Book Review | Hope Unfolding

March 19, 2016March 16, 20161 Comment

Hope Unfolding: Grace-Filled Truth for the Momma’s Heart
by Becky Thompson

I think what every mom truly needs deep down is for someone to say, “I see you. You’re doing a great job. We’re in this together.” That’s Becky Thompson’s message in her book, Hope Unfolding. She’s giving all the moms out there, especially the young moms in those toddler/preschool/early elementary years, the promise of hope and the encouragement we need when we’re weary.

The book includes 10 messages moms need to hear like: You’re Not Alone, God Hasn’t Forgotten About You, You Are Not Your Mess, God Loves You Just As You Are, You Are Enough, etc. She uses her own personal stories, both funny and sad, and adds in a light touch of Scripture for each theme. The chapters conclude with “Let’s Talk” where she ‘chats’ a bit with the reader, “Let’s Pray” and “Let’s Hope,” which picks out the big-idea and shares it in just a sentence or two.

Hope Unfolding isn’t a parenting how-to book and it’s not a Bible study. The looks at Scripture are quick and encouraging without digging very deep. It’s a lovely look into another mom’s heart and a reminder that we’re in this together, and reads very much like extended mommy-blog posts. The book could also make a wonderful gift for young moms who maybe just need 5 minutes of ‘hope,’ a cup of tea and some chocolate to help them remember the beauty of this holy calling despite the mess of the moment.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Disclaimer: Heather King is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Book Review | 5 Minutes with Jesus

March 17, 2016March 16, 20163 Comments

5 Minutes with Jesus: Peace for Today
by Sheila Walsh

Peace for Today is the second book in the 5 Minutes with Jesus series, written by bestselling author, Sheila Walsh. I have loved both of the books in the series so much, I’ve begun giving them as gifts to friends. They are encouraging and perfect for busy women on the go. The books themselves are also absolutely beautiful. The size, feel, color and style of the binding and cover are definitely worthy of a gift!!

I started reading the first book on January 1st of this year and I loved it, so I was excited to read Sheila’s second book in the same format. The devotions are quick and easy to read, definitely the “5 minutes” the book promises! The stories are funny, heartfelt, tender, and interesting, ranging from personal anecdotes to Biblical accounts to historical events. She ties each story to a lesson for the day and then concludes with several Scriptures for you to read that go with the theme.

These little devotionals could be the first thing you read each day, the quick time with Jesus you need during your lunch break or while waiting in a carpool line to pick up your kids, or the last thing you read each night before you go to sleep. There are lessons here for new Christians, women struggling in a difficult season, or seasoned believers who are looking to be refreshed.

Book Review | Having a Martha Home the Mary Way

March 15, 2016March 15, 20163 Comments

Having a Martha Home the Mary Way: 31 Days to a Clean House and a Satisfied Soul
by Sarah Mae

In her new book, Having a Martha Home the Mary Way, Sarah Mae gives you tips, encouragement and a lot of grace as you spend 31 days achieving a “clean house and a satisfied soul.” As Sarah Mae puts it, this isn’t a book about ‘good housekeeping;’ it’s about “‘gentle homemaking’, which is the ability to be gentle and kind with ourselves in the process of making and keeping a home while being gentle and kind to those around us.” Her dedication is also beautiful: “This book is for everyone out there who needs to know that being a ‘good’ homemaker has less to do with having a clean home and more to do with loving others well.”

One of the things that set this book apart for me was Sarah Mae’s confession that she isn’t naturally great at cleaning! Since she doesn’t like cleaning herself, she isn’t looking down on the reader. She’s coming alongside the readers and cheering us on. The tone of the book, as a result, is so full of humor and grace. She’s not lecturing; she’s encouraging. She’s honest about her own struggles and constantly offers room for mistakes and learning and differences in personality and style.

The other things that sets this book apart is the beautiful balance of Mary and Martha, spiritual and practical, emotional and physical. I’ve seen blog posts that preach the organization/cleanliness gospel with rigid expectations. So many of us jump into plans and programs and then fail because there’s no grace or flexibility. At the same time, I’ve seen blog posts touting the benefits of a messy and even dirty house because that means you love your kids and spend time with them. Neither extreme is actually healthy!

