Holy Roar

Chris Tomlin and Darren Whitehead

About the Book:

What does it mean to praise God?

In the ancient world, something extraordinary happened when God’s people gathered to worship Him. It was more than just singing; it was a declaration, a proclamation, a time to fully embody praise to God for who He is and what he has done. In fact, in the Psalms, seven Hebrew words are translated into the English word praise, each of which represents a different aspect of what it means to truly praise God.

In Holy Roar, Chris Tomlin and Darren Whitehead share a fresh perspective from the worship practices of the ancient world. Grow in your understanding of praise as Darren offers unique insights. Be inspired as Chris shares how those insights take shape in the stories behind some of your favorite worship songs, including “How Great Is Our God,” “We Fall Down,” and “Good Good Father.” Whether for your own personal use or for use in your church small group, Holy Roar provides insight and encouragement to deepen your practice of praise.

Become a part of the Holy Roar.

About the Authors:

Chris Tomlin: With 12 albums, 16 #1 radio singles, a Grammy Award, 21 Dove Awards, and two platinum and five gold albums to his credit, Chris Tomlin is among the most well-known and influential artists in music. His songs include “How Great Is Our God,” “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone),” “Our God,” and most recently, “Good Good Father,” to name a few. It is estimated that each week 20–30 million people sing one of Tomlin’s songs in worship. He also co-wrote the bestselling children’s book, Good Good Father. More than anything, Chris loves being a husband to Lauren and a daddy to Ashlyn and Madison.

Darren Whitehead:Originally from Australia, Darren Whitehead founded Church of the City in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2013. Each weekend more than 6,000 people worship at one of the five locations across the metro area. Darren holds both master’s and doctorate degrees in ministry, with his dissertation research focusing on millennial engagement in the Western Church. He lives with his wife, Brandy, and their three daughters, Sydney, Scarlett, and Violet, in Nashville, Tennessee.

 

 

My Review:

I am a huge Chris Tomlin fan! When I seen he had a book coming out about worship I knew I needed to get this book. Holy Roar: 7 Words That Will Change the Way You Worship is a great book, Chris and Darren take seven Hebrew words that mean some form of worship and goes into details about each word, the meaning, how to pronounce the words, and how they were used in the Bible. These seven words are found in the Psalms!

When I first started reading the book, I knew I had heard these words before and it took me back about 18-20 years when we were huge Carmen fans. Carmen had a song title Seven Ways to Praise and in this song he gives us each word and how its used to praise God. I was excited that I shared it with my husband and he immediately went to YouTube and searched for the video. This was great because it really helped me to understand what I was reading.

I’m not going to share these seven words because I want you to get the book and see for yourself what these seven words are! Believe me when I tell you, you will not be disappointed with this book! A lot of time, a lot of reading and studying went into this book!

 

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. A favorable review was not required and all opinions expressed are my own.

I Declare War

Levi Lusko

About The Book:

Get out of your own way.

Whether you recognize it or not, you’re at war with yourself. There’s anxiety. Selfishness. Self-sabotaging tendencies. Narcissism. The black dog of depression. The inability to do the great things you long to do because you spend so many hours mindlessly drifting through the internet.

It is war, but all is not lost. You can win—if you choose to engage.

In I Declare War, Levi Lusko candidly shares about his struggles with moodiness, bullying, suicidal thoughts, night terrors, and difficulty managing himself. He identifies four weapons you have at your disposal—thoughts, words, behaviors, and power—and illustrates how to use them to achieve ongoing victory. These practical tools from God’s Word will help you learn to retaliate against your anxiety by filling your heart with truth and making it inhospitable to terror

stop being victimized by your bad behaviors and become the victor you were born to be overcome self-imposed isolation by learning to think right so you can live right spare your family unnecessary heartache by confronting your dysfunction so they don’t have to.

It’s time to stop being your own worst enemy. Declare war and become the person, the spouse, the parent, and the leader God intended you to be.

Praise for I Declare War

“We are all created in the image of God. We don’t have be chained by our feelings. We don’t have to do the things we don’t want to do. We don’t have to be defined by our failures, mistakes, or sin. This is powerful! Yet how often do we not live based on this truth? One of the reasons I admire and respect Levi is his transparency and search for truth. He doesn’t shy away from the hard or ugly stuff. Through his own story, he strives to help others get out of their own way and into the truth of who they are in God. This book will help you do just that!”

