Like A River: Finding the Faith and Strength to Move Forward After Loss and Heartache By Granger Smith Book Review

In Like A River, Granger Smith has written his first autobiography about his life and how he discovered a true relationship with Christ. This is also the first time he has shared some of the details regarding the event and what occurred afterwards. He begins the book by revealing the true story about how everything changed for his family on a hot Texas day in June. Granger was helping his seven-year-old daughter London, practice her handstand outside in the backyard. He was busy watching some of her new moves that she had recently learned. Lincoln, 5 and River, 3 was having a water gun fight, brother against brother. His career was at an all time high. He was topping Billboard charts, getting radio play, was headlighting his own tour, attending award shows, and was actually supposed to be going to the CMT Music awards the very next day. He recalls feeling like he should soak up this moment and to always remember that it wouldn’t last forever. Everything fell apart when his worst nightmare happened. He shared how his son, River was wild and he loved to always be on the move and finding the next adventure. Granger recalls seeing his son face down in the locked pool. He ran down to him and tried to save him by performing CPR. He explained how he was lifeless and cold and like a ragdoll. He described seeing his wife’s face for the first time and how she had a sheer terror look. River had no brain activity and they had to take him off life support and let him go. His wife made the choice to suggest that they donate his organs to help others. He recalls seeing his other siblings making a sign that state, “Welcome home, River” because they believed that he would be coming home and he didn’t. They had to slowly break the news to them and they had to grieve as a family. Granger shared his grief and pain and how this changed them all. He thought the heartache and pain would never end from losing his son. He remined readers that loss is a matter of when not if. We will all experience it at some point in our lives. He shared two critical truths with readers and these are, “pain is not permanent and pain is not pointless.” 

 

 

He looked at rivers and how they all flow downstream. Rivers are filled with twist and turns. They may get polluted, get occupied with debris, but they still keep moving forward. It used to compare us to rivers and he reminds us that we will experience storms and turbulence. But no matter what we may face there is always a way downstream. I really thought he did a wonderful job in relating everything to a river and how life is like a river and this truly eye opening for readers. 

 

 

I was deeply touched by Granger Smith’s story and you could literally feel the slideshow of the event being replayed daily in his life. He can feel the chaotic and the ripping of all the emotions you would feel if you lost a child. I have always been a fan of Granger Smith’s music for a few years now. I never could have imagine loving an artist more, then after reading a man open up about the deepest part of their soul with others. I truly loved this book and it was so moving to see him dealing with his lost and searching and rediscovering God. He had to still learn to swim upstream even when he had to go through the pain of losing his son. I also connected with his struggles with feeling like there is no hope and he felt lost without his son. I liked how he enclosed scriptures throughout the book and his journey into getting back to his faith is incredible. The only thing I would say I’m disappointed with is his decision to stop doing music and moving into full time ministry, which I get but I also enjoyed hearing his new songs come to live. This wasn’t stated in the book but he announced that recently. But I do think, he will make a wonderful preacher that his message and Christ’s message will resonate with readers. I also loved how he include two special sections about his faith and an infant swim rescue guide. Both of these features are inspiring and will change lives physically and spiritual and you might even save a life. 

 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from the Granger Smith and the publisher, Thomas Nelson for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Like-River-Finding-Strength-Heartache/dp/1400334365/  

Look What You’ve Done: The Lies We Believe and the Truth that Sets Us Free by Tasha Layton with Jocelyn Bailey Book Review

 

In Look What You’ve Done, Tasha Layton has written down her personal story about her journey to become a songwriter and a Christian singer. This book covered her struggle with dealing with shame and feeling less than. She tried to bury her shame so deep that it wouldn’t ever come to the surface. She explained how this led to her hit song, same name as the title of this book. She was able to connect with God and let Him in her brokenness. In the book, she also touched on her auditioning for American Idol, eventually becoming a background singer for Katy Perry, leaving music, coming back to music, getting married, and having children. 

 

 

 

She grew up in a small town in South Carolina and didn’t have many friends. Her family just couldn’t afford to participate in sports, dance, or any other fun group activities. She lived in a trailer and she explained how she wouldn’t invite kids over because she was afraid of being judged. She always believed that the other kids in nicer housed were just better people than her. Her parents worked hard to provide for them. She shared how she felt not beautiful enough and she didn’t think she had the right hairstyle. She had a deep fear of rejection and she strived to be perfect. She felt the seeds of comparison. This robs us of our identify and contentment. She revealed how gratitude is an important practice we need to put into place where it can change our perspective. We all need to learn to enjoy what we do have and not focus on what we don’t. 

