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Friday, July 31, 2009

Any Minute by Joyce Myer and Deborah Bedford


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Any Minute

FaithWords (June 30, 2009)

by

Joyce Meyer and Deborah Bedford



ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Joyce Meyer is one of the world's leading practical Bible teachers. A #1 New York Times bestselling author, she has written more than seventy inspirational books, including The Confident Woman, I Dare You, the entire Battlefield of the Mind family of books, her first venture into fiction with The Penny, and many others. She has also released thousands of audio teachings as well as a complete video library. Joyce's Enjoying Everyday Life® radio and television programs are broadcast around the world, and she travels extensively conducting conferences. Joyce and her husband, Dave, are the parents of four grown children and make their home in St. Louis, Missouri.


Deborah Bedford is a career fiction writer who began her professional life as a journalist in a Colorado mountain town.

A Rose By The Door, Deborah's first with Warner Book (name changed to FaithWords in 2006), hit bookstores in November 2001. A Morning Like This was released by Warner Books in 2002. Deborah's short story, “Connor Sapp's Baseball Summer,” is included in Multnomah Publisher's The Storytellers' Collection, Tales From Home, alongside stories by Chuck Colson, Terri Blackstock, Randy Alcorn and Karen Kingsbury.

Deborah and Jack have two children, Jeff and Avery. When she isn't writing, Deborah spends her time fly-fishing, cheering at American Legion baseball games, shopping with her daughter, singing praise songs while she walks along the banks of Flat Creek, and taking her dachshund Annie for hikes in the Tetons where they live.


ABOUT THE BOOK


Sarah Harper is driven to achieve success no matter what the cost. She wants to do good and not hurt the people she loves--especially children and her husband, Joe--but her desire to succeed in her career too often leaves little time for family.

One cold, autumn afternoon, all of that changes when Sarah's car plunges off a bridge and into a river. She is presumed dead by those on the "outside," but Sarah's spirit is still very much alive. What she discovers on the other side transforms everything about Sarah's view of life--past, present, and future.

When Sarah is revived, she is a changed woman. And the unsuspecting world around her will never be the same again.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Any Minute, go here!




books

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Read and Share Toddler Bible and DVD by Gwen Ellis


Want a good book and DVD to reinforce the Bible stories your young toddler will be hearing for the rest of their lives? Then this is the book for you. This book is a nice size, just right for the toddler's little hand, soft hard cover. It comes with a DVD of 14 of the more popular stories, Creation, Noah, Abram, Joseph, David, Moses and Baby Jesus + more: Balaam and Lost Sheep. The DVD stories are short 3 minute colorful animated stories that will hold your toddler's attention. The book has 40 Bible stories with illustrations that just as colorful as the DVD and designed to keep the toddler interested. Each story has an interactive learning suggestion at the end for the parent to give them some parent/child time. These activities reinforced the Bible story you've just read. There are fun catchy words throughout the stories too such as: splish and splash, flop, clop, clop and whoosh to name a few. The activities include pictures and collages to create, songs to sing and move to, stories to act out or actions to preform. There are task charts to make for good obedience rewards (stickers) and discussions to bring out. Toddler/Pre-School age will love this interactive book and DVD. Why not put one under the Christmas tree this December for your favorite toddler or pre-schooler. Mine is going to go in my church library.


Want to take a look in the book visit this link
For more information about the book visit here


I review for Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers



books

Interview with author Etta K. Brown


Interview with Nonfiction Author Etta K. Brown

Today I'm interviewing Author Etta K. Brown. I haven't read her book: Learning disabilities: Understanding the problem and managing the challenges, yet but I'm looking forward to digging into it. Welcome Etta, thank you for taking the time to share with my readers. Could you tell my readers a little bit about yourself?

I grew up in Xenia, a small town in Ohio. I was the fifth of five children and attended The Ohio State University. Initially I became a Dental Hygienist with a degree in education. Because teacher raises and the salary schedule were tied to additional levels of learning, I continued to attend graduate school until I had earned a PhD. With 88 counties in Ohio, and a college in every county (2 or more in some) it was easy to attend graduate classes at night. I finally left school without completing the PhD because of my health.

During the process of moving on the salary schedule I earned certification as a special education teacher, school social worker, and school psychologist.

I have been unmarried since 14 months after my wedding in 1969. Don't ask and I won't tell the quirks and twists in that plot. I have no children, and my favorite pet just passed away, so I am still in mourning for my tom cat two years later. I am partial to cats and hope that I will be able to accept another into my life soon.

