Reflections of Christ Slideshow

I found this lovely video on the Deseret Book website and wanted to share with those who haven't yet seen it.

This beautiful slideshow is a presentation of Mark Mabry's photographs, Reflections of Christ. Music is from the Reflections of Christ CD. These images were part of an exhibit that was on display at the Arizona Temple Visitors Center, and also at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Temple Square.

CONTEST - TWO BOOKS PLUS CD!

This week’s give-away interested me so much I went online to Amazon.com and ordered a copy of We Lived in Heaven for myself. I’m purchasing Songs of the Morning Stars next, and can’t wait to absorb both. If you enjoy learning about near-death experiences, then these pre-birth experiences will leave you satisfied, spiritually invigorated, and in awe of God's plan.

These intriguing books are by Sarah Hinze, B.S.- Author, Speaker, Educator, Therapist – and a participant in the forthcoming Famous Family Nights . Not only is Sarah giving away a copy of each of her two books, but she is also adding a CD recording of a show she did on public radio. What a fabulous prize!

Sarah Hinze has been married thirty-five years, has nine children, ten foster children, and ten grandchildren. She has been featured in news articles and on radio and television shows in the United States, Canada and Japan since 1993 for her research into pre-birth experiences. Sarah also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Education, with a History minor; is an English Literature major; and a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist (C.Ht.) from the National Guild of Hypnotists, Inc.

We Lived in Heaven contains spiritual accounts of souls coming to earth. Richard P. Evans, author of Timepiece & The Christmas Box, says it is "A ground-breaking book concerning an extraordinary subject."

Paul Perry, author of Transformed by the Light, says, "The message contained in these case studies is intriguing, as is the poetry of what they have to say. . . ."

Songs of the Morning Stars is equally outstanding, and promises to:

• Comfort those who have lost children to miscarriage or stillbirth
• Heal the hearts of those affected by abortion or suicide
• Provide guidance to those dealing with adoption
• Increase gratitude for children and family bonds
• Magnify insight into life's purposes and opportunities
• Expand appreciation for the sanctity of life

From Sarah Hinze’s website at www.sarahhinze.com we read the following:

It was her own prebirth experience and her interest in what may have happened to the child she miscarried that prompted Sarah Hinze to embark on what has become a pioneering journey and an in-depth study of the human soul.

Now, nearly two decades later, Sarah brings to light a unique, full-spectrum picture of human existence. Her scholarly research, teaching, and counseling have helped hundreds, perhaps thousands, expand their understanding of the spiritual origin of man.

What she teaches is not a new concept. In fact, in her lectures and her writings she quotes ancient texts from many cultures -- hundreds of sources with comments concerning man's true nature and origin as a child of God.

Against this historical foundation, Sarah presents the anecdotal evidence she has gathered from hundreds of interviews and from extensive reading. This combination of the wisdom of the ages with the experiences of individuals today, speaks to the very soul of workshop participants, stirring within them a remembrance of who they are. Participants experience an almost uncanny, intimately personal awakening concerning where they came from, why they are on earth, and where they are going.

Audiences are literally transformed and hearts changed as stories and evidence reveal a new paradigm of the sanctity of each human life. Her message is healing and uplifting, bringing peace and imparting hope.

Sarah's own healing experience prompted her and her husband, Brent Hinze, Ph.D., to embark on their search nearly twenty years ago. For two decades, she interviewed individuals and chronicled what she calls "prebirth experiences," or communication from children before they are born. Her work has provided solid evidence that unborn children can warn, protect, and enlighten us from another plane of existence. Most often, they appear to announce it is their time to be born.

Her extensive work, groundbreaking publications, and ability to present knowledge in a touching and inspiring format have helped hundreds in countless ways.

To enter this contest, please follow the simple rules outlined below:

1) Add a link to this blog post on your blog, with a note about the contest.

2) Post a comment on here so I can visit your blog and see your entry.

That's it! This week's contest will end Tuesday, March 3^rd and there will be a reminder at the top of my blog each day. The winner will be drawn at random from the comments. The prize comes direct from Sarah Hinze.

