{ Blogtober 2026 - Day 21 - This Wasn't the Plan by Kenz Durham }

About This Wasn’t the Plan: How to Surrender Your Stuck and Set Your Soul in Motion

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication date: October 6, 2026

Have you ever looked at your life and thought, I thought my life would look better than this by now. This book is for the woman who feels stuck—in her career, relationships, emotions, or calling. It’s a guidebook for the one who feels like she’s just enduring rather than embracing life to start moving toward the life you really want.

If you’ve ever felt lost between the dreams you had freshly post-grad and the reality you’re living now, you are not alone. Mac Bridges and Kenz Durham get it. They’ve been in your shoes and walked through their own journeys with chronic illness, unanswered longings, and prayers that never seem to be answered in the miraculous way they’d envisioned. But in the midst of those seasons, they’ve also seen transformation.

It begins with a question: What if God is getting you ready? What could He be preparing in you and for you in this season? Readers are invited to imagine the great plans God is setting in motion for them, even when everything around them seems stuck in place. Through quizzes and powerful reflection questions, readers will name the areas in which they feel stuck, identify the root of those feelings, and get honest about the ways those feelings are manifested in their everyday lives.

But Mac and Kenz don’t leave readers there. Using the scaffolding of Jesus’ instructions to “ask, seek, and knock,” they challenge the reader to:

• pray without having an answer in mind;
• seek out clues about what God is up to;
• take bold but faith-filled risks that unlock transformation; and
• believe that your stuck place isn’t your final destination.

It’s time to stop waiting on the sidelines and start moving with God, trusting that He is inviting you to take the next steps into a story where every detail matters.

About the Authors

MacKenzie “Mac” Bridges is the passionate co-founder behind Delight Ministries, an organization that provides Christ-centered community for college women at 200+ universities across the United States. As co-host of the “For The Girl” podcast, Mac, alongside her best friend Kenz, brings warmth, wisdom, and big sister advice to women in their 20s seeking to follow Jesus. She’s also the author of several beloved Bible studies, including “In My Feels” and “The Wild Invitation.”

Mac currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, Tyler, and their daughter Myla. Outside of ministry, Mac is a proud connoisseur of chain restaurants, pickleball, and home decor. She’s never left a TJ Maxx without a knickknack in hand.

Mackenzie “Kenz” Durham is the passionate founder behind Delight Ministries, an organization that provides Christ-centered community for college women at 200+ universities across the United States. As co-host of the “For The Girl” podcast, Kenz, alongside her best friend Mac, brings warmth, wisdom, and big sister advice to women in their 20s seeking to follow Jesus. She’s also the author of several beloved Bible studies, including “In My Feels” and “The Wild Invitation“

Kenz currently lives in Vero Beach, Florida, with her husband, Josh, and their two kids. Outside of ministry, Kenz is health guru, self proclaimed baker, and lover of the sun! Catch her on the beach soaking up the sun 80% of her days!

 

{ The Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving by Wendy Speake - TLC Book Tour }

 

About A Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving: 30 Days of Rejoicing in God’s Goodness

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication date: September 1, 2026

When life is bright and blessings abound, are you quick to feel grateful and lift a song of thanks to God? What about the seasons when heartache and hopelessness overwhelm, and deep soul-sadness threatens? When life feels awful, do you find it awfully hard to persevere in praise and rejoice in God’s goodness? Discover strength and renewal in times when praise feels more like a sacrifice than a natural overflow of the heart.

God’s Word is clear: we are to bless Him at all times! But it can be difficult when we don’t feel blessed—or are simply distracted by all of our blessings. A Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving will help readers:

• Come honestly to the Lord regardless of life’s circumstances.
• Witness the power of praise to break through spiritual barriers.
• Rejoice in trials, knowing that they produce endurance, character, and hope.
• Maintain a steadfast heart of worship when life feels unsteady.
• Thank God for His character, even when we don’t understand His ways.

In the first half of this uplifting 30-day devotional, you will explore the profound gift that praising and thanking God is to you! Then, as you progress, you will shift your focus from those personal benefits to the One who is simply worthy of your worship.

Wendy Speake, bestselling author of The 40-Day Sugar Fast and The 40-Day Social Media Fast, invites you to consider “fasting from asking” along this journey. Yes, that’s right: For 30 days you’ll turn your petitions into praise as you lift your eyes from yourself and your circumstances to the praiseworthy and thankworthy One! This 30-day “ask fast” will teach you to give God your praise and thanks at all times, every day, even when it feels like a sacrificial offering.

About the Author

Whether on the stage or on the page, Wendy Speake ministers to women’s hearts through storytelling and biblical life application. With a background in Hollywood as a trained actress, she couples the power of God’s Word with personal testimony. Known for the uncanny way she meets women in their most common struggles, from sugar-addiction and mommy-anger to deep soul-sadness, Wendy uses every opportunity to point readers to the transforming power of God’s Word and the faithful nearness of His Holy Spirit.

