{Review} Spoken For

Every little girl dreams of her future romance.  Isn't that why we have Disney movies?  We long to have Cinderella's happily ever after, or Belle's beast turned gentleman (and that library, to be honest). But little do these girls know, they already have their romance.  That's where Alyssa Joy Bethke's and Robin Jones Gunn's book comes in.  This book is all about your love story with the greatest Romancer of all:  Jesus Christ.

This book, along with the last one I reviewed, have just been honey to my soul.  My heart has so longed for these words and to have them manifested in my life.  Every girl needs this book because every girl needs this Love Story.  My copy is fully dog-eared and marked up with an inky pen.  It's on my to-do list to read again this summer.  I also tell all of my avid reader friends to buy this book because it will change their life!

One of the best parts of this book is Alyssa's love story.  She didn't meet her now-husband until she was 22.  Prior, she had never dated.  This is such an encouragement to my 21-year-old self who hasn't even had a handsome boy buy her coffee.  Spoken For is my hope.  Going to a Christian university, the pressure to marry early is extreme.  Who knew the words "ring by spring" could bring such ridicule and giggles as freshmen, then such pain and heartbreak four years later?  There is hope for me, in countless ways.  God reminded me of this through Alyssa's and Robin's book.

I pray that you would find this same hope!

Here's the link to Alyssa's adorable website.

Here's a quick disclaimer:  every thought & opinion posted here is my own.  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

{Review} Get Lost

Intimacy is something that humans inherently crave.  We long to truly know and to be known.  This is something I have definitely struggled with in my walk with Christ, especially being single.  So many of us (myself included) long for "the one."  The one who will make us coffee in the morning and rub our feet at night.  The one who will chat with you over endless cups of coffee and hold you in your darkest hours.  But Jesus calls us to Him.  He wants these moments with us.

In Dannah Gresh's newest book, she calls young women to run into the loving arms of God.  To get lost in His love.  I love how she puts it in chapter 2: "The Curse [Fall] describes what women everywhere would now experience: an insatiable longing to control a man's attention, a longing that we'll spend our lives trying to either satisfy or smother - unless we discover God's answer to our love hunger through Jesus Christ.  And that's the good news: there's a solution to the ache you feel.  But the remedy for your Violent Craving for a guy isn't a guy at all!"

Overall, I loved this book.  I highly recommend it to any woman who wants dive deeper in their relationship with God.  My only caution: go slowly.  I powered through this book because I was so excited, but didn't seem much different on the other end.  Take your time and really soak up Gresh's words.  I pray they will bless you.

You can visit Gresh's website here.

Here's a quick disclaimer:  every thought & opinion posted here is my own.  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

{Review} God of All Creation

I picked up this book because I am unashamedly an animal lover.  Even more so, I am a devoted dog lady.  Dogs are my thing.  And after my dog passed away a few months ago, I needed some encouragement - and a biblical view of how God looks upon all of His creation.

That's exactly what I received.  I put off reading this book because I was afraid there would be many tears, but it was quite the opposite.  I laughed as Robison retold stories of his beloved Princess, remembering instances when my pets have done similar things.

I am truly blown away by Robison's wisdom.  To look upon the lowliest creatures on this earth and learn more about God's character and heart - it's remarkable.  This book reads like a devotion, so you can easily do one chapter a day for 28 days.  Each lesson / chapter spoke to my heart, and not just because I love animals but because I love the Lord and I want to grow in my knowledge of Him.

Here is one particular passage that struck me (in a good way).  It is about God's endless and relentless pursuit of His children:

Every day when I awaken, I want to run as fast as Princess does to jump into God's lap, look into His eyes, and stay close to His heart.  This brings our heavenly Father great pleasure and gives me indescribable comfort, peace, and security.  As Princess lies with her paws resting on my chest, her long ears perk up, and she waits for me to speak to her.  I know she can't understand my words, but I believe she senses the love I have for her.  I do know that when I speak these loving words, she listens.  I also know that when we learn to hear the Lord, He will speak words of encouragement and affection to us. (11)

So as you book lovers put together your book lists for 2013, make sure this one goes on your list.  It is certainly a must-read!

You can read the first chapter for FREE here!

Here's a quick disclaimer:  every thought & opinion posted here is my own.  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

{Review} A Leader in the Making, by Joyce Meyer

This review is "just because."  No payment or free book, just because I soaked up every word and I pray that you may find inspiration from this book as well.

No joke, this is my current set up at the moment.  Library book, Trader Joe's peppermint tea, Hillsong's Cornerstone on the good ol' MacBook, and my planner (post coming soon!)

I've read (read:  skimmed) many books on leadership in the church over the past couple of weeks, and this is the best I've read thus far.  The chapters are split up so that it's very do-able to do just one per day, so it actually reads more like a devotional.

Also, you don't need to be pursuing a leadership role like a pastor - you might just have the simple vision of leading a small group (like me!) or you want to learn how to lead others in a way that glorifies Christ.

No matter what, this book is a must read.  I wish I had read this earlier because I could have used some of the information Joyce provides.  For example, there are 14 tests that leaders-in-the-making often undergo.  This past winter & spring, I'm not going to lie, I had some friendship issues - big time.  It was messy and ugly.  I was hurt badly, as well as the others involved.

But reading those chapters on "tests" presented by the Lord, I was suddenly thankful for the challenges He had laid before me.  I pray that I passed the "Judas-Kiss", "Rejection", and the "Forgiveness" tests!!

{I don't really like calling these challenges "tests."  It doesn't seem fair to say "oh, the Lord is testing me in this season of my life."  I don't have any biblical proof.  It's just a gut feeling.  If you have any thoughts on this issue, let me know!}

Other important topics covered include the positive and negative conditions of the heart.  I challenge you to read these chapters and not feel convicted.  Like I said, this book is for everyone, leader or not.  The conditions are in a list form, which is very pleasing to my Type A personality, but it also makes for a quick read.

What books have you been reading lately?  Any that are noteworthy?

If you read this book or are interested, leave a comment or feel free to email me!  I would love to hear from you.

May the Lord bless you all!