Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

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Although the WAY we celebrate Easter may look different this year, the reason WHY we celebrate Easter remains the same. The Way to the Savior, by Jeff and Abbey Land, is a timely Easter devotional that can bring your family closer and direct your attention to Jesus during the days and weeks leading up to Easter. This beautifully illustrated book includes forty devotionals designed to be read with your family. Each devotional includes a short story, prayer and “Cross Connection” (an explanation of how the Bible passage can relate to everyday life). I must admit, some of the Cross Connections have caused some contention: “As a family, rate each member on a scale of 1 to 10 on how good he or she is at waiting.” Ouch! Nevertheless, reading The Way to the Savior as a family is a thought-provoking way to turn your heart and mind towards the cross this Easter season.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

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The Basic Bible Atlas, by John A. Beck, is a valuable reference book for anyone who has ever wondered about the geography of the Bible. Through detailed maps and scripture references, Beck shows his readers where different events in the Bible actually took place. For instance, one chapter is devoted to a discussion about the location of the Garden of Eden. Another chapter follows the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.

The New Testament is also covered, with an exploration of where different parts of Jesus’ life took place. While we may be familiar with the names of cities such as Bethlehem, Nazareth and Jerusalem, it is interesting to see these places labeled on a map. Even more helpful is that the maps contain short descriptions of what occurred in each place. As a visual learner, I especially appreciate how The Basic Bible Atlas presents information in a clear, organized manner.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Daring to Live, by Sheri Hunter, is a book full of inspiration and hope. Hunter lost her husband, the love of her life, when he passed away suddenly at fifty years old. While the author recounts her understandable feelings of sadness, worry, anxiety and depression, she was fortunate to have a support network; a tight-knit group of friends that called themselves the “Dare Divas”. However, it is ultimately her faith in God that sustains her and gives her direction in living the rest of her life.

I enjoyed reading about all of the adventures that the Dare Divas challenged themselves to do. Their hike up Mount Kilimanjaro was something I would never want to even attempt, but it was interesting to hear their story. Reading about Hunter’s solo cruise Oceania cruise that took her to twenty countries in 65 days was also fascinating. While there was a little too much back and forth dialogue included in the stories for my taste, the conversations between the women were entertaining. Daring to Live challenged me to think about stepping outside of my comfort zone and to remember to trust God in all things.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

The title You Are What You Do can be misleading if you do not see the subtitle, “And Six Other Lies About Work, Life, & Love”. Author and Pastor Daniel Im does an excellent job of showing how our modern society operates on the following lies:

• You are what you do.
• You are what you experience.
• You are who you know.
• You are what you know.
• You are what you own.
• You are who you raise.
• You are your past.

I found the examples that Im uses to illustrate his points to be relevant and eye-opening. For example, he talks about the gig economy and social media and how these relatively recent trends affect our outlook on life. Because we are so immersed in these “lies”, we might not even recognize their effect on us. Im is open and honest in showing how these lies have negatively impacted his own life in order to alert his readers about their potential dangers. There were points in the book that I felt lacked clear organization. However, Im’s conclusion that it is only in Jesus that we can find freedom from these lies make You Are What You Do a thought-provoking book that is worth reading.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Do you have “Yes Sisters” in your life? Angelia L. White, the author of Yes Sisters, defines such women as those who “affirm, encourage and challenge you”. I enjoyed reading this book because it is apparent that White, herself, is a Yes Sister. She is open about her past, the good and the bad. Her voice is authentic, and her words are inspiring.

It seems like there is often spoken or unspoken competition between women that prevents them from becoming Yes Sisters to each other. This book shows how sometimes we need to seek out Yes Sisters, or perhaps recognize the ones that have already been placed in our lives. It also shows women how they can be uplifting friends to others and help them realize their dreams. Towards the end, there is a chapter about women who were Yes Sisters in the Bible. There is also a helpful chapter about how to deal with “No Sisters”. I would recommend Yes Sisters to women who are interested in developing or deepening life-giving relationships, which should be all of us!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

It is amazing how relevant the Old Testament is to our modern day lives, considering that the events that are retold occurred thousands of years ago. In her new book In Want + Plenty, Meredith McDaniel shows us how we can learn valuable life lessons from the book of Exodus. Specifically, McDaniel writes about Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. McDaniel takes a close look at the attitudes and actions of both Moses and the Israelites, as well as God’s responses.

