Seeking Him

So here’s a new bible study that feels more like an experience journal by Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth and Tim Grissom.

So I’ll be honest I had no expectations going into reviewing this bible study because of the personal revival aspect in the title. I didn’t know if it would be super rigorous.

However, what I found is a journal of sorts. The questions in the study are first geared towards scripture then they turn inward. There’s also many passages for additional reading and study. Each week starts with the memory verse and going deeper passages. Then it goes into the study, which broken down into roughly 5 days per week. And studies through several topical passages that are meant to spark an internal revival in us.

I haven’t finished the study yet but I am confident in the writing of it and would highly recommend it for a women’s bible study group as the format of the study is much more conducive to group study (each week has a section to be completed with the group and if you’re doing the study solo you would likely just skip over that section) than to individual study.

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this book through from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

For All Who Wander

So here we have a new book by Robin Dance. What was uber  exciting about reviewing this book has been receiving the journey guide with it. Robin is an (in)courage author, which means she belongs to the same community of writers responsible for the (in)courage bible, devotional and a host of other books.



I love the color scheme of this book and the journey guide. I feel like its a navy with a hint of purple and journey guide itself is definitely purple. With the accent of red-seeded dandelion petals on it. And the full red-seeded dandelion on the cover of the journey guide. These books are 5x7 (roughly) so they are the size of the average book and can be thrown into your bag to take on the go with you.




At the core of this book is Robin’s own journey through life in coming into relationship with God. And the journey guide is a guide to help the reader understand our own journey through life in coming into relationship with God. The questions are very self reflecting to pull out the memories and get them on paper, to reflect on the life we’ve lived up until this point.

I’ll be honest, Robin has the stereotypical church background  (at least what she describes of it). She has been in the church her whole life, definitely as a result of her father’s promise to her mother (her mother passed away during her childhood, I cried). And she found the comfort that she needed as a child in going to church consistently no matter what, even if her dad didn’t go, he made sure she went. And from there her story unravels. I particularly sit up and dig in once she’s in the same space of life as me, a mom that’s trying to make it through broken sleep, many kids, and trying to live out the gospel I so readily try to share with others. She’s open with her questions to God. She shares the verses that have helped her. And she dares to bare her heart on the pages. And the journey guide takes us chapter by chapter on this journey with her, prompting us, well me, the reader to remember if I’ve felt like her, asked the same questions, or been in similar situations. It’s helping me to write my faith journey.

So my end take: TWO thumbs up. If you’re going to get the book, then do not miss out on the experience, get the journey guide as well. Let them help you through your journey as well. And answer the questions honestly.


{As always, I received this book from the publisher, B&H Publishing, as a member of this book reviewer community. I got it for free in exchange for my HONEST review.}

God, You, & Sex

God, You & Sex one of the few books I’ve ever seen that actually seeks to really address sex on a root biblical foundation and not make it so prim and proper, or like its something to be avoided.

David White takes the position that sex is not only good but that it is a gift from God for His children to enjoy within the confines of marriage. Something I’ve always struggled with is this idea that God rejoices in human sexuality. Yet White makes this assertion, that Scripture supports this perspective. And while no Scripture is immediately given, there is other verses that are pointed out that points to God giving the command to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis). And to do that, sex is a must. 

My biggest takeaways from this book are: 1. Sex was designed by God during creation and He said all He created is good. Therefore sex in the way God intended it is good. 2. The way God intended sex is in marital covenant. When engaged outside of its parameters, like many other things it will have consequences. 3. The church needs to have more conversations about sex. We need to do more than tell the younger generations to avoid it, because when they get married they will still struggle with it. We need to give them the necessary context for sex and when it is appropriate to engage in it. As parents we need to have these conversations at home BEFORE our kids engage in sex rather than have poor versions of this conversation as a knee jerk reaction to them engaging in premarital sex.

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely. I think young adults and teenagers NEED to read this book. They need to understand full context of sex, when it is appropriate and when it is not.

(FYI: I received this book from the publisher, New Growth Press, in exchange for my honest review.)

Bible & Breakfast!

So, as I am learning mealtime and bible time can go hand in hand. And what better way than with Asheritah Ciuciu's latest book Bible & Breakfast.

