Alone in Plain Sight: Searching for Connection When You’re Seen but Not Known by Ben Higgins Book Review

In Alone in Plain Sight, Ben Higgins wrote a brand-new book about dealing with the feelings of rejection and how we can reconnect with yourself, others, romantically, and God. Ben Higgins was on the 11^th season of the Bachelorette and he also starred on the 20^th season of the Bachelor. He begins the book by sharing a personal story about how he has always felt like an outsider and how he was the kid who was a loner and didn’t feel like he fit in. He shared how in reading class, he was the last one picked and he didn’t have a reading partner so he had to partner up with the librarian. He admitted to feeling like an outsider and he always felt rejected by his peers. He felt like he could easier talk to adults than his peers. He was an only child and it wasn’t by choice. His parents spent four years with infertility specialists before they were able to conceive him. He shared how during the pregnancy, she suffered a severe placenta previa hemorrhage and he became a high-risk pregnancy. During this time, his father was also diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Luckily, everything turned out fine and his parents were okay but it changed them afterwards. But after all these events they were unable to have any more children. He explained how these events caused his parents to live life a different way and they raised Ben that every day is gift from God and making meaningful connections with family and friends is extremely important. Ben revealed how he struggled with friendships and he didn’t understand the term casual acquaintance. He wanted to believe that people would be his friend and they would accept him. He explained how he felt like an outsider and that he wasn’t seen, understood, or even valued by his peers and he felt alone in plain sight. He also explored the story of the woman at the well and how judged she was and how Jesus spoke to her as a fellow human being and treated her with respect when the world and her peers rejected her.  

 

 

Later on, in the book, he opened up about how he was chosen for The Bachelorette with 24 other guys in hopes that he would fall in love with this one special girl. In the book, he shared his experiences and some of his feelings about what he learned about himself while on this journey. He opened up about ending his first engagement and he was struggling and looking for another person to fill up his soul. He eventually realized that hold would never be filled with looking to another person to make us happy and whole. He explained how another person can’t fix our own brokenness inside us. We have to look to our Savior and reconnect with God. 

 

 

In the book, he also discussed how he started his own company, Generous Coffee and he was able to create jobs globally. This company isn’t just about coffee they also stand for serving others and doing good for others. He explained in the book how the company and vision for the company was formed and how they crafted the ambassador program. 

 

 

I would this awesome book to anyone is feeling alone and rejected. You might be feeling like you are alone in plain sight and no one sees you or loves you. I immensely loved how real Ben was in this book and it’s not something you would expect from a reality TV star. I’m going to be honest I don’t like the Bachelor or the Bachelorette and I truly hate the show. I don’t really care for it since I personally think most of it is fake and played up for TV. I liked how Ben didn’t really focus on the show as much as he could have. He had a bigger vision and he wanted to help others who are feeling alone and forgotten by their peers and they are dealing with the pains of rejection. I connected with story because I’m also an only child and I personally have felt the pains of rejection. I always have felt like I didn’t fit in. It was a great encouragement to see that I’m not alone and even when I feel like I’m alone in plain sight, I’m not. 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from the author, Ben Higgins for my honest review and for being a part of his launch team.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy of Alone in Plain Sight, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Alone-Plain-Sight-Searching-Connection/dp/1400221358/

 

 

Check out Generous Coffee:

 

https://generousmovement.com

 

Jesus About Exigency of Loving Yourself: Religious View on Hot Topics in Psychology by Mike McArthur Book Review

In Jesus About Exigency of Loving Yourself, Mike McArthur explored the topic of loving yourself like Christ has instructed and commanded us to do. The book is based off of Mark 12:30-31. In this verse, we are told to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to also love your neighbor like your love yourself. Throughout the book, Mike revealed how important it is to love yourself first. Then once we have truly loved who we are inside and what we believe and stand for can we truly love others. He discussed how if we don’t love ourselves, we aren’t loving the God that is living inside us. He reinforced how loving ourselves and loving God is interconnected. He explained how our relationships are hurting because both parties aren’t truly loving others and may don’t love themselves. He shared how loneliness is a big problem in the world and most of us feel alienated and alone and this was occurring way before Covid-19. He explained how we can learn to stop seeing loneliness as a negative thing. We can use it as a catalyst to form deep friendship connections.