 

 

She shared a heartbreaking story about a bad nightmare she had that messed her up for years. This started because of an event at school that humiliated her. She was in first grade when they were all supposed to be taking turns reading out loud. She needed to go to the bathroom and the teacher thought she was trying to get out of her turn. When it was time for her to read, she wet herself in front of the whole classroom. She was laughed at and sent to the bathroom located in the classroom. The teacher was annoyed and left her in their until it was time to go home. This led her to believe the lie that she was a bad child who deserved punishment. She also opened up about how she was called one of them Chia Pets because of her leg hair. She was embarrassed and she made a vow to never to be made fun of again. She went home and shaved her own legs and ended up cutting her legs and leaving behind a scar. This shared all of these personal stories where readers can understand that, “our memories inform who we become”. The real enemy is very good at planting lies and reinforcing them and disguise them as truths. In the book, she walks readers through how she received counseling and was able to heal and move forward. 

 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book about Christian artist, Tasha Layton. I have only recently listened to her music became a fan of her voice and now her story. One of my first songs I heard of her was a song she sung with Josh Wilson. I then listened to her other songs and she has an incredible voice range and her lyrics are life changing. I intensely connected with her story and I appreciated how real she was in sharing her brokenness, the lies we are believing, and shame. I really didn’t like how she was treated in school and church. Fans will be shocked to her about her teenage boyfriend mother experience and how she treated her. I was in awe in reading about her struggle with wanting to end it all at the lowest moment of her life during her collage life and feeling miserable but thank God she is still her changing lives. 

 

 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from the publisher, K-Love Books for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Look-What-Youve-Done-Believe/dp/1954201389/

Believe: Hope Has Your Name on It by Joel Osteen

In Believe, Joel Osteen has written a book discussing the power of believing and using it to change your entire life. When we choose to believe this in fact will help us to ignite the promises of God and to witness His favor throughout the day. We can learn to believe what God has stated over our lives and get in agreement with Him. Paul prayed in Ephesians 1:19 that believers and those that would believe would learn to understand the greatness of God’s power. Joel stated how we must learn to just get in agreement with God and say Lord, I believe. He shared a story found in scripture that discussed how a little girl was very sick and the dad came to Jesus and begged for him to heal his daughter. Jesus kept making stops along the way and never arrived there before she died. He told them if they would only believe, then she would be made well. Jesus did pray for her and she was healed. We can use this example to believe that God is able to turn anything around, fix our financial burdens, bring our wayward children home, provide healing, help us to find our spouse, have children, our dreams to come to pass, and whatever else you are believing God for. The book is derived from material, “All Things are Working for Your Good, The Power of Favor, Think Better, Live Better, and Break Out”. 

 

 

In the book, he shared a story about a young couple who attended Lakewood Church. They had a dream to buy their first home and they believed what scriptures stated about God’s favor and Ephesians 3:20. For ten years, they saved up the money for their dream home. They were about to close on the house when her house lost his job on his birthday. They believed that God was a God of justice and He could bring restoration. The husband didn’t get his hopes up. He was still looking for a job and volunteering at church. Five months later and out of the blue he received a phone call from his old job. It was someone from corporate explaining that they had fired the whole management team. The company wanted him to come back and they restored all of his benefits and retirement. The house was unfortunately sold by then. But God provided them with another home that turned how to be in a better area and for a better price. 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book about believing and being mindful of what you are believing. I loved the concept for this book and it’s a wonderful book to help you to feel refreshed. I greatly connected with the importance of setting your thermostat on God’s promises and keep our mindsets set on things above. Even when the temperature changes, we can learn to stay in faith and not be moved by what we see. We can instead by moved by what we know. This was very life changing in reading about how we need set our thermostat and not be moved by whatever is happening around us. I also loved how he went into detail about our anchor of hope. Sometimes we have to cut the lines to break free from whatever is holding us down. This will help us to have the right perceptive and remember to have hope in what matters. I was touched by the incredible story he shared regarding an inmate who was convicted of selling drugs and sentenced to 40 years and how watching Lakewood changed his life. He believed that he would get out early and was released and attended a service and explained to Joel how he changed his life. This was breathtaking to read and how he was able to believe for God’s favor. I also liked reading about how he was able to get the Compaq Center and move Lakewood Church there and all the challenges and obstacles that they face. These were inspiring to read about. 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from the publisher, Hachette Book Group/Faithwords for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Believe-Hope-Has-Your-Name/dp/1546005374/

