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Today's Friday, so you need to click on over to the F.A.I.T.H. Blog and read about my experiences this week with writing and septic tanks!

Cell phone Vs. Bible

(This is a copy of an email I received from my aunt, which came from my cousin. I don't know who the original author is, but this is so, so true. Enjoy!)

Thought Provoking!!!!!

Cell phone Vs. Bible

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go "hmm...where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.

Makes you stop and think, where are my priorities?

And no dropped calls!!!

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Watchers

(This is a copy of the CFBA Book Review)


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
MARK ANDREW OLSEN whose novel The Assignment was a Christy Award finalist, also collaborated on bestsellers Hadassah (now the major motion picture: One Night With the King), The Hadassah Covenant, and Rescued. The son of missionaries to France, Mark is a graduate of Baylor University. He and his wife, Connie, live in Colorado Springs with their three children.


ABOUT THE BOOK:
Just below the surface among the family of God lives another family tree--one traced in spirit, invisible and ageless, known as the Watchers. For two thousand years they've seen beyond the veil separating this world from the next, passing on their gift through a lineage mostly overlooked. Throughout history they've scouted the borders of the supernatural frontier, but now their survival hangs by a thread. And their fate lies in the hands of a young woman, her would-be killer, and a mystery they must solve....


"Congratulations. You just reached my own little corner of cyberspace.

Who am I?

Abby Sherman, that's who.

Who are you? And why are you checking me out?

Drop me a few pixels, and let's find out!"

With that innocent invitation, Abby Sherman unwittingly steps in the cross hairs of history, and thus begins her harrowing tale--taking her from ocean-front Malibu to the streets of London, the jungles in West Africa, the Temple Mount, Jerusalem, and to the very gates of heaven itself!

A sneak preview of eternity becomes her one-way ticket to danger--and discovery….

Two lives collide in a globe-circling adventure involving both peril and discovery: Abby, a young woman whose visions of heaven turn her into a Web-celebrity; and Dylan, a troubled young man sent by an ancient foe to silence her. From California beachfronts to Nigerian rain forests to Jerusalem and back again, THE WATCHERS is high-octane blends of action, mystery, and spiritual battle spanning centuries.

A woman's awe-inspiring vision launches her on a quest through distant lands and ancient history, face-to-face with eternity and into the arms of a family line on the brink of annihilation...

A man who is hired to exterminate her discovers the folly of blind loyalty, then learns how to wage war in a realm he never believed had existed...

An extraordinary saga of the unseen war against evil, the reality of the supernatural, and the transforming power of forgiveness.

ENDORSEMENT:
"A writer who can take your breath away with a single sentence. A welcome, fresh voice that must be read!"--Ted Dekker

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764228188

Reaching out

Sunday evening I took part in a meeting at my church. Well, maybe I should reword in saying I sat in the sanctuary and listened to the pastor and Sunday school coordinator's plans as words of skepticism ran through my head.

But by the end of the meeting I was excited about the plans.

My church wants to reach out to individuals who visit, to those who are members and haven't been in a long time, to those who are there every Sunday and Wednesday. My church wants to minister to every individual.

I've visited many churches where I walked in, was handed a bulletin, sat in the pew, shook hands with the person next to me, listened to the sermon, and then walked out, feeling good I was there, but knowing no one would recognize I wouldn't be back the next week.

My church is trying to avoid that. They want everyone who walks through our sanctuary doors on Sunday morning, or visits on Wednesday or Sunday nights, that we care they were there. A new concept? It shouldn't be, but it probably is.

The plan is for coordinators within Sunday school classes to be identified and then for the coordinators to assign leaders for care groups and each leader has a few to several names on the list they contact weekly. During the contact, the intention is not to ask the individual why they weren't at church on Sunday or to prod into their personal life, but to let them know, if they weren't at church, that they were missed and to offer any support for anything that may be going on in their lives.

This is where I was skeptical. For a long time, I considered myself a Christian who didn't need church. Also, I was doing a number of things that aren't "Christian-like". I know my testimony of that time suffered, but now, I feel I may be stronger for it. It was an ignorant time, in that I believed: 1)I didn't need to be in church, which is the body of Christ, what he started in his disciples, 2) that all I had to do was believe in him, but I could live life however I wanted. It's true, God forgives us of our sins and Christ bridged that gap between man and God. When we accept Christ as our savior, we have our seat in Heaven and will go before the Lord as righteous.

