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.

Women of Courage

So perhaps, you have heard of the (in)courage bible. I received a free hardback copy of it last year for being a B&H reviewer. Well towards the end of last year, the same ministry released a 40-day devotional, Women of Courage. 

So for each day of this devotional, you will focus on a different woman of the Bible. Some of these women are very well known and others are less known but none the less worth learning about. And they are grouped together in the same manner as they are in the (in) courage bible. There are the women of beautiful brokenness, women better together, women of daily grace, women of leadership and the women of friendship. One thing I love about this devotional and it’s accompanying bible is the emphasis on these amazing women of the Bible and learning about them. There’s also much to learn. 

In my opinion this devotional is best used along with the (in) courage bible and is especially helpful when studying the women of the Bible. 

(As usual, I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.)

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.}

New Review: Adorned

So a fairly big name in the Christian arena of authors, especially those that write on upholding biblical marriage and womanhood is Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. A release of hers that I'm just getting to read this year is her first book post-marriage: Adorned.
Beautifully written and well thought out.

And yet it is not about marriage but about living out the gospel, per Titus 2 with the women around us. She gives the perspective of being both the older woman who seeks to exhort and the younger woman who accepts the exhortation.

The book is written in three parts with each chapter corresponding to part of Titus 2:1-5, 10. The end of each chapter has a section of questions for older women and one for younger women. It has the feeling of being read in a group or partner setting OR even used as teaching material for discipleship between women.
The first section focuses on submission to God and how that is fleshed out in a Titus 2 relationship. She starts with understanding that doctrine (regardless of what doctrine you adhere to) guides your beliefs and actions. She addresses teaching in the Titus 2 context, woman to woman, older woman to younger woman. I appreciate how she acknowledges that we are always in BOTH positions. Always in a position to learn and a position to teach. Even when we think we have nothing to teach, there is always some lesson you've learned that can be passed on to someone younger.
The second section focuses on being a woman under control. This is huge because we are in a culture where we have the liberty to do almost anything we want. But we have to understand and practice self-control; knowing that everything that I can do is not beneficial to us and much of it is harmful.
The third section focuses on our home. As we know part of Paul's advice is that older women instruct younger women in being wives and mothers. This is taking into account the older women are living in a manner that brings God glory and honor. And the last chapter focuses on tying it all together to be beautiful in God's eyesight.

So Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth's writings, in my experience, have always brought up some discourse or discontent from women, especially those who lean heavily feminist.
Generally, I enjoy the majority of her writing. And this book does not disappoint. It is very engaging and the questions at the end of the chapter beget us to sit still and reflect to see where we can improve. With her being a newly married woman, I will admit I was cautious in reading because there's so much she still has to learn but because she has spent much time in a Titus 2 setting and studying it, it gives her an advantage to be better prepared for marriage in a way that I was not.

I HIGHLY recommend for those who want to promote Titus 2 relationships among godly women, among the church. We need even the young women who are in college and pursuing God to reach back to the highschool aged women around them and help them pursue God as well so the younger generation sees that it is not just "old" women pursuing God.

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

Interview with Barb Roose, Author of I’m Waiting, God

Here's another author interview, this time its Barb Roose, author of 4-week Bible study I'm Waiting, God. I hope you enjoy the following interview with the author and make sure to pick up your copy of I'm Waiting, God.

Do you ever feel like God is taking too long to answer your prayers? Have you ever taken matters into your own hands, only to discover that you’ve made the situation worse?

In her new four-week Bible study, I’m Waiting, God, (Abingdon Press) Barb Roose invites us to explore the stories of women in the Bible who had to wait on God. If you’ve felt anxious, angry, discouraged or depressed because God isn’t giving you what you want, their stories will breathe fresh hope and practical next steps in your life. As a reforming control lover, Barb mixes in her personal stories of learning how to wait for God during long seasons of unanswered prayers, family difficulties, and challenging times in ministry. Together readers will discover that there is goodness and blessing to be found in times of waiting, including a closer relationship with God than they’ve ever dared to dream.

Q: Which women from the Bible do you use as examples for women who grappled with unanswered prayers?

·         Hannah wondered if God loved her or had forgotten about her.

·         Ruth’s life took a tragic and unexpected turn.

·         The unnamed bleeding woman suffered for over a decade with an embarrassing medical condition.

·         Martha prayed, but God said “no” to her prayer.

