Category: Bookshelf

Book Review: The Stress Cure

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The Stress Cure: Praying Your Way to Personal Peace
by Linda Evans Shepherd

I’m no stranger to stress, so I picked up Linda Evans Shepherd’s book, The Stress Cure, with high hopes.  What’s the solution she gives for conquering stress?  Less on the schedule?  Eating right?  Exercise?  Better sleep?  She says the solution is prayer and throughout her book, she gives prayer prompts and Biblical encouragement to take it to the Lord in prayer.  stresscure

Everything she said was Biblical and right.  I totally agree that it’s the prayerful life that helps us overcome stress.  You may love the way she guides you into prayer, even doing things physically like placing your hand on your stomach, breathing deeply, and then praying through the prompts she gives.  You may also love the way she turns the Biblical accounts into fictional re-tellings instead of just reading the Scripture passages.  It just wasn’t my preference.  I found that I skimmed through all of her fiction passages and prayed myself rather than using the prayers she gave.

She organizes the book around feelings we might have:  overwhelmed, stuck, frustrated, burdened, hopeless, offended, anxious, negative, distracted, and depressed and points the reader to the peace that passes understanding.  There’s likely something for everyone in here, a chapter or two that will really click with you and your circumstances.   I underlined various quotes along the way and you likely will, too.  This wasn’t my favorite book on the subject or even the most life-changing one for me personally, but it certainly may be for you.  In the end, she writes, “Trusting God is a key to experiencing God’s peace.”  So, so true.

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.”

Book Review: What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days

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What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days: 52 Encouraging Truths to Hold On To
by Holley Gerth

What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days is my favorite Holley Gerth book so far.  It’s a beautiful little book, colorful, eye-catching, well-designed, and I thought it would just be a perfect gift to give a friend.  I didn’t want to mark up the copy I had so it would still look new and I could give it away.  Alas, I ended up loving it too much and I simply can’t give away this copy.  Besides, I wanted to underline and highlight too much of what she had to say.  So, I’ll just have to buy another one for gifting to others.What-Your-Heart-Needs-for-the-Hard-Days

Each devotional spoke to me.  It seemed to move eloquently and movingly beyond the typical “fluff” of most devotionals while still touching the heart.  She encourages without being simplistic.  She ministers by teaching from God’s Word, not glossing over it or just tacking on a Scripture verse at the end.  Her stories are engaging and always link directly to the truth she shares from the Psalms.

The book includes 52 devotionals, which you could read once a week to last all year or once a day to last about two months.  Each entry includes a brief Scripture verse, a devotional thought, a section called “What My Heart is Saying to You” with a few lines of a prayer that she shares with blank lines for you to finish the prayer yourself and then “What My Heart is Hearing From You” where you can make notes from your quiet time.

This is a lovely devotional for any woman at any time in her life.  For those experiencing hard days, it will bless all the more.  You may want to get a copy for yourself and then maybe some more to give away.

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.”

Book Review: Let’s All Be Brave

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Let’s All Be Brave: Living Life With Everything You Have
by Annie Downs

With humor and vulnerability, Annie Downs tells us she isn’t particularly courageous, but she’s sharing how she learned to obey God despite being afraid in her book, Let’s All Be braveBrave.  She’s not a radical adventurer, a climb-Mt-Everest kind of girl.  I don’t get the sense that skydiving is on her bucket list.  But maybe the best part about this book is that someone who isn’t naturally brave is the one encouraging us to try it out. It’s not her natural personality or inclination.  It’s a God-thing.  And maybe bravery isn’t the same as bravado.  It’s just obeying God no matter what.

The book is an easy read because of Annie’s conversational, chatty style.  It felt mostly like a book of blog posts strung together all on one theme.  She tries to keep her audience broad, referencing the bravery it takes to be married, to have kids, etc., but the book felt suited best for older teen girls, college-age and young adult women.  It focuses a great deal on “getting by with the help of my friends.”  It could be a great source of encouragement and inspiration for young women learning to make their own decisions about life as they take  baby steps of adulthood.