—Tim Tebow, Heisman Trophy winner; New York Times bestselling author

“Levi personally understands that the hardest battle is the one we’re fighting against ourselves. That’s why I’m so thankful he’s poured out the biblical wisdom he’s gained along the way into the pages of this book. The practical tools, scriptural teaching, and trusted guidance found in I Declare War are invaluable to anyone who wants to embrace victory in their own life!”

—Lysa TerKeurst, New York Times bestselling author; president of Proverbs 31 Ministries

 

About the Author:

Levi Lusko is the author of the bestselling books Through the Eyes of a Lion and Swipe Right. He is also the lead pastor of Fresh Life Church – a multisite church located in Montana, Utah, Oregon, and Wyoming that he and his wife Jennie pioneered in 2007. Levi travels around the world speaking about Jesus. He takes pleasure in small things, such as black coffee, new shoes, fast Internet, and falling asleep in the sun. He and his wife have one son: Lennox, and four daughters: Alivia, Daisy, Clover, and Lenya, who is in heaven. His new book I Declare War, is available now.

 

 

My Review:

I Declare War: Four Keys to Winning the Battle Within Yourself is the book we all need to read. Some may like it and others may not. The point is we all struggle with ourselves. We have those inner voices that want to take control and we can’t let them. Levi Lusko writes about his own personal struggles. Struggles we all have encountered. In this book, Levi gives us four weapons we have at our disposal–thoughts, words, behaviors and power, then he gives us illustrations how to use these weapons to pursue victory everyday of our lives.

Struggling with ourselves doesn’t have to happen everyday. If you are willing to listen to the advice given in this book, we will be able to stop being victimized by ourselves and become the victor.

 

I received a copy of this book for free, all opinions expressed are my own.

Preach to Yourself

Preach to Yourself
Hayley Morgan

 

About the Book:

Break the cycle of doubting yourself, take God at His word, and talk back with truth – a new message of freedom from bestselling coauthor of Wild and Free Hayley Morgan.

We know Christ came to speak life, but then how come our inner critic keeps showing up and stealing the mic? If we’re honest, she’s a harsh one, saying things we’d never dream of saying to others: You’ll never measure up, you’ll fail again tomorrow, you just can’t get it right.

It has been said that the eighteen inches from head to heart is the soul’s longest journey. Our head knows the good news is true, but our heart struggles to believe it, and it is in this gap that we battle to believe the promises of God.

Hayley Morgan, coauthor of bestselling book Wild and Free, has wrestled with this tension her whole life. In Preach to Yourself, she tackles it head-on to discover how we can renew our minds to renew our lives. For every woman who struggles with repetitive, negative self-talk, this book will show you how to identify the toxic loops where you get stuck and replace them with the truth of God we can believe with our whole selves.

This is not a “try harder” reprimand, it’s a “believe better” invitation: to take God at His word when He tells you who you are. Come along and learn a simple practice to break free from the lies holding you back, and step forward into the fullness of life God has planned.

 

About the Author:

Hayley Morgan is a speaker, social entrepreneur, and coauthor of the bestselling book Wild and Free. She also runs Nellie Taft, an online boutique featuring women’s clothes made in the USA. Hayley lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, with her husband and their four young sons. She blogs at www.HayleyMorgan.com.

 

 

My Review:

 

I don’t know about you but I am always doubting myself. Doubting that I am good mother, good wife, good friend. Doubting my salvation and so much more. I have people that try to reassure me that I am all of the above and so much more, I struggle to believe it. To say I was ecstatic to receive Hayley Morgan’s new book, Preach to Yourself, only partially describes the feeling.

In Preach to Yourself, Haley will teach us to renew our minds so we can renew our lives. Taking God’s word and using it to fight the doubt, negativity, and toxic loops we are stuck in. Learning to fight it all and take back our lives. We have to replace it all with scripture and trust God that he will help us get through it all.

We need to surround ourselves with positive influences, drama free zones, and Christ-centered people. By taking everything Hayley lays out for us, we will fight those little voices in our head. We will overcome and be the woman of Christ we are called to be.

