“The world will tell you how to live, if you let it.  Don’t let it.  Take up your space.  Raise your voice.  Sing your song.  This is your chance to make or remake a life that thrills you.” (p104)

If only I had better words, I could express how much this book meant to me.  I knew it would be special, mostly because I know how special Shauna Niequist is and I’ve loved every other book she’s written.  However, her newest book, Present Over Perfect, is her best and most wonderful work by a mile.  It’s authentic, raw, kind, encouraging and so very affirming.  This book spoke words straight out of my soul that I’ve never shared or even articulated before.  It was as if Shauna knew my deepest thoughts and spoke them in a way that made me feel known, valued, loved, and understood.  I laughed, I cried and I nodded so much that my neck should be sore.

Shauna has such a beautiful style of writing and her words are so carefully and beautifully chosen.  She also has such a down-to-earth way of expressing her deepest thoughts.  This book felt like a friend sharing her own lessons learned about busyness, perfectionism, the need to please and every other soul stealing way of living.  She shares her journey from each of these things to a better, more whole way of living.  She also shares several other beautiful stories throughout the book that add so much to the experience of reading Present Over Perfect. There is not, in my opinion, any word or story misspent – each is so valuable and encouraging.

If you are struggling with your own value, worth or identity – this book will convince you that it’s there and empower you to search for it.  We cannot settle for worn and weary lives any longer.  We must have the courage, like Shauna, to say enough is enough and to remake our lives into something we’re passionate about and comfortable in.  We must have the courage to show up and be seen just as we are – because really, there is no better option than authentic, present, here-and-now living.  The best we can do is to just be our true  and real selves.  What a beautiful thought that is!

Favorite Quotables from Present Over Perfect:

“the best thing I can offer to this world is not my force or energy, but a well-tended spirit, a wise and brave soul.” (p28)

“Here’s what I know: I thought the doing and the busyness would keep me safe.  They keep me numb.  Which is not the same as safe, which isn’t even the greatest thing to aspire to.” (p61)

“Present over perfect living is real over image, connecting over comparing, meaning over mania, depth over artifice.  Present over perfect living is the risky and revolutionary belief that the world God has created is beautiful and valuable on its own terms, and that it doesn’t need to be zhuzzed up and fancy in order to be wonderful.” (p130)

“I’m finding that willingness to be fragile actually makes me strong.” (p143)

“In a thousand ways, you live by the sword and you die by the sword.  When you allow other people to determine your best choices; when you allow yourself to be carried along by what other people think your life should be, could be, must be; when you hand them the pen and tell them to write your story, you don’t get the pen back.  Not easily anyway.” (p160)

“Hustle is the opposite of heart.” (p174)

“You have your own voice.  And you can use it.” (p219)

“It doesn’t matter how pretty things look on the outside if on the inside, there’s an ache from a lifetime of trying to prove your worth.” (p222)

Here’s a video of Shauna talking about her new book, Present Over Perfect:

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. 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 < http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising

This book is quite a departure from what I normally read, but it was wonderfully worth it.  Joshua Becker’s The More of Less is inspiring, encouraging and remarkably practical.  It’s a super short book that I probably could have read in a day or two if it weren’t for all the ideas and suggestions that I wanted to put into practice one at a time.  The main idea of the book comes from Mr. Becker’s own story of moving from owning too much to a lifestyle of minimalism.  At the very beginning of the book, and the beginning of his own journey, he notes: “Our excessive possessions are not making us happy.  Even worse, they are taking us away from the things that do.  Once we let go of the things that don’t matter, we are free to pursue all the things that really do matter.”

This little book is laid out in such a way so that each chapter builds on the one before.  Starting at the beginning by answering questions such as “what is minimalism” and “what could minimalism look like in my own life”, Mr. Becker moves thoughtfully and carefully, at quite a slow speed, through each of the steps laid out.  He talks through some of the reasons we have too much stuff, such as the fog of consumerism (chapter 4) or the search for acceptance or security (chapter 5).  Chapter six helps the reader to declare their why.  I really appreciated this chapter and even wrote down my own reasons for wanting to pursue minimalism (hello – FIVE kids!).  The author gives practical advice about how to begin the process, including what to keep and what to give away.  There is so much grace and kindness in this chapter that it is obvious that the author has experience with the type of people that are attached to their stuff.

