The Finishing School by Valerie Woerner

Our lives should look radically different because Jesus lives in us. But sometimes we feel stuck. Sometimes we are not living an intentional life – we're just lazy.

Woerner has written about transformation, how to make progress and be refined by the Lord. The book is an encouragement to live out our faith in practical ways. She shares her own journey, revealing what God has taught her. She tells stories about her experiences and lessons she's learned from other authors. She gives practical steps to apply her suggestions to our lives. She has additional resources at the end of each chapter, including worksheets that can be downloaded from her website. (The worksheet page is password protected but the password is in the book.)

She covers a variety of topics in the book: goals, getting rid of distractions, self-control, habits, boundaries, balance between structure and spontaneity, minimalism, friendships, hospitality, waiting, joy, contentment, influence, forgiveness, awareness, peace (and fear), comparison, health, rest (Sabbath), and margin (between our load and our limit)

Woerner gives us good and basic encouragement on each of the topics. I really liked her insights on habits. She's read several books on the topic and gives good information and suggestions. Her suggestions are practical too. For example, here are the insights she has on waiting: 1. It refines our soul. 2. It demands our honesty. 3. It reminds us that with God, we are more capable than we know.

This is a good book for people who feel stuck in their life and need an encouraging boost. While this book works well for individual use, I think it would be best to read it in a small group of trusted friends. Woerner reminds us that the refining process is messy. Having some friends along for the journey is a good idea.

Food for thought: “Busyness is our answer for not making tough, moral decisions about where our time should go.”

I'm taking part in a blog tour of this book and you can read other reviews here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Valerie Woerner is the owner of Val Marie Paper. She and her husband and their daughter live in Louisiana. This is her first book. You can find out more at www.valmariepaper.com.

Nyree Press, 228 pages. You can purchase a copy here.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Litfuse for the purpose of an independent and honest review.