Wendy is the author of multiple books, including The 40-Day Sugar Fast, The 40-Day Social Media Fast, and The 40-Day Feast. She’s also coauthor of the popular parenting books Triggers, Parenting Scripts, and Life Creative.

Though originally a California girl, Wendy now lives in the great state of Texas. When she isn’t ministering to others, Wendy enjoys gardening, taking walks in her neighborhood, and fixing meals for family and friends.

My Thoughts:

 

I have really enjoyed reading through this devotional daily.  I can't give a full review because I'm not yet completely done with it, but I have been following each daily prompt.

 

The premise of the devotional is one that I never thought of before.  Appearing before God with just Thanksgiving and not asking for anything.  He knows our heart and knows what we need, and sometimes it's ok to not ask for anything but merely praise Him and thank Him.

 

Really love this idea! 

 

 

Thank you to TLC Book tours and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a review copy. 

{ The Heart of the Maker by Jake Weidman - TLC Book Tour }

 About The Heart of the Maker: How to Put Your Passion to Work

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication date: September 1, 2026

Unlock the transformation of your passion with the keys of purpose-driven work in The Heart of the Maker. Whether you’re an artist or entrepreneur, writer, weekend warrior or looking for a way to activate your calling, this book serves as a blueprint for turning creativity into meaningful action.

With hard-won lessons and a deep connection to the spiritual roots of creativity, this maker’s guide equips you with the tools to face uncertainty and emerge confidently into your creative calling.

Jake Weidmann, renowned self-taught artist and the youngest Master Penman in the world, wants to show you how to:

• balance the sacred and the sellable in the business of soulful creation;
• embrace your gift in less-than-ideal times and spaces for your making;
• grow your skill while balancing the books, working with your spouse, dealing with stress, and fighting burnout;
• discover the importance of faith, family, and relationships as the foundation for great art and a meaningful life;
• grow closer to God by connecting with the spiritual roots of creativity;
• see your challenges as a way to stretch your ingenuity; and
• overcome self-doubt by trusting in God’s plan and stepping boldly into your unique creative purpose.

But this is more than a guide—it’s a call to action for anyone ready to leave behind the ordinary and make a lasting impact in their work and their life. With The Heart of the Maker, readers will learn how to view their creativity not just as a skill but as a gift, meant to be cultivated and shared to glorify God and bless others.

About the Author

Jake Weidmann – Jake is a professional artist and certified as one of nine Master Penmen in the world. Jake was certified through IAMPETH (International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers, and Teachers of Handwriting) in July 2011. He holds the title as the youngest Master Penman by three decades and the youngest to ever attain the title. His journey into calligraphy has been the “special sauce” for everything he now creates, incorporating the traditional calligraphic flourishing into his fine art. Jake is self-taught in each of his disciplines (calligraphy, painting, drawing, woodworking, and engraving). While he typically works with private clients, Jake has worked with Apple, Inc., Crossway Books, and Biola University, and has spoken from countless stages including TEDx and Q, and was featured on the PBS series, A Craftsman’s Legacy.

 

My Thoughts:

If you've ever wondered what your purpose is in life, and why God gave you a specific talent, this book touches on that and attempts to put into words, what to do with your gifts, and how to use them to glorify God.

 

I won't say I particularly enjoyed the book, and to be honest, it's not because there is something wrong with book itself, it is my own issue with certain books or how they are written.

 

I am not one to enjoy self help books or how to's, it's just never been a genre I particularly enjoy or grab to read.

 

But putting that aside, it was a very well written book, littered with faith very well organized.  I will probably come back to it in the future some time, because I would love to hone into my God given talents and learn to use them for His glory.

 

 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a review copy.  

{ Shattered by Dr. David Jeremiah - TLC Book Tour }

 Shattered (The Vanished Series)

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication date: June 16, 2026

Print length: 368 pages

The Vanished series continues with Shattered: In a turbulent world reshaped by the Rapture, ancient prophecies stir as the ominous Antichrist rises.

In a world turned upside down by the cataclysmic events of the Rapture, the unraveling of divine prophecies stirs chaos and uncertainty. Saul Katz, a gifted scientist, finds his life irrevocably changed as he joins the 144,000 chosen evangelists.

In the shadows of Istanbul, John Haggerty embarks on his own perilous journey, driven by vengeance. He holds Matthias Vilks, the ominous face of the Antichrist, accountable for the collapse of America and his own heart-wrenching loss. But between the dangerous lures of power and the call to resist the satanic forces gathering, Haggs finds his choices shadowed by peril.

As darkness gathers and prophecy, betrayal, and redemption intertwine, faith and courage are the world’s final bastions of hope against impending doom.

About the Author

Dr. David Jeremiah is the founder of Turning Point Ministries, an international ministry committed to providing Christians with sound Bible teaching through radio and television, the internet, live events, and resource materials and books. He is the author of more than fifty books, including The Book of Signs, The Great Disappearance, Where Do We Go from Here? And The Promise of Heaven.

Dr. Jeremiah serves as the senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, California. He and his wife, Donna, have four children and twelve grandchildren.

