Book Review: Flourish by Brownback

This book is a convicting and needed book for this day and age. As we move into a society that craves self-love over others-centered love we need help seeing blindspots we hold on to. We also need help getting over the hump that keeps us self-focused. 

The best part of this book is the soul searching questions that go along with each chapter. If you miss these, you miss the point of even reading this book. I read for heart change. Good books will stir your heart and influence you in some way. This book is written to influence you toward looking to Christ instead of yourself. 

Each chapter has good information on various self-focused temptations. Each chapter includes scripture, personal stories and examples. It is helpful to see where we need change and then ask the Lord to help us in that change. He will be faithful to change us. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.

You can get a copy of this book from Amazon.com here.

Sufficient Hope by Fox

Are you a mom? Could you use some encouragement? If you answered yes, then this book is for you. Motherhood is a time of life that we all could use continual encouragement. And the best encouragement that we can receive is from looking to Christ. This book helps you receive that kind of lasting encouragement. It is scripturally rich and prayer filled. We could all benefit from that.

Whatever season of motherhood that you find yourself in, this book is a hope-filled gem. It is easy enough to read when you find yourself holding little ones and chasing toddlers around but also rich when you do have more time when your kids are growing up and more independent. 

I recommend this book because it will aid your growth in Christ. That's most important. However, it will also bring great encouragement to your soul. 

I received a copy of this book at no charge from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.

You can get a copy of this book from Amazon.com here.

Book Review: Capturing the Wonder by Cosper

The best way I can describe this book is by quoting the second to last paragraph of it, "Life with God is an invitation into a world where most of what makes sense to you crumbles. It's far richer than you imagined, far less orderly and sensible, and far more mysterious. Like Job, once you begin to see the wonder of it, you find yourself awestruck and, somehow, satisfied."

This book is about the wonder of God. Often we are too busy or too occupied with things that don't matter and those things hinder our ability to see God in the creation and our world. When we discipline ourselves to see, it helps our love grow stronger in our hearts. This book was a delightful read. It gave me much to think about and challenged me to take more time being thankful to observe what God is doing in creation. 

I received this book free of charge from the publisher for the sake of an honest review.

You can get a copy of this book from Amazon.com here.

Book Review: Always in God's Hands by Strachan

This devotional book takes a look at various writings from the pen of Jonathan Edwards. They are broken up into bite-size devotions for your daily encouragement. Each devotional was also paired with Scripture. If you want to grow deeper in your walk with Christ or get to know Jonathan Edwards better, this book is for you. Getting to know the writings of Edwards better also encourages your faith in Christ (which is most important).

This is a collection of devotions worth having. I highly recommend it. I enjoyed it and was challenged and encouraged.

I received a copy of this book free of charge from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.

You can get a copy of this book from Amazon.com here.

Book Review: Lies Women Believe by Wolgemuth

This book is a true classic. I read it as a new Christian and over twenty years later, I have the revised and updated copy. It is still a good resource that has lived through the test of time. In today's age, we have so many lies that are trying to rob us of a beautiful life in Christ. This book addresses those lies with truth. The only way to abolish lies is to combat them with the truth. And the truth that sets you free comes from the Word of God. 

There are nine categories of lies that are laid out in each chapter that are common to women today. Each lie is listed categorically in a practical and realistic way. This book is challenging and freeing all at the same time. I recommend this book. It is a helpful read for the Christian walk.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.

You can get a copy of this book at Amazon.com here. 

Book Review: Calling on the Name of the Lord by Millar

This series of books are extremely helpful in exploring the Bible on various topics. This is the second one that I have been privileged to read. I like these because they explore the entire canon of Scripture on important topics. This particular book is on the topic of prayer. 

The book starts with when prayer began and ends with when prayer ends from Genesis to Revelation. There are records of big prayers in different books in the bible, prayers for the future, prayers of wisdom, through exile, psalms, Jesus's prayers, the church and prayers, and church planting prayers. This book helps me see that prayer is more common in the bible from Genesis to Revelation than I once thought. Prayer is how we talk to God so of course, it is important to see all that the inspired word of God says on the topic. It also aids us in the "how to" of praying. Overall, the book feels a bit academic but it is an important read on an important topic.

