Book/DVD Reviews
Book Reviews
MAKINGTIME: A New Vision for Crafting a Life Beyond Productivity
Author: Maria Bowler
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 9781540904072
Retail Price: $18.99
From the Publisher:
Find Creativity and Fulfillment by Breaking Free from the Myth of Productivity:
· Author has a strong growth trajectory with over 60,000 engaged Instagram followers
· Author has credentials as a spiritual director, creativity coach, Enneagram instructor, and MFA program instructor
· Will appeal to readers of Emily P. Freeman, Stephen Pressfield, and Jon Acuff
We are constantly fed the line that more productivity will bring more ease, satisfaction, and meaning to our lives. But what if all the gold stars and checkboxes are just a distraction? What if we could stop projectmanaging life and act from our being instead of all our doing?
If you long to leave the pressure to do enough behind in favor of a life full of meaning, creativity, and joy--a life where you don't feel rushed because you can't fall behind--Making Time is for you. You won't find any life hacks to control your schedule in order to cram in more work. It's about liberating yourself from the myth that humans are producers and discovering the freedom of being a maker who trusts life as a creative process. In this bold, revitalizing call back to human being, you'll learn how to
· let go of the constant pressure to do more
· find deeper meaning in how you spend your time and energy · resist external noise that crowds out inspiration
· make what you really desire to make with your time
You don't need to do more or try harder. It just takes a new, transformative vision for how to live from your values every day.
THREE SECONDS OF COURAGE: How Small Acts of Bravery Lead to Big Change
Author: Riley Kehoe
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 9781540904270
Retail Price: $18.99
From the Publisher:
A Powerful Story of Survival and Inspiration to Change the World · Author has been a speaker at TEDx, the Heart of Dating Conference, World Vision International, and more
· Author has a combined social media reach of more than 100,000 followers and subscribers
· Author has been featured by The History Channel, Waikato Times NZ, Voyage LA Magazine, and other major media outlets
Riley Kehoe is no stranger to fear. At 10 years old, she survived the 2004 Southeast Asian tsunami in Thailand. After that traumatic event killed nearly 230,000 people, she began asking herself each day, What do I want to do with this gift of life I've been given? She realized that she could let fear rule over her--or she could choose to have courage.
Sharing her remarkable personal story, Riley shows you how small acts of bravery can change your life in ways you can't imagine. They can mean the difference between a life of isolation or one of connection, between playing it safe or taking a bold step forward, between being self-focused or reaching out to help others, between holding a grudge or offering and accepting forgiveness.
Filled with dramatic and touching stories--such as when Riley performed CPR on a drowned man and brought him back to life and when she climbed onto the ledge of a bridge to talk a young man out of jumping--this book will inspire you to approach every day with a spirit of courage, possibility, and hope.
WHEN GRIEF COMES HOME: A Gentle Guide for Living Through Loss While Supporting Your Child
Author: Erin Leigh Nelson and Colleen E. Montague, LMFT
Binding Type: softback
Publisher: BakerBooks
ISBN: 9781540904065
Retail Price: $18.99
From the Publisher:
A Practical Resource for Parents Raising Grieving Children
· Author is an advanced certified trauma practitioner through the National Institute of Trauma and Loss in Children
· Identifies a clear felt need and specifically addresses grieving for families and helping children with grief
· Author actively speaks on the subject of grief education 30+ times a year
When death touches your family, you are never quite prepared. Complicating your personal pain and the need to grieve is the equally important task of helping your children understand and process the loss of a loved one. How should you answer your child's questions about death? Should you let them see you cry? How can you support their resilience? How can you help preserve memories?
Drawing from their own personal and professional experience, Erin Nelson and Colleen Montague help you navigate loss alongside your child. They provide honest ways to talk to your child about death according to age and stage of development and offer ideas on how to process, honor, and integrate loss. Chapters end with reflective questions and healing activities that lead to more meaningful connection between parents and children, inspiring hope for the future.
When families find healing practices together, they find ways to integrate their loss and expand their capacity to thrive. Through times of tragedy, when parents and children have the support they need, the shared experience of grief can become part of their family's sacred story.
LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY THROUGH DRY BONE VALLEY: How Points of Connection in You, Your Relationships, and Your Community Can Reinvigorate Your Life
Author: Patricia Boyce, PsyD
Binding Type: paperback
Publisher: RenownPublishing
ISBN: 9781960236081
Retail Price: $19.99
From the Publisher:
Are dry bones blocking your path forward in life?
In the Bible, God set Ezekiel down in the middle of a valley full of bones. If reviewed on a travel website, that valley wouldn’t get more than a single star. But many of us don’t stop at a visit. We pitch a tent and buy a tract of that desolate land for ourselves—before passing it on to our children and grandchildren. Generations become mired in the valley of dry bones.
This is what we do when we’re struggling with things like anxiety, anger, depression, and grief. We take ourselves to this desert landscape that’s empty of life.
It’s a place where we go when we can’t find connection to others. We turn it into our home when we can’t find meaning in our lives and our purpose evades us. We’re overwhelmed with emotions, so we build our camp and hide out in fear. To do something different would be even more uncomfortable, so we avoid doing what we should do: leave.
Patricia Boyce, a licensed professional counselor in private practice since 2003, has walked through her own valleys of dry bones and helps others do the same. She sees individuals with concerns related to adjustment, anxiety, anger, depression, domestic violence, and grief, among others.
With her personal, practical approach, Boyce offers biblically based hope, encouragement, and insight on:
- Connecting and effectively communicating with others
- Awareness of the connection between your mind and body
- Developing realistic expectations
- Navigating depression, grief, anger, and anxiety in your valley
- Experiencing a renewed, “Lazarus” kind of marriage
If you’re ready to leave your dry bones in the rear-view mirror, don’t keep struggling blindly or wandering aimlessly. Your way forward can begin today, as you deepen your understanding of how you connect with yourself, in your relationships, and in your church and community. With Light for the Journey Through Dry Bone Valley, let God reinvigorate your life!
ENTRUSTED TO LEAD: Cultivate Your Gifts, Build your Confidence, Discover Your
God-Given Influence
Author: Donna Pisani
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: EstherPress
ISBN: 9780830787289
Retail Price: $18.99
From the Publisher:
A practical tool for women who are called to leadership roles in any area of life, Entrusted to Lead offers biblical insight and real-life encouragement for how to navigate their leadership journey.
In Entrusted to Lead, Pastor Donna Pisani draws on over four decades of experience to offer a biblical perspective of women in leadership that considers their role an entrusted assignment rather than just an entitled position. Women who wrestle with God’s call to lead, or who don’t have anyone supporting their call, will discover how to:
- Embrace their God-given, unique leadership gifts
- Become alert to the internal lies that make them hesitant to pursue their calling
- Answer Jesus’ mandate to women to "go tell"—even when no one seems to be listening
- Understand how Paul empowered both genders to lead and serve together
- Lean into Jesus’ strength when facing leadership challenges
Generations of confusion keep women from answering God’s call to lead, depriving God’s kingdom of crucial gifts and abilities. Entrusted to Lead shows women what it looks like to lead with confidence in the workplace and in ministry—and why Jesus always wanted women to have a seat at the table.
GOD HEARS HER: Seek an She Will Find
365 Devotions for Women by Women
Author: various authors
Binding Type: Hardback
Publisher: OurDailyBreadPublishing
ISBN: 978-1640702943
Retail Price: $7.99
From the Publisher:
You’ll be reminded that you are intimately known and deeply loved by your heavenly Father when you spend time with Him while reading God Hears Her. The personal stories, along with Scripture passages and inspirational quotes, reassure you that you are heard, cherished, and enough—no matter what you’re going through.
This popular devotional, which first started the God Hears Her collection of resources, contains the original encouraging content with an updated cover. Start your journey here, and then find other books, articles, and podcasts in this community of women who seek faith and friendship to get through life’s messy parts.
“The devotions are personal and remind me that we all have things in life that sometimes test our strength; but with the power of prayer and the love of our heavenly Father, we can overcome any obstacle and do so with our heads held high.” —Sandy
God Hears Her is a community of women who define our worth by God’s truth even when we feel like we’re not enough. Through honest conversations, personal stories, and biblically inspired resources, we speak life and truth into each other as we journey together.
