inspirational book reviews

Review of an Inspirational Beauty: 31 Verses to Write on Your Heart

January 17, 2017 by Joi Leave a Comment

31 Verses to Write on Your Heart by Liz Curtis HiggsI recently wrote a raving review for Liz Curtis Higgs’ Really Bad Girls of the Bible and today I’m here to do the same – similar raving and same wonderful author. Only the book has changed.

31 Verses to Write on Your Heart is a beautiful collection of favorite Bible verses – collected from over 1,000 women. Accompanying the collection of inspiring and uplifting verses are Liz Curtis Higg’s beautiful (and deliciously witty) stories, words and thoughts. The reader is given perfect illustrations of each Bible verse as it jumps out of the Bible and into your life.

I think that’s the heart of having favorite Bible verses. They are almost always words that spoke to us when we needed them most. One of my personal favorite verses is Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.” (KJV) When my three girls were very young, my dad was in extremely bad health. We knew it wasn’t a matter of “if” he was dying, but “when.” My girls and I packed up our homeschooling books and made the long drive each day from Madisonville to Owensboro (KY), where he was in the hospital.

If you’ve never watched someone you love greatly slowly die, I hope you never do. It’s… well, there doesn’t seem to be a word strong enough for what it is. Even “agonizing” doesn’t seem to cover it.

One night as I was stacking up the books the girls would need to carry with them the next morning, I just laid across the bed and let the tears fall where they may. Since the last thing I wanted my daughters or husband, for that matter, to see was me having a “moment and a half,” I dried my eyes, grabbed my Bible and flung it open – figuring I’d just begin reading wherever my red eyes happened to land.

I “landed” here in Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.” Here’s the thing about Bible verses – often, one verse speaks to one person differently than it does the next person. Why? Because God often has something different to say to each of us!

When I read that verse, it was as though God was meeting me right where I was and telling me to be strong… happier days are ahead and my dad’s suffering and our heartbreak would not last forever. When I closed my Bible (after highlighting the verse and writing it both on the calendar I carried in my purse AND on my heart), I realized something that I have never forgotten – when you keep your eyes on God (“Call unto me”), He will always be there for you (“I WILL answer thee”). What’s more, He will lead, teach, and instruct you (“shew thee great and mighty things”), even if you can’t, for the life of you, see them yourself (“which though knowest not.”)

From the Back Cover:

Let His Truth Find a Home in Your Heart
Here are the words of hope you’re looking for when your faith needs a boost or a friend needs encouragement. Chosen by more than a thousand women as their favorite verses in the Bible, each one is worth learning, worth sharing, worth remembering,

You’ll find verses you already know and love: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). Others may be less familiar but are no less powerful: “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe” (Proverbs 29:25). All of them capture the truth of God’s goodness, mercy, and love for His own.

Best-selling author Liz Curtis Higgs invites you to experience—
* a deeper, richer understanding of thirty-one treasured verses.
* a fresh look at how these timeless truths can impact your life.
* a new passion for memorizing Scripture, verse by verse.
* thirty-one creative ways to keep them in your heart forever.

With a study guide included, 31 Verses to Write on Your Heart is a daily devotional and a small-group Bible study, wrapped in a lovely gift book overflowing with joy!

“Consider 31 Verses to Write on Your Heart your new spiritual strategy for deepening your daily walk with God. ”
—Karen Ehman, author of Keep It Shut

Each Bible verse comes with “His Word, Your Heart” at the end – a page that includes a tip for memorizing the verse and a space to write your own favorite version (KJV, NKJV, or NIV) of the verse.

I love what Liz Curtis Higgs has to say about Scripture Memorization:

“If you’re ready to give Scripture memorization a go, you’ll see lots of practical ideas and fun tips scattered throughout the book, then collected in the final pages for easy reference…. I know, I know. You don’t have the time. Your memory isn’t what it used to be. You tried before and gave up. You think it’s too hard. I get it. Totally.

Still, here’s what the Bible says: ‘Keep my words and store up my commands within you.’ This isn’t simply the wisdom of King Solomon written to his son. This is the Word of God written for all of us. Keep and store. That’s memorizing Scripture in a nutshell.”

When it comes to memorizing Bible verses, the more you do it, the easier it is. It’s as though you’re exercising a part of your brain and with steady “exercise,” it’ll amaze you with how strong it becomes!

31 Verses to Write on Your Heart is available on Amazon and would make a BEYOND wonderful Mother’s Day or Graduation gift. Actually it’d make a perfect gift for any special lady in your life. You’ll also want your own copy, however.

This beautiful book sits proudly on a shelf on my Inspirational Books bookshelf (keeping company with its sisters – other Liz Curtis Higgs books). However, it doesn’t sit there for long stretches at a time. When I got the book, I used it, daily, as a devotional – memorizing the verses and reading the corresponding words. Today, I often refer back to it to challenge myself with the verses and re-read the chapters for inspiration.