 

I received a copy of this book for free. A favorable review was not required. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

Am I Enough?

Embracing the Truth About Who You Are

Grace Valentine

There are times that I often wonder if I am enough. Am I enough for my husband, for my kids, for my grandchildren? Am I enough for God? This is something we all struggle with and it is happening more and more with young women. They see how much emphasis is put on beauty, on high end clothes, shoes, handbags and even cars. The culture is extremely toxic, hard to live in. What is the answer to this problem?

Grace Valentine’s new book Am I Enough? Embracing the Truth About Who You Are will help you see that you are enough. Grace has experienced these same issues and she is telling us her story to confront the lies that women hear everyday. Some of these lies are:

You are beautiful because a guy told you so,
Love must be earned,
You should forget your past,
You will never be enough, and the list goes on.

These lies tear us down, cause us to doubt who we really are, and doubt that we are worth of love. These lies are wrong, we are enough. God tell us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are made in is image. We belong to Him. He also tells us “You are enough for me, come as you are.”

I recommend picking up a copy of Am I Enough? today! This is definitely a life-changing book.

I received a copy of this book for free, a favorable review was not required, all opinions expressed are my own.

Simple Joys

Candace Payne

We all know who Candace Payne is, if you don’t then she is the “Chewbacca Mom,” who reached millions with her outburst of joy over the Star Wars mask. Her laugh is contagious! She did what a lot of us dream about, using our laughter and craziness to make others laugh with us not at us.

Candace Payne has written a devotional called Simple Joys: Discovering Wonder in the Everyday. She is taking us on a journey to find the secret to happiness, satisfaction, and joy. This book is filled with her own joy, her own stories, stories she wants to use to help you find that simple joy. The joy that comes from knowing that you are not alone, that you don’t have to be unhappy.

Are you ready to find joy? Are you ready to step out of your comfort zone? Are you ready to laugh? Then Simple Joys and Candace Payne can help you with the answers to these questions.

I really loved this book and can’t wait for you to love it. Simple Joys is definitely a life changer. One you will want to share with others.

I received a copy of this book for free, a favorable review was not required, all opinions stated here are my own.

Tailor Made

Tailor Made
Discover the Secret to Who God Created You to Be

By Alex Seeley

I know many of us have heard the term “stinking thinking,” we say this when our thoughts are negative, hurtful, or are garbage. This isn’t how we are to think. God wants us to see ourselves as He sees us, a beauty, someone that was worth dying for. Due to human nature, it is hard for us to think like God thinks.

Growing up I was always told that I wouldn’t amount to anything, that I was stupid, could never do anything right. When you constantly hear these things it sticks with you and it becomes your identity. It takes a lot to change your mindset from these words to you are fearfully and wonderfully made, you are a gift, God loves you for you, and etc. I still have these thoughts in the back of my head that those people are right.

When I was given the opportunity to read and review Alex Seeleys new book, Tailor Made, I knew I needed these words in my life. Alex was just like me and told some of the same things when she was younger. In Tailor Made, Alex helps us recognize the wrong thinking or stinking thinking that has been brought on to us by insecurities, circumstances, and etc., and offers us ways to replace them with a new view on God and what he has to say about us. We will discover the secret to who God has created us to be and not what others wanted us to be.

We each have our own identity. An identity that is found in Christ. We each are created in His image. Tailor Made will give you the foundation you need to find these and get rid of all the stinking thinking. I highly recommend this book to all of you. It will change your life.

I received a copy of this book for free, a favorable review was not required. All opinions expressed here are my own.

The Struggle is Real

The Struggle Is Real
Getting Better at Life, Stronger in Faith, and
Free from the Stuff Keeping You Stuck

Nicole Unice

Life is hard to live and easy to speak. This is a statement that I have heard over and over. Reality is this is true. We struggle with everyday issues, sometimes those struggles end quickly and other times they last for a season. We all believe that life shouldn’t be this hard. Life should be easy.

When I picked up a copy of Nicole Unice’s new book The Struggle is Real, I knew this book was written with me in my mind. I am constantly saying, “The Struggle is Real.” Why? My life seems like it is a constant struggle to live. This book opens your eyes to see how you can turn from the victim mindset to the victor mindset.

