Kate Walsh

Kate is the current owner and editor of Cup of Faith. She is a blogger who loves Jesus, loves to read, and currently lives in Johannesburg with her husband.

The post Interview with Author Sister K: “Blessed with Laughter: Journey to Seeing Her Eyes” appeared first on Cup of Faith.

If you’ve never read Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer, you need to! This book is a must for anyone who wants to better understand and overcome the battles of life. If it were possible, I’d give the book a ten-star rating.

Joyce understands that most, if not all, of the battles we face in life begin in our minds. She provides scriptures, illustrations, and personal insight on dealing with these battles Biblically. Her personal application of the disciplines she teaches in Battlefield of the Mind gives it an authentic flavor that is a rare find.

What I learned from Battlefield of the Mind

It wasn’t difficult for me to pinpoint weaknesses in my thought life. Joyce’s insights into the scriptures she shared in the book were rich and revealing! I made a list of the scriptures in the chapters that spoke to my situation and began meditating on them during my morning devotions. I found this exercise helpful. Through it, I learned that the Bible is more than just a story to read; it is filled with truth that can change my life if I let it.

I was challenged to change my negative thought patterns and instead focus on God’s promises for my life. This proved difficult because I’ve spent many years stuck in negative thought patterns. However, over time, I have found it better to live with a positive God attitude than with the negative one I was accustomed to.

God’s blessings, I learned, aren’t based on my merit but on what God knows I’m ready to receive. I learned this from her description of the Israelites’ 40-year journey through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. This journey should have taken less than two weeks. Their wandering was caused by their disobedience, not by God’s punishment. This encourages me to take less time trying to figure things out on my own and to trust in God’s plan and guidance. Think less, trust more!

In her down-to-earth manner, Joyce says that “stinkin’ thoughts produce stinkin’ actions.” This is so true! The more I rehearse negative thoughts, the more prone I am to act negatively. It’s a battle to capture those thoughts when they arise, understand they’re lies, and set them aside.

What I took away from Battlefield of the Mind

1. The mind is the main battlefield, not our outer circumstances.
2. The victory is not won all at once; it takes time and discipline.
3. There will be a battle in my mind every day.
4. I must choose to take my negative thoughts captive.
5. I must be aware of my thought life and what I’m thinking about.
6. I can have the mind of Christ if I choose it.
7. To live the life God intends for me to live, I must choose to have God’s mindset.

Who should read Battlefield of the Mind?

I highly recommend this book to anyone who struggles with negative thoughts. It should be on the bookshelf for reference when dealing with them. I especially recommend it for those who struggle with anxiety, depression, and a poor self-image—this includes most, if not all, of us! I have read “Battlefield of the Mind“ many times. Each time I read it, I am reminded that God’s thoughts for me are much better than my own.

The truths in Battlefield of the Mind are vital for living above the “stinkin’ thinkin’” we are so prone to. I know my life has changed in the years since I read it – and it will continue to change as I keep applying God’s Word daily.

Lea Peters

Lea Peters has been a pastor’s wife and missionary since 1987. She has served alongside her husband, Jamie, planting churches and establishing faith-based community outreaches in Africa. She has four children and two grandchildren.

aculturalshift.com

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There’s no getting through this Christian journey without addressing the question, what does God want me to do with my life? Trevor Hudson tackles this topic with the book written under the bold title, Discovering God’s Will For Your Life: A User’s Guide to Discernment.

This short but impactful book has three main outcomes: latching into God’s vision for your life, defining discernment, and taking action on what we learn. Hudson encourages individual application of his points with short exercises found in the book. 

Discovering God’s Will for Your Life (Trevor Hudson): Published by Struik Christian Media. Available wherever books are sold.

Discernment involves recognising God’s active presence and voice so that we can respond to what God is doing and saying, and bring our lives into more harmony with God’s dream for our world. Quote p. 51

Hudson deftly explores discernment of God’s personal will through our lives through scripture, circumstances, the Holy Spirit, our giftings and conversations with those who know us well. He draws from personal experience and decades of pastoral experience. The pages of this book almost radiate with the sage and gentleness you would expect from a seventy-year-plus old pastor who is still pouring out his life for the Father and his children. Expect less ‘name it and claim it’ type ra-ra moments and more slower, head-nodding ‘a-ha!’ moments.

