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More about Victim of Grace: Robin Jones Gunn reveals poignant truths from her life as well as from the lives of women in the Bible as she flips the notion that we are at the mercy of circumstances. She asks, what if God has dreams for you? What if he is accomplishing those dreams in the midst of shattered hopes? When life doesn't go as expected, it's easy to feel like a victim. We look at the events that have gone wrong and view our lives as impaired. What if we could see our future as God sees it? Would our view radically change if we understood we are indeed victims rather than of happenstance? God, the Relentless Lover, has vigorously sought you. He has instilled dreams in your heart that are grander than you can imagine. But the route to their fulfillment often is through a path you wouldn't seek. What if God wants to take the hopes that tug at your heart and enliven them? Are you ready to live inside the mysterious joy of being a victim of grace?More about Marla: Marla Alupoaicei is an author and speaker with a heart for couples and moms. She and her husband founded Leap of Faith, which ministers to couples around the globe. In her spare time, Marla enjoys art and photography, cooking, dancing, and playing the piano and violin.

More about Prayer Warrior Mom: Moms, are you struggling with patience? Worrying about your children's spiritual development? Concerned about their social or behavioral issues? Wondering how to get it all done when there's just never enough time?Author Marla Alupoaicei knows that today's Christian moms want to be the parents God intended. They desire to pray boldly and stand in the gap for their kids. But many mothers haven't been equipped with the prayer skills, scriptural knowledge, and practical strategies to fight the spiritual battle for themselves and their children. Marla is no stranger to these trials. She has felt the simmering frustration and discontentment that come from the constant tension of trying to do it all for her family. But as Marla began to turn everything over to God in prayer, He granted her an attitude of gratitude, the antidote to despair. "When you and I choose to praise the Lord, He will be fully present in our hearts, in our homes, and with our children," she says. In Prayer Warrior Mom, Marla invites you to walk with her through fifteen life-transforming principles that will empower you to effectively intercede for your children. Learn to cultivate your own attitude of gratitude, pray Scripture, be persistent, pray with power and authority, be your children's #1 advocate, hear God's voice above the noise of daily life, and much more! "The only real power we have on this earth is the power of prayer. Our potent prayers for our kids connect them with the reality of God and His will for their lives," Marla says. Mom, this is your year. Your year of spiritual breakthrough. Your year to see your children start loving God and living for Him. What are you waiting for? Become a Prayer Warrior Mom today!

 

"Robin's tender heart and wisdom make every one of her books poignant and unforgettable."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This week on Living Inspired I'm excited to have two great authors talking about their brand new books! Frank Viola hopes his new book, God's Favorite Place on Earth (David C Cook, 2013) will change your life as it changed his. “In every generation, Christians face the same struggles and challenges,” observes Viola.  “The Gospels tell us the amazing story of Jesus’ earthy life. Yet there is a story within the Gospel story that is often missed. To my mind, it is the greatest story never told—a narrative within the narrative. This book will show you how to be ‘Bethany’ for the Lord right here, right now.” In her second book, Embracing Beauty, Trina Holden brings practical efficiency and insight to women who want to find and rock their personal style in the season of motherhood.

Sign up below to win a paperback copy of Frank's book or an e-copy of Trina's

More about Frank:

Frank Viola has helped thousands of people around the world to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ and enter into a more vibrant and authentic experience of church. He has written many books on these themes, including From Eternity to Here, Revise Us Again, Reimagining Church, Finding Organic Church, Jesus: A Theography and Jesus Manifesto. Viola has also written articles for or has been interviewed by TIME, Christianity Today, Charisma, LIFE Today, CBN, Relevant, The Christian Post, Outreach Magazine and many others, while his own blog, FrankViola.org, is rated as one of the top 10 most popular religious blogs today. More information on Viola can be found at frankviola.org and www.davidccook.com.

More about God's Favorite Place on Earth: 

When He came to earth, Jesus Christ was rejected in every quarter in which He stepped. The Creator was rejected by His own creation. “He came to His own and His own received Him not,” said John. For this reason, Jesus Christ had “no where to lay His head.” There was one exception, however. A little village just outside of Jerusalem named Bethany. Bethany was the only place on earth where Jesus was completely received.

God’s Favorite Place on Earth is a retelling of Jesus’ many visits to Bethany and a relaying of the message it holds for us today. Frank Viola presents a beautifully crafted narrative from the viewpoint of Lazarus, one of the people who lived in Bethany with his two sisters. This incomparable story not only brings the Gospel narratives to life, but it addresses the struggle against doubt, discouragement, fear, guilt, rejection, and spiritual apathy that challenges countless Christians today. In profoundly moving prose, God’s Favorite Place on Earth will captivate your heart with its beauty, charm, and depth. In this book you will discover how to live as a “Bethany” in our world today, being set free to love and follow Jesus like never before.

“God’s Favorite Place on Earth realigned my heart toward Jesus and His mysterious, confounding, surprising, beautiful ways. It’s not often I learn something new when reading a book, but Frank Viola’s sharp storytelling and insightful interpretation made me hunger for more of the real Jesus. Pick up this book if you need a reversal in your Christian life; it will not disappoint.” - Mary DeMuth, author of Everything: What You Give and What You Gain To Become Like Jesus

Order your copy of God's Favorite Place on Earth

More about Trina Holden: 

Trina is a homeschooling mom of 3 who regularly schedules field trips to the thrift store to clothe her family frugally. You can find her wearing purple most days, jotting down words that beg to be written in between cooking, cleaning and laughter-filled phone conversations with friends. She blogs about true beauty, deep community, and real food at trinaholden.com

Short Interview with Trina Holden:

What life event led you to write this book?
The inspiration to write Embracing Beauty came during a season when I had actually been neglecting beauty. We were living on our converted bus in the middle of some investment property we were managing, and in the crowded space and life with 3 little ones I totally let any sort of intentionality toward beauty fall off the to-do list. As a result, I felt a part of me begin to shrivel. It was during this time that God revealed to me that beauty is a priority to Him, and should be to me, as well.

I began to find little ways and places and times to once again make beauty a priority, and felt my spirit become refreshed. I realized that many women are missing out on the joy to be found in the area of personal fashion, and I wanted to reach out to them with what the Lord was showing me.

What challenge were you hoping to address?

As mothers of small children I think it’s very easy to give up on beauty in our personal appearance. Our bodies are constantly changing size, and we have very little personal time for shopping or primping. It can be very depressing! Yet we can’t neglect the pursuit of beauty because it’s a huge area in which God intended us to experience joy. We need all the joy we can get in this season!

So often mamma’s struggle with seeing their bodies as beautiful after pregnancy. They also don’t have as much time or money for building their wardrobe. I address each of these challenges in my book, and hope to equip women to rediscover the fun of getting dressed.

How did you experience God during the writing of this book?

When I outlined this book, I planned on it being about 15,000 words and focus mostly on the practical tips I had discovered for dressing my body in the season of motherhood. God had other ideas, and repeatedly I felt the call to go deeper with the message of the book—to address body image, balance in the pursuit of beauty, and God’s heart behind beauty. Yet that message felt too deep for me—I felt inadequate to address those topics. Yet the call remained, so I found myself in prayer, asking God for wisdom for every line of the chapters that get to the heart of beauty. The book ended up being 30,000 words—double the size I felt adequate to write—and I can honestly say, the extra words? They are truly from God. And the ‘heart’ chapters in the book are having more of an impact than I could ever have had with just a collection of style tips. I really felt God used my willingness to put my fingers to the key board in order to get a message out to women that is close to His heart. I don’t take credit for this book.

More about Embracing Beauty: 

Are you lost when it comes to rocking your personal style? Did motherhood completely derail your passion for fashion? Is lack of time, money, or a consistent waistline keeping you from looking your best? Trina Holden knows how that feels. After 3 kids in 5 years, and the challenges that brings to the budget and the body, beauty in the form of personal style had completely fallen by the wayside. Until the day she decided that she didn't want to live without this source of joy and fulfillment any longer, and began to rethink her approach to style, and relearn how to dress her body well. In this candid and sometimes hilarious book, Trina shares her journey to embracing beauty in the season of motherhood. Every chapter is crammed with practical inspiration and tips for defining your style, choosing clothes and accessories that work for you, and combining it all into a look that will bring joy to your day, and bless those around you. Because clothes are not just a covering—they can be a way to express our very soul, a song we sing to those around us. Trina gets to the heart by showing how engaging in the creative process of dressing ourselves well can actually echo God's love for beauty, and be a witness to those around us of our Father's character. From the proper motivation to the correct measurement for a bra, this book covers the whole journey to embracing personal style. Chapters focus on creating a personal color scheme, strategies for pregnancy and nursing, and all the waist sizes in between. In addition, you'll find an entire section on building your wardrobe on a budget with Trina's tips from years of experience thrift shopping, including "10 Questions to Ask to Avoid Bringing Home a Wardrobe Orphan", "Thrift Shopping With Kids in Tow", and even "Building Your Child's Wardrobe From the Thrift Store". Don't miss out on the joy God intended you to experience in the area of dress. With "Embracing Beauty" you can rediscover the beauty of your momma body, and how to rock your personal style.

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This week on Living Inspired, I'll be chatting with new-author Bekah Martin and President of World Vision, Richard Stern. In The Bare Naked Truth (Zondervan, 2013), Bekah Martin offers advice to teens who often encounter powerful peer pressure in today’s society. She shares her own relatable (and often entertaining) experiences of abstaining from sex until she was married to help adolescents who struggle with virginity and God’s plan for them. If your previous book was named the Christian Book of the Year*, how would you follow up? Richard Stearns does it with Unfinished: Believing is Only the Beginning (Thomas Nelson, May 2013). Stearns’ book will deliver “ah-ha” moments as he calls readers to missional living — living for God’s kingdom rather than their own.

More about Bekah Martin: Bekah knows about waiting–for the right guy, for high school to end, for her boobs to come in (two out of three ain’t bad). Bekah lives with her best friend and husband, Ethan, and their Tiny Human Zoey Bree, in between speaking and writing for teens. (And getting at least five minutes of sleep every night whether she needs it or not.)

Connect with Bekah on her website

More about The Bare Naked Truth: The Truth About Sex and Waiting ... Uncovered and Revealed Purity. Sex. Boys. Waiting. Something about those words makes everything complex in a heartbeat. Is there something wrong with me if I don't kiss a boy after a date? Or am I doomed if I did? Is waiting a one-way trip to life as a crazy cat woman? And what if I, um, think about a certain boy a certain way? It seems the lady at church and your friends have two very different opinions on the subject. And the purity talks aren't always cutting it. Bekah Hamrick Martin knows the waiting game isn't easy or straight-forward. In The Bare Naked Truth, she lays everything on the table---including some embarrassing moments---as she explores the honest, naked truth behind what God means by purity. With additional entries from popular authors, you'll see the bare naked approach to waiting isn't always easy, but it's worth the risk.

Purchase your copy of The Bare Naked Truth

More about Richard Sterns: Richard Stearns brought nearly 25 years of corporate experience to World Vision when he became its president in June 1998. Stearns holds a bachelor's degree from Cornell University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. His professional career began in marketing with the Gillette Company. From 1977 to 1985, he held various roles with Parker Brothers Games, culminating in his appointment as president in 1984. In 1985, he became a vice president at the Franklin Mint, then joined Lenox in 1987 as president of Lenox Collections. In 1995, Stearns was named president and chief executive officer of Lenox Inc., overseeing three divisions, six manufacturing facilities, 4,000 employees, and $500 million in annual sales. Stearns and his wife, Reneé, have been World Vision supporters since 1984. The couple has five children and lives in Bellevue, Washington.

More about Unfinished: So you believe in God. Now what? Just before he left, Jesus sent his follower into the world with a revolutionary mission: to change the world by proclaiming God's truth and demonstrating his incredible love. But the single task he gave us to accomplish remains unfinished. Rich Stearns takes us on a breathtaking journey to rediscover the critical mission of Christ in our world today and the richness of God's calling on our lives. Why are we here, what is our purpose, and where do we fit in the bigger story that God is writing? How should our faith affect our careers, our money, our families, and our lives? And why does it matter? We will find our deepest purpose only when we discover the unique role God created for us to play in his unfolding story.

"More purpose. More meaning. More life. In Unfinished you discover how your life can be about more."

—Elisa Morgan, author; speaker; publisher, www.fulfill.org

"Every generation of Christians needs a wake-up call to remind us of how serious and strenuous are the demands of discipleship. May Rich Stearns's Unfinished be that alarm for our time."

—David Neff, editorial vice president, Christianity Today

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This week on Living Inspired I'm excited to be welcoming back Beth Guckenberger. Beth Guckenberger and her husband, Todd, are the founders of Back2Back Ministries (based in Cincinnati, Ohio), which communicates a lifestyle of service by sharing the love of Christ and serving God through service to others. Back2Back Ministries connects willing workers to open hearts through international and local ministry opportunities. Their ministry is currently caring and providing for orphan children and needy people in Mexico, Nigeria, India and, most recently, Haiti.

Sign up below for your chance to win one of three copies of Beth's Tales of the Defended Ones. Winner will be announced here on Friday, April 26th.

 

 

More about Beth: Guckenberger travels and speaks regularly at women's and missions conferences, as well as youth gatherings and church services. Her topics include orphan care, missions, parenting, marriage/intimacy and faith. Her storytelling style captures audiences, and she draws from her field experience as a missionary and parent for illustrations to biblical concepts. In addition to her children's releases in the Storyweaver series, Tales of the Defended Ones (Standard Publishing 2013), and Tales of the Not Forgotten (Standard 2012), Guckenberger has written two books for adults: Relentless Hope (Standard, 2011) and Reckless Faith(Zondervan, 2008). She has also partnered with Standard Publishing on the mission content in its 2013 VBS program God's Backyard Bible Camp and a missions kit to be released in the fall. The Guckenberger family lives and serves in Monterrey, Mexico, where they have hosted more than 12,000 guests on their ministry campus. Between biological, foster and adopted additions to their family, Beth and Todd are raising nine children.

More about Tales of the Defended Ones: Tales of the Defended Ones (Standard Publishing, 2013) is the second release of Guckenberger's Storyweaver series, written to highlight the plight of orphans throughout the world in personal, heart-grabbing stories of loss, struggle and redemption. The premise of the series is that as the great Storyweaver, God is working in the lives of each of us and our stories can be more incredible than we could ever imagine. "It's important that we not only care about our own stories, but also about the stories of others," writes Guckenberger. "Orphans don't have a lot of people watching their stories. It's our privilege to watch them and then tell about them, and sometimes even be a part of them. That is a bit of the God-design he put in us, to care for others. He cares about each of us and wants to bring us into each other's lives." Written for ages 8 and up, Tales of the Defended Ones presents an easy-to-read picture of the way God is intervening on behalf of orphans throughout the world. The inspiration for the title of the book came from Proverbs 23:10-11: "Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless, for their Defender is strong; he will take up their case against you."

 

"I read Tales of the Not Forgotten on a flight and tried not to make a scene as I constantly fought back tears... Since then, any time I'm in a conversation about helping kids develop a heart that breaks for what breaks our Lord's heart, this book is the first thing I mention."

~Tina Houser, Publications Director, KidzMatter, Inc.

"I love this book because it has true stories about real kids who need families and love and don't have what most kids do."

~ Chelsie, age 10

"My son and I read Tales of the Not Forgotten together, and it really challenged us in the way we think about our world. It encouraged us to talk about poverty, suffering, the call of the gospel, and our response to the Great Commission. I'm so thankful for the discussion times he and I had as a result of reading this book together."

~ Mat Markins, D6 Conference Cofounder
Purchase your copy here

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This week on Living Inspired I'll be chatting with Lesli Westfall and Amy Lively. When experiencing infertility, a woman’s feelings about herself, her relationships with others and her belief in God become confused and complicated. Having experienced these emotions herself, Lesli A. Westfall has written Dancing Upon Barren Land: Prayer, Scripture Reflections, and Hope for Infertility not only as a prayer guide for women facing infertility, but as a resource for churches and support groups. To reach out to her neighbors, Amy Lively hosted an Open House then invited them back for Bible study. She candidly shares how she felt knocking on doors while her knees knocked, and tells about the friendships that now line the streets of her neighborhood. Amy created The Neighborhood Café to inspire other women to open their homes for coffee and Christ-centered conversation. She equips churches and women for front porch ministry with tools, tips and resources they can adapt to their personality, passion and community. More about Lesli A. Westfall: Lesli Westfall is no stranger to infertility. She has experienced the range of emotions, the prodding of doctors and the stinging disappointments. She’s been left wandering on the barren road and wondering what God has planned for her. Yet looking back on her journey, Westfall realizes God turns disappointments into appointments, the most significant being the call to offer hope and inspiration to other women facing infertility. While leading a Christian infertility support group in one of the largest churches in America, a deep compassion formed within Westfall’s heart. Based upon her own experience as well as others in the group, the online ministry Dancing Upon Barren Land was created, offering spiritual nourishment for the infertility road. She now ministers to women around the world through the website and leads support groups at other local congregations. Westfall loves spending time with her family, friends and especially her husband, Larry, whom she refers to as her man of faith and live-in comedian. She also enjoys teaching cooking and etiquette to children and traveling, especially road trips. Most of all, her passion is sharing God’s love and teaching His Word to women, inspiring belief there’s healing for the grief of infertility and sorrow from loss—and there is joy in the journey while we wait. Prior to writing Dancing Upon Barren Land, Westfall contributed to the book Moments of Grace, a book about finding God’s grace while searching for answers. More about Dancing Upon Barren Land: When experiencing infertility, the unexpected happens. Your feelings about yourself and your relationship with others and your belief in God are confused and complicated. Dancing Upon Barren Land – Prayer, Scripture Reflections, and Hope for Infertility is a helpful companion for those dark, lonely days. *Specific Prayers Topics and Supporting Scripture *Helpful Truths to Living Life While You Wait *Supporting Ideas for Family Members or Friends *Resource Aid for Ministry Leader *Discussion Topics for Support Groups More about Amy Lively: Amy Lively’s passion is to help women magnify the name of Christ in their homes, neighborhoods and churches. Amy is a teacher, writer, speaker, pastor and marketing consultant who draws upon her degree in Practical Ministry to lead a women’s neighborhood Bible study in her home. She is a featured speaker at women’s conferences and a contributing writer at WomensMinistry.net. She is an associate pastor at Life Church Ohio overseeing communication and assisting with ministry development and small groups. Amy and her husband of 22 years, David, own a retail consulting firm where she utilized her executive-level experience in retail sales, management, training, marketing and advertising. They live in central Ohio with their teenage daughter, Emma, one holy dog and an unsaintly cat More about The Neighborhood Cafe:   Amy's message is for any woman who has ever said—“I know I should love my neighbors, but I don’t know how.” I feel guilty about Christ’s command to love our neighbors, but I don’t even know most of these people. Honestly, the ones I do know are a little annoying. I don’t have time to go make new friends. I’m not sure I even know what adult friendships are supposed to look like. Can’t I just put a fish bumper sticker on my minivan? Am I really supposed to just go up and start talking about Jesus? They’ll think I’m a freak, or they’ll ask deeply theological questions I don’t know the answers to. I’m afraid. I’m intimidated. And it’s more than a little bit awkward. “I’d rather go to Africa than go across the street.”Amy speaks from the field: I have been there, done that—and lived to tell about it! There’s no excuse I haven’t had myself. There’s no mistake I haven’t made... I don’t have enough time to do this, either. I don’t have all the answers. My house could always be cleaner. But through my adventures in loving my very own neighbors, I help women:· Discover natural ways to get to know your neighbors without being weird · Overcome fears about sharing your faith and find fulfillment in obeying Christ’s #2 command · Maximize your time by offering simple hospitality—not extravagant entertaining—to many neighbors at once · Make new friends with women who were once strangers as you form authentic relationships · Create a sanctuary on your streets as united neighbors form a safe, secure community to raise your families Purchase a copy here

 

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More about Mary Lou: Mary Lou Quinlan has written inspirational features for national magazines including Real Simple, O Magazine and More, and is the author of the books Just Ask a Woman, Time Off for Good Behavior and What She's Not Telling You. The nation's leading expert on female consumer behavior and the founder and CEO of the marketing consultancy Just Ask a Woman, she has conducted in-depth research on women's lives since 1999 for corporations such as Wells Fargo, Pfizer and Kellogg's. The keynote speaker at hundreds of conferences around the world, Quinlan has appeared on television programs such as CBS' Early Show, ABC's Good Morning America and NBC's Today, and has been profiled in media outlets including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today. She holds an MBA from Fordham University and received an honorary doctorate in communications from her alma mater, Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, where she also holds a B.A. in English. Quinlan and her husband, Joe, live in New York City and Bucks County, Penn., with their dog, Rocky. Connect with Mary Lou at http://www.marylouq.com

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This week on Living Inspired, I'm excited to be chatting "mommyhood" with Jill Savage, author of No More Perfect Moms (Moody, 2013). Jill has been featured in Focus on the Family, Today's Christian Woman magazine, and Family Life Today, Jill is the founder and CEO of Hearts at Home, an organization that encourages, educates, and equips every mom in every season of motherhood.

Sign up below for your chance to win one in five copies of No More Perfect Moms!

More about Jill:  Jill Savage is an author and speaker who is passionate about encouraging moms. She is the author of eight books including Real Moms...Real Jesus, Professionalizing Motherhood, My Heart's at Home, and Living With Less So Your Family Has More. Savage and her husband, Mark, have five children and three grandchildren. They make their home in Normal, Ill.

Connect with Jill online at: www.JillSavage.org and www.HeartsatHome.org.

More about No More Perfect Moms: Moms would like to be perfect for their kids, but many struggle every day, wondering if they’ll ever get it right. Maybe she’s forgotten to pick up her kids from soccer practice, or she’s lost patience with the little people who call her mom, or maybe she’s been on aisle five at the grocery store and noticed that she was wearing two different shoes. Major problems and minor troubles can conspire together to convince a mom that she’s just not enough—especially if she compares herself to the perfect moms she thinks she knows. They seem to have grasped the perfect life that constantly eludes her, and she just never feels like she’s the perfect mom she wants to be.

In her new book, No More Perfect Moms, author, speaker, and Hearts at Home founder, Jill Sav- age, brings hope and clarity for every mom who’s wondered what is wrong with her. Using powerful stories and illustrations, Savage talks heart-to-heart to women about what it means to trade the ideal of the perfect mom for the reality of a mom who lives an authentic, honest, God-inspired life.

Bravely sharing real examples from her own life, Savage—a mom of five—is quick to point out her own imperfections. Moms will love her down–to-earth writing style, as she talks about topics like:

• The Perfection Infection: why perfection never works.
• How to stop the “What’s Wrong with Me” thoughts moms struggle with.
• How to trade in your mom mask for a new view on life.
• How to have your own reality check: stop looking at the mom you aren’t and start looking at the mom you are.
• How to trade pride for godly confidence in your everyday life.

In addition to the book, moms can also visit www.NoMorePerfectMoms.com for a free leader guide, a 31-day email challenge, Savage’s blog, and many additional resources, including videos designed for small group use. Refreshingly honest, No More Perfect Moms is a book filled with humor, truth, and plenty of help for all moms. Targeted to moms of all ages, the book is also a great small group or moms’ group resource to help moms stop comparing and start really living.

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This week on Living Inspired I'll be chatting with Kim de Blecourt, and the second half of the show I'll chat with Brooke McGlothlin and Stacey Thacker! Kim de Blecourt is author of a different kind of love story. In Until We All Come Home (FaithWords 2012) tells of Kim's harrowing story of her year-long battle to bring home to son she refused to leave behind. Brooke McGlothlin and Stacey Thacker have co-authored Hope for the Weary Mom (2012) a guide for mom's who are simply weary, tired, and ready to throw in the towel.

Sign up below for your chance to win a copy of Until We All Come Home or Hope for the Weary Mom. Winner announced Friday, March 29th (Giveaway open to US only).

More about Kim de Blecourt: Kim de Blecourt is a media veteran, experienced writer and speaker, and expert on international adoption. Kim leads a ministry called Nourished Hearts to encourage, inspire, and create community around those who are adopting/have adopted, provide foster care and/or work in orphan care internationally. Kim and her husband, Jahn, have been married for fifteen years and are the parents of two children, Jacey and Jake. They reside in Michigan.

Connect with Kim at her website: http://nourishedhearts.com/

More about Until We All Come Home: When Kim de Blecourt and her husband decided to adopt a child from Ukraine, they knew that the process might be challenging. Nothing, however, could have prepared de Blecourt for the twisted nightmare she would endure. During her year-long struggle to extricate her newly adopted little boy from that post-Soviet country's corrupt social service and judicial systems, de Blecourt was intimidated, physically assaulted, and arrested. Worse, her months of loneliness, worry, and fear drove her to the brink of spiritual despair. But God had no intention of abandoning de Blecourt or her family. Her amazing story-culminating in a spine-chilling race to freedom-offers dramatic proof that God's light shines on even in the deepest darkness.

"Until We All Come Home reads like a spy thriller, but with the reality that a child's life and livelihood is at stake. It's a terribly beautiful story of a family's love for a child, a corrupt bureaucracy, and the painful lessons we learn when we follow God wherever He leads. I loved this page-turning, God-breathed book."

Mary DeMuth, author of Everything: What You Give and What You Gain to Become Like Jesus

"Kim de Blecourt's story is amazing--and I never use the word amazing. Her courage in the face of persecution and obstacles will inspire you as you turn the pages of her adoption saga, a tale like none other. Until We All Come Home reads like a novel, and will enthrall you with each nail-biting episode until the blockbuster conclusion. The difference is, Kim really lived this story, and her profound devotion for her little boy is a tribute to a mother's love, and to God's care and shelter in the worst circumstances."

Lorilee Craker, journalist and New York Times best-selling author of 11 books, including Through the Storm with Lynne Spears and Money Secrets of the Amish.

Purchase your copy of Until We All Come Home

More about Brooke and Stacey: Stacey Thacker is Mike’s wife and the mother of four vibrant girls. She is a believer and writer who loves God’s Word and connecting with women. You can find her blogging at 29 Lincoln Avenue where she seeks to encourage your heart, grow in faith, and talk about the stuff of life. Stacey is also the co-founder of MODsquad Blog (Mother’s of Daughters), Write It, Girl, and a community leader for (in)courage. Follow her on Twitter @stacey29lincoln.

Brooke McGlothlin is a mom of two young boys who leave her desperate for grace, knowing that if God doesn't show up, nothing happens. She's the author of the best-selling e-book Warrior Prayers: Praying the Word for Boys In the Areas They Need It Most, and creator of the 21 Days of Prayer for Sons challenge. In 2010, she co-founded the well-loved online community for mothers of boys, the MOB Society.  Brooke makes her home in the mountains of Southwest Virginia with her husband—the man she's had a crush on since the 3rd grade—and spends her days writing, homeschooling their two sons, and playing with their sweet Labrador Retriever, Toby. She enjoys playing hard with her boys, searching for beauty through photography, and leading women to say "yes" to God at her personal blog, Surprised by Life. Follow her on Twitter as @BrookeWrites.

More about Hope for the Weary Mom: “Right now, I have nothing to give. Nothing. Nada. I’m tired and don’t feel good and honestly, I want a break from everything. It’s not that I want to leave my family, trade them in, or get new ones. I WANT to be with them. I just want a break from hard hearts, discipline, correction. I want their hearts changed and I can’t do it myself. Sometimes, the knowledge of this makes me feel hopeless and helpless.” ~A Weary Mom

"Stacey and Brooke understand the hearts and needs of moms today. They speak with a voice that’s encouraging, authentic and will draw in readers from many different seasons and stages of life that have one thing in common: they need hope."

~Holley Gerth, author of You're Already Amazing

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This week on Living Inspired I'm excited to welcome Matthew Sleeth, author of the inspiring book 24/6: A Prescription for a Healthier, Happier Life (Tyndale House, 2012), and Kristin Schell, blogger at KristinSchell.com and one of the master minds behind the blog series 52 Sunday Suppers.

Sign up below for your chance to win a copy of Matthew Sleeth's 24/6! Winner will be announce right here on Friday, March 22nd! 

More about Matthew: Matthew Sleeth, MD, a former emergency room physician, treated a growing number of patients with physical symptoms from working too much, consuming too much, and having too little time to focus on their faith and families. Following a new calling, Dr. Sleeth resigned from his position as chief of the medical staff and director of a busy ER to teach, preach, and write about the biblical call for a 24/6 life. A highly sought-after speaker, Dr. Sleeth has spoken at more than 1,000 churches, campuses, and events in the last five years. Dr. Sleeth lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with Nancy, his wife of more than 30 years, and their two grown children.

More about 24/6: A Prescription for a Healthier, Happier Life: "Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy."Sounds nice, but how do we find rest in a 24/7 world? Just as the Hebrews were slaves in Egypt, we have become slaves to technology. Our technological tools allow 24-hour productivity and connectivity, give us more control, and subtlety enslave us to busyness itself. Sabbath is about restraint, about intentionally not doing everything all the time just because we can. Setting aside a day of rest helps us reconnect with our Creator and find the peace of God that passes all understanding. The Sabbath is about letting go of the controls one day a week and letting God be God. So how do we do it? In 24/6, Dr. Matthew Sleeth describes our symptoms, clarifies the signs, diagnoses the illness, and lays out a simple plan for living a healthier, more God-centered life in a digitally-dazed, always-on world. Sleeth shares how his own family was dramatically transformed when it adopted Sabbath practices and helps readers better understand how their own lives can be transformed - physically, emotionally, relationally and spiritually - by adopting the 24/6 lifestyle.

“Matthew Sleeth has crafted a compelling invitation to consider and participate in Sabbath keeping, an invitation that is, in my experience, without peer.”

—Eugene H. Peterson, author of The Message

Purchase your copy of 24/6: A Prescription for a Healthier, Happier Life

More about Kristin: My blogging journey began on a whim in 2005. Content from an evening meal I made, Husband suggested I keep an online journal of my recipes, a blog. The Schell Cafe began that evening via a blogger account. We named the blog The Schell Cafe after the restaurant Husband’s grandfather owned in the early 1900s in Cooper, Texas. I never knew Grandfather Schell, but he must have loved serving great meals and having folks gather ‘round his tables. His son William B. Schell, my late father-in-law, finished every meal in the same manner, “Well, I have dined sufficiently.” From this strong line of men my husband inherited an appreciation for a meal well served. In my early days of blogging, with three young children and a fourth on the way, cooking and writing was a creative outlet that truthfully kept me sane. For brief periods during the day I would chop, sauté and weave words into stories about the meals I was preparing. I settled into blogging as neither chef nor writer, but more of a storytelling cook. Seven years later, I’m still storytelling. And cooking. I also share other passions on these pages—my family, faith and fly-fishing. Kristin lives in Austin, Texas with her Husband and four Littles. When she is not cooking, writing, or fly-fishing she is most likely carpooling.

More about 52 Sunday Suppers: Join Susie Davis and Kristin Schell as they share their current year-long journey to make their family meals more intentional. Come learn more about 52 Sunday Suppers and how you can be part of the mealtime revival.

Get the full 52 Sunday Suppers story here

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This week on Living Inspired we welcome author of Almost Amish, Nancy Sleeth and welcome back author and speaker Holley Gerth.

More about Nancy: As co-founder and Managing Director of Blessed Earth, Nancy Sleeth travels throughout the U.S. speaking and writing about faith and the creation care. Prior to heeding this spiritual calling, Sleeth served as communications director for a Fortune 500 company and as an educator and administrator, most recently at Asbury University. Sleeth is a graduate of Georgetown University and holds a Master’s degree in journalism. She is the author of Go Green, Save Green, the first-ever practical guide for going green from a faith perspective. Nancy specializes in leading workshops on the nuts and bolts of stewardship practices at home, work, school, and church and facilitating women’s retreats on Sabbath practices, simplicity, and sustainability. She and Matthew Sleeth recently celebrated 31 years of marriage. They are the parents of Clark (a recent medical school graduate) and Emma (creation care speaker/author for teens and young adults).

More about Almost Amish: Have you ever stopped to think, Maybe the Amish are on to something? Look around. We tweet while we drive, we talk while we text, and we surf the Internet until we fall asleep. We are essentially plugged in and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Rather than mastering technology, we have allowed technology to master us. We are an exhausted nation. No one has enough time, everyone feels stressed out, and our kids spend more hours staring at a screen each week than they do playing outside. It’s time to simplify our lives, make faith and family the focal point, and recapture the lost art of simple living. Building on the basic principles of Amish life, Nancy Sleeth shows readers how making conscious choices to limit (and in some cases eliminate) technology’s hold on our lives and getting back to basics can help us lead calmer, more focused, less harried lives that result in stronger, deeper relationships with our families, friends, and God.

“Almost Amish is the perfect read if you’re feeling the weight of our fancy American lifestyle and looking to simplify your life and get back to the things that matter-- like family, home, and community.”

Get your copy of Almost Amish here

More about Holley: Holley Gerth is a bestselling writer, certified life coach and speaker. She loves connecting with the hearts of women through her popular blog and books like You're Already Amazing and You're Made for a God- Sized Dream. She's also cofounder of (in)courage and a partner with DaySpring. Holley lives with her husband, Mark, in the South. Hang out with her at www.holleygerth.com

More about You're Made for a God-Sized Dream: We all long to live with more purpose, passion, and joy. Yet in the middle of our hectic lives, the God-sized dreams that have the potential to lead us into all God has planned for us are the ones that tend to get lost. With her intimate, approachable style and constant encouragement, popular blogger and author Holley Gerth invites women to rediscover the big dreams God has given them--and then dare to pursue them. With the enthusiasm and honesty that we all want from our closest friend, Holley encourages women to overcome excuses--too busy, too late, too far out of my comfort zone--and believe that their God-sized dreams can become reality. She takes readers by the heart and says, "Yes! You can do this! Let's go!" and then guides them forward with a loving hand. A licensed counselor and certified life coach, Holley insightfully combines inspiration with practical application in this positive book.

"I can't remember the last time I turned the pages of a book so eagerly. Holley's words have revolutionized my way of thinking with such a simple concept: that my dreams can't be bigger than God. If he's in my soul-planted dreams- -and I think he is--then why wouldn't he also craft my life to fulfill those very same dreams? Holley is remarkably gifted at explaining universal heart truths to those of us in different seasons of life and then equipping each of us with the motivation to make those truths a reality. I thank God for my friend, this gifted writer Holley."

 

"Reading You're Made for a God-Sized Dream isn't like reading at all; it's more like a visit with a trusted friend, the one who speaks truth and wisdom into your life and helps you to see yourself the way God sees you. I have no idea how Holley accomplishes this (does every reader feel like they've found a new best friend?), but she does! God used this dream of Holley's to help me believe in the dreams he's seeded in my soul--those urgings that won't go away, the things that hide in secret places but are clawing for escape. Sifting through Holley's insights, it's almost like I have permission to dream now; I didn't realize how much I swept those hopes to the corners of my heart."

Get you're copy of You're Made for a God-Sized Dream here

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This week on Living Inspired we'll be chatting with Sheri Rose Shepherd and Marty Machowski. Sheri Rose shares how she lost 50 pounds and has kept it off! After ten years of addressing this topic and speaking to more than half a million women across the nation, Shepherd shares the plan that helped her to break free from “Barbie Bondage” and help women win the Diet War once and for all in her new book, If You Have a Craving, I Have a Cure (Tyndale, 2013). Marty Machowski's Old Story New (New Growth Press, 2012) walks children through the great truths of the Christian faith through New Testament stories and offers simple discussion questions (and answers) for each day’s devotion. By focusing the family for only 10 minutes, parents can keep the attention of their young children and reign in their busy teenagers. Machowski even offers parents suggestions of how to make the gospel-centered devotionals relevant for all grade levels, and the lessons are suitable for children from preschool through high school. These kids Bible materials are perfect for morning routines, after dinner discussions, or bedtime rituals.

 

More about Sheri Rose: Sheri Rose Shepherd is an award-winning author, Bible life coach, and humorist with over one million books sold. Her life experiences help her identify with almost any woman's battle. She grew up in a broken home and was severely overweight as a teen; she also experienced depression, dyslexia, and an eating disorder. Through God's strength, Sheri Rose has become a bestselling author and popular speaker at events nationwide, including Women of Joy and Extraordinary Women. Her weekly video devotions will be featured on Bible Gateway beginning in 2013. Connect with Sheri Rose at http://hisprincess.com.

