by Kimberly | Dec 4, 2017 | Books
Seriously, a book with a donut on the cover? Yes, give me that book!
My kids loved this right away for the very same reason. And because we ate donuts while reading it for the first time.
I’m definitely a Max Lucado fan, and have been ever since high school when I started reading his books. He encouraged me in my faith so much during those first years of really growing in the Word.
And, raising boys, I think my boys need this book.
Boys need to be brave to grow into men.
Boys need to be brave to fight injustice in the world with the justice of God
Boys need to be brave to stick up for their siblings on the playground, or that boy who is getting picked on, or that girl who is getting teased.
Boys need to be brave when its not cool to do the right thing.
Boys need to be brave to work hard when it is more popular to be lazy.
Of when they are afraid of the dark and want their door cracked at night.
And this cat in the book reminds us, and our children of great truths:
God is good – always. (Our older son’s life verse says this very thing)
God is near – so good to know that. When we pray we acknowledge that.
God is here – part of his perfect character.
And that He loves you.
If you’d like to win a copy of this book for your favorite little person – makes a great Christmas gift – then just leave a comment telling me your favorite kind of donut.
Thanks to Tommy Nelson Mommies for this book and the giveaway book!
by Kimberly | Dec 3, 2017 | Books
Some preachers have a way of writing that gets deep into your soul and changes the way you read Scripture or understand Scripture.
There have been multiple pastors for me over the years, both personally and from afar, who have done that for me. Who have made my eyes be more open to the truth and life of God’s Word.
Eugene Peterson is one of them. And his new book, a collection of sorts of his writings/sermons, has caused me to think on certain passages in a new way. I am still reading his new book, As Kingfisher’s Catch Fire, and will continue to do so.
As with the Message, I don’t read it as my main Bible version, and neither will I used these sermons as my main source of commentary. But, I love how he brings new things to light in the reading of Scripture.
You will be challenged if you read this book. You may not agree with everything he says, but as you process, take all to the Word and with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Thank you to Blogging for Books for this book and Russell Moore for recommending it.
by Kimberly | Dec 1, 2017 | Books, Coffee with..., Uncategorized
Advent starts this weekend. And one of the books out there for you to read, by yourself or with your family, is Unwrapping the Names of Jesus. And today, I get to share with you some fun thoughts from the author, Asheritah. Asheritah and I wrote for the same blog a few years ago and her writing has been a continual source of encouragement for me.
I hope you enjoy the interview.
- So what some people might want some help with is how to pronounce your name. And can you give us a little bit of your background: like your family, what you do, etc?
Sure! My name looks intimidating at first, but it’s easier than it looks. Asheritah, my first name, is pronounced like “margarita” and my last name, Ciuciu, is pronounced choo-choo like the train. It sounds like a silly way to explain pronunciation, but my name has deep significance. My father made it as a compound name, based on Asher, to mean “God is my happiness.” And that’s been the guiding light of my life ever since, and it’s the foundation of One Thing Alone Ministries as well, as we strive to help women find joy in Jesus.
I grew up in Romania as a missionary kid and met my husband in sixth grade summer camp. It took eleven years for us to eventually marry, but I’m so blessed to have him as my husband. We have two spunky little girls and currently live in Northeast Ohio.
- With all the Christmas books out there – why this one? Why now? What compelled you to write an Advent book?
Believe it or not, I didn’t really enjoy Christmas growing up. Even into young adulthood, the Christmas season brought more anxiety than anticipation, and when I was expecting my first daughter, a mentor of mine encouraged me to begin new traditions for my own family. As I began praying, asking the Lord to help me rediscover the meaning and joy of Christmas, He pointed me to the names of Jesus.
If we really believe that Jesus is the greatest gift of all, wouldn’t it make sense that we would want to learn more about Him? What does it mean that He is the Lion of Judah? The Lord of Lords? The Alpha and Omega? Each name is a promise, a unique identity that reveals a facet of His character, and when we unwrap them one at a time, we discover the beauty of Jesus, Son of God, made man for us.
My desire with Unwrapping the Names of Jesus is to help readers rediscover the joy of Christmas by growing deeper in their knowledge and love of Jesus, learning to worship Him with all their hearts, so that when Christmas morning rolls around, we’ll all join in to sing, “O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!”
- Can you share a special holiday memory that you have?
One of my favorite Christmas gifts was a box of English books my dad managed to secure for me in Romania. English books were so hard to find, and he hid a treasure trove under my bed one year, and instructed me to take out only one at a time. Oh, the anticipation of each new book made me both excited to read the next book and also slow down to relish each book I held in my hands. In a way, this special gift inspired the format of Unwrapping the Names of Jesus, as I want readers to have that same experience: excited to read the next day’s name, but also slowing down to relish the beauty of who Jesus is today.
- You graduated Cedarville. What was the best part about being at a Christian university?
So much goodness! Cedarville was where I learned to think for myself, to hold up my own beliefs to inspection and really own my faith. But it also taught me the importance of defending my faith with gentleness and respect, something I struggled with as a teenager. I loved having a safe place to wrestle with the difficult parts of my Christian faith, and I still look back with fondness at many of the late nights spent debating transubstantiation, amillenialism, and arminianism, debates I don’t touch much today, but conversations that laid a foundation for my desire to help women dig deeper into the truth found only in Jesus.
