Adorned: Living Out the Beauty of the Gospel Together

New book from bestselling author Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth!

Known for her wisdom, warmth, and knowledge of Scripture, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth has encouraged millions through her books, radio programs, and conferences. Now she’s back with a legacy work on Titus 2 and its powerful vision for women.

From Nancy:

"Cross-generational community between women is the biblical antidote for being chronically, hopelessly overwhelmed, as so many of us are.

When older women come out of their protective cocoons to invest themselves in the lives of younger women, whole families and churches feel the blessing. When young moms and singles widen their peer groups to include women who have already braved the same rapids and lived to tell about it, both sides of the relationship are strengthened and grow. We all, in different ways and in different seasons, need to be on both the giving and receiving end of this life-to-life process.

So I invite you to join me as we look to God’s Word for His perspective on the character, commitments, and attitudes of godly women—and His prescribed process for helping us live out these virtues not only today, but from generation to generation."

My thoughts: This is such a wonderful book to pick up, since it brings to light the mentoring relationship of the Titus 2 woman. I love that it digs deep and brings up so many thought provoking things, like the importance of finding a mentor, since someone will influence us, so it's important to choose who rather than letting main stream media or your peers decide for you. I think this book would be an excellent one to study as a group, though it was also wonderful to read alone.
I received this book from Moody in exchange for my honest review.

A Journey to Victorious Praying: Finding Discipline and Delight in Your Prayer Life

Why is it so hard to pray?

It’s something many Christians can relate to: the desire to pray but the failure to execute. A Journey to Victorious Praying will tell readers why this is—and how to move past it.

Addressing common misconceptions about prayer, then offering biblical truths and practices instead, Bill Thrasher teaches readers how to:


Honestly share their desires with God
Turn temptations into victorious prayers
Experience the Spirit’s motivation in prayer
Get help when they don’t know how to pray
Implement fasting into their prayer life
Move from anxiety to peace
And more

Filled with practical insight and pastoral warmth, this book will give readers renewed enthusiasm for embarking on the essential journey of prayer. And its brief chapters, organized around various themes, make it perfect for quick reference, as does the appendix with tips for stimulating prayer.

My thoughts: I picked this book up, since I figured I could use some help in being more consistent with my prayer life. I was delightfully surprised at how helpful this book wound up being! It is a wonderful manual that points back to the all time best manual on praying and life and general, the Bible. I enjoyed the blend of scriptures and testimonies in this book, which made it hard for me to put down. I highly recommend this thought provoking book.
I received this book from Moody in exchange for my honest review.

The Simplest Way to Change the World

How to make disciples using hospitality

Deep down, every Christian wants to make a difference. But for many of us, the years come and go and we never do. The good news is: change can be as simple as opening your front door.

The Simplest Way to Change the World is about biblical hospitality and its power for the gospel. Since people will sooner enter a living room than a church, hospitality is a natural and effective way to build relationships for Christ. You’ll learn:


How the home can be a hub for community
How hospitality leads to joy, purpose, and belonging
How it grows families to love the things of God
How it’s not about being the perfect host
How to be hospitable regardless of your living space
Hospitality is a beautiful legacy of the church, and a great way to make disciples. As you open your life up to others, you share in the very character of God and experience His joy. And you get to witness lives change—including your own.

Includes 20+ creative ideas for hospitality, plus questions for small groups

My thoughts: This book is such a great little read! I appreciated the thoughts on how just opening your home and learning the art of hospitality is such a simple but effective tool to impact the world around you. Doing a better job of hosting and having people over has been on my mind a lot since we bought our home, but I constantly use the excuse that no one wants to see our on going remodel projects. But, when we have opened out home, it has helped friendships to grow and blessed us tremendously. I look forward to trying this book out with a small study group.
I received this book from Moody in exchange for my honest review.

Why God Calls Us to Dangerous Places

"Perhaps that’s the greatest reason why He calls us to dangerous places: so that we will know His astonishing, sacrificial, life-restoring love.”

