Tag: Christian book reviews

Book Review | Need You Now

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Need You Now: A Story of Hope
by Plumb with Susanna Foth Aughtmon

Christian music artist, Plumb (AKA Tiffany), tells us that her story as told in her book, Need You Now, is a story of hope, and it is.  Her memoir is a quick and easy read with stories from her childhood, her rise in Christian music, her love story, her marriage struggles and how God restored her marriage.  She’s totally real, totally vulnerable and honest.  I loved hearing her heart about sharing her music and her love for Jesus and her family.

I particularly loved how she trusts God with the future.  She tends to look at life events as: Well, if that works out–awesome!  If it doesn’t, on to something new. It’s a perspective that breathes hope into every part of her story.

Her story also reminds me of God’s sovereignty.  There’s no need to try to push and shove, fight and claw your way to the top of any mountain or the forefront of anyone’s attention. She just did her thing.  She sang as a kid in churches.  When presented with the next opportunity, she just gave it her best.  God opened every door.  He directed her path and the people she needed to meet.  Even in the hard things and the ‘setbacks,’ God was at work growing her as an artist and helping her love Him above all else.

Those interested in Plumb as a musician will love getting to know her better.  Couples looking for hope in broken marriages will be blessed and encouraged and young moms overwhelmed by diaper changing duty will find a friend!need-you-now

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: Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood

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Walking With God in the Season of Motherhood
by Melissa Kruger

If anything reveals the deepest roots of selfishness or impatience in us, it’s being a mom.  And yet, it’s so often during this season of mothering that we grab time with Jesus whenever we can.  We’re rushed.  Our schedule is not our own.   We need to be in His Word and we need it to connect with our lives, but we’re often tired and overwhelmed.  In her new Bible study, Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood, Melissa Kruger writes about how God has used motherhood to do a deep spiritual work in her life.  She says, “Before having children, I considered myself to be fairly patient, self-controlled, and kind.  I thought motherhood would only amplify these virtues as I poured out love on my children.  In reality, motherhood has exposed just how much I need Jesus.”    Melissa Kruger’s book gives moms a Bible study that is applicable and practical in their lives.walkingwithGod

There are plenty of parenting books out there that focus on the how-to’s and why’s and should’s and must’s of  parenting itself.  There are plenty of Bible studies out there.  This book is a way of combining the two, providing a study on the way God refines us through motherhood.  Over eleven weeks, Melissa Kruger takes moms through understanding our purpose, ordering our home, entrusting our child to the Lord, while focusing on virtues such as wisdom, peace, joy, patience, kindness, self-control, etc.   She keeps the lessons accessible.  There are five days of lessons each week with the Scriptures written out right there in the workbook.  The lessons are more encouraging than they are intense or deep Bible study and the fifth day is actually a devotional thought to wrap up the lessons of the week.

In the back, she includes a few helpful resources for moms and moms-groups.  For those studying together, there are group discussion questions.  She also offers Mom’s Verses to Memorize (one for each month) and character traits and verses you could learn together with your kids.  Although it’s probably most powerful for women with young kids at home, it’s not just a study for Mothers of Preschoolers.  Melissa tries to extend the lessons out for moms at a variety of stages.

One of the benefits of the book is the way it causes you to see the beauty in the season.  When you’re knee-deep in laundry, haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a few years, live in your minivan and clean up bodily fluids all day long, it can be so hard to open your eyes to the glory of God at work around you.  But God doesn’t meet with us before motherhood and then again when our kids are grown.  He’s right there with us, using our kids and our homes to draw us close to Him and make us more like Jesus.

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.”

 

Nourished, Book Review

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Nourished:  A Search for Health, Happiness and a Full Night’s Sleep
by Becky Johnson and Rachel Randolph

You can’t keep filling up and feeding others if you’re undernourished and starving yourself.  That’s what mother-daughter writing team, Becky Johnson and Rachel Randolph, say in their new book: Nourished.  They’ve packed their book with humor, honesty, a grunge image of a fieldchatty writing style, and practical tips everywhere.

A lot of their advice was basic; however, it’s nice to have a collection of tips all in one place.  I loved some of the word-pictures and metaphors they use to bring their points home.  My favorite is the idea that all of us have a favorite pillow style.  I like mine soft.  You might like yours super-stuffed.  The same is true about our schedules—the activity level that is comfortable for me might not be comfortable for you.  That’s why our lives need to be unique and God-directed, not copycats of what works for someone else.   They cover everything from how to dress your body type, to how to organize your schedule, to how to enjoy family meal time, and how to get your home in order.  I would have loved to see a little more of an emphasis on nourishing faith and a relationship with God, perhaps, but ultimately the book is an all-around healthy heart, mind and body makeover.

