Becoming God's True Woman While I Still Have A Curfew | Book Review

Teenagers have it rough in today’s society.  Especially teenage girls.  Being a young lady can be a very turbulent time when you are learning how to be one woman from the bible and then society is saying that you should be someone else.  What do you do?

From the A True Woman line of books come a wonderful study called Becoming God’s True Woman: While I Still Have A Curfew by Susan Hunt and Mary A Kassian.  Our young ladies need all the help that we can give them and this book is a true blessing and an amazing guide. 

In this book there are 35 devotionals that address all the issues that a young teenage girl would have to face.  While addressing all topics of interest to a girl, these devotions are grounded in scripture and offer a lot of views that will get your daughter thinking about which way they need to go in life. 

There are two things that I just love about this study.  The first is all the space that is set up for your young lady to journal in.  They are given questions that will provoke a special time of journaling and possibly some self-discover in who they might be as a woman of God. 

The other thing that I found a great help is the stories included from other young women.  The reason that I love them is that it can offer an outside opinion and give young women the feeling that they are not alone during this difficult time.  It’s a feeling of community and that someone else can understand how they are feeling and dealing with the same issues as themselves. 

I can’t wait to share this book with the teenagers in my life, because every teenage girl needs to know that they are not the only one dealing with this rough time in life.  A time of finding who you are and who God wants you to be. 

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.  All opinions are my own.*

The Artist's Daughter | Book Review

The Artist’s Daughter by Alexandra Kuykendall is a story of heart break, determination and world traveling. 

The beginning of the book starts with meeting 8 yr old Alexandra.  She is an American in Spain, riding in the taxi, with her mom, on her way to meet her father for the first time.  As this day unfolds you can feel all the emotions that she went through as a little girl just running of the pages and touching your heart. You can feel the nervousness, disappointment, and finally, rejection that such a small girl has to experience in just a matter of hours.   Her father is older and uncaring which is such a hard thing for her to understand.

You feel for the little girl that she once was but, you are quickly moved to different dates, throughout the book,  in her life where the issues that father provoked by being unloving and having very little contact, have made it hard for her to deal with men because of her relationship with her non-existent dad.   She is finding out that a lot of her issues with men stem from any lack of male figure in her life.  Although she did finally get a step dad, who was great to her but, the damage her biological father has done was already affecting her outlook on relationships.

Kuykendall has lived a great life so far.  She graduated from college, helped teenagers who lived in homes, found a husband, and has built a family but, not without having to address some of the issues that she had been burying for a long time.  It’s not an easy life when you are being raised by a single mom (for the most part) and have a father who tells you that he only had a relationship with your mother because she wanted a kid.  That would hurt someone deeply and I think that she has made a great life for herself and family. 

I will say though, that I had a hard time with this book.  You skip though her life so much that it’s not a fluid as I would have liked.  But, there are some wonderful questions at that end of the book to help you reflect on your life and to see if anything she has put into this book might be able to help you.  It’s a touching memoir that might be of great help to someone dealing with the same circumstances as herself. 

Available may 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.***

Bread & Wine | Book Review

I have always wanted to have a dinner club with my close friends.  Great food, wonderful conversations and fellowship always sounded like an amazing night. Im sure you feel that same.  Even if it was just once a month.  Thanks to the new book from Shauna Niequist, Bread & Wine, I got a little taste of what a dinner club would be like.

Niequist has complied a collection of stories from her life that have obviously touched her heart in some way or another.  It starts off with a story about her mom’s blueberry crisp and the memories attached to that, then you will read a story about her fight with infertility (which she overcame…eventually), there is a story about friendship and honoring that friendship through the loss of a loved one, etc.  The stories in this book will touch your heart and show you how, through all the tough times, grace will still reign. 

One of the best parts about this book, for me, were the included recipes.  I love to cook.  Most of the stories has been matched up with a recipe that she includes at the end of the chapter.  You can have a whole weeks worth of dinners thanks to Niequist.  I cant wait to run to my kitchen and make some of the recipes.  They include things like her mom’s blueberry crisp, healthy lentil soup, maple balsamic pork tenderloin (which I think I will be making first), and even a bread recipe.  These are just to name a few. 

I think this is a great book for anyone who loves spending time in the kitchen with their family and friends and who loves to entertain.  But, this is also for someone who loves to give glory to God and show it through all the love you put into what you make to nourish the ones around you that mean the most to you.

This book embodies everything that Christ was talking about when he was teaching us about bread and wine.  Niequist couldn't have picked a better name.


