THUMBS UP TO SAFE HOLIDAYS

FROM CHRISTA: I wanted to participate in this tour because I live with hundreds of teens, five days a week, from 7:30-2:41. No, I don’t own a kid ranch. I teach high school. And if you’ve been with teens who are not supposed to have cell phones during school hours, well, you’ve discovered that’s like the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in the military.

These kids don’t need to look at their cell phones to text. The problem is, they still need to look at them to read the incoming messages. That’s when they’re most apt to “out” themselves because they’re anxious for the response. Generally it’s something entirely crucial, like, “I’m bringing salsa to the party,” or “OMG this class is boring,” or “?????”

It’s one thing to get nabbed in school and have an InSchool Suspension for cell phone use. That’s survivable. But texting while driving? If over two-thirds of our kids are texting while they’re driving, it’s not just hitting the buttons that’s problematic. It’s reading the texts. And most of them have just earned their drivers licenses.

A few years ago, a student died in a one car accident after his car hit a tree. He was attempting to retrieve his cell phone from the floor of his car.

No message is that important.

It’s true–ALLSTATE is truly working to make sure you’re in good hands with its THUMBS UP TO THE SAFEST HOLIDAY EVER! cause.

Studies have shown that teens are particularly susceptible to dangerous distractions while driving, especially from the use of their cell phones. But parents have a tremendous ability to influence the driving habits of their teens, making it all the more important to sit down early on with them to discuss safe driving behavior.

Climbing behind the wheel means freedom and independence for teenagers. Kids everywhere wait impatiently for the day they hit that special age and their parents finally hand them the keys to the family car. But studies by The Allstate Foundation have found that teens are particularly susceptible to dangerous distractions, highlighting the need for us as parents to sit down early on with our teens to discuss safe driving.

These days, more and more teenagers own up to using their cell phones to text while driving. According to The Allstate Foundation, two thirds of teens admit to texting and instant messaging while behind the wheel! Yet nearly 81% of teens rate parents as their number one driving influencers. Knowing this, how can we as Moms not take steps to ensure we set a good example and make safe driving a priority? Especially when recent research by Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute reveals that texting while driving can increase the risk of an accident by 23 times.

Allstate’s “X the TXT: Thumbs Up to the Safest Holiday Ever” campaign challenges teens and parents alike to make the pledge not to text and drive. By joining the cause at www.causes.com/thumbsup, you’re pledging to put your cell phone down behind the wheel. For each person who takes the pledge, Allstate will donate $1 to the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) – a collaborative network of national organizations and federal agencies that serve youth and focus on youth safety and health – for safe teen driving programs.

As part of the campaign, a 30-city “X the TXT” tour kicks off this holiday season during which teens and their families can add their thumbprints to a pledge banner as a public commitment not to text and drive.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of The Allstate Foundation. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Mark Batterson invites you to rediscover the Great Commandment: PRIMAL

What would your Christianity look like if it was stripped down to the simplest, rawest, purest faith possible? You would have more, not less.

This book is an invitation to become part of a reformation movement. It is an invitation to rediscover the compassion, wonder, curiosity, and energy that turned the world upside down two thousand years ago. It is an invitation to be astonished again by the Greatest Commandment.

Now, on to the first book you should read in 2010 (or in your case, a little before)! In Primal, Mark Batterson strips away every distraction and complication, focusing on the essence of Christianity, the Great Commandment. Batterson explores the foundational elements of loving God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.

And when you learn how love God with everything you have, it’ll change your life. And probably your world.

Click here: Download and read the first chapter of Primal.

FROM BATTERSON’S PRIMAL WEBSITE:

Great at the Great Commandment

Primal is more than a book. It’s a movement waiting to happen.

