Ponderings by Andrea

Sunday, December 19, 2010

12 Pearls of Christmas: 'Hurting Near Christmas? 10 Tips to Hope Again' by Stacie Ruth Stoelting

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas! Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom"! Please follow along through Christmas day as each post shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year. AND BEST OF ALL ... there's also a giveaway!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS! Pearls - a tangible reminder of God's grace to us all.

~~~

Hurting Near Christmas? 10 Tips to Hope Again
by Stacie Ruth Stoelting

Feel sad this Christmas? Hey, I know the feeling. In fact, many programs have interviewed me to share about it! Last year, I tried particularly hard to share stories and tips on how to cope with grief during the holidays: I wrote a feature for CBN.com, Coping with Grief at Christmas, visited and counseled grieving people, etc.

Then irony hit: Near Christmas, two people I loved died within two days (December 15-16, 2009).

Are you or a loved one hurting during the holidays? I relate. But let me encourage you: Jesus remains faithful! As real as my pain, He met my needs and comforted me with peace unexplainable. I’m serious. He’s real.

Before I continue with tips, let me share this: If you feel suicidal, contact an emergency counseling service like the New Life Call Center at 1-800-NEW-LIFE (639-5433).

10 Tips for Hurting Hearts to Hope and Cope at Christmastime

1.    Realize and internalize it: God still loves you and wants to hear from you. He wants you to know that there is a Way out of your pit of despair. The Way is Jesus.

2.    Sometimes, our suffering causes us to forget His. Understand He understands you. He suffered more than any of us when we bore the weight of every sin and pain on the cross! In fact, Is. 53:3 describes Jesus: “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.” Think of it: He took your punishment and pain on the cross. He was your capital punishment Substitute! And your Deliverer -your Rescuer- wants to hear from you. His heart hurts with yours. Will you pour your heart out to Him now? He’ll pour His love in where the fear previously resided. Let Jesus inside. Do you know Jesus on a personal, one-to-One basis? Visit here to learn why Jesus was born to die and how to be born again. (Hey, Jesus said it: "You must be born again.")

3.    Rather than mere gifts, make a Christmas prayer list of other hurting people. Then pray for them and request prayer for yourself, too. Contact your church. Tap into ministries (including CBN.com) that offer extra prayer support. And feel free to join my prayer e-group at www.PrayingPals.org or on Facebook by clicking here.

4.    End the Christmas comparison game. Don't compare your Christmas to your neighbor's. Don't compare your Christmas to past celebrations.

5.    Center on the Savior! This year, trade a superficial Christmas for a real one. Deepen your appreciation for the true Christmas: the arrival of Jesus Christ to banish the effects of sin and death!

6.    Whatever your loss or pain, open up and let God be your Gain. Maybe your pain comes from another cause: a divorce, a devastating diagnosis, a job loss...the list extends. God offers to be your Counselor, your Father, your Healer, your Provider. Let Him answer your heart’s cry.

7.    Love on people. Even if you don’t “feel” like it, prayerfully do something for someone else who is hurting.

8.    Remember: Feelings change. God doesn't. Loved ones' deaths never kill His love for you. God's immeasurable, unconditional love still flows to you! When you know Jesus, you know eternal love and security. Nothing separates you from His love! “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39, ESV).

9.    Realize the reality of the sudden reunion. Holidays exacerbate the feeling of long separation from our loved ones in Heaven. Does it feel like it will take forever for you to see your loved one in Heaven? Be encouraged: Jesus IS coming again and it will be a time you don't expect! So the fact that you feel like it won't happen soon is a good thing! Once reunited, it will feel like no time transpired. All sadness will be entirely removed!

10.    When Jesus comes back to earth, it will be a celebration greater than any previous Christmas you've ever experienced!

For believers, losses hurt but never win. We will celebrate Jesus together -and it will be glorious "for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith" (I John 5:4, NIV). In that Day, all believers will be able to jubilantly say, “Merry Christmas to all and to all the true Light!”

Additional Help: Ready for some practical tips for coping with grief at Christmastime? Here’s one: Rearrange furniture to reduce absence reminders. To read this tip and others found in another of my CBN.com’s articles: “Coping with Grief at Christmas", visit www.CBN.com.

Going thru a rough time? Join Stacie Ruth’s prayer group at www.PrayingPals.org.

(Just a personal note from me (Andrea): I lost my mother on Christmas Eve 2004, so Christmas is not the same for me anymore. But I do know that the reunion will be sweet when it happens!)