31 days having Breakfast with Jesus. That is the promise of this book. As a mom, Ashertiah understands how hard it is as a mom to get consistent time in God's Word each morning. And one of the best features of this bible??
RECIPES!!! There's a recipe for each day that you spend with Jesus. This makes me happy because it is so easy to run out of new recipes to make and here are 31 new recipes.

Each day features several things:

1. That day's recipe which is also illustrated and tells you if its "gluten-free," "kid-friendly," "freezer-friendly," or if you can meal-prep it.
2. The morning snack, which is a quick 3-minute devotional.
3. The feast which is a longer more in-depth study that is intended to really get us in the Word.

I love that from the beginning this book assumes that it is a we thing. That perhaps there will be a group of parents doing this study together or a group of girlfriends, or even a group of grandparents. I also love that she has both a short devotional AND a deeper bible study. That way even if I cannot sit down to study, I can at least grab a quick snack in the Word then come back during lunch or nap-time to sit, savor, and study the Word.  And it is hardback which means it can withstand being in the kitchen around little hands or some messes.

HIGHLY recommend. I am personally digging into this book starting January 1st to kick off my year. And I invite any and everyone to join me. You can grab a copy here. 

{A huge thank you to Moody Publishers for allowing to be a long-term member of its Blogger Program. As a member, I have received this book (along with many others reviewed on this blog) for free in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

NLT Illustrated Study Bible

So, after a while, we have a new study bible to review and my, my is it a beauty.

IT is the Blush Rose Linen NLT Illustrated Study Bible.

 Gorgeous Right?

It comes encased in a hard sleeve, which I've kept for storage purposes as I've learned cloth exterior bibles get dirty easy. One thing I noticed upfront was the blush rose bookmark ribbon, a very nice addition to this bible. I also noticed that it is slightly thicker than my NASB Life Application Study Bible. I want to attribute the thickness to the near verse by verse footnotes and many articles found throughout the bible. 

This short article on Greece and the Greeks show their impact on the world and therefore the culture of Israel (which was under Roman rule) at the time of Jesus' birth.

I also noticed that with Nebuchadnezzar's person background there's a running list of places in Scripture that make mention of him.

This article helps to understand the visions/dreams in the book of Daniel and their relation to each other as well as who they referred to in history. Something that always interested me is that the feet of the statue (iron mixed with clay) is rarely spoken of or given as much attention as the upper parts.

I have noticed that major players or authors of books get the full page character background page like Daniel and John do.

And as you can see these are all heavily illustrated and actually quite beautiful, even if somewhat inaccurate as to the racial appearance of the people of the Bible. They are still given white-washed appearances as if they are ignoring that Israel is in the Middle East and ancient Israelites are not as white-washed as today's Israelites and therefore should look Middle Eastern. 

I do appreciate the use of maps throughout the bible and not just in the appendix at the back like they are put right there in with scripture so you have that visual while reading. And that is invaluable.

This map is found in the book of Daniel and shows the Persian Empire at the time as well as the stretch of the Royal Persian Road which connected much of the kingdom. 

Then there are these short topical studies found throughout the bible that has cross-references to back up the study, which can be quite nice to read and study further as you may come across it while reading. 

As you can see this one is about justice and the God who gives justice. Throughout the short article, it gives scriptural references. Then in the column to the left, there are more scriptural references to read for further study.

I have to admit this is one of the best study bibles I have come across since my Life Application bibles. Don't get me wrong I like the CSB Study Bible for Women but its a bit narrow in its concept and does not have the same amount of articles and footnotes. I would highly recommend this Bible (it does come in other colors) to anyone looking for a good study bible. 

Big Thank you to Tyndale Publishers for creating this beautiful well put together bible and allowing me to review it.

The Moon is Always Round

Loss is hard. And just as it is hard on us adults, it is hard on children as well.

Simply written yet poignant in its message.

Little Ben notices the changes in the sky with the weather and times of day but then he sees that the moon always looks to change shape, yet Ben's dad always reminds him that the moon is always round. Ben's mommy becomes pregnant with a little sister and through it all, the moon is always round. As the come to Ben's baby sister being stillborn, dad reminds Ben that while we do not understand what's going on the moon is always round. At the baby's funeral, dad explains that the moon is always round is means that God is always good. No matter what happens in life, when we do not understand why things happen, God is always good and the moon is always round.