Q: What would you say to encourage someone who feels as if God has forgotten her or doesn’t love her because her prayers have gone unanswered?

First, I would sit down with her and ask to give her a big hug. Living with unanswered prayer is hard—especially when we’re praying for good things, like a baby, a spouse, a clean bill of health or for a struggling child to get back on track.     

Rather than give advice or tell someone to “buck up,” I believe an overwhelmed, discouraged woman needs what Tim Keller calls “the ministry of presence.” When someone feels the pain of unanswered prayer, she doesn’t need advice, but rather listening, love and reassurance.

Some of my favorite go-to encouraging statements when hanging out with a friend who is struggling are: “Tell me how you’re really doing,” “I know that you are doing the best that you can!” and “You are loved and you aren’t alone.”

Q: What are some of the reasons the Bible gives for God not answering prayers?

The Bible reveals numerous reasons God delays in answering our prayers. Some of those include:

1. God might not answer because of our unforgiveness, secret sin, pride, or wrong motives.

2. God wants to protect us from harm or heartache down the road.

3. God is allowing more time to pass so that we’ll have the chance to see His power on display in our lives.

4. God allows a delay to teach us to trust Him in the hard place and develop persistence in prayer.

5. God may delay the answer to your prayer because He’s working in someone else’s life first.

Q: When an unexpected event throws life off course, what do you pray for when you don’t know what to pray?

A few years ago, my dad got sick. In just a few weeks, he’d lost more than 30 pounds off his athletic frame. A biopsy revealed advanced metastasized lung cancer and doctors told us that Dad only had a few days to live. At the time, I’d been on the road speaking and half-way through writing a new book, but the news that I was about to lose my beloved dad upended my entire life.

In devastating moments, I rely on praying God’s promises. In the hardest moments, I don’t know what to say, but God’s promises give me life and hope—even when I’m numb or not even sure if I can believe them in the moment.

In the study, I’ve included one of my favorite rituals, a tool that I call the “God-Morning/God-Night Technique” that’s gotten me through a lot of hard and heartbreaking days. Basically, I repeat five of God’s promises before I open my eyes and begin the day. By starting with a “God-morning,” with his promises, I can beat back the feelings of fear, uncertainty and impatience by reminding myself that God is with me and for me no matter what I’ll face that day.

Q: How can we protect ourselves from bitterness during our wait?

In I’m Waiting, God, I explain bitterness like this: “Bitterness is the story that blames God for the pain in our past. Better is the story that believes God will be faithful in the future.”

Bitterness always begins small, but the more we repeat the stories of how God or others hurt or betrayed us, we begin to believe that is the story of our lives—and the story of our future. I watched my grandmother nearly die of bitterness after my grandfather’s affair when I was a little girl. She spent a lot of time in the hospital before finally confronting her bitterness and changing her story.

For me, gratitude is the antibiotic that kills any little bitter roots in my life. Each day of the I’m Waiting, God study features a gratitude exercise. Just taking a moment to reflect on God’s blessing not only kills little roots of disappointment, rejection or regret that could grow into bitterness but also uplifts our hearts and gives us joy, even as we’re waiting for God to answer our prayers.

Q: Is there ever a time to let a prayer go? How do you know when it’s the right time, after weeks, months, or maybe even years?

This is a hard question because there’s no easy answer to this question. On one hand, we’re instructed to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17), but we also know that there is a starting and ending to all things (Ecclesiastes 3). The point of prayer is to authentically connect ourselves to God so that His Spirit can lead and guide us. However, as circumstances change, there are times when it is no longer safe, wise or life-giving for us to pursue certain situations.

For many years, I prayed for God to save my marriage. I’d made a commitment before God over 25 years before, and I believed God could do the impossible. I fasted and prayed for years for God to restore a relationship that addiction had destroyed. Even after I had to move out of my home because of the issues, I still kept believing and praying for restoration and healing.

It’s hard to pray for years when nothing seems to be happening. I received some great encouragement from a wise friend: “You pray until you sense God releasing you from that prayer.”

I continued to pray until I realized that it was no longer safe or wise for me to go back into that situation. I didn’t give up on God, nor did I stop believing in his almighty power. But I did realize that it was time to shift from praying for what I wanted to praying for God to help me let go and trust His plan for my future, even though it wasn’t what I wanted.

