"WORD up!" - 5 new articles
Today's Daily Devotional
 Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate
Interview Questions: 1. How did you develop the initial story idea/plot line for this book? Some book ideas you search for, and some just blow in on the wind. For the past several years, dating back to Hurricane Katrina, we in Central Texas have been the recipients of massive hurricane evacuations. These massive exoduses of people, pets, and belongings are frightening, frustrating, challenging, and at times oddly wonderful. When so many are on the road seeking shelter, the worst, but also the best qualities of humanity come to the surface. Hurricane evacuations truly provide times when we ask the question, "Am I my brother’s keeper?" In answering that question, we’ve enjoyed amazing moments of friendship and fellowship, family reunions, and chances to share a food and space with strangers from other parts of the country. We’ve traded stories and recipies, laughter and tears. One thing we’ve learned about hurricanes, living here, is that the paths are never predictable. Storms waver, hesitate, speed up, slow down, and sometimes change course unexpectedly. Evacuations needs can change and develop quickly. What better way for the beauty shop girls to find their inner strength and to show Daily hospitality, than for their cruise plans to land them smack in the middle of a sudden and chaotic hurricane evacuation? 2. Almost every author puts a little of themselves into their stories—what did you put of yourself into this one? (personality traits, life events/jobs, settings, characters based on people you know, likes/dislikes, etc.) There’s a bit of me in the setting, of course. I love Texas, in all its variety of cultures and landscapes, but, living in a small town, I have a particular affection for little bergs like Daily, where the coffee’s always hot, and a good slide of pecan pie can cure most ills. Having watched our little town mobilize to take in hurricane evacuees several times now, I’ve been reminded that sometimes the worst things that can happen bring out the best in people. Given the opportunity and faced with the need, regular people can rise to the occasion in amazing ways, as do the citizens of Daily in the book. Some members of the Wingate family might also claim to recognize themselves among the citizens of Daily, Texas. I would offer the disclaimer that any resemblances are completely unintentional, but that would be a bald-faced lie. When you come from a family of great storytellers and colorful characters, there’s nothing to do but make use of what you’ve got. 3. Did you encounter any interesting challenges while writing/researching for this book? Please explain if so. The most difficult part of working on Never Say Never was researching and reliving the devastation left behind on the Texas gulf coast last year after Hurricane Ike. While interviewing family members about their experiences during the evacuation and return, we shared laughter and quite a few tears. For those who have lived in southeast Texas all their lives, talking about familiar landmarks, heirlooms, and old family places that were washed away forever, knowing some things will never be the same, is both difficult and devastating. For those of us who have so many memories of family gatherings and vacations there, it’s hard to believe we’ll never visit the old places again. 4. Why is this book/story relevant today? Despite our best-laid plans, we all experience storms in life—whether those storms be of a weather-related nature, or due to an illness, death, or in recent months, job loss and financial misfortune. When the parameters of life and our ability to control fate suddenly change, we’re confronted with our own helplessness and need to rely on other people and God. In a culture that values independence and self-sufficiency, it’s important to remember that we all have a common need and a common responsibility for each other and that without faith we really are alone in the storm. About the Author: 
Lisa Wingate is a popular inspirational speaker, magazine columnist, and national bestselling author of several books, including Tending Roses, Talk of the Town, Drenched in Light, A Thousand Voices, and A Month of Summer. Her work was recently honored by the Americans for More Civility for promoting greater kindness and civility in American life. Lisa and her family live in central Texas. About the Contest: Leave a comment to be entered in the contest for a fabulous prize pack containing: Grandprize Drawing Donetta and Imagene's Texas Road Trip Basket (approximate total value over $150) Take a Texas road trip, without ever leaving home! Featuring: The Daily Texas Series by Lisa Wingate: Talk Of the Town Word Gets Around Never Say Never The Blue Sky Hills Series by Lisa Wingate: A Month of Summer The Summer Kitchen Beyond Summer (a special advance copy not available in stores until July 2010) Road Trip Snacks (Straight from Texas, of course!) Wrap it all up with a fuzzy, fleecy Texas throw blanket for those cold nights on the road (or curled up with your books!) Here is my review of this terriffic book: First of all, I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to Lisa Wingate and her publisher for sending me a copy of "Never Say Never" to review for them. I have always been grateful for this generosity, and I am trying to improve at being consistent in taking the time to thank these wonderfully giving individuals in a public forum. I really appreciate your time, effort and expense in making a reviewer copy available to me. Lisa Wingate’s latest novel, “Never Say Never”, is a captivating work of fiction that transports the reader to the laid back western setting of Daily, Texas with its authentically twangy narrative. If the town sounds familiar, that’s because Wingate has two other novels set in this locale: “Talk of the Town” and “Word Gets Around”. In this latest offering, Kai Miller is a confirmed and habitual drifter with no plans to settle down anytime soon. Who would have dreamed that it would take a tropical storm to lure her away from her nomadic lifestyle? Of course, such a story wouldn’t be complete without a complicated bit of romance to spice up the plot. I’ve just started this book, yet I’m invested in the storytelling and the characters to such an extent that I may have to go back to Wingate’s other novels in this setting. 
Today's Daily Devotional
 The Marriage Project by Kathi Lipp
More love, more laughter -- more lingerie.
