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.

  Come Close to Jesus : What to Pray When You Need the Lord to Still Your Thoughts, Calm Your Heart, and Guide Your Way (50 Devotional Prayers)  by Lysa TerKeurst recently released from Thomas Nelson Publishers. This book is beautiful with devotionals to read at a time when your heart needs the words she offers. Jesus longs for you to come close. Not just for answers or blessings, but to experience His peace—because He is the only one who can calm us, strengthen us, and give us the perspective we need. Join  New York Times   bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst as she shares powerful prayers, devotional teachings, and practical ways to draw near to the Lord. Come Close to Jesus   is filled with prewritten prayers to help still your thoughts, calm your heart, and find guidance in times of need—but most important, to help you spend time with the Savior who loves you more than you can imagine. Whether you struggle with getting distracted during your quiet t...

    Do you know the Nicene Creed? When I was in Sunday School, this was one of the things I memorized. There is a new devotional out from Josh Nadeau called Heaven Meets Earth based on the Nicene Creed. This 40-day devotional breaks the creed down into short phrases to meditate on along with a devotional relating to that phrase. The full Nicene Creed is in the front of the book. This book is gorgeous to look at, along with the beautiful daily readings. It would make a nice gift book and has an inscription page in the front. From the publisher: Discover deeper faith as you explore the richness of Christian belief and tradition with a visually inspired journey through the Nicene Creed. “We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth….” And so the Nicene Creed begins with these powerful words of declaration and belief, words handed down through history for Christians across the centuries to affirm and to hold, to repeat and to remind. The Creed has bo...

I have Irish ancestry and was SO excited to receive a copy of May The Road Rise To Meet You by Jennifer Deibel. As the sub-title states, this book is "A 31-Day Devotional Inspired by Irish Blessings. Today, this book is available for purchase. A purchase link is included at the bottom of the devotional. This author spent several years living in Ireland and is the author of fiction books set in Ireland too. Each devotional in May the Road Rise to Meet You features an Irish blessing, Scripture references, a short devotional written by the author that relates to the verses and the blessing. Then the reading for the day concludes with an application section with a question or something to think about. I like to journal, so I think this is a great aspect of this book. There is space to write in the book. However, for me, this book is too pretty to write in so I just use my journal alongside this book. Writing helps me process what I am learning so I like the space to do that. If you ...

  Draw Close to Jesus is a different kind of Lenten devotional by Heidi Chiavaroli. This author writes beautiful historical fiction. In this devotional, she puts her talents to use and writes devotional Bible stories based on Scripture--Biblical fiction stories in devotion.  The book starts off with an introduction where Chiavaroli shares how she came to write the book and what she hopes you will glean from these 40 Lenten readings. I also believe that God is a God of stories. I love how Jesus used parables and stories to reach people These stories are likely to bring the Bible to life for you as you read about: Joseph, Ariel, John, Tirza, Simon and more.  Each reading in Draw Close to Jesus is followed by reflection questions and a prayer. This would be a good time to do some journaling if you like to do that sort of thing. Then, if you would like to, there is also a list of more Bible verses to read to support the day's reading.   I received a copy of this bo...

  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. 

  Rest and Rely is a new devotional book from Maddie Joy Fisher. This book features devotions that aim to help for the times when a reader struggles with fear and anxiety.  From the publisher:    Discover the freedom that comes from trusting God with today–and tomorrow · 60-day daily devotional to replace fear, anxiety, and worry with promises from God’s Word · visually stunning packaging includes 4-color interior If you feel like fear, anxiety, and worry have taken over your thought life or your spirit, you’re not alone. But you also weren’t meant to live this way. God wants more for you– promises  more for you. He wants you to live free from fear, to have victory over your anxiety, to face the future with hope rather than worry. He wants you to rest in and rely on Him in times of trouble. He even shows you how in His Word. With compassion born from personal experience, Maddie Joy Fischer invites you on a 60-day journey to overcome the fears that are ...

  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 ...

    I absolutely love the new The Message Women's Devotional Bible ! This Bible is a good size to carry along in my book bag if I want to do devotions on the go. It is also great on my nightstand or desk to read at home. The print is not real big but it is dark and I am able to read it easily.  I also like the devotions in this Bible that are aimed at a variety of women of all walks and ages. I haven't read through the whole Bible in a year for awhile but this one makes me want to do that again. I would use a journal with it if I want to take notes as the margins are not very big. It also doesn't have any space for those who art journal, so again, a separate journal would be good if you want to use this Bible and continue to do that while reading through the Bible.   The Message of the Bible by Women , for Women The Scriptures are meant for us, to draw near to God and discover God’s vision for us.  The Message Women ’s Devotional Bible  invites women of...

