With everything that’s gone on in the last few years, I’m getting the chance to revise and repackage Permission to Speak Freely and release it under my new name , Anne Marie Miller. From what I’ve heard from my publisher, there are only a couple hundred of the current version left in Thomas Nelson’s warehouse.
Since I don’t think I’ve ever done a giveaway on this website, I thought I’d go a little old school and give away a few of those books. There are no more like them being produced (instead, Nelson has slightly changed the format, cover, and interior of the ones that will hold retail over until the revised version comes out).
If you haven’t purchased a copy of the book yet, you can try and win one here!
HOW?
Just leave a comment telling me one thing you feel like you can’t say in the church (and you can leave it anonymously as long as you give me a good email address in case you win).
Next Tuesday, May 14 at 10 am CST I will use Random.org to generate five random numbers based on how many comments are written. Those five numbers will each win a signed copy of Permission to Speak Freely AND a random book from my personal library. It could be a coloring book or some awesome new best seller…you just won’t know until you get it.
Comments
49 responses to “Giveaway! Permission To Speak Freely – First Edition!”
I’d probably say something along the lines of “I feel frustrated or depressed after most of the services I attend.”
I feel so inadequate sometimes at my church. It’s like walking into a big Gap commercial. If it wasnt for my faith and knowledge of my loving Father, I’d feel like I wasn’t good enough or beautiful enough to attend my church.
I would have to confess that I judge the people in my church for not being genuine when I myself don’t feel genuine a large part of the time. I feel as no one wants to hear or can really understand my struggles so why should I share them. This causes me to feel isolated and disconnected. I would confess that and as for forgiveness and prayer to not let the enemy use that as a weapon to keep me down and isolated. I think I then might exort others to check their hearts to discover things that are keeping them from being open so we could be a healthier community.
I struggle with just how much to share about my ongoing battle with (sometimes nearly debilitating) depression. It affects my home, my work, my worship, and yet as an employee of the church I sometimes feel like I always have to have my act together, which makes it even harder to share my struggles.
Struggle with depression due to lack of understanding & cliche pentecostal answers.
I sometimes judge the people on how much they give and how much they can afford to give. I can see the lifestyles they live and the tithes they give.
God loves everyone. Everyone. The people you love, the people you hate, people who love Jesus, people who don’t know Jesus. Everyone.
A lot of Christians make me hate God sometimes.
I love him. And I’m not going to hell for it.
I don’t think that my friends who happen to love someone of the same sex are living in sin or going to hell.
Do you realize how the things you say sound to those who don’t attend church or believe in Jesus, yet? Or those of us who do?
I don’t have all the answers. I even have doubts. And I’m a pastor.
I wish I could say how much God has changed me without worrying about being judged for my past.
My inability to overcome sinful tendencies and these tests that I’m enduring financially both tend to make me bitter toward God.
Depression is REAL and we are doing a damn good job of pretending it isn’t. Oh. And stop trying to make the church hip and just start being real. Fake is crap and a lot of churches are full of it.
1. i don’t understand God’s unfailing love for me.
2. we too often forget “it is the sick who need a doctor”.
Yes, I have faith in God, but I still battle crippling depression anyway.
Also, I cannot pray the gay away. I have tried most of my life, yet it is still very much who I am.
Congratulations! And glad you are writing again.
I think that often, the church does more harm than good.
And I think that God loves people too much to send them to hell.
I would say that I don’t fully agree with the concept of overseas missions, due to the way we have destroyed cultures and people groups by our colonizing and evangelizing. Also, I don’t want to lead anyone to Jesus because being a Christian is so. damn. hard. I feel like I would be pulling a bait and switch. Thirdly, sometimes waking up in the morning and facing another day of battling temptation and depression makes me not want to live. Hope can be hard to come by, even in the church and even as a Christian.
This worship music is depressing. Can we please get some more PRAISE music in the house!? Also, you folks who are SO busy with who knows what…so am I, but I MAKE the time to help out around OUR house/city…and so should YOU!
That sounds very prideful and arrogant (the 2nd part), but it is just frustrating. It is like pulling teeth to get some people to do their part (or ANY part, frankly). I understand seasons of rest, but sheesh. Ain’t nobody got time for that! ;)
Divorce is not the answer to your problems.
I feel like I don’t fit in when I attend Bible study small groups.
My marriage had to be saved OUTSIDE of church. I would say that I have come to believe that churches unhealthy places to learn about sex or intimacy. Fill-in-the-blank marriage seminars are no way to learn true intimacy with a spouse. Sadly, I have also come to believe that most mainline denominations teach intimacy with God the same way marriage is taught: take a class, fill in the blank, learn more, master the concepts. This way of thinking led me to believe redemption was MY job, not God’s.
I know what is *expected* as a member of a church….How the bible says we should act and do….
