When Faith Fails: finding God in the shadow of doubt

Disclaimer I was given a copy of this book for the purpose of review  I was not paid to write this review 

When Faith Fails: finding God in the shadow of doubt

How do you deal with the hard questions about God, the church, and the Bible? Where can you find a safe place to openly and honestly wrestle with your faith without being criticized or judged? If you have ever struggled with doubt, you are not alone.

Writing with humor and candor out of his own experiences, and incorporating Scripture, literature, and accounts of others who have doubted, Dominic Done argues that not only is questioning normal, it is often a path toward a rich and vibrant faith. Whether your struggle is with tragedy, the difficult parts of the Bible, the intersection of science and faith, or even God’s silence, you can move through doubt into a deeper, fuller faith—a faith that doesn’t run from questions and the hard work of honest wrestling but instead embraces the mysteries of belief.

We all have our moments of doubt.  And most of us feel guilty when we do, but did you know when you doubt that is a great opportunity for growth?  Well only if you seek answers that is.  This book does just that, helps you find God even when you doubt him the most.  The best part is the author is relate-able.  i don't feel like I'm being shamed for my doubt, instead I feel like i'm being offered tools to deal with my doubt.

The Theft of America's Soul: Blowing the Lid Off the Lies That Are Destroying Our Country by Phil Robertson

I was given a copy of this book for the purpose of review,  I was not paid to write this review 

It’s time to take back what the devil has stolen and put God back into our culture.

Phil Robertson, patriarch of A&E’s Duck Dynasty and one of the most recognized voices of conservative Christianity in America, believes that little by little, generation by generation, America has allowed the lines of morality, decency, and virtue to be erased. Our values have disappeared as we began to believe lies—such as that God is dead, truth is relative, and unity is impossible—that have brought discord, division and protest.  But Phil also believes that things can change.

Writing with captivating storytelling and unflinching honesty, Phil shows how to make America a God-honoring nation once more: by dropping the ten central lies that rule our day and taking up the ten truths that will bring peace of mind, harmony, and prosperity back to our country. 

The Theft of America’s Soul is a prophetic wake-up call for all who desire to see our nation thrive. And it is also an invitation to experience the life-giving, peace-filling, wholly-transforming love of God.

This is my first book by Phil Robertson and I can safely say I LOVE IT!  I got this book for my hubby he is a fan of the show, but after seeing him reading it nonstop I knew I had to give it a try.  After the first chapter I couldn't put it down.  Phil is real, he shares his past mistakes and holds nothing back.  It doesn't shine him in to good of a light at first, I love that he didn't hold back.  We all have baggage and he doesn't keep his secret instead he uses it to show us God's glory and how God worked in his life. Phil tells it how it is.  There is no sugar coating and if you are looking for a book that dances around your feelings this one isn't for you.  Phil is honest and what I love most about him is he writes in a way that even the average person understands.  He is a man who loves God and his love for God shows in this book!  His message is clear and honest.

Made for This: 40 Days to Living Your Purpose by Jennie Allen

I was gien a copy of this book to provide my honest feedback.

Recognize your calling, find your place of service, and follow God to a life of purpose.

In her bestselling books Anything and Restless, Jennie Allen challenged women to fully surrender their lives to God and then offered a process to uncover and understand the raw materials He had given them to use for His glory and purposes. Now, for the first time ever, those two concepts have been combined to create a forty-day journey for women to pursue God and find the deepest yearnings of their heart fulfilled.

This step-by-step process, to fully surrender to God and then identify the threads of gifts, passions, places, relationships, and sufferings in your life, is not to get what you want but to find what God wants of you. The journal-like edition includes

• a new introduction and perspective from Jennie
• stories and testimonies from women whose lives have been changed by the process
• and the workbook graphics to determine the individual threads and how to weave them together

Divided into forty days, Made for This will help readers not only follow their dreams but also be able to answer life’s ultimate question: Why am I here?