After reading this book I nearly wanted to cry. How beautiful of words to illustrate such a timeless truth.  And then to read that the story is true and based on the author's family. Tears. After going through loss this year, I greatly appreciate this book.

Family, have this book in your library. Adopt this saying in your family. The moon is always round.

God is always good. 

{FYI: I received this book from New Growth Press, the publisher, in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

New Children's Book Review: Why Do We Say Goodnight?

A common ailment to young children is a fear of the dark. Fear of the sounds and shapes of the night tend to plague children. And so here is a new book to address a fear of the dark.

In this book, a mother and daughter are engaged in conversation about why they say good night especially since the daughter is afraid of the dark. The mother then explains why we say good night or that the night is good. She explains that while we cannot see well in the dark, God can and He is with us even while we sleep. 

Looking at the images, you can see the progression of the story from being fearful to no longer fearing the dark and trusting that God is there even while she sleeps.

This is a good and different book. It's the first book we have in our collection to deal with the fear of the dark, and considering I have had a few children to help cope with this fear I'm glad to come across and review this book.

Mamas of littles, go ahead and add it to your library.

{FYI: I received this book from New Growth Press in exchange for my HONEST opinion of the book.}

Habits for Our Holiness

Many are the number of books available on Christian Living. 

Rare is a book that puts different habits into one book (outside of the Bible).

So Philip Nation undertook the very high standards and responsibility of composing a book on the spiritual disciplines. He starts with actually loving Jesus and surrendering our lives to Him. 

The second chapter focuses on worship and not just in the manner of singing or rather listening to someone on a stage sing. Completely pleased with the way addresses this because people often think worship is just the beginning of Sunday service, the singing portion. But worship goes beyond that into the way we live and what we spend our time, affection, and resources on. 

The third chapter is on bible study. Praise God! And he makes clear the difference between devotions, basic reading and actual study of the bible. Yes, there is a difference. And unfortunately many I know get to devotions and because they may get a couple verses in the devotion, they stop there as if its a full meal and not a snack. 

Then the fourth chapter focuses on prayer. Yet another spiritual discipline that even I have to rein in. Prayer is a conversation with God, there's dialogue and too often we treat prayer like a monologue simply dumping on God then continuing on with our day OR treating Him like a genie (available to grant our wishes). 

The fifth chapter is on the discipline of fasting. Because it is something we are expected to do. Jesus doesn't say IF you fast but WHEN you fast, meaning it is supposed to happen. 

The sixth chapter covers fellowship. Again something else we are expected to do. We are expected to spend time with other believers in corporate fellowship and worship. Even if large crowds are uncomfortable, there are house churches (we need more of these) and bible study or belong groups, you can join. 

The seventh chapter addresses rest. Because there is a such thing as doing too much and even God rested.  

The eighth chapter focuses our attention on simple living. Something capitalist America struggles with. There's always the quest for more, more bigger, for better, for brand names. And there's the idea of being like the early church, live simple and be generous. 

The ninth chapter reminds us to serve. Jesus did not come to be served BUT to serve others. And we must also remember to serve others. 

The tenth chapter exhorts us to submission. Because that word is dirty, especially to women and almost always comes with a negative retort. Submission is to get under the mission, which is literally what we signed up for when we chose Jesus and when we get married. 

The eleventh chapter concerns spiritual leadership. Knowing that there is good and there is bad and we must always seek to serve God and lead people to God. 

And the final chapter like Jesus final instructions exhorts us to disciple-making. The end of the great commission is to make disciples. Our testimony can't end with us. And we have to help steward those we lead toward Jesus. Help then stay on the narrow path. 

READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. This is one of those books that once you read you're expected to act on what you know. Once you read and gain a base understanding of these spiritual disciplines, you will be held responsible for what you do or don't do.  And on that note, I do recommend reading. Especially new believers who may want and need a base understanding of these spiritual disciplines.

