Book Review | The Unexplainable Church by Erica Wiggenhorn

unexplainable church

The Unexplainable Church is incredible! It’s a ten-week study, or fifty-day journey into the book of Acts, starting in chapter 13 and continuing through 28. Wiggenhorn’s first Acts study is called An Unexplainable Life and focuses on Acts 1-12.

unexplainable 2

Erica begins the study with a divine invitation for us to listen to the Holy Spirit. He calls in Acts 13:2, to “Separate yourself for the special work I have planned for you.” And from there, we chronologically work through the rest of Acts. I found the workbook format to be easy to read, each section is timely spaced, and engaging for groups or individual study. I liked the detailed questions and areas to reflect. I would highly recommend it for groups or individual believers who are looking for a deeper study that makes you think, makes you dig deeper into God’s Word and ignites a greater understanding of the Holy Spirit’s insistence on the urgency to share the truth of the Gospel.

unexplainable 3

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through Moody Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I appreciate the opportunity to receive an advanced reader copy to do so. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review | Kill the Silence: A Survivor’s Life Reclaimed by Monika Korra

Kill the Silence cover

Wow, just wow! This book is an intense journey through a painful experience. It walked me down a path that led to shock, heartache, fear, and eventually hope. Monika Korra writes from her own perspective as a young woman who had grown up in Norway and moved to Texas for college, training and life in America. One night after leaving a party with friends, she is abducted right off of the road and taken into a big black SUV by three men who repeatedly sexually assault her and then toss her from the vehicle when they are done with her. Leaving behind a cell phone and other items that allowed her captors to be found, she embarks on a journey to find herself again, the strength she is so used to depending on for her sport, and builds stronger relationships with those friends and family members who were there for her post-trauma. Her story evolves to the point where she refuses to stay a victim.

Caution: The details of her rape are raw and descriptive, but I feel it is necessary due to her processing the event and gaining strength from it. If you are a sensitive reader, be advised. The story moves past the event rather quickly to the part of her addressing the situation with family, the school, and law enforcement.

This was a great read, rather long with incredible detail, but filled with hope and insights on how to seek the Lord for strength and move past something that could victimize you for the rest of your life.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review | Let the Journey Begin by Max Lucado

Max Lucado never ceases to amaze me with his godly wisdom, easy transition from story to life lesson, and word pictures. This book, especially written for graduates who are facing the next big step of their lives, is timeless. With added pages, Max provides wise words and tender knowledge from his previously published books that have transcended decades. And the new format (this book was previously published around the time I graduated from high school myself), gives a fresh look to the truths that withstand time. Anyone seeking life lessons from the Bible in an easy to understand way, will appreciate this book.

I recommend this book to anyone who has a family member who is graduating, without regard for age. And graduates aren’t the only recipients to grasp amazing content. If you know of someone who is seeking the Lord, Max writes so simply that it’s hard to miss the grace on each page. My copy has dogeared pages, highlighted sections and notes in the margins. And if you’ve personally never read a book by this famous pastor from Texas, this is a great way to get your feet wet. You won’t stop here!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers (http://booklookbloggers.com) book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 (http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html): “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review | Worry Less so you can Live More by Jane Rubietta

This title just leapt out at me! When scrolling through the list of books to choose for my next review, I thought, “I’ll read this and pass it on to my friends: Worrier A, Panic Attack Freak B, and Hypochondriac C”. And before you judge me, I don’t normally categorize my dear friends as such. It’s just so easy to point fingers at the people in our lives who could learn (insert goal of book fix here), isn’t it? And yet, not so surprisingly, as I began to read, I realized that I could use some focus as well. Imagine that!

Author Jane Rubietta wrote a book that not only gives practical advice on how to worry less, but she also takes instances from her own life, which gives us readers relatability and points us in the ONLY direction that can take away our worry. It was so refreshing to see a woman whose life is immersed in women’s ministry share her fears and worries amidst conferences and personal interactions. Gone was the facade that doing the Lord’s work eliminates stress and worry. Jane made it clear that it is very much a part of her life, and that she has a few ways to deal with anxiety.

Jane shares about the need to empathize with others, and how isolation takes away from our ability to heal and cope with some of life’s struggles. Now, to give away all of the details of her solutions would take away the reason to pick this book up for yourself, so I will not divulge any further. But I will share that the Lord indeed plays a huge part in recovery, and that reminding ourselves that it is okay to play, to have imagination, to go back to a time in our lives when time didn’t exist and childlike nature was acceptable…those moments can definitely relax and refresh you. So often, I was transported to Jane’s visual destinations by her ornate descriptions. I felt like I was in a field with wildflowers all around, and seeing lightning bugs at nighttime. I genuinely saw her desire to go to (and her desire to take us to) the places where we were allowed to give ourselves permission to just be still. As adults, we don’t do that. And we certainly need to.

Her book is a fast read, with wonderful questions. She also includes Votums and a Benedictus for the end of each chapter. My recommendation: Grab a cup of hot, fresh coffee, a warm blanket, and curl up in your favorite reading spot with your Bible, and begin this journey with Jane. You won’t be disappointed. And you’ll also feel as if you’ve made a new friend, one who “gets” you and will continue to pray for you. 🙂

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through Bethany House. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 (http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html): “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review | A Very Fine House by Barbara Cofer Stoefen

A Mother's Story of Love, Faith and Crystal Meth — A Mother’s Story of Love, Faith and Crystal Meth

From the moment you open the book, you embark on a journey of emotion involving a picture perfect family. Barbara, the author, within six pages, is immediately thrown into a world she’s never known with someone she never thought her daughter could become. When Annie begins a life of meth use, it sets off a chain of events that leave readers clinging to hope, and yet screaming at the pages for Annie to turn back to what she knows is real.

In Barbara’s real life account of living with a meth addict, she shares her emotional and yet firm, faithful foundation in God as a means through which she learns about, accepts and helps her daughter. When I was reading her story, I felt as if I were alongside Barbara in her car during those late night searches on the street for her daughter. I felt as if I was in her garage with her when she lit a cigarette and prayed for God to help her help her daughter. I felt as if I was in the courtrooms with her as she saw her daughter shackled and distant. And I felt as if I were a friend sharing a cup of coffee when she would share moment-changing revelations during the dark years.

Each moment recorded in this book is a moment of struggle and victory, and the entire journey, worth retelling over and over. For any parent who has walked through the dark room of addiction, who seeks to understand and needs encouragement, this story of healing and hope is necessary. There are also resources and contacts in the back of the book for additional information.