Chesed

Monday November 21, 2011

By Michelle November 21, 2011 Uncategorized 55 Comments

Life is for living (not for waiting around)

This is my favorite giveaway of all because it is written by one of my best friends. Anita has been a sister friend to me, ever since I was the awkward twelve year old who moved into her community and hung onto every word of her sixteen year old coolness. I was in awe of her because she was beautiful, articulate, and laughed with abandon. Even then, I would ask her to critique some of my essays.

Anita lives without reserve and without fear. When I said I was writing a book she yelled, “Go for it” the loudest. It took Christy and I almost eight years. Four years after we started, she decided to write a book AND she finished it a year later (long before ours ever hit the shelves).

Her book is an invitation to single women to live life abundantly. She delves into truths fearlessly:

“My gift of singleness used to look ugly to me. For a long time, I wanted to keep it at arm’s length and tried to avoid looking at it. I didn’t want to unwrap the brown paper. I wanted the pretty gifts that my friends were getting. God, the miser, was cheating me.”
“This book reveals the discoveries I made when I decided to accept and embrace God’s gift. I learned that as long as a gift stays on the table, untouched, it’s not useful or enjoyable to anyone. And the only way I could have the courage to open that unpleasant-looking box sitting on the table of my heart was when I learned to know the Giver of the gift. I came to know His character and His love, and became convinced that He would never give me something inferior or shabby.
“I know the sting of sudden tears. I know the sobs that emerge out of solitude. I know the questions with no answers: “Why didn’t that man choose me? Will I always travel alone?
“But I never want to forget in the darkness what I’ve learned in the light. This book is my story, and the things I’ve learned — and keep learning. The book is not a discussion on how to attract a man’s attention, nor is it a funeral dirge of lost hopes. It will not give you a magic formula that gets rid of all your loneliness permanently. Neither will it promise that you’ll never cry again. But it shares a journey of discovery and an invitation to acknowledge God’s gifts — His creative, generous, surprising gifts.”

And that’s what I love about Anita. She lives life passionately. Not hiding hard things in the dark crevices of her heart but looking at them face on. She is passionate about knowing God. About living life abundantly and without reserve. Life was meant to be lived well … whether it’s building a snowman while waiting on the train or teaching English to Polish students or grieving losses and celebrating gifts. I love the way she lives life with so much J O Y.

While this book is written for single women particularly, there are parts of it that apply to many women. Under the paragraphs specifically relating to singleness are rich, deep truths that speak life to any woman who knows ongoing loss of a dream. Ongoing loss of a dream (singleness, infertility) is different than a one time loss. Not that one is easier or harder, they are just different. I’m not single. But I love reading pages in her book because I still struggle with some of the exact same underlying issues and I love the way Anita takes you to God and his goodness.

Anita has generously offered to give away not one but TWO books! To enter, leave a comment on this post. You do not have to be a member of xanga to enter, but if you are not a xanga member, please check back after the giveaway ends or leave your email address in your comment because I will not be able reach you otherwise. You can earn a second entry by linking this post to your blog or facebook.

Two people will win one copy of Life is for Living (not for waiting around).

Anita blogs here.

And if you’d like to order a copy of the book for yourself or to give to a friend, teacher, mentoree …. you can find them here.

And just for fun, if I were to give this book as a Christmas present, it might look something like this:

November 11_0046-1

snacks
a candle
scarf
a quick fix meal (if she lives by herself …. do you know how hard it is to cook for one person?)
even better, you could add an invitation for her to join you for dinner at your house
Or if she lives with her family you could pair it up with a Starbucks card and a warm scarf and lovely scented lotion

So whether you are entering for yourself or to give as a gift, good luck on winning!  Giveaway ends on November 28th.

*********** This giveaway is now closed ********************

55 thoughts on “Monday November 21, 2011”

  1. FOREVERLANE

    I just love when single women embrace their gift~it’s a beautiful thing! I’d love to read this book, and maybe pass it on to a friend? I was almost 25 when I got married, so that’s hardly enough time to “qualify” as a long-time single person, but I loved those years that I did have, and not knowing the future, I wanted to follow the attitudes of my hero, Elizabeth Elliot, whether in marriage or singleness, accepting each as a gift from the Lord. {And now, I am in that busy stage of life with young ones and am still learning daily to embrace *this* gift with joy!!} 🙂 Thanks for sharing this book, Michelle!

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  17. mjbirky

    Anita is my cousin!  And I really enjoyed her book for the same reasons that you gave ~ it’s not only for single women and the way she points us to God!  I was single until I was 37 so can identify with her book!  I would like to read your book, but I haven’t yet!  One of these days!!  God bless you! ~Myra Birky  (rockinb@rtinet.com)

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  30. bonjo22

    I am 31, single, have read this book several times. I LOVE book. It has been so helpful in pointing me to God. Right now my current copy is out on loan and I’d love to have another copy to give to more of my single friends.

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  31. kendrajoychupp85

    *Smiles* I got this book from my aunt Mim a couple years ago, and on one of Dad’s rummages through my bookshelf, he found it and fell in love with it too! He says it’s good stuff for anybody, even a fifty-ish married man! LOL. We bought more copies and have given them as gifts. I’m not entering the drawing by saying all this – just giving it a five-star recommendation.

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  32. down_onthefarm

    i don’t win giveaways *snicker* but i still just love ’em. 🙂 what fun! and cool baskety idea!

    marriage is not necessarily the cure for pain of loneliness. sometimes it adds to the agony. so i hear ya on the connection that is offered to the underlying issues we may have regardless of marital status.  this anita friend of yours intrigues me. as does her book. i happen to love people who are passionate about God, building snowmen while waiting, and acknowledging darkness while learning In The Light to discover “His creative, generous, surprising gifts.” 

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  35. cher81

    I always have appreciated your honesty, Michelle. That’s something I hope I’m growing in, learning that it’s okay to be real, to be vulnerable.
    Would love to read the book. ~Cheryl

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  46. Happy_Nomad

    Even though Anita and I have never officially met, we’ve shared very personal things with each other and I consider her a dear, close friend. If I win her book, I’ll definitely be regifting it to benefit other of my friends.

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