Do It Anyway: Don't Give Up Before It Gets Good by Tasha Cobbs Leonard Book Review

In Do It Anyway, Tasha Cobb Leonard shared how we need to refuse to give up and to do it anyways. She is the hit Christian artist who sings, Break Every Chain. She attended the Stellar Gospel Music Awards on January 18, 2014 with 7 nominations and she felt she was living the Ephesians 3:20 dream. She had just released her first album that reached a top ten list on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums of the year. She won New Artist of the Year. It was extra special because her dad was there. Her dad had a strong work ethic and rarely would risk missing church. He was a ministry and love to share the message of the Gospel. The next day her father went home to be with the Lord. He suffered a heart attack while driving. Luckily, he took his foot off the gas petal and he just coasted into the ditch. He used his last bit of strength to remove his foot off the petal and this ended up saving his wife’s life. She explained how she had to choose to do it anyways and attend the Grammy’s. She ended up winning Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance. 

Another section of the book, she explained how she battled with her weight. She realized she was in trouble when she was deeply out of breathe one day walking to the car. She used to be athletic in high school and she stopped worrying about her health. She wasn’t exercising and eating right. She prayed and sought out help and had weight lost surgery to help her maintain a healthier weight. For three years, she was successful in working out and eating healthier. Her and her fiancé both struggled with their weight. She shared this story to remind readers to do it anyways even after you fail. Weight lost is a journey that you have to battle every day. She shared how she had to walk through the process of healing while waiting for God’s deliverance. She felt this was her torn in her side but it helped her to stay aligned with God’s will. She shared how she also lost her voice and was struggling singing like she used to. They found out she had a polyp on her left vocal cord. Even though, she couldn’t sing during this time she still could praise God. 

I would recommend this awesome book about choosing to do scary things anyways. I immensely loved how she enclosed helpful review questions and a quick recap to help us to dive deeper into the message. One of my favorites discussed giants and how important it is to be honest with ourselves. Her story was inspiring to read about how discovered her love for music, how she got a label, and the challenges she faced.  

I received this book free from Waterbrook for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon.com:

https://www.amazon.com/Do-Anyway-Dont-Give-Before/dp/0593600878/ 

Flip Your Life: How to Find Opportunity in Distress—in Real Estate, Business, and Life by Tarek El Moussa Book Review

 

In Flip Your Life, Tarek El Moussa breaks down 4 key areas he chooses to live by: evaluate, emulate, renovate, and duplicate. These rules are the rules he lives by and how he flips houses for a living.He shared his birth and how he was born frail and jaundice. He developed weird tics and the doctors believed that he has some kind of palsy. He was made fun of by others kids and even some adults. One coach would ask him in front of everyone if he would like a million dollars just so kids would laugh he had a weird tic. He struggled with ADHD. He was even slammed against the wall by one teacher because of hyperactivity. He explained how when he graduated from college he began to gain weight and he had always been an athlete. He felt his life was a disaster and he didn’t know the direction he wanted to go in life. He turned to alcohol and smoked. In the book, he shared how he was diagnosed with cancer. He had two different types thyroid and testicular cancer. He later experienced horrible back pain. He had his share of challenges he had to deal with. He also went through a divorce. He also explained how he flips a house. He first evaluates the property to determine it’s worth including it’s strengths and weaknesses. He next compares houses and he referred to it as comps. It’s an idea of what could be. Then finally renovates the property. This lead to a tv show, Flip or Flop on HGTV that details the entire process of renovating a home. 