 

 

 

In the book, he took the major time in looking at the results of us not loving ourselves and how we can choose to love ourselves unconditionally. He explored how not loving yourself can result in alcoholism, drugs, depression, and even divorce. He shared how self-hate is something a lot of us are experiencing. He also opened up about how even overeating can be seen as a destroy act that can harm our body when we choose to engaged with junk food, sugar, alcohol, and lack of physical exercise. He also looked at how we can have pure love for ourselves and how this will help us in our relationships. When we learn to accept and love who we are, we can learn to be a better lover and we won’t be trying to get love and force our partner to love us. 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is struggling with loving themselves. They might be turning to the arms of a lover, alcohol, drugs, social media, food, or anything else that they believe will bring with wholeness and happiness. But you are realizing that you are still left empty and longing for more. I immensely loved how Mike explored in detail how loving ourselves completely will also reflect in how much we are loving God. I liked how he taught readers how to love themselves and to love the God that is within them. I also agreed with Mike’s reasoning and how he strongly believed in the importance on sitting down with a partner and discussing the expectations and requirements that we have for our partner. This in turn could improve the relationship/ future marriage and led to less frustrations between couples down the line. I also liked how he included action points at the end of each chapter to encourage readers to think about the material presented and to guide you into loving yourself. 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from the author, Mike McArthur for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy of Jesus About Exigency of Loving Yourself, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-About-Loving-Yourself-Psychology-ebook/dp/B08P9LPLDP

The Power Plate Diet: Discover the Ultimate Anti-Inflammatory Meals to Fat-Proof Your Body and Restore Your Health by Erin Oprea Book Review

In The Power Plate Diet, Erin Oprea has written her second book on fitness and has developed a new power plate diet. It consists of a four-week meal plan to encourage nutrition and promote weight loss. Erin is a personal trainer and she is based in Nashville, Tennessee. She served in the Marines for 9 years and she served in two tours in Iraq in 2003 and 2005. She opened up about how she became a personal trainer. Some of her celebrity clients she has worked with and trained are: Carrie Underwood, Maren Morris, Ryan Hurd, Kelsea Ballerini, Kacey Musgraves, Jana Kramer, Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line, Lauren Alaina, Lee Ann Womack, Martina McBride, Carley Pearce, Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland, and Alan Jackson and Denise Jackson. In the book, she shared how she trained her clients and taught them how to work out and be active and to eat a balanced diet. She also shared how at 52 years old her father died from a heart attack. She didn’t understand how he died because he was very active but she realized that he ate a bad diet. After his death, she studied nutrition and how food can help us to have energy, heal our bodies, and have longevity. She explained how important it is to choose the correct foods to eat and how it can help us to lose up to three to five pounds a week and if we also include exercise it can help us lose even more. 

 

 

In the book, she looked at inflammation in our bodies and how bad inflammation can lead to obesity. She revealed how sugar, junk food, and foods we are allergic to or intolerant of can impact our fat cells and cause us to store extra fat and led us to being overweight. One of the biggest factors, we can look at is how much fat we have around our stomachs and this can be an indication that we are struggling with bad inflammation. In the book, she shared her own food sensitivities, such as onions and yeast for her and how she discovered her own sensitives. She revealed that 20% of us have some sort of food sensitivity and it can lead us to weight gain, cravings, and bloating. 