More about If You Have a Craving, I Have a Cure: Life can be hard . . . but food, faith, and fun are three amazing gifts from God to satisfy and refresh us every day. Yet all too often, we focus primarily on what we can not do, and what we should not eat—which leaves us feeling deprived and depressed. Instead of being energized by following Christ, we waste our days feeling bored and burnt-out on our faith, while battling the guilt that comes from craving the food that we love. In If You Have a Craving, I Have a Cure, best-selling author and speaker Sheri Rose Shepherd encourages you to embark on a new adventure with faith and food. She reveals the food coaching tips that enabled her to lose over 50 pounds and keep it off, and shares fun recipes in celebration of the healthy, delicious food our God created for us to enjoy. It’s time to let go of guilt, grab hold of grace, and recapture the life God craves for us to live! “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8)

Purchase your copy of If You Have a Craving, I have a Cure.

 

More about Marty: Marty Machowski, is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church, a Sovereign Grace Ministries church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where is has served on the pastoral staff for over twenty years. He is the author of the Gospel Story for Kids series including The Gospel Story Bible, two family devotionals, Long Story Short and Old Story New, and the Gospel Story Curriculum. He and his wife Lois and their six children reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Visit http://gospelstoryforkids.com, for more information about the Gospel Story for Kids series and curriculum. The website is also home to Marty’s blog on family, children’s ministry and more.

More about Old Story New: Filled with adventure, suspense, drama, and mystery the gospel story easily captures the attention of children. Even better, the gospel story give life. We are saved and our children are saved as we review the story of the gospel. So why do so many well-intentioned parents give up on family devotions—deciding that reading the Bible as a family must only be for “super parents.” The truth is that there are no super parents. We all struggle, and we all need help to stay on course. Old Story New makes it easy for parents to stay on the life-giving course of sharing the gospel with their family. The second volume in Marty Machowski’s family devotional series, Old Story New continues the gospel story that started in Long Story Short. Using the same effective ten-minute a day structure, it walks children through the great truths of the Christian faith in the New Testament. Through 78 New Testament stories, Old Story New does the hard work for parents and caregivers. Simple discussion questions (and answers!!) for each day’s devotion help children understand and remember Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and the birth of the Christian church. Old Story New is a family devotional program designed to explain God’s plan of salvation through the New Testament and is suitable for children from preschool through high school.

Purchase your copy of Old Story New

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This week on Living Inspired, I'm excited to be chatting with Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson about their new book on motherhood (and all things motherhood) Desperate (Thomas Nelson, 2013). Their book tells the true story of two friends encouraging each other in the midst of a journey of motherhood—a young mom needed input, encouragement, love, and grace, and an older mom who has been through all of the seasons to speak into her life from a perspective of wisdom. Each chapter also includes a brief Bible study to help readers turn to God for direction during their journey.

More about the Authors: Sarah Mae, listed as one of the Christian Broadcasting Network's "Six Women Leaders to Follow on Twitter," is self-made popular mom blogger. She is the founder and co-host of the Allume national Christian women’s blogging conference and a contributing writer to DaySpring, (a division of Hallmark). She is co-author of Desperate and author of the best-selling ebook 31 Days to Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way. Sarah Mae makes her home in the beautiful Amish country of Pennsylvania where she celebrates life with her husband Jesse and three children. Follow her online at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Sally Clarkson is involved in ongoing discipleship and teaching ministries to women, parents, home schooling mothers, and Christian mothers and their children. She is the co-author of Desperate and author of numerous books—that are available in five languages—and articles on Christian motherhood and parenting; and leads WholeHearted Mother Conferences.  Clarkson is an international speaker, has appeared on television and radio programming, and has spoken in the United States Congress. Her ITakeJoy.com receives in excess of 250,000 visitors a month. Her momheart.org receives over 100,000 unique visitors a month and features the contributions of over 26 writers.

More about Desperate: Desperate is for those who love their children to the depths of their souls but who have also curled up under their covers, fighting back tears, and begging God for help. It’s for those who have ever wondered what happened to all their ideals for what having children would be like. For those who have ever felt like all the “experts” have clearly never had a child like theirs. For those who have prayed for a mentor. For those who ever felt lost and alone in motherhood. In Desperate you will find the story of one young mother’s honest account of the desperate feelings experienced in motherhood and one experienced mentor’s realistic and gentle exhortations that were forged in the trenches of raising her own four children.

Also in Desperate:

• QR codes and links at the end of each chapter that lead to videos with Sarah Mae and Sally talking about the chapter
• Practical steps to take during the desperate times
• Bible study and journal exercises in each chapter that will lead you to identify ways in which you can grow as a mom
• Mentoring advice for real-life situations
• Q & A section with Sally where she answers readers questions

I hold these pages, words of Sarah Mae’s and Sally’s, that are a gift to every mother, that welcome mothers everywhere out of hiding and loneliness and into a fellowship of sisters and mentors, that will make you feel not alone, that will make you feel that there is real God-given hope. -Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand GiftsInstead of heaping guilt upon moms by giving them impossible-to-live-up-to formulas for perfect parenting, Desperate offers a refreshingly-needed message of grace for weary moms. If you’ve ever struggled with feelings of inadequacy in your mothering, you need to read this book.  -Crystal Paine, moneysavingmom.com > Order a copy of Desperate here a Rafflecopter giveaway

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This week on Living Inspired we're in for a real treat as we chat with storyteller Jim Weiss and  homeschool mom, author, backyard farmer, Angela England about her new book Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less) (ALPHA books, 2012). Literature comes alive with Jim Weiss. From fairytales to Shakespeare, from the ancient world of Greek mythology to the mystique of Sherlock Holmes, Jim's performances will create entertainment magic at your event. Jim's stories appeal to children and adults, bonding families together with the love of literature and an understanding of what makes his timeless characters great. Jim showcases literature and history like no other.  Angela England is a freelance writer who, along with her husband and five children, cultivates a 1/2 acre farm in their Oklahoma backyard where they manage to raise diary and meat goats, keep enough chickens for eggs and free-range poultry, and foster an intensively productive garden for fresh fruits and vegetables. Angela is the founder of UntrainedHousewife.com and enjoys guiding others in recapturing the lost arts of self-sufficient living. She also manages and maintains the Blissfully Domestic community and contributes to other sites and forums on a regular basis.

Sign up below to win a signed copy of Angela's book, Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less). Winner will be announced on Friday, February 22nd.

More about Jim Weiss: JIM WEISS has been a storyteller for over 25 years. In June, 1989, Jim decided to do something more with the craft that he had formerly practiced solely for pleasure. He and his wife, Randy, formed a production company, Greathall Productions, and have thus far produced forty seven (47) storytelling recordings with enticing titles from classical literature, such as Greek Myths, King Arthur and Sherlock Holmes. Jim's Greathall line is the recipient of more than 100 major national awards from The American Library Association, Parents' Choice Foundation, NAPPA, the Parents' Council, The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, The Film Advisory Board, Parents' Guide to Children's Media Award and more. Weiss' newest releases are "Julius Caesar and the Story of Rome" and "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch." Connect with Jim at the Greathall Productions website.

Order a copy of any of Jim Weiss' stories 

I was utterly amazed by Jim Weiss's story telling abilities.

--Amazon Customer Review Brett Mayo From Feb. 21 through Feb. 28, your listeners can purchase any Greathall Storytelling Recordings (http://greathall.com/storytelling.html) they choose for a special price of only $10.95 each (regular $14.95). All they have to do is input the code: TRICIA in the Special Instructions box during checkout to receive the Living Inspired pricing.

More about Angela: Angela England was a city girl until her family relocated to Oklahoma when she was 15. A true renaissance woman, after pursuing a double major in Music Education and Theatre Arts from the University of Southeastern Oklahoma, Angela went on to obtain certifications in massage therapy, childbirth education, labor support doula work, and herbalism. She relishes learning and is constantly taking on new projects. Her life changed when she met a country boy. Following love, she left behind the conveniences of urban life and took on the challenge of learning the homesteading skills of rural life. Angela and her husband are now raising their five children on less than half an acre. In their backyard, they manage to raise dairy and meat goats on a small scale, keep enough chickens for eggs and free-range poultry, as well as an intensively productive garden for fresh fruits and vegetables. When she’s not busy with the backyard farm, she stays busy writing and managing her websites. The journey of self-sufficiency is one that the Englands are sharing with others. Angela founded the Untrained Housewife website connecting with an immediate audience from others searching to recapture these lost arts. She is the editor-in-chief of Blissfully Domestic, a premiere online magazine for women, and owns several smaller websites as well. Angela is a regular speaker at blog conferences and social media gatherings across the nation, and has written several ebooks about freelance writing and problogging. Connect with Angela today on her website or the Untrained Housewife website.

More about Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less): Plan and plant a successful and sustainable backyard farm — from a quarter acre to a full acre and beyond — right in your own backyard. By raising and harvesting their own fruits, vegetables, chickens, bees, milk-bearing animals, and more, people are growing locally, sustainably, and at a fraction of the cost. Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less) is written by someone who has planned and run a successful small-scale farm. Angela England guides you through the essentials of planning a small farm — deciding what should be grown or raised, implementing proven, sustainable techniques, and maximizing yield and harvest.

This is not just a book, it's much more than that. Honestly, it's as if Angela is sitting across the table from you, teaching you all that she's learned about backyard farming, in a fun, personal, conversational manner. Whether you're looking to start your first small garden this year, or want to plan a full-fledged mini-farm on your property, Backyard Farming On An Acre (More Or Less) is the place to start!

 

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This week on Living Inspired we welcome Mary Lou Quinlan and Vicki Tiede. Mary Lou Quinlan is the author of three books, an inspirational speaker and an expert on how women think and buy. She is the founder of Mary Lou Quinlan & Co. and Just Ask a Woman and appears frequently in national media. She recently has written the memoir The God Box (Worthy Publishing, 2012). Author Vicki Tiede, MEd, MMin, is a Bible teacher, speaker, author and a contributing author for five books. Vicki is also a wife, homeschooling mom, and women’s ministries coordinator at her local church in Rochester, Minnesota. Her new book, When Your Husband Is Addicted to Pornography: Healing Your Wounded Heart (New Growth Press, 2012)  is the long-awaited response to the cries of women who need to heal their heart from the devastation of a husband’s sexual addiction. Sign up below for your chance to win 1 in 5 of Mary Lou's The God Box or 1 in 5 of Vicki's When Your Husband is Addicted to Pornography. Winners will be announced here Friday, February 15.

 

 

More about Mary Lou: Mary Lou Quinlan has written inspirational features for national magazines including Real Simple, O Magazine and More, and is the author of the books Just Ask a Woman, Time Off for Good Behavior and What She's Not Telling You. The nation's leading expert on female consumer behavior and the founder and CEO of the marketing consultancy Just Ask a Woman, she has conducted in-depth research on women's lives since 1999 for corporations such as Wells Fargo, Pfizer and Kellogg's. The keynote speaker at hundreds of conferences around the world, Quinlan has appeared on television programs such as CBS' Early Show, ABC's Good Morning America and NBC's Today, and has been profiled in media outlets including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today. She holds an MBA from Fordham University and received an honorary doctorate in communications from her alma mater, Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, where she also holds a B.A. in English. Quinlan and her husband, Joe, live in New York City and Bucks County, Penn., with their dog, Rocky. Connect with Mary Lou at http://www.marylouq.com More about The God Box: After her mother passed away, Mary Lou went searching for the God Box. But rather than one box, Quinlan found 10 containers stuffed with hundreds of origami-like folded papers. Covering the last 20 years of her mother's life, the notes contained a treasure of brief prayers for family, friends, and people she had never even met. Note by note, Quinlan discovered the greatest lesson her mother could impart: the importance of letting go in order to live. Poignantly written and beautifully designed, The God Box is a gift for every parent, every son or daughter, every person who trusts in the permanence of love and the power of prayer. "A beautiful story of love, faith and family. IT reads from beginning to end like an intimate and familiar prayer." 

More about Vicki Tiede: Vicki Tiede is an inspiring Bible teacher, conference speaker, and author. Her passion is to open the Scriptures with women in order to share God's grace and enduring faithfulness. Vicki transparently relates life experiences that resonate and draw others into a lifelong pursuit of knowing God. Her candor and humor are a delight to her audiences, who feel like they've met a new friend moments after she begins to share a glimpse into her life. Vicki consistently points her audiences back to God's Word and presents fresh insights into the Scriptures. Living in Rochester, Minnesota, Vicki is a wife, homeschooling mom, and the coordinator of women's ministries in her local church. She holds master's degrees in Ministry and in Education. Connect with Vicki at http://vickitiede.com More about When Your Husband is Addicted to Pornography: After the Shock--Moving from Despair to Healing and Hope. When your husband's addiction to pornography leaves you shattered, betrayed, and alone, where do you turn? Who do you turn to? Vicki Tiede, writing from personal experience, gently guides women toward God and away from despair. Through daily readings and questions on six important topics: hope, surrender, trust, identity, brokenness, and forgiveness, you will grow in healing and hope. Allowing God to meet your greatest needs is a long and learned process, but he promises to help you every step of the way. Questions and daily readings are suitable for both individuals and small groups. "Vicki Tiede's book provides hope, help, and a pathway to healing for women marred by their husband's addiction to pornography. Based on biblical principles, this resource can aid the reader to become a victor rather than a victim." --Josh McDowell, Speaker; best-selling author Purchase your copy of When Your Husband is Addicted to Pornography here

 

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This week on Living Inspired your stomach will be aching (and your mouth watering) as we talk to inspirational humorist Debora Coty about her new "chocolate" book: Fear, Faith, and a Fistful of Chocolate (Barbour Books, 2013). The second half of the show, we will be chatting with best-selling author and speaker, Shannon Ethridge about her recently released The Fantasy Fallacy (Thomas Nelson, 2012) -- a Christian response to the Shades of Grey phenomenon. The Fantasy Fallacy will answers questions such as: why has Fifty Shades of Grey struck a nerve with female readers? What do boundaries have to do with fantasy? Why isn’t the “One Flesh” of marriage enough flesh? What is the healthy role for fantasy in sexuality?

Sign up below for your chance to win a copy of Debora's book, Fear, Faith, and a Fistful of Chocolate or 1 in 5 copies of Shannon's The Fantasy Fallacy. Winners will be announced right here on Friday, February 8th.

More about Debora: Debora M. Coty is a popular speaker, columnist, lifelong Bible student, internationally published freelance writer, and award-winning author of numerous books, including Too Blessed to Be Stressed, and More Beauty, Less Beast. She’s also an orthopedic occupational therapist, writing instructor, and tennis addict. Mother of two grown children, Debora lives and loves in central Florida with her husband, Chuck, and desperately wicked pooch, Fenway. Connect with Debora at http://deboracoty.com

More about Fear, Faith, and a Fistful of Chocolate: Fear, Faith, and a Fistful of Chocolate is tailored to your everyday fears—financial, health, relationships, loss, pain, the unknown, the what-ifs—both real and imagined. In an age of uncertainty, inspirational humorist Deb Coty promises peace and hope for a better future. You’ll come away refreshed, renewed, and ready to conquer your worries!

“Fear, Faith, and a Fistful of Chocolate will encourage you to conquer fear and anxiety with helpful tools, sassy humor, and relevant Scriptures. Great for group study!”

~ Suzanne Woods Fisher, radio personality, best-selling author of Amish fiction and nonfiction

Get your copy here

 

More about Shannon: Shannon Ethridge (MA, Counseling and Human Relations) is a best-selling author, speaker, and certified life coach. She has spoken to college students and adults since 1989 on the topics of sexuality and Christian spirituality. Shannon is the author of 19 books, including the million-copy best-selling series, Every Woman’s Battle. Her latest book is The Fantasy Fallacy: Exposing the Deeper Meaning Behind Sexual Thoughts. Connect with Shannon at http://ShannonEthridge.com

More about The Fantasy Fallacy: Erotica has invaded more than our minds – it has exploded onto our bestseller lists and into our bedrooms. Many are looking to sexual and emotional fantasies as avenues to fulfillment. Our fantasies, however, are not reliable guides into the future—they are actually rocky road maps from our past. Best-selling author Shannon Ethridge theorizes, “Fantasies are simply the brain’s way of trying to heal itself from unresolved tragedies and traumas. We mentally compartmentalize our pain to make room for pleasure.” Fantasies have deep psychological roots, and if acted on many of them can do deep psychological damage. Rather than let fantasies rule us, let’s take out the sting and bring them under God’s rule, allowing the Lord to heal us from the brokenness and insecurities that cause inappropriate fantasies to haunt us. Without being judgmental or condemning, Shannon helps us dissect several common and often-disturbing topics, such as: • a distorted fascination with pornography • the mental pursuit of multiple partners • the lure of gay and lesbian desires • bondage, domination, and sadomasochism (BDSM) With tips for controlling unwanted fantasies and resources for providing a safe haven for recovery, The Fantasy Fallacy helps us recognize and heal our emotional pain and equips us to help others do the same.

Get your copy here

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Sign up below for your chance to win one in two copies of Annie's book! Winners will be announced here on Friday, February 1! 

This week on Living Inspired I'm excited to be chatting with Annie Downs. Annie F. Downs is flawed but funny, she uses her writing to highlight the everyday goodness of a real and present God. Author of Perfectly Unique (Zondervan), a spiritual growth book for high school and college girls, Annie is passionate about seeing young women find true value in God and His love for them. By weaving together personal stories, humor, and Scripture, she invites the gals to experience a fulfilled life with a living God who loves deeply.

 

More about Annie: Annie F. Downs is a freelance writer in Nashville, Tennessee. She received her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Georgia, preparing her for a career as an elementary school teacher. Now an author, Downs uses those same skills from the classroom to engage, entertain and educate her readers. With several Bible studies and articles under her literary belt, Downs writes books for teen girls and young women braving college and the years after. She is passionate about helping young women find true value in God and His love for them. By weaving together personal stories, humor and Scripture, she invites the reader to experience a fulfilled life with a living God who loves deeply. Connect with Annie: http://annieblogs.com

More about Perfectly Unique: Your body is an instrument. No, it's not a flute, or a guitar (I hope). It is a sacred and original design by a master craftsman with a specific plan and purpose. That's a pretty big deal. From head to foot, the way you view your body is directly connected to how you serve God. Seriously. From the thoughts you think to the steps you take, every part of you is linked to the divine. Perhaps you are struggling with your body image or are trying to make sense of why God made you as you are. Maybe you are looking for new ways to understand Scripture or to love God more fully. Either way, this book will take you on a thoughtful, funny, and spirit-filled exploration of the way you were designed and will help you better honor the Creator by learning to value his perfectly unique creation (yourself!).

“Girls will not only benefit from the biblical applications and fun illustrations but most importantly will deepen with their relationship with their Heavenly Father.“

 

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Sign up below for your chance to win a copy of Jill Kelly's Etched. . .Upon My Heart or Angela Hunt's Five Miles South of Peculiar! Winners announced on Friday, January 25th!

This week on Living Inspired we are chatting with Jill Kelly and Angela Hunt. Jill Kelly's new book, Etched…Upon My Heart, examines the challenging question every mother asks herself: If something were to happen to me today, what would I want my children to remember and never forget? Christy-Award winner Angela Hunt writes for readers who have learned to expect the unexpected in novels from this versatile author. With nearly four million copies of her books sold worldwide, she is the best-selling author of more than 100 works ranging from picture books (The Tale of Three Trees) to non-fiction books, to novels.

More about Jill Kelly: Jill Kelly is the wife of former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly. In September 1997, three months after their infant son, Hunter, was diagnosed with a fatal disease called Krabbe Leukodystrophy, Jim and Jill founded the Hunter's Hope Foundation. As chairman of the board of Hunter's Hope, Jill helps children suffering from Leukodystrophy and their families by raising awareness and research funds to fight this devastating disease. She and Jim live in Buffalo, NY, with their two daughters and three dogs. Hunter's Hope Foundation can be found online at http://www.huntershope.org. Jill is also the author of a full color gift book entitled, Prayers for Those Who Grieve.

More about Etched...Upon My Heart: What We Learn and Why We Never Forget: Every Christian parent today wrestles with the challenge of how to raise kids in a God-honoring, morally sound way. In ETCHED . . . UPON MY HEART, Jill Kelly offers up the unforgettable episodes of her life-some sorrowful, others filled with joy-as a "living epistle" to her daughters. For the many other Christian mothers who also long to pass on their hard-won knowledge of God's steadfast love and healing grace to their children, Kelly's down-to-earth reflections provide an inspiring example. As she writes, "God will break our hearts, but He will hold the pieces. He will cradle us and redeem every tear we cry." Although great personal pain-her young son Hunter's death, her husband's infidelity-informs these pages, Kelly's story is ultimately one of forgiveness, reconciliation, and hope. Through the moments in time that Jill Kelly recounts, readers will recognize the daily reality and eternal value of God's plan for their own lives. "Jill courageously allows us into the rawest moments of her personal journey, and invites us to join the process by which love is defined, fear becomes faith, and suffering becomes sovereign. Undoubtedly, if "moments are measured by depth, not by length", then the moments that you will spend reading ETCHED UPON MY HEART will serve as some of your most valuable..." 

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Co-Host ABC THE VIEW 

Order your copy here

More about Angela Hunt: With nearly 4 million copies of her books sold worldwide, Angela Hunt is the bestselling author of more than one hundred books, including The Tale of Three Trees, Don’t Bet Against Me, The Note, and The Nativity Story. Her nonfiction book Don’t Bet Against Me, written with Deanna Favre, spent several weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. She and her husband make their home in Florida with their dogs. Learn more about Angela at AngelaElwellHunt.com.

More about Five Miles South of Peculiar: Darlene Caldwell has spent a lifetime tending Sycamores, an estate located five miles south of a small town called Peculiar. She raised a family in the spacious home that was her grandfather’s legacy and she enjoys being a pillar of the community . . . until her limelight-stealing twin sister unexpectedly returns. Carlene Caldwell, veteran of the Broadway stage, is devastated when she realizes that a botched throat surgery has spelled the end of her musical career. Searching for a new purpose in life, she retreats to Sycamores, her childhood home. Haunted by a tragic romance, Magnolia Caldwell is the youngest of the Caldwell girls. Nolie spends her days caring for her dogs and the magnificent gardens she’s created, but when she meets a man haunted by tragedy, she must find the courage to either deny her heart or cut the apron strings that tie her to a dear and familiar place. "Angela Hunt has penned another winner! From the opening scene, she had me wanting to find out what would happen next to the people of Peculiar, peculiar and otherwise." 

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For your chance to win a copy of Annette's Treasures of Healthy Living or Deborah's After All, sign up below! Winners will be announced on Friday.

 

This week on Living Inspired, we have two great authors I'm excited to chat with. Annette Reeder, a Biblical Nutrition Consultant, is leading people all around the country on an adventure with the power of food to change lives one meal and prayer at a time. Annette is a graduate of Liberty University and Huntington College Health Sciences and the founder of Designed Healthy Living a nutrition consulting ministry. Deborah Raney’s first novel, A Vow to Cherish, was awarded a Silver Angel from Excellence in Media and inspired the acclaimed World Wide Pictures film of the same title. Her books have won the RITA Award, the HOLT Medallion, and the National Readers’ Choice Award. Raney was also a finalist for the Christy Award. She and her husband, artist Ken Raney, make their home in their native Kansas.

 

More about Annette: Changing lives - one meal at a time! Annette Reeder is on a treasure hunt. Using the Bible as her map she is leading people all around the country on this same adventure with the power of food to change lives. Her books Treasures of Healthy Living, Treasures of Health Nutrition Manual and Healthy Treasures Cookbook are all part of the gear used to reach the ultimate health God designed. She is the founder of Designed Healthy Living, a consulting program that teaches individuals how to follow a biblical nutrition plan. Her degree in Nutrition from Huntington College and diploma in biblical studies from Liberty University gives her a combined insight and expertise into how to use the gift of food and health from God's perspective to lead others to recognize this treasure in their eating and lifestyle. She is a living, happy and healthy example of the victory possible as her family has overcome problems such as cancer, heart disease, cholesterol, obesity, and much more.

More about Treasures of Healthy Living: Did you know you can find the answers to many health problems in the pages of Scripture? Think of God's Word as a treasure map that leads straight to the healthy life you've always dreamed of. It reveals how you can move from a sickly, lackluster life to one that is full of energy and hope. This practical Bible study will reveal the truth about the foods you eat and provide simple tools to begin improving your physical, emotional, and spiritual health. You won't believe how much your life can change when you grab hold of the treasures God has provided for you. In this Bible study, you will:

• Discover the basics of nutrition to build a firm foundation for your health 
• Obtain the tools you need to evaluate and improve your health 
• Examine the harmful effects of altered food and household products 
• Find healthy alternatives to unwholesome foods 
• Learn how diet, exercise, and your spiritual life go hand-in-hand 
• Lay the groundwork for a lifetime of positive health 

"This well organized book is full of good, scriptural tips and sweet stories. I know God will use this book in a mighty way. Rex would have been thrilled with this Bible study."

-Judy Russell, wife of the late Dr. Rex Russell; author of What the Bible Says About Healthy Living

Get your copy here

 

More about Deborah: Deborah Raney is the award-winning author of numerous novels, including A Nest of Sparrows and the RITA award winning Beneath a Southern Sky and its sequel, After the Rains. Deborah's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, was the inspiration for World Wide Picture’s highly acclaimed film of the same title, which in December 2004 aired on prime time network TV for the second time. Deb's novella, Playing by Heart, was a National Readers Choice Award winner and a 2004 Christy Award finalist. Her novel with Howard/Simon & Schuster, Yesterday’s Embers, appeared on the ECPA Christian fiction bestseller list. Known for her sensitive portrayal of family struggles and relationships, Deb has also written nonfiction books and articles and often speaks at women's retreats and writers' conferences around the country. She and her husband, illustrator/author Ken Raney, have four children and make their home in Kansas. Learn more at www.deborahraney.com

More about After All: Eighteen months after the tragic Grove Street Fire took the life of her husband, David, and four other heroic firefighters, Susan Marlowe thinks she’s finally beginning to heal. But then she discovers that David carried a secret to his grave. A secret that changes everything she thought their marriage had been. For the sake of their sons, can Susan forgive the unforgivable? Andrea Morley lost her closest friend in the fire. But she has no right to mourn him. Instead, she must forever grieve in silence—because her dearest friend was someone else’s husband. Peter Brennan carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. As Hanover Falls’ fire chief, he was responsible for the brave firefighters who lost their lives that awful November night. Can he ever shake the feeling that he should have somehow prevented the tragedy? As he tries to rebuild the team at Clemens County’s Station 2, it seems he might find comfort in the arms of the woman he least expected. Get your copy here.

 

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For your chance to win a copy of Kim's book Cradle My Heart or Teske's book Hope for Today sign up below! Winners will be announced Friday, January 11th.

 

This week on Living Inspired I have two inspiring woman that you are not going to want to miss! Kim Ketola is a sought-after writer and motivational speaker with the Ruth Graham and Friends conference. After thirty years in the broadcasting industry, she founded a nonprofit organization through which she presents professionally accredited conferences to equip counselors and help individuals recover from the emotional and spiritual wounds of abortion. Kim lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Teske Drake (PhD, Iowa State University), is mommy to three babies in heaven, mom to two on earth, and wife to her one and only. She is cofounder of Mommies with Hope, a biblically based support group for women who have experienced infant loss.

 

 

More about Kim: Kim Ketola is a writer and broadcaster with more than thirty years of journalism experience in both the general market and for Christian radio, and now dedicated to helping others connect in faith to God, especially after abortion. She‘s most well known by her broadcast name of Kim Jeffries, and Life RedeemedTM, the radio and online outreach she hosted and produced to feature first-person stories of healing after abortion with expert commentary from leading Christian voices. She‘s created, organized, and presented professionally-accredited conferences for healing after abortion (approved by the State of Minnesota for Licensed Psychologists, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists); she‘s traveled internationally presenting post-abortion workshops with Ruth Graham and Friends since 2007. For the annual national conferences of Heartbeat International and Lutherans for Life, she‘s served as faculty, and is a frequent keynote speaker at churches and community events. She and her husband, Bruce, make their home in suburban Atlanta, where they welcome visits from their four young adult children.

 

Visit her websites at www.kimketola.com. Also you will find more resources, including healing material specifically for men dealing with abortion, at www.cradlemyheart.com.

 

More about Cradle My Heart: Abortion continues to be a hot topic in politics, women’s rights, and medical practice. But for the eight to ten million American Christian women who have had one, abortion is a spiritual issue as well, raising questions of life and death, heaven and hell, grief and loss. Writing from her own experience, Kim Ketola sheds light on one of the darkest and most neglected personal issues of our time: the widespread need for healing and spiritual recovery after abortion. “After abortion brought the worst trouble into my life I had ever known,” writes Ketola, “I just couldn’t see my way free to believe in God’s love.” With a compassionate heart, Ketola offers ten true stories of healing promise from the Bible to help women answer the most common spiritual torments they face: Is abortion a sin? Does God hate me? Where can I turn in my shame and distress? How could I ever tell anyone the truth? And more. Inspired by Romans 6:4–“just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life”–this is a definitive resource to help women see themselves and God anew and–finally–to find spiritual healing.

 

“In Cradle My Heart, you will experience release and encounter wholeness that only comes from God‘s forgiving touch. Too many people in our culture treat abortion as a political, medical choice. It is far more. Kim Ketola takes this issue away from politicians and doctors and elevates it tenderly to a spiritual level to open eyes and hearts to the amazing grace and redemption of a loving heavenly Father.”

 

More about Teske: Inspired by her own experience through the loss of her newborn daughter, Chloe, in 2006, Teske Drake became president and cofounder of Mommies with Hope, a biblically-based support group ministry for women who have experienced the loss of a child (pregnancy, infant, or child loss), established in 2007. In 2009, Teske experienced the miscarriage of Jesse at six weeks gestation, and Riyah Mae at fourteen weeks gestation. Drawing from her personal experiences with miscarriage and infant loss, in addition to the similar experiences of the many women to whom she has ministered, Teske has a passion for sharing the hope of Jesus Christ in coping with loss. Teske currently serves as the director of Hamilton’s Academy of Grief and Loss, where she works to provide grief-related information, education, resources, and support to grieving children, families, and the community in central Iowa and across the state. Teske and her husband, Justin, live in central Iowa, caring for their two living children, Gabriel and Aiyana, and their niece, Kaylee. 

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This week on Living Inspired we'll be chatting with Caitlin Wilson, my amazing assistant from Litfuse Publicity Group as well as the site manager for Not Quite Amish, as well as author of the new book on creating a healthy lifestyle, Spark, Jason Jaggard.

 

More about Caitlin: When Caitlin was in second grade, she wanted to be an author. At fifteen, she had dreams of being in a rock band (and, embarrassingly enough, has the photos to show for it). And as a junior in high school, she thought she’d go into business administration . . . until pre-calculus hit, and she realized math + Caitlin = terrible combination. So she decided to pursue writing. (Maybe you should listen to your gut as a kid—you might just be right!) Caitlin graduated from Taylor University in 2012 with a degree in professional writing and two minors in public relations and Biblical languages. She focused primarily on editing, journalism, and public-relations writing. She served as editor in chief of the university newspaper during her senior year, and after graduating, she interned for Tricia Goyer as an editorial assistant before accepting a job with Litfuse as a publicity assistant and social media strategist. When Caitlin isn’t working, you’ll find her pinning her life away on Pinterest, watching tennis (who wants to give her free tickets to Wimbledon?), blogging, shopping, painting her nails, and spending time with friends and family. You can visit her blog, Re-Mix-Her, and connect with her via Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

 

More about Jason: Jason is a writer, speaker, and social innovator for cultural change in Los Angeles, CA. He is the CEO/Founder of Spark Good, a company passionate about unleashing human creativity and potential in organizations and individuals. the creator of Spark Groups, a 5-week social experience that enhances initiative and creativity for friends, non-profits, churches, schools and businesses. Before starting Spark Good, Jason served for 7 years with Mosaic, a global NGO passionate about bringing dignity to humanity's spiritual journey and creating communities that unleash human potential. He is an adjunct professor for Pepperdine University in Malibu. Jason has worked with a variety of organizations, such as Chapman University's MBA program, UCLA, The Style Network, Starbucks, Hastens Beds, Grand Canyon University, Pepperdine University as well as non-profits in Canada and South Africa. He has written for numerous publications including Relevant Leader Magazine, Neue Quarterly and Collegiate+ Magazine on issues such as culture, creativity, leadership and spirituality. Jason’s first book, ‘Spark: Transform Your World One Small Risk at a Time’ is available now wherever books are sold. Find more out about Jason at his website.

More about Spark: Develop the Art of Self-Challenge Tired of dreaming about changing your life? Ready to change it? You came to the right place. Jason Jaggard has developed a simple, direct way to practice the art of self-challenge. It requires a willingness to take healthy risks and is energized by the involvement of a small group of fellow risk-takers. Here are just a few of the Spark insights that lead to lasting change: · More resources are available to you than you realize. · Living a changed life works best when a few friends get involved. · When you relearn what “good” is, you experience more goodness in your life. · Taking a healthy risk is always worth it, even if you fail. When you practice the art of self-challenge, you notice that your life and the world around you start changing for the better. It involves doing the one thing that only you can do: take responsibility for your life. So go ahead and take your first risk: open this book and start reading.

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This week on Living Inspired we will be listening to an encore presentation from Francine Rivers! Francine is the author of over twenty books including the best selling Redeeming Love. Sit back and enjoy listening to Francine talk a little about her books and how she seeks God as she writes.

 

More about Francine:  Francine Rivers began her literary career at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Journalism. From 1976 to 1985, she had a successful writing career in the general market and her books were awarded or nominated for numerous awards and prizes. Although raised in a religious home, Francine did not truly encounter Christ until later in life, when she was already a wife, mother of three, and an established romance novelist. Shortly after becoming a born-again Christian in 1986, Francine wrote Redeeming Love as her statement of faith.  First published by Bantam Books, and then re-released by Multnomah Publishers in the mid- 1990s, this retelling of the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea set during the time of the California Gold Rush is now considered a classic work of Christian fiction and continues to be one of the Christian Booksellers Association’s top-selling titles; it has held a spot on the Christian bestseller list for nearly a decade.

Since Redeeming Love, Francine has published more than 20 novels with Christian themes - all bestsellers- and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe.  Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for numerous awards including the RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, and the Holt Medallion in Honor of Outstanding Literary Talent.  In 1997, after winning her third RITA award for Inspirational Fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers’ of America Hall of Fame. In 2007, the feature-length film version of her novel The Last Sin Eater was released in theaters by Fox Faith. In March 2010, Francine officially became a New York Times bestselling author, when Her Mother’s Hope debuted at #12 on the hardcover fiction bestsellers lists. The sequel, Her Daughter’s Dream, debuted at #12 on the same list just 6 months later, in September, 2010.  Francine’s novels have been translated into over twenty different languages and she enjoys best-seller status in many foreign countries including Germany, The Netherlands, and South Africa.

Francine and her husband Rick live in Northern California and enjoy the time spent with their three grown children and every opportunity to spoil their five grandchildren.  She uses her writing to draw closer to the Lord, and that through her work she might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in her life.

Learn more about Francine and her books at http://http://francinerivers.com

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This week on Living Inspired we are listening to an encore presentation with Crystal Paine. Crystal gives tips and tricks on saving money and shares a little bit about her book The Money Saving Mom's Budget. A great interview to listen to while wrapping presents or making those last minute Christmas goodies!

More about Crystal:  Crystal Paine is a wife and homeschool mom of three, and founder of MoneySavingMom.com. Started as an offshoot of a mommy blog in 2007, MoneySavingMom.com has since grown to be one of the top personal finance blogs on the web averaging over 850,000 unique visitors/four million pageviews per month. Crystal has contributed to articles in Woman's Day magazine and All You magazine, appeared as a guest on the 700 Club, and has been mentioned on The Today Show, National Public Radio, CNN, USA Weekend, Shop Smart magazine, Real Simple magazine, and numerous other local and national newspapers, radio, and television stations. She is the author of the bestselling book, The Money Saving Mom®'s Budget. Her motto is: live simply, save aggressively, give generously. Through her blog and book she seeks to encourage women and families to wisely steward their finances so that, ultimately, they might be able to bless and give more to those in their community and around the world.

More about Money Saving Mom's Budget: Crystal Paine, who has helped busy women everywhere take control of their finances, presents her most effective strategies designed for families of all sizes and income levels. With hundreds of inspiring “why didn’t I think of that?” TIPS, plus WORKSHEETS, Paine breaks down your goals into easy, manageable steps so you can: • Achieve a complete financial makeover • Set up a realistic budget • Never pay retail • Slash your grocery bill • Organize your time & your home • Use coupons wisely • Pay with cash only • Live simply • Become debt free • Choose contentment • Make every dollar count

The perfect Christmas gift for any mom (or anyone looking to save money)! Get your copy of Money Saving Mom's Budget Paperback  Kindle  Audiobook

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Sign up below for your chance to win a copy of Liz Curtis Higgs' A Wreath of Snow or Jennie Allen's Chase. Winner will be announced on Friday, December 14th. 

