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25 Questions You're Afraid To Ask About Love, Sex, and Intimacy by Dr. Juli Slattery {Review & Giveaway}

25 Questions You're Afraid to Ask About Love, Sex, and Intimacy

Dr. Juli Slattery

Christian Living / Relationships / Sexuality

Is _____ OKAY in the BEDROOM?

If I'm SINGLE, how FAR is TOO FAR?

How do I get PAST my SHAME?

Whether you are married or single, having great sex

or no sex, your sexuality is inseparable from your spirituality.

Sadly, most churches are silent on the subject.

Dr. Juli Slattery is breaking the silence.

In 25 Questions You're Afraid to Ask about Love, Sex, and Intimacy, she tackles the most common and critical questions women ask her about sexuality. Candid, wise, and practically minded, Dr. Slattery addresses sexual abuse, pornography, betrayal in marriage, intimacy in the bedroom, singleness, and more, calling women to think biblically about all areas of their sexuality.

READ AN EXCERPT

My Thoughts

That title caught my attention, and if you're reading this it obviously caught your attention too. Sexuality is all around us but unfortunately it is mostly exploited. So what is right and good and healthy for you as a Christian woman whether you are married or single.

Dr. Juli Slattery dives head first into all of those questions that we have but are too afraid to ask. It is a small book but the questions are deep and the answers even deeper. I appreciated the candor with which Juli answered the questions about subjects like masturbation, temptations, and adventurous activities. I cannot honestly think where else I would be able to get such Godly counsel on these topics. There are many voices out there saying do it, do it, do it, but Juli presents the subject from a biblical perspective that brings freedom rather than shame. By the end of the book I can almost guarantee that you will see sex as the beautiful gift that God intended it to be.

I'm an introvert by nature and I have to be honest and say that there is no way that I would ever purchase this book in a bookstore or check it out at the library. Instead I'd read it in an obscure aisle with something hiding the cover! Thanks to online shopping or e-reader downloads I can obtain and read this book without worry.

I can't recommend this book highly enough for every woman. It will leave you with a sense of peace as well as longing for this beautiful gift of God.

Now . . . how about a GIVEAWAY for a chance to get your hands on this lovely book for yourself? We loved 25 Questions You're Afraid to Ask About Love, Sex, and Intimacy so much that we wanted to make a way for one of our readers to get their own copies. To do that we have partnered with Authentic Intimacy to give one of our readers a copy of the book!

The giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will run through midnight on Monday, November 30, 2015. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. The winner will be contacted by email and will have forty-eight hours to claim the prize. If unclaimed, a new winner will be drawn. The winners’ entries will be verified. Please enter the contest using the Giveaway Tools form below. All entries are optional.

Entry -Form

Pulling Back the Shades: Erotica, Intimacy, And The Longings Of A Woman's Heart by Dr. Juli Slattery and Dannah Gresh ~ Book Review & Giveaway

Pulling Back The Shades: Erotica, Intimacy, And The Longings Of A Woman's Heart

Dr. Juli Slattery and Dannah Gresh

Nonfiction

About the book:

Are You Sexual or Spiritual?

Christian women don’t have to choose between being sexual and spiritual. They have legitimate longings that the Church has been afraid to talk about, but books like Fifty Shades of Grey exploit. Whether you are single or married, sexually dead or just looking to revive your sex life, Pulling Back the Shades will address your desire to be both sexual AND spiritual.

With solid Biblical teaching and transparent stories, trusted authors Dannah Gresh and Dr. Juli Slattery, offer an unflinching look at the most personal questions women ask. The book offers practical advice for women to address five core longings:

to be cherished by a man
to be protected by a strong man
to rescue a man
to be sexually alive
to escape reality

God designed women with these longings and has a plan to satisfy them. It’s time for women to identify their intimate longings and God-honoring ways to fulfill them.

Read The First Chapter

My thoughts:

Dannah and Juli have put together a book that addresses 'mommy porn' head on. It's not surprising that they have spoken out against this genre. But what is surprising is the way in which they go about it. Instead of shaming women by telling them they are terrible for reading these types of books they go to the root of why we as women are interested in these books.

They have broken our needs as a fulfilled woman into five different areas and then speak to each area. Through the use of a dialogue style filled with personal stories they 'pull back the shades' and reveal the deeper threat to ourselves and our marriages.

