Churched Book Review

Matthew Paul Turner is a blogger, speaker and author of The Coffeehouse Gospel, Provocative Faith, Beatitude: Relearning Jesus, the What You Didn’t Learn from Your Parents About… series, and several other popular books. He has written for Relevant, HomeLife, Christian Single magazines and was the former editor of CCM magazine. Matthew and his wife, Jessica, live in Nashville, Tennessee.


Matthew Paul Turner's Churched was what I expected it to be and so much more. Matthew Paul Turner's memories struck an almost painfully familiar chord, yet treated the matter with a grace I am only beginning to find for my own memories.

I too was thrust into the midst of fundamentalism in childhood, though my journey began much later, when I was 12. I recognized myself in so much of this book, along with many of the people I knew in those days. From the larger than life, brimstone breathing pastor Nolan, to the milder Mr Shenmeister, I saw the people from my teen years paraded before me.

One of my favorite parts of the book was early in the book when he is looking for God in the new church and not finding Him anywhere. When he told the Sunday School teacher and she told him she saw God in faces of the children, I almost dropped the book laughing at 4-5 year old Matthew's assesment, after scanning the room and seeing the faces of this classmates with stained lips and crumbs around thier mouths that "if God was there, He was up to no" good. Yet, this was only the tip of the iceberg. There are manifold funny and touching stories within the pages of this little book.


Matthew's journey from toddler to teen in a fundamentalist church gave me a emotional ride that left me with a warmed heart and a smile on my face. I think I will read this book again and again.

When one reads Churched he will laugh, and at some points want to cry. One may either be shocked by Matthew's memories or comforted by their familiarity, but she will not be unmoved.

I highly recommend Churched for your reading lists. For those who have been there as a balm and for those who have not, an education.
Thank you, Matthew Paul Turner for blessing us with this memoir. Thank You God that Matthew was able to hang on to You through it all.
You can purchase the book here or here .
Happy reading and remember, comments on this post and the previous post about talking about the blog tour will be numbered. At the end of October the numbering will cease and I will use a random number generator to choose one who will receive his or her very own copy of Churched. So lets see some comments folks, short and sweet, long and neat; just post something! :)

New Presidential Candidate...

Subject:
New Presidential Candidate... It's someone we know!

Hi,

There's an effort to elect an unknown random person as President... and it's someone we know! Watch this online video about the surprising new nominee:

http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=52383&altf=Nbsjb&altl=Dbsexfmm

Jot back a note to let me know what you think!

Good News and Bad News

Or maybe that is bad news, good news, good news, bad news and bad news.
I haven't posted in a while cause my mind is kind of fogged with pain the last week. Last Sunday evening I fell, and when one is weighs what I weigh, and has Fibromyalgia falling is a big thing, no pun intended. The good news is I didn't break anything and I didn't hit my head. I really should have hit my head, but the coffee table was not where it was supposed to be, so I didn't; Thank You GOD! I went to the doctor a few days after, I held out until Wed cause I already had an appointment for followup from my brochettes and sinusitis. Save the eye rolling, I've already got it from several people, and my doc was not to pleased with me either. Doc sent me for x-rays but no call back so unless things don't get better, that will be that. I have bruises all over, most serious were my right knee and left shoulder and foot. I am a little better, but doc says it will be weeks before I am healed up.
So there that is, now for the other good news, I no longer have to do all the breathing junk on a daily basis, YEA!
I don't know how to segue into the other bad news from there so I won't even try. I am sad to report the economy had claimed another victim, one very near and dear to me has had job hours cut almost in half. This represents a serious problem since ends were barely meeting before. I am sad and frustrated beyond words.
The next bad news is I have only had one comment related to my giveaway. I sure hope things turn around soon on that score!
Sorry for the lack of eloquence here folks, stay tuned.

I Am A Kept Woman

Someone sent this to me and rather than do the whole forwarding thing I decided to share it this way. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.




