Mother & Son: The Respect Effect

Author: Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, Ph.D.

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: April 5, 2016

One of the best parenting books written, especially for mothers of boys!

It is always talked about father and sons and them being best buddies, but there is something special about the relationship between mother and son. It is a bond like no other, but how do we enhance that bond and make the relationship even better? Dr. Eggerichs has written a book that is specific for mothers and sons and how the relationship is so different from mothers and daughters. With each chapter I read, I was awed by the insight I found from within. When you think of mothers, the first thing that comes to mind is love; Mother’s give love to their children both girls and boys. This book shows that boys need love, but they also need respect even more. The way Dr. Eggerichs presents this information is eye opening and will give mothers tools that they need to help their sons feel loved and respected.

As I read this book, I found myself nodding my head in agreement with all I read; it is such good information for parents and written in a way I had not thought about before. I had this book recommended to me by another mother and have found that I can now be a better mother for my two sons. This book takes a good, biblical look at how we need to approach parenting our sons and helping them to grow up to be the best men they can be. I recommend this book to all parents of boys to try and be the best parent they can be.

The Clutter Fix

Author: Shannon Acheson

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: September 13, 2022

A super quick and easy guide to getting rid of excess and living by the mindset of “less is more.”

We live in a world of stuff; everywhere we look there is more and better stuff to have in our lives and in our homes. But does that stuff really make us happy? The short answer is no; we think it will make us happy but if we have too much we end up with chaos and disorganized clutter all around that can leave us feeling anxious and depressed.

Shannon Acheson uses the tools throughout this book to help readers learn to get rid of what they don’t need and how to organize what they do keep. Step by step instructions along with helpful checklists will give readers the tools they need to start down the path of having less so they can enjoy what they do have more. One of the nicest things about the book is it doesn’t just deal with the physical stuff, it also talks about emotional clutter and cleaning out email inboxes and such that can get over run and overlooked. I always enjoy a good cleanout and purge and using the checklists throughout this book will make for a great tool to make it so much easier. I recommend this book to everyone, even if you feel like you don’t have much to get rid of this list will show you there is more to declutter than you would think.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

I’ll Start Again Monday

Author: Lysa Terkeurst

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: January 4, 2022

So much more than a book on eating healthy, readers will find great advice for not only healthy eating, but also a better overall way to live.

Eating healthy is never something that sounds fun but can sometimes leave you feeling worse for wear. Lysa TerKeurst delivers a wonderful new look at how eating healthy isn’t just about the food we put in our bodies. If we continue the cycle of losing weight and gaining it back, eventually we will see it’s not just about the food, the issue goes much deeper. I can think of many times I have craved foods that were not good for me, especially when I was trying to avoid them. Once I had them, I found out the craving didn’t always go away and I never fully felt satisfied.

I’ll admit, I’m not the target audience for this but was able to gain a lot of insightful information and came away after reading it feeling lighter and more satisfied than I had in a long time. It’s not just about the food, that is the main point driven home in this book; if we will look at the deeper meaning of our cravings and look to a higher power to help provide the sustenance we need, our lives will be fuller than we could have hoped for.

I recommend this book for everyone looking for something to fill the spaces they keep trying to use food for and see that God created us to crave Him instead of all the processed things that will never leave us satisfied.

Let Them be Kids

let them be kids Author: Jessica Smartt

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: June 9, 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A very practical guide to helping raise strong, well-mannered kids which also focuses on letting kids be kids and how to foster that childlike nature and fun within all of us.

Jessica Smartt crafts a well-balanced guide on raising kids that have values, good manners and also know how to have fun. It’s one thing to raise kids that are nice but also foster creativity and fun. Being a former English teacher and homeschooling mom of three, Jessica Smartt has spent years with young kids discovering the trial and error of what works and what doesn’t when raising kids. We don’t want to be the Pintrest mom or the Facebook mom who all we see is little snippets of their greatest moments, we have to be ourselves and let our kids see us as our true selves so they can be comfortable in their own skin.

