First Chapter Review: Becoming A Woman of Freedom by Cynthia Heald

In between finishing up one of the books I am reviewing for a virtual book tour, I read the first chapters of two books. The first is being featured today and the second one tomorrow.

TITLE:  Becoming A Woman of Freedom

AUTHOR:  Cynthia Heald

BLURB:  RUN THE RACE WITH FREEDOM. The Christian life is supposed to be like a race--a race we run freely, unhindered by the burdens of this life. But often, the baggage we carry holds us back. It deprives us of our freedom in Christ and makes the race seem strenuous and futile. No matter what your age, circumstance, or spiritual maturity, Cynthia Heald will help you identify and lay aside the burdens that can make you feel "stuck," including past hurt and loss, poor self-image, approval-seeking, busyness, doubt and fear, and unhealthy influences.


COVER:  Simple, yet elegant. It follows the same design as other books in the best selling Becoming A Woman of series. I love the font they use for the title.

FIRST CHAPTER:  Because I've never read any books in this series, I started with the beginning, which means I read the suggestions for using this Bible study, and the Preface. The Preface shares a touching story of a woman who felt no matter how much she loved God and wanted to do His will, something was holding her back from experiencing joy of freedom in Christ.

Chapter One is titled, "Laying Aside Hindrances: Running with Freedom."  This first chapter is set up as Bible verses, famous quotes, questions, and exercises. Along the way, the author talks about how God has delivered us from, "the law of sin and death. and from the tyranny of self." Readers are asked to explore Romans 6:15-23 to find out what our part in experiencing freedom is. She talks about fixing our eyes on Jesus. This is followed by the Author's Reflection and Your Reflection, where you are asked to write down your thoughts in response to two questions. Before ending, the reader is provided with a Suggested Scripture Memory ver, in this case it is Hebrews 12:1.

KEEP READING:   Yes. I downloaded this book for a specific reason. Though I am not unhappy in my life, I still struggle to give up control to God. In addition, I feel my miserable childhood is an obstacle to me as a woman of God, a wife and mother. I fall back on bad habits displayed by my parents. In all fairness, they didn't have the greatest childhoods either, but the cycle needs to end so that my girls can grow up, happy, healthy, and confident. While I don't believe one book--outside of the Bible--can be responsible for a transformation, my hope is that I will gain the tools I need to move forward.

I like Heald's comforting and encouraging style, and the chapters are short enough that I can make it through them one at a time without impacting my regular schedule too much.

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 1004 KB
Publisher: NavPress; New Edition edition (June 29, 2005)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B001DA0NCG
SRP:  $7.99


I downloaded a Kindle version of this book when it was free. I received no monetary compensation to provide this review.