Book Giveaway Winner and Farewell

Congratulations goes to Andrea of Foley, Alabama, our winner of the book giveaway Angels by Dr. David Jeremiah.

I am also writing to say "Goodbye". As you have no doubt noticed, my posts have been few and far between the last few months. I've been so busy, I just haven't had the necessary time to devote to blogging and there's no let up in sight for my schedule. SOOOOOOO, much as I hate to do it, I'm going to stop blogging. Who knows, maybe there will be room for it at some point in the future.

It's hard to believe I've been doing this for two years already. It feels like I just began yesterday. Thank you, everyone, for listening to my ramblings! I've meet some great friends in the blogosphere and I appreciate all of you.

Angels -- Book Review and Giveaway

Angels by Dr. David Jeremiah is very complete on the subject of angels and extremely well grounded in scriptures. If you want to become an authority on the topic of angels -- what the Bible says, their role, their characteristics, what they are NOT despite public thought -- then this is the book for you. I found this book more "textbook" than engaging, but it's hard to be scholarly and definitive AND entertaining at the same time. That's not to say it's a hard book to read; in fact, it flows easily. If you're really interested in what the Bible says about angels, Angels by Dr. David Jeremiah is a must have book.

GIVEAWAY: I have one copy of this book to giveaway. To enter the random drawing, please e-mail your name and mailing address to seewhykinsman@gmail.com. The winner will be announced Friday, February 5th.

You can purchase the book here:
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601422699&ref=externallink_mlt_Angels_sec_1208_01

Below is the summary from the publisher:

Summary:
What are angels? What is their role in God’s plan? Are they present? Do they appear? Do they give us personal insight about our work, our worship?

Many contemporary beliefs about angels are based on misconception and myth. Dr. David Jeremiah uses scripture to unveil the remarkable truth about these agents of heaven, and their role and work in our world—and lives.

More than 60,000 units of this powerful book have sold in two past editions. This repackage of the original 1996 paperback will surely capture the attention of readers of all ages who seek a broad and thorough survey of scripture that clearly separates fact from fiction as it relates to angels. The book will appeal to the thousands who follow Dr. Jeremiah’s books, and radio and TV broadcasts.

Relevant, little known biblical facts help readers sharpen their knowledge and sensitivities toward the spiritual reality of angels. Dr. Jeremiah’s enlightening findings are supported with illustrations and insights from Billy Graham, Corrie ten Boom, C.S. Lewis, and more.

Author Bio:
Dr. David Jeremiah is senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in San Diego, and founder of Turning Point Radio and TV Ministries. His radio program is carried on over 2,500 stations worldwide, while the TV broadcast is received by 500 million homes via cable and satellite. The recipient of numerous awards for broadcast excellence, his books have garnered Gold Medallion awards and become bestsellers with The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and the New York Times. He is a sought-after conference speaker by organizations nationwide.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Tea with Hezbollah Giveaway

Congratulations to Eric of Pensacola, Florida, the winner of Tea with Hezbollah by Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis. Check back Monday for another book review and giveaway.

Tea with Hezbollah

Jesus, Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., among others, all taught us to love our enemies. With this in mind, the authors, Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis, decided to see if it's possible to love one's enemies. Tea with Hezbollah, Sitting at the Enemies' Table, Our Journey Through the Middle East is the result of their exploration. The authors met with leaders of the Muslim world . . . often time the extremist Muslim world . . . to find out what they think about the "love your enemies" teaching. The authors wanted to know how they felt about it, did they think it possible, how is the non-Muslim world not loving them, etc. Tea with Hezbollah is an ambitious work to understand "our enemies" in order to love them, and perhaps, for them to get to know and love us as well.

This is not an "us versus them" book as evidenced by one of my favorite lines in the introduction:

We [the authors] are both Christian. We both cringe at being called Christian, because in both of our worlds, Christians are the bad guys who either slaughter civilians or destory civilization in the name of God.

The authors frequently inserted transcripts of their actual interviews with various Muslim leaders which was facsinating and lead to their credibility because they didn't always put words in the mouths of their subjects.

I would definitely recommend Tea with Hezbollah. You can purchase it here:
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307588296

Giveaway: I have one copy of Tea with Hezbollah to give away. To enter the random drawing, please send your name and mailing address to seewhykinsman@gmail.com. The winner will be drawn Friday, January 22, 2010. Good luck.

Below is the summary from the publisher:

Summary:

Is it really possible to love one’s enemies?

That’s the question that sparked a fascinating and, at times, terrifying journey into the heart of the Middle East during the summer of 2008. It was a trip that began in Egypt, passed beneath the steel and glass high rises of Saudi Arabia, then wound through the bullet- pocked alleyways of Beirut and dusty streets of Damascus, before ending at the cradle of the world’s three major religions: Jerusalem.

Tea with Hezbollah combines nail-biting narrative with the texture of rich historical background, as readers join novelist Ted Dekker and his co-author and Middle East expert, Carl Medearis, on a hair-raising journey. They are with them in every rocky cab ride, late-night border crossing, and back-room conversation as they sit down one-on-one with some of the most notorious leaders of the Arab world. These candid discussions with leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas, with muftis, sheikhs, and ayatollahs, with Osama bin Laden’s brothers, reveal these men to be real people with emotions, fears, and hopes of their own. Along the way, Dekker and Medearis discover surprising answers and even more surprising questions that they could not have anticipated—questions that lead straight to the heart of Middle Eastern conflict.

Through powerful narrative Tea With Hezbollah will draw the West into a completely fresh understanding of those we call our enemies and the teaching that dares us to love them. A must read for all who see the looming threat rising in the Middle East.

