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Fighting Battles

I know that the last million and one posts have been about books, but today is different.  This post really adheres to the reason behind the blog title, This Is Me.

We all deal with crap.  Crap that happened in our past, present crap, dog crap and otherwise.  There are days when I feel as though I am walking as the overcomer and the warrior daughter that God has created me to be, but then there are days and situations that take me back to a place that I have worked so hard to get away from.  As I sit staring out at the Atlantic Ocean during my first trip to Florida, I realize just how rough life can get.

The waves are crashing on the rocks because a storm off of the coast has stirred up them up.  The tide is high and the water is rough, but yet there is a peace in knowing and in seeing the power of God right in my face.  This has been the hardest, but also the most rewarding of years.  God has called me to trust Him in all things, but in doing that, I have had to face the struggles that still plague me.  The freaking enemy knows the exact moment when I am weak and tired and proceeds to slide the doubt, fears, and then I am right back to that teenager who doesn’t know her place.  She’s scared, hurt and doesn’t know who she can trust.  She fears being alone, yet she fears being around others.  She thinks that everyone either has an ulterior motive of will hurt her further.

As I feel these things that I haven’t felt in forever, I realize that I have not fully processed the feelings I had then.

But then, I am called back to the place I am now.  40 years old, following the calling that God has put on my life and learning how to be the woman that He created.  Learning to be healthy mind, body and soul.  So as I stand on the rocks and the water crashes in, I raise my arms up in the air and release it all to Him.  He releases the power, grace and every other gift inside of me for me to share with others.

Amen God!  Thank you for the work that needs to be done so that I can find peace, trust and rest in You

Quiet Book Review-Naomi Vacaro

I have been a follower of Wholehearted for years and have used many of their products, including my Quiet Time Companion in the picture. I love Naomi’s heart and passion to see people develop a consistent time with God, no matter what that looks like. I have been waiting for this book to come out!

This book is the perfect addition to my library and most of all my quiet time with God. Naomi not only talks about her personal quiet time and how it has evolved, she also includes other people’s quiet time routines. That will help the reader to understand that it doesn’t have to follow a specific set of rules. She writes on page 175, “Even though your quiet time might change, God’s love for you never does.”

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is wanting to dive deeper into their relationship with God through learning how to spend quiet times with Him throughout their day.

Taken at Birth-Review

This book is a true story about a woman who was one of many babies who were sold out of a clinic in Georgia. Jane takes the reader on her journey from when she found out about her and her sister to finding out and telling the stories of others to her present state of healing. I found this book to be very interesting since this was the first I had ever heard about this. The fact that this is a true story can make it difficult to read and possibly triggering for some people. If you enjoy reading true crime stories, you will enjoy this story.

Well Watered Women by Gretchen Saffles

To say I love this book is putting it mildly! Gretchen has taken everything she has been doing for years with her company and put it into this book. It is so encouraging, thoughtful and full of the wisdom and understanding we all need to have as daughters of God. I recommend this to any woman who is feeling as though their relationship with God needs refreshing and also to any new believer. It will be a book that you will turn to again and again over the years!

“Rather, the well-watered life must be fought for, invested in, and tended to with love. It is the kind of life we were created to live, and it’s the kind of life Jesus came to give” (pg. 2).

Fully Known By Mo Aiken

This is the 3rd book written by Mo and I believe it is her best. She challenges the readers to be honest and vulnerable about how they feel about intimacy with others and God. She is not afraid to speak Biblical truth in order for someone to move closer to God. The pages of this book will inspire, encourage and help others to develop the intimacy with God that we all long for. I recommend it for any person who has a lack of understanding of what intimacy is with both other people and with God.

“Physical fruition is a manifestation of the spiritual condition” (pg. 32)

Courageous Joy Study Review

This devotional is the 2nd out of 4 new Bible studies from inCourage. It is a 6 week journey through understanding what joy is and isn’t and how it can still be attainable when everything else is crazy. I recommend this to any woman for personal or group study who is looking to find more joy in their lives. Not joy as in “happy happy joy joy,” but joy in the Lord and for all that He has done for us!

NIV Life Application Study Bible Review

This is the third edition of the NIV Life Application Study Bible and my first one. This Bible is has a lot of information including: charts, references, maps, profiles, and statistics throughout the pages. Each book contains an introduction, key verses, people, purpose, writer, setting, and more information. It is also a red letter Bible with a text font of 8.5, which makes it easier to read. It is also single column, which leaves some room to take notes.

There are a lot of pros to the Life Application Study Bible, in addition to the reasons above. It has multiple editions in many different versions. It will be an amazing reference for any believer at any level of their study of the Word.

The only con is that it is a little on the heavy side, which some people may not like.

Overall, I love this Bible. I would recommend it to anyone who wants an in-depth Study Bible and since it is multiple translations, there is one out there for everyone. I received a copy from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.

Fall in Love with God’s Word-Brittany Ann

This is a fantastic book for women who want to dive deeper into God’s Word despite their feelings, pasts and other obstacles in the way. Brittany Ann has a way of speaking directly to the heart of the readers. On page 21, she states, “When God speaks, people are healed, relationships are restored, and futures are redeemed.”

She speaks on the strategies to overcome every obstacle that the reader can come up with the put off spending time in God’s Word.

Every woman will benefit from reading this book and then keeping it as a resource to keep going back to. So I would recommend it to every woman.

I received an advance copy of this book.

The 2021 Thrive Bible Review

This is an updated version of the Thrive Bible. It is beautifully laid out. It is double columned with a 8.5 text print. There is a paragraph intro to each book with some references at the bottom. 365 devotionals and daily prayers are spread throughout. The cream paper looks beautiful with the rose gold lining. The cover I received is rose gold leather with rose gold writing. I love it! There is also a hardback version available. The size is also amazing! It is smaller than most Bibles out there, so you can carry it around without feeling as though you are lifting weights.

The only 2 cons with this Bible is the print and lack of space on the page to write. At 8.5, it could be considered small for some people. If you are someone who likes to draw and write a ton in your Bibles, this layout of the Thrive Bible may not be for you.

This Bible would make an amazing gift for any woman who wants to dig deeper into God’s Word. I would definitely recommend it for any woman who wants to read it daily with the reading plan inside and the daily devotionals and prayers.

I received a copy from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.

Courageous Simplicity Review

This Bible study is the first of four Courageous studies to be released this year from Dayspring. The goal of this study is to learn how to abide simply in Jesus. It is a 6 week, 5 days a week study. Each day is full of stories, Bible verses and stories to give the reader a chance to dive deeper into this topic.

I found this study to be a very helpful tool in leading me towards abiding more in Jesus. I would recommend this study to every woman who is looking to go deeper in their relationship with God and how to become more content in what they have instead of always wanting more.

To sign up for this study and get the first week for free, go to: https://incourage.me/courageoussimplicity.

She Walked Before Us Review

This is the second book on a series written by Jill Eileen Smith. She looks at the stories of 12 women in the Old Testament. Some of the women who are discussed are not ones that are not always looked at in other studies. Each chapter contains 4-5 sections to read, one “ponder this” section and then a set of questions for the reader to answer about the chapter. This is a different, yet interesting way to look at the stories of theses amazing women. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in diving deeper into the grace, courage and strength of these 12 women.