The Secret of Fearing God
By Patricia Raybon

God is not safe. That’s the terrifying and wondrous truth. And most believers fight that truth. Sometime for entire lifetimes. Or, in my case, I dared to ask: How could the God who is Peace, Love and Joy be the same God who inspires my fear? It didn’t add up. But I was ignorant. And the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

So I had to make peace, as the writer of Hebrews puts it, that it’s “a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” He’s not our buddy, as another writer said. Instead, as God Himself declared in Deuteronomy 32:39, “I am the one who kills and give life; I am the one who wounds and heals; no one delivers from my power!”

Only when I accept the terrifying truth of God’s real danger – danger to sin and to Satan and to all who give in to Satan’s ways – will I understand the central fact of godly knowledge: That if it’s terrifying to fall into the hands of the God, it’s more terrifying not to fall into His hands at all.

This point was dramatized with great insight by theologian C.S. Lewis in his classic children’s story, The Chronicles of Narnia. When the children in the story probe their host about Aslan the Lion, they ask: “Is he dangerous?” The obvious answer is: Yes.

He’s a lion. Of course, he’s not safe. He’s dangerous, in fact. Just like God—who is, indeed, Almighty God. With omnipotent power. With infinite might. With purifying justice. So, yes. He’s terrifyingly dangerous. And absolutely not safe. But the children’s host adds the corresponding truth:

“But he’s good.”

Knowing this, we can rise up terrifying and wondrous journey of being His children. Knowing God can’t be controlled. Knowing God won’t compromise. Knowing God isn’t safe. Then falling at His feet in awe and gladness at being chosen for safety in Him.

Award-winning author Patricia Raybon’s newest book is the One Year® daily devotional, God’s Great Blessings, which includes this reflection on reverence. She is also author of two acclaimed memoirs, My First White Friend and I Told the Mountain to Move. She also collaborated with calligrapher Timothy Botts in his upcoming gift book honoring African American spirituals, Bound for Glory. Learn more at her website: PatriciaRaybon.Com

It’s easy to believe that God loves the world…but sometimes you wonder if He truly loves you…

For many of us, it is easy to tell others that God loves them. Easy to share the good news of God’s love and to convince others. But it is a completely different thing to imagine that God actually loves you—personally.

In LAZARUS AWAKENING Ms. Weaver takes a very short passage of scripture, where Lazarus took sick, Jesus tarried, and when He arrived, Lazarus had been buried four days. Jesus cried, and then spoke the words that raised Lazarus from the dead. And Ms. Weaver uses this passage to start showing us that God loves us that very same way. He loves you apart from anything you accomplish, He loves you apart from what you bring, He loves you despite your inadequacy or your shattered dreams.

Jesus wants to help free you to live fully in the light of His love—unbound from fear, regret, and self-condemnation.

If you—like so many of us—suffer from imagining God welcoming everyone else into Heaven with open arms, but greeting you with an “oh, it’s you” type greeting, and then when that biblical banquet is served watching everyone else placed at the table while you are given a spot outside with the dogs, then this book is for you. A workbook/study guide is included at the end of this book, so you can use this as a devotional, or as a small group study, or even in a Sunday school class.

I highly recommend this book, and even though I read it through once for review, I’m going to be going back through it with my Bible and a pen so I can glean more from it’s pages. This is a book that belongs in personal libraries and church libraries. $19.99 hardcover. 221 pages.

About Joanna:
Joanna Weaver is known the world over for her transparent and life-changing books, Having A Mary Heart in a Martha World and Having a Mary Spirit. These two books have sold over a million copies and have been translated into several languages including Spanish, French, Dutch, Chinese, German, Korean and more. Joanna has appeared on a wide variety of nationally syndicated radio and television broadcasts. Past appearances include: The Harvest Show, At Home Live With Chuck & Jenni, Midday Connection, HomeWord, and Janet Parschall’s America . She is also a highly sought after speaker and shares her message at intimate gatherings and several high profile events each year. But Joanna’s greatest joy is found in being a wife and mother and her role as a pastor’s wife. For more information about Joanna, please visit her website. www.joannaweaverbooks.com.

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/Lazarus-Awakening-Finding-Place-Heart/dp/0307444961/ref=sprightly-20

About the giveaway:

Joanna is celebrating the release of Lazarus Awakening with the Heart of God KINDLE Giveaway!

In Lazarus Awakening Joanna writes about getting God’s love from our heads to our hearts. We all know Jesus loved Mary – look how she worshiped. And we can understand why He loved Martha – after all, look how she served. But what about those of us who don’t know where we fit in the heart of God? Lazarus Awakening explores the tale of the third follower – Mary and Martha’s brother, Lazarus. We never hear him speak, we never see him serve. The only thing of any significance that Lazarus did was to die. And yet, the Bible is clear. Jesus loved Lazarus. And He loves you and me as well. Lazarus Awakening looks at different aspects of the story we find in John 11. We learn what it means to be a friend of God and begin recognizing the tombs we spend far too much time in. Find out more here.

