 |  |  |  |  |  |
Thanks to the Integer Generator over at Random.org, we have a winner in our Dug Down Deep book giveaway.
Drum roll, please .....
The winner is Sarah Rideout. Congratulations, Sarah! I'll be sending you an email to you in the next couple days.
To everyone else, thank you for participating in our contest.
Too often terms such as orthodoxy, doctrine, and theology get a bad rap. They're perceived as dry and boring. But, as Joshua Harris explains in his new book Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters, this couldn't be further from the truth.
"Our faith is not just a state of mind, a mystical experience, or concepts on a page," he writes. "Theology, doctrine, and orthodoxy matter because God is real, and he has acted in our world, and his actions have meaning today and for all eternity."
In an engaging manner, Harris spends 231 pages unpacking this statement. He defines orthodoxy, doctrine, and theology using a down-to-earth, easy to understand approach peppered with humor. He clearly shows their meaning in our day-to-day lives and why they should, if they aren't already, be important to us.
Have I captured your interest? If so, keep reading.
We have one copy of Dug Down Deep to give away to one reader. To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment on this post. We'll randomly choose one winner on Friday, January 29th and announce the winner here on Fresh Brew. My apologies to our international readers, but this contest is only open to those residing in the United States.
This contest is now closed. To see who won, click here.
With the help of Random.org and their Integer Generator, we have a winner in our Treasured giveaway.
Congratulations to Tia!
Tia, I'll have an email out to you soon. It's my hope that you are encouraged and inspired by this book. Both Danielle and I highly recommend it!
To everyone else, thank you for entering! Merry Christmas!
"How many days until Christmas Eve?" the question, posed by my 5-year-old, broke through my sleep.
Groggily, I opened my eyes and muttered, "Can we count after Mommy gets up?"
"Sure," came her reply.
There's no doubt Christmas has generated excitement at our house. From gingerbread houses to cardboard carolers, advent calendars, and homemade presents, my kids are eager to celebrate the holiday.
This week I want to spread the Christmas cheer that's evident at our house with a gift to one reader. We have one copy of Leigh McLeroy's book, Treasured: Knowing God By the Things He Keeps to give away. It's a book regular contributor Danielle Ayers Jones was pleasantly surprised by, as she notes in her review of it on Ungrind.
To enter for a chance to win a copy of Treasured, leave a comment on this post. We'll randomly choose one winner on Wednesday, December 23rd and announce the winner here on Fresh Brew. My apologies to our international readers, but this contest is only open to those residing in the United States.
Not all of our attention this week is devoted to Treasured, though. We also have an article from Jessica Boling. Be sure to read what she has to say about listening in "The Quiet Gift." It has reminded me of the importance of lending my ear more often.
In the meantime, I'm off to create a countdown calendar to Christmas for my daughter. Sure, I'd like to sharpen my listening skills, but I'd prefer to do it after I wake up.
This contest is now closed. See who won here.
With the help of Random.org and their Integer Generator, we have our winner in our Prize Package giveaway.
Congratulations to Estella!
Estella, I'll have an email out to you soon.
We have a prize package to give away! It includes the books Culture Shift: Engaging Current Issues with Timeless Truth by R. Albert Mohler Jr. and The Little Book of Big Savings: 31 Practical Ways to Save Money Now! by Ellie Kay.
To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment here. We'll randomly choose one winner on Tuesday, November 24th and announce the winner here on Fresh Brew. My apologies to our international readers, but this contest is only open to those residing in the United States.
This contest is closed. Seen who won here.
With the help of Random.org and their Integer Generator, we have our winner in The Katie Weldon book giveaway.
Congratulations to Tiffany Lee!
Tiffany, I'll have an email out to you soon.
On Tuesday nights, I hop on my treadmill and turn on The Biggest Loser. I exercise along with the contestants, motivated to remain healthy by their struggle and moved by their determination.
