Enjoy three book reviews and check out my latest book, Newness of Life, for another good read!
No More Faking Fine by Esther Fleece
I heard Esther speak on a recent Focus on the Family broadcast, and I was drawn into her story of a painful childhood. She wore masks to protect herself from the abuse and chaos of a dysfunctional family. When she reached a pinnacle in her career yet felt low and empty, she finally realized her masks kept her from experiencing the depth of faith she craved. Her book is written to set others free from pretense and a superficial relationship with God.
Esther writes with richness, lacing paragraphs with deeply thoughtful truths such as these:
- God is not up there minimizing our pain and comparing it to others who have it worse than we do. God wants all pain to be surrendered to Him, and He has the capacity to respond to it all with infinite compassion.
- We are a wounded people, but in a prosperous and entitled culture, we have not learned enough about the holy and healing power of grieving our losses honestly.
- A lamenting prayer is a prayer that is never silenced and never wasted.
I am halfway through this book, and I look forward to setting aside a quiet hour to finish. As I read I will ask God to show me which masks I am wearing, and how my “faking fine” is an obstacle to spiritual growth. Highly recommended read!
I received this book as a free resource from the BookLook Bloggers program, in exchange for my honest review.
Invisible Wounds by Melinda Means
As a woman who suffered silently for decades, I was drawn to this book after reading one of Melinda’s blog posts. I read it straight through and highlighted many helpful truths. Melinda and the other brave storytellers show great faith in their trials. I appreciated the passage on God’s silence, and asking others to pray for you when you simply can’t. Melinda has an irresistible voice because she is so transparent, never sugarcoating hard truths. Her honesty inspires me to share my hard times and my faith with others who struggle.
This book is a fast read which will help you navigate life’s tough seasons with rock-solid faith. I recommend it to anyone looking for comfort and strength in a season of trials. I gave it five stars in my Amazon review.
The Second Mile by Mark Wilson Stockman
This book left me with mixed feelings. While it is sound in theology, and featured a few personal stories, it left me feeling “so-so.” The intro seems promising with the author’s personal story, which I really enjoy in these kind of books. The rest of the book had long quotations of scripture and simply narrative comments on the passages. Not personal interactions or newly insightful comments, though they were concurrent with scripture. I wish the author had not used the third person plural “we” as often, because it comes off as preachy. I felt like I was sitting in a throwback Sunday School class from my childhood, when personal comments weren’t always welcome. Another problem I have is not understanding how the title connects to the book’s theme. It wasn’t a horrible read, but it wasn’t a great one, either.
I received this book as a free resource from the BookLook Bloggers program, in exchange for my honest review.
Which book looks most interesting to you? I’d love to hear your feedback in the comment section below!
Looking for Newness of Life in your current life season?
My new book Newness of Life will help you apply Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 so you can understand God’s plan in your current season.
“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV
No matter what season you are in, God is teaching you valuable lessons to grow your faith and trust in Him. Discover what God is saying through the different times and activities we traverse.
