Sundi Jo Graham's Blog, page 46

Bless These Lips [An Interview with Sharla Fritz]

Have you ever spoken something only to wish you could take it back? Ya, me too. Our words are powerful, whether we’re speaking them to ourselves or others.

In her book, Bless These Lips, author Sharla Fritz examines things we say that get in the way of our relationships with God and with others. Each chapter draws on lip product analogies and uses humor, anecdotes, and observations to introduce Scripture passages that address common behaviors and attitudes. I’m excited for you to read it!

I had the privilege of bringing Sharla straight to you in this interview and I’m excited to be a part of such a great message.

Why did God prompt you to write this book?

I began writing Bless These Lips because I was the one who needed a Mouth Makeover! I always seemed to be putting my foot in my mouth and I was tired of the steady diet of sock lint and shoe leather. I wanted my words to be the kind that built other people up, but instead I often used ones that tore them down.

So I studied what the Bible had to say about our words and read other books about interpersonal communication. I learned so much and decided to share how each of us can make a difference in our worlds through what we say.

In your own words, what is a “mouth makeover?”

A mouth makeover could be a visit to the cosmetics counter where you walk away with multiple layers of lip liner, lipstick, and lip gloss. You’ll look fabulous for awhile, but that mouth makeover only lasts until your next cup of coffee.

A true mouth makeover is a transformation of your speech. This Mouth Makeover begins with God’s grace and forgiveness as He scrubs off the guilt of our harmful words. The makeover continues with the use of the Lip Balm of Encouragement, the Lip Liner of Truth, and the Lip Gloss of Thankfulness. This type of mouth makeover can last eternally as God enables us to use our words to share His grace.

I think everyone can relate to struggling with what come out of their mouths. How could doing this study help?

How true! As women we love to talk—and so our mouths often get us into trouble! Ann Landers has a great quote, “The trouble with talking too fast is that you may something you haven’t thought of yet.”

Recognizing our love of words, this study approaches the topic with a sense of humor and combines it with fun lip product analogies. First you’ll assess whether you’ve been wearing the shades of Motormouth Mocha or Foot-in-Mouth Fuchsia too often. As you go through the study you’ll learn to wear the Shade of Grace and the Lip Sealer of Discretion more consistently.

Who will take the most away from this book?

I think anyone who wants to have more control over her words and anyone who wants to make a difference in her world would benefit from this book.

Often we think we need to do something monumental to change our world. But while I was pursuing my own Mouth Makeover, God showed me that I can make a difference by simply noticing hurting people in my life and offering words of kindness and encouragement. We can all change the lives we touch every day by simply providing a caring word or a listening ear.

What one thing should potential readers know about this book?

The most important message I would like readers to take away from this book is: God has given each of us a unique mission to speak His words of love and grace to a lost and discouraged world.

We may sometimes question the purpose of our lives, but God has placed each one of us in a strategic place in time and space to be able to use our words to bring others closer to Him. When I keep that in mind, it changes my heart and what comes out of my mouth.

Tell everyone a little more about yourself.

I’m a Christian speaker and author who loves to communicate the truth of God’s transforming grace. My first book Divine Design leads women to a spiritual makeover.

I live in the Chicago suburbs with my amazing, amusing husband. Together we shared the adventure of homeschooling for 15 years with our two children. They are all grown up now and live an average of 3500 miles away. Our son lives nearby, but our daughter and her husband live in China (and they had the audacity to take our grandchildren with them!)

In my other life I am a church musician and piano teacher. I love traveling (especially to China!), going out to lunch with friends, and reading. If I’m not sitting at the piano or my computer you might find me at the thrift store stalking fabulous fashion finds.

Anything else you’d like to share about this book?

This book shares stories of my own struggles with my mouth, but it is also an in-depth Bible study. When I began my quest for a Mouth Makeover I was amazed at how much God had to say on the subject. In the book of Proverbs alone there are 108 verses on our lips, mouths, and tongues! God thinks our words are important.

You can connect with Sharla at the following:

Website: www.sharlafritz.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharlafritzauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SharlaFritz

 

Dear Blogger, You Need Help!

