New Book Review: You Can Trust God to Write Your Story

So one of my favorite authors is Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth. And I received the delight to be able to review her newest book authored with her husband Robert Wolgemuth.

When I'd first heard of the book, I thought it would be just about their story and seeing God in their lives but thankfully after reading it it is an accumulation of stories. Starting with their story and seeing God work in their lives. And just reading their story is simply amazing. Like seriously, Robert Wolgemuth's deceased wife actually said who she wanted him to marry BUT she didn't tell him, she told her friends. And once he and Nancy were engaged those friends recounted that conversation. The woman his wife chose was Nancy. God had heard her request and wove together the stories of their lives and knit together their hearts. 

And the rest of the book is filled with stories of people that could look back over their lives and see God in the details. Both real-life people and those from the Bible like Esther, Ruth, Joseph, and Mary, mother of Jesus. It is in these stories that we, the reader, can also place our faith in God to write our story in such a way that is for our good and His glory.

I definitely recommend if you're in need of an encouraging read.
You can purchase here.

{As always I received this book from the publisher 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.}

A Standard of Grace

A Standard of Grace is the third book by Emily Ley. And Omgosh I wish I'd known about her before. After getting my hands on this guided journal, I am itching to read her other books, Grace, Not Perfection and A Simplified Life. 

So starting on the outside, it is a beautiful and bright hardback. The front lettering is embossed in gold. Also, there are 3, yes THREE, colorful (navy, yellow, and pink) ribbon bookmarks. Yep, excited! This journal is smaller than the average notebook yet larger than the average journal (9x6.6). 

Now for the inside, this is the GOOD paper. I mean you can use gel pens or even a highlighter without worry of it bleeding through. The guided journal is organized weekly instead of daily, with about 2 journaling prompts per week. It's enough to really get into but not so much that it takes us too much time. So it is PERFECT for the busy mama (like myself) or even the busy gal on the go who wants to stop to smell the roses but still has a full plate. There are also loads of beautiful photography found in the book.

Back cover...

The purpose of this guided journal is to get us to slow down to create the life we want and will be proud of. Not a life of perfection but one full of grace and mercy. One that has room for margin, which means less stress and frustration when disruptions to our day come. She also encourages us to dream in our journaling. And there are plenty of nuggets of inspiration and motivating quotes sprinkled throughout the journal. 

I'd definitely recommend, especially for those who could use help in staying on track in journaling. *hand raised*

(FYI: I received this journal from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion.)

Open Door Living

How do you feel about hospitality?

Is it effortless for you? Or do you often need a little encouragement and some great tips on ways to show hospitality to others?

Well, me, I fall in the middle of the two. Serving others comes naturally to me. Once we have guests, I immediately fall into service. I think its part of my DNA, although most moms I know are like this. But then there are times when I struggle. Some times it is merely getting everyone in my house on board with opening our home to others (especially when strangers are involved). Other times it is knowing what to do, how to decorate, or what to serve them once they've entered my home.

And enter Open Door Living by Jen Schmidt. I'd already read her book Just Open the Door (which has a companion Bible study). Open Door Living is another companion book to Just Open the Door. While Just Open the Door dealt with getting us to actually be hospitable and invite people into our homes and hearts. Open Door Living is more of a practical, here are some recipes and decor tips with devotions, beautiful artwork and conversation starters thrown in. 

And I LOVE IT. I love the recipes and decor tips, they are easy to follow and tweak to my taste. The conversation starters are great when you're having new friends over and are just starting to learn about them or even having a small dinner/lunch/brunch party. And the devotions are always welcomed. They help get us in the mood and set the tone for each chapter. 

The artwork, though!!! Definitely worth getting printed and put on canvas or framed to put in your home. Your walls will thank me later. 

Feel free to download and frame or put on canvas.

I think this book is great for personal use but also make a great gift. Highly recommend for any gift-giving needs.

(FYI: As always I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.)

Tiny Truths Illustrated Bible

EEEEEEKKKK!!!!

That was me being UBER excited about this children's story bible. This has to be the first one I've EVER encountered where ALL of the illustrations are brown people. 

I have come across many Bible storybooks in my years of book reviewing and this is the FIRST time I've come across one where the characters are accurate. They are all beautiful shades of brown. While this may not seem like a huge deal, it really is. Most illustrations of Jesus and different people from the bible has been hugely white-washed even when you see movies on Joseph or Moses it is rare for us to see the Egyptians (who are African) portrayed as actual Africans (which is people of color, brown/black). And so to have an ENTIRE Bible storybook filled with people of color where my kids can see themselves in the Bible, that's huge. It's representation where we often have none. 

