Book Review: SACRED SUCCESS by Barbara Stanny

"The problem, as I see it, is this: we've never been taught the secret wisdom of creating wealth and wielding power--as women." -- Barbara Stanny

How do you not love a woman who once wrote a book called Prince Charming Isn't Coming?

And Barbara Stanny should know. She had a comfortable start in life, as her dad was the "R" of H & R Block, but she later turned a blind eye as her husband gambled all of her money away. Everything changed for her when she took control of her life and her finances, and now she teaches other women to do the same.

Sacred Success is a book for any woman who desires more; not just more money, but a more meaningful life.  I really liked how Barbara talked about the melding of the spiritual and the practical when it comes to money, and explored the connection between money and power--not power in the traditional sense, but a woman becoming fully who she is. This is so important, because our notions of power can limit our earning potential; Barbara calls it "chronic under earning," which has more to do with our mindset than straight financial savvy. 

This is an easy to read book that is packed with useful information, and because there was so much that was new to me I really enjoyed the chapter summaries which highlighted key concepts, like this: "Beneath our dislike of or discomfort with power lurks a deeper, more ominous concern--the dire consequences we might suffer if we become truly powerful."

In Barbara Stanny's own words, Sacred Success means, "pursuing your Soul's purpose, for your own bliss and the benefit of others while being richly rewarded." If this sounds good to you, grab this book and dive in to what is both a practical process and a spiritual practice, and get ready for your life to change

For more on Barbara Stanny and how to transform your relationship with money, click here. 

Book Review: MOVE ON by Vicki Courtney

As Vicki Courtney was working on a Bible Study for mothers of sons (including a section on sexual purity), her oldest son told her that his fiancée was pregnant. In that moment, she found that there was no judgment in her heart or any thoughts of, "How could you!" There was only grace. And that set the course for the miracles that came after.

Later, Vicki wrote Move On: When Mercy Meets Your Mess to share her story and her journey, and to encourage others who have maybe felt that God has set them free but His people were ready to lock them up. Like The Spirit-Filled Life, another book that I just read and reviewed, Move On is written in very simple language and filled with stories (the author's and stories from others), but at the same time packed with enough oomph and Biblical wisdom that it will touch your heart and also challenge you. I liked that there are questions at the end of each chapter to encourage deeper reflection, which is so important in a book like this because what is presented can truly be life-changing.

Vicki's personal story brought tears to my eyes as I thought of the guilt and shame she suffered as a result of a secret she kept for years, and then I was so inspired by the freedom and acceptance she found as she brought what she had kept hidden into the light, and began to heal. If there is something in your past that you feel you will never be able to move on from, I encourage you to read this book. I also encourage you to pick up Move On if you yearn to be real and authentic and to drop the game of pretending everything is peachy while your world is falling apart. Because, as Vicki says, "The truth is, we're all a mess. But the good news is that God is bigger than any of our muddy messes." Amen!

For more on author Vicki Courtney, click here.

Book Review: THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE by Charles Stanley

I have enjoyed hearing Pastor Charles Stanley on the radio and on tv for many years. He has a no-nonsense way of presenting Bible truths that makes them easy to apply to everyday life, so I was intrigued when I saw the title of his newest book, The Spirit-Filled Life.

As Pastor Stanley says in the book, "[The] Spirit-filled life is both wonderful and worthwhile--especially when compared to the alternative." He shares his own story of encountering the Holy Spirit, and talks about learning to recognize the Spirit's influence in your life. I appreciated that the book was written in an easy-to-understand way, using language that anyone can understand, while at the same time being very deep; this is a thorough exploration of the Holy Spirit. I also liked the "Think About It" questions at the end of each chapter, as I have found that actually stopping to probe a little deeper can allow what you have learned to have an impact on your life, rather than just having it be "Spiritual Entertainment," as Mastin Kipp would say.

