Meet Debut Novelist AMY CLIPSTON

First time author, Amy Clipston shares her gift of storytelling with the newest edition to the popular Amish fiction genre, A Gift of Grace (Zondervan, May 2009). This tender story tugs at readers’ heartstrings with issues of difference, belonging, beliefs, culture and values all pulled together to create one mountain of confusion and chaos in this peaceful community.

When Rebecca Kauffman’s older sister, who left the Amish community when she was a teenager, dies in an automobile accident, Rebecca’s life is transformed and she is suddenly left custody of her two teenage nieces. Will she be able to reconcile the two worlds in her home – or will the clash of cultures tear her world, including her marriage, apart?

Instant motherhood, after years of unsuccessful attempts to conceive a child of her own, is both a joy and heartache at the same time. Rebecca struggles to give the teenage girls the guidance they need as well as fulfill her duties to Daniel as an Amish wife.

Rebellious Jessica is resistant to Amish ways and constantly in trouble with the community. Younger sister Lindsay is caught in the middle, and the strain between Rebecca and Daniel mounts as Jessica’s rebellion escalates. Instead of the beautiful family life she dreamed of creating, Rebecca feels as if her world is being torn apart by two different cultures, leaving her to question her place in the Amish community, her marriage, and her faith in God.

A CHAT WITH AMY:

Tell me a little bit about your background and your family.
I was born and raised in New Jersey.  I moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia, when I was 18 and attended to Virginia Wesleyan College.  In 2006, my family and I relocated to North Carolina.  I have one amazing husband, two precious sons, and three spoiled-rotten cats.

What do you like to do in your spare time? Hobbies?
I love to read and (obviously) write.  I’m addicted to chick-flicks and watch a lot of Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, and Hallmark Channel.  I’m an avid NASCAR fan (go #88!), and we used to attend a lot of races before my husband became very ill.  I also enjoy just spending time with my boys, watching them race around the yard on their riding toys and dig in the sandbox.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
I wish I could cure diseases.  My husband is on dialysis and awaiting a second kidney transplant after his first transplant in 2004 failed.  I wish I could magically make him and others in his predicament well.

What has God been teaching you lately?
God has been teaching me a whole lot about having patience and giving my burdens up to Him while we’re awaiting a matching kidney donor for my hubby.  I’m not a matching donor for my husband; however, I plan to give a kidney to someone else in exchange for a matching kidney for him.  It’s been a very long and difficult road with my husband’s illness, but prayer and faith have been my companions.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I went through phases where I wanted to be a teacher, a school crossing guard, a nurse, a dentist and a veterinarian.  Funny, I never wanted to be a writer even though I wrote as a hobby.

Where are you headed next?
My second Kauffman Amish Bakery book, A Promise of Hope, will debut in January.  In the meantime, a romance novel, Betrayed, will hit shelves with Five Star Publishing in September.

How did you get involved in writing?
Writing is like breathing for me.  I was writing silly stories and sharing them with friends in elementary school.  In junior and high school, I turned to writing fan fiction.  After college, my fan fiction transformed into sweet romance novels.  Later, I felt the calling to turn to inspirational, and that was when I found my niche.

How do you find time to write?
Since I work full-time, I’m up late at night and write while my boys are sleeping.  I stay tired.

What did you enjoy most about the writing process?
Brainstorming and plotting are the most fun.  I love getting to know my characters and playing around with storylines.

What was the most difficult aspect of the writing process?
I would say rewrites are the most difficult.  While the end result is always much better than the first draft, reworking the story forces the writer to sometimes start over and also reach deeper into his/her soul to find the story.

What would you say to someone who wants to become a published author?
Surround yourself with other writers.  Join a group, such as recommend American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America, attend local chapter meetings, and sign up for on-line discussion loops.  You’ll learn more than you can imagine from other writers, both published and unpublished.  Also, it may sound cliché, but don’t give up.  Rejection is heart breaking, but you’ll become a stronger writer every time you send out a query.

Where did you get the idea for the book?
I’m half-German, and my father immigrated to the United States with his parents and siblings in 1929.  He once told me the Amish speak the same dialect as our relatives, so I feel a connection to them.  I’ve always had a great respect and fascination with their faith and simple lives.  I began reading other Amish authors, and I was moved to create my own series.

What are the major themes of the book?
The themes are forgiveness, acceptance, and also listening to God and really hearing what He’s trying to tell you.

What kind of research did you have to do for the book?
I read many, many books on the Amish, visited Lancaster, and interviewed a wonderful Amish woman.

With which character do you, personally, identify most and why?
I most identify with Jessica.  I remember what it feels like to not fit in since I experienced that often as a child.

What do you hope readers will take away from your book?
I hope that readers will feel a sense of hope after reading the book.  Sometimes we may be convinced God has forgotten us or that what we’re experiencing isn’t part of His plan. However, things may not go the way we’d hoped, but God is always in control.

Amy Clipston’s Blog: http://amyclipston.blogspot.com

Amy Clipston’s Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Amy-Clipston/33955140823

BLOG TOUR STOPS:

Blog Tour Spot
Book Nook Club
Bound to His Heart
Camy’s Loft
CommuniKate
Fictionary
Gatorskunz and Mudcats
J’s Spot
Kells Creative Musings
Kindred Heart Writers
Lighthouse Academy
My Christian Fiction Blog
Prayerfully Penned
S.A.G.A
Scraps and Snippets
The Friendly Book Nook
The Gospel Writer
The Journey of Writer Danica Favorite
This That and The Other
wandering, wonderings of a whacked-out woman
Writer for a Reader

A Jane Kirkpatrick Duet: A FLICKERING LIGHT and AURORA

A FLICKERING LIGHT

Returning to her Midwest roots, award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick draws a page from her grandmother’s photo album to capture the interplay between shadow and light, temptation and faith that marks a woman’s pursuit of her dreams.

She took exquisite photographs,

but her heart was the true image exposed.

