"Made Like Martha" by Katie M. Reid - Book Review and Giveaway

About the book  

An invitation for overachievers to discover what it means to rest as God's daughters without compromising their God-given design as doers.

Though she didn't sit at Jesus's feet like her sister Mary, biblical Martha was loved just as she was--and you are too. This practical resource invites modern-day Marthas to sit down spiritually as they exchange try-hard striving for hope-filled freedom without abandoning their doer's heart in the process. Doers need to be affirmed in their innate design to do rather than sit, yet also be reminded that they don't have to overdo it in order to be worthy. This book is not an exhortation to add or subtract things off your to-do list, but it is an invitation to embrace the "good" of the Good News. Here is an offer to step into your position as a daughter of God and to enjoy life as a doer.

My Thoughts
I have always felt bad for Martha in the Bible for trying to serve Jesus and having to do all the work when her sister Mary just sits and enjoys Jesus's company, and then she gets reprimanded! I am very much a Martha and always felt like I needed to somehow change or pretend to be a Mary since "that was the better thing". I heard about the opportunity to be on the launch team for a book that sounded exactly like one I NEEDED to read--"Made Like Martha" by Katie M. Reid. I was so excited to crack open the pages and read. It was so helpful to know that God didn't WANT me to change, I just needed to watch my motivations for what I was doing. I need to remember that in and of myself, I am not sufficient or capable, but God is my sufficiency. I can do all things through Him. 

I do not like not having control over what is going on in my life. I like to have things planned out and orderly so I know what to expect. During the period of time I was reading the book, I was heading to church and someone pulled out in front of me and I crashed into them. The damage looked negligible other than the air bags had deployed. We found out we weren't covered by insurance. We went on a roller coaster ride of "we will fix it, we can't fix it" and back again. We also had plans to go camping in the middle of July and without a vehicle large enough, we could not do that. When we finally had the car being fixed, I was sure that plan was still in place, but then they aren't going to get it done in time and my plans get thrown off again.  I had to cling to the principles I had learned in the book and realize that "even if our what-if happens, the good news does not change. Jesus is enough, even in the dark, even in the battle, even among flames." (page 23.) I have always been a worrier. If my husband is later home from work than normal, I fret over what the delay is. The worry snowballs and my gut churns. I know all the verses about not worrying, but I needed a better approach. "Made Like Martha" gave me that approach...Starve worry by feasting on worship. When I'd find myself getting anxious, I'd start singing. Usually "Amazing Grace" or the chorus to "Trusting Jesus, That is All". Sometimes it would take a little bit, but the knots of tension would start to relax and my focus would be on God and not my problem. 

Being from the same state as Katie M. Reid made it fun for me to find little glimpses and antidotes from my area. It really made me relate to the book even more. She uses climbing Sleeping Bear Dunes as an example in the book and I KNEW exactly what that was like having climbed them last summer. I'm not someone who likes to write in books, but I have a notebook where I've copied down many passages from this book that especially spoke to me and put sticky note flags by parts of the book for easy reference. "Made Like Martha" is definitely a book I will come back to again and again. 

At the end of each chapter, there is a section about a "Modern Day Martha" and an "It is Finished" task to do. At the back of the book, there is also a five lesson Bible Study. This book would be awesome for a Book Club or a Sunday School class/small group. 

About the Author
Katie M. Reid is an author, speaker, and singer who encourages others to find grace in the unraveling of life at katiemreid.com. Her first book, Made Like Martha: Good News for the Woman Who Gets Things Done, will release on July 10, 2018 (published by WaterBrook). Katie's writing style is transparent, poetic, and reflective. She has published articles through: Focus on the Family, HuffPost, MOPS, LifeLines, iBelieve, and LightWorkers and is a contributor in Tales of Our Lives: Reflection Pond and the Five Minute Friday book. Her album, Echoes of My Heart, is also available for purchase. Katie delights in her hubby, five children, and their life in ministry. Hot or iced tea and cut-to-the-chase conversations are a few of her favorite things.

Giveaway


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"Made Like Martha" is available in paperback:

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook (July 10, 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735291268
• ISBN-13: 978-0735291263
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.7 x 9 inches

and in Kindle edition:

• File Size: 7340 KB
• Print Length: 240 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook (July 10, 2018)
• Publication Date: July 10, 2018
• Sold by: Random House LLC
• Language: English
• ASIN: B076GR5YM9

I got a free advance reader copy of this book as part of the launch team. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received for my review.