 

{ Fearfully and Wonderfully Broken by Sydney Anne Bennet - TLC Book Tour }

 

About Fearfully and Wonderfully Broken: Fighting for Faith When You’re Falling Apart

• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (April 28, 2026)
• Paperback: 240 pages

Are you battling chronic struggles—whether physical, mental, emotional, relational, or social? Are they eating away at your faith? Sydney Anne Bennett has been there.

She knows what it is to live in a body that is unraveling, a world that doesn’t understand, and a church that doesn’t always know what to say. With compassion, wit, and quiet strength, Sydney invites you to remember that some of life’s fiercest battles are fought flat on your back—and not one of them is wasted.

In Fearfully and Wonderfully Broken, Sydney shares her story of becoming disabled just two weeks after her honeymoon and learning to live with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND)—a condition that disrupts the brain’s ability to send correct signals to the body, resulting in daily seizures, mobility loss, and chronic pain.

Learning to live with this disability, as well as the loss and pain that comes with it, has been one of her greatest struggles as well as the way in which God is building her strength. But Sydney doesn’t just talk about disability—she lives with it, coaches on it, and laughs through it, inviting her readers to join her journey. Fearfully and Wonderfully Broken aims to:

• discover practical strategies for coping with chronic struggles and limitations;
• make peace with questions and embrace the daily fight for faith;
• uncover strength in weakness and dignity in dependence; and
• receive heartfelt hope and encouragement to keep going—even when healing doesn’t come.

Sydney will be your unafraid guide through whatever valley you are walking through, normalizing doubt and the daily fight for faith, and recognizing the presence of God there.

About the author

Sydney Anne Bennett is a writer, disability advocate, and speaker who helps people struggling with chronic illness and pain find confidence and hope again—while pointing them to Jesus.

Two weeks after her honeymoon, Sydney became disabled and was later diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), a condition that disrupts the brain’s ability to send correct signals to the body. She experiences daily seizures, chronic pain, and mobility loss—and often uses a wheelchair.

In 2022, Sydney began sharing her story on Instagram as a way of processing grief, faith, and the strange in-between of being both young and disabled. Today, she encourages a global audience of over 300,000 people with honesty, humor, and hope that leans hard on Jesus.

She lives in Idaho with her husband, Colton, their daughter, Hadassah, and are joyfully awaiting the arrival of their second child in fall 2025.

 

 

My thoughts:

I have been on a faith filled journey.  As close as I believe I am to God, it never seems enough, and there is a constant daily battle against my mind.  Against the fears, the worries, the anxieties.  It's a never ending cycle that becomes quite exhausting after a while.

 

In my attempt to get closer to God and to shift my way of thinking, I have been reading a lot of Christian non fiction this year.  When I had the opportunity to receive a copy of Fearfully and Wonderfully Broken, I immediately said yes.  Not because I can relate to Sydney's personal health struggles, but as a Christian woman, I can certainly relate to the health anxiety and fears that seems to strike us all.

 

I love that Sydney wrote this book not only to share her personal struggles, but also at the same time encouraging and pointing us towards the one that can help through it all.  Jesus.

 

She writes in a way that feels like a conversation on paper, rather than a clinical medical report.  It made it easy to quickly read through it.

 

What do we do when we seek healing for ourselves or a family member, or friend, and it seems the healing never comes?  

How do we have faith through these situations and daily struggles?

 

Sydney uses her own tools to manage her disability, to help us learn ways to deal with life and those difficult moments.

 

Wonderfully told by an incredibly strong and courageous woman.

 

 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Thomas Nelson, for providing me with a copy. 

 

 

     

 

 

 

{ God Won't Leave You There - TLC Book Tour }

 

God Won’t Leave You There
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication date: March 31, 2026
Print length: 256 pages

God Won’t Leave You There: Joseph’s Story, an incredible testimony of jaw-dropping faith and patient perseverance in the face of devastating trials, will leave you in awe at what God can do in and through one person. It’s a powerful reminder that wherever you find yourself, God is at work putting the pieces of your life together to bring about His sovereign plan.

Through the lens of Joseph’s remarkable journey, Anne Graham Lotz and Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright reveal how one man’s life was turned upside down and set on a path he would have never chosen himself but one that would lead to God’s ultimate purpose for his life.

With Scripture, personal stories of hardship, and the unshakable hope found in God’s promises, this book offers encouragement for anyone facing life’s deepest struggles or just needing reassurance that God is in the details. Through Joseph’s story, we are reminded of these profound truths about God:

He is with you.
He is guiding you.
He will bring you through.
Whether you’re navigating betrayal, seeking purpose, or longing for reconciliation, Joseph’s story offers hope and wisdom for today. Discover how God can use even the most broken circumstances to bring about His perfect plan. No matter how desperate you feel, you can rest in the God who is trustworthy, knowing He won’t leave you there!

About the Authors

Called “the best preacher in the family” by her late father, Billy Graham, Anne Graham Lotz speaks around the globe with the wisdom and authority of years spent studying God’s Word.

