Sunday, April 12, 2015

Womens Bible Cafe™

Womens Bible Cafe™

Life Unstuck | Book Review

Posted: 11 Apr 2015 10:51 PM PDT

life unstuckLife Unstuck: Finding Peace with Your Past, Purpose in Your Present, Passion for Your Future by Pat Layton is destined to be a bestseller! This passionate book is power-packed with personal stories, Psalms and living unstuck as you walk in relationship with the Lord. You’ll discover unstuck possibilities, thoughts, memories and emotions. You’ll complete an unstuck assessment, then discover unstuck faith leading to an unstuck life.

Psalm 139 is the background for the Life Unstuck book. Pat Layton writes, “I have lived the message of Psalm 139 on a daily basis for almost 30 years, ever since I started my own personal search for the freedom found in being unstuck, through its twenty-four life-changing verses.” Her thoughts are divided into 24 chapters, six verses at a time, a reflection of a life journey rooted in Scriptures. This is a personal walk through Psalm 139 with application for everyday living.

If you agree with Pat Layton’s belief that “God wants us unstuck and experiencing peace with our past, purpose in our present, and passion for our future,” then you must read this book! She has thoroughly developed these concepts from cover to cover of this book. To support the book material, she’s provided her readers with a “Unstuck Manifesto,” additional resources, and a study guide on her website.

I found the book deeply personal and many times I was responding with empathy to the author’s stories. She has a clear message of healing and forgiveness for post-abortive women, removing the unstuck labels and emotions and washing them with the unyielding love of Jesus. Her living testimony is faith in action and worth reading. Grab a copy of this book for yourself, for a girlfriend, or for a book club selection and discuss the unstuck truths!

My Amazon Rating 5/5

To order a Kindle version of the book CLICK HERE

To order a print version of the book CLICK HERE

I received an advanced copy of this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Womens Bible Cafe Book Club | May 2015

Posted: 11 Apr 2015 10:30 PM PDT

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Spring does this to me.  Butterflies, buds, green shoots, the scent of new-fallen rain, and the brightest blue of the sky hanging over the day remind me of progress, change, newness, fresh starts, and creation.

It’s hard to look at a sprout pushing through earth and feel stuck.

So for the May books in the Book Club, we decided to read about: Moving Forward.  Not stuck in the past. Not imprisoned by the present. Not trapped by regret. Not shackled by shame.  We’re moving on and moving up.

We love learning about Christian authors and discussing the books we read with each other.  At the WBC Book Club, you'll find a fun place to fellowship, make new friends, share a passion for reading and deepen your faith.

While these selections are available in print, they are also offered in Kindle ebook format for our international guests.  You can find them on Amazon, barnesandnoble.com, christianbook.com, in Christian bookstores, or even possibly at your local library or church library.  Used books can sometimes be found on ebay or other online used book outlets.

Join us as we read and discuss the following books with our Facebook group!

Our non-fiction Book of the Month for May is Fight Back with Joy by Margaret Feinberg. We’ll be reading how to “Celebrate More; Regret Less!”

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Our Fiction Book of the Month for May is Angels Walking by Karen Kingsbury.

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You will start reading your books when May begins.  There is no specific reading schedule or chapter requirement each week. All you need to do is complete the book and be ready to discuss it during the month. It's that simple! We meet in a private Facebook group or you can post your comments on our website for discussion; either method is fine.

How to Join the WBC Book Club

To join the Facebook group, LOGIN to Facebook first then click here:

Book Club: http://www.facebook.com/groups/WBCbooks/

Are you interested in reading these books in May? If so, post a comment below and tell us which book you'll be reading.

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Women of the Word | Book Review

Posted: 11 Apr 2015 07:59 PM PDT

Women of the WordWomen of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds by Jen Wilkin is a study method that will allow you to open up the Bible on your own. It intends to challenge you to think and to grow, using tools accessible to all of us, whether we hold a high school diploma or a seminary degree, whether we have minutes or hours to give to it each day. This book intends to change the way you think about Bible study.

Wilkin teaches that God is the reference point for understanding the Scriptures and “If our reading of the Bible focuses our eyes on anyone other than God, we have gotten backwards the transformation process.” She admits that her words will cause discomfort in the reader and may even be offensive.

Wilkin identifies these different methods of Bible study:

  • The Xanax Approach: which treats the Bible as if it exists to make us feel better.
  • The Pinball Approach: Lacking a preference or any guidance about what to read, I read whatever Scripture I happen to turn to.
  • The Magic 8 Ball Approach: I give my Bible a vigorous shake and open it. Placing my finger blindly on a verse, I then read it to see if "signs point to yes."
  • The Personal Shopper Approach (a.k.a. the Topical Bible Study): I want to know about being a godly woman or how to deal with self-esteem issues, but I don't know where to find verses about that, so I let [insert famous Bible teacher here] do the legwork for me.
  • The Telephone Game Approach: we read books about the Bible instead of reading the Bible itself.
  • The Jack Sprat Approach: I take this approach when I engage in "picky eating" with the Word of God. I read the New Testament, but other than Psalms and Proverbs, I avoid the Old Testament, or I read books with characters, plots, or topics I can easily identify with.

Source: Jen Wilkin

I’m not a fan of right vs wrong books and clearly this is one of those books. In order to strengthen her points, she often puts down the other study formats and methods. A new Christian might find the method offensive or perhaps confusing, even doubting her previous attempts at Bible study. However the overall book is loving and written in a teaching format for deeper study. My belief is that a Bible student needs to find a study that she understands and through spiritual growth she will be naturally drawn to different methods over time.

Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds by Jen Wilkin is a different approach to Scripture and worth exploring. It’s based on the inductive method and clearly is the preferred format for the author and her students. Give it a try and explore the Scriptures through this approach. I enjoyed the inductive study methods although I’m not a fan of criticizing other study methods where women are drawing closer to the Lord, so for that reason I gave the book three stars instead of five stars. 

My Amazon Rating 3/5

To order a Kindle Version CLICK HERE

To order a Printed Version CLICK HERE
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