Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for this review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sitting in my ladies bible study, I listened to everyone give their prayer requests for the week. Over and over I heard a common theme as the women spoke in life-weary voices. Peace. The need to be settled. Calm in the midst of chaos. Each woman a mom, each heart overwhelmed by the responsibilities and duties of juggling children, a home, and life. I saw tired eyes and sagging shoulders and hearts that needed encouragement and hope.

To be honest, I need some peace and hope myself. I struggle to live a life of joy and serve my family wholeheartedly. I too am worn by unmet expectations, failed plans, mommy guilt, and the closet I keep thinking I’ll clean out but never do.

I recently was given the opportunity to read Rachel Jankovic’s new book Fit to Burst : Abundance, Mayhem, and the Joys of Motherhood. You may have read her book Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches. In Fit to Burst : Abundance, Mayhem, and the Joys of Motherhood, Rachel addresses the challenges of motherhood and gently prods and points us to what really matters- bringing glory to God in our role as mothers. This book encourages the reader to glorify God and live out the truths of the gospel in our interactions with our children, in the way we feed them, in the way we handle stress, in the way we handle embarrassments, and in all the mundane activities of motherhood.

Each chapter is short-which was good for this busy mom! Filled with real life insights and her own struggles, Fit to Burst : Abundance, Mayhem, and the Joys of Motherhood is a book that addresses issues every mom faces in every day life. But it’s not a book that just jokes about the struggles and allows us continue in our same habits and sins. Rather, Rachel points out sinful attitudes and behaviors that mom’s have and helps us address them through the truth of God’s word. From maintaining a house to training children, from dirty dishes to the chaos of our days, Fit to burst challenges us as mother’s to rely on and remain faithful to Christ in all things.

Rachel was kind enough to answer a few questions for me about this book that I am excited to share with you today:

1. What is the one thing you hope moms will walk away with in reading this book?

“It’s hard to put it into one word, but if I had to I would say encouragement. Once when I was pregnant with the twins and had two tiny kiddos a lady went after me in a really funny way. “I would be so hating my life if I was you. Are you just hating your life right now?” I remember thinking it through afterwards and realizing how overwhelmingly thankful I was that I didn’t care what she thought. At the same time, I realized that it wasn’t some special strength in me-the fact that I didn’t care came from my husband, my family, my church, my faith. That made me want to give that to other women. Encouragement is like a plate of cookies that you can give to someone-only later they will be glad they ate it!”

2. You talked in this book about the way we view food. Often as moms, we can look at food as our savior, putting our trust in a particular diet. That diet for our family often becomes the hill we are willing to die on. I see this often in the “mommy” blogging world. Why do you think we tend to trust and put so much emphasis on food as the solution to our problems?

“Honestly I think that this is just an age old human problem called idolatry. We find something that we think has the power to save us and we worship it. Food is very “in” right now, and I think it is especially tempting to mothers because it is a big part of our job. It seems like every choice we make might be a life or death situation and we get really emotional about those. But at the bottom it’s just a regular old fashioned temptation to not trust God.”

3. In your chapter called “Mean Boss” I had an “Aha!” moment as I read it. Realizing that as a mother, I am both the boss and the employee helped me see why I am often so frustrated with myself. I am both a leader and a follower in the same job. Many times, I emphasize one or the other. I end up feeling guilty or angry with myself when I don’t get things accomplished that I wanted to accomplish in my day. How can we maintain this tension and keep it balanced?

“This one is tricky! For me, being aware of it is a great place to start. Something that I would recommend though is to think about how you react when you are guilty or angry about your performance. Then think about not doing that. Sometimes this reveals that we actually have an elaborate structure in place that we are dependent on to get attention. What would it be like it you weren’t doing this? What would it be like if when your husband asked about your day you could honestly tell him without any drama or tears?”

I guess what I realized was that in some ways I didn’t want the hard times to go away, because in some weird way it noted the value of the work I was doing. This is hard. I am stressed out. This is so crazy. How can I be doing this so badly? Let’s all gather around and hold my hand while I consider…obedience. Of course, once you see that about yourself you have to repent of that. We can get so self absorbed that when we think of ourselves not having any trouble, it sounds boring. We want to be in the throws of something. The reality is that when you lay that down, it won’t be boring, but it might not be about you either.”

4. I also appreciated your chapter on pulling weeds. Raising children requires constant diligence in identifying and pulling out weeds of sin in their hearts. You point out that sometimes, it is helpful to have a sense of humor in doing so. It is possible to address some of their sins with a light heart. How can this be helpful to our children? Can you give a few recent examples in your own life?

