Pre-Order ‘Glory Days,’ Max Lucado’s New Book, and Receive Free Gifts

Are you stuck in the wilderness known as midlife misery? Can you name the day you became a Christian but can’t remember the last time you defeated a temptation or experienced an answered prayer? Find encouragement in Max Lucado's new book, Glory Days. With God’s help you can close the gap between the person you are and the person you want to be. Like Joshua and the Israelites, you can move from a wilderness existence into a promised inheritance.

Now through August 31, 2015, pre-order Glory Days and receive free gifts!

 

There are two pre-order options:

Option 1:

Pre-order one copy of Glory Days (any format), and receive a free digital download of the abridged audio version of In the Grip of Grace by Max Lucado.

After you've pre-ordered, please claim your free gift by submitting your email and proof of purchase at GloryDaysBook.com.

Option 2:

Pre-order one copy of Glory Days (any format) AND one copy of God is With You Every Day (Max's brand-new, 365-day devotional—any format), and receive both the abridged audio version of In the Grip of Grace and a paperback copy of Traveling Light by Max Lucado (U.S. addresses only). 

After you’ve preordered, please claim your free gift by submitting your email and proof of purchase at GloryDaysBook.com.

Pre-order today and get your free gift by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the offer ends on August 31, 2015.

My Personal Review of Max Lucado's Glory Days

If you have ever had the opportunity to read any of Max Lucado's works, then you know a key thing: Lucado can take a basic "head knowledge" account from the Bible and take it to a place that causes you to truly slow down, ponder what God is trying to teach within that biblical passage, and then go deeper so you move the "head knowledge" to applied & active "heart knowledge".  And in Glory Days, Lucado does not disappoint as he sets the stage for "Living Your Promised Land Life Now".

At first, I was a little skeptical: How can I live the Promised Land life now, when I'm still on this earth and not yet in Heaven? It did not take me long to realize I am Lucado's target audience.  Here are the sentences that gave me pause the moment I opened the book:

• Our Promised Land isn't a physical territory; it is a spiritual reality. It's not real estate but a real state of the heart and mind (p 6).
• Canaan, then, does not represent life to come. Canaan represents the life we can have now (p 7)!

I won't lie; it's a little painful to see comparisons made between the Israelite's who refused to enter the Promised Land (and thus wandered for another 40 years) and my own life. God had said it was theirs, yet the Israelites allowed all the seen obstacles to stop them in their tracks and not trust the fact that God had said he had already given them the land.

God has already given me his promise, but I need to live a life that recognizes God has redeemed me, and that he will continue to provide as I face struggles in my life.

My favorite part of Glory Days is the focus on Joshua. Joshua, who trusted God's promise and didn't let giants dissuade him. Joshua, who snuck into Jericho, scoped it out, realized Rahab was being utilized as God's messenger. Joshua, who fully trusted God's plan and saw the walls of Jericho fall! And in the midst of Joshua being the one to whom the Israelites looked to for leadership and redemption, made it clear he was worshipping, honoring, and following God. Joshua worshipped God.

Am I worshipping God as I face my Jericho?

Lucado makes God's promise very clear within Glory Days. A pastor, Christian scholar, and lifelong Christian can gain a deeper and meaningful perspective of our life here on earth when we have accepted Christ as our Savior. Even though Lucado presents some deep theology, it is done in a way that new believers can make wonderful comparisons of Old and New Testament promises. In describing Jericho, Lucado presses in and asks the question, "What is your Jericho?"

"Jericho. 

It stands between you and your Glory Days. It mocks you and tells you to take your dreams back to the wilderness. It stands like an ogre on the bridge of progress. It is big; it is evil. It blocks your way. And its walls must fall. To live in the Promised Land, you must face your Jericho"(Glory Days, p 84).

Lucado does a wonderful job of weaving scripture, personal stories, and biblical situations that allow the book to become an in-depth study on how to apply God's truth to your life. The book is packed with information, and in order to get the most out of the book as I can, I will probably read it a second time. I highly recommend other's to read Glory Days  and allow their perspective to be challenged, which will ultimately deepen their walk with Christ.

A Rare {yet Ordinary} Date

I had a fun date with Mike tonight!

(Some people were calling it Meet the Teacher Night--but when you are out of the house without children & it's not related to work, you call it a DATE!)

After tonight, it will be Fall 2020 before we are able to remain together for our child's Meet the Teacher Night at the high school. Until then, we are stuck in "divide & conquer" mode.

