book review

Book Review: Is your Daughter Ready?

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I have taken a bit of a hiatus from blogging and doing book reviews in the last 2 years or so. Mostly it has really just been because life has been busy. Our jobs and our 3 girls keep us busy in this stage of life. That being said, I struggle as a mom to feel like I am doing enough to raise Godly girls (or even doing it right). When the opportunity came up to review a book called “Is your Daughter Ready? 10 Ways To Empower Your Girl For An Age Of New Challenges”, I had to jump on it! *I did receive a free copy of this book for my review*

The author is a mother of 4 adult girls and she definitely has so much insight, some that came through making mistakes of her own. Throughout the pages of this book, she takes you through 10 topics that she has found can empower girls. These include love, truth, integrity, relationship smarts, perspective, discernment, connection, purpose, perseverance, and faith.

My 3 girls could not be more different. I have an eldest who is a bit of a tomboy who lives in ponytails and t-shirts and really doesn’t worry about popularity or what others think, a middle child who always has every hair in its place, has lots of opinions about everything, and doesn’t mind getting in trouble for talking back, and a youngest who’s full time job is playing, loves socializing, and has lots of emotions. Parenting 3 vastly different kids is a bit of a challenge. I love how this book takes a holistic view of raising daughters. This is not a fix all your issues at once concept. Rather, the author really wants you to parent the heart of each of your daughters with the goal of her developing her own relationship with God.

Each chapter not only has a main topic, but also Bible verses and relatable stories to help the reader understand why they should pursue those things with their own daughter. Each chapter also has a list of truths, questions to reflect on, and a prayer. In my current stage of teen and pre-teen girls, the chapter on discernment really spoke to me. My girls are starting to make more and more decisions. I want them to be discerning without mom having to lecture and babysit decisions. It is a scary world, I want my girls to be prepared to make wise decisions.

If you have a daughter, granddaughter, niece, or even just a girl you have a relationship of any kind with, I highly recommend you check out this book. It is a book that could easily be read many times depending on the stage of life your girl(s) happen to be in. If you are interested in getting your own copy or in learning more about the book and it’s author, you can do that at https://bit.ly/IsYourDaughterReady.

Book Review: Authentic Influencer

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I love learning more about some of the less talked about men and women of scripture. Sometimes we focus so much on people like King David, Moses, or Paul that we forget there are so many other characters to these stories. Barnabas is really not a minor character, however, he is one that isn’t talked about much. He was so vital to the early church that in many ways, had he not been there much of the stories about the Apostle Paul would be significantly different.

Authentic Influencer looks at Barnabas through the lens of leadership. Barnabas was an incredible leader and we can all learn from the things that he did. The author goes through fifteen different facets of leadership demonstrated by Barnabas and gives practical ways that we all can learn from his example.

Regardless of whether or not you see yourself as a leader or an influencer, we all have a sphere of influence. Learning how to handle that role is so important, especially in a world filled with social media “influencers”. Just because someone has a following, doesn’t really mean they are qualified to be a leader. So many of the biggest influencers in scripture aren’t even named but still have tremendous influence even today (think woman with the issue of blood, the rich young ruler, the Roman Centurion, the woman at the well, just to name a few). The author of Authentic Influencer reminds us of that and shows how a good leader doesn’t take issue with others rising above and possibly having a bigger sphere of influence than them. He also talks about being a bridge for others and being discerning enough to detect potential in others.

No matter what role you see yourself filling, we are all leaders. I think everyone could learn a thing or two from Authentic Influencer. If you would like to learn more or purchase your own copy you can go here. The publisher is also doing a giveaway that you can enter here.

Book Review: Amazing Grace

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Over the last year I have taken a hiatus from writing book reviews, mostly because of our move and having too much going on to commit to reading and reviewing a book. We are now much more settled, so when an opportunity came to review a brand new book about the story behind the beloved hymn, Amazing Grace, came about, I had to jump on the opportunity. I thought I already knew quite a bit of the story. However, I really only knew a small percent of the story behind the song and it’s writer, John Newton.

Amazing Grace really is an incredible hymn that has survived 250 years. It it probably one of the most well known hymns in the world. It has been sang by little children, church goers, and even our nation’s president in 2015. It has been recorded by countless singers from practically every genre and even experienced a rebirth in 2006 when Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) was released and has been sung by many churches since.

I did not grow up attending, nor do I currently attend, a church that sings out of a traditional hymnal (although many in my family do). From time to time I do attend churches that do though. Whenever I do, I always see the value in the old hymns. There are so many life stories that were written into the words of those songs. Honestly, I think the songs mean so much more when you know those stories. For Amazing Grace, when you realize the pain that John experienced through out his life and the stark contradiction between a man studying his Bible while being the captain of a ship hauling slaves, you really understand the amazing grace of God in the fact that He really did save a wretch like John Newton.