***I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan for the purpose of this review.***

Together: Growing Appetities For God | Book Review

I am so happy I stumbled across Together: Growing Appetites For God by Carrie Ward.  In Ward’s book she talks about giving our kids the “appetite” for God’s word.  Which, I know this is something that I want to instill in my children.  But, what do you do when you have trouble reading the Bible yourself or you are not as educated about it as you would like to be?  Well, that’s where this book comes in.

Carrie Ward helps us mothers that are wanting to show our children the path to a relationship with God, even when we, ourselves, are still taking those beginning steps on our paths.  I am in that place right now, where I am still learning all the greatness that God has placed in the Bible.  Her solution to this problem is, read the Bible with your children. 

Ward wanted to teach her kids about what wonderful stories were in the Bible and she discovered there was no better way to do this than to read the Bible itself.  She found it could be  a little overwhelming when she did the math trying to find out how long it would take her to get though the ENTIRE Bible in just 1 chapter a day.  Ward’s findings were…it would take 8 YEARS to do so.   Although overwhelmed at this finding she never let it discourage her and started a daily worship time during breakfast with her kids by reading 1 chapter a day.  5 years later they finished.  During that journey she discovered some wonderful things happening to her family.

There were some days when she though her children weren’t listening to her read but, after breakfast they would then depart from the table and act out what she has just read.  This gave her heart such joy to see that God’s word was making a difference in their lives.  She was also amazed at how God was helping her to learn all the while she was teaching her kids.  Sometimes reading the Bible aloud can help more than anything. 

I love how this book it written.  It’s straight forward, simple to understand, and a really quick read.  Which is great when you are the mother of young children.  You can get support and tips from Carrie Ward in a small potent package.  This is a wonderful book for helping any mother get started with reading the Bible with her children. 

So, what did Carrie Ward plan to do when she finished the Bible?  Well, she was going to read it again. 

I leave you now so that I may follow in Ward’s footsteps and start reading my way through the Bible with my children. 

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Moody Publishers for the purpose of this review. *

Reclaiming Your Heart: A Journey Back to Laughing , Loving, and Living | Book Review

Are you ready to have a life filled with happiness, laughter and love?


Reclaiming Your Heart by Denise Hildreth Jones is a wonderful book if you feel like you have closed your heart down to the world.  This book takes you on a self exploration to find your way back to having a heart that cares and one that is set on God.

As you walk this path Jones walks side by side with you sharing her journey from a closed heart, one that was shut down by a controlling and miserable first marriage, to a heart filled with love and faith, and a second husband whom she loves with all her heart.  You might not think that a closed heart would be such a bad thing but, that’s where you are wrong.  Jones says that it’s a “sin.”  Now, at the time she said this I didn't understand WHY it would be a sin and was actually really shocked but, Jones says that if you have a closed heart you feel that God isn't enough.  That God hasn't given you enough and the way you were made isn't enough.

Now, there isn't just one way for your heart to shut down.  There are many different types of closed hearts.  I never imagined so many.  In this book Jones tells you about 8 different types of closed hearts.  They include “The Performing Heart”, “The Critical Heart”, “The Angry Heart”, plus more.  She shows you how YOU have allowed yourself to become miserable.  Yes, YOU are at fault and it’s a life that isn't glorifying God if your heart is closed to all He has for you.  But, there is good news.  (This gives you a small glimmer of hope.)  You can change your heart.  You will have to do the work and WANT to change but, it’s possible.

Now, if you chose to take the steps down the rocky road back to a warm heart filled with God’s love, there is even more help than just this book.  If you go to Denise Hildreth Jones website, she has videos and studies…FREE…to help direct you.   This is a great study for a small group or take the journey on your own.  Don’t forget though…You are never on your own.  Not only is Jones walking right next to you but, you will always have God walking hand in hand with you, if you are just willing to open your heart again.

There is also a companion novel to go with this book.  It's called "Secrets over Sweet Tea."

*I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the Tyndale House for the purpose of this review.*

You're Made for a God-Sized Dream: Opening the Door to All God Has for You | Book Review

Dreams are just that for most people.  Dreams.  But, did you know that there are God-Sized dreams?  Yes, they are different than just a “normal” dream.  Some people might dream to be a high powered CEO while others are dreaming about being stay-at-home moms.  According to Holley Gerth, in her new book You're Made for a God-Sized Dream: Opening the Door to All God Has for You, its not what you are dreaming for.  God-Sized dreams area about “pursuing life with passion and purpose and going with God wherever he leads.”

