Women Living Well

I'm thankful for this book review program, because I've stumbled across a few wonderful authors that I did not even know existed until I agreed to read their book. And then when I tell my friends, there is inevitably at least one of them that knew about that particular author already-- somehow I had just once again missed the bandwagon! And the review below is a case-in-point. I mentioned to a dear friend who stayed with us this past weekend that I was reading a lovely book called Women Living Well, and she instantly smiled and said she loved the website (she doesn't even have internet in her home). "You've never heard of it before?" she asked. Well, ummmm... nope. So this review is dedicated to all those who somehow have missed the bandwagon with me. Lucky for us, I think it is more like those cider mill tractor hay rides that are so common out here this time of year- that is, if you miss one, there's bound to be another rolling up sometime soon :)

Popular blogger and creator of WomenLivingWell.org and GoodMorningGirls.org, Courtney Joseph has written a wonderful book entitled, Women Living Well, with the focus of helping women hold on to their vintage values without being run over in this busy, modern world. Broken down into four sections, Joseph highlights that the key to successfully and joyfully thriving in today's society is to walk with the King; with Him at our side, and Scripture as our guide, she then gives helpful advice to be a blessing as a wife, an influential mother and making a haven of your home. Each chapter begins with an applicable quote from mainly contemporary authors; bulleted tables to help summarize the main points, along with her own personal experiences are  also interwoven throughout the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Women Living Well. It was a quick and easy read; it was light-hearted, but filled with lots of simple wisdom that leads to a more godly life and healthier relationships. As mentioned earlier, I haven't perused the website yet, since I didn't know it existed before acquiring this book, and didn't want it to mess with my review-- but I am definitely interested in it now! This book was challenging at times, but very relatable for anyone who has trouble wanting to pursue a deep, rich relationship with their Lord, in a fast-paced, artificial society that focuses on quantity. I loved her analogies (eg- frequently fertilizing and habitually hydrating your marriage grass lawn to keep it green), and underlined lots of practical advice (eg- how to saturate your life with prayer and Scripture meditation) and reminders (eg- as mothers/women, we are blessed by God with the gift of being influential; will we follow God closely and use it for His glory, or lead others astray). Her personal stories enrich the book, and in the end testify to what she yearns us to learn: Her grandparents and parents diligently sought to instill the love of Truth in their childrens' lives, and with God's grace, if we do likewise clinging to the promise of Proverbs 22:6, we too may leave a legacy of leadership.

Can you tell yet that I loved this book and highly recommend it?! It has become one of my favorites and will definitely be pulled off the bookshelf and read again.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review  program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

KJV Homeschool Mom's Bible

Well-known Christian publisher, Zondervan, partnered with Alpha Omega Publications (a leading homeschooling curriculum publisher) to produce a Bible for a specific audience, the homeschooling mother. Intrigued by this concept, and since we are beginning to enter the realm of homeschooling ourselves, I chose to review their published KJV Homeschool Mom's Bible (they also have an NIV version for sale). It is a hardcover book with a cutesy digital scrapbooking cover/jacket. Within its pages the reader will find a simple, black and white (Christ's words are not in red), two column layout, with subject headings interspersed within the chapters. Also tucked within the Scripture are 365 daily devotions, offering encouragement for the homeschooling mom. Each of these devotions has been written by Janet Tatman, copywriter for AOP.

Each devotion is dated with a title. It begins with a verse, followed by a personal anecdote, a Biblical story, etc to meditate upon; Scripture verses can be found interlaced throughout this portion. The devotion ends with a short, applicable prayer. These devotions are clearly distinguishable from the actual Bible by a grey floral border. At the end of the Bible can be found a topical index, directing the reader to the various devotions. 

I read a number of the devotions, and although not all were applicable to where we currently are in our homeschooling adventure, simple nuggets of wisdom could still be extracted from each devotion. I know that the Lord will use them to bless and teach me throughout the year. I appreciated that each daily devotion ends with the directional page number for the following day's devotion, as each devotion is separated by about 3-5 pages. I was a bit disappointed that the devotions didn't correspond with where they were laid within the Scripture (e.g- August 19th's  "Young Love" devotion of Proverbs 18:22 is found near Isaiah 36). In addition, I was disappointed that the topical index doesn't cover more than just the devotions themselves; perhaps I've been spoiled with my other personal Bibles, but I missed having a concordance, cross-reference, topical index, study note section, etc in this edition. For this reason, this probably would not be my go-to Bible at my nightstand; although I found value within the devotions themselves, I think it would have been better off as a separate devotional book that I could keep next to my more exhaustive reference Bible, and thus would recommend it only with reservations.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review  program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Couples of the Bible

When we were engaged, a dear friend counseled us and told us that it was vital that we D.W.M.A. in our marriage. We needed to...

          Divert Daily. (for at least a few uninterrupted minutes a day)

                               Withdraw Weekly. (a couple hours)

                                                            Maintain Monthly. (a few more hours, a day, or ideally a weekend)

                                                                                           Abandon Annually. (one week of the year)

As sad as it may sound, we are lucky if we are able to even be consistent in the "divert daily" portion. It's not that we don't try... it's just that many times one of us falls asleep a few sentences into the late night conversation when we finally have some time to ourselves. Such is the life with an orthopedic resident.

Thus, it was with reluctant excitement that I chose to read Couples of the Bible by Robert and Bobbie Wolgemuth. Although this 52-week study is meant to be read together during the course of a year, I went through it in a week (for the purpose of the review- I will go over it again slower!) and by myself. Each week is divided into 5 days of studying a biblical couple (some couples, such as Adam and Eve have more than one week devoted to them). Monday is the story of the couple, based off the Bible, but with elaboration. Tuesday highlights the culture and customs of that time period. Wednesday gives a more empathetic account of what the couple may have experienced during that time of their lives. It ends with a Bible verse. Additional Scripture and questions for thought and discussions can be answered on Thursday, followed by prayer topics on Friday. The couples are pulled from the Bible in chronological order, beginning with a 3-week focus on Adam and Eve and ending with Christ and His bride, the church. Not all are well-known couples, nor are they all examples of godly individuals who loved the Lord, but as is true in life, there are lessons that can be learned from the past that are still applicable today.

As I often felt that they strained to write something for the first three days (usually light on Scripture and heavy on an embellished story of the couple) , I felt this could have been combined into one day; additionally, I think that each weekly study could be performed in a day if the individual/couple had a good hour of time to devote to the chapter. I did appreciate the synopsis at the beginning of each chapter that highlights the meaning of their names (which were meaningful/significant in those days), as well as their characteristics and challenges they faced. In conclusion, I found this devotional to be a useful investment as the Wolgemuths' broke down and highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of different couples, where I may have glossed over the take-home point had I been reading their story straight out of my Bible.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review  program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255