She also writes some about her being single, which fills a real need in Christian books.  I’ve often been asked by Christian women if I knew any books for singles that weren’t all about how to date and prepare for marriage.  Annie really has a much-needed voice here.

I found the book organization more than a bit confusing.  The chapters begin with a date and location because Annie’s story involves leaving her hometown in Georgia, moving to Nashville, moving to Scotland, and then moving back to Nashville.  But, she doesn’t tell her story entirely in chronological order; it’s more thematic.  So, I found myself wondering, “Which time was this that she moved to Nashville?” and “is this the move to Scotland that she’s talking about or the short-term missions trip to Scotland?”  I got the sense that she’s an artistic, go-with-the-flow, creative type.  I’m more of a linear, logical kind of gal who kept wishing there was a timeline in the back of the book.

She also tends to touch lightly on Scripture.  This isn’t a Bible study, but there were times I wish it were.  As it was, I enjoyed the book, felt inspired by the book, but didn’t learn more about God or the Christian life or His Word after reading the book.  Again, though, I loved her style and enjoyed Let’s All Be Brave, and I think I’d have enjoyed it even more as a young college girl making those grown-up decisions about what to do with life and where to go.  I needed the reminder to be “brave” for the courageous things that ordinary life requires.

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.”

 

Book Review: The Good News About Marriage

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The Good News About Marriage: Debunking Discouraging Myths about Marriage and Divorce
by Shaunti Feldhahn with Tally Whitehead

After hearing for years and years how 50% of all marriages end in divorce, I couldn’t be more pleased to read the truth in Shaunti Feldhahn’s book, The Good News About Marriage.  She delves into what the research and statistics actually say in order to uncover 5 myths about marriage and how the truth actually gives us hope.goodnewsmarriage

After all, if you only have a 50/50 chance of staying married or being happy in marriage, then whose to blame if your marriage fails?  It’s easier to give up and throw in the towel if you think you’re just one among many.

But when we realize that the statistic has never even been close to 50% of marriages ending in divorce, our outlook can change.  The truth is, most marriages last and most marriages are happy.

That doesn’t mean we don’t need to be concerned about marriage or helping those who are struggling.  It does mean, though, that we can stop making couples feel like their marriages will be hard and probably a failure.  Those couples, when they realize that most marriages last, may find that’s exactly the hope they need to stick it out and to work harder at making their own marriage a success.

Shaunti manages to make surveys, research and statistics easy to read . She highlights her big ideas well and summarizes points often so they don’t get lost in the numbers.  She really tries to balance verifying her data with not losing her audience.

Overall, this book scared me a bit because of how ‘facts’ seem to become an unstoppable force.  I’ve certainly heard countless sermons and marriage talks with the gloom and doom news about marriage.  I’ve read it in books and articles over and over.  But it’s wonderful to hear the truth and to look at marriage with renewed optimism and hope.

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.”

Middle School: The Inside Story, Book Review

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Middle School: The Inside Story: What Kids Tell Us, But Don’t Tell You
by Cynthia Tobias and Sue Acuna

I just finished school supply shopping for my oldest daughter as she preps for fourth grade and it hit me all over again how quickly our little ones grow.  It won’t be long before she is heading into middle school, so I figured I’d get a head start on parental preparation and read Middle School: The Inside Story. Those middle school years were certainly my toughest time growing up and I’d like to ease that stress on my daughter (and on me!!) as much as possible.middle-school-story

In this book, Cynthia Tobias and Sue Acuna share quotes from conversations they had with middle schoolers so you can hear their perspective on all things tween and teen.  They divide the chapters into sections on Changes (emotional, physical, etc.); Parenting issues (how to discipline, handling technology); Friends and Other Problems (like middle school dating); School (keeping up with homework, teaching more personal responsibility, working with teachers, and learning styles).

