Heartfelt: A Woman's Guide to Creating Meaningful Friendships

by Joneal Kirby, Miss Kay Robertson (Contributor), Duck Dynasty (Contributor)

Are you tired of "I'm fine. How are you?"

Every woman longs for good conversation, a safe place to be vulnerable, and wisdom from women who are ahead of us on the journey. In previous generations, women lived in close-knit communities and encouraged one another in marriage, parenting, and spirituality. In today's world, we often feel isolated. Yet our God-given craving for connection remains.

In Heartfelt , Dr. Joneal Kirby shows us how to embrace the joy of emotional intimacy with other women. Her practical wisdom and personal experience, combined with dozens of real-life stories, equip us to cultivate meaningful relationships with women in all seasons of life.

You may feel you'll never move beyond the small talk of church coffee hour. You may wonder if your current friendships will ever reach a new depth. Heartfelt gives you the practical ideas and inspiration you need to change surface-level interactions into deep relationships that can change lives forever.

Includes prayers, questions for discussion and reflection, and a guide to beginning your own intergenerational small group.

240 pages, Paperback

First published February 17, 2015

Reviews

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heartfelt is the type of book that provides a framework and model for women to build upon. Based on the biblical teaching of Titus 2, it encourages women to both teach and be taught.

As I read Kirby's words, I could not help thinking about the concepts of Mom's Night Out and Girls Night. The suggestions that she made and the information that she presented seemed so much like that, in my opinion.

What I Liked...
- She encouraged women to engage in healthy relationships.
- She urged women to seek out environments that proved to be a safe place, a nurturing place, a Bible-rich and godly place.
- She gave examples of women from various backgrounds and need areas. (These women expressed themselves in their own words.)
- She provided varied "Heart Check" scriptures and questions.
- She ended each chapter with a prayer.
- She included many meaningful and relevant quotes within the pages of this book.
- She expounded upon a Bible lesson and made it functional for everyday life.

Thanks to Worthy Publishing for my First Look.

[Julie D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so timely for me, as I'm sure it will be for you. We women long for deep relationships with other women where we can share our heart. In this day of social media, it's not always easy to really make the effort to have those relationships. We find ourselves clicking the "like" button on Facebook and calling that person our friend. Really, though, these relationships are not the deep friendships we long for.

This book gives us the tools to create our own small group and draw wisdom from this book as well as the Bible. Heartfelt gives us stories from women who participated in the group and how it changed things for them in a positive way. I really liked the stories because I could relate to so many of these women's thoughts and feelings.

We are also given questions to answer and reflect on as well as prayers and Scripture to meditate on. Dr. Kirby's book is so inspiring and I am now so excited about starting my own Titus 2 group. I love that this book shows us how to be a better friend/mentor and how to enjoy the friendship we find with other women. In the back of the book, she shares how to set up our own small group and gives ideas of what we can do together as a group. I really enjoyed this as sometimes it's hard to know exactly what we need to do to set up a small group.

This is a book that every woman really should read.It will bless you so much and give us the tools to create deeper, more meaningful relationships with other women. I really got a lot out of this book and I highly recommend it. I give it 5 out of 5 stars!

*This book was provided to me for my honest review by Worthy Publishing

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Goodreads! I won a copy of "Heartfelt: A Woman's Guide to Creating Meaningful Friendships" by Joneal Kirby. It was sent to me from Worthy Publishing in record time.

I didn't realize it was a Christian-based book until I started reading it. I wasn't sure I would enjoy it, I was afraid it would so dry I wouldn't be able to get into it. I continued reading and I found myself drawn in. I started making numerous notes and thinking about my friends who would be either Mentees or Mentors.

There are personal experiences and real-life stories included in the book. There are quotations, interactive questions and prayers at the end of each chapter. There is a section assisting women find or start their own Titus 2 Ministry, with suggestions and tips.

I thought about how many younger women don't have the example of mothers, grandmothers or extended family due to our mobile life-style or disjointed families. This book is a recipe for encouraging small groups of women enrich their lives having Christian principles and sustaining each other with loving kindness. The older women share their homes, knowledge about marriage, raising a family, maintaining a home, entertaining or just be there to listen to a concern. The younger women are there to relax and learn.