CONTEST Result - Josi Kilpack's Lemon Tart

The winner of award-winning author Josi Kilpack’s latest book, Lemon Tart, is Rebekah over on Primary Mama.

Congratulations, Rebekah! Please send me your mailing address so I can forward it to Josi. You can find my email address on my website by clicking on www.annebradshaw.com.

Thanks so much, Josi, for writing and donating this excellent book.

Thanks to everyone who took part in this contest. Please return soon as there will be ongoing weekly prizes.

I’ll be posting this week’s give-away later this morning.

Read Before You Read!

I've invited a guest blogger to post an item today. Her name is Deanne Blackhurst and she has developed an excellent new resource for all readers of clean, quality books - a way to sample before you buy.

Great to have you on here, Deanne. Look forward to a return visit before the end of 2009. Over to you . . .

I was nine years old the day I discovered the worn, faded green book in the elementary school library. It was thick full of dog eared pages with no illustrations. Not even the pencil drawing that authors sometimes add to break up the monotony of the printed word. To this day I don’t know why I checked it out. The vocabulary was challenging, especially the cockney English dialogue. But it turned out to be the most magical book I’d ever read.

It was called, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The point of my reverie into the past is to point out the foolishness of judging a book by its cover. Yet, every time we walk into an LDS bookstore, that’s exactly what we are expected to do. How many times have you bought a book with a great cover design, only to be bored before reaching the end of the first chapter?

Or have you ever passed up a book that didn’t look like it would appeal to you, only to learn later it was the hottest story since Gone with the Wind?

I know within the first ten or twenty pages whether a book is something I’m going to want to read, or something I’d prefer to pass on. The problem is I usually have to buy the book before I can read those pages and I’m just not willing to take the chance of wasting my money. It was this thought that inspired my new website, LDSBookcorner.com.

LDSBookcorner.com is a site dedicated to promoting and selling work by LDS authors. It’s a place you can drop in day or night and browse hundreds of titles by both the well known LDS writers, and those that are new or lesser know. Many of those books include excerpts of the first few pages right on line.

Perhaps the most exciting feature is the Daily Chapter. Visitors to the site can sign up to receive free emails that contain the first twenty pages of a book or novel. A different book is spotlighted each week and divided into five daily emails. This gives you a chance to see if you like the book without investing any cash.

Daily Chapter books include some of today’s top writers like H.B. Moore, J. Scott Savage and Jennie Hansen, as well as many other talented and award winning authors.

Some of the best writing ever seen both in and out of the LDS market is being produced by LDS authors today. And yet if you’re like me, you’ve don’t have a clue what a rich and diversified body of work is out there. LDS writers are producing national selling fantasy, spine tingling adventure, suspense laden mysteries as well as some of the most delightful romance and historical fiction on the market today.

Find out what you’re missing. Go to LDSBookcorner and sign up for the Daily Chapter today. All email addresses are kept strictly confidential and you can unsubscribe by the click of a link any time you choose.

If you have any questions, comments or authors that I can add to the site, feel free to drop me a line at ldsbookcorner@gmail.com.

Happy Reading!

Updated Gossip Message

Remember those thought-provoking Mormonads inside the New Era magazine? Well, here's a modern version. Worth thinking about - as always.

CONTEST - for signed copy of Lemon Tart by Josi S. Kilpack

Now for this week’s fun contest from another participant in the forthcoming book, Famous Family Nights.

Award-winning author Josi S. Kilpack will send the winner a signed copy of her best-selling new culinary mystery, Lemon Tart.

Josi Kilpack’s first LDS novel was published in 2001 and has since been followed by six additional LDS titles. Her seventh novel, Sheep’s Clothing, won The Whitney Award for Mystery and Suspense in 2007. Lemon Tart is the first book in Josi’s new Sadie Hoffmiller culinary mystery series. A second book will follow in the fall. In addition to her writing, Josi enjoys reading, baking, traveling, and snuggling with her sweetheart, Lee. They now live in Willard, Utah with their four kids, a dog, and a varying number of chickens.

From the back cover of Lemon Tart:

A Recipe For Murder
5 families living on Peregrine Circle
1 flowered curtain tieback
1 missing child
1 body in the field

Mix with a long list of suspects and top with two very different detectives. Increase heat until only the truth remains.

