How do we recognize who we are?
932199
Gripping story that makes you reflect on nature vs. nurture, mental illness, and what makes a family.
2214762
"Uniqueness is God's gift to you, and uniqueness is your gift to God." Soul Print's first paragraph contains both this sentence and a challenge. It's a dare to be unlike anyone but you.
  As someone who loves being considered "unique," a book exploring this subject piqued my interest.
  Being unique, I discovered, isn't as simple as looking or acting different. Each one of us was created with a divine imprint- a soul print. Until we discover our soul print and allow God to introduce us to ourselves, we're incapable of fulfilling our divine destiny.
  So what exactly is a soul print, and how do we uncover it? When we're used to living as strangers to ourselves, how do we go about getting acquainted with who God made us to be? Where do we find our identity?
  Drawing from the biblical account of David and personal experience, Mark Batterson explains the soul print and how we identify our identity. Covering topics such as confidence, memories, our "alter ego," and others, he inspires readers to dig deep and eliminate false identities- the things we depend on to tell us who we are.
  Reading Soul Print was both freeing and difficult. Freeing, because it so clearly showed that God doesn't want me to be anyone but me! Difficult, because discovering the identity God created for me requires self-examination and change.
  But as the author writes on page 16, "The failure to give expression to our soul prints will result in our greatest regrets."
  Soul Print inspires you to take on the challenge and rise above regrets. Go ahead and introduce yourself to this book- it could be what God uses to introduce you to yourself.
  I give it 4 out of 5 stars!
  I received this book for free from the published in exchange for my review.
3865458
This is an excellent book to rediscover who your are and how you would like to live your authentic life.  I highly recommend this book for anyone on a spiritual path.
3843519
We Christians have a condition, Driscoll writes. "We're continually forgetting who we are in Christ ans filling that void by placing our identity in pretty much anything else." (3)
Knowing our identity is important. It is underlying our struggles. We don't understand who we truly are in Christ.
Driscoll hopes that this book, by the grace of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, will help us know our identity so we can live as we should.
After a great introduction, Driscoll takes us through the book of Ephesians. He covers the book paragraph by paragraph. He introduces the topic with a story of someone living out the truth. Then he goes through the passage explaining it, adding other relevant Bible passages. The topics: Saints. Blessed. Appreciated. Saved. Reconciled. Afflicted. Heard. Gifted. New. Forgiven. Adopted. Loved. Rewarded. Victorious.
His exposition on each section of Ephesians is well thought out and very encouraging. For example, he writes about the reality of suffering. Rather than a simple look at it, he addresses fourteen kinds of affliction found in Scripture. He reminds us that Paul opened Ephesians indicating he was a prisoner yet ends chapter one telling the Ephesians to not lose heart. Driscoll also gives the results of suffering: growth, credibility.
Driscoll has an excellent section on spiritual gifts with a good way of identifying one's own gift. He has a very good teaching on spiritual warfare.

Driscoll has done an excellent job in reminding us who we are in Christ. And we do need to be reminded from time to time as we frequently forget. I do wish discussion questions would have been included in this book. It would make a good book for a small group or Sunday School class, but with no discussion questions, its use is limited.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.
1831675
As always, David Ault has a unique way to enable me to realize the truth of who I am!  A must read!
3102396
An excellent book that challenges your perceptions of who and what you are. Very well organized it leads you step by step to a full realization
and comprehension of the truth of our existance and the ramifications of that truth.
599335
if you really want to know how to raise you conscious awareness of who you really are this is the book. it is easy to read and understand. ultimately the principles of lent must become a way of life.
4249843
Are you ready to discover Who You Really Are? Do you want to discover Who You Really Are? Then become One with the Divine Arsonist and take a leap of faith and fearlessly dive into his adventure of experiencing the unknown and facing and conquering the deepest and darkest fears with the power of the ultimate paradox of finding within yourself the Courage to Surrender. And once you discover the paradoxal power of the Courage to Surrender, you come to the realization that you can Trust Yourself and then you begin to remember Who You Really Are! But this is all I am going to say. Now it is time for you to join the Divine Arsonist for THE adventure of your lifetime!

Thank you Jacob!
439465
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The lessons in the book, as I see them, are following your intuition; learning who you really are, and the aspects of your personality that are holding you back.

Self-knowledge is vital to success in life and this book helps you begin to learn who you are, truly; Not who you think you are.
3421564
Excellent in helping you understand who you are as a person.  How do deal with situations that make you feel uncomfortable. How to set boundaries for yourself and others.
2159916
This is one of my favorite books of all time. Having travelled to over 50 countries and studying identities, I think this is a guidebook for anyone wanting to understand identity.
3616101
While reading Dominic Carrillo's debut , the theme of identity spilled through the spine and onto the pages.  Carrillo's poignant, internal monologue forces the reader to consider the meaning of identity.  What defines the individual in modernity?  Relationships?  We are called sons and daughters, wives and husbands.  Is this the essence of identity?  Culture, race or ethnicity?  A quarter this, half that, an eighth the other?  Is Hegel correct that we are thrown into an already existing, presupposed, pre-determined state of existence?  What about our choice of phones, clothing, cars, or any other material possession?  Would you give it all up to have a shot at true identity, to have an authentic life?  These are the questions which bounced through my mind while reading To Be Frank Diego.

