Loulane Lambert's Lists for Life

You're Invited!

What: An International Online Teen Summer Reading Project:
Blogbook 2009 - "Loulane Lambert's Lists for Life"

Where: http://loulanelambertslistsforlife.blogspot.com

When: June 1, 2009

Who: Barbara Larmon Failing
www.barbaralarmonfailing.com

"Hey, everyone! Loulane Lambert here. (Is this cool or what??? When does a character get to actually talk??)

My creator, Barbara Larmon Failing, is publishing my story - my very own journal turned into the first-ever Blogbook - on June 1, 2009. Every day - for about two months - she'll post part of my journal until the whole book is published!"

Click HERE to continue reading and find out more about Loulane Lambert (a girl with that name can't be boring!)

The author, Barbara Larmon Failing, participated in our Women's Bible Studies for many years. She is a joy to have known and we miss her since she has relocated to Alaska. Her online book takes place here in Cape Cod and I'm looking forward to a fun read! I wanted to share this opportunity with you as well, so go check out her site and enjoy some summer reading- 21st Century style!

Oh, and right now, she is having a giveaway for an iTunes gift card! All you have to do is leave a comment and/or follow her blog.

Christianity Today's Faith and Pop Culture Study Guide

Christianity Today's Faith and Pop Culture is designed to be an eight week small group study. It contains articles on the topic, previously published in the magazine Christianity Today. These are each followed by discussion questions, allowing you to dig deeper and discover how you can apply these insights to your life.

I would not consider this a Bible Study per se, as Scripture is merely referenced in the articles, but it's a great way to spark discussions on the role of pop culture in your faith. For homeschoolers, this would be a good tool to use with your high schoolers. I didn't agree with everything in every article, and I'm sure some would disagree with what I liked and agree with what I disliked, but I believe the purpose is met in engaging us in the thought process itself. As a Christian who enjoys finding Spiritual truth in pop culture, I found it an interesting book.

Christianity Today's Faith and Pop Culture is available for $9.99.

Finding An Unseen God: Reflections of a Former Atheist

Truth is dead. God never lived. Life is filled with pain. Death is the end of life. These were the beliefs of a young woman who believed God to be a fairy tale. Finding An Unseen God: Reflections of a Former Atheist by Alicia Britt Chole tells her story of growing up, how her realism and intellect led her to atheism and how the God she denied showed up when least expected.

This book is a memoir, an autobiography, and a testimony. There are two threads to the story. She gives us a glimpse into her life growing up, weaving that in with her experience of finding God. The chapters are short and written with such grace and respect that I found myself compelled to finish the entire book in one sitting.

She doesn't write to convince other Atheists to her viewpoint (though she does share things to think about when it comes to your beliefs) but merely shares her story. This is a book that I believe could be enjoyed by someone who is not a Christian but is interested in how one woman's worldview was transformed.

It is an encouraging read for Christians as well. Not only is it an inspiring story of how God pursues us, but she includes ideas that can help us to be more sensitive to others. There is a chapter on Things Not To Say To An Atheist (for example, "If there's no such thing as God, why do you have to deny his existence?"). She makes an appeal for the importance of showing love over winning debates, with a heart tugging example of a debate won but lost by a lack of love.

I am typically not a fan of biographies, I actually prefer fiction for my reading relaxation, but this book was different for me. I really liked this story, it was challenging, encouraging, and faith strengthening. To me, it cries out to be discussed and dug into deeper and my hope is to use this book as the Summer Book Club choice for our church. I highly recommend it.

What Does The Bible Say About That? Devotional

What Does The Bible Say About That? by Carolyn Larsen is a devotional designed for ages eight to twelve. Three hundred topics are given a page each and start with a paragraph on what the Bible says about the topic, followed by Scripture references. Then there is a paragraph entitled, "Time to Face the Facts" and a "Today I will..." application prompt. Topics include everything from Abandonment to Ecology, from Hairstyles to Laziness, from Peer Pressure to Puberty, Role Models to Salvation, and Television to Worship.

The book is attractive and contains two hundred cartoons sprinkled throughout the devotions. I like the fact that the devotions are written in an easy to understand fashion and are only one page long. This would be an unintimidating way to encourage your child to begin having their own personal devotions. My only concern is that the title states "What does the Bible say about that?" and then gives opinions and Scriptures on such a wide variety of topics that are not all specifically answered in the Scriptures. Scriptural application can be made through various Scriptural principles, but there is the chance that there will be something stated within these pages with which your family may not agree. I would suggest reading through the book yourself before handing this to your student.