So did I treasure tonight? Absolutely.

And am I thankful we are {still} doing this crazy life together? Completely.

Our crazy isn't other people's crazy. Some have plates far heftier than ours, while others would never sign up for a life that consists of kids ages 14, 13, 11, 3, 17 months & 11 months. I never dreamed of signing up for this life, but God had bigger {and better} plans.

And leading two small groups, attending kids' meets & practices, visiting the oral surgeon, going to Walmart at 9:30 at night because your oldest lost her protractor & needs a new one before tomorrow, then holding your 3 year old because he missed you SO MUCH makes for a very full life.  It also means a two-hour chunk of time with no other conflicts or obligations is very precious.

I'll be honest--there are times I wish we would get out of the house more often for a date night. But to be even more honest? I see many couples who make a point to have a date night and yet completely neglect 'dating' each other. And I'd much rather have a loud, crazy, totally interrupted evening at home where our kids yell "gross!" as we hug, kiss, tease & laugh right in front of them than a silent night of calamari & linguini, distance & obligation. How grateful I am to not do our marriage in silence.

So when you find yourself sitting in a high school Language Arts class, and the boy you like is sitting in the desk behind you and the touch of his hand on the back of your neck makes you feel 18 all over again? I'm pretty sure that's the best kind of date of all.

The {Everlasting} Goldfish

When Kaitlin was in first grade, she had a wonderful and special Sunday School teacher--Miss Marlene. And one Sunday, not too long after the start of that first grade year, Miss Marlene brought a goldfish to class. He was part of the Sunday School lesson.

I'll be honest-I have no idea what the lesson was about, and whether the goldfish played a major or minor role in the storyline. What I do know is that when Miss Marlene asked the kids if anyone had a fish tank and wanted to take the goldfish home, my little girl raised her hand and said, "I do!".

I met that goldfish in the church sanctuary. Kaitlin, with her long brown curly hair and toothless smile grinned so proudly. And I remember thinking, "I hope he doesn't die during the church service! If he does, will it be bad to flush him here before heading home?" I also prayed that the bag wouldn't get dropped and roll down the aisle during the service. Could you imagine?? Thankfully, we were not a part of any 'fish incidents' that entire hour.

Against all odds, that fish made it home. And Kaitlin had told the truth--she had her very own 10 gallon tank, full of bright-colored fish with plenty of room to spare. What Kaitlin didn't realize was that her fish were tropical fish, and a goldfish cannot go into a tropical tank.

So her younger sister Kylie became the proud owner of a goldfish.

Fall 2007-the year of the new goldfish

That poor fish survived the following things that Sunday:

• Carted around in a plastic bag from 8:00am until 1:00pm
• Continued to sit in the plastic bag while I ran to Kmart to buy a second fish tank.
• Sat even longer in the plastic bag while the new tank was prepped.
• Arrived inside his fish tank around 3:00pm

The 19 cent, orange Walmart goldfish now had a $20 tank. I remember Mike giving me a couple "this is just crazy" looks, but the kids were so excited with the process of adding a tank to Kylie's room that Mike didn't verbalize his true thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~

Last week, the little first grader who brought a goldfish home from Sunday School entered her freshman year of high school. The three year old who received the fish from her older sister turned eleven last Saturday and is in sixth grade.

Summer 2015-vacation without the goldfish

WE STILL HAVE THAT FISH. 

That fish has been around longer than some kids have a dog!! I can picture it now, when Kylie is an adult: "Did you have any pets growing up?" "Why, yes, I had a goldfish!"

That fish has lived in four different fish tanks, and is now six inches long- he outgrew the three gallon tank, then outgrew a five gallon tank, and is now living in his second ten gallon tank. One day, the first ten gallon tank decided to start leaking, which meant pulling up the brand new carpet, drying the carpet, the pad, and the subfloor. Mike's "this is just crazy"  looks turned into VERY heavy sighs. And did lead to him verbalizing a few thoughts about "that fish"!

The fish has gone through various names, and also several goldfish companions. After the fourth or fifth death of other goldfish we bought had occurred, we decided he would remain alone. Half the time I wonder when he last ate. We've gone on vacations where I forgot about him completely, and I guarantee the filter right now is absolutely needing to be replaced. Instead of wondering if I can flush him at church, I now wonder what you do with a goldfish who is too big to flush down the toilet! But at this rate, we won't know for a very, very long time.

