Grow Over Your Wall by Matt Sorger with Giveaway-on Tour with Celebrate Lit

About the Book

Book: Grow Over Your Wall

Author: Matt Sorger

Genre: Christian Living/Spiritual Growth

Release Date: September 18, 2020

Experience God’s Unstoppable Blessings and Breakthrough!

You may be facing an issue that’s seems like an insurmountable barrier in your life. Or, your circumstances may be so difficult you feel surrounded by walls with no way out. You ask God to knock down those walls, just as He did for Joshua at Jericho. But they’re still standing. Sometimes, God removes the obstacles from our lives immediately and dramatically. But what can we do when the change doesn’t occur, when the breakthrough doesn’t come, when God’s promises aren’t fulfilled, even when we pray?

That’s when we have to plant ourselves in God’s Word and presence and let Him grow us over the wall. The breakthrough starts as our roots grow deep. This is what Joseph did when he was in the pit and the dungeon. He grew over his wall by adopting a heavenly perspective rather than an earthly one. The result was a multitude of blessings for him, his family, and the world: “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well; his branches run over the wall” (Genesis 49:22).

You can grow over your own wall of difficulty, opposition, hindrance, or limitation. As you grow, your wall won’t look as high as it used to. And one day, you will grow over it. Every negative situation will divinely position you to be where you need to be in life. You will grow over circumstances you thought were too powerful for you. You will grow over the wall of limitation that once surrounded you. You will grow over the dead end or impossibility that threatened to defeat you. The trials of life have no power to stop you from being abundant and fruitful in God, receiving His blessings, and fulfilling the plans He has for you. Like Joseph, let your branches grow over the wall. Then, your breakthrough will become a breakthrough and blessing for others, too, enabling them to grow over their own walls of difficulty.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Matt Sorger is a prophetic minister and a strong preacher and teacher of God’s Word, mentoring and equipping the body of Christ to live in the realm of God’s power and glory. He carries a unique anointing that fills entire rooms with the tangible glory of God, with many people saved, healed, set free, and filled with God’s presence. Through Matt Sorger Ministries, he has ministered in more than thirty-five nations and has reached more than two hundred nations by television and other media. He is the author of Power for Life: Keys to a Life Marked by the Presence of God. Matt and his wife, Stephanie, oversee Rescue1, an organization that rescues children from trafficking around the world. Their vision is to see at least 1,500 children set free. The Sorgers have two children and reside near Charlotte, NC.

More from Matt

Turn your pain into power and experience God’s unstoppable blessings and breakthrough.

Blog Stops

Sara Jane Jacobs, October 24

Artistic Nobody, October 25 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Texas Book-aholic, October 26

For Him and My Family, October 27

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 29

Simple Harvest Reads, October 30 (Spotlight)

deb’s Book Review, October 30

Older & Smarter?, October 31

Inklings and notions, November 1

Ashley’s Bookshelf, November 2

Spoken from the Heart, November 3

Captive Dreams Window, November 3

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, November 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 5

Through the Fire Blogs, November 6

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Matt is giving away the grand prize package of a $20 Starbucks gift card and finished copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/102aa/grow-over-your-wall-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Seeking Life by Brianna Holifield on Tour with Celebrate Lit

About the Book

Book: Seeking Life

Author: Brianna Holifield

Genre: Christian Nonfiction/Christian Living

Release Date: June 30, 2020

Have you ever wondered what God’s purpose for you is? Or what exactly God wants for your life? Have you ever asked yourself if what you are doing is where God wants you to be? If you have ever asked any of these questions, you are not alone. Many people, including myself, have questions like these every day.

Seeking Life will dive deep into what God’s purpose is for each of us on earth and how the fruit of the Spirit plays a role. It will go into detail about each fruit of the Spirit and how to obtain each one. All the fruit work together to help us become whole in Jesus Christ. Being fruitful will ultimately show others who God really is to others by how we act and respond to things.

Seeking Life will include:

• An in depth explanation of what exactly a purpose is and how the fruit of the Holy Spirit ties into that
• Who the Holy Spirit is
• A chapter dedicated to each fruit of the Spirit, defining what it is, why we need it, and how to obtain it.
• A practical “How To” at the end of each chapter
• Evidence on how God communicates to us, and how we communicate to Him

Click here to get your copy!

Seeking Life is a terrific little book that focuses on the Fruits of the Spirit, along with how they apply to our purpose in life.

The Fruits of the Spirit are:

• Love

• Joy

• Peace

• Longsuffering

• Gentleness

• Goodness

• Faith

• Meekness

• Temperance

Brianna Holifield has packed a lot into this short 80-page book. She guides us through each of the fruits, their importance and how they apply to our purpose in life, along with a how-to at the close of each chapter.

Holifield’s technique in writing her book almost gives one the feeling of sitting at a table and talking with her. This makes it easy to tailor it to a Bible study, one I feel is much needed for women of today’s society. Even though it would seem our current COVID quarantines would slow down the harried hecticness most of us feel, in many ways, it has created even more chaos, turbulence and confusion, not to mention how the unrest in our country has affected us, too.

