Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children by Jodie Berndt

As parents of adult children, we often wonder: Will my children make good choices when they’re on their own? How can I let them go when I’ve held them for so long?

Parent and author Jodie Berndt understands what it’s like to release children into the world and still care deeply about them and everything they will face in life from relationships to career decisions and everything in between. In Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children, Jodie continues her Praying the Scriptures series with biblical prayers for your adult children, whether they are just leaving the nest, flying well on their own, or struggling to take off at all.

Each section focuses on a different aspect of adulthood, with encouraging stories from experienced parents who are praying their children through rocky marriages, health concerns, financial challenges and other real-life issues. At the end of each chapter, you’ll find personalized prayers for your children taken straight from Scripture. Each chapter also includes verses for you to pray for yourself as you take the challenging step of trusting God to care for your children in ways that you can’t.

With grace and wisdom, Jodie addresses cultural trends such as couples living together before marriage and young adults leaving the church, as well as the painful realities of loneliness, addiction, and mental health issues. With hope-filled words for the parents of the prodigal, she is particularly sensitive to the long-term prayers we offer, even as we doubt ourselves and grieve over our children’s choices.

Whatever you are praying for, you will find confidence and peace in these powerful prayers for your kids. Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children guides you to the bedrock of God’s promises as you release your children to God’s shepherding care. 

My Take:  I am always looking for resources on how better to pray for my Adult children and my grandchildren.  this book is great as each chapter takes a concern that we have for our children like jobs or marriages and gives us suggestions on scripture that we can use to pray for our children in that area. I would highly recommend this book.

I received a review copy of this book from Handlebar in exchange for my honest opinion.  

In the Middle of the Mess by Sheila Walsh

How do you turn your struggles into strengths? Beloved Bible teacher Sheila Walsh teaches readers how the daily spiritual practices of confession, meditation on God’s Word, and prayer result in fresh freedom in Christ.

In her long-awaited new book, Sheila Walsh equips women with a practical method for connecting with God’s strength in the midst of struggle. From daily frustrations that can feel like overwhelming obstacles to hard challenges that turn into rock-bottom crises, women will find the means to equip themselves for standing strong with God. Using the spiritual applications of confession, prayer, and meditation on Scripture to form a daily connection to Jesus, women will learn how to experience new joy as a child of God who is fully known, fully loved, and fully accepted.

In In the Middle of the Mess, Walsh reveals the hardened defenses that kept her from allowing God into her deepest hurts and shares how entering into a safe place with God and practicing this daily connection with him have saved her from the devil’s prowling attacks. Though we will never be completely “fixed” on earth, we are continually held by Jesus, whatever our circumstances. 

My Take:  I found this book very encouraging and very helpful.  Although I do not suffer from mental illness except for occasional depression because of my several other chronic illnesses I found that illness is illness and problems are problems even though we as humans seem to place more significance on certain ones over others.  Christians especially even though we are suppose to be more forgiving than others have a tendency to be less tolerant of mental illness as we tend to think if we truly believed you would not have problems in this area.  I thought that Shelia Walsh was very brave to come forward and talk this openly about her issues.  I found it very helpful for myself.  I would recommend this book if you are having a hard time just with life in general.  

I received a review copy of this book from Handlebar in exchange for my honest opinion.  

The Sacred Slow by Alicia Britt Chole

If yesterday’s word was “simple,” tomorrow’s word will be “slow.”

Our culture is shifting from fast food to health food both physically and spiritually. Self-care, soul-care, life coaches, and spiritual retreats all show our dissatisfaction in quick fixes and fast faith. The Sacred Slow is an invitation to unhurried honesty before God. Formatted as 52 experiences, The Sacred Slow reminds readers on every page that God never wanted to use them: He always wanted to love them.

Experienced devotionally or in small groups, each chapter features a short but unexpected reading and two options for application: a thought focus or a heart exercise. The content is the overflow of Dr. Alicia Britt Chole’s thirty+ years as a spiritual mentor to leaders and learners. The tone is personal, practical, and penetrating. The fruit is sustainable (as opposed to event-based) intimacy with God.

My Take:  In today's world of fast everything and instant gratification this book is about slowing down and taking the time to really developing your relationship with Jesus.  This book is perfect to take one chapter a week for a whole year and really working on that particular weeks topic and putting in the work. Each week is meant to bring you closer to Jesus and to take your spiritual walk to the next level.  I would recommend if you are seeking to grow closer to Jesus.

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

Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald

 

My take:  This book didn't come in time for me to participate in the blog tour given by Handlebar but I wanted to read it anyway.  The main focus in this book is to make sure that we as Christians are focusing on the inner (devotions, reading the Bible, Praying, slowing down , taking time to be quiet) instead of only looking on the outward (appearance, busyness, success,  world).  I became disabled a few years back and even when I can't get around as easily as I use to I still was focused on the busy, going to Dr. appointments, doing therapy and going to Physical therapy.  Even when you would think I would have had the right time and place I still needed to be reminded to slow down and take time for the more important things instead of the immediate.  I plan on reading this often just to make sure my life is in the right order.

I received a review copy of this book from Handlebar Publicity in exchange for my honest opinion.