Book Review and Giveaway: What Is He Thinking?? by Rebecca St. James

About "What Is He Thinking??"
In WHAT IS HE THINKING??, Rebecca interviews a range of men from high-profile types to the guys next door, men that every woman can relate to. Although the interviews focus on single guys ages 18-35, Rebecca also includes words of wisdom from older mentors she respects who have been successfully married for years, people like her dad, life coach, and pastor.

The men share their thoughts on topics like how women can respect themselves and the men in their lives, modesty, purity, taking it slow, friendship, letting guys lead, and more. This book gives them the floor to say what they would really like women to know.

The men respond candidly to questions such as:
•What is the most attractive quality to you in a woman?
•Is modesty truly attractive?
•Is neediness a turn-off?
•What do you find beautiful?
•How can we be dependent on God for our identity, not on you?
•How can we help you with boundaries physically?

Rebecca also discusses her own dating life, speaking openly about the single life, her struggle with loneliness, and her hope for the future. She challenges women to see the men in their lives as brothers in Christ and to trust God with their dating lives.

About the Author:
Australian born Rebecca St. James is a Grammy Award winner and a multiple Dove Award recipient, with international success that has driven her record sales into the millions. In January 2008, she was named Favorite Female Artist in Contemporary Christian Music by readers of CCM Magazine for the seventh consecutive year. Rebecca also won Best Female Artist of 2007 from Christianitytoday.com-her fifth consecutive year to be given this honor. She's been involved in several film productions and voiced the character of Hope the Angel in VeggieTales' bestselling DVD production The Easter Carol.

Facebook (Author): http://www.facebook.com/RSJames  
Facebook (Book): http://www.facebook.com/whatishethinkingRSJ
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rebeccastjames
Website: http://rsjames.com/
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/rsjchannel 
Link to HBG website book detail page: http://goo.gl/RTy0O
OpenBook Link: http://goo.gl/BWgEs (preview the first 10% of the book)

My Thoughts and Review:
Have you ever wondered what men might be thinking about dating, love, and marriage? Wish you could read their minds :)? This book gives you that opportunity. Rebecca St. James (recently married) interviewed 16 single guys (18-35) and 11 married men whom she respects. Even though I prefer courtship over dating, I found this book to be an interesting and informational read. You will find Biblically sound advice, wisdom, insights, and even some surprises. Dating can be daunting, dangerous, and depressing. However, if you approach it with caution and discernment that is based on God's Word and His leading, you can be confident that your relationship will bring honor and glory to God. I still feel that the dating concept is like a rehearsal for divorce. You change your date when you're no longer in love or no longer compatible or ..... (fill in the blank). I believe a genuine friendship and eventually courtship is a more wholesome way to go. Nevertheless, this helpful book can still benefit single ladies who follow courtship and even married women (the better we understand men, the better it is for wives to understand their husbands). At the end of the book, the author includes the survey questions she used in case readers want to interview their guy friends and learn more about what men are thinking. I'd like to say this: I'm extremely thankful that God arranged my marriage to my husband/my best friend (a man after God's own heart) and that I don't have to be in the dating game...whew :)!
 
Giveaway: You can win a copy of this book. The giveaway ends 10/30 at midnight Pacific time.
To enter: "Like" the book's Facebook page. Then leave a comment here letting me know. Please also include your Facebook name and your email address.
 
For extra entries (please leave a separate comment for each one you do):
- "Like" the author's Facebook page.
- Follow Rebecca St. James on twitter
- Follow this blog via GFC or NetworkedBlogs
- "Like" my page "Christ Alone" on Facebook
- Follow me on Twitter: @treasuredbyGod
- Share the link to this giveaway post on Facebook
- Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance  with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Review and Giveaway: Magdalena: Through Her Eyes DVD

About MAGDALENA: Through Her Eyes DVD (from Campus Crusade for Christ, ~82 minutes long):
THE LOVE SHE EXPERIENCED CHANGED HER LIFE.
THE MAN SHE FOLLOWED CHANGED THE WORLD.

MAGDALENA: Through Her Eyes is the story of Jesus from a woman's perspective. As she followed Jesus, Mary Magdalene witnessed changed lives, miracles, and His tenderness toward women. Her own life was radically transformed when Jesus healed her and gave her a new purpose for living.

MY THOUGHTS AND REVIEW:
We have been long-time supporters of the Jesus Film Project (their link is on my sidebar :)). Both my husband and I were serving with Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) when we were in college (attending different colleges in different countries). In fact, God used CCC to bring us together from across the world (I'll have to share our God-orchestrated love story some other time :)). I was so excited to get an opportunity to review this DVD from Campus Crusade for Christ. Magdalena: Through Her Eyes DVD was produced by women (its producer, director, and writer are women) for women. It portrays the life of Christ from Mary Magdalene's perspective. It was well done even thought it was a challenging task to blend scenes from the original Jesus Film (1979) with the new footage without losing the flow. I think they did a fantastic job. If you have never seen the original Jesus Film before, you probably won't be able to tell that they mixed scenes that were 30 years apart :).