Our personal calling is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet. – Trevor Hudson

One of Hudson’s key principles to discerning God’s personal will for your life is to reflect on what you have learnt in your life experiences. The wisdom of experience is only unlocked, he explains, when one takes the time to reflect on the success and failure of circumstances. This is probably why the book is laden with ‘discernment exercises’ to put the knowledge found in these pages into immediate action.

What I loved most about this book was its simple practicality. It is straightforward and easy to understand but acts a teaser to go deeper with God for oneself. I personally loved Hudson’s reflection on spiritual consolation and spiritual desolation, a principle I have used since in trying to discern next steps in decisions.

This book is not for anyone who is looking for an easy way to hear God’s voice for themselves. It is rather a book for those looking to forge spiritual ‘tools’ for their lifelong ‘discernment toolbox’. 

I hope you will pick up a copy of this book and be encouraged to seek out God’s personal will for your life!

This book was kindly sent to me by Struik Christian Media for review. All views expressed are my own.

Kate Walsh

Kate is the current owner and editor of Cup of Faith. She is a blogger who loves Jesus, loves to read, and currently lives in Johannesburg with her husband.

The post Book Review: Discovering God’s Will For Your Life: A User’s Guide To Discernment By Trevor Hudson appeared first on Cup of Faith.

Many readers will recognise the name Louie Giglio as the founder of the Passion conferences and the famous ‘Indescribable’ preacher. In his book, Seeing God as a Perfect Father (an updated and retitled edition of Not Forsaken), Giglio shares truth about God’s fatherhood, our worldly and Western understanding of fatherhood and invites us to untangle the two for a freer, more powerful Christian walk.

Published by Thomas Nelson and distributed in South Africa by Struik Christian Media. Available wherever books are sold.

Giglio grapples with many challenging aspects surrounding the concept of fatherhood and ways in which our vision of God’s fatherhood may be clouded. He shares six possible stereotypical fathers we may have had, which have in turn impacted our view of God’s fatherhood. He writes with Christ-centred passion about the way in which God positions himself as a father to us. Did you know that Jesus refers to God as ‘Father’ more than any other term? Readers familiar with Louie Giglio will recognise his reverence, love for story-telling and astronomy drops. He flavours his writing with testimonies and vulnerable details about his relationship with his own father.

I appreciated the book’s willingness to provide a fresh and honest perspective of the difficulty of relating to God as a father without losing an awe-inspiring perspective of God’s perfect love for us, his children. I wrote previously about my journey to find approval from my father in heaven and wasn’t surprised to come across the topic of approval early on in this book. It’s a biggie.

I was convicted by the last few chapters which painted a picture of what a life impacted by a personal relationship to a Father God might look like practically.

I don’t know what kind of earthly father you had, but I know that God has spanned heaven and earth to reach you. And I know if you want one, the reality of a perfect Father can be yours. I pray your eyes are open to see Him as He truly is, and your heart is beating fast knowing His eyes are on you and His heart is for you. His blessing is full and free. The waterfall is pouring down goodness today. His spiritual genes have re-created you and His hand is there to lead you. You can take your next step as a loved daughter –a loved son – of the perfect Father. Quote from p. 209

If we are born-again children grafted into a new family with a new father, we will no longer be trapped by old, unhelpful habits passed down from generation to generation. We can be imitators of our spiritual Dad.

This book is great for newer Christians and readers who don’t enjoy too much jargon. It is written in a comfortable and light style which makes the challenging subject matter easier to digest. Readers who were not brought up in a predominantly Western home may not relate entirely to some descriptions of difficulties Giglio describes. If you have ever wondered about God’s ‘father heart’ towards you or have had difficulties relating to your own earthly father, this book is a great introduction to these subjects without being too heavy.

This book was kindly sent to me by Struik Christian Media for review. All views expressed are my own.

Kate Walsh

Kate is the current owner and editor of Cup of Faith. She is a blogger who loves Jesus, loves to read, and currently lives in Johannesburg with her husband.

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I have several Max Lucado books as I find his conversational writing style to be simple to follow, and mostly because he has the gift of the Holy Spirit and his writing manages to break through my walls. When I am down – and in the wilderness – I find that I need books and encouragement that is approachable, honest and raw which are all elements that Pastor Lucado brings to each and every one of his books. I recently received two of his books from our partners Struik Christian Media that I feel are great additions to any book shelf.

