Win Max Lucado's latest!

I am a huge fan of Max Lucado!  I love his children's books, especially You Are Special - I cry every time I read it.  I was so excited to have the opportunity for a very special review - his newest children's devotional, Grace for the Moment for Kids, AND his newest adult devotional!  Best of all, I'm giving away a set of the two to one lucky reader.

My boys cannot say enough good things about their devotional!  They are 10 and 7, and these devotions are perfect for them to read on their own.  My 10 year old said that he loves this book because, "It's short.  I don't have to look stuff up.  [The verses for the devotional are printed on the page.] And I like the part at the end. ["Growing in Grace," a practical, life application at the end of each day's reading.]"  Of course, since the adult and kids devotions cover the same topic each day, it's also perfect for mom to read hers in the morning, then to read the children's version during family devotions and discuss what everyone has learned.  (And if you have teens, you can get a copy of Wild Grace for them.)  As a mom, and as a children's pastor, I love books and activities that involved the whole family and get everyone talking about their faith!  This is the perfect series for it.

You can check out the Flipbook of Grace for the Moment for Kids here: http://issuu.com/tnelson/docs/fb_gftm_kids?mode=window&backgroundColor=%23222222

You can check out a FREE two week sample of the book here: http://www.tommynelson.com/2012/08/gracechallenge/

Or you can order a copy here: http://www.thomasnelson.com/grace-for-the-moment-365-devotions-for-kids.html

Of course, you can also enter to WIN a copy of both the kids and adult devotionals!  To enter, just leave a comment on this post AND become a fan of Tommy Nelson on Facebook.  For an extra entry, share this giveaway and leave a separate comment letting me know you did.  For another entry, like my new Facebook page.

Good luck!  Entries will close on Saturday, September 29th at midnight, and the winner will be announced Sunday, September 30th.  Thanks to Tommy Mommy for letting me review these!

Developing a Habit of Grace

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We throw the concept of grace around a lot.  It’s an important idea – after all, where would we be if not for God’s grace?  We talk about it, sing about it, write about it – but I wonder how much we really understand grace?

I’m working through an awesome Bible study right now on 1 Peter.  The study is “Kept,” and I’m going through it with the Hello Mornings fall session.  Last week, as we studied 1:1-2 and 5:12-14, I decided to look up “grace.”  I pulled up eSword on my laptop and went to the original Greek word.  It wowed me.  Here’s what I learned:

Grace (charis): graciousness of manner or act, especially the divine influence upon the heart and it’s reflection in the life, including gratitude.

Our mannerisms show grace.  Our actions show grace.  That’s it – it’s all grace.  All of life, our very life itself, is God’s grace.  Everything we are and everything we do should be a reflection of God’s influence in our life, including gratitude.

His Word is filled with His graces.  We are His workmanship.  He knit us together and knew us before we were born.  He collects our tears in a bottle.  We are inscribed on the palms of His hands.  His grace is more than amazing. 

Grace – that simple word has been speaking to me all week long.  My prayer is that God will keep His grace at the forefront of my heart and mind, and that He will help me to reflect that grace in all I do.  I want grace to become more than a word - I want grace to be a habit in my life.

A Huge Guest Post

I am so, so excited today!  Last month, one of my favorite blogs, The MOB Society, asked for guest posts for the month of September.  I wrote a post and sent it in, but honestly didn't expect it be chosen.  But guess what - it was!  I hope you'll check out!

My New Workout Motto

Need I say more?  This is my new motto.  5K here I come!

Losing My Grip

I'm not a huge fan of high places.  I can handle heights to a point...okay, to a very low point.  I hate it when I'm watching a movie or TV show and a main character ends up clinging desperately to a ledge by their fingertips, about to plummet to their death.  (Like Beckett hanging on for dear life in the season finale of Castle...anyone else LOVE that show?)  I guess it's a Hollywood rule that their grip has to slip and make things more dramatic, but it makes me squirm every time!

