Faith|Fiction

This book helped change the way I saw academics, and changed my grades for the better.  As a second-year student who read this going into freshman year, this book has become a manual for me. It's the first and only college advice book I read as I started college.  Knowing the book was written by two experienced professors and researchers who've spoken and taught hundreds of students made me feel confident that the advice in this book was legit, and "in the know" advice only professors would have. I enjoyed reading it, as it really felt like I was having a conversation with the authors. It in no way felt like I was being "talked at". So grateful that Jesus sent this book--out of all the college preparedness books out there--for me.  In my two years of college, I have made Dean's List every semester, partly due to the advice on how to study found in this book. I keep it permanently on my bookshelf as a reference in case I need a little refresher on how to ...

What if Beauty became the beast? Zoe Cruz's newest release, Beastia, comes at an opportune time with Emma Watson's modern adaptation of Beauty and the Beast capturing the hearts of Disney fans all around the world. In a refreshing contrast, Cruz provides a grittier, more realistic version of how the beast could live in the hearts of those closest to us. In fact, with this new release, Mean Girls meets Beauty and the Beast as Chicago scream queen Rebekah Austin rules her school with an iron fist. Although her facade of perfectly manicured hair, nails and outfit might say otherwise, beneath it Rebekah feels ugly, repulsive and even...beastly.  This is so refreshing from the typical retelling of the story, because Cruz flips the script and challenges the notion that conventionally beautiful women must  fall in love with not-so-cute guys (like maybe, quite literally, a beast), when the opposite can occur. Join writer Zoe Cruz in redefining important lessons about ...

I have really grown after reading her book--and this is only the last of the series! I now keep this book on my shelf for safekeeping, and I've even bought the first book of the series to grow further. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to grow in their relationship with God--or anyone trying to pump life into it and reconnect. It made me look at Jesus and his interactions with Lazarus and his sisters differently, which caused me to look at my life differently, and that has really made the difference! 5/5 for sure! Thanks to Blogging for Books for the copy.

sellabitmum.com Rare Bird is not a grief book; but more like a book describing the process of grief. I picked this book because I wanted to learn about how to live after something rocks your world and how to live after it. I wanted to know how other people have handled it and walked through it with Jesus; I wanted to learn how to do it too. I left the book unfinished- it just didn't interest me anymore. Although I emphasize with Anna's grief, the use of profanity was highly offensive to me. I don't think Christians should use such un-pure language because we've been commanded multiple times in the Bible not to. I don't think it's okay to use, at all. I also discovered that although I picked this book because I wanted to learn how our Savior is there for us in trouble, it just didn't appeal to me anymore. The message of the book was no longer for me. The book is told wonderfully; I agree with the reviews that the author is a master storyteller. The...

amazon.com The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn is a book focused on lost and found, adventure, and romance. Tamsen Littlejohn finds herself in a desperate position as her stepfather and suitor team up to find her...and her only resort is to head into the deep unknown with Jesse Bird, a white man raised Native American. Tamsen, born into a life of privilege and honor, finds herself challenged in new ways: not only abandoning her charmed life, but also getting comfortable around this skillful, strong man who seems to have no problem taking care of her. This forced alliance slowly turns into a love Tamsen never could've imagined for herself. But can Tamsen and Jesse forge a new life together in hiding? Will God help them through? Benton answers these questions perfectly. I enjoyed this book immensely. Benton has a way of anticipating the reader, and making every scene interesting without it seeming tediously long. This novel is 378 pages, and surprisingly very thick, which kep...

Multnomah Books I don't think I can describe how much I loved this book. I was in a broken place when I first read this- in desperate need to be reminded of who I am. Alyssa Joy Bethke and Robin Jones Gunn penned a book that reminded me of just how wonderful Jesus really is- and at a time when I really needed to hear it!  Although not expecting to, I fell in love with this cute little book. These authors bring back the tender affection that the Bible clearly portrays so transparently. However- these familiar verses have been so taught on that these precious words have hit dull ears- and that's where Spoken For comes in. Spoken For reminds broken girls who they are, and who they are meant to be. It points to Jesus, the One that can love them they way they were created to be loved. It pushed me closer to Him and humbled me as I read Alyssa's story interwoven with Robin's, and they way that they were brought to God and how completely He loved them. Ah. I jus...

walllike.com I have tried to have so many new beginnings that I've confused myself. Jesus, I'm confused. Jesus, I am tired. I can't get the strength up to do what I know I need to. Jesus, I need You to make me new again, like you did a year ago. It's our first year together.  I'm declaring it fourteen minutes before it's official. You knew how to make me clay in Your hands when my heart was stiff and uncompliant, and You know how to fix my heart when it doesn't know what it needs because You are God. I am Yours, theoretically, but I want to know what it is to become wholly Yours. Lord, I want to start this journey with You. I don't know what the ideal beginning is, but I want to be real. I want to be Yours. I want this to be realer and clearer than any picture I could paint or any story I could write. I want to be completely Yours and feel the way Adam and Eve did with You- to be totally comfortable walking nude in the crisp spring ...