Seeking Life is a noteworthy book, one I am sure I will be referring to quite frequently.

I received Seeking Life from Celebrate Lit. However, I was under no obligation to post a review.

About the Author

Hey there! My name is Brianna Holifield and I wrote this book to share what I have learned over the past few years on my journey with God in hopes to help you live a more peaceful and joyful life with Christ.

I became a Christian in 2015. Over time, I went from being filled with anxiety and fear to being filled with the Holy Spirit and it has changed my life completely. I want to share my love for the Lord so more people can know God’s love for us.

A few other quirks about me: I love coffee and tea, I enjoy hiking and being outdoors, I love animals and I have a passion for nutrition.

So that is enough about me. God is our creator, He is our Father, and He loves us. I am His child and a servant of Him and I want to Glorify Him. This is to be more about God and our relationship with Him than about me.

More from Brianna

Have you ever been so at a loss as to what God wanted for your life because everything you thought you knew and everywhere you thought you were headed was so upside down, sideways, and backwards so much that there was nowhere to turn except God Himself?

Well, this is exactly where my life was before I decided to write this book. My life was shaken. Emotionally, I was distressed, sad, and in pain and I felt alone and helpless.

I can recall the day I knew I needed to write this book. January 7th. The night before I stood in my living room listening to worship music as memories and emotions flooded through my mind until I couldn’t take it anymore. I fell to my knees, let go of everything, and started to worship God like I never had before. I completely, totally surrendered myself to Him.

Sometimes, the only way for us to know we absolutely need God and know for a fact He is in control is to be left with nowhere to turn except to Him. And sometimes, only then are we able to truly listen to what God has been trying to tell us all along.

The next morning I got to work early and just prayed and asked God to show me a revelation and a vision of my life and what He wanted me to do with it. I was ready to do His will, not my own. I wrote everything He told me down. In fact, I still have that ripped up, scribbled on envelope I had found in my car to use that day.

One of the things God told me was to write. I remember the still quiet voice in my heart. Me? Write? I had never considered myself a writer. I also had no idea what to even write.

Over the next two months, God started showing me, teaching me, and transforming the way I saw things. Every single thing God taught me was something I desperately needed. By March, I knew what God wanted me to write about. This book is simple yet so foundational to living and walking in Christ. I hope the contents of this book helps everyone who reads it to grow and strengthen their relationship with the Lord and gain a deeper understanding of God’s purpose for each of us, and a better understanding of who the Holy Spirit is.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26, NKJV).

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, October 1

Inklings and notions, October 2

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 3

deb’s Book Review, October 3

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 4

Ashley’s Bookshelf, October 5

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 6

Captive Dreams Window, October 6

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 7

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 8

Godly Book Reviews, October 9

Artistic Nobody, October 9 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Sara Jane Jacobs, October 10

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 11

For Him and My Family, October 12

Mary Hake, October 12

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 13

Splashes of Joy, October 14

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Brianna is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 amazon gift card and a signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/10196/seeking-life-celebration-tour-giveaway

6 Hidden Behaviors that Destroy Families by Dr. Magdalena Battles on Tour with Celebrate Lit

Book: 6 Hidden Behaviors that Destroy Families

Author: Dr. Magdalena Battles

Genre: RELIGION / Christian Living/Family & Relationships

Release Date: June 9, 2020

Families are complicated.
There is no such thing as a perfect family…or an easy family. We all make mistakes that hurt or disappoint our family members, and we’ve all been hurt or disappointed by those we love.
Within our human makeup is a deep and basic need for healthy family relationships. Family was designed to provide us with love, a feeling of belonging, a shared history, traditions, comfort, affection, quality time, feedback, learning, and a safety net. When our family fails to provide for these needs, we feel a deep sense of loss.
6 Hidden Behaviors That Destroy Families by Dr. Magdalena Battles addresses the top conflicts in extended families that cause relationships to become strained, disjointed, or broken. These hidden behaviors are: criticism, gossip, lack of inclusion, deception, refusing to accept differences, and a failure to apologize and forgive. Dr. Battles provides practical tips and solutions based on research, biblical principles, and her own observations of what has worked in families.
Most families have some dysfunction, causing pain, damage, and division. While every family has problems, what really matters is how we deal with those issues. Are we working in a way that heals and resolves problems, or are we allowing them to fester, divide, and explode, causing tremendous damage to our relationships? Families are always in a state of change, and they are a work in progress. But they can function in a way where love, support, belonging, and kindness are exemplified and practiced.
Doing nothing about our family conflicts often contributes to the problems. The healing in your family can begin with you. To have a family that is loving and supportive, you need to be part of the solutions and healing. You just have to take those first steps! It is a process, but the result will be happier lives and more fulfilling relationships.

Click here to get your copy!