Why God Calls Us to Dangerous Places is about what is lost and what is gained when we follow God at any cost.

Soon after 9/11, Kate McCord left the corporate world and followed God to Afghanistan—sometimes into the reach of death. Alive but not unscathed, she has suffered the loss of many things: comfort, safety, even dear friends and fellow sojourners.

But Kate realizes that those who go are not the only ones who suffer. Those who love those who go also suffer. This book is for them, too.

Weaving together Scripture, her story, and stories of both those who go and those who send, Kate considers why God calls us to dangerous places and what it means for all involved.

It means dependence. It means loss. It means a firmer hold on hope. It can mean death, trauma, and heavy sorrow. But it can also mean joy unimaginable. Through suffering, we come closer to the heart of God.

Written with the weight of glory in the shadow of loss, Why God Calls Us to Dangerous Places will inspire Christians to count the cost—and pay it.


My thoughts: This is a beautiful book that deals with a hard issue in such a wonderful way. I really appreciated all the true stories in this book that shared how people have been called to dangerous places, and yet been blessed through their willingness to serve. It's a tough thing to do, since it means depending on someone other than ourselves. Someone who always has out best interest at heart, even if the road seems rough.
I highly recommend this one!
I received this book from Moody in exchange for my honest review.

Full

Can the Bible help me with my food struggles?

Have you ever felt stuck in a seemingly endless cycle of overeating, yo-yo dieting, and obsessive thoughts about food?

Whether you feel defeated by your lack of self-control or overwhelmed by thoughts and longings for food, the answer to our food fixation does not lie in the $500 billion global diet industry.

This is not a diet book and it’s not a healthy eating plan. Because at the core, our problem is not really what we eat. It’s why we seek fullness in something that will never satisfy.

Join Asheritah Ciuciu as she shares honestly about her own battles with food and reveals the path to freedom. You’ll discover the joy of living free from food fixation so you can experience deeper satisfaction in Christ, gain a renewed sense of purpose, and yes, even enjoy good food (without regret).

A healthier relationship with food through a stronger relationship with Christ—that’s the goal of Full.

Includes a quiz to help you find out if you have food fixation, plus practical strategies for overcoming it.

My thoughts: This book was the perfect choice to read at the beginning of a new year, with wanting to stick to my new years resolutions of eating healthier and being better about exercising. I appreciated how thorough this book is and how many different personal stories are shared throughout the book. If you battle food fixations or think you have an unhealthy view of food, then I highly recommend this book!
I received this book from Moody publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Growing Up Social

Is technology drawing your family together or driving it apart?

In this digital age, children are spending more and more time interacting with a screen and less time playing outside, reading a book, or interacting with a parent. While technology can benefit us, it can also erode a sense of togetherness and hinder a child’s emotional and social development.

In Growing Up Social, Gary Chapman and Arlene Pellicane will empower you with the tools you need to make positive changes . . . starting today. Through stories, wit, and wisdom, you’ll discover how to take back your home from an overdependence on screens. Plus, you’ll learn to teach the five A+ skills that every child needs to master: affection, appreciation, anger management, apology, and attention.

Learn how to:

Replace mindless screen time with meaningful family time
Establish simple boundaries that make a huge difference
Discover what's working for families that have become screen savvy
Equip your child to be relationally rich in a digital world
Learn healthy ways to occupy your child while you get things done

Now is the time to equip your child with a healthy involvement with screens and an even healthier involvement with others.

My thoughts: So much has changed on the technology front even since I was growing up (which doesn't seem like it was that long ago! lol). With the technology boom has come new problems and the dilemma of how to deal with kids and all the screen time they get. How do we, as parents, figure out a good balance for them? Gary and Arlene do a wonderful job of showing parents how to help their kids balance technology and living life, along with how to be screen savvy (something that each parent needs to keep up with their kid!). This is an excellent book for all parents!
I received this book from Moody in exchange for my honest review.

