Carol sent me a copy of “I Am Eve” – cool even for a dude to read! So I came up with some questions on her series and writing…

What inspired you to write the series?

It wasn’t so much inspiration as God poking me until I agreed to write it. He first gave me a verse from the Book of Esther, which led to me argue with Him over whether I should write a book or a blog post. Once I agreed to write a study of Esther, three people suggested it be a series on Bible women. After more prayer, I planned out the series, With Faith Like Hers.

Or maybe God did.

Do you have a favorite Bible lady? Why is she your favorite?

As a girl, I loved Esther because going from Jewish exile to Queen of the world’s greatest empire was awe-inspiring. Being forced from her home and dumped into a harem was a more likely description, but I loved the Cinderella story, regardless of pesky real life facts.

Surprisingly, Eve became my favorite Bible lady. Yes, we pay for her disobedience. But she walked and talked with God in the Garden. She knew God was actively looking for her. She knew she was loved despite her sin. She sought knowledge and learned about God’s forgiveness and provision—lessons I still struggle to learn.

Frankly, each woman becomes my favorite as I write their story. Ruth had a brave heart. Mother Mary summed up 4,000 years of Scripture in five words—“Do whatever Jesus tells you.” Elizabeth had a hand in preparing the way for the Lord. How can you not love those gals?

One of my favorite devotions from I am Eve was “I Live Amid Incomparable Beauty.” I discovered we have both been to a pretty special place, Kealakekua Bay on the big island in Hawaii. So I’m asking Carol one of her own questions from her book: What aspects of stewardship over God’s resources are you most passionate about?  

Kealakekua Bay is indeed incomparably beautiful!

I tend to be personally rigorous about not wasting God’s natural resources—turning off lights and taking short showers. But the stewardship I’m most passionate about is the stewardship He has given us of our bodies. I haven’t always done the best job taking care of mine, which is why I’m passionate about it now.

It is convicting to combine the realization that this bag of bones belongs to God with the fact that God is living right here in me—watching how I take care of it. We struggle with faulty thinking that: “God owns my heart and soul, but this body is mine.”

The thought I keep in my head is that if I am God’s hands and feet in His world, how am I taking care of His tools? My truth is that I haven’t always done the best job I could caring for this resource.

I’ve heard that most women struggle with their true beauty, so “I Value Modesty” is a very meaningful devotion in which Carol describes how Satan convinces us to feel shameful about our bodies. Carol, describe the importance of modesty in today’s society. How can you encourage modesty in others?

God made our bodies “very good.” Before Eve met Satan, she felt no shame and had no need to cover up. Satan encourages us to feel shame. Satan also encourages others to sin because of woman’s beauty.

Womanly modesty is a matter of self-protection. We can’t stop others from having lustful thoughts but modesty can help us not encourage them. I think of modesty as part of woman’s “robe of righteousness.” If I were sitting next to the Apostle Paul while he wrote to the Ephesians, I would suggest he add a “smock of modesty” to his list of the armor of God for women.

Wearing sweeping cloaks and veils isn’t practical today. But we can stay within socially accepted levels of modesty. One of the ways Christians express their faith is by modeling their lives to others, especially to younger women who look to us for guidance. Modesty should be part of that modeling.

You’re also working on a line of beauty products with your daughter to go along with the book series. Can you tell us more about that exciting project?

My beautiful daughter is a physicist. One day we chatted about Queen Esther’s 12 months of beauty treatments before she was presented to the King. I said it was like a year-long spa experience. That simmered in my imagination until one morning I was using a sugar scrub Nicole had made for me. The two things clicked.

We’re creating a line of products called Esther’s Spa with a unique fragrance for each woman in my Bible study series. We connect the fragrance with the woman’s circumstances—succulent fruit from the Garden for Eve, a sweet floral blend reminiscent of Esther’s palace grounds and a cool, relaxing scent Ruth might have enjoyed after an exhausting day in the barley field.

A sugar scrub is first. We hope to have a matching lotion by the end of the year, for the release of I am Mary (a study of Jesus’ mother) and her spicy fragrance, with hints of frankincense and myrrh. The fragrance for I am Elizabeth will give a nod to her son John the Baptist’s diet that included wild honey—expected to release in 2015.