Dr. Magdalena Battles addresses hidden (unknown and/or unidentified) behaviors that arise in many families. Her book, with practical Biblical application and aptly fitting verses, focuses on the difficulties these behaviors cause families.

She acknowledges how complex and multifaceted families are due to the diversity of temperaments, not only in individual families, but also in extended families.

Battles points out how a person can lose the victim mindset by reminding the reader that each person is responsible for their own responses and reactions. A timely reminder as you read the book: many examples show how negative reactions and responses create strife, hurt feelings and elicit undesirable responses.

As we read her book, we are reminded that forgiveness is not for others. On the contrary, it is for ourselves. Battles uses not only Bible verses to explicate the importance of forgiveness, but she also uses scientific evidence to prove that unforgiveness can physically harm our bodies.

Six Hidden Behaviors that Destroy Families is an excellent and perfect resource for anyone. It would make a wonderful gift for couples, from young newlyweds just beginning their married life, all the way to those married for many years. In fact, I believe it would be a great gift for individuals beginning from mid-teens and on into adulthood, too.

I received 6 Hidden Behaviors that Destroy Families from Celebrate Lit. However, I was under no obligation to post a review.

About the Author

Dr. Magdalena Battles is a writer and conference speaker whose specialties include parenting, child development, family relationships, domestic violence, and sexual assault. She shares her real-life experiences and professional insights on her website, LivingJoyDaily.com, and on Lifehack.org, where she was named one of their top writers. She is also the author of Let Them Play: The Importance of Play and 100 Child Development Activities (September 2019). Dr. Battles earned a bachelor’s degree in child psychology and a master’s degree in professional counseling, both from Liberty University, and a doctorate in Clinical and Academic Psychology from Walden University. She has also completed post-graduate studies on “Technologies in Education” at Harvard University. While she may seem all business, in her spare time, she enjoys camping with her family, visiting national parks, reading nonfiction, decorating, organizing, shopping, spending time with extended family, and incubating/raising Silkie chickens. She is also an active volunteer in her community and church. Dr. Battles and her husband, Justin, reside in Texas, where they are raising their daughter, Brielle, twin boys, Alex and Charlie, a dog named Max, and a Silkie chicken named Marshmallow.

More from Magdalena

While every family has its problems—some minor, some major—what really matters is how we deal with these issues. Are we working to heal and resolve the conflicts, or are we allowing them to fester, divide, and explode, perhaps causing irreparable damage to our relationships? The six hidden behaviors that destroy families are described as “hidden” because we often ignore, deny, or cover up our family issues. The family unit is a living organism, never remaining the same. Sometimes, it is healthy and working well, and other times, it is not as healthy or functional. All it takes is one person to start a trend of love, compassion, and support that can change generations to come.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, July 11

 Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 12

Artistic Nobody, July 13 (Spotlight)

Inklings and notions, July 14

For Him and My Family, July 15

A Baker’s Perspective, July 16 (Spotlight)

deb’s Book Review, July 17

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 18

Simple Harvest Reads, July 19 (Spotlight)

Ashley’s Bookshelf, July 20

Mary Hake, July 21

Through the Fire Blogs, July 22 (Spotlight)

Captive Dreams Window, July 22

Splashes of Joy, July 23

For the Love of Literature, July 24 (Spotlight)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Magdalena is giving away the grand prize of a $20 Starbucks gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/fe58/6-hidden-behaviors-that-destroy-families-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Lost Art of Relationship by Dan Chrystal on Tour with Celebrate Lit

About the Book

Title: The Lost Art of Relationship

Author: Dan Chrystal

Genre: Christian non-fiction, Christian living

Release date: October 15, 2018

Relationship is a journey of discovery—a lost art. In this generation, it has become challenging to deepen and grow personal relationships with each other. Our technology-flooded environment has left many with limited relational experience and a fear of face-to-face connection and meeting new people.

The church has done a decent job of helping people understand the need and importance of a relationship with God, but what about with each other? At the heart of every man, woman, and child is the need for connection—for relationships with people who love them for who they are.

In The Lost Art of Relationship, Dan Chrystal tackles the heart of relationship based on the time-honored instruction to “love your neighbor as you love yourself.” But what does that mean? How do we live out this odd instruction? Who is my neighbor, anyway? What makes relationships healthy, and what makes them fail? Through Dan’s personal stories and difficult life lessons, readers will come away encouraged, inspired, and motivated to love the people in their life more fully. If you desire deep and meaningful connections, now is the time to discover the lost art of relationship.

Click here to get your copy!

Dan Chrystal’s book, The Lost Art of Relationship (A Journey to Find the Lost Commandment), has, in addition to the forward and introduction, 23 chapters divided into three sections. He begins his book with questions and ends the book with questions, which are great platforms for the book.

Chrystal leads us on a journey to discover the meaning of Matthew 22: 39b King James Version (KJV), “…Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” As we follow the journey, we get glimpses of his life through personal stories illustrating his insights into building different relationships, be they friends, family, spouse, children or business associates. Each personal story leads us back to the Biblical guidelines integral to the lessons we are learning.

