When I first heard they were updating this book as well as the teen counterpart, I was curious about it. But I originally only pursued reviewing Lies Young Women Believe (co-authored by Dannah Gresh). After some time and research, I was excited to discover that they now have a male counterpart (Lies Men Believe by Robert Wolgemuth) and are about to release a pre-teen counterpart too (Lies Girls Believe by Dannah Gresh). Since there are so many other books in the series and the topic is so close to my heart, I decided it was time to read the book that started it all. When I finally started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. Literally. I finished the 300 page book in one night. I found myself in love with Nancy’s sincerity and passion for helping women of all ages be freed from the lies that hold them back from the life God has in store for them. Although there are a few lies I struggle with myself, I also found that through many recent experiences, some of these lies that used to hold me back no longer have a hold in my life. That made reading this book a milestone in my spiritual journey. It has also helped me strengthen my ability to identify lies for what they are so they have be replaced with truth. I am now looking forward to reading more books by Nancy in the future, as well as other books in the series.

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In our culture today, we are constantly being fed lies. Lies about ourselves, lies about God, lies about identity and our relationships with others. These are just the beginning of a list that could fill a whole book in its own right. They cause us to live our lives apart from what God has in store for us in light of His truth. Although everyone regardless of age or gender deals with lies, some many of the lies prevalent in our society are directed at women both young and old. So many of the lies we believe can be as a result of deception from our own emotions or our struggles with shame. Either way, it makes us harder for those of us that are trying to lives our lives in light of the truth, when these lies make it difficult to distinguish the truth from the lies. It makes women ask the question: how can I identify and stand up under the lies that I am believing?

​In the updated version of the bestselling book, Lies Women Believe, Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth explores many of the lies that women believe so that they can discover the truth that sets from free. Identifying with the first woman to be deceived, Nancy encourages women to identity that the lies they have believed are holding them back from the life God has in store for them. After giving some methods for identifying the lies, Nancy walks through a total of 45 different lies believed by women based on surveys. Some of the lies are ones we wouldn’t necessarily say out loud, but have proven to be believed by many of our actions. She includes sections about lies we believe about God, ourselves, our sin, priorities, marriage, children, emotions, and circumstances. There is also a newly added chapter about sexuality that was written by Dannah Gresh (who co-authored Lies Young Women Believe with Nancy). Nancy discusses the root of these lies and with both love and conviction tells us the truth as it is laid out in God’s word. She doesn’t shy away from the difficulties of addressing these deep-seated lies but instead chooses to help the reader root them out in God’s grace so they can live in the freedom of the truth. At the conclusion, Nancy shares an incredible list of truth to combat the lies she addresses, including Scriptures to help you absorb the truth. I appreciate the honesty and integrity of Nancy to stand up for the truth in a society that struggles to distinguish truth from lies, as well as the heart she has for the women she helps. If you are women, either single or married, either young or old, this is a book worth reading. Get your copy today.

To check out my review of the teen version, Lies Young Women Believe, click here

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​No matter where we go in this life, we are more than sure to be met with disappointments. That’s part of living in this world. Some of these disappointments are minor, while many of them are earth-shattering, causing so much pain and suffering in their wake. All too many of us find ourselves crippled by our circumstances, especially when difficulties hit us unexpectedly. So many of us get to the point of questioning God’s goodness or desiring to turn our backs on Him. This can make us feel trapped like there’s no way out. It makes us ask the question: how can I handle the major disappointments I am sure to face in this life?

​In her newest book, It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, Lysa Terkeurst walks us through how we can turn to the Lord to find strength and courage when life throws unexpected disappointments at us. This topic is very relevant to Lysa, who in only a few years’ time has dealt with marital strife and two major health issues than inevitably required surgery. With her own fair share of hardships, Lysa admits that facing these disappointments is hard, and sometimes feels impossible to overcome. But she directs us to the Lord and His Word to helps us find strength to keep moving forward, even if we don’t have all the answers or when it we are actually given more than we can handle. She also reminds us how important it is for us to remain alert to the tactics of the one that wants to use our disappointments to keep us apart from God. This is all pointing to the reality that God is using our trials to prepare us from strength in this life and eternal peace in the next. This book is powerful, relevant, and honest. Although written out of her own personal experience, this book felt like it was written for me and my current struggles, which speaks to the talent of the author to relate to her audience. If you are going through trials or disappointments in your own life, I cannot recommend this book enough. It is the perfect companion to her last book, Uninvited. This book is available as of November 13. Get your copy today!

