Strong Brave Loved by Holley Gerth

Do you find yourself wanting someone beside you to cheer you on? Maybe you just need a little word of encouragement or praise? That’s where this book comes in…

Thank you Revell for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Bestselling author Holley Gerth feels like your best friend, your supportive sister, and your biggest cheerleader. She understands that you want to be a woman who looks life in the face and says, “You can’t beat me.” A woman who knows love is a risk and reaches out anyway. A woman who understands kindness takes real courage. Who doesn’t fake it or try to hide her scars. Who fights to believe she is who God says she is and helps others do the same. Strong, Brave, Loved offers 60 short devotions to empower you to be that kind of woman. It’s simple, personal, and practical, with room for you to journal your own responses and reflections. With these concise and compassionate devotions, Holley leads you on a journey of discovery as you learn to live in freedom, hope, and holy courage.

This book is really beautiful inside and out. This is a devotional book that comes to you as that cheerleader; as a shoulder to laugh and cry on. It helps you take a look at who you are as a woman and how to empower your own self. Each devotion is pretty short and sweet, which comes with its pros and cons. Being a full-time working mom, it’s hard to find time to dive into the Word. These short devotions help to do just that. On the other hand, there were a lot of times where I was looking for more from these writings. I felt like I could’ve whipped through the devotions in 5 minutes on some days where I was wanting a more intimate discussion to come out of it. Maybe it’s something that I can come back to on another day and feel differently about? All in all, it’s a lovely book.

3.5/5 Stars

Shift Your Thinking for a Deeper Faith by Dean Del Sesto

After going through a big move and a big job change, I needed some new ways to spend my quiet time with the Lord and stregthen my relationship with Him.

Thank you Revell Books for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: In the busyness of life, it’s easy to get distracted and disconnected from the many promises God has made about who he is, the strength we find in him, and the abundance of spiritual tools, abilities, and assets we have at our disposal. These are not necessarily things we have to search out to acquire–they already exist within us. And Dean Del Sesto wants to help you access them every day. With hard-hitting truths, memorable quotes, and powerful perspective shifts, Del Sesto helps you connect (or reconnect) at a deeper level to the power, potential, and purpose you already have so that you can live your life with greater freedom, resilience, and wisdom. Perfect for business professionals on the go, the busy student, the active parent, and anyone who needs a boost of spiritual strength at any time, this book promises to help you live your life from an internal resolve rather than in reaction to your external circumstances.

There is a lot of goodies in this book, 99 to be exact. I loved how short, sweet, and to the point the author is. There are bible verses, summarized sentences, and questions with space for you to journal. It’s an easy book to pick up and read a few things from and still feel like you’ve gotten something really good out of it. Do I feel like all of this was new information to me? No. Being a Christian for a lot of my life has already exposed me to a lot of these ideas and thoughts previously. Was it a nice refresher? TOTALLY. I especially loved the journal aspect with the main questions for each of the 99 ways. I didn’t expect that! I will keep coming back to this book as reference when I know I need it most.

3.5/5 Stars

Made For This by Jennie Allen

If you are a fan of attending or watching the If:Gathering conferences, it’s all thanks to Jennie Allen! I have been a big fan of these conferences and was excited to see that she has released a new devotional book.

Thank you Thomas Nelson for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis from Goodreads: [This is] a forty-day journey for women to pursue God and find the deepest yearnings of their heart fulfilled. This step-by-step process, to fully surrender to God and then identify the threads of gifts, passions, places, relationships, and sufferings in your life, is not to get what you want but to find what God wants of you. The journal-like edition includes a new introduction and perspective from Jennie stories and testimonies from women whose lives have been changed by the process
and the workbook graphics to determine the individual threads and how to weave them together. Divided into forty days, Made for This will help readers not only follow their dreams but also be able to answer life’s ultimate question: Why am I here?

I’m using this resource through the season of lent as it’s made to be completed in a 40-day window. The devotions are short and sweet, but full of depth and questions that make you think. As a full-time working mother, I am always looking for devotions that will challenge me, but won’t take hours to complete. This one is perfect for me. I was a little nervous that it would be much like a “Search for Significance” book since I feel like there are a lot out there in this similar manner of theme, but this is unique in its own way. I highly recommend it.

5/5 Stars

Stop-and-Go Devotional: 52 Devotions for Busy Families by Diane Stortz

I am a full-time working mom of an almost 2 year old, and we are constantly on the go. I feel like that’s the story of most mothers this day and age. When I saw the advertisement for devotions on the go for families, I knew this had to become part of our library.

Thank you Thomas Nelson for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely love this devotional. There are 3 steps to the devotion – read a short description of the bible story, think on a few questions about the story, then do an activity based on the story. My daughter has the patience to listen while I share the story, isn’t quite old enough to answer the questions yet, but absolutely loves when I engage in the games or activities like drawing with her. It’s fun for the whole family and has something for everyone to learn from. Highly recommend it!

5/5 Stars