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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Thursday Thought: {W}hole Review and Giveaway


My friend Lisa Whittle has written an excellent book. It's the book we've been studying in our book study each week-- a randomly put together group of us met to hash out what wholeness looks like, and what personal holes prevent us from achieving the wholeness we desire. We talked, we cried, we vented, and-- as Lisa said-- we "went there." {W}hole is a book for people who want to go there-- to dig deeply into those things that we might otherwise not take the time to look at. We talked about how our religion, our roles and our experiences can lead to holes in our life.

I will share some quotes I've underlined:

Religion will always feel bad when we define our relationship with a supreme God by simple trying to perform spiritual things really well.

To gain true and lasting spiritual freedom, I would have to be brave enough to look at those holes without looking away. It would mean the difference in the quality of my life and how much I would be able to experience a real God without limits-- something I had always wanted. And something, as it turns out, that is available to us all.

More than thirty million adults say that their experiences with religion have caused them to question God.

Like me or not, I pray that you cannot deny the presence of God in my life.

One of the most curious things about humans is how hard we resist change. Even when our lives unravel before us, there is still something inside that holds on to the mess just so we don't have to do something different.

The roles we have in life often hold our hearts in their hands, so when the roles are taken away, our hearts are dropped and broken. We have depended on them to fulfill us, and that has created a hole... But these roles do not make me who I am at the very core. They are simply what I am blessed to do while God chooses to leave me on this earth.

When you screw up as often as I do, you're that much more thankful for an all-access God who has no ability to make mistakes and yet infinite capacity to handle ours.

Here's a link to the book site, where you can watch the trailer and learn more about what Lisa is offering in and through this labor of love birthed from her own personal struggles. Suffice it to say that this is an author who has truly lived her words.

If you're looking to "go there" in your spiritual life, I suggest you get {W}hole. This book will challenge you if you let it. It's one I would suggest reading a little each morning, with a pen for underlining and your journal pages open for recording what God reveals about your story as you read.

With that in mind, I am giving away a copy of {W}hole, a journal, and my favorite pen to one lucky winner! Please leave a comment to win, telling me why you'd like to dig into {W}hole!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. GILLIAN WAS THE WINNER-- IF YOU DIDN'T WIN THIS TIME, PLEASE CONSIDER BUYING LISA'S BOOK. IT'S A WONDERFUL BOOK TO GO THROUGH IN YOUR OWN PERSONAL QUIET TIME!
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22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi MaryBeth,
Thank you for this giveaway! I would love to win this because I believe the Lord has placed this passion on my heart for me and other women to take hold of His promises and allow God to fill us in and finally be released of the holes in our lives. This would be such a blessing to me :)
Blessings,
Janet

Jill Beran said...

I am so looking forward to Lisa's book! I follow her blog and love the message God has put on her heart...I know it's one I need and He will use!! Thanks for sharing the quotes and doing the give-away!! Blessings to you, Jill

Anonymous said...

Dear MaryEllen,
I have so enjoyed your blog and I never leave any thank yous or comments. I love to journal and I would love to win this prize. I have several quotes from you in my journal. This quote from Oswald Chambers expresses perfectly how I feel about your writing:
"The author who benefits you most is not the one who tells you something you did not know before, but the one who gives expression to the truth that has been dumbly struggling in you for utterance."
from My Upmost For His Highest, pg350
Thank you,
Anne Johnson

Marybeth Whalen said...

Anne, love this quote. Thanks for sharing! I am touched that you feel that way about my writing.

Ellen - SkoMomma said...

Hi Marybeth,

I'd love to win {w}hole because of all the wonderful things I've heard about it. We are all full of holes (holey? holy?!) but sometimes we puddy over them and pretend they are not there. Like the potholes in Michigan. {w}hole been hanging out in my Amazon cart waiting for me to click purchase.

Anonymous said...

