Book Review: Dangerous Surrender

Dangerous Surrender: What Happens When You Say Yes to God by Kay Warren

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Although Dangerous Surrender was published in 2007, I just read it this year.  Kay Warren, wife of Pastor Rick Warren charts her own course away from his fame into her her own calling from God in this book.

As it starts, she feels as many American women must.  Me?  Why me?  My life is about my husband and children!  What can I do?  But slowly, this takes shape into a direction that while her husband supports her, it’s her own calling, her own mission, her own destiny.

She was reading and saw something about AIDS in Africa.  At first she didn’t care a whole lot because, after all, she lives in California and Africa is a world away.  She couldn’t quit thinking about that article she read, and she eventually found herself under a tree a dying African lady called home because she was kicked out of her home and her village because she was infected with AIDS.  Like the article Kay Warren wrote and couldn’t get out of her mind, this is an image that has stuck with me since I have read the book.  Joanna.  That was the lady’s name.  I read the book weeks ago, and the picture was painted so vividly of this lady I can recall the lady’s name.

Back in California, Mrs. Warren worked with Saddleback Church to start an AIDS outreach.  The story she tells of the man who said his desire was he wouldn’t be alone when he dies.  Isn’t that a desire of every one of us?  We want someone to care about us. 

This is an amazing book, one of the best I’ve read this year.  While your destiny may not be AIDS advocacy, there’s something deep inside you, some way for you to help others, and it’s ready to come alive, and I think reading this book will encourage you in your journey, whatever it may be.

You can purchase it from Amazon here:  Dangerous Surrender: What Happens When You Say Yes to God

5x7 Folded Card

Does anyone recognize this bearded man?  That's my dad!

Picture In Portrait 5x7 folded card

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View the entire collection of cards.

Tiny Prints Giveaway winner

Wordbuilder is a twitter follower, and has 48 hours to respond to the winning e-mail!  Congratulations, Wordbuilder, you will love your Christmas cards from Tiny Prints!

And she's published. . .

Has anyone read Chicken Soup for the Soul: Answered Prayers: 101 Stories of Hope, Miracles, Faith, Divine Intervention, and the Power of Prayer?

Did you notice story #85?  On page 300?

Did you know it was written by my mother?

Book Review: I Wonder What I Can Give God

I Wonder What I Can Give God by Mona Gansberg Hodgson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is a cute children's book about a boy named Jared who wants to give God a gift.  Well, that sounds do-able, right?  Not as easy as Jared first thinks because after all, does God need a hammer or a goldfish?  He keeps thinking "I wonder" about what he can give God.  But then he remembers what Papa Ray said last night at Bible study, and Jared knows what it is that God wants, and it's something Jared can give Him. 

I liked this book because it was a cute story that very much incorporates the Christian faith without being corny or too cutesy.  It is almost like a child could have thought this through, but of course, the author is an adult.  It's a charming book.

The only thing I disliked about the book was there was a connect-the-dot in the back.  If it was an activity book, I wouldn't have minded, but considering it is a hardcover book, to me it's not something that should be written in, even if there is a connect the dot in it.  This is a lovely book and I look forward to reading it to my "niece" and "nephews" when I visit them.

I received a copy of this book from the author from a giveaway on her facebook page:  Mona Hodgson Author Page .  The opinions are mine.

You can visit the author's website and purchase her books here:  http://www.monahodgson.com/

Book Review: Threads of Faith

Threads of Faith: A Christmas Miracle by Shauna V. Brown

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I am not a Mormon. Yet, that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a good story that is written from their faith perspective. This story didn’t disappoint. In fact, I would have enjoyed it to have been a tad longer, as it was a mere 121 pages.

Shauna V. Brown tells a charming tale set in the 1830s in England. Hillary Whitman grew up as a Methodist pastor’s daughter, but when Mormon missionaries come to her town, she sneaks to a meeting to find out what all the fuss is about. She decides to leave her Methodist faith and become a Mormon, but her father threatens to kick her out if she doesn’t change her mind and stay Methodist.

I’ll not share any more as I don’t want to spoil the story, but the characters were well developed. Almost instantly you felt you knew the characters, and the personalities were painted so well, you felt as if they were not just someone you knew, but old friends.