Jesus: The God Who Knows Your Name

I have recently been thinking a lot about the idea that we glorify the people in the bible far too much – bear with me on this thought – but sometimes I wonder how little impact I have had on this world, and can’t help but fear that I will leave this earth having accomplished very little. Yes, I realise that not everyone shares these thoughts, and I understand that sometimes, these thoughts are a result of my own depression and anxiety, but the one, true way, that I have overcome these feelings of doubts is by humanising the people we read about in the Bible. If we look at each person – hero and non-heroes – we quickly begin to see that they are so much like you and me, that they were living their lives, facing debt, infertility, depression. They were going through the motions of life just as we do – and now, hundreds of years later, we still speak of them and hold their stories as slithers of hope – what if we are the next person to be written about? What if we were the generation that believed so boldly, that they wrote stories about us?

That being said, the idea that Jesus walked among us still feels too far for me to fully comprehend. Perhaps this is not the discussion we typically hear from Christians, but I can’t help but feel that while I believe in Jesus Christ, there’s still this barrier in my understanding of how can someone so amazing, so selfless, love a person like me? And I think that’s what Pastor Lucado has been able to achieve in his writing. His book is so insightful and encouraging – it gives an in-depth understanding of grace, and what it means to be known and loved by Jesus, the Redeemer while explaining what it must have been like to walk among Jesus.

The God of the universe knows your name. He has walked your streets. Jesus. Perhaps you’ve heard about him, studied him, or prayed to him. But do you know him? This is the question Max poses to the reader.

Divided into six sections (Immanuel, Friend, Teacher, Miracle Worker, Lamb of God, Returning King) each containing multiple chapters, this book not only describes the person of Jesus but also eloquently dives into the heart of Jesus towards the reader.

By exploring Jesus’ life death and resurrection as well as specific details like how he interacted with his friends and his enemies, what he did with time alone, how he acted at a party, this compilation from Max Lucado, now with original never-before-read content from Max, gives readers the chance to become more familiar with the man at the center of the greatest story ever told.

By learning more about the person Jesus was and is, the reader will understand more clearly the person they were created to be. Max writes “Don’t settle for a cursory glance or a superficial understanding. Look long into the heart of Christ and you’ll see it. Grace and life. Forgiveness of sin. The defeat of death. This is the hope he gives. This is the hope we need.”

Get your copy of this book from all leading book stores including CUM Books.

You Are Never Alone: Trust in the Miracle of God’s Presence and Power 

Just like his other books, this one is written with sincerity and understanding, making it impactful with the relatability that it offers. I loved reading through this book, especially when I was looking for hope and encouragement. I love the ease in which Pastor Lucado shares stories; some that are his own, and then, of course, others that he has gathered over the years. I think that’s what makes his books that much better – we find a little bit of ourselves reflected in those pages. This read makes another great gift for a special friend or family member and shows us how to apply scripture to our daily lives. As I said before, he breaks down all barriers and makes scripture easy to relate to, providing a much deeper understanding and illustrating how we can apply God’s promises to our lives, by finding hope in our trials, darkness, and despair.

You Are Never Alone is available in a six-part study that ties in with videos, making it great for group studies.

In You Are Never Alone, pastor and New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado will show you that you’re stronger than you think because God is nearer than you know. You’ll be comforted by the living, loving, miracle-working God who doesn’t think twice about stepping into the thorny thickets of your world to lift you out.

When life feels depleted, does God care?
When I hear him say “No”, does he have a response?
I’m facing an onslaught of challenges, will he help?
When life grows dark and stormy, does he notice?
I’m facing the fear of death, will he help me?

The answer in the life-giving miracles in the Gospel of John is a resounding yes. Do you know them? Do you believe in a Jesus who has, not only power, but a passionate love for the weak and wounded of the world? Do you think he cares enough about you to find you in the lonely waiting rooms, rehab centers and convalescent homes of life?

Get your copy of this book from all leading book stores including CUM Books.