One of my favorite sections was about your healthy self and what all that looks like. These included you respect yourself, know who you are, okay with expressing emotions, and much more. He also looked at the unhealthy self and what all that entails. He also shared how readers can be persistent in their momentum and how critical it is to choose our crew carefully. He explained how his crew helped him through his experiences in life and how men especially struggle with connecting deeper with other men. We have to be willing to ask for help which most of have trouble with. He realized how the helped him to reach his career goals and to become a house flipper. He enclosed a helpful section on some characteristics to look for when building a team. 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is ready to flip their life around. I loved how he shared some behind the scenes of how he conducts and decides how to flip houses. I immensely loved the discussions on mindsets and what we believe about ourselves has a profound effect on whether we will succeed. He was very transparent in how went through a divorce and eventually got remarried. Along the way also experiencing health challenges that changed his life. The cancer being so back to back was shocking and readers will be able to see what he faced. This book will assist you in finding new opportunities and to flip your life. 

I received this book free from Hachette Go for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon.com:

https://www.amazon.com/Flip-Your-Life-Opportunity-Distress_in/dp/0306830876/ref=asc_df_0306830876/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693322190128 

Israel Advocacy/Anti-Rioting Petition

• Biden continues to jump between approving and disapproving of anti-Israel protests

depending on his audience. We need to stand up for our brothers and sisters in Israel.

It’s time for the protests to stop and for us to support Israel!

    • Stop the media’s lies about the attacks on Israel! See real headlines about what’s

actually going on in the world below, and then sign the petition to end anti-Israel

rioting.

    •Anti-Israel protester blocks traffic using her baby: This video captures an anti-

Israel protester holding her baby while standing in front of a car to block traffic.

Another protester can be heard asking for a replacement for the mother,

noting her willingness to risk her child’s life. Additionally, another parent with

a small child and dog are seen standing in the path of traffic. See video:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZgQg5Wfu-NdP1W1zN_5XlpPA4TMnjlbC/view

• George Washington U grads storm out of graduation ceremony in anti-Israel

protest: Dozens of George Washington University graduates walked out of

commencement ceremonies on Sunday, disrupting university President Ellen

Granberg's speech, in protest over the ongoing war in Gaza and last week's

clearing of an on-campus protest encampment that involved police use of pepper

spray and dozens of arrests. See more: https://www.timesofisrael.com/george-washington-u-grads-storm-out-of-graduation-ceremony-in-anti-israel-protest/

• Harvard Prevents Twelve Anti-Israel Protesters from Graduating at Commencement:

The Harvard College Administrative Board will be preventing twelve seniors

from graduating at commencement and at least one senior will be required

to withdraw for three semesters, the Harvard Crimson reported. Two of

the twelve seniors were among the five suspended students who were forced

to withdraw from Harvard College, the university’s undergraduate liberal arts

school. See more: https://www.nationalreview.com/news/harvard-punishes-dozens-of-anti-israel-protesters-prevents-twelve-seniors-from-graduating-at-commencement/

• Philadelphia university president reacts after at least 75 anti-Israel protestors

descend on campus: A group of at least 75 anti-Israel agitators staged an encampment

at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Saturday

evening. The president said that encampment raised “understandable concerns”

about safety on campus. See more:

https://www.foxnews.com/us/philadelphia-university-president-reacts-after-least-75-anti-israel-protesters-descend-campus

• Seeking Peace: Israel has repeatedly expressed its willingness to engage in dialogue

and negotiate for a lasting peace with the Palestinians. However, achieving

peace requires a genuine commitment from both sides to recognize each

other’s right to exist and to engage in constructive negotiations without violence

or terrorism.

• Complexity of the Conflict: The situation in the Middle East is complex, with

historical, religious, and geopolitical dimensions. It’s crucial to understand the

multifaceted nature of the conflict and avoid oversimplification or one-sided

narratives that ignore the broader context.

• Addressing Root Causes: To achieve long-term peace, it’s necessary to address

the root causes of the conflict, such as incitement to violence, terrorism, and

the refusal to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. Encouraging a

shift towards education for coexistence and mutual respect is crucial for fostering

lasting peace.

• Combatting Terrorism: Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, exploits

civilian areas in Gaza, using them as launch sites for rocket attacks on Israeli

civilians. The international community must condemn terrorism in all its forms

and hold accountable those who use violence against civilians for political

gain.

