Tag Archives: Christian Personal Growth

Sure Enough Virtual Book Tour

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Miracles From World War to World Missions

Christian Missions, Christian Personal Growth, Memoirs

Date Published: September 27, 2022

Publisher: Lucid Books

 

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Does God still work miracles? Does God use average and imperfect people to
accomplish His perfect plan? Is there really such a thing as “God’s
perfect timing”? Wasyl (Bill) and Maria Wojtaszewski will tell you
there is nothing exceptional about them, but God is always faithful in
exceptional circumstances. The true stories in this book are at times
humorous, always inspirational, and clearly demonstrate these powerful
truths:

 

– Difficult circumstances may contribute to something larger than
yourself.

– God’s perfect timing is not the same as yours.

– God will bless your efforts when you make yourself available.

– God has placed callings on your life. Boldly pursue them!

 

If you have not yet met the God of this book, Bill and Maria’s testimony
will surely make you want to know Him. If you do know Him, this book will
encourage you to go forward in faith and obedience. God has assigned
missions to each of us – whether foreign, domestic, or both. We must trust
that His strength is made perfect in our weakness, and it is He who
ultimately accomplishes His missions.

 

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EXCERPT

Despite everything we went through, my father always found a way to provide for us and to better our situation. No one ever accused him of being lazy! He was a hard-working man, and he was motivated to achieve something greater for himself and his family. Somehow, he managed to get a job working in the kitchen. I thought this was great because we could get better food than everyone else in the camp (although the food they served, in general, was not too bad). But he did not stop there. He started a part-time business where he went to local farmers and bought cows, slaughtered them, and then sold the meat for cigarettes and chocolate, and so on. Cigarettes and chocolate were like gold in Germany; you could get anything for cigarettes and American chocolate.

One of my most vivid memories of those times was when General Eisenhower came to visit the camp, riding in a very nice convertible car. This was, of course, before he became President Eisenhower. I spent most of the time in the kitchen with my father, and this is where I was when the General came to visit. He was tasting the food and talking to the cooks, so I sneaked outside to admire his car. I was standing by the driver when my father called me to come away from it. “Don’t touch that car!” he said. That is when General Eisenhower asked my father (through the translator), “Is that your son?” My father was forced to admit that I was indeed his son. “So . . .” General Eisenhower said, “He likes my car.” Then he told his driver, “Go, take him for a ride!” And that is the story of how I was privileged to ride in General Eisenhower’s convertible.

 

 

About the Author

Wasyl (Bill) Wojtaszewski

Wasyl (Bill) Wojtaszewski was born in Pinsk, Poland, in 1937-two years
before the start of World War II. His difficult journey through Germany led
him to San Paulo, Brazil, where he received training as an optician. In
1958, he migrated with his family to the United States, and in 1973,
established Lakes Optical Shop in Medford Lakes, New Jersey, where he
practiced for 37 years. Bill is an ordained minister in the Assemblies of
God. He has served on more than 50 short-term medical/evangelical missions
in 16 countries, reaching people groups in underserved, underprivileged, and
often forbidden locations around the world. While he considers it a
privilege to help restore physical sight, his ultimate goal is to witness
souls receive spiritual sight as they enter into an eternal relationship
with the living Lord, Jesus Christ.

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Seeking God’s Face Virtual Book Tour

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Practical Reflections on Honor and Shame in Scripture

Christian Devotionals, Christian Personal Growth, Christian Spiritual
Growth

Co-Author: Ryan Jensen

Date Published: September 27, 2022

Publisher: Lucid Books

 

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Honor and shame influence every major aspect of life, whether in
relationships, politics, or social media. It’s not surprising, then, to find
that honor and shame shape the biblical message and all that Christians are
called to be. Unfortunately, many leaders and laypersons do not grasp the
theological and practical significance of these concepts for the
church.

