Anchor My Soul

 

Anchor My Soul

by Andrea P. Bourgeois

If anything, the past two years have taught each of us that life has storms we cannot be prepared for.  Whether these storms be acutal natural storms, or the emotional and physical trials this life throws our way, we are bound to face pain and struggle in this life.  

Andrea P. Bourgeois tackles this thought in a manner that offers hope and the idea that God has a purpose for your pain.  Through a memoir of 25 women's stories as they walked through storms of life, the reader also learns of the author's experience living through Hurricane Laura during the Covid-19 Pandemic.  This collection of stories offer a glimpse into the ways God remains steadily with us, offering love and mercy when we are desperate and struggling.  

The heartbreaking honesty of the stories shared by the collective of writers is relatable and genuine.  No matter what the difficult season one may be facing, whether it be a natural disaster or a personal circumstance, there is hope in these pages, found in the words of other women who have also walked difficult paths of pain, frustration, fear, anxiety, despair, loneliness, grief and shock.  In reading their stories, there is a glimps of encouragement and God's steadfast love.

I was detached from the hurricane season during the pandemic, living in a state nowhere near this type of threat, but walked my own line of trial and tribulation through the anxiety the pandemic brought, in addition to the other pitfalls that seemed to fall in my path as though a hurricane had indeed passed through my life.  Reading these stories, one at a time, and thinking through the prompts included at the end of each memoir, I found myself relating in many ways and finding ways to make conections between the pain of another and myself, even with un-related situations. 

I recommend this book to any woman walking through a season of despair, whatever the source.  It is not a cure-all, a self-help, or even and quick fix, but instead a way to reflect and realize God's love and faithfulness.

Available from: https://amzn.to/3BWonG2
Publisher: Arabelle Publishing at http://www.arabellebooks.com/

Instagram: @arabellepublishing

Facebook: @arabellebooks

Twitter: @arabellebooks

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrea P. Bourgeois is the Co-Founder and Host of Pain into Purpose Virtual Summit. Along with 30 guest speakers, she shared personal testimonies that led to healing, restoration, and freedom in Christ. With a heart for serving teens and women, Andrea is involved in many ministry events, and speaks at churches and women's groups. She recently released her first book, a Bible study, Just Breathe: A Modern-Day Exodus Journey to Revive Your Soul. Anchor My Soul is her second book. Visit Andrea at andreapbourgeois.com.

Disclaimer:  I recived a copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest and un-biased review.  The opinions expressed are fully my own.

God With Us: A Journey Home

 

God With Us: A Journey Home

written by Jeremy Pierre

illustrated by Cassandra Clark
(268 pages) 

With a wealth of children's Bibles available, why write another?  Author Jeremy Pierre, along with illustrator Cassandra Clark set out to give a vibrant, beautiful answer to this question with their new release, "God With Us: A Journey Home".  They  want children to grow up knowing that this world is not our home, but instead a stop on the way home to Heaven.  Their goal is to teach children this idea as young as possible to give them the tools to make sense out of our very sad, yet wonderful world.  They aim to share their vision of our world as an in-between place and to begin guiding them toward bravery as they journey toward their true home with God.

Written more as a story than as a Bible, the reader gets lost in the beautiful imagery painted by the words.  With language easy to understand, yet not babyish in talk, the child (or any reader) is invited to flow through the story a section at a time to understand the full story of the Bible in a condensed version that still honors the truths and the characters within.  From the perspective of an onlooker, a heavenly observer, to the reader, it is a very personal letter that immerses the reader in the story fully, placing them at the center of the action.

This storybook is beautifully illustrated with images that are vibrantly colored.  With pictures more like those of a graphic novel than of a child's Bible, this book is more appropriate for 5 and up, but still appropriate and friendly enough for younger eyes as well, just not as cartoonish.    

My children and I have enjoyed exploring this book, not only soaking in the story, but also studying the pictures, which tell a story all on their own.  With a wealth of pages to explore, a message I want my kids to hear, and a format friendly to kids, this is a win for me and going on my list of books to recommend!

Check out what others have said about this book:

“God with Us delivers truth with imagination, creativity, and beautiful illustrations.

