Reading, Writing & Pondering

Are you looking for a devotional that focuses on helping you get out of despair, pain or other heartache? Fight for Joy by Michele Howe includes 30 devotional readings with this focus. Each of the 30 devotionals in Fight for Joy start with a Bible verse, as you would probably expect. Then there is a story relating to the Scripture from life today. Following the story reading, there is a prayer under the My Heart's Cry heading. That is followed by a section entitled Fighting for Joy. This section gives the reader some questions to ask themselves, something to think about or something to do that relates to the reading of the day.  Fight for Joy could be a good book to read when you are in the midst of struggles. It may also be a good book to gift a Christian who is struggling to find joy in their life for some reason. I received a copy of this book from the author and the publisher. All opinions  are my own.

  Happy Release Day to The Happiness Crisis by Jonathan Eckert. This is a great book for those who parent kids ages 9 to 22 today--or for those who are able to teach or mentor kids this age today.  Chasing what feels easy is a human instinct—but it’s only when young people embrace challenges that they become stronger versions of themselves and lead more joyful, meaningful lives. In our happiness-obsessed society, we can become isolated in comfort zones and overly focused on temporary pleasures. Kids naturally do the same. In our effort to protect and help them, we often shield them from discomfort. But are we unwittingly denying them experiences that will form them into strong, capable adults? Could it be that we’re training them to believe that challenges ought to be avoided, and that if they’re struggling, they’re not well? In  The Happiness Crisis , global educational leader Jon Eckert speaks from decades of experience, explaining how he has seen parents, ...

  Do you struggle with your inner critic? Or feel like you think negative thoughts about yourself?  The Christian Self-Compassion Workbook for Women may be just the helpful guide you need to re-think how you talk to yourself and how you think about yourself. This book is divided into ten chapters along with three appendixes. The book gives food for thought by guiding the reader through information as well stories shared about real life people. This book is aimed at women but there are stories about men in the book too. Outside of the floral cover, I'm not really clear on why the book is just aimed at women. I think the book could be helpful to both genders especially since the examples included in the chapters include both genders.There are questions with plenty of space to write included throughout the workbook. I have another book about self-compassion from an expert that I also found helpful. However, that book was more general and this one is aimed specifically at Christi...

    If you are someone who likes to read stories of people learning to live with challenges, you may enjoy Fearfully and Wonderfully Broken by Sydney Anne Bennett. This book could be especially helpful to someone else who lives with a chronic illness or disability. Sydney doesn't learn to overcome her disability but she does learn to live her truth with God every day. This book reads autobiographically and is easy to read and understand. Are you battling chronic struggles—whether physical, mental, emotional, relational, or social? Are they eating away at your faith? Sydney Anne Bennett has been there. She knows what it is to live in a body that is unraveling, a world that doesn’t understand, and a church that doesn’t always know what to say. With compassion, wit, and quiet strength, Sydney invites you to remember that some of life’s fiercest battles are fought flat on your back—and not one of them is wasted. In  Fearfully and Wonderfully Broken , Sydney shares h...

  I was already familiar with Dr. Kelly Flanagan as I read and reviewed his first book, Loveable , in 2017. I remembered finding that book helpful so looked forward to The Road Less Triggered . The Road Less Triggered has a lot of good advice in it for improving your relationships on your own. I think it could also be helpful book to use with a therapist too. Dr. Flanagan divides this book into three parts: Get Calm Get Free Get Connected You have to read  The Road Less Triggered to understand what those three parts really mean.  There are three chapters in each section. Through the stories of others who have followed this advice, the reader can then apply that information to improve their own relationships. Dr. Flanagan especially follows one couple through the book to best see the ups and downs of learning this strategy. The key concept throughout the book is that the reader works to have an open heart. Dr. Flanagan explains how to do that and how to use this concept ...

  The Divine Counselor by Alex Seeley released from Thomas Nelson in April. This is a book that focuses on guidance from the Holy Spirit. I don't think many of us really think about the Holy Spirit much. Pastor Alex Seeley, co-founder of The Belonging Co., reveals how the Holy Spirit provides the deep healing, peace, and purpose beyond what therapy alone can provide. At a time when many feel anxious and discouraged, the idea of living whole, healed, and empowered sounds wonderful–but often out of reach. Counseling, self-help books, and podcasts seem to offer temporary relief, but what about life-changing transformation? In  The Divine Counselor ,  Pastor Alex Seeley introduces readers to the best therapist they’ll ever meet: the Holy Spirit. Drawing on biblical insights and personal stories, Alex endeavors to answer readers’ deepest questions and doubts, while showing how the Holy Spirit . . . advocates on their behalf, interceding when they don’t have the word...

  Christine Caine has two flourishing olive trees in her front yard. The Faith to Flourish is her book full of lessons she learned from her olive trees. I don't have olive trees but I have 2 plum trees in my front yard that I love to watch through the four seasons. Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publication date: February 10, 2026 Print length: 240 pages AN INSTANT  NEW YORK TIMES  BESTSELLER! Discover how God has created you and called you to flourish even in the most difficult times. Join bestselling author Christine Caine as she shows you how God created you with a powerful purpose and destiny. He wants you to flourish. Sometimes it feels like hardships and struggles are endless. Like a new storm is always brewing on the horizon. You face challenging circumstances, strained relationships, or shattered dreams. And the weight of it all can feel crushing. You simply long for rest. But how can you flourish when you feel like you can barely breathe from it all? In  T...

