Andrew Smith's Blog

My name is Andrew. Come and have a look inside my life and watch me share what is on my heart.

Do the New You: 6 Mindsets to Become Who You Were Created to Be by Steven Furtick Book Review


 


In Do the New You, Steven Furtick explored how we can discover our God given identity. He explained how God wants us to see ourselves as He see us. The goal of this book is to assist readers in aligning our mindsets with God’s vision for our lives. In the book, he explored six key declaration readers can declare over their lives daily. Some of these include, “I’m not stuck unless I stop, Christ is in me. I am enough, God is not against me, but he’s in it with me, working through me, fighting for me, and much more. He begins the book by looking at Jeremiah and how he became a prophet. God had to help him see how He chose him first and how He created him in his mother’s womb. God knew him before anyone else and He knew the real him. God appointed him and when Jeremiah began to believe that everything radically changed. 




 

 

One of my favorite discussions was about how Christ is inside us and we are more than enough. He stated how many us are spending our time wrestling with ourselves and doubting who we are. There are countless voices who are trying to make us feel less than and we’re constantly reminded of how we are falling short of someone else. We are accepting our insufficiency as our true identify. He explained how Christ is inside us and He told his disciples that we must realize that He is the Father and you are in me and I am in you (John 14:19-20). Jesus also goes on to teach a lesson about how He is the vine and we are the branches and how we can bear fruit. Steven reminded readers that we are sufficient in Christ and we don’t have to prove our worth. He encouraged readers to accept themselves and become the best version of you. He told a personal story about how his son, Elijah was taking a fishing trip with his friends. This brought back memories of how he would fish with his own dad but didn’t enjoy it. He never taught his own son how to fish and he felt like a bad dad for not showing him. He felt like he wasn’t enough of being a father. He had to be careful not to turn this into his identify. Instead, he had to remember that Jesus is enough and our identity needs to be in that. 

 




 

I would recommend this life changing book to anyone is struggling with being themselves and they comparing themselves to others and feeling less than. This book is very powerful in helping readers to change their mindsets and align their thoughts to match Christ. I immensely liked how the story about the trading card and how he willingly fell for a trick from the owner when he opened up a Michael Jordan card. He didn’t know the value and worth of the card and he used this example to explain to readers how being inexperience and the dangers of not recognizing our worth. We can be handing over our character, confidence, peace, good reputation, and joy and missing out on God’s best for our lives. This book is very insightful and I believe is one of the best from Steven. The stories are relatable and if we would put into practice the principles we will see our lives changed! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from Faith Words for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Do-New-You-Mindsets-Created/dp/1546006826/





Mayo Clinic on Healthy Aging: An Easy and Comprehensive Guide to Keeping Your Body Young, Your Mind Sharp and Your Spirit Fulfilled by Nathan K. LeBrasseur and Christina Chen Book Review

 



Mayo Clinic on Healthy Aging is a new book about the biology of aging and what we can expect. They looked at the age lift span and how it has changed. In the 1900s the average life span was about 45 years old. Now people live to almost 80. This book is geared to try and help increase the age gap and to help us live longer. They looked at the brain, heart and lungs, immunity health, urinary health, and much more. They explored topics such as retirement planning, exercise, eating well, and vaccinations. 

 

 



 

The first part of the book explored the brain and how it ages. Our brain will shrink in size and this will in turn affect structures of the brain and we may have a decrease in cognitive function. We will lose our response time and it is 1.5 times slower than a young adult. One positive thing is that our judgement often gets better with age and this is because of knowledge and skills and experience. The book explained how researchers have discovered that we can control some of the risk factors to our brain health. One of the ways is keeping our brains challenged and boosting our cognitive. We need to address our physical activity, stress levels, tobacco use, blood pressure, and much more. One of the studies found if we have interrupted sleep, we are more at risk at developing dementia. They recommended following a plant-based diet to prevent dementia. They shared how helpful it can be to have a calendar and a task list to keep you focus and to help you remember. It’s important to perform one task at a time. There is mental aerobics we can use to stretch our brain and to keep it sharpened. 