The gospel message becomes clearer with every turn of the page. Like a symphony

of truth that crescendos to the final fanfare, God with Us ends with a finale that

connects the gospel dots and offers an invitation to believe. Bravo and well done!”

—Marty Machowski, Pastor and author of The Ology, Wonderful, Long Story Short,

and other gospel-centered resources for church and home

“This is a beautiful re-telling of the most beautiful story ever told.”

—Karen Swallow Prior, Professor of Christianity & Culture, and author of On

Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books

Buy God With Us: A Journey Home now!

https://www.shepherdpress.com/products/god-with-us/

https://bit.ly/god-with-us

Check it out on the website:

https://www.shepherdpress.com/godwithus/

Watch a video about the book here:

https://www.youtube.com/user/ShepherdPress/videos

Disclosure: Many thanks to Shepherd Press for providing this product/product information for review.  Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive the product in exchange for this review and post.

#GodWithUsMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

Moving Beyond Anxiety Review

Moving Beyond Anxiety
by David Chadwick

We are living in a time filled with fear and anxiety.  When the world around is so uncertain and unfamiliar, the mind tends to wander toward the worries.  This book comes out at the perfect time as more and more people are suffering from anxiety, depression and mental health decline.

Written by pastor David Chadwick, "Moving Beyond Anxiety" addresses the Christian way to address anxiety via 12 practical strategies designed to help the reader re-think and renew their minds.  From the very start, Chadwick introduces readers to the definitions of fear and anxiety and proposes that to address fear, we must first address anxiety. 

This book is an easy read, chock full of scripture, sound reasoning and Christian guidance to help lead individuals struggling with anxiety toward a path of renewal and healing, on toward a life where anxiety is no longer in control, but instead viewed as a tool of the enemy used to draw our eyes from our faith in Christ.  It is written in a soothing, fatherly manner that is calming and feels as if one is sitting down to chat with a trusted friend or counselor as opposed to being "taught".  Very refreshing and comforting to read!

Being one of the people struggling with anxiety terribly over the pandemic and the crisis abounding in our nation and even in my state and nearby cities, I was so excited to get my hands on this book, with hopes of freedom or at least some relief from the struggles I have daily with my mental health.  I have not been disappointed.  I have picked up many tools and ideas to lead me on my walk toward tackling this part of my thinking.  There is so much in this book that I am set to read it a second, and probably third time because I want to fully absorb every bit of wisdom I can.  I have also recommended it to many of my friends who are in similar situations currently on their walk through anxiety.

 I cannot recommend this book enough!

Below are some resources you can check out to learn more about this wonderful resource!

Book website: https://www.movingbeyondanxiety.com
Moments of Hope website: https://momentsofhope.org/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MOHDavidChadwick/
David’s video introduction for Moving Beyond Anxiety: https://vimeo.com/408616090/bb523284cf

#MovingBeyondAnxiety #FlyBy

About David Chadwick:

David Chadwick is presently the pastor of Moments of Hope Church in Charlotte, N.C. He
has been a pastor for almost 40 years. He played basketball under the legendary coach,
Dean Smith, at the University of North Carolina and was a member of the Final Four 1969
team. David also has a graduate counseling psychology degree from the University of
Florida and an MDiv and DMin from Columbia Theological Seminary. These post graduate
degrees have allowed David to combine therapeutic counseling theories with biblical truth.
David is the author of nine books and hosts a weekly talk show on faith and values on
WBT in Charlotte, N.C. He has been married to the love of his life, Marilynn, for 42 years
and has three children, Bethany, David Banner, and Michael. They have given David and Marilynn seven grandchildren.

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing the product/product information. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did/will receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Front Porch Diaries: The Farm and the Risky Ride by Judith Grimme

The Farm and the Risky Ride

by Judith Grimme

From the Front Porch Diaries series, this book (volume 3) is the third in the set of stories that follows the children of the Miller family.  Set in the 1960's, the series is about friendship, growing up, life and more.  Readers follow Lucy, Eddie and their friends along adventures.  

Geared toward youth readers, this book is probably most appropriate for 5th-8th grade children.  The chapters are short and easy to follow, topics seem safe for younger readers while still offering some learning as they explore ideas and events from the 1960's in a fictional way.

