Showing posts with label Christian books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian books. Show all posts

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Growing up Social Giveaway


"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”


About the book:


-Softcover
-209 pages
-Parent Resources
-Discussion Guides for every chapter (perfect for a bible study!)

Is technology bringing your family closer together or driving you farther apart?

Children today are no longer playing hide-and-seek outside or curling up with a good book—instead they’ve been introduced to a world of constant digital entertainment through television, video games, and mobile devices. And while technology has the potential to add value to our lives and families, it can also erode a sense of togetherness and hinder a child’s emotional and social development.

In Growing Up Social, Gary Chapman and Arlene Pellicane will empower you with the necessary tools to make positive changes…starting today. Through stories, wit, and wisdom, you’ll discover how to take back your home from an over dependence on screens. Plus, you’ll learn to teach the five A+ skills that every healthy child needs to master: affection, appreciation, anger management, apology, and attention.

•Equip your child to be relationally rich in a digital world
•Replace mindless screen time with meaningful family time
•Establish simple boundaries that make a huge difference
•Discover what’s working for families that have become screen savvy
•Learn healthy ways to occupy your child while you get things done

Now is the time to equip your child to live with screen time, not for screen time. No phone, tablet, or gaming device can teach your child how to have healthy relationships—only you can.

Check out the book trailer here!

Here’s the official website

About the authors:
Gary Chapman- author, speaker, and counselor—has a passion for people and for helping them form lasting relationships. He is the bestselling author of The 5 Love Languages series and the director of Marriage and Family Life Consultants, Inc. Gary travels the world presenting seminars, and his radio programs air on more than 400 stations. For more information, visit 5lovelanguages.com.
Arelene Pellicane- is a speaker and author of 31 Days to Becoming a Happy Wife and 31 Days to a Happy Husband. She has been featured on The Today Show, The 700 Club, and Family Life Today and formerly served as the associate producer for Turning Point Television with Dr. David Jeremiah. Arlene lives in Southern California with her husband, James, and their three children. Find out more at ArlenePellicane.com.

How many of you can relate??



My Thoughts:

When I was growing up, the only thing we had as far a technology was an Atari.  Yes, I'm sure I just told my age, but oh well.  It wasn't until I was a teenager and had a job that pagers became so popular.  Before then the only people that had a pager was the really rich, and jobs such as Doctor's.  Around the same time car phones came out and when I say car phone I literally mean car phones.  This was a huge bag that was a phone and it even had a cord on it so it wasn't very convenient to walk around with, you just used it in the car.  But what we didn't have to worry about was a Family sitting at the table and playing with the different types of devices.  We did have a TV in the dining room and that was just enough distraction but even then when it was on it was strictly the news.  Other wise we used this time to talk about our day, and whatever needed to be discussed as a Family.  Now a days you don't even see many Families that sit down to dinner together, more less hear about them talking to one another. 
In this book the Author talks about Pornography then and now.  I am only 38 years old and I remember that if you saw porn it was because someone you knew had it, and you were where you were NOT supposed to be.  But now with the Internet children today can just flat Google search and it is at their fingertips!  I don't speak of the porn lightly because we bought our daughters, (9 and 5) at Christmas, a tablet for their Christmas gift from Santa, because of their age we used our Google accounts to set them up.  At the time we were not even thinking about how we could use the fact of our account to keep track of what the girls were doing, but I am so glad we did it this way.  When I looked back at some of my history we discovered that I had been searching for porn, and watching porn videos on YouTube.  Because I knew I wasn't looking at this and that my oldest daughter shared my Google account I knew exactly what was happening.  Though I realized and found out what was going on, I still was lost on how to handle it.
This Book Growing up Social talks about all of these subjects, and it doesn't just target your kids, it hits home when it tells you as a parent to get off of social media.  Make time for Family and friends, turn the phones off and play a game with your children.   Reading this book was almost like going to church and having the Pastor step on your toes.  You know that you are guilty of some of things and maybe a lot of the things, so how do change.  We start with our-self, and pray that we teach our children the right things to do.  
Want to know more about this book?  I have a copy to send to one LUCKY reader, and I am really excited about it. 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

A LifeLong LOVE Book ~Review & Giveaway~

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”


About the book:

Hardcover / 316 Pages 
Discover how to live out a sacred marriage. You believe your marriage has eternal purposes. you long for it to reach beyond your home and encourage others. But what does it look like to have a spiritually intentional relationship in the midst of dirty dishes, work deadlines, and car pools? In Sacred Marriage, Gary Thomas showed us that God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy. Now, in A Lifelong Love, Thomas gives us the practical tools to craft our marriages into inspiring relationships that breathe spiritual life to others. Whatever season of marriage you are in, A Lifelong Love gives your the practical help you need to infuse your marriage with a spiritual passion that will not only change you but will change the world around you.

About the author:


Gary Thomas is writer-in-residence at Second Baptist Church in Houston, a frequent guest on Focus on the Family and FamilyLife Today radio, and a popular speaker. His award-winning books, including The Sacred Search, have been translated into over a dozen languages and together have sold more than a million copies worldwide. Thomas and his wife have been married thirty years and have three children.