Sometimes it feels like we are wandering in the desert and wondering where God is, doesn’t it? However, just like the Israelites, McDaniel shows us how we must recognize God’s manna for us. It is when we realize that God is providing just what we need, that we learn how to be content and experience abundant life. Each chapter of In Want + Plenty ends with questions that encourage self-reflection. The questions would also be helpful to spur conversation if this book is used as part of a small group Bible study.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Loving Your Community, by Stephen Viars, is a thought-provoking book that challenges churches to love their communities instead of only serving the needs of their members. This book presents stories of how meeting a community’s physical and practical needs can serve as a pathway to meeting people’s spiritual needs. Viars is a pastor at Faith Church in Indiana. This book draws from the steps that Faith Church took to reach out to their immediate community and show them God’s love. The ways Faith Church stepped out in faith are truly inspiring. For example, they bought a piece of dilapidated property and built a community center, started an annual Passion Play that serves as an outreach to thousands, and started rehabilitation centers that provide counseling and shelter.

Such projects may seem overwhelming to smaller congregations. However, Viars encourages churches to dream big, but to not be afraid to start small. He makes a good point that many churches sit vacant six days out of the week. If your church has a building with a place to meet, that could be a valuable space for those in the surrounding community. The church that I am a member of recently built a gymnasium and there has been a lot of talk about how we can use it as an outreach ministry. Loving Your Community illustrates what is possible when the Church opens it doors to their community and how God can be glorified in the process.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

We all experience difficulties in life. The difference is how we handle these difficulties and who we turn to. In Still, 7 Ways To Find Calm In The Chaos, Jenny L. Donnelly provides an outline as to how we can experience authentic rest in Jesus. Donnelly is almost alarmingly candid in sharing about her own life experiences and how she dealt with them. However, it is through her unabashed openness that the reader is able to see how God was able to transform her from the inside out.

For each of the seven ways Donnelly lays out to find calm, there are examples from the Bible as well as examples from her own life. There are thought-provoking questions and blank spaces for reflective journaling. I believe that this book would be helpful for everyone, whether they are currently in a season of “chaos” or not. We all know that the storms of life will come at some point, so studying what the Bible has to say about how we should handle them will ultimately be invaluable.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Raising the Challenging Child, by Karen Doyle Buckwalter, Debbie Reed, and Wendy Lyons Sunshine, is an excellent resource for parents who are searching for parenting advice. While I do not consider my own children particularly challenging (most of the time), the subtitle, “How to Minimize Meltdowns, Reduce Conflict, and Increase Cooperation” definitely caught my attention. I think these are things that all parents would like to do! The authors of this book work at Chaddock, a nonprofit organization dedicated to working with some of the most “challenging” kids in the nation for 150 years. I had never heard of this organization before, but after reading some of the real-life stories that are sprinkled throughout this book, it sounds like an amazing place.

The book is divided into three parts:

• Be a Leader
• Dig Deeper
• Prepare for Success

Each chapter explores different challenges that both children and their parents face as they try to navigate life together. I like how the authors offer practical advice and solutions to these various problems. What I found especially helpful is that at the end of every chapter there is a chart with two columns: “Perhaps you’ve done this…” and “Instead, try this…” Then, under each column, there are sample scenarios that relate to a specific issue. I found myself relating to a lot in the first column, so it was interesting to see the recommended words and actions in the second column. I think that Raising The Challenging Child is a book that would be helpful to all parents because it contains hands-on strategies for increasing understanding between parent and child. This understanding can lead to building stronger family relationships, which is something for which we should all strive.

Disclosure: I received a free sample in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A common new year’s resolution for Christians is to spend more time in God’s word. On-The-Go Devotional, 200 Devotions For Teens, by Leslie Hudson, is a great way for teenagers to do just that. This compact book contains 200 short devotions divided into twenty topics. Theses topics, picked especially for teenagers, range from humility to forgiveness to friends to worry. Each one page devotion starts with a Bible verse, followed by a short life application. Each devotion then concludes with a few more Bible passages to go further in depth.

Since teens (and everyone else, for that matter) always seem to be busy and “on the go”, this book is a good resource to have on hand. The devotions show teenagers how applicable the Bible is to everyday life. A book like this can help develop the habit of reading the Bible on a daily basis instead of just on Sundays. If you have a teenager, this On-The-Go Devotional is worth checking out.