"Every Body Matters" Blog Tour: Sign Up to Review New Book by Gary Thomas

 

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Hey Bloggers, we're giving away copies of Gary Thomas' new book Every Body Matters: Strengthening Your Body to Strengthen Your Soul to bloggers for review.

Every Body Matters explores how becoming proactive about our physical health can lead to "a fortified soul" that's better able to serve and love others. Thomas includes ways to fight health-related temptation, and how we can pursue transormation from "heads without bodies" into whole-bodied servants of God.

I've included an excerpt from Every Body Matters below about "faithful fitness" so you can get a better feel for Thomas' approach. If you're interested in reviewing Every Body Matters on your blog, please sign up below!

 

How to Participate in the Every Body Matters Blog Tour

1. Sign up below by Thursday, Dec. 1. If your blog is selected, we will ship a  copy of Every Body Matters to you.
2. Please post your review on your blog during the week of 1/16 or 1/23. Leave a comment here with a link to your review, because we're interested in your thoughts on the book!
3. In your post, please mention that Zondervan provided you with the book free of charge, for the purpose of review.
4. Finally, publish your review on another book website such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or LibraryThing.

 

 (DON'T SEE A SIGNUP FORM? Go here.)

 

 

An Excerpt from Every Body Matters

If swimming laps or doing Pilates won't substitute for regular study, prayer, and spiritual devotions, but taking off the shackles of laziness, overeating, and the physical debilitation brought about by ignoring our physical fitness can set our souls on a course of pursuing God with a renewed vigor, earnestness, and delight. Christianity Today columnist Carolyn Arends writes of feeling convicted about "spiritualizing" her inclination toward avoiding physical fitness by focusing on "soul things" instead of "body things." A wake-up call provided by her parents' bout with ill health led to a significant life change, after which Carolyn concludes the following: Jesus called us to love God with our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. Just as his words disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed, they call the overactive to stillness and activate the overly still. They restore the soul to those who overemphasize the body, and redeem the body for those who focus only on the soul...   For your own health and vitality, your own spirituality, your own family, and your own personal satisfaction — will you consider [the idea of 'faithful fitness']? Not as a diet. Not as a fad. But as a life change, birthed as a spiritual exercise, a part of your worship, a new way of surrendering to God's presence in your life... I pointed out to [my son] once how, though exercise and staying in shape require a lot of work and even regular pain, not being in shape requires its own pains and labors. If I'm going to hurt in this fallen world — and everyone of us will — I'd rather hurt and be sore getting in shape than hurt and be sore because my body isn't fit. By God's design, we are a people with souls who desperately yearn for intimacy with God — people whose souls reside in bodies that can hinder or help this pursuit. Which will it be?

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Learn more about Every Body Matters.

Find more resources by Gary Thomas at  www.garythomas.com.

 

- Adam Forrest, Zondervan Internet Team

(This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its representatives. The writer's opinions are their own, and are shared for information purposes only. To receive new blog posts in your reader or email inbox, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.)

 

Comments

[Christina Puntigam]

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review this great book! Here's the link to my blog post http://handsonhomearts.blogspot.com/2012/01/every-body-matters-by-gary-thomas.html as well as the link to the review on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/review/RHCL1VCRR8KRO/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

[Dawn @ Guiding Light]

Here is a link to my review: http://guidinglighths.com/book-review-every-body-matters-by-gary-thomas/. Blessings!

[Jill Jones]

My review posted on my blog 1/24/12.
http://iambelievinggod.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/physical-fitness-impacts-spiritual-growth/

[Chelle]

I fully enjoyed this book! My book review can be found at http://chelled.blogspot.com/2012/01/every-body-matters-gary-thomas.html

[Donna Safford]

Thank you for the book! Here is my review. It is also posted on Amazon.

http://bookworm56.blogspot.com/2012/01/every-body-matters-by-gary-thomas.html

[Diane Busch]

This book was very motivating. Our review is posted on our blog http://rivertreereads.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-book-review_24.html

Thank you.

[Megan]

I really enjoyed this book. My review is at http://hopintomyworld.blogspot.com/2012/01/every-body-matters-by-gary-thomas.html

I also posted it at cbd.com

[Steven R. McEvoy]

This is one of the best books I have read it years. It is a theological, biblical and church history look at why as Christians we need to look after the body so that we can have better quality of life, better service to God and more years of service. A review of Every Body Matters - by Gary L Thomas from Zondervan amazing book for body mind and spirit! Find the biblical and historical, theological evidence of why we as Christians should look after the body in order to have a stronger mind and spirit! Poster on my blog http://bit.ly/EBMGLT1 Book Reviews and More and at http://bit.ly/EBMGLT2 Catholic Dad's Online.

[Exploringapprenticeship]

Thanks for the review copy. Here's my review which I also posted on Amazon: http://exploringapprenticeship.com/2012/01/24/review-every-body-matters-by-gary-thomas/

[Mike Safford]

I really enjoyed the book. My review is on my blog and at Barnes and Noble.

http://travelswithcarsandbooks.blogspot.com/2012/01/every-body-matters-by-gary-thomas.html

[Charity]

Unfortunately, I was not particularly thrilled with the position the book presented, you may read why at the following URL -

http://www.thebookwormfairy.com/2012/01/book-review-every-body-matters-by-gary.html

[Adam Forrest (Zondervan employee)]

Thanks to everyone who's submitted their review so far! I'm glad so many found the book encouraging. Your posts are making me think - which I like.

Charity, I want to give a special thanks to you for sharing your honest criticism. Your post made me think as well.

-Adam

[Christina Weigand]

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book. It has served as a real eye opener for me and I thank Mr. Thomas for writing this book.
Here is the link to my review. I have also posted it on Amazon.

http://www.weigandchris.com/http:/book-review-every-body-matters-a-must-read-for-all-christians

[Joyce]

I also enjoyed the book and found it very motivating. Here's my review, which was also posted at Amazon.com:
http://journeydeeper.org/blog/2012/01/review-every-body-matters-by-gary-thomas/

[LynnP]

Loved this book.. Thanks so much for a copy.. I will also post this on Barnes and Noble..

Here is my review:
http://ladybug-chronicles.blogspot.com/2012/01/every-body-matters-by-gary-thomas-book.html

[LynnP]

I mentioned that I was going to post my review to Barnes and Noble and it's actually at Amazon. com. thanks

[HopefulLeigh]

I posted my review today: http://www.leighkramer.com/blog/2012/01/body-faith.html

It's a great start to the conversation.

[Conrade Yap]

This book is a wake-up call for us to be healthy in mind+body+soul. It gives a fresh perspective of what it means to love God + our neightbours with our hearts, our minds, and our souls. The body is a primary vehicle to do that.

Blog Link: http://booksaint.blogspot.com/2012/01/every-body-matters-gary-thomas.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3ECR6RME38TK3/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Thanks for the opportunity to review this book.

conrade

[Michael Fletcher]

I appreciated the opportunity to review "Every Body Matters." My review is posted here: http://www.examiner.com/bible-in-richmond/every-body-matters-by-gary-thomas-review and my Amazon review is here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3KK8GHIYKLSWY

[Laura Taylor]

Here's a link to my blog review which is a bit more personal than the revised post on Amazon: http://thimblefuloftime.blogspot.com/