~~~

About Stacie: Stacie Ruth knows pain, but she also knows Jesus! After Stacie Ruth met Jesus, her life blossomed with true joy and purpose. Life’s blows hurt her, but Jesus heals and strengthens her. Now an author, actress, and recording artist, she laughs at the irony and praises God, who uses unlikely people...like herself. Discover why she's written a book at age 15, sung/spoken for the 43rd President, been pictured in major media (i.e. The New York Times, USA Today), and keynoted conferences since she was a teenager. To watch video clips, worship Jesus with music from her album, or get in touch with her ministry for women, visit www.brightlightministries.com.

~~~

A pearl necklace, pearl bracelet, and pearl earrings will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is FILL OUT THIS QUICK ENTRY FORM. The winner will be announced on the Pearl Girls Blog on New Years Day!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

12 Pearls of Christmas: 'Wrapped in His Love' by Rebecca Ondov

~~~

Wrapped in His Love
by Rebecca Ondov

The temperature is below zero and dropping quickly—probably to -15 or lower. Old Man Winter gusted in a couple days ago, leaving cold temperatures and a foot of snow behind. Moments ago I bundled up in my long johns and Carhartts to go out and feed. Of course I had a warm horse blanket draped over my arm. When it’s below zero I wrap Czar in two horse blankets.

Czar nickered as soon as he saw me coming. When I buckled up the blankets, it was as if I was wrapping him in my love. He buried his head in my chest. I snuggled him and stroked his long red winter hair. I pulled a couple icicles out of his black mane as my mind drifted through memories. I’d bought Czar when he was a month old; it was love at first sight. After he was weaned from his mother, I brought him home.

Czar leaned into me, almost as if he was hugging me. I patted his neck, “That was thirty years ago, Czar. Can you believe it?” Czar had been my main saddle horse when I worked in the Bob Marshall Wilderness of Montana. I’d ridden him over 20,000 miles. Together we’d faced grizzly bears, mudslides, forest fires, and even fallen off a cliff. He’d saved my life more than once. With my finger, I traced a couple gray hairs that dotted his forehead. “You’ve earned your blankets, buddy.”

The icy breeze nipped at my cheeks and I thought how much his blankets resemble God’s love for us. God was there when we were born—and He loved us at first sight. He’s faithfully been with us through every step of our lives—through every joy and sorrow. He’s cried with us and laughed with us. He cheered when we’ve overcome. Most of all, when I’ve gone through tough times, it’s been God’s love which wrapped itself around me like a shield and pulled me through.

I glanced around me. The snowflakes glistened in the sun. His love surrounded me: the wind whispering in the pines, the chickadee that serenaded me this morning, the gurgling creek that flowed through the pasture. And His greatest love is manifested in the prize of His creation –you and me, the ones created in His image.

This Christmas season, I’m praying that you feel the God of the universe—the one who hung the stars in place—wrapping His loving arms around you and holding you tight (two horse blankets worth). And I pray that all of us experience the love He’s given us in Jesus.

~~~

About Rebecca: Rebecca Ondov is the author of Horse Tales from Heaven: Reflections along the Trail with God and Horse Tales from Heaven: Gift Edition. She was a contributing author in several books including Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace. She lives in Western Montana with her family, horses, mules, barn cat, and golden retriever. By day she works for Fox Lumber, brokering lumber throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. By night she forges ahead with her mission, writing stories which equip Christians to lead extraordinary lives. Join her on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn by going to her Website: www.RebeccaOndov.com.

