Book Review: Your Beautiful Purpose: Discovering and Enjoying What GodCan Do Through You

Title: Your Beautiful Purpose: Discovering and Enjoying What God Can Do Through You
Author: Susie Larson
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
January 1, 2013

ISBN-10: 0764210661

ISBN-13: 978-0764210662

Genre: Christian living

Popular Radio Host Shows Women How to Embrace God's Unique Call for Their Life

Listeners to Susie Larson's radio show and women she meets at events across the country tell her the same thing: I want to do something meaningful for God, but I don't know what to do, or how.

Drawing on her own hard-earned experiences, Larson shows readers how to overcome insecurities, busyness, and other obstacles in order to focus their gifts and passions on their unique God-assignment. With biblical insights and inspiring stories from a variety of women, this action-oriented guide will speak to every woman who has felt a nudge from God--from the visionary who wants to end poverty to the empty-nest mom who feels called to help the young single mother next door.

From the Back Cover

Let God Breathe a Fresh Purpose Into Your Soul


We so want each day to matter--to serve God in big and small ways. But how, especially when everyday responsibilities, work, fears, and other obstacles get in the way? 

Like a trusted friend, Susie Larson shares practical, scriptural ways to overcome whatever keeps us from living fully in God's will. Susie will help you learn to:

- Discern the best use of your time and gifts

- Confidently pursue God's unique desires for you

- Stretch your faith and deepen your impact

Respond today to that nudge in your spirit--that desire to use your gifts and passions more fully in God's work. Lay down lesser commitments and lay hold of God's beautiful purpose for your life.

Susie Larsons Your Beautiful Purpose was a breath of fresh air. I felt as though every page brought Gods wisdom, like a refreshing wind. The encouragement to embrace fully Gods divine purpose for me was spot on and easy to walk out.  

The gentle way she brought to attention our tendency to want what someone else is living, made it me not only aware of areas that need Christ's' light, but enables me to address it and adjust. 

Each and every one of us has a journey, a purpose to walk out. This book equips you with Gods word and promises, paving the way to complete the journey you were created to complete. 

If you or someone you know is questioning your purpose here or how to accomplish your purpose then this book is for you. It is encouraging. Uplifting. Positive. And has an empowering feel. 

Your Beautiful Purpose is a book that any woman who feels they have I purpose within them, screaming to get out. $12.02. 240 pages. 

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars

Mark Batterson 

Every page of this book, I felt was meant for me personally. Have you ever picked up a book and felt like the author read your diary?

 I just finished this  incredibly encouraging book this past week and I felt like God was speaking to me through this book. I have had even more peace and confidence since reading this book. I have felt for a while God challenging me to take him out of my small minded box and allow him to do great things in my life. I have now passed this book in to my 13 year old. My prayer is that she grabs ahold of this at 13, and allows God to use her as a lion chaser. To work mightily in her life and accomplish things she could never fathom in her own. 

This is a book I would recommend to anyone who is willing to be used mightily by God. 

 

In summary seven skills are needed if you want to be a lion chaser:

You must comprehend the infiniteness of God so that you can believe He can help you defy the odds.

Face your fears, or they’ll hold you back forever. Learn to reframe your problems through daily bible reading (input), prayer, and worship which will then…

Shift your perspective so that your problem becomes less significant and God’s greatness becomes more evident.

You must take risk which is the essence of faith.

Be ready to seize the opportunity but you must SEE it to seize it. HOW?

Get yourself in tune with the Holy Spirit by listening to His still, small voice prompting you and believe that He is setting you up for success.

Accept you are going to look foolish sometimes, as chasing a lion usually looks pretty crazy to everyone else.

Just a few of the highlights I took away from reading this book:

“Faith is embracing the uncertainties of life. It is chasing the lions that cross our paths. It is recognizing a divine appointment when you see one. Embrace uncertainty. It is called romance. Embrace spiritual uncertainty. It’s called mystery. Embrace occupational uncertainty. It’s called destiny. Embrace emotional uncertainty. It is called joy. Embrace intellectual uncertainty. It’s called revelation.

Sometimes uncertainty forces us to pray like it depends on God.