The beautiful thing about this book is that it is filled with hope. We don't have to decide if we want to be spiritual or sexual. In fact we were created to be both. (Ever read Song of Solomon?!!) If you want to experience a rejuvenation in your intimate life, pick this book up. It will provide you with tools to use to revamp how you think about sexual intimacy.

Connect with the authors:

Dr. Juli Slattery

Facebook

Twitter ~ @DrJuliSlattery

Dannah Gresh

www.PureFreedom.org

Facebook

Twitter ~ @DannahGresh

YouTube

www.authenticintimacy.com

Facebook

Twitter ~ @AuthenticIntmcy

YouTube

Pinterest

Instagram

Giveaway:

We have partnered with Authentic Intimacy to offer a giveaway for Pulling Back the Shades. Ten winners will receive a copy of the book! For your opportunity to win a copy for yourself use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. (U.S. Residents only please.)

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Shades of Mercy by Anita Lustrea and Caryn Rivadeneira ~ A Historical Fiction Review

Shades of Mercy

Anita Lustrea and Caryn Rivadeneira

Historical Fiction

Back of the book:

Someday

. . . her father will see Mercy for the young woman she has become.

. . . Mercy and Mick can move their relationship out from the shadows.

. . . Mercy will leave Maine's Northwoods for the world outside.

Although other parts of the country were changing, the Maliseets of Maine's Northwoods were still relegated to shanties on the local garbage dump. Those who found work were farmhands, not bosses. And, of course, a Maliseet boy could never date the farmer's daughter. Not ever.

All of that began to change in 1954. As racial tensions escalate, Mercy and her Maliseet boyfriend find it nearly impossible to hold on to their someday dream . . . then disaster strikes, looking surprisingly like the grace of God.

My thoughts:

This book has been described as a sweet coming-of-age story and I would wholeheartedly agree with that. The two main characters, Mercy and Mick, are young teenagers and they are in love. The problem is that society frowns upon the relationship.

The timeframe is the mid 50s during the era of Brown vs The Board of Education. While things are changing in other parts of the country, the deep seeded prejudice that grips the small town of Watsonville, Maine is alive and well. Mercy is the daughter of a well respected area farmer but Mick is from the disparaged Maliseet tribe. In the eyes of most in the town the two classes do not mix.

In a very gentle way the story of the area's history is revealed. We are allowed to see how a tiny seed of bitterness and resentment can blossom into a tree full of anger and revenge. Shades of Mercy shows the best and the worst of how we as humans treat each other. We get to cheer when a group of people begin to rally to change what is wrong even when it seems impossible.

I was completely enraptured with the characters and the scenarios that were presented in the novel. Anita and Caryn really captured the dynamics of a small town. I don't know that there will be a sequel, but I sure hope so. The story does come to a conclusion, but there are still areas that I would love to see resolved. I want to know more about these fabulous characters that have taken up residence in my heart.

Connect with the authors:

www.AnitaLustrea.com

Facebook

Twitter ~ @AnitaLustrea

www.CarynRivadeneira.com

Facebook

Twitter ~ @CarynRivadeneira

Cover to Cover Contest ~ Win a Year of Books from Moody Publishers!

If you follow this blog you probably already know that we are complete bookaholics! But we're also pretty picky about what we read. There are so many books out there and so little time to read them all that we choose to read the best. Some of the best books in our opinion come from Moody Publishers.

Moody just announced an amazing contest . . .Win a Year of Books! Can you imagine that?!! What utter bliss!

Five Winners Will Receive

A YEAR'S SUPPLY

Of Moody Publishers' Books!

Enter the Cover to Cover 2014 Contest to Win!

(Click on the above link or go to: www.CoverToCoverContest.org)

Book Review ~ My Name Is Erin Series by Erin Davis

My Name is Erin: One Girl's Plan for Radical Faith

Erin Davis

Juvenile Nonfiction

Ages 12-15

Back of the book:

Why did God Make me? What is my purpose on the planet?

Have you ever asked those questions? Yep, me too! I've experienced the frustration of not knowing what I'm supposed to be doing with my life> Those questions drove me deep into God's Word looking for answers. And guess what? I found them! God has a purpose for my life. He has a plan to use me to do big things for His kingdom.

And you know what? God has a purpose for your life too! He wants to use you to accomplish a huge mission (even while you still have math homework).

Are you ready to stop asking why you're on the planet and start living out the mission God has for you? Great! Let's dig into God's Word together and allow Him to show us how to take on the adventure of life on a mission.

