Sunday, May 19, 2024

FrontGate Media Blog Tour: The Weekly Habits Project by Zondervan Publishing

Celebrate progress over perfection with this beautiful year-long guided journal to build life-giving habits, set achievable goals, and enjoy spiritual growth with each grace-filled step forward.

Over the next 52 weeks, you'll build the spiritual, mental, and emotional habits you've been longing to cultivate. Reflection prompts and calming imagery provide a compassionate place for you to set and celebrate goals related to time, prayer, technology, fears, discouragement, and relationships.

Each entry in The Weekly Habits Project includes:

A practical theme to focus on for godly growth
A short but powerful Bible verse for reflection and meditation
Inspiration to guide your thoughts and jumpstart your habit project
Journaling prompts and room to chronicle your journey toward real, lasting change

This guided journal:

Showcases colorful photography and gentle watercolors
Has a beautiful ribbon marker so you never lose your place
Provides ample room for journaling
Fits on a nightstand, in a tote bag, or inside a gift basket
Is perfect for New Year's goal setting or starting new habits any time of year
Makes a great gift for you or a friend in a new season of life or for anyone who enjoys the Weekly Project series

I really enjoy Christian Living Books as they encourage me in my Spiritual Journey. The Weekly Habits Project: A Challenge to Journal, Reflect, and Make Tiny Changes for Big Results by Zondervan Publishing is the latest in this genre that I have read.

I have to say this Book/Journal is going to really encourage me in my Daily Devotionals and Bible Reading. The book is divided into four sections: Giving Our Thoughts to God, Giving Our Feelings to God, Giving Our Actions to God, and Being Made Whole in God, The book has 52 Devotions, one for each week of the year. Each devotion has Bible scripture, a short devotion, questions, prompts, and a space to journal. I used to journal my daily Prayers and thoughts, but then LIFE happened and taking care of the household and children led me to not journal for years. I have been wanting to start up again and I think this book has encouraged me GREATLY to do so. I really LOVE how encouraging this book is. I HIGHLY recommend it for anyone who is looking to grow in their Spiritual Journey and would LOVE to Journal daily! FANTASTIC BOOK!

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Front Gate Media Blog Tour: But God Can: How to Stop Striving and Live Purposefully and Abundantly by Becky Kiser

Tired of trying to be enough? The truth is you were never meant to be, no matter what culture might tell you.

Christian women today are bombarded with confusing messaging–they are supposed to do and be it all but also die to themselves. They are supposed to believe that women can do anything and also surrender everything to God. Adding to that pressure, many women feel stuck in their current reality–spinning on the hamster wheel of life. They scroll past images that tell them everyone else has it together and is experiencing a purpose-filled, adventurous, fun, loving, and God-honoring life. Overwhelmed and at a loss, most women go one of two places: defeat or self-help empowerment, even Christian self-help.

In Becky Kiser's But God Can, women realize this truth: on their own, she was never meant to be enough—that is the gospel message, that is why Jesus came. But God Can get her unstuck and find a purpose she has never known! She will identify the lies she's internalized, replace those with new truths, and find freedom through realistic, practical, and life-changing strategies.

Becky Kiser will use her foundation as a Bible teacher and unique skills as a life coach to take women on a journey to

find freedom from lies as she changes how she thinks,
identify what God says is actually true,
remember that God is more than capable of doing anything,
discover how He has uniquely created her, and
propel her into the abundant life of deep purpose.

But God Can will show you that you don't have to be enough because God is more than enough! On your own, you can't, but God totally can!

Becky Kiser is tenacious in her intent to help women love God, themselves, and others. She is a life and small business coach, helping women identify and surpass their goals. Becky is an authentic and passionate speaker at Christian women’s events and retreats, as well as in prisons and in Africa. She hosts the Hearers & Doers with Becky Kiser podcast, interviewing new and old friends and sharing one-on-one coaching sessions with her listeners. Becky cofounded Online Women’s Ministries, which hosts Online Women’s Bible Study, Online Women’s Retreat, and more coming soon! Becky is the author of Sacred Holidays: Less Chaos, More Jesus (B&H Publishing, 2019), and But God Can: How to Stop Striving and Live Purposefully and Abundantly (W Publishing/HarperCollins, 2024). She has also self-published Advent and Lent Bible studies. Becky and her husband, Chris, live in The Woodlands, Texas, with their three daughters: Karis, Moriah, and Chandler.

