Blog Carnival

July 29, 2008 | books, giveaway

Sound like fun? Get 500+ bloggers together and give away a ton of stuff. Sounds like a blast to me! A blog carnival is just that. It’s people from all over the nation giving away freebies to people like you.

I’m honored to be a part. I’m giving away an autographed copy of The Mom I Want to Be: Rising Above Your Past to Give Your Kids a Great Future!

This book is for women who experienced a painful past and want to not only find healing, but to unpack harmful parenting baggage to give their kids a greater legacy. This is what others are saying about it:

“Suzie Eller shares out of her own experience. She has lived the words in this book. She understands the struggles of which she speaks. She’s the real thing—genuine, authentic, and honest. But Suzie is not only compassionate, she’s wise. As she has journeyed to become the mother she longed to have, she has learned some valuable principles in the process. What she shares within these pages are the fruits born out of her personal experience.” —Jill Savage, mother of five; founder and Executive Director of Hearts at Home

“I wish I’d had The Mom I Want to Be during the years I was trying to be a mom! Suzie Eller’s transparency and wisdom is nothing short of amazing. The Holy Spirit is clearly alive in the relationships of hope and healing threaded thoughout the pages. It was hard to put down—a must read for moms of any age.” —Allison Bottke, speaker and author of the God Allows U–Turns series and God Answers Prayers series

To win, leave a comment below. Contest ends on Friday at midnight. I’ll announce the winner on Saturday - please leave an e-mail or way to get in touch with you!

If you want to check out all the amazing giveaways at the blog carnival, go to Don’t Try This at Home blog.

Your Comments

ministry life, your comments

I am blogging quarterly for Christianity Today’s Gifted for Leadership. This was a comment I received from a reader in response to my post, Service Beyond the Pew.

Dear T Suzanne,

I find it surprising that you say that your community work is not faith based! Are you kidding? It is SO faith based and I think an encouraging example of true faith based ministry that is a model to others. I think you are meaning that your work was not birthed through the regular route of church culture. Reminds me of someone else 2000 years ago. I would so like people to wake up to the difference between christian culture and true christianity. Please forgive my bluntness. I would like to simply encourage you. Thank you from those young people & me. Anthea (more…)

Passion: Saying no so we can say yes

July 28, 2008 | ministry life, writing

When the doctor told me I had cancer, my life came to a screeching halt. Maybe that’s a time that you would respond with spiritual insight or wisdom. Not me.

“I don’t have time for cancer,” I said. (more…)

Why should I go to church?

July 27, 2008 | community

Twenty-five years ago I walked through the doors of a new church and I puked on their green carpet.

(more…)

Exciting news

July 26, 2008 | books, writing

When my agent signed me as her client, it was because she liked my fiction writing. I had shared a manuscript with her I had written for young teens called Sticks and Stones and Skinny Bones.

That was 8 years ago, 600 nonfiction articles and five nonfiction books later.

Though nonfiction fits my love of ministry, fiction remains my dream. I write articles. I chew through deadlines for my nonfiction books. But in my off time I spin stories. Nonfiction is work. But time slips by when I write fiction. I get lost in the story, the characters, the research, the path that it takes me.

In the past few years I’ve written four fiction books, and they nest securely on my flash drive.

But maybe, just maybe, they’ll soon become reality. (more…)

I want more

July 24, 2008 | faith

Lately I’ve missed God. I do that from time. I know that it’s possible to go through life religious, or be active in a church, or even speak and write about God and that be considered a faith walk.

But I want more than that.

I can’t settle for that.

I want to talk to Him, to feel Him, to draw upon His strength, and experience my relationship with the Creator of the Universe.

Some call that emotionalism.

I disagree. I want that in every relationship that I care about - not a distant faraway I-feel-nothing-but-we-are-still-together kind of love.

So today I am honest with you, God. I miss you. I know you haven’t gone anywhere, but I turn and actively seek you for you are never far away. I thank you that I am yours, and that you are mine. I will pick up your Word. I will shut down the hype that pulls at my life–even if it seems like it’s all about you–and I will listen. For You. To You. With You.

The Gift of Thank You

July 23, 2008 | T. Suzanne Eller

God has given us the gift of 86,400 seconds today. How many of those have we used to say “Thank you”? –Unknown

Needles in the face

July 22, 2008 | T. Suzanne Eller

How do they do it? How do women allow (pay for) dermatologists to put needles in their face to have seamless expressions and make wrinkles disappear?

Yesterday I went to the dermatologist because I found three small spots on my face. Two on the side of my nose, and one right on top of my lip. I thought they would go away, but they didn’t, so off to the doctor I went.

“You’re right, Suzie. I think these are suspicious,” he said.

Then he brought out a needle. (more…)

Thank you, Rachel

July 19, 2008 | community, stories

A comment from a new friend:

I was at the Women’s Conference yesterday. I was especially impressed with your session. You are an amazing woman. You prove that we as humans have an inner strength (guided by God) that we don’t even know we have. Ever since I was 16, I’ve always wanted to start a restaurant. I have many interests, in many different areas, but starting a business has always been what I truely wanted to do. Fear of the uncertain is what has stopped me every time I’ve started to write a business plan or something. After your session, I knew I had to start pursuing my dream. I want to thank you for helping me to see this. I love making people happy and what a better way than through their stomachs. Another dream of mine is give back to organizations that have given so much to me. I plan to donate funds to Help-In-Crisis from my business profits and food to the Food Pantry.

Thank you,

Rachel B.

A teen’s faith walk

July 18, 2008 | T. Suzanne Eller, faith, family

One vehicle for my passion is ministry to teens and parents of teens. This is a recent post that I shared with Hearts at Home readers (an Intl. ministry to moms).

Your Teen’s Faith Walk

I love how little children view God.

Shelby, age 7, says, “God gets sad if you tell a lie, or if you hurt someone, or if you sneeze on someone on purpose.”

Sara, age 6, says “God is in love with your heart. He made people with hearts and he also made trees. But people are harder to make than trees.”

It’s a simple view of faith, and I wish it remained that way. But having worked with teens, I see many youth arrive at the teen years with mixed messages, confused precepts, and often a hunger to know God in more than a hanging-out-in-a-pew kind of way.

What are teens saying about God?

Amanda, age 18, says, “I am constantly being stretched to love God more passionately, to pursue Him more wholeheartedly, and to minister to those around me.”

Gemma, age 13, says, “My parents could impact my faith if they would believe it themselves.”

Janelle, age 15 says, “I need to figure out some things on my own, including where I stand with God and making God my own instead of my parents’ God.” (more…)