This is a guest post by Christina.  She is a wife, mom, Bloggy Helper, Pit Bull advocate, movie lover, and born-again Christian. Her passions are people, animals, and figuring out a way to save the world. Find her on Twitter. Interested in guest posting? Check out the details here.

Do you consider yourself a hobby blogger or a business blogger? Unsure? Maybe you don’t know the difference. Let me enlighten you.

photo credit: kristina b (creative commons)

You’re a hobby blogger if you use your blog as a way of communicating what’s going on in your life with friends and family. No more, no less. Some of my favorite blogs, ever, are hobby blogs.

You’re a business blogger if you’re making money - any money - from your blog. Do you sell ad space on your blog?  Do you post affiliate links? Do you write sponsored posts? Even if you aren’t getting rich, you’re a business blogger if any of these things are happening on your blog.

So this post is dedicated to you, the business blogger.

I know you want an attractive, user-friendly site. You want to respond promptly to comments, feedback, and email. You want an interactive relationship with your sponsors and affiliates. You want to promote your blog via social media like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

But doing all of this stuff is probably keeping you from creating the amazing content your blog was built on: writing and creating.

And that’s where I come in!

I’m offering my services to you as a Blog Helper! Or, as some might call me, a Virtual Assistant!

Let me help you with editing and proofreading, managing your giveaways, organizing your Pinterest boards and pinning images from old blog posts, email management, newsletter creation, and so much more!

Check out the list of services I provide. Need something that isn’t listed there? Let’s talk about it, because I’m sure I can help you!

And if you hire me before November 1, you’ll receive one hour free! That’s right, one hour of my services for FREE!

I want to help you make your blog a beautiful, functional, welcoming place for your readers. I want to help you make money through your blogging efforts. Email me today and let’s get started!

Lessons From Shopping

I’ve been out shopping the last few days, and for me that’s a big deal. Shopping is not on the top of my list for favorite activities.

photo credit: bhakti (creative commons)

As a matter of fact, when it’s all said and done, I walk out of the last store looking like something out of a zombie movie. Dark circles form under my eyes, my body slouches, and I’m overcooked and ready to sleep for the next 14 hours. (No exaggeration)

My mom and I walked into one store where we were greeted with a big smile and an enthusiastic sales clerk ready to sell some clothes. I wanted to buy from her immediately – not because I was in love with the product, but because I was impressed with her passion. She provided an experience, not just a building with a cash register waiting to suck up our money.

Then we headed to another store. Upon walking in, two clerks leaning against a coat rack looked at us briefly, then looked back and continued their conversation about the lack of pay one of the associates was getting. They never looked up again, even as we walked out of the store with the intentions of never returning.

As I thought about those two very different experiences, I realized something. I would bet the woman at the first store clocked out and went home to her family with a smile on her face. I saw energy in her eyes and she was enjoying her job. I would guess the second associate, the one complaining about her pay, went home more negative than when she arrived at work, still dwelling on an issue she may have no intentions of fixing, just complaining about.

How often do we do this in our own lives? 

We have the ability to control our thoughts and moods, but it’s so much easier to just go with our feelings. We have the choice to find joy in all our circumstances. We have opportunities to lift the spirits of others with our smiles. But do we, or are we simply focused on ourselves?

I realize that everywhere I go someone is watching me, both strangers and friends. Every move I make and every word I say will most likely leave some kind of impression. It’s up to me what that impression will be. Do I provide light with a smile or negativity with an attitude?

It’s important for us to be aware of our reactions to those around us. Smiling at the elderly woman and commenting on her outfit versus rushing past her with a deep sigh because she’s moving too slowly could make the world of difference. I’m guilty of the rushing part, especially when I’m doing something I’m not so thrilled about.

But Jesus didn’t say we are to be His light at all times, except when we’re doing things that don’t excite us. (Tweet that) No, He said we are to be a light to the world always. 

I want my light to shine. How about you?

Kingdom Journeys [Book Review]

Just what I needed to read – another book about abandonimg myself and doing something for The Kingdom.

Yes – it’s EXACTLY what I needed to read. 

