Book Reviews

21 Seconds to Change Your World – A Book Review

Restore your soul through prayer.  Those are the words on the back cover.  I have to admit that I went into this book a skeptic.  I expected something along the lines of Prayer of Jabez or some other rote prayer that claims to bring you health and wealth.  That is NOT this book.  21 Seconds to Change Your World, by Dr. Mark Rutland, walks through the Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 23 in an exegetical fashion, comparing the words, thoughts and intentions of the authors of each text.

The Book is broken up into three parts: The Journey Begins, which explains the intent of the book and the importance of these two prayers; The Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 23, the meatiest section in which both of the prayers are examined thoroughly and compared to one another; and the third section, To Change Your World, gives the reader ideas and thoughts about how to use these two prayers to your personal benefit and to impact the community and world around you.

There are so many things about this book that make it worth reading.  First, the unpacking of both the Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 23.  I have both of these prayers memorized and have for most of my life.  However, after reading the chapters in the second section of this book, I have a much deeper understanding of the intentions of their authors and a much greater appreciation for the beauty of their words.  The author is obviously very knowledgeable and well-studied on the topics, but he is also so humble and kind in his style of writing.  I felt as though I was listening to my own pastor, whom I thoroughly love and respect.  Another reason this book is worth reading is the last few chapters.  These chapters are the “what to do next” chapters.  After studying the Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 23 in the previous 19 chapters, the last five chapters gave me some practical ways to use these beautiful, Biblical prayers to help me in so many different ways – inner healing, intimacy with God, deliverance from temptations, just to name a few.

Over the last week or so since I finished this book, I have been reciting the Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 23 regularly (21 seconds a day) and the impact in my own heart and life has been real and measurable.  I am more calm.  My priorities are easier to determine.  My fears have been more manageable.  My stress is lower.  I have even been able to walk away from temptation multiple times a day (I have a massive addiction to soda and sweets).  This book is not a magic formula in and of itself.  But it does have wonderful instruction on how to use scripture to become more committed to Jesus, more in tune with the Holy Spirit and more effective in life and in ministry.  I whole-heartedly recommend that everyone read this book!

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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.

Remarkable – A Book Review

I was excited about the concept of this book – a leadership book written as a story with tons of analogies along the way.  The idea is brilliant.  However, I failed to notice that the analogies used were pretty much exclusively male relatable analogies: mostly cars and sports.  There were a few parenting analogies, but most of the book focused on cars and sports.  There was definitely really wonderful leadership thoughts and advice throughout the book, but I had to work really hard just to understand the analogies.

I understand that a homeschooling, worship-leading, mom of five (who hates cars and sports) is probably not the targeted reader for this book.  However, I had no way of knowing that this book was intended for men (or super awesome sports-loving, car-loving women) until I read chapter after chapter about the inner workings of a car and how that applied to leadership.

I did manage to get some wonderful tidbits throughout this book, but I would have very much preferred to spend my reading time on a book that didn’t make me feel grumpy and stupid most of the time.  In fact, I would have missed the good stuff altogether if I had known the content ahead of time because I simply wouldn’t have read it.

This would be a wonderful book for any man looking to improve his leading abilities- the content and tips are wonderful – but if you’re a woman looking to improve your leadership skills, you might skip this one.

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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.

The Gift of Friendship – A Book Review

This lovely book is like a conference in book form.  The chapters are short but poignant, and each are written by sweet women who bear their hearts and souls with their words.  I laughed, I cried, I highlighted – what more could I possibly ask for.  This isn’t my regular non-fiction, self-help book.  It’s remarkably different both in style and in content.  This is a book that makes you feel in the deepest places within yourself.  As I read through the stories contained in this book (which are as varied as the women who wrote them), I found myself thinking of my own stories of friendship and looking forward to many more stories of my own in the future.

If there’s one major thing I took from the book, it’s the desire to be more intentional about creating and nurturing relationships.  This compilation of friendship stories made me appreciate the few friendships I have, and long for other life-giving relationships with the women around me.

There are nine categories represented in this book and each has 5-7 stories that put their respective category into real-life situations.  Building Community, Hospitality, Vulnerability and Friendship on Purpose are some of the topics covered in this compilation-style book.  Stories of joy, heartache, fear, forgiveness, hurt and so much more are represented in these pages.  Multiple ages and stages are also represented.

I was surprised at how many practical, bullet-point style tips are present within this publication.  I highlighted more than I thought I would, for sure.  I related to some of the writers more than others, but all of the stories were well-written, thoughtful and enjoyable to read.  This would be a good nightstand book to read a few chapters each morning or each evening as you are getting ready for sleep.  It would also make an especially great gift for a friend!