Fifteen-year-old Jessie Ann Gaebele loves nothing more than capturing a gorgeous Minnesota landscape when the sunlight casts its most mesmerizing shadows. So when F.J. Bauer hires her in 1907 to assist in his studio and darkroom, her dreams for a career in photography appear to find root in reality.

With the infamous hazards of the explosive powder used for lighting and the toxic darkroom chemicals, photography is considered a man’s profession. Yet Jessie shows remarkable talent in both the artistry and business of running a studio. She proves less skillful, however, at managing her growing attraction to the very married Mr. Bauer.

This luminous coming-of-age tale deftly exposes the intricate shadows that play across every dream worth pursuing-and the irresistible light that beckons the dreamer on.

AURORA:

Wrap yourself in a fantastic journey,
a remarkable commitment, and a spare and splendid story

Master storyteller Jane Kirkpatrick extols the beautiful treasures, unknown to a wider public, rediscovered in the Old Aurora Colony of Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley. The people and legacy of Aurora, a utopian community founded in the mid-1800s, will stir your imagination, hopes, and dreams; and remind you that every life matters-that our lives are the stories other people read first.

~Featuring~

Unique and treasured quilt pattern variations

More than 100 photographs, many never-before published, from 1850 to today

Cherished stories from Aurora descendants

Rich images of fine crafts from the Aurora Colony and priv ate collections

An introduction by renowned American artist John Houser

Aurora is about the difference every ordinary life can make-and a beautiful celebration of a time and place in which people expressed their most cherished beliefs through the work of their imagination and hands.

JANE KIRKPATRICK is a writer, speaker, teacher and mental health professional. Her award-winning essays, articles, and humor have appeared in over fifty publications such as Decision, Country and Daily Guideposts.  She’s written 14 novels and three non-fiction books including the Wrangler award-winning book A Sweetness to the Soul, a story inspired by a fifty-year old essay a Depression-era schoolboy wrote about his distant ancestors – the Sherars.  Her titles have been finalists for the Oregon Book Award, the Spur Award from Western Writers, Reader’s Choice and the WILLA Literary Award of Women Writing the West. Literary Guild, Book of the Month, Doubleday Book Club and Crossings have chosen her books as main features or alternate selections. Her novel A Tendering in the Storm was named a Christy Finalist and won the WILLA Literary Award for Best Original Softcover Fiction for 2008.

Jane grew up near Mondovi, Wisconsin, a little town not far from the Mississippi River. Her older sister Judy and younger brother Craig helped on the family dairy farm. Dozens of cousins lived within 50 miles providing the privilege of extended family memories. Most of the “Rutschow” clan remained in the Wisconsin-Minnesota area. Jane moved to Oregon in 1974 after completing her master’s degree in social work. She worked in the disabilities field, became the director of the mental health program in Deschutes County and eventually “retired” from there to homestead and begin a new adventure in writing, working on the reservation, growing watermelons, and attempting to grow grapes, alfalfa and cattle.   In 2007, they sold the cows, again; and now raise alfalfa they sell to neighboring ranches.

The Kirkpatrick’s new life has included “clearing sagebrush and wrestling wind and rattlesnakes” while “homesteading” land on the John Day River in a remote part of Oregon known locally as Starvation Point. She and her husband Jerry still live there today. “It’s our ‘rural 7-Eleven’ since our home sits seven miles from the mailbox and eleven miles from the pavement” notes the author. Additionally, she worked for seventeen years as a mental health and educational consultant on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in Central Oregon with both Native American and non-Indian communities a position she left in 2002.  Jane has two step-children.  Kathleen lives in Florida with her family and youngest granddaughter, Madison.  Matt lives in Wasco and works on the ranch full time when not looking after his family including granddaughter, Mariah.

A lively and humorous speaker, Kirkpatrick is a frequent keynote presenter for conferences, women’s retreats, and workshops.  In addition to her historical fiction which dramatizes pioneer life, Homestead relates, with love and laughter, her own family’s modern-day struggle to catch a dream in the Oregon Territory.

Jane believes that our lives are the stories that others read first and she encourages groups to discover the power of their own stories to divinely heal and transform. Visit her blog for more information about her current projects and the joys of living on Starvation Lane.

KaBOOM! It starts with a playground. . .

KaBOOM!, a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding and creating play spaces within walking distance for every child, has embarked on a nationwide mission to help communities build playspaces. This proves critical for those many children living in neighborhoods without playgrounds or playspaces, or unable to use existing ones because of rundown conditions or dangerous neighborhoods.

Innumerable times, the local playground became a haven for me when my little kids were bouncing off the walls at home. Fresh air and a safe, fun area where kids could let loose and release all of their boundless energy often proved a sanity saver! KaBOOM! believes that play has a purpose and unstructured play in particular helps make children happier, fitter, smarter, more socially adept and creative. So how can we help make this a reality for kids in less fortunate neighborhoods?

Mom Central has teamed up with KaBOOM! to help map online 100,000 playspaces in 100 days. Here’s what counts as a playspace: a playground, field, a skate park, roller hockey rink, lake, dog park, community center, basketball court or ice rink – any place where kids can engage in unstructured play for free or a nominal fee. A playspace listing on KaBOOM! consists of an address or cross street and a description, one photo and one rating.

KaBOOM! has made creating this playspace listing easy: either a quick fill-in on their website or even easier – a twitpic from your cellphone.

For every play space entered into the KaBOOM! database on behalf of the Mom Central team, $1 will be donated to Jumpstart, a non-profit that brings at-risk preschool children and caring adults together to improve literacy. It’s something to feel doubly good about!

Moreover, we all stand to benefit as all the playspaces with their photos and ratings will be available to us as we go on road trips this spring and summer, to visit relatives, or on vacation. You can go online and find cool places to take your kids to play- near Grandma’s, the hotel, or off the highway to break up a long drive.

THE STORY……..

A Call to Action
In August 1995, shortly after moving to Washington, D.C., 24-year-old Darell Hammond read a story in the Washington Post about two local children who suffocated while playing in an abandoned car because they didn’t have anywhere else to play. Darell, who had previously helped build several playgrounds for other organizations, realized this tragedy could have been prevented. The passion was born, the idea was conceived.