Anyone want a 19 cent goldfish?

Experience Healing and Mending with Cynthia Ruchti’s New Book & Reclaimed Treasures Giveaway

Before my "complimentary per my honest review copy" of Cynthia Ruchti's new book Tattered and Mended arrived in the mail, my heart held one big desire: "Lord, please let me know if this book will be an appropriate one to buy for a precious friend." I hoped Tattered and Mended would reveal itself to be rooted in Scripture; a book filled with grace, tenderness, and a realistic view of restoration and healing.

Tattered and Mended did not disappoint my desires in any way. Page after page, I would think of another friend whose heart could use the intertwining of the Bible (both verses of encouragement and stories of those who experienced grief, pain, fear, betrayal or loss in the Old and New Testaments), the accounts of mending within Ruchti's own life, and the added stories and examples of others whose aches are laid bare for the reader to connect with as well. It is no coincidence that the day I read of a lady who had lost her husband was the very day a dear friend's terminal battle with cancer ended--leaving his wife and three children without him until they meet again in Heaven. The way Ruchti described her widowed friend are the words I cling to now as my own precious friend continues life's journey without her soulmate: "But she's functioning better. Not because time heals. It doesn't have that much clout. She's functioning better because what was excruciating is now tender" (p 36). May others move from the excruciating to the tender as God reconstructs their brokenness.

I read the book fully and completely, sometimes rereading, so I could gain a better view of God in my own life and also in the lives of family and friends. Ruchti put in so eloquently: "No tattered soul escapes God's notice." (p 127). Not Tamar, who was raped by her brother Amnon, had her brother Absalom convince her to keep it a secret, and her father, King David who "refused to punish his son Amnon because he loved him as his oldest child" (2 Samuel 13:21. Recorded in Tattered and Mended on page 126).

"God made sure [Tamar's] innocence would be recorded for all time in his word...Tamar's tattered soul did not escape God's notice" (p 127).

• Recorded so my friend can witness Tamar's story, connect with her pain, and cling to that same innocence.
• Recorded so my friend can see God does love and care, even in the midst of the most tragic betrayal.
• Recorded so my friend can continually grasp ahold of the comfort of our Savior. Moment by moment, day by day, year by year, as she continues to see how God has been working within her and creating a mending, stronger tapestry.

Even as I read this book and held a new empathy, new prayer-focus for many friends, I felt a little guilty that my life hasn't held incredible tragedy, pain, or suffering. Could my words of comfort, or desire to be a quiet listener, bring comfort to friends when my story is nothing like theirs? Ruchti provided the answer to my concerns with this lovely truth: "We loan strength to one another" (p 120). Community brings comfort. And comfort is a salve onto our friends' raw wounds. We become part of their healing process as the bonds of friendship and trust deepen. Wherever we are along these varied paths--the faithful friend or the grieving soul--God allows us to work together and witness restoration. 

Whether you are the person who seeks out Tattered and Mended as an aid for your soul's healing process, or you are the comforting friend who is seeking out God's truth and wisdom, or the Biblical Counselor looking for a phenomenal resource, Tattered and Mended will not disappoint. As for me? I'll be purchasing a few copies for friends, and pray it brings hope to their brokenness.

