Saturday, October 23, 2010

Blog Tour/Giveaway: Red Ink by Kathi Macias Day 3

Red Ink Blog Tour Banner1

Hello and welcome to Day #3 of the At the Water Cooler Virtual Book Tour for award winning author, Kathi Macias.

Below are the stops for day three. Please check them out. You can also click here to view the schedule of stops to date. Divine Perspective will be the tour host on Monday, the 25th so come on back to learn more about the book, the author and have a chance to win yourself a copy of Red Ink..

Day #3 - Saturday, October 23, 2010
A Cozy Reader’s Corner Reviews
http://acozyreaderscorner.blogspot.com/




Friday, October 22, 2010

Book Blogger Hop #1 - October 22-25, 2010

Book Blogger Hop

It's Friday...T.G.I.F. Thank God It's Fun time! Time to discover some new book blogs and the authors behind them via the Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Jennifer at http://Crazy-for-Books.com. This is my very first hop with this blog and I'm ready to discover some new "family".  So if you're surfing in on the Book Blogger Hop, please don't be shy...say, "Hi!"

Today's question is courtesy of Becky who blogs at Becky's Barmy Book Blog:


"Where is your favorite place to read? Curled up on the sofa, in bed, in the garden?"

My answer: In bed, of course! Is there anywhere else to read? When I was younger  it was the bathroom, the library, under my covers, under my house, (I lived in the West Indies, some houses had stilts because of uneven terrain) or anywhere else I could find.  Now that I'm an adult and I have my own bedroom...I look forward to ending the day with some quiet time and a lovely read...in bed.

Till next hop,



Blog Tour/Giveaway: Red Ink by Kathi Macias Day 2

Red Ink Blog Tour Banner1

Hello and welcome to Day #2 of the At the Water Cooler Virtual Book Tour!

Below are the stops for day today. Divine Perspective will be hosting on Monday, October 25th so come on back for your chance to learn more about the book(s), the author and have a chance to win yourself a copy of Red Ink, More Than Conquerors or No Greater Love!

If you missed yesterday's stops, you missed a treat!

Kathi answered some questions for us here at At the Water Cooler and shared a nice juicy excerpt over at A Cozy Reader's Corner Reviews. Once you're caught up, hop on over to today's stops, but don't forget to come back here on the 25th!

Day #2 - Friday, October 22, 2010


A Cozy Reader’s Corner Reviews
http://acozyreaderscorner.blogspot.com





Dee Signature
Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Introducing: More Than Conquerors

Title: More Than Conquerors, (Extreme Devotion Series: Mexico #2)
Author: Kathi Macias
Publisher: New Hope Publishers
Release Date: April 5, 2010
ISBN-10: 1596692839 
ISBN-13: 978-1596692839
Paperback: 320 pages
List Price: $14.99
Sale Price: $13.49

Description:

True love ignites their passionate pursuit of His call. With violent crime on the rise and the political climate changing throughout certain parts of Mexico, the opportunity for open Christian witness, particularly in some areas of Chiapas State, is rapidly decreasing. Hector Rodriguez pastors a small church in the tourist-popular border town of Tijuana. He also routinely carries Bibles deeper into the hostile areas of Mexico, where he ministers despite increasing difficulty and persecution.

Introducing: No Greater Love

Title: No Greater Love (Extreme Devotion Series, Book 1)
Author: Kathi Macias
Publisher: New Hope Publishers
Release Date: April 5, 2010
ISBN-10: 1596692774
ISBN-13: 978-1596692774
Paperback: 320 pages
List Price: $14.99
Sale Price: $10.19 

Description:

Forbidden romance, an unlikely martyr and an even more unlikely hero. Orphaned four years earlier when their parents, active in the African National Congress (ANC) movement against apartheid, were murdered—16-year-old Chioma and her 15-year-old brother Masozi now live and work on an Afrikaner family’s farm.

When Chioma and Andrew, the farm owner’s son, find themselves attracted to one another, tragedy revisits their lives. Chioma escapes to join an ANC rebel band in her effort to survive and gain revenge for her family and culture. When cultures clash in life-or-death struggles, Chioma must choose between violence and revenge—or forgiveness and selfless love.

Upcoming Blog Tour/Giveaway - October 21 - 28, 2010

Kathi Macias Banner

Divine Perspective is excited to announce hosting the upcoming blog tour/giveaway for Red Ink, the third book in the Extreme Devotion Fiction Series by Kathi Macias.

