Book Review: Rick and Bubba's Guide to... Marriage

Rick and Bubba's Guide to the Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage by Rick Burgess


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Before reading this book, I had not heard of Rick and Bubba so I had no idea what to expect beyond what I read on TN info page.

The blurb I read promised, "This book will revolutionize your way of looking at married life. And it might just remind you all over again why you fell in love in the first place."

Sadly it did neither. It did make me giggle- a bit, but over all I was bored, waiting for it to get funny. -Sorry, but I must be honest.-

I don't think joking about weight and the attitudes around it are funny. I believe we must work hard to keep our bodies healthy and one of the best gifts I have given my family is my attempt to LIVE a healthy life and be a good example of that type of lifestyle so they can LIVE to see their grandchildren.

It was hard for me to get past the authors' joking and see the point.

I guess I should have realized that size is part of the joking this book surrounds, and I'm not the right person to read this book and get anything out of it.


Rick and Bubba's Guide to the Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage

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New Update on my Aunt Becki:

I have just been sent a new update on my Aunt Becki who is in the middle of Chemo for lung and kidney cancer.
Please keep her in your prayers.


Buffalo You-Tube Links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS7misT3Mag&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM

Dear Buffaloes,

I write you this prayer update with great praise on my lips and in my heart for what God is doing in this process. I see Becki almost daily and it is evident she is gaining strength. We also praise God that the often-devastating side effects of treatment have been minimal.

Melinda Scott has organized this weekend as a “Global Weekend of Prayer for Becki!” The insights that are already pouring forth from this are amazing. Our sincere thanks to all of you involved in these three days of prayer and fasting.

Becki and I have a mutual friend, which many of you who receive this may also know. Maggie and Rich Taylor currently serve as senior pastors in Flagstaff, AZ and have served our Foursquare family as missionaries. John and Becki Rusk were senior pastors of this Flagstaff church just prior to Maggie and Rich Taylor. This week Maggie underwent a double mastectomy and many of us who have prayed for Becki have now joined ranks in praying for Maggie.

Only this morning I received a message from Maggie’s daughter with this quote from Maggie, “This is what it feels like to be lowered down on the mat through the roof tiles to Jesus by your friends.” What an amazing example in the Word. These words brought tears to my eyes as I could just see the picture in my mind and heart. I love that God asks us to carry each other. For both Maggie and Becki, many people are committed to pray and “carry a rope to help them through the roof to Jesus!”

I want to take a moment and thank each of you for your prayer support. John and Becki truly appreciate you.

There is an importance of our continued and steadfast commitment in this matter. I ask you at this hour to remain like a soldier who stands watch in the night. The “Word” we hide in our hearts regarding Becki is total and complete healing. Yet, we know in Mark 4 that the enemy comes “immediately” (vs. 15) to steal that Word. If that does not work, then we see he comes “afterward” (vs. 17) to cause us to stumble in the Word, and if these tactics do not work, he attempts to “choke” (vs. 19) the Word out of us. Knowing that the enemy wants to steal the Word from us we must remain strong in our faith.

Our position of faith is seen in the story of the four friends when the Word indicates (Mark 2) that “Jesus saw their (friends) faith” and this is when the miraculous was released! As I conclude the remarks for this communication I am struck by the last words of the text surrounding the story of the four friends, “…all were amazed and glorified God, saying, We never saw anything like this!”

Partnering Together in the Miraculous,

MEDICAL REPORT UPDATE FOR BECKI RUSK

• TREATMENTS: Becki has concluded three chemo treatments and is doing well with the process.
• DR. COMP: Becki will see Dr. Comp, the pulmonary specialist, on Monday, August 17. This doctor is a wonderful Christian man whom we know personally and we are all looking forward to his involvement in the case. We continue to thank God for the amazing medical team that has come together for Becki.
• REPORTS: It will be another 5-7 weeks before additional scans are taken. Therefore, we will not have medical reports showing shrinkage and/or removal of the spots from her lungs until that time. We always have the “report of the Lord!”

SPECIFIC PRAYER REQUESTS

• MAGGIE TAYLOR: Becki asks that you pray for her friend and co-laborer in ministry, Maggie Taylor, as she recovers from the double mastectomy.
• CANCER FREE: These are the days that we “hold our ground” that Becki’s body be completely cancer free.
• SIDE EFFECTS: The drugs that the doctors are using in Becki’s body can cause side effects that could damage other organs in her body. Please pray that her other vital organs remain healthy.
• MINISTRY: John will return to Africa on Wednesday for a short ministry trip (8/19-9/3). He will travel with Rev. Richard Casteel. Pray for both of them as they minister with local leaders in churches and at the Namibian national conference. Becki is asking God how best to utilize the time she has at home to be most effective in the furtherance of the gospel. Pray for both of them as they make ministry adjustments in this season. The enemy wants this couple down but we stand with them in the Spirit to release even greater measures of ministry in this hour.
• SOUTH AFRICA: The national leader of the Foursquare work in South Africa, Pastor Xavier Andriansse and his wife Heather, will travel in the fall to the US. During their stay with us we will discuss the specifics of how to pray for the extended work in South Africa and Southern Africa in general. Please pray for Pastor Xavier as he seeks God. We are asking God to download spiritual strategies to reach farther than ever before with the work of the ministry. There is currently a strong focus on the 2010 Soccer World Cup Outreach. Please pray on these matters and also for the many teams from Foursquare churches all over the world that will travel to South Africa for this opportunity of extended ministry.

