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CLOSED: Valentine’s Day Giveaway: Win Flowers and Fresh Fiction

Ambassador International wants to put a little romance in your Valentine’s Day! To celebrate the release of Carrie Daws’ latest novel Romancing Melody, available in eBook February 14 and print March 7, Ambassador is giving you a chance to win a flower bouquet and a copy of the book! Carrie Daws’ third book in the Crossing series, Romancing Melody, tells the story of a young military wife and mother who faces a terrible tragedy. The book reminds readers that God romances each of us daily because “romance is more than fancy dinners and roses. Romance is all about one person lavishing love on another, drawing them into a closer relationship.”

Celebrate the Holiday of Love this year by allowing God to romance you! To enter to win simply “like” Ambassador’s Facebook page AND complete at least one of the following:

Leave a comment on this blog post
Pin the book cover image on Pinterest and use the hashtag #RomancingMelody
Tweet using the hashtag #RomancingMelody (ie. I can’t wait to read #RomacingMelody, the newest book from@AmbassadorIntl)
Register to receive Ambassador International emails

You’ll receive additional entries for every step you complete. Win your copy of Romancing Melody and bouquet today and take time this Valentine’s Day to focus on the greatest love of all – God’s.

** Winner must be in the 48 contiguous states and provide a valid address accepted by ProFlowers.com to receive your flower bouquet. Winner will be chosen at random on February 15.

Eight Mothers Connected By One Doctor Share Their Stories of Life After Loss

Surgeon and author Dr. Hisashi Nikaidoh searches for comfort after son’s tragic death

For immediate release: Pediatric heart surgeon, Dr. Hisashi Nikaidoh, makes a living performing life-saving surgeries on hearts the size of walnuts. In more than four decades he’s operated on thousands of them, and while many times the surgeries are successful, often patients pass away. In Healing Hearts: A leading pediatric heart surgeon learns about the journey from grief to life from these inspiring mothers of his lost patients (Ambassador International; May 2013; $14.99, paperback) Dr. Nikaidoh explains how it wasn’t until his own son Hitoshi was killed suddenly that he finally understood the magnitude of suffering that accompanies the loss of a child.

After his son’s death, Dr. Nikaidoh sought comfort from the very parents he had once tried to comfort. “What I eventually learned from these eight women who have so generously shared their stories for Healing Hearts is that it is possible to move beyond the excruciating pain of losing a child,” he says. The eight inspiring mothers have each contributed to the medical field– many even working in the exact hospital where their sweet babies took their final breaths, Children’s Medical Center of Dallas. “At least for these eight parents, it is possible to infuse their own lives with a deeper meaning by giving back to the very community that tried valiantly, though unsuccessfully, to save the lives of their precious children,” says Nikaidoh.

The eight mothers, who all share a special connection with Dr. Nikaidoh, are courageously and honestly opening up in the pages of Healing Hearts about the experience of losing a child. “God certainly blessed [Dr. Nikaidoh] with wonderful talents to allow him to surgically mend those tiny hearts. But He gave him an even greater gift to comfort the parents of those whose little hearts were not meant to be mended,” says mother and contributor Liz Etzkorn. Former US Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, who also lost a son, wrote the foreword for Healing Hearts.

Dr. Nikaidoh is the descendent of a long line of Buddhist priests, but became a Christian in his 40s. His faith completely changed the way he practiced medicine. “I no longer looked at life and death as being all about me—what I did, what I should have done, what I should not have done,” he writes. “My newfound faith and understanding of God’s hand in our lives had brought me to a place of greater freedom. Now that I was no longer feeling the burden and judgment of perfection, I felt a greater sense of freedom to be the best physician and surgeon I could possibly be and to more fully enjoy my work.”

Dr. Hisashi Nikaidoh, Director of Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis in Tulsa, OK, earned his medical degree from The University of Tokyo in 1959 and trained at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City; Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago; and Case Western Reserve University Hospital, Cleveland. Dr. Nikaidoh is internationally known for the innovative surgical procedure that carries his name and his lifelong dedication to the care of children, for which he received the Children’s Miracle Achievement Award in 2011. In addition, Dr. Nikaidoh has been a long-time teacher of the Gospel and served on multiple missions, domestic and abroad.

