Connecting With Christ (Review & Giveaway)

 

About the Book

 

Book: Connecting With Christ

Editor: Yolonda Tonette Sanders

Genre: Nonfiction, Inspirational

Release date: November 30, 2021

Rating: 4.5 / 5 

Self-care is a buzzword often mentioned when people seek to optimize their health. Suggested self-care practices tend to include activities such as exercising, getting a massage, or eating a healthy diet. While all of these actions have their place, none of them are sufficient enough to provide the soul-care we need to maximize our self-care. Self-care without soul-care equates to temporary solutions that leave us searching for the next new thing. However, when Christ becomes the center of our holistic health journey, we not only find fulfillment in Him but also a dependency on and trust in Him to truly live our best lives-emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually.

My Thoughts

The Right Connection Leads to Refreshment

Connecting with Christ is a well-thought out year-long devotional book. It is timely, profound and easy to understand. It really spoke to me. Especially in the areas of Promises (5 Promises by Kelsey Elaine Hopkins), Rest (A Time to Pause by Kendré Keys) and Preparation (Passing the Test by Leslie J. Sherrod).

It is organized into the following monthly themes:  

1. Renewal
2. Love
3. Revival
4. Promises
5. Caring
6. Provision
7. Celebration/Freedom
8. Rest
9. Preparation
10. Change
11. Thankfulness
12. Giving

This is what I thought when I saw the order:

• Renewal for January (beginning of a new year and beginning of yearly 21-day Daniel Fast) 
• Love for February (Valentine's day)
• Revival (Lent)
• Promises in April (the promised Savior obtaining our salvation)
• Celebration/Freedom in July (July 4th independence for our country and freedom from the power of sin)
• Rest (the number 8 means new beginnings and you need to rest up and rest in God)
• Preparation (part of preparation is rest, the next is surrender as you prepare to be used by God)
• Change (if you learn to rest in God and surrender fully to Him, change must come personally and ministry-wise)
• Thankfulness (thanksgiving season or a season of thankfulness)
• Giving (Reminding us that Christmas is not about receiving but being thankful for the Gift of salvation and sharing it with others)

Now I must admit, I don't know if that's what the editor was thinking, but what I saw as I looked at each section. Like I said, I loved the organization and format of this devotional but if you're not really linear like me, you might just jump to a section like I did with Rest, or the area that is your immediate need, because I am in dire need of some rest. 

Not just putting my head on my pillow and sleeping, although that would be nice, but true sabbath rest as God created it and intends for us to practice so that we do not get burned out and lose focus of what is important like Martha did.

I thought I got it when COVID 19 came and everything slowed down. I thought I was onto the rest thing, but I totally missed it. I was good, as long as I had nothing much on my plate. As soon as things ramp up, I return to frantic activity like Martha.

In Week 33: A Time to Pause by Kendré Keys, she points out that spiritual rest takes discipline. It's deeper than a nap, a spa day, or a vacation. Spiritual rest is an act of regularly trusting God with the details of our lives rather than overworking and overextending ourselves for earthly gains and praise. In spiritual rest we turn away from the busyness of life to spend quality time in God's presence.  - Page 119

Each devotion is followed by a prayer and a lined page to write down what God spoke directly to you. I simply wrote. "There it is, confirmation of what Pastor has been saying. You really need to learn to practice sabbath rest."

What I Liked:

• You can tell a lot of prayer went into this project
• It is beautifully organized
• The themes chosen
• The authors chosen

What Gave Me Pause

• I'm sorry but the cover does not do the book justice.  Does it get the message across? Yes. Is it visually appealing as it does so? Not to me. 
  
  I would have liked to see a different font for the title, maybe Playfair. For the image, maybe something like a picture of someone reading a book looking happy with a light shining down on him or her from above with a cross at the apex of the light then with the jigsaw puzzle effect.

This devotional can be read by one person, with an accountability partner, as a group study for youth or adults or even to plan a sermon series.

I am so glad that I had the opportunity to read, review and recommend this devotional. One of the beautiful things about God is that He is no respecter of persons. One of His promises is that if we, you and I, seek Him we will be rewarded with His presence.

If you've done everything you can, turned to everyone you could and still find yourself unsatisfied, maybe it is the connection. The right connection leads to refreshment. Get a copy of this book!

As you read and God begins to speak to you through the authors and you start to feel the connection, turn to page 189 and read the prayer of Salvation out loud.

It's okay, if you've said it before...sometimes we need a refresher, a reminder of what we say we believe so that we can live it.

If after you've read the book and you still have questions, feel free to reach out to me, I'll be be happy to answer questions, pray with you or research what I don't know.

Blessings,
Dee

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Editor

Yolonda Tonette Sanders is the CEO of Yo Productions, LLC and co-founder of the Faith & Fellowship Book Festival. Her writing portfolio includes academic papers, novels, short stories, poems, and other creative works. She is an editor for a national publication, a professor, and serves on several boards and associations. Yolonda holds two bachelor’s degrees, a master’s degree, and is currently completing her Ph.D. in organizational leadership. She treasures her relationships with family and close friends. Yolonda is blessed to be the wife of David; mother of two adults, Tre and Tia; “Nini” to her grandchildren, Khari and Khia; daughter of Eddie; sister to Milton; and dog mom to Paco.

 

More from Yolonda

Have you ever started a daily devotional but didn’t finish because you found yourself getting behind schedule and frustrated? One missed day turns into two, then the missed days pile on until we often do one of two things: a) have a marathon session to “make-up” the missed days’ readings; or b) abandon the devotional altogether. Neither of these options help with our spiritual growth. When we have marathon sessions to catch up, reading the devotional becomes a checklist item instead of us taking the time to glean the spiritual message or lesson to be learned. When we abandon reading the devotional, we miss everything still. Those great books end up collecting dust until we try again the next year only to repeat the same process.

 

Yep, I’ve been there! Having had such experiences, I sought to create a devotional that people could actually finish. Plus, let’s face it . . . we should read our Bibles every day, but devotionals are optional. Yet, sometimes people replace devotionals with reading the Bible. I didn’t want that either! So, Connecting with Christ is a 52-week devotional with just one reading each week. Not only was this a practical approach, but it was also purposeful. The desire behind this technique is for readers to have time to meditate on Scripture! Connecting with Christ is a devotional that readers can and will complete that will inspire them to dig more into the Word!

Blog Stops

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 25

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 26

Mary Hake, August 26

Texas Book-aholic, August 27

Inklings and notions, August 28

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 29

For Him and My Family, August 30

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, August 31

deb’s Book Review, September 1

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 2

Older & Smarter?, September 2

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 3

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 5

Cats in the Cradle Blog, September 6

Divine Perspective, September 6

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Yolonda is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

[Giveaway Link]