Friday, March 29, 2013

What Happens When Young Women Say Yes to God

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!



Today's Wild Card authors are:
 
 
and the book:
 
Harvest House Publishers (March 1, 2013)
 
***Special thanks to Ginger Chen for sending me a review copy.***
 
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
 
Lysa TerKeurst is a New York Times bestselling author and a national speaker who helps women live an adventure of faith. She is the president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and an author of 15 books, including Unglued, Made to Crave, and What Happens When Women Say Yes to God. Her daily online devotional encourages more than 600,000 women, and her remarkable life story has captivated national audiences on Oprah and Good Morning America. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and five children.

Hope TerKeurst finds fulfillment in serving through missions trips to places like Ethiopia and Nicaragua. During a trip to Nicaragua, Hope led a team that provided shoes for children to enable them to go to school. When she is at home, Hope spends time with her family and friends. She has a passion for building relationships with others and loves to travel. She is currently a college student in North Carolina.

Visit the authors' website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst invites young women on the unforgettable adventure of saying yes to God as she shares real-life illustrations, biblical guidance, humor, and inspiring special sections: “Living Y.E.S.” (Your Extraordinary Story); “YES in Action” stories from Lysa’s teen daughter, Hope, about faith in motion; chapter Bible study questions.

 
 
Product Details:
List Price: $11.99
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (March 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736954554
ISBN-13: 978-0736954556

 

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:


As You Set Out on Your
Yes Journey

We are about to discover how God’s love shapes our hearts and our individual paths of purpose. It’s an amazing journey. We won’t want to miss any of the messages He has for us. In this book you will discover the following features. Each is created to make the truths and wonders of faith more three-dimensional in your life.



Yes Factor

The gifts of the yes journey are plentiful. The Yes Factors highlight some of the most amazing treasures you’ll discover along the way. They are ready to tweet so you can share with your friends, classmates, and online communities to encourage them.



You’re Invited

Each chapter has a special invitation to say yes to God in a new way. Take time with these and pray about how you’ll respond to the call to embrace God’s best.



God’s Word for You

God speaks to us through the Bible. Scripture is not a gathering of material meant for people ages ago. It was written for you. This feature includes questions for group or personal study, reflection points, and verse explorations to get God’s Word from the page to your heart.

Living Y.E.S. (Your Extraordinary Story)

Only you can live your extraordinary story. No one else is designed by God to live this moment and all of your tomorrows. These insights and journal questions will help you understand the uniqueness, incredible value, and power of having a yes heart for God.



Yes in Action: A Note from Hope’s Yes Journey

My teenage daughter Hope shares four personal accounts of listening to God and following His lead. My prayer is that these glimpses of another young woman facing the difficulties and delights of obedience will encourage you to put your yes into action daily.



My Yes Journey Notes

At the back of this book are several note pages so you have a convenient place to write down the ideas, challenges, special verses, prayer needs, and discoveries you experience while starting your yes journey.







Ready for Something Better

Most of us long for something better. Different. Special.

Extraordinary.

We desire something more meaningful than day-to-day survival.

And the amazing thing is that even before we can name this desire, God has placed it within us and is drawing us closer to Him through that desire. Our hunger to be special and to do special things is our spiritual hunger to have an extraordinary relationship with God.

But how do we leave normal behind and head toward extraordinary?

We start a journey! It’s the amazing, transforming, anything-but-normal journey you’ll begin the day you say yes to God and to the amazing faith life He has planned for you.



Let’s begin at the starting place—right here, right now. Imagine with me that this is your day.

Beep. Beep. The notification of a text message wakes you up before your alarm. It’s a friend reminding you to bring money for the school fund-raiser and asking if you will make signs during lunch. As you sneak into the kitchen hoping to grab a bagel and glass of cranberry juice without being spoken to, your parents greet you with good-mornings and then insist you walk the dog before school.

You get to school with only a second to wave to friends. You settle into the assigned seat of the first class and do a mental happy dance because you finished your project early. The celebration is squelched because the teacher asks you to help a student who doesn’t understand yesterday’s assignment.

During lunch you finally get a chance to catch up with your best friend, but she still wants to talk through every event leading to her breakup with her boyfriend—five months ago. You listen for a while and pat her on the back for consolation, but you’re thinking, At least you had a boyfriend. My parents won’t even let me date.

The list goes on, right? A regular, ordinary day includes a lot of requests from a lot of people in your life. There are expectations. And even when you know the right thing to do, you don’t have much joy when you follow through. What’s the point? you think. It’s all so ordinary and leading nowhere.

Even if people want good things from you and of you, it’s tempting to say no. Nope. Uh-uh. No, thank you. I helped yesterday. Ask so-and-so. The dog ate my homework and my backpack and my computer.

There are lots of ways to say no.



When God asks you to do something, it can spark the desire to act as if you didn’t hear Him. It’s tempting to rattle off your memorized top five excuses for getting out of something that might be challenging, humbling, or out of your comfort zone.

In fact, sometimes God asks us to do things that seem a bit crazy at the time. We can’t see the big picture the way He does. We can’t imagine how our one yes during an ordinary day can become something extraordinary when He uses it for His purposes.

But, you see, this is where we get confused. When we say yes to God, our days are no longer ordinary or normal. In fact, there is no such thing as a typical day. Once you make the leap of faith to say yes to God, you will discover the power that answer holds in your relationship with Him, others, and yourself. There’s nothing ordinary about what’s ahead for you. Are you nervous? Are you looking around you and thinking, Maybe normal is okay? What is God going to ask of me when I say yes?

Believe me, I understand this as well as anyone. I can be stubborn. I can be resistant to being told what to do. And I’ve had plenty of times when I wanted to do anything but what God was asking me to do. In fact, I was someone who never left home without having my top five excuses list handy. This was me…that is, until God opened my eyes to the incredible, blow-my-socks-off power of saying yes to Him.

It all started the day He told me to give away my Bible.