The stories are not too long and the illustrations hold our little ones' interest.  There are about 20 Old Testament stories and 20 New Testament stories.  Now don't expect it to be completely accurate (it isn't), that's why I described it as a storybook and not a Bible as the writer liberally adds to it to make it fun and engaging for kids. One of the stories is titled in such a way that children can connect the story to the holiday, The First Christmas.

If you choose to grab a copy for your kiddos, head over to Amazon.

(As always, I received this book from the publisher 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.}

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.}

Seated with Christ

At first, I was a wee bit skeptical about this book as it is the first I've read by this author. However, I can say it will not be my last.  It is TOO raw and it gets beneath my skin in a way that requires me to self-examine.  This book is organized by section and feature Sit & Savor questions at the end of each chapter. The Sit &  Savor questions take it from being a regular book to one that intreats you to highlight, study, and glean what is shared on the pages. 

So I've learned a few things while reading this book:

• To be seated in Christ is to be secure in who Christ says you are. He says that we are loved, that He has prepared a place for us in the heavenlies, that we are heirs with Him in the kingdom of God.
• As one who is seated in Christ, I am not striving for affluence or appearance or attention. I am resting in the Father, knowing that Jesus must become greater and I lesser.
• Once I accept that I am seated in Christ, it frees me to serve others and share the gospel. It frees me to do what God has called me to do. 

I love that Heather addresses the rat race to be rich. She realizes that God didn't call us to be rich on this earth. He called us to HIMSELF. And if He chooses to bestow riches then so be it but money is NOT an indicator of being within the will of God or salvation. 

There's also a section of the book on living at 60%. To live at 60% means we prioritize what's important and learn to say no to quite a bit so that we are not overextending ourselves. A lot of times as moms we are exhausted and snappy and overwhelmed because we take on too much. We live at 99% so when something does not go according to plan we lose our minds and snap. Our kids feel it and so do our significant others. I think the same can even be said of our finances. (Chapter 9)

Heather also addresses discipleship (although not directly in this term). She started a fitness night and walk to school tradition in her neighborhood which has opened the door for her to be available and to share bible with those within a 1-mile radius of her. (Chapter 9) It's an inspiration for hospitality and creating community. Something that the early church did so well.

A list of questions to ask yourself before making decisions.

I found this list of questions to be quite useful as I often like to rush headlong into decisions without stopping to question if the decision is good. And there is always the ever-present difference between good and almost good. But moreover, these questions allow me to put Jesus at the forefront of everything I do and to reject those things that would not bring Him glory.

quick excerpt

another quick excerpt

This book gets ALL thumbs up! Excellent writing, excellent organization, excellent message. A necessary message. I definitely will continue to recommend (already have done so on social media).

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

Sacred Holidays: Less Chaos, More Jesus

Sacred Holidays, what started as a ministry to bring advent and lent bible studies & reading plans have morphed into a book about making the holidays sacred. There are some things Becky Kiser gets right and there are still some things I feel she misses the mark on.

So let's start with what she gets right. She offers solid planning ideas and space to plan your holidays and birthdays. She offers grace about being different and doing holidays differently. She's adamant about learning how to say no so that you can say yes to the valuable things. I love that she wants us to plan 30-60 days in advance the holidays and birthdays, which would make my life so much easier, as we have 5 children and birthdays can be quite hectic since they seem to come back to back (March 4, May 3, May 7, May 30, & August 9). 

She helps us tackle budgeting because while some are natural budgeters, some of us are not (*raises hand*).  She helps us set realistic expectations of ourselves because it is easy to try to do it all the first year and it may not happen or it may not be consistent. And the goal is consistency. 

So, baby steps (Becky's words). 

So, with all that said, what could have possibly gotten wrong?  For me, it lies in the chapter on Halloween. That's one holiday I refuse to celebrate. Regardless to how you dress it up as having some Christian roots, it is a day that satan worshippers revere & celebrate as much as we, Christians, do Resurrection Sunday and Good Friday. I can appreciate what she attempts to do by suggesting that we engage our neighbors on the holiday and share the gospel.

Maybe we're those Christians because for us it's simple either you serve God or you serve satan by turning from God. Revelations is quite clear, being warm isn't acceptable to God. You're either all in or you're out.

For what this book intends to do, for the most part, it hits the mark: to have less chaos and have more Jesus during the holidays.