Christianity has a perception problem. At the heart of the problem is the simple fact that Christians are more known for what we’re against than what we’re for. But the real problem isn’t perception. We as Christians are often quick to point out what’s wrong with our culture. And we certainly need the moral courage to stand up for what’s right in the face of what’s wrong. But before confronting what’s wrong with our culture, we need to be humble enough, honest enough, and courageous enough to repent of what’s wrong with us.

So what’s wrong with us?

The answer is simply this: We’re not great at the Great Commandment.
And in too many instances, we’re not even good at it.

That, I believe, is our primal problem. That is the lost soul of Christianity. If Jesus said that loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength is the most important commandment, then doesn’t it logically follow that we ought to spend an inordinate amount of our time and energy trying to understand it and obey it? We can’t afford to be merely good at the Great Commandment. We’ve got to be great at the Great Commandment.

=====================================================================

From Christa:

When I read the subtitle for Primal, “A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity,” my first thought was I’d just committed myself to a theological diatribe so far over my head I’d need a long rope to pull me out.

Wrong.

Batterson manages, with examples drawn from his own family to George Washington Carver, to construct a handbook [of sorts] for what he says is “reigniting a primal faith.” Honestly and generally, books like these tend to sedate me and/or cause me to question my capacity to delve into the reading deep.

What I loved about this book is that Batterson approaches his exploration of the Great Commandment like a math teacher reducing a fraction to simplest terms. And that, I can wrap my brain around.

After my highlighting and margin scribbled notes, this book may come to look more like a Monet painting. One observation of Batterson’s that almost knocked me out of my chair was this,

“God ideas aren’t the by-product of genius, they are the by-product of love. The more you love God, the more God reveals.If you love Him enough, not for what He can do but for who He is, then God will give up His Secrets. Why? Because that is the essence of love. The more you love, the more you reveal And there are so many secrets waiting to be revealed.”

Don’t read this book unless, like the author says, you’re ready to be “astonished again” in your discovery of what it means to love God.

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

How to Take the Mystery out of Romance: Meet Gale Laure

How I Take the Mystery Out of Romance
By Gale Laure
 
Romance . . . hot kisses . . . a gentle touch . . . him softly calling your name . . . . 
 
It is not mystery we all want to be loved.  But why does a person love a certain person?  Why did all five men in my mystery, romance novel, Evolution of a Sad Woman, fall in love with one woman, Kizzy?   Was it her hauntingly beautiful, emerald, green eyes?  Was it her sexy, shapely body?  Was it her voice, her laugh, her smile, her tears, her anger?  What brought them to her and kept them there?
 
I believe passion is a prerequisite to any love that we experience in our lives.  Kizzy had plenty of passion for people, for her goals, for the men that she loved.  This passion is a powerful aphrodisiac for any man.
 
These five men all loved Kizzy with a passion.  Evan, the police detective could not forget that she was his first love.  Ah, first love is so powerful – so unforgettable.  It stirs a passion in us all.
 
Tom, the former pro-football player, could not forget his youthful years with Kizzy.  The passion she felt for him fed his ego, a strong need he had to fulfill.  Kizzy filled this need in him.  Does romance fill our needs?
 
Jimmy, the cabdriver, found vulnerability in Kizzy.  Or did she find vulnerability in him?  Did he need someone to need him?  Do we all need to be needed?
 
William, the attorney, always loved Kizzy, even as a child.  His loved changed into adult passion when he was overwhelmed with her as a woman.  William could never forget Kizzy, the child – or Kizzy, the woman.  Does love sometimes turn into romantic passion?
 
Father C.D., the priest, developed a physical passion for Kizzy.  She was his temptation.  Even after he conquered his physical attraction for Kizzy, he still had deep emotions for her.  Kizzy stirred a passion in him with her deep love for humanity.  Do we find romance with those we see admirable qualities in?
 
Passion is intense emotion.  This intense emotion leads us to romance and love.  Sometimes we make wrong decisions all in the name of love.  Wherever we go in our lives, we follow love. 
 
