Category Archives: Book review

Begin a Conversation with God with the Text Bible!

I was 45 years old when I committed to reading through the entire Bible. Yep that’s right 45. I am sure there were times when I was younger that I thought about it but it seemed too daunting. But I got to a place a few years ago where I knew that I needed to KNOW God. Like really know who He was, what His Word said. So I made the commitment to do it and I am so glad that I did!

I grew up thinking that the Bible was a too hard to understand book of rules with a few interesting stories in it. What I have discovered though since going through the entire Bible not once but twice (and now on my 3rd time…) is that God is in EVERY PAGE!

My only regret is not starting sooner. Not seeing the value of this incredible book. Of being so intimidated by the Old Testament and letting that stop me from starting. So when I heard about a new Bible that was available to review that was made with teens and young adults in mind I was interested!

I have 2 young teen/pre-teens in my house, and I want them to grow up feasting on all that God has to offer them in His Word! The TEXT Bible introduces a method of studying the Bible that is easy for young adults and new believers to grasp.

Talk to God – we do this in prayer and even just daily conversation with Him.

Encounter God and Humanity. As we read scripture we can ask ourselves what the verses say about God or His people.

eXamine Your Heart – Let’s be honest this can often be the hard, convicting part. What sins are we seeing in our own lives that we need to ask God to help us with. How can we learn from the scripture so that we can grow in relationship with God?

Talk to Others – Share what we are learning with our friends and family! We can learn so much through God’s Word and it is exciting to share how He is working in our lives!

The TEXT Bible has pages where it allows you to use this method and reflect on who God is in the sections that you are reading.

It also has margins for note taking and spots that encourage you to pray out the scripture. I have found recently that I am drawn most to songs that come based off of Psalms in the Bible. It is powerful to pray or sing God’s Word back to Him!

One of the other things that I love about this TEXT Bible is the places that offer further definitions of the text and words that might be difficult to understand. I always felt like I wasn’t smart enough to understand everything that is in the Bible and here is the reality – I still don’t but it is ok!

Each time I read/or listen to His Word I am learning something new. God said that time in His Word would not return void and I have found that to be true! Having places in the TEXT Bible that help make sense of difficult themes or terms was wonderful and gives broader insight into what you are reading!

If you have a young person in your life this would be a great option for them. And if you purchase before Valentine’s Day (February 14th) it is 50% off the original price!

Find out more about this new Bible HERE!

You can purchase the Text Bible HERE.

GIVEAWAY: I am blessed to be able to give away a hardcover copy of the TEXT Bible thanks to #TEXTBibleMIN and #MomentumInfluencerNetwork! If you would like a copy for someone you love just leave a comment below. I will draw a winner on 1-20-2023 (Limited to US winners only please)

Disclosures: Many thanks to Harper Collins Christian Publishing for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

The Wonder of Creation – Review and GIVEAWAY!!

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A few years ago I was looking for a devotional that would be good for my younger kids and someone recommended “Indescribable” by Louie Giglio. It had beautiful, bright pictures and short devotions that were perfect for my kids.

Recently, I was given the opportunity to read and review Louie’s newest devotional for children – “The Wonder of Creation: 100 More Devotions about God & Science.” I was excited because I figured if it was anything like his first one it would be a WIN! And I wasn’t wrong!

This children’s devotional is GREAT! Especially for those children that love understanding science and nature and the world around them and how it all fits with who God is!

I was flipping through the pages and landed here on the “Under Attack” devotional. It talks about why sometimes we get a cold and how God specifically designed our bodies so that we could fights germs. When there are larger (maybe more unfamiliar words) you will find those sounded out too!

This devotional talks about how germs can attack us physically, but how also the devil can attack us with troubles but God gives us a way to fight off those attacks with prayer!

Each devotional contains an “Explore the Wonder” section. These will be fun science facts about all of the incredible things that are in our earth and universe. God has made SO many amazing things and each page of this devotional captures a small piece of that!

I love that through this devotional, children will be drawn to both the wonder of the world around them and also encouraged to thank God for all He has given us. 100 inspiring, wonder-filled devotions in all. You are going to want a copy of this book for your kids or grandkids!

