REVIEWS
Helpful steps to care for ourselves Major Zach Bell (Area Commander, Greater Houston Area Command, USA Southern Territory) reviews Boundaries For Your Soul by Alison Cook and Kimberly Miller*
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OUNDARIES For Your Soul is a useful resource to help us care for the emotional needs of the people we serve and ourselves. Salvationist Alison Cook and her co-author, Kimberly Miller, have gathered knowledge from their combined 25 years of advanced education, biblical studies and clinical practice to set forth an approach to emotions that combines evidence-based psychology and biblical wisdom. The book is divided into three sections that build on each other. The first offers a nice introduction that looks at the parts of the soul and the role of the Holy Spirit at the centre. It includes the concept of taking a ‘you-turn’, which involves taking charge of yourself rather than blaming others. The second section spells out how to
care for the various parts of your soul, and the last section offers great insights to help you deal with specific emotions, such as anger, fear, anxiety, sadness, envy, desire, guilt and shame. These emotions could potentially be paralysing and harmful but this book helps you address them in a healthy way. All three sections contain real-life stories that can relate to our own situations. They include quizzes and life-application questions, which allow us to apply what has been learnt. I found that the ‘five steps of taking a you-turn’ relate well to my work in ministry. They are: focus ‘on the part of
your soul that’s bothering you’; befriend ‘the parts of your soul that you’ve dismissed as troublesome’; invite ‘Jesus to be near a struggling part of your soul’; unburden ‘the hurting parts of your soul’; and integrate ‘those parts into your internal family’, so that the parts of you that were at odds can take on new roles. As The Salvation Army, we try to lighten the burdens of those we serve: physically, through our tangible social services, and spiritually, through our worship. We truly hope to welcome all whom we serve into our family, which is what makes us so much stronger. These five steps are what we emphasise in our ministry activities on a daily basis but not normally when it comes to ourselves. We can be so focused on everyone else at times that we lose sight of the needs within our souls. I challenge you to pick this book up and read it. As we focus more on bringing God’s care to our own souls, may our ministry to others be strengthened and go deeper. O Boundaries For Your Soul is available from amazon.co.uk priced at £7.91 (paperback) or £6.99 (Kindle Edition). Download a free chapter from thomasnelson.com/p/boundaries-foryour-soul * Adapted from a review in Word & Deed
A book for everyone Major Susan Robinson (Norwich Mile Cross) reviews Second Helpings by Peter Mylechreest
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HE second book written by Major Peter Mylechreest lives up to the anticipation since his first book, Light Bites. However you choose to read it – a thought a day, all at once, in one or two sittings or using a thought for a talk or even a sermon – it will not disappoint. The chapters include such gems as ‘God’s Dwelling Place’, ‘Whoops!’ and
‘No Matter What’ that will teach you and make you sit up and say, ‘I didn’t know that.’ It will make you smile, bring back memories and touch your emotions. Second Helpings is a good, useful and helpful resource that can be used time and time again. It will be a springboard for teaching, listening and discussion. It should be kept where it can be seen and easily got at, and will become well used and loved. It is something that can be read by everyone from young adults upwards. If you are a speaker or teacher, this book is for you. If you want to grow in your spiritual life, this book is for you. If you
want to worship, this book is for you. It’s a book we all need, whoever we are. O Second Helpings is available from SP&S (sps-shop.com) priced at £5.99 (plus postage and packing) Salvationist 11 January 2020
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