Someday we may be as grateful for the bad things as the good things, because the bad things helped prepare us for the good things. 

Our past problems often prepare us for future opportunities.

We should stop asking God to get us out of difficult circumstances and start asking Him what He wants us to get out of those difficult circumstances.

God wants us to learn to see bad experiences through the good we have gained from them.

God will use our pain for someone else’s gain.

Don’t accumulate possessions: accumulate experiences!

Our confidence is contingent upon the character of God. Our circumstances many not make sense, but we know that God is planning His work and working His plan.

Opportunities often look like insurmountable obstacles.

We are control freaks. I am definitely one...but faith involves a loss of control. And with the loss of control comes the loss of certainty. 

Faith is the willingness and readiness to embrace those uncertainties. 

Often times the greatest moments in life are unscripted. They are unrehearsed and unplanned and unpredictable and that is precisely what makes them unforgettable. So expect the unexpected and learn to enjoy the journey.

Think of every opportunity as a gift from God. What you do with that opportunity is your gift to God.

Spiritual maturity is seeing and seizing God-ordained opportunities.

God is in the business of strategically positioning us in the right place at the right time. But the right place often seems like the wrong place, and the right time often seems like the wrong time.

Goodness is not the absence of badness. You can do nothing wrong and still do nothing right. 

Our calling is much higher than simply running away from what is wrong and looking for opportunities in our problems and obstacles, and take risks to reach for God’s best.

No adversity equals no opportunity.

Prayer is less about changing our circumstances and more about changing our perspective. 

Worship is forgetting about what’s wrong with you and remembering what is right with God. 

God wants us to learn to see bad experiences through the good we have gained from them. 

The circumstances you complain about become chains that imprison you. 

And worship is the way out.” 

Worship is the best way to reframe a problem.”

From the book:

Your greatest regret at the end of your life will be the lions you didn't chase. You will look back longingly on risks not taken, opportunities not seized, and dreams not pursued. Stop running away from what scares you most and start chasing the God-ordained opportunities that cross your path. In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day is inspired by one of the most obscure yet courageous acts recorded in Scripture, a blessed and audacious act that left no regrets: “Benaiah chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it” (2 Samuel 23:20 -21). Unleash the lion chaser within! 

What if the life you really want, and the future God wants for you, is hiding right now in your biggest problem, your worst failure…your greatest fear? 

Story Behind the Book

“Our best days often start out as our worst days. And our greatest opportunities are often disguised as our biggest problems. You can land in a pit with a lion on a snowy day, and it will seem like the end of the road. But God is in the recycling business. He recycles past experiences and uses them to prepare us for future opportunities. That is the story of my life. And that is the story of your life. Look in the rearview mirror long enough and you’ll see that God has purposely positioned you everywhere you’ve been—even when it seemed you’d taken a wrong turn.” 

—Mark Batterson

Power of a Praying Parent Book Review

I have had this book for at least 12 years. My oldest will be 13 this month. 

I love this book because there are times when you just don't know what to pray for you children. In such a harsh world, how do you protect them at all times? 

This book helped me come to the realization that I can not, but that God could and would. 

I am not naive to think this would keep all bad from happening. I do think however that in the bad God provides a peace that surpasses understanding and that he also provides guidance on how to handle each situation we are faced with. 

This is a book that I keep close during my quiet times, one that I have given to many friends and one that I highly recommend. Power of a Praying Parent

Product Description

Stormie Omartian's mega bestselling The Power of a Praying® series (more than 8.2 million copies sold) is re-released with fresh cover designs to reach those eager to discover the power of prayer for their lives.

After decades of raising her children along with her husband, Michael, bestselling author Stormie Omartian looks back at the trials, joys, and power found in praying for her kids. In 30 easy-to-read chapters, Stormie shares from personal experience as to how parents can pray for their children's

• safety
• character
• adolescence
• peer pressure
• school experiences
• friends
• relationship with God

This resource will encourage readers in the parenting journey whether their kids are three or thirty-three.

From the Back Cover

Why leave your child’s life to chance when you can give it to God?

Award-winning singer and songwriter Stormie Omartian and her husband, Michael, spent 20 years raising their children…and learning the power of praying for them. Now, in 31 short, easy-to-read chapters, Stormie shares how you can pray through each stage of your child’s growth, from early childhood through adulthood.

