Stress Point

Stress Point
by Sarah Francis Martin
About the book:
Want to ditch the drama and thrive through your twenties?
Body image. Friendships. Career. Money. Dating. All these issues and more serve as points of stress for the 20-something woman, and combined they can make for a decade of drama in a girl’s life. Sarah Francis Martin is the slightly older girlfriend who’s been there, done that, and got the not-so-cute t-shirt. Through this interactive Bible study, Sarah helps young adult women address each stress point by encouraging them to wait on the Lord, worship Him, and make Him the focus of their lives.
In Stress Point you will:
Find interactive chapters covering ten stress points for the 20-something woman
Dig through Scripture to apply truth to each stress point
Engage with real, raw, and relevant stories from girlfriends just like you
Journal through each chapter to engage with God in a meaningful way
Interact with Sarah through her video blogs for each chapter
Connect with your girlfriends in a Stress Point Survival Group; leader guide included
My Thoughts:
This is such a unique book, from the way the journal is formatted to the beautiful background pictures and the simple fact there aren't many books geared towards woman in their twenties. Stress Point is a winner.
I was so excited to start reading it because I have followed the She seeks ministry Sarah writes for since it's beginning and this book goes write along with their weekly devotional themes and videos. As I read it I felt like I could see Sarah sitting in front of her webcam talking to all of us as she does in her frequent Thursday vlogs.
Although the title is Stress Point and is geared at eliminating the drama of our twenties the theme isn't stress at all but putting your life and focus in God's hands whatever area of your life you are feeling stress.

* I received this book free for review from Thomas Nelson Publishers* Favorite Quote:
" God knows your dreams, but He wants to be your one and only wish"

Come back Friday for an interview with Sarah
Rating: 5 carats





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Living Beyond Your Feelings

Living Beyond Your Feelings
By Joyce Meyer
About the book:
The average person has 70,000 thoughts every day, and many of those thoughts trigger a corresponding emotion. No wonder so many of us often feel like we're controlled by our emotions. Our lives would be much improved is we controlled them.

In LIVING BEYOND YOUR FEELINGS, Joyce Meyer examines the gamut of feelings that human beings experience. She discusses the way that the brain processes and stores memories and thoughts, and then - emotion by emotion - she explains how we can manage our reactions to those
emotions. By doing that, she gives the reader a toolbox for managing the way we react to the onslaught of feelings that can wreak havoc on our lives.

In this book, Meyer blends the wisdom of the Bible with the latest psychological research and discusses: the 4 personality types and their influence on one's outlook, the impact of stress on physical and emotional health, the power of memories, the influence of words on emotions, anger & resentment, sadness, loss & grief, fear, guilt & regret, the power of replacing reactions with pro-actions, and the benefits of happiness.

My thoughts:
Joyce Meyer strongly believes in not letting our emotions control us, as you can see since she's written books like "Battlefield of the Mind" and "Power Thoughts". This book is no different.
There isn't anything groundbreaking in the book, it's all pretty self explanatory and something most people know but how much time do we put into actually focusing our thoughts for success? This book aims at showing you how. She does an execellant job in desrcibing the root of our emotions and guiding us to Scripture in order to deal with emotions.
Joyce Meyer has a simple and straight forward style that makes it easy to grasp and feel like you can learn to not let your emotions control you.

*received this book free for review from Hachette Book Group*
Favorite Quote:
"If we wait to see how we feel before we know if we can enjoy our day, then we are giving our feelings control over us"

Rating: 4 carats

Through My Eyes

Through My Eyes
By Tim Tebow with Nathan Whitaker
About the Book:
In this young reader’s edition of his New York Times bestselling book Through My Eyes, NFL quarterback and college football star Tim Tebow gives readers seven and up the behind-the-scenes details of his life both on and off the field, sharing how his Christian faith, family values, and relentless will to succeed have molded him into the person and the athlete he is today.
My Thoughts:
This is the young readers version of "Through My Eyes" and it is just that, for kids. It's a very good book for kids, though. We are taken on the journey from before Tim was born till he started planning in the NFL.

It's positive, uplifting, and shows that you can be very successful while holding on to and living out strong Christian convictions.