“Usually when we talk to our kids about a sin, we are searching for ways to explain it to them. Often times, those are funny. Because the reality is that sin is foolishness, and we don’t want to be reverent towards it. We don’t want our kids growing up thinking that sin is attractive in any way. Laughing at it is sometimes a way of helping with that. Not in a slap-stick way, but more in a “I don’t want to do that thing you are talking about” way.

One of our older kids has had a little trouble lately with receiving correction. She is tempted to take it personally and get her feelings hurt, especially when she feels like we didn’t understand the entire situation. The trouble with this is that when her defenses get up, we aren’t talking about the original situation anymore, because the attitude about the correction steals the show.

I explained to her that correction is love, and then I gave her a noisy and horrible kiss smack on her ear. This made her laugh of course, but it also illustrated the point. Sometimes, when Mom and Dad miss a little bit it sounds terrible to you, and it might be really annoying. But we want you to know it is love. So when the correction smacks you on the ear, don’t get your feelings hurt, instead talk to us about it in love.

When you talk about sin with your kids in a light hearted way, it has a wonderful side effect of making them enjoy talking about sin with you. Today my three-year-old is playing with a cousin, and the last two times we have done this she has cried when I picked her up. So we have been talking about that, about what she is supposed to do, and we laugh at other options (that are worse than what she was doing). I say things like, “Blaire, when I pick you up today are you going to be so crazy and cry about it? Should you scream and run and hide and kick the floor? Would that be such a good idea?!?!” She thinks this is hilarious and she loves to correct me and say, “No! I will run to you and say ‘Hi, Mama!’

In the same vein, sometimes when they mess up badly I make a funny face at them and say something like “Oh, no! Did that happen?! Quick! Let’s try again and do it right!’”

5. Is there anything else you’d like to share about this book or thoughts on motherhood?

“You know, this is funny. We had a really intense time when the twins were little and the two older girls were toddlers. God really used that time in my life for some serious refining. As time went on and things got easier it felt like we were figuring things out. We weren’t so bad at this after all. Well here we are several years later, with a crawling baby, realizing that this is still seriously hard. You would have thought that we know how to do this by now.

It made me laugh to realize that we never figured this out like there was some secret answer key, but rather that time passed. The kids grew up. Things felt easier because things were easier, not because we were suddenly really gifted at this.

While that might not seem comforting, it really is. Some parts of this job are just hunkering down and being joyful. Hanging on and hanging in there. Being faithful in the most normal way possible-by getting up every day to do your best as unto the Lord, with the full knowledge that this time will be a sweet memory all too soon.”

More good news! I have two copies of Fit to Burst to give away! Register to win below. Winners will be announced Saturday the 28th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The winners are in! Danie and Aileen, congratulations! I will contact you via email to get your info. Thanks for entering!

Disclaimer: I received this book for free, in exchange for my review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

Have you ever opened your Bible, wanting to study and learn from it and simply not known where to start? How about when you are trying to make a decision, have you ever closed your eyes, opened the Bible, and wherever your eyes first land, that is the answer you were looking for? Does that sound a bit far fetched?

It may, but it’s not too far from how many of us have learned to read the Bible. We have been taught to treat it like a manual and the characters in it are like our teachers that instruct us in how to live. Perhaps as a child we learned the story of David and Goliath and then were told we need to live courageously like David did. As a result, we’ve learned to look at the Bible as disjointed stories and fragmented truisms that will help us learn how to live the good life.

Only that doesn’t make it any different from any other book.

The truth is, God’s word is one story. And it’s His story. It’s the story of how God created people to reflect him, to rule and reign over the earth, to love, worship and enjoy fellowship with him. It’s also the story of how we fell into sin and were separated from him. It’s the story of how he promised to make a way to bring us back to himself. It’s the story of Jesus, our Rescuer, Savior, and Redeemer. And the story ends with sin being destroyed for good, with a new heavens and a new earth, and joy eternal in the presence of our Creator.

Do you know this story? My friend Melissa, recently wrote an e-book Bible study on this very topic. It’s the perfect study for someone who wants to understand this story and find their place in it.

In this study, Daughters of the King: Finding Your Place in the Biblical Story, Melissa takes us on a trip through Scripture. Beginning in Creation, and then through the law, prophets, history books, the gospels, Acts, Epistles and finally to Revelation, we get a bird’s eye view of the Bible. Consistently woven into each chapter is the reminder that we need a King, a Savior to redeem us from sin and restore us back into right relationship with our Creator. Rich with theological truth, Melissa takes often difficult terms and concepts and makes them easy to understand. Filled with personal stories and examples we can all understand, Melissa’s writing is warm, friendly, and down to earth. This study will make you want to dive deeper into the pages of God’s word and see it for the complete, unified, and wondrous story that it is.