~~~

Friday, December 17, 2010

‘Domesticated Jesus’ by Harry L. Kraus Jr. – Book Review and Giveaway

Jesus is the most powerful and perfect human being who ever lived – not to mention the fact that He is also fully God. Yet we as believers are inclined to put Him in a safe little box and make Him smaller than He really is. In ‘Domesticated Jesus,’ Dr. Harry Kraus makes a strong case for the fact that we need to release Jesus from these chains.

Here is the synopsis of this thoughtful book:

Domesticated Jesus or “DJ.” It’s a horrible name – but a name that accurately reflects what each of us has done in our own lives.

“I can hear your protests,” says author Harry Kraus, “and believe me, they are my own. Jesus Christ cannot be domesticated!

“I’m talking about the way I make myself big. And in the process, I’ve domesticated the Almighty. Tamed him. Advised him. Put him in a box. Expected him to function like a divine vending machine.

“That sickens me. Shocks me. And it should.”

All of us try to domesticate Jesus, too – in little things like doubt, anxiety, or fear about the future. We let him into our lives, but only so far, until our control is threatened.

Then we send him back to his room, back to his box.

Harry Kraus takes a hard-hitting, soul-searching look at this atrocity that we commit every day. He challenges each of us to find Jesus as the grand treasure that he is and see him in real life more and more every day.

“Pull up a chair, fellow traveler,” he concludes. “Let’s sit together to reason about a horrible thing that I’ve done. I’ve domesticated the Lord of the universe.”

Here is the biography of this talented man:

Harry Kraus is a board-certified general surgeon who has practiced both in the US and abroad in Kenya as a medical missionary with Africa Inland Mission. He is the author of several fiction and non-fiction books, including Could I Have This Dance? and The Six-Liter Club.

I look forward to reading and reviewing Dr. Kraus’s ‘The Six Liter Club’ soon.

Here is the book trailer for this challenging book:

In the Introduction, Dr. Kraus explains what he means by the title of this book. Here is an exchange between him and his wife when he told her the name of his new book:

…“Domesticated Jesus.”

She didn’t hesitate. “I don’t like it. It makes Jesus sound effeminate.”

I don’t like it either, and that’s the point.

To even associate the name above all other names with a word like domesticated is offensive to the delicate Christian ear.

If this offends you, good. It should. I hope that my use of this distasteful title will shock me (and you) into a healthy pondering of just what we’re doing in this life we’ve identified (perhaps too generously) as Christian.

So how have I come to associate a work like domestic with Jesus?

I’ll state the obvious. Domestic. Tame. The unruly is gone. Away with unpredictable behavior. Wildness is only used in the past tense. (p. 9)

Dr. Kraus goes on to further define the term:

This is the essence of my working definition. I am domesticating Jesus anytime my behavior reflects my belief in a saving Jesus who is too small to handle any day-to-day problems of worry or anxiety. I am domesticating him anytime I wallow in guilt because, in essence, the power of the cross has been diminished in my thoughts. It has become insufficient to soothe my conscience.

Domesticating Jesus is so much more than just not recognizing his infinite power and falling on our faces in awe. He obviously doesn’t reveal himself in his glory, at least not in his fully glory, or I promise I’d never get out of a facedown posture (of course, I wouldn’t survive a millisecond of his revealed glory, so even that statement is ludicrous). But these essays are about how I domesticate him every day in so many ways, in little things like doubt, anxiety, or fear about the future. (p. 14)

Dr. Kraus writes essays on the various ways Christian domesticate Jesus, including by Acting Christian, by Underestimating His Power, by Wallowing in Guilt, by Hiding Our Sin, etc….

I will be focusing on the essays that impacted me the most (although they all did, to a certain extent!). In the chapter focusing on wallowing in guilt, Dr. Kraus explains how we so easily succumb to this mindset. As in the rest of the book, he also includes examples from his own life:

So why do we fall into it so easily?

Pride. If we’re so bent on control, we may think that we need to feel bad for a time so as to be worthy of forgiveness. This is junk, plain and simple. There is nothing that we can add to the cross of Christ to make ourselves more presentable to God. When he looks at a believer, he sees the righteousness of Christ.

We’ve listened to the whispers of our enemy. “You’re not worthy. How can you call yourself a child of God when you _______?”

