Tag: faith

REVIEW: I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

REVIEW: I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

Posted on by Jaymie

Austin Channing Brown shares her experience as a Black woman in America. From her name – people often assume she is a white man before they meet her –  to her experience in predominantly white environments, Ms. Brown has a lot of experiences to explore. This is part memoir and part discourse on race in America. I enjoyed the writing style and voice all the way through. This reads like a friend talking with you over coffee.

In the midst of that conversational tone, though, there is pointed content. It made me uncomfortable at times – even convicted and ashamed. I like to think there are no racial biases in me, but I think it would be hard to grow up in white America and not have them. My job now is to recognize them and challenge and change them. I was grateful for the faith pieces in the book. They were an anchor for common ground and for hope that we can change – that life for Black folks in America can be different than it is now.

Read this with an open mind and an open heart. If you are a person of faith, ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you fit in Austin Brown’s narrative. Prayerfully consider how her story can change and challenge you.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Convergent Books for the opportunity to read an electronic copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Looking for Dei by David A. Willson

REVIEW: Looking for Dei by David A. Willson

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

When Nara was a toddler – only two years old – she lived in an orphanage. Children like her were usually killed, but instead she was cast off. Forgotten.

But Nara’s arrival in the world was special. Prophesied. And Bylo had spent years trying to find a child like her. When he found her, he carted her away. The orphanage hardly noticed.

Raised by Bylo, Nara grew into a sweet young woman. At 15, she loved nature and animals. She spent most of her free time with her best friend Mykel. And she hid her magic.

Usually magic was only discovered at the Announcement. Teens would participate in a ceremony that would reveal the magic. No magic had been found in Dimmitt in years. And Nara’s magic was so unusual, she and Bylo weren’t sure what would happen to her at the ceremony.

But it’s Mykel’s turn in the ceremony that sets events in motion. Soon the three are on the run, desperate to stay alive and stay hidden. They don’t realize that someone else has been searching for Nara for years – and they know exactly where she is. And what she is.

Review

I received a request from the author to consider reviewing his new book. As I enjoy reading fantasy and the story sounded interesting, I said I would give it a try. I am so glad I did. This is an excellent fantasy world. The set up is well done. I was completely engrossed.

Nara and Mykel and Bylo are great characters. I cared about what happened to them. I especially liked Nara in contrast to Kayna. Nara was loved – Bylo raised her as if she was his own. And it made a huge impact on her character development. She truly loves and cares for others.

I loved the story line. The magic of this world is really interesting. I have some theories about how things work, but I’ll have to wait for book 2 to see if I am right. Elements of the magic system – and the story – reminded me of other great fantasy series which made this feel comfortable and familiar while still being original. There’s a faith/religious thread to the story – prophecy, prayer, faith, etc. – that was interesting. I am curious to see how that piece might develop in the next book, too.

Thanks to Netgalley and David A. Willson for an electronic review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

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 Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord

REVIEW: The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

For Lucy, the hits just keep on coming. Her boyfriend put their relationship on “pause” for the summer so they can re-evaluate their relationship. Instead of spending the summer hosting church groups at her family’s church camp, Lucy’s mom asks her to counsel at Dayspring. Dayspring is a camp for kids who’ve experienced difficulties in life – teen pregnancy, grief, loss, family issues, and abuse. And Lucy feels like she HAS to do what her mom asks because her mom’s cancer is back. Not knowing what might happen to her mom, how can she say no to a request from her?

Working at Dayspring will give Lucy a chance to grow in ways she can’t even imagine when the summer begins. It’s a safe place to work through her crisis of faith and her feelings about everything happening in her life. And she will find a community she didn’t know she needed.

Review

Stellar. Outstanding. I almost don’t have the adjectives to describe how amazing this story is.

This is not a Christian novel, per se. It’s not published by a Christian publisher. It includes lifestyle pieces that a traditional Christian story wouldn’t address. But there is a DEEP faith core to this story. And it’s about faith in hard times. Where is God when tragedy strikes, when cancer returns? And for me, the faith pieces were right on target – from Lucy’s awkwardness in the face of things she has never encountered before and her earnest desire to be compassionate to the question of “Is it okay to be a Christian and be mad at God?”

Having lived through a similar situation of recurring cancer at a similar age to Lucy’s, I identified with her thoughts and feelings. Her wrestling felt genuine. There’s a scene towards the end with Lucy’s dad that just wrecked me. It was all too familiar – and so authentic. This book left me feeling known and understood.