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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.

 

The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership – A Book Review

In The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership, Jenni Catron uses the Great Commandment to establish four aspects of great leadership.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30

Using these four dimensions – heart, soul, mind and strength – the author presents an argument that any leader can grow in each of these areas simply by understanding their own abilities within each of them and focusing on growing their skills in the areas they are not naturally strong in.

I loved this book.  I found the writing easy to follow, fun to read and filled with personal stories and lessons learned.  I believe this to be one of the best books on leadership I’ve read in a long time and also THE easiest to put in to practice.  Even before taking the little assessment provided within the book, I immediately knew which of the four areas I excel in and which I need to work on.  The concept of the book is that the scripture we know as the Great Commandment gives us instruction on how to live our lives – with all of who we are (heart, soul, mind and strength) – and that we should lead in the same way (with all of who we are).

“..when I consider my life as a leader, it means leading with all of who I am for the benefit of God and others.  Leadership requires all of me – my heart, my soul, my mind, and my strength.  To not give all of me would be to shortchange God and others of what God has given me.” (xvii)

Here’s a quick run down of each of the areas.  All of these descriptions are from the Introduction of the book.

Heart (Relational Leadership) – “The heart of a leader is the truest part of who he or she is.  Your heart is the center of your emotions, desires, and wishes.  Your heart is what most connects you with others.”

Soul (Spiritual Leadership) – “The soul is the part of us that longs to know God.  It’s the epicenter of morality, integrity, humility, and servanthood.”

Mind (Managerial Leadership) – “The mind is the seat of intellectual activity.  It is what enables us to deliberate, to process, to reflect, to ponder, and to remember.  The mind enables us to strategize and to make plans.”

Strength (Visionary Leadership) – “Visionary leadership means keeping hope and possibility in front of yourself and those you lead.  It’s recognizing that your job as a leader is chief vision caster every day.”

There are many leadership books that give about a chapter of real information and then just circle around that information over and over again to make an entire book.  This is NOT one of those types of books.  This book is filled with good and practical information.   I found myself making lists as I went along of things I need to work on or think through. There are self-reflection questions throughout and discussion questions at the end of each chapter – all of which are extremely helpful.  After reading this book, I feel like I have the most accurate picture of my leadership that I have ever had and also the tools I need to grow in my ability to lead.  I would highly recommend this book to anyone with a desire to be a better leader.  It would be especially helpful for entire teams to work through this book together.

After talking through each of the four areas of extraordinary leadership, the last chapter of the book gives practical advice as to what steps to take, how to put it all together, and how to continue to grow in each of the areas over time.  I am already taking steps towards growth and am excited about the journey that this book has begun in me.

“Extraordinary leadership emerges from a commitment deep within us.  It’s not a fad to follow or a new method to model.  Leading with everything we are means putting everything we have on the line for the cause we are compelled by.  Heart, soul, mind, and strength leaders know their leadership takes work, engagement, commitment, perseverance, and determination.” (p185)

 

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Growing God’s Church – A Book Review

The back of this book led me to believe that its purpose was to answer questions about how people are coming to church and to give an entire book full of practical advice on how to utilize this information.  However, the entire first half of the book felt more like a scolding to anyone who isn’t spending all of their time and effort trying to persuade people to follow Jesus.  The author, who came across to me as condescending and grumpy, made no mention of love, grace or kindness and also very little mention of evangelism within relationship.  I understand that love and kindness wasn’t the subject matter of the book but I have a hard time understanding how it can be omitted in a book about growing God’s church particularly since Jesus himself said “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)  I felt as though he was promoting the kind of evangelism that would stand on street corners and call anyone who won’t make a decision to follow Christ a mean name.  That’s probably a bit harsh.  I assume that the purpose of the first half of this book was to convince Christians that evangelism IS indeed our responsibility.  Which I wholeheartedly agree with.  He even has a few great quotables: “The priority of Jesus was to seek and save the lost.” (p48) and “Our mission is inseparably bound with the mission of Jesus Christ.” (p32)  However, I believe it is so very important to remind Christians that evangelism is most effective within relationship (which is proven by the data in the second half of the book).  I almost stopped reading halfway through because I felt so weary of being admonished.   I also felt that there was very little information provided in the first half of the book. It simply felt like an angry pastor on a soap box.  Again, harsh.  Sorry.

