A Book Every Christian Woman Should Read

On April 6th I woke to a beautiful day, had a glorious personal time with the Lord, and read from the current book I was reviewing, A Deeper Kind of Calm by Linda Dillow.  15 minutes later I received a phone call which would drive every blessing that the Lord had given me that day, deep within my being.  My mother had had a stroke.

As I sat with her during the following weeks in the emergency room, the ICU, the hospital room and the rehab home, precious lessons from A Deeper Kind of Calm kept sifting through my heart: 

1.      We all have problems that we go through and they seem major at the time we are going through them.

2.      We should remember that God is our strength and as we have been helped in the past, He will continue to help us.

3.      When we are overwhelmed we can hide ourselves in Him and find comfort and strength to continue.  And…

4.      When it seems that the pressures of this life are too much to bear we need to cling all the tighter to our Father.

This book begins by asking three questions:

1.      Is it possible to go through the Valley of Weeping without falling apart?

2.      Is it possible to have joy in the midst of suffering?

3.      Is it possible to grow in intimacy with the Lord as we travel through the valley?

God has given many answers in His Word and Linda has gathered them together to teach us how we can be calm even in the midst of our tribulations.  Each chapter begins with a Psalm that illustrates how God wants us to handle our problems.  Starting from there, Linda dissects the Psalm searching for its full and deeper meaning.  She includes the background of the Psalm in which it was written.

This little book (103 pages) is chocked full of personal stories which illustrate the points she is making.  The back of the book includes a four-week study that can be used on your own or as a group Bible Study.  The questions are well-thought out and encourages you to think through what God is teaching you in His Word.

I highly recommend this book.  I rarely give a book my highest rating, but I would give this book a 10 out of 10 on my scale. J

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

A Quick Update

Sorry, about not posting in the last two weeks. My mother had a Cerebellar Stroke and I have been a little busy taking care of two households. She is getting better now and I have a bit of time to read and post here.

An excerpt from The Lightlings

Since this is a page that Amazon shows, it is probably okay to publish it.  It is not my favorite, but it is good.

Delightful Story, Beautifully Illustrated

The Lightlings by R.C. Sproul

God is Light,

And in Him

Is no darkness

At all.

I John 1:5

When Charlie wonders why he is afraid of the dark, his grandfather tells him that some people are afraid of the light and relates a story about the Lightlings, a people made by the King of the Light.  They lived happily in a beautiful, bright, sunshiny garden. The King of Lights gives them everything they need and even visits with them at the end of every day.  They are happy until they decide to do what they want to do, instead of what their King commands them to do. Sin causes their light to dim and they are embarrassed to be seen by the King, so they hide in the darkness.  Time passes.  One day they see a bright light shining through the trees, most are afraid, but some set out to find what is making the light.  The little Lightlings find a baby son of the King of Light who brings light back to the world.  When they return with this Light, some of the Lightlings embrace it while others continue to hide from it.  Those with the Light find that they can run and play without stumbling or falling or bumping into trees.  They find it is much better to live in the Light.

This is a delightful story of the fall of man and redemption through Christ, beautifully told and fancifully illustrated with fairy people.  Young children (and adults, too) can identify with Charlie when he wonders why he is afraid of the dark.  It is a good, biblically correct analogy that reminds us that the only way to the Light is through Christ.

The book includes good discussion questions that parents can have with their children.  Each answer is a quote from the Bible.

I will receive a free copy of the book from Reformation Trust Publishing as compensation for my review.