A Formative Childhood
Darell feels very fortunate because he was lucky enough to have had a great place to play growing up. Darell and his eight brothers and sisters grew up at Mooseheart: The Child City and School, a group home outside of Chicago. Mooseheart is 100 percent funded by the generosity of members of Moose International. Darell was provided with a wonderful childhood and has fond memories of skipping rocks and climbing on the Mooseheart playground. In addition to providing a loving and stable home, the Men and Women of the Moose showed Darell the difference volunteers can make in a child’s life.

Finding a Calling
After graduating high school, Darell attended Ripon College in Wisconsin. It was during his freshman year there that he built his first playground-pitching in to help a friend’s mother who was an active community volunteer. Although he never finished college, after studying politics and government, Darell participated in an Urban Studies Fellowship in Chicago through the Associated Colleges of the Midwest.

While in Chicago, Darell studied under Dr. John ‘Jody’ Kretzmann, Director of the Assets Based Community Development Institute (ABCD Insitute) at Northwestern University. The philosophy of Assets Based Community Development was an epiphany for Darell. Jody became Darell’s mentor and the construct of the ABCD Institute would become the foundation of the KaBOOM! community-build model, which mobilizes struggling communities using resources already at hand and shows them how to work toward positive change.

In 1994, Darell helped lead the inaugural year of City Year in Chicago. Darell was then selected by City Year to relocate to Columbus, Ohio, to plan and lead the service project component of City Year’s first national conference, CYZYGY. Under Darell’s leadership, 600 City Year volunteers built two playgrounds and more than 500 community volunteers joined the incredible day of service. Watching the volunteers take on their challenges in a fun and productive way, Darell realized that with organization, leadership, and minimal training, communities could make huge improvements to their neighborhoods and their lives.

It Starts with a Playground
And so it was in the summer of 1995, when Darell read the article about the two children who died because they didn’t have anywhere to play, he knew he had to act. As luck would have it, Darell and his friend Dawn Hutchison had been contacted by Youth Service America to plan and lead a day of service. They instantly knew they’d build a playground. Although not yet under the KaBOOM! name, that first KaBOOM! community playground build took place in October 1995, at Livingston Manor in southeast Washington, D.C. With ‘honorary project manager’ seven-year-old Ashley Brodie helping every step of the way, Darell and Dawn mobilized the disparate community to come together and act on behalf of its youngest residents. Funded by The Home Depot and Minkoff Company Inc., the build lasted five days and involved more than 500 volunteers. The project was covered in the Washington Post and Darell wrote an article about it for Guideposts magazine. The article was later published in the book Stone Soup for the World.

Knowing they had tapped into something powerful, Darell and Dawn incorporated KaBOOM! in April 1996 with help from Suzanne Apple, who was the Director of Community Affairs for The Home Depot. Kimberly-Clark signed on as the first official Funding Partner for KaBOOM! as a way to celebrate their 125th anniversary.

Building Momentum
The more people heard about the mission of our fledgling non­profit, the more they wanted to get involved. Vice President Al Gore and General Colin Powell helped KaBOOM! launch the LET US PLAY campaign in 1997 to build, renovate or provide technical assistance to develop 1,000 community-built playgrounds by the year 2000. Also in 1997, Kimberly-Clark partnered with KaBOOM! to build 38 playgrounds and CNA signed on as a new corporate partner. By 1999, KaBOOM! was building more than 50 playgrounds a year with seven Funding Partners.

New Ways to Play and Inspire
In the early years, the KaBOOM! vision was focused only on playgrounds and community building. Then, in 2003 we recognized that there was a need for safe places where older children could skateboard, inline skate and BMX bike. Boomer Dan Casey led the program development while Julie Cipriani created the logo, look and feel to make ESKAL8, our national skatepark program, a reality. Using the same innovative community-build model used for playgrounds, the first ESKAL8 skatepark was built with Snapple in Norwich, N.Y. on April 26, 2003. More skateparks soon followed in San Antonio, the Bronx, and Atlanta. Although no longer under the ESKAL8 name, KaBOOM! continues to build skateparks across the country and, with the help of Boomers David Flanigan, Whitney Hampton, Melanie Barnes and Jen DeMelo, have even added ice rinks and athletic field renovations to the list of playspaces we’ve created.

In 2004, we realized that in order to achieve our vision of a great place to play within walking distance of every child, we needed to get more playgrounds built, but how? Instead of opening chapters and affiliates like other non-profits, KaBOOM! decided to empower communities on a larger scale to build playgrounds on their own without our direct oversight. To do this, we decided to give away our knowledge and experience to anyone who wanted it through our Toolkits, trainings and technical assistance. That year, we enhanced the curriculum and added depth and diversity to our training session known as the University of Play (U Play! for short) with a revamped training in Kansas City. In the years that followed, we began to offer one day Workshops Entirely on Play (WE Play! for short), and a completely revised KaBOOM! Toolkit.

To reach even more people with our tools and resources, KaBOOM! also put our Toolkit online, giving everyone the resources they need to fundraise, organize and plan a community playground on their own. With funding from the Omidyar Network we built an online community that supported the cause of play, and created forums where users could post their own experiences and knowledge to help guide one another through the process of building a playground. These online communities are a valuable source of information and inspiration because they’re full of thousands of champions who share what they do to help their communities become more playful.

It was a very exciting time for the organization as our programming, partnerships and exposure grew. In July 2005, KaBOOM! and The Home Depot announced an unprecedented $25 million partnership to build or refurbish 1,000 playgrounds in 1,000 days. The groundbreaking partnership included playground, sports field and ice rink projects, as well as challenge and improvement grants.

Operation Playground
Several months later, after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed the country’s Gulf Coast region, in December 2005, KaBOOM! launched Operation Playground, an initiative to build 100 playgrounds in areas affected by the storms. Operation Playground was designed to restore a sense of community and provide safe and fun places for children to play in Gulf Coast towns trying to rebuild. First Lady Laura Bush demonstrated her support for Operation Playground by attending our playground build at Hancock North Central Elementary in Kiln, Miss. in January 2006.

