Review–Branded by Tim Sinclair

Branded
by Tim Sinclair
Kregel Publications
121 pages

ABOUT THE BOOK:  The church spends $1.5 million for every one new follower of Jesus. Apple sells 26 iPads every minute.

What is it that makes Apple so exciting and Jesus so boring? What is it that compels someone to bring their iPod everywhere and their Bible nowhere? In a word: marketing. Jesus is a life-changing product with lousy salespeople-people who are intimidated and embarrassed by the word "evangelism" and who show more enthusiasm for their gadgets than their God.

What would life look like if we stopped mass-marketing Jesus and started marketing our faith like Nike and Apple market their products--sharing relationally, from person to person? Using examples from these and other successful companies, author Tim Sinclair challenges Christians to throw out their casual attitudes toward faith and sign on for a marketing campaign for the Savior.

Written with the wit and wisdom of an experienced marketer, Branded peels away the feelings of fear and encourages readers how to share their faith in ways that are honest, authentic, and, most importantly, effective.

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/Branded-Sharing-Jesus-Consumer-Culture/dp/0825438942/ref=sprightly-20

 

MY REVIEW:  Our church has been talking a lot lately about how the “tried and true” evangelical methods no longer work in today’s society. So when I saw this book I eagerly delved in to see what thoughts the author might have.

It was really quite interesting and had many comparisons to some of the popular brand names that are being marketed today.  While it’s definitely not an evangelical how-to book, it does give you quite a bit to ponder and consider.

“The hardest part for Christians to grasp is that, even though we might not “get”a specific culture or worldview, our inability to understand it is completely irrelevant. A persons’ lens is that person’s reality, and it’s a reality that we must be prepared to speak to (and through) if we hope to effectively share Christ.”

Umm….wow!  When reading such clear honesty it can sometimes cause a person to squirm in their seat.  But perhaps it’s time for us to do some squirming and actually look at the way we talk to and act around others rather than trying to bop them on the head with a Bible.

I definitely recommend reading Branded, Sharing Jesus With A Consumer Culture as it gives some out of the box ideas to a centuries old Christian task.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tim Sinclair is a radio personality on one of the top Christian morning shows in the country, Mornings with Tim and Pam. For over a decade, he has been helping radio stations and various other businesses creatively and effectively market themselves. His award-winning productions have been heard on more than 2,000 radio stations worldwide and recent clients include McDonald's, Word Records, Moody Press, and the country's most-listened to Christian nonprofit radio station KSBJ/Houston. Tim has written for CCM Magazine and the Huntsville Times. For more about Tim, please visit his website, http://www.tim-sinclair.com.

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Kregel Publications is sponsoring a $50 Amazon.com giveaway open to all!

About the Giveaway:

To enter all you have to do is send a tweet (using #litfuse) about Branded or share about it on Facebook!

If you tweet we'll capture your entry when you use @litfuse. If you share it on Facebook or your blog, just email us and let us know (info@litfusegroup.com). Easy.

Not sure what to tweet/post? Here's an idea.

TWEET THIS:  Branded by @timjsinclair - Jesus is a life-changing product with lousy sales-people! @litfuse http://ow.ly/566nr

FACEBOOK THIS: Branded by Tim Sinclair is a compelling look at what Christians can learn from companies like Apple & Starbucks about sharing their faith! Jesus is a life-changing product with lousy sales-people!  http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13338985

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My thanks to Litfuse for furnishing this book for my honest review.

Card #7–Clean and Simple FTL144

This week’s card sketch at Clean & Simple Stamping apparently struck a chord in me because I actually finished a card on the same day the sketch came out!  I’m not sure how clean & simple my card is since I added a few things, but it was a fairly fast card to make.  And again, I just happen to have need for a Thank You card, so hopefully this will go in the mail pronto.

 

For the longest time I was a “pink place” and everything I made or wanted was pink.  I still adore it, but turquoise/teal is sure giving pink a run for its money here lately!

One note – if you decided to use Stickles as a flower center as I did, I *highly* recommend affixing the flower to the card first and then applying the Stickles.  A blob like this takes a very long time to dry. 

