Press Release
New book offers families a fresh resource to
recapture an old tradition
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For
Immediate Release (San Diego, CA) – According to a Pew Research Study, 59% of
parents of children under 18 pray on a daily basis, and 19% seldom or never
pray. Though recent statistics show that a majority of families eat together
most nights of the week, there continues to be a disconnect between family time
and spiritual growth. With her new book, “A Spoonful of Grace: Mealtime
Blessings in Bite-Sized Pieces,” author Annette Hubbell seeks to bridge that
gap.
“A Spoonful
of Grace” is a collection of 366 evening meal graces taken from all 66 books of
the Bible. They are designed to provide meaningful exposure to prayer and the
Bible at a most opportune time: the family meal. Each one is inspired by a
companion Bible verse, and enhanced by a section called “Grace Notes” which are
quotations and ideas to further illustrate the theme of the verse and promote
more conversation. Furthermore, each day’s reading is designed to be read in
its entirety in less than two minutes. Hubbell says the idea for the book came
about during lunch with friends.
“During
lunch our host led us in a grace prayer before the meal,” says Hubbell, “and that
was it! I had never heard that prayer before. There must be others, I thought.
What if I were to collect them—from all over the world—and create a book out of
it? I sent out inquiries, asking everyone to share, eagerly awaiting the
replies. What I got back surprised me. It seemed there were, in fact, only a
few standardized graces; most of them are made up according to how the day
unfolds. Even more surprising were the responses of those who never said grace
but wished they did, and would if they had some structure.”
The graces
and devotionals on Sundays in “A Spoonful of Grace” are celebrated with Scripture
readings that are a bit longer to allow for favorite stories such as David and
Goliath, Daniel in the lions’ den, or Jonah and the big fish. There is also a
“Special Graces” section for celebrations such as Easter, Thanksgiving,
Christmas, and birthdays. Hubbell says early responses to the book have been
positive.
A SPOONFUL OF GRACE
PAGE TWO
“In today’s
culture of Twitter-sized attention spans and social media interactions that
have nothing to do with social interactions or conversation, family time
becomes more important than ever,” says Hubbell. “When I tested ‘A Spoonful of
Grace’ with some families, one said, “These prayers consume the entire
conversation during dinner.” Another family told me that their 15-year-old
appreciated his family more through simply spending more quality time together.
My aim was to keep these graces and devotionals witty and to the point in order
to capture—and hold—a young person’s interest. I hope that the book will help turn
mealtime into fun and faith-filled conversations about things that really
count—like sharing, honesty, friendship, respect—and of course God.”
Annette Hubbell earned her undergraduate degree in Marketing from San Diego State University, her M.B.A. from Cal State University in San Marcos, and a Certificate in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. She has performed “Witness to Gettysburg” almost 200 times as well as starred in the docudrama (edited by 33-time Emmy Award winner Robert Gardner) by the same name. She was awarded Presenter of the Year twice at the Civil War Round Table of San Diego, and is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Hubbell lives in San Diego, California with her husband of 33 years, Monte. They have a daughter, Amy who lives with her husband Scott in Los Angeles, California.
Q&A with Annette
Hubbell
Author of “A Spoonful of Grace”
At a casual lunch with some friends, our host led us in a
grace prayer before the meal. That was it! Saying grace has always been part of
my life, but this time something was different. It was an astonishing thought,
too, because writing a book was the furthest thing from my mind, and I surely
was not a faith scholar.
The grace I said growing up was different from the one my
friend said. Well, I
thought, there must be others I’d never heard before. What if I were to collect
them—from all over the world—and create a book? I could even enhance each
prayer with a Bible verse. In effect, I would simply become a compiler. I sent
out inquiries, asking everyone to share, eagerly awaiting the replies. What a
diversity of prayers there would be—from the world over! What I got back surprised
me. It seems there are, in fact, only a few standard graces; most are made up
according to how the day unfolds. Even more surprising were the responses of
those who didn’t say grace but wished they did, and would if they had some
structure.
