Hey God, I've God Some Guy Named Jonah in my Stomach....

Another great review opportunity crossed my path and I was sure this was one the kid would like.   Over Easter he wrote portions of the Easter story from the perspective of various persons involved.  You can scroll down on the blog to read some of those.  This is a funny book about Jonah.. written from the perspective of the whale.  Right up our alley.   It is called- "Hey God, I've Got Some Guy Named Jonah in my Somach and I think I'm Going to Throw Up,"  by Troy Schmidt

The writer for this book is also the lead writer on The American Bible Challenge which is hosted by Jeff Foxworthy on the Game Show Network.  And there will be more books coming out in this series including..Hey God, Can you Stop the Rain so I can Get off Noah's Smelly ark?  and.. Hey God, I'm having an Awful Vacation in Egypt Thanks to Moses.   Sounds hilarious!  

In addition to the purchase page, you can see the author's facebook page.  For an inside peek, here is a video showing pages from the book.

This is a super fun book that kids of many ages would be delighted to have.  The theme is trusting God.  (Why does that topic keep smacking me in the face, even with kids' books!)  It is a lighthearted read of course, but there is a page at the end that lists things to read, things to think and things to do.  I do recommend purchasing this.. If you don't win it... 

Which brings me to the contest, again sponsored by the folks at Fly By Promotions.  This didn't work out so well last time.  I think Rafflecopter can be confusing.  Below there are options to enter.  The first one is very easy.  Just click on +1 and you will be entered with one point value.  If you are, or wish to follow this blog, you may use 'Google Friend Connect'.  You will see this on the side bar.  You can become my friend and then list your GFC name in the Rafflecopter space provided.  If you are already a friend you may also enter this but please indicate your GFC name in the Rafflecopter entry so I can verify if you win.  This is worth +3 and will allow you a greater chance to win.   You may also Tweet the contest and leave a link to your tweet as indicated.  This is a +2 entry. 

If you don't win..  I'd buy the book.  It's a keeper.   

a Rafflecopter giveaway

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Fasting

This is autism awareness month and honestly, I avoid all the media.  I am.. aware.  But there is one 'event' that I had forgotten about until mid-April.  It is the Children of Destiny prayer push.  They actually have prayer every day of the year but there is a special push in April.  And today, April 23, there is a day of prayer and fasting.

This has lead me, via their extended prayer sheets on Children of Destiny, to Isaiah 58 which talks about true fasting.  It is never just about the food.  It is about the heart..  The fasting is a symbol of what is suppose to go on inside the heart.  And also how that effects our outer appearance and actions.  Fasting allows us to further our relationship in the Lord by relying on Him.  Then we gain a better understanding about who we are and WHOSE we are.  It is only then that our actions are changed for the right reasons.

I feel as if I am talking and writing in circles here.  What does fasting do?  I am just now trying to grasp this for myself.  This is what I have so far.

- Fasting requires that we come close to God.  We can not do it on our own effort and if we do we will either fail or miss the biggest blessing of a fast..getting to know Him

- Effect the outcome, change the tide, push a prayer we have been wanting for a long time over the edge.  Why?  I am not sure I firmly have this in my mind and heart yet.  It is because He is faithful first. Our fasting is a sign of repentance and a sign of humbling ourselves to God.  A sacrifice to our God.  A fragrant offering up to God (Philippians 4:18). It shows God we are serious.  Even though He knows our heart better than we do ourselves, there is still something we do on our part ...  maybe it is to show ourselves that we are willing to sacrifice for Him.

- Fasting can change the hearts of others.  God can and DOES directly heal our children. He also works in the hearts of others to move to help our families.

All of this can happen without fasting.  I am sure of that.  But as the Lord leads, people should consider fasting, not as a duty (as Isaiah 58 discusses) but as a love offering to our Lord.

"You Owe Me Date Nights Moses!!"

OK I took the above blog post title from a friend.  It cracked me up. I suppose I should back up a bit....

There is so much advice out there regarding how to keep a perfect marriage.. especially after kids.  There are two personal favorites that I have heard.

1)  Make SURE you go on date nights....

2) Make SURE you get "ME" time.

On the date nights... that is all well and good but  that doesn't always happen in many families for a variety of reasons; special needs child, eldercare, work requirements, illness.    (Ok it almost NEVER happens.)  I sure hope that going on a weekly (or monthly or yearly) date with the husband isn't a requirement to stay married.  Someone ought to tell that to my marriage certificate which is twenty years old.