Nothing can substitute for actually reading the Bible, but The Spirit-Filled Life is a wonderful additional resource as you learn to walk by faith and not by sight. I am grateful that Pastor Stanley took the time to write this, and answer questions that so many of us have, like...Who is the Holy Spirit? And, in light of who He is, how do we live our lives? Read The Spirit-Filled Life if you feel burned out from trying to live life on your own, and discover the joy of relying on the wisdom, love, and power of the Holy Spirit.

The importance of waiting on God.For more on Charles Stanley, click here.

Book Review: DAILY LOVE: GROWING INTO GRACE by Mastin Kipp

I first heard about Mastin Kipp a few years ago at a festival in Santa Monica, when he was speaking with Elena Brower. That night, I checked out The Daily Love website for the first time and was so happy to find a place online that was so loving and supportive. And others have discovered the same thing; hundreds of thousands (maybe even millions at this point) of people check out the site or get the email every day! Over the years, I have heard bits and pieces of Mastin's story, so it was really cool to get the whole scoop in his fantastic new book, Daily Love: Growing Into Grace.

One thing that I find so refreshing about Mastin is his honesty; living in Hollywood, most people you run into are big talkers who are very concerned about how they are coming across and will never admit that they have made a mistake. Not so here; Mastin is very open with his struggles in relationships, addiction, and even his weight. The book details his journey from living the high life in the entertainment industry to crashing and burning, recovery, and finally finding his true calling..."Following your bliss," as Joseph Campbell, one of Mastin's heroes, would say.

If you have ever seen someone who is "doing all the right things" when it comes to spirituality but still behaves in a horrible way (that has been me at times), or if you have ever thought that it would be so easy to live a life that feels close to God if you could go to Bali or become a missionary in Africa (that has also been me), I think that Daily Love will resonate with you. In a way that is nonjudgmental and never preachy, Mastin intersperses tons of wisdom with his own path of walking from crisis to Grace. This is a deep read but also an easy one at the same time, and I love how Mastin managed to work in Ariana Huffington, Jesus, Oprah, Tony Robbins, The Empire Strikes Back, and Kim Kardashian along the way!

There were so many things that I bookmarked in Daily Love that I know I will come back to again and again for inspiration, and this was one of my favorites: "Yep, it sometimes takes nothing less than a life-shattering crisis to break up the soil and let Grace unfurl," writes Mastin on page 23. I also loved this, on page 21: "For if we can figure out how to relax, find our power, and learn from our difficulties, we can turn this out-of-control situation called life into something truly wonder-full." I also liked that Mastin does not encourage us to just pretend that pain does not exist, but rather to let it be our teacher and to transcend it. And in the midst of suffering, we can still look for and find those chance encounters in every day that are actually Divine encounters, or what Mastin calls "Godshots."

Whether you are dealing with a crisis or just feel a yearning for something more, read Daily Love. If you feel like the entire universe is against you, read this. If you admire those who use their struggles to help others and want to do the same, read this. Thank you, Mastin, for writing a book that is so transparent and helping the rest of us learn to uncover our gifts and share that with the world.

Book Review: THE BOOK OF REVELATION MADE CLEAR by Tim LaHaye and Timothy E. Parker

I remember the first time I read all the way through the Bible. It took me a year, and what started with Genesis ended in Revelation in a way I could have never predicted. And I had lots of questions, like, Do I take all of this literally? Is it all symbolic? A crazy dream that the Apostle John had while banished to a small rocky island? Is it happening in the future? The past? And what is up with the creatures covered in eyeballs?! I felt like I needed a revelation of my own to try to decipher it.

There have been a lot of books written about End Times, and one of this book's authors, Tim LaHaye, co-authored the granddaddy of them all: the Left Behind series (the first book is now a movie starring Nicolas Cage). I think that the popularity of these books testifies to the fact that there is something about the notion of good finally triumphing over evil, the bad guy finally getting what he deserves, and an end to tears, sadness, and suffering that always gets people's attention...our hearts long for things to be made right.