With God as our King, the theme of the book is that of royalty. We are daughters of the King. Along with that theme, at the end of each chapter Melissa ties in how the passages studied relate to us as daughters of the King and how we fit into God’s story.

If you are interested in learning how the Bible is one story, if you want to know how Christ’s sacrifice for sin made you a daughter of the King and what that means, this study is for you.

Want to learn more?

*Visit Hive Resources for basic facts about the study.

*Order your own digital copy of Daughters of the King: Finding Your Place in the Biblical Story

*From now until Sept. 30th, Melissa is offering the PDF version of Daughters of the King for 30% off (with the code FALL13).

*When you subscribe to Hive Resources, you can receive a free printable workbook to go along with the study.

*Like it on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaughtersoftheKingbook

*Visit Daughters of the King on Pinterest for great ideas, including fun recipes and decorating ideas for having a Daughters of the King study in your church.

“You muscle through the day and pray the nights pass quickly. You lack thankfulness to God for the gifts he’s given you; you avoid reflecting on the day out of guilt over your failures. You fantasize about how other women live, your prayers lack emotional attachment to your heavenly Father, and you feel lost.” (p.78)

Does this sound familiar? It does to me too. My friend, Gloria Furman, recently published her first book, Glimpses of Grace: Treasuring the Gospel in Your Home. In this book, Gloria’s love and heart for the gospel of grace radiates throughout. She encourages us to see the gospel in all areas of home life. Reflecting on such areas as hospitality, friendship, motherhood, and even housework, this book helps open our eyes to see our need for the gospel and how it applies to all the mundane things of life. Sharing her own struggles and pains, Gloria reveals how the gospel is our strength and source for every challenge.

“You’re right. You can’t do this anymore, and neither can I. Longing for a connection with God but feeling trapped in the mundane is the story of my life too. But I’m here to tell you there’s hope for change, and God wants to meet you there. Right there. With spit-up dripping down your back and salty, bitter tear stains on your cheeks. He loves you, he’s with you, and he offers you the gift of himself to enjoy forever.” (p.78)

Gloria and her family live in the United Arab Emirates where her husband pastors an international church. This book and her personal stories are ones that women all over the world can relate to. And we all share the same need: Jesus.

I asked Gloria a few questions about her book and this is what she said:

And a promotion from Crossway:

Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for my review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

This past summer I decided to read “The Hobbit” to my oldest son as part of his bedtime routine. I only read a couple of chapters to him because one night, he took it with him to bed and stayed up late, reading most of it without me. I think the only other chapter I read was the last and final one. While I know everything turned out good in the end, I know nothing of the adventures in between.

Because my son loved the book so much, I was intrigued when I came across a book titled, Finding God in The Hobbit to review for Tyndale. I wanted to read it and use it to initiate discussions with him about the book. it is also timely that the movie is coming out this month.

A question could be asked, “Is God even mentioned in The Hobbit?” Not unlike the book of Esther in the Old Testament, where God’s name is never mentioned but His presence is obvious, in The Hobbit, the behind the scenes work and sovereign hand of Somebody is evident. While The Hobbit is not religious in nature, and not an obvious allegory like Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, there are many spiritual truths found in the book.

That is the purpose of Finding God in the Hobbit, to point out the spiritual truths and parallels between Scripture and the book. Each chapter in this book contains a portion from The Hobbit, followed by commentary from the author pointing out a specific spiritual truth. Drawing from additional books and letters of Tolkien, the author reveals how Tolkien’s faith cannot be separated from his writing.

The spiritual truths in this book are many. A few of my favorite chapters in Finding God in the Hobbit were:

1. The author pointed to the examples of the reluctant hero, Bilbo, unexpectedly getting himself out of dire circumstances, not by his own ability, and seemingly by accident. This reminds us that God is always at work in our lives. Scripture is filled with examples of unlikely heroes whom God used in his story of redemption.

“Surely you don’t disbelieve the prophecies, because you had a hand in bringing them about yourself? You don’t really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit?” from The Hobbit, chapter 19

2. In another chapter the author showed the folly’s and mistakes that Bilbo and company made turned out for the good. This reminds us of how God uses all things, even our mistakes and blunders to accomplish His purposes.