However, I did press on to finish the entire book and I’m glad I did.  The second half is all about the research – complete with graphs and everything.  I couldn’t figure out how the first half of the book connected with the second half because the research showed over and over again that the majority of people come to a relationship with Jesus through family or friends.  So obviously relationship was an important precursor to evangelism in almost all of the cases represented by the data although the first half of the book made it seem as though relationship wasn’t quite as important as preaching and persuading.  If the author had spent the entire book exploring the data, this would have been a much more helpful read.  I would have loved to hear more personal stories from the people interviewed about how they came to Christ.  I would also have loved to hear from pastors and churches who have successfully implemented some of the strategies suggested in the book.  Which brings me to the most valuable part of this book.  At the end of each of the chapters in the second half of the book, the author lists suggestions to put the data to use.  One of them was: “Help your people write out their own testimonies…When individuals are prepared to share their own story, it is amazing to see how God opens doors for them to do so.” (p101)  Such a great idea and there were plenty more just like it.  Almost all of my highlighting included these “Down-t0-Earth Ideas”.  As I read through the ideas near the end of the book, I found myself warming to the author.  I wish he had spent the majority of the book on these ideas.  Now THAT would have been worth the read.

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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.

Raising Uncommon Kids – A Book Review

I am always excited to read books with practical parenting tips and this one, by Sami Cone, didn’t disappoint.  While her style of writing came across as preachy at times, the actual content in this book is pure gold.  The book is split up into three sections: Your Heart at Home, Your Attitude Toward Others, and Your Influence in the World.  Each section covers four biblical traits such as love, compassion, wisdom, forgiveness, and kindness.  There are a lot of personal stories throughout and each chapter has a “mentor moment”.  I actually didn’t believe either of these were necessary since the practical tips are, by far, the most valuable part of the book.  I honestly would have preferred that all of those were omitted in order to make the book shorter and therefore a quicker read.

Now for the good stuff.  The practical tips included in each chapter are fantastic.  Not every tip would work for every family but this book has so many ideas that there is no way you won’t find at least a few that your family could get excited about.  The majority of the book is aimed at helping parents think through their own feelings, actions and words that might be setting the wrong example for their kids.  Although I walked away from this read thinking about things I need to change in myself, the tone of the book, however, is very positive.  The author clearly wants to help parents to feel empowered and equipped to raise world-changing kids.  She says, “Your influence will impact your kids far more than your instruction.”

I especially loved the chapter called Bearing With: The Secret to Sibling Love.  Here’s my favorite tidbit:

“As parents, it’s hard to remember that our kids aren’t intentionally trying to drive us nuts. I think it’s safe to say that no matter how old we are, all of us strive to please our parents; the problem arises when we lack the tools to do so.  Sometimes it is a literal lack of understanding; other times it is a lack of patience.  Whatever the case, it is our responsibility to help our children understand and to equip them with the proper tools.” (p65)

If you are looking for a very practical book on how to help your kids develop Christ-like characteristics that will equip them for real life, this is a wonderful resource!

 

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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.

Jesus Today (Devotions for Kids) – A Book Review

My kids and I have been using Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling, 365 Devotions for Kids for the last year as part of our homeschool week so when I heard that she was coming out with a new devotional for kids I jumped at the chance to review it.  This new devotional, Jesus Today, has the same format and style as her previous devotional and has just as wonderful content as the first one did.

Each day’s devotional is written as though Jesus himself is speaking to your kids.  It’s in their language and easy for even the youngest kids to understand.  Each day’s reading takes only a few minutes to read and includes several scripture references in the International Children’s Bible version which is easy for a child to read and understand.

I especially love that each day’s content stands entirely on its own.  So if, like me, you’re not so good with routine or structure, you can easily pick up the devotional and pick up right where you left off without feeling bad for missing a day or two.

Here are some great ways to use this devotional:

  • Give it as a gift to an older elementary age child along with a journal or sketch book.  The child can use the daily devotionals to inspire a time of response to God (either with their words or with drawings).
  • Use it in your homeschool as a read aloud & discussion time.
  • Use it along with your homeschool or Sunday School curriculum
  • Have a family devotional time each day or even each week using the daily readings to inspire a family discussion time.
  • Choose a scripture from each reading to memorize as a family.