 

 

I would recommend this life changing book to anyone who needs to lose weight for better health and they are ready for a richer life. I have always enjoyed listening to Erin’s teaching when I read her first book. I first learned about her from Carrie Underwood discussing how she got her toned legs from training with Erin. I mean just look at how fit Carrie’s legs are. I will admit I love the way Erin has helped some of these celebrities to tone up and to shape their bodies. Some of other favorites is how fit Jennifer Nettles, FGL, and Kelsea Ballerini have gotten. I also am a member of her Pretty Muscles app and have done quite a few workouts on the app and I will say the workouts and the fun card games are a fun way to workout. I also love how passionate Erin is on doing Tabata’s style workout and the book also include many different workouts and she will explain all of her workouts. I loved how the book also contained 4 weeks of clean eating and power foods. One of her biggest tips was not eating carbs after 3 or 4 pm which is something I plan on trying. I also need to follow the water rule to help fat proof and help use it as a natural appetite suppressant. I have also been taking her collagen recommendations but I can’t try her beet juice because I have had kidney stones and that can aggravate them. I will say I highlighted a lot in this book and I will be rereading this book in my journey to health and wellness and practicing the tips and principles. I enjoyed the recipes she included and the 4 weeks meal plan and I’m curious to try and make some of these. 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from Erin Opera and her book launch team, for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy of The Power Plate Diet, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Plate-Diet-Anti-Inflammatory-Fat-Proof/dp/1984824546

 

 

Check out her Official Site: 

 

https://erinoprea.com/

Engaging Your Teen’s World: Understanding What Today’s Youth are Thinking, Doing, and Watching by David Eaton and Jeremiah Callihan with Alan Briggs Book Review

In Engaging Your Teen’s World, David Eaton and Jeremiah Callihan teaches parents how to communicate with your teens, set wise boundaries with social media and devices, and how to have important conversations with your teens. In this book, they explored how times have dramatically changed and now our children have different challenges facing them. They are both founders of Axis, a nonprofit that helps parents and teenagers connect with each other. David shared how he was raised in a stable home and his mother became a stay-at-home mother and his dad worked as a police office. His dad turned down a big promotion where he could stay at home more to spend time with his family. His parents taught him Christian principles and took him to church. He had an open conversation way with his parents. Jeremiah was raised differently and his parents were raised under legalism and fear. His faith grew when he was in a youth group and through along with his parent’s conversations. His parents divorced when he was in his twenties. They opened up about even though they were raised different and they both experienced different things, they were able to form a leadership and they developed a passion on reaching out to teenagers and parents. In the book, they shared how to have important conversations around faith, how dad’s play a critical role in leading their children, and how we can do things with our children to develop open heart to heart communication. The book also covered the topics of smartphones, social media usage, hidden apps, sex, drugs, depression and anxiety, college, and video games. 

 

 

I would recommend this life changing book on parenting and teaching our teenagers how to become adults. This book would be a great book for parents, pastors, and youth group leaders. I immensely loved how up to date they wrote the book to explain to parents what challenges teenagers face now with social media. It is much easier for teenagers to hide what they are doing from their parents. There are even hidden apps such as a calculator that if you enter a special code kids can hide nude pictures from their parents. App creators are very creative in lurking and deceiving parents and teens. I liked how they explained how parents can use this book to learn the tools they need to know to raise their teenagers in today’s times. I also liked how they discussed the topic of depression and self-harm and tips on staying aware of the signs to watch out for. I also liked how they discussed opioids and used some real-life Hollywood celebrities as examples and how they died from an overdose. I appreciated how open they were in covering the many topics and experiences our teenagers could face in today’s times and how we can help them by having an open conversation and how we can help them to grow in their faith. 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from the publisher, Bethany House/ Chosen for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy of Engaging Your Teen’s World, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Engaging-Your-Teens-World-Understanding/dp/0764235826

 

 

Check out: 

 

https://axis.org

A Dolly for Christmas: The True Story of a Family’s Christmas Miracle by Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big Town Illustrated by Morgan Huff Book Review

Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big Town has written her first children’s book, A Dolly for Christmas. It’s based on her family’s wish for a second baby. Her first child, Daisy wished for another sibling. Kimberly had a dream to become a mother for the longest time. Her dreamed was crushed when her first husband suddenly pasted away. She didn’t think she would ever get a chance to have a family. Eventually, she remarried and they had Daisy. They discovered that Daisy was a miracle baby. When they tried to have a second child, her and her husband struggled trying to conceive and they experienced infertility issues. Kimberly shared how Daisy would pray to God for a baby and one year she even asked Santa to bring her a brother or sister. A few years later, around Christmastime they were able to adopt, Dolly. This book is an illustrated book describing the journey of Daisy praying, asking Santa for help, and the hope and fulfillment of believing and waiting on God to provide and answer their prayers. 