Therefore, this book provides an accessible entry point for engaging these
topics in everyday Christian living. Seeking God’s Face contains 101
practical reflections on honor and shame taken from across the pages of
Scripture. It presents honor and shame, not as abstract concepts, but as
compelling issues that affect evangelism, spiritual formation, and
discipleship. Seeking God’s Face equips readers to interpret the biblical
text faithfully and apply its message meaningfully.

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EXCERPT

Kids often dream of having at least 15 minutes of fame. Such duration now sounds like an eternity. In our age of social media, at best we can wish for 15 seconds of fame (and hopefully not infamy). Rather than becoming an astronaut or lawyer, surveys show that nearly one-third of American kids want to be “YouTube famous.”39 Curating one’s personal “brand” is seen as the pathway to wealth and happiness. How a small glimmer of truth misleads us into a haze of falsehood!

Ecclesiastes offers sobering insight, noting that the world offers us more futility than fairytales. It’s in this reality check that we find wisdom. The vision for life in Ecclesiastes contrasts the delusional ambitions for fame that mark our age. Yet, it offers a balanced perspective that’s rooted in the real world. On the one hand, the writer acknowledges the value of a name, “A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death, than the day of birth” (Eccles. 7:1). Proverbs 22:1 agrees, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.” Our reputations precede us. They open and shut doors of opportunity.

On the other hand, no one will remember most of us in just a few generations. Few people know anything about their own first or second great-grandparents, much less their names. Ecclesiastes shows the vanity of a name, “The people of long ago are not remembered, nor will there be any remembrance of people yet to come by those who come after them” (Eccles. 1:11; cf. 9:5). Neither glorious achievement (2:9–11) nor profound wisdom (2:16; 9:15–16) can prevent this inevitable slide into anonymity.

Why then are we constantly allured by the deceptive promises of fame? In part, we confuse being known and praised with being loved. Yet, something else may lurk deeper within our hearts. For some, the desire for celebrity is a grasping for eternity. We begin to think we’ll be immortalized if only others remember our names. If we’re not forgotten, it’s as if we’ll live forever; social media fame becomes a virtual form of eternal life. When it comes to reputation, wisdom discerns value from mere vanity.

About the Author

 

Jackson Wu (pseudonym; PhD, SEBTS) is the theologian in residence with
Global Training Network. He worked in East Asia for almost two decades,
teaching theology and missiology to Chinese pastors. His books include One
Gospel for All Nations, Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes, and The Cross in
Context. His blog is jacksonwu.org.

Ryan Jensen lived in East Asia for five years while he taught at a
university. He earned a PhD in Intercultural Studies from Biola University,
and he holds an MA in Intercultural Studies and Teaching English to Speakers
of Other Languages (TESOL) from Wheaton College. Connect with Ryan at
drryanjensen.com.

 

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Redemptive Grace Virtual Book Tour

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Christian Personal Growth, Christian Spiritual Growth

Date Published: September 28, 2021

Publisher: Clay Bridges Press

 

 Redemptive Grace uses personal accounts from the author’s life to identify
with people on topics that everyone faces. These transparent stories touch
on anger, depression, self-harm, loss of a baby, death of a parent,
separation, and divorce as well as triumph, joy, and hope. The reader will
have the opportunity to journal their own experiences and thoughts in each
section.

 

The heart behind Redemptive Grace is for the reader to:

 

●       Identify struggles and construct a plan
for battling those issues.

●       Be reminded that God is in the details of
each life.

●       Be encouraged in the truth of God’s
incredible love for every person.

●       Reflect on their own stories and find
God’s presence.

●       Understand that God’s grace is so great
that there is nothing that He can’t or won’t redeem.