To help me let go of the pain, disappointment and anger, I use a tool that I call my annual “funeral.” This is fully explained in the final week of the study, but it’s a tool to help me let go of my anger, disappointments and fears. This funeral process helps me surrender my unanswered prayers to God so that my heart and hands are open for Him to bring new direction, opportunities and blessing into my life.

Q: How is I’m Waiting, God: Finding Blessing in God’s Delays, your new Bible study, set up to be used? What other resources are available?

As a Bible study teacher who loves creating experiences for women in every season of life, I’m excited that I’m Waiting, God is designed with a flexible format to fit everyone’s schedule. This is a four-week study, and each week offers three days of Bible study homework, plus two optional days for more personal reflection to be enjoyed as time or energy permits.

I believe that application is a key component of effective Bible study, so I’ve created weekly personal reflection exercises and practical tools. Additionally, each day’s study includes a daily gratitude exercise and lots of life-transforming scripture to set readers up to experience a-ha moments so they can see and experience God’s blessing, even as they’re waiting on God to answer their prayer.

For those who like video, there is a separate teaching DVD for each of the four weeks. Best of all, anyone can lead a group study because the facilitator’s guide is been included in the study workbook.



One more bonus! If readers would like additional encouragement, they can sign up for “The Patience Path,” a 30-day email devotional that I’ve created to go along with the study. To sign up, go to barbroose.com/patiencepath.

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.}

New Q&A with Author Natalie Chambers Snapp!

So a new book that is releasing this fall is The Bathsheba Battle. And to celebrate, we have a short Q&A with the author to answer some really great questions about the book and her reasons for writing it.

Q: You describe Bathsheba as one of the most misunderstood women in the Bible. How is she typically misrepresented?

Bathsheba is often portrayed as the adulteress—as though she was a vixen with the intent to tempt David and hopefully, take her on as his wife. However, the fact remains that she was a victim of David’s own desires and paid a very dear price for his sin. Sadly, victims can sometimes be blamed and in the case of Bathsheba, that’s exactly what happened. 

Q: What were some of the tragic circumstances that Bathsheba found herself in that were out of her control? How can we relate to her story today?

First of all, some commentaries claim Bathsheba was trying to entice David by bathing in the courtyard of her home. However, during the time in which Bathsheba lived, indoor plumbing didn’t exist! Therefore, most families had a basin in the courtyard for bathing purposes. When David saw her bathing, she was obeying the cleansing ritual required of women after monthly menstruation. She was not trying to entice David—she was simply following the rules of her culture! How would she even know David was going to be walking on his rooftop at the precise moment she was bathing? 

When David saw Bathsheba, he was immediately impressed with her beauty and summoned her to his palace. During those days, when the king summoned you to the palace, you did not have a choice, you went. So off Bathsheba goes to meet David and once there, they have sex. We have no way of definitively knowing if David assaulted her, but she did go to his palace against her will. For that reason, we can speculate that was a likely possibility. Bathsheba became pregnant which is when things start to go off the rails! 

David tries to hide his sin by summoning Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, one of his most valuable warriors, home from the war (which is where David was supposed to be as well). Once Uriah reaches the palace, David proceeds to feed him a large meal and encourages him to drink a lot of wine so he will go home and have sex with Bathsheba. Problem solved! He can then pass his child off as Uriah’s, and no one needs to know about his sin. However, David failed to consider the fact that Uriah was a man of honor and refused to visit his wife when his men were still waging a war. Instead, he slept on the front porch of the palace with the servants. David tried a second night to get Uriah to visit his wife, but Uriah refused.

At this point in the story, we can see how sin will take you further than you ever wanted to go. Instead of confessing and coming clean to everyone, David orders Uriah to the frontlines of the battle, and of course, he is killed. Now, Bathsheba was possibly raped by the king, pregnant, and her husband is dead. All these things were out of her control. 

After Uriah’s death, David takes Bathsheba as his wife. However, the restitution of David’s sin is the life of the child Bathsheba was carrying. Soon after the birth of David and Bathsheba’s son, the infant died. We see Bathsheba as a grieving mother, another event out of her control. 

I think so many people can relate to Bathsheba’s story because 1) suffering happens to all of us and 2) sometimes, our suffering is the result of someone else’s actions and choices. In no way should we remain victims, but I think Bathsheba’s story is God’s way of telling us that He sees us, understands our pain, and is the Ultimate Justifier. 

