Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst

Why has it taken me so long to sit down and actually write this review?  Perhaps it's because I live the kind of hectic life that would lead a woman to need this book.

I've heard of Lysa TerKeurst, and have read some of her Proverbs 31 Ministries devotionals, forwarded by other moms.  So I was delighted to get to review the Unglued Devotional.

Unglued Devotional (the companion book to TerKeurst's Unglued) contains 60 days of devotionals designed to lead women through exploring the emotions, hangups, and situations that can cause us to come completely unhinged whenever a problem arises. Her devotions are a blend of storytelling, psychology, Christ-based mentoring, and humor. She writes about responding (as opposed to merely reacting), about acknowledging emotions (rather than stuffing them), and how to accept (and give) grace as we make imperfect progress toward a goal of leading a more peaceful, Christ-centered (as opposed to me-centered) life.

If you don't see yourself somewhere in the pages of this book....you are a living saint.

Lysa TerKeurst is at her best when she opens up and shares the real challenges she faces being a woman, a mother, a wife, and a friend.  I found myself referring back to this book again and again through the day--some of the devotionals were just what I needed.  I need these lessons to be ingrained so that I can use them with my own kids and with the kids I teach so that they can learn to recognize their own tendencies and not become "unglued" themselves.

I highly recommend this book as a personal devotion book and as an excellent choice for a women's accountability/support group. You may even read this and want to buy copies for all your friends.

I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson in return for an honest review.

Book Review: Yours Is the Day, Lord, Yours is the Night

Is there room in the modern, evangelical Protestant life for a prayer book?  Shouldn't our prayers be spontaneous, free-flowing from the heart rather than read from the page?  Isn't that what we've been taught is the more authentic prayer?

In answer, let me ask you to consider this unique collection the next time you're looking for a way to enrich your prayer life.

Yours is the Day, Lord, Yours is the Night is a collection of prayers taken from Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox sources. You'll find prayers taken from the Book of Common Prayer, prayers authored by well-known figures from Christian history: Bernard of Clairvaux, Thomas Aquinas, St. Patrick of Ireland, and John Wesley. You'll find excerpts from poetry, verses of Psalms, and anonymous inscriptions found in European cathedrals.

These morning and evening prayers are not meant to replace your daily prayers, but rather to enhance and enrich them, much like a devotional book does not replace Bible study, but grounds it in daily living.

I love this book and it sits alongside my devotional book by the chair where I drink my morning coffee.  Like my daily devotion, sometimes these prayers say exactly what my heart is feeling, though I cannot put it in words myself.  Over the past few years I've been toying with the idea of getting a prayer book to help me develop a better daily practice of praying.  But nothing seemed to fit until I found this book.  Not only has it given me a springboard for my own prayers, it has connected me with believers throughout the ages who also long for a closeness with God and peace in the midst of life's troubles.

Highly recommended.

Yours is the Day, Lord, Yours is the Night (A Morning and Evening Prayer Book) edited by Jeanie and David Gushee, Thomas Nelson, 2012.

I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson in return for an honest review.

I (don't) Want Candy

Yikes! Halloween is just a few days away and it's time for my annual "what are we going to give out this year" dilemma.  I seem to remember (back in the old days--my old days at least) that we used to get 1 piece of candy at each house. If you received 2 pieces--that was a "good house" that we remembered to return to the next year.  We had to cover a lot of ground to fill up the plastic pumpkins (and later pillowcases) that we toted around our neighborhood.

Where I live now, folks can afford the hefty bag of fun size candies and they seem to be extravagantly generous. My kids have been known to return home to dump their stash after only completing half of our street.

I suspect the problem lies in the in the easy purchase of megasize bags of candy (thank you, Target) coupled with the fear that one will be stuck with all this candy on November 1st.  Hence the practice of handing out not 1 or 2, but 3 or 4 treats per tot.

My kids can't wait.

My problem is that, having thus dispensed with my chosen crate o'treats at my doorstep (and feeling pretty good about myself), my kids return home with approximately 3 times as much candy as I've just given out.

It's the devil's math!

After lifting and stowing the mountain of candy from last year's haul, I decided something had to be done.  I let my kids keep a portion and bought the rest off of them to donate to Treats for Troops at my church.  Cash for candy--how's that for a treat?

Each day I'd let my kids eat some, but all evening the remaining candy would whisper my name from the cupboard.  It became a battle of will and when it comes to Twizzlers, Tootsie Rolls, and anything with chocolate and coconut I cave like a sandcastle at high tide.

This year I waited until the final week to make my purchase. What could I buy that won't tempt me over the next few days? Was there something substantial that I could give out 1 at a time (and not seem cheap)? Something that I can put in my kids' lunchboxes in the event that I have leftovers? 

Halloween themed fruit snacks. Hooray!

Book Review: 40 Days to a Joy Filled Life

What a great title. Who wouldn’t want a joy-filled life?  And in 40 days?  Sign me up!

I’ve been carrying this book around with me to read in waiting rooms, car line, spare bits of time during the month of October.  The giant smiley face is an attention getter and I have had one conversation (at the veterinarian’s office) about this book and what it promises to do:  cause you to change your thinking and find more joy, even in the midst of difficulty.

This 40-day workbook is based on Tommy Newberry’s book The 4:8 Principle which draws inspiration from Philippians 4:8--”...whatever is true, whatever is noble....”  I actually wasn’t too crazy about the self-help tone of The 4:8 Principle, especially the somewhat New Age idea that if I put good thoughts out there, blessings will come.  That’s only mentioned once, but it soured me a bit on his message.  I also felt that Newberry didn’t do enough for people who cannot get away from negative people (coworkers, relatives).  Perhaps that’s another book?

However,  I loved the book 40 Days to a Joy-Filled Life.  The message is the same (there’s even that New Age bit), but the tone is slightly different.  It felt less “do this to get blessed” and more “don’t miss out on the joy of Christian life.”   I learned that I have much work to do on capturing each thought and focusing on praiseworthy things in the midst of a painfully difficult year.

40 Days gives you one thing to think about each day and leads you from where you are to a closer relationship to God.  It’s not a devotional--there’s no daily Scripture verse-- but it draws from Scripture, and encourages Scripture memorization as a way of transforming your mind.  Each day has a reflection, an application, a prayer, and a reminder to write on a post-it or email/text yourself so that you carry the thought throughout the day.

Though I read this through rather quickly in order to write a review, I liked it well enough that now I’m going to read it again as a 40-day exercise.  Who couldn’t use a little more joy in her life?

40 Days to a Joy-Filled Life by Tommy Newberry, Tyndale House, 2012.
The 4:8 Principle by Tommy Newberry, Tyndale House, 2007.

As part of the Tyndale Blog Network I received a complimentary copy of 40 Days as well as a copy of The 4:8 Principle in return for an honest review.