I
set about to write, but publishers informed me that there had to be an
application. Back to the drawing board to add what came to be Grace Notes—short commentaries on each
Scripture, making it applicable to today’s family. (I also felt readers would
like to see different versions of the Bible, rather than just one, which is the
usual standard among devotionals.) I needed a much bigger education to pull all
that off so I studied hard, earned a Certificate in Apologetics from Biola
University, immersed myself in Bible studies, and traveled throughout the Holy
Lands. Ten years of work and prayer—relying on God—and A Spoonful of Grace is the result.
If I had known then what a huge project it was going to be, I’m sure I never
would’ve begun, passing if off as merely a wistful dream. But God has a way of
giving you just what you can handle. I’m glad he did just that!
Q: What should parents know about this
book?
A Spoonful of Grace is a
collection of 366 mealtime graces inspired by all 66 books of the Bible. They
are designed to provide meaningful exposure to prayer and the Bible at a most
opportune time: the family meal. They are unique, too, because each one is
inspired by its companion Bible verse(s), enhanced by the Grace Notes, and all of it is designed to be read in under two
minutes. Quotations and ideas in the Grace
Notes further illustrate the theme of the verse, and/or answer questions generated
by the Scripture reading, all for the purpose of promoting lively faith conversations.
Each day’s kid-friendly grace is meant to
be read aloud by all family members and is short enough to keep the attention
of hungry kids. Don’t worry, the food will never get cold!
A Spoonful of Grace
is suitable for every family, wherever its members are in their faith journeys.
Whether the parents are just beginning to integrate prayer and Scripture into
their daily routine or already say grace together, this book sets the tone for
family mealtimes: light-hearted, full of meaning and purpose, and can be understood
at several levels. The Grace Notes
allow children to think about actions and choices they make. I envision the
children taking turns reading each day’s grace and the parents guiding the ensuing
conversation.
This book,
however, is not just for families. Seekers or new believers can more easily
absorb the small doses of theology. A
Spoonful of Grace is also great for grandparents and caregivers, busy
people who want to add more Bible reading into their lives, or people who would
like to say grace with others but don’t know how. Because Scripture is taken
from easier-to-understand versions like The Message or the New International
Version, people learning to speak English also find it more meaningful.
Q: Why do you believe it is important to
create intentional family time in today's culture?
We are fast
becoming a society that communicates more through electronic devices than
through the spoken word. Twitter-sized or texting-sized attention spans and
social media interactions do not lend themselves well to developing minds or
bonding opportunities, and family time (absent electronic devices) becomes more
important than ever. I also believe that there is (at least) one thing that kids
should see their parents do every day: pray!
What better way to develop a deeper relationship with God and to strengthen
family ties then to eat and pray together? With A Spoonful of Grace, families have an opportunity to pray together,
to say meaningful things to each other—to get to know each other. When I tested
A Spoonful of Grace with some
families, one said, “These prayers consume the entire conversation during
dinner.” Another family told me that their 15-year-old appreciates his family
more by spending this quality time together. My aim was to keep these graces
and devotionals witty and to the point in order to capture—and then hold—a
young person’s interest. I hope that this book will help turn mealtime into fun
and faith-filled conversations about things that count—like sharing, honesty,
friendship, respect—and of course God.
Q: You also write plays and do a little
bit of acting. Tell us more.
In 2007, my husband
and I explored historical sites along the East Coast. Unbeknownst to me at the
time, it was a vacation that changed the direction of my life. Our Gettysburg
B&B offered something unique: actors gracing us daily with Civil War
stories. Confederate scout Jeb Stuart regaled us of his exploits. A soldier
taught us to fire a musket. A widow recounted her days caring for casualties.
We were mesmerized, and I was hooked! The next day I awoke to an epiphany: tell
the story of Gettysburg back home in San Diego. Tell it to students studying
the Civil War—add depth to their study; engage their curiosity, intellect, and interest.
I spoke with Chaplain Judith, the actor who portrayed a great, great relative, the
widow Hattie Elizabeth Unangst. She eagerly gave me permission to use her story
as I saw fit, and Hattie Elizabeth Turner was born. The story needed to be
compelling: one that focused on the battle, yet put in the context of cultural
and world affairs. A story in which the character stood invisibly alongside
generals and soldiers to give people the sense of being there as the battle
unfolds and then to tell the story of what happens to a community when the
smoke clears and the soldiers march on.
