Book Review: Three Scripture Notebooks from 10ofThose

About the Books:

These Scripture notebooks pull together verses from the ESV on the themes of Faith, Hope, and Grace to encourage and facilitate meditating on Scripture. Ample space on each page allows for exploration of these verses, and is also ideal for recording prayers and sermon notes.

Beautifully bound and with restful, nature-inspired covers, these would make a great gift for friends and family.

Purchase Links: 10ofThose ｜Amazon

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My Thoughts:

When a verse of Scripture stands out to me, I like to write it down by hand. This practice helps me to internalize the concept and provides a tangible reminder when I need to recall spiritual truths. These three Scripture Notebooks from 10ofThose – HOPE Scripture Notebook, GRACE Scripture Notebook, and FAITH Scripture Notebook – are perfect for my Scripture recording, but they are not limited to that form of use.

These Scripture notebooks have lined pages which makes them ideal for journaling, copying Scripture, taking sermon notes, or even daily to-do lists. Above the lined space for writing, a verse from the ESV translation adorns each page spread. The slim notebooks, which are approximately 64 pages each, fit in a medium-sized purse.

I am happy to recommend the HOPE Scripture Notebook, GRACE Scripture Notebook, and FAITH Scripture Notebook to anyone looking for a notebook/journal with encouraging Scripture verses included. This three notebook set would make a lovely gift for any believer.

                 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

Author Interview & Giveaway: Overtaken by Grace by Debbie Milam

About the Book

Book: Overtaken By Grace

Author: Debbie Milam

Genre: Christian Living, Inspirational

Release date: May 15, 2017

Are you weary, wounded, or worried? Does grief weigh heavy? Do burdens feel too great to bear? Then you are perfectly positioned for a miraculous move of God. Overtaken by Grace is a transparent read, grounded in scripture and alive with hope. It depicts how God epically shows up and shows off and gives you the tools to experience His hope, healing, and miracles. Join Author Debbie Milam as she guides you on an adventure, diving deep into the bible to see what it says about:

• God’s Presence in Our Lives
• God’s Love in Our Relationships
• God’s Peace in Our Emotions
• God’s Power in His Word
• God’s Joy in Our Gratitude
• God’s Hand in the Miraculous

Haven’t you struggled long enough. God is waiting with open arms for you to let go and be overtaken by His grace. He is inviting you on the undertaking of a lifetime.

Click here to get your copy!

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About the Author

Debbie Milam is an award-winning occupational therapist, author and past syndicated columnist for United Press International’s Religion and Spirituality Division.

She is the author of Miracles in the Middle, Overtaken by Grace, And God Said and Lord Show Me You Are Here.

Debbie’s ground-breaking work has been featured in First for Women, the Miami Herald, Elle, and Ladies Home Journal, and on the Hallmark Channel, PBS, and WebMD.

Through her 501(c)3 Grace Love Well Foundation, her mission is to inspire people to the beauty, love, power, and presence of God. As an organization we have donated thousands of books to churches, missions work, prisons, pastoral counselors and prayer teams.

For more resources to deepen your intimacy with God and find peace in His presence, visit us online at gracelovewell.org or YouTube/Debbie Milam.

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More from Debbie

Through the profound joy and sorrow life brings and by His grace I have seen signs and wonders, experienced miraculous healings and came to know how alive the Lord is. Our gracious God supernaturally healed me from a 10 year life altering brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder, comforted me from the deep grief after the loss of more loved ones than I can count, and blessed me in more ways than I can imagine.  The same God who did this for me is right there for you too.  The full story of these miracles is detailed in my book Overtaken by Grace. I would love to share the hope of Christ with your readers.

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Author Interview with Debbie

Q: Do you have a favorite quote from this book?

Debbie: Breathe, dear one. Rest in His love and His Word, and know this too shall pass. Just as day turns to night and night back to day, circumstances also change. In the middle of uncertainty we crave certainty, yet the only thing to be completely certain of is God’s infinite love and His promises over your life. He knows you are hurting and He is your comfort.


Q: What do you hope readers take away from your book?