It’s an easy and insightful read with insider information about what middle schoolers are going through and what they wish parents knew but don’t always verbalize to us.   I sometimes wished the authors would tackle more in-depth discussions within this book.  It seemed like they were often referring us to other books as resources (For more information on this, you can read……).  Maybe a list of resources at the end would be helpful, but I’d prefer to have one go-to resource rather than one book that refers me to read several other books.

For me, though, the book reminded me of what it was like to be a middle schooler and maybe that’s what I really needed as a mom.  I need to remember so I can parent my own up-and-coming tween/teen 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.”

Finding Hope After Divorce, Book Review

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The Kay Arthur 40 Minute Bible Studies series was one of my favorite discoveries as a leader of women’s small groups. Years ago when I started a small group for women, we wanted to study God’s Word together and do so with some depth.  But we were busy.  We had young kids, jobs, ministries and more.  Many of us were already doing one or two other studies for Sunday School and other groups.findinghopeafterdivorce

That’s when we discovered the 40-minute Bible Study series, which now includes this book on Finding Hope After Divorce, as well as topics like worship, prayer, discipleship, contentment and more.  The books are written to be done during the group time together, not with homework prepared ahead of time.

Some of the ladies still did the homework in advance, preferring to take time for thought.  As the leader, I always prepared the lessons in advance, as well.  Yet, others were able to come to group, open up the book, read the passages with us and participate without difficulty.  The Scripture verses she references are printed on the side column of each page, saving us the time it takes to flip from book to book of the Bible.

I’ve never been a big fan of Kay Arthur’s style of having us circle this, put a red triangle around that, and a cross over every mention of “Jesus.”  This is probably a technique that some people love and others could do without.  When we found that those exercises didn’t do much for our group, we just adapted and spent more time on the questions themselves.  The studies were in depth, truly discussion-oriented and great for encouraging participation and Spiritual growth. In other words, a hit! For those who like the inductive exercises with colored pencils and special ways of marking the Bible, you can choose to do more of this than we did.

This particular book, Finding Hope After Divorce, could be an amazing resource for groups helping others through the pain of marital break-up.  Kay Arthur herself speaks with experience, having gone through her own divorce many years ago.  She covers topics with truth and grace, deep Bible study and deep compassion, including a discussion of emotional pain, feeling hopeless, struggling with emotions and fears, and what the future may hold.  Ultimately, she reminds those doing the study of God’s forgiveness, His peace, and His ability to restore and heal us.

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.”

Chatting about Gentleness and a Book Giveaway!!

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Thank goodness for my Kindle because my book shelves are sagging in the middle despite me repeatedly cleaning out the books I can ‘do without’ and still survive.

I’m a bookworm from way back, so it’s perfect that one of the ‘perks’ of being a writer is getting to read and review books from other authors.courageousgentleness

When I saw the title of Mary Ann Froehlich’s new book, Courageous Gentleness, I knew I wanted to read it, review it, and give a copy away to someone else.  You can read my book review here.

I’ve felt my own spiritual toes stepped on before when reading this verse, “Let your gentleness be evident to all” (Philippians 4:5).  Because we too often treat gentleness like a personality trait.  You have it, or you don’t, either way is fine.

But it says it right there—our gentleness should be visible to everyone around us. It’s Christ in us, the Holy Spirit doing the work of producing spiritual fruit.

So, today, I have a little extra treat for you.  Mary Ann was kind enough to let me ask her some questions and share her answers with  you!

And wait, there’s more!

Just for being such a wonderful bunch of blog readers, today at the end of my interview with Mary Ann, I’ll give away a copy of her book.  Stay tuned to find out how to qualify for this special offer…

Okay, my friends, over to Mary Ann:

  1.  What’s your favorite holiday and why?

I love Thanksgiving because all my adult children come home for this celebration and it kicks off the holiday season.

