The Divine Dance

About the Book:

e want to be liked—that's why we put so much energy into pleasing others. Life has become a dance that we perform for others, auditioning for a place in the hearts of everyone we meet. We put our energy into performances to please our parents, friends, teachers, boys—even people we don't know. It's simple: We all desire to be loved and accepted. But in this busy, complicated world, we should be dancing as we were designed to—for the One who really cares. When the audiences are gone and we take off our masks, that's the part the Director likes best. Away from the alluring lights and demanding crowds, we can know ourselves and God in a powerful, meaningful way. When we realize that the One who matters already loves us, we will flourish in this life that is the Divine Dance.

About The Author:

rom the moment she learned to talk, author and speaker Shannon (Kubiak) Primicerio has been engaging audiences with her wit and wisdom. A writer from the second she could hold a pencil, Shannon brings a deep passion for God and a keen awareness of the issues teen girls face to both the page and the stage. Whether you are reading one of her books or sitting in a room listening to her speak, you will feel like you know Shannon—and like she knows you. Using Scripture, personal illustrations and questions that provoke reader interaction, Shannon is able to bring the Bible to life so that teen girls can apply it to the daily drama of their own circumstances. Some of her favorite biblical illustrations are teen girls themselves—Leah, Hagar, Miriam and Mary. Shannon has a B.A. in journalism and a minor in Biblical studies from Biola University, and was the recipient of the North County Times Excellence in Writing award in 2000, and the San Diego Christian Writers' Guild Nancy Bayless Award for Excellence in Writing in 2003. Her first book, The Divine Dance, was published while she was still in college. She has been interviewed on radio and television programs across the nation and featured in such media outlets as PBS' Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, The Harvest Show and TIME magazine. Her ministry spans the globe, as her books are available in several languages. Shannon also served as a mentor to young authors through the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild for three years before creating her own writing curriculum for tweens and teens. Her articles have appeared in Marriage Partnership and BRIO magazines. In 2006 Shannon and her husband, Michael, traveled to Lima, Peru as part of the annual BRIO missions trip. Although Shannon and Michael live in Southern California they are avid fans of the New York Yankees. They also partner with Compassion International to help eradicate global poverty. Shannon enjoys interacting with her readers and can constantly be found updating them on her whereabouts from her Blackberry via Twitter and Facebook.

My Review:

“If the world is your stage, who are you performing for?” It’s a simple question but a tough answer. As Shannon Primicerio explores in this book written towards women, people get caught up in performing for the approval of others whether friends, family, guys, teachers, or anyone we come across.

At the beginning of the book Shannon writes, “The Divine Dance is my life message. Writing this book brought me freedom. Continuing to live out its purpose is what keeps me free. It is a lesson for women of any age.”

As soon as the music began in chapter one I was captivated by the dance and how we can easily miss the dancing steps for the One who gave us the ability to dance in the first place. Shannon explains dancing for God is a form of worship while dancing for the world is a form of idolatry which is the reason we feel unsatisfied.

The chapters gracefully move through situations we have all faced and how we perform in them, whether for the world or for God. The book is written with practical information and help to enlighten how we lose sight of who we are dancing for. Ending each chapter is four or five questions to invoke further thought. The purpose of these questions is to help the reader think through the actions and “dancing steps” we can put into practice as we learn the divine dance.

Shannon writes with sensitivity, passion, and a streaming beautiful metaphor woven through the pages of a small girl in a pink dress standing on stage hoping to please everyone. Grab your dancing shoes, your ballet tights and begin to ask the question, “If the world is my stage, who am I performing for?”

Favorite Line:
“You may look around and feel completely alone in whatever you do. You may be embarrassed to get up on the worlds stage and dance because your dance is choreographed a little differently than everyone else’s. But if you don’t dance the way that you were made to dance, God will be robbed of some of His glory. Better to dance to a different beat than to dance to one that just isn’t you.”

Rating: Gem Parcel

Catch up with Shannon http://http//beingagirlbooks.com/