But there is a fear and an inability for many of us (me included) to speak up and ask/say what we *expect* from the church we attend/serve.
From being able to have the ease of plugging in on fellowship, to having an open door policy for counseling, or even just the feeling of being safe to open your heart and mind to someone without harsh judgement. To how deliberate they are with certain subjects and not with others.
We (as Christians) tend to lack that ability….we get so caught up in what church should look like or be, that we forget there are many who the word ‘church’ petrifies them (as it used to do to me).
I think the enemy likes when we are in our church building because then we are not following the greatest commandment “Go out into all the world an make disciples…” Matthew 21:18-19
When we do go out we tend to judge and get angry with people who are not like us. I think we need to learn to love. The people I feel the most loved by are not even Christians. But man are they there for me when I am down.
I’m terrified that I’m too selfish for God to use, but I’m just…so…tired.
I.m thinking of leaving church and feel used for my gifting and not seen for who I am. My view of God is so tied in with church that I am cynical towards both church and God.
That it’s time to plant new expressions of church, the old way is not working. Important, but not working.
“I hate that the Church thinks that Sunday/Wednesday attendance equates to community. I don’t really know most of the people who attend.”
“I feel alone and I wish you’d come over and talk to me.” – New to the church and community and feel like this at almost every new church service I attend.
Did you know that Jesus disagreed and argued with conservatives almost eight times as often as he did with liberals?
I think there is a great deal of unspoken competition among church leadership. Support authentic kingdom expression!
Oh, my; where to start! I might say that I don’t believe taking back our country is the best way to follow Jesus.
…and another one.
Discussion would often get very militant – as in strong language about patriotism and military action and strong sentiment expressed against anyway who spoke for peace or dared to question military action. I really wanted to say that I was proud of my daughter for having just attended a peace rally, but I was too much of a wimp.
Just because I may be gay, does not mean that I am not fit to lead a children or youth ministry. You have isolated me in Jesus’ name and see no fault.
I’d like to gather the 80% who don’t serve in the church and give them the what for…
I would like to tell the church to calm down and stop treating every decision that is made as if it is the end all and be all of Christianity. Just calm down.
I can’t stand the way I feel… Depression, anxiety, pain (literally and it was recently determined to be arthritis in my spine… at 33yrs. young???), marriage problems (tiptoeing on the divorce line). I did go to church and counseled with a pastor, and am currently seeing a psychiatrist about everything, but when I go to church I have a hard time believing the people that are there are really who they are and really want to be there, in my eyes are acting how they think Christians should, and I’ve seen some true colors outside of church which are usually 180 degrees from Sundays. So, how can I trust anyone’s input or trust them period? My life is feeling to me as though each day it has less meaning and purpose, and I continually ask god why I’m here and have yet to grasp a hint of what I exist for. I feel about myself that I am similar to an ant, if you step on it… who really gives it a second thought? I just wait and wonder if something happened to me, would anyone ever really think of me after I’m buried??? And if someone would, what would they think? But, everyday I ask the same question, so I’ll wait for the answer until I get “stepped” on or finally find meaning in my life… I see others on a daily basis that truly and completely enjoy life and am so envious, I want that so badly and haven’t even tasted I morsel of that feeling, I’m sure I felt that way as a child but can’t for the life of me remember how to achieve it or what it feels like to be happy… Sorry to ramble and probably bring everyone’s mood down, but I’ve never really wrote how I honestly feel or told anyone, maybe writing could be a way to help? Who knows… There is much more I could say but won’t put anyone who actually reads this through any more of my depressed thoughts.. I hope everyone has a wonderful day, I’m sure I will…
I felt that I couldn’t say anything about the size of my church. Can’t a congregation be too big at some point? I felt lost again in this sea of strangers. I liked it when it was humanly possible to say hi to everyone.
I would say that I never feel like I belong. I feel like an outcast amongst people. I feel one with God, but not with the church.
I listened on CD and this is a powerful book…even if you don’t win, get it!
It’s hard and often lonely to be a ministry wife.
I don’t like sitting in women’s biblestudies and I don’t want to spend any more time trying to make spiritual growth happen in my life.
I feel like an outsider in a community that brags that they welcome all only to judge.
I would say that we have to stop playing church and be the church! We have to look at what our mandates are and follow through intentionally.
You have made me an outsider, and now I question weather God loves me. Did I sin too much? Did I not have the right credentials? If the people of God won’t let me speak to them about Jesus, maybe I’m not supposed to speak about Jesus at all.
I doubt God because I’m not good enough for your church community.
We’re going to have another baby and I’m afraid you’ll just call me stupid.
THANKS EVERYONE! The winners were selected by Random.org and contacted! Should someone not reply, I will choose another random number! Ya’ll rock.