This week on Living Inspired I'm excited to be chatting with Liz Curtis Higgs and welcoming back Jennie Allen. Liz Curtis Higgs is the author of nearly 30 books, with more than 3 million copies in print. Not a stranger to Living Inspired, Jennie Allen is a Bible teacher passionate about inspiring a new generation of women to encounter the invisible God.

 

More about Liz: Liz's award-winning historical novels, which transport the stories of Rebekah, Leah, Rachel, Dinah, Ruth, and Naomi to eighteenth-century Scotland, also invite readers to view these familiar biblical characters in a new light. According to Publishers Weekly, "Higgs is a stickler for period authenticity." To that end, Liz has traveled sixteen times to Scotland, the setting for her novels, and has filled her shelves with nearly one thousand resource books about Scottish history and culture. Also a gifted professional speaker, Liz has presented more than 1,600 inspirational programs for audiences in all fifty United States and fourteen foreign countries. When the National Speakers Association honored her with the Council of Peers Award for Excellence, Liz became one of only 32 women in the world named to their CPAE-Speaker Hall of Fame. On the personal side, Liz is married to Bill Higgs, Ph.D., who serves as Director of Operations for her speaking and writing office. Liz and Bill enjoy their old Kentucky home, a nineteenth-century farmhouse in Louisville, and are the proud (and relieved) parents of two college grads. Visit Liz's Web site: http://www.LizCurtisHiggs.com

More about A Wreath of Snow:  “A wonderful story of redemption and restoration that will warm your heart during the Christmas season—or any time of year!”

Christmas Eve 1894

All Margaret Campbell wants for Christmas is a safe journey home. When her plans for a festive holiday with her family in Stirling crumble beneath the weight of her brother’s bitterness, the young schoolteacher wants nothing more than to return to the students she loves and the town house she calls home. Then an unexpected detour places her in the path of Gordon Shaw, a handsome newspaperman from Glasgow, who struggles under a burden of remorse and shame. When the secret of their shared history is revealed, will it leave them tangled in a knot of regret? Or might their past hold the threads that will bind their future together? As warm as a woolen scarf on a cold winter’s eve, A Wreath of Snow is a tender story of love and forgiveness, wrapped in a celebration of all things Scottish, all things Victorian, and, especially, all things Christmas.

 

More about Jennie: Jennie's passion is to inspire a new generation of women to encounter the invisible God. She loves words and believes God uses them to heal souls and to reveal Himself to people. She is blessed to be working with Thomas Nelson to publish several studies and trade books, engaging women's minds and hearts toward Christ. Her first study, Stuck released in the fall of 2011, and the book, Anything released Spring 2012. She graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with a Masters in Biblical Studies. And while all that sounds pretty fancy... she is really just a mess of a girl, trying to figure out God, and why she seems to keep struggling with the same invisible issues she had in kindergarten. She is blessed to serve alongside her husband Zac, in ministry in Austin, Texas. They have 4 children: Conner 11, Kate 9, and Caroline 6 and their youngest son, Cooper 4, recently adopted from Rwanda.

More about Chase:  What are you chasing? We’re all chasing after something, something that we think will make us happy—comfort, success, a bigger house, or someone’s approval. But if we are all honest, it feels like trying to catch the wind. A man after God’s own heart… As David’s life weaves throughout the pages of Scripture, we see he was a man who spent his life chasing after God. Chase explores the events that defined David’s life and the Psalms that flowed out of those experiences. Through David’s example we’ll discover what God really wants from us. The lessons in this study are simple yet deep and very interactive, offering Bible study, stories, and projects to dig into Scripture and deeply engage the mind and heart. God has carved out a space in each of us that only He can fill. So whether you are running from God or working your tail off to please Him, David’s journey will challenge your view of God. God is invisible, and yet He is the only thing we can chase that won’t leave us feeling more empty. Study Kit Tools: Study. The study guide uses projects, stories, and Bible study to engage the mind and heart. There are seven weeks of Bible study and an introductory session for your group. See. Eight short but deep videos provide a starting place for meeting God and for transparent conversations. Each video is 8-12 minutes long. Ask. Conversation cards offer questions for spontaneous and authentic discussion time. You choose the questions that speak to you. Lead. The leader’s guide prepares you to lead this study and encourages you along the way.

Don't want to wait to see if you win these great books this week? You can purchase your copy of A Wreath of Snow here and Chase here

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Sign up below for your chance to win a copy Felice Gerwitz's audio "Helping Your Children Follow Your Dreams" or a book from her "The Truth Seekers Mystery Series"

 

I'm excited to be chatting on Living Inspired this week with two amazing women. First I'll be chatting with my friend Mary DeMuth about her new book Everything -- it's very inspirational. On the second half of the show, I'll be chatting with Felice Gerwitz about helping teen girls see their self-worth as a daughter of the King and we'll hear a little of Felice's personal testimony. It's going to be a great show!

 

 

More about Mary DeMuth: Mary DeMuth is a nationally-known speaker and the author of 14 books. Her passion is to help folks live uncaged, freedom-infused lives. These questions are based on her release, Everything: What You Give and What You Gain to Become Like Jesus (Thomas Nelson). 

 

More about Everything: Author and speaker Mary DeMuth has been abused, foreclosed, abandoned, and betrayed. She has been pressed and drained till it was too much . . .

 

But it was just enough to bring her to a place of surrender, piece by precious piece. In that surrender, she found the freedom of giving everything to God. And through Scripture, community, and the work of the Holy Spirit, she gives it all over again, every day.

 

In this gentle and challenging book, DeMuth describes the process and the nuances that shape us to be more like Christ. Her words are clear, vulnerable, and thought provoking, and every chapter is infused with Scripture.

 

Most of all, DeMuth provides personal and practical evidence that there is no greater pursuit than Christ. We must surrender everything, but it does not compare to the Everything He is, the Everything He gives. Find out more at http://www.EverythingTheBook.com

 

 

More about Felice Gerwitz: Felice Gerwitz is wife, and mother to five, who loves the Lord. She is happiest when baking, and surrounded by family and friends. When not cooking up new ideas, she designs curriculum and loves hosting events like the monthly Mommy Jammies Nights live online. She is a serial entrepreneur, an author and publisher at MediaAngels.com & host of Ultimate Homeschool Expo.

 

Eight of Felice’s titles were selected for inclusion in both of Cathy Duffy’s Books: Top 100 and the newest book, Top 101 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum. She has been published in numerous national magazines and Crosswalk.com. Felice has homeschooled since 1986 and loves mentoring moms throughout the world with her online events.

 

 

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Sign up below for your chance to win a copy of Beth Guckenberger's Tales of the Not Forgotten, winner will be announced on Friday, November 30th. 

 

I'm excited to be chatting a full hour with Beth Guckenberger this week. Beth and her husband, Todd, are the founders of Back2Back Ministries. Beth travels and speaks regularly at women's and missions conferences, as well as youth gatherings and church services. Her topics include orphan care, missions, parenting, marriage/intimacy, and faith. Her story-telling style captures audiences, and she draws from her field experience as a missionary and parent for illustrations to biblical concepts. In addition to her latest release, Tales of the Not Forgotten (Standard Publishing 2012), Beth has written Relentless Hope (Standard, 2011) and Reckless Faith (Zondervan, 2008). The Guckenberger family lives and serves in Monterrey, Mexico where they have hosted thousands of guests on their ministry campus. Between biological, foster, and adopted additions to their family, Beth and Todd are raising nine children. To connect with Beth and find out more about Back2Back Ministries visit her website.

More about Tales of the Not Forgotten: Follow these real-life stories as they take you on a journey to faraway lands and unknown faces. Travel through their challenges and see the hand of the great Storyweaver writing endings you’d never imagine!

 

Joel dares to ask for what he can’t have. Seraphina sacrifices what she can’t afford to give. Ibrahim looks for an answer buried out of reach. Christiana, saved by a mission, searches for her own.

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This week on Living Inspired, I have the joy of chatting the full hour with Joanna Weaver about her latest devotional book, At the Feet of Jesus. Joanna confesses to being a fellow struggler when attempting to find a quiet time for study and reflection. She understands the challenges we all face. In her latest release, At the Feet of Jesus: Daily Devotions to Nurture a Mary Heart she gives readers the structure they need to grow closer to God. This 365-day devotional encourages and inspires women who want to deepen their spiritual lives as they spend a year at the feet of Jesus.

 

 

 

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This week on Living Inspired we have two amazing guests. First we'll be chatting with author Dee Brestin author of Idol Lies. Dee is a Bible teacher, writer and speaker living in Missouri. Joe Hafner is the founder of Go Hope International, a non-profit charity created to bring education to the poorest of children in Central America.

More about Dee: 


Dee Brestin is the author of The Friendships of Women, which has sold more than one million copies, and Falling in Love with Jesus (with Kathy Troccoli), which has sold more than 400,000 copies. She is also a Bible teacher, writer, and speaker with a blog and weekly Bible study that is one of the most active on the internet. She has published more than 20 Bible studies, is a frequent guest on Moody Broadcasting and Focus on the Family radio, and speaks annually to tens of thousands of women in America and around the world. Dee lives in Missouri and at her cottage in Wisconsin. Connect with Dee on her website: http://www.deebrestin.com

 

More about Idol Lies: Deep down, every woman longs for security, happiness, and love. Yet most women settle for weak substitutes like control, materialism, sex, and food. In Idol Lies, popular Bible teacher Dee Brestin explores the hidden idols that destroy a woman's heart. Using biblical examples as well as her own personal experiences and those of other women, she helps readers move past their cravings to understand-and receive-what they're really hungering for: an intimate, secure, life-changing intimacy with the True Lover of a woman's soul. When Jesus is actively and practically fulfilling a woman's deepest needs day after day, hour by hour, not only does freedom await, but the gifts of sex, acceptance, material things, and ambition become good gifts rather than dream destroyers. Purchase your copy of Idol Lies here.

More about Joe: Joe Hafner is the founder of Go For Hope International, a nonprofit charity created to bring education to the poorest children of Central America.  In 2010, Joe and his wife and three young children left behind everything they were familiar with and moved to Nicaragua.  Transformed by nine-months living in the second-poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Joe returned to the U.S. with a personal passion to leverage international compassion and education to eliminate the injustices of generational poverty. Connect with Joe at the Go for Hope International website: http://www.goforhope.org

More about Go For Hope International: Go For Hope International (GFH) plans to help eradicate generational poverty in Central America in our lifetime by bringing education to the most disadvantaged children in the region. GFH invests time on the ground in the poorest regions of Central America searching out hyper-local, grassroots organizations. They believe low-visibility, high-impact, community-driven organizations have the greatest chance of effecting sustainable change in their local communities. GFH supports effective, community-driven, sustainable programs and projects through responsible financial and human capital resources.

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This week on Living Inspired we will be talking to the inspiring Lynn Eib. Lynn Eib is a nationally known cancer patient advocate.  She is an author, works for a Messianic Jewish oncologist and is, herself, a longtime colon cancer survivor. Elanie Miller is a popular author and speaking and is known for sharing Biblical insights with warmth, enthusiasm and humor. 

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This week on Living Inspired we will be chatting with Jim Rubart and Rachel Wojnarowski. James L. Rubart is a professional marketer, speaker, and writer. While being the owner of Barefoot Marketing certainly keeps him on his toes, his passion is writing fiction. Rachel Wojnarowski, author of The Sensational Scent of Prayer, has been writing for over five years and leading community ladies' Bible studies in central Ohio.

More about Jim: James L. Rubart is a professional marketer, speaker, and writer. While being the owner of Barefoot Marketing certainly keeps him on his toes, his passion is writing fiction. Rubart is an ECPA best-selling author who has been positively reviewed by both Publisher’s Weekly and Romantic Times. His first novel, Rooms, won a Best Books 2011 award from USA Book News, as well as a Romantic Times Book Reviews Reviewers Choice Award. His debut release was followed by Book of Days and The Chair. Soul’s Gate is Rubart’s fourth release. In addition to being an author, Rubart is also a photographer, guitarist, professional speaker, golfer and semi-pro magician. With all of this, he says that he barely sleeps. Rubart lives with his wife and sons in the Pacific Northwest. Connect with Jim Rubart at: www.jimrubart.com.

More about Soul's Gate:  What if you could travel inside another person’s soul? To battle for them. To be part of Jesus healing their deepest wounds. To help set them free to step boldly into their divinely designed future. Thirty years ago that’s exactly what Reece Roth did. Until tragedy shattered his life and ripped away his future. Now God has drawn Reece out of the shadows to fulfill a prophecy spoken over him three decades ago. A prophecy about four warriors with the potential to change the world . . . if Reece will face his deepest regret and teach them what he has learned. They gather at a secluded and mysterious ranch deep in the mountains of Colorado, where they will learn to see the spiritual world around them with stunning clarity—and how to step into the supernatural. Their training is only the beginning. The four have a destiny to pursue a freedom even Reece doesn’t fully fathom. But they have an enemy hell-bent on destroying them and he’ll stop at nothing to keep them from their quest for true freedom and the coming battle of souls. Purchase your copy here

More about Rachel Wojnarowski: Rachel Wojnarowski is originally a small town country girl who converted to a suburban mother of seven by way of life happening. She and her husband, Matt, enjoy caring for their busy family, whose ages span 9 months to 21 years and includes a special needs daughter. Rachel leads community ladies' Bible studies in central Ohio and serves as an event planner and speaker for special needs parenting groups. She is a member of the Ohio Writers' Guild and the National MPS Society; and loves to inspire others through her blog by sharing faith, family, and fun. Wife, mom, reader, writer, speaker and dreamer, you can find Rachel on Twitter and Facebook. Her current ebooks include "12 Days of Christmas for the Hurting" and "The Sensational Scent of Prayer." She is a monthly contributor for Candace Cameron's Roomag, an ezine, as well as The Better Mom, and The MOM Initiative. Connect with Rachel at: http://rachelwojo.com

More about Sensational Scent of Prayer: What does prayer smell like? One year of Bible study. One summer of Bible teaching. One ebook: “The Sensational Scent of Prayer.” Each step brought the familiar sights and sounds closer. The annual trek to the tabernacle was one dreaded by Hannah. The trip only meant more of the teasing and taunting; when would it ever end? As the smell of the constant, burning incense of tabernacle lamps became stronger and stronger, Hannah’s broken spirit poured out words of desperation. Anguish flooded her body, disabling her voice. The tabernacle’s perfumes waft higher into the air and Hannah’s prayers trailed just behind them, soaring to the heavens, rousing the attention of her heavenly Father… The One Who loves: The Sensational Scent of Prayer. Foreword by Karen Ehman, Proverbs 31 Ministries Purchase your copy here

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This week I am so excited to have the privilege to chat with Francine Rivers! Francine Rivers began her literary career at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Journalism. From 1976 to 1985, she had a successful writing career in the general market and her books were awarded or nominated for numerous awards and prizes. Although raised in a religious home, Francine did not truly encounter Christ until later in life, when she was already a wife, mother of three, and an established romance novelist. Shortly after becoming a born-again Christian in 1986, Francine wrote Redeeming Love as her statement of faith.  First published by Bantam Books, and then re-released by Multnomah Publishers in the mid- 1990s, this retelling of the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea set during the time of the California Gold Rush is now considered a classic work of Christian fiction and continues to be one of the Christian Booksellers Association’s top-selling titles; it has held a spot on the Christian bestseller list for nearly a decade.

More about Francine Rivers: Francine and her husband Rick live in Northern California and enjoy the time spent with their three grown children and every opportunity to spoil their five grandchildren.  She uses her writing to draw closer to the Lord, and that through her work she might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in her life. Connect with Francine at http://francinerivers.com

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This week on Living Inspired we are going to be chatting with two dynamic women. Julie Ziglar Norman is the youngest daughter of world renowned motivational and inspirational author and speaker Zig Ziglar and his beloved wife Jean “the Redhead” Ziglar. Her personal, transparent speaking style has endeared her to audiences all across America. Yvette Maher served in several roles at Focus on the Family for 20 years. She has authored several articles for Focus on the Family publications and has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Christianity Today, and radio stations nationwide. She is also a frequent speaker at women’s conferences around the globe. Yvette considers her family and her role as a mother her greatest priorities. She and her husband, Tom, are the proud parents of twin daughters and a son and the grandparents of two grandsons.

Sign up below to win a copy of either guest's books! More about Julie: After 25 years of living every day with regret, shame, guilt and depression but trying to cover it with a smile, Julie began her journey letting go of the shame and embracing freedom in Christ. She is living proof of the hope that God can beautifully redeem even your worst choices. Julie lives in Alvord, Texas, with her husband of twenty-eight years, Jim Norman; three horses, four rescued dogs and three rescued cats. The Normans are the parents of a blended family of four children and now have 12 grandchildren. Connect with Julie at http://www.julieziglarnorman.com/. More about Growing Up Ziglar: Julie Ziglar Norman often says her dad is the king of 'doing life right' and she is the poster child for 'doing life wrong.' For over a quarter of a century she lived every day with regret, shame, guilt, and depression. But she was the daughter of the motivator's motivator, Zig Ziglar, and knew that she needed to be positive. So she gathered up all her negative self-talk and squashed it deep down inside where it couldn't ruin the bright and practiced smile she presented to the world. 'People might assume Zig Ziglar's daughter would automatically grow up to have a positive attitude,' Julie says. 'For a large portion of my life, I was just positive I was miserable!' Her powerful and heartwarming story will move readers to laughter and tears. Mostly it will renew their faith in God's power to redeem all the wrong choices and bring them full circle to hope and healing. Julie urges readers not to settle for okay when God has true joy waiting for them. She shares tools to equip them to make the changes needed to find true freedom in every area of life. Purchase your copy here: Paperback or Kindle.

More about Yvette: Yvette Maher is currently serving as Associate Pastor, 50+L.I.F.E and Women’s Ministries New Life Church. She has previously served as Sr. Communications Specialist at Focus on the Family. In her 20 year tenure, Yvette has authored many articles for Focus on the Family magazines and appeared frequently on the daily broadcast, Weekend Magazine and host for the live weekly webcast Your Family Live! She is a frequent speaker at women’s conferences and retreats around the globe. After leaving Kentucky for the Rocky Mountains, she met and married Tom Maher.  Her title aside, Yvette considers their three grown children and two grandchildren as her greatest accomplishments. Her experience at Focus on the Family has given Yvette valuable insight and a heightened sensitivity to the many challenges people face in today’s society.  Her combination of an engaging and humorous personality, along with knowledge of spiritual principles and truths, allows Yvette to encourage people to value their God-given design and to impact their homes, communities and the world for Christ. Connect with Yvette at http://www.myhairgodsmercy.com. More about My Hair and God's Mercies New Every Morning: Yvette Maher, a Kentucky farm girl, shares her life’s traumas, trials, and triumphs. Before Yvette became a Christian, she dealt with emotional pain by filling the voids with drugs, alcohol, and empty relationships. Yet God did not abandon her. Through poignant stories laced with humor and irony, Yvette reveals how God has redeemed her devastating childhood by enabling her to forgive her murderous and unfaithful father and cope with her mother’s debilitating depression. She tells how God has blessed her marriage even though she was several months pregnant when she walked down the aisle. Throughout the wild changes that have occurred in Yvette’s life, God has been with her, ever-present and offering grace at each turn. Purchase your copy: Paperback

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This week on Living Inspired I'm super excited to have my good friend Karen Ball! After 30 years of working in publishing houses (Tyndale, Multnomah, Zondervan, and B&H Publishing Group) as an executive editor, Karen now heads up her own business, Karen Ball Publishing services. Through KBPS, she's doing all the things she loves: editing, speaking, consulting. And to top it all off, she is also a literary agent with the prestigious Steve Laube Literary Agency. During her 30 years in publishing, she has discovered several notable authors, including Francine Rivers, Karen Kingsbury, Liz Curtis Higgs, Sharon Ewell Foster, and Ginny Yttrup, whose debut novel Publisher's Weekly called "a masterpiece!" She also writes stories that resonate with authenticity. Be it suspense or romance, adventure or a family saga, she writes to share truths about the faith journey, to uplift family and friendships, and to honor the truth that God is the Great I Am.

We are doing things a little bit differently this week! We want YOU to pick Karen's brain! Be sure to call in on Thursday (number up soon!) and ask your questions on writing, editing, looking for an agent -- anything within the realms of writing! (To shy to call in? Email your questions to my assistant Christen -- ckrumm@litfusegroup.com before Thursday, October 11th at noon)

 

More about Karen: I'm a preacher's kid, a middle child (between two brothers), a mom of four-legged and furry "kids," a lover of God and words and family and wonder. I learned early on the wonder of words, so it was only natural that I gravitated toward a career in publishing. I live in my beloved Oregon, with my husband, Don, and our two "kids": Dasha, a mischievous Siberian husky, and Dakota, an Aussie-Terrier mix, a rescue dog that we affectionately call "The Black Hole of Emotional Need."  Connect with Karen (and get great advice on writing and editing): http://karenballbooks.com

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This week on Living Inspired, I have two special guest. First we have Melody Carlson author of River's Call. Melody is an accomplished Christian author for children, pre-teens, youth, and adults, with sales totaling more than two million. Some of her most popular works are the Diary of a Teenage Girl books series and the True Colors book series. Secondly we have Bonnie Calhoun author of Cooking the Books. Bonnie is the Director of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, which leads a contingency of 250+ book reviewers. She is also the Owner/Publisher of Christian Fiction Online Magazine. The magazine is is in its 3rd year.  They post a new issue monthly of 35+ columns by the best and brightest authors, publishers, and agents in Christian fiction.

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This week on Living Inspired, we have a great show lined out for you. For the first half of the show, we'll be chatting with Lynn Cowell, author of His Revolutionary Love. Lynn Cowell is a Proverbs 31 Ministries’ speaker and author whose passion is helping moms become wise women who raise wiser daughters. For the past 12 years, Lynn has taught women and teens to discover the radical love of Jesus Christ and build an inner confidence that leads to smart choices. The second half of the show, we have an encore presentation of Carey Bailey's interview from April. Carey Bailey is the creator of Cravings: The Devotional. Carey's goal with creating Cravings was giving moms the meat they needed for the day, without taking up a lot of time.

More about Lynn: Lynn Cowell is a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and the author of "His Revolutionary Love" and "Devotions for a Revolutionary Year". She lives in North Carolina with her husband of 25 years, Greg and their three children. They love going to the mountains, where they love to wear well-worn sweatshirts and anything eat that combines chocolate and peanut butter! Connect with Lynn at: www.LynnCowell.com

More about His Revolutionary Love: His Revolutionary Love shows teen girls how a relationship with Jesus can meet their deepest desires—from the need for identity and significance to being seen by someone as beautiful. Featuring personal stories of the author that don't gloss over her frustrations and failings—as well as stories from teens who are experiencing the pressures, difficulties, and confusion so many young women face—this book shows teen girls how Jesus' unchanging love changes absolutely everything. When a teen girl reads His Revolutionary Love, she will: • Hear the story of a young girl who discovered the love of Jesus as a teen and, through God’s Word, built a foundation of love in her life that has impacted all of her relationships. • Read quotes from other teen girls who struggle with self-esteem and acceptance. • Understand that Jesus loves her perfectly and unconditionally. • Know that Jesus doesn’t want her to just serve him; he wants her to accept his love and love him wholeheartedly. • Build a solid foundation for her faith that will give her the stability to live with purpose, acceptance, and confidence in who she was created to be. • Find guidance for deepening this limitless relationship.

More about Cravings: The Devotional: Cravings is a collection of card-size devotionals based on the Psalms. They are written to help mothers develop their relationship with God in the midst of motherhood. Each card contains a scripture for the day, a “thoughtlet,” and an action idea. As moms crave the sweet morsels from God’s Word, they can draw a card from a delectable Cravings holder—a pink cupcake!—that also displays the daily card for hands-free viewing. Versatile enough to fit with any feminine décor in a dining nook, a prayer closet, a kitchen–wherever you‘d want Scripture at your fingertips. If you find you need Cravings around the home, just one may not be enough! Cravings can be a mom’s daily devotional, a supplement to her regular quiet time, or even doubled up during the day. The set of 40 cards offers over a month’s worth of Cravings in whatever way serves the spiritual needs of individual moms. a Rafflecopter giveaway

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This week on the show we have, Larry Alton from Christ to the World Ministries. This Ministry focuses on bringing people to a saving knowledge of and faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. They do so through dramas and Bible studies that present the message of the Bible and the story of Jesus in ways that people everywhere can understand and relate to. These programs are shared around the world through radio and other media formats. Christ to the World's mission is to honor and carry out the final command of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Mt. 28:19).

More about Larry and CTTW: Larry Alston serves as the President of Christ to the World Ministries. A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Larry grew up in New Orleans. He now lives in Longview, Texas. He and his wife Kim have been married for 33 years, have 3 grown children, sons-­‐in-­‐law and 2 grandchildren. He accepted and came to trust Jesus Christ as his personal Savior at the age of 12. He received a B.A. degree from the University of New Orleans and attended Business Graduate School in New York City. From the mid 1970’s to 1981, Larry worked for a multi-­‐national corporation living in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe. Since 1982, he founded and has been the President and CEO of a privately held Investment company. During a 2004 trip to Seoul, Korea where he met Dr. Billy Kim, a renowned Christian leader who pastured a 16,000-­‐member Baptist Church in Suwon, Korea and was President of Far East Broadcasting-­‐Korea.

 

CTTW produces a combination of printed and audio resources centered upon the Word of God. The resources are in the areas of pre-evangelism, evangelism, and discipleship. All of the resources use primarily the “storying” method of conveying the truths of Scripture. All of us on the CTTW team are volunteers. Whereas there are limited expenses connected to getting the resources written in this country, there are very large expenses overseas involving translation, studio time, actors who read the dramas, recordings and broadcasts. Today Christ to the World Ministries is working in over 30 countries across the world broadcasting the stories of Jesus in media related formats.

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This week we have a special show. My fellow authors, Sarah Sundin and Cara Putman and I will be chatting the entire hour! Our new Love Finds You comes out soon! Sarah Sundin is a graduate of UC San Francisco School of Pharmacy and she works on-call as a hospital pharmacist. During WWII, her grandfather served as a pharmacist's mate (medic) in the Navy and her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force in England. Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children. Her latest book, With Every Letter, released this month. Cara Putman graduated from high school at sixteen, college at 20 and had her law degree by the time she was 27! She has fifteen books currently published and has many many more on the way. Her two latest books, A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island and Rainbow's End (a novella written with Valerie Comer and Annalisa Daughety) were released earlier this year.

More about Sarah: Sarah Sundin is the author of A Distant Melody, A Memory Between Us, and Blue Skies Tomorrow. In 2011, A Memory Between Us was a finalist in the Inspirational Reader's Choice Awards and Sarah received the Writer of the Year Award at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Her latest release, With Every Letter, is the first in the new Wings of Nightingale series. Connect with Sarah: www.sarahsundin.com

More about With Every Letter: They know everything about each other--except their real names. Lt. Mellie Blake is looking forward to beginning her training as a flight nurse. She is not looking forward to writing a letter to a man she's never met--even if it is anonymous and part of a morale-building program. Lt. Tom MacGilliver, an officer stationed in North Africa, welcomes the idea of an anonymous correspondence--he's been trying to escape his infamous name for years. As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, Tom and Mellie develop a unique friendship despite not knowing the other's true identity. When both are transferred to Algeria, the two are poised to meet face-to-face for the first time. Will they overcome their fears and reveal who they are, or will their future be held hostage by their pasts? Combining a flair for romance with excellent research and attention to detail, Sarah Sundin vividly brings to life the perilous challenges of WWII aviation, nursing--and true love. Purchase your copy: Paperback or Kindle

More about Cara: Cara C. Putman lives in Indiana with her husband and four children. She’s an attorney, teacher at her church, and contract lecturer or adjunct faculty at a local community college and Big Ten University. She has loved reading and writing from a young age and now realizes it was all training for writing books. An honors graduate of the University of Nebraska and George Mason University School of Law, Cara loves bringing history and romance to life.  Connect with Cara: http://www.caraputman.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

More about A Wedding Transpires in Mackinac Island: When attorney Alanna Stone left Mackinac Island eleven years ago, she determined she’d never return. Now she’s back and in close proximity to Jonathan Covington, her first love. She vows to protect her privacy and her heart from the man who still makes her pulse race. But when her worst fears are realized and history repeats itself—landing her in the midst of a murder investigation—Jonathan may be her only hope. Will they be able to lay aside the past and let God heal their hearts, or will reconciliation come too late? Purchase your copy: Paperback or Kindle a Rafflecopter giveaway

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This week on Living Inspired we have two powerhouse women. The first half of the show, we'll be chatting it up with Nicole Unice. Nicole is a fresh voice for the next generation. Part bible teacher, part community organizer, part busy mom–Nicole has the uncanny ability to relate to people in all ages and stages of life with her “keeping it real” approach to ordering a life around God’s word. Then we'll be switching over and chatting with Kasey Van Norman. Kasey is a Bible teacher who is passionate about people and the proclaiming of the gospel. As the founder and president of Kasey Van Norman Ministries, based in College Station, Texas, her heart’s desire is to be a fresh voice that bridges the gap between the church and the lost.

Be sure to sign up below for your chance to win a copy of Nicole's book, She's Got Issues, or one of five copies of Kasey's  memoir Named by God!

More about Nicole: Nicole received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the College of William and Mary and her master’s degree in Christian Counseling from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She loves creating a space for ministry and spiritual formation in the everyday rhythms of life with her awesome husband Dave, their three young children, and a mischievous puppy named Shep. Nicole is known for making friends in all corners of the world–especially via social media. Connect with Nicole on her Facebook page or via Twitter–and please visit Nicole on her website www.nicoleunice.com

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This week on Living Inspired, I'm excited to be chatting with fellow mom and writer, Heather Riggleman.  Her goal is to encourage real moms in real life. She is currently a columnist for several magazines and websites and proud to present her first inspirational book, Mama Needs a Time-Out. When she isn’t talking and writing, she is home with her three kids, looking out her window and loving the view.

 

For your chance to win one of two copies of Heather's Mama Needs a Time-Out, sign up below! 

 

More about Heather and Mama Needs a Time Out: Have you ever had one of those days when the laundry pile has grown to Mount Everest, your child is arguing with you over her socks, and you are still wondering about this whole God thing? Your day goes on to include a bird’s eye view of your neighbor friend who seems to have it all together: happy, obedient kids, a loving husband, and that perfect figure.

 

Heather is right there with you. 

 

She is here to share her mess, to be open about her journey as a woman–living a life redeemed, to share  her real mom life, and talk about the latest challenges and triumphs in motherhood. Heather’s author site is dedicated to inspiring moms to develop tools and habits to manage their homes with sanity intact and be encouraged at the same time. It’s about life in the trenches of motherhood. It’s about living life redeemed after being saved by love and for Heather, it goes one step further, to encourage real moms in real life.

 

It wasn’t always this simple, Heather moved all over the country and never lived in one town for too long. As the second oldest of 5 siblings, she became a second mama to her siblings after her parents divorced. When she was 12, her mother moved their family from Arizona to Wyoming. There, she met her high school sweetheart. Within two years of dating, Heather learned the impossible had happened. She was pregnant after being told at 15, she would never have kids on her own. Been a teen mom wasn’t what she had in mind but within five months, she moved out, graduated high school, got married and gave birth to her daughter, Cheyenne.

 

Over the next few years, Heather graduated college with a degree in Criminal Justice, faced her addictions and demons and wrestled with God. After giving her life to Him, her husband followed suit. Heather is now the conservative faith based voice on Nebraska's new site Her View From Home as well as a team member of The Mom Initiative,  A Field Leader for MOPS International, a favorite Nebraska speaker, and new author. 

 

Her book, Mama Needs A Time Out is a collection of stories about finding God in the midst of motherhood. She shares her heart, her checkbook, and how God can take your biggest mistake and use it for his plan. She now ministers to Nebraska’s only Teen MOPS group and has a passion for making God’s word known.

 

Heather and her husband just celebrated 13 years of marriage and have been blessed by the addition of Elijah and Tori-Grace. 

 

Connect with Heather: her website, Facebook and Twitter Purchase your copy of Mama Needs A Time Out:  Paperback

 

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This week on the show we will be chatting with Tracey Eyster. As the creator and editor of MomLifeToday.com, Tracey Eyster speaks into the lives of mothers around the world, connecting with them where they are congregating—online. Tracey shares her passion for encouraging, equipping, and advising moms through speaking and writing. She loves doing interviews and exploring motherhood with all types of moms, including “famous” ones. On the second half of the show, I have my good friend, Alice Crider. Alice is a former editor who is now a life coach. Today, Alice’s mission is to empower others to realize their dreams and live a life that thrills them.

 

More about Tracey: On a good day you’ll find me outdoors hiking and squeezing in some writing. I love my man and my children, I’m a bubble blower, dust bunny gatherer, home cookin preparer, chai tea sipper, water guzzler, implementor of fun who seeks authentic relationship – I am living for Him! Originally from a small town in Kentucky, I have been involved with women’s ministry for eighteen years. My husband, Bill, and I have been married twenty-five years. We live with our two teenagers, Samara and Westley, in a ranchette in rural Arkansas. Connect with Tracey: her website, Twitter, and Facebook

More about Be the Mom: Overcome Attitude Traps and Enjoy Your Kids: The role of mom is often described as the most important job in the world. Rightly so, for so much is at stake during children’s early years and moms are central in shaping character and personhood. However, when the going gets tough (the endless diapers, the continual messes, the endless conflict resolution, the complete lack of personal time, etc.), moms are often tempted to quit their “mom‐job”. While few would endorse an outright abandonment of motherhood, others may recommend that a woman treat her role as secondary to personal desires in order to combat feelings of discouragement and/or unfulfillment. The enemy has laid intentional traps cleverly designed to discourage and redirect a woman towards self rather than family. Moms need to know how to recognize these traps . . . and avoid them. Be the Mom: Overcome Attitude Traps and Enjoy Your Kids explores and validates the life of a mom who makes her family a priority and introduces the reader to seven Mom Traps that may be preventing them from a full, joy‐filled life. Purchase on Amazon: Paperback

 

More about Alice: Alice Crider is a life coach, a book editor, and an author coach. She began her career in book publishing in 1998 at Cook Communications in Colorado Springs. In 2001, she went to work at Alive Communications Literary Agency for three years before joining the editorial team at WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House Publishing, Inc. in 2004. She received life coach training through Christian Coaching Institute in 2008 and started a part-time coaching business in her spare time. In 2011, Alice took an early retirement incentive from Random House, which gave her an opportunity to fulfill a dream: to combine her life coaching skills with her writing and publishing experience.

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This week on Living Inspired we have Shannon Dittemore, a first time author who talks about her young adult book Angel Eyes. The first in this supernatural trilogy has been a hit! We also have Poppy Smith, author of Why Can't HE be More Like Me?, talking about marriage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This week on the show we have two dynamic women. First we have speaker and author Shirley Brosius as she shares about life and the guilt we as women have. The second half of the show, we'll be chatting with Bible teacher and author, Jennie Allen share her heart.

For your chance to win a copy of Shirley's Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides or 1 of 5 copies of Jennie's Anything, leave a comment below! 

 

More about Shirley: I am a writer and share in a speaking ministry called Friends of the Heart with Janine Boyer and Kim Messinger. The three of us wrote Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides because we find women are busy, stressed and--guilt ridden. We want to help women respond to their feelings in a godly manner. I also wrote Sisterhood of Faith: 365 Life-Changing Stories About Women Who Made a Difference. I am married to Bill, a retired math teacher. We have two married sons, a daughter waiting in heaven, and five grandchildren. When I’m not writing, I read and post book reviews on my website. I also love presenting lengthy portions of scripture from memory. And watching Jeopardy and American Idol. For more about Shirley visit on online at: http://www.shirleybrosius.com/ http://www.friendsoftheheart.us/ www.shirleybrosius.blogspot.com

 

More about Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides: Women today are busy, stressed, and guilt-ridden, yet they long to develop their spiritual sides. Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides offers inspirational thoughts based on scripture--brief enough to be read during a television commercial, yet insightful enough to open your eyes to the grace of God on days you change diapers and/or lead corporate meetings. Each reading suggests a "Guilt Trip to Avoid" and ends with a way to "Take the Joy Ride." The book includes six months of daily readings so that you may establish a habit of connecting with God. Readings are listed under the letters G-R-A-C-E, representing God, Relationships, Acceptance, Challenges and Emotions. The coauthors hope these meaningful readings will help you deal with guilt--both real and imagined. By applying the insights shared in Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides, you may develop a calmer, less guilt-ridden life-style and become better equipped to function as wives, mothers and friends. Younger women often develop patterns of thinking and experience feelings of guilt that carry over into their mature years, so women of all ages will find this book helpful.