This is could be a text on friendship between women of varied generations. A GOOD READ!

[Tima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Women crave personal and deep relationships. But in today's world of social media it is getting harder and harder to find those deep connections that we crave so much. The young women of today are often living far from their families, the very ones who should be teaching them about marriage, mothering, dinner parties, and relationships. Titus 2 instructs the older women to take the younger women and mentor them. The author has taken this much needed concept and created a ministry structured around the Titus verse. Readers will learn the benefits of mentors and mentoring and will learn how to create this group.

The stories were taken from women who experienced this group and have been blessed in multiple ways. I enjoyed each of the stories and could definitely see why the author saw the need for this type of ministry. The instructions in the last few chapters were insightful and would be very helpful to anyone wanting to set up this type of ministry in their own home. I would recommend this to anyone who feels the need for deeper connections with other women or who feels the need for a mentor.

I received this book free of charge from First Look in exchange for my honest review.

[Debbie Mcfarlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joneal Kirby, PhD is the founder of “Heartfelt Ministries” and she has written a book as a guide for women to create meaningful friendships. It’s like both a manual as well as a source of inspiration to help you build and experience the biblical mandate of multi-generational relationships. Galatians 6:10 tells us to be connected within the body of Christ: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. We are mandated to “do good” and to take care of each other and to minister to one another’s needs. When we are open and honest about our weaknesses with each other, it creates an atmosphere of both learning powerful lessons as well as lending strength as we walk through these experiences.

Titus 2:3-5 plainly states how we are to give and receive encouragement, be a shoulder to cry on, pray for and with, be a blessing as well as to grow personally and in relationships to one another in a multi-generational aspect. Ms Kirby gives advice, models the ministry, and tells countless stories from real-life women. If you’ve ever thought about beginning something like this in a small group setting, your home, or church, you will have a wonderful head start by reading this book.

[Gail Welborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

***Kirby's book belongs on every woman's bookshelf!***

Dr. Joneal Kirby, celebrated author, popular conference speaker and founding director of Heart to Home Ministries, a woman's conference and mentoring group, releases "Heartfelt" February 17. The book, endorsed by Kay Robertson and other Duck Commander women, is a "Women's
Guide to Creating Meaningful Friendships" in a "technology-driven" world that nurtures isolation instead of emotional intimacy.

Kay Robertson, who supports "Heart to Home's" ministry writes, "Close friendships with Christian women provide us strength, courage, and hope as we raise our children, fight for our marriages and build our faith." Kirby notes that describes previous generations when women lived in" small close-knit communities," not like the busy, fast-paced world of lengthy work and school commutes we live in today, electronic companions by our side.

Nevertheless, Kirby believes women…Full Review: http://www.examiner.com/list/heartfel...

[Priscilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, I must say thank you to Worthy Publishing and Joneal Kirby. I won this book from the goodreads giveaway. Heartfelt is a wonderful warm book with encouraging stories, and a very detailed guide to creating enriching friendships especially if you're a wife and/or mother (which I'm not- so I felt a tiny bit left out). However, I am a Christian woman and I can remember longing for meaningful relationships with ladies I attended Church with. If only this book had been around back then. I especially love how the author reaches out to bridge the gap between young and old. I must admit I love love love my elderly they are so full of experience, wisdom, and offer extremely good advice. If you would like to start a women's group ministry in your church that will involve women of all ages and possibly create lasting meaningful friendships I suggest this book for you.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book free from Worthy Publishing and Dr. Joneal Kirby. Thank you. The book is filled with the wisdom and personal experiences of Dr. Kirby and many real life stories.

Dr. Kirby is the Founding Director of Heartfelt Ministries. She believes that one should pray for guidance, understanding, and insight. Read and study the bible. Mentoring.

Interesting book. Spiritual.

[Gentle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good simple guide encouraging women to cultivate Christian fellowship with other women. In a time of more superficial social media driven relationships, this book shows you to ask for, be more and expect more for relationships with your friends.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book from goodreads giveaways. Great stories about the religious closeness of women and their relationships through God. great quick read, and I am sharing this book.

[Sarah]

I've just won a copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways. After it's arrived on my doorstep and I've had a chance to read it and formulate my opinions, I'll post an honest review. Stay tuned!