HEALTHY and FREE by BENI JOHNSON

It's that time of year when we start thinking about our health and make promises to eat healthier and exercise more. But the reality is most of us don't follow throug even though we promise ourselves we will. We get so busy with our lives, we forget to stop and smell the roses. I was one of those high energy people who was always on the go. I might have looked healthy, but I was far from being in good shape and really eating good healthy meals. I have decided that now is the time to take my health serious and have a healthy mind , body and spirit.

I loved the author's transparency as she takes us on her journey to a healthier life. It is not always easy but she shows us ways to achieve our goal with grace and wisdom. I appreciate her openness and insight into this subject.  She is very encouraging and is very open to sharing her struggles along the way. The book is filled with helpful tools and information that will guide you on your journey to achieve your goal. I loved how she suggested speaking scriptures over ourselves to begin to be physically,  emotionally and spiritually healthy. "He made your body , soul, and spirit- those three parts of your bring that are all connected - and when they are healthy and in harmony with each other , you will experience wellness." At the end of the book, the author has graciously included some healthy recipes to try and has a question and answer section at the end. Be encouraged as you take this journey , and know that Gid is right there with you cheering you on.

I received this book from The BookClub Network for an honest review.

SURRENDER YOUR JUNIOR GOD BADGE by JACKIE KENDALL

This book is one of the best books I have ever read about the subject on controlling women. I am guilty of trying to control everything. Earlier in my marriage, I controlled everything and if it didn't go my way, I found ways to pout . I wanted to make sure everyone knew I was unhappy unless I got my way. I was very overprotective of my children as they grew up . My excuse was that I wanted to protect them, but really I was controlling them while leaving little room for them to grow and become independent .

I loved the author's description od the very first women who "thought she was smarter than God." Thanks Eve for thinking you knew better than God. It is funny how we think once we get married we will be able to change our spouse. "Controlling women think they are responsible to change people who are not going in the right direction." What a funny statement that is. Controlling women thinking they know best and should direct others to the right way to go. How many of us are guilty of controlling and proudly wearing our badge?

What a powerful book that opens your eyes to what being controlling can do to yourself. We can find ourselves anxious, angry , fearful, insecure and have low self-esteem and turn to controlling others to overcome these issues. This book has hit home for me and I saw myself doing many of the things she talked about without realizing I was self  destructing . One of the things she talks about in the book is a struggle I have had for many  years. I have dealt with anxiety attacks for so long that it can sometimes become overwhelming. But then I read this verse , "Be still and know I am God." (Ps 46:10) I have read that scripture many times but not really thought about it until I started reading this book.  All I need to do is give God control and trust Him.

We are all a work in progress and work on our imperfections everyday. The good news is that God is in control. We need to give that control back to Him and find peace and confort in knowing that if we don't get something done or it doesn't go the right way, that the world won't end. "The more secure a woman is, the less likely she will need to be in control."

I highly recommend this book to every woman to feel secure in theirselves and let God be in control. He has this. He doesn't need our help and we don't need to get in His way. At the end of each chapter are discussion questions that I would encourage readers to use as you begin to heal from being a controlling woman.

I received a copy of  this amazing book from The BookClub NetWork for an honest review.

POWER OF GOD-GIVEN IMAGINATION by RAY MC COLLUM

I enjoy books that make me think and dig deeper into the Word. THE POWER Of GOD-GIVEN IMAGINATION will take you on a journey of a "gift that God has given every human being." We are have daydreams but don't always act on them. I remember as a kid being told to just use my imagination. It was fun to imagine going to grandma's house and playing tea with her.

Now as I read this book, I realize that we all can use that power of imagination " to dream, desire, envision and  imagine ."  We all have dreams of having the perfect job, or writing the next bestseller. If we start using our gift that God has given us, those dreams can become a reality. The author gives readers many biblical examples of people that had imaginations and it came to pass. One of those mentioned in the bible  was Abraham. He and his wife dreamed of having a child. They envisioned their child and knew that they would have one someday. It might not have happened in their timing , but God knew exactly when it was time to make their desire a reality.

There are great tools in the book to consider as you read this thought provoking book.  I found the book fascinating and loved the scriptures that backed up what he said. God wants the best for us and reminds us to "keep in mind that finding and serving the purpose of God involves a motivation to love and serve others."

I received a copy of this book from The BookClub Network for an honest review.