Help! My Bible is Alive: An Interview With Nicole Unice by Jonathan Petersen of Bible Gateway

Psalm 27:13 (NIV)

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Nicole Unice:Help! My Bible Is Alive!

Jonathan Petersen, Content Manager for BibleGateway.com, recently did an interview with Nicole Unice, author of the book: Help! My Bible Is Alive! 30 Days of Learning to Love and Understand God's Word.  The link to that interview can be found by clicking here.

Reading the article challenged me in many ways! One area that piqued my interest was her discussion about Bible study habits. She speaks of our western culture and what I would term as a "pathological distraction" as she references the statistic that the average American attention span is merely 9 seconds....less than a goldfish! Ouch!!! That's kind of scary! 

This trend is a difficult finding as it relates to growing closer to the Lord, because as she shares, we need to spend some dedicated time in the Bible each day in order to consistently study the scripture and hear the voice of God. Without this focused time in the Word of God, we will end up missing the guidance and blessings that He intended for each of us to receive.

If you would like to learn more about the book: 

Help! My Bible is Alive and how to set up a consistent "distraction free" time with the Lord, access her interview here. It's definitely worth your time and attention! 

Do you ever find it difficult to concentrate and still yourself as you're reading the Bible?  It is a challenging task to consistently take hold of the living Word of God and allow The Holy One of Israel to transform our lives for His glory, but with the right tools, I believe it's an obtainable goal! 

Enjoy your day today...and wherever you are, take time...hopefully more than 9 seconds.....to enjoy God's Word and observe the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!

Book Review: Helicopter Mom: Stop hovering over your children and lift! by Bethany L. Douglas

So I answered, “I’m coming. I read in your letter what you wrote about me, And I’m coming to the party you’re throwing for me.” That’s when God’s Word entered my life, became part of my very being.Psalm 40:8 MSG

PUBLISHERS DESCRIPTION

This book teaches you how to lift
and live in fierce freedom
through application of the
Word of God! 

I’ve seen things, bad things. Things that make mother’s grip their children tighter and awaken with nightmares in their beds. I know fear- at 3000 feet and going 150mph- I stand in its face and say “no!” I’ve learned to take fear by the horns and wrestle it to the ground; will you join me and learn how to as well? We’ve all heard the term ‘helicopter mom’- parents who ‘hover’ over their children in an attempt to keep them happy, safe, healthy, and alive. They hover because they fear. Helicopter Mom directly addresses the real life terror that all parents face with fearing for their children. Specifically designed for mothers, it gives a Christian, Biblical perspective on how to overcome these fears from the unique point of view of a helicopter flight nurse and mom who has vast experience in ‘hovering’. It takes lessons learned over my years as a flight nurse and puts them into practical, every day, Christian applications. There are anecdotes, stories, aviation information, and more that all knit together to bring about Biblical lessons and encouragement that all parents can easily relate to. Each chapter takes helicopter and EMS/nursing stories and knits them into an ongoing narrative that slowly paints a full picture of how to overcome fear. It is a sassy, funny, in-your-face, yet spiritually grounded journey that will have people laughing and learning spiritual truths all at the same time. This is a totally different approach to ‘self-help’ books, strap in and get ready to lift!

MY PERSONAL REVIEW

Helicopter Mom by Bethany L. Douglas is a must read for anyone experiencing fear in their life. This book speaks to the weakness all mother's inherently have, regardless of their background, which is the tendency to give into fear for the lives of their children. The author specifically addresses the "what if'" notions that have an inclination to plague us as mothers, however, everything in the book can be seamlessly applied to any anxiety situation presenting itself in one's life. If you are a parent, you owe it to yourself to read the nuggets of truth that are found in the Word of God that Douglas illuminates in this book. If you battle worry in any form, this book is for you as well.

Helicopter Mom is a unique work that delivers a powerful punch to the fear that is affecting many of us in epidemic proportion today. Because the author is a Mom of three children, including one with special needs, her resume is sound. In addition to being a mother herself, she is also a flight nurse, so she sees life and death situations on a regular basis. The extremely frightening experiences Douglas faces during her nursing job serve as a segue into the nightmare scenarios we conjure up about our kids. 

With literary talent and seemingly effortless transition, Douglas brings the reader to a place of  profound understanding of the terror that might be the driving force behind hovering and controlling parental moves. Somehow, despite the weightiness of the subject matter, the author interjects humor at points that literally had me laughing out loud. Helicopter Mom also encourages a reflective spirit and Biblical study as the book helps to uncover the hidden issues that may lie within the reader. A foundational message presented throughout the book is the reminder that God is sovereign and because of this single fact, we can let go of our fears and place them in the hands of the Lord.

