Leah Stirewalt

Out of Deep Waters

A Day to Erase

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Before I forget to mention it…if you haven’t done so already, PLEASE take a moment to enter this week’s book giveaway. You can do so HERE! Leslie Nease, former Survivor China contestant, is giving one of you a copy of her latest book , Wholehearted! Contest ends tonight at 9:00 pm ET!

Some days I wish there existed an eraser large enough to simply erase a day from my collection of days. Yesterday was one such day.

Now, I’m not talking about those tragic, life-altering days. I honestly wouldn’t wish them away, because in each and every case, God’s created something beautiful out of them.

I’m talking about the days where a bunch of petty things seem to go wrong. Each little issue is minor, in and of itself, but all added together makes for a pretty yucky bunch of setbacks.

I don’t know about you, but these types of days (for me) tend to revolve around people disappointing me. Either somebody has hurt my feelings (often unbeknownest to them) or someone promised something that they didn’t come through with. It may have been a harsh word spoken or a look of disinterest. It could have been an ugly sounding person on the other end of a phone call. It might have even been a child choosing to behave in a hurtful way. Whatever the case might be…those bad days for me tend to revolve around other people.

I’ve been going through a season of “tired” as I shared previously. Therefore, I tend to wear down (emotionally) a little more easily. Words spoken to me that may have been totally harmless are often taken (by me) as bitter or hurtful. Everything tends to look a little more gloomy, in general. I guess you could say, I’ve exhibited the “Eeyore syndrome” a little more often.

Yesterday caused me to slip a little further into that pit – the one I created myself. I tend to go there when I have a “woe is me” moment. I recognized my “plight” as I wandered around the grocery store yesterday evening – the last place I wanted to spend my time on a Monday night.

I mumbled – at least in my head – about how everybody kept letting me down. I just didn’t see an end to my current predicament. I actually had a little bit of Elijah’s attitude (right after the Mt Carmel events in 1 Kings 19). And then it happened…

photo (1)Another embarrassing grocery store moment (I’ve had many…let me tell ya). I ran my cart into the Velveeta Mac ‘n Cheese display and knocked down three shelves FULL of boxes.It seemed to happen in slow motion.

I first realized the cart that created this mess was mine.

I then realized the bottom shelf was collapsing…then the next one…and the next…noooooooo!

By then, I just stood there and stared. I knew there was no stopping it.

The conviction came almost immediately. I had been complaining (even if only in my head) about everybody else all day long, but this time…it was all me! I think the Holy Spirit jumped on that teachable moment. I sighed rather loudly and then stooped down and started picking up the boxes. Seconds later, a lady beside me finished up a call on her cell phone and then dropped down to the floor to help me. Then, another lady joined our box re-stacking party.

I thanked each of these precious ladies for taking the time to help a tired, whiny girl out.

I laughed at how stupid the display looked, but I was thankful that we were able to scoop up all of the pieces out of the aisles to prevent someone from falling. And…I quietly thanked God for giving me a moment to remember that people only disappoint me when I let them. But, even strangers, can bring joy at just the right moment. 🙂

Author Interview 4 with a Giveaway

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leslie neaseHappy Monday friends! I’m back again to introduce you to another author friend of mine who is giving away a copy of her latest book right here to one of YOU! Details of how you can enter will follow at the end of the post.

I’m tickled pink to welcome Leslie Nease to the blog this week. You may recognize Leslie from various outlets, but I’ll not giveaway one of those places until you read a little further into her interview below (I think you’ll figure it out then…wink! wink!).

Leslie is married with four children. She’s a speaker and writer with a passion for Jesus Christ. Additionally, she’s a co-host of a popular Christian radio morning show. Leslie also taught fitness for over eighteen years and has even written a book on physical, emotional, spiritual and mental fitness called Body Builders (available on Amazon). As Mrs. North Carolina 2001, she traveled the state to encourage youth to get fit in order to prevent childhood obesity. She is passionate about fitness in body, mind and spirit. Leslie’s latest book, Wholehearted, was published earlier this year, and now…here’s Leslie to share more with you…

ME: What inspired you to write Wholehearted?

LESLIE: A couple years ago, the Wesleyan Women of Washington State called me and asked me to prepare a four-session retreat based on Ezekiel 36:26-27. The scripture reads:  And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. At first, I was scared – I could not imagine being able to come up with four sessions from two verses! However, the verses were rich in truth and what started as four sessions emerged into a 15-chapter book!

ME: How would you summarize your book in two to three sentences?

LESLIE: God, through the prophet Ezekiel, promised us that one day He would not only replace our heart of stone with a tender and responsive heart, but He also promised to put His Spirit within us (a full-out spiritual heart transplant!). In Wholehearted, I walk you through not only my spiritual heart transplant story, but also a friend named Jeannie’s story, who had a physical heart transplant. I compare the two “procedures” and give honest, scriptural guidance on how to live “post transplant” with our new heart.

ME: Who would you say is the “target reader audience” for your book?

LESLIE: Anyone, male or female, who is confused about what true salvation really means and looks like.  Wholehearted can also be (and has been used effectively as) an outreach tool to help those who may have been in church as a young person but then left and went their own way. I’ve had a lot of people use this book to reach out to family members or friends who are running from God.

ME: What was the most difficult part of writing the book?

LESLIE: Focus. I’ve always struggled with “ADD” tendencies and keeping focused was one of my biggest struggles. I was amazed how God’s faithfulness got me through it, and I’ve actually had some awesome comments from those who suffer from ADD/ADHD who have said they found it very easy to read and follow. God is good!

ME: What was your favorite part of writing this book or share something you learned in the process?

LESLIE: Oh, gracious! I’m not sure where to start! I loved digging deep into the Scriptures and spending such intimate time with the Lord as I researched the book. It strengthened my faith tremendously and brought me into a deeper understanding of how much God loves me.

ME: What one thing, above all else, do you hope your readers take away from reading Wholehearted?

LESLIE: I want my precious readers to know that wholehearted living is truly available to them and it’s not a “work” we do – but Christ working in and through us as we submit to His plan for our lives. I want freedom for the captives! I want God to use this book to help people see what it truly means to be a born again believer in Christ, and I would love to see them grasp the deeper truths of how we become a new creation when we are believers in Christ with a “new heart”. If we could all grasp our new identity, we could light this world on fire for Him!

ME: A little unrelated, tell us something fun or surprising about yourself that this blog community might not already know.

LESLIE: Well, I was a contestant on a little reality show called Survivor: China back in 2007. I’m sure most people who meet me for the first time would be shocked to know that since I don’t necessarily fit the mold as someone who would go on Survivor, but it was truly an amazing experience, and God used it to grow my faith tremendously. I actually have some stories of what went on while on the show in my book! You’ll have to read it and check it out.

Leslie – Thank you so much for your obedience in writing this God-glorifying book! To learn more about Leslie, feel free to check her out at www.leslienease.com. If you’re interested in purchasing a copy of Wholehearted, you can do so HERE!

As promised, Leslie has offered to giveaway a copy of her book to ONE of you this week. You can have up to two entries:

1. Comment on this post by answering the question…do you have a close friend or family member in need of Jesus taking over control of their heart? If YES – simply type their first name so that we can be praying for them by name. If you prefer to leave even their first name anonymous – simply type “Yes – God knows the name”.

2. For a second entry, share about this giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter by linking to this post, and be sure to “tag” me in it. Then, come back here and leave a second comment saying you’ve shared about it.

The giveaway runs through 9:00 pm ET Tuesday night (7/23). So, today and tomorrow only! I’ll announce the winner here on Wednesday! Be blessed friends!