Happy Monday blog friends! I’ve been so excited about today’s post! Beginning today, and over the next several Mondays, this is your go-to place to meet some amazing author friends of mine. Each of these ladies are not only gifted writers, but they are also passionately in love with the Lord, and they radiate His amazing grace! AND…in addition, they will each be giving away a copy of their book to one of you!

So, without further ado…allow me to introduce you to our first featured author in this series, my precious friend…Lorie Newman!

Lorie is a wife, national speaker, author, and busy homeschooling mother of seven children. Her professional background and degree is in education, but Lorie also enjoys freelance writing and speaking at Christian retreats and ministry events.

Lorie has been published in various magazines & e-zines and has been a frequent guest of many bloggers. A Cup of Cold Water in His Name is her first book.

Lorie has taught Bible studies and led prayer groups for more than fifteen years. She is the founder of an orphan ministry that enables over 250 impoverished African orphans to receive food, clothing, and education through a partnership with Children’s HopeChest. Lorie has also been a featured guest on many radio programs including Moody Broadcasting Network’s Midday Live Connection & Scotland’s Northsound Radio.

Lorie, her husband, Duane, and their seven children—including twins and two children who were internationally adopted from Haiti and Liberia—make their home in Georgia.

I recently had an opportunity to ask my friend some questions about her first book, A Cup of Cold Water in His Name.

ME: What inspired you to write A Cup of Cold Water in His Name?

LORIE: There are so many overwhelming statistics concerning poverty. We live in a world where there are over 145 million orphans, where a child dies of hunger every 5 seconds, where 925 million people are chronically malnourished, and where 1.1 billion people lack access to potable water. Even here in the US, 19 million people are considered the “working poor.”  I wanted to write a book that would empower and equip Christians to help the needy in real-life, practical ways and remind them of the truth of Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:40, “What you did to even one of the least of these, you did it to me.”  In a world with overwhelming poverty, the importance of helping just one person in need is what my book emphasizes.

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

LORIE: Ranging from easy to high-level commitment, my book gives 60 creative, everyday projects and ideas that will equip Christians to make a difference in the world, one need at a time.  Regardless of your age, your season of life, your financial situation, your status, or your experience, my book will help you, your family, or your small group with step-by-step instructions, websites, and ministry contacts, to be the hands and feet of Christ to the needs around you.  The book is broken down into easy-to-use sections utilizing the five human needs that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 25:40: feeding the hungry, being hospitable, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and ministering to the prisoner.

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

LORIE: Anyone who desires to make a real difference in the world and leave a lasting imprint of Christ’s love in the lives around them will find my book a valuable resource where they can bookmark creative ideas to utilize in their everyday life.

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

LORIE: When I got a contract with a publisher to write the book, I had just birthed my seventh child!  I literally wrote the manuscript between feedings and between homeschooling my other six children! Only God could have stretched my time as I wrote and researched each chapter!  God’s heart is so close to the downtrodden, the heartbroken, the poor, the widow, and the orphan.  When He put it on my heart to write this book, every door was opened and I still stand amazed at how the Lord carried me through to the completion of this project.  This book is a living testimony to the true fact that when you step out to help the poor, God will honor it and empower you in a supernatural way that can only be attributed to Him and Him alone!

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

LORIE: In the book I wrote 60 stories about everyday Christians who found ways to help the poor and needy in their everyday lives. I love to tell stories and to have the opportunity to include these inspiring stories in the book was a great joy!

ME: What one thing, above all else, do you hope your readers take away from reading A Cup of Cold Water in His Name?

LORIE: I pray God meets people in the pages of this book and many lives are empowered to step outside of their own little world and help the needy- whether that’s across the street, across the pew at church, or across the world.

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

LORIE: Before I wrote this book, the Lord called me to do something that I found to be one of the sweetest worship experiences of my life thus far.  For two years, I had pitched the idea of writing A Cup of Cold Water in His Name twice and no publishers were interested.  As I took my ideas back to the Lord in my quiet time with Him, he sweetly asked me to write a book for Him.  It sounds crazy, but that’s exactly what I did!  I bought a journal, and I reserved my most precious, most sincere, most beautiful words for my Savior.  I wrote each day in that journal. I gave him my very first book, one filled with how much I love him!  Essentially I gave the Lord my “first fruits” of my writing each day.  Before I even finished two months of writing this “first book journal of worship” to the Lord, I had a book contract from a publisher to write A Cup of Cold Water in His Name.

Just a side little tidbit…I was also honored to be featured in Lorie’s book in a couple of her “sixty ways” (some with an alias name…ha!).

In order to be entered to win an autographed copy of Lorie’s book, A Cup of Cold Water in His Name, you have up to two possible entries:

1. Comment on this post answering this question…what have you or someone in your family done in the past to care for one of the “least of these”? Or – if you’re simply short on time, just post “I wanna hear more!”

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 done so. 🙂

The giveaway runs through 9:00 pm Tuesday (7/2) night. So, today and tomorrow ONLY! I’ll announce the winner on Wednesday morning!

To order Lorie’s book directly, simply click HERE! Trust me…after reading this book, you’ll think of several other family and friends to get copies for, and you’ll want to order more!