I Am a 'Kept' Woman.


You see, there were a few times when I thought I would lose my mind, but GOD kept me sane Isaiah 26

There were times when I thought I could go no longer, but the LORD kept me moving. Gen:28:15

At times, I've wanted to lash out at those whom I felt had done me wrong, but the LORD kept my mouth shut.Ps.13

Sometimes, I think the money just isn't enough, but GOD has helped me to keep the lights on, the water on, the car paid, the house paid, etc.., Matt 6 25-34:

When I thought I would fall, HE kept me up. When I thought I was weak, HE kept me strong! I Peter 5:7 and Matt 11:28-30
I could go on and on and on, but I'm sure you hear me! I'm blessed to be 'kept.'

Are you...or do you know a 'kept' woman?
If so pass it on to her to let her know she is 'Kept'

Giveaway! I Am SO Excited About This!

I am going to have my very first giveaway! I have been given the honor of reviewing the new Matthew Paul Turner book Churched. I will be posting my review around the middle of October and in the mean time I want you readers to think of a brief summary of what you think of the book based on the reviews you have read thus far, publicity or perhaps from reading the book yourself. Leave your comments on my blog and I will use a random number generator to choose who will receive their very own copy of Churched. The deadline for leaving your comment will be the 17th of October.
I'm so excited!

Thought I Was Done With All This!

I have asthma; which for the last 6-8 months has been well controlled. I was able to stop taking Adavir, and put away the horrible noisy, hard to remember all the doses, nebulizer. I relegated it to the top of my closet in hopes of never laying eyes on it again. Well that was a silly thing to hope for but hope I did. This morning my hopes were dashed, shattered like so much fragile china, demolished and ground under heavy feet. I have been coughing and stuffy headed for over a week truth be told over 2 weeks I posted about it so I can't squirm out from under that one, But my mucus was clear so I figured no infection, so I didn't go to MD. Well Sunday it turned; boy did it turn. I, excuse the indelicacy of my words; hocked up the ugliest gunk I have seen in a months maybe a year or more. So, I called my MD and was told to come on in. When the MD saw me and listened to my lungs, out came the prescription pad. He started talking about all the medicine he was going to give me for my lungs so I said, oh, are my sinuses OK then? The only was I can describe his tone is to say I could have just as easily asked if the world is flat. He then asked me how long this had been going on again and when I told him at least a week, he scowled. When I tried to explain my reasoning, he rolled his eyes. Well! Excuse me for trying to save my insurance some money and not take up the time of already over worked health care professionals; oh who am I kidding. I know I should have gone as soon I started coughing. I would say I will do better next time but I think I have lied enough for one day.

No More Dead Puppies, Please

You will have to look at the comments section to understand the title. No worries, no real animals were hurt or killed for the non-posting on this blog.
OK, dear one, you have my attention, though you may wish you had not accomplished thus very soon.
My mind has turned to jelly lately, heck my spirit seems to have turned to jelly these past few weeks. I don't know if anyone can identify with what I am getting at here. Of course my depressive self says" of course you couldn't possibly" but reality and the Holy Spirit, are saying " you are not alone in anything". I just feel like I have been drifting like so much flotsam. I feel disconnected and isolated, so I have disconnected and isolated myself; makes perfect sense, doesn't it?
What is wrong with me?! Why can't I push past all these things that are bugging me? I know no one is perfect, I know no group is perfect, so why can't I "get over it" to quote Sari Dolence. But then, if I am honest; which I must be becasue I demand it of others, do I want to get over it? Therein, is the rub you see. I am not sure I want to. I want someone to admit they are wrong. OK, I want someone to tell me I am right, and have been all along and now we will do it my way. Crap! Honesty is so bloomin" hard!
So I think I have spewed enough of my guts for now. The upside is God has snapped me out of it in a big way. Just pray I keep up the momentum, OK?
I'll catch up with you later, hopefully not too much later.