You can get more information about this amazing book and order your own copy HERE.

You can download a free Parent’s Guide HERE.

As an added bonus I get to offer a copy as a giveaway to one lucky (US reader) winner! All you need to do is leave a comment below and tell me that you would love to win a copy of this devotional! Copies will be mailed out in mid-December!

Disclosure: Many thanks to HarperCollins Christian Publishing for providing this product/product information for review. Opinions are 100% my own. I did receive the product in exchange for this review and post. #WonderOfCreationMIN #thewonderofcreation #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

God With Us – Review and Giveaway!

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Recently I was sent this book – God With Us: A Journey Home by the Momentum Influencers team. Written by Jeremy Pierre and Illustrated by Cassandra Clark, this book is a look at some of the pivotal stories throughout the entire Bible.

From the author “The book you are holding is a small imaginative gaze at the limitless wonder of Scripture, in the hope of sharpening your child’s taste for one particular theme at the heart of the Bible’s story. That theme is the presence of God.“

God With Us is filled with beautiful imagery and short summaries of stories from Genesis through Revelation.

2021 has been the first year that I myself have read through the Bible in its entirety (well almost – it WILL happen). What prevented me from doing it sooner? Fear that it would be too boring or too hard to understand. But what I have found as I have engaged in this practice is that God IS there in all of the pages. This book is a reminder of that truth – simplified and illustrated for children. I love it!

Yes, God has been with us from the beginning moments of creation, to the darkest hour of Christ’s death on a cross and God continues to walk with us today. With all the hardship and darkness in the world, what a hope a book like this offers.

To read more about God With Us, meet the Author and Illustrator and see some of the other videos they have created that go along with the book check out their website HERE!

You can purchase God With Us HERE. #GodWithUsMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

If you are interested in a copy of this book for yourself and would like a chance to win one – please leave a comment below and I will pick a winner! Once the hardcover books are available they will send one of those out to the winner! US participants only please!

Disclosure: Many thanks to Shepherd Press for providing this product/product information for review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive the product in exchange for this review and post.

Courageous Faith – ROAR Like A Lion Devotional AND GIVEAWAY!!

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A few weeks ago I heard about a new devotional that was available for review and I jumped at the chance to get my hands on a copy. If you don’t know anything about Levi Lusko or his family – what I can tell you is that their family has also been through child loss. They lost their precious daughter, and while the manner in which we lost our children is completely different, I understand that pain.

What I was drawn to in this devotional was that Levi took that pain, and turned it into something beautiful. An offering to the Lord in memory of his daughter. A devotional for children that will grow their faith, challenge and encourage them. In my opinion, there just isn’t anything more incredible – beauty from ashes.

Every page of this devotional is BRIGHT and includes a Bible verse reference and a short lesson. These topics are relevant to the many things our kids face these days from fears about school and friendships, peer pressure, handling disappointments and even grief.

At the end of each devotional is a short prayer. A way to guide our children in conversation with the Lord. Is there anything we need more these days?!

One of my favorite parts are the “Did You Know” and “Get Ready to Roar” sections that accompany each day. These are short paragraphs that either have a fun nugget of information that might pertain to that days lesson, or a challenge for your child to do something like write a thank you note, or start a prayer journal, sing a praise song to God!

You can order a copy of Roar Like a Lion HERE! This 90 day devotional would be a wonderful addition to your library or a perfect gift for a child in your life. Order your copy today! #roarlikealion #RoarLikeALionMIN #tommynelsonbooks

I am also so excited because I get to host a giveaway of a copy of this amazing devotional! All you need to do to enter is to leave a comment below and tell me who you would give this devotional to if you win! Yay! *Limited to US winners only

For a Downloadable Parent Discussion Guide click HERE

Additional Resources for Parents click HERE

Disclosure: MANY thanks to Thomas Nelson for providing this product/product information for review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive the product in exchange for this review and post.

When God Made You

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Last night at our weekly bible study class we were discussing children. Specifically, we talked about the differences that are often seen even among children in the same family. Some may be concise and matter-of-fact, while others are adventurous or creative.

