Thanks to All…

Thanksgiving means many things to each individual. To me it has truly always been a time of thanks. This year is no different. Below I have written a letter to all with sincere thanks.

When I refer to “family” in the following please note this covers “all” my families…. my international church family comprised of many brothers and sisters of faith all over the world, many I have never seen nor spoken to, my local church family including all of my brothers and sisters at Grace Community Baptist Church in Moncks Corner, SC, my church family from Salem Baptist Church in Richmond, Va. Redeeming Grace Baptist Church in Mathews, VA. Grace Baptist in Talyors, SC. My seminary families at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and The Southern Baptist Seminary. My work family at Genworth Financial, especially those in the Genworth Action Center. Wow, I am so blessed to have all of these brothers and sisters and I have not even mentioned my biological and marital family…… just know that when I say friends and family this includes you.

Dear Friends and Family,

How can I begin to thank God and all of you for the multiple blessings I have recieved this year.

Words alone seem so pale in comparison to the vibrant beauty to be found in the relationships and blessings received.  There have been some large obstacles and some deep times of sorrow and disappointment but these moments seem minute when they stand aside the largesse of those blessings extended through all of you.

May we all look earnestly and acknowledge that which we must be Thankful for….

Again thanks to all of you that the Lord has and will purpose in my life. To God be the glory.

In His Service,

Cindy Bailey

Word4Women

Touched by A Vampire

The book “Touched by a Vampire”  by Beth Felker Jones is a “must have”  for any Christian Parent or Youth Leader and a “should have” for Christians. Within the book the author systematically and comprehensively unpacks the “hidden messages in the Twilight Saga.”

A phenomonal best seller with book one already made into a film and book two opening in theatres November 20th. Not since Harry Potter has there been such a whirlwind of activity surrounding the release of a series of books. The draw is amazing, the marketing phenomonal. The target audience……  tweens, teens and young adults.  Most specifically young girls.  As the book is written from the perspective of a young high school girl named Bella….. most young girls want to read the books or see the movies….. and why not? ….. listen to some short reviews of  Touched by a Vampire.

“Like many who care about young adults, I’ve puzzled over the recent vampire craze. I applaud Touched by a Vampire for shining its brilliant light into a somewhat dark and mysterious world. Utilizing the existing teen fascination of the Twilight books in order to spark an open discussion about love, life, and faith is both smart and savvy. This thoughtful book is a much needed tool for parents, youth leaders, and teens.”

—MELODY CARLSON, author of the Diary of a Teenage Girl series

“‘But Mom, you’d like this vampire book. It teaches that true love waits!’ They knew which pitch to give, and Felker Jones has their number. This book is itself a page-turner, diagnosing vampiric love as meager fare. It turns out true love is not so much about waiting for Mr. Bite, but being abundantly blessed at God’s banquet.”
—AMY LAURA HALL, associate professor of
Christian Ethics, Duke University, and author
of Conceiving Parenthood and Kierkegaard and
the Treachery of Love

Today I will be posting some reviews from others and as the week goes by I will be posting personal reviews….. Please come back and read each new entry.

People around the world are asking the same question, enraptured with Edward and Bella’s forbidden romance in the Twilight Saga, a four-book serial phenomenon written by Stephenie Meyer. The bestsellers tell the story of a regular girl’s relationship with a vampire who has chosen to follow his “good” side. But the Saga isn’t just another fantasy–it’s teaching girls about love, sex, and purpose. With 48 million copies in print and a succession of upcoming blockbuster films, now is the time to ask the important question: Can vampires teach us about God’s plan for love?

Touched by a Vampire is the first book to investigate the themes of the Twilight Saga from a Biblical perspective. Some Christian readers have praised moral principles illustrated in the story, such as premarital sexual abstinence, which align with Meyer’s Mormon beliefs. But ultimately, Beth Felker Jones examines whether the story’s redemptive qualities outshine its darkness.

Cautionary, thoughtful, and challenging, Touched by a Vampire is written for Twilight fans, parents, teachers, and pop culture enthusiasts. It includes an overview of the series for those unfamiliar with the storyline and a discussion guide for small groups.

RELATED LINKS

• > Download the leader’s guide
• > Download the Twlight movie watching guide

This book has been provided for review by Multnomah Waterbrook Press.

You can purchase this book by going on line to: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601422781

The Author  Beth Felker Jones is Assistant Professor of Theology at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois.  She holds a Ph.D. from Duke University, Graduate Certificate in Women’ Studies, M.T.S from Duke Divinity School and her B.A from DePauw.

