Book Giveaway!

In honor of Veteran's Day Weekend, I am honored to be participating in a Blog Tour sponsored by Jocelyn Green of Faith Deployed.  I have been so blessed to have had my paths cross with Jocelyn's.  She has such a heart for the Lord and for the spouses and families of the military.  She is a coauthor of Battlefields and Blessings, Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq and Afghanistan.  This is the fourth book in the Battlefields and Blessings series.  You can check out their website here for more information on the first three books.  I am giving away one copy of the fourth book. Because of my respect and admiration of Jocelyn, I agreed to participate in this blog tour.  When I received my two copies of Battlefields and Blessings (one to keep and one to give away), I had no idea how much I would be impacted by this book, or how hard it would be for me to put down.

First, let me say that I am a very visual person and the book is very visually appealing.  It is a think book, but lightweight and has the feel of a personal, much loved journal with it's torn edges.  I was instantly drawn to open the book and read because of it's visual appeal.  But once I opened the book and started reading, I really think I could have stayed up all night and finished the book in one day.  It is written in the format of a entry for every day of the year (the first entry is for 1 January), but it is very, very difficult to stop reading after just one entry.  The entries are written by not just those serving in uniform, but by civilians, politicians and their families, too.  Many will think that this book is for the military, and it is, but it is also for every single American.  We were all affected by 9/11.  Unlike Pearl Harbor, the attacks of this day were not isolated in location or in who they targeted.  These attacks were scattered and there is not one sector of society that was not affected.  And not to mention the wars that followed these attacks are still ongoing.

I could go on and on about this book, but I don't want to lose any readers!  So to briefly summarize, this book is for EVERYONE.  What I liked most about this book is that you could read it like a book or you could read just an entry a day.  I enjoyed the simply stated prayers at the end of each entry that said so much in so little words and I also enjoyed the scripture tied into each entry.  I was inspired by the leadership shown by those featured in this book.  And I was convicted of how truly weak my faith can be so much of the time!  I was in awe of the military wives who showed so much strength in their support of their husbands ... through prayer, managing of households while their husbands were deployed, or the care of their wounded husbands when they returned home.  I was also moved by the transparency of the men in this book who shared their personal testimony during some very difficult times.

This book made me smile.
This book made me cry.
This book made me think.
This book made me remember.
This book made me rejoice.

This book helps, enlightens, encourages, relates and it leads the reader to God.

If you'd like to enter to win a copy of this book, post a comment on this entry or on my FB page!  I'm not going high tech with this, but I will write your name on a piece of paper, put it in a bowl and have one of my girls draw out the winner.  I will do the drawing on the 19th and mail the book out on the 22nd so you can receive it in time for Thanksgiving!

And if you don't win, I highly recommend you picking up a copy at your local bookstore or online.  There is something for everyone in this book!

Thank you Jocelyn!
And thank you to all the Veterans and their families for the daily sacrifices you so selflessly make!
To God be the Glory.