Actually it felt like the author had taken me away for a weekend's chat. I loved it.
I know that I talk to myself a lot. Some of it good, some of it not. The book highlights lots of things we say to ourselves and gave good practical ideas on how to make that talk godly.
I'm fairly careful over the words I speak to others, but the book highlighted that I need to be just as careful about the words I speak to myself. She quoted Paul:
"Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone." Colossians 4:6 NLT
She pointed out that "Everyone" includes me. How often do I quietly shout the word idiot or you really stuffed that up to myself? I even say such things out aloud to myself, but in the hearing of my boys. Wow - I'd never say such things to other people, how could I do that to myself?
Jennifer includes seven chapters on topical issues. Like, "Calm Down", "Chill Out", "Look Back", "Look Up" and "Press On", teasing out the topics of peace, rest, remembering God's goodness, hope and perseverance.
All the while she's pointing her reader to her Lord. Tells us the way to improve our self-talk is to replace it with godly wisdom straight from the Bible. And she gives us heaps of verses and passages to ponder.
I thoroughly recommend this one to any one, really. It helped me to understand other people too, why they act the way they do (because of the way they are talking to themselves). And to be cautious when I believe one thing about myself and everyone else is telling me the opposite. This is a good time to review whether I'm telling myself lies or not.
4 comments:
Hey Wendy would you consider sending it to Cambodia? Sounds like something I should read. Of course no guarantees I'd actually get it, but the last couple of packages got through OK, and one even had books and a CD in it, and everything arrived.
Hey! I am going to be leading a Bible study group and wondered if you would recommend this book for that purpose. Does it lend itself to small group discussion? I found a preview of the book online, but it seemed to be a lot of fluff for the first chapter. Of course one wouldn't give the meat of the book in a free preview... I really wanted to use the book based on your review of it.
Katrina
Yes, I think it does lend itself to small group discussion. At the end of each chapter are "Soul-Talk Questions to Ponder". When I read it, I wished I'd had someone or some people to ponder the questions out aloud with (that's my personality - pondering out loud). Some chapters also have "Passages to Ponder". The last seven chapters are particularly based in Scripture. I think you could get some very good discussion out of it. If people were willing to be honest, you could forge some deeper relationships too!
Let me know how it goes. I'm excited that just me reading a book then putting up a book review could get someone in the US to use it for a Bible study and touch others! Also my friend in Cambodia - that it could help her too!
I tracked down my copy in the office today. Thanks so much Wendy. I have already managed to read through the first chapter and it is speaking to me right where I'm at. I'm looking forward to reading the rest, and am almost certain it's going to help me as I work through the issues I'm struggling with at the moment. Thanks heaps. K
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