The Right Kind of Strong Surprisingly simple habits of a spiritually strong woman by Mary A. Kassian - Thomas Nelson

I listened to Mary Kassian "Don´t be a whimp" conference in 2014, and really enjoyed it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCRDgEULKyA). She expanded the message and wrote the book "The right kind of strong". I´ll always prefer the book to the conference or the mini audio serie (by the way you can listen to 8 audios about it for free here: (https://www.reviveourhearts.com/season/right-kind-strong-strong-mary-kassian/) 

I´m so thankful about it because there she had the righ kind of space to talk about this. This is a book I think you will enjoy reading alone or with friends. I felt very convicted about several issues. I like the way Mary exposes deep topics and gives you hope and tools to grow in diferent areas (discipline, your mind, relationships, etc.) A very good book and a great gift for a strong friend. This book is a gem and you will underline almost everything. Would love to have a book club with it.

Descripción del producto

Award-winning author Mary Kassian provides readers a biblical guide to becoming the strong, resilient, capable women God created them to be.
Our culture teaches us that it's important for women to be strong. The Bible agrees. Unfortunately, culture's idea of what makes a woman strong doesn't always align with the Bible's. As a result, Christians often have a skewed view of what constitutes strength. In The Right Kind of Strong, Mary Kassian delves into Paul's exhortation in 2 Timothy about the women of the church in Ephesus and uncovers warnings and truths about seven habits that can sap women's strength. She reveals how, by guarding against these seven pitfalls, Christian women can walk in freedom and grow to be strong God's way.

Sorpresa.... la verdadera fortaleza estará disponible en español en febrero 2020.

The Right Kind of Strong: Surprisingly Simple Habits of a Spiritually Strong Woman by Mary A. Kassian - Thomas Nelson

The Storm-Tossed Family. How the Cross Reshapes the Home by Russell D. Moore - B&H Publishing Group

The Storm-Tossed Family. How the Cross Reshapes the Home by Russell D. Moore - B&H Publishing Group 

you can get it here: https://amzn.to/2Zy8cdJ

Let´s be honest. Family is so hard. Russells writes: "Family is awesome. Family is terrible. Family is spiritual warfare" oh yes it is, I totally agree. I have a lot of respect for Russell D. Moore, I like to listen to his conferences, and the objective, deep, and intelligent perspective he has on cultural, political and social issues. That is why I wanted to read this book. Don´t expect an ABC list with steps to implement in your family. I like Moore talks about issues we all face and then talks about the gospel and makes a connection. What I embrace about the book is that it reminds me Family is tied to the cross, we need the gospel to live family as God wants. Read this wisdom gem: "We will find joy and peace and wholeness in our marriages when we stop expecting marriage to meet all our needs" oh... so true... "Family is not the gospel. If you think that family is the source of ultimate meaning in your life, then you will expect your family to make you happy, to live up to your expectations". It took me so long to read and review this book. It actually won some prizes because it is so good. If you love material about family, this book is for you.

Description

Christianity Today 2019 Beautiful Orthodoxy Book of the Year. 

Why do our families have so much power over us? In The Storm-Tossed Family, bestselling author Russell Moore (Onward, Christianity Today's 2016 "Book of the Year Award Winner") teaches readers whether you are married or single, whether you long for a child or shepherding a full house, you are part of a family. Family is difficult because family—every family—is an echo of the gospel.

Family can be the source of some of the most transcendent human joy, and family can leave us crumpled up on the side of the road. Family can make us who we are, and family can break our hearts. Why would this social arrangement have that much power, for good or for ill, over us?

Love Does for Kids by Bob Goff and Lindsey Goff Viducich - Thomas Nelson

Love Does for Kids by Bob Goff; Lindsey Goff Viducich Thomas Nelson

This book is a delight for my girl. Since we got it she is so excited about it, and it is not just because it has awesome illustrations, but because she found it so funny. I appreciate a lot when she likes a book and can not put it down. She has been laughing out loud while she turns the pages. The ideas the author express there she wants to try them all. I think that is so sweet. She wants the start night and the forget about manners night. I don´t want to give you spoilers, but really, this book is great.