  Like many people, I haven't had a great relationship with my dad. 40 Days to God, My Father by Rosann S. Coulon is a devotional aimed at those of us who have difficult father relationships in one way or another. Maybe your dad was absent or maybe you didn't have a good relationship for another reason, but if your relationship is marked by heartache of some sort, this book was written for you, according to the author. As you would expect from the title, this book has forty devotions in it. In the introduction, the author shares some of her story with her father. She also shares how she encourages readers to read the book. The book is divided into 10 sections with four devotions each: A Loving Father, An Encouraging Father, A Faithful Father, A Guiding Father, A Trustworthy Father, A Providing Father, A Protecting Father, A Comforting Father, A Healing Father, A Mercifal Father and followed by an Epilogue about holding tightly to our Heavenly Father's Hand. There is also a...

      Do you need a new Advent devotional to read this year? Let Earth Receive Her King by Alister Begg is both beautiful on the outside and full of Christmas reflections to stir your heart on the inside. Let Earth Receive Her King is divided into five parts. Following the introduction: Part One: Christmas in the Beginning Part Two: Christmas in the Land Part Three: Christmas in the Gospels Part Four: Christmas in the Letters Part Five:Awaiting the New Advent I like how this book starts before the Gospels. The story of Jesus actually begins in the Old Testament, which many of us know and yet so many years we just read the Christmas story in the gospels and call it a day. I like that this book studies all aspects of Christ coming and then the full story of his birth. This Advent book has 25 readings that run from Genesis, Isaiah, Luke, and more right through to Revelations. It encompasses the whole Bible. For me, this is new to cover so much ground in an Advent Devotiona...

  Do you feel weary? Discouraged? Does life sometimes seem out of control? Amid these moments, it can be difficult to embrace the fullness of life God promises in Him. In  Revive , popular author, speaker, and podcast host Cleere Cherry Reaves helps you reclaim God’s unchanging truth—for you and for your life. In 52 weeks of devotions, Cleere takes you on a journey to reclaim a spirit of truth all year long through Scripture, biblical declarations, and prayers to reconnect you to the joy and hope God longs for you to know. Join Cleere as you immerse yourself in God’s truth and recover the fullness of life that only Jesus offers. Each week you’ll find: Five declarations of truth to bolster your faith and remind you of God’s promises A short devotional reading to breathe life into your soul A Bible verse for meditation Bright and beautiful photography As you take this yearlong journey, Cleere calls you to: Replenish your soul through rest and prayer, knowing that God a...

  In the introduction of Psalms and Proverbs for Everyday Life by Joel Osteen, Osteen talks about how his parents taught their children to read the Bible every morning. That is a great legacy to have. However, I would add that if you aren't a morning person, read it every night or at noon. Whatever time of day works for you is fine--the important thing is to do it consistently. Psalms and Proverbs for Everyday Life includes 100 daily devotions. Each devotion starts with a Bible verse, then there are two or three paragraphs of a reading to reflect on the Bible passage, and concluding with a prayer for the day. This book is full of short readings that are all based on Psalms and Proverbs, as you would expect. The readings are all uplifting and offer hope in the midst of today's challenging world. The book is a nice size to carry along or leave on a night stand as it measures about 5 by 7 inches in size. I like this edition of Psalms and Proverbs for Everyday Life . I think this ...

  Mary's Voice: Advent Reflections to Contemplate the Coming of Christ by Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing is a beautiful devotional book to read throughout Advent that focuses on Mary's thoughts about Jesus birth and life. Mary's Voice is unique because, as the author writes in the introduction, in our Christmas programs, Mary is often seen as a quiet woman with no voice. In the programs, she is usually seen as a passive bystander. However, as the Gospels unfold, Mary was anything but passive. Especially in the Gospel of Luke, Mary is at the heart of the Gospel passage as she is the Mother of Jesus, God's chosen son. She is a woman who pondered much, as the Scriptures said, and watched the life of Jesus unfold.  I think Mary's Voice is a unique book in looking at Advent from her perspective. There are 25 readings. Each begins with Scripture, lasts 3 or 4 pages, and ends with a prayer. This book also has beautiful antique painting/artwork photos throughout the book that are bea...