The book will start you on a quest to explore and examine your own relationships and give you tools to strengthen and enhance each one.

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. However, I was under no obligation to post a review.

About the Author

Dan Chrystal has over twenty-three years of ministry and relationship experience. He serves as a pastor for Bayside Church Granite Bay, under the dynamic leadership of founding pastor, Ray Johnston. Dan is a vibrant speaker and a dedicated life, career, and couple’s coach. He holds an MBA in executive leadership from Kaplan University (now Purdue Global University) and is currently studying law at Concord Law School. His extensive ministry background has taken him all over the country, from the east coast to the west, where he has served in varying capacities, including Lead Pastor, Administrative Pastor, Associate Pastor, Worship Leader, and Youth Pastor. An avid student of relationship, Dan is passionate about helping others to love their neighbors as themselves.

“Choose a good reputation over great riches.” (Proverbs 22:1)

Guest post from Dan

For two years, I experienced what many would call a “wilderness experience.” I truly felt forgotten. I had spent twenty years in various aspects of church work having met and coached hundreds of people, and I still felt like I didn’t truly understand why I was put on this earth. I have moved nine times in my adult life. Everywhere I’ve lived, I had to start over—at work, home, schools for kids, and especially in relationship with others.

The last move was different. This time I was no longer looking to connect simply for the sake of connecting. There was a purpose for connection that was brewing inside me. That purpose became the driving force of my life and remains that way today. In fact, it consumes my thought life, relationships, ministry, and every aspect of what I do, think, and say.

Connecting with others has been a part of my life wherever I have gone. This came from watching my mom over many years meet, talk to, and befriend hundreds of people. At her funeral, I had just about that many tell me “thank you” for allowing my mom to be a part of their lives—how she encouraged them and truly got to know them for who they are.

During my two-year “wilderness” period, there was a realization that over all the moves, restarts, connections, coffee appointments, coaching, lunches, and dinners with people, I was learning the essence of what I believe we are called, or actually commanded, to do by Jesus. Such a simple sentence, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” However, it is one of the most difficult things to live out every day. Let’s face it; relationships are messy. They can be downright frustrating at times, but they are a necessary part of life, and the second most important thing to God.

I am by no means an “expert” in relationship. I am and always will be a student of it. I have watched relationships thrive, survive, and some fall away. There are so many divisions that come between us, and during those two years of struggling with my purpose, it became clear—God has designed, purposed, and prepared me to help others discover what it means to love your neighbor as yourself. I am not perfect at this. As a matter of fact, I struggle—sometimes daily. That is what sparked the writing of this book. I have found there is an art to relationship. For most, it is a lost art, one that can be rediscovered. I would love it if you would join me in discovering The Lost Art of Relationship.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 19

Carpe Diem, January 19

Robin is Bookish, January 20

The Becca Files, January 20

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 21

All-of-a-kind Mom, January 22

Creating Romance, January 22

Real World Bible Study, January 23

Mary Hake, January 24

Captive Dreams Window, January 25

Bigreadersite, January 25

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, January 26

margaret kazmierczak, January 26

Bibliophile Reviews, January 27

Texas Book-aholic, January 28

Just the Write Escape, January 29

A Baker’s Perspective, January 30

Janices book reviews, January 31

Book World Reviews, February 1

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 1

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Dan is giving away a grand prize of an Echo 2nd Generation Smart Speaker with Alexa!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d8d6/the-lost-art-of-relationship-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wheels of Wisdom by Tim and Debbie Bishop

My Review

Tim and Debbie Bishop married late in life, for the first time, in their 50s. As one would imagine, after so many years of being single, a person becomes very set in their ways. Imagine then, taking a honeymoon tour on BICYCLES, coast to coast. WOW! I mean talk about refining by fire, right?

Wheels of Wisdom covers three cross-country bicycle tours Tim and Debbie embarked on, and we can glean their knowledge, not only of helps, hindrances and wisdom for short or long bicycle tours, but also their insight and intelligence from a Christian perspective.

There are six sections and 52 lessons in the book. The introductory page to each lesson explains the gist of the lesson and includes a takeaway area for you to write your notes. The 52 lessons are perfect for use as a devotional for the year, using one a week. Plus, they each end with an applicable Bible verse, along with questions, under the title “Personal Reflection.”

There were many little nuggets of truth and not a few ideas I have decided to follow and to implement in my own life. I enjoyed not only the truths I found within the book, but also the glimpses into Tim and Debbie’s lives as they navigated their way cross-country in all kinds of weather while encountering their odyssey’s inevitable challenges.

The entire chronicle is heart-warming, thought-provoking and inspirational. As I said earlier, there are many nuggets of truth. One kernel of truth Debbie relayed from a church marquee said, “A closed mouth collects no foot.” Another from the last lesson, spoken by someone they met, “Bless me into usefulness.” Both are great reminders for our journey through life!

