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Showing posts from November, 2015

I'm Happy For You {Sort Of...Not Really}

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I'm Happy For You {Sort Of...Not Really}: Finding Contentment In A Culture Of Comparison by Kay Wills Wyma is a much-needed breath of fresh air for our current culture that measures people's worth on the size of their house, the model of their car, how many likes their Facebook and Instagram posts get, and what clothes they wear. I notice that I've struggled with the problem of contentment and comparison much, much more since Facebook and social media was created: people frame their lives by snapshots of the best moments, the best meals, the best outfits, and more - but no one sees the reality behind the scenes and feels like they don't live up to the false standards. I'm Happy For You is a decisive attack on the culture of comparison. The book description reads: "Is comparison living hijacking your life? Do you find yourself measuring your value against your friend’s house, body, marriage, resume, paycheck, organic garden, or Pinterest-worthy holiday déco

Reframe

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Reframe: From The God We've Made To God With Us is a short little book by Brian Hardin (an ordained minister, record producer, photographer, graphic designer, author, and the voice behind the Daily Audio Bible). It's divided into three sections: Rethink (Rethinking You, Rethinking the Box, Rethinking God), Reframe (Reframing Starvation, Reframing Nourishment), and Restart (Restarting Change, Restarting Everything). I'm always interested in reading books that will help me draw closer to and deepen my relationship with God, so I was intrigued by and wanted to read this book. I'd never heard of Brian Hardin or the Daily Audio Bible before, so this was totally new to me. The book description reads: "Accomplished recording producer Brian Hardin experienced a mediocre Christian faith until one day, he purposed to read the Bible daily. His resolve led to the start of the Daily Audio Bible, which after eight years has had more than 55 million downloads and feeds hundred

The Entitlement Cure

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The Entitlement Cure: Finding Success In Doing Hard Things The Right Way is Dr. John Townsend's latest book. I've read several of Cloud and Townsend's previous books, including Boundaries and Boundaries With Kids, and How People Grow, and loved them. I was super excited when I saw Dr. Townsend had come out with another book (this time on his own) and knew I'd want to read it right away. The book description reads: "Today we live in a culture that says, 'Life should be easy and work well.' This attitude, called entitlement, influences our most important institutions: family, business, church, and government. Its devastating effects contribute to relational problems, work ethic issues, and emotional struggles. It comes down to this: People are not getting to where they want to go, because they don't know how to do life the hard way. Entitlement keeps them from tackling challenges and finding success. But whether readers are struggling with their own se

One More Step

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One More Step: Finding Strength When You Feel Like Giving Up is Rachel Wojo's debut print book (she's previously published two e-books). I'd never heard of Rachel Wojo before, but her book sounded encouraging and I always love a book that's part memoir/part Christian living, so I decided to check it out. Nothing is worse than a self-help book written by someone who's never actually gone through any major trials before, so I was relieved to discover that Rachel was coming from a place of experience - she's lost her mother, had a deeply painful failed first marriage, and has a special needs daughter and all that goes along with that. The back cover reads: "Overcoming obstacles—one step at a time. Life often sends hard things our way: illness, financial struggles, broken relationships, and so many kinds of loss. Sometimes we can’t imagine a way forward. How do we keep going when everything is going wrong? Rachel Wojo has learned that hope rises t

Rest Assured

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Vicki Courtney quickly became one of my new favorite authors when I read her previous book, Move On: When Mercy Meets Your Mess last year. I so appreciated her conversational style, godly wisdom, deep yet simple insights, and her willingness to bare her own soul and life in a very honest and real way. Nothing bothers me more than a book where the author refuses to share their own personal struggles and issues. I don't want to read a book from an author who (pretends to be) perfect, but rather from someone I can relate to and isn't afraid to tell the truth. So when I saw Vicki's newest book, Rest Assured: A Recovery Plan for Weary Souls, I immediately knew I wanted to read it. The back cover reads: "“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28) Women are overcommitted, overconnected, overburdened, and overwhelmed. Their lives are full, but oddly, their souls are empty. They are aching for a bold challenge—one that will

Brave Enough

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Brave Enough: Getting over our fears, flaws, and failures to live bold and free is Nicole Unice's latest book. The first thing that drew me to this book was its beautiful cover. It's extremely appealing and beautifully designed. The second thing that drew me to this book was its title and subject: Brave Enough. I tend to be the opposite of brave: I'm timid, shy, unassuming, and don't like to have attention drawn to myself. I'm always looking for ways to stretch myself a bit and get outside of the box, so I knew this would be a good book for me to read. The book description reads: "Find the courage to be who you are―not who you wish you were. Is fear holding you back from becoming your best self? Does it add stress to your day and keep you up at night? What could be different if you let go and started living brave today? Bravery doesn’t have to mean cliff diving out of your comfort zone. Life is about being brave enough―for yourself, for God, for your task

Lights Out

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Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath by Ted Koppel is an incredible expose into what will happen if (or more likely, when) a cyberattack takes out the electric grid of the United States. I've been interested in this subject and EMPs since reading Terri Blackstock's Restoration series, so when I saw Koppel's book on the power grid failing I immediately picked it up. I'm not a doomsday sayer or prepper by any means imaginable, but I feel like this is a true threat and problem that the United States needs to address and deal with, since it's such an easy way to cripple our country. The book description reads: "In this tour de force of investigative reporting, Ted Koppel reveals that a major cyberattack on America’s power grid is not only possible but likely, that it would be devastating, and that the United States is shockingly unprepared. Imagine a blackout lasting not days, but weeks or months. Tens of millions of people

We Cannot Be Silent

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We Cannot Be Silent: Speaking truth to a culture redefining sex, marriage, & the very meaning of right & wrong by R. Albert Mohler, Jr. (who is the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is quite possibly one of the most important books I've read this year. In a culture where Christians are being pushed constantly and punished for upholding Biblical beliefs and are told we should keep our beliefs and moral ideologies to ourselves, Dr. Mohler tells us why it's important not to give in to the pressure to remain silent and hide our beliefs about sexuality and moral theology. The book description reads: "Twenty years ago, not one nation on earth had legal same-sex marriage. Now, access to same-sex marriage is increasingly seen as a basic human right. In a matter of less than a generation, western cultures have experienced a moral revolution. Dr. R. Albert Mohler examines how this transformation occurred, revealing the underlying cultural shifts be