Kizzy is waiting.  The mystery of why she is loved is simple in Evolution of a Sad Woman. The mystery of the death of Kizzy is awaiting solution. 
 
Why are you loved?  Why do you love?  Do you find romance in love – and love in romance?
 
 
About the Author:
 
Gale Laure, a native Texan, is the international selling author of Evolution of a Sad Woman, a mystery, suspense, thriller and romance novel.   She resides in a small suburban town in the Houston area with her husband and family.  Laure’s hobbies include genealogical research, movies, creating stories for the children around her, involvement in her church and people watching. She is busy at work editing her second novel, The Bunkhouse, and writing the sequel to Evolution of a Sad Woman.  It is entitled Alana – Evolution of a Woman.  As mysterious as her  book, Laure writes under a pseudonym.  Adamant about maintaining her privacy and the privacy of her family, she keeps her identity a mystery! 
 
For more information about Gale Laure or her novel, Evolution of a Sad Woman,  visit www.galelaure.com or her blog  www.evolutionofasadwoman.com .

 

PUMP UP YOUR BOOK PROMOTION VIRTUAL BOOK TOURS

“We take books to the virtual level!”
www.pumpupyourbook.com
Sign up for our FREE newsletter!
Virginia Beach Publishing Examiner
Visit us at Twitter and Facebook!

Get clean with Clorox Green

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Clorox Green Works and received a bottle of Green Works Natural Detergent and Stain Remover to facilitate my review and a $20 thank-you gift certificate.”

Note from Christa: When Mom Central first announced this blog tour, I didn’t know that days later my husband would start experiencing rashes that made him want to scratch off the top layer of his skin and were so red, they looked like burn marks. [I'm sure you're thinking, "TMI Christa!" by this point...but don't give up on me.] He’s been to the dermatlogist’s office so often they’re on a first name basis. Of course, the first thing she suggested was changing laundry detergent. I tried a few “natural” brands. They may have been for sensitive skin, but they were also for sensitively dirty clothes because the clean factor in our clothes greatly diminished.

So, along comes Clorox’s Green Works Detergent to the rescue. It’s a natural detergent that actually cleans our clothes and provides hubby the fragrance-free, plant-based ingredients that he needs. And an added bonus is getting the same punch and protection in Green Works Stain Remover.

Click HERE for a $3.00 coupon. Also, Clorox has a 100% money back guarantee. Go for it!

The Green Works Natural Laundry Detergent and Natural Laundry Stain Remover, launched in July, are tough on dirt and stains, but gentle on clothes. Green Works Natural Laundry Detergent is made with a proprietary, patent-pending technology that maximizes the cleaning performance of its naturally-derived ingredients.  The products are specially formulated to work in both standard and high efficiency (HE) washers. They are recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Design for Environment (DfE) program and are also dermatologist-tested to show that clothes washed in Green Works Natural Laundry Detergent are gentle on skin and clean without leaving a harsh chemical residue.

All Green Works natural cleaners are made using plant-based ingredients. The products are formulated using biodegradable cleaning ingredients, are packaged in recyclable bottles and not tested on animals.

• Q. Where can I find Green Works® products?

  A. Look for them in the cleaning aisle at all major stores where cleaning products are sold.

• Q. What does natural mean? Are Green Works® products 100% natural?

  A. Currently, there is no industry standard definition for natural cleaners. To create Green Works® natural cleaners we set ourselves a very stringent standard. The ingredients must come from renewable resources, be biodegradable and free of petrochemicals. Green Works® cleaners are at least 95% natural. In certain cases we had to use synthetic ingredients, like the preservative and green colorant. But we’re working hard to develop natural alternatives so the entire line can be 100% natural.

• Q. Do Green Works® products disinfect?

  A. Not yet. But our scientists are focused on evaluating natural disinfecting ingredients. We hope to incorporate disinfecting into Green Works® cleaners in the future.

• Q. Why is Green Works® more expensive than traditional cleaners?

