Book Review: Come With Me

Oh, now that's ironic. Posting a book review after my last post. :-P I have been reading some really good books lately (Dignity and Worth: Seeing the Image of God in Foster Adoption, for example). Don't really want to write about every single one though, so I'll stick with the one I received for free, from Bethany House Publishers, free in exchange for an honest review!

In Come With Me, Suzanne Eller, an author with Proverbs 31 ministries (for those who follow Lysa Terkeurst, etc.) shares what God taught her as she spent time in the Gospels. Each chapter is loosely devoted to one of the 12 disciples. I say loosely because I felt the correlation between the disciple and the lessons the author extrapolated from that disciple's life were a bit of stretch at times. Still, I have never studied the disciples, so some of the connections she made really were insightful. The overarching theme of the book I think would be living as a true disciple of Christ, abandoning all for Him. Each chapter has a different focus.

It took me a long while to make it through this book, I'm not sure why, but this review is waaaaay overdue (it came out in May!), but when I did get around to opening up the pages, there would often be a nugget waiting for me.

Each chapter ends with a handful of "Taking It Deeper" questions (for cross-referencing Scriptures and reflecting), a main Scripture verse, a short prayer, and bullet pointed ideas for "Living As a Disciple." This is not a theological book. It is one woman sharing her journey of faith in an instructional way, like the older woman teaching the younger woman, only not in a "I have it all together" way but in a "let's seek Jesus together" way.

I am giving this book 4 out of 5 stars.

"Intentional gratitude is a course corrector. It turns away temptation. You aren't asked to pretend that there aren't challenges, but to take a step back and tackle them in a different way." (p. 127)

 

"There's nothing wrong with dreaming. Many times those dreams are a catalyst to make a difference or to take a huge step of faith. Your dreams can encourage you when getting there is difficult. . . .

 

Dreaming is worthwhile unless it makes you unhappy with where you are or who you're with, or it creates resentment with God's timing versus your own. . . .

 

Should we dream big? Absolutely. Should we obsess, worry, wrangle, or plot to get what we want, or to have what someone else has? Probably not the best plan." (p. 130)