  At some point in our lives most of us deal with some type of heartbreak or disappointment. That is just part of being human. The Wholehearted Way by Dr. Peace Amadi is a book offering a way to deal with the pain and find healing in your life.  A Five-Part Framework to Healing and Inner Peace · Understand your patterns of pain · Navigate heartbreak, disappointment, and rejection · From a credentialed PsyD professor of psychology, speaker, and coach Heartbreak, disappointment, and rejection are part of being human in a broken world. But when we experience them again and again, it can start to feel personal. Our identity and worth are shaken, and we may find that staying hurt feels easier than pursuing healing. Yet, in Christ, we are meant to be made  whole . The Wholehearted Way  expresses an approach to life that requires us to tell ourselves a bigger, better, broader story about our pain, allowing us to love ourselves fully and live abundantly. Combining b...

  I listened to Growing Up Saved  audiobook read by the author, Kristen LaValley. Hearing her share her stories along with how she has been healing from church hurt and trauma over the years was so helpful to me. Since I was often drinking my tea as she read, it felt like she was right alongside me drinking her own beverage and sharing like a heart sister. Like Kristen, I have my own church hurt and trauma. Maybe many of us do? I like how the author shares her truths and her heart with honesty but yet she continues to also show us that God loves us dearly. One of the things I was told when I was a young girl is that when I die, I will have to stand before God and tell the whole world all the bad things I ever did. As a result, I tried so hard to be good and was such a people pleaser from a young age. Trust me, living with this mindset of fear, wasn't good. Kristen shares her own stories along that line. Along with her stories, she shared how instead of thinking the worst about...

  Are you a Christian who struggles with diets and eating? Fully Nourished by Brandice Lardner may be a book that you would find helpful. I like to read health-related books so I have read a lot of them. I point that out because I didn't learn a lot from this book for that reason. I thought the book was well-thought-out and the steps the author included could be helpful to the person who has these struggles. I am not that target audience though. I haven't struggled through diets. I grew up in an era when it was "in" to be skinny but I was already skinny and active so not really an issue for me at that time. However, having gone through menopause, I can say that I had to change how I then had to change how I ate to maintain the weight I wanted but it wasn't a real struggle. The author of this book has struggled with weight and body image throughout her life. She then became a health coach and personal trainer who has lived what she teaches. She is also a Christian...

  Not That Wheel, Jesus! by Mary Katherine Backstrom is a book that I could relate to in several ways as someone who was hurt by church people but still loved Jesus.  Not That Wheel, Jesus! is for people like me who have followed Jesus as an Evangelical and then deconstructed their faith. I did not walk away from Jesus but after watching three churches split and a whole lot of other stuff that wasn't pretty at those churches, I needed a break from church people. If you have had experiences like that too, then you may also enjoy this book. If you don't have any experience with that, than this book probably isn't for you. She does use a few minor cuss words sprinkled throughout the book too so if that bothers you, then this book isn't for you either. I pretty much read this book in a day. While I can't relate to all of the things that the author went through, I could relate to several of them. I also liked her writing style. She has a sense of humor that made me lau...

    Does the Christian life feel complicated to you?  Uncomplicate It by Hosanna Wong is a book that gives you permission to live your life in a less complicated way in your own uniqueness. This book is divided into four parts: This is Your Permission Slip, which encourages you to be your own person and to live your life in your own unique way, the way God made YOU. The second section covers roadblocks to living that way--busyness, distractions, grief, shame and more. The third section gives shortcuts to better living the Christian life through your own personality, playing, pruning and more. The fourth section is called The Great Uncomplicating: How do you live life as the real you and how do you make sure it lasts?  There is a lot to think about in Uncomplicate It . It is a thoughtful and easy to read book in that the author writes as if she were talking to you over a hot beverage at the kitchen table.  From the Publisher:   What if enjoying life w...

  I have followed Jessica Turner for several years so I wanted to read her story in I Thought It Would Be Better Than This .  Jessica tells her story of her 16-year marriage that ended when her husband came out as gay in 2020. This book is full of heart and hope for anyone who is in that situation. That isn't me. However, I did find a lot of helpful information in this book anyway. I would also add that I have a relative that came out as gay so I could relate to that issue in some other ways than as a spouse.  I especially like how Jessica goes through all of the areas of her life that were affected and changed as a result of going through this experience. It touched her life in many ways. I can understand that too. She shares how she had to grieve her marriage and learn to forgive others and herself. She shares how she held on to friendships and made new friendships. She shares how she learned to take care of herself on her own through exercise, eating healthy alone, mak...

