A pastor once said that ministry and church life would be great if it wasn’t for the people. Others have said the same thing about church leaders. Because we are people who are stuck together for the rest of eternity, we might as well get used to it and learn how to properly relate to each other here and now!
Today I’m trying something new and having a book giveaway! Read on to find out all the details of how you can win a copy of my latest book, Help, I’m Stuck With These People For the Rest of Eternity!
Are you like most of us who are looking for:
- Long-lasting friendships?
- Offense-free relationships?
- More positive and enriching church experiences?
- Confidence in our worth and identity in Christ?
- Better communication with others?
- Church leaders who know how to lead well?
Help, I’m Stuck With These People For the Rest of Eternity! is the book I wish I had read before Tom and I went into ministry 35 years ago. Instead, I had to live it to learn it and then write about it. Birthed out of the mistakes made and lessons learned, this book provides practical, scriptural guidance along with real life stories to help you build healthier relationships.
User-friendly and easy to read, Help, I’m Stuck With These People For the Rest of Eternity! will enable you to live peaceably with those nice and not-so-nice folks in your life. You’ll find biblical help to identify, process, and resolve relationship issues. Each chapter concludes with application questions to assist folks toward relational maturity. Designed for personal growth, this book is also excellent for Bible study groups, leadership development, ministry training, and home groups.
Help, I’m Stuck With These People For the Rest of Eternity! offers:
- Real-life stories to help you build healthier relationships with others
- Practical, scriptural advice for healing past wounds and injustices
- Tips for improving communication skills
- Proven techniques for making church a “safe place”
- Strategies for living peaceably with difficult people
- Biblical insight to help identify, process, and resolve relationship issues
- Leadership definitions including “Attila the Hun” and “Christ the Shepherd” styles of authority
- Practical suggestions for encouraging others during tough times
- Charts and exercises to promote personal growth
- Application questions at the end of each chapter
To purchase this book, click here!
And Now for the Book Giveaway!!!!
Because I am so excited to share this book with you, I’m giving away two copies. Anyone can take part in this contest—even if you live outside the U.S. This contest is open until midnight, Sunday, September 19th at which time I’ll randomly choose the two winners from the highest scoring contestants and announce them on Monday, September 20th on my Holy in the Daily blog.
Here’s how to enter: Leave a comment at the end of this post telling me which Holy in the Daily blog post was helpful to you (choose only one). Please be sure your name is connected to a valid email address or else be sure to check back on this blog on Monday, September 20th in case you win!
Earn extra bonus points and more chances to win by doing the following (each one counts as ONE entry):
1. Sign up to receive the Holy in the Daily posts by either RSS feed or email if you haven’t already (see the subscription section in the top right sidebar.) If you already have subscribed, that counts!
2. “Like” my Author Susan Gaddis Facebook page (click here). (Among other things, each morning you’ll receive a Holy in the Daily tip of the day.) If you are already a “like” person on my author page or don’t live on Facebook, proceed to #3.
3. Invite your friends to join the contest by clicking one of the Share and Enjoy icons below this post to share it with a comment via email, Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon, or Linkedin.
For bonus entries, PLEASE come back and leave an additional comment at the end of this post telling me what you did. (I know it is a pain to re-comment, but participating this way will make it easier for me to tally up each person’s score and selecting two winners. Thanks!)
Don’t forget–the winners will be announced on Monday, September 20th. Thanks for participating! This Giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who responded!
In Him together, Susan Gaddis
This Post Has 24 Comments
I tweeted this :-).
I so enjoyed the Accuser in Your head one and so did many of my friends…I always share your wisdoms!
I miss you. Give Tom a hug for me! and have him hug you for me too!
Hugs coming your way too, Francie!
The post on poop and people caused me reflect on the end of my grandmother’s life, 8 years ago. Gma was always a strong, do-it-herself type of lady, the result of growing up on a farm with a pastor for a dad. She was strong until the last few months, when cancer took her weight, her strength and finally, her ability to care for herself. With a 4 month old in tow, I moved temporarily back home to help my mom care for Gma. We fed her and cleaned her and changed her diaper, as she quietly held still with her eyes shut, humiliated that she could not clean up her own messes. For us, however, it was a small glimpse at the love of Christ. Gma would muster her energy when family came from out of town and share Jesus with them, and then fall back into a semi-coma state. On one occasion, she hadn’t opened her eyes or spoke in a few days. My brother was in the room talking about his doubts about God. With a sudden burst, Gma poked my brother rather forcefully in his stomach and quoted scripture at him. That was the last she spoke. We cared for her for weeks, and in the end, we held her hand as she breathed her last. As she went, a beautiful, pink glow sat at the head of her bed. Had I not been willing to clean up the poop, I would have missed the Lord at work through a dying woman, and my Gma’s angellic escort home. If all it takes to glimpse the Lord is cleaning up poop or washing some feet, let me at ’em!
Wow! 3 kids are busy, hubby is resting, and I have been on the computer, uninterrupted for an hour!! So…I liked, shared, commented and added your blog to my email 🙂
What a wonderful story about your grandmother, Julie. Gma obviously deposited her faith in Christ within you. I laughed as I read about your brother. Gma had a lot of spunk mixed in with her faith, didn’t she! The pink glow as she passed reminded me of my mother’s passing, but that’s another story. Thank you for sharing such a sweet story and for participating in the giveaway. Blessings on you!