I really enjoy Christian Living Books are they are encouraging and helpful for my Spiritual Journey. But God Can: How to Stop Striving and Live Purposefully and Abundantly by Becky Kiser is the latest book in this genre that I have read.

WOW, this book really HIT me in a GREAT WAY! I am the type of person who wants to "DO IT ALL" and always on the go to get things done. I know I get overwhelmed and exhausted, but I continue on. I sometimes do this out of "Trying to Prove Myself". Becky Kiser has written this book to let us women know that we don't have to do it ALL, GOD CAN and WILL help us to do it. I really like the layout of this book. The book is divided into 3 parts: Forget the Former Things, Let God Do a New Thing and Finding Your Way in Your Wilderness. At the end of each chapter are A Prayer, Questions for Reflection, and "Hearers and Doers" challenge. I really LOVE when a book has actions at the end of each chapter, as it really helps me reflect and dig deeper into self reflection. This book really helped me see that I AM ENOUGH and that my worth doesn't come from being "overwhelmed and doing it all", but my Worth is found in Jesus!! I HIGHLY recommend this book to any Woman who needs in encouragement that they ARE ENOUGH and GOD CAN help us get through life without us doing it all! GREAT BOOK!

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Saturday, May 18, 2024

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Abounding Hope by Cindy Kay Stewart

Book: Abounding Hope

Author: Cindy Kay Stewart

Genre: Historical Christian Romance (WWII)

Release date: October, 2023

Poland’s looming defeat forces an American teacher to escape with children wanted by the Nazis.

It’s late August, 1939, and the world is on the brink of war. The Nazis are threatening Poland, but American teacher Irena Simmons refuses to flee to safety. She’s dedicated her life to serving in her church and school, and she’s watching over the little German boys she whisked to safety the year before. When her former classmate, Jonathan, surprises her in Lvov and insists she leave with him before the war starts, Irena balks. Nothing will interfere with her work—especially a man making demands.

American shipping magnate Jonathan Huntwell had a crush on Irena in school. When their former classmates select him to travel to Poland and escort her out before it’s too late, he doesn’t expect the inner turmoil she ignites in him. Although honor-bound to aid any friend in trouble, Jonathan acknowledges that Irena is more than an obligation to him. However, he must keep his feelings hidden, or he’ll jeopardize their friendship.

Irena soon discovers that the Gestapo agent she successfully evaded in Germany has found her in Poland, and he’s after her young charges. When the Germans invade, Jonathan is in Denmark on business, too far away to help. As the rising danger threatens everything Irena holds dear, she must find a way to protect those she loves.

Based on true events and backed by extensive research, Abounding Hope is sure to delight fans of WWII adventure cloaked in sweet romance. Come to the place where the war began and discover hope in the darkest places.

Click here to get your copy!

Christian Historical Romance, especially those based during War Time, are a favorite genre of mine. Abounding Hope by Cindy Kay Stewart is Book 1 in the Circle of Hope series.

World War II Historical Romance Books are really engaging for me and this book caught my attention in the very first Chapter. Irena Simmons is an American Teacher living in Poland. I really LOVE that she wants to protect the students she fled from Germany with, even as War is threatened. She was very determined to stay even when her childhood friend, Jonathan encouraged her to leave. Jonathan is an amazing man who wanted to protect Irena and her students. I LOVE that Irena realizes that Jonathan was really wanting to protect her, expect it might be too late. She has to find out how to get to safety. I admire Jonathan for not wanting to jeopardize the friendship, even as his feelings for Irena are surfacing. The author has done an AMAZING job in her research for this book. The book is fictional, but based on True Events. I finished this book within 4 hours, it was that intriguing and GREAT!! I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian Historical Romance, especially during WWII times. FANTASTIC BOOK!

Cindy Kay Stewart, a retired high school social studies teacher and current church pianist, writes stories of hope, steeped in love, and anchored in faith. Her manuscripts have won the Touched by Love Award, the First Impressions contest, and the Sandra Robbins Inspirational Writing Award. They’ve also finaled in the Maggie Award of Excellence and the Cascade Awards, and semi-finaled in the Genesis contest. Cindy is passionate about revealing God’s handiwork in history. She resides in North Georgia with her college sweetheart and husband of forty-two years. Her daughter, son-in-law, and four adorable grandchildren live nearby. Cindy’s currently writing the Circle of Hope series set in WWII Europe.

More from Cindy

WWII is a fascinating time period—so many miracles took place in the midst of great tragedy. There has never been an era of history when so many people sacrificed so much to save the world from evil.

