Welcome! Thanks for joining us today for this inspiring interview with Christian author and speaker, Linda Newton. Your input is greatly important, so please comment to your heart's desire.
Be blessed & enjoy....
Here's a little about the book and author:
About the Book
Better Than Jewels: 31 Days of Biblical Insight for a Woman Seeking God by Linda Newton (Warner Press)
Women are always looking for ways to enhance their beauty. The biblical Book of Proverbs reveals the secret of true beauty -- and you won't find it at the jewelry counter!
"Many of us wear crosses to symbolize our faith in Jesus Christ," Linda Newton comments. "The writer of Proverbs notes we can do even better than this: We can wear divine love like a necklace and demonstrate it to others, every chance we get."
This daily devotional takes you on a month-long exploration of Proverbs from a woman's point of view. It's rich with humor, practical advice, and sound biblical wisdom. Better Than Jewels is an ideal gift for Mothers Day or any other time of the year.
About the Author 
Linda Newton's contagious enthusiasm and engaging storytelling brings God's Word to life. With authentic transparency and down-home humor she shares how God transformed heartbreak in her life into hope from her new book Twelve Ways to Turn Your Pain Into Praise published by Warner Press. Her new devotional book, Better Than Jewels: 31 Days of Biblical Insight for a Woman Seeking God is currently on sale now.
Linda and her husband Bruce pastor Sierra Pines Church in Oakhurst, CA where Linda has served as a counselor for the past 20 years. As a speaker, author, and counselor her passion is to lead ladies to a greater understanding of the abundant life available to them in Christ (John 10:10). You will laugh, learn, and leave feeling closer to the Lord!
Linda's Testimony
I would love to tell you that being from the south I grew up saying, "Yes, Ma'am" and "No, Sir," and "Goodnight, John-Boy," but nothing could be further from the truth. Truth is I was ten years old before I realized that God's last name didn't start with a "D." That's when Maude Gober (How's that for a good Southern name?) braved the no-man's-land of our front and invited our family to church. The first Sunday I was there, I felt the Lord tug on my heart. When I gave my heart to the Lord in that little country church, I meant it. I sought regular relationship with God through prayer. I couldn't get enough of His word. It was truly a transformation from darkness into light. Since that time I have felt compelled to share the difference Christ has made in our lives. I committed my life to His service and graduated from Azusa Pacific University with degrees in both psychology and theology. As a pastor's wife and full-time counselor at my church, I am blessed to offer the good news of salvation and restoration to everyone who comes through our doors.
The old gospel message is still good news to me: Jesus died for sinners (of which I am one) and sits at the right hand of the father interceding on my behalf. The power that brought about his resurrection is the same power that lifted this little lost southern girl out of her hopeless condition to new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). When retreat speakers ask me to speak, they often request that I share my testimony. I never tire of telling the story of God's "welfare and not calamity" offering us "a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).
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BLOG TOUR
I WANT SOMETHING…BETTER THAN JEWELS:
31 DAYS OF BIBLICAL INSIGHT FOR A WOMAN SEEKING GOD
by Linda Newton
Opening: I’m delighted to be sharing with you about my new devotional from Proverbs, Better Than Jewels: 31 Days of Biblical Insight for a Woman Seeking God.
Your devotional is full of inspiring stories--one for every day of the month. What made you write a devotional book using stories?
I’ve always thought that stories were powerful. They can illustrate a point and offer an example many times better than just logical explanation alone. I wrote a few that were published in different Chicken Soup for the Soul books. That’s when I got the idea to write stories like those chosen for Chicken Soup, colorful narratives to make the reader laugh and cry, that would help to illustrate biblical concepts. I love how Jesus used stories to illuminate the ideas he was teaching, so I decided to follow the example of the best!
I like the fact that your book is hardback. It’s quite cute and compact, and with the word Jewels in the title, it makes a great gift book for any woman on your Christmas list. Is that what you had in mind?
That’s what I was hoping for. Thanks so much. As a busy person, I have to buy gifts on the run. I figured any lady would like an appealing gift book full of fun and encouraging stories. A gift like this is a great witnessing tool. It’s a non-threatening way to introduce someone to God’s lavish love and to affirm His love in those who already know Him.
