Trade Your Cares for Calm by Max Lucado -- my REVIEW

The beautiful cover of this book by Max Lucado, Trade Your Cares for Calm, draws you in and makes you want to look inside!  The title too, who wouldn't like more calm in their lives? 

This little hardback book (with its own bookmark!) is more than just pretty, it is filled with words of encouragement to rely on God, stop focusing on ourselves, and give our anxieties to Him.

There are 10 short chapters, each dealing with some aspect of worry or peace.  There are Scripture verses to remind us of what God says, little story illustrations of some topics, beautiful photographs, reminders to trust God, places for thoughtful journaling (answering some questions), and some hard-hitting truths.

One of the things that struck me was a little checklist called "Weigh Your Worries"  To see if your heart is weighed down with worry.  Some of the items on the list include: "Are you laughing less than you once did? Do you see problems in every promise? Do you assume that something bad is going to happen? If given the chance, would you avoid any interaction with humanity for the rest of  your life?" and more.  Oh boy, that alone was convicting (though I usually don't think of myself as a worrier!) BUT you know what follows that list?  This lovely statement, "If you answered yes to more than a few of these questions, the Prince of Peace stands ready to help trade your cares for calm."

It's not a long book, just a few small pages on each chapter, but it's right to the point and the author wants to help us re-focus on how to truly be calm, through the help of God alone.  It's a nice book that would make a nice little study to accompany your mornings--it would also make a nice gift.  Who wouldn't enjoy or be helped by the topic, right?

I would recommend this book.  It's a good help to remind us to rely on God rather than on ourselves.  He is willing and waiting for us.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. 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.”