The Blessed Woman by Debbie Morris

I enjoy when I can hear familiar stories from the Bible, yet view them from a new angle.  That's what Debbie Morris does in this book.  She shares the insight and lessons that she has learned from reading about 12 women in the Bible.  Some women are commonly spoken about, such as Eve, Mary, Esther, and Naomi.  Others such as Jael, Zipporah, and Miriam are less often referenced.  These women all have something to teach us today, and Debbie beautifully explains their stories and helps us make relevant applications.

One lesson that stuck out to me was from the life of Zipporah.  Her name doesn't ring a bell?  It didn't for me either.  She was Moses's wife.  They were married before the whole "burning bush" incident.  Anyhow, once he got the call on his life to go to Egypt and free the slaves, her attitude went south.  It wasn't in her plan.  She set out to accompany Moses to Egypt, but somewhere along the line Moses sent Zipporah and his sons back to live with her father (Exodus 18:2).  She missed witnessing God's miracles.  Debbie writes "Despite her faults, I love Zipporah.  She gets me thinking about how much my bad attitudes can cost me.  She reminds me of what I will miss out on if I choose to be grouchy instead of gracious when things aren't going right". Point taken...my attitude matters!

Being a small group leader, I also like the in-depth study guide for each chapter included at the back of the book.  There are journal questions women can complete prior to the group meeting, icebreaker and discussion questions, and suggestions for prayer. 

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Waterbrook Press in exchange for an honest review.