Reading, Writing & Pondering

  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 ...

  In this day and age, fear seems to run rampant. People are afraid of the virus in the pandemic, worried about their finances, and struggling to get along with people on opposite political party lines. In Joyce Meyer's new book, Do It Afraid , she shares how faith in God can help readers deal with many of their fears.  At the start of the book, Meyer reminds readers that fear has been around a very long time and it affects everyone. However, she urges readers not to let fear "push them around." Instead she starts out the book in the first section by helping readers understand fear. She then goes on to help them confront fear and to have the courage they need to do that. The third part of the book offers advice on the mindsets to have to walk in freedom from fear. Like all of Joyce Meyer's books, Do It Afraid is clear and easy to understand and relate to. She writes in such a way so the reader is reminded of the Scriptures that relate to each topic while including st...

Do you struggle with fear and anxiety? Scarlet Hiltibidal shares her struggles with fear and anxiety and how we can turn to the Gospel to shine through those fears in her new book, Afraid of All the Things . Afraid of All the Things is divided into three sections: My fears do not define me, My fears will not defeat me, and My fears aren't forever. The whole book is mostly autobiographical with Hiltibidal sharing stories from her life that illustrate her struggles with fear and anxiety. She also weaves a lot of Scripture throughout Afraid of All the Things in and out through her stories. I struggled to get into Afraid of All the Things initially with the author's writing style. Hilitbidal is down to earth, realistic and fairly blunt about her struggles. But once I got used to her "voice," I found the book to hold my interest. I don't struggle with anxiety now like I did many years ago, but I could relate to how unrealistic some of those fears can be. I als...

 "You were always meant to be brave." Annie Downs shares her own story and encourages readers to not let fear hold them back on her new book, 100 Days to Brave . The introduction of 100 Days to Brave is a letter to the reader that starts with Dear friend. Downs shares how all of us reading the book probably feel like there is more to life than this. We all have a different "this" but we all need courage to go after our life's hopes and dreams to find our best life. Downs encourages readers to journal alongside this book for 100 days to find the journey God has for you. Downs says she wants to be the friend across the table from you to process and think through the road to your most courageous self. While I have not gone through the book for 100 days yet, for the purposes of this review, I have read the readings. For each reading, Downs shares a Bible verse for the day, a short reading that offers a brief story or example relating to the verse, and then q...

Children often find themselves feeling afraid. Max Lucado's new book, I'm Not a Scaredy Cat , would be a great tool to read with children to remind them that they can face those fears with God. This large-sized full-color adorably illustrated children's book is a fun book to read with little ones. The rhyming is so cute and the illustrations are vibrant and eye catching with the kitty's actions. I'm Not a Scaredy Cat follows a scaredy-cat as he faces all of his worst fears in some silly misadventures. As he faces each of those fears, Lucado shares a child's prayer version of Philippians 4:6-9. I'm Not a Scaredy Cat is such a fun book to read with little ones. It is a good reminder that God helps us face our fears and have courage. The roughly square 10 by 10 inch book is a good size for family reading time. This book could also make for some good discussions on fear and how God helps us through our fear in a way little ones can relate and talk about...

A lot of people live in fear these days. . .As I visit with people, I think the recent political atmosphere only adds to a lot of people's fears. Even without the national struggles, we all have our own struggles that can be fearful. I had a big struggle with fear several years ago when I had to serve as a witness in a trial. For me that was stressful and cause for some panicky feelings. I wish I had had Pastor Lance Hahn's book, How to Live in Fear , then. Fortunately, I found a counselor to help me through the challenge and Pastor Hahn also shares from personal experience how a counselor has helped him. Besides situational fears, some people have bodies are out of balance somehow and struggle with fear and anxiety that seemingly comes from nowhere. How to Live in Fear offers a variety of tools to anyone living with panic/fear or for their loved ones trying to help those struggling with fear. This book is divided into three parts. In the first part, Pastor Hahn shares h...