 

 

 

More about Jennie: Jennie Allen is a Bible teacher who is passionate about inspiring a new generation of women to encounter the invisible God. Raised in a Christian home, Jennie heard about God her entire life but not until high school did she see her need for Him. Since that time she has been teaching groups of girls and young women about her God. Jennie studied at the University of Arkansas for three years. She met and married Zac Allen and moved to Tennessee where she completed her B.S. in Communications at Carson Newman College. She and Zac later attended Dallas Theological Seminary at the same time. Jennie graduated with a Master’s in Biblical Studies in 2005. Thomas Nelson signed Jennie to a multi-project contract in 2011, which includes a seven-part series of DVD-based Bible studies and two trade books. Her first Bible study, Stuck: The Places We Get Stuck and the God Who Sets Us Free (September 2011), is uniquely relational, interactive and digs deep quickly. Jennie’s first trade book, Anything: The Prayer that Unlocked My God and My Soul (April 2012) recounts the journey into surrender that Jennie, her family, and her church have recently travelled. Readers will discover that Jennie’s writing is marked by personal authenticity and vulnerability, and she encourages women to go to these same places as they study scripture. “I want to provide places for women to wrestle with truth, so that we are more fully living what we know about God, not just learning about Him. As God gets bigger to us, our lives start to change.” Jennie and Zac have four children: Conner, Kate, Caroline and Cooper. They live and minister in Austin, Texas, where Zac is a pastor at Austin Stone Community Church. For more about Jennie, visit her online at: www.JennieAllen.com

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This week on Living Inspired we are talking with two phenominal women. First we have Jennifer Dyer , mom of two girls and contributor on Moms Life today. On the second half of the show, we'll be chatting with Babbie Mason -- a Dove Award-winning and Grammy nominated gospel singer, songwriter, author, creator of the Embrace: A Worship Event for Women ministry, professor of songwriting at Atlanta Christian College and Lee University, and a television talk-show host. Don't miss this amazing show!

More about Jennifer: Jennifer Dyer has an M.S. in Communications Disorders, which served her well in her professional career as a speech-language pathologist. Never did she imagine her education and career were God’s way of preparing her to be a mom to her own autistic daughter and to reach out to other families who face that same diagnosis. Jennifer is the mom of two beautiful daughters. She enjoys serving other families with unique needs and using her gift of writing and speaking to minister to others. Jennifer is also a novelist and waiting on God's timing for publication. Jennifer has been a mom for 10 years, she and Brandon have been married for 12 years.

More about Babbie: Babbie Mason is a Dove Award-winning and Grammy nominated gospel singer, songwriter, author, creator of the Embrace: A Worship Event for Women ministry, professor of songwriting at Atlanta Christian College and Lee University, and a television talk-show host. She was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame in 2010 and has appeared on numerous national television and radio programs. Babbie has been honored perform for Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Lady Margaret Thatcher, Colin Powell, Steve Forbes among many others. Babbie performs a holiday special at Carnegie Hall every year. Babbie lives near Atlanta on a farm with her husband Charles. More about Embraced by God: Have you ever wondered, "Does God really love me? Do I really matter to him?" HE LOVES YOU. As a matter of fact, God loves you just as much as he loves His own Son. In the pages of this heartwarming, thoughtful and life-affirming 21-day journey, award-winning gospel singer, songwriter, and teacher Babbie Mason reminds you, when you know you are loved by God and that you are in His eternal plan, you’ll never again wonder if your life matters.

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This week on Living Inspired, we are chatting with Eric Gilmore and Jon and Jennifer Harrison from Vine and Village, a ministry of Mosaic Church. Vine and Village exists to improve the quality of life for the people living in and around Little Rock's emerging University District by helping to meet their spiritual, social and material needs.

 

 

More about Jon and Jennifer: At the peak of a successful 25-year career at Caterpillar Inc. (including director-level positions in Australia, Japan, and most recently, serving as General Manager for their new world-class manufacturing facility in North Little Rock, AR), Jon left corporate America to follow his calling of serving people that are often overlooked and under-appreciated.  In this capacity, Jon now serves as Executive Director of “Vine & Village”, a new 501c3 organization spawned from Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas (a multi-ethnic, socio-economically diverse church in the heart of Little Rock, AR) that is focused on returning hope and dignity to both forgotten people and a forgotten area of the city.

This transition from a career focused on “success” to one that focuses on “significance” was an easy one for Jon as the common theme during his career at Caterpillar was his passion for people.  Jon is known as a leader that places special attention on the “front-line” team members who are often ignored in many organizations.  Through his many years of experience in all corners of the world, Jon has proven that the only sustainable competitive advantage for any organization is to become relentless in developing a team of values-driven, informed and passionate people.

Driven from this passion, Jon founded his own company, VIP2, (which stands for Values-driven, Informed, Passionate People).  VIP2, through several avenues, assists organizations with this critical journey, resulting in successful organizations and transformed lives.

Jon holds a BS in Business Economics from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Duke University.

Jon's driving forces in his life are his faith, his family (wife Jennifer and three daughters, Lindsey, Taylor and Grace) and his friends.

More about Eric: Eric is the director of Immerse Arkansas and is a Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW) having obtained his master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

He and his wife Kara co-founded Immerse Arkansas to meet the needs of youth transitioning from foster care to adulthood.  Eric’s focus on supporting foster youth includes work as a houseparent for at-risk youth, work with youth in therapeutic foster care, and engaging in program development for Arkansas Department of Children and Family Services.

Eric is a founding member of the Arkansas Coalition for Transitional Supports and is a driving force for change in the arena of providing support to disconnected and at-risk youth in the state.  He and his wife Kara and their two children reside in Little Rock, AR, and are members of Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas.

More about Vine & Village: Vine & Village was spawned from the incredible community work being done via Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas. At both Mosaic Church and Vine & Village, we believe that to truly transform a community three critical components must be in place.

First, community transformation must include spiritual renewal. Debilitating issues that thwart true community transformation, like racism, for example, can only be overcome by a permanent change in the hearts of citizens. This "changing of the heart" is accomplished best through the spiritual aspect of one's life. As shown above, Mosaic Church is one example of a spiritual oasis in the University District...a church for all people...that specializes in "heart changes".

Second, we believe that economic renewal must be present in a true community transformation. Thriving schools, parks, retail establishments and businesses are all a part of a healthy community. These institutions provide education, employment, tax revenue, safe places to play and work, and needed goods and services for the people in the community. Mosaic Church and Vine & Village have played a big part in the renewal of the University District by moving into the former Wal-Mart store on Colonel Glenn Avenue several years ago. By resurrecting that "forgotten" building, Mosaic has since drawn other businesses to this strip mall that was dark, unsafe, and not producing jobs or tax revenue. Our commitment to economic development will continue as we move our location, this time as owners instead of renters, to the former K-Mart store at the corner of University and Asher/ Colonel Glenn. This beautiful new building will be a community center (including a park and a playground) that will also house Mosaic Church and the Vine & Village offices. Along with the great work being done by UALR and other business owners, Mosaic and Vine & Village will continue to significantly impact the economic renewal of the Univeristy District.

Finally, there must be a significant social impact to fuel true community transformation. This is the area in which Vine & Village specializes. Through our coordinated efforts / programs, Vine & Village is focused on meeting the spiritual, social and material needs for our community members in the University District.  As seen on this website, our programs improve the lives of babies, small children, teens, parents and the elderly. Vine & Village, along with our key partners, serves as a "beacon of light" to those that are in need in the University District (and beyond)...for this is our home, our neighborhood too, and we're proud to be serving here.

 

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This week on Living Inspired we have a special show lined up for you -- 

The first half of the show, we'll be chatting with Cesar and Elisabeth Ortega about their work with One Life Global Ministries (OLGM). The mission of One Life Global Ministires is to serve the extreme poor in Honduras by providing assistance to low-income families and abandoned children. OLGM engage individuals, businesses, and church organizations to positively impact the lives of the poor, giving them a future and a hope. They strive to raise Godly leaders and to instill in young people a hunger for spiritual and moral excellence. In so doing, OLGM hopes to change the future of a country by changing the world, through Jesus Christ, one life at a time. For more information on the Ortega's and how you can help with One Life Global Ministries visit -- http://www.mosaicchurch.net/one-life-ministries

The second half of the show, we'll be chatting with Giovanni Leiva of Leiva's Coffee. The Leiva family has been growing coffee in the eastern mountains of Guatemala for more than half a century. The coffee business is more than just their livelihood, it’s their life. For every dollar that is spent on coffee, a mere 10¢ is awarded to the farmer. Leiva’s Coffee sells its world-class coffee direct to the public, and uses the profits to help improve the lives of their coffee growers and their families. Through Leiva's coffee, they are able to provide the necessities that are sometimes taken for granted. Things like flooring, stoves, schoolhouses, medical clinics, shoes and clothing. As the Leiva's say it: Yes, we’re pleased to be part of your daily coffee ritual. But we’re proudest of the things we can do for farmers and their families. For more information and to purchase Leiva's Coffee, please visit their website -- http://leivascoffee.com

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This week on Living Inspired we'll be chatting with my pastor, Mark DeYmaz about his work in the multi-ethnic church, Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas. 

 

More about Mark:  Mark DeYmaz is the founding pastor and directional leader of the Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas.

He and his wife,Linda, have been married for twenty-­‐five years and  together they have four  children: Zack, Emily, Will and Kate.

A recognized leader in the emerging Multi-­‐ethnic Church Movement, Mark has written three books on the subject including, Building a Healthy Multi-­‐ethnic Church, chosen as a finalist for a Christianity Today Book of the Year Award (2008) and for a Resource of the Year Award (2008) sponsored by Outreach Magazine.

His other books include Ethnic Blends and HUP: Should Pastors Accept or Reject the Homogeneous Unit Principle?

In addition, Mark writes a regular for Outreach Magazine and is a contributing editor for Leadership Journal.

In 2005, Mark co-­‐founded the Mosaix Global Network and is currently serving as its Executive Director.

In 2009, he established Mosaic’s non-­‐profit, Vine and Village, and is a former member of Little Rock’s Racial and Cultural Diversity Commission.

Following graduation from college in 1983, Mark served as a youth pastor in churches throughout the western United States and in Germany.

From 1993 to 2001, he was the Student Ministries pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock, before leaving to launch Mosaic.

He has been a full-­‐time pastor for thirty years.

Mark is a graduate of Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA (B.S., Psychology), Western Seminary in Portland, OR (M.A. Exegetical Theology) and Phoenix Seminary in Phoenix, AZ (D. Min.). 

Connect with Mark: mark@mosaicchurch.net, www.mosaicchurch.net, www.mosaix.info, www.markdeymaz.com, Twitter @markdeymaz

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This week on Living Inspired, we get the chance to chat with Laura Petherbridge and Ron Deal -- they dynanmic duo behind The Smart Stepmom: Practice Steps to Help You Thrive. We wil be talking with them the entire hour, so grab something cold to drink, sit back, and relax! 

There are many ways  to win a copy of The Smart Stepmom, see below for more details! 

More about Laura: Laura Petherbridge serves couples and single adults with topics on spiritual growth, relationships, stepfamilies, co-parenting, and divorce recovery. She is an international speaker and author of, When “I Do” Becomes “I Don’t”—Practical Steps for Healing During Separation and Divorce, (David C. Cook) endorsed by Billy Graham’s daughter—Gigi, and Multi-Dove Award winner Kim Hill. Her newest release The Smart Stepmom, (Bethany House) is co-authored with stepfamily expert Ron Deal and endorsed by Gary Chapman (Five Love Languages).  Laura has spoken at the Billy Graham Training Center The Cove in Ashville, NC. In 2012 she will be a featured speaker at Hearts at Home conferences, and MomLife bootcamp with Barbara Rainey. Laura is a featured expert on the DivorceCare DVD series, which has equipped more than 12,000 churches worldwide. She has taught on divorce recovery at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, and functioned as a Stephen’s Ministry instructor. Laura and her husband of 26 years, Steve, reside in Florida. 

More about Ron: Ron Deal is husband to Nan (since 1986) and proud father of Braden, Connor, and Brennan. Everything else is just details. Ron is a marriage and family author, speaker, and therapist. He is Founder and President of As For Me And My House Ministries, LLC (the parent ministry of Smart Stepfamilies) and Director of Blended Family Ministries for FamilyLife (for more visit www.RonDeal.org and www.FamilyLife.com). Ron is author of The Smart Stepfamily: Seven Steps to a Healthy Family (and DVD series), The Smart Stepmom (coauthored with Laura Petherbridge), The Remarriage Checkup: Tools to Help Your Marriage Last a Lifetime (coauthored with Dr. David Olson, and The Smart Stepdad. His latest book, Dating and the Single Parent, is scheduled for release in Oct, 2012.  More about The Smart Stepmom: The stepmother's role often is ambiguous and underappreciated, and frequently it carries unrealistic expectations. The book answers women's concerns and questions, including: How can I be a caretaker and a key emotional connector in the family if the children don't accept my influence? How shoud I cope with children who are confused about their family and torn between loyalty to their biological mother and me? When should I step back in conflicts and when should I insist that my husband stand up for me? In addition it addresses the spiritual and emotional climate of the home, providing perspective and guidelines to help stepmothers and their families thrive.

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On this week's show we have the privilege of speaking with Dr. Wess Stafford -- president and CEO of Compassion International and author of Just A Minute as well as Joe Kissack, television executive the author of the gripping book The Fourth Fisherman.

For your chance to win a copy of The Fourth Fisherman or one of two copies of Just a Minute, leave a comment with your e-mail address below! 

 

More about Wess: Dr. Wesley K. Stafford—Wess—is president and CEO of Compassion International, the world’s largest Christian child development organization that releases children from poverty. Stafford joined Compassion more than 34 years ago and became president in 1993. Under his leadership, the number of children being served by Compassion has increased exponentially from 180,000 children in 1993 to more than 1 million children in 26 of the world’s poorest countries today. Stafford is an advocate for children around the world living in poverty. Through his books, Just A Minute (Jan. 1, 2012, Moody Publishers), Too Small to Ignore: Why the Least of These Matters Most (WaterBrook Press, 2007) and his daily radio feature Speak Up With Compassion, broadcast on nearly 800 radio outlets in the U.S., Stafford continues to challenge people to join Compassion in releasing children from poverty. Stafford’s passion to help children was born of his own childhood experiences growing up in Africa. The son of missionaries, he heard his friends in the Ivory Coast share their hopes and dreams for the future only to watch several of these friends die as victims of poverty. Stafford maintains one strong belief—God’s children are priceless resources. While he earned degrees from Biola University, Moody Bible Institute and Wheaton College, as well as a Ph.D. from Michigan State, Stafford often says, “Everything I need to know to lead a multi-national organization, I learned from the poor while growing up in an African village.” Stafford resides with his wife, Donna, near Colorado Springs, Colo. They are the parents of two daughters, Jenny and Katie.

More about Just a Minute: How long does it take to make a difference in the life of a child?

For good or for ill, individual moments in a young person's life can make all the difference in their future. It may be something said or done by an adult who hardly thinks about it: a hug, a compliment, an intriguing question, a sincere applause. But in that moment, the child discovers who they are, what is important to them, why they matter, and sometimes even what their destiny will be. Most of us want to help encourage and build into this next generation, most of us see the need all around, but we just have no idea where to begin.

Now, with this book, you know where to begin and you know that it only takes Just a Minute. Follow along as Dr. Wess Stafford, president of Compassion International, shares stories and experiences to introduce you to the difference you can actually make anywhere on the spectrum of child development. From helping meet physical needs to breaking down emotional barriers and from discovering latent talents to equipping with spiritual insights, these stories are a catalyst for action.

You don't have to be a teacher, a parent, a pastor, or a doctor to make a difference in the life of a child. You only have to be willing!

More about Joe: Joe Kissack is a television executive who has spent years around some of the most popular and valuable TV shows in history. In his 15 years at Columbia Tri-­‐Star Television and Sony Pictures, Kissack negotiatied the syndication rights of Seinfeld, Walker Texas Ranger, Married with Children and dozens of other TV shows and thousands of

feature films for the major Hollywood studio. He seemed to have the perfect life, yet he felt empty and couldn’t escape his “never good enough” childhood mantra that drove him towards success, fast cars and self-­‐ medication.

When Kissack hears of three poor fishermen rescued in a tiny boat after drifting 5,500 miles across the Pacific Ocean for nearly a year, he drops everything and follows a call that few will ever hear. What none of them could see is that their lives would collide, turn everything including his marriage upside down, and their lives would never be the same.

More about The Fourth Fisherman: 

We each came to a moment of brokenness;

what we found there was God.

And he was enough.

It was the subject of headlines around the world:  Three Mexican fishermen in a small open boat without any supplies, drifting for more than nine months and 5,500 miles across the Pacific Ocean. Through blistering sun and threatening storms, they battle starvation, dehydration, hopelessness, and death. Their lifelines? An unwavering faith and a tattered Bible.

Thousands of miles away, Joe Kissack, a successful Hollywood executive, personified the American dream. He enjoyed the trappings of the good life: a mini mansion, sports cars, and more. He had it made. Yet the intense pressure of his driven and high-powered career sends him into a downward spiral, driving him deep into suicidal depression, insidious addictions, and alienation from his family. His lifelines? A friend and a Bible on the table between them.  

Thoughtfully told with candor and humor, Kissack weaves together the incredible true voyage of fishermen adrift in the sea and his own life’s journey as a man lost in the world. It is a story that will buoy your spirit and renew your hope and faith.

 

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This week we have two fabulous women on the show! The first half of the show, we will be chatting with Kennisha Hill who's memoir, Once Upon A Child, came out this month. The second half, we'll be chatting with Tammy Malby on her book The God Who Sees You. 

For your chance to win either Kennisha's Once Upon A Child or Tammy's The God Who Sees You, be sure to leave a comment below with your e-mail address! 

More about Kennisha: The one word that accurately describes Kennisha Hill's motto is truth-- truth in everyday life and truth in story. She discovered her love for writing during her tender grade-school years when she would fill her journals to their capacity. Decades later, her passion resurfaced with a desire to publish and spread her Christ-inspired messages to women all over the world. Today, she actively writes both fiction and non-fiction books, magazine articles and blogs to spread hope and encouragement for everyday women. She currently has authored five books independently: Simply Wisdom: Tid Bits of Inspiration for Your Journey, Simply Wisdom: Empowerment for Your Purpose, her first novel series The Tamara Files, which includes books Awakened (2010), Uncovered (2011) and Once Upon A Child, a memoir (2012) Captured, the third book in The Tamara Files is set to release in 2013. With more books in her future plans, she hopes to continue to send positive and faith-filled messages to all who will hear through story and blogs!

More about Once Upon A Child: It's a story that many women can tell. It's the tragic experience of a pregnancy loss and the emotional heartache that comes with it. In Once Upon A Child, author Kennisha Hill shares her story with hopes of spreading comfort to the heartbroken.

More about Tammy: Tammy Maltby is a speaker, author and media personality with a heart for helping women live rich, authentic lives. She is the author of many books, including Confessions of a Good Christian Girl, Lifegiving: Discovering the Secrets to a Beautiful Life and A Discovery Journal to a Beautiful Life. She is the co-host of the two-time Emmy-winning NRB TV talk show of the year, Aspiring Women, and has also been featured on hundreds of radio and television programs. Maltby and her husband live in Colorado.

More about The God Who Sees You: Author Tammy Maltby speaks both comfort and challenge to her readers in her new book, The God Who Sees You: Look to Him When You Feel Discouraged, Forgotten, or Invisible (April, 2012), exploring the real-life implications of knowing God sees them, He loves them passionately and He’s intimately involved with every aspect of their lives. He wants them to see Him too, and to partner with them in bringing in His kingdom by learning to look at others through His eyes. She believes when women take this reality to heart, they live more honestly, confidently and fearlessly. 

Often women are fearful of being seen with all of their failures and imperfections. Maltby confronts these fears and encourages her readers to:

• Grasp the life-changing reality that God sees all of them and He loves them. 

• Live more honestly and fearlessly, confident that their life matters.

• Be on the lookout for what God is doing in their life (even when He’s hard to see).

• Learn to look at others through His eyes.

• Move out of hiding and live joyfully in the light.

This book offers a refreshing change of perspective to anyone who feels invisible, unnoticed or unappreciated—a reassurance that their life matters. Because everything looks different once you really see the God who sees you. 

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This week on Living Inspired we have a fun show planned! For the first half of the show, we'll be chatting with Pam Davis -- Founder of Girls of Grace. Girls 'n Grace connects girls of all ages in the saving truth of Jesus Christ through dolls, books, clothes, events, online activities, and clubs. The second half of the show, we'll be talking with Curtis Parks -- co-founder of Amusment Management Partners.

For your chance to win family 4-Pack tickets to a AMP Park, please leave a comment below with your e-mail address!

More about Pam: Pam Davis is well acquainted with the deceptive lure and power of fame and fortune. As a former model with the world-renowned Kim Dawson Agency and wife of former major league baseball pitcher Steve Davis, she has experienced the sweetest fruits secular popularity has to offer. And as thrilling and tempting as the things of the world were, she knew there was so much more.

Davis was born and raised in Ft. Worth, Texas. She left her home and her modeling career behind when she felt the call of God on her heart. As a student at Liberty University, she studied biblical studies and cross-cultural ministries because, she said, she wanted to learn if God could be found like she had imagined as a child.

Through Campus Crusade for Christ, Davis took a leap of faith and moved into the mission field in what was then the dangerous Soviet Union. Seeing young people in their native culture learn of

and experience God’s grace had a profound effect on Pam. “Introducing people across the world to the Person of Grace—not merely the message—became the most exciting adventure.” Years later, she would call upon her experiences in the mission field when she began to write stories of young girls who came to know God’s grace— writings that would later become the basis of the Girls ’n Grace series.

In spite of her positive experiences overseas, Davis secretly grappled with feelings of inadequacy and distance from God. “I remember a time in my life when God’s grace seemed completely buried. I knew God had saved me, but I was experiencing very little life. The chasm between who I was and who I wanted to be was torturous,” Davis recalls. This inner turmoil eventually manifested itself in an eating disorder. At a treatment center, God revealed the aspect of Himself that Davis had been missing—his precious gift of grace, not just for salvation, but for living each day. “I discovered that I can receive God’s spiritual blessings only when I cease trying to earn them,” Davis says.

As she was preparing to return to the Soviet Union after a brief visit back home, she met and married Steve Davis and quickly discovered the Lord was opening an entirely new mission field to her: professional athletes and their wives. Through those years and later, she developed skills in public speaking as a fashion show commentator and image coach, while also studying computer programming and fiction and non-fiction writing.

Davis stepped into the media spotlight as the creator of the Girls ’n Grace, a ministry connecting girls of all ages in the saving truth of God’s grace by using designer dolls, collection of books, clothes, events, and an engaging interactive website for both girls and moms so as to provide young Christian girls, ages 7-12, with believable female role models that teach them what it means to live in God’s grace. She began the new venture after American Girl, Inc. elected to sustain their relationship with an organization that supports abortion and liberal feminism. Her company has grown to serve other Christian ministries with dolls including American Heritage Girls ‘n Grace Dolls and Secret Keeper Girls ‘n Grace Dolls.

Though Davis’s ministry can reach a younger audience, her passion in ministry is communicating the transforming message of grace to women, which she does through the books she has authored, Pure Gold: Embracing God’s Grace and as a national speaker, including being part of the core communicating team for Family Life Ministries.

Davis, her husband Steve, and their three children live in Ft. Worth where she serves as Spiritual Life Coordinator for a college-prep Christian school, sharing with the students how to practically live in the embrace of God’s grace.

More about Curtis: Mr. Parks is a co-­‐founder and a managing partner of Amusement Management Partners (AMP), a professional management company focused on the leisure and amusement industry. In December 2010, AMP was selected to manage 8 Family Entertainment Centers (FEC) for CNL Lifestyle Properties, a multi-­‐billion dollar REIT focused on leisure and lifestyle investments. The FEC’s are located in 5 states and operate under the following brands: Camelot Park, Zuma Fun Centers, Mountasia, and Funtasticks. In January 2011, AMP was selected by CNL to manage Magic Springs and Crystal Falls Water and Theme Park, a 200-­‐acre property located in Hot Springs Arkansas.

Prior to launching AMP, Mr. Parks was a founding member of the executive team with PARC Management LLC, an attractions management company that acquired 7 regional Theme and Water Parks from Six Flags Inc. in April 2007. Within 18 months, PARC Management grew to the 4th largest regional Amusement Park operator in the United States. As Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Parks was directly responsible for overseeing the day-­‐to-­‐day operating aspects of 9 Theme and Water Parks and 16 Family Entertainment Centers (including the 5 NASCAR SpeedParks acquired from Burroughs and Chapin in July 2008). In January 2009, moved to an Executive Vice President position; focusing primarily on strategic planning and new business development.

Mr. Parks joined PARC from Schlitterbahn Waterpark and Resorts where he held the position of Vice President of Operations. Prior to his time at Schlitterbahn, Mr. Parks served as general manager of Wannado City, America’s first real play theme park for children. Previously, Mr. Parks was general manager of Wet ‘n Wild Las Vegas, a Palace Entertainment property. In addition, Mr. Parks served as director of compliance for Alfa SmartParks, Inc. where he helped develop and successfully implement a standard operating platform for the group’s 9 entertainment facilities.

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This week on Living Inspired, in honor of Memorial Day, we have a very very special guest. His name is Frank Nelson and he is a World War II Veteran. 

For the full hour, we will be talking with Frank and getting his story. We will get a glimpse into his family life, hear a little about his testimony, and find out how the US Army qualified him as a "sharp shooter". 

You are not going to want to miss this amazing show we have scheduled! 

To find out more about this amazing man, head over to my blog to read about Frank through his daughter's eyes! 

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This week on Living Inspired, we get the chance to talk with Nicole O'Dell an author whos heart is with teens and their parents. 

For your chance to win one of two books from Nicole O'Dell, leave a comment with your e-mail address below! 

More about Nicole: Nicole O’Dell, founder of Choose NOW Ministries and host of Choose NOW Radio: Parent Talk and Teen Talk, is a youth culture expert who writes and speaks to preteens, teenagers, and parents about how to prepare for life’s tough choices. She’s author of YA fiction, including the popular Scenarios for Girls interactive fiction series and the Diamond Estates Series, and non-fiction for teens including Girl Talk which she wrote with her two daughters based on their popular advice column. Hot Buttons, O’Dell’s non-fiction series for parents helps pre-empt peer pressure by tackling tough issues. Visit www.nicoleodell.com for more info.

More about Hot Buttons: From drugs to bullying, from internet activity to dating, Hot Button issues have saturated youth culture . . . and may have challenged your teen. This accessible, quick-reference series is a practical guide for discussing these Hot Buttons with your child, before the issues becomes a problem. HOT BUTTONS is group of uniquely packaged parenting resources that discuss the “hot button issues” teens face today. These accessible, quick reference books come in a 6×6 square trim and offer parents a practical way to discuss the hot buttons with their tweens and teens, before the issues become a problem. In addition to the scenarios, the books each offer warning signs and recommendations for each issue discussed.

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This week on Living Inspired we are talking to Gina Smith, a woman with a real heart for ministry and Cara Putman, author of new book A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island.

For your chance to win a copy of Cara Putman's brand new book A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island, be sure to leave a comment --with your e-mail address-- below! Winner will be announced on my blog on Sunday! 

 

More about Gina: Gina Smith has served along side her husband  at a small Christian college, right outside of DC for almost 20 years. She met her husband, Brian, while she was in college and he was in seminary. They married in 1988. After graduating, they served with “Youth for Christ” for  2 years until  Brian was offered a job at the college Gina attended.  Brian is  a faculty member and the dean of students, and Gina is the dean of women. She has a degree in Bible and when she is not spending time with her family or students, she writes for MomLife Today, RooMag.com, and Internet Cafe Devotions. You can visit her at her personal website: www.keepinitreal-gina.com

 

More about Cara: Cara C. Putman lives in Indiana with her husband and four children. She’s an attorney, teacher at her church, and contract lecturer or adjunct faculty at a local community college and Big Ten University. She has loved reading and writing from a young age and now realizes it was all training for writing books. An honors graduate of the University of Nebraska and George Mason University School of Law, Cara loves bringing history and romance to life.  You can learn more about Cara and her books on her website, Facebook, twitter, and pinterest.

More about A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island: When attorney Alanna Stone left Mackinac Island eleven years ago, she determined she’d never return. Now she’s back and in close proximity to Jonathan Covington, her first love. She vows to protect her privacy and her heart from the man who still makes her pulse race. But when her worst fears are realized and history repeats itself—landing her in the midst of a murder investigation—Jonathan may be her only hope. Will they be able to lay aside the past and let God heal their hearts, or will reconciliation come too late?

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This week we are going to spend the whole hour chatting with Rachel Hauck, author of new book The Wedding Dress and writing coach for My Book Therapy. 

For your chance to win a copy of Rachel's new novel, The Wedding Dress, leave a comment below with your e-mail address! 

 

More about Rachel: Rachel Hauck is the bestselling author of Carol Award winner Sweet Caroline, and RITA Finalist Love Starts With Elle, and of the critically acclaimed fiction collaboration with multi-platinum country artist Sara Evans, The Songbird Novels. She lives in sunny, though sometimes hurricane plagued, central Florida with her husband and their ornery pets. Rachel earned a degree in Journalism form Ohio State University and is a huge Buckeyes football fan. She is the past President of American Christian Fiction Writers and now sits on the board as an Advisor. Visit her web site at www.rachelhauck.com to read her blog, and to follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

More about The Wedding Dress: One dress. Four women. An amazing destiny. Charlotte Malone is getting married. Yet all is not settled in the heart of Birmingham's chic bridal boutique owner. Charlotte can dress any bride to perfection-except herself. When she discovers a vintage mint-condition wedding gown in a battered old trunk, Charlotte embarks on a passionate journey to discover the women who wore the gown before her. Emily in 1912. Mary in 1939. And Hillary in 1968. Each woman teaches Charlotte something about love in her own unique way. Woven within the threads of the beautiful hundred-year-old gown is the truth about Charlotte's heritage, the power of faith, and the beauty of finding true love.

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This week on Living Inspired we have the privilege of talking to the Money Saving Mom -- Crystal Paine. Crystal's goal is to tell you about legitimate, practical, non-gimmicky ways to help you save money in your everyday life. She is passionate about living simply and frugally and strives to help others do the same.

For your chance to win a copy of Crystal's The Money Saving Mom's Budget Audio Book, be sure to leave a comment with your e-mail address! 

 

More about Crystal: Crystal Paine is a wife and homeschooling mom to three young children who has been writing on topics related to frugality for the last five years-and living a frugal, simple, and debt-free life since she was born. Her blog MoneySavingMom.com is one of the top personal finance blogs on the web, averaging over four million page views per month. Crystal has contributed to articles in Woman's Day magazine and All You magazine, as well as being mentioned on National Public Radio and CNN.com, in USA Weekend and Real Simple magazine, appeared as a guest on the 700 Club, and featured in numerous other local newspapers and radio and television stations.

More about The Money Saving Mom's Budget: FROM ONE OF NIELSEN’S TOP 50 POWER MOMS COMES ADVICE YOU CAN TAKE TO THE BANK—LITERALLY ! Crystal Paine, who has helped busy women everywhere take control of their finances, presents her most effective strategies designed for families of all sizes and income levels.

With hundreds of inspiring “why didn’t I think of that?” TIPS, plus WORKSHEETS, Paine breaks down your goals into easy, manageable steps so you can:

• Achieve a complete financial makeover

• Set up a realistic budget

• Never pay retail

• Slash your grocery bill

• Organize your time & your home

• Use coupons wisely

• Pay with cash only

• Live simply

• Become debt free

• Choose contentment

• Make every dollar count

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This week on Living Inspired we have the honor of talking with two very special ladies. Missy Buchanan, author of My Story, My Song, has such a heart for our older generation. Rita Schulte has a heart for the hurting and we will be talking to her about loss and issues of the heart. 

For your chance to win a copy of Missy's book My Story, My Song leave a comment with your e-mail address below! 

More about Missy: Missy Buchanan, coauthor, became passionate about the needs and feelings of older adults while serving as a daily caregiver for her parents. Since the publication of her first book, Living with Purpose in a Worn-Out Body in 2008, she has become a nationally recognized expert on aging, appearing on Good Morning America as well as numerous Christian television and radio shows. She hosts Aging and Faith with Missy Buchanan on BlogTalk Radio and writes two monthly columns for religious publications.

 

 

More about My Story, My Song: My Story, My Song is the heartwarming memoir of 87-year-old Lucimarian Roberts, mother of Good Morning America’s co-anchor Robin Roberts, gives readers a glimpse into pivotal moments in her life, showing how faith in God has strengthened her and how God has guided and encouraged her through people of all ages and races. 

Lucimarian Tolliver Roberts may be best known as the mother of broadcast journalist, Robin Roberts. However, the 87-year-old has achieved success in her own right, serving as the Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and as a board member for numerous organizations. Lucimarian Roberts was born and raised in Akron, Ohio, where she earned a scholarship from the publishers of the Akron Beacon Journal and became the first person in her family to attend college. She graduated in 1946 from Howard University in Washington, DC, and married Lawrence Roberts, a member of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, with whom she raised 4 children. Lucimarian Roberts lived through the Great Depression, segregation, the civil rights movement, and many personal challenges. These experiences helped shape her unique perspective on life.

 

 

More about Rita: Rita A. Schulte is a licensed professional counselor in the Northern Virginia/DC area. She is the host of Heartline Podcast and Consider This. Her shows can be heard on 90.9FM in Lynchburg, Va. and 90.5 FM in NC, and BlogTalk Radio. Rita writes for numerous magazines. Her articles have appeared in magazines like Counseling Today and Thriving Family. She also writes columns and guest blogs frequently on many sites. Her book, Sifted As Wheat: Finding Hope and Healing Through the Losses of Life is currently with Hartline Literary Agency. Follow her at www.siftedaswheat.com, on FB at Rita A. Schulte, MA, LPC and twitter at @heartlinepod. Her blog, Life Talk Today is www.siftedaswheat.com/blog. 

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This week on Living Inspired we have the honor of talking with Holley Gerth co-founder of (in)courage and author of upcoming book You're Already Amazing: Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You To Be.

To win a copy of You're Already Amazing: Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You To Be leave a comment with your e-mail address. Winner will be announced on Tricia's blog on Sunday! 

More About Holley: Holley Gerth is an award-winning blogger & writer and her first book is titled You’re Already Amazing. She is a licensed counselor, certified life coach and speaker. She is cofounder of (in)courage, an online destination for women, which received more than one million page views in its first six months. She also reaches out to readers through her popular blog, Heart to Heart with Holley and through her partnership with DaySpring, a subsidiary of Hallmark. Holley lives in Arkansas with her husband, Mark.

More About You're Already Amazing: Women feel enormous pressure to be perfect. To have the perfect body, to be a perfect woman, to have the perfect career, and to have the perfect attitude. All the time. Under all that pressure and all those expectations are women carrying burdens they were never meant to carry and suppressing the dreams they were always meant to live.

In You're Already Amazing, popular blogger and cofounder of (in)courage helps women understand and embrace the fact that they don't need to do more, be more, and have more--because they're already amazing just the way God created them to be. As a licensed counselor and certified life coach, Holley knows what readers need to hear. Like a heart-to-heart talk over coffee, reading this joy-filled book encourages women to forget the lies and expectations the world feeds them, instead believing that God made them for a purpose and that he loves them right now, at this moment, and always. Holley takes readers on a journey of the heart to discover their strengths and embrace all God created them to be.

Connect with Holley:  http://www.holleygerth.com/ or http://www.incourage.me/

 

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This week on Living Inspired we have the honor of talking with Holley Gerth co-founder of (in)courage and author of upcoming book You're Already Amazing: Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You To Be.

To win a copy of You're Already Amazing: Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You To Be leave a comment with your e-mail address. Winner will be announced on Tricia's blog on Sunday! 

More About Holley: Holley Gerth is an award-winning blogger & writer and her first book is titled You’re Already Amazing. She is a licensed counselor, certified life coach and speaker. She is cofounder of (in)courage, an online destination for women, which received more than one million page views in its first six months. She also reaches out to readers through her popular blog, Heart to Heart with Holley and through her partnership with DaySpring, a subsidiary of Hallmark. Holley lives in Arkansas with her husband, Mark.

More About You're Already Amazing: Women feel enormous pressure to be perfect. To have the perfect body, to be a perfect woman, to have the perfect career, and to have the perfect attitude. All the time. Under all that pressure and all those expectations are women carrying burdens they were never meant to carry and suppressing the dreams they were always meant to live.