Seth Barnes takes you on a journey of self-discovery on the pages of Kingdom Journeys, while taking you through the many journeys of others throughout their experiences of walking away from comfort to walk closer to Christ.

We Must All Be Broken

If we don’t face the things in our lives that really cause us to break, perhaps we can continue to live comfortably, but we won’t really be living. Pain has to happen. Here’s what Barnes says:

The alternative is to run. You can take a pill to make your pain go away. You can watch a movie. You can drink a beer or go to sleep. You can eat your banana muffin and your pint of ice cream. Those things will push away the pain … for a while.

Living On Our Knees

What does this mean? It means we have to come to a point in our lives where we truly surrender. We have to stop being self-sufficient and let God be in charge. Easier said than done, I know.

God won’t fully use us until we take a knee. Tweet That

Get the Book — Plus Six Exclusive Bonuses for FREE!

I could go on all day about the book, really. But you need to read it for yourself. Seriously, you won’t be dissapointed.

To give you even more reason to buy the book, if you purchase by Oct. 13 and email a copy of your receipt to kjbookpromo@gmail.com, you’ll ge the six free bonuses! Here they are:

Kingdom Journeys discussion questions: This is a PDF you’re welcome to print and distribute to as many people as you like. Seth wrote each question to help faciliate group discussions and personal reflection about the book (a $7.99 value).
All digital copies of the book: Want to read the book on your Kindle, iPad, Nook, or computer? You’ll get a free downloadable copy of the book in .mobi, .ePub, and PDF formats (a $14.99  value).
The Art of Listening Prayer: This is a month-long devotional Seth wrote years ago about how to hear from God. It’s the one core teaching of his ministry and the theme of his faith walk (a $9.99 value).
The Secret of Abundant Living: This is a never-before-released book about fasting and spiritual disciplines that Seth wrote. In it, he explores Isaigh 58, one of the key biblical passages of his life, and what it means for us, practically (a $13.99 value).
The Warrior’s Journal: This is an extensive, nine-week study on spiritual warfare that Seth wrote for missionaries but applies to any believer facing a fight for their faith (a $22.95 value).
Revolution of a Broken Heart: This is another exclusive book that Seth’s only ever shared with staff and donors. These are some of the most heart-breaking, yet life-giving stories, Seth has experienced. In spending time in the developing world, he’s found that what Jesus said about the poor being blessed is true (a $11.99 value).

Check out more details on how you can get over $80 worth of stuff.

Can You Help Me Get to Moldova by Midnight?

photo credit: ira gelb (creative commons)

I want to say thank you to those who have been lifting me up in prayer as I prepare for this mission trip to Moldova. What a whirlwind of emotions this has started. I’d also like to thank those who have donated generously to the cause. Sex trafficking sucks!

Tomorrow (Wednesday), World Missions Alliance will book the flight and prepare other travel arrangements for the trip. My cost for this portion of the trip is $1400.

I’ve raised $1045 in the last nine days. God is good!

I need to raise the other $355 by midnight tonight and I can’t do it without your help. 

Can you partner with me to meet this deadline?

Since we are down to the wire, donations will need to be online for this portion of the fundraising. I’ve provided three for you to help online.

Pay through the WMA website here. When donating, make sure you include Sundi Jo Moldova in the notes. (tax deductible) https://rfwma.org/donate
Donate online via Fundrazr   http://fnd.us/c/2Msd7
Send payments through PayPal to info@sundijo.com

In case you missed the last newsletter, here’s some information about what I’ll be doing while in Moldova:

On March 8th I’ll be leaving for Moldova, the poorest country in Europe, for nine days. (See map) Mothers are selling their youngest daughters. Men sell themselves into slavery because there is no work. Despair and hopelessness force people to sell their kidneys for pennies. I know without a doubt I will not return the same.

Here is a list of some of the things we’ll be doing:

Working with the local churches
Reaching young people in the orphanages and schools
Visiting the hospitals
Sharing Jesus with people who have never heard His name before
Distributing Bibles

I thank you again for your consideration in helping me reach this financial goal to bring Jesus to those who don’t yet know Him. I’m more grateful than you’ll ever know. I’ll be sending periodic updates on more about what the trip will include, how you can pray, and more.

