Review: You're Loved No Matter What

You're Loved No Matter What: Freeing Your Heart From the Need to Be Perfect by Holley Gerth

Release Date: March 3, 2015

Publisher: Revell

Genre: Christian Non-Fiction

Pages: 224

Format: eBook

Buy It: Amazon

How would your life be different if you truly believed you're loved just as you are?" Holley Gerth poses this compelling question at the start of her latest book. As someone who has connected with thousands of women, Holley has seen the dangers of becoming trapped by impossible standards of beauty, achievement, and even spirituality. We believe if only we were "perfect" we could beat our depression, banish anxiety, and develop the relationships we long for most. Holley shares how God wants to set the hearts of women free by revealing the lies we believe and the scandalous grace and acceptance offered to us instead. When we know we're truly loved, the response is to love in return--and that changes everything.
Bestselling author and every woman's best friend, Holley Gerth helps women lay down their unrealistic expectations so they can embrace who God created them to be, pursue his purpose for their lives, and offer the love they've been freely given.

It's no secret I'm a fan of Holley Gerth, and she has done it again. This book speaks directly to the hearts of women who are people-pleasers and perfectionists, myself included. She consistently connects with the reader and makes you feel as if she is sitting right there next to you.

She uses specific verses from the Bible, as well as excerpts and passages from other respected Christian authors. Holley beautifully ties in truth to help women feel that they really can be loved, no matter what. Another great read from her!

I received this book free for review from NetGalley. I was not compensated, and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

Review: Spiritually Strong: The Ultimate 6-Week Guide to Building Your Body and Soul

Spiritually Strong: The Ultimate 6-Week Guide to Building Your Body and Soul by Kristin Feola

Release Date: January 6, 2015

Publisher: Zondervan

Genre: Christian Non-Fiction

Pages: 208

Format: eBook

Buy It: Amazon

Spiritually Strong is a six-week program designed to help you get in better shape spiritually and physically. As Timothy says, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (4:8). This book teaches you how to train yourself in godliness through the implementation of six disciplines―Bible study, prayer, fasting, healthy living, financial stewardship, and serving others.

By exercising your spiritual core on a daily basis, you will learn to:

• Study the Bible and understand what God is saying to you.
• Pray with power.
• Incorporate periodic fasting into your life.
• Honor God with your body through nutritious eating and exercise.
• Practice good stewardship of the resources God has given you.
• Serve others in humility as an outward demonstration of God’s love.

As you learn to submit to God in each of these areas of your life, you’ll discover the joy that accompanies self-discipline. Your daily steps of obedience will translate into giant strides in your walk with the Lord.

In this book, Kristin walks you through how to set up a six-week plan on getting the basic of both your faith and physical health in shape. She gives a structured day by day Bible reading and devotional plan, prayer suggestions, as well as daily work-out plans and exercises.

This book is great for any Christian. but I feel it is strongly tailored towards newer Christians or anyone who feels like they've let their faith lack a little. I love that she has a structured plan included in the book, because it doesn't give the reader much excuse for starting this if they truly want to.

For anyone looking to get their faith back on track or strengthen their prayer life and exercises, this is a great choice!

I received this book free for review from BookLook Bloggers. I was not compensated for this review, and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

IMM 4/26/15 and Re-Launch Video

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme previously hosted by the Kristi at The Story Siren. We share books we received this week, whether we bought them, got them in the mail or checked them out from the library.

No books this week :(

New posting schedule:

• Sunday: IMM
• Monday: Review
• Tuesday: Occasional Top Ten Tuesday
• Wednesday: Review
• Friday: Follow Friday
• Saturday: Social Media Saturday/Story Saturday

I hope you guys enjoy the re-launch! Leave any questions or comments below!

End of Event Meme

I'm back! This morning I'm a little disappointed I didn't get up at like 3 or 4 and do the last few hours, because I totally could have. I woke up right at the end to congratulate everyone on Twitter and wasn't really tired! Oh well, I know for next time.

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

16-17. That's when I started to feel the exhaustion in my body!

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?

Anything short and quick. one of my TBR choices was a Choose Your Own Adventure, which is super short and super fun! (Too bad I didn't get to it...)

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

We definitely need more cheerleaders, especially for blogs. Being a cheerleader myself, I understand why we were short! However, I think I would have been more motivated to push on the full 24 hours if more came to cheer for me.

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?

I liked some of the new mini-challenges. While I love some of the classic ones, if was fun to mix it up with some different ones!

5. How many books did you read?

2 books, and a couple chapters of a third.

6. What were the names of the books you read?

Spiritually Strong: The Ultimate 6-Week Guide to Building Your Body and Soul by Kristin Feola, You're Loved No Matter What by Holley Gerth, and part of Worry Less So You Can Live More by Jane Rubietta.

7. Which book did you enjoy most?

You're Loved No Matter What. Holley Gerth is one of my favorite authors!

8. Which did you enjoy least?

Worry Less So You Can Live More, but I think that's only because I was hitting a wall. I enjoyed the beginning of it back when I started it.

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?

Yes! SIGN UP! Seriously, it's sooooo rewarding! And honestly, you can cheer and read the whole time and still get reading done. Or you can cheer during specific hours, and read during others. It's super easy! But seriously, so needed.

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?

I will definitely next year! However, October's readathon is the weekend before my wedding, so I may be busy during the first half of it. I'll be pushing through the last half though! I will be cheering again next time, and I'm considering hosting a mini-challenge as well! We shall see!

If you followed along through-out the readathon, thank you! I would love to know if anyone has decided to become a new follower; I want to check out your blog as well! I love meeting new friends, and I appreciate the support as I get ready to re-launch my blog! (The re-launch video will be posting later this afternoon.) Thanks again!

Hour 17.5: Giving In to Sleep

So it's official... I'm off to bed. It's 9:30pm here and I've been up since 4:45am! This is the longest I have lasted in a readathon, so that alone is an accomplishment in my book. Plus it was my first year cheering!

I will be back in the early hours of the morning with my wrap-up post! Gooooood night!

Hour 17: Goodreads Battle of the Books

I've made a tiny dent in book 3. I'm starting to debate going to bed in a few hours, since I do have church in the morning and don't want to sleep through the whole thing! I was hoping to stay awake the entire 24 hours, but I don't want to push my body too much either.

This hour we're doing Battle of the Books over on Goodreads! Go join in!

Hour 16: Reading Story

I finished my second book, riiiiight before the end of this last hour. It still counts, right?! Moving on to book 3, as I wait to figure out dinner plans and refuel. I'm still managing to fend of the physical exhaustion, so I'm hoping eating will help!

My reading story:

Not a great start, push on.