I think this is an amazing book even if you haven’t faced the same things as Lucy because her story is told so well. There is some mature content in the book (language, teen pregnancy, drinking, sexual identity), so this is a good fit for older teens/young adults and adults. If I could give this more than five stars, I absolutely would. This was fantastic!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Sisters of Sugarcreek by Cathy Liggett

REVIEW: The Sisters of Sugarcreek by Cathy Liggett

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lydia lost her husband, a volunteer firefighter, in the fire at Faith Community Church. But even more, she lost her anchor to everything. Henry was a private man. He did everything around the house himself except cook and garden, which Lydia did. They didn’t have neighbors over often, and they never lingered after church. They lived a quiet life, and Lydia was often alone. Without Henry, she’s adrift and feeling out of her depth.

Jessica lost her Aunt Rose in the fire. Rose had raised her as a child when she lost her parents. She welcomed her back as a young pregnant woman when her marriage fell apart. Now Jessica owns Rose’s craft store, Rose’s Knit One Quilt Two Cottage. But Jessica doesn’t knit or quilt. She’s not prepared to run a store like this. She’s definitely in over her head.

Liz is grieving Rose’s death, too. Her best friend and partner in “crime.” Rose and Liz had started a secret encouragement ministry, leaving food and handcrafted items for folks in need of a little hope. She talks Jessica into helping her keep it going. And Lydia is going to be their first recipient.

Review

This was delightful. Each of the three main characters was strong and interesting in her own right. There wasn’t a part of the trio that sagged. The pieces of their stories wove into each other’s well. The romantic pairings were obvious from the outset, but I enjoyed the story so much I didn’t care if that was predictable.

I have not had a lot of luck with finding Christian fiction I love. I have a few “go to” books that I read over and over, but otherwise I find the stories or characters can be flat or the message feels heavy-handed. This was NOT the case here. The faith pieces made sense where they entered the story. It felt natural. I didn’t feel like the author was trying to make a point. She just told a great story about people of faith.

This was excellent. I will be adding it to my small collection of Christian Fiction mainstays and telling others about this great story!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Sweetest Sound by Sherri Winston

REVIEW: The Sweetest Sound by Sherri Winston

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Cadence Mariah Jolly has a secret. She can sing. Like, leave-your-mouth-hanging-open-in-awe kind of singing. It’s one of her most closely guarded secrets.

Something not-so-secret is that Cadence is shy. Her (unfortunate) nickname is Mouse. She’s an introvert. Crowds are stressful. Attention in front of others leaves her feeling anxious. She loves being with her friends and family, but she is also happy to spend time alone, playing music or reading.

Quiet Cadence made a bargain with God. She asked for a real keyboard, and in exchange she said she would share her secret talent. And she got her keyboard. She hasn’t quite figured out how to overcome her fear, though, and share her gift. But an uploading mistake forces her to face her fear and decide what she’s going to do with her voice.

Review

I loved this! It’s a touching story about music but it’s also about friendship and family. Most of all it’s about finding your voice, and not just in a singing sense.

Cadence is in a community of people who love her and want to take care of her. While she is still hurting over her mother’s abandonment, she also dislikes the pity she sees in the eyes of  everyone around her. She has her own ideas and thoughts, but her shyness keeps her from speaking up sometimes. And other times, good-hearted people can’t  hear her over their own hurts or their desire to help.

I loved the references to  great books in the story. The faith and music pieces were also terrific. This is a story I would read again. If I was teaching, I would put this in my classroom/library. I think readers will really connect with Cadence!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Hello Stars by Alena Pitts and Wynter Pitts

REVIEW: Hello Stars by Alena Pitts and Wynter Pitts

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

All Lena wants to do is enjoy summer break with her dog, her family and her friends. But when the chance to meet her idol, Mallory Winston, comes up, Lena can’t pass up the opportunity.

While her contest video ends up being something of a disaster, Lena wins anyway. Before she really grasps what has happened, Lena and her family are whisked off to California so Lena and Mallory Winston can star in a movie.

While Lena loves the people she works with – and the message of the film they are making – the process challenges her in ways she wasn’t expecting. And one innocent but careless decision could end up costing her everything.

Review

This is a fun story. Lena is a sweet girl trying to figure out her faith and where God fits into her daily life, choices and opportunities. Her family’s faith is strong. It’s a cornerstone of who they are. And in the middle is big sister, Lena, trying to apply the scriptures and principles her parents are trying to teach them.

First in a new series, this will be a great choice for middle to upper elementary girls (like 3rd through 6th grade, or so). The faith pieces are well integrated in the characters and the story line. The characters are likable and believable. The average-girl-meets-singing-sensation-and-makes-a-movie premise is fun, with glimpses into the process for how movies are made. Book two, Day Dreams and Movie Screens will release this fall and continues the story as Lena takes part in promotion for the movie and sees how fame may change the life she loves.

Many thanks to Zonderkidz and Handlebar for a review copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

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: ♥♥♥♥♥