My goal is for every reader to laugh, learn, and leave each chapter feeling closer to the Lord. Jewels is an easy read. One busy lady got it home, brewed a cup of tea, curled up on the sofa, and finished the book in a couple of hours. Then she started through it again using it as a daily devotional, reading a story each day and working through the Polish Your Jewels section at the end of each chapter to apply what she learned. I am so pleased that this book offers comfort and growth to the women who read it.
Your stories are authentic and you’re not afraid to laugh at yourself. Is it hard to be that vulnerable?
I try to stay transparent in my writing because I think readers need to see real people searching for solutions to real struggles, not people pretending to be perfect. If we can’t laugh at ourselves then who can we laugh at? I’ve got plenty of material! Better Than Jewels has a story about how I accidentally brought bright purple shoes to a speaking engagement to wear with my pale pink and white outfit. I didn’t know the area well enough to find a store, so I slapped on the bright purple shoes and tried to make the best of it. I wrote that story to illustrate Proverbs 31. That’s my best attempt at being this wise and capable woman. The Lord keeps me on my knees, and usually I fall there!
Better Than Jewels contains everyday challenges of being a busy woman in today’s culture. It has insights in surviving the hair-flipping, door-slamming teen years. What mom doesn’t need a sense of humor when it comes it her parenting? If I can bring a smile to someone’s face as she starts her day, that will certainly bring a smile to mine.
This book has a lot of stories from your own life. Could you share some of them with my readers?
It features many stories about answered prayer. I think we need to see how God comes though to help bolster our faith. If your truster is busted, the awesome stories of God’s provision in everyday life can be just what you need. I wrote stories about Sunday School teachers, my youth pastor, and other precious people who made God look good.
Nancy’s Note tells how during one of the most challenging times of my life, God prompted a friend I hadn’t talked to in years to pray for me and send me a note to tell me so! It’s just one of the faith-building tales of God’s amazing care and comfort.
There are stories of the trails and triumphs of raising three kids on a shoestring budget. A humorous but helpful story talks about my son, Jacob, who is melancholic in temperament. He grew up as a deep, sensitive, musical child who tended to see the cup of life half empty instead of half full. What’s In Your Cup? is a fun story of the tools I learned through research to teach my boy to see the world in a more positive light.
I wrote about all the Lord taught me when my youngest daughter, Ashley, needed heart surgery in Change of Hearts and As The Deer. I included a story of how the Lord used a car accident to show me that my petite blond daughter was ready to join the Air Force while our country was at war, called Solid Gold Friends, because my friends prayed me into that understanding. I tried to be a good mom and teach my kids, but it turns out, I learned as much from them as I ever taught them.
I even wrote stories of the extraordinary life lessons I learned from my faithful dog called Good Ol’Gus, and a story about my feral cat turned friend called Quincey, the Comforting Cat.
What is one of your favorite stories from your book?
Practically every story I share with my readers is a favorite. There are so many about how God came through! One of my favorites, Dare to Dream, is how the Lord intervened to get me from the Deep South to college in California. After accepting Christ while I was in junior high, I started receiving info in the mail from Azusa Pacific College (now University). Right away I knew that is where I wanted to be. Since my mom was a pretty hostile nonbeliever, I knew she would never go for it. So I prayed.
Two months before the end of my junior year, that little country church I attended in Tennessee hired a new pastor, a graduate from Azusa! Even though my mom had a major mother melt down and I had to go live with my dad in North Carolina, losing contact with my church in Tennessee, my old pastor still made it happen for me to fulfill my dream of attending Christian college in California.
That’s an awesome story. You have a lot to write about. You have lived an eventful life, haven’t you?
I believe everybody has a story—a string of stories that make up life. In my first book, 12 Ways to Turn Your Pain Into Praise: Biblical Steps to Wholeness in Christ, one of the ways I teach folks to deal with their pain is to write down those moments in their lives when God showed up. I call them “Monumental Moments.” In the Old Testament when God did something memorable or miraculous for the children of Israel, he would instruct them to erect a monument to commemorate the event. The Lord wanted His people to do that so that they wouldn’t forget his goodness and care. We can have those moments forever etched in time when we remember seeing God’s love up close and personal. It’s very therapeutic to record and revisit His faithfulness. After writing down my monumental moments for years, I filled a book with stories!
It’s not just a book of stories. Can you tell us how each daily reading flows?