This is a lighter devotional, not a Bible study, but it does allow for deeper discussions and also teaches the child that the Bible is the place to go to have your questions answered. The Bible does cover the everyday topics we deal with in life. This is a valuable lesson passed on by a simple devotion book for kids. Sounds good to me!

What Does The Bible Say About That? is available through Crossway books, as well as your local Christian bookstore. It retails for $15.99.

And The Winner Is...

Paige!

Using Random.org, this was the comment number drawn;

"Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

4

Timestamp: 2009-05-11 14:46:48 UTC"

I will hop over to Paige's page and get Dear Mom in the mail as soon as possible. Congratulations and please return and let me know how you enjoy the book!

Dear Mom: Everything Your Teenage Daughter Wants You to Know But Will Never Tell You

Dear Mom by Melody Carlson is my first review book for the WaterBrook Press/Multnomah Mother's Day Blog Tour! To celebrate Mother's Day (and Blog Tours!), you'll find an opportunity to win your own copy of the book at the end of this post. Check out my personal blog for a chance to win Enduring Justice, a novel by Amy Wallace.

Summary:

"Every mom knows how communicating with a teenage girl can be difficult, even impossible at times. One-word answers. Defensive conversations. Daily arguments. How typical for teens to put up such barriers. All the while, moms truly long to know what their daughters really think.

Best-selling author Melody Carlson, whose books for women, teens, and children have sold more than three million copies, bridges this chasm with trusted insight. She speaks frankly in the voice of the teen daughters she’s written for and she tells it like it is: struggles with identity, guys, friendship, and even parents—it’s all here. The straight-talk to moms covers such things as “I need you, but you can’t make me admit it,” “I’m not as confident as I appear,” and “I have friends. I need a mother.”

Instead of focusing on outward behaviors, Dear Mom looks at a young woman’s heart and reveals to moms:

· how to talk to teens so they hear,

· how to connect despite the differences of perspective or years and experiences,
· and how strengthen the bond every mom and daughter ultimately wants.

The lively chapters in Dear Mom can be dipped into topically or used as a read-through tool by moms and daughters alike to understand what motivates or deflates, troubles or inspires—and just in time for Mother’s Day and all the Mother’s Days ahead."

Author Bio:

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than one hundred books for adults, children, and teens, with sales totaling more than three million copies. Beloved for her Diary of a Teenage Girl and Notes from a Spinning Planet series, she’s also the author of the women’s novels Finding Alice (in production now for a Lifetime-TV movie), Crystal Lies, On This Day, These Boots Weren’t Made for Walking, and A Mile in My Flip-Flops. A mother of two grown sons, Melody lives in central Oregon with her husband and chocolate lab retriever. She’s a full-time writer and an avid gardener, biker, skier, and hiker.

My Thoughts:

As the mother of a sixteen year old daughter, I was very interested in reading this book and was open to learning and gleaning what wisdom could be found. However, the tone of the book distracted me from absorbing the bits of truth throughout. This is written as if a teenage daughter was writing directly to her mother. The daughter writes in a very disrespectful, caustic tone. Lest I be accused of over-reacting, I asked my sixteen year old to skim through the book. She stated that many teenage girls DO speak to their mothers that way but also agreed that if you want someone to actually listen to what you have to say, that is not the way to say it. It sparked a good discussion between us on how we all tend to immediately become defensive or rebellious when approached this way, no matter our age.

I believe that I have a good relationship with my daughter (we compare ourselves to The Gilmore Girls, only...er...I am a one man woman, lol). We have room for improvement and still butt heads and drive each other crazy sometimes, so I tried to put my reaction to the tone of the book aside and just dig deep for whatever truths I could find. They were there to be found. If you can get past the caustic, grating tone there are many things we can take away as moms. Some are somewhat no-brainers to me (If you as a mom think there are no mean girls in High Schools, you need...I'll be nice, you need this book). Some were good reminders (listen before jumping to conclusions). Some were heart-prickers (choosing to give the best of yourself to people who don't even live under your own roof).

There may be some moms who need it written in this in your face style. Somehow I'm thinking the "you get more bees with honey" adage has more merit. This may be a helpful book for those who are able to take the meat and spit out the bones, or for those who may have a teenage daughter who speaks to them in this manner and are looking for help in discerning what they may be saying under the surface. Unfortunately the attitude is just a little too much for me.

If you'd like the opportunity to check this book out for yourself, please leave a comment below. Post this giveaway on your own blog and earn another entry (just add a second post with your blog link). I'll draw a name from all eligible entries on Mother's Day, May 10th! (US only please, sorry!).