In You're Already Amazing, popular blogger and cofounder of (in)courage helps women understand and embrace the fact that they don't need to do more, be more, and have more--because they're already amazing just the way God created them to be. As a licensed counselor and certified life coach, Holley knows what readers need to hear. Like a heart-to-heart talk over coffee, reading this joy-filled book encourages women to forget the lies and expectations the world feeds them, instead believing that God made them for a purpose and that he loves them right now, at this moment, and always. Holley takes readers on a journey of the heart to discover their strengths and embrace all God created them to be.

Connect with Holley:  http://www.holleygerth.com/ or http://www.incourage.me/

 

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The first half of the show, we will be talking with Robyn McKelvy -- a pastor's wife, mother to ten children, and author of book SOS: Sick of Sex, a book written for every married woman that wants the abundant sex life with her husband that God desires for her. The second half of the show, we'll be chatting with Carey Bailey creator of Cravings -- a devotional for busy moms.

For your chance to win 1 of 2 copies of Robin's SOS: Sick of Sex or Carey's Cravings, be sure to leave a comment with your e-mail address! 

More about Robyn: Robyn McKelvy is the 6th or 10 children so relationships have always been in abundant supply. She married  Ray McKelvy almost 24 years ago.  Ray and Robyn have nine children and one niece who they have homeschooled.  Ray and Robyn have been an active part of the FamilyLife, Weekend to Remember, speaker team for over 16 years and speak nationally and internationally for marriage conferences, women’s retreats and Bible studies.   The McKelvys live in the Nashville, TN area.

More about SOS: Sick of Sex (in Robin's words): This book was written because the enemy of Godly marriages has placed in  our lives circumstances that will creep up to hinder our sexual intimacy. The deceiver knows if he can keep us thinking negatively about our  intimate relationship with our husband then he has us right where he wants us – doubting what is true about our most intimate relationship of all: our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. SOS:SICK OF SEX is filled with humor and reality and gives the reader the opportunity to laugh, cry, pray and not settle, at all, for the enemy’s imitation of intimacy.

 

More about Carey: Carey Bailey is a recovering perfectionist, wife, proud mama and Family Life director for her church in Surprise, Ariz. On the side she loves party planning, crafting, and pursuing her dream of writing. She has a degree in religion from Westminster College and writes at her blog found at www.CareyBaileyOnline.com.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

More about Cravings: Cravings is a collection of card-size devotionals based on the Psalms. They are written to help mothers develop their relationship with God in the midst of motherhood. Each card contains a scripture for the day, a "thoughtlet," and an action idea. As moms crave the sweet morsels from God's Word, they can draw a card from a delectable Cravings holder--a pink cupcake!--that also displays the daily card for hands-free viewing. Versatile enough to fit with any feminine décor in a dining nook, a prayer closet, a kitchen--wherever you'd want Scripture at your fingertips. If you find you need Cravings around the home, just one may not be enough!

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This week on Living Inspired we are talking to two fantastic women. Rebecca Kliher, with her husband, is the founder of Home Educating Family Publishing. Jennifer Hatmaker is the author of 7, a social and spiritual experiment dealing with the materialism and consumerism.

To be entered to win a copy of Jen Hatmaker's 7, be sure to leave a comment with your e-mail address. Winners will be announced on Tricia's blog on Sunday.

More about Rebecca: Scot and Rebecca Keliher are the founders of Home Educating Family Publishing, but more importantly, parents to five unique, humorous, and fun-to-hang-with kids. With three girls in the lead and two boys following close behind, life in the Keliherd is never boring. As a graduate of homeschooling and daughter of homeschooling pioneers Ron Scarlata and Robin Scarlata Sampson, Rebecca transitioned with ease from mother of preschoolers to official title of Homeschool Mom, roughly ten years ago. Today she teaches her crew, in grades ranging from 3rd – 10th, with a mix of Charlotte Mason and Classical books. When polled, her children unanimously choose Mom-Reading-Out-Loud as their favorite school subject. Learn more about Rebecca and Home Education Family Publishing can be found at http://www.homeeducatingfamily.com/

More about Jen: Jen Hatmaker has authored 9 books including Interrupted, Ms. Understood: Rebuilding the Feminine Equation, and A Modern Girl’s Guide to Bible Study, and is a sought-after Women’s issues and Bible study speaker across the United States. She and her husband, Brandon, planted Austin New Church in an economically and ethnically diverse, socially unique, urban area of Austin, Texas, in 2008, with the church mantra: “Love Your Neighbor, Serve Your City.” Recently the Hatmaker’s added to their family of five with two adopted children from Ethiopia. Jen’s blog can be found at www.jenhatmaker.com. 

More about 7 in Jen’s words: “I had 327 pieces of clothing in my closet. We spent money at 66 different places a month on average, not including repeat expenditures. We had four gaming systems, three computers, and five TV’s, most of them usually on. We threw away pounds and pounds of food each week we never got around to eating. We needed a second trashcan to contain our weekly waste. We were too busy to look each other in the eye. Something had to change.

Enter: 7, a social and spiritual experiment my family embarked on which I chronicled. Drowning in tension over our own materialism and losing the battle against consuming, we decided to go radical for a year and see what God would do. Boiling seven areas of excess down to just seven choices in seven months, we put our greed and apathy on the table and said, ‘God, transform us.’ Somehow against all odds, the project was completed, the words were written, and 7 is now a book.”

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This week I'm excited to be chatting with three exceptional guests! First I'll be talking to Chris Farby author of Not in the Heart, next I'll be chatting with Rachel Hendrix -- lead actress from the new movie October Baby, and finally I'll be talking with Beth Vogt on her upcoming novel Wish You Were Here.

For your chance to win a copy of Chris's book Not in the Heart or Beth's book Wish You Were Here, be sure to leave a comment with your e-mail address. Winner will be announced on my blog on April 1!

 

More about Chris: Chris Fabry is an award-winning author and radio personality who hosts the daily program Chris Fabry Live! on Moody Radio. He is also heard on Love Worth Finding, Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, and other radio programs. A 1982 graduate of the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism at Marshall University and a native of West Virginia, Chris and his wife, Andrea, now live in Arizona and are the parents of nine children.

Chris' novels, which include Dogwood, June Bug, Almost Heaven, and Not in the Heart, have won two Christy Awards and an ECPA Christian Book Award, but it's his lyrical prose and tales of redemption that keep readers returning for more.

He has also published more than 65 other books, including nonfiction and novels for children and young adults. He coauthored the Left Behind: The Kids series with Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, as well as the Red Rock Mysteries and The Wormling series with Jerry B. Jenkins. RPM is his latest series for kids and explores the exciting world of NASCAR.

More about Not in the Heart: Truman Wiley used to report news stories from around the world, but now the most troubling headlines are his own. He's out of work, out of touch with his family, out of his home. But nothing dogs him more than his son's failing heart.

With mounting hospital bills and Truman's penchant for gambling his savings, the situation seems hopeless . . . until his estranged wife throws him a lifeline—the chance to write the story of a death row inmate, a man convicted of murder who wants to donate his heart to Truman's son.

As the execution clock ticks down, Truman uncovers disturbing evidence that points to a different killer. For his son to live, must an innocent man die? Truman’s investigation draws him down a path that will change his life, his family, and the destinies of two men forever.

More about Rachel: In her first starring role in a feature film, Rachel Hendrix plays Hannah Lawson in OCTOBER BABY. Rachel grew up in Dothan, Ala., and attended The University of Montevallo, earning a bachelor of fine arts degree in photography. While in college, she was introduced to filmmaker Kris Kimlin who cast her in his short film, LETTING GO. Since then, Rachel has appeared in many short films, music videos, and commercials, and in 2008 she landed the lead in Halogen Network's TV pilot, "Alumni."

More about October Baby: "You saw me before I was born." Psalm 139:16 (NLT)

As the curtain rises, Hannah hesitantly steps onto the stage for her theatrical debut in college. Yet before she can utter her first lines, Hannah—unscripted—collapses in front of the stunned audience.

After countless medical tests, all signs point to one underlying factor: Hannah's difficult birth. This revelation is nothing compared to what she then learns from her parents: she was actually adopted … after a failed abortion attempt.

Bewildered, angered, and confused, Hannah turns for support to Jason, her oldest friend. Encouraged by his adventurous spirit, Hannah joins his group of friends on a Spring Break road trip, embarking on a journey to discover her hidden past … and find hope for her unknown future.

In the midst of her incredible journey, Hannah finds that life can be so much more than what you have planned.

More about Beth: Beth K. Vogt provides her readers with a happily ever after woven through with humor, reality, and God’s lavish grace. She’s a non-fiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force physician (now in solo practice) who said she’d never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. Beth has discovered that God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” She writes contemporary romance because she believes there’s more to happily ever after than the fairy tales tell us.

More about Wish You Were Here: Kissing the wrong guy days before her scheduled wedding leads Allison to become a runaway bride. But can it also lead to happily ever after?

Allison Denman is supposed to get married in five days, but everything is all wrong. The huge wedding. The frothy dress. And the groom.

Still, kissing the groom’s brother, Daniel, in an unguarded moment is decidedly not the right thing to do. How could she have made such a mistake? It seems Allison’s life is nothing but mistakes at this point. Daniel’s adventures—chronicled through a collection of postcards—have always appealed to Allison’s well-hidden desire for something more. But how can betraying her fiancé’s trust lead to a true happily ever after?

Can Allison find her way out of this mess? Recognizing she doesn’t have all the answers won’t be easy because she’s used to being in control. To find her way again, she will have to believe that God has a plan for her—one outside her carefully defined comfort zone—and find the strength to let Him lead. 

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This week we get to listen to Mary DeMuth as she shares her wonderful testimony and a little about her new book Beautiful Battle.

For your chance to win a copy of Mary's book Beautiful Battle, please leave your name and e-mail address.

More about Mary: Mary E. DeMuth loves to help readers live uncaged lives. Author of 12 books, including parenting books, Southern fiction, and a memoir entitled Thin Places, Mary speaks around the country and the world. She lives in Texas with her husband and three children.  Additional information is available at www.marydemuth.com and her personal testimony at www.cbn.com/700club/features/amazing/MIA77_mary_demuth.aspx

About Beautiful Battle: Every day, Christian women are faced with spiritual attack, and the target is their families, their marriage or their livelihood.  In her spiritual handbook, Beautiful Battle: A Woman's Guide to Spiritual Warfare (Harvest House Publishers), speaker and author Mary DeMuth equips women to take on their spiritual enemy -Satan.  Mary knows from personal experience that this spiritual wager, if not addressed, can manifest itself in a woman's negative thoughts, insecurities and deep emotional issues. Mary calls women to be active, not passive, and to prepare themselves for a beautiful, spiritual battle for their mind, will and emotions.

 

At a young age, Mary recalls grappling with fear and shame after repeated sexual assault from neighborhood boys. Mary also admits that at an early age she faced an emotional void as a result of her parent's divorce, the death of her father, and being neglected by her mother. Her unfulfilled quest for love and acceptance ended for Mary at the age of fifteen when she became a Christian while attending a youth camp. 

 

With compassion and empathy, Mary explains how life events and choices can influence Satanic attacks on the lives of believers. Some of the warfare principles Mary shares in Beautiful Battle include: 

 

Biblical Principles to Combat Fear in Our Lives: God made, redeemed and called you. God is your confidence. God gives you power. God owns it all and knows it all. 

 

<When Your Family Faces a Battle: Pray like crazy. Express your love. Create boundaries. Ask God to change you. Be wary of oversensitivity. Trust in sovereignty.

 

Moving Beyond the Pain Caused by Other Christians: Be thick-skinned yet tenderhearted. Heal in community. Trust first in God. Strengthen your discernment muscles. The battle isn't against people. 

 

The Ten Types of Beneficial Prayers: Open-eyed prayers, community prayers, battle prayers, journal prayers, gifting prayers, healing prayers, scripture prayers, expectant prayers, listening prayers and daring prayers. 

 

In the Midst of Spiritual Attack - PREVAIL: Powerful. Redemptive. Eternal. Victorious. Available. Intelligent. Loyal.

*****

 

 

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This week I'm talking to Jenna Lucado, daughter of best-selling author Max Lucado and author of From Blah to Awe, a great resource for teen girls! 

For your chance to win 1 of 10 copies of From Blah to Awe be sure to leave your name and e-mail address below. Check out Tricia's blog on 3/18 to see if you've won! 

More about Jenna Lucado: If Jenna Lucado Bishop is sure of anything, she is sure of this: “I want to find any way to share the message of God’s love for His girls.” What started out as a heart to encourage teen girls has now blossomed into a ministry. Daughter of best-selling Christian author Max Lucado, Jenna has realized that she has inherited a passion for writing and speaking just like her dad. To fulfill that passion, Jenna is an annual speaker on the Revolve Tour, an event for teen girls that includes a line-up of award-winning Christian artists like Natalie Grant, as well as speakers and authors like Chad Eastham, and many more. Jenna also encourages young women through her writing ministry. Jenna has published pieces in the Revolve Tour Biblezine and Inside Out: Our Stories, Our Faith in 40 Devotionals, which contains testimonies of popular figures from Revolve. Jenna is also the author of Redefining Beautiful: What God Sees When God Sees You and is releasing a new book for young women in February 2012, From Blah to Awe: Shaking Up a Boring Faith. On top of hanging out and speaking to 50,000 young women annually, Jenna spends time sharing life with teens as a youth minister’s wife in San Antonio, Texas.  Some of Jenna’s favorite activities are eating peanut butter, playing Catch Phrase with her family, and watching movies with her husband. 

More about From Blah to Awe: In From Blah To Awe, Jenna shares with the teen reader how to have a fresh perspective on what it means to have a daily walk with God through spiritual disciplines on their level. As a speaker on the national teen girls’ conference REVOLVE tour, Jenna uses her captivate story-telling ability to teach girls the difference between religion and active faith. She provides tools and insight to do some soul-searching and discover where girls are in their own lives.

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This week we get to chat with two great authors -- Regina Jennings and Julie Cantrell! Be sure to leave a comment with your e-mail address below for your chance to win one of their books! Winners will be announced on my blog on 3/11.

More about Regina: Regina Jennings is homeschooling mother of four from Oklahoma. She enjoys watching musicals with her kids, traveling with her husband and reading by herself. Regina graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a history minor. She has worked at The Mustang News and First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows. At church Regina serves on the missions team and in the library. For more posts by Regina or information about her novel, Sixty Acres and a Bride, please visit her website - www.reginajennings.com

 

More about Sixty Acres and a Bride: She's Finally Found a Place to Call Home... How Far Will She Go to Save It? With nothing to their names, young widow Rosa Garner and her mother-in-law return to their Texas family ranch. Only now the county is demanding back taxes and the women have just three months to pay. Though facing eviction, Rosa falls in love with the countryside and the wonderful extended family who want only her best. They welcome her vivacious spirit and try to help her navigate puzzling American customs. She can't help but stand out, though, and her beauty captures attention. Where some offer help with dangerous strings attached, only one man seems honorable. But when Weston Garner, still grieving his own lost love, is unprepared to give his heart, Rosa must decide to what lengths she will go to save her future.

 

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This week on Living Inspired we'll be talking with Gordon Dalbey, author of Broken by Religion. We will also be talking to musician Shay Smith of Shayla.

For your chance to win a copy of Gordon Dalbey's Broken by Religion or one of three copies of Shayla's New Life CD, please leave a comment with your e-mail address.

More about Gordon Dalbey: Gordon Dalbey is a popular speaker at conferences and retreats. He is the best-selling author of Healing the Masculine, and Fathers & Sons, Fight like a Man, and No Small Snakes. He has ministered throughout the US and around the world and is a former news reporter, Peace Corps Volunteer (Nigeria), high school teacher and pastor. A graduate of Harvard Divinity School, he holds a BA from Duke and MA in journalism from Stanford. He has done numerous radio and television interviews and his articles have appeared in a wide variety of magazines and newspapers, including New Man, Focus on the Family, Leadership, The Priest, Los Angeles Times, Single Parent Family, and Reader’s Digest. He now divides his ministry time between writing, conference speaking, and a private practice in prayer ministry. He lives in Santa Barbara, California, with his wife and son.

For more of Gordon: Visit his website http://www.abbafather.com/; Facebook http://www.facebook.com/gordondalbey

More about Broken by Religion: Broken by Religion Healed by God: Restoring the Evangelical, Sacramental, Pentecostal, Social Justice Church, Dalbey explains how the Church today is split into four basic factions, each of which focuses on one biblically certified way of meeting Jesus and discounts the others, thereby sabotaging the Churches credibility and mission. Dalbey encourages unity between these factions as a means to know God more fully.

 

More about Shayla: Shayla is a singer-songwriter with a lot to say and a voice that makes people stop and listen. New to the musical scene, her debut CD New Life is aptly named for its unique blend of folk and worship music that challenges as much as it refreshes.  A native to the Pacific Northwest , she draws her influences from a host of indie folk artists like herself but isn’t afraid to tread on a musical path that is distinctly her own. Shayla embarked on recording her album in the summer of 2010 in Sequim, Washington with Cays Productions- a small professional studio operated by fellow musician and producer Jeremy Cays.  While it started as a stripped-down EP, the project began to bloom into something meatier and more profound. On December 1^st, 2012, Shayla released her 11 track album- a musical odyssey complete with rich vocals, soaring strings, heavy bass, crashing electronic drums, and a sweet little ukulele to boot. She enjoys performing in an array of venues ranging from frozen yogurt and coffee shops, outdoor markets, various churches, and even a maximum security prison. She has discovered that no matter where she goes people are looking for music that is honest and relevant. You can find Shayla doing any of the following:  gushing over her two very spoiled cats, inventing new recipes to try out on her ever-hungry husband, frequenting the library for obscure documentaries, and planning out her next nap. Shayla lives in Montana and is currently working on her next CD.

For more Shayla: Website Shaylamusic.com, Youtube shaylatunes, twitter @shaylamusic

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This week on Living Inspired we are going to have a blast talking to Jon S Lewis about his new young adult book Alienation, the second book in the fast pased CHAOS series. We also have the chance to chat with Rosslyn Elliott about the newest installment in her Saddler series, Sweeter Than Birdsong.

For your chance to win a copy of either Alienation or Sweeter Than Birdsong, be sure to leave your name and e-mail address in the comments below. And be sure to click the button to find out about Rosslyn's iPod Nano giveaway!

More about Jon: Jon S. Lewis is the coauthor of the Grey Griffins trilogy (over 500,000 books in print) and the upcoming Grey Griffins Clockwork Chronicles. He also writes for the DC COMICS family of publishers. He resides with his family in Arizona. 

Follow Jon via Twitter: @jonslewis 

More about Alienation: After his parents were killed in a car accident, Colt McAllister was drawn into a world he thought only existed in comic books-one where mind control, jet packs, and flying motorcycles don't even scratch the surface.

Along with his best friends Oz and Danielle, Colt is now training at the secret Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural academy. But strange accidents seem to follow him. . . even with the security of the school grounds. What first seems random soon turns deadly. But who is targeting Colt?

As the alien invasions increase in frequency and force, C.H.A.O.S resources are taxed to the limit and they're forced to utilize the new recruits. In the midst of battle, Colt will discover some startling revelations . . . about himself, his friendship with Oz, and why he has been chosen to defeat this alien attack against earth.

More about Rosslyn Elliott: Rosslyn Elliott is the award-winning author of Fairer than Morning, the first in the Saddler's Legacy series. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and a Ph.D. in English from Emory University. Her study of American literature and history inspired her to pursue writing fiction. Elliott lives in Albuquerque, where she homeschools her daughter and works in children's ministry.

Need more Rosslyn?  Visit her on her website www.rosslynelliott.com and follow her on Twitter @rosslynelliott

More about Sweeter Than Birdsong: Music offers Kate sweet refuge from her troubles . . . but real freedom is sweeter.

In Westerville, Ohio, 1855, Kate Winter’s dreams are almost within reach. As the first woman to graduate from Otterbein College, she’ll be guaranteed her deepest wish: escape from the dark secret haunting her family. But with her mother determined to marry her off to a wealthy man, Kate must face reality. She has to run. Now. And she has the perfect plan. Join the upcoming musical performance—and use it to mask her flight.

Ben Hanby, Otterbein College’s musical genius, sees Kate Winter as an enigmatic creature, notable for her beauty, yet painfully shy. Then he hears her sing—and the glory of her voice moves him as never before. He determines to cast her in his musical and uncover the mystery that is Kate. Still, he must keep his own secret to himself. Not even this intriguing woman can know that his passionate faith is driving him to aid fugitives on the Underground Railroad.

A terrifying accident brings Kate and Ben together, but threatens to shatter both their secrets and their dreams. Kate can no longer deny the need to find her courage—and her voice—if she is to sing a new song for their future.

2/10 - 2/28

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This week on Living Inspired we will be chatting with Kathryn Bechen on simplifying your life and her book Small Space Organizing. In the second half of the show, we will be talking to Karen Linamen author of The Chocolate Diaries.

For your chance to win either Small Space Organizing or The Chocolate Diaries please leave a comment below. Don't forget to include your e-mail!!

 

More about Kathryn Bechen: Kathryn Bechen is an award-winning professional writer whose articles have appeared in popular national and regional magazines and newspapers. She specializes in lifestyle feature articles and has also published several organizing and decorating e-books. The lifestyle companies she founded, Organized with Ease and Kathryn Bechen Designs, have served clients worldwide. Kathryn has organized and decorated 13 personal small space residences together with her husband Steve, and they currently live in their favorite small space ever: a 1,200-square-foot high-rise apartment in beautiful San Diego, California. She blogs about timely lifestyle topics at www.KathrynBechenINK.com.

More About Small Space Organizing: While we may admire the spacious rooms in large homes we see in magazines or on TV, let's face it: most of us don't live in rambling estates. Instead, we live in homes, apartments, or condos with small rooms and even smaller closets. But you can enjoy an organized, beauty-filled life no matter what the size of your space. In this practical book, readers will learn how to
-perform a room-by-room audit of their space to see if it's functioning at its best
-make the most of existing storage space and find clever ways to add more
-find creative ways to arrange furnishings and accessories that maximize space and bring harmony and style to the home
Whether empty nesters who are downsizing, newlyweds who are setting up their first nest, or anyone who needs creative new ideas, readers will love these strategies, tips, and solutions to maximize their space and enhance their quality of life.

More About Karen Linamen: Literary Guild has dubbed her “the queen of good humor and common sense” while Publishers Weekly describes her writing as “funny, forthright and unforgettable.”
Whether addressing audiences from page or platform, Karen Linamen is entertaining, passionate and transparent as she encourages people toward wellness in their relationships, emotions, bodies and spirits.
A motivational speaker, inspirational speaker and author of humorous self-help books for women, Karen Linamen mixes up a potent blend of laugh-out-loud humor and sage advice. Her enthusiastic theme is "Yes. You can," and she preaches it passionately whether she's talking about renewing joy, pursuing dreams, forgiving, making healthier choices, thriving through stress or living and laughing more boldly than ever before.
Karen has been featured on hundreds of radio and TV shows including· “Family Life Today," “The 700 Club," “Good Day Dallas,” “The PTL Club” and “On Main Street.” She received an Angel Award, and two of her books were finalists for the ECPA Gold Medalion. A former editor with Focus on the· Family, she has produced a TV show for KCBS-TV in Los Angeles, served as Contributing Writer with Today’s Christian Woman Magazine and written a weekly humor column for the Women of Faith website. Karen lives with her family in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

More About The Chocolate Diaries: Funny, transparent, and uplifting, The Chocolate Diaries is like taking a road trip with good friends who are wise about life. And while you’re at it, indulge (just a little) in the quirky recipes for concocting chocolate delights out of whatever ingredients you can round up in your kitch. The road may still be bumpy, but you’ll be having too much fun to care.

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Postponed

 

This week on Living Inspired we have the honor of talking with Holley Gerth co-founder of (in)courage and author of upcoming book You're Already Amazing: Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You To Be.

More About Holley: Holley Gerth is an award-winning blogger & writer and her first book is titled You’re Already Amazing. She is a licensed counselor, certified life coach and speaker. She is cofounder of (in)courage, an online destination for women, which received more than one million page views in its first six months. She also reaches out to readers through her popular blog, Heart to Heart with Holley and through her partnership with DaySpring, a subsidiary of Hallmark. Holley lives in Arkansas with her husband, Mark.

 

More About You're Already Amazing: Women feel enormous pressure to be perfect. To have the perfect body, to be a perfect woman, to have the perfect career, and to have the perfect attitude. All the time. Under all that pressure and all those expectations are women carrying burdens they were never meant to carry and suppressing the dreams they were always meant to live.

In You're Already Amazing, popular blogger and cofounder of (in)courage helps women understand and embrace the fact that they don't need to do more, be more, and have more--because they're already amazing just the way God created them to be. As a licensed counselor and certified life coach, Holley knows what readers need to hear. Like a heart-to-heart talk over coffee, reading this joy-filled book encourages women to forget the lies and expectations the world feeds them, instead believing that God made them for a purpose and that he loves them right now, at this moment, and always. Holley takes readers on a journey of the heart to discover their strengths and embrace all God created them to be.

Connect with Holley:  http://www.holleygerth.com/ or http://www.incourage.me/

Pre-order You're Already Amazing

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This week we are going to be talking to Sandy Ralya author of new book The Beautiful Wife.

For a chance to win a copy of The Beautiful Wife, be sure to leave a comment with your name and e-mail address!

More about Sandy: Sandy Ralya is the founder and director of Beautiful Womanhood, a marriage mentoring ministry based near Grand Rapids, Mich. Her marriage testimony was the focus of a popular three-day interview on FamilyLife Today, TV's Walking by Faith, and Time Out for Women. Sandy is a sought-after speaker, presenting Beautiful Womanhood seminars to hundreds of women each year at MOPS groups, women's retreats, and church leadership conferences across the country and in Canada. Sandy and her husband Tom have been married since 1980, and have a growing number of grandchildren. To learn more about Sandy and her ministry visit her website:

http://www.beautifulwomanhood.com/sandy-ralya

 

 

More about The Beautiful Wife: The Beautiful Wife answers serious questions women have about their roles as wives. Discussing everything from romance and money to beauty, communication, and sex, Sandy challenges women to open up and share their journeys so that together they can see God's plan for their marriages.

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This week on the show we will be chatting with Susan May Warren about her new book The Shadow of Your Smile, marriage, and My Book Therapy!

For a chance to win Susan's new book -- The Shadow of Your Smile, be sure to leave a comment with your name and e-mail! And be sure to click the button below to find out about Susan's $200 Visa cash card givaway!

More about Susan: Susan May Warren is the award-winning, best-selling author of over 35 novels, from historical to romantic suspense. She loves crafting a story with rich characters who grapple with life and find God’s grace along the way.  Her stories have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She makes her home in northern Minnesota, on the shores of beautiful Lake Superior with her husband and four nearly grown children.

More about The Shadow of Your Smile: The Shadow of your Smile is about a woman in a troubled marriage who falls and loses her memory of the past twenty-five years – her entire marriage, not to mention the devastating loss of her only daughter. Her family is faced with a terrible decision…keep the past from her to allow her to start again, or risk helping her regain her memory and relieve the grief all over again. Are the happy moments in her past worth the pain? Can God use the tragedy to bring joy? It’s a story of second chances.

 

 

Enter 1/9 - 1/28.

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Be sure to catch this week's show! The first half hour we will be chatting with Gregg Murset creator of My Job Chart an online chore chart and reward system for teaching, organizing and motivating your kids to Save, Share and Spend responsibly. In the second half of the show we'll hear from Joanne Kraft author of Just Too Busy -- Taking Your Family on a Radical Sabatical.

For a chance to win a copy of Just Too Busy -- Taking Your Family on a Radical Sabatical please leave a comment with your name and e-mail address.

Gregg Murset has an Finance degree from Arizona State University and has been involved in the insurance and investment industry for the past 17 years. He has earned the following professional designations in that field: CerHfied Financial Planner, Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Financial Consultant, CerHfied Funds Specialist Registered Health Underwriter, Registered Employee Benefits Consultant (REBC), and Chartered Advisor for Senior Living. Gregg’s passion is to inspire parents to teach kids to learn how to work, be responsible and learn the value of a dollar. Currently there are 120,000 kids using My Job Chart with hundreds joining every day.

About My Job Chart: My Job Chart is the free, easy to use, online chore chart and reward system for teaching, organizing and motivating your kids to Save, Share and Spend responsibly. My Job Chart makes it easy for parents to assign chores and more motivating and meaningful for children to fulfill them. My Job Chart facilitates fun, engaging, hands-on learning for kids on the ABCs of prosperity including saving, sharing and spending. My Job Chart gives parents the satisfaction of seeing their kids gain the foundation skills of a strong work ethic and financial responsibility. My Job Chart takes the struggle out of instilling a strong work ethic in kids. For more information and to try My Job Chart visit:  http://www.myjobchart.com

Joanne Kraft is a recovering too-busy mom and the author of Just Too Busy—Taking Your Family on a Radical Sabbatical. She’s a mom who writes and a sought-after speaker. Joanne’s articles have been published by In Touch, Thriving Family, ParentLife, Today’s Christian Woman, and P31 Woman. She’s appeared on CBN News, Focus on the Family’s afternoon show—Your Family Live, Sacramento & Co., and The Harvest Show. She makes her home in the Sierra Nevada Foothills of Northern California with her husband Paul, their four children, and a beagle with a slight weight problem. Joanne knows she is blessed. As an author and speaker, her passion is to encourage women – one heart at a time.

About Just Too Busy—Taking Your Family on a Radical Sabbatical: In Just Too Busy, author Joanne Kraft takes us on a journey with her and her family as they take a 12-month break from activities, fast food, and technology. You wouldn’t believe how the Kraft family becomes closer as busyness takes a backseat when they shut down their daily shuttle bus. In this book, readers will laugh their way through the ten tell-tale signs that they’re too busy and discover the symptoms for Activity Denial Disorder. Families will find simple ways to guard themselves from the temptation of constant distraction and become convinced that being radical as a family is more than survivable.

 

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Be sure to catch this week's show! The first half hour we will be chatting with Elizabeth Younts author of Seasons: A Real Story of an Amish Girl which quickly became an Amazon bestseller. In the second half of the show we'll hear from Cindi Ferrini creator of Balancing the Active Life: An Interactive Bible Study.

For a chance to win either a copy of Seasons: A Real Story of an Amish Girl or Balancing the Active Life please leave a comment with your name and e-mail address.

More about Elizabeth: Elizabeth Byler Younts is the author of an Amish memoir titled SEASONS: A REAL STORY OF AN AMISH GIRL. Seasons is the story of her grandmother Lydia Lee Coblentz who grew up in an impoverished Amish family through the Great Depression. Seasons was released in August 2010 and has become an Amazon bestseller in 3 categories. Elizabeth is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers. She is an Air Force Officer’s wife with two young daughters and makes her home wherever her family is stationed. To read more about Elizabeth and keep up with her, visit her website: http://www.elizabethbyleryounts.com

More about Cindi: Cindi enjoys speaking on topics that will encourage men and women to make a difference in their sphere of influence by being all they can be for the Lord, their families, and themselves. Cindi along with her husband Joe are on the speaking team for Family Life Ministries, a marriage-focused ministry founded by Dr. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ.

Joe (a dentist) and Cindi have enjoyed ministry together as they direct the City Focus Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ in the Northeast Ohio area as associate staff since 1989. They helped to bring the Billy Graham Crusade to Cleveland in 1994 and served as trained counselors, supervisors and leaders. They were also responsible for the direction of distributing over 32,000 pieces of material to inquirers that came forward throughout the crusade. The Billy Graham Association asked them to establish follow-up in the NE Ohio area because of the discipleship ministry they already had in place. They have also served as City Ministry Directors of the FamilyLife conferences in Cleveland (NE Ohio) from 1990-2001 with expansion to Akron in 2000 and an Urban Familylife Conference in Youngstown, OH, in October of 2001! Joe and Cindi now speak nationally for the Familylife Marriage Conferences. For more info, please visit  http://www.cindiferrini.com

More About Balancing the Active Life: An interactive Bible study for men and women of all ages and stages of life! This workbook is designed to help busy people achieve better balance in their lives. It is a helpful tool to teach and learn how to prioritize the activities we believe God wants us to do! It can be used by individuals, small and large groups, and Sunday School classes. Cindi’s book is available to order at bookstores, online at www.cindiferrini.com, and through Tate Publishing (www.tatepublishing.com)

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Don't miss this week's show. We'll be chatting the first half hour with Kurt Bjorklund, senior pastor of Orchard Hill Church and author of Prayers for Today. In the second half of the show we'll hear from Betsy St. Amant, a multi-published author with Love Inspired and a newly published author of Young Adult fiction.

More about Kurt: KURT BJORKLUND was educated at Wheaton College, Trinity International University, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. After serving two churches in the Chicago area, Kurt served as a Senior Pastor in a church in southeastern Michigan for a decade. He is currently the senior pastor of Orchard Hill Church, a large non- denominational church outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He and his wife Faith live with their four sons in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. 

• Prayers of Confession • Prayers of Affirmation • Prayers of Petition • Prayers of Renewal • Prayers of Praise and Adoration • Prayers to Have Christ-like Character • Prayers for Wisdom and Guidance • Prayers of Intercession • Prayers of Surrender

 

With 260 entries -- enough for every weekday of an entire year -- Prayers for Today guides readers through a unique kind of spiritual pilgrimage, a pilgrimage toward the very throne room of God.

 

For any reader who's ever wanted more out of prayer or who's ever hungered for a greater sense of God's presence, Prayers for Today promises deepened communion with the One who treasures the words and longings of His people.

 

 

More about Betsy: Betsy St. Amant lives in Louisiana and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Her sixth novel for Love Inspired, HER FAMILY WISH, will release April 2012 and her first YA novel with Barbour released January 2012. Betsy has been published in the Christian Communicator magazine andPraise Reports: Inspiring Real Life Stories of How God Answers Prayer. One of her short stories, Kickboxing or Chocolate, appears in a Tyndale compilation book, and she is also multi-published through The Wild Rose Press. Betsy has a B.A. in Christian Communications and regularly freelances for her local newspaper, The Forum. Betsy is the wife of a fireman, the mommy of a precious toddler, an avid reader and dedicated author who enjoys sharing the wonders of God’s grace through her stories. Find out more about Betsy and her books at her website: http://www.betsystamant.com/

 

More about Addison Blakely, Confessions of a PK: Sixteen-year-old Addison Blakely has tirelessly played the role of PK—preacher’s kid—her entire life. But after Wes Keegan revs his motorcycle into town and into her heart, Addison begins to wonder how much of her faith is her own and how much has been handed to her. She isn’t so sure she wants to be the good girl anymore. Join Addison Blakely as she attempts to separate love from lust, facts from faith, and keep her head above water in her murky, fishbowl existence.

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Merry Christmas! I pray that you are having a wonderful holiday with family and friends. I'll be running encore shows for the next two weeks.

This week we'll be running a GREAT interview with the inspirational and best-selling author of over thirty books - Randy Alcorn. Randy talked about his book The Goodness of God and more.

More About Randy: Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM). Prior to  1990, when he started EPM, he served as a pastor for fourteen years. He has spoken around the world and has taught on the adjunct faculties of Multnomah Bible College and Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon.

Randy is the best-selling author of twenty-seven books (over three million in print), including the novels Deadline, Dominion, and Deception as well as Lord Foulgrin's Letters, the Gold Medallion winner Safely Home, and Wait Until Then (children's picture book about Heaven).  His fourteen nonfiction works include Money, Possessions and Eternity, ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments, In Light of Eternity, The Treasure Principle, The Grace & Truth Paradox, The Purity Principle, The Law of Rewards, Why ProLife, Heaven, Heaven for Kids (8-12 year olds), 50 Days of Heaven (meditations on Heaven) and Tell Me About Heaven (picture book illustrated by Ron DiCianni).

Randy has written for many magazines and produces the popular periodical Eternal Perspectives. He's been a guest on over 500 radio and television programs including Focus on the Family, The Bible Answer Man, Family Life Today, Revive Our Hearts, Truths that Transform and Faith Under Fire.

The father of two married daughters, Randy lives in Gresham, Oregon, with his wife and best friend, Nanci. They are the proud grandparents of four grandsons, Jacob, Matthew, Tyler and Jack. Randy enjoys hanging out with his family, biking, tennis, research and reading.

For more information on this author, please be sure to visit www.epm.org. To see the author's life and perspectives, check out his blog at www.epm.org/blog.

About The Goodness of God Assurance of Purpose in the Midst of Suffering:

Through Pain and Tears…

Finding a Way to God’s Heart

For those times when we’re wounded by broken trust, assaulted by disease, or victimized by evil—or when we’re crushed to see such things happen to people we love—Randy Alcorn offers something solid to hold onto. 

