Enfolded in God's Arms, by Lisa Are Wulf

BOOK DESCRIPTION: Embrace your inner healing! Let God's tender love enfold you and restore the wounded places of your soul with this award-winning 40-day devotional for women.

Experience healing, change, and growth within the sacred space of your heart. Let these compassionate and insightful reflections gently guide you into a tender spiritual embrace.
* Reflect on meditations that illuminate the love of Jesus in the everyday hurts of life
* Find tender scriptures, hopeful prayers, positive questions, and silent moments with God
* Receive thoughtful affirmation as you search for peace

Hold hands with Jesus as you contemplate this peaceful garden of comforting reflections. Be renewed, refreshed, and spiritually transformed.

This gentle daily devotional is ideal for individual or group reading, self-help, and as a Lenten or other resource for Christian living.

Enfolded in God's Arms was a finalist in both the Voice Arts Awards and the Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lisa Are Wulf is an award-winning women's devotional author. Her print, audio, and e-books have been finalists in the USA Best Book Awards, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and Voice Arts Awards. Publications across the country have featured Lisa's articles on Christian living and spiritual growth. She is a recognized speaker who shares her faith journey with transparency and authority.

A graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary, Lisa also holds two degrees from the University of Colorado. She is an adjunct accounting professor, a retired CPA, served in elected public office, and was a professional musician.

Lisa lives in Colorado with her husband, Calvin, and enjoys the beautiful mountain scenery. They have four children and are happy empty nesters.

MY THOUGHTS: When I am going through times of grief and am in need of healing, I often don't feel like reading weighty stories or spending long periods of time having to focus on any one thing. This book is perfect for such times. Each of the 40 devotions is quite short (less than two pages) and includes scripture, vivid examples and word pictures, questions to make the reader think a bit about what was just said, a short prayer, and space for notes or journaling. Every ten days, the focus shifts a bit, moving you from healing to change to spending time with Jesus, and finally ending with growth. These devotions don't delve into difficult or emotionally taxing topics, although they are substantial and pertinent. I appreciated the light feeling and was able to reflect back on what I'd read throughout the day.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free copy of this book to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

Dance With Jesus: From Grief to Grace, by Susan B. Mead

BOOK DESCRIPTION: Grief hits each one of us and can come from so many different directions…

Have you lost someone dear to you? A brother, sister, parent, grandparent, family member, friend or a child? A relationship? A body part to cancer or an accident? Do you want to experience the joy of moving from broken to blessed? From GRIEF TO GRACE? Do you want God to take your hand and teach you how to dance…with Jesus? Yes?

Then devour the words in Dance With Jesus: From Grief to Grace! Expect to laugh through the tears and experience a deepening of your faith.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Susan B Mead is a woman in AWE of God and how much He loves each one of us. Her desire - share stories of hope so we can see God's hand at work in our lives. Dance With Jesus: From Grief to Grace was written as her answer to "What does God want you to do right now?" in the Experiencing God Bible Study.

Susan spent 22+ years with Johnson & Johnson prior to losing her youngest son. She realized that things get broken, discarded or replaced, yet people matter. She chose to retire early to make time for the people who matter most to her, including you, a dear reader.

Susan's credentials include BS, MT(ASCP), MBA and IFOC Sr. Ordained Chaplain. She holds certification from the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) for Individual Grief, Group Grief and Grief following Trauma.



MY REVIEW: This little book actually has 22 chapters, but each chapter is only a few pages long. Written as an encouragement to others in similar circumstances, it leaves out details that might otherwise bog the reader down and, instead, gets right to the point. We meet the author in the first chapters and learn that she has experienced deep grief in the death of her son.

Each chapter opens up a new window in what their family went through, in tiny little snippets small enough to keep the attention of someone who may not feel like heavy reading material. At the end of each chapter are discussion questions, sometimes quite deep and sometimes light, but always meant to inspire the reader to think about where in the grief process he might be and where he can see God at work.

To be honest, there were parts of this book that left me feeling like I'd been abruptly interrupted. I wanted to know more. I wanted longer chapters that filled in the details. But I realized that in the midst of grief, one's attention span is not as long as normal, and sometimes getting bogged down in someone else's story is too much. The short little chapters could be perfect for someone in that situation, someone who just needs to open the pages and find hope.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free copy of this book to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

God's Book of Prayers, by M.A.R.

