God Makes Lemonade by Don Jacobson...... with a giveaway

Do you know anyone who could use some encouragement? Perhaps that someone is you. In God Makes Lemonade™ you’ll read stories from everyday folks, people like you and me who discover unexpected sweetness in the midst of sour circumstances. Some of these real-life stories are laugh-out-loud funny, others are sobering, and more than a few will have you reaching for a tissue. But these true stories all have one thing in common: hope. There’s no question that life gives us “lemons,” like issues with health, employment, and relationships, truly sour circumstances we wouldn’t wish on anyone. But when those lemons become lemonade, it’s as refreshing as an ice-cold drink on a hot summer day. It’s true that in life “stuff” happens, but I have found that Lemonade Happens™ too! It is my deepest wish that God Makes Lemonade brings you encouragement and inspiration.


My review:
This is the kind of book that I really enjoy reading: several true stories in one book. And it is a very entertaining and encouraging read. There are all sorts of people and situations in these stories, but they all have one thing in common: a bad situation that turned out for the good in the end, though life for those involved may still not have been perfect, something good came about.

I just received this book in the mail this morning, and have already read most of it, so it is an easy read. Some of the stories made me smile, while on others I found myself getting misty-eyed.

No matter how good a Christian a person is, we all have rough spots in life. Sadness, and sometimes tragedy. And we all need encouragement. The Bible and God is where we need to go first, but books like these can also be a great help, and this one can be.

I highly recommend this book. It will definitely entertain, inspire, and encourage.

About the author:
Don Jacobson’s twenty-five years in publishing included being the president and owner of Multnomah Publishers. He oversaw the production of more than 1,000 titles, including the fivemillion-plus-selling series Stories for the Heart. He’s had the pleasure of working with best-selling authors such as Randy Alcorn, Joni Erickson Tada, Henry Blackaby, Robin Jones Gunn, Karen Kingsbury, Andy Stanley, Bruce Wilkinson, and James Dobson.

Don's story:
Hi, I’m Don Jacobson, and I’m a walking, talking lemonade story.



Back in 1980, I was a happily married twenty-four-year-old who enjoyed a physically demanding job in commercial construction. I knew my future was bright, and I knew what it would take to get there: hard work, planning, and dedication.


Then, one winter night, a shooting accident changed everything. I nearly died as I lay for hours beneath a tree, but miracle after miracle happened to keep me allive—a story you can read in full in God Makes Lemonade. I spent nine agonizing days in critical condition, and nearly a month in the hospital. When I left, things looked bleak, and I could no longer physically provide for my family.


It took a while for God to turn that lemon into lemonade, but in the end it was wonderfully sweet. I began to work in Christian publishing, and the shape of my life changed forever. Now, 25 years later, I see that not being able to work with my hands forced me to work with my head and heart, and both my family and my career became better than I could ever have imagined.


My wife, Brenda, and I know that the hardships of life have molded our characters and turned us into people we would never have been apart from the pain. Looking back, I wouldn’t trade the hardest times of my life for anything, because they led me toward something better . . . something God had planned all along.


When I share my lemonade story with friends, two amazing things happen. My story inspires others and gives them hope. Then, almost without fail, my friends excitedly tell me their lemonade story, and I’m filled with inspiration and hope in return.


Recently it hit me: we all have lemonade stories—so what would happen if we could share them with the people around the world who need them most? That’s the dream of the God Makes Lemonade series: to publish true stories to encourage people in sour circumstances that God is at work making lemonade.

Check out the website for God Makes Lemondade.
Find them on Facebook.
And on twitter.

Giveaway:
Courtesy of Lemondade Books, I have two copies of God Makes Lemonade to give away. I will pick two winners two weeks from today on December 3.

To enter, just comment on this blog post/book review.

Thanks to Lemonade Books for the review and giveaway copies.