Let Them Be Kids is a perfect read for parents, new and experienced. We can all learn something from the pages of this book. Being part story and part guidebook, readers will find great resources to help them in the trying times of raising young ones. I loved the way she talks about helping instill creativity in young children and how it is okay for them to be bored and learn to entertain themselves. That is so key; it would be easy to hand over a screen for entertainment these days but if we think back to when we were kids, we didn’t have near the options our kids do today for entertainment. I have to tell my boys a lot that it’s not my job to entertain them all the time. Several of the chapters give great advice on ways to entertain kids and help them entertain themselves. Never once does Smartt make us feel as if we aren’t doing a good job as parents, instead she gives us tools to help instill confidence in us as parents and ways to enjoy this time with our children. We only have a short amount of time with our kids and it would be a shame to look back and regret these younger years having not spent enough time together and enjoying the little moments. This is a book for all parents and parents to be, so many good take-aways that I will be pondering for days to come to implement in my routine with my boys.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Fight to Flourish

Fight to flourish Author: Jennie Lusko

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: May 5, 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

With raw emotion splashed across every page, Jennie Lusko shares her struggle with grief over losing a child.

Jennie and her husband Levi are the pastors of Fresh Life Church headquartered in Kalispell, Montana with campus across Montana, Utah, and Wyoming. They stay busy but enjoyed the life they were living with their four daughters. One fateful day before Christmas, their five-year-old daughter Lenya suffered a severe asthma attack that ended in a tragic loss. After that day, nothing felt the same anymore. Everything became a struggle. Family vacations weren’t the same. Relationships changed. Even now, several years later and the addition of a boy to the family, there are still times that Jennie misses Lenya fiercely and struggles to return to any kind of routine. But God never changes, and she knows that she can rely on him.

Jennie shares several entries of her personal journals on days that she severely struggled with grief. Everybody struggles with something, whether it’s day to day tasks, being in the middle of a large project, or relationships. I have not experienced the loss of a child, but I almost did after a freak accident left my son with a skull fracture as I watched him be airlifted away. Ironically, this occurred in Monterey, California which is Jennie’s hometown. The struggle to forgive oneself is the hardest of all. There are thoughts of “If I’d done this…” or “Why didn’t I…..” These don’t make it any easier to move on through the process of grief.

Jennie does a tremendous job laying out thoughts and ideas for people that are struggling to flourish in their life. Her emotion is raw and displayed for everyone to read, showing how vulnerable she truly is. She talks about how she may look like she has it together, but underneath she is a mess. I think we all feel that way at some point in our lives and I’m glad that someone with the courage to share her story with everyone.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Becoming the Next Great Generation

Becoming the next generation Author: Jonathan Catherman

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: March 17, 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A guide to assist young adults into true leaders!

Many teens and young adults find themselves frustrated with older generations. Many of these individuals want to become leaders and are seeking the opportunity to influence not only their generation, but previous ones as well. The problem is that there is a difference between the generations in communication and experiences. Jonathan Catherman has written a delightful book to help the members of the young generation understand how to overcome those differences. He works to explain the experiences of the older generations and the obstacles that they had to overcome. Catherman does a great job tailoring his book presentation to the intended audience. Many should feel lead to accept the challenge to overcome obstacles and take the reins as the next great generation.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Guiding the Next Great Generation

Guiding the next generation Author: Jonathan Catherman

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: March 17, 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A guide to assist today’s leaders to transition the reins to true leaders of the next generation!

Doesn’t every generation feel that the next generation is going to be a failure? Or at least that is what I have heard. Yet somehow we always seem to continue down the path. It’s easy to look at the upcoming generation and become worried about what is going to happen in the future. Why passively worry about it when we can actively do something? Jonathan Catherman has given us a simple guide of some thoughts on how we can help young individuals become reader to transition into people of influence. This is a great book for parents, teachers, Sunday school teachers, and workplace leaders. Drawing on real world examples, Catherman shows how this has been overcome in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Thinking Like a Boss

boss Author: Kate Crocco

Publisher: Baker Books

Release Date: February 18, 2020

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Are you looking to branch out into a successful business, but don’t feel like you can? Stop listening to those voices and check out this book!