Supplies used for card:  Stamp – Curly Greetings set from CTMH; Cuttlebug Embossing Folder; Prima Flowers; Waterfall Stickles; SU Cardstock

Linking to:  Clean&Simple Stamping, Inspire Me Fridays

Candy Dipped Ladybug Pretzels

Last weekend we went up to the in-law’s house for some pool fun!  My sister-in-law and her crew from Atlanta come up every summer and we love to get up there and see them.

 

I saw these ladybugs somewhere online and decided I MUST make them for this gathering for several reasons – 1) I LOVE novelty desserts/foods like this, 2) my mother-in-law is nuts about ladybugs, and 3) my granddaughter would be there…and that alone is reason enough!

 

They were quite a hit, especially with my granddaughter!  Luckily she’s still young enough that she'll ask before getting one each time or I really think she might have sprouted a few spots of her own!

 

And just in case you might want to make some of your own, here’s how I did it:

The only thing you’ll need is a bag of pretzels, a teeny bit of powdered sugar and the Candy Melts shown above.  I bought mine at Walmart.

 

Melt some of the red candy melts in the microwave using the instructions on the bag.  Dip the pretzels about 2/3 of the way in the candy, then place on wax paper to cool and dry.

 

(Pretend like I remembered to take a picture before the chocolate looked yucky….)  After the red candy has cooled and dried, melt some of the dark cocoa candy melts the same way.  Hold the pretzel by the red side and dip into the chocolate, then place on the wax paper to cool and dry.

 

While I had the dark cocoa candy melts ready to go I went ahead and did the spots.  I tried several methods – a toothpick was too tiny and a straw was too big.  Finally grabbed one of the beaters from my mixer and that was perfect!

 

For the eyes I just mixed a very small amount of powdered sugar with an even smaller amount of milk until I got the consistency I wanted.

 

And that’s all there is to it!  When I do these again I’ll set up at the dining room table instead of the kitchen cabinet.  They were very easy and actually pretty fast to make, but leaning over the cabinet got to be a little tiring.

“Lovely little ladybug
sent from heaven above
please watch over my garden
and fill it up with love.”  Author Unknown

 

* Linked to We Did It Wednesday, Show and Tell, What I Made Wednesday, Inspired By You Wednesdays, Hoo’s Got Talent?, Look What I Made, Strut Your Stuff, Transformation Thursday, Hookin Up With HOH

Review–My Foolish Heart by Susan May Warren

My Foolish Heart
by Susan May Warren
Tyndale Fiction
354 pages

ABOUT THE BOOK:  Unknown to her tiny town of Deep Haven, Isadora Presley spends her nights as Miss Foolish Heart, the star host of a syndicated talk radio show. Millions tune in to hear her advice on dating and falling in love, unaware that she’s never really done either. Issy’s ratings soar when it seems she’s falling in love on-air with a caller. A caller she doesn’t realize lives right next door.

Caleb Knight served a tour of duty in Iraq and paid a steep price. The last thing he wants is pity, so he hides his disability and moves to Deep Haven to land his dream job as the high school football coach. When his beautiful neighbor catches his eye, in a moment of desperation he seeks advice from My Foolish Heart, the show that airs before his favorite sports broadcast.

Before he knows it, Caleb finds himself drawn to the host—and more confused than ever. Is his perfect love the woman on the radio . . . or the one next door?

Read an excerpt here: http://www.susanmaywarren.com/novels/contemporary-romance/

MY REVIEW:  Any time I pick up a book by Susan May Warren I know that I’m in for a good read – and this book was no exception.  Ms. Warren’s characters always have depth and are more often than not people that I’d like to meet and get to know. But even more than that – they are FUN!

In this story the two main characters both struggle with their “disability” – she has PTSD and he is back stateside from Iraq. I knew very little about PTSD prior to reading this book and Ms. Warren dealt with this in a manner that made me not only understand it, but I really felt for Issy.  And Caleb’s desire to prove himself without relying on a sympathy vote was both commendable and frustrating.