John Calvin wrote that “All right knowledge of God is born of obedience.” It is my privilege to serve at Wheaton College as a teacher of theology and to explore what may be known of God when the Spirit leads us to obey. The more I learn about the Christian faith, the more I am stunned by the beauty of what God has done and is doing through Jesus Christ. My goal as a teacher is to help students see that beauty in ways they may never have glimpsed before. That work of teaching is strengthened by researching and writing about the beauty of the gospel spread through time and space.

When not at the College, I can usually be found with my husband Brian, who is a United Methodist pastor, and our three children, Gwen, Sam, and Tess.

Losing Mothers

In recent weeks I have read the following statements:

“Lower fertility is changing the world for the better”

“The bad news is that the girls who will give birth to the coming, larger generations have already been born. The good news is that they will want far fewer children than their mothers or grandmothers did.”

“Educated women are more likely to go out to work, more likely to demand contraception and less likely to want large families.”

 

The Economist Magazine, October 29th, 2009

Rather alarming I would say…. I personally am glad I was born…. I also am glad I had a wonderful mother… I did not say perfect I said wonderful.  This magazine and many more “sources” predicts fewer mothers as a result of fewer pregnancies.

I offer the following, written in 1896. Praying that women the world over will take heed to God’s command in the book of Genesis to “be fruitful and multiply.” But more than that even… that we may see a resurgence in “motherhood” which is not the same as giving birth.

 

Though all are born “dead in trespasses and sins;” in another sense, when a baby is born—its life is only a patch of soil in which, as yet, nothing is growing.

A mother’s hand is the first to plant seeds there—in the looks of tender love which her eyes dart into the child’s soul, in her smiles and caresses and croonings, and her thousand efforts to reach the child’s heart and shape its powers; and then in the lessons which she teaches.

All the members of the household soon become sowers also on this field; as the life begins to open, every one is dropping some seed into the mellow soil.

In a little while, hands outside the home begin to scatter seeds in the child’s mind and heart. The street, the playground, the school; later, books, papers, and pictures contribute their portion.

As the years advance, the experiences of life—the joys, temptations, tasks, trials, sorrows—all bring their influences. Somewhat in this way, the character of the mature man—is the growth of seeds sown by a thousand hands in the life from infancy.

All our thoughts, words, and acts—are seeds. They have in them a quality which makes them grow where they fall, reproducing themselves. This is true of the good we do.

The mother’s teachings enter the mind and heart of her child as mere seeds; but they reappear in the life of the son or daughter, in later years—in strength and beauty, in nobleness of character, and in usefulness of life. Not only is this strange power in the mother’s words; her acts, her habits, her tones of voice, the influences that go forth from her life—are also seeds, having in them a vital principle. Where they lodge—they grow.

You can never lose your mother! She may die, and her body may be buried out of your sight, and laid away in God’s acre. You will see her face and hear her voice no more; no more will her hand scatter the good seeds of truth and love, upon your life’s garden. But you have not lost her! Your mind and heart are full of the seeds which fell from her hand along the years. These you never can lose. No hand of death can root them out of your life. They have grown into the very fibers of your character. They reappear in your habits, your dispositions, your feelings and opinions, your modes of thought, your very phrases and forms of speech! You can never lose your mother; the threads of her life are woven inextricably into your life!

All the noble things that fall from your hands, as you travel along life’s paths, are seeds, and will not die. The good things we do, with the true words we speak, with the faithful example we show, with all the influences of our life that are Christlike, are living seeds which we sow in the lives of others. They will not fall into the ground and perish. They will stay where they drop, and you will find them again after many days. They will germinate and grow, and yield a harvest!

Go on doing the little things, no matter how small, only making sure that you breathe love into them. Let them fall where they may, no matter into what heart, no matter how silently, no matter how hopeless may seem the soil into which they drop, no matter how you yourself may appear to be forgotten or overlooked as you do your deeds of kindness, and speak your words of love. These words and deeds and influences of yours are living seeds, and not one of them shall perish!

The same is true, however, of the evil things we do. They, too, have in them the quality of life and reproductiveness. If only our good things were seeds, this truth would have unmingled encouragement for us. But it is startling to remember, that the same law applies to the evil things.

The man who writes a wicked book, or paints an unholy picture, or sings an impure song—sets in motion a procession of unholy influences which will live on forever! He, too, will find his evil words again in the hearts of men, long, long afterwards; or see his unclean picture reproduced on men’s lives, or hear his unholy song singing itself over again in the depths of men’s being!

The evil that men do—lives after them! “Bury my influence in my grave with me!” said a wicked man, dying with bitter remorse in his soul. But that is impossible. Sometimes men who have been sowing evil, wake up to the consciousness of the harm they have been giving to other lives, and go back over their paths, trying to gather up the seeds of sin which they have cast into human hearts. But the effort is unavailing, as no one can take out of men’s minds and hearts—the seeds of evil he has dropped there!