 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is looking for a new Christmas book. I have always enjoyed Little Big Town’s music and I have Kimberly’s cookbook and made some her recipes so I already was a fan of her. I also appreciated the little background note Kimberly shared in the back of the book about her life and the meaning behind the book. I immensely liked reading such a positive story and how they believed and prayed for a child. I liked how they showed their faith in God even though it took many years for it to come to pass and how even Daisy was praying and believing in the power of God. I liked how it brought to life infertility issues in a way kids could understand and how their story ended in adoption and how others may choose that route. I loved how the cover was designed with a glittery Christmas illustration and it will help little children to be captured by the design. I loved how the book characters was based on their own family and they were all drawn to look like they truly look in real life. I immensely liked how colorful the illustrations were and I believe this book would make a great gift to anyone who is praying and believing on having another child and it would make a great encouragement book to children. This will bring hope in helping children to believe in a Christmas miracle. 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy of A Dolly for Christmas, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Dolly-Christmas-Story-Familys-Miracle/dp/0316542962

Searching for Certainty: Finding God in the Disruptions of Life by Shelly Miller Book Review

In Searching for Certainty, Shelly Miller explored how we can manage and handle life, when it doesn’t go the way we expect it too. Sometimes we lose jobs, experience illness, encounter broken relationships, addictions, marriage troubles, and any other struggles we may go through. Often times we question why God would allow certain things to happen. She begins the book by sharing how her parents divorced when she three years old. She has a child photo proof of her not smiling in photos and her relatives reminded her and told her stories of how depressed she was. She opened up about how her parents met and how her dad was 24 years old and was in his last year of law school. He was raised as a Catholic. He met her mother when she working as an agent for an airline company. A few months in their relationship, she became pregnant. They got married and hid it from their families until after she was born. But they figured it out by the calculation and they were judged. He never ended up practicing law. Their marriage was rocky and her mother ended up leaving him one day to an empty house. She shared how as a young child she refused to eat because of the divorce and separation. She also shared later how her mother eventually moved in with her lesbian girlfriend. She opened up about how she looking for proof that she was truly worthy of love and security. She explained the story of Moses and how he might have been wondering if he was worthy enough of love. She also looked at statistics and how depression, anxiety, loneliness, and suicide are on the rise. This isn’t even counting the covid-19 factors. 

 

 

I would recommend this helpful book to anyone who is struggling with dealing with life changes and the uncertainty that we face. We can’t control what comes our way. This book will help readers to learn to handle and cope when the changes do come. I deeply connected with how real she was in the epilogue and how at the end of the book she shared a little on the covid-19 struggles and how she experienced a major health battle. She started having pain on the right side of her abdomen and then it travelled to her back. After many tests during the pandemic, they found out she had sarcoma cancer. She passed away on November 1. I liked how open she was in sharing the uncertainly she was now facing in her battle with her health. Her life story and book will become a testimony on how we can learn to find and discover our Savior even when faced with uncertainty. 

 

 

 

 

https://www.dignityfunerals.co.uk/funeral-notices/01-11-2020-shelly-ann-miller/

 

 

 

https://shellymillerwriter.com

 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from the publisher, Bethany House/ Chosen for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Searching-Certainty-Finding-Disruptions-Life/dp/0764235974

Home Made Lovely: Creating the Home You’ve Always Wanted by Shannon Acheson Book Review

