Tag: Christian living

REVIEW: Chasing Vines by Beth Moore

REVIEW: Chasing Vines by Beth Moore

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

It started with a trip to Tuscany with her daughters. While there, Beth Moore became captivated by the vineyards, the vines, the vinedressers, and the grapes. What followed was a season of study that led to this book. It’s an exploration of vineyards and fruitfulness and scripture that you should not miss!

Review

This book was perfect for me in the early part of 2020. If only you could see all of my dogearred pages and underlined passages! I doubt there’s more than a handful of pages that don’t have something marked in some way. I learned so much about vineyards and vines, and that changed my view of scripture, both the John 15 passage that I expected to explore and so many others.

The voice of this book is textbook Beth Moore. There are passages where I could hear her voice as I read. There’s humor AND heart as well as truth and encouragement in this. Passage after passage applied to my life.

I dug into this like a text book. Which means I made a ridiculous number of notes and highlights. I want to go back and write it all down and ingest it like nourishment. My hope is that these concepts and insights would inform and change me at a deep level. I want to look back at all the ups and downs of my faith journey through the lens of this book.

{To be perfectly honest, I wrote this review back in March immediately when I finished reading the book. The rest of 2020 has driven many of its insights right out of my brain. Thankfully, I have my own annotated copy that I can read again!}

I can’t recommend this highly enough!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++*

*♥♥♥♥♥+++=Best of the Best

BONUS REVIEW: Dream Big by Bob Goff

BONUS REVIEW: Dream Big by Bob Goff

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The premise of the book is to help readers find where their purpose lies and help them make a plan to achieve their ambitions. The book is set out in 7 sections. The first section is the longest and deals with character issues to prepare the reader for pursuing his/her dreams and ambitions. The other sections deal with expectations, opportunities, clearing obstacles, and expecting and preparing for setbacks. There are thought questions sprinkled throughout the book, but there is a space at the end of the book with reflection questions for each section. Readers can either flip back and forth as they work through the book, or tackle the questions at the end.

Review

This was my first time reading a Bob Goff book, and I found it to be thoroughly delightful and inspiring.

I did not expect the book to be front loaded with so much character work, but as I worked through the whole book, it made sense to deal with those questions and issues up front and then build on them through the nitty gritty tasks in the latter parts. Yes, there are nuggets about dreams and aspirations and ambitions in the opening, but they really are secondary to the sort of human being you choose to be.

The writing here is conversational. It’s easy to get caught up in the stories. There’s humor as well as transparency and vulnerability. I did a lot of highlighting as I read. I decided to read straight through. When I go through the questions later, I will get a second run at the content of the book, which felt like the best way to approach the material for me.

Faith pieces are woven into Bob’s thoughts and his stories in a natural way, which I enjoyed. But he also acknowledges that some readers may not come to this book with the same faith background or perspective. And I think any person regardless of faith tradition or experience can get something out of this book.

I will definitely be checking out the author’s other work since I enjoyed this so much. If you are a Goff fan, I would recommend you read this whether you feel like you have dreams or ambitions waiting or not. But if you do, I would recommend picking this up – and I would pair it with Jon Acuff’s Finish – to help you make progress on your dreams.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Made Like Martha by Katie M. Reid AND The Family Bible Devotional by Sarah Wells

REVIEW: Made Like Martha by Katie M. Reid AND The Family Bible Devotional by Sarah Wells

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of both of these books from Netgalley – Made Like Martha from WaterBrook and The Family Bible Devotional from Discovery House. All opinions are my own.]

Made Like Martha: Good News for the Woman Who Gets Things Done – Summary

Luke the gospel writer shares a story of two sisters. Martha bustles around getting things ready for the Messiah’s visit while Mary sits at Jesus’ feet. Martha becomes frustrated and asks Jesus to make her sister help out. Jesus refuses, saying Mary is in the right place.

This passage seems to shame the do-ers of the world, saying they aren’t okay in the eyes of Christ. And when Marthas are shamed into trying to be Marys they fail, and the shame is compounded.

Katie M Reid offers Marthas another way to look at this interaction with Jesus. “What if God wasn’t asking me to be Mary but instead loved me for being Martha? (pg 10)

Review

It’s like this book was personally written just for me! I loved this from the very first chapter of the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) and immediately ordered a copy for myself so I could write in it and highlight pages to my heart’s content. I adore this book and it’s message for a do-er like me.

Each chapter includes an application activity as well as personal anecdotes, Bible stories and commentary on the scripture. There are also a few assessments and action steps (including an emphasis on spending time with God) for readers to try. There are links and websites for extra resources and a five-session Bible Study that readers can work through either after reading the book or along side as they read.

I think this would be an excellent study resource! I highly recommend this book!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

The Family Bible Devotional: Stories from the Bible to Help Kids and Parents Engage and Love Scripture – Summary

This is a devotional Bible study for families. It includes a passage of scripture, some discussion questions, kid-friendly activities, a prayer prompt and some background information. The author gives some tips for parents that are well-reasoned – things like keeping the emphasis on the activities, down playing questions if they aren’t grabbing the kids attention, keeping things engaging so the kids want to dig into scripture, etc.

Devotions are from both the Old Testament and the New Testament. The scripture passages are included in the book, so you don’t have to pull out a separate Bible. The book uses various translations – NLT, NIV, The Message and the NRSV.

Review

This is a well-organized devotional for families that focuses on the Bible as the source material. Sometimes devotionals only have one verse of scripture along with a story. I love that this is more Bible based. The activities seem like things that will work well for kids – art activities, build an “ark” out of living room furniture, go for a hike – and hopefully connect them to the story. The author doesn’t shy away from stories like David and Bathsheba or the woman caught in adultery, but they are handled in an appropriate way for families willing to dig into those stories with their kids. I think this would be a terrific resource for families who want to add a spiritual component to their family time but aren’t sure how to structure it on their own.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Are you living as though you are endlessly loved by the Creator of the Universe? Because you are endlessly loved. Let this book help you live in that truth today.

Uninvited - Learning to Live Loved

Review

This book was a perfect fit for me. When it released, I was in the middle of several significant life changes. The call to live loved was just what I needed to hear. I underlined many, many passages, wrote about them, shared them on social media and with friends. I think this book lends itself perfectly for use in a book group or weekly Bible study. The author starts with a life issue/skill – like responding to rejection – and backs up her approach with scriptures and Bible stories. There are messages in this book that I will carry with me for years to come, and I am so grateful that I read it at just the right time!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