Hearing God: Eliminate Myths. Encounter Meaning. by Nathan Finochio

Hearing God is for those who don't hear God or aren't sure if they hear God or for those who doubt that God still speaks.  Nathan Finochio, a teaching pastor at Hillsong New York City, addresses six common reasons why a person might not be hearing God.  Each reason or myth, as Finochio calls them, comes with real-life examples, Scripture backup and then a succinct point to remember.

This is such a great quote from the end of the first chapter that I think sums up the book very well: "I'm telling you that God, by the Holy Spirit, is speaking His formative words over you from so many angles, but you're just not hearing them yet (emphasis mine).  You will, though.  You'll recognize His patterns.  You'll learn His language. You'll figure this out, and you'll grow.

Maybe what we need to do is lean in.  Draw close.  Ask the Holy Spirit to draw us to Himself, to show us who we are in Him.  And then listen when we need to listen and speak when we need to speak.

Just like in a conversation."

One of the best parts of Finochio's style for me is his sense of humor.  This is obviously a serious topic, but the way he injects humor makes it so much more readable and pleasurable.  I also appreciate the last chapter of the book, which gives response ideas for each of the six myths.  The ideas are short, easy to implement ways to overcome your own obstacles to hearing God and to move into deeper relationship with Him.

I received an uncorrected proof of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. 

Eat Live Thrive Diet: A Lifestyle Plan to Rev Up Your Midlife Metabolism by Danna Demetre and Robyn Thomson

Being a middle-aged woman, I was very interested to read Eat Live Thrive Diet and was fortunate to receive a copy from the publisher in return for my honest review.  The cover of this book is very eye-catching.  The authors, Danna Demetre and Robyn Thomson, are featured in sleeveless tops.  They are both 55+ and look really great. I really enjoyed reading both of their stories and how they had struggled with weight, body image and health issues.  Danna and Robyn are both Christians and weave Scripture and Biblical principles throughout their book, which I appreciated.

This book lays out a great plan for changing your lifestyle: diet, exercise, sleep, and body image.  Danna and Robyn use proven principles that have worked for them personally.  They suggest modifications along the way for those with limitations or special circumstances and have lots of FAQ's.  The Diet really is well thought out and thorough.

All that being said, I have not really attempted the program myself.  I lost 35 pounds on Weight Watchers 2 years ago and don't really need to lose weight.  However, there is still plenty of great material in the book that I could use.  There are delicious-sounding recipes, exercise tips, nutrition advice and  suggestions for an over healthy lifestyle that would make the book more than worthwhile. 

If you too are a middle-aged woman who is looking to improve her health and well-being, I would definitely suggest checking out Eat Live Thrive Diet!

American Omens: The Coming Fight for Faith by Travis Thrasher

American Omens: The Coming Fight for Faith is not the type of book I would normally read but since I had the opportunity to receive a copy from the publisher, I decided to give it a go.  And surprise!  I loved it; it was a true page turner! 



This fascinating read is a fiction thriller, but the premise is sadly not at all hard to imagine.   Author Travis Thrasher spins an exciting tale where he imagines a future in the United States where churches and Christians have been forced underground due to laws that declare it to be a religion of hate.

One of the most enjoyable aspects for me personally was that this book was partially set in the Midwest and several times referred to West Michigan where I live.  I really got a kick out of that!

 I also appreciated that the characters were genuine people, not just happy shiny pollyanna-like Christians.  The believers I know, myself included, sometimes struggle with their faith, are angry at God, and have a hard time trusting his sovereignty. Those are the kinds of characters I relate to and those are the kinds of characters in American Omens.

 If you enjoy suspense, adventure and a bit of futuristic fantasy, you'll enjoy this book as I did.

The Minimalist Home: A Room-By-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life by Joshua Becker

If you are new to the idea of decluttering your home, this would be a great book for you.  If you have already read other books or blogs about decluttering, then I'm not sure you'll find a lot new here.  I am in the latter category, so while this book was good and could be a definite help to anyone looking to pare down their belongings, I can't say really say that I would recommend The Minimalist Home over others like it.

