Category: Bookshelf

Book Review | She’s Almost a Teenager

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She’s Almost a Teenager: Essential Conversations to Have Now
by Peter and Heather Larson and David and Claudia Arp

She’s Almost a Teenager isn’t a full-scale parenting method or even an all-around guide to your daughter’s tween years.  Instead, it’s a guide to eight conversations to have with your tween girl now before media, friendships, peer pressure, and hormones make these conversations more difficult. Each chapter introduces the themes of the conversation to have with your daughter: the big-picture, friends, academics, body, faith, boys, money and technology.  At the end of the chapter, they include the major questions to ask your daughter. The idea isn’t to talk at your child; this isn’t about making speeches. It’s about dialogue. Ask her what she thinks and then listen and respond.almost a teenager

I like the idea of starting these conversations young. Sometimes we want to put off talking about ‘boys’ and then by the time it’s an issue, the conversations are heated or emotional. The authors joked that you might not want to talk about a smartphone when your daughter is ten, but they promised, “She’s thinking about it already!’ So, open that conversation right up. What are her thoughts about getting a phone? What are yours? What expectations do you have for who will buy it, who will pay for the plan, how she’ll take care of it, etc?  Better to talk it over than to avoid it and get surprised by conflict later.

The book is clearly written for parents of tween girls, although the same basic format, ideas, and even a lot of the topics they cover could be adapted for boys also.

One of the things I appreciated about the authors is that they told you right from the beginning where they are coming from as either parents who currently have tween daughters or parents who have already been through their kids’ teen years.  This is huge for me. I’m currently reading another parenting book written by the father of two kids under two years old.  I have to admit it’s a little hard to value his advice and input on my parenting when his entire parental experience has lasted two years and he has no personal experience with children the same age as my kids.  For me, having an author say, “I’m with you” or “I’ve been there” makes me vale their input even more.

The other thing I loved is their emphasis on parenting with long-term goals in mind. This meant learning to know what really matters to us as parents and when we need to let things go. If your child worked diligently and faithfully in a class at school and still ended up with a C, and she doesn’t intend to major in that field in college or in any way make a career of it, can we let it go?  Can we get over a hairstyle we don’t like if she’s following the Lord, doing well in school, and being responsible?   We as parents know deep down that what matters is salvation and safety and integrity, but our messages to our kids sometimes suggest otherwise. If your daughter says that what matters to you is that she brushes her teeth, gets straight A’s, and keeps her room clean, then maybe there’s a problem.

They conclude the book with two ideas that I loved: Project Thirteen and Birthday Boxes.  I’ve read a lot of parenting suggestions for how to help your child have a “rite of passage” into adulthood, but these are probably my favorite. They are projects to do along with your child in order to prepare them to take on adult responsibilities (so they don’t end up living at home at 35 or out on their homew with no life skills!).

I don’t know that there’s anything hugely revolutionary in the topics the author covered, but I loved having this as an all-in-one-place resource!  The authors also encourage you to make the conversations your own. You know your child. Would this work best in 8 formal parent-daughter dates? Around the dinner table? Would they be best as casual conversations that flow at just the right time in the minivan on the way to volleyball? You decide and you tailor the conversations accordingly.

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: The Message 100 Devotional Bible

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The Message 100 Devotional Bible: The Story of God in Sequence
by Eugene Peterson

I remember first being introduced to The Message paraphrase translation of the Bible in college.  I loved reading the Bible in The Message and then going back to my more familiar translations and reading with a new perspective.  I found that I’d often been missing out on the nuances of the original language until I read The Message and saw how Eugene Peterson brought the language to life. Now, Peterson offers The Message 100 Devotional Bible, laying out the ‘story’ of the Bible in unbroken timeline sequence and offered in 100 separate readings.The Message 100

We do have a way of trying to restrict God to language that sounds holy and formal, when in reality much of Scripture itself was written in the daily, everyday language of the people.  Jesus made Himself accessible to the people. So, The Message does the same. It doesn’t claim to be a study Bible.  It does, however, attempt to invite everyone into God’s Word and then encourage them to investigate and study and dig in deep to God’s Word, to absorb it, meditate on it, chew on it, and make it a part of them.