In this specially focused condensation of Alcorn’s If God Is Good…: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil, we’re continually guided into a deeper glimpse of God’s loving ways and higher purposes—the very things we’re often most blinded to whenever we battle pain and anguish.

Alcorn avoids superficial or sentimental responses, and instead presses forward boldly to explore all the troubling doubts and questions that agitate within us when we confront suffering and evil.

The issues are far from simple, the answers far from easy—but Alcorn shows how the way of suffering—a path that Jesus himself followed more than anyone else—can ultimately become a journey into wholeness and even logic-defying joy.

I can't wait to chat with this week's amazing guest. Christine Jeske will be talking about how to motivate people wherever they are in the world to tackle the real challenges around them, not to avoid them. What she calls moving “into the mud.”  We'll also be talking about how we, as a church, have much to learn from people in the developing world. Those brothers and sisters are an integral part of Christ’s body and we need to be willing to let them teach us, not focus so much on trying to 'fix' them. I know this will be a fascinating interview - don't miss it Thursday at 3:00 PM Central.

Then in the 29th Christine Jeske will be on. She talked about her book Into the Mud and micro-missions.

More about Christine: Christine Jeske has spent seven years working in microfinance, refugee resettlement, development, and holistic missions with her husband Adam. Their journeys have taken them from Wisconsin to Nicaragua, China, and South Africa where she most recently taught at the Evangelical Seminary of Southern Africa and for Eastern University. Christine’s work has appeared in a number of publications in both the United States and South Africa, including Relevant Magazine, Neue Quarterly, MomSense, Overland Journal, and The Lookout.  She and Adam have two children.  They currently live in Madison, Wisconsin. Find out more about Christine and her book at the Into the Mud website: http://www.intothemud.com/

About Into the Mud: Inspiration for Everyday Activists: True Stories of South Africa

Into The Mud takes readers behind the headlines, into real stories of real people living neck-deep in some of Africa’s most difficult issues — but with hands, minds, and hearts rooted in God’s kingdom. Each of its interwoven stories and related discussion questions addresses a broader issue of missions and development, including: evangelism, literacy and education, microfinance, health services, urbanization and refugee assistance, and more. Reflection questions at the end of each chapter help readers to apply lessons from the chapters to their own ministry contexts.

Where the world sees despair, author Christine Jeske sees God writing stories of hope. Study groups, development students, mission teams, and everyday activists alike will be challenged by her stories to enter more deeply into the thick of life’s mud.

Download an excerpt.

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Don't miss this week's show. We'll be chatting the first half hour with BJ Harmick from Real Teen Faith. Then in the second half of the show we'll hear from Stan Williams, an international award-winning video producer, filmmaker and show creator.

More about BJ: Bekah is the author of The Bare Naked Truth About Waiting (co-written with her husband, Ethan), the book that takes a satirical stab at the lies girls believe about relationships (release date: 4/2013). You can read more about the Bare Naked Truth and the Martin’s new addition to the family, Zoey — at www.bekahhamrickmartin.com.

Bekah is an editor at Real Teen Faith. RTF is a place where faith-filled and seeking teens can talk about God, current events, books, music, culture, devos, lyrics and poetry, and missions.

More about Stan: Since 1972, Stan has managed hundreds of industrial and dramatic productions, including numerous documentaries, live shows, theater, live and broadcast television as producer, director, writer, editor, and executive producer

Stan holds an earned Ph.D. in Communications-Film Studies (1998, Wayne State University), an M.A. in Speech-Communications (1980, Eastern Michigan University), and a B.A. in Physics (1969, Greenville College). He has completed numerous workshops and professional forums including the competitive Act One: Writing for Hollywood, a month-long screenwriting workshop (New York, 2000).

Dr. Williams' doctoral research and dissertation is titled: Narrative Argument Validity and Film Popularity which was the basis for The Moral Premise. This on-going research examines the relationship between a film's box office performance and the structure and consistency of its moral premise. The completed research provided evidence that upheld a Hollywood belief that a film's box office success is directly related to the consistency and truth of the film's moral premise. His rules of story validity can be used during the development of a screenplay to offer a strong predictive tool to a film's success before production ever begins.

Because of The Moral Premise Stan is frequently asked to consult on major motion picture projects, most notably since 2008 he has worked with Will Smith as a story and script consultant on various motion picture projects. In addition The Moral Premise Stan has written, compiled, and edited dozens of other book and print projects for corporations and his own distribution-publishing entity, Nineveh's Crossing.

He is currently Executive Producer and Director for "Nineveh's Crossing Presents," a television series that explores Christian faith, values, and history that airs on a number of religious networks.

As a staff director-producer for Ford Motor's World Headquarters, he produced, wrote, and directed live, film and video productions for world distribution. As founder and president of Full Circle Communications, Inc., he managed the development and production of award-winning films, videos and interactive multimedia for World's Fairs, auto shows, corporate information, and training. As Creative Vice-President of Ross Roy Communications-Training, Stan managed a multi-million dollar film and video production budget for Chrysler Corporation. During his son's high school basketball career, he chose to freelance as a writer, media producer, and professional basketball dad. (It paid off...he thanks all U.S. tax payers who put Josh through the Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD, Class of 1999 - at 6'10" he was the center for the basketball team for several years.) As Midwest Operations Director for ADP's Sandy Corporation, he was the creative director for multiple communication interventions, including national conferences for Harley-Davidson dealers and Internet training sites for ADP and General Motors. As an electronic engineer for McDonnell Douglas Astronautics in Houston he wrote flight procedures and trained astronauts for NASA's Skylab space station.

Stan resides in S.E. Michigan with his first, one and only wife, Pam, a cat, and a menagerie of yard mammals. As of this writing they have 3 children and 9 grandchildren residing nearby in Farmington Hills and not so nearby in Iowa. When time allows he goes sailing, if he's not at confession. www.moralpremise.com

 

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Don't miss this week's show. The first half hour I have the privilege of chatting with the amazing Sara Groves about her new album. We'll hear a little bit about what inspires her and what's next for Sara and her family. Then during the second half hour we'll talk about successful stepparenting and thriving during the holidays with Gayla Grace. Good stuff.

For a chance to win a copy of Sara's new album, Invisible Empires or a digital copy of Gayla's Thriving at the Holidays - a Stepparent's Guide to Success, leave a comment here. Winners will be notified via email next week - be sure to leave your email addy.

More about Sara and her family: Since her debut release in 2001, Conversations, Sara Groves has become one of the most criticallyacclaimed artists in the Christian music industry, receiving rave reviews across the board for each recording by Billboard Magazine and others. Groves consistently tops year-end reader's polls and album of the year nods from the likes of CCM magazine, Christianity Today and more. On her upcoming release, Invisible Empires, the follow-up to Fireflies and Songs, Christianity Today's 2009 Album of the Year, the singer/songwriter describes the record content as a process of sorting through the layers of this frenetic life, gaining a new perspective and finding the long-standing truth. Since her 2005 release, Add to the Beauty, Groves has been immersed in a series of global conversations and experiences, from the flood-ravaged gulf of Louisiana, the genocide memorials of Rwanda and the testimonies of Southeast Asia sex trade survivors. These experiences have shaped Groves music as she brings to light the difficult and meaningful work of social justice and engaging in the suffering of the afflicted.

Sara and her husband Troy have 3 children: Ruby, Toby and Kirby.  She and Troy are actively teaching their children at their young ages how to lend a helping hand to the neediest among us on a local scale and also on a international level. 

Sara and her family are in the process of moving into a one hundred-year-old church in St. Paul, Minn., where they plan to renovate part of it into their own living quarters and part of it into an Art House. The Art House’s purpose will be to serve the artist community of the Twin Cities in a similar fashion of the Art Houses in Nashville and Dallas started by producer and songwriter Charlie Peacock and his wife Andi.  For more information, you can visit:  www.arthouseamerica.com

Sara has been involved with The International Justice Mission for many years now and she and her family continue to support that foundation to help change lives and change the world-saving one life at a time in the horrible world of human trafficking.  They are also greatly involved with Food for the Hungry where they sponsor children in Africa, and where their children have visited and regularly write letters to their other "brothers & sisters."

These are just some of the ways they are teaching their children. The big key for Troy and Sara is communication. They have countless conversations with their children about what is going on in the world and injustice - it's not something they are not aware of.

For more information visit Sara's website, www.sarahgroves.com. 

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More about Gayla: Gayla Grace is a wife and mother to five children in her blended family. She and her husband, Randy, have beenmarried 16 years and Gayla is passionate about helping other stepparents on the stepparenting journey due to the struggles she has walked through.  She has a Master’s degree in Psychology/Counseling and offers support through her blog and website at: www.stepparentingwithgrace.com. 

She is co-author of a holiday e-book published in November, 2011 titled, “A Stepparent’s Guide to Success, Thriving at the Holidays- Unwrapping the Gift of Peace.” It can be purchased at www.stepparentingsuccess.com.

More about Thriving at the Holidays - a Stepparent's Guide to Success:

Are you looking for ways to have a peaceful holiday season with your stepfamily? Thriving at the Holidays: A Stepparent's Guide To Success is a MUST HAVE resource and will help you and your family unwrap the gift of peace during the holidays. This book offers encouragement, tips, inspiration and personal stories for stepparents to embrace and enjoy the holiday season and beyond! 

You'll also find a list of unique and creative holiday traditions to start with your own family and personal recipes to help you cook up some sweet treats with your stepkids. "Heather and Gayla want to help your family unwrap familial peace. From stepparent’s living in the trenches this booklet is packed full of practical advice, encouragement, and perspective for your holiday challenges," - Ron L. Deal, President www.SmartStepfamilies.com

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Happy post Thanksgiving! I pray you had a lovely time with family and friends - and that you found much to be thankful for! We're back to our regularly scheduled show this week and have two wonderful guests lined up. The first half hour we'll be talking to Anita who has written recently published the widely praised School is Where the Home Is: 180 Devotions for Parents. Based on her experiences from eight years of homeschooling and advice she was given along the way, this unique devotional offers both practical guidance along with scriptural wisdom needed for the homeschooling journey. Then during the second half of the show, we'll be hearing from author Miralee Ferrell. Miralee will be sharing her writing journey with us as well as introducing her recent books, Love Finds You in Sundance, Wyoming and The Other Daughter. Don't miss this week's show.

Leave a comment below for a chance to win Anita's homeschool devotional or Miralee's Love Finds You on Sundance, Wyoming. Winners will be notified next week via email.

More about Anita: Anita Mellott, in her ninth year of homeschooling, has first-hand experience with the ups and downs, the joys and challenges of the homeschooling life. She leads a homeschool encouragement group and  contributes to Homeschool Enrichment, Novel Rocket and Crosswalk.com. She blogs words of encouragement and hope at From the Mango Tree. For thirteen years, Mellott worked as a writer/editor with Habitat for Humanity International. Prior to moving to the United States, she headed the Department of Journalism at Mt. Carmel College, Bangalore, India, and also has experience in public relations and advertising in India.

Find out more about Anita at her website.

More about “School Is Where the Home Is: 180 Devotions for Parents”

An estimated 2 million children are homeschooled in the United States. This is a devotional for those dedicated parents.

Mellott’s 180 anecdotal devotionals explore specific homeschooling issues and present biblical truths to guide parents through challenging times. Themes include:

• Homeschool Basics—fundamentals such as obedience to the call, prioritizing, decision-making

• Homeschool and You—how homeschooling affects the primary educator (and vice versa)

• Homeschool and Family—juggling parenting, marriage, education, and domestic life

• Gifts We Give Our Children—intangible gifts, from a godly heritage to freedom to pursue their dreams

• And A Child Will Lead them—discovering life and faith though our child’s eyes

• Spiritual Vitamins: inspiration for Christian life, addressing fear, faith, prayer, and more

• Faith of Their Own—intentional discipleship that nurtures children in their own faith

School Is Where the Home Is presents a unique blend of the practical and inspirational for today’s homeschooling parents.

More about Miralee: Miralee and her husband Allen have been married 39 yrs. They live on 11 acres in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge in southern Washington State, where they love to garden, play with their dogs, take walks, and go sailing. Miralee enjoys riding her horse on the wooded trails near their home with her grown daughter who lives nearby. She’s an avid reader and has a large collection of first edition Zane Grey books, which inspired her desire to write fiction set in the Old West.

Miralee serves as president of the Portland, Oregon, chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers and belongs to a number of writer’s groups. She also speaks at women’s groups, libraries, and churches about her writing journey. When she started writing fiction Miralee believed that she’d always stay with women’s contemporary, but has since branched out to historical romance. Exploring family and marriage issues, The Other Daughter follows a family of four who receive a shock in the form of a 13-year-old girl who lands on their doorstep, claiming to be the daughter of the husband/father of the family—a girl they didn’t know existed. Finding Jeena features a character from the first book and explores socio-economic issues through a single woman’s sudden job-loss and ensuing struggle for survival.

Her fourth historical romance with Summerside Press in their Love Finds You series, set in Sundance, Wyoming released in August. All the Love Finds You books are stand-alone novels, and take place in a real town in America. Miralee’s first three are set in 1877, Love Finds You in Last Chance, CA, 1902, Love Finds You in Bridal Veil, Oregon, and 1881, Love Finds You in Tombstone, AZ.  The first two have a suspense thread as well as romance and the third has a higher degree of action.

Miralee recently signed a contract with David C Cook Publishing for a three-book historical series set in Oregon (women’s fiction with a strong romance thread) releasing June of 2013.

Facebook:   www.facebook.com/miralee   Web site:    www.miraleeferrell.com  

More about Love Finds You in Sundance, Wyoming:

Angel Ramirez is tired of living a lie. But can she live like a lady?

On the run from a dangerous outlaw, Angel works her way across several states disguised as a boy and working as a varmint tracker and horse wrangler. After taking a job on a Wyoming ranch owned by a bachelor and his widowed sister, she finally reveals her true identity and must fight to prove her worth as a ranch hand while somehow discovering her role as woman.

Hiring a woman doesn’t sit well with Travis Morgan, and the dark-haired beauty is causing a ruckus among his cowboys. Just as Angel decides she’ll never be able to please her boss, an unexpected surprise arrives from across the ocean and makes trouble on the ranch. Will Angel leave with the person who’s come so far to claim her.

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The first half hour we'll be chatting with author Gayle Roper about the adoption of her two sons and how one of her sons has reconnected with his birth mother. Gayle will also be giving us a look at her new book, Shadows on the Sand. Then during the second half of the show, Holley Gerth from Heart to Heart with Holley and Incourage.me will be here to talk about her latest book, God's Heart for You. Holley will be sharing the inspiration behind the book and how the project evolved into something so much bigger than she expected.

More about Gayle: Gayle is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers ofAmerica, is the multi-award-winning, best-selling author of Fatal Deduction and more than forty other books. She teaches and leads mentoring clinics at writers conferences across the country. Gayle lives in eastern Pennsylvania.

More about Shadows on the Sand: She serves him breakfast at her cafe every morning … but he never seems to notice her.

When Carrie’s dishwasher is killed and her young waitress disappears, Greg finds himself drawn into helping Carrie solve the mysteries … and into her life. But when Carrie’s own painful past becomes all to present, her carefully constructed world begins to sink.

Will the fragile relationship she’s built with Greg implode from the weight of the baggage they both carry?

More about Holley: Holley Gerth is an award-winning writer, life coach, counselor, and speaker who loves sharing the heart of God with women through words. She’s the author of several books as well as over 2,000 greeting cards for DaySpring. Her most recent book is God’s Heart for You: Embracing Your True Worth as a Woman (Harvest House, September 2011). Holley cofounded a new web site for women, (in)courage, which received over a million hits in its first six months. You can also find Holley online at her popular blog, Heart to Heart with Holley that has over 23,000 subscribers.

More about the book: God's Heart for You: Embracing Your True Worth as a Woman


The personal, inviting style of popular speaker, writer, and counselor Holley Gerth inspires thousands of readers weekly through her DaySpring site incourage.me and her well-known blog Heart to Heart with Holley. In God’s Heart for You, Holley offers insightful devotions, reflective questions, and captivating poetry to reveal how, through God’s love, a woman is wholly—

Accepted and known completely
Chosen with imperfections to be made perfect
Empowered with God’s strength
Beautiful and a one-of-a-kind gift to the world
Blessed with God’s best

Bound with a lovely padded hardcover, this gathering of encouraging readings will be a wonderful gift for any occasion and a powerful treasury of God’s heart and purpose for a women to return to again and again for refreshment.

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This week on the show I'll be talking to Tamera Alexander and Susan Meissner - two wonderful authors. We'll be taking a peek at the women behind the books. We'll find out a bit about their own stories, as well as hear about their newest books. Mark your calendars and don't miss Thursday's show.

Both ladies have a copy of their books to giveaway. Leave a comment here for a chance to win one. Winners will be notified via email next week.

More about Tamera: Tamera Alexander is a best-selling novelist whose deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose resonate with readers. Having lived in Colorado for seventeen years, she and her husband now make their home in Nashville Tennessee, along with their two adult children who live near by. And don't forget Jack, their precious--and precocious--silky terrier.

For more information please visit www.tameraalexander.com. 

About Tamer's new release: A Lasting Impression

A fake. A forger. More than anything, Claire Laurent longs for the chance to live an authentic life, to become the woman she wants to be. And she'll be given that choice. But will it come at too costly a price?

Claire Laurent's greatest aspiration is to paint something that will bring her acclaim. Yet her father insists she work as a copyist. A forger. When she's forced to flee from New Orleans to Nashville only a year after the War Between the States has ended, her path collides with attorney Sutton Monroe. She considers him a godsend for not turning her in to the authorities. But after he later refuses to come to her aid, Claire fears she's sorely misjudged the man. Finding herself among the elite of Nashville's society, Claire believes her dream to create a lasting impression in the world of art is within reach--but only if her fraudulent past remains hidden.

The Federal Army has destroyed Sutton's home and confiscated his land, and threatens to destroy his family's honor. His determination to reclaim what belongs to him and to right a grievous wrong reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined--as well as the woman he loves.Set at Nashville's historic Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Mrs. Adelicia Acklen, A Lasting Impression is a sweeping love story about a nation mending after war, the redemption of those wounded, and the courage of a man and woman to see themselves--and each other--for who they really are.

More about Susan: Award-winning writer Susan Meissner is a multi-published author, speaker and workshop leader with a background in community journalism. Her novels include The Shape of Mercy, named by Publishers Weekly as one of the Best Books of 2008. She is a pastor’s wife and a mother of four. When she's not writing, Susan directs the Small Groups and Connection Ministries program at her San Diego church.

Visit www.susanmeissner.com for more information.

About Susan's new release: Sound Among the Trees

A house shrouded in time. 

A line of women with a heritage of loss.

As a young bride, Susannah Page was rumored to be a Civil War spy for the North, a traitor to her Virginian roots. Her great-granddaughter Adelaide, the current matriarch of Holly Oak, doesn’t believe that Susannah’s ghost haunts the antebellum mansion looking for a pardon, but rather the house itself bears a grudge toward its tragic past.

When Marielle Bishop marries into the family and is transplanted from the arid west to her husband’s home, it isn’t long before she is led to believe that the house she just settled into brings misfortune to the women who live there.

With Adelaide’s richly peppered superstitions and deep family roots at stake, Marielle must sort out the truth about Susannah Page and Holly Oak— and make peace with the sacrifices she has made for love.

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If you're married, single or a mom - you won't want to miss this weeks' show. Our first guest will be Shannon Ethridge, she'll be talking about Every Woman's Battle and Every Young Woman's Battle. Then during the second half hour we'll be talking to Carla Ann Coroy about her recent book, Married Mom, Solo Parent. If you've ever felt like you're doing this "mom thing" alone - be sure to tune in for Carla's segment.

For a chance to win a copy Shannon's or Carla's Married Mom, Solo Parent leave a comment here. Winner will be notified next week via email.

More about Shannon and the Every Woman's Battle series:

Shannon is a million-copy best-selling author, speaker, lay counselor, and advocate for healthy sexuality with a master’s degree in counseling/human relations from Liberty University. She has spoken to youth, college students, and adults since 1989 and her passions include: Challenging adults and teens to embrace a life of sexual integrity, encouraging married couples in their pursuit of sexual and emotional fulfillment, counseling women who have looked for love in all the wrong places and equipping parents to instill sexual values in children at an early age.

Her passion for healthy sexuality actually began in Mortuary College. Her first career choice, becoming a mortician, led Ethridge to work on dead bodies. Many she embalmed were young people who had died from AIDS or committed suicide as a result of an HIV positive diagnosis. Because of her own promiscuous teenage years, she knew it was a miracle that she was standing over the embalming table rather than laying on top of it. These experiences inspired her to begin speaking boldly and bluntly to teen, college-age, and adult audiences about the benefits of sexual integrity. She has taught and counseled thousands of young singles and married couples over the past decade. She is the author of 18 books, including the best-selling Every Woman’s Battle series, the 5-book Completely His series, and her new book for the mainstream market, The Sexually Confident Wife.

Shannon has been featured on The Today Show (MSNBC), appeared on the cover of Today’s Christian Woman Magazine, and is a frequent guest on international radio & television shows such as The 700 Club, Life Today with James & Betty Robison, FamilyLife Today with Dennis Rainey, and New Life Live! with Stephen Arterburn. She has also been published in numerous magazines such as Focus on the Family, Brio, and LifeWay and is the winner of a Gold Medallion Award for Excellence in Publishing. 

Although grateful for the opportunities to influence this generation as a writer and speaker, Shannon remains most passionate about her role as a wife and best friend to her husband of 20 years, Greg, and a mother and cheerleader to their two children, Erin (18) and Matthew (15). Visit www.shannonethridge.com for more info.

More about Carla Ann: Carla Anne Coroy has served full-time with organizations such as Youth for Christ and CrownFinancial Ministries, and is currently developing an international mentoring organization for youth and a ministry to wives who parent alone. She runs the Married Single Mom blog at www.carlaanne.com/blog. She speaks regularly and serves as a staff writer for an online Christian women’s magazine Mentoring Moments for Christian Women. Carla Anne lives in Canada with her husband and four homeschooled children.  

More about Married Mom, Solo Parent: For married women who feel like single parents. Bookstore shelves are full of parenting resources for moms who are newly divorced or widowed. But where do moms turn if they feel like a single parent--but they’re not? Whether he is away on business, deployed in the military, or obsessing over a computer game, dad may not be available for a variety of reasons. Moms who parent in this situation still need help and don’t necessarily relate to the advice given in divorce recovery or single parenting resources.

Married Mom, Solo Parent is a common-sense, down-to-earth look at the struggles wives and mothers face when their husband is not actively involved in family life. Writing from her own experience as a married single mom, Carla Anne Coroy will help wives and mothers sort through their questions, such as: Can I do this alone? How do I raise kids to honor their father? How do I give my children a healthy perspective of marriage if they never see one in action? With practical suggestions, anecdotes, and biblical teaching, this book will encourage moms to see their position as a high calling, to find healing for their worries and frustrations, and to tap into God’s strength for help in facing the daily challenge of being a married mom, solo parent.

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I'm so excited to have a blogger I've long admired on the show. Robin doesn't mince words and she's not afraid to say it like it is. I was recently intrigued by the latest series she ran on her blog called 31 Days of Parenting Teens & Tweens. Good stuff. She has also blogged from India for Compassion International and ... well she's involved in a whole heap of stuff we'll talk about on Thursday. Don't miss the show - you will love Robin!

More about Robin:

In a scandalous, decades-long affair with her husband, Robin also confesses mad crushes on her three teens. She’s Southern as sugar-shocked tea and advocates talking to strangers, creative punctuation, stopping to smell the posies, twirling words in poetry and walking in the rain. Her favorite emotion is laughing through tears and she's convinced laughing IS divine. People and places inspire her, but Creation's marvels steal her breath. Her "prayer without ceasing" is Lord, I believe...help my unbelief.

Robin began blogging anonymously at PENSIEVE six years ago, when after six months, she finally went public: she was grateful for her four readers (her husband and children). Thankfully, her readership has grown a bit since those early days.

In addition to writing for her personal blog, Robin pinches herself daily for opportunity to contribute monthly to sites sheconsiders inspiring, relevant and compelling:

● DaySpring’s (in)courage, a division of Hallmark (faith)

● Simple Mom (parenting teens & tweens)

● The Skinny (focus on inner beauty)

● Story Bleed (online literary magazine, editor)

Her most important work, greatest privilege, humbling experience and life highlight was traveling to Kolkata, India as a Compassion International blogger in 2009. To use her words on behalf of those who have no voice changed her forever.

Robin’s education and professional experience is in public relations, marketing, advertising, and sales, which she companions today with new media. Her background and expertise earned her the role as social media consultant for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s 2011 Season Finale filmed near Chattanooga.

In addition to writing and looking forward to her first published contribution in book form, Mother of Pearl: Legacies, Lessons and Love, scheduled for release next Spring, she works part-time in catering sales for Chick-fil-A, where she implores you, to, yes...Eat Mor Chikin.

 

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Don't miss this week's interview with the amazing Amanda Bennett! We'll be talking about homeschooling, curriculum, Veteran's Day and catching up with Amanda and what's she's been up to since she was on last on Living Inspired.

For a chance to win one of Amanda's great new unit studies (see below), leave a comment here. Two winners will be notified next week via email.

Amanda is also offering a special coupon code for the Veteran's Day study for my Living Inspired listeners! Visit this link for more information: http://www.unitstudy.com/veterans/.

More About Amanda:

Take one mechanical engineer, add three bright and busy children and a loving husband, and you have the formula for Amanda Bennett, best-selling author and popular homeschool speaker. Amanda has more than 90 books and two college graduates to her credit (one with a degree in veterinary medicine, the other a business degree). Her third child just began his college adventure in the fall of 2011.

Amanda’s love of life and zest for learning infuse her work with well-known passion and energy that make her a leader in the homeschool arena. She relishes her role as the “ultimate encourager,” answering questions, sharing personal anecdotes, and giving others the skills and confidence to help children fall in love with learning. From lost pants to melted aluminum pots, Amanda’s stories keep readers and audiences laughing as she teaches about life, academics, and developing the God-given talents of every child.

Amanda brings her encouraging words and wisdom to audiences across the United States. She is a popular and highly demanded speaker on the homeschool circuit, and also appears at online conferences. Her lectures attract both national and international attention. 

Over the past eighteen years, Amanda has spoken before tens of thousands of parents and professionals, encouraging, entertaining, and equipping them to teach with confidence. 

Amanda lives on a tree farm in the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee with her husband of 32 years. Together they enjoy the view and life’s ever-changing seasons. She is an avid photographer, wannabe quilter, and voracious reader, as well as a forgetful cook with a top-of-the-line smoke detector. Most of all, Amanda is a follower of Jesus Christ – forgiven, loved, and infinitely grateful.

More about Amanda's new Unit Studies:

Veteran's Day

Veterans Day--what does it mean to you? The history of this holiday is important; it exists because of the strength and conviction of past generations that we should always remember our veterans and their sacrifices for our peace and protection. This week-long study guides students to become familiar with veterans, their sacrifices and their courage. Let's bring out the flag and applaud our veterans. Let's teach these things to our children, so that we never take our freedom and liberty for granted. For more information or to purchase, go here:http://www.unitstudy.com/Veterans_Day.html

Passport United Kingdom

Pack up and get ready to travel to the United Kingdom with Amanda Bennett’s new Passport Geography series! This one-week unit study has been developed to provide your student with a virtual tour of the United Kingdom, covering the geography of this nation, as well as some of its history, art & literature, landmarks, and

interesting people. You will see and hear the sights and sounds of cities and villages, people, daily life, tourist spots, and historical places, all from the comfort of home–no passport required, other than your Passport series unit study! For more information or to purchase, go here, http://www.unitstudy.com/PassportUnitedKingdom.html 

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Don't miss my interview with Lisa Whittle lives in North Caroline where she is a busy wife and mother of three. She is also a author, speaker, an advocate for Compassion International. In addition to writing her own books, she also writes for writing Women of Faith, Proverbs 31, and guest posting on blogs like Michael Hyatt along with numerous other publications. But, Lisa is not all work. Her other passions include chocolate macadamia nuts, home decorating, and her growing ministry community. She loves conversations that dip below the surface, uniqueness in people, and her Jesus who makes all things well. Bundle all of that up and you're in for a real treat on Thursday between 3-4 PM Central. Join us.

For a chance to win a copy of Lisa's latest book {w}hole - leave a comment here. Winner will be notified next week via email.

More about Lisa:

Author and Speaker, Lisa Whittle is a natural leader and bold thinker. As the first solo female author to originally launch under the popular Barna Group, her third and latest release, {w}hole comes out October 2011.

Taking on the task of writing the most grueling project of her life, Lisa says of this process, “It’s been a difficult and divine experience and I’ve left my carcass in it’s pages.”

Exposing the holes in her life, she shares her story that will both compel and inspire, opening up and offering her own feelings about the church, her standoff with failures, and the scandal that nearly sent her pastor-father to prison, which she has never publicly commented on before.

Her refreshing and contemplative voice is drawing in audiences of men and women, both believers and non-believers, and inviting deeper conversation within and between those in the church and whom it seeks to reach. She is a wife and mother of three, an advocate for Compassion International, a coordinator for the Proverbs 31 20-something ministry division, and she currently resides North Carolina.

Previous literary works include: The 7 Hardest Things God Asks a Woman to Do and Behind Those Eyes: What's Really Going on Inside the Souls of Women.  Lisa has written for Catalyst, Michael Hyatt, Women of Faith, and numerous other publications.

For more about Lisa visit her website: http://lisawhittle.com

More about {w}hole:

How to get past whatever’s holding you back—and start living a whole new story

We all have holes in our lives—those things we lament about ourselves. Those things we allow to define us in ways we don’t like. Those things that keep us from living the life God wants for us.

But what if you discovered that the holes in your life are really the things that will ultimately make you . . . well, whole?

Author and communicator Lisa Whittle knows this all too well. When her world was rocked to the core in a very public way, her faith and whole reason for living were challenged like never before. In that moment, Lisa was confronted by the holes in her spiritual life. And what she learned not only changed her life, but could bring great possibilities to yours.

In Whole, Lisa calls you to take an honest look at your holes, discover how to fill them with God’s presence, and get to a real and vibrant place of wholeness instead. In her trademark bold, compassionate, and relatable voice, Lisa takes you on a transformational journey of understanding who you really are . . . and what you were born to be and do.

 

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This week on Living Inspired hear the true story behing my Amish Big Sky series. Don't miss the encore presentation of my interview with my dear friends Ora Jay and Irene Eash. This three book series (Along Wooded Paths and Beside Still Waters are available now) is loosely based on events from the Eash's lives. Be sure to tune in to Thursday's show - we talk about the stories behind the story, the Amish community in Montana, and their Amish heritage.

I'll be giving away a few copies of Along Wooded Paths, so be sure to leave a comment here for a chance to win one. Winner will be notified next week via email.

And be sure to catch Suzanne Woods Fisher's podcast interview with me and the Eash's on her show, Amish Wisdom. She interviewed all of us about the book, what it was like working together, and what we learned in the process.

About Along Wooded Paths:

Although proud of living apart from the world, Marianna Sommer's newly relocated Amish family is discovering that life in the remote mountains of Montana requires working together with the Englisch.

As Marianna pours her life into helping those around her-and receiving their help-her heart further considers two directions. She's torn between the Amish man from Indiana whom she has long planned on marrying and the friendly Englischer who models a close walk with God like she’s never seen before.

Who should have young Marianna's heart? What is God asking of her through ongoing family struggles and this romantic and spiritual tension? The answer is found along the wooded paths.

About Beside Still Waters: Marianna Sommer believes she knows where her life is headed. Nineteen years old and Amish, her plan is to get baptized into the church, marry Aaron Zook, and live in the only community she's ever known.

When Marianna's family moves from Indiana to Montana she discovers life and faith will never be the same. As she builds an easy friendship with local guy, Ben Stone, Ben not only draws her heart, he also gets her thinking about what loving God and living in community is all about.

As Marianna struggles to find "home", she also encounters God in intimate ways.

Meet the Eash's:

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Don't miss my guests on Thursday's Living Inspired. The first half hour we'll hear from Patricia Miller Mauro who will share her truly inspiring, deeply personal story of perseverance in the face of unimaginable hardships. She chronicled her journey in her recently released, Safe From the Past. Then during the second half of the show we'll meet debut author Rosslyn Elliott. Rosslyn has arrived on the scene with critical acclaim and quickly won over historical fiction readers with, Fairer Than Morning. Don't miss this week's show.

For a chance to win a copy of both author's books, leave a comment here. Winner's will be notified next week via email.

More about Patricia: Patricia worked in New York City's financial district for thirteen years in the field ofsecurities operations. At that time, she went on to obtain an MBA from New York University. She and her husband moved to Dallas, TX in 2001 where they are raising their two children. 

During her time in NY, Patricia wrote an article entitled "A Tribute To My Mother" which was published in "The Recovery Journal" in 1999. Her book is a continuation of that tribute and serves to spread the message to those in similar situations that good news is on its way to children considering a higher education but who are afraid to dream. For more information please visit, www.patriciamaurobooks.com.  

More about Safe From the Past: A kidnapping, the divorce of her parents, the loss of her father, temporary abandonment and extreme poverty are just some of the issues the author dealt with as a young child.

Her mother finally tells her she must go to college so she can break out of this cycle of poverty and hopelessness. But how can she when she has no money and absolutely no confidence or self esteem?

Read this true story to discover what hope, faith and determination can do to change a life. A truly inspiring, deeply personal tale of perseverance in the face of unimaginable hardships, Safe from the Past makes clear the restorative power of an education.

Told in an open, honest voice with the deepest sincerity, the author’s life story serves as a rousing inspiration to those with the desire to create a better life than the one they are currently living. No matter how helpless you feel, everyone has the power to shape their own life.

More about Rosslyn: As the child of a career military man, Rosslyn Elliott lived in four states and two foreign countries before she graduated from high school. She attended Yale University, where she earned her BA in English and Theater Studies. After five years working first in corporate New York City, then as a schoolteacher, she entered the Ph.D. program in English at Emory University and finished her dissertation in 2006.

Her study of American literature spurred her to pursue her lifelong dream of writing fiction.

Rosslyn lives with her husband and daughter in the southwestern United States.

Visit www.rosslynelliott.com for more information.

More about Fairer Than Morning: Ann dreams of a marriage proposal from her poetic suitor, Eli-until Will Hanby shows her that nobility is more than fine words.

Ann travels to Pittsburgh, accompanying her father on business. There she meets Will Hanby, a saddle-maker's apprentice. Will has spent years eking out an existence under a cruel master and his spirit is nearly broken. But Ann's compassion lights a long-dark part of his soul. Through his encounters with Ann's father, a master saddler, Will discovers new hope and courage in the midst of tremendous adversity.

When the Millers must return to Ohio and their ministry there, Will resolves to find them, at any cost. If Will can make it back to Ann, will she be waiting?

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I'm super excited about Thursday's show. The first half hour we'll be chatting with author Gayle Roper about the adoption of her two sons and how one of her sons has reconnected with his birth mother. Gayle will also be giving us a look at her new book, Shadows on the Sand. Then during the second half of the show, Holley Gerth from Heart to Heart with Holley and Incourage.me will be here to talk about her latest book, God's Heart for You. Holley will be sharing the inspiration behind the book and how the project evolved into something so much bigger than she expected.

For a chance to win a copy of both books, leave a comment here. Winner will be notified next week via email. 

More about Gayle: Gayle is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers ofAmerica, is the multi-award-winning, best-selling author of Fatal Deduction and more than forty other books. She teaches and leads mentoring clinics at writers conferences across the country. Gayle lives in eastern Pennsylvania.

More about Shadows on the Sand: She serves him breakfast at her cafe every morning … but he never seems to notice her.

Carrie Carter’s small cafe in Seaside, New Jersey, is populated with a motley crew of locals … although Carrie only has eyes for Greg Barnes. He’s recovering from a vicious crime that three years ago took the lives of his wife and children—and from the year he tried to drink his reality away. While her heart does a happy Snoopy dance at the sight of him, he never seems to notice her, to Carrie’s chagrin.

When Carrie’s dishwasher is killed and her young waitress disappears, Greg finds himself drawn into helping Carrie solve the mysteries … and into her life. But when Carrie’s own painful past becomes all to present, her carefully constructed world begins to sink.

Will the fragile relationship she’s built with Greg implode from the weight of the baggage they both carry?