But doesn’t the Holy Spirit convict us of sin?

Sure, but he doesn’t condemn.

So how do we tell the difference?

Conviction focuses on restoration. Condemnation focuses on sin. Conviction is folded within the message of God’s love and hope. Condemnation is folded within the message of hopelessness.

There was a time in my life when I needlessly felt guilty for any sin I felt has been directed toward another. I would continue to berate myself until I made a verbal confession. Only then would I let myself off the hook and experience the wonder of God’s peace. But such heaviness was only detrimental to hearing God’s voice. Too often I made a confession that was unnecessary. A minor infraction had been forgotten by the others involved. But my guilt drove me forward, and I couldn’t hear the gently whispers of God’s spirit. (p. 47)

We need to change our focus:

Focus on myself, and I’ll be tempted toward despair. My weakness, sin, and problems loom large as they become the center of my thoughts. Take anything small – say your thumb – and pull it close enough to your eyes, and it will eventually block out the vision of anything. In a position just in front of your face, your thumb can block out the Empire State Building.

You see, perspective is everything. What our souls need is the perspective of the gospel of grace.

Behold the glory of the Lord and be changed, “from one degree of glory to another.” Stare at yourself and I’ll be changed from one degree of discouragement to another. A sure recipe for a miserable day.

My point? Simply that we need to consciously direct our thoughts onto Christ and what he has done for us, settling for eternity the outcome of our salvation. With every thought of condemnation, we need to mentally shift gears onto the fact that we have been forgiven. If this is practiced over and over, we can construct a new path for our thoughts to follow. In time we will automatically use a condemning thought to prompt amazement at our own salvation (pp. 49-50)

Another way we domesticate Jesus is by hiding our sin. Dr. Kraus explains the biblical principle for how to handle sin:

So you blew it. Confess. Forsake. Don’t make it worse by covering it up or nursing yourself with condemnation. Get back on the horse. Get your eyes off the rulebook or you’ll end up falling again. Remember, it’s only by grace that we stand at all. When we realize we’re weak, Christ’s strength can shine.

As we learn to embrace these principles, we find ourselves dwelling more and more in a life saturated with grace; the knowledge that his life is given in spite of my weakness and sin. This is the life described by Paul in 2 Corinthians when he says that “the love of Christ controls us” (5:14). When our lives are dominated by the law, the rulebook is in constant focus, and we strive to improve ourselves. (This is tantamount to the raise-yourself-by-your-own-bootstraps philosophy.) From this position, when we fail, we easily find ourselves making excuses or falling headlong into self-pity and guilt. Conversely, if we have made grace our dwelling place, a fall from that position will not be the end! We only need to run to the grace promises that will usher us quickly back into grace saturation. (p. 134)

Being saturated in God’s grace is a great place to be!

Another way we domesticate Jesus is by our bitterness. Dr. Kraus implores us to forgive:

Why should we forgive?

I’ll give you a selfish reason.

Because we are only hurting ourselves. While we coddle our bitter feelings, obsessing over past wrongs, our peace is destroyed, our sleep is robbed, and our health breaks down.

A benefit of a life lived in moment-by-moment trust is that wrong tends to go unnoticed, falling from us like the proverbial water from a duck’s back. (pp. 180-181)

Dr. Kraus includes a lot of Scripture verses to support his writings; they are very encouraging and uplifting!

I have read a lot of books over the last year (over 200!), and this one has affected me more than most. Dr. Kraus has made it clear that we in these United States (in particular) have put the Trinity in a box, and have not given them the credit and the honor that they deserve. We have also been blinded by the evil one into thinking that those three individuals are smaller and weaker than they really are.

As Dr. Kraus is a surgeon, he writes from the perspective as a medical professional. I think this book will really speak to the hearts of others who are also involved in that line of work – like minds think alike! He is very straightforward thinking and analytical. But I think every reader will benefit greatly by this wonderful book. I really enjoyed it a lot, and give it my highest recommendation.

You can order this book here.