• Fetterman: Biden Is Trying to ‘Have Both Sides’ on Israel-Hamas War: Senator

John Fetterman (D-PA) said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that President

Joe Biden was tryin to have “both sides” on the Israel-Hamas war. See

more: https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2024/05/19/fetterman-biden-is-trying-to-have-both-sides-on-israel-hamas-war/

My Thoughts:

Israel is God's Holy land and it needs to be protected and supported. We are witnessing an increase in protest on college campuses. The war is costing countless lives. This is petition to help end the anti-rioting and help end the war. Support and sign it today!

• Sign the anti-rioting petition and support Israel today!

Petition: https://ifa.nucleuspages.com/landing/anti-riot-petition?mc_cid=70a3473dfa&mc_eid=b445aebcff

Disclosure:

Many thanks to Influenceable for providing a sample of the product for this review.

Opinions are 100% my own.

Giveaway: 1 $10 Amazon giftcard

(Note: This is limited to US winners only.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Secret Society of Success: Stop Chasing the Spotlight and Learn to Enjoy Your Work (and Life) Again by Tim Schurrer Book Review

 

In The Secret Society of Success, Tim Schurrer has a major goal in redefining what success is. Many of us believe that recognition, money, fame, and power will make us truly successful in life. We catch after false ideas of what will make us happier. There has been studies completed that show that it is causing us more anxiety, depression, frustration, and leaving us exhausted. In the book, he shared how he wanted to move into a million dollar home just for the real where other would think that he was in face very successful. He introduced the spotlight mindset and he defined it as a how we believe that in order to be successful the only thing that matters is seeking the praise, attention, and fame. This is an unhealthy expectation for our desire to received the recognition. 

One of my favorite lessons in the book discussed lobsters and how when they are in the water tank. They have rubber bands on their claws to keep them safe from each other not from customers. Lobsters are in a fight to survive and they like to be dominant. This is true in how they mate the woman are drawn to them. He compares people to lobsters and how we like to leverage our own power to be above others. He compared it to a scorecard and for humans it’s money and status. We love to rank and compare our followers and likes with others. He explained how instead we need to focus on relationships with others. 

He shared how he had a dream to become the next John Mayer. He wrote his first song at the age of 18 years old. He recorded and made some albums and they were released on iTunes. He tried his best to grow his music. He made a few friends in the music business and even went on a tour. He admitted to how he compared himself to him and he felt rejected when his merchandise and CD’s would sell out more. At the time, he thought success was fame. He had to tap into a new approach on life and success and discover how he could find true happiness. We must remember that we don’t have to beat anyone to win in life. 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone is struggling with success and wondering why they aren’t getting the recognition they deserve. There are tons of beneficial principles in this book regarding success. It was life changing to realize that we won’t ever receive the recognition that we crave. People most of the time won’t even know what we did and some could honestly care less. I liked how he explained this in detail and how this affects our value. We experience burn out and wonder what’s next for us. He revealed how powerful it is when we receive a thank you would make the world of a difference. He introduced a concept of a simple shout of praise that could change things. I liked how he suggested readers to turn inward and to find their own motivation and to feel the good from their own work. The entire concept of employers recognizing their employees for their work that might even be going unnoticed could change business in the future. Appreciate could help employees from searching for a new opportunity. This book is very beneficial for the secret society and you can be a part of this special group. 

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon.com:

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Society-Success-Chasing-Spotlight-ebook/dp/B09832RNSR/ 

Collecting Confidence: Start Where You Are to Become the Person You Were Meant to Be by Kim Gravel Book Review