The New York Times named Anne one of the five most influential evangelists of her generation. Her Just Give Me Jesus revivals have been held in more than thirty cities in twelve different countries, to hundreds of thousands of attendees.

Anne is a bestselling and award-winning author of twenty-one books. She is the President of AnGeL Ministries in Raleigh, North Carolina, and previously served as Chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force.

Whether contributing opinion pieces to a national newspaper or a groundbreaking speaker on platforms throughout the world, Anne’s aim is clear – to bring revival to the hearts of God’s people. And her message is consistent – calling people into a personal relationship with God through His Word.

Rachel-Ruth Wright is the daughter of Anne Graham Lotz and granddaughter of Billy Graham. She is married to Steven Wright and has three daughters and one son-in-law. Rachel-Ruth is Vice President of AnGeL Ministries and has shared God’s Word as a speaker around the world. She teaches an online Bible study that reaches over 137 different countries with thousands of registered attendees. Rachel-Ruth and her mother, Anne Graham Lotz, have coauthored two books: Jesus Followers and Preparing to Meet Jesus. 

 

 

My thoughts:

 

This was by far one of the best non-fiction Christian books, I have ever read.  I am usually not a non-fiction fan but have really been enjoying them lately, however, this particular book is probably my favorite of the year.  

 

The way the authors relate and retell Joseph's story, while connecting it to our days and the things that we go through as Christians, is just brilliant.

 

I am not yet done with it, but I did highlight a few quotes that stood out to me, and I would like to share them with you, and encourage you to get this book, it will bless you.

 

Where has God placed you? Has it become intolerable or unbearable?  Could God be getting ready to move you?  Have you wondered why God placed you in a dysfunctional family? Or in a war-torn country? All His placements have purpose.  He is incredibly strategic, down to the smallest detail.  he has promised "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  That was true for Joseph, and it's also true for you.

 

You can trust God has positioned you in your life.

 

God speaks to us, but we have to be listening.

 

He often leads us on a path of difficulty for a greater purpose.

 

And these are just from the first 11 pages.  I mean, incredible, thought provoking and jarring.  I can not wait to get through the whole book.

 

 

 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a copy of this book. 

{ Nero and Paul - TLC Book Tour }

 

 

About Nero & Paul: How the Gospel of Grace Defeated the Ruler of Rome (Ancient Evil, Living Hope)
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication date: March 10, 2026
Print length: 240 pages

Does gaining power, possessions, and popularity lead to happiness and fulfillment? Or does inner transformation and self-sacrificial love bring the most joy and satisfaction? New York Times bestselling author Kathie Lee Gifford and scholar Bryan Litfin dive into these questions by bringing the stories of Nero and Paul to life in this creative nonfiction tale and identifying how these moral questions can be applied to modern Christian life.

Centuries ago, against the backdrop of Roman domination and decadence, a rabbi-turned-evangelist challenged the ideology of an immoral emperor. Two competing messages clashed—and they were messages that echo into our modern world.

One voice says, Do what feels good. Gain more influence. Focus on yourself and build your own kingdom. Another says, Live for something beyond yourself—something eternal. Carry out your God-given mission, no matter the cost. Follow your King to the end of the world if you must . Only then will you truly live.

Combining historical accuracy with narrative imagination, Nero and Paul drops you into the drama of human pride and divine destiny that unfolded on the stage of imperial Rome.

You’ll travel with Paul as he ventured from Jerusalem all the way to Spain, making friends, winning converts, and persisting through grueling opposition. You’ll see up close Nero’s kingdom of wealth, glamour, sex, and power—the proud trappings of a self-proclaimed god. In contrast, Paul boldly offered what the world desperately needed: the Messiah’s life-giving good news of God’s presence indwelling his people.

Though this epic clash of worldviews led to bloodshed and death, the crown of eternal life triumphed over the laurel wreaths of Rome—just as the light of Jesus triumphs over the darkness of the world in every age.

Don’t miss this ancient story with a timeless message that reverberates across the centuries and will light the fire of your faith today.

About the Authors
Kathie Lee Gifford’s four-time Emmy Award winning career has spanned television, film, recordings, Broadway, cabaret, and commercials. She has authored numerous books, including her most recent book, The God of the Way, and five New York Times bestselling books, including The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi and It’s Never Too Late. She is also an actress, singer, songwriter, playwright, producer, and director.

Dr. Bryan Litfin grew up in Dallas, TX; Oxford, England; and Memphis, TN. He earned a degree in print journalism from the University of Tennessee, a master’s degree in historical theology at Dallas Seminary, and a Ph.D. in the field of ancient church history at the University of Virginia. The author of four nonfiction books and six novels, Dr. Litfin now works as Professor of Bible and Theology at Rawlings School of Divinity at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA. 

{ The Divine Counselor by Alex Seeley - TLC Book Tour }

 

The Divine Counselor: Renew Your Mind, Heal Your Soul, and Discover Your Purpose Through the Guidance of the Holy Spirit

Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication date: April 7, 2026
Print length: 240 pages

Pastor Alex Seeley, co-founder of The Belonging Co., reveals how the Holy Spirit provides the deep healing, peace, and purpose beyond what therapy alone can provide.