About World Missions Alliance: World Missions Alliance spreads the Gospel in the world’s “hot spots”. You can read more about their mission work on their website: rfwma.org or contact them at 417-231-4131 for more information.

Can You Help Me Get to Moldova by Midnight Tomorrow?

photo credit: ira gelb (creative commons)

I want to say thank you to those who have been lifting me up in prayer as I prepare for this mission trip to Moldova. What a whirlwind of emotions this has started. I’d also like to thank those who have donated generously to the cause. Sex trafficking sucks!

Wednesday, World Missions Alliance will book the flight and prepare other travel arrangements for the trip. My cost for this portion of the trip is $1400.

I’ve raised $645 in the last nine days. God is good!

I need to raise the other $755 by midnight tomorrow (Tuesday) and I can’t do it without your help. 

Can you partner with me to meet this deadline?

Since we are down to the wire, donations will need to be online for this portion of the fundraising. I’ve provided three for you to help online.

Pay through the WMA website here. When donating, make sure you include Sundi Jo Moldova in the notes. (tax deductible) https://rfwma.org/donate
Donate online via Fundrazr   http://fnd.us/c/2Msd7
Send payments through PayPal to info@sundijo.com

In case you missed the last newsletter, here’s some information about what I’ll be doing while in Moldova:

On March 8th I’ll be leaving for Moldova, the poorest country in Europe, for nine days. (See map) Mothers are selling their youngest daughters. Men sell themselves into slavery because there is no work. Despair and hopelessness force people to sell their kidneys for pennies. I know without a doubt I will not return the same.

Here is a list of some of the things we’ll be doing:

Working with the local churches
Reaching young people in the orphanages and schools
Visiting the hospitals
Sharing Jesus with people who have never heard His name before
Distributing Bibles

I thank you again for your consideration in helping me reach this financial goal to bring Jesus to those who don’t yet know Him. I’m more grateful than you’ll ever know. I’ll be sending periodic updates on more about what the trip will include, how you can pray, and more.
About World Missions Alliance:World Missions Alliance spreads the Gospel in the world’s “hot spots”. You can read more about their mission work on their website: rfwma.org or contact them at 417-231-4131 for more information.

Faith Like A Child (Your Chance to Win)

This is a guest post by Erica. She is the author of  The Staycation Jar  and Good Grief. A 3-time cancer survivor and mother whom has lost five chidlren, Erica uses her cancer and child-loss to equip men and women to learn how to effectively love people who are hurting. Interested in guest posting? Check out the details here.

When we found out we were going to be first time parents, we knew above all else we desired to instill in our children to love God and love others. Therefore we developed a tradition in our family called Love Projects, where we intentionally look for ways that we can serve others. As our daughter Jordyn prepared for 1st grade, we asked her to think of a big Love Project we could incorporate into her schooling.

When we made this suggestion, we were thinking along the lines of filling boxes for Operation Christmas Child, or adopting a family in need for Christmas. However, Jordyn came to us with way BIGGER dreams of what she wanted to do. In fact, the first Love Project she came up with was to send a family to Disney World after their 15-year old daughter finishes her chemotherapy.

It took everything in us not to try and get her to think smaller. However, for some reason we stopped, and instead of immediately saying “no”, “that’s too big”, or “honey, that’s just not practical” (as we have in the past), we asked her how she would make this dream happen. Her big green eyes got even bigger, and she immediately rambled off 11 different ways she could raise money.

We were stunned and had a decision to make.

Were we going to allow her to proceed, or were we going to sway her in a different direction, a more “reasonable” direction?

We realized as parents, we needed to stop putting our own limitations of what is and isn’t possible on our children because we have lost our ability to think and dream big. We’ve set up our own boundaries based on our life circumstances and our own reality (at least how we see it). But, these are our issues, not theirs. Why not let our children dream big, then come alongside them and support their ideas, and their precious hearts?

In saying, “YES” to Jordyn, we are experiencing the pure beauty in her child-like faith, because she has absolutely no limitations, no boundaries, no financial concerns (or concept of money), and no idea of what is or isn’t possible. She simply wants to do something special for a family and therefore she is finding ways to get it done. There is no doubt in her sweet mind she can and will do this. And along the way, Jordyn is reminding us how to live a life with no limitations and with a pure and simple faith in God to see her through.

