First Things First & A Giveaway!

Five Minutes for Faith is pleased to welcome author and speaker Kathy Howard, as she shares what she’s learned from her mother during our Mother’s Day series. You will want to read through to the end of the post, as Kathy has so graciously offered to give away one of her books, which I am sure you will want to enter for a chance to win!

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Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31 NIV)

When I was in high school, everyone always hung out at my house. The birthday parties, the sleepovers, the movie nights all usually happened there. Looking back, I realize my mom had a lot to do with it. My friends liked her as much as they liked me. Often, they’d rather be at our house than their own.

It wasn’t because Mom tried to be cool or keep in step with the times. She simply cared about them and it showed. She asked questions and listened to the answers. She laughed with them and cried with them.

My mother didn’t teach me much about cooking or cleaning. Her sewing lessons consisted of sewing on buttons and hemming pants. But mom taught me a lot about what matters most. She modeled how to genuinely love and care for people.

Don’t get me wrong, Mom fed us well and kept the house clean, but she invested the bulk of her time in things that matter more than a gourmet meal or spotless floors.

The way mom spent her time and energy clearly demonstrated her priorities. God came first. Then my dad, me, and my brother. Next were the people God put in her life to serve – my grandparents, the people at church, our neighbors. Then the toilets were scrubbed, the clothes were washed, and the groceries were bought.

Today, so many of us seem to get it backwards. Our fast-paced, get-it-done society pushes us to accomplish things, succeed, and do more. But at the end of the day, little time or energy remains for our families or our friends.

Sometimes believers get the Christian life backwards too. We allow religion to override a relationship with the Savior. We spend our time “doing” church and nothing is left to simply sit in God’s presence. Religious works without a vibrant relationship with Jesus will only sap our spiritual strength and leave our faith dry, weak, and flat.

My mother kept her priorities straight. She taught me how important it is to foster and maintain the relationships in my life- especially my relationship with God. I must admit, sometimes I forget. Sometimes I get caught up in “busy,” but then I remember Mom’s wise example and I pause.

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“Relationship over religion” is attitude #1 from Kathy Howard’s new book “Fed Up with Flat Faith: 10 Attitudes & Actions to Pump Up Your Faith.” Kathy helps women live an unshakeable faith for life by encouraging them to stand firm on our rock-solid God no matter the circumstances of life. The author of five books, Kathy has a Masters in Christian Education and a certificate in women’s ministry. She has been teaching the Bible for over 25 years and speaks regularly at women’s retreats and events.

One of our readers will win a copy of this amazing book. Here is a small excerpt:

Desperate. Tired. Flat. Dry. Do those words describe your faith when what you really want is a fiery, passionate, connected faith? You’re not alone in your  struggle with flat faith. What you need is to pump up your faith and let God create the roaring blaze you so desperately long for in your daily walk.

How to enter:

Leave a comment on this post, sharing one attitude of faith that you try to live by. (MANDATORY ENTRY)

For additional entries (1 per action done):

1. Visit Kathy’s site and look at the other books she’s written. Share which one you’d like to read and why.
2. Subscribe to Kathy’s blog and tell us how you do.
3. Sign up to receive Kathy’s FREE E-Newsletter.
4. Follow Kathy on Twitter. (Leave your Twitter handle in the comment.)
5. Subscribe to 5 Minutes for Faith (and tell us how you do).

This giveaway will remain open until 9PM (Central Time) on Wednesday, May 15th. A winner will be chosen using Random.org. All winners for all giveaways in this series will be notified by email and announced at 5 Minutes for Faith on Friday, May 17th. Please make sure your email address appears in the comments. (U.S. & Canada entries only.)

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Kathy and her husband live in the Houston area and have three children, a son-in-law, and one precious grandbaby. Find out about her books and speaking ministry and get discipleship tools and leader helps at her website: www.kathyhoward.org.  You can also find Kathy on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Youtube.