Learn how to turn to the Father and place every detail of your child’s life in His loving and capable hands:

* safety 
* character development 
* peer pressure 
* school 
* marriage 
* friends 
* relationship with God 
* family relationships 
* adolescence 
* career choices

Whether your child is three or thirty-three, it’s never too late to discover the joy that comes from being a part of God’s work in his or her life.

About the Author

Stormie Omartian is the bestselling author (more than 23 million books sold) of The Power of a Praying® series, which includes The Power of a Praying® Wife Devotional and The Power of a Praying® Woman. Her many other books include Just Enough Light for the Step I'm On, The Prayer That Changes Everything®, and Praying the Bible into Your Life. Stormie and her husband, Michael, have been married more than 39 years and are the parents of two married children. www.stormieomartian.com

Deep Harbor (Northern Lights #2) Book Review

 Title: Deep Harbor

Author: Lisa Tawn Bergren

Pages: 384

Once again Lisa Tawn Bergren gives us a story that pulls you in. Full of inspiration, suspense, sorrow and justice.  Deep Harbor leaves you satisfied.

Plot: This book picks up where Captain's Bride left off a few years later. We are updated on the lives of Peder and Elsa, Karl, Tora and Kaatje.  These characters have found their place in America and living their lives accordingly. 

Characters:  One of the things I love about Lisa Tawn Bergrens writing is the strength of her female characters. Elsa, Kaatje and Tora are all beautiful women in this book. Some more than others, but they all exude there femininity beautifully. Along with that femininity they are all very strong women. The beautiful thing is they are all truly individual in their feminine strength, trusting God to enable them to battle whatever they face with all the power within them.  Peder and Karl exude their masculine strength and are not threatened by the strength of the women that come from their homeland. 

Themes:  The main theme of this book I would say is forgiveness, restoration and redemption. All three play a part in each of the characters lives.  Once again I found myself placing myself in some of the situations in the book and asking myself how I would respond. 

Emotion:  There is a myriad of emotions felt while reading this book. Each of the characters are experiencing life as it comes at them. This book will make you cry and cheer, wince with empathy and call for justice. 

Overall: I liked this book more than the Captain's Bride. It started off fierce and continued through to the end. This book like the first continues to build, highlighting how God can help us in any situation. No one is ever too far gone for the hand of Christ to reach them. 

 

Captains Bride (Northern Lights #1) Book Review

Title: Captains Bride (Northern Lights #1)

Author: Lisa Tawn Bergren

Pages: 400

I must begin this review by saying I LOVE the ocean and anything to do with its beauty and grandeur. With that said I absolutely loved this book. I enjoyed the ties each character shared yet the individual life events the tore them apart. These life events were so relevant I found myself reflecting on how I would handle similar situations. 

Plot: There are several stories happening within the main over arching story line. There is just enough shifting between stories to keep your attention, but not so much as to get you lost and confused.  

The story begins in Norway with a group preparing to embark on a journey to America. All planning to begin a new life in a land of promise. Once the immigrants arrive in America their stories  break off to follow the happenings in the lives of these new Americans.

Characters:  I really enjoyed each of the "main" characters in this book. They were so real and believable I found myself calling for vengeance, smiling, laughing or agonizing over certain events in the book. Elsa and Peder take center stage as they are the captain and bride.  Karl is Peders best friend and First Mate. Kaatje is Elsa's best friend who comes to America looking for a new start with her husband. Torah is Elsa's little sister,  who is willing to stop at nothing to reach her own personal dreams. 

Themes:  The main theme of this book I would say is beginning anew. Leaving home for a new land, everyone is focused on what future America has for them. 

Emotion: This book drew emotion from me immediately. The steady pace kept me caught up in this story of hope and disappointment, joy and pain. 

Overall: This was a very good book. I truly enjoyed it and plan on immediately grabbing the next book in the series to see what happens to my new friends. The story is one that continues to grow. Each of the characters hold their own individual lives, yet they intermingle with their native countrymen. I found myself falling in love with some of the stories and truly disliking others. This made the story that much more enjoyable.