God made each of my children differently. This can make parenting difficult at times because one response or consequence doesn’t always work for all children. It keeps us on our toes doesn’t it?!

But these differences make our children unique and we should find ways to celebrate that.

In the new book “When God Made You” by Matthew Paul Turner, the creative way that God has designed each of us is celebrated. It is a beautifully illustrated book filled with color and whimsy. The pages flow like that of a song, a dance of words that encourages and inspires.

“Use your talents and passions, those gifts that God fashioned. Think up ideas and then put them to action.”

” ‘Cause when God made you and the world oohed and aahed, in heaven they called you an image of God.”

My kids love to hear all the ways God made them special. Last year we started pointing out three words that described each of our kids. Words that were reflective of who they are, that encouraged them to focus on some of their best attributes.

Each morning when I would drop off our son at school I would remind him to be Kind, Compassionate and Brave. Day after day I affirmed him telling him to look for ways to use his God-given gifts to be a help to someone else.

It didn’t take long and he was calling out affirmations for himself and others. When we are focusing on those gifts our perspective changes. There still may be messes and mistakes, but the core truths of who our kids are haven’t changed.

These beautiful children of ours are a gift. “When God Made You” is a book that celebrates that gift. It is a book that your kids will ask you to read again and again.

“You, you, when God sees you, God delights in what is and sees only what’s true. That you – yes, YOU – in all of your glory, bring color and rhythm and rhyme to God’s story.”

I have ordered a copy of this book for all the young kids in my extended family. You should do the same! You can find “When God Made You” at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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I received this book as a part of the When God Made You launch team, all opinions expressed are my own.

Truth Your Heart Needs

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As women, we can be our own worst critic, can’t we? And if you are like me and suffer from feelings of inadequacy, it can be easy to question EVERYTHING. Should I do this, what happens if I don’t do that…and guilt, oh the guilt we allow ourselves to feel. Man I am tired of the guilt! 🙂

As I approached this past weekend I was tired. Like exhausted. We had a terribly busy week, Dominic had been on the road for 3 days so I was doing the single parent routine. And every moment that Dominic was home seemed stressed to get things done that we needed to do.

I felt like the kids had suffered from our crazy schedule and there were still so many things on our home to-do list. A few weeks ago I purchased a ticket to the Beth Moore Simulcast that a local church was hosting. Several women from my old Bible Study were attending and I wanted to be there. It was the first time since they started hosting this simulcast that I actually bought a ticket and planned to go.

But after our week I found myself questioning if I should go or not.

It was only a $10 ticket, but I had committed to going. I didn’t want to let anyone down…and yet I felt strongly that I needed to spend the time at home. Late Friday night I made the decision that I wasn’t going to go. There was a project at home that needed my attention…even more than my need for spiritual teaching from Beth Moore.

Saturday was busy, and not really restful, but it was good.

Our 3 youngest kids have been sharing a room since Isaac left for college. It is a large space so that wasn’t the issue…but Gabe was getting frustrated with the little’s inability to pick up their messes. He wanted his own space. A place that could be his, and clean!

So we worked on getting Gabe’s old room back into his new room. And then, in the big room is a large closet. Elijah has been asking for a “special space” that would be his own for 2 years now. With Gabe’s help we pulled out everything from that large closet and spent the day purging, cleaning and sorting so that storage could be in one part of the closet and a special space was created in the other.

Bean bag chairs and curtains finished off the space and the littles squealed with delight when they saw the finished space. As I was tucking them in for bed they said that they appreciated all my hard work and loved their new space.

I realized that I was just where I needed to be that day.

So I posted a status update on FB about my day and how it had all worked out, and then forgot about it. At church on Sunday a friend found me and thanked me for what I shared. She too had struggled with whether she should attend the simulcast or not and chose her family instead. She was questioning her choice a little but then saw my post about staying home and it was just what she needed.

She said that it is good when we share the honest looks at our life because we never know who might need to read them. Isn’t that the truth?!

It is one of the reasons I blog…typically I have a “failure” type of story to share…how I did it wrong, so learn from me kind of wisdom. And I do that because for SO LONG I felt alone. Isolated and certain that everyone else had this life figured out and somehow I had missed the memo on how to get there.

