Everything by Mary DeMuth

Subtitle: What You Give and What You Gain to Become Like Jesus, Thomas Nelson Publishers.

The title says it all. Everything---that's what you need to turn over to Jesus. Author Mary DeMuth says we should give all our troubles, our gifts, our joys and sorrows. But it's not a one-way street. As we give, find that what we get in return is far more valuable than anything we gave up. We become like Jesus.

The book is divided into three main sections:

• Head - What We Think
• Heart - Who We Are
• Hands - How We Live

In each section, Mary shares her struggles and triumphs. It reminded me of the saying, WWJD, "What would Jesus do?" In every situation, if we ask ourselves how Jesus would handle it, we learn to give up control. De Muth points out that, when the desire to control dies, you have "planted the seeds" of becoming like Jesus. Growth comes from the hard times, not from the easy ones.

I had heard of Mary DeMuth. I had even followed her on Twitter, but I had never read any of her work until now. She has an interesting history, having been abused and neglected as a child. She and her husband have served as missionaries overseas, though they now live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Mary's writing is straight-forward and well-organized. However, I had trouble reading more than a few pages at one sitting. Maybe it's because the material was so deeply personal. Or perhaps it was because it was not intended as a quick read. There are questions for reflection at the end of each chapter that help you apply the content in your own life. I give it four stars out of five.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”