This is simply a beautiful, inspiring, uplifting, and perfect book. See 31 Verses to Write on Your Heart for your own copy.

Note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. The opinions are entirely my own.

Book Review: Answers to the Most Important Questions About the End Times

October 15, 2016 by Joi 2 Comments

Answers to the Most Important Questions About the End TimesDid you read the front of the book pictured above?

Will I Have to Go Through the Tribulation?
Who Is the Anti-Christ?
What is Armageddon?
What Will the New Jerusalem Be Like?

Fascinating questions, right? Answers to the Most Important Questions About the End Times provides fascinating answers that are worthy of the questions!

I have, over the course of my life, read the Bible through multiple times. Each year, I follow a “Read the Bible Through in a Year” schedule and have found that it’s the best way to stay on schedule. For the Old Testament, I do side-by-side reading with my preferred version of the Bible (King James Version) and my second favorite (New King James Version).

When it comes to the Book of Revelation, I bring a third version into the study (New International Version) – and even then I find myself with questions.

Fascinating questions.

Fascinating questions that have now found fascinating answers.

Answers to the Most Important Questions About the End Times by Dr. James Hart is clear, thorough, off-the-charts interesting, and (possibly best of all) very easy to comprehend and understand.

From the Back Cover

Everything You Need to Know About the End Times in One Easy Guide

The end times can be confusing, or even troubling, as we struggle to understand such things as when Christ is coming back, who the Antichrist will be, when the tribulation will occur, and how to interpret biblical prophecy. If you are curious, confused, or fearful about any of these things–this book is for you.

Dr. John Hart clearly and respectfully offers easy-to-understand answers, letting you know exactly what God’s Word says–as well as what it doesn’t say–about the end times. This slender volume answers the most frequently asked questions, then explores how those answers affect you, your family, and your friends.

About the Author

Dr. John Hart (ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary; ThD, Grace Theological Seminary) is Professor of Bible at Moody Bible Institute, the author of 50 Things You Need to Know About Heaven, and edited and contributed to Evidence for the Rapture. Dr. Hart lives in Indiana.

Many people look at world events and tell us, “The end is near… the end HAS to be near!” While I can understand their sentiments and often even fell compelled to shout the words myself, Dr. John Hart reminds us that people have been saying similar words for years – many, many, many years. They haven’t been right yet!

This book is simply an excellent tool for Bible study. I love to add to my book collections regularly and this one is a prized addition to my Bible Study collection. What’s more, it makes a great read… make that awesome read.

If you have questions about what the Bible says about Armageddon, are curious about the significance of news coming out of Israel, want more information about what the “signs” of the last days are or feel for certain we’re approaching the return of Christ, I strongly recommend Answers to the Most Important Questions About the End Times.

It will answer the questions swirling around your head – once and for all.

Really Bad Girls of the Bible (Book Review)

August 18, 2016 by Joi Leave a Comment

Whether it’s on Self Help Daily or my mental fitness blog (Out of Bounds), I often harp on the benefits of learning new things. Of broadening your field of knowledge and opening your world to learning about new people, places, and things.

It’s mentally stimulating and fun to learn new things and my personal favorite way to go about this is by tackling subjects front-on. Throughout the year, I pick certain subjects from streams of interest and dive headfirst into learning everything I can about them. Each stream of interest has, of course, countless subjects to pull from.

For example, I LOVE history, so that’s a stream of interest I frequently fish in. Below are some of the subjects I’ve plucked from this particular stream…

Biblical History
Men & Women of the Bible
Revolutionary War
John & Abigail Adams
Abraham Lincoln
The Romanovs
Harriet Tubman
Civil War Battles
Ancient Greece
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Cleopatra
Thomas Jefferson
Etc…

Other favorite subjects are…

Roman Gods and Goddesses
Greek Gods and Goddesses
Cooking
Shakespeare
Animals
Birds
Flowers
etc…

As you can imagine, there is so much information about each that subjects like these are actually “ongoing” lessons. I can research any favorite subject throughout the year and bone up on my knowledge. In fact, I’ve read about the Romanovs, Ancient Greece, and Harriet Tubman each in the past three days.

A favorite subject that I read about daily is Biblical History and Men and Women of the Bible. Over the years, I’ve built up a darn good personal library and many of these books deal with Biblical history. The most recent book to join the collection is an instant favorite, Really Bad Girls of the Bible by Liz Curtis Higgs. This wonderful (wonderful, wonderful, wonderful) book is a sequel to the author’s classic Bad Girls of the Bible and What We Can Learn From Them.

As I’ve said recently, I’m on a one-of-a-kind roll when it comes to books and book reviews this year – so many wonderful books have passed through my hands this year and I couldn’t be happier or more excited.

Really Bad Girls of the Bible is just exceptional. It’s a wonderfully fun and entertaining book and the men and women of the Bible are brought vividly to life within the pages.

