Adorned: Living Out The Beauty of the Gospel Together by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

This book is an in depth look at the second chapter of the book of Titus regarding older women mentoring younger women. As an older woman presently mentoring a younger woman, I was eager to read this book and I was not disappointed. The major thrust of the book is to address specifically how the beauty of the gospel is demonstrated in the lives of both older and younger women and how they live that out together.
The author encourages women to live out the Word of God, to live out our Christian faith so that others will not be able to accuse us of something we are not and to live in such a way that our lives reflect the inherent beauty of the message of the gospel.

The book is divided into three sections: A Woman under God; A Woman under Control and a Woman under Her Roof. At the end of each of the 14 chapters there are some questions for older women and some for younger women. This makes it a wonderful resource to use as a group study or to use in a one on one mentoring situation.

I received this book for free from Moody Publishers for this review but also purchased another one to pass along to a friend who is mentoring younger women.

The Good of Giving Up by Aaron Damiani

I grew up observing the season of Lent in the church so I was familiar with it. This book opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking of the season of Lent as well as practical ways to observe it. The book is divided into three sections: The Case for Lent; The Path of Lent; and Leading Others Through Lent.

In the first section the reader understands the history of Lent including how early church leaders called their people to a regular season of fasting, prayer and sacrificial giving to enable themselves to grow in maturity in their Christian faith. These practices are not legalistic exercises, but to aid the individual Christian to experience the grace of God. The purpose is to reorient  ourselves and to turn our focus away from ourselves and towards God.

The second section of the book examines the practices of Lent including fasting, prayer, almsgiving, and confession. Again the purpose of these disciplines is to allow God to change your character and make you holy. Practicing these disciplines causes the individual believer to realize what he or she does not have control over and to surrender that control to Christ.

The last section is for those leading others through Lent including a chapter on families with small children. It also has information on leading churches through Lent which would be helpful for any church leader or pastor.

I recommend this book for anyone desiring to grow in their understanding of the meaning of Lent and its practices. I received this book from Moody Publishers for this review. 
  

Is The Bible Good For Women? by Wendy Alsup

"Is it possible to embrace the inherent dignity of womanhood while still cherishing the Bible?" is the question posed at the back of this book. The answer is a resounding yes! Wendy Alsup does a excellent job of explaining Scripture through a Jesus-centered understanding. She takes the reader through the Bible and answers questions such as "How did Jesus approach the Bible?"; "What was good in the beginning?"; "How did it all go wrong?"; and "Are Peter's and Paul's instructions good for women? " Emphasis is placed on the need to start from the beginning of the Bible to understand God's heart and purpose for women.

I found this well researched and timely book to be very informative
. There are questions at the end of the book to use it in a small group setting. I would recommend this to anyone who is uncertain about how God views women and the feminism that the Scripture models.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.  

Full by Asheritah Ciuciu

Many of us have a battle with food and get caught up in a cycle of dieting, overeating and dieting again. This book is not a book about dieting. Instead it gets to the root cause of our food fixation which a battle trying to find satisfaction. This book examines how to overcome our food fixations with turning to God instead of food, choosing healthy meal options, and filling our mind with truth.

At the end of each chapter there are helpful online resources to download as well as questions for individual or group study. There is a food fixation assessment to take along with twenty Scripture verses to overcome food fixation at the end of the book. This book is a great starting point to learn how to overcome food fixation and the added resources are extremely helpful. The book is practical as well as thought provoking. I highly recommend this book.

I received this book from Moody Publishers for this unbiased review.

The Women of Easter by Liz Curtis Higgs

Liz Curtis Higgs does a great job of delving into Scripture and making the women of Easter come alive. The Women of Easter: Mary of Bethany, Mary of Nazareth and Mary Magdalene are the women described for the reader. As the author goes through the events of Holy Week, the crucifixion and the resurrection, you get a glimpse into the lives of these women as well as how Jesus bridged the gap between his female followers and his male disciples.

As the author reveals the truth found in Scripture new insights are gained. There is a study guide in the back of the book which would aid in studying the book in a small group setting. This would be a wonderful study to do during Lent leading up to Easter.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.  

Kingdom Prayer by Tony Evans

"The divinely authorized methodology to access heavenly authority for earthly intervention" is how author Tony Evans defines kingdom prayer. After defining kingdom prayer, Dr. Evans goes on to discuss the concept of kingdom prayer, the context and kingdom prayer and the conditions for kingdom prayer.

Each section contains chapters which further expand on each concept by using Scripture and helpful illustrations. These truths begin with your relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Some examples of the truths discussed include practicing the lordship of Jesus every day; being sincere and honest in your prayers; acknowledging that your heavenly Father is in charge; praying often, specifically and expectantly; praying to benefit others and bring glory to God; obeying and practicing solitude; having a growing faith and  considering fasting in times of crisis.

This is a practical and thought provoking book on prayer which would be helpful for anyone desiring to grow in their faith and their prayer life.

I received this book from Moody Publishers for this review. 

Created For More by Jonathan Malm

This book is designed to spark creativity as a result of reading each devotional. Each devotional has a Scripture reading to start followed by a brief mediation on the passage. The next section is entitled "Prayer Starter" which leads you through a brief prayer. The next section is "Change the Way You Think" which gives you some new ways of looking at creating. The final section, "Challenge," encourages you to do something creative given the guidance suggested in the previous sections. This is designed as a 30 day devotional.

I would say this book is for those who are more creatively bent and looking for new ways to think and create. Although anyone who desires to expand their horizons and think and experience things more creatively and artistically would also enjoy this book.

I received this book from Moody Publishers for this review.