 

 

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EXCERPT

Excerpt 1:

In my world, music brought fun and a little bit of rebellion. During the first semester of my senior year, I started having problems with my voice. When I was growing up, I would always lose my voice in the fall and spring for a few days, and my doctor related it to allergies. The first few times this happened to me as a senior, I didn’t panic; I assumed it was an allergy thing. My voice loss became more persistent. I could be reading out loud in English class at full volume, then my voice would just disappear—not fade, just stop. Singing became a game of chance. Maybe I would be able to hit those first soprano notes or maybe I wouldn’t be able to even hit the tenor line. I didn’t have any pain, just frustration. I went to my regular doctor who sent me to an ear, nose, and throat doctor. After a series of disgusting tests where tubes were stuck up my nose and down my throat, acid reflux was ruled out along with any bronchial or allergy issue. He determined I had polyps or nodules. I was referred to a specialist in a city a few hours away from my home. My initial visit was to establish my routines and to see if any patterns could be detected with my symptoms. Over the next few months, I underwent a variety of tests. My Mama always went with me to these appointments, and my Daddy would come when he could. The first test was again having a tube placed up my nose, down my throat and hooked to a monitor. This had to be left on for twenty-four hours and required me to take on normal activities while it was in place. I had to talk, sing, eat, etc. all the while feeling this tube that felt as thick as a garden hose in my throat. I would sing and gag, eat and choke. My Mama would encourage me a lot and cry a little. We found out that I had developed cysts up and down my vocal cords. The next test was gruesome. I was taken into an examination room and laid out flat. I could not have any anesthesia on my neck because the test was to watch how my vocal cords would react. Nine needles were placed into my throat, one at a time. With each needle, I could feel the metal move around inside my throat, cold and foreign. As each needle was added, I was asked to read a passage out loud or sing a few lines from a song. These needles were about ten inches long because they had to be able to go through the layers of the throat to reach the vocal cords while being manipulated by the nurse or doctor externally. The process of this test was brutal. The pain is one I still am not sure how to properly describe. After this, my neck was bruised and swollen, but the next day, I was back at school. After several less-exciting procedures and countless more days of having no voice, it was decided that I would have a bilateral medialization—translation: my throat would be cut open for the doctor to see my vocal cords with his own eyes. Fun fact, I would be awake for this and would be without any anesthesia again, just a topical cream for my neck where the incision would be made. When I arrived for this appointment, I was very scared. However, God has blessed me with  a weird sense of humor, so I had jokes at the ready for my doctor. As we entered the operating room, he allowed me to choose what music we would listen to during the procedure; this was also to encourage me to sing during the procedure. I chose Broadway hits and off we went! My doctor had an enormous ego, but he was very kind and funny. During the procedure, he kept me giggling. I can remember the feel of the chilly knife that cut the incision in my throat. I can remember the weight of the tools used to move the parts of my throat out of the way. I remember seeing and feeling the clips that would hold my throat open. I remember the constant feeling of choking throughout the surgery. I remember singing “All I Ask of You” from Phantom of the Opera while the doctor poked, pulled, and searched for an answer.

 

About the Author

Amber Black

Amber was born and raised in western North Carolina. After high school, she
spent some time living in other parts of the country. While she enjoyed the
adventure of being in different places and meeting new people, she was happy
to move back to the mountains. Amber says she took the scenic path to her
college education, but she loves utilizing her bachelor’s degree in
Sociology and her master’s degree in Education: Family and Community
Services. Her education helped shape her thoughts, but her life experiences
helped shape her heart. Amber has worked in the educational world for twenty
years in every role from volunteer to substitute teacher to assistant to
small group teacher. She has worked in church world for several years as a
small group leader, Bible study teacher, children’s director, and
women’s ministry coordinator.

Amber is married to Brian and together they have four children. Together,
Amber, Brian and the kiddos still at home enjoy traveling, playing games,
watching movies, trying new foods, and attempting to tame their dog.

Amber makes it a personal goal to remind every person she works with that
they were created on purpose, with a purpose and for a purpose. She loves
helping children and women connect the experiences of their lives with the
presence of the God who created them and loves them.

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