  A. The cost of natural ingredients is significantly higher than what is used in traditional cleaners. Green Works® products cost less than other natural clearers and when you consider they are more natural and clean with the power you expect from Clorox, the premium price is a good value.

• Q. Is Clorox merely jumping on the green bandwagon?

  A. We’ve been working on natural products for the past 5 years. We set ourselves a difficult task–to set the standard for natural cleaning and create products that clean with the power you expect from Clorox. In fact, we delayed Green Works® products from hitting the shelves by 6 months to further perfect the formula. We are fully committed to continuing to develop natural products that continue to set the standard for natural.

• Q. What does the Design for the Environment (DfE) logo on Green Works® cleaners mean?

  A. The United States Environmental Protection Agency created The Design for the Environment (DfE) Program to reduce risk to people and the environment by preventing pollution. When you see the logo it means that the DfE review team has screened each ingredient in the product for potential human health and environmental effects. Based on currently available information, predictive models and expert judgment they determine that the product contains only those ingredients that pose the least concern among chemicals in their class.

Eyewitness: The Life of Christ by Frank Ball

1. The gospel stories have existed for some two thousand years. Why put them chronologically together now?

Nine out of ten Americans own a Bible, but the people who most need to hear the message don’t often read the book. They believe Scripture is outdated and too difficult to understand. Would they read the story of Christ if it were presented as a single story that is easy to understand? Most of them say they would, so Eyewitness answers that need.

2. Why do the Gospels appear to have conflicting stories?

At a crime scene, eyewitnesses always have different testimonies about what happened. Because each gospel writer had his own point of view and spoke to a different audience, the information is actually complementary, not conflicting. The apparent conflicts disappear when we use each viewpoint to compile a complete and compelling story.

3. How was writing and recording events different two thousand years ago?

We now use a computer keyboard to rapidly type and edit text that prints on our laser printers. In the first century, writers had only their parchment scrolls in which every word was hand written, one character at a time. Cut-and-paste editing and simple rearrangement of details into chronological order didn’t exist. Writers naturally put down information as it came to mind, giving us a flow of thought that isn’t always in date sequence.

4. What is the significance of John’s gospel being the last one written?

If John were to introduce his book to us today, he might say, “Let me tell you the rest of the story.” There wasn’t much need to repeat what had already been written, so he gives us clarification of events that were already being told and retold, as well as eyewitness reports that are found nowhere else. Unlike the other writers, who were not always chronological, John unfolds most of his story in date sequence in relation to the Jewish feasts. This gives us a chronological guide for putting all the biblical information in order.

5. In what way do you think the readers of Eyewitness will have a clearer understanding of the nature of God?

Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” If we can see what Jesus is doing and hear what he is saying, we become eyewitness of God’s nature. Because the words in Eyewitness are more like what we would read in a novel, readers are able to visualize themselves as present at the gospel events. It’s the next best thing to actually being there, walking with the other disciples.

6. How many different Bible translations were necessary to complete this project?

Hundreds of scholars have invested countless hours in the production of good translations. In the development of an easy-to-read wording for Eyewitness, translators’ handbooks and more than fifteen popular translations, as well as the Greek and Hebrew texts, were considered.

7. Is the Bible flawed in presenting the life of Christ in four separate books?

No, not at all. Each author’s report has its own perspective and meets a different audience need. Matthew points to the fulfillment of ancient prophecies to prove Jesus was the Son of God. Mark, the shortest of the Gospels, is the quickest to read. Luke, being a physician, gives many important details. And John adds clarity, chronology, and new information. Eyewitness was written for those who don’t read the Bible and for people who are helped by seeing how the story unfolded, chronologically.

8. Why do you think Eyewitness appeals to people who seldom attend church?

Even professed atheists and agnostics have questions about the meaning of life and what happens after we die. Eyewitness isn’t a book of difficult-to-understand rules that threatens punishment if we don’t do everything exactly right. The life of Christ is presented in a way so people can easily understand the value of loving our enemies and helping people in need.