We are not done with life—when we die! We shall meet our acts and words and influences again! “Do not be deceived! God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows—he will also reap!” Galatians 6:7. He shall reap the same that he sows—and he himself shall be the reaper!

There is a law of divine justice, in which God requites to every man according to his deeds. We are not living under a reign of mere chance. But sometimes it seems as if the law of justice did not work universally—that some who do wrong, are not requited; and that some who do good, receive no reward. But this inequality of justice is only apparent. Life does not end at the grave! If it did, we might say that the Lord’s ways are not always equal. God’s dealings with men, are not closed in this earthly life!  The story is continued through eternity!

In this present life—wrong often seems to go unpunished, and virtue unrewarded. But our present lives, are simply unfinished life-stories. There are other chapters which will be written in eternity. When all has been completed, there will be no inequality, no injustice. All virtue will have its full reward—and all sin will receive its due punishment.

You can never lose your mother! 

(J. R. Miller, “The SEEDS We Are Scattering” 1896)

Fences

As I began to read White Picket Fences, by Susan Meissner my mind rushed ahead of the story. This happens to me from time to time…I must admit I read the last chapter first! Admittedly that is not the intention of the author and I trust your will not read the last paragraph of this blog first.

The title White Picket Fences intrigued me, was this about a maiden woman who spent all day in her garden behind a white picket fence? Or maybe the white picket fence held back a great big lovable St Bernard. Wrong on both points. The White Picket Fence referred to in the title of Susan Meissner’s most recent novel illustrated what we consider to be the idealic home. You know the kind you saw as “the Beav” road his bike home on the TV show Leave it to Beaver.  White frame houses, with white picket fences the perfect packaging for the All American Family in residence.

White Picket Fences is an engaging novel about the fragile life behind the White Picket Fence. The life of the Janvier family and there new house guest, niece Tally. After the sudden death of Tally’s grandmother and the abscence of her father, she has two options. Foster Care… or life with her aunt and uncle she barely knows.

As you read further you discover several other fences alluded to, the fences keeping in thousands of Polish Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto of World War II and the fences around Treblinka a Nazi Concentration Camp.

Throughout the book you witness many kinds of fences erected by individuals to keep others out or to keep our secrets in….. Pick up a copy of this wonderful book and enjoy a trip with Tally as she experiences the fences of her new life and that of her ancestors.

This book has been provided by Random House  for Multnomah Publishers and can be purchased online at:

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781400074570

White Picket Fences

Today we start with the Publishers Notes on this engaging story. Follow us throughout the week as we offer personal reviews on … White Picket Fences.

When her black sheep brother disappears, Amanda Janvier eagerly takes in her sixteen year-old niece Tally. The girl is practically an orphan: motherless, and living with a father who raises Tally wherever he lands– in a Buick, a pizza joint, a horse farm–and regularly takes off on wild schemes. Amanda envisions that she, her husband Neil, and their two teenagers can offer the girl stability and a shot at a “normal” life, even though their own storybook lives are about to crumble.

Seventeen-year-old Chase Janvier hasn’t seen his cousin in years, and other than a vague curiosity about her strange life, he doesn’t expect her arrival will affect him much–or interfere with his growing, disturbing interest in a long-ago house fire that plagues his dreams unbeknownst to anyone else.

Tally and Chase bond as they interview two Holocaust survivors for a sociology project, and become startlingly aware that the whole family is grappling with hidden secrets, with the echoes of the past, and with the realization that ignoring tragic situations won’t make them go away.

Will Tally’s presence blow apart their carefully-constructed world, knocking down the illusion of the white picket fence and reveal a hidden past that could destroy them all–or can she help them find the truth without losing each other?

This book was provided by Random House Multnomah Publishing for review.

This book may be purchased online through  the following Link:

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781400074570

Visit the site for this and many other books by author Susan Meissner

 

More about the author at her website: http://www.susanmeissner.com/

 

Wonderful Fall Fiction

 Fall is here and for most of you that means a kaleidoscope of color abounds all around. The leaves as they fall are as gems from heaven…amber, garnet, ruby, topaz with a random emerald or peridot intermingled.  There is a brisk chill in the air that is invigorating and renewing. This is a great time to put on your sweater and brew your favorite cup of coffee,tea, or hot cocoa and read. Nothing to intense but something to engage your mind and lift your soul.

Random House through Multnomah Press has a Fall Fiction offering as rich as the color around you.

Leaving Carolina by: Tamara Leigh

Piper Wick left her hometown of Pickwick, North Carolina, twelve years ago, shook the dust off her feet, ditched her drawl and her family name, and made a new life for herself as a high-powered public relations consultant in LA. She’s even “engaged to be engaged” to the picture-perfect U.S. Congressman Grant Spangler.