Cooking afectionado-turned-amateur detective, Sadie Hoffmiller, tries to solve the murder of Anne Lemmon, her beautiful young neighbor-a single mother who was mysteriously killed while a lemon tart was baking in her oven. At the heart of Sadie’s search is Anne’s missing two-year-old son, Trevor. Whoever took the child must be the murderer, but Sadie is certain that the police are looking at all the wrong suspects-including her!

Armed with a handful of her very best culinary masterpieces, Sadie is determined to bake her way to proving her innocence, rescuing Trevor, and finding out exactly who had a motive for murder.

For an added treat, original mouth- watering recipes for Sadie's Lemon Tart, Homemade Alfredo Sauce, Carrot Cookies, Brownies, and Granny's Gingerbread Bundt Cake are sprinkled throughout the book.

I recently read this novel and highly recommend it as a fast-paced and intriguing mystery. The characters pull the reader in and grip until the final page is turned. Visit Josi at www.josiskilpack.com.

To win a signed copy of Josi Kilpack’s Lemon Tart, please follow the simple rules outlined below:

1) Add a link to this blog post on your blog, with a note about the contest.

2) Post a comment on here so I can visit your blog and see your entry.

That's it! Each contest runs for a week. Today's will end Wednesday, February 25th and there will be a reminder at the top of my blog each day. The winner will be drawn at random from the comments. The prize comes direct from Josi Kilpack.

CONTEST Result - Dr. Wally Goddard's Book

The winner of Dr. Wally Goddard’s book, Soft Spoken Parenting, is Lyssa over on Stuff Lyssa Makes.

Congratulations, Lyssa! Please send me your mailing address so I can forward it to Dr. Goddard. You can find my email address on my website by clicking on www.annebradshaw.com.

Thanks so much, Dr. Wally Goddard, for writing and donating this excellent book.

Thanks to everyone who took part in this contest. Please return soon as there will be ongoing weekly prizes.

I’ll be posting this week’s give-away in a moment.

Broken Glass Tip

I've used this tip with good results. When cleaning up broken glass, it can be difficult to pick up those small shards that can't be seen. After carefully removing all visible glass pieces, wet a cotton ball or Q-tip and dab the area until all slivers are captured.

Mothering Sunday - May 2009

I thought some of you might like the following information to pass on to ward bishoprics. Our ward gave out these excellent CDs for last year's Mothering Sunday. A real treasure, which lasts longer than flowers.

Pianist, Lyle Hadlock, is offering any of his CD's for $2.00 each when purchased by wards for Mother's Day.

You can download the letter containing the CD offer, and hear samples of Lyle's four CD's at www.LyleHadlockMusic.com.

CONTEST Result - Sara Lyn Baril’s CD - "Thy Healing Hands—Songs of Comfort and Peace"

The winner of Sara Lyn Baril’s CD of sacred music - Thy Healing Hands—Songs of Comfort and Peace, is Ritsumei over on Baby Steps.

Congratulations, Ritsumei! Please send me your mailing address so I can forward it to Sara Lyn Baril. You can find my email address on my website by clicking www.annebradshaw.com.

Thanks so much, Sara, for donating this super prize.

Thanks to everyone who took part in this contest. Please return often, as there will be ongoing weekly prizes.

I’ll be posting this week’s give-away later this morning.

LDSWA - Interview With Daryll M. Jonnson

If anyone had mentioned LDSWA to me a couple of years ago, I’d have frowned, and asked, “LDS what?” Now I know exactly what the letters stand for, and want to shout from the mountain peaks—“LDS Women’s Alliance!”

This free, online organization at www.ldswa.com includes a superb, full-color, interactive women’s magazine; a social networking section known as “Our Ladies Room;” an events and retreats program; and a unique collection of home-based products. There is also a social networking site for Young men and Young Women called YomYow at www.yomyow.com. The whole thing is the creation of Daryll M. Jonnson, a British wife/mother/grandmother now living in Oregon, USA.
I’d like to highlight LDSWA today by interviewing Daryll, and finding out more about her ideas and her plans for the future of this exciting project. But first, let me add that Daryll worked as an international freelance model after graduating from Colorflair Studios and Lascelles School of Deportment, Grooming and Modeling, London, England. She served as President of Christie College, an international business college, where she received the Dale Carnegie Highest Achiever Award.