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

The Better Mom Devotional

The is the devotional follow up to Ruth Schwenk's novel The Better Mom (my review on it here) named after her blog, The Better Mom. And I must say it is quickly becoming my favorite devotional! It literally speaks to my often overwhelmed, sometimes weary mom heart. That part of me that questions just how well am I doing at this job. 

And on top of that, it is insanely beautiful. It comes as a hardback which means...longer lasting quality. HUGE plus. And the pages are of great quality, they're heavy enough to be read and turned many times without worrying about them ripping so easily. 

Each day starts with a bible verse/passage and ends with a prayer prompt and questions for pondering that I use as daily journal prompts. There are exactly 100 devotions, so that's just over 3 months of devotions.

Below are a few shareable images: 

THIS is one of the main themes of this devotional.

This is an often prayer of mine, that we are acceptable representatives of Christ in all we do & say. That people want to join His family when they interact with mine and feel God's love in action.

This one is such a HUGE truth that we have to remember daily as moms and wives. We are supposed to be a gift to each other AND an example to the WORLD of Christ's relationship with His bride, the church

The Better Mom

The Better Mom is the long-awaited book by Ruth Schwenk from the blog, The Better Mom.

So the first thing to note is that The Better Mom does not mean the comparison of one mom to another but that we are striving to be better moms...together.

Ruth does an amazing job in reminding us moms that we aren’t called to perfection but to grace and to Jesus. We are called to steward the hearts of our babes. And it’s ok that the season of parenting that you are in is hard. Parenting was not made to be easy but give yourself grace and turn to Jesus to allow Him to refresh you, to be your refuge, to give you wisdom as you parent your children.

As you see above in the table of contents Ruth covers the real topics and seasons of life. There are days when I feel like I need alone time. I’ve got 5 kids and stay home with 3 of them. There are days when I question if I make a difference. There are days when I question my identity because I feel all consumed with my husband and children. And that’s where I NEED God’s Word to refresh me and remind me of why I do what I do and who I am. And Ruth helps us that struggle with this. But in everything, she points back to the cross instead of to herself. And THAT is what I love most about this book & is my biggest takeaway from this book.

2 thumbs up! 👍🏽 👍🏽

(FYI: I received my book from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST OPINION.)

The Lifegiving Trilogy

If you've been following along, then you know that there are 3 books in the Lifegiving Trilogy. 

The Lifegiving Home (review found here)

Two words that sum up this book: Cultivating HOME.

The Lifegiving Table (review found here)

Two words that sum up this book: Intentional discipleship.

And lastly The Lifegiving Parent (review found here). 

Two words that sum up this book: Intentional parenting.

As you may have read, these are well-written books that expound on being lifegiving. Intentionally Lifegiving in our homes, Intentionally Lifegiving with the meals we serve, Intentionally Lifegiving in how we parent our children. We want to cultivate the intentionality because it does NOT come naturally. It doesn't come naturally for me. If I am not intentional then I will spend entirely TOO much time on social media (if you don't believe me ask my husband). I have chosen to use Lifegiving Table this fall/winter season (along with another book, you can find here) to disciple the hearts around me by simply inviting people for dinner. Inviting my neighbors to Thanksgiving dinner will allow me to use a meal to be intentional in being hospitable and loving towards them. The same with Christmas. I want not only my family but those around us to want to come to our home. And that starts with me. 

I recommend this trilogy to everyone who wants to cultivate something special in their home, in their family. Even if you do not have children, you can still appreciate at least 2/3 of the books.

Thank you, Sally, for this oh so needed reminder! And if you want to know more about Sally or her books, you can connect with her here. And thank you, Tyndale, for allowing me the chance to experience these books! 

You can purchase the entire trilogy HERE for only $24.49 (prices subject to change).

The Life-Giving Home

Here we come to the first book in the Lifegiving trilogy yet I read it last. This one is a collaboration between Sally and her daughter Sarah, whereas the second was all Sally and the third book was a collaboration between Sally and her husband Clay. You can read about them here and here. This one is about creating a home that is a safe haven for the entire family. What I truly love is that Sally and Sarah think about the ENTIRE year, not just the holiday season which is usually what most books focus on. 

As you can see from the above table of contents there's a chapter for each month of the year (and it also tells you who wrote each chapter). I also like that Sally included Sarah in writing this book because you gain the perspectives of parent shaping the home and the child who benefits from this shaping. 

There's also a planner to go with this book that helps you implement some of the ideas and shape your home to be lifegiving for your family. 

