52-Week Prayer Practice for Women: Journaling and Devotions by Chellbee Johnson

 

If you are a women looking find more time for faith, journaling, and devotions this year, then 52-Week Prayer Practice for Women: Journaling and Devotions by Chellbee Johnson could be just the right resource for you. 

Filled with Scripture, meaningful devotions, insightful. questions, and places to write down your reflections, this devotional can help you build a consistent prayer practice and takes only a few minutes a day. Journal and grow in your faith throughout the year, as you reflect on each devotion. 

While journaling has not always been successful for me, this format brought about greater success and starts my day and week off in a way that puts me in a better frame of mind. And knowing this is has a beginning and an end encourages me to stay on track week by week. 

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CVW2ZDRY
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Callisto (December 3, 2024)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 184 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8886509410
• 
  

To purchase, please visit Amazon.

Devotionals from Our Daily Bread Ministries & Dayspring

 These are the two devotionals I've been reading. I finished the first one today, and have a few more pages left in the second one. 

Our Daily Bread Ministries probably mailed this to our house, but they have a monthly subscription with a donation of any amount or a quarterly subscription for free. They are also offering a special Easter edition on their website. Their devotionals are available in a variety of media. 

For February 2024, there were daily devotionals and blank lined spaces to write down notes. The author then shared a longer devotional at the end about the monthly topic: humility. 

I grabbed this at the grocery store checkout, but I also see it is available on Etsy. These are very short devotionals along with beautiful artwork. Every few pages there is a writing prompt and blank space for capturing your thoughts. 

Do you enjoy devotionals? Do you have a favorite?

Book Review: Come to Me: A Devotional for Healing from Hurt by Amy W. Vogel

 

If you are struggling with the pain of being hurt by people or life situations, Come to Me: A Devotional for Healing from Hurt by Amy W. Vogel may bring you the hope you seek.

In this 30-day devotional, Vogel focuses on various translations of Matthew 11:28-30 to inspire readers and encourage them to see themselves as Jesus sees them and help readers process their feelings in a safe space. With an in-depth evaluation of the meaning of and impact of these moving verses, Vogel sets you on the path to healing. 

Each day focuses on a portion of Matthew 11:28-30 or a different translation that offers insight into how this verse applied to the author's situation and could apply to yours. That is followed by a prayer and then a healing action step for the reader.

Come to Me truly spoke to me on a day that had been filled with hurt. Vogel's insights allowed me to think of my situation differently, which brought about a greater sense of peace. Perhaps the most significant for me at the time came on Day 29 with the words I see you. Sometimes, knowing you are seen can be half the battle. 

I highly recommend this 30-day devotional and hope it blesses you in the same way it did me.

• ASIN: ‎ B0C2S9T6V5
• Publisher: ‎ AWVogel Publishing (April 24, 2023)
• Languagep: ‎ English
• Paperback: ‎ 114 pages
• ISBN-13: ‎ 979-8987995105

I received a paperback copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinion, which I was not compensated for in any way.

Book Review: Growing a Peaceful Heart by Karen Whiting & Sara DuBose

Filled with devotions of faith, encouragement, and forgiveness, Growing a Peaceful Heart by Karen Whiting and Sara DuBose will touch your heart, mind, and spirit. 

In this 30-week devotional, those looking to grow in personal peace and to find peace in their relationships, learn from a series of personal, historical, and Biblical stories shared by speakers and authors dedicated to peacemaking. From all walks of life, these women offer the reader their years of wisdom to help them be whole in mind, body, and spirit.

Karen Whiting and Sara DuBose have partnered with other authors to bring you Growing a Peaceful Heart. Broken down into weekly sections, the first 11 weeks cover personal peace. The next 13 weeks discuss peace in relationships. The final weeks speak about becoming peacemakers. Each week opens with a prayer, followed by stories, and multiple peace steps for the reader are interspersed. 

I have admired Whiting's work for years, and Growing a Peaceful Heart is a moving collection of stories. What I struggled with is the format. I actually felt a bit overwhelmed by the sheer amount of material. Keeping in mind, these are short devotionals and the book is not meant to be read in a few sittings, there wasn't a clear stop because all the stories ran one into the other until you got to the next week. The reader might choose to use the five "Today's Peace Step" action items found in textboxes for a break, but my preference would have fewer stories, more white space, and clearer end points.