The KaBOOM! National Campaign for Play
While we had been rallying individuals to support the cause of play for years, in 2007 we decided to give these efforts a unified name, and so the KaBOOM! National Campaign for Play was born. To give the campaign resonance on both an individual and governmental level, we instituted two new initiatives. To rally individuals for the cause of play, we created the Playmaker Network. Members of this community receive specific calls to action as well as training opportunities to help them achieve results on a grass-roots level. To make sure our Playmakers are heard by their local governments, we launched the Playful City USA recognition program, which honors the efforts of cities who create a city-wide agenda on play. Our 31 founding Playful City USA communities represented both small and large cities across the nation who shared their ideas and innovations on how to make every city more playful.

A Leader in the Field
Today, KaBOOM! is recognized as a leader among social entrepreneurial organizations and Darell has become a well-known spokesperson for the cause of play. KaBOOM! and Darell have won numerous awards for national service, innovation and leadership. We are best known, though, for our playful and professional staff, the outstanding corporate partners we have mobilized, the community organizations we have inspired, the advocates we’ve created, the communities we’ve connected and the millions of children who now have great places to play. We continue to find innovative ways to rally communities and individuals who share their experiences and support one another for the cause of play. This type of mass action will mobilize communities from coast to coast to work to ensure that every child has a great place to play within walking distance.

The KaBOOM!erang PrincipleThe Law of Incredible Returns

Time. Advice. Heart. Money. Sweat Equity.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a kid, parent, community leader or businessperson — whatever you put into KaBOOM!, it always comes back to you. That’s because of the KaBOOM!erang Principle. It’s our law of incredible returns.

What you do today can mean changed lives, stronger communities and brighter futures tomorrow.

Do it for the kids. Do it to make a difference.

KaBOOM!. It starts with a playground.

The KaBOOM! Theory of Change

If you can picture it, you can believe it. If you can believe it, you can build it.

Picture a diverse group of volunteers collaborating to achieve the simple goal of building a playspace in one day for children. Picture communities across the country tapping into KaBOOM! planning tools and leveraging the collaborative support of corporate and community resources to achieve an immediate and visible for their neighborhood. If you can picture it, you can believe it. If you can believe it, you can build it. That is the KaBOOM! Theory of Change.

The KaBOOM! Theory of Change is built upon the belief that the process of organizing a community-build playspace is as important as the product: the playspace itself. There are three pillars that support our Theory of Change:

• Collective Cause: Like teammates on a sport team striving to win a game, a diverse group of volunteers use their different skills to collaborate and achieve the straightforward and simple goal of building a playspace in one day for the universal cause of children’s well-being.
• Achievable Wins: Community development research has shown that an important step in community empowerment is to achieve a small, probable “win.” A community group that has successfully built a new playground or skatepark is more likely to believe they can individually and collectively make a difference. And they are more likely to act on future community needs.
• Cascading Steps of Courage: Small steps of courage lead to greater acts of courage. Researchers have explored what has caused people to take significant courageous actions to benefit others, and one of the leading factors for such acts was the presence of small, civically minded steps early on in life, which helped shape personal values and, over time, progressed to greater civically-minded acts.

Collectively, these pillars help KaBOOM! activate powerful citizenship.

KaBOOM! believes that, together, we can achieve it by pursuing smaller common goals: a playground, skatepark or field complex, toward collective causes the well-being of children, a one day build (that results in achievable wins), all through the small, yet courageous act of volunteering. This is how KaBOOM! activates powerful citizenship.

PROGRAMS AND MAJOR INITIATIVES

When smart Christians are dumb

10 DUMB THINGS SMART CHRISTIANS BELIEVE

Just Because “Everyone Believes It”Doesn’t Make It True

People don’t set out to build their faith upon myths and spiritual urban legends. But somehow such falsehoods keep showing up in the way that many Christians think about life and God. These goofy ideas and beliefs are assumed by millions to be rock-solid truth . . . until life proves they’re not. The sad result is often a spiritual disaster—confusion, feelings of betrayal, a distrust of Scripture, loss of faith, anger toward both the church and God.

But it doesn’t have to be so. In this delightfully personal and practical book, respected Bible teacher Larry Osborne confronts ten widely held beliefs that are both dumb and dangerous. Beliefs like these:

1. Faith Can Fix Anything
John’s faith and Susan’s cancer – Why positive thinking can’t change anything – The big problem with faith in faith – How the English language mucks up everything – How faith sometimes makes things worse – One story you can bet the kids in Sunday school will never hear – The one thing faith can always fix – What a geographical moron and a GPS have in common with a life of faith

2. Forgiving Means Forgetting
Four goofy ideas about forgiveness – The myth of a forgetful God – The two realms of forgiveness – Are justice and forgiveness mutually exclusive? – The strange math of score keeping-why it is nearly always inaccurate – The power of a good mirror – Something for Calvinists and Arminians to fight about – The prayer of Permission – Why you might want to take a sin walk-and how God will meet you there

3. A Godly Home Guarantees Godly Kids
Why Don and Sharon hate it when their friends pull out the pictures – Mike and Rhonda’s head-in-the-sand optimism – The one promise lots of parents count on that isn’t really a promise-and why it doesn’t say what most people think it says – How B. F. Skinner snuck into our churches – Mitch’s foolish pride – How Ten Rules for Raising Godly Kids became Three Suggestions for Surviving Parenthood – Why bad kids often make great adults

4. God Has a Blueprint for My Life
Why does the search for God’s will feel like an Easter egg hunt? – Why a blueprint is a bad metaphor for God’s will-and why a game plan is a great metaphor for God’s will – Is there a reason why the New Testament ignores the kind of decisions we typically stress over? – Why God doesn’t do consulting, and what happens when we think he does – How obedience makes everything (even some pretty lousy decisions) better

5. Christians Shouldn’t Judge
How to get your non-Christians friends to quote the Bible – Why “Do not judge” doesn’t mean what most people think it means – When and how the idea of tolerance changed from “You have the right to be wrong” into “Nobody is wrong” – Log-in-eye disease – Did God really forget to put some important stuff in the Bible? – Why it’s a bad idea to judge non-Christians by Christian standards – Are judgment and grace incompatible?