We need to encourage one another, tell the truths that our hearts are longing to hear!

My dear friend Holley Gerth has written a new devotional called “Do You Know You’re Already Amazing” – 30 Truths to set your heart free. If you have ever read any of Holley’s books or blog posts you will know she writes as though she is sitting across from you, sharing life. As a woman who has struggled with knowing who God created her to be, Holley understands the unique way that women need to be encouraged. In person, she is an embodiment of grace and kindness, she is a true gift.

This devotional is her newest offering, that I think needs to be in the hands of every woman. Filled with short pieces that not only encourage but challenge, this devotional is the perfect way to start out each new day.

Using stories out of the Bible, Holley reminds us that if God can use people with “dark” pasts in the Bible, certainly He can use us as well. Each days’ writing ends with a couple of questions for reflection and consideration.

Those sections at the end are called “Truth for your Heart.” Because Holley recognizes that so often we fill our thoughts and our hearts with lies and then we get stuck. In these places we can search our hearts for any lies we may be holding on to and humbly ask God for the wisdom and clarity we need to move forward in freedom.

Oh friends, it is good stuff!!

So as you start this new week I encourage you to be real with one another, drop the guilt you may be carrying and equip yourself with some truth and encouragement for your journey by picking up a copy of this book!

Happy Tuesday friends!

No Longer Ashamed – Finding an Identity in Christ

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I have spent a lot of my life living under the weight of my past and my failures.

Convinced I didn’t have anything to offer, and further justified in my mind when I would see others succeed and I did not.

My identity had become something that was defined by my success (or lack thereof), if I wasn’t invited to be a part of something I must not be worth it. I became more and more ashamed of who I was and certain that I had no value.

I can see today that it was a lie – but in the thick of it, it seemed like absolute truth.

Oh how we can be deceived. The Bible says in John 10:10 that the thief comes to kill and destroy but God has come to give us life and abundantly at that!

I have heard that verse hundreds of times over the course of my 41 years and it wasn’t until recently that I really understood its truth in my own life.

I have read a couple of books about shame in the past 6 months, most recently one called “Unashamed – Healing our brokenness and finding freedom from shame” by Heather Davis Nelson.

In it she describes shame as “the feeling that we have missed the mark according to our own standard or our perception of someone else’s standard for us. Shame keeps us from being honest about our struggles, sins and less than perfect moments. Fear of shame drives us to perfectionism in all areas of our lives, so that there would be no imperfection to be noticed and judged. Shame is what we heap on others when they fail us. Shame keeps us holding onto bitterness and refusing to forgive. We are impacted by the shame of sin committed against us, and this drives a wedge into our relationships.” p20

That feeling we have missed the mark….

The story of my life really, but I want freedom and I believe it is possible!

But it starts with an honest look at what has shaped me over the years. How I see people seeing me now. Why the opinions of others matter SO much and a look at who am I living my life for.

These aren’t easy questions to explore and honestly it has been a bit of a painful process.

But I believe that the heart work has been necessary to get to that place that I can be honest with others. The hope is that in doing so we can surround ourselves with a body of believers that encourages us in spite of our failures.

Heather says this…“Imagine a community where we are free to be known and seen for who we are on our best days and our worst days.” p83

If I want that community for myself I first need to be that kind of community to others. And I can use Christ as my example.

Finding my identity in the One who can fully restore me from all shame, all my sinful past, all my mistakes and hurts.

Heather said it beautifully here…“Rescue comes only through Jesus. Jesus took the shame of our shame-filled (and shame-fueled) performances and mis-placed blame, and bore it in His body and shed blood for us on the cross. He covered not only the guilt of our sin, but our shame of trying to cover up our sin. And the good news doesn’t stop there! We have Jesus’s righteous performance in place of our feeble half-hearted attempts.” p93

Jesus did it all.

And He did it EVEN THOUGH He knew what my sins would be. He loved me that much. And now because of this great sacrifice, my identity isn’t one of sin and shame but instead an identity filled with the goodness of who Christ is.

