Heidi's Haven

Dr. Gary Chapman believes that there are five different ways that people express love: words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch. He refers to these as Love Languages. This book is all about learning to love others in their own love language, the way that they feel the most love. This is all about improving the relationships with everyone you know.  This is the singles edition, but you do not have to be single to read it and benefit from it. This book was written after the huge success of his first book regarding the 5 love languages in regards to marriage. This book simply focuses on all  relationships, and not just romantic ones. There are also questions for thought and consideration at the end of each chapter. I completely believe in the five love languages, and through the quiz in the book, I have finally discovered mine: quality time. I have been able to recognize the love languages of my friends and family, and ...

In Lasting Love: How to Avoid Marital Failure , Alistair Begg urges readers to get back to the basics of marriage and examine what the Bible says about it.  Originally published in 1997, this book is written for Christians, whether they are married and feeling the love and excitement slip away, or if they are single and just thinking about marriage in the future. Begg says that the Bible gives clear instructions for marriage, and we need to look no further than the Bible to find the solution to our marital problems. He says that we need to reject divorce as an option and put work into bringing love back into the mix. Alistair Begg is an older man, and many things he said were pretty outdated and awful. This is particularly evident in his chapters about gender roles within marriage. He told a story in the book where he told his hairdresser that he would stop giving her his business when she came back to work after having her baby, because he would not support a woman ...

Included In Christ  by Heather Holleman is an 8-week study of Ephesians geared toward women, with a focus on individual verbs in the verses that influence our lives and our perception of ourselves. While this can be done individually, it is geared toward a group. As I mentioned earlier, each chapter focuses on a verb for the week. This was a really cool and interesting concept, and was done very well. Focusing on individual words really brought the verses into a new light for me and gave me new things to consider.  What you need to do this Bible study is your Bible and a journal. There are a ton of journaling prompts each day in the study. Holleman asks the reader to do lots of journaling, reflection, and imagining. She includes space for journaling, but I would recommend having your own journal. I would also recommend leaving yourself plenty of time to journal and really think about your responses. This way, you're able to give it enough thought. She also i...

"When our heart ceases to pray, we are not praying." -Bill Thrasher A Journey to Victorious Praying  by Bill Thrasher was written to give readers a revival and reawakening in their prayer lives. You know that your prayer life has died when you pray without expectancy of any outcome, and I feel safe in saying that we all eventually reach that point. When this happens, we have to ask, "Why pray?" That is where this book comes in. We need to let the Holy Spirit move us, and guide and empower us in prayer. True prayer starts with God and the prayer burden He places on our heart. Also, it is thanksgiving (not just prayer and supplication) that truly brings us to peace. Finally, do not forget to share your real concerns, burdens, and desires with God. He already knows all of them, but getting them out in the open with God will lighten our burden. The book is split into sections for daily reading, perfect for those who want to focus on smaller sections at ...

Everyone deals with worry and stress. It's part of human life, but it isn't a part of God's plan for our lives. In this books, Dr. Winfred Neely gives his advice for overcoming worry in a worry-filled and anxiety-creating world.  First of all, concern and care for others and ourselves is healthy and biblical. However, it becomes unhealthy when it turns into worry. This is because, not only is it detrimental to our physical health, but also to our spiritual health, as worry and anxiety are rooted in unbelief that God is taking care of things. While Neely notes that there is no on/off switch for worry, he gives a bunch of Bible verses and tips for working past your worry and being able to put all of your trust in God. Foremost, Neely stresses the importance of prayer. Bringing all of your concerns to God allows you to talk through the problems with Him, and be able to give the problems over to Him. Prayer is the key to conquering worry. Prayer is supposed to have an ...

20 Things We'd Tell Our Twenty-Something Selves  is a book by Kelli and Peter Worrall, which seeks to give advice to all of the twenty-somethings in the world going into their "quarter-life crisis", the terrifying and confusing time when young adults begin making crazy changes in their lives, from moving out, going to college, and getting married. The Worrall's are teachers at Moody Bible Institute, and are approached all the time by students seeking advice about the future. I requested this book from Moody Publishers to review because my friend, a student of Peter Worrall, read this book for a class and loved it, and she recommended it to me.  The Worrall's use this book to give twenty pieces of advice for millennials growing up and moving out into the world. Each chapter ends with activities, questions, and other readings for the reader to consider. A Bible study to accompany the book is available for free online. The advice that they gave rea...

Hitler's Cross , written by Erwin W. Lutzer, outlines the ways in which, during the Second World War, Adolf Hitler used and twisted both the cross and Christianity to promote himself and further the Nazi agenda. This book seeks to explain "the 'hows' and 'whys' and 'what ifs' of this tragedy". The primary focus of this book is to teach readers how Hitler crushed the church in Germany during his time of power, and to explain where God was in the middle of all of this.  First of all, it is important to understand that nothing happens without God's consent. Therefore, He allowed the Holocaust to happen. Trust me, I know how hard this is to accept and understand. Lutzer explains that God uses even things He hates to direct the world to an appointed end. Satan does have an influence in this world, but only to the extent that God allows.  Secondly, this book describes in great detail Hitler's personal religious beliefs and how they ...

"If the Bible is based on facts, we have hope for our present crisis in religion and morality." "The Bible is a book of answers, not a book of questions." "Religion, if it is worth believing, must be based on facts." 7 Reasons Why You Can Trust the Bible  by Erwin W. Lutzer is a thorough examination of the historical, logical, and scientific proof of the validity of the Bible. No ancient manuscript in history has been doubted or held with as much skepticism as the Bible. For Christians, this book will validate and give you reassurance in your beliefs. Our faith is based on lots of evidence, but it is still faith. For non-Christians, it gives you another perspective to consider will all of the facts and information. This book is so full of information regarding the validity of the Bible, and the lack of validity of many other popular theories. I had no idea that so much physical or historical evidence existed that proves the Bible. Ho...

Your Money Map: A Proven 7-Step Guide to True Financial Freedom  is a guidebook by Howard Dayton instructing us in how we should handle our money and get out of debt: doing it God's way.  Many people are surprised to learn that there are over 2,350 verses in the Bible that deal with money and possessions. Overall, I believe that the main point is to be faithful to God with your possessions, since we don't actually own anything. We are stewards of everything that God allows us to have. We come into this world with nothing, and we can take nothing with us when we are gone. Dayton recommends that the reader interact with the book and do the exercises within, rather than just reading the book. He also suggests that the reader do this with another person for support and accountability. It gives all kinds of additional resources for those looking for more information about getting out of debt and being financially responsible.  The one big problem that I had wi...

"Discipling as Jesus Discipled" is a workbook by Dann Spader and published by Moody Publishers. It aims to make disciples who will go out and make disciples who will, in turn, make more disciples. Spader uses this workbook to teach Christians how to create disciples who make disciples. The focus is all about relationships, with each other and with non-Christians (or future disciples). When Jesus made disciples, he loved them and cared for them, he maintained relationships. This is how we should be discipling, too.  This is a workbook designed for a 10-12 week small group study. Unfortunately, since I received this for review, I just worked through it quickly on my own. I think that it would be much more beneficial to go through this workbook in a group study and be able to have discussions about the content. I would love to go through this again in a group study in the future. The questions are very challenging and thought provoking. I highly recommend this f...

Is anxiety un-Christian? The Anxious Christian  is a book by Rhett Smith, in which the author talks about his own struggles with an anxiety disorder. All too often, particularly in the Christian community, mental health issues such as anxiety and depression are seen as the fault of the sufferer, and that if they just prayed harder and trusted God more, these problems would go away. That is just not the case, but that stigma exists that makes Christians ashamed of their anxiety, and prevents them from seeking help. However, Smith asks the questions: Can God use your anxiety for good? What if He is using it to speak to us? That can be hard to imagine, but Rhett Smith uses his book to show how God used his anxiety to create opportunities and show him things about himself. It is important to look at your anxiety as a catalyst for growth, and rethink situations that make you anxious. I did find this book to be helpful and interesting. Rhett Smith has a very friendly wri...

After 50 Years of Ministry: 7 Things I'd Do Differently & 7 Things I'd Do the Same  is a book by former pastor Bob Russell for those going into ministry. He explains 7 things he would do differently if given a second chance, and 7 things he would do the same. This is a guide for future pastors, some advice for when they enter the ministry of a church.  Each chapter is a tip or piece of advice, with explanations and examples. Some of this advice includes living with less fear, paying less attention to criticism, and to stop comparing yourself to others.  I am not planning on going into ministry at all, so I am definitely not the target audience for this book, but I really did enjoy it. Bob Russell writes with such a friendly voice, and much of his advice can be used by anyone in their lives.  I definitely recommend this book to anyone in or entering a life of ministry. I think it will be very helpful to you, and it's always nice to get advice from...

Hello everyone! Today I am sharing my review for A Field Guide for Everyday Mission: 30 Days and 101 Ways to Demonstrate the Gospel , written by Ben Connelly and Bob Roberts, Jr.  This book is all about showing how mission is a part of our lives every day. It isn't just something that people do in other countries. If you are a Christian, you are a missionary. The book is split into 30 sections, to be read over 30 days. Each week has a theme: who, what, when, where, why, and how. These questions are answered and explained throughout the week. The authors give super simple ways to share Jesus with others in our everyday routine. For the most part, the authors focus on how to share the Gospel through love and kindness toward others everyday, while being honest up front about our love for Jesus. They also stress that we personally cannot bring people to Jesus, that rather God uses us to bring them closer, so He can do the work in their hearts. They also stress that the...

52 Uncommon Dates  by Randy Southern is a guide for couples who are looking to spice up their normal routine and learn more about each other, growing closer to each other and closer  to God. Southern stresses that dating should not stop at marriage, and that continuing a fun and loving relationship takes work. Each date is prefaced by a Bible verse and a quote by Gary Chapman, author of The 5 Love Languages , that relates to the date. Some dates were really cute and sounded fun, others were not so much my thing. That was the nice thing about this book: there were dates for everyone. A pretty big number of the dates seemed awkward and unrealistic, but some people might be into those. Needless to say, all of the dates are incredibly cheesy. The book was split into 52 chapters, one for each date. Each chapter includes a Bible verse, a quote, a description of the date, things to discuss, preparation, and other available related Scripture. I would recommend reading Gar...

Hello guys! Disappearing Church  by Mark Sayers delves into the issue of Christians leaving the church at a really fast rate. Sayers gives his thoughts on why that is. He says that people are leaving the church due to their concern for instant gratification and escaping the rules and confines of Christian life- the secularization of the west. I really didn't like this book at all. It was super dry and hard to get through. There is no personal voice to the book at all, and it actually reads like a textbook, coming across as really grumpy, judge, and preachy. His thoughts seemed very outdated. I looked at the copyright date in the front and was shocked to see that it was published this year. Sayers was really vague, not really giving specific examples with little evidence to back up his claims. Honestly, he really just said the same thing over and over and over for 200 pages.  I also didn't agree with the majority of what Sayers said. While he went on and on abo...

The Counselor  by A.W. Tozer is a book about the Holy Spirit. Tozer talks about the need for the Holy Spirit in our lives, the role in our lives, and how to be filled with the Spirit. He also explains what it really means to know Jesus, not just know about Him, and how so many churches today are lacking the presence of the Holy Spirit. Tozer passed away in 1963, so obviously this was written quite a while ago, though the content remains true. I didn't really like this book, and I think that had to do mostly with the fact that this is an old book. It was pretty dry, not at all personal, and definitely read like it was old; the style is very outdated. When reading books on Biblical study, I really enjoy when the author is humorous and uses everyday situations to explain what they are saying. This book didn't have that feel at all. Instead of a friendly voice, I felt like someone was lecturing me, which I did not enjoy. Also, all of the Bible verses were in KJV, which i...