Spring Wellness Event - April 30 - May 3rd 2012

Are you in need of rest and the chance to step away from the busyness of daily life?   Consider attending “Living Well As We Trust God For Everything”, a 4-day wellness retreat for women where you will have the opportunity to focus on spiritual and physical well-being.  We invite you to join us for several days of quiet and to take pleasure in simplicity of time.

Wellness flows from those who live in confidence with God as the daily companion of their soul.  Psalm 23 is full of pictures that help us obey the most frequent command in the Bible: Don’t be afraid. As we trust God, we release our fears and can begin to walk the path of assurance found in His Word and grace.  International author and speaker Jan Johnson’s solid biblical teaching will inspire us to embrace a daily, with-God life.

Discover how to fight fat, fight fatigue and fight disease; and learn how to manage weight and nourish your body the way God intended.  Dr. Kristen Bentson will share principles designed to unleash the best, healthiest and strongest version of you.  Participants will leave with the knowledge of how to live long, live strong and look fabulous.  

Join us at The Pines, nestled in the rolling hills of eastern Pennsylvania.  The sprawling grounds boast three tranquil ponds, a number of tall pines, a bon fire pit and fruit tree orchard.   Guests will enjoy this beautiful serene and natural setting.

Breakfast and lunch will be served in The Manor House, a castle-chalet style dwelling with a large stone fireplace, several cozy gathering areas and an extensive theological library.  Dinner will be at Tuscarora Inn.  Choose one of several Manor House rooms, motel-style lodging, or one of the pond-view duplex efficiency units. 

This all-inclusive retreat is $595.  You receive:

·      4 nights lodging, 9 nutritionally-balanced, delicious meals and healthy snacks

·      Morning and afternoon fitness activities led by a certified instructor

·      4 keynotes sessions with speaker & author Jan Johnson, D. Min

·      3 nutritional presentations by Dr. Kristen Bentson, M.S. (Nutr.)

·      30 minute massage with a certified female massage therapist

·      Special activities, creative sessions & optional, extended spa services

·      Guided river-side trail walk (weather permitting)

·      Individual appointments with Jan Johnson to explore your life with God

Relax and renew at this Spring Wellness Retreat.  Come alone or bring a friend – and learn how to live well in mind, body and soul. 

Only a limited number of spots are available.  Contact Tuscarora Inn & Conference Center at 570 897 6000 to register.

Need a weekend get-away?

Today is a beautiful spring-like day --and even though we’ve barely experienced winter here in the northeast, I have such a longing for extended daylight, warm breezes and windows open wide -- spring is nearly here!

This coming week is always a busy one as I prepare for Tuscarora Inn & Conference Center’s annual women’s weekend.   I’ve had the privilege of coordinating this 3-day women’s event for several years, working closely with Tuscarora staff, gifted worship artists and musicians, seasoned speakers and talented writers – all of us with a common goal of sharing the message of hope that faith in Jesus brings.

Our weekend includes plenty of fun (karaoke on Friday night and a late-night movie Saturday), delicious food, optional spa services as well as inspiring and creative workshops.  New for this year is a spin class (held at a local, off-site, boutique gym) and guided Appalachian Trail hike.   Detailed workshop descriptions can be found at Tuscarora’s website.

Melissa Milbourn will lead worship prior to each keynote session and we’ve invited Compassion International to share the joys and challenges of their work amongst the world’s most vulnerable children. 

Our keynote speaker is Renee Swope, an author, national conference speaker, and co-host of Proverbs 31 Ministries’ international radio program.  Renee will share insights from her latest book, A Confident Heart: how to stop doubting yourself and live in the security of God’s promises. 

Personally, I can’t wait to hear what she has to say!  A self-professed doubter, I struggle daily with finding the courage to move forward and step confidently into the dreams God has birthed in my heart.  I am looking forward to Renee showing me how to identify, overcome and learn from my doubting so that the roots of my faith grow deeper  -- both in the soil of God’s grace and the promises in His word. 

Are you struggling with self-doubt, worry or insecurity?  Or maybe your life situations have left you discouraged and overwhelmed, wondering if God is even aware of your sorrow and disappointment.  

Friend, God is crazy about you – He longs, even waits for you to share your heart openly and honestly with Him.   And He wants you to know just how much He loves you.  Perhaps this entire weekend has been planned with you in mind.  Consider joining me for a weekend away from the cares and worries of everyday life. You’ll leave relaxed, refreshed and inspired!

For more information about attending this event call 570 897 6000 or visit Tuscarora’s website.  

My thoughts on reading LIGHT UNDER THE HOUSE

Reading is one of my favorite pastimes and as a kid, I would spend hours and hours curled up with a good book.   Mysteries and historical fiction are my favorite reading genres, so when both of them come together in a page-turner that can't be put down -- I'm thrilled!  

Filled with history, family drama and suspense, Light Under the House is one of those stories that draws a reader deep within the pages wondering what's next.  Although some of the material may be disturbing for young readers, there is also the promise of redemption and purpose to struggle and suffering.

The characters are realistic and well-developed --  each with their own dysfunction woven into the plot.  Some have compared this to Frank Peretti's, This Present Darkness -- another story with dark, spiritual themes.


From Amazon.com : "Light Under the House is the saga of an American family--the Levis, a family of secrets. None greater than the secret of what lies under their house, a secret that could destroy them. A secret that an ancient evil will stop at nothing to uncover. The novel follows the Levi family line for a generation, creating a story that explores lives lived in the aftermath of the cultural rebellion of the late 1960's. It is a historical fiction novel that shows the power of consequence and the hope of redemption. Most of all, it is a story about fathers and their children."


Following is an interview with the author:


What inspired you to write this story?
I feel very strongly about the breakdown of the family and fatherlessness and how there is much dysfunction and despair because of it. I wanted to tell a story to shed some light on the situations that many face and hopefully bring some type of reversal to the current dynamic in whatever small way I could. I wanted to challenge men, fathers especially, to be who they were created to be ... its certainly a challenge I face myself daily. A challenge that I often fail at but keeping picking myself up to start again.

Did you model any of the characters after people you know?
I used many things to model the characters ... people I know, other literary figures, actors, biblical characters, celebrities ... the characters are a combination of all of these. I wanted them to be new and familiar at the same time, universal.

Why did you choose the Dallas/Ft Worth area as your primary setting?
First of all, the south has a certain reputation for is deep spiritual roots (bible belt and all). I patterned the book in part after GONE WITH THE WIND (another book set in the south) ... not in the sense of a love story but in the sense of "here is civilization that is about to cease to exist, come see it before its gone". In the case of my novel it is a spiritual civilization on the brink. Dallas just seemed to have everything I needed to make the story work from both a symbolic and technical standpoint.

Do you have plans to write more books?
i have an idea or two floating around ... nothing concrete yet.

What sort of research did you do for the historical portions of your book? What did you like best about the research? The least?
My co-author and I researched deeply into ancient history for some aspects of the book ... I learned a lot of things ... some things I'd rather forget but most of it was enlightening. What I liked best was that it confirmed for me mostly what I already knew, there really is nothing new under the sun.

Where can we find out about more opportunities for a free copy of this book? 
Follow @ChristianSpkrs on Twitter. You can purchase the book through Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Light-Under-the-House-ebook/dp/B0060C2O92.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview on my blog. This blog tour is managed by Christian Speakers Services (http://ChristianSpeakersServices.com).