On the "ME" time... Again... all well and good.  And frankly I have been trying to do this a bit more for myself.  But in the past this didn't happen for me.  I think you have to often think outside the box when it comes to me time and know that to every thing there is a season.  And sometimes "me" seasons are like finding summer in Alaska (or Antarctica.)

The reason that I am writing this is because I often see on facebook and in blogs all the wonderful 'date nights' and me times that people are doing.  All the "advice" for a perfect life.  As if.   And I suppose sometimes there is a bit of bitterness and jealousy that I must confess.  But as my friend said, when Moses came back from the field after being gone for months at a time, do you think his wife said, "Moses!  You owe me nine date nights!"  I don't think either of those two things is even Biblical...necessarily.  We mustn't feel down when they don't happen.

Like anything else you need to seek the Lord with all your heart.. He will give you understanding.. and comfort and fill the spaces that only He can fill.  I am not besmirching date nights or me time.. just trying to bring a little light to the situation that all that advice can just be.. a little much.

This Is Our Time

I had the opportunity to review a new family oriented DVD.  What a nice change from the general film offerings that are out there.

The movie is This Is Our Time.

To summarize from the website:

The movie tells the interwoven stories of Luke (T.J. Dalrymple) and Alé (Erin Bethea), who marry right after school and move to India to serve as missionaries for Embrace A Village, a ministry that cares for those afflicted with leprosy and their families; aspiring financier Catherine (Kate Cobb), who joins a prestigious financial institution determined to make an impact on corporate America; Ryder (Matthew Florida), who lands an impressive job in social media and can’t wait to use the powerful medium for a greater good; and Ethan (Shawn-Caulin Young,) seemingly the odd man out, who struggles to find his God-given-purpose and feels sidelined by God.

“What they all come to learn is that it never really was their time,” Arnold said. “It always was, always is, God’s time.”

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The movie is based off Jeremiah 29:11.  "For I know the plans I have for you" says the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."  The story spoiler is pretty much given away in the clip below; but how the events unfold and the response of the characters is the important part of the story.  One of my favorite 'themes' of the movie is that we all play 'roles' with each other and when Christians come together as one unit or body, we are so much stronger.  There is no insignificant role.  We can not live in a vacuum.  (I have so much more to say on this but perhaps that is for a different post.)

The acting in the movie is good as is the character development.  I did feel as if I got to know them more and more as the movie went on.  Some of the transitions between scenes were choppy.. like I was going to get a commercial at that point.  But all in all the production value was good.  And I hate saying this part.. but it was good especially for a Christian film.  With budgets as they are, Christian movies sometimes feel 'cheap' but this one did not.

A central piece of this movie involved Embrace a Village charity which takes physical, emotional and spiritual healing to leprosy colonies in the State of Tamil Nadu which is one of the 28 states of India.   You can see it on the south east corner of this map of India.  (If you homeschool feel free to count this as your geography lesson for the day.)

The movie places each character in different roles in how they serve God... from the United States all the way to the edges of India .. and the theme is that no one is more important that the other.  All play a role.

You can purchase the movie here at Christian Cinema.
Of course they have a Facebook Page.

Here is a clip.  It does give away a big part of the film but as I mentioned, the people are really the story.. not the plot.

The folks at FlyBy promotions are offering up a free DVD!  So please enter below.  Make sure to hit the enter button and leave your info in the comments as instructed.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Diary of.. Peter

I know..it's past Easter.. but we are still working up our Resurrection Eggs story.  Going to post one a day.  Perhaps it will keep the Easter message in my mind.   The shape of blood cells at the end is just random thinking.  I love that about my kid.  It says, "hey look!  something shiny."   And who knows WHAT they talked about since the disciples were together all day every day.  And I am sure they didn't know the gravity of the time they were about to enter.  

diary of peter(the cup)

Dear diary, we had a supper. Jesus said this one would be the last one, but i’m pretty skeptical. And he freaked us all out saying one of us would betray us. I know I wouldn't! Jesus said judas was the one, then told him to “go do his work”.  Jesus gave us some bread and said it was his body, and it shall be broken. I understand both jesus and bread are good, but bread?!?! he also gave us wine, saying it was his blood. Jesus isn't crazy, but he spoke like it. In a little bit, we’re going to go to to gethsemane in the mountain of olives. and on the way there, i’m going to argue with james about what shape blood looks like really small(i’m pretty sure they look like T’s.)

Peter