A Christmas Message From Author Tricia Goyer (and Giveaway!)

I usually do not like to post anything 'forwarded' but this is the exception to the rule: I not only recently discovered this author (Thanks to Sarah Sundin!) but I have greatly enjoyed reading her work! So far I have indulged in 3 of her books, (Arms of Deliverance, Dawn of a Thousand Nights,and From Dust and Ashes) I find each very hard to put down (and I convinced ex-RAF flyboy to read one)!

Tricia Goyer LIVES her faith and it truly inspires her writing! Add to this, she writes about a time period I am fascinated with, WW2, and you have a winning combination!  In fact it is a testament to my ability to multi task (almost) as I still manage to bake my own bread and pastries (every other day), clean the house (somewhat) and feed the troops (albeit only four of them unless you count the Corgi and the kitty!) and read, my favourite pastime! Oh and blog!

So here Tricia Goyer's heartfelt message! Read on, there is a surprise giveaway included!

'If I could, I'd invite you into my living room and we'd sit in front of my Christmas tree. On the branches you'll see mostly homemade ornaments that my kids have made over the years. Around the house there are also candle holders made from tin cans and doilies made from cut-out felt pieces. I take greater joy in these simple mementos than fancy decorations and a house that looks as if could be on display in Better Homes and Gardens. 

Of course that wasn't always the case. As a young(er) wife and mom I'd want to display a certain image. I'd want everything to look, "Just so." I can't really say when things changed; it happened slowly over time. The more I wrote and shared what was really going on inside me, the more I understood that I wasn't the only one facing the same obstacles and struggles. The more real I became, the more others responded. I built connections not by being perfect but by offering my true self as a present to others. 

This Christmas remember that life isn't all about the tinsel, and bows, and bling. It's the simple things--like handmade snowflakes--that can bring the biggest smiles. And sharing what's really in our hearts--what's really in there down deep--is the best present we can give to those we love. 

My latest book, Remembering You, is a story about a girl and her grandpa (and well, there's much more to the story,  we'll leave it at that!) and what better way to give a shout-out to our elderly relatives this holiday than sharing our thoughts about them!

A Remembering You Holiday MEME (a chance to win one of 10 four book prize packs)! 

 'It's Christmas and I feel like giving away presents!  

In a comment answer the questions listed below on this blog and if your name is chosen (by Random.org) you will be entered in the giveaway!'

Here are Tricia Goyer's questions:

1. What's your favorite holiday song?

2. What's your favorite holiday tradition?

3. If you could travel one place with an elderly family member where would you go?

4. What questions would you ask?

5. What is a non-tangible gift have you received from an elderly relative?

6. What is the best/worst/strangest gift you've received from an elderly relative?

Alright Readers, here are my answers:

1. What's your favorite holiday song?

'I'll be home for Christmas'!

2. What's your favorite holiday tradition?

The Yule Log! Each year I hesitate baking it but this authentic recipe is worth the time and it would not be the same for my children without it!

3. If you could travel one place with an elderly family member where would you go?

Heyst-sur-Mer! Granny left her heart overthere!

4. What questions would you ask?

Everything under the sun! I still have so many questions unanswered!

5. What is a non-tangible gift have you received from an elderly relative?

 Granny's love for the Sea! I can live just about anywhere as long as I hear the waves crashing on the shore!

6. What is the best/worst/strangest gift you've received from an elderly relative?

Granny's thirst for life! She lived to be 93, always looking to discover a new place, meet new people and enjoy life!

Okay! Now it is your turn and be sure to answer all the questions in a comment no later than the 21st of Decembre for a chance to win!

Please remember to leave your email address in the comment for contact in the following format: 

cbrown1 at yahoo period com!

CHRISTMAS IS...

Blessings to all, 

The Best Of News For Christmas!

On Wednesday 14 Decembre 2011 members of the 18th Airborne arrived at Fort Bragg after being deployed in Iraq! We heard the good news as we prepared to cross on the ferry!

'President Barack Obama saluted troops returning from Iraq, asserting that the nearly nine-year conflict was ending honorably, "not with a final battle, but with a final march toward home."

This is a fight that has cost nearly 4,500 American lives and more than 100,000 Iraqi lives...

"The war in Iraq will soon belong to history, and your service belongs to the ages," he said, applauding their "extraordinary achievement."

"Your will proved stronger than the terror of those who tried to break it," he said.'

 (Erica Werner -AP)

The return of these troops are the best news their families could receive for Christmas!

Until the last one comes home!!!!

WELCOME BACK EVERYONE

and

Blessings to all,

And The Winner of BAKER/REVELL Giveaway Is....

In the Spirit of Christmas BAKER/REVELL offered one reader of (Live and) Dream a little dream a copy of My Favorite Bible and the winner is....

#2! 

Gisele Alv said... Please count me in! :)

CONGRATULATIONS GISELE!

I will be contacting you shortly to confirm you are indeed a winner and for your snail mail address! I will then contact BAKER REVELL and let them know. 

Your gift will be sent directly from the Publisher and ALL IN THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS!

 A BIG THANK YOU TO BAKER REVELL FOR THIS WONDERFUL PROMOTION!

Majestic...

I am reminded everyday how blessed we are to live on an island inhabited by deer...

This buck  is the leader of the herd...