9. Where can we find out more or purchase a copy of Eyewitness?

Please feel free to visit my web site at www.eyewitnesstools.com.

Eyewitness: The Life of Christ Told in One Story by Frank Ball (WinePress Publishing)

Eyewitness reaches people who seldom go to church or read their Bibles.

Of the millions of Americans who don’t go to church, 56 percent consider themselves Christian. If they knew what Jesus said and did, they would know the importance of networking and reaching out to help others. While Bibles sit on coffee tables and bookshelves at home, gathering dust, people pick up Eyewitness and don’t want to put it down. Not only does it use language that is easily understood, it pulls readers into the story, almost like walking with Jesus in the first century.

The Bible has sold more copies than any other book and continues to sell year after year. Continuing in its footsteps is the Eyewitness series written for the average person.

Flash back to first century AD. One man appeared who shook up the world. Four men testified to what they saw and heard. The details of Jesus life were recorded by four of his closest followers. Each account is written from a different perspective and only one of the four tells the events in chronological order. Therefore, for centuries, the accounts have been told in out-of-sequence fragments.

Eyewitness compiles the information from the Gospels and hundreds of other Bible verses into one chronological story laid out like a story without reference or verse. The result is a seamless combination of the four gospel books that will appeal to customers across the board, even those who would not normally purchase a Bible.

About the Author

Frank Ball was the Pastor of Biblical Research and Writing at Anchor Church in Keller, Texas, for three years. After thirty years of research and teaching the life of Christ, he began a twelve-year project to analyze every gospel story about Christ and put the events into chronological order. Ball meticulously considered almost twenty resources, including the Greek and Hebrew texts, the opinions of other Bible writers, and different translations, to make sure his translation was correct. Using the gospel of John as the chronological backbone, he determined an appropriate time setting for every event.

Ball believes there is no greater role model than Jesus. The better we know him, the more we can be like him. “It’s impossible,” he says, “to love someone you don’t know. The Scripture arranged in this easy-to-understand order helps us to know Jesus. It allows us to be more of an ‘eyewitness’ to the events of Christ’s life, and in doing so, to be more like him.”

Ball has always been a great student, especially in math and the sciences, but hated English. He excelled in high school; however, because his family was impoverished, he was unable to attend college. After high school he took a menial job that supported his parents and siblings. In 1968 he married Kay and they had three sons. Kay passed away in 2005. Ball currently lives with his family in Fort Worth, Texas.

When personal computers became available, Ball embraced systems analysis and business administration. He devoured reading material on the high-tech industry and was a successful business executive until he made a commitment to full-time ministry in 2002.

In 1995, despite his dislike of English, Ball believed God was redirecting his life, and he devoted himself to writing—which has, ironically, become his passion. Knowing the challenges he faced without a secondary education, Ball became self-taught by voraciously reading books as if they were college texts. He studied as if he were preparing for tests.

Ball says that this project wasn’t his idea at all. He just had an unexplainable desire to do this chronology, and along the way he realized that God had a plan. Using his Eyewitness Stories version of the Gospels as a foundation, Ball assembled the gospel information, as well as more than two hundred other Bible verses from the Old and New Testaments, to create what he believes is the accurate order of events. Ball believes the combined stories resolve some of the discrepancies that some say exist in the Gospels.

10	Blog: God Uses Broken Vessels Host: Angela Briedenbach
11	Blog: Latte With Me Host: Cathy Davis
12	Blog: Worth More Than Rubies Host: Cheryl Lacey Donovan
13	Blog: Godly Graffiti Host: Mary Moss Blog: Window to My World Host: Kim Ford
14	Blog: A Mom After God’s Own Heart Host: Shirley Rempel Blog: Christian Speaker Services Blog Host: Christian Speaker Services