 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is ready to age better and they want to improve their quality of life. I loved how they covered the entire body and health systems. I liked how they discussed kidney stones since this is something I have experienced a few times. They shared some of the causes and how we can try to prevent them as we age. I liked how they discussed what to eat and the importance of maintaining physical activity and getting enough sleep. They covered a wide range of different topics that will assist people as the age and it was very informative. 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from Mayo Clinic Press for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Mayo-Clinic-Healthy-Aging-Comprehensive/dp/B0BQYKS8ND/

Forty Seven Days with Jesus Movie Review and Giveaway

 



• Buy tickets today to see Forty-Seven Days with Jesus in theaters ONLY

on March 11, 12, and 14!





• Get ready for Easter by taking your family to see this beautiful film!

• Synopsis: A disconnected family finds hope and unity through a cinematic retelling of Jesus’ final 47 days on Earth. 

 

Starring Yoshi Barrigas and Catherine Lidstone from The Chosen and featuring unforgettable original music, FORTY-SEVEN DAYS WITH JESUS brings the Easter story to life and reminds us of The Gospel’s enduring impact.







 

 

My Review:

 

This movie is a perfect film released just in time for Easter. It all began with a story in a notebook telling others about Jesus. It retells the story of Jesus starting with him traveling on a donkey, meeting people, and performing miracles. He showed love to others and then was betrayed by Judah and he died for our sins and rose again. The film walks readers through the entire 47 days of Jesus final journey on earth. A lot of the Jesus scenes were performed as a musical and had a song conveying the message. I also loved the other message of the film it showcased a family who was visiting with family and a father who was too busy working to enjoy the time together. His father was very former fireman and he was now very sick with cancer. He tried to help his son realize that time is short and we need to spend the time with our loved ones while they are still here. His son was a workaholic who rarely got time with his wife and kids. He was trying to be driven to reach his goal in his company. His marriage was failing and, on the rocks, and the true story of Jesus is the only hope it had left. I really enjoyed how they tied both stories together and they kept going back and forth to provide hope. The musical made it very family friendly and kids will enjoy the message of the film. I know parents may be worried about kids seeing Jesus being crucified on the cross and it wasn’t as violent as other movies and they would be safe to watch it. I think this film is a wonderful easter movie to introduce people to Christ. 

 

 





 

Yoshi Argument with Poppa: 

 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rg6urGbDbUw?si=Jj-oL7pWGAWgEXgp

 

Yoshi and Poppa tell the story: 

 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_KKQg8Fyh1A

 

Pool Transformation: 

 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zWTlc9QsEZQ

 

Nonna speaking with Yoshi: 

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4GSXzQLRDV/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

 





 

• Buy tickets today to see Forty-Seven Days with Jesus in theaters ONLY on March 11, 12, and 14!

 

Website: https://fortysevendaysfilm.com

Buy Tickets: https://www.fathomevents.com/events/47-days-with-jesus/



Trailer: 





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtDfKf7RALY


 

Social Pages:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/fortysevendaysfilm/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556631509376

Production Company websites:

https://reelbigstudio.com

https://pinnaclepeakpictures.com

 

 

 

Disclosure:

Many thanks to Reel Big Studios for providing a sample of the product for this review.

Opinions are 100% my own. 


Giveaway: $10 Amazon giftcard

(This is limited to US winners only)




a Rafflecopter giveaway

God’s Great Dream: Discover the Sacred Thread Binding the Whole Bible Together into One Epic Story, From Genesis to Revelation, and How You Can Be a Part of It by Zach Duke Book Review




In God’s Great Dream, Zach Duke has written his very first book discussing the sacred thread that God has provided for us in His written Word. His family, coaches, and mentors helped him to have a real and deep relationship with Christ. It all changed when he met Joshua Rolf who worked alongside him at his church. He helped him to understand how the scriptures were all woven together. He explained beginning in Genesis how God created man in His own image and how He made us male and female. We are the only thing that God made in His image and we are like Him. The animals or plants were not. He shared how we have a connection and a responsibility to participate in God’s plan and His mission. He instructed to be fruitful and multiply. Zach takes the approach a little differently. We need to look at not just as a command to reproduce. What if instead God is more after having quality fruit and representing Christ in the world. God’s glory needs to be our focus and to spread it all and touch other lives in His image. Adam and Eve were instructed to fill the earth and to show God’s image to the entire world. He shared how we should ask ourselves two questions to discover God’s dream and work effectively at our purpose. He explored how each scripture takes us on a journey of blessing and they are woven together throughout the whole Bible. He discussed also the blessing of Noah, rebellion, Abraham, and all the way to Revelations and how we can find out God’s dream for us. 