The only thing I didn’t like about this book was, as stated before, it was a bit short. Maybe there will be a sequel? Also, once I got to the end, I felt the ending was a bit too predictable. (Although can it be too predictable when I didn’t know what was going to happen?)

Overall, this is a great book, and being so short, makes for a good afternoon read.

FTC disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads program in exchange for a review. The opinions are my own.

Wish to purchase it?  You can do so at Amazon through this link: Threads of Faith: A Christmas Miracle

Want to win $5,000?

Would you like an extra $5,000?  Well, who wouldn't right?

I'm in the finals of a contest where I would win $7,500 or more depending on how many votes I get.  The company will choose one random person who votes to win $5,000.

You can vote daily to get more entries for that $5,000!

My entry is Baby Crockett.  As readers of my blog will recall, he had a lot of tooth problems earlier this year, but he was happy to pose in his hat by some Goya products.  (I have about 100 cans of Goya products in the house, does anyone reading this have more than that?  I think just having that many Goya products should qualify me in the running to be Goya's biggest fan!)

Just follow this link
http://www.goya.com/english/match-your-birthday/birthday-bash/photo-greatest-fan.aspx
and you'll have to sign up (so they know where so send the money if you win!) and you can vote daily until 12/31.

Baby Crockett is entry #6.

Baby Crockett and I thank you!

Please vote daily through 12/31.

Five Minute Friday: Unexpected

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Unexpected

Not what generally happens.

A surprise.

Practical jokes.  When I was a freshman in college, we were the queens of practical jokes.  Getting into one another’s rooms and doing something that would make someone wonder what and why something wasn’t *quite* right.  There was, of course, the old Saran Wrap on the toilet trick.  But sometimes it would just be something moved from where it should be.  Another time we turned a number of things in someone’s room upside down.  Another time we made someone’s bed.  (THAT was unexpected when she came into her room and saw that!)  Of course there was the rolls of toilet paper we used in “surprises”.  Then there was the time we hid someone’s bed in the shower and made a small one with cotton balls as pillows and put the note, “We tried to wash your bed, but it shrunk.”   (She was not amused at that one!)  Neither was my RA the time we had cups of water that hit her over each door as she went from one room to the next during room check.  Then there was the time someone came up with the idea to play “Rapture” to another RA with all the girls hiding in one room which she would have come to last.

Stop.


Five Minute Friday Info:
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back and http://thegypsymama.com/2011/11/five-minute-friday-unexpected/ invite others to join in.
3. Most importantly: leave a comment for the person who linked up before you – encouraging them in their writing!

Tiny Prints Review and Giveaway!

I recently wrote about how I love Tiny Prints cards.  I have ordered different products from them over the years, and have never been disappointed!  For my post, they sent me 50 Christmas cards.  Here's what our friends and family are receiving this year! I loved this card because it could highlight the top moments for my mother, myself, and my guinea pig with having three photos on it. 

Another thing I greatly appreciated with Tiny Prints, is if you find a card design you like but you want a different amount of pictures, or the same style but a folded card or ornament card, you can often get the same design in a different style!  Not only that, but they offer matching return address labels! 

They have a great selection of holiday cards.  So if you're looking for Christmas, Hanukkah, or a more generic "Happy 2012" card, you will find something you will love there!

And if you are reading this on November 9, be sure and check out the Tiny Prints Facebook page  to find out how to get a FREE card for your little one!  You will be able to chose one of these designs:  Checking it Twice or Santa's Scroll.  Personally I love the Checking It Twice card.  What a great way to let your little one know that Santa knows what s/he wants as well as giving positive reinforcement for good behavior.

The generous people at Tiny Prints have offered to give one of my readers 50 holiday cards of their choice.

Rules for the giveaway: 

• Open to the USA only.
• Ends 11/20 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time.
• Please leave a separate comment for each way you enter as I use Random.org to pick my winners.
• Winner has 48 hours to respond after being contacted or another winner will be chosen.
• Please leave contact information in your comment if it's not in your blogger profile so I will have a way of contacting you if you win.
• You MUST do the mandatory entry for your other entries to be considered.

Ways to enter:

MANDATORY ENTRY:

Head over to Tiny Prints http://www.tinyprints.com/shop/picture-christmas-cards.htm and look around their Holiday cards and come back here and tell me which is your favorite.  (Or if you like several tell me which ones! I know it's hard to choose!)

