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Showing posts from September, 2016

Total Family Makeover

Total Family Makeover: 8 Practical Steps to Making Disciples at Home by Melissa Spoelstra is a comprehensive guide for moms wanting practical, concrete steps for discipling their children. I loved the bright, bold, and pleasing cover of this book - it's gorgeous and very well designed. I wanted to pick it up right away and start reading it when I saw the cover. It also won the Mom's Choice Award! The book description reads: "Total Family Makeover: 8 Practical Steps to Making Disciples at Home (Abingdon, September 2016) Train children in the way they should go; when they grow old, they won't depart from it. ---Proverbs 22:6 God calls us as parents to be key disciple-makers in our children's lives, but if we're honest, some days it's a battle just to get them dressed and ready for school on time. How can you mold their hearts when sometimes you can't even find their shoes? In Total Family Makeover, author Melissa Spoelstra gives parents a way---a

Starting Over

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Starting Over: Your Life Beyond Regrets by Dave Ferguson and Jon Ferguson is the definitive manual for Christians looking to redeem their lives after regrets and mistakes, big and small. They identify what they call the Sorry Cycle and then show us how to get out of it. Starting Over is divided into four sections: Starting Over, Starting Today; Breaking Out Of The Sorry Cycle; Redeeming Your Deepest Regrets; and Starting Over Every Day. The book description reads: "I wish I had loved more. I wish I had been smarter about money. I wish I had thought about God more. We all have regrets about the past. Many of them come from our attempts to fulfill unmet longings. Dave and Jon Ferguson call this back and forth between longing and regret the Sorry Cycle and they want to help us escape it. In Starting Over, Dave and Jon show us how to recognize specific regrets and then release them to God as we learn to see our regrets as opportunities to start over. Finally, we can see God re

5 Minutes with Jesus: A Fresh Infusion of Joy

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I was excited to read the latest devotional book in Sheila Walsh's (with Sherri Gragg) 5 Minutes with Jesus collection. This latest edition is 5 Minutes with Jesus: A Fresh Infusion of Joy. I felt like this was the perfect book for me to read right now, because I am in serious need of some extra joy! This book is a small, beautifully designed and illustrated hardcover. The book includes a brief introduction and 50 5-minute devotions. Each devotion includes a story and application, a quote to distill the message of the day's devotion, and a "Five Minutes in the Word" section with a selection of Scriptures to read that apply to that day's thought. The book description reads: "Could you use a joy infusion? When was the last time you had a spontaneous laugh because your heart was absolutely overwhelmed with joy? Whether you’re facing mundane routines or painful hardships, joy often feels out of reach. But those who know Jesus can live joyfully, no matter w

Outlaw Christian

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I was attracted to Jacqueline A. Bussie's new book, Outlaw Christian: Finding Authentic Faith by Breaking the "Rules" first of all due to the super cool cover. I'm always a sucker for an attractive, bold cover. Once I read the description, I knew I'd want to read it for sure: "Jacqueline Bussie knows that too many Christians live according to unspoken “laws” that govern the Christian life: #1: Never get angry at God; #2: Never doubt; #3: Never question; #4: Never tell your real story; #5: Always speak in clichés about evil and suffering; and #6: Always believe hope comes easy for those who truly love God. Living according to these rules is killing real Christian life; Outlaw Christian proposes a rebellious, life-giving, authentic alternative. Through captivating stories and with disarming honesty, Bussie gives concrete, practical strategies to help readers cultivate hope, seek joy, practice accompaniment, compost their pain, and rediscover the spiritual