Q:  Can you share about a hardship or disappointment in your own life that provided the inspiration to write The Bathsheba Battle?

Absolutely! When I was in my late twenties, I was married to a man with a drug problem, but I did not know it. As many who have loved addicts understand, there are often behaviors corresponding with addiction that are not healthy for a young marriage and therefore, we divorced. Two months after I filed for divorce, my father, who was in and out of my life due to his own addiction issues, passed away unexpectedly. 

Life had definitely taken a very unexpected turn and was not at all going the way I had planned. It was a dark season, and yet also the very season in which I became a follower of Jesus. My deconstruction led to my reconstruction. I have been remarried for fifteen years and have three beautiful children; however, periods of suffering have also been peppered throughout those years as well. Suffering is often cyclical and that has been true of my life!

Q: Explain how transformation happens during renovation. Where does renovation take place?

It sounds so trite, and I’m not going to lie, there were times during my own periods of suffering when I just wanted to scream when people said this to me. But the fact remains, when we are deconstructed by trauma and circumstances in or beyond our control, if we humble ourselves to the process, we will indeed emerge with greater wisdom and grace. Suffering is the great equalizer—it does not discriminate between gender, race, beliefs, or socio-economic status. No one is immune. However, if we humble ourselves to the process, we will emerge with new eyes of strength and dignity. 

Q: Do we always have the ability to choose how we respond to our situation? Why is this such a significant choice, especially when we must endure a consequence of someone else’s sin?

Yes, I believe we do. We can’t always control what happens to us, but we can always control how we will respond. Living life as a victim will ultimately make you feel powerless, depressed, and distrustful of people. It will lead to a life of bitterness, resentment, and anger. On the other hand, when we respond to our trauma with a humble heart and a willingness to be molded by our suffering, we feel empowered, strong, and able to help others when their time of suffering emerges. When we choose to live as victims, we give others power over our lives. When we choose to live as survivors, we understand that we possess the power ourselves. 

Q: How does your study on Bathsheba shift from part one of the book to part two?

In Part One, we discuss the byproducts of our suffering: fear, shame, anger, and comparison. In Part Two, we look at how to overcome these negative emotions and live empowered and with hope. 

Q: What does Bathsheba’s story teach us about forgiveness?

We don’t really know about Bathsheba’s forgiveness process because it’s not discussed in the Bible. However, we do see her stand before David in 1 Kings 1 with an empowered and confident voice that exhibits love and respect towards her husband. Perhaps somewhere during the course of their marriage, Bathsheba made peace with her circumstances—she chose her response and not to live as a victim. 

Not living as a victim involves forgiveness and yet, this does not mean she might not have felt like a victim for a while. It doesn’t mean that she didn’t feel shameful. And it doesn’t mean that she didn’t grieve the loss of the life she thought she might have. It does, however, indicate that she chose to keep moving forward without allowing her grief and shame to negatively impact who she ultimately became. A woman who is victorious over suffering is the most beautiful and inspiring to us all.  

Learn more at nataliesnapp.com. She can also be found on Facebook (@AuthorNatalieSnapp), Twitter (@nataliesnapp) and Instagram (@nataliesnapp).  

You can also purchase a copy of the book here.

New Cookbook Review: In the Kitchen with Grandma

Such the sweetest cookbook for grandmas and mamas to try with their kids/grandkids.

Now mind you I'm not a grandmother and likely won't be for a long time. I still thoroughly enjoyed this book as they are recipes I can do with my kids.

So, the recipes in this book are organized into sections around seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. Then there are the Year-Round and Holiday recipes.  And there's a section on how best to share your faith with your grandkids/kids complete with hand motions and all. Like how awesome is this? A cookbook that seeks to add just a touch of sharing the gospel.

I like that the author identifies how difficult recipes (represented by the number of spoons) are and gives gluten-free options for most (if not all) recipes. The recipes (in my opinion) are all fairly easy to replicate and enjoy. I love that all the recipes are kid-friendly and can please even the pickiest of eaters. And there are margins for note-taking! Absolutely brilliant to have a note section with each recipe so that each mom/grandma can note down her little tweaks to the recipe that make it a family favorite.

The only thing I wish was different is that the interior was as colorful as the exterior. The interior is for the most part grayscale with few touches of a deep rose.

However, I think it could be loads of fun throughout the year with new recipes to try.
You can purchase a copy here.