As I read through this beautifully written book, I was encouraged, enlightened, and educated. It’s a fun, eye-opening read that also frequently gives a gentle squeeze to the reader’s heart.

Whenever I read a book that causes that much bodily involvement, I seek out everything the author has EVER written! I strongly recommend you go to Liz Curtis Higg’s Amazon page and have at it – one book at a time.

Really Bad Girls of the Bible would be a wonderful place to start.

If you’ve made mistakes in your past (and you look human to me, so I’d say this is a strong, strong possibility) – this might just be a life-changer. The author reminds us that we all make mistakes and we are all undeserving of the free and all-encompassing love and forgiveness God offers us.

The journey this book takes you on isn’t just about the fascinating and colorful people you learn about through the pages, it’s also about the fascinating and colorful person flipping the pages. You might just say to yourself, “I’m not a loser and I never was. I fought my battles and I’m still standing.”

Like I said, life-changing.

{Review Continued Beneath the Gorgeous Cover}

“Popular storyteller Higgs takes a look at the vamps and tramps of the Bible, searching for the lessons these wicked women have to teach. Higgs retells these biblical stories with rollicking humor and deep insight as she teaches about the nature of sin and goodness.”
—Publishers Weekly

Ten of the Bible’s best-known femmes fatales parade across the pages of Bad Girls of the Bible with situations that sound oh-so-familiar.

Eve had food issues. Potiphar’s Wife and Delilah had man trouble. Lot’s Wife and Michal couldn’t let go of the past, Sapphira couldn’t let go of money, and Jezebel couldn’t let go of anything. Yet theWoman at the Well had her thirst quenched at last, while Rahab and the Sinful Woman left their sordid histories behind.

Let these Bad Girls show you why studying the Bible has never been more fun!

“When she was perfect, beautiful, and innocent, I found no toehold where I could connect with Eve. When she was tempted by her flesh, humbled by her sin, and redeemed by her God, I could sing out, ‘Oh, sister Eve! Can we talk?’”
—from Bad Girls of the Bible

Includes Discussion Questions and Study Guide

A Novel Approach to Bible Study
More than one million readers have already taken a walk on the wild side with Former Bad Girl Liz Curtis Higgs and her eye-opening blend of contemporary fiction and biblical commentary. Laced with humor, solid research, and heartfelt self-disclosure, Liz’s unique brand of girlfriend theology has helped women of all ages experience God’s grace anew.

This is a perfect 10 out of 10 and I hope you’ll grab a copy (Really Bad Girls of the Bible) immediately. This is one of the most fascinating books I’ve ever read. Period.

Note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. The opinions are entirely my own.

One of the Best Books of 2016 (or Any Year): Jesus Talked to Me Today

August 12, 2016 by Joi 2 Comments

Jesus Talked to Me Today, Compiled by James Stuart Bell

As I’ve mentioned before in my book reviews, I try to think of the first word (three at the most) that comes to mind after reading a book. After reading Jesus Talked to Me Today, one word was all I needed, “Breathtaking.”

When I received my review copy of Jesus Talked to Me Today, I began reading right away. Book worms don’t believe in patiently waiting, you know. I wasn’t into the book very far at all… I think I was, maybe, two pages in… when I realized that I had just embarked on a very special journey. An extra special journey. A potentially life-changing journey.

When you sit down to eat in a new restaurant, it only takes one bite before you know that you’d better settle in because you’re in the presence of greatness. The same can be said for an outstanding book.

After just one bite of Jesus Talked to Me Today, I knew I was in the presence of Greatness. Capital G.

Before I go further with the review, I want to show you something – we’ll call it Exhibit A. Take a look at the picture below…

Jesus Talked to Me Today

…. what do you see? Upon first glance you’d think it was a near-sighted St. Louis Cardinals’ fanatic who takes notes like it’s her religion caught mid-reading – and you’d be right, but there’s more to it than that. What it IS is a near-sighted St. Louis Cardinals’ fanatic who takes notes like it’s her religion caught mid-reading who had to take off her fogged-up glasses and put her book down, yet again, because she was so emotionally moved.

As Paul Harvey would say, “And that’s the rest of the story.”

I finally decided to snap a picture of what the experiences in this book kept doing to me for proof – foggy glasses and all.

Mind you, I’m not complaining. When a book moves you, magic happens. It’s as though little seeds of magic are planted within the pages, and by the time you’ve reached the last page – beautiful vines have sprung up all around you.

Not only did I have to pause multiple times, practically after each individual experience, to wipe my eyes (they kept getting something in them and that something was called emotion) – I also had to pause to let what I’d just read sink in. I paused after each author’s revelation to simply spend a little time with Jesus because He spoke to me through each author and it was a beautiful, beautiful thing.

It’s books like Jesus Talked to Me Today that made me fall in love with reading in the first place. It’s books like this that have the power to produce more book lovers. It’s books like this that could change the world – one person’s heart at a time.