✡️✝️ In Want + Plenty: Waking Up To God's Provision in a Land of Longing ✝️✡️ (2020; NonFiction) - Book Review

MY REVIEW

Paperback: 240 pages

Publisher: Revell (January 21, 2020)

Language: English

ISBN-10:  080073579X

ISBN-13:  978-080073579X
[Click photo to purchase]

“Although our circumstances vary, we all ache with a longing for something more. We are born with dreams, and some of us even have detailed plans about how to make them happen. Yet we all come to a point in life when we realize that we are not in control. A loved one gets sick, a tragedy occurs, our plans backfire. What we may not realize is that even if we can't depend on our circumstances or even ourselves, there is One who will always provide what we need, just when we need it.

With compassion and enthusiasm, Meredith McDaniel invites you to walk alongside God's people in Exodus as they wake up each morning to manna, God's provision for them in desert places. As she unfolds their story of complete dependence on their Creator, you'll discover through guided journaling how God is providing for you right now, where you are in your own unique story. Along the way, you will develop a comforting awareness that you are seen, guided, protected, and filled by a good God in the person of Jesus.” 

Thank you in advance to the publisher for providing a complimentary copy to review. All words are my own in this review and a positive review was not required. 

Right off this cover grabs me. The water color design is soothing and calming, so it already feels like a comforting talk with a friend who happens to be a counselor.

This book is more geared towards women, which makes sense as in most families – women tend to worrying more about the finances, cooking, raising the kids, and the school work.

As with books of this type, this is not a one-time read. This is going to be one to hang on to, especially with questions that are more “journal” like that anything else. There are also some excellent self-assessment questions in this book.

In the beginning, there is a guide to elements and visuals used. Some text is HIGHLIGHTED and others is “spot-lighted”.

As of note, this is the second Revell “non-fiction” book I’ve read that quotes C.S.  Lewis and also mentions letting go of our “false self”.

Despite its Christian theme – it doesn’t preach at the reader. McDaniel understands, as she is a counselor, that situations are very different for each of her clients as well as the readers. There are also song recommendations to enforce the lessons that McDaniel is teaching us.

[Just one of the many beautiful passages in this book ...]

This book is a bit different from other Christian Living/Self-Help books.

While most take a “Jesus” approach to problem solving, this goes back to the Old Testament with examining the story of Exodus, which is a rare take. Thus it combines Judaism with Christianity, or Jewish-Christian beliefs.

The theme in this well-written and structured book is God’s provision for us in our times of need and want. It is more about trust in God to give us what we need when we need it, much like the daily manna that God provided for the Israelites. Not to be confused with WHAT we WANT though. Exodus is used to highlight the thought of letting God provide for us and watching us provide for us.

[I am "filled" ]

For those who aren’t family with the story of Exodus, this will definitely inspire you to read more about it – I am definitely inspired by this book enough to look into it.

McDaniel uses real-life examples of troubles, along with God’s “manna” or provisions for us in our circumstances. This book is extremely relevant in today’s time when the rate of suicide, depression, and anxiety is on the rise. 

McDaniel examines the anxiety and also talks about finding moments of stillness – turning off or putting devices down.

What I enjoyed was the soft colors, gentle highlights, reminders, and self-assessment questions. I have yet to put them into practice though; I can easily see myself doing it.

This book was so well-written and very hard to put down. I went halfway through it in the first sitting.

There were some interesting references to the prior Israel, and YHWH (Yahweh) which is God’s name.

This is recommended for those who want a different take on a Christian self-help.

[Very interesting as I live in the desert ... and I've sort of learned to bloom here]

RATING:

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MEREDITH MCDANIEL is a licensed professional counselor and owner of her private practice, Milk + Honey. A graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Meredith enjoys entering into the quieter places of people's lives in a safe setting to offer hope and help others taste of the land of milk + honey. She and her husband, Ben, have three young children and live in a small town near Charlotte, North Carolina.

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