ReviewsByErin

I've followed Carlos and Alexa since they appeared on Dancing With the Stars in 2015. At that point, I'd never heard of Carlos and barely knew of Alexa, but they really drew me in with the way they openly talked about their faith in Jesus Christ and their love for one another. I don't know them as celebrities but as really cool people who share their lives—which just happen to be different than ours—with their fans.

What if Love is the Point? walks us through both Carlos and Alexa's journeys to becoming youth celebrities. You'll learn about their families and their backgrounds, their teenage dating stories, the things they enjoyed about their lives, and the ways they struggled. You'll learn how each of them individually came to know Jesus Christ as Savior, and shortly thereafter met one another.

Because I've always known them as a married couple, I learned lots of new things about their growing up years. I also loved reading more about things that have happened since I've been following them, like becoming parents and their move to Hawaii. 

Most of all, I'm so proud of them for releasing a story that unashamedly promotes Jesus Christ. They're honest about the things Jesus has helped them overcome, and how He has made good things happen from bad circumstances. You can feel their passion for Him and how much they want to honor Him with their lives. I have mad respect for that.

If you enjoy reading about celebrities or just two really cool people, I'd recommend this book to you.

I received my copy of the book from the authors. All thoughts in this review are my own.

It is very rare that I have to DNF (Do Not Finish) a book, but I knew after a few pages that Amber Lia's Food Triggers was not for me. I had picked it up hoping for compassionate, practical pointers in dealing with this issue, but I was recoiling almost immediately from the tone of the content. I did skip around and read a few chapters to see if it improved beyond the opening, but I was disappointed.

Right away, Lia uses the phrase "God-honoring choices" over and over, which leads to clear extrapolation that any other choice must not be God-honoring. In fact, on page 21, she says: "[The Holy Spirit] asks us to listen to—and live out—His will for our lives. Anything that is sinful in our lives is outside of God's will. . . . My low energy, bulging waistline, and achy joints were simply symptoms of being outside of God's plan for my life."

I can't with this message of equating physical health to our spiritual condition. This kind of teaching messes people up, making them think they are failing God if they are not their optimal size or shape. Everyone wants to be healthy, but each person's health is an individual thing. I know women who have suffered chronic illness, physical and emotional abuse, mental illness, hormone imbalance, and injury—all of which can contribute to them being either over- or underweight, depending on their specific situations. Nothing about this changed their spirits. None of it detracted from their ability to glorify God or live out His plans for their lives.

The Bible speaks clearly that the most important things we can do on this earth are love God and love others (Matthew 22:35-39). That second one says "love thy neighbor as thyself." That's a Biblical command to see the value and worth of ourselves and then show it to those around us. This is how we glorify God. This is how we fulfill His plan. We recognize that He created each of us fearfully and wonderfully, and we stop trying to send messages of shame or hold up one body type as ideal.

I'm afraid I could not recommend this book because of the potential harm I see to the spirits of those who read it. May God guide each of us to a closer walk with Him, including knowing how much He loves us and that He meets us exactly as we are.

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.

 


I am not a parent, but I was interested in reading this book because I've spent many years as an educator, not to mention older sister and aunt. Shepherding the children in my life is one of my passions. Though I'd never read Sally Clarkson before, I heard a lot of buzz about this book before it released, and when I had the chance to review it I jumped on board.

Sally casts a vision for raising wholehearted children who receive a well-rounded education through non-traditional, immersive methods. Although she educated her children at home, she asserts her methods can work no matter what education model fits your family. As she says in Chapter 6: "Children who grow up in a home that is alive with the Spirit of God and whose spirits are nurtured and fed are more likely to become life-living and lifegiving adults. It's all about nurture."

She talks about the approaches she took to raising her children and shaping their hearts through education and spiritual formation. Like every parent, they faced a multitude of challenges while bringing their vision to life. Yet each of her four children have turned out to be adults who give into the world through writing, podcasts, music, and film.