My ministry as a writer and a speaker gives me the chance to visit churches, women’s groups, and conferences. On this particular day, I was heading home after a long schedule of speaking and I was wiped out. All I wanted was to get to my assigned seat on the plane and settle in for a nap. Imagine my absolute delight at being the only person seated in my row. I was just about to close my eyes when two last-minute passengers made their way to my row and took their seats.

Reluctantly, I decided to skip my nap. The last thing I wanted was to fall asleep and snore, drool, or, worse yet, wake up with my head resting on the guy’s shoulder beside me. I did not need another most embarrassing moment, so I pulled a manuscript out of my bag and started reading.

“What are you working on?” the guy asked. I told him I was a Christian writer. He smiled and said he thought God was a very interesting topic. I agreed and asked him a few questions about his beliefs. Before long I found myself reaching into my bag and pulling out my Bible, walking him through some key verses that dealt with the issues he was facing. He kept asking questions, and I kept praying God would give me answers.

All of a sudden I felt God tugging at my heart to give this man my Bible. Now, this was not just any Bible. This was my everyday, highlighted, underlined, written in, and tearstained Bible. I hesitated, but God’s message was clear. I was to give away my Bible.

I pulled out old church bulletins and other papers I had tucked inside the covers, took a deep breath, sighed, and placed it in the man’s hands. “I’d like for you to have my Bible,” I said.

Astonished, he started to hand it back to me, saying he couldn’t possibly accept such a gift. “God told me to give it to you,” I insisted. “Sometimes the God of the universe pauses in the midst of all His creation to touch the heart of one person. Today, He paused for you.”

The man took my Bible and made two promises. First, he said he would read it, and, second, someday he would pass it on, doing for someone else what I’d done for him.

Before I knew it, the plane landed and we were saying our goodbyes. As I stepped into the aisle preparing to disembark, the women on the other side of the businessman reached out and grabbed my arm. She’d been staring out the window the entire time we were flying, and I thought she’d been ignoring us. But her tearstained face told a different story. In a tone so hushed I could barely hear her, she whispered, “Thank you. What you shared today has changed my life.” I put my hand on hers and whispered back, “You’re welcome.” Then a knot caught in my throat as tears welled up in my eyes. I didn’t have another Bible to give away, so I gave her one of my books and hugged her goodbye. It has been said that we are to tell the whole world about Jesus, using words only if necessary. I saw this powerful truth come to life. Though I never spoke to this lady about Jesus, she saw Him through my obedience. How humbling. How profound.

As I got off the plane that day, I could barely hold back my tears. Three people’s hearts were radically changed. I believe the businessman came to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior. I believe the same is true for the lady. But my heart was changed in a dramatic way as well. I was overjoyed at what God had done, but I was also brokenhearted by the flood of thoughts that came to mind recounting times I’d told God no. How tragic to miss His divine appointments.





Yes Factor

Open your heart to God’s love. Open your life to His calling. Open your mouth to praise Him.







I kept wondering, How many times have I told You no, God? How many times have I walked right past an extraordinary moment You had shaped for me because I was too tired, too insecure, too caught up in drama, or too selfish? How often do I miss out on experiencing You? I lifted up my heart to the Lord and whispered, “Please forgive me for all those noes. Right now I say yes, Lord. I say yes to You before I even know what You might ask me to do. I simply want You to see a yes-heart in me.”

Several minutes after exiting the plane, I was heading toward my connecting gate when I spotted the businessman again. He stopped me to tell me he’d been praying and thanking God for what happened on the plane. We swapped business cards, and, though we lived several states apart, I knew we’d stay in touch.

About a month later he called to tell me his life had totally changed. He’d taken a week off from work to read the Bible, and he’d already shared his testimony with numerous people. God was definitely pursuing this man in a serious way! When I asked him what his favorite verse was, he said it was Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” I thought to myself, Wow! Look at how God has already answered that for my new friend.

He also told me that after reading the Bible he knew he needed to get involved in a church, so he’d decided to visit a large church in his town. On his way there he passed another church, and a strong feeling came over him to turn his car around and go back. So he did. When he got to his seat in the sanctuary, he opened up his bulletin and gasped. Inside the bulletin he saw an announcement that I was to be the speaker at an upcoming women’s conference. He said he felt as though, once again, God was confirming His active presence.

That day on the plane, when God impressed on my heart to give this man my Bible, I did not know what would happen. This man might have thrown my Bible into the nearest airport trash can for all I knew. Normally, I would’ve come up with a hundred reasons not to give my Bible away, but that day something changed in me. That day, for the first time, I truly heard the call of a woman who says yes to God: “Live your extraordinary story of faith.”

This journey we are taking together is life changing.

1

An Extraordinary Life Awaits

The amazing adventure of living your life and faith in extraordinary ways is up ahead. Here is the most wonderful truth: God designed it for you. And this journey cannot be lived out by anyone else. God made you as a special, nobody-else-like-you young woman, and He has a plan for your life. Do you feel it? Do you believe it? When you get up in the morning, do you think about how your day can only be lived out by the incredible you? Your family knows you and your quirky habits, and your friends share common interests, but nobody else is taking your steps through your day.

The extraordinary faith journey begins the moment you say yes to God and yes to the story He is creating through your heart, abilities, dreams, and faithfulness. It’s not just a special story—it’s an extraordinary one you and God experience together.

When we feel a tug on our heart and a stirring in our soul for more, we are often afraid to venture past our comfort zone. Outside our comfort zone, however, is where we experience the true awesomeness of God. But you have to take the plunge. How ready are you?

Notice that I didn’t ask “How perfect are you?” Perfection is highly overrated. I think at this point it is important for me to paint an accurate picture of what my life looks like before you imagine me as this super calm, amazingly organized and disciplined person who spends hours on her knees in prayer. Truth? My to-do list rarely gets accomplished. My emotions have been known to run wild, and my patience can run thin. I get pushed to the limit by everyday aggravations, such as a summer’s worth of pictures getting erased from my digital camera. Or a dog who runs away at the most inconvenient times. And I’ve had times when I step outside my comfort zone and fear causes me to second-guess myself and God’s plan.

