I wish you could see how beautiful and glossy they are – this pic really doesn’t do them justice. Inside you’ll find the story behind Footprints, as well as info on our two books “Clues to your Calling” and “Decadence”, an invitation for writers, and of course, how to sign up to our great mag!

But the catch is – they’re no good just sitting here in the Footprints office.

We need to get them out into the community, so that more people can learn about our wonderful little mag! This is where YOU can help!

If you would like some brochures to pass on to your church, ladies group, playgroup, school, family or friends, all you have to do is ASK! Write or email us with your name and address, along with how many brochures you think you could use.

And to thank you for helping us, we’re running a special comp. Each person who requests some brochures will go into the draw to WIN a copy of “Climbing Mountains: one young woman’s journey through breast cancer” by Stacey Charbachi  and “God’s Poetry: the identity and destiny encoded in your name” by Anne Hamilton. What do these two books have in common (apart from being a great inspirational read, of course!)?

Both of the authors are subscribers to Footprints! Oh, and both books are available from our good friends at www.lightthedark.com.au.

 The competition closes on 31 July – so make sure you order  your brochures today, to go in the draw to WIN!

The inspiration behind the competition is the well-known passage in Titus 2:3-5 … Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

In the pages of Footprints you will find many articles and stories by women, passing on their hard-won wisdom to encourage and build up others, and teach them what is good. We all have a story, and at Footprints we encourage our readers to share it!

Send in your tip in 25 words or less, for your chance to win a gift pack of books by Aussie Christian authors, worth nearly $60! The pack will include:

• The first three books in the “Heart of Green Valley” series by Meredith Resce (usually $14.95 each);
• “Climbing Mountains: one young woman’s journey through breast cancer” by Stacey Charbachi (RRP $16.95); and
• “The Significant You … and Me” by Dianne Riley (RRP $12.50)*.

HURRY, ENTRIES CLOSE 31 DECEMBER 2010! Send your words of wisdom to editor@footprintsaustralia.com  or Footprints, PO Box 1962, Cleveland DC Qld 4163. Winners will be announced in our Autumn 2011 (#53) issue.

You can order any of these books (and plenty of other great Australian Christian titles!) from our editor Janet, who is an authorised Light the Dark representative. Email editor@footprintsaustralia.com or visit www.lightthedark.com.au to find out more. Or why not ask your local library to order them in so not only you can read them, but others will discover them as well?

*Coming soon!       

PS This is the 100th Footprints blog post! Yay us!

2010 will see the release of the 50th issue of Footprints in May, and we are looking for a FOOTPRINTS COVER GIRL to mark this exciting occasion!

This is not your typical “model” comp – because at Footprints we feature REAL women on our covers – all ages, sizes, shapes and nationalities! What we are looking for is a photo of a woman enjoying life to the full (John 10:10), someone who shines with the love of Jesus (Phil 2:15).

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

• Submit your colour photo as a high resolution jpeg (preferred), or good quality print 10x15cm or larger.
• Send to us with the following details: model AND photographer’s name and address, email and phone numbers, along with a brief explanation (50 words or less) of why you think your photo would make a great Footprints cover.
• Models and photographers must be over 18 as at 28 February 2010.
• By entering, you grant Footprints permission to use your image in the magazine and for promotional purposes.
• Contest open to Australian residents only.
• Footprints Team, immediate family & previous covergirls may not enter.
• Judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
• Enter as many times as you like!
• Competition closes midnight 28 February 2010. 

PRIZES

• $80 gift voucher from Light the Dark the Australian Christian party plan—visit their website  at www.lightthedark.com.au to see their great range!
• Pamper Pack including goodies from Mary Kay
• Canvas of your photo from Purdie Photography www.purdiephotography.com
• 3 year subscription to Footprints for you AND a friend!

If you are a budding photographer, this is a FANTASTIC opportunity – your pic on the cover of a national magazine!!!! Or maybe you just have a favourite photo of yourself hanging around – that you think sums up exactly what Footprints is all about. If so, we’d LOVE to see it!