BOOK DESCRIPTION (from the publisher): Each and every prayer in the Bible is now available, together and categorized. God’s Book of Prayers and The Lord’s Prayers both contain all the prayers of the Bible. God’s Book of Prayers separates each into nine categories for convenient reading, while The Lord’s Prayers lists them in biblical sequence, with an exhaustive concordance of major words or phrases. Both versions have some elementary analysis of all the prayers for better understanding of the whole of the prayers in God’s Book, including the most common words in biblical praying. These volumes will help you to easily be able to pray God’s own words!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: M.A.R.’s love for God and God’s Word and his belief in prayer radiates from this volume. Being a believer for more than 30 years, ordained to the ministry, and licensed in 1984, he has never lost his fascination with all things God, especially His Holy Book. Via military service, retired U.S. Air Force, M.A.R. and his wife ministered in several churches worldwide. Toward the end of his military career, God planted the seed for this prayer book, and thus has been in progress for over a decade. He declared 2011 “The Year of the Book of Prayer in the Bible,” and with God’s arranging of his schedule, M.A.R. was able to finally mine the (hopefully) final prayers from the Scriptures. This is the third book he has compiled, along with two games, one being a Bible Book-by-Book card game. Also a former certified Texas public high school math teacher, M.A.R. and his wife of more than three decades reside in a small south Texas town near San Antonio with several animals.

MY THOUGHTS: This book contains every prayer in the Bible, except those spoken in second- or third-person. The prayers are very well-organized, not only divided into categories (blessing, confession, insight, petition, praise, response, statement, thanks, worship), but within each topic, the list further divides. For example, there are prayers about thanks, and then prayers that include the word thanks.

Introductory material includes explanations of what prayer is, to whom we pray, unanswered prayers, how to pray, and examples. Several eye-catching charts point out interesting facts about the prayers of the Bible, such as the most common words and a comparison of the different types of prayers.

God's Book of Prayers is a great resource for topical searches. I recommend it to anyone looking for inspiration as they lean on ancient conversations with God to enhance their prayer life.

**I received a free ebook copy of this book from BookLookBloggers in exchange for an honest review.

ESV Journaling Bible, by Crossway

BOOK DESCRIPTION: The ESV Journaling Bible provides the perfect way for you to keep a journal of your spiritual life right inside the Bible that you read and study every day. With covers and formats that look like the finest journals, the Journaling Bible features two-inch ruled margins for writing observations, reflections, prayers, praises, and journal entries. This unique Bible makes a great gift and lasting keepsake for anyone who values God's Word.

Features:

• Cream-colored paper
• 2" ruled margins
• Book introductions
• Ribbon marker
• Smyth-sewn binding

Wanting to enhance my Bible study time and find a creative outlet for expressing what I learn, I got a new Bible. This one has extra space along the outside of each page so that I can take notes or illustrate what I've gleaned from that page.  I did lots of research about the different types available and found that I wasn't the only person thinking along these lines.

There are one-column, two-column, blank pages between the scriptures, leather covers, hardbacks, and the list goes on. The Bibles come in NIV, ESV, NASB, KJV, and NKJV. You can even choose between blank margins, lined margins, and margins that already have some graphics included, which you color in and then add your own personal touches. So many choices!

Thankfully, artistic Bible journaling is pretty popular right now, so there were tons of places I could lurk before making my choice. I found blogs and Facebook groups, pinterest boards and youtube tutorials. This is great news for a non-artist like me who WANTS to make beautiful things but doesn't quite know how.

I finally decided on the one-column (meaning there is only one column of scriptures per page) ESV from Crossway, with a solid cover and an elastic band that keeps it closed when not in use--and also flattens the pages I've just drawn on.

There are several theories of how this should be done, but I've found that within the communities of journalers, there is surprisingly little judgement and tons of encouragement. Some choose to only use the margins and never cover the actual scriptures. Others cover portions or all of the scriptures, usually in a background color that enhances the illustrations or words they've chosen to focus on. Still others do their study in the Bible then illustrate in a separate drawing pad. So far, I fall into the first category. I have chosen to highlight or underline the scriptures I'm focusing on but I don't cover them. Those who do, obviously use other Bibles for reading or study, and this artistic version serves as a creative journal only.