cfpagels.blogpost.com The third book in the Cadence of Grace series broke my heart, confused me, and made me a little sad to leave Lonnie and Gideon's world. The story begins off Bischof's last cliffhanger in Though My Heart is Torn, right after Gideon is given permission to find and win the heart of his rightful wife. His rightful wife, but not lawful. Meanwhile back in the home of Jebediah, Lonnie begins courting a young Scottish minister in the hope that God will repair the broken pieces of her heart. The story follows the couple as God takes the chaos of their lives and brings it back into order. The best part of this book was that Gideon finally learned to trust in God. After two books-two storms- he's finally learned to lean on the Rock that never fails. I could relate to Lonnie in a lot of ways while reading this book. Her heart, which is God's, is reeling from yet another wound (and from Gideon, of all people!) and she's not sure if she can stop...

  "But for a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back" (Isaiah 54:7). Compassion-" a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering" (Dictionary.com). God feels deep sympathy for ME. Me?! He feels deep sympathy for me like He did for Matthew.  "As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow Me," He told him, and Matthew got up  and followed Him" (Matthew 9:9). Matthew must've had a lot of faith to leave right then. Jesus must've had a smile on His face as He called His son in.  I am grateful to see a tidbit of what He is like. 

dancingwithGodblog.com Another year to worship Jesus and love Him! I can't wait!  "There is hope for me yet because God won't forget all the plans He's made for me I have to wait and see He's not finished with me yet." ~"Wait and See"- Brandon Heath Thank you Lord for all the places You're taking me, Your love, and all the memories with You that you're making. Don't let me get caught in other's ways, but get lost in Your tender ways. Take me where You want me to go, and help me just love You. I thank You for this new year- I can't wait to wait and see! Let me get lost in Your freedom. Holy Spirit, lead me. I can't wait to see what You're going to do this next year! I put everything in Your hands let it all turn out for Your glory. Love,

barnesandnoble.com 10 Days Without is a book written to inspire Christians to stop being passive. In the way they seek God. In the way they worship Him. In the way they serve others. I've noticed and prayed against this habit myself- the tendency we have to move beyond contentment and go into what Day calls 'slackitism'. It's feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit tell you to do something, and then completing it half way. Or not doing it at all. Or relying on someone else to do what God Himself has called YOU to do. I love the idea centered around this book. It's calling us to GET UP out of the church and go out and see what God is doing in this broken world. As each section beckons us to give up a comfort to peek into the lives of others while praying and fasting, God gives us a glimpse of what it's like to live in the eyes of the person who doesn't have shoes, or legs. In this eye-opening book, Day challenged me to fight the tide of ...

googleimages This morning I had beautiful whitespace (as FaithBarista Bonnie Gray calls it) in my favorite place. My mind was muddled and I was trying to fix it myself. Walking along the beautiful lake, I clutched my books to my chest and thought. Even the gorgeous scenery against the light November wind hadn't calmed me. I heard something: Do you remember how you were when I first met you? Me: A mess. Don't you think if you were there, a mess without any sense of direction and I guided you out of that and brought you here, that I won't guide you? I will guide you out of anything and everything. You just keep loving Me and spending time with Me and you'll find you're already there. He spoke to me. He spoke to me!! I'd been so worried about where He wanted me to go and how I was going to get there and how far away I was from that place that I forgot His basics. I'm just here to love him and spend time with Him...then I'll look up one da...

uppphotos.net "But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward- to Jesus. I'm off and running and I'm not turning back " (Philippians 3:18, MSG). Do you see the determination in this verse? It was the first thing that stuck out to me when I read this in the Message Translation. I'd been looking back at my journal and memories from the last few months of having wonderful communion with the Lord, and wondered why my time with Him now didn't look like it had. It was something I'd been praying about this for awhile but hadn't really gotten an answer, just a little Scripture about the past that I shook off. I didn't want Scripture's answer, I wanted His. And I got Him. Not just an answer- Him. Comforting arms and all. I read this ve...

