Messy Grace

I really appreciated this book. Caleb has a way of sharing his story that is respectful to all people mentioned. He shares some of the details of what it was like to struggle with his newfound faith and the tension it caused in his relationships with his parents. "When I was put in a position of having to choose either [my parents] or God, I was facing the most difficult decision of my life. Many nights I stayed up late and seriously thought about no longer following Jesus. If I did that, at least I would have my parents back. I couldn't go back, though" (125).

This book gave me a lot to think about in relation to being a Christian who wants to show love to all people. "It's time that we Christians focus on building bridges with the LGBT community rather than burn them" (59).

Caleb was challenging and honest. I recommend this book.

I received this book for WaterBrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books. I received this book for free in exchange for a review of the book.

I Was Blind (Dating), But Now I See

This book. So good. I highly recommend this book to my friends who are single. If you are married, it might also help you understand your single friends better and give you an insight into what goes on in the dating world these days.

I don't know if you've ever read a book and instantly connected with the author, but I'm pretty sure Stephanie and I are soul sisters. She's an introvert who grew up with one brother. She talks about moles, awkward moments, and having to explain that as a single person, she has one person in her family. She struggles with hospitality and had a married man express interest in her. The similarities in our lives were crazy. With each sentence, I was pulled into her dating stories and seeing how God wove all of them together to help her become who she is now.

This entire book is about how over the span of a few years, she gets set up with eight different men. I had to laugh at her take on online dating: "Two of my least favorite pastimes were getting rejected by someone and rejecting someone else. Why would I pay monthly fees to experience exponentially more of both" (176)?

This book gave me hope. It gave me a lot to think about in becoming who I need to be. It also begs the question, Who knows any good men they'd like to set me up with now?

I received this book for free from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for an honest review.  

Whatever is Lovely Coloring Book

Whatever is Lovely is a great coloring book that is for reflection and worship. It is not just Scriptures but inspiring quotes. The great thing about this one is that it is not so overwhelming with tiny areas to color, so it does not take forever to complete a page. Here's an example of what I did for one of the pages. 

I liked using nontraditional colors to make it different. Coloring is relaxing and while it is becoming more of a trend to use adult coloring books, it is also just good to calm down and do something that does not involve technology. 

This book includes different artists who drew the black and white outlines for each page. On the back of each page, there is a verse or description of what inspired the work of art. In the back of the book, there's also a Spotify playlist people can find to listen to while coloring. I am a fan of music-inspired art. 

Pick this book up if you are looking for a way to relax after a long day or reflect on the weekends.

I received this book for WaterBrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books. I received this book for free in exchange for a review of the book.

One Thousand Gifts

 I received this book from a friend who loved it. We were in Haiti when she read it three years ago - and it took me three years to be disciplined enough to pick the book up and read it.

I don't like flowery language. Say what you need to say... or become a fiction writer. It was hard to read this book because she had this story writing feel while trying to get across the main point of the book - thankfulness. Please pick one or the other, Ann. I appreciated your openness in sharing parts of your own story, but it was meshed with little nuggets of wisdom that could have done better in a different setting.

I like the general concept - be grateful and realize all the blessings God is giving you every day. My pastor mentioned almost weekly the idea of having a gratitude journal (which is not a new thing that Ann invented, she is just bringing it into the spotlight).

This book is for some people, but not for all. I felt like she was the Charles Dickens of Christian authors. Does she get paid by the word?

Still

 This book.

Stop what you are doing now and treat yourself to this book.

Lauren F. Winner teaches at Duke. She is divorced. She lost her mother. She is honest that life does not always turn out the way you thought it would.

I knew I had found a kindred spirit when she talked about her inability to create masterpieces in the kitchen, her love for doodling prayers, and her affinity for the balcony at church.

"[W]hat I feared most about loneliness [was n]ot being alone, which I often ind perfect and peaceful, but loneliness, which makes me want to die, which makes me think I will die, which I will do anything to avoid feeling" (54). "Sit with the loneliness and ask what the loneliness can do for you" (56).

"I am too lazy to do what's important, or hard, so I stay busy with everything else" (105).
I cannot pinpoint the exact thing that makes me connect and love her writing, but I plan to check out more of her books. My favorite chapter was "A Sunday morning in Massachusetts".

Check it out!

Through a Man's Eyes

Shaunti Feldhahn and Craig Gross partner up to bring women what they want: an inside scoop on what men are thinking. Feldhahn and Gross talk about what goes on in a man's mind and why he is so visual. They cover a variety of topics and do not shy away from tough ones. They include how to address porn and masturbation. They are quick to let you know it is not uncommon to get professional help for relationship problems based on problems like porn.

Because I have read most of Feldhahn's books, men's visual nature is not new to me, but it may shock some women. "Whereas women's memories are tied more to what they felt, men's memories are more tied to what they have seen" (37).

Every woman can benefit from reading this book. While some of it is addressing husbands, we all know men - fathers, brothers, sons, friends. It is important information that might help you communicate better. There's an extensive Q&A section in the back of the book that will help.

I received this book for WaterBrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books. I received this book for free in exchange for a review of the book.

Abba's Child: Brennan Manning

This book is a reminder of the essential relational identity: children of God. Manning's honesty about where he has been in life was refreshing. Manning had a powerful way of uncovering falsehoods and giving the reader resources to replace lies with truth. If you feel like you have lost passion for God, pick up this book and walk alongside Brennan Manning. You're in good company. "In actuality, the cynic is a hurt sentimentalist turned inside out (133).

"Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion" (42).

I highly recommend this book.

I received this book for free from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for an honest review.