I'd love to win. I recognize completely that I am WHOLE-y needy when it comes to Christ!

Anonymous said...

Practicing the presence of God. mheard11@frontier.com

Anonymous said...

I would love to have this book. I feel as though I have more holes than swiss cheese and want them to be wholes!
Thanks for what you do!
Carol
cblake23@comcast.net

Martha T. said...

It sounds like a really excellent book with lots of good things in it! Please pick me to win!:)
CRPrairie1@imonmail.com

Sheri said...

So grateful that I came across this book title. I am looking forward to digging deeper into it. God is currently taking me down a path of drawing me closer to Him and digging deeper in the word. This sounds like a great resource for this journey.

Anonymous said...

It sounds like a really great book that could be very encouraging. I would love to win it!
Sarah
sarah_gillaspie@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I've been following Lisa Whittle. And I want to get her book but being unemployed I haven't been able to yet. I'm glad to see that she is giving one away.

I really liked this quote you posted:
The roles we have in life often hold our hearts in their hands, so when the roles are taken away, our hearts are dropped and broken. We have depended on them to fulfill us, and that has created a hole... But these roles do not make me who I am at the very core. They are simply what I am blessed to do while God chooses to leave me on this earth.

I believe that we are often defined by our roles and we expect them to fulfill us and define us and often forget that the core of us belongs to God, at least I know that I do.

Shannon said...

I'm always looking for something to dig into, something to bring me closer to God!

Showing Joy said...

This book is exactly what I need to read in this time in my life. The quote, "The roles we have in life often hold our hearts in their hands, so when the roles are taken away, our hearts are dropped and broken. We have depended on them to fulfill us, and that has created a hole..." touches me so deeply during our current trial. We are in the painful and prayerful process of finding a new church home. In the church we are leaving I held many " roles". I was bookkeeper, secretary, youth leader's wife, and very active in the ladies ministry. Leaving has left me full of holes. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the book and the quotes that spoke to you. They speak volumes to me and I am excited to read this book!

Gillian said...

I have lost count of the number of times I have felt empty and tried to fill it with something like shopping instead of going to the one true source who can fill that hole. Thanks for the opportunity - email is cdfroggy@hotmail.com Blessings.

Anonymous said...

OK...
Any chance to win a new journal and pen gets me excited but then to add an amazing book - I am dancing ;)
Thanks for this oppurtunity to do so.
Happy weekend - Colleen G.

Jennifer Dougan said...

Hi MaryBeth,

What a challenge to "go deeply into areas we might not otherwise think to go..." Okay, I'm up for it. Thanks.

Jennifer Dougan
www.jenniferdougan.com

Unknown said...

i would love to win this book, MaryBeth. i love your blog, and never miss reading it, but i am a reader, not a writer, so here's to say keep up the good work. i am a needy Christian, and looking for more depth in my life. Thanks for the chance to win.

Mitzi_wanham[at]yahoo[dot]com

Unknown said...

How exciting and even a little scary to have a book like this!! Something that makes me...no forces me to take a really good hard look at those holes in my life!! Oh how I need this and really want that for a deeper walk with my sweet Savior Jesus Christ!!

Vonnie said...

I would Love to get a book that helps me walk deeper with God thru this time in my life.

karenk said...

HI Marybeth,

Thanks for sharing Lisa's book...I truly enjoy inspirational books...walking closer w/ our Lord is my goal.

karenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com

Delinda said...

I would love to win the book Wholes. I enjoy your book reviews and have purchased several. In my daily walk and trying to live as God requires us to, I find myself falling in the "holes" of daily living. Sometimes I find myself just being human and failing and other times I look back and think "what the heck just happened?" I am working on journaling afterreading tips on your site. I find myself really pouring out to God when I do journal but it is not consistant and very haphazered, Hopefully with this book and trying to fill the "holes" I can find journaling as a real filler. Even If I don't win, I am sure I will buy this book. Loved the first chapter.