The Women of Christmas review

The Women of Christmas: Experience the Season Afresh with Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna description:

A sacred season is about to unfold for three women whose hearts belong to God.
Elizabeth is barren, yet her trust in God remains fertile. Mary is betrothed in marriage, yet she is willing to bear God’s Son. Anna is a widow full of years, yet she waits patiently, prayerfully for the Messiah to appear in the temple courts.

Following in their footsteps, you too can prepare for the Savior to enter your heart, your mind, and your life in a vibrant, new way. Best-selling author Liz Curtis Higgs explores the biblical stories of Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna, unwrapping each verse with tender care and introducing you afresh to The Women of Christmas.

My Review:
I have always loved the way Liz Curtis Higgs has been able to walk through Bible verses and bring the people to life and this book is no exception.  She pulls from many different Bible translations to give us real insight into what these special women in the Christmas story may have thought, felt, and experienced.  But she doesn't stop at just these women, Higgs pushes us to consider our own faith; how might we have responded?

The addition of traditional Christmas song lyrics at the beginning of the chapters is charming.  I also enjoyed the way Higgs inserted the thoughts of those who participated in the first presentation of this study.  A great way to honor them. 

There is a Bible study section in the back of the book to help you dig deeper into Scripture should you choose to.  All in all this is a great study to do alone or with a group during the Christmas season!

Thank you WaterBrook Press for the opportunity to read and review this title!

My name is Erin review

My Name is Erin series review:

Description:
This series of books written by Erin Davis, a woman passionate about sharing God's truth.  In the My Name is Erin series, you are invited into the world of a young woman who is getting to know herself, learn God's truth, develop a plan for radical faith and she on a mission to make a difference!

My Review:
These are perfect for a preteen girl as they are each less than 100 pages long, each can stand alone, and are cutely illustrated.  Erin Davis does a great job of talking on a preteen level without sounding preachy.

In One Girl's Mission to Make a Difference, Davis address topics such as accepting God's purpose for your life (and discovering it!), where we should look for validation, having a willing heart, overcoming a feeling of inadequacy. 

In One Girl's Journey to Discover Truth, we learn the difference between relative and absolute truth, what it means to put on the "belt of truth" and why it is important, how truth can become twisted and why that is damaging, why it is important to study God's truth and how to stand for the truth.

In One Girl's Journey to Discover Who She Is, why gender is important, the role of "image-bearer", why it is good to be a girl, what being a girl does NOT mean, and life lessons from Eve.

And in One Girl's Plan for Radical Faith, Davis discusses what it is to be radical for Jesus, what might keep us from being radical and turn us into lukewarm Christians, how to truly follow Jesus, why we need to be different and how to do it, and 5 mini steps to "turn up the heat" on our faith.

What I especially liked is that each book includes the Gab Gallery, a group of girls from across the country that were interviewed about what it is to be a girl.  It lets the reader know that they aren't alone in their thinking and it helps them relate.  I also like that each book has a place for the girls to write their thoughts throughout. 

I liked them so much that I gave them to my 13 year old to read.  Her thoughts?  "Their pretty cool." 

Thanks Moody Publishers for the opportunity to read and review these books!