's my baby now:

Isn't she a beauty?!  I love you, Sweetness, and your rather exciting introduction to the world!

Book Review: Couples Who Pray

Couples Who Pray

The Most Intimate Act Between a Man and a Woman

By Squire Rushnell, Louise DuArt
Published by Thomas Nelson

SQuire Rushnell and Louise DuArt, a husband and wife team who co-hosted Everything I Know About Wreaking Relationships...I Learned in My Last Marriage, bring you this quick and easy read on the impact of prayer on marriage.  The challenge: commit to at least 5 minutes in prayer with your spouse each day for 40 days.  The goal: to change your marriage!  Included in this book are the research to support the impact of prayer on marriage, steps to begin the process, and stories from real couples who have completed the 40 day journey.

Anxious to begin our own prayer journey, I devoured this book in a mere three days.  The research portion was informative yet interesting.  Stories from couples who had already begun the journey were sometimes funny, often emotional, and always heartfelt.  The authors broke down the journey into easily implementable steps.  My favorite part was the scripture provided to encourage you throughout the book and throughout the prayer challenge.  I had never thought about prayer with my husband as being, "The most intimate act between a man and a woman," but, truly, it is.  What could be more intimate than baring your soul to your Savior and Creator in the presence of the person He created just for you?  The first person I am passing this book on to is my husband, because I would like him to read it before we begin the prayer challenge together.  Beyond that, I would recommend it to every married couple I know.  I am excited to see the impact on our own marriage as well as that of our friends and family.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Save the Date

By Jenny Jones
Published by Thomas Nelson

When Alex and Lucy pick out wedding invitations, they wonder if they can be printed in vanishing ink.
Former NFL star Alex Sinclair is a man who has it all--except the votes he needs to win his bid for Congress. Despite their mutual dislike, Alex makes Lucy a proposition: pose as his fiancée in return for the money she desperately needs. Bound to a man who isn't quite what he seems, Lucy will find her heart on the line--and maybe even her life. When God asks Alex and Lucy to scrap their playbook and follow his rules, will they finally say, "I do"?

This is my first official book review, and, I must say, if every book I review is this enjoyable, I am really in for a treat.  I'll admit, I was skeptical.  The book bills itself as a typical romantic comedy, but it was so much more.  With a blend of laugh-out-loud humor, poignant drama, and irresistible romance, I quickly found I was unable to put this book down.  This is the first book I have read by Jenny B. Jones, but I am looking forward to reading more of her work.  The characters have so much depth, and the author does a great job telling their back stories.  At any given moment you could find my laughing aloud at Lucy's sass or shedding a tear over Alex's pain.  A funny yet touching story that I would  highly recommend to anyone.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Is there such thing as too much church?

My husband and I were both raised in church, traditional Southern Baptist church, to be precise.  We even met at a Baptist university.  When we first moved to the DFW metroplex, we went church hunting.  For more than a year we searched.  We must have tried at least 50 churches in the area between our apartments, one for every Sunday of the year.  One of our primary struggles was with the worship.  It was so, um, contemporary.  They had bands on stage!  There were drums!  It was like a rock concert.  This did not fit in with our "traditional" upbringing.  Where were the hymns?  Where was the organ?  Why didn't we sing "Just as I am" at every alter call?  We were totally thrown.  When it seemed all hope was lost, we did find a church home.  It was a fairly new church called Cornerstone.  They had just the right blend of traditional and contemporary worship, and the pastor was phenomenal!  We dove right in - Bible studies, praise team, drama ministry, nursery volunteers.  You name it, we were there for it.  It was even the church where we were married, and we were very happy there.

Fast forward a couple of years.  We had gotten married and quickly found a one bedroom apartment was not nearly enough space for the two of us, not to mention all our stuff.  So, we bought our first home.  The further you got from the metroplex, the more affordable the houses were.  We found ourselves a good 30 minute commute away from our beloved church home.  For about six months, we made the trek every Sunday and Wednesday into Plano.  Finally, we realized that God was calling us away from our "starter" church.  We were very sad, but soon found that God had a fabulous new church home just waiting for us not 5 minutes from our house.

We joined First Baptist Church of Little Elm (now called CrossRidge Church) in 2002.  The worship was *gasp* even more contemporary, but we had grown to love this kind of praise and worship and found it very meaningful.  Our new pastor was every bit as fired up about God and man as our previous one, another outstanding man of God.  Again, we threw all our irons in the fire.  Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, Wednesday nights, and various other days were quickly filled with church activities.  For seven years, this was our home.  These people were our family.  Both of our children were dedicated in this church.  Just thinking about it gets me teary eyed.  I think we could have been content to be a part of this particular church for the rest of our lives.  But, God had other plans, and eventually it was time to move on.

When we moved to New Mexico, our first order of business was to find a church home.  We had forgotten how challenging this was for us when we first moved to the city.  It proved equally challenging in the small town, but for the opposite reason.  The majority of the churches here are still way more traditional than what we have grown accustomed to.  We searched for about 6 months, before God called us to the church we now call home.  It has been an adjustment and we still miss CrossRidge, but the pastor is wonderful and I have even joined the church choir.  Yes, I said church choir.  We really appreciate many of the things we missed about our traditional upbringing, and we are making many new friends.  In all honesty, however, we never did find a church that fit us in the way CrossRidge did.  So, we have learned to compensate, and here is where I desire your opinion.

A typical week for us consists of:
Sunday morning services at our traditional Southern Baptist church.
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday our son attends preschool at the local Presbyterian church.
Tuesday mornings I have MOPS at a different Baptist church and Tuesday evenings are spent in a LifeGroup with people from our home church.
Wednesdays were spent at choir practice but are now being spent attending Financial Peace University at the same church where I attend MOPS.
Thursdays are for Bible Study.  I have been attending Bible Study at a non-denominational church with some family members, but have recently switched to one at our home church.  Honestly, it depends on what the topic that semester is, regarding where I choose to go.
Friday nights we go to church at the non-denominational church  mentioned above.  The worship is very contemporary and closer to what we have grown used to, which is one thing we really like about this church.  After church, we are part of a home group from that same church.

Reading over this, I know it must sound crazy to many of you.  We had difficulty finding one church home that met all our (perceived) needs, so we have sort of spread it out.  Sometimes I am afraid we are spreading ourselves too thin.  I also stress some on where our tithe should go.  Should our whole tithe go to the church where we are technically members?  Or should we divide it up amongst the churches, seeing as we use resources at them all?    Should we commit solely to one church?  Truly, I am truly thankful for the variety.  Also, we have met so many nice people.

In the last 11 years, I have learned that it is not about religion or denomination; it is about God's love.  As long as I am in a church that preaches and teaches God's Word, it doesn't matter what the label above the door says.  So, some may call us wishy-washy or even flaky, but this is working for us...for now.  Who knows what God has in store for us in the future? 

What do you think?
Darby