Women are beginning to emerge as successful entrepreneurs all across the country and even the world. Many are feeling the pull to start their own business but are afraid that they don’t have what it takes. Maybe you as a reader fall into that category. Kate Crocco even felt that way and now her business focuses on coaching women to become successful entrepreneurs. If you feel like you can’t do this, then you have at least one lie in your life that is holding you back. Maybe more. Kate outlines twelve common lies that hold women (and many men) back from beginning this journey and steps to overcome them.

I can fully understand where the author is coming from in this book. While not a typical entrepreneur, I used to review with a community blog and circumstances eventually led to me beginning my own blog and when I started it out it was hard. I fell into several of these lies about deciding whether or not to keep it going. Years later, I’m so glad that I did. This book is a great resource even if you are just considering trying something new. I’m glad that Kate put these thoughts into print, and I love that she made it actionable. Having to write things down and make them into commitments really helps to hold yourself accountable.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Successful Speaker

speaker Author: Grant Baldwin

Publisher: Baker Books

Release Date: February 18, 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Baldwin delivers some great information for those looking to make speaking a career or just some helpful tips on those looking to speak.

It’s not hard to get a taste of the speaking bug and want more. Once that happens and you realize that this is what you want to do, you need to figure out how to make a career out of it. Unfortunately, many people fail before they ever get their careers off the ground. Grant Baldwin, creator of The Speaker Lab podcast, outlines the steps and guidelines necessary to make the transition from wanting to speak to full fledged career speaker.

Finally, a book that really provides some insight into successful speaking. Not so much on the technique, but on how to be successful getting gigs and booked. There is plenty of material on the method of speaking, so I was glad to find a book that actually helps speakers determine where they want to go. My husband speaks frequently at conferences across the nation as a subject matter expert and I asked him to read the book to get his opinion on it. He agreed with almost all of the concepts this book lays out. He fully agreed that if you want to be asked to speak, you can’t just speak about whatever you want. First you have to find a problem to solve that people are going to want to hear your thought. Then rather than trying to speak about a bunch of different topics, you need to focus on your message and get good at delivery. Then build your brand so that your expertise is recognized.

If you are looking to make a career out of speaking, then this is a great resource for you. It is easy to follow and provides several personal examples from both the author and other speakers.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Everywhere Holy

Everywhere holy Author: Kara Lawler

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: December 3, 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

All readers will resonate with some portion of this book!

People have a common misconception that God’s holiness is only found in certain places. Many have experienced His holiness on a mountaintop, by a rushing river, in a cathedral, and in a meadow, but perhaps it is because they expected to find it there. Kara Lawler shows readers that everywhere we look is holy. Special moments between friends or parents and children as well as moments of reflection can bring out His holiness. We don’t have to look in grand places, just look were we are. We are loved just as we are, and He wants us to know that!

If you are living through the hustle and bustle of life with a need to slow down, this book is for you. If you deal with depression, this book is for you. If you have questions about your self-image, this book is for you. Basically, whatever you are dealing with, this book is for you. I don’t think there is a better time than now for people to have a copy of this book. Many of us are experiencing the challenges of staying at home in response to the COVID-19 situation being experienced throughout the world. Many of us are facing new challenges we’ve never thought we would experience, yet at the same time, we are discovering that we actually have down time and don’t know what to do with ourselves. The answer is simple, read this book and reflect on it. Kara Lawler shares many of her personal experiences and challenges that so many women will find similar to their own stories.

The two parts of this book that really resonated with were the chapter on water and the chapter on angels. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to water, whether it is the ocean, river, stream, or waterfall. That is where I have always found the most sense of peach wash over me, just like the water is taking away my cares and troubles. I feel like I truly connected with the author at that moment. The chapter about angels made me cry, especially when she talked about how her daughter recognized when angels were watching over her. My youngest son had a traumatic accident when he was almost three years old and we had to put our faith in God and his angels when they loaded him into an ambulance to take him to a helicopter for a life flight. His angles watched over him then and they continue to do so today.

Readers will learn how to experience God in this beautifully written piece of work. I hope that you will learn to breathe and find His holiness wherever you are today!

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.