 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book discussing God’s dream for us and His glory. It was very life changing to read about his incredible approach on God’s image and how we can be a disciple and represent God in the world. I liked how he broke down the sacred thread starting at Genesis and going all the way to Revelations. I liked how he looked at the distinctive blessings throughout the passages of scriptures. I appreciated how he encouraged readers to actively engage and be a part of His story and learn to be immediate, radical, and follow the costly obedience. 





 

 

"I received this book free from Zach Duke for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

The Love Everybody Wants: What You're Looking For Is Already Yours by Madison Prewett Troutt Book Review


 

In The Love Everybody Wants, Madison Prewett Troutt explored the topic of love and where true love occurs. She was a contestant on The Bachelor in season 24. In the book, she will share her experience with her journey on singleness and finding love. She explained how God loves us unconditionally and we can all experience that. Scriptures instructs us to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind. Then next we are told to love our neighbor as yourself. She looked at what true love is and we can use 1 Corinthians 13 as an example to recall what we should be seeking in love. She wasn’t afraid to discuss the loaded questions such as, “Am I hard to love, Am I enough, and Will I ever get picked. She helped readers to pay attention to the thoughts that they have about themselves. She encouraged readers to remember what God says about them and how critical it is to replace the lies with His truths. Our worth can be found in the cross and how much He loves us. 

 

 



 

In the book, she looked at shame and how we can learn to break up with our shame. She told a personal story about how when she was 21 years old, she accidently left her boss a voicemail instead of her boyfriend at the time. She told him he was cute and that she missed him. She remembers her boss asking her about the call and she called and explained it to his wife. She remembers feeling ashamed and bad about the mix up. Many of us may be feeling ashamed about our past sins. She shared other stories about people being videotaped without her knowing. Shame harms our identity and affects our self-worth. It can lead us down a bad path into our self-defeating thoughts and self-hatred. Shame ends when we realize who Jesus is and the power, He has over it. In His word, we are told we are forgiven. 

 




 

I would recommend this awesome book that touched on all aspects of singleness and true love. I loved how she chose to share about God’s incredible love and how we can experience a remarkable relationship with Christ. Each chapter has questions we can ask ourselves such as, “why did God allow that rejection to happen”. I also liked how she shared how she met the love of her life, Grant and what she learned along the way. This book is an excellent resource for single people and it will guide them through all the questions they may have about true love. This book is wonderful for single women and is written just for them. 

 

 

 

 

"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/gp/product/0593445244/ 





Addie Ant Goes on an Adventure by Maren Morris and Karina Argow Book Review



In Addie Ant Goes on an Adventure, Maren Morris has written her first children’s book. Addie Ant lived in the bottom of a tomato bed with her aunt Gertie and aunt Zelda. But she longed to travel across the garden and visit the area behind the shed. It is filled with watermelons and sunflowers. She meets some fun characters such as Lewis Ladybug. She was warned about the gardener’s hen, Harriet Chicken. He would often mistake critters as corn. She makes her way to the watermelons and sunflowers and is taken back from the beautiful scenery and adventure. 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who has children aged 1-7. I loved how this book educated kids on the importance of ants and how they help plants and the ecosystem in the garden or the rainforest. This book is a fun little adventure book about nature and how ants probably have a quest daily in the environment. This book is a little different from what I thought Maren Morris would have written. I’m guessing she wrote it for son. It didn’t have a lot of music or lyric references like I thought at first it would have coming from a hit songwriter. It was still a fun adventure for children to partake on. The illustration was breathtaking and children will enjoy watching the adventure unfold. 

 

 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from Chronicle Books for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Addie-Goes-Adventure-Maren-Morris/dp/1797228919/