Can you relate? Great! No matter what your life is like, you’re a young woman made to say yes to God. Even if you’re juggling all the craziness life can throw your way, when you simply whisper yes, you are equipped to start your extraordinary story of following God. “Yes, Lord. I want Your patience to override my desire to fly off the handle.” “Yes, Lord. I want Your strength to keep my emotions in check when my family and friends drive me nuts.” “Yes, Lord. I want Your courage to accept challenges that intimidate me.” “Yes, Lord. I want to see my great value as Your daughter so I don’t worry about what other people think.”

You don’t need perfect circumstances to say yes to God. You don’t need the perfect religious attitude or all the answers to religious questions. You simply have to give to God all of the thoughts, worries, people, drama, and struggles that occupy your attention and your heart. You simply have to speak the answer God is longing to hear spill from your lips. “Yes, God.”

The Daily Yes Prayer
Each day when I wake up, I pray a very simple prayer before my feet even hit the floor. I encourage you to write your own or use this prayer so you can experience your extraordinary God in extraordinary ways.

God, I want to see You.

God, I want to hear You.

God, I want to know You.

God, I want to follow hard after You.

And even before I know what I will face today, I say yes to You.

This simple act of surrender each morning will prepare your eyes to see Him, your ears to hear Him, your mind to perceive Him, and your heart to receive Him. This is how to live expecting to experience God.

You see, we have become so familiar with God and yet still so unaware of Him. We turn the mysterious into something ordinary, even boring. We construct careful reasons for our rules and sensible whys for our behavior. All the while our soul is longing for a richer experience—one that allows us to escape the limits of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell and journey to a place of wild, wonder, and passion.

Young women who say yes to God will see life like few others.

And you will be drawn in and embraced by a love like no other. You don’t have to wait until the next time you’re in church to experience God because you can sense God’s presence all around you, all through your day. Instead of going through the motions of life, you’ll pursue the adventure of the moment-by-moment divine story and lessons God is unfolding.

When you say yes, you can expect to see God, to hear from Him, and to be absolutely filled by His peace and joy.

The Holy and the Ordinary
Embracing a holy God in the middle of life’s everyday activities will change your life. God’s surprises of good and wondrous experiences will take your breath away, but you might not always feel happy about the changes. I can’t let you think that being a young woman who says yes to God means everything is always easy. There will be times when you experience the sting of heartache, frustration, uncertainty, failure, and loss, but now there will be new ways of dealing with those hard times. A holy way.

I had one of those experiences recently. I simply wanted to throw my hands in the air, throw my computer out the window, and cry out to God, “You have hurt my feelings, and I’m just a little unnerved and upset!”

I was at a friend’s lake house to devote three days to a writing project. After the first night of working hard, I had gone to bed excited about all I’d accomplished. I awakened the next morning ready to have the same kind of success. But as I opened up my docu-ment folder with great anticipation, I saw…nothing. Nothing! The project was nowhere to be found.

Refusing to panic, I asked for my friends’ help. After two hours of searching, one of my friends gently looked at me and verbalized the truth we’d all come to know. “It’s gone, Lysa. You are going to have to start over.”

What!

Wait a minute, I thought. I have said yes to God today and had a great quiet time. I just know He can and will help me find this. But for whatever reason, my document was gone and God had chosen not to bring it back. Tears filled my eyes as bitterness started to creep in my heart. Why would He allow this? My friend could sense my despair and gently replied, “Lysa, recently when something like this happened to me, someone told me to look at my loss as a sacrifice of praise to God. It is so hard in today’s abundance to give God a true sacrifice, but losing two thousand words and a whole day’s work would qualify. Give this to Him without feeling bitter.”

I resisted slapping my well-meaning friend as she then broke into singing praise songs. By the second stanza, I actually found myself joining in with a lighter heart and a resilient spirit.

Have you ever lost something that had required great effort and care on your part? Sometimes it isn’t a school project or a writing assignment we’ve invested in; rather, it’s a relationship. If you’ve ever said goodbye to a friend because of a move or because you find yourself taking a different path, you’ve experienced what felt like an unfair loss of time, effort, and heart. The loss of “what could’ve been” can be very disappointing. When you care about anything, it makes you more vulnerable. The risk is higher because more of your heart and soul is vested in the outcome. This is exactly why these times can be lifted up as a praise offering.



Yes Factor

Saying yes to God isn’t about perfect performance, but rather perfect surrender to Him.



Being a young woman who says yes to God is about trusting Him even when you can’t understand why He requires some of the things He does. It also means that once you’ve said yes to God, you refuse to turn back, even when things get hard.

This kind of obedience invites you to embrace a bigger vision for your life. When you look at your everyday circumstances with God’s perspective, everything changes. You realize that He uses each circumstance, each person who crosses your path, and each encounter you have with Him as a divine appointment. Each day counts, and every action and reaction matters. God absolutely loves to take ordinary people and do extraordinary things in them, through them, and with them.

It’s a Party
Imagine that you’ve planned a wonderful surprise party for your best friend. The guests have all arrived. You’ve loaded the deco--rated dining room table with her favorite junk food and healthy preferences. Everything is ready for the guest of honor. You can barely wait for the big moment of “Surprise!” because you know your friend will feel so loved and celebrated.

Finally, the time has come. And gone. Your friend is late. Your other friends are whispering in the darkened living room and trying unsuccessfully to hold back waves of laughter. Suddenly, your cell phone rings. Your friend’s image appears on the screen. “Shhh!” you say to the others just before answering the call.

“Hey, where are you?” you ask casually.

Instead of saying she’s on her way, your friend says she’s too tired to come over and has decided to watch the last two episodes of her favorite show online. She’s already in her pajamas and will check out whatever you wanted to show her tomorrow. You try to convince her that tonight is so much better and you really want to share something with her. But with a friendly “See you tomorrow, I promise,” she hangs up.

But by tomorrow the guests will be gone, the leftover food will be stored away, and the party that never started will be over.