One grand prize winner will receive:

* A Brand New KINDLE with Wi-Fi
* Having A Mary Heart in a Martha World
* Having A Mary Spirit
* Lazarus Awakening

Joanna will also select two additional contest entrants to receive copies of her trilogy. Enter soon by clicking the icons below (you’ll find these in the attached html code document) and then tell your friends. Hurry the contest ends April 16th. The winner will be announced on Joanna’s blog on April 18th.

Blog tour schedule: (http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13184491)

Patti, describe yourself for our visitors

Hi! Thanks for letting me guest at Christian Bookworm Reviews. I’m Patti Lacy, the Normal novelist. Yep, somehow the city officials allow a woman born in a car and passionate about the South to reside in Normal, Illinois! The secrets women keep and why they keep them have inspired me to write since 2005.

How do you find time to connect with God?

How could I afford NOT to? He’s my inspiration! My salvation! The Holy Spirit whispers words that weave the true stories that have inspired me into my novels. Praise God for His instruction, inspiration, and counsel!

Do you have a favorite Bible verse and or quote you wish to share?

Yes, yes, yes! Romans 8:28 drives the plot of my first three novels: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

This year, God has used a Beth Moore Proverbs study (Wising Up) to Colossians 3:23-24 me. Yep, I’m using this one as a VERB!

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Oops! Got in two, didn’t I? We authors are good at that!

Who are your favorite authors? Favorite books?

Wow! That’s like asking my favorite musician, my favorite ice cream flavor. I gobble up books at the rate of several a week. Literary fiction, memoir, and Christian shelves demand my first look!

Lately I’ve been hepped up by The Help, Little Bee, William Henry is a Fine Name, The Glass Castle, and ANYTHING by Francine Rivers and Lisa Samson. My night table continuously SAGS with new reads. Now that I have a Kindle, watch out! I downloaded The Art of Racing in the Rain and LOVED the first page.

Tell us about your journey to publication.

In 1995, God yanked our Southern family from our warm front porch and dumped us in Terre Haute, Indiana. To combat loneliness, I started a book discussion group. After one of the meetings, Mary, a red-haired woman, hung around my kitchen as I repaired the damage left in the wake of over twenty hungry women. I thought Mary wanted to pick through the Southern Living hors d’oeuvres I’d stayed up half the night making, but she had another plan.

As the season’s first snow pummeled our neighborhood, Mary asked, “What is your first memory?”

“I don’t know,” I stammered. “I’ve never had to think about it.”

“How pretty, not to think about it. My first memory cut my heart in two, and it’s never been the same. A scarred oak table, moon-shaped faces, guzzling tea. Saying, ‘the little eejit’s got to go.”

“What’s an eejit?” I managed.

“An idiot.” Mary glared at me like I was the eejit.

“And did you,” I managed, “have to go?”

Mary nodded.

How awful!”

Mary’s face clouded like the leaden sky. “No, that wasn’t the awful part. The awful part’s what happened next.” For hours, Mary spilled memories over my kitchen table. Though it took God ten years to nudge me into writing it, Mary’s story inspired my first novel, An Irishwoman’s Tale.

Tell us about your current book, The Rhythm of Secrets

Sheila Franklin has masqueraded as the precocious daughter of avant-garde parents in colorful 1940s New Orleans, a teen desperate for love and acceptance, and an unwed mother sent North with her shame.

After marrying Edward, Sheila artfully masks her secrets, allowing Edward to gain prominence as a conservative pastor. When one phone call from a disillusioned Vietnam veteran destroys her cover, Sheila faces an impossible choice: save her son and his beloved…or imperil Edward’s ambitions.

Inspired by a true story, The Rhythm of Secrets intermingles jazz, classical, and sacred music in a symphony trumpeting God’s grace.

What influenced you to write this book?

In my usual writerly fashion, I slugged down coffee and great stories from The Chicago Tribune. My eyes fell upon the story of Sandy Sperrazza, who was sent to a Catholic home for unwed mothers and years later searched for and founded her baby girl. Coffee blurred newsprint…and I didn’t care. I Googled Sandy and coaxed her into sharing her story. Voila! The Rhythm of Secrets was born!!

Did you have a favorite character(s)? Who and why?

Yes! Yes! Yes! Well, actually THREE favorite characters. You see, my New Orleans-born Sheba has masqueraded as THREE different people!!! I love Sheila’s determination to save her son…by helping him yank his beloved out of the horrid jaws of human trafficking. She’s a heroine!!!!!

What’s next for you?

Next fall, Bethany House will publish my fourth novel, Reclaiming Lily. I’ll alternate Lily edits with work on my latest WIP, a two-book series. The first novel? Below Normal! I was hoping you’d ask for more!

A bereaved widow and a mentally challenged grocery store bagger blend a zest for cooking and their quirky personalities, to fight city hall and their families and open a soup kitchen. Look for romance, tears, and, a new element in Patti Lacy novels, HUMOR!!!

Where can visitors find you online?

