Michelle McKinney Hammond - Lessons from a Girls Best Friend: What My Dog Taught Me About Life, Love, and God

Praise for bestselling author
Michelle McKinney Hammond

Sassy, Single, and Satisfied

Using her fun, tell-it-like-it-is style, Hammond shows how to get your priorities in order; squeeze the most out of being single; prepare your heart, soul, and mind for a mate; and have your deepest desires fulfilled.

THE CHRISTIAN COURIER

With thousands of single, dissatisfied women looking for love in wrong places, this book provides encouragement and a refreshing view of singlenessThis is the best message on singleness I have read, and I highly recommend it for single women of all ages in your church.

CHURCH LIBRARIES

How to Avoid the 10 Mistakes Single Women Make

Everyone who reads this book will probably have a few nerves touched by Michelles raw honestyI know I certainly did. However, having our beliefs challenged when they are keeping us from Gods best is, while not easy, a necessary and good thing. I look forward to having my thoughts challenged by more of Michelles refreshing candor in the future.

ARMCHAIRINTERVIEWS.COM

The Diva Principle

Pulling examples of divas from the Bible, Michelle McKinney Hammond shows how each woman can become a diva. But it will take some elbow greaseBecoming a diva is not an easy job. According to Ms. Hammond, a diva is a woman who always thirsts for knowledge and wisdom. She is willing to step out of her comfort zone to do what needs to be done. A diva encourages others to be all they can be. She accepts Gods higher calling for her life. A diva knows her strengths and works on her weaknesses. She knows how to handle basic areas of life such as finances, dressing, cooking, and housekeeping. A diva is confident in herself and happy with how God designed her.

CHRISTIANBOOKPREVIEWS.COM

Michelle McKinney Hammond has done it again! In her trademark style, she challenges me and others like me to totally sell out to God and allow Him to work on us from the inside out. Michelle is definitely a DI-VINE inspiration.

BABBIE MASON

The Real Deal on Overcoming Heartache:
Learning to Live and Love Again

Michelle Hammond fulfills Gods promise of enlightening, freeing, and healing women by sharing her experiences, discoveries, and insights, laced thoroughly with Scripture and sprinkled with modern song fragments. Michelles writing style is conversational, and easy to read and absorb.

ARMCHAIRINTERVIEWS.COM

101 Ways to Get and Keep His Attention

Any woman of God would benefit from the wealth of knowledge Hammond so skillfully shares. 101 Ways is truly a labor of love that will inspire the heart longing for love. It is a wonderful lesson to women of all ages, shapes, and walks of life on obtaining and maintaining the attention of the opposite sex. God has truly blessed Ms. Hammond with a gifta gift for teaching and a means of touching the hearts and lives of women looking for love. I recommend that all single women read this book and will definitely be sharing it with others.

TEENS4JESUS LIBRARY

The Last Ten Percent (a novel)

This is not a sappy, preachy attempt to convey Christian themes to the reader. The Last Ten Percent deals with humiliating, ugly things in life and brings the reader to the point where they want to see these ladies find love in Christ alone. I cant say enough great things about this story. Its a must-read in my book! Check it out!

EDGYINSPIRATIONALAUTHOR.BLOGSPOT.COM

In The Last Ten Percent Hammond has done a wonderful job creating characters that the reader will become attached to and care aboutThis is one novel that will entertain you while delivering a message of encouragement.

RAWSISTAZ LITERARY GROUP,
BLACK BOOK REVIEWS NEWSLETTER

Her characters are so real that they will probably remind you of someone you know or have known! I definitely recommend you check this one out!

FIVE STAR BOOK REVIEWS & MORE

Most scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Some scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible

Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard Street, Ste #200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920. www.alivecommunications.com.

Cover photo Tom Henry / Koechel Peterson & Associates

Cover by Koechel Peterson & Associates, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota

LESSONS FROM A GIRLS BEST FRIEND

Copyright 2008 by Michelle McKinney Hammond

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

McKinney Hammond, Michelle.

Lessons from a girls best friend / Michelle McKinney Hammond.

p. cm.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7369-2114-5 (pbk.)

ISBN-10: 0-7369-2114-1 (pbk.)

1. McKinney Hammond, Michelle. 2. Christian biographyUnited States.

3. DogsReligious aspectsChristianity. 4. Humananimal relationshipsReligious aspects. I. Title.

BR1725.M3568A3 2008

248.4dc22

2008024130

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 / VP-SK / 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Lord, You have made all creatures
great and smallexceedingly wonderful.
Thank You for entrusting me
with two of Your precious creations.

To Milan and Matisse
my two infinite sources of laughter and love.
I thank God for creating you.

To Annette Akers and Milo,
who introduced me to a wonderful life I knew not of!

They say it takes a village to raise a child, in this instance the same applies to this single, traveling girl when it comes to her dogs, so here goes:

To Daryl Martin (breeder extraordinaire) for giving me two of the most wonderful gifts Ive ever received.

To Marilyn and Howard at Good Dog, along with John, Bobo, Lionel, Percy, Melvin, and all the teachers who have trained and continue to take such exceptional care of my babies. I always know they are in good hands when I leave them with you.

To John at Clean Dog and Barb at Barker and Meowsky for meticulously grooming my two children to look their best. Your perfectionism is showing.

To John and Phillip at Tails in the City for all the bling and fabulous things you bring into our lives.

To Tamara at Petzercise, JoAnne, and everyone else who add support to my world and make dog-rearing such an immense pleasure.