I myself am a dog-lover, but I won't hold that against you. We don't have one right now we had to put our last one down about two years ago because of health reasons. She was about 10 years old. Could you tell us about your professional career?

I worked 15 years in a school dental clinic as a dental hygienist teaching dental health education before starting my training in school social work, special education, and school psychology.

It was during my years as a school psychologist that I felt that I had the potential to make the greatest contribution. However, the job description did not allow for me to use any of my skills to help children. After retirement in 2002 I began writing about the subject, and revealed everything that I had always wanted to tell parents about schools and their children but could not without being disloyal to my employers. I am now free of that restriction, and in my book I share an insider’s view of special education that the schools would rather parents did not know.

Special needs children hold a place in my heart too. I have my EE degree with my ND teaching license. However, at the present I'm homeschooling my own daughter. My oldest just graduated in May and my youngest will be a freshman in HS this fall. Teaching is close to my heart. I substitute taught in the PS system from 1987-1992, when my oldest was born. I was able to be in the special needs classroom on occasions and that is where I grew fond of SN children. Could you tell us what are you doing now?

I am retired and starting another book about the dangers of being elderly in America. I am engaged in a legal battle for the rights of an elder brother. It has made me aware of the precautions that I need to take to prevent an unwarranted guardianship for myself.

That sounds like an interesting book. I have elderly parents. I just may have to check that book out when it is complete. Are you a full-time author now?

No, I have become a full time marketer for my first book. If I master this skill, I will start my next book on autism.

That is a subject I'd like to read up on may have to check it out too. Does the Special needs child intrigue you?

Yes, of course. I studied exceptional children for 22 years of graduate school receiving a Masters in Special Education before moving on to School Psychology. I still see special needs children as being worthy of our best efforts. I found them to be as good a student as any other, and they have a sense of self that is to be admired when they are successful in accepting life as it has been dealt to them. The rewards are very gratifying.

Special needs children grew in my heart after I substitute taught in the EMR and Special needs Pre-school classrooms. I have a niece with Downs and she is quite special in our family. Do you write only non-fiction?

I see all my future writing as non-fiction.

There's always a need for good informative books.


Could you tell us a little bit about the featured book?

The book is a how-to-manual for parents. As a reference book it identifies behavioral and learning problems exhibited by the child; how to accommodate them in the classroom; and what can be done at home to help.

Included are summaries of special education laws; the power granted to parents by those laws; how to use them to insure that your child receives an appropriate education. I believe that the book offers strategies and solutions that are immeiately applicable at home and school, and will have an immediate impact upon the academic success of children.

It sounds so good. I can't wait to get started reading it. Who would benefit most from reading this book?

Parents and teachers of children with learning problems are the target audience for the book. Parents are assisted with the prevention of additional learning problems, while advocating for an appropriate education for their children. Teachers are assisted with a more indepth insight into learning disabilities, their causes, prevention and classroom modifications and accommodations.


We're never too old to learn. This sounds so interesting. What spurred you to write this type of book?

As I have told my stories over the years, friends have said, "you should write a book." One day after traveling for awhile, I awakened from sleep and said, "I think I'll write that book today." It took three years.

At the end of the first year when I thought I had written the masterpiece of the century, I began editing my work and found that I had ventilated all my anger and frustration about my career experiences.

I spent the second year editing out all the frustration and anger, and during the third year I manipulated the remaining gems of wisdom into something that I thought someone else would be interested in reading. I pondered often about the worth of what I was writing, but finally concluded that I was making a worthwhile contribution to a problem which is growing at the rate of 10-20% every 10 years. Slowing down the increasing incidence of learning problems in our children will make it all worthwhile.

So this book has been awhile in the making. Have you written any other books?

This is my first book. I have two others planned, but they are non-fiction also. The next objective is to expose the legal fraud associated with guardianships of the elderly, and the overwhelming fraud in elder care.

Now for a few fun questions: What is your favorite activity?

I study metaphysics to keep myself centered, and focused.

Interesting. Always learning that's what matters. Do you have a favorite hobby?

I have mellowed somewhat since the 60s, but I am still somewhat of an advocate for things in which I believe.

Do you have a favorite food?

All things gourmet!