Remember: It's hard to do what you don't understand just like you can't love what you don't know.

{I received this book from Moody Publishers in exchange for my honest review.}

New Review: Play to Their Strength

So our next book is a parenting book. I'm almost always up for reading someone else's take on parenting because as parents we don't know it all. And if someone has advice that can make me a better, more God-honouring parent then I'm all ears.

From the cover, this one promises both.

So in this book, we meet parents who have got it wrong then strove on how to get it right.  Their goal is to not parent from a place of fear but one of working to uncover what their children's gifts and talents are, then parent their children in such a way that nurtures those gifts and talents. Some practical tools they offer are to find the 5 e's (your child's enthusiasm, ease, excellence, energy, and enjoyment) regarding what your children are involved in; creating a vision board, which works with children the same way it does us, adults; and keeping an eye out for red flags that trigger frustration and keep parents from reacting and disciplining out of anger.

Then the last 80 pages of the book is the Bonus Playbook which helps parents actually used what they've read. There are practical tips to go with every chapter.

This book has been an interesting book to read, especially since we have five (5) children that span in an age range from 1 to 12. For me, Chapters 12 and 13 have been the most useful and implementor. I see this book as an ongoing reference book that would get a reread every so often for recharge. But all in all, I like their approach to parenting, its encouragement and cultivation at its best.

I also like that they encourage really learning our children and not taking the approach that we know them because we birthed them.

I definitely recommend this book to parents. 

{Also, please note that I received this book from the publisher, Harvest House, in exchange for my honest opinion.}

God Made Boys and Girls

So here's another series of God Made books by New Growth Press.

This first book is about helping children understand gender from a godly perspective, which is hugely needed in today's society considering the constant discussion around gender and transgendered persons.

The story starts revolves around a little girl named Maya who prefers to play sports like football at recess. She's also really fast. So fast that when they line up for recess, her classmate (a boy) remarks that if she keeps playing with boys then she'll turn into a boy. This sparks a discussion about gender and how it does not change because of what we do or how we act. Gender is a gift from God and even if you like to do things that are considered "boy-ish" it doesn't change that gift. Gender is what you're born with and it doesn't change. It's ingrained so deep in us, it goes beyond what we can physically see down into our DNA and cells.

Again!  New Growth Press does it again with another good book with a much-needed lesson.

This is definitely worth reading, especially those who may have children or even teens who are struggling with gender identity and as a parent, you want to take a God-honoring approach to discuss it. This book does that and points them back to Jesus.

{I received this book from the publisher, New Growth Press, in exchange for my honest review.}

On Bended Knee

So if you know me, I love to review a good bible study and I love being on launch teams!

And this spring I got to do that TWICE.

The first was on Crickett Keeth's On Bended Knee. 

This is one of the very few bible studies I've come across that tackles prayer like this. She doesn't focus on one specific prayer or one specific person but she covers many prayers across both the Old and New Testament. 

So above you'll see the Table of Contents where each week the author takes on a new prayer and guides us through that prayer. 

She starts off with THE prayer by Jesus (you know the one: Our Father....). 

Then we go into intercessory prayer by Paul in Ephesians (and even get to cover one in Colossians). Next is Job's prayer in his despair and Hannah's prayer as she was longing to have children (the prayer that brought forth Samuel). 

By week 5 we get to David's prayer in the Psalms of Lament where we find how to be sad & hurting and yet still trust God to be God. 

Then there's Asa's prayer who was seeking God and trying to turn the people towards God. 

Then Jehoshaphat, Asa's son and the monarch after him, who is depending on God for his decision making.

And we end the study with Nehemiah whose prayer was very bold, especially for someone still in captivity in Persia. 

Then at the end, there's this section with MORE prayers found in the bible that we can study and replicate in our own prayer time: Jacob, Moses, Solomon, Elijah, Hezekiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezra, as well as others by David and Paul.

And if you choose to do this study in a group there's also a leader's guide in the back.

I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed this book when I read over it during the launch and even more so now that I am taking my time going through it, studying the prayers and praying them over friends and family. I highly recommend as a good study on prayer that's not warfare praying (which is not covered in this study).

