Embraced by the Father Giveaway with Susanne Sheppmann

Thanks to all of you who left comments on my last post about minding your own sin. The winner of the ESV Bible is:

Anita: Timestamp June 14th; 11:15 am

Send your home address to me at [email protected] so I can ship it out to you!

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Well, since last October we have been meeting on Wednesdays to discuss and encourage each other in the areas of eating and exercise. (If you are new, you can click on Weight Loss Wednesdays in the sidebar to read the past posts)

Today will be a little bit different.

We are going to talk about an exercise. Dancing to be exact. But with a twist.

Dancing with our Heavenly Father.

The longer I journey on the road to health (and a healthy weight) the more I see the connection to my relationship with God.

When I am obedient and eating healthy, I feel close to Him.

When I am rebellious and eating junk, I don’t.

It is kind of like a dance. When I am being sensible and making good choices, I feel in sync with Him.

I love that feeling. Makes me wonder why I ever take the wrong road and break the dance with turning to food instead of to God.

Today, I want to introduce you to my friend and fellow Proverbs 31 speaker Susanne Sheppmann. She has just written a book that will help you to do grow your relationship with God which will result in many areas of your life getting better. This can include your eating/exercising habits. It is called Embraced by the Father.

Susanne is so kind to offer one of you not only a signed copy of her new book, but a $10.00 Starbucks card to go along with it. If you want to take a peek at the book’s trailer, here it is along with a short interview with Susanne.

* Susanne, tell us a little about what life is like at your house this summer.

Karen, I am having a delightful summer.  I just had my four-year-old granddaughter for an entire week.  Fun stuff—great memories!  Now I am relaxing and catching up on some leisure reading which is my favorite thing in the world to do.  And I am looking forward to the Proverbs 31 She Speaks conference.  Every year it is a highlight of my summer.

*What prompted you to write Embraced by the Father?

My book, Embraced by the Father: Finding Grace in the Names of God is somewhat of a memoir and a Bible study.  I have always been intrigued by the various names of God such as El Roi—the God Who See Me and Jehovah Nissi—the Lord is my Banner.  What I have discovered over my journey as a Christ follower’s is that the names of God reflect His character and power in my personal life.  I enjoyed writing Embraced in a dance metaphor because God is my dance partner for eternity.

*Why is it important for women to have strong connection to the Heavenly Father?

My relationship with my biological father was anything but loving.  Learning to experience my relationship with God as my Father has been a long and tumultuous road.  It has been difficult to believe that the Lord is my “perfect daddy.”  But, He has proved himself faithful and worthy of my trust.  I pray every woman will know the love of God as her Abba—Daddy.  I know that as women learn to trust the heavenly Father it helps to enhance our spiritual walk and our personal relationships with others.

*How are the names of God important to you?

The names of God are important to know and understand.  Through the various names He reveals the perfection of His character and personality.  These terms enable us to experience the Lord in a more intimate and personal relationship.

*How do you hope women are different after reading your book?

I pray that every woman who reads Embraced by the Father comes away with a deeper understanding of God’s power and sovereignty in her life.  I want the readers to that know that no matter how hard becomes (and life is hard) that God is always there as your dance partner.  He wants lead your through the joys and sorrows of this life.  God desires to be your dance partner on the dance floor of life.

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Okay gals, I hope that encourages you today!

Please hop on and leave a comment. You regulars (and newcomers!) let us know how your week went and how we can be praying for you. Any visitors who would just like to be entered in the giveaway, simply say “I’m in!”. The winner will be announced tomorrow–when we have yet another giveaway–especially for dads!

See you then!