6. Everything Happens for a Reason
Nancy’s cancer ¡ Happy talk and other stupid things people say – How Romans 8:28 became the most misunderstood and misquoted verse in the Bible – Two conditions most people don’t seem to notice – Are self-inflicted wounds God’s doing? – Why Murphy matters – Can a bad thing be a good thing? – Why we might want Jesus to wait a while before coming back – The power in a path called obedience

7. Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide
The one type of person I’ve never been able to help – The musings of a tax dodger -A Jiminy Cricket code of ethics-why so many people trust it and why that’s not a smart thing to do – How our conscience is more like a thermostat than a thermometer – Blind spots and bad software – What heart disease does to our conscience – The one thing everyone’s conscience does with unerring accuracy.

8. God Brings Good Luck
Why I worry when someone angles to be last in line – Tim’s rather “unusual” choice of words – The high price of unrealistic and unfounded promises – Job’s wife and Asaph’s journal ¡ Eddie Haskell Christians-do they really think God is stupid? – Do we? – Why it’s never a good idea to judge a king’s banquet by the finger food – One cliché that’s not only wrong but flat-out absurd – Why an abundant life might not be so abundant.

9. A Valley Means a Wrong Turn
Why my Dark Years had nothing to do with a wrong turn. – How extended valleys can make our friends’ advice nearly worthless – Three simple but profound fog-cutting questions – The kind of valley we never want to leave prematurely – Shortcuts we don’t want to take, even if they work – The day a bunch of guys with iron chariots proved to be stronger than a bunch of guys with God on their side – What to do when God says, “Get someone else to help you”

10. Dead People Go to a Better Place
How to start a mini riot – The truth about wicked Uncle Ernie – Funeral assurances and the frantic search for a nod-to-God – Blame Jesus – The myth behind the myth – A rather testy e-mail – How and when did obedience become an extra-credit assignment? – Why Mickey Cohen couldn’t be a Christian gangster – The big difference between struggling and setting up camp – The one tell-tale sign of whether or not we love God

ABOUT LARRY:

I’m a husband, father, pastor & author. Since 1980 I’ve had the incredible privilege of serving the congregation at North Coast Church in Vista, CA. It’s been a ride far beyond anything I ever imagined. I’m married to an amazing woman named Nancy. We have three great kids of whom I’m incurably proud. All their good traits are hers.

Spiritual Environmentalism isn’t an oxymoron

GARDENING EDEN:

You Don’t Have to Choose Between Loving God and Loving His Creation.

Before the snake, the apple, and the Ten Commandments, God created a garden, placed humans in it, and told them to take care of it.

“Spiritual environmentalism” did not start out as an oxymoron- it was an invitation. Yet today, many believe God’s original job description for humankind has been replaced by other worthier pursuits. So when did this simple instruction become so controversial? How does one sort through all the mixed messages? Is making the world a healthier place for the next generation really a responsibility-or even possible?

Gardening Eden is a new understanding of how the spiritual dimensions of life can find expression and renewal through caring for our incredible planet. Empowering, simple, and never polemical, Michael Abbaté outlines the Bible’s clear spiritual benefits of caring for creation, exploring new motivations and inspired ideas, and revealing the power of our basic connection to all people and living things through the growing interest in spiritual environmentalism.

Green living is no longer a fad-simple lifestyle solutions are now available to everyone. Gardening Eden shows how this shift transforms not only our world, but our very souls as we’re drawn into deeper harmony with the Creator. This book invites readers to discover the powerful spiritual satisfaction of heeding the call to save our world.

Gardening Tip #22: Do remodels right

If you are about to do a major change to you home, do your homework. There are many new products and processes that can dramatically improve your home’s energy performance. Studies have shown that it can only take two to six years to recoup you initial increased investment in higher performance doors, windows, insulation systems and heating and cooling systems.

Biography

Michael Abbaté, ASLA, LEED^TM is a landscape architect by profession, City Planning Director by position, and son of the Creator by adoption.  Author of Gardening Eden: How Creation Care Will Change Your Faith, Your Life and Our World, published by WaterBrook/Random House, he speaks to churches and other communities of faith about our responsibility to be stewards of Creation. A nationally recognized expert in green development strategies, Michael is a co-founder of GreenWorks, an award-winning landscape architecture design firm. He also frequently speaks to community leaders, universities and design professionals and about practical ways to minimize the impact of development while restoring natural systems and processes.  Currently the Urban Design & Planning Director for Gresham, Oregon, his works have been featured in national magazines, newspapers, and trade publications.

After half a century of life, he admits there is much to learn about being a better steward of the planet. Though we do not fully understand the intricacies of Creation, Michael is convinced we will be blessed in our efforts to Tend the Garden.  One of the most telling ways we demonstrate the transforming power of our faith is when we make personal sacrifices that protect Creation.  Conversely, our failure to do so often keeps people from investigating the claims of Christ.  Environmental conservation is not a right, left, liberal or conservative issue.  Rather, it is a spiritual one.

In addition to being a registered Landscape Architect in multiple states, he is certified nationally through the Council of Landscape Architects Registration Board, and is a LEED Accredited Professional.  This national certification by the United States Green Building Council recognizes an individual’s understanding of the ways in which the built environment can be designed to minimize its impact on the natural systems and resources.   He is also a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and served for six years on an Advisory Board for the University of Oregon.

Abbaté graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in Landscape Architecture, magna cum laude.  In 2007, he was recognized by the University as the Distinguished Alumnus from the College of Environmental Design.  He also has a certificate in Business Administration from Portland State University.

Mike is the father of two daughters, both University of Oregon Ducks.  He and his wife Vicki have been married for over 30 years and live near Portland, OR.

Meet Guest Blogger Sheri Kaye Hoff: Keys to Living Joyfully

Why Aren’t You Achieving Your Goals and Living a Joyful Life?