Joshua Becker goes room-by-room instructing the reader how to minimize and declutter each space, including the closets and storage areas, even the furniture.  He includes a checklist in each chapter with questions to ask yourself about your belongings, so he is indeed thorough in his approach. There are also testimonies from people who have followed his methods and found freedom in minimalism.

There were two things I didn't like about the book: The first is that I thought he talked down to the reader a bit from his high horse.  He considers minimalism to be the best way to live and thinks everyone else should too.  The second is that I really didn't find it speak from a Christian perspective.  Mr. Becker does occasionally mention Christianity, but puts it on an equal plain with every other religion.  Actually, I wouldn't have known the book was written by a Christian unless I had read the last chapter in which he proclaims himself to be a Jesus follower.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Of Fire and Lions: A Novel by Mesu Andrews

I am a big fan of Mesu Andrew's Biblical fiction and very much enjoyed her newest, Of Fire and Lions. Mesu has a gift to make Bible characters come to life and leap off the page, and she certainly hit it out of the park with Daniel!  I loved learning more about Daniel and the time period in which he lived.  The background and history of what was going on in the Middle East politically, socially, economically, historically, was fascinating and really contributed to the story. 

The reader needs to understand that this is fiction.  Yes, it is based on what the Bible tells us about Daniel, but Mesu has also taken liberties to tell a full, rich story of his life.  As anyone who has ever read the Bible knows, we often only get a few details about a characters life (and often yearn for more).  Ms. Andrews gives us just what we are looking for. 

If you are interested in Old Testament history, Daniel in the lion's den, or just enjoy good historical fiction, you'll surely like this book!

I received an Advanced Reading Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the Day: Reclaim Your Dream. Ignite Your Passion. Live Your Purpose by Tim Tebow

To be totally honest, I have never read anything by Tim Tebow.  I really didn't even know much about him other than that he was a Christian professional football player, so this was my first introduction to Tim and his own life and passion.

After reading This is the Day, I must say I am very impressed by Tim.  He is a young man of great integrity and heart.  He truly walks his talk in his every day life and I think that's high praise for any believer.  Tim loves the Lord and seeks to serve him in everything he does, work and play, professional and personal life.

This is the Day is a challenge to the reader to seek God TODAY.  Not someday, not tomorrow, but this day.  Each chapter of the book is inspiration to take action.  What if you began working on changing some area of your life this day?  What if you begin taking on injustice today?  What if you stop putting off that hard thing right now?  What if you forgive?  What if you make that phone call, send that email, write that letter?  What would happen if decided to start over?  What would happen if you chanced your lifelong dream?  These are the kinds of questions Tim asks. He backs each challenge up with examples from his own life and with Scripture, which I appreciate.  This book would be great for group discussion or personal reading.  It is suited to either adults or teens.


I received this book from Waterbrook & Multnomah through their book launch program.

Walk On by Ben Malcolmson

Walk On: My Unlikely Story of Football, Purpose and Following an Amazing God by Ben Malcolmson was a great read.  It is an inspiring true story of how Ben pursued his dreams and passions, and how God honored that pursuit with even better things than Ben could have imagined.

Ben, a journalism major at the University of Southern California, decided to write a newspaper story about open tryouts for the USC Trojans.  His angle is that he himself would try out to be a walk on player, even though he was thin, scrawny and hadn't played football since fifth grade.  By some miracle, he made the team and actually ended up playing in a game.  He went on to become a personal assistant for the Trojan's head coach, Pete Carroll and eventually followed Coach Carroll to the Seattle Seahawks.

Walk On is a memoir but it could also be used as a devotional.  Each chapter ends with a Scripture verse and a short thought by Ben along with several questions to ask yourself about your own experiences/life/faith walk.  I think it would be especially good for teens or young adults.  You definitely don't need to be a football fan to enjoy this book.

Ben's story is indeed unlikely and amazing.  He has led such an interesting life and had some almost unbelievable experiences.  Walk On is a quick and easy read, enjoyable all around.  The only thing that I didn't like about it is the way he disparages his parents, especially his mother.  I understand that it is difficult to grow up with a mom who is an alcoholic and a dad who travels extensively, but I'm sure his parents did the best they could and he was not abused or mistreated.  I hope that he finds a more gracious perspective someday, perhaps if he becomes a father himself.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.