Things I wish I'd known before we became parents

Dr. Gary Chapman has helped millions prepare for marriage.
Now he helps you prepare for kids.

Things I Wish I’d Known Before We Became Parents has one goal: prepare you to raise young children.

Dr. Gary Chapman—longtime relationship expert and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The 5 Love Languages—teams up with Dr. Shannon Warden—professor of counseling, wife, and mother of three—to give young parents a book that is practical, informed, and enjoyable.

Together they share what they wished they had known before having kids. For example: children affect your time, your money, and your marriage—and that's just the beginning. With warmth and humor they offer practical advice on everything from potty training to scheduling, apologizing to your child, and keeping your marriage strong… all the while celebrating the great joy that children bring.

From the Preface: "Our desire is to share our own experiences, as well as what we have learned through the years, as we have counseled hundreds of parents. We encourage you to read this book before the baby comes, and then refer to its chapters again as you experience the joys and challenges of rearing children." — Dr. Gary Chapman

My thoughts: I wish I had read this book before I became a parent, since I think it would of helped me prepare a bit more for the changes that you don't even think about happening when you become a parent. Of course, I had heard some of the advise that Gary Chapman gives, and it still isn't the same as experiencing it for yourself. I think that one of the biggest changes, at least recently, is noticing just how different my two are. I know that no two children are alike (something that is covered in this book), but I guess I just assumed that they would be more similar then they are.;)
I love all the examples and information in this book! It makes a great addition to one's library, whether you are hoping to become a parent or already have children. It would make a great baby shower present.;)
I received this book from Moody in exchange for my honest review.

Men Who Love Fierce Women

“Five years into ‘wedded bliss,’ I confessed to Kim that I no longer loved her. We were stuck in a destructive relationship pattern we now refer to as the ‘fierce woman/fearful man’ cycle, and I had lost all hope for a peaceful marriage…” — LeRoy Wagner

What if I’m laid-back and my wife is… not?
How can I lead when I feel emasculated?
I’m not sure I love my wife anymore. What happened?

If you find yourself asking questions like these, LeRoy can relate. In Men Who Love Fierce Women, he is gut-honest about his failures and frustrations as a husband, the realizations that saved his marriage,* and the requirements God places on every husband, laid-back or not. With their insights combined, Kim and LeRoy equip men to rise up, handle conflict, love their wife, and lead their marriage, regardless of who has the stronger personality.

Includes reflection questions at the end of every chapter, plus an appendix for addressing conflict.

*Kim and LeRoy’s interview on Focus on the Family, in which they discuss their marriage and Kim’s book Fierce Women, aired twice and was voted the #1 segment of 2015, prompting the publication of this book.

My thoughts: I thought that this book was excellent! I have read some of the book "Fierce Women", which is a wonderful companion to this one. Some women just have strong personalities. This book is an excellent resource for those women and their husbands, since it shows how God can use the warrior heart and how strong women work together with their husbands to magnify the good qualities in both. I can think of several women who would love this book! It wound up not being quite what I thought for myself to relate to, but I still enjoyed it and think that it is a fabulous set of books!
I received this book from Moody publishers in exchange for my honest review.

8 Simple Tools for Raising Great Kids

Finally, a practical book for busy parents!

Whether you find parenting intuitive or impossible, we could all use a hand here and there. And we could use it quick! In 8 Simple Tools, child psychologist and father Todd Cartmell walks you through the nuts and bolts of healthy, effective parenting.

Using examples from his home and 20 years of professional practice, Todd gives eight essential and practical tools to help you:


Listen well and respond wisely
Use affirmation to influence your child
Develop a nurturing home culture
Correct behavior in lasting ways
Maintain a healthy relationship with your child
Designed with busy parents in mind, 8 Simple Tools breaks each tool into five short chapters, perfect for when you only have a second. Plus, each chapter ends with a practical “Tip” section that summarizes the main point and helps you apply it right away.

