The Basics

Title: Joyful Surrender: 7 Disciplines for the Believer’s Life

Genre: Christian Spiritual Growth

Length: 150 pages

Note: Previously published in 1982 and 2006 with the title Discipline.

From the Back Cover: In our age of instant gratification and if-it-feels-good-do-it attitudes, self-discipline is hardly a popular notion. Yet it may be one of the most important lost virtues of our time. In Joyful Surrender, former missionary and beloved author Elisabeth Elliot offers her understanding of discipline and its value for people of all times. She shows readers how to:

• discipline the mind, body, possessions, time, and feelings
• overcome anxiety
• change poor habits and attitudes
• trust God in times of trial and hardship
• let Christ have control in all areas of life

Elliot masterfully and gently takes readers through Scripture, personal stories, and incisive observations of the world around her to help them discover the understanding that our fulfillment as human beings depends on our answer to God’s call to obedience.

My Review

I have known about Elisabath Elliot’s for years, having read her book Through Gates of Splendor in school, but I had never read any of her other books. This one sounded interesting, and I know I always need more self-discipline in my life, so I decided to give it a try.

This book is written in a conversational style, and Elisabeth included lots of personal stories to illustrate what she was teaching. She also referenced and quoted a lot of Scripture while making her points, which I really appreciate. She didn’t include the Scripture references in the body of the book, but in the notes at the back – in case you’re looking for them like I was!

The first six chapters of the book set the stage by describing discipline as the disciple’s obedience and “the wholehearted yes to the call of God.” This introductory half also discusses living in the tension of His sovereignty and our free will. The rest of the book deals with discipline in seven specific areas of life. Each chapter is full of food for thought, encouragement, and spiritual principles. As long as you’re not looking for a step by step plan to become more disciplined, but rather the scriptural basis for why discipline is important, I think this book will be an encouragement you.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review. Thank you, Revell!

Rachel Hauck is one of my all-time favorite authors; I always pre-order her books, because I know I’ll love them! Today is the release day for her newest book, The Memory House. I’m excited to share a little about this book with you today!

The Basics

Title: The Memory House by Rachel Hauck

Genre: Christian Contemporary/Historical Romance

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: Embracing the future means remembering the past …

When Beck Holiday lost her father in the North Tower on 9/11, she also lost her memories of him. Eighteen years later, she’s a tough New York City cop burdened with a damaging secret, suspended for misconduct, and struggling to get her life in order. Meanwhile a mysterious letter arrives informing her she’s inherited a house along Florida’s northern coast, and what she discovers there will change her life forever. Matters of the heart only become more complicated when she runs into handsome Bruno Endicott, a driven sports agent who fondly recalls the connection they shared as teenagers. But Beck doesn’t remember that either.

Decades earlier, widow Everleigh Applegate lives a steady, uneventful life with her widowed mother after a tornado ripped through Waco, Texas, and destroyed her new, young married life. When she runs into old high school friend Don Callahan, she begins to yearn for change. Yet no matter how much she longs to love again, she is hindered by a secret she can never share.

Fifty years separate the women but through the power of love and miracle of faith, they each find healing in a beautiful Victorian known affectionately as The Memory House.  

My Thoughts

Rachel Hauck is a master of split-time stories, and The Memory House is no exception! She weaves both time periods, plots, and sets of characters together seamlessly. This book features Everleigh, a young widow living in Waco, TX in the 1950s and 60s, and Beck, an NYPD sergeant facing some difficult decisions in the present day. Their stories intertwined in multiple ways, as they both faced tragedies and had to find the courage to open their hearts to love again.

The characters in both the past and the present were very well developed, and neither storyline felt rushed but flowed naturally. I fell in love with Beck and Everleigh, as well as Bruno and Don. I was totally invested in their characters from beginning to end, and I had a hard time putting the book down – I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next!

Both Beck and Everleigh’s stories show how our pasts shape who we are, but that we don’t have to let loss, mistakes, or tragedies define us or dictate our future. Just as they both found healing through their memories at the Memory House, we can remember the good things about the past, but also have the courage to open our broken hearts again. This is a beautifully written, moving book, and well worth the time spent to savor it.

If you are a fan of Susan May Warren or Becky Wade, you will love this book, and all of Rachel Hauck’s previous books as well!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and author in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review. Thank you, Thomas Nelson and Rachel Hauck!