Just one more announcement for today…

Carol Peterson’s Cyber Party

This post is part of a week-long cyber party, celebrating the launch of my new Bible study series. A party isn’t a party though without friends and gifts. So please get to know some of my friends, by heading to their place and signing up for a drawing. Leave your name and email addie in a comment. At the end of the week, I’ll pick three people who will each receive one of the Bible studies in this new series.

For more fun:

*Monday’s delicious CYBER LAUNCH LUNCH is still going on at my site www.CarolPetersonAuthor.com. There’s plenty of cyber food left. (OK, so they’re recipes, but they’re still available for download and still delicious!) Leave a comment with your email address to enter the drawing.

*Also on Tuesday at www.CarolPetersonAuthor.com, I’ll chat a bit about the writing of I am Eve and how I had to rethink the idea that living a life like Eve was a bad thing. Remember to leave a comment to enter the drawing—once more.

*Then return to Wednesday’s post at www.LynnMosher.com to glimpse a bit about one of Jesus’ ancestors, Ruth. Don’t forget to leave a comment to enter the drawing—one more time.

*Then Thursday, go to Terrie Thorpe’s blog at www.4everhischild-tathorpe.blogspot.com to glimpse a bit about Queen Esther. Don’t forget to leave a comment to enter the drawing—one more time.

*Return to the celebration on Friday at my site again www.CarolPetersonAuthor.com. More gifts and offers await you there; along with my thanks for helping me celebrate this launch.

One more gift to you: if you purchase two of the three print books in this series from Amazon, email me a copy of your receipt and I’ll email a pdf of the third book FREE.

All three books are part of Amazon’s “match book” program. If you purchase the print book for a friend, you receive the Kindle version for only 99 cents. That’s a good deal available any time.

BIO: Carol Peterson has an unquenchable desire to understand and share God’s Word with others and help them apply His teachings to everyday life in the modern world. Her books are available on Amazon. She writes about faith on her website CarolPetersonAuthor.com.

The post “With Faith Like Hers” Bible Study Series by Carol Peterson first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

The post “With Faith Like Hers” Bible Study Series by Carol Peterson appeared first on I'm Just Thinkin'.

While some relationships, like marriage, are more formal than others, they all share a few key components:

• Relationships are deliberate bonds between two people.
• Relationships are reciprocal.
• Some form of love exists in all relationships.

“We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

Relationships are one of the purest blessings in our world today. We have them at work, home and every point in between. And we have to work at them to have good ones! I’ve come up with and will share with you in this book The 7 Essentials Of Extraordinary Relationships. These come into play at some point in every relationship. I’ll also share with you some of my personal experiences in relationships and some of the life lessons that I’ve learned along the way. I hope the pages of this book shine with God’s glory and will help you in dealing with All Sorts And Conditions Of People. I also hope this book will open the gate to the most incredible relationships you have ever imagined!

This title is on the verge of publication, set to be released on May 15, 2013. Please send me a shout if you’re interested in helping by serving on the launch team, your assistance and support would be appreciated!

The post On The Verge Of Publication… first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

The post On The Verge Of Publication… appeared first on I'm Just Thinkin'.

That’s Carol !!

Carol Peterson is a blogger friend that has helped me tremendously in learning how to write and through encouragement to complete my books and continue down the path to being an author. I was able to flag her down recently to answer a few questions about her writing, she’s pretty busy as you will see below…

Chris: We ran across each other through the Christian Writers Blog Chain, a great place to connect with other believers who have a passion for writing. It was quite some time before I realized that you have a second website, carolpetersonauthor.com. It looks like you have written 4 books that are educational and used in the classroom. Are you working on any other books right now?

Carol: Christian Writers is an awesome group of talented and Christ-loving folks!

I’m not working on any educational books right now, although I still have a heart for writing for kids and am working on a couple of young adult novels. Recently, my writing focus has moved toward adult Christian women. The book I’m most excited about is a bible study on the Book of Esther. Call Me Esther was one of those God-inspired projects I tried to argue with God about. “A book, God? Really? How about a nice series of blog posts instead?”