Though I thought this book was full of good ideas, I had a few misgivings about it, which of course are shaped from my own personal perceptions and experiences. As noted, I am not a parent, but my own upbringing was nothing like the author described, which made me feel a little sad and wistful. Additionally, having seen literally hundreds of families in my time as a teacher, I can tell you not all parents are able to provide the kind of home Sally describes. There are legitimate issues (including but not limited to personality disorders and abusive situations) which would make this approach detrimental to certain families. Also I felt since Sally is looking back on the years when her children were in her home, she really skimmed over the difficulties she faced in living out her vision, especially in the first half of the book. It is quite idealistic and not exactly in-the-trenches encouragement. I could see it being more of a discouragement from some moms who might be feeling overwhelmed with the daily work of motherhood.

There were many things I liked about it, however. One of them was that she offers ideas and gives glimpses into their lives, but stresses that each individual family will be drawn toward living their wholehearted approach to life with their own interests, gifts, and talents. It will and should look differently for each family. My favorite chapters were those on parents as mentors and establishing rhythms and routines in your home. 

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.

A.W. Tozer is one of my heroes of the faith, so I am always happy to see a new compilation of his teachings. This one draws largely on the life of Moses, but also touches on others who had dramatic encounters with God, including Elijah, Isaiah, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

This book starts off with Moses at the burning bush, 80 years of life behind him, about to be transformed by coming face to face with the holy presence of God. Tozer postulates on all the ways this changed Moses—and all the ways such an experience can change us, if we'll let it.

While I enjoyed this book, I'm not sure I totally agreed with all of Tozer's points. For example, while the burning bush encounter certainly changed Moses' life, God continued to show Himself to Moses often, so I don't feel it's accurate to say that one meeting alone kept Moses going strong. Nor is that how it should be in our Christian lives: we need to regularly come into God's presence for strength for each day.

I did note down several quotes, and my favorite came from Chapter 15:  "The Christian should never be the kind of person that can be explained." 

If you're looking for Tozer books, I would recommend one of his classics, or A Cloud By Day, A Fire By Night which released last year.

I received my copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.

It's been a great year for books! Click on any title to read my original review, or click on the cover if you're interested in purchasing it.

"A Cloud By Day, A Fire By Night" by A.W. Tozer
This book truly brought strength to me—it was a good word when I really needed one. It proceeded to make the rounds to several friends at church, all of whom said it could have been written for them as well. Highly recommended!

"Strong, Brave, Loved" by Holley Gerth
This 60-day devotional is about who God wants us to be as women: fierce yet vulnerable warriors for His kingdom. Tender toward Him, active in our faith. I thought it was quite excellent.

"When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreams" by Jill Eileen Smith
A noted Biblical fiction author takes a look at lessons we can learn from 12 different women in the Bible. There is some extrapolation because often we aren't told too many details about these women, but God's heart toward them—and toward us—remains the same.

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David White explores sex from a Biblical perspective, addressing it theologically, relationally, socially, and so on. This is not a how-to book, but an exploration of the deeper meaning of sex as God intended it, specifically as it relates to Christ and the church.

I do not consider myself that old, but as a never-married woman in my upper 30s who remains committed to abstinence before marriage, I do not have many peers. I was drawn to this book because I have been increasingly aware of my own sexual brokenness in recent years—single sexuality a very difficult thing, especially as hormones change and the biological clock starts ticking. I want to honor God in this, and while I have zero desire to change my beliefs, I have every desire for a marriage that includes intimacy in every form.

When I took a look at the Introduction through Amazon's Look Inside feature and saw that the author has a heart for singles, and is "most eager for you to read this and be encouraged by God's heart for you," I was all in. I can only address this book from my own perspective, but I found the author compassionate, sensitive, and vulnerable in sharing from his experience, both from his personal life as well as his career as a pastor and counselor.

I appreciated the care he took in presenting such an important issue from a Biblical worldview. Not everything will be what people want to hear, but he speaks with grace and love. While I am not sure I agreed with his every theological point when it comes to sex, overall this is a book I would not hesitate to recommend for someone interested in learning more about these issues, or even just how to speak about them to a world with such different sexual ethics. I found I got more out of the book the further into it I delved, with the last chapter being especially encouraging.

Thank you to Read With Audra and New Growth Press for my copy of the book. All opinions in this review are my own.