My takeaway after reading Helicopter Mom by Bethany Douglas is extensive. I'll try to be brief, but there is so much goodness in this one, that it's going to be hard for me to sum up. I'll do my best. First, I have to mention the cover, because it is beautiful and has a colorful artistic flare that cannot be missed. Next, I believe this book will resonate within the depths of your heart as the sincerity from the author is palpable. The candor within the pages creates an ability to be honest with yourself about struggles that are warring within you. Third, this book begs to be revisited frequently and would make an excellent choice for a Women's Bible study. Finally, Helicopter Mom reminds us that our ultimate pilot is Christ, so we mustn't panic on the journey, but rather we should apply the word of God to every fearful situation. The intentional action of scripture application in the midst of fear will shift our perspective to the strong arms of God and allow us to LIFT (Living~Intentionally~Fearlessly~Truthfully) above the fear. Excellent read!

Movie Review- To Joey With Love: A Story of Life, Love & Hope

1 Corinthians 13:13 (MSG)
But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. 


Before I begin...let me just say that I am having a drawing for a free DVD copy of this amazing film. Look to the right side of my blog. See the Rafflecopter? It starts at midnight tonight and will end December 20, 2016. I will email the winner! 
Be sure to stop back by my blog or my Facebook Page @OnlyALittleWhile and sign up!

The movie, To Joey, With Love: A Story of Life, Love & Hope That Never Dies  (click on the preceding title for the official trailer) is presented by Provident Films a Hickory Films production. The film will be released in DVD format & ON-Demand December 20th, 2016. (Order by clicking here.) It is classified as a PG film in the documentary genre. It was written, filmed and directed by Rory Feek. Production is by Aaron Carnahan. 

Movie Critic Reviews 

A beautiful film that captures the true
meaning of the message to
"trust steadily in God", as described in
1 Corinthians 13:13.

"I walked away with a greater appreciation for the brevity of life and with a goal of loving those around me even more."
Christian Examiner

"The movie leaves viewers with an urgency to live every day as if it is a gift, thank God for what He has given, and enjoy the simple moments of life."
Movieguide®

"The film will inspire you to love deeper, and to grab every opportunity in every moment."
Christianity Today

My Personal Review

To Joey, With Love is a touching documentary narrated by Rory Feek. The film chronicles the story of the past two years with his wife Joey Feek. Their journey through the birth of their first and only daughter, Indiana is highlighted, as well as Joey's diagnosis with cervical cancer. The emphasis is placed on the path of learning to trust God's plan for their lives, rather than relying on their own direction. It is a compilation of live footage filmed mostly from their home which is about an hour from Nashville, Tennessee. 


Here's my take-away from this movie. First, I found myself wishing from the very beginning that I had been a part of the Joey+Rory Fan Club. The brief shots of some of their concerts made my heart warm, not only due to the beautiful music, but also because of their interactions with one another. 


Secondly, I found the movie to be extremely transparent and pure. Much of the time, I had the feeling that I was viewing something sacred. Let me explain. Because the filming is live and this family is simply living their "story", there really isn't any "acting" going on. The impromptu footage shows clips from the actual birth of their daughter (albeit discrete footage), daily chores on their homestead, phone calls, physician consults, morning routines, meals, prayer circles and lots of spontaneous family interactions. Watching such natural and unposed scenes will illicit a broad spectrum of feelings. 

The range of emotions experienced by the viewer runs the full continuum from happiness and laughter to fear and sadness. As you participate in Rory, Joey and Indiana's lives, you realize that this is not a film for my "entertainment" per se, but rather it generates a reflective experience creating a pause and recognition of the sanctity of life. This is a movie with the potential to assist in bridging the gap between this temporal world and the next. The sincere way that Joey and Rory applied the promises that God has given us in His Word is somewhat mind boggling. 


Finally, I think the target audience for this movie is very broad, but somewhat unique. It is most certainly for anyone who has been blessed by "Joey+Rory" music. If I had known this couple prior to this film review, I would be very encouraged to see how God gave them, as Rory says, "A great story." Watching the movie would give me a peace about Joey's ultimate healing. It would ease a sadness that most certainly must be present for those who knew her as a public figure. In my opinion, any believer in Christ who watches this movie will be inspired and challenged as they walk through a day with this couple. I also feel anyone dealing with cancer, either personally or through a family member/friend, will find hope and comfort through the viewing of this film. Hearing Rory's faith filled statement that he gave when the news that the medical treatments were no longer deemed curative for Joey, uncovered a bold and empowering way to accept the will of God. He said, "We came home. Not to die. But to live." A final potential audience is anyone searching for truth, as this couple's faith is tangible and will intensify the urgency to discover a loving Savior in Christ.
  

In conclusion, To Joey, With Love is a very moving work. It has much to say about the preciousness of life and the choices we make with regard to how we live each day. It teaches us to confront the fact that we "only have a little while" to walk in a steady trust in God and live a life filled with hope and an extravagant love for one another!

1 Corinthians 13:13 

This CD was released in 2016. Christmas shopping anyone?

Joey+Rory released a new CD in 2016, titled: Hymns That Are Important To Us. 

It is on my Christmas wish list! (Hint..hint to my family who are reading this.) 

Thank you to Icon Media Group for allowing me to view this review copy of  To Joey, With Love. I was not required to write a positive review, but only to watch the film and give my honest opinion.