Dwelling Places by Lucinda Secrest McDowell – Book Review
Are you ready to silence the clamor and busyness that surrounds you as you go about your daily lives and create a place of peace and solitude where you can spend a bit of quality time deepening your relationship with God?
Would you enjoy the sweet simplicity of spending a few minutes each day meditating on a single word, thought or concept and discovering the blessings that come with unpacking empowering words?
In Dwelling Places – Words To Live By In Every Season, author Lucinda Secrest McDowell presents us with a seasonal devotional filled with individual words – along with individual Scriptures and accompanying devotions – for us to reflect upon and be transformed by!
The overarching words for the seasons are Dwell (Fall), Shine (Winter), Renew (Spring) and Grow (Summer).
I’m currently reading the Summer devotions and they are enlightening. For instance, under Grow, Lucinda shares that the New Testament Greek word for worry is merimnaó, which means “to be distracted” or “divided”. She writes:
Worry pulls us in opposite directions: part of us wants to trust God, but the other part is listening to the enemy’s whispers of doubt and distress.
For those of us who have tendencies towards worrying, doesn’t just this little bit of knowledge give us something to ponder throughout the day, and deepen our understanding of Matthew 6:25-34 – the well-known instructional Do Not Worry passage of the Bible?
The book closes with an enlightening essay on how Lucinda came to write the book called Secrets Of The Nest.
Even though Dwelling Places is arranged by the seasons, I see no reason why you can’t pick up this book – flip through the words – and read and reflect on the words and devotions that speak to your heart.
Dwelling Places offers readers the chance to pause and reflect on their spiritual lives and their relationship with God in a unique way that most other devotionals do not provide. I think that in particular, writers, teachers, and those who love to read and study words will enjoy Dwelling Places.
I rate this book series 4 out of 5 stars.
About Lucinda Secrest McDowell
Lucinda Secrest McDowell is the author of 11 books, including Live These Words. Amazed by Grace, and Quilts from Heaven. She has contributed to an additional 25 books and has been published in more than 50 magazines. A graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Furman University, she speaks internationally through her ministry “Encouraging Words.” An award-winning writer who has earned accolades from prominent writers’ conferences and retreats, McDowell has also worked in radio broadcasting, in retreat planning, and on church pastoral staffs. She writes from “Sunnyside” cottage in Connecticut.
Resources
For More Information
- Visit Lucinda’s Website.
- Connect with Lucinda on Facebook and Twitter.
- Visit the Dwelling Places Blog Tour Page.
- Dwelling Places is available on Amazon.
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Dwelling Places Blog Tour Giveaway
For a chance to win a copy of Dwelling Places, a Dwelling Places necklace handmade by Lucinda, and a kit full of goodies to make refreshing lemonade this summer, click the photo to enter Lucinda’s Blog Tour Giveaway! There are two prize levels – click the photo for full contest details. (US Only through 7/5/16)
Please note that this contest is being hosted by the sponsor across several blogs and not by Create With Joy. The sponsor is overseeing the drawing and assumes full responsibility for all aspects of this contest, including the selection of the winners, prize notification and prize fulfillment. Create With Joy is sharing this promotion as a service to you, our valued reader.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Litfuse Publicity for review purposes. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
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I’m intrigued by the sounds of this one. Thanks so much for sharing this at Booknificent Thursday on Mommynificent.com!
Tina