{FYI: I did receive this book for FREE as a member of the launch team.}

Empowered

Rarely do I read books about the saints of the past. Yet here is a book that tells the story of 11 women who stood strong in their faith. 

Catherine Parks effortlessly weaves short stories about these women that leaves me ready to research their lives. And at the end of each chapter are questions and Scripture and encouragement that we can be just as effective as these women. These are women who faced persecution simply because they believed in Jesus Christ and they didn't back down. That's FAITH. To know torture, prison, starvation is coming yet to stand strong in the faith and not deny Jesus. We are called to this level of faith even now. Granted some of us may live in a country where Christianity is accepted, even as it is twisted to fit others agendas. So many more of us live in countries where Christianity is not accepted and to believe is to be persecuted. And we must stand strong and support those in those countries where their faith can mean torture and persecution.

Now mind you this is a book for preteens & teens, it is just as good for adults as well. That's how well written it is. I am enjoying learning about these women, and am looking forward to each of my kids learning about these women as well. (And don't worry there is one for boys as well. I'll review it soon.) 

{FYI: I received this book for FREE from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

Soaring Through the Bible

How awesome is a Bible overview book made specifically for kids?? I think it is awesome and it helps with actually teaching the bible.

So this book goes book by book explaining who wrote it, why they wrote, who they wrote it to, and how it relates to the BIG picture of the Bible: The Gospel. Each chapter is about 4-5 pages long and encompasses helping with learning little tidbits about the Hebrew language and how the words really translate from Hebrew to English. And of course, it wouldn't be a Bible overview if each chapter didn't share a summary of the book in question, generally by theme.

My plan is to incorporate this book into our morning basket this school year as it will help my kids learn the books of the Bible, where to find them in the bible and how they relate to the gospel and God's overarching picture. 

I do recommend adding this book to your library for your kiddos too.

And if you choose to do so, you can get a copy on Amazon.

{As always I received this book in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

Disciple Her

Discipleship, a fastly growing topic in contemporary Christian circles.

Kandi Gallaty addresses a very much needed and widely gaining notice topic. 

Discipleship is the act of teaching through life lessons another to be a disciple. But in order to make disciples, you first have to be a disciple. Jesus was able to tell the 12 to go forth and make disciples because they had first been disciples of His. And so Kandi Gallaty, who has discipleship groups at their (her & her husband, whose book will be one of the next books I review) church. 

Note that this book's table of contents is awesome. There is a breakdown of the topic of each chapter, which makes sharing the topic of the book that much easier.

So what makes this book great on discipleship is the fact that (as you can see below) Kandi Gallaty goes beyond talking about the need for discipleship but she goes into HOW to actually accomplish discipleship. She goes starts with the prep work that goes into starting a D-group (discipleship group). From prayer & planning to actually starting the group. She explores the elements of development, so you get an idea of what maturity looks like in your group. Then she does something else amazing: she breaks down the difference between a D-group and all of the other small groups that are in a church because yes there is a difference. 

This book has been an eye-opener and a welcomed resource for the next stage of life that God is preparing us for. I highly recommend, especially for those who are in ministry as I think it will definitely assist in your ministry work.

If you check out the excerpt below you will see the breakdown of each chapter. 

 {And as always I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament

This one of the most massive undertakings on reviewing a book that I've done. The closest I've come was the Inductive Bible Study textbook I reviewed two years ago.

First the surface, this book is over 600 pages and has a large contributory team to give us a comprehensive overview and introduction to the New Testament of the Bible. There are also additional articles on the New Testament in the appendixes to the book (authored by the contributors of course). And thankfully there is an abbreviation guide at the beginning of the book to help forgetful folk like myself. 

Another thing to note is that this overview of the New Testament is written from a reformed theology approach, as all of the contributors are either current or past professors at Reformed Theological Seminary. Beliefs of Reformed: 

• Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone): the Bible alone is the highest authority. 
•  Sola Fide (faith alone): faith is the sole instrument of our justification. 
• Sola Gratia (grace alone): we are saved by the grace of God alone, not by works. 
• Solus Christus (Christ alone): Christ is the only Mediator between God and man. 
• Soli Deo Gloria (to the glory of God alone): all of life is lived for the glory of God alone.