My Thoughts:

What is Marriage to you?  Is it just a union by the State, extra benefits at tax time, a spouse that helps you manage a house, or is your marriage your best friend that you get to spend the rest of your life together?  I was engaged 3 times and on my second Marriage, not because I didn't love the others but because they were not meant to be.  This time I married my high school sweetheart, my best friend, and my soul mate! Marriage is so much more than just two people saying I Do.
As Gary Thomas states in his book in the beginning you spend the first part of your relationship talking about the past, then you get engaged, and before you know it you are saying I do. After you say I do it doesn't stop there, in fact that is where it all starts.

There are many aspects to a great Marriage and to me it starts with you.  You have to love yourself before you can love someone else, and if you are putting God first in your life then you will see that your love life will fall into place.  You will find a man that loves you for your brain, your soul, your relationship with God, and he will understand that he is second in this relationship.  So many times we jump into relationships based on looks, and they do fade,but it the marriage is built around God then your spouse will always see that beautiful husband or wife they married.

I see so many marriages now that aren't working and too many people getting married with the idea that if it don't work out then we can get a divorce.  I don't condone this attitude and think that a marriage is a lifetime commitment.  My first husband was very abusive and the second guy I was engaged to was abusive to my son from my first marriage.  I researched and study the Bible, I talked with my pastor and other elders in the church seeking answers and at no point could anyone so me where it says that when I said Til Death Doth Us Part, did it mean that my spouse would be the death of me.  I had others to think about and I left to save not only me but my son.  Then I reconnected with what is now my FINAL Husband.  Yes, he is my second husband , third engagement but this time I feel more and more everyday like it is the right one.  Do we fight? If I said no I would be telling you a lie, our marriage isn't perfect and yes we have issues.  But we try to work things out by talking and and understanding.  I can't leave out the most important component to a good marriage and that is God and also Prayer.  Trust me when I say that as a Mother of 3 children, a husband, a pit/rockweiler mix dog that I pray a lot. I also babysit a three year old and have an infant on the way in January so Prayer and God is my plan of action.

Would you like to win a copy of !A Lifelong Love~?  Maybe you know someone going through a hard time with their marriage and you would like to give this as a gift?  Well, here is your chance to win a copy of the book and you can keep it for yourself or you can give as a gift. It is easy peasy, just follow the reafflecopter below and you are entered!


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Sunday, September 29, 2013

Grace Unplugged and Own It Review & Giveaway

About Grace Unplugged the Novel
Grace Trey is an 18 year old singer as passionate about her Christian faith as she is her phenomenal, God-given musical talent. Both traits come from her father, one hit wonder Johnny Trey who found Jesus after losing his chart success two decades ago. 

When Grace encounters her own music break of a lifetime, the sudden dive into the "real world" puts her deeper beliefs to the test. Pop superstardom is just within reach but appears to require some spiritual compromise. Will Grace reject her faith, or will she own it? 

Grace Unplugged is based on the motion picture of the same name starring AJ Michalka (Super 8) and Kevin Pollak (A Few Good Men) with performances by award-winning artists Chris Tomlin and Jamie Grace.

My thoughts:
I received a copy of Grace unplugged and Own it for the purpose of this review, all opinions are mine and are not of anyone other than myself.

Grace Trey is the 18 year old daughter of the one hit wonder Johnny Trey.  Johnny Trey had the musical career of a lifetime but gave it all up because he found he couldn't live that lifestyle and be part of Jesus' life.  Now, Mr Trey is the Music Pastor at his church and his daughter Grace is one of the lucky few that is given the opportunity to be part of the group.  Johnny, already having lived the rocker lifestyle, enjoyed things a little slower with much more meaning now.  Grace however, enjoyed playing her music fast and loud.  She just couldn't understand why her father always wanted to play the worship songs so slow?  Why not speed things up a little?

That is the into to the book Grace Unplugged, and only the first few chapters.  As I was reading I would find myself thinking about things that my parents would tell me to do or to not do, and asking myself why?  Why, did they say we shouldn't do certain things?  As an adult I now know the reasons behind my parents answers.  It isn't that they don't want you to have a good time, and enjoy life.  It is that they want you, their child to be safe, happy, secure, and living for God.  I don't want to ruin the book by telling you too much about it, so I will leave here for now.

That is the background to these 2 books, Grace Unplugged and Own It.  You tell your children that they can be anything that they want to be, but in reality we do have stipulations in it.  We obviously want the living for God and doing what is right, but at the same time we want them to be happy, and enjoying life.  My Daddy always told me that if I was going to sing, to sing for the Lord.  No matter what decision I made, to always put God first.  If we put God first in our life and base our decisions around putting God first, then the outcome will be positive.  

In Grace's life  would be a rock star yield her more happiness, or even more money?  Possibly more money, but even I am not sure if she would be any happier.  I know as a young adult I lived for me and I did not put God first, I was happy for the moment but I was not really Happy.  Since I put God first, I have seen changes in my life.  If I told you that everyday of my renewed life was the best its ever been and that I have not had any bad days, that would not be truthful.  The truth is that I have had some awesome days, and I have had some trying days.  

This is a great book and soon to be released (Oct. 4) in theaters.  It is a great story not only for us as parents, but also a great story for your young adult and teenagers to read.   The best news is that I have a copy of Grace Unplugged and Own it for one of my readers.  All you have to do is follow the rafflecopter instructions,


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