While I realize that all reality television is staged to some extent, I long to believe that what I watch is authentic -- that overall these contestants really do love and support one another. And I hope, as shown in a recent episode, that it was the idea of two contestants and not a producer to sacrifice their spot on the show for a fellow contestant who needs to remain on the Ranch more.
Dictionary.com defines "authentic" as "not false or copied; genuine; real." Just as I hope that aspects of The Biggest Loser are real and not contrived, I similarly desire not to live a "staged" live. What I mean by that is I want my words and actions to flow from who I am when no one is looking, not who I'm tempted to present myself as.
This month on Ungrind we explore authenticity. What does it look like in relation to our failures? How does it play out in friendships and marriages? Does our authenticity invite others to also be transparent? It's a topic I'm excited to delve into.
Today we kick off our discussion with the article, "What They Didn't Teach Me in Sunday School," by Miriam Slagle. In it, Miriam examines the beauty of the flawed "Bible girls" including her biblical namesake, Miriam, and what we can learn from these women.
We also have a contest. Thanks to author Robin Jones Gunn and Zondervan, I have one set of the Katie Weldon Series to give away. It includes the books Peculiar Treasures, On a Whim, and Coming Attractions. For anyone who was a Christy Miller fan growing up, this three-book collection is a must read. It follows Christy's best friend Katie as she navigates the college years. And even though I'm long out of college, I loved the series.
To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment here. We'll randomly choose one winner on Thursday, October 8th and announce the winner here on Fresh Brew. My apologies to our international readers, but this contest is only open to those residing in the United States.
Lastly, don't forget to participate in our Fresh Brew Fridays. Write a post on your blog about what being authentic means to you and then post the link on our Fresh Brew Fridays' page. We may just republish it here next Friday!
This contest is now closed. To see who won, click here.
With the help of Random.org and their Integer Generator, we have our winners in The Friends We Keep book giveaway.
And the winners are ... Stacey and Melissa. Congratulations! I'll email you both soon with more details.
Everyone else, stay tuned. In October, we are giving away one set of Robin Jones Gunn's Katie Weldon Series.
Also, don't forget to participate in our Fresh Brew Fridays! I'd love to hear what you have to say about friendship.
Last month my friend Jodie and I took in the film Julie & Julia. It's the story of two women—Julie Powell and Julia Child—who both discover purpose through cooking.
As the lights dimmed and I was reminded to silence my cell phone, I felt prepared for two hours of food-related content. I even expected the film's positive portrayal of marriage. But what I didn't anticipate was its commentary on modern female friendships.
While Julia enjoys the richness of female friends in the 1950's, Julie's 2002 story illustrates a lack. And I believe it's this loneliness that fuels the strong bond she experiences with a women she's never met: Julia Child.
As women, we need other women in our lives—women who are more than simply our culinary inspiration. Suzanne Hadley, in her article "Girls Need Girls," says it well: "Whether we women are aware of it or not, female friends contribute to our emotional and spiritual lives in a unique and essential way. Even married women need the intimacy and connection that comes from female friendships."
This month—as we celebrate our two year anniversary on Ungrind—we'll discuss female friendships. We start our discussion with two articles: "Thank You, Facebook" from Miriam Slagle and Christin Taylor's "The Friends We Keep: A Review."
To accompany Christin's review, we have two copies of the book to give away. While I agree with Christin's assessment that Davis' work lacks in some areas—for example, I was personally uneasy with her praise of Sex in the City in chapter 11—I also believe that this book offers much to contemplate.
I found Davis' exploration of the roles we take on fascinating, resonated with her look at our desire for a best friend, and even mentioned one of her insights from the book—that God doesn't have favorites—in my article, "Lie to Me." I was disappointed, like Christin, that Davis' ultimate answer was friendship with self, but at the same I was spurred on to be a better friend. Because of that, I believe it's the perfect book to give away this month.
To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment here. We'll randomly choose two winners on Tuesday, September 8th and announce the winners here on Fresh Brew. My apologies to our international readers, but this contest is only open to those residing in the United States.
This contest is now closed. To read who won, click here.
Recent Comments