  1. You are a musician, so I’m wondering if you could pick one instrument to learn that you’ve never learned to play, what would it be?

I enjoy listening to cello music so that is the instrument I would pick.

  1. Lots of times when we think of ‘gentleness,’ we think of ‘weak,’ ‘wimpy,’ ‘a doormat,’ or a ‘pushover.’  How is the biblical definition of gentleness different from that?

The biblical definition is quite the opposite. Gentleness embodies restrained strength. Unleashing harsh words or actions is weakness and evidences a lack of self-control. Our best example of restrained strength is Christ’s response to attackers during the days leading to his death.

  1. You have a successful career as a music teacher and you talk in your book a lot about practice.  What are your best tips on how to practice anything from a musical instrument to a spiritual trait like gentleness?

My best tip for practicing is to isolate the most difficult sections of a piece you are learning. Practice those first and multiple times until you are comfortable. Then you can play the piece from the beginning and avoid struggling through the tough sections. This same approach works for any skill we are learning that requires practice, which includes biblical behaviors such as gentleness and other fruit of the spirit. We will benefit if we first focus on improving the areas we struggle with most in life instead of avoiding them.

  1. You share in your book about Christianity having an “image problem” in the United States and you ask the question, “Are Christians Known for Being Gentle?”  What do you think the answer to that question is ?  How can we change that?

In my personal experience (and the research backs it up), Christians are not known for being gentle. The world knows Christians more for what they stand against instead of who they are for. As a body, we have an angry, intolerant reputation. What saddens me more is when Christians tell me that their fellow Christians do not treat them with gentleness. Through the years, I have had several friends who needed to remove themselves from the church when they were going through a tough season of life (a divorce, child on drugs, teen pregnancy, etc.). The church should be our safest place when we are in pain but too often fellow believers rub salt in our wounds.

  1. What’s your encouragement for someone who says, “I’m just not a gentle person. I’m outspoken.  That’s just who I am.”

I would say that the fruit of the spirit is not a personality trait. Every believer is called to mirror Christ. Practicing those biblical behaviors is hard work for all of us.

Thanks so much to Mary Ann Froehlich for sharing with us!

I’ll be giving away a copy of her book Courageous Gentleness using a random number generator.  All you need to do to enter is comment on this post (not on Facebook, here on the blog please) with the answer to this question:

Do you think Christians are known for being gentle?  If not, what can we do about our ‘image problem?’

I’ll close the giveaway on Thursday, July 17th at 11:59 p.m. and announce the winner in the blog for Friday, July 18th.

Heather King is a wife, mom, Bible Study teacher, writer and worship leader.  Most importantly, she is a Christ follower with a desire to help others apply the Bible to everyday life with all its mess, noise, and busyness.  Her book, Ask Me Anything, Lord: Opening Our Hearts to God’s Questions, is available now!  To read more devotionals by Heather King, click here.

Copyright © 2014 Heather King

Courageous Gentleness, Book Review

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I loved the slightly unexpected nature of the title for Mary Ann Froehlich’s new book, Courageous Gentleness.  In a modern world like ours, where we marvel at the brazen, the bold, the loud and powerful, her book encourages us to prize, treasure, and pursue the spiritual fruit of gentleness.courageousgentleness

The book is filled with Scripture and each chapter concludes with a few questions of “Personal Retreat” to guide the reader into deeper reflection and personal application.  At under 200 pages, the book is short, easy to read, but thought-provoking.

She begins with a chapter that asks, “Is Gentleness for Wimps?” Then she follows with chapters on the gentleness of God, of Jesus, and of Christians, as well as chapters on practicing aspects of gentleness such as humility, self-control, communication, patience, and more.   Biblical gentleness, she argues, isn’t being weak or wimpy.  It’s more like a powerhouse of meekness.