- Being a mom to spunky children, do you ever wonder how you do it? What about parenting and being in ministry (outside the home)?
Oh, this is a challenge, isn’t it? It doesn’t matter whether you’re climbing the corporate ladder or climbing the lego-strewn stairs, there’s always more tugs on your time and body than there is energy to do it all. I think it’s important to enlist the help of others, especially those whose strengths fill in the gaps of your weaknesses.
I’m blessed to be surrounded by a community that supports me in life and ministry. From my husband (who is my biggest champion and a huge support in the technical part of running our ministry), to my mom and mother-in-law (who take turns babysitting our girls), to my team of assistants around the world (from South Africa to San Diego and everywhere in between), to the countless women who respond to my SOS prayer texts before I jump on a radio interview or when I’m facing a book deadline, I am blessed with so much help. Seriously, I couldn’t do this all by myself, nor would I want to even try.
- Out of all the names of Jesus that you unwrap in your advent book, which has been the dearest to you?
This is the hardest question of all, because I don’t really have a favorite. Instead, I’ve found that different names take on new meaning in different situations in life. Just today, I got an email with some bad news, and for a few moments I panicked. But then the Spirit reminded me that Jesus is the Lord of Lords, and that means He’s in control of this situation too. His Names are either true all the time or they’re not true at any time, and it’s moments like those that require us to live out what we say we believe. (BTW, everything turned out ok in the end, because Jesus really can handle our crises, can’t He?)
- This blog series is called Coffee With…so if we were sitting down having coffee somewhere, where would we be and what would you get?
Easy. We’d be sitting at the copper-topped tables at Artisan Coffee Shop, where you can find me most weeks working on some new project. And I’d probably be sipping on a Dark Chocolate Orangeman, which is part of the secret menu, but if you wanted to try one, I’d order it for you too. 🙂
by Kimberly | Nov 29, 2017 | Books, World Events
Are you ever confused by everything you see on the news? On your Facebook feed? In the your Twitter feed?
Do you ever wonder how you are supposed to respond to all the happenings that take over everyone’s conversation?
New Growth Publishers and Marvin Olasky have put together a book of short writings that will help you know how to think with a Gospel-centered world view. And there is nothing new under the sun. So, while these essays will eventually not be headliners – the problems they talk about will just happen in a new way. With new people. In a new country or city.
Sin affects everything in our world. And the entire world is groaning for the return of its Maker. And Olasky helps us think rightly about the events happening in our world. This is definitely one to read and discuss – or at least keep a journal on. It is not a quick read – even though the articles are quite readable in length. But, if you care about the world and how sin and the gospel impact our world, then you will want to read and digest the articles in here.
Thanks to Litfuse for this book. All opinions are my own.
by Kimberly | Nov 27, 2017 | Bible, Books
I’ve not been this excited about a preschooler/toddler Bible in…EVER.
My friend Jared Kennedy makes this book a winner – by beautifully written stories and everything pointing back to Christ – for young kids. Of course I love the Jesus Storybook Bible, but its more for older children, say 5-6yo. But, this Bible, the Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible, is perfect for preschoolers. And that’s just where my boys are.
This Bible isn’t about us. Its not about how to get our kids to behave better or obey a list of rules (even good rules). This Bible is about Jesus. And that’s what the God Story is all about anyway.
Jared hits it out of the park with this one. And after we finish our current family worship book, and Advent, we are going to use his.
Thanks to Litfuse for this book. All opinions are my own.
by Kimberly | Nov 24, 2017 | Books, Christmas
We still have apple pie leftover from Thanksgiving yesterday, but already we are getting in the mood for Advent over here. My mister is busy with other preparing for the Christmas cantata at our church and planning for the Christmas Eve services.
We’ve done our Black Friday shopping and stood in line with others – thankfully everyone was in a good mood as we stood in line buying our Christmas goodies!
But, even though I didn’t grow up with Advent (I’m Baptist by the way), I have come to appreciate it the last ten years. It helps me slow down, focus on Jesus, think about the waiting period that happened in the world (both in the silence waiting for Jesus and the time we spend now waiting for his return), and plant meaningful traditions around my home and in my children even through the busy Christmas season.
My friend Asheriah Ciuciu has written a new book called Unwrapping the Names of Jesus. This is a book that is short – not overwhelming – and focuses on 20 names of Jesus that you can study either by yourself or with your family.
Each day has Scripture, a prayer, application, prose, and Scriptures for further study. The book also includes some information about why Advent – why celebrate it and what it is for or the intent of the church. I’m glad that it is simple and asks questions. We sometimes get so wrapped up in everything that we add our Advent study to the list of things we have to do instead of resting in just being with Jesus.
So, to help you start Advent, I’ve been given the opportunity to give a copy of Asheritah’s book away and with it comes this download that I did featuring all the names studied in the book. PS: you can just click above and go buy your download, its only $5.
Thank you to SideDoor Comm and Moody Publishers for this book to giveaway!
To enter giveaway: share a Christmas or Advent tradition! That’s all.