In Collecting Confidence, Kim Gravel has written a brand new book to assist readers into realizing how magnificent they really are. In the book, she shared her story about how she was former Miss Georgia pageant winner at the young age of nineteen. She stated how comparison is the ultimate confidence killer and how she dealt with that struggle in her competition. She went on to try out for Miss America and lost. She lost her confidence. She failed to see that she still had talent and felt like she failed. She started singing in night clubs and begin dating a man and eventually married him. The marriage was rough and it ended after two years. During this time, she was able to connect more deeply with God and she had to rely on Him to provide. She had to take a calculator to the store to check the prices. She was able to recognize that all of her past failures prepared her for where she was going. She reminded readers that they are who they are because God designed them and they are fearfully and wonderfully made. She explained how we don’t have to catch our calling and we are where we are meant to be. She went on to share how she got a job at WATC and how fitting that it was only two blocks from her apartment. She was able to be on a talk show called Friends & Neighbors for ten years. She also shared how she recorded a few albums and how she met her future husband. She is a host on QVC and has a beauty line called, Belle and a life coach. She also got an opportunity to be a guest on Steve Harvey. 


I would recommend this inspiring book to anyone who needs a confidence boost and they are needing a little guidance on stepping into their calling. This book will help readers to become real and authentic. One of my favorite things was how she discussed signs and how we have to look around to see them. She reminded us that we are where we are supposed to be for a reason even if we don’t know why. We can learn to let control of our control, which we never really have. I also liked she discussed how titles and degrees don’t make us who we are. She stated how important it is to not put ourselves on sale and don’t allow the world to determine our value. She created a special 11 ways to be authentic. I loved the section on the power of I am and how we must be careful with what follows them. 



I received this book free from Nelson Books for my honest review.”
 
 
 
 
 
If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon.com:


https://www.amazon.com/dp/1400238455 

 

I Used to Be ___: How to Navigate Large and Small Losses in Life and Find Your Path Forward by Chuck Elliott and Ashley Elliott Book Review

I Used to Be ___, Chuck and Ashley Elliott have written a book detailing ways in which we can deal in a healthy way with the used to be and navigate through your grief. Chuck is a pastor and Ashley is a Christian counselor. In the book, they shared how they used to be expecting a child in 2015, 2016, and 2017. They experience three miscarriages three years in a row. They explained how they worshipped, felt devastated, and faced traumatic experiences in the hospital. She shared how she wondered if God even cared about her pain and she questioned His silence. In the book, they also revealed Chuck’s struggled with porn and how it affects their relationship. They walked readers through how to process grief and unmet expectations. They encouraged readers to be present in their thoughts. They had a helpful chart showing positive thoughts and negative and how it all links up in the grief process. 

 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is struggling with lost and grief and they are needing some guidance through it. No one gets through life not experiencing some sort of lost. Either a loved one, job, marriage, or dream. I connected with how they explored how they dealt with their own hurts and devastations and how they tried to encourage others through the pain. This book contains helpful tools to put into practice. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I received this book free from Revell for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Used-Be-___-Navigate-Forward-ebook/dp/B0BLW9GC8T/

Win over Worry: Conquer What Shakes You and Soar with the One Who Overcomes by Keri Eichberger Book Review

In Win Over Worry, Keri Eichberger shared ways in which we can overcome our fears and worries and seek God and His power and assistance. Everyone has at some point in their life has had to deal with worrying. She compares worry to a leaky faucet that won’t quit dripping away despite everything you do to try and fix it. She openly shared how she personal battled flying and the fear of it. She has had to reply on Valium just to make it through. She explained how she has battled worry and fear on and off for over forty years. In this book, she teaches reader practical ways to unleash of God given trust and reply on His help. She shared how the majority of our worry is a learned behavior but we can learn to unlearn it. She breaks down the trauma we may have faced into personally, secondhand, or perception. She shared how she saw fear when she witnessed her boyfriend at the time getting into a fight. This left a mark on her soul of fear. 

 

 

 

One of my favorite suggestions she included was about Thessalonians and how we are encouraged to pray without creasing. Most of us don’t pray continuously throughout the day. We tend to let our thoughts run wild instead. She has some good ideas on how to complete this. We can learn to stop picking up our phones so much, turning down the noise, turn up the worship music, praying ourselves to sleep to keep our minds in a calm state. She clarified how important it is to write down our prayer list and just do it for ourselves only. She also went into detail about her struggle with getting turned down by publishers and receiving a bunch of no’s. During this time, she herself had to come to peace while she waited on God’s timing. 

