Book review: Same Life, New Story

I totally judge books by their cover.

I chose this book simply because I liked the cover. I love the silhouette, the colors, and something about it just appealed to me. Anyway...

Although Same Life, New Story is intended to be read as a 10-week Bible study for a group of women, I just read it straight through. Regardless, I really, really enjoyed it. I had never read anything from Jan Silvious (a fellow Chattanoogan!) before, and I was really impressed. This book doesn't take itself too seriously, and I appreciate that. She (Jan) introduces (or re-introduces us) to 10 women of the Bible (Naomi, Leah, Rahab, Deborah, Hannah, Anna, Jehosheba, Abigail, Naaman's servant girl, and Elizabeth) who's stories took some sort of dramatic change that created a turning point in their lives. She uses their stories, along with LOTS of personal examples and experiences, as illustrations for us to choose a new story for ourselves. I think this would be a great book for someone going through or just coming out of a trying time in her life, but there is so much wisdom to glean from it at any point of life. I especially appreciated the way she intermingles the Biblical stories with her own anecdotal dialogue. You feel like you are listening to Jan (we're on a first name basis) teach a Sunday school lesson or speak at a conference, which is way more entertaining than simply reading through such a lesson.

All in all, great book. The take-away message is simple, but critical. "Change Your Perspective to Change Your Life" just like the cover says.

I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as a part of their BookSneeze.com 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."