As the title and cover would indicate, this book is like a long coffee chat with a trusted friend. Yet, even those who find coffee disagreeable, will find a breath of fresh air in Nicole Johnson's simple explanations and analogies on living in the day-to-day with help from the Lord.

Johnson encourages us to write, journal our journey, in her own words: "It was on those pages (her own journal) that I learned to bring my heart to God. I prayed in my journal. I cried as I wrote. I wondered out loud why things had happened the way they had. I asked God questions. I offered requests to God and then highlighted them when He answered. Journaling became for me the tangible representation of my relationship with God and others, and my wrestlings with the world around me."

The encouragement and suggestions throughout the book as well as the writing prompts make this a valuable text for devotions or just to read.

This book is a detailed dip into faith for a new Christian or a solid devotional help for one who is comfortable with their Christianity or looking to go deeper. Johnson states in her introduction, "Here's the promise of a fresh-brewed life: the Almighty wants to spend time with you, stirring your soul and waking you up. He is inviting you to embrace a fresh-brewed existence. 'Fresh-brewed' makes a guarantee: this life will not be stale. This is not the freeze-dried stuff your grandmother drank. This is not Sanka. This is the real McCoy--authentic, energizing, stimulating."

The writing prompts, excerpts from books on prayer and the amusing anecdotes lend one to journal without fear.

I loved Johnson's remark that she has "fallen asleep on God more times than I can count." Haven't we all? The best and weirdest comparison in the book was the her analogy of the movie Mrs. Doubtfire as a "passionate love story." Both Johnson and her husband from broken homes were touched by the passion of the father for his children and doing anything and everything he could think of to be near them just as God would be with us. In order to be with his children he served them, at least that is the point I took away.

I felt a compulsion to renew my efforts at journaling. I make better attempts at seeing God's hand or call in the little things of life. I am more often moved to tears by simple, touching extensions of His love to me through others. It honestly made me want to share the book with everyone I meet.

This book truly made me feel comfortable in my devotional time. It made me long for the part of the day I put aside (beginning with this book three years ago) to reflect on my faith, read scripture and search for the meaning God instills in my life.

Nicole Johnson is the dramatist for the Women of Faith speaking team. Her dramas onstage during the conference weekends are uncannily right on the nerve of an everyday woman's struggle with faith. Her dramas are also available on VHS and are worth the investment themselves.

Seeing her vignettes, one would never guess that she hasn't really experience some of the subjects she writes about. I find both her drama and her writing to be refreshing, candid and deep.

This recommendation is based on the high-quality, common sense, right-on inspiration and discussion. However, it doesn't stop there. There are books, which she draws examples from that are just as exciting and promising as this volume. Her perspectives on novels and movies in light of faith are truly refreshing.

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Created Oct 10, 2005 at 4:37pm • Submit your own review...