January Book Review

This post contains affiliate links. This means a small commission is earned if you purchase anything via the links provided. Thanks for supporting businesses that support This Is My Life.

Oh how I love to read! This year I've challenged myself to read 60 books in 2017. What am I thinking?? Life seems busier now than it was when I worked 2 jobs sans a husband, but somehow I managed to accomplish 50 books then. I'm upping the ante/ raising the stakes and shooting for the stars of 60 books! And so, I begin again. I'll spread the wealth each month with my monthly book reviews. Add them to your Beach Reads List... Oprah has nothing on this book club.

First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies

Ok, so I started reading First Women shortly after Christmas, but it took me a while, and I finished in the New Year. That counts, right? This book was everything my history-lovin heart wanted it to be. Now I'm hooked on all things Presidents' wives. The book explored the lives of the first ladies from Jackie Kennedy to Michelle Obama and everyone in between. Y'all - the drama is real! I was hooked to find out who didn't like who - who snubbed who- who were actual friends; it's all there. The only thing I didn't particularly care for is the layout of the book. Chapters were based on subject matters, rather than one chapter per First Lady. That made it a little more difficult to keep up with especially when trying to navigate the actual marriages and affairs. Whew! This is a must read.

Grace, Not Perfection: Embracing Simplicity, Celebrating Joy

There was a girl who walked into the bookstore and saw this pink and gold cover and just knew - This is the book for me. So I did what any girl would do and marched myself up to the counter. Grace Not Perfection is the book that has challenged me to just slow it down. I want everything to be in order and perfectly aligned. I don't even know what it means to rest, know what I mean? I wrote a little about this book here. With grace, we can thrive. If God has shown me such grace, then I certainly need to show myself grace as well as others that same grace. 

Bulletproof

Bulletproof is for all the Teen Mom fans! I have watched this show from the beginning. Call it a guilty pleasure? But I am a fan - well maybe not of Farrah. I'm proud of these girls for keeping their babies and wanting to be parents, despite the circumstances. Maci wrote about it all - from before Bentley was born to the potential struggle of having her second and surprise of her third child. I seriously found myself going to Hulu to watch old episodes of the show as I read through the book. If you've ever watched the show, this is the book for you.

Hiding from Reality: My Story of Love, Loss, and Finding the Courage Within

Look, I was honest in my About Me section that I loved a train-wrecked celeb bio, and well, this one was just that. Y'all. Hiding from Reality is about Taylor Armstrong who was a regular cast member of Real Housewives: Beverly Hills. The show definitely showcased some of her troubled relationship with husband, Russell. But this book just laid it all out in the open. Beyond just the normal celebrity aspect, the book also showed insight into the regular cycle of domestic abuse. I know Taylor wanted to share her story to help other women recognize their own trappings of abuse, and I think she handled it in an appropriate manner, for the most part. 

The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House

Now - it's Inauguration Day. You could find me curled up under my electric blanket reading this gem. How appropriate! The Residence is written by the same author as First Women. Once I knew it was out there, I just had to have it. Honestly, I liked this book better, if that's even possible. Especially, with it's timely arrival by Jan 20th, I was so invested as everything unfolded on TV. Though there were many moments that made me want to know just a bit more, the White House backstory on September 11, 2001 was enough to bring tears to my eyes. This book is once you must grab! Buy it. Read it. Share with a friend. It's just that good.

Restless: Because You Were Made for More 

Restless. I could just end there. I'm going to say this. I was a little skeptical about this book. I'm not in love with women Christian authors sometimes. To be fair. I hadn't heard much about Jennie Allen. I've been living under a rock for sure. But this book has challenged me so much. The end of this book resulted in an hour long discussion with Jeremy the other night about all the Lord had showed me while working through this book. We are a restless generation ladies. We need to rest in Him and the gifts and places and people He has given us - bringing glory to Him. I plan to write an entire post about all I learned - but for now .. I think this will do!

Alright. This ends January reading! On to February.. I mean, we are already there.

Any books I should put on my list? Let me know!

Book Club: No Other Gods Week 1 & 2

Clearly, I made promises I couldn't deliver. I promised a book club entry at the end of each week, but that just did not happen last week. Something called life took its place. Nonetheless, I am enjoying this study again. Yes, I am on my third rotation; however, the Lord's Word is applicable time and again. We are teachable at knew moments in life, so the study continues to be relevant to my life.

Some of the major highlights from this study:

• When it comes to worship, I try to create a diagram in my head where God is at the center and my life floats around it, much like the solar system. However, with idols of the heart this is not how my reality often plays out. The idols take center stage where the Lord should be - these idols that occupy my thoughts are body image, perfectionism, marriage, being a mother etc. I have realized over the past two weeks just how much of my thoughts are geared toward these idols in some form or fashion. It may be a stretch in some cases by 9 times out of 10 an idol/functional god is what is behind my actions. Minter uses a definition of functional god several times; the part that caught my attention is that a functional god is what "motivates us." Wow!
• I don't know about you but some of the Christian lingo still stumps me. What exactly does it mean to "put your identity in Christ"? Do you remember this being tossed around so often, yet no one really explained what it meant? This little phrase became quite the burden for me because I felt like I was constantly striving to PUT MY IDENTITY in CHRIST. After working through one of the lessons, the Lord showed me that my identity is already in Christ. That's where I stand. It's not something I have to go out and seek, but it's who I am already declared (1 Peter 2:9 and Deuteronomy 7). It's nothing we have to obtain because at our justification we are declared HIS - our identity is stamped at that moment. This Christian lingo that was tossed around all those years easily led to my confusion between justification and sanctification. I don't earn my identity. It's there.
• Need, Want, Silence of God and Fear are some of the motivators that push us to turn to idols. Sarah's need for a child. The Israelites want of a god. Our fear of "missing out" leads to uncategorical amounts of people-pleasing. For me, I was able to write out some of my idols and trace the "fear inducers". It's scary seeing all of your fears listed on paper, but it showed me how much of my life has been led by fears that further lead to a preoccupation of my heart that is not on Christ. Thankfully, the Word has so much to say about fear. God knew we would be fearful people (and why not? we live apart from him), and thus He provides much comfort in fear.

If you aren't doing this study yet, I highly suggest you take it off the book shelf and begin today. There are many studies out there for women; however, I truly believe Minter has a grasp on the Word of God and directing women to the Word FIRST rather than using the Bible as a secondary help. In all of this, sanctification is hard and touches places of the heart that we want to steel away. But our God is faithful to remove those walls, so He can occupy! 

Happy Saturday!