Mother of Pearls Series Day 4

Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother's Day blog series - a week long celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a new post by some of today's best writer's (Tricia Goyer, Sheila Walsh, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Bonnie St. John, and more). I hope you'll join us each day for another unique perspective on Mother's Day.

AND ... do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful hand crafted pearl necklace. To enter, just {CLICK THIS LINK} and fill out the short form. Contest runs 5/6-5/13 and the winner will on 5/14. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents.



If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT Mother's Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.



And to all you MOMS out there, Happy Mother's Day!



What I Am Not by Tricia Goyer



Becoming a mother is a complicated thing. Not only am I trying to negotiate a relationship with my child, I am trying to negotiate a relationship with myself as I attempt to determine how I mother, how I feel about mothering, how I want to mother and how I wish I was mothered.

— Andrea J. Buchanan, in Mother Shock3

Sometimes the easiest way to discover who we are is to know who we are not.



• We are not our children. We all know mothers who go overboard trying to make themselves look good by making their children look great. I saw one woman on the Oprah television show who had bought her preschool daughter more than twelve pairs of black shoes just so the girl could have different styles to go with her numerous outfits! Just as we -don’t get report cards for mothering, we also -don’t get graded on our child’s looks or accomplishments. While you want your children to do their best and succeed in life, your self-esteem -shouldn’t be wrapped up in your child.



Life as I See It:



My individuality will never end. There will be no one exactly like me, not even my child. She will be like me in some ways, but not at all in others. I -wouldn’t have it any other way.

— Desiree, Texas

• We are not our mothers. I remember the first time I heard my mother’s voice coming out of my mouth. The words “because I told you so .  .  .” escaped before I had a chance to squelch them.



It’s not until we have kids that we truly understand our mothers — all their frets, their nagging, and their worries.



It’s also then that we truly understand their love.



Since you are now a mother, it’s good to think back on how you were raised. If there were traditions or habits that now seem wise and useful, incorporate them into your parenting. You also have permission to sift out things you now know -weren’t good. Just because you’re a product of your mother, that -doesn’t mean you have to turn out just like her. Repeat after me, “I am not my mother.”



• We are not like any other mother out there. Sometimes you may feel like the world’s worst mother. After all, your friend never yells at her son — and sometimes you do. Then again, your friend may feel bad because you have a wonderful bedtime routine that includes stories and songs. In many cases, the moms you feel inferior to only look like they have it together. All moms feel they -don’t “measure up.” Instead of feeling unworthy, we should realize that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. The key is where we place our focus.



The Bible says, “Let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without .  .  . comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we -aren’t” (Romans 12:5 – 6, MESSAGE).



The problem with comparison is, we always measure our weaknesses against the strengths of others.



Instead, we need to thank God for our strengths. We can also ask God to help us overcome our weaknesses — not because we want to compare ourselves, or look good in someone else’s eyes, but because we want to be the best mom out there.

###

Tricia Goyer is a CBA best-selling author and the winner of two American Christian Fiction Writers’ Book of the Year Awards (Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights). She co-wrote 3:16 Teen Edition with Max Lucado and contributed to the Women of Faith Study Bible. Also a noted marriage and parenting writer, she lives with her husband and children in Arkansas. You can find her online at www.triciagoyer.com or at her weekly radio show, Living Inspired.

Exciting News – the latest Pearl Girls book, Mother of Pearl: Luminous Legacies and Iridescent Faith will be released this month! Please visit the Pearl Girls Facebook Page (and LIKE us!) for more information! Thanks so much for your support!

The Beautiful Wife and Kindle Fire Giveaway!

Want a Growing Marriage?

My husband and I were reading a financial book about how to make your money grow when one of the principles jumped off the page at me:

What you focus on grows. 

Because it’s such a simple principle, I couldn’t get it out of my mind and began applying it to all areas of life, especially relationships.

Most women have the desire to grow a more intimate relationship with their husband

yet  few  focus  their  desire  long  enough  to  do  anything  about  it.
Thus, nothing changes. 

• Ignorance, 
• Distractions, and/or
• hopelessness are often to blame.

I should know. Just 19 when I said, “I do”, I was ignorant about how to grow my marriage.  Our pre-marriage counseling consisted of one two-hour meeting with my pastor and that wasn’t enough to prepare me for the emotional, spiritual, and verbal abuse my husband doled out on a regular basis.   The abuse produced pain and grief.
I could think of little else than surviving. 

Hope for our future crumbled.

Over time, I began sharing my pain with a few trusted, godly women.  Venting my pain and hearing their honest feed-back helped me see that the abuse I was suffering wasn’t my fault. 

I  began seeing a Christian counselor who gave me tools that helped restore me to a place of strength and dignity. 

The best choice I made was to dig into God’s word and find out what He wanted to say to me about my marriage.  In the Bible I found the following verses which applied to my situation:

· “…Your godly lives will speak to them [husbands] better than any words.  They will be won over by watching your pure godly behavior.” (I Peter 3:1,2) In place of preaching to my husband, I began entrusting my difficult situation to God through prayer—listening for His instruction.

· “Instead, we will hold to the truth in love…” (Ephesians 4:15) I began to exchange preaching for speaking the truth in love—in as few words as possible.

· “See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good…” (I Thessalonians 5:15) On my new path, I chose to respond in kindness and enforce healthy boundaries in place of angry retaliation.

When I dug into the word, I learned that my husband wasn’t the only one sinning.  My responses to Tom were often sinful and my response was the only thing I was responsible for. 
(What I wanted was to change my husband but I couldn’t find a biblical reference to support my desire and neither will you)!  

Focused on God and His Word, I was able to reverse negative behavioral patterns in my life which had long plagued me. 

When I did what I could do—keeping my focus on God, HE DID WHAT I COULD NOT!

He healed me and ultimately my marriage—to the praise of His glorious grace!

What you focus on grows.

Are you focused on growing your marriage?

Study Guide:

I received an advanced copy of The Beautiful Wife study, Mentor's Guide and the Prayer Journal from Litfuse Publicity and I must confess that I was extremely excited to begin reading this study and coordinating a small study group with like minded friends. But as I began reading the study, I was getting the impression that this was written for either young newly married women, engaged women or for women who are new believers. The book is well organized and written and there were a few topics that I hadn’t really focused on in my marriage before but I do believe that this study guide is for the younger about to or newly married believing wife; I think it would make for a wonderful young women’s group study at church or small group home study. I think it would be beneficial to have an older woman guide the study as well.

Mentor’s Guide:

I opted not to put together a study group only because I know very few young women at this time in my life. However, The Mentor’s guide is extremely well written and has an abundance of encouraging support along with small group instructions, hosting tips, leader material and week-by-week guidance. This is a tool I will be using in future groups.

Prayer Journal:

I found the prayer journal to be one of the better prayer journals I’ve seen in many years if not the best one I’ve seen ever! There is an introduction and a How-to guide. And then each week begins with a prayer, reflection on the prayer, a section to write prayer request and for answered prayers. A verse to memorize and a place to journal your response and some follow up or relating verses where you can also write responses to those verses.But the portion that is my favorite is the section where you list God’s attributes using scripture. If you love to journal like I do, this prayer journal is a must have.

Blog Tour Schedule

About the book:

The Beautiful Wife uses these inspiring stories along with biblical principles to guide and encourage any wife looking for God's best in her marriage. The Beautiful Wife answers serious questions women have about their roles as wives. Discussing everything from romance and money to beauty, communication, and sex, Sandy challenges women to open up and share their journeys so that together they can see God's plan for their marriages. "It is my passion to help women discover God's heart for their marriage, just as the other women helped me," writes Sandy. "When women share with each other the details of their journeys with God as wives, it's a beautiful thing indeed." The Beautiful Wife has two companion resources - Prayer Journal and Mentor's Guide.

 

 

About Sandy Ralya:

Sandy Ralya is the founder and director of Beautiful Womanhood, a marriage mentoring ministry based near Grand Rapids, Mich. Her marriage testimony was the focus of a popular three-day interview on FamilyLife Today, TV's Walking by Faith, and Time Out for Women. Sandy is a sought-after speaker, presenting Beautiful Womanhood seminars to hundreds of women each year at MOPS groups, women's retreats, and church leadership conferences across the country and in Canada. Sandy and her husband Tom have been married since 1980, and have a growing number of grandchildren. www.beautifulwomanhood.com

Celebrate with Sandy by entering her Kindle Touch Giveaway and coming to her "Beautiful Womanhood" Facebook Party {3/8}!

One beautiful winner will receive:

• A Brand new Kindle Touch with Wi-Fi
• The Beautiful Wife By Sandy Ralya
• The Beautiful Wife Prayer Journal and Mentor's Guide

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 3/7/12. Winner will be announced at Sandy's "Beautiful Womanhood" Facebook Party on 3/8. Sandy will be hosting an evening of chat, laughter and encouragement - bring your friends! She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, prayer journals and a live chat with Sandy for your Bible study or small group!

