A Cup of Cold Water in His Name: A Book Review and a Giveaway!

In this day of media overload, we are often left to wonder if the personalities we see on the TV interviews are really what they portray themselves to be. The same things go through my head when I read a book that inspires me...what is this person really like?

I had a chance to meet Lorie Newman before she wrote    A Cup of Cold Water in His Name when we were in the same speaker evaluation group at She Speaks in 2011. I remember thinking then that this woman is the real deal. She shared stories of some of the places she has traveled to minister to those the world tries to forget. She made us laugh when she shared times that didn't go as planned. Overall, she made me want to be more like her....more like Jesus. She inspired me.

Her book is like sitting down to coffee with her. It's a conversation on ways to serve the needy, but not in a preachy format. It's a practical guide that helps you identify where you can plug in and what you can do.

Lorie breaks the book into five sections, from Feeding the Hungry and Thirsty to Caring for the Sick to Ministering to the Prisoner. Each section is divided into chapters that provide concrete examples of things you can do at your level of means, ability, and desire, titled deep, deeper, and deeper still.

For example, under Feeding the Hungry and Thirsty, one of the deep ideas is to take a meal to a Ronald McDonald House Charity. A deeper idea is to sponsor a child through one of the reputable agencies. The deeper still options were anything from raise funds to dig a well in Africa to start a Cook and Play ministry, like Jackie Brown did.

The pages are laid out in an easy to read format with little blurbs of statistics and helpful agencies tucked in. It's the kind of book you can come back to again and again for ideas and encouragement.

She also includes an appendix with resources for going on a mission trip and adoption; she has two adopted children, one from Haiti and one from Liberia. In the back of the book is a short bio of her; in the info I came across an article she wrote that I think you might enjoy. It's called "I'm Done Playing Church." Can I get an amen?

*When I told Lorie I was featuring her book, she generously offered to provide a copy for a giveaway. Here's my ask: share this post on your Facebook or blog, if you have one. If you share it on a blog, be sure to give me the address so I can let me know where you are. Then, come back to this post, either as a FB comment or a blog comment, and let me know that you did it. I would also love to hear where God is leading you to serve in His name but that is not a requirement. No pressure. Sharing is enough to get your name in the drawing. I will let you know Tuesday who the winner is...you have until Monday night to share.