*All quotes and page numbers I listed are taken directly from Tattered and Mended by Cynthia Ruchti. Abington Press. 2015

~~~~~~~~~~

How can the wounds that keep us from living the life we want to live be mended and healed? In Tattered and Mended, Cynthia Ruchti walks readers through a gallery of reclaimed and restored art as well as broken and restored lives of those who have gone before us. With a gentle touch and personable wisdom, Cynthia shows how even the most threadbare soul can once again find healing and hope.

Celebrate the release of Tattered and Mended with Cynthia by entering to win her Reclaimed Treasures giveaway!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of Tattered and Mended
• A vintage flatware key ring
• A handcrafted "broken china" charm bracelet
• A recycled guitar string bracelet

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on July 27th. The winner will be announced July 28th on Cynthia's blog.

 

Plus, now through mid-July, sign up for Cynthia's mailing list for a five-day virtual tour around Madeline Island for the chance to win a Hemmed in Hope prize pack. Each day begins with an email from Cynthia that introduces where you'll be “visiting” that day (all key places from As Waters Gone By) with various interactive elements, including“I wish you were here” postcards, trivia quizzes, and an ongoing Island scavenger hunt. The person who interacts the most will win a Hemmed in Hope prize pack (valued at more than $200).

 

That includes:

• The letterpress block Hope sign from DaySpring
• A set of 6 Hemmed in Hope notecards showing a hope-themed Bible verse
• A leather “I can’t unravel, I’m hemmed in hope” journal
• Signed copies of each of Cynthia’s books, fiction and non-fiction

I {Just} Want to be my Teens' Best Mom

A few years ago, I had a very fun and unique job; assistant to author Brenda Garrison! And, while that sounds all fancy and official, it truly came down to me getting the chance to help a very down-to-earth and sweet lady stay organized and help her with social media. We had many mutual friends and had known each other for several years--but working alongside one another allowed us to build a neat friendship. One benefit was watching her parent her girls and navigate the transition of her youngest finishing high school and entering college, her middle daughter student teaching and then landing a job, and her oldest applying to and finally choosing a graduate school.

With Brenda at the 2012 National Hearts@Home Convention

I had three kids in elementary school during that time. And while Brenda was always very honest with me in how navigating older kids isn't always the smoothest road, the time for that mattering in my life seemed very far away.

Until now. Now, when I am getting ready to send my oldest to high school. And I'm struggling a little. It's not so much that Kaitlin is getting older, but that life is no longer falling easily into "black and white". The phrase, Will this matter in five years? is great when it relates to your kid wearing stripes with plaids or having a strong desire to play in the street. Truth is, it's getting harder and harder for me to look at the various opportunities, desires, activities and friendships and decide how it will (or won't) affect Kaitlin's life in five years.

Fear is creeping into my parenting. Many people enter this phase with their newborns, or toddlers, or sending their kids to kindergarten...but not me. I took those years in stride, with a calm attitude and a peaceful heart. And this new feeling--this fear--is not a pleasant experience. The biggest thing I  realize I need to overcome is my desire for Kaitlin to get everything right the first time. The right boy. The right friends. The right classes. The right choices. It's not so easy to let go of my selfishness--my disappointment that the "right" boy liked her, she liked him, and then she changed her mind. So then I go back to the 'rule' that she's too young to like a boy anyway. This parenting gig is tricky!

I want to be the best mom for all of my kids, and am feeling the new weight of being a high schooler's mom. When I began working for Brenda, her plan was to have a quiet year; I was helping her so she could focus on her Master's Degree. But immediately after I began working for her, a BIG thing happened...publishing company Thomas Nelson picked up her book idea! It was a collaboration between Brenda and her daughter Katie, and I watched as the book developed, was poured over, into, prayed for and published. And I found it a wonderful privilege to get one of the Advance Reader's Copies. I read it, double checked the uncorrected proof, and was very excited for Brenda.

Today, I'm sitting down to read Love No Matter What in a whole new way. I'm not merely a mom of young kids thinking, "Oh, this is a nice read!", but I'm reading it with a huge desire to both guide my daughter along a godly path while realizing I have to observe as she navigates bumps along the journey. The most unique part of the book (and some painful parts that hit close to home) is the fact that Brenda's daughter Katie also shares her emotions and what she was experiencing during the difficult years--and it's the part I'm really taking to heart as I strive to validate my own daughter's personality and desires. Interviews with other young adults & their parents also give a more rounded perspective of my proper role and obligations as a mom and helps reveal Kaitlin's responsibilities and ownership of her actions as a daughter.

Love No Matter What: When Your Kids Make Decisions You Don't Agree With isn't a "fix it" book or a "how-to"manual, because that's not realistic parenting. But my biggest prayer--my biggest desire--is to step away from my fears and pour into Kaitlin in a way that allows us to have a solid relationship as she moves from high school, to college, and finally to adulthood. Through prayers, God's grace, and a book written by a friend, I am making it a daily choice to step away from fear and allow God to work in my life as I surrender my daughter to Him.