 

 

 

I would recommend this life changing book to anyone who is ready to win over worrying. This book contained practical ways in which we can learn to release control over our worries and turn them all over to God. I liked how she discusses the experiences we may miss if we choose to worry instead of pursing something we would have gone for if we weren’t controlled by our fear. This book will assist readers in breaking down what is causing them to worry and fear and help them to replace the negative thoughts and to live your life to the fullest. This book will help you to get your joy back and to win against worry. 

 

 

 

I received this book free from Leafwood Publishers for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Win-over-Worry-Conquer-Overcomes/dp/1684262429/

 

A Good Bad Boy: Luke Perry and How a Generation Grew Up by Margaret Wappler Book Review

Luke Perry was a key player in the TV series, Beverly Hills 90210. He played the character, Dylan McKay. He also starred in Riverdale and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Margaret wrote this book by speaking to people close to him and researching his life. He first got the gig by auditing for Dianne Young, the director. His character, Dylan lived in lonely hotel room alone and he was in search of finding his father. He was the first one to admit to read the part in French the rest would just read over it. The director knew he would be prefect for the role. He first began staring in plays at age four. He had a fly malfunction and the zipper kept falling down. He didn’t let this stop him and he kept chasing after his dream to become a professional actor. The book also covered his death. He died of a stroke in 2019 at the age of fifty-two. They had to do a hero send off on Riverdale. 

 

 

I liked how this book covered all of the life of Luke Perry. He never wrote an official autobiography so this is the closest thing we have to his life. I thought she did a wonderful job in tying everything together and looking at different key events in his life. It was interesting to learn about how he got into acting and took on different roles. I would recommend this book to anyone is a fan of Luke Perry and they are curious to learn more about his life.  

I received this book free from Simon and Schuster for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon.com:

https://www.amazon.com/Good-Bad-Boy-Perry-Generation/dp/166800626X

The Encountering God Study Bible NKJV Bible Review

 

• The Encountering God Study Bible is the crowning work of the Blackabys. Featuring their trusted approach to Bible study, this Study Bible includes: 

• Notes highlighting how God might choose to encounter you in His Word • Notes explaining ideas, events, people and places in the text  

• Word studies, character studies, and biographical sketches of figures from church history  

• Notes to help you navigate current cultural issues 

 

 

• Order your copy of the Encountering God Study Bible today! 

 

My Review:

 

The book enclosed a forward by Henry Blackaby and he was one of the people who helped to put this Bible together. He has witnessed encounters with God and was forever changed by them. He was first changed by reading the Bible and encountering God on a personal level. He grew up in Canada and his father was a Christian and modeled to his kids the importance of studying the word of God. He shared how his personal encounters changed him and how he went on to start 38 missions and founding a Bible college. Throughout his ministry, he has witnessed firsthand how God’s encounters changed people lives and a key part was through reading and studying His word. 

 

 

Each Bible section had an introduction, significance, structure, and encountering God. The Bible had encounter note spread throughout the entire Bible. One of my favorites discussed Ps. 33:18 and it was on fear. This told us to fear the Lord only and not to fear people. When we are able to know God and have a good view of him then we will be able to see our adversaries in the right view and have the right perspective no matter what we may face. The Bible also had word study that break down the meaning of an important word and the context in the Bible. It also had a section that explained the faith. They shared a character study on certain people in scriptures. They had a historical encounter. The Bible contained helpful maps such as Jerusalem featuring David’s city and where it was located. The book shared David’s triumphs and troubles and referred to which verses they are and on where they can be found. I really believe this was extremely helpful in breaking down the message of David. The book contained a Biblical timeline, harmony of the Gospels, read you Bible in a year, prophecies and fulfillments, index to special features, concordance. The Bible comes in a black leather design and contained two ribbons- one teal and one navy. The teal color is very beautiful and makes it super easy to find. 

