Control Girl

About The Book:  Tension, anger, fear, anxiety-it all begins with a heart that craves control.  Little fights with your husband and kids. Unhappiness when things don't match your version of perfect. When your perspective of how life should go replaces God's, you doom your quest for security, peace, and joy before it even starts.  Thankfully, there is a better way.  Join Shannon as she shares what she has discovered about her own control struggles and about God from studying seven Control Girls in the Bible. Whether it was Eve's desire to know instead of trust, Sarah's inability to wait for God to move, or Rebekah's controlling hand on her family's future, each of these women's stories contain warnings and lessons for us today.  Learn how you too can lay down this burden of trying to control everything and find rest in surrendering to the One who truly is in control.  Learn more and purchase a copy.

About The Author:  Shannon Popkin is a wife and mom, a speaker and teacher, and a leader of small group studies. As a writer and speaker, Shannon combines her love for humor and storytelling with her passion for Jesus. She has been published by Family Fun, MOMSense, and Focus on the Family Magazine, and is a contributing blogger at TrueWoman.com. Shannon and her husband live the fast-paced life of parenting three teens. When she's not taking pictures from the sidelines of her kids' sporting events, Shannon loves to be opening the door of her west Michigan home to family and friends. Find her at www.shannonpopkin.com.  

My Thoughts On The Book:   I began reading this book in the hospital.  I did not really want to read it because I felt bad.....and it really did not apply to me.  Boy was I wrong and the Lord used my illness to point out some things I had been overlooking....like being controlling.  It is so much easier to see controlling behavior in others, isn't it?  While I lay there in my hospital bed at rock bottom I looked up and realized I had some major lessons to learn.  Popkin does a wonder job unveiling the controlling tendencies that we all have.   I loved that she hared her own struggles and the struggles of real women of the Bible.  The struggles of Eve, Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Leah, Rachel, and Miriam were used along with scriptures to show how control hurts us and impacts our relationship with God.  This book is excellent for people with Control Issues and even for those who struggle and don't even realize it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book  from Litfuse.  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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Sanctuary For Lent 2015

About The Book:  Devotions for each day of Lent. "Who do you say that I am?” (Luke 9:20).  The Scriptures refer to him using terms such as “The Word,” “the bread of life,” “Emmanuel,” “the light of the world,” “the Lamb of God,” and “the Son of God.” The references, descriptions, and titles all point to the one through whom God’s salvation plan for humanity was completed—Jesus Christ.  In The Sanctuary for Lent 2015, Sue Mink focuses on the names and characteristics of Christ in the Scriptures. The devotions—one for each of the forty days in Lent, plus Sundays—include a suggested Scripture reading, a Bible verse, an inspiring message, and a prayer to keep the focus on Christ during the journey through Lent.  This Lenten season, allow The Sanctuary for Lent 2015 to transform you and lead you in a closer walk with Jesus.  **When ordering for a congregation, churches often secure additional copies for nursing home residents, those in prisons, and other groups in need of encouragement but are unable to attend services. The small trim size, which fits in a #10 envelope, enables churches to include the booklet in their Lenten mailings.
About The Author:  Sue Mink creates artwork that explores the intersection between art and theology. She is a graduate of Wesley Theological Seminary and Carnegie-Mellon University, where she earned her design degree. She is the author of Preparing the Way: An Advent Study Based on the Revised Common Lectionary and The Sanctuary for Lent 2014. She and her husband in Leesburg, Virginia.
My Thoughts On The Book:  This was a wonderful devotional to use during Lent this year.  I loved the fact that each day was dated.  I enjoyed the scriptures, the prayers, and the devotionals that went with each day.  As a local, rural pastor my only regret is that I did not order these for my congregation in time to distribute them.  Next year I will be more prepared.  I know they would have loved them because I did share a few from my ebook with several of my congregation and their reactions were priceless.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this e-book free from Netgalley Publicity Group  as part of their Book Review Blogger Programs. 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!  

Every Valley

 About The Book:  Handel's Messiah is one of the most beloved musical works of the western world, playing an especially sentimental role in many people's Christmas traditions. The libretto of the work, taken directly from the King James text of fourteen books of the Bible, has turned many otherwise forgettable phrases into memorable, singable, cherished lines of Scripture.  This gift-worthy book will delight and inspire classical music fans and those for whom Messiah is a beloved Christmas tradition with essays exploring the theological, historical, and pastoral implications of the Scriptures that make up Handel's Messiah.  Forty reflections journey in order through the oratorio, taking the reader deeper into less-often studied texts like Malachi 3:3 and bringing new light to oft-recited passages like Luke 2:9-14. Each reflection offers the libretto from Messiah, the same passage in NRSV, and a brief commentary on the text, written by a respected scholar or pastor. Readers can peruse the book at leisure or examine one reflection per day throughout the Advent and Christmas seasons.

My Thoughts About The Book:  Every year as Advent draws nearer I begin to look for an Advent devotional that helps me get into the mindset of the season.  I chose this book because there is nothing more beautiful than Handel's Messiah.  I was not disappointed.  Each chapter is titled, has some solid scripture and then there is a reflective piece from the scriptures used.  It was a wonderful way to begin or end the day.  I used it in the morning and chose to begin each day basking in the Word of God through Handel's Messiah.  Chapter 32 was my favorite because it was the Hallelujah.  When I finished my reading for that day I wanted to stand up and shout.  This would make a lovely gift for a special friend.  It is also a book you would want in your library.  Loved it!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Netgalley as part of their Book Review Blogger Programs. 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!