Rocky Mountain National Park July 2015 

You can find more insight and wisdom regarding all stages of parenting on Brenda's website , through her Facebook Page, & her Twitter Account. Her books, including Queen Mom, Princess Unaware, He's Not A Mind Reader and Love No Matter What: When Your Kids Make decisions You Don't Agree With are available on Amazon.

copyright 2015 LeAnne Klopfenstein

What are the Chances? {Crash!}

So, what are the chances that on day four of your vacation, 30 minutes away from your final destination, that you'll~

Get rear ended. On the highway. And find out 2 days later that, although the gal's insurance card showed she had coverage, it had lapsed due to lack of payment. Therefore, her final day of being insured was June 27.

She crashed into you June 28.

Now, instead of going through your insurance and getting all reimbursements from her insurance, you get to pay your deductible yourself.

And buy new car seats. Lots of car seats.

Suddenly it becomes so easy to get wrapped up in one 'blip' of your trip. All the fun, all the blessings, and all the memories can get sucked right down the drain.

It is in those moments, the times I'm starting to swirl with anger, frustration, disbelief and heavy sighs, that I have to CHOOSE to see all the good. 

While sore initially, none of us were injured.

We have insurance. And an amazing agent. He is doing all he can to try to recover our deductible and to see if any part of our policy would cover the car seats.

The damage to the van was such that we can wait to have it looked at when we get home.

We've had an amazing trip trekking across the country. With kids ranging in age from 14 years to 10 months, I know these special times are very, very precious.

And finally, after seeing the good, I can go after the laughter, and the whole tone changes.

Her insurance ended June 27.

She crashed into us June 28.

What are the chances?

copyright 2015 LeAnne Klopfenstein

Book Review: Deborah Raney's Two Roads Home

Two Roads Home (Abingdon Press, June 2015)

About the book: 
Two Roads Home (Abingdon Press, June 2015)

What if it's too late for dreams to come true?

Minor---but-nagging setbacks continue to sour Grant and Audrey Whitman's initiation into the world of innkeeping, but larger challenges brew when an innocent flirtation leads to big trouble for the Whitmans' son-in-law, Jesse. Jesse Pennington's friendly, outgoing personality has always served him well, especially in a career that has earned him and his wife Corinne a very comfortable lifestyle. But Corinne and Jesse are both restless---and for similar reasons, if only they could share those with each other. Instead, too many business trips and trumped-up charges of harassment from a disgruntled coworker threaten their marriage and possibly put their three precious daughters at risk.

With their life in disarray, God is tugging at their hearts to pursue other dreams. Can Corinne and Jesse pick up the pieces of what was once a wonderful life before it all crumbles beneath them?
Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1BdaEcG

My Thoughts:

I'll be honest-It's been a while since I've opted to read a Christian Fiction Novel! But when I had the opportunity to receive a complimentary copy Abington Press via Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest review, and after being intrigued after reading the synopsis listed above, I decided it was worth broadening my reading scope!

Before my copy of Two Roads Home arrived, I purchased and read the first book in author Deborah Raney's Chicory Inn series. Mainly, I wanted my review of the 2nd book to include whether or not a reader of Two Roads Home needed to read both books. Here are my thoughts: Two Roads Home CAN stand as an independent read. It's a book full of great imagery, character development, and a story line that is different than the key storyline in Home to Chicory Lane. That said, there is a depth in character development regarding the extended Whitman family that is nice to have when you read both novels. A reader will especially gain a better grasp on the matriarch & patriarch of the clan, Audrey and Grant Whitman, by reading both books and having a better appreciation the couple and also of the family home that has become Chicory Inn.

Two Roads Home is a good reading choice for unwinding at the end of the day. This 2nd in the series held more suspense than the first, as a person outside of the family circle is stirring up trouble that affects married couple Corinne and Jesse. And as the situation takes over more of Corinne and Jesse's life, it impacts the lives of their children and the rest of the Whitman clan. Ultimately, Corrine and Jesse have to take a hard look at their marriage, realize their dreams have changed over the years, and choose to support one another as they focus on a career change and downsizing. The changes, while initiated as a result of a bad situation, do indeed lead to a good outcome and a more intentional marriage.

I hate to give so many details that it ruins a reader's own discoveries as they turn each page. But the situation Jesse finds himself in at work is extremely realistic, as is Corinne's response. Another nice aspect of Two Roads Home is the bond that sisters Corinne, Landyn & Dallas share. The sisterly bond includes touches of envy, lack of empathy, and then solidly lands with protecting, affirming, and caring for each other. Again, a very realistic scenario, and is a storyline that flows nicely with the main plot.

Probably the only thing I didn't care for was how the situation resolved itself with the person who had 'disrupted' Jesse and Corinne's life. Even though I thought it was a neat way to conclude that aspect of the book, it also felt a tad abrupt. But it did not take away from my thought that other readers will really also enjoy Two Roads Home.

*I received a complimentary copy per my honest review*