The tour is scheduled to run from Thursday, October 21, 2010 - Thursday, October 28, 2010.  There will be two opportunities to win a copy of Red Ink and two opportunities to win a copy of Book #1 No Greater Love and Book #2, More Than Conquerors.

That's only two days away!

Be sure to follow us or subscribe to our feed to ensure that you don't miss it!  (No, being a follower is not mandatory in order to be eligible.)

Peace,
Dee
Thursday, October 07, 2010

Weekly Devotion: It's Not All About You

Kathi Macias
“At the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me” (Daniel 4:34, NKJV).
Nebuchadnezzar was a great king, but like so many of us, he thought it was all about him. As a result, God humbled him in an amazing way—driving him from the palace to live with the beasts for seven years until, at last, he “lifted [his] eyes to heaven, and [his] understanding returned to [him].”

I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer to understand things from God’s point of view without first having to endure such a drastic experience. And yet, when we fail to lift our eyes to heaven and look to God for wisdom and understanding and direction, we truly are no more than beasts who go about our lives with nothing more than the desire to fill our stomachs and meet our other physical needs so we might continue to exist from one day to the next until our time on earth is done. How pitiful and purposeless an existence!

And that, of course, is exactly what God wanted Nebuchadnezzar to see. Whether a king or a pauper (or anything in between), when we fail to look to the heavens for our strength and understanding, we elevate ourselves to the position of god, and we fail every time, at everything we do.
Wednesday, October 06, 2010

So Random.org said....!

Our winners are Kathy H. and Debbie P.!

They were chosen out of a pool of 36 entries, some specifying, one title or the other or both choices.  With the use of a spreadsheet and random numbering system at Random.org Kathy H. won a copy of Glaen



and Debbie P. won a copy of Do You Know Who I Am?



Thanks to you both and everyone else who participated. I've notified Kathy H. and Debbie P. via email and they have already replied.  So no suspenseful, nail biting drama as we count down to 48 hrs.  LOL.

Boy this was fun!  Much thanks to the ladies at Good Choice Reading who hosted the Welcoming the Fall Giveaway.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Just Thought I'd Share

Journal Entry for Saturday, March 4, 2006 spiffied up and edited September 22, 2010 for Divine Perspective.

Topic: Divine Placement

Good morning, folks!

It seems as though I'm always apologizing to you all for my neglect, so once again I apologize. Even as I do so, I know I should really be writing--but I just had to share this little snippet.

Ever set a goal, go after it determinedly, and when you achieve it, almost regret having done so? Sound crazy? Let me elucidate.

I love to eat! My personal relationship with my intake has been like no other in my lifetime. That being said, I went into the cafeteria at work yesterday, ostensibly for a nice, tall, 16 oz. glass of icy water. In the past month and a half I have been making a concentrated effort to drop my membership in the big girls club. No great gym membership, no sweating to the oldies, no Pilates workout for dancers, just a simple premise: when I’m full, stop eating. Easy, right?

So there I was in the cafeteria, accompanied by Jeanne, the temp who assists me with filing and other tasks, when suddenly I found myself over at the omelet stand. Friday is omelet day at work, and can I tell you a little secret? Unless I make them myself, omelets make me nauseated. But scrambled eggs, which they also make at the omelet stand, do not.
Thursday, September 23, 2010

Weekly Devotion: Wise or Foolish?


“But they, measuring themselves by themselves,”

and comparing themselves among themselves,

are not wise (2 Corinthians 10:12).”
If there is any one criterion that distinguishes us as either wise or foolish, it’s the measuring stick by which judge ourselves. When we want to excuse our own words or actions, we can always find someone else to use as a comparison: “I may do this, but so-and-so does that, which is so much worse!” And that may very well be true. But what do the Scriptures have to say about offering such excuses for our own behavior?

Second Corinthians declares that those who measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves among themselves “are not wise.” God’s wisdom is quite different—and superior—to man’s wisdom. Romans 1:22 says, “Professing to be wise, they became fools.” Though God’s Word clearly states that wisdom is not found in comparing ourselves to other flawed human beings, we often do that, don’t we? In the process, we become fools. And what is a fool, according to Psalm 14:1, but someone who says in his heart, “There is no God; [I will set my own standards].”

God’s criterion for distinguishing between the wise and foolish is how we compare ourselves and judge our own behavior. If our measuring stick is other people, we will always find someone who, in our eyes at least, is worse than we are. But if we adopt God’s standards, the only One against whom we can judge ourselves is Jesus—and He is perfect.
Friday, September 17, 2010

Excerpt - Nudge: Awakening Each Other to the God Who’s Already There

Evangelism is about reaching out to others.