AB: It’s an honor to have you spend time with us all, Daryll. Thanks for dropping by. I’m sure everyone would love to know why you started LDSWA.

DARYLL: Back in 2005 I was working in the corporate world and loved what I was doing, to a degree, but didn’t feel any deep passion for it or any connection with it. I was looking for some way to make a difference in the world. I had recently returned to the Church and loved being around the women. I thought it would be wonderful if I had a business where I could work around these sorts of people all day, every day. I have a lot of family and friends overseas, and I thought there must be a way we could connect with each other more.

As older converts, we often come into the Church with a lot of baggage, or past life experience, and sometimes feel we don't fit in. I think my biggest goal was to create a place where all women, regardless of their background, age, or where they live, have a place to support each other and connect across the miles.

AB: And LDSWA was born. I feel it really does achieve all you envisioned and more. Tell me more about the social networking side.

DARYLL: Our Ladies Room has been an incredible success in the short time since it was launched. We get women from all over the world: from countries like the Congo, Zambia, Uganda, Brazil, China, and more. We even have non-members join who feel it’s exciting to be a part of what we are doing.

AB: So who writes the Latter-day Woman Magazine?

DARYLL: We want women to have their own voice in this so we don’t always use qualified writers. We want members to share their talents, whether it be poetry, or articles on something about which they are passionate, such as a craft or hobby. The magazine’s not about us. It’s about people sharing themselves with everyone else.

AB: Do you have any input at all?

DARYLL:Yes, we do. We have feature stories that uplift and share knowledge. We also include tips and ideas on fashion for women, and refer them to places where they can find fashionable yet modest clothing. This is something that’s very important to me. I believe that just because we are LDS women does not mean that we have to be frumpy. We can be LDS women in today's world and look good. It doesn’t have to be expensive clothing, but something that shows we take care of ourselves and enjoy who we are and what we represent.

AB: Who would you say your readers are?

DARYLL: We’ve had sixteen-year-olds join us, and I think our oldest member right now is eighty-nine. We have women who are totally disabled and some who are blind. I envision any female reading the magazine and joining the Ladies Room—any female with a desire to serve Heavenly Father and her sisters—and who wants to feel her own worth. If I can help someone feel that, just one person, then it will all be worthwhile. We are being read in 50 countries right now which is pretty amazing and exciting considering we have only just released our 4th edition.

AB: Having been a member for a while now, I can see how you’re achieving all your goals. There is such a warm and friendly feel to the website. Thanks so much for having the courage and determination to make it work.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?
DARYLL: It is our intention at LDSWA to provide resources and support that will benefit all women. We certainly recommend readers sign up for a free personal membership. That way they can have access to all the exciting programs we are planning at www.ldswa.com - including a contest featured in the forum. We also welcome any suggestions and ideas as to what they’d like to see on the LDSWA site and at our retreats - for we truly want this to be "A place to call your own."

AB: Speaking of contests, since you are one of the participants in the forthcoming Famous Family Nights book, I know you’re returning in a few months with a super prize for my weekly contest. Would you like to share a clue as to what you’re offering?

DARYLL: Can we keep everyone guessing?

AB: Of course. Great idea. I love anticipating a surprise. Thanks again for such an interesting chat, Daryll. Look forward to seeing you again soon.

Christmas Miracles All Year

I received the following request from Jeff Wright (brother of author, Jason Wright) and wanted to share it with blog readers because I, too, believe in miracles.

Everyone who is familiar with the magic of Christmas Jars as well as other books by Jason Wright will be interested in this fantastic opportunity.

You have the chance to contribute to a Christmas Jar while discovering a new miracle of your own.

Jason’s first book, The James Miracle, is a wonderfully heart-warming story but the book is not currently in print and has become quite difficult to find. As many are already aware, the tradition of the Christmas jar helps to make that special Christmas feeling last all year long as spare change is dropped in a jar each day.

