Ellie Claire Devotionals

Devotions For A New Year

A new year will soon be here and a fresh new devotional can be a tremendous assest to your quiet time spent with God. Writing down your thoughts and prayers throughout the year is not only helpful as a way to focus your thoughts, but is a reminder at the end of the year of your deepening relationship with God. A devotional can signify a beginning, a end... but, most of all--- the journey.  

I had the pleasure of reviewing the following three devotionals from Ellie Claire (Worthy Publishing). 

PEACE BEGINS WITH ME
The end of a year always seems filled with holiday activities and an overload of memories as we look back. Many want to have a fresh start with a peaceful beginning to reconnect. Even the cover of this devotional looks calm and peaceful. Filled with Scripture that points the reader to the peace to be found in God and reminders of His strenghth and promise to be with us always. Using the prayer prompts, you can express your thoughts about how the Holy Spirit spoke to you daily through the Scripture and the anecdotal material included. You can purchase at Amazon or Barnes and Noble

TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS
Are you a music lover? If a song moves you into a deeper worship and praise experience, this is a devotional you will love. Each page starts off with a line from a familiar hymn... either traditional or contemporary that ties in with the daily devotion. That leads to Scripture to read that ties everything together in perfect harmony. There is plenty of room on the rest of the page to share your thoughts, prayers, and praises. This cover is my least favorite although I do love the color scheme. I would still buy this one for my personal use. Purchase on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

THE EARTH IS THE LORD'S AND EVERYTHING IN ITThe cover of this one made me smile because it reminded me of a friend who loves peacocks. The inside is what counts, though, and I believe this should please anyone. This devotional have nature lover and those who delight in the creativity and beauty that surrounds us. The Scripture, devotional, and quotes will resonate with you as find beauty in our Creator and look beyond your own backyard to explore the possibilities God has in store. You can buy this at Amazon or Barnes and Noble

Each of these devotionals have:

• Lay-flat binding
• Archive quality, non-bleed paper
• Daily devotional with lightly ruled space for responses, lists, or journaling
• Full-color interior design
• Presentation page for personalization
• Foil, ribbon
• Closure band

I love Ellie Claire devotionals. The beautifully designed soft covers with gorgeous illustrations inside are inviting to use. I also appreciate that they are easy to keep open while writing in them... and no bleed-through. I did have a friend pop into my mind with 2 of the journals and plan to share them with those friends. Due to a year that did have wonderful events, like additional great-grandchildren, but also the tragic death of my beloved granddaughter... and other personal problems, the devotional on Peace is exactly what I need as I try to readjust to life. I recommend each of them.

I received these products courtesy of Ellie Claire and Worthy Publishing at no cost to myself in hopes that I would review them on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, but only for my honest opinion of each.

LINKS:
Ellie Claire website

Ellie Claire Facebook  

Ellie Claire Gifts Instagram

Worthy Publishing
Worthy Publishing Facebook

Worthy Publishing Instagram 

Worthy Publishing Twitter 

ADORED: 365 Devotions for Young Women

Adored: 365 Devotions for Young Women by Zondervan tackles tough topics girls face, from bullying and social media to friendships and dating, all the while showing readers how infinitely precious they are in God’s sight.

Each day contains a devotion that is relative to a young woman's life with room to journal for an even more personalized experience. Scripture is also included that is perfect for memorization, a starting point for daily Bible reading, or to simply remind the reader that the Bible still connects with our lives even hundreds of years later. Adored will resonate with girls searching for truth and guidance given with honesty and a touch of humor.

It's a wonderful gift for tweens, teens, and young women with it's compact size and beautiful, foiled cover, with two-color interior pages. The hard cover is durable and the pages are strongly bound (in my case, tested and proven by a curious 2 year old) to easily handle every day use. I also love that it does not have a specific date, making this a good gift for any time of the year AND you don't feel like you have to play catch-up (or simply abandon the book) if you miss a day or more. My only complaint was that it seemed like it would be a bit awkward to write in and I would like more space for journaling.

For a 7 day download, go to Zondervan - Adored devotional
Buy Adored at Christianbook.com/Adored-365

GIVEAWAY! Enter to win a copy for yourself or as a gift. Leave a comment on this blog post (or on the social media post where you found this by end of day December 7, 2017.

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

#AdoredByGod
#FlyBy 

Say and Pray Devotions ~ Diane Stortz

Say and Pray Devotions is a very sturdy padded board book that serves many purposes. The left hand side gives a topic, with a short sentence to expand upon it and then the right side gives a short Scripture that could be easily memorized by a 3 or 4 year-old and a simple prayer to use. Examples are listed below:

• YUMMY!
  Good food tastes yummy and helps me grow.
  [God] gives food to the hungry - Psalm 146:7
  Thank You, God, for good food. Amen.
• Good News
  Jesus is our Savior. That's the good news!
  We bring you the good news. - Acts 13:32
  Thank You, God, for Jesus! Amen.

And then there are the illustrations, by Sarah Ward, on all pages that are labeled to help teach reading and word identification. Just as we read the Bible to learn and for it to make an impact on our lives, this simple book can be used the same way for toddlers and younger kids. 

I want to add that this is a very sturdy padded board book. It has easily survived my 14 month old great-granddaughter's attempts to read it by herself and the sticky pages were easily cleaned after she left. I love having a book that I am comfortable with the little ones holding themselves that is also useful for me teaching them simple concepts of my faith. The pictures with just a one word description are fabulous for the younger ones, but can also lead to conversations ranging from what is seen on to telling stories based on imagination. I believe this is going to be a favorite book at my house.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through FlyBy Promotions.

The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast by Kristen Feola

The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast is an inspiring resource for Christians who want to pursue a more intimate relationship with God through the 21-day commitment to prayer and fasting known as the Daniel Fast. As you deny yourself certain foods - such as sugars, processed ingredients, and solid fats - you will not only embrace healthier eating habits, you’ll also discover a greater awareness of God’s presence. Author Kristen Feola explains the Daniel Fast in easy-to-understand language, provides 21 thought-provoking devotionals for each day of the fast, and shares more than 100 tasty, easy-to-make recipes that follow fasting guidelines. In a conversational style, Feola helps you structure the fast so you can spend less time thinking about what to eat and more time focusing on God. You will also discover that “to fast” means “to feast” on the only thing that truly nourishes? God’s powerful Word. For more info, please visit www.ultimatedanielfast.com. (publisher)
 
Each January more and more people I know take 3 weeks in January to do the "Daniel Fast". After the excitement and over-indulgences from Thanksgiving on through New Year's Day, the need to refresh, renew, and have a time of cleansing or starting over is strong. The majority of people I know are Christians, so we have just gone through a season of celebration and worship, but it is easier to get a bit distracted. The Daniel Fast is perfect to get your focus on the basics of what you need to survive and thrive both physically and spiritually.

My Review: The book is divided into 3 separate sections, and I like the way it is set up. First, though, she begins with an introduction on the purpose of fasting and how her book can help you plan in advance. You don't want to jump into a fast, bewildered and not having some type of structured idea of what and why...and how.

1. The Fast: This section tells you more about the history behind the Daniel Fast, along with other fasts that are mentioned in the Bible. Even Daniel had more than 1 fast, and there are several others mentioned too. There are different reasons for fasting and Feola goes into the different types. I love the way she goes through the various things you should do before you begin to fast and her explanations on the purpose of a Biblical fast.
2. The Focus: This is my favorite part. The 21 days of devotion and study that allow the reader to feast on the Word of God and nourish her soul. As we focus more on what He has to say and less on what we want to eat (that's why you should plan ahead), we develop a greater reliance on God and enter into a deeper relationship with Him.
3. The Food: I am not a cook! It is okay to do sometimes, but I honestly don't understand how people can enjoy it. Needless to say, I was a bit chagrined to find over 150 pages of recipes and meal plans. Seriously, I have never even heard of some of the ingredients. However, pretty pictures of some of the meals did get me to look up some of the recipes. Quite a few are things I am never going to have the patience (or money) to try, but enough of them have tempted me to consider trying to make them. There is a large variety of recipes and should be enough to tempt people into incorporating many into their diet plans even after the fast has ended. My biggest complaint is that it all seems a bit expensive, especially for a fast in the middle of Winter.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

About the Author
Kristen Feola is the author of the best-selling book, The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast, an encouraging and engaging resource for individuals, small groups, and churches participating in the Daniel Fast. Her blog, http://www.ultimatedanielfast.com, inspires thousands of people around the world. Kristen is a frequent contributor to Pentecostal Evangel magazine, and her writing has appeared in a variety of Christian and health-related publications. She has worked as a personal trainer, fitness instructor, and nutritional consultant. Kristen lives in Springfield, Missouri, with her husband and two daughters.