At a time when many feel anxious and discouraged, the idea of living whole, healed, and empowered sounds wonderful–but often out of reach. Counseling, self-help books, and podcasts seem to offer temporary relief, but what about life-changing transformation?

In The Divine Counselor, Pastor Alex Seeley introduces readers to the best therapist they’ll ever meet: the Holy Spirit. Drawing on biblical insights and personal stories, Alex endeavors to answer readers’ deepest questions and doubts, while showing how the Holy Spirit . . .

advocates on their behalf, interceding when they don’t have the words to pray;
guides them toward healing, connecting spiritual health and emotional wellness;
helps them change mind-sets, to bring freedom from destructive labels and past experiences;
speaks with clarity and wisdom, helping believers discern His voice from their own; and
equips them to live in victory, empowering them to overcome.
With an infectious passion for this often misunderstood and overlooked person of the Trinity, Alex inspires readers to embrace the Holy Spirit as their closest friend and trusted counselor–the One they were created to know intimately. As they invite the ultimate Comforter into their everyday lives, this book will help readers experience lasting peace and live a life of freedom and joy.

About the Author
Alex Seeley was born and raised in Australia and spent 17 years pastoring there. It is also where she met and married her husband, Henry. After relocating to Nashville in 2012, they founded The Belonging Co., a church where they minister together to thousands of people each week. She is a passionate teacher of the Word with the unique ability to reveal how the Word of God is applicable to our everyday lives. 

{ Book Feature - The Faith to Flourish by Christine Caine - TLC Book Tour }

 

About The Faith to Flourish: God’s Design for a Rooted, Resilient, and Fruitful Life 

Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publication date: February 10, 2026 

Print length: 240 pages 

 

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! 

 

Discover how God has created you and called you to flourish even in the most difficult times. 

 

Join bestselling author Christine Caine as she shows you how God created you with a powerful purpose and destiny. He wants you to flourish. 

 

Sometimes it feels like hardships and struggles are endless. Like a new storm is always brewing on the horizon. You face challenging circumstances, strained relationships, or shattered dreams. And the weight of it all can feel crushing. You simply long for rest. But how can you flourish when you feel like you can barely breathe from it all? 

 

 In The Faith to Flourish, Christine shows you that it’s possible to thrive in every season of life—including the hardest ones—by grounding yourself in God’s truth and activating the peace, resilience, and purpose he gives you. Using the biblical symbolism of the olive tree in Psalm 52:8, Christine unpacks how you can: 

 

•  Develop deep spiritual roots that anchor you to withstand life’s storms 
•  Identify spiritual stagnation and experience renewed vitality and purpose 
• Behold the beauty of God and cultivate a heart of wonder 
•  Nourish inner peace and joy through intentional shifts in perspective 
•  Foster reconciliation and build stronger, more fulfilling relationships 
• Embrace God’s plans and purpose for your life, while bearing fruit that impacts others 

 

No matter the challenges you face, God’s design for your life has not changed—to have the faith to flourish and be fruitful. This book will equip you with the courage, resilience, and wisdom you need to thrive through every challenge, in every season. 

 

About the Author 

 

Christine and her husband, Nick, have two daughters, Catherine and Sophia. Together, Chris and Nick founded A21, a global anti-human trafficking organization that prevents exploitation, recovers victims, and empowers survivors to rebuild their lives. She also founded Propel Women, an initiative that activates women to follow Jesus wholeheartedly and live confidently in their God-given purpose. You can tune into Christine’s Equip & Empower podcast and Life and Leadership podcast for practical insights and encouragement, drawing hope from Jesus wherever you are. 

 

To learn more about Christine and her resources, visit www.christinecaine.com. 

 

 

 

My Impressions:

 

I have not yet finished reading this book but what I have read of it, is quite good and very informative. 

 

I have always struggled with my Faith, and I think it's a common thing for all Christians at one point or another through their lives, to struggle with it.  We say we are strong, we say we have faith and we know God is there, but when certain trials come our way, we tend to fall, to falter, to suddenly feel like there's no way out and there's no way to get through this.

 

 

Christine teaches us how to flourish through our faith by using the example of the olive tree in Psalm 52:8.  The has done extensive research on the olive trees and how hardy they are, withstanding oftentimes situations that could tear them apart and destroy them completely, yet they stand firm.

 

I can't wait to finish this one.  It is really interesting and I know that it will help me grow my faith.

 

 

 

{ Book Feature - And She Got Up by Courtney Pray Duke - TLC Book Tour }

About And She Got Up: Shattered by Loss, Restored by Jesus 

 

• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (March 3, 2026) 

• Paperback: 224 pages 

 

Faced with an unimaginable loss, Courtney Pray Duke invites you to discover that when life knocks you down, Jesus is nearer than ever, reaching out to help you get back up and stand strong. 