I´m grateful about books that my girl takes and finishes in hours, that means she really enjoyed and she couldn´t put that down. The author made her laugh a lot, she felt related to many histories. She said the author is so cool and she would love to meet him, and his daughter. She is also planning to have some plans their family had (no manners night, made her laugh a lot! and she wants that as well... amhhh not so grateful about that one haha, the other favorite was star night). The way they write is whimsical and enjoyable, what a dream come true to write a book with your own daughter (sight). My girl is 8 and she says she wants to keep the book for her own children (how sweet is that?). I´m happy she had a great time reading it! 

You can get it here: https://amzn.to/2L2GO3p

Love does for kids by Bob Goff & Lindsey Goff Viducich - Thomas Nelson

Pub Date 23 Oct 2018

In the same way that Love Does has struck a deep chord with adults, kids will experience God in new and thrilling ways and see that living out our faith certainly isn’t boring! With this book, children will laugh, dream, and be inspired to make a difference for God, and they’ll learn to: 

• take ownership of their mistakes and forgive others for their mistakes.
• never give up—no matter how scared they are.
• put their faith into action by spending time with—and acting more like—Jesus.

Kids everywhere will love Bob and Lindsey’s stories about how love does. With childlike faith, enthusiasm, and great whimsy, young hearts will feel instantly connected to a love that acts as much as it feels. Children will walk away with a sense of wonder at how great God is and will feel empowered to do things that will make a tangible difference in the world.

As a little boy with a big personality and even bigger dreams, Bob Goff had lots of questions, and they didn't go away when he grew up. It wasn’t until he learned just how big and wild and wonderful God is that he began to find answers. Once Bob learned about the deep goodness of God, he began to learn about the great power God gives His kids when they live a life full of love for others.

Bob and Lindsey invite kids to get to know God better and to see the world as a place designed to be changed as we put our faith in action.

Sex, Purity, and the Longings of a Girl's Heart Discovering the Beauty and Freedom of God-Defined Sexuality by Kristen Clark & Bethany Beal - Baker Books

Sex, Purity, and the Longings of a Girl's Heart Discovering the Beauty and Freedom of God-Defined Sexuality by Kristen Clark & Bethany Beal - Baker Books

These ladies give very good advice to young ladies about sex, relationships, purity, and boundaries. I have listened to them in their youtube channel and have read their blog posts. I wish the next generation to listen to their message. They have been criticized because their message is very countercultural, but that is why it is so good.  I hope and pray they continue to write and speak as this message spreads and avoids so much pain in little girls hearts because they live as if they would not face consequences to their unresponsible and shameful acts, every girl, and woman deserves respect and a life full of freedom in those areas, to enjoy when it is time.

you can get it here https://amzn.to/2NzyXfw
Pub date 30 april 2019

Description

For the modern Christian woman living in today's sexually charged society, embracing God's design for sex and purity can often feel like an impossible pursuit. As the culture seeks to normalize things such as pornography, erotica, and casual sex, both single and married women of all ages feel immense pressure to conform. With alluring temptations constantly inviting them to join in, they might even begin to question whether God's design is truly good. They wrestle with questions like

- What is the purpose of my sexuality?
- What does it mean to pursue purity?
- Are my sexual longings good or bad?

In this encouraging book, Kristen Clark and Bethany Beal share honestly about their own struggles and victories, and invite women on a personal journey to discover and reclaim a biblical vision for their sexuality. Kristen and Bethany help women understand why God's design for sexuality is good, relevant, and leads to true hope and lasting freedom.

#SexPurityAndTheLongingsOfAgirlsHeart #NetGalley #reviewaton

Labor with hope by Gloria Furman - Crossway

Labor with hope by Gloria Furman - Crossway

Order now:  https://amzn.to/2XY8O03

If you love families, motherhood, and children you will find this book a joy. If you haven´t think about the relation between the gospel and motherhood, childbearing this book will explain that to you. Motherhood will involve pain from beginning to end. Without a doubt, God intended this would be a school for us as women. It is lovely to remember the gospel while I raise my kids. Gloria did a wonderful job explaining deep topics with mundane tasks. If you know a mom who loves God, the Bible and her family she is like Gloria, you better pay attention. This book has many chapters, but don´t feel overwhelmed by that, they are short and interesting. I think this book would be a great gift for any mom, maybe since the baby shower party. Even when the book talks about miscarriages, I don´t recommend giving it to someone who suffered one, just not yet, maybe later. I really enjoy her books. I pray she continues writing to bless many.