My Name is Erin: One Girl's Plan for Radical Faith

Erin Davis

Juvenile Nonfiction

Ages 12-15

Back of the book:

I am a radical. To you, that word "radical" might stir up images of someone who dresses weird, talks weirder, and seems to do whatever it takes to stick out like a sore thumb. While I've certainly made a fashion mistake or two, that's not exactly the kind of radical I mean.

I'm talking about radical faith--the kind of faith that seeps into every corner of my life. Did you know tht the Bible is chock-full of radical followers of God? These are people whose lives look different from the crowd because of their faith in a radical God.

Are you satisfied with the status quo? Or are you ready to embrace the kind of radical faith that changes everything? Once you've experienced radical life in Christ, nothing else will satisfy.

My Name is Erin: One Girl's Journey to Discover Who She Is

Erin Davis

Juvenile Nonfiction

Ages 12-15

Back of the book:

I hate to shop. I'm not a huge fan of pink, and I just cannot seem to get the hang of flat irons, curling irons, or hairspray! I spend a lot more time being loud and rowdy than I do being "gentle and quiet." Maybe that makes me a strange choice to write a book about what it means to be a girl.

Don't get me wrong: I love being a girl, but that's because I know that God's plan for my design goes way beyond shopping sprees and picking out fingernail polish colors.

Have you ever wondered why God made girls girls and guys guys? Have you ever questioned your design or asked yourself what exactly it means to be a godly girl? If so, this book is for you. In a style that merges girl talk with God's Truth, we will discover exactly what God had in mind when He made you.

My Name is Erin: One Girl's Journey to Discover Truth

Erin Davis

Juvenile Nonfiction

Ages 12-15

Back of the book:

True Confession: I was voted the "Most Conceited" member of my seventh-grade class. In junior high, my world pretty much revolved around M-E. If someone had asked me during those years why Truth mattered, I would have said something like, "I don't know. How's my hair?" I might not have cared much about Truth then, but looking back I see that I was missing something HUGE . . . something I don't want you to miss out on for a minute.

Truth has the power to change everything about our lives. but what is Truth? How can we know what's true and what isn't?

In a style that reads like a conversation with a best friend, we will tackle those questions--and more--together in this fun little book. So join me on a journey to discover Truth.

My thoughts:

Finding great material for your junior high girl is a hard task. When I came across this series by Erin Davis I was thrilled. It is so relevant to what that age of girl is facing. The language is in a style that girls of this age will relate to. The topics are very needed and it is set up in a format that would be very conducive to using in a small group setting.

Each of the books are stand-alone and can be done in any order. There are five chapters in every book so they could easily be divided up into a five week study. It is set up where the group leader and the participants would use the same books, there isn't a need for a separate leader guide.

While I think it would make an excellent small group study, I also think it would be wonderful as a personal devotional book as well. Or better yet, get the series and do it as a starting point for some great mother/daughter discussions!

Connect with the author:

www.ErinDavis.org

Facebook

Twitter ~ @eringraffiti

Ch. 6: Pursuing Pure Pleasure ~ Passion Pursuit: What Kind Of Love Are You Making?

Pursuing Passion: What Kind of Love Are You Making?

Linda Dillow & Dr. Juli Slattery

10 Week Bible Study w/ DVD & Workbook

Chapter 6: Pursuing Pure Pleasure

Theme: Pure Pleasure is found when a Christian couple discovers what is okay in the bedroom for them personally.

The most pressing question Christian women ask about sex is, “What’s okay for me and my husband to do in the bedroom?” In this chapter, we’ll answer the questions women have always wanted to ask but never knew where to go for honest answers. We’ll give practical, biblically-based answers to questions about oral sex, anal sex, sex toys, and the use of pornographic materials in marriage.

Chapter six explores the question of what is okay in the bedroom and what does God say is okay. Juli and Linda start by encouraging you to use the principles that God has given us. They list ten very specific areas that God definitely says no to.

After setting those parameters they then have you as a couple ask yourselves three questions when determining if something is right for you. Here are the questions:

Does God say no?
Is it good for us?
Is it only us?

I found this to be the most detailed (without being inappropriate) chapter so far. They were very straight forward with the discussion of the topics of anal sex, oral sex, sex toys and pornography. I appreciated the candor they used to address such sensitive material. My husband and I watched this segment together and had a great discussion after the video.