To learn more about Dr. Nikaidoh or the eight contributing mothers visit TheHealingHeartsBook.com, or Facebook.com/TheHealingHeartsBook. To receive a review copy of Healing Hearts or to connect with the author please contact publicist Alison Storm by email at [email protected].

Use Declutter Now for Church Book Studies

Today’s guest post comes from Lindon & Sherry Gareis, authors of Declutter Now! Uncovering the Hidden Joy and Freedom in Your Life. They are Christian Life Coaches and small group leaders from Glendale, AZ. They’re announcing a new initiative to take Declutter Now! into churches.

Declutter Now! tackles the clutter taking up space in many areas of life. Decluttering your heart, mind, body and soul will leave you with the time, money, energy, freedom and joy that God desires for you. Less is truly more.

Declutter Now! has ‘Gone Group’! We’re delighted to have Northern Hills Community Church in Phoenix, AZ launch an eight week book study class. Each week, a new chapter is presented and discussed. Ideas are shared, truths are revealed and hearts are inspired.

Each chapter of Declutter Now! deals with a different area of life, so we cover a considerable amount of ground. The comprehensive nature of the material is ideal for group study since there’s ‘something for everyone’. Whether you need to declutter cram-packed physical spaces, harmful relationships, unhealthy eating habits, stinkin’ thinkin’, overwhelmed kids’ schedules or an unbalanced budget, most people can relate on some level, if not many. This sets the stage for insightful and provocative conversations.

We’ve found in group environments, the nature of the dialogue not only encourages personal growth, but meaningful relationship building as well. There’s a special bonding which occurs when people speak openly about their challenges and allow their weaknesses to break through. Just this past week during the current NHCC bible study, a class member shared her embarrassment over the clutter she’s living with. Her fellow class mates offered unconditional love, support and ideas void of any judgment. The acceptance and encouragement she received gave her strength to commit to the next step of her decluttering journey. Oh how we long to see her free from the bondage she’ suffering.

Declutter Now! is more than just a book. It’s a paradigm shift; a lifestyle change. A study through Declutter Now! offers inspiration to help get you from where you are to where you want to be. Group discussion takes our ideas, practical tips and life applications to an entirely new level. Unique situations can be personally addressed, support can be extended first hand and emotional connections can take root.

We encourage you to consider Declutter Now! for both individual and group study. We’d be delighted to help you construct a plan specific to your group or organization. Please contact us at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!

Buy a Book, Give a Child Shoes

For the month of February, Ambassador International is teaming up with Soles4Souls, a Nashville-based charity that collects shoes from the warehouses of footwear companies and the closets of people like you. Every time you buy a signed copy of Jazzy and the Dog Walk you’ll also be putting a pair of shoes on a child in need. The charity distributes these shoes to people in need, regardless of race, religion, class, or any other criteria. Since 2005, Soles4Souls has delivered over 19 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes. The shoes have been distributed to people in over 125 countries, including Kenya, Thailand, Nepal and the United States.

There are over 300 million children who do not have adequate footwear, so Soles4Souls is trying to change this statistic, one pair at a time, and just $1 can help. For every $1 donated to Soles4Souls, we are able to distribute one pair of shoes. So, $1 = 1 PAIR = 1 LIFE, and with this generous campaign led by the author, Tica Tallent, Soles4Souls will be able to forever change the lives of hundreds of people with the gift of shoes. BUY NOW!

Happy Birthday George Beverly Shea!

George Beverly Shea turns 104 years old on February 1, 2013! Celebrate the life of this incredible man and musician by reading his most recent authorized biography: George Beverly Shea: Tell Me the Story, now available for the Kindle. With foreword by Franklin Graham, this book chronicles the amazing life of the man who has sung God’s word in front of more people than anyone in history.