This devotional Bible is offered in the same vein as The Story and several other Bible studies that attempt to connect Scripture into one clear unbroken thread from creation to the cross to Christ’s return.  It would be particularly suitable for teens, young adults, new Christians and anyone who hasn’t read the Bible through, but who wants an introduction to God’s Word. It’s also great for long-term Christians who want a fresh way to read Scripture.

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 | 9 Thoughts That Can Change Your Marriage

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9 Thoughts That Can Change Your Marriage
by Sheila Wray Gregoire

Sheila Wray Gregoire’s new book, 9 Thoughts That Can Change Your Marriage, accomplishes something quite difficult: Saying something fresh about marriage.  After reading and/or reviewing so many marriage books that focus on male/female communication and seeing the world as either pink or blue and offer cute little catchphrases, I loved how Gregoire dug a bit deeper.  She tackles commonly held cliches or superficial Christian marriage beliefs and replaces them with 9 thoughts that could change the way you think about what it means to love your 9 Thoughts That Can Change Your Marriagehusband.

Her first thought sounds so simple: “My Husband is My Neighbor.”  But in that one simple thought, she addresses an attitude adjustment that we need to make as wives.  She writes, “it’s often easier to feel compassion for people in the abstract than for individuals we know up close and personal” (16) and also, “I have this sneaking suspicion that most of us save our best behavior for those whom we barely know and show our worst side to those we know the best” (17).  Isn’t that so true?  We often display grace, forgiveness, and compassion for those outside of our home, strangers even who we meet at the grocery story or the bank, but then snap at every flaw we see in the one person we are to treasure the most.

Her other thoughts are just as important, valuable, and challenging, including “My Husband Can’t Make Me Mad,” My Husband Was Not Put on This Earth to Make Me Happy” and (my favorite), “I”m Called to Be a Peacemaker, not a Peacekeeper.”  In this last chapter, she argues that “pursuing peace does not mean seeking an absence of conflict.”  Instead, God’s heart is for oneness, and sometimes that means choosing to work together to fix differences instead of simply ignoring them in an effort to “keep the peace.”

Gregoire manages to maintain a very difficult balance.  Submission and respecting our husbands does not mean allowing them to do whatever they feel like it, no matter how abusive, harmful, irresponsible, and hurtful.  Her question is, “If you step back and ‘submit,’ are you being a ‘suitable helper’ to him? Or are you enabling him?”  Nor does establishing boundaries in marriage mean threatening divorce or harping on his every flaw and failing.  She suggests that holiness in marriage results from lovingly helping each become more Christ-like, loving each other enough to speak truth in love when necessary.

Throughout each chapter, Gregoire includes Action Steps and then she includes a summary of all of the action steps at the end of the chapter so they are easy to find and implement.  You may not be able to do each action step in a chapter, but with several choices, there is usually something you can put into practice.  Some action steps involve your husband and some you can do on your own, like “Pray about where God is leading your husband. Ask God, ‘How can I tangibly support my husband in that?’

She also provides a helpful appendix with her favorite marriage resources in various categories, such as: Make Your Marriage Great, The Purpose of Marriage, Sex, Handling Conflict and Setting Boundaries, and Roles in Marriage.  I loved this resource list because it’s likely that as you read her book, you’d identify the weaker aspects of your marriage and then find further information and encouragement on those specific areas.

Ultimately, this is a marriage book for an engaged woman, the newly married, the seasoned wife with a great marriage and the woman in a marriage that is struggling.  While not every one of her thoughts will fit your own marriage needs, there are most likely at least some healthy reminders or fresh encouragements to help any wife make her marriage better.