 

 Have you found yourself wondering, Will I ever be able to make sense of the disappointments and disasters I’ve endured? Can I trust God with my pain? Will my life ever be restored? Perhaps you’ve done everything you can to rebuild the ruins of your life, but true restoration still seems so far off, if not impossible. And She Got Up is a firsthand account of being knocked down by tragedy and loss while relying on the power and presence of Jesus to rise and heal. 

 

 After being widowed at twenty-nine, Courtney Pray Duke found herself lying next to her husband’s grave feeling like she couldn’t go on. But she had three young kids who needed her and a faithful God who she knew could do anything. 

 

Told in four sections—The Breaking, The Making, The Rising, and The Sending—Courtney walks readers through her decades long journey from devastation to the abundant life God had in store for her. 

 

And She Got Up will help readers find 

 

hope in their greatest devastation through an honest and vulnerable account of Courtney’s personal journey, coupled with the reality and the truth of who God is and what He is able to do. 

move forward amid pain that can be paralyzing, helping them to believe God for their own miracle, no matter how hopeless their circumstance may seem. 

gain confidence that God is available and able to help anyone get back up and live an abundant life of hope, purpose, and peace.

 

God sees you now, right where you are. His heart is for you. It’s time to rise, to heal, to find purpose and joy again. 

 

About the author 

 

Courtney Pray Duke is an author and speaker who tragically lost her husband in a cycling accident in 2012. Left with three young children and a broken heart, Courtney now lives to tell about the goodness and faithfulness of God to the brokenhearted, and is passionate about helping women encounter the hope and victory of Jesus. She is married to Jon and is a mother to her four children, elementary to college aged. They are planted in Passion City Church and reside in Atlanta, Georgia. And She Got Up is Courtney’s first book.

 

Courtney Pray Duke was a young mother of three, a worship leader along with her loving husband Andrew, at a big church in Arkansas.  A day before Thanksgiving in 2012, her whole life came crashing down when her dear husband was struck by a bus, and killed immediately.

 

This book was so touching and so hard to read as well.  It focuses on Courtney's journey through the loss of her husband but it can be applied to any kind of loss we suffer through life.  That sudden shock, that change that turns everything from comfortable and known to terrifying and unknown, and how she overcame it as a young mother, not yet thirty years old.

 

One of the scriptures she includes in the book is one that I love, which is Psalm 71:20 "Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again;  from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up." 

 

We have all suffered loss in our lives and it feels like you're drowning in that moment, that it will never be ok, that the pain will never cease.  But when you have Jesus with you, you quickly understand that you are not alone, that He guides you, holds you up and helps you to rise again and heal.

 

If you want to learn more about their story, and how to apply Courtney's wisdom and faith to your own battle, this book is definitely for you. 

 

 

 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a copy.  My thoughts and opinions are my own. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{ Why Not You? by Ed Newton - TLC Book Tour }

 

About Why Not You?: Believing What God Believes About You

• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (November 11, 2025)
• Paperback: 240 pages

God is going to use someone to walk in purpose, meaning, destiny and anointing. So why not you? You can operate in your God-given abilities when you operate out of your God-given identity.

There is a very human tendency to believe the best for others and the worst for ourselves. To believe that someone else can operate in their full potential, while we settle to exist in our scraps of talent and personal limitations. But what if we could identify these lies for what they are and learn to take hold of the life God has actually called us to?

When Ed Newton was ten years old, a woman at McDonald’s prophesied over him that God was going to use him in a great way. Ed, who was eating lunch with his deaf parents, didn’t even have a relationship with the Lord at the time. He had no idea that the story that God was writing would one day be something he’d feel compelled to share with others.

Ed has walked the road of biblical identity and is now inviting others to do the same. Why Not You? is filled with his stories of growing up as a child of deaf parents (CODA) as well as other life experiences. Ed shows how the truth of God’s Word can cut through the web of self-doubt so many followers of Christ struggle with and show them who God created them to be. This book will help readers:

• battle through negative self-talk, doubts, and insecurities;
• retrain their minds to view themselves from God’s perspective;
• see their setbacks as setups for success;
• stop questioning their gifts and talents and start living in them.

Backed with Scripture and a raw look at his journey from childhood until a miraculous, spiritual encounter with the Lord in early 2024, Ed shows readers that it’s not only possible for God to use them, but that God wants to use them. Each chapter challenges readers to confidently walk in the calling and identity God has placed on their lives.

About the author

Born in North Carolina, but raised primarily in Florida, Dr. Ed Newton graduated from Clearwater Christian College and holds multiple graduate degrees in religious education, as well as a Doctorate in pulpit education and expository preaching from Memphis Mid- America Baptist Theological Seminary. Ed has been the lead pastor of Community Bible Church since 2016. He has authored several books, the most recent being an evangelism resource titled My 8: Embrace and Engage in the Wonder of Evangelism that dives into practical methods of sharing the Good News of Jesus with others.

Ed lives in San Antonio with his wife, Stephanie, and their four children: London, Lola, Liv, and Lawson. He enjoys skateboarding, basketball and running, as well as exploring the culture of his beloved San Antonio in his spare time.