To read my review of Lysa's last book, Uninvited, click here
To read more about the circumstances that made this book so personal relevant, click here

​Ever since I met Bob Goff and read his first book, I could wait for another book by him. I was all the more excited when I was able to get onto the launch team for this book. Unfortunately, circumstances in my life prevented me from reading and reviewing the book until now. But in the end, I was glad that I waited. So many of the themes of this book came just at the time I needed to hear it. The recent circumstances in my life have made certain people more difficult to love than others. But Bob’s storytelling has an incredible ability to help you see past yourself in order to help you live your live the way that Jesus would. It was exactly the challenge I needed at the time I needed it. Bob’s first book is in many ways about loving God, which is the summary of the greatest commandment. This second book is about loving people, which is the second greatest commandment. Both books can stand alone, but they are all the more powerful together. I cannot recommend this book or Love Does enough ~ Bethel

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There are many people we encounter in our lives that are not easy to love. The reasons for our struggles with loving them is just a numerous. But at the end of the day, our greatest struggle is loving difficult people is learning to see past ourselves. The things that we need to do in order to show them love require us to step out of our comfort zone and take action. That is usually easier said than done. And unfortunately, most people don’t. We tend to push away those that need love most. This is the pattern set by the people around. It makes us ask the question: is there a way to love difficult people in our world today?

In his book, Everybody Always, Bob Goff uses his popular storytelling style to share personal stories that can help us learn to love those that seem impossible to love. Bob shares stories of many people in his life that taught him and challenged him, most of whom were difficult to love. Either by personality or by the circumstances, Bob found ways to show love to everyone. From a neighbor dying of cancer, to his limo driver, to a witch doctor, the variety of people Bob encounters is both entertaining and inspiring. He never really preaches, but shares truth from God’s Word as it is portrayed in the stories from his life. This in turn challenges and inspires us to not be hindered by the patterns of love based on restrictions or contracts. This gives hope for us to show love to everybody always. This book is great read that will inspire and challenge anyone that is willing to take its message to heart. If you liked Love Does, you definitely want to check out Everybody Always. Get your copy today!

​Note: A huge thank you to my launch team friend Bailey for paying for my copy of this book. She offered to help me get the book when I was unable to afford it at the time it came out. This act of kindness was very much a demonstration of the message this book is about. Thank you loving a person you’ve never met Bailey. I will always be grateful for you when I think about this book.

To check out my review of Bob’s first book, Love Does, and the story of how I met him, click here
To read more what’s been happening in my life this year, click here

​I was so excited when this book first came out. I had been a huge fan of Jon’s work with his YouTube channel (formerly the Anima Series, now under his name Jon Jorgenson). In the end, I was not disappointed. I love Jon’s relatable writing style that draws you in and inspires you to think beyond yourself. This book was one of my greatest motivation for getting going on this blog (since I read the book less than a month after I created it) as well as refocusing my YouTube channel to doing spoken word (which of much of his work on his YouTube channel). It’s true that a lot has changed in both my life and Jon’s life since this book came out. But I will never forget the best advice that this book (and Jon personally) gave me when it comes to creative pursuits is this: just start. Even if you don’t have all the answers. Even if you don’t have ideal resources. Don’t make excuses. Just get started with what you have right now and see where God takes it. I know without that advice, I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing online today. It’s currently one of my favorite resources on creativity. I even have one of few physical copies of the book he sold privately. If you are looking for creative inspiration or guidance, I cannot recommend this book enough ~ Bethel

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Creativity. It’s a word that at times is hard to grasp its full meaning. Many of us struggle to find inspiration and motivation to pursue the ideas we have that are unique. We worry that we don’t have the right resources, enough time, enough courage, and the list could go on. We allow that to keep us from sharing what’s on our hearts. In an age when we have more opportunities than ever before to share our creativity, too many of us are scared or ashamed to do so. This makes us question our ability to do something that is at the core of who God created us to be and makes it more difficult for us to live out our intended purpose. It makes us ask the question: how are we supposed to pursue creativity in our world today?