I can identify with the feeling of losing my grip, though.  How many times do I feel like I'm losing my grip on everything going on in my life?  The laundry mountain has started to resemble Mt. Everest, I'm behind on my Bible study, my college assignments are due, and my blog is covered in cobwebs.  I feel like I'm drowning, slipping further and further below the surface, not sure if I can ever reach the top again.

Sometimes God has to whisper my name...okay, so He may have to yell a little...and tell me, "Amanda, just breathe."  As my microbiology teacher used to tell our class before a test, "Breathe - its not overrated."  I need the reminder.  Breathe.  Focus.  Take one thing at a time.  Finish one job before starting another.  Take small steps.  Just get started. 

Ann Voskamp wrote a great post a few days ago about creating habits.  This week, I plan to use my day planner (a.k.a. "my brain" becasue I rely on it so much), the daily planner printable from A Holy Experience, a weekly homemaking schedule I typed up several months ago, and the Pomodoro technique to get things done at home and get my family on a routine.  Simple planning, and simple follow through, should help me get things into better balance and give me a better grip on things.

A Fun Family Giveaway!

I love finding fun new ways to have family Bible study times!  I look for resources that engage my own kids and the kids in my children's ministry.  The Hide and Seek Devotional (Hide the Word and Seek the Lord) from Tommy Nelson is perfect for that!

This is a fun kids devotional broken into Old Testament devotionals (A-Z) and New Testament devotionals (a-z).  One of my favorite parts of the book are the free song and story downloads.  The link is included in the book, and they are such a fun addition.  We often played worship music or Bible story CD's at bedtime when our boys were little, and they loved it.  It helped them fall asleep and kept our oldest from having nightmares.

The Hide and Seek Devotional is perfect for kids ages 4-6, but it can be easily adapted for a much wider age range.  Younger kids could enjoy the stories and songs, and older kids could dive deeper because each devotional tells you where you can read the whole story in the Bible.

You can click here to preview The Hide and Seek Devotional and you can click here to buy it at Tommy Nelson.  Best of all, you can WIN a free copy, thanks to Tommy Nelson!

To enter to win, leave on a comment below telling me how your children learn best - are visual or auditory learners, or do they learn best by doing something? 

For additional entries (please leave a comment for EACH one):

1. Subscribe to Grace In Our Moments
2. Follow me on Twitter
3. Like the Tommy Nelson Facebook page
4. Follow Tommy Nelson on Twitter

Good luck!  The winner will be announced Sunday.  Entries will end at Saturday, August 25th at midnight.

What Would You Have Left?

I did a little experiment with my kids in Children's Church a few weeks ago.  I encourage them to bring their Bibles to class, and they earn points to spend in our store once a month when they bring them.  This particular Sunday, though, after everyone sat down and pulled out their Bibles, I walked around and took their Bibles away.  I put them in a stack at the front of the room and asked the kids, "What would you do if your Bible was taken away?"

I went on to explain that this is a reality in many parts of the world.  I read them true stories of Christians in persecuted countries from Kids of Courage (the kids portion of Voice of the Martyrs).  I explained that in some countries, people can't get a Bible because it's illegal, so if one person has one, they will tear pages from it and give one page at a time to other Christians.  When they have studied and memorized that page, they will trade it for another.  They are desperate for God's Word.

So I asked the kids: If someone took your Bible, how much of it would you know?  Their eyes were wide as they shook their heads and admitted, "Not much."  It hit home for those kids.  But I can't help but wonder, how many adults would say the same thing?  How much have we memorized?  If all we had was what we've hidden in our hearts, how much would we be left with?

Today is the first day of the new Hide His Word challenge at Do Not Depart.  I'm excited about hiding 1 Peter in my heart.  The older I get, the more I realize how crucial it is to memorize God's Word.  This is a simple plan, averaging two verses a week.  I'm so excited about starting!  I pray the day never comes when my Bible is taken from me, but even if it doesn't, I never know when I'll need to reach deep inside and pull up what I've hidden.  First, though, I have to make sure I've taken the time to hide it in my heart and mind.