There is a chapter on maintenance, one on minimalizing for the family, and a couple of chapters on the difficulties you might come across as you begin your journey towards minimalism.  The book ends with two very quotable chapters on living intentionally (in every area of our lives) and not settling for anything less than purposeful living.  These were the best two chapters of the book.

Perhaps my favorite quotable in the book comes from the final chapter and summarizes very well the tone of the entire book:  “..life is about choices, but some choices are more valuable than others.  Some things matter more.  Some things matter less.  There is greater life available for those who recognize the difference.”

The More of Less by Joshua Becker will inspire you to take a look at the things in your life and your home that might be keeping you from the things that really matter.  It will encourage you to take a good, long look at your stuff and begin to make better decisions for your future.  Since reading this book, we have given away over 400 books, over ten bags of clothes and over 50 DVDs!  We’ve begun working through the rooms in our home one by one to make more room for us to actually live and play here and I hope and pray that this is just the beginning of our family’s minimalist journey.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the Blogging for Books blogger review program in exchange for an honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Mindy Belz’s book, They Say We Are Infidels, reads like fiction.  I had to keep reminding myself that the stories within were true – they actually happened.  This book is not for the faint of heart.  It’s long.  It’s detailed. And it’s heartbreaking.  Going into this book I knew nothing about the Middle East – nothing of the history, the culture, the people.  They Say We Are Infidels covers all of that and more.

Each chapter begins with a location, a year and a scripture verse.  Covering the years 2003-2015, Ms. Belz follows the lives of Christians from the Middle East as both a friend and reporter.  Her writing is so detailed that the reader is transported to the kitchen, living room, car or church alongside her friends and acquaintances as the stories of their lives unfold within the pages.  Stories of churches being bombed, of pastors being kidnapped, of families fleeing for their lives.  Stories of murder, genocide, terror, unspeakable hate and paralyzing fear.  But also stories of hope, perseverance and survival.

I have to admit that this book was hard to follow at times for someone like me who is not a fiction reader simply because this book reads like fiction.  It’s a book filled with stories.  The author also assumes that the reader has at least some knowledge of middle eastern history (although she does give quite a few helpful explanations of people and events).  It is also detail heavy, which is something that fiction lovers would appreciate but it made it more difficult for me since I read pretty much exclusively nonfiction.  Still, I find myself thinking about the stories and the information I collected throughout this book on a regular basis.  I’m honestly a bit haunted by them – which, I think, is probably a good thing.

I’m sure that the average person has no more knowledge or understanding of what has been going on across the globe than I do – and this book is a beautifully written, filled with personal stories and actual information about what is happening to real people who love Jesus in a place where loving Jesus is incredibly dangerous.  If you are at all interested in understanding the plight of middle eastern Christians, you will find They Say We Are Infidels to be a wonderful read.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

I’ve been a part of evangelical Christianity all my life.  It’s all I’ve ever known.  My worldview was formed from within a Southern Baptist church and family and, although I’m grateful for my upbringing, I have always been completely unaware of how evangelicalism looked to the rest of the world.  Having learned about the history of evangelicalism from evangelicals, you can imagine that I have only ever heard one side of the story.

I’ve spent the last year or so re-learning evangelical history from the perspective of those who have been marginalized, criticized, ignored or injured by the church.  As a result of hearing/reading all of these stories, I have had to come back to my own theology, beliefs and understandings of the Bible over and over again to see if they still make sense in light of what I’ve learned.  Before beginning this re-learning process, I had all of these neat little boxes filled with the theology/beliefs I’d acquired throughout my life and ministry – each one already decided upon and sealed shut.  I feel as though, over the last year or so, I’ve been dumping out each of these boxes one by one to see if there’s anything I’m still certain of.  And although it’s been painful and confusing, it’s also been such a beautiful process for me.  Peter Enns’ book, The Sin of Certainty, helped me to understand why.

“If having faith means holding on to certainty, when certainty is under “attack,” your only option as a good Christian is to go to war – even if that means killing your own.” (pg 46)

I remember hearing as a child that we should “know that we know that we know” what we believe and why.  I believed it to be my duty as a good Christian to figure out where I stood on absolutely every issue (based on what the Bible says about it, of course) and make sure that I defended those beliefs at all costs.  I’ve heard the phrase “defending the Gospel” more times that I can count and I honestly have never understood why the Gospel needed defending since the word Gospel means “The Good News” (which I learned in my 3rd grade Sunday School class).  If it’s truly good news, why would it need to be defended?