How sad for the guest of honor, who missed her own surprise party! And how disappointing for you, the party planner who orchestrated the event with the hope of showing a friend how much she is loved.

God must feel the same way when we miss the “surprise parties” that await us each day. These are the divine appointments sprinkled throughout our day for us to experience when we pay attention to God’s leading. He must be so disappointed when we don’t hear or don’t listen to Him redirecting us to hang up the phone and show up at the event He has planned with great care. It must break His heart when we brush aside something that not only would make us feel special and noticed by God, but also would allow us to join Him in making life a little sweeter for others.

Which Invitation Will You Accept?
How many times have you missed your own surprise party?

God reveals Himself and His activity to all of us, but it takes a desire for the extraordinary to embrace these encounters because they can cause extreme changes in our plans, our perspectives, and our passions. I don’t know about you, but I’m not a huge fan of change.

Yet, when we protect ourselves from change, we’re saying no to God and yes to a life that leaves us unmotivated and directionless. Let’s pause for a second and give that another look. You are accepting an invitation at any given moment, but are you saying yes to whims, desires, and random paths? Or are you accepting God’s invitation to your purposed, powerful faith story?

I can think of several times when I let fear override my faith. I said yes to my insecurities and worries instead of God’s strength and certainty. Has this happened to you? Maybe you felt God leading you to say yes to Him, yet you didn’t go out for a play, you held back from introducing yourself to a new girl at school, or you resisted telling a guy you like about your faith. Every day has chances like these to step forward in God’s leading, but we have to be prepared and ready to notice these opportunities from Him. When we are prepared and we do step out in faith, He will bless our yes!

You’re Invited…
to Attend God’s Surprise Party for You

WHAT:

The party you don’t want to miss! This is a gathering of God’s best for you…love, grace, hope, promises, and the joy of His wonder and will. All the great surprises of faith.

WHEN:

This moment. Forget the excuses. Get ready for something extraordinary.

WHERE:

On the other side of the door. Don’t hesitate. Open the door. God and the incredible surprises of the yes journey are waiting for you.

WHAT TO BRING:

Everything is provided…so leave behind all that is ordinary. You’ll want to be able to receive the extraordinary gifts God has chosen just for you.



How to Make HIStory
I love the word “history” because when we break it down we see that it means “His story.” Your personal history might have times of pain or trouble. There might be moments of sadness or loneliness. And your past might be littered with some mistakes, but God is a God of transformation. He uses each and every part of your history and present to make an extraordinary new story.

As I’ve spoken to a lot of young women from around the country, I’ve been saddened to discover how many miss out on the most exciting part of being a Christian—experiencing God and experiencing their extraordinary story through Him. This is the great gift of being a Christian. The gift isn’t about perfection or becoming the most popular person in school because you are blessed. The gift is being able to live out your extraordinary story with and through God’s amazing love. It’s incredible.

Those who say they want more in their Christian life are often looking outside of their personal relationship with God for the secret. They want their church, their pastor, or someone or something else to be the missing piece. These supports can make your faith stronger, but it is your one-on-one experience with God that changes everything.

You and I are on our way to recognizing and experiencing what that “more” can look like. It’s a relationship with God that allows us to

know His voice
live in expectation of His activity
embrace a life totally sold out for Him

I suspect you desire such closeness with God. This fulfillment of this desire is real and amazing. And this incredible adventure starts with the wild willingness to say yes.

In today’s world, it is radical to obey God’s commands, listen to the Holy Spirit’s convictions, and walk in Jesus’ character. And we’ll experience the amazing blessings God has in store for us when we speak that big, freeing “Yes, Lord.” This response to God’s call, His requests, and His hope for us will lead to a great, unforgettable faith story.

Don’t stumble over the fear you won’t be perfect and you’ll likely mess up. Saying yes to God isn’t about perfect performance, but rather perfect surrender to the Lord day by day. It’s about experiencing the full blessing of God by giving your full attention to God when He asks you to trust Him. It’s having the overwhelming desire to walk in the center of His will at every moment. The life of yes happens when you hear God, feel His nudges, participate in His activity, and experience His blessings in ways few people ever do.

The God of the universe wants to use you in great ways. Are you ready?

There is only one requirement for this adventure. We have to set our rules and agendas aside—our dos and don’ts—and follow God’s command. His one requirement is so simple and yet so profound: Say yes to Me. That’s it. That is the entire Bible, Old Testament and New, hundreds of pages, thousands of verses, all wrapped up in those four words.

God’s Word for You

Psalm 19:7-10 says,

The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes. God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree. God’s Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds. You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries (msg).

What does this passage tell you about God’s nature?

Which of these promises are ones you really needed to hear right now? Why?

Read Deuteronomy 6:5. What might loving God with your heart, soul, and strength look like in your daily life?



Psalm 16:7-9 says,

I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety.

Describe how these verses ease your worries or concerns.

Living Y.E.S. (Your Extraordinary Story)

Have you ever felt God leading you to do something? How did you respond?

What holds you back from going deeper in your relationship with God? Time? Intimidation? Doubt about the Bible’s relevance to life? Worry about what others will say? Fear that God will let you down like people have? Write down which of these or other barriers come between you and an extraordinary faith right now.

How might God’s love counter these obstacles?

Why are you ready now to experience God’s great surprises for you?

In this chapter we read, “Being a young woman who says yes to God is about trusting Him even when you can’t understand why He requires some of the things He does. It also means that once you’ve said yes to God, you refuse to turn back, even when things get hard.”

List two ways you want to trust God by saying yes to Him this week.

1.

2.

What title would you give your extraordinary story?

Yes Prayer

Your extraordinary story unfolds each time you listen to God and follow His leading. Here is a prayer to lead you to each of God’s sweet surprises for you.

Dear God, I am putting away all my excuses so I can fully celebrate who You are and who I am in You. Thank You for adopting me as Your child and loving me unconditionally. I want to grow closer to You as I trust You more completely. I know You will ask me to grow and to move outside of my comfort zone, but with Your strength and help, I’m ready to experience my extraordinary story. I say yes to You with great joy. In Jesus’ name, amen.