You sound like my kind of person. Any thoughts you'd like to leave with the readers

Yes. Learning disabilities are no longer the mystery that they once were. We now know exactly what learning disabilities are, what causes them, and how they manifest in the classroom. Parenting is the key to protecting the child from his emotional, social, and physical environments that are the primary interference with child development. The most important thing, is that it is never too late to make a difference for a child. They are dynamic beings, and will respond to the kinds of assistance recommended in this book.

Thank you for your time. I have enjoyed learning from this interview. I trust my readers will likewise be informed now. My review will come later. For more information concerning this book go here.

Read my review of the book here.







This work, while written by an academician, is an uncomplicated resource of information addressed to parents who have been introduced to the concept of Special Education for the first time. Overall, this work is a road map of how-to activities which will be of assistance from the beginning to end of the special education process.

Part I is an introduction to the environmental influences since World War II, that are believed to be contributing to the incidence of learning disabilities that is increasing at a rate of 20% every 10 years.

Part II includes a definition and history of special education and its intended role and function in the effort to educate all children. The reader is introduced to the process of determining eligibility for Special Education, and Federal and State Legislation are explored in terms of the parent's rights in the process.

Part III is an exploration of processing disorders as required for a designation of learning disability. Behaviors exhibited in the classroom, a rationale for the behavior, along with modifications and accommodations for the general education classroom are listed. These interventions are applied to the elementary, middle school, and high school environments as an aid in developing the individualized education plan (IEP).









CHAPTER XIII
ADVOCACY AT ITS BEST


As stated previously, before beginning advocacy for a child’s special education, it would be helpful for parents to be sure that any trauma, injuries, nutrition or health problems have been addressed and the child’s vision and hearing have been checked so that as an advocate, parents are doing or have done their part at home to prepare their child for learning.

Children with learning disabilities represent the largest category of students receiving special education, and the term has become so closely associated with special education that some professionals have actually referred to special education as a form of treatment for learning disabilities, and some parents and teachers have been led to believe that special education will solve their child’s learning problems. This is far from the truth of what special education is and does.

When a child has a learning problem, the special classroom modifies the way the information is presented to the child. If his problem is visual processing, information may be presented so that the stronger auditory senses are utilized. The child then learns more effectively, but that does not mean that the visual processing problem has been cured.

Children with many types of developmental immaturities benefit greatly from the special techniques and assistance received in special education. The law states that identification should occur at an early age and that, for school age children, services should be provided in the least restrictive environment.

Because learning-disabled children do not learn in the same way that the majority of children learn assessment is needed to assist the teacher in determining how they do learn best so that teaching methods can be adapted to their needs. Without this help, the teacher is overwhelmed with challenges for which she may have been ill-prepared in her training program. Add to that an overcrowded classroom of 30 to 35 students and the child with special needs often does not receive the special accommodations that he is rightfully entitled to under the law.

When this scenario exists, the child with a different learning style is often referred to special education, where, ideally, the smaller class size is expected to make it easier to accommodate unique learning needs.

However, approval for the placement of a child in an isolated group should be given only after the parent has visited the class, examined the curriculum and talked with the teacher about special teaching techniques.

Special Class Placement

Data suggests that students with disabilities living in inner-cities are more likely to be placed in restrictive learning environments. In these settings, 41.3 percent of students with disabilities are enrolled in full-time programs that remove students from regular classes for 50 percent or more of the school day, compared to 23.4 percent in non-inner-city areas.

Once placed in these classes, without specific assessment and accommodation of their learning style, they continue to underachieve. As a consequence, they are rarely able to return to an educational setting with their non-disabled peers because they have fallen too far behind academically and are, therefore, condemned to these settings for the remainder of their school experience. Eventually, because school is so meaningless, by middle school truancy becomes a problem and they drop out.

This raises a question. If the child is not going to learn at grade level anyway, why is it that he cannot be accommodated in the general education classroom and at least learn the social skills available through interaction with his classmates? The answer is that teachers sometimes believe the hype given to parents. “He will benefit more from placement in special education.” And theoretically that should be true, but in reality it often is not.

Again, the school district has a logical defense for its actions. It is hard to retain good teachers in some schools where there is limited parental participation; there are a limited number of English-speaking students; these children enter school “unready” to learn, etc.

While this may be true in some instances, and a major problem in others, enrollment statistics are not a problem which should have negative impact upon the education of the individual child. The parent’s objective is to see that their child receives an appropriate education. And if an appropriate education cannot be provided in the home school environment, parents have the right under the law to request that their child be transported, at school district expense, to an environment in which he will receive an appropriate education. And if English is not his primary language, he should be enrolled in a class that will develop his academic skills while he is learning English.