Now all of Piper’s hard-won happiness is threatened by a reclusive uncle’s bout of conscience. In the wake of a health scare, Uncle Obadiah Pickwick has decided to change his will, leaving money to make amends for four generations’ worth of family misdeeds. But that will reveal all the Pickwicks’ secrets, including Piper’s.

Though Piper arrives in Pickwick primed for battle, she is unprepared for Uncle Obe’s rugged, blue-eyed gardener. So just who is Axel Smith? Why does he think making amends is more than just making restitution? And why, oh why, can’t she stay on task? With the Lord’s help, Piper is about to discover that although good PR might smooth things over, only the truth will set her free.

This is a wonderful story of some of the modern dilemma’s we face and the way to handle them with …truth.

From Leaving Carolina you can journey to fame, beauty, and the good life with

Limelight by Melody Carlson is a fast paced story of the fall from youth, beauty and fame to the reality of age, lost physical beauty and pride.

Claudette Fioré used to turn heads and break hearts. She relished the glamorous Hollywood lifestyle because she had what it takes: money, youth, fame, and above all, beauty. But age has withered that beauty, and a crooked accountant has taken her wealth, leaving the proud widow penniless and alone.

Armed with stubbornness and sarcasm, Claudette returns to her shabby little hometown and her estranged sister. Slowly, she makes friends. She begins to see her old life in a new light. For the first time, Claudette Fioré questions her own values and finds herself wondering if it’s too late to change.

Jill Elizabeth Nelson, author of the “To Catch a Thief” series sums it up in these words;

“Only a gifted writer like Melody Carlson could present a self-centered character in such a way that the reader can’t wait to turn the page and learn more about her. Claudette’s poignant, yet amusing journey from worldly has-been diva to genuine, honest woman grabs the reader by the heartstrings and doesn’t let go, even after the end. Highly recommended!”

For the young woman in your home Melody Carlson offers What Matters Most, diary of a teenage girl…

Maya’s Green Tip for the Day: Recycled fashion is one of the most fun ways to go green. A pair of jeans could be transformed into a denim skirt. A sweater into a vest. A bunch of old ties into a dress. A blanket into a poncho. Accessorize it in new way–with beads, buttons, appliqués, buckles, stencils, or ribbons…your imagination is only the limit. (65 words)

Sixteen-year-old Maya Stark has a lot to sort through. She could graduate from high school early if she wants to. She’s considering it, especially when popular cheerleader Vanessa Hartman decides to make her life miserable–and Maya’s ex-boyfriend Dominic gets the wrong idea about everything.

To complicate matters even more, Maya’s mother will be released from prison soon, and she’ll want Maya to live with her again. That’s a disaster waiting to happen. And when Maya plays her dad’s old acoustic guitar in front of an audience, she discovers talents and opportunities she never expected. Faced with new options, Maya must choose between a “normal” life and a glamorous one. Ultimately, she has to figure out what matters most.

We all are faced with difficulties as we walk through life, but some of what young girls like Maya face are beyond our comprehension. Travel through Maya’s story as she detemines what REALLY matters most.

All of the above referenced books are provided by Random House for review.

These and many other wonderful books may be obtained by visiting:

Leaving Carolina : http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601421661

What Matters Most: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601421197

Limelight: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781400070824

Sounds of Sleigh Bells Ranked Number Five in Christian Fiction at CBD

Sounds of Sleigh Bells has hit #5 on teh Bestsellers List at Christian Book Distributors

www.cbd.com

Go Dogs and Eat the Garbage….

The Following is an excerpt form Charles Spurgeon, “The Soul Winner” and posted @ www.gracegems.org

Written over 100 years ago this could have been in any newspaper today.

“So that you may become blameless and pure,
 children of God without fault in a crooked and
 depraved generation, in which you shine like
 stars in the universe.” Philippians 2:15

I believe that one reason why the church at this
present moment has so little influence over the world,
is because the world has so much influence over the
church! Nowadays, we hear professors pleading that
they may do this, and do that—that they may live like
worldlings. My sad answer to them, when they crave
this liberty is, “Do it if you dare. It may not cost you
much hurt, for you are so bad already. Your cravings
show how rotten your hearts are. If you are hungering
after such dogs food—go dogs, and eat the garbage! “Whatever is true,
 whatever is noble,
 whatever is right,
 whatever is pure,
 whatever is lovely,
 whatever is admirable,
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy
—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

Worldly amusements are fit food for pretenders and
hypocrites. If you were God’s children, you would loathe
the thought of the world’s evil joys. Your question would
not be, “How far may we be like the world?” but your cry
would be, “How can we get away from the world? How
can we come out of it?”