When I thumbed through all the options of books to choose to review for Blogging for Books, I had a hard time picking on out, but this book, Spoken For, kept drawing me back. In my mind the concept, "Embracing who you are and Whose you are," seemed simple but the truth proves profound, and that's exactly what I felt was so wonderfully expressed by the authors Robin Jones Gunn (author of the Christian novels in the Christy Miller Series) and Alyssa Joy Bethke (new mama, author and wife of Jefferson Bethke, hip young author, evangelist and "YouTube preacher" - you may have seen his viral video sensation "Why I hate religion but leave Jesus.")
I drug the reading of this book out for several weeks, most of the chapters were read sitting on the on the edge of the ocean with my toes dug deep in the sand and with the beauty of the Pacific Ocean peeking over the top of the book. It was the perfect place for me to soak in the simple but profound truths filling this book. It wasn't that it was difficult to read but I just wanted to take my time and really soak it in.
One of my favorite things in the world is a good women's retreat, and that's what the 182 pages between the covers of this book felt like to me. I love a retreat where you are given solid teaching and then wander back to a big room with lots of couches filled with women pondering what they have heard and how it has or could apply to their own lives. As I opened the book, Spoken For, I felt like I was sitting on a comfy couch between Robin and Alyssa with my feet tucked up under me as they shared stories from their own lives about how God had proven Himself to be true to the promises and declarations in His word. They took me into the truth of their own experiences and I was touched by their faith, and it made the scriptural truths they shared more tangible and real.
Although I read this book on my own, I think this book would be an excellent resource for a women's study group - whether it was a few friends going through it together or an entire women's ministry study. It's the kind of book that is simple enough for even a new or young believer but also holds nuggets and powerful reminders even for a woman like me who has walked with the Lord for decades. Although I didn't take advantage of them going through the book alone, it has a great section at the end of each chapter titled "What Do You Think?" that is filled with thought provoking questions that would make it great to go deeper into the topic or foster excellent discussions in a small group setting.
Whether it's 5 out of 5 stars or two thumbs up, I would say this book is absolutely worth the investment.
If you aren't ready to take my word for it, read the first chapter for yourself by clicking here.
When you see I'm right, you can buy the book by clicking here.
You can also hear from author, Alyssa Joy Bethke, for yourself in the video below:
I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.
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