Dialogues with God Book

TAKE FLIGHT - Sisterchicks in the word by Robin Jones Gunn & Cindy Hannan is a Christian devotional book for women where you can find examples of God's grace, as well as answers to questions about life experiences through ordinary stories and relatable Biblical verses. The kind of experiences where "women can open their hearts to each other" (p.7) and hear the God-centered answers that "nudge" them into deeper reflections.
**Sorry guys, this one is for the ladies. We're not saying that there isn't any value in their pearls of wisdom, but we don't think this book will be lying around your man cave.

So what is a Sisterchick? What is grace? And how does this book connect the dots?
• A "Sisterchick" is a whimsical concept of sisterly bonding defined as a "friend who shares the deepest wonders of your heart, loves you like a sister, and gives you a reality check when you're being a brat." (p.7)
• Grace is "the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings." (www.oxforddictionaries.com)
• The stories connect the dots because the "remind us that even in moments that seem graceless, God's hand kept you from tumbling into oblivion." (p.7) and we get to see how God's grace is interwoven and intertwined in various scenarios and situations.
Complete with a series of adventurous stories to tell the world, TAKE FLIGHT is a devotional book in the Sisterchick movement (bet you didn't know there was such a thing!). These are not stories only about grace, but about courage and chance encounters that really aren't random coincidences. Heidi Quade once said, "A coincidence is a small miracle where God chose to remain anonymous." According to the authors, this is a spiritual journey of female travel-buddies and spirit-filled adventure companions.

What is refreshing about the book TAKE FLIGHT is that the authors take a different approach to the traditional "devotional time" format of plain old daily verses from the Bible. Instead you get a nice spin and find "From Robin's Nest" which sets the tone for the stories. "From Cindy's Perch" is where she reflects on each story with encouraging observations.

However, a devotional book wouldn't be a devotional book without the tried-and-true thoughtfully selected Biblical verses that support, explain, encourage, reinforce, reflect, discern and/or understand how the Word connects the story with daily life. This section is appropriately entitled "Take a Closer Look." The real key takeaways are the suggestions to strengthen your friendships with your "soul-sisters" in unique ways - "like making the time to have lunch with a friend who needs a new dream...listening is the first language of loving." (p.26).

The ladies share experiences about women connecting and being connected to God can help get you back on track. Each story, each question, every answer, has one goal in mind-to bring you closer to God. In order to do that you must "examine the voices in your head. Do they bring you closer to God or pull you away from Him?" (p.33). The only criticism we had, was the choice to use black and white pictures. The pictures weren't of the best quality and didn't add any value to the quality of the book.

If prayer or spirituality is an important part of your life but you have become lackadaisical in your daily devotion and there are many ways you may want to create a new daily routine that helps you stay on point. Give TAKE FLIGHT a second look, it is written in a thoughtful, kind and loving way that has the potential to uplift you as many times as you need it.
THOUGHTS for your SOUL:
• One of the wonderful characteristics of a true friendship is that it can survive separation, both by time and distance. (What encouraging words from a friend still ring in your ears? Is there someone in your life who needs your love and acceptance right now? He [God] might just wrap up His grace and send it through you.) (p.39).
• Don't let fear make the decisions for you. (p.56).
• When a woman knows she's loved, she can do anything. She grows stronger in her sweet and abiding affection for the One who loves her. (p.79).

Disclaimer: Let's BOND over BOOKS received this book for free from the WaterbrookMultnomah Publishing Group for this review.