*I received this book free for review from Zondervan publishers*
Favorite Quote:
" Jeremiah 29:11-For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Rating: 4 carats

Sunrise on the Battery

Sunrise on the Battery
By Beth Webb Hart
Now that she’s arrived at the ultimate address, can Mary Lynn’s view of the harbor – and success – satisfy the deeper longings of her heart?
After decades of carefully working their way up the social ladder, Mary Lynn and Jackson Scoville are living their dream: a life of luxury and ease in the heart of Charleston, South Carolina. Jackson made a small fortune selling low country real estate, so now the couple is determined to provide for their three daughters the life they both longed for as kids.
But lately the long-forgotten God of Mary Lynn’s childhood has been trying
to get her attention in ways so unusual that she can no longer deny His presence. When she prays for Jackson to open his heart to God, something radical happens. Jackson has a dramatic conversion that leads to street witnessing, giving away money, and inviting less-than-reputable people into their home.
Starring out into the harbor, Mary Lynn ponders whether or not she is willing to give up her life of luxury to join Jackson in his new-found faith. What would it look like to go “all out” for God…to allow Him to lead their family regardless of the cost? Just when Mary Lynn felt she had all the desires of her heart – she finds herself being called into a much bigger story of true faith and love.

My Thoughts:
"Sunrise on The Battery" is a very thought-provoking book. Mary Lynn has every material thing she could ever want. She joins a Bible study, has a change of heart, and begins praying for the same in her husband, Jackson.

As the story unfolds Jackson's change of heart becomes more than Mary Lynn bargained for. Mary Lynn begins to question whether material wealth can offer as much as strong conviction.

Beth Webb Hart paints a vivid picture of Charleston, South Carolina while she weaves a heavy story that stays with you after the book is closed.

* I received this book free for review from Thomas Nelson Publishers*

Rating: 4 carats

Heaven is For Real

Heaven is for Real
By Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent
About the book:
When Colton Burpo made it through an emergency appendectomy, his family was overjoyed at his miraculous survival. What they weren't expecting, though, was the story that emerged in the months that followed-a story as beautiful as it was extraordinary, detailing their little boy's trip to heaven and back.

Colton, not yet four years old, told his parents he left his body during the surgery-and authenticated that claim by describing exactly what his parents were doing in another part of the hospital while he was being operated on. He talked of visiting heaven and relayed stories told to him by people he met there whom he had never met in life, sharing events that happened even before he was born. He also astonished his parents with descriptions and obscure details about heaven that matched the Bible exactly, though he had not yet learned to read.

With disarming innocence and the plainspoken boldness of a child, Colton tells of meeting long-departed family members. He describes Jesus, the angels, how "really, really big" God is, and how much God loves us. Retold by his father, but using Colton's uniquely simple words, Heaven Is for Real offers a glimpse of the world that awaits us, where as Colton says, "Nobody is old and nobody wears glasses."

My Thoughts:

Is heaven for real?  For me the realness of heaven is not a question.  Heaven is a given, just as is the earth, the solar system and hell.  So my approach to reading and absorbing information portrayed in the book “Heaven is for Real” is different than from one who does not believe in the existence of heaven, hell, or God. 

My understandings and perceptions of what heaven is have always come from depictions and details outline throughout the Bible.  I must say, my envisions of heaven have not been from the innocents of a child’s perspective and, quite frankly, I had not contemplated the details in such a manner. 

It is easy for us to envision the beauty of streets of gold, gates of perils, and precious gemstones used to adorn the city in heaven as depicted in the Bible.  These are all things we can relate to, have a human comprehension of, items we can put an earthly value on.  Yet when seen through the eyes of a child who has yet to form an earthly understanding and value to such things, these are transformed into words of majestic color and beauty.  This transforms my visual of heaven. 

Child-like faith and honesty is has not yet been marred by the corruption of this world.  When a child as young as Colton can relay such detail and experiences such as he had in heaven, we need to listen and allow God to work through him.  We may not understand all the minute details or the ‘how or why’ this happened to Colton but we can take what God has allowed him to share and use it to enhance our earthly understanding of heaven. 

Favorite Quote: 

“I knew he wasn’t making it up.” 

Rating 4 carats

*I received this book free for review from Thomas Nelson Publishers*
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Heaven is For Real

Cover Love

There are so many great book covers out there! These are some of my favorites!

So Over It by Stephanie Morrill




So Not Happening by Jenny B Jones




Beautiful by Cindy Martinusen Coloma




The Divine Dance by Shannon Kubiak Primicerio




Split Ends by Kristin Billerbeck