During my research for Abounding Hope, I uncovered many interesting and nearly unbelievable stories from the beginning of the war. Within the context of historical fiction, I had the opportunity to recast these true events through the lives of my fictional characters. I endeavored to remain true to history throughout the book, even with dates and places. None of the historical events and places in Abounding Hope are fictional.

Abounding Hope is set in Poland and Hungary at the beginning of WWII. The main characters, Jonathan and Irena, are Americans who have lived in Europe most of their lives. They’re also civilians who learn to surrender their expectations and trust the Lord through their harrowing experiences. In the end, they also find love. Their romance adds soft and intriguing elements to a story set during such a difficult time in history.

Pause for Tales, May 14
Alena Mentink, May 14
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 15
DevotedToHope, May 16
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 17
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 18
Lights in a Dark World, May 18
Texas Book-aholic, May 19
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 20
lakesidelivingsite, May 21
For Him and My Family, May 22
Stories By Gina, May 23 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, May 23
Betti Mace, May 24
The Lofty Pages, May 25
Cover Lover Book Review, May 26
Little Homeschool on the Prairie, May 27

To celebrate her tour, Cindy is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2b7ca/abounding-hope-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Marcus and the Emperor's Coin by Dennis Conrad

Book: Marcus and the Emperor’s Coin

Author: Dennis Conrad

Genre: Christian Children’s Picture Book

Release date: October 30, 2023

Marcus and the Emperor’s Coin is an exciting adventure in the Ancient Roman Empire at the time of Christ. Eight-year-old Marcus and his father are on a mission for the Emperor and visit a mine and a mint where coins are made. Marcus himself makes a denarius, a coin with the emperor’s image.

Marcus goes to Jerusalem where he sees Jesus hold a denarius saying, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” What will seeing Jesus mean for Marcus, and will he ever be the same again?

Click here to get your copy!

Children's Picture Books are an excellent way to introduce young ones to the wonderful world of reading. Marcus and the Emperor's Coin by Dennis Conrad is a Faith Based Picture Book for young kids. It is Book 2 in the In God We Trust Series.

Marcus and his Dad are helping the Emperor and they visit a Coin Mine and Mint. Marcus is excited that he made a coin with the Emperor's image on it. Marcus sees Jesus in Jeruselum and Jesus is preaching about “Give to the emperor the things are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” What will Marcus do after hearing this message?

I really enjoyed this book. The book has so many learning experiences including the Roman Empire times and Jesus in Jeruselum. I personally loved the part where they visited the Coin Mine and Mint and learning about the making of coins. Marcus and his Dad had a fantastic mission and it was a great seeing father and son being portrayed in this book! It is VERY well written and the Illustrations are just amazing. I HIGHLY recommend this Faith Based Historical Fiction book for Kids! WONDERFUL BOOK!

A former coin collector for over fifty years, Dennis combines his love for the Bible, children’s literature, and sharing stories about the history behind coins.

Dennis retired as a professor of speech communications from Barstow Community College. He and his wife served as English and public speaking teachers ten summers overseas.

Dennis became a sustaining member of the Numismatic Association of Southern California in 1979. He is also a life member of the American Numismatic Association.

Dennis is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and a Fellow of the National Writing Project.

More from Dennis

How to Turn a Penny into a Teachable Moment

Dennis Conrad

Connect with your child or grandchild by starting a coin collection.

Start with the penny, also known as the Lincoln Head Cent. The coins were first minted in 1909 because it was the 100^th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth.

Use the coin to help your child make the connections with who Lincoln was, what he did, and when he lived. Reasons why Abraham Lincoln is featured on a coin include the following:

Lincoln is often at the top of the list of America’s greatest presidents.
He helped to preserve the Union during the American Civil War.
His Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves.
The Gettysburg Address ranks as one of the best speeches of all time.

Now, Look On the Back (the Reverse)

Go through change to find the different images on the backs of pennies.

There are wheat ears (1909-1958) and the Lincoln Memorial (1959-2008).

To celebrate the 200^thanniversary of his birth, the U.S. Mint issued coins with four different images on the back. The Lincoln Bicentennial (2009) coins include a log cabin, Lincoln sitting on a log, Lincoln standing in front of the state capitol of Illinois, and an unfinished U.S. Capitol Building (the way it was when he was president.) For the past several years, there has is a shield on the back representing the preserved union (2010-Present).

Add one of each reverse to the child’s collection.

Don’t forget to mention the words, the date, and the mintmark.

