A note from Marti: From now until Christmas, I plan to share a few posts from the Pearl Girls’  fourth annual “12 Pearls of Christmas” blog series from some favorite authors. I do so partly because I’m on deadline with an exciting new book I hope to tell you about soon, and partly because I appreciate the writing and ministry of Pearl Girls. Enjoy, and don’t forget to check out the contest at the bottom of the post to learn how you can win a pearl necklace. That reminds me: Peggy Harris is the winner of last week’s contest for the copy of  The 30-Day Praise Challenge by author Becky Harling. Congratulations, Peggy (and Peggy’s mom, too).  Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas blog series! Merry Christmas from Pearl Girls™! We hope you enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from the authors who were so kind to donate their time and talents! If you miss a few posts, you’ll be able go back through and read them on this blog throughout the next few days. We’re giving away a pearl necklace in celebration of the holidays, as well as some items from the contributors! Enter now below. The winner will be announced on January 2, 2014, at the Pearl Girls blog. If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we’re all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Mother of Pearl, Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace, or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls. *** The Nativity by Lynn Austin The first time I visited Bethlehem more than twenty-five years ago, I expected to feel a sense of the beauty and simplicity of the much-loved Christmas story: a crude stable, the holy family, shepherds, wise men, and the Son of God in the manger. I was sadly disappointed. The traditional site of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem is inside the Church of the Nativity—a truly ancient church built in 565 AD. It has survived enemy invasions, the Crusaders, restorations, renovations, a fire, and an earthquake, but it looks like . . . well, a church. A beautifully decorated and ornamented church, with all the sacred clutter that has accumulated throughout the centuries, but it bore no resemblance to my image of what Jesus’ birthplace was like. But wait—the real site was down a set of stairs and inside a natural cave that has been venerated as the place of His birth since 160 AD. But even this simple cave was so gilded and bedecked with artwork and...

Because I work as an author, collaborative writer, and editor, I have many friends in the publishing industry. That’s why I no longer publish reviews on bookseller sites. Here on my own blog, however, I can review the books I choose and then share my personal connection with their authors. That’s how my “Words with Friends” blog feature began. Today, I’m interviewing author, pastor’s wife, and speaker Becky Harling, author of The 30-Day Praise Challenge. I know Becky because we’ve communicated often via email by virtue of our membership in two professional organizations: AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) and CAN (Christian Authors Network). The two of us have never met in person, but we hope to connect at an AWSA Convention sometime soon!  Let’s get going with today’s interview. Becky, I know that your own journey into praise began in an unusual way. Can you tell us about it? This greatest adventure of my life began thirteen years ago, hours after I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Scared and stressed at the thought of a double mastectomy; worried about my kids and whether I would be alive to finish raising them; anxious and paralyzed over the thought of a year full of treatments; I decided to fast, pray, and beg God for healing. But when I told my mentor about my plan, she had another idea. She challenged me to, “Try spending 20 minutes praising God for five days.” At the time I thought, “What a bizarre idea! I have just been diagnosed with cancer. The last thing I feel like doing is praising God. Shouldn’t I fast, pray and beg God for healing? Wouldn’t it be hypocritical to praise God when I don’t feel thankful?” I’m sure many of us understand how hard it can be to praise God when the circumstances seem less than praiseworthy. Did you accept your friend’s challenge? After wrestling with my doubts, I decided to give praise a shot. After all, what did I have to lose? The first day, I got down on my knees early in the morning and turned on praise music. I remember praying, “God, I’m here to praise you for 20 minutes. Don’t know how I’m gonna do that, but if you’ll help me I’ll try.” The Holy Spirit was more than willing to help. He began to prompt my thinking with reasons to praise God. I praised God the Father for being almighty and faithful. I praised Jesus Christ for loving me and being my victor. After my first day of praise, I decided to continue. Some mornings, I praised my way through the alphabet, worshipping God for all His different characteristics. Some mornings, I let...

You need to stay in praise. These words came in a still, small, but definite whisper from the Lord. December was about to begin, and I faced a huge challenge. I had to finish writing a book due to the publisher at the end of the month. And at that point, I’d completed less than half. I knew that the joy of the Lord is my strength and that worship always makes me stronger. I knew that the book’s topic left me open to attack. And I knew that praise makes a good prescription no matter what the situation. And then I remembered. Earlier this year, Becky Harling, a pastor’s wife and precious author friend, released The 30-Day Praise Challenge (David C. Cook, 2013). I’d seen much of the book in an early format. I knew it had great sales and that Becky had already written a second in the series. But I’d never read it myself. Wouldn’t thirty days of praise make a great way to attack one of the most challenging times of my life? One quick purchase and the challenge began. I’m only ten days in, but I’ve interrupted my planned blog schedule to share this book with you. December challenges people in so many ways. Christmas plans. Church activities. Family struggles. Financial problems. Stress and activities escalate. Peace declines. If any of this sounds like you, I strongly suggest that you check out The 30-Day Praise Challenge. Because it’s December and I know time is at a premium, let me give you a quick summary of what I love about this book: Relevance: The author touches us where we live. She gets it—and makes it easier for us to turn our problems toward praise. Tone: I feel as though Becky is talking to me but never preaching at me. Her words make me look forward to the next day’s reading because I know I’ll find encouragement there. Organization: Each day begins with the “Invitation,” words of encouragement and exhortation that always include Scriptures. A “Listen” section matches worship songs to the reading of the day. “Pray” and “Journal” give the reader specific ways to respond to God’s work through the message and worship of the day. Tech-friendliness: The author provides a link on her website to a YouTube playlist for rapid, easy access to all the songs. Tight: This is not the wordy, flowery devotional but a well-written, well-edited work that speaks the truth and moves on. The author also provides a good balance of interactive and reflective material. If this Christmas season has brought more tension than tinsel, or if your holiday packages seem more like burdens, you’ll want to buy at least two copies...

Today, I welcome friend and author Carol Barnier to my Words with Friends feature. Earlier this week, I posted this review of her latest book, Engaging Today’s Prodigal. Although I first met Carol at the Florida Christian Writers Conference back in February of this year, I’ve known her name for some time. We’re both homeschool moms, and Carol is known as an expert on dealing with children with hyperactivity (check out her SizzleBop website for more information). We’re both members of Word Weavers International (Carol serves as a mentor, helping start new chapters) and work together to produce the group’s electronic newsletter each month. So yes, I consider this author a friend, and I’m  delighted to share both her work and her responses to some questions today. Carol, in your latest book, you’re not just writing about prodigals in general; you’ve been one, an atheist at that. Take us into the mind of an atheist. What was your journey like?                                    I’m a pastor’s kid. And lots of people think “Okay, that explains it.” But I really don’t think it does. My parents were really pretty good parents. My father, in particular, was this amazing Christian model for me. He was brilliant, humble, and the real deal. What I heard from the pulpit was exactly what I saw in this man’s daily life. Someone approached me at a recent conference and said, “Yeah, but was he intense at home? You know, bringing lots of tension into that house?” And that’s when I realized that not only did he not bring tension in the home, on the contrary, he was funny. Truly funny. He was the thing that broke tension in the house, and anywhere else for that matter. He was a Barnabas, an encourager. So I can’t look to my parents as a reason for losing faith. Like a lot of kids today, I just wanted my faith-based world views to make sense. I needed to be able to comfortably and reasonably defend what I was told to believe. That was part of it. Then there were some things that I look back upon and feel they were truly bad theology. But I didn’t know that at the time. And so when I wasn’t easily able to find answers to my many questions, I stepped away from the Judeo-Christian beliefs I’d been taught.  I began looking at other religions. Finding them lacking, I turned to philosophy. After several years of exploring many other world views, I was indeed left an atheist. I jumped into this new belief with all I had. I joined...

My blog has been prodigal of late. Looming deadlines, a busy travel schedule, and a week without our home Internet server have all taken their toll. So I’m especially  glad to share with you a blog I tried to post some time ago. At one time or another, we’ve all lived as prodigals. And chances are, if we’re parents, we’ve parented one or more prodigals, too. In other words, most of us could benefit from reading Engaging Today’s Prodigal: Clear Thinking, New Approaches, and Reasons for Hope (Moody, 2012) by Carol Barnier. As the author points out in the book’s opening pages, prodigal doesn’t mean what most of think. We tend to view a prodigal as a wild, rebellious sinner. Instead, the word itself means extravagant or lavish. So Engaging Today’s Prodigal provides parents the hope and practical help parents need to deal with a child of any age who defines his life outside of faith-parameters. Such a lack of boundaries can lead to a variety of prodigal actions and wounds on both sides of the parent-child (or sibling-sibling) equation. The strength of this book lies in Carol’s clear, compassionate, and no-nonsense approach. She uses her own experience as a prodigal (a pastor’s daughter, she was a young adult atheist for 13 years) along with wisdom from both the Bible and her own parenting journey to inform, advise, and educate those who long to build rather than burn bridges. In the first section of the book, the author takes time to debunk several myths related to engaging prodigals. She places each myth alongside the truth of Scripture and gives plenty of practical application along the way. Next, she offers an entire section of Dos and Don’ts for those in relationship with prodigals, contrasting conventional wisdom with more biblical, practical advice. Most families of prodigals don’t want pat answers. They’re tired of hand-holding and meaningless platitudes. Carol offers none of these. And although her words often carry the sting of Holy Spirit conviction, they also provide the truth parents and others who love prodigals need to live in freedom no matter the stage or progression of their journey. NOTE: This isn’t a Christmas read per se. But it would make a great gift for someone you know who needs some straight talk, peace, and power. FTC Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. I was not asked or required to post a positive review.   Have you parented a prodigal? Have you been one yourself? Feel free to share your comments or, if you’ve read the book, any of your own thoughts. And watch for my Words with Friends interview with author...