Ooh, I LOVE reader visits at www.pattilacy.com and www.pattilacy.com/blog. Don’t miss my daily Art Bites (yep, I used to teach college Humanities) at www.facebook.com.

Join my Facebook family and view daily inspirational works of art! See y’all there!

K.M., the title of your book is, Knowing The Struggle Is Over! which is very fitting for the current economic situation. I know some people may be wondering, though, what exactly is the struggle?

Honestly, I get that question often. The struggle is not your typical financial situation, or necessarily an addiction that I am speaking of. Though those are two great examples, a struggle is actually any situation, trial or tribulation you may find yourself in. When you find yourself in a struggle, it often means that you have come to a point where you must make a decision and ultimately a choice! I say this with the understanding that everything we do daily is a choice. Whether or not we say or do something is a decision that we as a person have consciously made on our own, regardless if it is wrong or right.

In your book you tell the reader that they can get through any struggle in just three steps! So what are these three steps?

The first step is to Stop Complaining. Now I must admit I did say you can get through your struggle in just three steps, but I never said it would be easy! During this first step we are focusing on renewing our mind, and changing the way we view the things that are happening to us. Oftentimes, we become so caught up in the world around us that we forget about the God within us! The second step is to Let Go and Let God. For myself this was the hardest step. Mainly because I had NO idea what it meant to literally "Let Go and Let God!" Once I had an understanding, it became a natural sequence in restoring my faith in God in regards to my situation. The third step is to Acknowledge Him. Some may see that as easy and obvious, but how often do we "know" what to do and still we "don’t" do it! You have to develop a major spirit of praise and give Him ALL of the glory for everything big and small. The noticeable things in our lives we always seem to give Him the glory, but God is truly in the details as well! When we begin to pay attention, and notice how He is moving and working in our lives, that is when we can truly praise Him! And a praise like that becomes a sincere and spirit filled praise! It’s not forced, and you won’t even have to second guess.

How did God lead you to writing this book?

It’s funny and I talk about this at the beginning of my book, but at the beginning I received revelation on my drive home to Gulfport, Ms. from Houston, TX for Christmas. I was on I10 somewhere in Louisiana, and I began praying about my situation. As I finished praying, I remember thinking, "I should write a book." Now what is interesting is that not only did God impress upon me the strong desire to write a book, but He also gave me the title, and contents during that drive! By the time I had made it to my mother’s house, I was so excited because I knew I was about to write this book called, "Knowing The Struggle Is Over" and I was going to have three steps that would help you accomplish just that! If I were a writer this wouldn’t have sounded so crazy! I never really had a true interest in writing an actual book before then. The only thing I had ever considered prior to that day was writing a children’s fiction book, or maybe a few songs/poems. A non-fiction book? Absolutely NOT!

Why did you feel that it was so important to write a book about getting through a struggle?

At first I was excited because I had heard God! I mean, at the time I had been praying and constantly, but I that was the first time I could remember Him telling me to do something outside of my situation. This was around the time I began to understand "how" to be obedient. You see I also realized that what I was going through, and even what I had gone through in the past, was not for me alone, but to share with others. It’s great to learn from your own mistakes, but it”s even better when you can learn from someone else’s! I also realized that I wasn’t in a bad place, I was just looking in the wrong place! In order to truly overcome my situations my faith had to be stronger. The bible tells us that every man is given a measure of faith, and in another scripture it tells us that all we have to have is faith the grain of a mustard seed, but I began to realize that it is easy to forget you even have that faith sometimes! So I had to find a way to get it back, each and every time, it started to look as if it wanted to disappear! Most of the time we stay in a situation because we don’t know what choice or decision to make that will get us out!

Please share anything else that would help us understand the writing of your book and how it helps others.

I truly just would like for your readers to know that with everything you go through, God is preparing you for the next level He wants to take you to in life. Sometimes we think that we have a relationship and we know who God is, and we really don’t. Just because you spent time with Him last week doesn’t mean you can ignore Him this week. To better understand how He works and is working in our lives we have to continuously strive for a closer, more intimate relationship with Him daily! God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean to put limits on Him, that just means to trust Him. If He did it before then surely He will do it again! We begin to lose faith because we aren’t spending enough time getting to know Him. You get through your situations, by restoring your faith and developing a closer relationship with God. Everyone has an area in their relationship with God where their faith is not at the level it COULD be! If your faith is a 10 on a 1-10 scale, then strive for a 15. All this will do is help you see the other side much more clearer. Then you will find that when you are in your situation you have a confidence, and renewed peace, with an unimaginable strength to make it through!

How can readers get their hands on their own copy of this miraculous book to help them restore their faith in God?

There are several options. My book is available on both my blog: michelejenterprises.blogspot.com, and my author site: kmjohnson3stepstoknowing.com. You can also go to the ordering desk at your favorite local bookstore and have it within a few short days! It is also offered on various online stores. Regardless of how you get your copy, the most important thing is that you get your copy! This is a great way to revive your thinking and restore your faith!

PLEASE NOTE: A complimentary copy of this book was provided to the blog host by the author in exchange for posting this interview on their blog. Please visit Christian Speaker Services at www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com for more information about their blog tour management services.