Life is what you make out of it, your faith is as strong as you want it to be, and if we let go of the things that are keeping us stuck, we will be free. No our lives will not be perfect but it will be close. All it takes is to practice gratitude, make godly choices and live our lives with confidence and contentment. God needs to be our main focus, by choosing God first we will see things change. When we let go of things we can’t control, our lives will be more manageable. It all starts with change. We have to step back, be ready for a change and let go and let God.

If you are struggling this book is for you!!

I received a copy of this book for free, a favorable review was not required. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

If You Only Knew

Jamie Ivey

 

About the Book:

What if you knew all the moments of my past that I am not proud of? What if you really knew me, the messy parts that I’ve hoped to forget and worked hard to conceal? For so long, my greatest fear was what you might think of me if you only knew the whole story.

It’s exhausting, this guarding of our stories and struggles. Fear of being found out had caused me to hide—but I wasn’t just covering my flaws, I was unintentionally blocking the beauty of God’s grace. My journey to real freedom began when I quit running from my mess and started trusting Jesus to make something beautiful of it.

This book is that story. It’s stepping out of shame and insecurity into gospel freedom. It’s  letting God turn our failures and frailties into testimonies of His faithfulness. I’ve discovered that when we quit hiding, God gets the glory and we are able to fully embrace not only our relationship with Him, but also with one another.

Transparency brings freedom, and in every moment, we’ll find that God can absolutely be trusted.

 

About the Author:

Jamie Ivey believes in women and wants big things for them. She wants them to know and believe their worth in this world and to the Father. Through her podcast, The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey, she uses a raw and intimate approach to connect with her audience. Jamie’s prayer and hope is for God to use her words to encourage and show others that they are not alone, while constantly pointing them to Jesus.

Jamie and her husband, Aaron, worship pastor at The Austin Stone Community Church, live in Austin, Texas with their four kids and two dogs.

 

 

My Review:

We all have moments in our lives that we are not proud of. Times where we made the wrong choices, times where we felt less than worthy of God’s love. These are the things that we don’t want anyone to find out about. We fear what would think of us if we told them every little secret we had.

In If You Only Knew, Jamie Ivey tells us her story of becoming free. Free from those exact fears of her past becoming known to everyone. Her story of failures and coming out of hiding, to have a true and rewarding relationship with Jesus Christ and with others.

I love how her story is helping others to break the walls down and come out of hiding. She tells us that when we quit hiding, God gets all the glory and we can have an honest, true relationship with Him. The relationship that you’ve been longing for.

This is a great book, one that I highly recommend to anyone that is hiding and feels like they are the only one suffering with this issue. Break down the wall, come out of hiding and embrace the relationships we are meant to have.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for free. A favorable review was not required. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

Breaking Toxic Soul Ties Blog Tour with Giveaway

My Review:

There are people that come into our lives that at first we believe they are good for us to be around, but later in life we realize just how toxic those relationships are. We are afraid of hurting someones feelings, so we just keep them in our lives. I know this is the case for me. I hate hurting people’s feelings, but I don’t like all the drama and negativity they bring to my life. When I was offered the opportunity to read and review Breaking Toxic Soul Ties by Tom Brown, I knew I needed this book in my life.

In Breaking Toxic Soul Ties: Healing from Unhealthy and Controlling Relationships, Tom Brown discusses his own story of rejection and the process of healing that he experienced. He helps to identify and diagnose toxic relationships that we have by breaking down the positive and negative soul ties. He also shows us why these toxic soul ties develop and just how we can break them.

This book is amazing, you really have to sit down and focus while reading. Take plenty of notes and have highlighters readily available. Amazing book! Highly recommend.

“I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.”

About the Book

Title: Breaking Toxic Soul Ties: Healing from Unhealthy and Controlling Relationships

Author: Tom Brown

Genre: Non-fiction, relationships

Release Date: January 9, 2018

Going through this world in relationship with other people inevitably creates connections in our inner being called soul ties. When these relationships are loving, supportive, and nurturing, positive soul ties are created. But if the relationships become abusive or manipulative, or cause rejection, they can create a toxic brokenness within the soul that we carry with us, even long after the relationship ends. If these toxic inner soul ties are not broken, we will experience failure, fractured relationships, and even health problems throughout life.
In Breaking Toxic Soul Ties, Tom Brown describes his own story of rejection and the process of inner healing he experienced. He helps you to identify and diagnose toxic relationships as he breaks down the difference between positive and negative soul ties. He also shows why toxic soul ties develop and how they can only be broken by a process of inner healing through confession, forgiveness, and prayer. The truth is, unless your self-image is firmly rooted in the truth of your identity in Christ, you will always be susceptible to bad soul ties. Tom Brown describes the way for you to move forward in life and leave pain and brokenness behind for good!