So grab your copy of The Beautiful Wife and join Sandy and friends on the evening of March 8th for an evening of fun.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on March 8th!

Tammy♥

**DISCLAIMER**  I received a copy of this book(s) for free in exchange for my completely honest opinion.

 

 

Mornings with Jesus 2012 Daily Encouragement for your Soul

 

 

About the book:

"Be still and know that I am God.” is one of the most beautiful verses from the Bible, but it’s not easy to practice in this busy world. Mornings with Jesus will help you do just that—“be still” in Jesus’ beautiful and powerful presence. For those who are seeking a deeper experience in their relationship with Christ, Mornings with Jesus offers a fresh perspective of who Jesus is (the Healer, the Son of God, the Comforter, the Good Shepherd) and what that means for day-to-day life. With a warm and friendly voice, 365 short devotional writings on the character and teachings of Jesus encourage readers to greet each day by drawing near to Him and inviting His presence into their day. Spend time with Jesus at the beginning of each day and experience His nearness and peace in a new way throughout the year. Each day’s selection includes: • a Bible verse • an entry based on Jesus: His words, miracles, and parables; His wisdom, compassion, and comfort; His mystery, power, divinity, and humanity • a “faith step” that will inspire and challenge readers to apply the day’s message to their lives.

My Review and Giveaway

I love reading, I read daily, sometimes several times a day! I read almost exclusively Christian books. Some will probably think that I am narrow minded but that is not why I read mostly Christian books. Growing up I read all sorts of books and loved most of them. I just enjoy reading Christian material, it’s soothing to me. I was not raised in the Lord, in fact I wasn’t saved until the very day of 9/11! That is when I gave my life to Jesus. And since that day, I can’t get enough truth, encouragement, comfort and inspiration through Christian reading.

I couldn’t wait for my copy of Mornings with Jesus to arrive and when it got here, I opened it immediately and began reading it! With every daily devotion I am blessed, encouraged and inspired. Each devotional begins with a verse and a thought from one of the many writers who collaborated on this book. The last entry for each day is a “Faith Step”, a suggestion from the writer to do something new or add to your daily walk in life.

One of the devotions I have read continues to speak to me on a daily basis, Tricia Goyer was speaking about a how she when she was growing up how she had won a prize in Vacation Bible School for memorizing the books of the Bible, how she had won a prize for selling the most Girl Scout cookies, rewards for her efforts, She goes on to say that she has found it hard not to think about rewards for her efforts in her ministry. And finally she spoke of how she doesn’t receive certificates or trinkets  as she serves the Lord but that eternal inheritance is her reward, as it is! That particular devotion spoke loudly to me as I read it because her former feelings were my feelings exactly!! That one devotion began a transformation in me; I am not working for myself, I am working for the Lord, not for myself; how arrogant I was! My reward is He who shines through me to the people I come in contact with and whom I try to help, mentor or give to!! So, thank you Tricia for the Lord leading you to write that devotion. I now do everything in the spirit of His eternal inheritance.

I could go on and on about how these devotions are spiritually lifting me and encouraging me with each passing day to not only enjoy my time with Jesus and God’s word, but to really make changes in my daily walk during my time on earth. All of these writers have so many stories to help us realize the areas of our walk that can be enhanced and/or changed. I will cherish this devotional for years to come. And although it is for 2012, I will be coming back to this year after year.

To read more reviews on Mornings with Jesus, you can go here to The Litfuse Group. There you will find many more reviews.

If you would like to get your own copy of Mornings with Jesus, you can pick a copy up here.

Now for the giveaway! I am giving away one copy of Mornings with Jesus. Leave a comment below and share this post on Facebook and Twitter. Each action will earn you 1 entry for a total of 3 entries. Come back and tell me where you have shared this review and you will get an extra entry in the drawing which will be held on February 24th.

Tammy♥

 

**DISCLAIMER** I have received this free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

 

 

Nearing Home by Billy Graham

Book Description

“I never thought I would live to be this old.”

In this moving narrative, Billy Graham once again takes up the pen not only to share his personal experience of growing older but also teach us some important lessons on how to view our time here on Earth. He says that the Bible makes it clear that God has a specific reason for keeping us here. So what is His purpose for these years, and how can we align our lives with it? How can we not only learn to cope with the fears and struggles and growing limitations we face but actually grow stronger inwardly in the midst of these difficulties?