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:

• Go to Tiny Prints Facebook Page and order your free card (valid November 9 only.  If for any reason you can't  or didn't order on this day, tell me how you would have personalized your free card for your entry, cards are linked above) 
• Like Tiny Prints on Facebook 
• Follow Tiny Prints on Twitter (leave your twitter username) 
• Follow me on twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/jenndiggy 
• Follow me Google Friend connect. 
• Tweet the following:  (can be done once daily)

Blog giveaway at @jenndiggy to #win 50 @tinyprints Christmas cards.  Ends 11/20 http://bit.ly/rULAwP

Good luck!

 FTC disclaimer: I am receiving 20 address labels for this post.

 

The 30 Day Giving Challenge -- Week 1

Are any of my readers participating in the 30 Day Giving challenge? 

Most of my giving in the last week has been with time.  I don't have a lot of extra cash and since everyone who used to laugh at me couponing has realized how much you can save with coupons, well, when I go to the store, the sale items you can get free with coupons have been out of stock, so doesn't really allow me to get extras to give to people.

I treated a friend to a pizza buffet last week.  She had never been there, and we had a blast as we spent an evening together.

I gave someone some movie tickets I won in a giveaway. 

I sent someone a card when I expected them to have a bad weekend.

And I have given of myself.  I have done some Internet work for a friend.  It's nothing technical, just more time consuming than anything. 

Giving doesn't need to be elaborate.  Today I was pleased to receive a phone call from someone who was thinking about us.  She said she had been praying for us, and I really appreciated that.  Sometimes it's the smallest things that can brighten someone's day.  A few years ago, I was at a store and I was digging around for coins to pay for my purchase.  I stopped and said, "Oh, I almost gave you a coin from Israel."  with continued digging for the right amount of change.  The clerk was fascinated I just got back from Israel, wanted to see the coin (of which I had several at home), and I told her to keep it.  Her face lit up!

So how about you?  What did you do this week?

Five Minute Friday: "Remember"

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There are so many things to remember.  I think back to some of the fun memories at school.  There was the boy who ate flies to gross out the girls.  Then there was the time that one of the basketball players climbed the flagpole the day of the big game.  Had anyone else done that, we would have been in trouble.  There was the science teacher who always wanted "TWO MINUTES" and called for it in a squawky voice.  Those two minutes were for attendance taking, but to the rest of us, it was a time to goof off.  There was the teacher who insisted that he never laughed at anything but I made him snicker at the joke, "What's the greatest feat ever accomplished?  Wheeling, West Virginia down the Ohio."  We called that teacher ______picker short for Mr. ______ picks his nose.  Somehow he thought it was a compliment (or at least pretended like he did.).  Of course, who could forget the Milhous vanHouten type boy who was in my class.  We were on a field trip to a science museum once and he was on the scale.  I jumped on as hard as I could as his weight was still registering, and the force of my jump caused our weight to go over 300 pounds.  (He was a scrawny basketball player and the look on his face when he saw the 300 pounds was priceless.)  Of course there was the first computers we used.  Ataris.  Anyone else remember the game "Lemonade" where you had to try and price lemonade and according to how much lemons and sugar was and how much to prepare for the day?  Such a simple game, but we loved it.

Stop.

Five minute Friday rules:
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.

2. Link back to http://thegypsymama.com/2011/11/five-minute-friday-remember/  and invite others to join in.
3. Most importantly: leave a comment for the person who linked up before you – encouraging them in their writing!

30 Day Giving Challenge

In it's third year, the Thirty Day Giving Challenge is back.

WHO should participate?  ANYONE!  You don't have to be a blogger!  Just give of yourself, and giving doesn't always need to have cost involved, even doing a favor for someone counts.  It can be time, something you got free after coupons, sometimes even a hug is the best gift there is! 

WHAT is it?  A group of bloggers are going to encourage giving something everyday for 30 days.


WHEN?  For the next 30 days! :)

WHERE?  Where ever you live!  On the Internet, the home of the Giving Challenge is here:  http://30daygivingchallenge.com/info-for-bloggers/ If you are a blogger, feel free to join up.

WHY?

HOW?   However you want to give.  Large or small, homemade or store bought, material gift or time or talent, it all counts!

Also, be sure and check out the 30 Day Giving Challenge page on Facebook!  https://www.facebook.com/30dayGivingChallenge?ref=ts