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Tom Brown is best known for his deliverance ministry. Millions have seen him on ABC’s 20/20, as well as on MSNBC and the History Channel. He is a noted conference speaker, prolific author, and committed pastor. His award-winning Internet site, http://www.tbm.org, reaches more than a million people a year. His books published by Whitaker House are Devil, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare; Breaking Curses, Experiencing Healing; Prayers That Get Results; and Spiritual Gifts for Spiritual Warfare. Tom is the founder and pastor of Word of Life Church in El Paso, Texas.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 27

Reading is my Super Power, February 27 (Interview)

Allofakindmom, February 28

proud to be an autism mom, February 28

Bibliophile Reviews, March 1

Texas Book-aholic, March 2

Carpe Diem, March 3

A Baker’s Perspective, March 4

A Reader’s Brain, March 5

Simple Harvest Reads, March 6 (Guest post from Mindy)

Pursuing Stacie, March 7

Janices book reviews, March 8

Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 9

Margaret Kazmierczak, March 10

A Greater Yes, March 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 12

Bigreadersite, March 12

Giveaway

In honor of the tour, Whitaker House is giving away

Grand Prize Package: Breaking Toxic Soul Ties by Tom Brown, KJVER Study Bible, and “A Friend Loves at All Times” scented candle from Abba Jerusalem

1st Place: Breaking Toxic Soul Ties by Tom Brown, God That Saves worship music CD from IronBellMusic.com, and Whitaker House/Anchor Coloring Book and Colored Pencils

2nd Place: Breaking Toxic Soul Ties by Tom Brown, and Whitaker House/Anchor Coloring Book and Colored Pencils!!!

Click the link to enter! https://promosimple.com/ps/c6cd

Included in Christ Bible Study Review

Included in Christ
Living A New Story From Ephesians

Heather Holleman

My Review:

If you are looking for a great new Bible Study then Included in Christ: Living a New Story from Ephesians by Heather Holleman is what you are looking for . This is an 8 week study on the book of Ephesians that will equip women with help to combat loneliness exclusion, weakness and many more areas that we suffer with.

Divided into an 8 week study, each week begins with a topic, an overview, a Bible Verse or a quote. Each day you will have a story, verses and questions you answer. This study is meant to teach you how to be included in Christ and by taking an in depth look at Ephesians Pauls letter to Ephesus. This is a powerful book, that needs your full attention.

Studying the Bible is something I love to do and I love having tools that will help me dig deeper and Included in Christ is on of those valuable tools.

“I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.”

About the Book:

A new kind of Bible study…

After the success of her first two books, Heather Holleman received many requests to write a Bible study. And as a college English instructor, she wanted to make sure it really taught and didn’t simply inform. So she surveyed several women about what their dream study would look like, then got to work.

The result is Included with Christ, a narrative-driven study where you can bring your life before Scripture in the context of community. Together women will discern their personal shadow narratives—ways they are living outside of their identity in Christ—and then rewrite those narratives according to biblical truth.

This in-depth, 8-week study in Ephesians will equip women with six “signature stories” of God’s work in their lives—helping them combat exclusion, loneliness, weakness, decay, emptiness, and silence.

Designed to facilitate honest sharing and help you internalize biblical truth, Included in Christ will provide community and connectedness as well as spiritual nourishment. It will also guide you in how to share your story and the hope of Christ with someone who doesn’t yet know Him.

About the Author:

HEATHER HOLLEMAN, PhD, is the author of Seated with Christ and Guarded by Christ. She teaches composition and advanced writing at Penn State and has received numerous awards for excellence in teaching and mentorship during her career. She also serves alongside her husband, Ashley, in graduate student ministry with Cru’s Faculty Commons. They live in Pennsylvania with their two daughters, and Heather writes daily at HeatherHolleman.com.