You may be thinking that you are doing many of the right things to create a successful and happy life. You work hard at your career, you are involved with family and friends, you cultivate a spiritual life,  and you even give back to the community through donating your time and your money. Then, you ask yourself why you are not achieving goals or feeling happy. Perhaps you are even angry and are not sure why.

If you are feeling angry, ask yourself if there is someone you need to forgive or maybe you need to forgive yourself. You may think that someone has committed a great injustice to you, but this is the exact situation where you need to forgive. Holding onto grudges hurts you-not the other person. Grudges block happiness and success.

You may even think that you do quickly forgive people and then are suddenly confronted with the reality that you have held onto a grudge. Let this go immediately. Forgive the person. Forgive yourself. Let go and let peace rush into your heart. I find in my own life that I am stubborn at times about forgiving people. The larger the hurt, the more stubborn I can be. Over the last few years, I have begun to realize that this only hurts me.

If you are running into roadblocks to success, examine your heart and consider if you need to forgive.  Sometimes when I am pondering over the people in my life right before I go to bed; I wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning knowing  who the person is that I need to forgive.  I create a visualization of forgiveness that helps me truly feel that I have released the person.  I picture the person standing in a room with dozens of roses and an armful of roses. The person has tears in his or her eyes and asks to be forgiven. Of course my heart melts right away. I am not saying that people need to ask for you to forgive them and I am not saying that people earn forgiveness. My mental picture merely helps me feel the feelings of forgiveness. I, then, feel light and free. I have opened myself to the good in life.

I talk more about this concept in my book, Keys to Living Joyfully.

My hope for you today is that you will forgive, feel peaceful, and open your life to good by releasing grudges and resentment. I wish for you to have a truly joyful life.

Sheri Kaye Hoff

Life Coach

Sheri’s website: http://www.lifeisjoyful.org

Author of Keys to Living Joyfully

BLOG TOUR BY:

TWO WAYS TO WIN ECO-FRIENDLY APPLIANCES

Electrolux and Kelly Ripa have teamed up to introduce an eco-friendly front-load washer and dryer in a truly vibrant shade – “Kelly Green.” The new limited edition shade, an upbeat green designed to pack a visual punch, was inspired by the great outdoors and self-proclaimed eco-Mom Kelly Ripa.   Here ‘s a quote from Kelly herself:

“I love green … the color green and the act of living green,” said Ripa.  ”What better place to make a simple, every day difference than in the laundry room?  Kelly Green is a gorgeous shade, and just by using the new Electrolux high-efficiency washer and dryer you can save energy and use less water.  How green is that?”

Just in time for Earth Day, Electrolux kicks off its virtual flower garden campaign to drive awareness and raise funds for Global Green USA.  Starting today, when you go to http://www.electroluxappliances.com/ and plant a virtual flower for a friend, Electrolux will donate $1 to Global Green USA to support their healthy green schools initiatives across America.  Everyone who logs on to the site and plants a virtual flower will be automatically entered for a chance to win a new eco-friendly Kelly Green front-load washer and dryer!

In addition, Mom Central will be giving away one eco-friendly “Kelly Green” washer and dryer set to a member of our community!  To enter, simply go to http://www.momcentral.com/blogs/win-a-kelly-green-electrolux-washer-a-dryer.html and (1) tell us which flower you planted on the Electrolux site and (2) share your own “laundry tips” for saving time and energy.  Mom Central will pick one lucky winner in a random drawing from all entries received!

THE CALLING: a novel by Jacob Israel

The Calling: A Voice in the Dead Woods

‘Thomas James shall be his name,’ the Angel says mysteriously. The world shall change because of him. Dark days lie ahead for the chosen child. In the small town of Bethel, in a time not unlike our own, a child with a great purpose is born. Years later, alienated by those around him and picked on by his peers, the awkward twelve-year-old struggles to exist after the loss of his family. A terrifying vision of a dark world to come haunts him. He sees and hears things he cannot understand. The world quickly changes before his eyes. Visited by strange messengers and surrounded by mysterious and miraculous events, Thomas fights to comprehend what is real and what is not, while trying to escape the sinister powers that be. After countless horrors, the startling revelation of who Thomas James truly is will change the lives of those around him, setting off a chain of events that could destroy, or save, them all. Inside these pages hides a treasure, just waiting to be discovered. If youve ever wondered if there is more to life or why it is we suffer, then this book will not only captivate youit may just open your eyes to a truth that could set you free. Find out what is in all of us that makes us heed The Calling. The Angel smiles curiously, There is a great truth that must be told. A wicked spirit spreads its wings and humanity is its prisoner. Thomas James is the key.

INTERVIEWER: For the readers who don’t you, tell us a bit about yourself.

JACOB: I’m a father to three amazing children and a husband to a wife I adore. I’m someone that has been through a lot in life and grateful for every moment of it. The good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly, all paved the way to become who I am.
Professionally, I’m an Emmy, Telly, and N.R.B. Award winning television writer and producer, who has been blessed with a steady creative career since graduating university. However, that is not who I am.

Most my life, I was one of those people who wore a mask to fit in. I felt very alone, alienated from those around me. Looking back, I understand why. Everything I’ve endured had great purpose. Never meeting my biological father, coping with a severe case of Crohn’s disease, suffering abuse and abandonment, losing everything, it all played its part to humble me and get me where I am today. I spent the majority of my life questioning the meaning of it, learning that it is better to love than to hate, to give rather than receive, to be content and compassionate.
As a young adult, I was most comfortable on stage. I won a dramatic scholarship to university and that is where I found my love for the written word. It would be years, and many performances of my originals works later, that would I actually dare pursue a career in writing.
Today, I couldn’t be happier with that career choice, I am constantly challenged and rewarded by it. There is nothing better than sitting down to write something that, you pray, will make a difference in someone’s life. This was the impetus for my novel.

INTERVIEWER: Let’s talk about that, why did you write THE CALLING?