 

 

I would recommend this Bible to anyone who wants to experience an encounter with God. It is very well put together and the text is 9 points so it makes it very easy to read on the eyes. I liked how the Bible highlighted key encounters with God and helps readers to grow closer to Christ. There are tons of helpful features in the Bible such as encounter notes and words and explaining the faith. I liked how they strongly encouraged readers to actively open the word and try to encounter God daily and to see how God’s word can apply to our lives. I also liked how they covered the problem of pain and why bad things happen to good people. I’m writing this review while they are singing a tribute to Christian singer, Mandisa. As, I believe we are all wondering why. We just have to remember that God will wipe every tear from our eyes and there will be no one death or pain. The suffering we are experiencing now is nothing compared to the glory which is on the way. This is a wonderful Bible to add to your collection and it one that will help to experience an encounter with God in a new and bright way. 

 

 

Links:

 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/51788E90-9C90-4632-A628-39F83F200C01?channel=Momentum

 

 

https://www.thomasnelsonbibles.com/encountering-god-study-bible/?utm_source=Momentum&utm_medium=Bloggers&utm_campaign=Spring  

 

Disclosure:  

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.

 

Giveaway: 1 Encountering God Study Bible 

(Note: This is limited to US winners only.) 

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Nine Lives and Counting: A Bounty Hunter’s Journey to Faith, Hope, and Redemption by Duane “Dog” Chapman Book Review

 

In Nine Lives and Counting, Duane Chapman has written a brand-new book about his life and his experiences in being a reality TV star and how he discovered Christ. He was the star on Dog the Bounty Hunter and Dog and Beth: On the Hunt. In the book, he shared about meeting his wife, Beth. He explained what he went through when he lost her to cancer. She was diagnosed with stage 2 throat cancer. He admitted to how he refused to believe anything negative regarding the diagnose. He believes in the power of life and death is found in the tongue so he would watch his words. He shared how he even would make minister change his vows and take out til death do us part because he didn’t want to speak death at all. She was given the cancer free clear when only a year later it returned to stage 4 and spread to her lungs. She fought until the end. He admitted to how after her death he considered ending his life to join her in Heaven but God instructed him not to end the life that He gave him. In the book, he explained how he met his new wife Francie who also lost her own spouse. He also covered his past relationships and marriages and kids. 

 

 

He revealed how he come to know Christ and was reborn and how it excites him to witness people lives being changed. He grew up as a Christian kid in the Assemblies of God and he grew up Pentecostal church. He accepted Jesus as his savior when he was around 5 years old. He revealed his take on demon possession and how very real this is. He witnessed people being delivered and in turn has seen it firsthand through his encounters with criminals and addicts. Satan is the author of the oppression and confusion and he tempts to torment people. He explained how he studied the nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit. He was gifted with the gift of knowledge and God would assist him in his quests in his bounty hunting. He shared a few examples of this throughout the book. 

 

 

One of my favorite parts of the book was about him being warned about how he didn’t need to go out one night. He refused to listen and proceed to go out with his friends. They went coyote hunting. One of them wanted to go get a joint before going. They decided to go see their other friend, Jerry Lee who would have a stash. The other friend shot Jerry Lee in the shoulder. Later it was confirmed that Jerry Lee was killed and they arrested Dog. He clarified how Texas law found him guilty just because he was present at the time. He was sentenced to five years. He opened up about his different experiences he went through during this time. 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book about the life of Dog and his faith in Christ. It was very eye opening to read about his experiences and how he was at time rough around the edges and God was able to reach down and change his life. It’s interesting to read about how he was in a motorcycle gang, to being sentenced in prison to, being a bounty hunter on TV. I haven’t watched a lot of his TV series but I was curious to learn about him and reading about his faith was inspiring and to see how it has changed his entire life. 

 

 

 

 

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Nine-Lives-Counting-Hunters-Redemption/dp/1400239273/