Therefore, a new Not For Profit, Faith Like A Child, Inc. has been created by our family to help families going through hard times. Jordyn simply wants to “help people who are sick and have dreams, make their dreams come true!”

As one of her ways of raising money, Jordyn asked me to write a book so she could sell it. So, our family compiled our ideas, and I put together The Staycation Jar, available as an eBook for only $2.99. All proceeds (70% of sales price) will go directly to Faith Like A Child, Inc., to help Jordyn love other families!

The Staycation Jar is filled with 200 Family Fun Ideas:

1. Creative Meals - This idea came from a long-standing family tradition of Crazy Dinners and range from Ice Cream Sundaes for breakfast to eating Candy Apples and watching Snow White, or eating “Dirt in a Cup” while watching Tangled.

2. Main Events – These are the major activities for the day. The ideas range from Theme Parks to Cultural Centers, renting a boat/canoe/kayak, and Behind the Scene Tours for your favorite shows.

3. Silliness – We wanted to add laughter and spontaneity to our days. Our ideas range from water fights, finger painting a portrait as a family, and sending secret messages with homemade invisible ink.

4. The Love Projects became our favorite category as we looked to meet the needs of others. Some of the ideas range from baking brownies for the Fire or Police Dept, to bringing food and supplies to a local Food Bank, and leaving an extra large tip for a waitress.

The Staycation Jar is available only at Amazon. This Friday morning, October 5th, Jordyn will choose one family to give her Winnie the Pooh Collection of Paintings to from those who purchase this book! To be eligible, simply send your book receipt to love@faithlikeachildinc.com.

You can find more about Jordyn’s journey at www.faithlikeachildinc.com and on twitter @FLACinc  

Erica has graciously agreed to give away 5 copies of The Staycation Jar for my readers. It’s easy to enter. Use the rafflecopter form below to enter. The give-away is over at midnight EST tonight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sex Trafficking Sucks and I Need Your Help

photo credit: ira gelb (creative commons)

In 2009 I heard the words sex trafficking for the first time. When I heard gruesome stories of women and children being sold to men for the sole purpose of giving them sexual pleasure, my stomach turned. God sparked a flame inside of me that day.

Last year I met a woman named Priscilla who changed my life. One morning Priscilla woke up in a warehouse chained to the wall. For four years she was raped everyday repeatedly while she remained locked up with many other helpless victims of this horrendous crime. Get your calculator out for this. She was raped over 1,460 times! (You can read more of Priscilla’s story here.)

Nine months ago I hung a pamphlet on my bulletin board sharing the opportunity to travel to Moldova to rescue victims of sex trafficking. I talked to God about it every now and again and wondered what his plan was regarding that trip. If nothing else, it was used as a reminder to pray for those victims.

Fast forward to present day. Last week I received a phone call from the organization in charge of that very mission trip. Coincidence? I think not. I have been invited to join the team for nine days, helping women and youth find freedom from sex trafficking and showing them the love of Jesus Christ.

It has me scared. My stomach turns. Flashbacks of my own sexual abuse pop up on the screen of my mind and God reminds me that this is the time to use what I’ve been through to offer hope to others. I’m ready to be obedient.

I can’t do it without you.

On March 8th I’ll be leaving for Moldova, the poorest country in Europe, for nine days. (See map) Mothers are selling their youngest daughters. Men sell themselves into slavery because there is no work. Despair and hopelessness force people to sell their kidneys for pennies. I know without a doubt I will not return the same.

Here is a list of some of the things we’ll be doing:

Working with the local churches
Reaching young people in the orphanages and schools
Visiting the hospitals
Sharing Jesus with people who have never heard His name before
Distributing Bibles

Will you partner with me in two ways?

First and foremost I ask you to join me in prayer. It’s the most important aspect of this trip and without knowing the Lord is directing me, and the efforts of planning, I would rather not go.

Second, I’d be honored by your financial support. Any amount that you can contribute is a HUGE part in making this mission possible.

The total cost of the trip is $2800. In order to lock in the airline and hotel rates, I need to have $1400 of that secured by Oct. 10th. The total amount covers food, hotel, airline, travel, interpreters, etc.

There are several ways you can donate:

You can make out your check (tax deductible) to World Missions Alliance (or WMA) and send to me at Sundi Jo Graham - PO Box 1438 – Hollister, MO – 65673.
Pay through the WMA website here. When donating, make sure you include Sundi Jo Moldova in the notes. (tax deductible)
Donate online via Fundrazr (click here)
Send payments through PayPal to info@sundijo.com

I thank you again for your consideration in helping me reach this financial goal to bring Jesus to those who don’t yet know Him. I’m more grateful than you’ll ever know.

About World Missions Alliance:

World Missions Alliance spreads the Gospel in the world’s “hot spots”. You can read more about their mission work on their website: rfwma.org or contact them at 417-231-4131 for more information.

Share On Your Website

I’d be honored if you shared the badges below on your website with your readers. I’ve included a 300×300, as well as a 200×200 image, and you can use this link to send people back to. (http://www.sundijo.com/moldova/)  If you need something smaller, let me know.

 

 

             

The Joy of Insomnia and Hot Flashes

I’m on my second week of insomnia now. It comes and goes, mostly coming versus going. The hormonal imbalance of a 28-year old could make for some great stories.

photo credit: easy pickle (creative commons)

I may be young but I have more hot flash memories than I care to share. I know it’s bad when I’m sitting around a table with women ages 50+ discussing night sweats and who will use the menu to fan themselves first.

Today I’m honored to be guest posting for Mary DeMuth.

Click here to read the rest of the post.

 

You Don’t Have Time For an Organized Life

This is a guest post by Lorilee. She blogs at Loving Simple Living and has just released a book on simplifying. She would love to meet up with you on her blog, Twitter, or Facebook. Interested in guest posting? Check out the details here.

Do you? Have you tried? Sure we can manage to get the house and planner organized… but organizing is a life of itself. It is hard to live a full life and have any time left to organize.

I am sure there are super people out there who can do it but I learned that I couldn’t. Listen to what you hear friends say or what people post on Facebook and it isn’t much different. Either they have organized a part of their life and they are proud or they are too busy and the house is a disaster. …for the sake of our houses we hope it is kind of a yo-yo effect between the two.

But it doesn’t have to be. What if you really don’t need more organization?

Almost 2 years ago I kind of snapped in a way. Not in a bad sense, but I realized I couldn’t do it all. I wasn’t doing what I wanted, and to fix it something had to change. I felt I had a responsibility to God (and I personally wanted to) be a good wife, be a good mother, make a difference in my community and church, and have time to grow. Since I didn’t see maintaining a big house in the Bible, or personally really want to, we decided to majorly scale back. I wasn’t on the internet much and didn’t know anyone at the time doing anything like this but later we learned that we were becoming minimalist and that there is a movement of people all over the world adopting these ideas.

You see, before we cut back I had a mostly organized house but it took so much of my time to keep it that way. I never felt it was organized enough, couldn’t find things I needed, and often didn’t get it as clean as I wanted. Now we own very little compared to what we did back then. We live (my husband, my daughter age 8, my son age 5, and me) in a small 1-bedroom apartment. With way less stuff there is almost nothing to organize

I have come to understand through it all the amazing amount of time as well as money and emotional energy that material possessions takes from our lives. We don’t have an unlimited supply of any of these and what material possessions takes from these resources I don’t have to spend on my true priorities. I am not against owning things and I like the things I have but I have found I put a lot more thought in these decisions. As a family we have what we need and what we love… and nothing else.

This is what minimalism is. It really isn’t about stuff. Instead it is about removing all the extra stuff from our lives so we have the time and energy to spend it living for God, our families, and ourselves.

In my book Simple Living – 30 days to less stuff and more life I go through 30 different areas of the home and life. This is a book for people wanting to simplify but unsure on how and where to start. This is not a reading book, this is an action book. After reading through and doing the assignments you will have a simpler life and will know areas you need to keep working on.

Get Lorilee’s book this week for only .99.