The last segment of the video addressed the idea of comfort versus conscience. Juli and Linda talked about how as women we tend to be a little less willing to take risks than our spouses. They encouraged us as women to not to always say no to our husbands when he suggests something out of our comfort zone. We need to consider the three questions we discussed earlier and then determine if what is being suggested really does go against our conscience or are we just uncomfortable and need to loosen up a bit.

If this is a topic that interests you and you'd like to read our other articles check out Pursuing Passion: What Kind of Love Are You Making and Chapter 1: I've Got Power and Chapter 2: Me, Pursue Passion? and Chapter 3: God's Got An Opinion! and Chapter 4: Making Truth Stick. and Chapter 5: What Kind Of Love Are You Making?

The delightful people over at Authentic Intimacy and Igniting Women Books have partnered with us to provide two of our readers with Leader's Kits for Passion Pursuit. Each kit contains a DVD and workbook so you can choose to lead a group or study it by yourself. Either way just complete the form below for your chance to win.

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Ch. 5: What Kind Of Love Are You Making? ~ Passion Pursuit: What Kind Of Love Are You Making?

Pursuing Passion: What Kind of Love Are You Making?

Linda Dillow & Dr. Juli Slattery

10 Week Bible Study w/ DVD & Workbook

Chapter 5: What Kind Of Love Are You Making?

Theme: Sexual differences present you with a secret choice. Will I be a servant lover or a selfish lover?

Many women don’t like the way God made men. In this chapter, women will discover that God knew exactly what He was doing in making men and women so different. Each difference takes you into God’s laboratory of love and prompts you to ask the question, “Will I be a selfish lover or servant lover?”

Chapter 5 asks us what kind of love are we making? More specifically it asks if we are being a servant lover or a selfish lover? For many of us it is both . . . sometimes I'm a servant and sometimes I'm selfish. After reading this chapter I long for nothing more than becoming a servant lover to my husband!

The scripture for this chapter is Philippians 2: 3-4. Linda and Juli put together a paraphrase of it that I would like to share with you:

"In sexual intimacy with your husband, don't let selfishness rule. God says be humble and think of your husband as more important than yourself. Set your mind on what your husband desires and how you can please him"

One of the hard things to wrap our minds around is the fact that God created sex for unity between a husband and wife. So why does it cause such conflict between us? That's because God purposefully created us different to enhance the other one. Below is a picture of a graphic in the workbook that delineates the basic sexual differences of men and women.

"Remember that even before sin entered the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had primary sexual differences in the way God created them, God declared His creation of man and woman "very good" and this very good included your sexual differences. It is hard to fathom but the differences between you and your husband are what can create the very deepest yada intimacy."

When we think of our differences this way it makes sense. To go deeper in our relationships we must be willing to give up some of our selfishness. The world around us encourages us to think of only what makes me feel good, but by now we have all probably experiences how satisfying it feels to meet the needs of others. Can't you just picture how beautiful our marriages would be if we as couples focused on pleasing the other? I certainly know that when my husband is pleasing me it in turn makes me want to please him all the more.

Let me leave you with a quote from the video that is from Gary Thomas. My prayer is that you will consider it and then apply it.

Book Review & Giveaway ~ Passion Pursuit: What Kind Of Love Are You Making?

Passion Pursuit: What kind of love are you making?

Linda Dillow & Dr. Juli Slattery

DVD Driven 10 Week Bible Study

About the study:

A Bible Study for Women about Sex?!?

Now, That's Different!

Can sex be holy and erotic? Does God have an opinion about sex? What's okay in the bedroom? This audaciously bold ten-week study will answer these and many other questions that women have but haven't had a trusted source for honest, biblical answers. Now they do

Reclaiming God's Design for Sex

Eye-popping pleasure and soul-to-soul intimacy--that's what God intended for a husband and wife to experience. But because of issues in our past, damaging information from the world, or incomplete teaching from the church, many of us don't enjoy these holy gifts.

Through the use of Scripture, especially from the Song of Solomon, Passion Pursuit not only urges women to pursue passion but also details how God has given them permission to do so. It reveals the power a woman has to build up or to tear down her marriage and how she can deal with her husband's and her own temptations with empathy and holiness.

Make Your Marriage Come Alive!

Passion Pursuit offers a valuable and sacred journey to joy and freedom. Pursuing passion takes time, intentionality, and creativity. What husband wouldn't want to be married to the Smokin' Hot Mama like the wife in the Song of Solomon?