Megan Kelly Botha

I’m a coffee-wielding mood reader and romance book collector who may or may not have a slight addiction to buying books. I read a variety of sub-genres within romance, including rom-coms, dark romance, and fantasy. I love sharing my thoughts on books, whether it’s through book reviews, quotes, or recommendations inspired by my current reads. Through my romance book blog, Literary Inspired, I aim to provide in-depth book reviews, curated reading recommendations, and exclusive author promotions. I’m passionate about supporting indie authors and sharing my latest book discoveries with others. When I’m not reading, you can find me cheering on my favorite football team and F1 drivers, crafting, baking with my kids or playing with my pets.

literaryinspired.com/

The post Max Lucado Book Reviews appeared first on Cup of Faith.

Part of why I love partnering with Struik Christian Media is that I am constantly being introduced to new authors that I may never have come across, had it not been for their enthusiasm and passion for introducing and promoting both local and international authors. Our partnership has lead me to discovering some of my new favourite Christian authors, some of which I may never have discovered if it weren’t for their brilliant team. Charles Martin is one of those authors, and his book, What if it’s True? changed the way I read and see the Bible.

See the Bible come to life before your eyes, as New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin uses his storyteller imagination to present the Bible as a novel, to help you engage with your faith in new ways. 

Years ago, Charles Martin cracked open his Bible and began wrestling with a few fundamental questions. He asked, “What if every single word of Scripture is absolutely true and I can trust it? How do I respond? Something in me should change, but what? How?” This book is the result of that exploration.

In What If It’s True? he brings key moments from the life and ministry of Jesus to life through his descriptive, novelistic words. In addition, Martin shares key moments from his own journey as a disciple—and bondservant—of Christ and a mentor to others. The result is an exploration of truth that helps us not just think differently, but live differently. Today.

Years, ago in the midst of my depression and when I was discovering how to lean on to God during those depressive seasons, I remember listening to a podcast where the speaker did something I had never seen or experienced before. She painted the picture of what it must have been like for Mary to witness Jesus hanging on the cross – she did so in a way that made me FEEL what it must have been like to be there. I remember how much more significant that scene felt, and now each time I imagine Jesus hanging on the cross, I imagine what it must have been like to be His friends or mother, and watch Him helplessly, not knowing or fully understanding what they now faced. I think of that a lot, and how the way the story was told pushed me to see the scene play out in a way I hadn’t thought of before. Suddenly, it was no longer just a story that I had read, but rather one that I felt

Charles Martin does something so similar in his book, and there were many instances where I found myself wiping away my tears. I highly recommend working through this book over some time – there’s a lot to think about and I found myself needing to walk away for a few days to process what I had just read, but it’s practical, easy to follow and written beautifully. While this is definitely not a quick read, the words and wisdom that Martin shares are sure to leave their fingerprint on your heart.

You can purchase your copy of What If It’s True? from leading book stores including CUM Books. 

Megan Kelly Botha

I’m a coffee-wielding mood reader and romance book collector who may or may not have a slight addiction to buying books. I read a variety of sub-genres within romance, including rom-coms, dark romance, and fantasy. I love sharing my thoughts on books, whether it’s through book reviews, quotes, or recommendations inspired by my current reads. Through my romance book blog, Literary Inspired, I aim to provide in-depth book reviews, curated reading recommendations, and exclusive author promotions. I’m passionate about supporting indie authors and sharing my latest book discoveries with others. When I’m not reading, you can find me cheering on my favorite football team and F1 drivers, crafting, baking with my kids or playing with my pets.

literaryinspired.com/

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The bible speaks of Abraham as being a friend of God. I’ve always wondered how it looked like to have the All-Mighty God as a friend, the Creator of heaven and earth calling me His friend? I must be honest, there were moments when I thought that this was not attainable. It just seemed like it was not for everyone but later in my life, I came to understand that God desires to have a friendship with all of us, with you. It is the sole purpose of our existence, fellowship with God. In his book, Trevor Hudson delves deeper on the subject ‘Friendship with God’ and shares some important truths that will make us understand why we have deep yearnings to be in a friendship and how a better friendship with God can be life-changing.

In ‘Friendship with God’, Trevor highlights two themes that run through consistently in the book; friendship with God and personal transformation. As we learn to trust God and grow as His Friend our lives are transformed. Friendship with God births personal transformation into our lives. We will suddenly see a change in the way we think, feel, what we desire, and the way we treat others. We are wired for friendship, both human and divine. This explains why we feel a deep sense of heartache when we are alone or lonely.