Debbie: That God loves them so deeply and profoundly. I want to encourage them to see their life and their circumstances through a lens of grace. To help them to experience God’s power by showing them expanded possibilities with reflective questions like:

What if that challenge—the one we cannot make go away, the one that overwhelms us—is a precious treasure, a gateway to God, to know His mercy, love, and grace? What if we begin to believe that His strength is made perfect in what we cannot do alone, and that we can, as Philippians 4:13 says, do all things through Christ who gives us strength?

What if in the valley we truly believe in our victory? What if all is well—not because circumstances change but because of His love and goodness? Then will we fall into His grace, knowing that if we are experiencing a challenge, God invites us on the undertaking of a lifetime.

God’s invitation is for a deeper, more love-infused walk than we can imagine. In whatever trials we find ourselves, God is right beside us, His Holy Spirit alive within us. He knows how much we hurt and how confusing our circumstances often are. He sees our tears and knows our fears. Then His Word whispers, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10, NLT).

Life is an adventure filled with various seasons and multiple peaks and valleys. Our family has rejoiced in the harvest of profound joy, love, healing, and blessing; weathered the uncertainty of trauma and physical and emotional illness; deeply grieved the losses of more loved ones than I can count; and stood in awe at the continuous resurrection power of Christ in our lives. Life is a beautiful, messy, blessed, and sometimes broken glory road paved with love, tears, and faith.

Besides the book that is laden with hope and grounded in scripture I’ve also included a Bible study that can either be done as personal reflection or in small groups.


Q: Are you working on another book now?

Debbie: Yes, it is called God’s Way to Stress Less. It is based on an online course that I released in 2019. In these ever-changing times of uncertainty now more than ever we need to apply God’s word to our lives. Being an occupational therapist and resiliency coach, I share evidence-based stress reduction principles that align with God’s word. After living through a season of PTSD and complex grieving, I have so much compassion and empathy for those who feel overwhelmed, anxious, and grieved. Through practical strategies, personal stories, experiential activities and personal reflection my prayer is that others will have what they need to experience God’s great peace.


Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers wouldn’t know?

Debbie: I write my books not as an expert. I write as a fellow traveler who is wildly in love with the Lord, radically blessed and ridiculously challenged. The physical struggles of living with severe immune deficiency/autoimmune issues and grieving the loss of over 40 loved ones showed me the relentless love of God. The challenges became a gateway to experience so many blessings. I share openly, honestly and compassionately about the joys and sorrows of loving God and loving people. Here are two other fun facts. I have 83 adorable immediate family members and I am a Christian with Jewish roots.


Q: Where can readers find out more about you and your book?

Debbie: Readers can learn more at my website Gracelovewell.org. The website is filled with free resources, online courses, audio and video.

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Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 23

Texas Book-aholic, July 24

Inklings and notions, July 25

For Him and My Family, July 26

deb’s Book Review, July 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 28

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, July 29

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, July 30

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 31

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 1

Beauty in the Binding, August 2 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, August 2

Cats in the Cradle Blog, August 3

Splashes of Joy, August 4 (Author Interview)

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, August 4

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Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Debbie is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

Link for giveaway: https://promosimple.com/ps/1f7f9/overtaken-by-grace-celebration-tour-giveaway

Newton & Polly by Jody Hedlund

John Newton is a youthful, adventurous sailor when he first encounters Polly Catlett. Her sweet voice and pretty face draw him, but it is her personality that captivates him. Devout and responsible, Polly is Newton's opposite in many ways. As they interact, attraction and passion begin to bind them together. But Polly's concerns regarding Newton are realized when his drunkenness gets him caught and impressed into the English Navy's service. As time passes, Newton's waywardness intensifies and Polly must choose to lay aside her hope of a joint future with Newton. Will Newton and Polly spend their lives pursuing desires that keep them apart from each other? Or will they embrace an amazing grace that can bring love and restoration into darkness and shame? Read more in Newton & Polly by Jody Hedlund.