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Star of Wonder by Angela Hunt hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours ! About the Book When I saw Star of Wonder was written by Angela Hunt, I knew I wanted to read it. I have enjoyed her books so much in the past. Star of Wonder is an Advent Devotional. It is divided into four parts: The Places of Christmas, The Prophecies of Christmas, The People of Christmas, and The Purpose of Christmas. There is also an introduction at the beginning. In the introduction, Hunt shares how after writing several novels set in first-century Judea and the Savior's birth, she "discovered a divine majesty surrounding the people, places, promises and purposes of Christmas." Hunt hopes this book will rekindle a sense of wonder in the reader as well. I have to start by saying I love the beautiful cover of Star of Wonder. It is inviting and "speaks" of majesty to me. The book is a great size to put on your bedside table or tuck in a pu...

  Every day is full of emotional highs and lows. Do you know how to manage your emotions? Joyce Meyer has a new 90-day devotional book, Managing Your Emotions , that could help you do just that. At the start of Managing Your Emotions , Meyer has an introduction explaining why she wrote the book, her struggle with emotions in the past, and how the book could be helpful to you. Then there are 90 days worth of readings. Each day starts with a Bible verse, then has a short reading related to emotions, and ends with a prayer.  Managing Your Emotions is easy to read and understand. I always appreciate Meyer's down-to-earth approach in her books. They are easy to read and easy to relate to. She doesn't come off as someone who is "above you." Rather she is a human pastor struggling right alongside you. This book is a good size to stick in your purse, briefcase or book bag since it measures roughly 5 by 7 inches in size. I have to add that I like that cover with the mix of su...

  I grew up listening to country music that my parents played both at home and in the car, so I was well familiar with who Loretta Lynn is before seeing this book. A Song and a Prayer: 30 Devotions Inspired by My Favorite Songs is an uplifting devotional inspired by a variety of song and hymns. A Song and a Prayer is a 31 day devotional written to remind everyone who reads it that God loves them. "You don't have to be something special in God's eyes, because you already are something special," according to Lynn. Each of these devotionals is based on a song such as Coal Miner's Daughter, one of Lynn's biggest hits, It is Well with my Soul, I'd Rather Have Jesus and a whole lot of other songs and hymns. Each reading starts with a Bible verse, includes a devotional reading, and ends with a song and a prayer. I didn't know all of the songs in the book, although certainly I could find them online and listen, but the words and the stories were all encourag...

  Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Love Most Precious by Anita Higman, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours ! About the Book Title : A Love Most Precious: 90 Devotions on the Book of Ruth Author: Anita Higman Publisher: DaySpring Release Date: October 9, 2022 Genre: Devotional Book   Today I have the pleasure of reviewing A Love Most Precious: 90 Devotions on the Book of Ruth by Anita Higman. After my review, there is also a link for a giveaway so you don't want to miss that! A Love Most Preciou s is such a beautiful small book.This book is a great size to stick in your purse or book bag or to keep alongside your Bible on your night stand. Each reading is about two pages long and includes a Bible verse from the book of Ruth, a short devotional story to go along with your Bible reading and a prayer to end the day.  The book of Ruth is a short Bible book but it sure packs a lot of great inspiration for living the Christian life. A Love Most Precious focuses ...

  Blessings. We would all rather have blessings than hard times, of course. The Lord Bless You by Terry A. Smith is a devotional book that, according to the back of the book, shares that "the Bible makes it clear that our God has a zealous intent to bless you." The Lord Bless You starts out with an introduction that is interesting--including why you say "Bless you" when people sneeze. Then the book is divided into four sections: Blessing, Purpose, People and Gratitude. Each part includes seven inspirational chapters. The section on Blessing was written to help ou better understand and experience God's blessing. The second part, Purpose, explains how our purpose is connected to our blessings. The third part, People, talks about how people are part of Gods plan to give and receive blessings. The fourth part, Gratitude, explains how important it is to be thankful for the blessings we receive, if we want to receive more blessings. The author suggests reading one s...

  Do you remember reading The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett? I do. It was an enjoyable read as a young person and I read it again while homeschooling my child a few years ago. Now Rachel Dodge has written a devotional to go along with this book.  The Secret Garden Devotional is a small hardcover book that is beautifully written and illustrated. There are 30 days worth of readings that go along with the book. (There is also a ribbon marker to keep your page so you know where you left off.) Each Day's reading includes a Bible verse, a short reading that invites the reader to see how God could be working through the book. Then there is a personal application to relate the book, the Bible and the day's reading to your own life. A prayer concludes each day's reading.  The Secret Garden Devotional is truly lovely in many ways. I like how thoughtful the readings are. Dodge clearly puts a lot of time and effort into writing a book that Christians can relate to and also...