So far we’ve only received ONE entry … so come on Australia, don’t be shy, show us your Footprints smiles!

The new Footprints has landed! Issue #47 is chock-full of great reading, including:

- Don’t fear DISABILITY
- JUST VISITING: what it’s like to be the new person at church
- YOUNG PEOPLE: often blamed for all of society’s ills, but are they really so bad?!
- Reaching out to those in financial crisis: CHRISTIANS AGAINST POVERTY
- Getting the most out of your next trip to the GP
- MARRIAGE MATTERS: a personal story, with helpful hints for those whose partner doesn’t believe
- Christ and CREATION featuring your chance to read and WIN!
- The HEADLESS HOME: powerful truth for single parents
- It’s quiz time: what sort of GEM are you?

And that’s just the start … guess you’ll have to order your copy today if you want to read more. Don’t forget it’s just $12 for a one year subscription (that’s 4 issues) delivered to your mailbox. Check out www.footprintsaustralia.com/Resources.html or email editor@footprintsaustralia.com to find out how easy it is to sign up!

Another reason why this issue is special: it’s our “transition issue”. Yes, Footprints is moving up another level thanks to God’s grace and goodness. This is our first ever fully professionally printed issue! We are looking more and more like a “real”, grown-up magazine! Next issue there will be even more improvements, as we transition into this new stage in the life of Footprints magazine …

The new issue of Footprints (Winter 2009, #46) has been mailed out and if you are a subscriber, it should have arrived in your letterbox by now.

Seeing as this is the 46th issue of Footprints, it won’t be long until we reach a real milestone: 50 issues of Footprints! Obviously we want to celebrate such a special occasion – but how? Do you have any great ideas as to how Footprints should mark its 50th celebration issue? With a world tour? Giveaways? Competitions? Parties? Brass band and clowns?!

Send your comments and suggestions to editor@footprintsaustralia.com, and you’ll go in the draw to win the latest novel from Australian writer Paula Vince, The Risky Way Home. Our thanks to Apple Leaf, publishers of uplifting fiction for this great prize – if you enjoy reading wholesome fiction, romance with a bit of suspense and mystery thrown in, then find out more at www.appleleafbooks.com.

As a youngster, I was very involved in an AWANA youth club (AWANA stands for Approved Workman Are Not Ashamed, based on 2 Timothy 2:15). Every Friday night my sisters and I would head off to AWANA for a night of games and fun with our friends. We wore uniforms a bit like the Scouts, and could earn awards and badges for various activities - from bringing along a friend, learning crafts, and in particular Scripture memorisation. AWANA used the King James version, and although I didn’t really understand a lot of what I was reading and learning, I was storing up treasure for the future. At one stage I could recite all of Isaiah 64, or Romans 6, from memory!

Fast forward 30 years and I am still able to remember many Scriptures word-for-word, although maybe not the “address” of where they live! It has been such a help to me over the years. The Holy Spirit has been able to remind me of relevant verses when needed, or has brought to mind exactly the right passage for articles that I may be writing or messages that I speak, or even in daily conversation or when encouraging friends.

Today I enjoy a regular “smorgasbord” of Bible versions! I “carry” portions of the King James around in my head, and over the past ten years or so have used the New International Version, the New Living Translation, and The Message for my daily Bible reading as well as deeper study. Lately I am intrigued by the extra depth and meaning to be found in the pages of the Amplified version!

So I really can’t say that I have a “favourite” version. But I’d love to know your thoughts … what is YOUR favourite Bible version, and WHY???!!! Send your answer before 31 August 2008 to editor@footprintsaustralia.com, and you could win a copy of the bestselling “Australian Stories for Women”! (You may recognise one of the contributors … a certain Janet Camilleri??!)

The comp will also be promoted in the August Footprints FOCUS ezine. Don’t get the monthly FOCUS ezine in your inbox? It’s FREE! To sign up, just send an email to editor@footprintsaustralia.com with “FOCUS” in the subject line and we’ll do the rest!