With your help twelve generous Christmas jars, one each month, will be given away allowing the magic of anonymous giving to also last throughout the year.

At the beginning of each month, a first edition copy of The James Miracle by Jason Wright will be up for auction on eBay with the proceeds going into a monthly Christmas Jar. This is your chance to own a treasure, discover your own miracle, and share in somebody else’s. You can participate by clicking HERE.

About The James Miracle
(in Jason’s own words)
During the holidays of 2003 I determined to do something different for Christmas. There were things I wanted to tell my wife and children, and I decided to communicate through a simple story.

Over the course of eight weeks I wrote and edited The James Miracle. I finished after midnight on Christmas Eve and printed it on an old ink-jet printer, praying I'd not run out of ink... We made it!

On Christmas day, she read the book and "got it," the message I needed her to hear.

We were encouraged to send the book to a handful of publishers. We did, and the response was incredible.

Now here we are today...

It's a miracle. And thank you for sharing it with us.

Synopsis of The James Miracle
Sam and Holly Foster seemed to enjoy near-perfect lives. Each claimed a successful career and a legacy of goals set and achieved. Held above their possessions and accomplishments was their only child, James. He was the son they promised to raise together and the reason they came home each night. But when a series of events jolts the Fosters from their comfortable routines, Sam and Holly find the foundation of their family tested beyond anything they ever dreamed. Where is the veil between this life and the next? What really constitutes a miracle? These questions and more demand answers...

Jeff’s Note
The copy auctioned this last month went for a generous amount and I was able to deliver a Christmas Jar filled with the proceeds. I know we can do better and I look forward to delivering an even heavier Christmas Jar this month.

CONTEST - for Soothing and Uplifting CD

This week’s give-away comes from another talented participant in the forthcoming book, Famous Family Nights.

Featured today is musician Sara Lyn Baril, from Alberta, Canada. The prize is a copy of her debut CD of sacred music - Thy Healing Hands—Songs of Comfort and Peace, produced by Greg Hansen and distributed by Sounds of Zion.

As Neighborhood blogger, Julie Keyser says, “Listening to the title soundtrack, Thy Healing Hands, sung by the beautiful voice of one of my favorite new LDS artists, Rebecca Lopez, one is truly brought to a place of peace and healing.”

Sara Baril writes inspirational songs, choir numbers, children’s music, hymn arrangements, and country and love songs. She composed eleven songs for a stake play, entitled Finding My Way, performed under her musical direction by the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Stake. She also wrote music for a Christmas cantata, Glorious Is His Name, performed in Raymond (1999) and in Saskatoon (2004), and for the Sounds of Zion Concert Tour in Canada, 2007. She has numerous requests to speak and use her music at firesides.

Many of Sara’s songs are based upon church annual auxiliary themes and topics pertinent to recent conference addresses. This music has been sung and loved by the young women, primary and relief society within the areas she has lived and served. Sara has found her musical styles expanding over the years and enjoys writing about many gospel topics, but writing sacred music about the Savior has always been her most fulfilling endeavor.

Sara and her husband, Mark both grew up in southern Alberta, Canada. They have five young children and Sara currently serves as Relief Society pianist in her ward.

To win the CD Thy Healing Hands—Songs of Comfort and Peace, please follow the simple rules outlined below:

1) Add a link to this blog post on your blog, with a note about the contest.

2) Post a comment on here so I can visit your blog and see your entry.

That's it! Each contest runs for a week. Today's will end Wednesday, February 11th and there will be a reminder at the top of my blog each day. The winner will be drawn at random from the comments. The prize comes direct from Sara Lyn Baril.

CONTEST Result - Dr. Stan Gardner DVD to Relieve Pain

The fortunate winner of Dr. Stan Gardner's signed DVD of one of his lectures on the musculoskeletal system, entitled A Pain in the Neck (Back, Joints, and Other Places), is Wendy over at Relish.

Congratulations, Wendy! Please email me your address so I can send it to the author. Thanks so much, Dr. Gardner, for donating this generous prize.

Thanks to everyone who took part in this contest. Please return often, as there will be ongoing weekly prizes throughout the year until Famous Family Nights is in the stores.

I’ll be posting this week’s give-away soon.