​In Jon Jorgenson’s e-book, Created to Create, he walks through a collection of blog posts written over the course of 2014 that are meant to help creatives walks through what it means to be creative in our world today. Over the course of that year he made a commitment to his fans that he would blog three days a week, and he kept faithful to that commitment, all while being an actor on Broadway. Being an artist and creative mind, he explores the thoughts about the call to create, the craft of creativity, the audience of our creative projects, and the One that gives us our creative abilities. It not divided into traditional chapters since it was derived from his blog posts, but it is still a powerful tool for those that want inspiration, guidance, or courage in pursuing the creative process. Jon speaks with a wisdom beyond his years as he gives a fresh perspective on a topic that is sometimes difficult to address. He speaks from his heart, and his passion for this subject is evident in every part of this book. There is so much to take in and challenge you in your creative pursuits. As a follower of Jon's work online, I think this book brings many of his messages together in a more cohesive way. I have been very inspired by what I have read and I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to pursue creativity. It’s available on Kindle on Amazon for only $0.99! Get your copy today! 

​When I first heard this book was coming out last year, I was so excited. The original book Secret Keeper for teens is one of my all-time favorite books and since the author Dannah had developed a ministry to tween girls, I figured that this book would come along eventually. I was very excited to buy it and read it. In the end, I was not disappointed. Dannah’s heart for helping young women understand their God-given power of modesty is evident on every page. But I really enjoyed getting to see the older material I was familiar with was adapted to a younger audience. She uses different illustrations and metaphors to speak to the younger girls. She has a little bit different line of logic to help them understand the motivation behind modesty. The devotional companion even includes a coloring experience. But the heart between all of these books remains the same, and that makes it an excellent resource to tween girls, their parents, and even their youth leaders. If you haven’t checked this out, then you should. ~ Bethel

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Modesty is a difficult concept to teach to young women in our world today. We are surrounded by a culture that tells us that when it comes to clothes, “less is more.” And this idea is being pushed upon us at a younger age than ever before. Even t-shirts for preschool girls are designed to accentuate a figure that they don’t even have yet. Girls are being convinced that they can wear whatever they want whenever they want, and if anyone restricts that, it’s infringing on their rights. It makes it difficult for those of us that want better for these girls. We struggle with how to communicate to them the importance of the way they present themselves. It makes us ask the question: how can we teach the importance of modesty to young girls today?

​In her book, Secret Keeper Girl, Dannah Gresh adapts her material on modesty for older teens and addresses it on the level for tween girls. In a book of fun illustrations, both in visual and written forms, Dannah helps the girls understand their value as a unique masterpiece created by God and they our understanding of how much God loves us should motivate our desire to dress modestly. She also talks about what makes a girl truly beautiful, not by what is on the outside, but what is on the inside. She addresses issues that so many parents struggle to talk about with their daughters, but she does so in a totally tasteful and age-appropriate way. She gives fashion tests to help girls determine if an outfit is appropriate. Dannah even shares examples are stories about girls their own age to make their journey more relatable. If you are a girl about 7-11, you want to ask for a copy of this book. If you are a parents of a tween girl, you need to get this book. Even if you are a youth leader, you need to check out this book. Girls and adults alike will be grateful with the help and perspective this book provides. Girls and their moms with also love the corresponding mother-daughter devotional guide, which includes a coloring experience and an awesome letter to the moms. I cannot recommend either of these books enough. Get your copies today!

(To check out my review of the teen edition of this book and its devotional guide, click here)