Marta's Meanderings

Do you have a book that you want reviewed? Or a product you'd like folks to know about? Well here is how you contact me.

Marta Hoelscher

email: martasmeanderings@blogspot.com
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1263274521&ref=profile
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tbbycatt

Here are the winners of all the contests that ended on March 31, 2009. Winners have been notified and soon the prizes will be mailed out. Thanks for entering everyone!

• Cheerios Pearl Bracelet Giveaway

Winners:
Rachel
Charlene

• 100th Post Giveaway (Hachette Books)
  

Winners
robin
whitney
holly
luann
sharlene

• Maximum Ride Complete Series Giveaway! (Hachette Books)
  

Winners
photoquest@gmail.com
Indigo
dina
anita

• VGNO Giveaway (Hachette Books)
  

Winners
stacy
ann
margaret
tamara
deb

FACEBOOK Launch Party

for Blue Like Playdough

by Tricia Goyer

(http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/event.php?eid=206503170034)

Everyone please read about these two marvelous events that coincide with the Virtual Blog Tour for Blue Like Playdough by Tricia Goyer. Here's your personal invitation from Tricia herself! I'll be touring the book in August and you can read my review at that time. But for now, let's PARTY!!

A note from Tricia: Are you a mommy who feels squeezed by Motherhood? Could God be shaping something beautiful in you? In my new spiritual memoir, Blue Like Play Dough I invite women to discover the extraordinary in the ordinary! To learn to see God's hand lovingly at work in every aspect of your life---from laundry-folding to the umpteenth reading of Goodnight Moon. And now I’m inviting YOU to come bring your stretched self and attend a fun Facebook Launch Party for Blue Like Play Dough! I know you’re busy (and tired) so I’m bringing the festivities to you! So grab your comfiest chair and slip away from that long To-Do list and join me for a two hour Play Dough Party. I’ll be sharing some of my mothering experiences (the good and the bad), hosting a fun trivia contest, giving away Mommy Play Dough Packs, answering questions, and getting to know YOU! I’d be honored to have you as my guest – and to prove it I’ll be giving away 2 ginormous Mommy Play Dough Packs to two party attendees at random! The winners will be announced at the end of the party. Grab your friends and let’s party! oh, and don't forget your camera! Snap pictures during the party and upload them during the festivities. I'll be giving a prize away for the best photo! So come join me on July 27th from 5-7 pm (PST)! Friend me on facebook and join the fun!

Add to Technorati Favorites

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (December 1, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736919953
ISBN-13: 978-0736919951

Description (Publisher Website)

Laurette Willis, creator of the PraiseMoves™ DVD, offers a plan that will help women incorporate “Total Fitness“ into their busy schedules by blending the spiritual and physical areas of their lives.

When asked what three of the most important things in life are, many Christian women say God, family, and health. Unfortunately, most women don’t think of their health until there is a problem. And they also may go for weeks without investing quality time in their relationship with the Lord until faced with a challenge or the realization that they feel empty inside.

In The Busy Woman’s Guide to Total Fitness, readers will learn how to “strengthen their bodies and spirits in 20–minutes–a–day” with:

• quick and easy nutrition tips
• energizing 20–minute workouts
• prayer, meditation, and journaling suggestions
• fitness for the spirit, soul, and body
• a 21 Days to Total Fitness program

Buy This Book

Author Bio
Laurette Willis, the founder of PraiseMoves^®, is a Women’s Fitness Specialist and certified personal trainer, as well as a popular keynote speaker and an award–winning actor and playwright. She has written The Busy Woman’s Guide to Total Fitness and has produced three PraiseMoves™ videos.





Review

The premise of this book is that in 20 minutes a day you can do a workout and spend time with the Lord. This sounded great to me when I first saw the title. I do think that the majority of the book is excellent, and I really like the author's idea of combining scripture contemplation while doing strengthening exercises.

That being said, I wouldn't recommend this book to someone who is easily offended by something that is liberally dosed with scripture. This book makes no bones about the fact that it is a Christian book and that's ok for me, but if it's something you don't like, you can't skip past those points with this book. This book is all about combining scripture with exercise.

I really thought this was a good book and had some excellent ideas in it. The one problem I did have with it was when they started talking about Yoga as evil.

"I call yoga the missionary arm of Hinduism and the New Age movement. From experience I can say that yoga is a dangerous practice for Christians and leads seekers away from God rather than to him." (p. 166)

For me yoga has just been about stretching and I run away from anything new age or wiccan. I thought it was interesting then that the author introduced her 'alternative christian yoga' which looks suspiciously like regular yoga. But then PraiseMoves is what she calls it and has built a business around the name.

I don't find this all bad, this has been done for years and as long as it works, I'm not sure I care what the names of the poses are. The book has some wonderful pictures of the actual poses and exercises presented, and also has a small area at the end of each chapter where you can review and do a bit of journaling. I thought this was a nice touch, but felt there could have been more room left for it, but that's just my preference.

Overall I'd recommend this book, because it does have some wonderful information and ideas in it. But because of the yoga thing and the strong Christian views that are presented I'm only going to give it 3 out of 5 stars because it won't appeal to everyone.



Add to Technorati Favorites

http://astore.amazon.com/httpmartasmea-20






Add to Technorati Favorites

Robin Meade Bio continued

Before joining CNN, Meade worked at NBC Chicago affiliate WMAQ-TV, where she co-anchored the weekend newscasts and also served as a general assignment correspondent for the station. Before joining WMAQ, Meade was the morning news anchor of WSVN-TV’s Today in Florida in Miami. She also served as the station’s noon anchor and health reporter. She was also an anchor and reporter at WCMH-TV in Columbus, Ohio, and at WJW-TV in Cleveland. Meade began her career in broadcasting at WMFD-TV in Mansfield, Ohio, where she worked as a reporter.

Meade’s lifelong love of music has led to live performances with country superstar Kenny Chesney, singer-songwriter Richard Marx, among others. Meade has also co-written songs with Nashville heavy-hitters Billy Dean and Craig Wiseman.

Meade is based in CNN’s world headquarters in Atlanta, where she lives with her husband Tim and their cat and two dogs.




Add to Technorati Favorites