Book Review: The Audacious Molly Bruno~Amazing Stories from the Life of a Powerful Woman of Prayer by Marie Armenia

Molly's "Life Lesson List" has the
ability to change your life!

PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

THE AUDACIOUS MOLLY BRUNO, written by her daughter MARIE ARMENIA, is a holy and hilarious mentoring resource for women who desperately long for wisdom from a Godly mother-someone who is a living example of practical experience and steadfast faith. It is also a wakeup call for older women of faith, encouraging them to embrace the calling of Titus 2:3-5 to mentor younger women about what's truly important in life.

"When I think of my mother's prayers," author Marie writes, "I remember the prayer she prayed every morning without fail, 'Lord, please send someone my way today that I can tell about you.' Everyone (and I mean everyone) who met Molly Bruno fell in love with her. This includes the Kendrick Brothers, who wrote and directed the film War Room. During filming of the movie, they met Molly, calling her the modern-day Ms. Clara of War Room. She inspired them, just like she inspired everyone around her. When she prayed, she got answers.

Molly lived a lifetime of believing she could boldly approach the very throne of God 'with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.' My mother didn't teach me how to pray any more than she taught me how to breathe. I saw her pray REAL prayers, using REAL words addressed to a REAL God. I learned by observing my mother's prayer life that the last thing on earth that should be edited is a prayer. Shameless audacity. Those words remind me of my mother's approach to prayer. She had no fear of God's displeasure or that He might scold her for asking for impossible things. She had no need to edit her heart to the One she loved. She knew He knew her heart. Having settled this between herself and God, she asked. And asked again. And got incredible answers time and time again."

My Personal Review

The Audacious Molly Bruno by Marie Armenia is a beautifully written book that will encourage your heart and fuel your faith! Marie Armenia (daughter of Molly Bruno) shares her story of growing up in a home where prayer was at the heart of everything. Watching her mother carry all burdens to the Lord in prayer served to teach Marie that she could trust in a loving Father for all of her needs as well.

My take-away from this relaxing and recharging read was threefold. First, it is extremely well organized, as the author tells you what she is going to say, says it by thoughtfully breaking down the chapters in a sequential and easy to follow format, and then winds it all up with a simple list of "Molly's Life Lessons" to remind us what we just read. This methodical journey allows the reader a higher level of retention and thereby increases our level of potential application. I love this, because so many times I come away from a book thinking how great it was, but when I actually try to sum it up, I stumble because it was not presented in a systematic way. 

Secondly, I am taking away a sense of feeling loved and accepted by Christ. After reading these sometimes humorous and always authentic stories about Molly's adoration and commitment to the Lord, I feel inspired that Jesus is truly wanting my devotion! I have a greater appreciation for just how much God desires for us to have Him at the center of our life. After reading her stories, I get a sense of His longing for us to come to Him in prayer for everything!

Finally, this book solidified the importance of a mother's role in her children's lives. Marie communicated so clearly how her mother lead by example; Molly lived out what she believed. This genuine spirit of honesty and openness is what allowed Marie to know Christ in an intimate way. Watching her mother witness to others and pray with and for them is what drew Marie to the foot of the cross. This is so empowering to hear as a mother. I think sometimes we diminish our impact on our children's lives. This book certainly creates a clear picture of the responsibility that we have as parents to model what we want our kids to live!

Thank you to FaithWords Publishing for this review copy of The Audacious Molly Bruno by Marie Armenia. I was not required to give a positive review, but simply to read this work and give my honest assessment.

Book Review: Helicopter Mom: Stop hovering over your children and lift! by Bethany L. Douglas

So I answered, “I’m coming. I read in your letter what you wrote about me, And I’m coming to the party you’re throwing for me.” That’s when God’s Word entered my life, became part of my very being.Psalm 40:8 MSG

PUBLISHERS DESCRIPTION

This book teaches you how to lift
and live in fierce freedom
through application of the
Word of God! 

I’ve seen things, bad things. Things that make mother’s grip their children tighter and awaken with nightmares in their beds. I know fear- at 3000 feet and going 150mph- I stand in its face and say “no!” I’ve learned to take fear by the horns and wrestle it to the ground; will you join me and learn how to as well? We’ve all heard the term ‘helicopter mom’- parents who ‘hover’ over their children in an attempt to keep them happy, safe, healthy, and alive. They hover because they fear. Helicopter Mom directly addresses the real life terror that all parents face with fearing for their children. Specifically designed for mothers, it gives a Christian, Biblical perspective on how to overcome these fears from the unique point of view of a helicopter flight nurse and mom who has vast experience in ‘hovering’. It takes lessons learned over my years as a flight nurse and puts them into practical, every day, Christian applications. There are anecdotes, stories, aviation information, and more that all knit together to bring about Biblical lessons and encouragement that all parents can easily relate to. Each chapter takes helicopter and EMS/nursing stories and knits them into an ongoing narrative that slowly paints a full picture of how to overcome fear. It is a sassy, funny, in-your-face, yet spiritually grounded journey that will have people laughing and learning spiritual truths all at the same time. This is a totally different approach to ‘self-help’ books, strap in and get ready to lift!

MY PERSONAL REVIEW

Helicopter Mom by Bethany L. Douglas is a must read for anyone experiencing fear in their life. This book speaks to the weakness all mother's inherently have, regardless of their background, which is the tendency to give into fear for the lives of their children. The author specifically addresses the "what if'" notions that have an inclination to plague us as mothers, however, everything in the book can be seamlessly applied to any anxiety situation presenting itself in one's life. If you are a parent, you owe it to yourself to read the nuggets of truth that are found in the Word of God that Douglas illuminates in this book. If you battle worry in any form, this book is for you as well.

Helicopter Mom is a unique work that delivers a powerful punch to the fear that is affecting many of us in epidemic proportion today. Because the author is a Mom of three children, including one with special needs, her resume is sound. In addition to being a mother herself, she is also a flight nurse, so she sees life and death situations on a regular basis. The extremely frightening experiences Douglas faces during her nursing job serve as a segue into the nightmare scenarios we conjure up about our kids. 

With literary talent and seemingly effortless transition, Douglas brings the reader to a place of  profound understanding of the terror that might be the driving force behind hovering and controlling parental moves. Somehow, despite the weightiness of the subject matter, the author interjects humor at points that literally had me laughing out loud. Helicopter Mom also encourages a reflective spirit and Biblical study as the book helps to uncover the hidden issues that may lie within the reader. A foundational message presented throughout the book is the reminder that God is sovereign and because of this single fact, we can let go of our fears and place them in the hands of the Lord.

My takeaway after reading Helicopter Mom by Bethany Douglas is extensive. I'll try to be brief, but there is so much goodness in this one, that it's going to be hard for me to sum up. I'll do my best. First, I have to mention the cover, because it is beautiful and has a colorful artistic flare that cannot be missed. Next, I believe this book will resonate within the depths of your heart as the sincerity from the author is palpable. The candor within the pages creates an ability to be honest with yourself about struggles that are warring within you. Third, this book begs to be revisited frequently and would make an excellent choice for a Women's Bible study. Finally, Helicopter Mom reminds us that our ultimate pilot is Christ, so we mustn't panic on the journey, but rather we should apply the word of God to every fearful situation. The intentional action of scripture application in the midst of fear will shift our perspective to the strong arms of God and allow us to LIFT (Living~Intentionally~Fearlessly~Truthfully) above the fear. Excellent read!

Book Review: Diary of a Cavewoman by KyAnne Weaver

This book is an extraordinary read!  Every woman, mother, and wife will benefit from reading this text.  (Husbands too, for that matter!)

Diary of a Cavewoman by KyAnne Weaver, took me from laughing out loud (literally) to a deeply contemplative frame of mind in the course of a few page turns.  KyAnne’s ability to be candid about her experiences as a mother of three boys and the wife of a pastor serve both to encourage and challenge the reader.  She draws from a deep well of scripture that is obviously as much a part of her life as the breath that she breathes. 

Her stories of doing life in “the cave” are nothing short of hilarious, but the Godly wisdom to be gleaned from her life accounts as she takes you to the Word of God are refreshing and immeasurable. This book needs to be on your “must read” list for 2011!  I’m hoping that this will be the first of many books by this author.