How to Talk to God by Joyce Meyer Book Review

In How to Talk to God, Joyce Meyer explored with readers on the hidden truths found in praying and taking to their loving Heavenly Father daily. This book will assist readers in learning to pray that God will teach us how to pray. Even one of Jesus disciples stated to the Lord to teach us to pray. We must remember that not everyone prays the same way and this isn’t wrong with how you pray. Some prefer to pray out loud, silently, eyes open or closed, while music is playing, quiet setting, and much more. We need to learn how to let God’s Holy Spirit led us and to follow his promptings. She explained how building a relationship with God takes time just like it takes to build a friendship. She shared that we can be as close to God as we want if we are willing to invest in our relationship. She looked at four observations, we can have about prayer. These included, remembering that prayer doesn’t have to be long, doesn’t have to be complicated, doesn’t have to be eloquent, and you don’t have to be perfect. She strongly encouraged readers to pray when they don’t know what to do, when they are sick, when someone you loves is suffering, when you want to give up, just to name a few. She also enclosed prayers we can pray when we are afraid, season of difficulty, stressed, struggling financially, worried about the future. This book contains material derived from The Power of Simple Prayer. 

 

 

Joyce opened up about how she was called into ministry in 1976. She was married and was busy raising three kids and was working a full-time job. God was directing her to quit her job and pursue a full-time teaching ministry. She struggled with quitting her job because she didn’t want to lose her income means. She would have to really trust God to provide for them. The monthly bill was exceeding 40 dollars from just relying on her husband’s income. This didn’t include any room if they needed anything extra. She decided to get a part time job but she still wasn’t following God’s directing. When she worked the part time job, she felt she couldn’t do anything right and she was eventually fired. She watched God provide for them and she shared what this taught her about obedience. This can also greatly help us to honor God and it can help to reveal our love for Him. 

 

 

I would recommend this life enhancing book on prayer to anyone who is ready to build a deeper relationship with Christ and they want to grow in prayer. I was touched by how she specified that she believes satan is trying to build a giant stronghold of cold love in believers. Yes, you read that correctly believers! He is working overtime to try and make us selfish, self-centered, and not loving others. This is truly eye opening and we can all learn to walk in love and to treat others like they matter. If we would all work on following 1^st Corinthians 13, we would see love being lived out. I also liked and appreciated how open she was in discussing forgiveness and how this is one important area that is hindering our prayers from being answered. I immensely loved how she looked at how prayer is an essential part of our day-to-day life and how we can overcome any common issues we have be facing that may be preventing us from praying.

 

 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from the publisher, Hachette Book Group/Faithwords for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/How-Talk-God-Joyce-Meyer/dp/1546016104/

 

Holy Unhappiness: God, Goodness, and the Myth of the Blessed Life by Amanda Held Opelt Book Review

 

In Holy Unhappiness, Amanda Held Opelt explored all the different areas in which we are expected to be happy in life. But life doesn’t always go our way and what we think will make us truly happy often fall short. We tend to believe that getting a good job, getting married, having kids, following God’s will for your life, community, going to church, just to name a few areas will make us happy and complete. She referred to it as the belief in the emotional prosperity gospel and we have been tainted views. 

 

 

In the chapter dedicated to the belief that having children will make us fulfilled and happy. She revealed how she has a miscarried at 9 weeks. There was no heartbeat detected – just an empty stillness. She shared how she felt crushed that she couldn’t accomplish what a woman’s purpose and she felt betrayed by her body. She also had two more miscarriages. She did end up having two daughters. She explored the history about how God stated that children are a heritage from the Lord and how blessed a man is if his quiver is full of them. She looked at the history of woman staying home to raise the children and how that has changed over the years. She went into detail about God has sustained her through her infertility. She explained how we can still have delight and be present and finding joy in the ordinary. 