One of the first few pictures we find in the bible on friendship is from the book of Genesis, the story of Adam and Eve. God walks in the garden, He calls out for Adam and Eve, “Where are you?”. He knew exactly what they had done yet He does not reprimand them. He only asks, “Where are you?” Because now they were separated from God. The friendship that they once had, had fallen to the ground and this was the very thing that God created them for, divine friendship. None the less God continued to pursue a friendship with them, as he continues today to have a friendship with you and me. The lesson we learn here is that nothing can put off the flame of God’s longing to be friends with us.

For me this message is very powerful, it puts into perspective the reason why God wants and loves us. But how do you start building a friendship? You will know from personal experience that even your natural friendships are built on a foundation. Now, what is the recipe for your friendship with God? What is in the foundation? Where do you even begin to develop your friendship with God? Here are some key points that Trevor highlights for us:

Meditating On The Gospel Stories – Keep company with Jesus by meditatively reading the Gospels. Receive personal knowledge that comes from living with Him each day and entering His heart and mind as we do with our other friends.

Doing What Jesus Said – Once we have begun our friendship with Jesus we will want to please Him in everything we do. This is why Jesus told His disciples, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching”. A good place to begin our journey of practical obedience is to make a conscious decision to become a loving person.

Prayer (Intentionality) – Good friendships take time, effort and planning. So the first thing I encourage you to do if you want to deepen your life of prayer is creating a space to be with God on a regular basis.

Conversation – Our friendship with Jesus grows as we talk to Him. On the other hand, like any good friendship, we also need to listen to God. During my one-on-one times with Jesus, there are moments when I am simply silent.

Transparency – When we do not express what we are thinking and feeling to the Lord, a sense of distance grows between us. Whenever we keep our more “negative” feelings and attitudes away from God in prayer, we hinder the movement towards intimacy. Honest prayer involves sharing our doubts and disappointments, our anger and resentment, our loneliness and grief.

In this book, Trevor continues to share some insights into developing our friendship with God. What makes it more interesting for me is that he uses his life-long experiences and stories to make us understand, this brings it home. You can even sense his pastoral heart coming through, he earnestly wants us to taste what he has also tasted, the sweet friendship the God. I must say that the book stirred up in me a new passion to know the Lord even deeper, to give attention to my friendship with God, to know that there is always more.

Imagine living each moment conscious that you are a friend of God. Jesus says that you are no longer servants but friends meaning that He will share the deepest truths with us because we are in partnership with Him. When we hear his voice and follow, we make room for our friendship to transform the person that we are for His glory.

Delaree

 I love God and His word. I have a great passion to help women mature in their relationship with Christ…it’s possible because God’s grace has removed the boundaries. We have unlimited access to our Father. 

scripturelounge.wordpress.com/

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This book is written by John Eldredge, a bestselling author, counsellor and teacher – an author whom both my husband and I have come to adore! I admire his style of writing that speaks the truth in love. He is the president of Ransomed Heart, a ministry devoted to helping people discover the heart of God. John and his wife, Stasi, are the authors of various other best-selling books like Wild at Heart (John) and Captivating (John and Stasi).

We live in soul-scorching times. The 24-7 onslaught of contemporary life–with its never-ending feed of global tragedies and shrieking demands for our attention, to say nothing of the ordinary pressures of work, family, friends, and community–has left us ragged, wrung-out, and emptied. But if we already have no margin in our lives, how do we find room to change things?

In his life-changing new book, John Eldredge distills a lifetime’s wisdom about healing into a series of practical, ready-to-implement practices for putting yourself back together. These simple steps will enable you to begin recovery, help you focus on what matters most, disengage from the tragedies of this broken world, and discover the restorative power of beauty. The practices include

• the one-minute pause,
• benevolent detachment,
• practicing kindness,
• getting outside, and
• stepping back from technology.

The practices explained here are ready for the taking. You don’t need abandon your life to get it back. You can restore it here and now. And you will never be the same.

In Get Your life Back, John Eldredge shares everyday practices to get your soul back to a place of health and purpose. The aim of this book is to offer simple and sustainable ways of restoring your soul so that you can receive more of God.

I have to be honest as I write this book review… I did not look for this book; it came across my path unexpectedly and had such a profound impact on my spiritual life and day-to-day living.

