Saturday, June 21, 2008

Book Review - Having A Mary Heart In A Martha World

***Edited to add: I've tried about a half dozen times to fix this so all the fonts are the same. Blogger won't allow it, so here it is with about 4 different fonts. Sorry, y'all.

Diane


From the publisher:


About Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: An invitation for every woman who’s ever felt she isn’t godly enough, isn’t loving enough, isn’t doing enough.

The life of a woman today isn’t really all that different from that of Mary and Martha in the New Testament. Like Mary, you long to sit at the Lord’s feet…but the daily demands of a busy world just won’t leave you alone. Like Martha, you love Jesus and really want to serve him…yet you struggle with weariness, resentment, and feelings of inadequacy.

Then comes Jesus, into the midst of your busy life, to extend the same invitation he issued long ago to the two sisters from Bethany. Tenderly, he invites you to choose “the better part”–a joyful life of intimacy with him that flows naturally into loving service.

With her fresh approach to the familiar Bible story, Joanna Weaver shows how all of us–Marys and Marthas alike–can draw closer to our Lord: deepening our devotion, strengthening our service, and doing both with less
stress and greater joy.

About Joanna:


Joanna Weaver
was voted the Most Promising New Writer of 1997 at the Mount Herman Writer’s Conference. She has authored Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World and written for publications such as Focus on the Family, Home Life, Aspire, and The Evangel. A pastor’s wife for more than eighteen years, she and her husband have counseled many couples, both those approaching their wedding and those struggling in marriage. The Weavers live in Montana and have taught young married classes and spoken on the topic of marriage throughout the northwestern United States.

Contests:
Joanna is giving away 7 copies of Having a Mary Heart. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on Joanna's blog tour post (at the link above).
She is also giving away 7 copies of With This Ring, her latest release. To enter that contest, simply leave a comment on Joanna's blog tour post (same link) telling her which chapter of Having a Mary Heart was your favorite and why.

My thoughts about the book: After reading this book and the scriptures it's based upon, I believe that the essence of both is balance:

Balance between sitting at Jesus' feet and soaking in His Word and wisdom but not getting so comfortable that you don't want to get up and work for Him. Balance between doing His work but not getting so caught up in the work that you forget to be still and know that He is God.

All in all a lovely book and well written. I plan to give my copy away soon, but not just yet. I'm still reading and soaking in some of the truths it lays out so eloquently. Look for the giveaway in a week or so.
I think that's all for now. I'm not feeling my best right now and I have Emmy all day today. I can't really put my finger on any one thing, I'm just feeling yucky overall. I don't know if it's my sugar fluctuating or if it's something else that hasn't fully manifested itself, but I sure wish it would hurry up and fix itself. As a dear elderly church friend who's already gone on to meet her Maker used to say, I feel like Death called fer me and I couldn't go.

Lord willing and I feel up to it, I'll be back later this evening to do my Sunday Dinner post.

Y'all have a great Saturday, y'hear?

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hoping that you are soon feeling better, my dear friend! :o)

Definitely feeling more like Martha.

Sam said...

Oh, Diane, I'm so sorry to hear you're not feeling well. I really hope you feel better soon. I'll be praying for you.

And in response to the lovely comment you left on my blog, no, we certainly did not schlep a piano up to this apartment! :-) LOL!!!

And I would love to get a phone call from you anytime!!

Rest up this weekend and take care. I hope you feel better very soon!

HUGS!!!

Sammy

Linda said...

I'm so sorry you aren't feeling well Diane. If your weather is still like ours, that may have something to do with it. I feel like a limp dishrag all the time with this unbelievable heat (and we do have a.c. - but I think it's just knowing it's that hot outside that does it).
I have that book sitting on my couch in the "to read" pile. I bought it a couple of weeks ago. It sounds really good. Thanks for the review.
Try to get some rest. Perhaps Emmy will take a nice long nap today and then you can too!
Blessings dear friend (and thanks for forwarding those amazing beach sculpture pictures!)

Anonymous said...

I very nearly picked this book up the other day but got a different one instead. Sounds pretty good, I need all of the tips I can get!

Gal, I hope you get to feeling better, maybe you and Miss Emmy could take a nap, sometimes a 20 minute nap works wonders for me!

Love your new summertime banner!☼

Lib said...

Hi Diane,
Hope You're feeling better!
Enjoy your wk.end
Blessins', Lib

Hope said...

Hi Diane,
Just wanted to stop by and say "howdy" and thanks for welcoming me back. I missed you too!! :) I hope you're feeling better and hope it's nothing serious. I hate days when I just feel yucky and don't know why. You don't feel bad enough to go to bed but not well enough to accomplish anything.

I'll keep checking on you. In the meantime, I'm off to try and catch up with everybody. See you soon!

Love and Hugs,
Hope

BigDadGib said...

Even when you are feeling less than perfect, you still write a wonderful post and a wonderful book review.

Please, get to feeling better.

bigdadGIB

nancy said...

Diane,
I just prayed for you and am believing God to raise you up. I just hope you are still doing your good eating plan. I KNOW that will make a difference - even in your blood sugar. But God can do anything. He knows how we are and how we feel. He's our helper in time of need. I've put a post about the Psalms on my blog today. I recommend it, if yu feel up to giving it a look.
I'm writing you an email next about a book I got from the library. Didn't want to put it on here.
Nancy

Lesa said...

Hope you feel better soon my sweet friend! Maybe you need to rest this weekend and not cook. Let others take care of you!

This looks like a really good book. I'll have to check it out!

Mary said...

Diane,

I am sorry that you aren't feeling well. I will put you on my prayer list, my friend.

I haven't read this book yet, but it sounds most interesting. I've heard a lot about it.

Feel better soon.
Blessings,
Mary

PS. Have you heard from Karen?

Nancy said...

Great post! I'll check out Joanna's link. I would love to read her book.

Hope you get to feeling like your old self soon!

(((HUGS)))

BigDadGib said...

Even when you are feeling less than perfect, you still write a wonderful post and a wonderful book review.

Please, get to feeling better.

bigdadGIB

BigDadGib said...

Even when you are feeling less than perfect, you still write a wonderful post and a wonderful book review.

Please, get to feeling better.

bigdadGIB