Vampires for Christians?

When I received an invitation to review a Christian book about vampires, I had my doubts. Personally, I'm not into blood and fangs. I did read the first Twilight novel, but only to check out the hype. So, when I received a copy of Tracey Bateman's new novel Thirsty, I wasn't expecting to particularly like the book.

Sometimes it's nice to be wrong.

Bateman kept me turning the pages. The plot hints of romance without the sap, flirts with vampire without the gore, and explores God without the sermon. In other words, it's good drama.

Get Real! readers will be glad to note that Bateman has a knack for weaving a connection to God into her characters' everyday lives. Marital struggles, family tensions, parenting issues, and battles with alcoholism all plague the life of main character Nina Parker. Bateman doesn't rescue her with a few cute Christian platitudes so that everything turns out wonderful. She lets Nina battle her Creator for his place in her life. Important corners are turned, but no one rides off into the sunset to the tune of "Happy Trails to You."

If you are looking for a good story that illustrates how real people struggle to make God relevant in the gut-hard issues of life, this book is for you...vampires and all.

For you Twilight fans, check back soon for my review of Touched by a Vampire: Discovering Hidden Messages in the Twilight Saga.

Gettin' Real!
Melodie

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Prayer Power: Diving Deep with God

Pray continually. That's what the Bible tells us to do. But how?

My friend Mike talks to God all day long. In fact, he doesn't even say Amen after his first daily prayer. "It's my way of reminding myself to keep on praying," he said. "I start praying when I wake up. Then, after I finish my morning prayer time, I just get up and go about my business and keep talking to God about whatever is happening." Just before falling asleep Mike finally says Amen, with an awareness that God has been with him the whole day.

Pat, a busy preschool director, connects with God while she drives. "My friends think I'm crazy, but I never listen to to the radio when I drive," she told me. "I'm so busy all day long. My time in the car may be the only time I'm alone all day. That's my time with God."

God is with us all day, and he us to be aware of him. Talking to him as we go is an integral part of being in relationship with him, but there are some habits that can help deepen this process.

Peter Lundell offers one simple tip to help develop all day communication with God. He calls them breath prayers: "Short prayers that can be said with one breath. They are often repeated in order to keep attention on God." (p76)

One of my breath prayers is "God is near." When I feel anxious or frustrated, I use these negative feelings to remind myself that I'm not alone. God's spirit lives within me and will provide the resources I need to face the situation with grace. Sometimes, I alter this to "God you are near. You will give me what I need. I can do this with patience." (A two-breath prayer!)

Other Christian practices can deepen our daily communication with God. They are spiritual disciplines and take more time than conversational praying. Lundell explains these concepts, such as Biblical meditation, fasting, and praying God's word, in his section titled "Internal Helps." These habits are doorways to adventurous living.

Lundell often quotes another helpful tool for learning about the spiritual disciplines is Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster. I've read this work and go back to it from time to time to grow in my own practice of the disciplines. I love this thought from Foster:

Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.

I want to be one of those deep people.

Don't forget to comment on the blog, my Facebook, or my Twitter about these posts. If you do, I'll enter you in a drawing to win a free copy of Prayer Power.

Gettin' Real!
Melodie
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Prayer Power: Life is Tough

Recently, a desperate man entered a check cashing store looking for money. According to Robin Roberts of  Good Morning America, the robber planned to make a withdrawal using his loaded gun. But he hadn't counted on a tender hearted teller who started praying on the spot. Less than a hour later, clerk and thief were on their knees together, asking God to help them in their troubles.

In his book Prayer Power, Peter Lundell says, "Hardship is probably the most common tool God uses to grow our character." Although I've never stared down the barrel of a gun like Angela Montez (the clerk), I sometimes feel life is making more withdrawals than deposits! But how do I respond?

To be honest, sometimes I grumble and gripe. Character growth takes time and practice. But Lundell is right, hardship a the common tool found in the hands of God. So, instead of resisting difficulties, the best response is to rejoice.

Rejoice? I've got to be kidding, right?

But that's what the Bible says:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)

In other words, when life hurts it also provides opportunity for growth. Learning to worship in the midst of every circumstance can be the pathway to inexplicable intimacy with God. Lundell calls it praise power.

Angela Montez told reporters that she felt God's presence during the robbery.  If you are like me, you'd rather feel God's presence in church! But that's the whole point isn't it? Life is all about connecting to God, whether we are in church, in our car, in in the midst of a stick up! God is a breath away. Every experience is an opportunity to grow closer to Him.

Gettin' Real,
Melodie
Everyone who comments either on the blog posts, through personal email to me, on my facebook, or on my Twitter will be entered into a drawing for a free copy of Prayer Power. At the end of the series I will congratulate the winner.

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Prayer Power Series: Are You Hungry?

I’ve never been a morning person. Even so, I get up at 5:00 every morning to write. Why? There’s only one answer: I am hungry to write. If I want to write, I must get up and do it before the demands of my children call me away.