My Thoughts 

I find this book perfect for a group study between young women and their mentors.    Not only will it teach the young women about specific facets of God but it will encourage them to stand up and step forward for Him.   Each chapter will speak to them about God himself and will encourage them to take initiative in their relationship with Him.   At the end of each chapter they will also find a God’s Word for You section which will encourage them to dig more in the Word of God  and a Living Y.E.S. (Your Extraordinary Story) which will help them to ponder about their own life and how they can apply the teaching on a daily basis.

Finally, at the end of the chapter, the young women can pray the Yes Prayer in order to make a commitment in their own life.    I would also suggest them to journal about how the chapter has touched them and what they want to change in order to follow God more fully in their lives.

I am ecstatic that Lysa Terkeurst (Proverbs 31 Ministries) has teamed up with her own daughter in order to write this book.   I think it is fun to read their personal stories within this book.  It makes it more real for the reader.   My daughter is only five years old but I think this book would be a great study to do together when she is in her teen years.   I pray and hope that God will use her in many ways in the future – I know that He has a plan for her beyond what I an even imagine. 

What Happens When Young Women Say Yes to God is available at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

   

There is also a version for women!  Available at amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

The women version is available on Kindle as well.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Happy Easter from Hasbro

image

Easter is a time to reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  And while I was growing up it also meant my yearly treat of a Laura Secord Easter egg.   Every year, I knew I would get this yummy egg to enjoy.

My husband took on the tradition but after almost 15 years of marriage, I am a bit tired of the highly sugared treat and told him that this year I think I was ready to skip the yearly purchased (even if I know where to get them for a very low price right after Easter…).  

For the kids we have a yearly tradition of searching plastic egg filled with chocolate eggs.   As the kids grow the eggs are placed more strategically so that they are harder to find.   But what else could you give to your kids this Easter if you want to cut down on the sweets? 

hasbro_2009Well, since a few years Hasbro has developed a variety of fun products that you could get.  I remember when I saw the first Play-Doh eggs in stores and thought that was a nice change.   Nowadays, Hasbro has more ideas on what you can get for your kids – a variety of mystery bags, Play-Doh products, and more.

I was offered to either pick an Easter basket prepared by Hasbro or make my own Easter basket with the products offered.   Not wanting to leave a child behind with boys or girls only baskets, I chose to make my own basket with their suggested products.  Here’s what I have selected.

Play-Doh Plus 8 Pack48DF74EB50569047F53F3ED799F2F1D1

This new pack of Play-Doh contains bright color compound which will encourage your little ones to be creative in adding details to their creations.   This special pack contains 8 containers of PLAY-DOH Plus compound! Little hands can make more detailed yellow swirls, pink stars or other imaginative additions with this softer, smoother PLAY-DOH Plus compound!  

I really like the brightness of the colors and the format of the containers.   The pack doesn’t come with extra tools but if your kids have Play-Doh already at home I’m sure they will find tools to play with these fun colors.

Parents whose children with allergies should take note that this product will contain some wheat.

4AD2057A5056900B1061A41A97CBB5E6Angry Birds Star Wars Mystery Bags

Who haven’t played with Angry Birds?   I know my kids particularly love these fun little fellows and their contractions to attack the pigs.   When the Angry Bird Star Wars came out my boys were totally excited about it.   But when they realized that Hasbro has games based on the popular games, they were ecstatic.     Hasbro has even made it possible to bring the Angry Birds Star Wars app to life with a line of toys that capture the launching and destructions a real event in our home.    Seeing the imagination of the creators of Angry Birds invading the realm of a popular movie is fabulous.   But this Easter, instead of giving chocolate or sweets to your kids, be creative in giving them a mystery bag of Angry Birds Star Wars.  You won’t know what you will find until you open the bag.  Personally I am hoping that Princess Leia bird will be hiding in the package.  It would be nice to have her.   Each bag contains two figures and you can even find exclusive ones – Han Solo bird  in carbonite or Wege Antilles bird.  

G.I. Joe Series 1 Micro Force Mystery BagB56AAE0D50569047F553632C8E45741A

Did you know that the new G.I. Joe movie titled G.I. Joe: Retaliation is coming out this week?  This new movie will bring interest to the new line of toys from Hasbro.  But the fun wouldn’t be the same without mystery bags….  What will your child find when he opens one of these?     The iconic characters comes in a micro format to make the playtime funnier.   You can build a whole army with these since there are about 40 figures to collect/    Each mystery bag contains 2 figures and 2 discs to allow you to start your own battle.   These fun bags will allow you to have G.I. Joe adventures with your brothers or friends.


4A5A2A6050569047F5CB75C56089838FNerf N-Strike Jolt Blaster

It’s small and you can sneak it in your pants or shirt but it has macro power.   Load this ultra-small stealth blaster with 2 of the elite darts that are included and sneak close to your enemy for an unexpected attack.   Pull the cocking handle down to make your shot.    This could be a fun toy when planning a surprise attack on a fort in the backyard or at camping.  However, be careful not to aim the eyes or the face of your opponent.  

Nerf N-Strike Reflex IX-1 Blaster4A5A5D7750569047F50EA9A70C9EBC04

This fun compact blaster will team up nicely with the jolt blaster above.   Again, the size of the blaster is perfect to conceal it and surprise your target.    This specific one will perform nicely when you go for an attack.   It comes with 3 Elite darts and again you have to be careful not to aim the eyes or the face.   

I am very surprise at the size of these two blasters and I know my kids will have plenty of fun time together making up targets and spy stories at camp or the backyard.