I've been pleasantly surprised at how many options there are for using this Bible. Of course, I can write my notes without fear that the little yellow sticky paper I had available at the time will fall out later. These notes are permanently attached to the page! I can use pens and simply letter a verse that stands out to me. Or I can take a giant leap and draw along the sides, top, and bottom of the page, since there is so much space for expression. I'm careful to date each entry so I can look back and see where I've been on this spiritual journey.

Many of the illustrations I've found are shared from people just like me--okay, more artistic versions of me--who choose to make their work available. They are gracious to allow copying, so that's pretty much what I do right now. When a verse stands out to me, I generally have an idea of what it "looks like" artistically, so then I google away until I've found something close. Sometimes I trace it onto my page, and sometimes I just use it as a guide. I'm quite thankful there are so many artists out there who are okay with this.

Here are a few resources for those who are interested in getting started.

Ideas from Pinterest (You could get lost here, digging through the bazillion boards devoted to bible journaling and #illustratedfaith!)

One of many Facebook groups dedicated to sharing ideas and asking questions

Illustrated Faith, an official page with products, message boards, and events

A series of blog posts about doodling, with daily projects and step-by-step instructions

A large collection of Youtube videos specific to journaling in your Bible

Happy arting! I'd love to see how you illustrate your Bible in the comments below.

The 30-Day Faith Detox, by Laura Harris Smith

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

BOOK DESCRIPTION (from the publisher):  A reset button for your body, mind and spirit!

In this new, groundbreaking total-being cleanse, wellness expert and certified nutritional counselor Laura Harris Smith takes on not only your body but also your mind and spirit.

Day by day, prayer by prayer, you will confront 30 universal faith toxins like doubt, discouragement and anger. And flush them out.

Each day offers a simple body detox that associates specific body organs with the faith toxins you are flushing out, and by the end of the 30 days, you will have a total body detox.

Using ingredients right from your own kitchen, you'll get delicious recipes for colorful smoothies, juices, soups and entrees. There's even a section for veggie-haters! Make the connection between physical health and spiritual health, and start feeling better physically, mentally and spiritually.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Laura Harris Smith founded Eastgate Creative Christian Fellowship with her husband, Pastor Chris Smith, and is the Director for the Eastgate Creative Arts Conservatory, where among other things, she mentors young writers all over the world in her online creative writing classes. An actress, playwright, poet, and media dynamo, she was a TV host on the Shop at Home Network and is the author of multiple books. With one foot in ministry and one in media, Laura and her husband have six children and reside near Nashville, Tennessee.

MY THOUGHTS: Healthy eating, detox teas, and purposeful nutrition are all the rage. There are books, websites, videos, programs, and groups for every nuance within the spectrum of taking care of yourself. What makes this book stand out are several things.

1. The information is presented in bite-sized chunks. After a two-chapter introduction walks you through the basic premise behind detoxification of your body's major systems, you start 30 short, easy-to-follow daily challenges. I have found other resources to be quite wordy and hard to understand, even though I have lots of experience in health care and probably know more about human anatomy and physiology than the average reader. I tend to get bogged down in the gorey details of exactly how certain nutrients work inside our bodies and what some common toxin does to each of my systems on the cellular level. Just give it to me straight and in everyday language, or you've lost me. The 30-Day Faith Detox is a straight shooter, getting right to the point and then moving into the daily challenges.

2. The premise of the book is a holistic approach to healthy living. The author explains early on how the connection between our minds, our bodies, and our spirits leads to poor health in one or more of these areas when they are not properly cared for. Each day begins with a spiritual toxin and the corresponding emotional toxins. After an explanation of common things that we know cause us harm but probably don't notice or think about normally, we are presented with the cleansing diet for that day and a short explanation of how it works in our bodies. So while you are working through what you've learned about yourself from that day's devotional section, your body is cleansing itself of built-up gunk.

3. The plan is easy to follow. Okay, let me clarify that. If you're not ready to deal with these spiritual topics--social influence, financial, health-related, relationship, and purpose/identity toxins--then you could hit some roadblocks to moving forward. However, the author is very direct and specific in exposing danger zones and how to move past them. And since you only get one issue per day, you have time to stew a bit on each topic before moving on the next day.

4. The recipes use ingredients you probably already have and can find in any regular grocery store. There's no need to find a specialty market or get online and order an array of products to carry out this cleanse. And when you finish the 30 days, you will have learned some new recipes and sustainable habits you can continue to use to equip your body for optimum health.