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The idea that love changes everything is one I definitely agree with—but I must say that this book was not at all what I was expecting! Perhaps I misunderstood the book blurb, but I was under the impression that this book was about how our love can change our surroundings and relationships. However, the book is actually about how living with full knowledge of God's love for us can change everything about our own lives. Micah Berteau wants everyone to know the amazing and transforming love of Jesus, and then to go forth and live loved.

The Bible is clear that God's love toward us is vast and incomprehensible. He showed ultimate love by giving His Son to die for us. Yet it can be easy to teach little children to sing Jesus Loves Me while we as adults feel like we must strive to earn His favor and stay in His good graces. Yet what could we do that would ever make us more worthy in God's eyes? He has already declared His love in the biggest, boldest ways. If we understand this, it can transform how we view Him, how we view ourselves, and how we interact with Him.

Berteau uses the story of Hosea and Gomer to illustrate many of his points. Although I had a basic knowledge of this minor prophet and his message, I had not looked into it in an in-depth way. I appreciated his insights and the way he brought the account to life.

One of my favorite parts of the book was how the author reminded us that with Jesus we have nothing to lose and nothing to prove. God has already done it all. Of course His desire is that our love prompts us to live in humble obedience, and truly living loved will help us say no to temptation because we realize God has already met our needs and can fill the deepest desires of our heart. Another of my favorite quotes comes from Chapter 10: "What if you zeroed in on God's goodness more than anything else? You would know you are loved, called, highly favored, not forgotten, and powerful in the hands of God."

I would recommend this book for anyone who needs the reminder that they are valued and precious in the eyes of our Heavenly Father.

I received my copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

Spiritual mama Susie Davis invites you to sit down for a visit over these pages and a cup of tea. Over the course of ten chapters, Susie covers ten topics relating to issues that women face today. Things like transitions, expectations, and living wholeheartedly. Susie shares examples from her own life and offers gentle wisdom that she hopes blesses you.

So many women today are not able to have a close relationship with their own mother for one reason or another, and few would say they have a spiritual mentor. Susie wishes to take you under her wing and share with those longing to hear what a Godly maternal heartbeat sounds like.

My favorite part of the book was in Chapter 2, when Susie talked about practicing the presence of God, and how when we do that our hearts can offer sanctuary and refreshment to all who come in contact with us. Whether that's to our family in our own home or strangers we come across in the grocery store, the peace that comes from our relationship with God has the opportunity to spill over and bless them. I'd certainly like to think my life was offering the kind of solace that draws people to the Prince of Peace Himself!

Click here to read the introduction and Chapter 1 of this book, and check out the giveaway at this link: a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received my copy of this book from Read With Audra. All opinions in this review are my own.

 


Jill Eileen Smith is a well-known writer of Biblical fiction, though somehow I have missed reading her books thus far. Unmatched dreams, though -- now that's something I'm more familiar with. Like most Christian women, I've read plenty about the ladies in the Bible, but something about this book seemed a little different. For one, Smith picks women from early in the Old Testament -- all these women come from either Genesis or Exodus. I don't know about you, but for all I've seen on the more popular Biblical women, I've never read anything that included an in-depth look at the wives of Lot or Potiphar. Hmm!

In another unique twist, Smith includes portions in each chapter when she dives into first-person fictional slices of that woman's life. This really sets the scene and gets you thinking about these stories in ways you might not have before. How willing a participant was Leah in tricking Jacob to marry her? What went through the mind of Lot's wife as she hosted the men who predicted the destruction of her city? These are questions for which we'll never know the answer, but Smith does an excellent job drawing out each woman's voice and perspective on the way things might have been.

I hadn't even reached the end of the first chapter before I began collecting quotes form this book. The first one I wrote down? "The details of our hurts don't matter so much as the fact that we have them." Ooh, that is good! I kept writing them down all throughout the book. Another of my favorites came from Chapter 8: "Never be afraid to ask for grace."

Two chapters in this book that really spoke to me were the ones on Hagar and Leah, women who went through a great deal of pain and were despised for various reasons. All the chapters were really good, and the truths on display are applicable to today's world. I'd recommend this for women everywhere, especially those in need of knowing they are not alone in whatever they may be facing. The women of the Bible were just as real as you and me, and the God who was involved in their lives is the One who cares for us even now.

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.