58 Comments

  1. Weight loss wednesday, a marker for the week, and sometimes only a marker for the disappointment I have in myself for not being able to let this weight problem go. Please pray for me, I do well during the day, but lose all control in the evenings.
    As for dancing, I have been trying to find someone to take square dancing lessons with me for the exercise-less boring, more commitment than my treadmill – my husband said since he was totally uninterested that I could find someone else to do it, so far no luck. Maybe this “dancing with the Father” is REALLY what I am looking for instead of an actual physical partner, though the exercise was what I was going for….how O’ Mighty Father can we get that combination? Please help me find the answer!!

  2. since one of my Godly friend introduce me to Proverbs 31 Ministries, I have been so incourage daily by your devotion, it left me up to the Father’s heart from under the ground, I’m looking forward every morning to read what the Lord wants to tell me through your Encouragement for today.The Lord Blesses all of you and use you more for His glory.

  3. My first week of my heavy work schedule went pretty well, but alas, the second week went awry. I only exercised twice, and not with much energy or gumption. And then the temp job ended, and my family went out of town for a day, and sweet potatoe fries and fried catfish called my name at restaurant – I said yes. Then I was so mad at myself as I have felt “heavy” since eating it, and that was four days ago. :( I am heading out for a 3 mile walk as soon as I submit this comment, and saying “restart” on the eating. Bought a 5 pound pack of mangoes at Sam’s Club yesterday to inspire me. I am up 1.5 pounds from last week’s weigh in.

    Love the Names of God and dancing with God. My middle daughter is into ballet – I am quite sure she would “get” this.

  4. I wrote a post on Monday about things that I had eaten that had sabotaged my weight loss last week…but got back on track with my eating and exercising…and trying to more readily allow the Holy Spirit to let me know when/what to eat!!! Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy of this book!

  5. I love the metaphor of our relationship with God as a dance. I can totally relate to that. Thank you for your inspiring words. (I hope I win the book!)

  6. I’M IN!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) And please pray for my Aunt this week as, she is being taken off lifesupport. Thanks to all. Love & Grace?

  7. I’m in….thanks for another great give away!!

    My week has been a very emotional one for me. I’ve been disappointed by some members of my family. So this situation prompted me to pray for guidance in trusting that God is my almighty Father and I’ve learned that He is a God of unconditional Love. I cannot put into words what strength that gave me.

  8. I’m in! I’m excited about getting his book as a gift to a new young, bride-to-be-dancer……she IS a dancer, she IS getting married next year, and she IS a daughter of the King — what a great gift for her!
    Thanks for sharing!

  9. I would love to read this book! For a while now I have been reading about the various names for God and at times am moved to tears by the thought of how much He loves me. I, too, did not have a very good relationship with my father and can see how it has affected me to this day: my struggle over the years with my weight is proof of that. But gradually I have been able to embrace the fact that I am a child of the King with every advantage and privilege available to me. This past week has been a good one as I continue to eat healthy foods and exercise faithfully.

  10. Enjoyed the interview with Suzanne. I read her blog often and believe i would enjoy reading her book. Sounds like it could be good for a small group study.
    My week has been good as far as exercise goes. Getting up about 1 hr earlier to walk in orderr to beat the heat!. Not snacking as much and eating more fresh fruit and veggies…love these summer time treats.
    Have a great week everyone!!

  11. I would love to read Suzanne’s book and learn more about the names of God. It’s something that has been on my heart lately, that I spend more time learning about the character of God, and less time thinking about what God is doing for me. More of Him, and less of me.

    Blessings.

  12. What a wonderful way to look at life …as a dance with the Lord.
    I think a positive attitude everyday is also a gift of God. Praise the Lord !

  13. Enjoyed reading Susanne’s interview. I have an Aunt I think would love reading Susanne’s book. When she was younger she owned a dance studio. I know she would be able to relate to the dancing metaphors in Susanne’s book.

  14. thanks so much for the opportunity to read Suzanne’s thoughts on the names of God. In the past, I have felt closer to God somehow after learning some of His names as if He were showing me another aspect of Himself and His character.
    still on the caffeine free and sugar free mode, just trying to get healthier.
    Thanks for being here Karen

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