Instead of camping out in either extreme, Sarah Mae is encouraging us to spend time with Jesus, to love our family well, and to keep our homes comfortably clean and cozy. Each day’s entry includes a brief devotional/inspirational reading and then includes two challenges: A Mary Challenge, and a Martha Challenge. The Mary Challenges typically involve a short Scripture reading, responding to a thoughtful question or maybe a simple assignment that connects cleaning our house with the state of our own hearts. Each Mary Challenge also includes the space you need to write answers or journal thoughts right there within the book itself instead of needing a separate journal.

The Martha Challenges begin super-simple: Wash the dishes. Fold all the laundry. They expand from there, though, into organizing junk drawers, cleaning out the fridge, sorting through papers, and more. The goal is to take on one project a day so that you’ll have a cleaner, more organized home by the end of 31 days.

Here’s where the flexibility comes in. You can adapt the plan based on the size of your family and the size of your home. I think you could also easily adapt it to your schedule. Are you a working mom who can only do project on the weekends? Then do two days each week. Or, maybe you have three days a week where you can work on projects. Do that! Obviously, there’s something powerful about the momentum and focus on doing projects for 31 days straight, but if you can’t, then just adjust the plan to something you can do.

Sarah Mae includes plenty of opportunities for you to get your kids involved in the cleaning process. She also adds in extra tips and suggestions such as “5 ways to create a sense of ‘Welcome! Put Your Feet Up” and other elements of hospitality from “don’t make everything perfect. Let your house be lived in….” to “be a listener.” She writes, “The goal of homemaking isn’t to have perfectly decorated, perfectly clean homes. The whole point is to have a place that is welcoming, and you know where that begins? In your own heart. Your home is a reflection of who you are. If you are warm and welcoming, your home will be. The cleaning? That’s just the cherry on top, you know, so no one trips on the way to your couch!”

One of the beautiful take-aways for me is the reminder that caring for my home doesn’t need to be mundane or insignificant. She talks about creating beauty, peace, and safe places. I can make my home a refuge for my family, a place of gentleness and calm.

Book Review: The Gift for All People

March 5, 2016March 4, 2016Leave a comment

The Gift for All People
by Max Lucado

In The Gift for All People, Max Lucado offers up sweet and simple thoughts on grace. This collection of short stories is a perfect gift to give away because it is so very accessible (clear and easy to read, quick-moving chapters) and offers a clear presentation of salvation, grace, and forgiveness. More particularly, this could be a perfect Easter gift as Max spends time talking about the gift of Jesus’s death and resurrection.

Many (but not all!) of the stories will be familiar to long-term Max Lucado fans as they’ve been compiled from his longer works. As a long-term Christian book reader and Max Lucado fan, I wasn’t sure that there was anything new in this book for me. Even so, I still enjoyed it. Sometimes it’s just a joy to celebrate the clear and simple Gospel. What a great reminder, especially during the season of Lent, of how God loves us. I could see reading one of these small chapters each morning or evening in preparation for Easter and it being a blessing.

I think this book would be even more fitting, though, for those seeking and asking questions, new believers, or even those in a season of struggling to accept forgiveness and grace. The book description itself says, “If you’ve already accepted it, you’ll thank Him again. And if you’ve never accepted it, I pray that you will. For it’s the gift of a lifetime. A gift for all people.” That’s a perfect description.

20 Books About Prayer

February 22, 2016February 22, 20167 Comments

There are few things I enjoy as much as reading books, but talking about books is definitely one of them.

Getting good book suggestions…that’s another!

So, today, I’m sharing some of my finds with you. Maybe there are books on this list you’ve read, wanted to read, or haven’t even heard of. I hope you enjoy browsing through my ‘bookshelf’ and sharing your thoughts.

Let me know if you read a book on prayer that you think belongs on this list! What I’ve collected here is by no means exhaustive. I still have prayer books on my to-be-read pile that will make it onto this list one day.