Yet, as a Christian, we have a duty to live as Christ intended. And that is where so many of us fall. You may think it's cool to drink, curse, gossip, do a myriad of other things all while proclaiming to love God. That's what I did. And I can tell you if someone from the church called me weekly to inquire about how things were at work or at home or just in general, I would have politely talked to them the first time, but if they called again I would have screened the call and NOT answered the phone.

The thing is, my husband and I have been through several hurdles in our married life. Not just normal hurdles couples go through as far as getting used to living with each other and growing accoustomed and accepting each other's habits, but hurdles caused by outside sources: death of loved ones, car accidents, dog bites, just to name a few of the hard things we've endured. And my point in mentioning these things is that had I been in weekly contact with a church member, I may have been inclined to answer the phone when they called and let them know that we'd been involved in a car accident and my husband was having to go through two surgeries in less than two weeks. My church family would've been there to bring food, feed my dog, get my mail, or - and most importantly - offer support through prayer.

So after I sat through the meeting for a few minutes, feeling skeptical, I realized they aren't just trying to reach members who've fallen off the church bandwagon, they're trying to be there for members and non-members alike. Whether involved or not, they want to reach out and offer support to who ever needs it whether they need it at that moment or not. I like that idea. It's what the church should've been doing all along, but more, it's what each of us, as individuals, should be doing too. Reach out to that friend in need, the one who'll go months without calling you. Send a card to the friend that's sick - or stop by her house for a quick visit. Don't worry about imposing, because at least you stopped by, showed you cared.

As Christians, we are not perfect. But we should look to the perfect One, to model our life after, live for Him, proclaiming Him as righteous, and encouraging others to find the glory we know in Him.

Happy Friday!

Hi! I'm blogging on F.A.I.T.H. today!

Picometer

My friend Lindi introduced me to this cute little word meter I now have on the left side of the page. It's a progress meter that helps you keep track of how many words you have written. So far, I'm at 6,500 on my revision. Not quite 10% of my target of 75,000, but moving up anyway, which is the point.

If you'd like to add one of these to your site, check out Writertopia.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing: A Valley of Betrayal

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tricia is a member of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance. She also has a blog, It's Real Life and a parenting blog Generation NeXt.

TRICIA GOYER is the author of five novels, two nonfiction books and one children's book. She also was named Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference Writer of the Year in 2003. In 2005, her novel Night Song, the second title in Tricia’s World War II series, won ACFW's Book of the Year for Best Long Historical Romance. In 2006, her novel Dawn of A Thousand Nights also won book of the Year for Long Historical Romance. Tricia and her husband, John, live with their family in northwestern Montana.


ABOUT THE BOOK:

We are pleased to be able to review her exciting Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War, A Valley Of Betrayal

For reasons beyond her control, Sophie finds herself alone in the war-torn Spanish countryside, searching for her beloved Michael. His work as a news photographer has taken him deep into the country wracked by civil war. What was once a thriving paradise has become a battleground for Nazi-backed Franco fascist soldiers and Spanish patriots. She is caught up in the escalating events when the route to safety is blocked and fighting surrounds her.

Secrets abound in the ruined Spain. Michael is loving but elusive, especially about beautiful maria. The American who helped Sophie sneak into Spain turns up in odd places. Michael's friend Jose knows more than he tells. When reports of Michael's disappearance reach her, Sophie is devastated. What are her feelings for Philip, an American soldier who comes to her rescue?

Sophie must sift truth from lies as she becomes more embroiled in the war that threatens her life and breaks her heart. On her darkest night, Sophie takes refuge with a brigade of international compatriots. Among these volunteers, she pledges to make the plight of the Spanish people known around the world through the power of art.

Acclaimed author Tricia Goyer creates a riveting cast of characters against the backdrop of pre-WWII Spain. Love, loss, pain, and beauty abound in A Valley Of Betrayal, the first book in her new series, Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War.