A Bounty of Books

i am found: Quitting the Game of Hide and Seek With God and Others by Laura Dingman is a six week Bible study for women focused on breaking the shackles of shame and replacing with the truth of God's word the lies that hold us in bondage.

Each week involves a Bible verse or two to memorize, and five days of study. Each day has questions to answer and scripture to examine. Sometimes the scripture is printed, and other times the reader is directed to use her own Bible. At the end of each week, is a "Truth, Lies, and Action" section that is designed specifically to help the reader identify the lies she believes in regards to that week's topic, the contrasting truths of scripture, and creating intentional steps to replace the lies with truth in our life.

The structure of the study is very user friendly. Each day's "workload" is quite manageable and allows for deep thought and introspection. This study is drenched in and founded on scripture and it's truths. The brief personal stories that are at the beginning of each week's content are relevant and relatable. Overall, i am found is a very well written and helpful study that would benefit any woman willing to put the time into it, either individually or in a group.

I received this book free from Moody Publishers as part of their Moody Publishers 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 Commission's 16 CFR, See Part 255

Unashamed: Drop the Baggage, Pick up Your Freedom, Fulfill Your Destiny by Christine Caine is a clarion call to women to live completely in the freedom that Christ has given them. Using her own story of living in and being set free from shame, Caine explains both how to break free from shame and why it is so important.

While the principles in this book are helpful to men as well, Unashamed is written specifically for women and addresses the unique shames that are inherent to women. Women have often been viewed as "less than" in many arenas. Caine herself faced these pressures as a young girl growing up who would rather excel at school and lead than learn to cook and clean house.

Caine shares her struggles and strategies in her lifelong struggle with shame. She consistently goes back to the freedom of Christ. Caine makes it clear that conquering shame is a process that has many levels and never ends. The freedom we are ready for now, is not as great as the freedom we'll be ready for a year from now. Because Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy, he's constantly trying to steal our freedom and reassert shame's presence in our lives. That is why we must constantly set our minds on Christ and His word.

I recommend Unashamed for any woman, whether or not she thinks she struggles with shame. All of us deal with shame to some degree, and we often don't recognize it for what it is. Caine's honesty helps the reader feel less alone in her struggle. Her strategies are practical and easy to put to use. This will make a great gift for many!

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookLook book review bloggers 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 Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255