Still not convinced you can stick with this for 30 days? You will find accountability and encouragement through the offical Facebook group, free recipe cards and a signed copy of the book if you order from LauraHarrisSmith.com, and 30 free videos as part of the faith detox challenge (code included in the book).



I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

The Lifestyle of a Prophet, by James W. Goll

BOOK DESCRIPTION:  This unique, hands-on 21-day guide helps all believers develop intimacy with God so they can hear his voice clearly--and then proclaim his words faithfully.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Dr. James W. Goll is the President of Encounters Network, the Director of Prayer Storm, and the Director of God Encounters Training – an eSchool of the Heart. He is a member of the Harvest International Ministries apostolic team and an instructor in the Wagner Leadership Institute. With great joy James has shared Jesus in more than 50 nations teaching and imparting the power of intercession, prophetic ministry, and life in the Spirit.

MY THOUGHTS:  Written as a 21-day devotional, this book is subtitled A 21-Day Journey to Embracing Your Calling.  The author uses Old and New Testament prophets as well as his own life to illustrate key points in the journey to become someone God can speak to.

Although I have a slightly different theological view of prophecy than the author, I enjoyed working through this devotional.  The principles apply to any person wanting to be used of God--the struggles he will face, the highs and lows of ministry, danger zones to avoid, and ways to strengthen your spiritual life in order to be available and effective in kingdom work.

In Day 4, which deals with character development, I highlighted this quote, which seems to summarize the point of the book:

"God does not want us only to give a message:  He wants us to become a living word."

The book is divided into three sections with seven chapters each:  The Lifestyle of Intimacy, The Lifestyle of Wisdom, and The Lifestyle of Revelation.  Each chapter deals with a different, very practical topic, including stories, scripture, questions to think through, and a prayer.

Don't pick this book up thinking you'll do a 5-minute read-through as your daily devotion each morning.  The chapters are thorough and full of things you'll need to reflect on, sift through.  At the end of this very introspective, personal devotional, the reader should be able to identify his own strengths and weaknesses and have a plan for working on those.

**I received an copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, courtesy of netgalley.com.

Dear God, He's Home! by Janet Thompson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

BOOK DESCRIPTION: What do you do when your husband calls and says he's lost his job? How do you handle a husband who has been diagnosed with Parkinson's and is now homebound? Will your routine ever get back to normal now that your loving husband who has been deployed for 12 months is now suddenly back at home? Regardless of the reason he's home, one fact is clear . . . he's home. Dear God, He's Home! is a practical, honest look at how women can deal with a spouse--regardless of the reason--who is forced to become a stay-at-home man.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Janet Thompson, founder and director of About His Work Ministries, is the recognized author of the “Dear God” series and is a speaker on topics relevant to today’s Christian. Janet developed the Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry at Saddleback Church, served as a lay minister for 12 years leading Saddleback’s Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry, and she continues to share the blessings of mentoring by training churches around the world. Dave and Janet have four married children and love being Grammie and Grampa to 11 beautiful grandchildren.

MY THOUGHTS:  Making the transition from what is considered a traditional family set-up--husband working outside the home, wife considering the house her domain--can be very stressful. We have dealt with it at various times in our marriage, and found ourselves again in this position on the mission field. Since our home is the base of operations, gone are the days of seeing him off to work with a kiss each morning and having his dinner ready when he returns in the evening. Defining a new normal has been a challenge, exacerbated by the fact that there just isn't much support out there for wives like me.

So when I saw this new book coming out, I jumped at the chance to get my hands on it. I feel like we have weathered the worst of our storm, but there's always room for improvement. I also hoped this would turn out to be one of those books I could recommend to new missionary wives, so that they don't have to learn the hard way as we did.  It didn't disappoint.

Not only has the author dealt with the situation several times in her life, but she includes the stories of many other marriages who have, for a myriad of reasons. Whether it's health complications, retirement, unemployment, a home office, or some other development that brings your husband home, you're sure to connect with some of the spouses sharing their similar stories.

The book is divided chapters full of examples, practical advice, scripture, a sample prayer, and journaling prompts. Each chapter has several smaller sections packed with wisdom, short enough to do each as a daily devotion.  Although the book is meant to be for the wife, there are parts that can be shared with your husband, such as the sanity tools at the end.