Referral for Special Education

Part of the reason for referral to special education is that the child may present a problem for the classroom teacher because his special needs demand services and accommodations which cannot be provided without special skills. So the teacher utilizes the only option available by referring the child in need to special education.

Another situation that places the child in jeopardy is the law that requires a minimal number of students for special classes. If the number in a given area is 12 and there are only 10 students identified at the child’s school, it becomes easier to find two more students to fill that class requirement than to lose a good teacher and bus the other 10 students to another school.

So, an additional question becomes, does the child “need” special education and is special education “appropriate” for the child even if he is eligible?

With good advocacy parents can weather this storm and achieve an educational program that is “appropriate” for their child in “the least restrictive learning environment.” It is their right under the law. And with good advocacy and involvement in the process, they can claim their rights.





books

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

GRACIOUS LIVING ON SOCIAL SECURITY by Valerie Kent


I volunteered to read this book because I have parents that are of the age of Social Security so I thought maybe it would help to give me some insight. As I was reading through the book the light came on; you know you don't have to be on Social Security to take Valerie Kent's advice and use it. It is practical fugal living advice for anyone if you ask me.

Mrs. Kent gives practical advice for living on Social Security benefits. She helps seniors live gracefully to the best of one's advantage on the limited assets of Social Security. You must prioritize between what is merely wanted and what is truly needed she says. Must make a plan and be disciplined in following through with the plan. Mutual respect and open communication with one's partner is of utmost importance.

Kent discusses the following issues for those starting over in their 60's and 70's.

  • Wedding plans
  • Choosing a place to live
  • Putting households together
  • finances
  • health issues
  • wheels
  • food & exercise
  • friends
  • travel
  • romance

At the end of each chapter there are key considerations to sum up what she said in the chapter. Kent's book is a very fast easy to read book and the advice is practical to any age group if you ask me. Kent helps find the "We" factor in the you & I. Reaching an agreement when living on much less is the what this book is all about. Compromise and being willing to concede some territory is what it is all about. Very down to earth for and good advice for any average joe, senior citizen or not.


books

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

What's on your Nightstand?

What's On Your Nightstand

Only Angels are Bullet Proof by Emily Ann Benedict
Learning Disabilities by Etta K. Brown
She still calls Me Daddy by Robert Wolgemuth
Plain Pursuit by Beth Wiseman
Dakota by Kathleen Norris
AND MORE.....Many More....Check my sidebar on my books I'm presently reading bookshelf.

Fourth Tuesday of the month. Check out what others are reading here.



books

Offworld by Robin Parrish


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Offworld

Bethany House (July 1, 2009)

by

Robin Parrish




ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Robin Parrish had two great ambitions in his life: to have a family, and to be a published novelist. In March of 2005, he proposed to his future wife the same week he signed his first book contract with Bethany House Publishers. They contracted him for the rights to not only that first book, Relentless -- but two sequels including Fearless and Merciless. A trilogy that unfolded in the consecutive summers of 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Robin Parrish is a journalist who's written about pop culture for more than a decade. Currently he serves as Senior Editor at XZOOSIA.com, a community portal that fuses social networking with magazine-style features about entertainment and culture. He and his wife, Karen and son live in North Carolina.



ABOUT THE BOOK

"Every Person on This Planet Has Disappeared."

Commander Christopher Burke and his crew are humanity's greatest explorers. They've finished their mission on the red dirt of Mars and now they just want to get back to Earth. To see friends, family, and loved ones. To be home. But even with communication to ground control cut and a perilous landing, nothing could prepare the crew for what they discover when they step foot back on planet Earth.

Everyone...everywhere...is gone.

It's not a dream. It's not a trick. Now Burke and his team have one mission:find out who or what is behind the disappearance of all mankind.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Offworld, go HERE

Watch the book trailer:

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books

Saturday, July 25, 2009

The Enclave by Karen Hancock


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Enclave

Bethany House (August 1, 2009)

by

Karen Hancock



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Karen Hancock has won Christy Awards for each of her first four novels--Arena and the first three books in the Legends of the Guardian-King series, The Light of Eidon, The Shadow Within, and Shadow over Kiriath. She graduated from the University of Arizona with bachelor's degrees in biology and wildlife biology. Along with writing, she is a semi-professional watercolorist and has exhibited her work in a number of national juried shows. She and her family reside in Arizona.


