The Shack by William P. Young

Be afraid, be very afraid! Doogie passed his driver's test today and will now be menacing sidewalks everywhere. It was a rough process for him (this wasn't his first time), but I'm proud of him for not giving up and finally getting it done! Of course less than five minutes after he called to tell me, the pit opened in my stomach as I thought about him driving alone, and driving with his sisters in the car, and paying for insurance. It's a big blessing because it will mean a lot less gas used by his dad and I as we transfer him from Oconto to Gillett and back again. It's a big day for him, and one more step to growing up and away. He'll be a senior this year, and hopefully will get a job by the end of the summer.

I have big news I'm very excited to share with you: tomorrow I'm participating in a bloggers conference call with author William P. Young. Young wrote the bestseller The Shack which has really taken off. It's an amazing book, and if you'd like to win a copy, send an email to christysbookblog@gmail.com before midnight on Friday. I'll announce the winner on Saturday when I post my transcript of the interview. Good luck!

The Shack by William P. Young is the story of Mack, a man whose world shattered with the kidnapping and murder of his little girl, Missy, in a shack in the remote Oregon wilderness. Her death turned him away from God and from much of the joy he had in life. Three years later, Mack gets a note in his mailbox inviting him to come to the shack for the weekend. It's signed "Papa." Papa is the pet name his wife uses for God. Mack heads up to the shack to determine if the note is for real or just some sick joke, and what he finds is beyond his wildest imagination. God in all three persons appears to Mack and invites him to get to know all three of them better. This book has been referred to as the Pilgrim's Progress for our generation, and for the impact that it can have, I agree. Young's writing is conversational and inviting. His descriptions of the wilderness and the visions Mack sees are vivid and lifelike. Mack asks Papa the important questions about the meaning of suffering and life, and Papa answers with disarming honesty and love. It's the rare kind of book that can honestly change your life if you let it. I've been trying to love my family more, and I've been looking at the world in a new way. The Bible has been said to be God's love letter to the world, but many will never get that message. In The Shack, that's Papa's most important message: I love you! The book alternately broke me down and built me up. I'm telling everyone I know about it!

Don't forget to sign up to win your own copy!