In addition to the wonderful readings and scriptures presented throughout this lovely devotional, there are also occasional quotes from a variety of people that are both inspiring and easy for kids to comprehend and hold on to.  Sarah Young has given us another beautiful resource to inspire our kids to spend time with Jesus every day.  This devotional will help your children learn more about Jesus’ love for them and why they can trust in His promises and how they can spend time with Him every single day.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Big Dreams Big Prayers Bible for Kids – A Review

I was so thrilled to receive this Bible to review!  I have five kids, two of them are in the age range that this Bible is intended for (they are 8 and 9) and I know this will be a really helpful tool for them.  Kids love to pray – they just do.  Sometimes I feel that they have a natural instinct to want to talk to God, whereas adults would rather to talk to everyone else in the world first before coming before God.  I believe that kids naturally know how to pray, but often they don’t know what they can pray for or what to expect after they pray.  This Bible is such a wonderful resource to help them understand the concept, the process and the results of prayer.  The Big Dreams Big Prayers Bible for Kids is from Zonderkidz and comes in the NIV (New International Version).  Here are a few of the things I love about this Bible:

  • Throughout the Bible there are highlighted verses that reveal specific words about conversations with God – these are verses about prayer or are actual prayers prayed by the people of the Bible.
  • There are devotionals throughout the Bible as well that show examples of conversations with God.  These devotionals are specifically written for kids to help them understand what it looks like to take our struggles, failures, fears or situations to God in prayer.
  • The beginning of each book of the Bible has information about that book (who wrote it and when, why they wrote it, for whom they wrote it, and a summary of sorts of what they’ll find in that book).  These are written in such a way that a child would easily understand what to expect.
  • The Bible is gender neutral.  The bright and fun colors would be appreciated by either a boy or a girl – which is great if you have both boys and girls in your household, which I do.
  • In the back of the Bible, there is a prayer journal for the child to record their prayers to God.  This is my favorite part of this Bible!
  • There are also a few full color pages throughout the Bible – one on how to pray, one on the Lord’s prayer, one on the Ten Commandments for kids and a few others.

I would recommend this Bible for any upper elementary, preteen or even teen aged child who wants or needs to make prayer a greater priority.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Rest Assured – A Book Review


I am so thrilled to recommend the book Rest Assured by Vicki Courtney to any women who struggles with never really feeling rested or at peace.  I devoured this book in less than three days because I just really needed it that badly.  I have read several books by Vicki Courtney, but this one was by far my favorite.  She takes the reader through a sort of life assessment to determine why we might struggle with not getting enough rest.  She covers four categories: The Badge of Busyness (why are we all so busy anyway), The Exhausting Pursuit of Happiness (the need to compare ourselves with others and our own ridiculous expectations for ourselves), Tethered Souls (the toxic pull of social media and other time stealing issues), and Worried Sick (the awful disease of constant worry).  Each category has its own chapter complete with checklists, questions, and challenges to change.

I have to admit that I didn’t realize how desperately I needed this book until I read through the Badge of Busyness chapter and checked off every single warning sign of someone who may be too busy.  I’ve read many books on the topic of learning to say no, finding rest, slowing down, etc.  But none of those books felt quite as comforting and encouraging as this one.  I felt as though I was sitting with the author while she comforted me, related her own story to my own and then encouraged me to find a better way to live.  I actually answered (in pen) the questions at the end of each chapter and spent time in prayer for each one of the areas covered in this book.  This book is more about what makes our souls weary than what makes our bodies weary – which I very much appreciated.  There were quotes and scripture sprinkled thoughtfully throughout the book and I wrote down several to meditate on over the next several weeks.

I honestly wish I had taken the book a bit more slowly and had given each of the last four chapters the full week that the author suggests.  This book is probably meant to be chewed on piece by piece rather than swallowed whole, but I really just couldn’t help it.

If you are struggling with a full plate, a heavy heart and a weary soul – this is a book that you need to read.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Worship Changes Everything – A Book Review

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As a female worship leader, I have long been a fan of Darlene Zschech.  I have followed her music and writings for many years and am thrilled with her latest book, Worship Changes Everything.  In my opinion, this is her best work yet.  The central theme of the book, to me, seems to be that worship should permeate every area of our lives: our families, our work, our thoughts, our actions, etc.  Worship isn’t simply something we do once a week at church, but it should be a way of living that leads us into the very presence of God.  Darlene uses tons of scripture and quotes from other Christian leaders, which I feel adds greatly to her book.  This book is beautifully written and is also very accessible to the reader.  I found myself underlining things I would like to use as I lead worship at my own church simply because the words are so right and true and pretty.

The book is broken up into two parts: The Heart of Worship and The Hands of Worship (which is three times as long as the first part).  The Hands of Worship section includes areas like money, suffering, marriage, children and even how to worship in the wilderness.

As a worship leader, it’s important to me that we remember that worship is about so much more than just music.  This book not only teaches the true meaning of worship, but it gives practical and thoughtful instruction on how we are to live a life of worship in every aspect of our lives.  I very much appreciate and highly recommend this book.

 

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note: 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.