We all have dreams.  I know this book hit home for me right now because I have a dream and it feels like its going no where.  Gerth explains in her book that if your dream is a God-Sized one that there are different phases of that dream.   She says that all we can see when we have a dream is that dream and the “promised land” but, fail to see the desert in between.   There will be a hard time between the conception of your dream and the place where you dream has come into reality.  But, we must stick it out.  During that desert time most give up and never realize the dream that God has given them.  Gerth shares something with us that we all need to remember…Nothing is impossible as long as we obey God.

She also talks about one of the biggest factors that have lead to failure of people’s dreams.  It’s fear.  She addresses fear because she says it will only grow and get worse if we ignore it and continue to believe the lies.  Isn’t that what fear really is?  LIES!  They are thoughts that we allow ourselves to have that haven’t come to fruition.  Her explanation of fear is the greatest one I have ever heard, “…fear is a Chihuahua that sounds like a Doberman.”  That’s probably the best line I have ever heard.  Fear really is that.  It’s just a small thought that sounds like enormous.  It’s not as bad as we allow it to be.  

Other things that she addresses to help you realize your God-Sized dream are:

• A dreamers heart: how all dreamers have certain characteristics that even they may not see but, do   exist.
• A battle plan for getting through the desert and making it to the promise land.  There is no idling here.  You must work for what you want.  You can’t just sit around and expect it to come to you.
• How to stop sabotaging yourself.
• Finally, the worth of your dream.  Yes, it’s worth the work and time and Gerth will explain why.

Though out the book Gerth includes questions, self-evaluations and other things that will help walk you through making your dream a reality.  She even has all of them on her website free for you to print if you want to have the pages for a notebook.

I am so glad this book made its way to me.  I am in the desert part of my dream right now and was getting so frustrated but then, thanks to Gerth, she reminded me of something.  I am not the first person that God has sent through the desert.  As long as I obey and stay faithful, my reward will be coming.  I will make it to the promised land.


Available March 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

*I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.*

A Woman's Guide to Reading the Bible in a Year | Book Review

There are many plans to read through the Bible in a year.  Tons and tons of them.  But, there is a new book from Diane Stortz that plans out a yearly reading for WOMEN.  In A Woman’s Guide to Reading the Bible in a Year she lays out a “life-changing journey into the heart of God.”

The plan itself is like any others you have seen before.  Stortz lists all the daily readings for the week.  You might be reading a week full of Isaiah and on another week you might have some of Jeremiah, Lamentations and Psalms.  What’s different about her plan is she also give some “Checkpoints” for the week.  The checkpoints are some things that might be of interest or things that she wants to highlight for that week that we can take away as little tidbits of knowledge.

Before you see the reading plan for the week, in each chapter (1 chapter per week) you will get a small summary of what it is that you are going to be reading.  These are quick, short and to the point.  They are great. There is no long drawn out explanation  After the readings there is a section called “Share the Journey.”  This section is included to help you get more out of your readings.  You can list any observations that you got and any questions the passages might have brought to your attention.

Stortz also includes a section on how to use this book with a small group.  But, what I love about it the most is that it is free of any doctrinal views. It’s simply what the Bible says and a plan for incorporating it into your life.

We all know that as mothers, wives, and business women, the thought of trying to read through the Bible in a year can seem like a daunting task but, with Stortz plan, it will be a breeze.  We wear many hats in today’s society.  Why not have a little daily help from God and possibly change your life in the process???

P.S.  This plan works for any denomination and any Bible translation.  So, you have no excuses to pass up reading through the Bible.

*I was given a copy of this book from Bethany House for the purpose of this review.*

The Respect Dare | Book Review

I am all for new books that can help improve my marriage but, The Respect Dare by Nina Roesner wasn’t on of them. 

Roesner has a great setup with this book breaking it into 40 chapters where you read a chapter a day.  Inside each chapter she starts off with a Bible verse then communicates what the purpose of this day is, offers up a relevant story, and finished with questions to help you with further introspection.  With the chapters being a few pages long this book is a quick read.  It’s not meant to take up a lot of your day. 

The basic premise of this book is that…you require love from your husband and he requires respect.   This fairly easy to figure out but, when you are getting caught up in all the stories that she includes it’s easy to get bored.  I feel that the stores, while showing an example of what Roesner is trying to say, are a little over done.  There is a new story for each day.  If they were just sprinkled throughout they would be less distracting.