iheartinspiration.com Hello! I just wanted to encourage those of you who are going through something super tough. God's mercies are new each morning, and especially for those of us that are using our faith muscles. Know this:  we need to be renewed. We need to be reminded. We need a WORD from Him, letting us know that we are truly in the palm of His hand. I'm sort of in this place where a Word from God starts to get clouded in by doubt, and today, I realized that I needed my strength, everyday, from the Lord to get through the day. Are you in the same place? Did the Lord tell you something that, as time passes by, seem to get clouded by doubt? Let me share something He put in my heart today: "22  Then came the Festival of Dedication [ b ]  at Jerusalem. It was winter,   23  and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.   24  The Jews  who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? ...

sharecovers.com If you're avidly seeking God and you make a mistake...don't forget- you're human. No matter how much we love and want to please the Lord, we will make mistakes as long as we're here on earth, unfortunately. If I had it my way, I'd love it if I could please Jesus every time, but we both know I'm human and that's just not going to happen. My experience is this: If you make Jesus your life and you try to do everything to please Him and you make a mistake or a series of them, and even after repenting you've still got a nagging feeling pulling your heart down- that my friend is condemnation. It's something all believers are tempted to feel, but if you stand on Him and let Him strengthen you, you don't have to fall into that trap. Jesus told me this today: "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings." --Hosea 6:8 (NIV) I'm not that hard to please. If you're tr...

soverigngraceministries.org Out of all the courtship and purity books I've read (and hounded in my room, haha), this is one I didn't have a particular liking for. It was kind of...blah. Mr. Harris writes on a subject I fully support and am practicing in my own life, the principal of keeping yourself and letting God keep you clean in both your soul and your physical body, not only for marriage but for life. He writes on the importance of taking an interest in why you date and urges us as readers to take on a new attitude of selflessness and loving with Christ's love as we embark on a romantic relationship that starts first with friendship and then to marriage. I have no doubt in my mind that this book was written out of the Lord's will and the message spoken was His, but I felt in my spirit that this particular book was not for me. I could see his message but couldn't get into it, couldn't get connected to it. Although I identified greatly with the pur...

blogs.cisco.com Today, the word celebration  is on my heart. Think about it: how many times a year do we just take time to celebrate ourselves and where we are in our journey with Jesus? As I was thinking about it yesterday I realized the answer was a whopping no. I've never taken time to just celebrate where I am and where He's taken me and the things I've been able to do because of Him. How sad this was to discover that I wasn't taking the time to appreciate how far He's taken me from where I was and how He is changing me everyday. This summer I took a month-long trip to Switzerland and in spite of the beauty landscape and my welcoming family, Jesus held my hand as I walked through a trial. There was almost nothing I could do! I set out to protect my heart from anything that could wrench me from my Savior and into the hands of the world (read: avoiding secular music, television...etc.) and apart from reading the Bible and listening to Christian music and wa...

dougaddison.com Last month, I had an amazing experience at a Joan Hunter Ministries Conference. I'd gotten a letter in the mail concerning it, but do to scheduling, I didn't think I'd be able to attend. I prayed about it, begging God to open the schedule, but it didn't look like it would happen. Lo and behold, that very day there was a breach in my schedule that allowed me to go. Problem was, I didn't feel like it. I was in a nasty mood, didn't 'feel' like worshiping God, and I was letting all types of demonic thoughts rule me. "Oh well, we're already late." "What if God doesn't let me feel His love like He did before?" "I don't even feel like worshiping right now, my heart is too closed off." But as we drove into the 4 Corners Conference Center, a tiny seed of hope flared inside of me. Maybe this is where I'll feel that agape love [agape is a Hebrew word for strong love- it defines that overflowing...

"The headlights of your car going down a dark winding road on a dark night let you see only a few feet ahead. You cannot see the entire road, so you must respond to each corner and each curve as you come to it. On the side of each curve, there is a steel guardrail, placed their by you and your Savior to keep you from the real damage off the road. The Christian life is much the same. God rarely lets us see what He wants for our life- only what He wants us to do now. He asks us for obedience- and if, we happen to stray off the road, the guardrails you've established earlier will keep us from crashing. He asks for obedience for what He's asked of us today...and like a car's headlight...He'll show us where to go." -Life Change

 madouthere.files.wordpress.com Speaking to the Holy of Holies can be a little daunting at first, to say the least. For a new Christian, this can be one of the most dreaded things that comes with living the righteous life. What if He won't answer me? What if I can't hear anything? What if (haha)...I'm bored? Shh! Shh! I don't want to hear anymore 'what if questions'! In fact, I don't want to hear any doubtful questions right now. You just read. Let me tell you a secret- All spending time with God is this  talking to God and telling Him that you need Him in different ways. Then you listen for His response. It works just like a conversation. And just like a normal human friendship, it needs to be maintained everyday to be strong and continue thriving. What? You thought you could just talk to God on Tuesday and then not come back till the next Tuesday of next month? Doesn't work like that. Actually, the more you spend time with God and se...