Intimate Conversations: Devotions to Nurture a Woman's Soul

Excellent devotion. Intimate Conversations brought me to a closer walk with the Lord. I did not want to put the book down...I wanted it to continue on. Thank you Alicia for letting the Lord use you in such a way to encourage so many.

You know how sometimes it seems a topic keeps jumping out at you in everything you read? For a while, it was "balance." Now, it's "fear." This book isn't specifically about fear, but there is plenty in it that deals with the subject... So maybe I need to do a little in-depth thinking on it! Overview Intimate Conversations: Devotions to Nurture a Woman's Soul is a book of 52 devotions especially for women. Each devotion has an inspirational reading, an applicable Bible text, and a set of questions or assignments for discussion and reflective journaling. It is written for the woman who is longing for a close relationship with God, but often finds life getting in the way. Author Alicia Britt Chole is sage. She is terra-cotta. She is ruby red. So she is described by Jennifer Rothschild, a blind speaker, author, and friend, in the Foreward of this book. And I can see all those colors - the earthy wisdom, the flashy glimpses - as I read this book. Alicia Chole is also an international speaker, a mentor, and author who lives in Missouri. My Review I knew from the first sentence of this book that I could relate to the author: Good morning, God, I'm so gra-- (excuse me, God). "You can have a snack after lunch." I'm so grateful for th-- (just a second, God). "Your shoes are in the laundry room." I'm so grateful for this time we ha-- (sorry for the interruption, God). "They're there. Moooove things." I'm so grateful for the time we have together to-- (God, I think we'll have to continue this lat--). "No, you are not old enough to change baby's poopy diaper. I'M COMING!" Sound familiar, anyone? I thoroughly enjoyed reading through these devotions and thinking through how I could center my life around God. The author's personal illustrations made the devotions even more meaningful. I didn't have the time to work through the reflective journaling assignments, but plan to go through the book again at a slower pace, and I'm sure I'll gain even more. Specifically, I appreciated the challenge to see every little choice as a seed - that will impact my future in one way or another. Being a checklist person, I had an aha moment in realizing that God needs to be more than top priority - the first item on my to do list each day that I can check off and ignore the rest of the day. He needs to be the center of everything on that list. And moments with Him happen throughout the day, even when we don't get that hour of quiet time to focus on Him each morning. As a sometimes stay-at-home mom who spends eons running in circles and seeming to get nowhere, I appreciated the insight that even in those moments that seem to be unproductive; that aren't growing our resumes, there IS productivity: growth of character... And I relished the reflections on fear. I'm planning another post just on the topic of fear, so won't say much here, just that I loved the beautiful picture the author painted: that storms are an opportunity to experience God's closeness and comfort, r

This devotional book is written for busy Moms, providing a few minutes of Intimate Conversations during her day. With a sense of humor the author explains that Motherhood is a "chronically interrupted era of life." She encourages Moms to continue a relationship with God through daily devotions and a personal quiet time of reflection. Knowing her readers are overwhelmed with Mom-duties, Alicia keeps each daily devotion brief, entertaining and intimate. She writes "every minute of every loud, distracting day is pregnant with potential for intimacy if I can simply and intentionally live with God." I'd highly recommend this book for a MOPS group study (Mothers of Preschoolers), church Women's Small Group for new moms,or a local Moms group with a Christian interest. I lead an online Bible study and would include this in the study EXCEPT the book is applicable for Moms with preschoolers and not applicable to the general audience. When my children were little I was vice-president of the local Moms Club- this book would meet their purpose: Moms connecting in friendship, growing in faith and enjoying life as a new Mom. For older Moms like me, it has the value of reminding me that "Being with God was and still is the first priority of a disciples job description" as stated by the author. Intimate Conversations is a beautiful parallel between the author's experience as a busy mother and her role as God's daughter. I found the writing style poetic and intimate. In one devotion she writes "turning from the ocean of undone I took his offered hand" as she speaks of her desire to be intimate with God. If you are a new Mom, a Mother of Preschoolers, or would like to give a gift to a women expecting her first child-this book would be perfect for you.

I thought this was a delightful little book. It shares 52 devotions, with themes that cover, among others: time, faith, trials, disappointment, family, love, and truth. Each devotion is short and includes vignettes, scriptures and thoughts to ponder. It easily fits into a purse and these devotions are short enough to read while waiting in a car for your children, or long enough to ponder while sitting at home with a cup of cocoa. I found it thought-provoking and relevant to my life as a busy mom.

There are a lot of devotionals out there to choose from and each one is different and appreciated by different people at different stages in their walk with the Lord. Intimate Conversations is one of those devotional books that I enjoyed reading. Each devotion starts with either a personal story or a Bible story that applies to the topic, followed by Scripture and discussion and reflection questions for journaling. These devotions are very practical and apply to everyday lives. With me being still a "young" Christian, I appreciate the simplicity of the messages of this book. Someone looking for something deeper maybe disappointed by this book, but I have found these devotions to be uplifting and encouraging and very useful. Topics included in Intimate Conversations include worry, obeying God, fear, dealing with disappointment and unrealized dreams, among many others. The devotions are fairly short, making it easy to work into your day. I enjoyed reading one or two in the morning with my tea. I highly recommend this book because of its practicality and sound Biblical guidance.