The Book of Revelation Made Clear is here to walk you, verse by verse, through what I think is the most mysterious book in the Bible, and the authors agree; the subtitle of this book is A Down-to-Earth Guide to Understanding the Most Mysterious Book of the Bible. "Guide" is a good word to describe this book, as there is not much narrative but tons of info.

The format is great: Each chapter, which corresponds with each chapter of Revelation, starts with a multiple choice quiz, followed by the verses for that section, then an explanation/clarification of the Bible text, and then the quiz again with the correct answers. I feel like this format helped me retain the information. Plus, when you are done, you will have read through the whole book of Revelation. And if you have read the book before, this guide will shed some fresh light on many things for you, I think; for example, it never occurred to me that when John is talking about the "sea of glass" in front of God's throne it represents calmness and serenity.

There was so much information in The Book of Revelation Made Clear that it actually took me some time to get through it. But I am so glad I stuck with it because I truly feel like I have a greater understanding now of biblical prophecy. This guide is a crash course in the final book of the Bible, and I recommend it to everyone, especially those who are now watching current events unfold and wondering what might lie ahead.

Book Review: Kris Radish's GRAVEL ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

I was cleaning up my house recently when I came across a picture of myself in high school. I had not seen a picture like this in years and years, and it shocked me. I searched that innocent face with the trusting eyes, chubby cheeks, bushy eyebrows, and retainer, wondering if she had any inkling of what her future would hold, and trying to find traces of the woman I would become. I then looked at myself in the mirror, hoping for some glimpse of that sweet young soul.

I wonder if Kris Radish felt that way when digging into her past for her latest book, Gravel on the Side of the Road--True Stories From A Broad Who Has Been There. This is my first time reading something from Kris, and after the first sentence ("Ordinary is very often extraordinary but experiences in this realm are usually overlooked."), I was hooked. You can tell a lot about a book from its opening sentence, and this one lived up to everything those words promised. I cannot wait to read more of her work.

I am so fascinated by the life that Kris has lead, and in these stories we find out that she is a woman who has done everything from raise babies to write for a newspaper to work as a waitress to earn money by catching night crawlers. Her fierce love for her children shines through, as well as compassion for tender souls (some who appear to be tough on the outside) who have been dealt a losing hand in the game of life.

In Jesus Drives A Thunderbird, the story that opens the book, we meet a woman (Kris) who is independent enough to have a cabin on an isolated mountain and handle a stranger at her gate.
Even Now is about the tragedy that she encountered when she responded to a routine fire call; this one will steal your breath and rip your heart right out of your chest. In Turquoise Ring, we are introduced to Ray ("He had two shirts. One plaid and the other more plaid."), a customer of Kris's at the diner who had suffered a stroke, whose simple presence helped soothe away her own anguish and loneliness.

Just the variety of experiences in Gravel on the Side of the Road are enough to make your head spin, as the book bounces from chance meetings to the sisterhood of women, peace, war, mullets, blind dates, and road trips with your family as a kid. Read this book if you want to be inspired by the ordinary moments in life that can be transformed by your attention, which is a priceless gift in these days of smartphones. I know that I am inspired to take a closer look at the people with whom I interact on a daily basis, from neighbors to the cashier at the local health food store.

In The Day They Sliced Me Open, Kris writes about how her newborn son seemed to know her voice just minutes after being born, and years later always knows it is her. Soldier Boy recounts Kris's meeting with a young man from her home state of Wisconsin, moments before hopping on a plane that would take him to a war zone; he had gotten married the day before. Becky Barton, a story that had me sobbing on the treadmill at the gym, is about a thirteen-year-old cancer patient whose mother wanted Kris to write a story about her daughter to help the family raise money for treatment ("Get involved. Never look back. Throw my heart into the air and watch it land in Becky's bony hands.").

Someone once said, "Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile, leave footprints on our heart, and we are never, ever the same." Gravel on the Side of the Road has left an impression on my soul, and I am just so thankful that there are writers like Kris Radish to remind us of the beauty, wonder, and humanity all around us.