This book was published by P and R Publishers and provided by them for review purposes.
_______________________________________

I have three copies of this book to pass along to three of you; thanks to Ian at P and R Publishers for generously providing these copies!

There are several ways to gain entry:

1) Leave a comment here on the blog, telling me how you have domesticated Jesus in your own life. Please make sure to leave your email address in this format – sample[at]gmail[dot]com.

2) Follow me on Twitter; I will more than likely follow you back (if Twitter will let me!)! If you are already a Twitter follower, that counts, too! Please leave a new comment to that effect.

3) Follow me as a Google Friend on this blog; if you are already a Friend, that counts, too! Please leave a new comment to that effect.

4) Become my Facebook friend. Please leave a new comment to that effect.

5) Follow this blog as a NetWorked Blog Follower after you’ve become my Facebook friend. Please leave a new comment to that effect.

So there are five chances to enter! Please limit one entry per option, and please include your email address, or, sad to say, the Random Number Generator will have to choose a different winner.

This giveaway is for U.S. residents only. The deadline for entry is Monday, January 3, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. EST. A winner will be chosen via the Random Number Generator on Tuesday, January 4, 2011 and will be contacted via email. The best to all of you!

12 Pearls of Christmas: 'Home' by Melody Carlson

~~~

There’s No Place Like….
by Melody Carlson

I grew up spending Christmases at my grandparents’ quaint Victorian home, surrounded by lots of relatives, laughter and love and really good food. For a little girl growing up in a single parent home, harried working mother, no church family, and TV dinners, these extended family holidays spent at my grandparents were like a real gift from God. But as a young adult, my grandfather passed on, the old house was sold, I grew up and eventually had a small family of my own.

Still I longed for those familiar kinds of “big” Christmases—I wanted that house full of relatives and fun times to go home to—I think the “child” in me thought I deserved it somehow. But my grandmother had gotten older and lived in a tiny apartment, and my mother and my husband’s parents were not comfortable hosting Christmas in their homes. For a while we went to my cousin’s, but I soon had to come to grips with reality. The days of going to Grandma’s for the perfect Christmas were a thing of the past.

In other words, it was time for me to grow up—time for me to start hosting our own Christmas celebrations. So biting the holiday bullet, I decided to just do it. With two very small children underfoot, I cooked my first turkey, made my first stuffing, invited some family, neighbors, and friends over, and we all crammed ourselves into our little house, balanced our plates on our knees, and had a very good time. Oh, I’m sure the turkey was dry and the gravy lumpy, but what I remember most is that everyone seemed truly happy to be there. And I realized that I wasn’t the only one longing for that sense of warmth and community—that longing to “go home again”—and I finally grasped that I could (with God’s grace) help to provide that for my family and others.

So for the next three decades we continued to host Christmas in our home. I got better at decorating, cooking, gifting…the works. Some years the place would be packed and crazy. A few years were thinner and quieter. But family, friends and neighbors could always count on the fact that the Carlson’s would be “doing something for Christmas.” It was a no-brainer.

Until this year. This year, for the first time in more than thirty years, my husband and I decided we’re going to take a pass on hosting Christmas—we are going to the beach. At first I felt terribly guilty, and even right now I’m a bit unsure—and wonder if I’ll end up changing my mind at the last minute. And yet, I believe it’s the right thing for us to do—for a lot of reasons. One being that my husband’s birthday is Christmas and he never gets to do what he wants on his birthday—this year will be different. But more than that, I hope that our stepping aside will encourage the younger members of our family to find and embrace some of their own traditions—to grow up and look for opportunities to stretch themselves a bit. Because, similar to how and oyster creates a pearl—or how a young mom learns to be a hostess—with some discomfort and distress a burnt turkeys, the end results are truly valuable.