Biblical theology is considered biblical because it focuses on "its principle of organizing the Biblical material is historical rather than logical", as stated in the introduction.

Each chapter is focused on a specific book of the Bible, with the chapters flowing in the same order of the Bible from Matthew to Revelation. So in each chapter, we get an introduction and extensive background & context information on the book:

• author
• audience
• the date it was written
• the purpose of the book,
• a structured outline of the book
• an overview of the book (a quick breakdown of the book almost like a commentary)
• The authors also cover the message and theology presented in each book of the New Testament
• Each author also presents their bibliography which presents the reader with the chance for further study.

So my personal take on this book is that while it is not exhaustive, it is quite comprehensive and provides a solid foundation to build upon during study. I like this book as a great study companion especially when it comes to getting the context correct. Inaccurate context and understanding can lead to inappropriate messages and application.

{FYI: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.}

Friendship Promises

We all have friends, right? And what particularly makes us a good friend? What would we tell others if they asked us this question?

So this is a new gift book by (in) courage, it is composed of devotions, prayer prompts, and journal prompts on the topic of friendship combined with beautiful Scripture art and graphics. I can easily see this book going from gift to interactive treasure as the devotions, prayers, and journaling prompts (along with the space to journal) invites us to linger and digest these lessons & promises on friendship. Then, as we marvel at the Scripture art, perhaps they are left blank without color so that we, too, may participate in making this book beautiful. 

The friendship promised this book offers are:

I promise to be Authentic, Present, Encouraging, and Rooted in Christ. The entire book is organized by these friendship promises. The reflections are drawn from Never Unfriended by Lisa Jo Baker and Craving Connection (another book by (in)courage). I mention this so that you have an idea of the authors of the book since other than this mention, there is no attributed author.

So for the exterior, we're looking at linen over the board. In person, it is the perfect shade of a coral/salmon color. And is the same size as Open Door Living (another gift book). The cover lettering & design is embossed with gold foil. There's also a ribbon marker the same shade of coral/salmon as the book, which makes me happy. 

I really like this book. I think that in this world of people being so easy to write each other off (and being proud of that fact) we need more resources on friendship. The beauty in friendship and knowing just what godly friendship looks like.

Highly recommend. I say buy in pairs. One for yourself and one for your best gal pal (or more for your best gal group of friends).

{As always, I received this book from the publisher (B&H) in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

Made for This

Jennie Allen! Love her books! They get to the nitty-gritty of surrender. And morphed into IF: Gathering (IF: Table, IF:Local), a ministry that seeks to gather people together into groups of all sizes and demographics to study God's Word together. 

This book is 40 days and it has released right in time for Lent (also a 40-day event). The goal is to do this book during Lent (what Jennie is currently promoting). The book itself is broken down into 4 parts (check below for photos of the Table of Contents). It is the embodiment of Anything (2015) and Restless (2014) morphed into one interactive book. It challenges and inspires. It requires you to engage. It prompts you to make life-altering changes. Changes that exhorts you to draw near to God so that He will draw near to you.

Part One is completely Anything. Praying the Anything Prayer. I will go anywhere you choose Lord.  I will do anything You ask of me, Lord. ANYTHING Lord, here I am. And this is a BOLD prayer to pray. This is a surrendering of one's self and entire life unto God. And you need to mean it and be willing to follow through when God responds. 

Part Two, answer the call. God calls. He beckons. He points, He moves. And it is up to us to hear and to respond. I'll be honest, the first step to hearing is to spending time with God.

Part Three: Working out the details, the threads. There's a process of walking out the surrender. It will not be easy and it will require obedience to whatever God sets forth. Those threads are important, no matter how big or small.

Part Four: The future. It's okay to dream for the future and plan. Even if God throws the monkey wrench later, it is okay. How do we take what we learn about ourselves and about God in this 40 days journey and let it apply to the rest of our lives? Because that is the real goal, right? For lasting impact, not just to feel good or feel challenged in the moment then, write off once the 40 days are up.

Highly recommend. And if you have not read Anything and Restless. Please get them and read them while going through this book. It will make a HUGE difference.