5397B43A5056900B10A7FF4E3F201A6BFurreal Friends Hop ‘N Cuddle Bunny

This is my favorite item this Easter.   I love how cute and cuddly this little rabbit looks.    And for someone who seems to be allergic to anything that has hair, it’s the perfect animal for my girl.    This rabbit will up towards you and make noises like a real rabbit.  Granted it won’t eat the salad or carrot you might present it but it’s the perfect rabbit to have in a home.    Colors varies.   Our is exactly the same at the one on my picture.   I lthink it is the cutest thing I have ever seen.  It made me remember about a dog I used to have that would yap, sit down, jump in the air and walk a bit when I was younger.    I’m pretty sure that this rabbit will entertain the little girl in your life.

So if you are looking for something different this year for Easter in order to give a special treat for a child in your life, check out what Hasbro has to offer at the closest toy store you have.

These fun toys are available at your favourite toy store even at amazon.com.

 

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Hasbro Canada for sending me the above mentioned products for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

hasbro

Monday, March 25, 2013

Chase DVD based Study

ChaseChase – A DVD-Based Study – chasing after the heart of God 
From Jennie Allen
Published at Thomas Nelson

About the study

What are you chasing?

We’re all chasing after something, something that we think will make us happy—comfort, success, a bigger house, or someone’s approval. But if we are all honest, it feels like trying to catch the wind.

A man after God’s own heart… As David’s life weaves throughout the pages of Scripture, we see he was a man who spent his life chasing after God. Chase explores the events that defined David’s life and the Psalms that flowed out of those experiences. Through David’s example we’ll discover what God really wants from us.

The lessons in this study are simple yet deep and very interactive, offering Bible study, stories, and projects to dig into Scripture and deeply engage the mind and heart. God has carved out a space in each of us that only He can fill. So whether you are running from God or working your tail off to please Him, David’s journey will challenge your view of God.

God is invisible, and yet He is the only thing we can chase that won’t leave us feeling more empty.

Study Kit Tools:

  • Study. The study guide uses projects, stories, and Bible study to engage the mind and heart. There are seven weeks of Bible study and an introductory session for your group.
  • See. Eight short but deep videos provide a starting place for meeting God and for transparent conversations. Each video is 8-12 minutes long.
  • Ask. Conversation cards offer questions for spontaneous and authentic discussion time. You choose the questions that speak to you.
  • Lead. The leader’s guide prepares you to lead this study and encourages you along the way.

My Thoughts

Unbeknown to me before I accepted to review CHASE, our pastor had planned to lead the congregation through a journey in discovering David with a series titled From the Sheep Pen to the Throne.  So having this DVD study was a blessing in disguise without me knowing it.  I can go deeper in the word in discovering who David was and how he chased God in his life – even when he screwed up at times.

The DVD contains seven lesson that you can watch on DVD and then ponder and go deeper with the study guide.  The lessons are the following:

  • Lesson one: identity
  • Lesson two: courage
  • Lesson three: obedience
  • Lesson four: belief
  • Lesson five: repentance
  • Lesson six: surrender
  • Lesson seven: chased down

Each DVD lesson are short – about 6 minutes each – and the camera is doing a fabulous job at catching simple image yet serene ones to help you listen to Jennie talking.

While watching one of the lessons, she got me reflecting on these words:

How we live our lives will flow out of what we believe about God. What you know is true of God is defining your life.  It is defining everything about you.

She also gives personal examples from her life and her family through the videos which makes it more interesting I think.  I really enjoy reading the author’s thoughts on a specific subject she/he presents.   In the study itself, you are guided into deeper into God’s word, more personal stories from the author.   For example, take the Obedience chapter – you will study about Saul and David, compare both and discover their motivations, discover what it means to follow rules, learn how to react when we are in doubt, read Psalm 63 and react to it by reflecting on the words and how it can applies on you, and finally conclude the lesson with projects.  The projects will allow you to apply what you learned in your own life – three projects to grow in chasing God’s heart.

Listen the author presenting Chase.

I am enjoying Chase and discovering more about God through the life of David.  It really helps that our church is going also through a study of David at the same time.  Though the teaching at church is different, I find it interesting that I got to review this particular DVD study when we were embarking in a journey of discovery of David at church.  

I would recommend this DVD study for every Christian women out there.  It is a great study to do with other women or by your own if you prefer that.   The package also comes with the ask cards which allows the group to share on a more personal level.    I would also use these cards as a base for journaling if you do the study alone. 

Chase is available for purchase at your favourite bookstore, even on amazon.com.

     

The study guide is available for purchase as well.

      

The study guide is also available for the Kindle.

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Shelton Interactive and Thomas Nelson for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

G.I. Joe – Retaliation

imageMark your calendar.   March 28th is the day that G.I. Joe will come back to the big screens throughout Canada.   Their new movie is titles G.I. Joe Retaliation and the heroes will not onlu fight their mortal enemy Cobra but they will be forced to contend with threats from within the government that will jeopardize their existence.    My husband and I are looking forward to watch this movie when it comes out.   We really enjoyed the first one and are anticipating lots of action in the new movie.

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Hasbro is once again coming out with a wide range of products based on the new movie for kids of all ages – yes let’s admit it some adults are pretty much big fans of the G.I. Joe characters.    My oldest son is trying to get as many comics from G.I. Joe as possible.  He is particularly happy to possess an older comic that is worth some money simply because there is no words through the whole comic.  But lately, he really like anything and everything that is G.I. Joe.   

Like I said, Hasbro has released new toys based on the characters and the story line of the movie.    These toys will have the G.I. Joe Retaliation name on them.  Here’s some of the products I have receive in order to promote the upcoming movie and the toys from Hasbro based on it.

B56AAE0D50569047F553632C8E45741AThe G.I. Joe Series 1 Micro Force Mystery Bag

Micro heroes, mega battles! Iconic G.I. JOE characters get a collectible new gaming twist with this awesome MICRO FORCE pack! Start building your army with this cool Mystery Bag! It has 2 figures and 2 discs, just what you need to start the battle. You won’t know which figures are in the pack until you open it! Knock your opponent’s figures off the table while you keep your own figures standing. Will you be the last one standing? Collect, battle and win!   There are more than 40 figures to collect (other figures sold separately), so get your G.I. JOE battle game on with the 2-figure MICRO FORCE mystery bag!   Have big G.I. JOE adventures with the little figures in this MICRO FORCE mystery bag!   Includes 2 figures! 40+ figures to collect (other figures sold separately). Build your army! Includes 2 discs!
Pack includes 2 figures and 2 discs.