Marion

Connections...

I have learned a HUGE lesson over the past few months.

Getting published has allot to do with who you know.

I know a TON of wonderful people, but none that are editors, agents or have those connections. -Or so I thought!

One of my girlfriends brought her kids for a visit this weekend and much to my surprise she is good friends with the CEO of a very large Christian publishing company! AND better yet, she asked me for my manuscript so she can pass it on to him! GULP! YEAH!

I am excited by the possibilities, but at the same time realize that if this is not the path for my manuscript -or me- God will intercede.

I have a full week planned. I must write a 750 word story based on the prompt "Mystery by the Sea" for the local SINC meeting next Monday, send out the queries that I didn't send last week, and prepare for a trek to NY for good friends wedding.

I have posted a few of my thoughts on my family blog here. Come on over and share your thoughts.

I hope you have a wonderful week.

Work

Can I really call what I do work?
When you love what you do is that considered work, even if you put hours and hours into it?

Anyway, I am home now and back to the grindstone I love so much.

My goals for the week are pretty simple:

1. Wait patiently for responses to the materials I have already sent out. (Much harder than I ever imagined)

2. Send out three more queries. I am down to the ones that must be mailed or have more than the one page query. No biggie just more work- which I love, so not bad right? :)

3. Enjoy my children while they are out of school. The summer is rushing by and I am SO very glad for the little moments I get with them.

4. Keep ALL online social networking to a minimum. It sucks huge amounts of time away from the important things in life.

5. Take one online writing course. I love learning and am looking forward to strengthening my talents.

6. Work out daily! Yipee! To make this fun I only allow myself to play my Iphone games while working out. It makes that time on the bike go by so fast. (BTW. I did fit into my dress last week. Yipee!)

Hope you all are doing well and having a great week!

Please remember my Aunt Becki and Kate McRae in your prayers.

Goals Accomplished

I accomplished all of my work goals last week, including sending out 5 queries.

I have received one pass and on Saturday I had a request for a partial! Yeah! I should find out within the next 3 to 6 weeks if this agent would like to represent me.

My WIP got a few hours out of me. I'm still doing research and playing around with the plot. It's coming together, slower than my other works but this one is such a work of heart, and those take time. Yeah!

My SINC group loved the Web site I put together for them. I am putting on all of our member info and will share it when I am finished.

I worked out all but Wednesday when I had a deep tissue massage that had me sore and in pain. But I did work out every other day last week. I am starting to feel more like my old self who was in GREAT shape. -before my back injuries and laziness hit! I'm not quite there yet but it is happening.

This week is full of FUN and friends. No work allowed! -besides this post-
My best friend's husband is retiring from a prestigious Military career. Which includes a few deployments, command time and he has been working at the White House for the last five years. When you retire from The White House they throw you a HUGE retirement party and we have been invited! I can't tell you how proud we are of him and his service to our country. We plan to PARTY with him and his family.
I hope to snap some photos to show you next week.

Please keep my aunt Becki and friend Kate McRae in your prayers. They are battling cancer and the fight is far from over. Both start treatment this week and we are praying for healing and strength.

Thanks for visiting me and I look forward to hearing about your week and the goals you accomplished.

Promise # 3

I promise to do as much research I can on a book BEFORE I write it. AND if I choose not to write the truth about what I have learned, I will place that information where all can see it!

I am reading a book that is touted as being based on Biblical truths. So I believed the book's cover and encouraged others to read this book for our book club meeting this month.

Oh how misled I was. This author has taken names and a few facts and has written a great story but nothing except the names are true.

It is sad because this book is so very popular and I fear that if the readers don't do their own research, they will be misled.

Many of the men in the book are terrible men and not the Godly patriarchs the Bible and other midrashim state is the truth.

It is so sad because this book could have helped shed light on a very sad story from the Bible. Even if it had been written loosely on the Biblical characters, it would have made a great enlightening story.

Anyway, I will attempt, in every way I am able, to keep the three promises I have made so far.

The first is: Never leave my readers in a lurch. It is explained and can be found here.

The second is: ALWAYS offer my readers HOPE. here.

I strongly believe that authors have a responsibility to our readers. My promises are made in an effort to respect you, my readers.

What do you think are an author's responsibilities? Can an author write a good book if they don't follow them?

Have a great weekend!

Busy Week

This week holds so much promise.

I have set a few goals for myself and these are the ones that pertain to my writing:

~I am sending out 5 more queries this week. It has been over a month since my last ones were sent out, but there has been no response as of yet. The word is that agents are being bombarded by those of us wishing we were represented and that even the "No's" are taking forever. No big deal. I will press on.

The agent who is meant to represent me will find me eventually- no matter what problems economic issues cause.

~I will be working on my work in progress. I plan to wake early and get a few uninterrupted hours of work in.

~I have sent my manuscript to someone interested... It is not for a book deal but could open so many doors. More info to come...

~I am now the Webmaven for my local Sisters in Crime chapter. I unveil the new site tonight. I have learned so much from this group and helping in this small way is the least I can do. I can't wait to show it off to you all! But the chapter gets to see it first...

~I WILL work out daily. I WILL fit into my favorite dress by the end of the month! How does this fit in with my writing goals? I fully believe my mind and body work better when I am getting exercise.

So there are my goals for the week ahead.

Hope you have a fabulous week.

Please remember Kate and her family in your prayers. www.prayforkate.com