Usually, I’m the kind of reader who loves to hear the personal stories and perspectives of the author. Not so much in this book. I think part of that was because I loved Becky Johnson’s tips and input, but Rachel came across as nice and enthusiastic and ‘young.’ I’m a mom with four kids living in a house half the size of Rachel’s, so her perspective felt a little simplistic. She seemed to send a lot of time trying to justify why she doesn’t have a lot of time…..when I think she might have been better off ‘fessing up’ to the fact that the majority of women reading the book probably have more kids than she does. I remember having one toddler, a ministry, a work-at-home job without any childcare, and a busy husband and thinking my life was crazy then. Now, I really wish I had that much free time again! I’d appreciate it if at least once in the book she said, “I know I only have one child, but this is what works for me right now, and this is what my friends with four kids and a job say works for them…..” I get how hard that is to confess. I’ve had to say it myself—-“my life is crazy and it feels like no one else’s could be any crazier, but I know I don’t understand what it’s like to have 9 kids, or home school, or parent a special needs child, or have a husband in the military or be a single mom.” When your own experience is limited, maybe getting some ideas from others with more experience would have been a plus and, at the very least, admitting that you don’t know what it’s like to juggle as much as someone else goes a long way to set a tone of humility. Perhaps that’s why I loved that Becky Johnson chimed in with talk about raising four kids in a log cabin.

This isn’t a Bible study and it’s really not meant to be.  They talk about faith in a cursory kind of way, with a lovely emphasis on how God sees us as His beloved daughters.  My personal preference would probably have been for less references to their friends’ or fellow bloggers’ books and more dependence on Scripture, but the book seemed to be more of a ‘blogging community’ kind of  end-product, which many women will enjoy.

I loved that they included a chapter at the end of the book on how to be nourished when life is hard.  For some women whose lives are taking them through trauma and pain, things like organizing your junk drawers or buying a new outfit aren’t going to help much.  The authors were wise to meet that head-on and share with love, grace and encouragement on how to pursue 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.”

Book Review: From Tablet to Table

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From Tablet to Table: Where Community is Found and Identity is Formed
by Leonard Sweet

Leonard Sweet writes in his book, From Tablet to Table, that the Bible begins in Genesis with the command to “eat freely” and ends in Revelation with the command to “drink freely.”  It’s a Biblical sandwich of table-dialogue.  His book spreads the table wide, talking about every aspect imaginable related to eating and drinking in the Bible: about Christian community, Communion, storytelling, relationships, and Jesus’ ministry of inviting everyone to the table, including ‘sinners.’  I had never considered the pervasiveness of food and eating to the Bible or to our faith until I read this book.  tablet-to-table

At times, Sweet is super-practical, giving instructions about what to bring to a meal when you are an invited guest.  At other times, he is rhetorical, arguing for ideas, like the need for more storytelling and table-sharing in Christianity.  Then, he moves along to reminding parents of the value of dinner table conversations instead of meals-on-the-go or silent suppers spent in front of the television.

His style is readable and quick-moving, but always masterful and eloquent.  He seems like the kind of teacher/professor that you’d want to sit and listen to because his use of language alone is captivating.  At the same time, the book is so very broad in its discussion of ‘table’ that I almost felt like I couldn’t narrow it down. What was it about?  What the modern church should look like?  Servant evangelism?  Family life?  Yes, to all of the above.

I also felt there were moments where he sacrificed theology on the altar of rhetorical artistry.  He seems to get caught up in the language and then try to finish off the argument with one final dazzling move.  For instance, he argues about needing more shared meals in Christian community and then tosses out that it was Eve’s solitary eating that got her into trouble.  Well, actually, no, that wasn’t what got Eve into trouble at all.  It’s easy to get swept up in what he’s saying because he says it well, and yet there were times I needed to stop and say, “Actually, I don’t think that’s right or true.” It’s not often, perhaps, but it is a book to be read with attention so you just don’t nod your head at everything and end up agreeing to things you don’t really believe.

Still, I loved his emphasis on how we’re people of ‘story’ and yet we sometimes don’t take the time to swap stories like we should.  It’s a lost art of relationship and hospitality that helps us draw people to Christ, not as some new evangelistic strategy or three-step witnessing formula, but by genuine love through spending time with others.