Here some quotes I enjoyed:

• Our multiplied pain in multiplying is intended to point us to a profound theological reality: we need a Deliverer. 
• How we need someone to deliver us! We are helpless to save ourselves.
• We hear through the megaphone of birth pain a call to repentance and faith in Christ.
• Many mothers suffer greatly for their children, or even suffer because of them. Some mothers witness their children inflict pain—on themselves, on others, and even on the mother who bore them. It is devastating to consider the reality of our brokenness as human beings. Across the globe and throughout history, a mother’s experience is diverse and wide-ranging, from the socially acceptable lament of “my kids are making me crazy” to the unspeakable griefs that a mother would never dare to utter aloud. Along the lines of Lewis’s comment on pain rousing a deaf world to the existence of God, the megaphone of maternal pain calls us to repent and believe in the gospel—the one resolution to our sorrow.
• While the pain of pushing may last mere hours or minutes, the pain of parenting in this sin-sick world can last a lifetime.
• We all need to see how our pain as mothers points us to a man who hung on a cross for our sin and three days later walked out of his grave for our justification.
•  Perhaps you rehearse a litany of your sacrificial, motherly service and love and conclude: I carried her, I raised her, I fed her and clothed her, so why this pain? What hope can I have? 
• Only the grace of God through Jesus Christ can deliver us from the worst pain and fate a human being can endure—eternal separation from God and punishment in hell. 
• Pain beckons us to live in humble repentance and confident faith in Christ.
• Oh, how we need eyes to see that God is the center of the universe! As dizzying as the pain we experience in raising children can be, we need to have the wherewithal to remember how it points us to God himself. 
• What a relief to learn that our birth pain and motherhood is ultimately not about us, and that it serves to point us to our only hope. Be mindful of the Rock that bore you. Remember the God who gave you birth. Christ is all.
•  Every theme of pain and suffering in this world gives way to a vision of our glorious Christ. 
• our pain is not meritorious. Using pain as a pedestal to boost our ego is one of those fake hope solutions that doesn’t last. When pain builds our pride, then the diagnosis is that we have a heart problem, and the gospel is the cure. The Son of God bore the wrath of his Father and bled his heart out on the cross so that we might be liberated from bondage to sin.
• When we stop building our pedestals of maternal glory (and stop looking sideways at other moms), we can direct our focus somewhere else entirely. Wavering hearts find lasting hope only when they look to Christ. 
• God doesn’t ordain our pain so we can pat ourselves on the back. Fertility struggles, marital stress, pregnancy and labor, adoption complications, the struggle of being a sinner who is raising sinners in a fallen world—even when our eyes are blurry with tears, we see with eyes of faith that God has purposed our suffering to produce an incomparably glorious outcome. When we undergo light and momentary affliction in our mothering, then we see it for what it is—a reminder to look to the unseen. Birth is not about us, but about God. 
• Birth pain is a picture of how a Christian awaits final glory. 
• The pain of life in this fallen world is no false labor. The hardest part, perhaps, is to realize that the transition phase could last many more millennia until the Lord’s return. 
• The triumph of life over pain, struggle, and even death itself touches our hearts. 
• We wake up day after pain-filled day in this broken world, but the day is coming when the last throes of this labor will be over and we will be totally, completely, thoroughly, finally newly created. Grief will turn to laughter, tears of sorrow to tears of joy.
•  One minute we joyfully embrace our heritage of children and the next minute we are on our knees begging God to increase our faith and trust him because our motherhood is so painful. It is so important for us to know that we do not have to rely on our feelings and emotions when we consider the children we raise. Contrary to the cultural opinions of our day, which are all over the map regarding how they view children, without any disclaimers, the Bible teaches that children are a heritage from the Lord. As God’s humble creatures, we must look to him and his Word in order to understand what it means to be blessed. 
•  Living with this disability and chronic pain has been a tremendous trial for our family, but it is not apart from God’s gracious design to satisfy us with himself as he brings himself glory. Every day we have practical reminders that we are weak and he is strong, and that yes, Jesus loves us! This is a greater treasure than healthy, pain-free bodies. 

I copy the Description here so you don´t have to look for it, just go get the book!

"The world is filled with messages for women about pregnancy. Popular books and well-meaning family and friends offer unsolicited advice about what to expect and how to stay healthy—sometimes resulting in joy and excitement but other times leading to discouragement and fear.

The Bible, too, has a lot to say about childbirth—offering real hope that nothing in this world can match. In Labor with Hope, Gloria Furman helps women see topics such as pregnancy, infertility, miscarriage, birth pain, and new life in the framework of the larger biblical narrative, infusing cosmic meaning into their personal experience by exploring how they point to eternal realities. Women will see that only Christ can provide the strength they desperately need in order to labor with hope".

Check the Table of Contents:

Acknowledgments
Author's Note
Introduction

1. In the Image of God He Created Them

2. Be Fruitful and Multiply

3. The Promised Seed of Woman

4. Why Does Childbirth Hurt So Bad?

5. Pain in Parenting

6. Writhing under God’s Judgment

7. God’s Birth Pain

8. The Gospel Is the Ultimate Cure to the Abortion Epidemic

9. Tasting Death for Others

10. The Birth Pains of Death

11. Jesus’s Death Begets Spiritual Offspring

12. Birth Pain after Childbirth to Raise Spiritual Disciples

13. Putting Pain in Its Place

14. All Creation in the Throes of Labor

15. Conceived in Sin and Saved by Grace

16. You Must Be Born Again

17. Boasting Only in the Cross

18. A Tomb Became a Womb for the New Creation

19. Our Deliverer Delivered through Birth Pains

20. Saved through Childbearing

21. Children Are a Blessing

22. Knit Together

23. Don’t Trust Birth; Trust God

24. God Who Causes to Give Forth

25. From Inevitable Sorrow to Guaranteed Joy

Scripture Index

This Is the Day by Tim Tebow - WaterBrook & Multnomah

This Is the Day Reclaim Your Dream. Ignite Your Passion. Live Your Purpose by Tim Tebow WaterBrook & Multnomah

It was very interesting to me read about a guy who is mainly a sportsman. I have been always intrigued about his parents if they write a book I´d get it. I´m interested because he has been brave enough to keep up with his faith even being a very public person. He was homeschooled and I´m also interested in that topic... a lot of people think you are not able to have social abilities if you study that way, but I think differently, he is living proof about it. Every person is different and I don´t think the school has everything to say about someone else´s decision, personality and interests. I´m proud about parents like his, who taught him how to speak, write and work hard for what he is all about. If you are interested in what he has to say, you may find this helpful.

You can get it here: https://amzn.to/32dhspt

Description

The New York Times best-selling sports star and media icon motivates readers to stop postponing dreams and start making them happen nowbecause--this is the day.

Beyond Tim Tebow's exploits as a Heisman-winning football player, he is widely known and respected for his exemplary character and personal excellence, which have made him a role model for millions. When Tim interacts with the public, he often encounters people who feel "stuck"--unable to take action on matters ranging from daily life to pursuing lifelong dreams. In response, Tim often identifies a crippling fear or lack of courage, to which he advises: "now is the time to take some risks, to quiet the voices of defeat, to step forward and make a mark, because this is the day." In this inspiring, motivational book, readers will receive the advice and encouragement to daily move from "pause" to "play" in finding deeper meaning and success. Tim illustrates the book's themes with stories from his personal life that will delight all readers, including his an update on his dream pursuit of a baseball career.

#ThisIsTheDay #NetGalley Release date 25 Sep 2018

dor: 25 sep 2018

Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who God Has Always Been by Jackie Hill Perry – B&H Books

Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who God Has Always Been by Jackie Hill Perry – B&H Books

I love to know people. I like to have new friends, I like to hang out with people who are very different than me, unique, radical opposition to the things I know, like and enjoy. I've learned a lot of things that way. Jackie is that kind of friend I'd like to have, to understand a lot of things, to ask, to share. The way Nancy DeMoss introduced this book got me like oh yes, she gets it, she is also very different and I feel the same way and we both enjoy and admire Jackie. Yes, the way she wrote about Jackie is the way I felt about her. Our looks, childhood, sins, friends, family, our everything is different, but so God is the same, is good and this book helped me to understand another girl's history. If you want to enjoy other girl's words and the musicality and depth she puts into everything go get the book (it is going to be ready in Spanish "soon", I know that). We need this kind of topics so very much, the other side of the story, not just the one that gets more attention. I don't want to ruin you with spoilers, so go get it here: https://amzn.to/2HpClFO.

Description

“I used to be a lesbian.”
In Gay Girl, Good God, author Jackie Hill Perry shares her own story, offering practical tools that helped her in the process of finding wholeness. Jackie grew up fatherless and experienced gender confusion. She embraced masculinity and homosexuality with every fiber of her being. She knew that Christians had a lot to say about all of the above. But was she supposed to change herself? How was she supposed to stop loving women, when homosexuality felt more natural to her than heterosexuality ever could?
At age nineteen, Jackie came face-to-face with what it meant to be made new. And not in a church, or through contact with Christians. God broke in and turned her heart toward Him right in her own bedroom in light of His gospel.
Read in order to understand. Read in order to hope. Or read in order, like Jackie, to be made new.
http://www.jackiehillperry.com/book

Release date: September 3, 2018
#GayGirlGoodGod #NetGalley #Reviewaton

I give up by Laura Story - Thomas Nelson

I give up by Laura Story - Thomas Nelson

Disfruté mucho leer este libro. No es el más conciso ni organizado, pero es muy sincero y me gusta que la cantante haya dado el paso de escribir. Hay algo que tienen las personas que han sufrido que las hace comunicar de una manera que no hace el mejor maestro de redacción. Gracias a Dios por la forma en la que me ha hablado atreves de esta mujer, con Blessings y ahora con este libro. Así quiero tener una vida, de rendición y no porque suena romántico o cristianamente correcto, sino porque es a lo que Dios siempre me está empujando y usa todo para lograrlo. Duré mucho para terminar este libro... Me daba nostalgia terminar... Y hoy use mi sábado para darle fin. Fue un buen uso de mi tiempo y llore en varias partes. Oro Dios use todo lo que me pasa en este tiempo, para su gloria.



I really enjoyed reading this book. Laura is very sincere and I like that the singer has taken the step of writing. There is something that people who have suffered have that makes them communicate in a way that the best writing teacher does not. Thank God for the way you have spoken to me about this woman, with Blessings and now with this book. So I want to have a life of surrender and not because it sounds romantic or "Christianly correct", but because it is what God is always pushing me to do and uses everything to achieve it. I took a long time to finish this book ... I was nostalgic to finish ... And today I used my Saturday to end it. It was a good use of my time and I cried in various parts. I pray that God uses everything that happens to me at this time, for His glory.

you can buy it here as an ebook or printed.
Pub Date 30 Jul 2019
I Give Up by Laura Story. #IgiveUp

Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes - Crossway

Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes - Crossway 

As you all know I like to read my husband´s books. My dh R has been part of the Charles Simeon Trust, which conducts expository preaching conferences, R. Kend Huges, the author of this book, is the founder! (in case you don´t know) the conferences are available throughout North America and worldwide. Other pastors, I respect recommend that training too. Since he told me it was good material, I didn´t hesitate to dive into this book. As you know WE READ A LOT, but I do not write a review on every book we take... just the ones I´m thankful about. This one is priceless. I am challenged in the way I live my spiritual life. One thing you may find useful is the study guide because it will give you the opportunity to study with others (I truly appreciate when authors add that bonus! an when they add resources for further growth, they help me to pick my next book, my wishlist is growing, and growing) It is a very user-friendly book. Hopefully, someday soon a local group will start this study and grow as a godly man. Even when this book is for man, I think if a woman reads it she will be encouraged to pray for the man and to grow in the discipline as well. I´m grateful for Crossway and this practical and biblical resources, they encourage me in my walk with Christ. Part 3 and 6 were my favorite because I need to focus on my soul, mind, and consistency.  R. Kent Hughes challenged me to a more disciplined life, "no sweat, no sainthood".  

You can pre-order now, you won´t regret. Release day is July 30th. 

In case you want to see it this is the Table of Contents:

Acknowledgments
Part 1: Introduction 

1. Discipline for Godliness

Part 2: Relationships 

2. Discipline of Purity
3. Discipline of Marriage
4. Discipline of Fatherhood
5. Discipline of Friendship

Part 3: Soul

6. Discipline of Mind
7. Discipline of Devotion
8. Discipline of Prayer
9. Discipline of Worship

Part 4: Character

10. Discipline of Integrity
11. Discipline of Tongue
12. Discipline of Work
13. Discipline of Perseverance

Part 5: Ministry

14. Discipline of Church
15. Discipline of Leadership
16. Discipline of Giving
17. Discipline of Witness
18. Discipline of Ministry

Part 6: Discipline

19. Grace of Discipline

Resources
A. Resources for Spiritual Growth
B. James and Deby Fellowes’s Witness to Their Faith
C. Personal Reading Survey
D. Selected Proverbs Regarding the Tongue
E. Hymns for Personal Adoration and Praise
F. Choruses and Scripture Songs for Personal Adoration and Praise
G. Praise Psalms Especially Appropriate for Personal Worship
General Index
Scripture Index

Disciplines of a Godly Man

By R. Kent Hughes

No man will get anywhere in life without discipline—and growth in godliness is no exception.

Seasoned pastor R. Kent Hughes’s inspiring and best-selling book Disciplines of a Godly Man—now updated with fresh references and suggested resources—is filled with godly advice aimed at helping men grow in the disciplines of prayer, integrity, marriage, leadership, worship, purity, and more.

With biblical wisdom, memorable illustrations, and engaging study questions, this practical guide will empower men to take seriously the call to godliness and direct their energy toward the things that matter most.

The Doctrine on which the Church Stands Or Falls - Crossway

The Doctrine on which the Church Stands Or Falls

It is very important for us to understand our history, where we are standing as a church. But we also need to know what we believe. Even my girl continuously asks me things about this topic. Doctrine is important because ideas lead our actions. It amazes me the work it took for this team to finish this research and put it all together in a massive book like this. 

I found the tables and diagrams very helpful to understand the point of view. I found chapter 14 interesting, it was about The passive and active obedience of Christ. Three big parts, this book is big, it will take you a long time to finish it, and reflect on this research.

What I like about this book is that is one of those that let you feel ignorant about so many issues, then you take time and learn. I want to keep studying about how faith works (page 506) because I find difficult to explain to others how to Properly Understand the Relationship between Justification and Sanctification, these topics are deep. Do not expect to finish this book in days as a normal book. You will find yourself questioning your doctrine and wanting to learn and question more. I´m so thankful about this Crossway book.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand justification doctrine, but especially those serving in ministry or if you have to give an answer to these questions in your circle of influence.

You can get it here: https://amzn.to/2LuvJsx

The Doctrine on Which the Church Stands or Falls: Justification in Biblical, Theological, Historical, and Pastoral Perspective

Foreword by D. A. Carson

Edited by Matthew Barrett, Foreword by D. A. Carson, Contributions by Gerald Bray, Robert J. Cara, Chris Castaldo, Brandon D. Crowe, Leonardo De Chirico, J. V. Fesko, Korey D. Maas, Jason C. Meyer, Andy Naselli, Sam Storms, Mark D. Thompson, David VanDrunen, Willem A. VanGemeren, Stephen J. Wellum, Matthew Barrett, Brian Vickers, Stephen G. Dempster, Allan Harman, Timo Laato, Dan McCartney, R. Lucas Stamps, David Shaw, Nick Needham, Bruce Baugus

Many factors contributed to the Protestant Reformation, but one of the most significant was the debate over the doctrine of justification by faith alone. In fact, Martin Luther argued that justification is the doctrine on which the church stands or falls. This comprehensive volume of 26 essays from a host of scholars explores the doctrine of justification from the lenses of history, the Bible, theology, and pastoral practice—revealing the enduring significance of this pillar of Protestant theology.