3. The author pointed out another spiritual truth in the pivotal event when Bilbo handed over the Arkenstone to help end the war. It was a priceless treasure and certainly well deserved after all he had gone through. This is a reminder of the importance that we surrender all those things which bring us only temporary joy.

“Perhaps we, the readers, feel the weight of Bilbo’s decision all the more forcefully because we understand that learning to hand it over is central to the meaning of the human experience. Somewhere deep down inside we realize that our lives in this world are fleeting and that it is folly to cling to any temporal thing. As a result, though we may not be able to put the thought into words, we sense that surrender is somehow the door to eternity-that a yielding spirit is the key to a vibrant relationship with the living God.” (p.123, Finding God in the Hobbit)

If you’ve read The Hobbit, plan on reading it, or expect to watch the movie this month, I highly recommend Finding God in the Hobbit. As for me, I need to go back and read all the chapters I missed, now with eyes more aware of and eager to see the deeper spiritual truths.

Photo courtesy: Lisa Tarplee Photography

Hands poised mid-air. Eyes focused in concentration. His mind scrutinized the pieces before him and there was nothing that would distract him. Planning, strategizing, and anticipating, he analyzed each and every move. And me? Well, I pretended I knew what I was doing.

A year or so ago, my oldest developed an interest in the game of chess. Since then, he has grown in his skill and understanding of the game. He’s tried to teach me as well. We’ve played many games together, most of which I spent trying to remember which direction each piece moves.

While I’ve come far in learning the game, and if asked, I can tell you that the Bishop moves diagonally and the Queen can move anywhere, I’m still not winning. Just the other day, I learned that a King cannot kill another King. And there’s this thing called “castling” that I’ve yet to figure out what it means.

Photo courtesy: Lisa Tarplee Photography

Yes, I have far to go but there is one thing I have learned from this game that has opened my eyes to an important fact:

I often treat God like an opponent in a game of chess.

My life is like the game board. I try to anticipate what God is going to do in my life. I plan, plot, and try to figure out what His next move will be. I strategize, “If He’s doing this in my life, then I’ll have to do this or else this will happen.”

I live life in the future, always wondering what’s ahead for me. I try to plan out what I will do and how I will handle what comes my way. In reality, I’m trying to have power over that which is out of my control.

I’ve looked at where my life is today and assume it’ll be this way for years to come. I get overwhelmed and fearful of the future-future tripping-all at the expense of the present. I even try to manipulate and change what will happen in the future. Grasping at control that is not mine to have often leads me to worry, fear, despair, and sorrow.

While in chess you can develop a strategy and anticipate your opponent’s next move, God cannot be analyzed or strategized. More important than learning how to win at chess, I need to learn how to let go of the desire to control my life and trust in God’s plan for me.

The question is, how?

Recently, I was invited to read and review Karen Ehman’s new book, Let. It. Go.: How to Stop Running the Show and Start Walking in Faith. Do you struggle with trying to “run the show” of your life or everyone else’s life? In this book, Karen explores all the ways we try to control people, plans, circumstances, time, and all the details of life. She goes back to the source of this desire for control-the first sin in the garden. Ever since Adam and Eve, we have all wanted to be like God, and be in control of our lives.

Let. It. Go.: How to Stop Running the Show and Start Walking in Faith helps open our eyes to the ways we try to control life. Many chapters include a short quiz with questions designed to help us determine if we are grasping control of a particular area of life. This book is filled with practical ways to relinquish control and walk in faith. From ideas on managing the technology in our life to suggestions on how to mother without smothering to helpful hints on managing a busy household, Let. It. Go. not only points out the problem of control but also gives solutions on how to let go of control.

And for someone like me, who is always trying to grasp control, this book spoke directly to me.

“Instead of longing for God to change the trajectory of your life’s story line, look for his face as you practice your faith at each twist and turn along the way.” (p.166)

As an author, Karen Ehman is witty, down to earth, and transparent. She writes in the tone of your best girl friend, sharing her own struggles with trying to control life. After meeting her and hearing her speak this summer at She Speaks, I can attest to the fact that she is the same in person as she is in the book.

As for me and my chess game, I may never win against my son. But I have learned to let go of the desire to control the direction for my life. Trusting God for His perfect plan is the only strategy for me.

To get your own copy of this book, click here: Let. It. Go.: How to Stop Running the Show and Start Walking in Faith. A companion video based study is also available for small groups.

Two readers will win their very own copy today. Simply leave a comment below and you’ll be automatically entered. Random.org will draw the names on December 8 at 8:00pm EST. Update: Melissa Deming and Donnell Holly are the winners of this giveaway. Congratulations!

Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for this review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.