More about Holley: Holley Gerth is an award-winning writer, life coach, counselor, and speaker who loves

 sharing the heart of God with women through words. She’s the author of several books as well as over 2,000 greeting cards for DaySpring. Her most recent book is God’s Heart for You: Embracing Your True Worth as a Woman (Harvest House, September 2011). Holley cofounded a new web site for women, (in)courage, which received over a million hits in its first six months. You can also find Holley online at her popular blog, Heart to Heart with Holley that has over 23,000 subscribers.  

More about the book: God's Heart for You: Embracing Your True Worth as a Woman

The personal, inviting style of popular speaker, writer, and counselor Holley Gerth inspires thousands of readers weekly through her DaySpring site incourage.me and her well-known blog Heart to Heart with Holley. In God’s Heart for You, Holley offers insightful devotions, reflective questions, and captivating poetry to reveal how, through God’s love, a woman is wholly—

Accepted and known completely

Chosen with imperfections to be made perfect

Empowered with God’s strength

Beautiful and a one-of-a-kind gift to the world

Blessed with God’s best

Bound with a lovely padded hardcover, this gathering of encouraging readings will be a wonderful gift for any occasion and a powerful treasury of God’s heart and purpose for a women to return to again and again for refreshment.

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For this week's Living Inspired I'm doing an encore show with Shannon and her husband Matt Ratliff. They'll be talking about being in the modeling world, sticking to their standards, how God put them together, and remaining virgins until their wedding day!

If you watched Season 1 of America's Next Top Model you most likely remember first-runner up Shannon Stewart. A dedicated Christian, Shannon made waves on the show when she stood up to her standards and refused to pose nude for one shoot. Through the episodes while other girls were fighting, arguing and causing drama, Shannon could be seen reading her Bible, listening to worship music and praying.

This season on America's Next Top Model is an All-Star season. Fan's favorite picks were brought back--including Shannon. Last week was the first episode and there was already conflict on the show when Shannon refused to wear underwear for the shoot. How will this God-girl stick to her standards while competing with other models again? I'll be watching to find out.

Shannon it's just a "reality TV star," she's also a friend of mine. We're actually working on a book together for teen girls. (More details to come when we find the right publisher!)

For more information about Shannon go to: www.shannonstewart.net

Interview with Shannon about Season 17.

Q&A with Shannon:
On Season One of America’s Next Top Model you refused to pose nude. Are you happy with your decision?

I am so glad that I did not pose nude or with those bands they offered me! I have always wanted to be a “supermodel,” for as long as I can remember. I wanted to win so incredibly bad, but it wasn’t worth compromising my standards for or becoming someone that I am not. I knew that refusing to do the shoot might hurt my chances of winning and I was ok with that. At the end of the day I have to be content with who I am as a person. I want to be able to sleep at night!!! Money and fame isn’t worth selling my soul for.

Is it hard being a Christian in the modeling world?

Yes, it is extremely hard to be a Christian in an industry where “sex sells.” I have high standards and will not do things that I do not feel comfortable with, no matter how much money I might be offered. I know that if the Lord has me in this business, then He is more than able to supply me with jobs that are “clean.” I do not need to pose in lingerie, wear see through shirts, or sell bottles of alcohol. There are countless others that are willing to do those kind of jobs, but I am not one of them. I have said no to several jobs that would have been great for my career and would have also made me alot of money. It isn’t easy to say “no,” especially in a business where everyone is saying “yes.” I have learned at a young age that nothing is worth selling your soul for. I have such a peace within and can rest my head at night. I have also made firm in my mind what I will and won’t do. I think it is important and really imperative that you have things that are “non negotiable.” I tell my agents up front so that they don’t submit me for jobs, or send me to castings for jobs that I will not do.

Did you date a lot growing up?

No, I actually did not! I wanted a boyfriend so bad, but I can see now, that the Lord was preserving me for my husband! It was so hard to watch others get cards, flowers, and gifts. I had to fight of jealousy at times, being insecure, and wondering what was wrong with me for no guy to want to date me. There were a few guys that liked me eventually, but the guys I liked, never liked me when I liked them! I got so frustrated at times! I also wondered if I was going to have to lower my standards. But, I am so glad to say that I did not! I also never dated a guy that I could not see myself marrying. I didn’t want to keep giving myself away to all these guys, for I wanted to be able to give ALL OF MYSELF just to my husband. I had imagined myself being this beautifully wrapped package. I didn’t want it to be handed around, causing the edges to become torn/worn, or for it to get ripped. I wanted the package, myself, to remain perfect, just as the Lord intended it.

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Don't miss Thursday's show - I'm talking with Jay and Beth Loecken and actor Ken Bevel about his recent appearance in the movie everyone's talking about - Courageous! First the Loecken's, they were an ordinary family searching for meaning in their lives while living the American Dream. They owned their dream house, drove nice cars, and from the outside seemed to have all they needed. Yet something kept pulling at them—a stirring, a sense that they were being called to a greater purpose in life. They couldn’t escape the feeling that there was more to life than the relentless pursuit of material possessions. In Passion to Action: How God Uses Ordinary People in Extraordinary Ways, the Loeckens share the remarkable story of how they rediscovered another dream and how it turned their life upside down and fulfilled them more than they ever thought possible.  It will inspire readers to discover their own passions and put them into action.

Then during the second half hour I'll be talking with Ken Bevel who is one of the leading characters in theyet-to-be-released movie, Courageous. We'll hear Ken's personal testimony and how working in these films has made him take a look at his own faith journey. 

More about Ken: Ken Bevel is an American Marine Corps officer and actor who stars in the 2008 film Fireproof and the 2011 film Courageous. Like many actors in the film, his work was performed on a voluntary basis. In Fireproof, Bevel portrayed firefighter Michael Simmons, and portrays police officer Nathan Hayes in Courageous.

After 20 years of active service in the United States Marine Corps, Ken retired to serve in the ministry.  He currently assumes the role as the Senior Associate Pastor of Connections and Major Events at Sherwood Baptist Church.  His responsibilities include coordination of major events, coordination of the Security, Usher and Greeter ministries and lastly assisting new members and visitors with connecting to the Body of Christ and the Sherwood Family.   

Ken is a graduate of the University of Memphis with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering Technology and a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School with a Master of Business Administration degree in Logistics Management.  

Ken and Lauana have been happily married for 14 years and two children, Kyra and Kaleb.

For more about the movie, visit www.courageous.com 

More about the Loecken's: In the summer of 2007, the Loeckens headed to Africa on a mission trip with three of their four children.  That trip changed their lives.  When they returned home to their comfortable lifestyle, they all knew they wanted something more.  In April of 2008, the family made the daring decision to sell their home, purchase an RV, and begin traveling the country serving communities in need: crushing cans for a senior center in McCall, Idaho, cleaning used books for a program in Portland, Oregon, and

 serving meals at the Rescue Mission in Salt Lake City, Utah.  

“Being in Africa gave us a true and new understanding of what it means to have a sense of community.  The people we met and mingled with for those two weeks really rely on one another.  They work together and share everything and don’t just think about themselves.  They instinctively put others first,” says Jay.  Upon returning home, the family realized that they had abandoned their dreams, so they made a u-turn, deciding to recreate what they had found on the other side of the world: purpose, joy, simplicity, and service.  

The Loeckens knew they were not just called to live their dream, but to encourage others to do the same through their Passion to Action ministry.  Their mission is to inspire others, empower them with tools and resources, and mobilize them to put their faith into action.  While reading their story, including excerpts from their children (Ben, Bekah, Abigail, and Noah), readers will witness remarkable courage and see how far God can lead us to places we never imagined.  Their book includes ten challenges for readers to complete on their own, such as identifying their passion, conquering fears, and helping someone who is different than them.

Passion to Action is more than just a story about the Loecken family; it is a movement that encourages action in discovering one’s life passion and beginning to live it.  According to Beth, “There is a God-given dream in each of us.  That dream looks different for every person, but it is definitely there.  For some, perhaps the dream is to write a novel, compete in a marathon, or work with disadvantaged kids.  Deep down, we all have a dream.  But sadly, most people will never act on it.”  

Visit http://passiontoaction.org for more information about the Loeckens and to watch videos from the road.

Leave a comment here for a chance to win a copy of the Loecken's book. Winner will be notified next week via email.

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I'm super excited about this week's guest. Just the title of Glynnis' book, I Used to Be So Organized makes me want to say AMEN! Glynnis is part of Proverbs 31 and we'll be hearing more about Glynnis' background, why she wrote this book and hopefully get a few tips from her about being effective in our mess and getting a 'handle on our lives'.

For a chance to win a copy of Glynnis' book, leave a comment here. Winners will be notified next week via email.

More about Glynnis: Glynnis Whitwer is on staff with Proverbs 31 Ministries as the Senior Editor of the P31 Woman magazine. She is one of the writers of Encouragement for Today, the Proverbs 31 e-mail devotions, with over 500,000 daily readers.  Her newest book, I Used to be So Organized, has just been released.  Glynnis, her husband Tod, and their five children live in Glendale, Arizona.  

Visit www.GlynnisWhitwer.com or www.HerOrganizedLife.com to learn more.

More about the book: If you’ve given up on getting your schedule, office or home organized, Glynnis Whitwer’snewest book, I Used to Be So Organized, will help.  In it, Glynnis addresses the frustrations many women feel when they can’t get a handle on their lives.  The truth is, getting organized in today’s reality is like being hired for a job and given no training.  Old ways of organization are ineffective given our world of information overload, increased expectations and technology advances that won’t slow down.  Thankfully, we can learn new ways of managing life.  Glynnis combines encouragement with lots of tips on how to bring peace and order to your life.

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This week on Living Inspired I'll be interviewing two guests. The first guest is Janet Holm McHenry, author of PrayerWalk. We'll be talking about her new book and hear tips from her on how to live a life of prayer. Then during the second half hour I'll be interviewing my good friend Loring. She and her family (Team 5 Morris) moved to the slums of Uganda two and a half years ago to church plant. We'll hear all about their adventures.

For a chance to win a copy of Janet's PrayerWalk, leave a comment on this post.

 Winner will be notified via email next week.

More About Janet: After Janet graduated from University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in journalism, she married her high school sweetheart Craig and worked as a newspaper reporter and editor.  They eventually settled down in the Sierra Valley in northern California, where Craig is a rancher and where there is not a single stoplight in the entire county. In their town of 700+ folks, she says they have raised four pretty good children – three done with college – and are now enjoying the grandkids, all of whom are perfect. As a high school English teacher, academic advisor, and teacher mentor, Janet says the only pastime she has time for is friends!  And she looks forward to knowing you better! For more info about Janet and her other books, please visit her website at http://janetmchenry.com.

More about PrayerWalk:

Many years ago, depressed and overweight, McHenry found a simple plan for her life: she would pray while she walked. Little did she know, it would change her life personally and open her eyes to the needs of her community.

More about Loring: Benjamin, Hannah, Aiden, Loring, and Daniel Morris comprise Team Five Morris. Inobedience to God, they are committed to sharing Jesus as sojourners in Uganda. They have joined International Messengers, an organization committed to training and mobilizing believers for active involvement in reaching the world for Christ.

Keep up with daily life of Team 5 Morris here: http://www.teamfivemorris.com/latest-news/lorings-blog or connect with Loring on Facebook (you'll be glad you did!). If you feel led to support Team 5 Morris or to find out more information - go here.

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Don't miss my guest this week! Jean Blackmer is head of MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) publishing and a wonderful writer herself! Her latest book Momsense is a topic that has long resonated with me. I'm a firm believer in momsense! Be sure to tune in to find out if you have "momsense". 

For a chance to win a copy of the book, leave a comment here. Winner will be notified via email next week!

More about Jean: Jean Blackmer is the publishing manager for MOPS International where she designsbooks specifically for moms of preschoolers. She is also the author of a book for moms of boys, Boy-sterous Living! Celebrating Your Loud and Rowdy Life with Sons, is a regular contributor to MomSense magazine, and has written for other magazines including Guideposts, Thriving Family, Today's Christian Woman, and Christian Parenting Today. She has her master’s degree in journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder and lives in Colorado with her husband, Zane, and their three sons.

Visit Jean's website for more information about her and her other books! www.jeanblackmer.com

More about Momsense: Life can be overwhelming but when children become part of the picture, a mom mayfeel that her life is out of control. In MomSense (ISBN: 978-08007-2022-3, $12.99, 192 pages, June 2011) author, Jean Blackmer guides new and experienced moms through the plethora of advice that is available today. MomSense illustrates that moms do not need to seek perfection but find their own unique mothering style is what really counts with their kids today. Readers will discover that they already possess the instincts and the ability to think critically to be confident moms and to raise confident kids. 

Blackmer showcases “real mom” stories that are proven and practical advice for moms.  MomSense provides clarity and helps moms honestly assess their skills, embrace those instincts, and develop their own unique mothering style. This practical and hope-filled book equips moms to mother with confidence, contentment and joy.   Each chapter provides thought-provoking “MomSense” questions and a section of “Mama Drama” scenarios for moms to discuss in groups making this an excellent resource for study groups.

 

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This week on Living Inspired Debora Coty will be joining me.  We'll be talking about her new book Too Blessed to Be Stressed. Her interview couldn't come at a better time. I'm not saying I'm stressed or anything (YIKES!), but I'm looking forward to hearing her tips and funny stories. 

Leave a comment here for a chance to win a copy of Debora's book for yourself! Winner will be notified next week via email.

 

About the book:

Do your to do lists have footnotes? Has your fam suggested a rabies shot because your bite has surpassed Rover’s?

Maybe it’s time for a healthy dose of truth gift-wrapped in humor. With her own offbeat brand of wit and near-wisdom, inspirational humorist Debora Coty addresses the heart-needs of desperate women drowning in the churning everyday stress-pool of busyness.

In Too Blessed to Be Stressed, you’ll find simple, practical steps for attaining the peace that you crave as you struggle with the stresses of finances, health, career, relationships, self-image and family. You’ll discover healing, refreshment, and revitalization for your own spirit, body and mind through heart-changing real life stories, biblically based insights, and short chapters for on-the-run convenience.

About Debora: 

Debora M. Coty is a humorist, columnist, speaker, writing workshop instructor and award-winning author ofover 100 internationally published articles and ten inspirational books. She has also contributed short stories and devotionals to numerous anthologies. Debora's passion is sharing her offbeat blend of humor and hope, wit and near-wisdom with women of all ages. As a piano teacher for twenty years, she acquired the skill of auditory long-suffering and has helped countless people as an occupational therapist specializing in orthopedics for over three decades. Mother of two grown children, Debora currently lives and loves in central Florida with her husband and desperately wicked pooch, Fenway. www.deboracoty.com

Be sure to check out Debora's KINDLE giveaway (going on right now) and Facebook party on the 25th.

Enter 8/8 - 8/25!

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Don't miss this week's show with my guest Shannon Ethridge. Shannon is the author of the Every Woman's Battle series and she has spoken to youth, college students, and adults since 1989. Her passions include: challenging adults and teens to embrace a life of sexual integrity, encouraging married couples in their pursuit of sexual and emotional fulfillment, counseling women who have looked for love in all the wrong places and equipping parents to instill sexual values in children at an early age. Don't miss this week's show. And if you have a question of Shannon, leave it in the comments section or send it via twitter (@triciagoyer). Or call in to the show at 1-877-864-4869.

More about Shannon: Shannon is a million-copy best-selling author, speaker, lay counselor, and advocatefor healthy sexuality with a master’s degree in counseling/human relations from Liberty University. Her passion for healthy sexuality actually began in Mortuary College. Her first career choice, becoming a mortician, led Ethridge to work on dead bodies. Many she embalmed were young people who had died from AIDS or committed suicide as a result of an HIV positive diagnosis. Because of her own promiscuous teenage years, she knew it was a miracle that she was standing over the embalming table rather than laying on top of it. These experiences inspired her to begin speaking boldly and bluntly to teen, college-age, and adult audiences about the benefits of sexual integrity. She has taught and counseled thousands of young singles and married couples over the past decade. She is the author of 18 books, including the best-selling Every Woman’s Battle series, the 5-book Completely His series, and her new book for the mainstream market, The Sexually Confident Wife.

Shannon has been featured on The Today Show (MSNBC), appeared on the cover of Today’s Christian Woman Magazine, and is a frequent guest on international radio & television shows such as The 700 Club, Life Today with James & Betty Robison, FamilyLife Today with Dennis Rainey, and New Life Live! with Stephen Arterburn. She has also been published in numerous magazines such as Focus on the Family, Brio, and LifeWay and is the winner of a Gold Medallion Award for Excellence in Publishing. 

Although grateful for the opportunities to influence this generation as a writer and speaker, Shannon remains most passionate about her role as a wife and best friend to her husband of 20 years, Greg, and a mother and cheerleader to their two children, Erin (18) and Matthew (15).

For more info go to www.shannonethridge.com

More about Shannon's latest book: Every Single Woman's Battle - Powerful Tools For Guarding Your Body, Mind, and Heart

Remaining pure while single isn't easy in a culture that encourages women to use their bodies to gain power and personal fulfillment. The longing for emotional and physical connection can gradually and subtly lead you into compromises you never intended to make. But you can resist the pressures-or reclaim your purity-by building a strong foundation of integrity.

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This week on the show I'll be talking with author Bob Hostetler. Bob has co-written several books with Josh McDowell, the latest of which releases this week - Don't Check Your Brains At the Door. It's an apologetics book targeted toward older teens and college age and focuses on the importance of knowing what you believe and why. Bob also writes GREAT fiction and is a sought after speaker. I'm thrilled to have him on the show.

Leave a comment for a chance to win Bob's book. Winner will be notified via email next week!

More About Bob: Bob Hostetler is an award-winning and best-selling writer, editor, pastor, and speaker. His books include Don't Check Your Brains at the Door and The Bone Box.

Visit Bob's website for more about him and his other books, www.bobhostetler.com

More about the book: Recent polls illustrate what Christian parents have feared: kids are dropping out of church early and for good. Age 16 is the average age at which teens are dropping out, says one poll, and 70% of Protestants ages 18 to 30 quit church by age 23, says another. Authors Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler have written Don't Check Your Brains at the Door (Thomas Nelson, August 2011, ISBN: 1400317202, $12.99) to stem a troubling tide among Christian youth. 

Don't Check Your Brains at the Door answers many of the faith-related questions Christian youth face. Itchallenges young readers to test gospel truths found in the Bible so they can learn to give an answer for their faith as they mature into thinking adults.

"We receive all kinds of messages, myths, and misconceptions in the course of our lives," says co-author Bob Hostetler. "One of those messages is the idea that following Jesus requires us to check our brains at the door-that reason and faith are incompatible. And that mistaken idea leads to others. That's why this book exists: to help a young man or woman weigh the evidence and lay a firm foundation for a strong faith in Christ." 

Written as a definitive but humorous resource, Don't Check Your Brains at the Door examines questions that today's youth face and explains how to give reasoned answers in a Christlike manner. Readers will find answers to common cultural myths and misconceptions about-

...God:

God is a faceless, impersonal force.

God is a cosmic vending machine.

...Jesus:

Jesus was a just a man.

Jesus was just a good teacher.

...the Bible:

It's just a great work of literature.

It's full of factual holes.

...the Resurrection:

Jesus didn't actually die.

Jesus' body was stolen.

...and many more! Also in Don't Check Your Brains at the Door, the authors have added a great reading comprehension section after every chapter called "Brain Food." Readers, parents, and teachers alike will find this tool helpful in processing and retaining the facts presented in every chapter.

With these tools in hand, the readers will be equipped to have a positive influence on the world around them, rather than succumbing to its faithlessness. Every church and family library needs Don't Check Your Brains at the Door.

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Don't miss this week's show. I'll be talking with Missy Buchanan about . Her book Don't Write My Obituary Just Yet: Inspiring Faith Stories for Older Adults, is a great help for the aging and to those learning to care for their aged parents and or friends. Then later in the show, we'll chat with Family Life speaker and pastor, Brian Goins. His new book, Playing Hurt deals with how men (and women) need to push through the pain to victory in marriage. When the going gets tough it's easy to quit, but Brian makes a compelling and Biblical case for sticking it out. Highly recommended.

More about Missy: Buchanan is the author of Talking with God in Old Age and Living with Purpose in a Worn-Out Body: Spiritual Encouragement for Older Adults (Upper Room Books).  Don’t Write My Obituary Just Yet was released in March 2011, and Aging Faithfully: 28 Days of Prayer was released in May 2011.  She writes a monthly column, “Aging Well,” for the United Methodist Reporter and she hosts Aging and Faith with Missy Buchanan on BlogTalk Radio.  She has also written for many publications including Mature Years, Mature Living, Presbyterians Today, Christian Association Serving Adults Ministries, Entrepreneur, The Dallas Morning News, and Good Morning America’s spirituality page.  In December 2010, she appeared on Good Morning America with Robin Roberts and Roberts’ 86-year-old mother in a segment about aging and faith.  (Visit www.missybuchanan.com for a link to the interview.)

A sought-after speaker on topics of older adult ministry and spiritual creativity, Buchanan brings passion and humor to many events for churches, organizations, and women’s groups.  She recently toured the East Coast, speaking to a variety of churches and senior resident centers.

A native Texan and former creativity educator, Buchanan loves spending time with her family, including her husband, Barry, their three grown children/spouses, and her two grandchildren.  Buchanan and her husband reside in Rockwall, TX.

More about Don't Write My Obituary Just Yet: Inspiring Faith Stories for Older Adults: Time after time, mature adults pick up a book by Missy Buchanan and find themselves reading stores that reflect their lives and situations.  Each time the stores, poems and prayers move the reader through a myriad of thoughts and feelings ranging from questioning and pain to relief and joy.  It is this emotional connection that will draw in readers of Don't Write My Obituary Just Yet.

Buchanan offers a glimpse into the lives of active, giving, and prayerful older adults who are seventy, eighty, ninety, and even one hundred years od.  Readers explore what it means to develop a deep attitude of gracious acceptance of the life God has given them.  And with each account, Buchanan relates what it means to live out a life that has a strong spiritual foundation.

Each of the 30 stories provides more than just wisdom to the reader; it inspires the reader to find a way to overcome struggles and sorrows and to live with passion and hope for something more.  Young and old alike will undoubtedly find value in this book as they continue to live out their own life story.

###

More about Brian: Since the NBA never drafted him, Brian decided to go into full-time pastoral ministry.Brian and his bride of 15 years, Jennifer, set up shop in Charlotte NC with their three kids (Brantley, Palmer, and Gibson). He, along with a great team, started and serves as pastor at Renaissance Bible Church. Brian bleeds Tarheel blue, remembers when he played full court basketball, wishes he was a carpenter, and wants to figure out how to live in Montana six months out of the year.

Brian and Jennifer travel around the country speaking to couples at “Weekend to Remember” events for Family Life. He received his Masters of Theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and worked as Creative Director for Insight for Living before going into church ministry. He's written for a number of Christian leaders including Chuck Swindoll, Chip Ingram, and Tommy Nelson.

Brian will be featured on Family Life Today in August of 2011. He speaks at family camps, retreats, and churches around the country.

For more about Brian, visit www.playinghurt.org.

More about Playing Hurt: A marriage book that husbands will actually want to read!

Everyone admires people who play hurt, from the superstar athlete to the journeyman player who finishes the game even when hurt, sick, or falling apart. Everyone looks up to these athletes and wants to mimic their “never give up” attitude. Except when it comes to marriage. Most husbands are willing to take a bullet for their wives in a life-and-death situation; but when his bride fires the bullet--hurls an insult, disrespects him in public, ignores his foreplay in private--he’d rather throw in the towel than play through the pain.

Playing Hurt is a biblical playbook for marriage that speaks in the language most men understand—the language of sports. Using a sports analogy to explain the motivation, means, and methods of playing hurt, author Brian Goins shows men how to overcome the temptation to stay on the bench. Playing Hurt is more about inspiration than instruction. It’s about finding the motivation to stay in the game, despite the pain. It’s about becoming like the One who knew more about nails and thorns than any superstar athlete. Using Ephesians 5 as a biblical basis, this book will call husbands to be the heroes they long to be--men who play hurt in order to win at marriage.

For a chance to win a copy of Missy's and Brian's books, leave a comment on this page. Winner's will be announced next week via email. 

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Don't miss this week's show. I'll be interviewing two debut Christian fiction authors. The first half hour will feature Joan Wolf. Joan is a best selling author of over 40 books in the ABA (secular book market) who decided to switch gears when God miraculously healed her from a long-time illness. Her book A Reluctant Queen is fresh interpretation of the story of Esther and is receiving wonderful reviews. The second half hour will focus on Catherine Richmond. Catherine was busy as a wife, mom and occupational therapist when an old song by Harry Chapin planted a story in her heart that wouldn't remain untold. The result is Spring for Susannah which has received overwhelmingly rave reviews for a debut author. Each author has a unique road to publication and you won't want to miss their personal stories.

For a chance to win a copy of each author's book, leave a comment here. Winner will be notified next week via email.

More about Joan: Joan Wolf was born in New York City but has lived most of her adult life with her husband in Connecticut, where she raised two children and countless numbers of assorted animals. Joan is the author of numerous historical novels including The Road to Avalon which Publishers Weekly lauded as “historical fiction at its finest.”

For more about Joan and her other books, please visit www.joanwolf.com. 

More about A Reluctant Queen: An inspiring re-imagining of the tale of Esther, a young Jewish woman thrust from a life of obscurity into a life of power, wealth, intrigue . . . and tender love.

See the story of Esther in an entirely new way-with all the political intrigue and tension you remember, but told as a passionate and tender love story between a young man and woman. Misunderstood by many, King Ahasuerus was a powerful but lonely man. Esther's beauty caught the eye of the young king, but it was her spirit that captured his heart.

Imagine anew the story of Esther, one of our faith's great heroines, destined to play a key role in the history of Christianity.

More about Catherine: Catherine Richmond was focused on her career as anoccupational therapist till a special song planted a story idea in her mind. That idea would ultimately become Spring for Susannah, her first novel. She is also a founder and moderator of Nebraska Novelist critique group and lives in Nebraska with her husband.

More about Spring for Susannah: Hundreds of miles from home, Susannah faces an uncertain future as a mail-order bride on the untamed Dakota prairie. When her parents die suddenly, and no suitors call, Susannah resigns herself to the only option available: becoming a mail-order bride. Agreeing to marry her pastor's brother, Jesse, Susannah leaves the only home she's ever known for the untamed frontier of the Dakota Territory.

Her new husband is more loving and patient with her than she believes she deserves. Still, there is also a wildness to him that mirrors the wilderness surrounding them. And Susannah finds herself constantly on edge. But Jesse's confidence in her-and his faith in God's perfect plan-slowly begin to chip away at the wall she hides behind.  Jesse's love is unwavering. Just when it seems like winter will never end, Susannah finally sees the first tentative evidence of spring. And with it, the realization that more than the landscape has changed.

She looks to the future with a renewed heart. Yet in her wildest dreams, she couldn't predict all that awaits her.

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Be sure to catch Thursday's interview with pastor and author Daniel Darling. Daniel is the Senior Pastor of Gages Lake Bible Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and is the author of numerous books, including Teen People of the Bible, which was nominated for a Gold Medallion Award. His latest book is iFaith, connecting to God in the 21st Century. 

For a chance to win a copy of iFaith, leave a comment here. Winner will be notified next week via email.

More about Daniel: Dan’s work has been featured by Focus on the Family, Christianity Today, In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley, and other evangelical publications. He is a contributing writer to Lifeway’s Men’s Devotional, Stand Firm, a columnist for Enrichment Journal,  and a blogger for Patheos.com. 

His op-eds have appeared in Newsweek/Washington Posts’ On Faith section and other newspapers and opinion sites. He has been profiled by The Chicago Tribune.  Daniel was a contributing writer to Zondervan’s Couples Devotional Bible. Publisher’s Weekly called his writing style “substantive and punchy.”

Dan’s columns appear weekly at Crosswalk.com and monthly for the local Lake County Journals. Dan has been interviewed on TV and radio outlets across the country, including, Steve Brown, etc, Moody Broadcasting Network, Harvest Television, The Sandy Rios Show, American Family Radio, 100 Huntley Street and many others.

Daniel has a bachelor’s degree in pastoral ministry from Dayspring Bible College. He travels and speaks to groups large and small. He and his wife Angela have three children, Grace, Dan Jr., and Emma, and reside in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. 

More about iFaith: “Brings some substance along with his punchy prose.” – Publisher’s Weekly

We’re a generation raised on instant: Instant formula. Disposable diapers. Satellite TV. GPS navigation. Online check-in. Automatic everything. We’re always plugged in and wired. We’re accustomed to having answers at the snap of our fingers. We’re used to being in control. How does this affect our communication with God? This is the question iFaith seeks to answer. What has life at warp speed done to our souls? Has faith been replaced with a false sense of security? Has the digital and technological revolution made us more impatient with the God who delights in making His people wait? iFaith is a unique look at prayer and faith in the twenty-first century, calling us back to a place of rest and silence and peace with God.

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This week on Living Inspired my guest is my friend and co-author, Ocieanna. We have written two books together, Love Finds You in Lonesome Prairie, Montana and Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington. Besides being a great writer, she is a great friend who has had a very interesting year. Be sure to tune in on Thursday to hear about Ocieanna's near death experience and how it's changed her life.

More about Ocieanna Fleiss: Ocieanna Fleiss has co-written two novels with Tricia Goyer—both for Summersidepress. The most recent, Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington, released July, 2010. Ocieanna has also written several articles for national publications including MOMSense and MOPS.org and a bi-monthly column for Northwest Christian Writers Association. Homeschool mom of four little ones, she, along with her husband, stay busy at her home in the Seattle area. Learn more about Ocieanna at www.ocieanna.com 

More about our books: Be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of each book - winners will be notified next week via email!

Love Finds You in Lonesome Prairie, Montana: In 1890, Julia Cavanaugh travels west from New York City to unite orphans in her care with new families.

Imagine her horror when she discovers that she's to be "delivered," too--as bride to an uncouth miner! But with no return fare, Julia's options are bleak.

What does God have planned for her on the lonesome prairies of Montana?

Read an Excerpt

Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington: The war has stolen Rosalie’s fiancé, Vic, from her forever.  But rather than wallow, Rosalie distracts herself by cramming her days full of activity—mainly by shooting rivets into the B-17 bombers that will destroy the enemy.

When a reporter dubs her “Seattle's Own Rosie the Riveter,” even more responsibility piles up. Her strong arms bear all this, but when intense feelings surface for Kenny, the handsome, kind-hearted, and spiritually unwavering reporter, the fear of losing another love propels Rosalie to leave.

It’s only when Rosalie realizes that God has brought her to this place—and this person—for a reason, the sparkling grace of God compels her to let go of her own strength and lean on His, as well as open her heart to love.

Discover the Story Behind the Book

 

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Join us this week for an encore epsidode of Living Inspired. We'll be running a GREAT interview with the inspirational and best-selling author of over thirty books - Randy Alcorn. Randy talked about his book The Goodness of God and more.

More About Randy: Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM). Prior to  1990, when he started EPM, he served as a pastor for fourteen years. He has spoken around the world and has taught on the adjunct faculties of Multnomah Bible College and Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon.

Randy is the best-selling author of twenty-seven books (over three million in print), including the novels Deadline, Dominion, and Deception as well as Lord Foulgrin's Letters, the Gold Medallion winner Safely Home, and Wait Until Then (children's picture book about Heaven).  His fourteen nonfiction works include Money, Possessions and Eternity, ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments, In Light of Eternity, The Treasure Principle, The Grace & Truth Paradox, The Purity Principle, The Law of Rewards, Why ProLife, Heaven, Heaven for Kids (8-12 year olds), 50 Days of Heaven (meditations on Heaven) and Tell Me About Heaven (picture book illustrated by Ron DiCianni).

Randy has written for many magazines and produces the popular periodical Eternal Perspectives. He's been a guest on over 500 radio and television programs including Focus on the Family, The Bible Answer Man, Family Life Today, Revive Our Hearts, Truths that Transform and Faith Under Fire.

The father of two married daughters, Randy lives in Gresham, Oregon, with his wife and best friend, Nanci. They are the proud grandparents of four grandsons, Jacob, Matthew, Tyler and Jack. Randy enjoys hanging out with his family, biking, tennis, research and reading.

For more information on this author, please be sure to visit www.epm.org. To see the author's life and perspectives, check out his blog at www.epm.org/blog.

About The Goodness of God Assurance of Purpose in the Midst of Suffering:

Through Pain and Tears…

Finding a Way to God’s Heart

For those times when we’re wounded by broken trust, assaulted by disease, or victimized by evil—or when we’re crushed to see such things happen to people we love—Randy Alcorn offers something solid to hold onto. 

In this specially focused condensation of Alcorn’s If God Is Good…: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil, we’re continually guided into a deeper glimpse of God’s loving ways and higher purposes—the very things we’re often most blinded to whenever we battle pain and anguish.

Alcorn avoids superficial or sentimental responses, and instead presses forward boldly to explore all the troubling doubts and questions that agitate within us when we confront suffering and evil.

The issues are far from simple, the answers far from easy—but Alcorn shows how the way of suffering—a path that Jesus himself followed more than anyone else—can ultimately become a journey into wholeness and even logic-defying joy.

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I'm so excited to chat with this week's guest, Helen Lee. Helen's book, The Missional Mom addresses how to balance our roles within our home as well as using our talents for His Kingdom. Helen's book affirms Christian mothers who desire to not only to build their homes in a Christ-like way, but engage the world with their skills, abilities, and interests. It doesn't minimize the importance of a woman's role in her home but encourages us to not ignore the stirrings God has planted within our hearts to extend her influence. This will be a great show!

More about the author: Helen Lee is an award-winning freelance writer and editor with nearly two decades of experience publishing in the Christian market. She is the co-editor of and contributor to Growing Healthy Asian-American Churches (IVP, 2006) and co-founder of the Best Christian Workplaces Institute, which runs the annual “Best Christian Places to Work” survey. Helen has written numerous articles for publications such as Christianity Today, Today’s Christian Woman, re:generation quarterly and Leadership Journal (LJ). In both 2008 and 2009, her articles for LJ earned Higher Goals awards in reporting from the Evangelical Press Association. She is married to classical pianist and Moody Bible Institute professor Brian Lee; together they have three young sons. Helen is also a homeschooling mom and seeks to provide her sons with a classical Christian education; she and her family reside in Chicagoland. For more about Helen and her book, visit her website at http://themissionalmom.com.

More about The Missional Mom: We all must seek to be missional in our life journey.  The evangelical subculture, however, tends to reduce the domain of the Christian mom to that inside the walls of her house.  But the reality is that today's Christian moms come from a full range of personal and professional context, whether they are homemakers, full-time in the marketplace, or somewhere in between.  Numerous Christian mothers today are living missional lives, using their gifts and abilities to further God's kingdom by engaging the world around them.  They artfully, passionately, sometimes messily, juggle multiple callings and demonstrate in their modern day contexts how they are emulating the woman of noble character in Proverbs 31.

For a chance to win a copy of Helen's book, leave a comment here. Winner will be notified next week via email.

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If you've ever struggled with sharing your faith (or struggled with people trying to tell you about Jesus) you won't want to miss Tim Sinclair on Thursday. Tim is a radio personality on one of the top Christian morning shows in the country, Mornings with Tim and Pam. And now he is an author. His first book, Branded: Sharing Jesus with a Consumer Culture, was just published by Kregel. In the book, Tim points out that the church has been commissioned to go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. To that end, the church spends $1.5 million for every one new follower of Jesus. Yet Apple can sell 26 iPads every minute. Branded is Tim's first hand observations about what makes Apple so exciting and Jesus so boring. In a word: marketing. Jesus is a life-changing product with lousy sales-people who are intimidated and embarrassed by the word "evangelism" and who show more enthusiasm for their gadgets than their God. Good stuff. I look forward to hearing what Tim has to say.

For a chance to win a copy of Tim's book, leave a comment on this post. Winner will be notified via email next week.

More about Tim: Tim Sinclair is a radio personality on one of the top Christian morning shows in the country, Mornings with Tim and Pam. For over a decade, he has been helping radio stations and various other businesses creatively and effectively market themselves. His award-winning productions have been heard on more than 2,000 radio stations worldwide and recent clients include McDonald's, Word Records, Moody Press, and the country's most-listened to Christian nonprofit radio station KSBJ/Houston. Tim has written for CCM Magazine and the Huntsville Times. For more info, please visit www.tim-sinclair.com.

More about Branded: Written with the wit and wisdom of an experienced marketer, Branded  peels away feelings of fear and encourages readers to share their faith in ways that are honest, authentic, and, most importantly, effective.

