10 Books From 2014.
While I may not have kept up with writing exciting posts all throughout the year, one thing I did enjoy and manage to do on a monthly basis, was review several great books. Some I really loved and will hopefully read again, others just weren't my thing. Here's a recap from the year.
At first, I wasn't sure I entirely liked this book. Initially it just didn't hold my attention, then about halfway through I really started to understand where Robin Gunn was coming from. The second half I probably read in the space of a few days. That may have been my own fault in taking so long to read the first half, which made it hard to follow. Or just was my opinion of the content of the book. It felt slow to get going, but then once you got to the meat she had some great things to say....(Read More)
I loved it, honestly. Dr. Eggerichs talked again about the love and respect principle and how it relates in a parent child relationship this time. He uses biblical wisdom and scripture to tackle common problems within the family unit and how children and parents can get into a crazy cycle where no-one feels loved or respected. It was very practical and approached a whole range of topics including discipline, encouragement, supplication, giving, understanding and instructing. I know it is going to be a great resource for years to come for me personally....(Read More)
P.S. He Loves You By Erin James
....It has brought me into a beautiful season of seeking my precious prince & I have enjoyed just sitting in His presence understanding how much He thinks of me, how huge is love is for me, while reading her precious thoughts and meditating on the scriptures she shared. It reads like letters from her directly to you friend, you will honestly believe they are personally written for you. And I really think you should check it out.
You really won't regret it....(Read More)
The Queen's Handmaid By Tracey L. Higley
Tracy L. Higley writes about an orphan girl named Lydia, following her journey as a servant to Cleopatra then later to Herod. She also slowly uncovers her heritage and where she came from as we see her mentor, Samuel, pass along several scrolls into her possession with the intention of placing them into the rightful hands of a man on the Jerusalem temple steps who awaits them annually....(Read More)
The book is a collection of talks from the conference itself over the years, and is a great encouragement giving so much food for thought. I will probably come back and read parts of this book again just to glean more wisdom from the pages. Due to the different authors within the book, some of the talks are heavier and harder to read than others, but all of them had really good things to say and will encourage you not to grow complacent in your faith and purpose here on earth....(Read More)
This book couldn't have come to me for review at a more perfect time. I downloaded it two days before we were due to pack our current apartment into boxes, and finished it before we physically moved everything. It was that good! I know I will be reading it again! Myquillyn drew me in from the first page with her hilarious stories, helpful tips and motivation to try new things that I will probably love.
The next thing is that I get to put it all into practice, having moved immediately after I felt like I was handed a blank canvas and given tips and resources to go with it. The hubby and I laughed hard over her story of spilling fresh paint on the floor of the rental (ok I may have cringed a little too knowing the horror I would feel if it were me). The pictures in the book of her beautiful home encouraged me and inspired me to try things I've never tried before. (I can't wait to look into have a canvas with all the streets we've lived on since being married)
It felt like a big sister slightly further ahead of me, in a similar journey of moving every 12 months, giving me the permission I needed in the area of decorating our home.....(Read More)
This book is a historical biblical fiction account of the family members of Jesus. It gives fictional (but biblically accurate) accounts from the perspectives of Joseph, Zechariah, John the Baptist, Elizabeth, James and Mary. With bible study sections for each to look further into the biblical context and implications.
I really appreciated Karen Kingsbury's careful way of sticking to biblical truth and her explanation of how she went about her construction of the stories. Inserting biblical truth first, then researching culture to ensure accuracy then lastly filling gaps with fiction. Obviously the most accurate accounts are those found in the bible itself, but I loved seeing it come to life through stories in the Family of Jesus as Karen Kingsbury has certainly been gifted with story-telling....(Read More)
Meet Sarah Collins, a beautiful successful 20-something who is about to get a promotion at work that she has worked hard for. She finds herself hoping to replace a woman who is leaving on maternity leave at first, but probably not returning at all. Especially if corporate has anything to say about it.
Then Sarah discovers she herself is expecting. Then she begins to question everything; her boyfriends ability to stand by her and support a baby, whether she even wants him to be in the picture, her past and her issues with the Lord following the death of her father. She finds herself with more choices than she knows how to answer all in a very short period of time.....(Read More)
I loved the encouragement in this book, it reads very much like a big sister trying to encourage you to live your life the way the Lord wants you to. Encouragement to not stay with comfort when He is calling you to leap out of faith, her stories are full of scripture and truth guiding her decisions.
There are many stories of her own showing her own personal journey from wanting to stay where she was comfortable and felt safe, moving towards ministry she felt called to. It was a great light read and I finished it very quickly. It really did feel like a coffee date with a friend, mentor or big sister.....(Read More)
The study is based on Psalm 145 and calls us to consider whether or not God is actually the main priority in our lives, as He should be. Sarah breaks the study into five Chapters (topics) with five readings in each chapter. Ideally one reading per day with a place for journaling as you read, as well as questions to ask yourself encouraging you to think and dig deeper on the topics.
The first section was all about living a live of praise, the study really encouraged and challenged me to begin thinking about how much I give praise to God during my daily life. Do I really acknowledge His gifts to me everyday? The Second section was on having a kingdom focus, really encouraging me to consider my daily activities and choices with an eternal focus and perspective. Section three dealt with pride and the issue of really bowing low before our king, recognizing my need for Him and His standing in my life before being able to rise up for Him. Section four is on our dreams and God's agenda, and lastly section five was about influence......(Read More)
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