In Home Made Lovely, Shannon Acheson has written a book about decorating your home and creating the home you always wanted. She is a designer and she is an author and blogger that teaches readers how to declutter your home and to decorate your home. She has been married for 24 years and they have three children that were home schooled. They have lived in many homes throughout their marriage. Throughout the book, she revealed what she learned about decorating different each time and the things she disliked and changed along the way. In the beginning of the book, she shared that our homes are meant to be special and lived as sacred ground. She opened up about how when she became a Christian and she loved scriptures and how easy it is to decorate rooms with wall act Bible verses. She shared many different verses on different areas and ideas of scriptures we can put in a room. She looked at 7 steps to declutter your home, 75 budget decorating ideas, 21 curb appeal ideas for under $200, and three steps decorating process. She also included how to make your home more friendly and inviting to guests. 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is ready to redecorate their home and they are wanting fresh ideas on designing. This book would make a great gift for new home owners and anyone is ready for a change in their homes. I liked how she included tips on how to declutter and purge and get rid of stuff that isn’t sentimental or useful. I enjoyed how she included beautiful pictures showcasing different ideas and designs on how to decorate your home. I liked how she included themes of homes and styles and how to pick one that will fit for your home. I also liked how she went into detail about picking colors and using undertones. One of the most important tips was don’t choose the paint for a room first make sure choose the large furniture or rug for the room first. I also liked how she enclosed special questions in the book to help readers in figuring out the themes, colors, budget planning, and decorating styles. 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from the publisher, Bethany House/ Chosen for my honest review.”

 

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

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Home-Made-Lovely-Creating-Always/dp/0764235370

Earth’s Last Empire: The Final Game of Thrones Completely Revised and Updated by John Hagee Book Review

In Earth’s Last Empire, John Hagee explored the countless signs of the end days and how we can prepare for what is to come. The updated 2020 edition discussed the important topic of the current global coronavirus pandemic and how this plays into all of the government’s power and control. He begins the book by describing the importance of Jerusalem and Israel and how God is always going to protect His people. He explained how Jerusalem was, “destroyed twice, besieged twenty-three times, attacked fifty-two times, and captured and recaptured forty-four times.” He goes into great detail starting with the rebirth of Israel in 1948 and he goes through the years and changed Israel has experienced. He ended the chapter with President Trump and how in 2017, he recognized Jerusalem as the city of Israel. In the book, he also looked at anti-Semitism terrorism and how different battles have taken place against God’s chosen people throughout the ages. He also greatly explored the Holocaust and how Hitler was one of the worst enemies against the Jews. Hitler’s reign ended with 6 million people killed and 1 million children murder in cold blood. John Hagee explained how Hitler will be nothing compared to the worst leader that will arise in the last days, the Antichrist. 

 

 

John Hagee also discussed the battles of Gog-Magog, the Apocalypse, and the hope we get to look forward too as believers and also, he warns unbelievers they still have an important choice to make. When Christ returns for His people, He will remake a new Jerusalem and we will live in harmony for 1000 years. After this time, satan will be release yet again and he will continue to deceive us and we will have to choose who we will follow. Eventually, he will be casted into the lake of fire and his followers. Next, Christ will create a new Heaven and Earth that will last for eternity. We will enter a great white throne judgment and anyone who isn’t in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire with satan.

 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is ready to learn more about Biblical prophecy and how the current events play into the end times. This book contained over 495 pages and it included history, notes, timelines, and maps. The original book was published in 2018 and this new edition contains information on how covid-19 plays into the end days. This pandemic has changed how the world operates and how we conduct business. It is estimated that the global GDP could lose up to 9 trillion dollars in 2020 and 2021. John also revealed how the world is trying to turn to digital wallets and how the US could soon follow suit. This was very eye opening to read how the world is losing money from covid-19 and how money is losing its value and this could lead to a one world currency. I also liked how John Hagee was very detailed in looking at the history of Israel, the empires of past and present, the finally battles, and Jesus’s eternity reign. This book was a book that is meant to be read and studied where readers can understand the history of Israel and the future Kingdom of Christ and what we can expect. 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy of Earth’s Last Empire, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Earths-Last-Empire-Final-Thrones/dp/154601473X

Seven Words of Christmas: The Joyful Prophecies that Changed the World by Robert Morris Book Review

In Seven Words of Christmas, Robert Morris explored the power of the number seven in the Bible and how this number means completion and perfection. It took God seven days to create the world, seven golden lampstands, and seven bowls found in Revelations. There are also seven key prophetic words surrounding the greatest birth the world has ever heard of, the miraculous birth of Jesus. These included: salvation, favor, blessed, guidance, joy, redemption, and peace. The book also looked at the Christmas story of Jesus but he also included how Mary, Joseph, Zacharias, Elizabeth, Simeon, and Anna all fit into the story. 