The only complaint I might have is that I had a bit of a hard time keeping up with all the real-life examples.  There were so many, which is good for helping the reader connect to the book and realize she's not the first person to pass through this. But I began to confuse the stories and couples as the book progressed through snippets from these stories with each section.  It's possible that reading a print version of this book would have helped with this, but I had an ebook copy and can't speak as to how the layout affects the ease of reading.

I found the book very thorough, in that it dealt with the emotional, financial, spiritual, and physical aspects of this life change.  It would be helpful to any woman with a stay-at-home husband, especially one who sees the change coming and could use this resource to help herself prepare for that time.

**I received an ARC of this book from netgalley.com, in exchange for my honest review.  The expected publication date of this book is March 5, 2013.

Your Great Name, by Michael Neale

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

BOOK DESCRIPTION:  Based on "Your Great Name", the powerful and popular song written by Michael Neale, this book explores what God is like, name by name. The lyrics from the song make each name of God come alive: Using each line of the song and the name it represents, Your Great Name illustrates to modern-day listeners how God has revealed Himself. Corresponding quotes and verses add harmony to the inspiring lyrics, and personal stories from Michael's life give an everyday context for the meaning of God's names.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Gifted writer, performer, and masterful storyteller are all phrases used to describe Michael Neale.

With the highly anticipated September 2012 release of his first novel The River, as well as a second book, Your Great Name, which released in October 2012, Michael is finding more and more ways to share his gift of storytelling as an author.

Michael divides his time among leading worship in churches, songwriting, and being a featured leader and teacher at conferences around the country. In between his travels, Michael serves on the team of Worship Leaders at Christ Fellowship Church in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, where he lives with his wife Leah, and their three children Micah, Maisie, and Wyatt.

MY THOUGHTS:  In this audiobook, the author of a popular Christian worship song narrates the book he wrote to elaborate on the lyrics.  Taking phrases out of the song about the many things that God is to His people, Neale goes into detail about what each of those things mean.

For example, the first line of the song is

Lost are saved, find their way, at the sound of Your great name.

The first chapter is entitled "Lost Are Saved," which corresponds to God's name Hosanna, meaning "Lord, save us."

Eighteen chapters make their way through the phrases in the song, teaching us the Hebrew names of God that fit each phrase, and the literal meaning of each name.

Using stories from his own life, from the Bible, or from modern people, the author illustrates how each of God's names, and hereby characteristics, can be seen in the real world.

The chapters are only 5-8 minutes long, so each is just the right size to coincide with a daily devotion or as the beginning of an in-depth study on who God is.  The narration is passionate and pleasant, and the book itself is a great reminder of what a powerful, loving God we serve.

I would definitely recommend this for new Christians, as well as those who may be going through difficult times.  I'd imagine this would be very encouraging for someone in the hospital, or excellent for drive-time listening on days when the pressures of life seem to scream more loudly than God's voice.  An excellent book to accompany a powerful song.

**I received this book free from christianaudio.com in exchange for an honest review.

A Hobbit Devotional, by Ed Strauss

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

BOOK DESCRIPTION: Recently a major motion picture, the story of The Hobbit has fascinated readers for more than 70 years. Now, this tale of humble folk who overcome fear, discouragement, and despair forms the basis of this collection of 60 devotional readings, each featuring a dash of humor, challenge, and encouragement.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ed Strauss lives in British Columbia, Canada, with his wife and three tween-aged children. Ed is a freelance writer with a passion for Biblical apologetics and fantasy fiction. Apart from writing, Ed enjoys biking and exploring nature.

MY THOUGHTS:  We all know that epic story-tellers like Tolkien and Lewis and Dekker (okay, you know it’s true!) are able to connect with us because their tales are timeless.  Sure, they seem to have a fixed place and time, but the themes are those basic struggles of mankind throughout the ages, struggles that are the same for young and old, male and female, commoners and royalty.  It’s this commonality of the human race that makes these stories resonate deep within us and causes us to recognize ourselves in the characters, both the heroes and the villains.

The Hobbit is certainly no exception, and with the movie coming out just before Christmas, 2012, this Devotional couldn’t have come at a better time to make it to your gift list.  The perfect gift for anyone who’s read the book or seen the movie, it connects memorable scenes and quotes to spiritual truths applicable to the real world. 

Each of the 60 devotions begins with a quote from The Hobbit, and a short description of that scene, cleverly retold and interpreted by Mr. Strauss.  A couple of pages follow, expounding on how we face the same dilemmas, challenges, or obstacles in our world.  Often a story from the Bible accompanies each chapter, and always the appropriate scriptures to shed God’s light on the situation.  A glossary of terms and a timeline are helpful resources found in the appendix section.