JACOB: I wanted desperately to share a story of how love and forgiveness can overcome all things, even the most horrible. I had to write THE CALLING. I believe I was meant to write it. I had the seed of the story burning inside me most my life, but it wasn’t until devastating circumstances in my life about four years ago made it possible for me to sit down and write it.
It was a very dark and hard time, but a lot of beauty rose from those ashes, and I would not trade that experience for anything. It’s the reason I chose such a dark and fearful cover. There are too many things in life keeping us from following after our dreams and finding peace. Fear is the enemy of joy. It destroys relationships, hopes, families… it destroy lives. Allegorically, that is why the woods in The Calling are dead.
I wanted to write something that would provoke thought and encourage readers to move past fear and into faith, to seek the life I believe we’re meant to live while keeping them guessing and entertained along the way.

INTERVIEWER: You mentioned allegory, some have compared your novel to The Shack and Pilgrim’s Progress, is that a fair comparison?

JACOB: Well, I hope it is. I can only pray it has a positive impact on those who read it, as far comparing it, that wouldn’t really be up to me. But, yes, there is a story beneath the story that is told. So, in that aspect, sure, there are similarities.
For years, I have studied scripture as well as many other philosophies and religious texts. Of course, the bible has been my biggest creative influence, not to mention the spiritual. I love the revelation one receives when the heavens of our understanding open up and we finally understand what that verse (that we couldn’t understand) finally means. “It is glory of God to conceal a thing, and honor of Kings to seek out the matter”.
In my novel, there are many hidden treasures for those with “eyes to see” if you will.
Although, there is no need to look deeper, because I believe the message, intrigue and suspense is loud and clear, it still is very rewarding, I think, to find the more veiled spiritual meaning but that’s up to the reader. From anagrams, to events, locations, names, to the title of the book, and even (clears throat) the author’s name, there is a reason for it all. Like, for examples sake, if one were to string every chapter title together, it might be cool if there were a hidden message there, wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

INTERVIEWER: What does the title of the Book mean?

JACOB: Well, I believe all of us have a calling on our lives, a purpose we are to carry out. Thomas James, the lead character in the novel is no different. His purpose is a bit grander than most, however. He doesn’t truly understand the significance of what he is called to do. The novel documents the first eighteen years of the boys life. He’s haunted by nightmares of what may come, visited by strange messengers, abused, alienated, and abandoned, yet despite his circumstances he has an uncanny ability to love and forgive. Thomas is ever questioning, the role he is to play and his circumstances. Perhaps, Thomas was “called” to be that “voice in the dead woods” the title speaks of, calling people out of the deep sleep that keeps them from finding out who they truly are.

NTERVIEWER: You mention the first eighteen years of Thomas’s life, the book does lend to a sequel; will we hear from Thomas again?

JACOB: Sure, THE CALLING is the first novel in a series. Before the Prologue you’ll find two pages with two peculiar quotes. One states, “Your life is not what it appears to be, what will happen when the truth is poured out on a world that is deceived?”
What is interesting about this passage is, it is credited to “The Book Of Thomas James” in the year 2012.

Most may skim past passages like this, but like I said, there’s a reason for everything. So keep your eyes peeled for the next book in the series to released in the next year or two.

INTERVIEWER: Who will this book appeal to?

JACOB: First of all, let’s talk age appropriate. I am excited to hear how varied the ages are of those who love the book. I’m most surprise with those age twelve and up. I wanted the book to appeal to a large demographic. So, to have a younger generation also excited about an allegorical fiction with a mature spiritual message and theme is a dream come true.
As far as, what type of person should read THE CALLING, I believe anyone who is not fulfilled in life, who wants more from entertainment than just escape, anyone who has suffered, or experienced great loss and didn’t understand why, I think, whole heartedly this is the book for you. You will relate with Thomas’s struggle, you will be encouraged by what comes out of it, and inspired by how anything is possible with faith and love.

INTERVIEWER: So, what is THE CALLING A VOICE IN THE DEAD WOODS about?

JACOB: The Calling is an inspirational thriller about a twelve-year boy named Thomas James, whose extraordinary insight and purpose changes the lives of those he meets, and sets the world on its edge.
The self absorbed, greedy, and arrogant residents of Bethel begin to despise young Thomas James for the honest words he speaks. His peers torment him, strange messengers visit him, and an evil presence fights to destroy him every step along the way.
Thomas suffers from prophetic nightmares and visions he does not understand. The loss of his family is almost more than he can take. His internal struggle to make sense of his circumstances leads him down a perilous road, where nothing is as it seems.
Soon, the startling revelation of who Thomas James truly is will confound the masses and inspire all those he sets free.
You have to find out what is in us all that makes us heed the “Calling.”

INTERVIEWER: Where is the book available and how do we find out more about it?

JACOB: You know my website is a great place to start. It is www.JacobIsrael.org and it has video trailers, a synopsis, sample chapters, reviews, links to purchase it online and general info about upcoming events, news, etc. I also do a bi-weekly video journal posted in the author section. Like the book, I hid messages, inspirational poetry, and lots of other fun stuff to find. The book is available everywhere books are sold, if you can’t find it at your local bookstore, see if they can order it for you, and if not, all the major online retailers, from amazon.com to target.com carry it as well.

INTERVIEWER: In closing, what do you want the readers of THE CALLING to take away from this book?

JACOB:Obviously, I hope they enjoy it and are entertained. However, the most important thing to me is that, those who read it will find that even in the hardest, and most difficult of times, there is hope. Hope… That is what I want people to take away from this book.
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TO READ A SAMPLE CHAPTER, CLICK HERE

TO ORDER YOUR COPY, CLICK HERE

THE CALLING BY JACOB ISRAEL

X-14…It fights the big Eeewwwww!!!!

We moms hate to admit it, but we’ve all experienced it as a fact of life – mold and mildew stains. Whenever it appears, we immediately focus on getting rid of it (after one big Eeewwww!). Unfortunately, mold and mildew stains refuse to be confined to bathrooms and can be found in almost any area of your home, boat or RV that stays damp – from kitchens and garages, basements and even on items stored below your boat’s deck.