I received a copy of this book at no charge from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.

You can get a copy of this book from Amazon.com here.

Healing Everyday by DeMuth

Mary DeMuth has done it again.  This book has the greatest potential of healing others with the aid of Scripture and the Spirit's help.  As a biblical counselor, I appreciate the short (but not shallow) devotions. When someone has been through trauma or grief, they can digest small doses of Scriptures daily. Trauma and grief tend to injure our ability to focus. Therefore, these bite-size daily readings are perfect for the healing journey. 

The structure of each daily reading is a scripture verse, then an application followed by a prayer. I would use this resource to help people stay consistent in the word, heal, and journal their own challenges and things they are learning day by day. Its length is 90 days which promotes a good habit of continually being in the word. I also appreciate how this devotional covers scripture from Genesis to Revelation. 

I received a copy of this book at no charge from the publisher for an honest review. 

You can get a copy at Amazon.com here.

Book Review: If God is for Us by Newbell

I was blessed to read Trillia Newbell's new Bible study, If God is for Us. It is a six-week study focused on Romans 8. However, as any good study would do, with all intentionality, we get to take a glimpse at the first 7 chapters of Romans to understand the proper context of how Romans 8 fits. Each section is skillfully written to include stories, questions to draw out the text, and reflection questions for personal application.

If you desire to understand God's word better and know God in a deeper and more meaningful way, this book is for you. It is such an aid to unearthing the beauty and promises of God's word. This study can be done alone or with a group.  I truly enjoyed it, was challenged and grew from it.

You can get a copy of this title from Amazon.com here.

I received a copy of this title at no charge from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.

Book Review: The Soul in Paraphrase by Ryken

This is an impressive resource that was helpful for me in understanding the complexities that can be hard to explain in some selections of poetry. I am a reader who often struggles to understand and interpret poetry. This book was helpful to me because it exposed me to a vast number of poems that were written to stir our hearts toward Christ. I know this is probably a small selection but I found it to be a good one featuring various authors along with an impressive timeline. It is a great read due to this variety.

I believe the best way to read this book is to take in each poem slowly. Then glean the knowledge from the following commentary. This is good to stretch your imagination and give you the practice it takes to really understand poetry. If you are a natural at understanding poetry, this book will enhance your love for it. I'm grateful for this genre because the Bible uses poetry often. Learning how to wisely read it will also help you become a better interpreter of the genre in general.

I received a copy of this book free of charge from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.

You can get a copy of this book from Amazon.com here.

Book Review: Proverbs Commentary by Kidner

My family and I have been reading through the Proverbs this new year and as much as I love the book of Proverbs alone, a commentary is quite helpful for aiding in the deeper study of the Word. I really like Derek Kidner and his commentaries. This particular commentary is not difficult to read for the regular layperson. It is easy to look up a particular section of a Proverb because of the straightforward layout. It's definitely a good tool to have for enhancing your biblical studies. And as always, Kidner points you to the deeper meaning in Christ or the Bible as a whole.

I received a copy of this book at no charge from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.

You can get a copy of this book from Amazon.com here. 

Book Review: Idols of a Mother's Heart by Fox

Wisdom in practical living is how I would categorize this book. This author will consistently point you to Christ in her writings. This book is no different. However, the focus is for mother's and how we often live with idols in our heart. We all struggle with idol making but motherhood brings a unique set of idols to the table. With grace, the author helps the reader try to discover what those are and then replace them with truth. 

This book has questions at the end of each chapter that would help with group discussion. You can read it alone but I recommend you grab a group of moms and really sit and think about what idols you are embracing often without even knowing. In community you can help one another see these and support one another in the process of letting them go. Plus, who doesn't need support and encouragement on the journey of motherhood?

I recommend this book as edifying for mothers. It will bless you. You can get a copy from Amazon.com here.

I received a copy of this book at no charge for the purpose of an honest review.