Back to the book.  Using humor, sarcasm (my native language), and quite a bit of research, Peter Enns explains why certainty is not only not possible, but also not beneficial to a life of true faith.  He talks about the difference between belief in God and trust in God – a difference that, to me, is entirely life altering.  This book gives the reader permission to doubt, to be confused, to be uncertain about what we believe about God or the Bible.  For someone like me, who feels less certain about pretty much everything with each passing day, The Sin of Certainty was like a fresh stream of water or a cool breeze after the hottest day of the year.  There is hope within the pages of this book that I needed more than I can express.

The reason that this process of re-learning, of purging, of letting go of certainty has been so beautiful to me is exactly one of the things that Peter Enns wrote in his book: “that trust in God grows best when things are falling apart.” (pg 71)  It’s true.  When I became unsure about so many things, amazingly, my trust in God actually began to grow.  I couldn’t figure it out.  It didn’t make sense.  I thought that my faith rested on all of the things I was sure of – all of the beliefs I had so carefully stored in all of those boxes.  But it didn’t.  It rested on only one thing: that I believe God to be faithful and trustworthy.  I have been able to dump out all of my boxes and still believe that God is good and just and loving – not because of right theology or certainty but because of trust.  I wouldn’t have been able to put words to these thoughts without the help of Peter Enns’ timely words in The Sin of Certainty.  If you’ve ever struggled with doubt, if you’ve ever been confused by Scripture, if you’ve ever wondered why everyone around you seems so certain about everything while you are still struggling, you need to read this book.  It’s absolutely brilliant and beautiful.

“God exposes the limitations of our thinking.  Then we can see the inevitability to letting go of the need to know and trust God instead – as best as we can each moment – because God is God.  Trust like this is an affront to reason, the control our egos crave.  Which is precisely the point.  Trust does not work because we have captured God in our minds.  It works regardless of the fact that, at the end of the day, we finally learn that we can’t.” (pg 89)

Disclaimer: I received a copy of The Sin of Certainty from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

What a beautiful and thoughtful book.  Filled with profound ideas and practical advice, Seated with Christ by Heather Holleman, is both encouraging and insightful.  The book is based on the idea that our identity is rooted in our relationship with Christ and that there is nothing else that gives us more worth or value than the fact that we are children of God, loved and chosen by Him.

Seated with Christ is broken into four sections.  The first section introduces the idea of what it means to be seated with Christ.  The most memorable part of this section (and possibly the entire book) is the analogy the author draws from the round table of Camelot to the table of Christ.  The remaining three sections cover what follows as a result of our being seated with Christ – freedom, surrender and mission.  Each chapter ends with a “sit and savor” section filled with questions and thoughts for further application or discussion.

Using personal stories and insights, the author takes us on her own journey from fighting for a seat at the table to realizing the seat was already hers to enjoy.  Her stories throughout were wonderfully written and applicable to her points, however it was in the second to last chapter, Seated and Sent, that I felt more connected to the author than at any other point in the book.  I came from a very different background and have walked a vastly different journey than Heather Holleman, but we both share the desire to belong.  To feel valued.  Loved.  Accepted.  And that’s what I believe her book is all about.

I appreciated the knowledge, passion and thoughtfulness the author brought to this book and I believe it would be an awesome book to use in a women’s group or bible study.  Every woman should hear, believe and understand the truth about our identity in Christ and this book, Seated with Christ, is a fabulous tool to be used for that purpose.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions are my own.

“A thing resounds when it rings true, ringing all the bells inside of you.” – Andrew Peterson, More

Liberating King, by Stephen Miller, rang so many bells inside of me. Bells of truth and acceptance. Bells of forgiveness, worthiness, and peace. The truth of this book so resounded in the depths of my soul that I find myself profoundly moved by it and immensely grateful for the beauty within its pages.  I cannot oversell this one – I honestly believe this book could change your life. I believe it’s changing mine. I’ve read some of these words over and over again, while praying that God would write them on my heart and that they would permanently become a part of who I am and how I live.

