Wayfinding Bible GIVEAWAY!

Okay, this isn't so good. Tyndale was generous enough to send me a Wayfinding Bible over a year ago when they came out, and I never shared! I found it on my shelf this afternoon while deciding which Bible I should bring to my first Bible College class (I'm taking Bible College classes!!) so it seems like the perfect time to finally blog about it.

The Wayfinding Bible is an NLT version of Scripture that offers three built-in reading plans designed to give the reader an overview of the entire Bible and how the major themes, characters, and stories relate to each other. This Bible also features full colored pictures, notes, and maps to help bring the Bible to life and make it easier to understand, along with a concordance of "Points of Interest". Each book features a timeline of major events from the book and the world at large during that time.

This would be a great Bible for new believers, or Christian teens ready for more. The NLT is an easy-to-understand version, perfect for those who are new to the faith. Combined with the three reading plans, it's a great opportunity to dig into the Word.

So I'm giving away this copy! If you are interested in this Bible, or know someone who could benefit from it, leave a comment below and I will randomly choose a winner on Sunday night, 9pm EST.

(Contest has closed. Congratulations Meredith McLendon! Random.org has declared you the winner!)

Check out this video if you'd like more info about the Bible:

I received this from Tyndale Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

  

"START"

* Keep reading for a chance for a free book! *

Fear. We've all faced it. That feeling in the pit of your stomach telling you to stop what you're doing and return to safety. The heart-racing, nausea-inducing feeling that if you continue as you are, your entire world will collapse. 

But there's a worse feeling. The feeling that life has passed you by. The feeling of dreams unfulfilled. Though following dreams can be scary, it's more frightening to not chase them. We need to punch fear in the face and START. 

Jon Acuff's new book is going to help you do just that! In START, Acuff proposes names to the five stages of every dream (Learning, Editing, Mastering, Harvesting, Guiding), then walks you through each land and the pitfalls of each. Drawing from his observations and own experiences, Acuff will inspire you to destroy your fear and chase your dreams.

While I enjoyed his last book, Quitter, I loved this book even more. See, I'm in my 20s. Literally, not just in the Acuff "You're in your 20s anytime you start learning something new" sense. So I really don't have much to quit. I'm still learning what my dreams are and how to chase them. So while I liked Quitter and was inspired to go for my dreams, there wasn't much in it to apply to my life.

START is a different story. Anyone can start, no matter where you are in your life. This book helps you start with passion and purpose. Each chapter has a list of action steps in the back of the book to walk you through the stages, not just tell you about them. I devoured the book, and will be going through it again this week to journal through the action steps.

If you follow the steps in this book, you will live an Awesome life. And really, don't we all want to be Awesome? Who really wants to be just Average? Yes, Average is safer and more certain. But Awesome is exciting and fulfilling. It's the kind of life that makes you excited to wake up every morning and go to work. So if you're ready to flip the switch from Average to Awesome, check out START by Jon Acuff today.

Want your very own copy of START for free? I've got an extra copy to give away to one lucky reader! Just leave a comment below sharing one way you can punch fear in the face to chase your dreams. I'll choose a winner Saturday night at 8pm EST.

Jon Acuff launched his book with a party in Times Square and I was so happy I got to make it! Enjoy these photos of me and Jon, and myself flipping the Awesome Switch!

Eric Trap Giveaway!!

This just in! I have two copies of The Eric Trap to give away! 

The Eric Trap is a modern-day fable that highlights the top 5 mistakes kidmin leaders (really, any church leaders) tend to make. You can read my full review here.

If you'd like a chance to win, simply leave a comment with your best leadership tip. I'll pick two winners at random at the end of the day on May 4th. If you're a leader, you want to read this book!

"Start Something That Matters"

Quick note before the review: I've started doing the 50/50 challenge. It's a challenge to read 50 books and watch 50 movies (that you haven't read/seen before) during the year. So far, I'm at 2/1....I just decided to go make a page to keep track of these, so go check that out up top! Anyways, on to the review!

Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie

So I loved this book! It reads as part biography, part business how-to, and part inspiration. It chronicles the history of TOMS, a for-profit company that gives a pair of shoes to a child in need for each pair it sells. From it's start as a sketch in Blake's journal, to a full-fledged business selling millions of items, follow along as one man dreams of giving children a better future. TOMS blazed a trail for people to help others, yet still pay their own bills. Blake also shares the tips and insights he's gained on this journey to greatness.

I'm not an entrepreneur, but I love that many of the tips he shares can be translated to ministry, or to a non-profit, if and when I start one. This book was easy to read, with tons of stories from Blake and others he's come in contact with. Its a great combination of stories and practicality that will inspire just about anyone. I absolutely recommend this book!

And thanks to TOMS, I get to give away a brand new copy of Start Something That Matters!! My first ever blog giveaway :] hooray! So here's how we're gonna do this. Leave a comment telling me about an organization or person making a difference that inspires you. I'll keep this contest open for one week (It will close on Wednesday, January 25th at 6pm EST). The winner will be chosen at random with one of those number generating thingys. Make sure your email is linked so I can contact you if you win!

Good luck and happy reading!

*I received this book for free as part of TOMS Books for Bloggers Program in exchange for a review. I was under no obligation to give a good review. (Actually, their words were: "If you love the book, say so. If you used the book as kindling in your fireplace, that's OK too :)")

**UPDATE!** Whoops! Forgot to close the contest! Well, it was a 50/50 chance shot for the two of you who entered, and thanks to random.org's integer generator, the winner is......Kerri! Congratulations on your new free book :)