It’s pretty amazing really and I am so grateful for this gift of new life He has given me!

I don’t know about you, but trying to be something I am not is exhausting. I won’t ever get this life “right”, I can’t be perfect and when I try (and for all the wrong reasons) I will fail every time.

Instead I am finding peace and sanctuary in the knowledge of my new identity and claiming it with TRUTH from His word.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has done, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1

“I have been crucified with Christ and therefore I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20-21

Take some time today to revel in those truths. If you have struggled with your identity, start praying about how God can open your eyes to your real identity through Him. Take a step of faith and start building community with someone you can trust, and start getting real. I think that as we do this and then also claim truth in our hearts from the scripture we will start walking in the freedom that God has intended for us all along!

Heather’s book is really good and explores areas of shame in our body image, our social interactions and our performance. What I loved most about the book was that it is filled with the truth and encouragement that can only be found in a relationship with Jesus. Not another self-help book but rather a hope-filled book that can help you identity shame and then break free from the chains it has on you!

I was sent a copy of Unashamed to review for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The wonderful people at #FlyBy have a copy of this book for me to giveaway to one of my readers!! If you would like a copy simply leave a comment below! I will pick a winner next Friday the 8th!

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”) Many thanks to Propeller Consultin, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller/FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

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Chasing Sunsets and Looking for Lovely

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I love me a good sunrise or sunset.

My ONLY regret about the house we bought here in MN is that we can’t see the sunrises or sunsets very well. Homes and trees block the majority of our view, so while I get glimpses, I never get the full picture sitting inside my home.

But there is the rare occasion that I am bringing kids to school or heading home from church on Wednesday nights that I get to take in the beauty of a sunrise/sunset in its full glory.

I connect with God through His creation. There is something special about seeing the colors change across the sky, so brief and fleeting, but realizing the promise that they always return with each new day.

There are moments when I wish I could take time and just chase sunsets, every day, seek out that beauty and pause to take it all in. Because often times I struggle to see any light at all…

I have battled with depression for probably longer than I’d like to admit.

I do a pretty good job of disguising it for those I come in contact with. I can fix myself up and pretend that I have got it all together. But the banter that happens in my head is anything but put together and lovely.

It is often negative and oppressive, filled with comparison and littered with envy and jealousy. I want what I think you have and have to fight to see the many (obvious) blessings in my own life. I know that I have so many things to be grateful for but sometimes the knowing isn’t enough, it seems.

Recently I got a book in the mail that has helped me feel less alone in this struggle, and also has set a path in motion to my seeking out the lovely in my day…even if it is small or seemingly insignificant.

In her book Looking for Lovely , Annie writes this: “I had an addiction. For over twenty years I had taken all the pain and hurt and pushed it straight down my throat. For as much as I read the Bible, sat in Sunday school, and made church my second home, I wish I’d understood, “His ears are open for their cries for help” (Psalm 34:15) Instead of feeling any of the suffering, instead of pressing through the pain and taking it to God, trusting that He heard me, I escaped to anywhere that would feed me, and I stuffed my emotions down by covering them in layers of food.” (p.37)

In my book I have those lines underlined and where she has food, I crossed it out and wrote in anger. I could also have written shopping or any thing that I set out to do that fills me up and makes me “feel” more valuable…host a party so I get praise, work on the “perfect” blog post so I can encourage others and bolster my self esteem…the list could go on and on.

Instead of dealing with the heart of what’s at the center of the darkness I feel inside, I run to fill the emptiness with things that never fully satisfy.

In her journey to be “rebuilt”, Annie knew that “she needed the strength of heart to hold on until God could complete the work He had begun.” (p.47)

This rebuilding is hard, laborious work isn’t it? If you have walked through a time of self discovery yourself, you know that it is often painful and slow. There are days that I feel like I have taken several steps forward only to find myself right back in the muck of my old ways, full of mistakes.

In these times I need to take just a little time to focus on the lovely around me. A beautiful sky, the sound of the rain falling, a clean closet or some one on one time with one of my kids.