ABOUT THE BOOK

When Lacey McHenry accepts a prestigious research fellowship at the world-renowned Kendell-Jakes Longevity Institute, she sees it as a new start on life. But a disturbing late-night encounter with an intruder leads to an unexpected cover-up by Institute authorities, and she soon realizes there's more going on than she ever imagined.

She finds a supporter in genetics researcher Cameron Reinhardt. However, Reinhardt is a favorite of the Institute's director, and she can't help wondering if he, too, is in on the cover-up. The brilliant but absentminded researcher turns out to have his own secrets, some of them dark and deadly. The Enclave is characterized by adventure, intrigue, spiritual analogy, and romance, all set in an unusual but fully realized world--one that may have its foundations on earth but which, the more one learns of it, doesn't seem much like the earth we know at all.

If you'd like to read the first chapter of The Enclave, go HERE









books

Friday, July 24, 2009

Interview with author Cecil Murphey


1. The first sentence of your book reads, "I felt helpless." Tell us about that feeling.

Because her doctor put Shirley into the high-risk category, I felt helpless. To me, helpless means hating the situation, wanting to make it better, but admitting there was nothing I could do for her.

2. On that same page you also write, "One thing we learned: God was with us and strengthened us through the many weeks of uncertainty and pain." How did you get from feeling helpless to that assurance?

Shirley and I sat down one day and I put my arm around her. "The only way I know how I can handle this," I said, "is to talk about it." Shirley knows that's my way of working through puzzling issues. "Let's consider every possibility." If her surgeon decided she did not have breast cancer, how would we react? We talked of our reaction if he said, "There is a tumor and it's obviously benign. Finally, I was able to say, with tears in my eyes, "How do we react if he says the cancer is advanced and you have only a short time to live?" By the time we talked answered that question, I was crying. Shirley had tears in her eyes, but remained quite calm. "I'm ready to go whenever God wants to take me," she said. She is too honest not to have meant those words. As I searched her face, I saw calmness and peace. I held her tightly and we prayed together. After that I felt calm. Since then, one of the first things I do when I awaken is to thank God that Shirley and I have at least one more day together.

3. When most people hear the word cancer applied to someone they love, they have strong emotional reactions. What are some of them? What was your reaction when your wife was diagnosed with breast cancer?

As a pastor, a volunteer chaplain, and a friend I've encountered virtually every emotional reaction. Some refuse to accept what they hear. Some go inward and are unable to talk. Others start making telephone calls to talk to friends.

Me? I went numb, absolutely numb. That was my old way of dealing with overwhelming emotions. I heard everything but I couldn't feel anything. It took me almost two weeks before I was able to feel--and to face the possibility that the person I loved most in the world might die.

4. "What can I do for my loved one with cancer?" That's a good question for us to ask ourselves. How can we be supportive and helpful?

Many think they need to do big things; they don't. Express your concern and your love.

Be available to talk when the other person needs it--and be even more willing to be silent if your loved one doesn't want to talk. Don't ask what you can do; do what you see needs doing. To express loving support in your own way (and we all express love differently) is the best gift you can offer.

5. Why do you urge people not to say, "I know exactly how you feel"?

No one knows how you feel. They may remember how they felt at a certain time. Even if they did know, what help is that to the person with cancer? It's like saying, "Stop feeling sorry for yourself. I know what it's like and I'm fine now."

Instead, focus on how the loved one feels. Let him or her tell you.

6. Those with cancer suffer physically and spiritually. You mention God's silence as a form of spiritual suffering. They pray and don't seem to sense God. What can you do to help them?

God is sometimes silent but that doesn't mean God is absent. In my upcoming book, When God Turns off the Lights, I tell what it was like for me when God stopped communicating for about 18 months.

I didn't like it and I was angry. I didn't doubt God's existence, but I didn't understand the silence. I read Psalms and Lamentations in various translations. I prayed and I did everything I could, but nothing changed.

After a couple of months, I realized that I needed to accept the situation and wait for God to turn on the lights again. Each day I quoted Psalm 13:1: "O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way?" (NLT)

I learned many invaluable lessons about myself--and I could have learned them only in the darkness. When God turns off the lights (and the sounds) I finally realized that instead of God being angry, it was God's loving way to draw me closer.

7. Guilt troubles many friends and loved ones of caregivers because they feel they failed or didn't do enough. What can you say to help them?