Growing a Peaceful Heart contains stories from the heart, Scripture, and prayers to bring peace to you, to your relationships, and to help you find a way to bring peace to a fallen world. 

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ AMG Publishers (October 15, 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 312 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1617155780
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1617155789

I purchased a copy of this book from Amazon. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Review: Connecting with Christ edited by Yolanda Tonette Sanders

 

If you are looking for an inspiring new devotional, you'll find it in Connecting with Christ edited by Yolanda Tonette Sanders. 

In this 52-week devotional, you'll find encouragement as a variety of authors share anecdotes, life experiences, and a love of language that they skillfully connect back to God as Creator, Counselor, and Redeemer. 

Connecting with Christ shares one devotional per week, which allows you time to truly reflect on each author's words, read in full the Scriptures included, pray, and spend time recording your reflections. Though this devotional does not include dates, it is set up by theme, and those themes seem to flow easily with the year, like Renewal (weeks 1-5), Promises (weeks 14-17), Thankfulness (weeks 45-48), and Giving (weeks 49-52). 

I appreciated how some authors wove in references to the pandemic, because it truly shaped and impacted so many lives over the last few years. They talk about the losses, but also the blessings. 

It is a curiosity of mine how authors choose which Scriptures to share in a devotional. I'm sure the theme or themes help in the selection. These authors chose some of my favorites, but also some that I don't see as often. They included Old and New Testament passages. 

I've used Connecting with Christ alongside my daily Bible reading plan. This allows me to spend more time in the Word. I'm not a fan of writing in books, so I use Google sheets, a journal, or the notes app on my phone to record my reflections. 

If you are looking to grow your faith, need encouragement, or yearn to spend more time in the Word, Connecting With Christ will help you experience God's love, mercy, and compassion. 

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yo Productions, LLC (November 30, 2021)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 212 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1732850844
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1732850842
• Purchase here

I received a copy of this book from the editor. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Feb 14

Welcome to It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday. 

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone. I am hanging out in the eastern part of Massachusetts today, so I might be a bit late in commenting, but I will stop by. 

This last week found temperatures warmer than usual for February. We even hit 57 degrees on Saturday. Sunday, however, brought snow and today it is cold. 

In addition to my Bible plan, I've been doing a bit of reading and also working on editing a manuscript for a client. I have one other manuscript to edit and also a paid writing project to work on. Some days I wish I could work in the publishing world full time, but I love real estate. 

While I am away, I'm reading the following:

My review of this children's book will appear at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection tomorrow.

I need to finish this one.  

I hope these are next.

I will be reviewing this Moonlight Harbor novel in April. 

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

I decided to behave myself and not order any books this week, since I have so many unread here. I didn't even look at Kindle freebies. 

Hope you have a wonderful week. I am eager to see what you've been reading. 

Book Review: Remarkable Advent by Shauna Letellier

 

A moving look at the Christmas story through the eyes and minds of the ordinary people who lived through it can be found in Remarkable Advent by Shauna Letellier. 

Each year, I like to discover a new devotional to read during Advent. Back in October, I discovered this as a free offering. It is currently listed at a price of $2.99 for a Kindle version.

This devotional includes stories, rich in historical detail, of Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph and the miraculous events that we cherish, woven into their daily lives. It gets into the heads of these historical figures and makes them living, breathing people no different than you or I.

Each day opens with Scripture, then Letellier uses Scripture and other historical details to create that day’s devotional, and each day ends with a prayer. As you can imagine, the reader moves chronologically through the Christmas story, starting with the angel’s announcement of Elizabeth’s pregnancy to Zachariah.

In her introduction, Letellier encourages the reader to experience this book as if hearing the Christmas story for the first time. Imagine how amazing this somewhat overly familiar story is when you focus on just how remarkable what happened is. 

This is a beautifully written devotional. I highly recommend it. 

Publisher: ‎ Shauna Letellier (October 23, 2019)

Language: ‎ English

Paperback: 200 pages

ISBN-10: ‎ 1734137401

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1734137408

This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Review: My Father's Voice by Janice Elizabeth Duval

My Father's Voice by Janice Elizabeth Duval is a well-written and engaging devotional that will encourage you to nurture your relationship with God. 

