I’m sure you have met her -that woman who has been through adversity in her life, but instead of allowing circumstances to defeat her, she allowed the Lord to use the tough situation to change and refine her into a woman even closer to the heart of God. I have been reading a book which would define these special types of women as “Pearl Girls”. I have been so encouraged and inspired over the past several weeks as I have read a compilation of true, real life, short stories of exceptional women in this book of essays
“Pearl Girls - encountering grit, experiencing grace” compiled by Margaret McSweeney. “Pearl Girls” would be a perfect gift for any lady in your life - mother, grandmother, aunt, sister! There are a wide variety of topics addressed that would be relatable to common issues women face. Here’s an excerpt of the book summary:
“you’ll be inspired by their stories of forgiveness, enriched by their wisdom and insight, and changed by the confidence they have in our Savior. With each turn of the page, you’ll find renewed hope to believe “If God did that for her, I KNOW He can do it for me!”
A couple months ago, I was approached with the opportunity to be a part of a “Blog Tour” to review a recently published book, “Religion Saves: and 9 Other Misconceptions” by Mark Driscoll. I was thrilled! I have listened to Mark Dricoll’s sermons on podcast for about 2 years now..most often while I’m ”chained to my desk” while I’m editing photos :) So of course I jumped at the chance to read an early release of his latest book. You can read a little more about Mark Driscoll here..but in short, he is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, one of the fastest growing churches in America. He is known for his bold and sometimes “in your face” style of teaching, which I mostly love. I always come away from listening to his messages not only challenged and convicted, but refreshed and wanting more! Even more reason why I was thrilled to have his latest book in my hand!
“Religion Saves: and 9 Other Misconceptions” was birthed out of a sermon series where Pastor Mark set out to answer 9 of the most controversial questions regarding the Christian life. As I opened the book and saw the table of contents, previewing what questions were to be answered in the pages to come, I could not wait to get into the book! About 3 years ago I truly came to know the Lord for the first time in my life. I had been a frequent church attender, but Christ was not at all at the center of my life. Part of the growing process for me has been wrestling with some of these “frequently asked questions” that Mark addresses.
The nine issues that are addressed in this book are: birth control, humor, predestination, grace, sexual sin, faith and works, dating, the emerging church, and the regulative principle. So now for my review:
Overall, this book was an excellent read! The responses to the topics were extremely thorough and had extensive scriptural references to back up his position For me, this book will serve as an excellent reference to go back to in the future when someone asks why I believe what I believe about a particular issue.
Click here to purchase a copy of the book. If you are a Christian looking to get scriptually based responses on these “hot button” issues in the Church today, pick up a copy! I believe you will benefit from it now and for years to come 