We probably fail our loved ones in some ways. No one is perfect. If you feel that kind of guilt, I suggest 3 things:

(1) Tell the loved one and ask forgiveness.

(2) Talk to God and ask God to forgive you and give you strength not to repeat your failures.

(3) Forgive yourself. And one way to do that is to say, "At the time, I thought I did the right thing. I was wrong and I forgive myself."

8. Do you have some final words of wisdom for those giving care to a loved one with cancer?

Be available. You can't take away the cancer but you can alleviate the sense of aloneness. Don't ever try to explain the reason the person has cancer. We don't know the reason and even if we did, would it really help the other person?

Be careful about what you say. Too often visitors and friends speak from their own discomfort and forget about the pain of the one with cancer. Don't tell them about your cancer or other disease; don't tell them horror stories about others. Above all, don't give them false words of comfort. Be natural. Be yourself. Behave as loving as you can.


blue flower line



When Someone You

Love Has Cancer

Author: Cecil Murphey

Harvest House Publishers

ISBN: 978-0-7369-2428-3

Retail: $10.99




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Read more about this book here.
Read author's bonus articles here.
Read my review about this book here.

This blog tour is through:




books

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Author Cecil Murphey speaks....


Something Extra!

Cec designed the appendix to be the most practical part of the book. He's witnessed too many situations where genuinely caring people had no idea what to do, so he has tried to give a few general guidelines.

1. Before you offer help. Learn about the disease before you visit. Determine to accept their feelings, no matter how negative. Pray for your loved one before you visit. Don't throw religious slogans at them, such as, "This is God's will" or "God knew you were strong enough to handle this."

2. What you can do now. As the first question, don't ask, "How are you?" Instead, ask, "Do you feel like talking." Don't offer advice. Be willing to sit in silence. If you need to cry, do so. Be natural. If appropriate, hug your loved one. Human touch is powerful.

3. Long-term caregiving. The overarching principle is to let the seriousness of the disease determine the amount of time and commitment you offer. This can be a time for you to help them spiritually. Think about tangible things you can do that say you care. Plan celebrations for every anniversary of being cancer free.

Ask them reflective questions such as:

* What have you discovered about yourself through this experience?
* What have you learned about relationships?
* How has your faith in God changed?


blue flower line



When Someone You

Love Has Cancer

Author: Cecil Murphey

Harvest House Publishers

ISBN: 978-0-7369-2428-3

Retail: $10.99

Read more about this book here


blue flower line


A Word from The Man Behind the Words
by Cecil Murphey

When Shirley walked in from the garage, she didn't have to say a word: I read the diagnosis in her eyes. I grabbed her and held her tightly for several seconds. When I released her, she didn't cry. The unshed tears glistened, but that was all.

I felt emotionally paralyzed and helpless, and I couldn't understand my reaction. After all, I was a professional. As a former pastor and volunteer hospital chaplain I had been around many cancer patients. I'd seen people at their lowest and most vulnerable. As a writing instructor, I helped one woman write her cancer-survival book. Shirley and I had been caregivers for Shirley's older sister for months before she died of colon cancer.

All of that happened before cancer became personal to me--before my wife learned she needed a mastectomy. To make it worse, Shirley was in the high-risk category because most of her blood relatives had died of some form of cancer. Years earlier, she had jokingly said, "In our family we grow things."

In the days after the diagnosis and before her surgery, I went to a local bookstore and to the public library. I found dozens of accounts, usually by women, about their battle and survival. I pushed aside the novels that ended in a person's death. A few books contained medical or technical information. I searched on-line and garnered useful information--but I found nothing that spoke to me on how to cope with the possible loss of the person I loved most in this world.

Our story ends happily: Shirley has started her tenth year as a cancer survivor. Not only am I grateful, but I remember my pain and confusion during those days. That concerns me enough to reach out to others who also feel helpless as they watch a loved one face the serious diagnosis of cancer.

That's why I wrote When Someone You Love Has Cancer. I want to encourage relatives and friends and also to offer practical suggestions as they stay at the side of those they love.

The appendix offers specific things for them to do and not to do--and much of that information came about because of the way people reacted around us.

It's a terrible situation for anyone to have cancer; it's a heavy burden for us who deeply love those with cancer.

blue flower line


Read my Review here.

