The title of this book immediately drew me in, because who hasn’t said this line a million times?! I was also excited to see this was a scriptural look at meeting nutrition goals, hoping it would unearth some hidden food secrets in the Bible (yeah, I know, high hopes).

Unfortunately I just found this to be mediocre. Some kernels of helpful truths about self-control and priorities were present (I kept a list of them), but they were buried beneath a heavy layer of “hey girl!” tone that I found presumptuous and off-putting in this context. It did lead me to some introspection, but I felt like I was wading through muck to get there. I read that this was a shorter, distilled version of a similar book by the same author, and I can’t imagine there being even more to wade through. ( )

I enjoyed reading I’ll Start Again Monday: Breaking the Cycle of Unhealthy Eating Habits with Lasting Spiritual Satisfaction by Lysa TerKeurst. It was easy-to-read and well-organized. As a revised and condensed version of Made to Crave, it featured plenty of the same concepts, but was set up in the style of a daily devotional with short readings for each day. The book held my attention and did not drag in the middle like many self-help books do.

I’ll Start Again Monday focused on breaking unhealthy eating habits to become physically and spiritually healthy. Lysa TerKeurst shared some of her personal nutrition plan but did not advocate for a specific food regimen. Rather, as the author explored her thoughts on finding spiritual satisfaction, she laid out smart principles for Christian living. Some examples include: walking in victory/freedom, taking each thought captive, replacing lies with truth, commitment, perseverance, and deepening one’s relationship with God.

The exhortations in I’ll Start Again Monday can be applied to multiple areas of life, not just the pursuit of physical health. Some of the teachings felt a bit heavy-handed and strict. I didn’t buy into everything in the book, but overall, I found it to have excellent spiritual insights and encouragement.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product via the Amazon Vine program. All opinions in this review are my own. ( )

Why would gr put this in my home feed and lie to me about it being placed there because of my reading preferences? I wouldn’t read this book with a gun to my head and a hundred dollar bill for a bookmark. Besides it belongs in the fiction section….

Mumbo Jumbo ( )

Excellent little book from Lysa TerKeurst. Very motivational and a quick read. Filled with personal stories, lessons learned, Scripture, and new ways of thinking. Can be applied to any area one is struggling with. Loved it! ( )