When my husband set his mind on reading this book, I just tagged along. Goodness – was I in for a life-changing book! I have come to change the way I do small, everyday things. I take time to slow down, to think about what I am thinking about, as I sip my earl grey tea during mid-morning breaks. I monitor my soul’s well-being by checking whether I have become irritated by things I used to love. I have become disinterested in meaningless activities like watching mindless tv and robotic scrolling on my phone.

The soul has always been a difficult thing for me to understand – a mystery of some sort. The other aspects of my well-being, like my physical body and my spirit, are things that I understood and felt equipped to nurture. Feeling sick or unhealthy? Take care of your physical body by feeding it with the right nutrients and exercising. Feeling spiritually empty or disconnected? Reconnect with God by spending time with Him and fellow believers. Feeling soul-scorched or heartbroken? Sorry, I don’t really know how to help you there… I guess you can practice some self-care and talk to a close friend?

My soul remained a boggling concept that I could not connect to God and the purpose for which he created it. However, I really believe that John Eldredge has been led be the Holy Spirit to write this book in order to demystify this important part of our being.

This book holds a necessary message for anyone living in our day and age. Our capacity for life is lessened by the digital age we live in, the rapid pace of the world, and traumatic events that are constantly happening around us. All of these things take away from life – our life with God, our soul’s wellbeing and basically anything that is supposed to bring joy and purpose to our lives. Thus, we need to recognise the “soul-scorching hour” we’re living in. God is the creator of our souls and he wants to fill it. Yet, He is unable to do this if the vessel of our soul is broken, ragged and unable to receive Him.

Each chapter of the book offers an accessible way in which you can restore your soul.

The one-minute pause helps you settle down for sixty seconds to come back to yourself and God. This practice, alongside benevolent detachment, allows you to take a moment to be still and let everything go that frazzles you.

Follow the book’s simple steps to unplug from technology to do real things like going for a walk, building a puzzle or creating something beautiful.

You will be challenged to open your clenched soul to experience beauty’s healing power. Beauty can be found in our country’s epic travel destinations like Table Mountain and the vast Karoo landscape, as well as more intimate spaces like the morning sun streaming through your kitchen window and the succulent plant you use to decorate your home.

I am absolutely overcome by the power of this book’s practical steps to add substance to one’s day to day living. I find myself grabbing the book every now and again to remind myself to take a time out, to experience beauty in small things, to practice kindness towards myself, and to care for the neglected places in my soul. All this, in order to live a more carefree life as God instructs us to do in His Word.

Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you – 1 Peter 5:7 

Get your copy of Get Your Life Back from CUM Books and other leading book stores for R365.

René Louw

René is a work-from-home freelance writer, wife, postgraduate English student and language tutor. She loves creating work that is fresh, to-the-point, and makes difficult subjects easy to understand. She lives in Bloemfontein, central South Africa, and and loves to read, jog, paint and spend time in nature when she’s not working.

freelancewritingbyrene.journoportfolio.com/

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Love Talk is like no other communication book you’ve ever read. The fruit of years of research by two foremost relationship experts (who also happen to be husband and wife), this book forges a new path to the heart of loving conversation. You’ll begin by identifying your security need and determining your personal communication style. Then you’ll put together everything you discover to learn how the two of you can speak each other’s language like never before.

This very day, you can begin an adventure in communication that will draw the two of you closer, and closer, and closer . . . consistently, in a way that creates the depth and connection you long for in your relationship.

Love Talk includes:

• The all-new Better Love Assessment
• The secret to emotional connection
• When not to talk
• A Communications 101 primer
• Practical help for the “silent partner”

Need help kick-starting your conversations? Check out the companion men’s and women’s Love Talk workbooks, as well as Love Talk Starters.

In this book, you will be taught to speak each other’s love language like you never have before. Drs Les and Leslie Parrott, are number one New York Times bestselling authors and founders of the revolutionary Better Love Assessment (BetterLove.com). The book has been designed for use with the companion his/her Love Talk workbooks. They have segmented the book into three parts which I found so informative.

Let’s talk about talking

Communication, if used to its full advantage, holds the promise of bringing two people together to a level so profound that anyone on the outside can never truly comprehend. This book is the result of many years of research, and it will show you exactly what the authors discovered. It’s a deep and simple plan for everything a loving conversation has to offer. Drs Les and Leslie want this book to be an effective tool for any and every couple who wants to find a better way of speaking each other’s language.

