Category Archives: Books

Book Review: Trust by Dr. Henry Cloud

I received a review copy of this book; all opinions expressed are mine.

Dr. Henry Cloud is a bestselling author, psychologist, and leadership expert, and he’s written many books on a variety of topics, selling nearly 20 million copies. In his newest book, TRUST (Worthy Publishing), Dr. Cloud dives deep into this topic and provides excellent insights and tools that help readers navigate through both business-related and personal life situations and relationships.

Cloud’s book is divided into five sections. In Section 1: Trust Makes Life Work, he explains that trust is a foundational part of life and that we are wired to trust from an early age. In Section 2: The Five Essentials of Trust, he shares about five things that apply to pretty much any scenario: Understanding, Motive, Ability, Character, and Track Record. Some insights he includes about these essentials are:

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Book Review: Anything Is Possible

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I received a review copy of this book; all opinions expressed are mine.

“Right this second, you may be in the fight of your life. Where what you see is impossible. Where the scans are bad. Where your prodigal is not ever coming home. Where your marriage is beyond reconciliation. Where that mountain in your business is insurmountable. If that’s you, don’t fear and don’t give up,” writes author and pastor Joby Martin in his book Anything Is Possible: How Nine Miracles of Jesus Reveal God’s Love for You (Faith Words, hardcover).

Martin begins his book by sharing his experience of seeing the Empty Tomb in Jerusalem: “I remember standing here. In this empty tomb. The greatest and most undeniable miracle of all time. Jesus was crucified. Dead. Buried. And on the third day He was raised from that tomb…. Which is why I wrote this book. A book about the miracles of Jesus…. This tomb is empty. And because it is, anything is possible. Anything.” Martin adds, “While I’m about to spend nearly three hundred pages encouraging you to believe and pray like crazy for miracles, we aren’t simply chasing miracles. We’re chasing the One who performs them.” Reading about the miracles in this book that Jesus performs helps us not only understand how great God’s love is for us, but why we need to seek the One who performs miracles, not the miracles themselves.

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Book Review: Day by Day Guided Journal

On Blessings and Gratitude

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We tend to think about our blessings a little more this time of year, over the Thanksgiving holiday and weekend. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on all that we’re grateful for, after all. Here’s something from a book by Max Lucado I read recently that seems fitting for this Thanksgiving weekend, as we relax and enjoy time with family and friends.

Gratitude is a mindful awareness of the benefits of life. It is the greatest of virtues. Studies have linked the emotion with a variety of positive effects. Grateful people tend to be more empathetic and forgiving of others. People who keep a gratitude journal are more likely to have a positive outlook on life. Grateful individuals demonstrate less envy, materialism, and self-centeredness. Gratitude improves self-esteem and enhances relationships, quality of sleep, and longevity. If it came in pill form, gratitude would be deemed the miracle cure. It’s no wonder, then, that God’s anxiety therapy includes a large, delightful dollop of gratitude.

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Book Review: Born to Shine

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Kendra Scott, the CEO of her jewelry company with the same name, shares the story of her journey in her new memoir, Born to Shine: Do Good, Find Your Joy, and Build a Life You Love (Worthy Books). It’s an inspiring story of her life experiences that shaped her into becoming the woman she is today. She shares both good things and hard things about her childhood, teen, and adult years as she continued to grow in her passion not only for fashion, design, and color, but in her gift for entrepreneurship as well.

Scott was raised in the midwest with her sisters by loving parents and learned the importance of strong family values and working hard: “As a kid, I learned that all work was meaningful,” she writes. Her caring and hardworking grandparents on both sides of the family also influenced her greatly, as well as an aunt who worked in the fashion industry—inspiring Scott’s love for fashion and accessories. While she had a strong family base in her younger years, she still dealt with some very difficult things growing up, including her parents’ divorce and being bullied at school. But Scott had a strong spirit—and she continued to carry that strength and wisdom from other life lessons with her to where she is now: a designer, founder of her own company, and philanthropist.

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