Each day starts with a verse from Proverbs and a brief scriptural insight into that verse, then a story to illustrate the concept presented in that scripture. My goal is for busy women to have a bite-size bit or instruction and inspiration to start each day. I have talked to ladies who have known the Lord for decades and baby believers who have expressed appreciation for the insight they received into God’s Word from Better Than Jewels. They relate to the situations I present in my stories about “the Lord in the everyday.”
Remind us again about how to use of the Polish Your Jewels section at the end of each chapter?
As a Christian counselor, I want to offer up ways to give the reader something to work on each day. Polish Your Jewels offers questions and suggestions to help you apply the principles presented in the scripture verse and illustrated by the story.
What made you write about Proverbs?
It’s one of my favorite books in the Bible. It’s filled with wisdom and instruction for living, like a “Life 101 class.” Proverbs is so rich in wise counsel that the stories came easy.
How can folks get Better Than Jewels: 31 Days of Insight for a Woman Seeking God?
Amazon has it and I offer a discount on my website when you purchase more than one book. Better Than Jewels is packaged in such a way as to make a thoughtful gift. I also know ladies who have used is as a small group study, discussing their take away from each story and working through the Polish Your Jewels section together.
What is your next project?
I’m a mother so I have learned to multi-task. I have several irons in the fire. My website (lindanewtonspeaks.com) is being reinvented to a teaching tool for people to learn more about how turn the trials of life into triumphs. I want to offer a COUNSELING TIP OF THE WEEK to enlighten, encourage, inform, and empower people to deal with the challenges that life dishes out in these insecure times. I am working now so that those who visit my website can sign up to have the Counseling Tip of the Week delivered to their mailbox and open up to new insight each week.
I am pedal to the metal to complete a gift/devotional book in the same format as Better Than Jewels illustrating the book of Psalms. In keeping with the jewels theme, my working title is Sapphires From Psalms. I am feverishly finishing stories as we speak. It should be out by Mother’s Day 2010. I would love for your readers can check my website for updates.
I am also working on a book with my daughters. Sarah, who is now a Captain in the Air Force working as a psychologist, and Ashley, who survived four heart surgeries, and is now a fiercely healthy Weight Watchers instructor. We want to write a book about how to have a healthy, mind, body and soul. Our working title is You Can Fix Stupid: 7 Savvy Choices for Mind, Body, and Soul. In case that’s too “in your face” for publishers we are also thinking of Eat, Pray and Love Sleep, working off the best selling title Eat, Pray, Love. Captain Sarah’s doctoral dissertation is on the Healing Benefit of Sleep. She has done groundbreaking work the major part sleep plays in our mental and physical health. Ashley had perfected the art of “Weight Loss on the Run.” As a Christian counselor, I have the privilege everyday of offering people tools to deal with life and relationships from a more positive perspective. We want to share these tools with readers everywhere to help them access the abundant life God has for them mentally, physically, and spiritually.
If your readers would like to email me at lindanewtonspeaks@gmail.com I will put them on my mailing list and keep them informed when our book comes out.
Is there anything that we didn’t ask that you’d like to share with us?
I want your readers to know that God deeply desires to be involved in even the most mundane parts of their day. He loves us that much, and He continually seeks an intimate relationship with the person sitting in you seat! My stories illustrate how much God loves his girls with an unquenchable love and He is available to us in a moment’s notice.
Closing: Thanks so much for having me on your blog. I hope your readers will visit me online at www.LindaNewtonSpeaks.com. Remember, God’s got wisdom and insight for you is BETTER THAN JEWELS!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
SpEciAl BLOG Tour TOdAY!....
Monday, August 31, 2009
MythBuster: 'Being a Christian is Boring'..... NOT!
Some people may steer clear of living a life sold out for Christ because maybe it seems so boring, stuffy, no fun, not cool, etc. Well, this is yet another one of those lies the enemy throws our way to keep us repelled from pressing into God, and keep us doing things that may not be quite so respectable and call it 'more fun.' Although the after-effect is often additional weight of shame, guilt, regret, anxiety, difficult consequences, isolation, yada, yada.
The truth is, my friend, when we are truly, wholeheartedly, with every ounce of our being sold out to God, completely and utterly in love with the Lord Jesus Christ, empowered by His Word, His Worship, and His Anointing,.... the powerful Holy Spirit will fill us up to way overflowing and lead us down roads we never would of, or could of gone down on our own. Yes, that powerful fresh wind & fire of the Holy Spirit will absolutely blow our limiting human nature away if we put ourselves in the position to receive it. For now, go ahead and have some fun, get your groove on, burn some calories, sing and dance your heart out in worship with this song by Israel Houghton and New Breed from Lakewood Church....