{FYI: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

Guarded by Christ

So if you've been following along you will note that this is the third book I've reviewed by Heather Holleman, although it is technically the second in the series. You can read the reviews on Seated with Christ and Chosen for Christ.

By this point, I think I've become a little too familiar with Heather's writing. When I read Seated with Christ, I was completely besotted with her writing, her energy, and her love for verbs. However, by this point, I see so much repetition that didn't really bother me in the first book. 

So, the first book focuses on the verb seated, this book focuses on the verb guarded. Specifically how in Psalm 91:10, the psalmist says, 

"Let those who love the Lord hate evil,

   for he guards the lives of his faithful ones

    and delivers them from the hand of the wicked."

The author then spends the book delving into who guards us, what it means to be guarded, and how we should live as one who is guarded. The book seems to be made to help those who really struggle with security and even anxiety issues. Oftentimes we have security and anxiety issues because we don't feel safe. But once we know who we are and whose we are, we can start to feel some semblance of security. I think this book is the outcome of Heather addressing her own anxiety issues. The outcome of studying God's Word and letting it make a difference in her own life. 

While the repetition and overfamiliarity with her writing style did slightly irritate me, I would still recommend especially to someone who struggles with anxiety.

{FYI: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

Taste and See

How often do you come across a book that combines Scripture with food yet not in the context of fasting?

Margaret Feinberg does just that. She takes her readers on a journey through the Bible to literally taste and see that the Lord is good. 

First, we head to the Promised Land to catch fish in the same sea as the disciples. We learn just the type of fish caught and just how important fishing was to that culture and what it meant when the disciples left their jobs fishing to follow Jesus but also the miracles Jesus performed in that sea. 

Next, Margaret takes the reader to California to learn about figs and fig trees. We learn about the cycles of the fig tree and how huge it was when a tree did not produce. 

Third, we learn about baking bread. The way the Israelites would have for Passover, especially if they were poor. 

The fourth place we head to is near her home in Utah, to salt mines to learn about how salt is mined and the differences in salt as well as to learn that while salt is a common commodity these days, in biblical days salt had to be mined to be of use even to season with. 

The sixth chapter takes the reader to Croatia to pick olives in an olive grove and learn rich history behind olives and how the relate to the Old Testament story of Elisha and the widow. 

The seventh chapter takes us to Dallas, Texas where Margaret gets a lesson on meat and lamb chops. We learn about how modern food regulations relate to biblical times food regulations and how they set the Israelites apart from their neighbors and kept them from food bribery. Understanding meat take up a great portion of the chapter both in biblical times and in modern times.

The last chapter pulls it all together and sums up the experience that Margaret has taken us on.

And if you hurry, you can jump in on the study videos offered through Study Gateway, which can superbly aid in reading and studying this book.

I give this book 2 thumbs us and greatly recommend it to anyone interested in seeing the Bible truly come alive with the food of that era.

{FYI: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

Morning and Evening Prayer Book

This is my first time ever reviewing a prayerbook and I couldn't be more thrilled. It is meant to last the entire year and it has prayers to start the day and end the day. The prayers come from throughout history. There are Old Testament prayers and New Testament Prayers. There are prayers from the Eastern Orthodox church, prayers from the catholic church, prayers from Martin Luther, from Spurgeon. There are prayers from just about every walk of the Christian faith and every era of the Christian faith. And its amazing. It's refreshing and invigorating to pray the prayers of those before us. To have that as a inspiration towards more personal & intimate prayers. And THAT is the purpose of the book.

This book comes as a beautiful deep purple hardback, with a ribbon marker. The paper is fairly thick parchment. It doesn't feel like your usual book paper. Rather it lends an air of ancientness to the book as if to set it apart from any other book you may pick up. The parchment reminds me of what I think a book from hundreds of years ago might be like.  There are also pictures throughout the book, they're usually found depicting an event on the Western Church Calendar (many of the daily prayers follow along with the Church Calendar). Something super helpful to me as I have decided to follow along with the church calendar this year (starting with Advent 2018).

I highly recommend. Especially for those who may struggle to pray. Some days there is no struggle for me to pray and other days I need the assistance.

Below are a few excerpts:

{FYI: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.}