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 | Brave Enough

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Brave Enough
by Nicole Unice

In Brave Enough, Nicole Unice tells us a little secret: “We’re all a little scared.” Being afraid, though, doesn’t mean you can’t live with courage.  It doesn’t mean you can’t be brave.  She writes, “Courage is the will to move past fear and get out of our own way, to become the women God has made us to be.”  Being Brave-Enough isn’t about climbing mountains or skydiving; it’s about living in obedience to God even when that makes you shake in your sneakers.Brave Enough

Nicole has such a fresh, get-real style to her writing, and I love it.  She’s never putting on a facade and she doesn’t hold back from confessing some of her own struggles (like setting limits and boundaries on her schedule).  As a Christian counselor, her emphasis is often on the counseling, psychological, emotional aspects of our life–why do we do what we do and how can we submit that to Christ?  I tend to prefer more Bible-study focus and less Christian-counseling-focus in the books I read, but that isn’t true for everyone, and Nicole Unice’s insights and expertise really shine and will be an encouragement and help to lots of women.

This book includes nine chapters, each focusing on an area where we can be brave in our Christian walk, such as “Brave-Enough Women Love Grace, Brave-Enough Women Give Grace, Brave-Enough Women Know Their Limits” and more.  She includes action points that she calls “Our Daily Brave” at the end of each chapter, as well as a prayer.

Both in her book, She’s Got Issues, and in this book, Brave Enough, Nicole Unice gets real about anger in a way that I haven’t really seen in most other books for Christian women.  I also liked her discussion of ‘fake grace’ in this book, when she talks about how women deal with failure sometimes by making excuses or concessions instead of just resting in the lavish grace of Christ. She challenges the reader by saying, “When we manufacture weak, fake grace, we end up being weak, fake people.”

Ultimately, Nicole is really writing about how we can bravely engage in sanctification and how God transforms us to be more like Christ every single day.  We sometimes get caught up and terrified of ‘big changes’ and huge spiritual moments, and “it might be easier to think of the ways we can save the world than ways we can change our daily life….Bravely facing the hard places in our heart and desiring to receive and give real grace takes grit” (87).  This book is about being Brave Enough to let God work in our heart and our lives every single day without holding back.

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 | The Miracle in the Middle

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The Miracle in the Middle
by Charlotte Gambill

Waiting. No one is a big fan of waiting, and we talk a great deal in Christian circles about how difficult it is to wait on God.  In her book, The Miracle in the Middle, Charlotte Gambill writes about this season of waiting as being “in the middle.”  You’ve moved beyond the excitement of an initial calling or hearing from God, but you haven’t reached the season of harvest and blessing.  You’re stuck in the middle, just trying to keep moving forward without giving up.miracle-in-the-middle

Over the eleven chapters in this book, Gambill encourages the reader to drop anchor (cling to hope), listen for God’s voice in the void, be prepared to handle the strain, re-check priorities, maintain the vision and more.  I found that it took me a while to really get into the book, but at about halfway, I started underlining and turning down the corners of pages.  For some reason, the second half of the book made more of an impact on me, so it’s a book that is worth the full read—don’t put it down after the first few chapters.

Each chapter ends with a few Action Points and Prayer Points, which work well for an individual who wants to apply the lessons, but wouldn’t really serve as content for a small group or book club discussion.

By the end of the book, Gambill encourages the reader not just to survive seasons of waiting or push through to the end, but how to actually discover the joy and the miracle in the middle.

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

It’s Good to Be Queen | Book Review

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It’s Good to be Queen
by Liz Curtis Higgs

Liz Curtis Higgs is one of my favorite Bible teachers and I’m once again in love with one of her books, It’s Good to be Queen.  In this new book, she studies the Queen of Sheba and her visit to King Solomon in 1 Kings 10.  It’s such a brief portion of Scripture and yet she unpacks it line by line in her unique way, making it compelling and full of rich wisdom and Biblical truth.itsgoodtobequeen

She includes 10 chapters, each with a unique lesson the Queen of Sheba teaches us through her example:  It’s Good to be Bold, Open, Humbled, Honest, etc.  The book also includes discussion questions and a study guide for use by book clubs and small groups.   One of the fun touches she adds to the book are occasional quotes from other queens such as Queen Elizabeth.

