Jocelyn Soriano

My life in trying to be a good Christian woman, didn’t start until after I got inspired by publishing my first two Christian books days before my 69th birthday. I up to this point I had been a secular individual with no relationship to the Lord, and therefore no questions for God.
The publication of these two books inspired me to begin writing my Christian blog and the start of my relationship to the Lord.

I was like a child, fraught with questions of the simplest kind for the Lord, like who am I, and who are you? And as my faith in the Lord increased along with my knowledge of the Lord’s words, my questions began to increase in their complexity. The words of the Lord contained in the Bible is an encyclopedic storehouse of answers for a myriad of constant questions, and since the Lord is the Great Educator there’s hardly a question He can’t answer; and all we need to do is ask.

So far, as I’ve continued my journey in trying to be a good Christian woman, there has never been a time in my life, like the author, that I’ve been disappointed with the answers and directions for my life that the Lord has given me. Even though I’ve asked the Lord a myriad of questions on a broad spectrum of topics, He has yet to fail in providing me with an answer, and because of this my life gotten increasingly fulfilled with my passion for sharing His words.

For wanting her readers to stop being silent regarding their seeking answers to their problematic questions and more, and open up to the Lord with whatever they would like to know, I’ve given Christian author Jocelyn Soriano 5 STARS for her uplifting and informative endeavor here.… (meer)

One of the best ways I can summarize the overall sense of compassion its readers are bound to get from reading this book is to quote scripture as we thank our Lord and Savior for what He has given us.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-4 | NKJV
While all devotional books are useful in assisting their readers in dealing with specific issues and personal problems, but unfortunately, they've gotten written for a particular number of days, like 30 days.
All of the problems any individual can suffer from, like despairing over the loss of a loved one, not receiving the fulfillment of a dream, being heartbroken, or feeling lonely, can be remedied if they receive a little compassion in regards to their need. The one sure place everyone can turn to in their need of compassion is to the Lord.
Ms. Soriano, in compiling her year-long devotional book, made sure it would be fraught with innovative musings, poems, prayers, and of course, stimulating excerpts on the Lord's compassion He possesses for each one His believers. The book does a lot in communicating with its readers in terms of bravery, knowledge, restoration of one's self, and, most importantly, faithfulness.
It goes without saying that each one of us who is a believer in our faith has a friend in the Lord, a friend who will always be there for us, especially when we need Him the most. A friend, we can always count on for comfort and support in the gloomiest and most distressing moments of our lives with His never heartfelt compassion.
Just like the Lord who is always there for us, this book is always there for its readers when they need a devotional to read to regain a sense of compassion being given to them. For wanting to give each of her readers this feeling of compassion, I’m giving Ms. Soriano, 5 STARS for her endeavor here.
While it is the Lord that we all turn to when we’re in the need of compassion, we need to remember what scripture reminds us to do:
“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous.” 1 PETER 3:8 | NKJV… (meer)

*I received a copy of this book from the Members Giveaway program in exchange for an unbiased review.*

I requested this book some time before I actually got around to reading it, so when I did I went in blind. My first note was that I didn't understand the formatting of the book, but I figured out pretty quickly that the book was meant to mimic a conversation. Once I understood that, it flowed much better for me. lol Self-help and affirmation books usually follow a similar skeleton and tone, and even some of the books that are geared to tell us to love ourselves don't escape the notes of condescension that I find in many books of the type. This one doesn't. It reminded me more of a loving conversation you'd have with a relative or close friend who just wants you to be happy and I appreciated that. The conversational tone was new for its type as well, and I think it made the lessons and tips given throughout the book more personalized.

One thing I will say is that if you're not religiously inclined and not open-minded on the topic, this probably isn't the book for you. I personally don't think it takes away from the point of the book per se, but it is harder to absorb the lessons involved because there is a heavy reliance and dependence on the reader's belief in a higher power. That pushes a lot of the love lessons through, so if that's not your path I can see if this book isn't as rewarding as it might be to someone with an established sense of faith. I've moved to the cliche 'spiritual, not religious' stance myself, and there were parts of the book that I felt pulled some of my issues with God into the light so those parts had the reverse effect than what was intended. If you have some belief in a higher power or you don't but can omit/substitute the parts in which it is mentioned, the book should be okay for you to get through. I recommend reading it anyway as I feel there's enough about learning to be a little easier on yourself without a spiritual undertone. If you are on the faith-based path, however, I can see this helping you to get deeper in touch with that part of yourself and keeping that relationship with God at the center of your self-love journey.

My personal issues with religion and the like aside, I did really enjoy reading this book. I've been going through a personally challenging time and the tone in this book was just what I needed; the usual self-help books I read are full of the blunt, ugly truths I typically prefer but I haven't been in the mood lately to hear them. I needed something gentler, more loving, less "Everything's all your fault!" and this book was all of those things. I did like that, even with the softer tone and tips, there was still a lot required from the reader. They still had to be accountable for themselves and their actions, they still had to make an effort, and I liked that the author tried to make this an active reading and participating conversation, rather than just the reader reading along. I also liked the tips and exercises the author implemented throughout the book. They're challenging enough for someone with low self-esteem or just starting on the self-love journey to use as a benchmark for their progress, and easy enough for those of us already on that journey to finish but have around as a reminder during the times we forget about our good traits and the people who love us. If you're going through a bit of a rough time or don't have a solid support system but need to be reminded that you are important, worthy and loved, please read Beloved.

Thank you to the author for allowing me to review this book!… (meer)