In this film, Mary Magdalene tells her friend, Rivka and two other women (plus a girl and a boy) about the Messiah and helps them realize that God does care for women. Actually, she started from the very beginning (Genesis 1) so that they will fully understand God's plan of redemption through Christ. The film highlights  Jesus's love and compassion through His interaction with women: delivering Mary Magdalene from demons, talking with the Samaritan woman at the well and offering her the living water, healing a woman who bled for 12 years, raising a girl from the dead, commending on a widow's small but sacrificial offering, forgiving an adulterous woman, making His first appearance after His resurrection to Mary Magdalene and assigning her to go tell His disciples that He is alive, etc. Throughout history, women have been oppressed, abused, mistreated, and undervalued. But Jesus loves them, forgives them, heals them, and cares about their needs no matter who they are and what they have done. This DVD aims to encourage women to see how much God loves and treasures them and to reflect upon the eternal hope that can only be found in Christ, the Savior of the world. We all, including women, are precious in God's eyes.

Magdalena: Through Her Eyes is not just another Christian film; it is a wonderful ministry tool. You can host a movie night with a purpose by making it a special event for women. The DVD package includes Magdalena: Through Her Eyes DVD, Reflections of Hope Bible Study, "Women's Ministry Leader" event letter, and special event marketing materials. The Bible Study Guide explores different aspects of who Jesus is to women: Our Loving Pursuer, Our Gracious Forgiver, Our Power for Living, Our Powerful Deliverer, Our Compassionate Provider, Our Complete Restorer, Our Living Water, and Our Lifelong Friend. I'm looking forward to hosting a movie night/Bible study for the international students who attend our local university. It's so cool that this DVD has 8 language options: English, Russian, Mandarin, French, Spanish, Korean, Portuguese, and Arabic. I'd like to invite you to check out their website at http://www.magdalenatoday.com/ and get your small group, women's ministy, and/or church involved. A church event showing has a lot of potential to make a great impact. It may lead to Bible studies, a second church event outreach, film showing for a women's cause, donation/volunteer opportunity for a women's cause, etc. Speaking of a women's cause, my family is very pro-life and we faithfully support our local Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRC). PRC helps 8,000 women (and pre-born babies) annually through 5 Centers, providing free pregnancy tests, comprehensive peer counseling, free Ultrasound (given by RNs), practical help, referrals and real hope (the Gospel message) to those facing unplanned pregnancies. My daughter participates in Steps for Life, an annual fund-raising event for PRC (this is her 12th year). Please consider supporting PRC by clicking here.

Note: Please turn off my music playlist at the bottom of this page before starting the trailer.

GIVEAWAY: I'm so happy to tell you that there's an extra DVD package for one of my readers :). Just in time for Easter... Ends 4/15 at midnight Pacific time.

To Enter: Please leave a comment here letting me know if you've ever seen the Jesus Film or what women's cause is important to you. Please also make sure to leave your email address or your blog address so that I will be able to contact you if you're chosen as a winner (randomly). This giveaway is open only to US residents.

Extra Entries:
1. Visit my daughter's Steps for Life fund-raising webpage here and make a tax-deductible donation to PRC. Any amount is greatly appreciated! Come back and leave a comment here for 3 extra entries.
2. Visit http://www.magdalenatoday.com/ and come back here letting me know one thing you learn from the website.
3. Enter my Rebecca St. James's CD, "I Will Praise You" Giveaway here.
4. Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect or NetworkedBlogs.
5. Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/treasuredbyGod .
6. Post about this giveaway and link to this post on your blog.
7. Post the link to this giveaway on your Facebook page or tweet it. Please also leave your Facebook link or twitter link in a separate comment.


“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Life Ready Woman Blog Tour and Giveaway

About Life Ready Woman
Thriving in a Do It All World
Are you a 'Doing it all' or 'Do what matters' woman?

Whether a stay at home or working mom, an airplane-hopping executive, an empty-nester caring for multiple generations or a single juggling high demands of career and personal life, today's fast-paced modern world leaves women gasping for balance. We as modern Christian women want to look to the Bible for guidance on how to manage our lives -- but because the world of women looks so different today than it did when the Bible was written, it is hard to find chapter and verse that seems to apply to our situation today.