As is the book this devotional is based on, A Hobbit Devotional: Bilbo Baggins and the Bible is appropriate for all ages.  Its lessons could be adapted for personal reading, a study group, youth group lessons, or family devotions.  

**I was provided a review copy of this book by netGalley.com in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Girl's Still Got It, by Liz Curtis Higgs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

BOOK DESCRIPTION: Walk with Ruth as she travels from Moab to Bethlehem, certain of her calling, yet uncertain of her future. Hold Naomi’s hand and watch love put the pieces of her broken life back together. And hang out with Boaz, their kinsman-redeemer, who blesses both women and honors God, big time. 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: (from her webpage) Liz is the author of nearly 30 books, with more than 3 million copies in print. In her best-selling Bad Girls of the Bible series, Liz breathes new life into ancient tales about the most infamous—and intriguing—women in history, from Jezebel to Mary Magdalene.  Scripturally sound and cutting-edge fresh, these popular titles have helped more than one million women around the world experience God’s grace anew.  Now, with The Girl’s Still Got It, Liz offers a twenty-first century take on the book of Ruth, dishing out meat and milk, substance and style, in a highly readable, always entertaining, and deeply personal journey with one of the Good Girls of the Bible.



MY THOUGHTS:  It's hard to determine exactly how to classify this book. It presents like a Bible study or daily devotional, with verse-by-verse commentary. In-depth background information about Ruth and Naomi's respective cultures, the traditions and norms of that day, the political and natural environment, and many other tidbits make the book a serious study tool. A map, discussion questions, and a study guide at the end round this out as a solid book for individual or group use.

At the same time, Liz Curtis Higgs sprinkles her original, often humorous, voice throughout a narrative retelling of this dramatic tale of desperation, loyalty, and love, making it read like a historical novel. The story really comes alive as we get to know the characters and read between the lines of what we know from the biblical account of Ruth.

Throughout the book, the focus is on how this story applies to the reader's life. Each chapter includes questions in the text that lead to self-reflection, as well as short stories of modern-day women applying principles gleaned from this story.

Most readers tend to prefer either fiction or nonfiction when dealing with Bible stories, but this book appeals to both. I was drawn into the plot and the possibilities of how it all could have happened, but also felt I had a much deeper understanding of the book of Ruth and how it applies to my life today.

Still not convinced?  Click here to read the first chapter free, then jump on over here and buy it in either ebook format or hard copy.  You can also work through the study guide alongside other readers, at the author's blog.

**I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group, in exchange for an honest review.

The Gospel of Yes, by Mike Glenn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Weaving the stories of how his life took a dramatic turn after learning this concept and how others live it out, author Mike Glenn walks us through the idea that God is a God of yes. What exactly does this mean? It's an entire paradigm shift away from the belief that the Christian life is a miserable one, and that God is a tyrant who oppresses us to keep us in line.

Instead, the author outlines ways that God uses our natural gifts, talents, and personality types--which, consequently, He planned and designed--to lead us into an abundant life. As we live this out, we are functioning in the kingdom as we were meant to, not only benefitting God's work on earth, but fulfilling us as individuals.

Although the book is broken into chapters, each chapter has bite-sized chunks that could easily serve as a daily devotion, and since it's an audiobook, it makes for great listening as you commute. The author, who read the book, has an engaging, pleasant, Southern voice, minus that fake accent that drives us real Southerners crazy.

If you were raised in church as I was, it may take you a while to digest this whole book. Each chapter has concepts that challenged me to think about what I'd been taught, in light of what the Bible says about God and what I've found to be true about Him. I found things I didn't agree with, things I wasn't sure about, and things that caused a light to click on. I'm not sure I'd recommend this book to a new Christian, but ones who've been in this thing for a while will certainly find some food for thought.

I received this book free from the publisher through christianaudio in exchange for an honest review.

The Voice New Testament, by Ecclesia Bible Society

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wish I had gotten my hands on The Voice New Testament when my children were small. This is a version of the Bible that you may not use for intense study purposes, but that you could curl up with on a rainy day, take turns reading as you sit around the dinner table, or read as a bedtime story. It reads as a script, with a narrator filling in the gaps between conversations.