More than any other measure

Couples gauge the depth of their connection by the satisfaction of their conversations but some couples routinely underestimate the importance of talking. Study after study indicates that improving your communication increases the quality of your relationship more than anything else you do. The authors also go on to explain how vital quality communication is to your relationships and show you how bad communication can spoil a good relationship. Whether a relationship sinks or swims depends on how well partners send and receive messages and how well they use their conversations to understand and be understood.

Good communication keeps the relationship alive

Time and talk are always a winning combination. Good communication requires time to talk – it simply cannot happen while you are travelling at breakneck speed. So cure your hurry sickness, take a deep breath and obey the speed limit of human connection. If you want to improve your communication you must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your conversations. Misunderstanding usually does not result from not hearing the words but from not clarifying the meaning of the words.

How you say the things you do

How you and your partner react to change makes a huge impact on your conversation. Whether you know it or not, much of your daily conversation centres on change. Negotiating change is one of the four big conversational topics every couple encounters. No matter how resistant to change a person might be, one specific type of change is always welcome. It’s a type of change that ties itself to loyalty and rather than threatening a person’s emotional security need, this kind of change actually bolsters it. Changing one’s ways to become a better person overrides even the strongest resistance to change because it brings about devotion and cultivates commitment.

Enjoy Love Talk

“A good heart and a good heart are always a formidable combination”. Words by Nelson Mandela, he could have been talking about intimate relationships. A couple who tunes into this powerful combination discovers a new depth in their conversations, a new way of connecting together. Take a moment right now to fully immerse yourself in your partner’s world. This will take just 10 minutes or so and could very well change the way you view one another.

Purchase your copy of Love Talk at leading book stores and online at CUM Books.

Ellen Manzvanzvike

My name is Ellen, I am married and a mother of 2. I hold diplomas in Marketing and Business and Industrial Administration. I’m a motivational speaker with a passion for empowering, encouraging and inspiring women.All my work is empowered by the holy spirit, who guides me and tells me what to write with the aim of soul winning.

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When I was a teenager and living with my grandparents, who are Christian missionaries and pastors, I remember being bored and having my gran point out her book shelf that was filled with theology, bible studies, and self-help books. My response was somewhat dramatic when I thought gaah, all those books are so boring and outdated. Thinking back to that time, I get it – I didn’t feel seen or heard in those books. I didn’t see our own lives represented; instead, those books detailed all these rules and guidelines to become a “good Christian,” and besides it being unattainable, those books rarely outlined the messiness of Christianity or the challenges that we face as modern Christians.

That’s where Levi Lusko gets it right.

A unique and compelling understanding of the power and the pleasure attached to God’s plans for relationships.

For better or for worse, interactions with screens are now irreversibly entangled into the fabric of our lives. We swipe right to answer calls, unlock our iPhones, respond to snaps, browse through photos, and respond to emails. With our fingertips dancing across devices, we navigate our way through life. It is now estimated that the average American pull their phone out to check it 150 times each day. That’s once every six minutes. 

For the now more than 100 Million Americans on dating apps like Tinder, swiping right is increasingly the first step towards initiating no-strings-attached sexual encounters. Sex is being stripped of any emotional or spiritual significance by successive generations and it simply viewed as a physical source of pleasure and enjoyment. All of this is a reality, the real question is at what cost?

In Swipe Right, Pastor Levi Lusko offers compelling reasons to make wise choices in matters of the heart—relationships, sex, dating, and marriage. He encourages readers to live each day knowing their present choices will immediately become part of their pasts, and that their pasts will inevitably come back to visit them in the future.

With equal parts prevention and cure, the book is not just a list of rules to live by but something to live for: God’s powerful plan for our lives. To get there we must learn how to swipe right—to live up in a left, right world—because what we do with sex and romance is truly an issue of life and death importance. 

For twelve years Levi, his wife Jennie, and their team, have put on an evangelistic purity conference called the O2 Experience. Traveling across the United States, he has appeared in three to five cities each year, bringing a fresh perspective on sex and romance, challenging thousands of teens and unmarried young adults to rise up in strength and honor. Swipe Right will broaden the discussions to include married people, those dating, and those who have racked up consequences but need to know it’s never too late to do the right thing and experience God’s best.