The words include “One Cent,” “In God We Trust,” “Liberty,” “The United States of America,” and “E Pluribus Unum” which means “Out of many, one.”

Also, look for and find the year minted and the mintmark.

Find and add a coin from the child’s birth year to the child’s collection.

Look at the mintmark. It is a letter on the front of the coin under the date. The “D” is for Denver, the “S” for San Francisco, and the absence of a mintmark means the coin was minted in Philadelphia.

Add coins with the different mintmarks to the child’s collection.

Keep the collection safe in a small box or a Ziploc bag. Have fun. Add to the collection as time goes by.

Free Resources

Want to encourage the child in your life to learn more about coins? Sign up at https://dennisconradauthor.com so your child can become a Junior Coin Collector. Receive free, monthly activity sheets like a crossword puzzle. There is a Coin Hunt section where children can search for and find coins in change for their collection, and a Vocabulary Builder section with coin collecting terms.

Lots of Helpers, May 8
Artistic Nobody, May 9 (Author Interview)
BookZone Reviews , May 9
Vicky Sluiter, May 10
Texas Book-aholic, May 11
Beauty in the Binding, May 12 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 13
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, May 14
Hannahbandanarama, May 15
Guild Master, May 16 (Author Interview)
Lights in a Dark World, May 16
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 17
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 18
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, May 19 (Author Interview)
Little Homeschool on the Prairie, May 20
Labor Not in Vain, May 21

To celebrate his tour, Dennis is giving away the grand prize package of a $100 Amazon gift card and a signed hardback copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2b7c8/marcus-and-the-emperor-s-coin-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Friday, May 17, 2024

JustRead Tours Blog Tour: Darkness Calls the Tiger by Janrye Tromp

Darkness Calls the Tiger JustRead Blog + Review Tour

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Darkness Calls the Tiger by Janyre Tromp, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Title: Darkness Calls the Tiger: A Novel of World War II Burma
Author: Janyre Tromp
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Release Date: May 14, 2024
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Imperial Japan devours the southern portion of Burma, intent on taking over mainland Asia. Unaware of the coming darkness, Kailyn Moran drifts in her role as the only daughter of a widowed missionary.

As whispers of war snake through the Kachin mountains, Kai's father is convinced God will protect the mission. He entrusts the village to her and the kind yet inexperienced new missionary, Ryan McDonough, while he makes routine visits to neighboring villages.

War descends like a tempest upon the mountain peaks, and an unbreakable bond forms between Kailyn and Ryan as they unite to provide solace to both villagers and the flood of refugees. Despite their tireless efforts, a brutal enemy shatters almost everything they love, pushing Kailyn to embark on a path of unrestrained vengeance.

Afraid he's losing the woman he loves, Ryan fights to protect Kai from the deadly consequences of her choices. But in the face of destruction, can he convince her of the power and freedom of forgiveness?

"Evocative and transportive, filled with nuance and spiked with the violence of war, Darkness Calls the Tiger is a story of redemption in the midst of hopelessness." --Tosca Lee, New York Times best-selling author

I really enjoy Christian Historical Fiction Novels. Darkness Calls the Tiger by Jaynre Tromp is the latest in this genre that I have read.

The setting is Burma in WWII. The main characters of the book are Kailyn and Ryan. Kailyn is the daughter of a Missionary living in Burma during this time. She teams up with Ryan to save the Villagers where they are living from the ravages of the War. They have many struggles while trying to help the Villagers, but their Faith in God is strong. They also realize that they are taking a liking to one another. The author does a wonderful job at addressing senstive topics like rape and the atrociousness of the War. I really felt that I was in Burma while reading this story as the author did the research and made the reader really get captivated by the storyline. The book is one of Faith, Trust, Forgiveness and Redemption. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Chrsitian Historical Fiction and WWII stories. FANTASTIC BOOK!

Janyre Tromp

Janyre Tromp is a developmental book editor who has worked in the publishing industry for more than twenty years, spending time in both marketing and editorial. She's the author of Shadows in the Mind's Eye and contributor to It's a Wonderful Christmas, a Christmas novella collection with other award-winning authors, including Julie Cantrell and Lynne Gentry. When she isn’t writing, she’s a Bible study leader, writers conference speaker, ACFW member, wife, and mom of two kids and their menagerie of slightly eccentric pets.

Connect with Janyre at janyretromp.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

(1) winner will win a signed copy of Darkness Calls the Tiger, a bookmark, and other book-themed goodies!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 13, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 20, 2024. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!