I love Liz’s easy-to-read style, her well-researched points and her witty humor.  I wasn’t, however, particularly a fan of the intense quoting from her social media followers.  I’ll be frank, I get why quoting from social media followers works for an author.  Fans feel like they are connecting and feel excited to be quoted in the book and you get the material you need.  However, I could have read her Facebook post comments to see what everyone on Facebook had to say.  When I read the book, I’d like something a little more.

Some of the paragraphs in this book actually seem like strung together quotations, one after the other:  “Sandra says……  Kelly writes…….Laurie admits……Brittany tells us…..”   It made the writing feel more stilted than I’ve noticed in any of her books where she relied more on her own voice.  I wouldn’t even have minded an occasional comment like, “So and so wrote me….” or “This person said….” or even “hundreds of women on my Facebook page identified with this,” but four or five paragraphs in a row of nothing more than quotes from her followers grew tiresome at times.

I’m still a huge fan of Liz Curtis Higgs and I still enjoyed this book, but I wish social media wasn’t allowed to invade  an author’s style and actual book content so heavily.  What I really wanted to read were Liz’s stories, her research, her thoughts, her heart and the Holy Spirit at work through her, not a compilation of comments from her Facebook fans.

With that said, as a Bible teacher, Liz remains one of my favorites and I could skim right over what I didn’t like in order to fully enjoy everything that is wonderful about her as an author.  She brings such rich insights to the text.  I love how she examines a verse or even one particular word in several different translations.  Even if you’ve read a story a hundred times, she can bring fresh perspective, just as she does in this book, It’s Good to be Queen.

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 | Unafraid

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Unafraid
by Susie Davis

In 1978, Susie Davis witnessed a shooting in her classroom.  A fellow student walked in that day and killed her teacher.  Since that time, she knew God, but didn’t trust Him, living with debilitating fear as a young woman, and then as a wife and mom. Unafraid is her personal story of how she learned to trust God in an unsafe world.Unafraid

 

Susie’s story is unique, of course.  Not all of us have endured such a shock to our systems as children, and yet so many of us lived trapped by fear.  We are terrorized to make a wrong decisions.  We hover over our children, thinking their safety depends on us.  Whatever the reason, many of us can relate to Susie’s struggle with fear and how to trust God even when life seems out of control.

This is her personal story and journey to trusting God.  It’s not a theological treatise on fear or a 12-step process of overcoming fear.  It’s not a to-do list or a how-to manual. With that said, it’s a beautiful book.  She discusses honesty and transparency, relationships, and links unforgiveness and fear in a way that I hadn’t considered before.  Throughout the book, she weaves this gentle metaphor of trees, always using a tree to illustrate the condition of her heart at different points in her life.

The book also includes a section in the back for discussion questions and a study guide, making it well-suited for individual study, a book club or a small group.

Ultimately, Susie’s message is about growing in our faith.  As she says, ‘We must grow big in faith, not fear.’  Her own testimony is one that she’s eager to share, how a grown, married woman who couldn’t stay in her house alone overnight because of crippling fear learned to live in faith and with peace.

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 |Your Sacred Yes

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Your Sacred Yes: Trading Life-Draining Obligation for Freedom, Passion & Joy
by Susie Larson

It’s so easy to feel obligated and guilted into saying ‘yes’ to every request for our time and attention, but Susie Larson writes in her sacredyesbook, Your Sacred Yes, about how to discern man-made obligations from God-given invitations.  The book focuses on matching God’s pace for our lives, not rushing, not hurrying, not packing our days too full, and yet staying as busy and fruitful as God plans.  It’s not about leading a life that isn’t busy—it’s about doing only what God tells you to do.

She shares openly from her own ministry experience and personal story.  The book is divided into sections called The Sloppy Yes, the Shackled Yes, and the Sacred Yes—a reminder that sometimes we say ‘yes’ without thinking, sometimes we say ‘yes’ because we feel we have to, and sometimes we say ‘yes’ because we really are responding to God’s call.  I liked her discussion of peer pressure and captivity to people-pleasing especially.  Each chapter also includes personal reflection questions, a wise word, group discussion starters, and a faith declaration, making it accessible for individual or group use.