As the reader meets a variety of quirky characters, Carrillo's writing leaves the reader to think about deeper truths.  The kind of truth that lives under and beyond the words on the page.  The characters in this book can be used as spring boards to deeper symbols embedded within our culture.  So take a chance reading this book, and see if you can dive under the mere appearance of identity and figure out what it means to be Frank Diego.
1952427
Most of my life I had a negative self-image.  Over the last several years, God has really been helping this girl to see herself differently. It took a while because... well... sometimes I can be more than a little thick. And prideful.  Stubborn. And unbelieving.  Instead of viewing myself through my not so rose-colored lenses, I now see myself for who God says I am. And who He says I am is very different than who I thought I was.

As I learned, your self-image needs to be based on who God says you are.  If it is not, it's on shaky ground -- even if your image is positive.  As Michele can testify, at any time that ground may began to tremble and even drop from beneath you.  A job loss. A death. An accident. An illness. Loss of friendship.  A move. And you are left floundering.  Shaken to the core.  With nowhere to stand.  Not knowing who you really are.

You need a solid foundation.  When the hurts of life come, you can weather the storms. Secure.  You can plant your feet on stable ground.  Safely.  Knowing you are loved. Chosen.  Forgiven. Cherished. Known.

Enter "I Am".  Through storytelling and engaging writing, Michele takes you on a 60 day journey of discovering who God says you are.  This book is a great tool for laying... or finishing...your image foundation.  Your job?  Simply believe God -- The Great I AM -- whose image "You am".
4508482
I liked the book very much.  It made me realize that it doesn't really matter how much we have but rather who we are.
1958165
A person's identity is sacred.  One may struggle her entire life to build a reputation.  And then comes an imposter.
1643007
A must read for everyone especially young people who struggle with their identity as to who they are and why?  She keeps it real...check it out for yourself.
100876
Who do you think you are? Who are you on the road to becoming? These are the main questions author Stasi Eldredge asks in her book, BECOMING MYSELF. Many women have an innate tendency to be who they think everyone else wants and expects them to be. Comparisons and insecurities about our weight, our looks, and our abilities hold us back and cause confusion in our hearts about who God really created us to be.

According to Eldredge, it all comes down to choosing to change the way wesee ourselves. As quoted in the opening pages, The very fact that we long for change as we do is a sign that we are meant to have it. Our very dissatisfaction with our weaknesses and struggles points to the reality that continuing to live in them is not our destiny. She points out that, yes, change is hard, but it is most certainly possible. And, most of all, it brings the freedom we long for --- freedom to become ourselves.

The first few chapters focus on looking back at our lives to see how our past has affected the way we look at ourselves today. Eldredge talks candidly about her own childhood and shares her personal struggles with self-esteem, weight and abuse. Chapters four and five deal specifically with how mothers play a significant role in shaping our self-worth, as nobody has the power to affirm us --- or hurt us --- more than our mothers. Once again, Eldredge shares intimate details of her relationship with her own mom to substantiate this fact. But, as she also reminds us, no matter how wounded we were and how much pain were still carrying around today because of it, we can find healing.

The last two thirds of the book deal more with how readers can find that healing. In chapters 6-14, youll find these titles: From Accepting to Embracing, From Fear to Desire, The Company of Women, Beauty Forged in Suffering, Stumbling into Freedom, Becoming a Woman of Faith, Becoming a Woman of Worship, Becoming Our True Name and Take Heart. Each chapter includes plenty of scripture, as well as inspiring quotes to highlight the key points.

I personally discovered Stasi Eldredge in a video Bible Study class I attended on her New York Times bestselling book, CAPTIVATING. From that moment, I fell in love with her teaching style. She is down-to-earth, relatable and vulnerable with her emotions. Her genuine heart for women shines through, and its evident how passionate she is for us to experience healing from our hurts and realize our true worth. Not once does she imply that she has it all figured out, or that there is a magic answer for our insecurities and issues. But her insight is impressive, and her conversational style of teaching invites readers to come along with her as she continues to learn and grow herself. Reading her book is like sitting down with a friend, having a heart-to-heart chat over coffee.

In the last chapter, Eldredge sums things up this way: Becoming ourselves requires standing against the worlds current --- the demands, the expectations, the assault of daily realities, and our own histories. We cannot afford to indulge in our inner diatribes any longer. To become true ourselves will require that we speak the truth in love, even to ourselves.

BECOMING MYSELF is a book to read several times through, just to catch and process all of the wisdom and truths presented. Truly accepting and becoming ourselves --- the ones God made us to be --- is perhaps the highest compliment we can pay to our Creator.

Reviewed by Lynda Lee Schab