Follow him onto crusade stages in all corners of the world including New York, London and Australia. Find out what happened when he forgot lyrics in front of a packed stadium in California. Discover personal stories about his friendship with celebrities like Johnny Cash, the Gaithers and Pat Boone.
This is the amazing account of how God used an insurance worker to spread the Gospel to every continent of the world.

In honor of his 104th birthday, the Billy Graham Library will be hosting a special tribute to Bev Shea for the next two months. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Shea for his decades of service and wish him a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

“Of all the gospel singers in the world today, the one that I would rather hear than any other would be George Beverly Shea.”
-Billy Graham (Evangelist) Montreat, North Carolina

Prayers for Izzy

We invite you to pray with us for Landon and Allyson Powell, whose five month old daughter Izzy went to be with her Creator this weekend. The family has organized a memorial service for Wednesday, January 30 at Grace Church, 101 W. McBee Avenue in downtown Greenville, South Carolina. The family will be receiving friends and family at 5pm, and the ceremony will start at 6pm.

Izzy struggled with several serious health issues from birth. Her parents nicknamed her their “warrior princess” because of the fight that she put up. The Powell’s have shown tremendous faith through this experience. On the Prayers for Izzy Facebook page Landon writes, “My prayer tonight is, that it doesn’t always take a story like Izzy’s to remind us how important our Faith is. That we can all live our lives daily, according to God’s will. That we can turn our hearts over to Christ, and let him use us in a way that will glorify Him! Just like he did with Izzy. He took her broken body, and used it to Glorify Him in a way none could have expected. And as hard as it is for a dad to say, ‘God, I am thankful!'”

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any gifts made in Izzy’s honor be made in the form of a donation to Donate Life South Carolina. It’s a charity the family has worked closely with and even little Izzy herself was an organ donor, giving a heart valve and cartilage. Donations can be sent to P.O. Box 27263, Greenville, SC 29616. If you’d like to learn more about Landon Powell’s testimony you can read about it in God’s Lineup: Testimonies of Major League Baseball Players by Liz and Kevin Morrisey.

New Children’s Book Encourages Young Readers to Help the Needy

Charming Children’s Book Donates Proceeds to Soles4Souls and Higher Ground Ministries

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, nearly 15 million children in the United States live below the poverty line. In her first children’s book, Jazzy and the Dog Walk (Ambassador International; January 2013; $14.99, hardcover), Tica Tallent sheds light on the issue of child poverty in order to remind readers what it means to care for others.

Jasmine (aka Jazzy), a young girl, with a love of clothes, jewelry, and music, reminds readers of all ages the importance of giving back. After being troubled by a video in school showing young children who have no shoes, Jazzy is determined to do something. With the help of some furry friends and a miracle from a beautiful angel, Jazzy organizes a dog fashion show to raise money. “My hope is to inspire young readers to get involved in helping others,” explains Tallent. “And I want to bring attention to two of my favorite charities at the same time.” Following Jazzy’s example, a portion of each sale of Jazzy and the Dog Walk will support Soles4Souls and Higher Ground Ministries.

Tallent reminds readers the importance of being thankful and caring for others while simultaneously captivating young girls with frilly dresses, shining jewelry, and adorable puppies. With a combination of beautiful illustrations and charming writing, Jazzy and the Dog Walk is sure to entertain and inspire again and again.

About the Author: Tica Tallent is a writer and freelance speaker who currently resides in Anderson, SC with her husband. In both her first book, What is Beautiful: Secrets of a Personal Shopper ,and Jazzy and the Dog Walk, Tallent draws from her ten years of experience as an educator as well as her love of fashion.

About the Illustrator: Marquin Campbell studied drawing and painting at the University of Georgia before going on to study fashion design at Parsons in NYC. She now resides in Greenville, SC as owner of Vino & Van Gogh art studio designing jewelry, painting, and teaching art classes.

To learn more about the author and her book Jazzy and the Dog Walk, visit ticatallent.com or Facebook.com/JazzyAndTheDogWalk. For interview requests please contact publicist Alison Storm at [email protected].

Should We Forgive Lance Armstrong?