A Busy Woman’s Guide to Prayer by Cheri Fuller
A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller
Before Amen by Max Lucado
Confessions of a Prayer Wimp: My Fumbling, Faltering Foibles in Faith by Mary Pierce
Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan to Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer
Handle with Prayer by Charles Stanley
The Kneeling Christian by Albert Richardson (originally published anonymously)
Prayer: Does it Make Any Difference? by Philip Yancey
Prayer by Timothy Keller
Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home by Richard Foster

Prayers for Families:

(Here in this section, I’ve included books that I’ve read myself, as well as others by the same author that might apply to you more personally)

11. The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian

12. The Power of a Praying Husband by Stormie Omartian

13. The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian

14. The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children by Stormie Omartian

15. The Power of Prayer to Change Your Marriage by Stormie OMartian

16. Prayers for Your Children: 90 Days of Heartfelt Prayers for Children of Any Age by Dr. James Banks

17. Prayers for Prodigals by Dr. James Banks

18. Praying for Boys by Brooke McGlothlin

Bible studies:

19. Armor of God by Priscilla Shirer

20. Becoming a Woman of Prayer by Cynthia Heald

Book Review | Breaking Busy

February 20, 2016February 20, 2016Leave a comment

Breaking Busy
by Alli Worthington

Alli Worthington, the executive director of Propel Women, adds her voice to books about busyness and rest in Breaking Busy: How to Find Peace & Purpose in a World of Crazy. Alli’s style is funny, honest, and easy to read. With all of the books I’ve read in recent years on simplicity, Sabbath, saying ‘yes’ and saying ‘no,’ cutting busyness, etc., I wasn’t sure another book on the topic would have much to add to the discussion. I’ve gleaned some tips and wisdom from Breaking Busy, though, that I felt were fresh, truly helpful, and from a new perspective. That’s a win!

In this book, Alli covers topics like finding your own capacity for activity, discovering your calling, editing your options, choosing what traditions to let go of, making decisions without paralysis analysis, improving communication, and monitoring your time. She knows that all women aren’t the same. Some of us are more comfortable with a great deal of activity and others need more unscheduled time to be healthy. She says, “Embracing our personal capacity allows us to live out our calling.”

When writing a book like this, it can be so difficult to engage women in all situations: stay-at-home moms, single women, work-outside-of-the-home moms, etc. I think Alli’s fun personality helps make her relatable and accessible to most women. Other books probably lean more to the stay-at-home mom’s perspective; this book doesn’t. That can be a good thing! Sometimes women in the traditional workforce can be left out of these discussions in Christian books.

Alli is the primary breadwinner in her home, an entrepreneur and executive, so many of her stories are about flights around the country, business lunches, running companies, and the like. For a woman who is overwhelmed by busy because she’s trying to make ends meet as a single mom, some of Alli’s advice might not help. Stay-at-home moms might feel a little left out of her stories that sound so much more valued and successful by the world’s standards. I didn’t mind so much as I read the book, but some days you really do want someone to say they totally get your carpooling, homework, dinner-making, after-school-activity kind of crazy instead of the I-run-a-hugely-successful-ministry/business kind of busy.

For many women, the sections on monitoring social media time might be some of the most helpful sections in the book. I personally thought her chapter on making decisions had the most impact partly because I’m so stinking indecisive at times, and partly because she had advice I’d never read before and plan to try. I also liked the perspective of ‘editing’ our activities. When I think about it as editing, things start to click for me. I realize that this is a matter of refining my choices and eliminating what is good so that the best has more impact.

Each chapter ends with a few Action Steps for you to consider or implement. These would be great for individuals reading the book. Reading group guides, decision making tools and other resources are also available for free on her website, making this work for book clubs and women’s small groups, as well.

Book Review | The Comeback

January 28, 2016February 2, 2016Leave a comment

The Comeback: It’s Not Too Late and You’re Never Too Far
by Louie Giglio

Louie Giglio’s newest book, The Comeback: It’s Not Too Late and You’re Never Too Far, is drenched in grace and written in his classic style: straightforward, easy to follow, and full of stories that keep your attention. He’s writing about broken dreams, troubled relationships, financial pitfalls, loss, and more and how “God always sees our needs right now, whatever our needs are, and how God’s plans will always prevail…He comes through in his time and in his way–he always comes through.”