So often we excuse our lack of gentleness by saying, “Well, that’s just not me.  I’m outspoken.  That’s who I am.”  But the Bible is clear when it says, “Let your gentleness be evident to all.”  We are all to practice gentleness.  It’s a marker of our faith and a sign of the Holy Spirit at work within us.  It’s supposed to be part of our Christian testimony, drawing others to know Jesus.

I love that Mary Ann Froehlich emphasize that gentleness is a trait we practice by disciplining our tongues and taking time to craft responses to others.  It may not be our natural bent, but it’s part of our Christian calling. As she writes, ‘gentleness is not simply a quality, trait, behavior, or characteristic.  It is a choice.”

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.”

The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages, Book Review

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The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages
by Shaunti Feldhahn

In her new book, The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages, Shaunti Feldhahn shares what she’s discovered from her latest research on what helps marriages thrive.  She found that lots of couples focus on what they consider the “big things” like ‘communication,’ but that can’t really identify whasurprising-secrets-concept-1-v2bt that means or what it looks like.  Yet, really there are a few small habits, actions, and behaviors that the most happily married couples had in common.

Some of these little secrets might be no secret to you, like spending time together.  Others might be more surprising, like the fact that highly happy married couples sometimes leave a conflict for another day rather than trying to hash it before bed no matter how physically tired and emotionally depleted they are.

She also emphasizes at the end of the book that no one should tackle all these tips at once.  It’s too easy to get overwhelmed, forget, or just give up.  Instead, choose one or two focal points and work on those.  Even if one partner chooses to change, she argues, most marriages will benefit from these practices.

The book moves quickly and is easy to read.  Ultimately, the emphasis is on kindness and commitment, two marriage tips we might all agree on, but fail to really practice in our own homes with our own spouses.

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.”

The Good Dad, Book Review

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The Good Dad: Becoming the Father You Were Meant to Be
by Jim Daly with Paul Asay

I should just say this up front, I’m a mom writing a review of Jim Daly’s new book, The Good Dad, and I loved it. In this book he shares the wild and crazy story of God’s grace—how a guy whose dad was an alcoholic, whose step-dad walked out on the family the day of his mother’s funeral, and whose foster father was insane (really) ended up becoming the president and CEO of Focus on the Family.  gooddad

He speaks mostly to dads, of course, reminding them of how much their children need them.  How they need to step up instead of give into that “fight or flight” reaction when facing something as unknown and daunting as parenting.  He gives some practical tips, but mostly shares stories from his own experience–both the good and the bad.

Even with a few discussion questions at the end of each chapter, this is not a Bible study on parenting.  It’s not a step-by-step parenting manual that promises success for your children if you follow this handy dandy guide to discipline. This is not going to birth a new “school on parenting.”  If anything, it feels more like mentoring:  One dad sharing what he’s learned.

I think it’s absolutely refreshing to read a parenting book like this that reminds you that kids are unique.  The method that worked for one child or one family doesn’t necessarily translate into success for another.  He reminds you that discipline strategies and relationship styles need to be tailor-made, not cookie cutter.

Most importantly, he reminded me of the importance of grace.  So often we Christians can foster legalism in our own homes, demanding that our kids be perfect and treating simple things like spilled milk or a forgotten toy like the end of the world in need of dire consequences.  Daly reminds us to teach our kids the Gospel.  No one is perfect.  That’s why we need a Savior.

He reminds dads especially, but really all parents, not to over-react, but to respond with wisdom, grace, and patience.  Sometimes that means letting them fail and helping them pick up the pieces after.  As I read, I was reminded that I don’t discipline my kids so they act right in church and don’t embarrass me in public.  I discipline them to draw their hearts to Christ.

He returned again and again to the idea of a tether of love that binds our children in relationship to us even in tough seasons, and he encourages the mending of broken relationships through forgiveness before it’s too late. Overall, he reminds you that no matter how you’ve grown up or what mistakes you’ve made in the past, God can help you become a good dad—not a perfect dad perhaps, but a good one and even a great one.

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.”