Tim and Debbie alternately share their thoughts, feelings and observations in separate chapters. As readers, we come to appreciate the challenges they faced and the understanding and knowledge they impart.

I received a copy of the book from the authors. However, I was under no obligation to post a review.

Publisher’s Summary

Winner of the 2017 National Indie Excellence Award for inspiration

Looking for more out of life?

After three tours totaling over 10,000 miles, Tim and Debbie Bishop have discovered wisdom and truth from the seat of a bicycle. In Wheels of Wisdom, the authors share the life lessons they learned on the open road.

When you’re looking for enlightenment, you can find it almost anywhere, be it from watching two herons saunter across a Florida road, pedaling to a dead-end in a Kentucky tobacco field, or observing eagles flying overhead in Montana. In each lesson of this book, you’ll find practical insights, inspiration, and encouragement–along with personal reflection questions that will help you:

• Adopt the right mind-set
• Conquer fear, worry, and inaction
• Overcome obstacles
• Relish life’s journey

Certain principles are universal whether you are bicycling across America or chasing your own lifelong dream.

You may be continuing your education, connecting with new people, looking to change jobs, or simply wondering about your future. Wherever you are in life, Wheels of Wisdom will give you a fresh perspective and new motivation for your own adventure. Not only will you encounter meaningful truth as you travel vicariously to new places and meet new people, you’ll also experience some genuine “God moments” and have some fun on the way.

So, pack up your dreams and passions and come along for the ride. It’s time to learn on the open road!

My (Sermonette) Thoughts

(Repeat Post with a few comments added)

It’s hard to believe this is the Monday before Thanksgiving. The year seems to have flown out the window somehow and left me behind in its dust.

 

I haven’t done a Thankful Journal this year. Truth be told, I haven’t done one in several years. (I didn’t do it this year either!)

As I reflect overall I have to be thankful for, I realize I am really good at saying (or printing it) but not so good at really believing it. Somehow I feel we all fall into this trap.

In this free country of ours, it is easy to lose sight of all we genuinely have to be thankful for.

I have noticed people, myself included, tend to add qualifiers to their thankfulness.

Not really surprising when one thinks of how the last few generations have been raised. Or more accurately, what previous generations have absorbed when the message that everything is all about us has bombarded them through the media, school, government . . . you name it.

“You deserve a break today!” goes a popular jingle. “What about ME?” one song says and “What About Us?” another one says. “You deserve brighter eyes!” “You deserve affordable housing!” “You deserve a better job, or car, or whatever!”

Everywhere you look, everywhere you go there is a sign with the message, “You deserve . . . : And we all fall prey to this insidious message.

Nothing seems to be enough. The government even declares that people can be impoverished AND still have a car, air conditioning and TV. How do you think the poor homeless veteran living on the street feels about this, or the poor child that has no food, a cold house, no shoes and no hope for a change? Do they “deserve” what they have just like we “deserve” what we have?

In truth, no one deserves anything (except eternal death and damnation). We’re all only here by God’s good mercy and grace.

I really didn’t mean to have a sermon, but this is what I have been led to say.

God loves each and every one of us.

Luke 12:7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

He doesn’t desire that one of us be hungry or cold or any of the other realities of this fallen, sin-filled world.

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Luke 12:24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!

He’s provided a way for us to come to Him.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

It’s simple to come to Him. Just pray and ask Him into your heart. Then find a good church to help in your new life and to continue with following His commandments and fellowshipping with other believers.

I leave you with these verses on thanks and thanksgiving; there are hundreds of examples of verses citing thanks and thanksgiving.

1 Chronicles 16:34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Ephesians 5:20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Be the Miracle by Delores Liesner

About the Book

Book Title: Be the Miracle

Author: Delores Liesner

Genre: Non-fiction, Christian living, devotional

Release date: June 1, 2018

Whether we title these unexplainable happenings miracles, God-sightings, or some other name, people love to hear of such occurrences. Why? They increase our faith by providing evidence of the miraculous in our everyday lives and heighten awareness of God’s desire to minister personally to us and through us.

Delores Liesner is a prayer warrior with a track record of seeing Christ work in her life and the lives of others. Her articles, devotions, and columns reflect the excitement of seeing miracles transpire, and now her book chronicles many of these amazing experiences. You’ll enjoy it.—Dr. Dennis E. Hensley, author, Jesus in the 9 to 5

My time with God in the morning is the most precious part of my day. Be The Miracle is a devotional filled with wonderful personal stories that will build your faith and stir your heart to receive fresh grace from God and be on the lookout for new ways to serve Him each day.—Dan Walsh, bestselling author, The Unfinished Gift, Remembering Christmas, and The Dance

Miracles happen all around us, every single day if we’ll only be sensitive enough to recognize them and thank God for His divine intervention. Author Delores Liesner shows us that whether a miracle comes as the smallest kiss from heaven or a life-changing act of God, our Heavenly Father is still in the prayer answering business, and as the Word says: ‘We have not because we ask not.’ I love this book! It makes me want to shout about all of the times God has come through for me. It will encourage you, too! It’s a must read! —Michelle Medlock Adams, award-winning, best-selling author of more than 80 books including her latest Get Your Spirit On! Devotions for Cheerleaders and Love & Care For the One and Only You

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Delores is a storyteller. Her passion, whether writing or speaking about activating faith is to be the miracle for others.