When he talks about comebacks, he doesn’t ever promise that God’s going to make everything in your life perfect. He tells the example of a young woman whose high school sweetheart and now-husband died in an unexpected cycling accident. Two years later, her comeback still means her husband is gone and she’s grieving, but she’s seen how God has walked with her closely during that season of loss.

In this book, I think Louie Giglio really tries hard never to assume people know the Bible accounts he’s using in his writing. He makes this book accessible for anyone–the unchurched, the unbeliever, the new Christian, the college student looking for some hope. That’s a good thing! At the same time, when he refers to a Bible story, he retells it in great length (taking a couple of pages to recap Joseph) and that can feel kind of basic for someone who loves Bible study and knows the stories of Joseph or Paul or Peter already. So, this book could encourage anyone with the reminder that God hasn’t given up on you, but I do think those who will love it the most are those really digging into those stories at a beginner level or for the first time.

With that said, this book is an encouragement for those moments you feel lost, discouraged and defeated. It’s a reminder that there is hope. God gives fresh starts and new beginnings, and He never gives up on us.

Book Review | Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage

January 5, 20162 Comments

Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage
by Greg Smalley and Erin Smalley

Greg and Erin Smalley share what they call 12 Secrets for a Lifelong Romance in their new book, Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage. Each chapter offers up a tip/secret/marriage principle, such as honoring one another, communication strategies, serving each other, and being committed to each other and to the relationship. The Smalleys specifically combat some of the lies we buy into about marriage like “marriage is easy when you find ‘the one’ or ‘marriage is about being happy.’

The book is written with a great deal of humor and honest stories from their own marriage. Most of it seems written from Greg Smalley’s perspective with Erin jumping in occasionally. I thought some of the best content in the book covered the area of the husband struggling as the spiritual leader in a marriage. For so many women, when we say we want our men to be spiritual leaders, we define that very specifically: He needs to initiate prayer time with us every day. He needs to lead us in family devotions and devotions for us as a couple. He needs to have daily quiet times that include a prayer journal and then talk about those spiritual insights with us.

I’ve found over the years that for most women, this is a trap of disappointment and frustration and leads to dishonoring our husbands. Greg Smalley said it so well in this book: “I want to challenge men to let go of preconceived notions about what it means to be a spiritual leader–where they’re only focused on spiritual disciplines. I want to challenge each woman to broaden her definition of what it means to be a spiritual leader and to notice all the ways that her husband loves and cares for his family….God has gifted every person with specific strengths. Certain gifts help men lead the family toward God, using His methods of humility and grace. A man can give spiritual leadership in all kinds of ways. (pp. 40-41).

It was eye-opening to read this book when you remember that Greg Smalley is the son of the quite successful Christian marriage author and speaker, Gary Smalley. So, you’d probably expect Greg to have a pretty good start in his own marriage. He’s fairly open and honest about the fact that his marriage actually struggled quite a bit in the beginning and there was a lot of head knowledge about marriage that he had to learn over time how to actually put into practice.

I would have loved to hear even more from Erin Smalley in this book. I’ll be honest, a lot of the time Greg sounds like he’s defending some of his choices by emphasizing how his wife does actually love that he’s fun and spontaneous. For instance, I think even at the end of the book, he thinks it was ‘cool’ and ‘fun’ that he jumped into some water on their honeymoon that was clearly marked “NO SWIMMING” and thought his wife was the one with the problem since she refused to join him. To me, that’s not ‘cool’ or ‘fun’ or remotely ‘romantic.’ It sounds pretty unwise and foolish. Even more than that, it sounds childish, dangerous and illegal. So, I had a hard time applauding him or even feeling remotely swayed by his perspective that their disagreement was a mutual problem or that she also needed to grow and mature so she could appreciate their differences. But, what can I say, I didn’t marry someone who would do something like that and I guess that’s just one more reason I can be so thankful for my own husband!

In addition to all of the material within the book itself, they include links at the end of each chapter for date night ideas and followup questions for couples and small groups. I can’t say that this was the most insightful book about marriage I’d ever read. Most everything in the book could have been picked up from any other Christian marriage book and the “12 secrets” didn’t really seem like secrets at all. But as a basic Christian marriage manual, this is a good read.