Enter to Worship – Exit To Serve

What is the book about?

While the book’s title puts it in the praise and worship section in book stores, the book is more about the total life of the believer. Nehemiah10:39 is the core scripture for the book’s teachings. Nehemiah had gone to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls and also rebuilt the temple, restoring worship to the people. Worship was centered around sacrifice. I use the different groups pictured in Nehemiah to talk about fundamental areas of the believers life. The scripture says they would not forsake the temple of God. We have forsaken the house of God today. We are so busy with our agendas, we have left the true reason for worship. God is looking for something real from our lives, not just our words.

Why Enter to Worship and Exit to Serve?

The life of the believer comes from our life in God. We bring to Him a sacrifice of our monies, our gifts, our fruit and lay it at His feet. The premise for most Christians today is what can God do for them instead of how can I worship God with all that is within me. The scriptures teach us that everyone has something to offer. When we worship in the fullness of our lives, God then fills us to be able to affect our world. We then exit to serve God through proclaiming His Word, serving those around us and exalting His name in all the earth. Everything we do in church is to help us fulfill God’s calling on our lives in the world.

Why do you talk about money?

The very first thing that was brought into the temple was an offering of grain or corn. This is symbolic of money. I go to Kenya every year and they trade their corn for other items such as meat, oil, etc. God is interested in our money. He speaks of money more than He does either prayer or heaven. I think there has been a lot of negative about money and there has been a lot of error through the years. I hope that what I teach in the book is balanced. Many pastors have said this teaching has helped their churches understand the truth about tithes, first fruits and seed offerings.

What do you think is the most important chapter of the book?

In over 35 years of full time ministry, I have never heard anyone else teach about porters. In Nehemiah 10:39 it lists porters between priest and singers. I thought that was very interesting and researched porters. It is basically a janitor. So between priests and porters are janitors. Servants that do the basics. People who do ordinary things to keep ministries going. God wants servants. That is a concept that is lost in the big time world of church ministries today. Jesus came to serve. I believe that we can make a difference in our community, our neighborhoods, and our world if we are willing to lay our lives down to serve God.

What do you hope to accomplish with your book?

I hope that ordinary believers will recognize they have something to offer. We can bring our monies and touch the nations. We can bring our gifts and see the power of God touch people and their needs. We can offer our fruit and not wait for the pastors or elders, but be instruments to bring life to those around us who are seeking a relevant relationship with Jesus. The five fold ministries of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher were never supposed to do everything in the church. The church is supposed to be equipped for ministry. Everyone should be able to proclaim the message and everyone should have praise for the God we serve. That should not happen just on Sunday mornings between 10 a.m. and 12 noon. We should be able to give God praise in our homes and throughout the week. I truly believe this can be the church’s finest hour.

Where are these resources available to purchase?

You can obtain this book and many other resources on my web site at RonaldGrayMinistries.org.

Are there other available resources connected with this book?

Yes, I taught my book at a conference and had it professionally recorded on video and audio. These sessions are great for small groups and Bible studies. There is a Study Guide to help the leader go through the sessions. The book and the video provide different insights that will help people to grow into maturity.

Susan Elaine Jenkins

Interview with Susan Elaine Jenkins ~

Q: First of all, tell us a bit about yourself.

Susan: I am a teacher. I was born into a family of preachers and teachers, and I always had a keen desire to teach. I began the first year out of college (Point Loma Nazarene University) and my career has taken me into the hearts and lives of many unforgettable students. Much of my time is occupied with continuing education and professional development opportunities, which opens up new areas of thinking and learning as I go.

After teaching in California private schools for 19 years, I moved to China, where I have focused on teaching performing arts in 3 different international schools. I am a seasoned foreign expatriate these days and yet, the daily adventures of living in Asia continue to surprise me.

Q: It seems that some parts of your book were passages right out of your journals through the years. Is that right? Is it hard to share these publicly, when you probably thought of yourself as the only audience at the time?

Yes, they were taken directly from my journals – especially the conversations between Dr. Travis and me. Those 3 difficult months were mind-numbing days. Writing everything that happened at the end of every confusing day helped me make more sense of it all.

Once I was in China, the conversations with Ouyang were important to me, as well, and I also kept detailed accounts. I knew I needed to have those talks recorded somewhere where I could retrieve them – they were too special to forget. The experiences I was having with my Chinese friends were very precious; China was rapidly developing and nothing would be the same again. I recently visited Tianjin and was stunned to see the progress made – the sleek commercial buildings and tall apartments that have replaced the ancient hutongs near the streets where I once lived and worked.

Yes, I assumed my journals were for my eyes only, and it has been difficult opening up these details to the public. There have been many starts and stops for me to this process and times when I wanted to forget the whole project.

Q: Was there any deciding factor that made you think you should try compiling your notes into a book and to try to get it published? What encouragement did you get along the way?