The good news is that mold and mildew stains are easier than ever to get rid of – quickly – with X-14® Mold & Mildew Stain Remover.  X-14 effectively removes mold and mildew stains two times faster than the leading competitor, and doesn’t require any scrubbing.  Safe for use on sealed grout, tile, vinyl and plastic surfaces when used as directed, X-14′s superior formula keeps your home’s surfaces stain-free for up to two weeks.  As the spring cleaning season sneaks up on us, we invite you to sample X-14 Mold & Mildew Stain Remover.

X-14_®, the bathroom cleaning expert, is making that troublesome task a bit more tolerable with the introduction of an online resource filled with bathroom cleaning tips and tricks.

X-14′s research shows consumers identify the bathroom as having unique cleaning needs, with bacteria and grime not found anywhere else in the house. Whether it is a weekly deep cleaning or a daily touch-up, those cleaning the bathroom desire the tools to make the process as easy as possible.

Enter www.thebathroomexpert.com, which offers consumers tips on everything from how to clean a toilet to how to keep showers smelling fresh, interactive education on proper technique and links to other relevant bathroom-specific resources. The site also explains how and where to use each of X-14′s products to make bathroom cleaning a simpler task.

X-14′s line of products – complete with new, more appealing packaging- includes two recent additions. X-14 Foaming Bathroom Cleaner is the only aerosol bathroom cleaner with a fresh, orange fragrance, and a 2004 Shuster Labs study proved it two times as effective as the competition in removing soap scum. The new aerosol features the only wide-area foam sprayer on the market, providing greater surface-area coverage and making the task of cleaning faster and easier.

X-14 Bathroom Cleaner is the first-ever combination of oxy and citrus in a household cleaning product, and is more effective than the competition (Shuster Labs 2004). The oxy whitens and brightens hard surfaces by attacking soils and stains, while the powerful citrus cleaning action cuts through tough grease, soap scum and mineral deposits.

“X-14 is making bathroom cleaning easier,” said Tim Lesmeister, vice president of marketing for WD-40 Company. “This new online resource and database of helpful hints, and our line of trusted products help people make daily touch-ups and deep cleaning of the bathroom less difficult and more rewarding.”

The X-14 line also includes its Mold & Mildew Stain Remover, Daily Shower Cleaner and Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaners.

Why is X-14 The Bathroom Expert_TM?

X-14 is The Bathroom Expert because it has conducted thorough research to understand the unique cleaning needs of the bathroom, and has specially designed products to meet these needs. In addition, X-14 products have been formulated and tested to ensure top quality performance. X-14 focuses solely on the bathroom for continuous quality innovation in bathroom cleaning.Top

Why does X-14 provide Deep Clean and Quick Clean products?

X-14 research shows that people clean two ways. People regularly set aside time for serious deep cleaning; people also “touch up” between their deep cleanings. X-14 products meet these cleaning needs and have been designated as Deep Clean or Quick Clean products to make product selection easier.

What are X-14 Deep Clean products?

X-14 Deep Clean products are designed for those serious deep cleanings. These top-performing products are powerful and very effective. The X-14 Deep Clean products are: X-14 Bathroom Cleaner, X-14 Foaming Bathroom Cleaner and X-14 Mold & Mildew Stain Remover.

What are X-14 Quick Clean products?

X-14 Quick Clean products are designed for easy touch ups to keep your bathroom looking good between deep cleanings. The X-14 Quick Clean products include: X-14 Daily Shower Cleaner, X-14 Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner with Bleach and X-14 Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner Blue plus Fragrance.

What are the ingredients in X-14 Mold & Mildew Stain Remover and what percentage?

The main ingredient in X-14 Mold & Mildew Stain Remover is sodium hypochlorite at a level generally 60% higher than similar bleaches on the market. The product is activated by pH adjustments.

I left X-14 Mold & Mildew Stain Remover on too long in my porcelain tub. I now have rust stains. How can I remove them?

We recommend one of two products for the removal of rust stains. Lime-A-Way Lime, Calcium & Rust Remover in the green bottle or liquid Zud Heavy Duty Cleanser in the yellow bottle. Either of these products will be effective in removing the rust and can be found in your local grocery store.

How can I eliminate the odor of X-14 Mold & Mildew Stain Remover?

X-14 Mold & Mildew Stain Remover is an extremely strong product. According to our label directions, to eliminate the odor of X-14 Mold & Mildew Stain Remover, we recommend opening a window and/or using a vent fan. If you cannot ventilate the room and are sensitive to sodium hypochlorite, we recommend you avoid the use of this product.

Is X-14 Daily Shower Cleaner safe to use in my bathroom?

X-14 Daily Shower Cleaner has been tested on most common bathroom surfaces including ceramic tile, fiberglass, aluminum, stainless steel, chrome, glass, varnished wood, polystyrene, clear acrylic, latex caulk, silicone caulks, tile grout, plastic shower curtain and rubber and found to be safe and reliable. X-14 Daily Shower Cleaner is not recommended for brass or natural marble.

Does X-14 Daily Shower Cleaner need to be rinsed off?

No.

Can X-14 Daily Shower Cleaner be used on a soiled shower?

Yes. If applied on a soiled shower, immediate results will not occur. However, X-14 Daily Shower Cleaner will loosen build-up and results in a clean shower in 2-4 weeks. If pre-existing build-up deposits remain, wipe away with a soft cloth while showering.

Is X-14 Daily Shower Cleaner safe to use on a resurfaced tub?

The material used to resurface a tub is usually an acrylic. X-14 Daily Shower Cleaner has been tested on acrylic by our independent testing laboratory with no adverse effect to the surface. However, we do not recommend using X-14 Daily Shower Cleaner on natural marble or brass.

Is it safe to use a toilet bowl cleaner in the bowl while using X-14 Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner in the tank?

Yes. It is safe to use any all commercially available toilet bowl cleaner while using an automatic toilet bowl cleaner in the tank.

Will soft water make X-14 Automatic Bowl Cleaners dissolve faster?

Soft water will not shorten the life of our automatic bowl cleaners. Soft water may enhance the life and performance of these products.

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON A FREE 20 OZ. FOAMING BATHROOM CLEANSER