Book Review | Glory Days

December 29, 2015January 1, 20164 Comments

Glory Days
by Max Lucado

In his new book, Glory Days, Max Lucado offers a study of the book of Joshua and a reminder that we too often settle for less than God’s best for us. As Christians, we can slip into complacency or even defeatism. We can think that God only intends for us to have victory in heaven, but never here on earth. This isn’t about material wealth or status; it’s about overcoming strongholds and no longer being held back by shame, fear, or underestimating God’s power.

Some of that comes from the faulty metaphor we’ve adopted of Canaan or the Promised Land as being heaven, which means our Christian life becomes little more than the wilderness between Egypt and the land flowing with milk and honey. From the beginning of this book, though, Max counters that. He says, ‘Canaan, then, does not represent the life to come. Canaan represents the life we can have now. God invites us to enter Canaan. There is only one condition. We must turn our backs on the wilderness.’

In true Max-style of simplicity and master-storyteller, this book tracks the journey of Israel from sitting outside the Promised Land to finally taking the territory from the enemies within. Max covers remembering what God has done in the past, trusting in God and not ‘stuff,’ praying audacious prayers, overcoming failure, and trusting God to fight on your behalf. The book also includes a study guide that could help individuals and small groups dig deeper into the content.

I felt it was Max’s best Bible study in years, offering Christians both encouragement and a challenge to actually claim your inheritance in Christ: “more victory than defeat, more joy than sadness, more hope than despair. These days are Glory Days.”

Book Review | Safe House

October 22, 2015Leave a comment

Safe House
by Joshua Straub, Ph.D.

In his new parenting book, Safe House, Joshua Straub shares less about specific parenting techniques and more about how to set a tone in your home of emotional safety. He starts with the parent, encouraging you to examine your story, the people and events that influence your parenting and where you might already be on the spectrum of grace and truth/exploring and protecting.

The whole book is written from the perspective of a parent in the trenches himself, struggling with some of the very issues he’s writing about. His goal, he says, is not to make you feel judged as a parent, but to encourage you as you try to build a beautiful story for your kids.

Straub covers some specific parenting topics such as how to keep communication open with your kids even while disciplining them, how to nurture your child’s brain, how to build a support community so you aren’t going it alone, and how to tend to your marriage and work together as a team. He spent a large part of the book working through what he calls the ‘four walls of a safe house’—grace, truth, explore, protect—with charts and graphs and psychological analysis to determine why you are the way you are and whether you’re out of balance.

There’s information in here for parents with children at any age. However, I must admit as a parent of four kids from toddler to tween, some of this book felt difficult to relate to. Even though Straub doesn’t mean to confine its reach to newer parents (and I can tell he really tries to address older parents), it felt like new parents would benefit from the book the most. (Or, perhaps, it would work well for parents of older kids whose relationship is really struggling.) I think that simply the nature of the book—the fact that the author only has two kids, a toddler and a newborn—meant that most of his stories, personal experience and advice seemed to fit parents of infants and toddlers. There were times the advice felt overly simplistic for a mom with a kid older than three. Also, when I read his parenting horror stories of sleepless nights and toddler tantrums, which is the season of parenting he’s in, I just wanted to encourage him and offer some of my own parenting expertise (instead of the other way around!).

With that said, this book could be great for parents starting out and wanting to make choices now that set a tone of safety and strong relationships in your family. It could also work well with parents who know their past experiences make it difficult for them to respond with grace and love to their kids.

Heather C. King – Room to Breathe

"He's solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul" Psalm 62:1-2 (MSG).

Category: Bookshelf

Book Review | Hope Unfolding

Book Review | 5 Minutes with Jesus

Book Review | Having a Martha Home the Mary Way

Book Review: The Gift for All People

20 Books About Prayer

A Busy Woman’s Guide to Prayer by Cheri Fuller

A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller

Before Amen by Max Lucado

Confessions of a Prayer Wimp: My Fumbling, Faltering Foibles in Faith by Mary Pierce

Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan to Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer

Handle with Prayer by Charles Stanley

The Kneeling Christian by Albert Richardson (originally published anonymously)

Prayer: Does it Make Any Difference? by Philip Yancey

Prayer by Timothy Keller

Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home by Richard Foster