Intimate Conversations: Devotions to Nurture a Woman's Soul

by Alicia Britt Chole

All women need strong relationships to sustain them. But the one relationship that often gets forgotten in the craziness of everyday life is the most important one of all--the one they have with God.

This thoughtful devotional will lead women on a gentle, encouraging, and accessible journey toward a deeper, more satisfying relationship with God--one that is fueled by his grace and does not flounder with our imperfection or exhaustion. In each of these 52 devotions, Chole addresses real life issues that all women deal with. She includes Scripture and questions for reflective prayer or journaling. Whether moms, daughters, sisters, or wives, women at all points in their journey will cherish how these meditations draw them closer to God in the midst of untidy real life. Foreword by Jennifer Rothschild.

189 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2009

About the author

Whether in person or in print, Alicia's voice carries an invitation to walk with God anew. A former atheist, her love for God and His Word overflows to bring ancient truth to life.

Often described as a captivating communicator, Alicia speaks, writes, mentors, and serves as the founding director of Leadership Investment Intensives, Inc, a non-profit devoted to providing personal soul-care to leaders in the marketplace and church. Her book, Anonymous: Jesus' Hidden Years and Yours, is highly regarded by leaders and learners around the globe.

Alicia holds a B.A. in Plan II/Pre-Law (University of Texas, Austin), an M.A. in TESOL (University of Texas, Austin) and a DMin in Leadership and Spiritual Formation (George Fox Evangelical Seminary). Alicia and her husband of 25 years joyfully parent their three extraordinary children in a country home off of a dirt road surrounded by loads of laundry, laughter, and love.

To learn more about Alicia, visit her website at www.aliciachole.com or on twitter @aliciachole.

Favorite Quotes:

Oswald Chambers: 'My goal is God Himself, not joy nor peace nor even blessing, but Himself, my God.'

A.W. Tozer: 'The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him.'

Henri Nouwen: 'Did growing older bring me closer to Jesus?'

Brother Lawrence: 'Always rejoice at being able to do little things for the love of God.'

Basilea Schlink: 'Jesus and the penitent sinner belong together.'
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Reviews

[Jane Maritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know how sometimes it seems a topic keeps jumping out at you in everything you read? For a while, it was "balance." Now, it's "fear." This book isn't specifically about fear, but there is plenty in it that deals with the subject... So maybe I need to do a little in-depth thinking on it!

Overview

Intimate Conversations: Devotions to Nurture a Woman's Soul is a book of 52 devotions especially for women. Each devotion has an inspirational reading, an applicable Bible text, and a set of questions or assignments for discussion and reflective journaling. It is written for the woman who is longing for a close relationship with God, but often finds life getting in the way.

Author

Alicia Britt Chole is sage. She is terra-cotta. She is ruby red. So she is described by Jennifer Rothschild, a blind speaker, author, and friend, in the Foreward of this book. And I can see all those colors - the earthy wisdom, the flashy glimpses - as I read this book.

Alicia Chole is also an international speaker, a mentor, and author who lives in Missouri.

My Review

I knew from the first sentence of this book that I could relate to the author:

Good morning, God, I'm so gra-- (excuse me, God). "You can have a snack after lunch."
I'm so grateful for th-- (just a second, God). "Your shoes are in the laundry room."
I'm so grateful for this time we ha-- (sorry for the interruption, God). "They're there. Moooove things."
I'm so grateful for the time we have together to-- (God, I think we'll have to continue this lat--). "No, you are not old enough to change baby's poopy diaper. I'M COMING!"

Sound familiar, anyone?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading through these devotions and thinking through how I could center my life around God. The author's personal illustrations made the devotions even more meaningful. I didn't have the time to work through the reflective journaling assignments, but plan to go through the book again at a slower pace, and I'm sure I'll gain even more.

Specifically, I appreciated the challenge to see every little choice as a seed - that will impact my future in one way or another.

Being a checklist person, I had an aha moment in realizing that God needs to be more than top priority - the first item on my to do list each day that I can check off and ignore the rest of the day. He needs to be the center of everything on that list. And moments with Him happen throughout the day, even when we don't get that hour of quiet time to focus on Him each morning.

As a sometimes stay-at-home mom who spends eons running in circles and seeming to get nowhere, I appreciated the insight that even in those moments that seem to be unproductive; that aren't growing our resumes, there IS productivity: growth of character...