I recommend this book for every family. I think as moms we have to be intentional in cultivating our home to be a safe haven. We have to be intentional in bringing a warmth to our homes all year round so that our families and even their friends WANT to be in our homes.

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

The Lifegiving Parent

There are some authors I instinctively turn to for parenting advice. Sally Clarkson is one of them. She has a remarkable way of showing parents, especially mothers how our motherhood is ministry work even if we never actually serve in a ministry at church. And here we come to the finale of a trilogy of books (the review for book 1 will come after this one). 

The Lifegiving series is one that seeks to transform the way in which we live, in how hospitable we are, and how we parent our children. It's not pushy as you must do these things but is more of showing different ways that she and her husband are doing it and have been doing it for decades. 

The Lifegiving Parent is a joint effort between Sally and her husband, Clay. Prior to reading, I thought it would be equal writing between them as I absolutely enjoy Sally's writing style. However, after reading, I realize that this is really Clay's book. Sally contributes at the end of each chapter little tidbits of momoirs of her take on what Clay has discussed in the chapter.

I'll be honest, it is a fairly good book when it comes advice on parenting. It has 8 touchpoints of ways we as parents shape and give life to our children. Each one is equally important to the parenting of our children and each one plays a huge part in who they will eventually become. And as parents, especially as Christ-following parents who want to be intentional about raising our children to have a strong foundation and faith in Christ, this book is a good point in the right direction for accomplishing that goal.

My only drawback is that I expected more of Sally's writing. Much of the promotion on this book is that it is a Sally Clarkson book, only to realize once you start reading that it is really a Clay Clarkson book and it banks on Sally's name to draw the audience. Clay is a good writer, however, for me, he doesn't have the charm and drawing in the reader quality like Sally does. Sally's words do more than tell a story and convey a message they illustrate the imagery she wants you to see and helps you to imagine the sights and smells that she's telling you about. Clay's writing does not quite have that effect and that's OK because it's what distinguishes him from Sally. 

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

Why Her?

When I saw this book, I was super hesitant to request to review it because it seemed like yet another "me too" book. And I wanted something deeper. But then I saw that Proverbs 31 was (and still is) doing a bible study through it, I decided to go ahead and review it.

So it is about Nicki's experiences yet she takes us through the biblical experiences of Rachel and Leah, Jacob's wives, the mothers of Israel. These women were the epitome of comparison and disappointment and coveting what the other had. Something that is extremely prevalent in today's culture of Instagram and Pinterest where you get a snapshot of someone's life and almost immediately can fall prey to comparing your life to theirs. 

Nicki walks us through 6 lies and the responding truths as we combat the lies of the comparison game. And that is what makes this book NOT another "me too" book. Nicki goes beyond saying here I struggle, she says Yes I struggle but here's how I'm working on it so you can too. And that is what makes this book awesome. 

As you can see each Truth is roughly about 2 chapters long.

And if you have the opportunity to get the bible study companion and watch the videos offered through Proverbs 31, DO IT. (as of this posting, they are still available).

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

The Life Giving Table

I've been sitting on this book for quite awhile. Sitting savouring what I was reading and enjoying the recipes shared in the book by Sally.

So this is book two in the Life-Giving Series. This particular book focuses on mealtime and how it can be used to disciple those who dine with us. Of course, because Sally is a mom of four, a majority is told from the perspective of using meal time to disciple the hearts of our family and set a tone of nurturing each other through meals and the time spent. However, she also includes some experiences of hers from before she and Clay had children so their mealtime discipleship would be for their friends and acquaintances while abroad on missions, specifically in Vienna, Austria.

Mealtime does not have to be just eating but also includes the conversation that can occur over meals (I say can because not everyone converses during meals).

So one of the best parts? The nuggets found throughout the book and the recipes that are tried and true direct from Sally's kitchen (each chapter includes several recipes). The first chapter that is written by Sally's husband, Clay. And it is so good because you get the why from a male's perspective, who purposefully participates in this process. As a mom who wants to leave a godly influence on my children, this book, as well as the others in the series, are apart of the treasure trove.

This is the table of contents. As you can see there are about 14 chapters and each chapter has about 2--4 recipes at the end, there are at least 30 recipes in this book. There is an appendix with conversation starters which is awesome for families who are just introducing the idea of discipleship around mealtime.

This is how each chapter starts off. The table-discipleship principle at the beginning of each chapter kind of gives you an idea of what that chapter will cover.






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