Check out more information on the book here.
author interview here

This blog tour is through:




books

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

When Someone you Love has Cancer by Cecil Murphey




About the Book:

The World Health Organization reported that by the year 2010 cancer will be the number one killer worldwide. More than 12.4 million people in the world suffer from cancer. 7.6 million people are expected to die from some form of cancer. That's a lot of people, but the number of loved ones of cancer sufferers is far greater. What do they do when a special person in their life is diagnosed with this devastating disease?

Murphey brings his experiences as a loved one and many years of wisdom gained from being a pastor and hospital chaplain to his newest book When Someone You Love Has Cancer: Comfort and Encouragement for Caregivers and Loved Ones (Harvest House Publishers). His honest I've-been-there admissions and practical helps are combined with artist Michal Sparks' soothing watercolor paintings.

Readers of When Someone You Love Has Cancer will receive:

* Inspiration to seek peace and understanding in their loved one's situation
* Help in learning the importance of active listening
* Guidance in exploring their own feelings of confusion and unrest
* Suggestions on how to handle anxiety and apprehension
* Honest answers to questions dealing with emotions, exhaustion, and helplessness
* Spirit-lifting thoughts for celebrating the gift of life in the midst of troubles

Murphey explains why this is a much-needed book: "Most books about cancer address survivors. I want to speak to the mates, families, and friends who love those with cancer. I offer a number of simple, practical things people can do for those with cancer."


About the Author:

Cecil Murphey is an international speaker and bestselling author who has written more than 100 books, including the New York Times bestseller 90 Minutes in Heaven (with Don Piper). No stranger himself to loss and grieving, Cecil has served as a pastor and hospital chaplain for many years, and through his ministry and books he has brought hope and encouragement to countless people around the world. For more information, visit http://www.themanbehindthewords.com/


Read my review of the book here.

Bonus materials from Author here.

author interview here.



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Now for the Give away. The contents contain the following:

GRAND PRIZE

The Grand Prize Winner Will Receive:

When Someone You Love Has Cancer
90 Minutes in Heaven (hard cover)
Heaven Is Real (hard cover)
Daily Devotions Inspired by 90 Minutes in Heaven (hard cover)
90 Minutes in Heaven, gift edition (selections)
90 Minutes in Heaven, audio (5 CD set)
Heaven Is Real, audio (6 CDs)
Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story
Think Big
Everybody Loved Roger Harden
Everybody Wanted Room 623
Everybody Called Her a Saint
Committed But Flawed
Immortality of Influence (hard cover)
Touchdown Alexander (hard cover)
Aging Is an Attitude
My Parents, My Children: Spiritual Help for Caregivers

How to enter:

Leave a comment telling me if you know of someone that has had cancer. If my blog has the most comments I will get to draw one winner to receive the Grand Prize. Start leaving comments; lets see if I can be the host to draw a person to win this Grand Prize. Drawing open til July 31st. Mr. Murphey is willing to ship anywhere in the world so come on and post.

Please note: I'm away at church camp this week so your comments won't appear til I approve them; therefore, it'll probably be next Monday before any comments appear but be assured if you post a comment and it is approved it will appear in time for the drawing. Sorry for the inconvenience. I am looking to be busy reading comments on Monday morning. Abi

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Get Bonuses:
Want extra bonuses if my blog gets the most comments and I get to pick a winner for the basket you can have extra chances to win, be sure to post each extra bonus in a separate comment for your bonuses: Ways to get bonus ~

1 extra bonus - if you have a blog and blog about this give away sending them to this page. Then come back and tell me and give me the link where you posted your message.
1 extra bonus - if you are a follower or become a new follower be sure to tell me in a new comment. To get the bonus you must comment separately.
1 extra bonus - if you followed another link to get to this giveaway page. Tell me the link or if you heard about it from a friend. Remember Be sure to tell in a separate comment.
1 extra bonus - if you live outside the US: tell me where you live but be sure it is in a separate comment so you get the bonus.

Another way to get bonuses Word of Mouth -
don't have a blog. Well, then e-mail a friend or tell them by mouth and come back and let me know that you told someone. The more you post a comment the more bonuses you get. the better chances I have of being able to pick a winner for this gift basket and you being the winner.

Remember the bonuses must be separate comments by themselves to count as extra bonuses.

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To: Anonymous: CJ

True Random Number Generator Min:1 Max:36 Result: 19

My site was the one who was able to choose the grand prize winner of Cecil Murphey's When Someone you love has Cancer gift basket



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