While the personal stories are an issue I have with this book, there is one more item that makes this a book I won’t be reading again.  Roesner is constantly talking about a group called “Daughters of Sarah.”  This group is run by the author and costs quite a bit to enroll.  I felt like Roesner was just trying to sell me on enrolling in her group the whole time. 

This book might be right for someone else but, it just wasn’t a fit for myself and my marriage.  When I am looking for a book to keep my marriage strong and faithful, I don’t want it to be a sales pitch. 

* I received this book complimentary from the publisher for the purpose of this review.*

True Woman 101 Divine Design | Book Review

The next best makeover…

That’s what we are all really wanting right?  We love the new shoes, clothes, makeup and we can’t forget the new haircut.  A day of pampering and feelings of newness.

Of course you can makeover the external you all you want but, what about the internal you?  What about the part of you that no one will ever see?  Or is that really the case…  The Lord sees everything that goes on inside of us.  Our thoughts, feeling, and true passions.  So…is it time for an internal makeover?

Of course it is but, a makeover from a bible study???

True Woman 101-Divine Design by Mary A. Kassian and Nancy Leigh Demoss is the place to start if you are wanting a makeover that no stylist, except for the divine stylist-God, can ever give you.  

Divine Design is an eight week study on what TRUE biblical womanhood is all about.  Take all of what you think you might know about living a truly biblical life or being a true biblical woman and throw it out the window.  Living a biblical life doesn't mean being a doormat like some might think. It's about showing the world the glory of God as He lives within you.

Each of the eight weeks is broken down into an introduction, 5 days of studies with wonderful thought provoking questions, and a review of the week that has additional questions, URL for the accompanying videos and a journal page for you to ponder your thoughts.

True Woman 101-Divine Design is a full colored text book for a brand new you.  This book is definitely a course on being a biblical woman but, in a whole new way.  This is one feminist movement that I am happy to support.  You don’t have to have a man’s job or do things better than a man to feel like a true woman.  All you need to do is read this book and find out what it’s really like to be a truly biblical woman.

Are you going to take the course with me?  Get the book and get ready to start a brand new life.  

~This book is an amazing study for your church or bible study group but, it’s also wonderful all by yourself.~ 

"I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this 

review."

Colossians Study, Week One | Missouri Made Momma

The study has began.  I know that in a couple of previous posts I have talked about the Colossians Bible study through Good Morning Girls.  

We are through week one and onto week two so I wanted to do a review/summary of week one.  I have really enjoyed this study so far.  I will say that I wasn't used to the type of study they use.  It is called the SOAP method.  I am sure some, if not most, of you have heard about it.   It's actually really easy to use once you get used to it.  The letters stand for S= Scripture O= Observation A=Application and the P= Prayer.  

I wanted to take a few minutes and share some of what I have written down in my notebook through the first week of study.  But, first the scripture.  

Colossians 1:1-14   

(1)Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, (2)To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.  (3) We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, (4) because we heave heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints--- (5) the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel (6) that has come to you.  All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. (7) You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, (8) and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. 

(9) For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. (10) And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in ever good work, growing in the knowledge of God, (11) being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully (12) giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.  (13) For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness, and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, (14) in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  

So, as you can see my Bible is that NIV format.  It can be a little difficult to understand but, there are a few key things to pull from all those verses.  Remember, these are the whole weeks worth of verse and are broken down day by day on the study book mark which you can get here.  You need to subscribe to their site and a link will get sent in an email.  Anyway, on to the rest.

The observations that I took away from these verses are:

• Paul saw that the people of Colosse were faithful and thankful to God for his wonderful gospel. 
• If you have hope then you will have faith & love.  Hope has to come first.  
• Paul always thanks God for the people of Colosse because of their faith in God.  It is spreading among them and bearing fruit.  
• Epaphras is the servant of God, that taught the Colossians about the gospel of the Lord.  
• The word of God is spreading about the world and bearing fruit because of the hope, faith and love of people.
• God will show people his will through spiritual wisdom and knowledge. 
• Live a life worthy of the Lord.
• Seek spiritual wisdom through God's word. If we seek God, through his word, he will make His will known.
• If we follow his way and have the endurance & patience to withstand all trials (with hope and faith), and never stop giving thanks, we will inherit everything he has to offer in the kingdom of light.
• Our Father has rescued us from darkness and delivered us to the great kingdom of his son.
• We have been forgiven our sins when Jesus, God's beloved, died on the cross.
• Through redemption and forgiveness, we will enter the kingdom of God.