So many authors are currently tackling similar themes for overworked, overstressed, overextended women to help them set boundaries, protect their time, learn to say ‘no,’ honor the Sabbath and build margin into their life and schedule.  Susie Larson does a fine job of tackling this same subject and I liked her ‘voice.’  It sounded genuine and ‘real.’

I do feel, though, that other books on this topic have had more of an impact on my life, and I can’t say I walked away with a new or fresh perspective after reading Your Sacred Yes.  I also feel like others have given me more practical applications and ideas of how to put these lessons into action.  However, for encouragement and the reminder that saying ‘yes’ to everything means not giving God your best, this book is a good read.

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 | Keep Your Love On

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Keep Your Love On
by Danny Silk

In Keep Your Love On, Danny Silk focuses on some of the conflicts and pitfalls in relationships that drain us emotionally and leave us KYLOready to abandon loving others.  He draws on wisdom and advice from other sources such as love languages (from The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman) and boundaries (from Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend), but it is helpful to have all of the info in one place.

His focus is often on marriage, although he does emphasize the circles of influence/relationships we have and who belongs in each.  We all should have God at the center, then our spouse, our kids, other family and close friendships, etc.  It’s easy to get that mixed up and find ourselves giving ‘outsiders’ more access to us than our closest family.

I also liked his discussion of boundaries and how to talk through conflict, including refusing to engage in a discussion when someone isn’t speaking to you with respect.  That’s one boundary I’ve had to hold onto recently and I suspect it is becoming even more necessary in our era of technology and communication when people shoot off nasty emails and post hurtful blog comments or Facebook replies in seconds.

He’s pretty quick and to the point in every chapter.  I probably would have preferred more examples and explanations.  Sometimes I felt like I could say to him, ‘Well, I can see how that would work in this situation, but what about…..” but he didn’t anticipate that or cover more possibilities.  He talked about some of his own marital challenges in the first ten years with his wife and how they overcame, and I found myself thinking—so, how did you overcome?  I also would have liked more and, in some cases, better biblical examples and support for his points.  I read somewhere that there are videos and other accompanying materials for “KYLO” and maybe that’s what I’m missing.

With that said, this book could be especially useful for those dealing with difficult relationships, maybe in marriage or even ministry.  We often need the reminder of why we set boundaries and how to stick to them.  I think his overall goal was to help the reader learn to value and pursue the connection with others even when you disagree with them while establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries.

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

If I Plug My Ears | Book Review

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Jessie Clemence brings her witty, laugh-out-loud funny, and totally frank voice to the topic of obeying God in her new book, If I Plug My Ears, God Can’t Tell Me To Dojessie-clemence.  She shares personally from her own family’s adventures in obedience and especially about her own journey into writing.  Each chapter is also followed by personal stories from other bloggers and ‘regular people’ who were called to do things as varied as move across country to giving away a watch.  I loved the wide swing, the variety she gives, so it’s clear that following God may mean moving overseas and serving as a missionary, but it doesn’t have to mean that.  It might mean walking up to a stranger in the grocery store and giving them $20 because God told you to do it.

While there are lots of books about the theoretical whys and wherefores of obedience, Jessie delves into the practical issues in a way I haven’t really read before.  She gets into the nitty gritty of finances and how to tell your ‘Nana’ and other family members the crazy thing God told you to do.  Also included is a one page questionnaire to help you figure out “Is This the Call of God or Have I Gone Mad?”  With lots of Scripture and lots of personal relevance, the book can be an encouragement and challenge to prepare your heart and life for God’s call.  The study questions she includes at the end of each chapter would be great for book club discussions or simply personal application.

By the end of the book, I felt like Jessie’s chief accomplishment was giving courage to her reader.  She writes, “You and God can do this together. You really can.”  She also reminds us that “nothing we do for God is insignificant.”  What a great reminder when you feel a little lost, a little confused, a little weary, a little impatient, and a lot overwhelmed.  God calls us to follow Him, but He goes with us, so we needn’t be afraid.