Over a thousand of those stories, devotionals, and teaching articles are published in print and online, including a compilation of 31 stories and life-changing challenges in her devotional, Be the Miracle! (Elk Lake Publishing). Delores is often spotted reading (3-5 books at a time), trying new recipes, or munching dark chocolate and orange peel. Her personal ministry is to benefit children with life-threatening illness via Fullness of Life Foundation, Scottsdale, AZ

My Review

Each devotional in Be the Miracle is impactful, some are tear-inducing, but all showcase the promises of God. The book is divided into 31 chapters. At the end of the individual chapters, there is a section which I see as a call to action-a way to deepen our relationship and experiences with God, along with several pages to journal. Because there are 31 chapters, you could use one a day for a monthly devotional. Be prepared, however, to want to re-read it, or read it more slowly, in order to really absorb its message.

Be the Miracle would make a fantastic Bible Study book, and in fact has guidelines at the end to do that if you wish. I would have preferred a different Bible translation because the verses from The Message are paraphrases and make them read like a story. The original King James is my personal favorite. This is a minor complaint and a personal preference and doesn’t really detract from the devotions at all.

I received this book from CelebrateLit. However, I was under no obligation to post a review.

Guest Post from the Delores

Would you believe a cow turned me into a miracle-believing lady? Though I’d always known about Jesus dying on the cross, and the Bible being God’s words, it took a couple of amazing and unexplainable events for me to understand miracles could happen to me!

We didn’t realize we were risk taking when we hopped in the car and headed for Colorado. Youthful and ignorant˜ in the ways of the world, we were excited to learn that the organization who produced the memory verse cards and Bible studies our friend had given us were having a conference that began the next day, we packed up and went! A startled young man answered our phone call, made when we were already half-way across the country and got to thinking maybe we should have told them we were coming!

The conference was full, but separate rooms across campus were found for us. Consequently, we only sat by each other during meetings and some meals, so we didn’t compare notes until on the way home. That was when we both started sharing the same message from God – to give a certain amount to a missionary for 6 months. We did not have the money and the only amount in our budget that matched was groceries. Would God ask us to give up groceries for 6 months? We felt He would, so that He could surprise us with the provisions in a most unexpected way – like sending a cow!

That is a bit of a teaser for Surprise Us for Dinner, God, the first story in my upcoming 31-day personal challenge devotional, Be The Miracle! You see, when God did that miracle-series at the beginning of our Christian life, we knew He was real, and that He dealt with people on a personal level. If God could do this, we figured, He could do anything, and we have many amazing stories that prove it!

Each of the stories is a true incident of God leading me to bless someone else (often a stranger, but sometimes someone we knew), or someone bringing us an unexpected answer to prayer.

When I began sharing stories like You’re the One, The Wrong Store?, Stranger No More, and Impossible Dreams, there were two main responses. Some women were excited to relate to stories of miracles in their own lives, and some women wondered if God would do miracles through them too.

I always share that I do not believe God is a giant get your prayers answered here vending machine, serving us just to make us ‘happy.’ The joy in these stories, and their life challenges, is that God wants all of his followers to be His hands and feet (and less often his voice) in the world. Just as we can represent our spouses with our children, and our supervisors with the public or with other employees because we know them so well, and understand how they would respond to a situation, we can know God in such a personal way that we can represent Him to others too.

That takes time. And that is why each story is followed with a verse, its teaching and a challenge you can follow to recognize and activate God’s command and gift to be “the miracle” – the messenger delivering an answer to prayer.

Blog Stops

Just the Write Escape, September 13

Mary Hake, September 14

Because I said so – adventures in parenting , September 15

proud to be an autism mom, September 16

Real World Bible Study, September 17

Bigreadersite, September 18

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, September 19

Captive Dreams Window, September 19

Texas Book-aholic, September 20

Bibliophile Reviews, September 21

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 22

Janices book reviews, September 23

Carpe Diem, September 24

A Baker’s Perspective, September 25

A Diva’s Heart, September 26

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Delores is giving away

Grand Prize: Vertical Be the Miracle plaque, miracle magnet, Be the Miracle stamped cuff bracelet, an eternity circle necklace and Ebook or paperback copy of Be the Miracle

First: Gold miracle plaque, choice of Ebook or paperback of Be the Miracle, and shoe bracelet (be hands and feet of Jesus)

Second: Pink miracle plaque, choice of Ebook or paperback of Be the Miracle, and cross ribbon bookmark

Third: Blue background – Bee the Miracle canvas and Bee pin – choice of Ebook or paperback of Be the Miracle!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d436/be-the-miracle-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Struggle is Real-Spotlight- Now on tour with CelebrateLit

About the Book

Title: The Struggle is Real

Author: Nicole Unice

Genre: Non-fiction, Christian life, Spiritual Growth

Release date: August 21, 2018

“It just shouldn’t be this hard!”

Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a day where everything that could go wrong does go wrong—you lock your keys in the car while it’s running, lose control with your kids, make a mistake at the office that results in hours more work. And just when you think not one more thing could possibly happen . . . well, fill in the blank.

The struggle is real, friends. It may not be major stuff. Lives are not on the line here. But it makes us feel awful . . . and then we feel guilty for stressing when other people have “real” problems that are so much more serious.

Yet the fact remains: We live in a world that often feels harder than we think it should be. And so it can be easy to believe the stories we tell ourselves—that we’re doing it wrong, that we’ll be stuck in this place forever, that God doesn’t love us. We struggle to practice gratitude, to make godly choices, and to live our daily lives with confidence and contentment. So what can we do?

Join popular Bible teacher and counselor Nicole Unice to discover why the struggle is real . . . and what to do about it. Nicole offers practical tools to help you navigate the daily ups and downs, and ways to rewrite your struggle into a new, God-centered life story. The Struggle Is Real is an invitation to take the hard, hurtful, and confusing moments and turn them into opportunities to grow in wisdom, strength, and joy.

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Nicole Unice is a Bible teacher, author, and passionate communicator who delights in bringing God’s Word to life in a personal and relevant way. Her training as a counselor informs her work, as she emphasizes the importance of facing our own reality and embracing the transforming power of God’s grace.

Her heart belongs to Hope Church in Richmond, Virginia, where she serves as ministry director, leading discipleship and Praxis, a full-time ministry residency program for young leaders. In addition, Nicole co-hosts Hope Cast, a podcast on spiritual formation, leadership, and relationships.

Nicole’s invitations to speak have taken her across the world, and her books come to life through her popular video curriculum series found on RightNow Media. Her first book, She’s Got Issues, released in May 2012 and speaks to a fundamental question of faith: Is being a Christian supposed to change me? Also available is a companion curriculum, She’s Got Issues DVD Group Experience, a six-session journey that includes interviews, questions, and teaching expanding on the book. Her subsequent titles—Brave Enough and The Struggle Is Real—help people distill the complicated stuff of life into a simple and clear path to Jesus.

Nicole holds degrees from the College of William and Mary and from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She loves creating a space for ministry and spiritual formation in the everyday rhythms of life with three children, two pups, one husband, and a whole community of twentysomethings who regularly raid her fridge.

Nicole is known for making friends in all corners of the world, especially via social media. Connect with her on Instagram, YouTube, or at nicoleuncie.com —and hopefully face-to-face at one of her upcoming events.

Guest Post from Nicole Unice

There’s a question we throw around that I bet means a whole lot more than we would expect. How many times a week—or a day!–are you asked:

“How are you?”

I don’t know about you, but the answer I hear and give the most is something like …. ”fine”, or —“busy but good!”? It’s kind of the socially acceptable answer, right?

A friend asked me this question just this week as I walked into work. I was multitasking as usual while knee-deep into a cell phone conversation about yet another problem. I didn’t answer her, because if I did—if I really stopped and answered—I might have started crying, right there on the spot. My lips formed the word “fine” when in reality, I was anything but—at least not in that moment. And life doesn’t always stop long enough to give a real answer….

But isn’t “fine” the socially accepted answer because it works….or does it?

The reality is, we are all struggling, to different degrees and complexity levels, each and every day. The Struggle IS Real, and when you add up both the little and big daily struggles, it’s easy to understand why this hashtag social media rockstar exists—over 3 million deep at #thestruggleisreal.

But if we dig a little deeper into this common complaint, we might discover a much more sinister root—and real help toward freedom and wisdom in Christ.

In my newest book, The Struggle is Real, that’s what I’ve done. I address issues like:

• Life is much harder than I thought it would be, and I feel bad saying it.
• There are some things about myself that I can’t change…it’s just how I am, and it frustrates me.
• I really don’t know if God is interested in my life, and even if He is, I don’t know how to hear from Him.

(and if you are wondering how real your struggle is, I’ve included a Good Life Inventory on p. 14!)

I wrote this book because I know how real the struggle truly is—and I want us to discover the true source of the answer to these age-old problems. My hope is to take my readers through a journey into this gap between our “just fine” lives and the truly good lives we are seeking and are hungry for. To offer hope that we can live the best life we can, this side of heaven.

Yep, the struggle is definitely real. But the struggle can also start the story. It can motivate us to rewrite our lives into a new story. The struggles can lead us to a new source of hope and freedom, and somehow, even the worst of life can become a place of strength and growth. The struggle is real. And the struggle can be good.