What hungers drive your life? What do you love so much that you will do no matter what? Perhaps it’s your job, or your family, or a TV show. Maybe you love to read, or golf, or play an instrument. Or maybe, like me, you just love to eat!

Have you ever thought of being hungry for God? I admit, some days I struggle to give God even the slightest thought. Others, I am consumed by him. Either way, I need to connect with him every day. Why?

Colossians 1:16 says that all things were created by God and for God. So, if we were made by him and for him, then doesn't it make sense to connect to him on a regular basis? We need God. We are pre-programmed with a God-search in our hearts and minds.

Each day is a new gift. When we slam off the morning alarm, stumble to the shower, and race to coffee and toast, we are experiencing fresh compassion, newly baked in the oven of God's unending love. (See Psalm 118:24 and Lamentations 3:22-24.) Usually, we blast through our day completely unaware of the mercies extended to us.

In his book Prayer Power, Peter Lundell discusses the importance of developing a hunger for God. "Hunger for God," he says, "is that deep desire to know and experience more of God...[it] is a lot like hunger for food: we can wish for a snack or starve for a feast. I found that the hungrier I was, the more of God's presence I felt." (p17)

I've also found this to be true. However, the difference between physical hunger and spiritual hunger is that the physical results from a lack of nourishment. Spiritual hunger, on the other hand, grows greater as the nourishment grows greater. The hunger itself is gratifying. As we feast upon our Savior's blessings, we find both a satisfaction and a craving for more. This paradox can only be explained through communion with God.
If you want to develop a hunger for God, the best place to start is in the Bible. Check out the book of Psalms. There, you will find raw emotion, anger, love, passion, and longing. All of it drives the reader to find answers and satisfaction in the God.

Today, I pray that God makes you and I hunger for him. It's a craving that satisfies!

Gettin' Real,
Melodie
Everyone who comments either on the blog posts, through personal email to me, on my facebook, or on my Twitter will be entered into a drawing for a free book. At the end of the series I will congratulate the winner.
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Win a Free Book from Get Real

In my last post, I discussed a Peter Lundell's new book Prayer Power: 30 Days to a Stronger Connection with God. This is a great resource for helping anyone develop a closer daily relationship with God. Over the next few weeks, I am going to create a series of posts springing from Lundell's book. Reading the book will not be necessary in order to understand or enjoy the posts. However, I will be offering an opportunity to win a free copy. Everyone who comments either on the blog posts, through personal email to me, on my Facebook, or on my Twitter will be entered into a drawing for a free book. At the end of the series I will congratulate the winner.

By the way, Congratulations to Bill S who won my last drawing for a Starbucks gift certificate. Bill, I am still waiting for you to email me your physical address so that I can send you the gift card.

Check back soon for my next entry about getting hungry for God. Don't forget that you can subscribe to Get Real and have it delivered to you personal email account.

Gettin' Real,
Melodie
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Gamevance Ads Aren't From Me

In my previous post, a couple of words were highlighted in green and underlined. When a reader clicked on these words, a Gamevance advertisement popped up. I did not add those advertisements to my blog. Although I did visit the Gamevance site once this week, I did not play any games. I am not a user of this service and do not endorse any of their products. I don't know how the links were attached to my blog and  have sent them an email to complain. I will attempt to take of the links, which may result in the same content being emailed out. I apologize to anyone who was inconvenienced.
Thanks,
Melodie

Connecting with God

Sometimes we treat prayer like a giant, intimidating mystery. In one sense, this isn't a bad thing. God is the Creator of the universe. From his perspective, we are smaller than ants viewed from the top of the Eiffel Tower. That he stoops to get involved with our lives, that he invites us to join our hearts with his, this is a great mystery. Even so, he's hasn't fogotten that basically, we are just little walking dust piles. So, he's made prayer attainable for anyone. Even a small child can pray. If we really want to connect with God in our everyday lives, we need to converse with him throughout the day.

Yes, but how? First of all, just talk. God isn't standing beside the door of Heaven with a cosmic shotgun waiting to blow away anyone who dares try enter without the magic words. If we want to connect with God, we just start. He is listening. We don't even have to speak out loud. He can hear our thoughts. In fact, he hears them whether we are praying or not. So, we might as well use them to connect with him. It's all a part of getting Real with God.

Think there must be more to it than that? You're right. Talking to God as we go along is a vital part of a great adventure. God wants to commune with us on levels we don't even know exist. He wants to invade our day and annoint it for use in his Holy Kingdom. He wants to transform our hearts and sanctify even the smallest moments: the drive to work, the trip to the grocery store, washing dishes at the sink, story time with the kids. All of these can be connected to The Divine. So, just talking is only the beginning. There's more.

Peter Lundell has been pearl diving in the ocean of mystery. His well, written book Prayer Power: 30 Days to a Stronger Connection with God is loaded with little jewels brought up from the depths of God's heart. I'm going to do a series of at least six posts based upon gems of wisdom found in this book. In the meantime, I encourage you to pick up a copy of your own. Next time, I'll tell you how to win a copy from me.

Gettin' Real,
Melodie