My Thoughts

Who doesn’t like a treat every once in a while?   This little bags remind me of the mystery bag that were available at the corner store when I was younger.   Well, the closest corner store wasn’t really around the corner of our home but it was a delight to go in and get something special once in a blue moon.    I recently found some of the mystery bags from Hasbro at the checkout section at Wal-Mart.   Wise to the marketing people to put that there…  though for our family it won’t work because we refuse to purchase something at the spur of the moment – whether a small item or a big one.    But knowing they are there could encourage the parents to get a surprise to their kids when they are shopping alone.   I am not a big fan of purchasing something to stop a child whining or crying in a store.   Never been and never will be.   I prefer rewarding my kids when they do a good action.    That’s the way I am.   So having the mystery bag based on the G.I. Joe Micro Force movie is a good way to give a treat to my kids when I feel like it (without them knowing about it).   It’s small so you can sneak it in your purse before arriving home and hid it to create a small treasure hunt.   *grin*   These will definitively bring good memories for your kids.

G.I. Joe Series 1 Micro Force Pack95EC631450569047F57C063483D124BB

Micro heroes, mega battles! Iconic G.I. JOE characters get a collectible new gaming twist with this awesome MICRO FORCE pack! Start building your army with this 5-figure pack of G.I. JOE ninja soldiers and villains, and launch an attack with the 5 included discs. Knock your opponent’s figures off the table while you keep your own figures standing. Will you be the last one standing? Collect, battle and win! There are more than 40 figures to collect (other figures sold separately), so get your G.I. JOE battle game on with the 5-figure MICRO FORCE pack!  Have big G.I. JOE adventures with the little figures in this MICRO FORCE pack! Includes 5 figures! 40+ figures to collect (other figures sold separately). Build your army! Includes 5 discs!  Pack includes 5 figures and 5 discs.

My Thoughts

These G.I. Joe Micro Force Pack are the bigger version of the mystery bags mentioned above.   In each pack you will get five micro figures which your child can use to create battle scenes from the G.I. Joe movies.   In our set, we have Snake Eyes and other characters that I am not familiar with.  But I am certain that my kids won’t have any issues whatsoever to name them.  With over 40 micro force figures, your child will have plenty of adventures with them.   And knowing that you can surprise your kid with more micro force figures with the mystery bags is a fun way to reward him with something he likes.

B567A08850569047F59780A0A2FDDCD3G.I. Joe Retaliation 3.75” Action Figure

Recreate your favourite scenes from G.I. JOE: RETALIATION with these awesome G.I. JOE and COBRA figures. Will G.I. JOE defeat COBRA and prevail against the forces of evil? The answer's in your hards.  Each figure is sold separately and comes with accessories. Product and colour may vary.

My Thoughts

We received Snake Eyes which comes with a zip line and wings fire missiles.   Snake Eye is the world’s greatest ninja and secret weapon of the G.I. Joe team.  He uses his ninja zip line launcher to soar into aerial battle against the evil forces of Cobra.   He is also one of my son’s favourite characters in G.I. Joe.  

 

G.I. Joe Retaliation Alpha Vehicles4BF86C245056900B103EA126190EB77D

These speedy vehicles will take your G.I. JOE adventures to the next level. Charge into action with these battle-charged vehicles and unleash the full power of the weaponry against your enemies.  Each vehicle is sold separately and comes with figure. Styles may vary.

My Thoughts

We got the exact model shown in the picture – again with Snake Eyes on it.    You can launch the missile by pressing the trigger in the back of the bike.   But most importantly, you can get the back moving by pulling it backward and letting it go.  I think this feature itself is incredible because my boys will love to launch the bike through the house.    The wheels are quite large and would allow the bike to drive quite a bit before stopping.    I suspect that my kids will have plenty of fun time with this bike.

4BDCAAB95056900B10AEB8D3348568F1G.I. Joe Retaliation Basic Mask4BDC9FFA5056900B1070998560C6576A

Put on your mask to feel just like your favourite G.I. JOE characters. Others will see the faces of a Ninja as you imagine adventure after adventure. With these awesome G.I. JOE masks, you can recreate your favourite scenes from G.I. JOE: RETALIATION, or embark on all-new adventures.   Each mask sold separately. Styles may vary.   Masks adjust to fit most head sizes for ages 5 through adult.

My Thoughts

We received the G.I Joe Trooper Mask – which gives me ideas for a costume for Halloween.     Each mask can give you the opportunity to disguise yourself as one of the G.I. Joe characters or their villains for the famous night of Trick or Treating.   Or your could just plainly recreate the adventures in your backyard during the warmer days.  Whatever imagination your child has, I am sure these masks will help them to live adventures at being a G.I. Joe.

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I am please to see a wide variety of products from Hasbro based on the G.I. Joe new movie.   I am certain that these products will bring joy and excitement of kids of all ages.  

These products are available at your favourite toy store, even amazon.com.