For many years I've used devotionals to help me explore quality time with God. Though I read my Bible regularly, I truly appreciate the stories of others struggling with their Christian journey or seek the words of someone whose faith inspires me. I enjoy new perspectives on well-known verses and the reminders of how much God cares for me each day.

Duval shares many stories from her life that I can relate to. I loved "Whose Bumper Car Are You In?" and "Bumper Cars and More." The devotional titled "Who Missed Your Bat?" brings the reader back to the days of their childhood. My favorites were the ones that talked about spiritual warfare, like "Hawk in the Trees." 

The subtitle of this devotional is "Learning to Recognize My Heavenly Father's Voice." Through Duval's stories, we witness how God speaks to His children. We learn of His gifts (even those that might not seem like gifts at the time). We learn to listen to the Holy Spirit and are encouraged to let the Holy Spirit work in our lives. 

Perhaps one of the most insightful things Duval said is this, "The Good News is supposed to make us deliriously joyful and happy... but we sometimes make being Christian a chore." I know I found that to be true in my own life at times. 

I will cherish and read more than once My Father's Voice. If you are a woman seeking for ways to begin or to nurture your relationship with your Heavenly Father, this is an excellent devotional to get you started.

Highly recommended!
 

Publisher: Higgins Publishing

Pages: 222

Genre: Devotional

Paperback/Harcover/E-Pub

I received a digital copy of this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Apr 8

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

It's a rainy Monday here in Western Massachusetts. I had hoped to have time to plant the early spring plants in my garden this weekend, but life had other plans. It will be raining today and tomorrow, so it looks like Wednesday morning is my next best shot.

Honestly, not much going on in my reading world. I've been sticking with my daily Bible reading and this devotional, but other than that I haven't cracked open a book in days. The spring real estate market is in full swing, but it doesn't leave a lot of time for reading.

I've got to tackle these ones over the next couple of months.

What are you reading? Have your reading habits changed now that spring is here?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Mar 25

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Happy Monday! It looks like spring is finally here in Western Mass. Yesterday was beautiful and the rest of the week looks like it will be sunny and dry. That certainly helps my mood since leaving our church last weekend. We attended services with our former pastor at a church closer to our home. It was very nice, but I'm not ready to settle in. Thankfully, I'm spending a lot of time in the Word, so that keeps me focused on moving forward instead of looking at what was left behind.

In addition to keeping up with this Lenten devotional...

I am staying on top of my daily Bible reading as we make our way through the Bible chronologically this year. We are now into the book of Joshua from the Old Testament.

These two business books were small enough that I read through them quickly. I'll be implementing some of the strategies from the second one into my business. You can check out my reviews here.

This week I'll start this book for review.

These two are due next.

Then for May I need to review these two.

Finally, I need to get this one read.

Sounds like I will be busy. How about you? What are you reading? Anything great you would like to share?

Book Review: Becoming Unconsumed by Lynne Britton

In this touching and insightful devotional for women, author Lynne Britton inspires those of us who have become all consumed with this world to step back, trust in the Lord, and spend time in the Word to build a better relationship with "ourselves, each other and, ultimately, God."

Becoming Unconsumed: A devotional for every woman struggling in today's all-consuming world, will refocus your attention on what really matters: family, friends, faith, and the Word of God. It helps you realize that living in this fallen world, we easily allow our attention to drift away as we get consumed with being everything to everyone.  It makes you stop and think about the messages you are listening to and what you're giving your life to each day.

The book designer, Meghan Mason Design, did a superb job of creating a beautiful and calming cover, complemented by a few carefully chosen fonts inside and out that work well together to create a meaningful reading experience; something I feel is truly important in a devotional. Each day starts off with a Bible verse, then a short reflection by Britton, followed by a prayer. At the end of each day is a page dedicated to any personal notes the reader would like to add.

Perhaps my favorite part of the book is that it grows with you. The first twenty days follow the format above, with the reflections deepening as you go along. On the twenty-first day, Britton invites the reader to reflect on her own. A Bible verse starts the day, and then there are blank lines for the reader to write out her own reflection and response. There are forty days to this devotional, just like the forty days and forty nights Jesus spent in the wilderness where He was tempted by the devil. The symbolism of our wandering in the wilderness here in Satan's world being tempted daily was not lost on this reader. But just like Jesus' journey was not over after those forty days, the reader's journey is not over either. Britton encourages the reader to continue the habits this devotional has inspired, offering another twenty days where she can choose her own Scripture, reflect and respond, because "In Messages, Prayers And Connection, We Thrive." This is Britton's lasting message to her readers, and it is a powerful way to end a devotional that can truly impact your life in many ways.

