The Fruitful Wife by Hayley CiMarco

This book was EXACTLY what I needed to read the time that I read it.  I was going through a tough stretch of parenting and was reminded of the fact that the fruit of the spirit were not designed for me, but for me to give to others.  That includes giving them to my children and most importantly, my husband.

I loved how she took the fruit of the spirit--love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control--and showed where we, as wives and even moms, tend to fall into a trap with hoarding the fruits for ourselves.  Kindness isn't mean for us!  Yet, who tends to receive our kindness first?  Others.  And others meaning everyone but our family.  They are the ones who should reap from our kindness first because they are so close to us all of the time.

I loved Hayley's honesty through this book and how she shared where she falls and needs extra grace.  My favorite reminder was joy.  As wives and moms, we aren't always in the most joyful situations.  That doesn't meant that we can't show joy, though.  Because we have spent so much time at the feet of Jesus, we can be joyful even when we're tired and feel like we have nothing left to give.

I am thankful for this book and for it coming out at the same time that God knew that I needed to read these words and be reminded of being the wife He has called me to be.  What an encouragement to wives and moms everywhere!

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I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler

In an age where many people call themselves "Christians" but don't necessarily know what the Bible teaches, this book is a very well laid out book that explains why we need to understand the true Gospel...not the one that we've warped it to be.  The explicit Gospel is a Gospel that tells us that we must live out our lives as an example of Christ and we need strong Bible teachers who aren't afraid to stand up on the hard issues and teach what the Bible says about the issues.  This isn't a book about being spineless or about narrow-mindedness, which many people say Christians are.  This is a book that challenges you to live out the Gospel.

I love listening to Matt Chandler on his podcast, so I was thrilled and anxiously awaiting his book to come out.  It did not disappoint me at all!  In fact, I highlighted this book so much and know that I'll be reading it several times just to make sure I didn't miss anything.  I appreciated how he shared his story of being diagnosed with cancer (which he still has) and how instead of letting it stop him from sharing the Gospel, he is using it to continue in his mission.  I think of it as his thorn in the flesh. 

This book hits on the hard things that many people have formed an unbiblical view about.  It varies from women in the ministry, hell, the prosperity gospel, and the social gospel.  There are many  more things he touches on, but I think these are the most heard about recently.  When Christians are moving so far away from the Gospel itself and into a more of a man-made, no sacrifice, God will give me what I ask for and make me rich for following Him belief, this book is bound to convict and bring you back to the Truth.  You won't be able to read it without realizing that you need to change some things in your life and you need to stop compromising what God says.

The Explicit Gospel is a book that will be passed down through the ages as both an encouragement to those who are followers of Christ and will serve as a reminder about what the true Gospel is about in the midst of so many false and man-made gospels.

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I received this e-book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Mom Connection by Tracey Bianchi

Relationships.  Motherhood.  Connection with others.  All of these things go together.  However, in the midst of certain seasons in motherhood (namely those tender little years), what gets left out the most?  Relationships with others.  I have been known to say to myself, "I really need to call so-and-so, but I have so much to tell them so I have to wait until I have more time."  That's wonderful and all, but I don't know when I will ever think that I will have MORE time!  So far, that hasn't happened.  In fact, in those cases where my kids go to stay at grandma's, I swear I have LESS time because I'm making up for all that I don't get done with the kids home and then some more.  Who knew I owned scrapbooking supplies!

This book was both an encouragement to me, but also convicted me a little.  It made me realize just how much I neglect certain relationships.  I don't mean to.  In fact, I long to be the friend that's always there for everyone.  And that's my problem.  Tracey writes to pick a few friends to pour yourself into, but start slow and let the friendship grow.  She also helped me realize that I'm not alone in how I feel alone sometimes and at how awkward I am when it comes to approaching a potentially new friend.  I could relate to her in her example of moving and just wanting to talk to a friend because when I moved after marriage, I longed to have a local friend to confide in and talk to and do things with.  My husband agrees that was the worst year for us, simply because I had to rely on him much more when he would have rather I'd talk to a girl.  I think his ears wore out!  All of this was an encouragement--to know that I'm not alone and that making friends, even at this stage of the game, isn't easy for many people. 

After having just moved to our new house, this book came at the perfect time for me because I was focused on unpacking boxes.  This week, as I was reading this, I realized that I need to stop being so focused on that and make sure I'm connecting with my children.  So we'd walk to the duck pond, play outside, go run and bike and just make memories with those little kiddos who are growing so fast.  "This too will pass."

Moms everywhere will enjoy and relate to this book.  If you are looking for a perfect Mother's Day gift or are a mom and just needs a little bit of encouragement that how you feel is normal and you haven't fallen off the deep end, PLEASE get this book!  I don't recommend mommy books often because many are about "finding yourself" or "taking lots of breaks from kids", etc.  But this one reminds us of our purpose here, the seasons we're in depend on how much we take on, and even saying "no" to things that don't fit into the rhythm of our families. 

The book layout is nice.  It has "thumbs up, thumbs down" page that is filled with application to what you just read about.  Then there is a resources page with each chapter so you can read/learn more about what you just read, if you so desire.  I really liked this layout because it would be perfect for mom's groups, if you're looking for an encouragement discussion.

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.