The scriptures I compared with other versions I trust, seem to accurately portray the message in easy-to-understand terms, but the words being used don't detract from the timeless beauty of the Bible. This is a modern translation that doesn't use street language to make its point.

Four different reading plans are presented, including reading through the New Testament in 24 weeks. Books and certains passages are given a thorough introduction with background information about the setting, the words used, or the cultural significance of what was taking place. Conversations are presented in a dialog format, so that the reader can easily follow what's being said by whom. Different font styles and colors help with the organization of each page. Footnotes clarify definitions or lead to cross references.

I would definitely recommend this Bible to anyone. New Christians or those not familiar with other translations would benefit from the ease of reading it, and those who've grown up with a Bible in their hands would be refreshed from this interesting way of exploring the Word of God.

For further information, including a free download of a book from The Voice, videos, and audio versions, check out the website Hear the Voice.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher netGalley.com in exchange for my honest review.

Praying The Bible Into Your Life, by Stormie Omartian

I’ve read many of Stormie Omartian’s books on prayer and have the little prayer cards that go along with several of them. I regularly refer to these books when I run into a snag in life, and wondered how I’d like the audio version of her latest, Praying the Bible Into Your Life.

When I slipped on my headphones and began, I immediately loved the narrator’s voice, calm and confident. After the introduction, I expected to hear a long talk about each topic, as in the other books she’s written, followed by instructions on putting this into practice, and then a prayer. Instead, I found that each topic is only about 30 seconds long, with a short scripture passage followed by a prayer. Just the right amount of time to get to the point.

The 193 topics are listed as the titles of each chapter, meaning that when I want to look up “Ask God for Wisdom” or “Be Ready for Battle”, easily scrolling through the titles pulls up just what I’m looking for. The topics are diverse and the prayers are specific in each one, and I have already put them to use at times that I felt I needed to get down to business with God about urgent situations. Hearing the scriptures that speak specifically to what I’m going through, then a prayer using that scripture to remind me of God’s involvement in my life was a great source of comfort. This is an audio file that should be in every believer’s mp3 player!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the christianaudio book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

God, Girls, and Getting Connected; by Robin Marsh and Lauren Nelson

This devotional written for teen girls has a lot going for it. First of all, the devotions are more or less one page each, meaning they are straight to the point and concise. Each has a question or text message representing common problems these girls face, then a scriptural response. It’s as if a girl sends God a text, and He responds from His word. The authors then elaborate about the topic, often including examples from the Bible. There are always lots of reflection questions, so that the reader can put this into the context of her own life. Each ends with an application, something the reader can actively do.

I liked that the authors told a bit about themselves and how they met each other in the beginning of the book, so that the reader knows where the thoughts are coming from. I also liked the way the devotions were divided into four sections: God, Identity, Relationships, and Life (acronym GIRL).

I’m very careful about what devotional books or Bibles I buy for my two teenage daughters, because I recognize that not all Christians have the same viewpoints about sticky topics. I didn’t find anything within this book that gave me a red flag, however. Even issues about dating or relationships with guys were handled with care, and I didn’t feel like I’d have to go behind any of these topics and add my own commentary.

This is a devotional I’d definitely give my own daughters, and it would make a nice gift for any teen girls I know, whether they already have a relationship with the Lord or not.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the netgalley.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

The Power of Praying Wife Devotional, by Stormie Omartian

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Author Stormie Omartian has done it again! Taking The Power of a Praying Wife a step further, this devotional captures all the feel of her former books, with a practical method for putting these prayers into regular daily use. The topics are divided into three categories--me, him, and us--which rotate throughout the 100 days. This takes the focus off of "God, fix him," types of prayers and invites the reader to look inward and see where God might be wanting to work in her own life, and then to look at her marriage as a partnership.

Each of the 100 days offers an easy-to-read explanation of that day's prayer topic, including supporting scriptures and specific instances when this prayer may be needed or particularly useful. The prayer then wraps this all together in a way that each woman can either read it as written or adapt for her individual circumstances.

The topics range from broad, such as number 31, "When I Long to Excel in All I Do," to very specific, as in number 80, "When He Must Make Peace with His Father". This book can be read straight through to get the maximum benefit of the "I, he, we" pattern, or can be taken out of order when a specific prayer need exists.

This is definitely a book every married Christian woman should read, and one that would make a very timely gift for a new bride. There is a lot to be learned within the pages of the devotional, and a lot to be gained from the prayers that will follow.