Having not read the first two books in this series, I jumped into this book unaware of previous story lines or characters.  It was clear there was some explanation and development of characters and location in prior stories, but it was still easy enough to determine the plot and follow along, though I did wish for some information to fill gaps.  In this story, young Lucy and her friend Simone have a summer adventure at her grandparent's farm.  

I have an advanced 4th grade reader who would love this series, however I am holding back on sharing it with her as the next book in the series involves a love interest it seems.  This is why I feel this series is more appropriate for the middle school crowd.

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of this book for free as a part of the Book Crash program in exchange for my honest and un-biased review.

You can see my review and more on Good Reads and Amazon

Fearless & Free by Victoria Osteen

Fearless & Free

by Victoria Osteen

New to the book world, an empowering devotional that will help you Live Confidently, Believe Expectantly and Embrace Your Victory!

New York Times bestselling author and wife of famed pastor Joel Osteen, Victoria carries many qualifications including radio host, co-pastor of America's largest church and more.  She has years of experience in the Christian ministry and is a noted and well liked writer and leader.

In her new devotional, Fearless & Free, there are 47 devotionals.  These are not just one page snap devotions, but rather a themed read along with a few Bible verses and a scripted prayer.  Each devotional covers a topic to help guide readers realized what it means to "live fearlessly in the truth that God has already set them free."  With titles like " Fear Is Not the Boss", "Release It to God",  "Grow In Joy", "Your True Identity" and more, each devotional chapter is set to encourage, instruct and empower the reader along on a journey to spiritual freedom.

I have enjoyed picking this book up each morning, it has been a refreshing difference to the typical one page devotionals I had been reading.  Especially in the middle of a very fear-filled time in history, I have found much release and encouragement from the words in this book!

You can get your hands on a copy of this new release on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other book sellers now!

* I received a free copy of this book for promotional purposes.  I was not compensated in any way for this review nor was I required to write a positive review.  All thoughts expressed are my own.

Read my reviews on

Good Reads

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

Penguin & Moose

Penguin & Moose
Written by Hannah C. Hall
Illustrated by Anna Chernyshova

A truly adorable tale of friendship amid trial and struggle, Penguin & Moose tugs at the heart strings as it warms the soul!

Penguin wants to fly so badly, and as he tries different ways, his trusted and true friend Moose sticks by his side, helping him try to achieve his goals while offering kindness and support along the way.  Penguin learns a lesson about friendship and the value of being himself.

The story is inviting to all readers, with simple terms and words to reach the youngest readers and listeners, yet a deep enough meaning to engage the oldest of readers as well.  The story line follows Penguin through silly ideas that make the reader giggle and wraps up with warm fuzzies and the comforting, knowledgeable father figure imparting wisdom.  With adorable illustrations that draw the reader deeper into the story, the pictures add as much to the story as the words do.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story, as did my children.  This will become a staple on our book shelf, to be sure.  With lessons of friendship and self-acceptance, the content is as great educationally as it is entertaining.  I loved flipping each page to see what would happen next.  I recommend this book for children of all ages!

You can find a copy of this book on Good Reads, ChristianBook.com and Amazon
#PenguinAndMoose

* I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest and un-biased review*

The Love Bamboo Tea Tumbler Thermos with Infuser

The Love Bamboo Tea Tumbler Thermos with Infuse

By Sacred Love

Buy it on Amazon

I like the look of this bottle, and the fact that it comes with a removable loose tea/fruit basket.

T

The stainless interior makes it safe and sanitary while helping to maintain temperatures for long times.  The lid screws on, meaning you can sip or take big drinks at your will, not that of a lid's opening or straw.  This also means it can tip without worry of spill.

I was a bit in question of all the fancy packaging for a bottle that has specifically gone the way of bamboo for the exterior doe to it being sustainable.  This item came in a shopping box, then in a cardboard tube which then had foam padding followed by plastic wrap before I ever got to the bottle itself.  A lot of wasted stuff there.  Great for a gift, I guess, it looks nice, but it seemed over the top.  I also have reservations about washing it because of all the warnings directing users to not submerse or soak the outside as it will wreck the bamboo shell.  Makes it a little more challenging to clean thoroughly when you can't dishwash or soak it.

This bottle gets high marks for function and appearance otherwise, and I have gotten plenty of .
compliments