Tag: Christian self-help

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: Coach Yourself with the Father by Sally Hanan

REVIEW: Coach Yourself with the Father by Sally Hanan

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

This is part of a series of self-help workbooks by this author who works as a life coach. This particular book focuses on identity work – understanding who you are in Christ, knowing your skills and gifts, and finding your purpose.

Each chapter includes quotes from individuals about chapter topic, a few pages of teaching. There are also several pages of questions including Bible verses to look up. Finally there is a testimony and then blank pages for notes. Several chapters include assessments.

The material is well-written, easy to understand, and well-organized. The content reminds me of work I have done before with both the Network program and workbook as well as the SHAPE program and workbook by Eric Rees. I think this workbook could be used in a group setting or by individuals looking to anchor their identity in Jesus and learn more about how they have been gifted.

Readers who enjoy this can check out the author’s other workbooks as well, all in this Christian self-help sort of area.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEWS: Two Self-Help Winners!

REVIEWS: Two Self-Help Winners!

Posted on by Jaymie

I’ve been having a hard time finding a day for these reviews, but I enjoyed the books so much, I didn’t want to push them off any longer. So today, you get two reviews. Happy Valentine’s Day! Show some love to yourself and check these out.

She’s Still There – Summary

Have you ever found yourself in a moment or at a cross roads and wondered “How did I get here?” And not in a good way! You had these plans, these dreams, these expectations. But nothing in your life looks like you thought it would.

Maybe you drifted. Maybe you took a short cut, lowered a standards, or took your eyes off the path and that changed your course. Maybe you got distracted. That temporary move, temporary job, “short season” of something has become your permanent location. Maybe circumstances outside your control have left you in a place you never intended to be. No matter how you got here, you can find your way back. The person you were once upon a time is still there. And Chrystal Evans Hurst wants to help you find her.

She’s Still There – Review

While this book is targeted to women in the title and in many of the examples, this really works for anyone. The book is broken into 6 sections with multiple chapters. Each chapter has reflection questions and Bible verses to go through. There are practical applications for every point from doing an assessment of your gifts and skills to ways of setting small goals to help you stay on track.

I read the book as part of a study with Proverbs 31. This included videos and Bible study ideas and conference calls. And all of that “bonus” content was great. But the foundation is the book, and it is all you really need to take a long look at your life and your current direction.

I found the book both challenging and encouraging. The writing is approachable. There’s a “me too” feel where the author shares from her own journey. She’s not perfect or an expert. She’s lived this and coaches from her place a few steps ahead of you. Great for personal study or for group study. I highly recommend this.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

The Wellness Revelation – Summary

The subtitle for this book is “Lose what weighs you down so you can love God, yourself and others.” For a diet/health/fitness book, this has a HUGE faith component.

There are 8 sections of the book, designed to lead the reader on an 8-week journey. Each chapter has five components, easily broken down for weekday usage if you choose. The first two sections include a chunk of information and encouragement and often an action step or two. There’s a set of Bible study questions in another section, reflection questions in the fourth, and a final “testimony” piece at the end.

The journey is intentionally slow paced. It doesn’t address much with food until week 3, and the exercise kicks in in week 4. This is by design. The author spends two weeks setting a spiritual foundation, encouraging readers to approach food and movement from healthy places. And she reinforces this message in each workout, podcast and Facebook Live posting.

The Wellness Revelation – Review

I loved this whole process from the beginning. I loved the faith pieces that are part of every breath of the program. I read the book as part of an online course through Facebook, and every leader online encouraged participants to seek the Lord and follow His leading on food, on movement, on pacing and on how our past influences our present.

There’s enough material in the book and online (workouts, podcasts, etc) to make this process a full time job. I had to choose to be content to do what I could, to emphasize the parts that were encouraging to me and be okay when I couldn’t keep up with it all. I’ve become a fan of their online workouts at RevWellTV (available for a monthly fee) – there are different types of workouts, different instructors, and different skill/intensity levels. Something for everyone.

If you feel like now is the time to invest in your health, I can’t recommend this book and the people behind it highly enough.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

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REVIEW: The Sacred Slow by Alicia Britt Chole

REVIEW: The Sacred Slow by Alicia Britt Chole

Posted on by Jaymie

“A holy departure from fast faith.” That is the sub-title for The Sacred Slow, new from Thomas Nelson Publishers.

“Fast faith” is defined on page 4 as “a restless spirituality that often craves what is new and what is next in the recycled hope that the latest ‘it’ can satisfy an ache that can only be described as timeless.” The material is broken into 12 sections, and the content within each can be completed in a week. Readers who really want to embrace the “sacred slow” could work through one experience a week, stretching the content through one full year, really digging deeply into each experience.

Every experience has a reading and a “guided response.” The reader can decide to complete a guided response that is internal (thought-based) or external (an exercise or action step to complete). Obviously, you can also do both, especially if you are working through one per week. The author suggests just choosing one based on your time and opportunities. Exercises sometimes build on what was completed on an earlier step. For example, the first several exercises walk the reader through the completion of a “Life Scroll,” a worksheet included in the book.

The book includes a facilitator’s guide, a blank Life Scroll, and some personal inventory pages. The exercises are intended to be done prayerfully, listening for God’s input throughout the process. If you walk through these steps in your own mind and power, you will miss the point.

This would make a great study for an individual or for a group. I love the idea of one exercise per week to really take the material in slowly and dig deeply into what God would say to you through each one. With a new year almost here, this would be an fantastic resource to add to your quiet time in 2018.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishers and the folks at Handlebar for a review copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Do you ever find yourself craving simple living? Do you push yourself to do more, do it better, or do it ALL? Shauna Niequist shares her life experience of trying to do it all. It left her physically sick, spiritually dry, and wondering if this was really the best life God had to offer. If you’ve ever been in such a place, Present Over Perfect might help you find another way to live.

Present Over Perfect

Review

I read this right after I quit my job, so I couldn’t identify as readily to the busy life vs. simple living messages of the book. Those might speak to me better in another season. But I did identify with the pieces where she talked about her identity. When your identity and value are tied up in a job you just left/lost or in a pattern of living that says, “I can do it all!,” you can be left wondering who you really are.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Read this book if:

  • you feel worn thin from doing all the things you think you’re supposed to be doing
  • you need encouragement to find your best self
  • you need help saying no to good things you are not called to do
  • you are wondering where God is and what He thinks of your struggle to live a busy, perfect life.

 

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: ♥♥♥♥♥