Really? You think?


In Nudge, author Leonard Sweet sets out to revolutionize our understanding of evangelism. He defines evangelism as “nudge”—awakening each other to the God who is already there. Sweet’s revolution promises to affect your encounters with others, and shake the very roots of your own faith.

Interacting fully with Jesus and the Kingdom of God goes beyond using your voice. Find out how using your five senses is all a part of nudge “sensing.”

Do you give ear to God?
Do you have a stomach for the kingdom?
Do you have a vision for the kingdom?
Do you have a touch for the kingdom?
Do you have a nose for the kingdom?

Sweet challenges readers to use all five senses to interact with God and others. Nudge will remind you that for God to do something through us, God must be doing something in us.

An Interview with Travis Thrasher

Travis Thrasher is an author who knows how to tap into the fear that lurks within the human heart, and his latest novel invites teens to enjoy his terrifying tales. Thrasher builds on the broken, hurting hearts of his characters to create a tale that will keep them up at night in hopes that the people within the story survive until the end of the book! He also understands the power of redemption and flawlessly blends hope into the darkness that his characters must battle against in order to survive. The remote town of Solitary, North Carolina, provides the perfect setting for this tale and reveals that the most frightening things in this world reside within the human heart. Told from the perspective of a sixteen-year-old boy experiencing love for the first time, Thrasher’s Solitary will have readers leaving their lights on and making sure that they don’t spend too much time alone!


Thursday, September 16, 2010

Weekly Devotion: Waging Spiritual Warfare


“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (Ephesians 6:12-13).”
We recently observed the nine-year anniversary of September 11, 2001, a morning eerily reminiscent of December 7, 1941, a “day of infamy” that caught Americans by surprise and ended the lives of many of our citizens. Each tragic event thrust us into a war to defend our sovereignty, our families, and our futures.

I was up early that September morning. When I turned on my computer and checked my emails, the first message I saw was from my husband at work. “A plane has flown into one of the Twin Towers in New York ,” he wrote. “Turn on the news.” I did, and it wasn’t long until I watched in horror as a second plane purposely flew into the second tower. “We’re under attack,” I said aloud, as realization hit me.

I immediately dropped to my knees and began to intercede for our country in general and for those trapped in the burning towers in particular. As a believer, I knew enough to realize that though this event would no doubt precipitate a response in the physical world, my part was to wage war in the spiritual realm.

But isn’t that true every day? Thank God we don’t have 9-11 experiences on a regular basis, but not a day goes by that we aren’t under attack. We have an enemy more formidable than any who planned or executed the tragic attack on the World Trade Center , and this enemy never stops attacking. As surely as there is a God who loves us and desires His best for us, there is an enemy who works tirelessly to defeat us and keep us from stepping into God’s best. We must therefore remain vigilant all the time, never letting our guard down or relaxing in our defense of ourselves, our loved ones, or even those who would destroy us if they could and yet desperately need Jesus themselves.

May we stay focused and vigilant in fighting the enemy of our soul, even as we cling to the One who is the “Lover of our soul” and who has promised never to leave or forsake us. We do NOT fight this war alone or on our own, but shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of God’s people, relying solely and completely on the strength of our Commander-in-Chief, the LORD of Hosts.

And one more thing: Read the end of the Book often, and then celebrate God’s promise of ultimate victory!

***My three newest releases, No Greater Love, More than Conquerors, and Valeria’s Cross, as well as the Spanish edition of Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today, are now available at online venues and in stores nationwide. Red Ink coming soon!



Communicating the vision… (Hab.2:2)
www.kathimacias.com
http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com/

alandkathi@ca.rr.com
Thursday, September 09, 2010

Weekly Devotion: Be Wise as Serpents and Harmless as Doves


“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16).
It isn’t often that I address controversial subjects in this venue, but on occasion conscience requires it. This is one of those occasions.

A pastor—and, I assume, a brother in Christ—has proclaimed his intention to burn the Koran on 9/11. A second pastor—this one living in a Muslim country and most certainly a brother in Christ—has requested other believers to petition the first pastor to reconsider. Why? Because this public burning of the Koran will most certainly result in increased suffering for Christians in Muslim countries. That in itself should be enough to convince the first pastor not to go through with his plans. However, if that isn’t enough, what about the fact that it simply isn’t right?

Some years ago I served on a church staff, and we had weekly meetings to pray together and discuss various ministry issues. One day the senior pastor brought up something that several of us disagreed with (not a moral or biblical issue); one staff member voiced his disagreement aloud. The senior pastor, however, remained unchanged in his opinion. The staff member who had vocally disagreed later told me he had been ready to turn the situation into a heated debate when he sensed God telling him not to do so. The man argued silently with God, declaring that he knew he was right in his opinion. God’s Spirit then asked him a vital question: “Which is more important—to be right or to be righteous?” The staff member held his tongue.

I’ve thought about that many times, particularly lately when two issues have played predominant roles in the news. Do the supporters of the planned mosque at Ground Zero have a legal “right” to build it? Absolutely. Is it the righteous thing to do? Certainly not. Does that pastor have the legal right to burn Korans? Apparently so. Is it the righteous thing to do? I don’t believe it is.

Jesus instructed us to “be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” when dealing with a world that is antagonistic to the message of the gospel. It certainly seems that the issue of burning the Koran on 9/11 falls into that category and should be treated as such. I am praying accordingly; I hope you will consider doing the same.

***My three newest releases, No Greater Love, More than Conquerors, and Valeria’s Cross, as well as the Spanish edition of Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today, are now available at online venues and in stores nationwide. Red Ink coming soon!



Communicating the vision… (Hab.2:2)
www.kathimacias.com
http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com/

alandkathi@ca.rr.com
Sunday, August 22, 2010

Excerpt: God Knows My Name

An excerpt from God Knows My Name by Beth Redman.

©2010 Cook Communications Ministries. Used with permission. May not be further reproduced. All rights reserved.


“I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” (Isa. 43:1)

A name is given and considered. A name imparts meaning, value, identity, and significance. Your name was chosen specifically, and especially, for you. A name gives both humanity and dignity to a person. The Enemy would have you live a nameless existence—feeling anonymous, illegitimate, unknown, unimportant, inglorious, and unfit to be named. Nineteenth-century London was a time of such material, emotional, and spiritual poverty that “children were so utterly uncared for that some were even without names, and were known to each other by nicknames.”

In direct contrast, God says that He has a name for us. Where we feel worthless and insignificant He bestows worth and significance upon us when He calls us by name and chooses us for His glory.

Anyone expecting a child has flipped through baby-name books, looking at the meanings and origins of names and thinking about how they sound. I’ve found names I loved and then been dismayed to find out they meant something like harlot, wench, or crooked nose!


Friday, January 22, 2010

Press Release: Good Game: Christianity and the Culture of Sports

Touchdowns and Slam Dunks for Jesus?

Controversial new book reveals the truth about faith and sports


Dallas/ Ft. Worth, TX—Like most Americans, Christians love sports. They love team rivalries, the sports analogy/ sermon illustration, the thrill of playing, Christian celebrity athletes and even the church-hosted Super Bowl party complete with a five-minute half-time devotional. These are sacred institutions in Christian life; their prominence is seldom questioned. Yet, since 77 percent of evangelicals believe that the mass media is “hostile to their moral and spiritual values,” one wonders why evangelicals haven’t also sensed that hostility in media-bloated competitive sport contests. Christians frequently voice criticism about violence in video games, but violence in sports such as football and hockey, which involves their children more intimately and dangerously, is rarely examined.

Author Shirl Hoffman, Ed. D, believes it’s time for Christians to ask the hard questions. “The institution of sport has been so intricately woven into the fabric of our culture, and thus into the Christian culture, that criticism of sport or suggestions that sports be given a closer look often are viewed as cranky complaints by prigs who don’t know good fun when they see it,” Hoffman says. “The person who dares to ask whether the competitive ethic as celebrated in modern sports might conflict in important ways with the Christian worldview risks being labeled a ‘sport hater.’” In his new book, Good Game: Christianity and the Culture of Sports, Hoffman draws attention to both the pitfalls and the spiritual opportunities missed by the carte blanche acceptance of current sports culture by Christians, particularly evangelicals.

The main factor driving the church’s unwillingness to cast a critical eye on the culture of sports is the rise of what sports writer Frank Deford called “sportianity,” a concoction of triumphal evangelism blended with worldly Darwinian competition and crafted to appeal to those for whom a love of athletics frames their lives. This folk theology combines locker room slogans, Old Testament allusions to religious wars, athletically slanted doctrines of assertiveness and sacrifice and a cult of masculinity, backed up by cherry-picked Bible verses pre-screened to ensure they don’t conflict with sport’s reigning orthodoxies. The fundamentals of “sportianity” have been rationalized, systematized and vigorously promoted by sport-evangelism organizations, coaches at every level, ministers, laypeople and the religious press. In fact, there are few alternative systems of thinking about sports and faith in the evangelical community—until now.