I loved what Annie had to say about it: “It’s not about pretending everything is beautiful and nothing is ugly and you have no questions or doubts and picking out the beautiful in your everyday is going to protect you from anything hurting ever. It’s about feeling the pain, letting the suffering be a part of your life…because there is beauty in choosing to feel that pain, in calling hurt what it is, and not pretending that everything is okay.” (p.76)

Ultimately I want to be able to be okay not being okay.

There is a freedom in being able to be transparent and honest, and I want that in my life. I want to recognize where I am still stuck, take responsibility for the things that are mine and find contentment and joy even if my life isn’t picture perfect.

Annie found that in many deep and meaningful ways. Her book is filled with both struggle and progress. As raw and honest as they come, she has walked this hard path and offers hope for those of us on a similar journey.

“It’s not that my life is all that different; it’s just that I see it differently. So it feels like a brand-new life.” (p.172)

So I am going to keep chasing sunsets, I will paint my fingernails a fun color and enjoy the little things that bring me joy. And I will also continue to allow God to refine me and my character. Allowing myself to be humbled because it brings healing. I don’t have to run from the hard, or stuff it away, or fill it with things of this world. Instead I will seek the lovely through it all and trust that even if my circumstances haven’t changed, that one day I too will begin to see differently as well.

I received an advance copy of Annie’s book as a part of her launch team. I LOVED this book and so I have a copy to share here with one of my readers. I think every woman needs to read this book – so leave a comment to be entered and I will pick the winner on Friday April 8th!

An Unlikely Bunch – The Gift of Friendship

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I’ll just start out by being really honest with you. I didn’t want to be a part of their “group”. When Dominic “recommended” that I go to the new bible study meeting at church I was less than enthused.

There were several times over the course of the past 4 years that I wanted to participate in one of the bible studies, but there never seemed to be time. But now it was HIS idea so somehow it was a priority. And I didn’t want to go.

You see we were really struggling, no…I was really struggling. My attitude and behavior were less than ideal and I was creating waves in our marriage that were drowning us both. I needed something, I knew it…but I didn’t want it to be something he recommended. Admitting this was a good thing was also an admission that I needed help and I wasn’t ready for that.

I can be a bit overreactive and emotional if you couldn’t tell….

A small piece of me knew that if I didn’t go to this study, I may ruin future opportunities…so that first Monday I got in my car and drove to church. It is a 15 minute drive and I fought with God the entire way. “I DON’T want to be doing this Lord. I know that I need something, but I don’t want it to be the something he recommended. I know I am being terrible right now, so please Lord would you give me even one thing at this study tonight that I could take home with me?”

In my time of desperation, when I called out to God, He heard and He answered.

We are an unlikely bunch. The women in my bible study come from all different places. Some of us are mothers, others grandmas. Some of us are moms of teens and others MOPS. Each of us have a different story to tell. Hurts that have cut us deep and shaped who we are today. Struggles with finances and marriages and freedom from the lies of the enemy.

None of us the same and yet each of us are connected in unity with one goal in mind.

We are seeking a God that loves the very broken women that we are and we are working towards knowing Him more. Becoming a light to those around us, sharing our hurts and our hopes in order to lift one another up.

If you were there with us, you would be warmly welcomed. We don’t have all the answers so we search the God that does. We fail in our jobs and our homes and then we come and share our stories of imperfection. It is a safe place that we can be real and yet walk away lavished in the truth of who we are in Christ.

It was not at all what I expected and exactly what I needed.

I don’t know where you find yourself today. Maybe you have been hurt by the church, or by women…I know it happens and can I just say that I am sorry! I know that I have been that judgmental woman myself, believing that I wouldn’t fit in with “that group.” But boy when I prayed that simple prayer for God to give me one thing I could take home, He gave me an unlikely group of women that have become friends. And I am so grateful.

It is my prayer that we can continue to be that gift to more women that join us…that His love would spread into our homes and our workplaces and communities. That by gathering together as imperfect women, seeking God, we will be able to then be a blessing to someone else who really needs it.