In the book, you experience moments in John’s life starting around age 7 when he lost his mother clear through his death. It is written as a novel because the authors took the writings of John himself to create dialogue and stories, but it is really a biography. I love how the authors told the story of John, warts and all. They didn’t cover up his shortcomings and sins. They also didn’t hide the pain he experienced in his life. I highly recommend checking out this book. If you would like to purchase your own copy you can do that here. The publisher is giving away two copies of the book and you can enter to win one of those here.

I will be giving away a copy of the book as well you can enter to win that here. I will announce the winner on my Facebook page and will mail the book to the winner.

Book Review: Everybody Fights

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I am so excited to share with you the book “Everybody Fights: So Why Not Get Better At It?”

If you haven’t heard of Kim and Penn Holderness, it is likely because you have been living under a rock or possibly because you aren’t on social media. Whatever the case, you really need to check them out. They became social media sensations because of their funny and creative videos that poke fun at the normal everyday things of life. The best thing about their videos, is that they are family friendly, and often even include their own family.

I was incredibly excited to have the opportunity to review this book, and after having read it I was not disappointed. This is a marriage book unlike any that I have ever read (and I have read a lot of marriage books). Kim and Penn do not proclaim to be experts at marriage. However, they do get real and raw about things they have struggled with and how they have learned to fight better in the process. They use real life examples of fights they have had in their own marriage and after each of them shares from their own perspectives what happened in that fight, look through ways they could have communicated better. The advice they share throughout the book is a combination of things they have learned in the school of hard knocks, as well as things they have learned from their own marriage coach.

Throughout the book they go through so many practical topics that absolutely every single person who has been married for any period of time will go through. Kim also gets real and honest about her struggle with anxiety and depression and how that affects their marriage.

This is not an overtly religious book. There isn’t a Bible verse in every chapter. However, there is a sense of dedication to making a marriage work at all costs. There is also an emphasis on working together and learning to better understand each other that every single marriage could benefit from.

If you want to check it out for yourself you can do that in a couple of ways. First, you can watch this silly book trailer here. You can also download or listen to a free chapter and purchase your own copy here.

Book Review: NKJV Study Bible

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I absolutely love getting to review Bibles. There is something about looking at different versions of the Bible and cross-referencing information from various translations that I just love.  This particular Bible is not my typical translation, however, I absolutely love the wealth of information within its pages, not to mention the gorgeous cover!

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This study Bible has full color maps, articles, and culture notes all throughout.

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Every book has a ton of information about who wrote it, where the stories took place, how the book is structured, how it relates back to Christ, and so much more. Within each book there are an incredible amount of footnotes for reference. Most pages have about a third of each page with footnotes and verses that are cross referenced. This would be a tremendous tool for anyone who is serious about studying the Bible. I know I like to keep numerous versions on hand, along with online versions. At the end of the Bible, along with the typical subject index and glossary, there are several other references. The miracles of Jesus, prayers of the Bible, messianic prophecies, and parables of Jesus are just a few of the extra sections.

If you would like a little more information on this Bible check out this video.

I hope that this new year has brought a renewed desire to dig into scripture! That is definitely one of my goals this year.

 

Book Review: Always Enough, Never Too Much

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Anyone who knows me will agree that I tend to be incredibly outspoken and not afraid to share my opinion. Sometimes my big personality can be a bit overbearing. I often jump in when no one else speaks up. Because of that part of my personality, I often feel like I am a bit too much for people.  On the flip side of that, there is also a part of me that really wants to measure up and seeks approval. I think if we all get real honest, each one of us will fall more strongly into either the category of feeling like we are too much, or that we are not enough. If you are one of those people, this devotional is for you!

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This devotional is completely different than what you are use to. It is designed as a flip book. The first half of the book is the Always Enough section. There are fifty devotionals designed specifically for those days we may be feeling like we don’t exactly measure up. Those days when we feel inadequate or when we just don’t think we are good enough. The two authors, Jess Connolly and Hayley Morgan, take turns writing unique devotionals based around a different verse each day. Here is an example:

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On the flip side (literally you have to flip the book upside down), there are devotionals written for those times we feel a little overbearing. The Never Too Much section of the book has fifty devotionals centered around different verses to remind us of how even those big, sometimes loud, parts of our personalities can be used in amazing ways in the kingdom of God. Here is a Never Too Much example (I often have no filter, which is why I picked this one):

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This is definitely a devotional that I have been enjoying and will continue to enjoy! I highly recommend checking it out. If you would like to snag a copy for free go here and enter your information. There are 5 copies up for grabs!