  I Do Today by Chelsea Smith is a 52-week marriage guide. This book is full of practical information that I think would most certainly be helpful for those who are newly married. But as someone who has been married for several years, I also see found information in the book for refreshing our own marriage with practical helps. This book has ideas on dating your spouse, fighting fair, dealing with digital devices, making time to play together, spicing up your sex life, the benifit of serving others and a while lot more. Each chapter of I Do Today starts with 2 or 3 pages of information on that chapter’s topic, followed by a Think About it section for yourself, then a Talk About It section to use  as a couple, and it ends with some action to do related to the chapter’s topic. I think this will be a great book to go through this year for my husband and I. I Do Today would also make a good wedding or shower gift for a newly married couple . There is talk of God an...

  Abiding Wisdom by Ryan Whitaker Smith and Dan Wilt is a beautiful little book that has lovely black and white illustrations amidst 75 prayers based on the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is one of my favorite Bible books. I am a practical person so I have always loved the practical advice and wisdom from the book of Proverbs. This book makes beautiful prayers from verses in this book. The prayers cover a variety of topics. A Teachable Spirit, A Gentle Answer, Pride's Cup, Who is My Neighbor? and Your Justice are just a few of the titles.  Abiding Wisdom is a book that you could use a variety of ways. You could read a prayer a day in order. You could pray the prayers on the topics that you believe you need to pray about in random order.  Each prayer also has the verses the prayer was based on listed under the prayer. I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own. 

  How do you view Jesus? The Compassionate Christ by Sherri Hughes--Gragg released on November 4, 2025 from Thomas Nelson. This beautiful book is full of different viewpoints on Jesus.  Witness the abundant love of Jesus. Too often, Christians and non-Christians alike view Jesus as someone who is far off, aloof, judging their misdeeds, and unwilling to embrace them until they have sorted out their lives and figured out their faults. But that distorted perception could hardly be further from the truth. The beautiful reality is that Christ is kinder and gentler, more tender and more caring, more loving and more compassionate than we have ever hoped (or dared) to imagine. In  The Compassionate Christ  author Sherri Hughes-Gragg invites you to embark on a transformative journey to witness firsthand the abundant and welcoming love of Jesus. Through emotive storytelling, a form of fictional narrative that mixes biblical history with Scripture, Sherri transports ...

    My Thoughts As I read Why Not You?: I don't know about you, but some days it is difficult to believe that God truly loves ME and wants good things for ME. I like to encourage others and I truly do believe God wants good things for other people. But myself, I often doubt that.  In Why Not You? Ed Newton goes chapter by chapter to explore our common insecurities and encourages us to ask ourselves difficult questions. This book encourages us to see ourselves with a divine perspective.  Each chapter focuses on ways we can believe God is for us and how we can grow and change into who God intends for us to be. The author uses a mix of Bible stories and stories from his life today to help the reader learn and grow. I am in process of reading this book but there is a lot to learn through this book.   From the Publisher: God is going to use someone to walk in purpose, meaning, destiny and anointing. So why not you? You can operate in your God-given abilities ...

  The Girl on the Bathroom Floor by Amber Emily Smith is a story of God working through a tragedy in a family.  My Review:  The Girl on the Bathroom Floor is sad but yet the story shows how God used redemption in this sad tale to heal a hurting family. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to deal with an unexpected death of a three-year old child. However, she also shares her miscarriage story and that is one I am sure many of us can relate to. I know I could understand that part well. At the same time, many of us have gone through hard things and, in the end, have found God to have worked through those difficulties. This story is inspiring in that way, especially for those who like memoirs. From TLC Book Tours: The Girl on the Bathroom Floor   is a raw and unflinching look at the moments most never share, the ones behind closed doors, on the bathroom floor, in your car, or hidden in the closet—where pain, fear, and grief seem to hit hardest. It’s also a p...

    Book Review: Let the Biscuits Burn by Abby Kuykendall is a book that could be especially helpful for younger Christian women--both single and newly married women.   Abby Kuykendall shares how she made hospitality a priority while a single woman, newly married woman and as a new mother with a baby. She starts off the book by explaining why community matters. She then shares how to begin showing hospitality, how to invite others into your place, and how to continue to serve others without burning out in life. At the back of the book she offers a liturgy for your heart to think about when being hospitable. She also gives table tips and offers ideas for food to serve. The part I especially liked about Let the Biscuits Burn was in the beginning when she explains the difference between entertaining and being hospitable, which is something I hadn't thought about before. I was raised to entertain by someone who valued perfection so learning to serve in an imperfect way...

      It Will Be God by Sophia Ruffin-Wilson is a recently released book written to remind you that God always cares for you and speaks goodness over you. I love that! Former-prodigal-turned-prophet reveals God’s divine plan to put you back on track toward your preordained destiny · discover the ancient word spoken over you · endure your current season to be ushered into your next · activate His presence and divine assistance · experience His unimaginable goodness no matter what you face Before time began, God spoke a destiny of unimaginable goodness over you. And no matter how far off-track you are, no matter how alone, anxious, hopeless, or exhausted you feel, his Word  will  bring about the future he formed for you at the foundations of the earth. Because his Word never fails. Showing how nothing in life is a coincidence, prodigal-turned-prophet Sophia Ruffin-Wilson renews your expectancy in God’s miraculous goodness–and his unwavering commitment to bri...