This guest post on Lance Armstrong’s recent doping confession comes from Anna McCarthy, author of “Forgiveness is Not an Option”:

There has been a lot of talk recently about Lance Armstrong and his public “apology”. Many say it wasn’t genuine or it was too vague; in summary many are unhappy with his public confession and believe he has not earned their forgiveness.

I’ve wrestled with this too, given there have been many Lance Armstrong’s in my life. Many who wronged me, lied to me, cheated to get what they wanted and left me with a seemingly half-hearted apology that was magically supposed to fix everything. The truth is, when we’ve been wronged and feel as though we’ve been deceived, hearing an apology that doesn’t meet the level of the gravity of the crime, almost seems to make it worse. I get it and have admittedly struggled with this.

The problem, however, is that if we profess to be followers of Jesus, then we must choose not to be led by our emotion, especially in areas of the heart. Jesus taught that we must forgive; even if the apology doesn’t meet our standards or if there’s no apology at all. We still have to choose to forgive. Here are Jesus’ own words: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matt 6:14-15)

I don’t know about you, but this passage is not easy to read! For some reason, all of us want to defend our reason for withholding forgiveness believing it somehow escapes this principle. Yet, Jesus didn’t give any clauses; in fact, he goes further on to say that we are supposed to actually do good towards those who aren’t kind to us (Matt 5:44). This sounds nice in a Sunday school class, but when you are in the context of a situation, facing a betrayal and that person doesn’t offer the kind of apology you believe is deserved, this verse can feel like an impossible pill to swallow. This may be one of the reasons Paul prayed this way, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power…” (Eph. 3:16-18)

What Jesus asked us to do in the area of forgiveness is impossible without the power of Christ working through us. I know, because I tried in my own strength and failed miserably. However, having embraced his spirit in my heart in this area, I have seen forgiveness and love deepen and grow for those who I may never receive an apology from; and actually found myself able to do good towards them.

So, whether it’s Lance Armstrong’s apology you are wrestling with or someone else’s, I encourage you to pray the way Paul did and ask that Christ’s power may dwell within you, strengthening you to extend his love and grace towards those who may not deserve it.

Image Credit

Author Serves Sandy Hook Parents and Students in Newtown

Pat Geyer Working with the RRT Team, photo courtesy of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

It’s been a month since the horrible shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. Ambassador author Pat Geyer, who wrote “Chaplains of the Bible” along with her husband Richard, spent days and weeks in Newtown counseling the families impacted by the shooting. She shares her thoughts about the experience in today’s guest blog post:

It has been an extraordinarily difficult several months for the people of the Northeastern United States. Along with many other Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (RRT) chaplains, I responded to help those devastated by the record-setting Superstorm Sandy. A few weeks later, RRT chaplains were called to Newtown, Connecticut, site of the tragic school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. There, we ministered to family members who had lost children, and families with children who survived but were traumatized. We saw deep sorrow, shock, loss, confusion, even hopelessness. The chaplains – through prayer and compassionate understanding – were able to bring comfort and a source of hope to those who were grieving. We ministered to first responders, many of whom were struggling, and also others from the community; even people from across the U.S. and other countries who had come to grieve the loss of innocent lives. They needed the comfort that only the love of Jesus can bring.

I have a saying, “Rise up, and lean on Jesus so others can lean in on you.” We are the hands and feet of Jesus for those in

Chaplains of the Bible by Patricia and Richard Geyer

crisis. The book that my husband Dick and I wrote, “Chaplains of the Bible,” elaborates on this principle. It gives time-tested examples of men and women in the Scriptures who for the most part were ordinary people who helped people in need. The 13 chaplain role models featured in the book (especially Jesus) are becoming more relevant and real to me as I continue to be deployed with RRT. I am helping my neighbors in their great time of crisis and need through the power of the ministry of presence, effective prayer, compassionate love, and many other Biblical traits that other RRT chaplains and I lived out as we ministered in these tragedies.

The urgency of the days we live in calls all of us, whether chaplains or not, to be prepared to help others in their time of crisis. Through our book and through many other resources that are available to each of us, anyone with a heart for the hurting in our midst can find inspiration to help those in pain.

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