Pure Joy: 90 Devotions on the Book of James by Anita Higman // Celebrate Lit

About the Book

Book: Pure Joy: 90 Devotions on the Book of James

Author: Anita Higman

Genre: Christian Devotional Book

Release date: February 27, 2024

Pure Joy is a profound 90-day devotional that delves into finding joy through suffering amidst life’s challenges. In the Book of James, we’re challenged to embrace our trials with “pure joy,” understanding that they lead us to a point of lacking nothing. But how can we truly embody this spirit of joy in the midst of adversity? This daily devotional takes you on a transformative journey through James’ enigmatic teachings, encouraging you to discover the profound change that occurs when we accept Christ’s power in our anguish, confusion, discontent, and hardship.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 My Review: 

A wonderful collection of thought provoking devotions covering the book of James and selections from  Proverbs. 

Each chapter opens with a Scripture passage, often utilizing various translations and paraphrases, which is then followed up with a thoughtful devotion, and closes with a prayer. I loved the themes of finding joy in the midst of suffering, as well as the encouragement I found in the reminders that we are never alone. I was initially surprised by the sections on Proverbs, but I really enjoyed them and found them to be one of my favorite parts of the book. 

Overall, a well written and cohesive collection, it would make an excellent gift for a friend. I liked the strong relatability of each of the chapters, as well as how concise each of the chapters was. A good devotion to kick start your day, with a strong dose of truth and encouragement. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

 

About the Author

Anita Higman—an award-winning and bestselling author from Texas—has authored or coauthored fifty-plus books, and she has a BA in the combined fields of speech communication, psychology, and art. A few of Anita’s favorite things are fairytale castles, antiquing, exotic teas, gardening, and laughing with her family and friends! Her latest book, Pure Joy, is a collection of devotions inspired from the Book of James in the Bible.

 

 

 

More from Anita

Life is broken. We keep trying and trying—and trying—to make something worthwhile out of life, but no matter what we do on our own, it’s still a hopelessly shattered mess. When we allow Christ to love His way into our lives, we discover this miraculous thing called grace. He can take what is fractured by sin and refashion it into a magnificent work of art. And He gives us a new lightness of heart and a livelier step. Best of all, paradise has been regained! Yes, that is us—when we journey humbly with Him.

It has been said that some of James’ inspired writings have similarities to the Book of Proverbs. So, I am hopeful you will also enjoy—Pausing for Proverbs—the little inset devotions, which are enfolded into this work.

May these ninety devotions and your journey with James flood your life with hope, ripen your faith, and transform you into a woman who knows how to dance in God’s light and His wonderful ways of joy…

Blog Stops

Godly Book Reviews, November 8

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, November 8

Inspired by Fiction, November 9

Because I said so – adventures in parenting, November 9

Sylvan Reads, November 10

Faith, Fiction, & Fairytales, November 11

Labor Not in Vain, November 11

She Lives To Read, November 12

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, November 12

Girls in White Dresses, November 13

Its Mama Safe, November 14

Life on Chickadee Lane, November 14

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 15

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 15

Older & Smarter?, November 16

Texas Book-aholic, November 17

Mary Hake, November 17

Lights in a Dark World, November 18

Leslie’s Library Escape, November 18

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 19

All-of-a-kind Mom, November 19

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 20

Lots of Helpers, November 20

Cover Lover Book Review, November 21

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Anita is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and two copies of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5490

Recapturing the Glory of Christmas: A 25 Day Advent Devotional by R. Albert Mohler Jr.

My Review: 

If you want an advent devotional that reaches beyond the saccharine sweet, and instead points to the gloriously true reason for wonder during the Christmas season, then look no further than the newest devotional from R. Albert Mohler. 

25 devotionals leading up to December 25th, delve into our need, and God's resounding answer. A Biblically sound devotional, more sobering at times, but all the more glorious in magnifying the reason we celebrate God's fulfillment of His promise. Well written, and great for sharing with your family. I was greatly encouraged when reading this each day, and liked how it emphasized celebrating this wonder all year long. 

Overall, a well-done devotional that can be turned to year after year, and appropriate in every season. It would make an excellent gift, as well as family devotional. Highly recommend. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Wonder of Creation: 100 More Devotions About God and Science by Louie Giglio, Tama Fortner, illustrated by Nicola Anderson // Review and Giveaway

Well-known for his powerful messages about science and the Bible, Louie Giglio has a passion for inspiring kids to notice, enjoy, and be in awe of God's creation. In The Wonder of Creation, children will find new delight in God's creativity with 100 devotions that explore: Animals--from honeyguide birds to flying snakes to white rhinos Space--from black holes to volcanic moons to gamma-ray bursts People--from optical illusions to brain freezes to our immune systems Earth--from rainbow rivers to blue lava to flowing glaciers And much, much more! 