Newton & Polly by Jody Hedlund snagged my attention at the beginning and carried it along a path to the depths of human depravity and the heights of miraculous, life-altering grace. The journey was unpleasant at times. Newton's irresponsibly was annoying and his later actions were disgusting. Even after his conversion, I found it difficult to really like him. That being said, I appreciate that Hedlund stuck reasonably close to the known historical facts and didn't gloss over Newton's behavior to make him more palatable. Some elements of the story that I enjoyed were: the humorous banter between Newton and Polly, Polly's character development, Newton's conversion, Mr. Catlett's stand for moral integrity, and the spiritual themes of grace triumphing over sin.

While Newton & Polly is not my favorite book by Hedlund, I do think it is well-written. I'm sure there are some readers who can can stomach Newton's descent into depravity better than I did and I don't seek to dissuade anyone who enjoys reading historical romances from reading Newton & Polly. My dislike of the story is based more on Newton's character than Hedlund's writing.

Read an excerpt from Newton & Polly by Jody Hedlund on the publisher's website.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. 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 Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Love Unexpected by Jody Hedlund

Emma Chambers craves stability. Coming from a turbulent past, her intense desire for a home and family leads her to a hasty marriage after she and her brother lose everything in a pirate attack. Emma's new husband, Patrick Garraty, is handsome, kind and God-fearing, but besieged by his own dark past. When rumors about Patrick's role in his late wife's death reach Emma, the suspicions she already had seem even more real. Still, Emma finds herself deeply drawn to Patrick in spite of her doubts. When the truth is revealed, will Emma and Patrick find the grace to forgive and release their pasts? Read more in Love Unexpected by Jody Hedlund.

I thoroughly enjoyed Love Unexpected. Themes of grace and forgiveness, not only between Emma and Patrick, but also between God and humanity were expertly dealt with. The story commences with a pirate attack that effectively engaged my interest. The story was well-paced, well-written and had no trouble holding my interest. I felt like the physical desire aspects were a little overdone as Emma and Patrick were continually desiring one another, yet holding back. Still, this added tension to their relationship and the story, so I can see why it was included.

I could totally relate to Emma dealing with Patrick's son, Josiah, a strong-willed toddler. This added authenticity and a bit of humor to the story. However, it seemed to me that there were strong parenting messages in the novel regarding spanking, thumb-sucking, discipline. I personally agree with the stance that Emma chooses, so I wasn't offended, but those who adhere to more strict ideas regarding spanking, not co-sleeping, and ending thumb-sucking at a certain age may be at odds with the parenting messages that are conveyed.

Love Unexpected is the first, full-length novel in Jody Hedlund's Beacons of Hope series. There is a prequel, Out of the Storm, which is a free e-book novella that ties in with Love Unexpected. However, if you don't read the prequel, it won't negatively affect your understanding of Love Unexpected.

I recommend Love Unexpected to fans of inspirational romances. Like the rest of Jody Hedlund's books, this one is a keeper for my bookshelf. I'm sure I'll read it again and I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.

Read an excerpt from Love Unexpected by Jody Hedlund on the publisher's website.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. 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 Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Grace

Grace by Richard Paul Evans is the fictional story of two teenagers whose chance meeting one evening changes both of their lives forever. Grace, a runaway teenage girl who is sheltered by a somewhat innocent, teenage boy, harbors an ugly secret that threatens to ruin not only her life, but the lives of those around her. As their time together continues, their relationship grows and develops into young love which is threatened when Grace's secret can not longer stay hidden.

Ultimately, Grace is a story about growing up and realizing that sometimes life is not the happy fairy-tale that we envision it to be when we are children. While this was not a book that kept me constantly wanting to turn the page, I did enjoy it. Evans' writing style was engaging and believable.

One of the things that I really liked about this book was the reality factor. Things did not always work out perfectly for the characters. Such is true of life. Sometimes things do happen like we want or expect them too; but many times, they do not. I think that too often in fiction books, the happily ever after ending is too predictable from the start and it seems the protagonists almost always have loving Christian families to support them. Unfortunately, that is not true of real life. Grace resonates with an authenticity that many books lack.

Overall, Grace is an excellent read and I would recommend it to a person of any age.