I know that my observations are probably more rudimentary than yours are but, this is the very first time I have studied the ACTUAL Bible.  Sure, I have read the bible study books that are written by different authors but, there is nothing, NOTHING, like studying the Bible itself.  

I have enjoyed every minute of the study thus far and look forward to week two.  Can't wait.

Review: inSIGNIFICANT | Missouri Made Momma

Picture from Bethany House

We all have times when we feel like we don’t matter.  We can be going through relationship problems, health issues, or a life that is hard.  All of the hardships in life can make you feel so small.  In the book “InSignificant” by Chris Travis he shows us how we can be find our significance in the worst part of our life and how we actually measure how significant we are. 

Most people measure significance by their possession or occupation. We don’t realize that those two things are the least important items in our lives.  Travis talks about how he was a engineer major in college simply because he was good in math and science.  Little did he know he would instead become a pastor and eventually a middle-school math teacher.  God definitely had plans for him. 

He was teaching in one of the worst public schools in New York City’s public school system.  There was violence, graffiti, items being thrown at him, and this was all on a daily basis.  But, he was helping kids that truly thought that they would never matter, that THEY were insignificant.  So, by showing them the mattered he found out that he was actually significant.

Travis realized that his significance lied in God.  He must be a servant for God before he would matter to God.  Teaching might not be the most affluent when it comes to profession (how can a teacher be significant) but, it’s not about your profession when it comes to how much we matter. 

Travis was working in one of the worst schools, living in a poor neighborhood, and dealing with violence on a daily basis but, found that he was important to God.  He was doing God’s will. 

To be significant you must become insignificant first.  I know that sounds weird but, to matter you must first be a servant to others.   Really, can our possessions make or break us?   Or is it our character that matters more.  If we don’t have any physical possessions, are we still the same person? 

I have to say that when I first started this book I didn’t get it.  It was a hard read for me in the beginning but, once I got past the first half it all clicked.  The book started making sense and got me thinking.  Yes, I feel like I don’t matter some of the time but, why is that?  Is it because I don’t have what I want out of life right now….YES.  Is that how I am supposed to measure whether I am important or not…NO.  Maybe this was hard for me to read because it hit too close to home.  Even though it was hard to read once I definitely plan on reading it again.  It set my proprieties straight and got me thinking about what I am doing with my life.  I think I will get even more out of it a second or third time going through it.  

I want to leave, you the reader, with a couple of thought provoking questions.  What makes me significant?  How do we judge whether we are significant or not?  This book have changed my thinking and I am sure it will change yours.  

I received this book free from Bethany House.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Amen | Missouri Made Momma

I went to church yesterday morning.  That not might seem like a very big deal but, it's been a few years since I have gone.  Not because I hate going, just because I haven't been putting God & Jesus first and finding the time to go.  My life is pretty busy and I can get a little sidetracked if I let myself.

I would have never thought about a service like this one. The pastor started talking about the fact that he was finishing up a series on the Lord's Prayer.  Ok, I thought...I can always use some understanding on why we say what we say when we pray the Lord's Prayer.  Well, since this was the last service in the series it was all about the finish.  The "Amen."

I was taken aback for a second.  Why do we need a service strictly about "Amen?"  Then, when he started talking about it, first during the children's part of service, something clicked.  He asked the children "what does Amen mean?"  Ok, having said this word all my life, I had to stop and think.  What DOES Amen mean?  One of the little kids answered, "it means Thank you."  He replied with " that's part of it."

So at this point I was seriously thinking about the meaning of Amen.  What did it mean?  How many of us really, truly, know what Amen means.  Isn't it just the way to finish up when we are talking to God?  Isn't it just a standard finish that we have been taught to say?

When he said what it meant it was like a light bulb went off.  Ok, so right about now you are probably thinking...."How could she NOT know what Amen means?"  Well, I have never thought about the meaning until he started talking about it and until I heard it.  Our pastor said that Amen means "It shall be done."  Everything made sense at that point.  The importance of Amen finally clicked.

When we are saying Amen we are saying that we put our faith in God to answer our prayers.  To me, this is probably the most important part of a prayer.  We can pray all we want but, do we really have faith that God will answer them?

It was a very simple meaning but, VERY important at the same time.  

So, do you say Amen and just say it to be saying it or do you truly believe in the meaning and that God will answer your prayers?  I know that I have been thinking about that since yesterday and I have to say that at first I was just saying it to be saying it.  It's part of a prayer, right?  Now, I say it because I TRULY have faith that when I pray, God will hear me and answer my prayer.  Maybe not in the time frame I want but, IT SHALL BE DONE!