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

New Review: Life In Community

Community is a concept was hugely believed in and lived by in the early church. So much so, that it has survived through hundreds of years and is still written about to this day. I realize there is no shortage of writers that are writing on community or hospitality.
And therefore I find myself interested in reading this book to see what does Dustin Willis have to say on the topic that hasn't already been said or how does he present the material in a fresh way.

You can purchase the book on Amazon.

So after reading this book, which is split into three sections: forming community, the values for living in community, and next steps for a strong community. What I have found is that I do have a great appreciation for Dustin's message on returning to the idea of community as close to what it looked like in the Early Church as possible. I love the idea of holding each other accountable, of showing our true selves (the one our family sees), of forgiveness, and having real relationships. I think I expected more on the topic of hospitality. This book has exactly one chapter on hospitality, which is (in my opinion) a huge part of community, of being able to invite people into your life and to do life together.

I also appreciate the discussion questions at the end of each chapter as it encourages the reader to really engage with the book and self reflect on how we are apart of or encourage community around us. I personally noticed that I do not quite engage in the community around me like I want. And it gave me a nugget to chew on to engage in community and develop deeper relationships with those around me. My favorite quote from the book is "This was mot a Sunday activity that took place for an hour and ended with a prayer and a song. Community is more than a Sunday." I also enjoy the analogy of the after-church potluck meal to the need for everyone to bring their gifts to the body christ in community. No one is quite trying to make the same dish, just like each of our gifts our not quite the same or even used exactly the same. And we have to appreciate that both on an individual personal level and on a corporate level.

A great feature found in this book is the small group leader's guide. I really appreciate this because all too often, great books will have the study guide in a completely separate book that you have to buy and this one bundles it together for an easy way to do a book study and everyone is able to follow along.

All in all, I think this book is a solid read. It's great for those looking for the reasons why we should develop community and the values to base community on. It is also great for the book guide in the back, which breaks the book down into 6 weeks of reading that everyone in your newfound community can do together so everyone has the same understanding and appreciation for the community you are building. 

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

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.}

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.}

New Interior Design Review: Restoration House

So this is the first of its kind here on Reviews with Kris. It is a book on interior design and it is beautifully written with gorgeous photographs of the author's home. She speaks of restoring home and restoring our hearts. 

This book yall! It is so refreshing and beautiful and hardback (my fave). 

This book is the story of a woman (Kennesha Buycks) who realizes that God met her while she was restoring furniture. And He used this newfound hobby of hers to pour into her and transform her from someone who was more superficial and discontent to someone who could see the beauty below the surface and who is now content with her portion in life. 

There is so much in this book that it goes beyond coffee table book to a handy resource. I'll share some excerpts (photos) of the practical tips and guides that the author shares with us; the deep and meaningful prayers she shares at the end of each chapter; the hospitality hacks spread throughout. There is even a guide on creating your own cheese board for entertaining (I included a photo of the shopping list). She goes to great lengths to ensure that this doesn't become a book that just sits on a table never to be used. There's so much to glean throughout the book and heart nuggets to draw us closer to God.

Cheeseboard shopping list.

 I greatly appreciated the reflection and prayer sections at the end of each chapter because it brings God into our homes and into our designs and gives Him glory through it all. 

Prayer and Reflection...this one from chapter 6.

 Hospitality tips

Seasons Greetings: ways to spruce up our homes during every season.

Recipe for a natural bug repellent. Like seriously, don't we ALL need this once the weather gets warm?

This book gets 5 stars from me and is DEFINITELY worth adding to your library! You can head over to Amazon to get your copy here.

{FYI: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST review. In other words, I genuinely LOVE this book and my payment is the book itself.}

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.}

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.)

Sick of Me

The book that isn't about self? Well, it is about having a right perspective of self.

The best one-word summary: sanctification.