Praise for Branded:

"Convicting at times and outright hilarious at others, Branded is a simple plea for all of us to be true to the artists God created us to be. In Sinclair's words, 'If you're open, honest, real, and raw, millions of people will resonate with your story anyway, flaws and all.' Branded is the perfect pep talk you need to truly share Christ with a consumer culture." -Dave Frey, lead singer of Sidewalk Prophets

The church spends $1.5 million for every one new follower of Jesus. Apple sells 26 iPads every minute. What is it that makes Apple so exciting and Jesus so boring? What is it that compels someone to bring their iPod everywhere and their Bible nowhere? In a word: marketing. Jesus is a life-changing product with lousy salespeople-people who are intimidated and embarrassed by the word "evangelism" and who show more enthusiasm for their gadgets than their God.

What would life look like if we stopped mass-marketing Jesus and started marketing our faith like Nike and Apple market their products--sharing relationally, from person to person? Using examples from these and other successful companies, author Tim Sinclair challenges Christians to throw out their casual attitudes toward faith and sign on for a marketing campaign for the Savior.

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Don't miss my amazing guest this Thursday. Scott Ginsberg, creator of Hello, My Name Is Scott, is bold about what he believes and YOU have much to learn from his simple strategy. Scott Ginsberg is an author, speaker, artist, mentor, publisher and one smoking hot piece of brain candy. He's delivered 600+ presentations worldwide on identity, approachability, stick-to-itiveness and execution. He never gives the same speech twice. I love his message and his humor. Don't miss this show.

More about Scott:
ENTREPRENEUR. He transformed wearing a nametag into a six figure enterprise. His publishing/consulting company, HELLO, my name is Scott! offers an array of products and services. And, he was voted as St. Louis's "Young Entrepreneur of the Year," in 2008 by The St. Louis Small Business Monthly!

AUTHOR. Scott is the author of twelve books including HELLO, my name is Scott, The Power of Approachability, How to be That Guy and Make a Name for Yourself.

NAMETAG TV. In 2008, Scott launched his Online Training Network, NametagTV.com. This interactive learning community teaches approachability through video modules, message boards and other tools. Stick yourself out there!

SPEAKER. Scott gives presentations, breakout sessions, keynote speeches and seminars to tens of thousands of people each year. He's shared the stage with bestselling authors/speakers like Jeffrey Gitomer, Jim Collins and Fred Reichheld. Companies and organizations worldwide have been successfully implementing his programs on approachability since 2003.

DIVERSE CLIENTELE. Since 2003, Scott has worked with large companies like STAPLES, VERIZON Wireless, Boeing, Prudential Financial, UniGroup, Coldwell Banker, Gundaker Realty, Leo Burnett, Manpower and Hyatt Regency. He's and also worked with organizations like United States Jaycees, International Association of Workforce Professionals, International Cemetery & Funeral Association, American Society of Association Executives, Meeting Professionals International, National Association of Personnel Services, School Nutrition Association, Word of Mouth Marketing Association and The YMCA of America.

THE NAMETAG GUY. Scott is the only person in the world who wears a nametag 24-7 to make people friendlier. (In case you're wondering, he has a nametag tattooed on his chest for certain occasions.) While transforming his simple idea into a business, his adventures have earned him recognition as "The World's Foremost Expert on Nametags" and secured a spot in Ripley's Believe it Or Not!

COLUMNIST. Scott is a regular contributor to American Expression Open Forum, The Ladders, St. Louis Small Business Monthly, INSTORE Magazine, and over 50 additional online/print publications. Also, his work has been reprinted in dozens of textbooks and resource guides.

MEDIA EXPERT. Dubbed as "The Authority on Approachability," Scott is regularly interviewed by various online, print, radio and TV media for his unique expertise. He has been featured in hundreds of outlets such as 20/20, CNN, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, The Associated Press, REDBOOK, FastCompany, The Washington Post, Paul Harvey, The CBS Early Show and Headline News. He even wrote "The Quiz" on approachability for COSMO!

NAMETAG NETWORK. Scott's award winning, content-rich websites get as many as 30,000 hits a day from readers and audience members around the world. His blog was voted as #39 on the "Top 100 Business Blogs on the Web!" His ubiquitous web presence and powerful platform set the standard for entrepreneurs and marketers in his field, and have earned him an surprising amount of credibility seeing that he's just some guy who wears a nametag every day.

* * * *
When he's not traveling around the world speaking to companies, associations and universities, Scott lives in St. Louis where he often talks to strangers. To drop Scott a line today, call 314/256-1800 or email scott@hellomynameisscott.com.

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Welcome to this week's edition of Living Inspired. On Thursday's show we'll hear from two authors. My guest for the first half of the show is a self-published historical author, Tracey Jackson. Tracey has had an interesting publishing journey. We'll talk a little about that and her current release, The Rebel Bride. The second half hour, will feature Pulitzer nominated author (and homeschool mom!), Sibella Giorello. The fifth book in her Raleigh Harmon series, The Mountains Bow Down, released earlier this year and we'll hear about that, as well as what inspires her.

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of either Tracey or Sibella's books. Winner will be notified next week via email.

More about Tracey: Tracey was born and raised in New Zealand, and that’s where her love of horses wasformed. Her grandfather taught her to ride at four years old, and she couldn’t get enough.

Her love and passion for Abraham Lincoln and the entire Civil War era might have come from her American father, however, he lays no claim to influencing her. Tracey's mother used to tell her she was simply born in the wrong place in the wrong time.  

Tracey hasn't always wanted to write. It took her a long time to get started, but now she doesn't seem to be able to stop, the joy of escaping to the 1860s is too much fun.

She's been happily married and gooey in love with her husband for sixteen years. They live in the Pacific Northwest with their two sons. For more about Tracey, visit her website: http://traceyjanejackson.com/ 

About The Rebel Bride: The Bride Ransom - Book #5 in the Civil War Brides Series

Victoria Carrington is a small town southern debutante who is accepted into college in Chicago. Her roommate goes missing, and Victoria’s family is convinced she is in danger.  Alone and somewhat irritated  by the FBI’s forced protection, she throws herself into her passion, photography.

Her photography studio is housed in an historic building. While she is there one afternoon, she is led to aroom that does not appear to have been touched in 100 years. She finds an old hand tinted Ambrotype of a soldier buried in a stack of paintings. As she is staring at his face, her world begins to spin.

Quincy Butler is trapped in a hell he could never have imagined. Fighting yet another battle in The War Between the States, he is shocked to encounter a woman on the field. When she begins to speak to him, he realizes she is southern, and assumes she is the enemy. 

His intention to apprehend and take her to his superiors is cut short however, when he is shot and wounded.

As Victoria tends to Quincy’s injuries, will she be able to convince him to trust her?

When she is kidnapped by a mad man, will Quincy save her before she is lost to him forever?

More about Sibella: Sibella Giorello grew up in Alaska and majored in geology at Mount Holyoke College.After riding a motorcycle across the country, she worked as a features writer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Her stories have won state and national awards, including two nominations for the Pulitzer Prize. She now lives in Washington state with her husband and sons.

For more about Sibella and her other books, visit her website: http://sibellagiorello.com

More about The Mountains Bow Down: Book 5 in the Raleigh Harmon series

Everything's going to work out. Time away always makes things better . . . 

That's what FBI Special Agent Raleigh Harmon believes as she boards a cruise to Alaska. A land of mountains and gems and minerals, The Last Frontier is a dream destination for this forensic geologist who's hoping to leave behind a hectic work schedule and an engagement drained of romance. 

But when a passenger goes missing and winds up dead, Raleigh's vacation suddenly gets lost at sea. Theship's security chief tries to rule the death a suicide, but Raleigh's forensics background points to a much darker conclusion: Somewhere onboard, a ruthless murderer walks free. 

Engulfed by one of her toughest cases yet, Raleigh requests assistance from the FBI and receives her nemesis—perpetual ladies man Special Agent Jack Stephanson. As the cruise ship sails through the Inside Passage, Raleigh has five days to solve a high-profile murder, provide consultation for a movie filming onboard, and figure out her increasingly complicated feelings for Jack—who might not be such a jerk after all. 

And that's only her work life. Family offers even more challenges. Joined on the cruise by her mother and aunt, Raleigh watches helplessly as disturbing rifts splinter her family. 

Like the scenery that surrounds the cruise ship, Raleigh discovers a situation so steep and so complex that even the mountains might bow down. 

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I'm super excited to introduce you to this week's guest. I had the opportunity to meet Shellie a few weeks ago when I was in Shreveport for a book signing for Beside Still Waters. (There we are below.) She was at another book store across town signing copies of her latest laugh-out-loud book, (get ready, it's a mouth full!) Sue Ellen's Girl Ain't Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy: The Belle of All Things Southern Dishes on Men, Money, and Not Losing Your Midlife Mind! Shellie is not only an author, but also a syndicated columnist and the host of her own radio show (also syndicated), call All Things Southern. Don't miss Thursday's show, Shellie is a total hoot - you will love her.

More about Shellie: Shellie Rushing Tomlinson and her husband Phil live and farm in the Louisiana Delta.Shellie is the author of Lessons Learned on Bull Run Road, Twas the Night Before the Very First Christmas, Southern Comfort with Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, and the Penguin Group USA release, Suck Your Stomach In and Put Some Color On, voted Nonfiction Finalist of 2009 by SIBA Independent Booksellers Alliance. 

Tomlinson is owner and publisher of All Things Southern and the host of the weekly radio show All Things Southern as well as a weekly video segment by the same name. Listeners also hear Shellie in her All Things Southern radio segments aired across the South. Shellie writes a weekly inspirational feature in Newsstar and a monthly print and online column for Lousiana Road Trips.

When Shellie isn't writing, speaking, taping her show, answering email or writing content for the next deadline, you can find her playing tennis with Dixie Belle, (the chocolate lab who thinks she is in charge of running Shellie's life). 

More about Sue Ellen's Girl Ain't Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy:

I'm here to tell you that Shellie Rushing Tomlinson is laugh out loud funny. For anyone who has an ounce of Southern blood flowing through their veins or those that wish they did, this book is going to be a treasure!   --Jeff Foxworthy

The bestselling author of Suck Your Stomach In & Put Some Color On! returns with more helpful how-to's and keen observations from Dixie. 

Guided by principles from the ancient Belle Doctrine, the host of radio and television's All Things Southern offers down-home advice on everything from health and fitness-managing thy caloric calculations without going Straight Running Crazy and surviving the Raging Inferno Syndrome (aka hot flashes)-to the Southern art of handling your man (Bubba Whispering). Whether giving business tips or debunking the Big Boned Theory, making political observations or celebrating the inevitable resurgence of big hair, Shellie is an adviser women can relate to and laugh with regardless of their age or which side of the Mason-Dixon they call home.

 

Win a copy of Shellie's book by leaving a comment. We'll contact the winner via email next week!

 

To celebrate the release of Sue Ellen's Girl Ain't Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy, Shellie is hosting a fun Facebook  Party on June 2nd. She'll be dishing on Bubba Whispering, debunking the Big Boned Theory, and how to manage going Straight Running Crazy. If you don't know what any of that is, then be sure to pick up a copy of the book (Not necessary to join the fun! Who knows - you might win a copy!) and join us at 5:00 pm on June 2nd at Shellie's Facebook page. And tell your friends - she's giving away copies of her books and some great gift certificates.

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I'm looking forward to this week's show. My guest will be the co-author of my latest book, Praying for Your Future Husband, Robin Jones Gunn. This is a topic that is near and dear to our hearts and this project is something we've been thinking about (and praying about) for years. Robin is one of my FAVORITE people and it was such a treat to get to work with my dear friend on this book. So tune in, get ready to laugh and find out why it's important to pray for your future husband (and keep praying for the one you have!). If you know a teen or 20-something - please tell them about today's shows. We'll be taking callers and answering your questions. Call 1-877-864-4869.

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of the book. Winners notified via email, so be sure to leave your email address.

More about the book: Praying for Your Future Husband: Preparing Your Heart for His

Buy this Book

Have you ever thought about praying for your future husband?
Will it make a difference?
There's only one way to find out…

From when we were small girls, most of us dream of “The One,” our future husband. We think about what it would be like to be a bride. We wonder who that special guy is and when we'll find him. The great news is that what you do now can make a difference in your life and the life of your future husband!

Authors and good friends Robin Jones Gunn (Christy Miller series) and Tricia Goyer (author and former teen mom) believe God answers women's prayers for husbands—even husbands they may not meet for years. They invite young women to pray boldly for their future mate … while also asking God to prepare their own hearts.

In Praying for Your Future Husband, Robin and Tricia share their two vastly different experiences, including the things they did right and the mistakes they made on the path to meeting and marrying their husbands. Each chapter includes helpful Bible verses, prayers, and practical application, along with true stories of women who prayed for a husband and how God answered in remarkable ways.

God has a beautiful romance prepared for you. Prayer is the key to unlocking the love story … with your future husband and with God, the lover of your soul.

More about Robin: Robin Jones Gunn was born in Wisconsin and lived on a dairy farm until her familymoved to southern California when she was five years old. She grew up in Orange County and spent her summers at Newport Beach with friends from her church youth group. After attending Biola University and Capernwray Bible School in Austria, Robin and Ross were married and spent the next two decades working together in youth ministry.

It was the young teens at Robin’s church who challenged her to write stories for them. She hadn’t thought much about being a writer, but took their request to heart and set her alarm for 3am, three days a week. With two small children it was the only time she could find to write the first story about Christy Miller. After two years and ten rejections the novel Summer Promise was accepted for publication in 1988. Robin hasn’t stopped writing since. Over 4 million copies of her 75 books have sold and can be found in a dozen translations all over the world. 

Robin and her husband now live in Hawai’i where Ross is a counselor and Robin continues to write to the sound of tropical birds chattering in the palm trees outside her window. Their children are grown but manage to come to the islands with their families every chance they get. Robin's awards include: three Christy awards for excellence in fiction, a Gold Medallion finalist, Mt. Hermon Pacesetter and the Mt. Hermon Writer of the Year award. Robin travels extensively and is a frequent key-note speaker at various events around the world.  She serves on the Board of Directors for Media Associates International and Jerry Jenkin’s Christian Writer’s Guild. Find out more about Robin and here other books at www.robingunn.com.

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I'm thrilled to be interviewing Eric and Leslie this week, my daughter is a HUGE fan of their books. We'll be chatting about their amazing love-story, their children and heart for orphans. We'll also talk about their books and their mentoring program through Ellerslie. The Ludy's will share tips on how parents can help their young adult children grow in the relationship with Christ and prepare them for their future marriages and ministry. Thursday's show is not to be missed!

More about the Ludy's and their Set Apart Life: Eric and his wife Leslie have a passion for adoption, and have adopted two of their four children.  The Ludy family lives in Windsor, Colorado where they enjoy Rocky Mountain sunsets, evening bike rides, and the daily chuckles and adventures that four small children bring.

Eric and Leslie Ludy are bestselling authors and speakers who have published eighteen books with well over a million copies in print and with translations into over a dozen languages around the world. Their widely known classic, When God Writes Your Love Story remains one of the top-selling Christian relationship books of all time.

Over the past sixteen years, Eric and Leslie have shared their message around the country, overseas, and on Christian media platforms such as Focus on the Family, Family Life Today, and Moody Radio. They have become a strong voice in the Church today, especially on issues of Biblical sexuality, masculinity and femininity, prayer, and the deeper Christian life.  The Ludy’s poignant books and powerful messages present a clarion call to return to triumphant, Bible-centered, Christ-empowered Christianity. 

Their recent works include The Bravehearted Gospel, Wrestling Prayer, and The Lost Art of True Beauty.

Eric serves as the President and teaching Pastor at Ellerslie Training – a Colorado based discipleship school that equips young leaders to impact the world for Jesus Christ.  Leslie is the director of Set Apart Girl; an internationally known organization that provides resources and training for Christian young women on purity and Christ-centered living.

Eric and his wife Leslie have a passion for adoption and orphan advocacy, and have adopted two of their four children.  The Ludy family enjoys an adventure-filled life in Windsor, Colorado.

More about Leslie: Leslie Ludy serves as the executive director of Set-Apart Girl - an internationally-known organization that provides books, resources, conferences, and training for Christian young women.  As a speaker and best-selling author of more than a dozen books, Leslie has become a highly respected voice to her generation on issues of Biblical femininity. In addition to the many books Leslie has written along with her husband Eric, she has written multiple solo books geared for young women, including Authentic Beauty, Set-Apart Femininity, Answering the Guy Questions, Sacred Singleness and The Lost Art of True Beauty.   

Authentic Beauty spent several months among the top-ten CBA’s bestseller’s list, and Set-Apart Femininity was a finalist for the 2009 Christian Retailing Reader’s Choice Award.

Leslie is widely recognized for her poignant and practical messages on purity, femininity, and set-apart living.  Leslie’s online website and magazine, www.setapartgirl.com has developed a devoted following in over 170 countries around the world, and her Set Apart Girl Conference Tour annually reaches thousands of girls in churches and communities around the United States.

Leslie’s most valued ministry role is as a wife and mother of four.  She and Eric share a burden for the rescue of orphan and vulnerable children worldwide, and have adopted two of their four kids.  The Ludy family lives in Colorado where they enjoy an adventure-filled life together everyday.

More about Eric: Eric Ludy serves as the President of Ellerslie Mission Society.  He is also the teaching pastor at the Church at Ellerslie and the lead instructor in the Ellerslie Leadership Training.

Eric is a best-selling author of more than a dozen books and a highly respected voice in the Church today, especially on issues of Biblical sexuality, manhood, prayer, and the deeper Christian life.

When asked about his denominational leanings, Eric very simply says, “Just stick Leonard Ravenhill, C.T. Studd, Hudson Taylor, Rees Howells, and Charles Spurgeon into a blender, and that’s pretty close to what I believe.”  

For the past sixteen years, Eric has been a popular speaker at colleges, conferences and events, and has been a guest on nearly every major Christian radio platform. 

Eric has a strong passion for orphan advocacy, and is in process of spearheading the development of an international orphan program that provides strong spiritual and academic training for vulnerable children around the world, with the goal of building orphans into world-impacting leaders.

 

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Join me on Thursday when I'll be interviewing Nancy Williams, author of Secrets to Parenting Your Adult Children, and political-suspense author, Jeanette Windle. Nancy and I will be chatting about helping your kids make that transition out of the nest and onto the next phase of their life. Jeanette is an amazing researcher and a master story-teller - her 'ripped from the headlines' novels grip and touch the hearts of people world-wide. So be sure to tun in at 3 pm CST and be sure to leave a comment on this post for your chance win a copy of both authors books.

More about Nancy: Nancy Williams, MEd, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor and trained life coach. She speaks frequently in both professional and church contexts and is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. Nancy and her husband live Near Austin, TX, and are the parents of two adult children.

Nancy is an advocate for creating a strong, healthy relationship with your grown child. You're still a parent, no matter how old your child is. Roles change, but your love and your sense of responsibility remain. Maybe he hasn't left the nest as quickly as you expected, or she needs career and financial guidance, or he's bringing new members into your family. Whatever the situation, how can you help your adult child without crossing appropriate boundaries?

Nancy Williams draws from her own professional and personal experience, and also provides insights fromyoung adults. She will help you navigate these transitions with love, respect, and grace. While every family is unique, this book provides practical tools you can use to help your changing family become the best it's ever been. 

For more information, please visit www.nancywilliams.net.

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More about Jeannette: "The countries, people, and issues of which you write are so real they hardly seem fiction." "I get the news now after reading your books." 

If these are comments political-suspense novelist Jeanette Windle routinely hears from readers, it is because she indeed knows firsthand of what she writes. The daughter of American missionaries, Jeanette grew up in the jungles and small towns of Colombia, now guerrilla hot zones. Later, she lived with her husband in Bolivia for nearly two decades, working for a Christian ministry organization while witnessing the emergence of the world’s first true 'narco-democracy'. To date, Jeanette has lived in six countries and ministered in more than thirty. And, though she now makes her headquarters in the States, she keeps abreast of international affairs traveling extensively as a missions journalist and mentor to indigenous writers across Latin America, Europe, Asia and into Africa. 

Jeanette has fifteen books in print, including Kregel bestseller CrossFire and Veiled Freedom, a finalist for both the 2010 Christian Book Award and 2010 Christy Award.  Her on-the-ground experience and in-depth research have made her an expert on political and social realities from Latin America to Afghanistan. She has been questioned more than once by government agencies as to her sources of information because her writing reveals an insider’s look few U. S. officials can claim. 

How does Jeanette handle writing on such gritty issues as Latin American drug cartels, guerrilla insurgencies, terror threats at our borders, Islamic extremism, and the persecuted church worldwide? She shares, "If I did not have absolute assurance that the course of human history and current events as well as my own life lie in the hands of a loving heavenly Father, I would not have the nerve to research, much less write, the

 stories that I do. My ultimate goal in every book I write, however much a 'thriller', is to share with the reader my own heartfelt conviction that for all the turmoil and conflict and pain in our world, this universe does make sense and has both a purpose and a loving Creator."

For more about Jeanette and her books, please visit www.jeanettewindle.com.

For a chance to win a copy of Jeanette's recently re-released, The DMZ,  or Nancy's Secrets to Parenting Your Adult Children, please leave a comment on this post. We'll contact you next week via email if you won!.

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Don't miss this week's show. My guest will be talented author Erin Healy. Erin is an award-winning fiction editorwho has worked with talented novelists such as Frank Peretti, Lisa Samson, Ted Dekker, and many more. After editing twelve of Dekker's heart-pounding stories, they decided to collaberate on a series of novels, the first of which, Kiss, was the first novel to seat her on “the other side of the desk. Erin is also the owner of WordWright Editorial Services, a consulting firm specializing in fiction book development. She lives with her family in Colorado.

In addition to Erin's writing, we'll also be chatting about raising teens and being vigilant to be the loudest and most compelling voice they hear each day. We'll hear about Erin's family's own struggle with teen bullying and depression.

For more information about Erin, visit her website: www.erinhealy.com

More about Erin's latest book, The Promises She Keeps: Promise, a talented young singer with a terminal illness, is counting on fame to keep her memory alive after she dies. Porta is an aging sorceress and art collector in search of immortality.

When Promise inexplicably survives a series of freak accidents, Porta believes that she may hold the key to eternal life.

Enter Chase, an autistic artist who falls in love with Promise and fascinates her with his mysterious visions and drawings.

Soon, all are plunged into a flesh-and-blood confrontation over the mystery and the cost of something even greater than eternal life…eternal love.

 

For a chance to win Erin's book, please leave a comment on this post (and your email address) and we'll select one winner next week to receive a copy of The Promises She Keeps. The winner will be notified via email.

 

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I'm super excited about this week's show with Sheila and Abby. Both are passionate about things that are near and dear to my heart: tweens and pro-life advocacy. Don't miss a minute of this week's show.

More about Abby and Unplanned: Abby Johnson quit her job in October 2009. That simple act became a national news story because Abby was the director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas who, after participating in her first actual abortion procedure, walked across the road to join the Coalition for Life.

Unplanned is a heartstopping personal drama of life-and-death encounters, a courtroom battle, and spiritual transformation that speaks hope and compassion into the political controversy that surrounds this issue. Telling Abby’s story from both sides of the abortion clinic property line, this book is a must-read for anyone who cares about the life versus rights debate and helping women who face crisis pregnancies.

For more info about Abby, visit her website: http://abbyjohnson.org/

More about Sheila Walsh: Sheila Walsh is a powerful communicator, Bible teacher, and best-selling author with more than 4 million books sold. A featured speaker with Women of Faith®, Sheila has reached more than 3.5 million women  by artistically combining honesty, vulnerability, and humor with God's Word.

Author of the best-selling memoir Honestly and the Gold Medallion nominee for The Heartache No One Sees, Sheila's most recent release, The Shelter of God's Promises, has also been turned into a DVD curriculum and in-depth Bible study. The Gigi, God's Little Princess book and video series has won the National Retailer's Choice Award twice and is the most popular Christian brand for young girls in the United States.

Sheila co-hosted The 700 Club and her own show Heart to Heart with Sheila Walsh. She is currently completing her Masters in Theology.

Twitter @SheilaWalsh, facebook.com/sheilawalshconnects

How to Be God's Little Princess: What does it take to be a princess? Sheila Walsh has some important answers to share for every little girl. This trendy design features black & white line art and a two-color pink and black interior. The art will tie to each how-to topic in the book—how to make the best pink cookies, how to wear a tiara, how to earn money at home, how to care for a royal dog, how to be respectful, how to use good manners, how to help Mom, how to follow Jesus, how to act like a princess when things go terribly wrong, and many more.

Sheila Walsh is celebrating the release of How to Be God’s Little Princess with a KINDLE giveaway and Facebook Princess Tea Party! “In How to Be God’s Little Princess, it’s my prayer that young girls will learn important life skills and discover for themselves how to navigate the do’s and don’ts of life. I want them to see that making wise decisions about clothes, friends, family, make-up, and more can be FUN! – Sheila Walsh Read what people are saying here. Sheila has put together a Princess prize package worth over $200!

One lucky winner will receive:    

* A brand new KINDLE with Wi-Fi & New Pearl Screen    

* How to Be God’s Little Princess    

* A Princess Tea Kit (includes princess backpack, tiara, book, jewelry making kit, & mug)

To enter click on entry ports below, then tell your friends! Hurry, giveaway ends 4/30! But wait! There’s more … On May 4th join Sheila at her Author Page on Facebook for the Princess Tea Party! She will announce the winner of the KINDLE, connect with readers and give away a ton of fun products from the Gigi and God’s Little Princess line! Tweens invited! Don’t miss the fun! She is looking forward to connecting and learning more about you – so be sure to stop by on May 4th at 5:00 PM PST (6 PM MST, 7 PM CST, & 8 PM EST).

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I'm so excited to have my friends, the Eash's on the show this week. My new book, Beside Still Waters is loosely based on events in their lives. I can't wait for you to meet them. Today we'll be talking about the book, the stories behind the story, the Amish community in Montana, and their Amish heritage. I'll be giving away a few copies of the book, so be sure to leave a comment on this post for a chance to win one. (Don't forget your email address!)

And be sure to catch Suzanne Woods Fisher's show, Amish Wisdom (she's on right after Living Inspired) she'll be interviewing all of us about the book, what it was like working together, and what we learned in the process. I'll also get to chat a bit about my next non-fiction release, Praying For Your Future Husband.

About Beside Still Waters: Marianna Sommer believes she knows where her life is headed. Nineteen years old and Amish, her plan is to get baptized into the church, marry Aaron Zook, and live in the only community she's ever known.

When Marianna's family moves from Indiana to Montana she discovers life and faith will never be the same. As she builds an easy friendship with local guy, Ben Stone, Ben not only draws her heart, he also gets her thinking about what loving God and living in community is all about.

As Marianna struggles to find "home", she also encounters God in intimate ways.

Meet the Eash's:

THEN:

NOW:

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Thursday the 7th is John and I's wedding anniversary. I thought it would be fun to have him on the show and talk about marriage, parenting, & life. :) Have a question for us? Email it to amy@triciagoyer.com or leave it on this post.

The official show blurb: John and Tricia Goyer live in Little Rock Arkansas with Tricia's grandmother, their four children, daughter-in-law, and grandbaby on the way. (All in one house!)

John and Tricia got married when she was 18-years-old and he was 23 and they're celebrating their 21st Anniversary TODAY on Living Inspired.

In addition to working at FamilyLife (www.FamilyLife.com), John is the lead children's pastor at Mosaic Church (www.mosaicchurch.net). His passion for children's ministry seeped over and Tricia and their kids have been involved, volunteering with him for years.

Tricia is the author of 25 books, 500+ magazine articles, and a gazilaon blogs (or so it seems). She loves her family, her weekly radio show, and mentoring Teen MOPS. Leave a comment to win a copy of Tricia's Generation NeXt Marriage: The Couple's Guide To Keeping It Together.

On today's Living Inspired John and Tricia are going to talk about their romance, their challenges in marriage, and how they've helped each other follow their dreams. You won't want to miss it!

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Don't miss this week's show! Guest Matt Bell will be on talking about his latest book, Money & Marriage. Whether your newly engaged or just celebrated your 30th wedding anniversary, you'll learn something about finances and marital bliss from Matt! And be sure to leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of his book. We'll choose one winner at random next week and notify you via email. Also, be sure to see below, Matt has a fun Nest Egg Giveaway with a GREAT prize!

More about Matt: Matt began his career as a radio journalist, with his work featured on National Public Radio, the NBC Radio Network, and several other networks. His reporting earned national awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and United Press International.

Today, Matt is a full-time personal finance writer and speaker. He is the author of two books: "Money, Purpose, Joy" (September 2008) and "Money Strategies for Tough Times" (April 2009), both by NavPress. Matt has been quoted in USA TODAY, U.S. News and World Report, the Chicago Tribune, and Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, has written for ChristianityToday.com, and has been a guest on WGN-TV and several nationally syndicated radio talk shows.

Matt holds a Master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from DePaul University, where he wrote a thesis about the emergence of America's consumer culture and its influence on people's beliefs and behaviors.

Matt lives with his wife and their three young children in the Chicago area. Visit his website and blog at www.mattaboutmoney.com.

More about Money & Marriage: Money & Marriage: A Complete Guide for Engaged or Newly Married Couples

In this thorough and practical guide, financial expert Matt Bell helps engaged and newly married couples navigate the merger of habits, flaws, and attitudes about money so two can truly become one.

His writing is full of helpful advice, Scripture, and practical steps to gaining financial freedom together as a couple. Learn to use money in a way that minimizes disputes and maximizes marital happiness.

Matt Bell's (a.k.a Matt About Money) Money & Marriage has just released (NAVPress) and is a great resource for engaged or newly married couples. Read the reviews here.

Matt says about the book, “I wrote “Money & Marriage” because I believe in marriage. I’m sure it isn’t news to you that money is a very common source of stress between spouses. It’s even a primary factor in many divorces. I wrote this book with no less of a goal than to save many marriages from disaster, and to help all couples use money in a way that strengthens their relationship and increases their joy.”

To celebrate Matt has put together a Nest Egg Giveaway with a prize package worth over $250! 

One winner will receive:

•    A Free 1 Hour Financial Session

•    A $100 Visa Cash Card

•    A signed copy of Matt’s Money, Purpose, Joy and Money Strategies for Tough Times

To enter just click one of the icons below. Then tell your friends. And hurry - the contest ends April 11th. The winner will be announced on Matt's blog on April 13th.

 

Be sure to pick up a copy of Money & Marriage – important principles whether you're newly engaged or just celebrated your 30th anniversary.

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I'm excited to have my good friend Cara on the show this week. We'll be chatting about her new books and how she balances writing, family and her career as an attorney.We'll also be talking about Cara's miscarriage and how she got through that difficult time.

More about Cara: Cara Putman is an author and attorney who lives in Indiana with her husband and four children. A homeschooling mom, she has written eleven novels, two repackages, and a Complete Idiots Guide since 2006. In the first half of 2011 she is writing two novellas and a full-length novel for Barbour. A lover of history, she has written seven novels that are set in the United States during World War II. She loves doing the research to get the details right and bring that time period to life. Many of her contemporary novels have an attorney as a main character, allowing her to bring her experience as an attorney to the stories. Her first novel Canteen Dreams won the Carol Award for short historical in 2008, and Sandhill Dreams was a finalist in the same category in 2009. You can learn more about Cara and her books on her web site and facebook.

More about Cara's latest books: For a chance to win a copy of either Stars in the Night or Ohio Brides, leave a comment here. Next week we'll choose two winners randomly and notify via email. Please let me know which book you'd like and your email in the comment section below.

Stars in the Night: Stars in the Night is a historical romantic suspense set in Hollywood during 1942. When Audra Schaeffer's sister disappears in Hollywood, Audra flies there to find her, but has to identify her body instead. Determined to find the killer and bring him to justice, Audra takes a job with the second Hollywood Victory Caravan. Together with Robert Garfield and other stars, she crisscrosses the southern United States as the stars sell war bonds. When Robert's ex-wife and another woman are found dead on the train, Audra knows the deaths are tied to her sister's. Is the killer is the man she's falling in love with? And can she identify the killer before he targets her?

Ohio Brides: Three Ohio women seek God's promises for peace on the 1940's home front. Josie is a new bride struggling with dreams unfulfilled. Evelyn serves with the WAVES, but feels unappreciated. Kat becomes a professional softball player amidst criticism. Can each of them find love in such times of trial? This volume contains A Promise Kept, A Promise Born and A Promise Forged.

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Don't miss Thursdays' show, I'll be chatting with speaker and author Keri Wyatt Kent about her new book, Deeper Into the Word: Reflections on 100 Words from the New Testament.

About Keri: A Keri Wyatt Kent is the author of Breathe and has written for both the Daily Herald (Chicago) and for Willow Creek Community Church. Keri speaks often on spiritual formation. She lives with her husband and two children in Illinois.

For more information about Keri visit her website at www.keriwyattkent.com.

About the book: A Fresh Look at the Words Within the Word

"We don't use words well because we coax them into meaning what we'd like them to mean rather than what they did mean. The only way to become a Bible Christian is to learn how the Bible uses words, and Keri Wyatt Kent will guide you into how to do just that. God bless this book for what it can do for Christians."
--Scot McKnight, Karl A. Olsson Professor of Religious Studies, North Park University

Words matter. God cares about them and so should we. Going a little deeper into the Bible's words can make an old passage new again, enriching your understanding of God's message to his children. Why was this word chosen rather than that one? What does it imply in its original language that you can't see in English? And without knowing Greek, how can you learn to explore the details of God's Word for yourself?

Keri Wyatt Kent provides a fresh encounter with the most important words of the New Testament. Deeper Into the Word can be used as a daily devotional or as an easy-to-use reference tool. Either way, you'll find yourself excited by the wonders of God's amazing Word.

For a chance to win a copy of the book, leave a comment here along with your address. One winner will be selected at random next week and notified via email.

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This week's guest is Rick Tunis. We'll be talking about his book, Do You Love Me? Feed My Sheep. Rick is a pastor, speaker and founder of Bread of Life Ministries. Be sure to tune in and hear about this inspirational man and his mission!

More bout Rick: Rick Tunis is a seasoned pastor, international speaker, and founder of Bread of Life International. He has shared his passion for famine relief with CBS Evening News, Charisma magazine, and as a guest on Daystar’s television program “Celebration.” He earned a B.A. in biblical studies from Southern California College and an M.F.A. from Columbia University. He is currently working toward his M.Div. with Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.

Rick has been married for 28 years to his wife, Nancy.  They are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters, Colleen and Patty.

Visit Rick's website for more information: www.ricktunis.com

More about Do You Love Me?: Many Christian believers know that they are saved sheep in Christ’s fold but are unable to maximize their potential calling to become effective shepherds of  others. As a result, many will experience years of frustration, a sense of an unrealized calling and limited usefulness in the Kingdom of God. The purpose of this book is to encourage believers to get their calling and make the transition from sheep to shepherd through sustained faithfulness to Christ and obedience to God’s Word.

This is a book for a broad range of Christian readers. Do You Love Me is filled with graphic personal stories about faith, falling away, returning home, and getting a calling to shepherd others. It can provide value and added punch in the Christian higher education arena for classes on spiritual formation and courses on discipleship. Anyone who is hungry for more of what God has planned for them will want to devour Do You Love Me? Feed My Sheep.

For a chance to win a copy of Rick's book, please leave a comment here along with your mailing address. My assistant Amy will contact the winners next week via email.

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Don't miss Thursday's show with the fabulous Anita Lustrea. Anita is the co-host of Moody's Midday Connection. We'll be chatting about her new book, What Women Tell Me. Should be a fascinating interview.

More about Anita: Authentic. That’s the word heard over and over when women describe Anita. She is a popular speaker at women’s conferences and retreats, and an amazing communicator as co-host of the award winning Midday Connection radio broadcast. Her deep desire is to communicate freedom to women and help them nurture and care for their soul.

Anita is the co-author of “Come to Our Table: A Midday Connection Cookbook” and “Daily Seeds from Women Who Walk in Faith”, a Devotional for women.  Her first solo venture as an author releases in November, 2010, “What Women Tell Me: finding freedom from the secrets we keep.”

Anita and her husband, Mike Murphy, a pastor, along with her teenage son John live in the Chicago suburbs. When she’s not traveling or speaking, you can find her reading and drinking a venti hot tea at her local Starbucks. www.anitalustrea.com

More about What Women Tell Me: Real Women.  Real Stories.  Real Healing.  That’s what you’ll find inside the pages of “What Women Tell Me”. When issues of loneliness, friendship, mothering, domestic violence, and body image are raised, women want to pour out their hearts.  That’s been the case as women have tuned in to Moody Radio’s Midday Connection, the radio program Anita hosts.  In What Women Tell Me, Anita tells her story along with the difficult stories of other women.  Her prayer is to be an agent of healing in the body of Christ.

For a chance to win a copy of Anita's book, please leave a comment here along with your mailing address. My assistant Amy will contact the winners next week via email.

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