And I relished the reflections on fear. I'm planning another post just on the topic of fear, so won't say much here, just that I loved the beautiful picture the author painted: that storms are an opportunity to experience God's closeness and comfort, rather than an occasion to fear.

Overall, this book is a well-written sweet women's devotional that reflects much of what is going on in my own life and challenges me to draw closer to God. No matter how busy you are, I'd say this book is definitely worth the moments needed to read through it over a year...

Thanks to Revell Books for the review copy of this book.

[Kaylea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Are you tired? Thirsty? Do you desire something warm and toasty - like a cup of hot chocolate for your soul?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you may want to pick up Alicia Britt Chole's newest book, "Intimate Conversations: Devotions to Nurture A Woman's Soul."

Through 52 devotions, Chole tackles a variety of subjects, all with one theme - things that stop us from fulfilling our desire for a deeper, richer relationship with Jesus Christ.

Chole sums up her thoughts surrounding this work with a simple statement.

“I want to show women how each minute of every loud, distracting day is pregnant with potential for intimacy if we can learn how to simply and intentionally live it with God,” Chole said.

Each devo is paired with a set of questions for a small group discussion or reflective journaling.

Deovs that "Jumped" Out (a.k.a. That Spoke To Me...)
As I thumbed through the book, to get a feel for Chole's writing style, a few devos jumped out, and made me want to stop and think about life.

One devo "Every Choice Is A Seed" talks about the choices we make, each day, using a garden/seed analogy. Each choice we make is a "seed" planted within the "garden" of our soul.

It made me wonder what my "soul's garden" might look like. Is it like my virtual garden on Facebook - dry, dusty and well, dead (yes, I haven't played Farm Town since the fall semester geared back up), or is it full and lush, like the gardens found at the botanical gardens?

Would someone want to take a picture of my "soul" and share it - talking about how beautiful it is, or would my soul's garden cause people to run in horror?

We all make choices. What choices will you make today?

The Call
Reading the devo entitled "The Call" made me realize that Chloe and I share a similar passion for working with youth.

The devo opens with the description of a pastor/worship leader asking students to stand if they feel "called" into full time Christian service/ministry.

Those who stood were celebrated - and rightly so - for the momentous decision they have made.

However, like Chloe, I wish churches/ministries would celebrate with our students who accept God's call on their lives to become doctors, teachers, lawyers, dentists, hair stylists, etc. Every job is essential in this world. Every job contains ministry opportunities. It may be that those in "regular" jobs have a greater opportunity to minister to others.

Chloe said in the devo that limiting a ministry calling to professional ministry label limits how all Christians, regardless of job title, are called in Mark 16:15 to go out and preach the good news throughout the world - Go into all the world and preach the good news to everyone, everywhere.

The verse doesn't say "go out only if you are a youth pastor, minister or paid ministry staff. It simply says "go."

A Few Final Thoughts
I think Chloe's devo book will make you think. Hopefully, with 52 devos, at least one (or more) will speak to your soul - or at least make you think about things in a new way. The book is definitely going on my "referral" book for moms within my children's ministry.

[Holly (2 Kids and Tired) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a delightful little book. It shares 52 devotions, with themes that cover, among others: time, faith, trials, disappointment, family, love, and truth. Each devotion is short and includes vignettes, scriptures and thoughts to ponder.

It easily fits into a purse and these devotions are short enough to read while waiting in a car for your children, or long enough to ponder while sitting at home with a cup of cocoa. I found it thought-provoking and relevant to my life as a busy mom.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this little book. The main themes of time, faith, trials, disappointment, family, love, and truth seem to hit at the right time and place every time I picked it up to read. It was an easy read as each devotion was short and sweet. The additional vignettes and scriptures were enriching and kept me thinking well after I'd finished reading. Definitly will recommend to all my friends!

[Samantha Cutler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not only a fantastic devotional, but also an incredible book. It shows another side to spending time with God that most people are not aware of. This book uses everday occurances and situations to inspire readers to reflect on the power and amazing love of God and also to draw closer to him in a more intimate relationship.
I received my copy of this novel from Goodreads First Reads.

[Michele Minor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good devotional book that can appeal to all women not just to mothers. I as a single young woman was able to get something from the book even though her primary audience is mothers of young children.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This devotional was so refreshing and beautifully written. I love the application questions at the end of each chapter. I found myself longing to pick up this book and read more every day. It's one I'll revisit often, I think.