I have more devotionals then I care to admit.  I love each of them and they all offer something, but they are pretty much the same.  Small message and some scripture to back it up.  I adore Jennie Allen's work so when I saw Made For This 40 days to living your purpose I was excited.  I thought wow a devotional from a Christian voice I'm already familiar with.
  All I can say is WOW.  Jennie as always goes the extra step, not only do I have a small message and scripture but I also have space to respond a place were I am asked to go deeper.
Page one the very first line reads "I am not really good at anything."  A few lines down it says "I don't know if I have ever done anything truly important."  These are the thoughts of a woman named Sarah and how these thoughts plague her.  And I found myself saying "me too... Me too"  The entire book feel like this, it is all relatable!  I am a 31 year old mom with an 8 and 11 year old son and so many times when I was reading I was nodding with tears in my eyes saying "me too... Me too"   It really was an eye opener for me  I realized the lies I tell myself are lies many women tell themselves.

THE RESTORATON SERIES : JONATHAN’S WALK #TheRestorationSeries #FlyBy

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced bymonetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

THE RESTORATON SERIES : JONATHAN’S WALK

For years, Jonathan has been in prison. As a result, he has missed milestone moments with his family. He wasn’t there for his daughter’s first day of school or a thousand little experiences with his wife and as a father, he is devastated to be separated from those he loves most. ‍ Jonathan has been looking forward to his release from prison for over a decade. So many life events have been missed and he is now ready to be with his wife and kids again. Of course, this transition isn't going to be easy. The odds are against him: with over half of prisoners returning to prison within two years, Jonathan is aware of the challenge set before him. ‍ Still, he is determined to take the skills he has learned into the world outside of incarceration and stay there, helping build the community that he is part of for years to come. Prison Fellowship presents The Restoration Series: Jonathan’s Walk, a 5-part documentary film series following one man as he re-enters his community after 15 years in prison. It demonstrates in imagery, powerful storytelling and social interaction what it means to be human and the shared need of all people to see communities restored. Though America is home to only 4% of the world's population, we house more than 20% of its prisoners. Recidivism–the tendency of a criminal to reoffend—is out of control. The Restoration Series tells the story of men and women who have experienced The Academy, a revolutionary in-prison program that is combatting incarceration and recidivism head on.
To learn more please see my link below:
https://www.prisonfellowship.org

Arcade and the Triple T Token By New York Times bestselling author Rashad Jennings

I was given a free copy of this book for the purpose of review.

The Coin Slot Chronicles series, by former NFL running back and Dancing with the Stars champion Rashad Jennings, is a humorous and imaginative series that explores the power of friendship and imagination, the challenges in finding your place, and the reality of missing home. Eleven-year-old Arcade Livingston has a problem. Several, actually. The Tolley twins, a.k.a. neighborhood bullies, are making Arcade’s move to a new city even harder than it needs to be. They expect him to do their research papers and interactive displays for the sixth-grade career expo’s theme: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Besides doing their work, Arcade doesn’t even know his own answer to that question. Then at the library—Arcade’s favorite place to chill—a mysterious old woman gives him a golden arcade token that grants him a unique gift. A gift that allows him to time travel between different places including his own future. From sitting in the dugout with Babe Ruth, to hanging on to the back of a bucking bull, to performing life-saving surgery on a dog, Arcade has no shortage of adventure! Together with his older sister, Zoe, Arcade explores life’s biggest thrills and challenges, and the two also have a big mystery to solve. Who is the rightful owner of the incredible Triple T Token that leads to such astounding adventures? Arcade’s circle of friends begins to widen as the Triple T Token hangs from his neck. Pulsing. Beckoning another adventure. The question for Arcade, Zoe, and their new friends is no longer, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s, “Where will we go next?”

I got this book for my 11 year old son!  Most of this review will be written by him!  This is going to be his first post on my blog

So please welcome Brandon Jr 

This book is about this boy named arcade.  And his sister Zoe.  The person who made the bool was Rashad Jennings(he use to play for the NFL!).   At the library he gets a token that allows him to travel to different times and places.  They get to do a lot of fun stuff!  And there was bullies, there is bullies at my school too.

Me again!  So as a mom I can tell you he was super excited about this book.  The fact an NFL player wrote it and it is my sons dream to be an NFL player/author.  I think he may have a new idol 

This book is just plain fun, every night my little guy would tell me about the new adventure the characters were having.  The book also touched on real life issues such as bullying and big questions we all ask ourselves.  It was funny and had lots of action, the perfect blend of real life and fantasy.  My son cannot wait for the next book in the series