~~~

About Melody: Melody Carlson lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Labrador Retriever. She’s the author of around 200 books including this year’s Christmas novella, Christmas at Harrington’s. Visit her website for more information, www.melodycarlson.com.

~~~

A pearl necklace, pearl bracelet and pearl earrings will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is FILL OUT THIS QUICK ENTRY FORM. The winner will be announced on the Pearl Girls Blog on New Years Day!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info.

I loved 'Christmas at Harrington's,' by the way! You can read my review here.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

The Winner of Renée Riva's 'Farley's Five and Dime' is....

Thanks to the ever-trustworthy Random Number Generator, we have a winner of Renée Riva's 'Farley's Five and Dime.'

That winner is Maureen!

Congratulations, Maureen! I will be emailing you shortly to get your mailing address.

For those of you who didn't win and would like to order this charming Christmas story, you can do so here.

Thanks bunches to Aaron at Stonehouse Ink for providing the review and giveaway copies. And those to all of you who responded - what a great group of comments - not to mention the people who commented!

Merry Christmas and please come back soon!

12 Pearls of Christmas: 'The Joy of Unexpected Circumstances' by Lori Kasbeer

~~~

The Joy of Unexpected Circumstances
by Lori Kasbeer

The Christmas season is upon us again. Starbucks is selling their Christmas blend; stores are posting their holiday hours; and moms everywhere are making a list and checking it twice, planning for a special Christmas day. It has been our family’s tradition to spend Christmas with relatives. Last year, money was tight and we were unable to travel; this is not how we had planned to spend Christmas day but circumstances were beyond our control. Realizing my three boys--who are now teenagers--will not be under our roof for much longer, I wanted to have a special Christmas with just the five of us.

Leading up to Christmas morning we all made mouth-watering, cinnamon cut-out cookies, spent time together sticking tape everywhere while trying to wrap presents, and enjoyed spending time together. We did not have much money, but were having fun making memories. When Christmas morning arrived and we sat around to open gifts my eyes welled up with overwhelming joy. This mother was trying to absorb all the activity that was going on all around her: the smiles from each of my teenage boys, the sounds of laughter, and the smell of cinnamon rolls cooking in the oven. If I could freeze a moment in time, this would be it. I don’t know what the future holds for each of my boys, but that Christmas morning I wanted to soak it all in so I could recall this special day for years to come. Despite struggling financially, unexpected circumstances turned into immense joy and a lifetime of memories.

Mothers treasuring special moments is not something new. Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, was one who tried to soak in everything that first Christmas morning. Even after Christ’s birth she was still trying to absorb what the angel had said to her when he delivered the news that she was going to be the mother of the coming Savior. She reflected on the time she had with her cousin Elizabeth while they were both pregnant. Along with comprehending the unusual way her son came into this world.

While very pregnant with child, Mary and Joseph traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register Mary for the census. Never did she image she would deliver her baby in a barn with a manger being the only thing to lay him down in. These were not the circumstances she had envisioned. Before she had time to catch her breath, suddenly all around her there was excitement when shepherds showed up reporting what they had seen and heard. There were angels—a multitude of angels—who were singing and declaring the Savior was born and a bright star led them to her and Joseph. So much has happened in a short amount of time and Mary did not want to forget any of it. Instead, she stepped back and “treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19)

Mary did not exactly know what the plans were for her son, but she knew it was going to change the lives of everyone on earth. She was preparing her heart to obey God concerning her son Jesus, without the full knowledge of what was going to come while at the same time quietly reflecting and capturing this one special moment in time.

May this Christmas be filled with joy and a lifetime of memories, even if you find yourself in unexpected circumstances. Merry Christmas!

~~~

About Lori: Lori Kasbeer lives with her husband Tadd and three teenage sons in Florida. She's a contributor for Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace and a Christian book reviewer. Please visit Lori’s Book Reviews for more info. You can also find Lori on Facebook and Twitter.

~~~

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

We Have a Winner for 'Finding the Light of Jesus' by Cindy Tuttle!

The Random Number Generator has done its things and chosen a winner for Cindy Tuttle's 'Finding the Light of Jesus'!

The winner is:

Darby

Congratulations, Darby! I will try to make sure this book gets to you in time for Christmas!

Thanks to all who entered; I loved reading your comments! Please keep coming by, as there will be lots more reviews and giveaways in the weeks and months to come!

To those of you who didn't win, you can order this book here.

Thanks again to LeAnn of Hamby Media for providing the review and giveaway copies!