Book Review: Of Stillness and Storm

I was excited to get an advanced copy of Of Stillness and Storm by Michele Phoenix.  The back page summary sounded so good, I couldn’t wait to get it.  And this book did not disappoint.

It took Lauren and her husband ten years to achieve their dreams – reaching the primitive tribes in remote regions of Nepal.  But while Sam trek into the Himalayas for weeks at a time, finding passion and purpose in his work among the needy.  Lauren and Ryan stay behind, their daily reality more taxing than inspiring.  For them, what started as a calling begins to feel like the family undoing.

At the peak of her isolation and disillusion, a friend from Lauren’s past enters her life again.  But as her communication with Aidan intensifies, so does the tensions of coping with the present while reengaging with the past.   It’s thirteen-year-old Ryan who mostly keenly bears the brunt of her distraction.

I really enjoyed this book.  The story starts quickly and does a good job with setting up the characters and their situation in the first few chapters instead of dragging on over most of the book (that drives me crazy!!!).  The story is very believable of what would happen to a family in that type of situation of isolation and insecurity. 

This is a book I am happy to have in my library and will keep and reread for years.

Note: I was given a copy of this book to read and review.  The opinions above are my own and I was not compensated for a positive review.

Book Review: Rest Assured

Rest Assured: A recovery plan for the weary soul by Vicki Courtney is a book that helps women look at their overstuffed, overcommitted, overstressed life’s and determine what is really important and rest assured that you are focusing on the real priorities in your life and not being overwhelmed by time filler and wasters.  This book boldly challenges women to rest and focus on what matters most; Faith, Family, Friends.

OH my goodness this book came to me at the perfect time. I felt overwhelmed, stressed, frazzled, and so self-conscious and unsure.  This book helped me to relax, prioritize, and breath.  The book is set up into two parts.  The first four chapters go through helping the reader make sense of where they are, why they are there, and where they really want to be.  She does such a good job of empathizing and not judging or accusing but simply asking questions along the way for the reader to find their own path to peace.  The last 5 chapters are steps forward on how to get where you want to be.  It’s not a “5 steps to succeed” kind of path but more of a guide with suggestions and freedoms.

I really enjoyed this book.  I followed bloggers who also really enjoyed this book.  It was fun to go through this together as a community and see the change in people. 

This book will sit on my shelf for a long time. I am sure I will need to pull this out and reread it over and over again in my life.

Note: I was given a copy of this book to read and review.  The opinions above are my own and I was not compensated for a positive review.

Book Review: Parables

Parables by John MacArthur “helps readers understand Jesus' parables and how they relate to the whole of His message. Jesus was a master storyteller, and the parables He told were ingeniously simple word pictures with profound spiritual lessons. Understanding the parables is a crucial matter for followers of Jesus. Jesus told parables so His people might comprehend His message about the kingdom of God clearly. Master expositor and Bible commentator John MacArthur has spent a lifetime explaining the Word of God in clear and comprehensible terms. In Parables he helps Christians understand the essential lessons contained in the most famous and influential short stories the world has ever known.”

I enjoyed this book a lot.  I love how he dissects the parables and pulls all the amazing messages out of them in a way that is easier to understand and read along for the reader. This helps believers and nonbelievers understand the meaning of Jesus’s most profound teachings.  This book helps the ready truly appreciate how amazing Jesus was as a story teller, and a messiah, and as a fulfiller of prophecy in so many ways.

Note: I was given a copy of this book to read and review.  The opinions above are my own an I was not compensated for a positive review.