As they both get to know each other better without really knowing the other I found myself smiling and wondering when they would catch on.  It really is a fun book (did I already mention that???) and one that I almost hated to see come to an end.

A 4 out of 5 rating.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:    Susan May Warren is an award-winning, best-selling author of over twenty-five novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and have been Christy finalists. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder ofwww.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!)

A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at:www.susanmaywarren.com.

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Win a Romantic Night on the Town from Miss Foolish Heart!

Susan May Warren is thrilled to announce the release of her latest Deep Haven book, My Foolish Heart! Read what the reviewers are saying here. To celebrate this charming novel about a dating expert who's never had a date, Susan has put together a romantic night on the town for one lucky couple. One grand prize winner will receive a Miss Foolish Heart prize package worth over $200!

The winner of the Romantic Night on the Town Prize Pack will receive:

* A $100 Visa Gift Card (For Dinner)
* A $100 Gift Certificate to a Hyatt/Marriott Hotel
* The entire Deep Haven series

To enter just click one of the icons below. But, hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on June 16th. The winner will be announced that evening during Susan’s Miss Foolish Heart Party on Facebook! Susan will be chatting with guests, hosting a book club chat about My Foolish Heart, testing your Deep Haven trivia skills, and giving away tons of great stuff! (Gift certificates, books, donuts, and more!) Don't miss the fun and BRING YOUR FRIENDS!

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My thanks to Litfuse for furnishing this book for my honest review.

Card #6–Hoppy Birthday Loni!

Let me start off by saying how enormously blessed I am to have a daughter-in-law who is also a friend.  It certainly makes getting together with them something I treasure all the more!

Today is her birthday and really she’s one of my biggest crafting fans.  Each year as she opens the envelope with her card she always looks up, smiles and asks if it’s an “Elizabeth original.”  Now with somebody like that how can you NOT make a card? 

 

Another thing about Loni is that she LOVES puns!  Seriously, she is one Punny girl! (Hoho – did you see what I did there?  Snuck in a pun!)  So for this card I first came up with the sentiment and went searching through my stamps looking for a cutesy frog.  Apparently I don’t have one so I searched online for an image, but just didn’t find anything I liked.  So what else hops?  TIGGER!  (OK, I realize he bounces, but he’s cute and a bounce really is like a hop!)

 

I kept the color theme for wrapping her gift and I really think I’m on to something here.  I went to the “big box store” to buy a roll of Kraft paper, but they didn’t have any.  They DID have many solid colors and I figured white would be pretty.  Instead of curly ribbon I went back to the craft section and bought a roll of 7/8” grosgrain ribbon.  Actually the nice grosgrain was no more expensive than the curly ribbon and it can be reused in so many ways.  And doesn’t it make a pretty bow?  I think this might be my “go to” wrapping now – frugal and I think it looks oh so pretty!

Supplies used for card:  Image found online; striped ribbon and orange scallop behind Tigger – Stampin’ Up Pumpkin Pie

Linking to:  Motivate Me Monday, Blog Hop, Making Monday Marvelous, Just Something I Whipped Up, Craft-O-Maniac Monday Link Party, Mad Skills Monday, Market Yourself Monday, Sharing Monday, Made With Love

SSMT Week 11

“You are my portion, Lord; I have promised to obey your words.”  Psalm 119:57 NIV

I don’t know why I still get amazed by how the Lord works, particularly when it comes to the Bible.  This week I wasn’t sure what verse to use for my memorization, but I was pretty sure I would find something if I would just listen.

The start of my journey was reading Beth Moore’s blog and lo and behold this verse was there and it struck a chord deep within me.  Not because I am good at obeying His words, but because I so deeply want to be better.

When my kids were very young we always told them that whatever they had done they could tell us, but if they lied that was something I had a hard time getting passed.  Lying has always been such a terrible thing to me, so maybe that’s why this verse hit me.  If I have promised to obey His words, if I blatantly go against that promise is that the same as lying? And don’t I find lying to be despicable?

AMEN!

 

This is my Verse #11 for Beth Moore’s Siesta Scripture Memory Team.