Use even half of the tools in your parenting, and your family dynamics will thrive. Your relationship will be built on love and trust, providing you with fertile ground for planting God’s wisdom in your child's heart and, ultimately, seeing your child flourish.

My thoughts: I really appreciated this book and the practical application of the tools that Dr. Cartmell points out for parents to use to help shape great kids. This book is easy to read, and I like that it takes broad things like being good at listening to your children and shows how you can apply it as a parent. I found the tips in each chapter to be incredible helpful! They really got me thinking about my own actions as a parent.
This is a great book for busy parents! I highly recommend it.
I received this book from Moody in exchange for my honest review.

Make it Zero

"When we correct the factors that keep children at risk, we can make a difference in the lives of those children and the adults they'll grow up to be." - Mary Frances Bowley

Children are meant to imagine bright futures and then chase them. But for the millions of at-risk children in America, this is nearly impossible, because trauma clouds their lives like a heavy fog, and in that fog they lose their hope. Make it Zero is a call to bring it back to them.

Tying shocking statistics to real stories, Make it Zero explores various forms of childhood vulnerability and offers specific ways for everyone to help end it-for good. It reveals the world of opportunity behind a single moment of compassion, and it teaches us that when we help the hopeless dream again, we ourselves come more alive.

This book is for everyone. It's for moms of children they love. It's for men who are protective of those they care about. It's for anyone who lives in a community where there are children. It's for college students and nurses and bus drivers and grandparents and aunts and uncles. The bottom line is this: if one child in America is unsafe and unprotected, then they're all at risk.

Each of us is only one person, but one person determined to act is powerful. Moments can multiply into movements and create groundswells of change. Make it Zero is your moment. To be inspired. To be empowered. To join the movement of restoring hope to every child.

My thoughts: This book is incredibly! It has so many stories to set the reader on fire to change the world and help make it a better place for children of all ages. I really appreciated all the resources included, since it is easy to get all fired up to do something, only to feel at a loss and not move forward to actually help. This book will make sure you won't have an excuse. A must for those who work in ministries, schools, hospitals, or have children of their own. Basically, I think everyone should read this book.
I received this book from Moody in exchange for my honest review.

An Unexplainable Life

If you’ve ever read the book of Acts, it probably didn’t take you long to notice: The early believers were on fire! They were full of the Holy Spirit, had wonder for God, and did great things in His name. And sadly, many of us seem nothing like them.

An Unexplainable Life is a call to reignite the mission and movement of the early church individually and collectively. This in-depth Bible study transports readers back to the early days of the Christian church, challenging our modern-day assumptions and inviting us to join Jesus in His work today.

Divided into 10 weeks, this study:


Guides participants verse-by-verse through Acts 1–12
Equip readers for transformation through challenging Scripture application
Teaches basic principles for personally studying the Scriptures
Brings Scripture to life with historical, cultural, and theological backgrounds
Provides a “going deeper” section for curious students
Ideal for groups, this study will help readers spur one another on toward adopting the qualities and passions of the early Christian church, providing built-in accountability.

The fervor of the early church isn’t restricted to the first century. Unlock the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and join His great work today.

My thoughts: This book is an excellent companion to the book Acts! I love how it is a call to be on fire for Jesus as the early Christians were. Erica does a fabulous job of tying in other New Testament writings and helping the reader (or group, since this would be fun to go through with a Bible Study!) to delve into the scriptures and think about the book of Acts in a different light. I've been doing this one on my own, but I would love to discuss the questions with a group.;)
I received this book from Moody in exchange for my honest review.