In what may be his most powerful message of the last decade, Billy Graham speaks to all on this side of Heaven as he covers the importance of four key areas:

Building strong foundations and understanding the gift of years

Facing life’s transitions, including the passing of years, retirement, and when loved ones die

Making wise decisions

Understanding our glorious hope

“In this book I invite you to explore with me not only the realities of life as we grow older but the hope and fulfillment and even joy that can be ours once we learn to look at these years from God’s point of view and discover His strength to sustain us every day. I pray that you and I may learn what it means not only to grow older, but, with God’s help, to grow older with grace.”

My Review

Billy Graham has been given the gift power, the power of words from Almighty God himself. His messages are so powerful and thought provoking in which you have to sit back and  pause, reflect and ponder what he is telling you. As I read his book Nearing Home, I couldn’t help but stop and think about my life’s past, present and future. As I reflected on my past, I remembered things I thought I had forgotten or so I thought and I had to ask God for forgiveness in the things I had said or that I had done in my youth. Some of it was very painful so much so, I had to put his book down and go back to it later. The Lord through him has made me realize some things I need to work on now, presently. And the things I need to begin getting in order now so that my children won’t have to deal with them when I am gone.

Nearing Home is a wonderfully warm and informational read and I recommend it highly! This glimpse into growing old will help everyone who reads it, some of “what to expect” as we grow old. I hope you will pick up a copy and that you enjoy it as much as I have.

** DISCLAIMER** I have received this copy free in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Year With Jesus by R.P. Nettelhorst

Book Description

Too many times the impact and grandness of the actual words Jesus spoke, as recorded in the Bible, are lost in the telling of the story. In A Year with Jesus, the primary focus is to allow the scriptures that contain Jesus' dialogue to uniquely speak to the reader. The author follows each reading with insights and applications to help explain the context and nuances of the text. The unique titling of each meditation and the nontraditional themes and organization help bring Jesus to our daily lives. Topics include:

Love and Hate

Truths and Lies

Arrogance and Humility

Friends and Enemies

Belief and Disbelief

Patience and Impatience

Deserved and Undeserved

Good and Evil

Fidelity and Treachery

Life and Death

My Review

This is a book that you will want to have for the up coming new year and it is a book, given as a gift that would be treasured throughout the year by it’s recipient. Though we don’t always “count our blessings” throughout the year weather it is because life is just so hectic or because we have so much on our minds,  ten minutes each morning reading the short devotions on topics such as love and hate, patience, friends, truth and lies, will ease the difficulties that we face throughout each day. It is a thought provoking devotional that I have truly enjoyed.

Although my personal preference of scripture is the King’s James version, A Year With Jesus has many scriptural versions throughout this devotional. It is an easy and understandable read that when I am going about my day, I find myself reflecting on that particular mornings reading.

You can find it HERE. I highly recommend this devotional to start your day!

Tammy♥

 

Busy Mom’s Bible

     I received a free copy of The Busy Mom’s Bible  (NIV) to review from Zondervan Bibles about two weeks ago. It is constructed very well and the two tone pink leather like cover is very feminine and attractive. It is small enough to put in your purse or a tote bag and take it with you anywhere. I always carry a Bible in my purse so that I can read it while I’m waiting for an appointment, or if I am delayed for any reason.

      If you don’t have time for a full devotion, that’s no problem because this Bible is designed for a one minute, a five minute or a ten minute devotion. Not only that, The Busy Mom’s Bible  was designed to have devotional inserts by devotional need such as A Woman of Character, Overcoming Obstacles, Healthy Living, Your Emotions, Your Relationships, and Family Ties to name just a few. I have truly enjoyed reading this Bible for my devotions because the design and layout is to make our lives as women easier to have a daily devotion.

     I am disappointed that Zondervan Bibles do not offer The Busy Mom's Bible in the KJV or NKJV. I do hope they will consider these versions as I am a KJV gal. However, I highly recommend The Busy Mom's Bible.

** Disclaimer**

I was given the product for free in order to write my honest opinion about the product for the review.

BOOK REVIEW "THE NOTICER" By ANDY ANDREWS

     Andy Andrews' The Noticer is a reminder for all of us to put our lives back into "perspective". It is a seeker of the truth into one's soul. It is revealing, uplifting and inspiring, a good read that is hard to put down.