In only ten short chapters, Worship Pastor Stephen Miller, covers themes such as suffering, anxiety, forgiveness, people pleasing, loving others, identity and so much more.  There truly is not one word wasted in this 120ish page book.  The major theme of the book, as the subtitle suggests, is about freedom.  It’s about the freedom that we find when we focus our hearts and minds on who God is, what God has done and what our response should be.  He says on pg 19, “There is a difference between logic and truth.  Logic speaks to your intellect.  Truth speaks to your soul.  Solid logic may free you up in many ways, but it will never be powerful enough to set you free.  Only truth can do that.”  He talks throughout the book about truth – rehearsing it (or meditating on it), being filled with it (Holy Spirit indwelling us) and experiencing it (through Jesus who is the Truth).

I don’t personally know Stephen (the author).  I have never met him (although we live and work relatively close to each other).  But after reading this book, I feel like I DO know him.  He pours his heart and soul into this book and it reads almost like a long letter from a loved one who has been so changed by the Truth that they want to share what they’ve learned along the way.  It’s so personal and tender at times that I felt honored to be reading it.  At the end of each chapter there are three “Questions for Application and Discussion”  that would easily make this book into a wonderful Bible Study for women, men, worship teams, church staff, small groups, or even simply a family.  Scripture is woven so beautifully throughout this book and are the basis for every thought and word throughout its pages.

I learned so much in this little book.  I was challenged, inspired, convicted and encouraged.  There are things I’ve been holding onto for a very long time that this book is helping me to release.  I have been quoting passages of this book to everyone around me (whether they want to listen or not) and have read entire portions aloud to my family and to my Worship team.  I feel like Liberating King should be required reading for every Christ follower.  It may be the best book I’ve read all year (and I just finished my 23rd book this year)!

Go buy it.  Read it.  Give it away.  I simply cannot recommend it highly enough!

Here are some of my favorite Quotables from this book:

“..I am created in his image, purchased with his blood, adopted into his family, filled with his Spirit, and given an eternal inheritance in his kingdom.  Day by day, I am growing in the understanding of who I am in Christ, and as I grow, I am able to truly love others well.” (pg 70)

“Worship is our response to God, allowing us a glimpse of the unimaginable, a comprehension of the incomprehensible, a revelation of the infinite breath and length, height and depth of the love of God.” (pg 68)

“Faith chooses to love even when you have been hurt; to forgive, even when the pain is still fresh.” (pg 53)

“We can worship no matter what our circumstances because God’s character is not circumstantial.” (pg 38)

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book through Baker Books Bloggers.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions are my own.

This is, by far, my favorite coloring book I’ve seen.  If you have any affinity for Alice and her friends from Wonderland, you will LOVE coloring the pictures in this book!  If you’re not on the coloring bandwagon yet, this book will give you the perfect opportunity to dive in!  Research supports the health benefits of coloring books to reduce stress and anxiety, increase relaxation and focus and to spark creativity.  For me, though, it’s just sometimes nice to feel five years old again with nothing to worry about besides staying inside the lines (or not).  My fifteen year old is super excited about this book, though, so I’m pretty sure it will become hers.  This is truly a coloring book that the entire family could enjoy – it’s beautiful enough for adults to want to participate, but creative and fun enough that my younger daughters were super excited when it arrived.

This big, beautiful coloring book is just so fancy and fun!  It even has a dust cover – that you can color!  The pages are thick and the drawings go all the way to the edges – absolutely no space is wasted in this gem of a coloring book.  My girls are all a bit obsessed with Alice and her friends, so I had an immediate connection with it.  It’s a bit wonky and quirky, but the designs are also beautiful and intricate.  Hedgehogs and flamingos, flowers and owls, royal frogs and cupcakes – all of which are so fantastically imaginative and filled with shapes and patterns that would make anyone excited to join in on the coloring fun!

There are nine little chapters in this 80 page book, each with a theme and short paragraph of story inspiration.  There are even a few pages with puzzles to solve as you go through the book.  This is definitely more than a coloring book, it is a coloring adventure where the reader becomes the storyteller.

This book would make a wonderful gift for anyone with an affection for Alice and her friends, or even as a sweet little gift for yourself.  I hope you’ll check it out!

For more info on the author, Amily Shen, go here.

For more info about this book, go here.

You can also click on the image above to go directly to the book’s Amazon page.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from BloggingforBooks.com for the purposes of this review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions expressed are my own.