It never works to try and persuade God that your plan is better than His. Call Me Esther became a book.

Chris: I am curious how you got started writing, did you recognize this as a gift at an early age or was it something that you stumbled upon later in life?

Carol: I have always loved writing but it wasn’t until 12 years ago that I finally sat down to pursue writing seriously. Several months later I had a 450-page middle grade novel. You can correctly assume from the page count that it was horrible! I’ve since understood that “horrible” is part of the process for a story or an idea to become something good. It reminds me of the process God goes through when He works on our character. I’m sure glad He doesn’t give up at “horrible”!

Chris: We’ve talked a little bit about publishing and self-publishing, and you actually encouraged me to self-publish my first book. Do you see people self-publishing educational books? I’m guessing this market must be a little different than mainstream book publishing, right? Are there specific publishers that specialize in educational books?

Carol: I don’t see self-publishing for educational books at this time. Teachers work from curriculum standards—requirements by grade, subject matter and content—specified by each state’s Department of Education. A writer might have a self-published book—a biography, for example—that an individual teacher might like. But if you want to really focus on educational writing, then for now, you’re better off working with an established publisher. Teachers have an awesome responsibility to educate our kids. They need the assurance that what they share with their students has a respected publisher’s fact checking behind it.

In answer to your second question, yes, there are many great educational publishers. The best way to find one that fits your specific book is through Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market Guide or the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators (www.scbwi.org).

Chris: You’re someone that I truly admire the passion that you have for learning more about Jesus. Do you ever find it challenging to keep growing in your relationship with Jesus?

Carol: Thanks, Chris.

Jesus wants to be known by us. Seek and ye shall find; speak, Lord for your servant is listening…I take those verses to heart. I figure that as long as I continue to seek God, He will continue to show me more of His character. He will also continue to show me parts of my character He’d like me to change. But that’s a good thing, too because I know He’ll be with me, loving me through it all even if it takes practically forever. And for some areas of my character, it feels like it’s forever already…

Chris: You’ve attended some writers conferences, how are these beneficial for writers? Can you recommend any good ones?

Carol: Writing conferences are fabulous! I attend as many SCBWI conferences as I can. When I began writing for kids, I was starved for information about the publishing business and the craft of writing. Now, I attend conferences for the opportunity to meet agents and editors and learn more about how to market the books I’ve sold.

I’ve not attended any Christian writer conferences. American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) has an annual conference I understand is terrific. Since I haven’t yet jumped into the Christian fiction pool though, small local Christian and online writing groups fill the gap for me.

I encourage folks who can’t attend a conference far from home to start their own small group in order to gather and share information and encouragement. There are more struggling writers “out there” than you’d imagine. It’s hard to sit in a corner and write alone. Much better to find encouragement from others who understand what you’re doing and going through.

There are “yahoo” writing groups online to get a person started. Sometimes simply posting a notice at the library will find you several book-loving writer cohorts. And, of course, at ChristianWriters.com, folks can find oodles of great Christian writers.

Thanks so much, Chris, for the opportunity to chatter on about my love of writing and, especially, about my love for Jesus. You geologists rock!

Do you have any questions that you would like to ask Carol about her writing or publishing books?

The post Interview With Author Carol Peterson first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

The post Interview With Author Carol Peterson appeared first on I'm Just Thinkin'.

Click the pic to head over to Amazon

My second book is available at Amazon today, it’s FREE for Kindle for the next 5 days so please follow this link to swing on over and grab your copy!

Here are the deets on this book…

Science says we can look to a theory development process to ensure our beliefs are sound, and based on a body of conclusive facts. John Dalton, Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin and other scientists contributed to and validated the Scientific Theory.

Science, like religion, has unanswered questions. Where do we find hope, morality and joy? Where does our faith reside? What should we believe? Answering those questions can be life changing, and can put one on a course to greater achievements.

“Believe… And You Say?” is a short book about how I balance my faith in God with my education as a scientist.

“The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.” Albert Einstein

Moses said, “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.” Exodus 33:13

The post Book Release: “Believe… And You Say?” first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

The post Book Release: “Believe… And You Say?” appeared first on I'm Just Thinkin'.

