2026 Book Review #20:I Surrender All

 

I'm a huge fan of Priscilla Shirer.  You may know her from the movie War Room. You've probably heard her dad or read one of his books (Tony Evans, pastor).  Well, this past Spring semester my ladies small group that I facilitate, read one of her latest books, I Surrender All. WOW.  Was it ever convicting and so deep yet an easy read.  It made for great discussions. 

STUDY SUMMARY 

The book was inspired by the themes in the movie The Forge. 

The study is a challenge and an invitation to surrender everything to Jesus Christ. To know and follow Him not just as your Savior but are your priority, your  first love, your Lord. To move beyond being a believer to becoming His disciple.   

"Because there is a difference". From the back cover:

"Salvation is a gift of God. It's free. It's grace. It's the cross. Discipleship comes at a high cost. It's surrender. It's effort. It's a daily choice to lay down your life and follow His. Few believers choose this route, but the ones who do will experience the abundance that only the surrendered life can offer. It's the one choice standing between you and the life of freedom and fulfillment, of peace and purpose you've always wanted." 

That paragraph spoke to me and prompted me to buy the book and lead the study. 

The book is divided into an Intro called "First". 

Then there are 8 chapters which are as follows:

1.  Everything You Have 
2. Everything You Need'
3. Everything You Are
4. Everhthing You're Becoming
5. Everything You Want
6. Everything You Face
7. Everywhere You Go
8. Everything for Jesus

There is a place of Notes and an About the Author page as well. 

MY THOUGHTS

This book study is fantastic for the new or mature Christ follower. 

The chapter are easy to read, include various Scriptures from the Old and New Testaments and have 3 questions at the very end for self reflection or for sharing in class/small group. 

There was space to write notes which I didn't do....I put my notes/thoughts into a journal. But I did highlight many sections or Scriptures that jumped out at me and I encouraged my ladies to do that as well.

There were 6 of us for this group and I  had some great positive feedback about what they learned, how they grew and how Priscilla's words challenged them. 

We chose to just meet for the 7 chapters for discussion and left the last chapter to read on our own as it's more personal stories from Priscilla and not much to share on. 

I highly recommend this book for a ladies Bible study/small group if you are a leader....or it's great to just read on your own!  I was definitely challenged in many areas and convicted to lay down some "things"/"Stuff" and give them over to God.

In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 14 and older. 

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 10. 

WEDNESDAY HODGEPODGE MEME

1.What's something you find extremely difficult that most people would say is simple?

Subtraction.  I honestly struggle with it. I have to add backwards to subtract....in fact that's how I learned.  For example: 40-18= I have to say 8 plus what makes 10? Oh.  2 so the number on the right in the answer is 2.  Then 1 + what makes 4. Oh, 3! so the answer is 32. I hated math after 5th grade. I barely made it through Geometry and Algebra I passed ok but ended up with a C on the Regents so a C+ in the class. after that, I was done! Thank God both daughters take after Dave and excelled and homework was super easy for them AND they both got Level 5 on their AP Calc.  One daughter  went on to major in math "for fun" along with her Art major. My dad was great at math and my mom was ok. Not sure what happened to me. 

2.  "And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow fast in movies I  had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer." 

~F. Scott Fitzgerald~

Does the season of summer make you feel this way? Elaborate. 

Not really.  It's more like a pause. My life...especially now that I'm retired from Special Ed Prek teaching, pauses in the summer so to speak. Slower paced life style, way more time in the mountains and hikes, kayaking, no ministry duties other than planning and leading the hikes, more personal time for Bible study vs working on a specific book for the small group I lead Sept-June.  As a teacher from 1987-2023, my life beginning again was with September.  I still think this way and it's been almost 3 years since I officially retired! 

3. Pickles. Love 'em or no thank you? What's your favorite type of pickle? What's something you eat that definitely needs a pickle added?

My fave is the kind that the Amish make ( I found them in Lancaster Co PA when my youngest and I were down there several years ago and sometimes I can find them in a central NY Amish farm) which taste just like the ones my paternal grandmother made.  They're "bread and butter" pickles and I LOVE them on my vegan burgers or chopped fine in potato salad. I also, every once in a while, love a good, crisp, ice cold dill pickle with fish n chips like on Cape Cod. 

4. Tis the season...do you know any June brides? Are there any weddings on your summer calendar? What's your favorite movie wedding? 

I'm a last day of June bride as is my senior pastor's wife! We were married on the same day/same year (1990) and didn't know each other until 2005. We exchange greetings back and forth on that day or sometimes the night before. A friend of mine from college also got married in June. 

Me on June 30th, 1990 before heading to the church
my organist also made my gown....look how 90s it is!
Big puffy sleeves with the ribbons/bows and instead of a veil
which to me was so old fashioned, I chose for her to make me a lace headband.
The teal flowers in the basket match the bridesmaids dresses and they carried similar baskets but smaller

No June weddings this year. Last one we went to was at a large flower garden in the Catskills about 3 years ago. 

My favorite wedding movie. Hm...well i LOVE the scene of Maria's and the Captain's wedding in Sound of Music but that's mainly due to the music. I also love My Best Friend's Wedding.  Dave and I just loved that one!  

5. June 1st is/was National Say Something Nice Day...say something nice here. 

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

TUESDAY 4 MEME

 

A great way to meet other bloggers, is to participate once in awhile, in these weekly memes.  I enjoyed today's questions and am procrastinating from finishing the dusting so....here we go! 