Rise and Shine

Shannon Malone thought she’d found her happy ending when she married Edmund Ridgeway, but a diving accident on their honeymoon left her in a coma. Waking up to the news that she’s thirty years old would have been daunting enough . . . but she also learns that Edmund has lost his interim battle with cancer and the world has marched on without her. Her gorgeous doctor, Daniel Petros, seems to know everything about her and becomes Shannon’s tour guide into a whole new world of madness where reality television has taken over the planet and everyone’s life appears to revolve around a tiny screen on their cell phones!

As Shannon struggles to navigate through the changes—both in the world and in her—she also must discern real memories from imagined ones. Did she really ever wear capris pants and entertain in her living room, or was that Laura Petrie from her favorite classic TV show' And where is her beloved dog, Freeway' Oh, wait! That was Jonathan and Jennifer Hart’s dog, not hers.

Shannon’s three elderly aunts flit through her life in true Sleeping Beauty style with her well-being always a priority. And Edmund’s sister Millicent descends like the Evil Queen she is, trying to extract Shannon from any claim on the Ridgeway family fortune. When a tornado moves through town and Shannon is knocked unconscious, will Daniel’s kiss awaken her once and for all'

My thoughts: This us such a cute story! I love retellings of fairy tales, so I had fun reading this book. Sandra does a fun job of bringing the story of Sleeping Beauty to life, with a modern twist. So much could change in ten years! I loved reading about Shannon and how she handled those changes.
I received this book from Moody in exchange for my honest review.

Better Together: Because You're not meant to Mom alone

Being a mom is hard, but it doesn’t have to be lonely.

Are you trying to do this mothering thing alone? So focused on the kids that you’re hungry for friendships of your own? Have great friendships that you want to make even better?

Jill Savage, mother of five, knows those challenges well, and she’s here to help. Presenting a compelling vision of motherhood as a group effort among friends, Better Together shows how you can:

Combat isolation and enjoy a supportive mothering community
Increase your social confidence and stop the comparison game
Deepen your friendships as you share life with others
Strengthen trust and build friendships without fear
Increase your joy and thrive as a mom

All these things are possible. Dive into this storehouse of creative ideas for how to make mothering easier, richer, and more fun than you ever imagined!

My thoughts: No one warned me that mothering would be one of the hardest, most rewarding, yet loneliest jobs that I would ever have. Even with a supportive husband (who I thank God for), it was still a bit of a rough transition. So, I was thrilled to get a hold of this book and read the wisdom that these two ladies brought to the table. They do a wonderful job of sharing from the perspective of an almost empty nester and a mother of little ones. The balance is excellent! I love the personal stories that they shared and how they sprinkle in the stories of others. I highly recommend this book as a gift for new mothers!
I received this book from Moody in exchange for my honest review.

In the Field of Grace

Without wealth or family, the widow Ruth left her people and followed Naomi, her beloved Hebrew mother-in-law, to rebuild Naomi's home in Israel. Provisions gone and starvation at the door, Ruth used all that she had left--a strong back and a willing heart--to gather grain in a field, abandoned after the harvest.

Tormented by others, Ruth is shocked to find the owner of the field watching her. Talking to her. Bringing food to her and Naomi. Boaz tells himself his kindness toward Ruth is repayment for the love she has shown to his cousin Naomi. But his heart knows better.

My thoughts: I have had this on my TBR list ever since it came out. I am embarrassed that it took me this long to get around to reading it! Once I started it, I could not put it down, since Tessa nails bringing the story of Ruth to life. I can imagine that it is a delicate balance between staying true to what we know about the story and times and bringing it to life by adding more characters to the story. I think she does a wonderful job of filling in the story of Ruth and Boaz. I loved that both of the main characters challenge the reader to be a better person. While I have enjoyed all of her stories, I think that this one is my favorite yet, since it's a wonderful story of loss and hope, pain and joy. I know I have a tendency to just focus on the blessings that people in the Bible received and not think too much about what they went through to get to that point. This book is a great reminder to trust God through the trials, since He always has our best interest at heart, and often there is a blessing on the other side of the trial.
I received this book from Moody in exchange for my honest review.