Blog Stops

A Baker’s Perspective, August 25

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 25

Bibliophile Reviews, August 26

Reading Is My SuperPower, August 27

Texas Book-aholic, August 28

All-of-a-kind Mom, August 29

Girls in White Dresses, August 29

Chas Ray’s Book Nerd Corner, August 29

Carpe Diem, August 30

Multifarious, August 31

Janices book reviews, September 1

Inklings and Notions, September 2

Book by Book, September 3

Mary Hake, September 3

proud to be an autism mom, September 4

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 4

Margaret Kazmierczak, September 5

Jeanette’s Thoughts, September 6

Godly Book Reviews, September 7

Bigreadersite, September 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Nicole is giving away a grand prize of a “The Struggle is Real” T-Shirt!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/d19c/the-struggle-is-real-celebration-tour-giveaway

Starting Strong (Growing A Strong Marriage) Volume 1

Publisher’s Summary

Just as Christ transforms individuals from the inside out, he is also working on the heart of your marriage. Through this video Bible study series, learn to cultivate and enjoy a beautiful marriage that’s rooted and grounded in Christ. Because whether you have been married for a few years or thirty years, there is always room to grow!

In Starting Strong (Volume 1), learn about the importance of cultivating a strong and solid biblical foundation. The candid, never-before-seen video interviews with your favorite marriage experts will help you explore what it means to have shared vision, unity, and belief in your spouse, as well as how to find your true identity in Jesus. Through touching and personal stories, timeless wisdom, and sage advice, you’ll glean spiritual understanding and inspiration for a lifetime of marriage.

Four DVD sessions, ranging from 8 to 20 minutes long, feature touching interviews and personal advice from John and Staci Eldredge, Chip and Theresa Ingram, Gordon and Gail MacDonald, Les and Leslie Parrott, Art and Lysa TerKeurst plus Gary and Lisa Thomas.

My Review

Let’s not kid ourselves. Marriage and love are hard work. They each require a constant daily commitment to dedicate ourselves to consciously affirm we love our spouse and are going to stay in the marriage. Starting Strong (Growing A Strong Marriage)
Volume 1, is a great resource, regardless of where you are in your marriage or how long you have been married.

The booklet and DVD are best if used together, as they complement each other. The DVD gives us a peek at six couples beginning with their adult lives from when and where they met and through their marriage years. One couple, Gordon and Gail MacDonald, reminded me of my parents. The MacDonalds met, were engaged three weeks after meeting, married after only knowing each other for four months and have been married for over 50 years. My Mom and Dad met and married after only knowing each other for just over three months. Their marriage lasted 57 years and only ended due to my Mom’s death.

One aspect of the DVD and study guide that will touch home is its teaching that marriages can go through three cycles-Isolation, Drifting and Oneness. It’s so easy, as the couples recounted, to fall into drifting because of the busyness and business of life. This leads to a roommate type situation and sets the couple up for the feelings of isolation. I think the couples summed up the purpose of a Christian marriage well. Marriage is meant to teach us to love, to be holy and to model our role as the Bride of Christ.

Any couple, regardless of whether they are newly engaged or married for many years, will get a lot from this study.

I received a free copy of Starting Strong (Growing A Strong Marriage) Volume 1, to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

Friday Flashback-Cultivating a Heart of Thanks

Have you ever known or had someone close to you (or maybe been the person yourself) that gripes and grouses about everything? Literally EVERYTHING?

There is someone (not in my immediate family) that is never, ever happy with anything. If you get them a present-you paid too much or it wasn’t what they wanted. If you take them out to eat-it takes too long to be seated or tastes lousy. If you clean their house-you didn’t sweep up all the dirt or remember to clean the front porch. If you do their laundry-you used too much detergent or not enough, etc.

You get the picture-there is ALWAYS something wrong. A deeply ingrained sense of entitlement causes the kind acts of others to feel as if it those acts were the least they could possibly do. Therefore, the slightest flaw in their attempts at kindness causes those attempts to inevitably fall short.

It took me a long, long time to realize that the complaining and grousing were not really about what was or wasn’t right. It was about the complainer not being happy with themself. This inherent unhappiness clouds everything and makes it impossible to see the good.

How sad. There are so many things to be happy about in the situations mentioned above. When you are on the receiving end of all the complaining and negativity, it is really challenging to want to continue with giving the person your time, energy and gifts.

I can’t truthfully say I haven’t fallen victim to negative thoughts and emotions, so this isn’t a condemnation of the previously mentioned person. It’s more of a warning, mostly to myself. I am around this person almost daily, and it is very easy for my depression-prone, health challenged, physically worn out self to fall into the negative, ungrateful trap.

I’m choosing to try, starting today, to be more grateful and to rely on the following verses to encourage me to be thankful and to love others. Even though the person isn’t my enemy (as referenced in two of the following verses), I plan to still give gifts, as I’m able.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Proverbs 25:21, 22 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.

Romans 12:20, 21 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

(Revised and updated from original published in 2013)