• With engaging illustrations and striking photography, this fun and informative book is ideal for children ages 6–10.
• Each of the 100 devotions features a scientific fact or an easy activity for exploring faith, a short Bible verse, and a closing prayer. 
• With a brightly embossed cover and a ribbon bookmark, The Wonder of Creation: Is ideal for science-loving kids, Bible-loving kids, and any child ready to go deeper in faith. 
• Continues a well-loved devotional series that has sold more than half a million copies. 
• Makes a great addition to a homeschool STEM curriculum or a bedtime reading routine. As kids dive into this awe-inspiring devotional, they'll be amazed at the many wonders God has made! 
• Download the free Parent Discussion Guide HERE 

The Wonder of Creation available now! https://www.indescribablekids.com/

My Review:

A delightful devotional for children that explores the wonders in the world that God made. 

Containing 100 devotionals, each one starts with a Scripture and a feature of a unique animal or phenomena, closing with a word of encouragement, fun fact and prayer. I enjoyed learning fun facts from a Christian perspective worshipping God for his magnificent creation, in a way geared to young children and stoking their curiosity. This is would be a great book to read together with the young person in your life, making a great gift as well. 

I loved how this book affirms how God created the world and each of us, and this book has great potential to spark curiosity in growing minds. Accompanied by fun an fitting illustrations, this book is very well done and would be a great addition to a homeschool curriculum. A wonder inspiring reminder of how great our Creator is!  

#WonderOfCreationMIN #thewonderofcreation

#MomentumInfluencerNetwork

 Many thanks to HarperCollins Christian Publishing for providing this product/product information for review. Opinions are 100% my own. 

Giveaway

1 physical copy of The Wonder of Creation use the rafflecopter below:

Note: This giveaway is limited to the US only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Picturing Heaven: 40 Hope Filled Devotions with Coloring Pages by Randy Alcorn and illustrated by Lizzie Preston ~ Review

My Review:

Filled with beautiful illustrations accompanied by excerpts from Randy Alcorn's 50 Days of Heaven, this new coloring book in full of wonder, comfort, and longing for eternity.

This book is beautiful with gold foiling on the cover, and gold coloring that enhances the intricate and splendid drawings that bring to life what this artist sees when she reads Mr. Alcorn's devotions. Each devotion is accompanied by a scripture that talks about heaven. I think one of my favorite things about this book is that even after you are done coloring every page, it will be even more beautiful and you can revisit the devotions and the artwork over and over again. It is very obvious that this book was put together with longevity in mind and not to just color and forget about.

Overall, a stunning book that would make a terrific gift for someone who has been pondering heaven, or who needs some comfort or reassurance. I personally am always in awestruck wonder when I think about heaven and the wonders of the Saviour's glory. A beautiful book that would make a great gift!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

31 Proverbs to Light Your Path by Liz Curtis Higgs ~ Review

My Review:

Liz Curtis Higgs shares stories, insights, and lessons from 31 selections from Proverbs, in a devotional style that takes less than 5 minutes to read per chapter.

 Based around 31 favorite verses from Proverbs, each chapter looks at the verse through the lens of multiple translations, often with Mrs. Higgs sharing story from her own life as well, ending with a prayer, and a challenge.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and it was not uncommon for me to sit and read 5 or 6 chapters at a time. I liked how Mrs. Higgs shared her stories, and implores her readers to seek wisdom, in a way that is comfortable and conversational, but also challenging. She speaks as a friend, a mentor, honestly and from the heart, sharing stories from her own journey in wisdom.

This is a wonderful book well worth the read, whether devoured quickly or read a chapter a day, it would be the perfect gift for a friend who needs encouragement or a word of wisdom. I really enjoyed the concise chapters, and I felt encouraged to dig deeper into Proverbs. Highly recommend this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

Taste and See: Savoring the Supremacy of God in All of Life by John Piper ~ Review

My Review:

In the past I'd read a few concise reads by John Piper, so I was excited to read this book of 120 meditations. It didn't disappoint, each reading is about 2-3 pages long, Mr. Piper takes examples from his own life, our current culture, and more, connecting them to scripture to tackle tough topics, and subject matters concisely and with God's word.

I was impressed by how wonderfully Mr. Piper pulled this book together so thoroughly covering more in 2-3 pages on tough teachings like sanctification, truth, our identity as Christians, God's wrath, our adoption and inheritance, and so much more, than I ever would have thought possible. Very well written, and great to read with morning devotions, as often it gave me something to think upon for the remainder of the day, with wonderful nuggets that I couldn't help but share with others.

I loved how diverse the subject matters are. yet each chapter is firmly rooted in sound Christian teaching of scripture taken within context.

Overall, I cannot recommend this book enough, I have recommended it to many friends already--especially people who are already fans of John Piper--and I think it would make a terrific gift! Well written, concise, powerful, thought-provoking, with sound in context teaching, highly recommend!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

Cats are Part of His Kingdom Too by Cindy Vincent ~ Blog Tour & Review

My Review:

Ms. Vincent shares from her heart stories about her family, how she came to have many of her lovely cats as well as stories to inspire and give insight.

This book is styled as a devotional, with a short story, bible verse and words of encouragement, that won't take more than five minutes to read.

This book can be read day-by-day or all at once. I chose to read it all at once!

Overall, a sweet read, full of heart warming stories great for the cat lovers in your life!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

About the Book:

As Christians, sometimes it’s hard for us to comprehend the love our Heavenly Father has for us,
His Earthly children. Author Cindy Vincent began to realize the depth of His love after caring
for several rescued cats and then bringing them into her home. That’s when she began to notice
the parallels between her relationship with these precious felines and God’s relationship with us.
After all, as a pet Mom, she works in so many behind-the-scenes ways to make life wonderful
for her little feline family, much like God works behind the scenes to make life wonderful for
us. Yet much like her cats have no comprehension of all that she does for them, we have no
comprehension of all that God does for us.
Before long, she began to see lots of parallels, and decided to put these down in the form of

Daily Devotions, to demonstrate just how very much God loves us.

About the Author

Cindy Vincent was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and has lived all around the US and
Canada. She is the creator of the Mysteries by Vincent murder mystery party games and the
Daisy Diamond Detective Series games for girls. She is also the award-winning author of the
Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Caper books, and the Daisy Diamond Detective book series.
She lives with her husband and an assortment of fantastic felines. You can learn more about the
Buckley and Bogey books at www.buckleyandbogey.com.

***

Free eBook Promotion
Cats Are Part of His Kingdom, Too will be free for Kindle May 2-6!

Purchase the Kindle ebook on Amazon

Purchase the paperback on Amazon

Purchase the paperback on Barnes & Noble

Add the book on Goodreads

***

Giveaway 

Help us spread the word about Cindy's sweet devotional book for a chance to win a Swarovski
cross necklace or a set of the Buckley & Bogey Cat Detective Capers! To enter, read Cats Are
Part of His Kingdom, Too: 33 Daily Devotions to Show God's Love (you can pick up a FREE
Kindle copy HERE May 2-6!); write an honest review; submit your review to Amazon, Barnes & 
Noble, and/or Goodreads; and let us know you did so by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.
The giveaway will be open for entries throughout the whole month of May, so you have plenty
of time to read this short and encouraging book and review it. :) If you have any questions,
please email the publicist (Amber) at amberstokes@editingthroughtheseasons.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Letting Go

Letting go of things that we love is part of life. Sometimes it's a person, sometimes it's something that is a huge part of our lives, or pretty much anything else that means something to us, that we are called to give up. But God is faithful, and He will see us through. It's painful, and at times it feels as if we can't go on.

I'm not a believer of the saying, "All good things must come to an end." Why? Because God's love is never ending! But earthly things can be deceptive, and what we think is best may be nothing compared to what God has in store for us. He will carry us through. Letting something or someone you love go hurts, and that's OK. God doesn't promise that it won't be painful. But he does promise that He will be there, for us to lean on. And that what He has in store is for the best.

Endure hardship as discipline. God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? -- Hebrews 12:7 (NIV 1984)



No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. --Hebrews 12:11 (NIV 1984)

Letting go is never easy. But sometimes it's a part of life, and God may be letting these things be taken away to strengthen our faith in Him. I know that through the recent ordeal I have struggled with, my faith has really grown. It hurt. It was painful. But even now, though it's far from over, I can see that even though I was forced to give up something I love I know that it was for the best.

P.S. Do not fear! This is not about blogging, I will continue to blog, and possibly be blogging more than ever!