I think that is exactly why God gave us friendships, and today I celebrate that! Celebrating the friendships that give life today and celebrating the launch of this new book. The Gift of Friendship – Stories that Celebrate the Beauty of Shared Moments by Dawn Camp is available for sale now. A beautiful book filled with stories from women who are doing life with friends. The hard, the wonderful, the scary moments that happen in friendship are all shared in this book. A perfect gift for the friends in your life!

It’s Time to Break Busy

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It is the most common answer when someone asks how we are doing…

We are Busy.

Always busy.

Sometimes I think that I wear busy like a badge of honor. Being busy must indicate that my days are filled with important things and that must make me valuable right?!

When I am focused on preforming, on being someone that matters in this world, I loose my focus on what’s really important.

Alli Worthington talks about this busy cycle in her new book Breaking Busy. (Available tomorrow January 26th!!) She says “Crazy busy is a life without peace. It’s marked by decisions made for the approval of the world, not the approval of God. It’s filled with what we think we “should” do, what we think will make others happy, and we think being a good person (or good girl) looks like. All this busyness, in the end, keeps us out of reach of the life we were created to live.”

How is it that this has become my life?

I recognize the need for peace in my life but yet I can’t stop my need to seek perfection. As if it is ever even available!

Alli shares some signs to help you determine if you are too busy. Things like an inability to control your emotions, or lack of self care. Check and check.

So here’s the raw and ugly truth.

When I spend every waking moment filling my life with way too much, seeking the approval of man over the love of God…I find myself bitter, overwhelmed and quite frankly out of control.

How can we see God’s purpose in our lives, and recognize the gifts He gave us?

Alli says “I have learned that God plants gifts in us and provides opportunities throughout our lives to fulfill our life’s purpose. But we have to break the cycle of busy in our lives if we are going to have enough room to discover God’s plan – our destiny.”

So what’s an overachiever, can’t say no, trying to measure up kind of girl like myself supposed to do?

First, and I am learning this painfully slow…I have to start saying no. Not to everything, but I am trying to be prayerful about the things I say yes to. The places I spend my time, and those commitments that take me away from my family.

It isn’t easy at times, and I struggle even more in our business trying to find that balance between keeping our clients happy and having a manageable schedule. But if we want to enjoy life even a little, finding that balance is necessary for all of us!

Second, I am seeking God for direction in all things. I don’t do this well all the time either but I am trying. I stepped down from the worship team at church in October. I miss it more than I thought I would and part of me really wants to go back. But I have been praying about it and asking God to make it clear if or when that should happen. I haven’t felt His leading and so I am staying where I am.

I want my participation in leading worship to be all for His glory and not to bolster my self esteem. Right now I think it would be more about me than Him…so some continued heart work will need to happen until I am in the best place to honor God with my voice.

And finally I am investing in things that will be best for my emotional/spiritual/mental health. I typically have not been good about taking responsibility for my actions and behaviors. When my emotions get out of control I hurt people. I didn’t want to admit that I needed some help, but I did.

So recently I have been meeting with a counselor. A Christian counselor who is helping me to see what makes me, me and why I think/act the way I do. I am discovering more about who I am, the lies that I have believed for way too long, and what my identity in Christ really is.

It isn’t necessarily convenient to meet with him each week and takes several hours out of my morning because it is over an hour drive to see him. But the time is well spent when my emotional, spiritual and mental health are improving.

Sometimes it is necessary in our busy lives to carve time out to take care of ourselves isn’t it?!

You see, the enemy wants nothing more than to keep us stuck on the merry-go-round of busy. In that place where we are doing too much, we don’t have time for God and really don’t have time to seek out His plans for our lives!

Alli writes this, “Keeping us busy trying to prove our worth is the easiest way to keep us from the life that God created us to live because it makes us think that our worth is based on what we do, instead of who God is.”

Isn’t that some powerful truth?!

This book came at the perfect time for me. I needed the truths that Ali shares in her book. I needed to be challenged and encouraged and this book does just that. I received a copy of her book as a part of her launch team but even more fun is that I have a copy to give away to one of you!!

So if you want to win, please leave a comment telling me one area of your life you would like to be less busy. Additional entries can be received by sharing this post on social media. Leave a comment for each share! I will choose a winner on Friday January 29th!