Psalm 91:9-16 NIV...
"If you make the Most High your dwelling-
even the Lord, who is my refuge-
"then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
"For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
"they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
"You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
"Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
"He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
"With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."
May the Peace of this truth rest in your hearts and minds today and always. May you know that no matter what comes your way, with Jesus in your heart, invited into your life, you are God's precious child - forever. Nothing can take that away from you. He will always go before you, protect you, and He's always got your back.
Jesus tells us in Jn. 16:33 (after much teaching on some pretty deep stuff)...
"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!"
The battle is already won, including every challenge you face on any given day. It has already been won in Christ. Stick with Him, He'll get you through it. And with long life, (eternal life) He will satisfy you and reward you for your faithfulness to trust Him, even when the going got tough.
love and blessings,
shana
[p.s. coming soon: dedicated site for http://stablewords.com! See you over there soon!]
[p.s.s.: if you want more worship like this, go to http://shanashack.com, pick up a great new ipod, then head on over to itunes.com to download this great Israel Houghton & New Breed CD, A Deeper Level!]
Thursday, April 30, 2009
The Scenic Route
Do you ever wonder if you missed God? At one point you had life mapped out, a vision burning in your heart, clear as day.... Then, real life set in, that clear day became cloudy, busy, hustle, go, go, go.... All the while trying to hold on to that vision, that passion, 'don't let it go!' you whisper to yourself. But, after a while it becomes more and more faint, more distant, feeling as though it will never again reappear. Similar to the seed sown among the thorns as told in Luke 8:14, choked out by the cares, riches and pleasures of this world. Often the dreams and visions God gives us must compete with the countless cares of our world... which can have tremendous power at times. Consider Mel Gibson. What a wonderful gift he gave with the movie, The Passion. Yet, great challenges through that time and following. And now, a whole life changing event with his divorce. A potentially very expensive one I might add! Life can throw some tough curve balls at us, but it ain't over til it's over.
Whatever tragedy, challenge, or detour that may come up in your life, take heart, there's hope! Scripture is chock full of promises, stories, guidance, and absolute truth of a loving, patient, and faithful God and Father who restores our hope time and again. Through our relationship with Christ, Hope is alive in us no matter what. We may get off track and go through life's boot camp for awhile. Yet, no matter where you are today, no matter the state of that dream in your heart, as we turn our hearts, passions, and focus back to Jesus, those dreams and visions begin to become clear once again. God alone is the One who breaths life into us and all that we are.
So, the big Q.: What is the substance of our dream? Is it solely for our own glory? If so, that is the pleasure we will get from it,... only what our own strength can bring. Or, is the substance of our dream for His Glory and for Loving on others, showing them His Heart? Therein lies the secret and the power. Dreaming God sized dreams brings forth God sized strength, power, and anointing beyond our own human comprehension.
The challenge: Love God, Love others, Listen to His whisper in your spirit, and dare to Dream those God given dreams and see what He will do.
love and blessings,
shana
Please join me in sponsoring a mission trip providing school supplies, shoes, clothing, medical supplies and Hope to children and families in the remote villages of the Amazon jungles of Brazil by shopping at http://shanashack.com! Your support is greatly appreciated!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Dream Big and Aim High.... you just might get there.
But then, there is the occassional breath of fresh air that passes through. That event that brings hope and warm fuzzies to countless people around the world who long for a hint of inspiration and encouragement for those hidden dreams buried deep inside themselves. A living testimony that great things do indeed still happen to regular people like you and me.
If you struggle to find the courage to take some leap of faith yourself, I hereby encourage you to try. You'll never know until you do. Now understandably, not all of us will shine in front of Simon Cowell and the American Idol crew, but you never know what God will do in His own unique way. Like the saying goes, "you can't walk on water unless you get out of the boat!"
Be blessed!,
shana ;)
Listen to Susan's interview with America's Newsroom Hosts, Bill Hemmer and Megyn Kelly on Fox News Channel.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Keepin' the Main thing the Main Thing
In these initial stages of the Stable Words blog, I have found myself challenged as to what to write and what to post. Should I try my best to be 'socially acceptable' or 'politically correct?' Or, is that even a possibility when delving into the things of God? In truth, it could be my own aversion to confrontation, harsh words, and the possibility of ruffling some feathers that holds me back from truly sharing what God has stirred up inside of me.