 

 

My Thoughts:

This book was such a joy to read.

 

The author takes us chapter by chapter and focus on learning how to understand and believe that God truly loves us.  We can be our strongest critics, often questioning if God loves us, if He hears us, if He understands us.  it's not easy to give up that control and live a life that is God centered, we want to control every minute detail about everything around us.

 

The book isn't just about learning our own identity and being the people God called us to be, but it also teaches us through the author's own experiences, how he himself tackled this journey.  

 

With Bible stories and Ed Newton's own life experiences, it teaches us how to grow in our God given identity and how to see how God is at work in our lives.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed everything I have read so far, and while not being completely done with the book, I am very much looking forward to reading more and implementing those lessons in my own life.

 

 

 

Thank you to TLC book tours and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a review copy. 

 

 

 

 

 

{ Bringing Heaven Here - TLC Book Tour }

 

About Bringing Heaven Here: How the Lord’s Prayer Can Change Your Life and Our World

• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (November 25, 2025)
• Hardcover: 256 pages

From the creators of the global television series The Sacred Thread comes a transformative exploration of how the Lord’s Prayer unlocks the power of God to guide, heal, and renew our lives and the world around us.

The Lord’s Prayer is the most iconic and widely spoken prayer in human history. It’s not only a sacred prayer, but the very essence of the Bible’s message—showing us who God is, why Jesus came, and how we fit into the unfolding story of God’s redemption. Yet, familiarity often dulls the power of this profound prayer, leaving its deep meaning untapped and unlived.

Every single phrase of the Lord’s Prayer is loaded with revolutionary significance for Jesus’ original audience—and for us. In this book, Brad Gray and Brad Nelson draw on decades of research to unpack these words in their original historical and cultural context, revealing the bold truths that can still shake our lives today.

You’ll discover how to:

• partner with Jesus in bringing heaven here by aligning your daily actions and influence with His kingdom and will.
• gain wisdom to mend broken relationships and stand against the forces of evil.
• understand what Jesus’ words meant to his original audience.
• gain confidence and peace from bearing God’s name, goodness, and glory to the world.
• experience each moment as holy—as an opportunity for the life of heaven to be a part of your life now.

We are called to actively participate in Jesus’ mission to restore all things, bringing the abundance of heaven to earth. Bringing Heaven Here will unveil the hidden truths and untapped power of the world’s most famous prayer—and show how it applies to your life today. Discover how to stay rooted in Him, embrace the purpose He has for you, and let the Lord’s Prayer guide you into a life of true transformation.

About the author

Brad Gray is the President and CEO of Walking The Text, a non-profit organization that creates digital media resources and study trips to Bible Lands to help people understand the Bible in its original context. He is the cocreator and host of The Sacred Thread, and the author of Make Your Mark. Brad is also a national speaker, ordained minister, and former teaching pastor. He has a business management degree from Cornerstone University (Grand Rapids, Michigan), a Master of Divinity from Western Theological Seminary (Holland, Michigan), and has done additional graduate work at Jerusalem University College (Jerusalem, Israel). He and his wife, Shallon, live with their four children in the Greater Nashville Area.

Brad Nelson is the content director at Walking The Text, a non-profit organization that creates digital media resources and study trips to Bible Lands to help people understand the Bible in its original context. He curates The Teaching Series, a bi-weekly podcast and video series, and is a cocreator and writer for The Sacred Thread. He is a national speaker, writer, and served in the local church as a pastor for seventeen years. Brad has a Bachelor of Arts in history from Cornerstone University (Grand Rapids, Michigan) and a Masters of Divinity from Western Theological Seminary (Holland, Michigan) and has done additional graduate work at Jerusalem University College (Jerusalem, Israel). He and his wife Trisha live with their three daughters in Greensboro, Georgia.

 

My Thoughts:

 

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started this book, and I certainly had no idea that it would be one of the best books I've ever read about the Lord's prayer.  It made me think, made me reflect and take in how I think about the prayer and how I use it myself in my life.

 

The book is told through two different voices, two friends both named Brad, who through their own experiences and thoughts both tackle the Lord's prayer, breaking it up into sections and explaining and teaching how each one is and should be thought of when prayed.

 

I will say that I seemed to connect more with Brad Nelson.  Maybe it's just the way he talks or writes, but I found it made it easier for me and I found it more interesting to follow along.  That is not to say that what Brad Gray had to say was not equally important but I find it quite interesting that through both of their accounts and experiences, the audience will definitely feel pulled to one more than the other.  I love that, I love that different voices and different people will get what they need through a single book.

 

So what exactly is the book about?

 

Well it starts by making us look back at how we have prayed the Lord's prayer.  I think if you are a Christian and even if not, everyone all around the world knows the prayer or at least some of it.  There is a familiarity when you hear the first words "Our Father who art in Heaven".

 

I taught my children this prayer from a very early age.  My son Nicholas is 22 and just recently started going to church with us, not because anyone asked him to, but because he felt pulled to.  Our daughter Jasmine on the other hand, is 26 and does not attend church nor does she show much interest at all.  But both of them know the prayer and if asked to recite it right now, they would.