Was the last time you flirted with your husband before you had kids? Do you spend more time on the couch with your wife watching movies or with a bag of chips watching The Game? Does your idea of a hot date include a drive-thru and springing for the extra-large fries? What would your marriage look like if for 21 days you put it on project status? Plenty of books describe how to improve a marriage, how to save a marriage, and how to ramp up the intimacy in a marriage. In The Marriage Project, Kathi Lipp shows you how to put the fun back in marriage with 21 simple yet effective projects. Here are just a few of the results you’ll see when you put The Marriage Project into practice: - new levels of warmth and tenderness in your relationship - a deeper sense of security with your spouse - new ideas to bring fun and flirting back into your marriage If you haven't given up on the dream of being head-over-heels with your spouse again, The Marriage Project will give you just the boost you need. Author Bio 
Kathi Lipp helps women renovate their life with projects for the soul. She is a national speaker and author who inspires thousands each year to take beneficial action steps in their personal, marital, and spiritual lives. Her wit and wisdom will give you new ways to: •Avoid settling for less than God’s loving plan for your life. •Develop new levels of warmth and tenderness with your spouse. •Return fun and flirting to your marriage. •Boost your confidence to follow God-given dreams and goals. •Create an environment of encouragement in your friendships Kathi is the author of The Marriage Project: 21 Days to Reigniting Your Relationship and The Husband Project: 21 Days to Loving Your Man on Purpose and with a Plan. In addition, her articles have appeared in Today’s Christian Woman, Bay Area Parent, Focus on the Family, Discipleship Journal, and Christian Parenting Today. Church leaders and women’s ministry directors rely on Kathi to help women move from living out of obligation to enjoying godly passion. She shares her cheerful humor and biblical insights over 45 times a year at conferences and retreats. Kathi and her husband, Roger, are parents of four young adults and live in San Jose, California. They are members of Church on the Hill where Roger is the programming director of the worship arts ministry. Renovate your life with a project for your soul! Q&A with Kathi •Kathi, you talk about a time in your life when your marriage wasn’t all that you hoped for. What were some of the things that you wanted to improve in your own marriage? Let me be clear – I love my husband Roger, but, this is a second marriage for both of us. I knew the statistics regarding remarriages are pretty bleak. But, I guess we were hoping that we would be the exception to the rule and would avoid all the drama – yeah, not so much… With both of us having two teens, plus both becoming step-parents to two teens, we had our challenges waiting for us. That is when Roger came up with the watch word for our marriage – “Intentional”. Whatever problems came up we were going to deal with them head on – not avoid them as we both did in our first marriages. The Marriage Project is one of the results of that – being intentional about making it work. •So, how does The Marriage Project work? The Marriage Project is like a workout program for your marriage – only with less sweat and more chocolate. You commit to do fun and flirty things for 21 days to raise the temperature of your marriage – everything from flirty notes on the bathroom mirror to more lingerie in the bedroom. It is a little bit of work – and a whole lot of fun. •How did you come up with the Projects? We ran 40 projects past 200 couples – most of them at our church in San Jose, CA. The ones that had the biggest impact – usually involving food and sex – stayed, while some of the ones that had the least impact got tossed. That’s how we came up with 21 pretty solid projects that both the husbands and the wives felt were fun and had an impact on their relationship. • Most couples already may feel overwhelmed, so how can they fit these projects into their already busy schedules? Roger and I have real lives – lots of kids, little money, and even less time. So we made sure that the projects were as “doable” as possible. Most of the projects take less than five minutes. • What’s the biggest reason that women stop putting effort into romancing their husbands? Time was the overwhelming factor for the women – between kids and jobs, home responsibilities and other family, it was easy to let their relationship with their husbands go on auto pilot. •How about the guys? What are some of the reasons a man may give up on romance? Surprisingly, most of the men wanted more romance with their wives, but didn’t feel like they were doing it “right”. “Will she be mad if I get her the wrong kind of flowers?” “What if she doesn’t like the gift I got her?” “It doesn’t matter what I do, she isn’t going to like it anyways.” If felt like a lot of the men wanted to do the right thing, but felt overwhelmed by “getting it right”. •You talk a lot about dating your mate in The Marriage Project. With all of the pressures of the economy, job stress, and family obligations, why do you think dating your spouse is so important? Dating is what helps us fall in love in the first place. It is the thing that most married couples give up first after saying “I do.” But dating is a great way to take a little retreat from those things that can pull us away from each other. At first you may have to look at dating as a project – setting aside time, money and energy for something (or someone) that is important. I know that it can be expensive to date, but if you are creative, you can have a fun date for under $20. •Are there really dates you can do for less than $20? Absolutely. In fact, we have a list on my website with 20 Dates for under $20. •What about if you have kids? How can you keep those costs down with the expense of babysitting? Starting January 15th, we are going to have great ideas on how to date with kids on my blog. You are going to love the ideas that all our readers are contributing! Purchase Links Amazon: The Marriage Project: 21 Days to More Love and Laughter Christian Book: The Marriage Project Barnes and Noble: The Marriage Project Link To Kathi’s Reader’s Freebies Reader's Freebies Here is my review of this marriage help book: First of all, I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to (AUTHOR) and her publisher for sending me a copy of "(BOOK)" to review for them. I have always been grateful for this generosity, and I am trying to improve at being consistent in taking the time to thank these wonderfully giving individuals in a public forum. I really appreciate your time, effort and expense in making a reviewer copy available to me. “The Marriage Project: 21 Days to More Love and Laughter” by Kathi Lipp caught my eye immediately because of its adorable cover. This book is a thought-provoking non-fiction read with ideas for 21 days worth of activities to spice up your marriage whether it is simply tired or if it is actually suffering. Personally, I have read so many marriage and relationship books lately that such a book has to be really spectacular to get kudos from me. “The Marriage Project” is a good book, and I am sure it will help many relationships by teaching people to be more thoughtful and encouraging of each other. But I’ve seen these ideas in other resources, so I am looking for something a bit more intense. Still, for those who are new to this subject matter or who just need a little help and a few basic ideas, this is a good read.  Today's Daily Devotional
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