A friend from the UK convinced me to begin a blog. The idea of sharing my stories was inconceivable, at first, but as time went by, I got to know my readers. Little by little, I opened up the pages of my journals with them, interspersed with a few of the details of daily life in Asia. To my surprise, my online friends began commenting and sending me private letters filled with their own pain. I wanted to let them know that there really is healing and light ahead, that God’s promise really is authentic: He is a God who heals.

Q: Are there any character embellishments? Some people in your book seem almost larger than life!

No, the characters are written exactly as they are. Conversations are word for word, in most cases. I wanted to present the strong and good qualities of my former husband, Kyle, for example, as well as the perplexing reality of our marriage. The words of Dr. Travis (not his real name) were etched deeply into my memory, of course, as those were life-changing words of an experienced sexual predator – impossible to forget, much as I tried. And then the amazing friends I met in China were such distinctive people! I remember thinking: How can I tell the world about Mrs. Hua and her cozy dinner parties with fish swimming laps in the bathtub? How can I explain how marvelous Apple is, with her heart that simply listens to God as she finds her way around the French Riviera? I wanted to share the story of Angel’s frustration at being 30 years old and single in the Chinese culture. These are incredibly real and strong people who desire the same things we do in America. They taught me so much.

Q: Why a book about China?

"Well, this particular story began to be written in the summer of 1992. My friend, David, gave me the keys to his beach house in Pebble Beach and it began pouring out, as I walked along the ocean and typed in his massive kitchen. At the end of the summer, I returned the rented computer, put all the pages into a plain cardboard box and shoved it into a closet. It wasn’t until five years later, in 1997, that I realized the story was not going to rest quietly, just gathering dust. It was almost as if it had a life of its own, and refused to be forgotten…so I took the box to China with me and kept writing…for the next ten years. I wrote between classes, on long snowy northern Chinese weekends, on Chinese trains and sitting in plastic airport chairs. It seemed to evolve into a book that is really a combination of two lives: my life in California and my life in Asia; two very different worlds.

I think it seemed very natural at some point, to write of a remarkably poignant journey that met in a healing point while living in a crumbled country, broken by its own history. My life at that point seemed very much the same – broken, falling apart, and dark.

Q: You moved to China to get away from memories that were haunting you? At what point did China start feeling like "home" to you, and less like the completely foreign distraction it first was?

A great job offer came up, and yes, I was anxious to have a completely new start. Before I left for China, someone told me, "Susan, you can never get away from this. Sooner or later, you will need to face all that’s happened in your life. You will need to go through the grieving process and admit that you have lost so much." He was right. I did have to face it, but that happened slowly, almost imperceptibly, over a long period of time. Being in China helped me gain perspective of what God wanted to do in me and through me.

I guess it was near the end of my first school year that I realized China had become a second home. I was walking along the hot, muggy streets with Ouyang, and I realized I was reluctant to go back to America. He said, "Do you have to go back? Why don’t you just stay?" That possibility hadn’t occurred to me until that point and I muttered something about it being too hot during the summer months to remain and that most of the teachers returned to their home countries for the holidays. Years later, I found I could stay for the summers and feel very much at home.

I think the idea of feeling at home in China has to do with the fact that I began feeling "at home" with God. And that, for me, involved a great spiritual healing and coming back to a point of rest within God’s heart; being glad to be in His loving presence; knowing that all my sins are utterly forgiven and cast away; and, sensing His divine heart of grace. Home has literally – for me – become His own Heart.

Q. Where might we find out more about you an
d Scandalon?

Please my website at http://www.susanelainejenkins.com

Why self-esteem and what is it exactly?

Self esteem is the extent to which we like, respect and accept ourselves. It reflects our overall evaluation or appraisal of our self worth. It encompasses our beliefs, emotions and behavior. However, many people operate from the perspective of what others think of them and it fuels a cycle of dissatisfaction and discontentment. Instead of finding peace within themselves and being the unique and distinct person God created them to be, they live a life based on who they think others want them to be. As a result then of achieving high self esteem they find their self esteem constantly under attack.

It has been said that 2 out of 3 people at any given time suffers from low self esteem, and low self esteem can negatively affect every part of our lives. If the negativity goes unaddressed, it can completely ruin our lives. If at the core of it all is low self esteem, we must address this issue if we want to live joyous, productive, and purposeful lives as God intended. From my experience it all starts with changing the way we think. The way we think is essential to winning over negativity and boosting self esteem.

Why is self-esteem important to you?

Self esteem is important to me because after dealing with a difficult separation and divorce, I found myself struggling to rebuild my self esteem. That whole experience had taken me down a road of despair and depression like I had never experienced before. High self esteem had never been a problem for me so when life became difficult and it challenged me to question myself, I was completely thrown for a loop. It caused me to question my self- worth and value, and in the end I really struggled with accepting myself. I started thinking something must be wrong with me.

Now, based on the Word of God I knew this wasn’t true but I still struggled. Once I was able to regain my confidence and repair the damage to my self esteem, I begin to see that I had gotten lost in my emotions when it really was about what was going on in my head. High self esteem starts with what we think! Of course, sometimes we suffer from ‘thinking stinking’ and that can present a different set of issues; overall, I learned that to develop high self esteem we must examine what we think because that is what shapes our perspective and allows us to accept ourselves along with the challenges of life from a more positive perspective than negative one. That’s why I focused my book on positive affirmations for accepting me.