Whitney Capps delves into one of the most prolific parts of the Christian walk, sanctification. What happens after you've said yes to God? Too often it becomes self-help book after self-help book. And heaven forbid you hit a worldly perspective of getting yourself together (most recently seen in Rachel Hollis' books). The Christian walk can easily get self-centered. Even in our attempts to look like the good Christian, we can be quite selfish. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book primarily because it is more than a "me too" book and it's hey let's go beyond putting our crap on display and let's actually do something about it. Too often we get comfortable in showing everyone that we have flaws too, but when do we actually address those flaws? Not the cosmetic ones but the character ones. When do we go beyond transparency into transformation? Jesus invites you to come to Him as you are, but He's not content to leave you the way He finds you. No, He says follow me (requires action on our part). Take my yolk (requires action on our part). Abide in me (requires action on our part). Obey my commands (requires action on our part). After we choose Jesus and accept Him as our Savior. There's still work to be done. Salvation doesn't hinge on us. That is freely given but even in that gift, you have to ACCEPT the gift. But sanctification? That actually requires our input and willingness to obey. {Whitney's words in my own words.} 

This is a book I would recommend BUT only if you're ready to do something and participate in the sanctification process. After reading this book, you won't have the ability to say you didn't know or you don't understand, your obedience and abidance in Jesus are necessary to the call to follow Him. There's no way to say you belong to Him if you don't abide and obey.

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

Settle My Soul....a Pressing Pause Devotional

This is my second devotional authored by Ruth Schwenk. This, however, is co-authored with Karen Ehman (currently a writer & speaker with Proverbs 31 ministries).

This is one of those devotionals that you completely enjoy and devour. That you sit and linger in because of the daily journaling prompts to respond. And it is completely beautiful. The theme like the previous one (and The Better Mom Devotional) is floral. It's a hardback book with a nice ribbon bookmark (never realize how much I use bookmarks until I come across a book/bible without the ribbon already in it).

There are 100 devotions with each author writing 50 devotions. They trade off First Karen then Ruth and going back and forth for the rest of the devotional. Rest and indulging in Jesus, kindness and disappointment are some of the many topics discussed. Each devotion starts with Scripture and ends with a prayer as well as a journal prompt along with journaling space to write in the book. I enjoy these devotions greatly because there is enough to chew on. I also greatly enjoy the journaling prompts and lined space to write. I enjoy their different yet similar writing styles. I also enjoy the differing perspectives offered (as Karen has been married longer with older children than Ruth). It feels like the cover both the older mom and younger mom demographics.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

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

Jesus Calling (Cloth, Botanical, Large Print)

This is the second Jesus Calling devotional I've reviewed you can read Jesus Today here.

I've read SO many negative reviews for this series of devotionals. And they ALL stem from Sarah Young's writing style. She writes as though God, Himself is speaking to you. And while usually, I'd be against this, I have not read anything that went against Scripture. As Christians, we're ok with reading Paul's words (Jude, John, Peter, James) and treating it on par with the literal words from Jesus and God. 

So how do we get so riled up over this series of devotionals? In the introduction of this book, Sarah explains why she writes in this manner: to help readers feel more personally connected with Him (God). She also makes it clear that the Bible is the only infallible, inerrant Word of God. She's not attempting to usurp the Bible's role in our lives. Contrary to that she provides Scriptural references that back up what she writes, that shows that God does indeed feel this way about us.

I like this specifical copy because while it is beautiful, it is large print, which is GREAT because of my poor vision. On average I can read this devotional without glasses in the morning.

Check out a few snippets (4 days worth) below:

(FYI: this is my honest opinion. I received this book 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.)

Biblical Commentaries by Joyce Meyer

So here are two books from Joyce Meyer. They are interactive Bible Commentaries. While some websites categorize the books as bible studies, they are not. They are commentaries that have room for you to jot down what you glean. The sections come at the end of the chapter called Personal Reflections. Joyce generally tackles passage by passage for each chapter in the book. For example, Ephesians 1:3 has its own section within chapter 1 on spiritual blessings (relating to the verse). 

The purpose of these books seems to be to break down these epistles for the general public. There are so many people who read the Bible who are not quite students (meaning having gone to seminary). You won't find root language break down in these commentaries, however, you will find a clear break down of the text. You will also notice that the main text in use is the Amplified translation (which is Meyer's personal choice and is the translation for the Bible she edited).

Normally I'd recommend these books as it helps with a basic understanding of God's Word. They are a bit on the expensive side for a single book commentary (more than I'd be willing to pay).  They retail for $20 each (you often can find a good commentary with ALL the books of the Bible in it for just a bit more than that).

And as always with anything by Joyce Meyer, use caution and consult reliable sources. She's been known to be inaccurate to the point of being labelled a false teacher (someone who sounds good but sound biblical study will show their lies). 

If you'd like to learn more or to purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/JamesandEphesians

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