Stumbling Into Grace by Lisa Harper

I am eagerly awaiting my trip to Women of Faith.  I am so excited that Lisa Harper will be one of the speakers for that weekend!  Lisa is a gifted speaker, but I recently found that she is an excellent author as well.  Her book "Stumbling Into Grace" was recently sent to me by Book Sneeze and Thomas Nelson Publishing. 
"Stumbling Into Grace" reads like a diary or journal, yet it's content is more of a devotional.  Lisa paints a beautiful picture of our walks with Christ.  Lisa mixes humor, Biblical encounters, and life application lessons throughout the three sections in this book.  The first section is "Real Life".  This section shares encounters with Jesus.  My personal favorite from this section is caled "The Very Real Problem With Pantyhose:  Jesus and Binding Things".  The second section is "Real Gifts".  This section leads us through encounters with Jesus and different gifts that he has given us.  The final section is called "Real Growth".  This section is about how Jesus helps us. 
I found this book to be excellent.  Lisa's insight provides the reader with teachable moments.  This book would be a great Bible study for a women's group.  At the end of each chapter is a section called "Living in the Light of His Story."  It is a prayer that is followed by a section called "Personal Reflection and/or Group Discussion Questions."  I liked how Lisa adds scripture references to the reflections.  At the end, is a starter for a journal entry.  This allow the reader to take the time to contemplate just what God is trying to teach them through this chapter. 
If you want to read a book, that as the introduction puts it "describe God's unconditional and miraculously accessible love for us through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ", please get a copy of "Stumbling Into Grace."  If you want to hear from Lisa Harper herself, I suggest you get yourself to a Women of Faith conference.  If you happen to go to the one in Indy, I'll be the girl standing in line at Lisa Haper's table.  I can't wait to thank her for this book. 

Thank you to Book Sneeze and Thomas Nelson books.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.



Look Out Indy - I'm Going to Women of Faith

I've attended Women of Faith many times. However, two years ago Women of Faith stopped coming to the St. Louis area. The other dates and cities just hadn't worked out for me. While Indianapolis is close, it is on the first day of school. What teacher misses the first day of school - right? Well, this year this teacher is. As part of Book Sneeze, I will be attending and blogging about my Women of Faith experience. If you've never attended Women of Faith, you are missing out. If you can't attend an event, then I urge you to purchase the DVDs, gather some women from your church together and hold your own mini-conference in your living room. Thanks to Book Sneeze, Women of Faith, and my school for letting me use a personal day on the first day possible. I promise I will be a better teacher for it - a weekend with Women of Faith has a way of making you smile for months to come.

Story Engineering by Larry Brooks

Story Engineering - Mastering the 6 Core Competencies of Successful Writing

As someone who hopes to have a published book someday, I chose to read Story Engineering with the hope that it would kick-start the courage to actually begin putting the story ideas that have been swimming in my head down on paper. While I haven't delved into the writing yet, I have stepped out of the boat and at least chosen the idea I want to work with. I believe that taking the time to study "Story Engineering" was well worth the invested time I spent reading it. It is not a book to be simply read, but one that must be studied. I had to read and take the time to really think about the chapters. I had to spend time thinking of how they would and should apply to my writing.

Story Enginerring is organized into 8 sections. The introduction gives an overview of the 6 core competencies and the reasoning the author states that they are important to good storytelling. The first core competency is concept. This section really helped me evaluate the story ideas I have collected and to prioritize them into which ideas might actually be worth exploring. The next section leads us to the second core competency which is character. As a instuctor at the local junior college, I can tell you that we spend a lot of time talking about character in the composition and analysis classes I teach. I found this section to be very well written and thought out. The author examines all of the various avenues that play a part in the development of character in a story. The next concept the author addresses is theme. While this section of the book is shorter than other sections, don't be fooled into thinking that theme isn't important. The information provided in this section of the book really captures the difference between plot and theme. The next section covers story structure. To me, this is the author's best work. This was the treasure I was hoping to find. This section isn't really a "how to" or "formula", but more of an inquiry into what makes a good story. It's taking those things, tearing them apart, examining them, and applying them to the story you are hoping to craft. The final parts are scene execution and writing voice. After the "meat" of story structure, I found these sections to be informative, but they didn't necessarily lead to that "aha" moment. The author finishes up the book with a closing section on the process of story development.

In all, I would recommend this book. This book is an investment - not something to be read quickly. Not a book you will devour. It's one you have to take in small bites and contemplate. Thanks to Book Sneeze for offering me the opportunity to read this book.

I received this book through Book Sneeze, a part of Thomas Nelson Publishing. The opinions expressed here are my own and were in no way influenced by the publisher. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Fedral Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.