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: Brave Mom

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Brave Mom: Facing and Overcoming Your Real Mom Fears
by Sherry Surratt

We live in a scary world and it’s all too easy to get caught up in parenting with fear rather than parenting in faith, which is why I was so excited to read Sherry Surratt’s book, Brave Mom.  This CEO of MOPS International(Mothers of Preschoolers) talks openly and honestly about some of the biggest fears moms face, including a fear of parenting teenagers, fear of not being perfect, fear that being a mom will change you forever, and more.  Certainly as a mom I’m more than just afraid about keeping my kids physically safe.  I worry about the friends they make….worry about whether I’m doing enough, whether I’ll let them down or mess them up, whether they’ll be bullied or teased or lost or alone or…you name it.  These “Real Mom Fears” can take over the moment you find out you’re pregnant for the first time.bravemom

Each chapter includes notes and letters from other moms who have faced and overcome similar fears, so it really is like attending a mom support group and saying, “Hi, My name is ________ and I struggle with fear” and listening to others who understand what you’re going through.  Surratt’s relaxed and chatty style of writing makes this book an easy read and very relatable.  She concludes every chapter with a section called “Let’s Get Practical” that includes some questions for further thought/discussion and another section called “Let’s Take Action” that helps you put what you’ve learned into practice. It’s not a Bible study really, but it is great for an individual to read or for a book club or moms group to read together.

My favorite chapters in the book came at the end: “Facing Your Emotional Monsters” and “Building a Better You.”  Her advice in those chapters is practical, helpful, wise, and full of grace.  She encourages moms to build a support system and to find spiritual rhythms that work for you instead of trying to copy the quiet time habits of others around you.   I also loved the idea of sorting fears into two categories: things I can do something about and things I can’t do anything about so I need to just leave it to God.  Grabbing a hold of those runaway fears, analyzing them, praying through them, and doing something about them all helps tame the anxiety monster that can hold us moms captive.

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, A.D. 30

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A.D. 30: A Novel
by Ted Dekker

I’ve never accepted a request to review a fiction book before as I find Christian nonfiction to be more my forte.  But I was asked to review Ted Dekker’s novel, A.D. 30, because of its discussion of women’s issues that might be of interest to me and my blog followers.  So, this is my first Christian fiction review and the first time I’ve read any of Ted Dekker’s books at all.ad30

He takes what seems to me to be quite a unique perspective on Jesus’ ministry.  Instead of setting the book in Galilee or Jerusalem or focusing the book on any of the people closest to Jesus, such as a disciple or Jesus’ family, Dekker writes from the perspective of Maviah, an Arabic woman.  She seems in every way to offer an outsider’s perspective on Yeshua and sometimes it’s that view from the outside-looking-in that offers the freshest voice.  She and other characters in the novel struggle to make sense of Jesus’ teachings, such as turning the other cheek and that the Kingdom of Heaven is here, now, within us.  As long-term Christians, sometimes we grow blase to the truly dynamic and revolutionary way that Jesus taught.  It was wonderful to grapple again with what Jesus really meant by His teachings and remember how He overturned expectations.

Maviah’s story itself is that of an outcast.  She has been a slave.  She is a single mother.  She is, simply put, a woman in a culture where she should have no power and no voice.  And yet, her journey takes her to the courts of King Herod and to the shores of Bethsaida where she hears the teachings of Yeshua and meets others familiar to us, such as Nicodemus, the disciples, and the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years.

I liked the freshness of the perspective.  Dekker’s writing style is capable and unique, not cliched in either language, emotion or storyline, and I could see this book appealing to both male and female readers.  I can’t say that I’m drawn to books about life among the Arabian nomadic peoples in the early first century, so it wasn’t a comfortable read or a particularly relaxing and ‘cozy’ read, but it was fairrly compelling.  This book begins Maviah’s story and a sneak peak at the end promises more to come in the future.

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: Move On

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Move On: When Mercy Meets Your Mess
by Vicki Courtneymoveon

Andy Stanley wrote, “Either you were a mess, are a mess, or are one dumb decision away from becoming a mess.”  With the human propensity for such a messy state, we all need mercy, and that’s the hope that Vicki Courtney offers in her book, Move On.  She is utterly vulnerable, sharing failures and mistakes that so many hide away–some of them in her pre-Christian days, some of them as a Christian author and speaker who still isn’t perfect.  And that’s the point—we can’t be perfect on our own.  That’s why we need Jesus.