Head to this blog to join in and learn more! 

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4...

Let's talk about your week okay?

1. Is anything interesting on TV this week?  What will you be watching?

No idea  as I don't watch TV other than Law and Order: SVU and that's done for the season.   I do watch the first 15-20 min of The Today Show Monday through Friday (unless leaving early for a hike) and I watch our local news about 6:45 AM for 15 min. I use my Macbook to watch Netflix and right now I'm in the middle of the series Legends about England's drug trade, based on a true event. I typically watch while cooking/chopping veggies or folding laundry, or shredding papers, etc.  

2. Any books on your horizon right now? What will you be reading?

I always have a fiction book from the library going.  Right now I'm reading one of Europe's best sellers that has finally made its way to the States:  Mona's Eyes.  Highly recommend, especially if you enjoy Art and family drama. I'm also trying to read through the Bible chronologically which is taking a long time. I was doing well until mid-April.  I'll get back to reading a little bit each evening. I also have Northwoods by Amy Pease on my coffee table as I made it to  chapter 6 when the library alerted me that Mona's Eyes were ready for my turn. (There's a wait list  so I only get it for 2 weeks).  I'll go back to Northwoods once  this European book is complete. 

3. What's been on the menu lately?  Any new recipes caught your eye?

I actually tried a new-to-us recipe last week: Beef Ramen bowls.  I used ground vegan/plant based "beef" called Beyond Meat. It was delicious. I tweaked the recipe a bit and added in chopped broccoli besides the onions and peppers. 

For last evening's dinner I made "Pulled Pork" with jackfruit to replace the pork and served it in sesame buns with broccoli slaw, steamed carrots/peas/cauliflower, and quinoa-flaxseed chips. Easy Monday menu! 

Tomorrow evening I'm making stuffed peppers with the Beyond Meat.  My husband really likes those.  

Thursday I'll be at a catered dinner for all small  group leaders at church, so Dave will  be on his own. 

Tonight's menu is potato salad, grilled pork for Dave, grilled chicken for me, and steamed green beans. 

4. Who will you spend time with this week?

Besides my husband in the evenings, I have my last book group discussion here tonight; tomorrow I will be with other hikers who signed up for a local hike I'm leading in the morning; Thursday will be spent with my youngest daughter at a local lake for our first official 2026 Beach Day (she has Thursdays and Sundays off), Sunday was spent with oldest daughter as her boyfriend had a family thing; Saturday I will be out in my hometown area with a couple of  childhood friends. 

What does your week look like??  Any plans? 

Monday Musings on the first June day

Monday afternoon 1 pm

Outside my window…it's a gorgeous first day of June! Blue skies with puffy white clouds, sunshines, temps in the mid 60s I love it!

I am thinking....about a conversation my oldest daughter and I had last evening in regards to her future plans 

I am thankful for.....this beautiful weather, my husband's hard work of mowing and trimming the lawn yesterday, for both of my daughters who live not too far away from us, and for their jobs and health. 

From the kitchen....for dinner tonight: bbq jackfruit sandwiches (think pulled pork sandwiches minus the fat and cholesterol), broccoli slaw with coleslaw dressing, quinoa-flaxseed chips, a pitcher of iced tea

I am creating....the July hiking schedule for the group I run (SoulSteps Hiking)

I am going....on a walk as soon as my housework is complete for the day 

I am wearing....sunwashed denim skinny jeans, a black tunic tee, a jade green  flannel hooded shirt, barefeet with magenta toe polish, pewter hoop earrings, my wedding band/diamond, my birthstone and a jade cross necklace. For my walk, I'll put on my black yoga pants and walking sneakers and take off the flannel shirt 

I am hoping....it is in the low 80s for Thursday when my youngest girl and I plan on going to a lake for a "beach day" on her day off. 

I am hearing....the sounds of a bluejay, cardinal and crow in the backyard maple trees and  a nuthatch at the feeder; someone's lawn mower, cars on the main road whizzing by; the wind in the trees 

Around the house....the groceries for the week are shopped for and put away, bed is made and fresh towels have been put out in the bathrooms; I still need to vacuum the dining room and the kitchen after this post is done, and then I will power walk for 2 miles and then finish my small group prep for our last discussion tomorrow evening.  Hubby is working from home, since it's a Monday, in the upstairs office so no housework takes place up there on Mondays or Fridays. 

One of my favorite things....st*rbucks hot coffee with a splash of almond milk and one pump of raspberry syrup. 

I am reading...Mona's Eyes, and an article from the latest Adirondack Explorer magazine about a hike in the deep woods 

A Few Plans for the rest of the week.....tomorrow I have some paper shredding to do, a trip to Ace Hardware or Tractor Supply, and my last small group discussion with my Book Group/Bible Study; Wednesday morning I have to lead a woods hike in a new to me trail system about 40 minutes east of my home; Thursday is a lake day for Claire and I followed by a dinner I need to attend for all small group leaders that the church is having catered; Friday is open but I'm thinking of heading out to my hometown area to place some things on my parents' graves, do some clean up there, and have lunch with an old friend along with shopping at a fave antique store. Saturday, we are hoping to get the kayaks in one of the local lakes and having a bonfire to burn some brush in the evening after a picnic. 

Here's a quote I am sharing with you: 

Get outside!  your body, mind, and spirit will thank you. 

How is your Monday going??