What can a person do to build high self-esteem?

I would recommend starting with what I call my ACCEPT Principles:

A – Learn to accept your strengths and weaknesses. As humans we are a work in progress. Everyone has an up side to who they are and a down side. It is our down side that continues to remind us of our humanity and keeps us seeking to be better and do better. Often our weaknesses are just unguarded strengths that we must continue to manage them if it is something we can’t change but our weaknesses DO NOT make us a bad person.

C – Concentrate on the positives. It is real easy to focus on the negative and our world is full of them. However, to focus on the positives it starts with making a choice to do so. From there you make a commitment to release any and all negativity; negative thoughts, negative emotions and negative relations. The Bible says ‘think on these things …whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, and whatever is of good report.’

C – Connect to your passion and you’ll connect to your purpose. Find the things in life that you are really passionate about and involve yourself in them. That will do more to help you have the confidence that you need to succeed and win over any adversity life presents. Also you will notice how much happier your life will be because of it.

P – Persevere. It has been said when the going gets tough the tough gets going. In this life we will have trouble, as the Bible tells us so we must hold fast to the faithfulness of God and His promises to never leave us alone. When tough times now come my way, I often affirm and encourage myself with the scripture that says ‘this too shall pass.’

T – Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your understanding. We may not see the hand of God at work but we must trust that He is at work on our behalf. That is called the providence of God.

If the ACCEPT Principles helps us build high self-esteem, what helps us maintain it?

Here are seven simple steps that we all can do every day. Building or rebuilding self esteem is the most difficult. Maintaining high self esteem is a lot easier if we implement these steps.

1. Smile often to yourself and to others. Greet others when you see them and ask how they are and how their day is going. This helps build positive relationships with others.

2. Eliminate the negative. When a negative thought enters your mind, stop and immediately counter it with a positive thought about the same subject.

3. Be nice to others and be nice to yourself. Conversely, don’t degrade others and don’t degrade yourself.

4. Face your fears and forget your failures (after learning from them). Focus on your achievements and successes. Reward yourself when you succeed.

5. Quit thinking about trying to be perfect. No one is, so just accept that as it is. Don’t be too competitive and don’t compare yourself with others.

6. Don’t worry about what others think of you. Just be the best you that you can be.

7. Hang out with positive and optimistic people who also have high self esteem and self confidence. But when you are around negative people, try to direct your positive and optimistic thoughts in their direction. Don’t let them pull down your level of self confidence or self esteem.

Can you be a good person, a successful person, and still struggle with maintaining good self esteem?

Absolutely! Life happens to us all. Having high self esteem or good self esteem doesn’t exempt us from the trails and challenges of life. It does, however, puts us in a better situation to deal with them when they come.

Maintaining our esteem is easy but it is work. Sometimes our struggle comes because we are not putting in the work of being true to ourselves and what brings us satisfaction, joy and contentment. Remember, self esteem is not about our successes or failures but how we feel, see and accept ourselves. Living in a such a competitive and negative world that is constantly trying to get us to be something other than want we are can present be exhausting.

Does the focus on building and maintaining high esteem cause people to develop a false sense of security based on feelings that may not match reality?

I don’t think so. Self-esteem is a very powerful thing to have. When you have healthy self-esteem you are a more confident person, you are better at dealing with life disappointments, you build friendship with others more easily, you perform better in school and overall experience a more fulfilling life. It is an individual’s perspective on how they see themselves. No one can take that away or define that for the individual.

I guess any one of us could have a warped sense of ourselves but that would be an indication of
low self esteem.

Tell us about the creative process of writing this book?

Initially, I started writing a book on leadership but as I started the process, I kept coming back to this issue of self esteem. How can we lead others if we are struggling to lead ourselves? The more I reflected on that I started to reflect on my own personal experiences not only in the area of leadership but self esteem in general. That lead me to start writing down what had helped me get to the path I’m on today. What things did I have to do to overcome my fears, deal with the challenges life had presented to me and manage my emotions. These are all essential elements of being a good leader as well as having good self esteem.

In the end, I ended up writing over hundred affirmations that has been broken down into two volumes under the title of “When I Accepted Me.” We’ve just release volume 1 and volume 2 will be released in 2010. I divided them up into two volumes because I wanted to give people an opportunity to really reflect and internalize each affirmation to boost their self esteem. I’ve suggested to people to just take one a week (that’s why there are 52 of them) and internalize that one. Pray on it, see how it reflects in your life; maybe use it as a guide to write your own for that week.

I’ve encouraged some people to take on the 52 day challenge of reading one every day for 52 days straight and see if their perspective isn’t changed for the good at the end of it. Again, it is all about what is going on in our heads and when we receive positive information inwardly, we respond with positive behavior outwardly that leads to success in life …however, you may define success.