I loved her conversational, easy style, her humor and vulnerability.  I’d never read any of her writing before, not her books or her blog, so her style seemed a little ‘fresh’ and new.  It didn’t sound overly rehearsed, like a talk she’s given 100 times before.  I loved that she sounded ‘real’ and was willing to share real stories from her real life.

She touches on Christian legalism, shame and guilt, coveting attention and wanting more ‘likes’ on Facebook and Instagram.  Ultimately, she manages to strike that difficult balance between knowing we need grace and yet still being called to become more like Christ.  Each chapter ends with questions that could be used for private contemplation or for a Book club or small group to discuss together.

It’s so easy as a Christian to be overwhelmed by failure, to come face-to-face with our own sin or mistakes or weaknesses and feel like we’ll just never be enough.  Satan prods us with condemnation.  Better to give up.  Better to hide away.  These are the lies he tells us.  But Christ compels us forward.  Yes, we fall—but we don’t stay there flat on our face.  We don’t get back up and abandon the field completely.  We get up and we keep going.  We shake off the past and keep heading toward Jesus.  We do indeed ‘move on.’

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, Messy Beautiful Love

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Messy Beautiful Love: Hope and Redemption for Real-Life Marriages
by Darlene Schacht

In her book on marriage, Messy Beautiful Love, Darlene Schacht shares a testimony of grace.  She’s not a marriage counselor or the perfect wife who has always gotten it all right.  She starts the book off right away with a reminder that she’s struggled and messed it all up, but God redeemed her marriage and taught her so she could share with other women.messybeautifullove

Better known as the popular blogger, The Time-Warp Wife, Darlene is a skilled storyteller who shares with open vulnerability.  This book reminds us that fairy tale marriages where everyone lives Happily Ever After without effort are just that–fairy tales.  Life happens.  Whether it’s because of everyday stress and the rush of jobs and kids or it’s the moments when the world just seems to crash down on you like illness, loss, bankruptcy, unemployment, no beautiful love exists without some mess.  But her book reminds us of how to respond, how to grow together, and how to be prepared for the best and worst that marriage and life might have to offer.

Ultimately, it’s mostly a book of practical marriage tips and covers things like “give up your right to be right,” “handle your conflict wisely,” “appreciate him for who he truly is,” “communicate with loving respect,” etc.  I especially appreciated that she focused on wives and what we can do as godly women to be obedient to God in our marriage.

The book is easy to read.  She uses mostly personal stories to convey her points, sharing occasionally letters from other women that she’s received through her blog, and some Scriptures.  It’s not my favorite marriage book.  I felt by the end that she hadn’t really said anything original, nothing I hadn’t read hundreds of times in every other marriage book.  But her book is unique in that she’s sharing out of her struggles instead of clinical expertise.  She also doesn’t give you cutesy slogans or communication exercises to solve your marriage woes.  This book is more about ‘getting real’ about marriage from a wife who has been there in the trenches and walked out stronger.

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: Dancing on the Head of a Pen

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Dancing on the Head of a Pen: The Practice of the Writing Life
by Robert Benson

I’m a little embarrassed to confess this, but Robert Benson’s book, Dancing on the Head of a Pen, is perhaps the first time as an author I’ve braved reading a book on writing.  Maybe I was mistaken, thinking surely these books focused on mechanics or practicalities.  Maybe I was fearful, worried that I’d be pushed to write a certain way, with a certain schedule or technique, and I’d end up shoving myself into ill-fitting authorial clothes.dancingontheheadofapen

I was wrong.  This is a beautiful book, straightforward, easy-to-read, but so thoughtful.  I drifted through it slowly.  It felt less like a tutorial or a lecture and more like a chat on a park bench.  He seemed to say, “So, you’re a writer?  This is what I’ve found works for me after all these years and so many books.  What works for you?”

He shares a bit on the life of a writer, the disciplines of a writer, the heart of a writer.  He encourages writers to read–read well and read carefully and shares some of his favorites.  His writing life sounds entirely different than mine.  I’m this young mom with four kids, a noisy home, a noisy life.  My time for writing is dictated by external schedules.  I felt, at times as I read, a little wistful.  Wouldn’t it be nice to take random strolls into the woods or turn over soil in the garden and linger over my favorite books and spend time on the crossword each day?  And yet, I take the principle well.  I can’t ignore the inspiration my soul needs.

I loved this book, loved the practical advice, loved the humor, loved the understanding and kindred connection, loved the inspiration.

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.”