This daring ten-week study combines the psychological expertise of Dr. Juli Slattery, formerly of Focus on the Family, along with bestselling author and beloved Bible teacher Linda Dillow. They are from different generations but share a passion to bring God's truth and healing to women for their marriages and their lives.

How About A Few Clips To Whet Your Appetite For This Study?

My Thoughts:

Every once in a while something comes along that you want to give to all of your friends because you find it to be of such great importance. For me, Passion Pursuit is one of those products.

We live in an age of enormous attacks on our marriages. From billboards to books and movies to music we are led to believe that a passionate love affair involves someone other than our spouse. This isn't true! The grass isn't greener at the neighbor's house . . . perhaps what is lacking is a little fertilizer on our own lawns.

This study is described as "boldly audacious" and I would have to agree. You can find other studies on intimacy in marriage but rarely are they so forthcoming on responses to our most asked questions. In this study you will find answers to the most intimate of questions and resources for you to turn to for more in depth answers.

Sex in marriage can be passionate,erotic, stimulating . . . and holy! One of the most thought provoking statements from the book said that many times we get fixated on becoming the Proverbs 31 woman. Do you realize that her story is limited to one single chapter in the Bible. On the other hand the 'Smokin Hot Mama' from the Song of Solomon gets a whole book. Maybe we've got our priorities a little sideways?!!

Connect with the authors:

www.AuthenticIntimacy.com

Facebook

Twitter ~ @AuthenticIntmcy

YouTube

If this is a topic that interests you and you'd like to read our other articles check out Chapter 1: I've Got Power! and Chapter 2: Me, Pursue Passion? and Chapter 3: God's Got An Opinion! and Chapter 4: Making Truth Stick

The delightful people over at Authentic Intimacy and Igniting Women Books have partnered with us to provide two of our readers with Leader's Kits for Passion Pursuit. Each kit contains a DVD and workbook so you can choose to lead a group or study it by yourself. Either way just complete the form below for your chance to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review ~ A+ Attitude by Stephanie Perry Moore

A+ Attitude
Stephanie Perry Moore
Morgan Love Series, Book 1
Juvenile Fiction

About the book:

The Morgan Love Series is a chapter book series written for girls, 7 - 9 years old. The series provides moral lessons that will aid in character development. It will also help young girls develop their vocabulary, english and math skills as they read through the stories and complete the entertaining and educational exercises provided at the end of each chapter and in the back of the book.

Morgan is sad and mad at the world because things are not going the way she wants them to go. Why does my daddy have to leave again to save the country? Why do I have to go live with mommy and her new husband? Why does my mommy have to have a new baby? Why do I have to go to a new school? Why do I have to make new friends? Why? Why? Why?

If Morgan got a grade for her attitude and her actions it would be an F. But after her mommy gets really sick and Morgan thinks her mommy is going to die she starts to feel bad about her attitude and realizes how mean she's been to almost everybody. Though she is having a hard time adjusting to all the new things in her life, especially her new baby brother and stepdad, Derek, Morgan makes up her mind that no matter what is going on, she is going to have an A+ attitude.

My thoughts:

My oldest granddaughter is now reading chapter books so I've been looking for some series that might interest her. I came upon this Morgan Love series and decided we would give it a try. We spent several nights snuggled up reading it together and truly enjoyed it.

The main character, Morgan, has a heap of change going on in her life. Her parents have divorced and her mother has remarried. Her father has been deployed with the Army and leaves at the very beginning of the book. Morgan's mom and step father are expecting a new baby and Morgan is resenting it. To top everything off Morgan has to go to a new school.

I was impressed with how real the characters felt. The dialog wasn't stilted in the least. Ms. Moore did a fabulous job of describing the very real emotions of a little girl going through all these changes. On many occasions Morgan was less than lovable and it came through as authentic. But my favorite part was the way the adults, especially the grandparents, handled her attitude. Everyone needs grandparents like Morgan's.

The only awkward part of the book for us was the reference of Morgan's grandmother as Mama and her mother being addressed as mom or mommy. I just self-edited when I was reading and inserted grandma where appropriate. It was much less confusing to my granddaughter that way.My granddaughter and I are really looking forward to reading the next four books in the series.

Morgan Love Series

Book 1 ~ A+ Attitude

Book 2 ~ Speak Up

Book 3 ~ Something Special

Book 4 ~ Right Thing

Book 5 ~ No Fear

Connect with the author: