Book Journey

Jewell provided me with tools for my marriage that I sometimes forget I own….  ~ Sheila

Your marriage can be strong, healthy, happy, and blessed. Marriage coach Jewell Powell shows you how in this 8-week plan for marital success. She reveals how God’s truths can transform two individuals into the union he desires. Laying a spiritual foundation is crucial to your marriage. In Marriage 101: Building a Life Together by Faith, you will discover God’s purpose for marriage, how to develop godly character, how to communicate effectively, and much more. With biblical examples, study questions, and Scripture meditations perfect for individuals or couples, you will be challenged to examine areas in your life that may need change so that your marriage can thrive.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed how author Jewell R Powell used the story of Sleeping Beauty to reflect Gods Love.  In today’s world, I don’t think it matters if you are about to be married, newly weds, or on 22 years (like me), this book has something we can all benefit from.   The study questions and places to leave my reflections were wonderful as I like to take notes when I am learning.

The book is interesting and laid out in an 8 week format.  In a quote by Mother Theresa :

Spread Love wherever you go: first of all in your own house.  Give love to your wife or husband, toy our children, to a next door neighbor… Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.  Be the living expression of Gods kindness, kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting.

~ Mother Theresa

The part that got me there was the first sentence.  How often do I spread myself so thin throughout the day that by the time I land back at home with my husband there isn’t a whole lot of me left?  A wonderful read – a great study guide for individuals or couples.  I would recommend this book to anyone who is planning to get married or is currently married.

About Jewell Powell

In July of 1992, Jewell met her Prince Charming at a Roy Rogers restaurant. When the couple decided to marry four years later, both were aware of the latest marriage statistics and the legacy of divorce that lay between them. Her parents divorced when she was four, after moving the family to Maryland, leaving her to be raised by a single mother. To circumvent the odds, they went through pre-marital counseling, attended church regularly and felt a strong love for one another. They believed they were ready for marriage.

While desiring to have a happily ever after, Jewell found life after marriage anything but a fairy tale. In 2001, she and her husband, Lewis, had been married for five years but were growing apart, after experiencing problems with infertility, sleeping in separate bedrooms and Lewis’s increasing disinterest in going to church. As she searched for answers to her marital troubles, Jewell found herself on a journey, seeking answers to save her marriage.

Despite a shaky beginning, the Powells now have a relationship with a strong foundation. After successfully resolving their marital problems, they started the Happily Ever After Marriage Ministry to help others do the same. Her new book, Marriage 101: Building a Life Together by Faith (Revell Books February 2009, ISBN 978-0-8007-3332-2, $13.99), offers hope and guidance to help transform broken relationships through the use of biblical wisdom in a simple workbook format.

Jewell serves as co-owner of Antiok Holdings, an emerging full-service management consulting firm, which she owns with her husband. She earned a Bachelor of Science in business from the University of Maryland and is pursuing a Master of Divinity. The Powells reside in southern Maryland with their two daughters. For more information, please visit www.marriage101.us.

Date Night Drawing!!!

• Tywebbin has graciously offered  one Winner (Randomly chosen from all blogs – see schedule at http://bit.ly/Marriage101)  will receive a  $30 DATE NIGHT certificate to the restaurant of their choice (Applebees, Chili’s, Ruby Tuesday or Red Lobster) and a gift pack of books (includes Marriage 101, I Don’t Want a Divorce, and Have a New Husband by Friday.)

How super cool is that?

To enter:  You  MUST leave an email address in the comments and answer the question you see posted below. You must answer the question and be part of the discussion to be entered in the drawing.

The question is:

In todays world of business, children,  and over commitments,  how can a husband and wife find time for each other?  How do you find time for your spouse or significant other?

RADIO SCHEDULE

November 16 – Black Authors Network (8-10 pm EST)

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Black-Author-Network

November 19 – REAL TALK WITH TANYA WHITE Radio Show (7 pm EST)

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/realtalkwithtanyawhite
November 20 – Chocolate Pages Show (4 pm EST)

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/chocolatepages

My review copy of this book was sent by Tywebbin Creations Blog Tours

A look into war torn Sudan…. and the difference one faith filled woman can make ~ Sheila

Termites for dinner. Bombs in the backyard. A nation torn by decades of war still on the brink. Can one life really make a difference here?

Born without her left hip and leg, Michele Perry is no stranger to seeming impossibilities. So when she arrived in war-torn Southern Sudan–with little more than her faith in God’s promises–she did what everyone told was crazy: she opened a home for orphaned children in the middle of guerilla warfare territory and has now become “mama” to over one hundred little lives.

With a deft pen, she recounts unforgettable stories of life in the bush, stories that capture the reader with the stark realities of living in a war zone—and the power of God’s love to transform them. Her own story is just as compelling as the ministry she is living. From working in the slums of India to finding her home in war-ravaged Africa, her life has been a journey deeper into the supernatural power of God.

My Thoughts

Michele shares a story of a life lived for others.  I read this book in its entirety in Honduras.  While I liked reading about how she was able to help the children of Sudan. parts of the book left me feeling a little unfulfilled, but I am struggling to put my finger on it.

There is a point that Michele makes in the book that I have seen for myself in what I do.  She talks of a homeless friend shaing his tortilla with her.  People in the worst conditions we can imagine, yet still living with hope and with happiness.

I was learning who was really poor.  And it was not these people.

I love that line as I have seen this with my own eyes  again and again.  While we go out into the world and see people living in one room homes with no doors or windows,no running water, a barrel outside filled with wood that is their stove, no refrigerator, or car, and maybe one change of clothes…  and then I think how much I have back home that I really do not need….  the things that we pay for and fret over payments on…. the tv shows and music we moniter our children on…. and then I see these people living the simplest of lives and making the very best out of it…

Sorry – went off on my own there for a minute.  This book gives a glimpse into the lives of those in Sudan.  Michele’s courage and what she is doing is remarkable.  There were parts of this book I found to not exactly sit right with me, and maybe that’s just me.

About the Author:

Michele Perry is the founding field ministry coordinator for Iris Ministries in Southern Sudan under Rolland and Heidi Baker. Born without her left hip and leg and other birth defects, she endured 23 surgeries by age 13. A native of Florida, Michele studied at Baylor and has previously served in Bangladesh, India, and the inner cities of the U.S. She is also an artist, photographer, and poet. Michele wrote most of Love Has a Face on an old computer by a kerosene lamp in a bullet-hole ridden shell of a building in Southern Sudan.