Shabbat Shalom

The Way of Abundance by Ann Voskamp Book Review

What do you do when you wake up and feel like you're not enough for your life? Or when you look out the kitchen window as dusk falls and wonder how do you live when life keeps breaking your heart? 

As Ann Voskamp writes, “great grief isn't meant to fit inside your body. It's why your heart breaks.” And each of us holds enough brokenness to overflow—to be given as the greatest story of our lives.

In sixty vulnerably soulful stories, The Way of Abundance moves from self-weary brokenness to Christ-focused givenness. Drawing from the critically acclaimed, New York Times bestseller The Broken Way and Ann's online essays, this devotional dares us to embrace brokenness as a gift that moves us to givenness as a way to draw closer to the heart of God. Christ Himself broke like bread, giving Himself to us so we might have a lifelong communion with Him. Could it be that our brokenness is also a gift to the world?
This gentle but exquisitely profound book does nothing less than take you on an intimate journey of the soul.

As Ann writes, "The wound in His side proves that Jesus is always on the side of the suffering, the wounded, the busted, the broken." Discover how surrendering in unexpected ways is the first step toward receiving what you long for. Discover the good news that your beauty is not in your strength but in your fragility. Discover why your healing shines radiant through your wounds—and how only in brokenness will you ever be whole—and find the way to the abundance you were meant for.

My Thoughts:

Ann Voskamp has a heartfelt way to tell short stories with passion and meaning. She starts out by talking about stars and realizes that stars are, “Breaking – and then blazing.”  She goes on to talk about how brokenness multiplies into abundance and that we need to die to ourselves to get that full abundant life. We know that Jesus says, “We must die to ourselves.” Sounds easy? Well we know that it’s easier said than done.

Ann Voskamp is a unique writer and a storyteller. She is good at getting her point across in telling stories about her life. She just has a gift of drawing you into her devotions. 

This 60-Day Journal to dig into. The book is small and perfect to fit into your purse for reading during your busy day or just to lay it by your bedside to read. This is a lovely hardcover book with a ribbon bookmark to keep you place.  This particular book doesn’t have all the photographs in it as her last book. Her books always look so classy to me. The cover is lovely and the cream colored pages just look so classy.

The devotional is set up into six subtopics that cover a certain theme.  The top of each page has a scripture to begin with. I would say that the devotion for each day is around two to three pages long. The book ends with, “For Reflection.” These are simply questions for you to ponder for yourself. One thing that puzzled me was that I didn’t always get the point of some of the scriptures and how they go with the day’s devotion.

I don’t agree with everything Ann Voskamp says. I don’t see anything that goes against scripture. Truly she writes beautifully and has a way to make you stop in your tracks and go back over something she says. She draws out something that makes you really reflect on her words.

The Way of Abundance is a well done devotion to read for yourself or to give as a gift.

I received a free copy of this product from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this information accordance with the FTC Regulations.

A. W. Tozer: Three Spiritual Classics in One Volume: The Knowledge of the Holy, The Pursuit of God, and God's Pursuit of Man Book Review

Encounter God. Worship more. 

What Tozer lacked in formal education, he more than made up for in experiential wisdom.  Tozer was a man who really knew God, and it showed. People came from all over to hear his sermons because they knew they would go home more in awe of God.  That’s why millions keep coming back to his writings, but particularly these three books. 

Considered to be Tozer’s greatest works, Knowledge of the Holy, The Pursuit of God, and God’s Pursuit of Man are now available in a single volume.  In 3 Spiritual Classics, you will discover a God of breathtaking majesty and world-changing love, and you will find yourself worshipping through every page.  Encounter Tozer and the God worth worshipping today.

My Thoughts:

I have always wanted to read some of A.W. Tozer books. For some reason I just never have read any. I was delighted to get a chance to read this three in one volume. This is a hard back book. Overall A.W. Tozer books are right on target. I don’t agree on some of the doctrines.  That is okay to not agree with everything you read or hear. The foundation is there and the wisdom gleamed in these books are worth it. I would have benefited greatly from these titles when I first became a believer in 1990.

The first book in this collection is: 

The Knowledge of the Holy: 

I found myself truly appreciating all of God’s attributes and it was thought provoking about how we as believers should live our lives daily. The chapters read quickly and are fairly short.

The Pursuit of God: 

How do you pursue God? We truly need to be doers of God’s words and not just hearers. The book is challenging and encouraging reminder to pursuing God relentlessly. No matter how tough it seems to pursue God. I think this has been my favorite tile in this set. 

God's Pursuit of Man:

This is a perfect sequel to The Pursuit of Man. However the book stands alone. The book is centered on the Holy Spirit. There is no way we can be steadfast in today’s world without God’s Holy Spirit.

I’m not going to go into a lot of detail with each book but, I highly recommend these titles.

I enjoy that all the books are written for the layman to understand. A.W. Tozer does a good job explaining the topics that are easily understood and at the same time someone with a more theological mind set will reap much from these books. I don’t think I can truly do justice to these titles myself with this review. The books are so relevant for today’s Believers.

 I received a free copy of this product from Moody Publishers’ in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this information accordance with the FTC Regulations

 

Shabbat Shalom

 

It's a Jungle in Here by Kristie Wilde Book Review

Come explore the incredible variety God created in the Jungle! There are butterflies that blend in and stand out, loud birds and quiet okapi, big elephants and small frogs and much more. God is pleased with all the variety He created - and He's especially happy with the way He made you!

This marvelous, young children's picture book is packed full of brightly colored illustrations that communicate the message along with it's simple text.

The third book in the Joyful Creation Series, It's a Jungle in Here, affirms that whether you're quiet or loud, big or small, blend in or stand out, however you are, God is happy with the way He made you!

My Thoughts:

This is another beautiful book in the Joyful Creation Series from Kristie Wilde. This is a paperback book that has approximately 23 pages. The reading level is around 4-6 in age. They made need some help with the words. However, I think some older kids will enjoy the story content.

I love the illustrations. They are done in a beautiful watercolor. They are so realistic down to the smallest details. I could spend so much time just exploring each page. This is an author that makes children books come alive with the beauty of the illustrations.

I love the theme around the book. God created so many different creatures both small and large. Some creatures are quite and some are loud. Each creature is unique in so many ways. It speaks out loud at how unique we are as individuals.

The back of the book has a glossary that as scriptures and talks about some amazing fact about the pictures in the book.

This book is a joy to read. I look forward to more books from this author in the future.

I received a free copy of this product from BookCrash.com in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this information accordance with the FTC Regulations.