A good study of the heart of God and Jesus Christ and that mysterious Holy Spirit and one may quickly understand that the more we know of the Word, the less we really understand of the big picture of life, God, and this incredibly complex creation. For instance, Christians easily refer to the Holy Spirit in reference to the 'Trinity' yet get a bit glassy eyed and/or defensive when feeling the need or pressure to humanize, justify, or explain this part of God. How can any of us, truly, explain the 'Spirit' of the God of the Universe? Any human being that has ever existed, in the height of their intelligence could never fully or adequately explain in human terms the fullness and activity of the Holy Spirit. And, for those who assure they can... that is pride my friend, nothing but pride in one's own presumed ability. But, it is that Holy Spirit that brings alive the life of Christ in those who long for it, wisdom in those who whole-heartedly desire it. Yet even that desire can take us to the ends of ourselves. Requiring us to put aside our safe 'religious' thinking in order to actually experience in a fresh, new and powerful way, God's presence in our lives by the Holy Spirit. If we press in to God enough, He's going to blow the top off the box we have Him in. He's God, he's not the neighbor next door.
The presence of God through the Holy Spirit is not something that can be explained, it must be experienced. And, it is still in keeping the Main thing the Main thing. What is the Main thing?.... Simple, Jesus. It is my belief, from studying the Bible, that Jesus Christ is the One True Son of the Living God who came to save mankind; Immanuel, God with us, God in the Flesh. Fully God, fully man... and a complete mystery to the human brain, but the sweetest honey to the depth of our soul. I believe Jesus took our sins upon himself at the Cross so we could be forgiven, making available to us, the option of believing in Him as our Lord and Saviour, securing our place in Heaven when our time is finished, and knowing we are never alone in this broken world we live in. That is my belief, that there is Oneway to eternal life, through the Main thing... Jesus Christ.
I do understand that many do not share this belief, and that is ok. If everyone in the world already believed in Jesus in a correct way, that means the world would have already gone through the end times. For now, we live in a pretty messed up place. This world is a very broken, yet passionate place. So many people with so many passionate belief systems. And the Word says, 'there is a way that seems right to man, but the end thereof is death.' Yikes, if I did not know Jesus, I'd be pretty darn scared. I do not believe there is any other way to eternal life in Heaven because a 'human' wants there to be. Our choice to believe what we do does not change the Ultimate Truth of God and who He is and how He has chosen to work out His plans and purposes. Yet I wholeheartedly believe in His Sovereignty and unconditional love for mankind. God already knows all our struggles, deceptions, confusion, internal and external battles, etc. And, He cares about each and everyone of them. His Word tells us that His Grace is sufficient and His love is greater than anything we could ever imagine. God is big enough to handle all the struggles we face, and cares about His kids who get so distraught and confused over technicalities, bickering as the Pharisees did over the law, and a barrage of mixed messages.... sadly even in the 'christian' camp. The most important thing to do in my own personal opinion is, 'Keep the Main thing the Main thing.' The Holy Spirit is all about working its fruit out in our lives, (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) it's up to us to let it happen, and there's great power in that. God will work out all the other details. Learning to love others without judgement is the hard part for us humans.
love and blessings in Christ,
shana
Friday, March 13, 2009
Don't Stop Believing! by Joyce Meyer
Joyce Meyer has been a huge blessing and mentor to millions of people searching for hope and purpose in this crazy world we live in. She has a candid, effective, powerfully anointed, and often humorous way of broaching some tough topics in a way that sinks in and reaches many who may never darken the doors of the local church. Read one of her articles here...
Have you been praying about a situation in your life and found yourself waiting for a breakthrough? Are you wondering why the answer hasn’t come yet? Do you feel as though victory is passing you by? Sometimes when we pray long and hard about a situation in our life without receiving any answers, we just learn to live with it. We go on about our business, wondering if or when God will send the answer. But God does hear those prayers, and He’s working out the answers even though we may not know all the details. Our situation can change suddenly—quickly without warning!.... continue reading here.
May you be richly blessed,
shana
"Dream Big & Aim High.... you just might get there."