Tamed they know how to ask for a treat or two...

We have lived for many years on this Pacific Northwest island but we still feel awed...

There is something in their bearing that commands respect...

Majestic is the only way to describe this creature of God...

On a friendly note to all hunters...This private island has a NO firearms/bows discharge law...

The welcome mat does not extend to you!

Blessings to all,

Benny's Angel Giveaway Winner!

KCWC has announced today the Grand Prize Winner for Benny's Angel so here it is:

The Grandprize winner for the Benny’s Angel Blog Tour is:

GrandaMa Carol B
who left a comment at
myheartbleongs2books.blogspot.com

Congratulations to the Winner and thank you to all that entered!  

Be sure to check back for more reviews and other giveaways this coming year including (Live and)

Dream a little dream FIRST TIME EVER BLOG GIVEAWAY! (Psst...in January!)

Blessings to all,

Third Week Of Advent...

Prepare our hearts
and remove the sadness
that hinders us from feeling
the joy and hope
which his presence
will bestow.

This third week of Advent begins with “Gaudete Sunday.” Gaudete means “rejoice” in Latin.  It comes from the first word of the Entrance antiphon on Sunday.  The spirit of joy that begins this week comes from the words of Paul, “The Lord is near.”  This joyful spirit is marked by the third candle of our Advent wreath, which is rose colored, and the rose colored vestments often used at the Eucharist.

Blessings to all,

"Taken from Praying Advent, on Creighton University's Online Ministries web site:
http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/online.html.
Used with permission."

The Grace Effect, Book review

'FINDING THEMSELVES IN SUCH A WORLD AT THE DAWN OF THEIR EXISTENCE, SO YOUNG, SO DEFENSELESS, WHAT MUST GO ON IN THESE SOULDS FRESH FROM GOD?'

(Les Miserables, Victor Hugo)

Book description:

"Simply defined, the 'grace effect' is an observable phenomenon-that life is demonstrably better where authentic Christianity flourishes."

What does Christianity give us beyond televangelists, potlucks, and bad basketball leagues?  Not much, according to the secular Left.  The world, they say, would be a better place without it. 

Historian and Christian apologist Larry Taunton has spent much of his career refuting just this sort of thinking, but when he encounters Sasha, a golden-haired Ukrainian orphan girl whose life has been shaped by atheistic theorists, he discovers an unlikely champion for the transforming power of grace. 

Through the narrative of Sasha's redemption, we see the false promises of socialism; the soul-destroying influence of unbelief; and how a society cultivates its own demise when it rejects the ultimate source of grace.  We see, in short, the kind of world the atheists would give us: a world without Christianity-cold, pitiless, and graceless.

And yet, as Sasha shows us, it is a world that is not beyond the healing power of "the grace effect."  Occasionally infuriating, often amusing, but always inspiring, The Grace Effect will have you cheering for the courageous little girl who shamed the academic elitists of our day.

"This highly readable book is a collection of powerful insights into the long-term consequences of spiritual indifference and, above all, a remarkable example of how to conquer it."

- Dr. Olivera Petrovich - 

"What would a world without Christianity look like? We don't have to guess because such a world does exist: it exists in the current and former Communist bloc. Through the inspiring story of a little girl born in Eastern Europe and now living in America, Larry Taunton draws a sharp contrast between the life-giving influence of Christianity and the worn out theories of atheism and radical secularism.  The effect--The Grace Effect--is nothing less than powerful and moving."

- Dinesh D'Souza -

And now my review:

A picture, a line or paragraph, even the cover of a book can compel us to reach out and find out more about its history and such was 'The Grace Effect' for me!

Larry Alex Taunton is the author of 'The Grace Effect' but also the founder and executive director of

Fixed Point Foundation, best described as a bridge between the sacred and the secular.

Debates with Christian scholars argues that society as a whole would be better off if Christianity and therefore Christian morality were all together abandoned and here is Larry Taunton's answer:

"That's been tried." "The 20th century was an expansion in secularism that left no less than 60 million dead. What is the result? Human beings are treated like commodities. That's the result of decades of an anti-Christian, godless mindset, where human beings are seen as less valuable than the state. It necessarily leads to a view of life that is devaluing. I'm trying to give a glimpse of where our own society will go." 

The Tauntons glimpsed all this and more whilst spending 36 days in Ukraine, to adopt daughter Sasha from an orphanage! Let me start by saying ANYONE who says they are Christian and loves children should read their story. It certainly opened my eyes to the evils of corrupted regimes!

The Grace Effect tells us Sasha's story but also of the many debates and discussions of Mr. Taunton with Atheists, some even personal friends.

Deftly weaving a heart gripping recount of his family adoption of a special needs ten year old girl from Ukraine, their trials and tribulations, the corrupted regime and the lack of Christian love displayed throughout it all, Taunton reaches out with an unforgettable explanation for the grace effect! 

An amazing book, beautifully written and worth every 5 stars I am giving it! 

Read, come and witness as a true Christian and never forget!

Meet the Author and his daughter:

Larry Taunton is founder and executive director of Fixed Point Foundation, an initiative dedicated to defending and promoting Christianity in the public square.  In that role, he has engaged some of the most vociferous critics of the Christian faith.

More (here)

I received this book free from BOOKSNEEZE as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not asked to write a positive review and the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.