Author Bios:

Ted Dekker is the author of many nationally bestselling novels, including Bone Man’s Daughters, The Circle Trilogy, Thr3e, and House, which was coauthored by Frank Peretti. His unique style of storytelling has captured the attention of millions worldwide. Visit him at TedDekker.com.

Carl Medearis is the founder and president of International Initiatives, LLC, an organization that promotes cultural, educational, and commercial exchange between the East and the West. He is an advisor on Arab affairs to the members of the U.S. Congress and leaders in international business.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

I Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself

I know I've been "absent" of late . . . my busy life seems to be raised to the "Nth degree" these days.

I just wanted to pass on a recent article of Thomas L. Friedman. Click the link below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/opinion/10friedman.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1263931312-fRntPS8bJc/qEvIlJopsHA

Book Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Andrea of Foley, AL, this week's winner of The Male Factor by Shaunti Feldhahn. Check back regularly for more book reviews and giveaways.

How to Become "One of the Boys"

It's no secret that women make about 70% of men and in many industries, the glass ceiling is a real barrier for women. However, in her new book The Male Factor Shaunti Feldhahn shows women what they are unconsiously doing wrong in the business world which is shooting them in the proverbial foot.

Shaunti Feldhahn has done a lot of research to get inside the male psyche to figure out what men think and feel in the workplace, what unwritten codes of conduct they live by, how they perceive women in general and their actions in the workplace, and what women can and should do in order to succeed in their careers.

The information Shaunti has compiled is sometimes surprising, sometimes almost unbelievable, and always helpful! This book is a must-read for every career or business-minded woman. Incidentally, its insights will also help you with your marriage and friendships because you will have a greater understanding of what men experience at work.

Book Giveaway: I have one copy of The Male Factor by Shaunti Feldhahn to give away. To enter the random drawing, please send your name and mailing address to seewhykinsman@gmail.com. The winner will be drawn on Friday, January 15th.

You can purchase the book here:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307457721&ref=externallink_wbp_extraordinary_sec_0817_01

Below is the summary from the publisher:

Summary:

Many talented women today risk undermining their careers without realizing it, simply because they don’t understand how they are perceived by their male colleagues and customers. In The Male Factor, best-selling author Shaunti Feldhahn reveals the inner reality behind men’s views — the unspoken expectations that no man would dare to publicly acknowledge, and no woman would learn from an HR department. These revelations include:

• Men’s unwritten ‘rules’ of the workplace
• How men perceive workplace emotion
• What common situations with female colleagues most frustrate men-- and why
• Why revealing clothing can sabotage a woman’s effectiveness
• Why some men think flextime is fine, but equal compensation for it is not

The Male Factor equips women with the information they need to make informed decisions and compete on a level playing field.

Author Bio:

Shaunti Feldhahn is a nationally syndicated columnist and the bestselling author of For Women Only: What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men and For Men Only, which together sold one million copies. She holds a Master in Public Policy from Harvard, worked on Wall Street and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Book Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Sylvia of Minneapolis, Minnesota, our winner of The One Day Way by Chantel Hobbs. Check back Monday for another book review and giveaway!

Book Review and Giveaway

Probably the most popular New Year's Resolution is to "lose weight". We all know that losing weight, and keeping it off, is hard . . . almost impossible if you look at success statistics. It all comes down to a few simple rules (simple in concept, not always simple to implement): Reduce calories, increase exercise, and make sure the plan is one you can stick with for the rest of your life.

I can wholeheartedly recommend Chantel Hobbs' new book, The One Day Way. Chantel will explain the basics to you, give you strategies that work for "real life" and motivate you with stories that will make you laugh as well as inspire you. Best of all, she has a section on exercise with step-by-step photos that any idiot (like me) can follow.

This is a great book with no fads or unrealistic rules or goals.

I have a FREE copy to give away. To enter the random drawing, e-mail your name and mailing address to seewhykinsman@gmail.com. The winner will be announced Friday, January 8th.

If you don't win, you can buy the book from amazon.com or your favorite bookseller.

Below is the summary from the publisher:

Summary

The One-Day Way produces lasting results by taking you back to basics. No more complicated weight-loss strategies. No more expensive diet plans that achieve only temporary results. Instead, you will lose weight and get fit with Chantel Hobbs’s simple, high-energy meal plans and her at-home program for cardio exercise and strength training. She will teach you how to change the way you think, which leads to new actions. Before you know it you will be strong, fit, and healthy. All it takes is doing things differently for twenty-four hours—and then repeating it.

The One-Day Way gives you everything you need to lose weight and get fit in body, mind, and spirit:

Break free from past dieting defeats
Learn a realistic, life-changing way to measure success
Change the way you think so you can change your life
Translate your dreams into goals, and your goals into lasting achievements
Get strong with thirty-one simple exercises, no fancy equipment required
Take advantage of ten ways to eat better while you lose weight

By focusing on food, faith, and fitness, Chantel shows you not only how to lose weight, but how to build the new life you were designed to live. You don’t have to wait any longer. The One-Day Way gives you all the tools for success, starting right now.

Author Bio:

The author of Never Say Diet and The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Trainer, Chantel Hobbs is a motivational speaker, life coach, personal trainer, marathon runner, wife, and mother of four whose story has been featured on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox & Friends, the 700 Club, and the covers of People and First magazines. She appears weekly on two fitness-themed radio programs and promotes her One-Day Way Learning System on television. Visit Chantel at ChantelHobbs.com for fitness updates and coaching tips.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.