 

 

 

He begins the book by explaining the story of Elizabeth and Zacharias and how it led the story of salvation. They were an older couple who didn’t have any children and, in that time, and culture people could be judged. Back then women who was childless was viewed as less than and if their husband was to die before then they would be looked at as charity. They couldn’t own property or handle the money. One day, Gabriel appeared and told him that God heard his prayer and that they would have a son and he would be called, John. He would become a special forerunner to the Messiah who was to come. Zacharias explained to him that he was old and his wife couldn’t bear any children. Because he refused to believe the message that was spoken, he became mute until the words were fulfilled. Eventually, she conceived and had a child, named John. Robert explained how in that culture the child normally takes the name of his father and some of the people around them was confused by this dramatic change. Next, he also goes into detail about how Mary was told and how she would give birth to Jesus. 

 

 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome Christmas devotional type book to anyone who is eager to learn more about this joyful birth of our Savior and how we can have hope of one day of being with Him forever. I immensely enjoyed how he connected other stories to Jesus and His birth and how prophecies were being fulfilled and how everything come together. I liked the 7 words he used to describe the story of Christmas and how the words can still change our lives. I loved how Robert included some personal stories from his own life and some of these were Christmas stories. I connected with the one Christmas that they couldn’t afford to buy their kids gifts and he explained to God how upset he was at Him. God helped to change his perceptive and how he instead found true joy. He shared how they relied on God’s leading and instead prayed over their children and asked God what spiritual gifts to empower over their children. This turned out to be the most important Christmas gift they ever received and remembered.

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Words-Christmas-Prophecies-Changed/dp/1546017291/

The Loneliness Solution: Finding Meaningful Connection in a Disconnected World by Jack Eason Book Review and Giveaway

In the Loneliness Solution, Jack Eason has written a brand-new book on the topic of engaging in meaningful conversations and connections in a world that is addicted to social media and virtual environments. As a society, we are lonelier than ever before and we tend to not engage in real life interactions like we used to. He shared that many of our Facebook friends or other social media accounts are just acquaintances and we don’t meet most of them outside the internet. Many of us are struggling with being lonely and not connecting with friends in real life. Studies from American Psychological Association have found that lonely people have a premature death rate. Cigna found that members of Generation Z claimed to be the loneliest and they are the most connected generation on social media and technology. The elderly is also facing different challenges with dealing with loneliness. In the book, he also explored things that stop us in developing relationships. Some of these included, “independence, busyness, technology, price, delusion of self-sufficiency, compartments, and disconnection of the family”. He also shared a powerful story about a guy who died at 54 and worked at Nissan and Fujitsu and was dead for four months before someone discovered him. This shows the effects of not having any real friends to check in on you from time to time. 

 

 

 

The book also looked at how we can form real friendships and have togetherness. He explored scriptures on “one another” and how it is stated in 100 times in 94 New Testament and some were written to the church and some from Paul. They covered unity, humility, and love. In the book, he discussed learning to trust, meeting needs, praying together, supporting causes, and encouraging our pastors who may also be lonely. He also looked at overcoming the roadblocks that are blocking our path to true friendships.

 

 

 

 

I would recommend this amazing book to anyone who is struggling with loneliness and they are wanting to learn how they can reach out to others and develop friendships. This was written before covid-19 and readers can still apply the lessons found in this book. I do think that with all of the covid-19 and shutdowns and changes people are lonelier than before. I immensely liked how he taught readers how to become the church and to connect with our leaders and pastors and we don’t have to live in isolation. Eventually churches will be able to hold services and things will return to normal and hopefully, we will all become better friends to one another because of everyone not being about to connect with others for most of this year. I liked how he encouraged readers to become authentic and to develop friendship based on covenantal. One of my favorite stories, he shared was about a little boy giving all of his money in his piggy bank to the church and when asked was he worried about not having any money. He replied that his daddy would fill it up again. This was a wonderful example of someone living in Biblical stewardship and giving up his finances to God. I also liked how he included questions at the end of each chapter and a section on how to put it into practice.