Levis is a Christian millennial and just like me, he is trying to figure out how to navigate this new world, because without realizing it, we are pioneers of our time. I see myself in his writing – I can relate to his thoughts, and the stories that he shares. In fact, I had a giggle that in one of his stories, he describes having a pretty bad accident which results in breaking his leg, and while he doesn’t recall much from his time in hospital, he remembered being mad because they had to cut him out of his favourite pair of jeans. It was amusing because my own husband was knocked over by a car, as a teenager, and had the exact same experience where he was absolutely livid that they cut through his favourite pair of jeans. For many years after that, he clung to those blood-stained jeans until one day, they just disappeared 😉.

I first discovered Lusko’s writing when I saw Struik Christian Media advertising his latest book called Take Back Your Life, which I immediately ordered because the description felt like it had been written for me. There was no messing around – his 40-day interactive book helped me dig deep and find what was holding me back, and encouraged me to stand in my light and follow my God-given purpose. As soon as I claimed that, life started changing and I no longer felt weighed down by my anxiety and worries.

Swipe Right was equally groundbreaking and speaks to our generation; the generation of smartphones, constant swiping, liking, and engaging. Earlier this week, I watched a documentary about OnlyFans which explores the stories of several creatives on the platform and what they’re willing to do for money, and while I don’t feel like I necessarily live with my head in the sand, my mind was utterly blown. I kept wondering whether there is any dignity left? If we’re so willing to engage in casual sex just for views, have we grown completely numb to understanding and recognizing the power in having sex?

SEX. There, I said it.

I could bet my bottom dollar that I would never have found a book on my gran’s bookshelf that even hinted at the act of sex. I mean, still to this day – 2 children later – I can’t imagine saying those 3 little letters in front of them and why? I was raised by a mom who was all too comfortable to have those awkward conversations but my grandparents are “old-school” where it’s wrong and un-Christian-like to speak of such private matters, but then it got me thinking – if we’re not talking about it, are we to blame for our youth not seeing or recognizing the importance of protecting that part of ourselves?

I tend to be the person who says no to everything; I was the good girl at school, the head girl, an A+ student, and despite having a rough upbringing, I lived my life without drugs, smoking, alcohol, and sex. I would see those things around me, but I stayed clear because I was scared of the consequences. I was SO aware of them – I knew I had a long-term plan, I knew I wanted to get married, have children, and have a badass career, and after seeing the impact that revenge porn had on one of my peers in high school, I was all too aware that you never know what the future holds and how something so private, shared between two people can turn and be used against you if you aren’t careful about who you share that with. I also remember that when I realized that my teenage boyfriend had lost his virginity at 13-years old, I was shocked, heartbroken and pretty much ready to cut all ties. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Here we were, 15 or 16-years old, and he had already shared the most intimate parts of himself with someone else when I was very much not ready for that AT ALL.

But the problem was – NO ONE WAS TALKING ABOUT! No one was there guiding teenagers and young adults on this part of life because it made everyone else uncomfortable. And that’s why Swipe Right is crucial for our current culture and generation. It’s not that God doesn’t want you to enjoy yourself – this might come as a shock, but He wants you to have AMAZING sex! That’s right – you don’t have to feel bad about yourself because you enjoy sex! But sex is intimate, and shouldn’t be stripped of any emotional or spiritual significance.

Besides the most incredible book cover (seriously, I am in love with the artwork), what this book holds is thought-provoking conversations that need to be heard and shared. It’s an amazing read and definitely, one that I feel will continue to open this discussion further.

You can purchase your copy of Swipe Right from leading book stores including CUM Books. 

Megan Kelly Botha

I’m a coffee-wielding mood reader and romance book collector who may or may not have a slight addiction to buying books. I read a variety of sub-genres within romance, including rom-coms, dark romance, and fantasy. I love sharing my thoughts on books, whether it’s through book reviews, quotes, or recommendations inspired by my current reads. Through my romance book blog, Literary Inspired, I aim to provide in-depth book reviews, curated reading recommendations, and exclusive author promotions. I’m passionate about supporting indie authors and sharing my latest book discoveries with others. When I’m not reading, you can find me cheering on my favorite football team and F1 drivers, crafting, baking with my kids or playing with my pets.

literaryinspired.com/

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