Becoming Unconsumed by Lynne Britton has already made an impact on my life. I pray it will bless many women around the world and they, in turn, will grow in their relationship with the Lord. I highly recommend it for women from all walks of life.

Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Grace & Impact (April 24, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0692089365
ISBN-13: 978-0692089361

I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - May 7

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

How is it Monday again? Gosh, the time slips away faster and faster. Today, the hubby turns 50! How did that happen? At least he will always be two months and five days older than me. :)

Lil' Diva, hubby, & father-in-law

I've been trying desperately to keep reading a few days out of the week. It's been tough with work, but I really want to whittle away my book piles. I donated 45 books to the library book sale last week, so once I do some more reading and purging I'll have room for new ones. :) 

On Thursday, I reviewed The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y'Barbo. Great book in a superb series. Will be tackling The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep next. Love the cover. 

I'm almost done with Hot Mess: A Practical Guide to Organizing. Once I read that, I'm done with scheduled book reviews. While I definitely have other books authors are waiting for me to review, there is nothing due by a certain date. Thank God!!!! I want to read something without having to worry about finishing it on a certain date. 

I'm also in the middle of this book:

One of my friends wrote it and I am thrilled to be part of her launch team. Look for my review of Becoming Unconsumed by Lynne Britton this week. 

After that, I might finish...

I mislaid this book in the middle of reading it. As I was going through my shelves to purge a few things, I found it. 

That's it from me this week. Hope you share what you're reading. Enjoy!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - April 2

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Hope everyone had a nice Easter. We get two again this year because my husband's family has always celebrated Greek Easter. I cooked a small dinner for us and then the rest of the family will be coming over on April 8.

No reading at all went on this week. Spring market is in full swing and I wasn't home much. That said, I'm almost done with...

I need to finish this next one by the weekend.

My plan was then to finish this awesome looking book...

Then I joined the launch team for a good friend of mine who wrote this lovely devotional. It arrived this week and I am eager to dive right in.

Perhaps the journey in the waiting is the goal, rather than the actual finish line.

Sometimes while waiting for situations to change, we discover that perhaps what God is waiting on is us. That’s exactly what Lynne set out to discover when she was in a journey of waiting, during a wilderness season of her own. She discovered that perhaps she needed to unbecome everything she had framed her life around because in the process of building a life in this world, we often become consumed with everything other than The Word.

Becoming Unconsumed is an invitation to open the door to the possibilities that exist for us as women when we let go of what the world thinks and build a better relationship with ourselves, each other and, ultimately, God. This book is written for all women. Women who might not know God at all, women who have known Him all their lives, and women who aren’t sure what to think. Organized through reflection and response, Lynne invites us to consider the relevancy of the Word in 2018 and beyond as our faith is energized and confidence is strengthened. It is possible for you to make space for your daily Grace and your daily relationship with God. Lynne is the first to admit she is just a regular woman who decided to listen to God and make it happen.

What are you reading?

Book Review: Finding Bethlehem in the Midst of Bedlam by James W. Moore

In this moving Advent devotional, readers will find Scripture, daily devotionals, personal stories, prayers, discussion questions and exercises that are perfect for a single person or group study.

The book has a great format: one reading for each Sunday of Advent followed by questions for reflection and discussion. Then there is a prayer, a "Focus for the Week," and "Daily Devotion" section which is followed by six days of daily devotions that are also followed by questions.

I ordered this book because it often feels more like bedlam than Bethlehem around here. While I didn't get a chance to read it during Advent, I did take it with me on vacation and instantly dove in. James W. Moore's book encourages the reader to not only look for Bethlehem during Christmas, but throughout the year. I could see myself reading it numerous times a year to stay focused on God's Word during my hectic life. I would highly recommend Finding Bethlehem in the Midst of Bedlam to busy people everywhere looking to reconnect and refresh their relationship with their Lord and Savior. It's a book that will touch your heart.

Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Abingdon Press; Reprint edition (September 15, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1501804286
ISBN-13: 978-1501804281



I received a copy of this book through the Amazon VINE program. This review contains my honest opinions, which I was not compensated for in any way.

I read this book for the following challenge: