Hello friends!
I have a lovely new book to tell you about! The BlogAbout Blogger Network was kind enough to send me not only a copy of LaTan Roland Murphy’s newest book, Courageous Women of the Bible, to review; but a copy for one reader to win as well! (You’ll be able to enter the giveaway at the end of this post.) This beautiful (inside and out—I just love its cover as much as the book’s insides) book is something that women will find inspiring, courage-producing, and uplifting, whether they are single, married, mothers of young children, moms of older kiddos, or retired…or any other life stage a woman might be in. Whatever your life experiences are in this stage of your journey, you’ll find something here to relate to.
Courageous Women of the Bible
What are you experiencing in your life today? Are you in a smooth patch of life, or are you facing challenges with your job, an illness, your relationships, your parenting, or even on a larger scale in your nation? All of us have faced some of these and some of us may have even faced them all. When we face life struggles, sometimes we can drum up the courage to meet them head-on. Yet other times, we wonder how on earth we will possibly endure them. What if I told you that courage can look a little different than we might imagine? What if all we have to do, to be courageous, is to set our feet toward obedience?
Author LaTan Roland Murphy knew that she–and we–all need courage. So she wrote a book about courage and how we can have it. She delves into the lives of 11 women of the Bible who faced a variety of circumstances that demanded courage: everything from leading a nation; to giving unsparingly; or defeating an enemy; to believing in miracles when all hope seemed lost; and stepping into leadership when the actual leader wouldn’t do it. And that’s just a few.
In Courageous Women of the Bible, you’ll have the opportunity to meet:
- Deborah
- The woman with the issue of blood
- Jael
- Bathsheba
- The Samaritan woman
- Jochebed
- and 5 others!
In each chapter, the author describes a Biblical woman and what’s happening in her life that demands courage. She includes the Bible passages that inform us of these women and each one’s state of affairs. Then, LaTan pulls out for our edification the particular character qualities, choices, strengths, and evidences of faith that these women exemplify. She introduces us to these gals and describes them so richly that, by the end of each chapter, we feel as though we might actually know them—or recognize them if they were to step across our paths. Lastly, each chapter ends with a courage quest, a list of 5 questions designed to help us identify our own need for each type of courage and help us to embrace and build it in our own lives.
LaTan has also included a journaling chapter at the very end of the book, to give readers the opportunity to mine their thoughts and emotions for the things God would like to show them–and do in them–through the experiences of the Biblical women of each passage.
My impressions of Courageous Women of the Bible
I have to say that God used this book in my life in a somewhat curious yet fascinating way. I received it while my teen son and I were wrapping up the end of his 10th grade homeschool year. And the last 6 weeks of the year (the last part of April and May) were so packed and, at times, exhausting. (You know the drill: finals, finishing courses, end-of-the-year projects/papers, teacher appreciation days, drama performances, art shows, final coop classes, etc.) I had this lovely book sitting on my bedside table. I wanted to read it. I had made it 4 chapters in and loved what I’d already read. Yet, I could *not* find a moment to delve further.
This is one of those moments when I get to say, looking back, “But God!”
This might sound crazy. But I honestly believe that God halted my reading by using the circumstances of our very-full family life because there were two very significant–even crucial–chapters that I would need at the very end of May. And oh, when I read them! What refreshment, encouragement, and strength they provided. Timing is everything, sometimes, my friends. And God works with the seasons and events of our lives to bring strength, comfort, and yes, courage, just at the very moments when we need them.
I won’t tell you which women were so deeply meaningful to me, simply because ALL the chapters in this book are going to minister to you, and on different levels, depending on what you’re experiencing in your own life. I do want to share some lovely quotes from the book, though, that ministered to me:
- “When every single angle you have tried is met with a dead end, know that you, yourself, are an overcomer with God as the voice of wisdom. God wants you to experience life and freedom—to experience all that He is.”
- “…God had challenged Moses to use what was in his hand to perform miracles that would set the stage for God’s chosen people to be freed from four hundred years of bondage and persecution. God asked Moses: “What is that in your hand?”
- “Never forget that one willing woman with a tiny ounce of faith, grit, and tenacity can do amazing things; there is nothing too big, too hard, or too impossible with God.”
- “I wonder if the Samaritan woman felt the same sense of awe as she experienced the rushing power of heaven’s truth spoken over her empty life.”
- “The story He is writing in your life will be way better than the one you have been working on.”
- “Friend, God still has His pen in hand and He is writing a good story across the pages of your life. He is in the process of answering your prayers and He’s not finished yet.”
And as wonderful as this book has been for me, I’ve even more excited that I have a copy to share with one special reader via a giveaway! You can read a little more about Courageous Women of the Bible and its author LaTan Roland Murphy in the next section; then scroll down to the bottom to enter the giveaway!
About the author
LaTan Roland Murphy is a published author of books and articles as well as her own website and blog, latanmurphy.com. She wrote Becoming a Woman of Interior Elegance and co-authored God’s Provision in Tough Times.
Her articles have been featured in WHOA women’s magazine and other publications as well. She was a founder of The Colors of His Love Women’s Conference, and lives in North Carolina with her husband Joe. She’s the mother of three adult children as well as several grandchildren.
How to enter:
Simply click the pink “Enter here!” link below, which will take you to the Giveaway Tools entry form. There you’ll be able to enter in a number of ways. One winner will be selected after 6/20/18, when this giveaway closes.
Best wishes, my friends!
Enjoy! –Wren
DISCLOSURE: From time to time, we at FINCHNWREN may receive a free product or service in exchange for our honest opinions expressed in our blog. We are not required to write a positive or glowing review, nor are we additionally compensated for these reviews. We share our own opinions, and our family’s opinion, of these products. We’re disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.
6/21/18 UPDATE: Giveaway closed. Congrats to the winner, Lori H.!
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