 

 

 

"I received this book free from the publisher through the Flyby Promotions book review bloggers program."

 

 

 

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):

 

Many thanks to Revel Publishers 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 FlyBy Promotions/Momentum Influencer in the last 30 days, from the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

To Purchase:

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Loneliness-Solution-Meaningful-Connection-Disconnected/dp/0800 73789X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+loneliness+solution&qid=1605557718&sr=8-1

https://www.jackeason.org/preorder/the-loneliness-solution-pre-order

 

Fueled by Fire: Becoming a Woman of Courage, Faith, and Influence by Staci Wallace Book Review

In Fueled by Fire, Staci Wallace explored the topic of helping women to realize the power they have in the Holy Spirit and they know who they are in Christ. They have a higher purpose and a fire in their passion to accomplish everything Christ wants them to. She wants readers to break out of mediocrity and to win the battles we will be faced with. This book is written to guide us into leaving a lasting legacy when we reach out to be a blessing to others. She begins the book by opening up about being raised in Dallas, Texas. Her parents married young and were both gifted musically and played instruments in church. When they had Staci, they realized that she was a sick girl and developed pneumonia at 18 months. The doctors couldn’t fix it and diagnosed her with cystic fibrosis, a lung disease and there was no cure then. As young parents, they decided to stand on the promises of God and declare that she would live and not die. They also prayed that she would share the good news with the nations. They refused to allow the enemy to take their daughter or to harm their child. After the prayer vigil, she was healed and the doctors warned it could return. But to this day, it hasn’t! She was also giving an amazing vocal power and lung capacity that she is able to sing five and a half octaves. She has since performed around the world and has even got to sing in front of five U.S. presidents. 

 

 

 

In the book, she explained how she felt like a superhero and how prayer is kryptonite to satan. She shared how communicating with God can help us to live our lives and to gain wisdom and guidance from our Creator. She revealed how God was able to use people in the Bible to reach other and help others and how ordinary people like us can also be a blessing to others. She looked at what it means to be the Church and how we need to live our lives outside the walls of the Church and always look at the bright side of things. The little inconveniences may be God’s way of getting our attention to reach out in kindness towards a stranger to encourage them, pay for a meal, pray for them, or to do anything else the Spirit may want us too. 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is ready to learn how to be empowered with the Holy Spirit and how women can win their battles with the help of Holy Spirit. This book is written mainly for women and it would be a great gift for wives, mothers, and daughters. I immensely liked how she encouraged women to become passionate into taking action and in turn reaching out to the dying world and influencing it for the better. I liked how she shared with women how satan attacked them first and what if they are the boldest and most courageous. Maybe he attacked them instead to divide them between God because he knew they could influence generations. I thought this was a very interesting perceptive on looking at the story of Eve falling into the schemes and lies of satan. I liked how she also revealed some key statistics about how women are influencing and shaping the business world, wealth, family life, and school degrees. I also liked how she armed women with the different armor needed for battle and it’s found in scripture. This book has the potential to help women into becoming the woman, Christ wants them to become and to be an influencer for the current and future generations.  

 

 

 

"I received this book free from the publisher, Bethany House/ Chosen for my honest review.” 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Fueled-Fire-Becoming-Courage-Influence/dp/0800761790

Quiet Times with God Devotional: 365 Daily Inspirations by Joyce Meyer Book Review

In Quiet Times with God, Joyce Meyer has written a brand-new yearly devotional to help readers into spending daily time with their Creator. She begins the book by sharing the importance of having quiet time and making special time to be alone with God and learning and listening to what He is trying to tell us. Each day included a scripture verse, a section called dig deeper, a thought to consider, and a short reminder from Joyce on applying it to our daily living. Some of the topics she discussed was: choosing if you want to be pitiful or powerful, fearfully and wonderfully made, who you are in Christ, laugh on purpose, have a can-do attitude, God’s timing, trusting God in tough times, living in peace, the armor of God, moving past pain, do it afraid, forgiveness, and much more. 

