Lisa Henson

Have you ever been scared? I have. Plenty of times. Sometimes it helps to stop and think of other women in challenging situations who dug deep, found their courage, and powered through. And guess what? There's a book for that!

Courageous Women of the Bible, by LaTan Roland Murphy, is a book designed to encourage and strengthen women. It tells the stories of Biblical women – some familiar, some maybe not so much – and how they found their courage in God.

In the introduction, the author refers to herself as “a self-proclaimed chicken”. She states that, as she realized her own need for courage, she wrote this book to encourage other women. And encourage she does!

Deborah, one of Israel's judges. Jochebed, mother of Moses. The Samaritan woman, moving from one relationship to the next. Mary, mother of Jesus. Throughout Scripture, women play vital roles in God's furtherance of His Kingdom, and the tasks God calls these women to often take them out of their comfort zones. How did they do it? Read and see.

Each chapter invites the reader into the life of one of these women of valor. We see where they had to make difficult choices, and how they persevered to do so. I liked the questions for reflection at the end of each chapter. You can read the book straight through, without digging into the questions, or you can read it one chapter at a time and take some time to really reflect on each woman's situation and how it can inspire you to live differently, live more courageously. This is a wonderful book, and I'll be referring back to it again and again for inspiration.

I received an advance copy of Courageous Women of the Bible from the publisher.

Ever since getting my hands on Jen Hatmaker's Beef Bourguignon recipe in her book For the Love, I have dearly wished she'd write a cookbook. That is the best dang beef stew recipe you will ever put in your face hole, and I knew if she could make one dish that marvelous, she had to be able to cook more.

The angels have sung and my wish has come true. And I have Jen Hatmaker's cookbook in my hot little hands, and IT IS GLORIOUS. The pictures are stunning, the stories are wonderful, and the author's sense of humor and personality shines from the pages.

I've made a few of the recipes (and more will follow!). When I'm cooking, I feel like Jen and I are old friends, and she's hanging out at my house, and we will make all the food and eat until we are stupid and have a marvelous time.

The Gingerbread Spice Dutch Baby is an amazing breakfast that smells like Christmas. I'd never made a Dutch baby before, but I see many of them in my family's future. The Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders were wildly popular with my boys, who are notoriously picky eaters. Our favorite so far, though, is the Potato Chip, Bacon, and Raspberry Grilled Cheese. My husband tried it and said he could eat NINE of them and we should never do a grilled cheese sandwich any other way ever again. It sounds weird, I know. But trust me. You NEED this sandwich in your life.

My one teeny little disappointment is that Jen does not have a sweet tooth like I do, and there's only one dessert recipe in the whole book. But she's got recipes for hummus and fried mozzarella sticks and migas and queso, so that redeems the lack of dessert recipes. For good queso, I can skip dessert.

Five stars for food that sounds so yummy I want to lick the pages, and for a cookbook that's well organized and does a great job of breaking recipes and techniques down so that even kitchen newbies can make the tasty, tasty food.

I was delighted to receive an advance copy of The Growing Season. It's a devotional based on seasons and farm life. I grew up with a farming father, so this sounded right up my alley.

If you've ever read Bash and the Pirate Pig, Bash refers to the Bible as the “Farmin' and Fishin' Book.” (If you haven't read it, and you have kids, go get it and read with them. But I digress.) Farming is a theme that blends nicely with the Christian faith - the Bible talks about us as believers bearing fruit, the Word of God as a seed that takes root in our hearts, Jesus as the true Vine and believers as the branches, and so much more that fits well with agriculture.

I'm not done with the book yet. It's not designed to be devoured in one sitting, but rather for savoring one devotional each week. I started with Fall, and I'll work my way through. I love how each devotional tells a story from Sarah's own experiences and weaves that in with Scriptural truth. It feels like I'm talking to a friend over a cup of coffee, not being hit upside the head with a King James Bible. (As an aside, I love that she uses the phrase “hades in a handbasket” - I've said that a lot myself!)

The Growing Season is an excellent read for us farm gals and anyone who wants a good dose of simple truth, whether we're actually working on the farm, living in the suburbs, or in a high-rise city apartment. Bonus if you want some good recipes. Pick up this book and use it to draw closer to Christ.

My thanks to the author and publisher for an advance reader copy. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.

Have you ever thought that there just aren't any good devotionals out there for the geeks among us? Geek and Ye Shall Find would have you think differently. This book is a series of devotionals with geek-a-riffic themes. Pulling from fandoms like Star Wars and Star Trek, and from a wealth of other pop culture references, Ellen Elliott shares scriptural insights in a way that even the geekiest among us can relate to. I am a geek and a nerd, and these devotionals are a great way to close out my day with Biblical truth.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions here are my own, and I don't say nice things about books I don't like. #GeekAndYeShallFind #NetGalley

My review of Cozy Minimalist Home is based on the first chapter, as that's what I've received as part of the launch team. My review is subject to change upon my reading the entire book.

POW! Right in the kisser! I can relate to every.single.word Myquillyn Smith says in the first chapter of this book. I am a Stuff Manager. I have Clutter Anxiety. I want cozy, but I don't want all the mess to clean up around and under and over. I want to read the entire book and put it to use in my own life. Now, I just need to own my own house so I can really make it cozy (and have room in my driveway for folks to park if they want to come take part in my little world).