Thankfully, God has given us exactly that timeless, unchanging guidance for how to find peace, clarity, and God's best for our lives once we know where to look! The Life Ready Woman: Thriving in a Do-It-All World, reveals a profound biblical roadmap for how each of us can find the abundant life we are longing for, rather than the stressful, torn, how-do-I-balance-it-all life we often feel like we are trying to keep up with today. Actually being a LifeReady Woman means that you are clear about your life, bold in your faith, and able to find God's best for you, and the end result will be that you not only survive but thrive in our do-it-all world.

God has given every wonderfully unique woman different skills and abilities, different desires, and different temperaments -- and every woman around the planet and through the ages is certainly living in different circumstances. But no matter what a woman's life looks like, the Bible says that God has an individual mission and plan that He's carefully designed for each of us. And He wants us to find it. Starting January 2011, The Life Ready Woman and the Life Ready Woman Video Series will help every wonderfully unique woman to thrive as she identifies and courageously pursues God's unique design and callings for her. LifeReady Woman puts you on a roadmap to make decisions that will lead to relief, delight, and fulfillment instead of regret.

Find out more about the LifeReady Woman book and study at http://www.lifeready.com/lifereadywoman/ .

About the Author

Shaunti Feldhahn is a former Wall Street analyst and the best-selling author of For Women Only and now The Life Ready Woman with Robert Lewis. These resources investigate and illuminate those easy-to-miss truths that have the greatest power to transform lives.

Shaunti is also the mom of two active young kids, and wife to attorney and entrepreneur Jeff. In the middle of juggling work deadlines, soccer runs, church activities, business opportunities, field trips, and time with her husband, she has seen personally how vital it is to have a biblical blueprint for life balance.

For more information about Shaunti, please visit her website at http://www.shauntifeldhahn.com/ .

My Thoughts and Review:
I love being a woman. Yes, often I do wish there were more hours in the day :). Being a woman trying to juggle a plethora of things is challenging and exhausting. The Life Ready Woman aims to help women be ready for a fulfilled life from a Biblical perspective. Initially, I had a hard time getting into the book because it didn't hold my attention. However, it got better/meatier starting in Chapter 3. The book is divided into two parts: Part 1: God's Plan and Purposes for All of Us and Part 2: Getting to God's Best for You. The authors (Shaunti Feldhahn & Robert Lewis) address the five most common issues facing us women nowadays, define Biblical womanhood, and point out the three types of callings that direct our path (core callings, feminine callings, and personal callings). If you want God's best for your life, you need to live from the inside out (beginning at God's core callings). The authors offer five faith steps and various wise steps (for different seasons of life) for women to follow in order to be "ready". This book is an insightful and practical life-coaching guide based on the compass of God's Word for women of all ages and all stages.

Download the Session workbook and watch Session One at  http://lifeready.com/lifereadywoman/sessionsampler.html

GIVEAWAY: You can win a copy of this book. The giveaway is open only to U.S. residents. Deadline: Feb. 28th at midnight (Pacific time)
To Enter: Please leave a comment here sharing what you think is the most challenging thing about being a Godly woman, wife, or mother.

For Extra Entries: 1. View my daughter's video here (only 3 min. 15 sec. long) and come back to leave a comment letting me know.

2. Rate my book reviews here (click on each title to read and rate each review). Come back to leave a comment letting me know the title(s) of the book(s) you've rated. Each book review rating counts as one extra entry.

3. Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect or NetworkedBlogs.


~I received this book for review and a giveaway copy from Litfuse Group.

Friday's Fave Five #36

It's time for another Friday's Fave Five (hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell the Story).

My Fave Five this week:-

1. You can get a FREE sample copy of "An Encouraging Word," magazine for Christian women of all ages. $5.00 value! Enter promo code: AEWFB in the check out process and click "Continue." Please feel free to share this offer with your friends! http://www.anencouragingword.net/aewsample.htm

2. We've had a blast singing with Praise Champion (Karaoke World Tour) CDrom. Great song selections (lots of hymns, praise and worship songs, Christmas songs, songs by Lincoln Brewster, Kari Jobe, etc.)! We all try to get platinum records :).

3. We had so much fun playing games with our Chinese and Taiwanese friends last Friday night! We played Whoonu, Apples to Apples, Would You Rather...?, and I Have Never. Lots of laughter and I discovered I enjoy crispy anchovy snacks :).

4. Tomorrow, January 22, Focus on the Family is co-sponsoring the first annual Life and Justice Conference at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. You can also join live via simulcast. Discover how you can be an advocate for the preborn child, orphans, those living with special needs, the elderly, or victims of human trafficking and genocide. For more details: http://www.lifeandjusticeconference.org/?page_id=817 

5. I enjoyed reading Life Without Limits and highly recommend it. This inspiring book is written by Nick Vujicic, who was born without arms or legs. He is living his life to the fullest with gusto for God's glory! Please take a few minutes to read my review here and rate it.  Thanks so much!