How can people get the book and what is some of the feedback you’ve received so far?

My book can be ordered from my website at www.sonjasamuel.com. It would be a great way to start the year and to recharge for the coming year. We are extending it at our special introduction offer of $14.95 because we want to get the book out into as many hands as possible. For me it is a tool for empowering others which is my personal mission in life.

It makes a great gift book for your friends, family and coworkers. I just gave them out as stocking stuffers and will be sending many out for Valentine’s Day as a way of saying I love and affirm you.

I have really enjoyed the feedback from people on how it has been such a pick me up for them when their emotions started to get the best of them and send them into a downward spiral.

One lady said she carries it around in her purse and when her day starts going south and she is ready to stick it to someone, she whips out her book, reads a few affirmation and it gets her back on track.

A lady told me about her husband that lost his mother this year and has been struggling emotionally. She said about once or twice a week she sees him reading through each page. She said she knows he’s gone through the whole book at least four or five times and she can see the difference it has made in his emotional health in dealing with the lost of his mother.

Seattle, WA – Critically acclaimed author, Athol Dickson’s writing has been favorably compared to the work of Octavia Butler (Publisher’s Weekly), Daphne du Maurier (Cindy Crosby, Christianity Today fiction critic) and Flannery O’Connor (The New York Times).

Although a work of fiction, Athol’s LOST MISSION, touches on some of the hot-button issues being discussed in the media today! Dickson explores

1) The personal costs of our immigration policies, asking difficult questions about our ethical and moral obligations as Americans and as Christians.

2) It forces readers to consider the logical end result of the spiritual decisions being made by most Americans today, which are slowly driving American into a post-Christian era. 3) LOST MISSION digs deep into current debate within the American church between the emergent movement and the traditional evangelical community, exposing strengths and weaknesses in both ways of "doing" Christianity.

About LOST MISSION:

What haunting legacy awaits deep beneath the barrios and wealthy enclaves of Southern California?

An idyllic Spanish mission collapses in the eighteenth century atop the supernatural evidence of a shocking crime. Twelve generations later the ground is opened up, the forgotten ruins are disturbed, and rich and poor alike confront the onslaught of resurging hell on earth. Caught up in the catastrophe are…

A humble shopkeeper compelled to leave her tiny village deep in Mexico to preach in America

A minister wracked with guilt for loving the wrong woman

An unimaginably wealthy man, blinded to the consequences of his grand plans

A devoted father and husband driven to a horrible discovery that changes everything

Will the evil that destroyed the Misión de Santa Dolores rise to overwhelm them? Or will they beat back the terrible desires that led to the mission’s good Franciscan founder’s standing in the midst of flames ignited by his enemies and friends alike more than two centuries ago?

From the high Sierra Madre mountains to the harsh Sonoran desert, from the privileged world of millionaire moguls to the impoverished immigrants who serve them, Athol Dickson once again weaves a gripping story of suspense that spans centuries and cultures to explore the abiding possibility of miracles.

About Athol:

Athol Dickson is an award-winning author of several novels. His Christy Award-winning novel River Rising was name one of the "Top Ten Christian Novel of 2006" by Booklist magazine. He lives in California with his wife.

Dickson’s They Shall See God was a Christy Award finalist. River Rising was selected as one of the Booklist Top Ten Christian Novels of 2006 and was a Christianity Today’s Best Novel of 2006 finalist. Both River Risingand The Cure won Christy Awards for best suspense novel.

His latest novel, Winter Haven was a finalist for the 2009 Christy Award in the suspense category, making four novels in a row to receive that honor.

And now Athol is back with a gripping tale with an epic sense of the passage of time and the way events and choices impact people across generations.

Visit his website for more information.

What people are saying…

Athol Dickson is a breath of fresh air in a market that is often saturated by manufactured plots, spurious characters, and inauthentic spiritual conversions. Lost Mission is redemptive storytelling at its highest level and once again Dickson proves that he is a true master of the craft.
-Jake Chism, Fiction Addict

The story is filled with compassion and truly reaches to the heart of human kind and it’s frailities and reminds us that we are not alone and that God will direct us if we choose to follow his ways and not our own selfish desires. And when we sin we can ask for and recieve His forgivness. This is such a beautiful story that you simply MUST read.
-Kim C., Book Reviews Today

Help Spread the Word about Lost Mission!

TWEET THIS and win signed copies of Athol’s fiction books – winner’s choice!

Tweet 4 words that describe Athol Dickson’s #LostMission along with this link: http://tr.im/BPD1

Or

Athol Dickson’s redemptive tale #LostMission is a MUST read! Gripping story about mistakes and miracles! http://tr.im/BPD1

(To be clear – to be entered into the contest your tweet must have these 2 elements 1. Athol Dickson’s #LostMission 2. this link: http://tr.im/BPD1).