 

 

She also looked at the topic of our bodies and her different areas in which she had health scares. She explained her incredible story with getting healed from a disease that looked like Crohn disease. She recalled her father praying daily for a miracle until one day she was healed. She did share how she has experienced a bad shoulder injury, bruise that left her pain in her leg, and a few other things. She looked at how if we believe in the emotional prosperity gospel, then we should be able to do whatever good thing we think God wants us to do. She shared how scriptures state that our bodies are a temple to God and how we are created wonderfully by Him. But we are also dust and will one day return to dust. She also was very real about how her dad prayed for her sister when she was sick from the flu and she still died. It’s one of the mysteries of the body and limits that we will never know why. She strongly encouraged readers to know their limits and the boundaries of our own bodies and to see the blessing in the limit. We can learn to give our bodies humility. 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book on the myth of what truly makes a happy life and what makes us satisfied. This book breaks down everything that we fall for and believe will make us feel complete and whole. This book will seriously assist readers into breaking down the idol of happiness and we can crack it with a full force. I loved how she teaches readers to walk the narrow road with Christ and to take time to enjoy the ride even if it takes time. She revealed that real happiness is focusing on being a child of God and to remember that He is always with us and this is gift. I really connected with the way she described holy and how unhappiness can be in fact holy. This book will help readers to release some of our expectations that we are believing will make us happy.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from the publisher, Hachette Book Group/Faithwords for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Unhappiness-Goodness-Myth-Blessed/dp/1546001921

Overcoming Every Problem: 40 Promises from God’s Word to Strengthen You Through Life’s Greatest Challenges by Joyce Meyer Book Review

 

In Overcoming Every Problem, Joyce Meyer teaches readers how they can also overcome every problem that they may face in life. The book covered 40 promises that is meant to help strength us in our walk with God. She shared how the Bible has changed her life and she has studied it for over 40 years. She explained how critical it is to study and apply what we are reading to our daily lives. Jesus died where we can have the abundant life and He will can give us blessings. She opened up about how she had dysfunctional behaviors that stemmed from being sexually abused from her father. Her mother knew about the abuse and chose to ignore it and not rock the boat. Joyce explained how she found healing and was able to even provide them with forgiveness. She begins the book by stating how Jesus is the truth and satan has come to deceive us. When we know what the Word says, then we aren’t as easily fooled by untruths. 

 

 

One of my favorite promises was on how we are all born again because of what Christ did for us. We are a new creature in Christ and old things have passed away and we will become brand new. She shared a testimony that she heard of a woman who lost her mother when she was born. Her father thought it would be good for her to connect with other women so he sent her to a convent school for girls. There she was abused by religious figures. She was kept in dark places, beaten, sexually abused, was made to go hungry. If she did get food, she was given laxatives and then beaten if she had to go to the bathroom. She hated Christians and God. She was an alcoholic and became addicted to heroin. She felt empty inside and married a man where she would feel that someone loved her. She finally cried out to God and was saved and they are both pastors now. This was an excellent example of restoration and being born again. We tend to try to fill the empty void by looking for fame, money, possessions, love in the wrong places, and anything else. Many times, we have to hit rock bottom before we turn to God. We can find peace and comfort in Jesus and receive His mercy. 

 

 

I would recommend this prevailing book to anyone who is needing an outstanding resource to assist them in overcoming every promise that they may encounter in life. I also loved how she discussed the power of praying for our enemies especially when they mistreat us. This provides an open door for God to work in their lives. This can give us incredible peace and help us to release the problem to Him and let Him work on them. Our essential part is to pray and let God take control. It was very inspiring to read about how Joyce did this for her dad for years and years until when he was 80 years old. He asked her for her forgiveness and they helped lead him into salvation. I greatly enjoyed how she broke down 40 promises that will change reader’s lives if they choose to read and follow the truths found in the Word of God. Each day contained a main verse, a short teaching, and a special highlight that we can focus on. I believe this book would be a wonderful resource to use daily for 40 days or even weeks where readers can dig deeper until the promises and live them out daily. This book is one to be reread again and again. 

 

 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from the publisher, Hachette Book Group/Faithwords for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Every-Problem-Strengthen-Challenges/dp/154602915X/