That time again… I really enjoy being able to do this every month, showing appreciation for everyone who stops by here to read and share. It has a dynamic all it’s own… and one that I learn and grow from every day!

July 2012 was typical of most summer months here… things slow down a bit and that’s cool as everyone is super busy with family and other important commitments… myself included, I’ve struggled to maintain the balance this month as I got super busy with work commitments outside of my writing gig.

A special thank you and hats off to the top 10 commenters this month, I appreciate you taking the time to stop by and share your thoughts here:

Carol Peterson (11)

Neil Hornick (3)

Arny Sanchez (2)

Chris Stachura (2)

E G Lewis (2)

Joe Lalonde (2)

TC Avey (2)

Adam Collings (1)

Bill Jones (1)

Chris Henderson (1)

This is such and amazing experience… I’m personally very excited about the plans God has in store for us!

 “Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart that you were meant to do.” – CV

The post Appreciation for the Community here at I’m Just Thinkin’ for July 2012 first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

The post Appreciation for the Community here at I’m Just Thinkin’ for July 2012 appeared first on I'm Just Thinkin'.

Andy says… “Have you  ever noticed how we judge the “bad guys” by their actions, and the “good guys” by their intentions?” He then illustrates Andy Stanley’s Principle of the Path, which states “it is direction, not intention, that determines destination” … how good choices lead to good results… and how bad choices lead to… you know.

Andrews says, “The only way we have to know a person who aspires to lead us is to listen to what he says and watch what he does.” Good advice Andy. Another excellent book from a favorite author!

What qualities do you look for when trying to evaluate a leader that you may follow?

The post Book Review: “How Do You Kill 11 Million People?” by Andy Andrews first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

The post Book Review: “How Do You Kill 11 Million People?” by Andy Andrews appeared first on I'm Just Thinkin'.

word cloud by wordle.net

The top monthly commenters here at I’m Just Thinkin’ for the month of November were…

Carol Peterson (14)

Arny Sanchez (10)

Joe Lalonde (9)

Michael Galloway (6)

Christine Niles (4)

Adam (2)

Chris Henderson (2)

Loren Pinilis (2)

Traci B (2)

Andrew Z (1)

Please click on the links to enjoy their blogs too, they are some of my personal favorites!

Many thanks to everyone who shares here at I’m Just Thinkin’, your thoughts and comments are very important to me.

The post Top Commenters for November 2011 first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

The post Top Commenters for November 2011 appeared first on I'm Just Thinkin'.

couldn't resist this picture... of an ear 🙂

Holy Yowza I looked and the last time I took a breather from blogging for a week was back in July.

It’s time again to Just Listen… to God’s voice… and focus on some other commitments.

I hope you’ll enjoy reading some favorites that I’ll provide links to on my Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Be back next week, God Bless and TTFN…

The post All Ears… first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

The post All Ears… appeared first on I'm Just Thinkin'.

spread the word

I think for most of us that write and/or read blogs the difficult part is going to be to pick just one…

there are sososoooo many good ones today!

If you had to pick a favorite blog to read…

what would it be? (please include a link if you can so we can all head over to visit 🙂 )

Thank you for stopping by to share in the community here, I really appreciate you!!

TGIF !!

The post Celebrating the Gift of Friendship: What is Your Favorite Blog to Read? first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

The post Celebrating the Gift of Friendship: What is Your Favorite Blog to Read? appeared first on I'm Just Thinkin'.

Word Cloud created by wordle.net

Here’s a list of the top commenters for last month…

Carol Peterson (15)

Denise (6)

Cindee Snyder Ree (4)

Sheila Hollinghead (3)

Lynn Mosher (2)

Michael Galloway (2)

Seth Caddell (2)

Traci B (2)

Andrew Z (1)

Bryan Allain (1)

Please click on the listed people to enjoy their blogs, these include some of my favorites!

Thank you for our thoughtful comments here at I’m Just Thinkin’ !!

The post Top Commenters for October 2011 first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

The post Top Commenters for October 2011 appeared first on I'm Just Thinkin'.