Christian Bookworm Reviews is participating in the Flickering Pixels Blog Tour this week. Shane Hipps talks about how "The methods always change, but the message stays the same" in his new book release, Flickering Pixels: How Technology Shapes Your Faith. In the video above, author and pastor Rob Bell interviews Shane Hipps.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Flickering pixels are the tiny dots of light that make up the screens of life—from TVs to cell phones. They are nearly invisible, but they change us. In this provocative book, author Shane Hipps takes readers beneath the surface of things to see how the technologies we use end up using us.

Not all is dire, however, as Hipps shows us that hidden things have far less power to shape us when they aren’t hidden anymore. We are only puppets of our technology if we remain asleep. Flickering Pixels will wake us up—and nothing will look the same again.

PURCHASE THE BOOK at Amazon.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shane Hipps is pastor of Trinity Mennonite Church, a growing, urban, Anabaptist congregation. Prior to accepting his call as a pastor, Shane was a strategic planner in advertising where he gained experience in understanding media and culture. Much of his time was spent working on the multimillion-dollar communications strategy for Porsche Cars North America.

Several years into his career, he had a “Damascus” experience in which he realized he was spending his life working diligently to perpetuate consumer culture and promote values that ran counter to his most deeply held beliefs. So he left advertising to pursue his long held interest in spirituality and theology.

He went on to earn a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary, and in 2004 accepted a call to serve as Lead Pastor at Trinity. Shane is a dynamic communicator, author, and sought after speaker. He lives with his family in Phoenix, Arizona.

Learn more about Shane at http://www.shanehipps.com.

See the full blog tour schedule at: http://www.blogtourspot.com/hipps-blog-tour/hipps-blog-tour-stops/

Tell me a little bit about your background and your family.

I have being writing since grade school.  I think my family’s Arkansas roots played into that.  My grandparents were master storytellers and I loved listening as they painted pictures with their words.  I came to Texas for college and majored in journalism and English. When I landed by first book contract, I was about thirty and quit my day job to write.  The next fifteen years were tough financially, I did a lot of basketball officiating and substitute teaching, but I loved the challenge of creating new ideas.  Still, I would not have made a go of it had it not been for my wife.  She was supportive when everything else seemed like it was against my career choice.  She never complained about making sacrifices for the dream. Ironically, even when we had almost nothing, our two sons thrived on the experiences.  It must have made an impact as one has a communication degree from Baylor and the other is at Ouachita studying writing and film right now.

What do you like to do in your spare time? Hobbies?

I love college sports.  I thrive on watching kids play football, basketball and baseball.  That takes up some of my spare time.  I also run and bike.  I read a great deal, both fiction and nonfiction.  And my other passion is classic cars.  I have a 1936 Cord 810 Westchester Sedan, a 1934 Auburn 652Y Sedan, a 1937 Lincoln-Zephyr and a 1965 Mustang.  The joy of restoring and driving a piece of history is something I really can’t describe.  The smiles those cars bring to others and the stories people share with me about their memories of these cars are something I deeply treasure.

What has God been teaching you lately?

Patience.  The timing of all things is His not mine.  Hence I have to wait on having dreams realized.  I don’t mind telling you that when you are excited about ideas and want to see them in print now, it is hard to wait.

Where did you get the idea for the book?
Sticks and Stones is really my philosophy for living.  It is something I have learned from people who have been placed in my life over the years.  These ideas are what have sustained me through the lean times and make me happy now.  Hence I thought what I had learned from others about the power of words might be something others would like to know.

What are the major themes of the book?

I once heard that folks use about 30,000 words a day in either written or oral form.  It dawned on me that most of those words have either no impact or make a negative impact.  In a world filled with people using words to cut others down, I opted to create a book that encouraged what I feel everyone should do — which is use our language to lift people up.

What do you hope readers will take away from your book?

I pray that they realize they do change the world with their words and actions.  It all starts with how we talk to ourselves.  So if they only read one chapter and learn one lesson, I hope they learn to see and then speak to themselves as if they are someone very important, because in my eyes and God’s eyes they are that and so much more.

Where are you headed next?

Wherever the road leads.  I’m having a blast right now. I have four books coming out this year, at least two more next year.  I have a new novel series.  After more than fifty books, I can’t believe how much fun I am having.  It is just as much of a joy today as it was when I started. Oh, and I would like to find a 1932 Auburn convertible hidden away in a barn and bring it back to life.

Where to find Ace Collins Online

Visit his website at http://acecollins.com

Purchase the book at Amazon.com.

If you are on Facebook, Ace would love to connect with you as a friend.

Here are the blogs that featured Sticks and Stones during MARCH 30 – APRIL 3.

A Peek at My Bookshelf
America’s Clutter Coach
Blog Tour Spot
Bluebonnet in the Snow
Christian Bookworm Reviews
CommuniKate
Fictionary
Gatorskunz and Mudcats
His Reading List
i don’t believe in grammar
In the Dailies
J’s Spot
Kindred Heart Writers
Life is one daily adventure
Lighthouse Academy
Penning Prose
Quiverfullfamily.com
Readin’ N Writin’ with Patricia
Refresh My Soul
Scraps and Snippets
The Gospel Writer
wandering, wonderings of a whacked-out woman
Wide-Eyed Fiction