The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Decked Out

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Decked Out by Neta Jackson is sadly the last entry in this long-running, fantastic series. Jodi Baxter is getting ready for the holidays when she's mugged, throwing her plans into turmoil. But that's nothing compared to a surprise wedding, orphaned baby, and the end of Yada Yada as we know it. First of all, I was thrilled to find out that I was going to get to review this book. I've read the rest of the series and couldn't wait for this one. I was not disappointed. Jodi is still struggling to give it up to God, but the differences between this Jodi and the one from the first book are amazing. Jackson has done a terrific job allowing these characters to grow in realistic ways while bringing up tough topics for them (and us) to deal with. There are many lessons about God's love and how he works all things for good for those who love and believe in Him. Many scenes brought tears to my eyes, especially the scene when Denny took off his shoes; that brought chills. Other scenes had a bittersweet tint to them. Sweet because they demonstrated the Lord working, bitter because this is the end of the line. I am sad to see this series go, and it's one I regularly recommend to others for it's honest treatment of the races and racism, as well as other social justice issues. Jackson has enlightened me not only on God's love, but also how I view the world. I can't wait for the next series to start!

I once again have enjoyed the Yada Yada Prayer Group, Book 7. I've read all the previous ones and they were all wonderful. Am sad to know that this was the last Yada Yada Prayer Group book.

Excellent book. A good read for those who have read the previous Yada Yada books. Be sure to read them in order! Its exciting to see what will happen to the characters in each book and a real inspiration to those wishing to lead an involved Christian life.

Although the final novella in the series is slimmer than its chunky predecessors, in THE YADA YADA PRAYER GROUP GETS DECKED OUT, Neta Jackson again offers an entertaining and often thought-provoking story with a rainbow cast of characters that has spanned seven books. Yada Yada fans won't want to miss it. If you haven't read the first six books, take note: you'll want to stop reading here and start with THE YADA YADA PRAYER GROUP and read them in order. We left our characters in Chicago at the end of THE YADA YADA PRAYER GROUP GETS ROLLING in all various stages of crisis and growth. Manna House, the women's homeless shelter, had burned to the ground because of a dry Christmas tree and faulty wiring. Now, almost two years later, thanks in part to Chanda George's lottery winnings, a new brick building is in place and ready to be dedicated. Jodi and Denny Baxter's son Josh and his fiancée Edesa Reyes are still in love, but a new twist in their relationship raises question marks. Josh's sister Amanda is in college, a beloved four-footed member of the family is gone for good and the Baxters are discovering what it means to truly have an "empty nest." More updates: SouledOut Community Church is blending the two original congregations, Uptown Community Church and New Morning Church, and is now a melting pot of races and cultures. The aging Ruth and Ben Garfield are now the parents of two-year-old twins, and "there ought to be medals for mothers in their fifties," sighs Ruth. Becky Wallace has a job with UPS and is able to take care of her young son, Little Andy, again. A lot more has happened in two years. Hoshi Takahashi has returned to Japan, hoping to build a relationship with her estranged parents who disapprove of her Christian faith. Nonyameko and Mark Sisulu-Smith are in South Africa but coming home soon, and Florida Hickman's son Chris, who seemed headed for jail, is now enrolled in one of Chicago's elite art programs. Avis Johnson Douglass's daughter Rochelle and grandson Conny are independent again, after Rochelle escaped an abusive marriage and was diagnosed with HIV. Yo-Yo Spencer's brother is in the army and seems likely to be deployed to Iraq. And this is just the beginning of what's happening with the colorful and chaotic group. Prayer, of course, is front and center, and with the Yada Yadas, it's vocal and enthusiastic ("Yes, Jesus! Mm-mm." "You're an on-time God!"). Prayer is especially important in the early pages for Jodi, when Amanda brings home a football player friend from college for Thanksgiving vacation that sets Jodi's teeth on edge. She and God have plenty of conversations in italics, which mostly serve to remind her that she needs to show the grace to Neil that she's been given herself: Thanks, God, for keeping me from shooting off my big fat mouth. Other events transpire that require prayer and lots of it: a baby is seemingly abandoned, a young women dies, a former student looks as if he's been abused, one of the Yada Ya

The last in the Yada yada Prayer Group series, in many ways this final book is my favorite. Some of my favorite characters come into their own in this culminating story. Neta Jackson has done an amazing job of creating a story and characters about which I genuinely care. This last book brought to mind and heart the many times I've been stretched as a parent by my children's choices - even their good ones! And, good old Jodi is SO different from the irritating religious good-girl I found so annoying in book 1. Today, after watching her grow over 7 books, I'd love to be her friend. To call her up and say, "Let's meet midway between your house and mine and grab a cup of coffee!"