 

And that is exactly the point of this book.  We know the prayer, we say it but at a certain point, or maybe even every time we say it, it just becomes a prayer that is repeated without much thought or feeling put into it.  What the book teaches us, is how to live it, how to feel it, how to embrace the words one by one and apply it to our lives.  I never thought of it that way, I never took the time to really look into what each word and phrase meant.

 

I have come away with a deeper understanding of this covenant, of what God actually wanted us to take from this prayer, and especially for me, the words of the Bible, the scripture that tells us and teach us that What we curse here on earth will be cursed in Heaven and what we bless here on earth will be blessed in Heaven, is reiterated in the Lord's prayer;

 

On earth as it is in Heaven!

 

I never, ever thought to even connect the two.

 

I am so grateful to this book and to both Brads for teaching me what it means, and how to use it daily to really live out God's words in my life.  What a blessing!

 

 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a copy for review. 

{ Blogtober 2025 - Day 23 - The Pond Beyond the Forest TLC Book Tour }

About The Pond Beyond the Forest

• Publisher: She Writes Press
• Publication date: October 7, 2025

For fans of Stephanie Foo’s What My Bones Know, a memoir of a middle-aged Japanese immigrant mother’s struggle to raise her teenage son and save her marriage when she finds herself triggered by memories of her own childhood trauma as he enters adolescence.

At age twenty-two, Shigeko Ito immigrated to America to escape Japan’s rigid society and a neglectful childhood home that landed her in a mental hospital at seventeen. She thrived in her new, healthier environment and thought her traumatic past was all behind her.

Until it wasn’t.

Motherhood, she realized, was far more challenging than she could have ever imagined. But it was her son’s high school years that proved to be particularly daunting, and that was when her past reemerged—in the form of intense flashbacks to her childhood trauma and tumultuous teenage years. With the stream of daily stresses compounded by menopausal irritability, Shigeko often found herself regressing into a bunker-like mentality with childish coping mechanisms, a pattern that threatened to undo her most prized achievement: her happy family.

In The Pond Beyond the Forest, Shigeko faces her past head-on, taking the reader along on her quest to uncover the root causes of her lifelong struggles—a journey that leads to deeper self-awareness, understanding, and acceptance, and ultimately saves her family and marriage.

About the Author

Shigeko Ito grew up in Japan and immigrated to the United States in her twenties to pursue higher education. She studied early childhood development and education, earning a PhD in Education from Stanford University. Drawing on cross-cultural experiences and academic expertise, she explores themes of trauma, resilience, and healing, with a particular focus on childhood emotional neglect. Her writing has appeared on the Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) Foundation blog and the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) website. In 2025, she was named a semifinalist in the nonfiction category of the Tucson Festival of Books Literary Awards. She worked for many years at a Montessori preschool and is an avid animal lover, especially of dogs, who enjoys birding, gardening, and raising mason bees. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband of thirty years.

Review Stops

Sunday, October 19th: 100 Pages a Day…Stephanie’s Book Reviews

Monday, October 20th: Instagram: @beastreader

Tuesday, October 21st: 5 Minutes For Books

Wednesday, October 22nd: Instagram: @noladawnreads

Thursday, October 23rd: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Monday, October 27th: Instagram: @littlefoot_books

Tuesday, October 28th: Instagram: @dealingwithbooks

Thursday, October 30th: Instagram: @spaceonthebookcase

Monday, November 3rd: Instagram: @kristis_literary_corner

Wednesday, November 5th: Instagram: @girlmama_and_books

My review:

 

While not the usual book I read, mainly because I tend to not want to delve into difficult and heavy subjects, I often grab one of these stories that will grip my heart and pull me in, and leave me rooting for the writer.

 

We all have difficult lives and every one of us has encountered grief, trauma, anger, disappointment and heartache.

 

Shigeko Ito grew up in a family not exactly loving.  A father who was often away from home, a mother who was a narcissist and didn't show love the way Shigeko would have wanted or expected.  It was a hard, difficult, often lonely childhood that led to a mental break at the young age of 17 years old, and a stay in a mental hospital.  When she has the opportunity to move to California as an exchange student, she takes it.

 

It was a hard, sad story to read and at times I wanted so much to reach in, grab her out of the book and just hug her.  Tell her that she is amazing, she is loved, she is wanted, and she deserves to have a good life.  

 

The book shifts between her childhood and the current life, decades later when she has moved to the USA for good, got married, and had a son.  

 

Because of the non caring way her parents treated her growing up, she becomes a helicopter mom, sometimes almost stifling of her son's upbringing.  What Shigeko doesn't understand at first, is how the way she was treated as a child, is now projecting itself into the way she deals with her husband, her son and life in general.

 

Shigeko's story is one of hard work, pain, sadness, a willingness to overcome, to understand and to not repeat her parents choices.  Beautifully written and haunting in many ways.

 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and She Writes Press for the review copy.  All thoughts and impressions are mine.