I liked “Dancing in the Midst of Difficulty” the best, although it is hard to choose. I never realized until that day that the dancing was wild and violently joyful. It’s hard to imagine God being inspired to such passion by me. Also loved the one about Poop, People & Relationships. Good reminder that I make messes too that God is still cleaning up, and to be patient with others’ messes. It made me think about how needful it is to pray for our pastors and ministry leaders- they are dealing with those messes all the time as they shepherd people.
Susan, I already subscribe to your blog, and clicked “like” on your author page, but cannot share your blog on Facebook. Every time I click on it, it opens up a white page and the script at the bottom of the page says “transferring error.com to facebook” but nothing changes, the page stays blank. I tried….
Hi Lora, Thanks for the heads up on the link. I’ll have my blog guy take a look at the Facebook icon to see what is wrong with it. The others seem to be working fine. You may have to just copy the URL address at the top of this page and then go to Facebook and attach it as a link directly into a Facebook comment on your wall. In the mean time, we’re working on it and I am so sorry for the confusion! Blessings to you and thanks for participating!
Susan, the post that inspired me was July 14th’s post. “How to Help Someone Through The Process of Grief and Loss. We have been studying it in our small group at church. The book we are studying is “Crisis and Trauma Counseling by Dr. H. Norman Wright. Our pastors know this author.
But almost all of your posts have spoken to me one way or another. Thank you.
I’ve read your instructions several times now and even though I’ll adhere to your request for ONE favorite, it’s not without frustration at having to choose!!!! So, my choice is: “Do You Have Time to Listen to the Heartbeat of Jesus?” I get so much out of your posts, particularly the ones having to do with spiritual disciplines. I also appreciate the books that you have read and that you suggest as good reading. As for my choice…it’s all about solitude, silence and prayer…and I LOVE your reminding me of this. Ann Morrow Lindberg’s quote melts my heart…thank you, Susan.
Susan,
I look forward to your tips…joined the Like on fb…
My favorite was the June 18th post of the poem “If”. Such a great reminder! I already subscribe to your blog, and I “like” you on Facebook. Now I’m off to tweet and add you to my blogroll on my blog!!
http://daniellaindie.wordpress.com/websites-i-love/
Check you out! =)
I might have to go with the “If” post that Dani mentioned ;-).
Also, I just pasted you onto facebook ;-).
Mary, would that have anything to do with the cute little boy pictured in that post? 😀
Okay… I own the book (and have read it several times already)… but just can’t resist a “give away”. Not only that… but I know like 50 people that need this book… and it would be good to have one sent to them;-)
So… I did really like the “Mission” topic… and the recent “Accuser in my head” blog. Good stuff… really good stuff.:-)
Did I win?:-)
-jer
I LOVED “Dancing in the Midst of Difficulty”!!!! I have enjoyed so many of your posts! “The Accuser in my head” has been very useful. You do a great job at getting to the point and giving useful tools or weapons for the battles.
Hello Susan,
I would love a chance to win your book. I have stepped out of my usual comfort zone of introversion to do so.
I read your posts ‘religiously’. They add much to my life. I share them with clients and friends. Oftentimes, I do not let you know how deeply I am affected by them, or I just give you a general ‘thank you’ for all you do.
As I begin to write this the tears are welling up. The post that has been the most valuable to me it “Living with the accuser in your head”.
The day I read it, I was in my office. I was under heavy condemnation at the time as I read the post rather hastily. The accuser was telling me what a ‘loser’ I am, that I don’t know what I am doing, I am no good at business (that portion of my work), and that I should just give up my office the next time my lease was up for renewal.
I scanned through your post and immediately felt the lifting of my spirit. I felt the Lord at work in that wonderful way in which He works without effort on His part, or much thought on mine. The lifting started, I felt the lies and condemnation dissolving in a way that I had not experienced before. I shifted gears and realized the truth that he (the accuser) had wanted to keep secret from me- that I am my ‘father’s’ daughter, and he was an incredible business man; (and I am also my “Father’s’ daughter.) I was effortlessly guided to the truth of my worth and value, and the gifting the Lord has imparted to me. I left my office in the greatest of moods, feeling light and renewed. I rebuked the enemy and have not been tempted by those ‘loser’ thoughts since. It seemed that I had gently, yet most effectively broken those chains.
I cannot thank you for that post, for prompting and supporting me in challenging the accuser in my head.
in His peace-
maureen
cannot thank you ENOUGH that is :-))
I like so many of your articles but my favourite is todays one on offensive because that is what I am dealing with today. I have a friend who has said hurtful things and caused me offense but it has shown me how much Christ has changed me. The old me would have had a pity party and tried to hurt my friend as much as she has hurt me. Now I am able to tell my friend nicely how much she has hurt me and why what she said was wrong and she is the loser not me as my friendship is a privilege not a right. You are right there is so much offense amongst christians and it really causes damage. I suggest to 6 facebook friends to join your blog as I know it will be a blessing on in their lives. I am already a fan of facebook and receive your blog via email.
Thank you all so much for participating with your comments and recommendations. It is going to be really hard to find a winner and I may have to send out more than 2 books if there is a tie between more than two of you–but that decision will have to wait until early Monday morning. I am amazed and so very humbled that my short articles have ministered to so many. Thank you for reading them and for allowing God to stretch me in new ways of ministry. I learn so much writing these posts as they come out of the trenches of my life. Blessings to you all.
I loved “Hijacking Worship” (although I may be a little biased as I lead worship in my local congregation!)
Our worship facilitator loves that same post, Simon. You guys must all think alike!