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Hasbro Canada for sending me the above mentioned products for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

hasbro

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Lego Friends Ultimate Stickers app

imageLego Friends Ultimate Stickers app
From DK Canada

 

About the app

With more than 85 virtual stickers, DK’s LEGO® Friends Ultimate Stickers app lets kids use their imagination and create fun scenes from 8 amazing backdrops based on the LEGO Friends universe. They can match stickers to their shapes in 8 exciting sticker challenges and learn fun facts about the minidolls along the way. Once all the challenges have been completed, an exclusive LEGO Friends prize will be revealed. Children can also save photos of their scenes or print them out to share with friends and family. Designed for creative minds of all ages, the LEGO Friends Ultimate Stickers app
offers hours of LEGO fun.
Features:
● More than 85 amazing stickers
● 2 game modes to choose from: Sticker Challenge and Freeplay
● Sticker Challenge lets players choose from 8 topics so children can learn all about the Friends and what they get up to in Heartlake City
● Adjust difficulty level to reduce or increase the amount of stickers in the carousel for the sticker challenges
● Tapping on an empty sticker slot provides a clue to the minidoll’s identity
● A successful sticker match reveals a unique sound and fact about each minidoll
● Completing all the challenges unlocks a special LEGO Friends reward
● 8 freeplay scenes include Heartlake Stables, the Flying School, Andrea’s stage, and the Riding Camp
● Freeplay mode allows users to decorate their own scenes with stickers. The stickers can be rotated, flipped and made larger or smaller
● App includes unique backgrounds, sounds, and music
● Photo function allows you to save photos of your scenes to iPad’s Photos app, to share or print

Our Thoughts

One Friday afternoon, I asked my daughter to come and sit down next to me.  She didn’t want to play with her brothers on the Wii and wanted to use my iPad.   I told her I had something special for her.  She asked what it was and I told her she will see it soon enough.   As I was opening the iPad, I kept my eyes on her because I didn’t want to miss her reactions.   It came immediately after I opened the Lego Friends Ultimate Stickers app that I had just received from DK Canada.  As soon as she say the main screen her eyes brightened and a gigantic smile came on her face.  She was pleased to see the Lego Friends on the iPad.

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She didn’t hesitate a minute and immediately started to explore the various pages within the app.   The app contains 8 backdrops which allow your daughter to find the stickers that go in it.   Once the stickers of all the backdrops are found, she will get a trophy of completion and one special backdrop will be opened to her.    Jasmine loved searching the stickers and placing them where they go.  Each time she would ask me to read her what it said.   This app allows her to match the shapes with the stickers and learn more about her favourite characters of Lego friends.  

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The app is very easy to use and will entertain your child anywhere you are.  I love having apps like this that will allow my daughter to quietly wait at the doctor/dentist office or to be quiet in the car during long drives.    The Lego Friends Ultimate Stickers app is very colourful and will keep your daughter occupy for a while.

The Lego Friends Ultimate Stickers app is available for purchase for the price of 3.99$ on iTunes.

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

FamilyMint Money Management Certification Program

imageFamilyMint Money Management Certification Program – A Complete Step-by-step Program for Learning Money Management
Written by Robert Masterson and Jeff Eusebio
Published at FamilyMint35527_183322448458910_529576174_n

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It has been about a year and a bit that we have started teaching our kids about money and how much things cost.   Well, the two oldest ones understand it more than their younger siblings at this point in time and last year we have decided to incorporate the concept of tithing and saving.   So now our two oldest sons have a bank account where they put aside money for their future education.   They are also involved in the tithing process by deciding where they want to put their money for organizations approved by us.

But when I got the opportunity to review a complete program about money management, I thought it was a great way to introduce other aspects of how to manage your money.

Did you know that 2 out of 3 high school seniors graduate without knowing the basics of budgeting?    I am not surprised because I was part of that statistics.   I entered university and saw that creditors were quick to offer your credit cards.    I will admit that I wasn’t all wise with my money and it took me year after getting married to understand it.   Now we are both wiser with our finances and don’t buy on the spur of the moment.

We want our kids to be independent of credit and be successful when it comes to finances.  So I was delighted to be selected to review the FamilyMint’s Money Management Certification Program.  This 60 pages workbook has a complete step-by-step plan on how to develop healthy money habits at a young age.   My kids are learning to track their money, creating SMART goals, how to budget and much more.

The workbook itself contains exercises to help the kids visualize their “bank” and the money that goes in and out.    I loves seeing their imagination in writing cheques and entering bank deposit information.   Though nowadays, you don’t write much bank deposits in Canada anyway.

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One positive element I have of this workbook is the fact that the kids are learning early in life how to have SMART goals.   SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.    Right now, both boys have a desire to attend a Christian camp this summer.  We have registered them but at the condition that they raise about half of the price (it is an expensive camp…).  They agreed on this condition but there were times when they felt a bit discouraged.   So when came the time to set a SMART goal, I strongly suggested that they take the idea of attending camp.   Within minutes, they realized that it was specific enough, measurable (take the total amount divided by two to figure out how much they need to have on their own), achievable (with deadlines of mid-July and mid-August), relevant since they both wanted to attend and time-bound (again the deadlines).

Once they finished working on this SMART goal, I asked them if it was possible for them to raise the money.   One has to worked an equivalent of 20$ per week and the other about 8.33$ per week.   Both eagerly agreed that they could do it.   Now to be honest, their amount is a bit less than that since they have already started to raise the money a few weeks ago.   Going through this exercise was beneficial for them to realize that they could easily reach their goal.   Honestly, just by this exercise alone, I am impressed with the workbook.  I have learned quite a bit with SMART goals that I will personally apply this in my life as well.

After the tracking money and the goal setting chapters, we will embark in the budgeting and interest chapters.   My kids are respectively 11 and 9 years of age and I am taking the curriculum in small bites for them to digest and fully understand the concepts presented.   The program also comes with a website where you can create your family bank and allow your kids to track their money directly on the system. 

On the negative side, I find the book concentrating a bit too much on the American way of dealing with finances.   Mind you the book was written by a company in the US.  But I think it would a positive move to consider adapting the workbook to other currency like Canadian dollar or Euro.  After all there are homeschoolers there as well.   Even though the book emphasize the American money, I have no problem to use this curriculum to teach my kids about interest rates and so on. 

In conclusion, I consider this curriculum very informative and would recommend it to any homeschool families.  It is a great springboard in learning how to manage your money and be wise financial without going into debts.   I want my kids to be able to say that they were able to avoid going into debts in the future.  Having a strong  foundation in money management will allow them to develop healthy habits and behaviors concerning their finances.

At the time of this blog post, there was a special introductory bundle offer of 29.99$ which gave you a Certification Program workbook and a FamilyMint Premium for Life(normally 25$/yr)!   Additional workbooks are an additional 50% off.

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