As my confidence in performing Hattie grew, my biblical studies took me into a deeper relationship with God. This gave me the ability to transform Witness to Gettysburg into a testimonial of sorts; one that allowed Hattie to express God’s place in her life and how he guided her through the tumultuous times of that fateful summer.
I have two other
productions in my little company: Tea with
Mrs. Roosevelt, and Legends and
Heroes. “Tea” is an endearing look at Eleanor’s life, what life was like
for her, and how the First Lady helped shaped the presidency of Franklin Delano
Roosevelt. “Legends” recounts the lives of eight people who were famous, or
once very famous. The world, for the most part, does not know the journey of
these world changers; that they were able to have such an impact because they
followed God’s calling.
Q: What is your background in ministry
and acting?
Learning on the
job, so to speak, I began writing and acting in 2007 after retiring as a General
Manager of a water district. What started as a desire to infuse stories of real-life
drama into history grew into a production company performing all over San Diego
County. I also volunteer at my church and believe that what I am doing is what Jesus
asked us to do: “Tell them how much the Lord has done for you” (Mark 5:19)
ENDORSEMENTS
for “A Spoonful of Grace”
“The
dining room table is a key place to connect with your children. It's time to
put down the phones and pick up this book instead.”
—Arlene Pellicane, speaker and author of
“31 Days to Becoming a Happy Mom”
“The
family that prays together really does stay together! The very best decision
our family made was to enjoy family meals, covered with prayers of grace, and
sprinkled with caring conversations. Now Annette Hubbell has made this powerful
family life rhythm and tradition SO MUCH EASIER! Give your family the gift that will last for
generations to come—‘A Spoonful of Grace!’” —Pam Farrel, author of 45 books including
best-selling “Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti,” “10 Best
Decisions a Parent Can Make”, and “A Couple’s
Journey with God.”
“If
you've struggled to have a consistent, meaningful mealtime grace with your
children, this book is for you. The daily Scripture readings, prayers, and
insights cover a great variety of topics, keeping the interest of the whole
family. The prayers and notes are worded so that children can easily
understand, but they contain truths that will challenge parents as well! The
whole family will benefit from these brief, encouraging moments shared together
with God.” —Andrew Wheeler, author of
“Together
in Prayer: Coming to God in Community”
“’A
Spoonful of Grace’ will give you what you always hoped for – a variety of
meaningful prayers so you aren’t praying the same mealtime prayer over and
over. All you need is a bookmark to stay on track and inspire those gathered
around your table. As I say often, ‘Mealtime is not just about the food, it’s
about the mood.’ Annette’s book will set that positive mood and equip your busy
family.” —Marcia Ramsland,
bestselling author of “Simplify Your Life: Get Organized and Stay that Way!” book series and “The Leading Online
Organizing Coach” www.OrganizingPro.com
“‘A
Spoonful of Grace’ is the perfect complement to your family meals. The verses
and short prayers offer a deeper connection to each other and your heavenly
Father. The Grace Notes provide meaningful conversation starters for living out
your faith. Annette Hubbell’s conversational tone will enable even your
youngest members to understand and join in the prayer time. Every family should
keep a copy on their kitchen table!” —Amelia
Rhodes, author of “Pray A to Z: A Practical Guide to Pray for Your Community”
“In
this beautiful, winsome and creative volume, Annette Hubbell shares 366 short
family graces—accessible to young and old alike—that can be prayed, meditated
upon, and discussed around the family table. The accompanying “grace notes” are
engaging and interesting (a meal themselves!), and will spark meaningful
discussion and thoughtful reflection. This book will nourish both heart and
mind.”—Dr. Mark L. Strauss,
Vice-Chair, The NIV Committee on Bible Translation and University Professor of
New Testament, Bethel Seminary San Diego, California, and author of 12 books.
“What
a treasure trove of insightful, interesting and inspiring prayers and
discussion starters for the family dinner table! Wonderfully composed and chock-full of wit
and wisdom. I wish I’d had this book when my husband and I were raising our
four children.” —Susan Meissner,
Award-winning author of “Secrets of a Charmed Life”
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