 

 

One of my favorite topics was the one on pitiful or powerful. In this one, Joyce looked at John 5:6,8. This one discussed the man lying at the pool of Bethesda for 38 years and he was waiting for a miracle. Jesus asked him if he wanted to truly get well. He commanded him to get up and walk. She shared that we get to choose if we want to be pitiful or powerful. But we can’t do both. A number of us struggle with self-pity and we feel sorry for ourselves. Joyce shared how she was mistreated and abused physically, emotional, and sexual by her father. For many years, Joyce asked herself why and struggled with different issues from the abuse. But thankful God gave her beauty for her ashes and she was able to overcome it and help others going through similar stuff. She encouraged readers to give up our self-pity and blame and bitterness. We can choose to let go of the past and walk on into new beginnings alongside with God. 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is ready to read a new devotional. I immensely liked how in the book she included encouragement and tried to teach readers how to live in their daily lives. I enjoyed how she tried to relate the scriptures to today’s times to assist readers into understanding the scriptures. I liked how she covered many different scriptures and key principles from the Bible. I enjoyed how she wanted believers to understand who they are in Christ and to receive His love and to reach and share the hope with others. I also truly believe if readers will take the quiet time with God and try and connect with Him by reading His Word and this book has the power to help lead you into getting closer to the Father.  

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy of Quiet Times with God, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Times-God-Devotional-Inspirations/dp/1455560286

Beautifully Broken: An Unlikely Journey of Faith by Paige and Josh Wetzel Book Review

In Beautifully Broken, Paige and Josh Wetzel have written a book about their life story and their marriage. Paige revealed how she grew up in Fort Payne, Alabama and she lived on the same land growing up. They went to the same church and basically lived in the same hometown and her parents were still together. Josh on the other hand, was born on a military base in Germany. His father worked on tanks and his mother tried to manage the military lifestyle. Eventually, they come back to the United States in Texas. He described the living conditions and how his parents divorced when he was six. His mother moved to North Alabama and he began to attend church with relatives. Josh grew up not being afraid of danger and he was made for the Army. As a couple, they were complete opposites in this regard. Josh joined the Army after failing out of college and when they had just broken up. In the book, they shared how they came back together and they got married. 

 

 

The book covered a lot about how Josh was injured in the line of duty. He stepped on an explosive device while in Afghanistan. She revealed how she received a dreadful phone call from Stg. 1^st Class from the Army. He lost both legs, had a traumatic brain injury, and a break in his C-4 vertebrae. Paige and her mother-in-law decided to make the journey to Walter Reed to be with him. Paige shared everything she felt while she watching her husband recover from his injuries. The book also included Josh’s journal entries from being overseas. In the book, they shared their own experiences with learning to deal with all of the changes in Josh’s health. They both discussed how faith became to be a big part of their lives during this difficult and challenging season. This was the first time in their marriage that they both was walking together spiritually. They were just in two years of their marriage when they were also told that they wouldn’t be able to have any children. They were warned that might want to explore options before one of the surgeries. This was a blow to Josh’s dream of eventually becoming a dad. 

 

 

I would recommend this life changing book to anyone who is seeking a military story that contained a mixture of faith and determination. Readers will be inspired to rely on prayer, support from your family, and to dream on and to have faith in God. I appreciated how open they both were in sharing all of what they felt during this season. I truly believe this book will immensely help other military couples who might be dealing with an injury from the line of duty and they are wanting some encouragement of someone who has been there. I also liked how they shared how this traumatic event caused them to recognize how their marriage was suffering before and it only caused it more to come to light afterwards. At one point, they were even considering getting a divorce. I also liked how they shared how they were able to surprise the doctors by having two healthy babies naturally. This will inspire others struggling after being told by doctors it was impossible. I was inspired about how their prayer life was able to grow during all of this and their faith in God was changing them and their marriage. 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Beautifully-Broken-Unlikely-Journey-Faith/dp/1546034528