Write Better A Lifelong Editor on Craft, Art, and Spirituality by Andrew T. Le Peau - InterVarsity Press InterVarsity Press

Write Better A Lifelong Editor on Craft, Art, and Spirituality by Andrew T. Le Peau -  InterVarsity Press InterVarsity Press 

you can pre order it here: https://amzn.to/2IhNNae
pub date: 8 oct 2019

I really liked this cover because it shows how writing is... a series of errors, defects, and things to correct or send to the trash can. I really like to read books about writing, I just can´t stop. I think writing is an art and when you mix it with truth awesome things can happen. This book is helpful if you read, edit, translate or write. I think it is useful for anyone because everyone writes, texts, blogs, messages. It was very interesting to me that the author always writes fiction and this was his first nonfiction writing, what a challenge. 

Description

Writing is not easy. But it can get better. In this primer on nonfiction writing, Andrew Le Peau offers insights he has learned as a published author and an editor for over forty years, training, guiding, and cheering on hundreds of writers. Here are skills that writers can master—from finding strong openings and closings, to focusing on an audience, to creating a clear structure, to crafting a persuasive message. With wide-ranging examples from fiction and nonfiction, Le Peau also demystifies aspects of art in writing such as creativity, tone, and metaphor. He considers strategies that can move writers toward fresher, more vital, and perhaps more beautiful expressions of the human condition. One aspect of writing that rarely receives attention is who we are as writers and how writing itself changes us. Self-doubt, fear of criticism, downsides of success, questions of authority, and finding our voice are all a part of the exploration of our spirituality as writers found in these pages. Discover how the act of writing can affect our life in God. Whether you're a veteran writer, an occasional practitioner, a publishing professional, or a student just starting to explore such skills, Le Peau's wit and wisdom can speed you on your way.

Advance Praise

"In what Richard J. Foster, author of Celebration of Discipline, has recently described as the new curse of our time, the 'age of distraction,' publishing professional Andy Le Peau has written the almost perfect book for Christian writers to help them overcome their own distractions and the distractions of their readers. He covers all of the creative writing topics, and he does it in a way that is compelling and accessible, wise and intelligent. This is now the important book on writing that every Christian writer (and many others) must own, both beginners and advanced professionals. Everyone can learn something from this amazingly well-constructed and well-written book—everyone."

-Roy M. Carlisle, executive editor for Books, Independent Institute

"This book belongs on the reference shelf of every writer. It offers forty years' experience with words—giving readers the equivalent of multiple master's courses for the price of one volume. Le Peau invites, encourages, instructs, and inspires the writer who wants to develop the craft, communicate effectively, respect the reader, and provide a compelling reading experience. He includes great stories and examples from many writers, but through the whole we perceive his own true voice and the heart of one who has loved books and the complex, glorious process of creating them."

-Vinita Hampton Wright, author of The Soul Tells a Story

"I've read a lot of books—often if I'm honest—to avoid the act of writing. But Write Better isn't for avoidant writers. To take Le Peau's reliable, witty advice is to find ways to get started and keep going, all the while staying sober about the responsibility of turning words out into the world. Gratefully, it's not at all like pulling a rabbit out of a hat."

-Jen Pollock Michel, author of Surprised by Paradox

"Andy Le Peau's Write Better—witty, down-to-earth, and informed by a lifetime in publishing—combines a wealth of practical advice with a distinctively Christian perspective on the writer's craft. It will be useful to aspiring young writers just starting out and to seasoned academics who want to reach a larger audience."

-John Wilson, Englewood Review of Books

"An invaluable treasure-trove of wisdom, counsel, humor, and practical suggestions and tips—as one of the poorer writers on whom Andy Le Peau has honed his legendary skills, I only wish I had read this book before I started writing."

-Os Guinness, author of Fool's Talk

"With decades of experience in the publishing industry, Andy Le Peau has written a comprehensive book filled with wisdom, engaging illustrations, and practical tips for both beginning and seasoned writers. But Write Better is more than a superb work about the craft of writing. This is a book that explores our spiritual formation as writers and calls us to steward the Word with integrity and precision, while providing tools to do so with excellence. What a gift!"

-Sharon Garlough Brown, author of the Sensible Shoes series and Shades of Light